#“i just think it's neat” i say like i haven't been in love with storytelling and the way tales build us as people +our society my whole lif

[rocksanddeadflowers]

Realizing one of the biggest reasons I fell deeply for The Mechanisms and it's fandom is the consistent reiteration of the importance of stories. Something I find very important but troublesome to articulate is how necessary a story can be- whether or not the story is true, or even a good story. Stories are stories, they all hold a certain... weight, a meaning. Even the sad ones, the silly ones, the soft ones, the shit ones. The ones that stick with you though, they matter the most, and everyone has their own stories that they hold dear, about themselves, about loved ones, about strangers and fictional characters. They just! They all matter! Even if The Mechanisms themselves only tell tragedies, as by word "there's others, we just don't tell them because they're boring," then that simply means it's the tragedies that stick with them! But they're story tellers, story weavers, skalds and poets and bards!!! I just.... I try to explain how important stories are to me and to humanity as a whole, and I think The Mechanisms is just fueling my favorite hill to die on. Every story matters, and we all cling to our favorites. What are we without them?

#don't mind the ramblings of a lunatic #I'm half asleep on melatonin and possibly tipsy #so im Feeling Feelings rn #the mechanisms #the mechs #“i just think it's neat” i say like i haven't been in love with storytelling and the way tales build us as people +our society my whole lif

[booasaur]

Did you finish Night Country? If so what did you think of it? I loved Navarro—Kali Reis absolutely sells that stately sense capability and strength and hotness lol—and think Jodie/Kali really sold their relationship being the core of the show I also mostly loved how things played out (didn’t see the ending coming at all) but I wish the show had been given more episodes to flesh certain plots and characters out because some things felt a little superficial (it’s interesting to me that so many people were lost because I thought the show made a lot really obvious and could’ve actually used some more mystique) and enhancing them would’ve made things that much better and cohesive. But trying to find balanced criticism or commentary about this show is hard because everyone defaults to racist, misogynistic, no nuance takes on how it’ll never compare to s1 and just refuses to even see a little bit of the good. Idk I feel like you can dislike it and want better and still recognize the good aspects of this season and the value of telling indigenous stories. At this point I almost wish the showrunner had been able to make a new series like she wanted to, instead of having to be tied to the true detective name because maybe people would approach this with more honestly and openness

Hey, sorry for the late reply. Well, I know I've replied a LOT later before and mostly decided to stop saying sorry because I'd have to say every time, but at the moment, I'm having more difficulty than I used to in remembering how I felt when I finished the ep, so I wish I'd just responded at the time.

Let me see... First, I did laugh like an idiot when they took turns falling down the ice caves like idiots, especially Danvers.

Other than that, I liked the ending but it felt a bit too neat... I think if they'd changed around some stuff, it might have offered a bit more tension because, well, at that point, it seemed they'd let more killers go than caught them. Honestly that and all the quibbles I had, where I wish we'd seen some stuff seeded better and elaborated on more at the end, like you said, that all could have been helped with just giving them the two extra eps they should have gotten. I was thinking that too, at the time, lol, I remember now, when I read your ask, I went on this whole rant (to myself, in my head) about those two eps could have done so much, how the streaming model had killed TV, how these shortened seasons were basically like individual movies with an occasional sequel. I know this is an anthology miniseries and the story finished, but still! Too much is suffering for the same reason. I haven't really been able to get into a single new Trek, it's just a different form of storytelling. What can you do in 10 eps every once in a long while, with a full ensemble cast.

I literally looked up how many eps Discovery ends at and it's 65. Compare that to my home Trek, Voyager, where it flourished with new life when Seven appears. Guess when that happens. Ep 68! I literally had to chart the two shows:

Look at those huuuuge Discovery breaks.. It's not just that shows used to be given so much screentime, we just got so much so quickly. I absolutely forget what's going on in between seasons of most shows now. In terms of actual amount of time, Discovery actually lasts longer! But I barely know the characters or their stories. I can't say much different for Picard or SNW (barring what I brought in from before). There's only so much character growth and relationship evolution. How am I supposed to love them? Know them?

Maybe that's why I'm gravitating so much to soaps lately...

Anyway, it's more capitalism than just streaming, of course, which also speaks to your other point; I didn't know Issa Lopez just wanted to make a new show and they put it under the True Detective name?? But isn't that just so typical of all these issues! Like, the fact that they're making an NCIS spin-off with Tony and Ziva? They're retreating to the safest, most conservative ideas they can think of. It's happening with everything, companies dropping DEI initiatives, politics returning to big money white guys. Sticking this female-led extremely Indigenous-sympathetic premise with this particular franchise with its defensive white dudebro fanbase.

I wonder how much that's related to the obligatory bigoted backlash to any media perceived as "woke" now. It's all feeding each other, right, bad actors in each space taking advantage and fanning the flames, but it's beyond annoying now to have watched a normal show and go online and see this rabid overreaction to stuff that isn't even on the screen.

The worst part is, as you said, there's no room for the middle ground. I myself don't want to go into detail about the issues I had because there's so much unfair criticism. Like, if I thought it was a little unsubtle in its messaging at times, how can I say that when these fiends are tearing it apart for daring to even have the message. I'm just glad that Foster and Reis were so good and the show so well received that the fanboys can keep crying to each other about s1.

I will say, a huge part of that ending landing was Diane E. Benson as the older Indigenous Alaskan lady being cool as hell. She was so nonchalant and mischievous and angry as hell underneath it all! That's why I wished there was just a bit more tension, a bit more to that scene in terms of its place in the ep, rather than just its place in the story where it provided a reveal.

The handling of the killer reveal was what I found a bit pat, just being like, well, that happened, okay, bye, but the reveal itself? Freaking loved it. Those men deserved what they got and more. :<

Some things I'm glad they didn't go into more, the accident in the past, and what exactly happened to Navarro. Let me imagine she and Danvers are off together in some liminal space. :P

Anyway...I guess I did remember a lot, lol. And now we have a season 5 ahead. :)

#replies #Anonymous #sent on 20240220 #4 #5 #true detective

[touloserlautrec]

Happy Storyteller Saturday! In honor of the first STS of 2024, what do you think improved the most in your writing or art over the last year? What are you most proud of?

Thank you for the ask and happy New Year!

For my art: I've been trying to maintain consistent drawing practice even if I don't really feel like it in the moment, so I feel like I've seen improvement in a few areas, just by dint of practice, practice, practice. (That feels kinda neat to say!) I think the biggest areas of improvement have been adding more backgrounds, improving my lighting, incorporating more painting techniques to my rendering style, and continuing to work on drawing expressive faces and poses. I still have a long way to go, but comparing where I am now to the beginning of 2023 or 2022, I see progress and that's really cool.

For my writing: I admittedly have been more focused on editing (for the release!) and plot development for Sunset than I have on drafting new scenes for most of this past year. But I feel like when I look at the scenes I did draft and the plotting I participated in, I'm most proud of the ways I've been able to help @sunset-a-story brainstorm connective tissue between plot points, and I think I nailed drafting a scene with Marcus Adler, our Big Bad, pretty well. Villain characters haven't historically been my strong point to write-- I love creating them conceptually, but writing their dialogue and stuff is much harder for me, so that felt like an accomplishment. Also! We released Arc One into the world! And that feels huge.

Thank you for the wonderful ask! And since it's such a nice exercise to reflect on, I'd love to turn it back to you and find out what you're seeing in your own work this past year? If you feel like answering!

#sunset a story #sts

[amethystblack]

Now that it's been three months since Reborn's public release, may we see the un-redacted version of the ask where the dev team talk about their favorite parts of the game? Thanks! -Yeshua

oh, sure, why not.

ikaru

i mean let's be honest it's probably going to be celebi or the ending(s) but if i had to mention a part everyone (can) knows i like all the characters' internal monologues in the void and most parts involving titania. granted i am not familiar with 80% of postgame also the elite four + champion

crim

most parts involving ace i mean what? haha actual nonspoiler answer for pre-postgame is labradorra, i think it's hard not to just say "everything" i'm rlly fond of most of the story;; love shelly in labradorra so much;;, the different PULSEs are hella neat and manage to feel really unique despite basically being one after the other, i love the gang all pulling up and storming, it's just a really fun segment and i love the aesthetic of the map as a whole also tournament starlight colors was so pretty no bias

postgame i think lati quest, hoopa was a lot of fun, jirachi is maybe not your traditional definition of fun but gutted me pretty hard so i have to add that one, celebi bc first quest i worked on so more bias, and tao bc im biased once again

this answer is like 99% spoilers im sorry this is not a helpful answer but if it's a part people know def coming back to the city after it's rebuilt and seeing it all cleaned up and there suddenly being a ton to see and explore and it's all pretty was almost jarring the first time i played through and it still always makes me smile or the void the void is a good one

azzie

I'm going to surprise exactly no one and say I love the tourmaline arc- especially on Reshi but also on Zek, there's a lot of environmental storytelling out there and I really love the Train Towners

I've also got a soft spot for the entire glass workstation arc- I think the storytelling there is masterful.

Apart from that… I like (redacted: the maingame ending where Anna gathers everyone's good thoughts and hopes to help you reach Lin; that made my heart just shine), (redacted: Celebi), (redacted: Hoopa, that was a freaking riot), (redacted: dialkia because there are BABIES and also neat lore), (redacted: Darkrai, it's mean but in a very good way), (redacted: the entirety of Xernyvel. Noel my beloved; puzzle my beloved; Shelly my beloved) (redacted: tao, all of it) and probably other things I can think of when it's not almost 3am, but they'd all be redacted too. Oh yeah definitely the e4 too Victory Road itself was fun too but more because I liked the puzzles

oh also i haven't seen it ingame but shade and anna's ending made me cry when i read it so there's that

autumn

While my favorite aesthetically will almost certainly be the Diancie quest, but my favorite part that exists:

Gameplay wise: The garchomp, finding silly ways to beat it every playthrough is one of the biggest deliberations i make.

Meanwhile Doctor clownall getting hyper beamed through a wall was excellent

smeargle

it's spoilers but kinda not if I just say El's elite 4 room, That doesn't sound spoilery does it like it's known he's in the E4 right? I'd also say zeraora's quest just because I had fun making that one

marcello

I'd love if you could just put a massive essay and redact the entire thing for me But joking aside I think the Glass Workstation is very funky

#reborn asks #ask ame

[yuugami-tan]

must release all my thoughts on the dlc cases............

MAJOR aa5 + aa6 dlc spoilers BEWARE

ok i finished turnabout reclaimed days ago but i haven't been able to get this off my mind like WHY DID MARLON HAVE THE COOLEST BREAKDOWN EVER. LITERALLY THE COOLEST

also that was just in all a really fun and nice case??? all the characters were cool and brought something neat to the table. i'm in love with sasha and dr. crab (WHO WAS A GREAT RED HERRING BTW. I WAS REALLY CONVINCED IT WAS HIM). shoutout to rifle the penguin. AND IT HAD A REALLY REFRESHING RESOLUTION....................it made me happy. ALSO thinking of that one comic of simon begging miles to let him take the case. hmmm it does give me whiplash thinking of this case vs the big reveal in the main game though lol.................especially given That guy's there. who? heheheh.........FIGURE IT OUT

can't really say the same abt turnabout time traveler ALTHOUGH I REALLY LIKED THAT ONE TOO. i'm a sucker for LOVE.....i can see why so many ppl are eh about it though. i think there were too few new characters introduced.......not to say the whole reunion of trilogy characters was bad or anything, i just wish characters like athena and trucy weren't pushed off as comic relief yknow..............we already haven't gotten enough of either of them. GIVE ATHENA HER SPOTLIGHT RARARARHAGRHAGRHGHR she got turnabout storyteller and that was IT.............and even then that was more of a lol funny case. but i digress

as for the new characters that were introduced hmmm.....................i DID like them however i was really annoyed by ellen and sorin just because how long it took for them to finish their animations lol. THEY'RE SO CUTE THOUGH.......queen and king of being Like That. anyway i thought it was pretty cool to learn about sorin's whole thing. seeing him panic was kinda relieving to me honestly? not to say i LIKED it but heh. might i say he just like me. he just like me fr

AS FOR PIERCE.......i think he was okay. definitely very hot and very sad. it was nice to have a character who was so evil coded from the start. HOWEVER........i think in this case, in wouldn't have hurt to make sorin a little more evil-seeming. JUST A LITTLE. cuz even with the reveal about who was driving the car and his disability i just could not be convinced it was anyone other than pierce who did it. i do like pierce though!!! i love a character who makes another character doubt everything they've come to know (see: remember). heh. ON A DIFFERENT NOTE I LOVED HIS BREAKDOWN. very very reminiscent of a trilogy villain breakdown. replaying it in my mind like yes......YES..............pain and suffering for YOU my beautiful tragic man.

anyways that's my little brain dump for the day. week????? idk. i still need to talk abt all my thoughts on aai2. i was thinking of listing off every single character and giving my opinion on them.....yeah i think i'll do that. SOON I WILL.....but for now i must sleep. cries OK GNIGHT THANKS FOR READING

#aa spoilers #ace attorney

[loverofallthingssmart]

xiao xingchen!!

favorite thing about them: how he loves the world !! and sees the best in everyone !! its mostly bc he was sheltered in bssr's mountain but i just think hes neat :') the way he and song lan wanted to start their own sect?? pls i just. also the wiki says he's insecure about his storytelling? hes everything.

least favorite thing about them: self-sacrificing idiot (affectionate). also the way hes so agreeable? especially with song lan?? the way he returned the mountain he was never supposed to come back to bc of song lan and gave him his eyes and then the argument that split them apart? m a n their story is riddled with miscommunication T-T

favorite line: "zichen." :) sorry the way he says it with a smile on his face SONG LANS RESPONDING "xingchen"???? god. GOD. also his last "zichen?" and then breaks down bc he killed him. hmm. i think about this a normal amount and don't go insane </3

brOTP: xiao xingchen and a-qing !! everything !! xxc just knowing shes lying and smiling and when he talks about his shijie cangse sanren to a-qing???? that is his daughter <333 (also xxc being friends with wwx is just so. yeah. yeah yeah.) and AND xxc and nie mingjue is sooooooooo yes. da-ge's friend and his bf who stare at nhs in gay judgement sotrue

OTP: songxiao <3 they make me go crazy insane <3

nOTP: oh god xuexiao and all reiterations (meaning songxuexiao as well) all the way die die die i hate it

random headcanon: t4t songxiao i will never get tired of saying it: xxc is trans and gay and also cant do math. i also think he has a loud and snorting laugh that contradicts his image of being gentle bc he's easy to make laugh and GOD i just. he's so WAHH

unpopular opinion: hmm. i think ppl who ship xuexiao are weird bc like. xxc didn't know it was xue yang. that's literally the only reason he was treated so nicely and also bc xxc is?? rlly fucking nice and trusting??? he literally only saw xue yang with contempt when we're introduced to him. like xue yang made him KILL ppl w/o his knowledge and yes you could argue xue yang had an obsession with him that might've been love but it sure as hell wasn't reciprocated <3

song i associate with them: "moonshine" by grover anderson !! i haven't decided if its in xxc's pov or ABOUT xxc but. a xxc song nonetheless <3

favorite picture of them:

THIS IS JUST SO JASHGDFGSHJD

send me a character!!

#thanks for the ask isa omg !! <33 #this was fun i love sharing my opinion ^-^ #sorry most of this is songxiao i cant help it #someone send song lan im now in a mood #also not sorry about the brotp part i make everyone friends with no canon backing die mad about it #xiao xingchen #ask game #2 am ramblings #ask me anything #isa tag

[amethystblack]

To the dev team: what is your fav part in the Reborn's story?

unfortunately due to FDA recommendations certain parts of this post pertaining have been forcibly redacted.

Ikaru- i mean let's be honest it's probably going to be [REDACTED] or the [REDACTED] but if i had to mention a part everyone (can) knows i like all the characters' internal monologues in the void and most parts involving titania. also the elite four + champion ...

Crim- most parts involving [REDACTED] i mean what? haha actual nonspoiler answer for pre-postgame is labradorra, i think it's hard not to just say "everything" i'm rlly fond of most of the story;; love [REDACTED] in labradorra so much;;, the [REDACTED]s are hella neat and manage to [REDACTED], i love the [REDACTED], it's just a really fun segment and i love the aesthetic of the map as a whole also [REDACTED] was so pretty no bias postgame i think [REDACTED], [REDACTED]was a lot of fun, [REDACTED]is maybe not your traditional definition of fun but gutted me pretty hard so i have to add that one, [REDACTED]bc first quest i worked on so more bias, and [REDACTED] bc im biased once again this answer is like 99% spoilers im sorry this is not a helpful answer but if it's a part people know def coming back to the city after it's rebuilt and seeing it all cleaned up and there suddenly being a ton to see and explore and it's all pretty was almost jarring the first time i played through and it still always makes me smile or the void the void is a good one

Jan- Hmmmmmmmmmm. I really love early game reborn, I dunno if that's a popular opinion or not but I always have a lot of fun.....

Azzie- I'm going to surprise exactly no one and say I love the tourmaline arc- especially on Reshi but also on Zek, there's a lot of environmental storytelling out there and I really love the Train Towners I've also got a soft spot for the entire glass workstation arc- I think the storytelling there is masterful. Apart from that... I like [REDACTED], [REDACTED], [REDACTED], [REDACTED], [REDACTED], [REDACTED] [REDACTED] and probably other things I can think of when it's not almost 3am, but they'd all be redacted too. Oh yeah definitely the e4 too Victory Road itself was fun too but more because I liked the [REDACTED] oh also i haven't seen it ingame but [REDACTED] made me cry when i read it so there's that

Perry- Imma agree with azzie, walking around with taka is one of my fav parts. I just love the concept of exploring with someone else, and taka is bab.

cass- i don't actually like things

Marcello- [14 PAGES OF CONTENT HAVE BEEN FORCIBLY REDACTED] But I think the Glass Workstation is very funky

Smeargletail- it's spoilers but kinda not if I just say El's elite 4 room, That doesn't sound spoilery does it like it's known he's in the E4 right? I'd also say [REDACTED] just because I had fun making that one

Autumn- While my favorite aesthetically will almost certainly be the [REDACTED] , but my favorite part that exists: Gameplay wise: The garchomp, finding silly ways to beat it every playthrough is one of the biggest deliberations i make. Meanwhile Doctor clownall getting hyper beamed through a wall was excellent

#reborn asks #ask ame