#The Ouroboros Trilogy

[sinnamonbun-in-purgatory]

I made this on Instagram so here-

When Dove met Uriel at a young age it brought up some unsavory memories and Lucid knew right away why…

#my art #my ocs #my oc #video #dove #kid! dove #uriel #lucid #The Ouroboros Trilogy #digital artist #digital art #oc artwork #oc animation #animatic #short animation #tumblr art #artists on tumblr

[shehzadi]

happy you cannot escape your nature sunday

#enjoyed the mistborn trilogy so much it reawakened the ouroboros obsession #m

[thebeautifulbook]

THE WORM OUROBOROS by E.R. Eddison (London: Jonathan Cape, 1922) Illustrated by Keith Henderson. Link to the 1924 edition.

———

THE WORM OUROBOROS is a fantasy novel first published in 1922. The book takes place on a fictional Mercury that appears mainly medieval and partly reminiscent of Norse sagas. It describes the protracted war between the domineering King Gorice of Witchland and the Lords of Demonland, and is slightly related to Eddison's later Zimiamvian Trilogy.

The Worm Ouroboros is written largely in sixteenth-century English; with Eddison making use of his experience translating Norse sagas and reading medieval and Renaissance poetry.

——16 May 2022

#beautiful books #illustrated book #books books books #book blog #book cover #books #high fantasy #heroic fantasy

[chinzhilla]

get to know me 🌻

thank for the tag vish @morkofday!! 🩷 these were fun questions

do you make your bed? usually, but often not until a few hours after i wake up cause the dog is still snoozing under the covers

what's your favorite number? i really don't think i have one. maybe 7, although i feel like that's cliche

what is your job? i'm a legal assistant

If you could go back to school would you? if i could attend lessons without having to take out another loan or stress about work i have no interest in, then yes absolutely. but i have no desire to go back to school in the traditional sense

can you parallel park? sigh. no not really and it's a problem. it's the one aspect of driving that i really struggle with

a job you had that would surprise people? my first job was as a hostess for one of the most historic and high-end restaurants in my city. it had been closed for years and reopened the summer after i graduated high school. my friend's mom had connections and basically got us jobs there. i couldn't wait tables though cause i was only 17 and thus couldn't serve alcohol

do you think aliens are real? definitely, just not necessarily humanoid ones

can you drive a manual car? i learned on a manual but haven't driven one in like ten years so idk

what's your guilty pleasure? i don't believe in feeling guilty about pleasure so i will say a pleasure that i often regret for physiological reasons: dairy

tattoos? i have an ouroboros in the center of my upper back. desperate for more but. money :(

favorite color? blush pink or maroon

favorite type of music? i've been on a kpop (and pop in general) kick since december, but that's kind of a new thing for me (life has been stressful the last few months and i think i like that the music is largely upbeat and i don't have to worry about the lyrics hitting too hard lol). historically alt/indie rock has been my go-to genre. generally i prefer stuff that's high-energy, not so much the slow, contemplative stuff

do you like puzzles? not sure if this means jigsaw puzzles specifically, in which case not really. i love word puzzles and brainteasers though

any phobias? spiders :(

favorite childhood sport? i did not do sports as a child lol but i was in kung fu classes for like 8 years

do you talk to yourself? allllll the time. ALL the time

what movie(s) do you adore? the lotr trilogy, the princess bride, arrival, the blair witch project, pan's labyrinth, mamma mia, and the parent trap (lindsay lohan version) to name a few

coffee or tea? coffee, although i do love tea

first thing you wanted to be growing up: a singer i think

tagging: @withingerly @markpakin @supanuts @nick-nellson @firstkanaphans @aylinaliens @khaopybara @pharawee - if y'all wanna, no pressure ✨

#some of you i've only interacted with via likes and reblogs so consider this me sticking my hand out for you to sniff <3 #tag game #bon.txt

[bedlamsbard]

Hi there!

I just finished reading Queen’s Gambit, for the first time, and first off, I wanna extend my personal compliments. It’s probably some of the best Star Wars anything I’ve ever read, let alone one of the best fics I’ve ever read. Excellent job.

My actual question is this: was the plotline with “our” Anakin/Obi-Wan/Padmé (aka the versions from the Wake the Storm-verse) ever officially continued anywhere? I found the posts outlining what the sequels to Queen’s Gambit would have been, but I can’t seem to find anything for the other versions if the characters. I’m not necessarily asking for fic or demanding anything, I’m just genuinely curious if there’s anything out there about potential plans.

Thank you so much and I hope you have a lovely day/evening/whatever time of day!

Thank you for reading, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the story!

To the best of my memory, I don't have any posts up about what would have happened in All Along the Watchtower, the third Ouroboros story -- there's some concept writing posted well far back in my cut scenes and concept writing tag that dates from when Gambit was in progress, I believe. At a later point in time I planned to use the Watchtower 'verse, the 'verse that the Wake trio ends up in at the end of Gambit, as the same universe that Ezra ends up in during The Starry Crown, though I left the fandom and stopped working on that story before that was revealed; there's some concept writing that shows a later incarnation of that universe from Ezra's POV.

The three alternate universes in the Ouroboros trilogy -- the OT canon universe (as of 2013) in Wake, the Gambitverse in Gambit, and the Watchtower 'verse in Watchtower -- were designed to be mirrorverses for each of the three trio members, so the outcome of each character's worst case scenario. Canon for Anakin (he was responsible for the death and destruction of everything he loved), Gambitverse for Padme (she was the tyrant responsible for corrupting a Jedi and launching the galaxy into civil war), and Watchtower for Obi-Wan (he lost control, fell to the Dark Side, and was unable to help when the Jedi were slaughtered because of circumstances outside his control). I don't remember exactly the precipitating factors now, but Obi-Wan had ended up on Dooku's side here (I think he was captured by Maul? and tortured and later rescued by Dooku? it's been a long time now), and Dooku was able to manipulate him into turning on Palpatine, killing him early and allowing Dooku to become emperor. There was an Order 66, but it wasn't as successful as the canon one; a large portion of the Jedi Order was able to escape and regroup under the grandmastership of Mace Windu. (Yoda having been killed.) Anakin was one of them. Padme and a number of other Jedi allies remained in the now-Imperial Senate; Padme specifically was spying for the Jedi. She had had Luke and Leia, but gave them both up (Luke to Anakin and the Jedi, Leia to the Organas) so that they wouldn't be vulnerable to Dooku. Dooku started -- I can't remember what I was going to call it, an Order of Sith Knights, maybe, sort of like the One Sith from the comics, which Obi-Wan headed up. He and Padme were having a sexual relationship, which Anakin was aware of; uncertain if he and Anakin were also involved but they might have been. The galaxy had fragmented pretty significantly; Maul was still running around, Dooku didn't have as good a grip on recalcitrant systems as Palpatine had, so there were various independence movements.

The Wake trio had all gotten dropped into different locations in the galaxy about, uh, ten years or so onwards from the divergence point? Padme we see at the end of Gambit; Anakin ended up on Coruscant and goes to contact that universe's Padme, who is understandably a little freaked out but does help him. I can't remember where exactly Obi-Wan was, but ultimately he ends up on Tatooine with that universe's Ahsoka, who is at this point a Jedi Knight representing the Order during an auction facilitated by the Hutts for major weaponry, at which a bunch of other political groups in the galaxy are also present, so we meet various Mandalorian groups (Sabine is a junior Protector), rebels/terrorists (Hera is there representing Free Ryloth), and Maul's apprentice (Kanan/Caleb, who had gotten kidnapped from the Order years earlier and has been believed dead for years). This is also where the Ezra of The Starry Crown ends up (as seen in the concept writing linked up above); when I was writing Crown I was still leaving it up in the air if I would use that to crabwalk sideways into actually using the Wake trio there too.

As early as 2016 or 2017 (Gambit wrapped in 2015, I immediately started working on Backbone that summer with the intention to go back to Ouroboros after I finished, I thought it would be a quick project ha ha ha Backbone didn't wrap until 2018), I had been planning to integrate Rebels plot points into Watchtower; I don't remember all the details now, but it involved a plan to use the Malachor temple/superweapon (which I have postulated elsewhere was actually a massive starship) and a counterpart on Coruscant to do Bad Things. The Malachor end got shut down by Hera, Kanan, Crown!Ezra, and that universe's Ezra (masterless Jedi padawan nicknamed Rat, the Jedi had to change up some of their Process because so many of them had died in Order 66); this is also where the Malachor holocron is destroyed and absorbed by Crown!Ezra, which is seen in Crown. That universe's Anakin went to deal with the Coruscant end, fought and killed that universe's Obi-Wan, and was fatally injured destroying the Coruscant superweapon, dying there.

This obviously doesn't leave a lot of room for the Wake trio to do anything but observe, which isn't that different from what they do in Gambit (and which gets a lot of criticism). But that is, as I remember it, the plot. Because it never got written and finalized, it's changed a lot over the years, but many of the fundamental details of the universe remained the same; like I said, I at one point planned to use it for Crown after I'd decided not to write Watchtower itself, but it was always the same plot, just with a larger cast of characters.

I say this pretty regularly because Wake/Gambit are always picking up new readers, but there aren't any current plans to pick up Ouroboros again -- I have gotten a regular amount of vitriolic comments on both fics for the better part of a decade now and it's completely killed any desire of mine to work on them. Also left some permanent scars and fundamentally changed the way I write, plot, and interact with fandom, which I complain about regularly in my talking about feedback in public tag. (Wake went up in 2013, so we really are coming up on the ten year anniversary. Watchtower got hate mail EVEN BEFORE it ever went up.)

#sailor marinara22 #bedlam replies #ouroboros #all along the watchtower

[somekindx]

Gotta say, listening to the Southern Reach trilogy on audiobook while I'm this sick has been one of my more genius ideas. and also a terrible, delirious, confusing, ouroboros of an experience that may yet devour me. I have no idea what's happening and it's grand.

#southern reach #annihilation #eco horror #fortunately I have read these books before but never on audiobook and never with #covid

[brydde]

( * ... independent bᵣydₑ of the dreamer trilogy & the raven cycle. crossover friendly. exploring: ouroboros eating his own tail. what is "real" to someone who creates reality. the designated villain. eldritch hungers. bringing magic back to a world that has forgotten it. the thing that is human-shaped but is not human. prometheus burned, consumed by the fire he was bringing us. )

#the raven cycle rp #trc rp #alan wake rp #dragon age rp #indie horror rp

[impromptu-sketches]

Hi...I'm the one who ask BL recs like KazuRei....Just want to say, thanks so much for your answer, I've read some of them, and they were spot on....🤩

If you don't mind, can I ask for another BL recs that have the same vibe as damen/laurent from novels "Captive Prince" (kind, protective, bigger build seme x clever, tsundere, beautiful uke)? Or like andrew/ neil from novels "All for the Game : Foxhole Court" (both have strong personalities, can be reversible couples, looks weak but actually strong) ? Sorry for this long ask, feel free if you want to answer either one, both or none? I just started reading BL, last year, and your blog, are like my guideline..... Thanks so much for sharing your recs and reviews...Again, sorry if I compare them to novels....Hope you have a wonderful day.....

Glad you liked the KazuRei list (ㅅ´ ˘ `)♡

I'm a HUGE fan of the Captive Prince trilogy!! Even with adding to the partial list I already have for it, I don't feel like any of these fully capture Damen & Laurent's relationship dynamic or personalities but if you like them you may also like:

Twittering Birds Never Fly | yakuza, bdsm, masochist bottom boss x new employee (ongoing)

Liveta | (recommending Liveta for them too) fantasy, prince bottom x commoner top, enemy lands (ongoing)

Taming the Tiger | historical, uke lord x seme slave (ongoing)

King's Maker / King's Maker Triple Crown | fantasy, political, royalty, slow burn, bottom is the brains x top is the bronze (ongoing)

Mad Place | detective x suspect, clever & cute uke (ongoing)

Under the Green Light | gang leader x student (ongoing)

Steel Under Silk | historical, seme lord x uke slave (ongoing)

Therapy Game / Therapy Game Restart | gorgeous uke, soft & sweet, wholesome (ongoing)

●

I haven't read All For the Game, I'm only vaguely familiar with the story (my understanding of it is angsty and aggressive college boys with dark undertones?), but here's my best shot at recommendations for Andrew and Neil. Let me know what you think or what you would recommend instead:

Love Shuttle | adults, omegaverse, strong omega, enemies to lovers, coworkers (completed)

Wet Stand | adults, gangs, love triangle, strong uke (ongoing)

Dark Heaven | adults, bandmates, childhood friends to lovers, switches, ride or die relationship (completed)

OUROBOROS | psychological, love triangle, past trauma/abuse (completed)

Lost in the Cloud | students, psychological (ongoing)

Wagging the Tail | college, enemies to lovers, switches, animal characteristics (completed)

A Shoulder to Cry On | students, love/hate relationship (completed)

Sweet and Cold | college, childhood friends (completed)

19 Days | students, slice of life, comedy, gang family ties (ongoing)

●

I'd love to hear other recommendations, especially for Captive Prince if anyone has any!

♡ Thank you for the questions

#twittering birds never fly #king's maker #19 days #captive prince #all for the game #the foxhole court #bl manga #yaoi #bl manhwa

[silent-partner-412]

xenoblade 3 chapter 5/6 spoilers. stay safe out there.

still not over how disappointing mio was as a character. for like, that entire game, i was so invested in her. i thought the existential dread of KNOWING your time is being cut short despite the fact that you have important stuff that needs to be done was palpable. the utter despair and fear she had about dying felt so real. i saw the conclusion to this setup ending in one of two ways: either they completely dismantle the system that causes the agnian or kevesi soldiers to die after ten years (probably in a moment of tension, when she’s very close to dying), or she straight up dies. both of these would’ve been ten times better than what actually happened.

i’m sorry, the whole body swap with m shit was terrible. actually terrible. they sidestepped the whole goddamn situation entirely, and it came completely out of nowhere. i remember getting to the end of chapter 5 and thinking “holy shit, they actually fucking went there” after i thought mio’s homecoming happened. and my mind started racing, like how is this party going to handle this?? suddenly we’re missing an integral member of the team, not just within the story but also as an ouroboros pair. what are they gonna do with noah in battle now? not to mention, how are we gonna make it out of this situation? suddenly n and m are at a significant advantage over the rest of us, what’s gonna happen? i was so excited to see what the fallout of this situation would look like.

but nope! turns out m and mio fucking body swapped. mio is fine. n is an incel. there is no shakeup to the status quo, nothing changes, in fact nothing remotely interesting happens for the rest of this goddamn story after this. and yes, i know there was precedence for this with m in the battle beforehand. it was still crap, and probably the biggest waste of potential for the whole story. once this happened, they officially lost me. the story was tainted and it never recovered since chapters 6 and 7 are so fucking short. all the investment i had in mio as a character evaporated entirely. it’s a contender for the worst moment of the entire numbered trilogy for me, it was even more baffling to me because i saw nothing but glowing praise for this moment otherwise.

#xenoblade #xenoblade 3 #xenoblade chronicles #xenoblade chronicles 3 #mio #i know this isn’t gonna make me friends #but i need this off my chest #i don’t think i’ve ever seen another person take issue with this #so i’m just gonna be the one to bring it up

[alparlaboratories]

Man, I often go back to listen to Silver Will from trails in the sky 2 and it still hits so hard every single time. It's such a good theme and its leitmotif is everywhere. It's in the opening of the game, it's in the sad theme that plays when you learn about Hamel, it's in every fight against the Enforcers.

And then it plays in its peak form during the end of the game against Loewe, and it's used SO well. I don't necessarily think Trails peaks there, but it's probably the most consistently good moment in all the games. Loewe admitting that he's helping Ouroboros because he can't stand the thought of anyone else going through what the two of them have, only for Joshua to say that it's because of Karin's sacrifice that he managed to live, that any one person can make a difference...

And then examplifying exactly that by being relentlessly kind and supportive to this lost, traumatized girl, and that one action saving the entire world... Sky 2, and the entire Sky trilogy is so fucking good. It's probably the tightest story they've done so far in terms of impact.

#yes im rambling about trails again let me have this #I gotta focus on something so I don't lose my mind #trails in the sky

[shehzadi]

books to read based/ or around the theme of Ouroboros ?

of course!! i don’t tend to seek out ouroboros themes in books but they’ve become increasingly unintentionally-prevalent in current reads. here are my favs:

the poppy war trilogy by r.f. kuang

children of time duology by adrian tchaikovsky

solaris by stanisław lem

mexican gothic by silvia moreno-garcia

the final girl support group by grady hendrix

if you want something shorter and maybe more meta, there’s the essay ouroboricisms by alice lesperance. i’m not particularly one for poems but in the desert by stephen crane and the world keeps ending, and the world goes on by franny choi are absolute ouroborocism gems.

two of the books on my tbr also involve ouroborocisms:

hauntology: ghosts of future past by merlin coverly

atonement by ian mcewan

#i hope you like at least some of these! #feel free to go through my ouroboros tag to see if any of the excerpts in there interest you enough to read the whole work -> #ouroboros #asks

[cloudslinger]

something, character foils, something how the dreamer trilogy isn't just an ouroboros in the sense of time but also in the sense of characters... how everything is a cycle and will keep being a cycle bc that is how everything works in this wonderful mysterious magical universe

#tdt #the dreamer trilogy #greywaren #greywaren spoilers #ronan lynch #hennessy #joseph kavinsky #ronanessy #rovinsky #ronanessy are the best imo #truest most platonic soulmates who can be quite shitty to each other but the love is so sincere and honest #kavinsky was supposed to be ronan's mentor he was supposed to have all the answer he 'failed' ronan #ronan was supposed to hennessy's mentor he was supposed to have all the answers he failed hennessy #also ronan: *creates bryde* aha problem fucking fixed! #which of the three is supposed to be less fucked up? k / ronan / hennessy? #answer: none of the above #the fucked upness is both what devours and pushed two of them to become better #to not get eaten by the snake but to be the one eating the snake etc. etc. #i get my balls handed to me by the fact that everything in trc/tdt is a fucking cycle like YES FUCK ME UP!!! #it's so insane #anyways i love you ronan i love you hennessy

[xxlittle0birdxx]

Another monotonously grey day stretched in front of him with its steady drizzle and perpetually cloudy skies. Another plodding loop going from one vaporator to the next. They honestly didn’t need this much maintenance, but it gave him something with which to occupy his mind, however small, so it didn’t trap itself in an endless loop like an ouroboros, chastising himself for things he could not change. Just as he’d done yesterday. And the day before that, and the one before that…

Until a sizzling surge in the Force sent his head rearing back. ‘Oh, kriff me,’ he muttered. ‘They found us…’ He got his feet under him, prepared to grab Luke and make a run for it, when he realized the burning coal of fury emanated from…

Luke.

He stormed out of the house and stomped through the tall grass, searching for Obi-wan. It wasn't hard to spot him with his red hair a marked contrast to the greenery that nearly hid him. He found Obi-wan crouched in front of a vaporator, tinkering with its settings. He stalked toward him, cheeks splotchy with nascent rage and anguish. 'You lied to me!' he shrieked.

#obi wan kenobi #luke skywalker #padme amidala #past obi wan x padme #past obidala #post revenge of the sith #star wars au #obi wan raising luke #obi wan training luke as a child

[kyndaris]

To Keep Smiling

When the Nintendo Switch first released all those years ago, the game that saw me trade in my Wii U and upgrade was Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (though the first game I played on it was Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle). So, when Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was announced this year with a release date in September, I was eager to get my hands on the final installation to the trilogy that started with a blond boy and his red word and the distinct Britishisms that were rampant in the game.

The fact that it was ready earlier than expected was simply icing on the cake.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a continuation of the first two games, which, in the timeline of the games happened approximately at the same time but in two different worlds. Aionios, therefore, is the perfect blend of the two and this is represented in the opposing forces: Keves and Agnus.

What, somewhat, three me initially was that the game started with Noah, Eunie, Lanz and Joran all racing to the Queen’s anniversary. They push through a crowd of people before Noah stops, caught off guard by a strange phenomenon in the sky above the city they’re in.

From there, the game dovetails into a world where war has been ever-present. Initially, I explained that opening as part of the backstory for the characters. Perhaps that phenomenon witnessed by Noah was an attack by Agnus that was part of the cycle of hatred their people were embroiled in. And yet the more I played, the less my cobbled together explanation made sense.

Of course, after playing through so many hours, I’d basically forgotten those early moments - too enraptured in the current conflict Noah and his friends found themselves in as they fought to free themselves from a terrible system focused on the endless now. I mean, how messed up is it that Keves and Agnus force child soldiers into a war none of them quite understand - and where their lives are a mere ten years after birth? Sure, their bodies are in t heir mid-teens but no-one has any true understanding of modesty or romance or culture or art. Rather, the only thing they’ve ever known since coming out of the proverbial womb is fighting.

Nobody knows how the conflict ever started. But as every cycle sees friends die, trauma becomes an endless cycle of no end. The people of Keves and Agnus fight to survive and survive to fight another day.

But what struck me about Noah’s character from the first was how he viewed the opposing force - choosing to send them off if the Agnus offseer had been killed. Offseeing itself is very similar to the Sending from Final Fantasy X. Instead of a dance, however, offseers play music on a flute wherein motes of light representing the dead’s last wishes are able to move on. They are beautiful moments, filled with wonder but tinged with melancholy. It is a process that apes the grieving process and helps the people of the world move on. Something that those who have lost someone dear to them can understand and appreciate.

After the first few hours, I was soon introduced to Mio, Sena and Taion.

And just like that, I too had fallen for the Welsh catgirl (which might have been a thing in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 had I not played it on Japanese dub).

Sent on a mission to investigate a strange energy reading, our Keves heroes encounter their Agnian counterparts and immediately begin to fight. They are only interrupted by Guernica Vandham, the introduction of Moebius and the power of Ouroboros. 

Thus begins the quest to save their world from needless suffering and to bring about a future that is not trapped in the endless now.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has an excellent premise. The base narrative was immersive and had me completely invested. Better yet, it was bolstered by the side stories and hero quests. And while many of the side quests were simple ‘Fetch x item’ or ‘Kill x number of y creatures,’ the framing for these jobs neatly tied into the grander narrative of living in a world when war is no longer on everyone’s mind.

And of course, I wrote about these themes in an earlier post because of how well they encapsulated the human condition and what it means to be ‘alive.’ Xenoblade Chronicles 3 more than any other game I’ve played in recent years was very much focused on asking those hard-hitting questions and making people face the reality of what it takes to continue in an unfair world. There were so many stories that I connected with and it was also so easy to sympathise with the motivations for many of the antagonists (even if I, at first, felt that they were comical jesters with the spotlights popping on at random intervals and their focus on spouting exposition when any true villain would have just killed our protagonists initially).

Joran and Shania and Crys and Irma...

Even though I know that many players hated Shania, as someone who has also experienced what it means to ‘never be good enough’ I can acknowledge that pain. With such high expectations, I can also see the appeal of wanting to restart my own life as if it were all a game - though I doubt I’d ever go to such extremes.

On a side note, there should have been more sapphic content. Alas, a missed opportunity...

But while the narrative shone bright, the combat was a little lacklustre in my opinion. There aren’t many changes from the last two titles and most battles, I could walk in blind-folded when playing on ‘normal.’ I’m sure that on higher difficulties, there would have been more of a need to rapidly switch between characters with better compositions, but well...I’m not one of those gamers.

Graphics-wise, the game is serviceable although I detected a significant downgrade when in handheld mode as opposed to keeping it docked. As for the music, they were most definitely some of the best pieces I’ve heard in a good long while - even if the Moebius theme was played for every single Moebius bar a couple. Given how big the game is, however, the game developers are forgiven for this transgression.

My one gripe, however, is that game developers need to stop creating such game worlds and keep it slightly smaller (and more manageable). As an ‘adult’ with a job, long commute times and other commitments, these games are such huge time sinks and their lengths can be more detrimental than helpful.

Overall, however, I have to say that I loved Xenoblade Chronicles with all my heart. And were I to perish tomorrow and look over my life, I’d know that this game, along with a few others, are ones that’ll bring a smile to my lips for a life well lived - my mark made on the world because of all the things I’ve done.

After all, it isn’t just important to live well - taking breaks along the way - it’s also important to die well as well (at least in the words of Ashera).

Happiness might be an impossible goal but contentment over our choices, even if there are a few regrets, and fighting for a better future are what we have been placed on this Earth to do. Let’s just hope Noah manages to reunite with his cute Welsh catgirl so that Eunie can be satisfied that they’re having babies. 

#video games #xenoblade chronicles 3 #noah #sena is the girl with the gall #lanz wants something meatier #mio

[khytal]

xeno’d blade 3 general thoughts wooo

-very cool main cast loved every single character -it’s been a long time since sidequests actually felt meaningful in a game -i miss the unique area themes,,,,I know they went for atmosphere on purpose but I guess the battle themes make up for it -combat system excellent awesome super super fun best one yet -the voice acting!!!! good lord noah’s va has Range o(-< -story uhhhh. thoughts pending i’m not sure yet

(spoilers + more specific details)

-since the last game I played with a romance subplot was tales of arise I feel like noahmio fell short of my expectations but I still got emotional when they kissed :’) maybe I just need to watch the cutscenes again?? idk

though tbf they’re the best-written romantic pair in the blade trilogy so they have that going for them-

(i like that sena and lanz parted on deep friendship terms and weren’t really implied to be romantically interested in each other. and eunie/taion is cute but if anything i’m partial to taion/lanz. the high five scene got me ú-ù)

-I didn’t expect to like mio more than noah either. noah felt like he was Just Some Guy and I kept waiting for something to happen that...never did

I think it’s because noah was already exposed to the concept of choice before becoming ouroboros, even though he didn’t know what it meant at the time. his “arc” is just him coming to understand what crys told him, but he doesn’t have any kind of significant development/change in character as a result. besides learning what love is, I guess? but that’s subtle (outside of his distress in ch5)

and I’m not saying a protagonist who’s already mostly set in their ideals can’t be compelling (kazuma kiryu, yuri lowell, to name a couple), but noah doesn’t have any outstanding characteristics besides wanting to compose his own tunes (which doesn’t even really come up after he mentions it while introducing himself). beyond that he’s self-conscious at times and he likes helping people. very generic traits. he doesn’t tease people/his friends often but I sort of wish he did it more bc it made him more charming

also the game presents noah as the main main protagonist of the two but honestly. mio was really the protagonist all along and if noah didn’t have the sword he really would’ve just been some guy who happened to be at the right place at the right time

anyway main party ranking taion > mio, eunie, lanz > sena, noah

-i wish overworld banter wasn’t just 2 lines. there were so many opportunities for dialogue to continue/involve other characters and it just felt weird when the 2nd line would be a question that went unanswered

-I’m glad that none of the battle themes were bad; the ones that I felt neutral about at first grew on me over time

-i probably have thoughts about N and M but in general i felt like N wasn’t given enough time to accept noah. like it seemed kinda. rushed?? idk if that was just me though

#khytal.ks #anyway im really sleepy so this is all i can do for now #maybe more thoughts later once i've had time to absorb info

[vincentcatagainsttheworld]

#Repost @debharkness FB page THE BOOK OF LIFE read along, ch 40-41 “Since facing the Congregation in April, I had come to understand myself as a complicated weaving and not just a walking palimpsest. My body was a tapestry of witch, daemon, and vampire. Some of the threads that made me were pure power, as symbolized by Corra’s shadowy form. Some were drawn from the skill that my weaver’s cords represented. The rest were spun from the knowledge contained in the Book of Life. Every knotted strand gave me the strength to use the goddess’s arrow for justice rather than the pursuit of vengeance or power.” “More than that, the ouroboros symbolized our partnership. Matthew and I were an alchemical marriage of vampire and witch, death and life, sun and moon. That combination of opposites created something finer and more precious than either of us could ever have been separately. We were the tenth knot. Unbreakable. Without beginning or end.” -THE BOOK OF LIFE “Question: Readers all over the globe have embraced the world and characters you’ve created. What has been your reaction to the outpouring of love for the All Souls trilogy? Deb: It’s been amazing. I was surprised by how quickly readers embraced two central characters who have a considerable number of quirks and who challenge our typical notion of what a heroine or a hero should be. And I continue to be amazed whenever a new reader pops up—whether one in the United States or somewhere like Finland or Japan—to tell me how much she enjoyed being caught up in the world of the Bishops and de Clermonts. Sometimes when I meet readers, they ask me how their friends are doing—meaning Diana, or Matthew, or Miriam. That is an extraordinary experience for any writer.” THE WORLD OF ALL SOULS-Interview with Deb, p.13 👉Let’s discuss. What did you notice when you read these chapters? In the comments below, please share your observations, favorite quotes, musings, questions, half-baked ideas, or deep dives with the rest of us! (see comments for some of my favorite quotes) Cat #TBOLch40 #TBOLch41 #TBOLreadalong2023 #TheBookOfLife #TheWorldofAllSouls https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp0XGxvo9wE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#repost #tbolch40 #tbolch41 #tbolreadalong2023 #thebookoflife #theworldofallsouls