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yelenasdiary · 5 months

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Caught Off-Guard

Pairing: Florence Pugh X Fem! Reader.

Summary: You help Florence escape a large crowd of over-the-top fans

Word count:

Warnings: Mentions of anxiety

Type: Fluff & Angst

AC: This is a request from my old blog!

You were enjoying your morning coffee at your one of your many favourite cafés in downtown LA when you heard a commotion of squeals and crying. You looked up from the newspaper that was provided by the café and saw quite a large group of people surrounding a young blonde female. It wasn’t rare for celebrities to be spotted in and around downtown LA. You tried to ignore the situation thinking whoever the celebrity was would have a bodyguard to help them if needed.

“Guys, please, you need to take a step back!” you heard a distressed voice come from the large group of mixed ages. “Florence please can we take a selfie” you heard another voice. You looked around for a big tough older guy but you couldn’t see any. You watched with a frown as the crowd refused to listen to the woman caught in the middle of the commotion. “Guys, I’m begging you, I will take photos with you all but I really need you just give me some space for a moment” the woman pleaded with the crowd as she tried to push through. You placed some money into your bill sip as you stood from your chair and approached the crowd, standing back slightly. “Guys, she said give her space!” you spoke over the crowd who didn’t listen.

You stepped closer to the crowd, enough so you could see Florence trying to be freed from the fans around her, her eyes spoke a thousand words as you made eye contact with her. You reached your hand out to her for her to take it, at first she was hesitant but you gave her a soft nod to say you were a safe person. She gripped your hand tightly as you carefully pulled her out from the middle of the crowd. “Follow me” you spoke as her grip tightened when fans started to follow the both of you.

Walking fast enough to be a run, you lead Florence into a mall with the idea to hopefully loose the crowd within an even bigger crowd. She didn’t speak, she just wanted to get away. The two of you pushed through the large shopping mall, already losing some of the crowd as you looked behind you. Florence looked tired and slightly angry, you decided that maybe you could hide out in a random store for a moment, walking into an old ladies clothing store without realising. “How can I help you both today?” the store worker approached you both, “oh we just need to hide out for a moment if that’s okay” you replied, looking around for somewhere for Florence to hide behind. “I’m sorry, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. This isn’t a playground” the worker replied. You rolled your eyes hard at her, “Seriously?!?” you questioned with an annoyed tone. “Please leave before I call security” she spoke once more.

“THERE SHE IS!!” you heard a fan yell. “Don’t worry about it!” you snapped to the worker as you and Florence fled the store. “Where are we going?” Florence finally spoke, you turned to her quickly as you both hurried to the other side of the shopping mall. “I’m parked on the other side of the mall; do you mind if I just drive you away from all this?” you asked. “Please!” she spoke as she heard more people calling her name. You rushed the both of you to your car, quickly unlocking it as Florence jumped into the passenger seat. “I think we have a different problem” Florence spoke as she noticed you’d been boxed in. “Shit!” you mumbled as you saw the long line of traffic behind you. “There’s no way anybody is gonna let us pull out” you spoke with frustration. Florence looked in the review mirror and tapped your arm lightly as you looked in her direction.

“Where’d she go?!” you heard voice coming up behind the car. You and Florence quickly drew the seats back to a lying position and waited for the crowd of young fans to lose hope in finding her. The car was silent for a while as you both watched as people ran pass your car, you watched as a Florence sighed with frustration before she brushed the lose hair out of her face. “Are you okay?” you asked softly. Florence shook her head as tears fell from her eyes. “Today has just been the worse, I woke up in a crappy mood and I thought maybe doing some shopping might lift my spirits, I guess not” she replied. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that, that was not fair on you at all” you spoke, unsure how to comfort the young celebrity.

“Thank you for what you did, you didn’t have to do that, but you did and I appreciate that a lot” she turned her attention from the roof to you. “You’re welcome” you gave her a soft smile. “I think it’s clear now, if you want I can walk with you back to your car?” you added. “If it’s okay, I’d like to just wait a little while longer. I..i just need to gather my thoughts” Florence replied, wiping the tears from her cheek. “Of course, take as long as you need. I’m here if you’d like to talk. I won’t be offended if you don’t want to talk either, I mean, you have no idea who I am” you spoke.

“I know you’re kind enough to stop whatever it was you were doing to help a complete stranger” Florence looked deep into your eyes. Her eyes sparkled ever so slightly as the evening sun glared through the window of your car. “It’s what anybody would’ve done” you replied to causing Florence to shake her head.

“Not anybody. That crowd had been following me for blocks before you helped. Many people walked by and watched but only one person stopped to help, that was you. You’re not just anybody” Florence explained. “I’ve never been in such a position, please don’t get me wrong, I love my fans! They do the most for me, I wouldn’t be where I am today without them and I can’t blame them for getting excited at the chance to meet me or anybody else they support” she continued.

“But that doesn’t give them the right to do that back there” you interrupted.

“It’s not their fault that their emotions got the better of them” Florence tried to justify the situation.

“Flo…rence” you spoke unsure if you could call her by the popular nickname, “you asked them to step back, you begged them to give you a bit of space and they completely ignored you. They only cared for that few seconds of bliss to snap a photo with you for their snapchat stories. They didn’t care about your wellbeing in that moment. Fans or not, they didn’t respect your wishes. That is purely on them and it’s okay for you to be mad at that. Shit, I would be” you added.

Florence kept her eye contact with you while she slightly nodded. “I guess you’re right” she spoke with a hint of disappointment.

“Being disappointed at your fans is okay. I think too many celebrities let things like this slide. I mean, I’m a fan of your work, I absolutely think you smash every role out of the park, but I could never be so selfish and make you feel uncomfortable like you were” You slowly adjusted your seat to its normal position. “You are a normal human being, just like me, just like that old guy crossing the road, the difference is, you are on tv, we are not. You have every right to feel whatever you may currently be feeling, and you can stay inside my car for as long as you need. Just as long as when you do leave, you feel safe and comfortable.” You added.

“Wow, you have really strong views on this topic, don’t you?” Florence questioned as she stayed lying down.

“I see celebrities almost every day, I mean, look where we are. Downtown LA. I couldn’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen a Kardashian or paparazzi waiting outside one of these high branded stores. I guess it just ticks me off knowing I can walk these streets unbothered while others can’t”

“I should’ve come with a bodyguard, that was my fault”

“Even still, you should always feel you are able to shop, get coffee or go for a walk without being hounded like that” you watched as traffic drove pass your parked car, Florence slowly adjusting the passenger seat to it’s normal position. “I understand you all pay that price and I’m sorry if you felt like I was attacking you just now, I sometimes get too into my thoughts and opinions” you spoke, playing with the finger on your middle finger.

“Don’t apologise, I respect your thoughts and you are right. We shouldn’t have to deal with half the bullshit we do but once again, you’re right. It’s a price we pay, and it sucks sometimes but then I get to meet fans like you, who are calm, collected and treat us like the humans we are. I thank you for that, you keep us sane, especially at times like this” Florence replied as you felt her hand rest on your right shoulder. “What’s your name?” she asked.

“Y/n” you replied looking up at her, she smiled at you. Once again, her eyes sparkling like diamonds do in the right lighting. “Would it be okay if I could get a lift home?” she asked kindly, you nodded, “only if you’re okay with that. If you’re not, I am happy to drop you off somewhere close to your home” you replied.

“Y/n, please, take me home”

All you did was nod once more, turning your car on. Florence gave you directions to her house as you followed them, careful of the busy traffic that flooded the streets. It was about a 30-minute drive, mostly because of the traffic but also because you took a few wrong turns which caused Florence to laugh. “This is the one” she spoke as you pulled up to the gates. “Well, I apologise for the wrong turns” you chuckle, “I hope you feel better and again, I’m really sorry for how bad today was for you” you added as you looked at Florence. “In the strangest way, I had a really fun time. Are you doing anything now?” she replied. You were slightly confused about her comment on having a fun time but you shook it off. “I’ll just head home and shower or something” you replied.

A smile quickly grew on Florence’s face “Did you want to come in?” she offered which shocked you. “Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude or anything, it’s okay” you replied. “Please, it’s just me and my Billie girl and I’d like to make dinner for you, a thank you for saving me today” she gave you convincing eyes, “I won’t take no for an answer” she smirked. Refreshing your lips before giving Florence a smile, “sure, I don’t see why not” you replied.

“Goodie, let’s go!”

#florence pugh #florence pugh x reader #fanfiction

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sofoulandfairaday · 8 months

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heyyy i’m new to bellamort and i think they’ve become my otp already thanks to you,

what are your favourite recs? mostly sweet, however much they can be and some spicy ones.

thank you!!!

Anon, this comment made me GIGGLE like an idiot, huge grin on my face - thank you thank you thank you so much. This is the best compliment I’ve ever gotten! It literally means the world.

With that being said - and this goes for the other people in my inbox asking for recs - I’m not the best person to ask. Firstly, I don’t read that much fanfic (hi, med student running on virtually no sleep here) and I’m always behind on reviews (fanfiction is meant to be enjoyed from my laptop with a cup of tea and no one in the house so i can weep/shriek/pace etc). Secondly, I suck at keeping track of what I read.

Thirdly, your ask in particular is virtually impossible because I live for the grief. I lap up angst like a kitten does milk.

Sweetness… meh. (Except of course when I cry and moan about the fact that I need to stop reading for the day because a fanfic literally made my heart ache. I'm telling you, I suffer more for these two than I do my irl friends and that says something about me.)

Anyway, this is what I’ll do. I’ll link some of my favourite authors (in English, if you want Italian recs just ask and I will deliver) and I’ll leave you to browse their pages and see what speaks to you. These are just off the top of my head, and on Tumblr and around Ao3 (if you know how to filter), you'll find other great ones!

(If I forget someone, or if anyone who reads *is* a Bellamort author, feel free to tag them/yourself in this post, or in a reblog.)

@star-named-riddle - Nefaria_Black @saintsenara - Asenora @deslea - deslea (where are you, girl, I need you) Abigail Belle (ex Gamma Orionis) (see above) meanwhiletimely (see above) Also, there's this masterpiece by @metalomagnetic featuring Rodolphus which GHHHHHHHH. Is all I'll say. Screaming, crying, hollering, etc etc etc. (There's also this masterpiece by the same author but even looking it up to link it made me shake and I won't speak of it until I have processed my grief because I have people to see later in the day and I cannot be dazed or aching or in tears or shellshocked by the rawness of the writing etc etc etc)

And finally, the most recommended (and popular, I think) Bellamort fanfiction ever, which I admit I've never read in full (I know, I know, believe me when I say I have no time/mental fortitude) which is of course Surrogate.

They are all absolutely brilliant for reasons I wish I could get into right now (they deserve proper recs, this hasty reply does not do them justice). They all present different but equally fascinating versions of my characters.

Unfortunately, none of them are really saccharine/fluffy. There is softness but it's always bittersweet in most of them. WHICH IS HOW I LIKE IT MUAHAHHAA- coff coff.

Happy reading! :)

#asks #answered #bellatrix lestrange #lord voldemort #bellamort #bellatrix black #tom riddle #hp fanfic #hp fanfic recs

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bookhighlightss · 6 months

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Twisted series book review

☆ Twisted Love

1. This book was amazing. The plot twists will blow your brains out.

2. Alex Volkov. That's it. Just him. Like he is just amazing.

3. Pretty words and pretty faces don't equal pretty souls. This line. This. Freaking. Line. It had me crying.

4. Also the way he just walked her home for a year without them talking.....AAAAHHHH just everything in this book was amazing.

5. In book 2, 3 and 4 there relationship just was so pretty even if they were there for like 1 page.

☆ Twisted Games

1. I love the whole bodyguard princess thing like I'm here for it.

2. I read this book 1 year ago I don't remember the details well but I loved Rhys and Bridget.

3. The whole you and me against the world, princess was just so sweet and cute and asfkjhjilw

4. I love how Bridget just overall slays with her feminine energy as Queen and shit like slayyyyy

☆ Twisted Hate

1. Okay this book was hilarious. There were so many funny scenes and their back and forth bickering was just everything.

2. I also loved how josh and Alex became friends again in this book like we all knew they were gonna but the whole conversation was epic and alex asking for permission to marry ava was just beautiful.

3. The possibility of you is better than the reality of anyone else. This quote people it was just amazing. I was like dayum I need to take two minutes and scream.

4. Overall the plot was actually pretty lit in this book but the one thing I didn't like about this book was how they fucked every two pages literally but they were kinda friends with benefits but I'm a hopeless romantic so when I was expecting a cute angry confession I got an angry sex....

5. I also love how they actually struggle with money lowkey because all the other book the characters were loaded with cash so that was a bit realistic yk

☆ Twisted Lies

1. Omg when I tell you this book was perfection I mean this book was perfection. It was like Ana huang took all the critics and molded this book into perfection. It was everything.

2. The way Christian was obsessed with her from the moment he saw her but never labelled it as love but just everything he did was wow. I will worship this man he's amazing.

3. Touch another man, he dies. Let another man touch you, he dies. Tell me I can't touch you...and I die. This had me in a chokehold I was like.....AAAAHHHHHHHHH

4. Also the way all the other 3 men just made fun of Christian and the scenes where all the characters were together was just really funny.

5. I love how Christian was always there for Stella and supported her ❤ like asjdhrkjdhsk

Overall all the books are amazing. These people live rent free in my head. But the fact that all of them got a happy ending and are successful and shit is like probably the fakest shit ever but then again it's books so eh. But on a real note photographer, queen, lawyer and fashion designer like are ya kidding me??? And the diversity their friend group has like Asian, European, American like wow. I have to say I'm not a huge fan of the smut in the book but then again that's just my personal opinion a lot of other people loved the smut tho so idk. And can we talk about how all of them have the prettiest names ever??! My most to least favorite book would be

Twisted lies

Twisted love

Twisted hate

Twisted games

My most favourite to least favourite twisted men would be

Christian harper

Rhys Larsen

Alex volkov

Josh chen ( his I lied thing just set me off)

My most favourite to least favourite twisted women would be

Ava chen

Jules ambrose

Stella Alonso

Bridget von ascheberg ( I don't like her being last but I love those three way more )

#books #highlighted #book review #booklr #book blog #book recommendations #twisted series #twisted love #twisted hate #twisted games #twisted lies #ana huang #alex and ava #christian and stella #josh and Jules #bridget and rhys

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glove23 · 6 months

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

I WAS TAGGED BY @nooowestayandgetcaught THANK U ILY

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

- 158

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

- 325,837

3. What fandoms do you write for?

- any and all that I know/like!! I have the most fics in kinnporsche, hp, and grishaverse, but I write for a lot of different fandoms

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

- Meeting Your Maker (Literally)

Harry Potter, Time Travel AU, 64,543 words

- a colorful past

The Batman (2021), Jim Gordon/Bruce Wayne, 688 words

- Your Makers Meet (Figuratively)

Harry Potter, sequel to MYML, 30,726 words, incomplete

- I'm not leaving your side

Love in the Air (2022), Whump, 1,307 words

-no body, no crime

Kinnporsche: The Series (2022), MURDER, kinn kills vegas, 943 words

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

yeah! I try to at least, I have a huge backlog to get through whoops. I started writing in the era of ffn where like half the experience was talking back and forth in the reviews and then pm-ing and that's how I made a lot of friends that I still have today. and without that kind of comment culture and the author replying to messages, I might not have ever started writing.

someone replied to my review very kindly and asked why I didn't have any fic, my ideas were awesome (hair flip) and that made me realize oh. I don't have to Just read, I can also write the stories

and the rest is history

but fostering that kind of community, just talking to people who love the things you love, is such a fun part of the fandom experience for me and so I'll always reply to comments (eventually. I'll always get there eventually.)

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

KDHAJCHSJXJSJZ I DONT KNOW HOW TO TELL YOU THAT I HAVE A WHOLE SERIES WHERE I JUST KILL PEOPLE AND WATCH THEIR FRIENDS GRIEVE

but that being said, the answer is

into the wind (Love in the Air (2022), prapaisky, MCD/suicide

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

uhh. this one I don't actually know but imma say

love me there (His Dark Materials, lyrawill, fix-it, lyra finds will again after the events of s3)

8. Do you get hate on fics?

yeah, sometimes! 👍 don't do that

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

sometimes. not very often, it's usually M-rated if I do, but just. yeah. I don't know how to answer this

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

nope!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

yep!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

nope!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes, many times! back in my OG ffn days, and then a few times with @nooowestayandgetcaught

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

I'm gonna say percabeth but I don't think there Is a real answer to this question, bc I love so many of my ships So Hard that just thinking about them makes me cry

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

......I will finish every wip leave me alone (I WILL FINISH YMMF I PROMISE) work in PROGRESS and the progress may be slow but it's PROGRESS

16. What are your writing strengths?

dialogue I am so fucking good at dialogue, and character interaction. definitely my strengths

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

descriptions. I am too lazy to do them all out the way I want to and so I just kinda. skate by

except in guess I misjudged you (gods I loved you) that one is PACKED bc I spent 9 months on it so

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

mmm unless I know someone I can talk to and get accurate translations, I don't really do this bc I am so afraid of conjugating wrong and google translate is SHIT. but when I do I try my best

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Percy Jackson! in 2012 on ffn on an account that still exists but I will not give u the name of. 🥰🥰

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

as of rn (October 2023) it's

guess I misjudged you (gods i loved you)

Percy Jackson, Royalty AU, Arranged Marriage AU, 56,438 words

it is my BABY and I think one of the best things I've written tbh

#2 would be

if you don't like it (lie)

KinnPorsche, kimchay, MCD, 3,516 words

it's just so delightfully painful and it's the one I show to everyone I show kp bc I'm obsessed with it

ANYWAYS THATS ALL THANK YOU!!!! if you wanna do this feel free to say I tagged you 💞

@seaweedbraens @perseannabeth @karin848 @waitingondaisies (y'all don't have to do this. but ✨✨)

#tag game #fanfiction

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sixth-light · 2 years

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some actual thoughts on Nona the Ninth

I hesitate to call this a ‘review’ because even five days later I’m not sure how capable I am of coherent discussion of this book, but more or less: a review. Absolutely giant enormous spoilers for the whole book under the cut, etc.

The one thing I can say coherently is that this was probably my favourite book of the series so far (I know, big call) and that is pretty much down to two factors: Some Of These People Liked Each Other to a much greater extent than the first two books, and the gore level was slightly toned down by being filtered through Nona’s highly selective PoV. OK, no, four factors, the third being that I really love a selective narrator/outside PoV story and this managed the neat trick of being an outside PoV story on the whole series to date - both in terms of being set on a non-House planet and largely featuring a new cast of characters, and being through the eyes of an amnesiac character who only knows what she’s been told about necromancy, the Empire, Resurrection Beasts, etcetera - and who hasn’t been told everything by a long shot.

The fourth factor (deeply unsurprising given what I’ve reblogged/talked about with this book to date) is the way that Nona is gleefully, unrepentantly, truly madly deeply a piece of New Zealand science fiction where the first two books had the odd fun reference and a very Kiwi sensibility to them, but largely didn’t require you to know anything about NZ to engage. Clearly this one is still enjoyable if you don’t, but it does shit like dropping “Dilworth” in the first paragraph. You don’t get that? Not this book’s problem! It’s in large part about a bunch of assholes starting a murder cult in GREYTOWN in a cryo research facility that LOOKS LIKE A FREEZING WORKS. The antagonist STARTS THE APOCALYPSE BY NUKING MELBOURNE, which, I just cannot express enough how much this is in dialogue with our self-image as a country and people(s) in a way I find intensely gripping. The NZ literature scene is absolutely fucking allergic to sci-fi and fantasy fiction if it isn’t targeted at teens or children, and Tamsyn Muir is out here writing a gonzo space opera about lesbian necromancers in a space empire founded by Kiwis, in which someone makes a ‘spray and walk away’ joke. I would like to send her flowers, and also the head of Steve Braunias, whichever she would prefer.

OK, where was I? Um, yes! I liked this book! I am not as big a Palamedes&/Camilla fan as some people despite writing my only TLT fic from Palamedes’ PoV but I loved them in this and I started crying so hard in Paul’s birth scene that I had to put the book down. Relatedly, what this book does with gender???? Absolutely fucking unmatched. Pyrrha is incredible. I want to know what her original name (& all the Lyctors’) was so badly because there is no fucking way a group of millennial Kiwis were ACTUALLY called Augustine, Mercymorn, Cassiopeia, etc (Nigella and Alfred???? maybe????). I had no particular horse in the race regarding Nona’s true identity - I was half-convinced she was Harrow for about half the book but also not fully convinced by a long stretch, and the Alecto reveal made absolute sense. I very much need her to murder John a lot. I’m not sure what is going on exactly with Gideon/Kiriona but it’s definitely something about her soul and also the fact that she’s much more of an asshole from an outside PoV, which is OK, I love her anyway, she deserves to be a bit of an asshole. Clinging to the idea that Muir’s “never ever ever getting back together” line is being clever about names or something.

But in general I have no idea what is actually going to happen in Alecto the Ninth and you know, I’m fine with that, I’m just here for the ride and also Coke Zero jokes. Magnificent, outstanding, punching above our weight science-fiction speaking, frame it and put it in Te Papa (preferably next to Phar Lap). Did you know that it’s very meaningful part of Corona’s BoE name is “He Found It In Him To Forgive” because that’s a line from probably one of the most famous NZ songs about recovering from a breakup??? God I love these books.

#nona the ninth #the locked tomb #ntn spoilers

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jamaicangalartist12 · 9 months

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Puzzle House Review

I was able to get my hands on a copy of the new Dragon Prince graphic novel so I wanted to come on here and give you my point form review of the book.

Warning! ⚠️ Spoilers underneath!

-Claudia really needs to fucking chill with the magic. Like girlfriend why are you doing it randomly around the house.

-Whoever was supervising Claudia, your mom's a hoe.

-Pregnant Sarai is so cute.

-It took me way too long to realize that it wasn't King Harrow on the throne, I'm talking it took 3 reads.

-Also, where is Harrow?

-That throne look hella uncomfortable. Like no cushion?

-Not Viren knowing exactly where his mentor is but still looking for him. I am curious to know what went wrong between him and his mentor and what led to his mentor being caught in a coin.

-It kind of feel bad for Viren cause I know that almost losing a child and divorce is not easy, especially within six months of each other.

-Also I wanna see a picture of Virens wife.

-Callum as a kid was so cute. He totally always had a crush on Claudia.

-Soren and Claudia's relationship has always been cute.

-On a different note these guards need to be fucking fired cause why can't you do your job? It is not that hard buddy.

-Most of the book is them just commiting laws to be honest.

-Not Soren almost falling to his death OVER A STATUE. In all fairness the same would probably happen to me.

-The giant didn't look that scary out of all honesty.

-My favourite part of the book was Callum talking about his father's death. I had to put the book down two times just to prevent myself from crying. Knowing that he loses his mother less than a year later makes me realise why he is so distant towards his step father. The fact he also understands that knowledge so young, it just hurts me.

-The giant and Claudia reaction is so good and also one of my other favourite moments.

-After my empathy for Claudia died after season 5 this novel made me regain if after seeing what Claudia went through l. Blaming herself for her parents divorce and then trying to fix it? Like I won't lie, that's heartbreaking, and so real because this happens to so many kids.

-Also now it is CANON that Viren:s wife left him because of his sake magic use, but in defense the dude saved his kid but also I understand where his wife is coming from. One time is enough to equal a one hundred times if it is dangerous enough.

-Soren also did the most big brother thing by saying he wasn't going back and basically telling Claudia to go on her own.

-I did not like the interaction between Claudia and Viren at all. The way he treated her in the begging to come and give his child a half assed apology and a coping mechanism is crazy. No wonder why Claudia is so messed up. Her dad literally encouraged her to use dark magic for so long. And it is proven that dark magic catches on easily to people.

-Also, in my personal opinion, K'parrs gift to Claudia was low key lame but hey, maybe that's not the real gift...

Overall not to bad but could have been better in a sense. Would have loved to see more of Soren.

I'd give it a solid 6.5 out of 10

#the dragon prince #callum #tdp #tdp spoilers #lord viren #tdp viren #viren #claudia #tdp claudia #tdp soren #tdp sarai #tdp harrow #katolis

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orthoxrequiem · 5 months

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Persona 4 Golden Review (Spoilers)

So I promised my friend who got me into Persona (even if he did warn me beforehand) that after I finished Persona 4, I would write an in-depth review of it, and since I stick by my promises, here it is! I’ll separate this into categories, where I talk about the gameplay, graphics, music, characters, and plot of the game before giving my final thoughts about it. So with that out of the way, let’s do this!

Gameplay:

To start this review off positively, I’ll go over the best part of this game. I love the way this game plays and how it handled the battles in it. The battle system is so fucking good and it makes them feel very engaging. I love the whole elemental system that makes up battles as it allows for a lot of strategy for how you’re going to take down certain enemies and how you can defend yourself against said enemies. It’s also always satisfying to knock them down and follow it up with an all out attack. I also love how the social links of your party members affects how they perform in battles as well, which adds more strategy to that as well. Overall, the gameplay is really what made this game so good to me, because IT’S JUST SO PEAK!

Music:

This game’s soundtrack is really fucking good. Even people who hate Persona (reasonable) can admit that the soundtrack goes hard and has them BOISTEROUS TUNES. Some of my personal favourite tracks include:

-Reach Out To The Truth

-Backside Of The TV

-Deduction

-Sauna

-Heartbeat, Heartbreak

-Game

-A New World Fool

-The Fog

-Secret Base

-Heaven

-Long Way

-Corridor

-The Almighty

-The Genesis

-Electronica of the Soul

-Time to Make History

However, I will say that the normal boss theme is pretty mid when compared to the other tracks in the game, but it’s still alright. So basically, WE MAKING IT OUT IF INABA WITH THIS ONE!!!!!

Graphics:

I don’t give a shit about graphics in video games because I’m not a fucking loser, but I will say that this game looks pretty fire. The 3D model’s movements can feel a little janky at times but they’re alright. I mainly really like the sprites in this game, even if I do think that they could’ve be a little more expressive, because it’s a little jarring when a character is crying and their sprite is just “:(“. Either way, this isn’t really that important, but I just wanted to mention it. Adachi’s sprites are also all so peak by the way. He brings that adachilicious swagger wherever he goes.

Characters:

Yu:

Yu, or Reigen Arataka as I named him in my playthrough, is the protagonist of the game and your typical self-insert MC for the “immersive experience” that game developers love to do for some reason despite how fucking stupid it is and how I would prefer if the protagonist was an actual character with an actual personality. Granted, I did hear that he does have a personality in the anime, but I never watched it, so I really only have the game to base it off of. I don’t have anything to say about him because the game doesn’t give him anything to say, so yeah. He’s just your typical self-insert in the game.

Yosuke:

Where the fuck do I begin?! Alright, look, for the first couple of hours of the game, Yosuke is a great character. He’s just this chill bro who you would play Fortnite with, and even if he was a little down bad sometimes, he wasn’t like that too often and it was just him being a goofball. However, around the Steamy Bathhouse dungeon, all of that changes as Yosuke comes out of the closet as…HOMOPHOBIC! Turns out your bro would probably call you slurs during Jackbox vc sessions on Discord which fucking sucks. Even after that section, Yosuke is really homophobic towards Kanji which is NOT funny at all and makes me want to BANISH HIM to the DEPTH of IKEA! However, you don’t need to worry, BECAUSE IT GETS EVEN WORSE! You know when I said that Yosuke was down bad, well as the game progresses, that becomes more and more evident to the point where him being a pervert is just his main personality. Granted, it’s not as bad as a certain character that I’ll get to later, but it’s still really fucking obnoxious how painfully heterosexual he is. If bro was a Danganronpa fan, he would ship KaiMaki. If bro was a Puyo Puyo fan, he would ship SigAmi. If bro was an Angry Birds fan, he would love the second movie. You see what I’m getting at here? However, Yosuke DOES get bullied throughout the game, so that does slightly make up for how annoying he is, but he still sucks in the end. I also genuinely can’t believe that people actually ship him with the protagonist because Yosuke does not deserve an ounce of happiness in his absolutely pathetic life. Overall, Yosuke is a really annoying and unlikable character that fools you into thinking that he’d be your lovable goofball sidekick. Fuck Yosuke! All my homies hate Yosuke!

Chie:

On a more positive note, I really like Chie. Her personality balances out her whimsical silliness as well as her desire to roundhouse kick the shit out of people which makes for a very engaging and fun character that balances off the next character I will talk about very well. Absolute girlboss! She also beefs with Yosuke a lot which gives her extra points because FUCK YOSUKE! I don’t really have much to say about Chie since I got nothing to complain about or anything important that needs to be said, because she’s just a very solid character. Shoutouts to Chie aka Yukiko’s gf!

Yukiko:

Next up, Chie’s girlfriend! Yukiko is very reserved and not as bombastic as other characters but I really like that about her. She just has this calm demeanour and whenever she talks, I’m always really invested in her dialogue. She’s always got some real shit to say. She also really balances out Chie’s personality really well which is why they’re both perfect for each other and I can’t believe they actually got married at the end of the game, can you believe that? However, I will say that she was way too painfully heterosexual during the nightclub scene around Naoto’s part of the game, but that’s more of a flaw on the story then her own flaw. Also, her social link development felt very strange to me because it goes from “I want to be independent from my family” to “Actually, this is where I belong” which I understand the message it’s going for but it still feels strange tbh. I would say I like her around the same level as Chie, which is ANOTHER reason why they are perfect for each other. Overall, she’s very bodacious. Shoutouts to her.

Kanji:

FUCK YEAH TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE BEST FUCKING CHARACTER IN THE GAME! Kanji is the FUCKING GOAT! It may not seem like it from his funny as fuck dungeon, but he is the GOAT! He’s the bro that Yosuke never was, as I would definitely chill and listen to JPEGMAFIA with him unlike with Yosuke. He’s a bisexual icon, even if the game is too much of a coward to lean into the more gay side of his character, but what do you expect from Persona? I love how he’s this tough badass that does deep down have a soft side to him (which reminds me a lot of Onigawara from Mob Psycho who’s one of my favourite characters in that show) and I like how his character development is him learning to except that being a “real man” is by being true to yourself and making cute plushies, as seen in his social link being THE BEST IN THE FUCKING GAME. Absolute ICON! He really makes you wonder why Yosuke is still in the game in the first place because Kanji does everything he does WAY BETTER! Also, him and Naoto are both gay and in love trust me they told me themselves. Anyways, KANJI SOLOS EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER IN THE GAME FUCK YEAH!!!!!

Rise:

I do not like Rise. I don’t utterly despise her like Yosuke or the next character I’ll talk about, but I do dislike her. I thought I was going to really like her from when she’s first introduced, as I really liked her calm and slightly cynical personality and I thought it would be great to have a character like that in the party, but I was so wrong. Turns out, Rise’s development isn’t about her leaving her life as an idol behind, but embracing it for some fucking reason. Turns out, her idol life is actually just how she normally is????? What the fuck????? Rise ends up turning about to be this annoying hyperactive and slightly smug character who’s always flirting with the main character because of Forced Heterosexuality SigAmi KaiMaki Angry Birds Movie 2 style (I already made that joke but I just had to make it again lol), and she’s also like that towards other characters as well. She’s also mean to Kanji, so she can go fuck herself. Overall, she’s annoying and I don’t like her. If she was removed from the game then nothing of value would be lost.

Teddie:

I FUCKING HATE TEDDIE I FUCKING HATE TEDDIE I FUCKING HATE TEDDIE I FUCKING HATE TEDDIE! HE IS THE WORST CHARACTER IN THE FUCKING GAME! If he isn’t making obnoxious bear puns every few seconds, then he is being a disgusting pervert, and when he isn’t doing that, he’s just being extremely fucking obnoxious. He’s also really fucking annoying during battles before Rise joins your party because he won’t SHUT THE FUCK UP! I don’t like Rise, but she is a billion times better then that stupid Freddy Fazbear wannabe. The most unrealistic thing about Persona 4 is the fact that the group view Teddie as a friend because in reality, I don’t think there is a single person who would ever love his pathetic existence. The game tries to give him character development later on in the story, but WHY THE FUCK should I care about the CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, when I fucking hate the CHARACTER that’s being DEVELOPED! Overall, Teddie is the worst character ever, and it’s baffling how the bad ending of the game is labeled as such when Teddie leaving is the best thing that could happen to the group, because his existence is worse then anything Adachi could even do. If he was removed from the game then the world would be a much better place, and yet here we are.

Naoto:

I LOVE NAOTO! THIRD BEST CHARACTER IN THE GAME! HE IS THE FUCKING GOAT! However, Naoto is different when compared to my other favourites in this game because of how utterly dirty he is done by the game. Kanji is disrespected as well and I already mentioned that previously and how it annoys me, but not to the extent that Naoto is. So, let’s talk about Naoto being trans.

The Naoto Transmasc Controversy:

Naoto’s character arc is fine if you just look at it in isolation. It is meant to be a commentary on how women aren’t given a chance in male-dominated jobs such as being a detective, and that’s a based message since women are amazing and I hope every women reading this is having a good day. However, the way the game handles this message is ATROCIOUS! Naoto is introduced as a man. He shows up here and there and isn’t relevant until after Mitsuo’s section of the game. Kanji is also heavily hinted at having a huge crush on him, which is adorable and I hope they live a happy life together. However, all of that changes after Naoto’s dungeon. It is then revealed that Naoto was born a woman and is transmasc, but isn’t actually, and is just presenting that way just because the detective industry is a male-dominated business. Naoto states here and there throughout the game that he wishes he was a man, but his character development involves him coming to terms with being a woman????? What the fuck????? The game is too much of a coward to have a trans character, and also to have Kanji be in love with a character who is a male, which fucking sucks. In my heart, Naoto is transmasc, and him and Kanji are both dating each other because they told me himself. You could argue with me that this goes against Naoto’s development in the game, but I don’t give a shit. So, with that out of the way, back to talking about the rest of Naoto’s character.

Naoto [Continued]:

I fucking love Naoto. He always has some real shit to say for being the only person in the group with an actual brain (Yosuke doesn’t count because anyone who’s homophobic is a fucking idiot). Whenever Naoto speaks, he always has this great way of delivering what he has to say and I love it whenever he spitting facts. He’s also pretty funny sometimes and has a lot of great moments as well (See: Naoto dissing Adachi in the climax of the game). He’s also the perfect contrast to Kanji, and in this essay, I will talk about why they are both gay and- nah, just kidding! I’m sure everyone knows that by now, but yeah. As you can tell, I’m a huge KanNao shipper lol. Overall, Naoto is amazing but the way Atlus treats him makes me want to hit the griddy but in an angry way.

Dojima:

THE SECOND BEST CHARACTER IN THE GAME! THE FUCKING CEO OF DILFS! MY BELOVED! FUCK YEAH! I LOVE DOJIMA! Dojima is the fucking goat! He’s this great older brother figure in the game that keeps the game grounded when compared to the bullshit that happens with the TV world. He also tries his best to be a good father figure to Nanako, even if he is pretty flawed and neglectful, which I do really like about him because it shows that he is human. He’s just some guy who is struggling with the loss of his wife and having to balance detective/police work with raising his daughter, and the game does a good job at showcasing this. You clearly can see multiple times that he is flawed and has a lot of problems with being there for his daughter and the guilt that comes with it, but he grows throughout the game and his social links and learns to be there more for his family. Persona really cooked when they wrote his character and I love him a lot. Also, him and Adachi are both really fucking funny whenever they’re on screen together because they got them toxic yaoi vibes and I just KNOW that Adachi received them Dojima backshots off-screen. There’s nothing to say otherwise, trust me!

Nanako:

Nanako is great. She’s just a silly little critter. She serves her role in the story well and I don’t really have anything else to say about her. She’s just a very solid character. The silly :)

Adachi:

THE FOURTH BEST CHARACTER IN THE GAME LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO!!!!! ADACHI TRUE!!!!! Everyone loves Adachi. Even if you don’t play Persona, chances are you know him and love him from his funny as shit memes, and while that is Adachi-True.png, he is genuinely a great character all memes aside. For most of the game, he’s just this absolute goofball who’s really funny and lovable whenever he’s on screen before eventually revealing himself to be the main antagonist of the game. Even if I already knew that beforehand, the twist is really well-done and I was even wondering throughout my play through how the fuck Adachi could be evil. The way he acts when he’s evil is honestly great, and I think about his big speech at the end of the game way more then I should. Also, the line about him becoming a police officer just to own a gun is an insane af line for a game that is clearly pro-police. It is a true af line through. He really cooked when he said that. Overall, he’s simultaneously a lovable goofball and a great antagonist. Absolute goat. He’s also my friend’s favourite character so extra point for that.

Mitsuo:

Mitsuo is a red herring in the case and that’s all he’s meant to be, but considering how him killing Mr Morooka is a pretty major event, it feels extremely jarring how the game barely touches on Mitsuo’s character. I would really like the idea of a prominent antagonist in this game being an incel kid, but the game barely does anything with that which is disappointing.

Namatame:

Namatame is another red herring in the case, but the game actually treats him more like an important character and I honestly really like him. I don’t have much to say about him because he’s just a really fucking solid character that serves his purpose in the story well.

Mr Morooka:

THE FUCKING GOAT THE MVP OF THE GAME ABSOLUTE GOAT THE BEST CHARACTER IN EVERYTHING EVER KING MORON SOLOS FUCK YEAH LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOO

Marie:

I almost forgot to mention her here which should tell you exactly how much I care about her character.

The Sagiris:

I don’t care about these omnipotent beings. They’re boring tbh, but maybe that’s just my RPG fatigue since they appear pretty late into the game lmao.

Overall, the characters in the game can range from goated to the worst characters ever. They’re kinda hit or miss for me, but the few standouts are really fucking good standouts.

Story:

To easily categorise the story, I’ll separate this section into acts, witch each act being represented by a character that you have to deal with.

Prologue/Act 1 (Yukiko)

Yeah, this game starts off VERY slow. Now, this wouldn’t be a bad thing if it was paced well. I am a fan of slow-burning stuff. I love Better Call Saul, I listen to Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and back when I actually liked the Puyo series, I wished that there would one day be a 50000+ word slowburn AmiEss fic, but Puyo Puyo fans suck and would rather write about the painfully mediocre SigAmi, so that never existed. However, the pacing of the prologue is very iffy. On one hand, the way you become friends with Chie and Yukiko feels WAY too sudden, but on the other, JESUS CHRIST THIS IS TAKING TEN YEARS CAN WE GET TO THE GAMEPLAY NOW!!!!! The story does set up the main mystery well, but it should’ve been condensed, which is a problem that you’ll see throughout the rest of the game. The game does definitely pick up once Yukiko gets kidnapped which is when the gameplay truly begins, and aside from her weird sexualisation in her midnight channel cutscene, it’s a fine first dungeon. I like her character’s motives and the resolution of confronting your problems and not running from them is a solid resolution and definitely better then some other ones (Kid Named Naoto:)

Overall, a decent yet slow start to the game.

Act 2 (Kanji):

This is definitely where the game starts to pick up and get pretty enjoyable. It establishes the main quartet well and I really enjoyed watching them interact (up until Yosuke falls off but I’LL GET TO THAT). Here, Kanji is introduced, with Naoto also having a small cameo. I really liked his introduction as it establishes his badass attitude and the way it portrays his whole closeted homosexual feelings towards Naoto is pretty funny and goofy. However, the dungeon of this chapter is actually fucking insane. Kanji is now almost naked in the TV world and in a fucking bathhouse acting like a gay stereotype and dropping lines that feel like punches to the gut. This dungeon is honestly so out-of-pocket that it honestly makes it fucking hilarious because you have a character who’s hinted at liking men and THIS is the fucking dungeon lmao. However, the end of this chapter is also when Yosuke begins to fall of and reveal himself to be HOMOPHOBIC! So that deducts points for this act, but it introduces the best character in the game which adds those points back so yeah.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable part of the game, but FUCK YOSUKE!

Act 3 (Rise):

This is the worst part of the game. Here, Yosuke is at his most unbearable as the worst parts of his personality (his homophobic and his painfully heterosexual attitude) are amplified by A LOT and this act also has the weakest series of events. The whole “motorbike” scenario with You, Yosuke and Kanji was just so unfun because Yosuke is out here wanting women to press their breasts against him and I’m just hear like SHUT THE FUCK UP! Also I hated having to pick up a girls number, especially since I had to pick up an older women, because in Atlus’ world, liking minors is ok if it’s an older woman and a teenage boy, WHEN IT IS NOT OK AT ALL! Afterwards, there is a camping trip but who the fuck cares about that. There’s an unfunny reoccurring gag about the female characters not being able to cook which runs throughout the entire game and it’s just not funny. Then you meet Rise and she tricks you into thinking that she’d be a cool character before she becomes annoying when she joins the cast. Her dungeon is also the worst one in the game, because it’s a fucking strip club. I know it’s trying to convey the stress Rise felt as an idol but like come on! Her resolution is also mid but I already talked about that so yeah However, Teddie’s shadow was a great twist and I loved that battle so shoutouts to that.

Overall, weakest act in the game. That shit was mid.

Act 4 (Mitsuo):

MR MOROOKA IS FUCKING DEAD NOOOOOOOOOOOO! REST IN PEACE TO THE FUCKING GOAT! Yeah, this act is when SHIT GETS REAL! I really liked how much Mr Morooka’s death completely throws a wrench into the case which adds to the whole mystery of it. It makes things pretty damn interesting. Also, TEDDIE TWINK JUMPSCARE! That shit definitely caught me off guard when I first played the game. I still fucking hate him but that scene was really funny and shoutouts to him bankrupting Yosuke as he should. Anyways, Mitsuo is then revealed as the next person you have to deal with in the midnight channel. He showed up around the prologue to hit on Yukiko and be an incel before dipping so him turning out to be an antagonist was a pretty good surprise. His dungeon is also really fucking good and marks the point in the game where the dungeons increase in quality. I also really liked Mitsuo’s performance for what little we saw of him, even if I wish he had more of a presence in the game. However, his boss fight is impossible on Hard mode which is a pain lmao. He’s one of the three bosses that I couldn’t beat in hard mode and had to switch to normal mode to deal with. Also, I wished he had a unique boss theme instead of just a R-R-RETRO!!!!! version of the regular mid boss theme.

Overall, this was a great act. It was very enjoyable and bodacious. Rip King Moron though. The goat will be missed.

Act 5 (Naoto):

Now, this act may introduce THE FUCKING GOAT NAOTO, but it’s also has some flaws. For starters, I did really like the whole fireworks festival part of the game because it was really nice, and I also liked how the group try to include Naoto in their activities and also Kanji’s crush on him coming back into the plot, which is still adorable. However, I did not enjoy the night club scene at all, and how KANJI’S FIRST KISS WAS TEDDIE GOD FUCKING DAMN IT I HATE THAT FUCKING BEAR IT SHOULD’VE BEEN WITH NAOTO GRAAAAAA also I hate forced heterosexuality like YUKIKO GET THE FUCK OFF OF MY LAP CHIE IS RIGHT THERE YOU BUFFOON!!!!! Anyways, Naoto then enters the TV world on his own will and you have to find him and I fucking love how worried Kanji is about him, like that shit was hype. However, then we reach The Reveal. I’ve already talked about it when I talked about Naoto’s character, so you already know how much it sucks.

Overall, this act had a bunch of great moments but also some not so good moments. It’s a mixed bag.

Act 6 (Nanako/Namatame):

This act is really fucking weird because it was on track to be the worst act of the entire game. While I did really enjoy the whole concert sequence, I did not enjoy the whole school festival part of the game, ESPECIALLY the swimsuit contest and the way the game treated the drag contest (Those outfits were fire, the game is just mean), and then you get THE FUCKING HOT SPRING SEQUENCE! ATLUS HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU I DO NOT ENJOY SEEING MINORS SEXUALISED BECAUSE THAT IS DISGUSTING AND BAD AND HORRIBLE AND STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM NAOTO LEAVE MY MAN ALONE AND STOP FOCUSING ON HIS BREASTS GRAAAAAAAA! HOWEVER, after that, SHIT GETS GOOOOOOD! I love the whole intensity of the situation involving the buildup to Nanako’s kidnapping and the actual incident. Your bonding with Nanako, Dojima finding out about you being tied to the case, and the entirety of the interrogation room section and the buildup to Nanako being kidnapped was top tier. The chase scene with Dojima afterwards was also amazing, and I love how this clearly shows his love for his daughter despite being neglectful and not there for her at all times. The dungeon is also one of the best in the game, and the whole encounter with Namatame is also so fucking good. The game does a good job at making this feel like this is where the case ends, and Namatame’s boss fight is also really good as well. Also, you can really feel Nanako and Dojima’s absence at this point in the game and it HURTS.

Overall, this act started off pretty weak but the climax of it made up for the rest of it, because god damn that was some good shit.

Act 7 (Adachi):

NOW THIS IS SOME GOOD SHIT! The city is now covered in fog and now Inaba has more negative aura then Wet Dry World in Mario 64. Also, Nanako and Dojima are still in the hospital so the isolation you feel is further enforced which hurts a lot. Anyways, NANAKO FUCKING DIES IN THE HOSPITAL!!!!! REST IN PEACE THAT SCENE MADE ME VERY EMOTIONAL but then you find Namatame in the hospital and you’re given the choice to FUCKING KILL HIM! That gets you the bad ending which I got on my first playthrough and it was really fucking depressing. You can also not kill him which also gives you the bad ending, but Nanako lives in that ending and Teddie leaves unlike in the good/true ending so idk why it’s still a bad ending because as I said previously, Teddie leaving is based.

Bad Ending:

I honestly love the bad endings because of how anticlimactic and uneasy they feels without being overbearing. It really makes you feel like something is wrong without outright stating it and it’s really effective. Good shit, Persona.

Accomplice Ending:

I’m gonna mention this as well since even though it’s later in the game, it’s also a bad ending so yeah. I sadly did not get this ending in my playthrough since Adachi was NEVER THERE when I wanted to talk with him and I could only get him up to LVL 4 on the social link so yeah. Sorry Adachi nation. I did watch it on Youtube though and I absolutely love how fucked up it is. Great shit, persona. Adachi solos. Shoutouts to his psychotic laughing sprite that’s only used for this scene fr.

Act 7 (Adachi) [Continued]:

To progress the game, you have to follow this specific dialogue tree which is a little frustrating but once you do so, the endgame begins and Nanako lives! Let’s fucking go! Anyways, you then talk with Namatame who’s actually just a chill guy who went down a downfall arc (literally me) and now you have to find the real killer…ADACHI PERSONA! Look, everyone already knows that Adachi is the main antagonist of the game because he’s practically unavoidable on the internet, but it’s still a really good twist and I love how the game handles the confrontation scene with him getting more and more irrationally angry until he slips up and has to run away, where he reveals his true self. Then you head over to his dungeon and fight him and shit goes hard but also the second phase is a bitch on hard mode and this is the second time I had to switch the game back to normal mode lmao.

Overall, PEAK CLIMAX! ADACHI IS THE GOAT! HE SOLOS! FUCK YEAH!

Act 8 (Marie):

After Adachi is dealt with, the game then has a bunch of silly slice-of-life stuff such as you making a snowman with Dojima and Nanako as well as your ski-trip which is all very epic. However, you then have to deal with Marie (after maxing her social link) and honestly I don’t give a shit about that Sagiri shit but yeah you do some shit and blah blah blah look at this point I was tired as shit and experiencing jrpg fatigue so bare with me and also I don’t give a shit about Marie lol. I thought she would be finally interesting here but no she isn’t lmao. Also, there’s another FUCKING HOT SPRING SCENE I AM GOING TO FUCKING LOSE IT FUCK ATLUS GRAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Overall, I’m still enjoying myself even if my JRPG fatigue got the better of me lmao.

Epilogue (The fucking Gas Station Tweaker that Ghetto Smosh warned me about):

Alright, the twist was cool and all but at this point I just wanted to beat the game and get the true ending so whatever. I was satisfied with the good ending until an interaction with my friend made me realise that there was a true final boss so yeah lmao. Also the true final boss was the third and final time that I had to switch my game back to normal mode lmao. Anyways, the true ending is also really wholesome and it put a smile on my face. It was really nice and a great way to end the game.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Persona 4 is a really good game that has amazing gameplay and some pretty cool characters as well as an interesting story. However, weak characters and poor elements of the story hold the game back from being truly amazing. 7.5/10, maybe an 8/10 if I’m generous.

#orthox.txt #persona #persona 4 #persona 4 golden #p4 #p4g #persona 4 spoilers

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neondiamond · 1 year

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✨ 2022 Writing Self-Evaluation ✨

I was tagged by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed @hellolovers13 and @onlythebravest

1. Number of stories posted to AO3 this year: 26 (How did that even happen? 🤯)

2. Word count posted for the year: 132,344

3. Fandoms I wrote for: One Direction

4. Pairings: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Louis Tomlinson/Liam Payne, Liam Payne/Zayn Malik (as a side pairing)

5. Story with the most:

Kudos: I’d Walk Through Fire For You (Just Let Me Adore You) (I don’t often look at the amount of kudos my fics have so the fact that this has gotten just over 600 kudos in half a year is insane to me!)

Bookmarks: I’d Walk Through Fire For You (Just Let Me Adore You)

Comments: One for the Books

More under the cut!

6. Work I’m most proud of (and why):

I think I have to say Here You Come Again. This is the second longest fic I’ve ever written (after my advent-ish fic from December) and I think the one I spent the most time working on this year. As someone that’s usually all about the fluff, it’s definitely a bit of a different one for me. It’s got a bit of angst, lots and lots of feelings, and I’m so proud of the way it turned out. It takes you a on bit of an emotional rollercoaster reading it, but I absolutely love it.

7. Work I’m least proud of (and why):

I’m going to take the easy way out here and say none. I can honestly say I’m proud of every single fic I have put out into the world this year. <3

8. Share or describe a favourite review you received:

I love every single comment I get on every single one of my fics. I guarantee you I smile every time I get one! But there is one ‘review’ in particular this year that just touched me so much. It’s something @lululawrence said in her podcast about my fic Baby, Don’t Apologize. This fic is so close to my heart, and hearing the way she described how it made her feel seen just made my heart so so full. This was exactly the intent I had with this fic and hearing her words definitely made me cry a little bit. 🥹

9. A time when writing was really, really hard:

The last few months have been pretty busy and a lot has happened in my personal life that has made it a little more difficult for me to find the time and inspiration to write as much as I would like to. So I’d say from like mid-September to now-ish.

10. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

The smut scenes in On Thin Ice were a big surprise to me (which make up about half of the fic if I were to guess; which is another surprise in itself lol). Writing smut is something I struggle with a bit, and when I do write it, it usually ends up being pretty… vanilla, I guess? Nothing spectacular and I don’t usually play with kink… except for this fic, apparently. I knew I wanted to have smut in this fic, but I wasn’t really planning anything different than I usually do. And then I started writing the first scene, and Harry suddenly had a praise kink. It came as quite the surprise to me haha! But I do like the way it worked out!

11. A favourite excerpt of your writing:

It’s so hard to pick just one!! I’ll go with this tiny exchange between Louis and Harry from one of my Wordplay fics, Waiting by the Tire Swing. It’s short, but I feel like it really conveys what this fic is all about:

“We can take it with us to the new house if you want,” Harry says softly, pulling Louis from his thoughts. “There are trees in the back garden. I’m sure one of them will be sturdy enough to hold it.”

Louis appreciates how patient and considerate Harry has been through this whole moving ordeal, and he actually considers his suggestion for a few seconds before shaking his head.

“No,” he says, giving the swing a gentle nudge and watching as it sways slightly. “This is where it belongs.”

12. How did you grow as a writer this year:

I think this year I really sort of let go of the idea of writing things to please other people. A LOT of my fics this year were really self-indulgent, and I didn’t really care much if other people read them or not, because at the end of the day, I write for myself first. I also wrote a lot of short drabbles and ficlets this year that I would bang out and post within a day or two, which isn’t really something I ever used to do because I used to think my shorter fics weren’t as good or worth my time as my long ones… but I fell in love with writing little fic babies whenever I want and that’s definitely something I want to keep doing next year!

13. How do you hope to grow next year:

Going into next year, I’d love to continue writing whatever I want, try my hand at slightly longer fics, and expand into writing new pairings, perhaps.

14. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

If you’ve read, left kudos, commented, bookmarked, reblogged, or rec’ed any of my fics this year: this one goes out to you! I feel like there’s always a lot of love for writers, betas, etc. (and it’s very much well deserved, don’t get me wrong) but I feel like giving readers a little appreciation today. You all rock! 💕

15. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

Whether I like it or not, there are always little parts of me that slip into my fics, often in the form of a habit or personality trait I give a character. The one that stands out the most though is for sure Baby, Don’t Apologize, in which I made Harry ace just like me. 💜

16. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

I’m pretty sure this is what I said last year but: Just write what YOU want to write. Have fun with it, and the rest will work itself out!

17. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

I’m surprisingly not bringing a whole lot of wips with me in the new year. I have one nesting fic I’ve just started writing for the Omega Harry fest, an outline for a potential Narry fic I’d like to write, and a few smaller ideas/prompts for shorter fics. I do also have my eye on a few upcoming fic fests I’d maybe like to sign up for, but apart from that, I’m keeping things fairly open to fresh new ideas in 2023.

18. Tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read.

@disgruntledkittenface @wabadabadaba @larrieblr @littleroverlouis @alwaysxlarrie @lunarheslwt @brightgolden @thinlinez and whoever else feels like doing this! ❤️

#my writing

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billdecker · 10 months

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15 questions for 15 mutuals

I got tagged by @mashbrainrot (at first I was like who is this?? and then I was like oh it’s you!!!) and I would tag other people but it’s too warm and I don’t know who would want to be tagged so consider yourself tagged

Were you named after anyone? My great-grandma, Sarah-Jane! Although I’m just a Sarah Ann.

When was the last time you cried? Earlier today. A couple of days ago my dad brought around some homegrown potatoes for me so I made an amazing potato salad, bit into it and one of my teeth just crumbled away. I have a big tooth/dental/dentist phobia and they aren’t taking emergencies unless really serious because of the covid backlog, so I’ve got half a jaggy tooth for the next month. So I’ve been pretty much crying every day because my teeth are like a medieval peasant’s anyway because of breakdowns meaning I neglected myself and I just feel very depressed and sad and embarrassed about it all.

Do you have kids? Nope. I have two nieces. Me and D have been together for 22 years and never even discussed it.

Do you use sarcasm a lot? It depends on the person I’m with.

What's the first thing you notice about people? I don’t even know how to answer this one because I don’t meet any new people because I don’t leave my flat lol

Scary movies or happy endings? Seeing as I don’t like scary movies then it would have to be happy endings

What is your eye colour? Blue

Any special talents? Absolutely nothing

Where were you born? Stoke-on-Trent

What are your hobbies? Writing. I’ve been doing a lot of reading this year too, more than I usually do. Gardening! That’s my new favourite thing to do. The patch by my flat is probably only 2m by 1m but I’ve done a lot with it and I have loads of planters too. My instagram this year has basically just been photos of flowers

Have any pets? I have a cat named Cecil who we adopted in 2016. He’d been hit with a white van and suffered a smashed jaw and other broken bones. He was so anxious at the adoption charity that he remained up a corner and nobody wanted him. The charity were surprised we actually wanted him. He’s a gorgeous, neurotic little pain in the arse who threw up this morning because he insists on trying to eat his moulted hair. If I wasn’t living in a tiny housing association flat then I’d have a couple more cats.

What sports do you play/have you played? I used to play football but that’s it. I love watching sports but hate playing them. Absolutely loathed P.E and felt like I’d been blessed when my GP stopped me from doing it at school because I had a growth disease in my knees. Until then I’d literally purposely injure myself to get out of it

How tall are you? 5ft 5.5inches.

Favourite subject in school? History and art. I kinda enjoyed English but the books we read were shit (apart from Adrian Mole) and I really resented Ted Hughes’ poetry. Once I left school to finish my GCSEs at college, I loved English.

Dream job? I used to say to have my writing published but I’d find that far too anxiety inducing because of people reviewing it. Maybe a florist??

#i got tagged!

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grimeybones · 1 year

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Weekly Rotation

Gonna post what I’m listening too every week bc I like music and why not share it with 5 people

🕸️ Johan Von Bronx by The Voidz

My boyfriend introduced me to this band and now I think I like them more than him, probably why our relationship is so strong bc we both have the same taste in music (not-so-humble-brag).. Julian Casablancas deep voice turns me on and makes me question if I wanna be him or fuck him, I say this after just stating I love my boyfriend but he feels the same, we would both fight for jules love. Anyway enough hypotheticals and onto the music review. This song is 100% going to be my most listened to track this year. It is deliciously evil in its booming bass and erratic guitar. It has such a deep, dark, sick and twisted sound but in a way that makes you feel like the villain. Every time I listen to this song my mind goes to a different version of myself, one where I can harm everyone who I did wrong and get away with it. A real “good for her” ark. This song is for you if you’re deeply angry inside, love alt goth music and just wanna listen to something fresh

🕸️ Pacific Telephone by Papooz

So this one’s a different turn from the last song. This is a funky, French European post pop track that has a slightly more tame femme fatale feel. The lyrics discribe a women envying another women called Lucille, as the song advances this envy turns to violence and she ends up choking Lucille out on a beach (not a bad way to go out tbh). It has a retro feel but it puts a new spin on it which you get from a lot of French pop music. The bass, synths and guitar create a great feel and the accented vocals only adds to the cherry on top of this very bad ass track.

🕸️ Tahiti Hungry Jungle by Dumbo Gets Mad

This is once again another European song but we’re heading over to Italy for this amazing duo. The whole “Quantum Leap” album is great i always play it when I don’t know what to put on. This song was actually sampled by Azealia Banks of all people, this track is very different than her 212 song though. It feels like you’re in a psychedelic jungle and nothing feels real, it’s memorising and whenever I put it on while I’m walking I instantly get a complex going, it’s just a cool song really just give it a listen.

🕸️ The Modern Age by The Strokes

I’m pissed they won’t show the first album cover here (it’s an ass) but another Julian Casablancas song. This track holds a special place in my heart bc every time I listen to it I think of my closest mates, every Wednesday we go and drink together and it has to be my favourite part of the week as it’s basically group therapy ( @st-rx read this n cry). It’s such a nice nostalgic track, just classic pub rock and if you haven’t listen to the “is this it” album yet just listen. I am shocked The Strokes didn’t get clumped in with the 2014 tumblr crowd.

🕸️ After Hours by The Velvet Underground

This song is just a classic, always put it on when I wanna gush about my partner. Even if you don’t have a partner is a nice song, the fact it was made in 69” and not 2010 by an indie gal is surprising. It’s just a nice acoustic song what more to say.

🕸️Rock ´n’ Roll Suicide by David Bowie

I hadn’t heard this song till I saw the recent Bowie documentary (even if you’re not a fan of Bowie you will be if you watch this movie it’s so good) it’s the song I put on when I’m feeling like a doomer bc I wanna be an ArTiSt and it’s not taking off well. So I listen to this song often. Makes me feel less alone with my dropkick choices, just the line “your too old lose it, too young to choose it” uh gets me every fucking time. If you’re an artist just the thought of abandoning what you love just hurts and the older I get the more that fear increases. I’m literally 20 so I should shut up. Anyway enough of the tangent if you want a gateway bowie track listen to this.

🕸️Take Me in Your Army by The Voidz

Oh wow another jules song we get it. Ok last track. this song has similar energy as Johan Von Bronx but it’s a bit more subtle and more electronic, it is still dark in tone and it has a great haunting feel to it. The track is about how jules was not every content with how fast he rose to fame. The lyric “I was not ready for the podium yet, just the stage” sums that feeling up well. He of coursed love playing in the strokes but the fact that their record label and the media put so much pressure on them to make new music was fucked. The Voidz exists as a way for him and the other members to express issues and make music that they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to make back in the day. It’s so corny to say this but I genuinely believe they are the future of music and one of the last bands that is capable of making unique music AND make political statements without playing it “safe”. I could go on forever about this band and I might write an essay only to hope and pray that jules reads and critiques it.

That’s it listen to the songs if u like, tell me what you think, or if you have any songs you’d want to recommend to me commet or DM!!

#Spotify #music #music rants #music review #music recommendation #playlist #the strokes #the voidz #the velvet underground #dumbo gets mad #david bowie #bowie #julian casablancas #croquette #waif #gaslight girlboss gatekeep #girl blogger #girlblogging

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adotrevsleft · 2 years

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The Car Album ranking/review:

10) Big Ideas - this was beautiful I just don't see myself listening a lot but the lyrics is what stands out to me the most as it is very catchy, even now I am literally saying to myself "and I cannot for the life of me remember how it goes" it's really good, I feel bad putting it down here...

09) Mr Schwartz - again don't see myself listening to it a lot, but not bad at all this is a bit more of my style that I like to listen to and I'm surprised it's not any higher, but it would be a crime to put these other ones any lower as well. However, I fear I may become obsessed with it soon, idk... I have a feeling...

08) There'd Better Be a Mirrorball - again, I feel so bad that I have to put this so low because I love the intro, and this was published in August and I love this, but they topped this on every single aspect with the other songs. This was such a good song. Definitely will be listening to this again. And DEFINITELY recommend.

07) Sculptures Of Anything Goes - Wow, just wow. Again, a beautiful intro to the song. I have no words. This is definitely a song that is more of a song that I would like. However, I'm surprised that it took me a few listens to rank it this high... (Mind you, I've listened to this whole album 5 times)

06) Hello You - This song is really catchy and overall so good. I have no words, my mouth was open when it started playing. This is a typical song of Artic Monkeys that goes very well with the general public, and I hope this song gets the recognition it deserves, because it is actually really good. Definitely will be coming back to this song in literal tears.

05) Jet Skis On The Moat - wtf. This was gorgeous. This made me feel so nostalgic from the very beginning of this song I felt really nostalgic for no reason. It nearly made me cry for some reason. Idk why, this song makes me feel a lot of emotions in one whole go and most songs can't do that so I really appreciate this song for doing that, which is genuinely really impressive.

04) I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am - Yet another song that was published a little earlier in October but immediately I fell in love this song, it reminded of songs such as Snap Out Of It, some people may say that it sounds outdated, but I love this, genuinely love this song so much. I think people that like more of their more famous songs would like this song.

03) Perfect Sense - such a beautiful way to finish this extraordinary album, it's really nice to listen to. It really did make "perfect sense" to put it in the end, it left me nostalgic and kinda sad, but in a good way, yk, also another thing about this song is that only in the moment it ended did I realise how much I missed them.

02) Body Paint - Again this song was published in September and I have more time to love this song, but it is such a good song. It makes me feel sentimental, I loved the ending, the outro is so good and should be made iconic ong.

01) The Car - reminded me of songs such as Do Me A Favour (my comfort song) again, a song that makes me feel so nostalgic. A solemn yet beautiful intro and the way that builds up its tension is spectacular, it reminded me a bit of Abba and sad indie rock music put together, this song is so much better than I expected. The solo guitar on the end made the song 100x better and the way it ends abruptly for some reason makes sense. By far my favourite in this album if you couldn't tell through this ranking.

Overall, this album was amazing and I'm so happy that they are back. This album was a nostalgic, sentimental, definitely making you want to rip your hair out from tears kinda album. And I loved that about it.

#new account #the car #the car album #album review #song #song review #song recs #song recommendation #album recommendation #album cover #album release #album #albums #the car arctic monkeys #arctic monkeys #arctic monkeys the car #arctic monkeys song #Spotify

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house-of-slayterr · 2 years

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@myers-meadow

BRB, gonna go cry. This is the nicest thing anyones ever said to me. I think the language we use to describe the things we care about or are passionate about (you don’t necessarily have to like something to care deeply about it. Hate can be a caring emotion too.) is very important.

I want people to leave my page knowing exactly where I stand on things. Because I don’t see a point in watching/listening/reading something if you never discuss it. The whole point of fandoms is that you can share your interests with other people. That’s what makes these communities so strong, and interesting.

I think it’s important to remember that you can heavily enjoy something, and still find faults with it. Like the other day when someone read my well thought out review of Christopher Nolan’s; The Dark Knight trilogy. That is one of the most beloved Batman series, or any series of all time. But it also has an extremely toxic cult following, which can sometimes be dangerous. But instead of disputing anything I said, or disagreeing with any of my points, all this Stan had to say was “well you have have bad tastes then.”

Which was frustrating for me because I made valid criticisms of the film. I’m not saying people have or agree with me, but at least explain to me why you have a different opinion. I’m never upset when someone doesn’t share the same opinion with me, at least not with things like this. Now if we disagree on human rights, or moral issues, then maybe we can’t get along that well. But when it comes to media, I want an open discussion. I wanna hear what everyone else thinks, I want people to try and change my mind and help me to enjoy something they’re so clearly passionate about! I never want to dislike a movie, I always go into it hopeful.

I think I have a different view then most people when it comes to stuff like this, because I’ve recently discovered I watch/read/listen to things differently than other people. I watch movies with the sole intent of being able to discuss them, analysing everything about them. I love learning about the behind the scenes, and how the actors feel about their own work. As someone who’s taken film classes, I know a lot about how screen plays are written, how shots are made, how different lenses and colour schemes can be used to convey a message. I’ve learned all about how to edit a movie, and how to manufacture certain emotions with your music and colour choices.

That what I look for when I watch a movie. For instance, Cadaver by Jarend Herdal, a Norwegian film, is one of my favorite “Netflix” movies. It’s lovely to watch in its original language, of course it helps is speak a little Norwegian, but I always prefer or watch media in its original form. The reason this movie stands out to me is because of how visually stunning it is. You could pause on any screen and it looks like a work of art, morbid art, but art none the less. The motif of the colour red throughout the film is what makes it memorable. But I guarantee most people would watch it, and not give it a second thought because they don’t care about things like that.

Another surpassing favourite of mine is Blood Red Sky! I found it on my quest to watch every vampire film to ever exist. One of the things that sets this movie apart from the other vampire movies I adore is the cast. The Villains are despicable and easily hated. The protagonist is morally questionable, yet pulls at your heart strings. But my favorite part is watching the actor Dominic Purcell act in this. I’m used to seeing him in American media, it completely through me for a loop hearing him speak his native language during this film. His German was mesmerising to listen to, and you could tell his acting was more confident. It made this movie something I could watch over and over again and still find new things that surprise me about it.

I do the same thing with reading books. I make notes of the language used, and observe how the characters interact. The ability to write something that sparks a visual image is something I think is taken for granted. There are so many authors out there that can paint you a story, but they are glossed over because they aren’t deemed a fan favourite. They don’t have anything popular so nobody cares to read. And those people are serious missing out. It’s rare to find an artists that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire story, and leaves you bemused and in wonder by the end of it. Sometimes the simplest stories are the most enticing!

And when I listen to music, I tend to over analyse the lyrics. It’s always interesting yo read the lyricists analysis of their own work. But there are 101 ways to interpret their lyrics, and that’s what makes music so powerful. People can relate to incredibly specific stories the artist thinks are unique to themselves. And the way instruments are used can change the whole tone of the piece. I think the best works of music are the ones where you can listen to the instrumental alone and still be just as moved and enchanted. The ability to express yourself so explicitly in a nonverbal way is beautiful. I also enjoy songs that sample random quotes, it’s serves to tell a unique story.

So the fact that you think I’m able to articulate myself well makes me very happy. I sometimes fear in my real life nobody cares to listen. People often tell me I get to invested in things, and it makes them uncomfortable how passionate I can get. For some reason it make them feel like I’m being condescending because I put more thought into it then they did. But that’s never my intention. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with just enjoying something and having no idea why. Sometimes that’s the purest and most innocent and intimate form of admiration. So thank you Meadow, I’m so glad you’re eager to listen! It means the world to me! ❤️

#meadow <3 #bestie meadow #fangs analysis #fang reviews #fang rambles #movie #film industry #film student #artistic expression #music lover #book enthusiast #classic literature #book lover #movie buff

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nyxokal · 1 year

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So I finished Stone Ocean

Yup. I've finally gone and done it and finished all the animated parts of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. I can't believe it. This animated watch started in late October and it's finally come to an end today on January 10th. I'm quite impressed

Of course, I need to state that I am not done with Jojo yet and I 100% intend on continuing with Steel Ball Run and Jojolion, and I will also keep up the livetweet thread during both parts, so don't you worry!! I'm not done yet!!

Anyways, I got a post to write, but before that: I just made a tag for my "reviews" called "so I finished", so you can find all my other posts for other series before this one there. Also, for the Twitter thread, here is where Stone Ocean starts if you want to check that out

Without further ado it's time to make myself cry again

What I liked

I actually have to leave my favourite part of this part (heh) for the end since I don't want to ramble too much, so I'll start with the obvious: I really liked the characters. In particular I found myself really attached to Foo Fighters and Weather Report as everyone predicted, but also Emporio and Pucchi, somehow. I didn't quite think their bonds were as interesting as what the Golden Wind gang brought to the table, but I did find their individual personalities to stand out a lot more than before and overall they felt a lot stronger (save for Ermes but I'll talk about that later)

Character conflict and relationships was fun to follow!! I liked what a piece of shit Anasui was even though I didn't really like him as much as I would've liked to. I liked his interactions with everyone BECAUSE he was so unlikable and he caused fights. Though he wasn't my favourite, again. And I do prefer the way my favourites interacted with the world around them and their own views of it (Foo Fighters FUCKED ME UP)

I found it quite interesting that the plot not only started to unravel and get more and more intense as things went on, but also that this time, Stands and the story were directly affecting the whole damn world instead of just a small area. The stakes really did get astronomically high and I had a great time thinking "just how the FUCK are they going to unfuck this mess" to myself. I do think that resetting the universe was the right call though, considering that after this I have no idea how Araki can keep thigns stupid but fun enough that they don't feel like more ass-pulls than what Bohemian Rhapsody was

Anyways, my favourite part of SO? Pucchi, actually

Pucchi was a really fun villain. Ruthless and determined, but at the end you still kind of had a sense that he thought he was doing what was right. I get the feeling that if Pucchi could win without Emporio stopping him in the end, Pucchi would be completely able to overlook and withstand his own guilt over the mass death he caused just by saying his view was correct and what would benefit people the most

He is a hypocrite. He turns a blind eye to the bad things he does, and he pretends that he is doing what is correct instead. That everything is meant to be. I do think part of this is Dio's influence in his life, but he is also just... like that. The way it becomes clear with how he treated Perla and Weather Report, especially Weather. And that's why he's terrifying; if you're an obstacle, he can and will be able to twist whatever atrocities he does to you as all worth it for being part of a bigger plan

To me Pucchi is different from most villains because of how he is a walking contradiction and a legitimate threat. He is intimidating, and his presence through the whole part was vicious and terrifying. Every time he was on screen I was afraid for someone's life, and I was right to be scared like 80% of the time. Pucchi stops at nothing. Deadass I think one of my favourite villains thus far together with Dio and Kars

Also, maybe a little silly, but I really liked the entire concept of Underworld. That was an incredible Stand

Oh oh oh, and I liked Jolyne a lot!! I loved how you could actually SEE her character development from scared girl in way over her head to recklessly determined bitch with a huge heart. Every death hit her, every loss empowered her, and yet she was still scared. Jolyne is a great protagonist because of how well-rounded she was. She stood her ground in the end even if she was dealing with tremendous loss. She put herself in harm's way to meet her goals. Jolyne is a fantastic protagonist, and I genuinely believe Pucchi when he said that Jolyne was the heart keeping everyone together

Story progression was ruthless. It didn't slow down one bit, and I think it was pretty tight. I cannot believe I missed the monster of the week format, but I kind of did, actually. Though I understand that the very nature of Stone Ocean being set in jail and needing to 1. Get out -> 2. Rescue Jotaro -> 3. Stop Pucchi was a bit pressing and didn't lend itself to the more lowkey moments of, say, Diamond is Unbreakable, I can't say I didn't enjoy the high stakes high velocity (heh) plot going on

Ah, I also liked the utilization of Jotaro in this Part. Making him more of a damsel in distress of sorts was a fun idea ngl, and I like how he VERY obviously is not doing well even several years after Stardust Crusaders, yet he clings to Jolyne as a reason to live. I do enjoy his character progression a lot more outside of Stardust Crusaders proper, and I like how he got a moment to shine at the end against Pucchi

What I didn't like

The underutilization of some characters like Ermes and Anasui. It felt like as soon as their things were done, they weren't necessary anymore, and became kind of nuisances to Araki. Ermes got the shortest end of the stick by getting put on a bus SEVERAL times, which is a shame!! I like her character a lot, but she barely got time to shine or do anything!! Some of her few key moments were at the start and then she fades to the background, and it was sad to see

Anasui meanwhile I didn't like because of how his very character was kind of just... obsessive? If it weren't for THAT trait, I would've actually adored him. But ah well. I do feel like he wasn't used to his full potential unless Araki needed a braniac to solve a situation. I do like how he was willing to just die to stop Pucchi though

I also didn't like the big, STUPID ass-pull of having Weather Report just straight up go "infinity plus one sword" at Bohemian Rhapsody. That was legit an ass-pull and made me roll my eyes so hard because yes, I can accept contrivance and coincidence and "infinity swords" but that one was too obvious of an attempt to fix a fucked sitaution. I did like that arc but it quickly lost its charm when I saw the "How are they gonna get out of that" was just "Oh, by literally willing it undone, ok"

I also did not like the nice guy-ification of Dio Brando, ngl. He was a little too nice and a little too friendly for my walking war crime babygirl. I don't know how I feel about him supposedly having several children either, unless he specifically had them as sacrifices for Pucchi, but then how does that explain Giorno? I dunno. I feel like this Part dropped the ball hard with Dio. I'm choosing to ignore it for my own sake

Other than that, while I liked what Araki did with Pucchi's powers and power progression, I am still finding it exhausting that he continues to overuse time based powers for his final villains. I want to see originality god damn it. Pucchi did a lot of good, fun things with his abilities using Made In Heaven, but it doesn't change the fact that it did seem like it was going for time based again. In the end though I think this is the LEAST egregious time based villain Araki's made. And thank god for that

Final Thoughts

I liked Stone Ocean. I liked what I got out of it and I liked my time with it, and while that ending definitely took me by surprise, I definitely think it was the right choice in the end. As much as I like JJBA's weirdness, it was starting to get a little out of hand and a reset needed to be had for it to work, and so I'm pleased with the neat bow that the series "ending" like that is. I also cried hearing Roundabout again and seeing everyone in the ending, ngl. That was a beautiful way to send it off

I am incredibly satisfied with my anime watch. I cannot wait to get on with Steel Ball Run after a short break, and I am excited to continue now, onwards, towards things I genuinely do not know about now

See you later y'all, this time in horseland as I get to explore this new reality Emporio so kindly shoved us into

#textpost #jjbaposting #so I finished

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totallynotreadingatwork · 4 months

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Mini Book Reviews Again Again

Look I know I did one of these five minutes ago but I still have 20 books to get through here so bear with me okay.

Down Among the Dead Men by Peter Lovesey, book 15 of the Peter Diamond series - I don't normally read crime novels and this book reminded me why. It was a lot of police propaganda in places, a lot of nonsense in others, and overall just a bit boring. There was also a bit where someone being a lesbian was a major plot twist like??? what decade are we in??? (tbf it was written in 2015 but that's no excuse!). So yeah, didn't like this one much.

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor, book 2 of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series - Well, if I could marry a book series then this would be the one. It's beautifully crafted and beautifully written, and the worldbuilding in this one is incredible. I love the characters and the conflict and I can't quite articulate specifically how or why without giving too much away but seriously everyone should give this a go, I've even given it to my mum to read.

Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley - Oh boy was that one weird. It's not very long, but it doesn't need to be. It was cool and creepy and ominous in so many ways, and I think it would be good for people who like more gothic horror than slasher horror. I'll never look at a hare the same way again. TW for off-screen child death though. Like almost the whole book is focused around a couple dealing with the loss of their son.

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan, book 3 of the Heroes of Olympus series - What can be said that hasn't been said already? Pretty sure all of Tumblr already knows that this man is a brilliant author and that these books are amazing so I'm not going to elaborate here.

Fractured by Teri Terry, book 2 of the Slated series - Very early 2010s dystopia but still very good. I really do very strongly believe that part of the reason these books never majorly blew up the way The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner did is because they're set in Britain, and obviously weren't marketed as much. I'm enjoying them a lot. They're not the very best things I've ever read in my life, but I would have devoured them as a teenager if I'd gotten around to reading them back then.

Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick - Cute little lesbian love story. I enjoyed it well enough but it wasn't my favourite. It made me laugh in places, but I was never really invested in the relationship between the girls unfortunately. However, I was in a major reading slump at the time I read it, and was really stressed with work and life and stuff so maybe that was why I bounced off it.

Songbirds by Christy Lefteri - I'm not normally one for books that feel like they'd win a lot of awards (I like Blue Bloods for crying out loud!) but this one was very good indeed. I can't say I enjoyed it because the subject matter was really depressing, but it was very well written and had a lot to say about it's topic. It's about a live-in maid called Nisha who works for a woman in Cyprus but goes missing in chapter 1 and the rest of the book is her partner and her employer desperately trying to find her but struggling because basically no one else cares. It was a very powerful book in all honesty.

Rhosllannerchrugog, Johnstown, Ponciau, and Penycae: A Collection of Pictures by Dennis W. Gilpin - Just me out here reading some local history. Nothing that would really interest anyone who doesn't know the area, but it was fun to see places I know today as how they looked in the past.

The Dissolution of Valle Crucis Abbey by Derrick Pratt - Again, local history. It was a bit dry, as expected, but still fun to learn more about the local area.

Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz, book 2 of the Blue Bloods series - Again, complete trash, but for some reason I love it. I think it's partially nostalgia because I first read these back in 2010 or so when I was 11 or 12 and loved them then, but sometimes I think it's because we all need something to just switch our brains off to. Some people like reality TV, some people like Ali Hazlewood, I like Blue Bloods. It's all the same.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow - This is one of those books that you get from the library and enjoy so much you immediately wan't to go out and buy your own copy of. Like I feel like I'm going to be incomplete if I don't have this book in my life forever. A truly beautiful world-hopping story about finding yourself and where you belong, and it has the 'book within a book' thing going on like in The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. Can't say too much without giving it away, but it's very good and I recommend it.

Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz, book 3 of the Blue Bloods series - It's Armageddon time baby! No not really but there is a little bit of a reckoning. That all obviously comes secondary to the terrible romance thought because of course it does and that's what we're all here for anyway. It's still thoroughly problematic and off the wall, but hey, 2000s vampire novels were never going to be sensible. Cringe is dead give me more vampires.

The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz, book 4 of the Blue Bloods series - Oh look, more vampires! Originally, and for most of the year, I decided not to read too many books form the series too close to one another in case I got burnt out on the series, but Blue Bloods made me break that because I was having too much fun with them. I'm officially caught up to all the ones that were out when I first read the so form here on out I'm in uncharted territory. I'm hoping it's still all just as trashy.

The House of Hades by Rick Riordan, book 4 of the Heroes of Olympus series - Again, we all know Rick Riordan is god so I won't spend too much time on this one but I will say that I think that one is my favourite of the series. The bits in Tartarus are really well done and I still love all the characters and everyone on earth should read this book series.

The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman, book 7 of the Invisible Library series - This is the second to last book in the series so things are really ramping up here and getting everything in place for the finale, and it managed to do all that whilst also telling a satisfying contained story. We've got another new main character, the return of an old villain or two, and adventure to be had all round. I'm very much looking forward to the next book.

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King - Another lesbian romance one I didn't really enjoy. I think I'm getting too old for coming of age stories like this. Or maybe this one just wasn't very well written. It was okay for the most part, but I didn't like the love interest at all and it seemed a lot of the time that the main character didn't either, which isn't ideal for a romance. Also, there's a running thing where the main character will watch aeroplanes flying overhead and 'send her love' up to the passengers and then we'd cut to a passenger on the flight for a few pages as they magically feel overwhelmed with a sense of love that helps cure all their troubles or whatever and I thought that was silly and I didn't like it. Not the worst thing I've ever read though.

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan, book 5 of the Heroes of Olympus series - A cracking finale, even if I do still find the fight with Gaia a little anticlimactic. I love getting to hear from Reyna and Nico for the first time; they're some of my favourite characters. Honestly just a 10/10 series.

#books & reading #mini book review #down among the dead men #days of blood and starlight #starve acre #the mark of athena #fractured #forget me not #songbirds #masquerade #the ten thousand doors of january #revelations #the van alen legacy #the house of hades #the dark archive #ask the passengers #the blood of olympus

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haechanhues · 4 months

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First, happy new year! I'm actually really excited for 2024 and hope you all are too! I'm just gonna share some moments of the year with you all (some are sad and there are trigger warnings just a psa but most of them are happy.)

tw : mentions of s****de and depression. animal death, surgery and weightloss, nsfw implications and mentions of smut. this is so long that i've just kind of scrapped this other idea i had...

My 23 for 23!

This is kind of a joint December 2022 - February 2023 effort but I wrote 'Just Say It'. It's my favourite smau I've ever written and like, the absolute love I got from it and love I had while writing it too.. Will never forget the feeling.

I also underwent surgery for the first time ever. I don't exactly hide from the fact that I've had it and I can't really anyway. i had weight loss surgery at the beginning of the year and my surgeon and everyone has been brilliant in the recovery process. It's also left me feeling a lot more confident and happy and just- I actually love it.

I wrote smut for the first time, like ever and the reviews were so positive about it. In all honestly there's quite a bit of terms that I feel gross about but too be honest, there's no better alternative. I'm learning and it still makes me kind of nervous BUT yeah.

I made a post about it, but in August we had to put down my cat, Quincy. He's been with me since I was 5 and I'm 23 so aging without him has been hard. He'll always be my best friend and my through thick and thin guy. I miss you so much, Senor Quincy. I miss those nicknames and you in general. Love you. Forever.

In saying that, my mum ended up getting two little kittens. One of which looks exactly like Quincy. His name is Pai (pronounced 'pie' - I first named him 'Percy' but he responded too well to Pai to not change the name) and the other 'Nala' (named after the Lion King). Pai is this social little guy who is too curious and nosy about the world and people around him whereas Nala is this loving and cuddly pretty soul who has the softest fur coat ever. Love them both very much. We also ended up getting a dog called 'Poi' who has completely opened our family up in a way that is different and interesting. Welcome to the family our babies. Your older fur brother would absolutely hate you but we love you enough for him.

I visited Rarotonga/Cook Islands during our Winter (June/July) for my cousin's birthday. We had beautiful food, I fell in love with 5 different guys and just, such a cool time. I started planning a girls trip after that. But, so fun. It was so fucking hot too my body was so confused.

I got a new laptop! After being able to stop using a laptop that relies on a constant state of charging and basically life support, it feels amazing.

On the flip side, my phone is going through it. I've had it for about 5 or 6 years now and it's now reached it's T-Minus days, for sure. The screen is barely holding on by a thread (not joking) Fun fact, but me and my brother got new phones at the same time and he's already gone through about 9 to my 1.

My friends!! I've made some new friends and new connections and stuff this year. I'm finally a part of a GC where my friends know each other (irl two of my friends absolutely fucking hate each other) and I talk in it! But I love it and them and just everyone.

I've started watching The Sidemen on Youtube regularly. I love their humour and I know they're not for everyone but I really enjoy watching them. They're who I watch when I take a break from Kpop and just..they're great.

I went back onto SSRIs and I did partake in therapy for awhile because I was really down in the dumps. i cut a part of my hair at the back and if that isn't a cry for help. Like, my state of health...my neglect of haircare and the disinterest in life and all in it, it scared me. But I'm doing a lot better and I hope you are too.

Girl groups have this chokehold on me lately. Like, the amount of fondness I have for them right now is insane. Discographies, songs etc. They're tearing up the music industry at the moment for me right now. Women in general. Like yess.

I rewatched some of my favourite shows/movies and I loved it all the same. The Empress is an amazing German show, I've loved it as much as when I watched it the first time. Enola Holmes has some of my favourite aesthetics and she's so pretty and smart and Tewksbury is a wonderful 'boy boy'. Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade is my fave out of the movie series. Again...such a cool aesthetic. Harry Potter was a needed rewatch this year and I loved it. Brooklyn...Just amazing. Love this.

My favourite in-New Zealand trips of the year... I went to Auckland and to a casino for the first time (randomly picking up my cousin who was hungover and going through it) I won over 1k that day. I went to Wellington to watch NCT Nation and told the whole cinema who my man was. I went to the yearly trip to my cousin's bach and even though it fucking pissed down until the last day. It was an amazing holiday as per usual.

My favourite books of 2023 that I read this year was; The Song Of Achilles - Madeline Miller (finally read it and it was amazing). Binding 13 - Chloe Walsh (The angst was so good). Book Of Days - Patti Smith (the inspiration awakening). Magnolia Parks - Jessa Hastings (some good stuff). Once Upon A Broken Heart - Stephanie Garber (that cliffhanger had me by the balls) and The High Mountain Court - A.K. Mulford (Perfection.)

I got the opportunity to do paid research for my iwi and for my people and to learn and enrich our knowledge and community. It's hard to explain by vague explanations but I don't want to go too much into detail.

My favourite Kpop songs were - 'I Don't Understand But I Luv U' by Seventeen, 'Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard's Wife' by LE SSerafim, 'Ditto' by New Jeans, 'S-Class' by Stray Kids and 'Down (Juicy Juicy)' - Jo Yuri. I just realised it's a Hybe/JYP fest in here. But they were so addictive.

My favourite songs that weren't Kpop were - 'Collide' by Justin Skye, 'Agora Hills' by Doja Cat, 'Utua' by Maimoa, 'Greedy' by Tate McRae and 'Be Your Light' by Victor Ma. So pretty.

My favourite albums of the year were - 'GOT THE BEAT' by GOT THE BEAT. Rose was my favourite of the album. 'Dark Blood' by ENHYPEN. Woke my love up for them and the dance is fucking amazing. Background dancers and without. Chaconne is my favourite. 'Playgirl' by Lolo Zouai. Such a pretty voice. My favourite is a choice between 'Picking Berries', 'Open The Door' 'VHS' and 'Crazy Sexy Dream Girl'. 'The World Ep. FIN' by ATEEZ. My BOYS. Started the year with them and finished the year with them. Favourite song off the album is still undecided but Crazy Form is part of my daily. 'Unlock My World' by Fromis_9. Love the album. My Night Routine. Attitude. Prom Night. Beautiful voices. Insane. '3 Of Us' by FLO. New addition to my favourite Western groups but holy shit welcome to my heart.

My favourite movies; Howls Moving Castle (bully me about it - why didn't you watch it earlier?), All Quiet On The Western Front (so fucking sad and heartbreaking), Coco Reo Maori (good movie and the fact it's in Te Reo Maori? Fucking AMAZING. The Black Phone (not a horror movie girly, but such a good movie and I'm obsessed). It (again, not a horror movie girly but Loser Squad <3)

My favourite shows (not Asian); Ginny and Georgia, Grown-Ish, The Time Traveller's Wife, The Summer I Turned Pretty and Love 101.

My favourite Asian dramas; Love In The Air (the hottest show I've ever seen), Twinkling Watermelon, Hidden Love, When I Fly Towards You and Himitsu No Ai Chan, Dangerous Romance. They're fucking masterpieces.

I'm sorry to end this on a sad note but Christmas Eve, my cousin committed su***de and it was hard to climb over the wall grief had built about it. His older sister told me all these lovely things and it was the first kind of cry I had over him. I'm a little angry but also sad. It's hard because then I got COVID.

Welcome, 2024!

#goodbye 2023 #personal

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