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fiovske · 1 year

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Do you have any recs for other non-DnD game systems? I've only ever played 5e, and I'm a little intimidated to get into other systems, but I also want to branch out and get away from WOTC's bullshit.

Sure thing! I am also including a link to the itch.io pages since that's where i get most of these games!

Blades In The Dark: i'm mentioning this first bc the rules are very easy to grasp and if you're looking for a setting that has a touch of ghosts and steampunk, this game is the perfect gateway to that! it's the best for a heist i have found and the game mechanics and names are so soo sick here's just a slice from their itch.io page:

personally i find the setting and the stress mechanic very cool, because it takes into account the mental toil that an action can have and i find games with inbuilt consequence mechanics very compelling! it introduced the concept of clocks to me and i am obsessed.

a) adjacent to Blades, are all Forged In The Dark Games which are third-party blades games, and the most notable of them is Scum and Villiany which is space-western setting and also my favorite and if you're looking to play a game in the breadth of star-wars like interplanetary politics and everything, i highly recommend this game! b) if you're looking for a Blades game with mechanics to suit something more royalty-adjacent, with court-politics and agendas and masquerade parties and all, like say d20's court of fey and flowers vibe then i recommend Court Of Blades! I havent gotten around to playing this yet but it looks really promising and i soo badly want to play a game in this setting!

2. The Ground Itself : this is a world-building game. focused on one single place over time and how it changes and how it's people change, the events of this game can be spaced out from a week to several millennia depending on the rolls of ur dice or your choices! i have found that this game serves very well as say, a session zero game also, for setting up a place before you play in it, and not only a very fun session of making a place together for your party to play in, but also not leaving all the work to the gm! so it's a win win situation!

tbh, all games by everest pipkin are very good! i wanna get my hands on world ending game as well bc it is a game about giving your campaign, your world-building and your characters the perfect send-off.

3. Wanderhome : if you're looking for something ghibli-esque (this is the closest i can come to defining this game thru popular media) then i highly recommend wanderhome! it's got a very cozy pastoral vibe to it and the art is really beautiful and you get to pick from a range of animal-folk to play as it's very cool!

also honorable mentions,

a) Sleepaway is a game by the same creator in which ur a camp counsellor to a bunch of misfits and horror stories around campfires ensue! b) Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast which is an upcoming game which you can still back and it looks really interesting so i'd recommend checking it out as well!

4. Lancer: this game has mechs it has space-battles and you get to be a pilot in a future set years in the future and a thousand directions to take ur campaign in! he relationship between pilot and mech is smth that can be so personal.....

i wanna play lancer sometime it has very cool mech designs and it has very much piqued my interest, if i find ppl who wanna play lancer w me im 🏃🏃!

5. Heart The City Beneath : honestly, one of my fave settings of all time, it has strong horror components so mind the cws! but the classes and the game mechanics are very intuitive and overall it helps you not only build a character that feels natural and organic, but since this is a horror setting, things do not have happy endings... however it will ensure that your characters have a well-built journey whose ends will be terrifying and magnificent.

I got introduced to the fallout mechanic through this game and oooo how i love it, it's the perfect blend of your actions have consequences + every consequence is interesting and will affect your character deeply and emotionally, which is <33

this list got too long so i will just mention some more here:

the quiet year (very good map-making game, for before the frost shepherds arrive in winter.)

beam saber (forged in the dark game that deserves its on mention! austin ramsey's games i highly recommend!)

thirsty sword lesbians (ecactly what it says on the tin, i wanna check this game out also)

lotr's one ring rpg (this one is the closest substitute to classic d&d bc lets be real. tolkien is where d&d got it's shit from. and i have heard good things abt this game even tho i've never had the chance to play it)

mothership rpg (space horror whose build mechanics are very easy and user-friendly and i've had a LOT of fun with this!)

orbital (one very beautifully written rpg about life in space and it's only 32 pages but well-worth the time, highly recommend)

that's all i can give off the top of my head, i might've missed a few but these are strong standouts, so i hope u find at least one to your liking!

#ttrpg recomendations #not dnd #blades in the dark #forged in the dark #the ground itself #wanderhome #lancer #heart the city beneath #the quiet year #beam saber #thirsty sword lesbians #one ring rpg #mothership rpg #orbital #ttrpg #long post #genuinely recommending this to everyone.#d&d is a very good jumping off platform and w everything happening right now...#no better time to leave wotc and try indie creators' games.

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mulberriesandtea · 4 months

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hit me with some cool MULGRAM stuff :D anything, honestly!!

oh um! a few fun facts about mulgram??? in just random order i guess???

All four prisoners are based on fear responses, and have those closely linked to their murders.

Clear is the oldest of the group in terms of creation, being the only remaining prisoner from my first mulgram. I wasn't happy with it, though, so I gutted it for parts. Despite this, she is still the youngest at 14 years old. The second youngest is Quiet at 20, followed by Reliant at 28, and finally Aid at 32. Neutral has no age.

Neutral is... weird? Because of the fear response thing I mentioned earlier, I decided I wanted Neutral to play more of an eldritch part- be more interwoven with the prison and the idea that this is a purgatory of some sort.

One of the prisoners is dead! Not saying which one.

On symbolism, Clear uses a lot of literary references, especially references to children's books. She mostly would use Alice in Wonderland and Hansel and Gretel. She also uses a bit of cartomancy! Though specifically with playing cards, not tarot like Mikoto. She'd probably also use a lot of math concepts, though I'm still researching those.

Reliant's imagery would be heavily based around clocks and calenders, as it's VERY important to understand the time and the length of time things happened to undertand his murder. Seasons would be rather important as well in his symbolism. Reliant also often would probably use a lot of sewing metaphors, like cutting thread and unraveling thing.

Quiet's symbolism would be heavily based around the paranormal and like. common ghost tropes. The coloring would probably also heavily reflect what is going on, and if you can consider something as metaphor or as being at least somewhat accurate to what happened.

Aid probably would have the most style changes out of everyone. Her imagery would probably have a lot of scrapbook elements, with a load of shape language and things like that. She also would probably use a lot of blood alternatives and reference falling a lot.

Reliant is trans. By the way.

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shesyourcocaine · 1 year

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Thanks for your lovely reply—I look forward to getting to know you, too! I tend to get really into a few artists at a time, and they might stay my favorite for years at a time, so my musical knowledge is quite narrow—I confess that from what you’ve named I’ve only properly listened to Bruce Springsteen. Having said that, he is by far one of my favorite artists!! Do you have any particular favorite songs/albums of his? And I love folk music too!! I got to go to a folk festival with my best friend this year, and it was honestly incredible.

Also, I’ve been curious to check out Kate Bush for a while. If you feel like recommending a favorite album or some favorite songs, I’ll give her a listen :D Same with Tori Amos, honestly.

As for me, I didn’t actually get into classic rock until a few years ago. I mostly grew up on what my parents played around the house, which tended to be pretty indie/acoustic (I still have a very soft spot for that type, although I don’t put it on much these days). So I guess for a while rock music just felt like … a bit too much? But I’ve really grown to love it the past few years, especially The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Bruce Springsteen. The non-rock artists I listen to the most at the moment are probably Carly Rae Jepsen, Delta Rae, and Hozier.

Hello again :) It’s cool that you got to go to a folk festival - It sounds amazing! I’m so glad you like Bruce Springsteen. I really got into his music last year and he’s really become one of my favorite musicians. My favorite kind of music is really narrative-based and Bruce is such an amazing storyteller. His songs just make you feel so emotional about people that don’t even exist and make you relate to situations that honestly aren’t even relatable to me. Like I’m not a blue collar worker filled with angst about the turmoil of working at a factory ,but you can just feel it in the songs you know. I think my favorite album of his is Ghost of Tom Joad. It’s one of his solo albums that’s basically just him and a guitar ,but it’s the best example of his storytelling I think. It’s a lot like Nebraska but I think he pushes that idea to a full concept album in Tom Joad. There are so many characters and stories in the album and they are all different but all have such a depressing bleak undertone to them. I think my favorite song from the album is Highway 29 and it's basically just a story about “man falls for woman, man commits crime for woman, they run away and die in a car crash. Weirdly, I think it’s a very beautiful song. I like his other songs and albums as well. You really can’t go wrong with any of them. Although I think I've heard Thunder Road one too many times where I don’t really prefer it anymore. I think I’d have to wait at least 2 years before I can listen to it again lol.

Kate Bush doesn’t have any bad albums so you could start with any of them honestly! I think most people start with listening to Hounds of Love which I think is probably her most popular album. My favorite is The Dreaming. It's weird but fun. I made a playlist with some of my favorite songs on it from the artists I mentioned before if you wanted to listen! I thought it would be quicker than trying to explain it all lol. I included some of my favorite Kate Bush and Tori Amos songs plus some extra songs I enjoy. I tried not to go overboard and make it too long but I got excited.

I recognize Hozier and Carly Rae Jepsen but I’ve never heard of Delta Rae! I’d love to know some of your favorite songs and albums too if you want to share :) Thanks for the questions! Hope to talk to you soon.

(Sorry if you don't have spotify! I could also make one on youtube music if you cant use the link. )

#srs22 #sorrry its a been long i like talking about bruce lol

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oyavaski · 3 years

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🎀Oyavaski's BakuDeku Fic Masterlist🎀

Under the cut are some of my all time favorite BakuDeku fics I've ever come across on A03. They range in ratings from Teen to Mature to Explicit. The majority will be Explicit because I prefer more adult themes over toothrotting fluff (mostly for the miscommunication and drama that spurs from intimate romances lol) So be sure to pay attention to ratings before considering clicking the links 😏👌

Not Rated:

Burn, Pine, Perish by Kindaopps

"Three things dawned on Izuku, as he stared at the slick flower petals scattered over the black words of his book: he has fallen in love with his husband, his husband did not love him back, and he is going to die." <- Izuku is a fae cursed from birth, never to fall in love lest his love go unrequited. Hanahaki Disease trope done very well.

Teen Rating:

Solar by Kindaopps

"Here he is, a God, wanting a mortal." <- Sun God Katsuki falls madly in love with a human man named Izuku Midoriya. One of my newest favorites

I Still Do by RaeRyn

"He's losing him to pieces, but Izuku still tries to make them count. In which a battle leaves Katsuki with Amnesia, and Izuku finds himself picking up the pieces." <- perfect summary description. Heart breaking dialogue exchanges and concept. One of my treasured fics.

Many Sunflowers Later by Jeka

"Scholar Midoriya Izuku comes back to the person he left behind after his journey through the kingdom, the mighty dragon clan leader Bakugou Katsuki." <- A super precious and unique take on the Fantasy AU. It's a short one, but I guarantee it'll warm your soul like homemade stew on a frigid winter morning.

The Way You Used To Do by Edema_Ruh

"During a battle, Midoriya gets hit by a villain whose quirk detaches his soul from his body. Stuck in a ghost-like state, the boy enters a race against time in order to save himself from permanently dying. Much to his luck - or lack of it -, the only person who can see and talk to him in this state is no one other than Kacchan. Alternatively: Deku and Kacchan are Soul Bound." <- quite possibly the most popular and well written/nearly perfect canon characterization BakuDeku fic currently out there. Very worth the read, and enough insanely detailed chapters to keep you reading for a week or more lol.

____

Mature Rating:

The Night We Met by Majjale

" "You a poet?" "Only for you." Two sincere wishes and the ramifications of them."<- part one of the Dead Poets series. A simple summary for a Deeply Painful fic that will Hurt You until it doesn't. I've reread this, and it's epilogue fic, over a dozen times now. It's seriously so beautifully written.

Take Me Back by Majjale

"A soft epilogue." <- epilogue to The Night We Met, and part two of Dead Poets. A fitting end for our heros after the events in the first part of Dead Poets. Made me cry like a babybackbitch.

Imperial Retrograde by Mynameis152

"Raised on a continent at the brink of war, Katsuki and Izuku's sides were chosen the day they were born. But now, as Katsuki's birth right is stripped of him and handed to a foreign prisoner, as Izuku's stolen from his home in the dead of night to fight for an enemy nation because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, the two are forced to find common ground with each other, and end a war heading towards total annihilation."<- A wonderful Fantasy AU fic set in a universe/kingdom where harboring a dragon is punishable by death. And our poor Izuku just so happened to accidentally hatch a dragon he didn't intend to find!

I Feel You by Soulstring

" "I don't always take questionable substances from strangers but when I do I end up getting a second hand boner from my childhood friend's feelings" - Midoriya Izuku, most likely."<- Izuku meets a girl with an empathy quirk that manifests in the form of a goo that she bottles and offers it to him as a gift for rescuing her from a kidnapper. Izuku becomes addicted to the goo because of the intense feelings it gives him, and Katsuki has a few issues with that.

____

Explicit Rating:

On The Run by Justaperson1718

"(Based in an AU where All Might loses to All For One) Follow Izuku and Katsuki as they fight together for their very survival and mature through their experiences with each other, on the run together from the League of Villains with no one to depend on but each other. The two will have to work out their differences if they want to continue to live and escape the villains."<- summary explains it pretty well. Haven't read this in quite a while so I don't have much to elaborate on.

Fire In The Mountains/Fire In The Blood by EllaBesmirched(El_Bell)

" “I’ll do it.”

Enji finally turned around and fixed Shouto with an expression so scathing, Shouto had to fight to keep his chin raised. “You’ll marry the Barbarian King.”

Shouto blinked. “Yes.” " <- A polycule masterpiece. I've reread this series no-less than 12 times by now. Incredibly detailed, insanely well written and fleshed out characters. Polygamous relationships and multiple pairings throughout. Main pairs are TodoBaku/TodoBakuDeku/BakuDenkiMinaKiriTodoDeku. It's honestly fantastic, I highly recommend it.

Kacchan by KyuukaKoinu

"Sometimes it’s about winning an argument. Other times it’s about acknowledging your feelings. And in rare cases, it’s about trying to make sense about your ex-childhood friend making out with you in your mother’s kitchen when he swears that he hates your guts. But most of the time, it’s about growing up and understanding what makes the difference between a boy and a man. Both Katsuki and Izuku are finding this out, and they are figuring it out in the hardest way."<- OK so, I can totally look past the almost word-for-word plagiarism of the summary for Boys by CaseyV (the greatest SoRiku fanfic ever fucking made, thank you) because this story was really fucking good. And the character development and progression throughout the plot is fluid and doesn't feel forced at any point. Katsuki coming to accept his sexuality and love for Izuku, Izuku being bullied by his peers for his obvious affection for Footballplayer!Katsuki, and all the drama that lies throughout between two boys learning to accept their feelings and an older man Izuku seeks comfort in from his issues with Katsuki.

Vicious by feelslikefire

"Midoriya and Bakugou wind up in the very last position either of them thought they'd be in: Hero Partners. It's not fun, but they learn to cope. Their first big assignment together takes them undercover to infiltrate a cult, but the situation turns out far more sinister than they first thought. (Or: Midoriya and Bakugou pretend to be Fake Married, join a cult, start having sex, and learn not to suck as partners, not necessarily in that order.)"<- where do I even BEGIN??? This fic has. It. All. Fake marriages, Fake relationships, an insane scary ass cult, hardcore bondage sex, friends with benefits, an insanely well thought out plot that will keep you hooked. Seriously worth the read. I've reread it multiple times and I'll probably reread it again soon once my glasses are repaired lol.

Play The Field by Lalazee

"Baseball and feelings, feelings and baseball. Turns out, Bakugou and Deku are both good and bad at the same things. They try to work on it"<- in which Izuku and Katsuki were aiming to go pro in Baseball, until Izuku's good arm is mangled in a serious accident that creates a crevasse between himself and his relationship with Katsuki. Been a while since I've read this one, but anything by Lalazee is worth the read!!

Blood Moon by Lalazee

"The Thank-Fuck-We-Aren’t-Dead Sex had started then, and had never really stopped. Then came the feelings and the fights. The ego, the pride, the jealousy. And then there was Us (The one-shot smut fic that turned into an entire world for you.)"<- the very first BakuDeku fic I ever read, and an AMAZING way to start. The horny dial is sex to MAXIMUM. (OK so I made an error here, but I think "horny dial is SEX to MAXIMUM is better kept than fixed so fuck it LOOOL)

So there we have it!!! I spent a good hour or so jotting all this down. So I hope ya'll see a few you haven't read yet and give them a shot!

Please like/reblog if you find anything you end up liking so others can take a look themselves 🥰

#bakudeku #fic reccomendations #fic rec #my hero academia #fanfiction #boku no hero academia #bakugou katsuki #izuku midoriya #ao3 #archive of our own #editing days after the fact because i realized i misspelled epilogue like 3 times because my phone is telling me its wrong when its not? lol

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rpgmgames · 4 years

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April’s Featured Game: Nobody's Home

DEVELOPER(S): oates ENGINE: RPG Maker MV GENRE: Survival Horror SUMMARY: After a night of extreme drinking and partying, you wake up in stranger's bed to discover... Nobody's Home.

Buy the game here! Our Interview With The Dev Team Below The Cut!

Introduce yourself! *oates: Hi, this is oates! I'm a pixel artist and game developer, I've started making games with rpgmaker in 2016 with VX Ace and now currently using MV for recent projects. Previous projects I've worked on were the FNaF-inspired Souls-like One Night at the Steeze, my first rpgmaker game and it's prequel, the FNaF-inspired roguelike No Delivery. Other games I've worked on include the fangames Day Dreaming Derpy, made in VX Ace and Spike's Day Off, made in MV and the latest in a series of previous fangames previously developed on Adobe Flash.

What is your project about? What inspired you to create this game initially? *oates: Nobody's Home is largely based on my experiments to find and apply horrific elements in modern situations or phenomena. The scenario being explored here in Nobody's Home is the aftermath of some crazy party. Sound design is especially important when crafting a horror scenario, so I often look to music to draw inspiration. Much of the atmosphere and house design was inspired by music and imagery associated with '70s yacht rock (a sub-genre of soft rock). Another important note is a lot of the general mood and 'weirdness' was inspired by a band I listen a lot to, Dance Gavin Dance, specifically their "deathstar" album. However they have a tendency in all their albums to switch genres mid-song, often going from their post-hardcore sound to funk, pop, and even rap; aside from that, some of the subject matter covered can range from disturbing to unpleasant to nonsensical, but combined with the amazing music, it creates an experience that pulls the listener in all different directions. It got to the point that I was naming events in the game after some their tracks so I had to be careful not to inadvertently make a fangame haha But there are some easter eggs in Nobody's Home that were intentionally left in, and I'm fairly certain players have identified it already.

How long did you work on your project? *oates: I used much of the same framework left over from my previous project No Delivery for this development cycle, so the hassle for setting up asset pipelines was very much mitigated. I started in earnest, making assets back in January this year so it took roughly 2+ months to finish development for this project.

Did any other games or media influence aspects of your project? *oates: Aside from the previous music inspirations, I was really intrigued with the way Resident Evil 7's Beginning Hour demo was able to pick up where Konami's cancelled PT left off in terms of survival horror games to look forward to back in 2017. Prior to later updates, the initial demo really only included a few set pieces, basic item interaction, and almost no puzzles from the full game. It was largely able to pull off scaring players from almost atmosphere alone (if you exclude the Jack Baker and ghost encounters). It was later in the full game that it was able to show off it's metroidvania-esque design to its fullest. After my previous project, I wanted to step away from roguelike design for a bit and focus a little more on an exploration-based experience, so I took a few notes from the way RE7 and RE2: Remake handled map design and progression.

Did you come across any challenges during development? How did you overcome or work around them? *oates: I was coming off a severe cold last year and it took most of January for me to recover, so it was a little hard to start full-on development immediately like I normally would on top of other career matters. And looking at events today, it's even more imperative that developers practice healthy habits during development.

Did any aspects of your project change over time? How does your current project differ from your initial concept? *oates: I've had the idea for Nobody's Home as a concept for a while, but filling in those gaps with actual gameplay between centerpieces was a big variable. I went back and forth between the turn-based item combat from the previous project to cutting out combat entirely. While I didn't implement it, I also brainstormed a few concepts for overworld action and combat ala Zelda, but it seemed too complex given the time frame I set for myself. Eventually I settled on a middle ground between full combat and separate encounters, with "enemies" acting as essentially a toll gate. The rest of the game followed suit with various tolls and "mouse traps" for the player to trigger at their own behest. This wasn't necessarily the design I had in mind at first, but it helped to concisely fill a relatively small location with specifically "deadly" content.

What was your team like at the beginning? How did people join the team? If you don’t have a team, do you wish you had one or do you prefer working alone? *oates: I largely work solo for both development and art, but I do regularly work with a few musicians for an original soundtrack. I first started working with other composers for the fangame Day Dreaming Derpy, where after the initial demo was released, I received emails from a few musicians volunteering to contribute some tracks for the game. In all, the original soundtrack contained 9 tracks in total, with 3 tracks from each composer; each of them doing an amazing job and, in my opinion brought the project back then to a higher degree of quality. This was how I met some of the composers I still work with today and they all have some really great work! TheNGVirus @NGVirusNG1 Kaminakat @thekaminakat dRedder @HornyGremlin

What is the best part of developing a game? *oates: It's a toss up between the initial brainstorming/research and the first run-through when you have your desired maps linked together. For the brainstorming, it's pretty fun to learn about subject matter you want to do justice to as well as stretching your creative muscles for the first time in service to a certain concept. However this obviously wears off when you devote too much time to a particular concept, but it's still enjoyable nevertheless. For making that run-through, it doesn't necessarily mean to have all the events implemented, but to experience your game the way players will experience it for the first time does give a sense of completion/cohesion to what you, as a developer, are trying to accomplish. It essentially puts what you're working on into a different perspective for you.

Do you find yourself playing other RPG Maker games to see what you can do with the engine, or do you prefer to do your own thing? *oates: I do keep an eye out for what other rpgmaker projects are doing, and to see what others can do with the engine helps get the creative juices flowing; it's also fun to try to mentally reverse engineer how certain mechanics or effects were made. And it's always great to see fellow devs showcase what's possible with the engine.

Which character in your game do you relate to the most and why? (Alternatively: Who is your favorite character and why?) *oates: Nobody's Home has a relatively small cast of characters, whom you do interact with but never see, this is largely to done to create a sense of "un-relatability", but if I had to pick a character, it'd be "car guy", the guy you find stuck in the car. They have a good line, " ...there'd be a good reason for this, but there isn't..." Story of my life.

Looking back now, is there anything that regret/wish you had done differently? *oates: There were a few areas I would have liked to expand on or add, specifically- the attic + roof, the front lawn, behind the walls, and an entire second floor. Unfortunately that meant potentially adding more questlines and NPCs while the first set of questlines were pretty interwoven so it would have been way more complex, also again, given the time frame I set, it would have extended the development cycle way beyond what I had time for. But if I had implemented those extra areas, the game's length would also go way beyond the 30 min - 1 hr it takes to complete the game as it is now.

Do you plan to explore the game’s universe and characters further in subsequent projects, or leave it as-is? *oates: I'd like to do both really, each installment of the VCRPG line of games is definitely a stand-alone story, or an isolated incident, but I would love to explore the aftermath of the game's events and how the passage of time ravages and twists the story into urban legend. I like to treat places and environments like characters as well, capable of making memories, being misunderstood, preserved, destroyed, and ultimately capable of change.

What do you most look forward to upon finishing the game? *oates: Both the fan reaction and free time honestly speaking. Once the development cycle finishes and the game is published, your work isn't really finished as there's always a chance someone's feedback can apply to immediate changes or patches you can implement, even during the release period. Marketing is also another large step to take into consideration after release, this includes tweeting, sending keys for lets plays, etc. Watching playthroughs is also a really good way to collect data on what parts of your design fall through and what fail to land. But after all that is said and done, some free time really helps the brain recuperate.

Was there something you were afraid of concerning the development or the release of your game? *oates: Just whether or not I handled the game's subject matter tastefully. Like horror cinema, everything done is in service the the themes and message of the piece as a whole.

Do you have any advice for upcoming devs? *oates: The game engine is essentially a tool, and like any tool you can find plenty of creative ways to get the same result. And don't be afraid to research whatever it is you need help with, it also helps to be specific with what you want.

Question from last month's featured dev @moca-pz: If you can collaborate with any game developer in the world, who would it be? What would be their role(s) and what would be your role(s)? *oates: Game developer I'd like to work with: Hidetaka Miyazaki His role: Story Lead and Director My role: Drinking buddy Game we're working on: SciFi Souls

We mods would like to thank oates for agreeing to our interview! We believe that featuring the developer and their creative process is just as important as featuring the final product. Hopefully this Q&A segment has been an entertaining and insightful experience for everyone involved!

Remember to check out Nobody's Home if you haven’t already! See you next month!

- Mods Gold & Platinum

#rpg maker #nobody's home (game)#nobodys home #nobody's home #game #rpgmaker horror #pixel horror #horror game #indie game #gotm #game of the month #oates #gotm 2020 #2020 #april #april 2020

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steve0discusses · 3 years

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Yugioh Ep 34 S4: The Boys (and Mai) are Back in Town

OK, back to the writing table! It’s been a while! So I made the mistake of like...scrolling down on the playlist when I realized...

This duel is like 6 episodes long (7 even? It’s a lot) and like...yo I have no idea if we’ll finish this season in 2020! Damn you 2020. Damn you.

But wtv, what I like about this side project of mine is that I don’t have to rush things, and I can really spend the time with each episode and just...enjoy the moment. So often I watch a whole series in like half a week and then it’s like...I don’t get to enjoy it. This series I’ve enjoyed for years now. That’s kinda neat. So...we’re gonna be slow...but lets just enjoy this weird ass anime moment together. 2020 deadlines are all fake anyway. I’m not even sure if 2020 was a real thing that happened or like...an alternate universe opening a door and letting through just so many terrible ghosts. We might never know.

Last we left off, everyone has decided to hallucinate Dartz’ terrible backstory.

Unfortunately we have NO darts in the past. Was really hoping to see at least one darts reference in this entire season, just one darts board on his wall. But alas, we will not have a Season Zero death darts match with Dartz. (Man I need to get back to Season Zero. And FMA. And a lot of things)

I feel like if I watched the original version there would have been some things different. First off...what ocean? Second off...well, we’ll get to that. There’s some things I think were changed for English TV.

Including censoring the nude people like it’s James Cameron’s Avatar.

Fun fact did you know that James Cameron’s Avatar was supposed to be ass naked and that they were supposed to have like 8 cat nipples? Yeah.

Man, that movie was a mistake. I’m so glad we all decided to collectively forget James Cameron’s Avatar.

(read more under the cut)

The actual locations of anything in Atlantis does not match up with it when it’s zoomed out. We have giant cities, we have sprawling wheat fields, and we have...THIS situation. This active volcano next to...pine trees?

I feel like they wanted it to feel vaguely Pompeii, since I know people like to put Atlantis in the Mediterranean. Maybe? Maybe that’s what they were going for here?

One of my top ten favorite Yugioh plot twists ever was finding out this episode that this snake who has no limbs somehow created these...rocks...that all of our main characters have been wearing and obsessing over this entire time.

And so this is my theory, this is the thesis of my Yugioh college paper. These rocks are turds. There’s no way these rocks aren’t turds. There’s no way this snake didn’t poop out a bunch of glowy magic stones and then stuff them into a volcano.

THE ROCKS WERE TURDS THE WHOLE TIME.

God bless, Yugioh.

Seto spends this entire episode groveling that he isn’t playing cards that will absolutely kill him. Like Mokuba, Seto isn’t happy until he’s cheating death.

(I really wish we got more super past future tech. I love that type of concept art. Instead, we just got a lot of flying boats--the same boat that I think the team flew on in S1 when they went to Seto’s video game universe.

So those boats are 10,000 years old? They existed in the 10,000 year old Pangea, huh?

Neat.)

Anyway, lets take a gander at Princess Zelda circa Ocarina of Time.

SUPER princess Zelda, and I know it’s not 1:1 but damn it feels so much like a late 90′s Princess Zelda outfit to me. Check out that PURPLE. That low poly circlet. The random ass sword. The thick ass belt.

Also check out this super dead family.

Yo so this is a 00′s thing, a period of time where we liked to tell stories like LOST, with just a bunch of random ass plot twists in flashbacks instead of just...telling a story from start to finish. And can be a great and fun way to do it--but at the sacrifice of actually making me care about these characters while they were still alive.

Like I would have maybe cared about Chris and Ironheart dying if I had known that Dartz was killing his whole family? With...lightning strikes? But alas, these dumbasses decided NOT to tell us they were royal. It’s so strange both from a logical perspective and a storytelling perspective.

Man...missed opportunity, IMO, but I can see why they did it. The wanted the ‘Gotcha!’ I feel ambivalent about it, honestly.

And who am I kidding, people are still doing unpredictable plot twists this. It’s a way to tell a story. Is it the most impactful way? No. It’s...it’s a gotcha!

It’s at this point in the story that things start ramping up, but it’s not clear if it takes place over years or just a couple hours. People just start going a little cray and turning into Monsters.

Straight up, though--did they turn into monsters that already existed and are modern Duel Monster cards, or are the monsters from modern Duel Monsters cards actually descendants of Atlantis who were once human?

They don’t say, actually. Maybe...maybe every card was a human once. That would be a freakin weird Yugioh twist if Kuriboh was like a 45 year old dude.

PS Dartz was married...soak that in.

ROMANCE ON YUGIOH ALERT.

Love it every time. She was there for like...half a second, and Dartz was like throwing so much shade about how “only the people with evil in their hearts were turned” and it’s like...

...dude that’s your wife? OK then. I can see you guys got along real well.

Anyway, so long to the ship of IonaxDartz, you were here for even less than the amount of time that Seto dated Blue Eyes White Dragon in a hallucination, which kind of sets a new record for us.

This might be the shortest-lived ship in all of Yugioh and they have a 12 year old daughter and what I assume was a 12 year marriage for that entire time.

that is if they...HAD the concept of marriage 10,000 years ago on Atlantis Pangea island. Maybe?

I mean they might have not had the concept of dating and marriage yet because he gets over this like immediately. The show will never hover back to that time Dartz watched his own wife turn into a creature. We have no idea if he was like “OK honey lets uh...let just get you a haircut and maybe no one will notice?” We have no idea how long he was desperately trying to remain married to the beast that was no longer human and was also trying to eat everyone else in his court. We just don’t know.

Dartz just had a lot of other things to think about. He’s been King for like...a year...he’s only 21...he’s just doing a bad job at everything.

(Biden opens Pres Trumps bedroom in the White House come January and it’s juts full of glowing green evil golf balls) (OK that was my last 2020 joke I swear to you)

Anyway, Dad is here, but it’s a little too late to really do anything with the situation. Everyone is worshiping little snake turds. What can you really do about that?

One eye golden, the other eye, the color of a glistening Leviathan turd.

After the rest of the surviving royal family was chased out of the castle, Dartz decides to just wave his hands around a lot.

I’m not entirely sure what Kings do...never really had one...but I think they’re supposed to do more than wave their hands at a crowd like the Pope. Like...everyone’s dead right? Like everyone?

Who’s he talking to?

Meanwhile, Chris and Ironheart decide to revive some monster tablets to get some real actual duel monsters to do their bidding.

So apparently some monsters are in the tablets, and other’s have just always been here...and...

They didn’t know violence but they did have the cards?

There’s a lot of vague stuff they didn’t feel like ever writing, because it would have probably been boring to write about. I guess we’ll just let our imagination fill in the rest and ignore all the inconsistencies. It’s a kid’s anime. well........kind of a kid’s anime. A lot of people have died this episode and I don’t even know how to add it to the death count.

How many people live in Atlantis? I dunno.

Are the inhabitants of Atlantis even dead, or are they just turned into Monster cards? I dunno. Clearly the Great Leviathan wasn’t awoken this first battle so...did all those souls get returned? I dunno.

Either way I’m not gonna bother the death count about it because I just do not know if they died, and since it was neither an implied death or an on screen death...I dunno.

Just feels like a bit of a translation snafu--where maybe they couldn’t kill that many people on English TV, so they were like “AND IT’S A DRAW!” but also...it could be canon to both versions. The leviathan didn’t work the first time, maybe no one died? I dunno.

In this shot, PS, Raphael just gently backs up out of this flying plane, and it looked really funny to me. I probs won’t cap it because it’s split between two other cuts, but just...they just kind of moved that sprite to the right really slowly, no animation, it was great.

Dartz decides to end the backstory hallucination, and we get introduced to a new twist--a better twist than that last one, that’s right, all our boys are cards!

Including this asshole!

Been a while since our boys have been cards! Man, I miss Bakura!

Yes, I looked back to earlier episodes this season to see what was going on with Pegasus’ new look. I think what happened is that it’s always been this shade of gray purple--but when you put purple next to it’s opposing color (which is yellow colors) it looks even MORE purple. It’s just how color works. Love color theory. mm. Good stuff. Good purple hair.

I can’t wait until Yami kills Yugi for the 3rd time in one season.

Anyway, that’s all for now, and like always, here’s a link to read these in chrono order.

#ygo #yugioh #yu-gi-oh #recap #photo recap #episode recap #yami yugi #seto kaiba #Dartz #I don't know if he has a last name or if they were invented yet #Dartz' hot wife #Yugi muto #Joey Wheeler #Mai Valentine #maxamillion pegasus #Raphael #s4 #ep 34

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sweetaspiesammy · 3 years

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Ok so I just accidentally sent this to @ghost-go-roasty-mctoasty even though it was meant for you (thanks tumblr mobile and my inability to pay attention before hitting send):

“I can recommend so many better scary movies than that (if you’d actually watch them)” - ok, while I am not involved in this convo, I am a scary movie aficionado and would love to hear your recs! I have watched so many good and bad scary movies because I will give almost anything in that genre a try and I am always looking for recommendations since most people rec the same handful of movies so I’m always on the lookout for something new!

Feel free to get involved! I’ve been bugging becky to watch my fave scary movies for like a week so I think it’s obvious I wanna talk about scary movies lol so I’m happy to share some!

One thing to note is I lean more towards psychological thrillers as opposed to ghost/demon/jump scare movies, but anyway, here’s some recs:

Gotta start with the entire SAW (2004-2010) franchise (excluding jigsaw and spiral) which is fucking incredible. They movies aren’t scary in a boo-ghost jump-scare kinda way, but they’re high intensity and gory af for people who like that. Not to mention there’s a really fascinating storyline that links everything together, well-written complex characters, and an amazing plot twist with every movie. I could not recommend them more and they’re genuinely my favorite movies of all time. I’ve watched all 7 movies 3 times over the past 2 months showing them to different friends and I was just as entertained every time if that’s any indication of how good they are

Se7en (1995) is another one of my all time faves. A lot of people have seen or at least know of it (“what’s in the boxxxxx”), but I think it’s one everyone has to watch at least once. It’s got a really interesting case with a lot of fucked up moments. It’s just an iconic thriller movie. Both Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman give (at least what I think) is some of their best performances in this movie

Kristy (2014) is one I watched expecting it to be another B rated horror movie that me and my friends could make fun of, but it was actually so fucking good. It’s thriller more than horror but it’s really captivating. It’s one that makes your heart race. The concept is something I had never seen before and it’s still one of my fave scary movies

Kiss the Girls (1997) is one of the first R-rated horror movies I was allowed to watch and just wow. I thought it was scary but so cool. Definitely not the best for a kid but when I rewatched when I was older I was able to truly appreciate the storytelling. It was really captivating and even though it’s a little slow moving at times, it makes up for it with adrenaline rush scenes. Also another Morgan Freeman movie where he plays a cop (like in se7en) but he does it really well. Fun fact it’s also the first time I saw Morgan freeman without grey hair lol

Us (2019) is one I think a lot of people have seen, but I still have to rec is bc oh my god it was so good. I saw it in theaters and nothing compares to the feeling of watching a movie that intense and having everyone be silent with anticipation. I’ve seen it so many times and I get chills every time I watch it. It has a few really good plot twists and Jordan Peele is an incredible director

Get Out (2017) is another Jordan Peele movie that I know a lot of people know but still deserves to be on the list. It’s suspense levels are off the charts and once your realize what’s happening your heart is racing and your mind is fucked

Scream (1996) isn’t scary to me but it’s a really good slasher movie which fits my theme of thrillers. It’s just a classic and everyone need to watch it lol

Pet (2016) was another one I watched with friends planning to make fun of, but it ended up being really creepy and fucked up. It starts off as your typical psychological horror with creepy man who’s obsessed with a girl but oh boy it’s so much more than that

The Ward (2010) gives me chills even when I just think about it. It takes you in so many different directions and your heart just races the entire time. It has easily one of the best plot twists in a horror movie that I’ve ever seen

The Den (2013) freaked me the fuck out. One of the few times I was actually unable to sleep bc of watching something. It’s centered around a webcam chat thing (kinda like omegle) so it felt very realistic to me and just… go watch it. If this was a list in rank order instead of random order this one would be closer to the top

Hush (2016) is yet another one I watched expecting to be able to make fun of, but it was awesome. It starts a little slow but it’s got a very fast pace through the whole movie once it gets going. It’s also really cool since the main character is disabled, which is not something you usually see and spoiler alert: she kicks ass

The Pact (2012) is one I haven’t watched in a long time but still comes to mind when thinking about horror movies. Mainly bc of the plot twist which blew my mind at the time. I felt on edge through most of the movie and was one of my favorites for a while

Insidious (2010) is one of the few on this list where it’s an entity and while I find a lot of ghost/demon movies laughable, this one actually creeps me out. It’s yet another high intensity movie and has a lot of creepy moments that makes it hard to watch in the dark

The Woman in Black (2012) was another really good one that freaked me out. It’s been a long time since I watched it but I remember that it was slow paced but creepy as fuck

Circle (2015) has a really unique concept and is very high intensity. I find it really interesting since it takes place in a single location most of the movie and while the characters don’t get much of a backstory, you still somehow feel for a lot of them. It’s not horror or even thriller in the conventional way so if you like stuff like that I think this is a good one to watch

Since 15 seems like enough/a lot so I’ll cap it here, but if you (or anyone else honestly) end up liking some of these and want more recs feel free to ask and I’ll come up with some more <3

#asks #movie recs #I accidentally spent almost an hour on this oops

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sibyl-of-space · 3 years

Text

Final Fantasy IX ~ Melodies and Memories

"Jesters of the Moon"

There are a lot of very good video games in the world, but it takes some luck and circumstance outside of a game's control for one to reach me at just the right time(s) and place(s) in my life that it has a tangible impact on who I am -- who I want to be. One that carves out a space for itself in my soul that will never be removed or replaced.

I've just finished playing Final Fantasy IX for the first time, and there's no doubt in my mind that such is the case here.

(Continued below readmore.)

I drew this art last year, when I was mourning my attachment to an old favorite game that I just don't feel the same way about anymore: Majora's Mask. I wanted to draw something that captured my feelings about it, because sometimes art is the best way to talk about something when the words don't want to come.

Why is "Jesters of the Moon," the name of a random song in the Final Fantasy IX soundtrack, plastered in the middle of this Majora's Mask fanart? Especially considering I hadn't even played Final Fantasy IX yet when I drew this?

The reason is exactly that "luck and circumstance" that allowed me to fall so uniquely in love with the game.

"Mt. Gulug"

In 2008, someone on YouTube uploaded a Majora's Mask parody-slash-let's-play series called "Majora's Mask: The Things Which Were Taken Out." The series has since become unlisted and won't be linked here out of respect for the creator who probably doesn't want things they said and made in 2008 being spread all over the internet, but because of Unregistered Hypercam 2 reasons, the series inserted other background music over the video and didn't record the actual game audio.

I didn't recognize any of the music, but I watched these parody videos on repeat because in addition to being funny (...at the time, in my mind, at least), I really really loved the music. It got to the point where I would sometimes be playing Majora's Mask and get disappointed when I approached Goht and the Mt. Gulug theme wasn't playing in the background.

I had forgotten about these videos for a really long time in the interim, but I remembered them at some point when I was thinking about Majora's Mask and I found them again. The creator had cited the Final Fantasy IX soundtrack for virtually all of the background music used in the videos, and I realized that despite knowing literally nothing about the game, I had become really fond of - and weirdly nostalgic for - the songs from it that I now recognized.

So I looked up "Jesters of the Moon" and played it on repeat while I drew out my feelings in colored marker. A few months later, I realized that my backwards compatible PS3 can also play PS1 games, and eBay had FFIX for PS1 at a good price. I had nothing to lose by ordering it and seeing what the source of all that fantastic music was like.

"Vamo Alla Flamenco"

I started my playthrough knowing nothing about what to expect from the game. I'd never played a Final Fantasy game before and my overall JRPG experience has been mostly limited to Tales of, Persona, and more recently, mainline Shin Megami Tensei. The only things I knew about Final Fantasy were a) the Tidus laughing scene, and b) Sephiroth. IX seemed like it had vibes I would enjoy, but beyond that I knew nothing about what the experience would be. So I approached it with a "let's have fun and see how it goes" attitude, naming my party members the first silly thing that came to mind, ending up with "Swaggy," "OwO," "Bitchin," "Gunz," and "SWOOORD" to start with.

(For the record I do not regret those names whatsoever.)

I was immediately struck by how differently the game uses music in comparison to all of my previous JRPG experiences. This was not a game where the composer was given a list of theme songs that were slapped on top of a mostly completed game-- this was a game constructed with the soundtrack in mind as a part of the writing process.

The opening act plays almost like an opera (side note, yes I know one of the other FF's has a literal opera, I haven't played that one): you traverse the same locations from different perspectives as different characters, introducing the cast with lighthearted humor and dramatic irony out the wazoo. While you traverse the city as OwO, OwO's theme is playing in the background, coloring your perspective of the city and the narrative. When you switch to Gunz patrolling around the castle, Gunz's theme accompanies your movement and informs his character and mission. I am so accustomed to "location themes" being the norm in virtually all video games that experiencing character and/or narrative themes as BGM instead while I bumble around town changed my entire perspective on what music in games can do and be.

The operatic feeling is definitely intentional, because the game uses a play-within-a-game narrative device to hit you over the head with its themes in a way that is somehow poignant and artful while also being extremely blatant. That is a hard balance to strike, but it manages. The whole game is like that: it is completely straightforward and tells you exactly what it's about at heart, but it does it beautifully.

At any rate, I was enamored with this intro and had a very fun time, but I wasn't obsessed or anything and ended up putting it down. I spent several months on the first half of disk 1 with weeks passing between play sessions. I liked the game plenty, but life stuff happened and I decided to get obsessed with Dai Gyakuten Saiban and Ghost Trick for a while. No regrettis.

It was already clear, though, that FFIX was going to be special to me. My compositions for my team's game in the Global Game Jam in 2021 were directly inspired by FFIX's opera-like intro. I wrote two character themes for our game that would serve as background music when you play as the two protagonists, coloring your journey differently even when moving in the same spaces. I was intentionally trying to mimic the way music is used in FFIX as an exercise. The themes I wrote are definitely some of my strongest work so far.

(You can check out the game here if you want, I promise it is significantly shorter than Final Fantasy IX.)

"Melodies of Life"

Music caused me to pick up FFIX the first time, and music caused me to return to it. After months of not touching or really thinking about it, just earlier this week I was inspired to play it again, because - again - I listened to the right song at the right time.

I was again mourning the loss of something, in this case a friendship, for reasons I'm not going to share here. I had already heard the song "Melodies of Life" because it came up when I was looking up FFIX songs to reblog on Tumblr a few months ago, and I decided to listen to it again. Even without knowing the game context, the song itself really spoke to me in that moment: "a voice from the past, joining yours and mine, adding up the layers of harmony" - it kind of made me feel at peace with the fact that I had a lot of positive memories of that friendship and I could keep those at heart while also moving on in the present. ...I'm also a sucker for music metaphors, so there is that.

I was really moved by this song, cheesy as it is, and I was also definitely in the mood for a distraction. Picking up FFIX again felt like the best move.

It was, and my life is forever changed.

The game never stopped being beautiful and funny and touching, and the soundtrack never ceased to amaze. I recognized concepts I've seen in other games but never had I seen them used so artfully. I adored the fantasy world and non-human cast, I found myself enticed by random encounter for the first time because it made me feel like I had to struggle to survive a difficult journey. Music, gameplay, visuals, and story felt like one cohesive work of art for the entire duration.

Life circumstances got me to play the game again, but the game itself was so captivating and wonderful that I binged the entire rest of it - disks 2-4 - in less than a week. Everything else that the game had to say, it told me itself, in its own context, and I was ready to listen.

"You're Not Alone!"

This is going to make me sound like an emotionally-stunted twenty-something, but it has been years since a work of media has got me to have a really good cry. I used to cry playing games all the time as a kid but recently I'll find myself getting emotional, sure, often tearing up, but getting completely red-faced and snot-nosed because I physically cannot contain the emotions being evoked by a work? Years. I can't honestly tell you the last time it happened with certainty.

I feel like an emotional band-aid has been ripped off. I was f*cking sobbing during the entire duration of the "You're Not Alone!" sequence. It didn't matter that what was happening was obviously coming from a mile away, because the delivery was so raw and emotional and human!!! A whole game's worth of Swaggy punching first and asking questions later to save his friends, being Protag McProtag endangering himself for others in any and all circumstances, for the payoff of all of his friends forcing him to stop being such a primadonna and let them help him for once. It's true, too! He relies on them just as much as they rely on him! And the game doesn't just tell you this, no, it lets you try to solo all these fights and waits until you realize how boned you are until they come bail you out.

When Bitchin showed up with her "looks like you need a hand" I wanted to straight up yell at my tv. YES I DO!!! YES I DO NEED YOU BITCHIN!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!! I half knew that SWOOORD was going to heal me before I got truly KO-ed but I had been unmercifully wiped in "unwinnable" battles before in this game, so I legit thought I might have to re-do that whole part of the game again, and I was so relieved and thankful when she showed up and healed me.

This moment exemplifies everything that I adore about this game. It doesn't just tell you its story. It shows it to you, it sings it to you, and it and lets you play it out and feel it for yourself.

"Game Over"

This song is all too familiar to me. Gizamaluke's Grotto was very unforgiving for a first-time Final Fantasy player, especially one who didn't happen to pick up Big on the way for a fourth party member early on.

I hadn't heard the piano part in a few months, though, because when I picked the game back up I started just mashing to reload before it got to that point any time we wiped. I didn't hear it again until the game was truly over, this time for good.

I let it play for a while. Not too long, because I have a CRT TV and didn't want "The End" to get burned in. But a while. Enough to meditate on what I'd just experienced, and how I was feeling about it.

There's so much more to say about the game, far more than I could put in a blog post. But I don't think I need to describe these thoughts in words. I can do what the game did, and use music, use art, use stories, use metaphors, and use symbols to communicate what I mean; and hope that someone else is able and willing to listen.

And although a written record of my thoughts likely won't be preserved for all that long, maybe the feelings and the memories will be, so long as they have been shared.

#personal #analyses #ffix

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otakween · 3 years

Photo

07 Ghost - The World! (Part 1)

So I guess 07 Ghost had a radio show? This is such a weird concept to me. Like, do they have a radio channel in Japan that’s just really anime-specific? If, for example, Avatar: The Last Airbender had a radio show with all of the voice actors, where the heck would that broadcast from?

The radio show is actually longer than the anime too, 30 whole episodes! I guess it’s not that surprising because it’s very low effort. Kind of like a podcast between friends. You can find it on nico nico douga (I’ve added a few links below to point you in the right direction).

Episode 1

My first impression is that this isn’t really something you’re meant to sit down and listen to start-to-finish. It’s like most talk radio where you’re meant to hear it during your drive to the grocery store or something. That being said, I had fun listening to this as a Japanese practice exercise. The fact that it’s not subtitled means I have to focus on it really hard, which keeps me from getting bored.

Basically in this episode they introduce their characters (described Teito and Mikage’s personalities), read fan mail, and play what sounded like a game of pictionary (although they renamed it “What’s inside Pandora’s box?”) I guess future episodes will have guests, so I look forward to that.

Episode 2

This episode was somehow longer than the first, but had about the same amount of content. The show is broken up into “corners” that shift around each episode. The ones I remember are: 07 Ghost news corner, fan mail corner, and then they usually play a game that’s 07-ghost related. This time they had to guess “What would X character say/do in Y situation.” The hilarious thing was that Mikage’s VA clearly did not read the manga and maybe didn’t even watch the show lol. He doesn’t know anything about the characters and struggles to remember their names. Meanwhile, Teito’s VA is either a superfan or just likes to do her homework because she was killing it. Honestly the straightman/dumbass dynamic fits their characters.

So far my favorite part of the series is hearing the fanmail. This was recorded around the time the anime was coming out, and it’s interesting to hear what the Japanese fanbase had to say when the series was fresh.

Episode 3

In this episode they had their first guest, Castor’s VA! He didn’t really add much to the show so it kind of felt like a wasted opportunity if you ask me. I wish they would have interviewed him or something. This time around featured a lot of kanji discussion (apparently Mikage’s VA isn’t very good at reading kanji) and they discussed what they’d like to try out in the 07-Ghost world (riding a hawkzile and using zaiphon). Mikage’s VA continued to act dumb and got spanked at one point for losing a game (I think?).

Episode 4

Okay, this was my favorite episode so far because they got Ayanami’s VA to guest star! AHHHHHH! His voice is so sexy lol. The first thing Teito and Mikage’s VAs did was basically say “so...why is your voice so nice?” lol. They discussed what ages their voices dropped and he said 5th grade. They talked about Teito’s VA’s voice change as well and I was just like “huh? Does that happen with girls?” Like, yeah obviously our voices change too, but I definitely don’t have any recollection of an exact time when that happened.

Anyway, this episode had the usual “game show-like” games that were fun to listen to, as well as listener mail. Basically every letter was bullying Mikage’s VA which was hilarious and Teito’s VA continued to rag on him for not reading the manga. Listening to Ayanami’s VA speak naturally was fascinating because his natural speaking voice isn’t far off from the character’s. Man if I met a guy with that deep a voice in person, I’d probably melt.

Episode 5

This one was pretty boring, especially compared to episodes 3-4. There was no guest and all of the “corners” felt pretty copy-paste from previous episodes. They chatted about White Day a little and what their characters would give on White Day. They also tried weird drinks/food towards the end that were requested by viewers.

Not much to say about this one, but I’m really enjoying listening to these. They have the low budget “just hanging out” that’s relaxing to listen to and I like the chemistry of the hosts. It’s also really good listening practice when I can’t rely on video or subtitles.

Episode 6

This episode was fun because Labrador’s VA dropped by with his sweet voice. I actually had to double check and make sure his VA was a guy because I was like “wait...do guys sound like this??” I found his website and apparently he does the voice for Phineas from Phineas and Ferb, Beast Boy from Teen Titans and Fiver from Watership Down!! I should really watch more Japanese dubs of western stuff.

The conversation leaned heavily on food in this one, which I appreciated. Apparently Labrador’s VA just eats constantly and never gets fat (must be nice). Mikage’s VA described Labrador’s eating habits as “Princess-like” because he eats a lot of sweets and expensive foods (like scallops). Jealous tbh. Mikage’s VA was roasted again for not reading the manga which will never not be funny.

Episode 7

So unfortunately, this one’s audio cuts out around 35 minutes in. At first I thought that there was something wrong on my end, but I tried the video on my phone and my laptop and neither would cooperate. Ah well, the parts I was able to hear were fun. In this episode it’s Namikawa’s B. Day (Mikage’s VA) so they celebrate that. They also talk about hanami because this was broadcasted in the spring. The “challenges” they do that are mostly 07-Ghost trivia are getting kinda cringey because Namikawa loses literally every time (since he didn’t read the manga lol).

Episode 8

In this episode Mikage’s VA was replaced with Hakuren’s VA because Mikage’s schedule was “too full” lol. It was interesting to hear Jun Fukuyama speak naturally, I feel like out of all the voices I’ve heard on this show so far, his has the biggest gap between his speaking and acting voice.

This episode was really chill, they talked about Jun’s cycling hobby and played some 07-Ghost trivia games. I found the Japanese really easy to understand this time around so I was able to play along which made things more fun. This one felt on the shorter side with less “corners” than usual. Teito’s VA keeps calling the show “yuru radio” which feels very accurate.

Episode 9

Another Hakuren episode. Honestly, I think I prefer the chemistry between Mikage/Teito’s VAs more because they have a deeper contrast in both their voices and personalities. Teito and Hakuren’s VAs feel more evenly matched so it’s kind of like listening to one person talk to themselves. The beginning of this episode was difficult for me to understand because they were talking so fast! I tried to slow down the playback speed but that just sounded horrible so I just toughed it out. Topics included: Golden Week, finger size (I think as like a fortune telling thing), and onsen.

At this point these episodes just fly by, I’ve really gotten used to their rhythm and the constant switching from corner to corner prevents me from getting bored. It took me a long time to get through these first 10, but hopefully I’ll be able to just binge the next 20.

Episode 10

Yaaay, episode 10! They celebrated by having Frau as a guest and Mikage’s VA returned. This episode actually had me laughing out loud a few times (which is rare because my Japanese isn’t very good lol). It was great to finally have Frau’s VA as a guest and I think the show’s more fun with 3 people rather than 2. Frau’s VA has a very “bored” sounding voice, like he’s too cool for school or something. Not to say he wasn’t fun to listen to, he’s just pretty monotone.

Unfortunately, I didn’t understand the game they played (creatively titled “07 Ghost: The Game”) at all this episode. It involved a lot of counting but I was just really lost as to what was going on. What I did understand was “The Last Supper” where they tried yogurt mixed with various things. They tried yogurt + mayo which a listener claimed tastes like cream cheese. Predictably, it tasted pretty gross and I got squicked just imagining it. Onto the next 20!

#07 ghost #07 ghost the world #anime radio?#I dunno what to call this

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orionsangel86 · 5 years

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SPN Speculation - SDCC chatter

Hey guys, a little birdy told me that Tumblr hasn’t been handling the SDCC news all that well? I have been asked to come back and share some thoughts I have so far only been floating around in GCs and very briefly on Twitter.

For those of you feeling negative about Season 15, that’s of course your prerogative, but I am honestly extremely happy with what tidbits of information we have received.

This got long so under a cut is quotes from SDCC and my own reactions and speculation including an ending concept I thought of that I am quite happy with.

First of all, Andrew Dabb’s joke about only 30% of the audience liking the ending was just that, a JOKE. They were digging at Game of Thrones. Bobo has already confirmed on Twitter previously that SPN ending will be NOTHING like Game of Thrones.

https://twitter.com/robertberens/status/1127821427149721600

https://twitter.com/robertberens/status/1127976311303970816

This was back during the final few eps of GoT when Bobo got really chatty with fans online about the way GoT told it’s stories. He confirmed that SPN is completely different, believes in heroism, and is focused on its characters rather than the world at large.

What Bobo essentially was saying was that SPN isn’t going for a dark gloomy ending more focused on the universe than each characters individual end journeys. SPN will have a satisfying end for its audience compared to the dark and gloomy hopeless ending GoT presented us with.

So any snark they had at SDCC comparing SPN to GoT was prob based on this and is totally not to be taken seriously.

What made me feel far more positive was Dabb and Bobo saying the following:

Dabb: “you want people to feel it was worth their time. Because this show is a big time investment. Three hundred and twenty seven hours [is a lot]. You don’t want to leave people feeling hollow, you don’t want to leave them feeling cynical. You don’t want to make them think we don’t take very seriously the amount of time and effort they put into this show and the amount of time and effort we put into this show. So that doesn’t mean the ending is always happy and everybody is high-giving. But it means the journey was worth something and came to a place that makes everyone feel it was worth taking that trip.”

Bobo said “at it’s core, making sure we end powerfully and meaningfully the stories of Jack, Cas, Sam and Dean, and honor them and their characters and their emotions and the audiences emotions for them.... that’s sort of our north star in breaking the show.”

Also Bobo: “We have some really interesting and fun ways to play around with that expectation [of whether Sam and Dean should live or die]. Not just in the final stretch but throughout the season. I think that question will be raised in a number of ways. And Sam and Dean will be struggling with that in a number of ways. I think we’re very conscious as writers that this is not the Game of Thrones type [of situation] – just shove everyone’s face in the mud kind of downer. It’s a balance of pain and uplift that we have to hit perfectly that feels fresh and doesn’t feel like something we’ve done before. And I think that we have some ideas that we’ve very excited about that will stick that landing for us.”

Whilst we have to remember that this is still just PR, it is good to hear from both Bobo and Dabb that ultimately they seem to understand what is important and how to end this show right. My interpretation from this is not that the show will end in death and misery, but in something hopeful and somewhat satisfying, even if it is different.

(My sources from this are from a GC where the text I think is copied from an article. If you know the article please send me the link)

Dabb also talked quite a bit about how the one thing that is set in stone and has been for at least a year already, is the very final scene of the show. They had this in mind before Season 14 was written. So everything else will be written around this final scene. (also means we need to pay closer attention in our S14 re-watches.)

Dabb and Bobo both think the ending will satisfy fans, or at least that fans will understand why the ending they chose makes sense. Dabb specifically said “What we are crafting is something that I hope will make sense as an emotional ending to these characters journey. I don’t think it’s something that’s going to make everybody happy, because that’s impossible. But I certainly hope that even the people who hoped it ended differently will understand why it ended that way.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHjhnG5w2gw

The one take away that REALLY interested me was this from Jensen:

“It took me a while to get there. When we were in the room and the idea came down the pipe and everybody kind of signed off on it, my reaction was more like “okay, okay”. I’d struggled with it for about a week or so and I realised I’m just too close to this character. To see anything with finality on it is just hard to digest. And I talked to a few people about it and got some clarity on it and I’ve tried to look at it from a different perspective and I now have come around to being “oh, this is a really good ending. This is satisfying.””

https://twitter.com/Bluestar861/status/1153080393106710528

So to sum up:

Dabb says that the ending they have gone with is one that makes sense emotionally in terms of character journey

Bobo says that the ending will honor the characters of Sam, Dean, Cas and Jack and WON’T be anything like GoT

Jensen says that he struggled with the ending at first, and had to have it explained to him to get clarity on why they are taking that route, after which, he understood and now thinks its a really good ending.

To top this, Jared spoke of the ending being the characters finding peace (whether alive or dead - but in a way that implied they would be alive)

Misha has confirmed he doesn’t know the ending, so he has simply been reiterating his old stance that Cas has to die and as much as we love him, we can disregard everything he says based on his own words from Jibcon “I make shit up.”

As a meta writer and someone who spends a lot of time picking apart the stories to find SENSE and MEANING in the CHARACTER JOURNEY’S and knowing that JENSEN ACKLES DIDN’T UNDERSTAND AT FIRST?!

I AM VERY HAPPY ABOUT THIS NEWS.

Jensen not understanding imo means the ending will not be Sam and Dean dying together in a blaze of glory, it won’t be a separation in death either for any of the characters. My best guess? The brothers go their separate ways in the end.

Hear me out. It fits okay. Let’s bring this back to the obvious question:

How do you end a show where death is not taken seriously?

Easy. You separate the characters in LIFE, bringing an end to their joint story. If SPN has always been a story about two brothers, saving people, hunting things, the family business (with the family growing over the past so many years), then the way you end that is not by killing them off, it’s by separating the core characters from the story itself, and from each other.

The reason I am speculating THIS ending is also because of one EXTREMELY EXCITING fact that also came from SDCC:

EILEEN IS RETURNING

https://twitter.com/Shoshannah7/status/1153077148883640321

Call me an optimist, but they aren’t going to bring back the one character who ticked all of Sam Winchester’s boxes for one episode as a ghost or a soul in heaven - they are gonna bring her back properly, and that can only mean one thing. SAILEEN. Sam getting a romantic endgame is PERFECT and it fits my theory. Eileen coming back opens up the potential for Sam to have a new hunting partner, or even better, a new MOL Legacy partner to reestablish the MOL as a society for learning and protecting the world from the Supernatural. A training center for hunters and supernatural scholars all over the world. TELL ME THIS ISN’T PERFECT FOR SAM I DARE YOU.

Obviously, the one caveat to this awesome opportunity for Sam, is no more hunting with Dean. Hence, end of Supernatural as we know it.

What does this mean for Dean? Well, If a certain angelic blue eyed beauty gets their true story potential - their emotionally satisfying character journey end - then that angelic blue eyed beauty will be hanging up their wings for good and slumming it with us mud monkeys permanently.

A sacrifice? Yes, finality? Yes. Death? Hell no.

Further thoughts on this here:

https://twitter.com/Bluestar861/status/1153278119576592385

With a human Cas by his side, Dean can still do whatever he wants, travel the country, or take himself and his hot ex-angel “buddy” off to the beach, because the main focus of Dean’s character arc, his character journey over the course of so many seasons, has been to find peace with himself, as well as freeing himself from the burden of parenthood forced on him by his father and let Sam go.

Dean has never been comfortable being alone, and it wouldn’t make sense for him to end his journey alone either - at all - which is why Jensen’s dream ending that he keeps telling at cons about Dean swapping Baby for a motorbike also makes no bloody sense - but of course, as Jensen said, he didn’t really understand the ending presented at first did he?

Jensen would struggle with the idea of Sam and Dean both choosing to separate in life, especially if that ending also had an ambiguous Destiel twist to it. Jensen has always made his views on the brothers relationship clear, he is a “together to the end” man, so it makes sense that he would need to have the toxic codependency and why it needs to break explained to him.

I have no idea whether Destiel will be part of this so please don’t ask me, I happen to think at this point that it will be ambiguous and open to interpretation. But if the show ends with Dean and human Cas together mirrored against a happy Sam and Eileen I’ll be satisfied.

DISCLAIMER: This is a speculative fan theory thought up for fun. It is NOT serious show meta, it is literally inspired by PR from SDCC. I DO NOT HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL - IF I DID I WOULD BE BUYING LOTTERY TICKETS RIGHT NOW NOT TELLING YOU LOT HOW SPN IS GONNA END.

Of course, all my theories are inspired by in show character themes and emotional sub plots. I’m not pulling this shit out of thin air, I just... don’t want you all to start accusing me of leading you on or getting your hopes up if S15 starts and throws us a huge curve ball because I literally know nothing more than you lot and frankly the attacks on meta writers over the past few years have disgusted me and made me loose quite a bit of faith in the fandom collective brain cell - which I generally assume doesn’t exist in those that actually do attack meta writers.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Still, please try not to burn this hellsite to the ground based on SDCC PR. It’s supposed to be fun!

Peace.

#Supernatural #spn speculation #sdcc2019 #pr is not showrunning #spn fan theories #spn endgame #season 15 #saileen #destiel #andrew dabb #bobo berens #jensen ackles #my thoughts

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voices-ringing-out · 4 years

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🎰 fingerguns

Send 🎰 for me to put our muses into a random list generator then post the first five as potential ships!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

1. Scarlett and Teagan Woods!

This could be interesting! Scarlett sounds like someone Teagan would absolutely get a dopy crush on; Teagan (since I haven’t figured out how to link bios yet, I’ll give a lil summary) is an OC from my book Metanoia, where she and her best friend basically go on a cross country roadtrip to film a monster/ghost hunting documentary. Teagan’s a filmmaker and the trip was a dream of hers. I’m not sure how well they would get along - Teagan is very much not a loner and can be a bit clingy with people she decides she likes, and she’s had a pretty ‘cushy’ life so far so she may not realte too well to Scarlett’s own struggles - but I think interactions between them could be super fun!

2. Rainbow and King Richard!

This one, I’m not sure would work out as a ship-ship, in part because Rainbow is heterosexual according to your bio, but the interactions could be so much fun, lmao. Richard (kinda clumsy and dumb king who’s still a child at heart and fairly sheltered as far as the world goes even as a grown ass man) would be smitten for sure, because beautiful boys is a massive weakness of his, but since he also originates from a fantasy world, depending on the verse, he might ‘short-circuit’ so to speak if faced with the existence of androids out of nowhere. So this would be very verse dependent but definitely has potential for some fascinating interactions!

3. Kevin and Sirius Black!

Okay, this one really threw me off, I’m not gonna lie, lmao. On a base level - there’s definitely interest there. Kevin is someone that Sirius would be extremely curious about and want to learn as much about as possible; I’ve never considered giving Sirius a WTNV AU, but now I’m extremely interested in poking around with that concept and seeing what I can come up with. I’m so terribly behind on WTNV, but I’m sure there’s space for a werewolf in there somewhere! This is a pairing that I have no idea what to think about honestly, but like the others - it would be fun to see what happened!

4. Charles Cheeseman and Emrys Collins!

Okay, admittedly, I just spent like five minutes fanboying over the fact he has a Great Mouse Detective verse. That said! Emrys, for backstory, is a branch leader for NOVIS, an organisation that is dedicated to the exploration and research of anything bizarre, paranormal, and extraterrestrial. He’s also a massive fucking flirt for whom the only limits are that the being he’s engaging with is a consenting adult lmao. So I could definitely see this working, especially since Emrys’ occupation inherently means that any alternate universe or world is entirely possible for him to experience. I’ve been playing with giving some of my muses anthro animal versions of themselves, it could be fun to start with Emrys.

5. Benjamin Arnold and Audrey Jensen!

I admittedly don’t recognise where Benjamin is from but I love him already! A bit of backstory on Audrey Jensen - she’s a film geek (so many of my muses are... oops) from the television version of the Scream films; feisty, bisexual, and a tad temperamental. She doesn’t like being told who she’s supposed to be or what she’s supposed to do. She’s also a high schooler in her main verse, although I have several adult timelines with her, including one really random one I made with @heartsunholy where she ends up joining the FBI in her twenties lmao. That said! Benjamin is definitely Audrey’s type, and from what I read about him, I think a ship between the two could work pretty well, verse depending!

#asked and answered #interactions > bcggars #thank you so much for sendingv this in aaaaa i love doing these #sorry that my muses don't have bio pages up yet; figuring out the coding/html is n o t a strong point of mine and i've been struggling

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readingthelastpage · 5 years

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Calvin, Tom and Joe in the context of Gaylor

so the consensus in the Kaylor fandom is that all of these were purely PR relationships made up to hide her gayness, and the proof was that Taylor is a lesbian in a long-term monogamous endgame relationship with another lesbian, Karlie. I don’t share this opinion, and yet when I prod at these relationships, my overwhelming conclusion is that they are conducted for the public. Gaylor Swift (Taylor being fluid or bi or gay) and songs inspired by her love of women (like Karlie) factor a little bit into that, but the reason why I have this feeling is the reality of Taylor’s image at the time she was publicly linked to each of these men, and the things I assume about Taylor’s creative process.

here’s the deal about 1989: Taylor’s glossy pop single gal makeover is celebrated, but she is still mocked. the love songs aren’t super sad breakup songs, but they aren’t happy love songs either. she says she would love to write an album about a love that shines golden if she ever finds it - it’s obvious that, for Taylor to shed her image of kinda sexless and mildly immature young woman, being a single feminist with a girl squad won’t work as a public image - and it super stops working when the media publishes images of her and Karlie snuggling at a concert. she needs to date someone who is kinda older (but not innapropriately so), not a teenybopper but considered hot by Taylor’s generation, both respected in his field (that has to be different than the typical Taylor date of either actor or pop singer) and up-and-coming in popularity. Someone kinda worldly, maybe foreign.

If it sounds like I just described Calvin, I did! Honestly, dating him for longer than a year was the best thing Taylor did for her public image, for her overwhelmingly hetero audience who want to see her succeeding in her love life. She can now “”””keep a man””””, and a cool man at that, someone who hasn’t been seen as a star-chaser and who hasn’t been involved in PR-relationships. But Calvin wasn’t the best person, he publicly embarrassed Taylor several times and is generally volatile and her fanbase begins to dislike him. He’s not the way to go.

Except Taylor still wants to write about her golden love. TS6. Lover. (Karlie). The good stuff, the good feelings. Someone hot by her side she has cocktails with on a private beach, so handsome they make her jealous and high above the whole scene.

Here’s something controversial: I don’t think Taylor’s albums are a perfect diary of her private life. Anyone trying to “prove” any theory or timeline via them will have a very difficult time. I do think she writes about the real feelings she has experienced (with maybe some artifice in the specifics), but the songs she will put on her album will connect to the story about herself she wants to tell that era, just like her different image each era will communicate different things.

In other words: it’s not that Taylor writes a bunch of isolated happy love songs about Karlie or a bunch of isolated on-and-off again songs about Dianna and conceptualizes her next era around that batch of songs and picks a public muse based on that, to cover up for the real inspiration. Rather, the real inspiration is her life and feelings, she picks the songs and the concepts based on the story she wants to spend a few years performing and telling in the next era, the image and the boyfriends follow.

I don’t have any concrete evidence for this. It’s just my feeling based around being around musicians, being a fan of musicians and investigating into their creative processes, and being a creative type myself and seeing different things about Taylor’s journey. REP is about a very isolated incident in Taylor’s life, but also giving the middle finger to the haters (and, as it turns out, her crappy label) because she has a hot lover and real friends. We know Taylor went through a lot more shit at the time she wrote about these things, but this is the story she wanted to keep telling, possibly to pick herself up, keep herself strong, and for an image benefit. There’s nothing the public loves more than someone owning their mistakes, rising from the ashes and at the same time living a good life. Putting other songs on REP would have muddied the message.

Here’s how I think it went down: Taylor goes through her storm. It becomes clear to her that she will address the storm on the next album. She also will not give the next album to her crappy label, and will have to leave all the old Taylors in the past so she can break free with Reputation and then have the Lover Paradise Butterfly concept. The LWYMMD video is pretty clear as a retelling of that. However, Taylor still has happy love songs in mind and will not spend the next era single - she wants a public partner, not just to cover for the “paternity test” because she doesn’t want the songs tied to Calvin (or Karlie), but because that’s the right PR move to pull in light of the Tayvin breakup.

Enter someone also handsome, enviably so, worldly, funny, broad-shouldered and supportive and - key difference from Calvin - a good sport and agreeable and fun. She attempts to create a whirlwind romance fast with Tom and really there’s no reason why it would go wrong... except they go overboard and it does go wrong. It works on paper but the way they captured all of that looks freakin’ silly, that silly shirt appears, and people go nuts. Taylor gets rid of him very fast. Now she has two romances she doesn’t want her love songs tied to. I don’t think it’s a coincidence she spread the word of Joe on her secret sessions and specifically said all songs are about him, because some of these details really bring me back to specific Hiddleswift and Tayvin public moments she has created. Not a great start for a new era. She would definitely want to go away for a while, regardless of whether or not she is creating space for another public romance or not. Maybe the realization Karlie and her aren’t the endgame she was writing about or thinking about happens right then and there when she disappears, maybe it’s earlier or later.

Joe is a bit of a mystery just because he is such a ghost. There’s no question that not all of the time Taylor spends in London is for work, and there’s no question that at least some of that time is spent with Joe. Sometimes I wonder if she is with someone in his particular inner circle (though there is no need for that really), and sometimes I wonder if she is really with him. But one thing is absolutely clear: in him, she has found her ideal public relationship. A blank canvas, he could be made into anything her team wanted. She could write any future love songs “about him” and no one would question it. It corrects for all things in her previous public relationships (especially Hiddleswift) and it’s perfectly stable and allows her to have the pop star life that’s more in tune with her sensibilities: both glamorous and lowkey, both cool and kinda boring. It would be a big coincidence if she happened to find the perfect boyfriend for her golden love album and mature pop star era. It’s especially suspicious that he was projected to be the next big serious yet mysterious leading man right around the time they hooked up, and then, purely by chance, his career just didn’t blow up like it was expected to. I’m not saying it’s impossible that they are real. But so far... I’m going with PR because it’s a little too perfect.

People constantly question the benefit of Joe for Taylor. With him, she is so private and boring and gets no publicity, and he doesn’t get much either! I’d argue that’s the exact point. Taylor wants to be a little boring. Not too much, but romantically. She doesn’t want her private life pried into so hardcore. She still plays the game, but a bare minimum of it, and it shows. If you go on popular swiftie ask blogs, you’ll constantly get seasoned bloggers saying there’s no point in following her so closely because she “feeds us” so irregularly and then flits off to London for a week right after. “She only does one thing a week and not every week”. The lowering of expectations is working. She only has to “work” in this way when it most benefits her and her public life isn’t such a spectacle anymore because there is nothing juicy to discover.

So. The thing about this fandom is that, when you want to see if something is true or not, you have to start believing it is true and then finding something palpable to debunk it. But with her past few boyfriends, people abandoned that method and went from the assumption that they were fake and let every tiny thing confirm this. I wanna go back to the original way. Overall, even when I debunk Kaylor as an overwhelming long lasting and still ongoing monogamous romance, Calvin, Tom and Joe still don’t quite check out as real boyfriends to me. Thems my thoughts. Maybe Lover will debunk some of them, but I definitely expect some golden love songs like those we got on Rep, some sad songs about other events she skipped depicting on Rep and - maybe another Karlie breakup song or two. (I say another because I connect GC to Karlie and DWOHT and NYD to breaking up). Maybe a song about reconciling after something bitter that people will attribute to Katy but that will be about her feelings about reconciling with Karlie. Maybe a song about a friendship breakup.

#gaylor swift

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polaroidofus-89 · 5 years

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‘Lover’ song-by-song breakdown [part 1]:

Long before @taylorswift joined Tumblr (and a billion thousand of Swifties with her), when this website was still unknown to most of mankind, I always made a post about my first thoughts on the album, writing down my opinion and rating each song at the end of release week. The first time I did this was with Speak Now and I created a chart to rate Lyrics, Chorus, Bridge and whether the song is a Skip or not. The only time I skipped this post was during the reputation era because of reasons I explained back then - if you want, I’ll send you the link to that post.

This time, however, I must make this a two-part post because a) I just came back from my holiday today, b) I always listen to it three times before writing this post (right now I am on number 2) and c) this album is freaking long!

So here’s the charts (chorus and bridge rated 1-5; lyrics rated 1-3):

Chorus: 1- meh, nice; 2- good; 3- very good; 4- just magic; 5- PERFECTION

Bridge: 1- good, did better; 2- good; 3- quite perfect; 4- RIP ME. DEAD.; 5- BRIDGE CITY ALERT!!! (was previously BRIDGE HEAVEN... guess why it changed? lol)

Lyrics: 1- good; 2- great; 3- AMAZING

Also, since I have been more active lately and some very cute and amazing blogs started following me, I want you all to take part in this breakdown because I would love to read your thoughts and your ratings on each song!

So please, please, please join me in this adventure. Six months from this date (when we will all know the songs by heart), I’ll bring it back to see if anything has changed.

Anyway, here’s the first part of my breakdown... hope you enjoy it!

1. I Forgot That You Existed

Chorus: very good Bridge: good, did better Lyrics: good Skip? No Favorite lyrics: none in particular

Alright, say what you want but I am a sucker for sarcastic and provocative songs from Taylor; they always are filled with such irony and smart remarks… I just can’t help adoring them and memorize them from the first listen, going around humming the rhythm all day long. It happened with Mean, WANEGBT, Blank Space, Shake It Off, IDSB and TIWWCHNT… so it was obviously going to happen with this one too. I also think it would’ve made one hell of promo single – just sayin’. I am in awe of Taylor’s attitude towards people that hurt or badmouth her after being in some kind of relationship with her: she does not comment at first, letting them rant and have their little moment of glory. Then, when everything seems over and forgotten, she strikes back and I enjoy EVERY. SINGLE. MINUTE. OF. IT. This one I had been waiting for a long time because a certain someone DEFINITELY deserved it. The way a person behaves towards somebody AFTER their relationship ends says a lot about them and this particular individual proved to be childish, petty, arrogant and very immature – not to mention awfully mean. You can’t act that way about someone you’ve been with for ONE ENTIRE YEAR, someone you were supposed to be in love with. I hate this post-breakup kind of behavior and I had hoped so freaking hard that reputation would’ve had a song like this. But we have it now and secret sessioners were right: it is the most amazing way to start an album. What I love most about this song is the entire second verse: got out some popcorns as soon as my rep started going down, down, down/laughed in the schoolyard as soon as I tripped and hit the ground, ground, ground/ and I would’ve stuck around for ya/ would’ve fought the whole town for ya/would’ve been right there front row, even if nobody came to your show. I just know that it will make feel the person who inspired this song ashamed and won’t allow them any kind of response because it isn't hate, it isn’t love… IT’S JUST INDIFFERENCE. And I’m so proud of her for this.

2. Cruel Summer***

10/10 Chorus: PERFECT Bridge: BRIDGE CITY ALERT!!!!! Lyrics: great Skip? HARD NO Favorite lyrics: “Devils roll their dice; Angels roll their eyes” “what doesn’t kill me makes me want you more” “I don’t want to keep secrets just to keep you”

Secret sessioners were onto something again: Out of The Woods stans would be suckers for Cruel Summer… I can confirm that is, indeed, true. This track feels like summer sunsets, road trips and a sequence of lovey-dovey moments straight out of a rom-com. I absolutely adored the lyrics on this one! I mean “what doesn’t kill me makes me want you more”, “no rules in breakable heaven”, “devils roll their dices, Angels roll their eyes”, “and if I bleed you’ll be the last to know” … what are we even talking about here? And don’t even get me started on the bridge: once again the Swift-Antonoff combination proved to be a winning choice. It’s Taylor Swift at her best and I have nothing more to add. This track is one of my favorites of the entire album and I am hoping it’ll be her next single.

3. Lover*****

10/10 Chorus: magic Bridge: RIP ME. I DIED. DEAD. Lyrics: AMAZING Skip? NEVER IN ANY LIFETIME Favorite lyrics: “have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years?” “I’ve loved you three summers now honey but I want them all” “My heart’s been borrowed, yours has been blue all’s well that ends well to end up with you”

When Lover first came out, I asked my boyfriend ‘do you think this will be my favorite off of the album?’ and he said ‘no’. He was not wrong at all: Lover and Cornelia Street are battling in my head and in my heart for ‘favorite song’ on the album - I swear it has never been so difficult for me to decide! This track is just pure magic; every time I listen to it, I have a picture in my head of slow dancing during my wedding day and it always (always!) makes me emotional enough to shed a few tears. Honestly, it just gives me poetry vibes – it is that beautiful to me. I absolutely adore this one. This track is also one of my favorite songs – if not my favorite at all.

4. The Man***

10/10 Chorus: PERFECTION Bridge: very good Lyrics: AMAZING Skip? NEVER IN ANY LIFETIME Favorite Lyrics: “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man”

When I read the interview in which Taylor played this song and explained it to the journalist, my excitement multiplied infinite times. Whoever said Taylor Swift is not a feminist should now go and sit in the corner, thinking about how idiotic such a statement is. This track perfectly summarized what a woman pursuing her goals in life has to go through daily and how hard it is when the world thinks you were born with the wrong attribute in the lower part of your body. It is very provocative and sarcastic, a real national anthem for women. I’m so very proud of her for writing this song, you have no idea. Of course, it has quickly earned a spot on my ‘top favorites’.

5. The Archer***

10/10 Chorus: good (pre-chorus is what I really love) Bridge: BRIDGE CITY ALERT!!! Lyrics: AMAZING Skip? NEVER IN ANY LIFETIME Favorite Lyrics: “All the king’s horses, all the king’s men couldn’t put me together again” “awake in the night, I pace like a ghost, the room is on fire, invisible ghosts”

Ah, the power of number 5! This song is life! The thing I love the most about this track is the way it speaks so much on an emotional level, using very little actual words. With track 5 we always got a very descriptive song: she wanted to tell us about an extremely delicate, heartbreaking moment in her life and walked us through the entire story with the lyrics. The Archer doesn’t give us a story, doesn’t talk to us about a distressing moment in her life… it tells us about a feeling – more than that, it gives us that feeling. The anxiety you have when you suffered one too many bad knockouts in life and you are always ready for something bad to happen, always ready for someone to betray you or leave you alone again. It’s a paralyzing fear, almost like you can’t breathe and the fact that Taylor was capable of putting it all into words… I just love her so much, you guys! Though not my favorite Track 5, it does get both a spot on my top three Track 5 (All Too Well and White Horse are number 1 and 2) and on my ‘top favorites’ for this album.

6. I Think He Knows

Chorus: meh Bridge: good, did better Lyrics: AMAZING Skip? Sadly, yes.

Ugh, this is a moment I hate very much. This is one of the only two songs I didn’t particularly like on this album. It breaks my heart to say this because I love both the lyrics (which I think are some of the best on the entire record) and the concept behind this song. But the rhythm just doesn’t feel right, it doesn’t speak to me like all the other songs do… something is just off. That being said, it is still a very good song. Let’s just say, I wouldn’t mind at all if it didn’t make it on the Lover Tour setlist. I know a lot of you love this song and I tried very hard to change my mind about it, but I just know it will be a skip for me.

7. Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince

Chorus: very good

Bridge: magic

Lyrics: great

Skip? No

Favorite Lyrics:

“I’ll never let you (go), ‘cause I know this is a (fight), that someday we’re gonna (win)”

This one is absolutely incredible - also, my boyfriend’s favorite. It’s You belong with me older, more mature and melancholic sister. The bridge is what really made me fall in love with this track: one of the best she has ever written.

8. Paper Rings

Chorus: PERFECTION Bridge: quite perfect Lyrics: AMAZING Skip? Definitely no Favorite Lyrics: “I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this” “I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with paper rings”

OMG THIS SONG! This song is so so so cute! I love it! It’s fun and catchy and makes you want to dance so hard! I’m really looking forward to seeing this song performed live. And don’t even get me started on the chorus: I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with paper rings… are you kidding me? Tell me this is not the most amazing declaration of love you have ever heard! Once again, I agree with secret sessioners: it does give Stay, Stay, Stay vibes and I’m totally here for it. These are the kind of songs that I missed the most during rep era and I’m so happy that we got Paper Rings, you have no idea!

9. Cornelia Street*****

10/10 Chorus: PERFECTION Bridge: quite perfect Lyrics: AMAZING Skip? NEVER IN ANY LIFETIME Favorite Lyrics: (too many to count) “I rent a place on Cornelia Street I say casually in the bar” “that’s the kind of heartbreak time could never mend” “as if the streetlights pointed in an arrowhead leading us home”

When the tracklist came out and we found out about the Cornelia flowers Easter eggs I just knew that this song was going to hit very hard in the feelings: it was the only Easter egg she has repeated plenty of times, ever since Me! Came out. When we found out that she had written this one by herself, my expectation flew to the moon and back. It did not disappoint in any way: I LOVE THIS SONG! It’s so soft and romantic, my heart can’t take it! I also very much liked the production on this one. Seriously, one of Taylor’s best song for me. The reason I can’t decide which one between this and Lover is my ultimate favorite is that whenever I am finally convinced about one being it, I listen to the other and I’m stuck again. I don’t know if that was clear enough for everyone to understand but… yeah, I’ll let you know if I ever make up my mind.

#taylor swift #taylornation #Lover era #lover #westandbytaylor

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applegelstore · 5 years

Text

My sis and I are through with the actual main plot of KH3, so I can officially go back to scheduled ToZ fangirling now. …Well, I promised Cray a bit of fix-it-fanart, so after that, I guess.

Hit the cut for a resume. It got super long and has endgame story spoilers, so you might not want to stumble upon it by accident.

Another extra big shoutout (again!) to @crazayrock for bearing my liveblogging on Discord, screaming without context and occasional spoilers. And linking me fluffy Soriku doujinshi. Here, have my favourite, spoiler-heavy excerpt of our conversation:

Okay anyway, let’s get started: GAMEPLAY

Kingdom Hearts 3 is BEAUTIFUL. The gameplay is so smooth and intuitive that you can immediately get to playing like you’d never done anything else; in fact so smooth that I doubt I will ever be able to pick up the first game ever again. It’s always been fun, but the looooooong years’ gap actually did wonders to the gameplay.

The keyblade form changes are fun and keep things fresh, you can do flashy triangle button shit every other minute, and shotlock is still insanely useful without being a game-breaker.

It seems easier than the first two main games, though?

The gummi ship is still a pain in the ass to steer, but I do enjoy the open world-like travel options (even if there’s not… much to discover except heartless lasering the shit out of you). I’m also eternally grateful that they kept the gummi ship thing from KH2 where you can just use a new gummi ship once you got the blueprint and don’t buy actual fucking legos as in the first game.

Thank you, Square. Not thanking you for the dumb cherry flan game, though.

The Caribbean being basically an open world stage was delightful! Apparently what our resident island kid needs is a big ship and tropical islands to plunder.

VISUALS AND STUFF

PRETTY LIGHTS EVERYWHERE

The long gap between the games also did wonders to the visuals.

There’s finally, FINALLY a few towns with actual NPCs you can talk to. Why it took the team so many years and the Gods know how many games is beyond me. The magic effects are beautiful, the animations smooth (honestly you can hardly tell apart cutscenes and fully rendered CGI scenes in this day and age of the PS4. I’m probably the only person still amazed by this because the only games I played on PS4 before were a few hours of Child of Light and of course Tales of Zestiria and Berseria. No, I still haven’t played FFXV but that’s a topic for another day). How far videogames have come.Even space finally looks like space, lol. Not really high-end what the PS4 can do I assume but god, it’s such an amazing and much needed upgrade from the terrible textureless colourful tubes you flew through before.

No excuse for the terrible battleship thingy before the Keyblade Graveyard, though. I got lost and beaten up so many times and crashed against more walls than I can count.

Nothing beats the World that Never Was, but the Keyblade Graveyard also has creepy cool potential, as does the beautiful but ghosted City in the Sky.

Still not getting what’s with JRPGs and very Definitely Final Dungeons (TM) that are basically space. …………or heaven. Or nothing. I’m getting the bad kind of original NGE TV series ending vibes. But. Okay.

The soundtrack is splendid

.……I miss Traverse Town and Radiant Garden, however.

Which brings us to:

THE WORLDS

I guess I can live with no more Final Fantasy characters being there (although I always loved that), and the meta jokes in Toy Story world really got me. Seeing Disney characters calling the KH villains call out on their shit was delightful. …the KH characters lampshading their own games’ sloppy dialogue writing was delightful.Still, those Disney worlds are always so much more in my head than what I actually get to play. This has been bugging me ever since the first game and it still does. I do not expect or want to replay the entire movies, but would it hurt to give the cutscenes some goddamn background music? Whenever there’s cutscenes, either the world’s usual BGM keeps playing or the music stops altogether. Together with the shortened dialogues and generally drastically shortened plots with odd cuts, that leads to scenes that are awkward at best. They never even remotely have the impact the movies had. You just sit there and think “oh wow that is so silly and awkward”.

Dancing scene in Corona? My favorite scene in Tangled. Zero impact on me without the lovely BGM (at least they made it a minigame so the moment isn’t over after 3 secs). Just for example. You can ask me like, world by world, but I can think of only exception off the top of my head and it’s not helping:

Let it Go of course. Listen guys, I actually love the song. But it’s so overused (and Frozen is an overrated movie at best that doesn’t deserve its hype in the slightest) that I can’t even really enjoy it being there. Like.

 IF THAT’S OKAY WITH YOU,WHY DIDN’T YOU INCLUDE LITERALLY ANY OTHER ORIGINAL SONG FROM THE ORIGINAL MOVIES. Instead of BGM just not being there entirely, or in odd, cringey re-renderings that nobody wants to listen to (*cough* Atlantica *cough*).

Why torture me and not give me the one good scene from At World’s End (the up is down scene) when you had the chance?Kingdom Hearts is also prone to super lazy level design and wasting chances at wonderful scenery for no apparent reason other than I suppose empty cliffsides are quick to render. All games before did that, and KH3 is, sadly, no exception. We get to see a bit of Corona and Athens and they finally have NPCs, too, but you cannot even get near Arendelle. You cannot enter Elsa’s palace. You spend the entire time there climbing around in the snowy mountains of Norway, and unfortunately it looks less interesting than one would expect from the lovely concept art that the film unfortunately never used.You cannot enter Rapunzel’s tower although Sora can apparently parkour his way up even without her help.

………In short, the places you can go are, again, very limited, and a lot of interesting places and scenes you never get to see.

And to follow the plot you still only need the stuff that does NOT happen in those Disney worlds because they’re all beach filler episodes. It’s always been like that, but I keep wondering whether I’m the only one bothered by that. I’m also still salty they didn’t introduce a single new world from a 2D animated movie.

Also, as I said, I miss Traverse Town, it felt so warm and welcoming and beautiful.

And I get behind The World that Never Was missing although I loved it there, but why not give us back Radiant Garden? Destiny Islands since they’ve been restored? Disney Castle?

As much as I love the series, it never fucking lives up to its own potential. Idk whether it’s made more difficult by copyright issues or whatever, I just know that it bugs me.The first two games also had like twice as many worlds.

PLOT

I mean it’s never been deep; however, it’s complicated. No analysis or whatever from me because plot analysis and meta writing bore me like seven hells, just my emotional reaction: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  Okay, bad news. I got into it expecting nothing, and still got disappointed. I don’t actually enjoy the prospect of writing essays about it, but here’s my tea with it; in not particular order:

1) the pacing is terrible. Nothing happens for like 30 hours and then suddenly like 20 characters’ arcs are (naturally poorly) resolved within the last few hours of cutscenes. Build up anyone? At least they actually did pick up Maleficent and the box thing again. …In the epilogue.

2) Speaking of build ups, Sora’s breakdown could have been developed nicely and steadily over the game to feel natural, and instead it’s hinted at in the beginning by everyone picking on him, but then it’s never further developed and comes out of fucking nowhere. Like. For real? It felt terribly OOC.

3) Why on earth have they shown 90% of the plot in the trailers already, and why are those scenes so massively disappointing in context

4) Kairi. Oh god, Kairi. What are we gonna do with you. I want to love her, I really do, but she’s a prime example of shittily written female leads. Mostly because she’s not leading. It’s not her fault. She’s just a fictional character. But honest to God, Nomura, why. Her screen time is almost nonexistent, and she’s entirely use- and helpless whenever she’s on screen (which isn’t often). Her ONLY point in the plot is being rescued because she is fucking useless. Why. Just why. Why waste her character like that. All we know is that she’s shoehorned into being the token love interest, but she has zero plot relevance and there is even less build up of her relationship with Sora. It’s all tell and NEVER show; and not even much telling, either. She has literally zero direct interaction with in the entire game before they share their paopu. The question remains: why are straights like this

5) On a related note: look, I don’t even ask for (or expect, or even hope) my ship to be canon. Squeenix doesn’t exactly have a rich history in queer representation. I’m totally fine with Sora and Riku being best friends. BUT. Building up Sora as the most important person in Riku’s life (and arguably, vice versa) over the course of several games, just to then hardly have them interact in the finale and then SUDDENLY bring back Kairi into the equation, who hasn’t interacted with him since the ending of KH2 (except for one unsent(?) letter) is just piss poor writing, period.I actually love Cray’s suggestion she gave me over Discord: let Sora, Kairi and Riku all share a paopu together (and let them group hug, too, you cowards). It would have been the perfect message to send (Sora as truly all-loving hero, and loving all your friends equally; romantic love isn’t more important than platonic love and doesn’t need to be singled out). Really sad that this isn’t what happens. Apparently that wouldn’t have been no homo enough.

LET THE DESTINY TRIO GROUP HUG YOU COWARDS 

Do Riku and Kairi even interact once in the whole game?

 HOW IS THIS A TRIO, IT’S JUST A SHITTILY WRITTEN LOVE TRIANGLE

6) Time travelling is a bitch, Christ. It doesn’t solve plotholes or can be played for drama, it just adds MORE plotholes. It just got WORSE. The cloning blues and people not aging doesn’t help, either.

7) Just so you know, I care absolutely zero for wild fan theories. You’re not Nomura. I want a statement from the man who wrote this shit himself why on bloody earth Sora dies when he apparently successfully found and brought back Kairi (and since nobody aged a day, apparently it didn’t even take that long lol). DUDES, THIS IS KINDA PART OF THE PLOT, AND YOU DON’T BOTHER TO EXPLAIN IT INGAME???? And how was Ienzo/Zexion able to revive Naminé while Kairi was still missing/dead/whatever…?

Okay so in short the writing is worse than ever and that’s saying something.

However, let’s try to find something good in this trainwreck; it wasn’t all bad. There’s some really nice scenes which sadly are better enjoyed without any context at all.

So, guess my favourite scenes.You had time enough, here’s the solution:

1) Purifying uhm er rescuing Aqua. Poor girl. She deserves the rest. Poor, poor Aqua. The only properly wirrten female in the whole damn franchise. Also the only person other than Riku who fucking gets shit done.

2) The Gayblade (TM)

3) Happy Axel in the reunion with his kids. Oh god, the poor chap deserves it so much. Thank you, Nomura. I don’t care that it makes pretty much no sense. Make him happy. Give him his friends back. Just give Axel all his friends and let him happily set things on fire. Hi I love Axel

4) The party at the beach cutscene before the credits roll. Axel and Xion get clothes. Half the organization is on our side now. I almost teared up at the Wayfinder trio saying goodbye to Eraqus’ forceghost. Hey come on he’s the voice of Luke Skywalker

5) Sully yeeting Vanitas

6) Woody calling out Xehanort that nobody loves him

7) Jack Sparrow bad breathing Luxord

I wish we had gotten:

1) justice for Kairi

2) a happy Zexion, the poor emo kid. Well maybe now he will be, with all the orga members who changed sides now, lol.

3) I will never trust mobile games ever again so I don’t want to play KHUX but I would have loved to learn about the Keyblade Wars :;)))) 

WHAT WAS THE KEYBLADE WAR ABOUT CAN WE SPEND MORE TIME IN THAT COOL CITY IN THE SKY WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH MIKLEO I MEAN THAT EPHEMER KIDDO

 WHAT’S WITH THE MASKED DUDES AND DUDETTES FROM THE MOVIE 

WTF WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM AFTER THE MOVIE???? WHERE THOSE KEYBLADE USER NAMES ACTUAL MOBILE GAME PLAYER NAMES??? Next game? PLEASE?

I really, REALLY hope the epilogue means we will get Xiggy/Luxu as our new big bad and we learn more about the five dudes and dudettes from the movie. Please. PLEASE. I’m so up for it. Them finally pickung up the bit with Maleficent and the mysterious box again? Hell yeah.

The secret movie was really unexciting in comparison, although I laughed very hard at the “Verum Rex” scene in Toy Story world. Maybe that’s why it was much cheaper to unlock than in KH1 and KH2.

4) give Ven a drink

DLC ideas I would actually pay for because I’m a sad human being: 1) more Disney worlds 2) Japanese audio 3) at least one of the following as permanently playable characters: Riku, Kairi, Axel, Ven, Aqua. At least as a guest member as in KH2. THIS SUCH A BIG STEP BACKWARDS I’M FUMING

FINAL THOUGHTS

Kingdom Hearts 3 is a hella lot of fun, beautiful, and also moving when it sets its mind to it. Unfortunately it doesn’t always do so. I don’t feel like it wasn’t worth the wait; it was. However, I’m very salty how rotten the writing is. I do not mind logical fallacies, I do not mind the cheesiness and cringeyness; however, I do mind how so many interesting characters do not get the screentime they deserve, and Kairi is a very bad joke.

I’ll probably find more to nitpick about (Gods. Just. Don’t come up with dub excuses why Sora is lv 1 in each game. JUST LEAVE IT BE. You don’t explain why Donald and Goofy are lv 1 again, either. JUST. LEAVE. IT. BE. The sacrifice was dumb and not even moving, I’m just still furious that Kairi’s ONLY point in the plot is being so useless that it’s literally getting herself KILLED and she needs constant rescuing to the point that Sora has to sacrifice himself for her, effectively. Kairi deserves better, Sora deserves better, I deserve better than to think about this absurdity.…I’m just… gonna cherry-pick the good bits from the lore and try to pretend the finale didn’t exist, I guess. GODS.

#long post #random rambling tag

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banshee-cheekbones · 6 years

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happy fanfic writer’s appreciation day y’all!

I’ve been a part of the Unsolved fandom since November 2017, and I continue to be staggered at just how goddamn talented this fandom is. I’ve read so, so many thousands of words of quality fic, and I wanted to share a few of my faves with you! this list includes Shyan and ot3 fics, along with a few crossovers.

ao3 and tumblr links are both included whenever possible; please let me know if any links are incorrect or broken and I’ll update them asap. please show these authors some love and appreciation, whether it’s through a kudos, a comment or a reblog! as always, please be certain to read the tags and ratings so you have the best reading experience for yourself.

and now, with that being said, below the cut are 70ish fics, in alphabetical order, sorted by ship!

Ryan/Sara/Shane

A Perfect Piece of Ass, Like Every Californian by beethechange. 6866 words, rated E. ao3. “Happy birthday, Shane,” Sara says. “I got you a Ryan.”

Comments: this is just pure, unadultered smut and frankly, we don’t deserve Bee. she’s so good and this is so good.

Civil Discussion by ricky_goldsworth. 1854 words, rated E. ao3. “Sara,” Ryan says, very seriously. “You can have sex anywhere, if you’re determined enough.”

Comments: in real life, I have an impassioned rant ready to go at any given moment about how dumb of an idea shower sex is, but this fic almost changed my mind. it’s that incredible.

Cotton by ricky_goldsworth. 561 words, rated T. ao3. It starts on a Saturday night.

Comments: clothes sharing is my favorite trope of all time, and this was super sweet and perfect.

Daisy Canfield Will Have Her Revenge On Los Angeles by ricky_goldsworth. 5852 words, rated T. ao3. Once Sara becomes a permanent addition to the True Crime crew, it’s inevitable that she ends up roped into the filming for the next season of Supernatural, too.

Comments: This is the first ot3 fic I ever read and it made me fall in love with them. The dynamic is spot-on, and the way they fall together is very sweet and natural.

ghoooOOOooost.mov by ElasticElla. 1542 words, rated M. ao3 & tumblr. "Did I tell you Shane and I might’ve caught a ghost on video?”

Comments: not only does this fic have one of the best titles that I’ve ever seen, but I’m a sucker for Ryan being stuck on Sara and Shane, and this fic is a nice twist on that!

hands to the sky (show me that you're mine) by angelsaves. 3631 words, rated E. ao3. Sara fills in for Shane on a Buzzfeed Unsolved Supernatural shoot, and she and Ryan totally see a ghost. The only way to keep it from infiltrating their nightmares is, of course, cuddling.

Comments: I love, love this, especially the Ryan/Sara dynamic!

Ryan/Shane

a breath of myth and mystery by abovetheruins. 8295 words, rated M. ao3 & tumblr. At first Shane has no idea what the whole song and dance routine is about. All he sees is the familiar broad span of Ryan's back, the dimples resting just above his ass, the dip of his spine, and miles of bronze skin, until Ryan nudges his hoodie further up the length of his back, wincing as he carefully maneuvers the hem over what Shane realizes aren't actually folds in the fabric but lumps beneath it.

Comments: I’ve never been a huge wing!fic person, but this fic changed my mind. it’s wonderfully written, and there’s some extremely sensual moments that were a delight to read.

(a moment) by thisissirius. 1437 words, rated G. ao3. Ryan is shivering when they get back to the motel.

comments: Look, you can never have enough huddling for warmth! this is extremely sweet and fluffy.

and all the birds have flown by anarchetypal. 1575 words, rated M. ao3. Detective Madej knows Ryan Bergara is guilty, but there’s no evidence. Nothing will stick to him. He’s like smoke, and Shane can’t catch him.

Comments: I love a good serial killer au, and this is right up there. the narration is very different and unique, and I dig it.

and i'm puffing my chest, getting red in the face by pissedofsandwich. 6052 words, rated T. ao3. Or: Shane is definitely not at all jealous of how close Zack and Ryan are getting during the making of Sports Conspiracies. Except that he is.

Comments: I love jealous Shane, and I love Zack Evans, and this fic has a multitude of both. the ending is fantastic.

Back to You by punk_rock_yuppie. 6168 words, rated T. ao3 & tumblr. Shane wakes up and knows immediately that something is wrong.

Comments: this fic punched me in the heart. it’s a little bit angsty and a little bit bittersweet and extremely good.

Be Your Teenage Dream Tonight by hapakitsune. 4203 words, rated E. ao3. Shane wears a cheerleader outfit for #content and things get weird.

Comments: have you ever wondered if there was smut involving That cheerleader outfit? I’m here to tell you that yes, there is, and it is amazing.

but still let me tell you that i love who you are by BooyahFordhamYacht. 1136 words, rated G. ao3. Or, five voicemails from Ryan that Shane refuses to delete.

Comments: I’m a sucker for 5+1 style fics, and the concept of this one is honestly adorable.

cat(astrophe) by ElasticElla. 3218 words, rated T. ao3 & tumblr. “She’s hideous. And she doesn’t blink,” Ryan says, and just to spite him, the cat looks up and slowly blinks.

Comments: this fic is absolutely adorable. not only does Ella write the boys super well, but she also perfectly nails the mannerisms of a cat.

City of Angels by carrieonfighting. 2765 words, rated T. ao3. Alternatively, two dorks skip work and go to the beach and don't even realise it's a date.

Comments: I’m a sucker for little slice of life fics, and this is absolutely wonderful. It also makes me want to move to Los Angeles.

Coffee by YogurtTime. 2628 words, rated T. ao3 & tumblr. "Sometimes Shane taps a set of fingers against his hip to get him to move; there’s no time for words when you’re clocking eight orders every five minutes between 7 and 10 A.M even if the touch lingers and Ryan feels the touch burn until the end of his shift."

Comments: Look y’all, I’m also sucker for coffee shop AUs and this one is perfect. their dynamic is complicated and feels super natural, and the ending is very soft.

Collateral Damage by istie. 5801 words, rated E. ao3 & tumblr. Shane learns to walk in heels for a video - not just walk in them, but murder strut. Ryan doesn't want to admit he's into it, but ... he's really, really into it.

Comments: so y’all know that video about Shane walking in heels? this fic came first. it is hilarious and smutty and perfectly characterized, and comes complete with a cake recipe!

didn't know that i was starving (til i tasted you) by abovetheruins. 5289 words, rated E. ao3. He was never like this, before. He’d always had the hunger under control, didn’t need to feed often or much at all unless he had gone too long without. Food sustained him just as well, though it never did quite sate that itch, the craving for skin and sweat, breath and heat.

Comments: I didn’t know that I needed incubus Ryan until this fic, but not only is it quite hot, it’s also surprisingly sweet and domestic!

First Anniversary. 1750 words, rated G. ao3. Shane's distracted, it's their first anniversary and Ryan doesn't even seem to remember.

Comments: This fic has been orphaned on ao3, but it’s very sweet, and I love the anniversary gifts!

first, i have to be alone with you by alvaughn. 2144 words, rated M. ao3. Shane’s surprised Ryan hasn’t noticed.

Comments: Shane discovers Ryan’s choking kink and I am very into it.

From a Kiss to a Thrill by punk_rock_yuppie. 1602 words, rated M. ao3 & tumblr. He’s sculpted and fit and the fact that he can throw Shane around like it’s nothing is just fucking great.

Comments: Did someone say size kink? The dirty talk in this is blistering.

fuck you (Can I Have This Dance?) by punk_rock_yuppie. 2565 words, rated E. ao3 & tumblr. It starts in a bathroom and ends in Ryan's bed.

Comments: This is smut, pure and simple, folks. Very, very good smut. I won’t be able to listen to a certain Nine Inch Nails song again without thinking of it.

ghosts can’t pick up power drills (probably) by anarchetypal. 1193 words, rated M. ao3. “What you’re suggesting is that we have sex in the exact spot where a dude was once brutally murdered with a power drill. That is what you’re suggesting to me right now.”

Comments: there is some a+ banter in this, and it’s a good fun fic!

he shoots, he scores by ElasticElla. 2417 words, rated M. ao3 & tumblr. If it wasn’t for basketball, he wouldn’t know exactly how good Ryan looks after scoring the winning point.

Comments: this fic was a present for me, and what a marvelous present. Shane fawning over how Ryan looks playing basketball, plus frottage? it’s truly wonderful.

Hold Your Breath, It Gets Better by beethechange. 10297 words, rated E. ao3. Comments and summary: Essentially, Shane discovers Ryan’s anal beads. Shenanigans ensue. Very well-written, ludicrously hot shenanigans.

Honey. 2472 words, rated M. ao3. Alternatively: Ryan Bergara seizes the moment.

Comments: another orphaned fic. One of the tags on this is ‘sensuality’ and honestly, what an accurate tag. The first kiss in this is a+.

Hot Scary Summer by thewindupbird. 11626 words, rated E. ao3. The boys hunt some ghosts, make some impulsive choices, and try their best to sort out what it means to get to the heart of this thing.

Comments: The way this author writes kills me. The details, how thoroughly they get into both of their heads, the analysis of their relationship, it’s all so damn good.

I love your bones (series) by thewindupbird. 32,357 words across three works, rated E. ao3.

Comments: the precursors to Maelstrom, these fics are bittersweet and beautiful and painful, all in the best way possible.

if we’re gonna do this, we gotta do it now by floatingonthelehigh. 3331 words, rated T. ao3. Shane gets Ryan to come to an old abandoned house with him. One of them, and you'll never guess who, gets more than a little freaked out. Featuring: pure terror! confessions of love! and a somewhat-terrifying framed photograph of a woman!

Comments: this is such a cute fic, with an exceptionally soft Shane just wanting to be alone with Ryan. it’s so fluffy.

if you believe in magic by abovetheruins. 2908 words, rated E. ao3. Ryan has this theory – just the one, because it’s the only one that makes sense. Not that it actually does make sense, because… well, it doesn’t. Shane will say that it doesn’t, anyway. He’ll say that it’s ridiculous, that it’s illogical, that the only reason it exists in the first place is because it strokes Ryan’s ego, and hey, he’s not wrong.

Comments: this is a last minute addition, because I read it last night and my brain just kinda shouted hot damn the entire time.

if you love me, come clean by juniperProse. 765 words, rated T. ao3. Four times Ryan felt absolutely in love with Shane Madej, and one time he (accidentally) told him so.

Comments: I have a soft heart and fluff makes me happy, so this definitely made me happy.

i’ll hold your hand (but only if you want me to) by cactsu. 4466 words, rated E. ao3. (basically based on the ‘I’m pretending to be your bf because you looked VERY uncomfortable with that person at the bar hitting on you’ prompt)

Comments: Look, I’m a big fan of that trope, so I really enjoyed this!

i'll tell you about the magic (it'll free your soul) (series) by punk_rock_yuppie. 18260 words across three works, rated E. ao3. A variety of magical creatures inhabit the earth: werewolves, sirens, and faeries, oh my! The LA Buzzfeed office is chockful of these creatures; here are some of the shenanigans they get up to.

Comments: Features telepath Ryan, demon Shane and some delightful BuzzFeed shenanigans!

I’m Gonna Keep You in Love with Me (for a While) by beethechange. 21847 words, rated E. ao3. Comments and summary: Every fandom needs a married in Vegas fic. This is that fic for the Unsolved fandom. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever read. Bee writes developing relationships like no one else.

i’m lost without you by bodhirookes. 7213 words, rated M. ao3. Ryan's weekend long Star Wars marathon gets interrupted when Shane starts throwing rocks at his window, and it only gets better from there. As in, lots of boys crying and having life-affirming sex and Jake Bergara kicking ass and taking names better.

Comments: There seem to be surprisingly few high school aus in this fandom, but this one is A+. It’s perfectly sweet and nostalgic.

In These Frozen and Silents Nights by beethechange. 25257 words. ao3 & tumblr. Planning a shoot at a remote cabin in Vermont the week before Christmas wasn't Ryan’s best-ever idea. Taking a leisurely walk in a blizzard wasn't Shane’s. Scrap the ep, there’s a new plan: survive the storm, stay warm, try not to kill each other, and figure some shit out along the way.

Comments: If you love Shyan in general or snowed-in fics in particular, you need to do yourself a favor and read this. The characterization is nothing less than perfect, it made me laugh, it gave me emotions... this fic is essentially perfect. The comment I left on it is embarassingly long and rambling.

it started like this by sky_somedays. 2465 words, rated T. ao3. Shane thinks that if he can just pin down when it started, maybe he can do something about it. Think himself out of it, somehow. Understand the problem to solve the problem.

Comments: this fic feels like a series of vignettes, documenting some moments in their friendship/relationship, and the writing style is fantastic.

keep you like an oath by spoopyy. 11850 words, not rated. ao3. "I'm in love with you," Ryan says, desperate.

"No, you're in love with the views."

Comments: Fake relationships and couples getting handcuffed together for 24 hours, with a dash of angst? What’s not to love?

Maelstrom by thewindupbird. 40433 words, rated M. ao3. Here’s the thing about driving halfway across the country to see someone. You can’t really deny, after that, that you’re pretty much head over heels for them.

Comments: I can’t put my feelings about this fic into proper words. Please just know that it’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever read, and that’s including published works.

Maple Close (series). 5450 words across three fics, rated E. ao3.

Comments: an orphaned series, but the author is absolutely amazing. This series is about Shane and Ryan growing up together, and it’s beautiful, and the nostalgia is utterly magnificent. like childhood friends? how can you go wrong?

Missed by ricky_goldsworth. 547 words, rated T. ao3. Aren't you tired every day? / 'Cause I run through your brain / Hold me down, keep me safe

Comments: the opening line of this fic is one of the most beautiful sentences I’ve ever read, and the whole thing is utterly gorgeous.

naked love (don’t you dress it up) by abovetheruins. 5107 words, rated M. ao3 & tumblr.

Comments and summary: The summary is a bit long for this post, but essentially, Ryan finds out that Shane likes to walk around his apartment naked. Wonderful shenanigans ensure. The fic is truly a delight.

Netflix by YogurtTime. 958 words, rated M. ao3 & tumblr. "A lot of people liked great movies. None of those people were Shane."

Comments: The prose in this is super unique, and the way they bond over movies is lovely.

oblivion by rocketshiptospace. 2546 words, rated G. ao3. “So, how long have you and Shane been dating?” Jen asks.

Comments: this is so damn fluffy in the best way possible and features a marvelous cameo from Jen. It’s adorable.

one, two, three by adelaidebabe. 3957 words. ao3. ao3. Shane's a dancer with a dance competition the next day. Ryan's still a ghost hunter. The theater may or may not be haunted. (It's not.)

Comments: I love dancer!Shane, and we all know that I love meet-cutes, so this is perfect for both of those.

only a week by Hugabug. 663 words, rated G. ao3 & tumblr. How lucky I am, that I have something that makes saying goodbye oh so very painful.

Comments: this fic is so sweet and cute, dear god. Give me all the fluff.

our hopes and expectations, black holes and revelations by ElasticElla. 3442 words, rated T. ao3 & tumblr. Live interviewing always carries an inherent risk. A stupid, unnecessary risk if you asked Ryan. May the record show, that it was in fact Shane’s brilliant idea to do a live video q&a.

Comments: I love everything Ella writes, and this is no exception. the kiss towards the end of this fic is amazing and the banter back and forth is so good.

Por Favor, Sweetheart by carrieonfighting. 759 words, rated T. ao3. Two dorks raise a baby and don't even realise they're doing it together until it's too late.

Comments: I normally don’t like kid!fic very much but good god, this thing is utterly beautiful. It made me bawl.

Shut Me Up by YogurtTime. 6274 words, rated E. ao3. "You never seem to shut up when I'm touching you." Shane and Ryan play a very very terribly executed rendition of the quiet game.

Comments: This fic is incredibly NSFW and is absolutely amazing. And the ending made me burst out into hysterical laughter.

snowed in. 1424 words, rated E. ao3.

Comments: The ‘being snowed in together’ trope is one of my favorites, and this was actually written for a prompt I left at the kink meme, so I was guaranteed to love it.

the calm before crescendo by abovetheruins. 6731 words, rated M. ao3. Alternate title: 5 times Shane Madej was flustered by Ryan Bergara, and 1 time he finally did something about it.

Comments: I’m just such a damn sucker for pining Shane. The sequel to this fic (lights and thunder) is also magnificent.

The Denial Twist by beethechange. 35108 words, rated E. ao3. Or, the one where Shane and Ryan have some really weird dreams and perhaps, eventually, some sex.

Summary: One of my top five favorites in the fandom. The concept is a+, and this fic made me burst out into cackling laughter multiple times. Truly a delight.

The Devil Went Down to Denton by ricky_goldsworth. 27771 words as of the time of this list, still ongoing. rated M. ao3. A supernatural punk rock story about boys in bands, their immortal souls, and poor decisions made therein.

Comments: I love this fic. It’s got found family, pulp realism, demon Shane and boys in a punk band, and Gray writes Zack so well that I fell in love with him.

the serial killer ryan quartet (series) by ElasticElla. 10,263 words across four fics, rated E. ao3 & tumblr.

Comments: this series is exactly what it says on the tin and it is fantastic, but also extremely intense, so please mind the tags!

thin ice by rocketshiptospace. 1529 words, rated G. ao3. Or, the boys end up frozen and wet after a disasterous shoot in the woods. Shane helps Ryan get warm again.

Comments: I fucking love huddling for warmth, and this is Perfect.

Things That Go Bump in the Night (and 7 till 12 at weekends) by HoopyFrood. 4558 words, rated G. ao3. Shane works at a Haunted House. Ryan is Ryan. Things go about as well as you'd imagine.

Comments: if y’all like meet-cute fic, then boy do I have the fic for you. this was one of the first fics I read in the fandom and it is adorable.

tongues on electric sockets by ElasticElla. 1702 words, rated T. ao3 & tumblr. It’s been not-raining over the dog park for eight weeks now. All of the council members say to ignore it, the unknown will fix it when they deign to.

Comments: sort of a WTNV fusion, this fic is super unique and atmospheric and spooky.

Untitled Tumblr Fic by en-sam-malas. 908 words, rated G (I think), tumblr. Written for the prompt Shyan and drunken confessions.

Comments: Have I ever mentioned how much I love love confessions? This is fluffy and sweet and I adore it.

Untitled Tumblr Fic by en-sam-malas. 714 words, rated G. tumblr. Comments: there’s lots of hand-holding and fluff here, and it made me cry from joy.

Untitled Tumblr Fic by theawfuledges. 934 words. tumblr. Written for the prompt ‘making out in the forest on the bigfoot hunt because too much beer’.

Comments: look, I just love fics that involve making out, and this is genuinely perfect.

Vampire by YogurtTime. 1022 words, rated E, ao3 & tumblr. "The first time Ryan had kissed him, he’d tasted the murder on Ryan’s tongue."

Comments: I’m a simple person: I love vampire aus, and this is a beautifully gory, perfect one.

waiting here for catastrophe by anarchetypal. 2140 words, rated M. ao3. “Ryan.” Shane breaks off and sits down again, slides his chair closer to Ryan’s, stares him down. “God, fuck, look at me, okay, I did this. I did this, this is my case, this is mine, everything you’re talking about—”

Comments: another serial killer au, this time with a dash of humor! the dialogue in this is on point, and it’s a really interesting variation on the au!

walking in the wind. 2853 words, rated M. ao3. In which Shane and Ryan go on a hundred dates and fall in love along the way.

Comments: I love everything about this fic. The concept is A+ and the ending made me cry in the best possible way.

wasted on you by cursingcursive. 1950 words, rated M. ao3. there's a reason shane loves when ryan wears his clothes.

Comments: look, I just love clothes sharing so goddamn much. I can’t help it.

wear it well by ElasticElla. 2171 words, rated T. ao3. Summary & comments: this is basically a serial killer au with clothes sharing. Obviously I loved it.

what’s the point of this again? by touchinghearts. 9317 words, rated T. ao3. When Ryan invites Shane back for a holiday week to meet his family during a big reunion, it doesn’t even occur to Shane that it could be a big deal.

Comments: I love family fics, and oh boy does this deliver. Ryan’s family is such a delight in this, and seeing Shane become part of the family made my heart skip a beat.

YELLOW SQUARE by dejavu. 15915 words, rated M. ao3. (Or; Ryan and Shane spend four nights in one haunted house—four nights twisting closer to either each other, or insanity)

Comments: this fic is absolutely incredible. the suspense is built up really well, the chemistry is incredible, and the first kiss stopped my heart.

you can take off your skin in the cannibal glow by ElasticElla. 3172 words, rated E. ao3 & tumblr. Ryan refuses to believe it at first, despite the mounting evidence.

Comments: another vampire Ryan fic and per usual, the banter is spot-on.

Ryan/Shane/Zack

i'd love to hold you close, tonight and always by ElasticElla. 1304 words, rated E. ao3 & tumblr. Or: sometimes Ryan just really needs to get fucked.

Comment: Ella is a gift. the fact I managed to write a coherent comment about this fic is a miracle, because it fried my brain. it continues to fry my brain when I go back and revisit it.

Ryan/Steven

I Stop Breathing when You Smile by punk_rock_yuppie. 2135 words, rated G. ao3 & tumblr. Ryan unwittingly falls in love with Steven's smile.

Comments: I am contractually obliged to fall in love with a rarepair in every fandom I join, and here’s one example. This fic is absolutely fluffy and so damn sweet.

Ryan/Zack

building up that anticipa- by ElasticElla. 666 words, rated M. ao3. “What kinda favor would you like then?” Zack asks, eyes dragging down in a way that makes Ryan wanna toss all his morals out the window.

Comments: the frat boy au of my dreams that managed to wreck me in under 700 words.

Shane/Steven

after the storm (your body feels so warm) by cathect. 1394 words. rated G. ao3. or, the one where Steven is afraid of thunderstorms.

Comments: I’m in love with this fic and how soft and sweet it is.

#buzzfeed unclean #shyanlibrary #fanfic writers appreciation day #shyan #skeptic believer #mine #mine: masterlist #i was going to make another one of these for worth it but jesus this took forever #so here's this!#this also could have been way longer if i included every one of Ella and Erin's fics #but i had to show a lil bit of restraint

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