#(idk i've never had subway)

[elkkiel]

catboy spotted in the wild

[bluebellowl]

@meltedmilkteeth

Thank you!! They better! I've worked so hard for like two months now? Idk why but 3D art just sucks me in so hard, every time I open blender I'm in there till like 4 am

at anon Why. Why would you do that? It's just hurting their feelings and your foot. nobody wins.

at anon Really? Um.. thank you? It might be a skill issue there. I'm still learning how to do smooth 3D animation. But yeah Ingo also is animated using irl robots making him extra stiff. He was even more janky in the process.

@golden-buddle They respect and trust her and their platonic love goes deep! She's the one they come to when they have problems, mechanical or soul wise or just for maintanance.

Vincent and Aiden are newer additions so while they each specialise on one of the twins, making them close too, Elesa has been there from the start so their bond is the deepest with her.

@bananacreamphi Thanks! I did have fun making them noodles! Mmm blueberry noodles....

@lil-ms-dipst I've never played Lethal Company and I had to google it. So it's a survival horror game? Judging by their pokemon they both don't scare easily. Ingo has a ghost pokemon that haunts people and then eats their souls while Emmet has a gigantic spider!

I'm not sure how much of this game is skill and luck but at the skill part they'd ace this! Especially together. Nothing beats these perfectly synced nerves of steel!

at anon perhaps? I did have a similar journey so welcome aboard!! These two just fit together so well! Especially SB where you get to be buddies with a giant animatronic?? What submas fan wouldn't wanna be buddies with a giant subway boss animatronic?? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Oh dear looks like I lost one. I remember someone asking if I could show some funky animation mistakes bc they heard they tend to be hilarous. The absolutely are!! and I should certainly make a compilation post of some of them.

[lennadanvers]

Seven Minutes in Hell

Uni Student!Eddie x Asexual!Reader

A/N: One day left of the Ace Week and I finally finished this (kinda sorta, in the way that I can't and I won't keep adding to it, or editing it or rewriting it). I'm completely burned out, my back hurts and I lowkey hate how this turned out- there's so much dialogue and I read it so many times I just think it's bad now. However, since I put so much effort into it, and since I want Eddie to be with an ace reader, I'm posting it anyway. Please be nice, because I've been in a crisis for over a week and I will cry if you're mean. Also, this is terribly long compared with my usual works. Idk.

NOTE: The Reader is asexual. No, there is no use of the word "asexual" here, because it's not needed for a character to be ace. No, the Reader doesn't explain/teach to others what it means to be ace- they just voice their boundaries. Asexual is someone who feels little to no sexual attraction (and you can use it either as an umbrella term or a micro label- please investigate more if you feel like it! It's a very interesting topic and you can learn a lot!). Being asexual doesn't equal to being aromantic: an asexual can still feel romantic attraction. Also, asexuality looks different for everybody- some aces may be okay with kissing but not sex, for example. This Reader isn't okay with either. I hope you enjoy the fic! Happy Ace Week!!

Okay, this was a very bad idea and you should have realized sooner.

In your defense, life this far from your hometown is… different. Lonely. In Hawkins, everyone knew everyone. You had a safety net all the time. Maybe you weren’t friends with everybody- but you were friendly with most, at least.

Here, on the other hand, you are alone. Big city, small-town girl… a sad combination. You’re barely learning how to survive. None of the skills you had acquired at home are useful here. For God’s sake, you can’t even bike to the store- you have to take the subway.

One good thing about the city, though, is the variety. When you first came here, the thing that seemed the most exiting was how open people were about themselves.

They’re just not that friendly, though. No in a deeper level, at least. They are, however, very active. Lots of parties, concerts, bars and nights out. The girls in your dorm are unable to sleep during the night, apparently.

And if you want to fit in with them, you have to at least attend a party once in a while.

That’s what brought you here. You start to question if it’s worth it, though, when Lindsay- redhead, loud, flirty Lindsay- grabs you by the waist and starts dragging you across the room. She’s nice, but she’s… different. She goes out with a different boy every Friday, and brings another one to her dorm room every Saturday. It’s really not your business, and it seems to make her happy, so you simply steer away from her business.

It's not that it bothers you. You just don’t get it. Well, not in practice. In theory, it makes sense. But when you picture yourself in her place… It’s uncomfortable. Weird. Foreign. You’re happy she’s happy this way- it’s just not for you.

She doesn’t feel the same way.

You see the circle of people too late, take too long to come up with an excuse; and before you can stop her, she’s announced you’re playing Seven Minutes in Heaven.

You’ve never taken part in things like this. Never wanted to. Now everyone is looking at you, and you’re just too uncomfortable to run away, even if what you want the most is to disappear. Lindsay goes over the rules. You look around for a way out. Maybe a fire alarm will be waiting for you.

That’s when you see him. A curious pair of puppy eyes, a wild mane of hair and an unmistakable rockstar vibe.

Eddie Munson.

This has to be a nightmare. You remember him from Hawkins High- how could you not? He was always so loud an opinionated, so funny and charming, so… So different from everyone else. It was hard not to notice him in the hallways, but that wasn’t the reason you were always looking for him. See, he had- still has, now that you’re face to face again- something that draws you to him. Something in his smile, in the way he moves his hands, so confident, so in display, like the world is a stage and he’s the main character.

And you’ve always felt like the audience, an external observer, the witness to other people’s stories.

Until now, that Eddie Munson is in the same city- the same party, the same room, the same group of people- as you, far away from the hellhole that is Hawkins. Until now, that he’s staring at you, just as surprised, but a little less terrified. Until now, that Eddie looks like he’s expecting something from you. You’re sure your clueless expression is what makes him smile shily and look down at the floor, where an empty beer bottle points straight at you.

Dread washes over you as people start to cheer. Eddie chuckles and stands up. Lindsay grabs you by the arm- who knew that a girl this petite could be so strong? – and drags you to an empty closet.

Only when the door slams behind you, muffling out the music and noise from the party, you realize what happened.

You’re alone, in the dark, with Eddie Munson.

Trapped in a tiny space for the next eternity (seven minutes). And he’s cute, taller than you remember, and he smells nice. And he’s probably expecting something from you. Something like a kiss. Or more.

And you, for the love of God, do not want a kiss. You want him to be pretty and funny and at a safe distance from you.

The silence is overwhelming, his breathing too close for your liking. That’s the only excuse you can find for what you blurt out next.

“I absolutely do not wanna kiss you!”

The silence turns heavier. You press your hands against your mouth, but it’s too late. Maybe it’s a good thing it’s dark in the tiny closet, because at least he can’t see your horrified face. You hear a scoff and what sound like his feet shuffling to the side.

“Of course you don’t. You’re way too out of my reach, yeah? Were you hoping to be paired up with one of those pretty boys?”

His voice is harsh.

You had seen him argue with Jason Carver before. You had seen him mad, frustrated and mocking. None of those times did he sound quite like this. Never had such an edge. If the lights were on, you worry you’d see a sparkle of hurt in his eyes.

Maybe that’s why you start to explain yourself, panic taking over.

“No! No, that’s… That’s not what I meant at all! I just do not wanna kiss!”

Eddie’s laugh is sarcastic and dark.

“Yeah, I figured that much. Well, guess what? I didn’t wanna kiss you either!”

He sounds angrier now. It’s easy to picture him with his arms crossed.

“Really?”

When the only reply is silence, you know you should have shut the hell up. Or at least you could have tried to not sound so relieved. You cringe.

“Wait, that’s not what I meant either. I-”

“Listen, I have no intention of kissing someone who doesn’t want to kiss me. So why don’t we just wait in silence until the time is up?”

You remember his frown when the jocks made fun of him at gym class. Eddie looked miserable half of the time at school. Now he’s left school, moved away from Hawkins, and you’re making him miserable all over again. Even if you really don’t mean to.

The guilt makes you start whispering.

“Anyone. Ever. I don’t want to kiss anyone. Not now. Certainly not any of them. It’s just that Lindsay forced me to play! I didn’t even want to be here in the first place. Trust me, Eddie, if I wanted to be locked in a tiny closet with any guy at this party it would be you, but I don’t! I just really, really don’t want a kiss- I don’t want anyone to touch me, actually… I’m sorry- I bet you wanted to have fun here and I ended up ruining your chance. Listen, I’ll just walk out of here and tell them I feel sick or something, and they’ll have to give you another chance-”

Before you get the chance to embarrass yourself further, Eddie interrupts you.

“Hey, hey, wait a second there.”

You can feel his eyes on you. That’s the only thing that stops you from yapping to death. You wait, but he takes too long to speak.

“I’m sorry if you thought-”

“I never wanted to make you uncomfortable!”

He cuts your apology short yet again.

“I just thought… I recognized you. From Hawkins. Class of ’89, right? I remember you. I just…”

Eddie clears his throat. You take a deep breath because he sounds softer now. He starts talking again and it’s like listening to a cartoon character- fast and disorganized. Cute.

“I just… I thought you were kinda pretty- back then! You were always smiling, and you used to carry around some of my favorite books. I- it’s not like I like you, I… It’s-it’s been a long time, and… I saw you in here. And you look just as beautiful, you know? I’m never lucky like this. Then the bottle landed on you- I thought I had a chance, after all the years of pini- It’s okay, though, I understand! I bet you have better things to worry about, huh? I bet you’re busy publishing novels or something, right? I remember your poem, the one you read on the talent show- I really liked it!”

Somewhere between pretty and beautiful, Eddie started leaning against the wall. His shoulder is warm against yours. You really don’t mean to, but a giggle escapes you.

“Oh, and now it’s me who can’t shut up. I really should have learned by now. I always end up getting in trouble like this. Do you think I could finish all the oxygen here if I keep talking? I could die of suffocation. That would save me the embarrassment of having to see your face when your friend opens the door. Would you do me a favor and forget any of this happened? I really don’t want you to remember how much of a loser I am...”

You’re laughing now. Eddie’s head thumps against the wall next to you and you decide to stop him.

“I’m sorry, but there’s no way. I don’t think I can forget how you think I’m pretty and beautiful…”

Eddie is groaning, and probably shaking his head too- his hair tickles the side of your arm.

“Also, if you died of suffocation now you wouldn’t know that I thought you were pretty too. Back then, I mean. Oh, and you were never a loser. I always thought you were very smart- with all the ways you found to get back at Carver and his clique. Also, it’d be a shame to deprive the world of your music! I remember you at the talent show too.”

His voice sounds muffled. Is he hiding his face in his hands?

“Stop making fun of me!”

It’s not an accusation. It’s whinier and more playful. It helps you relax a little.

“Are you kidding? I’d never make fun of you! I’ve actually always liked you, Eddie.”

You’d swear his breath just hitched.

“Are you serious?”

Lucky you, the darkness won’t let him see the way you’re blushing. You shrug, trying to look nonchalant even if he doesn’t see you.

“Well, yeah.”

He’s quiet for a moment.

“Listen, I think we started with the wrong foot here. Why don’t we… Would you like to… I don’t know, maybe sometime we could-”

A beam of blinding light and awfully loud music interrupts him.

Oh, God.

“Time’s up, lovebirds! Ooh, look at you! Girl, you’re red as a cherry! What were you guys up to, all cozy in here?”

Lindsay is smiling at you, and you want to disappear again. You don’t dare take a look at Eddie; you just push past her, out into the party. You just want to get away. You need to get out of this house; out of the city, maybe- run away from the stupidity.

Stupid Lindsay.

Stupid game.

Stupid kisses.

Stupid expectations.

Stupid yo-

Someone takes a hold of your wrist and brings your escape to an end. Shit.

“Hey, hold on! Wait up!”

You really don’t want to turn around. You really, really don’t want to see his round, starry eyes up this close. You really, really, really don’t want to know how far you’ve embarrassed yourself in front of Eddie. No, you want to pretend you never saw him here. No, the last time you saw Eddie Munson was graduation. He was happy, had that stupidly cute smile of his, and then you never heard anything from him-

“Hey, I’m sorry- oh, God, you said you didn’t want to be touched. I’m sorry!”

He lets go of your wrist as if it was hurting him. His voice is a little too loud now that you’re out of the house. But it’s still gentle and nervous. You take a deep breath and turn around. At least you can’t make this worse, can you?

“I didn’t mean it that way, Eddie.”

“You didn’t…? Oh! Oh, no, you didn’t! No, I see, I- I know. Okay!”

Eddie closes his eyes and scrunches his nose, his head falling backwards. It’s a cute face, even if he looks completely humiliated right now. Something that makes no sense to you.

“Listen, I… Would you like to hang out sometime?”

It’s a simple question. That doesn’t stop you from blinking three times before replying with another question.

“Are you asking me out on a date?”

Eddie’s eyes open like a cartoon character’s.

“Shit! You don’t do that either? I’m really sorry. Fuck, I’m an asshole, and I should leave you alone. I’m so sorry. I promise you’ll never see me again…!”

In his rush to give you space, he ends up tripping over his own feet and falling on his ass. You try to catch him by the arm, but he’s too heavy and you end up falling too.

It’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

A laugh makes its way out of your chest and it’s impossible to stop it.

“Oh, God…! Are you… okay, Eddie?”

He’s staring at you as if you were crazy. Fair, because you probably are.

“I didn’t mean to laugh,” but you’re still laughing, “I’m sorry. I guess we’re both sorry, huh?”

The giggles keep coming out.

“Yes… I’d like to hang out sometime.”

His head snaps to you.

“Really?”

You do your best to get the laugh under control.

“Really.”

“Okay, then.”

Now he’s taking your hand and lifting you to your feet. It’s a simple movement, fast and soft; but not faster than your ability to blush. At least you’re not laughing anymore. Eddie is closer now than he was in the closet, his chin a couple inches away from your eyes. He smells like wood and blankets: warm and cozy. It’s easy to forget the party behind you, the loud music and cold air disappearing into his eyes.

“So… No kisses, then? Of any kind? Or is it like touching?”

You find yourself whispering too.

“Just no kisses on the mouth.”

“Great.”

Suddenly, coming to this stupid party doesn’t seem that terrible of an idea, because Eddie Munson is kissing your forehead. And it’s ridiculous, silly and amazing. He’s also blushing, eyes crinkling at the sides and a round, shy smile reflecting yours.

“Just so you know, that counts as our first kiss.”

“First? That implies more than one. Someone’s very confident.”

“Well, the night is young and you look like you have some time to spare. What do you say we get out of here? I could introduce you to the best milkshakes in the city.”

“…I’d actually love that.”

This time it’s you who grabs his hand. Eddie grins, and he looks just like the boy who stood on tables back at Hawkins High: young, brave, ready for adventure.

“I shall show thee the path, milady.”

He bows and you laugh. Walking away from the party and the rest of the world is easy. Comfortable. Natural. The way heaven must feel like, if you had to describe it.

[greatwesternrailway]

I made Eras Tour bracelets of all the times Taylor Swift references trains in her songs. The colours are inspired by different trains and railway liveries. Excessive details under the cut:

"You know that my train could take you home" from Willow. Inspired by Great Western Railway's Intercity Express Trains. It's the train I catch most often, it's my train!

"I knew you, stepping on the last train" from Cardigan. Inspired by the subway cars in New York City, which I think of as having blue seats but it seems yellow/orange is just as (or more?) common. Idk I've never been to New York, my whole knowledge of the subway comes from Broad City and pictures of dogs in Ikea bags.

"I jump from the train, I ride off alone" from The Archer. Inspired by ye olde American locomotives like the Union Pacific No. 119. This lyric evokes Wild West imagery for me and this type of engine is what my British brain thinks of as a "cowboy train".

"Rebekah rode up on the afternoon train" from The Last Great American Dynasty. Inspired by the steam locomotives used in the 1940s by the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, which is what Rebekah Harkness would have rode up on. Sadly I couldn't find a good colour image of one, so I leaned into it and chose a greyscale colour palette. As it happens the engines were almost certainly black anyway so it's fine.

"Silence, the train runs off its tracks" from Sad Beautiful Tragic. Inspired by my boy Thomas the Tank Engine. There are a lot of derailments on the Island of Sodor, the Fat Controller should probably have been sacked.

"Northbound I got carried away, as you boarded your train south" from I Look in People's Windows. Inspired by the London Underground map. I didn't have any brown beads so the Bakerloo line has been reassigned orange.

"We wait for trains that just aren't coming" from New Romantics. Inspired by the British Rail Class 195 trains created for Arriva Rail North, the network so incompetent that even the Tories had to re-nationalise it. Those trains just weren't coming.

"You took the night train for a reason" from Champagne Problems. Inspired by the British Rail Mark 5 coaches used on the Caledonian Sleeper Service.

"Some trains you can't catch again, you've gotta leave it as it was" from Tim McGraw - Acoustic Demo. This is a deep cut that I expect even a lot of Swifties wouldn't necessarily know, but I've always loved this lyric. It totally recontextualises the song and ironically is a much more adult sentiment than the lyrics of the final recording. Inspired by the livery of Anglia Railways, which are the trains of my childhood. Anglia Railways has been sold and rebranded several times since then, so they are quite literally the trains I can't catch again.

I imagine that Taylor Swift has not been on a train in many years, for obvious reasons. However I appreciate her continued use of train imagery in her songs and I hope she never ever stops :)

[jolyne-best-jojo]

After sleeping on the JJK ending l honestly still can't believe GeGe made a character as good as Gojo and then fucked up the ending that bad.

You create this really fun and interesting character who's goofy but cares a lot about his students like making them play a sport instead of individual battles after an attack on the school. A guy who wants to create a better world but doesn't hesitate to send his students into dangerous shit in hopes of letting them grow and become strong to help create that better world and someone so selfless that he prioritising saving lives over taking out the villains which directly leads to him being captured and when he's freed he actively asks what happened to the people he was protecting.

When Gojo comes back from being trapped and instead of giving him some character development with the entire month there was before the Sukuna fight GeGe basically just skips straight to it. Like wtf? I want to know how Gojo feels about how him holding back his domain led to the death of one of his students, the traumatisation of another, a third getting burned severely, a fourth losing their arm and a fifth losing their body to Sukuna alongside one of his friends dying. How does he feel about Maki reaching her potential and reaching Toji, the man who beat Gojo so bad at 16 that he was forced to learn reverse techniques, level? What about Kashimo? Both he and Gojo are the strongest of their eras yet the pair never talk about how it feels to be the strongest. And then instead of this we just skip to the big fight which ends with Gojo getting killed off-screen and then being insulted by his friends. Like wtf was up with Nanami saying Gojo didn't care about protecting people or continuing sorcery and cared more about fighting? Because that just isn't what you read in the text of the show when he promises Megumi he'll try to save Yuji's life after being asked, monologuing about wanting to train stronger sorcerers to restart the shitty world of Jujutsu society and holding back his domain to 0.2 seconds to save innocents in the subway leading to his trapping.

And that's not mentioning GeGe having Gojo hype up Sukuna as being super strong and how he might have lost even if Sukuna didn't Megumi's technique instead of, idk, caring about the fact his students are now gonna have to face Sukuna? I've seen some people try to claim that him mentioning how he's taken care of Megumi finding out about his dad even if Gojo himself dies but that offhand comment isn't really enough for me, he doesn't give a single thought to Yuta, Yuji or Maki as the three have to face the strongest sorcerer there is when it'd be interesting to see what he thinks of them at the end of everything.

And then there's the bait, holy shit, what was the point of Yujo? You have Yuta defile Gojo's body by putting his own brain into it, have him fight Sukuna, land Gojo's ultimate move, have it do basically no fucking damage because Yuta's inexperienced (just firing a red at a blue to make an impromptu purple was enough to take out Sukuna's arm and that was the first time Gojo ever tried that), then he just falls down because his body control technique is burnt out from using domain expansion and after that they set up Kenjaku having had a way to not have to deal with this problem and never mention Yuta again until the fight's over. What a stellar display of capitalism using characters popularity to make money while giving no respect to the character Yujo is.

And then Gojo isn't mentioned again until two letters given to Megumi and Nobara which gives basically no development to their relationships with Gojo, especially Nobara given her letter is about some new detail we didn't know about her (no relationship with her mum) and then she just rips the letter up. And then at the very last chapter we get a conversation flashback between Gojo and Yuji about how Gojo thinks one day his students will forget him and Yuji tells him he'd never forget Gojo with Gojo replying "Haven't we had enough Gojo Saturo" no GeGe, we haven't, because you haven't given him a proper arc.

Gojo's arc is about the question of "is he the strongest because he's Gojo Saturo or is the Gojo Saturo because he's the strongest" a question some people think is about whether his skill is what made him the strongest or if it was just the powers he got at birth. But what it's really about is is being the strongest just one part of Gojo or is Gojo just the strongest. And this is never really properly addressed, the only way it really is points towards Gojo just being the strongest because that's what is said about him by his students, another school's student and one of his colleagues that he's the strongest, after he dies fighting Sukuna his corpse is used as a means to keep fighting Sukuna and no one ever really honours all Gojo's done for them. Meanwhile Sukuna gets to have this whole conclusion where he decides that him losing means his ideals were wrong and that in the next life he'd follow a different path. Some people have tried to say this is fair as Sukuna's the main villain and Gojo's a side character but Gojo isn't just a side character, he's JJK's most popular character, some of the main JJK memes involve him (Nah, I'd Win, Throughout Heaven and Earth I alone am the honoured one) and he's basically the face of the show given sales dropped after his death and it just sucks so much to see such a good character not get a proper conclusion.

[finnickodaiir]

🔥 thoughts on anything joever related? i feel like some of the fandom hasn't responded to it well over the past year

Let's see, I've gotten whiplash from how quickly the fandom reaction went from "My parents 😭... love is dead, I'll never listen to Rep or Lover ever again, "to "Joe was a piece of shit who cheated and then gaslighted her into thinking she was being paranoid!! He also looked down on her! He was basically John Mayer 2.0"...... like 1. You don't know these people. These aren't characters that you can just make headcanons about based on what you think happened. Also 2. Literally, the only official statement we got said that they weren't compatible anymore and had grown apart.

Also, I just think all of the joebless jokes are very childish and annoying. I remember seeing a Reddit post where people were calling him jobless for taking the subway... you all have clearly never been to a big city, because everyone knows that in a city as big as London, the subway is like the quickest way to get around town (and celebrities can just be more lowkey in London in comparison to the US).

I don't think there's anything wrong with Taylor writing about her life experiences, but I do hate how the fandom is basically treating TTPD as a tabloid release and how they can't wait to see Joe get dissed... like, did you all forget Blank Space and the circumstances that led to that song being created? Or what Taylor said about paternity tests of her songs during the Rep Era?

Basically, I think the fandom needs to stop keeping tabs of her exes and bringing them up, and idk just apply the songs to their life experiences and favorite characters.

(Send me a 🔥 + a topic)

[skitskatdacat63]

Would you mind if I asked for any classical recs. I started listening to Bartok and something clicked (also because I like hearing you talk 🗣️ )

- Penalanon

Aaahhh omg penalanon hiiii!! 🥺 so glad you liked Bartók! That's on such the deep end of classical honestly so I'm rly so glad to hear you like his work! Alright sry in advance if any of these are basic bcs im not sure what you've listened to before. But here you go, in no particular order

1812 Overture - Tchaikovsky

Okay hear me out ik this is pretty basic but I love this recording so so much, I listen to it constantly. Tho it's especially fun to listen to when I'm drawing something Napoleonic, it's very fitting

Marche Slave - Tchaikovsky

Another Tchaikovsky piece! I just really like this one :)

Piano Concerto No.2 - Rachmaninoff

Most beautiful piano concerto of all time?? Perhaps. I just love this one, and the story behind it is very sweet to me(Rachmaninoff was very depressed but his therapist helped him get back to composing, and he dedicated this piece to him)

Rite of Spring - Stravinsky

If you liked Bartók, you'll definitely like Stravinsky!!

Firebird - Stravinsky

Also must link this hilarious vid that I always think of every time I listen to this piece

Gayaneh - Khachaturian

My fav ballet EVERRRR. Okay bear with me, I know it's two and a half hours long, but I listen to it constantly

The Planets Suite - Holst

You've prob heard these before but ahhhh one of my favorite pieces, it never gets old. They are all so unique, and I love how you can tell how much they inspired modern film scores like Star Wars

La Follia - Vivaldi

My fav Vivaldi piece other than Four Seasons(not linnking it here bcs I think most people have def heard it, but go listen to it again ofc dklaskjl.) But man Vivaldi always goes off so hard

String Quartet No.8 - Shostakovich

I linked this in my prev music reccs but I'm not sure if you listened to it so I will again!!

Symphony No.5 - Shostakovich

I love Shostakvich so much waahhhhh, his life makes me sad :( But he's one of the reasons I got more into classical music!

Symphony No.7 - Shostakovich

The story behind this one is so sad to me :( It was a song of resistance for the people of Leningrad while they were being seiged in WWII. Also I love how the conducter in this vid literally looks exactly like young Shostakovich

Battle on The Ice - Prokofiev

such a sick piece

Dance of the Knights - Prokofiev

Symphony No.2 - Weill

I randomly heard this at a classical concert, and I've been in love with it every since!

Masquerade Suite - Khachaturian

Gnossienne No.1-6 - Satie

I can't link all of them so just start with the one I linked!!

New World Symphony - Dvorjak

I love the fourth movement especially, there's parts that sound like Jaws and Star Wars

Danse Macabre - Saint-Saëns

The Swan - Saint-Saëns

This song is what I imagine falling in love feels like. It always makes me teary eyed. Also Vienna has stars like the hollywood stars in some subway station, and I took pics of both Saint-Saëns and Debussy when I saw them, and two people I was with had no idea who they were SOBBB

Raindrop Prelude - Chopin

Arabesque - Debussy

I'd recc Clair de Lune but I'm sure you've heard it, so here is another Debussy piece :)

Miserere mei, Deus - Allegri 

IDK I LIKE CHOIR MUSIC BE QUIET

Lacrimosa - Mozart

You've def heard this before but GOD it makes me cry every time, soooooo iconic

Funeral March (Orchestral Version) - Mendelssohn

There's such a cool video of this as an actual march but it's for Thatcher's funeral ugh, so here's the orchestral version too

[unforth]

At my brother's wedding last night and my cousin's son (first cousin once removed I think???) is there. And like, my dad's from California and only he moved east to New York so I virtually never see my uncles or cousins, and the last time I saw this kid he was, idk, 4? And now he's 18 or 19.

Anyway, he pulls me aside and goes, "your brother told me you speak Japanese...and translated some manga?" So I explain the reality of my rather mediocre language skills that my brother has apparently massively over represented, and I mention that I did translate 9 vols of One Piece back in the day, and he pulls out his phone and he's like "you're gonna think I'm crazy, but..." and shows me his Shonen Jump app where he's caught up on One Piece.

And I'm like. My dude. I don't think you're crazy, I'm jealous, I fucking WISH I was caught up on One Piece.

Him: oh thank God I'm not the only weeb in the family.

And look. I'm not a weeb, not really, not anymore, not since like 2007. Which coincidentally is the last time I saw him, a couple months before I went to Japan. But for my 19 year old cousin looking for some goddamn validation??

Me: I've been a weeaboo since before you were *born*.

Anyway. It was nice. And his reaction to the BL aspect of my fandom life was great (very no judgement but full nope-topus).

My brother had a nice wedding, too. Him and my new sis in law!

(While I was typing this someone drove by playing Africa so loud I could hear every word. We're on the NINTH FLOOR. It is 7 in the morning. Oh, New York, never change. This is up there with the guy on the subway last night who was chugging corn straight from the can.)

[solarpunkani]

So the way cities are designed is nasty and not really good for anybody. Do you have any resources or ideas on how this can actually, realistically change? I mean, we can't just tear down cities and rebuild them better. Is the way forward just adding more beneficial stuff to the existing, less-than-ideal cities, and then building the new cities with people and nature in mind?

Hey!

Yknow, I thought I had a tag for this, but either I forgot what tag it was or things just haven't come out of queue yet because I'm not seeing much on my blog. I feel like I've seen specific posts about making things more accessible--I tend to see this line of thought be referred to as Walkable Cities or Accessible Cities--but I can't think of any off the top of my head at the moment.

To the best of my understanding, as someone who isn't a city planner or anything along those lines, I would think the solution would be along what you suggested; adding more beneficial structures--which may include rebuilding certain things/sections but I don't thiiiink would involve the entire demolition of a building--to preexisting cities and then building the new cities with these principles in mind.

What needs to be changed will be on different levels depending on how old the city is, how it was planned out before, and whats causing issues vs what needs to be improved. There's definitely a lot of talk about needing more bike lanes and sidewalks in the US, and how sparsely everything is placed in a lot of cities without a way to really access them. I think the closest I've ever been to being in a truly walkable city was my college campus, and not only was that not the whole city but just the campus, but I also didn't really have the leg strength to walk or bike the wholething. Even still, things were close enough together that walking or biking was feasible for a lot of people--and there was a robust bus system that was free for students as long as they had an ID (though most drivers didn't ID people who looked like students, or if you were being picked up on campus).

From there I guess I'd love if something similar was implemented in other places. Free (or at least very low cost, but preferrably free) and robust bus systems, bike lanes, wide sidewalks, and things made in more of a 'hub' kind of planning instead of having everything super spaced out. With lots of green spaces interspersed throughout, like small but frequent parks that people can go to hang out with lots of benches and flowers and such. Maybe a lot of the housing set-ups would be sort of like apartments on top of stores? Close to campus, there was a mini Target and several other stores in a plaza-like block that actually all had 5 levels of apartments on top of them--you needed a special key fob to get into the elevators to access them, so it wasn't like anyone going to Target could end up at your apartment door. This could be a good way to have more structures in less space, in a way? Granted, I never lived in those units, so IDK if the quality of life was different in any way...

I feel like I've seen videos and posts discussing how one city started slowly phasing things in and out to become increasingly more walkable over the years? Maybe in Spain or something? I can't find it at the moment, however. From what I remember, they started slowly phasing cars out of certain areas of the town, instead adding more bike lanes and plazas and benches and housing until eventually basically everything was accessible by walking, biking, or taking a transit system.

I've touched this point already, but I feel that transit systems would be one of the most important parts of making a city truly accessible--but that the transit system may look different depending on where you are. New York, for example, has the subway system that from what I know (I've never taken the New York Subway I haven't been there since I was 8) is extremely efficient in getting people around--could likely use some improvements, but is definitely a good model to look at. For places where subways aren't suitable--I know Florida would deal with lots of flooding issues, trying to dig and implement a subway system--an increasingly robust bus system or even something like a monorail system like my city (sort of) has would be excellent.

Now there's definitely something to said about accessibility into buildings itself. Sometimes ramps are constructed improperly, so those would need to be fixed. I can also see there being issues with doorways and stairs and such in older buildings--though even in those cases, many buildings get revamped with elevators and wider entrances. There's probably tons of other accessibility issues that I don't even realize, because though I try to keep these things in mind, I do ultimately live life as an abled person right now.

Though another point I do also remember being brought up is the height of landscaping, especially near crosswalks and such, causing problems with accessibility for children, shorter people, the elderly, etc. Also that trailing, low-hanging plants can also cause issues by getting stuck in wheelchairs and such. These would also have to be kept in mind when considering green spaces and accessibility.

This post is getting long and ultimately I don't really know what I'm talking about in the slightest. But I do hope this was at least a little helpful!

[princess-of-the-corner]

I wanna start by saying I'm not trying to start a fight, but you saying that Chloe had some kind of mental break or dissociative episode in Queen Wasp as a way to excuse the train incident has always felt like a bit of a reach

Idk if you've ever had a dissociative episode or mental breakdown or anything like that, and I'm not demanding you share if you have, but I have, and the way we see Chloe act in Queen Wasp is not how someone who is dissociating would act in my experience

She's too cognizant

After snapping, transforming, and running, Chloe has the presence of mind to stop on the closest vantage point she could find, look around for an idea of how to prove herself, focus on the subway, come up with the idea to stage a crash, dial Nadja Chamak's number to tell her about the train so there are cameras present, and stop and paralyze the driver before trying to stop the train

There was a time when I was dissociating after a massive fight with my parents and walking through my neighborhood, and I came to a cross light.

I remember seeing that I couldn't go straight across bc of the red light, and seeing that a car was coming down the street, but I kept walking straight.

The car was too far away to be dangerous to me, but they did slam their brakes and honk.

I didn't register any of that, I just kept walking. I didn't even realize what had happened until hours after I had gotten back home and calmed down.

That's not what happened to Chloé in Queen Wasp. She wasn't thinking clearly bc she was rightfully upset and hurt and acting impulsively, but it wasn't a mental break

BUDDY

Okay okay okay we're just gonna.

Firstly: Different experiences and different words for different things!

Yes, some people's breakdowns are the type of disassociation where they're not aware they're just in full zombie mode.

Other people's breakdowns are organized and focused and seemingly aware! They're still not quite in the right state of mind! But they do things that are a little off and they wouldn't usually because they think it'll make them feel better!

This isn't a disassociation state, this is more like a manic episode. Like, I'm not saying that this is genuinely a manic episode for Chloé because I am not an expert and I don't know if she hits more checks for that sort of disorder and it's a very short episode as far as we can tell while a proper episode would be a longer period of time. It's just the best word I can find to describe this type of breakdown But I have 100% seen and experienced both the 'zombie mode' and the 'oh let's do something about this!!' breakdown.

And yes, in the real world, an episode like this wouldn't result directly to 'fake a train accident', it does result in extremely poor decisionmaking as they ride it out. Things like impulsively chopping off hair, spending money they can't afford to, taking risks in sexual situations, etc. But in a kids show with superheroes, that is 100% on the table.

Again: I am not an expert, but Chloé was going through some hell and I've seen people snap in that sort of way where, were they a cartoon character, could end up in that situation.

Secondly:

You make it sound like I'm just excusing it like 'haha whatever it's chill'. Which, to be fair, Canon did that! The train thing is just never brought up again and she never faces any consequences for it so Canon thinks it's fine!

But even if she is in the most manic or dissassociative or whatever state? She is still responsible for what happens when she comes down from it. And yeah in a fictional world like this you can handwave that action when everyone ends up fine instead of having her go to jail or some shit.

Thirdly:

We aren't talking about how this incident should be ignored. We're talking about how this is considered the worst thing that Chloé has done, and proof that she's 'evil', but it was something done while not only not in the right state of mind, but something that never intended to harm anyone, didn't end up harming anyone, and also did in fact get brushed off by the rest of the cast.

[she-went-missing]

Vent :/

I had a subway sandwich, and I've just been snacking all day. I couldn't count anything, because either felt so guilty for how many cals it probably was. I'm such a fucking f4t4ss I can't keep my hands off of food for more than a minute I'm so fucking huge ugh

I'm never going to get to my goal at this rate, but the brain fog is God awful and idk how to fix it.

I need to lock in, I want to be skinny for my Halloween costume, but nothing seems to work.

I feel like such a wann4r3xic at this point, everyone else is doing 48hr fasts while I have to have energy for work AND school. I'm losing my mind

[sparklepool101]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

"Tagged" in @kindlystrawberry's open invitation (who is one of my favorite fic writer ever, seriously PLEASE check her stuff out!) and using this as an excuse to ramble :p

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

66!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

192,170 since 2020!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

A little bit of everything! The top couple that pop up on my profile are Craig of the Creek (21), Project Sekai (14), Rise of the TMNT (5), and Kid Cosmic (5). But honestly? Whatever I'm into at the moment has a good chance at getting a fic. (My notes app is nothing but draft ideas.)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Sure As Sun Turns to Moon (I'll be With You) (FNAF) - 1,697

I Can't Lose You Again (ROTTMNT) - 847

Another Danganronpa Chatfic >:3c (Danganronpa) - 478

Wish We Could Turn Back Time (Don't Hug Me I'm Scared) - 430

Five Times Casey Moved to a New Cave and One Time that He Moved into a New House (ROTTMNT) - 421

So one of these is not like the others lol. I can explain though. So, top down:

SASTTM got published when Security Breach was super popular and tapped into the public outcry for Freddy being Gregory's dad. It's been sitting unfinished for over a year now at 28k, but I do have plans to finish it! I've cut the draft down a lot to actually make it a feasible writing project now, but I'm not going to publish anymore chapters until it's done. I want to finish it properly because this fic helped me grow so much as a writer and it means a lot to me.

I Can't Lose You Again will get touched on later on, as well as Wish We Could Turn Back Time.

Five Time Casey Moved was a fic that I wrote in a haze after watching season one of ROTTMNT and then the movie. It was published the day after the movie came out iirc and has a really special place in my heart for several reasons <3

And then the chatfic.

I got my fandom start in Danganonpa and in middle school, chatfics are the funniest, coolest things ever. So once I decided to start writing, obviously I had to do my own. It has aged horribly, is horribly written, and honestly should be deleted and never see the light of day again. Or at least be orphaned. But I made myself a promise to never delete my old fics unless they were actually horrific because you know what? Everyone starts somewhere. So it's still up. And one day it will get dethroned from the top kudos list and I will throw a party <3

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I usually respond!! It makes me so giddy to receive even the shortest comments, and I always try to pass on that good feeling <3

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

So out of my published fics its I’d Make a Deal with God (I’d Get Him to Swap Our Places) which is a ROTTMNT fic I wrote about the movie before it came out to speculate on the future. In it we see both Raph and Donnie get kranged, leaving Leo and Mikey crying in a subway. A friend actually told me to kay why you know what myself because of it (in a very much joking manner) which was SUCH a compliment!!!

Out of everything I've written? There's a half finished ROTTMNT fic in my junior year AP Lang notebook which takes place over one week and ends with Mikey dying which is... really angsty. Like worryingly angsty. It's still an interesting concept that I think could be fun to explore, but even if I do ever finish it idk if it'll see the light of day.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I'm really not a fan of unhappy endings, even in fics. Hurt is best served with a side of comfort in my opinion, so everything I write ends up being really light and fluffy.

Three fics come to mind as having the happiest *ending* though.

The first is Would You be so Kind (As to Fall in Love with Me?) which is a Craig of the Creek fic entirely focused on two characters realizing that they love each other and that polyamory is an option! It's super sweet and I refuse to believe it's not canon tbh.

The other two are both Project Sekai fics from Tenmay this year, The Royal Summit (Where Friendships Blossom) and Sunbound Promise. They're both fantasy aus where Tsukasa and Toya grow closer, the first being their first meeting and the second where they become brothers. They're both so sweet and self indulgent, the endings make me so happy <3 <3 <3 <3

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I got one comment on SASTTM where someone was bitching about neopronouns which I think counts. But overall people have been really nice and anyone who doesn't jive with the fic just moves on lol

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nope, and I don't know if I ever will. It's just not what I really want to write :p

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Occasionally! None of them have been particularly "crazy", though. I try to keep those things pretty grounded. I have a lot of crossover ideas that don't get written though :p

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but if anyone ever wants to do so you have my full permission! Just shoot me a message somewhere to let me know

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No. I don't know if I'd be able to either, co-plotting would be fine, I'm doing that with my sibling and a prsk magical girl fic, but writing,,, I couldn't :,)

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

There are a lot of ships I love. But for all time favorite, I have to go with the one that I keep going back to read fics for even though I've lost pretty much all other interest in the game: Promptis (Prompto/Noctis from FFXV) I just keep coming back to them.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Where to start with this list.

The main one if probably my Project Sekai fantasy au fic The Eastern Side of Bolganio. It's so special to me, but it's a majorly ambitious project and I've gotten so little response with it that it's hard to write. I'm normally pretty good about not focusing on the numbers when it comes to fics (writing for small random fandoms help, there are some fics that I'm surprised have more than two hits, much less two kudos), but the fact that it's such an ambitious project that I've barely made a dent into... idk

I really want to finish it though </3

16. What are your writing strengths?

idk, people say that my characterization is really good? I saved this one for last to answer but now I'm tired

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm going to try and not be too self deprecating lol.

I'm really bad at describing environments/movement and dialogue at the same time. It's always either White Room Syndrome or a clunky mess. I also suck at titles. I always try to not use song lyrics, but anything that I do always sounds horrible.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I love it when it's done well! I love it when fic authors delve into the heritage of characters and bring in elements of it. I've done it a fair couple of times and always take great care to make sure that the translations aren't too horrific.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

So the first ever fanfiction I wrote was my exceedingly angsty, take on who the other souls in Undertale were before they died.

HOWEVER, I consider the first *fandom* I wrote for to be either Percy Jackson or Danganronpa. My first actual attempt at writing a fanfiction was a Solangelo prompt which I wrote two sentences of before abandoning and the first time I tried to write canon characters in situations, doing things, was it that damned chatfic XD

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Ouuuugh we're just going with a list here

I Can't Lose You Again - I told you these would show back up again. Anyways, writing this fic was so fun. I really felt like I knew what I was doing, and apparently I did based off the comments! It's so special to me <3

Wish We Could Turn Back Time - This is my Roman Empire. I haven't updated this fic in years but I think about it everyday. I'm working on cleaning up the outline to be less ambitious so I actually have a chance to finish writing the thing, and I can't wait to finally give it the ending it deserves! It's also actually shaped my life in so many ways <3

After The Dinner Horn and Offscreen; a CotC oneshot collection - Maybe putting a oneshot collection here is cheating but shhhh. This actually is an umbrella title for almost all of my cotc fics (especially on platforms where I can't be bothered to upload them individually unless they're multichaptered). So many of these fics either shaped me as a writer drastically or mean so much to me on a personal level it's WILD. And also a reflection on how much the show means to me I guess? Idk that's enough psychoanalyzing for today.

Coercion Cancellation - This one might be cheating because it's the one I'm currently working on, but shhhhh. It still counts. It's for an indie horror game called Imaginary Friend Asylum ((prequel to The Friends We Left Behind)) which you should check out

Also adding on the two Project Sekai fics from question seven about the happiest ending. They're just so, so self indulgent <3

Tags: I don't have the guts (nor memory) to tag anyone on here, so it's fully an open invite! Hop on over here and ramble your heart out about the things you've written!! I can't wait to read it!!!

[thegoldenappleofdiscord]

writing a plague will fic (first fic and i'm vaguely terrified) and i was brainstorming some schematics for his plague powers. canonically, we know that his powers are triggered by emotions like loneliness and jealousy (he recalls those memories before unleashing hay fever on nyx), but mostly anger - "he had no real plan. he just had anger."

i'm also curious about what kinds of sickness he can inflict? before reading the book, my personal headcanons were that will could either

a.) give living things illnesses that are mostly eradicated and/or have a cure - because gods' powers and state of being are inherently tied to their image and presence in mortal art, literature, etc, and Apollo's influence is more linked with the arts and medicine than plague - so i figure that this lesser known power of his would make it so that it is both rare for his children to possess plague abilities, AND make it so that the plagues they can unleash are of diseases that don't have as much an impact on our societies anymore, similar to how that aspect of Apollo doesn't have much influence on society. (idk if that makes any sense at all but it went through the brainrot meat grinder and came out semi-conherent so that is a firm win.)

...or b.) take preexisting disease and heighten its effects and/or spread it! like if someone were to have a cold, he could escalate their symptoms until they have a flu or smth.

a slew of more random questions that writing this fic has conjured up:

- could will heighten certain parts of a condition? if he were to give someone bubonic plague, could he control the rate at which the disease spreads? could he increase said person's state of delirium - which would blur some lines, since plague is defined as a contagious bacterial disease and delirium is a syndrome??

- can he control animals that carry plague/disease? communicate with them? ( omg. younger solace freaking out on nyc subways bc the rats won't shut up; him never being bitten by mosquitoes because they avoid him...)

anyway that's the end of my spiel (for now.) i've just had so many questions about plague will (would love to hear yall's own hcs and explanations!!!) since the book's release and uuggggHHh it frustrates me to no end that it wasn't brought up again. like. do you know what you've done to me??? this is worse than the goddamn carrot on a stick charade, y'all took the carrot, cut it up, and offered my starving ass 1/100th of a portion and expected me to be full!!!

[gargoyle-doyle]

notes & thoughts i had when i was reading this book ;-3 (its kinda disjointed and doesn't read well, there were just things scrawled when reading. idk i might write it up properly one day xx).

-Clinically obsessed with Neil Gaiman's 1994 'The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch' and yes i am incredibly biased, and yes it is because i'm living away from pompey right now, and i miss my ghost adventures, and fratton rd subway.

-Its just such a nostalgic, and fun read. Mckeans art is so vivid, its like something walked straight out of my mind and onto the page, its really a graphic novel that properly exploits the medium and captivates on every page.

-As someone who has personally beefed with the descendants of these swans, i can tell you for a fact that this still stands true - they will break your arm, and not only that, they will peck into ur stomach and pluck out ur intestines. Apart from one swan who has arthritis, and is fed medicine in the evenings by an unnamed local, he is probably too busy eating his medicines.

-Reading all these passages written in 1994, almost exactly 30 years ago, set even further back into the late sixties, and seeing such relatable anecdotes. it's hopeful. Pompey stays Pompey forever.

And then you're hit with bits like this:

-And I'm reminded of the bridge centre bookshop losing the war against the council, the privatising of the secret garden, commercial road - the ghost town. And subway, and rowans, and London rd dying. Moorhouse becoming a newsagents, becoming a house.

-And then even before me, (mandatory obelisk mention), tricorn, charlotte st. The shadows of the past. What becomes of the time capsule in the bridge, when there is no bridge? But then in the same way theres development. Gunwharf, The spinnaker, The Mary Rose Museum.

-But it's all the superficial stuff - the tourist attractions. And it's all the heart and soul that get left to rot.

-I love this graphic novel because it's alive. and its mean. an affair, a pregnancy, forced abortion by beating a woman with planks of wood, disguised in cloudy memories and that slight childhood hope to mask it. to retell it again and again until the story turns out different this time.

-And there's this house, and its my childhood home. its the home of everyone i've ever befriended, and ever went to school with. And I'm reminded of when i used to see Punch and Judy shows over in St James' Dog park for picnic on the green.

-And one year, after the show, after the ice lollies, and after the raffle, my friend and i walked home, past all the shops, and at the end of my street was a great plume of smoke, and crinkle chip was burning down. We stood across the road and watched it burn.

Crinkle chip survived - but not as crinkle chip. It changed, it became Crispy Cod. But the foods the same. the important stuff. idk, i hate everything closing, its gone, and likely never coming back. But i still care, and i think that's the important part. that it mattered to me once upon a time (second mandatory obelisk mention in brackets so i don't waffle on about the obelisk).

-the story of punch and judy is told and retold by so many. as life here is lived by so many, but in many ways the same life. with many of the same characters and set pieces.

-the tale really articulates the frustration, the whimsy, the worry, and the awareness of childhood. living in a dream-like world, only in that none of your questions ever get answered. fantasy from boredom, fear, and confusion. the world is new, its your first time here and everyone just expects you to know whats real and whats not. That feeling of being looked over, of raising yourself because adults lie, cry, and run away from questions.

-This lamppost is real - so are the lights. i know exactly where this is and what they look like at every time of day.

-I love puppets, i love making them, buying them, studying them. This book reads like a love letter. But one written to a love never indulged. a love letter written and then kept in a box in the attic. The book feels like everything we want to say but don't. in the real world there's the story following the boy and his grandfather, and in the magical, theres the denial to let the self wear the puppet. nothing ever comes to fruition. nothing stays long enough to have the time to tell it how you felt, to express the grief. at the end theres a moment where the narrator just might wear mr punch. but theres not enough time to rationalise, to explain. its not the same mr punch anyway.

-its a scene that reminded me that sometimes we never get to do the things we desire because its too late. like trick-or-treating. if you dont do it as a kid you never will. and it sucks. and we dont get to go back.

-i should've bought all those Anne Rice books from the Bridge when i had the chance. but its gone now. and i won't.

-everything goes. but the memories remain, spectres to be engaged with, and in that its not really gone. The hearts arent gone, because they are here in this book. and so is the grandfather, and so is pompey.

-i should've written more notes about the art. The combination of photos and drawings portrays memories in such a beautiful and disorienting way. its distressing, and memorable. the way some things are emphasised by the photos, Punch and Judy, and the grandfather, while other memories are more obscure sketches, like the pier and the houses. it reads like a Cecilia Condit film scary and fragmented and young, or Jan Svankmajer's (my birthday twin xx) Jabberwocky short film.

-“Everybody dies but Mister Punch, and he has only the life he steals from others”

-----

after reading the book, and spell-checking my notes. i also read this companion article by Jennifer K . Cox 'From Stage to Page: Adaptation as Survival in Neil Gaiman’s Mr. Punch' that i would like to share highlights from;

-Forbidden knowledge, portrayed as the magic of puppetry, parallels the narrator’s traumatic childhood memories; the adaptations to his memories have allowed him to survive, even if they obscure the truth of his past.

-“The path of memory is neither straight nor safe,” - Gaiman

-'In some sense, telling a story makes it happen again' - Schank (eek! i love this, it fits with the ethos of the graphic novel itself being that things change but that doesn't mean you can't return to how it was in story and memory).

-'As inanimate objects that rely on human hands to give them life, puppets represent a physical “link with the dead, with the realm of the uncanny, the threshold realm of things unknown or repressed” - Gross (sums up how i feel when i make my frog puppet dance to Modern Talking).

-“Tolkien’s view was that the myth-making imagination always tends toward truth rather than lies; that fantastic stories lead toward a genuine understanding of the conditions of existence” - Attebery

-Theatre historian John Bell describes puppets as “performing objects” and suggests that people manipulate them “in order to show us how parts of the…material world can be animated by humans. [..] that our playing with objects allows

us to come to terms with death”

-this adapted work is by and for adults. (i dont know if i particularly agree with this statement. i think kids should read tough and scary stories. Mr Punch provides a great framework for exploring ones own anguish with the world in a way thats relatable and readable. with sections feeling specifically catered towards kids. 'adults lie', 'i should've written this in blood' and the mystical views on death. Yes, they have a nostalgia factor for adult readers, but they are childish thoughts, relatable to child readers. Kids deserve thoughtful and dark stories that challenge them, that haunt them).

-For the lower classes during the eighteenth century, divorce was improbable, public hangings were employed to discourage crime, and a healthy Puritan work ethic threatened bodily harm, while a poor work ethic threatened eternal damnation; Punch thumbed his rather large nose at each of these oppressive institutions

-the narrator resist picking up the puppet for one of two reasons: because the knowledge will destroy the magic of puppetry, and if the audience knows how the magic works the genre of puppet theatre ceases to function, or because he knows wearing the puppet means he must then become Punch

[sophieinwonderland]

“I think there has been a lot of fearmongering in the community about the concept of plurals helping other plurals…But I've also seen it before with the demonization of the Plural Association's planned warmline for plurals. (This also was paired with a conflation of Warmlines and crisis Hotlines. Note that these are not the same.)”

Eh I do think there is some criticisms to be made about the warmline. Because they are unable to give support to someone in crisis, people who are using that line for that reason are likely to not experience adequate support (and unfortunately when talking about hotlines/warmlines, this can range from how telling someone in crisis to have a cup of tea/take a bath/etc can feel really minimising to even there have been scenarios where people actively mocked for their crisis).

Like already they do not seem knowledgeable on how a crisis/support plan could be something to reject (I reject them from a place of ‘they have been used to harm me’).

I understand there’s a difference between warmlines and hotlines, but as someone who used to have over 20 chatlines/hotlines bookmarked they do sometimes function the same (like some warmlines do claim to support people in crisis) and it’s understandable why someone would think that they are the same.

This ofc doesn’t mean the line shouldn’t exist, I just think that expecting there probably will be some issues is fine (because yeah there probably will be). I also haven’t personally encountered people who seem to really hate the idea of the hotline (besides being suspicious because it’s unclear where funding/donations are going unless you’re subscribed to certain things and/or are inside their plural community platform), so my comments might be a bit off-base (since it feels like I’m maybe missing some context but idk)

I can see how this might be a valid criticism of warmlines in general.

It's absolutely true that peer warmlines aren't equipped to deal with a crisis. (Of course, you can also argue that hotlines themselves aren't equipped to deal with plurality.) But this isn't what they're meant to do. It's not the fault of the warmline if people end up misusing it.

The issue here is that, if this is really their problem, then why not take it up with all warmlines? Why is a plural warmline, specifically, so egregious? Why is it always a problem for plurals to help other plurals?

If you want context, here is popular post from January.

Note that while the title says "warmline/hotline," the post itself only refers to it as a "hotline." Despite the fact that TPA only ever calls it a warmline from what I've found.

As mentioned above, this is also true of most warmlines. Most warmline volunteers are not trained professionals. They're volunteers and peers who might know what you're going through, and may be able to lend an ear when you're in need. That said, the claim that they aren't trained at all is wrong according to The Plural Association.

Obviously, risks still exist. Some may not feel 40 hours is enough. But this would also be true of ALL warmlines. It's not something unique to the Plural Association's warmline. So again, why is it only problematic when it's plurals helping other plurals?

And it's really not like Crisis Hotline are risk free either. Especially with conditions that the person on the other end just won't understand.

Context on this: TPA did a poll. TPA asked if participants felt crisis or hotline providers they've been in contact with understood DID and OSDD. 40% of the people who responded had never used a hotline or warmline.

The claim is that TPA was "manipulating data" by excluding the people who had never used a hotline from their data.

This is pretty obviously ridiculous if you think about it for more than two seconds. It's like if there was a poll about your customer service at Subway, and you said that excluding people who had never eaten at Subway from the statistic was "manipulating the data."

Obviously, the 40% who haven't been in contact with a hotline or crisis line shouldn't be counted given the very nature of the question.

The whole thing feels like a massive smear of plurals for trying to make a warmline for plurals to reach other plurals who might understand them and what they're going for in a way singlets can't.

Overall, even if it's not perfect, this is a goal that I believe should be celebrated and encouraged, not derided.

[earthbovndmisfit]

11, 12, 19, 21, and 24!

Fandom/fanfic asks! - @icouldbemoreclever

11.- Most unique merch you have for a fandom? That would probably be my old Captain Commando figure from the MvsC series by Toy Biz. I don't know how "unique" it actually is, but I've seen it going on sale for waaayyy more than I paid for it brand new at the time, so it kinda looks like it's not too common. Plus, other than the games and the 2 volume manga, there's very few official merch of that franchise! :c

12.- Craziest thing you've ever done as part of a fandom? I've mentioned this one before, but I once attended to a Megumi Ogata (YYH's Kurama's seiyuu) concert in my country while wearing a Karasu (YYH) cosplay lol. I was also on the second row! Just about 2 meters away from her. It was quite the experience lol. It was also not that planned really! ((Story time ahead)) The concert was held inside an anime convention and which was also located in another city (around 4 hours from where I live). Said anime convention used to give free entrance to most cosplayers at the time. I went with my sister, a couple friends, and a bunch of guys we met during the trip and also met with an online friend I had at the time and her girlfriend. At the time, my sister and I were kinda broke bc we had just attended to that con the past November (this one of the concert was on February, just a couple months later), so we'd had many expenses already from then and also from buying bus tickets to get there this time, local transportation tickets (bus and subway), food, etc so any pennies we could save to buy merch would be great! I also used to cosplay every time we went to those cons, plus, I already had the Karasu cosplay ready since that was the first cosplay I ever made and I also still had my hair long by then since I was planning to cosplay as Kuronue at some point too (spoiler: The Kuronue cosplay never came to fruition :( ). I also had a hunch they would have Kurama merch on sale for that con due to Megumi Ogata's concert (YYH merch was difficult to find, and even more so Kurama's because it would be sold out before we even got there), and I was right because that's where I managed to snatch a Kurama Banpresto keychain I'd wanted for years! So it was a win/win all around with the moneys I saved from that free entrance lol

19.- Fanfic you read again and again? I don't have a specific one that comes to my mind tbh, partly bc I haven't read any fanfics in a good while and partly bc my memory is awful. I like plenty that I occasionally re-read every now and then tho! Most of them were written by HamonHugs because I really like the way they portrayed and stayed true to Jonathan and Speedwagon.

21.- Favorite fic trope? I'm a simple man who loves Friends to Lovers stuff (bonus for "Enemies to friends to lovers" which, coincidentally, pretty much fits Jonawagon lol). "Fix-it" fics where some of the characters with canon deaths survive the horrors (like the "Jonathan lives AU" stuff in Jojo for example). Romance stuff, fluff, stuff like Mutual Pining, a bit of Drama and Angst here and there (pretty sure the Hurt/Comfort thing fills this bill but idk?), bits of humor sprinkled here and there to give the story a wider range of emotions (thus making the sad and the fluff feel much more pronounced too). Some whump and violence can be good too depending on the story. AUs are also nice when done right. I like some of the "Modern AUs" I've seen for Jonawagon. Same with reincarnation stuff and so on. I suck at naming tropes tbh, so I totally missed stuff here.

24.- Funniest fandom-related story? Probably the story I mentioned earlier about the Megumi Ogata concert lol. Other than that I can't remember anything in particular, save for the times Reki Taki-sensei (one of Araki's former assistants for the manga and also part of DavidPro's art staff since Stardust Crusaders) drops some likes on some of the art I retweet or on some of the random Speedwagon posts I make on twitter. As a bit of a side note: He also sometimes likes some of my Jonawagon ship-ish posts too 😁