#Because there is not a lot of info on it and the few showcasings or diagrams I can find normally it is just a bunch of-

[microwavetoaster-selfships]

I wanted to mention this a couple days ago but very rarely some NASCAR drivers will post somethings and every time a driver or NASCAR themselves make the drivers participate in some gag or trend cracks me up cause of course I'm going to think about my racer F/Os doing it and.

Do I. Do I even need to say Jackson Storm at this point or can it just be a collective agreement now.

[iz-star]

Some thoughts about Zayne in "Adventure above clouds" event:

Like I've explained here, I've been having a bad feeling about Zayne's fate in the next main story updates, and after finishing Zayne's route in "Adventure above clouds" my feelings of uncertainty are just increasing.

So, I'm going to write down some thoughts I had while playing his route, especially about him wearing Dawnbreaker's variant outfit "Shadowfall dawn", which might be a bit interesting for some.

Disclaimer: I would like to pride myself as a Zayne connossieur but that's actually quite far away from reality. I'm a Zayne main and I devour every piece of info that there is about him, however my interpretations and opinions are my own and can be wrong. I'm someone that sometimes tends to overanalyze so, it's up to you if you agree or no with my takes! I'm also always open to be corrected ❤️

Let's get strated with by saying that in this event, Zayne was undoubtedly and utterly perfect. He's honestly all what he's always been: Sweet, patient, cute, smart, funny, gentle, caring and a lot of other things, the only difference here is that he's more prone to show his affections openly and straightforward which only showcases his development as character. It's like he finally feels at ease by expressing himself, especially around MC. When I say he was perfect, I'm not talking at how lovely he was (he's always been lovely anyway) but more like, he's natural, he feels less stiff, totally happy with MC and himself, smiling most part of the time and showing his love even through words, to the point MC says this:

Since Snowy Serenity he's been more direct at expressing his intimate thoughts towards MC. For example, in previous cards he would always refer to her as "someone" and even refer to him in third person: "Someone thinks it's special treatment" [Drunken Intimacy] "He can't ignore you even if he wants to" [Tranquil Heart] "Recently, a certain someone ocupies my mind. Whether I'm walking, eating or sleeping, I keep picturing myself with her" [Heartstring healer] to mention a few.

It's in Snowy Serenity that we have a clear change in his way of expressing his feelings. He starts with "I don't want the person I like to get hurt", in here he's still using the third person but the message is really straightforward "the person I like" and as the conversation goes by and it becomes more meaningful, deep and intimate, he leaves all his chains behind and says "I need you, I have never denied that". This card is all about communication, even he admits that he's always been bad at saying what others want to hear and still, he's trying.

In Hidden Motive, this behaviour keeps going. When MC says that the lights behind him are beautiful, he looks at her and replies "Indeed, very beautiful". Because his eyes are fixating in her, she clarifies that she's talking about the lights but without hesitation Zayne replies: "I know. I was talking about you"

And I'd like you to recall Drunken Intimacy because this is like a paralel with Hidden Motive, since both cards were made for lovers' day festivities; Drunken intimacy for Valentine's Day and Hidden Motive for Qixi festival which is lovers' day in China. Not only they are like cards that go hand in hand but also showcase Zayne's and MC's character develompment and how their relationship has changed:

See the difference?

In Snowy Serenity and Hidden Motive, there's a focus on improving communication, being honest about their needs and feelings (Zayne saying "I'll survive" at MC's concern and her telling him that he'd better stop talking in Snowy Serenity and MC talking about her "last wishes" before dying and entrusting them to Zayne and he replying that he didn't come all the way here to listen to her talk about that nonsense) and finally, getting both physically and emotionally closer.

In this last event, "Adventure above clouds" it feels like the result of this devlopment is finally paying off all their effort: they're both happy working together to solve the escape room, showing open affection, talking about the future and the past ("Us in 50 years" "Our childhood memories" or how was Zayne's university years without MC and the big difference now that he has someone to watch the falling snow with). They talk about how they're each other's sun, how they keep each other warm. When Zayne says that the snow will show them the way and they both "pray" it kind of reminded me of Master of Fate. They getting at the top of the Ice Palace reminded me of Foreseer.

(It's like we've reached peak, literally lol. Ok, bad joke, that's why I love Zayne).

And once all of this has happened, once they've gone through all this develpment, they've come this far together, even bits of the story reminded me of Zayne's myths, and they've talked about the past and the future, what's next?

Zayne mentions eternity.

Zayne has mentioned eternity a couple of times, like in one of the PV's where he's wearing End of Depths outfit ("As the cosmos dances to the tune of eternity, life will reach the fathomless depths of deepspace") and in some of the texts that show up when you level up your affinity with him ("I want to turn every moment into eternity).

In here, he doesn't mention eternity directly, but it's implied when he says "Every snowflake will rememember your name. As well as our story". Eternity is just another way to refer to death for immortal people. It's like Zayne is saying "Your name and our story will endure in the snow even when we're no longer here". We often talk about the memories we leave behind in this world once we part from it, who will remember us? What are the proofs that we existed and lived in this world once we're gone? Will our story fade away? In here is like Zayne is just promising her that their love won't be forgotten.

Let's remind that one focal point in the story is immortality. We know that MC it's immortal and even in the main story, when Zayne it's explaining things about the protocore in MC's heart, he mentions that he doesn't know too much about it, however he knows that her protocore creates a shield around her when she's attacked and that she will live long enough to discover its misteries (kind of reminds of the Creatio Protocore that Foreseer gave MC but that's another talk for another day).

Whether if Dr Zayne knows about MC's immortality or he doesn't, that's something we don't know yet (altho something tells me that he knows, but I won't be explaning this here, if you're curious about it just ask), however we know two things:

1._ Zayne it's against using protocores in human hearts to reach "immortality". To him, death is still essential to life.

2._ Even knowing this, he also knew in his heart that he would do everything in his power to prevent MC's death and he seems to know that something bad is about to happen.

Master of Fate and Foreseer already proved these points. Master of Fate had to kill MC for the greater good but decided to say "fuck it" and instead chose to seal her powers. Foreseer also broke the rules for her sake and gave her the Creatio Protocore, going against Astra's will in order to cure her illness and extend her life (probably one of the things that caused her immortality?). She's always been the exception to every rule in Zayne's book. Something tells me that things with Dr Zayne won't be the exception.

And now... we have to recall something about Zayne's first PV.

Ever since the beginning, Zayne's route was presented as something with angst. It's interesting to hear these unknown voices saying "Won't you regret it" "She will not come back" "You've paid the price"

This whole PV makes it look like Zayne puts MC to sleep in order to protect her (like with MoF) so she wouldn't "come back" ( revive with the help of her aether core) and then... he loses control of his evol and freezes the whole hospital? Dies in the process? These are just speculations and can be wrong, however we simply know that something bad is happening there and, if we recall them talking in "Adventure above the clouds" and "Us in fifty years"... this PV kinda shatters the hopes for them to have a life as long as that. However, 5* memories and events are not exactly connected to the main story but I think they kind of... interconnect somehow? I'm still wondering how the devs are going to relate each ML route with the Main Story. The announced that they are going to release more "Main Story Branches" from September to December, and I don't know if by saying "Branches" they meant routes? Or simply referencing to the way they've released the main story until now, with each chapter dedicated to each LI? Either way, those are questions for another day.

Now, let's remember this:

"When you and the world wake up, I hope we do not meet again"

A quote that kind of leads us to Zayne's next lifetime: Dawnbreaker.

I've mentioned above that there are bits of Zayne's route in Adventure above clouds that reminded me of MoF and Foreseer, but now it's also time to mention the most obvious thing, the Dawnbreaker reference in this event, of course: "Shadowfall dawn":

There are two things about Zayne's look here:

1._ He's wearing the variant version of Dawnbreaker's outfit.

2._ He also has a halo above his head.

And these two things together create an interesting concept considering that Dawnbreaker Zayne, the serial killer is considered the Grim Reaper, his whole aesthetic is dark, it's even clarified in his anecdotes that his wardrobe was full of black clothes. To see him with a brown variant of his outfit wouldn't make sense at some point... So, of course, Doctor Zayne being his opposite, the one who instead of ending lifes, saves them to the point of exahustion, wears the clear variant outfit, looking like an angel.

Were have we read this before?

Of course, Doctor Zayne is in the opposite role of Dawnbreaker Zayne and even tho Doctor Zayne is always wearing black clothes outside of his lab coat, it's actually wearing his profession's clothes what completes the aesthetic with Dawnbreaker: The Guardian Angel (white) and The Grim Reaper (black).

However in Adventure above clouds, Zayne is not wearing his lab coat cause he is not in his Doctor role. He's just being Zayne, he's being himself, what he is. He's being free, like I commented at the beginning of this post. Still, the fact he's wearing Dawnbreaker's variant with a halo seems a bit supicious considering what I've already pointed out, right? It could also be that I'm simply looking too much into it, but I also believe in the power of foreshadowing, especially considering that we all know that Zayne's birthday is coming next and it kind of connects with Dawnbreaker.

In the story of Adventure above clouds, of course there is a reason as to why everyone is wearing an accessory, in Zayne's case, it's because his role is being "Winter's emissary" just as MC, so she is also wearing one, however we all know that "Winter's emissary" it's more likely to be a fitting title for Zayne than for her. Recalling what it's been previously mentioned here, he says "With Winter's Emissary by your side, every snowflake will remember your name, as well as our story".

Zayne is saying that he'll be by her side in the snow, he is promising her eternity in the snow and with the halo above his head, it is clear that he kinda looks like MC's Guardian Angel, the one who is always going against his duty to ensure her safety, the one who pursued a medical career in order to take care of her heart disease, the one who is always on the lookout for her health and tho stric, still indulges her a lot. Aren't angels emissaries as well?

But you know, in order to become an angel, you first have to die? Doctor Zayne didn't have to die in order to fullfil his role as a doctor, however this one is simply Zayne. Emissaries never stay, they always have to return to the ppl who sent them. Will Zayne return to snow?

What was Zayne's reply to MC's post again?

At the end, all of this are nothing more than supositions that of course, it'd be very happy to get wrong. I wouldn't mind ending up looking like a clown if these theories are wrong and we get to spend a lot of time and precious memories with Zayne. I genuinely just want to see him being happy after all these years of respressed emotions.

[sabrinbrin]

To no one's surprise the theme park nerd whose favourite character is the little purple mascot has fallen in love with the video game about a theme park with a little purple mascot. In addition to watching playthroughs and secrets videos about Indigo Park I also rewatched the character introduction video and noticed a few things: (spoilers for chapter 1 below!)

In Mollie's intro, UniqueGeese says that she's "a loyal bird who would do anything to protect her friends." This may be why she's the first one to face us, but also why she waits to take us down until after we fend off Lloyd. (While we technically don't see her head on until after then, she does show up multiple times on the train ride, including very close behind us in Lloyd's section, and probably could have killed us sooner if she wanted.) We weren't seen as a threat until our critter cuff causes Lloyd to flee in the theatre, and from there she may have decided to target us to try and protect everyone.

In the cast intro video UniqueGeese also speaks about how Mollie's his favourite, which makes it surprising that she's the first to die and makes me think that we're not done with her quite yet (though he did say on a recent livestream that we wouldn't be seeing her for the next few chapters, so this is just my speculation).

In Lloyd's intro, it states that he "struts across the stage with an air of arrogance that could rival any monarch. He's friends with the main cast, but he's really starting to push it." I think this may be why Rambley doesn't like him, and I wouldn't be surprised if we learn that other members of the cast dislike him too.

For some reason, Finley's intro censors that he collects sea shells. While it's understandable that some info aside from his name and image would be censored to preserve some mystery prior to the game's release, it strikes me as odd because it seems like a small and innocuous detail when stated in chapter 1. As well, Salem, a character who we are shown a lot less of and is still shrouded in mystery, has no extra details censored from their intro.

Not lore related but Salem uses they/them pronouns! Just wanted to add it because I've seen people online asking about their gender.

Speaking of Salem, their intro says that they're "quick, cunning, but try to hide it with their 'punk' exterior." Being quick and cunning don't strike me as things to be hidden with a punk exterior, and while I may just be looking deeper where I shouldn't, this leads me to think that Salem may have a softer side we haven't seen yet. This combined with the later note that they "can use countless inventions to get out of a sticky situation" makes me think that they may actually help us later on, despite their actions in the arcade game showcasing them as a villain.

My only note for Rambley is that his intro states he can get "a bit too excited, [but he's] always there for his friends" which fits what we've seen so far. I think he's trustworthy and just happy to see someone back in the park, and that if he does turn on us it will be against his will (though this is my own speculation and not from the intro).

Not from the character intros, but in another video (specifically the one about the knockoff merch), UniqueGeese says that we receive an item from Rambley in chapter 1 that will be used a lot more later on in the game. I think it's safe to say that's the critter cuff (as it's the only item we get from Rambley directly), and I'm curious to see what more it can do – so far, we know it can get us into various areas, fend off attacking mascots with a specific frequency (from Lloyd's encounter), and will eventually be able to resuscitate us (possibly being a checkoff's gun to be used later).

[h-didanart]

I MADE IT

CHARACTER REF SHEETS

FINALLY I CAN SHARE THESE GUYS PROPERLY

:D

*ahem* Hello fellow fans and au makers! I am here to showcase my silly little au. Allow me to introduce you to our main characters:

These are Sunset and Moonlight, from The Sunset and Moonlight show! Close ups and info dump below

Where to start where to start, okay, a general description of the AU should be good to start with yeah? Yeah

This is a swap au, but unlike what I usually see swap AUs do, this is less of a full personality swap and more of a ‘bend the characters to a point where they change roles’ thing.

NOW. THE CHARACTERS THEMSELVES—

Sunset Rays Celestial-

Sun is a tired and apathetic guy. He would like to be left all alone in his room for the rest of his days, but that’s not really a good thing so he’s fine just living a calm and drama-free life.

His hobbies include cleaning, painting, sewing, and gaming. The cleaning has gotten embedded into his code to a concerning degree, he will clean a spot over and over for hours if he’s having a bad day. He got into art while he was undergoing “repairs”, he found painting to be a fun activity despite its messiness, and sewing has proven to be fruitful for his wardrobe. He’s gotten so good at these that he actually gets commissions and is paid very well. He prefers to draw with pastels and markers when he can. The video games are a shared hobby with his twin brother, Moon, they both play together sometimes. His favorite game is Cult of the Lamb.

He has a malfunction of sorts where his voice box will give out randomly and he’ll be unable to talk. It’s annoying but he doesn’t really mind, he has gotten really good at sign language from it. Plus, he uses it as an excuse to avoid talking to Moon whenever he gets the chance to.

The Computer absolutely hates his guts and has sent him off to various different dimensions. He’s acquainted with quite a few people and even has friends.

He has very good aim, both in video games and physically. He usually uses it to throw something at Moon to get his attention. Or to get him to leave him alone. Or to annoy him. Or just because. This has proved to be a really bad habit.

Despite being generally apathetic, he’s actually pretty good with emotions, being able to read them well on others and act accordingly.

He also knows magic.

Crescent Moonlight Celestial-

Moon is an energetic and nervous guy. He wants nothing more than to live happily with his brother. And do science, he’s a nerd.

His hobbies include science and gaming. On the side of science he specializes on robotics, programming, and inter dimensional studies, with some advanced physics as well. He’s a genius, basically. Gaming is a shared hobby between him and his twin brother, they both play together sometimes. He seems to have taken a liking to the Kingdom Hearts series, but Pokémon will forever have his heart.

The killing code is very much still in him, it manifests as heat on the back of his head and irritability. During a full kill code episode he’ll be extremely aggressive, on top of having increased physical capabilities and virtually no filter. He dreads having those and constantly checks his temperature. Independent from the kill code he has a bad temper.

He isn’t exactly a ‘people’s person’ yet due to having been the active Daycare Attendant for a few months he has grown acquainted with a few of the Pizzaplex animatronics. Montgomery took a liking to him. Because money.

Because of reasons he has a lot of bunkers on a lot of different parts of the world. He remembers them all thanks to the collection of tree branches he has picked up when he visited. These are jokingly called The Whacking Sticks (and is a genuine joke, he just likes collecting sticks)

He wanted to learn emotions better so he decided to find the code that controls emotions in himself and turned it on all the way. He’s starting to realize this wasn’t a good idea.

A master acrobat, he loves flying with the wire.

In case it wasn’t clear yet, Sun and Moon switch places in this au. Things may change, and I may come up with funny details later, but I hope you had fun reading this little introduction to my au

More stuff about them to come at some point!

[trans-axolotl]

I went to the anarchist/abolitionist healthcare conference this weekend, and it was really a beautiful experience that I don't even have words for. Being able to share resources, knowledge, dreams, and joy together with other people invested in this work was so special, and I gained a ton of hope by seeing the many ways that other people are actively engaged in resisting these fucked up systems and building care into our communities. I gave a presentation about psych abolition, talked about resistance within the psych ward, and got a standing ovation from a room filled with 50 people, many of whom were mental health professionals looking to build solidarity. I legitimately almost cried because of being to have that experience with my mad comrades. I met so many beautiful crazy people who intimately understand what it means to survive as a mad person, and just gained so much knowledge from people actively putting their abolitionist values into practice. I want to share a few of my favorite resources that I became aware of at this conference, and I'll make another post later with some of my key takeaways.

Mutual Aid Self/Social Therapy: This is a support framework designed by one of my friends that provides an intentional structure for providing therapetuic support within communities, especially organizing communities where there's a lot of burnout. It offers so many resources for skills training to allow anyone, whether you have a background in emotional support or not, to set this up within your community. The framework is purposefully not hierarchial or transactional, and allows for actually addressing people's material conditions as well as providing space for emotional processing.

Of Unsound Mind: Incredible archive and research on psychiatric history. Mostly focused around America, but also has some info on other countries. The author of the website will be coming out with a book later this year, which I think is mostly going to be about the Trieste, Basaglia, and that history of psych resistance in Italy.

Power makes us Sick: Collective that focuses on autonomous healthcare and emotional support, especially in terms of autonomous trans healthcare. Has some fabulous zines and resources.

A Corpse among Corpses: Incredible documentary about asylum graveyards in the Midwest and the trade of graverobbing for experimentation in medical schools, and how this connects to settler colonialism, slavery, eugenics, and modern gentrification. Really do want to emphasize a trigger warning for genocide, eugenics, medical violence, self harm, antiblack racism, instituionalization, and lots of discussion of death. I talked a lot with the filmmakers, and really appreciated their care and intent in making this film as a way of bearing witness rather than exploiting atrocity in the name of art, but do want to be very clear that this film is incredibly heavy to watch and might be something worth doing with other people. It was deeply impactful for me, and made me tear up many times.

The Living Museum: Through transforming the old Creedmoor hospital grounds into a musuem and workspace for current patients to showcase their art, this space celebrates psychiatric resistance, transformation, struggle, and joy. I really want to go visit and share in that space, as it seems just so fucking cool. It seems like you might need to contact directly to schedule a visit.

Cahoots Crisis Response Model: This is one model for crisi intervention teams that respond instead of police. They are not perfect, still have some enagement with police, but are an interesting example of how to try to implement these types of programs. Since theyv'e been around for 25 years, they have a lot of knoweldeg and could be a good first group to reach out to if you're trying to create this in your community.

Overall this whole weekend was a beautiful example of how to put our values into practice, and really just wanted to share these projects with you all!

[merakiui]

I wrote this whole thing out already tbh but I accidentally reloaded my tab 😭 so I have to type it out again 💔. I'm sorry if the first one somehow sent already and you get this twice

But nono that is Absolutely an NBC dress!! I see the vision!! I am personally not as big of a Rollo fan but I DO think he is a fascinating little bug. I'm putting him in a little jar under a big ol' magnifying glass and observing him for forever. I like that Masquerade offered us a look at other mage schools and how they work, what villains they're based on, etc. I really appreciate him for that. I did actually really enjoy what we got to learn about him too. Fun stuff! Love Masquerade.

AAAA fashion and eel blessings! I'm so honored :D!! Tbh Floyd has always been much much kinder in gacha than his brother ever has been,, so even tho I loved Jade first maybe I should give that other eel his proper chance. Since he seems to love my keys so much lol

I totally forgive on the forgetting to answer tho it's okay 😭!! These asks get very long. It's bound to happen! Obey Me had that update though a few months ago and it's been a godsend so far!! I played for forever but my cards weren't ever strong enough to reach the later story :( so I'm really glad Nightbringer offers the full thing for free so I can binge read!!

Since I brought up other games though,, I've been wanting to ask actually if you've ever looked into Diabolik Lovers? If you haven't and ever want to... I do want to warn you that the anime is NOT very good unfortunately </3. It's one of those animes that's just kind of a really shitty ad for whatever it's original media form was. It skips out a lot of important lore/character info, and doesn't really showcase each character properly since it tried very hard to focus on just 1 brother and failed. So the ganes/translations are 100% the way to go.

I bring it up tho bc it's my fave character's birthday today :D!! Ohh,, Reiji Sakamaki the strange little specimen you are <3 <3 my lovely wife that drugs people. I adore him. I think tbh you could like him too based on the stuff you usually talk and write about here. But obviously I could be very wrong! No way to actually know.

- :3

AAAA the horror of reloading the tab... I've done that too many times. T_T I know the pain well. </3

YES!!! Glomas gave us so much!!! It's one of my favorite twst events. Being able to see what other magic schools are like and how they function (NBC having a student council in contrast to NRC's Housewarden system). I really hope there will be more events like it! I'd love an event where the RSA students are given more spotlight or an RSA-centric event!!! It would be so exciting!!!!

:O giving Floyb a proper chance...... may he come home so quickly!!! May he jump into your arms enthusiastically!! It's Jade's loss for being so stubborn in coming home. >:( no hugs for that eel.

That feature is so helpful and nifty omg!!!! I want to finish the main story and learn more from where I stopped a while back. ;;;; after becoming a Jade enjoyer, my eyes have opened to Barbatos hehe.

DIABOLIK LOVERS OMG...... now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. I did indeed watch the anime many years ago, but I actually haven't delved too deeply into the translations of the game. I might have to because,,,, vampire....... cool,,,, pretty,,, deranged.... orz the sheer grip those brothers had on me...

Please forgive my late reply!!!! >_< your wife's birthday has since passed, but that doesn't mean we can't still celebrate Reiji Sakamaki, the wife ever!!!!!! <3 I think my taste in fictional men has refined with my age because the polite (as a front) types (Reiji, Kyoya, Jade, Sebastian, etc etc) were never my preference, but now I am LOOKING. 👁 👁 I think I need Mr. Reiji carnally.

[silver-wield]

Relationship Development

Talks about Tifa

Bitches about how Cloud gave Tifa the flower she, as a peddler, forced on him for free.

Whines about fate

Wants reassurance she wasn't selfish and insulting Zack to his parents (she was)

Whining again about how nobody liked her and how "hard" her life was, knowing there's people with her who were literally tortured and had their entire homes burned by Shinra.

Tries to make him into a "ladies man" like she thinks Zack is.

What am I doing? Well, I'm pointing out how none of Aerith's convo options showcase any developing relationship between her and Cloud that isn't about her. She uses him to reassure herself when she's being a whiny bitch, but the rest of the time she's talking about others or chewing him out for imagined slights against her. Nothing between them is mutual or that positive. Even when she tries to make a prediction about his behaviour, it's wrong because he's not like Zack.

And those are the best options. The worst ones she just whines and looks disappointed he doesn't wanna indulge her the way Zack would while he gets mad at her for being a whiny flake.

There's no future being talked about between them. The only past is her complaining he gave a flower to another girl. There's nothing that says Cloud plans to have a life with this girl in the future or that he even plans to be around her in the future.

Also her convos have no link to the narrative. Her talking to Cloud about Tifa makes no difference to any scenes later. Even the choice with Zack's parents doesn't matter because Tifa appears and the cut scene covers over the choice that was made.

Plans to return to 7th heaven

Likes being in the limelight

Feels guilty he couldn't save the black cloaks

Wants to take Marlene to Gongaga and become a farmer

Wants reassurance he's doing the right thing

Wants comradeship in his hatred of Shinra

Between Barret and Cloud, there's a lot of angry "stick it to the man" convos. But there's also links between past scenes in Remake, with Barret talking about rebuilding the bar and Cloud offering to buy the first round, which shows Cloud plans to return there too. That shows Cloud's future plans involve being in Midgar at seventh heaven. And this is in Kalm he made that decision.

Later on he learns Barret really likes the limelight, even more than he probably assumed from their ordeal with the airbuster. This helps Cloud make the conclusion later that Barret wasn't behind the shooting at the GS.

We learn that in the future, after he's helped rebuild seventh heaven, Barret would like to take Marlene to a place like Gongaga and become a farmer. This shows Barret never had intentions of leaving Marlene with Cloud and Tifa permanently in otwtas.

In both Cosmo Canyon and Nibelheim Barret's looking for an ally in his hatred for Shinra. He wants someone to blame and take it out on and he wants someone to validate that. Cloud does to a degree, but he's never fully on board with hating Shinra because of his grunt status.

Cloud gets to know Barret. They share things in common, although they also have different views on certain things. Cloud's in agreement over returning to Midgar to rebuild the bar. This is his future plan. He's going home with Tifa once this is all over and will rebuild the bar with her.

Tifa's fishing for how much Cloud remembers. He recalls what dress she wore during the promise

Tifa's still fishing for info out of concern. Cloud promises they'll talk when they find time.

Tifa's weighed down by doubt and worry. Cloud reassures her.

Tifa offers to cook Claudia's pot roast recipe if Cloud remembers it.

Tifa's worried what people think. Cloud reassures her.

Tifa admits she was weary of avalanche's activities and didn't know what to do.

After Cloud's scarily accurate/inaccurate recollection of the Nibelheim incident, as well as their argument about whether she's real or not, the next morning she's on a mission to see what Cloud remembers. She asks him a few times about things he should know, and he always has the right answer, which shows he's the person she thinks he is.

Tifa's a worrier by nature, and she shares this with Cloud, who reassures her things will be fine. They talk about the bar and he says he'll be there to have a drink she makes for him. Again, this shows his plans are to return to the bar with Tifa.

We get a glimpse into how Tifa was tired of avalanche's activities, but didn't know what to do. Those people are her friends, and she's not the most confrontational of people, so she felt trapped until Cloud came along to help her. This is a link back to Remake and a hint about their promise.

Cloud and Tifa's relationship development has several links to their shared past, and the promise between them. We see some of Tifa's insecurities, as well as Cloud's decision about his future.

The difference between the convos with Tifa, and even Barret, is that we see Cloud's plans for the future. What he wants to do once they've defeated Sephiroth and they can go home.

His home is with Tifa in sector 7.

At no point in any convos with Aerith do we see any plans for the future with her. There's also no links to a past together that don't result in one or the other getting annoyed.

Meanwhile, even with Barret, Cloud says he'll go home and buy the first round of drinks, and he repeats this to Tifa later.

The relationship development conversations aren't just about getting points for a date or showing us insight into the rest of the characters. They also show us what Cloud's like, what his intentions are, who his past connections are with and why one girl gets a kiss while the other gets called nakama.

[moonyasnow]

Victor and Veronica's parents + a bit of info on them (I mostly just wanted an excuse to let people know I've added their images to the twins' Showcase Posts)

Vladimir Dragomir, and Cecilia Dragomir (formerly Cecilia Cornix)

Vladimir was pretty calm and liked gardening (he maintained their garden) and was quite a forgiving person, who didn't bother with things like grudges because most other people are simply not important enough to him. While he could be quite cold to people he didn't like, he was still kind to people just on principle, and helped them if he had anything to spare. Handled the more practical side of the runnings of their territory; paperwork, stewardship- anything that involved papers, finances or planning, as he preferred to stay home most of the time. He was quite socially reserved, often choosing to be alone, and in conversation with others he could sometimes come off as rude, simply because he grew up with not a lot of friends and simply had poor social skills. Cecilia was the one to bring him out of his comfort zone. People often remarked he sometimes seemed to be living in another world from most people, one inside his head.

Victor remembers him well; often sitting in his lap and watching him do paperwork, comfortable in the quiet of his office, sometimes even falling asleep like that.

Veronica only remembers he was very quiet, and that he planted the red tulips in the garden.

Cecilia was more hot-headed and likes design stuff (she was in charge of their home-décor) and she could HOLD A GRUDGE. But she was also very friendly and gregarious, though very quick to turn on people who showed her any kind of disrespect, liking to make public mockeries of them. She had quite a sadistic streak with people she didn't like, too. She was in charge of things like maintaining their family's image, attending parties to socialize with other nobility, and personally visiting places in their territory to scope out the situation. More 'field-work' if that makes sense, since she was the kind who got restless if she stayed in one place too long. She'd always been a 'life of the party' sort of person, and was known for throwing great parties. Though she also liked to prank her guests sometimes... Vladimir was one of the very few people who could actually put up with the intensity of the temper tantrums she'd sometimes throw, and manage to calm her down. Her emotions had always been quite strong in general-- her anger burned, her sadness filled oceans with tears, her happiness shone like the sun

Victor remembers her very well; she always cheered him up when he was sad and crying, pinching or rubbing his cheeks and kissing him on the forehead, willing the 'clouds raining on his eyes' (his tears) to go away.

Veronica only remembers her beautiful smile, and that she picked out the yellow curtains they had in the living room.

And here's their adoptive father too

Diaval Dragomir He's a doctor!

He's really not been trained for being the Head of a noble house, so House Dragomir has not exactly flourished under his control- at least so far as the other nobility are concerned. He runs things surrounding the people living in the territory well enough, largely thanks to papers left behind by Vladimir and Cecilia on how they themselves ran things, so the people in the territory are content. His primary concern is that they're doing well. As a doctor, the well-being of the people he's in charge of caring for is always what's most important to him. However he's a very humble man, and doesn't do things like throw or attend parties or put on airs. He was never really meant for this life and he knows it. He'd have been very happy to just keep being a doctor, leading a quiet life. But as one of the few still-living members of the Dragomir family, he felt he had a responsibility to care for Victor and Veronica, and becoming Head of the House just so happened to come with it. He's just hoping he can manage to keep Veronica safe and sound in a place other, more capable people can protect her, and keep the territory afloat until she comes of age and can become the new Head of the House.

Victor didn't spend too much time with him, and doesn't really consider him a parent; in his mind, his parents are gone, and everyone who cared for him after they died were just people he lived with who fed him. Victor calls him 'Diaval' or 'the relative who adopted us'.

Veronica, not remembering much about their biological parents, loves Diaval as her father, no distinction made of him being an adoptive father. He's the only parent she's ever known, and he'll always be her father. Veronica calls him 'father'.

Here are the picrews I used: For Cecilia For Vladimir and Diaval

Tag list: @another-random-paradise @thehollowwriter @faefum @cactus13-rolloflammesimp @beneathsakurashade

[mingus-archives]

is gyeongseong creature worth the watch? i see a lot of people talk about it on my dash but im still a bit hesitant to watch it

Omg hello bloomingqwarrior! Okay so I just finished ep 9 and I definitely recommend! Now, some info that I feel may be helpful to know about my rec:

-I am a big fan of Han So-Hee from My Name so I will literally watch her eat cold oatmeal and therefore I am biased toward any action series with her

-I personally find the main characters to have a lot of chemistry. I've heard that others don't find that to be the case. For me, I think the chemistry is just different than other kdramas. Because the characters are both caretakers and living in a very hellish period in Korean history, I find that they're kind of quiet love built on respect and protectiveness to be v believable and v wonderful to watch

-There is a cgi monster (you get a hint to that in the trailer). I found it to be believable enough but I know some didn't like the look of it *shrugs*

-I've also heard that people thought it wasn't horror enough. I agree it wasn't a traditional horror movie but I think it was plenty scary and, more importantly, there is plenty in the show that is horrifying

-My biggest rec for the show is that it works phenomenally with the themes of colonization and oppression. The show is set during the Japanese occupation of Korea and the show absolutely focuses on the horror, violence, and evil inflicted upon the Korean people. Although it is fiction, the acts of human experimentation, torture, and cruelty are drawn from real history. It does not shy around to discuss Korean liberation and criticize the japanese occupation (Han So Hee and Park Seo-Joon are reportedly expecting to be banned from Japan due to their roles in this show due to showcasing the often horrible nature of the occupation).

One note, a very important aspect of the show is the switch characters make between speaking korean and japanese. Netflix english subtitles do not indicate when they are speaking each language. I was able to distinguish mostly between the languages just from watching lots of japanese and korean language shows though I don't speak either, but if you cannot def recommend trying to find a version with better subtitles lol

If you watch it please let me know!!! So few people I know have seen it and I wanna talkkkkkk

[thekidsarentalright]

Hey, despite only being familiar with a handful of songs, I got the honor of seeing FOB yesterday at the Cuyahoga Falls concert. I went really impulsively because that's just how my dad plans things.

I was wondering about the importance of the song Hallelujah, and the source for that saving Pete's life? I'd also love a few good sources to getting to learn more about the boys, like a documentary or anything! I know that the day after a concert is a bit late to be getting invested in a band, but oops?? i love them though . i love them very much now and that was the most beautiful concert ever

hi there!!! ahh this is sooo wonderful and lovely to hear, anytime is a great time to get into fob and im so glad that it was such a good show for you and sparked you loving them!!! I don't wanna overwhelm you with too many links or anything to learn more about them/about the importance of hallelujah, but below the ‘keep reading’ (just so this isn't super long on the dash fksdjn) is the source about hallelujah, and then a few sources to learning more about the boys!! if u ever have anymore questions or want more sources, feel free to ask me!! <33

NME article where pete mentions listening to hallelujah while attempting to take his life / Genius annotations of fall out boy's song hum hallelujah where it (hallelujah) saving his life is specifically mentioned

Drunk history of fall out boy where their entire band history is very basically explained! br*ndon ur*e sucks But the video is entertaining and Does give a pretty good, brief synopsis of the band's history up until 2013

Honestly just all their music videos, they're all very enjoyable to watch especially for the first time and really showcases their evolution musically/creatively speaking and evolution as people so are Very important to watch, i think

Apple music interview with Pete and Patrick from earlier this year, it's a bit of a long watch (just over an hour!), but they talk about the band history and the newest album, so good place to get a lot of newer context/info straight from them!

Rock Sound best & worst interviews from 2014 (parts 1, 2, 3, 4), really just showcases their personalities and dynamics a lot, were The interviews that made me fall in love w the band as people and seek more out about them, some of my favorite interviews of all time still <3

hopefully these things help you!! it's kinda hard with them, because there Isn't really one specific documentary to point you towards, just a lot of little things to watch and take in that builds the whole story of fob! again, if u have any more questions or want any more recs on things to watch feel free to ask!!

[pain-in-the-butler]

I hope this question doesn't bother you, but I wanted to ask you a bit about that weston arc rewrite you mentioned once in your tags? Like, any kind of info is welcome.

Hi again, friend! It's not a bother to be asked things like this in the least! And I'm definitely excited to ramble about my writing, so thank you! Here's some bare bones of what I've thought up for this AU so far:

Cricket's O-U-T. Yana did fine with the sports angle, especially in retrospect (at the time, everyone was sick of it), but I want to focus on character drama because I think it's juicier -

Instead, I'm changing the angle of the Weston arc to consistently be about the school's social dynamics, with the emphasis on becoming a prefect's fag like it was in the canon arc's first half -

Being a prefect's fag in this AU means automatically becoming a prefect when the prefect graduates (can't remember if this is what it means in the canon story). Therefore, these positions are sought out by students who care about the hierarchy to any degree -

Maurice Cole is going to have a slightly different role this time around. He's not Redmond's fag yet but he wants to be more than anything. As a second-born son, he sees it as the one chance he'll get in life to feel what it is to have an inheritance, and so he and that enormous chip in his shoulder covet the position like anything -

I want Cole's villainy to be much campier. Instead of threatening actual violence and humiliation, he merely threatens to kick boys out of his posse. However, he has pretty big plans for the school — plans that would make particular students want to stay in his good graces... -

Students in different dorms will get along and become friends. The standoffishness between dorms was really just there in the canon to make it easier for Yana to hide certain details until later down the line, but it doesn't actually make much sense. There won't be so much rivalry this time -

While I'm going to try not to venture fully into Dadbastian territory, I do want Ciel and Sebastian to examine their relationship more closely following the Campania incident and consider what they would feel if the other was out of their lives forever. Is Ciel just a meal and is Sebastian just a loyal dog? Or do they actually maybe care about each other's well-being? I wonder.................. -

Sebastian wouldn't be a professor this time! Sorry, but I just never bought him becoming a dorm master so easily. Where'd the old one go? Do the Blue House students not see Seb's arrival as weird at all? Don't they have any loyalty to their last dorm master lol?? The idea's frankly too underdeveloped -

Instead, Sebastian is going to work in the Blue House kitchens as a chef. He isn't very excited about being so out of the way from the action, but Ciel has his reasons for wanting him there... -

The student body will talk about Derrick Arden going missing as if it is an actual big deal. But there will be more details that muddy the waters around Derrick's disappearance... as well as revelations that come to light sooner than they do in Yana's telling -

Now for the biggest change: it will be addressed to the reader from the get-go that Ciel is pretending to be his brother. I have always wanted to explore what it would be like if we knew from near the start that Ciel was faking his entire identity. The Weston arc may not take place close to the beginning of Kuro, but I think it's as good a chance as any for me to showcase how revealing Ciel's identity early on pointblank has a lot of potential for drama and character building

There's a lot that I haven't really decided yet, to be honest, but there are also a few twists and tricks that I would LOVE to mess around with. I kind of let my stories slowly incubate over time, though, so I hope when I actually get to writing this, everything will be in place and I can just go for it. It should be a very fun project, if and when the time comes...

Thank you for asking! I hope this answer piqued your interest... though it'll probably be another two years before any of it gets written lol 😈

[morbidsmenagerie]

Long Overdue Introduction

Hello, I go by Morbid! This is my bug sideblog, primarily about the animals I keep but I want to do more bug walks and practice some collecting techniques in the future. Also practicing photography, I use a TG-7, and it's my first actual camera I've owned. All pictures are mine unless otherwise noted.

I've kept a lot of different kinds of bugs, I had more a few years ago but had to go on a hiatus from the hobby. I've more recently gotten back into it. My main experience and interest is with scorpions, also experienced with isopods. I volunteer at the PDXinsectarium so I take care of other kinds of bugs that I don't personally keep.

I would love to receive scorpion pictures and questions, I also can do ID requests. If I don't know an answer I can probably find someone who does.

This is a bug positive blog!

I promise you I know that not everyone likes certain kinds of bugs. I don't care. I don't care if you have a valid reason or a phobia, I don't need to hear about it on posts I make specifically to showcase bugs I like. I tag animals with as specific an identification I can get and common names if applicable, I will also tag things as #spider, #scorpion, #beetle, ect if you want to blacklist a tag. I don't generally tag things as #arachnid, #bug, or #insect because it's very broad, nor will I tag things as #arachnophobia because it's not conductive to what I want this blog to be.

If I had one goal of what I want to accomplish with this and what I want to do, it would be to help people appreciate the bugs they have in their area, or the often overlooked bugs that don't get as much attention as things like honey bees, butterflies, and jumping spiders. You'd be absolutely amazed at what you can find in your own backyard, and I hope that I can help show people some of these animals.

Other Links:

Wasp Zine

Making Better State Insects

Brown Recluse Identification Poll/Info

PDXinsectarium website

Best Beginner Scorpions

US Native Scorpion Identification

Emperor Scorpion Size

Shipping Scorpions Masterclass

Keeping Medically Significant Animals

Scientific Literacy and Cat Policies

Cricket Care

Scorpion Behavior

Scorpion Care Part 1

[coffee-in-veins]

Hey there,

Sorry to hear about the entire shitfest with the DD contest and I think you argued your case well. It adds insult to injury that you showed your picture beforehand but the disqualification came right at the end of the deadline.

It's also double standards that Dismas' manspread bulge in the CC is fine, so is Amani and Audrey's backstory but someone has a seriously troubling view on what counts as erotica and they kick you out for it.

I saw this picture and thought "this looks familiar" but I couldn't really place why until you showed the For Honor reference (shame on me, I played that game like an addict for a while, even made a Reynauld character) and that is a pretty cool kill move. And you did the reference justice.

I hope that in time you will be able to look at the piece and not think of it as a waste of time. Sometimes it's hard to love a product when the people behind it disappoint us so much.

I for one would like to thank you for sharing your wonderful art with us and wish you all the best!

hello hello o/

thank you for reaching out to me. i really appreciate that. those two days were a mess and a half, not gonna lie. and i'm really happy to hear that you like the picture! the support shown for it definitelly dulled some of the "this is such a waste of my effort, love and care" feel, thank you and everyone else for it

the real salt to injury was that disqualification came *after* the showcase was posted. it's been an hour since all participants were shown in a new channel, and i started to get nervous and had to ask around who should i even talk to to get any info on what happened with my work. i thought that maybe i messed up and sent confirmation to rules from one email and the work itself from another... so the "too violent" (as i understood at the time) disqualification was like a kick to the throat.

when i started posting about the fact that i was disqualified for "violence" and people started wondering, then the mods came into picture. and the first one who contacted me even was on my side, seeing this as some mistake as well. so i had my false hopes.

i didn't include those snapshots because they were basically a couple of words with a promise to look into things. it was Lux, if anyone is wondering.

then the gem who wasted a few hours of my life appeared, trying to gaslight me into believing that incel interpretation of an execution pose is somehow my fault... you know the rest. by that point i wasn't meek or baffled. i was pissed.

now i'm mostly numb. double standards are the way to go, i suppose. when the guy argued that depiction of canonical events is bannable in the Hellsing he brought out of nowhere, i knew it was a lost cause.

heh, glad to hear you faintly recognized the pose and think i did it justice! that's always reassuring to hear. a small part of me wonders if it would've helped if i sent those pictures and video alongside the progress pictures we were required to send. most likely no. maybe i'm just trying to see if there was anything i could do to make things work... a faulty way of thinking, i suppose. the burden of evidence for accusation is on the accusing side, after all, and there was no evidence provided. and again, most of me just hopes for feeling closure in a day or six.

thank you again for your kind words and reassurance! it means a lot to me <3

p.s. also i know what my author's notes for each and every RRR chapter will be from now on ;}

[true-blue-sonic]

Good morning/ afternoon/ evening Blue!

For the ask game

2, 3, 5, 6, 7 + Silver and Espio

Good afternoon! ^-^

Silver

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

I think Meteor Smash's existence; that is generally one of the first things that pops in my mind when I think about the skills Silver possesses. To me, it's an amazing showcase of just how terrifyingly powerful Silver is: that ball of debris weighs tons for sure, and yet he manages to keep the hundreds of items it's made out of together and in movement while trying to simultaneously crush Sonic with another canister and keeping himself flying in front of it at the speed of Sonic's dashing. And then when Sonic hits him and he ends right underneath it, all it does is knock him out, after a battle wherein he ate the road like five times prior. Physically and psychokinetically, Silver is STRONG-strong: I guess the canon thing I like about him thus is how extremely powerful he's always portrayed as in the games. You can bet I'll be playing the heck out of Silver's boss battle when SXSG releases on the Switch!

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

I'd pick '06 as a whole, except I feel like a strong case can be made that everyone in that game was just foolish and the plot generally full with unexplained details and holes. However, this is Silver's debut game, and the perception he gave off there (even when later games have completely disproven those misconceptions) still permeate the ideas people have about him, I think. For a more concrete example, I really dislike the scene in TSR wherein Sonic is bothering him and Silver just timidly misunderstands what Sonic is talking about. Silv, you know what smack-talking is, my pal! You've done nothing but in every single other game you appeared before! You smack-talk in Team Sonic Racing!!! So yeah. XD

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

One Way Dream by Jat Cosmic and DESERT STAR; it's my go-to Espilver song :>

6. What's something you have in common with this character?

I also adore lovely sceneries and blue skies, and seeing people happy makes me happy as well!

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

I always appreciate it when people, even when they indicate that Silver is not a favourite character of them by far, acknowledge how strong he is and pay attention to the traits around him that I like (such as his desire for justice, his helpful attitude, and so on). And I've seen quite a few nice posts about his characterisation lately, especially some with info from Japanese sources that I have no knowledge about; those have been intriguing to read!

Espio:

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

I really like his role as the stoic and collected ninja contrasting Vector and Charmy's zaniness, while Espio in truth is just as goofy as they are. Plus the fact that he is a ninja in general, because I think ninjas are cool :>

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

Nothing I can think of from the top of my head! The Chaotix to me have always been solidly characterised in the games, and though I do wish we'd see them more often, I think that is an argument that can be made for more cast members. Hmm, I guess the long tongue from Fighters, then: it's debatable how canon that still is due to the Chaotix apparently getting reimagined for Heroes, but it is out there XD I just find it creepy, haha!

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

One Way Dream still, though also Cherry Blossoms from Hyper Potions, due to it having a Japanese-ish vibe to me.

6. What's something you have in common with this character?

LIKING SILVER

Not a lot, I fear. Espio's far more collected and skilled than I am XD Rip, I guess the part in Colours DS where Vector (after extensive bickering) is like "AND WHERE THE HECK IS ESPIO" before finding out Espio had just been standing there the whole time in silence might fit, haha. I do sometimes keep to myself a lot!

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

Also nothing at the top of my head here, I fear; between Silver and Espio, I get the feeling Silver gets a lot more fandom attention. So I guess I like all the Espilver fanfics and artwork that people put out there, because I love seeing them together! ^-^

[profoundgladiatorbarbarian]

The reason why I made some of my villains different ethnicities part one

The Queen of hearts.

The Queen of hearts in my AU version, Is afro latino Having black British Decent from her mother And Mexican descent from her father And my inspiration for her came from 2 versions of the Queen of hearts Well actually a few but here they are

The Queen of hearts from The 1951 movie allison wonderland Was depicted as a tyrannical ruler of wonderland, And one of the most dangerous villains, Because of her short temper. Her outfit consisted Of half red half black Royal dress with A half black half gold Underdress with diagonal stripes from both sides, And she also says a fundess for red roses But hates White roses and also hates when people Try to deceive, Despite her attitude And appearance, the Queen of hearts is quite intelligent and, Is a looming threat in wonderland but still maintains order and prosperity within her Kingdom, She's an info queen , But she's still reasonable. And most of the time when she says off with your head, she doesn't necessarily mean it, And just prefers to give the commands otherwise , she'd run out of victims quite soon, Which is why her card soldiers still full her out of Loyalty and fear. But the queen of hearts has an extra vendetta against alice because not only did alice humiliate to the queen of hearts but she talks down to royalty, Which i'm sure was a high offense , especially in wonderland so the queen of hearts really had it out to behead alice , not just in the movie , but even in some books. There is one thing that does come the queen of hearts down and that is her loving yet shorter husband, The king of hearts matter fact , the queen of hearts is technically the only disney villain that is married, Well, married and in a loving relationship with her husband unlike other Black Widow villains, And they seem to genuinely love each other Despite the queen having slightly more power and being more in control than the king, But the king is no hero, though.He is more than willing to go along with whatever his wife says, Improbably it's just as evil as her just with less of the respect about His wife commands. The Queen of hearts Was voiced by verna felton in the movies who really drove home Is the queen's booming personality, And was probably the most memorable queen of hearts, However the queen of hearts didn't always stay the same way.

In 1992 Disney made a small spin of series based on the Allison wonderland movie called adventures in wonderland showcasing our first ever black Queen of hearts as well as the first ever black Tweetledee and Tweedledumb( But that's the story for another day). Armenia mcqueen Acted as the red Queen Who was a mix between the queen of hearts and the red queen, From the lewis carol stories, And she did quite the fantastic job as her role, Especially for a kid's show. The Queen of hearts in this TV show was a little bit more toned down with her Being a little bit more childish and Reckless but at the same time She was also a bit kinder and often Spoke as a voice of reason, By all means she was still An antagonist within this Siri is but acted more friendlier compared to Other versions, However, she was still scary enough in her own right where citizens of wonderland followed her out of respect but also a lot of fear because of how powerful she was There are very few residents in this series So one would imagine a lot of heads had to roll. The Queen is said to be the ruler of wonderland however, it's debatable how much power she has because, within the series we hear about other rulers and how she is Sometimes jealous of them because of wealthy possessions that they hold, It makes you, Wonder if she really is the queen of wonderland or just a queen of her part of a Kingdom. Speaking of which , the king of hearts does not appear within the series and she seemed to have a stronger relationship With the white rabbit that the same time shield treats him as a servant First And a friend last. She does command a lot of great respect , however , not as much as other versions of her, A lot of the time , residents of wonderland managed to get away with insulting her and mostly got an evil glare or a suffering consequence , then actually losing their heads or being threatened to at least, And on the rare occasion, she did threaten to dehead to someone.It was mostly in a written response. So yeah, she is one of the Reasons, I got inspiration from my Queen of hearts but not the only one.

In twenty twenty two alice's wonderland bakery Came out showcasing the first ever Latina Queen of hearts voice to by Eden Espinosa Who previously voiced Cassandra in tangled the series, And she did an amazing role as the queen of hearts. The queen of hearts here is actually a one eighty opposite of her previous version, Yes, she is the ruler of wonderland, and yes She is a high authority figure, But there is probably not an evil bone in her body that we can see within this whole series instead of being the off with your head Type , she is more a flare for the dramatic, And loves being a judge for Wonderland competitions, Especially competitions that include food. She here also has has a daughter Whom she named the rosa and the king of hearts here is no longer her husband But her father, I don't know If he was the original king of hearts from the original Alice in wonderland with a different Ethnicity , but here he has no longer a villain Nor is he technically A ruler in wonderland but is more like Part of the Royal council and helps make decisions with her Daughter and granddaughter, And most of the time he enjoys dancing With all his wonderland friends, Also , he is voiced by john sakata , which was very fetching to me, Who did a perfect job in this role Fun fact. Also, John sakara is Afro Cuban, Which was another bit of inspiration for me. The queen of Hearts here was a very interesting character but to me who was also very disappointing Because of her lack of villainy. Now I know it's a preschool show, but that doesn't mean they needed to make her a full on good guy, I mean , they didn't do that for other Villains. Take captain hook , for example , from the neverland pirates, He was, Toned down a lot from his original, From a want to hurt Children pirate of the sea Who could be clownish at times to a Grumpy sneaky captain Who is clownish most of the time, But even then with those details he still acted like captain hook, He still acted like the menacing villain he was So that tells me that if they could have done that for a villain like captain hook in a preschool show , they could have done the same thing for the queen of hearts , but they chose not to , for some reason beyond me. The Queen of hearts can be a kind person, but even then, just have her villain.Come out and let loose once in A while because that's what i'm seeing as a pattern throughout some of the new disney series, They are trying to soften and make villains good Even villains as evil as Ursula are becoming sweet caring aunties in The Little Mermaid Arial series based on the live action movie , which I loved by the way , sono criticism to Haley Bailey for all those haters out there, And to me it's sad because we know how some of these villains futures will turn out, With them being defeated humiliated or killed by the people around them. But anyways, about that.Let's get on to the The next queen of hearts

In 2019 in apple, TV series came out.Titled ghost writers.I don't know if it's an original or based off of an old series.I've never heard of but anyways.I particularly love this series Because it's about 4 young kids telling mysteries about a ghost Bringing storybook characters To life from the stories of Alice in wonderland, the jungle book, Sure sherlock holmes, And so many more but this series I like most of all showcasing the first ever air black canadian queen of hearts, And her design by far was the most inspiring to me, which is where I got my inspiration most of all for the Queen of hearts I draw. Patrice Goodman A Black canadian actress Portrayed the queen of hearts in this series as a semi book character who has a bit antagonistic But more chaotic neutral , having more of a complicated past that she has a hard time facing. Her look in the series was absolutely stunning and probably my favorite version of the queen of hearts ever, I can't find a complete photo of Her but If you watch the series for yourself I'm sure you will agree with me when I say your look was stunning, With a nice modern touch to it. The queen of hearts here was betrayed chaotic neutral but still acted like the queen of hearts being a little bit more patient than others but still hot tempered when she didn't get her way, End very commanding , but also quite emotional as well Showing her vulnerable side, But for most of her her scream time here, she acted Quite high class and was often annoyed by the Matt hatteras and tax madness, Showing that she knows she is the only one who can bring order into the otherwise chaotic wonderland. When you think about it , the queen of hearts is Really a great ruler and a great villain at the same time, She's a great ruler in the sense.That wonderland is a very prosperous and beautiful place with very few people complanning and everybody living peacefully and happily in a mad sense at least, And she's a great villain in the way of she commands respect and She is a high authority figure and is willing to chop off as many heads as she needs 22 keep order in her kingdom, But has a Vendetta to get rid of Alice most of all because alice dared to embarrass the queen And talk down to her, Which is why the queen of hearts has tried to get revenge a few times believe it or not. The thing I like most about this version of the queen of hearts is how they showcased her natural curls in a royal sense, Honestly , it looks beautiful even on the book cover of this series

It looks so nice, Like that way, I could really drive home and tell that she was a black person because of it I mean, I could tell from a mile away but still this one drove it really home for me and that's what I really appreciated in the terms of black representation. But hold on , this is not the only reason why I make the queen of hearts black

Now anybody who is anybody has seen the new descendants Rise of red movie , which brought up a lot of eyebrows as to So many things most of all why chad was white If His mum is black and his dad is asian, Many Speculated that he got it from his grandfather, But this just cannot be the case because His dad is asian and would be impossible For a black woman in an asian man To make a white child which is why I think that descendants rise of red is Part of a Multiverse. And here's why.

At the end of the three There are some v k s holding up signs Showcase Is the villains including scar, Cruella deville, Jafar, Maleficent, Captain hook, Ursula, The evil queen and the queen of hearts, Who is said to have Is stayed in wonderland, As it was blocked off from auradon Where she ran as a very strict ruler of wonderland who hated all fun and was probably the most evil version of the Queen of hearts we've ever seen, But my theory is that's a different version of the queen of hearts from a different multi verse Because in descendants rejoin the musical Number good to be bad. There is an interesting background dancer who can be seen weighing red, yellow and black clothing with symbolic heart shapes to it, leading us to believe she was the daughter of the Queen of hearts, and the dancer, who played her even confirmed her name was Quinn, the daughter of the Queen of hearts Who was banished to the Isle of lost Which is why I think that Rita orez version it's different from what we had in descendants three, Which is why I think that rise red is a multi verse 2 the descendants movie. Hear The Dancer.We see playing the daughter of the Queen of hearts.It can be debatable whether or not she is black, Asian, Arabic, or Latina, But all I can tell from her.Is she really Don't look like a full white person, Mixed maybe but not fully white( Not meant to be racist) But whatever Ethnicity she is Hey I just wanted Share my thoughts The descendant's rise of red is part of a multi verse I can get Onto why else in other posts. But in my version if I had to imagine what the Queen of hearts and our family would look like.Based on my own original version this is what I think it would look like

The queen of hearts and her husband the king of hearts Are one of the few faithfully married villains that were banished to the isle of the lost for the The crimes of being tyrannical rulers, And trying to Kill alice of wonderland who is now voted the new queen of hearts Of wonderland after the queen of hearts was Is banished to the isle of The lost. Is in my AU version The queen of hearts here It is very much a villain and is part of the villain council on the aisle, but it's a lot nicer Then people think, Yes she's Quick To say off with your head But doesn't always mean it and usually plays it off as a joke and tell somebody Really pisses are off.

On the isle of the lost , she's does still rue her kingdom which she calls the kingdom of hearts, But she also owns her own salon On the The aisle of the lost, Which was information I got from the descendants island of the lost novel books, Stating such, And she is also a competitive rival with lady Tremaine's salon, And lady Tremaine in general. The both of them are still part of the villain council but are indifferent to each other. And don't really get along because the Queen of hearts sees lady Tremaine as inferior to her, Because she is not royalty like her and lady Tremaine Looks down on the queen of hearts because of the queen's childish Attitude at times, and it doesn't always help That the queen likes to shout orders.

The queen of hearts in my version Also has descendants Based on rise of red and alice's wonderland bakery, And other official And unofficial content, Most of them are from Wiki fandom.

Jack of hearts Is the First born Child sign of the queen of hearts And is often, The class clown of His family, And it's a lot more calm compared to his mom, but still has his breaking points.

Red is the first born daughter and the second born child of the Queen of hearts. And unlike Kylie, control's version is a lot more serious and acts A little bit more like her mom, but still has her rebellious side and opted to give up the throne, So that she could become A pirate On umas crew, Which her mom disapproves of but after some time traveling red decides that she would like to be a future queen of wonderland and a pirate at the same time, A little bit, Complicated I know

Quinn is the third born And is probably The most like her mom, Enjoying to command the order off, And Wearing dresses, That are reminiscent of her mother , along with a bit of her own style in leather jackets and fish nets sleeves. She along with her younger brother Ace have all days one dark brown and 1 yellow with heart-shaped birth marks, Actually all the heart family have heart shaped birthmarks except for the king of hearts and hayley hartz who has both golden eyes but has to wear glasses because she has poor vision.

Ace of hearts , is the fourth born of the queen of hearts and is a real mamma's boy. He loves to give the order as off with their Heads but not as much as His older sister quinn and his mom do, Keeps to himself, However , he does have a strong relationship with his older sister Quinn whom she treats like a twin sibling.However the two constantly like to fight with each other in a joking manner, Which makes the queen eye roll all the time.

Haley hearts is the youngest daughter of the Queen of hearts and Constantly tries to be one of the cool kids , even though secretly she's a nerd. Her need to pretend to be a cool person is because she has a crush on the son of ursula urchin, Who actually have a crush on the daughter of cruella deville carly who also has a crush on him back but none of them know about this. Eventually though She starts to develop feelings for the son of mother Mother Gothel marios Gothul who also had a big Press on her despite her never Noticing

Last of all, the youngest is Roy of hearts Who is Also known as 10 of hearts Who is the Queen of hearts The little Prince. He also enjoys saying off with your head like his other siblings But Preferably likes to do what other young Boys his age do including playing soccer, Hanging out with his friends, Drawing, And annoying his oldest siblings , but especially his oldest sister haley , whom he and her always get into fights with. He also has a small crush On Abby nine of hearts , who is a descendant of one of the Queen of hearts playing card soldiers, And they are both in a cute , loving relationship with another, However the queen of hearts doesn't totally Because to her, Abby was trying to steal away her son, And every chance the queen god should give abbey some dirty looks, However, she did trust Abby and view her as her own niece and a good future member of the card soldiers But just wished her son wasn't in a relationship with her.

The heart's family also sometimes where Heart-shaped eye patches as a way to pay homage to the Queen of heart's nephew, the knave of hearts( Different person From the Jack of hearts in my A. U.) Who lost his eye during a battle for his aunt during the war in wonderland. They mostly wear these eyepatches during family Photos and photos and royal events but nothing more except for the queen of hearts who almost always wears her eye patch to pay a nodge to her nephew even if he annoys her most of the time.

On the Isle the loss to the queen of hearts Is considered one of the most dangerous villains and is entitled to respect, Which is how she managed to get her place on The villain council with her army of card soldiers who follow her not Only out of fear but out of True loyalty to the queen who is A kind of ruler to her subjects , but Quite blood thirsty to anyone who opposes her. She is best friends with the red queen who is A different person in my a u but used to be Great friends with the evil queen when they went to Morgana academy together which was a rival school To merlin academy for villains, There she and the evil queen were not as evil as they used to be and were quite friendly and nice And wanted to avoid their future destinies But as destiny had it, they soon became evil queens and at 1 point became rivals with another, mostly because of their daughter's fighting with one another and just having to support their girls as Mother's should.

The queen of hearts has teamed up Two iconic villains before cruella and captain hunt in trying to defeat alice, Peter Pan, And Winifred darling, who is the niece of Anita darling, whom cruella wants to use as a way to get 101 Dalmatians to make her Fur Coats.

The queen of hearts has also Also worked with other villains in the Kingdom of hearts game, Villain's revenge, And also managed to start her own underground college for students who wanted Follow in the Foot steps of some of the most evil villains, Footsteps in some of the most evil villains in a place she likes to call twisted wonderland.

Whatever you store you want to believe whether it's the white version of the queen of hearts, The hispanic, The black, Whenever it is just know that Giving Disney characters, different ethnicities is not a bad thing If anything it's a good thing to an extent, as long as it isn't part of the story For example.

Snow white You need to be played by a white person Because one the description of her showcased a white person playing her, End two the word white is literally in her name So it's just point forward, And having a latin person play her is disrespectful Not Just to the snow white character but Latina and community in general Who have an identity outside of white people, The same thing can go with Merida from brave, who needs to be white because that is part of her Scottish heritage.

No for characters like, Ariel, from The Little Mermaid or Cinderella.Their ethnicity has nothing to do with their story like clearly nothing, And there could have been any ethnicity that they needed as long as the story arc stayed the same, Which is why I am tired of hearing people complaining or saying if there can be a black little mermaid, then there can also be a white black panther because those types of people are only saying that becathey think, It's funny or Because they really hate the movies that much that they have to go out of their way too Say stuff , that's offensive like this and I for one, I'm very sick of it, These people know exactly why Black characters cannot be turned white cause, Nobody is that stupid To ask that question in real life, Because people are saying that they are not ignorant.Or they're not being racist but if they weren't being ignorant then they wouldn't even be asking these questions but they decided to anyways because they view it as so called black facing, Meanwhile , I have never heard a complaint about ursa being portrayed as a black woman in descendants or The little mermaid live, For cruella , deville being portrayed as a black woman in descendants either. My main message is you do not need to race swap all characters but it It should not kill anybody that disney wants to make a few changis from the originals, Besides, what difference does it make What Race certain characters are, As long as they're still acting as the original characters Should it really matter, But anyways, that's just my thoughts on it Let me know what you think done in the comments

[kyogre-blue]

Finished the Xianyun quest (for the encounter points).

It's...... fine. Almost aggressively whatever. It's probably in the upper half of Genshin story quests, but its overall structure sets a very low ceiling for it and it's let down by sloppy details in execution.

Three points:

First, just noting that we get a few extra details about how adepti work. Yuandai was an ordinary crane who gained sentience after being around adeptal energy for a long time. Cloud Retainer imparted the secrets of cultivation on her, and she could have become an adeptus as well if she completed her training. As it is, she loses her cultivation and becomes an ordinary crane again, but she could potentially regain her sentience in the future (presumably from hanging around Mt. Aocang's adeptal energy, same as before).

Ganyu was previously noted as having not completed her training, and Yanfei seems to have never trained at all, but they're still generally considered as adepti, so you kind of get this distinction between ordinary beings that cultivate up to adeptus-hood and naturally magical beings that can further refine their powers. Of course, in the Chenyu quest, it's brought up that "adeptus" isn't really a precise term with a set definition. It's really just the label ordinary people tend to slap on any supernaturally powerful being.

(Also, you can have magic sentient animals that aren't on the level of adepti, which is interesting.)

I'm not pointing out any inconsistencies here or anything, just thought it was cool.

Second, as I said, the details of the quest aren't really executed too well imo. The ending was especially sloppy. The traveler's expression is weirdly happy once they enter the dream. Like, we just watched a little girl functionally lose her only family member, but we're going "naptime, yay! XD" Seeing them reunited, even in a vision, immediately after Yuandai departed is also jarring and out of place. And then after the sibling cameo, Xianyun doting on Traveler and calling them a young one is also... Traveler is explicitly not a child. I get that you're selling the mommy kink, but this is just bizarre.

There's other stuff too, like how we just casually sidestep the fact that the child there's so much focus on Yuandai giving birth too died somewhere off screen in the years after, since her potential grief over that would be too inconvenient to the message. And the Zhongli scene dragged wildly too, but that's just Zhongli stuff, I guess. Overall, they could have done better on the small stuff.

Still, Xianyun's quest at least actually showcases her personality fairly well, compared to uuuuh a whole lot of other story quests.

Third, as I also said, this quest was always going to struggle to do better than mediocrity because it's hard capped by its structure. It's Genshin's favorite style -- faffle around for two acts, then info dump an entire backstory in the third, with no meaningful events in the present. This can work at times, but it's very limited in how much it can do because, being realistic, we don't know these NPCs and listening to them dump out some past event that no longer really matters is just not that interesting.

The entire quest would have been better served by fully taking place entirely in the past, where you play as Cloud Retainer going through these events in a more extended way, instead of just the short "domain" where they try to shove in some gameplay while she explains things to you. Alternatively, they could have given the present day events some more urgency by having Yuandai go missing and Shuyu searching for her while distraught, or at least something.

Thinking logically, it's not like this structure of wasting time and then dumping out backstory at the end is unique to Genshin. FGO does this fairly often in events too. But in FGO events, they've gotten into the habit of making the new character also be the main antagonist who is causing problems, so the act of stopping them is intertwined with them getting closure (after dumping out their backstory), so at least there's some sense that you're achieving something in the present day.

Anyway, it was... fine as a quest, but kind of shows that this is as far as Genshin can go due to its self-imposed limitations.