#but i don't have the time nor the energy for storytelling

[thechekhov]

Dungeon Meshi Quick Reacts

CH. 34 Cockatrice

He's doing his best.

L...Laios no..... LaioS NO

I respect Kui-san so much for the work she puts into not only the Senshi pantyshots but also affirming the fact that Marcille and Laios are in no way sexually interested in one another whatever.

I suppose it itches BECAUSE it's healing but also.... w...why does it look infected?

...did.... did Senshi consent to being a test subject? He looks a bit nervous 😂

FIRMLY GRASP IT.

(Marcille has no time for your internalized homophobia)

Oh??? Is there old-party drama that we're about to be privy to? I'm listening reading.

In a storytelling sense, this is very clever. Chillchuck is clearly drawing parallels (unknowingly, I assume?) between Laios and Kirby(?). That guy is.... In Control of his party in a sense, and clearly has earned their trust as a leader. But he trusts himself a little bit too much for it to result in an unhealthy feedback loop of 'I'm always right, these other people think so too!'

Meanwhile, although Laios isn't actively trying to steer the group, they DO trust him to care about their safety, to an extent, and retain their own goals and judgements about certain other things. In fact, it's arguably BECAUSE they all trust each other to be better judges of character that they keep one another in check, so to speak.

The tea is SIZZLING. The girls are fighiiiing

So. Natural energy points. You're basically using energy of unknown origin to fuel spells instead of tapping into what is available readily.

But that sounds like maybe you'd have some. Hm. Questionable side effects? From adding ingredients into the mix which you can neither understand nor fully control.

......of course............of course it was.

👁👁

it's got business to attend do, presumably. Also, which floor are you guys on? Are you still in that ancient city?

IS THAT A THING?????

Maybe that would have been good to.... lead with.......

.........IS THIS WHAT FALIN IS CAPABLE OF?? IS THIS WHAT SHE USES TO COMMUNICATE WITH SPIRITS? Maybe they ARE both talented, but Laios just never bothered to tap into this.

I'm sure it's fine. Hang on, didn't they fight this before once already?

AH right, that was the basilisk. My bad.

I don't. So this'll be a double surprise for me!

I aLmost thought this was it!!! Marcille don't fuck with me like this!

"I'M MARCILLE AND I DON'T LOOK AT THE EXPLOSIONS I, MYSELF, CREATE!!"

You can't not love her.

NOOOO ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!

This is NOT the time to be a zombie movie deuteragonist

wh--i THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A CHANCE FOR HIM TO DO MORE HEALING MAGIC

.........I guess that's. a good point but. Laios. Buddy.

I have nothing to say here. This is peak DnD behavior.

...hang on they never took her out of the pot? 😂

..how proud you are of them?

....................yeah alright I guess that works too.

For a second there I thought maybe her petrified hair was gonna snap off and she'd get a haircut.

#dungeon meshi #chekhov reads dungeon meshi #dungeon meshi liveblog #delicious in dungeon

[utahlive]

This ask isn't directly for Wilbur or the blog, but rather the person who runs this. A bit of an ooc ask about world building and expanding this universe since I'm invested

Are we as the audience perceived as people in this universe watching this show/documentary about Utah at our homes, sending in questions via telephone. Or are we just random people that show up in the gas station and keep coming back one by one at random times to talk about the "Dabi cosplayer". (I'd like the imagine the second one; just a but of faceless people pressed up against the glass outside asking the weirdest questions. Fits the vibe)

Do you, the owner of this blog, have a part to play in the universe? Are you the director to the show, a main camera man, or something else.

The fanart that's made for this blog, I'd like to imagine it's—again—just faceless people running up and slapping drawings they make on the convince store windows and running off, leaving the producers and Wilbur with it. Stuff like that :]

Im gonna be honest I said I was gonna do author q&a today specifically so I could answer this ask because I feel weird just answering it willy-nilly

I tend to be... pretty bad at storytelling. I always get wayyy too into my own head, and things get so complicated to a degree where only I can understand whats going on, which is something im obviously trying very hard to avoid. However I don't wanna sacrifice the story I want to tell, so I'm just doing my best here.

One of the biggest limitations right now is that I'm just struggling to explain exactly how the world works/the translation between "Utah" and irl/us. The biggest ones are time and what exactly is being aired, because obviously it doesn't take one whole day to answer two questions, but I don't have the energy to answer more than two q's per day. And of course the 'film crew' arent actually filming Wilbur while he's sleeping or anything like that, but it's hard to tell the story I want to tell without having scenes like that. Im hoping that things will get smoother as we go, but for now I've just been making it so that episodes that dont have 'transcript's in them aren't filmed (or have "artist rendition" notes), and lets say that even though its been over a month of answering questions for us, it's only been two or three weeks for wilbur.

As for what you guys are, you're viewers who are calling in from home! Kinda like a radio show. No one is physically showing up to the store or his house (that would be really funny though). I did have some scrapped ideas that I may bring back later about the film crew, but for now "they" dont have any deeper place in the story. I'm the camera man, I guess! I've been imagining it as just some guy with a camera in one hand, a headset to listen to calls, and a little paper pad to write down answers.

There are 886 asks in the inbox right now! Not all of them are asks, some of them are just comments about whats happening (which I love, I <3 hearing what you guys think) but unfortunately I can't answer all of them. I have a general outline so whenever I do pick story/plot asks, its ones that fit that outline, and every other time I just try to be funny.

nor/mal (jk. he/they/xe)

I was typing out the whole story and reasoning behind the pictures I chose but it was getting way too long (because I ended up going down a rabbit hole). Basically I found an old blog from 2010 where a girl had posted a picture of her room, it was a very positive post so I didn't think it would be offensive to use it (also there's a comment from 2016 on the blog post asking if the image can be used as reference, no reply, the author of the blog has not logged in for years). The bathroom was made in the Sims 4/I used pictures of my own dorm bathroom

smoked a blunt in the woods and thought about cwilbur's character arc a little too hard

im shy 👉👈

fucks me up that people continue to think about this blog after liking/reblogging

#utahlive #4th wall break #drugs #cw drugs

[redheadspark]

Number 9 and number 2 with Druig? I checked before I requested so hopefully you don't get a reapeat! If you don't end up having time that's totally okay! I adore your writing, so happy to see whenever you post! I hope you have a great day 💗

A/N - this is VERY cute and quite perfect for Druig! I hope you like this, and thanks for requesting this!

Serenity

Summary - Druig feels your exhaustion, along with your tenderness

Warnings - Just some cute fluff in this one shot!

Drug sensed it a first when he walked into the room.

It was the end of the day, and the rest of the village near The Domo getting ready for the evening activities which included a small gathering around the communal fire in the center of the marketplace and some storytelling, thanks to Sprite.  Some of you were going to be in attendance since it would build a better relationship with the humans, and although Druig was no social butterfly like some of the others, he knew you would love to go to Sprite's storytelling

But when he arrived in the Domo, you were nowhere to be found.

He closed his eyes, trying to channel you and your unique energy that Druig knew far too well.  Within a moment, he opened his eyes and saw through your own vision.  But you were asleep, a bit restless but asleep in the bed of your room.  Druig watched, almost like a ghost or a shadow as you were tossing a bit in your bed and your face contorted with concern even in deep sleep.  From your connecting as Soulmates, you could be with Druig through his mind and through his thoughts.  You could see what he sees, and he could do the same for you too.  It felt Druig to know what you were feeling so he could help you without asking, and it was the same for you to help him.

You both were in tune with one another, and it worked all these centuries.  

“I think she’s in her room,” Thena explained to Druig as she glided in the room, Gilgamesh behind her as she spoke again, “She came in earlier looking a bit tired.”

“Tired?” Druig asked, not wishing to sound concerned but it still came out as such.  

“She had a nasty run-in with a Deviant with Kingo earlier this morning,” Gilgamesh explained, Druig was about to panic and ask so many questions when Gilgamesh threw up his hands to stop Druig before he would start, “She didn’t want to tell you since it was a simple patrol, and they both handled it well.  She left earlier this morning with Kingo and they took care of it, but it did wipe her out good,”

“She’s alright, Druig,” Thena reassured him, seeing the look on his face and how he was already thinking of so many things quickly, “Go check her room before you go into another one of your frenzies”

“They’re not frenzies when it comes to her,’ Druig reminded Thena, then he passed seeing her give him a knowing look and he sighed, “I’ll check on her, thanks Thena, thanks Gil.” Druig thanked her as he walked over in the directions of the bedrooms.  Gilgamesh had to laugh.

“I’m sure they’re not frenzies,” Gilgamesh teased behind Druig, but Druig wasn’t paying attention to that.  He was more focused on you, wondering where you were and how you were doing.  He didn’t think of checking on you earlier that morning when he knew you were on patrol with Kingo, nor did he see you all day since he was doing his own chores in the marketplace with Makkari and Sersi.  There was never a good time to touch base with you, Druig felt bad he didn’t squeeze in time.

That’s when he felt it: Exhaustion. 

Being soulmates also meant that you two were tethered together, not just in souls combining but in emotions and feelings too.  Since you two found out you were soulmates, you both could sense the other's emotions without saying a word, 

So Druig paused, sensing and feeling all that exhaustion from you and how you could barely move. He felt terrible even more, wishing he could have known earlier to help you sooner.  But all he could do now was go into your room and tense to you.

Pushing open your door, he poked his head in and saw you blinking awake, rubbing your eyes to look at the ceiling and sighing in both tiredness and restlessness.

“Hello, darling,” He said to you as he entered the room and closed the door behind him.  You hummed, grinning as he moved to sit next to you on the bed. Once he was against the headboard, he rang his fingers in your hair, you curling into him like a cat would go with a scratch and he smiled, “Thena and Gilgamesh told me about your patrol earlier today,”

“Nothing I couldn’t handle, honey,” You replied with a yawn, “It was just a nastier Deviant than Kingo and I thought. I didn’t wish to worry you,”

“Well that comes with being your soulmate, doesn’t it?” Druig reminded you as you smiled and looked up at him from your spot with your head on your pillow.  Gently, you reached over to lace your fingers together, yanking him to lay down next to you and face you with his head on the other pillow.  Druig went willingly as if he couldn’t be tempted by you.  He would follow you anywhere you went, he knew it.  

“I feel your worry for me, Druig,” You advised him, reaching up to trace the lines on his face as you searched his eyes lovingly, “I’m not a flower to protect with one gust of wind,”

“You’re my flower,” Druig reminded you, “The most beautiful flower that has ever been.  I worry because I love you too much, and I feel bad for not helping you sooner—“

“Don’t,” You interrupted him gently, kissing his cheeks as he wrapped an arm around you, “My energy gets lost quickly with my ability, we all know that.  But that doesn’t mean all is lost with me, and that I can’t handle myself,”

“I know you can,” Druig reassured you.

“And I know where you’re coming from,” You agreed, “I saw you today, in my mind, helping those children today in the city and showing them how to harvest.”

You loved watching Druig through your mind too when you two were apart, and you did just that when you were showering off from the fight and resting in bed.  Seeing through his eyes, watching him show the children how to harvest berries in the forest nearby and which ones to pick and which to leave for the animals.  Those smaller moments that you got to bear witness, they seemed so organic and gentle.  The others would never Druig like that, nor did they wish to.  But you did, and it made your heart swell in love and pride to watch Druig love on those children.

“You did good with those kids, Druig.  And as much as you wish to keep me safe and care for me, I want to do the same for you.” You explained as you felt him trace some of your hair with your fingers, “Let’s rest together for a few more minutes, then we can get ready to go to the storytelling tonight with Sprite."

“Sounds perfect,” Druig hummed, pulling you close to kiss your head as you nestled your nose into his neck.  You both went quiet again, enjoying the joined emotions of peace and serenity you were sharing and mixing within you.  

The End.

Soulmate Prompt Session

#druig x female reader #druig x you #druig x reader #druig x female reader #druig x oc #druig x eternal!reader #druig x y/n #eternals fan writing #eternals fanfiction #eternals #mcu writing #mcu fanfiction #mcu phase 4 #marvel cinematic fanfiction #marvel cinematic universe #marvel cinematic universe fanfiction

[genshrineimpact]

⬙⤠ masterlist ⤝⬙

god of war! reader series ◇ character voicelines (script version)

(alternatively, the live version can be found here)

𐃆 Zhongli

| About [name]

Why, of course I know of [name]. I would hope that I know my spouse quite well, considering the time we've spent together. They might look cold at first, but if you continue to observe them for a while, you will see that they are an endearing person. Though their tone and expression might seem indifferent, there are certain ticks one will discover if they have a keen pair of eyes. They are a great joy to be around, I promise you. Why don't you drop by our abode some time, perhaps for dinner?

Hm, wonderful. I shall relay the good news to [name]. Ah, before that, just to be sure… you do not eat rocks nor blood, do you?

| About [deity_name]

You speak of the god of war, yes? I see you have done your research. Diligent as always, Traveler.

To answer your curiosity - yes, my dearest held this name prior to the rite of descension. They knew of my plan to step down as an archon, and agreed to spend the rest of our lives walking among mortals. So far, it seems like they are adjusting to it and enjoying it quite well. The other day, they enthused me about this new aromatic drink imported from Sumeru. It seems like the drink gave them a boost of energy and a rush of adrenaline just from a few sips-

Oh? You can't imagine them being enthusiastic about something? chuckle You see, it is quite simple. Their eyes will widen for about three to five millimeters. Their posture will hunch slightly, and their arms are likely to be moving in one way or another. Their voice pitch with increase, and their speech pattern will usually…

Ah… Dear me, my apologies. You look just like my companions whenever they feel that I have talked a little too much about my dearest. I suppose whenever it comes to them, I tend to go a little too… passionate, for most people's tastes.

| Rex Lapis and [deity_name]

laugh Well, that brings back memories. I suppose you heard of those tales while you were watching Miss Yun Jin's opera? Or perhaps it was the storytellers?

I cannot say that they are completely wrong - though some details have been quite… romanticized, or read into for a little too much.

For example, about giving pebbles to show a romantic interest in someone. I had not given it because I desired for them to 'have a piece of me to always be by their side'. I simply thought they were lovely to look at, and I wished to make them smile.

Although, their theory about how knives being exchanged upon a couple's union in marriage was almost accurate. To be completely precise, on our one thousand year anniversary, [name] gifted me with a crafted and personally blessed knife that can cut down a god. This was a gesture of faith and conviction. As the god of war, this was the best present they could have given me. I treasure the weapon to this day…. Ah, how nostalgic…

Hm? Are you interested in this weapon, Traveler? Haha, I'm afraid I cannot abide by your request this time. However, I can certainly ask [name] to perhaps bless a weapon of your preference. In their hands, even a dull blade can become a deadly weapon. I trust you will look after it with the utmost care and will refrain from using it for nefarious purposes.

| Xiao and [deity_name]

The young adepti certainly seems to look up to [name], does he not? I think there are certain things that make them connect on a spiritual level. For this, I couldn't be anything less than overjoyed. Though he might deny the notion of needing any sort of social interaction and personal interrelationship, I believe it is good for him to interact more with others, be it with mortals or adepti. Would you be so kind as to tell me about how he's doing, if you had the chance to visit Wangshu Inn recently?

| The sibling adepti

I see you've met the children. They're quite the interesting duo, aren't they? Fiercely loyal to a fault, too. How did your first meeting go? I hope they did not intimidate you - I promise they only mean well.

Oh? They told you to tell me that? Dear me, no matter how many centuries pass, it seems like I will never gain their complete trust. laugh I suppose they are feeling a little lonely. It is true that it has been a while since we last visited. I should plan for it with [name], then. Thank you for relaying their message.

| Hungry Ghost Festival

My apologies, I have a rather urgent business that requires my utmost attention. Could we perhaps reconvene at a later date?

| About the god of sun

Ah… Where did you hear about them?

I see. You visited Qingyun Peak, then… sigh

… Yes, as you surmised. The god of sun was [deity_name]'s closest companion, back when they were much younger. I'm afraid it is not my place to tell this story, however. The God of Sun, Invictus… This is quite a heavy topic for my dearest. Please, take great care in approaching them and when you ask about it, do not push them if they refuse to tell you. Perhaps in due time, they will recount the tale to you.

| About [name] 2

Speaking of [name], they have been subtly hinting to me that you are welcome to visit our abode anytime. It seems like you've helped them greatly the last time you met them. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your kindness. They tend to overexert themselves sometimes, despite knowing that doing so isn't good for them. sigh It is truly worrying.

Hm? You will help in watching over [name] whenever you see them, you say? chuckle Why, thank you. You are quite the kind soul, Traveler.

If you need some help on your commissions, please do not hesitate to ask for my help. I am quite confident I should be able to assist you in your quests.

| About [deity_name] 2

Their god form? Hm, it is truly a magnificent sight to witness. They command attention and exude power on the battlefield. Most of the time, their enemies do not dare to lock eyes with them, for they will only see the fierce glare of a tiger, and they will despair knowing that their life will end in vain.

Their beast form is such a wonder to behold, too. Though they do not use it as often, because of this fact also, it strikes the utmost mental damage whenever it is released upon the battleground. The way their white and black striped fur are tainted with blood strikes fear to the opposing soldiers yet raises the fighting spirit of their own army.

Oh, does your traveling companion find these descriptions too scary? My apologies, little one. But you do not need to worry; they are all but stories of the past. I do not foresee you will bear witness to such sights, unless danger threatens to destroy Liyue and the Qixing are unable to stop it.

𐃆 Xiao

| About [name]

Ah… Yes, I do know of them. What of it?

I would advise you to not bother them with your troubles. They have more important matters to attend to. If you truly need help, call me instead.

| About [deityName]

Do not speak of their name so casually. They are the spouse of Rex Lapis, so in Liyue you must refer to them as the Deity of Peace.

That expression… You do not think that the designation suits them, do you? You must have heard about the rumors. I assure you, while not all of them were lies, if you would just spend some time with them, you will realize that they are nothing as the malicious whispers of the mortals designed them to be.

One's past… might not be able to be erased, but one should not be defined by it. This is what they used to tell me. I would like to ask you to consider this when talking to them.

| About [name] 2

Huh? What is this?

cough … Haah. Eons have passed and still they insist on treating and referring to me as a "child". I assume they told you to make sure I ate all these mortal food, too? Hmph. Of course they would.

Wha- I did not say that I would not eat them! Hey- Traveler! Stop that floating companion of yours from stealing my food!

| About [deityName] 2

It was my honor to be able to serve under Rex Lapis and [deity_name] in the Archon War, until now. Though they have… rescinded their titles, it does not change what they have done to help me in the past. I will continue to fulfill my promise and my duty until my last breath, just as I will not take other masters aside from them for as long as the karmic debt has not consumed me entirely.

| Hungry Ghost Festival

Tsk. Is it already that time of the year?

You wish to know what the festival is about? Hm. I suppose you wouldn't know since it is a unique event of Liyue…

It is said that in the seventh month of the year, the connection between the realm of the living and the realm of the spirits wavers, so the spirit of the undead will rise up upon the lands. In order for the mortals to continue living without being disturbed, they would provide countless offerings and try to scare the ghosts away by organizing festivals that span for days.

… Although, in the end, the gifts and festivities itself does nothing to quell the wrath of the slaughtered.

| Rex Lapis and [deityName]

I believe the mortals have a specific phrase for this…. 'Match made in Celestia', or something to that line? It certainly resembles their relationship.

Huh? How so? sigh Just go around Liyue Harbor and ask the people there. You will understand soon enough.

| The sibling adepti

Ah, those kids. Are they still obstinately hovering over their former master, even now? Foolish ones who cannot even hold their promise… How impudent. They're a pair of overzealous troublemakers, that's what they are.

| About the God of Sun

I have heard about that name, but I believe they passed away a long time ago. Why the sudden interest?

© genshrineimpact | 2022 ◆ no repost. reblogs much appreciated. feel free to reach out to submit suggestions, feedback, comments, or if you just want to talk!

◇ taglist ◇ @paintingsofdragonspine | @genshinparty | @abyssmal-skies | @hamdehlesmis

ps. if you want to be removed/added from the taglist, just send an ask or dm me!

#genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #zhongli #zhongli x reader #xiao #platonic!xiao x reader #god of war!reader au #rin writes

[frumfrumfroo]

I double-checked and so far no, Rey Film has not been confirmed as cancelled (it's been denied by Lucasfilm in an article published by ScreenRant as of a day ago). Daisy Ridley also claims she's returning, Steven Knight is working on the script, but we're way out anyway. I tried to suss out his body of work, and can't really discern anything standout - Peaky Blinders perhaps at best, but I don't recognise much else, nor can I really discern his ideology or approach to Star Wars.

A corollary of this is that an enemies-to-lovers/redemption ship in a book series which was adapted to screen got a more flattering version in the show, and I tepidly predicted this because the showrunner herself was a fan of the ship in the books. Liberties were taken in adaptation, but I cannot fault her that. Anyway, Rey Film will probably be written by committee. Imagine a soup of misogyny wearing the guise of feminism and that will be our answer. Tie-in merchandise for the robots and maybe a cursory figure of Rey or two, and if they're really trying, Rey-branded makeup palettes to help you forget the ghostly memory of your dead love of your life evil enemy who died to save you in a hilarious way of eliminating himself and your agency from the narrative killed his dad. Actually have they ever done that for SW? I know they did it for Hunger Games and Barbie which was hilarious.

Anyway it's all very 'c'mon, do something' poking SW with a stick. On a brighter note: the other night I sobbed for half an hour because of Good Storytelling, and the difference between that and TROS was a gulf. Good Storytelling makes life worth living.

Good Storytelling makes life worth living. Absolutely, anon, fucking preach. (This is me now wanting to rewatch DW S9, knowing I will be a total wreck at the end, but in an earned and cathartic way, not a rage and despair way.)

Dunno if they'd want to associate her directly with makeup after spending so much energy trying to wash the girl cooties off of her and make her acceptable to the most insecure manchildren on the planet. Jedi Nun permachildren probably shouldn't wear it, they'll get scolded by their Velvet Elvis sibling parents.

Well, that's a shame. But there's still lots of time for this to fall through. Maybe the funniest way for it to happen is for them to pull a Batgirl, actually make it, and then lock it in a basement somewhere. Watching them flounder and waste money is the most entertainment I'll get out of future Disney Wars properties.

#the saltiest

[dededaio]

So enough time passed. I think it's time to talk about that is something legitimately exciting to me in regards to Kirby's future.

That said, still, Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe spoilers I guess. If you haven't played through entire game and I mean ENTIRE game, then don't read the rest of this post.

Anyway. RTDL DX is very interesting because it's the first if not only Kirby game since INTRODUCTION of the lore to actually answer questions instead of posing more of them. Magolor is not from Halcandra. He learned about Master Crown from "dusty tome". Master Crown is legitimately evil and even Landia has trouble keeping it's influence at bay. Halcandrans perishing in the sudden ruin is the result of Master Crown's handiwork. Not only Magolor actually redeemed himself, he's also the same person as Clash Magolor and this is where he ended up RIGHT after RTDL.

LIKE. THIS IS A LOT???

There's still stuff left up to interpretation and speculation. We don't know how Magolor reunited with Kirby and co and when or how he exactly settled in Dream Land. We don't know how Magolor made peace with Lor Starcutter nor we know the significance of Void-like sphere in True Arena Magolor Soul fight.

But it's alright. Because for once this game actually BOTHERS to provide definitive answers to a lot of the questions franchise kept as a mystery for many years. And I think like this means that the era of "vague lore" is coming to a close. There is simply no reason for the remake to take off the bandaid and start elaborating on every piece of lore related to RTDL specifically unless it's the new direction of the franchise.

I'm excited because it means that storytelling and world building in this series can actually evolve from being purely optional and vague to something more pronounced and fleshed out. RTDL DX (and Forgotten Land for that matter) retained everything that makes Kirby games loveable and charming but still have slightly more emphasis on story and world building than most games in the series and it was met with nothing but acclaim from fans. I'm so STOKED to see what's next. I was never this excited about Kirby lore because, while fun, for a bit it felt like an endless cycle of "vague implications that are sometimes confirmed in Japanese exclusive interviews that no one ever officially translates" which killed my enthusiasm a bit.

Now we know that Kumazaki can actually provide answers to questions even if it destroys some of the common headcanons and interpretations. I know well, I myself saw Magolor as halcandran until he himself straight up said that's not the case lmfao.

And I'm cool with that! By all means, Kumazaki, RUIN ME. Give me out of the box confirmations that completely mess with how I perceived series up to this point. I would love more moments like when I first discovered that brand new 120 energy spheres dialogue in DX.

#klu.txt

[papermonkeyism]

For the new year, I wish I'll get to hang out with people again.

This past year has been, frankly, pretty miserable, specially since early summer-ish when my DnD group went on a months long break. Wasn't the first one, nor the last one, but definetely the worst one. Don't really have other friends locally, aside from one old school mate.

Honestly it's been pretty bad ever since the start of the pandemic when we stopped hanging out outside of DnD sessions and my fave coffee places closed down along with couple of my fave restaurants, and I just... Stopped having a social life, but now it's so much worse. As said, I have one (1) friend outside of the group I sometimes go shopping with, and one of my DnD buddies hangs out with me maybe once a week to borrow my laundry machine for couple hours, and they are probably the only reasons I haven't broken completely so far.

But neither of them are storytelling people the same way I am, so I'm kinda holding back when we hang out, as I can't really go all in with my special interests on them.

Downsides of being socially awkward introvert.

The summer break from roleplaying was a trigger for anxiety and maybe the worst creative block of my life so far. As someone who basically thinks with a sketchbook it was pretty fucking stressful not being able to draw anything for several months!

I crave creation and storytelling, but my brain is made of goo. Like imagine if someone came and asked you to pick a water from a pool and hand it to them? But it's liquid! Can I get a cup or something, but they just scoff. You got hands, right, just pick one up and hand it over. So I'm just left trying to scoop handfuls of wet and grabbing nothing. Kinda how it feels.

Started marathoning Crit Role to distract myself from the worst of it and to have at least some kind of creative energy in my life, and consumed what must be over half a thousand hours of role playing. At least that was fun!

And when nights started stretching and seasonal depression started to creep into my already not-doing-good brain I started my routine of evening walks because at some point I was legitimately going stir crazy enough to explode otherwise.

It's also been my first full year of joblessness in a long while. I was already having hard time by the end of last year, because my brain has difficulty handling full time jobs for long stretches of time, and ten months in a row not being able to recharge was starting to weight on me, so I had made a plan to get my brain sorted out with the ADHD diagnosis and hopefully medication before applying for jobs again, but turns out the process took the entire year, and then some, and I still don't have the meds yet. I have been given the thumbs up on them, but turns out me stressing for the better part of a year has triggered blood pressure problems (runs in my family, so honestly probably just a matter of time, but it's still very inconvenient to happen right now), so I have to sort that out first before it's safe to try stimulant medication.

And then there was the death in the family and a close friend's cancer diagnosis (fingers crossed!) and I just haven't had a great time, you know.

January's going to go into medical stuff in the hope of getting the ADHD meds, so maybe I could one day grab those thoughts again. The unemployment office is also pestering me again, so we'll see how that'll go.

I think I'll see if I can make myself a regular at the new cat cafe in town. Cats make everything better. Also looking forwards to actualizing a tattoo plan or two! Springtime is coming too, eager to continue my evening walk routine with returning sunlight. And I really, really, really need to create something again.

So here's for what I sincerely hope to be a better year than this past one! Cheers.

#shut up paper

[xmimiteh]

Things I like RP partners to know

I like to be called: Mimi, if you want to use my character's name. But I know it might get weird to differentiate between the player and the character. And I am definitely neither my character nor a tsundere. ;) So you can call me by my other nickname as well I am mostly known for at other places - Jama or Jamapi. Yes, that's from "Wedding Peach". Don't judge me, my guilty pleasure is the magical girl genre and "Wedding Peach" was simply hilarious! Pronouns: they/them.

One thing you should know about me (or several): 

The following is at the same time a condensed and expanded version of my carrd's ooc sections. If you want to know more, you can look at my >carrd&lt;.

I am 21+ and I belong to the older demographic here, as I started roleplaying with D&D back in the days in the 80s and have been doing a lot of roleplaying since then - tabletop, collaborative storytelling, play-by-mail, LARP. You name it, I did it. Mimi has been a grumpy little menace on Balmung in FF14 since ARR. I have a fulltime and very stressful job as a professional writer in my native language. Thus, playing the game is my feel-good place to recharge my energy batteries, while relaxing with a nice cup of coffee. So I like my and your time there being as stressfree and most fun as possible. I am happily married and outside of RP I am not looking for anything more than friendship. My characters have their own agenda, of course. But I am just here to have fun playing the game, write some cool stuff together with you and laugh and watch our goofballs on the screen act the way they do. Our own little tv show of ensuing hilarity.

I like to describe my preferred RP with tv shows: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dawson’s Creek, Babylon 5, Fringe. Also, I have a soft spot for horror themes, especially when spiced up with cosmic horror. So if you are doing that? Count me in! But let me be clear: To me it is not about the tentacles, but the philosophical/intellectual stuff. World views being shattered, nihilism hitting characters hard, existentialism with moral dilemmas. That is the good stuff to me! Nothing wrong with cosmic/void entitites, of course, but please no anime weirdness here. I probably do not have to spell it out, what I mean by that, right? That is not, what I enjoy cosmic horror for. So even though I love cosmic horror, do not assume I am here for that. Because that is a big no-go for me.

Aside from that, let's talk about talking: I am not shy, I am an introvert (>example<). I do not enjoy small talk and this has nothing to do with you. If I play with you I like you! And there will be even other times, when I will not stop talking to you. My walls of texts are infamous - you see them regularly here on tumblr. But please try to avoid an OOC conversation starter with: “How are you doing?” I never know how to answer that and struggle with that. Honestly, I often sit 5-10 minutes on an answer to that question and my brain simply shows a big "cannot compute" message. If there is something you want to discuss, sure thing, shoot. I can talk for hours and hours about specific topics, meaningful stuff and so on. Once I get lose on something we both are interested in there is no stopping for me. But just talking on a superficial level simply to connect with people? I would love to be able to do that, but I fail at that so hard and am just a big goofball of awkwardness in those cases. So I appreciate getting straight to the point. By the way: IC small talk is a completely different thing for me. Yes, I am weird like that.

One (or several) thing(s) you should know about my characters:

Mimi is not an easy character to get along with. I know that. Many people seem to prefer "feel good" rp - and Mimi is probably the opposite of that. And even though I won't say there will never be any "good vibes" rp with Mimi, it will take time and is very situational. The good times do not come easily with this woman. Personally, I prefer conflict and well paced character drama. As much as I adore slice-of-life rp I am not here to "play house" and find that utterly boring. I am here for interesting, gripping character dynamics, for tense situations, for unexpected twists and turns, for character development. I am here for the heart break, angst and the slow burn. Give me edges on other characters, let me to throw my characters against those edges and see what happens.

Even if at some point the "deredere" part of Mimi appears, don't expect this to be everytime. I need the conflict. I need IC problems in roleplay. That's the reason why I love to play tsundere. They make things complicated. They create conflicts by their very nature. As much as I love ooc harmony outside of rp, within any rp situation I crave for well-written conflicts. That does not always have to be a fight. This can also just be a discussion. Or simply different opinions or backgrounds. Sure, sometimes there is not a good angle to create a conflict or disagreement. Well, then it is as it is and this can happen - and that is fine! But I struggle with those situations and will probably try to spice up the situation and make it unpredictable. I want to be surprised. Conflicts are the best way to get there. At least in my experience. To some people this might seem forced and they get annoyed by that. I understand that. But that is just the way I am. I do not want to annoy you by that. I want us both to have fun and something to play with in rp. That is, why I incite problems and conflict. Because if there is nothing to say, then there is no dynamic to the scene.

I know this is not everybody's cup of tea and I don't judge the rp of others. But harmony based rp simply is not my thing and I avoid it, when rp is only "lovey-dovey", rainbows and sunshine. I won't keep people from doing that, but I don't have any interest in it and will stay away from it - for the sake of your fun and mine as well. I do not want to spoil anybody's fun. If you have fun with that? You do you! And please don't get me wrong: It is no problem if there are "nice moments". On the contrary, I love those moments as well! But they have more impact to me if they do not appear regularly, because I am looking for: meaningful moments. Something that will stick to my mind as funny or interesting or tragic or sad or tense. Something that intrigues me like a thrilling tv episode and a gripping cliffhanger in a book or movie. So I like to be really clear about, why I play a quarrelsome character like Mimi: She is not someone to be "solved" or "rescued". She is the way she is, because I need conflict rp to get my creativity going. That is my rp fuel.

To sum it up: My characters are going to do stupid things. They are going to be douchebags. And they are more often wrong than not. I am not my character so if they insult or provoke your character that is part of the RP - not me being mean to you as a player. If I do not feel comfortable with a player on an OOC level I rather avoid playing with them altogether. If my character picks a fight with your character, it means I trust you as a player, and I like you and your character. After all I am offering you my favorite RP, as I adore IC banter and conflict If character play leads to a plot, no problem with that. But do not expect me to play according to any script. My preferred RP develops out of character dynamics. For me plot is a stage for character interactions. Not vice versa.

First language: German. As you might have noticed, I am a non native speaker. So, sorry for any language weirdness or if my answers take longer. I try my best and I think my English is not too bad, but I struggle from time to time. Roleplaying in something different to your first language is a different kind of beast and many things I am proud of in my use of German I fail at in English. And this paragraph is probably one of the best examples of that!

HIGHLIGHT:

Alt blogs: none

xmimiteh.carrd.co is Mimiteh's carrd.

Age range: under 13  |  14–17 | 18–22 | 23–25 | 26–29 | 30+ |  70+

Am I okay with NSFW?: yes | no | some nsfw (when it feels organic)

My favorite/most common thing to rp is: angst | fluff | smut | crack | action | plots | AUs are fine | Violence | Darker themes

OC Canon character friendly?: yes | no | depends

RP blog: does contain ooc posts | doesn’t contain ooc posts | occasionally contains ooc | Aesthetic | Screenshots

I was not tagged, but I stole it from @miqojak! I hope that was okay.

Tagging: I do not even know when this went around, so I'll simply tag the usual crowd. If you did it already, just ignore me! @fair-fae​ @avwalya​ @punchelf @lady-lissette @ysandrethedreamer, @kich-rp @candlelethe​ @ink-dreams-ffxiv @limitsbroke @captainkurosolaire​ @zhauric @arasnealashandr @antlers-and-omens @vulpes-ferus @starforger @miqoquest @gatheredfates @arbiterofthedead @reconditerune @airis-ray @ahlis-xiv @uldahstreetrat @blackbirdffxiv @riftdancing @little-birdseeker @azure-seadragon @thorstyr @angelinecarax @miqomonkly @shavri-ffxiv and everyone who wants to do it! Steal it from me and please tag me, so I will see it. Dashboard can become a bit crowded from time to time and sometimes I tend to miss some things if they do not show up in the activity tab.

#FF14 #Final Fantasy 14 #Final Fantasy XIV #X'mimiteh #X'mimiteh Lhim #Miqo'te #Tsundere #prompt #rp prompt #rp #Thanks for letting me steal it!

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 12/6/22

tuesday again no problem will be taking a break next week, and will return on 12/20/22

listening

rich people by carsie blanton. this is an understated, acoustic little thing with piano and upright bass that builds up with some snaps and some...not quite call and response but something similar. it is direct and to the point, very much in the vein of labor songs and union songs.

i, very hard of hearing, transcribed this by HAND off spotify before i found this video bc i liked the lyrics so much. you're welcome.

Who run the world? It ain't the Jews Rich people don't pay no dues Who did the crime? It ain't the blacks Rich people don't pay no taxes Who took your job? It ain't immigration Rich people with corporations Who threw the vote? It ain't rednecks Rich people with thick fat checks

this interview is from two years ago (and reading about how seriously everyone took covid two years ago is...disheartening, now in the winter of 2022) but is a good answer to a really vague question about how she puts a song together (also explains why it pings so many of the union/labor song associations in my head):

I would say what I’m aware of in songwriting is that if you’re trying to fit a message into a song, it had better be a really catchy, exciting, fun song, because otherwise the message will not be heard. So I think I’m a songwriter first, and most of the songwriting I admire is what I would call American popular songs. So most of my favorite songwriters will just try to write a hit. That’s true in the ‘30s and ‘40s and in the Motown era. So that’s the writing I really admire. And I think in trying to get political messages into songs, I try to make the hook the thing that drives everything else. So it has to have the right energy, it has to have a catchy melody, or nobody cares to listen to the message.

ty to spotify weekly recs??? the least expected source

-

reading

Batman: Noël is a 2011 graphic novel written and illustrated by Lee Bermejo. dipping a toe back into reading with some batman comics. i love batman oneoffs bc there are eleven billion of them and i don't have to have read several thousand other comics to understand them. this one's schtick is: what if batman is scrooge? it's not very successful in the storytelling aspect of this, bc by DC editorial mandate batman and gotham cannot change or grow.

however! it is beautifully rendered. this spread was quite lovely imo, very funny to think sixties tv show batman and edgy grimdark 2010s batman are the same guy

this was chosen at whim from the selection available to me on my library's comics app hoopla. i have spent worse half hours

-

watching

white christmas (1954, dir. Curtiz) while choosing and addressing holiday cards. in like 2016 i decided doing this the first weekend in december would be my new tradition and i have done it like three times since then. so it goes.

has this movie aged well? no. did i watch it many times every winter while growing up bc i was brunette and my sister was blond? yes. these women simply do not look related but that's neither here nor there

-

playing

quick question, pokemon company

who ARE these women. why are they in little caped costumes. i found the little group of three all together but beating them up didn't give me anything except more questions. what is their DEAL

-

making

pasta failure. i have two boxes of mostaccioli (penne with no grooves) from really early in the pandemic when instacart gave me that instead of normal begrooved penne. in the interest of eating my pantry down before i move, i made sausage and peppers with onions, threw the leftovers in some diced tomatoes, and threw all that on top of this pasta.

this did not work bc this pasta has no grooves and cannot hold the tomatoes. the peppers and onions, which are cut in strips (as sausage and peppers with onions is typically made) are a little more successful but this shit sucks man. and i still have another whole box. other than ziti (and even that's questionable, bc the sauce issue remains, also i hate ziti) i don't think there's a good use for this pasta and i'm not completely sure why it exists except as a cruel italian joke, maybe.

in other house news, i am begrudgingly hanging more things bc i do want this joint to look a little less bare for when my siblings come.

in three columns left to right and then describing the columns from top to bottom:

postcard from the museum of sex in manhattan, postcard from my grandfather's collection, postcard from @believerindaydreams, cyanotype i did in high school

postcard from the restaurant my best friend's wedding reception was at, postcard from my sister when she went to japan, postcard from my sister when she went to france (no they are not flipped, also i had to trim this one without trimming any of the text and mack played with the sliver of cut off postcard for a solid forty minutes. acrobatic playing too, she was really going to fucking town smacking this sliver of postcard around)

another postcard from the best friend wedding reception restaurant, postcard from justseeds with a patreon backer reward postage stamp on top, patreon backer reward postcard from @calicojackofficial

i am not fucking around when i say i love postcards. this isn't even all the framed postcards in my house bc there are a series of five in one big frame, two in my room and two by my front door. plus some more in a box

and that's going to have to tide everyone over for the week break. i won't be totally offline (regular blogging, whatever the fuck that means, will probably continue) but i simply will not have the energy or time needed for a tuesdaypost

#tuesday again #tuesday again no problem

[lestappenforever]

Hello again, thanks so much for the link for Austria 2019 post, your storytelling is amazing ❤️ (and I'm still laughing at the unfollowing part, really mature indeed) and it of course made me curious about how lestappen moved from Austria 2019 to Las Vegas 2023. Are some "lestappen yearly overviews" a thing or would you mind sharing some links to posts covering their journey in the last years? Thank you so much 🌷

I'm so glad you could enjoy my little insight into Lestappen at Austria 2019! 💕

To be honest with you, anon, I don't have the time or the mental capacity at this moment to compile anything for you, nor to go searching for posts. (We've entered the Christmas season at work, which is an incredibly busy time for us, and my energy levels are incredibly low most of the time.) And I can't stand leaving asks unanswered for long as it makes me feel incredibly anxious, so I'm afraid I won't be of much help to you right now. I'm so, so sorry!

But - if anyone reading this has time and energy to help a girl and her anon out with links to exisiting posts covering what this anon is asking for, please feel free to send them my way and I will happily share them! ❤️

#Asks #Anon asks #Lestappen asks #Lestappen dynamics anons

[demon-of-the-ancient-world]

Specific things I've noticed about the zodiacs (based solely on people I've met)

I don't know a huge amount about astrology, nor am I an ~astrology person~ but it's just fun sometimes, my ADHD/OCD brain likes to Sort Things don't @ me

Aries

(Me)

Start a lot of things but don't finish a lot of them

Encouragers. Can and will convince others to forget the bullshit and Just Do It

(Depending on the person and the thing, this can end up making them Very Bad Influences)

Either takes their sweet ass time while other people are begging them to hurry up, or are being super impatient and not waiting for anyone else

Quick decision makers

Sometimes they seem like they're never satisfied

Don't overthink too much, they aren't big planners and instead like to go with the flow

Taurus

Niche interests they're very passionate about

They really are That stubborn

Get emotional when they can't get their way (or are in the wrong)

Four out of the six Tauruses I know are the youngest sibling in their family so. Idk what that says.

Really good senses of humour

Good tastes in music/musically inclined in some way (and good at it)

Generally more chilled out than you'd think unless they're mad

Gemini

Honestly I don't know many Geminis but here it goes

Good with kids (or at least being around them for short periods of time)

Determined, driven

Limitless imagination

Generally lighthearted and make a lot of jokes, but can turn serious real quick

Not afraid to swear in front of literally anyone

Cancer

Actually more like how you would think Leos are than actual Leos

Like the spotlight and good at being in the spotlight, good performers

Spontaneous

Emotional but hide the depth of their emotions (which can sometimes lead to being passive aggressive)

Good leaders but willing to take the back seat

Have beef with a lot of people but good at being polite in public and pretending they don't have beef with said people

Can sometimes be a little inconsiderate/not the most tactful

Leo

Usually loud

Can be very overdramatic

But this makes them great storytellers

Love to bring people together, the kind to host a big party and invite Everybody

Hold serious grudges - if they decide to cut you out you're done

Finishes projects way more often then Aries, they aren't always good, but they're finished

Has absolutely unhinged playlists in the best way

When something goes wrong they kind of sometimes make it everyone's problem

Will get along with pretty much anybody, tend to have pretty diverse friend groups

Virgo

A little shy, but when it comes down to their most authentic truths they know who they are and aren't afraid to show it

Very open about their interests/likes/dislikes and don't care what you think

Can be know it alls, but only about things they're really passionate about

Nerrrrds

Don't pick fights unless really provoked, tend to silently judge instead

Will discuss one subject for a Really long time

Actually really sweet most of the time, *wouldn't hurt a fly* energy

Libra

I only know one Libra?

Good friends, very loyal

Super chill, very open and accepting to most people, don't get into a lot of fights

Big into music

They don't have huge egos but they have a lot of natural confidence

Scorpio

Can be surprisingly silly when they want to be

Hard to get to know emotionally

Very firm decision makers, plan EVERYTHING out

They know exactly what they want

Occasionally a bit clueless about things outside their immediate circle of interests/friends/lifestyle

But can also be very worldly and cultured

Interested in and curious about pretty much anything

But when they don't care about something they Don't Care

Sagittarius

VERY inquisitive

Will ask you deep ass questions and when you answer they just kind of look at you with no expression and you start sweating

Don't like being challenged or contradicted

It's hard for them to be emotionally vulnerable

Will start a thousand projects and half finish all of them (like even worse than Aries at that)

But whatever they're doing, it's bound to be really interesting and unusual

Capricorn

Weird. Like, really weird and in really weird ways.

Often really quiet and then you get to know them and find out they've got some wild hidden interest that they're really good at

Don't take nonsense

Sarcasm off the charts

On the flip side, they can be very talkative and open about their interests when they get into it

Either hide the Really Deep Stuff or talk very bluntly about Really Deep Stuff without bothering to make anyone comfortable about it

Will try to connect with you in obscure ways (like just coming up to you and handing you a single earbud and then playing some Absolutely Insane song with no warning - it's happened to me) instead of just talking to you normally

Aquarius

Very concerned with the feelings of others and how other people will perceive a situation

The worst thing they can think of is hurting someone else by mistake

(Which sometimes prevents them from taking care of their own wants/needs instead of acting for other people)

Also super nerdy and unashamed of said nerdiness

Can have chronic bad luck in relationships

Not afraid of acting silly in front of people, it's very hard to actually embarrass them

Will try to befriend anybody, has no concept of cliques they just dive right in

Pisces

They really do kind of live in their own little worlds, whatever that looks like

Original and unique perspectives

They can be a little judgy

Pretty blunt at times

Sometimes take jokes too far

But they really do just like to have fun

Actually have pretty strong opinions, they just don't always voice them

#astrology #zodiacs #horoscope #idk guys this isn't what i usually post but #*shrugs* #just based on people I know/have met

[supercantaloupe]

hello! would you be willing to talk about the flaws in d20? what did you mean by structural/cultural flaws?

sure. disclaimer up front that these are just my own opinions and that i don't want them being taken as fact or being taken up with the creators of d20 directly by anyone on my behalf.

i found that the longer d20 went on/the more seasons they produce that the structure and (some of) the content get less and less appealing to me. content wise this is really very subjective; for example i'm not interested in dating sim-type stories, so Shriek Week was never going to be my thing. but even seasons with premises/gimmicks that i like on paper (like anthro characters in Mice & Murder and space sci fi in Starstruck Odyssey) i found to lose my attention as they went on. love the concepts, but the execution was lacking a little bit for me.

but i think my issues with the show structurally are my larger criticisms, and i don't think my personal taste issues with the content are entirely divorced from the structural elements. anyway, what initially hooked me to d20 with fantasy high is the fact that, unlike any other actual play show i'd come across at that point, it had several structural elements in place that grabbed my attention and held it: 1. the episodes were relatively short (between 1-2 hours); 2. the seasons were relatively short (18 episodes or fewer); and 3. the visual aspects of sets and minis were engaging and helped sort out the action but were not NECESSARY to following along. i don't have the free time or attention span to get invested in an audio-only 100-episode campaign where every episode is like 4 hours long; d20's earliest seasons were very attractive to me for this reason (plus the inventive-for-the-actual-play-genre settings and plots, but this is one thing at least that i do not think d20 has faltered in with its later seasons. the creativity and originality is still great in this regard).

so it became an issue for me, starting around Crown of Candy, when episodes started creeping longer and longer. and then seasons crept longer and longer, like The Seven (sidequests used to be an easily digestible 6 episodes and i liked that). even worse than episodes consistently being over 2.5 hours long i think was that episodes were not a consistent length: the last two episodes of Starstruck Odyssey are under 1.5 and over 3 hours respectively. i understand that a lot of this has to do with the loose and unscripted nature of the storytelling medium, and the cast/editors don't want to break up the flow of the show in inconvenient places. but from my perspective as a viewer, it's kind of exhausting not knowing week to week how much time and energy in advance i'm going to need to dedicate to a new episode of my favorite dnd show to relax and rewind. i'm someone who just does not have the patience to dedicate to anything that long without forewarning, nor do i have the schedule to accommodate that without advanced budgeting of my time and workload. and since one of d20's existing strengths imo is its serialized weekly episode release (increasingly rare in this age of streaming and bingewatching), part of the fun of d20 is watching the brand new episode when it drops every week and reacting to it with everyone else doing the same thing at the same time. when a 3 hour episode drops on a wedesnday night and i have too much shit to do to watch it, and thus i have to wait til the weekend or later to catch up, i can see exactly what i'm missing out on when i watch all my friends on discord or tumblr or whatever watching and reacting to it without me.

i also really miss the structure of the rp-battle-rp-battle episode format, particularly for the mainquest seasons. i think this was an even bigger loss for the show due to covid than the physical minis and sets (which i missed, certainly, during the pandemic seasons, but i think they worked around their absence well enough that it didn't bother me). i'm sure also the more freeform nature of Sophomore Year contributed to this change too but since that was the only full season thus far that was ACTUALLY improvised live to an audience as opposed to being completely shot and edited prior to release, i don't hold it to the same standards of scrutiny as i do the other seasons. anyway, i once again think it comes down largely to a predictability thing for me: you knew, when there was such a pattern to the episodes, exactly what you were getting into in any given week, whether it'd be battle or roleplay. moreover, you knew that each episode was going to wrap itself up in a satisfying way (not necessarily a complete way, but in a satisfying way) that prepped for the next week's episode, which also promised to have a different tone and goal. that variety was important to me, and the predictability. battles and roleplay both get exhausting and difficult to follow (or worse, boring) after too long without the other to break it up. i miss the structure of this pattern (i think started to depart from this format with TUC2 iirc, which is also the first season i watched as it was airing and got the feeling that it was becoming a bit of a slog to watch all the way through).

all of this is criticism, of course, pretty ironic considering that Sophomore Year is still probably my favorite season. but again, livestreamed. they still (mostly) kept their episode length consistent around 2-2.5 hours (finales notwithstanding lol), there was more internal variety within episodes (one 2.5 hour episode wasn't necessarily 2.5 hours straight of just rp or just battle), the gang got split up a lot more which allowed for more variety in storytelling within an episode or an arc, etc. and on top of it, i think that plotwise, they followed up Fantasy High extremely well, introducing/continuing/expanding lore without it feeling out-of-place or retcon-y. i think it having been made still mostly pre-pandemic before a lot of these changes i've been complaining about were fully implemented does link it more closely still with the style of the early seasons i liked so much, but regardless i think Sophomore Year does demonstrate that some of these traits that i don't like about newer seasons, on their own, are not bad. i just don't think they're implemented very well in recent seasons, or at least not well enough to hold my attention and excitement anymore. long episodes aren't inherently bad, but inconsistently long episodes are hard to work around in my life. a lack of a regular rp-battle episode pattern isn't inherently bad, but there needs to be more internal variety to each episode and a satisfying wrap-up to each episode (which may mean simply wrapping up each episode sooner, or it may not).

none of this is even to get into the execution of content in each season. obviously ymmv with personal taste for whether you like any given season's premise or plot beats or whatever, but i remember the many (valid) criticisms emerging surrounding unbalanced character focus and especially racial insensitivity (from the show and from the fans) with certain seasons like TUC2 and Misfits & Magic. not even to mention my own problems with the inclusion of judaism (or lack thereof)/antisemitism in the show, but i have to get to class soon, and don't have time to elaborate on that right now. this post is long enough already, and my issues with the structural elements of the show are just as strong as my criticisms of its representation issues or whatever, plus i think structural elements are easier to understand if you haven't watched every single season because they apply broadly to many seasons, while issues of representation or bad plot/character balance or whatever are only relevant to specific seasons.

#i mean if someone wanted me to elaborate on more plot/character/season/culturally specific criticisms i could #but like. in another post. if someone asked for it #and another time. cause. i have things to do today #sasha speaks #sasha reviews #dimension 20

[spacecadetnovelist]

Just a moment of your time....

I had a reply to a comment I made about "Forever After"'s first chapter with the webtoon's main protagonist visiting the Beauty and the Beast story as Beauty and finding the webtoon's main antagonist having hijacked the role of the Beast.

So, of course, everyone who was already on the enemies-to-lovers ship was super excited. I'm on the fence, but that's a different post. For context, here's my comment:

A few supportive and/or discussion-invoking replies later, and I get this:

Like, I appreciate in my children's movies: bad guys are bad, good guys are good. It's a simplified version of story telling for minds that are still developing, but LIFE isn't like that, and adult story telling can be emblematic of that if the person telling it so chooses.

Beyond just the immaturity of the belief, I'm increasingly horrified by the reasoning behind it the more I think about it:

Villains don't deserve compassion.

Villains don't deserve compassion??????

So, by this logic because people do things that are perceived as bad, they can't ever deserve redemption? what if they aren't actually villains and it's only the point of view of the storyteller that makes them the antagonist?

even if they are villains, if they accept they are wrong and actively do everything in their power to correct their mistakes or bad choices, they can't be considered human enough to warrant compassion?

By withholding compassion, you may end up as villainous as the (subjectively) attractive people you are condemning. Denying compassion doesn't make the other person less human, only the one denying it.

As a HUGE supporter of "don't like, don't read": if you don't think there are morals and you don't agree with the art style and character designs, why are you here? so you can shake your head and wag your finger? there have to be more mentally healthy things for you to spend your time on. hate takes so much energy.

Like, I'm not telling you to get lost because I don't like you, I'm saying you should spend time on things that make you happy, not read two full seasons of a comic that has strong tendencies to utilize things you claim you don't like.

Furthermore, this is like saying someone who abused their spouse should "die". If that person realized the horror of what they had done, faced justice and punishment, was genuinely remorseful, apologized without expectation, and never did such a horrible thing again... does that person not deserve to go on living and improving?

NO, none of this will EVER make what they did "okay" by any standard. NO, their victim should not be required to forgive their transgressions NOR have to accept them back into their life, but why shouldn't that reflective, remorseful, and growing person go on with their own life and hopefully make better choices? Why should they instead "die" instead of proving themselves capable of redeeming themselves (or by higher power if one is inclined to believe in one)?

I AM a firm believer that there are some evils in this world that are beyond redemption but primarily because those evils don't usually desire or seek true redemption, let alone accomplish it. True redemption isn't just apologizing itself or even simply regretting what was done, it's realizing your mistakes, facing the consequences, making amends, correcting your behavior, and moving on from the person you were when you made that mistake.

There is a reason people love redemption arcs: we all want to believe that we can be forgiven and deserving of life and love even though we aren't perfect.

Truthfully, no one is perfect, and if the sum of our imperfections makes us less worthy of deserving compassion, how can we be expected to learn how to act instead? If we stop offering compassion, does that not count as doing something bad that would then, in turn, make us less deserving ourselves?

This just seems like a really sad perspective and outcome to expect or demand from life or from story telling.

—

As far as having a problem with "attractive" villains (again, attractiveness is subjective based on the POV of the person perceiving said villain)... It circles back around to what I think is the immaturity of the person who replied that way.

Yes, ideally, people would be as ugly as they are rotten. It's not how it works. Pretty people are bad, ugly people are good, pretty people are good, ugly people are bad.... It's all down to the person. Beauty and the Beast is, actually, a perfect example of taking the ideal and making it easy for children to understand:

The beast was once a boy who was mean and nasty so he turned into a monster that was awful to look at. Then he met a girl who inspired him to be good. He came to love her and his goodness and love allowed him to return to being human so they could live happily ever after.

Making an antagonist (who is increasingly more of a gray character rather than black and white) attractive and setting them opposite to the protagonist adds what adults call sexual tension and audiences love that, especially in comics that have more than one potential love interest... That's just storytelling (and marketing).

#forever after #redemption arcs #hot villains #webtoon #redeeming villains #compassion #everyone deserves compassion #robin x witched witch

[zachsgamejournal]

PLAYING: Quake 2

I've been weaning myself off of violent video games (thank you indie games) but admittedly there is something stupidly fun about Quake 2's murder simulation. 

STORY TIME? -- Yes.

After my mother stole my penny collection to pay for gas. She overcompensated with an apology by letting buy a game. I chose Quake 2. Not sure why, but I did. But this was the PS1 version. So however graphically challenged the PC version might have been, the PS1 version was worse. And while I never beat it, nor did I find it playable after switching to Medal of Honor (PS1), I still enjoyed the time I had with it. The aesthetic and atmosphere in particular stuck with me. And that's really making this experience enjoyable now.

PRESENT DAY

After Hades pissed me off for being itself, I needed a cleanse. Something less punishing, less strategic, something that I could pick up and drop without much consideration. Right on cue, Quake 2 Remaster appears in Game Pass. Having found memories of the aesthetic I decide to give it a try. To my surprise I found myself moving pretty quickly through levels. So when I first thought this should just be a cleanse, I've now decided to commit to beating it.

While I grew up a huge fan of Mortal Kombat and any game with blood, guts, and gore--I don't like it anymore. To much time and energy is focused on how to kill people. On the one hand it's disturbing, and on the other is boring. Grand Theft Auto was great because it went beyond the murder simulation (though there was a lot of murder). You could be a taxi cab driver, put out fires, look for stunts--and the games expanded to the point now you can do yoga. Don't know why you would want to, but you can. Point is, I don't think players just wanted to kill things. That was just easy gameplay and easy satisfaction. By the early 2000s, games were starting to expand beyond their core mechanics. 

Consider Final Fantasy 7, it was filled with mini games like snow boarding, Chocobo Breeding and Racing, a Submarine combat adventure, and other things. It was as much fun to live in Final Fantasy as it was to battle large bosses. Actually, I preferred the living to battling. And as we saw more open world games appear on the market, we started to see gameplay that existed outside of just shooting. And games like Morrowind and Metal Gear Solid often offered non-violent alternatives to mission completion. For me in particular, games that limited your choices and abilities to violence were ages behind the curve, singular, and boring. 

So why is Quake 2 so much fun in 2023? Firstly, it comes from an age where game companies struggled to get basic gameplay elements working to satisfaction. Not that they sucked at their jobs, but 3D games were new and computers were weak. Today you can copy-paste FPS blue prints to Unreal Engine and you're 90% of the way there. It took a lot of work to get games to run well, look decent, and be fun. Because Q2 is so focused on the base shoot'em up gameplay, it's not overly concerned with stepping outside its wheelhouse. You run around pushing buttons until the exit opens and shoot any baddies that get in the way: simple, sweet, and fun.

Comparatively, today's shooters have to tell a story. Good, I like story, but usually their storytelling isn't competent because they're just checking a gamer expectation box, or their storytelling isn't congruent with the story. Kind of like Black and Battlefield 3. You have levels of action intercut with scenes that take place in an interrogation. there's no meaningful attempt to marry the two. Most games can be this way, but these were obvious cheats. Q2 says fuck that, there's a war and you're fighting in it. 

And because the story is light, you get two unintentional advantages that many games suffer from today: the gameplay isn't constantly interrupted to "tell story" or explain mechanics, and there's no unnecessary filler: "Oh, I guess we owe them a cut-scene here..." Explaining mechanics is important. Late 90s and early 00s it seemed every game contained a tutorial level. Usually some sort of training camp before sending you out there. Fine.  But it prevents you from playing the game, especially when mandated. Later, games included the tutorials in early levels, so while there was usually story and plot infused into the game--you were still being trained. It was clear that you were not to be unleashed until much later. It's not a bad idea, but when you're replaying the game or playing sequels and you have to be "retaught" it can be boring.

Mario Bros. for NES taught the player as they played. Through trial and error you learn what's bad and what's good. You learn the layout and rhythm of the levels. And since the game is bombarding you with cut scenes, you can immediately restart the level and get caught up. Having recently played NES's Zelda, I was overwhelmed by the difficulty but impressed with how the game allowed you to explore it and figure it out at your own pace. The harder dungeons are blocked by necessary items and since you get to keep items and money upon death, you're never truly starting over. That's how Quake 2 works. Figuring the game out is the game. Games trying to be cinematic and overly story driven are so dedicated to guiding you down the "right path" you feel out of control. I don't think this was a sincere design choice, it's just how games were made at this time. And it's fun.

So...to further explain: this game is really about exploration. The levels are interestingly designed with branching paths and secrets. You're also able to move forward and back through levels--sometimes having to perform a few objectives in one map then the other. I love exploration games and Q2 doesn't disappoint. Checking every hall, jumping on top of every box, shooting barrels and finding secrets constantly reward you with more ammo or health. And you need those to survive. The shooting, on the other hand, isn't really what the game is about. It just makes exploring the levels more interesting.

I also appreciate how simple the controls are. You move, aim, jump, and shoot. Need to open a door, walk up to it. Need to push a button, walk into. Need to activate an elevator, stand on it. It makes action buttons in more modern shooters seem superfluous. I appreciate this. It makes me think of how Sea of Thieves works so well because your player controls are simple and everything is based on context. Unlike Assassin's Creed 4, you don't need to remember a million button combinations to work the ship. Need to raise/lower the sales, walk over to the rope that controls it. I could go on, but the point is that game keeps it simple which keeps it fun and intuitive.

Also, shooting things is fun. I hate myself a little for it, but as Portal and Metroid Prime get--shooting anything for any purpose is fun, you don't have to kill stuff. In truth, shooting is fun because you get to see an immediate result: I pull a trigger, something gets hit. The feedback is immediate and rewarding. Since I was a kid, I've shot tons of windows, walls, and water--especially water. It's always fun to see how the environment responds to bullets, grenades, lasers, and whatever. It's just fun to shoot things.

I'm very much against killing.

But what's really keeping me here is the aesthetic, and a little the music. I was just getting into metal when I first started playing Quake 2. Sadly, I also got sick and was suffering from a headache. I was in denial that the guitar riffing soundtrack was at fault. Since I've routinely listened to the sound track while doing chores and suffered zero headaches, I know it's not the OST's fault. But the design is peak 90's industrial. Lots of browns and greys. It's so dreary and oppressive, but also interesting. It almost feels lived in. Anyway, I'm moving along and having fun. I even faced my first boss. We'll see if I can keep up the pace.

#zach's game journal #playing #Quake 2 #xbox one #Game Pass #video games #gaming

[clumsyalienn]

⭐ witchy m a k e o v e r ⭐

#my sims #gaia #kalina #dorian #azriel #u have no idea how much i love them #i'm sad because i really like their story 😩 #but i don't have the time nor the energy for storytelling #remember when i used to be a storyteller? and put a ton of effort into editing? unbelievable

[the-orangeauthor]

Hello and happy Storyteller Saturday! I'm very fascinated by your WIP The Wand and the Wolf. If it's not too spoilery or too much to explain, how did Kyda and Ibhan meet, and what does it mean that they are mates?

Hi!!! I know its been almost 2 weeks since you sent this but I do not subscribe to linear time anymore!

First of all, I'm so glad you're interested in TWATW!!! I love writing it so much!

First, Mates!! Mates/Soulmates are an important aspect of many magical/supernatural races as both the mate bond and magic are all made of energy that binds them to one another.

Werewolves, being the most family orientated of supernatural races, give a lot of priority.to the mate bond and have such evolved to be quiet dependent on it. Wolves who meet their mates but then do not have some kind of successful relationship often suffer physically and mentally because of it!

Warlocks on the other hand, are very antisocial, however for them mates, or Lights as they prefer to call them, are one of the few bonds they willingly make outside of their families.

Soulmates to do not have to be romantic partners, there are many who are close friends with spouses who are not their soulmates. As long as they have a stable relationship, the mate bond is secure and their soul stays balanced. However, most of the time, because of the importance many species gives the bond, they usually end up in more intimate relationships.

The majority of Soulmates occur in the same species, however about 30%are between people of 2 different species.

Kyda (werewolf) and Ibhan (warlock) meet for the first time in the middle of the Heavenly Thicket! Here's a little snippet:

Amongst a patch of wild coloured flowers stood a tall, lean figure, clothed in a dark red robe.

"Wolf," the warlock said simply, without turning around. I laughed, releasing the tension I had built up and taking a deep breath.

"Did I say something funny?" He asked.

"You're not a pixie," I said, and he turned around to face me.

"Nor am I a clown," he said sarcastically.

"We'll have to see about that one," I said, and I stepped forward, holding out my arm, "Kyda, guardian at the Limeacre pack." He nodded firmly and picked a flower growing on the tree behind me, adding it to the collection in his satchel.

"And you are?"

"None of your business," he said, and he turned to walk away.

"Wait! I don't think you understand, I think we may be--"

"Spare me, wolf, I know. It's a two-way thing, the mate attraction, even if I'm not a wolf." I stopped, somewhat offended by his off handedness.

They were off to a great start 😅

Thank you again for the ask!!!

#sts answers #anmol answers #the wand and the wolf bits #writeblr