Zariyah Quick
Commission for "Solverne" via my website!
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The game Goodbye Volcano High finally comes out tomorrow. Three long years after its initial reveal.
It's a story about cute dinosaur teenagers during the last months before a meteor hits the planet. It has elements of visual novel, point-and-click adventure, and rhythm game (likely among other things not yet revealed). It is animated and voice-acted like a 2D animated movie. The player interacts with the game in many ingenious ways to feel like they are inside the mind of the protagonist, a punk pterodactyl named Fang, as the story unfolds and decisions are made. The music is sweet too.
The developers would love to reach 50 thousand Steam wishlists before the game releases. They are very close to reaching it. If you are interested, here is the link:
Can't wait.
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Image Text:
So. Turns out they were right the first time! Things were hard for Qiu during their formative years, but they weren’t cut out for being out for themselves. As they grew even more, Qiu gradually became the magnanimous top dog of Golden Grove once again. Being a charmer is like riding a bike, you never really forget.
At this age, Autumn no longer considers themselves undefined: they know with certainty that they are genderfluid. And they’re surrounded by people who support them as much as Qiu has been there for them. That can include a particularly precious neighbor.
-------------------------------------------------
Yeah, in Step 3 Autumn is no longer an angsty fourteen-year-old. Instead, they’re an amusingly smug eighteen-year-old, as they deserve to be 😌. This darling punk is Mx. Popularity in the game’s universe and in real life, haha.
Qiu’s pronouns are they/them and he/him. Their preferred terms at the time are expressed through nail polish. If wearing polish, they/them is appropriate. If not, he/him pronouns are used. If there’s no way to check, they/them is the default.
[There are three potential hairstyles Qiu can have at this age]
Our Life: Now & Forever is a nostalgic Visual Novel where you create your own character and grow from childhood to adulthood with your two closest neighbors. It’s currently in development by GB Patch Games.
Steam Page
Itch.io Page
Discord - Twitter - Website - Patreon
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My favorite genre of media is This Absurd Thing Is Real and No One Questions it in Any Way
Here are some of my favorite examples of this:
Dimension 20: A Court of Candy (I watched one episode and was enamored by the food stuff, like yum yum yum I'm eating it up thank you chefs)
The Amelia Project (a delightfully morbid interview style podcast, where the absurdity ramps up more and more each season, and although there is a Straight Man or two, the whimsy never dies down)
Monstrous Agonies (a write-in advice show style podcast, where monsters are as commonplace as pens in an office supply store. Monsters write in needing advice, and that advice is of course monster related, but coded in many different ways: queer, bipoc, abused, privelidged [some people need a wakeup call] , etc like if you've ever felt like a monster or had someone call you a monster this podcast is for you)
Victoriocity (steam punk meets the 1890s meets modern day meets detective audio drama, really can't explain it but the whimsy and the silliness and the seriousness is all there, really recommend this one for the voice acting)
Wooden Overcoats (imagine if Victoriocity, which I just described, wasn't steam punk at all, but Ambiguous Time, and instead of a detective drama, it's more like an interpersonal drama, with the very same energy, and that absolutely incredible level of detail in the voice acting; simply tremendous and I'm only on the second season)
If anyone has their own favorite whimsical, weird, 'yes and' type of podcast/webcomic/novel(like Hitchhiker's Guide!!!!) , please please please recommend it to me!! And if you like any of the aforementioned podcasts, please yell at me about them!! I love podcasts! I love audio drama! I love to consume content!!!
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Demo | Forum
You are a high school student passionate about writing interactive fiction novels. Grammar, story structure, character design, and story design are foreign concepts to you, but that won’t slow you down because you have passion and the power of friendship on your side. A tragic accident sends you into a coma, transporting you into the world you have created.
Explore a world filled with bugs, excessive stats that cancel each other out, and ambiguous choices. Romance one-dimensional characters, overcome poorly designed challenges to escape the hell you’ve created, and become the Strongest Writer!
The game is primarily narratively driven, even though there will be silly challenges sprinkled here and there. Some random elements are present, but they won’t stonewall your progress. You will never be forced to replay an encounter because you had a bad die roll. Ridiculously difficult or poorly worded mini-games will pop up here and there. But the ones that have “correct” solutions are accompanied by a skip button that can be used without any punishment.
You will have a mobile base of operations, a castle that can fit in your pocket, where you can grow plants, make potions, train with your companions and decorate your rooms. After you reach a certain point in the game, time will advance when you complete quests, making the plants grow. The plants can be used for brewing potions that will add more flavor to future encounters but aren’t a prerequisite for progress.
At the end of each chapter, you will enter a dream-like state where you can communicate with the Real World via a powerful artifact. However, the communication is limited to sending updates to the game you’re trapped in and reading the player’s feedback on the forum.
After the first part of the game, you will get to have a say on how the Empire grows over the course of the story by voting on policies. These policies will get enacted if you and your crew complete quests that will sway the citizens in your favor. You will be free to tackle specific issues from a progressive or conservative lens without having the game punish you for making the wrong choice. Scratch that. Whatever you choose will have catastrophic consequences on the Empire but in different ways. By the end of the story, the Empire will be in crisis.
The game is split into three parts: Escape from the Underworld, Rise of the Empire, and Fall of the Empire. In the first part, you will escape the Underworld, the hell of your fictive world, with the aid of your fully customizable romanceable companion, Olympia/Olympus. You will gather a party of virtuous souls and traverse the Great Barrier into the surface world. Upon escaping the Underworld and entering the MC’s fictional world, the “Real” World, you and your companions become Immortals, overseeing the fate of the Empire for centuries to come.
At the time of writing the story, the MC was sick of all the medieval fantasy stories that resort to misogyny for the sake of realism, so they wrote an “inclusive” setting that “solves” inequality issues only on a surface, superficial level. The Empire is a mishmash of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece under constant assault by progressive barbarian hordes who enslave and torture citizens equally, regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation. Political decisions in the Empire are ultimately made by a supreme ruler, Caesar, but every citizen has a right to express their grievances and opinions in the Forum (an actual roman style forum, not an online one).
As generations pass, you and the Immortals will oversee the Empire grow from antiquity to a steam-punk future near its decline.
Olympus/Olympia
age: unknown/ timeless
race: unknown
gender: player selectable
appearance: custom
Olympia/Olympus is the first immortal that the MC encounters in the Underworld. The self-proclaimed soul mate of the main character, Olympia/Olympus, is the primary romantic option for the player. Kind-hearted, straightforward, overpowered, and with a non-existent sense of personal space, Oly will accompany the MC almost everywhere. The only times when you will be apart is when you have to do challenges alone.
Bellona
age: 27
race: human
gender: female
appearance: average height, athletic build, olive skin, brown eyes, long brown hair in a high ponytail.
Bellona is one of the finest warriors of the Empire, who knew no equal on the battlefield until she found her end at the Kālá’s hand, whom she managed to take down with her to the Underworld. Abandoned at a young age by her parents, she had to learn to fend for herself and develop a can-do attitude that no one rivals. Impulsive by nature, she has no regard for diplomacy - her creative swear words are common in any heated discussion. The one thing she hates more than whining and weakness is others picking on her friends, even for the most trivial things.
Athena
age: 30
race: human
gender: female
appearance: tall, slim build, fair skin, green eyes, undercut, blonde hair.
Athema is a scholar, politician, and equal rights activist. She died at a banquet where a political adversary poisoned her wine cup. Outspoken and articulate, her opinions have sown the seeds of critical thinking within the Empire, prompting a vocal minority to question whether the Empire will be remembered as a bastion of enlightenment in history or a shameful asterisk. Competent in rhetorical debates, she never backs down from a winning argument, even if it means losing political currency. Although she stands her ground firmly in intellectual standoffs, physical confrontations are a no-go for her, looking for cover at the first sign of danger.
Hera
age: 22
race: human
gender: female
appearance: petite, light skin, heterochromia eyes (blue and green), braided, black hair.
Hera is a quiet, reserved young woman whose life ended in mysterious circumstances. She does not remember how she died or does not want to tell anybody. Although she does not enjoy getting involved in politics too much, she is convinced that the best way to organize society is through clearly defined gender roles. Family is the most important thing to her, and she hopes that she will be able to start one as soon as possible. Her cooking and organizing skills are unmatched, which is why she was often employed by wealthy nobles to host their lavish banquettes.
Vulcan
age: 46
race: human
gender: male
appearance: burly, gray hair, groomed silver beard, dark skin
A respected inventor, this reclusive self-reliant man found his end at the hand of an ambitious experiment to replicate the sun in his forge. Even though he feels more at home with his inventions than with people, he is kind and gentle despite losing his temper from time to time. Vulcan will be the main driving force behind the rapid technological advances that the Empire will go through during the game, and you will have a say in what innovations take priority.
Plutus
age: 33
race: human
gender: male
appearance: tall, thin, blond messy hair
This neurotic treasurer got on the wrong side of a knife after uncovering a circle of corrupt aristocrats who were siphoning gold out of the treasury. His obsessive compulsion to account for every penny spent makes him an excellent financial advisor for your team. His expertise will be invaluable in growing the Empire over the centuries.
Kālá
age: unknown
race: unknown
gender: unknown
appearance: short legs, wide hips, elongated torso with thin, long arms, large hands. Dark skin, black eyes, bald. Wears extravagant clothes.
Little is known about them besides their affiliation with the Barbarian hordes and unorthodox fighting style. Before the encounter with Bellona, Kala was undefeated in combat. Has the role of the main antagonist of the story.
Olympia/ Olympus will be the only RO with which you can have a meaningful, long-term romantic relationship. There will be the possibility of having flings with minor, episodic, one-dimensional characters. But you will not be able to be in a relationship with other immortals (but that does not mean you can’t try). As far as the attraction to Oly is concerned, you have multiple options: regular attraction, no attraction, “platonic” attraction, “asexual” attraction, too much attraction, and attraction once you get to know each other better. There will be no explicit sex scenes, but you can expect bizarre scenes that kind of resemble it.
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Finished Can Ci Pin, time for a review! [Warning: this review will contain some spoilers!]
Priest…that was brutal. You murdered me in cold blood. That was CRUEL. When was the last time a danmei had me crying this hard?!? I genuinely didn’t think you had it in you to do us all like this😭
To start off the review, I will first talk about the plot. The series spans 7 novels, two of the novels being split into two parts along with the extras, resulting in a total of 10 installments, making it one of the longest danmei novels that i’ve read, along with 2ha by meatbun and tgcf by mxtx. It takes place in a futuristic sci-fi society that exists in space, in a world run by technology and Ai with humanity inhabiting not one planet, but instead 8 whole galaxies (no there are no aliens in this series). I guess the reason why it’s incredibly underrated and overlooked, despite being one of Priest’s best works ever (literally on par with sha po land, mo du and lie huo jiao chou), would be its unique and niche genre, not preferred or sought after or appreciated by the majority of the danmei readers in both the chinese and english fandoms. Nevertheless, if you got some time on your hands, i would definitely recommend you give it a go! Priest makes it super easy and uncomplicated to settle into the world with her incredible world building skills (think of the steam punk universe of sha po lang), and the whole plot literally revolves around politics, war, and the struggles between different parties for power, which is smth that’s already pretty popular within danmei!! and the aesthetics are pretty cool too!!! think spaceships and astronauts!! also there are elements of mystery and comedy and action!! come on yall!!!
Now let’s get into the ACTUAL review. In a world where the Interstellar Union is constantly being tossed around like a tennis ball between the Eden Committee and the Military Council (think of the IU as the king/emperor/ruler, the Eden Committee as the prime minister of the government, and the Military Council as the marshal or commander of the military), the struggle for power led to centuries of underhanded and unethical and inhumane tactics and practices being brewed under the surface by all parties involved. On the surface, there was ‘peace’, peace that came at the expense of others, peace that was no thicker than a hair strand, ready to snap at any given second. Our main characters happened to be born in the century in which this fragile and delicately maintained peace is finally shattered, everything fell apart and no more secrets were kept hidden as all was exposed. The story follows so many threads that priest has managed to weave slowly here and there from very early onwards. The first two novels, priest spends them introducing several different plot lines and several different ‘problems’ and ‘issues’ that she later on ties together into one thick huge interwoven heavy plot in the fourth book. Most readers end up abandoning the story after reading the second novel, feeling that the pace is too slow, everything that’s happening is too random and left up abruptly without a satisfying conclusion, there is no one consistent plot line to follow, and the whole thing feels very overwhelming. However, after reaching the fourth novel, where the plot pace is suddenly picked up dramatically and everything becomes set to motion, it is clear the build up was very necessary or else the whole series wouldve turned into one big jumbled mess. There are time skips within the novel, one in the beginning and one in the middle, the one in the middle sort of splitting the series into a ‘before’ and ‘after’. The last detail i’ll mention regarding the plot, would be that the war doesn’t exist between just two sides, it exists between our main characters, the union, two other parties, and the internal strife between the split factions of the union. so you can….already imagine how complicated and intricate this is.
Now onto the characters. There is Lin Jingheng!!! The Man of The Hour. Aloof and cold on the outside, soft and kind on the inside. Ruthless and Merciless on the outside, a big mother-hen on the inside. A former commander turned mafia leader, his heart dead set on revenge, his body a weapon hes sharpened over the years, his life absolutely disposable to him. Keeping his distance, staying away from everyone, closing himself off to the world, he only ever had one goal in mind and it was to tear apart the union that took away his loved ones. Hes the best at what he does and he knows it, and he will absolutely use himself up to the max. He will not hesitate to make cold and harsh sacrifices, if it means he can logically get to his goal as efficiently as possible. Watching him grow as a character, watching him develop attachments and warm emotions, watching him slowly let out his inner child, was worth it. I absolutely love how the more he developed as a character, the more feelings he started expressing, the more bonds and attachments he started to form with those around him, the more he loved, the stronger he got. Unlike what he initially thought, love and affection and care did not hold him back or make him weaker, it only made him stronger and more invincible, ready to take on anything now that he finally has a purpose, now that he has people he wants to protect and more importantly, return to. An absolute favorite of mine, a true gem. His character is easy to grow fond of, and definitely enjoyable to be around.
Next is Lu Bixing, aka, my absolute favorite. Starting off as the naive, charismatic, funny, hyperactive and handsome little engineer and scientist, neither the series nor priest are kind to him😭😭😭😭 priest, you’ve truly put our sunshine boy through a LOT. i’ve cried several times. tears were shed. Lu Bixing underwent a dramatic character development due to extreme pain and trauma (im still recovering from this) and was stripped off of many of his most endearing character qualities to become a sharp blade ready to take on the world. but despite everything, the seed of kindness in his heart wasnt gone, all it needed was a bit of rekindling and healing and by the end of the series, we had our beloved son back again!!! His character started off well, drifted off the rail due to the harsh circumstances, then came back again, stronger and more mature than ever but still retaining his flirty and bright and active spirit and personality. I absolutely LOVED his healing arc, i love how no one gave up on him even when he gave up on himself, and i love how he came back to us again. Priest truly did his character justice, and didn’t let him off to be this “forever cold and heartless because of my trauma” character, the way many other authors wouldve.
One more thing that i loved, is how priest gave detailed and thorough attention to the side characters in this masterpiece of a work. Priest has managed to make sure that almost every important character in the series had a whole backstory and arc going for them, making you care about all of them and get attached and grow fond, even if some of those characters were already dead years before the novel even started. Priest dedicated several extras to some of those already dead but important characters, and it was the best decision she couldve ever made, making you all nostalgic and sentimental while reading.
Now onto the romance, definitely in my top 5 favorite danmei parings. The commander and his engineer. If Lu Bixing was a crown prince, then Lin Jingheng would be his knight. If Lin Jingheng was a sword, Lu Bixing would be his shield. A relationship that is also a partnership, where theyre both standing on equal ground, where they both need each other’s strengths and talents, where they both trust each other endlessly both on and off the battlefield, whether it be with each other’s lives or with each other’s hearts. It’s like those countless queer quoted shows and movies where two generals or two soldiers go through everything back to back, except this is a danmei so they DO end up together and it doesn’t end up being dismissed as a ‘friendship’. I love their hot and cold dynamic, i love how well they complement each other and how they somehow complete and balance each other. i love how they bring out the worst and best in each other. i love how they always wanna live one more day to come back to each other. Also Lu Bixing’s attempts to win over Lin Jingheng in the beginning were a 10/10 entertainment, definitely had us all, readers and side characters, rooting for him and cheering him on to get that cold commander’s heart!!!
This series will make you laugh, make you cry. There are intense action scenes, complex war and politics scenes, brutal bloodshed scenes and extremely funny and light hearted scenes. Even the romance gets its fair share of attention, the relationship building up at a perfect and reasonable and natural pace, as you grow to love the characters individually then love them together. it was cute, adorable, embarrassing, sexy, angsty (oh the ANGST) all at once!
Would definitely be rereading this, would definitely be giving this a 15/10.
[Here is my favorite scene from book 2 (i hope the humor convinced yall to pick up this incredible series!!!)] :
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A Reintroduction
Brendan; Male; mid-30s; Toronto, Canada.
In December of 2023 my decade old blog donjuan-auxenfers was terminated unexpectedly for reasons that are vague at best, and I've largely given up on trying to get it back. I never had a very big following, just a few hundred readers at most, but I did have a long history over there. If you followed me, you probably know some of it, but for those who are new or who have forgotten, a brief (re)introduction.
In a past life I was a graduate student in Classics —interests include Homeric epic, Greek intellectual history from the 5th century BCE onward, Hellenistic poetry, and the Greek novels—, a classically trained guitarist, a punk venue semi-regular, a haunter of used bookstores, a nighttime stroller, a cinema goer, an Anarchist who had read more Marx than most Marxists, and an all-round more interesting person. Then a little over six years ago my health started to nosedive; I'd had health issues going back to childhood but things were clearly and precipitously deteriorating. I wound up diagnosed with ME/CFS and have since become housebound and unable to engage in many of my old hobbies and activities. These days I mostly putter around the apartment. It's very boring.
This is a personal blog. I write about what's going on with my life and what I'm interested in, that said, my interests incline towards the catholic so expect posts about anything and everything, and a mix of off-the-cuff observations and longer essays (and more of the former than the latter). As a rule I tend not to reblog unless I have something to add; it's an affectation which almost certainly limits my appeal and reach, but it's how I've always done things. I treat Tumblr more as an open journal than a scrapbook.
If you want to shoot me a message, my DMs are open and you're welcome to leave a message in the ask box. I'm a pretty approachable guy. Just note that it may take me a little while to get back to you, please be patient, I'm often in bed. If you're under 18 I will be keeping you at arm's length for obvious reasons, but you're otherwise welcome to ask a question.
Posts worth checking out (this list subject to future expansion/changes):
My multi-part history of ME/CFS, previously posted to my old blog and now re-posted here revised and expanded. Part One. Part Two. Part Three. Part Four. Appendix and Bibliography. (Coming soon)
My comprehensive tutorial on setting up a personal media streaming server with Ubuntu and Plex. This was previously posted to my old blog and is now re-posted here revised and expanded.
My end-of-year favourite music lists from 2013-2023 collected from my old blog.
Although I have tipping enabled by default on posts, it is in no way expected or even encouraged that you to send me money. If, however, you enjoyed something I wrote or found it useful, the option to throw me a few bones is there. I'm unable to work even part-time and rely on family support so it's always appreciated.
Note: I preemptively block TERFs, I ain't got patience for that shit.
Follow Me Elsewhere
If you're a mutual or a long time follower and want to get in touch with me elsewhere feel free to use any of the following methods, just give me a heads up so I know who it is.
I'm on Steam as angry_wizard.
I'm on Discord as angrywizard.
I'm on Twitch as housecoatwizard.
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DAMMIT I had a very vivid classic Doctor Who/early Sandman graphic novel dream that ended too soon. It was live action, yet somehow the lighting, colors, angles and the sharpness of edges made it resemble Mike Dringenberg's art.
Some unseen antagonist was watching a slightly older Tulough squirming nervously at a dark wood table in the saloon of an old slightly upscale bar. His black blazer and pressed slacks and tie and very red hair and rail-thin features do look rather Sandman-like, come to think of it.
The offscreen voice seemed to be waiting for his contact.
Meanwhile a rather tall punk couple just outside the saloon's open door were engaged in a clinch. Both wore jesns and rather thickly-padded leather jackets that made the darkskinned gent (with a shock of hair standing up like David Tennant at his most Tenned) look like two-thirds of a linebacker.
The offscreen voice said something sharp identifying the man as if calling a minion to target him, but at that moment they broke apart smoothly and the equally-imposing woman parkeds herself in front of the door he strode through and shut silently behind him without quite touching it.
Turlough started to scramble to his feet, but was stopped by the man putting up a hand and drawing out the opposite chair.
“𝕀 𝕓𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕖𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕒 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕓𝕝𝕖𝕞 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕞𝕪 𝕤𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘.”
"A contract. I want out."
“𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕝𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕗𝕦𝕝𝕗𝕚𝕝𝕝.”
"They've put a guy on you, too, you know!"
“ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕦𝕞𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕪 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥.”
——-—
And then I woke up.
I have this vague impression of a scene before that of Nyssa as a little girl playing in the ruins of a steam-era abandoned train station (!) with light sifting through a rotten roof and fungus and moss and plants growing over the rails. Something about her befriending Death —maybe one of those times she was spending a day being mortal, impressing on her the need to postpone collecting this little soul?
But anyway Desire with a dead bird hat would be very silly and certainly not a binary figure like the Black Guardian; on the other hand they might've taken the Fifth Doctor out even with a tool as pathetic as Turlough.
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I have to say, I've been enjoying Baldur's Gate 3, but the people hyping it up for the romanceable characters should really be ignored. Your options for romance are all different tropes of conventionally attractive character you'd expect to be in a white girl's romance novel or standard fantasy babe with a tiny bit of paint splashed on them. Even the Teifling Barbarian is just "punk" girlfriend barbie with red skin and horns.
But, lack of diversity in body type aside, the real reason the whole romance stuff sucks is that the relationships just kind of pop up out of nowhere and seem forced. Only one character, Karlach, has any motivation and thought put into why she would want a romance, and only one character, Astarion, has a believable reason to suddenly start a romance. BTW, before you give me weird looks about that second statement, the reason is he is bored and wants to fuck, I said it was a believable reason, not a good or compelling reason. For the others, it just seems like they suddenly break character once you get their approval rating high enough, especially Shadowheart who just seems to completely forget all of her backstory to suddenly stop being a bitch and suddenly be more palatable as a relationship when that is the conversation to doing a complete 180 in all other interactions.
The only thing I can really say in BG3's defense is that if you have played DnD with a bunch of horny people and the DM offers them the ability to go fuck NPCs or other player characters, it goes exactly like this. "Continuity be damned, I am going to try to fuck that pointy eared slut." I do not think this is what the game is actually trying to emulate, but that's the exact vibe I get from this part of the game.
I didn't really play the game with the romance stuff as a goal, though. If you want an automated DnD campaign that trades the full freedom of a real tabletop game for not having to find a DM and spending more effort trying to get people's schedules to match than actual gameplay, I would suggest this game. It's fun, it gives you a lot of room to be creative with how you solve puzzles, and it implements mechanics from the physical game well, even if they had to slim down some of the mechanics. However, if you just want to fuck the bratty white boy, there are actual porn games on Steam, and if you want to be fucked by a bear e621 is the place to go.
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Yun-Farron Solutions (Final Rose AU)
Fang took a moment to savour the scent of the cigar before she took one last puff and then tossed it onto the creature bound by the ring of salt and a handful of esoteric seals painted onto the ground in blood.
“You bitch!” the creature screamed, writhing as the flames spread over its twisted, malformed body. “I’ll kill you! I’ll your family! I’ll kill your fucking dog!”
Fang smirked. Being a werewolf had its benefits. Being able to smoke a cigar without worrying about cancer was one. Being able to use her own blood for seal work without worrying about dying of blood loss was another. But the best thing was being able to laugh at creatures like this for being stupid enough to pick a fight with a werewolf on a full fucking moon.
“You won’t be doing shit.” Fang tossed some more kerosene onto the screaming creature. “Those seals? I’m not sending you back to the Pit. You’re on a one-way trip to Oblivion.”
The creature renewed its struggles, but it wasn’t going anywhere. She’d tracked this damn thing for close to a month. She’d learned exactly what it was, so she could pick seals that would exploit its vulnerability to the max... and then she’d waited for a full moon, so those same seals could be empowered by her werewolf blood.
It was the difference between chugging around in a car with a cute, little V4 engine and roaring around the neighbourhood in a beast with a V8 under the hood. The seals might not be the most efficient things she’d ever thrown together, but they packed a fucking punch like a bazooka.
The creature stopped screaming after another ten minutes. Just to be sure, Fang waited another five minutes before sweeping the ashes into a pile and dousing them in acid. A spritz of holy water on the remains was the finishing touch.
Satisfied that the creature was not only dead but was actually going to stay dead, Fang pulled out another cigar.
“That is an awful habit to have.”
Fang didn’t bother to turn. “Finished up already, sunshine?”
Lightning’s scowl was a physical force. “Yes, actually. The cultists responsible for summoning that thing were surprisingly forthcoming with information.”
“Was that before or after you ate a few of them?”
“I am a vampire, Fang. I do not eat people. I drink their blood.” Lightning sighed. “Was the holy water really necessary?”
“You can never be too careful. Besides, it’s not like it can actually harm you.”
Lightning wasn’t some paltry fledgling in the same way that Fang wasn’t some newly turned pup. Holy water might annoy her, but that’s all it would do.
“Even so. It’s presence is... aggravating.”
Fang turned. As usual, Lightning was dressed like something out of a gothic novel. Ancestors... vampires really did take fashion seriously, especially the older ones. Gods forbid they dress like regular people. Hell, even the younger ones had their own styles, the most popular of which was a kind of steam-punk re-imagining of what they thought the classical era had looked like.
Lightning dressed sort of like that... but then again, she’d actually lived through those times.
“I can tell what you’re thinking,” Lightning drawled. “And I am not about to take fashion advice from someone who dresses like a hobo.” A century or two ago, the words might have been laced with genuine contempt. Now, however, there was only fond exasperation behind them.
“Yeah, well, there’s not much point in my wearing expensive clothes everywhere when transforming rips them to shreds.” Fang took a puff of her cigar. She should order another batch soon. She was starting to run low. “What did you find out?”
“They learned how to summon that thing from an acolyte of a very old friend of ours.” Lightning’s eyes narrowed and flashed scarlet for a split-second.
“Fuck.” Fang snarled. “Salem? Was it asking for too much for the bitch to actually stay dead?”
“Fang, we both knew she was unlikely to stay dead forever. That’s what happens when you bind your soul to a slumbering eldritch monstrosity who is most famous for eating a whole bunch of other eldritch monstrosities. At the very least, however, she can’t be at anything close to full strength if she’s sending her acolytes out to teach a gang of barely literate conjurors who have only just barely glimpsed the surface of the Twilight World.”
Fang sighed. Shit. She really should have brought some booze. As if reading her mind, Lightning tossed her a bottle of bourbon. “Where’d you get this?”
“Fang, if I’m going to murder a whole gang of cultists after tearing through their minds, a bit of theft is hardly going to matter. Besides, it’s not like they were in any condition to appreciate it.” Lightning waited for Fang to take a swig straight from the bottle before doing the same. “We’re going to have to get the band back together, so to speak.”
“Yeah. If Salem is back, we’ll need all of them.” Fang could already feel a headache forming despite her werewolf physiology. “You realise that nobody has even seen Raven for, what, three hundred years or something?”
“Three hundred and twenty-five to be precise.” Lightning’s brows furrowed. “But Summer might know where she is. Even if she hasn’t said anything so far, she’ll tell us once she knows Salem is back.”
“Yeah. That’s true.” Fang glanced up at the moon. “You can handle that, right?”
“Summer and I are still on speaking terms,” Lightning said with careful blandness. “Although she may be reluctant to leave her current... life.”
Fang chuckled and shook her head. “I almost admire her audacity, thinking she and Taiyang can just settle down and live regular lives. None of us can. Once you’ve walked in the Twilight, there’s no going back, not for people who’ve gone as deep as we have.”
"True. But I can’t blame her for trying.” Lightning turned. “We should go. We have calls to make and plans to devise.”
Fang laughed and followed her. “At least Vanille will be happy. Who knows what kind of shit she’s got prepped in case of emergency?”
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What do you think about the game "A Tale of Other Worlds and Demons"?
I actually did play this a while ago and it was pretty fun! A Tale of Other Worlds and Demons is kind of like an isekai story except if you had three worlds pushed together. The story is about a girl named Faire who lives in a more medieval world, and meets a steam punk scientist named Astrifer and Leon, from the modern world. Along with the knight Gawain, the four explore the different worlds, and uncover theplot of Lucius, a possessive prince who is hellbent on marrying Faire and destroying the worlds if she does not comply. It's a bit more complicated than that considering the various routes, but they do go to the modern world and go to a renaissance fair (which is actually where I learned about renaissance fairs, go figure) as well as go to the steampunk world while trying to travel through universes.
The artwork in this game is pretty cool, it's done in a fairly painterly style, and as I recall, the backgrounds are fairly different with each other when it goes between worlds, which is pretty neat! I like how when they go to different places, it's watching a small adventure as the four of them bounce off of each other and learn from each other.
Personally I thought it was really interesting and really fun how each character goes through each of the different worlds. The various romances that Faire can have with the other characters are quite nice (from my memory, I think Leon's was pretty interesting) and just seeing the different characters come together and interact is pretty fun to see. The yandere in question is Lucius, since he does basically attempt to get married with Faire, threatening not only her friends but also her world, but as I recall, he also seems to be the type that will hurt Faire and feels more like seeing her as a possession rather than be in love with her than an obsessive type is like. He is the main villain of the game, and a pretty good one.
Like I said though, it's been a while since I played this game, but I do remember it was a good time and very different from other visual novels that I've played.
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Had an in-depth dream about a West Side Story-esque Sapphic love story about two warring magic factions in a steam punk city. Woke up. Fell back asleep. Had a dream where I took extensive notes on my prior dream, wrote a young adult novel, and was offered a movie deal. Woke up. I remember two things about the plot.
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Notes on Genre-Punk Decay
Lately, I’ve been reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick, that being the book from which Bladerunner was adapted, and it being the original seed of what would become the Cyberpunk genre. The book itself deals with an astounding level of personal alienation, that deriving from an inability to recognize that which is properly human as such, an inability to be psychologically free due to widespread moral hysteria, the denial of opportunity due to criminogenic conditions and obvious discrimination, the innate Ableism and plutocratic character of statistical data collecting in the realms of psychotherapy and statecraft (DADoES singles out IQ tests in this regard, with the actually quite lucid John Isadore being denied the ability to marry or move offworld due to having fallen under an unspecified bracket on a single IQ test), etc. In general a work of Minor Literature, which, on account of P. K. Dick having been a precognitive, conducts social critique of issues such as the universal theatre of Simulacra which wouldn’t arise until decades after the text’s publication.
Cyberpunk went from a being dejected journey through the Desert of the Real, to being a dejected journey through the Desert of the Real with neon coats and worbly skyscrapers, to being a Desert of the Real with neon coats, worbly skyscrapers, and no real reflection on or rejecting of majoritarian culture.
IIRC., Steampunk, as we know it followed a similar course, starting with two novels, those being Warlord of the Air and the Difference Engine. Warlord of the Air is about a hellworld where the British Empire never declined because WWI never happened, and the Difference Engine is about a hellworld where the British Empire never declined because they discovered computers in 1837. Both cases exist to explore the hell of Empire, how Technology interacts with its social order, the ways in which different societies interact with the same machines, etc., by analyzing it through the 19th century and the Belle Epoche.
Now? Steampunk is doodads and bowler hats being plated with brass, gears, and valves. Empire, the Intelligence State, and Radical Politics, all mainstays of the primordial Steampunk, are never confronted, as that would be too much critical thought for Steam hobbyists.
My course for Aesthetic Punk Decay is as follows: 1: Underlying media interfaces with underlying discontents and fears to produce something truly unique (for Steampunk, this was Warlord of the Air, for Cyberpunk, this was Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, and for Atompunk, this was the first Fallout). 2: Imitators arise expressing the same discontents (as with first-wave Cyberpunk and the first Bladerunner film). 3: Corporations coopt the imitators, and make their imitations to aesthetics (as we see w/ Fallout 3). 4: The imitation of an imitation, made only for aesthetic value, eclipses the original media and discontents (as with Fallout 4, Cyberpunk 2077, or that Steampunk road house).
And there I have a triad: Atompunk, which interfaces with the Cold War, Steampunk, which interfaces with the Belle Epoche, and Cyberpunk, which interfaces with the Neoliberal Era. The decay of the British Empire, the decay of Fordist Capital, and the decay of Reality itself.
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Every game I played & beat in 2022 and my thoughts / opinions.
Ai: The Somnium Files
While released a few years ago, I finally got round to playing it due to NirvanA Initiative being released and an acquaintance of mine adores these games. I'm a sucker for mystery based games, and the whole mental fuckery mixed with the somnium gameplay and eccentric characters just ticked all of the boxes for me. While graphicly it's nothing spectacular, I didn't really care because everything else kept me hooked and I'm very much cemented in the 'this is a highly underrated game' camp
Hours played: 27
Trophy Achievemnts: 45/45
Ai: The Somnium Files - NirvanA Initiative
This was not a sequal I was expecting to get, considering how the original game flew under the radar. Guess the creators were like, fuck financial success we want to make what we want - and I appreciate that. While I don't think the mystery is as tight as the first game, NirvanA Initiative wacked mental fuckery up 10 folds. I loved all the new characters; the gameplay tweaks and new additions made it even more enjoyable to play than its predecessor.
Hours played: 32
Trophy Achievements: 49/49
Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp
This game only can exist and sell because us Danganronpa fans are starved for content following the five year dry spell since V3 release. It's basicly a repackaged version of the mini game you unlock when you beat the main game. Was it nice returning to my DR2 children and seeing all the new interactions? Yes. Did I cry over my best girl Mukuro getting some validation and recognition? Yes. Would I recommend? Absolutely not.
Hours played: 20+
Final Fantasy XIV - A Realm Reborn & Heavensward
This year was the year I finally fell into the rabbit hole that was FFXIV. As an avid Final Fantasy fan, I tried playing a few years back but I didn't bite. I then tried again after my girlfriend switch servers out of solidarity and I got hooked. I found a great group of people to play & bard with and began to fall in love with the world and story. Unfortunately, I've not made a lot of progress further then part way through the post Heavensward updates because my completionist nature means I refuse to move onto the next expansion before I've done all of the available content & side quests. It's an on running joke about I will never get to Endwalker.
Hours played: 600 - 700
The Great Ace Attorny Chronicles
Last year I began to properly get into the Ace Attorny franchise. I played through Phoenix Wright Trilogy, and Apollo Justice on mobile & the first half of Duel Destinies (plz Capcom port them to console). I brought The Great Ace Attorny on sale and over the course of a few months played through all episodes. It took some time because heavy visual novel games takes a particular mindset as it required a lot of reading and I'm permanently tired. I loved the visual style and setting (Steam Punk Victorian London is a weak spot of mine - see Code Realize). I loved all the characters, from the main cast to the individual chapter characters. I didn't know all of the twists that were coming even if some I accidently spoiled some for myself. Just a pleasant roller coaster and places the Ace Attorney as one of my favourite video game franchises.
Hours played: 128
Trophy achievements: 19/30
Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon Zero Dawn was one of my favourite PS4 Games and one of the only western open world games I actually care for. For the sequal, I enjoyed the gameplay lots and explored every nook of the map. Unfortunately the story wasn't as engaging as the first, mainly because Aloy didn't develop and grow like she did in ZD. I loved the supporting cast a lot, particularly Beta, Kotallo and Alva. The gameplay will keep my coming back, though I hope they don't drag the story out until its just becomes empty.
Hours played: 70
Trophy achievements: 59/59
Jump King
Did I play this because many content creators did? Yes. Did I reach the top? No. I still had a blast chilling for a month or so playing this as a timekiller and seeing my progress and improvement.
Hours played: 10+
Life is Strange: True Colors
Think this was released in 2021 but I only got round to playing it in January. The first Life is Strange and Before the Storm had a very big impact on me, but I never played LiS 2. When True Colors was announced as a full game and not being released in parts, well I was intrigued. Playing it was like slipping into a cosy jumper you long forgot about the back of the closet. The gameplay and corniness was familiar but welcoming. The quality improvements in the graphics and controls was nice and made the whole experience better. I don't think I enjoyed the story and characters as I did the first game & prequel, but I also am happy to see this franchise that I have a soft spot for evolve and try somthing new.
Hours Played: 12
Trophy Achievements: 41/41
Minoria
I brought this indie souls like on my switch for under £5 in a sale. I had been missing a game I could just pick up and play for half an hour or so. Its a 2D souls like and while there isn't to much to the story, the setting was enough to grab me in and I had fun exploring the map; I never got to frustrated with dying because 9/10 it was because of my own stupidity. For somthing I brought on a whim, I had fun.
Hours Played: 10
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
This game I played in two halves. As a longtime pokemon fan I brought it on release and I put a good number of hours just running around catching pokemon and trying to fill the pokedex. I actually didn't progress the story because my completionist nature made me want to complete the pokedex in each area before I moved on to the next one. I eventually just sorta fell out of playing, having not even made it half way through the game. Then during the peak of the UK heatwave in the summer I was hospitalised with acute pancreatis and had to have emergency surgery to prevent me from dying. When I returned home it was to hot for me to stay in my room so I was downstairs a lot with only my switch and - since I had no money at the time - I picked up Arceus again and not only beat the story but also 100% the Pokedex, which I had never done before in a Pokemon game. It was a fun experiment by Game Freak and I hope we get another, expanded version of this game style in the future.
Hours played: 100+
Resident Evil Village: Shadows of Rose DLC
Now, I'm not a big RE fan - outside of the RE 2 Remake, Village was the only real RE game I had played (I had watched let's plays of RE7). For the most part I had a lot of fun with Village so when Halloween rolled around and I had no plans, I brought the DLC Shadows of Rose for some horror fun. And again, like with the first game, I had a lot of fun. Exploring the Castle again was a lot of fun, and they somehow made the Doll House even scarier like jfc. I liked Rose a lot and I cried at the stories resolution. A very enjoyable evenings entertainment.
Hours played: 3-4
Spiritfarer
Another game that came out a few years ago and I am only now just getting around to playing. It had been on my radar & wish list for a while and I finally picked it up during the time I underweather but not yet diagnosed with pancreatis and hospitalised. This was by far my favourite game I've played this year and the one I think back to constantly. The visuals are gentle yet stylised; the soundtrack soothing and the gameplay and story to well intertwined together. It was just such a chill game to play - I loved building my ship and recognising the whole thing every time I constructed a new building. I loved all the characters and their stories, and each one impacted me in different ways and I would get genuinely sad whenever I had to let someone move on. It one of those games I wish I could erase my memory of and replay blind all over again.
Hours played: 45+
WILL: A Wonderful World
An interesting little visual novel I brought during a sale. The premise is you have to move around pieces of the characters situation / dialog to change the outcome and progress. Some of the stories were kinda wierd and one that even kinda disgusted me, but the core gameplay was interesting enough that I played through to the end. It isn't a particularly long story, but I enjoy Visual Novel that add elements in so you aren't just clicking the continue dialog button.
Hours played: 10 hours
Honourable shoutouts to games I've started but not yet finished.
Persona 5: Royal
Pokemon Violet
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story
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Hi!
You can call me Neon or Fantasm/Phantasm, either spelling is fine! I’m a 26 year old queer person who best describes his gender alternatively as “incubus”, “Victorian dandy who may or may not be a vampire”, and “young researcher who stumbled across a forbidden tome and unleashed something tentacley”.
In more succinct terms, I would say I’m transmasc in a femme way - he/him or they/them are both good for me, but I never hear they/them as often as I’d like.
Anyway! This blog is mainly going to be me giving my thoughts on books as I read them, like a low-stakes book report! If you’d like to recommend books, feel free! Just keep in mind
I am not against YA as a general rule, there was a part of my life where I devoured it religiously. However I’m closer now to 30 than 17, so please don’t recommend me YA unless you’re absolutely certain it’s been misfiled as such
Don’t recommend a book based solely on “it’s got lgbt/poc rep!”. What’s it ABOUT?
Genres I enjoy are obviously gothic lit, but also the -punks (steam and cyber), and some cosmic horror. High fantasy and dark fantasy will always have a place in my heart, as does historical fantasy, and body horror doesn’t phase me so much contained in just words. I’m open to romance novel suggestions as well, though those might just bounce right off my aromantic self.
Anyway I think that about does it! Welcome!
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cnovel!anon: MONOCLE MAN!! ahahaha yeah that's Gu Yun. I really like the world building in Sha Po Lang - it's the first time I read a cnovel that had a steam punk aesthetic set in China. Priest's novels are really wide ranging in terms of genres.
yes steampunk okay goddamn~ I started reading 一級律師 and am really bopping to the ~*INTERGALACTIC LAWYERS!*~ vibes, steampunk sounds like the proper next book to read. Also I keep getting artbaited by monocle man hahahahah
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