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rielzero · 6 months

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Just saw your post about ascended Astarion and male Tav fanfic. I am willing to rise to the challenge

If you need any prompts! here's some concept I've danced with in my head (up for anyone to use) inspired by my own character's potential AUs. Please do not claim ownership over the ideas, I'd love to see people's different spins. Please keep it to Male Tav, there's so many Female Tav fics out there already- I had ideas specifically with a male character in mind. M x M focus is preferred. I'm not bi or pan, so anything hinting to tav being exclusively gay is nice.

THESE ARE all PROMPTS / IDEAS not demands. I'm not here to control anyone's creative progress :V

I'm just a nerd be nice

Brain Damage Tav has used the tadpole powers but refuses to become half-illitid and keeps it how it is. Tav ascends Astarion- but is convinced by Jaheira or someone else that he is incapable of feeling love now and becomes afraid of him- (Astarion still is very much capable of love) Astarion responds of course like a scorned ex, and lies through his teeth when the break up happens and breaks tav's heart. Timeskip- it is revealed Tav's altered brain still has mindflayer powers, but because of the trauma of the final fight he suffers from severe memory loss and pretty much got themselves in a position were he is dying- only for Astarion to come around and save him by turning him- then be met with guilt and over-protectiveness when he realizes Tav does not remember their time together anymore. (would work for a series, this concept is what I intend to use for an AU of my character but it would be very different.) Lots of angst but soft ascended astarion towards male tav :3 very gentle- very protective.

You were There too AU were Tav was kept by Cazador but never turned, just kept as a snack- so Astarion knows him and they may have fallen in love during that time. During the ritual Cazador threatens to replace Astarion with Tav- Astarion goes feral.

I forget you're an Urchin Playing into the fact that Astarion was a corrupted Noble- knows what luxury life is like- inspired by how my tav is an urchin and very unfamiliar with luxury- Tav is Astarion's consort- but is very awkward not knowing ANYTHING about noble life, from etiquette to wearing jewelry and fancy garbs. Wholesome stuff- Probably lots of fluff. Astarion spoiling Tav and showing him off.

Three of them AU were Gale and Astarion and Tav are a in a polycule, after ascension Astarion becomes a little overly possessive over Tav- Gale notices a bit late and feels left out, but supports his loved ones new life goals... Of world domination.

I'm married, get over it Au were male tav has an horrible ex who breaks in the mansion because he thinks tav is enslaved to Astarion- but he's not- He's just as evil as Astarion. And they're very affectionate- Astarion enjoys rubbing it into the ex's face. Extra points if the ex is a human cleric, paladin, or bard with too much facial hair. (COUGHS)

Warlock? cool Any fic that plays into the warlock theme openly for tav, not similary to Wyll- all though I don't want to restrict anyone to a specific type of patron. (my patron is a great old one) keep in mind there's warlock patrons outside of the subclasses in the bg3 game if you need inspiration. If tav's patron is female, give them a mother-son kind of bond since tav is gay.

Other, Tropes I like described vaguely cuz my brain stoopid but ideas that can be expanded into one fic or more -oh shit you're dying don't worry I can fix it with a bite -you're so beautiful I want a 100 paintings of you akjdkhgkfhgk -The gods literally made you to ruin me god damn it I should've known -tav is small / fragile looking man but he can stab you 100 times over -tav can sing, or is creative but he doesn't like sharing this side of him (loki is 100% exactly this lol) hes easily embarrassed -tav is internally panicking because he is very very very gay. -tav has scars too and is very insecure about his body. -overprotectiveness, lots of handholding keep you close kinda stuff -wholesome physical affection, does not have sexual implications even if they talk dirty or flirt silly -words being used like petite, twink- or cute in the right context. -maybe a fic focussing on tav being half elf and the struggles that come with it. Otherwise leave race up to reader. -Tav was already a vampire before they met, or is a dhampir -Astarion and tav knew each other 200 years ago -I will pet you aggressively and affectionally and you will like it -who the fuck are you drawing? wait thats me??? oh -Astarion is creative too and might doodle. -love at first sight but in denial.. cuz its funny -tav has insomnia and needs cuddles... -tav is a necromancer and familiar with vampire lore. -anything reflecting the vampire bride/groom lore in a scene. (there's a reddit post explaining this) -Vampire hunters coming after tav in attempt to hurt Astarion because he's become pretty untouchable -Vampire Tav does not want to feed on his victims because he finds that too intimite -Vampire tav is a vampire lord too- but not an ascended one- and he isn't corrupted by greed. -Astarion technically can compel Tav, but has no desire to do so and voices this openly to anyone who tries to argue Tav is a slave. -If Astarion hurts tav by accident in any way he feels horrible and will shower him in gifts or thousands of love language things just to affirm that it was an oopsie and he did not want to do that. He'd never do that willingly. -consent consent consent anything with consent- love language is consent -tav was a sex worker himself before they met but not anymore -lots of fluff stuff -scheming husbands plotting the downfall of the world together, bonus points if tav is the mastermind and a genius -Polycule with Gale, either as Triad, or Triangle -Admiring from afar, staring- lots of staring- intense consential staring -astarion beating up tav's abusers while tav sips from a chalice like a spoiled consort -dramatic vampire parties and all the normie vampire lords are scared of Astarion and his consort -vampire politics are kind of like ballroom hissing contests with fancy banquets and showing off your partner -I will go feral if someone hurts or touches you -steer clear of the consort, or the master will gut you -jealous vampire lord tries to seduce tav but tav is very loyal to astarion and not having it -astarion gets a cleric or powerful mage in his court just to revive tav if tav dies -You offended my husband? I'm setting your village on fire -Everyone thinks the consort tav is weak- but the consort might actually be more dangerous oh no -None of the above lines have to be necessarily restricted by ingame universe, can all be AU- does not have to include the whole mindflayer drama. Rule of Cool.

Avoid these please? I personally dislike that -misgendering tav (babygirl, queen, girly, strictly effeminate- any words that might demasculinize tav, as a gay man this stuff makes me really uncomfortable) -Overly describing tav's features as if they're set without leaving it open to the reader (long hair, skin color, favorite colors, etc) -Astarion knew tav when tav was still a child and Astarion was an adult. -Astarion abusing tav physically, just.. Please no. -...they're teenagers in high school... *dies* -brainwashing.. No offense to people who like some tropes I don't- You're fine :V We all have different tastes!

Headcanons for how Ascension works that you can use (inspired by ingame dialogue and such) -Tav isn't a regular spawn, but a vampire groom- He was turned differently, not buried for 2 days. Astarion can sense Tav is in danger if he is a groom, or sense strong emotions from him. -Tav is not immune to sunlight unless he stays in close range of Astarion. (based on dialogue) -Astarion might be a bit warmer to the touch since he is a living vampire now. He does not have to feed on blood- but Tav still requires blood and is cold to the touch.

Might edit this post later with more.

#bg3 #male tav #astarion x male tav #astarion x male reader #prompts #these are some of my preferences #vampire #ascended astarion #astarion bg3 #fanfiction #fanfic prompts #ideas

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staytinyville · 6 months

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Han

PLEASE REFER TO MASTERLIST TO GET FULL TAROT READING EXPERIENCE

↣ Summary: Having spent your entire life trapped behind the castle walls, the day you go out you meet a man who tells you that the life you thought you knew was all a lie. So you take matters into your own hands.

↣ Characters/Pairing: Han Jisung x fem!reader

↣ Genre: historical!au, fantasy

↣ AU/Trope info: kingdom!au, villager!Han, princes(s)!reader,

↣ Word Count: 1.6k

↣ Warnings: None

↣ A/N: Royal!aus got me fucked man. I love them so much. Especially game of thrones esque types. Han is such a boy I can see him being a blacksmith’s boy or something. One who wants to be like a knight.

THE TOWER

Sudden Change, Upheaval, Chaos, Revelation, Awakening

This is a card that signifies a large charge. Not just any kind of change but the one that would shake you to your core and leave you gasping for air. However just because this is a card closely related to a change that will leave you shook, that doesn't always mean a negative change.

While you may be thrown for a loop with this card, it is best to keep your feet planted to the ground and understand the turmoils that are coming with it. Not everyone can understand what this card has in store for them.

While the tower falls in the end, what you have forward to looking for is the rebuilding and the aftermath. You will be beaten and battered, but the results will come out in your favor.

XVI THE TOWER

“I'd like to go out into the city today.” You told one of the stableman.

They stopped giving hay to the horses, turning to look at you with raised eyebrows. “Have you asked your parents, my lady?”

“I'm just going into town outside the keep.” You frowned, thinking back to the time you did ask them. While you knew your parents were busy you didn’t think they would wave you off with a no.

“Not leaving the country.” You added.

“I'm afraid I only take orders from your parents. If they have not approved, I'm afraid I cannot do that for you.” The man went back to doing his chores.

You sneered at him, lips turning up. With a huff you turned around, stomping off. As a little girl you had always spent time adventuring around the castle grounds. Oftentimes you would find yourself climbing the walls little by little. You wouldn’t dare to crawl over the tall parts of the stone wall, but you did find spots that you could easily fall over. One such spot was a window in a hallway that looked out into a part of the city.

“Shit!” Your eyes went wide as your hands let go of the siding and you went tumbling down onto your back.

You hit the ground with a thud, your breath leaving you for a second causing you to gasp. The cloak you had worn was getting dirty with dust as you curled into a fetal position trying to lessen the pain. The fall wasn’t a huge one; it was a good five foot wall but the tumble still did cause pain from how you landed.

“Women falling from the sky?” Someone spoke up, looking at the wall you had just fallen from. “Must be my lucky day.” He was quick to help you up, dusting off some of your clothing. As you got a look at your face he frowned.

“Lady (Y/N)?” He asked, tilting his head.

“Yes. Thank you—” You paused for a moment as you took in his cute chubby cheeks.

It had been a long while since you had ever seen someone as adorable as him. You hadn’t even spoken to many men outside of the staff and your family so getting to meet one was a bit of a shock for you. He must have taken your pause as a question to who he was and he answered you.

“Han.” He nodded. “Han Jisung.”

“Thank you, Jisung.” You shook your head, bowing it in thanks for helping you up.

“Can I ask why you were climbing through that window though?” He asked you looking up at the castle wall.

“I wanted to leave the palace but they told me I couldn't.” You huffed, fixing your cloak and dress.

You furrowed your eyebrows as you saw his expression turn irritated.

“You actually want to leave the palace? Yeah, okay.” He scoffed, suddenly annoyed with you as he went back on his journey.

“Hey!” You called after, rushing towards him. “You don't know what it's like in there.”

“Hm. Never going hungry. Having all the luxury silks money can buy. Not having to lift a finger up for anything. You're right–sounds terrible.” He rolled his eyes sarcastically.

“It's not that.” Your voice turned soft, making Han feel sort of bad for the way he was speaking to you. “The staff doesn't let me do anything if my parents don't have a say in it.”

“Oh you poor thing.” He fake pouted.

“Stop patronizing me!” You huffed out, following after his steps again.

He quickly stopped causing you to bump into him. You gasped queitly, holding onto his arms to keep from falling over.

“Look, princess. I don't care what your parents do and don't do with you.” He told you. “You're just another noble lady coming to ruin our day by taking what we work hard for just to use it for personal gain. Your parents already do that as is.”

You were froed for a moment as you looked at him confused. Han raised a brow at your look, waiting for you to say something else.

“My parents?” You asked quietly.

“Uh, yeah.” Han spoke. “They are the worst. Always raising taxes, taking from us and not giving enough money. Who knows how they're still in power.” He began to head towards a shop on the street, dropping his bags at the entrance.

He turned around when you stood still in the middle of the small alleyway, frowning as he took in your confused expression. If he didn’t know any better it would seem as thought this was the first time you were hearing about this kind of thing.

“No.” You shook your head. “That can't be true. My parents always give to the people. They care for them.” You looked up at him, the look of denial clear on your face.

“You're so caught under their arms you don't even know the truth.” He whisepred, growing closer to you. “Did you know, your mother had a child killed because they ran into her while on the streets? Or that your father comes down to the brother every other week? You have no clue who you're living with.” He told you.

“I—I have to go.” You shook your head, tears springing in your eyes as you thought about all that Han had told you. “This can't be true.” You whispered to yourself turning around.

He had always heard about how the king and queen seemed to keep the princess under their care. But it was much deeper than that. The only time they were ever allowed to see her was when they would have parades and she would always be behind in a carriage. It was clear (Y/N) had hardly ever been allowed to go see the people.

But from the staff that did work in the castle, they had always spoken so highly of her. Saying she was the kindest of all her family and cared deeply about what they all thought. She was a studious person who saw the world as something that needed protecting. She was someone of justice–someone who catered to the needs of everyone with the right rule.

A much better ruler than her parents.

“Hey!” Han shouted, running after you. “Wait!”

When he reached you, you had been hyperventilating, thinking about all those lies you had been told. You knew Han had been right–you had seen the clues of how cruel your parents actually were. All those staff members who talked behind their back, didn’t try to go against their orders. All those times they would look at you in fear after hearing that you wanted to do something without their permission. You were blocking out the truth on your own.

Your chest began to tighten and your legs felt weak. You were close to falling over until Han held you up with his arms wrapped around you.

“Hey, hey. Look at me.” Han whispered, holding your face with his hands softly. They were calloused, rough due to his hard work. “I'm sorry.” He told you. “I'm sorry I told you all those things but you need to breathe for me okay? Deep breaths.”

You looked at him with tears falling down your cheeks, his thumbs rubbing them away. “Why did you help me?” You asked him quietly.

“Because I know what it's like to have an anxiety attack. I'm sorry I put you in that position.” He pulled you into his chest, allowing you to wrap your arms around him. His breathing was soothing you, bringing you back to the right state of mind. With closed eyes you knew what it was you had to do.

“It's okay.” You took in a deep breath pulling away from him. You gave him a smile, confusing Han for a moment. “I can't let them be those kinds of rulers. The people deserve better.”

“Like who?” He asked. “You?”

“I am the heir.” You let go of him, holding your head high as if you hadn’t just had a panic attack. “I'll fix this. I promise, Jisung.”

And you kept that promise. It was easy to create a rebellion against your parents and cause them to step down from their positions. You got not only the staff but also the council on your side–after you took care of the corrupt in it of course. With how much you had studied to become the perfect heir, you knew all there was to politics in the country.

You accused your father of war crimes and adultery. Your mother was outraged with this–having now known. She had tried to side with you, saying you were perfect for the throne. However you accused her of murder and fraud. Bezzling the crown’s money for her own luxuries. They tried to fight against you but you had the soldiers and citizens to back you up.

And so now you sat at the throne, a metal crown on your head to signify your new position. A large smile graced your lips as you saw someone walking up the steps. He took a glance at the guards at your side but when he saw you come to a stand and walked down the steps to meet him he didn’t find it in himself to worry.

“You kept your promise.” He told you, looking up at the crown.

It was his most prized possession after you had asked him to make it. He added in his own touch as per your request. You wanted it to serve as a reminder that he was the one who opened your eyes.

“I told you I would.” You answered. “Thank you for helping me.” Your face softened, feet shuffling closer to him.

Your hands twitched at your side, wanting to reach out for him. But he knew with the look in your eyes that there would be a moment for that. Alone and away from the prying eyes of others.

“Thank me by giving me food.” He teased.

“All you can eat.”

Tags : @cultofdionysusnet , @sandsofire , @k-vanity

#cultofdionysusnet #kvanity #sandsofirenet #stray kids x reader #stray kids #han jisung #stray kids imagines #han x reader #han x y/n #han x you #han jisung x reader #han jisung x you #han jisung x y/n #stray kids fanfic #stray kids scenarios #stray kids fluff #skz #tarot

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emblemxeno · 10 months

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Given how many people claim to love Corrin OUTSIDE of Fates, I'd doubt that claim. Imo it's just that Fates plot betrayed Corrin a lot of times

Maybe, but even then, that's the kind of perspective on Corrin that bothers me the most.

Of course it's not bad to like Corrin outside of Fates, but most of the time their personality is piecemeal and sometimes flanderized. They're not center stage, they're plucked from a point in Fates' storyline (pre choice for Warriors, post choice for Engage, whatever the new alt demands for Heroes) that's intentionally left vague and open-ended, and in doing so, Corrin becomes palatable to more people.They're open minded, sweet, supportive, and that's it. There's nothing that's seemingly "offensive" to people's story experience as usually associated with Corrin when consuming non-Fates material. People can like Corrin without being reminded of why they don't like Corrin. And imo that's a little, uh, weird, I guess.

And I wouldn't have these mixed feelings about it if people didn't claim that Corrin is better written in non-Fates material, but that's often the case, and that causes me to take said opinion less seriously. Cuz at that point, what's actually being liked, is it Corrin, or just the general Protag Personality tropes?

As an example, for as much as I adore Engage, all of the female emblems personalities blend in very easily with each other, Celica, Eirika, and Corrin most of all, cuz they're all hit with the "fanservice flanderization" so they don't the boat with any controversial personality tropes. Yeah it makes sense since they already developed through their games' events and thus don't need to do anything akin to their mistakes in their home games, but when someone says they like Corrin in Engage but not in Fates, what's exactly so likeable about her that I wouldn't mistake her for Celica or Eirika? Or even Marth to an extent? It's the same case in Warriors because Celica, Caeda, Marth, and Lianna are all there too, with similar personality tropes. Heroes sort of gets away with it because "hee hee hoo hoo fun and cute designs" that no one else has and variants that deal with actual character development stuff (Legendaries, Fallens, Braves, Ascendeds) all of which help not just Corrin, but Eirika, Celica and others separate themselves and be true to their home game, wrapped in a hellish gambling scheme.

To cut my ramblings short, I can get why people like Corrin outside of Fates, and I even appreciate to a certain extent, but at the same time it can read as superficial and dismissive to their overall character.

#fire emblem fates #fire emblem discourse #corrin fire emblem #and like i wouldn't expect them to try and include their naivete in non fates games cuz why would they lol #but eh there's always something they could do that isn't just 'aw isn't Corrin so sweet and nice :3"#fire emblem

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cyberiada · 2 years

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HEY HEY TELL ME ABT CORDI

AAAAH OKAY OKAY

gay little dragon under the cut!!

to give you a quick rundown on his backstory:

Cordi has been a travelling bard ever since he was old enough to leave the family home. he Loved music but was never very good at magic (even though fire magic ran in the family) so he tried to combine music and magic to create little song-spells so he could fend for himself. and it worked! but he couldn't use magic without his mandolin (and still can't). Kostryn (my. other oc) who was a villain back in the age of great heroes saw the potential in him and trained him to become Evil (he taught Cordi arcane magic and how to have a good evil laugh).

during quest, Cordi works for Gilgamech for like 70% of the game. he's kind of a reoccurring villain like Captain Canary (also very hilariously incompetent), but you don't get to fight him until after retrieving the Necronomicog. and then you beat his ass and recruit him!! because Cordi has received some Serious damage during the fight (also because of one of his arcane attacks he used - the card is called Emotional Time Bomb and not only it drains a lot of his energy but damages him as well), he has to be taken care of afterwards for a while (Galleo had to use his healing magic a lot and Cordi Might have kind of a little bit fallen in love maybe but just a little)

when he gets better he becomes the embodiment of the Annoying Bard trope. making songs about the great heroes and how they're gonna save the world and how amazing they are. and of course following them around and singing them (and turning some of them into healing spells!). then he joins their team for good and helps them beat Gilgamech and destroy the Behemoth

after the ending of the game he starts travelling again and is gone for a good couple months. he comes back with gifts for everyone and moves in with Vee's oc Viol :] they become Besties and they bond over their music-magic thing (even though their styles are Very Different)

to give you a rundown on his personality, Cordi gets excited Very easily, he's always cheerful and full of energy and very charismatic. he has a mindset of "this is the only life I've got so I need to try Everything" which has gotten him into trouble in the past but his life is mostly without regrets. he loves nature, especially going on walks in the forest (sometimes in the middle of the night due to his insomnia) and if he's inspired enough he can write even multiple songs in a week (simply being gay is enough of an inspiration sometimes). he is not. the sharpest tool in the shed so to say and mentally he's 100% a himbo

there's definitely more to Cordi than I wrote here but this post is already getting too long so I'll just end it here lmao. thank you for the ask vee!! <3

#steamworld #my ocs #cordian #emmet??? talking about its ocs??????? hard to believe i know #if this is incomprehensible thats because its 2 am #i should be asleep rn. but i had too many cordi thoughts that i had to get out #i blame cinni and their wonderful art of him in the aggie today /lh

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danteinthedevildom · 3 years

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Something I love about Obey Me is that, on the whole, for every trait a character has, they have another trait that actively counters it and thus makes them seem genuinely conflicting on a surface level, but wonderfully three dimensional on a deeper dive into their character.

E.g. People in the early-game sometimes think Diavolo comes across as a little two-faced, or that there’s something a little suspicious about him and the things he does - and I def. originally saw some theories (and when I first started playing, had some suspicions of my own) that he might end up being the real “villain” of the game.

A lot of this stems from the fact that he seems genuinely friendly, open, and willing to spend time with the exchange students in casual, informal ways, but also has abilities and moments of power abuse that seem to completely diverge from the image of the smiling prince.

Surely someone who does this is hiding something? Surely that carefree attitude is just a facade? It’s definitely the sort of twist you could expect with the character setup present in Diavolo.

But when you look at it, there’s a reason behind this duality that doesn’t actually fall into the usual tropes - and instead builds a much more interesting, well-rounded character.

(Spoilers ahead, both for Lesson 16 and for the most recent Lessons, especially involving Diavolo’s childhood.)

For instance, how could he claim to see Lucifer as a friend when he has him bound by an Oath that puts an incredible power imbalance in their relationship, and stops him from speaking of it?

The answer is that he’s genuinely never had a friend in his entire long life that hasn’t had some form of reason to stay by his side. To Diavolo, the Oath was a way of ensuring Lucifer couldn’t leave - not a way of keeping control. He wanted Lucifer to be his friend, has been enamoured with him even since Lucifer was an angel, and took the opportunity to secure that friendship in the only way he knew how.

Because Diavolo is pitifully lonely. Because Diavolo was raised in a way that left him incapable of making friends. Because Diavolo likely never would have been able to make a friend if he hadn’t tethered them to him.

Does this make the Oath any better? No. He took advantage of a broken, freshly fallen angel, terrified of the fates of his siblings, and vowed him to silence and servitude in return for their lives.

But does this mean that the Oath was inherently evil? No. At its core, the Oath was the act of a very lonely man realising he had a chance to secure the one thing he wanted more than anything. It was selfish, but not evil.

It does, however, show us the sort of extent Diavolo will go to get what he wants. He will leverage something over others if he thinks that’s what it takes. This is even reinforced by the truth of Barbatos’ servitude; that he treatened to refuse ascension to the throne if Barbatos didn’t stay.

At the same time, it shows that what he wants, more often than not, is something harmless, if desperate. It’s often a desire for companionship that spurs him into dubious action.

He’s very unlikely to abuse his power to genuinely hurt someone, but he may use his power in a way that has hurtful side effects.

Diavolo is aware that his actions had consequences, and feels guilt. He still isn’t confident that Lucifer and Barbatos genuinely want to stay with him or in his service, and he’s openly aware of the fact that Lucifer, at the very least, doesn’t see them being as close as he does.

He doesn’t want to remove either of them from his service for fear that they really will leave him, but he’s aware that keeping them there potentially against their will isn’t conducive to healthy friendships.

Diavolo has done dubious things for selfish reasons. This is undeniable. But those reasons are genuine and understandable, and something players can easily sympathise with.

That’s the sort of thing you want for a well fleshed-out character; the ability to say “there was something inherently wrong in this action taken,” but also say “I can understand why he took the action, even if it was wrong”.

I focused on Diavolo for this, but here’s another two points I can think of to further illustrate the point:

- Lucifer’s genuine love and care for his family constrasting against his prideful brutality and absolute loyalty to Diavolo above all else (e.g. how he can justify locking Belphie up in the attic. This was an act of love. The alternative was to hand Belphie over to Diavolo and let him face an unknown fate. By locking him up for the duration of the Exchange Programme, Lucifer was working to avoid being disloyal to Diavolo and being disloyal to his family. It was absolutely an imperfect solution. It absolutely had its flaws. It absolutely made things worse. But it was his way of keeping his youngest brother alive and allowing Diavolo’s dream to come to fruition. A dubious act founded in good intentions.)

- Satan’s kind thoughtfulness and amicable nature contrasting against his Wrath and how it affects his brothers (e.g., how he can switch between fretting over Beel’s mental health in one chat, to being so furious with him over his Gluttony that Beel actively goes into hiding in another. Satan is a character rife with stark dualities and his own frantic attempts to try and stitch together something whole. He’s not overly good at it. His Wrath often gets in the way. But he has spent his entire life trying to improve, to find himself, to come to terms with his creation; he is trying every day not to be the Satan that lashes out at the drop of a hat.)

The game isn’t always perfect at showing these characteristics in equal measure, but sometimes that’s the point.

It’s why, for instance, some people write Satan to be a heartless, Wrath-filled asshole, and others write him as a harmless bookworm with a knack for academia; the truth is that he’s both, and a key part of his characterisation is finding balance between the contrasting sides.

On the other hand, it’s why some people completely look over Beel as very two dimensional when he truthfully isn’t. He’s a naturally quiet demon, content for others to see him as a jock with a love of food and nothing more. But in that quiet, he hides a demon struggling with survivor’s guilt who is secretly hurt by how simple people think he really is, and has such a strong love for his family that he puts them before anything else. His characterisation isn’t finding a balance in his contrast, but finding the contrast to begin with.

That’s the point of a three dimensional character. You’re meant to be able to debate about them, and understand them while disagreeing with them. You’re meant to be able to view them from different angles and see something new each time. That’s half the fun of them - that’s what makes them interesting.

I won’t lie and say the game’s great at this all the time, because sometimes it is really, genuinely not, and sometimes even Solmare have a tendency to forget some of the deeper aspects of their characters for the surface-level stuff.

But for what is there? There’s so much interesting craft at work in the characters, and it makes taking a closer look at each of them - and how different players view them - so, so enjoyable.

#obey me #obey me diavolo #obey me satan #obey me lucifer #obey me beelzebub #I'm really not too sure what else to tag this as?#It's really just a little bit of character analysis asdfg

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luci-four · 3 years

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Tug-o-War {Leviathan x Reader/MC}

A/N: Just something I thought would be fun. I can definitely see Levi being the kind of asshole to pull on the string just to get more room for himself asdklfh plus, I’m a big sucker for soulmate aus :sob:

{Leviathan x Reader/MC}

Leviathan didn’t enjoy socializing.

He actively avoided leaving his room, and didn’t waste his time with trying to get close to the “normies” who surrounded him in the universe. He was alone and didn’t mind it so long as he had his passions to keep him company—and Henry. He liked Henry’s presence.

The tug on his finger was annoying, and at times he would find himself enraged by the fact it caused him such an inconvenience. Rhythm games were almost impossible to do and if he dared to knock over any of his figurines again, he just might call upon Lotan to punish him for his own crimes. Levi would trip over nothing, run into door frames, and worst of all, there were times this stupid string of his would pull so suddenly he’d fly out of his chair. It had him enraged, and he was ready for it to be gone. The taut string was infuriating and limited his movements far more than he liked, but no matter what he attempted to do to cut it some slack, it never seemed to work. Scissors would break under the sheer pressure he put them other, and magic simply backfired if he used it on the red line between him and whoever else.

He was told it was supposedly attached to his “soulmate”, or whatever. He was well aware of the trope—he's seen enough anime to get the gist—but he didn’t care to find out who was on the other end. Sure, the idea of a soulmate was enticing; someone who was perfectly crafted to be your match while you were crafted the same way? The two of you meant to be together in some way, shape, or form, enriching each other's lives and making each day worth living—he wasn’t interested. All he cared about was what surrounded him and made him happy in his present state.

Levi had gotten used to the limitation on his movements; he could reach the corner of his room if he stretched as far as possible and duck underneath his desk to plug something in so long as he stuck his other hand out from underneath it. Lately, however, he found it severely odd that he was able to move a bit more freely. He was able to do whatever he wanted; spin in his chair, go wherever he pleased (his idol meet-ups were the only places he died to go, however), and found that he could even pull on this annoying little string of his. He’d yank on the cord sincerely hard at all hours of the day, hoping to inflict some sweet revenge on whoever had caused him to struggle for so long. Every time he watched the string drop a bit more, indicating the person on the other end may have fallen on their face, he couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh. Levi would admit it did make him feel a bit frightened to know it insinuated that the person on the other end could potentially be much closer to him than they were before.

No, he didn’t care about soulmates. His soulmate was the very love he had for his anime, his games, his idols—for Ruri-chan! Levi couldn’t care less about the person on the other end. They were probably some normie anyway, and he had no time for that. Late at night, however, while he looked at his reflection in the loading screen, he wondered just what they might have been like. It didn’t mean he would seek them out, just... curious. Months had passed; he no longer paid attention to how the string seemed to neither pull at him nor wiggle about.

Dammit, he needed his money back from Mammon. Luckily, he could hear his older brother’s annoying voice ring out from downstairs so he reluctantly made a move to meet him there, moaning and groaning about how disgusting he thought Mammon’s greedy actions were. Orange eyes were trained on his feet as he walked, his thoughts wandering between the idea of forcing the money he needed right then out of his brother, or demanding everything that was owed to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the stupid string around his finger once again and sighed, playing around with it a bit; what he realized made him stop in his tracks, however.

He could see the string. Well, he could always see the piece around his finger, and every so often a glimpse of a piece just a bit away from him—but never so much of it at one time. It didn’t give any sort of strain nor slack either. An overwhelming sense of panic took over his body, and he decided to give it a bit of a test; as he had done several times before, he grabbed a hold of the red cord and pulled it back, hard. Below him, he heard a loud thud as someone had fallen to the floor and Mammon call out to whoever it had been. Quickly, his heartbeat was the only thing he could hear pounding in his ears as each step he took towards the two bodies downstairs were so shaky he wondered if he could even do it without falling down.

The person on the other end was there? In the hallway? In his house? In Devildom? It was a fact he just couldn’t fathom. He didn’t care—he had been saying it for what felt like forever-- but why did the pit of his stomach feel so jittery that it hurt? He felt like he was waiting in line at a handshake event with his favourite idol; his hands were shaking and sweaty and he couldn’t quit fidgeting. It was as though he could feel every cell in his body at once and they were all shouting to the point his body felt like old TV static. He didn’t care. He didn’t care, he didn’t care, he didn’t care. With each step closer to the mystery person, the louder the ringing in his ear seemed to get.

Levi couldn’t bring himself to lift his eyes for a moment when he heard Mammon call out to him; instead of looking towards the person with him, he trained his gaze onto the white-haired male and put all of his focus into blocking out his peripheral vision. As his brother spoke, his mind easily snapped back to the task at hand—chewing him out for his money back. He hounded him, threatening him as he normally did, only to be blown off as he attempted to inch his way down the hall; calling after him was useless, Mammon had taken off running, leaving Levi with the so-called “soulmate”. Their presence behind him was heavy, and he faced away from them as long as possible. Maybe they wouldn’t notice it was him? Maybe they wouldn’t realize and rather fear him, knowing he was a demon? Maybe they didn’t care—he sure didn’t. Not at all.

“Um, excuse me...” their voice was heavenly. Levi could feel his ears turn red and a shiver crawl painfully slow up his spine. “Leviathan... right? Your brothers mentioned you--”

Their voice wavered, the words dying in their throat. Were they nervous? He wasn’t. He wiped his hands on his pants before turning to look at their feet. Orange eyes dragged up their frame to meet theirs that looked like they gleamed like the stars were supposed to. He didn’t care.

“I’m MC,” they played with the perfect little bow wrapped around their finger. He watched them bite their lip ever so slightly and subconsciously mirrored their movements. He didn’t care.

He didn’t care. He wouldn’t care. They could be the most beautiful creature he’s ever seen, as though they fell from heaven alongside him, so terrifyingly perfect he couldn’t even wrap his head around it and he wouldn’t bat an eye. His throat was dry—he was gaming all night beforehand, that was why. It was hot in the house, that’s why his hands were sweaty; no, it was cold in there, that’s why he was shaking.

Deflecting their question, he put a bit of disgust behind his voice as he spoke to them, telling them to make a pact with Mammon. He didn’t care if they did, he just wanted his money. He didn’t care if they got close to his brother. Levi ignored the pain in his chest as he thought about it. He ignored the confused, and somewhat sad, look to their face as he kept talking.

He doesn’t care about meeting some stupid normie that would be his “soulmate”. He didn’t care at all. He just wanted to go back to his room and watch the new episode he’d been waiting for, maybe get some food since his stomach had been churning the entire time he stood there. He didn’t care, he didn’t care, he didn’t--

Why did his heart beat so loudly in his ears, then?

#om! leviathan #om! levi #om! levi x reader #om! leviathan x reader #obey me! levi #obey me! leviathan #om! writing #om! fic #obey me! fic #satans bookmark #so yeah hot take levi would ignore his soulmate unTIL hes forced to acknowledge them

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seanfalco · 3 years

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Creator Tag Game 2020

RULES: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works 💛

Thanks for tagging me @ficsandcatsandficsandcats & @seancekitsch!

1. Playing With Fire + Burning Out 🔥

(I’m counting these as one, since they’re part of the same series) PWF was the first real long fic I’ve actually completed in a long time and I’m really proud of that, bc up until now I’ve had a terrible habit of starting fics and losing steam and then leaving them unfinished.

This was the series that really kind of started it all this year, I mean, before that I had written quite a bit, but not nearly with the same drive, and I honestly don’t know where I’d be without it. I’ve made so many friends/mutuals/amazing followers bc of it and I can’t wait for S3 to come out so I can continue the story. I’ve never felt like a very strong angst writer, but this fic has proven me wrong and I’m kind of in awe that I’ve written it.

2. Bad Kids 🚬

The longest fic I’ve written this year in terms of word count. It was a fun challenge to play within the boundaries of Misfits canon to add my reader character and I really love the character I’ve created. All in all this fic was just plain fun. Going into it I was hella nervous about writing for Nathan, and ended up finding that his voice is one of the easiest and most entertaining for me to write.

3. Kinktober💦

I couldn’t choose just one piece bc I really think all of them were strong, so I’m going to say the whole series. While I didn’t produce a piece for every single day, I did include almost every prompt within the 9 fics I did write and I felt like they were prompts/kinks that I had never really written before. I enjoyed pushing my envelope and finding new things that I really enjoyed writing about.

4. A New Beginning 📷

Sean Falco has easily become my comfort character of 2020 and writing for him is honestly really therapeutic. I still have a long way to go with this fic and it��s not gunna be all fluffy sunshine and roses and I’m really excited to get to the angst that’s looming around the corner.

5. Not What This Is 💫

I figure I can’t cheat and use series for all of them, so I’m choosing at least one oneshot that I felt was really strong. This fic just kinda wormed its way into my head after watching Geostorm for the first time and I was honestly kinda blown away by the amount of love it got and how much I love writing Duncan. I hadn’t gotten to write an enemies/rivals to lovers fic in a while and it’s one of my favourite tropes. The smut here was a little rougher than I usually write, but I really enjoyed how sexy it turned out and I’m hella excited to continue this storyline in the new year.

Honourable Mention: The Witcher Punk!AU 🎸

This was the second collaboration I’ve ever gotten to work on and I loved every second of it. Getting to help create this world with @ficsandcatsandficsandcats was SO fun and I will always cherish our late nights talking headcanons, fitting everything together, and fleshing out the inner workings of Valdo and Aev’s relationship.

Aev was the first new oc I’d created this year and yeah, I do count Valdo as basically an oc as well, especially Punk!Valdo. They are both near and dear to my heart and without them I probably wouldn’t have fallen back in love with Robert and moved on to write for his other characters. So truly you can all thank Punk!au for all the fics that followed.

Tagging w/o obligation: @midnightseance @the-novel-on-the-left @falcor-thee-luck-dragon @badsext @sokkasdarling @robertsheehanownsmyass @elliethesuperfruitlover @super-unpredictable98 @iamsexytrash @miss-kittys-magical-library @ma-sulevin

#creator tag 2020 #joz talks #my writing #i can’t believe how much i wrote this year #there were so many other things i wanted to add #bc i’m really happy with almost everything lol #sorry i got kinda wordy #i’m just kinda proud

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agentnico · 4 years

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Top 20 Best Movies of the Decade (2010′s)

Now that we have entered the 2020s, it’s time to look back on a decade of movie magic. To emphasise the importance of each year, I’ll balance things out by including two films from each year for my Top 20 list. I’ve tried to pick films that both defined this decade as well as appealed to me personally, so my list will of course, as always, be different from yours, but hopefully, I won’t totally irritate you with my humble choice, which I deem worthy to post online for the public eye to witness.

2010:

INCEPTION - “You’re waiting for a train...” Christopher Nolan unarguably is the most exciting and original directors working today. Each time he releases a movie, its an event. A literal must-see at the cinema. Which is why this isn’t the only film of his you will find on this list. With Inception, Nolan gives us a movie that is both enjoyable and imaginative, rewarding the audience for the attention that it demands. Filled with so much detail that if you miss certain shots, you will completely get lost in confusion of the narrative (as confusing as it already is). It’s intense and complex, with great performances from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, this movie will leave you lingering for more even after that mysterious ending.

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD - “You cocky cock! You'll pay for your crimes against humanity!” Once again, another exciting director on this list (oh there are so so many!). Ever since Edgar Wright emerged from the British isles, he’s given us some of the funniest films of the past decade and onwards. His Cornetto Trilogy is a blast, Baby Driver is a blast, Ant-Man was going to be even more of a blast if Marvel allowed Wright to do his magical shenanigans his way, and the upcoming Last Night in Soho will surely be a blast also. With Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Wright creates a meta-clever universe taking inspiration from comic books and video games and filled to the brink with wink-wink-nudge-nudge humour, this is an exciting and very sarcastic over the top endeavor. Also, Brie Larson in this movie.....phew!! And unsurprisingly, its all a blast!

2011:

DRIVE - “I just wanted you to know, just getting to be around you, that was the best thing that ever happened to me.” Drive is more of an elegant exercise in style, and its emotions may be hidden but they run deep. A shamelessly disreputable, stylish, stoic, ultra-violent thriller with amazing stunt work, one of the best opening sequences of any movie this decade and a neon-pumped soundtrack that’s a must-own for all vinyl users, if you still haven’t seen Drive, there’s only one thing you can do. Clue: it’s to go watch Drive.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL - “Your mission, should you choose to accept it...” Tom Cruise’s deal with the devil allows him to do some literally impossible stuff, and though I don’t condone his Scientology ways, the man’s stunt work and efforts in his area of expertise are worth all the praise and respect. To be honest, I’m commemorating all three of the Mission Impossible flicks that graced our screen this year (Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation and Fallout). This franchise is like a game of dodgeball, except that Tom Cruise is the dodgeBALL, being thrown and thrust left and right like nobody cares. Also, with me being Russian, the fact that a movie manages to destroy the Kremlin and then have me not hate the film in the aftermath shows that this film is way too fun to hate.

2012:

DJANGO UNCHAINED - “Gentlemen, you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention.” Quentin Tarantino is one of my favourite directors working today. And Django Unchained happens to be my favourite film of his. The writing for this film is orgasmic (I went there!). The way the actors deliver the lines and the lines of dialogue themselves sound almost poetic to my ears. I can quote so many lines from this darn thing. The cinematography is immaculate. The soundtrack choice is great. The performances, my goodness, the PERFORMANCES!! Jamie Foxx does arguably his career-best work here, but also we have Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio both chewing up the scenery, and I’m sure everyone has heard the story involving DiCaprio and the broken glass. Django Unchained is an easy choice on this list for me, and possibly in my Top 10 of all time.

LES MISERABLES - “Do you hear the people sing?” The film that is based on a musical that is based on a book that is based on certain true events. Tom Hooper did an interesting choice of having actors sing live in front of the camera during filming rather than pre-record their voices, and it works to grand effect, though Russell Crowe should have probably been given more singing lessons. The movie is one hell of a way to adapt such a popular stage musical. With an opening shot that emphasises the scale of this picture with a zoom-in towards this big ship during a storm being pulled by these poor prisoners, we are plunged into the despair and conflicts of various characters with adroit narrative thrust so that not a moment feels wasted or redundant. You’d think that a film with hardly any dialogue and an overall reliance on singing wouldn’t be so emotional. Yet, somehow, it works. Also props to Anne Hathaway for winning an Academy Award for being in a film for only 5 MINUTES!!

2013:

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET - “Sell me this pen.” Martin Scorsese’s mad look into Wall Street life is a bombastic caper and running at nearly 3 hours, Scorsese and his editing team manage to keep an astoundingly intoxicating pace that keeps you enthralled and engaged throughout. This one is definitely not for the families, as this R-rated fest is filled with drugs, money, sex and everything you can possibly imagine and paints quite the picture of the rich folks of Wall Street. And the middle of it all a bravura performance from Leonardo DiCaprio. Someone needs to give DiCaprio’s agent a raise, this is Leo’s third appearance on this list and we’re only in 2013!

THE WAY WAY BACK - “I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You're having way too much fun, it's making everyone uncomfortable.” Sometimes a little indie flick is enough to lift a human spirit. Real, fun, uplifting and innocent, The Way Way Back dedicated to anyone who felt awkward or out of place at some point in their life, which, let’s be honest, counts all of us. I’m not afraid to admit that. So stop being a b*** and reveal your sensitive side too! Yes, you, the person reading this. Who else could I possibly be talking to? Myself? Maybe. The Way Way Back though is one of the best feel-good indie films of this decade, with the loveable Steve Carell acting very unloveable and Sam Rockwell Rockwelling himself to charm city! If you’ve missed this one, treat yo’self and check it out.

2014:

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL - “And?? Where is it? What's it all about dammit don't keep us in suspense this has been a complete f***ing nightmare! Just tell us what the f*** is going on!!!” Easily Wes Anderson’s best in my opinion (I have a friend who would argue Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums has the better hand but I think my opinion is more valid because it's me), this movie is a glossy, colorful, whimsical deadpan affair with an energetic turn from Ralph Fiennes as the hotel concierge M. Gustave H. as he and his lobby boy run into various Wes Anderson regulars and deal with murderers, stolen paintings, love affairs, prison breaks, and all kinds of crazy shindigs, but all shown in such a casual Wes Anderson way. This movie is like a slice of cherry pie - damn fine!

INTERSTELLAR - “Murphy’s Law doesn’t mean that something bad will happen. It means that whatever can happen, will happen.” As promised, Christopher Nolan makes another appearance on this list, now with his space time-traveling epic Interstellar, where he takes inspiration from the likes of Kubrick and Tarkovsky to give us, as always, a tad bit confusing adventure with great visuals and an interesting narrative (though it does sometimes get lost in its own way), however, the key thing holding this piece together is the father-daughter relationship with Matthew McConaughey and Mackenzie Foy (and Jessica Chastain) managing to bring so much raw emotion to their respective roles that you can’t help but want to shed a tear. I mean, I haven’t cried for over 14 years, but I remember when I first watched this film, the audience around me was sobbing quite a few times during the duration of this movie. Give it to Nolan to give us the emotional moments!

2015:

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD - “Oh what a day! What a lovely day!!” Easily the best action movie of this decade. Sorry John Wick, neither you or Tom Cruise could defeat this beast. The sheer, limitless invention behind this movie's exhilarating, preposterous chase scenes highlights action filmmaking at its finest. With big monster trucks and a random guitarist rocking-it in the middle of all the action, it’s like a nihilistic version of a Cirque du Soleil show! And it makes Tom Hardy the calmest person on-screen; no idea how it managed that.

STEVE JOBS - “I sat in a garage and invented the future because artists lead and hacks ask for show of hands.” If there is anyone who can make formulaic, mathematical or technological sound fun and exciting, its Aaron Sorkin. The man has a talent for writing screenplays about difficult and complicated topics yet turning them approachable for the casual moviegoer. Pair him with director Danny Boyle, and the result is Steve Jobs, a look at the man behind the phone. Narratively set during three important product launches of Jobs’, we get to see the behind-the-scenes of his relationships with his colleagues and family members, and this character study is one that could have easily fallen into generic biopic tropes, but it holds it’s own right till the credits roll. Also props for showing that Seth Rogen can actually do a serious role. Who would’ve thought that pot-smoking fella had dramatic chops in him?

2016:

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS - “Susan, enjoy the absurdity of our world. It’s a lot less painful. Believe me, our world is a lot less painful than the real world.” Fashion designer Tom Ford does sew his suits well. Apparently, he can also make great films too, with 2009′s A Single Man and with said Nocturnal Animals. This movie is truly incredible and I remember it taking me and my friend by surprise when we first watched it at the cinema. It’s shocking. Horrifying. Depressing. Upsetting. Altogether exhilarating. Being of a fashion background, Tom Ford directs the hell out of this movie, with gorgeous shots and great use of colour as well as managing to masterfully create tension and suspense when necessary. Honestly, I know Tom Ford is probably busy at a department store somewhere, but the guy needs to make another movie. The man has a talent.

LA LA LAND - “Here’s to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem. Here’s to the hearts that ache; here’s to the mess we make.” Oh, La La Land. Damien Chazelle’s follow-up to the also excellent Whiplash. People who know me well know how much I love this movie. An old-school tour-de-force musical that’s a love letter to jazz and the golden age of Hollywood. The city of stars never looked so good. Featuring catchy original songs, excellent dance choreography (the sequence to the song “Lovely Night” is especially memorable) and a romance tale ten times better than the forsaken The Notebook, La La Land is one special movie. I know many are put off by the film’s not so happy ending, however for me it was the only way this narrative could have ended.

2017:

BLADE RUNNER 2049 - “We’re all just looking out for something real.” Similarly to Nolan, Denis Villeneuve is proving to be one of the most exciting directors working today. He’s the man behind such films as *deep breath* Prisoners, Enemy, Sicario, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. And those have all been done within the last decade. The man constantly makes quality movies of various genres, though lately, he has been leaning more towards science fiction, which is a-okay in my books, since as Blade Runner 2049 proves, he can turn science into fiction like butter on bread. A sequel made 30 years after Ridley Scott’s classic, this visually breathtaking piece is arguably even better than its predecessor with many moments giving you the “wow wow wow wow wow WOW!” factor, and when Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford are both on-screen they are dynamite. Forget the new Star Wars film (that’s right, I'm throwing shade there), Blade Runner is where it’s at!

PHANTOM THREAD - “The tea is going out. The interruption is staying right here with me.” The supposed last Daniel Day-Lewis film, as he has now apparently retired from acting, but let’s be honest, nothing stops him from simply unretiring at any point. Exhibit A - Joe Pesci. However, like Pesci, if he comes back I’ll only be happy. He’s one of acting greats of our time, and his collaborations will director Paul Thomas Anderson bring out some of his best roles. Phantom Thread is a marvel of a movie. No, I don’t mean that’s its part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I mean as in it can fill one with wonder and astonishment. Phantom Thread is PTA’s Gothic dark fairy-tale romance film, which expertly planned shots and scenes where every word of the dialogue counts. There is no wasted moment. And as the film transpires to its dark and unsettling climax, one begins to realize that this, THIS, is what filmmaking is about. Telling an engrossing story in an interesting way with crisp-clear shots and off-the-chart acting at play, with great costume design on display, although the latter is unsurprising due to a major aspect of the movie revolving around fashion.

2018:

MANDY - “You ripped ma shirt!! You ripped maaa shiirrt!!” An acquired taste for sure, however, Mandy is indeed something truly special. From first glance, this film might seem like nothing out of the ordinary, especially from the point of view of the plot. Its the usual revenge flick. However director Panos Cosmatos’ vision and how he presents it is so much more unique. And what’s not love in this film? There’s something for everyone! It’s artsy and slow enough for the critics, hip and metal for the nonchalant, gory and violent for the hardcore genre fanatics and of course the Nic-Cage-rage factor is present for the fans of the actor. Alright, it may not be a family film, but this one is worth a watch. The whole thing is bound together by this psychedelic otherworldly environment, with the whole movie conceived in this dark, unsettlingly beautiful yet horror-filled aura that might stray people away, as it might be just too different for them, however, if you are looking for something different to watch, take mandy. I mean, watch Mandy!

A STAR IS BORN - “Music is essentially 12 notes between any octave. Twelve notes and the octave repeats. It’s the same story told over and over. All the artist can offer the world is how they see those 12 notes.” The film that began all the rumours surrounding Bradley Cooper’s and Lady Gaga’s affair. People, heads up, they are actors! They were putting on a performance! Jeez. That being said, I totally ship them. Nuff’ said. The film though? Yes, it’s good. Some country-style music, romance blooming, Gaga can apparently act, people sing about shallows for some reason...all together works for a pretty decent motion picture. Also, the fact that Bradley Cooper wrote, directed, produced and starred in this gives me so much respect for the guy. He poured his heart and soul into this. And Lady Gaga absolutely shines!

2019:

PAIN & GLORY - “Writing is like drawing but with letters.” Director Pedro Almodovar semi-autobiographical film takes a close look at how one deals with acceptance, being forgotten, symptoms of depression and generally all fairly negative attributes, but delivered in such an honest and profound way that there is a strange lightness that emerges from it all. Antonio Banderas is uncannily vulnerable in the lead role, delivering such an earnest performance that shows a man that is filled with melancholic regret who seeks his own form of redemption. This movie is a thing of beauty.

PARASITE - “You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan at all. If you make a plan, life never works out that way.” Parasite is easily the most original and surprising films of 2019, and possibly the decade, managing to subvert expectations and blend together so many different genres so naturally. To spoil any narrative element of this movie would be a sin, like this one in particular works best when not knowing anything about it. This movie comes to us from Bong Joon-Ho, a South Korean director behind such films as The Host, Memories of Murder, Okja, and Snowpiercer. It’s nice to see the awards ceremonies giving him the proper recognition finally. He deserves it.

That sums up my Top 20 Best Movies of the Decade list. Of course, there are so many other great films that came out in these 10 years, such as Whiplash, When Marnie Was There, Paterson, Silence, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Nice Guys...I can go on forever. Cinema is a constant ever-growing medium, and it is fascinating to see how it changes through the years, in some ways improving and in some parts not so much. In any case, I look forward towards a new decade of, hopefully, great movies, however, let’s be honest, for all these great films there’s always a Norm of the North, a Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse or frickin’ Cats. But let’s hope those will be kept to a minimum. In any case, bring on the 2020s!

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bigskydreaming · 4 years

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So I’ve been going through all my old Scrivener files and rounding up all the various fics and updates I’m planning on queuing up to post during the month/however-the-fuck-long I’m bedridden after surgery in a couple weeks. Which includes Teen Wolf as well as Batfics, FYI.

Anyway, came across this old WIP that I never ended up posting because I ultimately thought it felt too similar to both Where Wild Things Are and Lightning Crashes, just in different ways....not enough that any of them were derivative of each other, but enough that I wasn’t super inspired to continue writing it because the vibe I was going for with it, I was already getting from writing those other two fics.

But I still liked it and think there was some good stuff there, so what the hell. Here’s an opening from a never-planning-on-finishing-it Scallison AU, where things diverged from canon right after the Hale fire six years pre-pilot, and there was a different-from-canon McCall pack at war/trying to survive Peter’s pack in its attempts to stamp theirs out.

The Scallison part starts out in the vein of the ABC show Revenge, where Scott’s initially just trying to keep an eye on the hunters in town/figure out where the Argents land in all of this, but then, y’know. The feelings happen.

Anyway, it was chock full of my favorite TW writing tropes - runaway/long lost Scott, pack politics, side characters turned main characters, scheming, double-dealing, Scott Is A Goddamn Genius and No I Do Not Accept Constructive Criticism On This Matter For It Is Wrong....you know, my usuals.

I did have a pretty extensive outline/summary for the rest of the fic and my plans for it, that I can post if there’s any interest in reading that and seeing where this was going. *Shrugs* Just let me know.

WHAT THE FIRES LEFT BEHIND

Scott McCall came home on a Tuesday.

For Allison, that didn’t mean much at first. Her only context for the mass text was the bemused quirking of Lydia’s lips and a rather underwhelming ‘Huh.’ Then a shrug and a flick of her hair, and her best friend by default returned to ruffling through the Macy’s clearance rack with a vengeance.

“Awful. Grotesque. Needs to be set ablaze, immediately - ”

Allison nodded to herself and bore continued witness to Lydia’s evisceration of every hack designer of every fashion atrocity present, though sadly, the novelty of that had long since worn off. It was 7 pm on a school night. They’d been scouring the mall for something to meet Lydia’s approval for three hours already, and Allison did have trigonometry homework she could be torturing herself with instead, so….

Tough call. Hard choices had to be made. Allison steeled herself for battle and called Lydia Martin on her bullshit.

“Why are we here again? You hate Macy’s, and you absolutely despise clearance items.”

“I know that, and you know that.” Lydia emerged from a forest of polyester blouses wearing a look of disdain that had a ph level that would put any acid in the school’s chem lab to shame. “But I’m trying to see if I can find something here to start a trend with anyway. Call it…a social experiment.”

“Hmm.” Allison nodded again thoughtfully. Briefly, she considered mercy. But she had just wasted three hours of her life. And mercy wasn’t really the Argent family way.

She pulled the trigger. “You sure its not called Daddy cut your spending limit?”

Her melodrama-prone friend threw her hands up as if to express the whole world had gone mad and nothing made any sense. “It’s like he’s not even trying to buy my affection anymore!”

Allison coughed into her hand to smother a giggle. Being able to so easily rile up her friend when all others’ attempts dashed themselves harmlessly upon Her Majesty’s porcelain mask of perfection? Still her favorite sport next to archery. But certain social norms must be respected. One didn’t openly mock a friend in such obvious distress. She quickly changed the subject. For Lydia’s sake, really.

“So who’s Scott McCall?”

Lydia paused midway through working herself up to a truly tickets and popcorn-worthy rant, thrown by the sudden segue. “What?”

Allison waved her phone, flashing the mass text Danny had sent out to pretty much everyone in the Beacon County zip code.

“Scott McCall’s back. He just walked into the Sheriff’s Station. Stiles saw him himself,” she read out loud. “Who’s Scott McCall?”

“Oh. That.” Lydia tore her horrified gaze away from a leopard print mini-skirt and shrugged. “He’s this guy from our class who disappeared seven years ago. You know that Dunbar kid’s stepmom, Melissa? It’s her son.”

“Wait, seriously? And he’s our age? How have I never heard about this before?”

“I don’t know, Allison,” Lydia rolled her eyes. “Maybe because normal people don’t talk about things that depress them? It was a long time ago anyway.”

“I can tell it had a real effect on you,” Allison said, with just a touch of acid herself.

“I’m in the midst of a personal financial crisis currently. I’ll care when its over. Besides, its not like anyone has any details yet. Pointless gossip is for the peasants.”

“So what happened anyway?” Allison asked. Lydia shot her a look and she smiled innocently. “What? I’m comfortable with my peasant status. And I’ve lived here almost two years now and never heard a word about this. How can I not be curious?”

“Well this was an utter waste of time,” Lydia said under her breath as she gingerly replaced a sequin-studded monstrosity back on the rack, seemingly preoccupied once more. Or possibly just flat-out ignoring her.

The menace of the malls then raised her eyes to the ceiling as if despairing at the world at large, heaved a sigh that was practically a soliloquy unto itself, and ran her fingers through her hair in some kind of ritual of self-composure.

Once she’d observed the proper formalities for conceding her quest was officially a failure - at least, Allison was pretty sure that’s what she was doing, though she’d rather not commit to that, given that some of the intricacies of her friend’s habits still eluded her grasp - Lydia finally slung her purse over her shoulder and set off towards the exit with an imperious wave of her head.

It was only when her brisk walk stalled out while waiting for the garage elevator that Her Highness deigned to address the lowly commoner’s curiosity.

Allison just sighed internally. She’d long since made her peace with her friend’s little power games. They were entertaining as often as they were exasperating, so it was sort of a pick your battles type situation, and Allison preferred to err on the side of not waking the beast beneath Lydia’s deceptively dainty exterior.

“You know about the Hale fire, right?” Lydia asked.

Allison nodded. It wasn’t an everyday topic of conversation by any means, but it had come up at least once or twice since her family moved to Beacon Hills two years prior. Talk of the tragedy had even made an appearance in her own home, in a couple of muffled shouting matches between her parents that she’d only caught bits and pieces of.

“Yeah, my Aunt Kate actually lived around here back then. That was the fire that killed that whole family, right?”

“Right. So it was pretty much right around that same time. Scott went missing just a few days after. A lot of people even wondered if there might have been a connection, there were rumors the fire was arson, I don’t know. It was a whole thing, and we were only ten at the time, you know? Anyway, Scott’s dad was this hotshot FBI agent. There were search parties for like two months, but they never found a body or anything. Most people eventually figured it probably had something to do with one of his dad’s cases.”

“And now he’s back,” Allison prodded when Lydia lapsed into silence. The smaller girl just chewed on her lower lip, staring at the wall of the garage almost pensively.

“And now he’s back,” she echoed with a distracted nod of her head.

“That’s....interesting,” Allison offered tentatively. She wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the mood that had fallen over her friend, like a spell had settled upon her the moment she’d actually stopped and reflected on her memories of the events in question.

It seemed somewhat conspicuous to her that Lydia made no mention of who Scott was beyond just the victim of some strange small-town mystery, and so she was uncertain just how cautiously she needed to tread here. Had they been childhood friends? Mere acquaintances? Something else, likely as baffling and unexpected as most things about Lydia Martin tended to be?

But the born and raised Beacon Hills native just shrugged one shoulder listlessly and twirled a strand of strawberry-blond hair around a finger.

“It’s something,” she said at last. The elevator arrived at their level with an almost cheerful-sounding ding that was at odds with the somber mood they stood draped in. Lydia shook herself, a full body kind of motion not unlike a dog drying itself off.

“Are you coming?” She tossed over her shoulder at Allison, sounding almost exasperated, as though she hadn’t been the one just standing there staring at the wall for a good ten seconds after the elevator doors had slid open.

Allison sighed and shook her head, but she held back any retort and instead simply followed her friend down into the lower levels of the garage. Now was not the time to pursue...whatever that whole thing had been, just now.

Lydia Martin had just unwillingly displayed an emotional reaction in front of another person. It was too dangerous to prod for further weak spots in her armor without letting at least a day or two pass first.

The self-styled Queen of Beacon Hills had relieved commoners of their heads for lesser offenses than that.

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relaxedmouse · 4 years

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Magic, Control, Emotion, and Random Destruction: some thoughts

With “Frozen 2” releasing later this month, and stores near me selling Frozen-themed dolls and candy and picture books, I’ve been thinking back to Frozen 1. What I remember most from that movie (other than “LET IT GOOOOO”) is Elsa’s ice magic. Specifically, that one scene near the end where she says, “Love. Of course. Love!” And then she’s suddenly able to remove the eternal winter that drove the conflict of the movie. That scene has always bothered me, but I’ve had a surprisingly tough time articulating why.

For a long time, I figured the issue with that scene was the suddenness of it. The movie lacks explanation for how Elsa’s powers work, and in the end, it relies on us (the audience) to accept that shouting the word “love” in a revelatory manner is enough to solve everything.

To be honest, this is an issue that many stories (not just Frozen) have when it comes to depicting magic. Having magic isn’t something that real-life people can relate to. “My powers are out of control!” is a common fantasy plot, and its resolution of course involves the person learning to control their powers. But how do they do that? We usually don’t understand much of it.

We may get told that a character put long hours into magical study, but this accomplishment is diminished by the fact that we have no idea what kind of work goes into mastering magic. Sometimes it involves a mentor babbling about “learning to believe in yourself” or other vague concepts. Often, we have to rely on simply being told that the character is out of control one moment, then in control the next.

This is pretty much what happened in Frozen, when Elsa is able to reverse the huge blizzard one moment after she’s reminded that her sister loves her. I’m not mocking you if you found that moment to be touching. But I do think it reinforces the point that it’s hard for us non-magical viewers to predict what causes one’s powers to slip into or out of control. So, when a plot relies on that happening, it can be difficult to follow the progression of events.

Anyway, I still consider the resolution of Frozen to be abrupt, but in thinking about it more, perhaps it’s not as poorly-explained as I figured. If I want to be generous, I can see there’s a coherent storyline there. Elsa’s powers fly out of control when she’s scared and go back under control when she’s happy. Therefore, seeing an act of love from Anna is enough for her to gain control of the eternal winter. Okay. Maybe not the best execution, but I’m willing to accept that’s how it works.

You see, I’ve often read and watched stories that had only a vague explanation for how magic operates, and still enjoyed them. And I’ve never been one of those people to speculate as to how Elsa got magic powers in the first place; I’ve always accepted that she simply has them, as the premise of the story. So why did that one scene near the end of the movie bug me so much?

In the end, I think my main problem is that I simply don’t like it when a magic system is fueled by emotion. Especially when that leads to accidental destruction. And yes, of course that’s a completely personal opinion.

If magic is linked to emotion, it means that some poor kid who has a tantrum could wind up accidentally blowing up their house. In Elsa’s case, she gets so upset that she unleashes a blizzard that covers all of Arendelle. Later, when she’s told that she caused this deep snow, she again gets upset, so much so that she nearly kills her own sister with an accidentally-thrown ice shard.

Was an entire country put in danger because just one woman got upset? It’s not that I have trouble believing it. It’s more like . . . this level of destruction feels weirdly “unnecessary” to me. Or maybe "arbitrary" is a better word.

I just never seem to like it when magic is set up this way (as a dangerous force that must be controlled, or else it will spiral out of control). I get that it leaves plenty of room for conflict. Making a character accidentally harm their loved ones is a super-fast way to pull out all sorts of angst, yeah? Even so, this approach always seems to leave me with too many questions.

A funny thing about fantasy worlds is they frequently treat magic like it’s a force of nature that will occur on its own when the magic-wielder gets angry or distressed – but it’s also a skill that must be studied. That’s why many settings feature magic schools and magic tutors. Now, I know that Frozen didn’t have any magical schools (that we know of). But there are plenty of other stories that center on a character receiving tutoring in order to learn how to control their innate magical abilities, which had previously been causing all sorts of unplanned havoc.

I find this puzzling. When people get upset, they might cry or yell, but they probably won’t be taking out a pencil and paper and solving calculus problems. When people are extremely emotional, it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to do a task that requires calm thinking. And that’s my issue with many depictions of magic. Magic is treated like a skill to be learned, but it’s also something that you can do while you’re in the middle of crying hysterically?

Okay, I guess these two ideas aren’t totally incompatible. Some stories run with the notion that getting emotional will make the magic act out on its own, while calming down and concentrating will let you control what it does. And there definitely have been awesome moments in stories where the hero, fueled by the power of friendship or the need to avenge a fallen friend, draws out amazing power and gives the villain a satisfying beat-down, the likes of which they’d never managed before.

Still, even though there are great depictions of emotion-fueled magic, I find that I tend not to get into it. This goes for cases where it’s played for drama, but it’s especially true in cases where it’s played for comedy.

For instance, I played Fire Emblem: Fates (video game for the Nintendo 3DS). This game had a pair of twin sisters from the vaguely-named Ice Tribe. Flora and Felicia’s ice powers really didn’t do anything in the plot, but sometimes they would show up in their support conversations with other characters. Felicia creates a snowstorm when Saizo insults her and she gets angry. Flora makes one too when Corrin proposes to her and she gets flustered. The former might’ve been an intentional attack on Felicia’s part (though that’s a bit unclear), but the latter is definitely unintentional. And it seems like we’re meant to laugh when Corrin says the winds are so strong and cold that he can’t see anything, but he’s so happy that he doesn’t care. (M-Maybe you should care about that, buddy.)

By the way, it’s a coincidence that both my examples involve people with ice powers. Search more through the world of fiction and you’ll find people who strike down trees with lightning when they’re angry, people who accidentally burn their lovers with fire when they’re passionate, people who blast a hole in the wall when they’re afraid . . .

Man, I just can't stand it. Even if that hole in the wall is later repaired with cartoonish ease, I get stuck on the fact that the hole existed at all.

I'm the type of reader/viewer who's usually content to roll with a story no matter where it goes. I'll accept weird premises, I'll accept ambiguous endings - but for some reason, I just can't stand random acts of destruction. There's something about that exact combination of violence, suddenness, and the fact that these dangers aren't caused by the intentions of a character, but rather a thing that can occur at any time.

Of course, good writing can make a good story out of anything. It’s definitely possible for someone to write a fascinating story that explores the implications of a person (especially a child) having tremendous, out-of-control powers. And, since this trope keeps appearing, I’m left to assume that people like it and find it interesting.

However, even if these types of plots are well-written, I typically find myself turning away from them. In the face of arbitrary destruction, I get caught thinking of how all that horror could’ve easily been avoided by the writer simply choosing to make the magic work differently in their world.

#magic #fantasy #frozen #fire emblem fates #movie #video games #opinion #essay

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patromlogil · 5 years

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Selfishness vs Selflessness: Analysis - Roles in the Case

Once again, Major Deceit Warning (no images) for those who need it

Deceit Analysis Tag List

@bumble-bitch-sanders @lacrimosathedark @imnotcameraready @viawkwardgamer @hatethesinlovethesinner92 @starryfirefliesbloggo @inksandpensblog @risiskifi @whizzie72 @emotional-mess-in-distress @monstercupcake61176 @sevencrashing @bluezingzapper @toxicity-levels-critical @yeet-ceit @intothevoidsunknown @bookworm85blr @greenneerg123 @septic-fallen @wingsofthefierydragonheart @extra-ordinary00 @totellismert @a-happy-crusteacean @imposterkid @positive--pancake @magpie1230 @sammy-is-trans-134 @glazed-transacotta @fandoms-winkitywonk @alenmatha10

people who asked to be tagged but Tumblr won’t let me tag - @thatoneawkwardmultishipper @ilovelotsofthings

The stage for this episode is the courtroom. A stage carefully constructed and controlled by Deceit. He is the one who picks everyone’s roles, guides them through the theatrics, and leads them towards his intended conclusion (or not as it turns out). Everything is precise and happens for a reason.

I kind of touched on Logan’s role in the case as witness and gallery member during my analysis of him, but after my last analysis (Purpose of the Case) I think that keeping Logan out also serves to create a void in the discussion between the Sides that allows Deceit to have a voice and be heard.

Patton is the defending lawyer because it puts him front and center. Though Thomas is being charged, Patton (Thomas’s Morality) is really the one on trial, it’s Patton’s actions and attitudes towards the whole situation that are being questioned and scrutinised. Being in such a prevalent position puts him on obvious display, and he is shown to be a bit of a bumbler, naive, and seemingly unaware of how his actions can appear.

The setting forces the others to consider Patton’s actions differently than they would normally. Instead of dismissing his candy-based pun (“sweeten the deal”) as they would normally with ‘oh that’s just Patton’, Deceit presents an alternative, equally true narrative, of ‘bribing the witness’, an interpretation that shows that Thomas’s current moral state can have serious consequences.

Symbolically speaking, Thomas’s morality is shown as being admirable (Patton is a well-loved character) but flawed. In its current state, it cannot be applied universally in all situations. There are going to be times where his simplistic approach to moral dilemmas will not suffice, and could in fact work against them and cause Thomas harm.

Roman as the judge is a curious choice. Given that Deceit knows Roman agrees with him, surely it would make more sense to have him on the jury so that he has a greater chance of winning? Not if he truly wants to get Roman on side and keep him there.

In the role of judge, Roman is allowed to feel more important as everybody knows the importance of the Judge in the courtroom (even if they don’t know what they do) and it’s a common trope across many forms of fiction that jury duty is akin to punishment, something that everybody hates. Letting Roman be the judge lets him feel important, and puts him directly in the middle of the debate, allowing him to hear and see everything said by everyone, without any pressure to speak up for himself. At multiple times, we can see Roman clearly struggling with the wish to speak up, but not having the confidence/belief that he should. He silences himself. Meanwhile on the stand, he’s not actually asked what he wants, probably because everyone already knows. In Deceit’s questioning, Roman gets the chance to plainly state that he feels like he is being kept from performing his duty because something ‘more important’ always comes up, and Deceit proceeds to gently guide Roman through an alternate perspective, one that he ultimately doesn’t necessarily disagree with, while Patton uses a scene to try and explain to Roman the moral/love our friends POV which he doesn’t completely back, possibly because of the viewpoint Deceit has just posed.

(Okay I can’t go into this as much as I want without rambling on forever so I will come back to Roman’s role in the Deceit and Roman post)

Virgil is easily the Side whose role I’ve been asked about the most. Given how much he is opposed to Deceit, how much of a potential problem he is, why include him at all and push Logan to the side? At the risk of sounding arrogant, for me, this one was easy.

Virgil isn’t there to be convinced. The jury’s decision in the end is arbitrary, it serves no purpose and is effectively meaningless. So think about it, who is the first one to speak up about his suspicion of Patton in Can Lying Be Good? Who is immediately there right after Deceit is revealed in this video? Anxiety clearly has an important role in keeping Deceit at bay, and discluding him from the scenario would just give Virgil a chance to interrupt. Deceit has to silence him.

More than once, Deceit reminds Virgil (and the others) that the juror is not allowed to object or speak out in the case. Encouraging the others to abide by the rules of the courtroom takes away their learned instinct to listen to Virgil, removing almost any sway he has over the situation.

The lawyers for the defence and prosecution speak continuously, the judge has the power to rule over the debate and even Logan, resigned to the gallery as he is, is allowed to shout out and contribute without question, but not Virgil.

Virgil has no platform to speak, and doesn’t want to play Deceit’s stupid game by participating in testimony until Deceit points out it’s his only chance to maybe be heard. But Virgil is the juror, why is he testifying? He knows his thoughts on all this so why put him in the hot seat?

Again it’s to bring him to heel. Deceit waves his leverage, his knowledge of Virgil’s secret directly in Virgil’s face, and Virgil obviously doesn’t like it, being short, being angry. Then Deceit allows Patton to step up and proceed to badger Virgil into submission.

Worst of all, it works. Virgil goes silent. He doesn’t take the situation seriously, lounging around, grumbling, but Deceit never tells him to sit up, to take this seriously. Why would he need to? His greatest threat, Anxiety, is silenced.

Everyone’s role is chosen to create the perfect circumstances that allow Deceit to finally be heard, without challenge, without interruption. For the first time since he impersonated Patton he has a direct line to Thomas and makes use of the opportunity to speak as freely as Thomas will allow him.

#Sanders Sides #Deceit Sanders #Logan Sanders #Roman Sanders #Virgil Sanders #Patton Sanders #Sanders Sides Theory #Selfishness vs Selflessness #ts Deceit

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bearpillowmonster · 4 years

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Jedi Fallen Order Review

I was going to wait and write this tomorrow but I feel like I have all my notes written down and a solid opinion already formed so I want to just jump into it.

(Non-Spoiler btw) I’m not going to compare this to any other game because every other review I saw said the same thing over and over, The only one I’ll mention is Kingdom Hearts because KH2 is my favorite game of all time so how can I not draw comparisons to it with everything I play. I also want to mention I’ve been playing on the base PS4 model not a Pro, I feel like I have to say that now with performance and graphical based opinions with big games such as this because you might not have the same problems.

I think they changed the way he got caught in the beginning from the trailer because it’s the same scene but different shots, it honestly made more sense because I was playing the game and didn’t even notice the droid watching them while it was much more noticeable in the trailer, maybe it’s meant to be that way so it isn’t obvious to Cal that he was caught.

Main villain is the “Second sister”, it’s based on lore from Rebels. You would think you’d fight all the other “sisters” considering this is the first place I’ve heard of them (I didn’t watch too much of Rebels but researched it for this reason) but you only fight a couple during the game.

The coats are glitchy in cutscenes, so you should probably wear the basic layer for most of the game, if you want to try and avoid that. You are vulnerable while opening chests so you can’t defend or attack during animations but enemies can attack you. It will introduce the abilities through flashbacks so this guy knew these powers but just cut himself off to hide from the Empire and has to relearn them. At one point it will say “you are now reconnected with the force” and all the abilities will be shown on the skill tree in order to unlock, around this part is the turning point of the game (Kashyyyk/second time at Zeffo) because the opening is fine but the next section gets kind of boring because you have scarce abilities but once you start actually getting into it, it’s fun! I know they showed Kashyyyk in the E3 demo presentation they did a while ago so that was to be expected but it was just a matter of if it was a fluke...it’s not.

I’m pretty sure you lose skill tree points every time you die to an enemy (not falling off an edge or something) which is odd and it’s not like “since the last checkpoint” or “since last death” it’s a bit more than you gain in that time period, I’m pretty sure this revolves around what difficulty you’re on which is also pretty odd but correct me if I’m wrong about that theory.

I knew I liked BD-1 already but I was a bit skeptical of Cal’s character when this was announced because he could’ve easily been generic but no, I kind of like his character, you can tell the actor went the extra mile partially through how he interacts with BD and everybody else. He’s better than Kanan in my opinion, who if you remember has a very similar backstory as “the Jedi padawan who survived order 66” but he blames himself for his master’s death which is a dead trope that I didn’t care too much to see.

I hate parrying, I absolutely hate it, not just this game, every game, even in Kingdom Hearts, I’ll barely use it because I don’t (usually) play on the super high difficulties where it’s necessary but this game has it as essential so you have to learn a little bit of timing...and wait until you can upgrade your dodge so you don’t have to parry as much. And they will punish you for missing a parry and just trying to slam them (only the more hefty enemies like the ones with shock sticks) because they have a shield meter and if you get hit by them then their shield will start to go back up.

Some complaints, it takes a long time to respawn and the sliding is a bit off as well because you can control him while falling but he turns at such a slow rate that you might as well not even bother, it doesn’t matter most of the time any way but when it does then it’s annoying.There’s a lot of things that they just kind of brush past explaining, for example, there are these punching pistons that you have to run past and once you reach the end, there’s an opening above but you don’t know how to get there. I tried using force slow and jumping on top of the thing (logical way of doing it) but he doesn’t jump high enough (you don’t unlock double jump until later and it’s a life saver!). There’s a walkthrough for that simple one minute section on YouTube so I couldn’t have been the only one but you have to wall run and then jump off of it, I didn’t know you could wall run to get to higher ledges. Also with story, I wasn’t sure how they were figuring out where to go for some places, they just kind of said “go here!” but they end up explaining that kind of stuff later on which seems kind of pointless in saving it until that point, it would have been just as effective (if not, more) at the beginning. For those who’ve played it, I’ll give you a hint at what scene I’m talking about “Ilum”, if I was writing it, I would’ve made that scene towards the beginning.

Some little compliments are that BD-1 has a back panel that lights up, if your health is decent then it will be green, if it’s not then it turns red, that’s a nice detail “But what about Blue?” Well yeah there’s that too...that’s just for fun. There are also customization skins for BD-1 as well as your lightsaber and ponchos and guess what?! Your ship too! It’s no 13-13 or Project RagTag (there’s no gunplay though) but it’s still a pretty darn good game with some good music tracks (I mean it’s Star Wars though so...)

This game doesn’t have a dark or light ending so you don’t really have to worry about doing anything the wrong way, it’s fun to throw storm troopers off of ledges, not gonna lie, however I will say I feel bad at times. They added a bit of a grey area there because they’ll cower and say “Looks like I’m the last one” “No, stop!” “They’re all dead” “You killed them!” “Just...just leave me alone.” or something along those lines. BD even called me out for lashing out on them once and Cal just says “They just would’ve hurt somebody else.” I was like “Dang” there are some themes going on here that I think they would’ve made a light and dark ending if EA let them, however I’m fine with there not being one (even if it would make the game seem longer).

Even Second Sister has a bit of a thing going on where it’s questionable about her point of view, it’s almost a grey area.

Quick-fire round:

-Be careful, if you heal at a save point then it will also respawn enemies (you have to pick “rest” first before it does that).

-The creatures are harder than the troopers tbh.

-There’s a character called Mari Kosen on Kashyyyk which sounds a lot like “Ikari Gozen” which basically means ‘rageful female warrior’.

-I was worried about even buying this game because of EA’s track record (I almost bought Battlefront 2 before the whole debacle (Thank goodness I didn’t!)) and I didn’t want to chance they mess it up somehow after launch it getting good reviews, but I can confidently say that I don’t see any way they can do that now, should be no need to worry.

I’m not going to spoil it but the ending (though in line chronologically and could have messed with the timeline) seems kind of one sided, there are a bunch of things they could have done and while the decision they made makes sense, is it the best? I personally would have liked to see a bit more, it seemed a little short to me. I want to see what happens to these characters (which is a good thing) maybe there will be a sequel or extended universe book/comic (there’s already a prequel one with Cere) There are some really great moments in this game, I’m tempted to give it a solid 8 because of the high it ended on but I’m going to lower it a little due to the slow start being annoying. 7.5 / 10 Now EA better make more quality single player Star Wars products without stupid monetization schemes, this one was a success.

#star wars #jedi fallen order #fallen order #jedi #sw #review

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nellie-elizabeth · 5 years

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Supernatural: Moriah (14x20)

Well then! Yeesh!

Cons:

I wish we could do a bit more to sort out this whole Cas vs. Dean thing. Now that we've got bigger fish to fry for next season, it seems like Dean and Cas' pretty intense disagreement will likely be pushed aside in favor of... you know... surviving the end-times. But maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised, and their relationship drama will continue to be a factor as we enter into the final season of this show.

I really, really like the direction this is going, but I can't help but wonder if there were re-writes once the decision was made that Season Fifteen would be the end. It seems to me that several elements of the story, especially the stuff with Lucifer coming back, wound up being scrapped in favor of the ridiculously awesome reveal that Chuck is our final Big Bad. So while this finale on its own kicked some major ass, there were definitely some elements that didn't add up for me in terms of the buildup from the rest of the season.

Pros:

What a smart episode this was, though. Honestly. Usually the finales of Supernatural have to escalate things to some new extreme height so that we know what's coming in the next season. Oh no, we've started the apocalypse! Oh no, all the angels have fallen from Heaven! Oh no, the Darkness has been released! This season is, in some ways, no exception to that. Apparently, God is the villain. And he's done playing nice. While this might seem like just another classic Supernatural power-creep escalation, it's actually something a little different. And I love it. This is an opportunity to pit early show vs. late show against each other, by bringing back old villains, but letting Sam, Dean, and Cas handle it in the way they've learned to do over their many years of being hunters. It's an opportunity for nostalgia while at the same time a chance to focus on the one and only true central theme of Supernatural: free will. Honestly, this show goes all over the place with its plots and messaging, but at the center of it all, from day one, has been the idea of free will, and I love that we're setting up the final season to be a direct reckoning of that theme.

This episode was also a lot more down-to-earth than some other finales we've got. It's very focused - Jack is out there. Dean wants to kill him. Sam admits that killing him is maybe their only option. Cas is not on board. Three different approaches to one big problem. Meanwhile, Jack is trying to do the right thing without a soul to guide his conscience. And then God is there, and we learn once and for all that he truly does view the Winchesters as a story. That they've been puppets all along, dancing for his amusement. The end. I love that a lot of this episode really was just sitting around talking things out, making plans. It felt real, and grounded, in a way that I really appreciate from this show.

Let's talk Dean and Sam for a minute - I loved the scene when Dean said he was going to take the shot at Jack, effectively killing both Jack and himself. They don't even need to have the full conversation, because they've been there so many times before. And Sam says no - he's not going to be okay with a plan that makes him lose Jack and Dean in one fell swoop. He's lost enough as it is. Dean, who has over the last few seasons grown into a person who actually respects his brother's right to make his own decisions, has been having a bit of a relapse on account of Mary's death. He takes the gun and leaves without telling Sam. It's predictable, and frustrating, and it was easy for me to feel Sam's pain.

I love how angry Dean is, how his tight grip on his control seems to be in constant danger of snapping. He loves Sam, he loves Cas, and he loved Jack, but he can't bring himself to process those emotions in a healthy way right now. He needs to be a man on a mission, otherwise he'll fall apart. Jensen is doing such a great job with this. There's the moment in his conversation with Sam where he talks about the fact that God told them that Jack needed to die, so that's the end of the discussion. It's just so Dean to be such a hypocrite about this. Billie tells him that locking himself in a box is the only way to save the world? Cool. He'll do it. God tells him to kill his foster son? Cool. He'll do it. Because Dean Winchester kind of hates himself. And he definitely hates himself for Mary's death. It's just that in this case, he can kill Jack, the person who he outwardly blames, and himself, the person who he blames for everything, in one fell swoop. Yeesh. Poor Dean.

The moment when Dean shows up to kill Jack, and Cas is there and tells Jack to run? I fucking lost my mind. I am so in love with the way they've positioned Dean and Cas on opposite sides of this debate. These are two men who would die for each other - who have died for each other in fact. And in this moment, they are as opposed as they've ever been. Not since Season Six have we seen Cas and Dean at such odds with one another. There's this delicious tension to knowing that Dean is going to kill Jack at any cost, and Cas is going to stop Dean from killing Jack at any cost, and yet the thought of either of these people doing anything to hurt the other is so ludicrous. This is the stuff good drama is made of.

Then there's Sam Winchester, who easily gets MVP from me for this episode. We've seen, from the very early stages of this show when angels were considered an unrealistic fairy-tale, that Sam has always had faith. Maybe he hasn't quite understood the specifics of his own belief, but he's believed in a higher power and he's believed in the essential goodness of that power. We saw the way he behaved with Chuck when they met the last time. He was worshipful. Dean didn't quite understand it, but Sam... even when Sam was annoyed or frustrated with Chuck, he actually believed in him. So the moment when Sam says "hey, Chuck," and shoots God in the shoulder is honestly just... exquisite.

Sam spends this episode trying to contextualize everything that's been happening to them recently - he blames himself for Mary's death, because he's the one who brought Jack back without a soul. He tries to understand why Chuck hasn't been showing up to help them before now. He tries to explain himself to Dean, to make his brother hear him. He tries to reconcile his love for Jack with what Jack has become. And then he picks up a gun and he shoots God, even knowing he'll hurt or even kill himself to do it. And it's not a brave sacrifice play, or a planned moment - it's done in anger, in desperation, in fear. The realization that Chuck doesn't care about them is the biggest betrayal Sam Winchester has ever faced, and that's saying something, given the life he's lead. It's so hugely important to me that Sam is the one to make this move, and not Dean. It represents a breaking point for his character that I cannot wait to see play out next season.

Obviously I figured that Dean wouldn't really kill Jack, but I admire how much tension they still managed to put into that scene, and how, as Cas says "writers lie." The magic gun doesn't kill Jack; Chuck does that directly once he realizes that Dean isn't going to play the little game he's devised. We get this final shot of Sam, Dean, and Cas all standing back to back, ready to fight against the hoard of returned villains that are closing in on them. Cas has the angel blade, but Sam and Dean are practically unarmed, and Sam is bleeding from a gunshot wound to the shoulder. It's bleak, and on top of it all there's Jack's corpse just sitting there, a reminder of their failure.

We see Jack awaken in the Empty, and Billie seems to have plans for him, so now we've got a Billie vs. Chuck situation, with Jack, Cas, and the Winchesters as potential pawns. I am beyond excited to see how this plays out, and where Team Free Will lands in this battle for their own agency.

Before I finish this review, I want to praise the episode for suggesting the apocalyptic scope of Jack's powers. This show has never managed to really convey the way the whole world is affected by the various apocalypse-y type things that have come up over the years. But here we see that Jack's order to "stop lying" actually throws the whole world into chaos. If Chuck had wanted to see that play out, he would have; it's only his ability to reset things that saves the world. We see how people's inability to lie leads to instant resentments and chaos. It's actually a pretty great trope to explore some inter-character drama, so at first I was a little surprised that Sam and Dean didn't accidentally drop any uncomfortable truth bombs on each other when they both lacked the ability to lie. But then I realized - while Sam and Dean are having a rough time because of Mary right now, they are firmly on each other's sides and fighting to preserve their family at all costs. They actually aren't hiding anything from each other, and they haven't been for quite some time.

As a plus, all of this stuff is actually pretty humorous too - I loved the Celine Dion bit, and Dean going on and on about internet gossip, and the guys fighting about yogurt, the newscaster confessing his love, and the not-so-subtle dig at Trump.

Okay. This review is long, but I think that's allowed, given that it's for a finale. I greatly enjoyed it. I thought the smaller scale and the more character-driven story worked in its favor, and I love that everything from the plot to the framing is placing Castiel on equal footing with Sam and Dean as a protagonist for the finale season. I can't wait to see what we get next year! This time in 2020, I'll be sobbing my eyes out as "Carry On Wayward Son" plays over one last montage... it's going to be a wild ride.

9/10

#review #supernatural #supernatural review #14x20 #spn 14x20 #moriah

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violetrance · 6 years

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Idk where this sudden burst of confidence came from but i am seeing people who were doubtful are now so sure of klance endgame. Yes Jeremy said something will happen but I am still doubtful and I could beat myself up for it but he could be talking about any one not just klance. Sorry but I have been in a fandom where people were so sure of this pairing becoming canon and it had so much evidence as well but it didnt happen. I was confused and heartbroken and Im scared to be diappointed again.

Lemme say this first, if Klance doesn’t become canon it’s not a big deal okay? I know a lot of ppl will be disappointed, but don’t let this rule over your life. And you can still ship them even if they aren’t canon, cuz tbh a lot of fanon has made this ship more enjoyable rather than canon :)

But on a side note, I’m going to summarize some really solid proof and evidence that Klance has a very good chance at becoming canon:

1. Jeremy emphasising that something might happen between two characters in terms of the LGBTQ rep in the show

(Let me also say that Keith and Lance will obvs not be the only LGBTQ rep in the show, but in terms of Jeremy’s wording they have a very good chance at being apart of this rep as a same sex couple)

- Lance will have an end game romance (his romance will bring him in a different place than where he first started in the series, they will be someone he needs instead of someone he wants, Jeremy also mentioning that eventually you’ll find that one person instead of kind of going all over the place) - In terms of this, when did we REALLY start to see Lance mature and branch off into his arc, s3 with Keith. Not to mention their last interaction was with Keith reassuring Lance about his position on the team, this obviously helped him bcuz look at him now

(- Also Lance needs someone who is self assured - Keith is off on his own arc too and he’s come across his mother. His mother is the main reason why Keith isn’t self assured and afraid of rejection. Him meeting her again will definitely help improve his character as a whole)

- Lance parallels Blaytz, the original Blue paladin, like to the point where it’s not even a coincidence (Blaytz was shown flirting with a male) - adding onto this, the amount of bi flag symbolism portrayed around Lance and even some of his moments with Keith isn’t coincidental, but very purposeful. Lance making similar expressions towards Keith as he has Allura?? Allura and Keith paralleling each other?? These are also not coincidences. Lauren’s art with Lance holding the LGBTQ sign a long with Shiro, someone he’s looked up to and will most likely be an aid to him through this? Just like Hunk was to Keith for his Galra reveal, and Allura was to Pidge during her Gender reveal (Shiro is most likely LGBTQ too, just like how Allura is a female in terms of gender, and Hunk is Samoan in terms of race)

- That being said since Keith literally fits the characteristics of Lance’s end game and he is NOT straight, but also Lance will most likely fit into the LGBTQ category as well based on that evidence, they both have an extremely good possibility of being an end game couple

- Since s1 Keith has shown interest in Lance, ever since their romantically coded bonding moment (that moment parallels Hunk and Shay who are romantically coded, and A LOT of their other moments parallel Lotura who are ALSO romantically coded, this is not a coincidence) - But like I’ve emphasised, their romance is slow burn, once they start something between each other it NEVER finishes because they are dragging it out to a certain point

- Jeremy’s smile every time someone mentions Klance? How hyped he always is for them? And now revealing that something will happen between two characters? It’s not a coincidence. But if Keith and Lance just end this all off as an amazing team and good friends, I wouldn’t even be complaining, but all of this just fits too well for that. Jeremy has also said they become better friends in the future, so that’s also important to note too

- Also Lauren mentioning that the characters need to stand on their own before getting involved in romance? That is literally the main purpose of Keith and Lance’s separate arcs right now. I have no doubt in my mind that the heart grows fonder with distance trope is in play right now

2. Lauren and Joaquim deflecting Klance

- These two emphasised that Klance was never supposed to be intentional, meanwhile they literally BLATANTLY parallel two romantically coded pairs and they have offered up a ship name called Laith that literally means LION, Lance being Keith’s stability? Is someone really going to try and tell me that this was “accidental?”

- Also, they deflect so much huge plot points in the show just for the purpose that nothing will be spoiled, they did this with Pidge being a boy, they did this with Allura not being paladin material, they did this when saying romance won’t be a huge focus in the show and then literally romantically coding Lotura in the next season…

- So the fact that they’re doing it with Klance is rlly not a coincidence. Ppl always pull out that card with them saying they can’t go back and make Keith and Lance in love cuz they’re ahead of the storyline. Ever thought that’s because they’re already in love and that’s how the storyline’s already written out? Ever thought that it’s cuz they can’t make them in love right off the bat since their relationship is slow burn? You know, cuz they’re not trying to cater to shippers. Nowhere in that interview did they flat out say Keith and Lance have no possiblity of falling in love or that they weren’t canon. Cuz they CAN’T. Also I wouldn’t even be surprised if that was deflecting too, considering they’ve said that Korrasami were only gal pals and look where they are now…

3. Them saving Shiro

- A theory has already been written about this and I was thinking about it for a long time too, but Keith and Lance will most likely be the ones to save Shiro from the astral plane or whatever virtual mindscape he’s in LOOL

- I’m not going to go too deep into this bcuz it’ll be hella long, but think about what could happen between them considering this is a STRONG possibility:

- They will definitely grow closer bcuz of this (considering Keith has been the only one Lance has gone to about his issues in the first place, love is about being vulnerable after all, which is literally what HE wrote in his guide to falling in love)

- Considering the show is not yet over, this will give them very good development in their relationship (the bedroom scene and bonding moment parallel each other, where they both started to see each other in a different light, but before anything could become of it they were cut off from each other) - Lance rejected Keith claiming that they bonded and grew closer bcuz he wasn’t fond of him in s1 and also his character was not at the point where it is now. Please imagine the Lance from right now being told about their bonding moment, he’d be so much more open to it. Keith leaving the team (coincidentally right after he grew closer to Lance too) bcuz he was afraid of rejection so he broke apart from them first, now he’s come across his mother and she will help him improve himself. Once he returns from this, he will let his family in more and Lance too trust me. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that both of these plot points in which they could have gotten closer and fallen in love could be easily fixed by the seperate arcs that are occuring right now

- Lance and Keith’s storylines are so interwined as well like (don’t follow in his footsteps? How their lions parallel their actual characters in terms of each other? We literally see Keith through Lance’s eyes the first moment they meet and they are set up as a pair immediately. And there is SO much more)

They actually have proper development between the other for it to build into a relationship in the future. Jeremy saying that there’s prob gonna be an end game between two same sex characters further proves that. And if it doesn’t happen, again, it isn’t the end of the world, but after writing all of this, it just makes the most sense rn.

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clarencenicholsonata · 3 years

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Here's What to Post on Instagram: 24 Top Post Ideas & Examples

Wondering what to post on Instagram?

Wondering if there's a post template that is guaranteed to be a winner?

You're not alone, though, unfortunately Instagram marketing isn't as easy as pushing a "win" button.

There are, however, a few tried-and-true strategies which other businesses continually tap to find reasonably reliable success.

This article will give you 24 examples of what you should post on Instagram.

Before we get started, one best practice to keep an eye out for in these Instagram posts:

Your Instagram posts should do one of four things: Inspire, Educate, Entertain or Reveal.

See if you can find any which break from the mold...

What to Post on Instagram #1: Behind the Scenes

On Instagram, nobody wants to read your blog articles or learn about how you can address their consumer needs. In fact, unless you do it creatively, even a product launch is difficult to pull off with any success.

Instagram users want to see your personality. They want to see who you are as a company. They want to put a face to the name, so to speak.

Showing behind-the-scenes at your company is a great way to showcase your personality, as Microsoft shows us below:

What to Post on Instagram #2: Current Events

A great way to increase Instagram engagement is to tap into what people are already thinking about.

This can be anything…

TGIF or "Boo, Monday!" - style posts

Well-known holidays (Christmas, Father's Day)

Lesser-known holidays (National Dog Day, National Hot Dog Day)

Events or conferences relevant to your target market (SXSW, ComicCon, E3, Content Marketing World, etc)

World events (big movie premier, for instance)

Tapping into what people are already thinking about is a great way to boost Instagram engagement, as Forever21 has done with Father's Day below:

What to Post on Instagram #3: Co-Campaign

You don't have to be Vans and Nintendo (the example below) to make a co-campaign work. All you need is to contact the social media marketer for a brand you love and pitch a creative co-campaign.

Remember to only target those businesses with whom you share a target market. There's no point in increasing engagement with Justin Bieber's fans if you own a auto-shop in Delaware.

This example from Vans shows that they recognized a similar target market who it would be valuable for them to reach (and trade reach with):

For a walkthrough on how you can create a co-campaign or promotion with another business, check out our article, "A Behind-the-Scenes Look at How We Generated 1,263 New Leads (With a Little Help from Our Friends)."

What to Post on Instagram #4: Funny Content

A post idea which really hits home with the "entertainment" requirement I mentioned before is funny content - an opportunity for your business to get creative and make something which makes your Fans (and prospective fans) smile.

This example, from Vitamin Water, uses humor to appeal to their prospective fans and customers, effectively exposing a common social media trope:

What to Post on Instagram #5: Hashtag Contest

Contests, especially hashtag contests, make it easy for Instagram users to engage with your brand, and they incentivize them to do so.

Users submit their photo to your contest by adding a photo to Instagram and then tagging it with a campaign-specific hashtag.

This example from Starbucks also taps into a best practice - a long-running, draw-a-week structure:

For more on running an hashtag contest on Instagram, check out our walkthrough, "Instagram Hashtag Contests: Examples and Best Practices for Marketers."

What to Post on Instagram #6: High-Quality Images

It should go without saying, but somehow it doesn't.

I still see brands (brands!) posting low-quality images on Instagram and then wondering why they don't have great engagement.

Get a better camera (or buy a better phone). High-quality images will soon pay it off with social media engagement and traffic to your website. And even if they don't, at least you'll be taken seriously on the platform.

This example from high-end cotton candy company BonPuf shows how beautiful a photo of your product can be if you put it in the right framework and use the right filter:

We've put together a great list of the top Instagram marketing tools if you want to check it out.

What to Post on Instagram #7: Influencer Content

Influencer marketing can boost your business' reach exponentially, as there are some Instagram users out there with more reach than any business.

You can pay for that reach, for sure (many influencers take cash for a share or endorsement) but you can also approach influencers with a strategy in mind.

My recommendation? Make it far better on their end, at least in the beginning, than it is for you.

And also, don't (and I mean "don't"!) approach an influencer whose fans aren't related to what you sell. As I said above, what's the point of getting 1,000,000 Beliebers to see your website if you sell car insurance?

This example, from Converse, taps into the celebrity of Maisie Williams (from Game of Thrones) to appeal to their target market:

For more on the impact of influencer marketing on Instagram, check out our article "How Influencer Marketing on Instagram Became a $1B Market (Infographic)."

What to Post on Instagram #8: Campaign Hashtags

A good campaign hashtag allows your Fans to see the content they want quickly, easily, and in one place. It makes the Instagram more easily and accurately searchable.

If you're releasing a new product, consider attaching a hashtag to it with every post you use to promote it. People will soon identify which campaign they're most interested in (and making their lives easier is never a bad thing).

This example, from Forever21, places their beauty product line as somewhat independent from the rest of what they sell:

What to Post on Instagram #9: Instagram Giveaway

If you don't have the energy or time to run an Instagram hashtag contest, you can always run a simple Instagram giveaway and promote within a post.

Just link to your giveaway's page within your website in your Instagram bio and tell Fans how they can enter for a chance to win.

Here's an example of an Instagram giveaway from LoveSuja juice:

Here's another example from BonPuf cotton candy:

What to Post on Instagram #10: Lifestyle Content

Instagram users want from your brand the same thing they want from any other Instagram user - an insight into their life and how awesome it is.

And that's great, because that kind of content is also super helpful with driving trust with prospective customers. The person that knows you is far more likely to buy from you.

Here's an example of an "insight into the life of a brand" (lifestyle) Instagram post, from Google:

What to Post on Instagram #11: Pets

There's not a whole lot to say here, honestly. People love pets, and if your business can find a way to incorporate them into your Instagram presence, do it. And then do it again, and then consistently forever.

Pets/mascots show that your business is hip, fun, modern, and has an awesome personality. And those are characteristics of businesses that people want to buy from.

Here's an example of a Pet-based Instagram post from social media management tool Hootusite:

What to Post on Instagram #12: Polls

This used to be one of my leading post recommendations on Facebook, but since they cracked down on asking for Likes or Shares, Poll posts have fallen in popularity.

And that's why I'm excited to see them coming up on Instagram. People love to categorize themselves. They love to feel part of a community. And polls give them that.

There's a coffee shop by my apartment, and they have two tip jars on their countertop. They have that cool blackboard paint on them, and every day the barista writes a poll on each - things like "TIp for Superman," and "Tip for Spiderman."

I asked her, once, if she's gotten more tips since she added the tip jars. "Hands down," she said. "Not even a competition."

Here's an example of a poll post from MTV's Instagram profile:

What to Post on Instagram #13: Product-Focused Content

Every once in a while you need to be more than just a pet-posting pollster. You need to remember that Instagram is also a place where you can showcase your products and encourage people to buy them.

This is especially true if you're a retailer (and your products are attractive).

Just remember you can't link to your products within the post copy itself, so remind people that the "shop link is in bio" - and continually update that link so it sends people to your product landing page.

Alternatively, try out Instagram Stories, as those do enable users to swipe up to navigate to a linked page.

This example from Forever21 combines a well-framed, professional photo with a great outfit and an @mentioned model (all best practice):

What to Post on Instagram #14: Seasonal Content

Tapping into what people are already thinking about goes beyond holidays and current events. A great way to connect with Instagram users is to appeal to their enthusiasm (or lack thereof) of the seasons.

Ben & Jerry's taps into seasonal posts fairly regularly, including this post they did to recognize the beginning of Spring:

What to Post on Instagram #15: Story Content

Story posts are a bit of a challenge, and more effectively done by utilizing video, but they're a powerful strategy.

People love to hear stories, and we're far more able to remember what we hear if it's told in story format.

For instance, when Groove tested the addition of a story to their article, they saw a 300% increase in time-on-page.

It's just as powerful on social media.

This post example, from Tesla Motors, taps into story to drive engagement on Instagram:

What to Post on Instagram #16: Posts with Style

"Style" is a pretty generic term, I get that. But it's accurate.

Anything you can do to stand out from the rest of the Instagram news feed should (at least) be tested. Creativity and style are the best ways to do that.

For instance, ditch the photo and go with a graphic created just for Instagram. Or ditch the graphic entirely and post a quote on a white background. Or just post an awesome image with no caption whatsoever. Who knows?

The goal here is to test what works for your audience, and to stand out from the rest of the brands publishing on Instagram in that minute of that day.

This example, from Adidas, taps into their own style, using a graphic instead of a picture of the shoes they're promoting:

What to Post on Instagram #17: Appreciation

Whether it's congratulating your employee on her new baby, one of your customers on a successful campaign, or your Fans for reaching a particularly exciting threshold, Instagram users love to celebrate with you.

They love to be a part of something happy, and showing appreciation for something awesome allows them to do just that.

This example, from BMW, is probably one of the more typical posts which show appreciation. What can your brand come up with to celebrate?

What to Post on Instagram #18: Trending Hashtags

Just as it's a best practice to tap into what people are already thinking about with current events, holidays and the seasons, it's also essential that you examine what hashtags are currently trending. This allows you jump onto an already runaway train and take it to the bank.

But don't force it. BeatsbyDre (the example below) identified the #MarchMadness hashtag as being relevant to their brand and target market. If you're a spa and hotel in Singapore, #MarchMadness may not be relevant to your Fans (at all) and trying to make it so will just get people confused and, possibly, annoyed.

Here's the example of a post by BeatsbyDre which includes a trending hashtag:

What to Post on Instagram #19: User-Generated Content

Just like people love celebrating holidays or achievements, they also love celebrating each other.

Create an Instagram post which features user generated content to tap into the network of the person you're featuring. UGC also shows you have a relationship with your Fans and customers and drives trust.

Here's an example from Canadian outdoor outfitter MEC:

What to Post on Instagram #20: Video

If you have the ability, creating video posts on Instagram is a definite Yes.

But if you don't have a studio, audio equipment and extreme sportswoman to fly off a jump on a motorcycle, consider Instagram Stories or a casual-style, candid video.

Take your smartphone and turn the selfie video feature on. Show an unboxing of your new product, an interview with your CEO or a weekly interview with your product and marketing teams about what they're working on and why.

Top Tip: If you want to, upload your Instagram videos to Facebook as well, to double your Reach.

Here's a more professional example of video posts from Redbull:

What to Post on Instagram #21: Inspirational Content

People love to be inspired on social media. It's why so many Twitter posts are Elon Musk quotes. But more than the fact that people like seeing an inspirational post, people like sharing an inspirational post.

Instagram (and social media users in general) want to be the people who inspire others. Make it easy for them by identifying inspirational quotes relevant to them and making it easy to share. Even to the extent of prompting them to do it in the post caption.

Here's an example of an inspirational post from social media management tool Postplanner:

What To Post On Instagram #22: Tutorial

Tutorials make great Instagram content because they’re a great way to engage with your audience and help establish you as an authority in your field. If you’re not sure what kind of tutorial your Instagram followers would enjoy, consider asking your followers for ideas. A good idea for a tutorial is something that you can teach your audience quickly and easily.

If your Instagram content is centered around beautify, for example, posting a hair tutorial that shows your audience how to achieve a certain hairstyle is a simple idea if you’ve run out of other things to post like @hair2pearl have done below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hair Video for you every day! (@hair2pearl)

What To Post On Instagram #23: Flatlay Your Bag

If you want to give your audience some insight into the personality that exists behind the scenes of your brand, a fun way is to take all the items that are in your handbag and arrange them neatly and shoot them from above. Not only does this make for visually interesting Instagram content, but it also lets your followers know a little bit about who you are as a person.

Here’s an example from the fashion page @simplystyledby_veronica:

What To Post On Instagram #24: Your Outfit Of The Day

People love using their Instagram feed as inspiration for outfits. Take advantage of the fact by sharing what you’re wearing with your followers. When it comes Instagram content ideas, the #OOTD (outfit of the day) is a great way to show your followers your style and sense of fashion.

For the design & fashion page @americanstyle they went one step further and didn’t just post one outfit, but a whole week’s worth!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by American Style (@americanstyle)