I feel moved to speak, sooner rather than later because I believe time is of the essence and this needs to be understood in order to keep Moonvale from crumbling to the ground completely.

This is not completely spoiler heavy, but it will discuss the game. I should note that unfortunately I have not finished the episode because I am struggling with the mini games in making progress. So I do not know how the episode ends, but I need to say this in order for me to rest.

I am very angry and disappointed with this game, and even more than that, I hold a great deal of second hand embarrassment for Everbyte.

One of the greatest reasons I respected these developers during Duskwood is that the game never felt like a cash grab like so many games do these days. The option to make a one time payment for complete access to Duskwood was fantastic, an option they should have carried to here and that is the biggest grievance I have.

There is no reason a game should cost hundreds of dollars to experience and enjoy. There is no reason for the prices of gems to be as expensive as they are. This is unacceptable Everbyte, and you should feel ashamed of it, you should know better.

The beauty of Duskwood and what set it apart was its feel of realism and the fact that every question had a reasonable answer. Your use of AI art has cheapened the look of your game, not enhanced it, not to mention it’s insulting to use generated art when there are many artists who are already losing jobs to AI, artists who would have been happy to work with you if given the chance. If the cost of commission is too high, then use of stock photos you had before was just fine, and I believe you should have kept it, I can’t look at Ash and Charlie’s profiles without it striking me as goofy.

Furthermore, the story does not make sense, we were able to read chats because Jake made it possible for us, now it just feels like the return of a gimmick with no explanation, the same with the mini games, in the past we did mini games to “hack” into Hannah’s cloud, now we do it “just because”. It’s lost its feeling of meaning, not to mention most private chats are behind the gem paywall, which we never had to deal with before!

The characters seem more plain to me, or maybe they are loveable but I’ll never know because again, paywall. I can’t read the premium options and get to know them deeper because of it. There are also no profiles like before, which is awful because we can’t look back on past video calls and links and we can’t see what these characters are all about, their personality is gone.

Even MC’s answer options seem blander, more vanilla, repetitive or one directional.

I say this truthfully from my soul, if this was the style of of game you dropped but for Duskwood instead, I never would have played it.

I would have never fallen in love with it.

I would have never made this blog and would never have waited years for every episode and a new game.

I would have never made art and countless theories.

I would have deleted the game immediately.

So I’m asking you, begging you, please change this for our sakes, and especially for yours.

Because despite all my gripes and anger, and everything I’ve said, I know you guys have actually worked hard on this game because the evidence is there, hidden beneath it all.

I love the actual real life people you have for Adam and Eric, I was so moved to help Adam when he started to cry. I want to know why he knows us and wants our help. I laughed when Eric told us he had tripped, and I do want to get to know him. I even wished to lovingly twist Charlie’s neck! That is the game I remember loving, its writing and characters, I can see the potential here.

But you need to change something, otherwise I cannot support this game, I cannot force myself to play it. I will drop Moonvale.

Give the players a one time payment option for 100% complete access to the game, access to all premium options. That’s the least I feel anyone could ask of you and is biggest reason you are getting this backlash.

To my fellow players, if you agree with any of what I said then I ask you not to pay for anything until Everbyte changes to make their game more affordable. Don’t be quiet and please voice your opinions everywhere they can see it. That’s the only way something could change.

I am so sorry this is what we got… you all deserve better.

I wanna start with I love your blog sm and I’m not trying to jump on the train, in fact I don’t even mind if you just read this and don’t post or even just delete after you read, but I know where the “Rook gaslighter” thing comes from and wanted to explain (I also just LOVE talking about rook even if its negative). Im not explaining to change your mind but rather to inform!! Because I love spending hours analyzing the characters, pls don’t stop drawing rook!! Ever!!

ANYWAYS now that “please don’t hate me I have to uncontrollably explain everything about my favorite character(s) the second someone doesn’t know about one small detail 😭” is over, I will explain! During Vil’s lab wear vignette, Rook asks Vil when he’s going to start his new diet. Vil, confused, is like what??? Tf?? And rook is like “yeah :D you have put on 3 pounds exactly :)”. Vil is lowkey like wtf Rook I haven’t noticed shit and rook is like “okayyy but who do you believe? Me or literally anyone else?” And vil is like “yeah you’re right, I’ll adjust my diet, thank you rook”.

The ‘issue’ with the “rook is a gaslighter” is it’s SOLELY a fandom thing (and maybe with other characters, but still, like. Vil is a world class model he CANT put on weight like a normal person could because it’ll unfortunately affect his career. The beauty world is just like that, irl too. Plus, this is something he wants for himself, even if he admits to hating the diets during his overblot, it’s still a part of who he is). Vil, himself, views rook’s behavior as a helpful thing, he appreciates Rook’s supernaturally keen eye! He might be offended but ultimately he would not have Rook as his vice-prez if he didn’t respect or admire Rook in some way.

I adore the way you draw them together!! The one where vil is like “how dare you! Just because he’s strange doesn’t mean he’s like that!” And rook is behind him with blood on his face, he’s so cute! I recently found another blog that is similar to yours that I also wanted to see if you knew bc they draw rook out the same way you do! @/fadiesismin is so cool and I think you’d love their artwork!!! Also I’m very sorry for the long-winded ask, in my defense, I’m also a Sagittarius. Rook 🫶 Me, xoxoxoxoxo!!

Sagittarius Anon! I’m sorry it took this long to reply.

First of all, thank you for enjoying our stuff and for your support! I am very happy that you like the way we portray RookVil. Their relationship is very interesting and honestly quite nuanced; we don’t usually gravitate towards ships that have this strong of a “they’ve been dating for a while” vibe, but these two are just too charming. Probably because despite them deeply understanding each other and sharing a lot of values and passions, they really aren’t a perfect couple, and we get to see it in moments like the vignette you’ve mentioned, or Rook’s lab wear vignette, or on multiple other occasions. Rook isn’t the perfect boyfriend, in fact, he is quite a menace sometimes without really meaning harm (still, he technically made Vil cry at least once); but there also isn’t another person that would get Vil as deeply as Rook does and support him as well as Rook does. What they have is special, but isn’t perfect at all.

As you already know, we also love talking about characters a lot, so I even though I am late with this reply, I am happy to have an opportunity to talk about these two and Rook specifically. So thank you for sending this ask and waiting!

I’ve seen this vignette being used as an example of Rook being gaslighting/manipulative before, and to be honest, I don’t really get this argument. I understand that the reasoning is usually that Rook sounds similar to a man that lies to his girlfriend about her being fat because he wants her to be even skinnier or just to be an asshole about it, but here is the thing: this isn’t what Rook is doing though. Gaslighter always has ulterior motive behind their manipulations, even if it’s just to mess with someone else’s head for fun or to control this person. But with Rook (both in this vignette and in general), what you see is what you get: the man is brutally honest, sometimes even too honest. Vil himself is very aware of that and has mentioned it multiple times.

It’s just like you said! Vil never lets anyone forget that his looks are important to him (both because of his own standards and because he is a model), so of course Rook would comment on something that he noticed. This is the foundation of their relationship: Rook gives Vil his feedback because Rook sees things that other people don’t. Does it mean that this feedback is always 100% necessary and Vil should change things according to how Rook critiques him? Of course not. Maybe sometimes it would be better for Vil to just take it easy and relax instead of perfecting every single thing, but this isn’t what Vil wants for himself: he doesn’t want to be pampered, he wants to be appreciated for his hard work. Rook enables Vil’s perfectionism, but don’t forget that Rook is that force in Vil’s life that doesn’t let him forget what he is doing all that for (I’ve talked about Rook being protective of Vil’s “beauty” = love for art here). Vil having a toned body is something that Rook enjoys, but this is mainly something that Vil wants himself; I kind of think that as long as Vil’s passionate and unapologetic about things that he does, Rook would find beauty in him no matter how he looks. Remember him at the end of ch6 after Vil’s grandpafication? Yeah exactly.

Alright, I digress. The point I am trying to make is that Rook is very direct with Vil, sometimes even too direct, and this is the opposite of gaslighting. Even when he suggests things “lightly”, he is still upfront about them: he doesn’t try to plant any ideas in Vil’s head.

Rook sounds and acts like a jerk sometimes, but he means well, and it’s not an excuse, just a fact. In Rook’s head, Vil always takes his direct remarks and observations very well, what’s so different this time? Even if you’ve been with someone for years, fuckups are unavoidable, especially for someone who has problems with tact.

To reiterate: could this scene be triggering or upsetting? Absolutely. Are there people who comment on other’s weight to make them insecure or make them doubt themselves? Absolutely. Is this what Rook does? Absolutely not. It just isn’t true to his character: he wouldn’t gain anything if Vil started doubting himself, in fact, he would have hated it. He doesn’t want Vil to be insecure or unsure, this is literally what he confronted him about at the end of Ch5. He also doesn’t need to do anything for Vil to trust him more than others: Vil already does. When he was saying that he knew better than anyone or anything else, he stated the truth, and this is what so fucked up about Rook: he really does know better.

It’s very important to remember that these characters have their own circumstances and their own writing, and we are fucking blessed to have a cast of characters this interesting and complex.

By the way, I am saying all of this as someone who wouldn’t mind Rook being a gaslighter and could see fanon scenarios where it could work, but those need to be very well-written not to ruin his character, because honesty is an integral part of Rook Hunt. For better or worse.

Also, I know you haven’t mentioned Jade, Anon, but since this entire discussion started with comparing the two, I wanted to note that Jade’s Dorm Uniform vignette exists. Vil literally looked at him man and decided not to trust him for one moment, even scolded Rook for even humouring the idea that Jade was telling the truth. And this is just one instance; we are constantly being reminded by everyone in cast about the fact that Jade is shady and we shouldn’t take seriously the majority of things that he says (pretty much verbatim to what Floyd said about him in the Playful Land event). Jade doesn’t care about honesty, he doesn’t care about lying either: all he cares about is what to say to make the others react in the most interesting way possible. He loves messing with people, and the world is his playground….

(I am also pretty sure that he comments on Azul’s diet; this has nothing to do with gaslighting either, just thought I’d mention that since we’re talking about this)

Anyways, thank you again for your ask, Anon! I hope this wasn’t an exhausting read. I always feel like I haven’t said everything that I wanted to say, but fortunately I still have tons of replies to write, so I’ll have my chance..! Probably.

PS. @/fadiesismin’s works are very good!!

I’ve been playing stardew valley again recently(for the hundredth time) and how cute would it be as a jjk au(with a few tweaks)

Like cute little farmer reader from the big city trying to adjust to this new lifestyle and make friends with the townsfolk

I feel like Nanami would be Harvey, a hot shot doctor born and raised in Pelican Town who left to make a name for himself at a prestigious hospital but burnt out so bad he found himself back in town, setting up a clinic and treating the mysterious wounds you get after being in the mines.

Itadori is the saloon owner, Gus. Inherited it from his grandpa and definitely makes him proud. He makes the best food ever and is always eager to share a recipe with you and trade ingredients for food.

And Megumi is 100% Sebastian lol like who else would fit? They were made for each other. I just know he’d use his computer to comb through your social media presence, determined to find out everything about you without ever speaking to you.

Choso…I like the idea of him being Marlon lol something about him toting around a sword with a tattered cape around him as he warns you about danger lurking in every corner- it just has a bit of jenni say quah. And I can imagine every time you go to the mines he’s watching to make sure you come out okay.

Getou is the wizard cause before he is a human he is a hater! He doesn’t hate the townsfolk per say but definitely is ✨better✨ than them. Asks you to go on crazy missions for him because although he could do it himself he enjoys watching you scurry about.

Nobara is Abigail because she’s not shallow enough to be Haley(I love haley so much tho). Dreams of getting out of the town and seeing the world, 100% asks you for help coloring her roots

I kinda struggled to narrow down a character for Gojo, but I like the idea of him being Sam; messing around on his electric guitar and working an easy job at Joja Mart, periodically wandering over to the farm to pet your animals and ask you random questions

Mahito is Krobus, send tweet.

there are very specific people in my irl life who can say the most innocuous things on earth and still make me steaming mad

any time a medical professional asks if i’m having suicidal ideation i have to lie, because i literally can’t afford to be trapped in the psych ward for 3 days :)

i don’t have savings, who is gonna pay the rent?? the cops who arrest me for being suicidal? the psych ward ppl????

OCD will literally remove your brain's ability to register when a task is Complete and then create 10,000 incredibly ridiculous and extremely specific rules for you to follow in every single aspect of your life (to keep you safe, of course, it tells you.) and then tells you that if you don’t do them Correctly and Completely every single time it tells you to (it tells you countless times per day) then the Entire Fucking World Will End and then it’ll do this fucked up thing where it makes you believe that nonsense.

and then people that don’t have it will make silly little jokes about being soooooo OCD and make t-shirts with fun little acronyms on them like Obsessive Coffee Disorder and tell you how much they like it when things are organized and clean, too!!

and then you’re supposed to just. laugh. like you haven’t been robbed of your entire being and potential and been taken over by a mind and life altering disability

if i leave with gloria in my pocket tomorrow well i won’t be surprised.

TELL ME 5 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF!

(Let's try and pass this thing on) And after you finish, tag five different people just to tell them how much you appreciate them for being with you on this platform! <3

thank you @sarcasticqueerblob for the tag! decided to make my own post because the original post is long & my contributions will make it worse, HAHA.

i tag @paimonial-rage @mimi-cee-genshin @andromeda-nova-writing @pen-observing @dustofthedailylife (just nice. i only know 5 people on his hellsite AHDJSJDJSJKD. no pressure btw)

i can only write chronologically. by that i mean in the order the fic will be read. i've tried writing the middle or end before the beginning, but it didn’t click with me.

most of my works were written while i’m travelling. i love being alone for long train/bus rides because it’s the perfect pause to retreat to my inner world.

i started reading fanfics on wattpad in 2013. i don’t remember how i found reader inserts, but it’s wattpad. so… :P

i draw! it’s not great, but it’s something. now i just got to dip my toes into music production (e.g. lo-fi, instrumentals) and then i can take the first step to be the triple threat younger me always wanted to be for storytelling.

i started a tumblr in… early 2010s? unfortunately, i deactivated that account, which would have been an amazing time capsule. i wasn’t thinking much when i let it go.

Doing speed character sketches and pretending I’m not home

🥰

truly the past couple of days have been Oh Yeah You Had Covid moments for me

holding wanderhome and ghost quartet in my hands like barbies and smooshing their faces together so they’re making out sloppy style

(*.*)

christ. I just need some time to get money together, but I never, ever can. I need just a straight year of not having to pay rent and utilities.

I’m breaking down. I can’t do this anymore. We can’t ever move forward because we’re just so fucking strapped for money, because every breaks all the fucking time and there’s always some new crisis that all of our money has to get thrown at.

How am I supposed to get my car fixed when I have no savings and literally don’t make enough money to HAVE savings?!?

After we pay *just our bills* we have about 500 dollars left at the end of the month, and inevitably, it gets eaten up because something breaks (usually one of the cars, again, because we drive 15 year old beaters, because why? We can’t afford anything newer! So we spend just as much money over time on repairs as we would have on a newer car! That we couldn’t buy in the first place, because we can’t put together a lump sum of money and neither of us has enough credit to get anything! And my parents told me long ago, unprompted, that they would never co-sign on anything for anyone. Thanks mom and dad! I wish you a very get fucked!) or my darling spouse (who I only sometimes want to murder) has forgotten something important AGAIN and now we owe someone like $700.

I am so fucking envious of everyone who didn’t get kicked out at 18 and was able to mooch off their parents until they had a real job that paid them real money and they were able to move out with plenty of money in the bank and a solid stable foundation. neither my spouse nor I had that option. and even now, it’s not like my parents would ever let us move in with them. my spouse’s father disowned him for not being a hateful bigoted conservative MAGA moron and his mother is an unstable, emotionally manipulative burnt out old hippie with severe untreated Bipolar I who is in her 60s and lives in a van and is constantly on the edge of suicide and homelessness.

I just need a hand. i just need help.

also. after months of the building being empty, we have neighbors again. and they brought a kid. fucking kill me.

¡Hola otoño!

No has venido todavía y sé que ni vendrás a donde yo pero aún así te seguiré esperando por mil años más…

(Joder qué triste suena eso pero… el otoño no existe en mi país T_T)

I’m going to be sappy for a moment since I stumbled on old posts and I just have to be sappy okay? It’s my purpose.

It’s interesting to see how I was using tumblr to see other blogs (before I posted) and see their content and make sure they knew I loved them and their work (writings or art or anything) years ago, and how I am now. I post a lot, write a lot, talk to friends a lot, show my support a lot, and use tumblr as my safe space. I talk about my issues or something that crosses my mind (on my main blog and my other blogs), or about what’s happening in my life, and I get to talk to friends! I talk to people happily and actually connect about our interests, and I don’t just stay in the background.

It’s so funny to look back at my old posts and see how I was SOOO excited to get 19 followers and said how I believed my blog was just gonna be a random one no one would follow. I reblogged it YEARS ago (like 2018) and said how I had 300+ then.

Guys. I was that excited and I wrote PARAGRAPHS.

👏PARA👏GRAPHS

And now I have 1,262. Me in 2018 would’ve been so excited and freaking out about how many I have, and writing even more paragraphs about how thankful I am…so I’m going to. I never expected to ever hit 1k, or anywhere near it. I use tumblr to screech about the things I love and I’m so grateful that out of these 1,262 people, I have found friends and though we don’t know each other irl, it still makes my day when I see your name come up in my notifications. It adds a boost to my day, and I know I’m making someone else’s day better too. I love posting about my interest and learning that someone else likes my opinion and likes my own work, too. And seeing their little add-on’s too! It’s so great! It’s nice to have people to talk to and have them listen and then add on to the things we love. I love being able to show my appreciation even if I’m just another number to another blog.

Anyways, mutuals I love you all and I’m happy you’re following me and I hope you’re happy to follow me as well :)💙.

And even if we aren’t friends/mutuals but you’re part of the 1,262, I love you very much as well and seeing your name pop up makes me happy, and I hope I make you happy, random scroller on my blog.

Goodnight.