#but it has dragons which changes a lot of stuff including making it not boring
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Folklore Fact - Gryphons/Griffins
Gryphons, griffins, griffons, however you prefer to spell it (I personally use gryphon) - let's talk their folklore and mythology!
(Attic pottery depicting a satyr and a griffin and an Arimaspus from around 375-350 BC, Eretria.)
You probably already know the common popular culture concept of a gryphon: a big, vicious beast that attacks people and probably eats them and/or carries people away to its nest to feed them to its babies. Not much about it has changed in legend, though in a lot of popular culture today, it has seemed to lose its divinity. Gryphons - griffins, whatever you prefer - have quite the robust history, like so many creatures of myth and folklore. Unlike some, however, they have changed very little over time.
Note that this article a general overview of concepts, not a detailed history.
Let's start with etymology, because I just love that stuff. The word "griffin" comes from the Greek word "gryps," which referred to a dragon or griffin and literally meant "curved [or] hook-nosed." Late Latin spelled it "gryphus," a misspelling of grypus, a Latinized version of the Greek (source: https://www.etymonline.com/, one of my favorite websites).
Griffins are said to have the head and wings of an eagle and body of a lion. They may or may not also have pointed ears, depending on the depiction (they more often did, overall, though the griffin of Crete is a notable exception). They were said to guard the gold in the mountains of the north, specifically the mountains of Scythia. The one-eyed Arimaspian people rode on horseback and attempted to steal the griffins' gold, causing griffins to nurture a deep hatred of and hostility toward horses.
A Scythian pectoral, thought to have been made in Greece, depicting - among other things - griffins slaughtering horses. Griffins really, really hate horses.
The famous griffin in the palace of Knossos at Crete, from the Bronze Age (restored).
Griffins appear in truly ancient civilizations, not only Greece but also ancient Egypt and civilizations to the east, including ancient Sumeria. Griffins were later said to also dwell in India and guard gold in that region, and they continued to appear in art throughout ancient Persia, Rome, Byzantium, and into the Middle Ages throughout other regions such as France; they were depicted in ancient Greece with relative frequency and occasionally of considerable importance.
Griffins appeared in many ancient Greek writings, including Aristeas in the 7th century BC. Herodotus and Aeschylus preserved and continued these writings in the 5th century BC, including lines such as,
"But in the north of Europe there is by far the most gold. In this matter again I cannot say with assurance how the gold is produced, but it is said that one-eyed men called Arimaspoi (Arimaspians) steal it from Grypes (Griffins). The most outlying lands, though, as they enclose and wholly surround all the rest of the world, are likely to have those things which we think the finest and the rarest." Herodotus, Histories 3. 116. 1 (trans. Godley) (Greek historian C5th B.C.), source: https://www.theoi.com/Thaumasios/Grypes.html (a wonderful site)
Physical descriptions of the griffin were not commonplace until some later works, and even then, their appearance wasn't always agreed upon. Even the notion of griffins having wings was sometimes disputed. Some scholars even got pretty wild, claiming griffons had no wings at all but instead skin-flaps that they used to glide. They apparently hated awesome things, so it turns out there were always boring people who thought they knew everything, wanted to explain everything "logically," and generally assume they were the smartest ever while also ruining mystique. They would make great scientists today.
Griffins were, however, often said to be holy in nature. They were referred to as the "unbarking hounds of Zeus" by Aeschylus, who warned others never to approach them. Gryphons were also considered sacred to several gods, including prominently Apollo, who was said to depart Delphi each winter, flying on a griffon (griffin, gryphon, etc, I keep swapping this around, I know; my brain spells it differently because I've read way too many sources), and he also is occasionally depicted as hitching griffins to his chariot in addition to riding one. This was particularly prominent in the cults of Hyperborean Apollo, one of the many endless and fascinating cults of ancient Greece.
Medieval bestiary depiction of a griffin slaughtering a horse.
Even by the Middle Ages, gryphons still hated and slaughtered horses and guarded gold, elements that certainly persisted throughout their legends. They also killed men and carried them away to their nests, similar to the manner in which Aeschylus warned people to stay away from gryphons even back when. We can obviously assume griffons were never cuddly, so that isn't much of a change.
Griffins also did not entirely lose their divine relations even into the Middle Ages. Christianity often used positive portrayals of griffins to represent and uphold certain positive tenets of Christian faith; likewise, they became important symbols of medieval heraldry, used to represent a Christian symbol of divine power, as well as general courage, strength, and leadership, especially in a military sense. The depiction of the griffin as a powerful and majestic creature - killing horses and men or not - throughout its history is no doubt because they are a combination of two beasts often considered noble symbols of bravery, power, and divinity: the lion and the eagle, kings of land animals and birds, respectively.
That's a general overview! As you can see, griffins aren't always so bad, at least not compared to some of the other creatures out there from folklore and myth.
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#folklore#mythology#gryphon#griffin#fantasy creature#gryphons#griffins#griffon#folklore fact#folklore thursday#greek myth#myth#persian myth#medival#medieval folklore#history
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Fictive Friday (12/30)
Prompt and event hosted courtesy of @fictive-culture !
This week’s prompts:
❓ Question of the week! ❓
The new year is right around the corner! How have you grown and changed over the past year? Do you feel closer to or further from your source now than you did last year?
Bonus question:
Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?
Answers under the cut, because I’m EXTREMELY long winded lmao!
CONTENT WARNINGS in the context of reflection: discussions of dormancy, implied persecutor shenanigannery (nothing descriptive)
-Heit
This is actually a weird time for me in terms of reflection. I’ve only recently been active in our system again after about 8 years of dormancy. I’m a pre-fictive in that, like a lot of us, I existed without an identity and primarily as something more comparable to a distressed mode state until last year, our other host saw the character that would accidentally be the perfect fit for my identity. Quite literally, it’s only been about 375 days since I came out of that dormancy, so all I have to go off of is mostly how I’ve adapted to being aware of our system and an active part of it.
So let’s do a list, because I will write a dissertation if I’m not held back by something!
Here are some ways I’ve grown and changed over the past year:
I became our main host! Oops? As of the last year, I take up a good majority of time in front, because I’m surprisingly well-built for dealing with our day to day life.
I learned how to make things, with my hands! Before my dormancy, I used to do bead stuff all the time. I made a whole bunch of necklaces, but now I’ve taken a real stride to making bracelets. One of my subsystem-mates bought some jewelry stuff thinking it’d be a little one-off, and now I’ve made well over 40 bracelets for our system, including more aesthetic bracelets and system related ones! Literally taking a break from organizing my bead collection rn to write this post lmao.
When I first showed up, I was kind of a tool? But my cohost was like “dude, chill out and drink a dr pepper, also play a video game???” and I would like to think I have gotten at least 2% less shitty since. The difference knowing about your system and also knowing about your autism makes when adapting to your emotional states? Phenomenal, thanks. Not perfect, but it does help.
I’ve developed actual social hobbies! Like Dungeons and Dragons! I love building characters and running sessions, even if that’s a rare occasion with our schedule. Our system actually collects dice, too, so I always have sets that match my aesthetic! There are a lot of blue and red dice (respectively, though Chessex does have a gemini set I’m eyeing with both), so my tastes are well-catered to and I’ve made a habit out of buying any dice I think my headmates will like when our budget allows.
Also. My picrew collection? It’s a lot. I love these funky little things. I’ve saved almost 150 of them and by this time next year I bet I’ll have increased that number to at least 250 lmao.
As for source stuff, I think I’ll separate this into its own list:
When I first showed up, my attachment to my source was sort of tangential to who I am as a person. It fit me because my source is basically the Most Evil Person in existence, so it was the easiest face to attach myself to when I showed back up and was stirring shit lmao.
Over the course of the last year, though, my headmates’ absurd collection of resources on otherkin shit has actually helped me find something to do with that instinct I had to identify with this character. It’s allowed me to explore my own identity in a lot of ways that weren’t going to be possible when I showed up and the rest of the system expected me to get bored of being in front within a week (which I did not; see again above, I’m the fucking host now /lh).
Part of that relationship has helped me also with dealing with this attachment through the complicated lens that is being a fictive, especially one who identifies both psychologically and spiritually with their source (ie: I derive identity-related and moral catharsis from the relationship I have with specifically my source character).
Put another way, I feel a lot closer to my source character, because I have put in a lot of effort to ask myself why I identify with that character. With it has been the development of exomemories, like faded polaroids, and contesting those with the understanding of both my biographical identity as an entity in this system and one which identifies as Heitaros from the world’s shittiest gacha game (ilu Grand Chase and, begrudgingly, Dimensional Chaser /lh).
From another aspect, I’ve grown closer to my source by way of inheriting our special interest in the source media as a whole, looking at it from my perspective as a villain fictive and writing just... Gods it’s way too many essays, why do I do this to myself? I have an essay on how many times Grand Chase accidentally wrote something super plural (the outline, with only 3/10 sections or so filled out, is about 8 pages iirc). I also have an essay I want to write just dissecting the franchise and what its narrative says on the nature of change and what changes are or are not attainable. This series LOVES status quo and as both a villain introject and the person I am in this body, looking at that is fascinating because from certain angles GC has some interesting dialogues on who is allowed to cause change and for what reasons, especially when it comes to defiance of Fate or the Creator’s Will, which are actual tangible concepts in the narrative. ANYWAYS I have so much to say about this garbage can video game, both the MMO and the gacha game.
That last one got extra winded. Uhhhh, villain introject go brr? Here, have a little sketch lying around from one of our warm ups, featuring yours truly (and a cameo of a fellow weird introject, Sky):
Bonus Question: New Years Resolutions?
NOPE.
Okay well kind of. But mostly nope. They’re kind of just ongoing goals that have nothing to do with us completing another rotation around the sun. Mostly just keeping the system happy and also embodying the “give no fucks, take no shit” attitude as best I can (which is not always the best). As the guy with way too much time in front, I have to manage a lot of projects/stress/etc. all at once, and right now we have waaaay too much on our plate for me to say “okay we’ve made orbit let’s add something else.”
Like, uh, trying to get into friggin grad school. That’s not a resolution or anything, but it’s a goal and ideally it’s gonna happen by time 2023 wraps up lol. But it’s also beyond our control right now (waiting on apps to process) so I can’t very well say that’s a 2023 resolution!!! So how about this: getting good grades in grad school! Yeah. That’s. Something.
We have always been atrociously bad at these things (/lh).
-Heit (he/him)
#fictive friday#ask game#heit#musings#sky#<-mentioned#i spent like an hour on this njkasdnkajsndas#-heit
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What Everyone Ought To Learn About How To Make A Minecraft Server
You realize you can read books on it, browse the online and watch Netflix, however what else is there? You recognize the end metropolis feels like it's empty and it has nothing a lot fascinating think about you enter the end portal and also you see so many various constructions, skeletons of the lifeless dragons, cool monuments, biomes, and new armor. A much more niche mod, this add-on pack will give Minecraft HD skies with practical clouds and lighting. Whether or not it’s an entity and their well being bar, or a modded item along with its mod of origin, this UI tooltip provides you with the information you might be looking for. Lots of mods have been launched on that version, so for the gamers which might be in search of Minecraft mods 1.12.2 or are nonetheless playing on that version, you may test our record under. If you are searching for essentially the most dependable internet hosting to your Game server then there cannot be a better option to Recognized Host. Whenever you begin enjoying on a server it is much more entertaining as you will usually discover new issues you are fascinated by including to your model.
The web answer is the one you may rely on when you need to get together with customers you haven't even met and may be very unlikely you'll meet in actual life. Here, you'll be able to enterprise by highways, traverse deteriorating bridges, and undergo tunnel routes and subway programs teeming with many monsters and loot. During you lots of of hours on Minecraft, you'll loot thousands of various items. You'll discover so many different buildings in your Minecraft bedrock edition end world and these all buildings are filled with superior loot and fascinating and useful stuff. Introduce yourself to probably the most CREATE-ive mod in Minecraft, because this tech mod with a steampunk aesthetic brings quite a few blocks, machines, tools, and buildings which have wonderful performance and utility in the sport. JEI is a fully essential mod at this level, in its incredible usability and utility. Electroblob’s Wizardry is a magical mod that adds in magic wands, wizard towers, robes, and elemental spells that have many capabilities and makes use of. It still would not appear to be a future Best Image winner, but at the very least Sonic is loads less creepy now that his off-putting teeth and eyes from the sooner trailer have been addressed. Ntzsw8.com
Tender launches, nevertheless, demand cash for a product that has already been developed but remains to be clearly not prepared for launch. The popular sandbox sport Minecraft continues to be getting frequent updates. That is quite a hefty array of mods to be getting on with anyway - some of which fairly considerably change the sport, however most of which simply make Minecraft a little easier and extra nice to get together with. In case you are using a low-end laptop computer, getting the maximum output out of Minecraft will be a little bit confusing. There's additionally a search bar at the underside that you need to use to kind through the checklist. On a private server you may play for so long as you want, you may have all sorts of adventures and one factor is sure: you will never get bored. Autcraft is a server designed particularly for youngsters and adults who have autism. He went on to explore the subject in a later reply, and that i added it here as a result of I believe it is an attention-grabbing point of discussion about whether or not the hardcore gameplay of early games like Ultima Online would have been as fashionable if there had been a lot of MMO selections back then.
If a title has incredible gameplay at its core, I am prepared to miss loads (however then, perhaps not all). Nevertheless, relying in your laptop specs, chances are you'll discover that massive resolutions hinder your gameplay experience. Nevertheless it does enhance your experience and lets you get pleasure from an entire new plethora of options that haven’t been seen before in the sport. It also enhances the graphics of the game to have an immersive consumer experience. We have now servers in seven areas of the world: the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Netherlands, Singapore, Indonesia, and Lithuania. The calming piano music that provides the soundtrack also appeared to have a calming impact on Keith’s son. They complained that Epic's store did not have social networking, reviews and other options they most well-liked from Valve's retailer. Each plan has a special set of options, and their pricing reflects the variety of features included with them. It has a variety of cool options akin to the flexibility to lock north and place waypoints on the map. They took their inspiration from Minecraft when it got here to their shape- and placement-primarily based crafting, and it's a cool system, actually good fun to play with. One among the largest promoting titles of the year was Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which came out in March.
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What Everyone Must Find Out About How To Make A Minecraft Server
You understand you may learn books on it, browse the net and watch Netflix, however what else is there? You understand the top city looks like it is empty and it has nothing a lot interesting think about you enter the tip portal and you see so many alternative structures, skeletons of the dead dragons, cool monuments, biomes, and new armor. A way more niche mod, this add-on pack will give Minecraft HD skies with real looking clouds and lighting. Whether it’s an entity and their health bar, or a modded merchandise along with its mod of origin, this UI tooltip offers you the knowledge you are in search of. Quite a lot of mods have been launched on that model, so for the players which might be looking for Minecraft mods 1.12.2 or are still taking part in on that version, you possibly can examine our checklist below. If you are on the lookout for the most reliable internet hosting for your Game server then there cannot be a better choice to Recognized Host. Once you start playing on a server it's even more entertaining as you will usually discover new things you're interested by including to your model.
The online solution is the one you'll be able to depend on while you need to get along with users you haven't even met and could be very unlikely you'll meet in real life. Right here, you'll be able to venture via highways, traverse deteriorating bridges, and go through tunnel routes and subway systems teeming with many monsters and loot. During you lots of of hours on Minecraft, you'll loot thousands of different gadgets. You can find so many alternative buildings in your Minecraft bedrock edition finish world and these all structures are crammed with superior loot and fascinating and helpful stuff. Introduce your self to essentially the most CREATE-ive mod in Minecraft, as a result of this tech mod with a steampunk aesthetic brings numerous blocks, machines, tools, and structures which have superb performance and utility in the sport. JEI is a completely essential mod at this level, in its incredible usability and utility. Electroblob’s Wizardry is a magical mod that provides in magic wands, wizard towers, robes, and elemental spells that have many capabilities and makes use of. It still would not seem like a future Greatest Picture winner, however no less than Sonic is lots much less creepy now that his off-placing teeth and eyes from the earlier trailer have been addressed.
Delicate launches, nevertheless, demand money for a product that has already been developed but remains to be obviously not ready for release. Bwbf.Net is still getting frequent updates. That's fairly a hefty array of mods to be getting on with anyway - a few of which quite significantly change the game, but most of which simply make Minecraft a little bit simpler and extra pleasant to get along with. In case you are utilizing a low-finish laptop computer, getting the utmost output out of Minecraft will be a bit complicated. There's additionally a search bar at the underside that you need to use to sort by way of the checklist. On a personal server you may play for so long as you like, you'll be able to have all types of adventures and one factor is sure: you will never get bored. Autcraft is a server designed specifically for youngsters and adults who have autism. He went on to explore the subject in a later reply, and that i added it here as a result of I feel it's an fascinating level of debate about whether the hardcore gameplay of early games like Ultima Online would have been as well-liked if there had been numerous MMO decisions again then.
If a title has unimaginable gameplay at its core, I'm willing to overlook so much (however then, maybe not all). Nevertheless, depending in your computer specs, it's possible you'll find that massive resolutions hinder your gameplay expertise. But it does improve your expertise and lets you enjoy a whole new plethora of options that haven’t been seen before in the game. It additionally enhances the graphics of the game to have an immersive consumer experience. We've got servers in seven areas of the world: the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Netherlands, Singapore, Indonesia, and Lithuania. The calming piano music that provides the soundtrack also seemed to have a calming impact on Keith’s son. They complained that Epic's store did not have social networking, reviews and different options they most popular from Valve's retailer. Every plan has a distinct set of options, and their pricing displays the number of features included with them. It has loads of cool features such as the power to lock north and place waypoints on the map. They took their inspiration from Minecraft when it got here to their shape- and location-primarily based crafting, and it is a cool system, actually good enjoyable to play with. One of the largest promoting titles of the yr was Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which came out in March.
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If you could cross over two of your favorite games, which would you choose? Please explain, why that crossover would be a good match.
Oh you’re going to regret asking this one, I’m bout to GET SERIOUS.
So Pokemon, obvs, I love the whole world it’s built in, but the games imo are REALLY boring, I haven’t enjoyed one a lot since gale of darkness, the main ones just are a little too linear obvious plots, pretty standard setups for story and style. Speaking of style, the games lack personality, the models aren’t animated well, moves have no dynamic energy or visual difference at times, and the turn based battle style just feels kind of, I don’t know, old? Slow? Just doesn’t suit what I enjoy personally, gives me a FInal Fantasy vibe and I just cannot stand the speed at which things happen in those games, plus not into 3rd person ‘let’s build a team of people’ much, but that’s a problem for another time. With this all in mind, the game I wish would happen is like gen20 Pokemon, far future sadly, I doubt I’d see it in my lifetime but god I’d be happy if I did!
Ok so take the newest Zelda graphics, the visual treat that was BOTW, open world, puzzles, not JUST combat, you got side missions, hunt the chickens, find missing pets, parcels, items, whatever. Love it! The horse taming?! Amazing you funky little game. Now take the bad guys and beasts from that. And put Pokemon in instead. Give them the diversity, the life and believable natures that BOTW gave the animals, I followed a frog in BOTW for 15 minutes, and it was a great experience, it felt like it was believable. Above world spawning, ACTUAL difficult gameplay, rare spawn rates, make dragons hard to get again, cmon, it’s too easy now, make it so we need a certain set of Pokemon for certain tasks. Water types big enough to carry you will be able to get you to new areas, rock types that can help you climb mountains faster, or break through blocking boulders. Actual towns with more than 4 houses in them, shops, barns, farms, homes. Like little link with the heat, maybe ice types would struggle in volcano areas, or bug Pokemon not be so comfortable in gale force winds. Give the weather more of an effect on your partners. Mounts, don’t even get me started that Pokemon Let’s go had you able to ride any of the larger species, but swsh did not???? Bitch please, give me my rideable Pokemon. The wild area too was far too closed, limited, online was laggy and a mess, camping is limited, let me do more with my team. Pokemon for me is all about the actual creatures, how they live with humans, and the many wonderful things they’re capable of. Yes of course it’s cool they can fight, but like what else you know?
I’d love a game that lets me buy a plot of land, maybe plant things, custom build things. I’m a sucker for the fallout4 settlement builds when they’re modded to hell and back, they’re fun! It can be a really calm and creative process. If I could do that and skip the main campaign and all the battles for a bit? Amazing, it sound perfect for me. I am that distracted hoe collecting flowers while the kingdom burns in the background. Side quests are everything to me. Let me give homeless people enough money to get them in a home? Let me adopt Pokemon that are stray around the town? Plz oh plz bring me a Pokemon game that allows me to work WITH my team to do more than KO other species. I want to save and buy a plow for my buddy gogoat, and grow amazing foods to sell to get currency to spend in decorations, to spoil my team. Give me actual game consequence, if I ignore that sick and injured Pokemon I find in the wild, later maybe it’s family don’t want to help me out with a different problem, too stricken from grief. I am all about the average bits, the old women who need help, the lost pets board in town, the general day to day stuff. Let me get cosmetic items for the Pokemon I keep, cute outfits, special gemstone items, let me actually live with them, or even feel remotely like they’re realistic.
Ok so in game, if it’s looking like BOTW it’s pretty beautiful but also stylised, I’d have it so you can send out a maximum of 3 Pokemon from your 6, using bumpers and such to throw them out. If you hit the trigger you switch from controlling the human trainer, to the Pokemon you’ve targeted with a standard lock on targeting system. You then can be the leader, but be the Pokemon. You could technically defeat the game without a human if you wanted, which incorporates the mystery dungeon games I think, and caters to that crowd. I’d love to see the use of attacks out of battle, things like using water gun to grow plants, using ember to start a campfire faster and stave off the cold. There’s no consequence to Pokemon anymore, and I think that’s where it’s lost me. I have to admit I miss the days of a poisoned pokemon fainting if you don’t heal them soon enough, I miss gym battles that were actually tough, damn, try picking charmander in red and beating brock without grinding in viridian forest first, it’s not easy. And I loved that. Yes it’s a child’s game, it will never be difficult again, but god it’d be nice to have a bit of a challenge, or maybe a difficulty setting, so some could play it with hostility turned off, great for kids, or you can be n adult like I know so many Pokemon fans are, and play it on expert mode and ACTUALLY have to work hard to beat the game. Alternate skill trees anyone? Train gun a fire type to ACUTALLy combat water moves?? Please! Cmon! It frustrated me that every challenger has pretty much a systematic set of moves to use to win. Grass opponent? Fire attack spam until you win. It’s dull, so at least with very difficult tricks to either find or learn in game would make it more achievable if you can send that fire type in and I don’t know, train them so much the heat evaporates the water mid-battle and you suddenly have a shot at winning. Pokemon has taught me that if you work hard enough you can achieve something, but the games just have such strict ways to win. Feels wrong.
In terms of battling, let us BE the Pokemon, let us learn to dodge, train our speed, train our defence, make a team of truly tough Pokemon instead of just, average? Some species have a cap on their skills, a squirtle has lower stat points than a Charizard, but you can’t ever change that? Let me choose the Pokemon I believe in, and let me work with them until they’re just as good, if not better than the game tanks. This would also make online battles more interesting. Everyone picks the top trio. Fairy, dragon, legendaries. And yknow what? It’s boring. That one IRL fight with the monster Pacharisu that won in the world tournament with follow me and the situs Berry? Unbelievable, I love that little rat so much because of this, so let us all have a chance to build a team that’s strategically viable, strong, and potentially a winner formula, even if they aren’t fully evolved, or the biggest Pokemon in the world. Yeah maybe you have to grind way harder with your unevolved Pokemon, but you get to the end game and win, because you put love and time into species that you enjoy, not just good fighters.
Unfortunately I am beholdent to Todd-idiot-Howard, and I love the Eldrescrolls and fallout games (before they got dumb, not that I don’t play the new ones. 76 I’m looking at you, you big asshole game.) honestly I hate online games, so none of that junk, just a good old fashioned open world sandbox game is plenty. Games for me are an escape from others, not an invitation to socialise. To each their own of course, and I do play online games sometimes, just pretty short lived ones, over watch and rdr2 for example. Would they be sometimes better on private servers? Yes of course, fallout76? Want to play with others? No. I do not. Please leave me alone. And if you buy a private server you’re feeding the monster that is Todd Howard, the man the myth the asshole, then we’ll get more bad games like 76. I just so desperately want the Pokemon company to see what a beautiful potential game they’ve got on their hands, that could be suitable for far greater audiences, but instead they’ve focused on the kids. It’s fine, it’s functional, but it’s lost to the fans from day 1, that are all 20+ years old now and want something meatier to play, something far more broad and inclusive. I also hate that there’s no wheelchair option in any Pokemon game. Like cmon, it’s not hard to include that.
In short, BOTW + Pokemon, with a sprinkle of open world sandbox to it, less fighting, more fun. Or, at least both options. Sure, go fight everything, great, but I want to farm carrots over here with 6sunflora, plz let me have some peace.
Edit: I forgot about harvest moon, chuck some of that in there too.
SECOND EDIT: someone in the comments mentioned to put this in Unova? Plz love yourselves, this game would be ALL MAPS. Stuff one singular location, this is the ideal game, put every map in it, join them, put islands in, make them more explorable, more detailed!
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hey Kip! I’m sending asks into different writer’s askboxes, inquiring about cool themes/development facts/stuff the author wants to share about their personal favorite work of their own. What’s yours? :)
Ok so this ask is old and when I first got it I was like “dang I don’t really have a lot to talk about, what should I talk about I could those revalink headcanons the Kip Cut that turned into a working fic uhh hmm maybe I’ll just make something new to talk about real quick” and then I did and now there is a 12+ chapter Revalink fic in my drafts and I’m gonna talk about that now, whoopsie doopsie [click "j" to skip]
aHEM, OK so allow me to break out the primary school white board because yeah, I have a lot of thoughts and the oxford comma has not yet made it’s home into my brain. oh and spoilers for paraphrase. for both all of Chapter one and future events in later chapters, but it’s really nothing you couldn’t surmise from the AO3 tags
so I really wanted to tell the story of Revali and Link learning and struggling to love again after the less-than-fortunate events of Botw, but I wanted a...how you say...fresher, approach on the subject? Like I know we always say that fanfic writers writing the same tropes and stories time and time again is good because we eat that shit up--but at the same time I had asian parenting as was told never to half ass anything ever, no matter what. So now I'm gay and extra and have depression maybe and oh would you look at that @motherhyrule has dropped a beautiful revalink prompt right into my lap
Great so now that we have, that, I shall take you on the step by step process on how to make a :sparkles: story. So step one is to spend at least five to eleven business days for your white board to dismantle your genre and themes and work them around your character arcs. Luckily I have prepared one ahead of time
s*breaks out those laser pointers that uni professors use* So let's start with defining genre. As define because I HATE you, fuck you. I want you to suffer and writhe on the ground, motherfucker. How dare you think that I would give you nothing but pure predictable fluff, fuck you and yours
is the set of expectations that your audience has when consuming a piece of media
And the great thing about fanfiction is that unlike movies or book where the genres are more vague like, "oh it's a noir mystery genre. so there's a crime, maybe a murder, and a detective and a criminal." or "oh it's a teen romance. so there's some white people and a morally questionable six-pack 18 year old love interest that will be painted as desirable for some reason" BUT with fanfiction HALF of the work out the window, because as soon as you see those #revalink #aro sidon #zelpha #revali is an idiot and #found family tags you already know what's up.
Now what's so great about genre and expectation? Well the fun thing about it is that
I will use it to fucking break you.
...
...
...
<3 For example! <3
In Chapter 1: Holes, you already expect there to be revalink, you already expect them to be soulmates with the soulmarks and there's angst and yadayada ya. Revali and Link have to match because thatttss what this is all about, this is about them! This is about cute, little soulmarks and romantic words!
But whoooopsie doopsie [disney channel laugh track plays] they DON'T match anymore! Link's got a different mark! The number one rule of this entire genre has been broken whoooooooooooooooops. *ba dum tiss*
You might notice with a lot of my writing that I do this a lot, this whole..."oop but there's one little thing that's different." TebaSaki sick fic? Ok cool, but what if Teba burns an irreplaceable relic of the Rito champion to fight a wizzrobe first to characterize why his dumbass clicks with Saki. Mipha deciding to persue Link? Ok what if she chases after a dragon to externalize this conflict as she pierces it's flesh for a scale. Link fighting a Lynel? Ok but what if it's actually a sidlink angst fic in disguise and it's also world building on how Link deals with the bloodmoon that erases all of his efforts which is sort of similar to how his existence was erased from Hyrule 100 years ago mwaahahaha! Ok now that I say this outloud I think I just have a pattern of using fight scenes to externalize character growth. I like fight scenes...anyways.
I think another great thing about the realm of fanfiction is that with the tagging system, I can basically use a chekhov's gun sort of deal, without doing any writing. You know I'm gonna use that gun marked "soulmates" but you don't know when I'm gonna shoot it, and you SURE as hell don't know how.
And huzzah! One of the main points of conflict both drives the tension between Revali and Link, solidifies the unique genre and setting of this world, while also creating a new mystery that will carry over for the next few chapters.
Is Revali right in that Link's rebirth makes him destined for someone new now? What will Link do with the information that his soulmark has changed? Why did it change? Did Revali's change as well? How does anything fucking work right now?
And sure, you might be able to tell where things will end with them, but you sure as fuck will not know how because I HATE you. Fuck you. I want you to suffer and writhe on the ground, motherfucker. How dare you think that I would give you nothing but pure predictable fluff. I am not your goddamn fairy godmother, I will do as I fucking please. You will suffer as you fucking deserve, fuck you and your little tiny--
/j
Oh! But you might have noticed on my little planning whiteboard thing that there was a little T-Chart! For Revali and Link! That's because the next important thing besides plot (and in a lot of cases, including this one, it's argued to be even MORE important than plot) is
~CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT~
[to the tune of that history of the world video on youtube]
So yes, it's a little T-Chart outlining their character views in relation to the themes. And the great thing about themes is that they're not something you can necessarily predict in the same way you can with the genre and plot.
But now see, I'm very lazy so I'm just gonna plagiarize @hyrule-kingdom-updates thingy [that you should read btw] because they said my point quite clear enough
Now I don't really need to care about those points about bond and relationships and being understood, because I'm dealing with already established canon characters. I'm not some NERD who dabbles with entire casts of ocs who even cares about ocs not me that's for sure ahaahahaahahahahahaahahahahahAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH *cries in my orphaned WTTU fic* AHAHAHA*sobs*DONT FUCKING LOOK AT ME THAT WAY I SWEAR--
/j I love ocs
But the points I do wanna focus on is the idea that characters provide new perspectives on the theme, and that characters growth can be tracked based on their wants, lies, and needs.
So see, themes can be predicted the same as genre/plot because while you can have the same fanfic plots and tropes, theme will always vary!
Sometimes it's a journey of selfworth with Revali! Sometimes it's an exploration of trauma with Link. Sometimes it's about how you deal with the vulnerabilities of love with Mipha. Sometimes there's straight up NOOOO theme, and people just be fucking, and kissing, and baking, and having a good time. And that is totally fine too!
But I'm not a fucking coward.
I'm gonna weave in themes with my plot, because I fucking can.
I'm not a weakling like you.
Do you hear me, 2019 Kip? Do you hear me Demmers? Do you hear me Quill? I'm coming for your ass. You think you're so great, but I'm coming for you. Rest assured that your graves will be as deep as your sculptured pride--
Heeeere is that T-Chart again, plus more!
yyyyyYou might notice that Revali and Link are quite parallel, to paraphrase. Ayoooo, see what I did there? *dabs* I'm a genius. Anywho
They both start off the same way: 100 years ago they were in love and happy. Basically the equivalent of childish naivety. For the first time in their lives, life is whimsical and charming, and they make each other happy. In fact, it's almost a flaw with how they perceive this happiness. But don't worry! It doesn't last long!
You know what happens.
I think the chart is pretty self explanatory. Revali builds walls fast enough to give a republican a wet dream. Meanwhile Link makes every aromantic in the chat groan with his doubled down sentiments in the idea that his chances of being truly happy again are gone.
Now, I can't exactly describe the full on process of the inbetweens, and where Revali and Link are gonna go from here, because...you have to read it for yourself! Heehee...but something I did think was fun was how these character views on the themes are revealed. Because you'll notice that, I never give exposition. Ever.
Ok well, let me rephrase that. I never give exposition scenes. I will never give you a big LOTR fancy wizard scene explaining the ins and outs of a character's question or the world's magic or whatever. I'm a very impatient Kip, and I value efficiency. Nonono, it's all about multi tasking, baby!
Chapter 1: Holes is divided into three parts.
Post 100 Years - Medoh (Establishes Ghost Rev/Bonk Head Link's view)
100 Years Ago - Flight Range (Establishes old Revalink views)
Post 100 years - Mark (Develops Ghost Rev/Bonk Head Link's view in contrast to who they once were)
I think the way that you structure flashbacks is incredible vital, as it's a very quick way to characterize people without having them say stuff like "I used to be like you, until I took an arrow to the knee" or whatever.
And with the main structure of the chapters and the fic as a whole is focus on their characters, that means I can hide whatever other stuff I want in those scenes, becuase you're too busy absorbing the fun character stuff to realizing I'm giving you boring exposition. Like for example:
Post 100 Years - Medoh and Mark
Foreshadowing for the end of the fic
Set up connection to Medoh with Revali
Link has defeated Windblight
Link has been visiting Revali every night for the past few days
Link has already met Kass and presumably Teba
Link doesn't have the Mastersword
Revali's Gale is still an ability that needs master and practice on Link's end
And that's just some of the stuff.
And see, the only reason I can efficiently give all of this information regarding character, and even exposition, is because of the theme. The themes make everything relevant, and everything circles and encompasses one another, so there's absolutely no wasted space. I mean don't even get me started on how it's gonna be to characterize the other characters around this
I don't wanna talk about the other characters too much either because that's spoilers, but you can probably take a gandar based on my notes.
And oh my god this is just on the theme of the faults that come with "soulmates" and "true love" and all that, and how even magical destined relationships still require work and effort, and that no one thing or person solves all your problems. And that's not even TOUCHING the shit on trauma and scars. I didn't think it was even possible for me to talk about botw without touching on that, ha. Ah well, I've been talking for too long.
Revalink has a lot o' writing potential so das pretty cool yeah, I am excite
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Tsumugi Shirogane Deepdive: Prologue
I’m in a DR mood right now, and really enjoying revisiting Tsumugi in particular, so I thought I’d do a chapter-based retrospective focusing on all the cool Tsumugi material! A reread project especially rewarding for a character like Mugi, so I’m really excited.
In this series, I’m focusing a lot on all the foreshadowing, and also what we can extrapolate about Tsumugi’s true character along the way. I’ll be doing this chapter-by chapter, including the prologue as well as an installment for her Free Time Events.
Full spoilers for V3 under the cut.
The Pre-Prologue
We first see Tsumugi in the gym by the exisals to get their uniforms and their memories. Tsumugi herself has four lines of dialogue in this scene, nothing that particularly stands out, but there are a couple of things worth noting about how she (and everyone else) is dressed.
Kaede describes how she was kidnapped on her way to school, and it sure looks like that’s the case for almost everyone in the room. We’re used to seeing DR characters in flashy outfits that vaguely resemble school uniforms but actually reflect their individuality, so when the game first shows them in an ensemble lineup like this, it’s a lot more striking.
Not so much in this CG. While there are plenty of visual details that tell us about these characters (Saihara’s already hiding under a hat in his sprites; Iruma is revealing; Kiibo and Gonta are buttoned up and orderly, but Kaito’s shirt and jacket are undone to show a bold-colored undershirt), their uniforms look like they’re doing what uniforms are supposed to do: be bland and blend in.
What about Tsumugi? Tsumugi wears a basic uniform like everyone else, but this is where we get the game’s first indication that all is not what it seems with this girl. The clue is the blue. She is the only one in the lineup whose primary color isn’t a neutral tone. What’s more, it’s the same shade of blue Tsumugi is associated with throughout the game. Visually, part of her is already in character as Tsumugi Shirogane, SHSL Cosplayer.
Of course, there’s a much bigger item foreshadowing Tsumugi as the bad guy, which is that in advance of everyone getting their “memories”, the main emphasis is their new clothes delivered by the Monokubs.
There are a couple of reasons the clothes are significant. For starters, there’s a direct line to Tsumugi’s cosplay talent. For anyone inclined to suspect her before starting the game on account of her talent (and her general don’t-look-at-me-I’m-not-suspicious vibes), this is immediate theory fodder. This also primes the audience to look at the setting of V3 with a critical eye, between the contrast of the kids’ boring outfits and their flashy new ones and the Monokubs making explicit references to starting the “story“, there is an immediate suggestion of artifice that runs all the way down to their identities. Not for nothing is Kaede’s magical girl transformation visually similar to the memory light.
Another thing: pre-memory light, the person in the room whose outfit is the least uniform-y is Amami.
At the very least, it’s a look that’s noticeably more casual than what most of the cast is wearing. After Chapter 6, we know that Amami made it to the end of the 52nd Killing Game before he and Tsumugi were condemned to execution via participating in the next killing game- which he seems to be realizing in this scene- so it’s possible they’re coming right off the heels of the last killing game. It’s an ongoing mystery what his relationship with her was like up to this point? Does he know she’s the ringleader? Is “Tsumugi Shirogane“ anything like the person she was in the last killing game, assuming she was even there?
I’m not confident Tsumugi really switched to a new persona for the 53rd Killing Game, even though fake identities is kind of her whole deal. I’ll get more into why in this series, but I think a lot of the character we see in the game is the “real“ Tsumugi, to the extent that such a person even exists.
Introducing Tsumugi Shirogane: Professional Cosplayer, Sex God
If you go back and read the promotional blurbs for V3, Tsumugi’s mention her tendency to get so lost in thought that she’ll ignore everyone around her. This little trait isn’t super weird at first, until you realize later in the game that she doesn’t carry the shtick past the first chapter. It’s like she wrote the character blurbs herself, realized everybody has a wacky “thing“ that would come up immediately in the introductions, and came up with an act of low-grade wackiness so she’d fit in in the prologue.
This is great stuff, looking back. It gives an intro in brief to the many contradictions of Tsumugi Shirogane. On one hand, it’s overly phony and performative. But on the other hand, there’s a core of truth there about her character- she really is someone who stays in her thoughts without a care for anyone around her, albeit less in the cute way and more in the horrifying sociopath kind of way.
It also tells us something important about Tsumugi’s commitment to the Killing Game. She cares about maintaining the integrity of this world and its characters, but is pretty indifferent about maintaining a role for herself. She doesn’t give a shit about having a storyline or even much of a character. The pleasure of DR comes from what she can get as an observer/consumer.
This is entirely consistent with what she tells Kaede and Saihara about herself and her feelings about cosplay in the actual introduction.
This is the ethos that makes me wonder how dishonest Tsumugi really is. She’s dishonest as hell, of course, but given that she later applies the entire DR LARP reality show experience as “cosplay“, what she says about her convictions largely rings true. She clearly cares about making her tribute an authentic one (lol), which extends to her being the primary creative director inside her fiction bubble.
It partly explains why she spends the next five chapters being little more than furniture. In her mind, her job as a producer precludes her from being a character in her own right, because doing anything to pull focus is tantamount to self-promotion, and, well, that’s an abuse of power that gets in the way of the story!
(sidebar: there are some fascinating things we could speculate about what she says about cosplay relates to her relationship with the rest of Team Danganronpa and the outside world, but this post is getting long, so I’ll save it for another day)
Like everything else about Tsumugi, it’s not until the end that you can fully contextualize how sinister she’s being here. What she passes off as a cute passion for cosplay is actually a bone-deep sense of consumer entitlement taken to a logical extreme. Tsumugi is a more vicious indictment of terrible nerds and a selfish fandom than anything Hifumi Yamada could embody. She loves DR so much, and feels so strongly that nobody should be participating in DR with any corrupt motives, that anything less than the real deal is unacceptable. To this end, she will happily transplant entirely new emotional realities on the others so that even the emotional torture of the Killing Game is authentic. In Tsumugi’s selfish nerd brain, this is the important part of the drama of Killing Games, and anyone who disagrees with her approach is a fake fan who doesn’t deserve any kind of creative control.
Anyways, there’s more to say about Tsumugi’s introduction, so moving on
Some pretty overt foreshadowing here. In the Japanese script, her reference is ep. 53 of Kiteretsu Daihyakka instead of Doraemon. I like the change for the dub, even though it’s pretty obvious. Someone who knows DR primarily through the dub is less likely to know about the franchise’s connection to Doraemon, anyway.
Tsumugi also points out the weird dragon statue in the hallway that will lead into a new part of the school down the line. It’s a neat little metatextual trick on the audience, because it’s the kind of thing that’s not suspicious at all on a first playthrough. She’s an NPC in a DR game, of course her dialogue is gonna point out plot devices that will be relevant shortly, but on a reread you know she’s being deliberate about it. This is far from the last time this kind of thing happens with Tsumugi.
Lastly, this charming observation from Kaede about why she’s maybe not so plain afterall.
Kaede puts it in the worst way possible, but it’s interesting that she, a person with a generally good read on people, decides immediately that there’s more to Mugi than meets the eye. Not only that, she relates it specifically to an audience spending a lot of time looking at her. If she were any less gross about it, Kaede making this kind of observation would land like a big clue.
This leaves us with the biggest question from the prologue: if Kaede wasn’t too busy being horny and gay, could she have put two and two together and thwarted the ringleader?
There is SO much more to say about Tsumugi, so I’m really excited to dig deep into other chapters!
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I've doodled these creatures a month ago and never bother posting it publicly back then until now.DragonVale is what reared my shy head out of the bunker. Back in 2015, I was pulled into it while I was playing Birzzle Fever (Any remmeber?) and found an ad with the glorious, unique dragons from the game.
As soon as I download it, I got addicted. Hatch, Breed, expanding my entire dragon park. It was amazing. I was pretty stoked during the middle of first event and I joined the (now-quiet) wiki community. Until Halloween 2018, which I got burned out with Evolutions and Ghostlies.
In February 2021, after getting real bored of college and stuff, I felt nostalgic and decided to return to DragonVale and golly, did everything had changed since I've quit.
As a result, I missed so many amazing dragons I wished that came out before like Void, Ocular, and Wendigo... But on the downside...
Events which used to come on occasions while Backflip (the company that got shut down by Hasbro in 2019!) was around have became way more frequent! And in these never-ending events, limited dragons spawned every week after one week of each event. And to make matter worse, most of these have ridiculous locked combos that really required you to get lucky to breed dragons that are already have a terrible chance to breed or binge on Mystery Eggs and pray you don't get garbage. Example, You need Snowball to breed Zumi which is easy enough considering the number of elements its combo has but Snowball itself is very extremely difficult and it's been hindering players who wanted to get a fire-breathing Dragonarium who aren't lucky enough to be a long time player or waste time on Plant Grinding.
This message from the DragonVale Discord sums it up a lot:
"Early Dv: Dragons are huge! Even as babies! You’ll breed them! Their combos are these easy to obtain dragons you probably already have! :3
Modern Dv: You want a dragon? HAHAHAH! You’ll need 17 dragons before it just to breed it, and some of them you can’t even get right now! Even if you have the right dragons the odds of you breeding it is you winning the lottery!"
This comment sums up about what DragonVale is now. Remember stuff like when you need only elements or a permanent dragon to breed it? Well, you are barely getting that now...
Sweet Dreams went way underwhelming with lackluster dragons needing nearly impossible combos that don't even fit well! The limiteds has only one dream element in the first place! And most of them has underwhelming trait placements! That was back when three of the dragon doesn't have a dream element... but when it finally got added, they now contribute all elements! When the reps ask them to revert them back to what they used to contribute, DECA replied "That's the game's spaghetti code overreacting when adding the Dream element and changing the combos." But Delirium and Elysium works fine despite needing Dream. Not buying that, DECA. You did this on purpose. Don't deny. You decided to make evos in stupid combos after all. Karroot for Huddle. Jadice for Glitz. Both which can be easily replaced with just elements or a permanent dragon. Maybe even pick the limited dragons with more simpler elements! Not cool. Yes, it'll be less fun to do that, but where is the fun if you failed to breed the dragon after a whole week. What did they do? Just pick a random dragon selling in the event market?
Hyperion is amazing, but it comes with a cost. Fury and Narcis? Seriously? And the 70 hour timers is wow. Unless you have Gaia or the rift to spare.
(Un)Luck of the Vale isn't any better. Wolper is needed for the first one and Flipping Cotton isn't available which Bilby needs. Fae is even worse. A pseudo combo that's available for one week?! DECA just sure do love their pseudo Dreams...
Dragon Draw, the "new, exciting" feature after nothing for two years of endless events is super unreliable. DECA decides to kill off BEB and spin the fortune wheel on which dragons to include for "Dragons Week", the "replacement" for BEB.
There's no rift expansion and probably never be. I would even take 5 more rift islands. DECA have plans, but it seems they won't bother...
And the Vale never ends. Some of the dragons are carbon copies of each other with Sounds, elements, earning rates or even Holiday themes (Looking at you, Mesmer and Dargon... These two should not exist. Pronto.). The app horribly lags in my iPhone. Too much content will be added and my iPhone won't be able to go for even 5 minutes before kicking me out. Too many evil ads like the ones stretching the screen or having no close button being more persistent to stuck up like head of a hydra and DECA never bothering removing them. The eventual permanent status of Triple Rainbow, this will worsen these horrid Rainbow fails. At this point, the rarest type of all dragons are essentially Motleys.
I couldn't find a good reason to continue playing other than looking forward to new silly dragons. I believe this was also eating my time I could spend on something else.
So, final goodbyes DragonVale. I'm just gonna stay away for good. Not in a "I'll just uninstall for a bit and then come back because I was addicted" moment. Thanks for the carnival of one year back in the Vale. But it's time to end this bondage for good.
I understand why older players like LilDragonHeart8 (Now Synthyx) has quit now.
Even with the poll regarding them, nothing changed at all. Yes, there's a tie for Valers who wanted more Events and people just wanting a one-week break between events, but still nothing changed. I also really miss DragonVale World and I think I would take it over regular DV. Who knows that DragonVale will eventually shut down in about four to five year due to overwhelming amounts of event and ridiculous combos with every single golden and permanent epic crammed in it?
Dragons pictured here:
Darcowl without Spellforms, Fire-traited Whimsical burning (definitely caused be the trait), an unpolished Fire Dragon mistaking baby Fire-Traited Karroot as a Chili Pepper (That's my first thought while looking at at, lol), Crouching Ocular, Burning Zumi, the thrilling sequel to Burning Whimsical, an Unpolished Baby Rain.
Bonus: >:)
https://www.deviantart.com/jacquirebriggs/art/Just-my-I-hate-April-Fools-doodie-for-2022-911683584
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Ideal types of S/O for the Barians
*I got this request and I feel like writing for it!
Though it’s been too long since I watched Zexal and I may not have a tight grip on all Barians, so please forgive me any wrong headcanons *bows*
Oh and I didn’t included Vector, I am sorry. I just can’t see this guy in a relationship at all..
Nash / Shark
Shark has a lot of pride, still after the events happened in Zexal. So no matter what you do or say, never, I repeat never, belittle him. He has a hard time with his sister pretending that she is the older and stronger one and has to protect him.
He doesn’t need anyone who protects him. Instead, he wants to feel that he is the one, who could protect you. So.. show him how much you rely on him (without being too childish)
Talking about childish, Shark actually could fall for someone mature for their age. Someone who is not as silly as his other friends and someone who gives him a relaxed time when he is annoyed by being around the others for too long..
In terms of appearance, I think he could like long hair, because I imagine him relieving his stress while his fingers brush your long hair while you are lying in his lap. Something about feeling your hair calms him down
I think Shark’s ideal partner is someone who is mature enough to let him have intelligent chats, but sweet enough too to make him feel you’re an actual couple. But also very understanding for his comfort zones and a rather slow pace in your relationship.
Marin / Rio
Rio doesn’t have a certain taste for an ideal partner, because she has way too much own facets in term of her personality. She has a quite wild and dominant side, which cannot be handled by anyone. So, she needs someone who can read her mood changes and react accordingly to them.
Even though, Rio is a quite strong and independent woman now, she may have a soft side for romantic gestures, like receiving flowers, love letters and other gifts. She also enjoys cute dates too, but shoosh. Don’t tell her brother that she is into the girly stuff from magazines.
She is also fun loving. So she needs someone who is as adventurous as she is, enjoying to discover new stuff together and never running out of stamina or willpower. With this girl, it never gets boring.
But the most important thing, her ideal partner has to get along with Shark. Because she could never accept someone who is hated and hates Shark. It won’t get well to separate you two from each other you know.
In terms of appearance I actually think she would like someone taller than her, maybe some muscles she can lean on (or when she is feeling cheeky, to jokingly fight them to test who is stronger). Or maybe just to annoy the hell out of her brother with teasing and keep stating why he doesn’t have muscles like you. Poor Shark.
Alito
Alito totally prefers a romantic person. Someone who actually cherishes every little thing he does for them and make every day special. Liking flowers would help actually too, because we would literally DROWN you in roses and other flowers every single day.
He needs a sweet, kind-hearted and friendly person who is easy going around everyone. Of course, he could make himself a challenge by finding someone he keeps failing to woo but seriously, he would lose interest quite quickly when his avances are ignored for too long. Especially for someone who falls in love that easily like him..
He prefers someone who is smaller than him - or at least his height, because he refuses to be a little spoon while cuddling. And because he would love to ruffle your hair all day. That’s easier with a smaller partner. Because Alito is not the tallest man either.
And that is all to make him happy, really. Just be a cute, sweet thing he can carry like a queen and give him the love that he deserves. (And he wouldn’t mind, if he would see you in a cheerleader costum while you’re cheeing him on on his duels and fights)
Girag
To be a person, Girag will fall for and being happy, the most important thing is something every single person in this fandom has to offer; Being an Otaku - or at least show some love for Mangas and Animes. Because Girag is a big fan of those and if he could talk and read mangas with his partner, it would make him happy.
Imagine you are sitting in his lap while he helds a manga in his big hands and you both can read in blissful silence and he always asks if you finished reading the pages until he turn over the pages.
You might guessed it from the previous headcanon, a smaller partner is prefered for this giant. But not too small, because he would be afraid to break you if you are too fragil.
He has no other big preferences, because in all honesty, he is completely inexperienced with love matters and he never thought about stuff like that for a single second, You have to teach him but after that, he is going to be your teddy bear.
Dumon / Durbe
Similar to Shark, Dumon would prefer a rather mature partner. Someone smart, but still not arrogant about their smartness. He needs someone calm and silent person at his side. Someone where he knows, you’re waiting for him, no matter how long his work make him absent.
As a former knight, Dumon has a great sense of chivalry and gentleness, so romantic gestures from his partner would make him happy too. Though, he is not as romantic as Alito, but Dumon knows how to treat a lady very well and it would help, if his partner is ladylike (in personality and appearance.)
Actually I see him with an author, because he loves to read and I am positive, that he would love to read his s/os books and chapters as soon as they are finished. Imagine a romantic atmosphere, dim light, maybe candles, a chimney fire that quietly spit while you are reading your newest chapter to him, while he takes a little nap on your shoulder, because he overworked himself, again.
Aside from being ladylike, he would prefer longer hair, with ponytails. Something like Anna in Frozen 1. It would be cute if you wear glasses too though.
Mizar/ Mizael
Not going to lie, this one is quite tough, Actually I can’t see Mizar in any romantic relationship as barian. I can’t say how he is after being reborn, but I will try,
Mizar is a loner. He always had his dragons being the only creatures he trusted. He never had someone in his life, he grew feelings for, So love is something completely new for him.
To catch his interest, you have to be not an annoying brat that makes him cringe when he sees or hear you. So, yeah another mature partner for this guy. Someone who knows when to be silent or just wordlessly fullfill his wishes. That’s not that easy, but you’ll learn to read him.
Being fond of Dragons will help too, of course. It hadn’t to be YGO Dragons, if you like dragons in general, you have a small sympathy place from him. Though he would still be very cautious, because he never learned to trust others aside from his fellow Barians.
Mizar is a really complicated character when it comes to romance and a partner. He needs to learn the human kind of having a relationship and he may not like it a first. He may even push you away at first when you try to approach him. What you need is a good share of patience for him. Patience and showing him that having a partner is nothing bad. He eventually let his guard down and you tame this dragon.
#YGO#YGO Zexal#yugioh zexal#Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal#Zexal#Barian Emperor#Barians#Seven Barian Emperors#shark kastle#Shark#Nash#Marin#rio kastle#Rio Kamishiro#Alit#alito#Girag#Durbe#Dumon#Mizar#Mizael
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When You Know | KSJ x MYG
~summary: Seokjin and Yoongi aren’t just neighbours. They are enemies. Well, either that or they were destined to be in each other’s arms, but Yoongi can’t see that happening (nor can his cat). Let their friends try all they want, but they’d have to weather storms together and stand back to back in battle before Yoongi would look twice at Jin...
Jin x Yoongi
~word count: 3.3k
~enemies to lovers, soulmate au (you have the name of your enemy AND your soulmate tattooed, without knowing which is which), neighbour au, crack, humour, fluff, angst if you squint?
Rating: pg13
Warnings: swearing, that’s it :)
~a/n: welcome to my first mxm fic! This is for a special occasion as it is the wonderful @eternalseokjin‘s birthday!! To celebrate Dean’s birthday over at @thebtswritersclub we were sent a bingo card and a challenge to include everything on it in one fic.
Our regular mxr content will resume soon, but this has been super fun to write, even if the outcome is -ahem- quite chaotic. So, enjoy, but don’t ask me what’s going on here. I don’t know, and the characters certainly don’t either...
At the end of the fic, I will include what was on my bingo square, in case anyone wants to know, and some basics about d&d for those who (like me a few weeks ago) know nothing about it, but I promise you don’t need to know this to read the fic!
“You’re not serious.”
“I am totally serious.”
Namjoon’s straight-faced response matched Yoongi’s exactly, leaving the two in a sort of staring contest. Seeing no change in the other, Namjoon cracked first, slumping back into the sofa with a sigh.
“Yoongi, come on. It’s not that big of a deal-“
“Why would I want to do it?” Yoongi grumbled.
“it’s just a bit of fun-“
“Then go and do it with Seokjin. I’m sure you’ll have a great time playing wizards, or whatever the fuck-“
“That’s the entire point!” Namjoon threw his hands up in frustration, “we will all be playing, you and Jin included, and we will have a great time.”
Yoongi wasn’t sure if he had ever been threatened with having fun before. Staring back at his friend, his expression remained guarded. Eventually, he sucked at his teeth, turning his eyes away from the younger man.
“Fine,” he bit out.
“Thank you,” Namjoon huffed, pushing on his knees to stand up, “we’ll start at 5 on Sunday, but I’ll get here earlier. Jin will bring food to make up for the trouble.”
Following Joon out to see him off, Yoongi’s brows furrowed.
“Wait- what trouble? And what do you mean you’ll get here-“
“You’ll be hosting. Okay, bye!”
The door was shut in his face before he could protest any further. Cursing Namjoon for knowing him so damn well, Yoongi stomped to the kitchen and soon began scrubbing the teacups to within an inch of their life.
He’d heard of dungeons and dragons before. Well, vaguely. It hadn’t occurred to him before to pay attention to Namjoon whenever he spoke about it, because surprisingly enough, he hadn’t expected his friend to suddenly whip it out as a method of forcing him and Seokjin – his mortal enemy – to bond.
The whole mortal enemy thing wasn’t even an exaggeration.
What else were you supposed to think when the new neighbour, whose name happens to be printed on your wrist, tries to turn your cat over to the authorities on their first day after it launched a ‘targeted attack’ on their pet sugar gliders.
Yoongi was yet to meet the mysterious V that graced his other wrist, but he knew for sure that Kim Seokjin was his enemy. He could not be soulmates with someone who thinks it’s okay to leave a pair of sugar gliders by an open window and not expect a cat to see them as a tasty meal.
When they had learned each other’s names, and of course connected them with their tattoos, an icy silence fell between the neighbours.
Every now and then, Yoongi would get a reminder of the fact his mortal enemy lived next door. Like this morning, when Seokjin’s wheely bin had blown over and spilled rubbish onto his lawn.
Yes, that man’s evil knew no limits.
And if Yoongi would have to endure his friends’ attempts at reconciling the two of them, in his own house, then he was sure of one thing. He was not going to eat Seokjin’s cooking. It was probably awful, anyway.
That Sunday, at precisely five minutes to five, Namjoon arrived. Yoongi’s eyes widened in alarm at the bulging folder held under his arm. He really had come prepared. Yoongi had barely spent twenty minutes scribbling down some things about his character. Well, except when he had to read all about the different class choices… and then when he needed to select the perfect traits… and picking his spells was quite tough too…
“Are you excited?” Namjoon grinned as he set his stuff down, but then he faltered, “…I did tell you Jin would bring food, didn’t I?”
“Can’t remember,” Yoongi muttered.
He slouched over to the sofa while Namjoon shrugged, grabbing a bite from the nearest bowl of snacks. The table was littered with them, and Yoongi would never admit just how early he had got up that morning to start cooking.
Jungkook turned up next, and of course the brat would instantly wolf down the tub of popcorn rather than the bites Yoongi had been slaving over.
Seokjin’s was the last knock on the door, and a timid one at that. Although it may have had something to do with the food his arms were laden with.
As Yoongi opened the door (Namjoon had shoved him towards it before anyone else had the chance to respond), he couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit guilty. It seemed his neighbour had worked just as hard as him on preparing it all.
But still, more of a grimace than a smile showed on his face.
“This way,” he spoke through gritted teeth.
His guilt was short-lived, irritation setting back in as Seokjin invited himself into the kitchen to put down his things. Jungkook bounded after him almost instantly, the pair’s loud greeting audible from the next room.
Turning away bitterly, Yoongi sat in the empty seat between Namjoon and Taehyung, determined to keep his distance from Seokjin.
In time, however, he came to regret this decision, if only because it put Seokjin in full view of the eyes Yoongi so desperately wanted to roll when he announced he wanted to attempt to charm his way to free dinner at the first inn they got to. His reason? His stupid elf claimed to be ‘worldwide handsome’.
The infuriating smirk on his face as he declared this (and then proceeded to pass his roll, because of course) left Yoongi with little doubt this arrogance was nothing but a projection.
After introducing themselves, Yoongi slumping back in his chair the whole time, he let the others take the lead as they set off to find monsters, or something. A pointed look from Namjoon prompted him to pay more attention.
In fairness, he had been a bit creeped out when Taehyung announced he had named his character ‘V’, but he tried his best to listen to the adventure as Namjoon described it. And so they went along, the supply of snacks steadily dwindling as they made their way through some ruins.
The scene was quite vivid, until-
“That’s cat food, Jungkook!”
“Urgh, gross,” Jimin groaned as Jin pried the bowl away from the sheepish-faced younger.
If it had been anyone else, Yoongi would have returned the fond-but-exasperated look they were all well practised in, given the nature of their younger friends. As it was, he ducked his head, scribbling nonsense on his notepad.
It would be a lie if Yoongi said he wasn’t quite proud of himself for solving a riddle to get them into the final room, and getting the final hit on the hellhound inside. And maybe, just maybe, he was a little excited for their next game.
Shutting the door at long last, Yoongi paused for a moment.
Screw Namjoon and his good ideas.
Clearing away the dishes, Yoongi couldn’t help a glance out the window to watch as Seokjin let himself in to his own place, his own stack of plates in his arms. Not that he would ever admit it, Yoongi hadn’t been able to resist just one bite…
Well, it turned into a lot more than that. Maybe Seokjin was a good cook after all.
But that was just one redeeming quality. Best not get ahead of himself.
Yoongi was in trouble.
It had only been a couple more weeks, but he knew that much. As they sat around his table, he caught himself laughing along to Jin’s jokes. And look, he was already calling him Jin! No, he had to stick to Seokjin, the evil neighbour, his enemy.
If he got fond, he would only be sorry later when Jin – Seokjin – did something to remind Yoongi of what a terrible person he was.
Shame all of this seemed to slip his mind the moment Jin came around again.
“The slope is steep, with rocks falling where you move your feet. You can still hear the song, though, and you are certain it’s coming from inside the dark opening you can see at the bottom of the path.”
“No. Absolutely not,” Yoongi was the first to speak.
“Are you kidding? We just spent like an hour trekking over here specifically because of that music,” Taehyung was next to chip in, jabbing his finger into the table.
“It wasn’t an hour,” Yoongi rolled his eyes, “Joon told us it was hour, it was what? One minute?”
A high pitched giggle from Jin was overtaken next by Jimin.
“No, I can feel the weariness in my bones! It won’t be complete until we hear the song!”
“We’ve been hearing it all this time! Aren’t you guys sick of it by now?” Jin retorted.
“No! Joon specifically said it’s the most beautiful music we’ve ever heard,” Tae insisted.
“I don’t give a shit if there’s a chorus of angels in there, my dexterity is not gonna let me get down that cliff,” Yoongi folded his arms to punctuate his argument.
“Ugh, fine, well I want to go down with V,” Jimin said.
The two factions that had emerged looked expectantly towards Namjoon.
“Okay, so V and Christian want to go down and Genie and Suga want to stay here. Anyone else?”
“Yeah, I’ll go down,” Kook shrugged.
All heads turned now to Hobi. Unease written all over his features, he glanced between the two groups.
“Come one, don’t be boring, hyung!” Jimin elbowed him.
“Yeah, come with us!” Kook bounced in his seat as Taehyung switched on the puppy eyes with a string of ‘pleeeease’s.
Cracking under the force of the youngers’ begging, Hoseok laughed and agreed.
Folding his arms, Yoongi leant back in his chair, more than ready to be a bystander to whatever the hell the others were about to get themselves into.
The others of course had an irritating success rate, somehow making it down the cliff without plummeting to their deaths. Not that Yoongi would ever wish death upon his own party members. Of course not.
It would have been funny, though.
Anyway, despite his aversion to following them, Yoongi admittedly was a little curious about the mysterious music they had followed here.
“Stepping inside the cave, the party hears the music louder than ever, ringing in their ears as it bounces off the rocks, making its source unclear. However, it doesn’t offend your ears. The cave extends further into the cliff, and you follow the sound further in. But as you take a step, a great groaning drowns out the music. Behind you, the mouth of the cave shifts, everything around you going black.
“Those of you at the top of the cliff stumble back from the edge as they see the path crumble away into the sea from the shaking of the earth.”
Namjoon sniggered softly at the silence that followed.
Staring at him with comically large eyes, Hobi and Tae looked terrified. As Yoongi watched, Tae slowly turned his head, a smirk turning the edges of his mouth underneath puppy eyes.
“Come rescue us?” he asked sheepishly.
Before Yoongi could respond, Jin was cutting him off.
“Well, that was a fun detour! Where was it we were heading again, Yoongi?”
Yoongi had been preparing to be mad at Seokjin, but his glare dissolved quickly into a snort.
“Yeah, that demon up the road needs seeing to,” he agreed, creating instant uproar from the others.
“You can’t leave us!”
“Justin’s scared of the dark!”
“Traitors!”
However, Jin’s squeaky laugh as he revelled in the others’ pain was all Yoongi could hear. Then Jin leaned closer.
It was all Yoongi could do not jump from his seat when Seokjin’s voice spoke in his ear.
“Shall we leave them?” he was barely containing his mirth.
Feeling rather like he was plotting a prank in the back of the classroom, Yoongi grinned and agreed with a nod. He didn’t quite trust his voice to function as Jin’s breath tickled his cheek.
“We’re leaving!” Jin declared, sitting back in his chair, satisfied.
Before any more chaos could erupt, Namjoon continued with a smirk.
“Okay, so Suga and Genie carry on their previous path, away from their friends and the cliff…”
This was officially getting out of hand.
First of all, Yoongi couldn’t believe how eagerly he was anticipating the weekend, when Seokjin and the others would come around.
Particularly worrying, however, was the way Yoongi had to restrain himself from going to see Jin before Sunday rolled around. It was as if that writing on his wrist was staring at him. The more he tried to look away, the later he would find himself sat up at night, glancing between his wrists and what was written there.
Surely, if Kim Seokjin was his enemy, he wouldn’t be dying to ask how he makes his ramen taste so good. Or how his day was, or any trivial thing, just to be able to have Jin’s eyes on him and his voice in his ears.
Second of all, he had no idea how their campaign had devolved into such utter chaos.
Since the party split, the others made friends with the sirens they found in the cave, and ended up at a drinking party with some demons while Yoongi and Jin were nearly killed by one some miles away on the surface. The demons had apparently taken a particular shining to V, as a tiefling, which resulted in the group they abandoned somehow siding with the very demons they were trying to kill at the start.
Last Sunday had seen Yoongi and Jin going out of their way to find random things to beat to death in the forest, trying to get as many points as possible to face off against four members and goodness knows how many demons.
Yes, this had got rather out of hand.
Two old foes stand face to face on a precipice. Around them, fire blazes. This battle has ravaged the very land they stand upon, whipped the air into a frenzy.
Admittedly, they can barely remember what started this feud. Rumour has it these two great powers were friends, once. If that was so, it was a long time ago.
V stands, battle-worn, waiting for his adversary to make a move.
Suga looks at the body of his fallen companion.
“I’ve only got one spell slot left.”
“Use it,” a whisper returned.
“Aren’t you dead?! Stop talking to each other!” Jimin exclaimed, finger pointing accusingly towards Jin.
“Okay,” Yoongi cut in before they could start arguing, “if this hits, I can take him down. But there’s a fat chance of that, with his AC…“
Trepidation filled him as he looked across the table to Taehyung, a small but unmistakeably victorious smile already on his lips.
A dry chuckle came from one side.
“It’s been a good run,” Jin clapped him on the shoulder.
“Are you accepting defeat?” Joon prompted.
“No…” a hand ran down Yoongi’s face, “I’ll give it a go…”
“There’s no way! If you succeed…” Jin laughed, “if you succeed, I’ll kiss you.”
A quiet round of laughter went around the others, too focussed on the dice in Yoongi’s hand to pay it any mind. But Yoongi could no longer concentrate on that. What did Jin just say?
He couldn’t mean that.
There was no way he would kiss Yoongi. Was there?
All he could hear was the slow drumming of his heart rushing in his ears. The breath caught in his throat as he reminded himself to raise his hand, dice cupped inside.
It wasn’t just the defeat of V he hoped for as it rolled off his fingers, dropping onto the tabletop.
The faces flipped over, every eye trained on it. Around the table, there was no sound. Even Jungkook had stopped munching his popcorn, mouth hanging open.
Round, round, round…
Yoongi caught a glimpse of 20, the magic number, right within reach.
A small thud, the dice settling. A number glared up at him.
3.
All the air left his lungs, deflating as he stared at the number. For a second, the table remained silent as everyone came to terms with the roll, the only sound the tapping of his cat’s paws-
Wait.
When Yoongi turned to find his cat leaping onto the table, it was already to late to grab her as she dashed across the surface. As she went, her paws caught a bowl of snacks, Joon’s notepaper, the dice. Hobi exclaimed with shock, several yells going up as everyone snatched their own stuff out of her way. Jungkook had dived after the snacks.
“Hey!” Yoongi shooed her as he stood up, watching her dart out into the hall.
“Oh my god…”
The small mutter from Jimin caught his attention. Looking around, Yoongi found him staring at the table and followed his gaze to the crime scene. In the centre of which, the dice still lay.
But now, a different number was displayed.
Yoongi’s jaw dropped. It was 20.
“That’s not fair!” Taehyung cried.
“Shush Tae, Jin has to do what he promised,” Hoseok teased, nudging a very red-eared Jin.
“Yah! Hey, I-I, that’s-” Jin spluttered, mouth seemingly fixed open as his cheeks warmed, growing defensive.
As Yoongi watched, Jin only stuttered more under the teasing cries erupting from the other boys as they egged him on with an array of ‘go on’s and ‘you said you would!’
“I-I-“ his eyes flickered over to Yoongi’s.
And despite the jeering and laughter in the background, neither of them looked away. Jin’s lips remained parted, ears pink with embarrassment, protests lodged in his throat.
Yoongi stepped forwards and kissed him.
The distance between them closed in the blink of an eye, Yoongi’s hand flying to Jin’s jaw as he pulled him in, turning his back to the gasps and cheers of their friends.
But they didn’t hear it. Not when their lips were pressed together like this, lighting fireworks in Yoongi’s stomach until he felt like sparks might fly out of his fingertips, the ones he was trailing down Jin’s neck, the ones pulling at the small of his back to bring him closer.
The others had gone quiet.
By the time he groggily pulled away, Yoongi seemed to have forgotten what the world looked like. Were his feet even on the ground?
In what was probably a mirror image of his own face, Jin stared back at him, eyes wide and those perfect lips round with shock. Jin’s fingers trembled as he brought them to his mouth.
“Holy fuck.”
“U-uh, guys,” a small voice from behind them did little to snap them from their trance.
“That was-“ Yoongi breathed, words escaping him.
“It’s you, you idiot!” a grin broke onto Jin’s face.
A laugh left Yoongi’s throat, taking him by surprise.
“It- really?”
“Did you not feel that too?”
Eyes still not leaving the beautiful man in front of him, Yoongi realised. Jin was completely right. Everyone had always told him how it would feel, when he kissed his soulmate. Like butterflies, or a flame, or like the world turned golden.
But through all the different feelings people described, there was one common thread. When you know, you know.
“You’re my soulmate.”
It wasn’t something he had to question, the words leaving him as easily as air.
“You’re my soulmate!”
And then he was wrapped up in Jin’s arms, his lips captured once again, euphoric feeling surging through his body once more.
“Come on, guys…” Namjoon’s groans were completely ignored.
Taehyung was still a bit put out that V had been slain at the last hurdle, but it hardly seemed fitting to be angry about it anymore, what with his two friends falling in love in front of him.
Everyone left together after the revelation, and pretty swiftly at that, deciding to leave them to it. And for once, Jin wouldn’t be leaving with them, even if he would only be one house away.
Smile never once leaving his face, Jin turned to Yoongi after shutting the door.
“So, what are we going to do about my sugar gliders?”
Thanks everyone for reading!! Reblog if you liked it xx
Taglist: @aianloveseven @preciouschimine @kb-bangtanenthusiast
Okay, for anyone interested, my bingo card contained: dungeons & dragons, neighbours, enemies to lovers, namjoon, yoonjin, cats, fluff, music, soulmates
And here are some dnd basics for those who want them: you have a dungeon master or dm (Namjoon here) who tells a story. The others play as a character and choose what they want to do in the given situation. There are scores that dictate how good your character is at certain traits, and you roll the dice to see whether you succeed in your choices. That’s really all you need to know for the purposes of this fic, but you can ask me any questions too!
Lastly, I have to give another HUGE happy birthday to the amazing writer and friend and person @eternalseokjin!! I hope you have the best day, you really deserve it! I’m so glad to have met you and of course played dnd together in the net! Lots of love xx
#thebtswritersclub#btscreatorscorner#purplearmynet#yoonjin#min yoongi imagine#kim seokjin imagine#yoongi x jin#jin x yoongi#yoongi imagines#yoongi imagine#jin imagines#jin imagine#yoongi fluff#yoongi crack#jin crack#yoonjin crack#bts dnd#yoonjin imagine#seokjin scenario#suga scenario
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Dragon Age development insights from David Gaider - PART 4
This information came from DG on a recent SummerfallStudios Twitch stream where he gave developer commentary while Liam Esler continued playing DAO from where they had left off in Part 1, 2 and 3. I transcribed it in case there’s anyone who can’t watch the stream (for example due to connection/tech limitations, data, time constraints, personal accessibility reasons, etc). A lot of it is centered on DAO, but there’s also insights into other parts of the franchise. Some of it is info which is known having been put out there in the past, and some of it is new. There’s a bit of overlap or repetition with topics covered in Parts 1-3. This post leaps from topic to topic as it’s a transcript of a conversational format. It’s under a cut due to length.
The stream can currently be watched back here. Next week LE will be streaming a different DAO playthrough with commentary from another guest. Two weeks from now LE and DG will return to continue this playthrough for another stream session like this one.
(Part 5, Part 6)
[wording and opinions DG’s, occasionally LE’s; paraphrased]
The Loghain sequences, where it jumps out of the HoF’s point of view to let the player see what Loghain is up to, were added quite late on in development. Some of the dream sequences (like the HoF’s dream of the Archdemon) were also probably added quite late. Those sequences were added as they felt that they needed to have more indication of the larger goings-on in terms of what Loghain was up to, since they had cut some stuff that was meant to have shown this. Cutting things can be funny like that as you’re then left trying to explain the holes.
An original Archdemon concept drawing had them as a lot more demonic as opposed to draconic, with blank all-black faces, a giant ornate crown, smoke, tentacles and a Cthulhu-esque feel. Things change a lot during the concept phase however. At the time, DG wasn’t sure if he liked the changing of the ‘demon’ into a ‘dragon’, but over time he digs it - it sorta implies some things about the nature of dragons in the world that they later decided “yes, that is probably the case”. They then worked that more into the lore so that dragons weren’t just there to be huge lizards. Given the difficulty the team had modelling things like tentacles and snakes, the original Archdemon concept would probably have been iterated on and would’ve had to become something else eventually anyway.
Having the party camp was probably always part of James Ohlen’s plan. Originally, there was going to be different camps in specific places around the map. They then made it a sort of ‘pocket area’ that the player always ‘took with them’, but here they had problems figuring out things like what would happen if the player rested while in an interior location as opposed to somewhere out in the wilderness, “like, does that change it?” For a while there was a complicated system where the party members would do things in camp that would give the player items and help out in such ways - like a party member who made potions, ones that could be interacted with and asked to craft, a whole crafting system relating to that, etc (this all got cut). This was supposed to act as a reason for the player to return to camp and have more interactions at camp; they didn’t want the camp just to be ‘the place you go just to talk to followers’. A good portion of the team considered dialogue to be boring and not an activity that was engaged in.
As soon as hair/beard hair came past the ‘clipping plane’ of the neck, they had real trouble getting it to move due to lack of proper cloth physics and the troubles they had with hair. Beards were rectangular strips that dangled from the chin with the beard texture attached to it. Sometimes certain points were connected to the chest which is why there’s the weird stretching if models move in certain ways. This happens with robes as well. The reason they did this is so that there’s no clipping. For some reason the BW animation team was so averse to clipping compared to other games from elsewhere which sometimes have a bit of clipping that they’re actually not fussed about. At one point they had a big fight on the DA team because the art team said “We need to make every entrance and doorway [including tents] about twice the size that it is, about Shale-size specifically, because of Shale” because they were worried that there would be scenes where Shale would clip through the wall, and about how this would look to players. Others responded that it’d be rare where Shale would be seen going through a door and also that nobody really cares (as in it’s not a big deal). DG half-seriously suggested that instead of making every door bigger, have it so that after entering the door’s texture at the sides and above it would look cracked and have an outline of Shale’s arms and head as if she’d just barreled her way through the stonework. In the end Shale’s size was reduced as a solution to this (so Shale was originally intended to be a lot larger). This is an example of a place where different parts of the team had different priorities in development. It was pointed out that in the end having giant doors may not have made much difference, as every interior in DA is massive in terms of floor and ceiling-space, as well as items (huge jugs of ale etc) anyway.
Weapons and staves hover on characters’ backs due to the team’s aforementioned aversion to clipping. Originally there were plans for scabbards and straps, but they didn’t have the resources for these and they were also concerned about staves clipping through straps, especially when being ‘drawn’ for combat, even though that would just be a second or so. So this is why we instead have floating magnetically-attached-looking weapons.
DG wrote Nature of the Beast including all of the Brecilian Forest, it’s possibly his favorite plot/questline out of the ones he wrote for DAO. It’s one of the plots that survived best from first inception to final result. One of the prominent cultural features of Ferelden is the werewolves, and so DG had to make ‘the werewolf plot’. All the initial plots were split up like that (the werewolf plot, the dwarf plot, etc). Originally there was a separate ‘elf plot’ but it got joined together with the werewolf one. DG had an idea for a being that was like male and female, terrible and kind, beautiful and horrible and so forth - both at once, like the way nature is. This was the vague initial idea from which this plot grew. The nature spirit encountered is the flipside of the being. The spirit of the forest is both male and female, or something akin to being bigender (both rather than neither). There’s not much difference between the Lady and Witherfang. DG finds it so weird hearing the DAO Dalish elves’ American accents (since their accents were changed for the next game). The American Dalish elf accents bugged DG enough that when they got to DA2, he said to Caroline Livingstone “can we just retcon this” and she was like “yeah”. “I think we underestimated how weird prevalent American accents in the game alongside the British ones would be”. Zathrian is voiced by Tim Russ (Tuvok from Star Trek).
The Cammen-Gheyna plot is a fairly ‘nothing-y’ sidequest relatively speaking, but is so complex in terms of how many options and paths through it that it has that DG got a big of a finger-wagging for it and some people were not happy. LE commented that this quest is “an extremely Gaider plot”, as the player can ruin everyone’s lives in it. Gheyna’s pronunciation of Andaran atish'an is incorrect. This phrase is one of the ones that got mixed up in the pronunciation guide and one of the ones that when they got to DA2, DG was like “ignore what we did before, here’s the new pronunciation files”. One of the first ‘images’ the team had of the Dalish was that they had reindeer-like creatures that pulled the aravels. In DAO aravels look more like standard wagons than the ones in the ‘images’, and they weren’t shown properly. Aravels are wagons but they’re supposed to have big sails (not naval-style sails on top) all over the place to catch the wind, so that they look like a bunch of ships being drawn across a field. They got closer to how they’re supposed to be in DAI. At one point the artists sat DG down and asked him what should set the Dalish apart visually. “Funny you should ask, I have some very specific ideas about what the Dalish should look like that have just never been done”. [I think here he meant hadn’t yet been implemented in the franchise] “Oh, we just thought they were ‘people with wagons’.” “Nobody reads documentation...”
The lamps in the Brecilian Forest are a bit random. They put light sources everywhere and it seems like the Brecilian lamp thing was art-asset use that boiled down to “guess it’s an elven forest?”. The Deep Roads were supposed to be properly dark. The team had a lot of conversations over how dark they could or should make the Deep Roads. They constantly had beams of light coming from above and it was like “this is supposed to be like a mile underground, why are there sunbeams coming through cracks in the ceiling” - the answer is it looks good and they didn’t want to do proper darkness. By DAI, they got closer to the ‘look’ the Deep Roads are supposed to have. This is a recurring theme in the DA franchise lol. “This was a weakness in our team and processes, that it took two titles before we got on board with each other and with the vision.” But they had plenty of good strengths too! DG wishes they had iterated a bit more on the werewolves’ look.
“Evil options” was always one of the big conversations that they had. DG wasn’t a fan of the evil options because they mostly boiled down to being a big jerk. The reason for this is a lengthy design discussion that relies on interface - proper, smart evil usually implies some kind of deception, and how do you indicate to the player that the option they’re about to take has a more cleverly-sinister aspect to it (as opposed to simple Intimidate options)? They didn’t really enjoy just letting the player run around being an asshole to people, “do we have to service this hyuk-hyuk-hyuk, particular type of enjoyment?” DG wishes they had figured out how to do the evil stuff a little better (feeling that in a game, doing good has less merit unless there’s temptation to do evil, and that evil paths should be more materially rewarding).
DG wrote The Dawn Will Come with some help from PW and Karin Weekes. It was the first song he wrote. Trevor Morris sent him the tune and he listened to it many times and wrote out the lyrics. PW and KW helped him make it “less awkward and cringey”. “They’re very good at that”. PW is good at poetry, KW is more musical and knows more about music. “If you get something which is as ridiculous as it is memorable, it’s probably Sheryl. If you get something that’s beautiful prose, it’s probably Mary. Something in-between is probably PW.” The DAI bardsongs were written by an external party brought in specially to do so. This required a fair bit of review and revision to make sure they followed DA lore. “It’s a problem we’ve always had trying to work with third parties, they tend to think that anything that falls under the umbrella of ‘medieval fantasy’ would fit in DA”. (Here DG groaned a bit thinking about Orson Scott Card.)
On the Grand Oak and co: “After I finished writing this I totally regretted it. It’s a big dialogue and there’s a lot involved in this quest. Do you know how hard it is to make somebody rhyme in a way that’s not completely cringey for the entire dialogue? I was three quarters into it and I so wanted to stop but I was past the point of no return. But I did it! And it worked out.” The Grand Oak should have been a LotR-style ent-like being in terms of animations and presence. When DG sees the Oak’s stationary pose he’s reminded of Silence of the Lambs. When he finished the Grand Oak and hermit quest he was like “I make way more trouble for myself than I should”. The Hermit cycles through random animations outside of conversation because he’s supposed to be twitchy and weird.
The haunted empty camp side encounter was a pain for the tech designers to make work because there’s no NPC to talk to. It was a pain whenever companions had to offer critical information like in these sorts of parts in fact, as they had to write 9 versions of each ‘line’ (1 for each companion).
There are certain spells/abilities in D&D that can make a GM’s life frustrating, such as teleportation, telling the future, resurrection. The fact that death is not permanent, for instance, should be a huge thing that affects society and how the people in it view death. This is why they were thinking stuff like “If every low-level mage in the setting had a skill like ‘Charm Person’, what would non-mages make of that?” This ties back to discussions in previous part/s where there are lore rules like no teleportation. DA was originally envisioned as a low-magic setting, but this didn’t last long [this subject is also covered in previous part/s]. The rules of magic didn’t really change though, they just weren’t really communicated that well to the other teams in the early days. They slowly realized that it was incumbent on the design team to explain and sell to the other teams the vision, not just expect them to read documentation. They were also constantly fighting against their own presuppositions of “DA is like D&D”.
Desire demons were supposed to be genderless. DG isn’t a fan of how the Fade turned out in DAO. The quests themselves were too long; they couldn’t do all the original plans they had for them so there was a lot of iteration, “then we ended up settling for something not very exciting”. Another big fight the team had was about whether they should have permanent death since DA was a more realistic world? One side’s argument was that ‘if you don’t allow for resurrection then we can’t have death in combat’. DG wondered if there was a different dichotomy they could get to but didn’t want to dictate how combat should work or tell combat designers how to do their job, as he wasn’t the one doing that work.
One of the best moves they made when working on DAI was the concept artist consulting cosplayers. This was good work not only in a fashion sense but also in that it led to making outfits for characters that someone could actually wear (contrast those with Sebastian’s outfit, which DG remembers cosplayers having trouble making functional/wearable and putting together). DG really wasn’t keen at all on Cole’s hat. When designing the clothing-clothing in DAO, the artists were trying to get the most variation for clothing out of assembling pieces. For the sake of variation they allowed pieces to go together that really shouldn’t go together. This allowed for a larger number of clothing options to be made out of a smaller number of clothing models/textures.
In Neverwinter Nights they added a “jiggle mesh” to the engine, it was used in only one place (Aribeth’s cleavage).
Writers are the first ones that jump onto a project, so when last touches and polish is being added to a game they’re often not aware of it. Once the writing is more or less locked down for a game, they start working on the next project. On every project at some point they had to have what they called the “profanity meeting”, where they decide what types of profanity exist in that world, what level of profanity they’re accepting, establishing the standard on this front, etc. This leads to fun meetings where they go through every profanity that they know and try to create new ones. “Maker’s breath!” and “Void take you!” are some of these kinds of things. They needed exclamations akin to “Goddamnit” but which made sense in this fantasy setting (“Goddamnit” implies the context of God, and the concept of damning, for example, so it doesn’t hold up) and weren’t just word substitution like “frack” instead of fuck or something.
The Grey Wardens gained their trademark blue and silver uniformed look for DA2. When the new art director Matt Goldman came on before DA2, he wanted to re-approach a number of things such as the darkspawn (mentioned in previous parts) and the Wardens. He wanted factions like the Wardens to be more uniform and easily identifiable at a distance by silhouettes and colors. He wanted factions to be more visually distinct and to introduce more color in general, as DAO was very brown and muddy. This was something of a standing mission of his when he came onto the project. He disliked the idea that there wasn’t anything unifying or distinct or ‘easily identifiable as a DAO screenshot’ about DAO screenshots, other than that brown muddiness.
Deciding how to design the Lady of the Forest was a long conversation due to the potential nsfw elements. It was a long haul to get her to look a certain way.
The thing DG found easiest/least painful to write was probably Zevran’s dialogue. He felt less pressure about it and had a bit more fun with it. Zevran has a certain story about trust that DG found pleasurable to build on; Zevran had grown up with a certain expectation of deceit and trauma, and when confronted with earnest feelings, that was the more puzzling part for [Zevran] to process. “When you expect everyone around you to deceive you, you’re kinda like, okay, this is life. But then to figure out, ‘oh, I guess it doesn’t need to be that way’, well how do you even... not?” DG remembers straight male players complaining on the forum after accepting Zevran’s massage tent-invite and not clocking that that was an invite of a certain nature. Overall Zevran was a more relaxed piece of writing for him. Shale came later but writing Shale was also a lot of fun. Like HK-47, “you can string together a few quirks that you find amusing and people will still treat that like a character and love it”.
In DA2 there was an entire subplot centered around the Carta and Varric. It spanned all three Acts. Mary Kirby had written it to completion and it was good. DG had to tell her it was among the cuts they needed to do because it was written a bit later relative to other stuff and because cutting it offered the most return according to the schedule and resources/subsequent downstream work. In cases like these they sometimes take the cut plotbeats and put it in a ‘box’, in the hopes that they may be able to use it for DLC or something later on. In practise this doesn’t happen very often at all. On DAO it did happen once with Shale. Shale was cut from DAO and had to be moved to become Day 1 DLC. Work on Shale therefore took place after most of the game had been finished. If they hadn’t done this, she would have been cut completely. It also sort of happened on DAO with Loghain. It originally had a whole plotline in Denerim involving him which had the player figuring out his background, motivations and interacting more with Anora. All of that got cut (requiring the cutscenes mentioned at the start of this post being added), and this is where the idea came of writing a novel (The Stolen Throne). This occurred in the period when the game had been delayed and DG particularly regretted that particular cut. He thought, “I could take this story that you were going to learn about the history of Loghain and his relationship with Cailan, and rescue it in a way.” [source]
[Part 1]
[Part 2]
[Part 3]
[Part 5]
[Part 6]
[‘Insights into DA dev from the Gamers For Groceries stream’ transcript]
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fic writer interview
Tagged by @skogrr Thank you very much! It's a while since I've done one of these, and I've missed them.
Name: Tru/"Oi you"
Fandoms (that I write for): Dragon Age, mostly. Still the fandom of my heart. Mass Effect, Deus Ex... uh, accidentally GreedFall? I don't know how or when that happened.
Two-shot: Hmm... The actual last two-shot I wrote was Terms & Conditions, a very silly Dorian/Inquisitor modern AU where Gal is the guy Dorian hires to stop his late father's house falling apart. Recently? I suspect that's going to be Driftwood, which can stand on its own as a sort of weird post-canon first-meeting AU, but is trying to tempt me to continue it. (Vasco ends up going looking for Tír Fradí, which has disappeared - and finds it. He also finds De Sardet as a highly avoidant tree god of the island, post-Bad Ending, who transformed against her will. And he ends up falling in love with her anyway.) Weird tree gods! Pining by literal pine! An eventual happy ending! More grumpy commentary by Vasco!
Most popular multi-chapter: Either An Unquenchable Flame or Distraction, probably - both juggernaut pairings, the former close to the game's release and the latter with some fancy forbidden romance, so not so surprising. But surprisingly, Prague, 10:42 PM has done really well, considering it's for a small fandom (Deus Ex) and a rarepair age/rank-difference pairing that I thought would be a one-off experiment? I get it, guys. I like sad repressed stoics too.
Actual worst part of writing: Editing - which can be fun, but that "over and over" stage when you're about to post, especially in a longfic if you fear you've lost the spirit of the thing and the character voices and you can't see the wood for the trees. And when I have to remove a whole scene which Jenga-unbalances the fic, and then I have to redux from the top. Basically, most things to do with pacing.
How you choose your titles: I like double-meanings and one word titles. If that fails: quote from a song. If that fails: quote from poetry, but very rarely.
Do you outline: Only a little. A bulletpointed list of events or noted-down major lines of dialogue, that's usually it.
Ideas I probably won’t get around to but wouldn’t it be nice: Uh... oh god. I blame so many people for some of these.
Post-Destroy ending where John is attempting to build a shed on Rannoch because that's the kind of thing retired people do, right? and Tali is far better at it than him, and it's just... disgusting fluff.
Actually, just reduxing the early John/Tali stuff with a bit more nuance and a stronger style.
Eva and Kaidan, and their mutually wary first meeting. ("Wow, that's a lot of pomade." "Wow, that's a lot of death-glare.")
AU where Gal and Dorian never met in DAI, and after everything went down, Gal tried to fade into the shadows and leave. He ended up working in Tevinter as an occasional informant/odd-jobs guy the way he was pre-Inquisition. He ends up being a gardener for a bitter, wry magister who seems to hate the entire Magisterium, has recently lost his father to political scheming and murder, and wants to take down the entirety of the remaining Venatori with one staff and maybe his teeth if he has to (hi, Dorian). But first, Dorian's going to drink his own body weight in whiskey and be a recluse for a while and start thinking about time magic again. Gal is trying to keep his head down and should definitely not be falling in love with said magister. Who's someday going to end up at one of the more southerly ports, come across a statue of the great Inquisitor, and go, Oh.
Stuff on Jensen's PT and rebuilding himself post-augs. More of Proprioception, basically.
Mer-AU where Marie De Sardet is still a diplomat attempting to make new connections, just not a human one, and it's a disaster. An awkward disaster. Highlights include her being framed as the beast trying to drown their best captain; her attempting to wobble about on brand-new legs and Vasco's coat while everyone assumes the dear captain has had a few too many; her asking Vasco if his "fascinating markings" glow; them getting into a duel, and her (fondly) getting punted off the side of the ship going "Woo-hoo." OK, I wrote a bit of that, but only a 1k doodle I'll probably never return to.
Non-Naut court AU where Marie gets promised to Bastien D'Arcy, because he's a bit of a layabout but he's also rich, popular at court, and amenable to bribe - [cough] suggestion, and the D'Arcys have prominent trading links with the Alliance. Instead she falls for his far less of a social butterfly, tired, worried-numbers-guy brother Léandre, who's pretty damn uncomfortable around Nauts because he's well aware he nearly got sold to them and he is not the favourite.
Straight-up role-reversal AU (another thing where I've put down 1k that I'll probably never return to), where Marie's Naut name is Paz, and she's a fed-up second-mate who's tired of noble idiots and feels a little strange and conflicted about her mark (and has context for it, because they make frequent crossings to Tír Fradí). Also a little more jaded, without the love of her mother, and not nearly as much of a tryhard as Vasco in canon; she ended up here because she had nowhere else to go and the Nauts were like "Ooh, free kid," and she's well aware. She gets stuck escorting the D'Arcy brothers to Tír Fradí for their new venture and is not looking forward to it. Except one of them is intensely bright and wry and keeps asking questions about the ship and noticing shit he is definitely not meant to notice, and they keep ending up in strange conversations, even if he seems really, really wary and uncomfortable about Nauts.
Some vague stuff about Vasco's thoughts on Jonas and that whole side quest, considering he's also a sea-given and implies sea-given take some shit in the Nauts, and also how damn difficult it must be watching a sea-given's parents endeavour to get their kid back when he knows full well his didn't do that for him.
Actually, just more Vasco POV in general, even though he's damn hard to nail down. I've written much pining for him from Marie's perspective, and I'd like to try things from the opposite. This guy's idea of wooing someone perfectly normally is to panic and then recite Baroque poetry. You know he's sappy as hell in the privacy of his own head, even if he's trying not to be.
Jean and Síora having the "I'm a sad healer who just lost my mother and I'm trying so hard not to crumble under the weight of assisting the leader" mutual talk way too late at night around the campfire and maybe him crying on her shoulder a little, with mutual kindness and the beginnings of attraction, and her finally getting past his jokey-smug facade to understand him.
More stuff about Jean's past in general, and how he wanted to be a doctor before he was dragged away from it by looking after Constantin and being nobility.
Síora and Eseld and the ways they changed over the years; something like an exploration of grief and growing her own will and the ways they very differently view the renaigse. Also maybe more about the en ol menawi magic, if I can worldbuild well enough?
I'd also love to do a GreedFall soulmark AU - it's generally not my kind of trope, I'm not into biological determinism type tropes - just because names and aliases and assumed identities are such a mess in GreedFall and it's a repeated plot point. That said, I feel like it's been done so beautifully in this fandom before that I wouldn't have much to add.
Callouts @ me: So. Many. Commas. So much over-explaining everything. If they get out of the car, your readers do not need a five-page manual of "and then he undid his seatbelt and leaned over to grasp the door handle, and then pulled it, and then stepped a foot out before he almost thought better of it - but no, he was going to get out of this car. The other foot joined the first, and he nearly banged his head on the doorframe."
Best writing traits: People say I have a head for finding small-but-important moments. I'm also told I write likeable protags. People have more than once said my writing makes them feel safe or makes them smile, and I really couldn't ask for more than that. I'll take those.
Spicy tangential opinion: I don't think I have any, really? Oh god, that makes me sound so very boring. Oh! Um. There should be more tree body horror in fandom. And body horror in general. *thumbsup*
No pressure tagging: @artemis-crimson, @eridanidreams,@rainypixel, @aphreal42.
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Team 8 Harry Potter Wands
Including Kiba, Hinata, Shino and Kurenai. This took a lot of work so enjoy 💚
Kiba Inuzuka
Sycamore wood with a dragon heartstring core, 13” and an unbending flexibility.
I will admit I was not particularly inclined to the notion of Kiba having a sycamore wand. After my good friend Regina suggested it, the idea gradually grew on me.
My original thought was redwood, as Kiba could be described as impulsive and hot blooded, but perhaps it would better to match him based on some more of his positive traits as well.
As J.K put it, “Sycamore makes for a questing wand, eager for new experience”. Kiba is always on the go, in my opinion the most adventurous of the Konoha 12.
This wand is great at adapting to and learning new spells. Kiba enjoys this particular trait as the more spells he learns, the better chances he has at beating Naruto.
It takes much determination and strength to control this wand. It is easily won away if it becomes bored, more so since the core is dragon heartstring.
Thankfully Kiba is the type who can provide all the fun, adventure and determination needed to keep his wand loyal.
The wand has incredible potential when properly synced with Kiba, though it may take some time and practice to get there.
Kiba’s wand looks like a stick.
His wand is quite resilient, literally. It’s survived quite a few beatings, and Kiba isn’t known for be careful or cautious in general.
The wand probably has a few bite marks on it. Whether from Kiba, Akamaru or both, his team doesn’t really know.
For Kiba’s wand length and flexibility, I chose them to be the same as Naruto’s, to demonstrate their similarities.
Both are determined and bring an undeniable (and loud) presence with them.
Hinata Hyūga
Larch wood with a unicorn hair core, 10½” and a supple flexibility.
Larch is a good fit for Hinata, as the wand acts as a support system for her and she has qualities that a larch wand would seek.
This wand helps Hinata grow as a person, helping her gain more confidence in herself.
Hinata has shown unexpected strength and courage hidden within her.
Unicorn hair fits well considering her naive and innocent personality.
On a more technical level, unicorn hair produces the most consistent magic, which fits well considering the Hyūga as a whole have amazing chakra control.
A paring of larch and unicorn hair makes for a truly loyal wand.
Her wand length indicates her reserved and nervous nature.
A supple flexibility shows she is more easily influenced by those around her, often a people pleaser and more willing to compromise.
This does not mean she will compromise her beliefs for the sake of pleasing others. She may bend, but will not break.
Hinata’s wand is refined and elegant, befitting of one from the main branch of the Hyūga.
Yet it still retains a look of humbleness to it that is hard to describe.
Overall, she truly grows and discovers her true potential with this wand.
Shino Aburame
Acacia wood with a phoenix feather core, 10” and an unyielding flexibility
This is a peculiar wand for a peculiar wizard, and Shino Aburame is just that.
Shino was somewhat difficult to place, however acacia fit well, as it is a picky wood demanding an owner of sufficient subtlety.
Like his wand, Shino is sensitive of his surroundings, yet able to remain detached from them.
Aware of his shortcomings and strengths, Shino and this wand have become so in tune with each other it could be considered a symbiotic relationship.
This wand is the most sentient of the Konoha 12’s wands.
I almost chose dragon heartstring, but felt that ultimately phoenix feather would be a better match.
Phoenix feather is the most personalized of the three cores, and that fits well with him being in tune with his wand.
A length of 10” indicates his more closed off nature, as well as to emphasize that this wand produces subtle magic.
An unyielding flexibility is suitable, as Shino is objective, logical and more by the book. He sticks by who he is and often holds grudges he does not easily forget.
Shino keeps his wand hidden up his sleeve. It gives him in an advantage in duels, surprising opponents, and in some cases helping with quick draws.
Shino will talk to his wand. The others understandably find this odd.
His wand looks as though a termite has been nibbling at it.
Kurenai Yūhi
Pear wood with a unicorn hair core, 12¾” and a quite flexible flexibility.
A kind woman with a nurturing nature, pear seeks a ‘warm-hearted’ and ‘generous’ individual.
Adaptable, and able to overcome what has been thrown at her, she is resilient and tough without sacrificing her kindness.
She also has a clear morality, something which pear also seeks.
I chose unicorn hair for Kurenai, which may not produce the most powerful magic, but the most consistent.
Unfortunately, I think that unicorn hair might be a regular occurrence among the women of Naruto. I’m sorry Kishi doesn’t know how to make good (female) characters with much depth** :(
Which means I don’t have a lot to work with here.
Her wand length may show an ambiverted nature with a lean towards extroversion.
A length of 12¾” can also indicate someone more well rounded.
Able to reach into the minds of others and adapt accordingly, quite flexible was suitable choice.
Kurenai is famed for her abilities in both occlumency and legilimency, and rightly so. She has honed and her skills and is an expert, especially in ligilimency.
Kurenai’s wand has dignity and elegance in its design. It is embellished with stones that change colour depending on who’s looking at them.
Like Kurenai, this wand still looks, and is strong strong despite everything they’ve endured.
Aaaaaarrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhh. This was so painful. It was constantly on my mind. I’m just really good at procrastinating. But I’m gonna do it again. And I will continue the series, because I love writing this. But I hate getting my mind to form sentences.
Big thank you to @hatake-no-sharingan . I would die without her. Such a bright light. She actually chose Shino’s wand wood.
And also @cloverywands because as I read more of their stuff, I really, really appreciate how much time and effort went into it. So thank you for your incredible resources.
**In all fairness, Kishi did have to write and draw a chapter each week, putting a lot of effort into his work with such a short timeframe. So it was a little harsh to judge him without knowing everything. So of course Naruto is rushed.
#naruto#naruto headcanons#naruto au#headcanons#harry potter#harry potter wand#team 8#kiba#kiba inuzuka#hinata#hinata hyuga#shino#shino aburame#kurenai#kurenai yuhi
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The Goonies: Genre and Themes
As with every film, The Goonies is a hodgepodge of elements borrowed from different genres: a series of intertwined different sets of expectations that the audience is to expect payoff on.
Usually, a movie gains an audience by appealing to fans of its genre, or genres, since, as I mentioned, most films contain more than one. Typically, by appealing to these fans with a combination of appropriate star power, the name of a good director, and a use of genre brings in an audience, who is familiar with these elements, knows what to expect, and wants to see more of it. Genre is best used as a series of audience expectations that a filmmaker has to fulfill, rather than a series of tropes that have to be checked off in interesting ways to make a good action film, or western, or horror.
The reason for this is simple: one, if you want an audience, don’t confuse them, don’t bore them, and don’t disappoint them, and that means meeting their expectations, or subtly adjusting them along the way.
So…what were the expectations for The Goonies?
At first, it might seem easiest to say that it’s an adventure film.
Which, it is.
The story for The Goonies follows a group of kids avoiding dangerous criminals while searching for buried treasure, encountering booby traps, raging waterfalls, and skeletons galore. It very much strikes in atmosphere and surroundings an Indiana Jones-style feeling of adventure, bringing to mind the opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark. However, while the Indiana Jones films, while possessing a slight comedic slant in several scenes, including action ones, the stakes in those films are typically much higher than the Goondocks, and as a result, it overall takes itself more seriously.
The Goonies is not a film spent with the audience at the edge of their seat, biting their nails in terror that one of the kids is going to be killed, or even seriously hurt. At no point does the audience believe that Chunk’s hand is actually going to be subjected to the blender, nor do they think that Data’s fall will kill him, or that the floor collapsing from under Mouth is going to lead to his untimely, unceremonious demise. The stakes are there, certainly, and the characters clearly believe they are in danger (rightfully), but the audience never has a heart-in-throat moment of: this is it for them.
Which is odd, because our villains are armed with guns, and the floor does collapse, and our heroes are in danger. They believe it, to the point where Brand pulls Mikey out of the cave, away from the loot, because their lives are more important than the treasure. The group bursts into hysterics when they think Data has fallen to his death, and Brand and Mouth don’t exactly handle seeing a skeleton, a reminder of their own mortality, trapped under one of One-Eyed Willy’s booby traps. Characters are held at gunpoint, swordpoint, are pushed off of planks, and are nearly crushed by falling rocks, and while, for the sake of the story, they are terrified for their own lives, the audience never really feels the danger.
We feel the danger for their sakes, certainly, but in the end, the audience is actually more concerned with whether or not Mikey and Co. are going to get the treasure to save the Goondocks than whether or not they’ll survive, because we know that already. We know, based on the tone and style of the film, that they have to make it, and be alright in the end. The stakes of the goal are high to the characters and the audience: the money for the Goondocks, but the stakes for the story aren’t quite as severe, seemingly.
Part of that is due to, like I said, the tone, which I’ll get to in a minute. But the other portion to assisting the audience’s suspension of disbelief has to do with the themes of the film.
See, themes aren’t only for in-depth films that contemplate the meaning of life. Themes are present in every film we watch, whether it’s a theme of anti-authoritarianism (Escape from New York, They Live), success through perseverance (Rocky), or as simple as love (Casablanca) or good vs. evil (Star Wars). Even if it’s not intentional, every movie carries with it the inherited worldview of its creators and what matters to them, especially as it concerns this particular story. The same is true for The Goonies.
At the center of The Goonies is, of course, a basic struggle of good vs. evil, albeit in far less ‘epic’ terms: a group of kids trying to save their homes versus murderous criminals, and worse, businessmen trying to uproot their homes and separate them, leading to the real major theme of the movie: friendship.
The Goonies don’t want to leave Astoria because they’re so terribly fond of their own driveways. It’s because they’re fond of each other. As much as they squabble and tease each other and argue, they are friends, and they don’t want to be separated. In fact, their friendship and love for their home is so strong that, even when their lives are endangered, they stick together, even where there are opportunities to turn back.
But as important as the friendship between the Goonies is, it’s not the only friendship in the film that’s key to the story.
Chunk’s bonding with Sloth not only saves their lives, but also provides a happy ending for Sloth, too. By the end of the film, Sloth is practically a Goonie himself, and the rest of the group embraces him without a second thought. The group functions almost like a large family: they don’t always get along, (in fact, they often don’t) but in the end, what matters is that they care about each other, enough to face some pretty intense stuff.
Which is another good point.
While friendship and good vs. evil factor easily into a good adventure movie, what’s interesting to note is that while Indiana Jones or any other average adventure hero has to go with it: tons of courage, and usually some competency to go along. The Goonies unfortunately only have the former, which makes sense. The average age of the lot of them is thirteen.
Bravery isn’t exactly uncommon to see in adventure films: nobody wants to watch a cowardly hero in a straight adventure film. But for the average hero, they have skills that help along the way, strength, speed, wits, intelligence, a specialized set of abilities. The Goonies, on the other hand?
They’re kids. The oldest among them are still high-schoolers. Their skills are limited: Data’s inventions, Mikey’s leadership and optimism, Mouth’s ability to translate Spanish, and Chunk’s timing all come in handy throughout the film, but it never changes the fact that they’re kids against three adults who won’t think twice about killing children. This changes their ‘courage’ somewhat into either some insane levels of idealism, or determination at the cost (sometimes) of common sense. Mikey has to be convinced to escape from the collapsing cave instead of going back to get the treasure.
So what does that tell us?
It tells us that their goal means something to them, that they care immensely about it, and that it’s worth the danger. Are they scared? Of course. But in that friendship, in that goal to defeat the evil of the Fratellis and the rich families about to bulldoze their houses, they find the courage to keep moving, to reach that goal.
In the end, the Goonies never beat the Fratellis. They get away, sure, but it’s Sloth and the police who have far more to do with the actual ‘defeat of’ the main villains of the film. After the Goonies escape, the prize of the movie seems to be their lives, with the Fratellis being left behind with the treasure. You could argue this means that the Goonies aren’t very brave, seeing as they never had a final ‘battle’, or climax with the Fratellis, but it’s important to remember that the Fratellis aren’t really the antagonist of the Goonies. They’re antagonists, for sure, but they aren’t the person who is causing the problem in the first place, kicking off the adventure. That would be Mr. Perkins, the guy trying to get them out of the Goondocks. As a result, while the Fratellis are apprehended by third-party law enforcement, the Goonies get to ‘defeat’ Mr. Perkins themselves, by having enough money to save their homes.
Is it ‘final battle’ level of epic climax? No. But again, they’re thirteen years old, and with that in mind, then staying one step ahead of hardened criminals, escaping, and saving their home anyway (all against adults more competent and powerful than they are) is plenty brave enough for me.
Both villains in this story have one thing in common: Greed. Greed has always been a pretty common theme in stories, and that extends to moviemaking too: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Wall Street, and Citizen Kane are films held in high regard that revolve around greed, and what it does to people. Other films like It’s a Wonderful Life take an even firmer, more obvious stance, pitting its protagonist against a cruel, greedy antagonist with no redeeming qualities. In short, we as audience members have a pretty good idea of what greediness looks like, and we know that we don’t like it. The Fratellis and Mr. Perkins are entirely motivated by money: Mr. Perkins can only think of the benefits to himself for tearing down the Goondocks, whereas the Fratellis, counterfeiters and thieves, are simply after the treasure for their own personal gain.
Now, of course, the Goonies are after it too, but you’ll notice something very important here.
Sure, the Goonies want the treasure. That’s the whole point. But the thing that prevents this from being an act of greed is obvious: ‘intent’. Mikey’s protests about wanting to go back and get the loot is not because Mikey was struck by sudden gold-fever or Dragon Sickness, it’s because he wants, more than anything, to save their home. It’s what they all want, in fact. They’re doing this for a good cause: for each other, not just themselves, to meet a need. None of the kids ever mention getting rich from this. They all have the same goal, and there are never any of the typical fights about how the treasure gets split, or what they’ll do with their share.
These themes all overlap very neatly into the film itself, though it seems a little odd to cut them up and lay them out like this, but there is one thing that ties it all together, albeit, probably without meaning to. I’ve mentioned the ages of the kids a few times: ranging from about thirteen to around sixteen or seventeen. There have been plenty of movies about kids, for kids, and about kids for adults, but The Goonies manages to straddle a line and become a movie about kids, for everyone.
Youth is a huge part of this movie. Adults do not find treasure maps and decide to go on an adventure in order to save their homes because the insane, idealistic, wide-eyed streak has already been burned out of them by life. They already know the rules of the world, and know that that’s not how that works. As such, the fact is, there’s no ‘Goonie’ storyline if the characters aren’t children. Kids are infinitely more emotionally attached to their homes at that age, and will do anything to stay together. Kids haven’t been told yet by the world that their hopes and dreams are unrealistic. They still believe they can do great things, like save the Goondocks.
Even throughout the rest of the film, you can’t replace these characters with adults. They cry, they scream, they panic, they fight and argue with each other, and they all remain friends, unquestionably, and the adventure molds around them, allowing them to continue to be children as the story progresses. The danger is real, but it never feels too big for them, or too small for everyone else.
So, what does that mean for genre?
None of this detracts from the fact that The Goonies is very much an adventure film. Early on, the expectations are set up for the audience: the opening car chase and the discovery of the map in Mikey’s attic immediately set up the idea that there is going to be an exciting, dangerous story ahead, full of unexpected, unusual circumstances. That’s exactly what we get.
While the audience may never feel outright danger for the characters’ lives, like I said, they do worry for the Goonies’ end goal, and there is certainly plenty of excitement along the way. That is, in fact, the emotion most felt by the audience throughout the film. The movie is a roller-coaster full of superficial danger without any real stakes, and plenty of heart-in-throat moments. The trek through the tunnels, Chunk’s run-ins with the Fratellis, meeting Sloth, finding the pirate ship: are all dips and climbs throughout the amusement park ride that is The Goonies. The audience is constantly on the edge of their seat, and almost every story beat is active payoff of that adventurous expectation.
But there’s more to this movie than just the thrills.
Part of the difficulty of developing an adventure film for kids is that you either have to put children in danger, or you run the risk of feeling too safe. Kid adventure movies of the ‘80s like E.T. the Extra Terrestrial utilized an even balance, but as I mentioned, there’s no real fear for the Goonies’ lives. This is for a rather specific reason:
The Goonies went for the laughs with the thrills.
Data falling through the cave floor? Terrifying. Data falling through the cave floor and being saved by his invention while the rest of the Goonies go into hysterics? Hilarious.
The Goonies going after the treasure? Exciting.
The Goonies letting the air out of Brand’s tires so he has to steal a little kid’s bicycle to go after them? A comedy highlight.
The Goonies being cornered by the Fratellis and forced to give up the treasure? Legitimately upsetting in the moment.
Mama Fratelli forcing Mouth to spit out the gobs of gold and pearls that he’s stashed in his mouth? Genuinely funny.
The movie is constantly playing that balance. No exciting moment is without it’s humorous side. The kids are in danger, but they’re also always reacting in humorous ways, like Mikey making a half-hearted joke when Andy’s trying to play the bone organ while the floor collapses. A lot of what people remember about this movie are the laughs, with good reason: there’s a ton of them.
The Goonies has no shortage of funny moments and humorous lines, again, some of the most quoted lines of the film happen to be the ones that made people laugh. But as I’ve said before: there’s a lot more to being a comedy than just being funny.
Comedy is a very broad umbrella, one of the genres most easily mixed with others to create a blend: such as, what would seem to be a comedy-adventure story. Comedies typically rely on either absurd, exaggerated, or humorous characters, or an absurd, exaggerated, humorous plot, such as in films like Coming to America or Ghostbusters.
So, how does The Goonies fit? The plot is exaggerated, for sure, but not exactly in an inherently humorous way.
There’s a very easy way to tell exactly what genre it is, between adventure and comedy, and I’ll show you right now:
Typically, a really good way to tell a film’s genre is to take a good look at the characters, especially the main protagonist, and the story beats. These elements best illustrate exactly what kind of story you have, and in the case of The Goonies, it’s fairly easy.
Like I said, the story for The Goonies is clearly exaggerated beyond the realm of belief. Kids don’t find treasure maps in their attics that lead them to pirate ships. However, the story isn’t played as ‘funny’, nearly ever. The skeletons and booby traps are played completely straight, with very little to laugh at. Indeed, in another movie, these booby traps may have actually hurt or killed a character.
In The Goonies however, while the plotline is a very straightforward ‘kids Indiana Jones’ adventure story, the characters are considerably more…colorful.
And funny.
Mikey’s mispronunciations and his bickering brother relationship with Brand, Andy’s hysteria, Data’s plucky mildly ‘nutty professor’ vibe, Chunk’s over-the-top reaction to his misadventures, Mouth’s…mouth, and Stef’s complete and total irritation with everyone around her lead to some hilarious interactions, and some genuinely funny characters in their own right. Everyone is quirky, and not just to give them more character, it’s also to get them to be funnier. They aren’t alone in this, either.
The Fratellis, although still remaining chief antagonists, are not without their own comedic slants as well. Their own bickering amongst themselves and the over-the-top levels of abuse that get doled out equally manage to keep them intimidating for the kids, but funny for the audience, enough that there’s never a point where they reach true ‘villain’ status.
With that combination in mind, the film actually manages to hit the comedy-adventure balance pretty evenly. The situation remains threatening, but the thing that actually prevents the audience from worrying are the characters themselves and how they are portrayed: as indestructible characters in a cartoon. They’re likeable enough to keep the audience invested, but humorous enough to keep the audience from fearing for them. It’s the ideal combination, and it works, with just a dash of something more:
Heart.
The Goonies is remembered for its humor and its adventure, but it’s also remembered for its heart. Brand hugging Mikey as they briefly connect over the fear and sadness of losing their home, Mikey’s inspiring speeches, ‘Goonies Never Say Die!’, Mouth’s passionate outburst about his dream, his wish, Sloth’s friendship with Chunk, even the ending, with Brand and Mikey’s dad proudly proclaiming that there will be no signing, with the kids watching the pirate ship sail into the sunset…it fills the audience with at least a little bit of warmth.
In the end, we care about the Goonies because the movie makes us care about them. They make us like them, and so we feel for their adventures. There’s a real, legitimate sense of family throughout it, down to the aggressive fighting to the make-up hugs that follow.
The Goonies is often considered a ‘family’ movie, something that may surprise viewers after hearing some of the language used by the kids, the corpses, and the fact that the kids are in legitimate danger at times, but in a way, it’s not very surprising that this is considered a family film.
The tempering of the action with the comedy certainly helps, but the real kicker to make sure that it’s considered a ‘family’ film is its focus: family. Friendship. The people you care about. Banding together against all odds.
Yes, the plot appeals to kids, and so do the characters, for obvious reasons: the characters are kids, with child-like goals. Adults typically don’t react so strongly to learning that they have to move, at least, not to the point of going treasure-hunting to prevent it. However, while kids can grasp what the Goonies are about, adults can too.
Adults remember what it’s like to be kids, to have those hopes and fears and dreams, and can get into it just as well. Family movies aren’t movies for kids, necessarily, but they are movies for families, that can be enjoyed by everyone, because everyone can relate to the story and characters. This means that family movies tend to be pretty basic, uncomplicated, full of what could be derogatorily called ‘false excitement’, with characters that are fairly static and simple, but with gripping emotional themes that everyone can get behind.
In the case of The Goonies?
It fits the bill every step of the way.
In the end, The Goonies is an adventure film, one that promises it’s audience excitement and pays off every minute, and a comedy film that promises laughs, and again, delivers, and in being both of those things, it’s also a family film, with both of those things, and lots of heart to go with it, to offer in spades to an entire family.
The result?
The Goonies is an exciting, charming, funny adventure film about kids who are charming, funny, and adventurous, leading to a perfect, consistent tonal blend that manages to stay with the movie from start to finish, creating a roller coaster, amusement-park ride of a film that has been loved, with good reason, by people of all ages since it was first released, entertaining families passing it down through generations for over thirty years, and will continue to entertain families for years to come, as long as kids continue to be kids, and adults can remember what being a kid is like.
Don’t forget to leave a comment, like, or some other form of love if you enjoyed this analysis, and please, follow for more articles like this! Thanks so much for reading, and I hope to see you in the next article.
#80s#1985#Film#Movies#The Goonies#The Goonies 1985#Adventure#Comedy#Family#PG#Sean Astin#Josh Brolin#Jeff Cohen#Corey Feldman#Kerri Green#Martha Plimpton#Ke Huy Quan#Richard Donner
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