#but this segment of the game I felt so betrayed

[fearowkenya]

Winds of Change

Chapter 5: Something in the Air

Shuuji knows something is amiss when he catches Syakomon let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief. He’s lucky that the viscous surface of Syakomon’s slimy green body betrays her—the quiver of the otherwise silent exhale sends a faint, wobbly shockwave across her skin, and she jiggles ever so slightly in her shell, as though somebody’s just set down a cautious bowl of lime-flavored jello.

Supposedly, the worst is over, but Shuuji can't shake the feeling that there's something the Kemonogami aren't telling him.

ao3 link in source , extended end-of-chapter author's notes under the cut!

oh BOY the editing situation was a doozy. granted, i was also busy with work, but even then this chapter needed a TON of reworking, much much more than chapter 4 did. like i said on ao3, it got to the point where this chapter was so long that i had to split it in two.

i also mentioned that this chapter marks the beginning of the second half of this fic. chapters 1-4 make up part one, which i'd summarize as "how did we get here?", and then from 5-8, the focus will be "what happens next?". it helped a LOT to recontextualize chapters 5-7 (now 5-8) as an answer to chapters 1-4, and i think it'll make editing easier going forward; i have much more direction now and a better idea of what needs to be expanded on and what needs to be cut.

unfortunately, like i said, i had to omit a lot of saki-centric stuff. she is the scariest character for me to write, and i think i need to progress more thru my replay of truthful before i feel confident enough to write from her perspective. it works out anyway, because the part i cut had shuuji taking a very passive role and just observing interactions between saki and floramon, and it felt very drawn-out and unnecessary. this is my favorite cut segment tho

im really hoping to be able to figure out what an aoi-miu-saki dynamic looks like as i get more comfortable writing the three of them. i think it could be really fun. also i think it would be so funny if miu and saki bring out a mischievous side of aoi that would otherwise not exist. much to think about.

anyway. another challenge i had with editing this chapter was the topography of the beach area the group hangs out at before moving on to the shopping district and apartment complex. for some reason i was convinced the rocky beach area was like.. up on a cliffside? but then i looked at the map and got REAL confused. the beach is super super narrow, and that was really inconvenient when i needed shuuji to be somewhere relatively out of the way, where he could have a conversation with agumon that takuma cannot hear, while still being able to see takuma. so thats why i spent an hour and change squinting at the tiniest png of the map and reorganizing where people spend their time

if my handwriting is illegible (from left to right) (oh my god now that ive added the image to the post its a nightmare. idk why im even posting it. lord. im not sure opening it in a new tab will help) factory residential area shopping district woods near shopping district minoru up here group rests here waterway exit from shaft here instead; rest of waterway rock w/ supplies hill down from the waterway shuuji rests here pt 6 argument happens here aoi & ryo here in ch4 (this is where they were keeping watch) miyuki here

i didnt make many changes; mostly i just moved people around. the one thing that i DID change though was the placement of the waterway entrance. i have NO IDEA why the game has it in the middle of the fucking ocean. like i know theres a tunnel there, but surely the entrance to that tunnel isn't underwater right? i then poured another hour and change learning about waterways, trying to figure out where it made the most sense to put the exit before remembering that it doesn't matter because the digital world doesn't play by human world rules. oops! it was still super interesting though! please look up 'tokyo g-cans' if you ever get the chance, its fucking fascinating. if i ever go back to japan id like to go down there, maybe.

obligatory commentary about the map:

oh my god it seems too big for what we actually see but im not a cartographer so i dont know for sure

the shopping district/apartment complex is visible from the beach but i feel like it shouldn't be: on the map it looks like it's on a cliff face while from the beach it looks like it's shore level

i've been reading half the green patches as dense tree cover but now that i think about it, that might just be open grassland. oops. it's all trees now.

i wish we could go to the sandy beach areas to the north and east ends of the island!!! that could've been fun!

i really appreciate that the second island is shaped vaguely like a beluga

in other news, agumon was much easier to write than i was worried he would be, and it was nice to work out how he felt about what happened in the waterway. one thing ive noticed about agumon on a second truthful run is that he and takuma are equally awful about pushing down their own feelings for the sake of the ones of their friends. a lot of the others seem to view agumon as the guy who is always Staying Silly , no thoughts head empty. while i DO think that that's a genuine part of his personality, i think it also happens sometimes that he uses that image to downplay his concerns.

my favorite part to write this chapter was labramon's dialogue at the end. and also baby stats. baby stats was the ONE THING i REFUSED to cut. non-negotiable. it's been in my notes since the beginning and digimon survived all edits of this chapter, and i was DETERMINED to keep it.

all right im getting sleepy and i want to post this chapter and then go to bed. as usual please dont be afraid to leave a comment, i looooove finding out people's favorite parts, and im still curious about your Gamer Theories, especially now that i think what i'm foreshadowing is becoming clearer and clearer >:3c

couldn't tell you for sure when ch6 will be out. ideally it won't involve as much editing as ch5, but it's hard to say. thank you for reading, and i'll be back as soon as i can!

#digimon survive #shuuji kayama #kayama shuuji #ryo tominaga #tominaga ryo #agumon #aoi shibuya #shibuya aoi #im so sorry @ ppl who are in the aoi shibuya tag for the other aoi shibuya (the one who is not a digimon character) #labramon #miu shinonome #shinonome miu #syakomon #floramon #digimon

[perfectharmonyloveschaos]

Bro I came from your ao3 and finally I found someone who is also hyperfixating on ragnarok!!! The impact of the “what do I call you” line, the recurring theme of “remember our promise” and nature vs form, the hype when Kratos blows gjallarhorn, the way Odin was so good at manipulation I almost started believing him, the music, the way thor got merked the second he decided to change for the better, the last look that Atreus gives Kratos at the very end before leaving, the CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT MY GOD. And the way Kratos and Atreus are represented by a bear and a wolf respectively and those are the animals Atreus turns into.

My only issue is that Atreus wasn’t at Brok funeral cause that dude loved the dwarves so I rlly feel like he should’ve been there. And that it’s not rlly explained where odin’s rift came from, unless I missed something in the game.

Do you think Atreus and Kratos will reunite in the next game? Do you think there’ll even be a next game?

Sorry for sending you this giant block of text, no one I know enjoys the game like I do :’)

Nooo I am so sorry I'm replying to this amazing ask so late!! I'm awful when it comes to looking at things and then getting distracted and completely forgetting about messages once the notification is gone 😫 Also, never apologise for a "giant block of text" I LOVE these and send them ALL the time, it just means more to reply to and more of your thoughts I get to hear!

My entire thought process about the ending is that while some parts of it felt very rushed, it made sense for what they needed to do. Atreus needed to be sent off, that was the entire point of the ending and the whole story up to that point; Kratos letting Atreus go. How they handled Kratos and Atreus' relationship throughout the game was everything I wanted, the fact they both make one another better and the growing foil they provided for Odin and Thor's abusive relationship.

I interpreted Atreus not going to Brok's funeral to be less about him not caring about Brok and more about him being afraid to go and still feeling guilty for Brok's death. He was afraid to face Sindri again and I wouldn't be surprised if it takes them years to eventually confront one another again. Atreus was both guilt-ridden and also felt slightly betrayed by Sindri so quickly pushing them away, even saying himself (and during his time with Angrboda when he called the Huldra brothers his "uncles") that they were Sindri's family too.

As for the rift, I think that was purposefully left vague but will be brought back in as something very important later on similar to Pandora's box from the original trilogy of games. I have two theories about the rift and what it could mean for the future of the series, but I won't go rambling here 😅

I definitely think they'll make more games, they have built up such a strong, loyal audience and reputation that it would be a stupid move in my opinion to leave it at Ragnarok. And with how they established Atreus with his own gameplay and now have feedback on what people liked and how to improve his character based on the segments we got in Ragnarok, I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled an Uncharted and made a spin-off for Atreus similar to Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.

I'd love to see Atreus get an entire spin-off to himself to help build him up to be more equal to Kratos, so that if we get another main Kratos game then he can learn his father needs help and go help him. I feel like the not ruin the impact of Atreus leaving, they'd need Kratos to be on his own for a bit before reuniting with his son. So, I kinda don't want them to reunite in the next game but that depends on what sort of game (Atreus or Kratos) they decide to go for.

Again, so sorry for leaving this ask so long! I love to chat though and seem to have made my own block of text so we can be as bad as each other 😂❤

#ask #god of war #gow #god of war ragnarok #gowr #god of war ragnarok spoilers #atreus #kratos #gow atreus #gow kratos #gowr spoilers

[cha-ra-nui]

Part 2: Anime and Other Media

This is the story section of my 2023 retrospective. Any story telling media goes. Anime, live action movies, cartoons, it's all game. The other parts of the retrospective are linked below.

Playlist | Prefix | Part 1: Music | Part 2: Anime and Other Media | Awards Section

My Anime burnout is still holding on, but actually it’s depression so yeah. My life sucks right now and I can’t even enjoy the media that used to bring me joy. It’s rare for something to hold my attention nowadays, because I feel like half a person.

But I tried, and there were some things I can list at least.

Jujutsu Kaisen aired its second season, which was great. I mentioned the openings earlier in the music segment, but the season also adapted the manga’s two best arcs, so that was obviously fun. What wasn’t fun was a certain manga chapter which really felt like the author was just fucking with us. Even if you hate your own characters, at least respect them enough to not explicitly contradict their previous characterization and entire point of their arc to make them look worse in a chapter where you kill them off screen. It’s been a while since I felt this betrayed by a story I previously enjoyed a lot. Which was all the more funny because Bungou Stray Dogs did some similar fucking around nearly at the same time, and that was resolved in a much, much less infuriating way. And yes, the new season of the anime was just as good as all the previous ones. Bones puts way too much effort into making this show look pretty. Then we had Jigokuraku, which is another point for the new generation of Weekly Shounen Jump. They’ve collected a strong line-up in recent years. Spy X Family is also great, and Anya is best girl, obviously. Finally, there was the second season of Link Click, which we expected at least a year earlier. But the wait was worth it. The creators said it was pushed back so they could deliver the best possible version of the season, and damn did they ever do that. It’s a departure from season one in many ways, but the ongoing storyline was no less compelling than the episodic ones in season one, and I can’t wait for season three. The show also looks unreasonably great, especially its opening, which is a work of art. The insert songs are great as well, “Until It Dies” especially.

Speaking of insert songs though, I watched Helluva Boss in 2023, and I loved it. It’s certainly not a perfect show, but what it nails, it really nails. Season two is much more of a mixed bag than season one, but “Oops” and “Mammon’s Magnificent Musical” did a lot to redeem it. It’s certainly been a while since I had brainrot as bad as the one these two episodes gave me. Fizz and Asmodeus are the best things about this season and it’s not even close. It doesn't hurt that they’re great together, and also that anytime Fizz gets a song it’s also great.

I didn’t care much for the music in this show before. Sure, there were some nice tracks, but none I went back to afterwards, and they were never the best moment of the episode, with maybe the exception of “House of Asmodeus”, but well, that’s also Fizz and Asmodeus, so I rest my case. But “Look At This” was the first time a song in this show made me laugh. It’s absurd, it’s hilarious, it suits the character and the scene in the show where it happens, it switches genre like five times, and it’s utter nonsense. It’s great. So when Fizz got more songs in the next episode I was on board immediately. “Crooked” is nice and wholesome, and it comes at a moment in the episode where that was desperately needed. But “2 Minutes Notice”. Man. This song took over my life for a while. Within the context of the episode it’s a great cathartic moment, but even without that it still slaps. I wish they’d release the song properly, but even as a rip from an episode, sound effects and all, it’s still one of my most played songs of 2023.

And since the playlist is only music, I guess I have to add “Just Look My Way” to it as well. It’s the best they’ve written this character and ship all season, and if that’s any indication for the quality of episodes to come I’m optimistic.

In other news I listened to the Sandman audiobooks and they’re great. I never read comics but I might have to make an exception for Neil Gaiman, who could’ve guessed. I’m anxiously awaiting the release of the fourth and final part of the audiobooks too, I have a feeling about how this story is going to end, and I really hope that I’m wrong about it, I will cry otherwise.

Speaking of which, Good Omens Season 2 sure happened too. I laughed, I cried, I had the usual brainrot phase, I can’t wait for season three.

Finally, I want to mention a few movies I watched in cinema this year. Puss In Boots was great, and I enjoyed the second Spiderverse movie more than the first because it felt surer of who its target audience was.

Barbie was fun but ultimately a too compromised vision to be truly great. A visual masterpiece that isn’t allowed to be as revolutionary or even just as feminist as it wants to be because it can’t make Martell look too bad, who’s going to buy their products if it does?

Oppenheimer meanwhile is that great. I left the cinema and immediately wanted to watch it again. The sequence leading up to the trinity test is a masterclass of building tension, and it’s hard to believe that this movie is three hours of men sitting in rooms talking, because it’s such an engaging watch. Absolutely brilliant work, and I can’t wait to see it get snubbed at the Oscars because that is what happens when the public likes a movie.

#anime #jujutsu kaisen #bungou stray dogs #jigokuraku #spy x family #link click #shi guang dai li ren #helluva boss #neil gaiman #the sandman #good omens #puss in boots #spiderverse #barbie movie #oppenheimer

[imaginarydaydreams]

the puppet’s revolver

Fandom: Mystic Messenger Concept: Ray has only known the life of a puppet, fated to bend to the wills of others. It’s better this way. (Saeran/Ray x MC if you squint) Date Written: 8/21/2022 Thoughts: Didn’t think I would write again for mysme tbh. But, as my good friend @thatrandomlittlegirl says, “this is our therapy arc.” I’m still not comfortable writing fully again so please take these segments that I offer. I’m rusty so forgive me if it’s bad; it’s been 2 years after all.

Ray was meant to be nothing more than a puppet. Ever since the beginning of his meaningless life, he had existed only for the sake of others. Taught to obey, to question nothing, kept blind from everything around him, he had waited in the small bubble of his limited world, doing what he was told without a sound…lest he incur the wrath of the one he had called a mother—if she could even be referred to as such. For him, everything was fleeting.

All of the good things in his life were barely even counted on a singular hand—the source of those moments of solace long gone, even though in his heart of hearts, he wished for a miracle to return to him—and Ray thought that, perhaps, he had done something to anger the gods above. Simply by the nature of existing. Perhaps sinners like him deserved their lots in life, trapped in an endless nightmare. And so he had continued on in this monochrome world of his, his emotions drained like the tears that escaped his eyes for days on end after his beloved twin had disappeared like the wind. No happiness, no kindness, nothing to keep his sanity. -------------------- On days when he was alone working the nights away, his sleep-addled mind would dream up sacrilegious ideas. He had entertained on a few times that, perhaps, his savior was just as lonely and weak as he was, hiding her true emotions behind a well-placed mask. After all, in the rare times the two of them were alone—a messiah and her ever-loyal believer—he would catch a glimpse of the dark despair that lurked behind her gaze as she told him of her plans for the RFA, his fellow believers, their Paradise. Sometimes when she thought no one was looking, he would see her mask break for a brief second, a flash of pain across her face and incoherent mumblings that he never understood. He thought of the beautiful being who had taken his hand blindly, trusting him enough to come and reside to a place unknown to them and test his “game.” He thought of their bright smile as they grinned when he came through the door of their room; their voice light as angel feathers in the rare times he could afford to take a break…or rather, the times when his will was too weak and he yearned to hear them speak. He dreamed of taking a nap with them in his beloved garden, their hand in his, as they basked in one another’s warmth. The touch of their lips against his felt still felt warm after all this time, his cheeks dusting with a pink as he remembered how elated he had been. But those thoughts were quickly banished to the deepest recesses of his mind. He could never afford to think that way, let alone form his own thoughts and opinions. He was too stupid to understand anything. He was only a puppet after all. To consider either of them as his equal? Who was he to even have the gall to think such? His savior would be disappointed. His beloved would be disgusted. -------------------- A puppet can never go against its puppeteer. And as such, Ray chose instead to destroy himself. He could never betray his beloved savior, but he also could never dare to hurt the one he held in his heart, the one who trusted him with their everything wholeheartedly. A conflict of interest, a choice he should never have had—he was supposed to just blindly follow orders. How did he even manage to mess that up? Maybe the puppet Ray was better off just disappearing. Perhaps if he had wished on a star hard enough...or sooner...he could have had a chance to stay with his beloved for a bit longer. But even the magic of midnight runs out eventually and all must return to reality. It was just sadly his turn to exit the stage before he even had a chance to shine. So with the final thoughts of the smiling face that always waited for him, he succumbed to the darkness in favor of being the perfect marionette—one who followed his puppeteer with absolute obedience. Never again would he waver. Never again would his convictions be weak. It was…better this way. -------------------- Rika looked down at the boy kneeling reverently before her, looking intently at the way those once-soft features hardened with hatred. His head was bowed in respect, awaiting her orders with a diligence that she hadn’t seen ever since that…pest…had come into her paradise. Satisfied, Rika dropped the emptied bottle of elixir and reached over to hand the new set of clothes to Saeran. Ray was finally gone. That weak boy, that failed puppet…she would never have to worry about losing her strongest and most beloved believer now. Perhaps she should thank that person who dared to defy her. If it wasn’t for them, the change from the weak Ray to the strong Saeran would have never taken place. Now she could carry out her plans without a hitch, as she ordained…first starting with eliminating that outsider. She now had her strongest tool; no one would dare to defy their paradise any longer. After all, a revolver is only as strong as the ammo it fires.

#mystic messenger #mysme fanfic #saeran choi #mysme ray #mysme saeran #stories weaved from the stars

[ryo-maybe]

(EW spoilers) A criticism I’ve heard from several friends about EW is that the sequence in Ultima Thule with all the Scions progressively sacrificing themselves to create a pathway for the rest of the group to move forward felt cheap because nobody truly died for real, and so the supposed emotional impact of the characters you supposedly had grown to cherish being gone for real fell flat on them. Putting aside the question of whether that particular sequence was good or not, this criticism strikes me as an odd one, if only because I got a different reading out of it. Never let it be said that XIV’s writing has always excelled in the art of subtlety (I’ll never forget about how Yotsuyu’s introduction was so on the nose that it permanently damaged my opinion of her writing right from the outset), but I think taking that EW sequence at face value isn’t quite what you’re supposed to do, because the framing of the narrative, the pacing and the dialogue all seem to point towards a different kind of feel that the writer wished to convey.

I don’t think inducing a sense of despair into the player was the point, basically. If anything, the sequence seemed to encapsulate the essence of one of EW’s main themes. The Scions press onwards in spite of the sacrifices, but also, and this is key to me in understanding the exact scope of the sequence’s narrative, they trust the WoL not to betray their belief, their trust, their hope against overwhelming despair that everything will turn out well in the end, one way or another. By the time it’s spelled outright that the process can be reversed I honestly don’t know how the takeaway could be that this is a cheap attempt at fostering cheap emotions out of a pile of deaths. What is this, an Urobuchi show? No, the game straight up tells you to have faith and prevail, because if you succumb to the belief that everything can be so simple and cheaply somber, well, you may as well given Meteion the pyrrhic victory she was seeking.

Again, whether the execution itself was well done or otherwise can certainly be up for debate, but I find it unfair to judge this segment of the story it based on a reading that feels far different from the one I think the writer wished to convey.

#or maybe I'm giving this more credit than I ought to and it really was this straightforward but the pieces just do not fit if you ask me #I guess the expectations of veterans of the game were also a key part in a lot of their rreactions to EW compared to my own

[the-technicolor-whiscash]

Ok my official final thoughts on syndicate, I think it has the worst plot of any assassins creed game I’ve played thus far. It’s terrible. It makes no sense, the pacing is all wrong, and Starrick’s motivations are confusing at best. It’s bad. It’s a bad game. Which makes the good parts that much sadder because there’s just so much lost potential.

I genuinely think the movement like the free-running and grappling hooks are the best they’ve ever been, it’s loads of fun and I would just run around London zipping about because that’s way more fun than trying to decipher what any of these bitches want. I love the carriages, I don’t hate the races, I like the train and boat robberies. It’s got a lot of fantastic mechanics.

The music is also phenomenal like there’s something so beautifully atmospheric to like, watching the sun set from the top of the national gallery while orchestral music plays. I think it’s really well done and it helps to mitigate some of the rage and/or boredom I felt towards some of these fucking stupid missions.

The game feels rushed. I know they gave themselves more time, and that shows very well with the visuals I think it’s visually a gorgeous game that I want to eat and it seems to have much fewer glitches than its predecessor, but the plot and the very short cutscenes betrays the fact that this game could have used quite a bit longer in the oven. Also the modern day segment is so fucking useless you might as well have just not included it because nothing happens and it’s pointless. Much as I love Shaun and Rebecca it’s like why am I watching this. You don’t even get the fucking shroud at the end.

Anyway it’s not a good game. It’s a beautiful game, it’s got fun characters and is fun to just fuck around in, but the writing is so poor (particularly if you’re invested in assassins creed lore like I am) that you’re honestly better off just spending your time playing something else.

#the whiscash administration

[evansbby]

Omg yeah I don’t even think I thought of him killing her because I was so devastated with the last segment of the book, but you’re so right. I’m sorry if I’m a little fuzzy on the details lol, I literally read it right when it came out because I saw that it had dropped (so 2 years ago now I think…)

But yes, idk like I read the book many years after I had read the Hunger Games, so the monstrosity of Snow wasn’t as fresh in my mind (all I had memories of was the blood roses and his weird threats to Katniss, and obviously yeah his whole endorsement of Panem and the Hunger Games). But it was endlessly fascinating to get the backstory of all of that, how any of this had started, how his family was one of the destitute elites clinging to symbols of wealth to keep their reputation as an old money/power family. I guess seeing him as a child and then young adult made me see the pressures that he was under, growing up in a society that prioritized and rewarded grit, defining it as this winning quality that was pretty much comprised of always choosing yourself, keeping up appearances, and sacrificing other people out of necessity (but at what point do they realize they’re doing it out of a sick joy, not reluctance).

So yeah, those moments with Lucy, I completely agree, I don’t remember the specifics, but I remember thinking that this person hardened by the world he grew up in was inexplicably drawn to the light of a person who insisted on being herself, optimistic and eccentric and weird and a songbird in a world where evil and cruelty and being cutthroat was celebrated. She was the antidote to that society, and in all their moments together, I couldn’t help but hope that somehow she would change him, because they were so clearly in love. I almost put the fact that I knew how he ended up in the back of my mind, and let myself fall in love with their love. So yeah, when that scene happened and he left her behind…… idk but it literally felt like some piece of my heart breaking off and shattering in my chest. It was all these pinpricks of hope that love would be enough, her love and innate goodness would heal him and break apart the stirring seeds of malevolence in his heart. But obviously, it was never going to be enough. That book genuinely messed my heart up lol, sent me back to being like love is truly dead lmao (I’m better now)

Anyways I did not mean to turn this into a long ass review but I am so fucking excited you read this book!!!!!!!!!!!! Because I was so hype when I read it when it came out and so upset because literally no one was talking about it like where were all the hunger games fans????????? And I texted my friends about Lucy and snow and the heartbreak and recommended it to them but they didn’t read it so anyways I’ve literally been saving up this angst and have yet to organically come across a single person who even knows about this book. It hits different and it’s amazing and I’m done now and sorry for throwing this unhingedness in your inbox 🫠

majorly agree with all of this! and im still reeling from the book tbh, like there’s sooo much i wanna add to this but I just can’t find the words! I too have no one to talk to about this! None of my closest friends are readers! And exactly, the fact that Snow’s love was NEVER going to be enough and we as the reader know this is just… wow. I really really wanted him to change, be better. In the end, I wanted Lucy Gray to somehow outsmart him, get the best of him. Well, she didn’t but at least she found out the truth about him before she died. And you’re right about the feeling of your heart shattering… like I was reading it in a Starbucks bc I was running errands and I didn’t have the patience to go home and when I finished it I literally just sat there staring into space. That last scene by the lake haunts me. How Snow just… betrayed and left behind and killed the two people who loved him most: Sejanus and especially Lucy Gray. HE LOVED HER. But it wasn’t a pure love and it wasn’t enough 😭❤️

#I’m never getting over it #i hope the movie does the book justice but. #HOW can they make a good movie out of this when the book is so long #it could’ve easily been two movies #idek #anon #a ballad of songbirds and snakes

[loregoddess]

Since I can't get enough of Triangle Strategy...

Benedict Pascal for the character ask!

oh nice, with this I’ll have written about 50% of the protags

First impression: I came into the game having watched all the trailers, 100% certain I was going to piss Benedict off to the point of him trying to kill Serenoa, just based on like, he seemed interesting but I am very much not an "end justifies the means" kinda person, and all the trailer stuff showed him offering suggestions that I thought were terrible. My first impressions after starting the game were a bit warmer, if cautious, since he's not too outrageous at the start of the game, although his voice acting is the most flat out of the four protags, and that left me uncertain how to gauge his character.

Impression now: Unsurprisingly, I did end up choosing the route which started with Benedict trying to kill Serenoa. That said, like all the other endroute betrayal battles, Benedict's fight with Serenoa gives an amazing amount of insight into his mind, and despite outright betraying him I ended up feeling really bad about doing so because by that point in the game he had actually grown on me a lot. I still think that 99% of his suggestions are terrible, and combing through the text from other routes revealed to me that this guy has even more baggage to unpack than Roland, but I also find him fascinating as a character. Like, if I had the time and energy, I'd want to go through the entire story script with a fine-toothed comb just to try and figure out what the hell is going on with Benedict. Also, in-battle he ended up being one of my favorite unites bc of how good his support skills were, especially Dragon's Shield once I got a hold of that.

Favorite moment: Hmm, okay bear with me a moment. The entire "Defend the Roselle" arc, but specifically like, after the battle when all seems hopeless until the "key" to proving Hyzante's lies gets brought. Like, at this point in the story Benedict isn't quite so hell-bent on preserving House Wolffort's legacy and is willing to go along with defending the Roselle, but you can still tell he hates being in a situation where he doesn't have the upper hand. But when that "key" gets mentioned, and he lights up and demands to know more, it's like, all that manipulative cunning he has actually gets used to aid Serenoa's goal at this point in the story, like it was the first time in my first playthrough where Benedict and Serenoa's goals actually felt aligned. It was really interesting to watch Benedict scrape together a plan from the dregs of hope that had been all but lost at that point. That being said, I also managed to get the uh, bad ending to that scenario, and as much as I didn't want the bad ending, I actually really loved the writing for that scene too, especially Benedict's bc despite his "survival first" nature, he chooses to remain by Serenoa's side, and then when he goes to tell Anna to save herself and she tells him she plans to remain by his side, and he seems so genuinely touched by that gesture. I dunno, he doesn’t let a lot of emotion show despite emotion fuelling most of his actions in the story, so it’s interesting to see when it does get expressed. Also, also, on my second playthough I noticed that during the scene where Regna is talking to Serenoa before the tourney, Benedict does this little cough when Regna asks what “Serenoa’s father” taught Serenoa about being a lord, and knowing when I knew from my first playthrough I was like “oh, oh”. It was a nice little touch.

Idea for a story: My usual more character interactions, but specifically I want to know more about what the heck happened with Destra, Symon, Regna, and Benedict, since Benedict avoids talking about that, and Erador kinda skates over it too. Also it would have been interesting to see a proper conversation between Benedict and Geela, since she seems to initially side with the “utility” choices a lot in voting segments of the game, and it would be interesting to see how their ideas of logic and utility align and clash. If I ever did take the time to really comb through the text and try to figure out what’s going on in Benedict’s head, I’d love to write a fic about him and Anna, although it’d end up being more Anna-centered probably, about her life growing up. Given how important Benedict is to her story I’d still need to know a lot about him and maybe even have segments of the story devoted entirely to his perspective to expand the narrative.

Unpopular opinion: I don’t really have one bc the general consensus seems to be “Benedict is a manipulative bastard” which like, he is, even if he’s got a lot of depth behind that, and it’s part of what makes him so interesting as a character. However, I do feel that despite the game setting up Benedict, Roland, and Frederica as three major convictions which Serenoa has to choose between, I feel like from a narrative perspective that Benedict and Roland were meant to work as foils or at least mirrors to each other. This comes from the fact that both are driven in part by a sense of guilt and self-loathing (with a sizable dash of self-esteem issues to boot), but how they express or react to these is wildly different. Benedict does everything himself, with his own strength, and his entire arc is about control; whereas Roland constantly looks to anyone but himself for strength, going so far as to give up his autonomy and control entirely. We see both of them spiral into the worst versions of themselves in their endroutes, with Roland giving up everything to Hyzante and entirely loosing his sense of morals (that being he is horrified by the treatment of the Roselle earlier in the game, but stands by and allows their suffering to continue in his endroute), and Benedict’s extreme control leading to him losing his sense of utility (since Serenoa’s ability to rule as king is obviously lacking and only works so long as Benedict is pulling the strings, meaning the entire Wolffort rule will fall apart after Benedict isn’t around to control things). The parallels between Roland and Benedict also continue in the golden route where each undergoes positive character growth, in that Roland’s able to find his own strength and regain control, and Benedict’s finally able to rely, and actually trust, others to help him, thus loosing his direct control over things by trusting others to help him. It’s very neat, but I haven’t really seen anyone talk about it, possibly bc the game really does push the “these are the three paths” which is very different from “Roland and Benedict are mirrors/foils, and Serenoa and Frederica are mirrors/foils”.

Favorite relationship: I find his father-daughter relationship with Anna fascinating, but I wish the game had expanded on it a lot more bc again, there is so much baggage to unpack especially with the information from Anna’s second character story. His dynamic and history with Erador is really interesting, although I don’t really ship them bc well, lots of baggage again but of a different kind. Likewise, he plays a really interesting role in Serenoa’s life as the steward of House Wolffort, but also as almost a second father-figure to Serenoa, and yet--especially with how the story branches--this isn’t always a healthy relationship, which is really interesting. I would fight someone to know more about Benedict’s relationship with Symon and Destra, especially Destra, bc her fate seems to be the driving force of a lot of his emotion and guilt and self-hatred, and I’m like...this is very interesting, who was this woman and what was her dynamic with Benedict like to inspire such strong devotion from him?

Favorite headcanon: I really want him to talk things out with Anna about her birth parents, and for the two to become closer as a family for it. Also, I’d like to think that post golden route, he’s able to unpack and deal with a lot of his personal issues, and is eventually able to come to a sense of peace within himself (whether by himself or via some sort of fantasy therapy, I don’t care which this guy just needs to work a lot of stuff out). Also he gets that retirement he so desperately needs, and gets to lead a nice and peaceful life afterwards. Not to keep talking about his death bc I don’t actually think he’s that old (early to mid 50s isn’t that bad honestly), but I imagine Serenoa makes sure Benedict gets a place in the Wolffort graveyard since he is very much a part of the Wolffort family.

#alynnl #''I can fix him'' ''I can make him worse'' well I want to stick him under a microscope and figure out what the hell is wrong w/ him #anyhow I do actually love Benedict despite his being a bit of a bastard he really grew on me and his writing is so interesting #I can't get enough of Triangle Strategy either and I enjoy talking about it so thanks for the ask again!! #ask game #I still don't have an ask tag

[bookwyrminspiration]

Quil! You have a new profile picture! It looks super cool! I just wanted to tell you that to start off because I opened up your blog and I was like “woah! That looks different! But awesome!”

I’ve also got a new hyperfixation as of late, which is Ace Attorney, but I don’t know how much you know about it and I’m just getting into the fandom, but I am enjoying it immensely. 

Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and say hello, and ask you two questions:

What do you think of Ravioli (the ship)? I remember running into it on the wiki page and I thought it was kind of an interesting ship, but I was wondering if you have any thoughts about it? I know there’s not a lot of canon material but if you had any thoughts on it I’d like to hear them. 

What are some of your favorite stims? My favorites are twisting and rubbing my hair, hand flapping, singing, and rubbing textures like leaves and my fingernails. I had stimming on the mind because I read a fanfiction about stimming and then proceeded to happy stim when someone else happy stimmed, so I was wondering what kind of stims you like to do. 

Anyway, enjoy your break! I’m not on break yet but I’ll get there soon :)

- Amethyst

~

Hello, Amethyst! Thank you! Was getting bored of the old background. And I only know the bare minimum about Ace Attorney, since the style and story never personally piqued my interest. I know it’s a visual story game about lawyers, but I couldn’t give you specifics--not that you need them, of course. I’m glad you’re enjoying it!

As for your questions:

1. I think there’s a base you can build. They’re a year apart, and would’ve been (as far as we know) the only young Neverseen members. That isolation and similarity could draw them to each other, moreso with both feeling betrayed by their families. Ruy’s parents turned him into the Council and got him banished; Alvar’s are basically royalty and he felt replaced by Fitz, etc.

Perhaps they both felt the pressure to prove themselves given their age, felt they were in a similar place and understood each other better than anyone else could. However, it’s also possible they saw the other as competition--which you could work into a rivals to lovers story, or could mean they hated each other forever.

I haven’t given it much thought, given how I am with ships, but I’ve got no objections.

2. I am HUGE on pacing and listening to music on repeat--not just the song as a whole, but segments of like 15-30 seconds specifically. Also a big fan of hand stims--it’s not flapping, but closer to jazz hands. rotating the wrists real fast. i’ll indulge in some rocking back and forth from time to time as well. there’s others, but most common is the pacing. love pacing <3

I hope your break starts soon and that you enjoy it!! I never know what to do with myself over breaks, but hopefully I figure it out :)

#submission #quil's queries #amethyst nonsie #kotlc ships #kotlc ravioli #long post #fun fact I am currently dying my hair #nothing new just refreshing the colors

[firstaidspray]

OKAY FINISHED THE GAME. Some thoughts below, spoilers ofc

- Luis was THE BEST. Even better than the original!! He was so funny and snarky and I think it's so funny how much he annoyed Leon LMAOOOO. Also UNTIL THE WALLPAPERS PEEL goddamn

- Also irt Luis- his death can be salvaged!! This moves into my next point which is a personal thing

- So I have an RE4 specific oc named Cereza. She's a scientist who worked on the plaga shit with Luis and fell in love with him there, however she was also in a sorta forced relationship with Krauser since he's the one who started training her to fight "for Saddler" and ultimately inject herself with a dominant plaga alongside him. Her "love" for him was mostly just fear that he'd kill her if she defied him and sexual attraction. Not really true love.

She betrayed him anyway, and often snuck away to be with her true love, Luis. Cereza was also in on the plan with Luis and Ada, giving her an excuse to not inject the plaga and also to escape Krauser.

So with this new Ending for Luis, Krauser being the one to deal a mortal wound, brings in opportunity for Cereza to hate and want to leave Krauser for good. So I think I'll have split timeliness with her- original timeline where she also injects the plaga bc Krauser makes her and becomes a monster which Ada kills, new timeline where she rushes to Luis's aid after following Krauser, and saving him and they live happily ever after bla bla blah. Anyways that's enough of my oc garbage back to the game

- I loved Ada's portrayal, a huge step up from RE2make (I disliked that portrayal of Ada). Also her outfit is now the best Ada look in history. Her voice is also sexy idk why people don't like it.

- Leon and Ashley were so cute, I like their relationship much more here. They seem closer and he seems to respect her more than in the original. It felt like Leon actually cared for her and it wasn't just a mission, where the original made Leon act like Ashley was just a mission objective in comparison.

- MERCHANT MERCHANT MERCHANT. Oh I love the Merchant. Even little 11 year old me was so charmed by him in his original version, and I love him even more here. His lines are so funny and I like the ones that reference the original. I feel you looking at me weird for my little crush on the Merchant. Please. Don't act like I haven't desired worse characters.

- Speaking of, the TREASURES!! Some being in the same spot as the original made me so happy, and I like that we can choose which jewels to inlay in the objects. The new treasures are also very beautiful!!

- Like that we got some context for Operation Javier in game while in original, we got little to no context other than Krauser and Leon were there and Krauser was mad. So I like that we got context and history between them.

- KRAUSER TOOK HIS SHIRT OFF WOOOOOOOO I was sosososo scared they'd hide his beautiful fat tits from us

- Salazar boss fight was SO EASY like the original sucked ass and made me wanna break my ps2 but this one was an improvement. Didn't like human Salazar's design tho he looked like a mean old lady that would yell at me for getting her meds at the nursing home even if she wasn't my assigned patient

- The little side quest things were fun!! I only completed all of the blue medallion ones and most of the rat ones bc I got tired near the end lol but I tried to get as many as I could.

- Ashley's segment was SO GOOD. Actually kept me anxious with those fuckin knights

- The jet ski segment not insta-killing you for hitting an object was a GODSEND, so it was actually very fun this time. Similarly the mine cart segment with Luis was super entertaining!!

- HEY THAT DOG!! The dog was back!! And so cute as usual. I would be pissed if it didn't show up.

- The first time I got game over in the game was when there's the brief pursuer section with Big Cheese and it was because he kidnapped Ashley. The second was because I did not listen to Luis and switch the tracks on the mine cart lmao

- Regenerators were so lumpy and jiggly I couldn't even be scared they made me laugh

- Sad to see some funny things not happen. Like when Leon chokes Ada bc of the plaga I'm sorry that shits so funny. Or the noise that original Garrador made I missed that

And that's all I can think of rn. Anyways 10/10 great remake great game in general 👍

[waywardstation]

Keep Searching

PLA SPOILERS BELOW

Akari has been exiled from Jubilife into the wilderness, unable to return until she fixed the sky. Ingo is going to find her and help her.

Another fic! I put up a post with a list asking what prompts people would like to see in the next fic, and it got a reblog mentioning Akari’s exile, so I finished this one up first for the kind person who responded to my question!

OR read it on AO3 here!

Enjoy!

————

Tears ran down the ex-survey corps member’s face as the sun dipped lower and lower towards Hisui’s mountain line. With the weakened natural light waning, the already-overpowering red tint of the dark sky only grew stronger.

Akari sat within a small tent constructed in the forests of The Heartwood, near Lord Kleavor’s abode and away from Jubilife. She was holding Ember, her Quilava, tight like a teddy bear for comfort; tears that fell upon the fire Pokémon’s warm body sizzled quietly, but Ember did not mind; her trainer - her partner - was visibly upset.

They had kicked her out.

After everything that had happened!

Lost in the world from the moment she woke up on that beach, a single act of kindness had been extended to her by a man who found her there. He didn’t know her and had no reason to trust her, but he extended a chance to her anyways. It led to everything she would have asked for; a home, food and clothes, and friends…family. Not just with the town of Jubilife Village, but with the clans as well.

It had started off as just a job for Akari, something to do in return for basic necessities, but her work for the Galaxy Team began to be motivated by love over time. She loved these people who (she thought) loved her, and she loved that they were trying to hard to love each other, to unify their clans - she was glad her work was helping them.

Akari’s heart had become attached to the people of Hisui, to the Pokémon and to her work. So when the sky bruised over and Commander Kamado blamed her, a child who knew as much about what was happening as anyone else did, he painfully ripped the tethers of her heart out.

What did she do wrong? Surely, she didn’t do any of the wicked things the commander accused her of. Everyone present had defended her to some degree, but in the end, nothing came of it. The commander exiled her with an impossible task of fixing the sky, condemning anyone who would help her, and with a heavy heart, Cyllene led her out of the village and into the wilderness, cut off from everyone she had come to love.

So she left. Akari couldn’t bring herself to stray very far from Jubilife though, and pitched her tent in the Obsidian Fieldlands, where the towering tree was. The sounds of the forest always comforted her, but during this time, it did little to help.

Recalling these events in her mind pushed new tears from Akari’s eyes, and she wiped them with her thick sleeve, now damp from having done this several times over.

Akari didn’t hate anyone for what happened. She was just confused on why things had to happen the way they did.

The sun had set, leaving the wilderness tinted dark red. Akari peeked out of the small tent, gazing up at the kaleidoscope patterns in the clouds through the canopy of the forest.

The sky scared her. She didn’t know what was happening, or what was about to happen. She just wanted someone with her. But it had been hours since her exile, and no one had come. She shouldn’t have expected anyone to come, no one was allowed to.

But she still hoped someone would.

Ember licked a few tears away from Akari’s face once she stopped wiping at them herself, in an attempt to comfort her. The young girl sniffed as she hugged the Quilava tighter, burying her face in its warm fur.

At least she still had her Pokémon.

Akari froze when she felt Ember perk up in her arms. Was something approaching?

Was a wild Pokémon stalking them?

Ember indicated no aggravation though. She did not growl, she just stared between the trees into the red, hazy distance from Akari’s lap.

Akari let Ember out of her arms and slowly stood up, taking a few cautious steps out of the tent to investigate.

It took a few moments of silence for Akari to hear something far off. It sounded…like her name being called..?

Turning her head in the direction of the sound, Ember came to her side as the young girl waited, stiff and silent to confirm what she thought she heard.

“Akari? Are you out here? Akari!”

Even without the “miss” he usually added before her name when addressing her, Akari knew exactly who was calling for her.

“Ingo!” The girl sobbed. Her legs almost gave out on her as she hurried between the trees in the direction of the warden’s voice, Ember following closely behind and yipping loudly.

“I’m here!”

——

The moment Ingo had heard of Akari’s banishment, his chest filled with ice.

Accusing a child of conducting a grand plan to throw the world into chaos? Kamado had been in that office of his for way too long.

Ingo always thought she was somehow connected to the gaping rip in the atmosphere above the mountain (and wondered if he was too, by chance), but when the sky blistered and the gash in the heavens deepened, the idea of it being Akari’s fault never entered his mind. And if it did, it would have been laughable, if not aggravating.

It quickly became the latter when word spread of what Kamado had ordered.

Ingo had suspected something bad had happened when Irida returned back to the Pearl Clan Settlement, visibly upset and calling for a meeting.

Starting the meeting off with Akari’s exile was not the best idea on Irida’s part, though; Ingo was already gone before she could even explain that, for the sake of relations, assistance or involvement from either clan was prohibited.

Ingo knew better to go to Jubilife. The village liked to group him and the child together when it came to matters of the rift in the sky. And why wouldn’t they? He had appeared out of nowhere one day, just like her. The two were the same to the people of Hisui.

Ingo had heard Irida explain Kamado had tried to jail Akari, and it took a severe amount of backlash for him to lessen it to an exile. Surely, if Ingo proceeded to Jubilife now, he would be imprisoned.

So the warden immediately started combing through the wilderness, far away from Jubilife, but slowly making his way closer as he continually found no trace of her.

It had been hours into his search by now, and he found himself nearing the Obsidian Fieldlands, namely The Heartwood, having repeatedly called out to receive no answer. He had been calling for her over the hours, and even though he had a strong voice, it was starting to grow hoarse.

The sun had gone down, leaving the land in red, and the monumental tree that Lord Kleavor called it’s home towered above the rest of the forest, like a dormant giant.

None of his Pokémon had returned to him yet either, and he counted that as both good and bad news. The warden had sent them all out in search of Akari, and Ingo wanted nothing more than for one of his Pokémon to return, Akari in tow. But what if she was brought back hurt? Or one of his Pokémon had found her fatally injured? The warden was starting to worry himself with upsetting scenarios. Ingo told his Pokémon to return to his lodging at the Pearl Clan settlement if they hadn’t found anything by sundown, and wait for him. At this point, Ingo was wondering if finding them all back there by his return would be a better outcome.

What a terrible situation to have to think like this!

Akari was a child! How could Kamado do this to her?

Ingo’s boot splashed as he crossed a stream, nearing the forest. Would Akari have possibly chosen this place as her shelter?

Regardless, he was going to search the area. Safety checks involved inspecting every section thoroughly.

“Akari!” The warden called out again from the edge of the woods, startling a flock of sleepy starly from a nearby tree. “Are you out here?”

Nothing but the wind was heard, whistling lightly through the red-tinted trees. Even the Pokémon of the forest were quiet.

He proceeded further in, pushing leaves and branches aside.

“Akari!” He called once more.

“Ingo!”

The warden directed his attention to his left, towards the voice he had been waiting to hear for hours.

“I’m here!”

Akari burst through the foliage of the forest with Ember shortly following, running for Ingo with tears in her eyes. Worry was replaced by profound relief in the warden’s mind, and his heart, filled with compassion, broke at the sight of the girl.

He knelt down and opened his arms for her, and a weight buried itself in his chest as arms wrapped tightly around his middle. Ember was jumping at Ingo’s feet, excited to see him.

“You came for me!” Muffled sobs dampened Ingo’s tunic as small hands tightly gripped his coat. “You came!”

“I did as soon as I heard what happened,” Ingo added as he embraced Akari, letting her cry into him as he held her.

“They threw me out! I did everything they wanted me to do! I was a good survey corps member! Why did they throw me out?” Akari spilled her heart out to the warden, her voice cracking under the pressure. “They thought I made the sky like this! I don’t know anything about it!”

“Wrong choices were made,” Ingo assured Akari, his own eyes becoming misty at the the sorry state of the girl. She was shaking in his arms, and if she gripped onto his clothes any tighter, she might had added a new tear to it. “Terribly wrong choices. You are not to blame, Miss.”

Akari pulled away from Ingo, hiccuping and wiping the tears and snot from her face with her sleeve.

“Commander Kamado told me, that I had to fix what was wrong with the sky…if I wanted to ever come back.”

Akari’s sobs still wrenched on Ingo’s heart. Kamado was putting way too much pressure on her; she was a child. Where was his compassion? His common sense?

Tears still leaked from Akari’s eyes, and Ingo reached out to wipe them away.

“We will figure something out.” He promised her. Ingo had no idea how to respond to what Akari told him. How could anyone “fix” this? Perhaps with time…but uncertainty was not what Akari needed right now, what she needed was reassurance, and he would give that to her.

A small smile appeared on her tear-stained face, but Akari was still mournful.

“But, you’re not supposed to help me,” she sniffed, the sobs easing into hiccups. “Commander Kamado told the clans to stay away from me or else there would be punishment.”

“No one expressed this to me,” Ingo truthfully responded. Anger flared at Kamado again. He was sending this child to her death! “But this will not change my tracks, Miss. I will assist you.”

Akari looked down at the ground, another small choked sob escaping her. But this time, it was spurred by happiness.

The warden was always there for her when she needed it.

“Now, forgive the abrupt change, but do you have all your belongings on your person, Miss Akari?” Ingo questioned as he stood back up, brushing the dust from his knees.

“Ah, I have most of my stuff back at a tent-“ the girl started, caught a little off guard as she patted her eyes dry, the tears finally ceasing as Ember made her way back to the girls side.

“Excellent! Let us go collect them, then we can depart for my encampment.” Ingo pointed off into the forest from where Akari had emerged from. “I have a secure base camp near Lady Sneasler’s abode in the coronet Highlands. I stay there when trips back to the Pearl Clan settlement are too rough due to weather. Now you can stay there too. No one will find you there, and Lady Sneasler will enjoy your company.”

The night sky was still bruised, dark and red, and the land was still cloaked in a deep red hue, setting fear creeping into every person and Pokémon’s heart, but Ingo had driven all the terror out from Akari. She could not thank the warden enough for his compassion and consideration for her.

#pokémon legends arceus #pokémon legends spoilers #ingo #submas #subway boss ingo #warden ingo #pla akari #fanfic #fanfiction #pokémon fanfiction #pokémon fanfic #waywardstationfanfic #uncle ingo to the rescue #i don’t know about anyone else #but this segment of the game I felt so betrayed #and would have 100% ugly cried if this happened to me IRL #they put so much pressure on a 15 year old #FOR WHAT #broke my heart and Akari’s too #Ingo’s here to put a bandaid on her heart though don’t worry #gonna call child endangerment services on Kamado #next fic is gonna be about the wallflower since I saw a request for that in a reblog too

[iwillbecomealawyer]

gonna babble and list down all the reasons why i love psychonauts 2 so far to OBLIVION

(warning: post contains major spoilers so i dont recommend continuing if you havent played the game. but also do not spoil if you have, since im still in the part where i reached where the psychic 6 resided)

1. raz being much more babey in this game, but also being just as capable and intelligent as last game

2. the game showing that raz CAN fuck up, learning his mistakes and making up for it

3. raz being such a good and respectful boi ;-; the way he talks to his grandma and the way he talks to lili knowing she was in a very vulnerable state,, his parents raised him so well

4. raz and lili basically switching places in pn2 where raz is being a complete stuttering mess and lili is the oblivious one (though this is mostly bc she was occupied with her dad so UNDERSTANDABLY so)

4. THE REALISTIC DEPICTION OF SIBLINGS OF THIS GAME GOOD LORD I LOVE IT

5. i mentioned this in my last post but after raz learns his lesson with hollis, he starts to ask for consent before going into someone’s mind

6. the seamless metaphors and symbolism to mental issues and healing

7. the fucking genius that is the panic attack foes..them being quick, ruthless enemies thats hard to catch up with unless you deliberately slow it down with the time bubble ability. it also has the ability to multiply; symbolizing that the person struggling cannot tell what is real of what is fake. idk this enemy just really made me pause the game for a bit bc of sheer appreciation .. i i remember struggling with a panic attack fight and even i felt overwhelmed

8. raz having a change of heart from killing animals from pn1, and pets them in pn2; him also constantly making apologetic remarks when he does is so funny

9. the whole segment of raz finding out lucy was pretending to be his grandma and it being ford’s fault. the way he felt betrayed, hurt, and angry; and how it hurt even more so when raz idolized him, and considered him a friend bc of what they went through together in pn1. the strength raz had to say that ford fucked up his entire family, and its all his fault. UGH. cinema

10. raz’s char arc being absolutely stellar in this game!!??! we got to know more about him, the family ‘curse’, and how he grew. im so damn proud of him i feel like a loud mom cheering her kid’s name when they get up onstage for graduation

11. raz’s family. period

12. gameplay being fun as fuck with thought compelling puzzles with a balance of forgiveness if youre being a dumbass,, im not a gamer by any means but i found myself playing for 10 hours straight and each time i come back im having the time of my life and never wanna put the controller down. im rank 60 ffs

13. i theorized that the minds we were gonna go through this game were the psychic 6 and while that DID end up being the case, they did it in such a smooth way that fit the narrative that didnt just feel like a ‘checklist; do this and save the world’ feeling, it was closely tied to the narrative and it wasnt a linear process. its so good

14. music is obviously a given i literally have no words i find myself staying in one place in each world just to dwell in the music

15. the ENTIRETY of psi king’s mind. definition of gorgeous

16. psi king’s segment where we find out his band members were the psychic six and where we slowly get to put the pieces together and find out he’s actually helmut fullbear. the moment we got to witness where he slowly unravels his doubts about his friends and himself with raz helping

16. speaking of psi king: jack black. thats it

17. SPEAKING OF PSI KING AGAIN: LGBT REP!!!!

18. milla’s full name being camilla and it being revealed that sasha accidentally mispronounced her name to ‘mia’ and decided to remain it that way bc she thought it was rly cute

19. the moments in this game having the perfect balance of heartwarming, hilarious, and foreboding. early on in the game i was like ‘huh i was expecting something a lil darker to bring to the table but i can understand this!’ but i was wrong. i was so. fucking wrong. i had my jaw dropped in the lucy nona reveal the entire time i was terrified. fantastic segment

20. as much as i struggled in compton’s mind i really loved the idea of his world bc 1. hes the first world we encounter the Judge enemy, since all he did was blame himself from what happened with lucy and the psychic 6 2. his world based off of hollis, truman and ford being the harsh judges and critics of his own mind and facing the constant pressure sinilar to a reality cooking show. its kind similar to gloria’s theater from pn1 in that regard, but definitely brings new and different ideas to the table

21. raz offering frazie to come with him to psychonauts hq as an intern to embrace her psychic powers and frazie considering it

22. raz being a good older brother to queepie

23. norma having a crush on raz’s fucking dad (idk if shes doing it to screw with raz or if she rly does but either way its SO FUNNY)

24. raz (depending if the player chooses to or not) bringing rare fungi for lili to make her feel better despite him knowing the truth about truman god these two are adorable

25. lili feeling terrible about truman and raz trying to sympathize w her saying he was pretty shit to his own father too (poor baby ;-;)

26. raz wanting the approval of nona :’) asking her if she wants anything to make her comfortable

27. the intense conversation between dion and raz

28. ford dropping this bomb on raz that there was no curse to begin with, and that the aquato curse was just a ruse for lucy to not go near water so maligula cant be awaken. jfc poor kid i actually cant believe that dialogue was optional

29. raz’s ’yoink!’ voice clip. baby

30. raz mentioning true psychic tales to any moment available ever

31. THE CASINO MISSION SEGMENT WITH THE INTERNS 💙💙💙💙

32. sam boole

33. oleander trying to make the death tanks against maligula without a budget

34. those two psychonuts members in the atrium talking about how sasha and milla are ’doing it’, with raz interjecting that theyre professionals and the members replying with ‘we meant yoga why what did you think we meant’ and raz being like ‘oh.’

35. that man and woman planning an affair in the entrance lobby of hq and the woman’s husband accepting and knowing about it

36. the clarification of psychonauts’ mission with hollis, on how their purpose is not to ‘fix’ people but to help fight the struggles they already have

37. the voice acting holy HELL the voice acting!!!! psychonauts 1 already had amazing va’ing but gOD everyone did amazing here; especially richard horvitz 

38. RAZ AND LILI IN NICK’S MIND THEYRE SO FUCKING FUNNY SJJKDJKSD (IM TYPING THIS AFTER I FINISHED THE WAVE OF ENEMIES BIT WHERE LILI PRESSED THE WRONG BUTTONS) raz being like ‘’ok yeah you finished pressing the wrong buttons so far’’ and lili being like ‘’JUST GET ON THE STUPID RIDE’’ IM FUCKGIN DYING

39. the player having the option to get rid of the background music in gristol’s mind and the reward being raz’s sigh of relief im actually fucking dying 

40. raz making up a code name for lili (’potato masher’) and lili liking it :)

aand thats it so far :)) this list will be updated the more i play or tidbits i remember

#shut up vie #psychonauts #psychonauts 2 #psychonauts 2 spoilers #pn2 spoilers #razputin aquato #raz aquato #lili zanotto #sasha nein #milla vodello

[blu-joons]

Teasing Idols ~ Lee Hyukjae

Hyukjae knew he was in trouble before the shoot even began as he looked across the set to see the five members of TXT sat looking back at him, knowing that they loved to wind him up every time they appeared.

“How’s Y/N doing?” Beomgyu asked him as the shoot came to a small break, glancing across at Hyukjae. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen her at Hybe, she seems a lot busier these days.”

You’d known the members of TXT for years, having trained and debuted with Hybe yourself. However, you knew Hyukjae too, a little too well, having started a relationship the previous year after working together on a stage for the end of year MAMA show.

Hyukjae knew it was only a waiting game with the five of them before your name started to be mentioned, and as ever, they didn’t disappoint. Sat beside Hyukjae, Kwanghee wore a wide smile, giggling away to himself as he saw Hyukjae’s expression drop.

“Y/N’s doing well,” he smiled, determined not to play into their hands, “are you guys not taking as good care of her anymore by not checking up on her whenever you’re at the company building?”

Their heads all shook, assuring Hyukjae that they always cared for you and treated you. They knew he was only messing with them, but Hyukjae couldn’t just let them have things their own way when it came to teasing him.

The jokes were funny, but Hyukjae was also incredibly protective of your relationship, regardless of who it was that he was talking to about it.

“I think she spends more time training elsewhere these days,” Yeonjun then suggested, “maybe somewhere in the big three?”

“I heard she has a few close contacts in SM,” Soobin added, glancing across at Hyukjae, “someone who might be able to help her out perhaps?”

His tongue pushed into the side of his mouth as he tried to remain composed, knowing that the boys had planned out the perfect time during the shoot to start winding him up.

“She spends a lot of time here too these days,” Kwanghee then noted, earning himself a hit to the arm as Hyukjae’s eyes widened at his colleague’s sudden betrayal.

Your relationship had the attention of most of the industry, seeing two big names date, and date successfully, was a rare occurrence especially amongst busy idols.

“I always thought that she’d end up dating one of us,” Kai spoke up, “I never imagined her betraying Hybe and dating one of the enemies, she’s been manipulated.”

“She could have at least dated someone from a good group in SM too.”

Taehyun looked across to Hyukjae, knowing he’d found his sweet spot. “I’ve met Exo, and they all seem lovely, even NCT are all nice guys too, Y/N’s type too.”

“You’re asking for your episode to be pulled,” Hyukjae teasingly warned them.

“There’s no way you’d pull us, you adore us all really,” Beomgyu retaliated.

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Hyukjae did adore the members of TXT. They were one of his favourite groups to film with, not least because of the ease he felt around them knowing that they shared a connection through you. They weren’t just juniors, they were friends of his too, especially knowing how close they were to you as well.

“If you get married, do we get to be your best men?” Soobin challenged, not quite as willing as some of the others to let Hyukjae get away with things quite as easily.

“I’ve got eight spots for best men,” Hyukjae informed them all, “and you probably won’t be surprised to know that my group members fill them up.”

“Surely there’s five that you dislike that you could replace with us though?” Soobin continued to joke.

Hyukjae’s head shook back at him, shooting a teasing glare in his direction to remind Soobin that when the cameras started rolling once again, he was in charge. From you, he’d heard plenty of stories about the boys that he knew they wouldn’t want to be shared.

“We can always talk about the toilet in Osaka,” he warned all five of them.

Their eyes all went wide, shaking their heads that you’d retold the embarrassing story of their rookie days to Hyukjae. It was a time they all hoped to forget, and the last thing they wanted was for their fans to find out on the programme too.

“What happened in Osaka?” Kwanghee asked, determined to find out about the gossip too. “I’m the MC I shouldn’t be kept out of these sorts of stories.”

Hyukjae looked to him, and then the group, “I’ll tell you, if they make one more comment about Y/N then I will tell everything to you, and all of the cameras as well.”

“Damn, it really must be a bad tale to tell if you’re blackmailing guests.”

Hyukjae knocked Kwanghee’s side, trying to justify his actions of using the story to keep the members quiet. However, they all quickly jumped on Kwanghee’s bandwagon instead, pushing Hyukjae to answer how he’d feel if they went to the media and told them all about Hyukjae’s bribe to keep them quiet.

“I don’t know how Y/N has dealt with you guys for so long at Hybe,” Hyukjae sighed, eventually beginning to cave as all five of them began to gang up on him. “Even NCT aren’t as difficult to handle as you guys all are.”

“No one can beat us.”

“We’ve teased Y/N enough at work, it’s your turn anyway,” Yeonjun informed Hyukjae, “she was the one that actually told us to enjoy ribbing you whilst we were here today and show you what she goes through every day.”

Of course, Hyukjae knew you had some part to play in proceedings too, even from afar, you always managed to find a way to wind him up and get underneath his skin.

“Don’t worry, we always also remind Y/N how sweet we think the two of you are together,” Kai told him, offering Hyukjae a smile, “the two of you make a great couple, even if it means Y/N is never around at work anymore.”

“I promise, she’s barely ever at SM too,” Hyukjae laughed, “I don’t know what she’s doing not at Hybe more often, but she’s not with me.”

Their eyes all rolled as Hyukjae’s voice stuttered, knowing that his defence was one filled with lies. None of them minded however, all they wanted was to see you happy after all the time you’d spent helping them out at the company.

As the producer walked back onto the set, everyone began to get back into their positions to start filming the next segment for the episode, with everyone sat on the white blocks forgetting the real reason for why they were there.

“No mention of Y/N now,” Hyukjae warned, but as their eyes turned mischievous, Hyukjae wasn’t sure whether the five of them could quite be trusted.

“Be on your best behaviour,” Kwanghee added, seemingly having Hyukjae’s back. “But if you want to embarrass Hyuk, then absolutely be my guest.”

“Hey!” Hyukjae yelled, as yet again Kwanghee stabbed him in the back, “I would never do something like that to you.”

Kwanghee shrugged, “I would never invite my girlfriend’s labelmates onto my show.”

“Yeah, this episode will probably be a mistake at my expense.”

---

Masterlist

#super junior #super junior imagine #eunhyuk #eunhyuk imagine #hyukjae #hyukjae imagine #super junior reaction #super junior scenario #super junior eunhyuk #lee hyukjae #lee hyukjae imagine #super junior drabble #super junior one shot #super junior fluff #eunhyuk scenario #eunhyuk reaction #eunhyuk drabble #eunhyuk one shot #eunhyuk fluff #suju #suju imagine #suju eunhyuk #kpop #kpop imagine

[dubububbles]

SHINee’s scenario: they have to call their celebrity s/o during a recording for a show as a mission

(request: shinee has to call you, their celebrity s/o, during a recording for a show as a mission. thanks a ton for doing this) 

Requested by anon

- Sorry for not posting in a bit, I was super stuck on this one! Thankfully I got some help from a fellow shawol friend~ hope it’s oki! ❤️

Onew:

In light of a recent group comeback Onew and the other members appeared on a new variety show. It included different talk segments and also a specific game where each of them would have to call someone with the mission of getting that person to say a specific word. The words were of course very random and difficult ones. 

As the eldest, he was set to go first and decided to call you, as your relationship was well-known and he knew you had a day off and would answer.

The other members would snigger and watch in amusement as their leader attempted to lie about calling you during his ‘break-time’ and then proceed to somehow get you to say his given word, which was a lot more difficult than he had anticipated. For a brief moment he looked their way for help but they all shrugged with identical grins, leaving him to fend for himself which made him mentally sigh. 

After some time of him asking odd and cringe-worthy questions that made his fellow members shake their heads you ultimately figured out what was really going on and asked him if he was recording for a show. Since he had already failed he admitted that he was and also briefly explained the game. 

“Aigoo you got a difficult word. Sorry I couldn’t help you but I bet the punishment will be fun to watch.” 

Your playful words caused some laughter before Onew sulked and eventually ended the call for the next member to attempt the mission. 

In the end, he did end up losing and had to face an embarrassing punishment, which you could later tease him about. 

Jonghyun: 

When Jonghyun was guesting on a radio show there was a corner where each person had to call someone to answer questions about them, which had been prepared before-hand and the answers of the person on the other end had to match their own.

Prior to the mission he debated on who to call between his members, his best friend and you and ultimately decided on the last. 

The other members would know it was a mission and likely sabotage him in any way they saw fit but he didn’t imagine that you would have the same mischievous agenda. 

“Yeobeoseyo~”  

As soon as you answered with your internal greeting, which was a mix of “yeobeo” (honey) and a usual phone greeting, he couldn’t help but smile as the love struck puppy he was which made the person closest to him nudge his arm to snap him out of it. Before he could get distracted again he quickly explained the reason behind his call, including the rules. 

“If I answer them all correctly will you share your winning price with me?” 

The question made him let out a baffle laugh but then quickly give in since he didn’t want to lose after all. He then started asking the question and cheered when you consistently answered them all correctly. 

When only one question remained he already felt confident that he could actually win. 

“If someone says happiness, what three things come to my mind first?”

“SHINee, SHINee world and me.” You said quickly and chuckled as Jonghyun celebrated with a loud ‘whoop’ after doing an all-kill by getting each answer right.

He wrapped up the call by saluting you in a playful and exciting manner and then fought back a massive smile for the rest of the show. 

Key: 

When your boyfriend was calling you randomly in the middle of the day instead of texting, as he usually would, it definitely surprised you at first.

“Is everything okay?” You answered in a puzzled manner, thinking there was likely a reason behind him calling out of the blue.

Instead of answering he suddenly asked you a question instead and it made you feel utterly lost. It was about his birthday, which you obviously knew so you answered him but only grew more confused as he continued. Though, when you could pick up on other voices in the background you figured he was calling as a part of whatever show he was guesting. 

It instantly shifted your mood and you saw an opportunity to get back at him for his continuous habit of teasing you. Instead of giving him correct answers you decided to give random and obviously false ones. The more outrageous, the better, you thought and smirked to yourself.

When the game ended and your boyfriend was in bewildered shock by the outcome, you felt exceptionally happy with yourself. 

“Yah y/n, why did you choose this moment to be playful? I called you because I trusted you and now you betray me like this?”

You rolled your eyes at his overly dramatic tone. “Why? Did I make you lose the game?” 

"...."

“I figured you were doing a mission and thought that giving the correct answers would be too boring.”

Despite not seeing him at the moment you could imagine the way he rolled his eyes. “Aigoo sometimes you are too perceptive for your own good."

“Nah, this is just payback.” You said at last and sniggered before you ultimately ended the call, even if you knew you were going to be in trouble later on. 

Minho: 

Minho was no stranger to being invited to guest sport or competition themed shows and he often accepted them since it was in his veins after all. 

During a filming of running man he was working diligently and having fun, at least up until a specific segment that included dares, where one was to call a girlfriend/wife and he was the chosen member to complete it. 

He hadn’t called you while on a schedule before so it made him a bit nervous but he wasn’t about to surrender or make the other team win. “I just have to call her right? Even if she doesn’t pick up?” He clarified before going through with the dare. 

However, when you picked up as you normally would, using your own picked out nickname for him, it would make him a bit shy and unsure of what to say. 

At that point, the other running members and guests cut in and overtook the call to greet you. It was a bit sudden and overwhelming for you but you still greeted everyone politely. 

“Is this some sort of mission?” You asked, knowing Minho wouldn’t randomly call you while filming, since even if your relationship was public you weren’t that open yet. 

The question caused some laughter and Minho then briefly explained about the dare. You could tell from the sound of his voice that he was a bit uncomfortable so you decided to help him up and make up an excuse for not being able to talk, which made him smile as he could see through it and know it was intentional. 

You then greeted everyone again quickly before your boyfriend ended the call with a shy smile on his face and continued with filming. 

Taemin: 

While filming for a reality show together with one of his close friends Kai, Taemin was having a lot of fun and felt at ease. However, that would change quickly after him losing a game and facing a punishment. 

He couldn’t help but feel a bit scared, as this was his friend’s perfect opportunity to embarrass or get back at him for a prank he had played on him before. And how right he was. 

Kai already had a playful smirk on his face when he presented his chosen punishment, which was for Taemin to prank call you, his publicly known girlfriend. 

“W-what kind of prank call?” He stuttered out, already feeling nervous about suddenly including you in the show without asking beforehand. 

After Kai gave a funny and outrageous idea he sat back and watched in amusement as Taemin went through with it in a clumsy and funny manner. 

He desperately tried to trick you even if his voice or words weren’t even remotely convincing and you obviously didn’t buy it. 

“Do you really expect me to believe something so outrageous? This is obviously related to the show you’re filming.” You told your hopeless boyfriend while trying not to laugh. 

In the end, it amounted to a fun clip to include in the show, though as it was over Taemin wanted to go hide in embarrassment. He knew he would have a lot of making up to do with you next time you met. However, he planned to blame it all on his close friend with the hope that you would go easier on him then. 

#SHINee #shinee scenarios #SHINee reactions #lee jinki #shinee onew #kim jonghyun #SHINee Key #kim kibum #choi minho #lee taemin #5HINee #kpop scenarios

[monday-headache]

Hey Simon! Thank you for the amazing ask <3 Right back at you:

I love that you're writing/arting about characters that have never met in canon (Gaige and Sasha, Fiona and Scarlett). What drew you to writing these characters together? And are there any more that you'd love to explore one day? :D

Hey Sarah, glad it made you smile. I want to have more interaction with the fandom so I’ll try to make this a regular, so please be free to send me questions whenever. I’d love to read your thoughts ;)

And Omg, that’s a fantastic question as well but, be aware, this is gonna be an essay as well.

Mhh where to start, where to start.

So first things first, My headcanon of why I think Gaige and Sasha would be best friends started a pretty long while ago, way before I even got gently pushed towards the Idea of really starting to write about it in the first place. Because you must know, even though Strays is my first longshot, it is also my very first fanfc I’ve ever written in like ever. So no matter how shitty, great or whatever it will turn out to be or how well others will be, Strays has and will always have a special place in my heart. And I’m not gonna rush things either, even when the fandom will die out, my Ideas for it will flow ;)

But yeah how it started. To put it simply Gaige was my first character In Borderlands ever that I played myself. I knew about the Lore of 1 and I’ve played 1 with a friend by the time it came out, but I played 1 myself AFTER I finished 2 So that may be a big reason, why I have such an open spot for Gaige. But also because she is fun, quirky extreme, punky, loves robots and tech... to put it simple a lot of traits I really love about a character. Her backstory with the science fair was so fresh and funny, and it may be one of my favorite spoken dialogue interactions heard over echo cassette’s

Then after Bl2 my love for Borderlands continued, played 1, played TPS and then... There was Tales, and by god do I loved Tales, and I hella still do. You probably know the feeling yourself. And with the love for the game, came a huge love for it’s cast. Like seriously I think besides Tector there isn’t really a character where I was going like, “ugh this one is trash” on the contrary. And besides my obvious love for the main 2 characters, there was a big love for the Deutagonist’s of this masterpiece. Namely Sasha and Loaderbot.

Loaderbot may have officially taken the spot for me as most favorite Robot in video game history ever (and Gortys for the most precious character ever). Like his whole segment of kidnapping them, forcing them to tell the truth, only to show how much he had grieved, how betrayed he felt and that he did all of tha  for his loved ones. Man say what you will about him, but damn he was written perfectly. I was blown away.

Secondly is of course, as you might have guessed it Sasha. I could go lengths for her too, how much I love and admire her character, how real she felt as a sister, a pandoran and last but not least as a human. Sasha felt to me like the most well rounded out character of the 6 (pls don’t hate me for it guys) From the punk rebellious attitude, to learning that she had an anti Hyperion pirate radio, that she used to broadcast bad things that happens in her neighbourhood, to her adapting her morals and learn that even in the most corrupt organisations there are still normal people struggling with their own life, and then progressing from it. And lastly after everything was at loss, the money the plan, she was willing to sacrifice her whole life for a dear friend/s, even on her dying breath putting both Rhys and her Sister at ease and in her last moments. Amazing.

Oooh boy and that was just the prelude to it all XD

After that I noticed a lot of similarities, between characters. Sasha and Loaderbot for instance are both pragmatic, put the lives of their loved ones over their own, love tech, are socially open people while holding back on information and emotion. Not to mention the scenes in 2 and 3 and also 4 and 5 where it is slightly hinted how well Sasha and Loaderbot work together, without sharing much words. So naturally the Idea was born that Sash and LB became quite close.

And the same goes for Sasha and Gaige. I was actually surprised that nobody (not entirely true, I saw one fanart of it) seemed to made that connection before as it was so obvious to me. So basically Sasha is a softer version of Gaige, in many terms. They both have a big heart for tech and especially guns. They both hosted a small radio broadcast that blew up in their region over night. Both are anarchist’s who spread the word for awareness, how fucked up the company war actually is. Both are not really good at their aim. Both call robots as their closes’t friends. Both share a deep hatred for Handsome Jack and his doings. Both fought a giant ass Vault Monster and nearly died in the process of doing so. Both got screwed up big time and now have a huge bounty on their head... So you see the list goes on, and honestly the more I write them, the more similarities I notice, both hc wise and canon wise. So there more I thought about it, and noticed similarites the more I fell in love with the Idea of them becoming close. And from there the Idea was born, that they probably met on a job ( the most likely scenario in the Borderlands universe). It had to be before BL3 of course, and to be after Tales naturally so that only put one timeline in the focus, Commander Lillith.

To be honest, I didn’t expect everything turning out so big. Like seriously I orifinally planed like 8k words or so. Now I’m dangling on the Idea of having 13 chapters and a big ass finally, a neat wrap up of everything and even a possible epilogue XD Yeah, that wasn’t what I expected either but damn do I love doing it.

Like seriously my headcanons only just gotten bigger and bigger. From a whole nebula system in the galaxy, to regions I created in my own mind for it, to even complex backstorys. Like why Sasha wears a headband, why she loves guns so much, what happened to her and Fi’s parents, why she was raised by her aunt, what does Felix have to do with it, Why Gaige has this kicks of both sudden depression and manical behavior. Why she’s so close to her dad, but her mom wasn’t even mentioned once (but teased), why she wanted to become a wedding planer, and why she is so obsessed with robots and margarita mix. I think one day, this thing will turn into a tabletop game or something XD

So estimated 20k words on my answer later and now we are going for my own created ship Scarleona. Don’t worry, as much as I like to gosh about that too, it wont take as long I prommy.

Scarleona was created in a sudden urge while thinking about what happpend to Fiona while Strays happened. And similar to Gaige and Sasha, Scarleona was born from a dynamic. Especially of those from two Ladybosses with Silvertongue and speech 100XD Fiona and Scarlett may have become my favorite Fiona ship (no offense everybody) because of how well they play off each other. Fiona is a con artist, her whole life she was used to swindle, to play it cool and by ear, go with the flow, and expect the unexpected. So here core idea is that she is manupulating people by LYING to them.

Scarlett on the other hand is similar while also the complete opposite to it. She is backstabby, plays with her charm and most importantly she is dead honest while tricking people. In fact even so honest that people don’t even realised that they got tricked even though she told it several times before. And this dynamic is so fascinating to me. You see, Fiona has almost an answer an action for everything prepared, but the idea that her winning honesty, is mind puzzling to Fiona is so perfect. @michellespenscratchz wrote me a drabble several months ago and I think that line describes it just perfect

“So, let me see if I got this straight,” Fiona tilted her head inquisitively at Captain Scarlett. “You needed these Vault Hunters’ help to find this treasure for you. So you…just asked them?”

“That’s right.” Scarlett nodded, inspecting her hook nonchalantly.

“Even though they knew you wanted it for yourself?” Fiona asked.

“Indeed,” Scarlett replied.

“And they…” Fiona blinked, “…knew you planned on fighting them for it once they had it.”

“Of course they did,” Scarlett shrugged. “I told them as much.”

“You told them?”

“Yes.”

“And they helped you anyway?”

“Precisely.” Scarlett turned her hat against the blistering wind. “I fear I don’t quite grasp what about this is so difficult to grasp, Fiona dear.”

“Huh.” Fiona cast her gaze out across the expanse of Pandoran horizon. “I guess I just gotta–I dunno–rethink my whole life right now.”

So yeah, that was basically it. I kinda diagressed and didn’t want to hurt your eyes more looking at the long ass text, but please if you have some more questions to it, pls hit me. I love to gosh about it <3

And thank you so much <3 This was hella fun

#Borderlands #Tales from the Borderlands #Strays of the Pack #Scarleona #Sasha the Kid Sister #Gaige the Mechromancer #I still need a great name for Sash and Gaige's dynamic #maybe I should go with Wolfpack for now till something better crosses my mind. #Fiona the Con Artist #Captain Scarlett #Thank you #<3

[cosmic-navel-gazin]

In which I chronicle my Legacy of Kain journey and bridge it with your boy Adam Warlock! (Part 5 of many, and MASSIVE, I MEAN, HUMOUNGOUS SPOILERS for Soul Reaver 2 and the 1970’s Warlock)

Awwwwwwwww yeah we are going there, these compositions are most definitely on purpose.

This is where I realize that my true purpose in this world is to draw and talk about obscure or forgotten works of fiction, and I embrace this destiny. 

Ladies and gents, laughing times are over (not really though), sh*t gets very real again.

I guess it’s a bit late for this but if you have even the slightest interest in checking any of these properties out, do yourself a favor and go experience them first hand. If you just want to see me lose my mind and don’t really care about spoilers then please, proceed.

You know, when I started this little crossover of sorts, I was just having a laugh you know? It was just a cute little thing, I’ll write this one post and maybe I’ll get enough material for a second one and that’s it. THIS IS THE SEVENTH POST (even though it says Part 5). 

Never, and I do mean never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be here one day, talking about having your past and your time-travelling-future selves meet and clash, of seeing your sanctimonious attitude and overall the worst about yourself personified and given free reign to go on bloodthirsty crusades showing off how much of a hypocrite you’ve bee- but wait, I am getting a bit ahead of myself. 

I’ll get there I promise, let’s go back a bit.

Where we last left off, we managed to travel back to an even more distant past than we’ve been before. To the time of the great Vampire Purge, so that Raziel can meet this infamous ancient vampire who knows all the lore and might have the answers we seek on what exactly is causing the corruption of our world.

As we step out into this era of History we notice the fields covered with the Sarafan Order banners, and the impaled corpses and chopped-off heads of vampires. No different no doubt from the kindness vampires showed mankind later when they gained the upper hand during Kain’s 1.000 year old reign. Raziel seems a bit distraught by the sight since he assumed the Sarafan to be virtuous and heroic:

“For all the butchery of Moebius’s crusade, this massacre was somehow more chilling. The killing fields of the Sarafan betrayed a kind of orderly ruthlessness, the cold-blooded righteousness of the true believer.”

“Here at last in the flesh, I beheld my former brothers-in-arms, the warrior-priests of the Sarafan order; their lives devoted solely to the annihilation of the vampire plague. And while I confess I felt a twinge of longing, a pang of grief for what I had believed was my lost virtue, I regarded them now with none of the reverence I formally felt. For I had seen the human face of the vampires, and now I beheld the monstrousness of these men.”

While on the topic of genocidal holy wars, my boy Adam here had a bit of a run with a similar pious little group that goes by the name of Universal Church of Truth, who were going about doing a bit of cleaning throughout the galaxy:

Things don’t go so well:

Interestingly enough, I’ve learned of a deleted cutscene for Soul Reaver 2 that plays out very similarly to Adam’s first encounter with this “holy” order. There was this minor female vampire character that was being hunted down and would be executed by vampire hunters right in front of Raziel.

This scene was probably removed because they knew that almost 20 years later there would be some asshole on the internet trying to compare their games to obscure marvel comics of the 70’s.

But yeah bummer for Adam here, we’re a couple of pages in and he’s already failed to save someone. However, through the power of the Soul Gem, he’s able to retain her soul for a brief moment, letting us know more about these holy inquisitors:

Some of these methods don’t seem that far off from the Sarafan, especially on the twisting of good intentions part, but on a galactic scale:

Aye, a great bunch o’ fellas all around, if you submit and “fit in”:

Damn.

Hush Adam, I’ll get back to your predicament give me a moment. I just want the good people at home to keep both this church and the Magus, the god they worship in mind for later.

Now, back to the game. In the Sarafan Stronghold during the first hour of gameplay, Raziel made comments on the vampire he’s currently seeking while looking at some stained glass depictions:

“So this was the legendary Janos Audron - reputed to have been the most ancient and diabolical vampire to have ever existed. According to folklore, he lived high in the cliffs of Nosgoth’s northern mountains, and preyed mercilessly on the defenseless villagers below. His reign of terror ended when the Sarafan finally hunted him down and tore his throbbing heart from his still-living body. (…) But I wondered - could Janos Audron truly have been as monstrous as depicted here? Or was this merely artistic licence by the Sarafan, who sought to lionize themselves by demonizing their darkest enemy?

Keep these stained glass images in mind, they’ll also be important shortly. Neetheless to say, the hype was very real to meet this Janos Audron.

And as I kept hearing about this gentleman, I thought: “I really love this cast of pricks, where everyone speaks in half truths and is hiding something and has some hidden agenda, but you know, I kind of wish there was some slim ray of hope, of goodness and honor, just some good old plain chivalry and honesty. Maybe this Janos lad won’t be as bad as he was depicted back in the Sarafan Stronghold.” 

It took us a while but we’re finally make it to his retreat.

I really love the entire segment, the hopelessness and feeling of dread while making your way through this place, probably my favourite puzzle area of the game.  I also really love the music and architecture here.

When we do make it to the top, BOY OH BOY were my prayers answered!

Lo and behold, enter Raziel’s new daddy/mentor figure, my man JANOS AUDRON! Proabably the one decent and kind creature I’ve seen yet in these games (if you don’t count helpless human npcs who are just trying to live their lives but are caught in all these wars, slaughter and destruction).

FINALLY an understanding, moderate, compassionate man in the midst of all the lies and deception. I love him! Oh and he has what seems to be a Romanian accent. Maybe a nod to the granddaddy of all vampires: Dracula? I think his design is cool as well, so that helps.

Before we go into huge lore dumps and while on the topic of having a brief father/mentor figure for your protagonist when he’s utterly lost, alone and confused, I thought I’d bridge it with Adam’s own once foster parent, the High Evolutionary:

From the few minutes you get to know these dads they’re very different characters with different backstories and motivations. Janos is this sad lonely old man, the last of the ancient vampires and one who has been keeping himself alive solely for his sense of duty. 

While the High Evolutionary was once a man called Herbert Wyndham who performed an experiment that evolved him into a godlike being. This experience proved to be such an assault on his senses and perceptions that he chose to encase himself in this armour. Like the name suggests he is obsessed with genetic manipulation and tampering of various kinds, it is his life’s ambition. 

Despite his somewhat villainous appearance, he’s never portrayed as such from what little I’ve read, he’s just…a bit creepy. Like, he takes Adam in and is super stoked about adopting him, but he also values him not so much as a person per se as you and me would, but more as one would value an impressivly carved piece of work:

I don’t know, maybe it’s his metal face that doesn’t emote much; his sometimes questionable morality; maybe it’s the fact that Adam was 5 years old at this point, a baby boy, and this pink armoured deity is super hyped about him; there’s something a bit unsettling about this guy. Have some more dubious quotes I’ve stumbled upon:

All in all, I think he did care about him, in his own strange way:

Anyway, what’s important is that these adoptive dads serve a somewhat similar purpose, and that is to push/urge our ”“”“"heroes”“”“” (I say with many quotation marks) into a more benevolant role: to guide them in their messianic mission and save a corrupted world. Basically there to provide a chance for them to be good boys. Up until now their track record leaves much to be desired, and they’ve been quite lost on what they’re supposed to be and do.

Raziel:

“So it’s all true, then - what Kain and Vorador have told me - I really am some kind of unholy vampire messiah…”

Janos:

“Unholy? -no. Messiah… perhaps.”

Raziel:

“I don’t like that word - it smells of martyrdom.”

Janos:

“Raziel, your role in this world’s destiny is more crucial - and more benevolent - than you’ve allowed yourself to believe. Your journey will not be easy - dark powers are allied against you.”

Oh and both dads give their sons their toys (Soul Reaver and Soul Gem):

Back to the meeting with Janos, we finally learn tons of things, both new and others that have been hinted at throughout, namely:

Janos has been living a life of a recluse, alone, on top of the Aerie;

Janos knows of Raziel (some old legend I think) and has been waiting for him to hand him over the Soul Reaver, saying it is the key to save Nosgoth;

The Pillars of Nosgoth were erected by the ancient vampires and they were the rightful guardians. Janos was called to be th 10th guardian, the Keeper of the Reaver;

Over time this ancient race started to die out, with their history slowly being forgotten;

Humanity prospered and since the Pillars choose their guardians from birth and vampires were no longer born, humans were called to be their guardians but were “wholly ignorant of their true purpose.”

The Circle of human guardians is led to believe (by whom we do not yet know) that vampires are a cancer in the world. Janos warns that “with their vampire purge, the members of the Circle have assaulted the very architects of the Pillars they are sworn to protect (…) With every vampire they kill, the humans are slitting their own throats.”

Janos being a cool level-headed guy here when Raziel says he must hate mankind for all the suffering they’ve brought to him:

“They fear what they don’t understand; and they despise what they fear. But no - I do not hate them.”

I find it funny how Raziel asks if humanity should be forgiven for trying to exterminate the vampire kind and doesn’t realize that: one, he himself was exterminating vampires just a couple of moments ago back in SR1; and two, how he is just like how Janos describes humanity to be:

“They don’t understand what they’re doing. They are simply unenlightened… and vulnerable to manipulation.”

Again, this last line, completely unlike a certain blue shambling corpse I know. Not like him AT ALL.

Then, as they head inside, we learn something odd as Janos presents Raziel with the Reaver. You see, the two times Raziel has been close to the Soul Reaver still in its physical form, reality started to bend and distort (I show it off in this previous post). 

When we met Kain and decided not to kill him, he explained that when: “two incarnations of the blade meet in time and space, a paradox is  created, a temporal distortion powerful enough to derail history”

This distortion, or sense of displacement however, is nowhere to be found now when Janos presents the blade to him. Raziel feels nothing and says that “this nothingness is somehow worse…” and to get it away from him.

We learn the Reaver was forged by the same ancient vampire race that erected the Pillars (which we’ve seen hinted at when we explored the land and came accross all sorts of old murals).

But now THIS is when the game first impales me through the heart.

Me and Janos are interrupted by the Sarafan warriors who arrive carrying Moebius’ Staff (which disables vampires to the point of being barely able to move at all).

And of course! OF COURSE! Of course the moment my boy Raziel finds a truly positive influence in his life to guide and enlinghten him, and that was willing to put himself in danger in order to save him… he is axed! HEART RIPPED FROM HIS CHEST!

And by whom you ask? Who would do such a deed and kill my last ray of hope?

WHY, ME! 

TWICE!

“Me” because I was the one to open an entrance to Janos’ up until then impenetrable retreat, and literally me: human Raziel of the Sarafan that lived during this time period and was head inquisitor!

A bit different from what was depicted back at the Sarafan Stronghold, we found several centuries later (putting the same image here again so you don’t have to scroll up to compare, am I swell or what?):

The Sarafan escape with Janos’ heart and the Reaver, while wraith Raziel has a final moment with Janos. 

This part destroys me:

Raziel:

“Forgive me; I’m sorry… I failed you.”

Janos: (gently)

“No, Raziel. Perhaps this was my true purpose - simply to save your life this once.”

Raziel: (distraught)

“While I have taken yours…”

That last bit is probably my favourite line-read in the entire series so far (which is the most impossible thing to choose since there are so many great ones). But I think it’s the overwhelming sadness in Raziel’s voice that makes it memorable, you’ve never seen him feel like this for another creature.

Breaks my stone hardened heart every time I listen to it. And here’s why I think it’s an effective emotional scene, even though we only get a few minutes with Janos before he is murdered - it is because of contrast. Up until now everyone you meet is some degree of a bad or manipulative person, and you don’t really have a true friend or someone to confide in, there’s no one that really brings out the best in Raziel and it sucks because there is potential there.  So when you introduce the apparently only decent and noble person in this god forsaken land and you’re so used to by now suspect and mistrust everyone, it is impactful because he was truth and honesty in a sea of deception and moral relativism. He was my light in the midst of the fog and the one who saw good in me. And right when you’re finally relaxing and getting confortable the game pulls the rug from under you.

Now, while on the topic of having your past and future meet, there was a little something about the meeting between Adam and the Universal Church of Truth that I’ve been saving up until now. If you remember, Adam was interrogating the young woman who was killed by the inquisitors about the church and the god they worship. When suddenly:

Good news is, Adam must’ve taken a left turn somewhere and ended up on the set for “Monty Python’s Life of Brian”, where he learned some latin:

This helped him quickly figure out the Magus’ identity:

Learn your dead tongues kids, you never know when it might come in handy when meeting your time travelling, thousands of years old future-self:

So as you can se, we have a similar self-discovery journey going on but reversed in a way. In Raziel’s case you play as his future self, who time travels back in time, meets his past self and sees what a hypocrite he’s been his entire life. In Adam’s case you follow his present self, who meets the Magus (his future self), who has travelled back in time 5.000 years, in which time he has built his empire. Meeting and confronting said empire/future self, leads Adam to see what a hypocrite he’s been his entire life. You see, both Adam and Raziel have always been their own worst enemy (their own shortcomings and character flaws). So it would be only natural that we get embodiments of the worst in them: Raziel, the human Sarafan Warrior and the Magus, their past and future selves respectively.

Oof, this was a long one, and I’ve reach the character limit. In the next post I’ll elaborate more on their characters and different selves; and we go through the roller-coaster of emotions that is the endgame for both these stories.

Look foward to me losing my mind even further while I go into time travelling, paradox shenanigans… oh, and look foward to happier times with COSMIC SUICIDE! See you in the near future.

#the infinity legacy #legacy of kain #soul reaver 2 #raziel #adam warlock #the magus #marvel comics #marvel cosmic #this post drained my spirit #my fan art