Riona (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rionaleonhart) wrote2006-02-06 06:19 pm
rionaleonhart) wrote2006-02-06 06:19 pm
Entry tags:
I Kill Your Friends Because It Makes You Sexy.
I’ve got to warn you right now that this post is inexcusably rambling and disjointed.
Had a dream that started out as being-late-for-a-lesson and ended up in Silent Hill, being attacked by tiny adorable mice (some of which were wearing hats) as I tried to pick them up because I was convinced that they were part of a puzzle solution. I can recall a memo from it, much like the memos in the real Silent Hill games, but instead of saying something like ‘a part of that abyss is in the old society’ it said, clashing somewhat with the atmosphere of the location, ‘tiny mice are so cute! (That’s a clue, by the way.)’ Huh.
One thing that’s both completely unrelated and really rather enjoyable, because it means that you get to feel all smug and superior and knowing-something-the-characters-don’t, is when you figure out the Big Mystery fairly early on in the game/book/what-have-you, and you’re not sure at first but everything that’s happened so far fits in with it, and as you continue more and more details keep cropping up that support your idea and you just want to throw back your head and cackle evilly.
It’s like in Silent Hill 2, if you figure out early on that Laura is the Princess of Jupiter, and then there are all those little details – like the dungarees on the Princess of Jupiter painting, and the fact that the design on the Jupiter Sceptre looks a little bit like a teddy bear if you tilt your head to the left and squint, and the flashback in which you can’t quite make out what Mary and Laura are talking about but you can clearly hear ‘No, that’s not the right planet’ in the middle of it, and the fact that there’s only one ‘star’ visible in the Dark Silent Hill, and Jupiter Head when you’re playing as Laura, and – okay, fine, this was just an excuse to talk about Laura being the Princess of Jupiter. Leave me alone.
I’m mainly thinking about this because I’ve recently got back into the Jak and Daxter fandom, and Jak 3 is pretty much the only game in which I’ve ever actually figured out the Big Mystery well before the actual Big Revelation. (I’m very, very glad that I figured out the Big Mystery a long time before it was actually revealed, because I was foolish enough to stray into the Jak and Daxter section of fanfiction.net before I had finished playing it, and caught sight of a fic that spoiled the Big Mystery in its summary. It also managed to spoil another major plot point that I hadn’t suspected in the same sentence. Grr.)
The Jak series really is fantastic, if you haven’t played them yet, even if the second and third games (titled Jak II and Jak 3, because the series is just too cool to stick with one numbering system), while being squillions of times better than the first, are often infuriatingly difficult. They’re also really rather fun to write fanfiction for. ALSO ALSO ALSO JAK II HAS HEARTABLE RANDOM GUARDS. THEY HANG AROUND AND TALK ABOUT BRIBES AND SYMPATHISE WITH EACH OTHER FOR GETTING SEWER DUTY.
...games that make me feel guilty for killing random guards make me very sad. But also happy! HOORAY FOR PARADOXES! ...paradoxii?
I will always be far too proud of myself for figuring out that Damas was Jak’s father long before Damas actually revealed that he had had a son (which was, of course, an enormous evil-laughter moment). I only wish that I could remember how I figured it out. I remember that I wasn’t actually playing it when I had the revelation, so I must have been thinking about the game as I wandered around. I heartily approve of any videogame that can work its way into my BRAAAAAAIN like that.
And yes, it was all very sad when Damas died, and I couldn’t help wondering what it would have been like if they had figured out their relationship before it, but then –
– but then I thought, but what would it have been like? I can’t see their relationship being all sunshine and light if they realise they’re father and son.
I mean, think about it. Damas has been sending him off on countless deadly missions and into ‘last man standing’ arena challenges. I can understand some unease at the revelation that the person who’s landed you in so many life-threatening situations is actually your father.
You’ve got to consider, too, that Jak has never known his father. I somehow doubt that they will Magically Develop A Filial Bond immediately upon the discovery of their biological relationship. I don’t think that these things are automatic. If Harry Potter were to discover that Snape was his real father, I don’t think that he’d be thrilled that his father is still alive. That’s possibly not the best of comparisons, as Harry’s relationship with Snape is considerably less cordial than Jak’s with Damas, but the point still stands: you’re probably not going to immediately accept someone as your father and feel a familial bond with him upon the discovery that he is your father.
So yeah, it was all very sad that Damas died just as Jak realised who he was, but had he realised earlier it would probably have been really, really awkward, and a fanfic about it should probably not include the following line immediately after the discovery that they are related:
“I’ve missed you too, father.” Was Jak’s sweet reply as he hugged him once more, feeling safe in Damas’ arms.
Um. Whatever you say. (The phrase ‘Jak’s sweet reply’ makes me laugh so very hard. Jak! Jak traumatised-in-prison-and-mute-until-the-age-of-seventeen-by-which-age-he-was-a-raging-ball-of-vengeful-angst Jak! Jak only-on-good-terms-with-about-three-people Jak! Fantastic.)
Also, on a more general Jak 3-related note: MORE GAMES NEED TO GIVE LIMITED FLIGHT AND THE ABILITY TO SLOW DOWN TIME. Seriously. Light Jak is just the best thing ever.
Finally, after well over a year of being pestered by the idea, I've managed to write a fic about a parrot/monkey hybrid pining after a vaguely elf-like resistance faction member. I do believe that this deserves applause and possibly lynching.
Had a dream that started out as being-late-for-a-lesson and ended up in Silent Hill, being attacked by tiny adorable mice (some of which were wearing hats) as I tried to pick them up because I was convinced that they were part of a puzzle solution. I can recall a memo from it, much like the memos in the real Silent Hill games, but instead of saying something like ‘a part of that abyss is in the old society’ it said, clashing somewhat with the atmosphere of the location, ‘tiny mice are so cute! (That’s a clue, by the way.)’ Huh.
One thing that’s both completely unrelated and really rather enjoyable, because it means that you get to feel all smug and superior and knowing-something-the-characters-don’t, is when you figure out the Big Mystery fairly early on in the game/book/what-have-you, and you’re not sure at first but everything that’s happened so far fits in with it, and as you continue more and more details keep cropping up that support your idea and you just want to throw back your head and cackle evilly.
It’s like in Silent Hill 2, if you figure out early on that Laura is the Princess of Jupiter, and then there are all those little details – like the dungarees on the Princess of Jupiter painting, and the fact that the design on the Jupiter Sceptre looks a little bit like a teddy bear if you tilt your head to the left and squint, and the flashback in which you can’t quite make out what Mary and Laura are talking about but you can clearly hear ‘No, that’s not the right planet’ in the middle of it, and the fact that there’s only one ‘star’ visible in the Dark Silent Hill, and Jupiter Head when you’re playing as Laura, and – okay, fine, this was just an excuse to talk about Laura being the Princess of Jupiter. Leave me alone.
I’m mainly thinking about this because I’ve recently got back into the Jak and Daxter fandom, and Jak 3 is pretty much the only game in which I’ve ever actually figured out the Big Mystery well before the actual Big Revelation. (I’m very, very glad that I figured out the Big Mystery a long time before it was actually revealed, because I was foolish enough to stray into the Jak and Daxter section of fanfiction.net before I had finished playing it, and caught sight of a fic that spoiled the Big Mystery in its summary. It also managed to spoil another major plot point that I hadn’t suspected in the same sentence. Grr.)
The Jak series really is fantastic, if you haven’t played them yet, even if the second and third games (titled Jak II and Jak 3, because the series is just too cool to stick with one numbering system), while being squillions of times better than the first, are often infuriatingly difficult. They’re also really rather fun to write fanfiction for. ALSO ALSO ALSO JAK II HAS HEARTABLE RANDOM GUARDS. THEY HANG AROUND AND TALK ABOUT BRIBES AND SYMPATHISE WITH EACH OTHER FOR GETTING SEWER DUTY.
...games that make me feel guilty for killing random guards make me very sad. But also happy! HOORAY FOR PARADOXES! ...paradoxii?
I will always be far too proud of myself for figuring out that Damas was Jak’s father long before Damas actually revealed that he had had a son (which was, of course, an enormous evil-laughter moment). I only wish that I could remember how I figured it out. I remember that I wasn’t actually playing it when I had the revelation, so I must have been thinking about the game as I wandered around. I heartily approve of any videogame that can work its way into my BRAAAAAAIN like that.
And yes, it was all very sad when Damas died, and I couldn’t help wondering what it would have been like if they had figured out their relationship before it, but then –
– but then I thought, but what would it have been like? I can’t see their relationship being all sunshine and light if they realise they’re father and son.
I mean, think about it. Damas has been sending him off on countless deadly missions and into ‘last man standing’ arena challenges. I can understand some unease at the revelation that the person who’s landed you in so many life-threatening situations is actually your father.
You’ve got to consider, too, that Jak has never known his father. I somehow doubt that they will Magically Develop A Filial Bond immediately upon the discovery of their biological relationship. I don’t think that these things are automatic. If Harry Potter were to discover that Snape was his real father, I don’t think that he’d be thrilled that his father is still alive. That’s possibly not the best of comparisons, as Harry’s relationship with Snape is considerably less cordial than Jak’s with Damas, but the point still stands: you’re probably not going to immediately accept someone as your father and feel a familial bond with him upon the discovery that he is your father.
So yeah, it was all very sad that Damas died just as Jak realised who he was, but had he realised earlier it would probably have been really, really awkward, and a fanfic about it should probably not include the following line immediately after the discovery that they are related:
“I’ve missed you too, father.” Was Jak’s sweet reply as he hugged him once more, feeling safe in Damas’ arms.
Um. Whatever you say. (The phrase ‘Jak’s sweet reply’ makes me laugh so very hard. Jak! Jak traumatised-in-prison-and-mute-until-the-age-of-seventeen-by-which-age-he-was-a-raging-ball-of-vengeful-angst Jak! Jak only-on-good-terms-with-about-three-people Jak! Fantastic.)
Also, on a more general Jak 3-related note: MORE GAMES NEED TO GIVE LIMITED FLIGHT AND THE ABILITY TO SLOW DOWN TIME. Seriously. Light Jak is just the best thing ever.
Finally, after well over a year of being pestered by the idea, I've managed to write a fic about a parrot/monkey hybrid pining after a vaguely elf-like resistance faction member. I do believe that this deserves applause and possibly lynching.
no subject
Man! Adorable tiny mice! All my Silent Hill dreams are just awful.
no subject
It sounds like slash omg I didn't want to think that, thanks!Yay crapfiction. e_eI must admit that I was never able to take the Jak-Damas relationship very seriously. I figured it out before it was revealed, of course - it wasn't that hard, once Damas mentioned he'd had a son - but that was very much.... hi, I'm a video game cliche! XD Also, when I reached the part where all was revealed and then Damas DIED... I couldn't stop laughing. Because that was the THIRD time that had happened in a video game I was playing in TWO DAYS. Not necessarily the revelation, but the hero meeting up with his dad again at long last, only to have his dad DIE. THREE TIMES, IN THREE DIFFERENT GAMES, IN TWO DAYS. So that plot device will now forever make me laugh.
Also, I'm sorry if I ruined that for anyone (cuz, like, Riona is a nice person who put a WARNING and everything, but I just started rambling without any respect for others), but it was so obvious anyway. You're not missing much suspence.
no subject
I totally want to play these games now, if only for the heartable guards. Heartable guards are awesome, and are, like, half the reason why I think MGS3 is awesome. And ReBoot.
tiny mice are so cute! (That’s a clue, by the way.)
YOU SHOULD MAKE THE NEXT SILENT HILL GAME! THAT IS MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION. Perhaps the clue was that you weren't actually in Silent Hill at all, and instead in the less terrifying sister-city, Quiet Mound, where tiny cute mice run rampant. (Awww, can you imagine a tiny Pyramid Head mouse?)