#countcracula

what an asshole!! mine's my thesis advisor urgh.

thanks! :D i do rly appreciate you taking the time to say so <3

@tarotprose said: This deck gives is so stunning. I hope to own it one day. Thank you for sharing your process.  

the trilogy is one long game with the same main character and side characters, so you should play all of them.

@countcracula asked:

mass effect 1 bored me to tears but i admit i haven't even played through it... i can only assume ME2 is a lot more engaging?? I'd skip the first one? i dunno i wouldnt even listen to me but IT S SO BORING. and doesnt make up for not being dragon age in space which i thought it would be... it's not....    

@against-stars asked:

about mass effect: there's a default state me2 imports so you can skip the first one, but iirc the choices made in it remove any possibility of getting the ~best possible ending~ to at least the third one if you continue on. but it's possible haha             

@ladyjmontilyet asked:

Find a movie version of the first game on youtube... You need to see the Big Reveal on Virmire but other than that you should be good to go. You probably already know the gist of it. Go play ME2!!! 

...lmao oh good, so there’s a clear consensus then...

Oh, this is good to know! I tend to gravitate to stories with a fantastical element (eg The Red Shoes) or ones that are atmosphere-driven, but honestly im open to a lot of things, so i'll definitely save this list! Thanks :)

Yes yes yes yes, The Red Shoes!!! Okay I'm trusting you've seen the other lush Technicolor Powell & Pressburger masterpieces like A Matter of Life & Death and Black Narcissus, if not I am so happy for you, you are about to have such a magnificent time.

But also you mentioned atmosphere and I got really excited to recommend one of my favorite ATMOSPHERE movies I encountered: Only Angels Have Wings (1939), dir. Howard Hawks. Feels like this whole movie it's velvety night at the base of the towering Andes Mountains, the radio is crackling in the expat bar with news from the mail pilots, and a fog is rolling in. A drama about [Claire Foy voice] a bunch of boys, but they're led by flight jacket Cary Grant, and Jean Arthur gets to pretend to play a piano and she is predictably sparkling at that.

Where: there's a poor scan on YouTube, but this movie is shot SO prettily in rich shadows that I would really recommend getting a disc from your local library or renting it in good quality on places like AppleTV or my old stand-by, "Fandango at Home" (no monthly fee, each movie is usually $3-4 to stream)

Some spicy ones here!

Masculinity: I really like being masculine, even if I’m a ‘man’ badly on purpose. I like the feeling of quiet strength, of capability, of being able to be protective and sturdy and calm when it’s required. I’ve carried grown men on my back for decent distances multiple times over the last couple of weeks, and it’s made me feel more settled into myself, like I can trust myself more. And I love it in other people, too. I love feeling protected, I love the feeling of meeting someone else’s strength, and I love finding new ways of understanding my own through understanding how others express their masculinity.

My art: I’m gonna tell a story for this one. I was in a figure drawing class, and the teacher was concerned we weren’t getting into the physical act of drawing enough. So he hands us a handful of pens each, says to hold them in our fists, not take our eyes off the model, and just draw, pressing as hard as we could. So I did. Moments later, my page tears. I don’t stop. Another page tears. I don’t stop. The teacher calls time. “Everyone EXCEPT [Bastian], press harder. [Bastian]? Good job, keep it up.” I can do a mean painting, and when I want, my work can convey a solid emotional weight. I’m proud of where I am with it.