Inspired by @jinkieswouldyoulookatthis I am creating my own Winchester Sims. Just aged a Sam Sim (yoinked from the Gallery because I don't have time for making my own) down to infant and...

HALP he looks so Lucifer!Sam already WHY!!!!!

HI AIDEN I had a lot of fun with the entire story involving The Sims and it raised some questions for me. imagine our dear sukuna, nanami, gojo and geto playing the sims Do you think Sukuna would wreak havoc and kill everyone in the game? Would gojo let someone in his family die because of being negligent or maybe flirting with all the sims in the game? Would Nanami build a house from scratch? and would geto have a big family?

thinking a lot about the scenes

BYE AIDEN

You want me to combine my hyperfixations on main? Moon, I could kiss you!

HOW THE JJK MEN PLAY SIMS

Starting with

Satoru Gojo

🎮Okay so I really feel like Gojo is in love with the mundane, mostly because his own life is so far removed from it. So, Gojo actually plays a pretty calm game.

🎮Or, he tries to at least.

🎮He has a thousand founders for generation challenges he will never complete, a million builds that he made the shell of and never went back too, and his world is riddled with homeless sims he made for rags to riches stories.

🎮Really, he always goes back to his favorite sim- is super sim that me made on accident. A random sim that he got so attached to he turned aging off so they wouldn't die, and that he tends to and frets over like a favored pet.

🎮He definitely has all the DLC and is a little bit ashamed of it. He even has DLC that he's never touched- like horse ranch. Why does he have horse ranch? He hates horses (Because how DARE An animal of that size be that skiddish and breakable) so why does he own HORSE RANCH?!

🎮So that he still owns all the DLC, that's why. It as just a much a mark or pride as it is shame for him.

🎮He probably has a few script mods here and there, like the cuddling mod or the real estate mod, but for the most part his modding starts and ends with CC. He LOVES CC, mostly cause the Sims team (in his humble opinion) makes shit clothes. All maxis match.

🎮He gets on telling himself he's only going to play for an hour tops at 6 pm and OOPS the sun is up. He swears maxis puts speed in this game.

Suguru Geto

🎮the opposite of Gojo- this man is a menace.

🎮Suguru's got a lot of built up rage he's repressing, and 100% takes it out on his digital dolls. If you're a sim and you displease him- straight to the fenced in pool.

🎮He has the extreme violence and life tragedies mods installed. You know why.

🎮Had his sim marry into the goth family just to murder them and take everything they had. You know- what Don Lothario failed to do.

🎮Oh, that's another thing: He has beef with these pixels.

🎮Like, yes- he knows it's unreasonable and a little childish...But if he ever ever catches Nancy Landgrab on the streets it is ON. SIGHT.

🎮He will just let his sims wreak whatever havoc they see fit. like "Oh, you want to cheat on your husband with the pizza delivery guy when your husband is literally standing right there? Who am I to stand in the way of feminism."

🎮He will also forget sims. Like, he'll set a sim up to do something, go play with a different sim in the house, and it will be like a real word fifteen minuets (keep in mind, a in game day is only 24 minuets) before he realizes the mom has been missing because she's been practicing violin with no end in sight and is about to piss herself. oops.

🎮He has a few of the DLC that interest him, like city living and snowy escape. He has all the occult packs but his favorite is Realm of Magic....duh. He only plays sorcerers and always goes down the chaos magic tree. You know why.

Nanami Kento

🎮Nanami is here to build.

🎮Nanami gets on the sims to build he dream homes and experiment with different layouts and such that he might like. And he's actually gotten really good at it.

🎮Like some of his builds are in the maxis showcase and he's quite popular on the gallery

🎮What determines if he buys any sort of DLC is if he likes the build buy items or not. and as such, most of his mods are also for build buy

🎮He does play a little bit of the actual game too though, but he tends to get board of it pretty quick. He's tried to make evil sims of dubious moral character and he just can not.

🎮Like, when Suguru tells him about his game play he just looks on in horror. What do you mean your sims has five secret families and an artist slave, do you not feel horrible? Have you no shame?

🎮I think Island Living is his favorite pack because he likes Sulani so much. He thinks it's a pretty place for a home. And mermaids are neat- he guesses.

🎮He also likes Werewolves cause Celene is his favorite townie. He started his first ever generation challenge with her and she's had a special place in his heart cause of it

Ryomen Sukuna

🎮menace

🎮monster

🎮A little too happy with the extreme violence mod

🎮Sukuna is here to fuck shit up- you can not tell me other wise.

🎮His sim has an artist sim painting locked in the basement that sells painting for the main sim to get money. His sim has romanced and ruined half the town and physically fought the rest.

🎮He genuinely plays to see how much chaos he can cause, and has mods to help him do it. extreme violence, life tragedy, fuck it- wicked whims he wants to see the world burn.

🎮He has all the DLC but that's because he pirated it- which is very cool and sexy of him.

🎮Have you ever seen a kid play with their barbies? The ones that are maybe a lil traumatized and have their dolls going through some of the most insane shit? Kidnapping, drug abuse, domestic violence, murder!

🎮Thats how Sukuna plays sims. You walk in and the house he's playin in is on fire and he's just contently watching as he sips his tea

🎮He doesn't play very often, but when he does he binges it. He gets on for hours at a time, then he doesn't touch it for months

🎮I will say, he does have a special place in his heart for Gregg. A monster that the town fears and hates who attacks on sight? That guy gets it.

BONUS: CHOSO KAMO!

🎮He is what Gojo wishes he was.

🎮Choso has so many successful generations challenges under his belt it's not even funny. He's never played a rags to riches game he didn't knock out of the park.

🎮The only challenge he won't do it the hundred baby challenge. Too personal.

🎮He honestly gets pretty attached to his sims, which is natural all things considered, and is genuinely a little bummed when they die. Oh well, onto the next.

🎮He's pretty bad at naming his sims, so he just lets random take the wheel. Or he lets one of his brothers name them. That's how he got his favorite sim: Giznap Lee Macintosh Bartholomew the Third.

🎮He also has all of the DLC but that's because, like Sukuna, he pirated it. Which is very cool and sexy of him.

🎮As far as mods go- he's never really felt the need to get any of them other than CC. Basemental Drugs maybe- but for the most part he's not super into script mods.

🎮His favorite townie is Bella Goth, but that's because he's been playing this game since Sims 2 and has been following her lore. Oh, you didn't know the sims had lore? It does and it's fucking insane. Bella goth caused Sims 4 to break off into an alternate timeline from the main games- no I'm not kidding

🎮He plays the game mostly in the background while he does other things- like reading or drawing. He is a brave man

Hermia's Place in the Capp Family

When it comes to all the Shakespeare inspirations for the Capp family, there are quite a few common threads one can look at in determining their origins. In my time researching Veronaville, I’ve noticed that Capp naming conventions tend to draw from plays that are either set in the British Isles, histories, tragedies, problem plays or plays with a clear cast divide (in which case, members of the Monty family will often be named after characters from the other side). That said, when looking at all of these naming conventions, I noticed that there’s one Capp who sticks out like a sore thumb — Hermia.

Unlike her relatives, Hermia’s original play does not fit into any of the aforementioned categories. Instead, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is set in Greece, is classified as a comedy, and doesn’t focus on two rival factions like Romeo & Juliet (and The Tempest, to a lesser extent).

So this begs the question, why is Hermia a Capp?

Hermia as a Capp

With the source material in mind, perhaps it would have made more sense to place Hermia as a member of the Summerdream family? However, while that decision might make sense on a surface level, it sort of falls apart once you take a closer look at the members of the family in question. While all four living members of the Summerdream family share names with characters from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, three-of-the-four sims share names with the three central fairy characters; meanwhile, the fourth is named after the only notable human character to directly interact with a member of the fair folk.

While Hermia is one of four characters whose storyline ties into a plot involving fairies, she is never shown to consciously interact with any of them in Shakespeare’s play. If we take these facts into account, it makes sense why the developers did not choose to place Hermia as a member of the Summerdream household. That being said, it does not quite explain her place in the Capp family, either.

Even if her original play does not match up with that of her siblings, the decision to place Hermia as a member of the Capp family is not entirely strange when you dig deeper into the family’s history; specifically, the fact that A Midsummer Night’s Dream is set in Athens, the Greek capital.

When it comes to Hermia's connection to Consort, you can clearly see that some of his ancestors are named after characters from Troilus & Cressida. While it might not seem like much at first, this particular play is set during the Trojan War, which was fought between the Trojans and the Greeks.

As for how Hermia is connected to Contessa, our answer lies in one Cleopatra Capp. The original Capp matriarch was named after Cleopatra VII Philopater, one of the last two pharaohs descended from Ptolemy I Soter. In life, Ptolemy was a Macedonian Greek general who not only served under Alexander III of Macedon, but was also one of his most trusted companions.

With all this in mind, the fact that the developers chose to place Hermia as a member of the Capp family makes much more sense should we take this information into account. That being said, this point only really serves to connect Hermia to her maternal grandparents, and has nothing to do with either of her siblings. This means that the developers could have potentially placed Hermia as either Goneril or Regan’s daughter, and the ties to her maternal ancestors would remain intact.

Cousin Hermia?

As mentioned above, we can connect Hermia to her maternal grandparents because, like Hermia, Consort’s parents and grandparents are named after characters from a Shakespeare work with ties to Greece, whereas Contessa’s maternal grandmother was named for an individual of Macedonian Greek descent. With that in mind, how can we connect Hermia to Tybalt and Juliette? One way is to assume that, perhaps, Hermia was not intended to be a sibling, but rather a cousin.

None of Contessa and Consort’s children share a unique Greek connection with Hermia, but perhaps we can learn something from looking at information found in an international version of the game instead? In the French version of the game, there is something peculiar about the biography belonging to her aunt Regan’s husband, Cornwall. Cornwall’s French biography is nearly identical to his English biography, the latter stating:

“Cornwall isn't thrilled that his brother-in-law Kent is living with him while he gets back on his feet after losing his job. Can he make room for his wife's family in their home?”

Conversely, Cornwall’s, or in this case Guillermo’s, French biography states:

“Guillermo n'est pas des plus ravis à l'idée que Carlo, son beau-frère, emménage chez lui en attendant de retrouver du travail. Réussira-t-il à supporter sa belle-famille? Et apprendra-t-il enfin à mieux connaitre sa fille Hermia?”

For those of you who don't speak French, the bolded sentence roughly translates to:

“And will he finally learn to know his daughter Hermia better?”

Hermia’s Biography

With Cornwall’s French biography in mind, I started to find the contents of Hermia’s to be more interesting. For those of you who are curious, it states:

“Hermia is smart, but on the shy side. She often wonders from what rock her brother Tybalt crawled out from under.”

Unlike what happened with Cornwall, Hermia’s biography is the same in both the English and French versions of the game, so we can’t really look for any differences in this case. That said, the second sentence in her biography is rather odd when taking her relationship with Tybalt into account.

Contrary to what's written in her biography, Hermia’s relationship with Tybalt is actually rather cordial (I believe their scores start roughly somewhere from high 20s to low 40s). Sure, they’re not friends, but Hermia’s a lot closer to being friends with Tybalt than Juliette is when the game starts. While I could easily see her giving him the side-eye due to their differing stances regarding the feud, the fact remains that they act civil towards each other (noogies and other immature antics notwithstanding).

Another interesting element in Hermia’s biography is that Tybalt is specifically referred to as her “brother,” thereby reflecting their relationship in the final product. By taking this and combining it with their positive relationship, a part of me began to wonder if Tybalt’s mention in her biography was something haphazardly added later in development.

If this line was in Hermia’s biography from the start, I think the developers would have likely programmed Hermia’s relationship with him to reflect that fairly early on. However, should we replace “her brother Tybalt” with something like “her father,” or “her mother,” or even “her parents,” this line would make more sense from a programming standpoint if the individuals in question were originally Regan and/or Cornwall — two sims whose relationship scores with her range from -20 and 0 on both sides when the game starts.

We cannot say for sure what the developers intended when it comes to Hermia’s place in the Capp family; however, we can make some guesses based on the information provided in the game itself, as well as from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Hermia’s Role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hermia is at the center of a love quadrangle. She is loved by two men, Demetrius and Lysander, yet she only reciprocates the latter’s feelings; meanwhile, her friend Helena has one-sided feelings for Hermia’s unrequited suitor.

The role closest to what Cornwall’s French biography seems to be implying is the one Hermia’s father, Egeus, plays in this whole shebang. Despite it being established that Hermia is in love with Lysander, Egeus wants her to marry Demetrius instead — even going as far as to threaten her life if she refuses. This results in Hermia and Lysander deciding to run away and elope, thus kicking off the main plot of the play. Luckily for the two lovebirds, Egeus eventually acquiesces to their union, but only after Demetrius is given a magical love drug that makes him fall for Helena instead.

The Other Hermia

In the final product, Hermia is the daughter of Cordelia Capp and her husband Caliban, rather than Cordelia’s sister Regan and her husband Cornwall. Unfortunately, since Cordelia and Caliban are both deceased by the time the game starts, we do not have any idea what their relationship with Hermia was like. The only reference we really have to go on is a storytelling image which shows Hermia, Juliette, and Tybalt alongside their parents; however, the picture in question was taken while Hermia was still a toddler. This does not help us in determining Hermia’s relationship with Cordelia and Caliban, as toddlers in The Sims 2 are not only reliant on older sims, but their pool of interaction with them is incredibly limited.

With the game not giving us much to work with regarding Hermia’s relationship with Cordelia and Caliban, Cornwall’s French biography does at least provide an idea of what a father/daughter relationship between the two of them would have been like, and it has some parallels to A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Love and Money

While the names of her suitors don't match up with the original Shakespeare play, Hermia's place in the love quadrangle remains intact for The Sims 2. In this case, Hermia Capp has feelings for both Puck Summerdream and Mercutio Monty, and while both reciprocate, she seems to prefer Puck.

With this in mind, it seems unlikely that Cornwall not understanding Hermia would have had anything to do with her choice in a mate, what with Hermia seeming to prefer the choice that is not part of the enemy family. However, if there were anything the ambitious Cornwall would object to about Hermia’s choice of Puck, it would likely be related to family funds. When you first load their lot, the Summerdreams only have 6,573 simoleons in spending money. This is quite measly in comparison to the families inhabiting the Capp Manor and the Monty Ranch, both of whom have over 80,000. However, because Veronaville is severely lacking in premade families that are neither Capp nor Monty, this argument likely doesn’t hold as much water as it otherwise would.

If we take that into account, how else could Cornwall have possibly found it difficult to understand Hermia? Well, part of it might have something to do with their aspirations. Both Cornwall and Regan are fortune sims with a large interest in money, so it could have been entirely possible that they might have been trying to push the family-oriented Hermia into a career path she had no interest in. This potential disagreement could have also led Hermia to rebel by dressing in a way that might scare off potential employers, which might have had some influence in her final, Hot Topic-esque wardrobe.

Hermia’s Other Ancestry

Back at the beginning of this essay, I mentioned that none of Contessa and Consort’s four children share a unique Greek connection with Hermia. That said, if she was Regan and Cornwall’s daughter, her position as a Capp would be more warranted from a geographical standpoint.

Prior to marrying into the Capp family, Cornwall was a member of the Dane family, and his father and paternal grandparents were all named after characters from Hamlet. This family history is interesting for two reasons.

First, despite Shakespeare’s characters being Danish, Hamlet’s love interest Ophelia and her brother Laertes have names with Greek origins. Ophelia’s name is derived from ὄφελος (ophelos), meaning “help” or “advantage,” whereas Laertes is named after Odysseus’ father in Homer’s Odyssey.

Outside the Shakespeare canon, there’s also the House of Glücksburg (or Glücksborg), the current ruling house of Denmark. In 1863, Prince Wilhelm (or Vilhelm) of Denmark, second son of King Christian IX, was elected King of the Hellenes and ruled as George I of Greece until his death in 1913. The House of Glücksburg initially ruled Greece until 1924, when George II was deposed. They were eventually reinstated in 1935, and ruled until 1974, when a republic referendum voted against the return of the monarchy following the collapse of a military dictatorship.

These connections are rather striking, especially since none of the other “Lear Generation” Capp couples (Goneril/Albany and Cordelia/Caliban) are connected to Hermia in a similar geographical way. It’s probably coincidental, but interesting nonetheless, that Regan and Cornwall are the only couple of the three to have this sort of geographical connection to Hermia on both sides of the family tree.

Final Thoughts

I first discovered this tidbit of information back in 2018, and I’ll be honest, it set off a huge chain reaction in how I interpreted Veronaville. Not long after learning about the leftover text, I started a Veronaville playthrough on my MacBook, and it was there that I discovered just how negative Hermia’s relationships were with both Regan and Cornwall. From there, it just kind of snowballed out of control, with me creating mountains upon mountains of headcanons in order to justify their dynamics in the final product.

From an out-of-universe perspective, however, I would say that the biggest thing to come out of this discovery was that it was the catalyst for the GVGP’s existence. Initially, I was just going to look at Hermia’s genetic profile and delve into it for this essay. It was meant to be a one time thing, but once I got started, I just couldn’t help but keep going further down the rabbit hole.

As for what Hermia’s genetic profile looks like in particular, and how it makes sense with both the parents she has in the final product, as well as the ones she could have had during development, we’ll have to wait and see. At this point in time, the GVGP has been on sort of a hiatus, but I’ve fallen back into my Veronaville obsession for the time being, so maybe I’ll post some genetic profiles in the near future. Unfortunately, given that I’ve been super busy in my personal life, I can’t make any promises, though I do intend to finish it one of these days.

Thank you so much for reading this essay. It’s been in the works since 2018, but a combination of writers’ block, real life, and different hyperfixations have caused it to be delayed longer than my younger self would have expected. Nevertheless, I’m so glad that I’m finally able to share it all with you.

LORE TIDBIT TIME WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Did you know Vlad was apart of the settler colony who mysterious disappeared? This is obviously a nod to the Roanoke colony which I think is sooo cool. What do you think happened to Vlad's colony? I like to think Vlad was turned or became a vampire and whipped them out.

HELL YEAH LORE TIDBIT ABOUT VLADDY DADDY!!! 😏

I'm going to treat this as a "deep dive" into Vlad and Forgotten Hollow, so I'll be adding it to my Deep Dive Series tag. Unsurprising to literally everyone, but this is gonna be a long one.

So… let’s get into it! ↓

Going into this I will admit that I actually did know this about Vlad!! I've been wanting to talk about it for forever but have never gotten around to it haha. 🤭 I'm a bit of a history nerd and I love a good spooky story/conspiracy, so naturally the Roanoke Colony was one of my obsessions when I was around 11 or 12 years old.

I think it's an interesting tie in from the sims team, I'd even say it's a bit meta because I feel like the game normally sticks to making references toward itself and its own canon characters/events while generally staying away from anything that would be too direct of a reference to "our world." Personally though I wish they broke the fourth wall more! I like easter eggs or hidden details that make it easier to imagine the characters existing not in their isolated, imaginary worlds, but in ours instead.

It's interesting to think about why the sims team might have made this connection - was it just a cheeky, unserious little wink to a well-known unsolved mystery, or was it done for the purposes of creating implications and expanded lore regarding Vlad and Forgotten Hollow (a case of them showing us instead of telling us). There are so many theories archaeologists and historians alike have had about the lost colony of Roanoke over the years: some believe the Roanoke colonists could have all died by disease or famine, some believe they could have been victims of a deadly storm, some believe they were attacked by neighboring tribes or by Spanish soldiers. Nowadays there are scholars who will argue that no tragedy befell the settlers at all and that they simply relocated (that would be why they left "Croatoan" behind - there was a nearby location referred to as Croatoan Island, now modern-day Hatters Island).

With that in mind, along with Vlad's own refusal to recall the details of this event, it's safe to assume that the sims team isn't referring to the happier Roanoke theories...the 25 colonists of Forgotten Hollow likely faced an unfortunate end.

Your theory of Vlad being turned and thus wiping out the colony (I'm guessing due to new-turn bloodlust) is sooooo compelling, the implications of that scenario are delicious and I personally never thought of it from that angle! My theory is only a little different: I agree that Vlad was turned on the day that the colonists "disappeared" (whatever that implies), but I have always played Vlad's story not as if he was turned and then killed everyone after, but rather that the thing that turned him successfully killed the other colonists but accidentally turned Vlad. It's a really long story that I play around with for fun in my brain but the short-ish version is: Vlad awoke outside - cold, alert, sweaty, dirty and covered in his own blood - but somehow alive, which he was thankful for. His new immortal condition is still unbeknownst to him at this point, but he felt an ache like never before, so deep in his bones it was excruciatingly painful, but his senses were heightened tenfold. He didn't remember much, just that the colony had been under attack the night before. His relief to be alive rapidly melted into abject horror as he found everyone else (friends, neighbors, family, children) dead. He realized soon enough what had happened to him and stayed in Forgotten Hollow where he would be memorialized as its "founder." He spent his days hellbent on retaliation and retribution, but was also steadfast in continuing the work that was began there before the attack. Eventually he does get to face off with the vampire who attacked him and his people, killing it and rising to power in the vampire world. He keeps the events close to his chest because they were traumatizing and cause him sadness, and he's worked diligently to remove himself from his humanity/human memories and from emotions in general (thus how he has become the person we see today). I always thought if he killed the colonists himself the other vampires in his circle - at least his closest confidantes - would know (as he's got quite the massive ego), but they don't seem to have knowledge of this event and they never mention it. I've thought that it could be possible that sharing the memories of this event would make Vlad feel weak, and he's not one to boast in his weakness. He'd much rather rewrite history in a way that is beneficial to his image; dragging up emotions about dead people would not bring them back to life, and by burying this history of a massacre in Forgotten Hollow he is also creating some mystery around himself and making it easier to play the role of a great-great-great-great grandson (or whatever he's pretending to be, relationship-wise) to the original founder.

But that's just how I play with Vlad! 🤷 I could be way off-base lmao!

Regardless of what happened, we know Vlad is the sole survivor of this event and he is scarred by it, impacted so deeply that he only ever vaguely alludes to it with no clear explanation. Whether he killed the colonists himself or just witnessed their death, the sims team will probably never give us concrete answers (and frankly, that's probably for the best considering their track record). But the clever connection of the LOST colony and FORGOTTEN Hollow are clear as day and I just think that is freaking cool! The occult lore in TS4, especially regarding Vlad and Forgotten Hollow, make interesting framework for storytellers and lore-lovers alike! Vlad is one of those characters who has sooooo many interpretations, and I eat up each and every one!

Okay, I think that's all I've got for now! Sorry about my word vomit! Somewhat related: here's an article I recently read on Roanoke that talks about the archaeological finds which have changed some of the discussions surrounding whether the colonists survived or not! I found it pretty interesting and you might as well!

Hello, would it be okay to ask what kind of horror games you've enjoyed? Please feel free to disregard! I saw from Stella's post/tags that you enjoy tragedy in horror and I find that concept very compelling.

I can definitely throw a few game recs out there! I will say, Stella might have been overselling it a bit by saying I like tragedy-- it's more that i tend to have more tolerance for when characters die and horror that makes me feel Very Sad than Stella and Alicia do.

Accordingly, some of these are going to skew more meditative/sad than horror, and some will skew more towards horror than sad, but I'll be sure to make note of each

Oxenfree was already recc'd by Stella, but I'm seconding it here. I'm a big fan of horror that plays with the resentment and wistfulness and 'tu fui ego eris' of ghosts. I also love the use of radios in horror. Something about attempting to establish contact or mutual intelligibility and it going horribly wrong (that's also a feature I really enjoy in the Silent Hill games, but i imagine that those need no introduction)

Stella also recc'd Anatomy (which I made her play for me because I was too scared) and if a game about a house that is so resentful of being abandoned that it begins to lash out sounded interesting to you, Kitty Horrorshow has made a lot more games where that one came from. Jacob Geller has made a video about one of the collections if you'd like to preview the offerings on display

I'd also like to second the rec for Devotion. It's a beautifully told and terrifying game that explores the tragedy of a family that is pushed to their breaking point and exploited by a religious movement

Lobotomy Corporation is a game I haven't completely finished yet because I've only been playing it whenever i stream for my friends, but it draws on a lot of creepypasta and SCP influences. Mostly, however, it draws on "Capitalism is Evil and Soulsucking" influences. it's a management sim where you are in charge of a facility and have to extract energy from Abnormalities. it has extremely punishing gameplay, compelling characters, and every mechanic (and i do mean every mechanic) is diegetic.

Because I haven't finished it, I haven't played the sequel, Library of Ruina, which my friends assure me will absolutely decimate me with themes and agonies and emotions and time prison

What Remains of Edith Finch isn't really a horror game so much as it is a story of a family's experiences and relationship with death, as well as how they experience and process it. Playing as Edith, you explore the Finch family home, learning more about the curse that has followed each generation of the Finches through the mechanism of the stories they tell about themselves and each other. Most of the game-play is a hybrid of Walking Simulator and interactive segments where you have to pilot each Finch to their inevitable death

Likewise, Outer Wilds isn't so much a horror game as a game that has scary aspects, scenes, and sequences. The primary mechanic of the game is reliant on you being stuck in a timeloop and attempting to determine why and how, as well as attempting to discover how to save everyone from the sun exploding

I've only played a bit of Everybody's Gone to The Rapture , but it has a very Twilight Zone tone and feel to it. Whether or not this is a horror game could be contested, but I've had enough recurring nightmares of everyone I love vanishing overnight for this to be Terrifying. The gameplay is pretty firmly on the walking simulator side

I haven't played The Mortuary Assistant yet because it freaks stella and alicia out and I'm too scared to play it alone. However, the idea of fighting against demonic possession while embalming bodies and confronting your own past is compelling to me.

Also there are quite a few visual novels I've read that grapple with horror and tragedy, like the When They Cry series (content warnings for everything you can possibly imagine in there) or Zero Escape. I've been meaning to play The House in Fata Morgana for a while but I know i'll need to shake my friends down for content warnings on that one before I can even begin to approach it

I might update or add to this later because I recently downloaded a bunch of itchio games, including Hypnagogia and the 2022 Haunted PS1 Demo Disc, and I def want to check those out before I start scattering recs willy-nilly

I hope at least a few of these will pique your interest! You're also welcome to hop in with more specific requests for direction or places to look, as there are a few horror or horror-leaning games I've left out because I was pretty lukewarm about them and their endings, but might still fit the bill of what you're looking for (ie The Vanishing of Ethan Carter). Likewise, there are some games I know of but haven't played for myself if you'd like some direction re: games with mechanics, style, and tone that you might be interested in checking out

Gen 2. Cinderella #15 Tragedy Upon Tragedy

Although Queen Madonna wanted to live in the main castle, Florian was reluctant to leave his castle estate. They made the best of it, and soon enough, it was winter and time to decorate for the holidays.

Mid-life crisis over, Florian went back to making nectar.

Madonna worked on her figures. She decided she needed to get a hand and body figure to help her get the proportions right.

He sat down to think back over his life.

"Florian, why are you down here in the servants' quarters?" "I am just taking a break from nectar making." "Don't stay by the fire too long." "I'll be fine."

He tired easily, though, and fell asleep ... for hours. When she came back down, Florian had fainted after losing his battle to his illness and was dying from heat stroke. "Florian!"

"Wait! Not Florian! Girls, come quick!!"

Ella couldn't believe it... in a short season, she had lost her grandparents and her father.

"Please, don't ....!" Ella sat down to pour out her melancholy thoughts... little did she know what a turn her life would take after this.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Everybody gathered yet again...

(Never saw this before, but it changed my mind on how to tell Madonna's story. Comes from the Celebrity quirk system. Thank goodness no paparazzi today... Can't deal with randomly dressed townies)

Queen Madonna wasn't simply a gold digger... she was a jealous romantic who lost two loves in her lifetime. In the end, after a change of heart, Florian had left her with not only the royal title, but also the ownership of the leased vineyard from the Royal Family.

He bequeathed the castle and treasury to Ella, so that she could be independent once she became a young adult. He had also built her this portal that would activate when she turned 18. (Florian had even said goodbye to his beloved horse, Major, the night before.)

Farewell to the King Who Truly Loved His Family, Florian Tremaine.

Not going to lie, I didn't know he could die this way, but was relieved because it was so much less traumatizing than the other death by fire... it just happened so quickly, I didn't have time to process it. Not a fan of all the tragedy in Ella's life :( I don't usually have my Sims die, in fact... but this truly was Florian's last day of life by normal aging. No "new" custom content, but Ella is wearing the black version of Snow's wedding dress from @zeussim 💕

Main Back Next

I kinda blame you for encouraging me 😅 Though I also thank you for it because this has helped me a little during my anxiety tick season.

I decided against installing TS3 again because I don't feel like fighting with lagging, bugs and crashing, even though I do think it's the best game from the series, narrowly followed by TS2, I like TS2 the best gameplay-wise but I don't really enjoy creating sims or decorating with it as I said in my last ask, with TS3 my favorite ways to pass time was creating sims and decorating. I also liked gameplay but all that lagging, bugs and crashing/CRASHING WHEN SAVING THE GAME were making me want to rip my head off, my heartbeat still rises when I remember those 3428765 times when I was decorating a house I was super proud of and had decorated it for 3 hours straight and finished it, had saved last time an hour ago when two rooms were still undecorated, then I saved but game said HAHA F YOU and crashed. Buuut I decided to venture through TS4 CC to see if I could lessen or even delete features I hate with TS4 by mods, those features which have previously made the game unplayable to me.

And um, nobody told me there's so much mods that make gameplay sO MUCH MORE PLEASANT??? Also the game has included a lot of in-game switches since I last played it. Like the switch where sims can't die from feelings 😅 (I remember literally having one of my favorite sims die from laughter once during I was concentrating in something else……. it was so frustrating, she was level 6 in her career, had a boyfriend + two kids and I had just bought and decorated a new house for them and I was really proud of that house)

ALSO ALSO I've always been a fan of alpha sim CC with TS2 and TS3 but ummmm Maxis Match with TS4 is so cute??? And it fits the world around them perfectly

+ I admire those people who work behind the game so much because they've brought so much new stuff into the game without having to buy anything, and also inclusive stuff through free updates, for example the ability to do trans sims, choosing pronouns for sims and now asexual sims are coming too. They could have made money out of it but instead they made it free (thank god EA thought so too, I remember a Sim Guru saying once that they'd want to lower prices for Game packs and make Kits free but that isn't up to them). Also the High School expansion pack looks really cool!

And I mean I still think the vanilla game is nowhere near perfect nor it compares to earlier installments and kinda feels like it could have been a game in between TS2 and TS3 (again, in my opinion) and I'm still frustrated with a lot of stuff, I have MAJOR complaints about the gameplay especially, for example the lack of open world (visiting a literal neighbor across the street requires a loading screen… I'd kinda get it if you wanted to visit other side of town but why even the home street can't be "open world") + the fact that you can't add new lots, especially the latter bugs me + that when a sim smiles or does any facial expressions, they're super over-done which imo looks ridiculous, I mean I get it that the game is supposed to look cartoony bla bla bla but still.

I 100% agree with you on everything you said here, Jenni! basegame TS4 feels a little bland after a few hours of playing, and it's a shame gamepacks are so expensive, but the CC and mods community works SO HARD and gives us absolutely insane content! modders are out here creating whole ass extension packs for free, on par with EA? like that's insane. my favorite mods to use for realistic gameplay (bc that's what I strive for mostly) are Slice of Life, Life Tragedies, and MCCC (of course). also the attraction system that comes with Wonderful Whims is super realistic and adds a lot to the relationship aspect of the game! If you ever want to share your Sims 4 screenshots / stories / families or houses or whatnot, just know you can absolutely send them my way and I'll be happy to discuss them with you ❤

And I'll answer your other ask (with the story pictures) with some of my own! They're so cringe but I had a lot of fun with them in middle school lmao

TS4 Cottage Living Sims Part 2

Here are some more country folk to populate Henford-on-Bagley! Thank you again to the EA Game Changer Program for making this content possible! All these Sims have backstories which intertwine with each other and those of the Sims of Part 1.

Below the cut you’ll find:

Individual Download Links for the Sims

As well as a Zip File containing all the Sims

Sims’ Backstories and Traits

CC Links

All Sims have all 8 Outfits using only CL and Basegame except for those Sims with pets, those require Cats&Dogs as well, obvs..

Note: There is CC included in the Download Files, make sure to put it in your Mods Folder along with the CC linked below! ♥️

Have fun!   🐮 ♥️ 🐇 ♥️ 🐥  

CC LINKS:  Lashes // Skintone // SkinDetails // Jake’s Glasses

Credits: @cienzroza @kijiko-sims @annamsblue @pyxiidis @tamo-sim @squeamishsims @berryconfetti @vibrantpixels @vegantrait @rheallsim @simbience Thank you to @maxismatchccworld for reblogging ♥️

Note: You need the No EA Eyelashes Mod by Cienzroza for the Sims to look exactly like they do in the pictures!

➞ Cottage Living Sims Part 1

DOWNLOAD ALL SIMS HERE or individual Links below

Sim Links from Top to Bottom:

Melanie Koenig

YA // Quick Learner // Cheerful // Bookworm // Clumsy

You might think that being the local nerdy librarian and a former teacher’s pet (which her peers always resented her a bit for) means life wasn’t always easy for Melanie. Granted, she is one smart cookie but her people skills never were the best. And yet, while Melanie definitely is a bit awkward, she also has a very sunny disposition and there is very little that can dampen her spirits. She loves reading and has a huge collection of books that she adds to regularly, although the classics are her favorite. And she does prefer watching old Hollywood films on her couch with Pete her cat but every once in a blue moon when Melanie closes the library for the night, she lets Milly and Sabina drag her to the pub for a spot of karaoke.

Bella Teeluck

YA // Quick Learner // Music Lover // Childish // Neat

Bella, like Melanie, was always a good student but what Melanie lacks in people skills, Bella has in abundance. She’s especially popular with the elementary students she teaches because she starts every lesson with a song and she’s never lost the joy of playing with kids’ toys. Bella loves children and they love her because they sense that Bella is still a kid at heart. Music is very important to her and she will often get out the guitar and play pop songs while her nb kid Robin dances and sings along. And sometimes, when he has closed up the shop, Bella’s brother Jonas comes over and joins in, to the great joy of Robin, because Jonas always brings along a new children’s book.

Jake Rowland

YA // Essence of Flavor // Lazy // Bookworm // Jealous

Oh, Jake.. See, here’s the thing with Jake: Jake is majorly in love with Jonas, the local what’sitshop owner, and they have been on and off for a while but Jonas is just a bit too much of a free spirit to believe in monogamy, much to the dismay of Jake, who, let’s be honest, wants Jonas all to himself. And it could all be so perfect, because they both love to cook and they share a great passion for a good story. But Jonas can’t quite be tied down and Jake spends a lot of his time thinking of ways to convince his friend to settle down together (although Jake does like living with his sister Milly because she doesn’t mind when he slacks on his chores.. yet again). Oh, and Jake is not at all too keen on the looks that newcomer Cai is giving Jonas every time he visits the shop!

Kamilah Sabry

Adult // Domestic // Self-Assured // Ambitious // Family-Oriented

Kamilah is the proud mom of recent university graduate Cai and she’s the mayor of Henford-on-Bagley where many say she’s the best mayor the little town has ever seen. Kamilah is a power house and a doer and ‘impossible’ is not in her vocabulary! There is a lot to be done and, by golly, will it be done, if it weren’t for a certain prominent senior Henford-on-Bagley citizen, the formidable Lilly Lindgren, who seems to fancy herself a bit of a deputy mayor. The two can often be seen around town, with Lilly talking to or rather at Kamilah, giving her (unsolicited) advice and telling her how things should or shouldn’t be run and if Kamilah weren’t such a diplomat, she might just tell Lilly to shove it where the sun.. flowers don’t grow.

Prof. Saatvik Acharya

Elder // Gregarious // Cheerful // Genius // Perfectionist

Ah, yes, what would Henford-on-Bagley be without Professor Acharya, another one of the town’s staples. He still holds the occasional lecture at Britechester University but these days he prefers working in his lush garden where he cultivates the most exquisite roses, envy of many a hobby botanist around, and where he can be found playing chess and contemplating the meaning of life with Sabina or Herbert on many a lazy afternoon. Saatvik has a witty and warm sense of humor and even reclusive Delphine doesn’t mind when he comes by to chat about her roses, not only because Saatvik is so charming but also because he’s gentleman enough to leave a lady’s secrets alone. Quite unlike Lilly, who is always on everybody’s case but Saatvik and Delphine alike know well enough to hide behind their rose bushes when Lilly comes by.

Herbert Birch

YA // Muser // Gloomy // Foodie // Lactose Intolerant

Poor Herbert. Life really did a number on him when it made him lactose intolerant because, see, Herbert is a dairy farmer like his parents before him and their parents before.. you get the drift. Herbert only found out recently about his affliction but at least now he knows why he’s always been so, uhm, bloated. It’s a bit of a tragedy because Herbert loves blue cheese like no one else but he also likes writing poems ~ Herbert is a bit of a sensitive soul ~ and dreams of publishing them as none of his friends have the heart to tell him that they’re not very good. So, clueless Herbert milks his cows, composing in his mind a poem to win over Rosa, the pretty girl with the raven hair and the strawberry earrings. Maybe his friend Milly can put in a good word for him! 

Sabina Buckland

YA // Collector // Animal Enthusiast // Vegetarian // Outgoing

Sabina is a true child of nature, she lives at the edge of the forest and will often be found wandering the woods, talking to the animals and collecting what nature has to offer. You might think she’s a loner but Sabina loves people and she will always stop by the Prof’s cottage for a casual musing about the universe and how the stars are aligning that day, cheer up Herbert as he fusses over his newest tragic poem and have some coffee with Jonas who she sells the crystals and fossils to that she finds on her wanderings. Yet, for all her approachability there is something a little mysterious about Sabina and the town folk sure wonder why the mushrooms around her little house grow so abnormally large, winning the Finchwick Fair Competition five years in a row!

Note: There is CC included in the Download Files, make sure to put it in your Mods Folder along with the CC linked above!

Lonelyeyes week starts in four days! Time for guest list to be revealed and see if anyone is invited. 👁️⚓

[ID: A cream paper on a light green background. The paper has a thin, navy border along the sides. At the top of the paper, there is a translucent light blue stripe going the width of the paper. In it reads, “Guest List”

Underneath it, in Peter’s blue print, it says, “Why is this list so long? I don’t even know these people…” To which Elias, in green print, has responded, “You are doing your best not to know anyone Peter, that is not an argument”

Thus begins the list. Names have been written in Elias’ green cursive, but each has been crossed out. Next to each name follows a conversation between Peter and Elias in their respective prints.

At the top is “Michael” which has been crossed out by Elias who also wrote, “He never bothered to hand in his resignation properly. Getting consumed by Spiral is not an excuse.” Peter has added, “Ah, I remember him, had to take him and Gertrude to Russia. Poor guy would have been a good lonely avatar.”

Following that is “Oliver Banks” Elias also crossed out this name and wrote, “Something about him just makes me uncomfortable…” Peter put, “Please you are just being paranoid.”

Next is “Jane Prentiss” Elias crossed this off and put, “Actually inviting anyone of Corruption is probably a bad idea.” Peter added, “If I see any worms in our food I’m leaving your Elias >:(“

Then “Hezekiah Wakely” Elias crossed this off and added, “He never responded to my last letter. Also he probably passed away a century ago.” To which Peter responded, “Leave it to the old man to forget which friends are already dead.” Peter has also drawn a little tombstone next to this.

The next name is “Simon Fairchild” which Peter has crossed off this time and wrote, “No” Elias responded “Why? I thought you don’t mind Simon. Is he teasing you about some lost bet or…?” Peter added, “I don’t want to talk about it” Elias then said, “I think I need to have some chat with him now.” Peter’s last part is overlapping with Elias’ last message, he wrote “NO!” very largely over the last word

Next is “Jared Hopworth” which Elias crossed out and added, “Flesh avatars are such an Eyesore” Peter added, “ . . . pun intended?” And Elias has drawn a little eye next to this

Then “Alfred Grifter” Elias crossed his name off and wrote, “I still cannot believe you hired him once to play at our wedding” Peter responded, “I didn’t even know he is an avatar of the Slaughter! I just hired the first person I met, what did you even expect from me?”

“Jude Perry” is next and was crossed off by Elias who also wrote, “She burnt decorations last time” Peter added, “Yes, she missed, I think she aimed at you…” Elias responded to that saying, “She was just upset because Agnes was in the middle of dating that young man and I invited her to the wedding.”

Then “Nikola Orsinov” Elias crossed her off and added, “No, for obvious reasons” Peter responded, “Aww you don’t want our wedding to be a spectacle?” Elias responded to that saying, “Peter, if you want skinned people and blood dripping everywhere, be my guest.” Peter added, “Just teasing you. I don’t like the stranger.” And he also drew the tragedy and comedy masks next to this.

Next is “Maxwell Rayner” both Elias and Peter have crossed him off the list. Elias wrote, “No, for even more obvious reasons! He also keeps flirting with me even when I told him no.” Peter added, “No idea who he is but kick him out.” Elias responded, “You really don’t listen when I complain, do you? Also oh? Is someone jealous?” Peter added, “NO! Let’s move on” and Elias responded to that, italicised, “You do care!” Elias also drew a heart on the right side of the text.

Following that is “Gertrude Robinson'' whom Peter has crossed off and added, “I don’t want there to be any Archivist. Also didn’t you kill her?” Elias added, “Oh true I did” Elias also drew a gun that says, “Bang bang the witch is dead” underneath it.

The name “Jonathan Sims” was crossed off by Peter who wrote, “I said don’t want there ANY Archivist” Elias has added a crying emoticon.

Both Elias and Peter crossed off “Nathaniel Lukas” Peter wrote, “I don’t want there any members of my family” Elias added, “Don’t worry I doubt they would come anyway” Peter added, “Thank god for that, I don’t think I could handle any more disapproving stares.” Elias responded, “Rude, I am delightful!!!”

Lastly is “Annabelle Cane” whom Peter crossed off. Elias wrote, “She asked me not to send her more junk mail which she defines as: ‘questions about Web related statements, attempts at friendly correspondence, articles about spiders and wedding invitations if it is more than once a year’” Peter added, “Wish you listened to me like that when I say I don’t want to answer questions about my crew” and he drew a small ship with a heart next to it. Elias drew a web with a spider on the other side of the text.

At the bottom of the paper, Peter has written, “Why do the list when you scratch out everyone anyway?” To which Elias has responded, “I want to know why exactly I am not inviting them (and you scratched some people away too…)”

There is also a pen laying on the bottom right of the paper. End ID]

Huntsville Revived #150

After tragedy struck the Whitachre household, we move on! I promise the Davis household will not exprience a devastating tragedy this rotation.

Spring - Days 1-3, Household 22 - Jack & Hazel; Dustin, Shay, Briony, Lucy and Coriel Davis.

At 43, Hazel Davis is really happy with her life. She’s a Pleasure Seeker/Family Sim who is working her way up a career in Gaming, which she really enjoys.

She had difficult teenage years. Her father, Luke, cheated on her mother, Briony, who died in a fire right after they had reconciled. Hazel had run off as a result, come home pregnant, and had only got her life back on track thanks to her Uncle Jordan and Aunt Coriel.

Her eldest son, Rafe, doesn’t live at home any more, but is close with his step-father and adores his multitude of younger siblings.

Hazel and Jack had an ideal relationship, both having so much love and respect for the other. Their biggest challenge is that their 5 children were a set of triplets followed by twins.

Jack is a Popularity/Family Sim. At 40, he has suggested more than once that he and Hazel try for 10 kids, but she has reminded him that this want is not very practical. Hazel is far more practical than Jack, who is a dreamer, but they balance each other out.

Jack is a teacher and also works as a DJ at the Crypt O’Night Club several nights a week. It’s exhausting, especially combined with 5 young children, but the family needs to money. He will provide for his family, and he will be there for his kids and care for them. Something his late father, Johnny, never did.

Shay is 6 years old and already has a keen sense of who he is. Hence why he ditched the last two letters of his name -N and A- because they did not suit him. He is glad to be part of such a supportive family.

Briony was named for her grandmother, but she hopes her life works out differently. Having loving parents is an excellent first step. She’s a bit shy, and having trouble making friends beyond her two brothers.

Dustin is definitely the most social of the triplets. Two siblings are not nearly enough company for him. When he isn’t playing with Shay or Briony, he’s on the phone or inviting over a kid from school. He’s much more confident than either Hazel or Jack were at 6.

Coriel and Lucy are now 1. Coriel was named after Hazel’s adored aunt who recently passed. Lucy is named Lucy because she just seems like such a Lucy. 

I think Plesantview have many examples which could fit for that idea just like Bella - Cassandra, Mary Sue - Lilith/Angela, Dustin - Beau and Darren - Dirk.

Hello my dear anon! Thank you for this curious question. Because, in spite of the fact that I don’t agree with some of these points (and I’ll explain why) I adore to discuss ts2 lore! And I hope it’ll interesting for you just like it's for me.

In my ‘you don't have to be like them’ post I was analyzing really bad sims who did, without exaggeration, terrible things (sometimes it was evil and frightening). And that of course doesn’t mean these characters are least favorite for us. On the contrary they’re deservedly the most beloved by the players. Each of them has their own unique story. Some of these sims have changed (like PT9), the other wont regret what they did for the rest of their days (like Olive). For example, I hate xenophobes in real life but I love playing with Buzz Grant. I mean, these sims are nice to play meanwhile they’re not really nice. Pleasantview is a completely different thing. Yes, there’re bastards there too. And perhaps Brandi Broke killed her husband (although to be honest the developers never hinted at this)... But even these situations and these sims are not as extraordinary as, for example, a serial killer or an alien racist. And actually life in Pleasantview is more trivial. But I still want to explain everything with more details.

Point 1. Bella and Cassandra. I know there’re a lot of speculations about Bella’s disappear, we have a bunch of theories and I love them all. But I’m so nerd who prefer to stick to the realities (that’re boring just like me). Bella Goth was abducted by the aliens because of Caliente sisters’ collusion. She didn’t run away, she wasn’t killed, etc. This is how the developers presented this story to us. This is canon. And Bella is a very good person (she has 7 nice points) and she is really humble (only 3 outgoing points). She and Cassandra have a very similar personality. If you look at Cassandra's memories, you will find that her mother taught her all toddler skills (without Mortimer). Bella Goth is a wonderful mother. In addition, Bella refused Don. This is what Cassandra has to do. Cassandra should be like Bella (actually she is). And I can see nothing bad about their relationships or about our ‘lady in red’.

Point 2. Darren and Dirk. What’s wrong with Darren? He’s definitely of the nicest sim in this game! We talk about the widower who truly cares for his son and supports Dirk. Perhaps you mean that Dirk is a fortune sim so he can see his father as a loser. Because Darren left the business carrier to realize his dream of becoming an artist. And this’s not so ‘economically efficient’… I can definitely see this kind of conflict between them. It’s very interesting. But I’m sure Darren can demonstrate to his son sometimes money and a career are not enough for self-realization. So I belief Dirk should be like Darren.

Point 3. Mary Sue and Lilith/Angela. Their situation is more complicated but we still can avoid a tragedy. Mary Sue works very hard and often forgets about her family. Especially it hurts Lilith who hasn't received enough love from her parents since childhood. But I want to note the relationship between Mary Sue and ‘an evil twin’ is not the most terrible (unlike the relationship between Lilith and Daniel). Mary Sue makes the typical mistakes that many parents make. This can damage them a lot, but she still has a chance to fix it. And she loves her girls and has never done anything terrible. However, I feel like Lilith and Angela should be more independent from their parents’ influence that seems to me toxic in some way.

Point 4. Dustin and Beau. Close enough to the main idea. Even in Beau's biography, there’s a mention of his bad ‘genetic destiny’. But this’s only one case. And in fact Dustin is still very young. And he also has a chance to change his life. Especially if he'll be under the influence of his girlfriend Angela (after all, his biography says that deep in his heart ‘wishes people would tell him what to do’).

I know it was a quite long. But I hope I managed to explain everything :)

On Tragedy vs. Bad Endings

[Image ID: user @frostyfrogz​ replied to your post “my mag171 #thots: I fully agree with. I love jonmartin I want nothing but the best for them. I know my answer today was an obvious twisting of dialogue but its just frustrating sometimes because it seems like people dont understand some sort of tragedy will indeed happen. I have never and will never suggest that something will happen to Jon and Martin’s relationship I’ve just been saying the shows not going to end well no matter what.]

So I have a lot of thoughts about this very subject, and too much for the replies on my post, so allow me to try to articulate what I mean, and what a lot of us mean when we say “it does not make sense for either Jon or Martin to turn evil in the end,” even in a show that has been advertised from day one as a tragedy.

First of all, no one thinks this is going to end happy. The few who do are usually unaware that this show is billed as a tragedy, and are quick to be corrected. I didn’t know it was a tragedy until I was on season 3 and someone told me. It’s overall just best to assume that the OP knows it’s not going to be a happy ending, because “reminding” people or “explaining” to people that the ending is going to be sad is a fast way from people to get annoyed and defensive.

Anyway! It appears, above all, that people have either fundamentally different ideas of what a tragedy is or accomplishes, or that people have a fundamentally flawed understanding of tragedy and it’s place as a narrative device/theme.

My thoughts are that tragedies hurt, and tragedies can be devastating, but they have to have a message and they should not be cruel to the audience.

A cruel ending would involve leading the audience to believe one thing for the entire book, show, movie, podcast, what have you, just to rip it away at the last minute like a big “fuck you” to the audience. Those sorts of endings are inherently mocking of the audience, and ultimately disrespectful. The only people in the audience that “benefit” from this sort of writing are the cynics who spent the entire show talking down to everyone for seeing the silver lining in the impending tragedy, even if, up until the finale, the silver lining was always part of the narrative. Like it took actual twisting and outright ignoring of the narrative as it’s written to be cynical and sceptical all the way until the end.

That is, plain and simple, bad writing. Jonny Sims is not a bad writer.

Now tragedies often have “happy endings,” they just also have an element of sadness colouring that ending. A good, tragic ending should, in my opinion, feel bittersweet. We should see it coming, we should know it will hurt, but it should be for the greater good and should further the narrative that has been told from the beginning.

I said a few weeks ago that a tragic ending without a silver lining is just torture porn, and I stand by it.

Now, if Jon or Martin are revealed to be Actually Evil in the end, where is the silver lining in that? What narrative has even possibly hinted at this outcome, without putting on cynic glasses?

Every single plot point and plot “twist” in TMA has been clearly detailed, never relegated to pure subtext that you would have to comb through a single interraction and analyzing the tone in which it was said (which could easily be actor shortcomings or error). They have always been obvious, at least in hindsight. This is why, for a while, I subscribed to the Web!Martin theory, but due to recent episodes I’m more inclined to believe those “obvious things” were red herrings.

Throughout The Magnus Archives, the common theme in every. Single. Season finale is that “we are stronger together.” What do I mean by that? Well, here’s the general idea:

Season 1: The one time someone gets separated by the group for any significant length of time, like I mean the main group, she gets killed by the NotThem and replaced.

Season 2: Jon is alone, due to his intense paranoia and his reluctance to reach out for help. This leads to a disastrous series of events that leaves him a suspect of murder, and his friends even more doubtful of his character.

Season 3: In the episode just before they deal with the Unknowing, Jon literally says that isolation was his downfall, and he was going to work on trusting his friends more. When they got separated during the Unknowing, things went to shit. When they found each other again, they were able to rally and they “succeeded.” Conversely, they are also teamed up with Melanie and Martin who hung back to bring down Elias. They were successful, working as teams on separate objectives, etc.

Season 4: This is, by far, their most “successful” feats while simultaneously their least. The whole season was again showing the downfalls of isolation. In the season finale, Jon has Basira and Daisy’s help, and while bolstering himself with their strength, and the strength in his conviction to save Martin to be with Martin, Jon was successful in stopping Peter Lukas and saving Martin. Conversely, Martin and Jon’s isolation in Scotland could be, theoretically, implicated in how Jonah Magnus was able to succeed in the end like that.

Now evidence of this same train of thought in season 5? Jon literally says it: Gertrude would not have done well in this post-apocalyptic world, because she had no friendships, no anchors, no reason to stay human. And then Jon says “you are my reason” to Martin.

It is in the text of the story that the only way to succeed, or win, or survive, is through trust, friendship, and love. One of the main factors in so many of the statements, on why the statement givers succumbed to the fear in their story, for even a moment, had to do with very little personal ties to anyone else. Many of the statements feature isolation and, as Jon put it, “lack of corroboration.” On the flipside, many of the statements that ended with the statement giver escaping successfully, and surviving long enough to be reached out to for follow-up questions, involved them having close personal ties to someone else that kept them safe, somehow. Like the girl from Italy; remembering her mom saved her from the Lonely. Or, more ridiculously, the guy and his dog that escaped the spiral because he was so distracted by his dog and had to be home for dinner. In MAG170, it was Martin’s love for Jon, and his trust in the love from Jon and his friends, that saved him from the Lonely again. Jon’s incredible amount of love, and respect, and trust in his friends is what’s kept him from becoming another Jared Hopworth or Jude Perry. In MAG155, Cost of Living, he expresses open disgust in how that particular avatar of The End justified her actions, killing and killing and killing again because she viewed herself as more worthy of life than that person. In that same episode, he talks of not blinding himself because he hopes to use his powers to protect his friends, that without them they’re too vulnerable. Honestly, this is the same reason Peter Lukas is unsuccessful, because Martin only helped him at all to protect his friends. The fact that he didn’t see his failure coming was hilarious.

Gerry said in Family Business that there is no “entities of love”, and that might be true, but love and trust is literally what saves you from fear. How many of us deal with things that are scary in our lives, if only because we have some level of trust in the people or things around us. How many of us have been brought out of a panic attack by someone we love and trust?

So all of this has been presented to us, over and over and over again, which is what I, and others, mean when we say “it does not make sense for one of them to be evil.” That’s what we mean when we say “it would be Bad Writing to make one of them evil in the end.” The entire show has driven home the message that we need love, we need personal connections to survive fear. To rip that away from the main characters at the last minute and call it “tragedy” would be a spit in the face of every single listener who took the story at face value, without picking it apart and reading lines out of context. And Jonny Sims and Alex J. Newall have both said they hate lazy writing.

Now, none of the JonMartin fans I follow are deluding themselves to think this show will have a happy ending outside of very self-indulgent fix-it au fanfics.

The way I see this going down is that Jon and Martin will figure out how to put the world back to the way it was, but Jon will not be able to be part of the new world with Martin. That’s the tragedy; that the world gets saved, and Jon helps save it, but he doesn’t get to benefit from his efforts in any way. The tragedy is Jon loves Martin so much, and they deserve their happy ending, but they don’t get it. But, they still saved the world so others can have their happy endings.

Idk about you, but between the “Jon turns evil in the end” and “Jon stays good and sacrifices himself to save the world” endings, only one of them has me in tears right now as I type this out, and it’s not the former.

I’m not against sad endings,I’m against bad endings that punish the audience for having even a bittersweet hope. I’m against sad endings that are just sad for the sake of being sad, with zero pay-off or reason to happen, especially when those endings throw out 5 years of hard work.

And hey, I might just be forced to eat my words in the end, but not before I fly all the way to England and make Jonny Sims eat a knuckle sandwich.

This was a lot longer than I meant for it to be, but I just have a lot of feelings.

All the dramas I’ve watched in 2020

These are all the dramas that I watched in 2020, with some review there should be NO Spoilers. I think I watched a lot more than usual probably because what else am I supposed to do between school and quarantine. So this is gonna be a long one...

Crash Landing on You (Lee Jung-hyo, 2019-2020)

Main Leads: Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin

Episodes: 16, 70 to 110 Minutes 

Thoughts: I enjoyed this drama, and it was a good one to start 2020 with. I thought it was a perfect blend of romance, comedy, heartfelt, found family, action, and some tragedy. I would highly recommend it, especially for those who are new to Kdramas. Also fun fact this is my first Hyun Bin drama. Rating: Fun and adorable

Tale of Nokdu (Kim Dong-hwi, 2019)

Main Leads: Jang Dong Yoon and Kim So Hyun

Episodes: 32, 35 minutes

Thoughts: I actually started watching this when it was airing but I stopped around episode 13 because of my busy schedule and finished it in the new year. I adore the main couple, the romance, comedy, the found family, and the women center story. I thought it shined the brightest when it was focused on the group and its funny and warm moments but once it got too political it kinda fell flat. I loved the ending, however. Also, I really like Jang Dong Young as an actor, I saw him in Solomon’s Perjury (2016) and Mr. Sunshine (2018) and I loved how he played Nok Du too. Rating: I love a women’s only widow village

I’ll Find You When The Weather is Nice (Han Ji-seung, 2020)

Main Leads: Seo Kang Joon and Park Min Young

Episodes: 16, 60 minutes 

Thoughts: I really liked this drama, probably one of my favorites this year. As you will notice I enjoy quieter and more slow-burn stories. Also, I am a fan of Park Min Young she tends to pick more interesting and strong-willed female roles, so it is really enjoyable to watch.  Rating: makes me want to own a book store.

King: The Eternal Monarch (Kim Eun-sook, 2020)

Main Leads: Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun

Episodes: 16, 70 Minutes

Thoughts: Confession; I am actually not the biggest fan of Lee Min Ho, nothing against him I just hate rich bratty characters and he tends to play them. However, I surprisingly really liked his character, he wasn’t a rich brat he actually was likable. I also really like Kim Go Eun, she is actually one of the main reasons why I watched and also with all the hype around it. Woo Do Hwan, who I have always liked, stole the whole show, however. I didn’t hate it like a lot of people, I really liked the characters, I liked the romance and the action. Also, Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun’s hugs were absolutely fabulous. It wasn’t my favorite and there were too many product placements, but I don’t think it was the worst drama this year. Rating: Lukewarm 

A Piece of your mind (Lee Sang-yeob, 2020)

Main Leads: Jung Hae In and Chae Soo Bin

Episodes: 12, 70 minutes

Thoughts: I actually really liked this drama despite the low views, again I’m big on slow burn stories and character focus. I believe the episodes were cut from 16 to 12 I don’t know exactly why maybe because of the Pandemic or due to viewership or a mixture of both. Despite its being cut short I really liked the ending, and I thought the two leads were sweet. Rating: Wish we had more time to develop the characters.

Its Okay not to be Okay (Park Shin Woo, 2020) 

Main Leads: Kim Soo Hyun and Seo Yea Ji and Oh Jung Se 

Episodes: 16, 70 to 85 minutes

Thoughts: Out of all the dramas I talked the most about this one. I have always been a fan of Seo Yea Ji since Save Me (2017) and Lawless Lawyer (2018) and I am happy to see her getting more recognition because of this role. The entire cast was amazing and I think I cried every episode. Such a good and heart-wrenching drama which is why I chose to watch it before work every time. Rating: I would let Seo Yea Ji stab me with a knife anytime.

Mystic Pop up bar (Jeon Chang-geun, 2020) 

Main Leads: Hwang Jung Eum and Yook Sung Jae and Choi Won Young

Episodes: 12, 70 minutes

Thoughts: I actually watched this while I was watching Its Okay Not to Be Okay and it was a nice balance to it because this was more of a found family story with less heartbreaking moments. Though it did have its share of heartbreak. I really liked all the characters and their relationship. Also, I am a sucker for bureaucratic fantasy/ magic, and kdramas are so good at it. Rating: I wish it was 16 episodes. 

When the Camila Bloom (Cha Yeong Hoon, 2019) 

Main Leads: Gong Hyo Jin and Kang Ha Neul

Episodes: 20, 63 to 75 minutes

Thoughts: I liked the story overall, the romance was cute and the mystery was interesting but I thought the family expectations was the best part of the story. This was not my favorite drama, but it was enjoyable and heartfelt. I watched it right after It's Okay Not to Be Okay and while I was watching Flower of Evil (2020) which probably is why I was so underwhelmed by it. Rating: Sweet romance and adorable found family.

Flower of Evil (Kim Cheol Kyu, 2020) 

Main Leads: Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won

Episode:16, 70 minutes

Thoughts: This was my favorite drama of this year. I went into this drama not thinking much of it, and I mainly watched it as a post drama blues drama. It was an action and thriller which I mainly don’t get attached to plus I am a huge fan of Lee Joon Gi. I should have known better, I cared so much about all the characters, the acting phenomenal, also every time they showed their hands I cried. This drama left me shriveled and empty inside. Rating: Lee Joon Gi will literally kill me one day. 

Put Your Head On My Shoulders (Zhu Dongning, 2019) 

Main Leads: Xing Fei and Lin Yi 

Episodes: 24, 40 to 45 minutes

Thoughts: This is the first Chinese drama on this list. I thought it was cute, I liked the couple and thought it was alright. I started to dislike the male lead later in the series but it was overall fine. It was basic and sweet with very little drama. Rating: It did its job.

The School Nurse Files ( Lee Kyoung Mi, 2020)

Main Leads: Jung Yu Mi and Nam Joo Hyuk

Episodes: 6,  45 to 57 minutes

Thoughts: This is probably my second favorite drama. I couldn’t tell what happened in the drama but I loved it. I thought it was weird and fascinating, and just so magical. I loved the children and just how the whole school was just off its rocker. I also think that Nam Joo Hyuk does really well in serious roles, and I thought he did a really good job here. Rating: 1 jelly heart.  

Mr. Heart (Park Sun Jae, 2020) 

Main Leads: Cheon Seung Ho and Lee Se Jin

Episodes: 8, 11 Minutes

Thoughts: This was 8 episodes of start fluff and I adored it. Apparently, it is apart of a BL series by Park Sun Jae and there is a movie version that I haven’t watched. If you want to destress and watch just fluff this is the show for you. Rating: If it is any sweeter I would be going to the dentist. 

You are My Destiny ( Ding Ying Zhou, 2020) 

Main Leads: Xing Zhao Lin  and Liang Jie

Episodes: 36, 45 minutes

Thoughts: I hated this drama, I thought it was the worst thing ever. I don’t know why I even watched all 36 episodes. Apparently, it is a remake of a popular 2008 Twaniese drama Fated to Love You and there is a Korean remake of it as well. I have watched neither of them, so I was brand new to this story. I hated, despised the male lead. He was whiny, entitled, and an asshole. The only good part of the drama was the male and female lead actually had a lot of chemistry, unfortunately, they are playing awful characters. Rating: This was made in 2020???

First Romance (Ding Pei, 2020) 

Main Leads: Wan Peng and Riley Wang

Episodes: 24, 45 Minutes

Thoughts: This is another Chinese drama. Similar to Mr. Heart (2020) this show was super fluffy. I really liked the main couple they seem to respect each other and they both had adorable crushes on each other. I loved the whole dumb jock and dumb artist dynamic it was so funny. Rating: Cute!!! 

Lost Romance ( Eri Hao, 2020) 

Main Leads: Marcus Chang and Vivian Sung

Episodes: 20, 70 minutes 

Thoughts: This is the only Twainese drama on this list. I think I liked this drama, I actually only remember very little of this drama. I like the CEO in the real world more than the book world, and I also really liked the female lead except she lowkey stalked the CEO like that was not okay. Rating: I think I liked it???

When We Were Young ( Deng Ke, Liu Guo Hui, 2018)

Main Leads: Neo Hou and Wan Peng and Gala Zhang and Pan Mei and Ye Marcus Li

Episodes: 24, 45 minutes

Thoughts: I really liked this film, I loved all the characters and thought it was all very heartfelt. I cried like a baby, and Hua Biao was such a touching and relatable character. And the whole grandma story hit so close to home. Rating: Made me cry like a baby.

Moment of 18 ( Sim Na Yeon, 2019)

Main Leads: Ong Seong Wu and Kim Hyang Gi

Episodes: 16, 70 minutes

Thoughts: I really liked this drama, and I thought the romance was so cute. I also really liked the relationship between the moms and was sad that the rich mom was a bitch and ruined the friendship. I also wasn’t a big fan of the ending, but I loved the rest of it. Rating: The main lead is part of a boy group because he had a random singing moment. 

Perfect and Casual ( Li Shuang, 2020) 

Main Leads: Miles Wei and Xu Ruo Han

Episodes: 24, 45 minutes

Thoughts: This is another Chinese drama on this list. I’m pretty sure it's considered an Idol drama so that sets your expectations. I really liked this drama a lot, I am a big fan of contract marriages and I thought the leads were so cute together. Also, this is the first contract marriage drama where the leads don’t break up which I like. A lot of the drama came from outside of the relationship. Rating: You can’t analyze love.

Le Coup De Foudre ( Wang Zhi, 2019) 

Main Leads: Janice Wu and Zhang Yujian

Episodes: 35, 45 minutes

Thoughts: My favorite Chinese drama on this list. I loved this drama, I thought it was sweet and simple and the main couple was so realistic. Unpopular opinion I disliked the second couple and the best friend I thought she was annoying and brattish. However, I adore the main couple and their relationship. Rating: Realistic sweet romance. 

More Than Friends ( Choi Sung Bum, 2020)

Main Leads: Ong Seong Wu and Shin Ye Eun

Episodes: 16, 70 minutes

Thoughts: I enjoyed the overall story and characters. I loved the group and their relationships. Also, Young-Hee made me cry, and her relationship with Hyun Jae was so sweet. The main leads were also sweet, and I related a lot to Lee So. I just didn’t like the back and forth. Rating: How many times can we break up in a drama. 

Be With You ( Zhou Miao, 2020) 

Main Leads: Ji Xiao Bing and Zhang Ya-Qin

Episodes: 24, 45 minutes

Thoughts: This is the last Chinese drama I watched this year. It was alright, the romance was sweet, I really like the female lead, and the male lead was nice to look at. It was okay. Also, the second couple was so ??? She was his boss, enemy, and older than him, what?? Rating: Sometimes you need to fall in love to be creative. 

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo ( Kim Kyu Tae, 2016) 

Main Leads: Lee Joon Gi and Lee Ji Eun (IU) 

Episodes: 20, 60 minutes

Thoughts: I know I am really late watching this, but I finally did. I went in knowing this would hurt me and Lee Joon Gi already scared me this year ( damn this man) so I was fully prepared. I really wasn’t,  it so much. (SPOIlERS) When Wang Eun and Park Soon Deok died I sob like a baby (SPOILER ENDING). It took me a long time to finish this show because its heart so much, like it physically hurt me. The show was really good, and heartbreaking, and the ending stabs me in the heart 20 times. Rating: Lee Joon Gi is trying to kill me with tears. 

Persona ( Lee Kyoung Mi, Yim Pil Sung, Jeon Go Woon, and Kim Jong Kwan, 2019) 

Main Leads: Lee Ji Eun (IU) 

Episodes: 4, 19 to 27

Thoughts: This is a collection of mini-films by directors. 4 separate stories are starring Lee Ji Eun. I thought all of them good, especially “ Kiss Burn” and “Walking at Night.” There isn’t much else to this, more than it is an artistic display of filmmaking. Rating: Hipster Kdrama

Come and Hug Me ( Choi Joon-bae, 2018) 

Main Leads: Jang Ki-Yong and Jin Ki-Joo

Episodes: 32, 35 minutes

Thoughts: I actually just finished this show today. I really liked it, I thought it was both sweet and heartwarming/wrenching. I hated that one journalist and the public like why are they blaming a victim. I didn’t watch it with my full mind because I’ve been distracted lately, but I did enjoy it. Rating: another cute but sad couple. 

Movies I watched this year: 

Spell Bound ( Hwang In Ho, 2011)

Main Cast: Son Ye Jin and Lee Min Ki

Running Time: 114 Minutes

Thoughts: I watched this at like 12 am after a bad day and it was cute. I love RomCom fantasy, which I think Korean media does really well. I don’t know what else to say except it is a really cute romance. Rating: Is it the ghost or the butterflies

The Host ( Bong Joon Ho, 2006)

Main Cast: Song Kang Ho and Byun Hee Bong and Park Hae Il and Bae Doona and Go, Ah Sung

Running Time: 119

Thoughts: This film I had to actually watch for class. It was a really good film which is expected from Bong Joon Ho. I love monster films and I thought this was a good rendition of this film. Also, The monster was so cool especially from 2006. I thought it was heartbreaking, stirring, and so beautifully shot. Rating: Oscar-worthy Direction 

Little Forest ( Yim Soon-rye, 2018) 

Main Cast: Kim Tae Ri  and Ryu Jun Yeol and Moon So Ri and Jin Ki Joo

Running Time: 103 minutes

Thoughts: I really, really liked this film. It reminded me so much of I’ll Find You When The Weather is Nice (2020) that I thought that it was based on this film but it isn’t. I have watched this film 3 times since October and every time I watch it have made bread. I really just love everything about this film, how quiet it is, the cinematography, the acting, just everything. Rating: Three loaves of bread. 

Always ( Song Il Gon, 2011)

Main Cast: So Ji Sub and Han Hyo Joo

Running Time: 106 Minutes

Thoughts: I thought it was okay, I watched it while I was knitting so I was distracted a bit. But I thought the couple was sweet, and the characters were interesting. Rating: It's Okay.

       Currently watching 

True Beauty ( Kim Sang-hyeop, 2020-) 

Main Cast: Moon Ga Young and Cha Eun Woo and Hwang In Yeop

Episodes: 16, 70 minutes 

Thoughts: This is currently an ongoing series that is actually really popular. Apparently, it is based on a webtoon, which I haven’t read. I like it so far, I always liked Moon Ga Young and I think she is a great actress. She plays Im Ju Kyung in a likable and insecure way, instead of someone annoying which could easily happen. I will be continuing watching. Rating so far: Okey dokey yo.

Live On ( Kim Sang-woo, 2020-) 

Main Cast: Jung Da Bin and Hwang Min Hyun

Episodes: 8?, 60 Minutes

Thoughts: I really Like this show. The main couple is sweet and supportive. I really like the female lead, I like that she is cold and kinda quiet, but with a sweet spot if you are not a dick. I really like the main relationship conflict comes from friendship instead of romance, I think it makes the show more interesting. Rating: I want to Join a Broadcast group.  

On My List: 

I actually don’t have anything else on my list so if anyone has recommendations please tell me. I am thinking about watching Mr. Queen ( 2020) because I really like Shin Hye Sun. I also want to watch Sweet Home (2020) the Netflix series. But please recommend me some dramas!!!

This is such a long list, and I had fun doing it and going back over all the dramas. I hope everyone has a good New year and that we will have many more good dramas in 2021!

thinking about sims lore. the official timeline presented by the devs makes no fucking sense. some official maxis content seems to imply that sims follow the gregorian calendar, and that they count years similarly to us (see official 2007 new year glasses, or bella goth's blog which says she was abducted in the summer of 2004).

as an aside, this seems to imply that Sim Jesus Christ existed? no matter how much they try to pretend with that "winterfest" shit, christmas has also made an appearance in every mainline sims PC game, and the sims count years in BC/AD format. was there a sim crucifixion? sim crusades? are the goths catholic?

anyway. the aforementioned blog post puts the sims 2 in the mid-to-late 2000s. probably 2004, which means mortimer REALLY rushed into things with dina caliente. listen, he definitely colluded with them to get rid of his wife, i'm telling you. and we know that the events of sims 1 happened 25 years before that (1979), and sunset valley is placed 25 years before THAT (1954).

but in the sims 3, their society seems far more advanced than in later games? in this world, modern things like smartphones, laptop computers, and even futuristic technologies like time travel and teleportation are quite commonplace. their society seems pretty equitable, i mean they still live in a capitalist society and all but in this world you can get promoted at work by reading books a lot so whatever. there doesn’t seem to be any racism or sexism among sims, and gay marriage is legal. beyond that, any number of different fantasy creatures live among sims easily. aliens, vampires, fairies, mermaids, witches, and so on.

then in sims 1 - 25 years later - things are DRASTICALLY different. technology seems to have regressed. people don’t even have cell phones anymore. magical creatures no longer live among sims, they live in their own separate world.

by the events of sims 2, things have improved a bit. sim society seems to be desegregating again, but most sims react with fear and revulsion to fantasy creatures, and alien racism against the smith family in strangetown is a major plot point in both the PC game and the PSP pseudo-RPG based on strangetown. also, i want to note that in this timeline, gay marriage laws have apparently been repealed.

so what happened? some major cataclysm must’ve occurred for simnation to regress so much. perhaps it was war? maybe with aliens? we don’t really know what happened between games or how canon all the spin-offs and console ports are, so i can only guess.

is this stupid? yes. all of this is because the premades are sort of flavor text, they’re important to a lot of sims players but ultimately EA/maxis have always counted more on people creating their own stories. also, they’ve always shied away from anything that too closely resembles real-life tragedies, which is why they rely on the abysmal fantasy racism trope but have magic’d away all real-life forms of bigotry. also, have you ever noticed how orphans are common in the sims world but no premades have ever had dead children? i guess that’s too dark for them. it makes sense.

i don’t know what i was talking about, but anyway. i know EA don’t give half a shit about sims lore anymore and neither do most new players, the sims 4 has proven that a thousand times. but perhaps they should hire an autist like me to revamp it and keep track of all the details.

MAG 155 and Jon’s level of culpability

You know, I have always accepted that The Magnus Archives is a tragedy, which means that the characters (all of them!) 1) make mistakes and 2) their mistakes have grave consequences. And throughout season 4, the idea of Jon having choices available to him and being responsible for his actions even with the Eye or the Web exerting influence on him comes up a lot.

“But if you choose to believe in a free will, then yes: All you have done has been of your own free will. They have all been your choices.” (Annabelle Cane, MAG 147)

“What I’ve been doing to these people, it - it hasn’t been because I was puppeted, or controlled, or possessed.

I wanted to do it. It felt good.” (Jonathan Sims, MAG 147).

And there are certainly actions Jon did that deliberately harmed people (especially in season 4 with approaching people on the street and all) but of all these choices I have always felt like... the one ‘‘choice’‘ that I never felt was fair to judge Jon for was the ‘‘choice’‘ Oliver Banks mentioned when he was in a coma.

The thing is, John, right now you have a choice. You’ve put it off a long time, but it’s trapping you here. You’re not quite human enough to die, but still too human to survive. You’re balanced on an edge where the End can’t touch you, but you can’t escape him.

[...] Make your choice, Jon. (Oliver Banks, MAG 121)

But I mean, how could you reasonably call this a choice? The choice seems to be Jon either embracing his power or dying, but Jon was unconscious throughout this! How can you hold someone culpable for a “choice” they make when they weren’t even awake? Plus, it’s literally life or death. How could you expect someone to choose to die?

MAG 155 has an answer to my question.

MAG 155 is about Tova McHugh, a woman who does not want to die.

You’ve got to understand, I have so much to live for. Oh, okay, that’s not quite it. I know most people have plenty to live for, but what I mean is that my life does good. (Tova McHugh, MAG 155)

Tova McHugh really does not want to die, and that is a sympathetic motivation! But then, a tragic Unfair (as she puts it) accident happens to her, and she dies--she then is only able to continue living by taking other people’s lives. It is then that she starts to twist things. Not only is it okay for her to want to live, but she has to morally justify herself--and the only way to justify herself is to come up with reasons that her life is more valuable than the people she takes from.

And I know that everyone’s life has value, but I just need to be clear that my impact on the world is a positive one. My existence does a lot of good, and that’s only gotten more true since all this started. I’ve given more, spent more time on charitable stuff, and helped more people. (Tova McHugh, MAG 155)

She is clearly ashamed of her actions, on some level, but she really doesn’t want to die. So she decides that if she is a Good Person, and she is donating enough to charity and creating jobs (ugh) then that justifies her actions.

A clear parallel is drawn between her justification and Jon’s current discomfort about his own continued existence.

I’ve - (laughs) I’ve saved the world, the whole world. Does that give me the right to take what I need to survive? I’ve been reading nothing but these old, dry statements for so long, I - I feel weak. (Jonathan Sims, MAG 155).

Jon is only alive because he drew on power from the Eye to survive back in that moment in MAG 121 that was framed as a ‘‘choice’‘ in his coma. I don’t think that makes him as obviously wrong as Tova here, though. After all, the eye causes misery but at the time Jon had no reason to think feeding into the power would actually kill anyone. It wasn’t presented to him as a life-for-life choice--and again, he was unconscious.

But, the statement reveals the truth about Tova ‘‘bringing good into the world’‘ by drawing on the power she has been using. Because it turns out that the amount of life someone will give her isn’t equal. Some give her more, some give her less--and what tends to be the measure?

Eventually I realized it had nothing to do with age or health. It was about connection. About joy. The more friends, family, loved ones the person has, the further out the terror of sudden death spreads from me. The longer it keeps me alive. (Tova McHugh, MAG 155)

Tova can’t bring more ‘‘goodness’‘ into the world than she is taking out of it. Because the power she is using--one of the entities--exists to cause pain and suffering.  The very nature of the power she is using will negate or outweigh any ‘‘good’‘ Tova does to try and justify herself, otherwise it wouldn’t continue to use her.

(Sort of like how Gertrude’s utilitarian balancing turned out to be all for naught, but this is a meta about Jon so I will save that for another time :D)

So does Tova realize the obvious and stop? No, instead she doubles down on her self-justification.

Since this became my existence I’ve thrown myself into philanthropy harder than ever, and the world is so much better for me being in it. I’m not saying how I live is right, or good, but it is the position I have been put in, and a decision I have to make. I never wanted to weigh up the value of a life, to set it on the scales against my own, but that’s a choice that I am forced into. And it is one I will continue to make. (Tova McHugh, MAG 155)

Jon is completely aware of the comparisons between Tova and himself, and for a moment he has a crisis over it.

I find myself hating her, her callous self-deception. But am I so different? Daisy’s chosen to resist in her own way, knowing full well it might take her life in the end, Melanie too. I respect them for it, but I - I don’t know if I can follow their path. (Jonathan Sims, MAG 155)

And you know, I don’t think Jon and Tova are morally equivalent. Maybe it’s just that I like Jon and so am biased in his favor, but his choice seems a lot murkier than hers. He doesn’t get to see direct death as a result of his actions--so that makes it much easier to justify.

But I think the real purpose of this statement isn’t to say Jon is Just As Bad as Tova, but to wake him up to the nature of the powers--they can’t ever be used for permanent good. You might want to use them for such, the possibility of doing more good than harm might be the temptation that draws you deeper in to their use, but by their nature they bring harm into the world and negate the good you try to bring in to the world.

And also, while I dislike Tova and love Jon, morally I have to hold them to the same standard. If the only moral choice for Tova is to quit, even at the cost of her own life... then the only moral choice for Jon, also, is to quit.

(So I guess me going ‘‘you can’t just expect someone to choose to die!’‘ when I listened to 121 is just... me wearing clown shoes and the stupidest clown hat you ever did see, because it turns out that is exactly what I expect from characters I am impartial towards).

Jon might not see direct death as a result of his actions--but on the flipside, it is unclear if he will actually die as a result of quitting either. He says so himself, even.

I suppose I have a way out now. One that wouldn’t even kill me, at least, I hope not. And yet here I am still. Am I a coward? (Jonathan Sims, MAG 155)

He doesn’t think he will die if he quits--not for certain, at least. And yet he continues. He doesn’t know why, because examining his reasons is hard. I am sure part of it is that he enjoys his powers (as he has said) or that he is afraid of dying just as much as Tova is. But he ends on this thought.

I just… what if they need me? What if. (Jonathan Sims, MAG 155).

What if the people he cares about need him? What if they are in trouble? What if Martin needs him?

But, ultimately, this idea that he can use the Eye to defend the people he cares about is just as illusory as Tova thinking she can bring good into the world by killing people to extend her own lifespan. Not that Jon’s desire to protect is fake--it is very much real, but it mixes with his desire to continue for his own purposes, because he likes it and is afraid of dying.

I still don’t think Jon should be held responsible for a decision he made in a coma to save his life when he didn’t see what the consequences were. But it’s not just one decision in a coma that caused the apocalypse--he makes a decision to continue his path every waking moment. He chooses not to quit, even when he doesn’t think quitting will kill him, because being powerless when he and his friends are so often in danger scares him.

And you know, that is a sympathetic motivation, but his choices are still a mistake, and he is still responsible for them. When you make a mistake--even for sympathetic reasons, even when you didn’t know it was leading to such a horrific outcome--you still have to take responsibility and make amends.

When someone speeds while driving, for example, and runs someone over. Maybe they didn’t want to run the person over. Maybe they had a good reason to be speeding, like they were rushing to a friend who needed help. But they are still accountable for the choices they made that led to them injuring or killing someone. Same with Jon and the apocalypse.

Or at least, that is the impression that MAG 155 leaves me with. What do you think?

Survey #428

“there’s more money in tragedy, more net worth in self-pity  /  so you’re doubling down inside of your screen, hiding behind attention you seek”

Have you ever told someone, besides family, that you love them and meant it? Yeah. I've told friends that platonically, and I've said it to two people and romantically meant it. Are the blankets that are on your bed now made by someone you know in life? No. Have you seen all The Lord of the Rings movies? I haven't even seen one. How many boyfriends/girlfriends have you had in 2014? I had one. Can you walk in heels? I mean I can, but I don't like to. What does your mom say about the pictures on your Myspace? First the '14 question, now this... I don't think Mom ever had a Myspace, but I can answer for Facebook. She's always the person to "heart" react them and say something about how "beautiful" I am or something. ;x; What was the last thing you and your parents argued about? Idr. Do you feel your life is at its best? Fuck no. There better be better times than this. What do you worry about the most? The most? That's hard to say... but probably my career future. Or really just the future in general. Have you ever let someone be your everything? "Everything" still feels like an understatement. He was my source of happiness, a massive part of my own identity, and my promise for a better future. It was so, so unhealthy. Think back to the last person you kissed, how many times have you cried in their arms? Two times, I wanna say? What are some things you do when you’re mad? I get snappy and try to isolate myself to cry it out. How do you feel about your hair right now? I hate itttt. It's getting too long and just boring. I'm hoping I can get up with my hairdresser soon for a trim. What’s an interesting fact about you that not many people know? Uhhhh... I guess that I was a dancer for many years. I feel like I don't really fit the general "aesthetic" of dancers, so people have definitely been surprised to find out I was one. Do you do anything embarrassing when no one is home? No. Just because no one ELSE is there, I'd embarrass my damn self lol. If you had the chance to move to a completely different state/county, would you? Fuck yes I would. Could you ever be friends with someone that broke your heart? It's funny, because that's what the traumatized, overly-attached part of me wants (at the bare minimum), but my common sense knows that's dumb as fuck. I could never healthily be friends with him. Are you scared of fireworks? No, but others are terrified by them, so keep that in mind. Does anyone know every little detail about you? No. You woke up one day and discovered that you were only able to see in black and white… as well as one other colour. What colour would that be and why? I guess red? It sounds morbid for it to be the first thing my mind goes to, but that way, I'd be able to see blood and therefore be able to detect a symptom of danger. What is your favourite soundtrack for a film/video game/television show? (Though feel free to name as many!) Silent Hill 2 and Shadow of the Colossus have fucking LEGENDARY soundtracks. What is your favourite Pokémon? Ninetales! I also really love Espeon and Umbreon, too. And Charmander. And Pikachu. And Skitty. And... well, too many, ha ha. What is something your best friend of the opposite sex does that you can’t stand? He calls me "kid" a lot. Is the last book you read a really well-known book? It's not world-famous or anything, but it seems relatively known by teens/young adults. At least, I follow a lot of artists who make fanart for it. Do you have anything besides just songs downloaded on your iPod? No. When at the beach, do you spend more time on the beach or in the ocean? In the water. I hate the beach itself. Do you have any siblings you absolutely despise? Why do you despise them? No. Have you ever babysat before? Did you enjoy this job? Yes, and no, not at all. Have you ever busted a window before? Why did you bust it? No. Do you still get scared watching old horror movies? You watch them alone? Horror movies pretty much never scare me, never mind old cheesy ones. I don't mind watching them alone. Do knives scare you? Is it from watching scary movies? I'm terrified of big knives, and it has nothing to do with movies. It's a fear that started after Mom stopped me from a suicide attempt where I was going to slit my throat with one. They just radiate danger for me. Have you ever tried to sing opera? Did it work out for you or no? No. What was the last piece of furniture you purchased? I've never bought any furniture, and I don't recall the last thing Mom bought. Have you ever broken up with someone for a reason other than lack of feelings (ex. moving away, etc.)? Yeah; we split because we were essentially two shaky towers leaning against one another. We have to learn to straighten ourselves up independently before that relationship even becomes a "maybe" again. Has anyone ever told you that you are too picky when it comes to the people you date? What about not picky enough? Neither. Was there anything unusual or unique about your birth? Nothing really, besides being born in an icestorm. My birth itself was totally normal, as far as I know. Mom considers it pretty extraordinary though because according to her, I took one look at her and smiled so big. Says a lot about our relationship now. What was the best conversation you’ve had recently? *shrug* What is the next book you are going to read? The book that comes next in the series I'm reading. Who was the last person to do something nice for you? My mom does nice things for me every day, like making dinner, letting me live under her roof... a lot of stuff. Is there any artwork in the room you’re in? Yeah, some of my stuff. Have you ever made out on a couch? Yeah. Someone asks you what you want; what do you say? Happiness. Direction. What was the last thing you complained about? Just being incredibly sore. The gym's kicking my ass, but it needs to, so I'm fine with it. How do you feel when you hear other people complaining? It depends on how frequently and about what. It can become overwhelming sometimes, especially if it's over something truly trivial. Has your name been in someone’s Facebook status lately? No. Do you own any Sims games? Which ones? I have the original animals one, as well as the African animals one (which I surprisingly like less). What was your first job? I was a sales associate at GameStop. Do people praise you for your looks? Yeah, definitely not. Do you like your eyes? No. I wish they were bluer and wider. Tell me what your back pack looks like: My last one was a galaxy texture. What celebrity do you think is hot? HMMMMMMMMMMMM I DON'T KNOW????????????? NEVER SEEN ONE IN MY LIFE O: O: O: Last movie you saw in theatre: The The Lion King remake. Has someone you were dating ever cheated on you? No. What’s the cutest thing someone’s ever done for you? I'd rather not dig through the memories to find what I'd consider the "cutest." What was the last thing you heated up in your microwave? A chicken pesto bowl for lunch. Did you ever watch Phil of the Future? Occasionally, but I was never big on it. Do you have an online game that you play often? I play World of Warcraft pretty much daily. Do you prefer regular or electric toothbrushes? Electric. What was the last thing to piss you off? Truly piss me off, I'm not sure. When and where was the last time you took a picture of yourself? Months ago in my room. I want to take a new one to update my Facebook profile pic, because I think I'm ready to return there. Who was the last person to pay you a compliment or praise? The first day at the gym, Mom told me she was extremely proud of me, and it meant a lot. I truly think I can stick to this, and it's a fucking phenomenal feeling. What’s one thought you have regarding the subject of love? It can be the most beautiful thing in the world, yet simultaneously has the capability to be one of the most painful. Do you think that it’s possible to fall in love at a young age like eleven or twelve? Who am I to say, honestly. I lean towards no because at the age of puberty, you're really all over the place with your hormones and emotions, and I just don't know if it's possible for two pre-teens to have the maturity level to grasp what it truly means to be in love with someone. But again, what do I really know? Everyone is different. Are sex and sexual activities something you enjoy? Yeah sure, if it's something I'm in the mood to engage in and I'm in love with the person. What’s an interesting fact about the state in which you were born? We're the home of Pepsi products. I know, of course I would share a fact about soda, ha ha. What’s one aspect of your life that did not turn out as you expected? Where I am now as far as "adult development" goes. I don't drive. I don't have a job. I still live with my mother. I could go on and on... By this point, I definitely expected something much, much different when I was younger. What was the last event to cause you any sort of heartache? Hm. I don't know. What was the worst phase you’ve ever gone through? *shrug* What excuse did you use most often to skip school? There were times I'd pretend to have a really bad cough. I could fake a nasty cough, man. Are you shy about singing in front of people? Very. Honestly, do you put your elbows on the dinner table? Yes, because why the fuck would that matter. I don't get how something so simple and harmless is "bad manners." Have you ever taken a picture in a public bathroom? No. Yes or no: corsets? I. FUCKING. LOVE. CORSETS. UGH I wish I could pull one off, omfg. In your opinion, is money the root of all evil? All evil? No. There are some horrible crimes people can commit that have nothing to do with money. Do you own a pair of overalls? Ew, no. I hate overalls. What is the best game to play while in the car? Uh, idk. Has a movie ever made you jump in fear? I'm sure at some point. Jumpscares are hard to be unfazed by; it's just a natural reaction to something sudden. Yes or no: pickles? Bro I LOVE pickles. Yes or no: strawberry ice cream? Ugh, no. Do you know what your mom’s favorite movie is? No, actually. Are you a role model to anybody? No fucking way I am. Do you know how much you weighed at birth? Somewhere around six or seven pounds. Look outside the nearest window. What can you see? From where I'm at, I can just see the shed. What are you interested in that most people would be surprised to know? Cutesy, pastel stuff, probably. How many bathrooms are in your house? Two. Do you prefer stripes or polka dots? Polka dots. Are you considered a very sensitive person? Very. Have you ever told someone you never wanted to speak to them again? Yes. What’s the weather like today? Is it nice enough to go outside? It's hot as fuck outside. You will NOT see me outside today. What does your last text message say and who is it from? It's just a thumbs up emoji from the woman who works at my psychiatrist's office. She schedules my phone appointments with him. Do you listen to any podcasts? How do you listen to them? No. Why did you leave your last job? It was WAY too fast-paced with lots of responsibilities that I just couldn't handle. Have you ever eaten at a restaurant and left without paying? No, that's awful. What’s your favorite scent of air freshener? Probably something floral and subtle. Are your hands and feet in good condition or could you do with a mani-pedi? Ugh. I pick my fingernails off badly, so they're a mess rn. I also DISDAIN my feet because they are horribly callused from when I used to walk like crazy. It's so weird how I can exfoliate the area and scrub (... and sometimes tear) them off, but they're pretty much immediately back. When was the last time you played a board game? What did you play? A couple years ago with Girt and Sara, I think. We played Scrabble. How old were you when you first became sexually active? Do you mean like, doing anything sexual? In which case that would be 16. I woulda been 16 or 17 when I actually lost my virginity, though. Do you know anyone who has been through a divorce? A load of people. Does anyone not know somebody? Have you ever done a juice cleanse? No. Do you have to pay for parking in most places in the town/city you live in? No. That's a foreign concept here. It's one of the very alien things I experienced in Chicago; I don't really think I knew it was a thing (save for massive attractions, like Disney Word and stuff) before then. Can you hear lots of traffic from your house? Does it bother you? No. We live in a cul-de-sac, and our road is further into it, away from the main road.