#honestly a legitimately fantastic game

[myx-on-earth]

Content Warning: Landfall Game's April Fools Triumph

For the Content!

It would seem that an April Fools joke of a game has resulted in overnight indie success. Landfall Games, a beloved indie game studio, has a yearly April Fools tradition they call “Landfall Day”, where their devs put together essentially a parody of whatever game is popular at the time. They’ve parodied everything from DayZ to battle royales (Twice, with Totally Accurate Battlegrounds and Knightfall), and this year it would seem it’s Lethal Company’s turn.

Lethal Company is a game known for silly co-op shenanigans that seem to instantly translate into YouTube content- and Content Warning takes that idea and turns it up to 11, making being an influencer a part of the game mechanics. You and a group of friends take a diving bell to “The Old World”, a spooky map filled with monsters and traps entirely for the sake of internet entertainment value. With a single camera and 90 seconds of film, your group has to make the spookiest, funniest video possible- because your only source of income is Spooktube, and that revenue doesn’t come easily.

It's such a brilliant parody of both the horror genre Lethal Company tapped into and the loop of content creation in the internet age that it, somehow, wraps around to being an excellent game in of itself, though Landfall is no stranger to finding gold through satire. Previously, their first battle royale parody (Totally Accurate Battlegrounds, a riff on PUBG) found some success, enough that Landfall turned it into a full venture. It’s not as popular nowadays, but it IS legitimately good- and Content Warning seems to be turning out the same way with its initial popularity and engaging premise.

Typical Content Warning video result, featuring myself, @thatpocketninja, @squiddskipp, and a third friend who requested to remain anonymous

In the space of video game development, April Fools seems to be not so much a “joke” day, but a day that allows ideas to be thrown around that might not otherwise have been considered, which can lead to majorly creative leaps of faith. With examples like the Yakuza series’ pivot to turn-based combat, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon’s continued success in the midst of a floundering Ubisoft, and even Lilith Walther’s upcoming definitely-not-Bloodborne Kart (now known as Nightmare Kart), the idea of “joke turned legitimate gamedev venture” isn’t exactly new.

I actually had the pleasure of exchanging emails with Hanna Fogelberg (@thebirdmountain on Twitter), Landfall's Head of Community, who provided some insight into Content Warning’s development and the overwhelming response in the interview below.

1. What's it like to go to bed seeing some success, then waking up to find your joke game is a viral hit? Did you expect this at all, given the surprising amount of polish it has?

"We couldn't sleep to tell you the truth! Even if the team said good night at about 2am we kept texting the player numbers to each other throughout the night, we were very wired! We always knew there was the potential of the game going really well, there's something about the design and shareability of the videos you make that we knew could hit it big but it's still surprising it went THIS well."

2. How long did it take to develop Content Warning?

"Content Warning was made in about six weeks of active game development, but the idea came to us back in December!"

3. What were your main inspirations for the game? (Beyond Lethal Company, of course)

“Lethal Company and similar games were an obvious reference for the gameplay loop, we love that game! That said, what was most interesting to us was the core of the game - the filming and video creation. We were inspired by YouTubers and influencer culture, there's something interesting in people risking life and limb for content that we wanted to play off of. 

Other than that, the vibes of The Older World were inspired by Junji Ito and a specific H.R Giger painting while The Over World references the Swedish children's book Pettson och Findus.”

4. How experienced was the dev team?

“We're pretty experienced, the Landfall team has been making games for over 10 years with previous releases being Totally Accurate Battle Simulator, Stick Fight: The Game, Clustertruck and Rounds to mention a few.”

5. How does this experience compare to the last semi-viral success Landfall had with a Landfall Day game? (TABG)

“This game outdid TABG in player numbers several times over! So it's hard to compare, this is by far our most viral hit to date.” 6. Any plans for the future of the game? Or just basic bug fixes and some more content? 

“We will see! Currently, we're focusing on fixing bigger bugs and other issues but we already have some new content planned. We're kind of playing it by ear at this point, it all depends on how things go in the coming weeks.”

Some may attribute Content Warning’s success to multiple factors- the 24 hour free period, how it riffs on Lethal Company and the tropes it already employs, or even that it was “designed to go viral”- but you can’t deny that, even as an iterative piece, it still manages to find its own identity and already seems to have captured the content creation hearts of everyone who gives it a chance. Games like this, that aren’t reliant on micro transactions and are buoyed by the PEOPLE you play with, rather than the money that one must spend on it, are the hope- and, hopefully, the future- of the video games industry. You can find Content Warning (No longer free, but still very cheap!) at the link below: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2881650/Content_Warning/

#indie games #gaming #journalism #landfall #content warning game #honestly a legitimately fantastic game #i will be absolutely playing more #better than lethal company??!?!!?!?! jk 2 legends can exist

[mrstsung]

DEADASS old man shang tsung should be loved more

Like mk legends shang tsung specifically is absolutely delicious.

(Minus some things like not really showing his treachery to shao kahn. Like it's playing a bit too safe in the cunning department. And honestly makes it look like he's a sinp for shao kahn when he fucking wasn't and hated his guts and would happily stab shao in the back 1000 times over if you ask him and given him the opportunity to. And not to mention it's so convenient around plot. And i hate that. Because honestly holy shit this shang had potential. He had the presence,the aura,but never really shown to fight. And it sucks. Because shang is supposed to be a beast in kombat. He was a fucking boss after all. Like gdi nrs. Why you gotta fumble this guy so hard?! Like the writing is right there!)

Anyways. Old man shang. Let's get back to that.

The reason why i feel old man shang or at least how shang tsung IS SUPPOSED TO BE.

This mofo is cursed. To age. Less he takes the lifeforce/souls of others Because he decided to say "fuck you elder gods! Imma take your ritual healing dark magics and apply it to kombat. Imma take this shit and make it my own!" DEADASS a Dracula energy/soul vampire. Like this man despite everything,still could whoop your ass because he is fucking 500yrs old! From old dynasty china. In earthrealm. Yeah.

This man used to be a warrior from earthrealm,got into beef with raiden,and said fuck you im switching sides as soon as he caught whiff of an opportunity to(at least in his mind at the time) be treated "better" (which he really wasn't as better off,maybe even worse,but he had some power and some better standing tho at a cost)

Like you could take shang tsung in many ways. But all in all he doesn't need to be twirly mustache to be evil. Nor does he need to be good or "SOME GODS PLAYTHING!" to be righteous or do honorable things.

Legitimately mofo shang tsung as an old man should be written as a person who comes off as uncannily and eerily calm,a air of danger but you can't really run away nor want to. You're too damn curious even tho you're screaming inside to run. He needs that true fucking snake vibe.

Very few people have written and portrayed this successfully. And tagawa pioneered that well vibe for villains imho. (Tho the man was unfortunately typecasted by Hollywood this man by god set the bar high. He did it so damn well. He put his whole heart into this. And honestly out of all his roles,this was the most notorious of his roles. Tho i hope this man gets more leisure roles and happier roles in the future. And eventually has a safe,and peaceful retirement. He deserves it. Fr. Thank you Mr. Tagawa seriously. <3 )

Artt butler did a fantastic job with shang tsung,tho given a better script it would be better.

Same with alan lee. I feel his would have made me like it more if fans and story weren't shit.

But all in all shang tsung being rejuvenated and young is nice. And should be shown especially since he is cursed. But his default,unpopular opinion here but. His old man form should be his default look. If not old man old man,then a but of salt n pepper at bare minimum.

Honestly,shang i prefer at his old man look because thats what i well grew up on. And that's kinda how i see him. 🤷‍♀️ *shrug*

Like guy is a flashier more fancy pai mei from Tarantino's kill bill to me. Maybe slightly bit more nicer and considerate but not by much. Lol.

I could go on and on about old man shang tsung specifically. But I'll leave this at.

Honestly we just need to bring him back. We need to bring back shang tsung with that vibe. We need to not make him conveniently made for plot. No give me the shang tsung that i fucking knew.

That bastard needs to make a comeback. And mk11 can't be the only game that he does it in.

And mk legends can't be the only media outside the games that does it either.

Anyways,old man shang. I love this foxy grandpa.

#mortal kombat #self ship #self shipping #shang tsung #💚heart and soul🐍 #shang tsung mortal kombat #mk f/o #antagonist f/o #villain f/o #villain/antagonist f/o #old man shang tsung #old man shang superiority #foxy grandpa #one foxy gilf #i love one sexy old man #❤🐉the dragon's perch🐉❤ #mk legends shang tsung #mortal kombat legends shang tsung #mortal kombat legends #mk legends #mk legends scorpions revenge #mk legends battle of the realms #mortal kombat legends scorpions revenge #mortal kombat legends battle of the realms

[getvalentined]

Angeal for the ask game :D

ANGEAL HEWLEY

🎟️ SEXUALITY HEADCANON: Heteroflexible and biromantic. He prefers women, physically speaking, but could have an intimate relationship with a man. One man in particular.

⚧️ GENDER HEADCANON: Angeal is hard to get a read on, for me, since he's another of those characters who exists in a position that he seems to believe requires a hypermasculine presentation. I read him as cis, but I can see just about anything for him.

💕 A SHIP: Unrequited Angeal/Sephiroth is really the only ship I have for Angeal—I genuinely believe he's utterly in love with Sephiroth, and he never ever said a word about it to anyone.

🖇️ A BROTP: Angeal+Lazard is probably my biggest one, only because the mental image of both of them trying desperately to keep Genesis and Seph in line is so clear in my head it might as well be made of crystal.

�� A NOTP: Don't garotte me for this, but honestly Gengeal? I don't like the way he talks to or about Genesis; I've heard people say that they're like a divorced couple, but if anything they read to me as siblings desperate to get out of each other's orbit and utterly unable to escape their shared history no matter how they try. (Given that they seem to both have Gillian's mtDNA based on explanations in-canon, and we know that they can be considered siblings based on Weiss using his connection to Genesis as proof that he's also Angeal's brother in DFFOO, I feel like that's a fairly accurate read.)

💭 A RANDOM HEADCANON: Angeal didn't actually join SOLDIER at the same time as Genesis, and not only because he didn't particularly want to—Angeal is over a year younger than Genesis, and was just too young to enlist when Genny left Banora. It was almost a year before Angeal was able to follow him to Midgar, by which point Genesis had already formed a fairly solid relationship with Sephiroth, and Angeal was more than a little put-out by the idea that his position as Genesis' only friend had been taken by this weird kid with weird hair and weird eyes that Genesis kept clipping photos of from the newspaper. When he got to know Seph, though, he changed his tune pretty dramatically—and fell for him almost as hard as Genesis. This is one of the reasons that he inserts himself between them at every opportunity, not only because he doesn't think they're good for each other, but because he doesn't think that anyone is good enough for Sephiroth, not even himself. And if he isn't good enough to be Sephiroth's one and only, then Genesis (impulsive, arrogant, troublemaker Genesis, who spent days exploring a monster-infested cave system as a boy without a thought of the danger he courted in doing so, who already had everything he ever needed or wanted and still leveraged his obsession over a hero he hadn't met into an invention that garnered recognition in a way that Angeal never could) definitely wasn't. This is how the whole relationship fell apart.

🗣️GENERAL OPINION: I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the saddest thing about Angeal is that he's the only one who couldn't bear to live with himself. I'm not a huge fan of the character as a person, but he's fantastically executed as a character. His story is legitimately one of the most heartbreaking in the series—He had a whole host of people who loved him so deeply as to be fathomless, and it didn't matter. His story is a tragedy not because of how he was made or how he died, but because of why things turned out the way they did. So much of the suffering he went through was self-imposed, and that's the saddest part of all.

(For the character ask game.)

#angeal hewley #headcanon warning #angeal critical #maybe #I don't think it's particularly critical #to talk about his canon characterization #but it's upset people in the past #so there's the tag!

[firstkanaphans]

hii! i'm a big fan of your fanfics, and as an aspiring writer myself, sometimes I feel sad 'cause I know and feel like I won't ever be as good as you are ☹️ I know I shouldn't compare myself, and I'm trying to get better at it, so I would genuinely like to ask, are there any tips you'd give to authors out there trying to improve? either their writing skills, plot ideas, planning and stuff. thank you, either way, love you! can't wait for your next work ❣️

So, the first thing I want to say is that I have been writing for a long time. I published my first fanfic when I was 12 years old and I’m 31 now, so I’ve been actively writing for the past 19 years (!!!) with almost no break. The way someone explained it to me once was to look at your years writing like levels in a video game. I’m currently at level 19. If you’ve been writing for ten years, you’re at level 10 and it’s certainly not fair to compare yourself to me because the only thing that’s truly going to make you a better writer is to write.

I’m assuming since you called yourself an “aspiring writer” that your eventual goal is publication, so I’ll gear my recommendations towards that. Fanfiction is a completely different animal, but a lot of these tips are applicable to both. The biggest difference is that there’s a lot more freedom in fanfiction. You can write what you want without worrying about three-act structures and you don’t have to invest any work in making people care about the characters because they already do. It is worth noting, however, that if you write, you’re already a writer. 

First, I highly recommend that you read “Save the Cat” by Blake Snyder. It changed my life and I’m not even kidding. It’s an absolutely fantastic book on writing and although it’s geared towards screenwriting instead of novels, everything is still applicable. (There’s actually a newer version called Save the Cat Writes a Novel, but I’ve never actually read that one so I don’t know if it’s as good.) He goes over how to plot a story and also how to write likable characters, which is surprisingly one of the hardest parts of writing original fiction.

The second biggest tip I can give you is to let yourself write badly. Editing is easier than writing. The most important thing is to get words down on the page. You would not believe how bad my first drafts are—and that’s not just me being coy. Honestly, the next time I sit down to write a fanfic, I might save my first draft for anyone who’s interested to read because my first drafts are always bad. Like legitimately. There’s a lot of freedom in letting yourself fail and your writing will turn out better for it.

I would also recommend getting a professional critique if you are able to because you’re never truly going to know what it is you need to improve upon unless someone tells you. Signing up for a writing retreat is a great way to do this or you can look for online critiquing services. I’ve gotten several chapter critiques from Scribbler in the past and I found them very helpful.

But truly, the most important thing is to just have fun. I heard Lin-Manuel Miranda talking about writing Hamilton once and he said that what he constantly kept asking himself was, “If no one else ever sees this, will writing it still have been worth it?” And for him, it was. That’s the kind of energy I try to write with. I write what I want when I want and if I find myself struggling to write a scene because it’s boring, I do something to make it not boring instead. Change things up! Have fun! Because otherwise, what’s the point?

About six years ago, a friend of mine said virtually the same thing you did in this ask: “I’ll never be as good as you.” She had been writing for less than a year at the time. We lost touch when I left fandom to pursue original fiction, but when I came back last year, I looked her up again. She has a Tumblr ficlet pinned at the top of her page with 10K+ notes. I could never.

So don’t count yourself out yet. Just keep writing.

#asks #writing advice

[pancreasman]

I finally watched Sonic Prime and am officially up to speed (lol) and I have to say it was amazing. It was a fantastic exploration of the characters, the settings and worldbuilding are awesome, and the animation is just *chefs kiss* I even like the format of it constantly switching perspectives and the constant flashbacks which just adds to the idea of everything being displaced and shattered.

My only real issues with it (which are completely subjective to me and not at all an objective critique) are some of the designs as well as some of the humor. There are parts that genuinely made me laugh, but more out of charm or accidentally great timing than because of the joke itself. Some of the humor is painful to get through, but I think that may just be me. I'm also not a fan of some of the designs. The animation is awesome, but the models are not my favorite translation of the game designs in terms of proportions (It may be a bit contentious but I think a better interpretation of the designs was honestly sonic boom don't fight me) like the faces are weirdly squished or something, idk how to describe it. I also am not a fan of some of the alternative designs for characters, like Gnarly or Dr. Don’t. While other designs I love, like Rusty Rose or The Dread. Like, I think they look super cool.

As for my favorite season one moments, I love the conversation Sonic and Thorn Rose have that redeems her, because it's just such a nice soft moment. And I also love when captain dread finds the shard. The animation is so well done and you really believe he’s lost his mind. Idk maybe I just really like Dread.

However, based on just the first episode I already know I'm going to love season 2. Shadow is finally properly voiced and written and the fight between him and Sonic was amazing. Literally the whole time I was like “The boys are fighting!!! THE BOYS ARE FIGHTING” it was so hype. And I also loved Sonic’s genuine reaction to the ghosts and the legitimate guilt you see in his face and hands and hear in his voice. Like, you can tell they really put a lot of effort into that scene.

Anyway that was my rant now that I've seen the show. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

#also the part where Shadow catches the regulator in his mouth was so funny and in character and I loved it #is that weird? #idk man #im sorry for being negative on Tumblr but I wanted to share #so excited #ramblings #sth #sonic the hedgehog #sonic prime #shadow the hedgehog #rusty rose #thorn rose #knuckles the dread #netflix

[kingdomoftyto]

It's taken 15 years, but it was worth the wait...

All right, I've put it off long enough (and had a very busy/distracting couple of weeks) so it's finally time for my review of TAAAM Act 2

For those who missed it, the second half of Turnabout: an Ace Attorney Musical dropped at the end of last month [here's a link to Act 1 for good measure], and to say I've been listening to it a lot since then would be a gross understatement. My partner and I have literally been greeting each other after work each day with, "Today's biggest earworm was [insert TAAAM song], how about you?" Even if I listen to any other music on my morning commute, by lunchtime I'll inevitably still catch myself mouthing the words to "Lotta Things" or "Tomorrow at Last" or whatever else.

What I'm getting at is that this is not just a cool piece of collaborative fanart. This is a legitimately fantastic musical. Period.

The music is wildly catchy, but remains cohesive with every other song. There are repeated leitmotifs and about a dozen reprises and incredibly satisfying references to music from the games (I was waiting for "Cornered" the entire time and was NOT disappointed when it finally showed up late in Act 2). It feels well-structured, like a real Broadway production. All of the songs from Act 1 that I would have considered the weakest--they now stand fully redeemed by their absolutely phenomenal reprises and callbacks in the second half. Every song in this musical, every line, is there for a reason.

And this careful planning serves to accentuate the stated primary goal of the entire musical: maintaining the character-driven narrative of the games and emphasizing the pathos of the story. On both counts, this team absolutely delivered.

Because not only is this a really cool musical, it's also a fantastic piece of collaborative Ace Attorney fanart. (See what I did there?) I know I already said it in my Act 1 post, but these folks understand these characters and what makes the story so memorable even 20 years later. The emotional beats, the character growth, the relationships between them all, are impeccable. Every character gets their time to shine, and in particular I want to praise their handling of Maya and Gumshoe, who feel like fully realized people and each go through their own personal arcs throughout the course of the story that are just as satisfying and heartwarming as Phoenix's own.

And that's a good segue into the subject of what creative liberties the team DID take with the story, because there honestly aren't that many, but what they did change is so good. I replayed Turnabout Goodbyes a few nights ago and was surprised at how much dialogue in the musical is taken line-for-line, sometimes even verbatim, from the source material. But, aside from the changes you might expect from condensing an entire mystery game's worth of story into a few hours of runtime--such as simplifying the cases to require fewer clues to solve--they really only altered the plot in ways that gave more chances to develop the characters, and to create rewarding arcs for each and every one.

They added a whole damn scene of just Gumshoe and Maya having a heart-to-heart. It is easily one of my favorite scenes in the entire play. These writers drank their respecting-Dick-Gumshoe juice that morning, and that single scene gives a better emotional payoff to his loyalty to Miles than I think we ever got in canon, while remaining utterly in-character for everyone involved. Meanwhile, the scene doubles as one of many stepping stones* for Maya's own character arc (which is also much more focused and consistent than in canon, imo!), in which she struggles with her feelings of helplessness and inadequacy as she tries to live up to Mia's legacy.

(It goes without saying that this scene also serves the practical purpose of getting characters in place to further simplify the details of the case, as mentioned before, because the writing is unparalleled and I will keep emphasizing that as many times as it needs to be said.)

In truth, there are only two things I would qualify as "major" changes to the story (in that they're different from canon, not that they actually change the plot itself), and I'm hesitant to spoil them here because both of them are SO good and both of them hit me like a truck when they happened. One has to do with emotional depth getting added to a certain character's arc, and the other has to do with relationships between characters. (Maybe I'll add them as a self-reblog to this post because I still need to scream about them lol.)

In any case, I'm not kidding when I say that the musical's version of events, big changes and small, is so compelling to me that it has now superseded the canon version in my mind.** It manages to tell the exact same story while not only giving some of the "side" characters much more credit, but also tying the cases themselves together into a single narrative. The specter of Redd White and his chokehold on the justice system is present in the back half of the original game, but the musical tweaks things to really make you feel how all of these pieces fit together to direct the characters' actions and growth. It's just... ugh, so brilliant. [chef kiss]

I would be remiss if I didn't also take a moment to directly praise the performance of the actors. As obsessed as I am with the music itself, my single favorite moments in both Acts are actually short lines of spoken dialogue.*** The delivery just struck a chord in me and I still lose it a little every time I hear those parts. (And other parts, but. Shush.) Everyone did a great job, but the three leads (Ren, MJ, and Gavaroc, who played Phoenix, Maya, and Miles respectively) absolutely knocked it out of the park in both their sung and spoken performances. Is it weird to say I'm obsessed with how convincing the screams are in "600,000 Volts"? It is, a little? Okay, well. [cough] Regardless. The whole cast really knew what they were doing throughout this entire production; the emotion is extremely powerful when the moment calls for it**** and they elevate the dialogue--again, a lot of which is taken DIRECTLY from canon!--from something good to something amazing. The delivery of these lines has literally changed how I look at the first game, now. They're that good.

Quick shout-out to some of the other voices that have invaded my brain and instantly become my headcanon voices for the characters. Just off the top of my head: Larry, Payne, Sahwit, Redd, Grossberg, Lotta, Lana... seriously. This cast is absolutely star-studded. Even the ensemble freakin' killed it, absolutely transforming every song they were in. The soprano that hit that high note at the end of "Justice for All (Reprise)"????? MAGNIFICENT. GOOSEBUMPS EVERY TIME.

Good grief, this is already so long and I still have so much more I could say. This is why it's taken me so long to write all this out, by the way. This musical is transcendently good, both from a musical perspective and a fandom one, and I simply have not stopped rotating it around in my head since I first heard it.

It's NOT without flaws. Of course it's not. The sound quality on a handful of spoken lines is noticeably lower. The word choices in a few verses feel just slightly clumsy, or forced to fit the meter. The visuals for the Youtube release are a little goofy at times because of the limitations of the game assets used. The plot of the second act, even simplified, would probably be a little too dense to easily follow for someone unfamiliar with the source material.

But if there's anything to be learned from Ace Attorney, it's that perfection shouldn't be the most important goal. Sometimes a few rough edges are necessary to allow room for truth. And the truth is, in this case, a story. A story about a lawyer named Phoenix Wright, who loses a mentor, gains a best friend, and saves a man who'd lost himself.

It's a story worth hearing, and what better way than in song?

--

*- For the record, my favorite song in Act 1 was "I'll Be There", so among all the MANY times the end of Act 2 punched me directly in the heart, the moment that hits me the hardest is probably still the part of the finale that reprises it. That last stanza (I hope you know I'm glad we met...) makes me want to cry every single time. Maya Fey Protection Squad, indeed.....

**- Except for ONE thing at the very end, but that's a story for the self-reblog where I scream about the spoilery stuff LOL

***- My fav line in Act 1 is Miles' real-time epiphany that Redd White is a murderer. ("The only people in that office at that time were the victim and the- ...killer.") You can HEAR his eyes widen as he falters, and the choice to have that as his turning point in place of Turnabout Samurai is so brilliant in so many ways I can't even handle it. I love Miles Edgeworth so much. Anyway, THEN, my fav line in Act 2 is Phoenix's heartrendingly soft, "I've got you, Edgeworth. I've got you." It's so tender and yet so sure. It's Phoenix catching Miles as he falls, looking him directly in the eye, and telling him it's over, I won't let you suffer for one more day.

****- Another of my many favorite lines is Phoenix's "Did you DO it!?" underneath Miles' singing in "Alone". The desperation. The ANGUISH. During my replay of Turnabout Goodbyes I literally had to stop and take a second when the button prompt labeled "Did you do it?" popped up on my screen. That hurted.

#Ace Attorney #TAAAM #Turnabout: an Ace Attorney Musical #long post #I was so tempted to write this in the form of me just going song-by-song and gushing about all my thoughts #but that would have been an even more disorganized mess than this is lmao

[smilesrobotlover]

I’ve read most of the mangas so I think I’m gonna rank them all since nobody asked for it. I haven’t read the tp manga just yet and I’m not including the skyward sword Hyrule hystoria manga for the sake of my sanity (and the mangas that are one story separated into two books are counted as one except for oracle of ages and seasons)

1. Four sword- the characters are so fun and are great to play around with. Shows perfectly how important characters are to a story. They had to give each Link a defining personality different from each other and the way they bounce off each other was just so much fun. Not to mention the dynamic with shadow was interesting and adding a father to Link was also fun to read. And I was fond of this Zelda! A more sweet character but could also roast you if needed. I liked how she fought with her words more than anything else.

2. Oracle of ages- again, great character dynamics and a very interesting story! It wasn’t the damsel in distress trope so it was more refreshing to read than the others. And sir raven is just… a perfect man. Also Impa my beloved

3. Majoras Mask- the way this was written was so beautiful. The weird spookiness from the game was perfectly captured (for this being released without playing the game, that’s impressive) and the story was so… sad yet wonderful. The emphasis on loss and death just kinda makes it somber. And Skull kid’s backstory legitimately makes me want to cry everytime I read it. Poor kid :( the ending was epic too, gosh I loved watching Link put on the FD mask and going ape 💩 cuz of the righteous anger he feels towards majora, and him condemning the Happy mask salesman was also nice. You can tell this Link matured from oot. Also Kafei and Anju were so pure.

4. Oracle of seasons- I really enjoyed the beginning of this! Sometimes the mangas are so short that everything feels incredibly rushed and chaotic but this one was more chill! I mean, we saw Link hang out with the traveling performers for a while, a lot longer than I expected, and it really helped the pacing a lot. I also liked the characters Link hung out with. Ricky, Maple, and the chicken had fun dynamics! Overall, much better pacing than the others.

5. Ocarina of time- this one was pretty great, I loved how Sheik was written, he was the most interesting part of the story imo. I also loved Link, very kind and gentle but sometimes mischievous and just a great guy. Very determined. My only issue is how Zelda was written. I loved her in the beginning wanting to be a normal little girl, but naturally, as any Zelda with an alter ego, she fell short compared to Sheik, who was fantastic. And these stories can’t go 5 seconds without a damsel in distress so. But I liked it! And I liked the side characters! The whole Lon Lon ranch thing was fun too! Also Impa my ABSOLUTE beloved

6. Phantom hourglass- A more simple story but a fun one. Loved Ciela and Linebeck’s dynamic and the style was so fun. Also the ending was better written than the game imo. This is the only licensed Nintendo thing made that didn’t do tetra DIRTY. She was the girlboss she was meant to be, and tho she needed to be saved, she had a much different personality than the other Zelda’s so it felt less redundant. And not to mention, she acted more like a capable captain in the end and it was SO GOOD. I also personally liked that Bellum went after the ocean king, that was a cool scene too see. Shame it ended so quickly. My only issue is not enough Dadbeck 😔

7. Minish cap- this one was pretty fun! But I wasn’t a huuuuge fan of how Link was written. But he was tiny the entire time and it was adorable, and the ending was so bittersweet . Also Minish Vaati was adorable, honestly all the Minish were adorable. There’s just not a lot to say about it tho. Nothing really stuck out to me. Zelda had the same personality as every other Zelda so not much to say about her either.

8. A Link to the Past- not the best story. It’s not a rereadable story and it’s kinda boring. I adore Link’s personality and lbl legend is based after him, but the other characters were more eh. I liked the thief girl a little. But my biggest gripe was Zelda. I feel like Zelda’s in these mangas are all written the same but she’s written differently in a bad way. Apparently she was made more soft for romance but that just made her flat, boring, and also annoying. There were a lot of interesting characteristics to be done with her personality tho, but it wasn’t done. Which is a shame. But I did like the ending. It was very sweet (again, Link is an absolute sweetheart).

#hope y’all enjoyed this BDKSHSKSHK #zelda manga #smiles rambles #oracle of ages manga #oracle of seasons manga #four swords manga #majoras mask manga #ocarina of time manga #phantom hourglass manga #minish cap manga #a link to the past manga #akira himekawa #the stuff she’s done is incredible I cannot deny that #her art style is incredible #also she invented the Rito before the Rito were a thing can we just talk about that l #lol #legendofzelda #legend of zelda #legend of zelda manga

[andromebaa]

Just the Two of Us Horror Inspiration MegaPost

It's nearly Halloween so I'm going to spend an embarrassing amount of time explaining every single horror reference and inspiration in Just the Two of Us that I can recall. I'll try to include links where I can for more context.

Story in General

The biggest inspirations for Just the Two of Us were Silent Hill, Black Mirror and I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream. I've always adored psychological horror and sci-fi horror and I think it reflects in this fic. Chapter 1

One of my favourite Silent Hill games is Silent Hill 4. The game is focused on a man who cannot leave his apartment. The concept of a house that cannot be escaped from is really fascinating to me and I think it played a big inspiration for the house in JtToU. I pretty much consider one of the game's songs, Tender Sugar, the unofficial theme of the fic. Time dilation in fiction is super interesting to me. I don't think it was necessarily a huge inspiration, but The Jaunt is a beautifully creepy short story that probably rolled around in my mind while I was writing this part. Chapter 3 Okay this isn't scary or intentional, but I legitimately cannot read the hydrazine cup scene anymore without thinking about that one scene from The Princess Bride. I can't believe I did not see that sooner and now I can't stop thinking about Kokichi screaming about how Greek philosophers are all morons. Chapter 4

Again, not intentionally a reference, but that scene in The Thing is Kokichi stuck in the chair lmao. Chapter 6

When the fake Shuichi talks to Kaito over the wall, one of his lines was taken directly from Waiting for You, another Silent Hill 4 song. Chapter 7 The short burst of static that Kaito hears from the phone at the end of this chapter was directly inspired by the radio from Silent Hill 2. It spurts out creepy, distorted static when an enemy is nearby. Chapter 8 Okay the good stuff now. This chapter, especially the first half of the house (a distorted version of Kokichi and/or Oma's apartment), was directly inspired by the movie Skinamarink. That movie follows a young child trapped in a house with no windows or doors and a weird, malevolent force lurking over them. I really wanted the whole vibe of that section to reflect this. There was also definitely heavy inspiration from Silent Hill, particularly Lakeview Hotel in Silent Hill 2. The design of Shadow Child was inspired by the Larval Stalkers in Silent Hill 1. Chapter 10 Mani-Kun is a love letter to every single creepy mannequin in every horror game ever. Love you, you absolute freaks <3 Chapter 11 Miu's copy being stuck in P.A.L was definitely inspired by a bunch of different things, especially SOMA and this fantastic animated short To Be. Love some of that existential am I real or just a copy sort of thing. Chapter 12 The horror movie that Kaito mentions during the game of Two Truths and a Lie is Event Horizon. I honestly don't know how he could have sat through it, let alone enjoyed it. He probably had nightmares for weeks afterward. Chapter 13 Miu standing in the corner like a creepy fuck was inspired by the ending of the Blair Witch Project. Her whole transformation was greatly inspired by AM from I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, particularly the whole ghost without a machine idea. Chapter 14 This whole chapter was basically created as if it was a level in Silent Hill and Kaito was the protagonist lmao, especially when he explores the hospital. It even has a boss battle! I feel like the loop and the leech spouting terrifying stuff was definitely inspired by P.T in particular though. The dirty bathroom and the fact they are chained up in it is a very very obvious Saw reference lmao not even trying to hide that. Miu mentions she could turn one of them into a soft, jelly thing - that's taken word from word from the ending of I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream. Chapter 16

This chapter, particularly when Kokichi is still trapped in the debug room, was definitely inspired by Omori. Just the concept of a character in denial over a very bad thing which makes them blank out any awfulness in an act of self-preservation. The whole talking to another version of yourself was also inspired by the Stephen King story Gerald's Game. I love the idea of an isolated character having to converse with themself in order to stay sane or rationalise things. The creepy Judas Cradle chair from the hospital flashback was definitely Saw-inspired. Also it was an actual torture device that has been used in the past so that's fun. Chapter 19

Momota's personality and traits were heavily inspired by Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. The scene where he ties up Kokichi and the whole conversation he has with Miu in the snowy cabin are probably the best examples of this lmao.

Also a guy chasing after his partner and kids with an ax in a bloodthirsty rampage in the snow? Guess we need to tick off yet another Stephen King reference lmao. I swear that one was unintentional though. Oh yeah, their kids are named after Satoshi Kon (creator of psychological horror masterpieces like Perfect Blue and Paranoia Agent) and Koji Suzuki (author of The Ring and Dark Water).

Chapter 20

Kokichi's transformation into a leech was heavily inspired by I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream. Again, another reference to the soft, jelly line as well. Momota's rant about how much he hates Kaito was kind of inspired by AM's rant .

That's about it! At least, what I can recall ahaha. But yeah I love horror with all my heart and soul <3

#just the two of us #oumota #danganronpa #fic stuff #fic essays #horror #just the two of us lore

[howtofightwrite]

How feasible would it be for a character to have a hair whip, as in a long braid with something like a morningstar at the end? There's def some leeway on my end where I could go "their spine is magically augmented to keep this from Literally Killing Them and causing brain damage" but I'd love a more informed opinion on it

I'm going to go with, “no.” “How feasible?” “No.”

The strain on the spine is something I'd worry about, though that's a relatively minor concern. The first three things that come to mind are:

How do you sit down? This is a situation where if your character is knocked on their back, there's a real chance their weapon would end up between them and their spine. Landing on a morning star does not sound like a good time, even if they're wearing armor. Especially if this happens after they're knocked off a horse, a roof, a table, or basically anything else above floor level.

Second, if their weapon gets stuck, or an enemy catches their hair, their foe now has (limited) control over their head. This is a very bad thing.

Third, they need to break eye contact to attack, and because they're whipping their head around, it's going to leave them vulnerable for an extended period where they cannot watch what their foe is doing.

The more I think about this, the more problems I start to see.

If their hair-flail is ever cut, that's it, they'd need to grow out their hair before they could use it again. This is a limitation for a lot of biological weapons.

Of course, actually hanging and swinging heavy objects from your hair would be somewhat unpleasant. It's likely to not be as bad as having your hair pulled, since the flail would probably be mounted on a tight braid or ponytail, but it would still be jerking your scalp around.

It's also worth remembering that, in order to do this, your character would need to have very long hair. Probably, at least, waist length, if not longer.

I'm honestly not sure how great the risk of a self-inflicted concussion would be from using this. Because hair doesn't really transmit the shock of impact back to the scalp.

Since you brought up magic, there are characters who use their enchanted hair as a weapon (I'm failing to remember any specific examples off-hand, but the motif does exist.) In that case, the hair is often semi-autonomous, striking and reacting under its own power. It's a peculiar bit of fantasy, but it's an option, and it can bypass some of the issues I mentioned above. Critically that the hair will be much harder to capture, as it remains active, and may even restrain someone dumb enough to try to grab it. It won't force the character to look away from their foe as they whip their head around to generate momentum, and, ironically, it would be easier to avoid sitting or falling on their hair if they have fine control over it.

Generally speaking, weaving weapons into your hair is a pretty bad idea, with the specific exception of using your hair to conceal weapons. That's a slightly weird concept, but, things like a stiletto disguised as a hairpin, is a legitimate, potential, assassination tool. (Somewhat awkwardly, stiletto hairpins are a real hairpin style, and not a weapon, so it's a little harder to assess the the history, but any sturdy hairpin can be used as a weapon if needed, so I'm fairly confident in saying a character could credibly have a hairpin intended as a disposable assassination tool.)

As for something larger, you'd be playing for unrealistic absurdity, which may align with your goals. For example: A character who casually whips a katana out of her hair, would be pretty goofy, but it would solidly establish the kind of story you'd be trying to tell.

Also, it's probably important for me to point out, if you're going toward the fantastic end of the spectrum, this is a fantasy that works better in visual media, so comics, games, animation, and film. It can be done in prose, but it will be considerably more difficult.

So, like I said at the beginning: “How feasible?” “No.” This is a specific kind of fantasy that really only works if you commit to the extreme. Trying to make it, “grounded,” or dial back the insanity, is very likely to be underwhelming. I guess an alternate answer would be, “How feasible?” “Only if you go big.”

-Starke

This blog is supported through Patreon. Patrons get early access to new posts, and direct access to us through Discord. If you'd like to support us, please consider becoming a Patron.

#Starke Answers #writing advice #writing reference #writing tips #hair whip

[theinstagrahame]

It's time for the Monthly-ish Mail Call Hype Post!

Another set of awesome games I've gotten in the mail, and why I'm hype about them. Because people out there making rad stuff and I'm super into it!

It was a pretty big month. A lot of stuff arriving coincidentally at the same time, not all from crowdfunds, but still a really exciting collection. Let's dive in!

Beam Saber: I've played this one, and just started a campaign. Plus listening to Friends at the Table play it in Partizan (Which I legitimately cannot recommend highly enough). Mech Anime Forged in the Dark! It's genuinely a fantastic game.

Coriolis: A friend in a Discord server was clearing some room on their shelves before moving, and offered a few titles up. I wound up with three of them, this and the next two. Initially, they told me the box would only fit two, so I debated between Coriolis and DCC, and ultimately picked Coriolis because the sci-fi universe it takes place in seemed unique compared to what I've really experienced. An exploration-driven, Middle Eastern-inspired universe sounded really fascinating.

Dungeon Crawl Classics: I first became aware of DCC early in my TTRPG career, and was honestly mostly intrigued by DCC because of its use of Weird Dice; D3s and D5s and whatnot. I've heard mostly good things about it, and haven't done nearly enough Dungeon Crawling in my day, so I was quite pleased when it turned out this would also fit in the Discord Friend's "get it out of my house" box!

Last Fleet: This was the game I'd wanted from the pile. I'd recently backed Wreck this Deck, also by Black Armada, and have played Flotsam. I was intrigued by the pitch for this one, so it was the definite from the Discord friend.

Hull Breach: Mothership took the indie RPG scene by storm, and this book looked fantastic. I still haven't played Mothership, but honestly having this makes it feel like I could just about pick it up and throw anyone in. It's packed with scenarios and extra content, in a really great package.

Animon Story: I've been searching for the right Pokemon-themed RPG for a while. Too many of the ones I have seen spend a lot of time on the combat system, which I honestly find the least exciting part of the franchise. I want to explore and meet cool little guys. I confess I haven't read this one, but what I've heard of it sounds way more inspiring than most of the ones I've looked into.

The Hexcrawl Toolbox: I have The Bottled Sea and the Undying Sands from Games Omnivorous (Plus Vaults of Vaarn and Isle of Ixx). This box looks like an incredibly expansion of those ideas, and it's such a great package.

Enoch's Wake: Big fan of R. Rook games, ever since I had Richard on my (defunct) podcast to play a session of Moonlight over Roseville Beach. Enoch's Wake is a fresh take on a science-fantasy setting, and I really wanted to dig in and check it out more.

Sanctuary and Sentinel: I've followed Meghan Cross' work in the scene for a while, and it's all great. I love stories about lone sentinels guarding something long beyond the point of its relevance, and listening to how the two games intersect on Party of One really sold me that the Kickstarter had been a good investment.

The Book of Gaub: I will admit, I fall straight into peer pressure. I've heard about the Book of Gaub, heard all good things, and was really intrigued by the premise. It's honestly not even a game supplement per se, as much as it could function as an in-world text and concept, with annotations to make it usable in a game. The writing is fantastic, the art is great, and I really can't wait to find an excuse to bust it out. (I may or may not be trying to squeeze it into that Beam Saber campaign...)

Aberrant Reflections: Another that I'd heard really good things about, but also I had heard the words "puzzle dungeon" used pretty close to it, so I absolutely could not pass it up. It's been a great year for adventure content, so I am intrigued to get stuck into this one.

A Butterfly Dies and Cocoxoca: Primal Quest grabbed my attention because I don't feel like we see a ton of work in the stone age setting. A Butterfly Dies seemed like a really interesting premise, drawing on Mexican myths and murals to give a perspective on that world that I hadn't seen before. Cocoxoca was a pamphlet adventure that I thought would make a fantastic add-on.

Viva la Queer Bar: As someone starting to explore their queer identity, this was honestly a no-brainer. I'm honestly hoping this could be my first Descended from the Queen game played (I've got For the Queen, and have flipped through the cards, but still haven't brought it to the table). Again, heard incredible things about this game, so can't wait to check it out.

Guild: I did say earlier that I've not gotten enough dungeon crawlers in my background. I've been kicking around some Discords with Disaster Tourism in them, and have been watching this grow with interest. It came with so much stuff I really had to, packed a lot into two zines, a bookmark, and a tearaway pad.

#indie ttrpg #ttrpg #scifi rpg #indie ttrpgs #fantasy ttrpg #ttrpg hype post

[jackalopegirlteeth]

So getting towards the end of my heavily modded Stardew Valley playthough. I've experienced a lot of new content for the game. Some fantastic and some merely okay

But honestly, the one NPC that I would now rate above any others would 100% have to be the Circle of Thorns addon for the East Scarp

Like it's predecessor (Never Ending Adventure, which you have to completely to access Circle of Thorns) it's an addon focusing around adding an NPC with an involved plot line as well as new mechanics to boot

While I most certainly love Mateo from NEA. I feel that Hector is absolutely someone who appeals to me a lot more. The gradual shift in character personality as you manage to crack through their thick outer shell and reveal a person who is hurting bad and is in desperate need of help but feels completely unable to ask for it

Going from a snarky asshole that shoos you out of their tower once introductions are done to legitimately caring for you and the small collection of friends you've helped them make is fantastic

And all this from a weird little gender goblin who was content to sit and ferment alone in their druid tower, trying and failing to keep up maintaining the land around them

All in all, Hector is without a doubt my new favourite Stardew Valley NPC and may very well end up a mandatory addition to any future save files I boot up for the funsies. As well as taking up a space in my little blorbo stable situated deep inside my brain

#spooky yelling (ooc) #stardew valley #east scarp #circle of thorns #yup #hector is a new blorbo i may be getting obsessed with #unfortunately i doubt theyll be popular enough to garner much fan art or other such posts

[tobiasdrake]

Revisiting Ichijouji Ken

Revisiting Ken, I stand by what I said earlier regarding his reformation being janky. The transition from Digimon Kaiser to Good Guy Ken happens overnight as the product of an epiphany Ken has about the Digital World, and that doesn't really mesh with his previously established characterization.

But I do want to note that the decision to reform Ken is nonetheless a good one. I don't think they executed it very well, but he was a good choice of character for a reformation arc.

I've often gone on record as being sour on redemption stories in general. I have beefs with a lot of the ways redemption is written in media, and one of the most common pitfalls of redemption is often just, "Really? This guy? This is the one you want to rehabilitate? Whatever, show."

But in Ken's case? Yeah. Yeah, this guy. This is the guy. Rehabilitate this one.

The things Ken does are monstrous, but come from a genuine misunderstanding. He thinks this is a video game. He legitimately does not comprehend that he's hurting real people. He's trying to play the Digital World like it's Pokemon - A fact that gets slyly referenced in an early episode, when he makes two Elecmon, Digimon's closest approximation of a Pikachu, duel in a gladiator arena for his amusement. Ken's gotta catch 'em all.

But that shallow explanation for his behavior masks a deeper cruelty and misanthropy. Because, as I noted in my first observation on Ken, his behavior extends to real people and animals too. Dude literally kicks a puppy. That's not a misunderstanding. He's just mean.

This is an interesting topic for the show to address. The way we treat NPCs is, on some level, a reflection of ourselves. Ken smiles nice and says polite things in public, and then he goes home to play his fantasy game where he gets to enslave and dominate other living beings while building giant monuments to himself and his ego.

And, prior to his character development, that Ken? The Digimon Kaiser? That's his truest self. It's who he is when the lights are out and nobody's watching. It's who he most enjoys being.

And I think that's something that would be interesting to see Ken reckon with in the events that follow his epiphany. It's not enough to just clear up the misunderstanding. Ken should have to follow through by recognizing the problematic behavior that accompanied the misunderstanding, and learning how to change the lens through which he views other people, NPC or not.

This, unfortunately, gets skipped over. Ken gets what I like to call a lightswitch redemption. He has a moment that triggers a change in him, and then is instantly changed by it. He makes a complete journey from realizing that his behavior is a problem to being a better person overnight.

Ken freaks out in the desert, throws off his Kaiser garb, and cries over Wormmon's death. And that's it. That is his complete journey. When next we see him, he's already a better person, and his story from there is merely about whether he can be forgiven for his crimes - With Ken as his own harshest critic, and Daisuke as his strongest defender.

And I love what they do with Ken and Daisuke's friendship. It's fantastic. A+. Honestly, Daisuke in general is a way better character than I remember him being, but I digress. Point is. It would have been nice to see Ken undergo a character journey, and not just have a single moment of character development solve everything.

Oh, and yes, I know he had a Dark Spore influencing him, but that honestly just makes the lack of a journey worse. Ken's cruelty is literally the product of an external influence forcing him to be evil. He can't help himself.

But that should make it harder for Ken to change, not easier. It adds to the reasons why Ken's lightswitch moment and complete overnight turnaround of behavior should have been a longer and harder process.

Ken's reformation from the Digimon Kaiser is a great idea. I just wish there was more of it.

#digimon #digimon adventure #digimon adventure 02 #digimon kaiser #ichijouji ken #ken ichijouji

[amemberoftheosc]

Thoughts on Episode 12 of I.I.I

I absolutely loved it!  With the Floor and the callbacks to S2, it was just fantastic ^^

[Spoilers incoming!]

Such as finally mentioning Lightbulb by name! The reaction from Paintbrush when Cabby painted (pun intended) Lightbulb in a bad light was amazing. It really showed how much of the two bonded back in S2 and how much she had an impact on them. 

Although, I do find it silly that Paintbrush was eliminated on the 12th episode again. Seriously, they were eliminated on the 12th flippin’ episode again!?! I was expecting them to stay in since I thought they were going to have an arc (no longer sure what the arc was about, more research required) but it’s sweet for them to realize that they belong in Hotel OJ with the rest of their other friends :3

And also the fact they said, “I’m coming home Baxter,” when they were getting eliminated was adorable :>

Also, I was genuinely shocked when Cabby just kind of, insulted Lightbulb. I literally had to pause the episode and take it in. Like, goodness. Cabby really thought she’d support Paintbrush by doing that? Really? Pretty much insulting their friend? I was really hoping their alliance would last but it really didn’t.

Speaking of Cabby, looks like she also now has an arc. Apparently, she thinks of herself as a forgetful person and has to write things down to remember. It was actually quite heartbreaking to see her put The Floor into a container but then “realize” that she didn’t complete the challenge at all but instead was spoon-fed the solution. It was nice to see her and Floor have a small moment though :]

Maybe she’ll change. I don’t know what exactly but maybe she’ll stop using her files as much. Maybe Cabby will see the show as just a fun thing to be in instead of seeing it as something to solve, figure out, and beat. Maybe she’ll start having legitimate friends instead of having people join her alliance to further herself into the game. Who knows, only time can tell.

The part where Bot figures out what to be called and their pronouns was just, so adorable and amazing and just akskhahdjkshkh

Honestly, it was just so sweet to see them realize that they can choose who they want to be and still be themselves. And the look on Paintbrush too when Bot decided who they wanted to be ^^

Anyways, I think those are all my thoughts on the new episode. It was really silly yet also sad to watch. I am looking forward to seeing The Floor as the new assistant though! Let’s hope they don’t get too mistreated like Toilet :>

#inanimate insanity #inanimate insanity invitational #iii ep 12

[nettlestingsoup]

Hi! Every time I see you reblog a writer ask game, i'm like "ooohh fun I should definitely ask some of these" and then my peanut brain never remembers to??? But I am here now!!!!! Please be proud of the peanut, it is trying.

Can I ask 12, 19 (if that's not too vague/broad?) and 20?

I feel like you probabaly answered favourite fics already but I'm always interested in recs hehe - I say while I haven't read the merthur fic yet :((((

hello! thank you for the ask! and honestly let's just make an agreement to be proud of each other's peanut brains because this took me several days to remember to answer.

12: ooooh friend with benefits. it comes with the slow realisation of 'oh god i have feelings but what if they don't have feelings and maybe we should end it so i don't get hurt anymore by this but i don't want to end it' which is basically the entire plot of the first half of lichtenberg.

19: i answered earlier for listentothelittlebird, and it's that i love headcanoning SKZ as neurodivergent, especially 2min!

20: hmmm i recently read a fantastic minsung where minho and jeongin's parents had died - leaving minho as his carer - and the two of them basically trying to manage and muddle on until jisung shows up and predictably makes things complicated (in a good way). it normally takes a lot to make me like a fic where one of the SKZ members is a kid so this one was a very pleasant surprise! it was a very beautiful exploration of grief and healing and legitimately made me cry in parts. i've just looked it up and it was Grape on a Vine by mrehk, and i can so thoroughly recommend. i also recently loved hand over hand by afterthedisco which features autistic seungmin, my beloved, along with minho trying to figure him out but that one covers an eating disorder in quite a lot of detail so please take that recommendation with care! again, it's a very beautiful fic about learning to get better, and i read it twice within three days.

thank you again for the ask! congrats to both our peanut brains for making it this far <3

#ask games #pompoenwolkjes #those two fics were both so so good #i am eating them honestly

[durotoswrites]

When you see this, post 5 songs you actually listen to and tag 10 of your favourite followers/mutuals!

Thank you for the tag, @acediee ! I'm almost always listening to music, so I have a lot of favorite songs, but here are some that keep coming back to me in no particular order:

I can never give my heart - Rose Betts - Rose Betts's unique and lovely voice is one of my current obsessions. Heartbreaking lyrics and intense instrumentals, it's a relatable song of yearning.

If I'm being honest - dodie - dodie's soft vocals have been a longtime source of comfort for me. It's a soft song of cautious optimism that says "maybe you didn't choose me on purpose, but maybe I am worthy of love, from both you and myself".

You're not special, babe - Orla Gartland - (warning for clowns/mimes in the video, but honestly, the video is so fantastic and adds so much to the song). I love Orla Gartland's work, and this song really resonates with me and is a great pick-up. The title might sound harsh, but it's a song of acknowledging that we all go through our own heartbreaks, triumphs, and sorrows, and it's easy for other people to uncomfortably look the other way. That's why it's so important to find people in your life that you can depend on. Orla's character going from being horrified by this notion to acknowledging and embracing it is done so well in this video. It's also a legitimate bop.

Still into you - Paramore - I'm still into this song! It's a fun love song that celebrates the everyday blushes and smiles you can still share with your partner after years together. It's perpetually stuck in my head and it just gives me a burst of serotonin when I hear it. 🥰

If you know that I'm lonely - FUR - Besides FUR making hilarious music videos, their retro sound is so addictive. This song always has me coming back. The melodramatic angsty lyrics combined with the comedic timing of the video always hit me in the right way.

This barely touches the tip of the iceberg of the songs I love listening to. Techno, Celtic, electroswing, jazz, blues, big band just to name a few off the top of my head, and there are so many genres that I'm still learning about.

Snail's House, who focuses on kawaii future bass, is always fun to listen to, and my favorite song by them would have to be Ramune, which is such a fun mashup of satisfying sounds, blips, and melodies to keep you listening on repeat.

It would be a crime for me to leave mxmtoon off of this list. Her soft vocals and trusty ukulele always calm me down and I love the themes in her music. She's probably best known for Prom Dress, but among many of her other works, I really love Myrtle Avenue, particularly the slower version - it really hits differently.

I also love listening to video game osts, including the Mother Series, Animal Crossing, Octopath Traveler, Mana Khemia, and whatever gives me feels and is relaxing.

Tagging: @friendofbats, @cluing4looks, @joyfulsanctuary, @beck-a-leck, @hikamaus, @krosaceae, @lm-tomatito, @emeraldhazeart, @icefire149, @julikoloveszestiria, @quartzfox, and anyone else that I forgot! <3

#thanks for the tag! #music #tag game

[flockrest]

biggest strength as a roleplayer? / @hyruin

i’ve said this to you before, but i could genuinely shout from the rooftops about the level of thought you put into the worldbuilding & characterization of the rito as a whole, as well as your individual lil guys, until the end of the world. everything you write wrt to their society & community is fantastic, & it just feels like such a natural extension of the lore, to the point where when it’s not referenced in – game i’m like hm. something feels lacking here ! you’ve taken the foundation given to you, shored it up, & built an absolute palace of ideas on top of it, & it’s honestly fantastic.

that, & your sense of a character’s voice is absolutely unreal – when it comes to canon characters like tulin & molli, i can hear them, it’s the exact opposite of “they would not fucking say that” it’s they absolutely would say that & i’m dying to hear more !! & honestly, i think everyone who’s ever rp’d knows that sometimes it can feel like getting blood from a stone to get people to care about your muses, but you have gotten that one down to an art form my friend, i care about your little flock so much, i’m so overjoyed for tulin’s journey, i’m so excited to learn more about dineli, i’m so heartbroken for kido & all they’ve been through at all times !! & i haven’t even gotten into your actual PROSE, honestly !! you're doing an excellent job here friend, & it's such a joy & an honour to read your writing, & witness the magic !

blue. i am. i have. [spontaneously combusts] WAH?? i cannot thank you enough for this?!? oh my gosh. oh my gosh. oh my goodness. ohh my god i'm!! in genuine tears, this is just. the most thoughtful thing and it means so, so, SO much to me — these are words of such high praise, from such an amazing writer!! to know that you think of my content like this, my muses especially, TRULY YOU'VE BOLSTERED MY SPIRITS, oh my god?!

but can i just shoot this love back at you? can i just appreciate you as well?? i've also said this to you before, but the wild amount of dedication and passion you put into fleshing out your muses and building them up from canon influences still absolutely blows my mind! your dossiers are so deliciously rich with detail and lovingly personalised lore, even the ones you're still working on, and it's legitimately such a wonderful treat to see!!

YOUR WRITING TOO?? we only have one thread together ( that i thoroughly delight in! that my partner thoroughly delights in!! ) but i lurk on all your other ones and ohhh my goodness. your voices for each muse come through so clearly and you do masterfully with tone! when it hits hard, whaddaheck does it hit hard, and when you're going for that fluff, i'm like. melted into a puddle! AND THE HORRORS. THEY ARE SUCH TASTY, TASTY HORRORS EVEN AS I'M OVER HERE LIKE. NOOOOOO!! crying over your lovelies, thank you for crying over mine too!!

YOU ARE SO VERY KIND, thank you again for this! printing this out and pinning it to my wall so i can see it always, because this is seriously SUCH a massive boost of serotonin!! ♡♡♡♡ i'm so stoked to keep plotting with you, and writing with you, and interacting with you!! it's been an absolute joy and honour for me with you too!! AAAAAAAA

#hyruin #* roosting / ooc. #CRYING OVER THIS FR I COULDN'T. STOP STARING AT IT WHEN I SAW IT #BLUE EVEN IN THIS YOUR WRITING IS IMMACULATE ♡♡♡ how did you tailor this so well i cannot stop smiling!!! #the sweetest!! thank you so much lovely!! i am so glad to be writing in an rpc that contains people like you!! #please know that i always devour your posts when they come across my dash!! ALL OF THEM ♡♡♡♡♡ #under a cut because. maybe i got a bit long skfjkldf BUT I LOVE YOU THANK YOU ♡♡♡ #* shinies / save. #long post cw