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elisa20beth · 10 months

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A Night to Remember

pairing: Jess McCready x Reader

warning: refrences to a fem presenting!reader, alcohol, smoking. Also written at 2am so that obviously requires a warning in itself Notes: your honor, I love her. Also I'm majorly late the A League of Their Own party so I highly doubted people will see this. Crossing my fingers for more Jess content S2, esp. Jess and Lu!!!

fluff, fluff, fluff

word count: 1.5k

summary: Reader decides to sneak out to a gay bar for the first time. Unfortunately Jess sees her and follows her there. Words are exchanged and they realize maybe nothing is impossible...

You press your ear against the door as you wait for the creaky floors to quiet down as Beverly brushes past your door. You look down at your watch; 10:00 at the mark. Ever since you almost got caught being out past curfew, you vowed to never do it again, making sure to always wait exactly 30 minutes post-curfew before stepping outside your room, Beverly’s snores posing as a quiet melody of reassurance. Right as you heard her door close, you pushed away from the door, striding over to your armoire, where your (f/c) dress was hanging in front. You start to slip out of your satin pajamas as you nervously glance over to the dress.

What if something goes wrong or what if someone finds out, your mind runs.

You can't risk getting your secret out, not with your baseball future at risk. You finish buttoning up the dress as you turn around to face the mirror. You smooth out non-existent wrinkles as your eyes rake over your image. The small white scalloped collar stood stark from the dark buttons and belt but coordinated perfectly with the pleated skirt, ending just below your knees.

Taking a deep breath, you move to sit on your bed, rolling your stockings up, pausing as you see your roommate move in her sleep. You slowly get up and move over to the small table at the end of the bed. Choosing a lipstick to match a perfect outfit. If you look good, then you’ll feel good, at least that's what your Ma always told you.

You pick up your handbag as you slowly twist open the metal doorknob. Sliding out into the dark hallway, you glide down the stairs, stepping into the non-squeaky areas of each step. You stop in front of the last obstacle; the loud front door. You hesitantly reach out for the ornate door knob and slowly twist it. Opening the door enough, you quietly slip out and speed up to a brisk walk out into the open world. But even through all your planned and careful actions, you fail to notice the figure leaning on the porch fence, smoking a cigarette.

As you walk past the shed, you turn around to glance at the place you've called home for the last month. The home of the Rockford Peaches. Being a part of the team gave you a sense of confidence you didn’t have before, even though it wasn't as high as your teammates like Greta, Jo, or Jess.

Jess. You didn’t know when it started. Was it when you heard her complain about screwing up at the try-outs that first night, or when you bonded over Beverly’s strict rules, or when you saw her ferocious mindset the first time you saw her? All you knew was that when you started to fall, you fell hard and fast. You had never felt like that before. Maybe the occasional pretty girl who caught your breath at school back home, but nothing like this. You couldn't let yourself live like this any longer, keeping it a secret for so long. You didn't know if you were doing this for her or yourself but you couldn't let yourself quit now. So you turned around, with a new sense of confidence as you marched towards the safe haven to figure out who you were.

…

Jess looked up to the sound of the front door softly closing, moving her eyes towards your figure, all dolled up. She’d always find a bit of fun in teasing you, enjoying how meek you would become as a result. Besides Carson’s late-night practices and the games, there wasn't much to do, causing her to get bored, a lot.

As she watched you walk towards the shed, away from her eyesight, she put out her cigarette and started to follow you, curious about where you were going, past curfew may she add. Ten minutes in, she realized you were heading in the direction of the gay bar Lu and she frequented often. It didn't come as a shock to her; on multiple occasions, catching you staring at her, quickly turning away when you realized she’d seen. But a smile rose to her face as she realized it confirmed her suspicions. Maybe she'd actually have a chance.

Watching you stop, she quickly hid behind the car parked near the curb as she saw you close your eyes, breathing in deeply before you opened the door and escaped from her view. Walking back around the car, Jess made sure to take her time before making her presence known, allowing you to get comfortable before scaring you off.

…

As you stepped inside the building, you felt a sense of safety and love rush over you as you started walking through the hallway, pieces of art adorning the walls. Approaching the main area, you felt your heartbeat quicken, worried if you would feel welcome. Yet that worry faded away as you took in the scene. Couples mingling at the bar and dancing the night away. Sounds of joy and love filled the room, joining the lively voice and signing into the mic. You make a beeline towards the bar and slide into an empty seat.

“Welcome to the Moxie Salon, what can I get for you sweets?” The bartender asks as you look up.

“Umm,” you start, “Could I just get a beer?”

“Sure can! Say, I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before” He adds.

“This is my first time but I don't think it’ll be my last” You finish with a smile.

The bartender mirrors your expression as he turns back around. You look around at your surroundings, feeling a sense of serenity.

“Hey, could you make that two beers?” a familiar voice adds.

You freeze up as you feel someone slide into the empty seat next to you. You refused to look up as you felt their burning gaze.

“What brings you here (n/n)?”

You felt your cheeks burn as you slowly met Jess’s eyes, “I-” you started to sputter.

“Hey,” She reassures you, “Your secret is safe with me”, mockingly zipping her lips and throwing away the key.

“Besides,” she adds, “You’re not alone. You’re just like me- just like all of them”.

You give her a grateful smile as the two beers slid towards you. Both of you take a sip as you enjoyed each other's space quietly, Jess breaks the silence a few minutes later: “Am I the first one to figure it out?”

“I hope s-” you stop, “Wait, what do you mean figure it out? Was it obvious?”

Seeing your nervous expression, she lightly chuckles before adding: “Not really, just the many times I’ve caught you staring or how you react when I’m near you” she finishes, bumping your shoulder jokingly.

“I’m so sorry, it’s just that being away from home, it felt like a lot of things suddenly clicked”

“Don’t be sorry. Besides, I enjoyed it”, Jess teased you as she hopped off the seat and nodded towards an empty table.

You follow her lead, pulling out the wooden chair and sitting down. Jess lit a cigarette as you guys would spend the next hour talking, laughing, and enjoying each other's presence; a haven away from the strict rules that run society outside. As The night begins to slow down, people filtering out of the warmly-lit room, Jess stands from her chair, putting out the cigarette before holding her hand out to you, helping you stand up.

“You ready to head out?”

“Yeah,” you mutter as you stare at each other, soft smiles gracing each face.

And yet as you weaved through the smaller crowd, never once did she let go, only moving to rest her arm around your shoulders once you stepped outside into the cool Chicagoan night breeze. Your feet fell into a similar pattern as you felt her warmth encase you like a warm blanket. Butterflies filled your stomach as you felt her grip tightening and loosen up on you periodically.

As the house came into sight, you feel yourself deflate, not wanting to end the night. And as she led you up the stairs, she stopped in front of the door, turning to face you. She looks down as she grabs your other hand and looks back up to meet your eyes.

“I had a lot of fun tonight and I’m glad I got to finally meet the real you”

“Maybe we could do it again sometime?” you hopefully add.

Jess replies with a sweet kiss to your cheek, smirking as she sees your expression, “I’d love to”, turning back around to walk through the door;

You smile to yourself before following her, watching as she walks up the steps before disappearing into her and Greta’s shared room. You slowly make your way back to your room before slipping out of your dress and back into your pajamas and falling into your bed, passing out with dreams replaying the night over and over again; Jess’s plaited hair and the cigarette behind her ear seared in your brain till the morning and for many nights to come.

Maybe your dreams weren't impossible after all.

#jess mccready #jess mccready x reader #aloto #aloto 2022 #lupe garcia #gay love #this seriously needs to be properly edited #fluff #a league of their own #a league of the own series

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summer-nights19 · 2 months

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hii! may i have a hcs of vorpal swords meeting kagami's cool older sister who is like, very chill, has piercings on her mouth, and has a smoking addiction. and also is studying in a law school (sorry if this is too self indulgent lol) have a nice day!!

Hi anon ! Thank you so much for the request, hope you enjoy ~

GoM guys meet Kagami's older sister

Aomine

- She definitely sounds like she could be his type . Might try to hit on herand take her out at first, but she'd be dismissive due to the slight age gap

- Become pretty good friends over time, and often hang out as a three with Kagami there, playing basketball together or simply going out

- Definitely asks her for advice with girls secretly- he's too embarrassed to ask anyone else, and she'll keep the secret.

- Have smoke breaks on the rooftop together when Aomine's having a lazy day

- She would also probably tutor him throughout exam season along with Kagami since she has the brains in the family

- They often tease Kagami together or bring up embarrassing shit he did in the past. Aomine managed to get a lot of ammunition from her.

Kise

- Who would've known Kagami's older sister was so attractive ? He tries to hit on her at the beginning, but she'd probably still see him as a bit young and brush him off

- Become good friends with time and have tea spilling sessions at her apartment that consist of self care routines and talking shit

- Definitely exchange advice on beauty products and skincare

Kuroko

- They'd be so chill together

- I could see them hanging out semi regularly due to how close Kuroko and Kagami are

- Acts like an older sister to him too - encourages him to keep pursuing his passions and working hard even when he's faced with tough competition

- He high key admires her confidence and intellect and aspires to find that in himself one day

Akashi

- Their relationship would be one of mutual trust and respect after a while - he values her intelligence and confident, outspoken manner and she also understands how important his talents are to her brother's team

- Starts respecting her more than Kagami after a while, which annoys him to no end

- Even though he won't admit it, he admires her academic career

Midorima

- Was definitely dismissive of her before they got to know each other better, seeing her as just another attractive girl.

- However, when he learnt more about her and got to know her better, he'd definitely start seeing her more like Akashi does

- Now, he always tells Kagami that he received none of the brains in the family

- Will never admit how much he respects her intelligence to her face

- No matter how much time passes, he'll never grow accustomed to all the piercings and cigarettes

Murasakibara

- They'd definitely chill together after basketball practice or when Atsushi feels especially lazy, sharing snacks and cigarettes

- Atsushi feels comfortable enough to open up a bit around her and vent to her about the problems in his life, and she's happy to give him advice

- He greatly respects her as a person and is one of the few people he actually enjoys the company of

- Sometimes she'll pack him extra snacks if she goes to see them in a game

Masterlist

#knb fanfic #knb oc #oc fanfiction #knb headcanons #generation of miracles #gom knb #knb #aomine daiki #kise ryota #akashi seijirou #midorima shintarou #kuroko tetsuya #atsushi murasakibara

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sgiandubh · 9 months

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Jottings: Season 7, episode 6. A woman is... possibility

Contrary to what I usually do in here, just jotting down spontaneous impressions of the episodes, with no great pretension to anything, I had to re-watch Where The Waters Meet three times over last week. And it was all my fault, because this is truly a good and dense episode, that could have very well ended this half-season.

It also becomes more and more clear that my decision of not reading these damn books was a very poor choice. Probably because the storyline seems cramped, at times, I find myself gliding through moments and scenes with the very unpalatable sensation of bagging a munro without the right equipment. Not a good picture, I know. But bear in mind I just started Drums of Autumn and it already reads like a root canal intervention - sorry for the book purists. I should, however, hope to somehow catch up before part B of the season: no promises, though. If, by any stretch of my vivid imagination, I start to hear Herself's screechy voice in my head while reading, it immediately goes down the drain, despite my best intentions & effort.

But I digress. While Fort Ticonderoga is being evacuated with the help of the friendly Cherokees and their lightweight canoes, in Lallybroch there is a bit of fussing over Jemmy's cursing in Gaelic at school. Which leads to Roger being invited to give a wee lecture on the topic by a very enthusiastic Headmaster and yet another (Lord in heaven and all His cherubs) constipated domestic conversation with SS. The only cheerful thing about her is that self-assertive fringe, so 80s I could cry (I hate the Eighties with the passion I worship the Sixties, heh). And her grabbing me by the sleeve (Hello, people! Lookie here! I can haz acting! I am acting! ) every single time she has more than three lines on air is distracting and, again, annoying.

Walter Woodcock's demise instantly took me to Season 1, when that proud Scot was killed by the boar and Claire helped give him the good death he deserved. Not surprising at all, since the whole OL dynamic is a pendulum between loves, timelines and worlds.

The new Rollo dog looks less direwolfish than Rollo 1. #GoT, stopped watching upon Khaleesi's arrival at King's Landing. Never looked back.

Rob Cameron, you antagonist, you. That new acquaintance you instantly find too pushy not to feel suspicious about, and yet you can't afford to be irrationally rude to. Also, with no SS in sight, RR is pulling off his scenes quite fine & dandy, and with ease. What is that woman's dark secret? How can that be? Court is still in session, on this one. But give me more Hunters and less #Broger, dear God. I would take it any day, any way you see fit. I will be nice to everyone and take my vitamins. I will even consider jogging. But get them off my back, for Christ's sake!

Vandervaart. Consistent. Present. Owns his game. Elegant. Loved every single moment (Your servant, Madam - especially and for obvious reasons). A very, very good cast honoring both J and LJG. I can only fawn and paeans are not really my specialty. But I continue to be impressed and confident and I see great things for this talented kid.

Spoiler: I said yes, Claire. And just like that, with the click of the rifle's hammer, he tells her their whole world is yet again thrown upside down. Theirs is a dense scene, clearly dominated by S, whose mastery of voice and expression is once again flawless and thoroughly appreciated. She follows, at a - by now - completely symbiotic pace, but make no mistake: he gives her the cues. And I would take that subtle, unspeakable tenderness any day, gladly, if the writer's final choice was not to insist on what might be - perhaps unjustly - construed by some as geriatric porn. He still looks at her like that.

For that only, if not for all the rest, I will continue to watch it until the end. Because I feel you morally lose the right to criticize the moment you throw the towel and your opinion suddenly turns into bitching. Something I will most probably never do, as far as OL is concerned.

Onwards to Dreaded Seven. Let's see if I can be properly disgusted by poor acting yet again.

Credit given to @flllk. B&W is a great idea - the right kind of depth

#jottings

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gayvbros · 2 years

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random venture bros headcanons

✧˖° hank still can’t really tie his shoes. he prefers velcro.

✧˖° dermott and hank keep in touch over social media and regularly play minecraft or similar games together online.

✧˖° hank likes to make dean mad by pretending he genuinely believes the earth is flat. dean thinks he’s going crazy because of this.

✧˖° jared finds the spiderman pajamas. he doesn’t tell dean because he doesn’t want him to be embarrassed, but he thinks it’s really cute.

✧˖° when either of the venture bros come out they come out to brock first. brock is touched that they would tell him first! he’ll pat each of them on the back and give a stern approving nod but on the inside he’s really proud.

✧˖° after his disastrous attempt at running dean decides to pick up “easier” exercises. so he starts doing yoga! he’s surprisingly good at it.

✧˖° rusty eventually starts going to therapy again, one on one. it helps him learn to cope and realize that he can help break the cycle and be a better father. he eventually puts these coping mechanisms into practice.

✧˖° rusty tries to bond with the boys through their interests. It works most of the time. hank enjoys destroying him in call of duty and dean is glad that rusty is taking an interest in his studies, even if it’s not super science.

✧˖° pete and billy regularly go on romantic dinner dates. they don’t realize it’s romantic.

✧˖° the triad has “guy’s nights” where they hang out and watch trash tv and play board games and drink wine! they have a great time.

✧˖° jefferson twilight knits frequently and sometimes gifts other members of the triad hand knitted sweaters and scarves.

✧˖° orpheus volunteers at an animal shelter regularly. all of the animals love him and he laments the fact that he can’t adopt all of them.

✧˖° hunter, molotov, and dr girlfriend have girls nights where they shit talk the men in their life. amber comes sometimes!

✧˖° brock slips up and calls hunter “mom” one day and hunter makes fun of him for it but secretly she thinks it’s sweet and appreciates it.

✧˖° once molotov joins osi her and amber start talking. molotov convinces amber to leave her shitty boyfriend and they slowly start liking eachother. they haven’t started anything yet because molotov doesn’t want to rush her but it’s inevitable.

✧˖° brock gets over his obsession with molotov and they actually become good friends. they constantly roast eachother.

✧˖° every year for their anniversary the monarch buys sheila an extravagant expensive gift. after going bankrupt he starts making gifts from scratch for her. at first he was embarrassed and unsure if she would like it but she lets him know she appreciates the effort and loves anything he gives to her. now he makes more and more every year. she keeps each gift proudly displayed.

✧˖° gary starts lifeguarding during the summer. he takes his job very seriously. hot moms regularly flirt with him at the pool which makes him flustered. once he slipped and fell because one was really forward with her advances.

✧˖° gary goes to conventions and gets to fanboy! the monarch goes with him sometimes.

✧˖° sheila buys a shit ton of bath and body works candles. her favorite scent is honeycrisp apples, but she’s not picky!

✧˖° hank makes fun of dean for watching anime but he enjoys jojo! he’ll let some other anime’s slip into his watchlist as well.

✧˖° sometimes on days where he’s feeling confident gary will flex in front of the mirror and do silly poses! he gets really embarrassed when sheila or the monarch catches him.

✧˖° gary cries every time he watches marley and me. every single time.

✧˖° hank is actually pretty good at cooking! he’s able to follow any recipe and even do some improvised cooking! don’t let him bake though.

✧˖° dean is the exact opposite. he can make amazing muffins or cakes but don’t let him make spaghetti. he’ll even burn cereal.

✧˖° the monarch has no sense of direction. sheila and gary have to be the gps.

✧˖° al and shoreleave have spontaneous date nights! they are never bored when they’re together. they always have fun no matter what they’re doing.

✧˖° pete’s love for billy is obvious to everyone except billy. everyone knows pete loves billy but he’ll never tell him. he doesn’t want to lose him. billy also loves pete but doesn’t think pete would ever love him. they both need a little push to get together.

✧˖° billy and sheila have academic discussions that nobody else understands. they respect eachother as academics and slowly become friends.

✧˖° hatred buys a shit ton of gay pride merch for the boys. it puts a dent in his savings he buys so much. they wear it to make him happy.

✧˖° rusty is the worst when he’s sick! he’s whiny and annoying but brock takes care of him anyways and takes it all in stride.

✧˖° the pirate ends up being a weird uncle to the boys. he gives them advice and drives them places when he needs them to.

✧˖° dean goes to every single one of jared’s plays or theatre things. he doesn’t miss any of his performances.

✧˖° orpheus doesn’t let al drive the car because he drives super fast and has chronic road rage. orpheus and jefferson do not want to die in a car crash!

✧˖° the monarch has given sheila a lap dance to a justin timberlake song. they never talk about that night.

✧˖° gary is a redditor

✧˖° dermott still teaches self defense classes. he also calls out bingo numbers at the senior center some nights and all the seniors love him! the old ladies pinch his cheeks and give him sweet cards and casseroles.

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eolewyn1010 · 6 months

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For the AU Ask Game: Super Hero AU for a fandom of your choice.

Belatedly! Five fun facts for a Super Hero AU of Tatort Stuttgart:

Nika literally can do a dozen things at once - without her ability to duplicate, the whole team would have collapsed long ago. And it's her choice to mainly use her powers to keep things running and organized; she has been part of the action a few times, but feels she's most effective at her office job. So if in this version Thorsten has one of his arrogant moments towards her as he sometimes had in the earlier episodes, he has to deal with the glares of several deeply implacable Nikas who know her value and are completely unwilling to defer to him.

Basti's and Julia's divorce happens way earlier and way more amicably. Having a husband that can ignore the laws of space to hunt criminals has been interesting, but it's also made the whole living-dangerously thing way more pressing, and with two children who may or may not yet turn out to be supers as well, Julia is too overtaxed to also start an affair on the side and simply tells Basti what's up: It's too much for her, this marriage thing doesn't work. She'd rather be a divorcee than a widow.

The former hasn't made Basti's and Thorsten's relationship a whole lot easier though. It's impossible to lie to Thorsten or even hide anything from him, which means Basti doesn't have any chance to disclose his feelings on his own time, and it's frankly frustrating. Basti is like: "Telepath etiquette, anyone??" And Thorsten is like: "We work together; it's a very good thing that I'm tuned to your thoughts! Why would you hide anything from me in the first place?" At which point Basti compares him to a surveillance state; it's a whole thing.

Thorsten's telepathy thing is also causing Frau Alvarez many problems - technically, a lot of intel Thorsten is privy to falls under unlawfully acquired information. So she gives him what for if the best he can offer is "I heard it in their thoughts". Thorsten and Basti sometimes quip that Alvarez also "has her ways" to acquire information, claiming she's able to supernaturally charm people into confessions, but the thing is: Alvarez is actually the Team Normal. Which most people on the outside don't know; they tend to think Nika's the normal one because, unless they do see several of her at once, she appears to be an unassuming jack-of-all-trades. The gorgeous, confident prosecutor who never loses a case, not a super? ...Yeah. She just is that cool.

Basti still crashes into a bit of a crisis via Maja's abduction, but 1st, the whole deal of Thorsten calling in the police when Basti asks him not to doesn't happen - it's the ultimate test of trust for them, and Thorsten does the complete opposite of canon in that he goes on one of his solo runs and tracks down Maja's kidnappers telepathically (and ends up as a hostage, pulling the plots of Preis des Lebens and Im gelobten Land into one). And 2nd, afterwards, it quickly becomes clear that substance abuse is really not an option if that means your portal-hopping goes haywire. So Basti actually has to deal with his shit. Granted, it's a bit easier when he's pissed at Thorsten not for betraying his trust, but just for getting himself into danger again. Business as usual, amirite?

If that sounds like I would use just about any excuse to kick canon events more into a shape I like? Yes. That's exactly what it is. I also think Thorsten angsting about how he's carrying the burden of the world is easy to justify when he can hear and feel all the world's thoughts around him.

#Tatort Stuttgart #ask thingie #thanks!#sorry that thought took a while to finish

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dragongutsixofficial · 4 months

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for oc ask game 3, 15 and 24?

Thanks for the ask, my friend !^^

3- Biggest self-insert OC ?

Oooh that is a tricky question. I have so many OCs from so many fandoms and even some who are not tied to any existing piece of media !^^

I have to say though, probably the ice mage I played (and still do sometimes !) with my sister after we got The Best Videogame Ever: Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies. She holds within her characterization a lot of who I was as a young kid- some of which I'd like to get back. I was so confident as a kid, it's pretty incredible !

I can also tell you about the biggest fail to make a self-insert OC: Siyn Eisner, my beloved Bylethsona. The idea behind her creation was simple: I wanted an avatar who would represent me as a player the same way people created their Linksonas. At first, she was just an idea in the back of my mind, and not very developed- and that's the way she stayed until I started a fe3h roleplay with my dear friend.

And Sothis be damned, Siyn went way out of my control. She became her own, beautiful character. Of course, there are always things that she gets from me: but no more or less than any other OC of mine. And she inspired me in turn !

In general though, every OC of mine has some elements of my personality woven into theirs, even if I don't do it consciously. For instance, with my new Seven of Hearts OCs (OCs I created for a future webcomic, hopefully):

Heilig (he/him) is sarcastic and drags his feet. He doesn't do well when he's taken out of his comfort zone and hates taking risks. He sticks by the rules and is a bit tunnel-visionned. That's how I can be sometimes: and while there's nothing wrong with it, it can quickly become unhealthy: his character arc will partially be around him learning how to take a chill pill.

Keuse (she/her), Heilig's little sister, has more of that rebellious streak: but most of all, she wants the best for her brother and he wants the best for her. She wants him to understand that although she might be younger, it's just as much her responsibility to protect him in her eyes. I'm a younger sibling who wants my sister to know I'll always be here to protect her, just as she does me.

Same goes for Camille (he/she), who has that very naive side to him, and who definitely has undiagnozed ADHD. And so it is for every one of my OCs !

14- How many projects do you have going on right now? Are there any that you doubt you’ll ever finish?

HahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA-

When I received your ask I was like, "No prob, Imma make a google sheet and write everything down" and that's why I took some time to answer your ask. I have already given up on that. I don't even know where to start. I have so many WIPs. So many animatics living rent-free in my head. Some of which I am sure will never get done.

For instance, when the live-action version of The Little Mermaid came out, I was incredibly hyped by the new version of Part of your World and for weeks I was like, "I'M GONNA DRAW AN ANIMATIC OF A MERMAID TRANSMASC BYLETH WITH THIS SO BAD" and... yeah i'm still at the first frame.

I am pretty confident about finishing my first fic published on AO3 though, which I had given up on after one(1) chapter. But I got inspired by amazing writers @paracosmicat & @ninadove to pick it up again and I've entirely rewritten the first chapter + written two more chapters already (none of which are posted yet because I'd like to get ahead this time). I'm a lot happier with this version !^^ It's a fanfic delving into the dynamics of Edelgard/Zagreus (from Hades), which should eventually turn into a series exploring the Edelgard/Byleht/Zagreus/Thanatos polycule.

3- Do you have/want a career in your medium ? If not, what do you do/want to do instead ?

Drawing, as you will have noticed, is my passion and really the main way I get the wormbrains out. And if I don't draw for a while I will just want to bang my head against a wall repeatedly. So I definitely want a career in it. Being a video game designer would be a dream job.

For circumstances out of my control, I'm studying something else at the moment. On a good note, I just got out of two years of a formation which made me absolutely miserable and barely left me any time to draw !!! So there's that. But I do fully intend on finding a way to work in the art field someday ! >=D

#ask game #asks #kanohivolitakk

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tvbles · 3 months

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What if: Dennis got Christine instead? A half assed ramble.

For starters: Based off both Novel/Film. It’s still doomed. I don’t know how to lay it easy, it’s still gonna end in tragedy. There isn’t going to be a true happy ending for them if you swapped roles.

> NOTE: This would make him a unreliable narrator because part one is his pov, so the audience would be reading from the mind of someone who is slowing obsessing over Christine. Thinking buying Christine is a good idea, a great one even! Arnie’s thoughts come through part 2 of the novel and him recalling stuff with Dennis. Leigh’s too.

Anyhow, Dennis and Arnie would have different upbringings, with Dennis already being a popular jock and fitting some criteria. However would start being distant and distracted a lot (he isn’t a gearhead like Arnie as well, so Christine’s repairs would be delayed longer too unless Christmas did the work herself into repairing to help him).

I see Dennis turning into a stuck up, over confident ass. He would still have some relationship with Leigh as well, managing to actually pull her in the beginning or envious attraction (Maybe Arnie actually still has that relationship with Leigh and it gets Dennis jealous that his friend actually scored with the prettiest girl in school “but she would never be isn’t Christine”).

I don’t know how football would play out for him, it seems like he was the better team player than the rest. So - perhaps he becomes over confident and more aggressive during the game - leading him to a suspension from football or he starts ditching it to be with Christine. Over all still going with the “I’ll never play football again” storyline.

His relationship with Arnie is also different. I imagine that it’s the same dynamics like before, but with slight changes of character. Arnie knows that Dennis couldn’t repair a car like he can, for the one taking autoshop III and a gearhead by heart. Though Arnie already had his suspensions, especially being interested in a new car that is totaled when Dennis was literally driving a nice, blue charger (1968 Dodge). He never seen Dennis so interested, so compelled to have something like that before. It concerned Arnie, “I can fix her up” was unheard of coming from Dennis’s mouth. He tried to convince him not to buy the car, it wasn’t worth it, but Dennis wouldn’t budge. Strange - it’s so strange. Dennis calling the car “her” “she” “Christine”, he was never the type. To call for a car, another.. Arnie doesn’t have a good feeling about it at all - hell, it scared him shitless when Dennis offered to drive her going to his place.

“No, I’ll drive her Arnie. Just drive my charger for me.”

“Dennis, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ll drive he- it instead.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, it’s fine Dennis. I won’t do anything, it’s just taking her up to your place. No harm.”

“Thanks Arnie, you’re the best.”

When Arnie drove Christine to Dennis’s house, it wasn’t the most pleasant ride a 1958 hunk of junk could be. He was nervous driving it, and had - or tried to block out the whispers that swirled through the whole ride. “Come on big boy, let’s cruise.” “Let’s see where the night takes us.” “Atta boy.” It was overwhelming. He felt so much relief when he got out of that car. His suspicions rose about Christine and tried to take about such with Dennis - but he wasn’t having it. Telling Arnie that he was just making excuses why he shouldn’t have bought it and stuff.

“Ridiculous excuses Arnie, I thought you were better than that! Don’t kid.”

Arnie wasn’t kidding, but Dennis didn’t even listen. The next few months would be rough, for the both of them. Then next year rolls around and so does Dennis. There goes Dennis.

Star football player turned arrogant, over confident, possessive - that wasn’t Dennis that Arnie knew. If he would’ve known that Dennis would end up like this? He would’ve suggested going to long way than the cut pass back home. If he knew that he wouldn’t seen Dennis again, Arnie would’ve never stepped into work that day.

If only he knew, if only.

Dennis never aged a day over 17 when Graduation hit. When Summer hit. The dogs days are over. Done and gone. “If only you know what summer meant to me. I would’ve never wanted it to end with you.”

#christine 1983 #dennis guilder #arnie cunningham #Leigh Cabot #christine #liberty trio #guildingham #tb spamtxt #// just a long ramble of a what if my firend brought up hwkqbs got me thinking OK

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xb-squaredx · 1 year

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The Bittersweet Taste of Bayonetta 3

PlatinumGames is among my favorite developers out there. Rising from the ashes of Capcom’s Clover studio, they are on my short list of developers that make amazing games that really resonate with me. Their games are quirky, often mechanically deep and a bit unwieldy. They’ve managed to carve out a cult following over the years, and by far their most infamous series has been the stylish action of Bayonetta. In 2017 Bayonetta 3 was announced but as the years passed with no news, many grew nervous. Platinum’s output since then has been quite inconsistent, and earlier this year they released Babylon’s Fall, a game that didn’t crash and burn so much as spontaneously combust before it ever got off the ground. There’s this cautious air around Bayonetta 3’s release; it isn’t enough to just be a good game in its own right, but many feel that Platinum’s future rides on it succeeding. In the weeks before the game released, the game became the catalyst for a discussion on properly compensating voice talent. Bayonetta’s original voice, Hellena Taylor, called for a boycott, claiming she wasn’t offered a fair wage, though later information would imply she was omitting information to make her case look better. Regardless, the air around Bayonetta 3 wasn’t all that positive and I’m sorry to say that, after having gone through the game, I find it didn’t come out the other side smelling like roses. Bayonetta 3 is a very interesting game to talk about, for a variety of reasons both quite positive…and unfortunately very negative. One of my most anticipated games of this year, it has given me some mixed feelings and leaves a bittersweet taste in my mouth.

ENTER THE BAYO VERSE

After two games where Bayonetta has taken on the legions of heaven and hell and taken on a few gods, there’s really only so much the series can do to raise the stakes. The game opens with the introduction of our main threat: Singularity. A being so strong it threatens not just the universe, but the entire multiverse. As Singularity consumes one unlucky world, a young woman named Viola just barely escapes, traveling to another universe and enlisting the help of Bayonetta to stop Singularity and save all of reality before there’s nothing left. There’s definitely a more dire tone to a lot of the game, as we can see firsthand the destruction of Singularity’s forces, with Bayonetta and company being pushed to the limit to save the day. Of course, there’s still plenty of fun, campy moments throughout, like impromptu dance offs, a demonic concert (complete with glow sticks!) and more than a fair share of tasteful nudity and the sensual style that has made the series infamous. The opening prologue level certainly hits a lot of the same beats from past entries; Bayonetta’s living it up in town, something goes wrong, Enzo is made a fool, and she beats up some basic enemies while taking her clothes off and eventually showing off some fantastic new guns. Viola serves as a pretty interesting foil to Bayonetta at the start as well; despite putting on a cool front, she’s clumsy and goofy, frequently at odds with Bayonetta as she struts about with all of the confidence of a seasoned Umbran Witch. With the titular witch taking on a bit of a mentor role, it’s a decent starting point for another adventure. The promise of interacting with different variations of our heroine as they jump from world to world also just seems rife with possibilities. That said, this strong start can’t quite hide the game’s frequent rough edges in the presentation.

As the Switch gets on in years, the lacking quality of its hardware only becomes more apparent, with even Nintendo’s own first party offerings often having to make sacrifices to run on what is ostensibily an outdated smartphone. The Bayonetta series has never really been a graphical showcase, though there’s aspects of 3 that definitely feel more than a bit dated, even going back to the original game’s release during the seventh console generation. NPC character models look and animate quite stiffly and environments are often extremely empty and lacking in high-quality textures. Sadly the game’s performance follows suit, being a bit of a downgrade from even the previous entry on the Wii U. The game targets 60 FPS but often is somewhere closer to the 40s or 50s, with occasional dips below that in more hectic moments. Now, I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the most sensitive to this stuff and it never really impacted my gameplay, at least to a degree I was consciously aware of it, but it is a shame the game can’t give more consistent results.

(source: Eurogamer )

I do find the game is smooth enough most of the time, and it’s clear Platinum brought their A-game when it came to the overall presentation despite all of this. Cutscenes are still directed with that manic energy that makes Platinum’s titles such a joy to experience. Bayonetta herself, and most of her enemies, are animated extremely well, with tons of personality oozing out of many attacks and even idle animations. The menus are a bit sleeker than past entries and generally things are as seamless and smooth as could be when getting into and out of combat encounters. There’s a lot less of the stop-motion cutscenes in this game as well, which helps the overall story feel a bit more high budget and consistent. Music is also pretty consistently great. From the eerie, ethereal music often accompanying Singularity’s minions, to the peppy battle themes accompanying Bayonetta and Viola’s various scraps, there’s a lot to like. One of the real highlights would be “Fertile Rondo,” an operatic jam that doubles as a huge reference to The Fifth Element.

Voice acting also remains generally strong throughout, with returning actors like Yuri Lowenthal, Grey DeLisle, and Dave Fennoy feeling right at home with Luka, Jeanne and Rodin respectively. I have to really credit the amount of charm Anna Brisbin gives to Viola, and overall the character made a good impression on me. Of course, this also means I have to touch on the controversy with Bayonetta’s voice change. Taylor’s take on the character was great, and regardless of who replaced her, it was always going to be a bit awkward, but Jennifer Hale is a pretty good get in that case. A veteran in voice over, Hale’s credits are numerous and should honestly speak for themselves, and I would say she nails this take on Bayonetta, to the point it almost feels like she’s always played the character. There are points she sounds almost uncannily like Taylor, though admittedly it isn’t always consistent. But overall, she embodies the sass and style associated with the character and makes the transition about as flawless as could be hoped for overall.

I have…more things to say regarding the overall story, but we can save that for later. Instead, there is still an underlying action game under all this, so I’d better get to talking about that.

SIZE ISN’T EVERYTHING (BUT IT HELPS)

There’s been a fair bit of escalation throughout the Bayonetta series from game to game. The first title mostly focused on Bayonetta herself beating up hordes of angels, with only occasionally summoning limbs of demons for her Wicked Weave finishing strikes, and often a fun QTE at the end of major encounters to finish off bosses that teased more of the demon. Then in the sequel, Infernal Climax took center stage, where for a brief time ALL of Bayonetta’s attacks summoned demons, and at one point you were even directly controlling the demon Madama Butterfly for part of a boss encounter. But the threat in Bayonetta 3 is so great that summoning the whole demon is both frequent and required to even hope to win. In a bit of a twist on things, the main villainous faction are man-made homunculi, and since they aren’t angelic in nature Bayonetta’s summons have no real desire to help out in battle. Thus, she invokes the Demon Slave ritual to take direct control over them, allowing players to control the demons in real-time. There’s definitely some stipulations though; Demon Slave constantly drains Bayonetta’s magic meter and once emptied you’ll have to wait for it to fill to a certain amount to summon them again. Demons can also eventually turn on Bayonetta and go on a rampage if attacked enough, and perhaps worst of all, Bayonetta is stationary while players are in control of demons, meaning players need to learn the proper time and place to invoke it. Players can equip up to three demons at a time and freely switch between them in combat, in many ways allowing demons to serve as additional weapons to Bayo’s arsenal. Admittedly, some of the demons are a bit unwieldy and require practice to use efficiently, and some are a bit situational, but all of them bring something unique to the table and further expands Bayonetta’s combat options.

One facet I really enjoyed about the game is the Demon Masquerade system. Depending on the weapon equipped, at points Bayonetta can take on a form similar to the demon said weapon is based on, which can drastically change her mobility. With her default guns, Colour My World, she takes on Madama Butterfly’s visage and gains the ability to slowly hover through the air on her wings, while with Gomorrah’s weapon, the massive G-Pillar, she takes on a more feral stance and hops about, with a fast air dash to help her cross gaps quickly. Players also use skill trees for each weapon to unlock more moves in her arsenal that also have her transform to perform them, like powerful crowd-clearing attacks, or the near-universal gap-closer moves that have her home in on the nearest enemy. Demons also have a similar skill tree to enhance their own movesets, and by filling out both you gain one final upgrade that fleshes out each moveset. It’s a bit different from being able to buy moves in Rodin’s shop, but it works well enough as incentive to keep fighting and trying out different weapons.

On that note, Bayonetta 3 has some of the best weapon variety in the entire series, if not THE best. While this game does away with the ability to set weapons on both your hands and feet, thereby reducing the amount of interesting weapon combinations and synergies, this change allowed them to go all-in on some out-there weapons that wouldn’t have worked otherwise. One of my favorites is Abracadabra, a combination of a top hat and cane that allows Bayonetta to moonlight as a magician, allowing her to summon various projectiles out of her hat at random, as well as utilize powerful electric blasts. Or there’s Tartarus, a slow but powerful weapon consisting of thick, stone doors that can plow through enemy attacks, but when opened can summon a variety of weapons, including some powerful gatling guns that rip through targets. I could go on, because there are TONS of weapons in this game with their own quirks and uses, all with their own demon that has their OWN intricacies. Many demons are often large beasts, like the dinosaur-esque Gomorrah, or Baal, a giant toad, but there’s more than a few unique demons like Wartrain Gouon which…is a train. And when you summon it, you have to draw the train tracks and hit attack buttons along the route before the train barrels on through and slams past all in its wake. The sheer options available is amazing, to the point that it’s a tad disappointing you can only have two weapon sets at any time. That said, while weapon variety is great, enemy variety leaves a bit to be desired.

Most of the homunculi enemies suffer from one of two major issues: they have samey designs that keep them from standing out and feeling distinct, or they’re giant enemies that are basically designed purely for demons to rip through their inflated health pools. If you’re someone who ends up hating using demons in combat and would rather ignore it, then have fun chipping away at these damage sponges! Of all of them, the Virga enemy might be the least fun to fight in the game. Basically a giant Wiggler enemy from the Super Mario series, it never stops moving or attacking and often has no reactions to any attacks done to it, making it difficult to get through the fight unscathed. That’s on top of the camera frequently clipping into it and making it almost impossible to see. Really, the camera might be the greatest enemy in the game. Not only does this game employ a “soft-lock” and force Bayonetta to attack whichever enemy has triggered it, but the “hard lock-on” often forces the camera to make strange, sweeping movements, and it isn’t long before that lock-on is broken and you’re forced to do lock-on again. On top of that, enemies break the series tradition of mostly not attacking when off-screen, and won’t hesitate to take potshots at you with little warning. With the combat areas in general much larger to accommodate the demons and large enemies, this can also mean it’s quite easy to lose track of some smaller enemies and be forced to whirl the camera around frantically to find them. After the previous two games had such a tight camera by comparison, this is a bit of a downgrade unfortunately.

Generally, when Bayonetta’s core combat is allowed to shine and it all clicks, it works amazingly well, but sadly there’s even more things inserted into the game in the name of variety that often bogs the entire experience down a bit.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

While Bayonetta’s flashy combat is the star of the show for the most part, at various points in the story players will engage with different gameplay styles and different playable characters. This is really nothing new with most games from Platinum, as they love to sneak in schmup sections and setpieces to change things up, though I find that in the case with THIS game…they don’t often land and come across as annoying padding. There’s multiple instances throughout the game where Bayonetta will ride atop a demon, or players just get to command it directly, which are far more sluggish and unresponsive than in normal gameplay, Demon Slave or otherwise. A good example would be a timed platforming section as you ride atop the flaming spider Phantasmaraneae that is noticeably slower and less agile than when it is used in Demon Slave combos, OR the much faster, responsive Demon Masquerade version of it, complete with an awkward camera that’s often far too close. But then we go bigger with more climactic battles culminating in Bayonetta invoking the Deadly Sin ritual, offering up her own heart to empower demons and allowing them to go even further beyond their original powers. I wouldn’t say these sections are all-together bad, but the variety frequently goes against what I came here for in the first place. I want to play Bayonetta 3 for high-octane action, not weird rail shooters or slow kaiju fighting games and DEFINITELY not rhythm games, but you’re forced to play these if you want to advance through the game. This series is a more arcade-like action title that really tries to get you to replay levels and get better scores, and these sequences are kind of a drag to do again. Had they been their own self-contained chapter, I wouldn’t mind as much, but they’re often at the end of already long chapters and really bring down replays. That said, this game now saves your highest score for each separate Verse of a chapter, and you can pick specific “checkpoints” in a chapter to minimize replays, so it doesn’t sting as much as it could.

That said, it doesn’t stop there. Throughout the game you can play as both Jeanne and newcomer Viola, but sadly there’s a lot to be desired there. In Jeanne’s case, you play through short 2D side-scrolling segments with a focus on stealth as she seeks out a scientist to assist in defeating Singularity. So you have a series that prides itself on cool, kick-ass characters and suddenly force them to hide in vents and do stealth kills to the cannon fodder grunts? Feels more than a bit out of place. Again, these aren’t really BAD…but they’re not that fun and take away from the very first time Jeanne has been playable during the main story, as she’s usually relegated to being an unlockable moveset clone of Bayonetta after you beat the game.

Viola though is where my real disappointments lie. We’ve had different playable characters before, but they’re either near identical to Bayoentta in gameplay (Jeanne and Rosa), or restricted to a separate mode (Rodin and Balder), so Viola being an out-and-out NEW character that’s playable during the main story SHOULD be really interesting but she instead feels half-baked. Armed with a katana, some throwing darts in lieu of a gun, and the demon Cheshire as a familiar, Viola on paper seems like a fun enough alternative to Bayonetta. She’s got some fun, flashy sword combos, and in an interesting twist, when she summons Cheshire to help, she’s free to continue moving around and attacking because Cheshire isn’t under direct player control. It gives her a completely different bareknuckle moveset and feels satisfying on its own. But unfortunately, it becomes clear this game was not designed with her in mind. The bigger enemies are clearly made for the Demon Slave summons to tear through, but Cheshire just doesn’t cut it. He’s often slow and at times actively lofts about and smokes on his pipe rather than attack, leaving Viola to fend for herself. Some friend. Adding to this, Viola’s moveset is decently fleshed out…but it’s still just ONE weapon compared to the plethora of other weapons Bayonetta can mess with. She lacks variety and feels really stale after a bit. With so many weapons in this game, surely they could have spared at least ONE for Viola. But the worst aspect has to be how she activates Witch Time, a core mechanic in these games. Bayonetta dodges attacks to activate it, slowing down time and letting her go to town on the defenseless enemies as a result. Viola meanwhile must parry incoming attacks by blocking, which brings to mind Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, another Platinum title. A couple problems here though: most enemies don’t seem balanced for the parry at all. They either do huge, sweeping attacks that either miss Viola completely, or have ridiculously tight timings to even land the parry in the first place. It’s WAY less forgiving than Bayonetta’s dodge and one optional challenge mission involving you only being able to damage enemies while in Witch Time nearly had me tearing my hair out. Playing as Viola frequently feels like trying to jam a square peg into a round hole. Maybe that’s the reason she’s only playable in three of the game’s chapters, falling behind even Jeanne’s side-scrolling missions in frequency. She feels like a last-minute inclusion, despite playing such a big part in the story.

IN CONCLUSION (kind of)

With all I’ve said up until now, I have qualms with some aspects of the core gameplay but I largely had a blast. When the game just lets you focus on fighting, the game is fun and dynamic, with TONS of satisfying tools to learn and master. The game’s larger levels allowed for more downtime as I searched out optional missions or collectibles, and I largely appreciated the change in scope. Some levels left a bit to be desired, feeling more like large boxes than real places, but there are times when the game really shines. The levels taking place in an alternate Egypt are what I wish the entire rest of the game was like. Huge, sprawling locations with tons of secrets tucked away, what felt like small dungeons with some quick puzzles and interesting combat encounters, and probably the best of the Deadly Sin gameplay change ups. I largely enjoyed Bayonetta 3 as an action game, with spectacle that few other series can match. Despite some rough edges in performance and visuals, and some annoying setpieces, it is clear Platinum gave it their all to make a game that attempted to surpass the high expectations of fans. The music goes HARD at times, the story has some real standout moments that I loved, and in a lot of respects this might be the most fun game in the series when you factor it all in. This feels like not just an evolution of the Bayonetta series, but Platinum continuing to tweak and iterate on ideas found in their other titles. The DNA of many of their games exist within this one, serving as a bombastic, content-rich entry that in many ways was well worth the near five-year wait from the initial reveal.

With all that said however, the game’s ending left me extremely conflicted on the entire product, and I want to go into that, but also I’d rather not spoil it for people that might want to go into it themselves. I’ve put my concluding thoughts here ahead of a spoiler-filled section on this ending for that reason. So, overall despite some rough edges, Bayonetta 3 is a high-quality title that stands up with some of Platinum’s greatest….as long as you just completely ignore a terrible ending that feels like they’re trying to torch the franchise and run away.

THE ENDING: MESSY, RUSHED AND UNEXPLAINED

PlatiumGames isn’t really known for their storytelling; they make really fun, goofy action games, and barely anyone really talks about those games’ narrative. So, for anyone that hears Bayonetta 3’s story is bad, it makes sense to think “Well, who cares about story in a Platinum game anyway?” In general, a lot of video games place gameplay over story, so is it really that big of a deal if Bayonetta 3’s story falls flat as long as the gameplay is good? For a lot of people, I’m sure that is enough and I can understand them brushing off complaints. But that isn’t enough for me. Just because this is an action game, I don’t think the story should be half-baked. Plenty of action games, not just from Platinum, manage to strike a better balance, and despite the shortcomings of the previous games in the series, I like the world and characters Platinum have created here. Which is why the ending stung as hard as it did, as it feels almost vindictive towards all that came before, and if that wasn’t the intention, they really botched the execution.

Bayonetta 3 has a lot of great ideas for a fun story, or even a great one. But the problem is that Platinum tried to shove too much into one game, and as a result almost every plot point and bit of narrative potential is wasted. Multiple important details that make the story comprehensible are locked away in character bios that most players aren’t likely to dig through and read. Certain elements of the endgame feel unearned, and the game’s tone changes so often the whiplash is constant and jarring. So, let’s delve into those points one at a time.

I’ll start with the tone. Most of Platinum’s work are over-the-top and not really meant to be taken too seriously. They employ humor throughout the vast majority of their work, they aren’t afraid to blatantly homage things they think are cool and to me they’re at their best when they just have fun with their premise and setting. Bayonetta 3 has a lot of these moments for sure, but they attempt to blend it together with a darker, more dramatic turn and it just does not work at all. The prologue chapter has the entirety of New York flooded, as Singularity begins his assault. The death count alone in this chapter easily eclipses the other two games. Even Enzo, the plucky comic relief, is reduced to tears as his family has seemingly been killed. So when Bayonetta and Rodin are just quipping back and forth it really feels misplaced. Did this game want to be serious, or just as irreverent as past titles? They needed to pick a lane and stick with it. Honestly, I don’t think being more serious fits either Platinum or the Bayonetta series, and if they did want to try to branch out, I think they overcompensated.

(Bayonetta without a confident smirk on her face is just...wrong!)

Bayonetta, much like her predecessor Dante from the Devil May Cry series, is a power fantasy. She’s sexy, she’s powerful, she’s always in control. The draw of these games is seeing her mop the floor with celestial beings without breaking a sweat. So when this game tries to up the ante and establish higher stakes, they really struggle with doing so in a way that feels organic. The game opens with one universe’s Bayonetta being killed by Singularity, which works as a demonstration of the threat he poses. The problem is that this keeps happening throughout the game; every single alternate Bayonetta we encounter gets about five minutes of screentime before being unceremoniously killed in a cutscene where they become uncharacteristically incompetent. No one in this game ever looks behind them. So there’s drama here and the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been, but that comes at the cost of Bayonetta as a character looking less powerful and capable. This dark tone and constant death toll also just kind of spoils all of the fun a multiverse tale like this could have had.

When promotional materials made it clear this was a multiverse story, I was looking forward to all of these various character interactions…so imagine my surprise when there’s not much done with that premise at all. For all of the infinite possibilities that come with bringing a multiverse into your story, all Platinum could seemingly think up was “What if Bayonetta lived in another country?” There’s flashes of interesting elements that never get fleshed out on-screen at all. The Tokyo Bayonetta is a delinquent while the Egyptian Bayonetta is a princess with Jeanne as both her bodyguard and her superior in combat. I did enjoy the Paris Bayonetta sections though. Working with her mother Rosa, they’re a pair of thieves with that world’s Enzo chasing after them as a cop, like Lupin III’s Zenigata. But I wanted MORE of that! The Chinese Bayonetta is a war general who apparently lost her eye in an interesting story…the game has no interest in telling us that story though! They had an opportunity to really shake things up; what if we had a world where Enzo was the one with the magic powers, or one where Bayonetta was a Lumen Sage instead of an Umbran Witch? I also find it odd that while we do get to see some alternate Jeannes and Enzos, we only get one alternate Luka and zero alternate Violas, when having more could have made some interesting contrasts. I could forgive a curbed roster if they did much with them, but the bulk of the game just has us hopping from universe to universe, taking every alternate Bayonetta’s demons and weapons for our own and promptly forgetting about them. The Egyptian Bayonetta has a character arc concerning her lacking confidence and overreliance on Jeanne squeezed into two chapters of the game when that could have been fleshed out over the course of the game instead. With our “prime” Bayonetta serving as a mentor to Viola, it could have been interesting to see multiple Bayonettas attempt to give Viola advice, to showcase how different these alternative selves were, but alas, there was just no time apparently.

Further adding to the missed potential, there is the entire concept of fairies introduced into the series with this game. Now, if they wanted to introduce a new faction I have no real objections. Bayonetta’s already fought angels and demons, and spends the entire game fighting these strange man-made homunculi, so beating up some fae folk isn’t really that big of a stretch…except the game barely touches on them at all. After two games without them being mentioned, suddenly Luka is revealed to be part fairy, and this influence is then retconned to be the reason he became a journalist. Despite the fact that the first game made it clear he was obsessed with “the truth” because he watched his father being torn apart by angels he couldn’t even see so uh…that doesn’t really fit. If this is meant to merely tease them being fleshed out more in a sequel, this really wasn’t the place to do it.

I can’t talk about Luka without touching on the controversial romance subplot with him and Bayonetta. Now, this is controversial for a number of reasons. For one, while Bayonetta did flirt with Luka a fair bit in the first game, they barely interacted at all in the second game or this game for that matter. The chemistry just wasn’t really given time to develop. That’s not even getting into the backlash from the series’ gay fans. Over the years a lot of queer folk have kind of “claimed” Bayonetta as a series, mostly from the game’s constant campy tone, combined with a lot of romantic subtext with Bayonetta and Jeanne. But the backlash goes beyond just a ship they liked not being made canon, but moreso this strange subtext applied to Bayonetta and Luka’s relationship in this game that many feel is at best “bi erasure” and at worst downright homophobic or heteronormative. At various points, Singularity calls Bayonetta “Arch-Eve” and Luka “Arch-Adam” so there’s this idea that they’re like…a universal constant and are destined to be together? This coupled with Jeanne not really getting to do much in this game is viewed as a slap in the face by some fans. I don’t really believe Platinum was intentionally going against their gay fans here, and I do think some fans took their own headcanons a bit too far. I’ve heard some even try to claim that there just was no way straight people could get anything out of the series and uh…yeah I don’t really see that point at all. For my own two cents, I just think this romance was really rushed and should have been fleshed out more throughout the series. Or just have Bayonetta, Jeanne and Luka in one big happy threesome, I don’t know.

All of these rushed plot points and dashed potential end up getting twisted up into a very long, grueling final boss fight where…things just kind of happen suddenly, without any explanation before or after. All of the killed Bayonettas (and Jeannes) are revived…and then disappear again, the game being unclear on if they’re still gone for good or were saved. Two more Bayonettas, each clad in the first and second game’s designs respectively, appear to help out in the final battle, but they also vanish without a trace randomly. Then the final blow is dealt to Singularity and a vortex opens up in the sky at the EXACT moment Bayonetta loses control of her demonic summon. This is all a contrived situation purely to force Luka to save an unconscious Viola as she’s pulled into said vortex, thereby allowing Gomorrah to kill Bayonetta definitively. Luka cradles Bayonetta’s soul as they are both dragged into hell, all while Viola cries out for her mother and father and pounds the ground in frustration. Cue credits. Oh, except for the part where Viola suddenly fights…Dark Eve. A character that isn’t explained in-game at all and is only fleshed out in the character bios that update after the game is beaten. By somehow fighting off this uh…dark amalgamation of all of the other dead Bayonettas…somehow this means Viola has proven she has what it takes to take on the mantle of Bayonetta. We get another stinger where we see she is taking on jobs from Rodin, with the game seemingly setting up that any future Bayonetta games will have her in the starring role. Cue dance party ending!

Where do I begin here? The game’s inability to confirm anything really muddies the waters here and makes the ending come across as more somber than I think was intended. New York seems fine in this stinger, and Enzo’s family is seemingly alive and well…but what of the other worlds? If they’re all back to normal…why isn’t Viola with her real mother and father? On that note, why did the game wait until the exact last second to confirm something most fans guessed before the game even came out? I feel that dragging out Viola’s parentage until the very end of the game did nothing for the story, especially seeing how little Viola really factored into the story at all. Then there’s the ending with her as the new protagonist. The game sets this up as an optimistic passing of the torch but…I just don’t think it’s earned at all. Throughout the entire game Viola is showcased as being a bit of a joke. She never gets to actually defeat anything of real significance, and even in the final battle with Singularity she’s batted away and becomes a liability at the end. Sure, she defeats Dark Eve, but the sudden appearance of this random character the game barely tried setting up undoes any amount of triumph the moment should give the audience. I like Viola, but she isn’t ready to headline this series.

In the time since the game’s release, series creator Hideki Kamiya has commented on the backlash, stating that Platinum hadn’t been as clear with some things as they should have been, and that Bayonetta 4 would address these concerns and criticisms. Of course, there’s the question of if PlatinumGames as a studio will even exist long enough for another game to come out, but assuming that it does happen, I suppose there is a chance they could smooth this all out. Maybe we see that Bayonetta and Luka are living it up in hell, and all of the other universes are fine and dandy. Maybe Jeanne is still around and can help out Viola as she comes into her own. That’s a lot of maybes though, and there’s no guarantee THAT game wouldn’t just drop the ball in its ending too.

A lot of the issues I levy at this game could also apply to the other two games. All three games feature villains with no actual substance to them, with no motives for why they do what they do; they exist to be a big boss fight to cap off an action game. All three games don’t really explain everything as well as they could, with the first two having time-travel nonsense wrapped up in the narrative. I wouldn’t call the stories for the first two games good, and going into this game I didn’t really have high hopes on a good narrative, but I assumed there would at least be a fun one. I think that’s the biggest problem here; the fun is gone. Bayonetta 3 tries to raise the stakes but in the process, it lost a lot of what made the first two games so compelling for people. Yet they try to carry on like everything is fine, with a dance party ending filled to the brim with characters that are, as far as this narrative tells us, dead, and we’re left with a character we barely know headlining the series as everything else fans have come to love about the franchise is long gone. It feels like Platinum saw the ending to Devil May Cry 5 and thought “Hey we can do that too!” except they completely misunderstood why that game’s ending worked as well as it does.

Not to go into it too much, but Devil May Cry as a sister series to Bayonetta has already done the passing of the torch thing, with Dante eventually letting the younger Nero take over. What I think Platinum missed here is that it took Capcom TWO games to fully allow Nero to graduate to the main protagonist role, and even then, I feel like the massive gap between the two games is what allowed fans who previously disliked Nero to eventually cool down and come to accept him. Adding to all this, Nero was at least playable for half of Devil May Cry 4 and roughly half of Devil May Cry 5, whereas Viola gets barely three levels to herself in Bayonetta 3. Even though both Bayonetta 3 and Devil May Cry 5 end with the previous protagonists in Hell, Dante doesn’t seem all that bothered by it and the narrative allows enough wiggle room to bring him back with little trouble. In Bayonetta’s case, her end seems far more permanent. Despite some similarities, the contexts differ dramatically.

I think I’ve gone on long enough here. I really want to stress I didn’t expect to come out of this game feeling as down about it as I did. I heard people not liking the ending, and assumed they were just jaded Bayo/Jeanne shippers…but I couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s frustrating, as in some respects I feel like Platinum can and HAS done better. For as silly as it was, The Wonderful 101 had real heart to it, and I think to this day that is the best story Hideki Kamiya has ever written. While Bayonetta 2 didn’t have the best narrative, I think it was an improvement over the first, and humanized Bayonetta a fair bit. My criticisms stem from my desire to see Platinum succeed. I am without a doubt in their corner and want to be excited for their games, and in recent years it’s been hard to be a fan. Astral Chain was pretty interesting, if a bit wonky at points (and also didn’t have the best story), but from 2020 onwards Platinum felt like a shell of their former selves. Using a Kickstarter to port a barely-touched “remaster” of The Wonderful 101, releasing self-published titles like World of Demons on the Apple Arcade and nowhere else, or the ridiculously overpriced schmup that is Sol Cresta. 2022 opened with the disastrous launch of Babylon’s Fall, and now this game, despite delivering on the action, had to stumble so hard at the very end. When they first started their company, co-founder of PlatinumGames, Tatsuya Minami stated that they chose to be named after platinum because “platinum never loses its luster,” and that was their motto for making games. But as 2022 draws to a close, their shine has dulled, and I’m having a hard time coming to terms with that.

Ultimately, that’s just my take on things. I value story a lot, as you can probably tell, so a bad ending for me matters a whole lot more than a lot of Platinum’s audience I’m sure. As I’ve mentioned before, Bayonetta 3 is still a high-quality title when it comes to stylish action, with plenty of fun setpieces, tons of weapons and tools to master, and a presentation that is constrained only by its hardware. I wouldn’t for a second label Bayonetta 3 as a bad game. It’s great, in fact, and one I would recommend to others…I just wish I didn’t have to attach an asterisk to the end of that recommendation. Despite it all, I’m glad this game finally came to fruition and I desperately hope Platinum can regain some of their luster in the years to come.

Until next time.

-B

#Bayonetta 3 #Bayonetta #viola #jeanne #platinumgames #platinum #action game #character action #nintendo switch #bayonutters #review #spoilers #devil may cry 5

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cloudninetonine · 2 years

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Ever heard of the third cdi game called zelda's adventures?

I was thinking, what kind of nicknames will you give this zelda and link?

And player falling into this hyrule and meeting this link and zelda?

I actually remembered seeing this before and wanted to add this Link to the cringe boys, but I had no idea where to find it and thought it was a fever dream.

I looked at it again and I've gotta tell you, while Koridai's and Gamelon's games look bad this....this ain't pretty.

That doesn't mean we can't shape it though!

For Zelda, I was thinking of possibly calling her Tolemac?? As the region within the game that you go through is called that (Camelot backwards) but I was thinking it through and just "That sounds horrid." and decided against it. Looking at the other princesses' names, they either take themes from their game or in a way link (heh) with their Link's nickname and looking at the game, Zelda seems to be a sorceress of some kind, using a wand (but also not?? it's hella confusing) so I was thinking of a magic based name???

BUT THEN and hear me out, I came across some incredible fanart of the game's Zelda (X) and I found out that one of the dungeons in the game is called the Dungeon of Destiny and it sparked an idea.

Fate (Link) and Fortune (Zelda)

Now, these names are double entendres, let me explain.

Zelda is the protagonist in this game, she's the one who defeats Ganon in the end therefore saving Tolemac (and in turn Hyrule) However, as the legend goes, Link is supposed to be the hero, he's supposed to be the one to defeat Ganon, so it becomes a sort of mock- Zelda: The Princess of Fortune, saving the world because of pure, dumb luck. Ignoring her hardships, her bravery, her valor, she's reduced to nothing but the woman who got lucky. However, I feel someone (most likely Guide!Player) changes the meaning for it. After all, Fortune also means, wealth, riches, prosperity and in turn, it becomes to mean more for her. Fortune was brought upon the country from her actions, she saved everyone and now, they can live in an era of peace, an era where they don't have to worry because of her hard work.

Now, for Link, he's the hero foretold by legend, within the history books he is the one to take down Ganon and bring Hyrule (and any other places affected by Ganon's malice). It's his destiny, he is the Fated Hero! But, he didn't save Hyrule, in fact, he got captured by Ganon and imprisoned for many years and it was Zelda who ended Ganon's evil reign and saved Tolemac, not him, so then, if fate wasn't on his side, was he truly even a hero? But then again, it also showed how fate wasn't fixed it could be changed at any time, he didn't have to be chained to the ideology that he had one set path and that alone, he could be and do whatever he wanted! He could decide his own fate and no one could stop him!

Now, as for their meeting with Player? For Fortune, she's the one to have had the guide, so Player would have a connection closer to Fortune than Fate (at the start at least), I feel Fortune has built confidence from her adventure (but struggles with her own anxieties still) so I feel she's outwardly showing her liking towards Player, when she remembers them she's not afraid to show how she's missed them, nor her thankfulness towards them and they became very close very quickly- Fortune has Player spoiled while in, not only her castle, but the country altogether.

Now, Fate??? It's a very difficult and long process for their friendship. Fate has suffered a lot through the years, he's been captured and most likely tortured by Ganon for years, most likely harassed by those who know who he is and how he failed. Fate also most likely has either a weaker connection or altogether no connection at all to the guide, maybe their were possible mentions in history so he knows what the guide is but possibly never had the chance to meet them (which I'm still bouncing around in my head) so there's a lot of angst potential for Fate and Player.

SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE IN THIS MOMENT! ARMS ARE WIDE OPEN FOR MORE QUESTIONS!!

#cloud answers

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twothpaste · 2 years

Text

who wants to hear about my mother voice headcanons

these are mostly about my au where they're like 20 but they apply to canon too

The twins are great cuz they have the exact same voice, but speak so differently you'd never mix them up. Deeper than you'd probably expect, courtesy of I think Flint's vocal depth is down there with Johnny Cash. They don't share the overwhelming power of his country accent, but there's still traces of it in both of 'em. (Claus tries to suppress it but it doesn't work, lmaooo)

Lucas is soft and sleepy and mumbly, pretty steady in tone, doesn't usually speak with a lot of inflection. Very easy on the ears, soothing even - but you might would have to ask him to speak up or repeat himself. Disregarding his Smash Bros voice, it cracks me up but I imagine even at 13 he kept his voice low and quiet, and was already starting to sound a little awkwardly deeper. I think while he was younger he inadvertently trained himself to speak without conveying much emotion, and it stuck, and now he's just Like That Forever. :( Recently he's started making an effort to adopt Claus' more confident manner of speaking, when he recognizes he needs to stand up for himself or be assertive. :')

Claus is obviously a brash and exuberant speaker who doesn't have the best handle on their inside voice. They're almost abrasive, there's an edgier undertone there that's not really audible in Lucas' gentle speech. Tone goes up and down like an accordion, you can tell exactly how they're feeling immediately. EXCEPT when they're overwhelmed and/or dissociating, and they bust out that chillingly stagnant robotic affect (that's The Masked Man baybeee). It's so dull and lifeless it doesn't even sound anything like Lucas it's just Fucked. It's like a reflex, sometimes they can't turn it off. Please be patient while they reboot. Recently they've started making an effort to adopt Lucas' softer manner of speaking, when they recognize they need to tone it down or comfort somebody. :')

One fun thing about both of them is that they're extremely impressionable, and will inadvertently pick up quirks of other peoples' speech without meaning to. Lucas caught Kuma's snorting laughter when he was like 15 and he's stuck with it. Claus still sometimes veers into the raucous kinda tone Porky takes when he's telling a not very funny joke, and they'll catch themself and gag. They both adopt Duster's "y'alldn't've" and Paula's high-point Scrabble words. Claus' gamer lingo becomes contagious and the next thing they know Lucas is unwittingly dropping "based" and "dogwater" at the D&D table. Fun. :)

Apparently Tomato once said one of his regrets with the Mother 3 fan translation was that he thought Kumatora's dialogue should've been more informal, to better reflect the way she talks in the original Japanese version of the game. Well y'know what motherfucker I gotcha right here. Kuma's voice is rough and raspy like a serrated steak-knife, and every other word out of her mouth is one that'd make a suburban white mom gasp. Relentlessly authentic, boldly casual, talks the same way whether she's in her boss' office or a Hardee's drive thru line. I think she normaly speaks at a lower octave, but when she's startled or delighted her natural higher pitch sneaks out. Loves to sing, loudly and badly. Has a hard time speaking softly but will do her darnedest for her loved ones' sake.

Duster's got a sad gravely sorta deep voice and the southern drawl of all time. He sounds like a King of the Hill extra who'd appear in one episode and then vanish somberly into the Texan ether. He sounds like he's stoned even when he isn't (but when he is, hoo boy). He sounds like he's 75 even though he's like 40. It rules. Speaks slowly and imprecisely, with a lot of uncertain "umm"s and "err"s. Has a lot of range in his pitch, he gets much lower when he's bummed out and much higher when he's in good spirits. Will not raise his voice to a shout under any circumstances, dude hasn't yelled in like twenty years. Sings rather nicely but is shy about it anyways.

Most of the time, Ness speaks so mellow and calm that you can't help but feel at ease around him. Almost sounds like he's singing, sometimes. He's known he's trans since he was like 12, and was fortunate enough to have a really accepting family… I think from a young age he made a conscious-or-unconscious effort to speak in a lower vocal pitch, to to the point that it just became his comfortable default. He's been on T for a few years, probably since he was like 18, he's definitely grown into that lower pitched kinda campfire crackly voice (god I wish that were me). I do kinda imagine him having been unsatisfied with his voice growing up. Not terribly so, just a little less than thrilled about it (this'd apply during Earthbound, oof)… But older Ness is finally at the point where he's like "Oh. I think I sound like myself now. This'll do :)"

Paula's got a sharp and tinny kinda voice that'd almost be awful, if it wasn't softened by her southern drawl. When she was a tweenager she was embarrassed about her accent and suppressed it, but she got over it (being friends with Ness n' pals helped) (I imagine this played out gradually and wholesomely over the course of Earthbound / middle school). She still makes a point to speak really precisely and succinctly though, she is an aspiring English professor after all. She's also got, like?? Not a lot of vocal range but a lot of intent & control over her tone. She'll whip from sharp and snarky to gentle and homely at a moment's notice, with rhetorical intent. Ah, and the older she's gotten the more she's started to sound like her mom. Which she hates.

Jeff's voice is hard for me to hear with my mind's ears because I think he has the stereotypical nasally cartoon nerd voice And that whole ass British accent, and the two do not blend nicely at all. It's hilarious and a deliberate part of his charm, it's just hard for me to imagine. He also speaks so monotone that there's rarely any inflection. Even when he's happy. Even his questions sound like statements. I don't think his shyness manifests in mumbling or stuttering, he just bluntly says shit and wears a stoic expression and silently hopes to god it didn't sound weird or awkward or incoherent. The way he talks probably puts strangers off sometimes and makes him hard to read, but I think it becomes almost strangely comforting to Ness & pals. In fact, it's kinda nervewracking when he gets upset and his voice starts cracking and fluctuating instead.

I think Poo's voice is so fucking deep and rich and serene?? Like, dude could do the best ASMR ever, probably. It catches people off guard but commands respect and attention. At age 22 he wields it confidently, he's verbose and laughs a lot and it suits him well. But when puberty done did that to him all of a sudden at like age 14 (haha Earthbound) he was bewildered. Awkwardly trying to sound regal and composed while he was still just a kid, fumbling over his words, scrambling just to get used to it. In this AU thankfully he had a more of a chance to just be a teenager, instead of having royalty thrust on him, so it probably went a little easier. Especially with Awkward Voice Solidarity from Ness & the gang, 'cause holy shit they all had issues with this stuff huh.

I can't picture Porky with anything less than a gnarly shouty goofy 90's cartoon villain voice. Way over the top. Grates on your ears. Hilariously horrid. Probably went from being nails-on-chalkboard squeaky to whatever the hell this is the moment he turned 13 one beautiful morning. Impossible to tell if he's deliberately trying to sound like an animated alligator who skateboards and offers kids drugs in a D.A.R.E. VHS, or if that's just how his vocal cords were blacksmithed by the hand of God. When he hits his 20's it's not any better, he just gets grumblier and sleazier and more prone to frustrated outbursts. I love him.

#intermission au #tooting a marching baritone horn or perhaps a harmonica on my apartment balcony #2thtalks

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