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nemo-in-wonderland · 7 days

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☪️ ZIL-E-QAMAR | FIEND WARLOCK | SELDARINE DROW ☪️

Name: Zil-e-Qamar

Nickname: Zil, Ya Qamar (only Halim called her so)

Title: The Scorching Mirage

Alias: Aranea Baelfaer

Age: ≅175 Years Old (She never disclosed her real age to anyone)

Birthplace: Menzoberranzan, Underdark Hometown: Huzuz, The City of Delight

Current Residence: She is wandering Faerun without a fixed place. After meeting Gale, they would travel together back to Zakhara and reside for a while in Huzuz.

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral but sometimes oversteps in Neutral Evil

Race: Seldarine Drow

Class: Warlock - The Fiend

Profession/job: Before the great tragedy that apprehended her life and forced her to flee to Faerun, she worked as a Scribe for the Grand Vizier Alyana al-Azzazi, a work she was immensely proud of. Visual particular traits: Standing at 183 cm barefoot, Zil is abnormally tall for a drow, and this is an anomaly for which she has no answer to give. Scent: Oud, Rose, Sandalwood, Saffron, Amber.

Colours/symbols associated with: The Colours of the Desert at Night; The White Heron that flew at dusk; The Sphinx whose riddles couldn’t be solved and whose smile couldn’t be understood.

Languages: Midani (mothertongue), Jaanti, Kadari, Infernal Language, Common Language, she is learning Undercommon.

Accent?: Before moving to Huzuz to embark on her studies at the Al-Bidr Sallah University, she spent her childhood and early teen years in Ajayib, the City of Wonders. Therefore, she spoke Midani with the regional accent of the Pearl Cities.

Tropes they embody: “Determinator”,” Implacable Woman”, “Deadpan Snarker”, “The Juggernaut”, “Broken Bird”, “Heartbroken Badass”, “Be Careful What You Wish For”, “Lady of Black Magic”, “Addicted to Magic”, “Dark Action Girl”, “Revenge Before Reason”, “The Dreaded”, ”Noble Demon”, ”Troubled Past”, “The Unfettered”, “Excessive Mourning”, “Long-Range Fighter”, “Love Makes you Evil,” “Roaring Rampage of Revenge”, “Squishy Wizard”, “Tragic Heroine”, “Tranquil Fury”, “Trauma Button”, “Violently Protective Girlfriend”, “Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds,” Personality: Determinate, Curious, Mischievous, Resilient, Resourceful, Intuitive, Loyal toward those she loves, Secretive, Mysterious, Empathetic, Charming, Charismatic, Seductive, Ambitious, Prideful, Focused to the point of Obsession, Stubborn, Manipulative, Vengeful, Can become ruthless is pushed, Emotionally Withdrawn, Short-Tempered. Detailed Backstory: Zil-e-Qamar was the adopted daughter of Valakos and Breessa, a couple of Faerûnian tiefling merchants who permanently resided in Ajayib, the City of Wonders in the Land of Fate Zakhara. Zil had a childhood of relative comfort and ease, not wanting for anything. Ever a curious child, sometimes too nosy for her own good, she spent her childhood between school, helping her parents with trading and inventorying the goods they received from Faerûn, and exploring the caves upon which the city had been built. She was a brilliant young woman, with an incandescent personality and a silver tongue and cheeky personality that could easily charm the people around her. She wouldn't take “no” for an answer, especially when embarking on a quest to discover and learn about all manner of topics, though her interest always dwelled on Magic and all its different aspects and how they intertwined and connect.

Ajayib, despite being the cradle that sweetly protected her throughout her most tender years, had very little to offer to her ever-growing thirst for knowledge. Soon enough, she made preparations to move to the Capital of the Land of Fate, Golden Huzuz. After being admitted to the Home of the Seekers of Knowledge, the Great University of Al-Bidir Sallah in the City of Delight, she enrolled in the College of Magic to expand upon her knowledge and understanding of how magic worked. She was a hardworking student, with her nose always buried in any book she could put her hands on. It was around this time that she became a devotee of Zann the Learned, the God that oversaw Learning and Intelligence.

Eventually, under the advice of Imam Renn min Zann, her mentor at the University, she sought to learn more about who she was and where she stood in the world. She enrolled for a period in the College of Fine Arts, taking classes about non-Zakharan history and costumes in the hope of discovering more about her origins. After graduating and deciding to continue her studies as a scholar, she took up the position of Scribe for the Imam, and it was during that time that she met Halim Ibn Tariq, a well-renowned Sha'ir and Vizier of Huzuz, advisor to Grand Vizier Alyana al-Azzazi, in a diplomatic visit to the University to report of its state to the Grand Vizier.

Having been assigned to be the Vizier’s guide, Zil found herself intrigued by this physically imposing yet apparently kind and soft-spoken man, who had all the authority that was expected of a man of his station and background, yet possessed none of the arrogance, a man of exceptional moral strength and vivacious intelligence, known for his even temper and warm laughter.

On his side, Halim also found himself fascinated by the young drow, the first he ever had the chance to speak with in his life, with her pale eyes always twinkling with curiosity, her insatiable need for knowledge, and her mischievous way of flirting with him. He found her company pleasant and when away for his duties, he found himself unable to stop thinking about her and her beguiling, infectious smile. Despite their mutual interest, they both believed that, due to the Vizier’s busy life and Zil’s own duties, the few meetings they had at the University were destined to remain as such. Yet, Halim extended an invitation to her to seek him out if she ever needed anything, either a favour or even just his company. Little did Halim know about Zil’s own resilience and way of making things happen the way she wanted. Zil applied to become a Scribe in the service of Grand Vizier Al-Azzazi, to be closer to the man who had completely captivated her. She obtained the position, thanks to her own merits and partially thanks to the good recommendation of the Imam. In time, Zil and Halim became friends and started to spend more and more time together, their mutual attraction growing and blossoming like the beautiful lilies that bloomed in the pans surrounding Hazuz when the rains blessed the city. It grew until being far away from each other felt more torturous than standing underneath the ruthless Zakharan Sun at noon without shade.

With the blessing of the Grand Caliph himself, they married and spent more than 10 years of blissful happiness. But the Court of Enlightenment was not devoid of intrigue, and Halim, with his progressive philosophies and advocacy to abolish the common practice of trading slaves, had drawn upon itself the malcontent of the slave owners in the Caravan District. He had fallen victim to a ploy that resulted in an incrimination for corruption and bribery.

Zil knew that her husband was innocent, having worked closely with him for all those years, and tried with all the means she had available to find who was behind all that scheming and bring them to justice to clear her husband’s name. But before she could do anything of substance, she was apprehended and charged with the accusation of being complicit and accessory to all of Halim’s crimes. Despite all her efforts, despite all her begging, she couldn’t find the resources she needed fast enough, and the accusations against her husband transmuted from corruption to treason that warranted a death sentence without appeal.

All Zil could do was witness the execution from her cell, not leaving her husband’s eyes for one moment, not even when the blade of the executioner came down and shattered her entire heart in the process.

Alone in her damp cell, shell-shocked and broken, Zil waited all night for her own sentence to pass, wishing with all her might that the moment would come soon enough so that she could be reunited with her husband once more. But, much to her dismay, during the darkest hour that preceded the arrival of dawn, the Grand Vizier herself showed up in her cell, maintaining complete secrecy.

All she carried with her was a note, carved in her husband’s handwriting, and the promise that, as a last favor to Halim, she would see Zil out of Huzuz safely. Zil escaped her own death, thanks to her husband’s foresight and protection, and fled away from the Golden City and beyond Zakhara, finally reaching distant Faerûn.

After Halim’s death, Zil assumed a new name, Aranea Baelfaer, and turned to every god and goddess in the pantheon, begging, imploring, and beseeching all of them to grant her the power to vindicate her husband and to see him one last time. But all her prayers and supplications fell into a deafening silence that reeked of contempt. Enraged with the gods for letting something like this befall a man as virtuous, kind, and compassionate as her husband, she didn’t give up and persistently sought the means to gain the power she needed, her mind and resolve sharpened by grief and rage.

Her obsession and focus would reach such heights that they resonated all across the Weave until they attracted the Patron who would finally answer her call and grant her the power she desired: Mephistopheles. Most treasured possession: Her husband’s jambiya dagger and a lock of his dark hair that she wore braided in her own; the last letter that he wrote her, that she re-read every single night before going to sleep.

Sexual and/or romantic situation: After Halim’s death, she decided to forgo any kind of romantic relationship, absolutely refusing to run the risk of facing the same type of pain she went through when her husband was killed. In her grief, she asked Mephistopheles to actually freeze her heart, putting it in a stasis. As a wager between the two of them, Mephistopheles added a small clause that declared if someone were ever able to thaw her frozen heart, she would lose her powers, her soul would be his and the contract would be considered fulfilled regardless of whether she had reached her vengeance or not. Zil humored him, secure in her belief that no one on Toril would ever be able to ever ignite the flame in her dead heart again. Last famous words indeed. Favourite place in Faerûn: She doesn’t truly have one. She finds Faerun excessively cold and humid. But if she were to choose one, it would be the Great Harbor of Waterdeep, from where she can see the City. What makes them happiest: She likes to create small illusions of her memories of her years in Zakhara and stare at them, wishing with all her might that they were more than just echoes from a distant time. What makes them angriest: Any uncalled mentioning of her late husband was enough to provoke at best a death glare and at worst an outburst of pure ire. She didn’t appreciate talking about her past or about him with anyone, for her memories of him are hers and hers alone. What makes them laugh: She rarely laughed from the heart. But something that did make her laugh and gave her comfort was hearing children’s laughter. It reminded her of simpler times. Biggest secret: Who her Patron is and the terms and conditions of her pact with him. Obsession: Revenge. She sold her soul to Mephistopheles in order to gain the power she needed to grow as powerful as she needed to be and hunt down and kill whoever was involved in Halim’s betrayal and death. If the Gods didn’t want to help her in the path of vengeance, then the might of the Archdevils would.

soooo.

While on vacation, I had sometime to properly sit down and finally write Aranea's (or should I say Zil's?) proper bio, alongside working on her infographic (and I am SO HAPPY with how it turned out. I love doing this kind of things, I have done so many that I haven't shared lol).

I still need to add a few things as I keep playing the game, which is the reason why I haven't written anything about her current relationship with Gale, the other companions, or the Dream Guardian. But as I proceed, I will update this (or make another post, we shall see) and fill in what is missing.

In the meantime, thank you for reading her profile and I hope you will love this brainchild of mine just as much as I love her <3

--Nemo

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template by @arcandoria; abridged profile template by @lairofsentinel)

#baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 tav #bg3 #oc lore #dnd #dnd drow #drow #zakhara #OC:Aranea Baelfaer #my oc #my art #my writing #Nemo Draws #Nemo Writes

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tobiasdrake · 3 months

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Here we go with Bamboo Creek.

Literally the only thing Luana knew about this place is that it had a weird statue and a Rainbow Conch. She wrote about her disappointment in never getting to do anything with the statue.

Perhaps this will be a mystery for me to solve!

Sure is pretty, though. If you ignore the turtle demons who want to chew my butt off, but I think we can all take that as a given.

I WILL.

...

Wait, hold on, what did you say? This place is... a... VA-CA-TION!?!? FUCK YES, I'm gonna go spend it with my best pal!

QUARBLE! Look at all this lush greenery! Isn't this place magical?

Man, so much has happened since last I saw you. I successfully completed my voluntary side quest and met a necromancer! Not the necromancer I thought I was meeting but a necromancer all the same. I think we're besties now. Just like Luana and Roro. I dunno, we haven't made plans to hang out but I'm sure he won't mind if I drop in sometime.

Hehe. Drop in. Oh, I am not going to explain to you why that's funny. That is a secret that I take with my to my grave.

...hehe. To my grave. Oh, bestie, we make our own fun!

"I have many regrets about not letting you die."

Ambiguous shopkeeper who I might be legally prohibited from liking, I wanted you to meet my best friend! He's coming with me on my vacation. It's great-- Oh, he left. Probably to go get drinks. ^_^

Anyways, I, uh... I had questions about the Time Shards.

Absolutely. 100%. Was that not clear with the Power Seal fiasco? I broke another one of those, by the way.

Did you create them? Because Luana said Resh'an made them but she was kind of busy bending time and space by sheer power of her own awesomeness so she could rescue the legendary Warrior Cook. At least, that's how she described it. So she didn't get to overhear much.

But if you created the Time Shards then that would confirm whether or not I'm obligated to call you an 'assclown'.

*whine* But I need to know if I'm allowed to peruse your wa~ares!

*sigh*

why are you being difficult about this ._.

...

Anyways, I'll take another upgrade, thanks. These are super helpful.

He's across the pit. Ugh, that is fiendish. I can't hit him from over here, but if I try and make the jump and I fail....

Nah, fuck it. I'm a Lunar Ninja. I'm a bad enough dude to--

Why. Why is my recklessness always punished T-T

Hi, Quarble. Nice to see you again. Did you bring the drin-- You have no drinks in hand. Okay. That's disappointing.

Well, I enjoy your company nonetheless.

Maybe you can help me brainstorm this. He's across. The pit. If I fall in the pit, that's a one-way ticket to hanging out with you. Which is fine, I love hanging out with you, but it doesn't get me any deeper into Bamboo Creek.

So if I can't time this jump precisely, then I'm screwed. This is tactically brilliant. There's just... No options for me to--

...

We never speak of this again. This will be our secret. Forever.

Aha! A true warrior for me to test my steel against. I should warn you; My speed and skill is highly reputed among the, uh, turtles. The turtles are very impressed by how fast I am.

...please ignore how lame that sounds when I say it out loud.

ANYWAYS

A duel! Two rival masters squaring off to--

OW! YOU COCK! A lucky shot, but I will--

BALLS!

PROTRUDING MAN PARTS!

BUT WHY THO. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? WHO EVEN ARE YOU!?

...okay, bye. ._. Thank you for the brand new flesh wounds. I will treasure them dearly.

I just want it on record that he quit, which means I win by default.

Just another proud W to add to my ever-growing roster of glorious triumphs.

#the messenger #drake plays the messenger

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mwildeboyii · 7 months

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Lemme present my own Riddler Boy... [I usually write him in Portuguese on a Facebook RP btw]

My Ed is constructed by personal headcanons and interactive scenes. His back story wrote by me based on multimedia. So let me talk about the arcs.

The Ballad Of Edward Nashton

The Prince of the Puzzles: this chapter is about the classic story of puzzle competition, but on my version Ed wasn't a good student, actually Eddie had problems at school, doesn't seems he had any interest or at least that he was mentally present. But someday Teacher Nordine (who doesn't even knows Eddie's name properly) threatened him with participation or death "or you join the schools game or we will call your parents blablabla" so he did and discovered something that he was really good: games and competitions. Ed found there attention, but also rivals who doesn't liked that the boy was winning most of the logical and board games.

Materialising Thoughts: here Ed became a teenager, now he is a brilliant student and he learned to treat school as his safe place. He hates come back home and his anger became higher everyday. In this chapter Ed will struggle with lots of intrusive thoughts, some unhealthy behaviour and finally he will free himself of his dad and mother and he also run away of Gotham tho. It's a chapter with lots o fiscal violence and mental issues, some self regulation tactics and self harm too. Also we have some gender questions and a best friend x first love (and yes, happens to be the same person, a girl!).

"Are you incapable to keep you mouth shut?": After runaway, Ed found a job in a highway Amusment Park. Now he doesn't speak, he doesn't have a name, but his good ideas for gambling shines. Yes this is a side quest chapter where Ed is in a long term nonverbal, he became a golden goose of the park, but things will go wrong and Ed will take his money and runaway again. (if the working class produces everything everything belongs to it -q)

Thy name is E.Nigma: Now our riddler boy will spend his next year's solving his identity. Forging himself since the birth. New back story with echoes on his own, and a dead parents in his back. With fake documents, illegal money (well washed, thank you very much), Ed is planning his own rebirth in Gotham City.

Year One

Once Upon a Time in Gotham: Edward Nygma is a Gotha U student and a consulting forensic scientist (he is a Sherlock Holmes itself). No he doesn't work officially for GCPD, but very frequently he is hired to solve some issues for the PD (whe they does not hire Ed, he just entered without permission because he want, and this annoys alot some cops). At the University, Ed have problems with grades because he wants to study everything, so is a great mess. He also start dating Antonie, the theatre guy and conveniently became part of the company for a while, until the broke up moment. Yeah, he is living his best life, the one he planned for himself. A little bit of taxes crimes, misterys to solve, an academic life and a very very sweet boyfriend, who wait the right time... Nothing can destroy this strawberry life, right? (Oh and here we are presented to Nina/Echo, Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy) and Dinah L. Lance (Black Canary). [Pammys and Nina are Ed's bffs based on the rp dynamics between me and my Pammys🥺 who date Dinah btw].

"Seriously, Nygma. You need help.": Lack ofstimulus make him vexing... But the thing is, everything goes wrong when Ed saw his mother with another man and two kids. Twins... Now he is much more obsessed with work and please and seeking attention. He is freaking out for real, but he cant tell anyone why is that. So 3 times Ed will listen that he needs help: first time in the University from his advisor, then he will listen from Antonie during a fight that precedes the break and finally, from Bullock who is pissed with a nerd doing much more than he and also shooting riddles all the time. Well he do find help before a terrible crise wich dump him in a psychiatric hosp for a night where he will meet Doctor Albert Marin, his new PSYCHIATRIST.

The Golden Heart Episode: During this one, Ed will have to solve a strange crime, a dead body mummified with a plastic heart full of pee. The mystery will be solved in a week or something, but Ed and the detective Bullock will struggle with this for a month and so. Also, Ed is seeing Doctor Marin biweekly and taking some psycomeds... He already figured that the doc is playing him as a lab rat, still Edward feels someway motivated to keep going. I risk to say that Edward is attracted, specially because of the attention and the curiosity of the Doctor towards him. (We also have one of my favorite parts, it's a Towel Day when Ed is in his apartment with Nina listening the old audio series of hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy, drinking his own version of Pangalact Dynamite when Bullock and Dinah Lance appears to discusses the Golden Heart case).

What is black, white and red all over?: Oswald Cobblepot bleeding the hell out of him? Yeah, roommates era adapted by me.

How the Riddler got his name: Robberies as spectacles, trophies and whatever else. Yep there's a connection between The Golden Heart Case and th Penguin and the lack of stimulus? Is a chapter where Ed broke the egg once again. The meds are messing up with him, he needs attention and blablabla, so The Riddler in his very very green suit. Of course: Query and Echo, a bit o kink stuffs and BDSM clubs and hmm kidnapping. Batman appears here but I never find a Batman role player who wished to rp with me. (mostly because of my communist queer subtext tbh). [[ OH AND ONE OF MY FAVOURITE MOMENTS HERE THO! Edward first time in Iceberg Cassino, very very Art Deco Themed and Oswald is such a 20's diva mommy here!

Home Sweet Asylum

Adaptation and Transference: First month in Arkham and Ed will be jumped between the doctors and therapist. He is adapting his routine and mapping the whole place, figuring every patient and being a solvers to every problem but his own. Is during this chapter that we will be presented for Harleen Quinn, she is already locked and she also force a friendship with Ed until he just accept her in his life. The chapter ends with Ed bonding with Harls and also finding a psychiatrist who wants to take his case.

Doctor Fear and The Arkham Break: Well, aren't you happy that you found a psychiatrist, Edward? NO! HE IS POISON ME, WHY ARE YOU WRITING THIS SHIT? Ha... So Jonathan Crane also using Ed as a lab rat, but now is worse because Ed is being under fear toxin without know and... oh dear... THIS IS BAD. But we have some good moments here like when Harleen decides to made clandestine therapy with Edward. We also had a Arkham break out wich one Edward and Harleen doesn't participate (Edward because he is in a horrible state of mind, dealing with fear and chemical dependency and believing that maybe he belongs in Arkham. Harley bc she is trying a Conditional.) The chapter ends with an Oswald visit and the date of Edward judgement.

The Copycat: Riddler copycat will bump on the city and Ed will help the PD to solve the crimes and claim back his identity... I mean he is almost reformed, not Riddler anymore Ahm... No, not a bit. Crime solved, Harleen released and... Why Jonathan is not Ed's psychiatrist anymore?

Good Conduct: Ed struggling with the lack of toxin in his blood, no Harleen anymore and also needing to improve his body and mind health. Dark times for our dear Eddie boy, but he is trying and in the end... Well his fight wasn't really a need because The Penguin had played for his dear boy being realised.

To be continued...? (I have 3 more arcs, a malewife one with mayoral era, a Arkham city conflict with hints of Riddler Factory and a properly Riddler factory with a Reality Show where he bonds with Poison Ivy and torture billionaires in a island with poisoned conundrums 🥺)

(@arabriddler template.

¹ Not the best English, but I was having fun writing this blog so... I AM NOT SORRY, my psychiatrist said that I do can commit mistakes, it's okay.

² If anyone would like, I am open to RP with whatever character but Poison Ivy and Lucy Quinzel. I'd really like to have a Batman, Oswald pr Jonathan. Would be funny.

³ if anything, my rp profile is: Ed Nygma :3

That's all folks

#oh my i did alot of thing in 1y and so playing Ed jdgdkdhdjdhd #also need to work on Ed's revenge against Jonny Boy #also is a multiship story so Ed doesn't date only Oswald #he also date Nina for a while #he and Jonathan will have a situations tho bc i loooove scridler #and hmm Antonie ofc #the kid Enigma have place here too and hmm SELINA KYLE #SELINA KYLE AND ED ARE RIVALS! THEY BICK EACH OTHER FREQUENTLY BECAUSE OF ROBBERIES AND THE FRIENDSHIPS WITH HARLS AND IVY #my ed hate joker and hatter #ooh he also became drag queen

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thewatercolours · 1 year

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My thoughts on everyone's "Burning the Knight Oil" mini-fics:

@kursed-curtain's version - Graham feels cheery and capable in this one - like the experience is an alarming one but he's taking it step by step, calmly and by-and-large successfully. This is a Brave Path Graham for sure, and he probably picked the hedgetrimmer first out of all the options in the village. This one breathed life into every little action of the scene! In many ways this one felt the most faithful to the sequence of the game. I loved the detail about checking his pockets to be sure none of the contents burned or got squished when he rammed against the rock! "A blur of purple metal" - a good phrase. Also, "He plucked up his courage, secured his cap, then kicked off his climb." I love that he's securing his cap, both because he's going to climb and wouldn't want it to fall where he couldn't follow, but also because the cap is such an example of his adventurer's spirit. I love that he closes the scene with a giddy smile - he may have bitten off more than he was planning to chew, but he's going to take it in stride and be brilliant alongside Achaka! I love that he sees this phenomenal display of agility and goes, "I'm gonna ask that guy to tell me how to swing on a rope!" This is awesome.

@captmickey's version - I get the impression that Graham's a bit disgruntled even as he's running for his life in this version. Dang it, nothing's playing out right today; his option for an eye was kind of lame, and what was supposed to be a tiny trip to the well to get a waiver signed has turned into an all out monster battle. Life, I tell ya. But all that frustration is aimed at himself - when it comes to Achaka, he's just swept up in awe of this knight extraordinaire. And because Graham is the kind of guy who when ordering an emotion ice cream cone thinks that quadruple scoop is a good idea, he's also balancing a dragon-fleeing freakout with the focus of thinking through the timing. I love how you really show Graham overthinking the whole timing thing - his life depends on it! I also loved how your version was the only one that shows Graham getting caught off guard by the sudden blast after things got a little too quiet too long, and mentally cussing the air blue what with it being such a close call! This version feels very immediate in following Graham's thought process, and I love how you juggle all these different elements that are jostling for space in his head. This one did the best at capturing the gaming side of the story whilst translating it beautifully into more human storytelling.

@gerbiloftriumph's version - This is the one that me feels most like the atmosphere of the scene - the glory of Achaka's theme and the dragon shaking the whole cave with its bulk and the very King's Quest balance of telling it with a smile but also keeping things truly exciting - it's all here! Seriously, the writing here is so vibrant. And Graham is just adorable in this version - thinking about how cool his chin scruff was and all but sorrowing that it's gone!! Flailing arms and uncertain internal monologue, and helping himself through as always by reminding himself it's a puzzle, and puzzles can be solved. "But all that was still surpassed in importance by the dragon." That felt oddly grand. And some to think of it, I think this is the one that captures the sense of the dragon best of all. As for the little epilogue, I love the idea that Edward is just like, "Well, obviously the winner gets the promised position, but there is no way I am letting this absolute incredi-hero of a purple knight pack up and go back to wherever he's from - sure, he can be in the club too!" Also, it's a little thing, but I love how you wrote about Graham bouncing on his feet as he waits on tenterhooks for the perfect moment. Graham always looks a little silly in game at this point since his model frops into neutral mode when control is returned to the player, so it was a joy to replace it in my head with a Graham whose whole body is ready, ready, ready to run! I think you sometimes forget it, but you can really write, girl.

@goddessoftechnology's version - "Achaka was flying," - how is this so beautiful? How do you manage to turn everything, even a ridiculously simple timing navigation thing in a video game, into prose cut from shining crystal? I nearly had to catch my own breath like Graham. I love how you focused nearly everything on Achaka himself as he just blows Graham away, and kept the chasm crossing itself to a minimum of detail to keep all attention focused upward. And the conclusion, that there's a rope waiting for him, has a kind of "of course" quality to it, because the whole point of this passage is that Achaka has everything in hand to perfection. "It is unreal, and it is gorgeous, and it takes so much effort to look away -" you sure these words apply to Achaka's battle and not the snippet itself? Wow. So glad to see you back for a bit in these here woods, Vee. ;-)

#Thank you #all who participated - you all are good sports and insanely talented.#Seriously - it was so neat to see what everyone threw into focus!

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skullhazard · 10 months

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"Pathologic 1 is so hard, the combat is so clunky and quirky." "It's just a bunch of walking around, it's so boring." "I can't manage meters or get a grip on the item economy."

Look, I didn't expect that I would ever play Pathologic 1 and so I can't rightly say I've been going into it blind. I know a lot of what happens in Bachelor's Route (the only route I've played so far, which itself calls into question my assessment of the game's difficulty) due to watching various videos about the game. Even when I'm not trying to take advantage of foreknowledge, I somehow did that by accident when I went to Vlad the Younger on Day 8 for the new plague district map, and it started a side quest.

I don't think this invalidates my experience or perspective on the game. I would like to think we're all well past the point of questioning usage of things like guides and walkthroughs in order to have the "Objectively Correct" experience of a game. I've consulted one whenever I've run into some technical hiccup (Mark wouldn't let me ask him about the costumes even though I had the letter from Artemy requesting one) and while it does provide more help than a "pure" playthrough would have, really it's just saving me time and quickloads (which I've been doing anyway). I've loaded a save entirely just to make sure I leave a district in the right direction, because it turned out 30 seconds later someone sent me a letter requesting an audience, and I'd have had to backtrack, wasting precious time.

The game is certainly hard if you never quicksave or restrict yourself to saving only in certain circumstances (this is what they did for Pathologic 2 and I thought it was brilliant and added a new layer to the strategy of playing that game), but the tools are there, and while they don't solve the game for you, they make it far easier than it would otherwise be.

As for the combat and walking: the combat is just basic fps melee combat (or combat with unsatisfying guns); the walking is only monotonous if you have trouble immersing yourself in a world and your character. The thing that actually got me to play both Pathologic 2 and now Pathologic 1, was playing the early access game Shadows of Doubt. They're entirely different games in terms of art style, intention, gameplay, and goals, but they have a lot of similarities like needing to manage a human person's bodily functions and emphasizing first-person exploration of municipal environments, with various objectives, item economies, and a de-emphasis on typical "fps" trappings.

I'm currently on the tail end of Day 8 for Bachelor, and of everything I've played so far, I will say Pathologic 2 is the better game that I'd recommend over Pathologic 1, but Pathologic 1 is fun and entertaining in ways that only games from its era could be.

#skull hazard plays pathologic 1

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writinglittlebeasts · 11 months

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find the vibe tag!

i was tagged in this game by @tabswrites , to find the vibe "seriously? is that all?" which i've taken in a very sarcastic direction because it feels Right and maybe it was intended that way, i don't know. Anywhay

and i will tag @moonluringfrost @cometkov (good luck with ur finals / hope ur finals went well lmao) @violets-in-her-arms-writes . you will find for me the vibe: "an idiot walks into a bar; their friend ducks"

(this is gonna be from fanfiction because i'm, like, tired, + i can't think of anything along these lines in my wips to the extent that they are written right now... except for one! and it's kinda long so i'm gonna put it under a cut)

from kill my heroes, which is magicians fanfiction, because i have one hobby

“Find me. Come to me, in the realm of the gods, and take my ear again. Be my bride. Lend me your knowledge and your compassion as I do my work, and I will spare his pitiful life.” Quentin is jostled uncomfortably, and cannot help the momentary grimace he adopts. Penny's glee is thick in his mind. It is lucky that Fen doesn’t look at him. “You want me to– to marry you?” Fen stammers, suddenly less certain. “I appreciate your bravery. I appreciate your determination. You have knowledge that I lack, and perspective.” The God of Death nods its great head. “I want you to marry me.” Fen's eyes flicker to Quentin, stiff in its grasp, and she bites down hard on her lip. She's stalling when she asks, "How would I ever find you, in the upper realm?" The God of Death waves a hand, and before them the farstone knife manifests in a shimmer of opalescent color. Recognition flashes across Fen's face. "You have in your possession something that can grant you access to the realm of the gods where the two dimensions meet. There is a point at the base of the Highest Mountain where the mortal realm and the realm of the gods overlap perfectly, and there you can cut a hole to the other side." "That's my knife!" Fen reaches for it, plucks it from the air, "But there's no way it can do what you say it can." Light glints off the edge of the blade, a brilliant pink. "That and more," The God of Death says, "But the knife is only one tool, and not everything that you encounter on this quest can be solved with it. Still, I am sure you will succeed. You're a clever girl." "Woman," Fen corrects. "I'm a woman." The God of Death cracks a smile. Penny's artistic liberties. "And clever." Frightening though the visage of Death is, Fen seems pleased to have forced this concession– and maybe, even, to have been called clever by this horrific being not once, but twice. She wilts a bit in the aftermath, remembering just what it's asked of her, and she asks tentatively, "Is this the only way?" She receives no answer, the God of Death and its prisoner swept away like the coalescence of her knife in reverse: gone in a flash of light.

#or #find the vibe tag #fic stuff

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aitechbusiness · 19 days

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Innovate with Confidence: How to Choose the Right VR Game Developer

The market for creating virtual reality (VR) games is expanding rapidly. Virtual reality (VR) games are expanding the possibilities of interactive entertainment by taking players to imaginary worlds and providing them with an experience never before possible. However, selecting the ideal development partner can be a difficult undertaking for anyone hoping to realize their own VR game concept.

This in-depth guide will provide you the information and actions required to select the ideal VR game developer with assurance for your project. You'll be well on your way to creating a fruitful collaboration and realizing your creative VR game concept if you adhere to this methodical procedure.

Are you prepared to bring your brilliant concept for a VR game to life? It's time to move forward. Work with expert VR game developers who not only fit your technological needs but also have the same enthusiasm and vision for completely immersive gaming.

Understanding Your VR Game Development Needs

It is important to know exactly what your project requires from a VR game developer before you start looking for one. This self-examination will help you make the right decisions and guarantee that the studio you choose completely embodies your vision.

Clarifying the Idea of Your Game:

Type: What kind of VR game will it be—a calm simulation, an action-packed adventure with puzzles to solve, or something else different? Your choice of genre will have an impact on your game's main gameplay elements, intended user base, and general tone.

Who is the intended user base for this virtual reality game? By figuring out who your ideal player is, you may adjust the level of difficulty, the material, and the artwork to suit their tastes.

Essential Gameplay Mechanics: Which key movements and exchanges will shape players' experiences in your virtual reality game? Will they be combating opponents, deciphering secrets, or controlling virtual world objects?

Monetization Strategy: How will your virtual reality game make money? Prepaid models that need in-app purchases, freemium models with in-app purchases, and subscription-based access are popular choices.

The Technical Aspects of Your Virtual Reality Project:

Specific VR Platforms: Think about the VR platforms that you would like your game to work on. Among the most well-liked choices are Valve Index, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, and Oculus Quest. Every platform has unique advantages, disadvantages, and technical requirements to take into account.

Desired Level of Graphical Fidelity: How detailed you want your VR game to be graphically will affect how long it takes to build and how much it will cost. An immersive VR experience requires balancing outstanding visuals with seamless performance.

Requirements for Multiplayer Functionality: Do you want your VR game to be a social multiplayer game or a single-player one? The inclusion of multiplayer features increases development complexity and calls for studios with experience in online infrastructure and networking.

Project Budget and Timeline:

Realistic Budget: The cost of developing a VR game might vary based on the intricacy, extent, and VR platforms that the project is intended for. Determine a reasonable budget range for your project so that you can find studios that meet your requirements.

Target deadline: Selecting a studio that can fulfill your desired timeframe will be made easier if you have a target deadline for the completion of the work. Be adaptable because unexpected problems can occur when developing.

Researching Potential VR Game Development Studios

After you have a clear understanding of what your VR game requires, it's time to learn more about VR development studios. Here's how to efficiently look for and find studios that have the know-how and resources to realize your idea.

Recognizing VR Development Proficiency

VR Platform User Experience: Give priority to companies that have a track record of creating VR games for the platforms you want to use. Seek out studios that have worked with comparable VR technology and its particular development tools.

VR Game Portfolio: The VR game portfolio of a studio provides insight into their abilities and artistic approach. Examine their prior work to determine whether their aesthetic tastes coincide with your goals. Seek out companies that have created VR games in genres that are comparable to your own.

Studio Size and Team Structure: The size and structure of a VR development studio can impact your project. Larger studios may have more resources and experience, but smaller studios can offer a more personalized touch and potentially greater flexibility. Consider your project's needs and preferences when evaluating studio size.

Assessing Development Processes and Tools

Standard VR Engines in the Industry: Most VR game creation uses industry-standard engines, such as Unreal Engine or Unity. These strong tools guarantee a seamless workflow and offer a solid basis for VR development.

Workflow for Development: Find out what kind of development process the studio uses (waterfall, agile, etc.). Waterfall approaches take a more linear, structured approach, whereas Agile processes encourage iterative development with continuous input. Select a workflow that complements your preferred method of communication and approach to project management.

Communication Channels: When developing VR games, it's critical to communicate in a clear and consistent manner. Make sure the studio has established procedures and open lines of communication to keep you updated on the status of the project.

Customer Evaluations and Testimonials

Online Reviews: Look for reviews left by previous customers on review websites to learn about their interactions with the studio. Seek input regarding the studio's work quality, timeliness, and communication.

Customer Testimonials: Recommendations from satisfied customers may be shown on a studio's website or social media accounts. These endorsements can provide insightful information about the studio's success rate and work ethic.

You may better grasp possible VR game production studios' capabilities and make sure the firms you shortlist have the know-how and experience needed to realize your VR game concept by doing extensive research on them.

Contacting and Evaluating VR Game Developers (Step-by-Step Guide)

With a shortlist of qualified VR game development studios in hand, it's time to initiate contact and delve deeper into their development processes. This step-by-step guide will equip you with the tools to effectively evaluate potential partners and make an informed decision.

Step 1: Develop a Project Proposal Document

Outline Your Game Concept: Create a clear and concise document outlining your VR game concept. This document should encompass the genre, target audience, core gameplay mechanics, and monetization strategy.

Desired Features and Functionality: Detail the desired features and functionalities you envision for your VR game. This could include specific gameplay mechanics, multiplayer capabilities, or unique VR interactions.

Budget and Timeline: Include your target budget range and desired timeline for development completion. Be upfront and realistic about your expectations.

Step 2: Shortlist Potential Studios

3-5 Studios: Based on your research, shortlist 3-5 VR development studios that appear to be the strongest fits for your project. Consider factors like VR platform expertise, development experience, team structure, and communication style.

Step 3: Contacting Studios and Sending Proposals

Initial Contact: Send your project proposal document to each shortlisted studio. Include a personalized cover letter introducing yourself and your project.

Schedule Calls: Follow up your proposal with an email requesting an initial call to discuss your project further. This call allows you to gauge the studio's understanding of your vision and answer any questions they may have.

Step 4: Evaluating Responses and Proposals

Understanding of Vision: During your initial calls, assess the studio's understanding of your VR game concept. Do they ask insightful questions and demonstrate a clear grasp of your vision?

Development Approach: Evaluate the studio's proposed development approach, including their development workflow, project management style, and communication protocols.

Timelines and Costs: Compare the studios' proposed timelines and development costs. Ensure they align with your budget and desired timeframe.

Communication Style: Pay attention to the studio's communication style throughout the evaluation process. Are they responsive, professional, and enthusiastic about your project?

Choosing Wisely

You'll be well-equipped to choose your development partner by carefully examining prospective VR game development firms using these procedures. Recall that the perfect studio should not only have the technical know-how to make your VR game a reality, but should also promote a cooperative and trustworthy environment during the entire development process.

Making the Final Decision and Building a Strong Partnership

A critical first step in realizing your creative VR game concept is selecting the appropriate VR game production partner. Here are some tips for navigating the last decision-making stage and building a solid basis for a fruitful collaboration.

Choosing the Proper Partner for VR Game Development

Conformity to the Timeline, Budget, and Vision: The most crucial element is locating a studio that completely fits the scope, budget, and schedule of your project. They should be able to show that they have a thorough comprehension of your idea and the know-how to carry it out to the letter within your budget and schedule limits.

Collaborative Working Relationship: Give priority to studios that emphasize a collaborative working relationship and good communication, even above technical expertise. Choose a studio that encourages open communication throughout the creative process and aggressively solicits your input.

Case Study: Successful VR Game Development Partnership

Let's say you have an innovative idea for a virtual reality game that involves exploring space. You see a big, open world with interactive features and an engrossing story. You find a VR development firm through your study that has a track record of producing realistic space simulations. Their work exhibits cutting-edge VR mechanics, gorgeous graphics, and a dedication to user experience. The studio shows throughout your early calls that they have a firm grasp of your concept and suggest a development strategy that prioritizes constant feedback and teamwork. They also give you a budget and schedule that meet your needs. You are confident in continuing to work with the studio as your development partner because of this synergy and their stellar reputation.

This illustration emphasizes how crucial it is to choose a VR development company that values open communication and a cooperative working environment in addition to having the necessary technological know-how.

Formulating an Explicit Development Agreement

The next stage is to formalize the agreement with a detailed and comprehensive development contract after you've selected your VR game development partner. The following essential items should be included in this contract:

Project Scope: Clearly define the features, functionalities, and deliverables that will be included in the VR game development project.

Deliverables and Milestones: Clearly define each stage's deliverables and provide explicit milestones for the development process. This maintains the project's direction and guarantees openness.

Terms of Payment: Describe the payment plan, including the initial costs, the payments at specific points in the project's completion, and the final payment.

Communication Protocols: Clearly outline the procedures for each sides' communication. This covers the preferred channels of communication, the regularity of updates, and the protocols for resolving disputes.

Establishing a Trusting and Collaborative Partnership

A solid and reliable working relationship between you and the development company is essential for the success of any VR game development project. The following are some essential behaviors to promote teamwork:

Keep Lines of Communication Open: Throughout the development process, keep lines of communication open and constant. It is imperative to have regularly planned meetings, project management tools, and readily available routes of communication.

Give Regular Feedback: Take an active role in the development process by giving frequent input on builds, prototypes, and design choices. Your feedback is essential to forming the finished product.

Promote Continued Cooperation: Consider the development process to be a team endeavor. Create an atmosphere where the studio and your staff are at ease exchanging ideas and cooperating to reach the greatest result.

These stages will help you build a solid basis for a fruitful VR game production relationship, as will your emphasis on collaboration. With our help, you'll be able to turn your creative idea for a VR game into a working prototype that will enthrall gamers and push the envelope of VR entertainment.

Conclusion

With its vast potential, the VR game creation industry provides a platform for innovating and engaging gaming experiences. By following the instructions provided in this extensive guide, you will be well-prepared to handle the selection process for the ideal VR game production partner. Recall that the perfect studio should not only have the technical know-how to realize your vision but also cultivate a cooperative and trustworthy environment that encourages creativity throughout the development process.

⇒> Are you prepared to bring your brilliant concept for a VR game to life? It's time to move forward. Work with expert VR game developers who not only fit your technological needs but also have the same enthusiasm and vision for completely immersive gaming.

—---------------------------------------------------

🎮🌟 Ready to discover the future of gaming? Dive into "Beyond Boundaries: 21 Innovative Gaming Tech Delights for Young Gamers" and explore the cutting-edge technologies transforming play for the next generation. Don't miss out, read now and step into the future of fun! 🎮🌟

#vr game development #virtual reality #oculus #vr hardware #game development #vr game developer

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eaglefairy · 6 months

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“That’s it! The last door!” The team scrambles towards the door with renewed energy. Getting to the temple atop the mountain had been hard enough on its own, and getting through the traps set to stop trespassers has been even harder. Now all they have to do is… “Wait.” The rest of the team turn to look at you expectantly. “Has anyone actually made any progress on that riddle while we were making our way up here?” There’s a moment of silence before the whole party groans in unison. Turn the white horse against its nature, and the foaming herd will follow. Tame them with saddles of wood to reach the depths that swallow. The riddle was what had started them on this quest in the first place, yet they were still no closer to solving it. All they knew was that it was somehow the key to finding a way to the Great Whirlpool; if they could do that, then they could find what they needed to stop the army’s advance, according to the seer that had sent them on their way.

“Well, I still think that ‘depths that swallow’ is the whirlpool.” Petrine mutters petulantly. Arcus rolls his eyes. “We know. You’ve been reminding us. Frequently.” Petrine throws her hands in the air. “Well, it’s the only lead any of us have so far!” “Guys!” The fledgling argument is paused as you snap at them, the celebratory mood now thoroughly ruined. “Let’s just…let’s just go in. Maybe seeing the room will help us solve it.” Everyone else murmurs agreement. As they cross the threshold into a short hallway, Olten hesitantly asks, “I didn’t want to ask on the way up, but…does anyone else think it’s kind of weird that there’s a horse temple all the way on the top of a mountain?”

Alva glances back at her. “What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s not very easy for the poor horses to get up here. I wonder why they built it here.”

Arcus snorts. “I’ve been wondering a lot of things about this place. Like when we can leave.”

You glare at him briefly, but soon all of your attention is stolen away by the view. Clearly, at some point you’d passed through the mountain, and now the coastlands spread out before you in brilliant blues and greens, with a thin pale line where sandy beaches are visible. Stepping closer to the edge, you glance down and shudder. The mountain slopes are steep, but you can see a pathway that picks down the slope straight to the coast from the high viewing platform where you’re standing. Down at the beach, you can just barely see the waves breaking against the shore.

Olten walks up beside you, her eyes shining. “Oh wow…” she breathes, drinking in the view. Everyone takes a moment to enjoy the fresh, cold mountain air after being inside the temple for so long. Even Arcus pauses his griping for long enough to take in the sight.

You’re the first to turn away, so you’re the first to notice what else is in the room. There’s nothing much of interest except for a pedestal standing at waist-height in the center of the room, with a rearing horse statue made of some sort of white stone in the middle of it. It faces the door you came in through, away from the ocean and the view. The surface of the pedestal is a glassy, shimmering blue with a strange texture to it, almost reminding you of waves.

You walk towards it, turning the riddle over in your mind. “Turn the white horse against its nature.” you mutter to yourself, coming to a stop in front of the pedestal. As you examine the horse statue, the rest of your teammates follow you.

Petrine cocks her head to the side. “Huh, I guess we were all too excited by the view to notice this. Do you think this is the white horse from the riddle?”

Arcus groans. “Literally what else could it be, Petie?”

“How many times do I have to say it, don’t call me that!” she snaps back at him. Olten jumps and whirls around at the loud noise. “And if that is the horse we’re looking for, then how do we turn it against its nature, huh? You got any ideas about that, or do you just want to keep repeating the obvious?”

“Cut it out, you two!” Alva puts herself between them, and you make a mental note to thank her later for playing peacekeeper. You’d do it yourself, but the pedestal is taking up all your attention right now. As Olten cautiously passes her other teammates to go back to looking at the ocean, you reach out and run your fingers over the surface of the pedestal. When you touch the black line near the horse’s back feet, your fingers dig down into a crevice in the pedestal.

Turn the horse against its nature.

It couldn’t be that easy, could it?

Arcus and Petrine stalk up on either side of you, with an exasperated Alva behind them. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Arcus boasts, leaning in front of you to shoot a dirty look at Petrine. She returns the glare, but before she can retort verbally you reach out, grab the horse, and twist.

There’s a lot of resistance at first. Clearly, no one’s tried to do this is a very long time. But your hunch is right, and slowly, the horse turns. It turns halfway around the table before it grinds to a stop facing the ocean. Try as you might, you can’t make it move any further.

Arcus and Petrine both stare at the horse, then at you. Alva hums thoughtfully, pleased at the thought of any progress being made.

Arcus recovers first. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it turn the rest of the way for you.” He reaches out to grab the statue, but Petrine grabs his hand when it’s halfway there.

“Oh no you don’t! You’ll only break it, you oaf!”

You and Alva both move at the same time to interrupt them, but all four of you are surprised to hear Olten yelp behind you. “The waves!” she gasps, a hand over her mouth. “Look at them!”

Everyone crowds the wall to see that down below, the whitecaps at the shoreline are far smaller than they had been earlier. As you watch, they shrink down to nothing, leaving the shore eerily calm.

They soon reappear again: first sluggishly, but regaining speed quickly. There’s something strange about them, though.

Alva speaks up first, which is surprising in its own way. “They’re…going backwards?”

As you keep watching, you realize that’s exactly what they’re doing. Instead of coming in and crashing on the shore, the waves just keep going out and out, crashing down and rebuilding themselves as they move out to sea.

“Turn the white horse against its nature, and the foaming herd will follow,” you say aloud. You point at the waves, even though everyone’s already looking at them anyway. “Looks like we’ve found our foaming herd.”

“So that’s why the horse temple is on a hill,” Olten murmurs. “It’s not for real horses at all! It’s for the waves!”

“Sweet! We’ve got the first part of the riddle done!” Petrine cheers, throwing her arms in the air.

“Okay then, uh…does anyone see any ‘saddles of wood’ around here?” You glance around the room in response to Arcus’ question, but the room is still as bare as it was when you walked in save for the pedestal.

“Surfing.” Alva’s blunt answer cuts through the air. “If the foaming horses are waves, then the best way to ride them would be with surfboards.”

A quick look around shows that no one can really come up with anything better than that as an answer, so you nod. “Looks like that’s our best option, then.”

Arcus groans. “I am so not looking forward to getting down from here.”

Petrine looks over the side of the wall again. “I mean, there’s a path there. It looks like it might be an easier walk than backtracking through the temple and going around.”

“Is it wise to go through unknown territory? There could be spies watching for us.” Before anyone could respond to Alva’s concern, Olten raises a new one.

“Um…does anyone else hear that?”

All conversation stops dead as everyone listens for what Olten had heard. Sure enough, there is a faint ticking in the air. Everyone looks at the pedestal. The horse is no longer facing perfectly towards the ocean, but is slowly rotating back the way it came.

Petrine is the first to react. “All in favor of the new path, say I!” she shouts, raising a hand in the air. “Sorry Alva, I know you like to worry about that stuff but I don’t think we have time for all that backtracking.”

“I do not like to worry about it. If no one else will, then someone must.”

“And you do a very good job, yes.” Arcus pats her on the shoulder, ignorant of the mild glare Alva shoots at him. “But I agree with Petrine for once. I’m certain I can handle anything that might be a threat on that beaten-down secret path. I doubt there’s anything worse than a few wild animals down there.”

You look at Olten, who shrugs. “Petrine has a point…”

“Alright then. Let’s go, everyone! We have to get to that whirlpool before the waves reverse!” With your rallying cry still echoing off the stones, the team races off to get to the shore before time runs out.

#my writing #original tag #I was going through my drafts and apparently I never posted this?? weird #anyway I got caught by the idea of waves going outwards into the ocean instead of in to the shore and wrote something about it #(I would've written this while I was in surfing lessons so it checks out)

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early2000smovieimagines · 3 years

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Meeting and Dating Harry Potter

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

(Harry doesn’t get enough love.)

- You and Harry first meet at Hogwarts but he isn’t really aware of your existence until around fourth year when everyone else in the school turns their backs on him.

- He’s making his way through the crowds of ‘Potter stinks’ buttons when he hears someone call his name. He almost doesn’t stop, expecting the same mocking he’d been receiving all week, but he does stop and there you are, giving him a small, kind smile and telling him that you “just wanted to wish him good luck in the tournament.”.

“I-er, thanks.” He replies awkwardly, looking at you for another quick moment before nodding and quickly retreating.

- A few days later, you were walking around the wooded areas of the school and just so happened to come across him sitting alone. You didn’t want to bother him; especially since you really didn’t know him and you sort of had a crush on the famous boy, but a twig snapped beneath your foot and he quickly glanced up at you, taking away your option of leaving before he saw you.

- Giving a quick hello, apology, and excuse for interrupting him, you moved to walk away before you found yourself turning back and asking if he was alright. It didn’t take him long before he was explaining everything to you and; calmly, ranting about the situation.

- You listen and give him a few words of encouragement before you find yourself walking back to Hogwarts with him, as though it were the most normal thing in the world.

- Little by little, the two of you grow closer and become more comfortable with each other; even though he’s sort of forming a crush on you and gets easily flustered by you.

- Probably unsurprisingly, he doesn’t just drop you when Hermione and, more so, Ron go back to being his friends. Instead, you’re welcomed into their little clique, particularly by Hermione who appreciates having another girl in the group and can immediately see that Harry has feelings for you; even if he stutteringly protests to it.

- Funnily enough, initially, he doesn’t even think to ask you to the Yule ball until you’re sitting at breakfast one day and he looks at you and a light just goes off in his head. He’s just as nervous about asking you as he would be with anyone else; probably even more so considering the fact that he’s pretty much in love with you, but he manages to keep his cool a little better with you since you’re supposed to be his friend.

“Erm, y/n? Would you like to go to the ball with me?”

- When you happily agree, he gives you a “brilliant”, his heart racing and a small smile plastered across his lips.

- Godric, the look on his face when he first saw you the day of the ball. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of you, his face turning a delicate shade of pink as you first took his arm and gave him a smile. He was so distracted by you that he hardly even noticed that he needed to start dancing with you, he only snapped out of it when you told him to take you by the waist.

- It’s after the ball that he knows for sure that he’s in love with you, and if he’s able to triumph over dragons and defeat Lord Voldemort at the age of one then he can ask out the girl that he’s fallen for, right? Easier said than done.

- Harry is pretty awful with women. He’s awkward and shy and clumsy, and it’s adorable in retrospect; and in some other cases, but it’s not exactly beneficial to the evolution of your relationship. He keeps trying to confess, keeps wondering how he’s gonna do it, tries to do it but is interrupted in some way or just can’t bring himself to actually say what he wants to.

- It isn’t until fifth year that he finally manages to do so. You’re both left alone in the room of requirement as everyone leaves after their most recent lesson. He walks over to you and the two of you talk. You ask him a few questions, make sure he’s alright with everything that’s happening and before you know it, you’re both drifting closer and kissing each other.

- It’s soft and slow, and when you pull away, he’s got this dazed sort of look on his face that gives you butterflies. He gets a hold of himself as you go to grab your things and leave, calling out to you in a quick explosion of words, asking if you’d go out with him.

- He has to repeat himself so that you can actually understand what he’d asked but once he does, a bright smile spreads across your face and his heart skips a beat as you agree.

- Due to a certain frog-faced substitute headmaster, you can’t exactly express your feelings in public, but just knowing that you’re officially his girlfriend gives him a certain sense of comfort and reassurance that otherwise wouldn’t be there.

- The girl of his dreams is finally his and he couldn’t be happier.

- Harry, in general, just isn’t the type of person to be all over you while you’re out in public. He tends to save most of his affection for when you’re behind closed doors, mainly because he’s a bit shy and easily flustered; especially by you.

- Given the fact that Harry was provided with nothing but negative attention throughout his entire childhood, he’s definitely going to be a bit awkward when it comes to affection. That being said: he loves when you give it to him and really starts to crave it after you first pay him special attention.

- Handholding. He’ll tentatively slip his hand into yours while you’re standing together or grip it tightly as you both excitedly run somewhere.

- He could genuinely hug you for hours if you let him.

- Gentle touches.

- Soft kisses.

- Quick kisses in the midst of danger or when he’s leaving to do something important.

- Kissing his scar.

- Ruffling and playing with his consistently messy hair.

- Hair petting. He’ll usually stroke his hand down/through your hair as you kiss.

- Long, loving snogging sessions. Sometimes, you’ll pull off his glasses so that you can kiss him better and he just melts.

- He loves cuddling with you; it’s one of the things that really bring him comfort. You’ll usually be the little spoon whenever you do, he’ll bury his face in your hair and wrap his arms tight around you, not letting go until morning.

- Considering the fact that he has like zero experience with girls, he usually just calls you by your name since that’s what seems most natural to him.

- Flustering him whether you mean to or not; it’s usually quite easy to do since he’s so inexperienced with girls.

- Getting mini gifts. A piece of candy here, a little trinket there, things like that.

- Dates at the Three Broomsticks. He loves kissing you and tasting the butterbeer on your lips.

- Dancing together.

- Spending time alone in the room of requirements.

- Sneaking around all the unknown tunnels and rooms of Hogwarts with him.

- Him using the invisibility cloak to come see you and sneak the two of you out somewhere.

- Study dates.

- Him helping teach you spells and defensive magic. He likes seeing that look of glee on your face when you do something right, and having the excuse to hold and guide your hand/stand close to you.

- Watching his eyes widen in shock and a smile spread across his face when you do something impressive. He’s so proud of you.

- Awkwardly and shyly reading news articles written about the two of you. Your parents have quite the reaction when they find out you’re dating the boy wizard himself.

- Hagrid gushing over and teasing the two of you. He sometimes gets a little sentimental seeing the two of you together. He knew Harry when he was such a wee little thing and here he is, all grown up and in such a lovely little relationship.

- Cheering him on at Quidditch games regardless of what house you’re in. It makes him so happy to see you rooting for him.

- Endearing sarcasm. He can be a smartass when he wants to be.

- Attempting to write to him over the summer.

- Having him stay with you over the summer or at least letting him visit for some time once you hear how he’s treated by the Dursley’s.

- Running to hug him when you’re finally reunited at the beginning of the school year.

- Being teased by Malfoy. Harry has probably almost killed him a couple of times; only stopped by the fact that Ron was holding him back.

- Hermione and Ron giving the two of you looks.

- Becoming a part of the golden “trio” and having double dates with Ron and Hermione.

- Accompanying him on adventures and quests.

- When everything starts to turn to shit around you, he may try to break up with you in order to protect you. He loves you too much to risk you getting hurt because of him.

- Standing by him, even when things go wrong and other people desert him.

- Comforting him. Harry has gone through a lot and though he won’t admit it to most people, he needs a little support. You’re his rock and he couldn’t live without you.

- He always tries his best to comfort you, even though he usually has no idea how or if his plan will work. That being said, he always just seems to know how to cheer you up.

- He’s a pretty jealous person but he tries to hide it most of the time. He hates the thought; and sight, of you with other boys and gets a bit annoyed whenever he sees you with them. He’ll be a bit passive aggressive when you go over to him, saying he’s “brilliant” when you ask what’s wrong. He just doesn’t want to lose you.

- He’s always surprised whenever you actually get jealous over him but he sort of likes it. He feels bad that you’re upset and reassures you that he only loves you but he can’t deny that it feels nice to know that you care enough about him to be jealous.

- Overprotective. After everything that’s happened to him and the people around him, he watches over you like you’re the most precious thing on earth. He’d defend you with his life if he had to.

- Harry tends to give you a sort of silent treatment when he’s mad, usually before saying something passive aggressive or harsh when you don’t really acknowledge his behavior or go to leave him alone. You’ll most likely argue until the issue is solved or until he shuts you out, either doing so by walking away in a huff or causing you to leave by his lack of responses.

- Regardless of whether you were in the wrong or if he was, he’s most likely the one to approach you. If you were in the wrong, he’ll come up to you and make some comment, trying to prompt an apology; because that’s all he really wants.

- If he’s in the wrong, he’ll feel really guilty and keep staring over at you until he can’t take it and finally asks if you can talk. He’ll ask how you are before telling you that he’s sorry and that he knows he was wrong. After he does so, he’ll ask if you forgive him/if you guys can go back to normal, smiling and kissing your cheek when you agree.

- There's quite a few I love you’s in your relationship. He loves hearing you say it; even though it flusters him, and he just feels the need to let you know how much he cares about you; especially as you get older and he loses more people without being able to let them know how important they were to him.

- The two of you will have to go through some difficult situations but he knows he wants to be with you for the rest of his life. You just need to get through this rough patch and then you can have a perfect little life together.

#harry potter x reader #harry potter imagine #harry potter headcanon #harry potter imagines #harry potter headcanons #hp headcanons #hp imagines #hp imagine #hp headcanon

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thekitschdiet · 3 years

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my take on the literary masterpiece, the chic diet

Firstly, I am no one. It’s part of my charm. My fifteen minutes of fame was years ago, when I had an instagram niche meme page. I didn’t even take any brand deals! And my posts averaged six thousand likes! Anyhow. I am hardly literate and well hydrated and carry a small sephora-CVS-hybrid worth in my mini tote bag. Here is my guide on how to live like me, the intermediate kitsch-rat, aspiring influencer. But like, in an apathetic, somewhat dissonant, ironic way. I like saying I live by dogmatic principles. But a lot of it, um, is just eating disorder rituals. But that’s not really important. You’re as hot as you say you are, and as much an authority on what you write so long as you say it with, you know, conviction. It’s kind of venerable how fucking delusional I am, actually. Giving any sort of advice like I’m anywhere close to the ritzy ideal of the amphetamine-areyouami label-american. New York, ideally. West Village, preferably. But I guess the kind of guide I can write is better suited to someone living in a suburb, in a house with the twelve-paned windows. I always thought those were so chic. SO quaint, in a somewhat luxe way. Like, Connecticut vibes. My parents used to drive me up there as a child to buy books and ice cream. Nowadays I’d opt for a matcha latte with novelty ice cubes, but I guess at the time it was pretty sweet.

Because I popped a Vyvanse at like, 10pm, this next little bit could go one of two ways. I will write the most articulate, brilliant piece of literature of my life. Magnum opus, if there was a skinnier word for it. Or, I will get wrapped up doing something like folding all my last-season knits (which is part of my look, okay! I don’t have a job!) and fixating on a paragraph on how a girl’s collarbones are almost as identifying as a fingerprint, or a signature. I’m not a graphologist, but if you write your A’s with the little tail on top (like on a computer), you’re probably a snake. Nothing personal, just an observation. Also, I do have a biology final to study for. Not that I’m super anal, or even particularly committed to academia, but even in my precariously manicured (read that as separate terms; I did a good job on my nail polish, okay? But I happen to also be teetering on the brink of an epiphany or a collapse. Hence the use of the word precarious.) state, I know it’s important enough I can let one of my countless side-quests sit idle for a couple more days.

The first section seems only natural to be about hydration. And the whole idea of drinking things, really. There was a section in The Chic Diet about Adderall dry-mouth, which deeply resonated with me. Once I bit off a chunk of a Nivea Strawberry Shine (my favorite lip balm, more on that later) and swished it around my mouth. Didn’t help. Really, really didn’t. Anyway, I suppose that even if it served no purpose for combatting my prevacatingly ingenious cottonmouth solution, I was able to milk a sentence or two out of the experience. “Do it for the Vine”, all grown up! And wearing bananapapaya resin hoops too. Side note, that Etsy shop is a parasocial enemy of mine. It stems from jealousy, which sucks, but hating from inside a club I’m adjacent to is much healthier than being a hateful individual towards people I would, you know, interact with. Daily. Or something. I stopped going to therapy because I felt stupid about going and I don’t live in the right kind of town to warrant vacuous $300 hours. Bitching about my well-adjusted parents and how desperately I wished my anxiety would just “go away” was plainly gross, and a waste. Like, pretty sure almost every problem I have could be solved by a couple painful conversations taking place during a hurricane. Such a shame it doesn’t rain much here. Anyhow, I digress.

Staying hydrated. It is essential to my character, my persona, if you will; to never be without either an elegant metal bottle (I’m loyal to the smooth enamelled S’well ones, printed to look like marble or a semi holographic solid) or a little 16oz tumbler with a metal straw. Hydroflasks were some of the worst things to happen to society. I want to preface this claim with the fact that I wanted one in the same way a teenage girl wants a new iPhone so she can keep up appearances with her dermatologist-dad friends who still have the XR, by the way. But I ended up spending the money on like, a minidress at Brandy Melville before it fled my city. Or maybe a Fresh Sugar tinted lipbalm. For the better, even though the dress has a busted zipper now and the lipbalm tube has inevitably gotten dinged and dented by the other contents of my mini-totebag. Unlike a car, though, a couple scuffs on your laptop or your luxury lipbalm tube looks kind of cool. Like, you’re not someone who values the pristine, unused quality of an item that was ambiguously intended to be used versus displayed on Instagram. Now, I’m wondering why this paragraph about hydration is so fucking impossible to stay on track for. I literally drink several litres of water a day, and more tea on top of that. And sometimes an almond milk latte if I can budget it in. Not that I’m so anorexic I can’t afford a 45cal latte. They’re just not that important to me. Anyhow. Drinking lukewarm (on the cool side) water is better than ice-cold. Partially because I just get it out of the tap of my ensuite and I can’t be bothered to wait for it to run cold enough every time, and it just seems wasteful. Plus, there is something so.. skinny about drinking water at an “obscure” temperature. Trust me, I want to know why my thought process is like this too. My favorite tea is blueberry tea foraged in a side aisle at my local supermarket. I love a good commercial, high-end steep or fruit infusion as much as the next girl. Maybe more. My pantry is filled with tins labelled with things like “emerald jade organic” and “magic potion”, which is really just currants and butterfly pea flowers. But there is a necessary glamor about drinking dirt-cheap tea on the daily. Seriously, a box of 25 sachets is like, $3. At a higher point with my, um, Adderall problem, I spent like several times that on pills. I didn’t really need to include that, and could have linked the price point to the cost of a drugstore lipbalm, but I wrote it in. And I’m married to it, stubbornly, as all amateur writers should be when they wittle in a somewhat indecorous little joke. This tea is sooo good because it has a strong fruit-reminiscent taste (not as sweet as a fresh blueberry, but who wants that anyway?), it’s zero-calorie, it’s the most GORGEOUS color ever. The latte, the third drink in my little trifecta, is nothing special. But necessary. The trick is to use a milk frother to whip up sugar free syrup with instant coffee and a little bit of hot water in a glass. It’ll make the most luscious foam.. Top it off with almond milk. My dad is a coffee purist, owning both an upstairs keurig AND a downstairs one (among other more analogue methods, but I can’t name-drop, so what’s the point?), so he hates this drink. Now, calling oneself a plebian is so unglamorous and teetering on self-deprecating territory, dangerously close to insecurity. But I can use it here because I am at least posh enough to have a different pair of earrings for every outfit I could possibly come up with, and I only wear Patagonia if I am in a situation where I just have to wear fleece. Like I was saying. It’s such a simple drink, certainly not a delicacy, and… I had a joke about the word plebian but I keep getting up to refill my water and I fear I have forgotten about it.

Next section; the importance of a good tinted balm

In the intro I alluded to how a girl’s collarbones function essentially as an identifier, the way a signature or fingerprint does. This is a lie, or at least an exaggeration. But one’s ultimate tinted lipbalm is actually extremely indicative about who you are, as a person, as a member of society, even…

If you are loyal to Dior Lipglow, I have a couple questions. One; did you shoplift one tube, once, and refill it with cheaper stuff afterwards? I did that. I consider it one of my better-kept secrets, but now you know. Might as well explain the catalyst for my parent’s first separation now, and the horrifying experience that was meeting my dad’s Manhattan sugar baby (?) at the age of thirteen, wearing an overalls dress from, like, Topshop or something else equally embarrassing. .. Kidding. I digress. It’s such a fancy lipbalm, and good too! It smells like thin mints! But I could just never justify cell phone monthly installation payment money on something I will inevitably talk off. I do own three, but two I stole (before I lost the nerve, somewhat unfortunately) and one, a boy(not)friend bought for me. This is not something I feel any remorse about, because his house was easily four thousand square feet and his sisters had a dedicated all-glass room for their shared peloton. Oil money. Ugh!

My personal favorite lip balm, and I have tried a frightening amount, has got to be the Nivea Fruit Shine collection. The frosted one is shit-ugly. Hideous. But the strawberry one is the love of my life. It’s such a pleasant red, looking healthy and rejuvenated and really completes any look. Only downside is it will always, hopefully not always, remind me of Charles. Kissing Charles, specifically. And him asking me what lipbalm it was, because he knew I was somewhat frivolous and definitive and would have a very long answer. But for whatever reason, I simply stated it was from “out of town”. Not really sure why I said that, but it plagues me (minorly) to this day. Of all the things to make up.. .. The peach one is a perfectly demure spring classic shade. Cherry exists too, but the only tube I have ever had the fortune of owning was purchased in Costa Rica and lost somewhere on the way home. Honestly tragic, it was the juiciest shade. Blackberry is perfect too, but I have to layer it with either peach or untinted lipbalm to avoid what I imagine TooPoor would choose if she believed in tinted lipbalm. I don’t mean this hatefully, I think she’s a queen, but super dark, smudgy makeup suits the eyes better in my opinion. Or something. Or something.

Afraid to bore the reader, I have to move on now. Maybe at a later date I will release an addendum on my ultimate lipbalm buying guide. But also, that is so deeply personal (and everyone needs the excuse of “hunting for the perfect staple shade!!”), so it is really not my place to have any authority on something so intimate and subjective. Etcetera.

Moving on; Decorating your room

Here is a section I lifted out of my memoir document. It fits, because as enigmatic as I hope I am, I am also quite unchanging.

I just pushed three hangers and two tiny strappy tops with the tags still on, off my bed. Most nights, all, these days, actually; I spend in my large but cluttered bedroom. I have a little ensuite with a jetted tub I’ve never used because I just never get around to it. There’s a plush grey rug, spanning the expanse of the room (covering an ugly cherry wood that doesn’t match the rest of the house; no clue why. I never asked, and the previous owners were eager to sell so they could finally ditch this town and retire in Montreal for the bagels, or Hawaii for the monk seals. Point is, I’ll never know) with loose beads and loose pills and little shards of glass from plier-crushed beads. I vacuum every day. The whole room tells you exactly the kind of person I am; the clutter I possess, the encapsulation of the projects I start, start, start and the hours I don’t sleep for and the clothes I tried on (these to sell, these to cut up with kitchen scissors; thrifted lululemon and aritzia and heaps of knits and plaid fabric..) I would not say the room is a mess. Lived in, maybe. Chopsticks and mugs and gum wrappers. Single dangle earrings. I just finished the last of my Creme Brulee eos lipbalm; disguised as a relic of 2015, I was gifted it Christmas of ‘20. I think my next waxy conquest will be a tinted Burt’s one I palmed a while back, before I lost the nerve. Peering around the room you will see shopping bags strewn about the mouth of my walk-in closet. Every surface has something shiny or colorful stacked up on it. Cluttered, busy, but intentional. Except for the walls, which are bare. Bare and gray and miles-tall when I lie flat on my back, high out of my mind, willing things to change but knowing I’m responsible for a first step I will always be too scared for. Bare, pristine, no gumtack. Empty, Like they’re waiting. I wait around a lot. It makes sense. That was an awful lot of words about my stupid blank walls when truly it does not bother me that much; I really just don’t get around to it. I have other things on the ground to tend to, like post-email nausea, addressing envelopes, marrying wire and bead. Writing a document I care about because I am determined and I am alive, alive, alive, goddammit.

Excerpt over. The memoir is coming out when I get famous, or something earth shattering happens. Like I become the world’s least remarkable entrepreneur, and I get retweeted by Colorpop. I don’t want to be the next Elizabeth Wurtzel. I read two of her memoirs one restless night, absorbing it to make up for the nutrients I didn’t that day (you can laugh. I think that is pretty clever), heart breaking a little bit. She writes about her struggles so intrinsically, you either get it, or you don’t. Anyway. She had the books and the fame from it, and she wrote more memoirs than I think a single person should. That is admirable. Aspirational, even. But I do not want to be like her. Where was I? Oh. Yes. Decorating/adorning/filling your room. Your room should serve as the kind of place to watch a movie (if you believe in film. I don’t) and put on ridiculous glittery eye makeup, or smoke an ~artistic cigarette~ or stay up all night on the phone, which is different from staying up all night simply on your phone. Chatting with someone you are tepidly in love with is much more exciting. Not chic as the whole affair is so juvenile, but fun regardless. It’s somewhere to keep your worldly possessions, too. I know I have a lot! Also, it is kind of thrilling to hide things in your room in little crevices only you know about. Now, unfortunately, everyone reading this will know too. But, like, I trust you not to really.. do anything about it. I keep my extra juul pods in the sliding box my apple pencil came in. That box is almost more useful than the pencil itself. I’m somewhat morally opposed to the iPad. Whole culture is so embarrassing! I have a tea tin with an ounce of golden teacher shrums in it. This is tossed in my closet among tins filled with other things, like lace trim and buttons. Which makes it actually a pretty terrible hiding spot, I see now… Anyhow. Keeping benign little secrets like that is so fun. You can tell I don’t have siblings. I sort of wish I did, but it is easier to believe there is something aristocratic about being an only child. Not sure if older-sister me would be egalitarian enough to share things. But that’s prophesying, which is kind of a waste of time. I live in the now, in a room positively cluttered with meaningless things that mean the world to me, chewing on my lip because my mouth is just so dry and 5gum is just not an after-8 indulgence. To live truly kitschly, you have to have somewhat hideous decor. Now, do not confuse dissonant, or incoherent, with what I mean by “hideous decor”. The kitsch room has as many surfaces to look at as possible, while also shying away from too many shelving units. Then you risk your room looking like a storage unit or something. When my mom renovated (re: paid someone to do it) our New York house so we could sell it, all our stuff was stacked up in a Cubesmart self storage. It was sort of horrifying, seeing my childhood home reduced to plastic storage tubs piled what felt like thirty feet high. Anyway. It’s just not an inviting way to store things; I imagine it makes your room look like your stuff is all trapped in gelatin. The more fussy, tiny things you have out in the open, the better. Nail polish. Earring trees. Bowls full of rings and lighters and water color pans perched on your windowsill. A rack with the tackiest assortment of knits and bucket hats and baguette bags. And so forth.. Quickly surveying someone’s room is so telling. Bonus points if all your books are spine-in, except for your favorite ones, because you don’t want people to get the wrong idea. (that you read).

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tlbodine · 3 years

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The Horror Genius of Five Nights At Freddy’s

I’ve been playing FNAF: Help Wanted VR on my Oculus Quest lately (a birthday present to myself -- I know I’m late to that party!) and it’s reignited in me my old love of this series. I know Scott Cawthon’s politics aren’t great, but I don’t think there’s any malice in his heart beyond usual Christian conservative nonsense -- and I think he stepped down as graciously and magnanimously as possible when confronted about it. Time will judge Scott Cawthon’s politics, and that’s not what I’m here to talk about. I want to talk about what makes these games so damn special, from a horror, design, and marketing perspective. I think there’s really SO MUCH to be learned from studying these games and the wider influence they’ve had as intellectual property.

What Is FNAF?

In case you’ve somehow been living under a rock for the last seven years, Five Nights At Freddy’s (hereafter, FNAF) is a horror franchise spanning 17 games (10 main games + some spinoffs and troll games, we’ll get to that), 27 books, a movie deal, and a couple live-action attractions.

But before it exploded into that kind of tremendous IP, it started out as a single indie pont-and-click game created entirely by one dude, Scott Cawthon. Cawthon had developed other games in the past without much fame or success, including some Christian children’s entertainment. He was working as a cashier at Dollar General and making games in his spare time -- and most of those games got panned.

So he tried making something different.

After being criticized that the characters in one of his children’s games looked like soulless, creepy animatronics, Cawthon had his lightbulb moment and created a horror game centered on....creepy animatronics!

The rest, as they say, is history.

The Genius of FNAF’s Horror Elements

In the first FNAF game, you play as a night security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a sort of ersatz Chuck-E-Cheese establishment. The animatronics are on free-roaming mode at night, but you don’t want to let them find you in your security room so you have to watch them move through the building on security camera monitors. If they get too close, you can slam your security room doors closed. But be careful, because this restaurant operates on a shoestring budget, and the power will go off if you keep the doors closed too long or flicker the lights too often. And once the lights go out, you’re helpless against the animatronics in the dark.

Guiding you through your gameplay is a fellow employee, Phone Guy, who calls you each night with some helpful advice. Phone Guy is voiced by Cawthon himself, and listening to his tapes gives you some hints of the game’s underlying story as well as telling you how to play. A few newspaper clippings and other bits of scrap material help to fill in more details of the story.

Over the next set of games, the story would be further developed, with each new game introducing new mechanics and variations on the theme -- in one, you don a mask to slip past the notice of animatronics; in another, you have to play sound cues to lure an animatronic away from you. By the fourth game, the setup was changed completely, now featuring a child with a flashlight hiding from the monsters outside his door -- nightmarish versions of the beloved child-friendly mascots. The mechanics change just enough between variations to keep things fresh while maintaining a consistent brand.

There are so many things these games do well from a storytelling and horror perspective:

Jump Scares: It’s easy to shrug these games off for relying heavily on jump scares, and they absolutely do have a lot of them. But they’re used strategically. In most games, the jump scares are a punishment (a controlled shock, if you will) -- if you play the game perfectly, you’ll never be jump-scared. This is an important design choice that a lot of other horror games don’t follow.

Atmospheric Dread: These games absolutely deliver horror and tension through every element of design -- some more than others, admittedly. But a combination of sound cues, the overall texture and aesthetic of the world, the “things move when you’re not looking at them” mechanic, all of it works together to create a feeling of unease and paranoia.

Paranoia: As in most survival horror games, you’re at a disadvantage. You can’t move or defend yourself, really -- all you can do is watch. And so watch you do. Except it’s a false sense of security, because flicking lights and checking cameras uses up precious resources, putting you at greater risk. So you have to balance your compulsive need to check, double-check, and make sure...with methodical resource conservation. The best way to survive these games is to remain calm and focused. It’s a brilliant design choice.

Visceral Horror: The monster design of the animatronics is absolutely delightful, and there’s a whole range of them to choose from. The sheer size and weight of the creatures, the way they move and position themselves, their grunginess, the deadness of their eyes, the quantity and prominence of their teeth. They are simultaneously adorable and horrifying.

Implicit Horror: One of the greatest strengths to FNAF as a franchise is that it never wears its story on its sleeve. Instead of outright telling you what’s going on, the story is delivered in bits and pieces that you have to put together yourself -- creating a puzzle for an engaged player to think about and theorize over and consider long after the game is done. But more than that, the nature of the horror itself is such that it becomes increasingly upsetting the more you think on it. The implications of what’s going on in the game world -- that there are decaying bodies tucked away inside mascots that continue to perform for children, that a man dressed in a costume is luring kids away into a private room to kill them, and so forth -- are the epitome of fridge horror.

The FNAF lore does admittedly start to become fairly ridiculous and convoluted as the franchise wears on. But even ret-conned material manages to be pretty interesting in its own right (and there is nothing in the world keeping you from playing the first four games, or even the first six, and pretending none of the rest exist).

Another thing I really appreciate about the FNAF franchise is that it’s quite funny, in a way that complements and underscores the horror rather than detracting from it. It’s something a lot of other properties utterly fail to do.

The Genius of Scott Cawthon’s Marketing

OK, so FNAF utilizes a multi-prong attack for creating horror and implements it well -- big deal. Why did it explode into a massive IP sensation when other indie horror games that are just as well-made barely made a blip on the radar?

Well! That’s where the real genius comes in. This game was built and marketed in a way to maximize its franchisability.

First, the story utilizes instantly identifiable, simple but effective character designs, and then generates more and more instantly identifiable unique characters with each iteration. Having a wealth of characters and clever, unique designs basically paves the way for merchandise and fan-works. (That they’re anthropomorphic animal designs also probably helped -- because that taps into the furry fandom as well without completely alienating non-furries).

Speaking of fan-work, Scott Cawthon has always been very supportive of fandom, only taking action when people would try to profit off knock-off games and that sort of thing -- basically bad-faith copies. But as far as I know he’s always been super chill with fan-created content, even going so far as to engage directly with the fandom. Which brings me to....

These games were practically designed for streaming, and he took care to deliver them into the hands of influential streamers. Because the games are heavy on jump-scares and scale in difficulty (even including extra-challenging modes after the core game is beaten) they are extremely fun to watch people play. They’re short enough to be easily finished over the duration of a long stream, and they’re episodic -- lending themselves perfectly to a YouTube Lets Play format. One Night = One Video, and now the streamer has weeks of content from your game (but viewers can jump in at any time without really missing much).

The games are kid-friendly but also genuinely frightening. Because the most disturbing parts of the game’s lore are hinted at rather than made explicit, younger players can easily engage with the game on a more basic surface level, and others can go as deep into the lore as they feel comfortable. There is no blood and gore and violence or even any explicitly stated death in the main game; all of the murder and death is portrayed obliquely by way of 8-bit mini games and tangential references. Making this game terrifying but accessible to youngsters, and then marketing it directly to younger viewers through popular streamers (and later, merchandising deals) is genius -- because it creates a very broad potential audience, and kids tend to spend 100% of their money (birthdays, allowances, etc.) and are most likely to tell their friends about this super scary game, etc. etc.

By creating a puzzle box of lore, and then interacting directly with the fandom -- dropping hints, trolling, essentially creating an ARG of his own lore through his website, in-game easter eggs, and tie-in materials -- Cawthon created a mystery for fandom to solve. And fans LOVE endlessly speculating over convoluted theories.

Cawthon released these games FAST. He dropped FNAF 2 within months of the first game’s release, and kept up a pace of 1-2 games a year ever since. This steady output ensured the games never dropped out of public consciousness -- and introducing new puzzle pieces for the lore-hungry fans to pore over helped keep the discussion going.

I think MatPat and The Game Theorists owe a tremendous amount of their own huge success to this game. I think Markiplier does, too, and other big streamers and YouTubers. It’s been fascinating watching the symbiotic relationship between these games and the people who make content about these games. Obviously that’s true for a lot of fandom -- but FNAF feels so special because it really did start so small. It’s a true rags-to-riches sleeper hit and luck absolutely played a role in its growth, but skill is a big part too.

Take-Aways For Creatives

I want to be very clear here: I do not think that every piece of media needs to be “IP,” franchisable, an extended universe, or a multimedia sensation. I think there is plenty to be said for creating art of all types, and sometimes that means a standalone story with a small audience.

But if you do want a chance at real break-out, run-away success and forging a media empire of your own, I think there are some take-aways to be learned from the success of FNAF:

Persistence. Scott Cawthon studied animation and game-design in the 1990s and released his first game in 2002. He released a bunch of stuff afterward. None of it stuck. It took 12 years to hit on the winning formula, and then another several years of incredibly hard work to push out more titles and stoke the fires before it really became a sensation. Wherever you’re at on your creative journey, don’t give up. You never know when your next thing will be The Thing that breaks you out.

If you want to sell a lot of something, you have to make it widely appealing to a bunch of people. This means keeping your concept simple to understand (”security guard wards off creepy killer animatronics at a pizza parlor”) and appealing to as wide a segment of the market as you can (ie, a horror story that appeals to both kids and adults). The more hyper-specific your audience, the harder it’s gonna be to find them and the fewer copies of your thing you’ll be selling.

Know your shit and put your best work out there. I think there’s an impulse to feel like “well, nobody reads this anyway, so why does it matter if it’s no good” (I certainly have fallen into that on multiple occasions) but that’s the wrong way to think about it. You never know when and where your break will come. Put your best work out there and keep on polishing your craft with better and better stuff because eventually one of those things you chuck out there is going to be The Thing.

Figure out where your target audience hangs out, and who influences them, and then get your thing in the hands of those influencers. Streaming and YouTube were the secret to FNAF’s success. Maybe yours will be BookTube, or Instagram, or a secret cabal of free librarians. I don’t know. But you should try your best to figure out who would like the thing that you’re making, and then figure out how to reach those people, and put all of your energy into that instead of shotgun-blasting your marketing all willy nilly.

You don’t have to put the whole story on the page. Audiences love puzzles. Fans love mysteries. You can actually leave a lot more unanswered than you think. There’s some value in keeping secrets and leaving things for others to fill in. Remember -- your art is only partly yours. The sandbox belongs to others to play in, too, and you have to let them do that.

If in doubt, appealing to furries never hurts.

Do I take all of this advice myself? Not by a long shot. But it’s definitely a lot to think about.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go beat The Curse of Dreadbear.

#horror analysis #writing advice #fnaf

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writingonesdreams · 3 years

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Informal intro tag: Rivers of Stars

TITLE: Rivers of Stars (1st version)

GENRE: new adult, introspective fantasy, psychological, hurt/comfort

SETTING: loose Middle Ages

TROPES: enemies to friends, broken chosen ones, crippling overspecialization, everyone is noble and honorable but quite mistaken

STORY: When the Silver Warleader Kaden sacrifices himself to the Wild Currents of magic to save his army, he doesn't expect to be saved, captured nor befriended by the artful mage tribe he is supposed to be at war with.

THE CHARACTERS:

Solace, Azure, shy but conceited, book hermit, chasing inspiration but afraid of life. Magic and ideals are better than humans. Brilliant mind. Don't take it personally that she likes to be alone. Lion bird

Kaden, Silver, noble but ruthless, gentle but scared how easily he can switch off to being calm and practical. Honesty is ugly and pretty lies are the biggest courtesy one can give to people. Badger bird

Raven, Arden, quiet but bold, intense when emotional. Afraid to be the idealist he wants to be. Can he trust the fire within? Grew up isolated, believing in survival of the fittest, which is hard to let to of. Badger lion

Calder, Zephyr, funny, charming but bitter. Chosen one afraid of expectations, likes to self-sabotage. Too lazy for trouble and relationships. Poisonous tounge. Loves art and freedom. Lion snake

PLOT AND KETTLE: There is a magical plague. Mage tribes are at their throats, Wild magic is running out of control. Kaden is captured, his expectations and priorities turned upside down and gets on a peace quest to all seven tribes with the troublesome trio while training Raven in lost Arden magic. Sol would solve the plague if she wasn't so scared of the world and Calder would be a great help if he wasn't so lazy and lost.

STUFF THAT IS NIFTY: Azure magic is attracted by songs made up by the user. Each of the seven magics is called upon differently, some more painfully than others. You can't use magic at all without inner harmony and confidence in yourself, which will be tested throughout the story. Wilders emotionally bond with their animals that channel their magic in turn. Gemstone rings granted for skill in magic can change the political situation by being exchanged or gifted by their owners.

STATUS CHECK: outlining, worldbuilding

▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎

This is a tag game made by @sleepyowlwrites, thanks for the tag! Tagging if you want to: @thewalkingnerdx @diphthongsfordays @starry-sky-stuff @nectargrapes @missbrunettebarbie-writer @hannahs-creations @erinnharper @ren-c-leyn @kosmosian-quills @kg-willie @fuyugomori @emmapribby @druidx @stuffaboutwriting + anyone who sees this!

#writeblr #writeblr community #wip intro #my wip #my writing #tag game #informal intro tag #wip: rivers of stars

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mysteriesofmarcy · 2 years

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🎄 Have Yourself a Froggy Little Christmas 🎄

If you are like the Plantars and confused on the meaning of Christmas, you're not alone. No one in this episode got it right. Dr. Jan told us about some of the Christmas traditions, but even she neglected to mention that Christmas is the celebration of the greatest gift ever given: the life and sacrifice of Jesus.

Anyway, now that your existential crisis is solved, let's break down what this episode does for us and our characters.

This episode felt a lot like The Shut-In because it was a one-off mid-season holiday special, but it also reminded me a lot of Hop Luck because Anne and the Plantars were on a quest to collect the "ingredients" for the creation she wanted to make for the event at the end of the episode.

According to Triple B, Christmas takes place in what is late winter in Amphibia, proving that Amphibia and Earth definitely have different calendars. (Although, if Marcy told the newts about Christmas while she was there, and it's been less than a year since the series began, this implies that Marcy told the newts that Christmas is in late winter.) It also casts a new light on the timeline of the show from the Amphibian perspective, something I will get to in a future post.

I love how this episode brings back a lot of characters and elements we've met in the previous episodes, including the IT Gals, Dr. Jan, the Boonchuys' Thai friends, even some of the floats: Construct-a-Carnivore (Polly's challenge from Hop Till You Drop), the Mexican restaurant that Anne took Sprig to for his birthday, . The IT Gals described how they celebrate Christmas. Dr. Jan talked about the history of the holiday and a few of the pagan festivals that inspired some of our traditions. Their Thai friends helped with the float. And Construct-a-Carnivore had a float in the parade.

The best part of this episode is the visuals. The decorations. The Boonchuy house is decorated like a normal house during Christmas season. The IT Gals' party has "college" written all over it. The museum is decorated for both Christmas and Hanukkah. (Side note: I've learned more about Hanukkah from watching cartoon Christmas specials than I ever wanted to know.) Even the theme song is decorated, and I appreciate that shows are getting more creative with their opening and closing credits recently.

Now, if Amphibia thought it could sneak a Gravity Falls reference by me, they have another thing coming! When Sprig is looking for the perfect gift for Anne, he declares that "It's all garbage!" when looking at a painting of a sad clown, painted by a man who only paints sad clowns. Clearly this man is Thomas Conkelly, aka Stan's favorite artist (mentioned in this interview).

Because my stream decided to buffer a ton when it came back from the second commercial, I saw a billboard for a movie called "A Hunky Lumberjack for Christmas". In the bottom left corner it's labeled, as I suspected, a Hallmark movie. Maybe we'll see more of it in the future, maybe not.

Here's something I almost forgot about: that was a brilliant idea of Andrias's to take control of the "red suited jolly man with a beard," and then, just when you thought it couldn't get better, he turned St. Nick into a killer robot.

Next: another translation. When Andrias hacks into the Santa robot, his glasses say "READY TO ROCK!" in Amphibian.

I guess I'll finish by talking about the song. I liked how it was spread out through the whole episode. I liked how it didn't try to say anything other than "Christmas is a special time of year." I liked how the lyrics referenced lots of different Christmas traditions. And I was never a fan of Steven Universe, but I do think Rebecca has a great voice for this song.

And -- awwww, Anne has Sprig's gift on her desk as she writes her letter! I noticed that it looks very similar to his dolls action figures from Flood, Sweat and Tears, indicating that he probably crafted all of them himself. I guess this is really where the only revelation of this episode comes in: that Sasha's parents are (probably) divorced. Not that we couldn't have guessed that already, but still.

So overall, several fun observations, but not much to analyze here. This was a fun one-off holiday special to close out this batch of episodes. According to the wiki, the mid-season finale was originally supposed to be a future episode, so the excrement is about to collide with the rotating oscillator, so to speak.

Remember, if you have any further questions about this episode or the true meaning of Christmas, feel free to send me a message or an ask. I can't guarantee that I'll have all the answers, but what I can guarantee is that I will do my best!

#amphibia #amphibia season 3 #froggy little christmas #merry Christmas 🎄

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inb4belphienaps · 3 years

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Torschlusspanik

“How old are you really?”

Truthfully, he doesn’t know. A part of him wishes he’d kept track but it’s a hassle when all your time and energy is spent on far greater things.

If he were to think back on it, his age would probably be defined by the people he’d met and grown to love along the way. His friends and acquaintances and the ones who had been very dear to him.

He can see them all in his mind. Their faces and voices blending into one as he recalls stories and conversations and wonderful ideas they’d exchanged. Time hadn’t been kind to them. Not as kind as it should have been at least. They’d been ravaged. He’d seen them fade, trapped in their own minds, seen them driven to extinction by the search for power.

Yes, it was a funny thing – power. Those blessed with it tend to be quite satisfied with their lives, finding meaning in even the littlest things. Those who wish to obtain it are instead turned to madness, whether along the journey or at the end, when they realize that satisfaction is but a nonsensical concept invented for the weak.

Solomon isn’t sure where he fits in. He’d been blessed with a natural talent, gifts of magical aptitude that could leave many speechless. He’d also obtained his current abilities through years of searching and wondering and finding. New lands, new discoveries, new predicaments. They had been so fascinating, so enveloping at first. He could be seen positively enraptured in the world and all that it had to offer him. So many things it had to offer.

His appetite never wavered. With each dawn, another quest, another trip into the unknown. With each twilight, another question, another problem to be solved.

Luckily, he wasn’t always alone. One particular name stands out. Frankenstein. A handsome and invigorating man with an attitude that did little to soothe him.

Frankenstein had dazzled him with his wit and courage and…lack for better word, insanity. As brilliant as he was, the man had had several screws loose. That didn’t make him any less charming or passionate. In fact, some say it may have helped.

Buried in books and beakers, he never sat still. At some point, they’d convinced themselves that they held the universe in their hands. Just them two. Gods, he’d said.

Why then did he disappear?

He wasn’t dead, no. He wasn’t the type to do something like that. In his heart, Solomon knows that he’s still out there, eyes glinting in the moonlight. He knows that Frankenstein is fighting a battle with himself. Disregarding the other soul residing in him, he knows that there is doubt in that very human body of his. Impulsivity can only do so much in the face of doubt and hesitation.

How old would he be now?

Would they recognize each other? Or would they be strangers once more? Deformed and beaten by the growing passage of time? He thinks that would be more likely. The soul isn’t immune. Although the vessel may appear pristine and well-kept, the soul, however fractured it may be, will show bits and pieces of itself within the mirage.

There is no hiding those marks. Which is why he prefers to have his vessel reflect them. To a more conservative degree, definitely, yet to a degree all the same. The scars and patterns on his skin are littered with meaning. Self-inflicted pain describing moments in his life that he cannot forget. Mistakes and triumphs. Ecstasy and over-indulgence. Sorrow and regret. Trials and tribulations aplenty.

A few close calls. Brushes with death that in hindsight seem impossible. How had he survived them? He may forget…

Except when the night is blanketed in silence, or when the tide creeps in away from the morning sun, he is reminded of the terror. Flashes of light, effervescent, and a scream. Perhaps his own. The brain, as he so often finds, cannot be fooled. Deep within the entanglement of your subconscious and conscious, there is no trickery. No illusions to hide behind or whimsical acts of surrealism. Humanity is flawless in that regard.

He wishes to outrun it. To outsmart is so entirely that he doesn’t have to look back.

Gods, he’d said. Had it been a promise? A desire? A selfishness? Deep in his heart he wishes it were true. To be untouchable. Revered across realms and entrusted with the loyalty of many. Individually, they are insignificant. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with. A god needs followers. Worshippers are a bonus, an add-on. Followers – they are the wind, carrying his word, lifting him to newer heights, going to inconceivable lengths to believe.

What is a king to a god?

What is a god to a non-believer?

When he’d abandoned the idea of heaven and challenged the fallen in hell, he’d clung to a hope that it would be all for whatever followed greatness. For whatever came above it. Beyond it.

However, with each pact grew his greed. And his boredom. That hunger of his was insatiable. Knowledge seemed trivial, a thing of the past. Something he coveted but something he no longer went out of his way to obtain. Circle by circle, he descended evermore into the darkness.

You were just another human. He watched as people threw themselves at you. He watched as you harnessed your gift. He watched as your expression grew warm.

He began to see, to feel again. The beauty of emotion came flooding his senses, dulling the ache, pushing away the emptiness. His heart beats ever steady in his chest, only, it beats for you.

The rhythm in his veins sings to the tune of your likeness and he feels…love. An all-encompassing concoction of dignity. He forgets about the monsters and the skeletons in his closet. He’s too focused, too engaged in the way you speak and the way you hold your breath. In the way your brows furrow, your lips purse, how they send sparks through him. He begins to learn. He begins to remember.

And then…comes the fear.

The fear of death and the fear of being forgotten.

If there is no one left to whisper his name, it will be as if he never walked the Earth in the first place. What is a legend but a fable on the lips of believers? What is a myth but a story written in the tongue of dreamers?

A rotting corpse, a dying shell. Slotted in alongside others like him who had failed to achieve the very same goal that mocks him. Ever further he goes, ever stronger it laughs.

And so, you, like so many before you, are there to tell him it’s okay. That you will remember him. And that, in itself, is enough.

He will continue to ponder, eventually taking your word for it. He will thank you as he holds your hand in his, smiling in that way that has even the stars smitten.

#i wrote this at 5am after waking up at 3 #forgive me if it doesn't rly flow #obey me writing #obey me solomon #obey me! solomon #solomon x reader #solomon x gn reader #my writing 🐇

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