#the dlc is somehow just as good but very different

[birdsofash]

I am once again begging people to play outer wilds and play it as blind as possible

[arolesbianism]

GUYS.

New dupe real! Also new pod????? Olivia is that you girlie speak to me

[katapotato55]

how to make your writing be remembered forever and possibly be well loved.

(incredibly stupid and silly fanfiction line at the end of this post) I know that title is incredibly daunting but listen, its very simple. you ready?

MAKE STRONG CHARACTERS

"but kat! surely its not that simple! " nononono listen. bear with me. I want you to think of your favorite thing. Now ask: what do you remember the most about the thing you love? I will go first:

I love team fortress 2. and guess what: this game has been around since 2007, and was in development hell since before I was even born. The game has been around for 16 fucking years. And guess what? in the strong year of 2023 team fortress 2 Is STILL getting memed about. and do you want to know the crazy part? the character designs to the naked eye are not special at all. ok sure from a designer standpoint, these are very well designed characters made so that you can easily tell who they are based on their silhouette. but from the average joe.... tf2 is iconic but overall it looks ok. it doesn't seem special to a stranger to tf2. look at this completely random and arbitrary example of a game in the same genre:

I don't know shit about the characters in overwatch. Yeah i have a BASIC idea on what their personality is like based on voice lines and some videos i guess... but in-game they just exist. these characters are brightly colored, they have beautiful unique designs, hell they have even more diversity such as robots and people from other cultures! but i don't remember shit about these characters. Maybe I remember the ice lady and tracer, but nothing else. and yeah part of overwatch struggling right now is incompetant development, BUT: The characters in team fortress 2 are SO remember-able because the characters have such a vibrant personality. I am an orange box owner, its been a decade and a half and I am still remembering this game and enjoying art about it.

"but kat! that is a comedy game! Overwatch is a very serious game! are you saying comedy is needed to make a character more noticeable?" no. though I think allowing your characters to lighten up every now and then would humanize them. Not full on goofy, just give them something that makes them likeable. and if you cant do that, you can STILL make a compelling character even though they are mostly seriousness. I have an even more awfully thought out example:

kung fu panda is a masterclass in making a serious comedic movie somehow work. Master Oogway.... he isn't a comedic character at all. Yeah we made memes about him, but ignoring that, he is a wise and resourceful person. He is at calm and has faith in this intuition. there are a lot of characters like this. What makes Oogway stand out is that he is also a little bit kooky and sassy.

this youtube clip sums up what I mean. It is a funny line, it fits the character, and It doesn't ruin the seriousness of the moment. Some of the most successful series in history have something about them that has appealed to people. In my opinion: characters with strong personality and interesting traits is always a good way to ensure your writing is successful. The second most important is the characters bouncing off of each other in terms of their chemistry with each other. There is a reason why I spent years playing the first Destiny game and all of the DLC, but I remember fuck all about the characters. I think I maybe remember the bootleg star lord robot guy.

A writing exercise

here is an exercise to get you in the spirit of character making. step 1- get a random character from a random bit of media. In this case let me bring you master Oogway. Step 2- Get a completely different character from a completely unrelated series. I am going to give you Scout from team fortress 2. step 3- write a random ass thing about them interacting. Think about how the characters would react to each other and why. Think about each characters values in life and think about how they would bond and conflict with each other. Think about characters similar to the character they met in the past and how they reacted then, and if they have never interacted, make something interesting with it. Step 4- keep experimenting. Once you get into the spirit you can apply this to any new character you could want to make anyways thats it byeee- "arent you going to do that ?" do what? "make a writing thing about oogway and scout. " ........

Scout: let's go turtle you got nothing on my speed- Oogway: The one who first resorts to violence shows that he has no more arguments. Scout: that sounds like chicken talk! come on tough guy let me have it- Oogway then proceeds to make scout eat shit before vanishing in a cloud of cherry blossoms and dust from the desert. If this post isn't popular I want you to know my dignity was lost for nothing.

[factual-fantasy]

28 asks! Thanks yall! :)) 🦶

My last doctors appointment came up with nothing. Onto the next one in a few weeks...

Oh good idea-- :00

Dink already has a friend! His name is Doink! :)

@stupid-thatsme

I usually watch YouTube or listen to music while I draw. I feel like it helps me draw faster and keeps me focused somehow.. XDD And no one wants to be alone with their thoughts lets be real-

@coolguyinternet

<XD I'll have to think about that one-

1: I knew what was coming for me in Tales from Ba Sing Se. But it still hurt. :(((

1: At first I don't think I liked Mei very much <XDD But after seeing her turn around at the end of the show?? I really like her :))

There's a lot of moments that were sweet and sad. But Zuko's apology to Iroh, and Toph and Sokka's talk about Katara's motherly nature were amongst the sweetest. And Aang going avatar mode when loosing Appa and being comforted by Katara has to be the saddest I can remember.. 🥺🥺🥺

The ending overall just felt like it came too soon, I wish the show was longer..

@mrplants-world

You're gonna have to be a liiiitle more specific- 😅

(Aang holding Appa art in question)

Do people really ask that?? Man.. smh.. smh.. 😔😔

That sounds like something they'd do! :DD

:DDD Thank you! I'm glad you like my artwork!! :))))

@the-woomyverse

XDDD Oh man that's some fantastic angst potential

(Evil Grim and V post in question)

An asker in this post described what I imagine they'd be like really well! :00

And yes! The evil versions are all shiny but evil Anastasia (Kricketot) is normal colors XD

I didn't intend to have Miraidon around, no.. 😅

And I don't have the DLC, so I am unfamiliar with Ogerpon.. <:0

@necromicon42

The boo mushroom isn't intended to be in my AU.. but the boomerang and cloud flower could be included :00 I imagine they'd be/look a lot different though..

The boomerang flower might not be a full on powerup.. I might make it this big flower that once it grows its oddly shaped petals fall off and harden like wood. Leaving behind these perfect flat boomerangs. I can imagine Mario and Luigi just learning how to throw the boomerangs instead of absorbing a powerup. This would also explain how boomerang bros got their boomerangs. They throw the same dried up petals that the bros throw-

The cloud flower might just be changed into some king of... wispy thing and the bros can collect. Instead of a flower. Maybe a literal cloud? I'm not sure.. but I can see it existing :00

@spinelfan11

I believe so! XD Thank you! :)

(Refencing this post and this post)

<XD No one is safe from the bootleg curse!

<XD No no, my AU was made before the movie came out. Nothing from the movie applies to my AU- including the Vanessa daughter thing <XDD

Well lets see,

1: I think Gravity Falls and Pixars cars was very inspirational to me! :0

2: My favorite song changes from day to day,, but currently I really like Lights by Ellie Goulding! :))

3: When I understood it, I think I liked math! :))

4: And sorry! But drawing suggestions are now closed 😅

@anikakitty11

Shroomie!! :DDD

@untitled-7613

I wouldn't trust them personally- 😅😅

@khoiazo

XDD The only appropriate response to evil Grim and V honestly-

@xxanxious-anxietyxx

:000 WAIT REALLY??? THANKO YOU!! :DDD

@hope0koi

They doin good! I've been meaning to draw them more often <XDD

@minophlia

Ah man.. this is very bitter sweet. I'm glad you found me here and that you like what I make. But its also horrible to hear that you found me through stolen artwork that I worked so hard on..

@katpotato55 (In response to this post)

:DD THANK YOU SO MUCH!! :)))

@im-nice-but-i-dont-like-you

XDD Well hey it made me laugh too! Also thank you! :))

@ink-machine-kidd

I'm afraid I wouldn't know what to do for that..😅I'm not familiar with Digimon.. 🥺 Thank you for the suggestion though! :00

@agent-cakeshroom

XDD Thank you!! And yes! I DO love sky! :DD Been playing ever since season of dreams back in 2021 💪💪💪

[katyspersonal]

I had a fun dream regarding the Elden Ring DLC!!! In fact, it was a DLC for the DLC. Apparently it was my brain's spin on "how it could have gone differently", centered around at least 3 different endings (?) that I got to try! It was hard to say whether I was playing or actually being the main character and experiencing all this (best type of videogame-based dreams!)

The focal point was Divine Gate being destroyed and Miquella being spat back out, in his accursed child body again and the "plot" started when we returned some things/feelings to him to make him active. The amount of dialogue he'd provide depended on the amount of Crosses we visited, and before returning them he was completely limp. In either case he was labeled on the map as 'Heartbroken Miquella' or something. There was one 'default', ending that needed passivity sort of. There were plenty of quests and things to do still that were required for the plot, but provided you didn't do anything "special" it ended up in Miquella basically building a Noah Arc very quickly. Yes, because some unknown force triggered the great flooding that was coming. It would basically destroy the world Greater Will and Fingers created so far, and yet let it be made anew. The good side of it was, that since Death is connected with water in Elden Ring world (souls of those that didn't die properly assume Jellyfish form, Godwyn became a sea creature, Tibia Mariners) a LOT of people were coming back with the water but in pure form. Children of the Stars without their rotten flesh and all. This ending felt bittersweet though; having done so much to 'uproot' the fundamentally wrong things Two Fingers melded into this world, he still could not find the courage to let his friends die yet there was no time to separate their bodies from flesh like Ranni and victims of Astrologers' experiments... Effectively, preserving """filth""" into new world and saving what he could save.

The second ending somehow stopped the flood by effect, granting it protection of his gentle pale yellow light (not to be confused with the oppressive gold of the Erdtree!). Protection from any Outer God and from corruption and rotting from within. That however would result in people like Malenia, Godwyn (Prince of Death), Romina etc getting sealed into yellow crystals for the 'next 1000 years' so they could not corrupt the world but alas they could not be healed still. This ending was centered on Miquella comprehending that no, Radahn wasn't "corrupted by sinful world" into becoming a warmonger compared to younger self but war WAS his nature. And for many people, alas their nature was 'necessary evil' without which the world would be a hollow place. So he accepted he could not "save" some people because that'd not be them anymore. However, he could still let the world rest in Heaven by putting it in preservation for a long time. Not cleaning, just preserving from evil, external or internal. And how this secret ending was achieved? ......by marrying Miquella, which included a large variety of activities in order to distract Leda, avoid Leda, lead him away before Leda appears, sending more friends to talk to Leda, having Dane and Leda shipped (lol okay??) etc hfhygxjjh Because if you messed up this part, she'd not let you close enough to Miquella and you'd be set back to flood ending XD

Third ending had to do with the darkness!! It was a secret one, where you would seek rifts Messmer left along the way where he used Base Serpent powers too much. The rifts were patched out by the earth itself, but you had to reopen them like wounds. Reverse Crosses collecting! Because.. if they all were opened, you could access the Lightless Abyss that Base Serpent came from and force it into the world! It would extinguish any and all light of this world leaving only blue star-affiliated one. A bit like Ranni's ending but EVIL!! Creatures of golden light would get striped from it though (Queelign copes and seethes lol). It ensured a lot of horrors being unleashed though and consuming every "weak" person. Tarnished, Albinaurics and other lightness were remotely safe, but those born of gold and under Ring and relying on it were FUCKED. Especially Marika's family. They'd remain defenseless and be the first to get swallowed, so from now on they'd need protection. And whereas blue stars remained the age would be darkness swallowing all of them until only one remained. I as a "player" knew it'd explode to bring the light again.. but other characters didn't.

.....yet when I wanted to try this unleashed Abyss ending, Miquella himself stopped me by stabbing me with Bewitching Branch (not swinging it, specifically stabbing) and I woke up from very intense feeling of love and yearning for him lol fgfggh The last thing I remember how scared he was that he barely stopped... all that. But I just suddenly found him the most appealing person in the world, as if I never loved anyone else. I can't even describe how it felt. It was like.. every cell of my body suffering and only his touch could cure this torment. I had to lay down about 20 minutes to finally calm down gjfggd I am actually embarrassed by it, especially since intrusive thoughts followed, but also I guess it wasn't my fault? Very weird type of alarm clock though 💔

[mywitchcultblr]

Saw your posts abt the shadow of the erdtree writing and wanted to say thank you for being open abt your opinions on it because I feel largely the same but everyone I've encountered has an tantrum if you critique the writing. Like lets be honest radahn came out of nowhere & I wouldn't even be that disappointed abt it being him instead of godwyn if there was any build up to it in the base game but there isn't.

Miquella feels like they legitimately didn't know what they wanted to do with his character which is a shame bc hes was probably my favorite demigod before hand.

His motivations are wack as fuck. He wants to make the world a gentler place but his consort is a war monger and simps for godfrey, who, mind you, led a genocidal campaign against the giants on markia's behalf??

I swear even the tarnished would have been a better choice for consort. And why imply he was torrents former master if that wasn't the case? It would make sense, melina literally tells you '' torrent has CHOSEN YOU'' so if miquella needed a consort, why not pick the tarnished who has the ability to kill actual fucking gods and isn't inherently a blood thirsty warrior.

biggest disappointment for me is mesmer, hes so cool and his lore is super interesting but he feels like his presence and relevance is side lined or just diminished. Idk. Felt like he had so much potential only to be forgotten in the wake of radahn somehow being alive and back again.

Sorry for rambling but really thank you, your posts really said what i couldn't articulate before.

Also the fact that Radahn being Miquella's consort doesnt make sense because THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT.

Miquella desired a world of peace, so peaceful there wont be any war or conflict while Radahn is a man of action who relished in bloodshed, he's a relentless warrior who idolized Godfrey.

Him wanted a glorious battle against Malenia before settling down with Miquella, turned Radahn into NOTHING BUT GODFREY'S CLONE. Its one thing for him to idolized the first elden lord, its another thing for him to just become another carbon copy of his idol.

A cheap replica, first elden lord from wish dot com...

This weird arrangement with Miquella is detrimental to not only his Caelid arc (the whole festival thing, letting go, and putting him to rest) but also for Radahn as a person. Also if Radahn became Elden Lord (and marry Marika? Or Ranni? Or Malenia?) his age wouldn't be an age of eternal/total piece that Miquella desired, it has to be a world where warriors could not only survive but also thrive.

A world that Miquella would never approve.

"Oh but its about the symbolism of repeating Godfrey and Marika-" Symbolism for the sake of symbolism that ruined Radahn? Yeah its still shit... And yeah I dont get why Miquella would insist on marrying Radahn, while the STRONGER LORD AKA THE TARNISHED WHO BESTED COUNTLESS ENEMIES IS RIGHT THERE!

True, Mesmer should have been the main big bad, I dont care what anybody said, its such a waste that he was so hyped as this living embodiment of heresy and just ending up as not that relevant in the grand scheme of thing, like this guy has 0 impact on the main title.

I really dont want to see this DLC as canon :(

"Mr. Stark I dont feel so good."

[madam-whim]

The Gold Road Reveal and my thoughts on it

I’m gonna start this off by saying I love ESO. I have been playing since 2017 and I’m pretty much doing everything the game has to offer. Quests, dungeons, trials, antiquities, sometimes PvP. That being said, this post will include lots of criticism that I feel (or know) is shared by many other fans.

But first things first, let me start off by listing some of the things on yesterday’s stream that had me bouncing in my seat:

The new zone is absolutely stunning! There’s a lot of variety to it and it does look very pretty. Exploring it will undoubtedly be fun and a feast for my eyes.

Also, Fennorian will be there, so I know there will at least be one well-written character that my Vestige has an actual bond with.

The scribing system being more of a roleplay thing – I don’t know what some people were hoping for, but I’m glad it’s not some Big Damage For Those Who Are Good At Maths kind of system. It still allows for a more unique playstyle, and I suppose it’s going to turn out like always: Do whatever you want in open world spaces, but keep your bow backflip heal out of veteran content.

And maybe the biggest “Yes!” moment of the evening: Ed Stark being the zone lead for Gold Road. While I did not like High Isle as much (too predictable for my taste, but at least it had recurring characters), he was responsible for Greymoor and Murkmire as well. I thought Greymoor was fantastic (good quests, excellent new characters alongside very familiar recurring ones), and Murkmire… well, I think Murkmire suffers greatly from being “the DLC that came after the Daedric Triad” so to speak. It kind of fell into the void created by a storyline spanning a full year (or even more, if you count the setup for the whole thing, which really began with the Varen’s ghost and Darien’s letter in Wrothgar and the Gold Coast sweetroll killer quests). I think that’s why lots of people don’t seem to like Murkmire very much despite it having great storytelling. My point is this: I do have some hope that after the fiasco some recent DLCs were story-wise, Ed Stark will at least make sure Gold Road makes sense.

And now for the criticism.

Ithelia’s design (Whenever, wherever, I want to kill Hermaeus…)

… yeah, about that. As one of my friends put it, she looks like Shakira with wings.

They really could have done so much better. The way she is now, as @akaviri-dovah said, she really just looks like a Meridia clone who somehow stole Jyggalag’s crystals, which is funny on so many levels (more on that later). Suffice it to say that I personally think the design choices are kind of lazy, given that we already have an angelic-looking Daedric lady.

Also, what’s with this picture? This kinda makes it seem as if she originally looked. Um. A lil different from the way she is now. In any case, I’m just gonna call this a missed opportunity for something more unique. I do like the glass shard aesthetic, I just wish they’d taken it in a different direction.

Dragon Break Princess Ithelia, or something like that

Now I know Dragon Breaks have to work differently from what Ithelia does, but I am kind of wondering what the consequences of her fate-altering abilities are. How do you alter fate in a way that threatens reality (with reality consisting of past and present events, with all possible versions of the future being possibly-real until one actually happens) without altering the timeline? Just by removing a possible future? Then one could argue that any Daedra could do the same just by manipulating people. Granted, it’s possible that Ithelia sees all possible futures and can do whatever she likes with them, but even then, she’d only be influencing what can become reality, not what already is. So how can she be THAT dangerous?

Right now, it just seems to me that they needed an adversary for Hermaeus Mora, and since his big things are knowledge, secrets and fate, and they couldn’t very well make a Daedric Prince of Anti-Intellectualism or a Daedric Prince of Snitching, she had to be a fate-altering type of Daedra.

At this point I’m still wondering how she even works, because how does she not accidentally cause Dragon Breaks? And if she is that damn powerful, how on earth did Mora alone manage to pretty much remove any trace of her? Which kind of brings me to my next point.

Memory Issues

I know, I know, Ithelia is not the first “new” Daedric Prince. (Which makes her stolen Jyggalag crystal vibes rather funny if you ask me.) And I don’t mind her being crazy powerful either, because so was Jyggalag or else he wouldn’t have been cursed. But that, to my knowledge, required several other Princes, whereas Ithelia apparently got owned by Hermaeus Mora alone, who then erased all memory of her. Which is not only quite the feat given how powerful she has to be, but also a very weird thing for Hermaeus Mora to do. I kinda thought stealing memories was more Meridia’s style. This entire part does not quite make sense to me yet and seems a little out of character, but well. By the way, speaking of Meridia…

Meridia-baiting the players

At this point, ZOS have to know we’re getting tired of waiting for villain Meridia. Everyone I know who is even the least bit interested in ESO’s storyline wants to see it. And I’ve seen people get their hopes up in recent days (new Meridia/Dawnbreaker-themed music box, the Ayleid ruin hint on the fragments sent to streamers…). Even in the twitch chat, there were people hyped about what they thought was Meridia, and who were disappointed when they were told it was Ithelia. And yes, I am absolutely saying they did this and made her a Meridia lookalike on purpose. But I’m well aware that we haven’t gotten any new hints about either Meridia or a certain someone since Greymoor, and that chapter will be four years old soon. Even I am beginning to give up, as much as I hate to say it.

By the way, I really did NOT appreciate Matt Firor name-dropping Darien right at the beginning. If you’re not planning to do anything with him, just let it go. I know absolutely nobody who appreciates being fed very tiny hints for two years and then being left in the dark for four years straight. If you don’t want to pick that storyline up again, just stuff the man into the Old Life quest and be done with it.

Honestly, once again, I’m gonna say this is a MASSIVE missed opportunity right here. ESO’s 10 year anniversary is coming up, what could possibly be better than to go back to the roots now and reward all those loyal players with the story they are waiting for? I distinctly recall Molag Bal telling me to watch my step around Meridia, and the setup is all there. I’m honestly disappointed that there is no Meridia content at all. And this ties in with my final point, albeit vaguely.

“Recurring” characters

Ah, yes, we do love recurring characters. Sometimes. We do love it when a fan favorite comes back – a character who’s accompanied the Vestige over the course of an entire story arc or has made multiple appearances over the years and has become beloved by many players, and, most importantly, who is well-written, i.e. has a unique personality. And that’s why “recurring characters” is not always a recipe for success when it comes to getting people hooked on a story.

It is when it’s one of the five companions, or a Ravenwatch member, or your main alliance buddy (Raz, Naryu and – oh, wait, yeah, us Covenant babies don’t have one anymore). It also works when it’s a character we’ve run across several times already, like Alchemy, who I know tons of people love, or my favorite walking disaster Revus Demnevanni.

But it’s certainly not working when it’s a character we barely know anything about, and who isn’t a hit with the community. Like Eveli’s brother whom I had to google because I could not remember who he was. He’s from a prologue quest. Nothing more. That’s not a “beloved returning character”.

ZOS have several of those just lying around, and they’re just not using them. And even the base game had so many characters that were there over the course of several zones, that were well-written and at least memorable to the degree that people would recognize them with just a little reminder, like Indaenir or Holgunn and Walks-in-Ash or the Vanos siblings. Hell, we haven't seen good old Vanus Galerion in a while. They are ten years old now and deserve to be dragged to the surface again.

Okay, I’m done now!

This concludes my rant (because that’s what it is, I’m aware). I just want to say again that this is not be dragging ESO through the mud, this is just me pointing out that the devs (especially the writers) could do so much better if they listened to their lore nerds and story-interested players more.

[firstaidspray]

Each version of Mr Scratch and what they smell like - Scratch and sniff, if you will.

Okay so because I am So Normal about Scratch, the other night I was wondering what he smells like, and more specifically, what each games' version of him smells like. Now the obvious comes to mind with versions like AW2, who is covered in blood and dons a biker jacket- he smells like gore and leather. But at the mall I did some literal sniffing around some different men's fragrances and have come up with a list of what each version of Scratch would smell like in terms of cologne, as well as extra scents (such as the aforementioned blood and leather). Here we go!!

AW1 Scratch

(Sorry, had NO good pics of him)

The smells, generalized: a warm and spicy cologne, freshly printed ink on paper, the woods, cold air.

We don't get to see much of Scratch in AW1, as he's introduced in the ending, but its DLCs do give us more. However that freshness, that just-created copy of Alan, makes me feel like he would not only smell like- very subtly- freshly printed ink on paper, but also whatever Alan may have worn as a fragrance combined with a genuine forest scent of pine needles, dirt, etc. as well as cold air. As for Alan's fragrance and therefore Scratch's, my cologne for AW1 Scratch is...

Gucci Guilty Por Homme. This fragrance is described in this way: A woody, aromatic, ambery fragrance that magnifies the true essence of [the fragrance's] signature. A new and intense vision of masculinity, [the fragrance] opens with a lighter, milder, and more modernized aromatic hook. The true essence of [the fragrance] is magnified at the heart with the deep ambery signature of Spanish cistus combined with the floral richness of orange flower and a spicy hint of nutmeg. Finally, the mysterious elegance of Indonesian patchouli is reinforced with the long-lasting sensation of dry woods and musks. The fragrance family is "warm and spicy," and the type is considered "woody spices."

I feel this vibe fits Alan, at least in the first game, perfectly. If you've smelled this scent, you know what I mean. It's the smell of a man who has enough money to blow on expensive cologne, yet it somehow remains a humble scent, if one can apply that word to a smell. Though this is said of Alan by Scratch in AWAN, not AW1, "you've got money, fame, but you don't know what to do with it!" In my mind, this is translating back to Alan as a successful writer but still a relatively normal dude, and this scent just fits the vibes. Like yes I have enough money to buy Gucci cologne, but I'm not gonna shove it in your face. Likely only wears it in a very very light way. And because of AW1 Scratch being a fresh copy of Alan, he would wear this scent too. He hasn't developed enough of his own self yet, not like he has by AWAN, so I imagine he smells like Alan does.

To recap: AW1 Scratch smells like Gucci Guilty Por Homme because that is what Alan wears (in my mind) and he is a fresh copy of Alan, yet to develop his own scent tastes. He smells also of the literal woods, as Alan likely does from his "adventure." The smell of fresh ink on paper refers to the vibes of being a "copy," and of words being typed with a typewriter's ink. Cold air refers once more to his freshness and lack of real self- it's like he's hollow, and when he enters the room it turns, and smells, cold, like a winter night.

AWAN Scratch

The smells, generalized: a versatile, charismatic, elegant cologne, hair gel, freshly pressed clothes, Campari.

Scratch has developed his whooole own personality by the time we see him again in AWAN, and therefore has also developed his own taste in fragrances. We know damn well this man is spending good money for good cologne- after all, it's Alan's money that he's taking and using for anything he wants, why not spend an extra bit to smell good? Also, his insanely gelled hair, he's got some hair gel smell on him too. His clothes are very nice and neat (when they aren't bloody) and he often straightens them up, so I'd assume they are freshly pressed and ironed and starched and all that, which you can smell. Campari is not confirmed to be the drink AWAN Scratch has, but considering it is the drink of Tom Zane's choice and his similarities to AWAN Scratch, let's say it is. It's the same color, anyway. It looks the same. He has a faint smell of it on him when he's been drinking. As for Scratch's fragrance, my cologne for AWAN Scratch is...

Montblanc Legend Spirit. This fragrance is described in this way: Discovering a breathtakingly fresh woody aromatic territory, this cool and confident scent blends energizing citrus with intense cardamom and lavender, settling on a sensual woody base. [The fragrance] is a powerfully modern scent designed for a passionate man who yearns to explore new horizons. The fragrance reveals a more casual side of the [designer] man while maintaining the same versatility, elegance, and charisma of the original. It's style is also said to be versatile, charismatic, and elegant.

A passionate man yearning to explore new horizons? Is that not exactly what our dear AWAN Scratch is doing? Sure, his yearning is more like obsession and his new horizons are horrifying, but it still fits. It's said to reveal a casual side but maintain the same elements of the original- Scratch reveals to us his silly, playful, campy side through his tapes and dialogue, but we must remember the original elements of him being an evil bastard. Scratch's versatility in murder and in methods of fucking up Alan's life fits that bit (I will not stoop to making sex jokes). AWAN Scratch is dictionary definition charismatic, the man could charm me out of my clothes just by looking at me. And elegant- Scratch seems to want to appear groomed, clean, neat. He dresses nice, in a suit. I suppose that's elegant enough.

The vibe I got smelling this for the first time hit me straight in the face as AWAN Scratch's smell. It's the smell of that nicely dressed, weirdly charming man you happen upon somewhere in passing. A party, a store, the street. And who knows, maybe that man is a super natural serial killer too? This is a very very charming scent, the vibes are off the charts correct for Mr Scratch.

To recap: AWAN Scratch smells like Montblanc Legend Spirit, because that is a charismatic and charming cologne if I've ever smelled one. The vibes are just off the charts Scratch coded. His hair gel is also probably fragrant, he uses so much of it you'd probably smell it if he got relatively close to you. Freshly pressed clothes get a spot as not only a vibe but a possible applicable smell, as we see Scratch straighten up his clothes and try to look put together, his clothes must be ironed and taken care of. And finally, the Campari- it's not confirmed that's what he drinks, but in my mind it is, and when he does drink, you get a faint hint of it off him.

AW2 Scratch

The smells, generalized: earthy and woody cologne, leather, blood, hotel soap.

By AW2, Scratch has been defeated once, and now, he's just pissed off and wants the Clicker. In every instance we see the man, he's disheveled, and has at least some blood on him somewhere. The other two have to do with Scratch possessing people- the leather from Jaakko's jacket, and the hotel soap as the vaguest, barely there little note you can only smell if you get close enough to, say, kiss him. Which I would. Anyways, that's from Alan freshening up at the lodge, and if we count him possessing Casey, I'm sure he's also been using that soap. I'll elaborate later on what I mean by hotel soap. For now we will see something else. My cologne for AW2 Scratch is....

Burberry Hero. This fragrance is described in this way: The vibrant freshness of bergamot is invigorated with juniper and black pepper and deepened with a heart of cedarwood—a new man, a new hero. Discover [the fragrance], the new [designer] masculine spirit that explores freedom as modern heroism. [Designer's] vision of modern heroism is challenging the stereotypes of masculinity and empowering man to transform and find the courage to embrace who he truly is—to become extraordinary. It's classed in the scent family "earthy and woody" and the scent type is "citrus and woods."

I smelled this and I immediately pictured the colors associated with AW2 Scratch- black, dark brown, deep red. I picked up on a vibe I thought fit him pretty quickly, and this was one of the last colognes I smelled, too. I thought I'd have to settle for one I didn't really think fit him, but then this one fixed that. The earthy and woody description fits for a man who crawled from a lake in the middle of a forest, and the vibes of transformation, embracing your true self, and becoming extroardinary?? All Scratch coded. He wants to transform Alan into himself, or vice versa. He really seems to embrace that raw, visceral, angry version of himself in AW2. And to have the clicker, to be God essentially, is that not extraordinary? The style this stuff goes for is what Scratch goes for. Plus my synesthesia vouches for it.

To recap: AW2 Scratch smells like Burberry Hero cologne, because the vibes are just absolutely applicable to him, and even just smelling it in person I saw his colors. He also smells like leather because, well, poor Jaakko's jacket is now his, and I know for a fact Jaakko takes good care of that leather and it smells great. Blood is obvious, Scratch is constantly covered in it, and if you've never truly smelled blood, like a room covered in it...trust me, you don't wanna. Just take my word that it smells like a sweeter version of rusty metal. And hotel soap, I will now elaborate: you know the little soaps you can get at hotels, how they all smell exactly the same?? Alan definitely freshened up at the lodge, and Casey had been staying there so he likely used it too, and I feel Scratch carried the ever so slight hint of it if you got really really close and he didn't like. Bite your face off.

SO!! That was a lot of work, research, and headaches from sniffing a bunch of cologne for a good thirty minutes. Plus some other stuff that I think fits the Scratch versions. If you have any comments or other ideas of what they may smell like, please reply here or shoot me an ask!! And yes, comments about how unhinged this post is are welcome too.

[headcanon-territory]

OK I'm rambling about Screwllum, this is a very nonsensical post because though I like ramble and analysis stuff, I never talk about them publicly because it ends up being a jumbled mess. My brain just functions that way but please bare with me. [I think I should note that there is spoilerish content for those who likes to check the notes, events or curios in this game ]

I read a few of the Gold and Gears content or hidden Screwllum lore through curios, notes or the occurrence events and it just hits me that Screwllum just exists for the entire 1.6 quests and the new SU dlc dosent really involved him at all. He dosent do much but he is relevant.

But I can't stop thinking that this guy is the guy that got the IPC to cancel their plans about eliminating mechanical lifeforms across the universe, this is the guy in one of the resistance groups against Emperor Rubert. But what makes his rebellion different during the Emperor Rubert wars? HES A MACHINE JUST LIKE HIM. HE ALSO SAVED ORGANIC LIVES. like that fact alone wouldn't be so interesting to me if he wasn't a machine.

And somehow it feels like his character hadn't that much focus during the dlc. Buuut I haven't finished the dlc yet so maybe there's a few occurrences or some of the story endings i didn't encounter yet

Soo maybe there's things there that I didn't know yet about him unless I got informed.

ITS JUST it's weird that he's treated with a sidelined light in favor for Ruan Mei [since yknow, big character for 1.6] but he has importance during Emperor Rubert's time.

But i do guess it's on his decision that they made in the dlc and dosent wanna show this fact all over your face.

There is like hints or a few notable content about planet screwllum during the dlc that's good. Like ooo Mechanical City, finally get to know a bit about the capital of Planet Screwllum Like the intra-cognitive events are all set there. And also how Planet Screwllum's people can function like humans [THEY CAN CRY AND TEAR UP DO YOU KNOW THAT?? SCREWLLUMITES CAN CRY THEY CAN ALSO PASS AWAY APPARENTLY <atleast they have population control>] [but somehow Screwllum worries about what he drinks and it should be machine oil for some reason]

So hey! We are learning more about his people this update, slowly and surely! [how All of these hints is giving me false hope- there's no planet screwllum update in the future they definetlt won't they are not brave enough to make several patches with very robotic humanoids they wo]

I got brain burned

tldr: Screwllum should be a more important character in the 1.6 patch especially in the new SU dlc because he has relevance in the time period its based on

[amber-jinx]

Me again!

Do you think that Rachel and Max had a spiritual connection with one another? They’re completely different as far as their personalities and outer appearances. Yet, they both have one thing in common:

Their love for Chloe.

Plus, the fact that Rachel appeared as Max’s spirit animal (the doe) somewhat shows me that they were connected to some degree. What do you think?

You always ask great questions! I must admit I'm not as well versed on Max's side of the story as Rachel's, so there definitely are people who can give a more comprehensive answer than me. But imma just try and write what comes to mind :)

For 2 people that have never met, their spiritual connection, chemistry, "fate entanglement" as I liked to call what they have are the strongest across the fandoms I've seen. When Max returned, we as players felt Rachel's presence all over Arcadia bay. In the original there was even a line to the effect of "I feel like everything in this town is connected to Rachel Amber somehow". Max was able to "see" Rachel through different people in Arcadia bay. Everyone had something to say about her, even a random trucker. It can be said that she really had an effect on the people of that town, if we put the fire aside. This town being Max's hometown adds another layer to it, it is so much different due to Rachel's existence.

left pic from a fan made Rachel DLC | Yes, their love for Chloe is the key link that transcends through time & space, allowing them to see each other in some way.

Like the town, Max is also very different from her past self. While she didn't have such a strong presence back when she was growing up in Arcadia, Max eventually became the decider of the town's (including most of its people) fate. Whether Rachel is the root cause to Max's powers is very much a mystery and up to interpretation, just like many things in life is strange.

If we acknowledge that Rachel is the cause of the fire, there could be another parallel: this girl who tried to leave this town nearly destroyed the town; meanwhile another girl who came back actually have the power to do that, or stop it from getting destroyed. Even though both never meant to. (Not expanding on Rachel being the storm here cuz it's really not definitive & personally I think if Rachel's got powers she'd just use them on those who did her wrong, not the entire town)

Personality-wise, especially on the outside, they are almost opposites. But somehow I get the feeling that they'd really understand each other, because on the inside, they may not be that different. I've seen a Tumblr post saying Rachel using her people skills to get on people's good side is mirrored by Max using her rewind powers to fix her responses. (When you've got such an ability, of course you use them! Which is different from being manipulative, might I add.)

Rachel with her sensitive, vulnerable side, which she guarded & masked with so much effort and painted with her smiles & godly social skills, is definitely able to understand & empathise with Max and not judge her. And Max being pretty perceptive herself, having quite an astute understanding of Rachel just from photos she found, is definitely able to see more than Rachel lets on. Both are powerful smartasses and fiercely protective of Chloe. (& both bi x)

Max sees, Rachel shows. The photographer & the muse. Built for an "electric combo", as Love is Strange says, even though they may not hit it off well at the start due to awkwardness or slight jealousy from both sides, eventually they're gonna realise that the other is beneficial for them. Max is able to ground Rachel and give her heartfelt & real advice that she needed; Rachel's able to help build Max's confidence, socialise better (back off V, she's with me), share insights about art & photography.

I'd even say Max & Rachel may complement each other more than Max and Chloe, OR Chloe and Rachel. (If there are more content on these 2, AmberPrice in my heart might be challenged. Yeah. It's scary.)

Some say they share the same spirit animal, which is really possible (bts putting that "doe see doe" photo on Rachel's bed frame), or it could mean that as Max's spirit animal, Max sees all spirits in a doe form. Another possibility is that Rachel have the doe as her spirit animal, and everyone who can see her spirit sees the doe. Nonetheless it's incredible that Max seems to be the only person to be able to see the doe, or that Rachel chose to present herslef to only Max. Definitely a connection there. 🦌

Looking at their personalities through enneagram (Rach 4, Max likely 9) we see that they can be similar but in different ways (9 & 4 can be mistyped):

"The difference is that Nines are detached both from the external world and from their emotions (not keeping in touch w Chloe in Seattle & delay on reaching out to her?), whereas Fours withdraw from whatever has caused them pain (delaying telling Chloe about her messy relationships cuz it causes her pain? + her immediate reaction to finding James making out with another woman). Nines see the world through rose-colored glasses, and their view of it is comforting, whereas Fours see the world from a garret window as outsiders and are not comforted: everyone else seems to be living a happier, more normal life."

Thanks for the question! I've no idea I was gonna write this long. You guys can see a few of my blogs or reblogs that I've mentioned these 2 via the tag "Rachel and Max" or "Amberfield" if interested :) Feel free to reblog/ add on!

[kaija-rayne-author]

Bear with me here. I only started playing DA games a couple months ago, so still a huge special interest for me.

Perspective is such an interesting part of these games, and I love how they juxtapose that against current events and characters' personal goals/needs.

Let's say you're the bodyguard of someone you really respect. You fail in your job to protect. You're doing your damnedest to save people who need to be free. You're a freedom fighter, because you care, deeply.

Your protectee is murdered, but you survived. I would imagine this would be something that could piss you off.

You imprison the perpetrators in the only way you can.

Then because it was such a big magical undertaking, you pass out and slip into uthenera for thousands of years.

You wake up, a bit groggy, find out how weak you are (which, to someone who has never been lessened in power is awful) possibly panic a little and fuck up.

You see you fucked up, while dealing with some pretty massive mental illness issues (PTSD, Depression, anxiety, survivor-complex) just for starters).

The entire world feels like a bad dream. Like it felt for people seeing the alternate future.

Humanity, a species you last remember as 'beings setting up tents in mud, selling bone beads, who stank a lot' have somehow flourished and enslaved the very people (or the descendants of your people?) you gave so much to free.

I don't see how, given that, at the beginning of the game Solas could honestly feel any different.

It'd be like waking up and finding out some sort of creature you thought of as vermin (sorry human lovers, perspective here) was running the world and harming your grandkids.

And worse, because of how you imprisoned the murderers, it actually tore the world you were trying to save apart, dooming said grandkids.

Except, familiarity can breed caring as well as contempt. He learns over time, as he's repairing his strength and healing his mind, that these 'tranquils' are still actually people. If romanced, you even fall in love with one of them!

Aaaand, you're probably also (originally) a wisdom spirit with any spirit's ability to demonize. Into Pride in his particular case.

It's a miracle he's not even more stand-offish with people.

Pride can blind us to a lot of things. In many established world religions, pride is bad. It's a deadly sin in xtian mythology.

And Solas is both wisdom and pride. Two sides of the same coin.

It's warped into his very being.

His character growth arc from who he is at the beginning of the game, to who he is at the end is so well written.

I hope Dreadwolf continues his growth arc in some way. I really love growth arcs. He might even have a redemption arc.

I think it's utterly delicious when authors play with perspective like this. It's really well done with Solas.

I only wish I felt more of the other characters were as well written so I could analyze them, too. But honestly, most of them really aren't well characterized. On a professional level, I'd send them back to the author with a gentle suggestion that they do some more character development & much needed writing for them.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Note that I base all my analyses on the base game and DLCs. I haven't managed to afford the books yet. (Being poor sucks.) So there could easily be information I don't have access to. And wasn't there a show? Was that any good? (I struggle with passive entertainment like tv shows.)

[langernameohnebedeutung]

Hey, I wanted to say I really love your takes on Borderlands, particularly with Nisha and her relationship with Jack. I wanted to get your thoughts on that particular line in the DLC where Jack said it's always me doing all the work and she goes I've said that before. I've noticed some fans tend to take that joke seriously and I thought of it as a light-hearted joke between those two. What are your thoughts?

hmm...I feel like there are several layers to this? Or at least, from what we know and don't know about their relationship, there are different possible interpretations of it.

(Like, I wrote one Nisha/Jack fic where this definitely was the case ...but in fairness that was also right after Jack got the vault-symbol punched in his face so-)

I think one very simple layer of this is that Nisha just very consistently likes to poke fun at Jack. We see a lot of that in Borderlands 2. Which is really an aspect of her personality - she likes to make jabs at other people. So yeah, obviously if he says something like that and she has a good comeback, she's not going to let that slide.

And on a deeper level of that: I think it's important to keep in mind that Jack and Nisha are both very dangerous people with extreme trust issues. Who somehow try to make a relationship work. And on the one hand, it makes sense that these two would get on like a house on fire. But on the other hand, it's kind of an undertaking that relies on a LOT of mutual understanding and trust. For that relationship to work, these two people, who are in the eyes of everyone else (except maybe Wilhelm who doesn't care) a duo of sadistic hypocrites, need to find a way to integrate each other into their very self-centred worldview. Their entire modus operandi is to apply rules to others that they don't apply to themselves - or to one another. And I think their banter is (on a subconscious level) one way of confirming "hey, things are good, we're having fun, I'm happy in this relationship, I still care about you" without ever being forced to be deep about this.

This is something that we also get a lot with Nisha: When Nisha says mean stuff about people, there is often a wide difference in quality. It makes a huge difference whether you are her friend that she wants to poke fun at, some idiot NPC that she considers below her notice, someone she just happens to dislike for her own reasons (like Moxxi in the beginning of TPS) or someone she has a sincere vendetta against (like Lilith and Moxxi at the end of TPS). What really sets all of these apart is the tone and the way in which she says those rude things. And whether she makes threats. That's why Nisha engaging in friendly banter with Jack is a pretty important aspect of their communication.

Another aspect I think is that Nisha and Jack are very performative people. Like, one of them puts up golden statues, and the other one larps as a western Sheriff. And while I think there are slightly different reasons for this (I think Jack buys more into his image or at least...depends more on it to feel good about his more monstrous side. While Nisha's more chill side seems a lot more authentic and more "two parts of the same coin" rather than "mask"), I also think that their relationship and especially THEIR ability to get along and THEIR ability to take criticism from one another and THEIR ability to understand each other's...pretty impenetrable moral code is something that they can have a lot of fun with. Because now they can project out at the world: "See how perfectly we reasonable we are? We are sure getting along. We don't understand why you all insist on not simply getting with the very evident and not-at-all-murderouly-hypocritical programme."

Now, I think the big question for a lot of people in the fandom is: How much (does it?) reflect on their actual sex life.

And ...without much contex about their actual relationship, I think there are several interpretations are possible:

Nisha literally just says it to be funny. As in, she just thought it was a funny moment to say that line. Like a "yo mama" joke.

The joke is that Nisha said it before in a different context that the Vault Hunters know about. e.g. the fact that Jack rarely accompanies them to their mission.

Or it is indeed a comment on their sex life. The thing is, I feel like the insinuation has always been that their sex life is pretty damn good. I think there is even a confirmation of that from Anthony Burch himself but I cannot be bothered to look for it - really, my reasoning is that Nisha is presented as a very sexual person and these two are often presented as very much on the same wavelength sexually. Quite frankly, I don't think Nisha would stay if she was genuinely unhappy with their sex life. A possible interpretation I do see is that they are both Nisha very canonically, Jack frequently implied, switches. So I think if we were to take the comment at face value and assume that a) she really "said that before and b) it was about sex - I would interpret it as "she has been playing the dominant part a lot lately"

[morphogenetic]

Mediaposting 2024, #6: Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2/The Great Ace Attorney Resolve

Completed: April 21st, 2024 (/i still have to watch the DLC episodes that didn't get released with the official loc, I guess but I'm not playing it any more so ?? lol)

Time spent: 49.5 hours (will be like 50.5 after the DLC stuff)

Rating: 9/10 (more objectively. but a very biased 9.5 in my heart.)

ohhhhh my god alright where do i even start with this. i guess i also have to talk about dgs1 a little bit in this review/mini completion log but I will TRY and keep it to just 2. [editor's note: somehow succeeded with this! lfg]

first, to get the non-spoiler parts of this out of the way:

please for the love of god play this fucking game if you've played the original AA trilogy but not the DGS duology. i can not stress this enough. i would not recommend playing them as your FIRST aa games because a) they will set your bar way too high (and too low simultaneously bc wow dgs1 still has whack as hell pacing) b) there are a few details, especially in this particular game, that will evoke no reaction in you if you haven't played at least the main three games but WILL cause you to start gnawing on drywood if you have Knowledge Of The Future

the whole dgs duology - and specifically as a duology, bc 2 makes no sense without 1 but 1 by itself is not on this level - is absolutely in my top 3/4 AA games now. i admittedly have not replayed the original trilogy in quite a while, buuuuuut T&T/AAI2/DGS1+2 are my new top 3. not necessarily in that order, give me a bit to think about it lol.

im going to be thinking about this game for the rest of my life probably. i can see why my best friend wanted me to play it for uh. seven years. because yeah it really is that good.

i want to cosplay four different designs from it. i have not wanted to cosplay anything new (to me) since neo twewy came out three years ago. take that as you will.

music still slaps. obviously. my favorite new song is absolutely partners (IYKYK) but agh. the new theme(s) that characters get are all so fucking good. clenches fist. the leitmotifs

definitely becomes relevant in retrospect in a few places where capcom obviously cut the hell out of the budget but they saved it for where it matters so i dont care. im also uh. very used to low budget VNs so frankly even 3D models are better than I'm used to LMFAO. i also you know. didn't realize that they did that until after the fact. so. they hid it well

if you havent played this go and play it (after playing the original AA trilogy). please for the love of god im on my hands and knees.

everything below the cut (i.e. below this point) has blatant unfiltered spoilers. you have been warned.

okay so welcome you've presumably played all of dgs2 if you're reading this. i have THOUGHTS. a lot of these will come off as critical/negative but i need to strongly emphasize that these are the only reasons that this game is not a 10/10 for me and otherwise i'm in love with it. it is fucking CLOSE. i am not talking a lot about the things i really love because that is.............................a lot of the game for me and we'd be here all day. the critiques are much more limited in number. but. you know.

dgs2 absolutely has much, Much better pacing than dgs1 does overall. it does not take 3 cases to get past a bunch of tutorial cases. this is a good thing. however..............the first two cases are still very slow. i won't call them pure filler, because a) reminding us about yuujin was a very good idea, b) they contribute to the Themes of the game. and im glad hosonaga was there again and (of all of the side characters we could have had) seeing souseki was good. i like them. but they really didn't need to be there to fulfill the themes of the game. case 2 in particular feels like a filler case, which I do not love given how tight the rest of the plot feels. if anything i feel like they should have done an interim flashback case without susato, as much as I adore susato, because as-is it's canon that ryuu had 3 cases in the span of a week. which feels INSANE

speaking of better pacing: im so glad dgs2 remembered that AA games can take investigation breaks between courtroom shit because running through ALL of the trial after ALL of the investigation in 1-5 was. let's say. taxing. the 'finding their footing' aspect of the first game

i do kind of wish we got One more case with the masked apprentice where susato wasn't there at all for the entire case. if only because then the delay between ryuu Thinking It and susato Knowing it would be even more painful. but i do really appreciate that they don't try to make it a woah big reveal as much as a painful "i know who you are but you don't." really adds a certain je nai se quois or however the fuck you spell that. idr. its 1 am when im typing this

also hey asougi can we fucking unpack how susato (the girl you were raised with to some extent, probably not like your sister but your weird younger cousin) called your name and you didn't remember who you were but you DID remember when you saw a wax reconstruction of your dead dad. can we fucking talk about that for a minute. can w

speaking of asougi. my god. they did such a good job with him. i think i wouldn't have cared nearly as much about him if all we had was the dgs1 stuff but his extreme motivation for the truth almost turning him into a violent attack dog is. aaaaaaaaaah. god. and the parallels between him and his father's followers (read: the von karmas) that one has from playing the mainline AA games. truly brainworm material

speaking of this: i can absolutely tell they did NOT think about writing the professor stuff with this game until they added in the masked apprentice - before he got turned into asougi - even though the reaper was obviously something that was planned. i do not care personally about this, because game dev is weird as hell and it REALLY works with asougi and van zieks' character arcs. in the same way that i don't think [SPOILER CHARACTER] from vlr would have been as good without the knowledge of 999, i think if barok had been foiled against a new character it wouldn't have worked as well. all that said. it sure is obvious they didn't know what they were doing. this makes me even more impressed that that they got it to work at all

the same is true of everything with the hound of the baskervilles but im really glad that they took it in the direction that they did.

also man it is so obvious that they probably wanted to have this be a proper trilogy like the original trilogy but then budget happened. because 2-3 through 2-5 all slap but they feel so fucking weird next to 2-1 and 2-2. like i dont feel that theres anything missing per se but a little more time for character growth would have been nice. hell even adding in an extra case (and/or editing 2-2....)

the only writing thing, aside from. 2-2 being like that. and the other weird pacing issues..that extensively is off to me is the whole assassin trading plot. i do think it is Very stupid and that they clearly wrote themselves into a corner with 1-5 on how to deal with it because they just...proceed to not deal with it until 2-4 and 2-5. however. even with that said. i actually kind of like that it is so stupid. because stronghart definitely feels SO obsessed with his version of justice that he wouldn't think through the potential downsides of having two free-roaming assassins running around and maybe coming to get his ass. obvious flaw that would not occur to him because of his insane ass behavior

its still dumb. but it's ace attorney dumb. so i can excuse it a little bit

stronghart being a damon gant expy was funny but goddamnit was it predictable. making him be so obssessed with justice that he talks to ryuu about it for 4 hours was funny as hell though and absolutely adds to him as a character. still dont like him that much Personally but hes definitely a character

his breakdown was peak. by the way. top 3 breakdowns in the series

jigoku being like that kills me. also. the way he just let genshin

g. genshin impact (sorry)

i dont care that sherlock's bullshit was a deus ex machina bc honestly.....electricity was real at that point. its fine

also. holy shit i love ryuunosuke in this game even more. 'i'm not doing this for you, kazuma. i'm doing it for the truth.' BANGER!!!!!!!!!!!! his growth across these two games is really good but especially in this one he shines so brightly

however..........this game made the glaring lack of ryuu's parents even more obvious. its not like i Need it or anything but considering how he very literally refers to yuujin/susato/sherlock/iris as his family in 2-4.....where are your parents!!!! what was your childhood like!!!!!! I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS THAT I WISH COULD BE ANSWERED!!!!!!!!!

and asougi. i could write an essay on asougi alone i think. but i adore how both he and ryuu are like 'you've changed' at each other and neither of them are wrong but then by the end they're like 'wow you're the same as before.' theyre so fucking gay. anyway

and sherlock (WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU WHY DO YOU LIE FOR FUN LIKE THIS????????)

and yuujin (partners ~ game is afoot starts playing and i start crying). obsessed with how they only had to write the dynamic for a single case and you can believe all of it because they can just go. lol. ACD canon. anyway

and susato

and, most surprisingly of all for me.....fucking barok van zieks. i would not call myself a Fan of him in the way i am a Fan of asougi and ryuu, but i am obsessed with him. he did so many things wrong but realizes he genuinely fucked up and wants to atone for it. he gets genuinely upset in prison when he can't join the red-headed league. he's a professional alcoholic. he has bats in his office (???). what is wrong with him. (i know the answer is 'literally everything that could be wrong with a person.' but still

i love every single character in this game (or i hate them but because they were written to be hated)??? how did they manage this again. dgs1 helps so much here because the character growth.

argh. the character parallels with everyone realizing their parent / mentor figure was fucked up and/or hiding shit from them in some way. thinking emoji rotating in a circle goes here

wow that magically became way less critical as i was writing it. i thought it was going to be a lot stronger of a critique. its still weird pacing stuff basically that bothers me but i have very minor complaints that im forgetting aside from this

UHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YEAH HI GUYS IM BRAIN ROTTING NOW FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this has had almost the same brain impact on me (as evidenced by the 1 million words about it) as raging loop i think and thats never a good sign since i still think about raging loop at least once a week despite the fact that i played it 3 goddamn years ago

[marezablr]

i just read your future gohan fic and it made me feel horrible both emotionally (as one does about him) and physically. your character writing is great and you absolutely nailed gohan's inner monologue and how he works. however im very curious as to how this 17/gohan thing occured to you, and why you decided to explore that? it took me by surprise and i even considered stopping reading (im glad i didn't tho) at first. future gohan's life and self-perception is already so awful so i wanted to know why you'd add to that in such a specifically unnerving way? specially since you clarify at the start that it's not a shipping thing, im really very curious on your thought process here. but yes great writing

thank you so much for reading! i very much understand the reservations, and i appreciate that you were willing to give it a chance. this answer is a bit long, because i wanted to try to fully, properly respond to what you're asking. so, here we go!

1) how it came to be:

i'd just played the dbz:kakarot dlc, and i had seen some art that made me feel some kind of way about future gohan, so i was browsing ao3 for fic, as one does. i encountered basically this premise in the summary of an explicit fic, and i… was very unnerved by it! a lot. fics will be what they will be! but this concept unsettled me.

but because of that, it stuck with me, and i ended up talking about why with a friend, to help me understand my own response. and in that discussion, i noticed that if you took that element of SA as a premise for a different type of story, a lot of concepts around agency and bodily autonomy that are relevant to the characters come up: gohan as a child soldier, with his right to decide the fate of his own body taken from him and, in this timeline, forever lost; the androids as victims of human experimentation, who had not just their bodies stolen but whose very minds were warped, so that the delight they have in their violent power over others is also the result of violence done to them—of their own minds ripped away and remade to someone else's design.

that resonated with something. so i started exploring ideas, and i ended up getting some concepts for a story that i liked, a story that felt like it was saying something about how people maintain integrity and assert agency in situations that try to take those things from them.

but i was still hesitant about the core premise, so i tried to find ways to write it out of the outline. i tested some things, but ultimately i realized i couldn’t get rid of that part of the story. it just didn't work without it. and it felt somehow cowardly for me to turn away from it? disrespectful, somehow, even? like…

there’s a way that 17 talks to gohan in the dbz:kakarot trunks dlc's english dub. 18 and 17 are both over-familiar with him, but 17 is mock-affectionate in a way that made me want to slap him. it made my skin crawl. and the type of violence addressed in "good loser" is not so distant from the violence that the androids and gohan both experience in canon: it's all violence that happens when someone decides that another person's body isn't theirs to control; instead, the body will be put to the perpetrator's purposes (for the androids, dr. gero’s plans; for gohan, piccolo’s vision of his potential vs the saiyans). (ofc there is a difference between piccolo and gero, which in "good loser" 17 refuses to see, but there IS also a similarity, which gohan refuses to see.)

and there's a link between those canonical violences and the uncomfortable way 17 talks to gohan. as a consequence of those experiences, the androids and gohan were set on a path where 17 and 18, in the bodies and minds that their abuser remade, would treat gohan as theirs to abuse and break, over and over, until they bored of him. and gohan could never back down, because of what he was made into—but also because of who he chooses to be

and that, i think, is 2) why i decided to explore it.

because the premise created a scenario where all those interrelated violences could be addressed, even if the characters resisted facing them. it pulled the uncomfortable truth of their experiences, and the situation they were now in, to the surface. if i wanted to tell a story that looked honestly at the way gohan's agency over his own body has been stolen from him by violence, and how that related to the androids' own loss of bodily and mental autonomy, i couldn’t run away from the idea that let me see it. i had to face it directly.

but if i was going to deal with it directly, i'd have to do so in a way that felt right to me.

so i decided on not doing any explicit content. aside from not wanting to write it, the absence worked better for the story i wanted to tell: 1) it reflected how gohan dissociated away from and repressed the experiences, and 2) it gave gohan a kind of meta-level agency. this is his story, in his pov, and he doesn’t want to share how he was victimized. so he gets to have that refusal.

i also knew i had to take seriously what this kind of violence means for the people involved. to take seriously what it would mean for 18, who was once a teen girl runaway, to see her brother perpetrate the type of violence that she was almost certainly threatened with, violence she may not be able to remember but that sticks deep in her subconscious. to take seriously 17’s mindset as a perpetrator, how he could justify and excuse it and not see what he was doing for what it was—how he could act like he and gohan were both contenders in a shared game, while at the same time enjoying how much he outclassed gohan, how he could differentiate himself to himself from the type of perpetrator his sister is trying not to see him as.

and most of all, i’d take seriously gohan’s experiences: not just the trauma and violation, but also the integrity and unflinching compassion, the deep love he has for the people he protects and for the people who protected him, the will he has to keep fighting even when it feels like a lost cause, because he believes someone else can build on his resistance and that one day that person will win.

that—gohan with his integrity and hope, doing all that he can to stop violence from happening to anyone else, if not now then tomorrow—that felt like the only way i'd feel right about writing this. that was the story that was meaningful to me, enough that, even in my discomfort, i wanted to tell it. i wanted to write more than resilience: i wanted to write gohan's resistance.

in the end, i had to accept that it would be unnerving as a premise, and i couldn't run away from it. all i could do was try my best to write it with care.

thanks again for reading, and for asking this question! it means a lot to me that you were willing to give the story a try. i hope this answer explains how it came to happen, and why i took the approach i did. if you want any clarifications or have any other questions, definitely let me know!

[sang8262]

JP lore thoughts n rants yknow the drill

because i have too many thoughts and i must speak

mostly about JP's plans and role as the antagonist in WT

the usual warnings for World Tour spoilers of course, also it really is aimless rambling there is no thesis here:

Currently, the most recent DLC release was Ed, and we're looking at Akuma's very soon.

Quickly on Akuma, I don't expect much main WT story advancement with his Master dialogue or bond levels and what not. So far, Rashid, AKI, and Ed have all had major connections with Shadaloo, and therefore, have important roles in the main story.

I just don't think Akuma is going to have too much in terms of... Ken being framed, or Neo Shadaloo. Though who knows. We're also getting a major patch update with him too, so I'm half wondering if it'll also include WT quests and story... Copium: huffed.

Anyway, I'm thinking about JP (period. like, all the time) and his involvement with where the story will lead into the future.

He's the main antagonist of SF6 after all, and while he's had a hand in some important events in the story, we only NOW got some clarification about his goals: to convince Ed to become the new leader of Neo Shadaloo, to help revive the organization.

And even then, we aren't too sure about WHY he wants to do this. Other characters related to the main story have very clear motives and plans.

FANG (and therefore AKI) want to revive Bison. They're at odds with JP however, though we aren't entirely sure why.

Ed wants nothing to do with Shadaloo's remnants, nor Bison. He just wants to save survivors, and specifically now, find Falke.

Ken and Bosch: these two in particular have major beef with JP, so they likely want revenge. But we'll have to see how the story decides to resolve their narratives.

Kimberly is in a similar boat, but I think the way they set her story up in WT is far too similar to Ken and Bosch's storylines. I really HOPE they give her more of a role, but I somehow doubt they'll make it interesting... in a way that isnt just "Bosch's narrative but done worse".

And the handful of characters who are investigating JP and Shadaloo's remnants: Cammy, Guile, Chun-Li and Li Fen, Rashid... could all be major parts of the future story line, in particular, to stop JP and Shadaloo from reviving.

----

All that said, it's INFURIATINGLY UNCLEAR what JP wants and why he's doing it.

For a fact, he was the chief financial advisor for Shadaloo before the organization's fall. Per *his* words-- never a good thing to believe at face value-- he wanted Psycho Power to see the world as Bison did. And he also acknowledges himself that someone in his position as 'accountant', really has no need for such a violent, combat oriented power as Psycho Power.

Why did Bison agree? How did JP survive the mind crushing influence of Psycho Power? Did Bison even agree to this, or did JP in fact, obtain it another way? How long has he had Psycho Power (because I do not trust his claims that he's not very good with using it, i beg to differ mr. "can teleport, can summon ghost mimicks, can control them precisely, can adjust his Psycho Power output to either give someone it OR completely fry them from the inside out")

----

With Ed's update, we get a TINY bit more into JP's plans. Ed has the potential to use his Psycho Power just as Bison did: to brainwash victims and control them. Ed of course, never wants to do this, but he acknowledges that he *could* use his powers this way if he decided to. JP and the other Shadaloo remnants are said to want Ed as the new leader, presumably to control the world using this brainwashing power for their benefit.

So it doesn't seem like JP wants to revive Bison, but rather a new leader with the same abilities to rule the world... who also is under his control??

I really don't see what JP would get out of the situation other than 'world domination', which I guess he admits to in a way, with how he "wanted to see things through the same lens Bison did". But while Bison was driven by a hunger for absolute power, I'm not sure if that's what JP wants?

He's someone so secretive about his personal identity, going so far to change his name, even get plastic surgery to change his appearance (this was mentioned in the World Tour Guide book by the devs). So, being the leader of a giant criminal organization is probably not great optics. Likely why he wants Ed to take that spotlight instead (along with, the fact that Ed could brainwash people).

That said, JP's *known* publicly as the CEO of successful NGO's. And he surely isn't shy about putting himself in the limelight (as with Nayshall) if it's to help see through his plan. BUT WHAT PLAN,,,, would have him DO all this,,,,,,

----

My only guess is that his own Psycho Power just isn't strong enough or capable of brainwashing and controlling other people's wills.. so he needs Ed to do so. And I don't think it's for any 'philanthropic 'consequentialist morally good' reasons, like, brainwashing everyone to agree so there's no conflict. That type of shit.

But consider: here is this man who is exceptionally talented at manipulating people, able to lie, convince, and threaten people into doing what he wants-- WITHOUT brainwashing powers. And to me, it seems that he genuinely enjoys manipulating people. I think I talked about it in another rant post, but he's got that, "lmao life is meaningless! :D" flavor of nihilism going on. He's deeply perceptive about human nature and entertained by how people behave. But he's remorseless about what he does to others, partially due to the "everything is meaningless" attitude.

It reads like he has fun toying with people... but he's also very efficient with it. He isn't doing it purely for entertainment, nor does he put himself at risk *just* to get a kick out of scamming someone. Like, he frames Ken and hires Luke as a bodyguard, but then quickly cuts ties with them once they aren't useful to him anymore.

He doesn't toy with people out of spite or MERELY cruel entertainment, which is all the more baffling because we don't know what drives him to do this at all. Why does he need to launder so much money? He's used it to restore old Shadaloo bases, sure, but what does he get out of that? Once he does establish a new Shadaloo from the remnants, what is his goal?? If he doesn't-- or cannot-- lead this new Shadaloo as the leader... what does he get out of reinstalling such a criminal organization again???

----

I feel like I didn't get anywhere with this rant, just venting some questions and frustrations, if I want to call it that.

I have never seen such a compelling and charismatic villain with such unclear motives as JP. I need to put him under a microscope. I need to pry apart his brain for answers.

why is he like this seriously,, all i can hope for is that WT gets more chapters and we get some conclusion (or justice) for what JP's done... and more scenes with cybele, please

[cconsultingdetective]

A deep dive into Scarlet and Violet's lore

Okay so, since the story's kinda the only good thing about these games alongside the characterizations I wanted to share a couple of ideas I have in mind regarding the story so far.

As always excuse eventual grammar errors and strange periods, English is not my first language and I'm trying my very best ahahah

Obviously there are going to be spoilers about the endgame, so beware!

Can we all agree that the time machine and the Pokémons from the past/future thing just has so many holes in it?

Like sure, Turo and Sada are geniuses and may very well have been able to create some sort of machine that allows Pokéballs to travel across time to catch these variants of Pokémons we know in the present, but.

I'm kinda confident that these Pokémons (if we want to call them that) do not come from a different time, they just don't exist at all, or at least they're not supposed to. I mean, they specifically chose to call them Paradoxes, things that shouldn't exist in the first place but are there in front of your eyes somehow. Not Past or Future Forms, not Prehistoric or Futuristic Forms, Paradoxes.

Let's take the Scarlet ones for example for a minute: how come there is no trace left whatsoever of these Pokémons like the Fossils? And don't get me started on Sandy Shock, come on, how the hell is a magnet existing millions of years ago. They don't make sense!

If we read the Scarlet/Violet Book we learn that the Paradoxes, the same ones, have already been encountered by the Area Zero Expedition, which explored the Area Zero 200 years ago, and also very likely during the Great Expedition Era which was around 2000 years ago, and of course no time machine existed back then. This is obviously very strange and Arven as well points this out in the post-game.

So the question is: where exactly do they come from?

Let's start by saying that everything that happened in the Area Zero, from the Terastal phenomenon that was later brought to the surface, the production of an AI able to copy the Professor in any way that couldn't have been made with the modern human technology, to the making of the time machine was all thanks to the power of the crystals present down there which, we know, come from the infamous third legendary.

I strongly belive, and I see that a great part of the community agrees, that this thing is able to materialize people's imagination, to make their dreams come true.

Think of this: the Professor adores the Scarlet/Violet Book, they bring it together with them since they were kids, they fantasize about a "paradise" described in this book and this dream never leaves them while growing up and they dedicate their whole lives to fulfill it. This dream clearly becomes an obsession, they neglect their child, the AI they created starts to disagree with them, but they still proceed until they succeed in creating the time machine. (Personal opinion: the game should have definitely explored the motive behind the Professor's actions more) But is it really a time machine or is the third legendary making their dream come true by bringing them the creatures they always read about? As long as the machine works neither the Professor and the AI question its actual nature, obviously they take for granted that it's a time machine.

Following this line of logic the machine helped the AI to fulfill their dream by making them go to the world they wished to explore.

To further support my theory take a look at this page of the Scarlet Book:

1) Why would they put this page in the game (and leakers say we will have this thing in the DLC) which is clearly centered on someone's imagination if the Paradoxes simply come from different times? Because they don't.👀

2) It's absolutely IMPOSSIBILE for this thing to exist in the past. Raikou, Suicune and Entei were born after the Burned Tower incident about 150 years ago thanks to Ho-oh bringing them back to life in their new form, they couldn't have ever existed in ancient times.

And with that I rest my case, Your Honor.

It's very obvious that the DLC is going to be very story driven and I'm very excited to see how things will turn out (while on the other hand they could have said something more now instead of finishing the main story in a DLC but welp, they gotta convince you to buy it somehow)

Let me know about your opinions!