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gofancyninjaworld · 3 years

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2020 in One-Punch Man. Part 1: Manga

How shall I describe this succinctly?

It's like ONE and Murata looked around them, saw a raging pandemic, massive disruption to all walks of life, uncertainty of when, if, or how it might affect them, took a massive drag of their cigarettes and said: “Fuck being conservative. Let's go wild. Fuck making our current arc a webcomic retread with fancier fights. Let's introduce more lore, let's have more characters interact in ways one would never have imagined, let's have characters do things that hadn't previously been thought of and make this really exciting.“

If you were holding onto the webcomic as your guide to what next, 2020 was not a good year for you.

723 pages in 24 updates (including revisions) changed the status quo ante in deliciously unanticipated ways!

Where we left off in 2019, we were following the webcomic pretty faithfully, with most manga-original elements being removed at a fast clip. Phoenixman was dead, the mercenaries had died a brutal death, the ninjas had been resurrected but had run off buck naked, Orochi was dead, G5 was very much destroyed, Drive Knight had appeared but had obligingly limped off, taking Nyan with him. The S-Class heroes were in trouble with the cadre exactly as expected and Saitama had met up with Flashy Flash. Tatsumaki had finally found Psykos. Yup, no real changes here.

2020, HAHA!

Awaken!

Throwing manga-specific elements away? As if! They took the great opportunity that preparing chapters for publication to critically review and revise the story so as to first, make it move at a faster pace and second, to be enriched. It’s meant that chapters for volume 22, 23, and 24 (to come) have been redrawn to accommodate the changes and we got the benefit of many of them between April and August of this year.

We started with Phoenixman’s fight with Child Emperor. It started innocuously enough with Phoenixman resurrecting, but then we got a much more interesting chunk of knowledge -- the existence of a metaphysical world modelled on one’s on psyche where the assault on Child Emperor’s sense of self took a much more existential nature.

From a purely physical battle (and some nifty cool info about the Subterraneans) to an otherworldy battle happening in parallel with the physical battle:

It ended up a very interesting examination of Child Emperor’s character and his relationships with other heroes, as well as telling us something else freaky about Saitama’s ability to be anywhere he damn well wants to be.

Ah, and Phoenixman lives. Albeit as a little chick (for now). He’ll probably be back, but not just yet.

The mercenaries were next. They didn’t die. Not because Amai Mask had a change of heart, but because Iaian listened to the niggling feeling in the pit of his stomach and turned his team mates around to intervene just in time.

As you’d expect, trying to guide the mercenaries back to the safety of the surface has been an incredibly challenging ordeal for the disciples. It’s revealed much more about the way the disciples trust each other and lean on one another, and yet, when there was no option to do so, Iaian stepped up wonderfully to fight to save the mercenaries.

We’ve also learned something interesting about why mercenaries exist at all in a world supposedly at peace. I look forward to seeing where this plot might go next.

Elsewhere, we got to learn a little less about Puri Puri’s dancing and swimming lessons, but we got some really awesome nods to the mythical in Bakuma (the baku is a long-nosed creature formed out of all the bits left over after creation that eats dreams) and Electric Catfish Man’s sudden sense of doom is both reference to the way catfish are supposed to detect earthquakes and just damn cool.

A monsterised exploitative business man taking the form of a demonic dream-eating monster that consumes weaker monsters so as to exploit their abilities is so appropriate on many levels (and unreasonably hot!).

Yes, Waganma does make it to the surface, along with Saitama and Child Emperor. Saitama gets chased away by a Sekingar outraged that there’s a clueless hero just wandering aimlessly around. Child Emperor goes back underground and I loved to death Waganma being pierced with remorse as he realises that the hero is going to go risk his life anyway. He’s spoiled, but his keeping quiet came from a place of being a scared human being desperate to be saved (a surprising number of fans did not like that -- they preferred to think of him as a psychopathic monster incapable of remorse).

Orochi still has a date with a gloved fist, but he’s getting to live a little longer than he did before.

Overall the story is tighter and there’s a lot more interest as well as future plot hooks than there were. I’m interested in seeing how it gets tied up in the next volume sometime in 2021.

Reddit did not take it well. Summary of discourse:

sorry not sorry, I lost patience around the 500th whiny post

Advance!

What about the new chapters we got? Also here, ho ho ho, that status quo has gotten a good kicking!

Orochi came back. Not the most surprising surprise in the world, given how carelessly Saitama punched him. Also not surprising that he came back stronger; Phoenixman had wonderfully demonstrated that monsters can bounce back from near-death situations much stronger. But his form... such a disgusting, slimy, ever-shifting mass of tentacles and dragons, consuming all in its way led to the third craziest development: his fusion with Psykos to launch a new monster.

I’ll spare you the disgusting intermediate stages but the end result has been the birth of Psykos-Orochi and with that, what had been a total sweep for Tatsumaki turned into a much more dangerous enterprise where every mistake of hers got punished brutally.

Why is that only number three? Because Tatsumaki raised up the entire base to try to encompass the whole monster (and it turns out that she was thinking far too small -- the monster had actually eaten large sections of City Z) and Psykos-Orochi uses the space to launch a beam so powerful that it literally cuts off part of the Earth itself. It was a real I see it, but I don’t believe it moment.

if you didn’t spend a few seconds just staring in disbelief, you’re not paying attention. OMG. Boy is the Earth in trouble.

Why is that only the second craziest thing? Because of why this fusion monster was able to do as it did. ‘God’ doesn’t just go round looking like a semi-tangible being giving random homeless men magic powers. Yup, the Earth really in in trouble if some supernatural being is smushing monsters together to make a stronger one and then granting it extra powers. Just like that, the struggle has turned cosmic.

Tatsumaki trying to figure out how to fight back and save City Z from being swept away by a tsunami, save the heroes, and save the planet from further damage by the beams all at the same time was one of the most spectacular fights to date.

As I said earlier, this monster has presented Tatsumaki with a real fight where the slightest mistake on her part leads to severe punishment. She wound up in trouble when she underestimated how extensive the monster actually was and let up on twisting it too early, only to have it come right back and skewer her hands.

Thankfully, Genos came in and saved her from that pinch, then held the monster at bay long enough for Tatsumaki to finish saving the strike team so she could give the monster her undivided attention.

Which is a very tame way of saying that that was an incredible development in capability. That some of the fandom had trouble accepting (they suck). Watching their protests has been an exercise in special pleading. They have no trouble understanding how Murata uses scale...until it came to accepting the size of the explosion resulting from Genos smacking away Psyko-Orochi’s execution beam then it had to be a fisheye lens (visibly incorrect, but who’s talking facts here?). Have had no trouble understanding how Murata portrays escalation... until it came to accepting that Genos is strong then no, somehow the monster had to be weaker. Have had no trouble with the freeze frame language that Murata uses to portray things happening at great speed... until it came to accepting that Genos could move really, really fast. For some people, the new is only welcome when it confirms and validates preconceptions. Anyway, that’s my rant done!

the most unlikely of partnerships and they’re still going despite having taken a hell of a battering since this scene

Guess who’s back?

We’ve also been seeing more heroes come back to the fray. The emergence of the Tower of Doom acted as a clarion call to every hero around and able to move. Metal Bat sneaked out of hospital to come running back. Tank Top Master hitched a ride with Mumen Rider to go to City Z. He intended to stick around and save people, but seeing how much wider scale the fight was, he literally threw himself into battle.

Drive Knight decided he literally had to have a piece of the action, took up a ton of power from the nearest substation and came flying in to intercept a desperately escaping Psyko-Jet... ah, I didn’t say? Yes, the monster turned into a machine to run away once hard-pressed.

And we finally got to see what Blast actually looks like, courtesy of a flashback of Amai Mask’s. He definitely looks the part of a caped superhero and it’s little wonder he’s stuck in the imaginations of so many. But now I’m even more interested in seeing what his deal is and what is he’s like now

The one thing we know for sure will be happening is that Garou will not be denied his destiny. He’s coming. But what else is happening? Ah, that’s all in the air.

Bring on 2021!

#OPM #review #long #2020 #so much has happened #so much still to come #manga #Garou is coming BACK #13th #December #December 13th 2020 #so many incredible developments #Genos coming back far stronger than he's ever been and then hanging tough despite overdoing it #the unquestionable appearance of a meddling godlike entity #the Psykos-Orochi fusion and all its crazy permutations #the massive loss of life in Z-City: such an irony between heroes killing themselves to save a few individuals when mass death is all around #Not mentioned; Saitama Flash and their misadventures with Manako

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offtopicoverload · 3 years

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alright, i was on the fence about the oc weekend idea, but fuck it i have a bunch of shit made why not? block “oc weekend” tag if you don’t care cuz same

so have some cleo (and nia) headcanons to kick whatever the fuck this is gonna be off

super long cuz i have a serious problem

So her starting skills were bow, charisma, and wildlife, then woods lore, then blade, medicine, deception, brawling, seduction

She made some money hunting, which is where the bow and animal skills came from

With being an elf, her and Kade were orphaned together in a massacre and taken in by a local farmer

Absolutely got into so much trouble, usually Cleo getting a bad idea and dragging Kade along, but could always talk her way out of it, hence the charisma

MC canonically has relationship experience, right? I think she had a short term partner, maybe some flings with travelers or something, but never really got invested in relationships, just wasn’t her thing

Especially in RIverbend, where everyone knows everyone and it’s awkward if you break up

She’s pretty similar to canon MC, wild and goofy and somewhat reckless

But also really determined and caring and sweet when she needs to be

I adore her if you can’t tell

The first time she saw Nia, totally tongue-tied and a flustered mess, she’s smooth when it’s a joke but incapable of any coherent words when it turns real

She’s pretty awkward, definitely stiff at first, but slowly loosens up as she gets closer to Nia, letting her goofy side show

She for sure pines and gets made fun of for it by Kade, then Mal and Imtura every time she gets flustered

And Threep likes to rub it in too, occasionally threatening to say something unless he gets snacks he does the same to Nia askjksdf

I’m also in love with the idea of Mal and Imtura playing matchmaker and constantly trying to set them up in situations where they have to be close, and the two of them losing their minds when Cleo and Nia get stuck in that pit

The night at the cabin in the Deadwood was the first moment Cleo realised that there could be something real there, like it just never clicked until Nia was straight up telling her she liked her

From then on things definitely change, and Cleo starts being a lot softer, like at the masquerade and stuff

But the argument in the cabin always sticks out in her mind, she defended Nia’s right to spend her life as she chooses, but she doesn’t necessarily like it

She always tries to find work arounds for Nia using her light, like using her own before Nia can get the chance

She for sure nearly decked the High Priest, just for all his bullshit, and was very happy to get that tracking orb from him to make sure they would be safe she had some plans already

So I don’t accept MC being cool after Nia straight up gets yanked into the Shadow Realm, Cleo absolutely was about to jump in after her until Imtura grabbed her and jerked her back like “what the fuck are you doing”

Cleo was about to snap the entire time they were working their way through the Shadow Realm, definitely wrecked Vonstratz on Nia’s behalf

I also don’t accept the “single tear” line when MC fucking KILLS Nia, Cleo would be bawling her eyes out and refusing to let go of her when she dies

There not being an ily felt kinda weird to me, and cuz Cleo’s a sap, I feel like she’d either say it before stabbing Nia or during the diamond scene where they’re looking out at Whiterun

In the first instance, it’s more for her piece of mind, that Nia knows what her sacrifice means

When Nia comes back, Cleo whispers it a million times into her shoulder as she hugs her, until she sounds like a broken record

For the second one, it’d be a bit spur of the moment, she’d just be looking in Nia’s eyes as the words spill out, but she wouldn’t even care cuz it felt so right

And now I’m going to ignore book 2 and make up my own shit

So immediately after, Cleo and Kade go back to Riverbend to pack up their lives there, Kade in order to stay in Whiterun cuz King Arlan made him a librarian or something, idk but he’s in Whiterun at the royal library and archives

Cleo ends up running a few odd jobs out of Whiterun for a while, helping Mal out quite a bit as Nia ends up with a lot of responsibilities at the temple after the High Priest gets axed

Cleo ends up quite well known as a good adventurer/travel mate by the time Nia ends up quitting the temple

Before they leave on their first trip as just them, Cleo takes her up to that terrace overlooking Whiterun after taking her to the market

They stare out at the city for a while, until the sun’s setting along the horizon

Cleo pulls out a ring from her bag, fiddling with it as she shifts on her feet nervously. She’s wussed out like half a dozen times already, and this is her last chance to do it somewhere so special

Nia figures out something’s up and starts prodding to figure it out, poking her and stuff and laughing the whole time

Cleo’s kind of found out, and turns to her blushing the ring held between her thumbs and index fingers as she avoids eye contact, “So, um. You wanna get married?”

Not what Nia was expecting at all and she kind of just 👁👄👁 for a while, until Cleo starts trying to back out of it, thinking she fucked up

And then it’s Nia’s turn to stumble over her words something along the lines of, “No, wait! Okay, um, no, so - No, I don’t mean no, just - Yes! Of course!”

The ring’s super basic, like plain silver without even a gem

I feel like Cleo found it on a trip with Mal, and immediately thought of Nia and proposing and freaked herself out a bit, but that’s why she didn’t look for another cuz shes a sap

They travel around the realm a bit, stopping in Undermount so Cleo can look into House Nightbloom, and getting rides from Imtura when Mal gives them a tip on a relic or something

All the while Nia’s trying to spread the Light in small villages, using her magic for little things as Cleo works favours again

At some point they get a cottage a ways away from a village, I’d say not too far from the Deadwood and things slow down for the most part, only the occasional trip for the temple

It’s a really cute house, small and surrounded by flowers and huge trees, Cleo builds a swing on one

The others visit occasionally, Kade and Threep the most often, and I almost want to say they take in an orphan, but I can’t decide if Cleo would trust herself enough for that

Though I feel like Nia would love to have pets at the least cleo always compares threep to the cats to annoy him

Elves canonically have longer life spans than humans, and Nia’s is even shorter from using her Light, so I’m sure you can tell where I’m going with this

Nia passes in her sleep before anyone else in the gang and it really fucks up Cleo, like the way she wakes up to it and can’t even stop it

And the worst part is that she’s always hoping just a little bit in the back of her mind that it’s like the first time, and Nia’s just going to wake up or knock on the front door

The gang meet up all together for a funeral, and Cleo plants the flowers from the bouquet from the end of book diamond scene

She ditches the cottage cuz too much of it is Nia, and is just kind of aimless for a little bit, staying with Kade in Whiterun, but ultimately hates not having a purpose

She moves to the old elven cabin in the Deadwood cuz shes a sap cuz it’s one of her favourite places

She devotes herself to fixing it up and making it better, helping travelers through the Deadwood cuz I feel like Tyril would open Undermount up

Everyone’s stayed in relative contact and tend to invite Cleo on adventures if they don’t hear from her for a while, just to keep her from isolating herself in the woods

Mal works with the monarchy to make things better in the Nooks and Crannies while still thievin, and especially when he’s older settles down more

I feel like he lives pretty long, but ends up sick and passing away, second to go and he kinda laughs about it his mum was sick right? and he jokes about the irony to feel better?

I doubt Imtura really accepts being a princess, I think she keeps captaining and fights it as long as she can until she really doesn’t have a choice

But she’s not like her mum, actually leaving Flotilla and like working with the guard and stuff

I think she’s third, dying in battle like a badass and saving her crew. She’s honored by the clans, and the monarchy and even Undermount declares her a hero or something idk how it works there

I feel like Kade would keep to stories, but maybe spend a while just moving about the realm, stay in Undermount to explore it and stuff, builds up his name as a bard

He dies in his sleep too cuz he deserves it, he passes when he’s visiting Riverbend again, he’s buried there and like the whole village shows up

I feel like Tyril’s significantly older than everyone else, but being an elf hides it

He always gives Cleo tips on artifacts, or asks her to escort travelers through the Deadwood or around the realm if they’re important to keep her busy

He’s not the head of House Starfury, but he’s still pretty involved in elven politics, mainly focused on opening up Undermount, educating people on the elven empire and spreading the wealth and stuff

He’d go before Cleo, just running out of life force after all his magic

After Tyril passes, Cleo’s just done, he was the only thing giving her purpose, and she’s spent decades cleaning up the Deadwood as best she can

Threep’s joined her after Tyril’s funeral, staying with her for a few days and how following her out into the forest

She walks out to the clearing they saw the unicorn at and stops right on the edge, sitting down and setting up a purification ritual

She’s known how for years, she learned after Nia passed so she could spend some of her life completing one of her dreams like a sap

She clears out the darkness from a lot of the Deadwood to drain the last of her life force, stumbling over to a tree and sliding down to the ground, her back pressed against the bark

Threep flutters into her lap, her nails scratching behind his ears as he licks her chin comfortingly, a final goodbye

Her breathing starts heavy, growing slow as her chest feels far more hollow than it did a moment ago, and her eyelids slowly grow heavy

A breeze brushes her hair, stirring her awake. The lake’s shimmering before her, bright and magical as she stumbles to her feet, Threep gone from her lap

The Deadwood’s healed, more than she could possibly have managed on her own, and she has so much more energy now than when she fell asleep

She trips through the trees, running for what feels like hours until she’s back at the cabin, the stone bright against the trees as it sits, whole again after all her effort

She shoulders the front door open, freezing when she sees the fireplace, or rather, what’s before the fireplace

Nia’s there, her back to the flickering flames as she smiles, cheeks redder than the curls falling down her shoulders

And Cleo doesn’t stop running, tackling Nia into a hug and squeezing with all she is, tears dripping down her chin as she laughs, carefree and disbelieving and happy. So, so happy, for the first time since she last saw that smile

#i got very carried away oops #cleo nightbloom #shes getting a tag now cuz im committed tothis dumbass elf #and her magical partner #im assuming nespers live crazy long based on loola #and nia said 'well meet again beyond the veil' so im also assuming there's some sort of afterlife #oc weekend #wrote this like two weeks ago lmao #so ignore how erratic it is

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caitlinsnicket · 4 years

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Brixton Lore NSFW alphabet

Request: Can I request one Nsfw alphabet for Brixton Lore please!

A/N: Here it is! Feel free to like, reblog, or leave a comment! Also, requests are open!

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

He’ll always, always prepare a bath to you: usually, things tend to get kinky, so he knows that your muscles can get sore. A hot, bubble bath, followed by a gentle massage is mandatory. He likes to wash your hair and can spend hours just massaging your scalp. After that, he’ll dry you with a fluffy towel and lay you on the bed, so he can snuggle with you for the rest of the night.

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

His favorite part of his body is his mouth. The way he can make you shiver with only a kiss from him, the noises you make when he’s eating you out, and being able to taste all of you makes it just the right tool for him.

On your body though, is your chest, and not only because of your breasts: he likes to hear your heartbeats because it calms him down, and he usually falls asleep there. Plus, he’s a bitch for boob jobs, no matter the size of your breasts, if he gets to put his dick between them, he becomes a puddle in your hands.

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person)

Boobs. That’s it. He loves to cum inside you, but the visual of your chest covered with his cum makes him get hard again.

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

You two never talk about it, but there was one time where you two were making out, and he was still in his fighting uniform, but before things could escalate, he got a mission. He had to leave immediately, but the boner in his pants was very visible. So you rubbed him through his uniform.

He walked around like that the whole day, and he enjoyed every second of it.

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

He had one girlfriend before being with you, so he knew what to do, but his “blooming” (kink wise) was with you. Now, every time you two get at it, it seems like he’s learned something new just to make you crazy.

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual)

Doggy style and missionary. Gives him control over you, and a perfect view of your body/face.

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

He tries to be serious, he knows it’s an intimate moment, but sometimes he can’t help but crack a sarcastic comment while at it, earning a giggle from you.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

He only shaves when he feels the need to, though he never lets it get too wild. His pubic hair is just as dark as his facial hair.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

He had a bit of a hard time connecting emotionally with you in the beginning: sex was one thing, trust was another. Slowly, he started to get comfortable with the whole intimacy thing, and now he knows that he can trust you and be intimate with you, beyond just sex.

Brixton is a romantic but in secret. He leaves subtle things for you: a flower, a love note, doing the dishes before leaving for work, slowly dancing to some cheesy music sometimes... And kissing your whole body while praising you.

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

He doesn’t do it very often, he doesn’t feel the need to, but when he does, he uses the pics you send him earlier (he loves it when you send him pics of you in the things he buys you).

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Light Bondage - He likes to tie you up sometimes, and having you at his mercy makes him shiver: you trust him enough to be restricted, and for him, that’s a big proof of trust, and a big turn on.

Hair kink - Your hair is also a weak spot for him.

Lingerie - If he could, he would spend all his money On these delicate undergarments. He just loves the way it settles in your body, and get’s weak in his knees when you wear it around the house casually.

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do)

He doesn’t care where: as long as you want to, he’s up to it, though he prefers to do it in a place where he can take his time to do you the right way.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

Kisses in the neck that are feather light put him at your mercy (he’s a dom, but in love with you), you wearing his clothes casually and eye contact (he calls it “the eyes”).

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Any kind of play that involves weapons (knife play, gunplay, etc). He doesn’t like to associate you with violence, because to him you’re a separate world: only happy, soft, and comfortable things, nothing bloody like his job.

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

He’s in the middle: he loves going down on you, overstimulation is also something he loves, and hearing you whining beneath him pampers his ego. And when you give him a blowjob, he swears he dies a little each time.

He knows your preferences, he is patient with you, and he likes it. Combine it all and you have pleasure for the whole night if you want to.

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

He likes it rough on most days, but he knows when you want it slow or sensual. It depends on what you two decide on that day.

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

He’s up to them if you’re up to them. He does prefer the proper sex but won’t deny a quickie if you ask for it.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

Oh, Brixton loves to experiment, he’s always coming up with new things to test in the bedroom, and will try almost anything you suggest.

He likes to do the do in places where he could get caught, but it’s less about other people being able to see it, and more about you.

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

After all the changes in his body, he’s able to last for at last four rounds. Now, in the “lasting” matters, it depends on what you guys are doing on that day. There was one time where he lasted only six minutes because you were riding him too well.

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

He doesn’t own any toys and doesn’t use it on you unless you ask for it. To him, sex is more about you than it is about him.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Brixton Teaser Lore loves to keep you on the edge for hours. He just loves to see you beneath him, whining and shifting, and the best part: the expression you make when you finally get your release. He just loves it.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

He tries not to be loud, biting his lips, his cheek, and his knuckles to muffle the sounds and needs some encouragement to actually let go and moan as he pleases. His deep voice becomes thinner at the moment you touch his dick with your lips.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

He’s curious about being pegged but is too shy to ask for it.

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

Brixton is long, but not too thick, enough to fill you but not too big that it hurts.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

He loves sex and is up to it almost all the time, but there are some occasions after he comes home from a mission and is too tired to do anything: he just wast a bath and cuddles.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

It depends on how many rounds he’s gone: if it was just one or two, you guys can still have some pillow talk, but if he’s reached his limit, he just has enough energy to hug you tightly and fall asleep.

#hobbs and shaw #brixton lore #brixton lore imagine #brixton lore x reader #brixton lore x Y/N #hobbs and shaw imagine #idris elba #idris elba imagine

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ranger-report · 4 years

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Review: SPELUNKY 2 (2020)

Few things in the Year of the Apocalypse have brought us joy; once upon a time back in February, there was something about a Sonic the Hedgehog movie that people actually liked, and then we went full-on deep into madness. From there it was disappointment after disappointment; even an unstoppable giant with hype, The Last of Us: Part II fell apart under fan scrutiny despite huge critical success.

But then, there was light: Fall Guys, a true underdog of a game, released and swept the internet and gaming as a whole with excitement. Joyous, colorful, wild, aggravating, Fall Guys single-handed brought catharsis to a series of unfortunate events, followed by a masterpiece of deception, Among Us. Also capturing colorful characters in the most unlikely of situations, Among Us is the game of Secret Hitler that nobody knew they wanted, ruining friendships along the way -- a game I plan to do a write-up on soon. And yet, we still have another gem to consider now, one which is seven years in the making, and against all odds is just as good -- if not better -- than it’s predecessor: Spelunky 2.

Once upon a time, a developer named Derek Yu released a pixellated exploration game that was a love letter to Pitfall and Indiana Jones. Dubbed Spelunky, it followed the trials and tribulations of the Spelunky Guy as he dove headfirst into a series of ever-changing caverns as he explored mines, jungles, icy caves, and Egyptian ruins to discover the City of Gold. It was released free online, and was well-received enough for Yu to work on an upgraded version, Spelunky HD. Gone were the retro pixels, replaced with detailed cartoon art and vibrant atmosphere. Telling the same story with the same levels, only now realized in higher quality and deeper secrets, Spelunky HD helped create the roguelike genre, in which players start at the beginning of a game with nothing, slowly make their way through the game amassing items and weapons to assist them, but death takes them all the way back to the beginning pockets empty. Then, the game randomly generates a new series of levels for the player to try again, ensuring no two runs are ever the same. For some this is frustrating, for others an endearing challenge. Many have spent hours diving deep into the game, searching over and over for its most hidden secrets, discovering hidden paths and endings only achieved through insanely difficult methods. With that game cemented as a bona fide masterpiece, it seemed daunting to even consider a follow up, but Yu and development team Mossmouth have done it once more with Spelunky 2, a game that feels tighter, plays looser, and somehow holds even more secrets than the first game, partially due in part to the sequel having actual lore to follow and a story that literally is out of this world. Here the protagonist is Ana Spelunky, daughter of Guy Spelunky (the titular Spelunky Guy....the game is full of dad jokes like these), as she followers her adventurous father and mother to the moon as they have disappeared there. Turns out the Olmec guardian defeated in the first game also has a presence on Earth’s satellite, and the Spelunkys have vanished in their quest to research this. So Ana, full of spunk and vigor and dog Monty in tow, steps into the spotlight on a completely new adventure, along with completely new friends.

Where the first game gave players options to discover and unlock new characters during the course of the game, Spelunky 2 treats these side characters as actual companions. A base camp at the start shows life and livelihood where everyone beds down and preps for the next expedition, where shortcuts to different stages can be traversed (once properly unlocked) and dialogue can be had. There’s a simple joy just to stand around and see everyone you’ve unlocked hanging out, walking around, as more and more beds occupy the camp. It’s a very subtle way of showing player progress that is both incredibly rewarding and relieving. And for the most part, it’s the same essence of gameplay. Explore levels filled with creatures out to kill you, while collecting gold and rescuing animals. Gold can buy resources from the shops located in the levels, animals give you a kiss for extra health, but only if they make it to the end alive. Meanwhile, the areas are loaded with traps, bombs, hidden monsters, jars filled with any number of surprises, and bonus areas that can be unlocked with the proper use of a rope or a bomb. But tarry too long and the ghost that haunts this world will reveal itself, slowly stalking you until either you reach the end of the level or there’s nowhere else to run.

Differences with the new game come in gentle shocks: for starters, where the first game had a linear progression this one has multiple pathways that can be taken to get to the end. And minibosses! Journeying through the opening caves, divided into four sections, leads to a confrontation against a giant caveman named Quillback in World 1-4, which leads to a pair of doors, one on either side of the level. First time playing through might lead to discovering one of the doors due to the way they’re split apart, but casual exploration to the opposite side reveals the truth: a whole new world. One door leads to Volcana, the underground mining operation in a volcano, the other leads to the Jungle, which has received deadly upgrades from it’s previous life. Spelunky 2 is littered with these gentle shocks as I mentioned above: golden idols still set off traps when picked up, but the traps now vary from falling pillars to explosive lava to spiked walls. Beyond the Jungle and Volcana lies a boss fight with Olmec, making a surprise appearance early in the game. And from here the game moves ever onward, revealing new areas, new characters to unlock, new surprises. And the surprises are telegraphed even better than they were in the first game. For example: unlock a special box with a golden key in the Caves to gather the Eye of Udjat, which lets you see through the floor. But the Eye can also be used to start up the Drill in Volcana, the only way to power it. What happens when you use the drill? Gentle shocks, indeed. New ideas also include mounts to ride (once tamed, which can leave you vulnerable for a moment while you wait for the ride to settle), each one having a different attack or special ability, and brand new shops which can let you into their back rooms to loot...unless you have a skeleton key and you want to risk pissing them off by breaking and entering. But pissing off a shopkeeper usually results in guns blazing your direction, and the imminent threat of death.

Death is in abundance. The game knows it, you know it, the characters know it. With a premise around the idea that death is impermanent while inside the tunnels of the moon, it becomes eventual that the characters get in on the act. Turning the page in Ana’s journal on the game over screen reveals little thoughts of hers on this leg of the journey: from base facts such as when she first took damage, to giggly details like “I was vegan” (referring to the fact that she didn’t eat any turkeys or -- god help us -- cavemen for extra health), the game brims over with character aplenty. Even certain guardians refer to Ana as “Reborn” nodding to the endless cycle. And, in fact, it is endless: it keeps going and going and going until eventually there is the final level and the escape from the moon. But how long will it take to get there? What sacrifices must be made to make it that far? How many loops, deaths, rebirths? As always with Spelunky, there is gold both figurative and literal to be mined from the ruthless exploration. Secrets are deep and wide, surprises await around every corner (was that a LEPRECHAUN and did it drop a FOUR LEAF CLOVER??? And did that ghost just sPLIT into FOUr???), and all of it is rewarding.

It can be difficult to review a game that I haven’t finished. A lot of Spelunky players have never finished the game. There’s a certain finesse to it, watching speedrunners bounce through levels undaunted, gathering miracle items to assist them. Then there’s players like me, that bumble and stumble their way into lucky runs and slowly earn shortcuts to different worlds. It’s a gamble every single time, and sometimes I wonder why I do it, but the charm and the fun and the fist-pumping feeling of success against all odds is what makes this game so much fun. And to think that Mossmouth not only captured the feeling of the first game, the majesty of it, and renewed all of that magic with the second. Someone made a blood sacrifice to craft this game, that much is for sure. As of this writing, the Playstation 4 version has been out for a few weeks, and the PC version for only a few days. After playing both I can confirm that they are precise, concise, and play exactly the same, although I do feel I had slightly better control response times on the PC. That said, online co-op is not yet available for PC, as Mossmouth is going over that aspect with a fine toothed comb. Having playing online day one for the PS4, I can say that the hiccups experienced then will be best served through Mossmouth’s attention first. Online play has become much smoother since, but players deserve the best experience off the jump.

Spelunky 2 is mana from heaven in these trying times, and I’m gobbling as much of it as I can. And when a game like this is is this deep and wide, there’s a lot to gobble...and all of it is tasty.

Final Score: 9/10

#spelunky #spelunky 2 #pc #ps4 #mossmouth #derek yu #pc gaming #console gaming #review #ruby ranger #ranger report #ck burch

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teaandgames · 4 years

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The Tea Times - June 2020

Well, we’re officially over halfway through the year at this point. I know for many people it feels like we’re dragging ourselves over that point but try and keep your chin up. All bad things must end. In the world of games it’s been a rather packed month, with some high profile releases and some unexpected announcements coming out of the woodwork. Hopefully that’ll tide us over for the second half of the year where things will, hopefully, start to look up.

At A Glance

Valorant, Command & Conquer Remastered Collection, Desperados III, The Last of Us Part II, Summer in Mara and Pokemon Cafe Mix released.

Resident Evil 8: The Village, Crash Bandicoot 4, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2, Pokemon Unite, Pokemon Snap and Lost in Random announced.

Kingdoms of Amalur is getting retooled!

Rumour mill: Far Cry 6 and Batman!

UK strikes out at loot boxes!

Playstation 5 is revealed!

Cyberpunk 2077 Re-Delayed!

The Releases

My goodness there’s a lot to get through this month. Let’s begin with Valorant, a team shooter developed by Riot Games. Many team shooters have jumped up and been smacked right back down but Riot Games, the League of Legends lads, have some proper grunt behind them. I’ve heard a lot of positive chatter about Valorant, and seen some exciting videos, so there’s every chance. I’m too incompetent for these type of games but if you’re not then it released on PC on the 2nd June.

I’m also too incompetent for Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection but that’s not going to stop me. While it’s not much of a collection, containing only Command & Conquer and Command & Conquer: Red Alert, there’s a lot of love in the package. The retooled art is nice to see, while also preserving the spirit of the original. It’s a heavily nostalgic game and a reminder of when RTS games were about the base building and not screaming at your teammates. If you fancy a trip down a FMV-laden memory lane then it was released on the 5th June.

Desperados III caused some long forgotten light bulb to spark in my head, though I can’t really explain why. It’s a real-time stealth game set, rather unsurprisingly, in the Wild West. Was there much stealth there? My mind has been too corrupted by images of people blind-firing at each other with revolvers. Still, Desperados III seems to have an action element to it as well for when you’re bored of killing people and stashing their bodies. It’s also getting decent reviews too, which is encouraging. If you fancy some rootin’-tootin’ throaty slittin’ then Desperados III came out on Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on the 16th June.

Summer in Mara is a funny one. It popped up constantly on my Facebook, sending me ad after ad. Normally this would turn me against a game but, in a rare twist, it actually got me pretty excited. It’s a farming game, with an exploring element to it and I am all about that. It also looks gorgeous, in screenshots at least. I actually didn’t realise it was out yet so I will soon be booting up either Steam or my Switch to get on that. I’m ready to waste another hundred hours. It released on the 16th June.

Well now here’s one that’s been doing the controversy circle. Released on the 19th June, The Last of Us Part Two was quickly subjected to review bombing. Possibly because it committed the cardinal sin of acknowledging that the LGBT community exists. Ah well. That nonsense aside, it’s picking up top scores and awards, much like its predecessor. It appears to be heavily story focused though the physics, by the look of it, are top notch too. If you liked the original then give it a whirl. It was released on PlayStation 4 on the 19th June.

Even more unexpected is Pokemon Cafe Mix. Not too much to say about this one, to be honest. It’s a pleasant little puzzle game about serving folks in a cafe, which is staffed by Pokemon wearing adorable outfits. It’s free to play, with microtransactions, and seems like a nice little game to kill a few minutes. It dropped on the Switch on the 23rd June.

The Announcements

It seems like every five minutes, I found another game that had been announced. Not least of all is Resident Evil 8: The Village. If you remember, I adored Resident Evil VII and I hope that the sequel carries on its spirit. It’s certainly in first person and the trailer gives me hope. It also has an old man in a flat cap with a shotgun which always gives me hope. The trailer is absolutely dripping with symbolism too. It should be coming out next year.

Next in line of the unexpected sequels to nostalgic games is Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, which has a trailer set to The Rockafeller Skank just to maximise that early 2000s nostalgia. As you might expect, it’s about time. That title has its tongue buried deeply in its cheek. It looks like a proper return to form too, with bright colourful graphics and a fresh Cortex plan to ruin. While I never got on that well with the Crash Bandicoot franchise, I know a lot of people will be excited for the return to form. It’ll be out on October 2nd.

Lord, they are cranking out Bloodstained games, aren’t they? Back in 2018, the original Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon came out, which was an old school Castlevania game in all but name. A companion game, Ritual of the Night, made things 2.5D. Now however, we’re back to Curse of the Moon with Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2. It looks like it keeps the old school Castlevania art style, which is nice to see. If you’re in the mood for an older flavour of game, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 will be out on the 10th July.

The second controversy on this list is a new Pokemon game, Pokemon Unite. In this case, the ire may well be justified. Pokemon Unite is a MOBA, of all the bloody things, which is a bit of an odd move. It’s a pretty heavily saturated genre, full of big names, and I don’t honestly know how much market Nintendo will be able to carve out of that. Add in the fact that it has a definite connection to Chinese company Tencent (which doesn’t have the best reputation) and it goes some way to explaining the mountain of dislikes the video has gotten. Ah well. A release date has yet to be announced.

What is much more up my street is Pokemon Snap for the Nintendo Switch. The original was one of the highlights of my emulation days. Basically, you ride on a little cart through the world of Pokemon, taking pictures of them in their natural habitat. Then Oak looks through them and reveals how weak of a photographer you are. It’s not a game for everyone but if you always wanted to see Pokemon frolic around like normal animals then Pokemon Snap is your game. No release date yet, though.

Still not too sure about Lost in Random to be honest. I think I just like me some dice games. It’s set in a fairly dark world where people’s fates are decided by a roll of the dice, but it also has something of an upbeat tone in the vein of Tim Burton. It’s an action-adventure game, with some pretty heavy looking combat, set in a gothic fantasy world and all of those are good things. If you like the sound of it, then Lost in Random will be out next year.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

Well this is one I wasn’t expecting. I did a whole piece about how the intellectual property had been handed around like a game of hot potato, even landing in the hands of the state of Rhode Island at one point. THQ acquired the property rights in the end and they’ve now announced that they are giving it a fresh coat of paint, which is being handled by the folks at Kaiko, who did the Darksiders remasters. So it should be fairly decent.

What confuses me is that the things they are working on are the graphics and the gameplay. The two things that Kingdoms of Amalur didn’t really suffer from. The game always looked pretty gorgeous, to be honest. It captured the spirit of a fantasy forest nicely. I never looked at it and thought, damn this needs retooling. Same with the gameplay really. It wasn’t anything amazing but it wasn’t screaming for a remaster.

Honestly, Kingdoms of Amalur’s biggest flaw was from the core design. The huge open levels with bugger all in it, quests that didn’t really do anything interesting and long lore dumps that put you to sleep. That’s not really going to change if you’re just doing surface level stuff. Still, we don’t know for sure what they’re changing so you never know. The remastered version should be out in August.

The Rumour Mill - Exotic Locales And Batman

The first of our rumours this month revolves around Far Cry 6. The latest entry Far Cry 5 was set in North America and revolves around a cult, which probably hits a little too close to home for some people. If that’s not your bag then you’ll be pleased to know that Far Cry 6 will be set somewhere more exotic. No exact details at the moment but I imagine there will be sunshine and clear waters. It’s also supposedly due to be released before April next year, COVID19 depending. If the rumour is true, we’ll hear more about this on July 12th.

For those more interested in the caped crusader then you may be interested to know that there’s a good chance of Warner Bros. announcing two Batman games in August this year. This rumour is fuelled by the fact that two domains have been registered. They point towards two titles, ‘Gotham Knights’ and ‘Suicide Squad’. The second one is more obvious and probably inevitable, given that we’ve had a whole film about them. Not sure about Gotham Knights though. We should hopefully have more info at DC’s fandome event on the 22nd August.

UK Says Loot Boxes Are Not OK

Following on from the example of companies like Belgium, UK ministers are asking for a review of evidence with regards to Loot Boxes in games. The issue comes from the definition of Loot Boxes as gambling. It’s not an unreasonable definition, as it encourages people to put in a varying amount of money for the chance at getting something rare and exciting. Everybody wins, of course, but most of the time it’s basic stuff that entices you to try again. Sounds like gambling to me.

People aren’t too happy with advertising gambling to under 18s so this decision has a lot of weight to it. If Loot Boxes are declared to be gambling, then games will be required to remove them or change them up so they can be sold to under 18s. They may even remove the games entirely. How enforceable that will be remains to be seen but it will likely make it harder for multiplayer games to be marketed in the UK. Not a happy thing but we’ll have to wait and see what the evidence says.

The Sleek, Sexy… Router?

Well here’s an interesting one. Sony released their first images of the PlayStation 5 design this month and people are already disagreeing with it. I can see why. It’s a very sleek, futuristic design. Minimalist white and grey in an obelisk like shape. I’m in two minds about it myself. On the one hand, it’s quite sleek and attractive. It doesn’t look like a ‘console’ which I think is a good thing. It looks memorable.

On the other hand it looks like a wireless router. You’ll have to make your own mind up on this one.

Re-delayed

Just a quick one to end on. CD PROJEKT RED are fully committing to making sure Cyberpunk 2077 is ready to go. To that end, it’s been delayed back to November 19th. They’ve been fully transparent as to why as well, which is refreshing. Essentially, while it’s good to go content-wise, they need extra time to go through everything and iron out those bugs. A good reason, as reasons go.

They did however release some new gameplay trailers to keep people going, so make sure to check those out to remind yourself why it’s worth waiting until November! That’s all for June, see you in July!

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t-citurnity-moved · 4 years

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Heyyyy. It’s waaayyy too early for me to be awake, but I’ve been thinking about some things and wanted to make a post about them LMAO.

Some little notes about B.order.lands Caine under the cut. I’ve been thinking about a lot of these for awhile now, so bear with if they get a bit lengthy / rambly.

These are just general canon-ish things about him in the universe, so not limited to BL3 or anything like that; I mention a few things that are BL3 centric tho.

I’ve been juggling between powers for Caine, since he’s a Siren.

One of the powers I want to give him is time stop, but only briefly. Like maybe 5 seconds, but can be upgraded to 10. It happens in a bubble around him and he can move in stopped time. Anything that comes in contact with the bubble slows to a stop.

OR I could be Extra™ and give him the ability to nullify other Siren’s powers.

The final Eridian writing in game states that there are seven Sirens in existence at one time and that the seventh “should never be found” or something to that extent.

In this instance, Caine would be the seventh and that grants him the ability to nullify Siren powers so long as he’s touching the person (and for like a second or so extra for the effect to wear off).

This would make him, like, the PERFECT counter to Tyreen + Troy and I love the idea. More on that at a later date.

Either way, being a Siren is “tradition” in his family and is passed down the maternal line; his mother was a Siren, his grandmother, etc.

His Siren status was passed from his older half-sister, Hecate, who died when they were both young. Because being a Siren isn’t exactly uncommon in his family, it’s likely that they knew how to pass these powers along.

If there’s a specific ritual or not, doesn’t really matter since they’ve got their own way of doing things. They’ve probably come up with their own “coming of age” ritual that Caine was apart of before he came out.

Caine’s Siren markings are purple; they counter the “softness” of other Sirens by being wild and jagged, even compared to Troy’s (whose are stated as being “flayed and violent.”)

He covers them up and avoids using his powers if at all possible; he doesn’t like relying on them.

Because of this, pretty much no one knows he’s a Siren. And he doesn’t have any thought to tell them either.

Caine’s wings are pretty similar in terms of being wild and jagged; they’re large enough to cover his entire body and he has a whopping four of them. Yeah, I’m kicking canon lore out the door, sue me.

Outside of Siren things, Caine is a mercenary who’ll pretty much take any job if it means getting paid. He hardly cares about the vaults or what’s in them; he doesn’t fuck with Siren BS unless he absolutely has to.

Which is why he has such a crisis in BL3, because he’s so unused to having all this Siren shit shoved in his face after unlearning all of it after his family is eradicated for lack of a better term lmao.

He also tinkers with things! Like, he’s really big on technology and has built a few gadgets for himself that’ve saved his life more times than he can count. He also salvaged parts to make himself a motorbike out of scrap lmao. It’s reliable, though it doesn’t really look it. He doesn’t really trust the catch-a-ride system much, no offense to Ellie.

ALL THAT BEING SAID. He does really love his friends despite being a hardass, ESPECIALLY in BL3.

He’s pissed when Lilith loses her powers and is ready to throw down the second he sees Tyreen and Troy next time.

He also throws caution to the wind and uses his own powers to save Maya. (You can pry Maya surviving out of my cold, dead hands.)

Of course this means that everyone knows he’s a Siren now, but he doesn’t care as long as all his friends are still alive.

IF I go the route of his powers nullifying those of other Sirens, the next time he meets the twins, you can bet Tyreen tries to leech him only to find out she can’t. It’s crisis inducing and really gives them BOTH a wakeup call.

From that point, Caine tries tor really undermine every interaction Tyreen has with Troy, because Troy’s the “vulnerable” one. This is before they’re together, he wouldn’t do that if they were dating unless it was a bad situation.

WHICH IT IS. And you can’t convince me otherwise. Tyreen doesn’t give a damn about Troy and we all know this. Yeah, siblings play around a lot, but DAMN she’s downright ruthless to him, ESPECIALLY after his boss fight and her first instinct isn’t to check up on him to see if he’s still alive, but to LEECH HIM INSTEAD.

Needless to say, this is what sparks off Troy’s redemption arc, which I’ll get more into at a later date once I square away a LOT of things.

#self insert (borderlands)#ship bs #since technically i talk about the beginning of the ship lmao #i should probably add that tag too just in case #ship (siren's call)#self inset bs #new tag!! because i want to talk about my self inserts more oof #long post #legit don't read this its a garbled mess LMAO #but if you do thank u..... i lov u....#also legit if anyone has Qs about this just ask LMAO #because honestly it really IS a hot mess and a lot could be clarified #but i legit can't think of anythng else to add sooo

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boethiahsboytoy · 4 years

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IN DEPTH TES OC QUESTIONS: VYRTHAAL. (((if you dont feel like going for all of them, then pick your favs cos i know thats a long list but im excited to hear what you will share for the boi)))

I’m gonna do ‘em all >:3c Also thank u omg I’m so excited that Anyone’s interested in him ;w; Side note, occasionally I’ll mention Marzog who’s an orc created by @elderscrelders that found Vyr when he was hidden away and raised him, as well as Sinarwyn (aka Sina) who’s my newest OC; a former knight-paladin of Auri-El that joined Marzog and Vyrthaal on their travels when the town she once lived in was destroyed by the Thalmor.

Under a cut, RIP mobile users!

1) It’s a little unreasonable for everyone in a Middle Ages-esque fantasy to be perfectly literate, and writing with quills was considered legitimate labor! How well can your oc read and/or write? How detailed is their quest log/journal, if they keep one at all?

Vyrthaal’s parents made sure he could read and write, but unfortunately when he’s found by Marzog he can only read and write in ancient Falmer so.....doesn’t really help him much lmao. So he’s learning! He does keep a rather detailed journal, though he doesn’t write in it daily--I’d imagine he doesn’t really have time for that. But he writes in it as much as he can.

2) How educated is your oc? Did their parents teach them, did they have a tutor or were they apprenticed to a master, or did they attend a university? What university? What are they educated in? How long did their education take? (Learned skills like blacksmithing count here too!)

Vyr was nobility, so his parents wanted to make sure he was a highly educated boy. Since there’s not any lore I could find on snow elf education I’ve been kind of bullshitting everything about this BUT I headcanon that upper class mer like him would be trained by private tutors that are masters in their subject(s). When he’s later taken in by Marzog he of course is trained in blacksmithing once he’s settled in (and it helps him stop focusing on the trauma of seeing his home attacked and destroyed etc. etc.), as well as how to fight. When Sina joins them, she teaches him to hunt.

3) Does your oc have any kind of crafting skills that either aren’t in-game or don’t have as much importance in-game as they would in real life? (For example, can your oc sew or weave, etc? Are they skilled in any kind of art? Can they make jewelry or work glass? Are they musicians? etc)

Marzog taught him how to make clothes and do things like embroidery! He uses his new skills to try and recreate snow elf attire so there’s a whole orc stronghold that, when they’re not in their armor, wear elegant and pretty robes ;u; @elderscrelders says that Marzog would like to weave tapestries, and I think Vyrthaal would try to learn too. He wouldn’t be incredible at it, but he’d still like it! He’d also enjoy painting, and most definitely decorates the armor that the orcs in his stronghold wear uwu

4) What pantheon does your oc worship? If they worship the Cyrodiilic/Imperial pantheon, does that include Talos? If they secretly worship Talos, how do they justify hiding it?

I haven’t given a lot of thought to this but UESP says that the snow elves have their own pantheon. Vyrthaal certainly would have worshipped them as a child, but after being found by Marzog and becoming a part of orc society, he’d feel a connection to Malacath as well.

5) How religious is your oc? Do they come into conflict with others over their beliefs? If their patron deity told them to do something extremely undesirable or against their moral compass, would they do it? Would your oc sell someone’s soul for a corn chip?

Malacath is his Dad.

That being said, he wouldn’t follow an order from any god he worships if they told him to do something against his moral code, but he’d be scared about doing so lmao.

6) Does your oc have a family of origin? How many members of their FoO are still living? Do they have a good relationship? How much contact does your oc have with their FoO? How in-the-loop is your oc’s FoO about your oc’s being Dragonborn/HoK/Nerevarine?

*laughs nervously* Uh. No. But while they were alive, Vyr’s parents were distant and not at all there for him emotionally so he didn’t have a great relationship with him. I don’t really see the point in developing them beyond that but I’d imagine they wouldn’t like the idea of him being a Dragonborn? That or use him to like...gain more power, or something.

Marzog’s stronghold on the other hand loves him like he’s one of their own, and Marzog is an amazing mom. He can trust everyone in his new family to help him when he needs it and to be supportive. With Sina he pretty much Immediately develops a close familial bond with since they’re two of the last remaining snow elves alive and she understands a lot of his feelings in a way that no one else really can, as much as they’d try to.

7) What social class was your oc born into? Did they change classes at all? How?

Oh whoops I already mentioned this :’3 His parents were fairly high-ranking nobles. Marzog’s mother was the healer and the one that would communicate with Malacath for their stronghold. So Marzog herself is fairly important, but not like. A chief’s daughter. So as her son, that would make him kind of important? But he’s also the Designated Babey.

8) How politically active is your oc? Are they obviously influential, or is their influence more subtle?

He’s.....he’s 13. Even if he did try to be politically active, I don’t think anyone would actually listen to him. Jarl Balgruff might because he seems like the sort that would, but other than that...yeah, no. He also wouldn’t be too interested in politics as an adult aside from making people Stop attacking the Falmer, and giving the Reachmen their land back. He’d be on good terms with Madanach tho, if that counts!

9) What unplayable faction would/did your oc join, if any? Why?

Do the Falmer count? Because unlike Gelebor he’d want to connect with them and make an active effort to try to help them--and he does with Kili’s clan! And as I mentioned he’d help the Forsworn, so them too I think. Off the top of my head I can’t think of any more, I think those r the only things relevant to Vyr anyway??

10) How trustworthy is your oc? Would they ever change opposing factions?

Absolutely not, Vyr is a ride or die. The only exception would be if he would be pushed to doing something seriously fucked up. A Trustworthy Boy.

11) What is your oc’s main source of income, if they have one besides plundering tombs and adventuring? If they’re mercenaries, are they part of a company?

He gets an allowance from Marzog uwu But she’d also let him keep any money n valuables they find adventuring.

12) Does your oc own their own business, and if so, what is it?

Nope, he wouldn’t really be interested in that-

13) Is your oc good with finances? Bartering? How long can they keep the money they make?

He really wouldn’t be! He’d spend all his money on like 30 sweetrolls! He’s a kid and he needs adult supervision lmfao.

14) Does your oc have any particular rivalry or mutual dislike with any NPC?

I jokingly said “literally every Nord” but for a while, that’s how it is. He was frozen while the Nord colonizers were trying to wipe out his entire race and saw them destroying his hometown before his father tried sealing him and the rest of his family away in a secret hideaway area. He sees them as murderous brutes first, people second, and it takes him a long, long time to understand that that’s technically ancient history, and that the Nords of today aren’t the people who killed most of his race. But he will always hate the Companions though I don’t know if they’d even know he exists?? They seem like they just chill in their own lil world but to be fair, I’m not that interested in them so...I genuinely don’t know lol;;

Also he will personally bite out Ulfric Stormcloak’s throat, and no one will stop him.

15) How well-liked is your oc? What is their reputation, if they’re well-known? Are they simply liked/disliked, or are they respected but feared, or personally liked but not taken seriously, etc? Do major factions consider your oc an important player?

Everyone loves him, and it’s definitely not because he has two terrifying elf moms standing behind him! :)

...which sounds like a joke, but Marzog (big beefy orc who can snap your bones like twigs) and Sina (highly trained knight-paladin that looks ready to murder 24/7) really Do terrify everyone into at least being respectful towards him.

He’d probably be well known throughout other orc strongholds, and even orcs outside of them would know about him. As soon as he learns...Anything about the Companions he would do Everything he could to wreck their shit. Needless to say he’d be hated by him. I think those are the only things I’ll go into in this ask, because this is already so long.

16) Does your oc have a horse/other mount? A pet? How did they get this animal? If they were given the animal, do they have the money to maintain it? How careful/careless are they with their animal? What do they do with their pets while adventuring, especially on dangerous quests?

When he meets Kili and his clan, Kili decides to travel with him about a year later when they’re both around 15. As a parting gift, the clan leader gives him a chaurus reaper as a companion, and he absolutely adores her. Unfortunately it’s highly unsafe for her above ground as she’d pretty much always be attacked on sight, so she does spend most of her time underground with Kili’s clan.

17) Does your oc take their time as they travel, or are they purposeful? How do they survive in the wilds, especially if they aren’t hunter-types? How dependent is your oc on civilized society?

I feel like he’d make good time travelling, but for a while Vyrthaal would hate it. He lived a very sheltered life, he’s not used to living outdoors, but Marzog (and later Sina) would help him out as best as they can. Sina would also teach him (and maybe Marzog?But she’d use that just as an excuse to be close to her) how to hunt.

18) What does your oc like to eat? How much food do they eat? Can your oc cook, and can they do it well?

He loves treats n sweet desserts, as well as the big, hearty, rich, and savory meals I imagine orcs would make! He also has a surprisingly large appetite for such a small person, but I headcanon that that’s just A Dragonborn Thing(tm) so it only sort of counts. (if he wasn’t a Dragonborn, he’d actually have a very small appetite). He can cook some basic things and roast some meat over a fire and such, but nothing super fancy.

19) If your oc is a vampire, do they go outside in the daytime? Does the daylight affect or hurt them in any way different from in-game? If they interact with society, how do they justify looking half-dead and hating sunlight? How good is your oc at blending in? Do they even like dealing with society?

He would never willingly become a vampire, and he and Sina would always wear disease immunity enchantments to avoid it (and keep potions of cure disease on hand just in case. In a modern AU, they’d also have Falion on speed dial).

20) If your oc is a werebeast, how much control do they have over their transformations? Have they ever lost control? What happened? If not, why do they have such strong control? Does Hircine ever call on them, and do they answer?

He’s also not a werebeast. I don’t think he’d be able to control it well just because he’s a kid, but I think Marzog wouldtry to help him with that, as would Sina. If Hircine were to call on him he’d answer even if he Wasn’t any sort of werebeast, being an ally of the Forsworn and all he’d probably be honored!!

21) What does your oc wear in the city/settlements? In the house? When travelling, but not adventuring or expecting combat? Do they vary their clothes depending on what hold/city they’re in? If they don’t, why not (e.g., if your oc wears the same outfit to tend their garden or lounge around the house as they did to meet Ulfric or Elisif, why?) Does your oc have a good or bad sense of fashion? How many clothes does your oc have?

In cities and towns like Whiterun, Riften, etc. he’d wear simple robes. In the stronghold he’d wear clothes that are more tight fitting and don’t have billowy bits; think plain long sleeve shirts, pants, and a vest n such. While he travels he’d always wear armor he’s forged until he’s gifted ancient Falmer armor, which he then wears. He doesn’t vary his wardrobe much as snow elves are very resistant to cold so you could see him in the dead of winter just. Wearing regular old clothes lmao. When visiting Kili and his clan, as well as other Falmer clans, he’d likely wear regular Falmer armor (minus a helmet lmao). He would dress up in finer clothes to visit any Jarls except Ulfric, he’d wear full armor.

22) How picky is your oc about their gear? Do they have different equipment for different adventures, or is it the same suit of armor for everything (not counting upgrades like from steel to ebony)?

Same suit of armor for everything (except anything I’ve mentioned above) !

23) How does your oc acquire their clothes, and from where/whom?

He makes them, for the most part. Marzog helped him forge his first set of armor though, as well as make the first few pieces of clothing. The “modern”?? Falmer and ancient Falmer sets of armor are ofc all gifted to him tho,

24) Can your oc swim, and how well? Have they ever swam in the ocean, or only lakes/rivers? Remember, it’s much harder to swim in the ocean than in a lake! If your oc is an Argonian, do they take special advantage of it somehow (e.g., do they go diving for fun/for profit, do they instinctively hide in the water, etc)? If your oc is a Khajiit who can swim, how do they get their fur dry?

He can Not swim :’) He’d actually be a little bit afraid of water. Not out of trauma or anything ut just because he’s never really around big bodies of water often so it’s just New And Scary for him.

25) How easy/difficult is it to rob your oc? Pickpocket? Bribe?

It would be impossible to rob or pickpocket from him bc of Marzog and Sina lmao (though significantly easier if he’s alone, but he gets really scared on his own so that’s rare). He also wouldn’t take bribes.

26) If your oc is part of one of the more morally questionable or outright evil factions, how do they justify it to themselves? Do they still consider themselves as morally good? How well known is their affiliation to these groups? Do they have separate personas (e.g. Dragonborn to some people, Listener to others)? Do their family/friends know? If they have separate personas, how do they keep their less than righteous activities secret?

Apparently some people consider the Forsworn to be morally questionable which, yeah I guess they Do do some Fuck Shit but. He’d be open about it, he fully agrees that the Reach is the home of the Forsworn and as such they own it, and he’s not afraid to make that known. He’d wear the armor of the Old Gods that Madanach gives him any time he goes to see any Forsworn or travels through the Rift.

27) How helpful is your oc, and why? Are they helpful or kind even during difficult situations? Are they pragmatic, or do they have a hero syndrome?

I wouldn’t say he has a hero syndrome, but he’s a sweet kid that wants to help as many people as he can! He’s not like this with everyone at first, he definitely struggles with “why should I help people that would want me dead” but as he comes to terms with this being a new era he’d slowly be a bit more...gentle. And the more he adjusts the more his sweeter, friendlier nature begins to shine through!

I think I mislabeled these a little while reformatting, bc the original post only has 26 asks???? Uh,,,Oops! Lmao but that’s all of them so it’s fine!

Thank you for sending this in I had a lot of fun answering these! I tried not to ramble too much because this is long as it is so. I guess if anyone wants me to expand on any answers they can send in an ask or smthn??

#oc vyrthaal #thank u again!!#im probably going 2 bed soon??#done-mer #ask

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steve0discusses · 5 years

Text

Yugioh S3 Ep 39: Tea Fight

Hey I just wandered into a random forum on the internet about the deaths that impacted you the most in a series, and I was in there faster than you can say “How many GRR Martin fans does it take to kill off a pregnant lightbulb in a random wedding episode″ (the answer is no one in this entire forum watched anything but anime) and then this one guy stood up in the back of this little internet forum and was just going off about how this one dude died in Yugioh GX and he turned off the TV and like didn’t want to even go back to the season until his students were like “no really, professor, please keep watching Yugioh GX” and he was like “WHAT’S EVEN THE POINT NOW” and it was like...really??? The series where nearly 200 people have died in just the first 3 seasons??? (which I didn’t comment, don’t worry, I just kinda lurked in stunned silence)

So like, lets talk more about Yugioh, which apparently has one of the roughest death scenes in any series that this random adult guy on the internet has ever watched. Course that was GX. I’m pretty sure I take so long on this show that I’ll probably still be recapping Season 3 of Yugioh when I’m dead and reincarnated into some cursed locket that a poor internet blogger wears around their neck.

Which would be shaped like a DVD set of Seaquest, S2. Like sometimes we talk about -sonas and we draw people and characters but what would your puzzle necklace -sona be? (remembering that is has to be cursed, heavy, awkward, and as inconveniently shaped as possible--you can’t just say Gucci or wtv) Because mine is the DVD collectors set of Seaquest, but only S2. Bro says that his is a Comic Sans version of Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

But I digress, so we start this episode knowing that Joey and Kaiba are dueling or whatever--but honestly none of this matters to me. Not at all. This doesn’t matter to anyone because for the first time ever, I finally get to see Tea try and punch out a God. Or a Ghost. Really hard to tell the difference between God and Ghost in this show.

And like, no one else will even witness this event because they’re too obsessed with Joey. So much so, that Yugi makes a staggering observation.

In the actual dialogue of the show, Pharaoh’s response to Yugi’s comment here was “HMMMMMMMmmmmMMHhmmmmmmmm”

and it’s like yeah, hard agree, Pharaoh, hard agree.

(read more under the cut)

Anyways, our very punchable God/Ghost character never came down from atop of Card Mess Mountain, and he’s just been sitting here on his perch trying really hard to just parse what exactly went down over the past few episodes.

Marik right now is me before I write every recap.

So he decides, well if the Rod did something for Kaiba, I guess it should do something for me, thus kind of proving that no one on Earth understands how to use this item anymore. I was kinda banking on the the fact that Marik’s Slightly-More-Evil-Possessed-Ghost-God-Entity-Person was kind of like the only guy who knows what’s going on with these gadgets outside of Bakura, but nah. Not even this guy knows. Now that Bakura’s temporarily vaporized, basically all that these millennium items are now are heavy paperweights that sometimes make your life just super inconvenient.

And I guess it can possess minds but wtv. Had Marik remembered that this rod can possess minds he would have had a much, much easier time in this episode. Of course, we haven’t really seen him possess anyone since Slightly-Better-Marik peaced out, so maybe that’s just something only Slightly-Better-Marik can do?

Ah. There it is.

What sweet catharsis.

She doesn’t actually punch him, which is kind of a shame, but because they can’t show Marik explode like a slo mo frozen giant gummy bear shot with a deer slug directly on screen, this episode is Tea-punch free.

Anyway, during this episode, the Millennium Puzzle develops a neat new trick--which is to set an alarm to remind Pharaoh to check up on his sort-of-not-really-girlfriend for once in his damn lifetime because this asshole will not do it otherwise because he is just waaaaay too busy thinking about cards.

And then it just finally dawns on Yugi that he boarded Murderzone island like 3 hours ago.

And, because this is Yugi, do you think he’ll tell everyone else what’s going on? Do you think he’ll step in and be like “woah woah stop the game for five seconds I just realized Tea might be in huge danger and we all should go and stop the murder.”

Do you think Yugi, for once in his entire life, will finally tell the entire truth to his friends who have constantly given him love and support and who just want Yugi to tell them the entire truth even once? Just ONCE?

That’s right, in an effort to be polite, he apologizes to Joey for ditching him and then books it without bothering anyone else.

The lengths Yugi will go to be as awkward as possible in order to not make anything awkward.

And then he just books it as fast as he can go and I guarantee that offscreen, everyone just kind of stopped what they were doing, looked at eachother, and Seto was like “Well, now why am I even playing?”

Anyway, atop the tall tall tower that takes like 15 minutes to get to the top of, Marik as Tea is very easily holding their own. And listen, Marik didn’t say any of the next lines in these caps but I can’t stop thinking about how freakin weird this would be for him. I’ve been kinda holding this in for a little while and youknow what? I have to talk about it for just a little bit. Just a little.

Like I usaully just erase any shipping stuff but just...give me a little second to just...touch on this subject. Just a little bit.

And while Marik thinking about dating is absolutely not canon, I’m just saying, going from tombkeeper to living within the body of not-Pharaoh’s-GF must have been a really crazy ride for Marik. Like, he starts out life learning literally everything about Pharaoh lore that is left over from the wastes of time. But, none of it--and I mean none of it--could have prepared him for the High School dating scene of “but should I text him more than twice a day or is that too much texting?” They don’t tell you how to do that in the Pharaoh brand card scriptures that they tattoo on your back with a hot knife in underground Pharaoh school.

Marik went from mole-person who has no human contact to just watching this whole weird thing unfold with Tea and Pharaoh giving eachother hoverhands-of-a-hoverhands hugs, and it must have been just completely wild for him. I’m not suggesting he remotely enjoyed it or didn’t enjoy it, but I’m just suggesting that the thought must have crossed his mind that this would be the last place he ever expected to end up when he picked up the Millennium Rod.

And it’s like, congrats, Marik, your soul went to hell and then you accidentally dated your own god.

I’m sure there’s plenty of fanfics about this already to fill in the gaps, so I won’t go too deep into this but man, Marik could have possessed anyone, and he possessed this girl.

Which again was probably because she’s strangely super strong because then Tea reveals that she could have done this the entire time.

LOOK AT THIS.

SHE DID THIS FROM STANDING. OLYMPIC GYMNASTS CAN’T DO THIS.

And then I guess Marik got sleepy after that much effort and just passed out.

And no one got to see it, Ishizu didn’t see it, Pharaoh didn’t see it.

Who’s here now, PS, Pharaoh finally showed up. That long as hell elevator must’ve stopped like 4 times on the way up for Roland who’s on his break, probably heating up the grill to talk to the other Kaiba Dad Stand-ins and have a Kaiba Dad Stand-In brunch where all they do is talk about sports, dark sunglasses, and if they should send Mokuba to UC Davis or Colorado State.

And so, seeing that Tea is passed out on the ground, Pharaoh jumps to conclusions and it very much looks like we’re gonna get a Millennium Item fight, which we haven’t yet seen Pharaoh even do.

Like, when you think about it, do either of these people even know what they are doing? Like Marik can at least fight a bunch of robots and one stationary computer monitor, but does Pharaoh have any idea that thing can shoot lasers?

Much like a bobcat making itself look really big to fight other bobcats, Pharaoh managed to poof up his hair big enough to spook Marik into actually stepping down. I guess Marik figured he’d have a better time with cards than lasers that neither of them know how to shoot in any general direction.

I gotta say, Pharaoh’s reaction to Marik secretly being in the body of his girlfriend was like “oh. Well we better go save him then before he dies.” and I do appreciate that. He seems secure enough in his own identity to not be bothered by this gender reversal he was not even aware of at the time. How I wish more boys on TV were more secure about that type of thing.

Like obviously this show that has no romance in it will never actually talk about sexuality but just enjoy this moment of zen where this possible lowhanging punchline could have happened and the writers room went “do we have to do the Family Guy/Friends thing?” and they were like “nah.” because Pharaoh canonically would not at all be bothered by this. At all.

Anyway, I’m kinda bummed that they didn’t extend Tea fight out for 3 episodes, but at least I got one Tea fight in before the end of the series.

I can’t believe she did a weird backflip thing off of a rail that was on a tower 300 ft in the air. I can’t believe that was the B plot of this episode.

And here’s a link to read these recaps in Chronological Order.

#Ygo #Yugioh #recap #photo recap #episode recap #S3 Ep39 #Tea Gardner #and Tea Gardner's brute strength #Yugi Muto #Joey Wheeler #Tristan Taylor #Duke Devlin #Marik Ishtar #Ishizu Ishtar #I usaully wait longer between posts to post but yousee I just changed my user avatar to Tea Fight so now I have to

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jq37 · 5 years

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oh my GOD the new ep!!!! like!!!!!!!!! SO MUCH happened but then also the preview for the next ep looks SO GOOD

**spoilers for first kisses and last words**

Hoo boy this was, as I predicted, a BIG one. Not that I needed to be an oracle to figure that out since there’s only a few eps left but man did it deliver.

I still think that Cool Kids, Cold Case had the most off the wall nonsense happening in the shortest period of time but this ep I think was overall the most consistently wild ep.

So let’s take it from the top.

I think I forgot to mention it before but Adaine’s, “I go into a rage,” hardcore cracked me up.

“I have hold person.”/”I stuff a sock in her mouth.” Insult to injury Adaine.

The entire group dunking on Aelwen, forgetting that Riz is literally bleeding out, half dead.

“sausage festival”

Adaine really was dead serious about her snitching threat huh?

Ally miming a boom mic.

I love how everyone including Siobhan mess up Aelwen’s name or mix it up with Adaine’s half the time.

And speaking of, wow. What a rise and fall for her in 3 eps (and about an hour in game time). She’s queen of the nerds. She’s not even cool at her own school. And terrified of whoever she made whatever shady deal with. I know she literally tried to kill the whole party last ep and that she’s the worst but I almost feel for her.

Almost.

“This is not on you. This is on the world within which you inhabit.”

I love Adaine’s semi-indigent, “We’re not going to kill you,” because Alwen was 100% ready to murder them which, side note, imagine how much on an international incident that would have been.

Lol at the group tag team bullying Aelwen about going to Mumple and Adaine using her magic jacket for super petty BS.

“Hey mom!”/”GodDAMMIT honey.”

The parent/kid relationships are so good in this show.

Everyone but Kristen parkouring off the roof when Sklonda specifically set up a ladder.

“The put a girl in a palimpsest,” followed immediately by, “She went to a party,” as if those are on the same level.

Sklonda Gukgak DUNKING Aelwen into the squad car with a technical assist from Adaine. I knew she was gonna be my fave parent from her intro scene and I love her even more than I thought.

“With all due respect, (A/N: Which is none), suck my dick, fuck you.”

“She tried to murder me.”/”BE THAT AS IT IS.”

“Eh, you carry a gun.”

“No one who’s detecting maidens is a maiden.”

I feel like I’m quoting a lot today but there were so many money lines this episode.

Everyone always loses it when Brennan starts doing the Identify spell voice and I love it.

Adaine’s dad is T R A S H

Adaine’s mom on the other hand…I’ve been wondering about her for a little while because usually the outright emotional abuse has been from her dad while her mom is either not there or not saying anything. So I’ve been wondering was her deal is and we finally got the start of an answer. I know we only have a few eps left but I hope we go a little deeper into what exactly is going on there. It seems like Adaine’s parents are gonna be a big factor in whatever endgame is planned so fingers crossed,

Everyone cracking up as Emily backs Fig into a corner talking to Penelope.

I love Gorgug so freaking much. Just his good natured, lumbering self. EVery time Zac opens his mouth gold falls out.

Emily MAXED out her deception huh?

I think Siobhan must have forgotten that she took the crystal with Ostentasia away from Aelwen at the end of last ep. Either that or they willingly gave it to the cops and I forgot (but I think it’s the former because she said in this ep that it was in Aelwen’s pocket when at the end of the last ep she def took it).

My autocorrect keeps wanting me to type Ellen for Aelwen. I WISH.

I knew it! He’s a PIRATE. Suck it Fabian. (lol at Adaine stirring the pot. That was like Adaine being sincerely polite and Siobhan trying to cause problems and I love mixed motive player/character decisions).

I wonder if the banker is named after John Hughes.

I can’t believe the dumb bank is actually a huge plot point.

Yikes, re: Bill and Fabian. That got tense. Though I’ve kinda been waiting for some kind of blowout for a while. His dad runs very hot and cold and I figured it would only be a matter of time before we saw some of the cold.

Also, Lou breaking character in the middle of that very intense moment to clarify a plot point.

Sidenote: For a hot sec after reading the title of the ep and remembering how Sklonda is competent to the point of (probably) breaking the original plot, I was so concerned she was gonna eat it this ep. So glad she didn’t.

Anyway, the idea of swinging sadly on a rope is so freaking funny.

Fig: Can I offer you a sad song in this trying time?

Huge portrait of Bill Seacaster in Fabian’s room.

Adaine is gonna bring up him kissing her sister very time she needs to get out of something w/ Fabian for the rest of her immortal life.

Another sidenote: This is a little thing but I always think it’s interesting when fantasy worlds have the same months and days as us when they’re named after like Norse Gods and Roman statesmen that wouldn’t exist in their world. Same with Roman numerals and Irish coffee.

“Am I allowed to smoke in here?”/”Of course.”

I really like the character detail that Adaine is always really polite to everyone, including/especially people like Fabian’s maid and Basrar. People that she wouldn’t necessarily “have to” be polite to, you know? It’s like she’s trying to make up for the fact that her family is a bag of dicks.

“Fantasy Google”

The whole bit with Fabian’s porn stash was so good. This group is so good w/ yes-adning each other.

“Privateer me a new one.” Emily is so good.

“Special investment” Suspicious

I was thinking “I can’t believe looking at a bank’s FAQs is part of this game,” right as Brennan said it.

So I went back and watched Siobhan’s face from when Emily first mentioned Kal Vaxis to when she got the connection to KVX and it took her 22 seconds. I also missed the quick cut to Brennan when Gorgug asks, “What is Kal Vaxis,” and you can tell he knows they’re so close to breaking it with the little grin on his face. I wish we had gotten a reaction shot right after she got it. Anyway, great team solve w/ the MVP trophy to Siobhan/Adaine.

I loved when Zac, Emily, and Siobhan all whipped out their laminated maps in tandem to figure out what was happening.

The hard mood change from Adaine dropping the bomb about Riz’s dad and to forming a committee to help Gorgug flirt with Zelda was wild.

Kristen telling anyone to be suave is hysterical.

What a DISASTER of a committee Gorgug’s friends are. Well meaning but so trash

Fig: Tell her you got a SICK tattoo

Adaine: Bring her to see art in the middle of the night

Fabian: You cannot date this person (Kristen: You absolutely have to)

Kristen: Actually not garbage advice but she is in no position to be giving dating advice to anyone

Riz: Having a literal existential crisis

“Who else is he gonna date?” WOW, savage Adaine.

I meant to say this before but I love how Adaine’s go-to is immediately ice cream and she’s always on board to go to Basrar’s. Like how when she texted everyone 2 eps ago she was like, “Let’s get ice cream now.”

Mmm, don’t love that Gorthalax isn’t answering his phone. I have been waiting for a significant adult to die for a while now.

OK, look, the whole thing about Penelope and Dayne being eternal prom king/queen. Is it wild? Yes. Is it implausible? No. No it’s not. Even Murph, most veteran player, was kind of like, “Wait, does that make sense?” Because, in this setting, it kind of would? I’m not sure it fits within the story so far and I’d have to go back and listen to the more lore-y stuff again but the conceit itself is like the exact right amount of crazy to fit in this setting? And they never cut to Brennan like I wanted so I could judge his face for any kind of tell. But anyway, you guys know I’ve been predicting a prom finale and this would fit right into a prom finale.

The girls giving Gorgug a pep talk before his date was ADORABLE.

Gorgug having to check his phone to remember three words, “You look nice.”

“Your friends are popular and loud” True

Zelda’s a BARBARIAN! She’s a MEGA BARBARIAN!

I know they mean ecstasy like intense emotion but I kept thinking, like, molly.

Hmm, so Penelope wanted to know if Zelda had hooked up w/ Gorgug, ie: if she was a maiden. Can they only palimpsest maidens? Or (as we will get to later) does nice guy Biz only want virginal maidens for his creepy reverse Weird Science arcade setup?

Zelda listing off every type of metal and then Gorgug’s, “Same stuff,” was perfect comic timing on Zac’s part.

Imagine the Hangman screaming down the road on fire, Zelda completely terrified.

I love the Hangman so freaking much.

“DO NOT GIVE TREATS TO MY MOTORCYCLE.”

I can’t believe everyone is living at the freaking crappy apartments. I knew they were all gonna end up hanging at one persons’ house but I kinda figured it would be Fabian’s house or Gorgug’s house.

I”m also concerned about Bill. I feel like we keep getting reminded that he’s mortal a LOT.

Did Gorgug’s parents have indoor fireworks on tap for Gorgug’s first date?

Oh my God the whole docking conversation. Never play chicken with Brennan because the dude will not blink.

“We didn’t do that.” That’s his other best comic timing moment of the ep.

“Polishing my axe”

Kristen this episode

I really wish they’d made the roll to find Ragh later in the ep. Fig is so ride or die for Gilear now and I love it.

“I fall asleep.”

Adaine almost making her parents dunk on Gilear but then pulling back.

But also, Adaine and Gilear going off the the oracle together.

“Fig pack it in.”

Affirmations with Fig and Gilear.

Fig, do you really think platonically cuddling with Kristen is the move?

Riz setting himself up for a dramatic entrance is so fantastic.

Hmm, so Biz and Zayne were attacked at the same time. That’s why that cold pill detail was in there way back. I’ve been trying to figure out what was always planned and what was quick re-working but Brennan is so good I can never really tell.

Are multiple unrelated groups just getting into palimpsests at the same time? Or mostly unrelated groups tied to one person?

“We are not gonna get our security deposit back.”

RIZ’S DAD IS JAMES BOND! YES! I didn’t know I wanted that to be the case until it happened and now that’s the only acceptable option.

Riz didn’t get the 20′s he needed when fighting Aelwen but man he got it at the best story moment this week.

Oh man that home movie

The pearl is grey. Interesting.

“Mom our family is so awesome Mom we’re all so badass, I thought it was just us but Dad is awesome too, why didn’t you tell me Mom?”

Sklonda: Internally screaming.

Man he went full Inigo Montoya.

“I’ve got nimble escape so…”

“I guess we have a two bedroom,” I think was a really underrated funny line.

Did Riz ever tell his mom about the time of death thing.

Everyone inundating Gilear with overlapping chatter.

lol the Hangman likes Zelda’s family

Ally’s panicked, “FUCK” is always hilarious.

Why are all the adults in Gorgug’s life trying to get him laid?

OK so the elementals were conjured by Aelwn’s magic Brennan said. He said by Aelwen’s magic, not by Aelwen. I wonder if that turn of phrase was specific or arbitrary. Like, we were told where Aelwen is but we don’t know. Was she forced to do it (either by threat or by magic)? Clearly someone (Biz?) is pulling her strings to at least some degree.

“It’s probably about marriage.” “WAR HAS BEEN DECLARED.”

That happened fast

Fun fact from my International Law class: When a government kidnaps someone, it’s called rendition.

“There’s a war, fuck school.”

Yeah it is wild that Adaine’s parents didn’t call her.

OK so did the Elves get Aelwen back but also go, “But you still need to go to jail.” Because they cut Brennan off before the end of that sentence which might have had more clues in it.

“I text my mom k”

I also wanna know who gave Kristen a slushy marg (It’s war times. I bet things are looser now)

Murph’s face when Brennan said, “Lucky Stones” was so good. That was so Riz.

S/O to Ally for pre-casting Guardian of Faith. Good instinct.

AHHHHHH BIZ

As I said in an earlier conversation s/o to Adaine for DUNKING on him at every opportunity because he DESERVED IT. Also, her instincts for who sucks in this game have been spot on.

Another s/o to Riz for having the presence of mind to not pull a Star Lord and to pretend to be on the bad dude’s side for long enough to gain some kind of upper hand.

OK, wow was not expecting that twist. I feel like I need to go back and rewatch some stuff to get a better handle of the timeline and stuff. Like, when exactly did the girls start going missing again? And what year is Biz? Has he been masterminding this whole thing? I feel like no but I feel like he’s masterminding his own thing which happens to a puzzle piece in something bigger? BUT IT’S A PRETTY DAMN BIG PIECE. Who opened the new arcade? Is it connected to the bank? How did Biz get involved? Who’s his supplier? Did someone hook up Biz, Daybreak, Penelope, and Aelwen with Palimpsests to do their own separate things, hoping that at least one of them would succeed which would somehow be good for the mystery person? I am so excited to find out and I really hope Brennan and the cast do a Q+A sesh after S1 is over to hash some stuff out.

Siobhan’s face when Biz said he was going after Adaine.

ALSO, you’re just gonna TELL RIZ and you wanna PUT ONE OF HIS BEST FRIENDS into a MAGIC CRYSTAL???? AND YOU THOUGHT HE’D BE ON BOARD? Like, even if he was, what about the 4 other people who are there?????

(sidenote, wild Gorgug’s parents just left them alone, no questions asked)

Theme-wise, this is the fight ep I’m most excited for. It seems rad as hell.

All that yelling in the promo for next week. Either the raddest thing possible happened or there was a TPK. There is no other option.

Wow, that was a stellar ep and this is a really long post. I really can’t wait for next week’s!

Edit: I meant to say before, is Penelope’s FB album like…a hit list? Like does whoever’s doing the actual dirty work (Biz? S/o else?) know that whoever she takes a picture with is who they should target?

#fantasy high #fantasy high spoilers #asks #anon #Anonymous

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sleepymarmot · 6 years

Text

COUNTER/Weight liveblog, part 3

Finale +post-mortem

Am I glad to return to the political big picture! It's such a relief that the finale is in this format! Hopefully it won't devolve into another “fighting a giant robot” scene.

Oh, so the Chime are leading the faction game now! Somehow I completely missed the point of the two previous scenes that indicated Aria becoming the new leader of the Righteous Vanguard – I was very surprised and then 10 minutes later went “Oh that's what it was, time to go back and relisten”

Pronoun update: Austin consistently uses “they”, Art consistently uses “he”. End my suffering…

The sheer comedic impact of seven Makos, Larry and Lazer Ted all in a room together has healed my soul immediately. Can we end on this image so nothing bad happens

I'm so proud of Orth!! “I'm sorry, which one are you?” lmao

Oooh the relationship drama~ But how come Jacqui didn't know Jill was alive? Actually, now that I think of it, back then it was clearly said that Jacqui knows Jillian is back and is sad because Jillian doesn't remember her. This show's retcons…

Look I know shit must hit the fan pretty soon but for now this finale is just. So relaxing. I'm having a lot of fun listening to these squabbles. (The only exception were Mako and Orth – boys, stop fighting, why!)

That Cass & Aria scene was cool but please don't give me world leader old friends sneaking away for secret stress relief sparring sessions when I'm not supposed to start shipping them

Oh hell yeah, I was hoping that since Jacqui went with Jillian, Aria would go with Ibex. (Not very relevant here, but Ibex is from Kesh like Maryland, right? If so, there must be fanart of young Ibex and Maryland in 19th century outfits?)

Stop cryptically saying oh Sokrates isn't here, oh they aren't using their candidate name, like what's up with them?! Are they doing well? I'm worried!

Oh Orth wants to dance with Ibex huh *eyes emoji* Rematch! Rematch!

“I'll take anything” “Anything?” My mind, of course, autocompletes “Then perish”

THIS WAS A LOT and I need to take a couple of minutes to start breathing normally again. Also there just has to be a lovingly drawn fanart adaptation of this entire scene (in, like, fukcing Leyendecker style), come on fandom please say someone has done it

Jacq/Jill continuing with the heartbreaking scenes, I see

Mako doesn't like dancing now…… holy shit this is the most upsetting ball ever… (The cynical part of me must say that it's only Austin who talks about this connection, Keith doesn't and still sounds way less emotional about the whole thing than the others assume Mako to be)

I amend my previous statement, I also need fanart with snapshots of every dance: Orth firmly taking Ibex's hand and receiving a surprised but approving look, Jillian throwing her head back in laughter and Jacqui watching with a pained smile, sullen Mako leaning on a wall cross-armed and looking for an opportunity to slip away, Cass dropping his one-liner with a completely dispassionate face.

Wow Ibex is really getting ready for death. Sounds as if he knows the exact date.

HOLY SHIT THE DIVINES' ORIGIN STORY!!! FINALLY!!! I'm surprised they were all created by the same person…

I'm relieved Mako and Orth are on good terms again!

I love the new Aria as this competent politician who does a lot of swordfighting and dealing with old flames

Have I mentioned I really love the game they're playing? It almost synthesizes the best parts of the game they played previously – as if it was written just for this finale. It's so great how this show and specifically this campaign go through so many games, showing the universe and the characters from different angles, instead of having them be defined by only one game system and its limitations and quirks.

That's some real good mech if it can function for 80,000 years, Divines' body or not!

Okay, I fucking knew Liberty and Discovery would split up at some point (which is what I meant above by my expectations for AuDy's fate), but why is Liberty attacking Ibex?

Mako's robots!!! :DDD Now that's the real finale shit!

I CAN'T BELIEVE Keith missed Tower's brief appearance of all things. It's like a fucking scene from the show on the level of dramatic irony. They were truly not meant to be, even the universe in real life is saying that. Do you ever get rejected so badly that the guy you like runs away from you at the prom, and then lets you fall into a deadly portal with the rest of your planet, and then you get brainwashed, and then you are killed by an ally of that guy, and the person playing him doesn't even witness that?!

I thought Orth was going to challenge Kobus about Liberty…

“I have Liberty contained” *winces*

Every time it is asked what is Mako wearing I just mentally pull out the popcorn

“I welcome anyone to tell Cass that AuDy is a non-person”

Let me restate how much I'm loving how the scenes that in any other show would be minor fluff or short summaries in an epilogue are a legit fully rendered part of the finale

Sokrates & Orth reunion please!!

Aw Ted! It never occured to me that this comic relief character has, in fact, lost his entire planet and almost everyone he knows.

…I think I like Apokine Cass more than Chime Cass

That's a big lore dump holy cow! I'm glad Apostolosians are ex-humans after all, but I wonder how they turned into fish people

So what happened to the idea of Mako hacking Grace?

They just… went and straight up murdered two Divines… If it had happened early in the show I'd probably cheer, and no tears were shed for Grace, but Liberty… Just take a third of another player character and drive it into a sun…

Of course. I knew Sokrates is the kind of character who dies nobly in a grand finale.

I've spent all this time wondering how the piece of Voice in Mako doesn't get infected by Rigor, and it seems to finally happen and Larry seems to die repairing it, but what about all other Makos, aren't they in danger too?

This is way too easy so far, just sacrifice NPCs one by one to win.

This whole time I was assuming Mako saved as many clones as he could, not just his own… If he gets another turn I bet it's submit or die :/

Hello I'm crying over Lazer Ted! Choices in the campaign sound futile now: who cares which guy Mako saved – they both died anyway! All named NPCs did!

Except for Jacqui. Congratulations, the NPC Who Lived! (I mistyped “loved” at first, which is also relevant. And yes, I cried here too.)

How the hell would falling into a sun kill Rigor if it was previously not killed by a bomb that destroys hundreds of suns?

Poor Cass… Not only sacrificing yourself in such a difficult way, but to have a final conversation only just to learn that your friend, a passionate revolutionary further empowered by Righteousness, has deserted… The sheer contempt and disappointment he pours in just three words “Ibex told you”...

Welp. Mako's fate was not tragic like I feared! Good news I guess, but it's still kind of sad. And I think the saddest part is that Mako himself doesn't realize. Because it can just sound like the natural continuation of his character growth – after he had to learn to be the responsible one first in contrast to Larry and then to the other Makos. But it's not that, or not just that, and it's kind of chilling to hear that he never knows it, and never knows peace.

Executive Joie, oh my… It's so strange and cool how Aria somehow continues the legacy of Jace and Ibex at once.

The race is over. It's so strange that now there are no consequences to fear or spoilers to avoid.

I didn't like the final battle as much as the rest of the finale – I hoped for a more clever solution than just throwing bodies at the enemy (but I guess the intro warned me lol…). Especially since these bodies had very unequal impact – I'm not going to care about Diego Rose or Chet Wise or Orth's newly-created lieutenants or as much as I care about Jacqui -- so it felt unfair towards players/characters who had more important or likeable chracters in their faction. I'm opposed on principle to making the big confrontation feel important and emotional just by killing off characters (hi, J. K. Rowling and Russo brothers), I think it's cheap and emotionally manipulative, but in this case the emotional manipulation doesn't even work so it’s doubly disappointing.

If someone's reading this, you can see that what I expected or wanted from the story was not what it gave me, and that was frustrating or disappointing at times. But nevertheless, it was a wild ride.

I've slept on it and it still fucks me up that out of the Chime only Aria gets a genuinely happy ending! Cass is fucking dead, Liberty is dead while AuDy becomes a ghost, and Mako loses everyone and is lonely for the rest of his life!

It's so strange to listen to the opening theme in the post-mortem and think that this is the second-to-last time. (Relistens don't count, it's not the same thing.) By the way, I love that theme – it sounds like a half song with the words on the tip of my tongue, like space, or like city at night. Really atmospheric.

I love how everyone continues to be into that moment where Aria has the opportunity to kill Cass lol (I am too)

Yeah, thanks for reminding me about that coin toss moment for Kobus in the finale, that was so sudden and shocking I was completely losing it for the long few seconds it lasted

I'm glad someone asked whether Jack knew the Big Spoiler in advance – he was so calm about it in the following episodes that I started wondering

Oh so it wasn't my imagination that the players needed the comic relief of the Lazer Ted episode no less than the characters

After a sad talk about Mako's dead friends, Andi, cheerfully: “I love to kill and I love to hurt and I never regretted anything I ever did! :D” which won the least surprising comment of the hour award lol. Honestly, after that one scene with Diego I started to get a bit nervous whenever Andi announced they had an idea… C/w was fun because I now realize the cinnamon roll Aubrey was actually them playing against type.

I love that someone asked about Mako's first kiss and/or Orth's fandom life!!

Keith's answer is sad, though… He “had literally never considered Mako even being capable of kissing someone, like it wasn't something on the table” and that was unexpected to me. I'd mentioned several times that he sounded reluctant to play up the romance, but I was assuming it was the player's preference, not an innate trait of the character whose attraction to someone was a part of his character creation. How do I interpret it? Mako is aro? Mako never had a chance to properly grow emotionally because his youth was fake and for the rest of his life, all emotional connections were sabotaged by Rigour's shadow, and also literally all his potential love interests died? Ugh, I just keep making myself more and more upset.

Holy shit I forgot about Art asking if there's an old Apostolosian mech on September by any chance lmao

Cene always knew?! Holy shit w h a t

It's nice to hear Ali talk about her growth in confidence as a player because she's definitely kind of an inspiration – for years I've thought tabletop roleplaying is too intense and I'll never do it, but when I finally tried out it was not so scary, so maybe there's hope for me too!

The concept that the real challenge of the final battle was that the easier it would be to defeat Rigor, the worse shape would the world be afterwards sounds much better than what that battle actually felt like to me. Instead of paying for victory with the health of society and their faction's political power, in the actual gameplay they paid with NPCs from their circle and that was it; the political consequences came later and sounded entirely unrelated. Maybe if they had to go against their faction's goals or sacrifice its assets – e.g. “use Minerva's Rigor-tech mechs in exchange for the promise to leave them alone afterwards” instead of “sacrifice all Mako clones”… Aria had something similar with Weight, but it was the price of Jacqui's life, not the price of a victorious battle against Rigour.

It's very cool to learn where the sound effects in the theme come from! And god, every line as its own take? My head hurts just imagining that…

Austin getting distracted by the idea of fucking Rigor was hilarious, but I never, ever want to hear the word “daddy” in this context! What's with these jokes this season, ew, please stop.

Excuse me, Ali wanted to kiss Ibex as who exactly, Jace or Aria? Both options are equally crazy!

See, “You wanna say ‘Oh he was just doing what was necessary, he was just doing the thing that's good in the end’, and yeah that's him working on you” is exactly why he reminds me of Dukat! Literally the same mind game on the viewers/listeners!

Why is the link broken, I want to see AuDy in Titanfall!

Listening to team “Fuck Ibex!” and team “Fuck Ibex ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)” yell at each other is very entertaining

“Nobody on the Kingdom Come is cishet” is a nice sentiment but I'm kind of confused by which definition of cis Cass is not. Have I missed something about them changing pronouns in-universe? Just because English doesn't have exact analogies for the Apostolosian pronouns doesn't mean everyone who uses them isn't following their own society's conventions. And now Austin also's saying “We never wanted to say these pronouns are equivalent to gender” which is, a, not true, and b, sends the whole problem back to square one – because if that's not the Apostolosian gender then what is? This! Is! A! Mess!

#friends at the table #blah blah blah

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sage-nebula · 7 years

Note

If you could rewrite Pokemon Sun/Moon with things like better character development and more depth to the Aether Foundation, how would you do it? :D

I mean, these games were such a ridiculous disappointment (especially with regards to the Aether Foundation) that we could be here all day, but …

Let’s get started.

General:

Let the Island Challenge actually be a fucking challenge. I love the concept behind it, and how similar it sounded to the Orange Islands in the anime, and I love the idea of having that instead of the standard Gym challenge, particularly since it allowed Alola to be run under a religious oligarchy rather than the typical League system (even if Kukui staged a political revolution, but more on that in a second). However, the actual Island Challenge itself was pathetic. There was hardly any exploration, the challenges themselves were like teeny-tiny minigames … and considering how interesting or challenging they could have been, it made the entire thing feel boring, particularly since the “totem battle” at the end is basically just a Gym Leader battle, albeit against “wild” pokémon. It’s a cool concept that Game Freak didn’t bother to flesh out at all.So instead, I’d want the Island Challenges to actually be detailed and fleshed out. Give us temples or caves to fully explore. Give us actually challenging puzzles to complete. Make it a blend between Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda. And don’t just have us do a totem battle for every single one, or at least—perhaps there’s a way to pacify the totem pokémon without battling. Maybe you can battle, but you can also find alternative solutions with your team, thereby strengthening the message of unity between person and pokémon and also giving players various different ways to complete their Island Challenge—a way to make it unique to each person. At the very least, don’t just have us go through pretty much empty locations (like Kiawe’s mountain—there was practically nothing there, just a boring hike to the top and then a ridiculously easy “game” before the totem battle) until we hit the end goal. Give us more lore, exploration, and challenge instead of wasting a perfectly good concept.

GIVE. US. BACK. THE. BIKE. Or at the very least do away with the fugly outfit and godawful Ride music. And for that matter, let us use our own pokémon for the Ride feature. I should not have to call upon a charizard when I have a charizard in my party. That’s asinine.

Similarly, MAKE ALOLA BIGGER, and make it so that we can surf between the islands. Alola feels tiny. Having a tiny region isn’t necessarily new—some of the other regions aren’t that big, tbh—but it feels very compact because you just insta-travel between the islands, rather than being able to surf the distance as you could in, say, Hoenn. Additionally, some of the islands are mini, sometimes only having one city or town. I get that Alola is based on the State of Hawaii, but there were certain design choices that limited exploration that make it seem infinitely smaller, which is a disappointment. Make Alola bigger, or at the very least let it breathe.

Stop having everyone fawn over and worship the player character. It felt so unnatural and got to the point where I wanted to punt all of the other characters into the ocean. The player character—or player, I guess—does not need to be worshiped and have their shoes licked for being “OMGOSH SO AMAZING BEST TRAINER EVAR!!1!!!1!!” by the other characters. I hate that. Let the other characters be incredible, too. Let them recognize their own strengths and talents. Shine some light on them, rather than on this rando child who spontaneously moved to this region and yet is somehow the savior they were all waiting for. I just … hated that, so much. It felt like even more fawning and salivating over how awesome the player is than usual, and it really rubbed me the wrong way.

Put so much more focus on Kukui’s honest-to-Arceus political revolution. Kukui overturned the religious oligarchy that had governed Alola for ages and turned it into a League system because … well, because he felt like it, I guess, and yet this not only goes smoothly, but basically no attention is called for it whatsoever. Now, I know that Nintendo did this because they still wanted to give the player a chance to be the Champion and have an actual throne to sit on while the rest of the characters at the game salivate at their feet (sigh), but that doesn’t change the fact that this should have been met with a lot of resistance and upheaval and should have been a very solid B Plot (if they weren’t going to make it the actual plot), particularly since the end result was an eleven-year-old child who had just moved there and knew nothing of the history or populace suddenly being placed in charge. Like, you would think Hala would take serious issue with Kukui being an upstart and calling for a revolution, but no, he was fine with it because … just because. We don’t know, because Hala didn’t get to actually do much in the main story despite being hyped up as an important character. But as far as we know, everyone was perfectly fine with Kukui’s massive political revolution, and the ramifications this would have on Alola (both domestically and internationally in fields like general politics, finance, et cetera) were completely ignored.So let’s explore that at least a bit. Even if Kukui is still ultimately successful, perhaps show him meeting resistance from people like Hala, and gaining support from people like Nanu (since Nanu doesn’t want to be a Kahuna anymore lol), and people like Olivia being torn. Show the effect this has on the kids, where perhaps Hau ends up coming into conflict with Hala because Hala is against Kukui’s revolution, while Hau thinks it could be interesting and fun, and so they encounter some family strife there as Hau tries to find his own way in contrast to what his grandfather wants for him. Show this coming up again and again, and explore Kukui’s motivations for it more deeply. Why does he want a revolution so bad? Is it really that he wants Alola to have a stronger presence internationally? Does he have personal stakes in that? Will Alola have a stronger presence internationally if they switch to a League system? And so on and so forth. And since he’s the one leading the revolution, make him the Champion, versus the eleven-year-old who literally just moved here and knows fuck all about Alola. Honestly, please give Kukui some semblance of intelligence and let his revolution actually be treated with some degree of gravitas, as it should be. (Alternatively, if Game Freak is incapable of doing this, remove this subplot and let Alolan government stand. We don’t need to be the Champion. It’s not that big of a deal after six bloody generations of letting us do just that.)

On that note, Professor Burnet needs to play a bigger role in the Aether plot. While Kukui is spearheading his revolution, Burnet is studying wormholes and Ultra Space and, as such, should have played a bigger role in the main plot, going up against Lusamine (or at least assisting the kids in doing so) in the process. That she was all but ignored in favor of Kukui, whose research and ultimate goals had absolutely nothing to do with the Aether Foundation, was a huge mistake and (imo) just one of the MANY ways in which Gen VII treated its female characters horribly.So let her be more involved. Actually show her relationship with Lillie, rather than just telling us about it in a couple lines of dialogue. Let her continuously run experiments on the wormholes and dig deeper into what the Aether Foundation is doing. Show her her science contrasts with that of Lusamine’s, in addition to how her parenting contrasts with that of Lusamine’s. Let her show up at various times throughout the plot, including when Aether Paradise is stormed, because this is her field of expertise and, as such, she is damn knowledgeable about it. Let Burnet be the one to point Lillie and the others to the pedestals where they can get the flutes, and let her be the one to direct them when it comes time to play. Basically, actually utilize this wonderful character that was created, instead of ignoring her because she’s not the “main professor” (or more accurately, because she’s female, because apparently this series can’t give us a female professor without upstaging her with either her father (Cedric Juniper) or her husband (Kukui), regardless of how little sense that upstaging makes).

Make the RotomDex optional. This speaks for itself. The RotomDex was obnoxious, and is quite possibly one of the worst companion characters I’ve ever seen in a video game (far worse than Navi, for instance). I hate it.

Don’t make Team Skull bad guys at all. The idea of having them appear to be criminals (or at the worst being punks) but actually having some heroic moments near the end was one that was kicked around a lot, and was also one that was shamefully wasted by making them cardboard caricatures of villains instead. Instead, it’d be much better if they were instead representative of the terrible CPS system / justice system in Alola (at one point a cop NPC mentions there being no crime despite crime being everywhere, showing how useless the police in Alola are), which could potentially be fuel for why people like Kukui and Nanu want a revolution, thus tying into that B Plot. It would also drive home a message about appearances being deceiving to have Team Skull actually be decent people despite being forced to sometimes steal food because they have none, whereas the Aether Foundation looks pristine but clearly isn’t. It’d certainly be more meaningful than the “they’re comic relief but also still Bad Guys™” message we were given instead.On that note, LET PLUMERIA PLAY AN ACTUAL ROLE, GOD DAMN IT, particularly with regards to Guzma teaming up with Lusamine (if he still acts as her grunt), and Plumeria being the one to confront him over it. If Plumeria is the aneki of Team Skull, let her act like it, and let us see her acting like it. I would have her stepping up and taking charge, the one truly in charge of Team Skull (and even Guzma tbh) because she has her shit together. I would also expand and build upon her relationship with Gladion, with whom she actually does have a good relationship with, so that he, too, had some support outside of Null / Silvally. But more on that in a second.

Give Hau actual depth. The most we get out of him is that he has an inferiority complex, is a bit of a stepford smiler, and dislikes how much of a bully Gladion is to him (and thus dislikes Gladion—and yes, he did dislike him, complete with an D8 reaction whenever Gladion showed up, and their “reconciliation” was rushed af, so I don’t count it). That’s not really enough, and Hau deserved better. If Kukui’s revolution B Plot was given more focus, inserting that conflict between Hala and Hau mentioned before could spur Hau to really find himself and his own motivations other than what was expected of him + his “having fun” excuse. He could also have his relationship with Lillie explored more, particularly since they were friends before the player character showed up and stole everything, meaning that he should have been more prominent as a support figure for her rather than being shoved to the side so that the player could do it instead (again, rather inexplicably). And as a final idea, perhaps he could be manipulated by Lusamine (whom he seemed to like in the games) into working for her, possibly even for Lillie’s sake (potentially) because he wants to help Lillie reconcile with her mother, + believes Lusamine is doing the right thing, + is potentially even trying to escape the brewing conflict between Kukui and Hala and figures that since the Aether Foundation is removed from it, joining up with them is a safe way to go. He doesn’t know that Lusamine is evil af, of course, and so he (rather like Alan in the anime) is completely manipulated into thinking he’s doing good—but that could spur his development along even more and make him a much more prominent and important character, which would be awesome considering the fact that he was another under-utilized character who, again, deserved better. There’s no reason why he can’t be involved in the plot from multiple angles so that he can exist as more than a simple rival, and I think that would be a good way do it.

Aether Foundation + Aether Twins:

LET. THE AETHER. FOUNDATION. BE. SCIENTIFIC. And I don’t mean general zoological science, but I mean, very specifically, that I want them to be drenched in alchemy and science of that nature. It doesn’t have to be historical, realistic alchemy; in fact, making it strictly realistic would be boring, which is the reason why stories such as Fullmetal Alchemist go the “magical alchemy” route. Nonetheless, I want that. I want the basis of the Aether Foundation to be scientific and alchemical. I want the reason for their existence to be based in the alchemy plot that makes up the A Plot, because these games have been heading toward alchemy for several generations now and it would have made so much sense to have that payoff be here. I want to see experiments, I want to see talk of theories and hypotheses, I want tests, I want—I want the Aether Foundation to resemble Aperture Science Laboratories in a lot of ways, basically.

On that note, the “conservation” needs to be a farce. None of this “well, most of them were good, but it’s just the neurotoxins that made them bad!” bullshit. The conservation needs to be nothing more than a facade in order to gain them funding from the government + good press. Additionally, the pokémon that they “save” could be used in experiments (such as the chimera creation experiments that created the likes of Type: Null) behind the scenes. Essentially, just as Team Skull should have been good with bad publicity, the Aether Foundation needs to be bad with good publicity. LET THEM BE EVIL, particularly since I love the visual contrast between how pure and clean they look, but how corrupt and vile they are beneath the surface. Love that so much.And note, too, that it isn’t necessarily that every single grunt knows the full scope of Lusamine’s plans and is on board with them. Perhaps some of them are in it for personal gain, perhaps some of them are in it because they’re interested in studying science, perhaps they put up with parts that creep them out because they feel the benefits outweigh the cons, et cetera. Not every unnamed Aether employee needs to be evil, they can all have their own motivations for going along with the plan + might only know bits and pieces, but by and large the Aether Foundation should have been our large villainous organization for this game, rather than the half-assed nonsense we were given. And on top of being villainous and corrupt, they should have also been massively scientific, in terms of actually carrying out experiments that we see and using conservation as an excuse / way to get test subjects. Don’t make them charitable; make them corrupt. Go big or go home.

LET WICKE ALSO BE EVIL. My god, Wicke had all the personality of a wet piece of cardboard, and it’s bullshit that she was relegated to just being a motherly piece of cardboard while Faba actually got to be the villain he always wanted to be. Wicke, as I characterize her, would know pretty much everything of what Lusamine is up to, and would be in support of it both because it aligns with her personal beliefs and because she loves and is deeply devoted to Lusamine (what type of love that is would be up for interpretation by the player, but in any case, Lusamine doesn’t return it, she just takes advantage). Wicke wouldn’t truly care for the twins, but would instead be the type to guilt trip them for not also being loyal to Lusamine + hurting Wicke in the process by running away and whatnot. She has that simpering, faux honey approach, similar to Umbridge. She’s allowed to be competent, strong, and every bit a member of the villain triad as Faba and Lusamine.

On that note, let Faba be more of an actual scientist. Let’s see what contributions he has made to the Aether Foundation other than his ego. Maybe he was the one who made the chimeras. If so, great! Let’s see that. Let’s see why Lusamine bothers to keep him around. Let’s see more of a conflict between him and Wicke that isn’t so much that he puts her down and she cowers, but more that she looks down on the fact that he’s here mostly for his own self-interest (+ interest in science + Lusamine lets him do what he wants) and less because of loyalty to Lusamine, whereas he thinks that her loyalty to Lusamine (/ her reasons for that loyalty) are pathetic and that the only thing that matters is, well, science. Like, he’s loyal to Lusamine, but he’s loyal because she’s giving him the opportunity to do / get what he wants, rather than because of personal feelings for her. He thinks he’s using Lusamine. He’s not aware that the situation is actually the other way around. Let’s see that, let’s explore it, and let’s explore how his hubris is in direct contradiction to the principles behind the Philosopher’s Stone and, more importantly, the lion that devours the sun, according to alchemical writings from our own world, long in the past.

LET THE TWINS HAVE AN ACTUAL RELATIONSHIP. My god, one of the things that bothered me the most was the fact that Lillie and Gladion barely interacted, on top of how under-utilized Gladion was and how Lillie seemed, in so many places, to exist only as a way to further boost up the player and make them feel special rather than getting to explore her story for her own sake. (Right down to giving Nebby to the player, ugh.) To begin with, I want to know more about their past at Aether Paradise. What happened the night Gladion left? Why did he leave without Lillie? I’d like to think there was a fight or disagreement there—that Lillie wanted to stay because she was insistent that perhaps they could change Lusamine’s mind, or that combating her plan would be easier from Aether Paradise, or (far more likely) that it was their duty to stay, that they were family and thus it was wrong to leave. Gladion disagreed, and so he left, leaving Lillie behind when she refused to come with him. This creates tension between them in the main plot, because Gladion resents Lillie for seemingly choosing their mother over him, whereas Lillie resents Gladion for leaving as he did, even though she herself leaves later in order to save Nebby.But over the course of the game, they encounter each other again and again, and slowly their relationship mends. Gladion appreciates that Lillie is now willing to rebel against their mother, while Lillie learns to admit that her brother had good reasons when he left two years prior (even if his method of leaving still chafes with her), and she respects how he has managed to survive on his own (well, with Null). They meet again and again, come to understandings, and ultimately reform the bond of best friendship they had prior to Gladion’s departure in order to stand against their mother TOGETHER in the climax. (So if there are two flutes to be played, the player is standing off to the side watching while the twins play the flutes in restored harmony.) On top of all of this, I would want to modify Lillie’s personality so that she’s more than just the demure, shy, moe girl who worships the player. Gladion shows the C-PTSD he has from years of child abuse by being harsh, closed-off, and cold. While Lillie doesn’t have to be exactly like him and while everyone is different, I feel that Lillie just being ~omg shy~ as a result of her abuse is not only playing into the Good Victim / Bad Victim dichotomy (with Gladion being the Bad Victim), but was also done just to make her someone the player would want to protect at the expense of making her a well-rounded character with a believable personality. So I would want to modify Lillie so that she’s also stand-offish and cold in various ways; where she, like Gladion, feels that she has a unique view of the situation because of her background, where she’s incredibly studious and smart even if she doesn’t battle, where she’s unwilling to open up to others without the others putting in serious effort (such as Hau potentially, pre-game), where she “defrosts” just as much as Gladion does, because girls can be cold and hard as well and she should be no exception, regardless of how feminine she is. Lastly, both of the kids should have been adopted by Kukui and Burnet at the end of the game. I won’t budge on this.

LET LUSAMINE BE THE VILLAINOUS SCIENTIST QUEEN SHE WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE. Lusamine’s canonical role / personality is perhaps one of the biggest letdowns the Pokémon franchise has ever bestowed upon me and I’m never going to be over it. Whether she’s actually an Ultra Beast herself or not (and I’m still disappointed that the Ultra Beasts didn’t get to be shapeshifters), she still should have been the mastermind behind everything, the one in control, and the one perfectly aware of everything she was doing, as well as the one wanting to do it because of her own grand plans, rather than just being ~*~manipulated by neurotoxins~*~ and ~*~in need of redemption~*~. So to that end?Lusamine is the actual founder of the Aether Foundation, versus it being founded by her father or grandfather or whatever that NPC said, because I’m sick of this series having women simply inherit positions from male relatives or else be overshadowed by them. Lusamine founded the Aether Foundation as a scientific organization to promote her own ambitions and goals while using pokémon conservation as a convenient cover (as well as a means to get government funding if need-be). She’s the president and founder both, and everyone respects her for it.To that end, Lusamine is blindingly intelligent. Not only does she have a wealth of scientific knowledge across various fields (alchemy is obviously her forte, but she’s also incredibly knowledgeable about chemistry, physics / astrophysics, and various other fields), but she’s also quite knowledgeable in terms of history, various fields of mathematics, and other areas of study. She is very much a Ravenclaw in that she loves learning and studying, but also views the universe in terms of the ultimate question True or Not. She is very interested in the (or at least a, but in her mind she is always right, so the) universal Truth, and seeks to not only claim knowledge of the Truth for herself, but also to grasp it in her hand show the rest of the world / universe that she has it. Right or Wrong doesn’t matter to Lusamine, because both of those things are subjective. True or Not is what matters, more than anything else. She is very, very Ravenclaw. So Lusamine is the Big Bad. I have actual motivations and goals for her in my AU fic, To Devour the Sun, and I won’t get into those here—but if Game Freak didn’t want to make her actually an Ultra Beast, they would change anyway. Instead, we could say that perhaps Lusamine was furthering her alchemical ventures in an effort to grasp the Universal Truth™, much as alchemists of the past were always searching for that very same thing (in a fashion), usually by means of the Philosopher’s Stone. In the context of Pokémon, Lusamine could not only be searching to harness the power of Solgaleo (or Lunala ig, but Solgaleo makes far more sense) for this endeavor, but could also be trying to rip open the Gates between Worlds in order to obtain the Truth (much like Father in FMA:B!). This could potentially put the entire world at risk, particularly since Lusamine wouldn’t exactly care who or what needs to be sacrificed in order to make her dreams reality. To that end, no, she doesn’t care about her children; in her mind, they would be additional pawns that could be used in order to accomplish her goals, and if they disobey then they are cruelly punished—but otherwise, she doesn’t (and has never) care(d) about being a family with them. Mohn isn’t really important, either; he has no bearings on Lusamine’s motivations or desires. If anything, he doesn’t even need to be in the game, at least not as the twins’ father. It’s not like he adds to the plot, and it wouldn’t be the first time kids didn’t have present fathers in this series. (Additionally, if the Johto Rival’s mother is never identified, I don’t see why the twins’ father needs to be.)So yes, Lusamine is frighteningly intelligent, calculating, savvy (she doesn’t take gambles or risks if they can be avoided, generally—once she has everything in place, she won’t risk it for a lesser payoff than she’s planning for), extremely manipulative, and ruthless … with a spiteful or sadistic sense of humor at times (in terms of causing emotional pain, rather like GLaDOS). She uses whatever and whoever she needs to in order to achieve her ends, and while I’m aware that sounds Slytherin, remember, Lusamine does not have precious / important people, does not care about those close to her, and is concerned with the question of True or Not, which is all very not Slytherin and also very Ravenclaw. (And yes, while her actual goals are different in To Devour the Sun, this is the characterization I’m using there, too. She, like Sycamore, is a Ravenclaw. She just also happens to be a very terrible person on top of it. She foils him, in other words, in a variety of ways, on top of having some surface resemblance to Lysandre.)Let her be the true, unapologetic villain she deserved to be. Let her be in command the way she was supposed to be. Lusamine was done a massive injustice in canon and I’ll never be over it. (Oh, and as a final note? She either dies or goes to prison in the end. No exceptions.)

Of course, I’d still love it if the Aether fam were Ultra Beasts as well (and that Ultra Beasts could have human forms), but if Game Freak didn’t want to go that route in canon, then the above is fine as well.

This is all I’ve got for right now. Completely rewriting the plot would take more time (and would likely largely ignore the player, but tbh that’s probably for the best, because the fact that Lillie’s most important was relationship was with the player instead of her brother will never cease to make me salty af), but these are the base ideas I have that would have made me more happy than the disappointing, flat mess we were given. Here’s hoping USUM can improve things, but unless the plot is radically changed, I highly doubt it will.

#chidorinnnnn #honestly it makes me legitimately angry how disappointing these games ended up being #we could have had it all #and instead we got . . . this #what an incredible disappointment #and unlike the Kalos saga it doesn't seem like the anime will be improving on it #(I mean the Kalos anime had its issues)#(but it also had TSME + Flare arc which were 👌👌👌)#(things are still early for Alola so MAYBE it will improve over time)#(but right now it feels very unappealing)#(and unless we get a sitch where they do specials with new characters)#(i don't see that changing so)#(we'll see :/ but so far Gen VII has failed me in every way)#(i'm so ready for Gen VIII to come cleanse this palate)

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hyah-through-hyrule · 7 years

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Spoiler free review of BOTW

I recently finished BotW and I’m excited to share my thoughts in a non-spoiler and honest fashion. (Switch version)

Technical aspects- I’ll admit I’m not well versed with technological terms when it comes to gaming, so if something I write doesn’t make sense it’s because I’m stupid. The fps are much better in undocked mode than in docked mode, which is how i personally like to play it because i love the portability. Feel like playing on the couch laying down? No problem. Playing while in bed under several blankets? Cool! Long boring bus ride? Not anymore! The being said, the fps seems to dip slightly when in towns or in heavily forested areas with a lot of foliage. It dips for a couple seconds, but they’re infrequent enough that it really doesn’t hinder gameplay.

Now onto graphics. I must admit that I’m a bit biased here because I will always prefer stylized graphics over realism in any game. To me, the style reminds me of a mixture between Wind Waker and Skyward Sword, and I really love it. I’d be extremely pleased if they kept this type of cel shading in future Zelda installments. I often found myself taking a break to admire the scenery, weather it be a sunset, lightning storm, or some body of water. This version of Hyrule truly is a beautiful world.

Hyrule- The love that the developers put in this world is astounding and apparent. No two places in this world are the same. Typically with large open world games such as this, you’ll find places that are carbon copies. For example, cave complexes or ways that trees are organized will be identical in many other games. Not this one, every inch of this world is unique. Even what you get from cutting grass can give you different ingredient drops depending on where you are in the world.

Animals- Mad respect to the people who were in charge of designing and programming the wildlife. Sometimes I’ll watch animals from afar to see what they do. Birds will bathe themselves in dust, other herbivores can be seen grazing. Some animals can harm you while others choose to flee if you get too close. Little details like that really make the world seem more alive and dynamic.

Enemies and difficulty- If you’re the kind of gamer who plays games like Dark Souls for breakfast, then botw likely wasn’t too difficult. Most gamers (me) don’t play hard games like that for breakfast, so keep in mind the difficulty is being reviewed by a noob who needs to git gud. Botw is challenging at first, especially for those of us who are getting used to playing on a new console. Even the lowliest of the enemies can instantly kill you if you aren’t paying attention. A detail that I personally like is that the enemies will become tougher the more you progress, just to keep you on your toes. Once you learn how to deal with enemies depending on what weapons they’re using, you’ll have no problem fighting them more efficiently, dying less, and in general feeling rather cool. Now here’s a bit of a personal gripe; enemy diversity. There are lots of different enemies (some animals included too as they’ll actively hunt you), and they can wield a variety of weapons. Despite that, I wish there were more enemy types instead of having base enemies recolored. The variety felt a tad bit lacking in that regard, but it was neat that they could fight with different weapons. (There’s still a certain type of enemy that I still wont mess with even 150+ hours later.)

Npcs- Wow, I think this game really outdid itself with the npcs. In most open world games, the models and/or dialogue for npcs will be repeated. Not here. Some base models were reused occasionally, but they were tweaked so no one looked exactly the same. However, every single npc in this world has unique dialogue. I highly recommend you talk to everyone, as it can often lead to a sidequest, worldbuilding trivia, or sometimes it’s just funny dialogue. (My personal favorite is the ‘master torch’ wielder). I also greatly appreciated the fact that every npc Hylian wasn’t simply a white skinny guy. No, there’s npcs of all sizes, lots of women, and lots of different shades of brown. The Zora and Rito were different colors and heights. The Gerudo did have a few npcs who I could tell were reused assets, which the developers cleverly hid by making their skin tone lighter and their hair shorter/colored differently. The Gorons were the least diverse race in my opinion, but they were changed enough that it wasn’t glaringly obvious. The dedication to make everyone an individual is outstanding and it helps make the world all the more alive. Seriously though, I’m super impressed that not any of dialogue was reused anywhere.

Horses- I was going to post this with animals but decided to have it as a separate topic. I’m in love with the horse mechanic. You can go catch any horse you like, whether you want it for aesthetics or stats. You don’t need to steer your horse at all as it will follow the path all on its own and it won’t run into trees if you’re not controlling it. (Just make sure your bond is all the way up, which is easy to do via petting and feeding apples. Even though mine are maxed bonded, I still pet them and feed them because they’re all good boys and the prompt to do it is there, so why not?). The horse riding in this game is one of the smoothest ones I’ve experienced in any game (including games that feature non horse mounts too).

Dungeons and shrines- Botw broke a lot of Zelda conventions, and the dungeons are no exception. They were fun to explore and discover, though I do wish some of them were longer. I do hope they keep this non-linear system of finding shrines/dungeons out in the wild, but it would be nice if they could incorporate some longer and organic dungeons alongside the shrines. A mixture of the two would create a phenomenal experience.

Story- It’s no secret that in order to create a massive and dynamic world, the story had to take a few hits. I loved the memory system, it was clever and unique. Like with most Zelda games, you have to find the lore yourself by talking to npcs or finding writings via journals and monuments. Still, there’s a lot of stuff that makes me wonder ‘wow this is cool but what’s the story behind it?’ I do like having to find story things on my own rather than it being spelled out to me. There’s a lot of unanswered questions and loose ends. Perhaps the DLC will expand more on this. Despite the story being a bit lacking this time around, it didn’t make the game less enjoyable. There were still plenty of emotional moments, and I’ll admit I teared up in some spots. (Not including when I cried when first coming out of the shrine of restoration, that didn’t have to do with story, only with the fact i was so excited to play after five long years of waiting).

Towns- There’s not much for me to say about the towns (other than the fps thing mentioned earlier). The music that plays in them is wonderful and there’s lots of interesting npcs and sidequests to follow. One weird thing is there is one town you could theoretically never find as it’s not part of the main quest. I think more was intended for it, but there wasn’t enough time to finish it/ something changed when creating the story. Perhaps something will be added to it with dlc, or it’s simply a small village to find at you’re own leisure.

Music- Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge sucker when it comes to soundtracks, which is why I’ve saved the best for last. You’ll hear a lot of mixed reviews from people about the music. I personally am in love with it, I’m even listening to the soundtrack now as I’m writing this review. The ambiance of the music sets the pace when you’re out exploring. The shrines have different music depending on what type of shrine it is. Battle shrines are the easiest to distinguish. A shrine with a puzzle involved will be in major key, while a shrine with no puzzle is in minor. It’s a subtle difference that most people won’t catch, but it’s there. The music outside of shrines also varies, though I haven’t quite figured it out yet. I believe that it depends on if the shrine was hidden or not, but I don’t have solid proof for that. The guardian theme always startles me, even when I’m actively seeking them out for loot. It’s one of my favorite songs, but it’s a shame it doesn’t last long because you’re either fleeing or trying to kill it fast before it kills you. I could go on forever about the music, but I should wrap this up soon. The final dungeon and battle is in my opinion a bunch of masterpieces, but you’ll have you’ll have to discover that on your own. Botw outdid itself with it’s music, and I do hope it is appreciated more once people get used not having music that plays constantly while playing.

Overall, this is the most fun I’ve ever had playing a game. It’s not without it’s flaws of course, but it was an enjoyable experience and I look forward to the dlc and future installments in the series.

#botw #loz #zelda #please this took me two hours to write

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movietvtechgeeks · 6 years

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Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/supernaturals-bad-place-left-us-prehistoric-place/

'Supernatural's' Bad Place left us in a prehistoric place

I LOVED last week’s episode of Supernatural, so I went into this week’s with high expectations, especially because this was the lead-in to the Wayward Sisters pilot episode that happens when we return from Hellatus. ‘The Bad Place’ turned out to be a wild rollercoaster of a ride that kept me on the edge of my seat – it literally looked and felt like a feature film crammed into 42 minutes! That’s not to say I loved all of it, but it definitely did a great job of setting up the possible spinoff while simultaneously entertaining me throughout. So, what I liked? Well, I really liked Jack. It was nice to meet Alexander Calvert at last weekend’s Supernatural convention and to be able to tell him in person what a fabulous job he’s doing on this show, because DAMN. I have been rooting for Jack since the beginning, which says a lot about Calvert’s acting and the way he’s been written considering he’s Lucifer’s son. I didn’t think I’d like him at all before Jack was born, so I wasn’t even prepared to care about the character – but I do. We open with a young Native American artist, Derek, and his girlfriend discussing the difficulties of making a living through art, which, YES. Enter Jack, a prospective buyer. Derek: You’re young. Jack: I am. I laughed out loud at Calvert’s delivery, and the fresh-faced expression on Jack’s face. He manages to make Jack entirely likable while also playing him with a hint of wait-is-that-a-menacing-look so I’m always a little off base and unsure. I was so horrified when we thought that Jack killed Derek, it actually made me a little sick to my stomach. I don’t WANT Jack to go dark side, Show! And that says something very good about how the character is being written and acted because I actually CARE about him. Berens does a good job of incorporating a bit of Native American lore, and casting does a good job as they almost always do with finding an actor (Nathaniel Arcand) who makes us care about him even in the four minutes he was in the episode! Arcand is not just very good looking; he invests Derek with personality too. I hated seeing Derek lying on the floor with his eyes burnt out, his horrified girlfriend screaming. I think I might have been muttering No No No Jack No No No, much to my family’s dismay. And who does Jack see as he hitches a ride with the Dreamwalker? Mary, now in the hanging cage that Lucifer was being tortured in. That didn’t help my poor stomach at all. There’s more to like about Jack in this episode, but let me more or less follow the episode’s progression because there was a lot happening! While Jack is out hitching a ride with a dreamwalker, Dean and Sam are desperate to find Jack. So desperate that Dean is doing something that felt a bit out of character to me – calling Patience. After he told her to stay out of the life and stick to normal if she possibly could, he’s calling her to ask for her help in finding Jack. Yes, he acknowledges the change of heart and the reason, but I couldn’t quite get my head around it. Especially when we see that he’s called her six times! That’s called stalking, Dean. It all feels a little more worrisome when this is a high school student we’re talking about. So that wasn’t one of the things I especially liked in this episode. Patience (Clark Back), for her part, is having a tough time of it even apart from Dean Winchester being intrusive. She’s lying to her dad (played by Adrian Holmes - which he somehow doesn’t realize even though it seems fairly obvious to me) about having visions, and her grades are suffering for it. If you can call getting a C suffering, that is. I work with clients all the time whose perfectionism is definitely not doing them any favors, so I really bristled when Patience’s dad told her in no uncertain terms that only perfect grades and SATS were acceptable. Bad parenting, Patience’s dad! The dads on Supernatural make some really crappy decisions, and this dad takes a page out of the John Winchester parenting handbook by telling Patience that if she leaves and “chooses that life,” she can’t come back. WHAT? I mean, I knew he made bad decisions after the whole decade of lying to Patience about her grandmother Missouri, but this was almost worse. Who sets those kinds of limits on your kid when it’s clear they’re trying to do something GOOD?? Poor Patience. Good thing she kept Jody’s business card. Speaking of Jody, she calls Sam and Dean with a lead on Jack and they head to Derek’s studio to talk with the traumatized girlfriend. There they learn he was a Dreamwalker and see the painting that lets them know he’s been to the AU – Apocalypse World as we’re now calling it. Sam and Dean get in the car, in front of a big beautiful blue winged mural on the side of the studio so kudos to Jerry Wanek and his team of wizards. Dean knows this is Season 13 so he keeps to the new norms, thankfully. Dean to Sam: We gonna talk about it? Of course they are, because this is Season 13! Dean: Looks like Jack gave up on us and is looking for his daddy. Me: (and Sam probably) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Dean: This isn’t an I told you so. I actually like the kid. I liked that little conversation so much, because it’s the Winchesters really being open with each other. Before Sam can misinterpret, Dean lets him know how he’s actually feeling and that this is not what he wanted either. Season 13! Another thing I really liked? Kaia Nieves (Yadira Guevera-Prip). We first meet her in a group therapy session (with a not so great therapist, which always makes me feel a little defensive for my profession, but whatever). Kaia is revealed to us little by little, covered up all over and hiding under a hood and under her well-honed snarky defenses. Her portrayal was so realistic that I found myself thoroughly believing her as a reluctant, defended client – both the acting and the writing were spot on. Even her little quip about Trump rang so true (I guess on the show we’ve intersected with real life now that the Lucifer-possessed president guy is out of the way). She actually sounds just like an addict in denial, which is how the therapist treats her, but when Kaia says she doesn’t want to go to “the bad place”, she means something much more literal. She too is a Dreamwalker, but instead of being able to go where she wants, she always ends up there – and comes back not only psychologically scarred but literally bloodied. Those scars she’s hiding under her sleeves are not from cutting. (Also did anyone else keep getting Dark Angel feels every time someone talks about ‘the bad place”?? Shades of Jensen Ackles’ brilliant portrayal of Ben, one of the most tragic characters I’ve ever encountered) Jack shows up, and he’s progressed from “I like nougat” to “I like cocaine” alarmingly fast. Kaia’s reaction was brilliant – Yadira’s facial expressions are amazing in conveying so much, from shock to humor to horror to joy. Kaia: (bemused) Okay, Suite Life… The little shout out to Kim Rhodes’ previous series was a nice touch, Mr. Berens. Jack breaks her out, and I worry that the guard he took down isn’t really just “sleeping” because we don’t yet know that Jack did not, in fact, kill Derek. But we find out quickly because the Winchesters show up right about then. Sam shares the details of Kaia’s tragic life story with Dean, who sums it up with “bad hand…” I’ll say. I already have a lot of empathy for Kaia, but that seals the deal. Meanwhile, Kaia is proving herself not only relatable but badass. And smart. She refuses to go with the creepy stranger who can break through triple locked doors and knock people out by touching them – I mean, odd decision, but… Jack is distracted by Sam and Dean, which gives Kaia a chance to haul off and punch him and run away. Jack: (indignant) She hit me! Then we get one of my favorite scenes in the episode, during which Calvert, Jared Padalecki, and Jensen Ackles all knock it out of the park (with help from Berens and director Phil Sgriccia). Jack: I’m doing this for you! I wanted to prove to you that I’m good. So I did the thing you wanted the most…. I researched, like you taught me… And I saw her. Your mother. She’s alive. Dean: (absolutely dumbfounded and already overcome with emotion) What? Jack shows them what he saw, and they actually SEE Mary being tortured, and hear her calling out for help. It must KILL them to see and hear that and not be able to do anything. Dean: (sounding broken) Mom! There’s a moment then where we focus on Dean’s face, and everything else that’s going on seems to fade into the background. He turns away slightly from Jack and from Sam, a look of shock on his face at finding out his mother is alive. And then, in just a few seconds, you can see his expression harden, his jaw set. That right there is Dean Winchester swearing to god that he will do whatever it takes to save his mother. It’s Dean channeling John every time he put his boys into danger to try to save Mary. It literally gave me goosebumps. The other incredible scene I LOVED was the “car scene,” with Dean and Sam in the front and Jack in the back as they go after Kaia. Berens shared that as originally scripted and shot, that scene was much shorter. But the episode actually (miraculously) came in under time, so they had some time left to fill. They “collaborated and spitballed” and realized they could reshoot the scene in an extended version. Berens added that it “felt like a cosmic gift.” And I definitely agree! Berens: Strong case to be made it’s the MOST important scene in the ep, the emotional payload, and we almost didn’t have it. ALL that stuff was written as subtext to the episode but it became clear I messed up, we NEEDED to see that moment. So Phil shot it perfectly, and of course Jared, Jensen and Alex hit it out of the park. So lucky. I’ll say. Also, the Season 13 rules about open communication are still in play, and I am ridiculously grateful for that. Dean to Sam: You were right. This whole time… We should have been looking for her. Sam tries to console his brother because he KNOWS how hard Dean will take this, saying he didn’t know, he just hoped. But it’s clear that Dean is taking this on himself, guilty and traumatized because he gave up on his mother. Dean (and me) struggled mightily with Sam giving up on looking for Dean way back in the Amelia season, so this is something that must really hit home for him. And that worries me. Dean: We find her. No matter what. Me: Uh oh. Then there is the absolutely wonderful conversation that came from reshooting the scene and being able to make it longer. It makes me wonder what kind of glorious moments we would have if our show always had the luxury of time, because this? This was effing magic. Dean: Kid, you okay? I smile every time Dean calls him ‘kid.’ Jack is not, in fact, okay. He realizes that the Winchesters believed he was capable of doing something awful like killing Derek. Sam struggles to explain, and Jared does an amazing job making it incredibly real and poignant. You can hear Sam’s voice shake; he even stumbles over his words a little in an attempt to make something awkward understandable. Dean finally admits that they thought he went looking for his father. Jack: Lucifer? He’s no one to me. You – Castiel – you’re my family. Dean doesn’t even hesitate. Dean: Yes. Yes, we are. Me: Tissues! Dean: Finding mom, you did a good thing, kid. A real good thing. The small smile on Jack’s face made me tear up. And the look on Sam’s face when he hears Dean say that! There are tears in his eyes, and he just looks so…. Relieved? Happy? It made me happy too. Kaia, in the interim, gets kidnapped by a bunch of angels who are of course dicks because really, angels are the worst on Supernatural. I get that they’re desperate with the whole going extinct thing, but wow, they are really awful other than Cas. I continue to adore Kaia, both the acting and the writing. The angels tell her they’re using her as bait to lure the Winchesters and Jack, and she scoffs. Kaia: They won’t come for me, you picked the wrong bait. No one’s gonna fight for me. I’m not white, I’m not rich, I’m not blonde. I don’t matter. That line didn’t pull any punches, and it hit many fans very hard. Several people on my timeline posted that there were tears streaming down their faces, they were so shocked and so validated to hear a person of color be that outright on a television show. But Jack and the Winchesters do show up, and the angels try to talk Jack into coming back to Heaven with them, saying he belongs with his own kind. Dick angel: Come home. Jack: (glancing at Sam and Dean): I am home. Me: Tissues! Jack saves the Winchesters’ very fine asses, much to Kaia’s shock. Then try to explain to her who they are and what they do. Winchesters: We’re hunters. Kaia: And he’s the son of Satan. Jack: I am, yes. At some point in here, the actress ad-libbed an under her breath “What the f—k,” which was glorious. And which Sgriccia left in, bless him. The next scene is the one I had a big problem with, as did a fair number of fans. Sam pleads with Kaia to help them find their mom, trying to explain what’s needed. He even uses his puppy dog eyes. Jack tries too, telling her “we need you.” Dean listens, then adds his own plea, which goes right to the heart of where Dean Winchester’s head is at right now. Dean: We can save her. But Kaia says no. She only goes to the bad place when she dream walks, and she doesn’t come back unscathed. Again, she says no. There’s a loaded pause, and Sam reluctantly says what we’ve heard the Winchesters say many times when someone is reluctant to put their lives on the line. Sam: We’ll find another way… Dean interrupts him, pulling his gun and quietly cocking it. Sam: Dean. Dean? Sam looks shocked, and in my living room, I am literally gaping. WHAT ARE YOU DOING, DEAN?? I even had a brief moment of wait, is that Dean? Did he somehow get possessed? Dean: Get in the car. Kaia hesitates, still unwilling. And then the most shocking thing happens – Dean suddenly LOSES IT, brandishing his gun and yelling GET IN THE DAMN CAR! I legit screamed because Dean Winchester scared the crap out of me, and then for some reason, I covered my ears as though that would make it not be happening. (Yes, I know, I’m kinda invested in this tv show, what can I say?) Kaia looks as frightened as me, and she gets in the car – I mean, who WOULDN’T get in the car with Dean Winchester yelling at you like that? My timeline immediately split into “I’m terrified” and “Uh that was weirdly hot” while I felt just like Sam looked – just plain shocked. Dean: We’re going to South Dakota. I think I understand what they’re going for here – why Dean is acting so not Dean. This is his mother, his family. Who is being tortured RIGHT NOW and is screaming for him to help her. He can no more leave her to that than he could leave Sam – he will move heaven and earth to save his family. I know that, I love that about the character. But this just felt a bridge too far for me. Kaia is a teenager (I’m assuming) and a vulnerable one at that. She clearly said no and he ignored it and forced her into the car – he essentially kidnapped her just like the angel dicks did. Not for as nefarious ends, sure, but whoa. I had a hard time reconciling that Dean with the Dean I know and love. I know Dean has been in a bad place himself this season, and I know how prone he is to throw mountains of guilt on himself – and that makes people do pretty crazy things. I’m guessing he can rationalize it with it’s for the ultimate good and he’ll be sure she’s safe, but it becomes clear pretty quickly (and really he knows) that he can’t do that. And we just heard all about her tragic life so far and how awful it is for her to go to the bad place, so forcing her there is just hard to swallow. Maybe it’s the therapist in me, but I was entirely on Kaia’s side in that scene, not Dean’s. And I don’t like that feeling! Sam echoes my discomfort, asking Dean “What are we going to do, force her to dreamwalk at gunpoint?” Me: Exactly!! Dean: We get Mom back no matter what, remember? Pretty sure neither Sam nor I defined it in quite this way, Dean. That scene still doesn’t sit right with me. I just don’t see Dean going that far, even if I understand his motivation. Jack takes over as the voice of reason (which is really saying something, Dean!), apologizing to Kaia and reassuring her that not everything she sees in dreamwalking has to be the bad place. Jack: Our powers can be good. We can do good in the world. That seems to persuade Kaia more than Dean waving his gun at her (go figure…) but at that moment the angel dicks cut them off and they take refuge in a boat yard. In a big giant abandoned boat. Like, a real boat. Not a VFX boat or a set, but a real boat. Whoa. That scene was amazing, with all the kudos once again to the crew who makes this show look like a motion picture day in and day out. Here's where the suspense ramps up to off the charts, with an incredible musical score by Christopher Lennertz that has my heart pounding right out of my chest. Sam paints sigils throughout the boat as they race higher and higher, a whole gang of angels now after them. Luckily the angels sort of take their time, so Sam gets to paint LOTS of sigils. (I bet Jared had a great time with that, we all know how much he loves painting sigils…NOT) Dean seems to come back to his senses, apologizing to Kaia for dragging (literally) her into this Dean: Sorry to drag you into this, it’s not your fight. But Jack has gotten through to Kaia and she’s on board – and also her survival instincts have kicked in. Kaia: Let’s do it. Sam: What if something goes wrong? Dean: (stating the very obvious) Something already is going wrong! Kaia agrees to dreamwalk and take Jack along, trying to get them all to Mary. Meanwhile, the angels are performing a synchronized sigil-busting ritual we’ve never seen before (canon problem perhaps, or maybe new canon?) The suspense keeps building as they take down one sigil after another, until only one is keeping them out – and it’s slowly melting. By this time, I was about to have a heart attack. Just in the nick of time, Kaia gets to where Mary is and then screams. Her scream, surprisingly, destroys the angels, and blasts Jack and the Winchesters to different places. Kaia wakes up still in our world, Jack at Mary Winchester’s feet. Sam and Dean wake up in the Vancouver woods, except it’s clearly not. Everything is in desaturated shades of blue, so we know we’re not in Kansas anymore. The portal stays open, which can’t be a good thing. In another part of the country, Patience arrives at Jody’s house. Patience: Something bad is coming…. Meanwhile, Dean comes to and immediately pats Sam on the back. Dean: Sam? Sam: (knowing what Dean needs to hear) I’m okay, I’m okay. Dean has come through with an angel blade, so that’s good. But that’s clearly the only thing that’s good. Dean: Where the hell are we? The camera pulls up for a wide perspective and we see that where the Winchesters are is.. [caption id="attachment_51848" align="aligncenter" width="696"] Caps by @kayb625[/caption] Standing inside a giant three-toed footprint. I admit I laughed for a second, because for once I was NOT spoiled. Me: DINOSAURS??? But it was a really cool shot and I mean, why the hell not? Supernatural has done just about everything else, and it’s Season 13, and we have Alternate Universes to play in – and besides, it’s Sam and Dean against the world and that is never not going to make me happy. My timeline lit up with Jurassic Park gifs – timed just as the trailer for the new Jurassic Park movie hit, believe it or not – and lots of bad jokes about Winchesters and dinosaurs. In fact, it was hilariously split between OMG AWESOME and OHNOYOUDIDN’T! But I think ultimately I’m sorta okay with it. Supernatural has jumped the dinosaur? We’ll see. For now, I just want it to be January 18. And not just because that’s my birthday. It’s also the night that the actual Wayward Sisters episode premieres, which I’m taking as some kind of meant to be thing. Kismet!

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