#I take Making art for yourself to a new level of insanity

[sp3akfromtheart]

what's fun about me is that im actually primarily an oc artist, rather than a fan artist, but I am incapable of liking things normally when I really like them, so do I have files upon files on fanart? yes. are they for ONLY THREE FANDOMS???? ALSO YES.

[milkoomi]

⋆˚࿔ a new canvas means a new you 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

a mini series on the art of becoming a better you

chapter 1 | chapter 2 | chapter 3

chapter four — THE ART OF SELF RESPECT

when you live a life where you don’t respect yourself, your boundaries, your health, your mind, your emotions; just anything about you, you’ll end up living a life where you’re walked all over, where people take advantage of you, where you’ll find no successes or achievements— you live a life feeling lost and feeling empty, feeling like your mission in life is to be meaningless. we’re taught to respect others, but we’re never taught to respect ourselves. we, as individuals, need to have the highest level of respect for one person. that person being us.

ᥫ᭡. where to start

decenter men

i was talking about this the other night with my best friend, but way too many people (women, men, trans women/men, literally anyone) center their lives around men. the patriarchy has stolen so many people’s individuality, stripping them of finding their own personality, their own interests, opinions, hobbies, etc. and that is one of the main reasons people don’t have any self respect. decenter men.

a man should not, and never define who you are as a person. a man should never make you feel like you are undeserving of your own successes. a man should never make you feel any less than what you truly are! men should never be a source of validation for you as a person. it doesn’t matter if you’re a man yourself (cis or trans), it doesn’t matter if you’re a woman (cis or trans), and it doesn’t matter if you’re nonbinary/gender-nonconforming; you should never ever— and i mean ever— center your ideals, thoughts, opinions, hobbies, interests, and your entire self and life around a man.

too many people are so focused on men and what men think about them. and let me just give you some food for thought: when have you ever done something solely for yourself without the back thought of a man’s approval? i’ll admit, back in high school i spent all four years thinking about men and seeking validation from a man. from my freshman year all up until my senior year i was in back to back relationships because i couldn’t even fathom the thought of being without a man. and you know what that did for me? it made me miserable, it made me more insecure, and it made me put myself into situations that the person who i am now would be insanely repulsed by because what the fuck was i thinking? majority of my teenage years were spent centering my life around men, and i was miserable.

now, at my current age at this point in my life, i am so unbelievably lucky to be engaged to the man of my dreams, but! i remember when my partner and i first started dating, my therapist asked about 5-6 months into my relationship, “do you feel like you depend on him for your happiness?” and it made me think, “oh my god, what if i am? what if all the anxieties i have about my relationship are because i rely too much on him for my own happiness?” while my relationship with him is the healthiest, happiest, and most healing relationship i’ve ever been in, i had to learn to be okay with being by myself; with being in the company of my own, without him, because i can’t depend on him for company or happiness or peace— i have to depend on myself for those things, and he’s just my wonderful partner that i get to enjoy and experience life with. he’s not my entire life. he’s only a part of it.

you have to learn to be happy and to find peace with being by yourself. your whole life can’t be surrounding the idea of a man.

here are a couple posts that i’ve found to be really helpful with how to decenter men:

“decentering men and recentering yourself” by @honeytonedhottie

“how to decenter men” by @femmefatalevibe

stop seeking validation from others

not only do people seek validation from men, they seek validation from literally anyone. parents, teachers, bosses, friends, classmates, colleagues; people are looking from validation from all the wrong sources. you, yourself, should be the only person you seek validation from. you should be setting your own standard from yourself.

again, looking for validation from any outside source only makes you lose yourself more and more in the process. you forget all about what you want and need from yourself because you’re so focused on what other people need and want from you. validate yourself, affirm yourself, just be there for yourself. you don’t need anyone or anything else telling you that you’re doing something right. you’ll know what’s right for you because you should know yourself better than anyone else!

set boundaries

chapter three was all about learning how to say no and how to set boundaries, so i highly recommend going back to that chapter and reviewing it since i go more in-depth on that topic!

setting boundaries for yourself is one of the best things to do to regain your self respect. knowing what exactly you want from yourself and from others and setting that line will not only protect your happiness and peace, but it will also show an immense amount of respect that you have for yourself to others who may think that they don’t have to respect you.

ᥫ᭡. self respect as a whole

respecting yourself means respecting your peace, your privacy, your thoughts, your opinions, your emotions; you as a person. it protects you from things and people that could potentially harm you, whether it’s physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.

protect your peace. protect your happiness. protect your mind and your body. when you disrespect yourself by partaking in an overuse of harmful substances, having unprotected sex with someone you don’t even have a genuine connection to, or accepting behaviors from someone who’s constantly hurting you or betraying your trust you become a doormat for people to walk all over you in life.

i have known too many people, myself included, who disrespected themselves and faced one too many hardships in life. it makes us miserable and that misery turns into so many mental health issues that can sometimes cause too much harm that it makes it 100 times more difficult to recover.

self respect doesn’t have to be hard. you can always start small by just taking care of yourself! this has been a recurring theme in this series, but here i am to say it again: prioritize yourself! respect that you have needs and wants and do things for yourself that make you feel good and that benefit you. self care is vital, and respecting the fact that your own health needs to be in check is a wonderful first step towards gaining more self respect.

you have to show up for yourself, you have to immerse yourself in activities/hobbies/media that’s actually good for you— not what you think is good for you, you have to be kind to yourself, and you have to love yourself, babes. seriously, self respect can be a really simple thing at the end of the day and it can come so easily to you if you just let it be. don’t make your life harder by disrespecting yourself.

ᥫ᭡. final notes

we’re nearing the end of this mini series! chapter five will be the final chapter! i’m so thankful that this series has been shown so much love so far and i hope that it’s been able to help you guys as much as it helped me! i know i’ve been writing all of these, but something about creating content like this really motivates me to keep moving forward with my own self improvement journey.

i hope you guys always know i’m with you every step of the way in this journey. you never have to walk it alone, trust me! i know i always talk about being there for yourself, but other people (who are genuinely worth it, of course) can be there for you too! we’ve all got the same goal: to better ourselves. it’s going to be a difficult and long journey, but we’ll make it together!

with lots of love, juno 🌷

[airytaurus]

astrology observation🐀

🦦sag 11h people can be the one who’s constantly making friends wherever they go and tend to be the “loud” one of the group

✨leo with cancer placements can be very difficult to understand or even get too know sometimes

🎀taurus placements especially 6h could be the type to only have a makeup/skincare routine and call it the day

⭐️pisces moons are the REAL empaths out of the other two water signs they constantly visions or use their imagination as if they were in someone else’s shoes

🌫️any virgo/pisces placement even asteroid or nn/sn are always people who help or want to be needed by someone or something , they will give you unwanted information and tips out of love and support

🍋leo 11h people are the definition of loyalty especially towards friends they do anything and every for/with them and will love you with ALL their heart

🌊cancer suns are really shy , quiet while cancer moons are talkative and love knowing people on a personal level

🫧virgos excessively lie idk if it’s the anxiety or they can’t handle accountability or what

🧌Capricorn 4H could mean you had to be mentally and emotionally independent or keep yourself busy, company from a very young age

☕️moon-saturn can mean having a very strained relationship with your mom or she didn’t really allow you to do anything as a child and now you are hesitant of getting out there and having fun

🦪many 9h placements are into foreign languages and traveling more than sagittarius natives

💫cancer risings with their leo 2nd house spend their money on frivolous things like clothes/makeup/art supplies and anything that they can express themselves with and cute their boredom

���️speaking of cancer placements I think some cancer people with 3rd house cancer could love yearbooks , academic trophies or anything that reminds them of their accomplishments in school

🌹you can spot scorpio/aries placements a mile away the prominent brows , sharp features and the hard facial expressions

🪴libra 10H people attract a lot of people infatuated or insanely attracted to them finding them sexy/sex appeal??

🐚pisces + gemini in big 3 makes someone very creative and fun but also emotionally in-tune with their emotions plus extremely talkative

ANY AND I MEAN ANY LIBRA PLACEMENT IS SO FUCKING PRETTYYY🪷

🪰gemini venus can have like multiple standards/expectations for the people they wanna date

🐸aquarius suns are very adventurous and not afraid to take risks with gemini and libra think things through and can’t decide if they want to do it or not

🪩3rd house/9th house venus and moons listens too a variety of music genres they can go from hip-pop to country music

🌆Sagittarius risings or prominent jupiter influence in first house people have big cheeks ifykyk and very noticeable, contagious smiles

🎢air 3rd house people can go through or have many cars throughout their lives like they have a new car everytime you see them

🎠people with heavy mercury influence are very funny they are quick with it

🧌gemini mercury people are very good at mocking or mimicking how people sound or sing especially if has aspects or a Venusian degree (2°,14°,7°,19°)

👽Uranus 1H people can have very big/muscular calves even ankles

🧸something about aries moons and gemini suns just give off chaotic energy

[lillified]

I just found the decepticons (and you) on YouTube so sorry if you've answered this

How long did it take you to complete the 1st episode and do you have any idea when you'll have the next one, it's insane this is just a passion project and that I'm seeing all these comics and art prints still being posted take a billion years if you want just wondering if you had any timeline for yourself

hi! uhhh it’s kind of hard to like. calculate the hours spent because the different areas of production were all done at different times, and this has all been a weekend project for me… but I’ve tried to retroactively keep track of when about I started doing certain things (more below the cut)

I started writing scripts about a year ago, though I didn’t really dedicate serious time to it. I wanted to have a few mini “arcs” plotted before I started planning production on the pilot, mostly because it took time to figure out what rooms I wanted in the spaceship, what I’d need to set up and hint at, etc., although everything about those scripts was and continues to change well into production. I got a “test sequence” done (scene 2 with Starscream) sometime in the middle of the year, realized I needed to adjust some designs, got really caught up with work, did a little bit of misc work on scene 3 with Soundwave… and then in August 2024 I started on scene 1 (originally scene 5), which I anticipated would take the longest. this is around when I’d say I got really serious about it lol.

still on my weekend schedule I spent about 2 months (!!) on and off on just that scene, and probably a month of that was mostly spent fiddling with one shot in particular. that scene was my real test run, and of every scene (with maybe the exception of scene 2) that one changed the most. I spent a lot of time experimenting with how I wanted certain stuff to play out, how I would deal with finishing scenes, what level of detail would not make me miserable, and so on. In the end I think that sequence ended up suffering a bit from a combination of my pickiness+subpar planning on my part (I love boarding action, but I’m still new to writing it) but it taught me a lot and really helped me nail down the details. after that, I was able to move much faster, and after taking a little break for myself I was able to take advantage of the holiday vacation to really kick into gear. I wrapped scene 3 in early December, did some early editing on scene 1 and 2, and then 4, 6, 5, and 7 in that order. By the time editing was done it was the end of January.

when I could dedicate a full-time work schedule to making progress things went along really quickly, and I definitely felt the most accomplished then! Really, the main limiting factor is work. Right now I have a private client assignment to finish, and until the month ends I won’t be able to do much with this project. I have plans to fund a second episode (it won’t be much—just enough for me to feel comfortable working on it full time for a few months) but knowing the process and having the material already I’m confident it wouldn’t take long! I’d love to have something for you all by summer, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Thank you for the question!

[neptunes-sol-angel]

Pick the picture(s) that you're drawn to the most, then scroll down for its corresponding message for insight on what's next for you in love.

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Pile One ♡

I strongly feel that most people in this pile would be considered as someone who is inexperienced in love, maybe you guys are bookworms, maladaptive daydreamers, and writers yourselves when it comes to visualizing your future, different settings for how the world could be, and breathing life into the people that you haven’t gotten the chance or time to get to know yet. What’s next for you in love, is practice. You’re upgrading from being Bambi by becoming the Great Prince of the Forest by taking risks before you are able to know and find what is right for you. Some of you may believe in holding yourself tightly before you meet “the one” but the message is that you are being unfair to yourself by putting your life on hold to revolve it around someone who is also learning too, but isn’t waiting like you are doing. This doesn’t mean to be reckless or to feel coerced into going along with people you don’t have a good feeling about just for the sake of finally being in a relationship. This stage is about exploration and enjoying yourself before you meet your life partner. If you resonate with being a bookworm, you could be the type to read romantic fictional stories on a platform like wattpad, and while it serves its purpose which is to make you feel good, it could create an irregular perception of love for you, like subconsciously romanticizing traits that are toxic or wouldn’t be something that you would actually like if you were to actually experience it. For some, it could be re-evaluating your attraction to individuals, like when you crush on someone, you could find that they really look good, but do you yearn for more from them? Your path in love could be redirecting you to pay attention to how a person makes you feel than what you get from them on a surface level of interaction.

Pile Two ♡

There was someone in your life that you once felt like you couldn’t live without or took something from you that seemed irretrievable, but you’re being blessed in a way that’s shutting all of those lies down. You’re getting you back, in whichever way that it applies. This could be your motivation to take care of yourself, to do things that made you feel happy and at peace before this dwindle ending happened, like going to the gym, arts & craft, writing, solo trips or going out with friends, and even something simple as such as looking good for yourself, but it’s not limited to what was mentioned. This could even look like getting closer to who your deity or deities and spiritual maintenance. The best way that I can describe this, is that this phase in love is like this big circle of energy, stuff that was taken or borrowed from you, that’s being marinated before it is returned because it isn’t just aspects from the past, it’s also the time for creation. This whole entire time, your rain of tears that were collected from this heartbreak were observed yet not ignored, but transmuted into this empire that you’re building off of the corpses of failures that you’ve experienced with not just people but life circumstances, maybe when that break up happened it just seemed that more tragedies kept following you after that and it drove you into insanity like when does this pain ever end? Although you can’t forget about it, you’re learning how to soften from these things that stung you in the past, so that you can keep moving and consolidate your wishes. For some, this is personal, and an era that you’d like to be selfish with in order to see what else you can create, like developing a strong daily routine, starting that business, or maybe even working on yourself so that you can heal others, while the other side of this collective will open their hearts again to a new love which can be romance, friendship, or even adoption that is just as equally healing.

Pile Three ♡

The next thing in love for you is learning how to stop trying to win. I’m picking up multiple scenarios for this but the premise is that people in this pile are in love situations where there is no winner, and if there is, let the other person be the one to have it so that you can walk away and stop blocking yourself from better to come in. Some of you are in a long battle with a person by competing with them on who has the upperhand in the situationship, this involves the runner and chaser dynamic constantly reversing and both of you keeping tabs on each other when you’re supposed to be in no contact. The second scenario is sticking beside someone who has a wandering eye but trying relentlessly to get this person to choose you the way that you choose them. The third scenario is in general, trying to prove yourself in order to gain love from others by manipulating yourself and even them to win their affection. There is this storm brewing, you can even call this a tower moment, that could happen to finally get you to see the many ways that you are downplaying yourself with people who have stayed in your space and energy for far too long. You’re going to surrender from these situations to know what it means to pick yourself up and see how beautiful and worthy you are to the extent where you’ll be baffled by how much you’ve been settling for people who don’t deserve you. This phase will come with new connections, but what makes it different is realizing your authority in this by realizing how possible and freeing it is to choose people that choose you. Once you realize that you’re the prize in this game, let the winner take pride in being the fumbler, and be proud of yourself for not being the one to fumble you.

[carvinglies]

Good afternoon! (It's afternoon where I live, but good morning, or evening if it's not where you are.)

It's me, Migraine Anon again, and I did want general headcanons. However, since I really liked those, do you mind writing relationship headcanons for Tserriednich and Morena? (I.e. how to torture a writer with imagining cold, dry-hearted characters who now have to express feelings.)

Good day to you!

Tserriednich and Morgena in a relationship!

notes: Thank you for the request! I struggled with this tbh I tried to make them as canon as possible but it’s hard to do that when the character lacks emotion😭

tw: mentions of corpses, dismembered bodies turned into sculptures, and alluding to restarting humanity.

Tserrendich

-Definitely was going to take his crush to the grave but if you do suck it up and confess he might blow it off saying “psh… yeah I knew you liked me.” Then he would get mad if you ever moved on and that’s how you started somehow dating him

-Practically tells anyone who would listen about how you managed to date someone of his ‘level’

-He’s less egotistical when you’re alone; he might bully you a little and do ‘artistic’ experiments on you or make you watch him do them.

-Let’s just hope you’re insane like him and enjoy the artistic adventures!

-Will rant about what experiment he did or art he commissioned if he’s away from you for a bit.

-Demands begs for a room for whatever sculptures of body parts he commissioned.

-It might not feel too much like a romantic relationship and people might not be able to tell you’re dating at all but he has his quirks in a relationship.

-Will overthink about you lying to him but not say anything about it to not seem weak.

Morgena

-She helps you so much that it becomes a negative trait of hers.

-She may seem nice but honestly Morgena isn’t.

-Would boast about her plans for the world and how she’s going to fix everything to you.

-Everyone knows your dating because she will talk about how you’re the only person allowed in the new world.

-Doesn’t see you on the same level as her but instead a level below and everyone else below you.

-It may seem like she’s treating you like a pet who can’t do anything for yourself, but that’s not her true intention for you.

-Out of the two Morgena is the better options if you don’t like being tormented and would prefer being treated like you need help all the time.

[iron-embers]

Sorry for the soam

if this is who you support then ok

If you are seriously the one spamming and bringing up the drama over and over again, then you are not sorry. This level of obsession is insane to me, to keep harping on this over and over again as if you have any authority over everybody else’s opinion is appalling. Let me make it clear, I don’t care about mothzii. I don’t know them, I was never part of the drama but I heard all about it from both sides and I could give less of a crap on who is the worst person. To be honest, I was completely fine with never interacting with mothzii because the demon slayer fandom should be better than this, but then this obsessive troll started coming on tumblr, harassing others that weren’t even a part of it all in the name of some sick witch hunt for hantengu fans.

What the troll is doing is insane, especially since they are the same troll obsessing over Mothzii, and doing even worst things such as taking peoples characters and making pornographic and pedophiliac art of them without consent, going and doing the same with mothzii to harass them, and then stealing peoples art. All because “Oh Mothzii is terrible and any who don’t share my opinion are racist…”. Disgusting behavior. I am convinced that you yourself are the same troll, the sheer fact you responded after I turned off anon asks and fully expecting the same simp troll to respond like this, and here you are proving my point. People have every right to ignore and block things they don’t like from certain creators, but if obsessive people like you keep harassing others for it and causing drama where there is none, you are the worst part of the problem. Touch some grass, get in touch with reality and if you don’t like Mothzii, ignore them and block them. The internet is not reality, you have the power to not look at the stuff you don’t like, be an adult and get over yourself. All respect for a trolls opinion ended when they started going after people who weren’t a part of it and made disgusting art to torment them with. If you have any common sense, stop sending asks with this drama, I want no part of it but the more you send, the more evidence I have on this harassment.

To everyone still getting harassed by the troll, here is their new spam account, but their main is mothxlinaalewdeditz, report them and get them banned

[rainbowsky]

hi, new turtle here and kind of clueless about a lot of things especially how to support GG and DD if we're from intl fandom. that is, I know DD has a lightstick, I know GG has other things..? (which are those?) my point is, how do we as intl fans support them? for Thai actors I know that we can donate money for advertisements and whatnot, but idk what to do for GG and DD. do you have any ideas? thank you and sorry if this message isn't very clear, my English is bad today >_<"

Hi new turtle! 💛🐢💛 Your English is just fine. ☺️

Sorry for the delay in replying to this, I've had very little time lately for Tumblr and I'm hopelessly behind on asks!

I know I've talked about this a bit in the past but finding older posts on Tumblr can be insanely difficult, so I'll go over some of my thoughts on this again.

Standard disclaimer: This is my personal opinion, not a list of demands or directives. Everyone gets to decide how they want to engage in fandom. There is absolutely no obligation to do any of these things, and doing these things does not make you a better fan than anyone else. Nor is anyone who is unable to do these things a lesser fan. The primary goal of fandom is to enjoy yourself (without harming others). I encourage each of you to find your own path and hold your head high, and never let anyone dictate your fandom experience or bully you for your choices.

I'm going to focus on things anyone can do without spending a lot of money or investing a huge amount of time. Alongside that I'll give some advice for those who want to take things further, and warn of some things we might want to avoid.

1 ] Be the best people we can be

The number one thing we can do is live our best lives, be the best people we can be, and help make the world a better place.

From a fandom perspective, we should all be striving to represent GG and DD in the best possible light by being a positive example of fandom at its best. Be kind, be compassionate, be open-minded. Don't bully others, don't engage in fan wars, don't trash other artists or fans. Respect other fans, artists and fandoms.

It's also important to think of how best to respect and protect them, and ensure we aren't painting them in a bad light.

Consider all the ways GG and DD inspire us to make the world a better place, and be the kind of person that reflects their goodness. Behave in ways that would make GG and DD proud, and that show turtles to be a positive force in the world.

Spend time with family, work toward our own goals and dreams. Don't over-invest ourselves in being their fan. This is something GG especially has urged fans to do for years and years.

Taking it to the next level

Lead by example and share that message/approach with others (in a kind, non-judgmental way). Do charitable works in their name (even if it's just in your own local area). Support causes that they would appreciate.

Some causes GG and DD have supported in the past: disaster relief, animal welfare, youth organizations that support disadvantaged kids, autism orgs. Consider orgs that help get kids involved in sports and in the arts. Theater and performance orgs as well. Given the nature of this fandom, you might also want to consider supporting queer orgs (there is a list of queer refugee orgs in this post).

I honestly believe that more than any other thing we could do to support them, this would BY FAR make GG and DD the happiest - just knowing that their fans are inspired to do kind things for others. They would be happier knowing our money is helping those in need, rather than being wasted on things we don't really need in some misguided desire to 'support them'.

Stay away from

Never behave cruelly or in a warlike manner toward other fans, artists or fandoms - especially not 'in GGDD's name'. I can't count how many times I've seen hateful people sporting GG or DD-related usernames and avatars invading other people's fandom spaces to attack them.

Don't support the stalker economy, and make sure the material we connect with them is not harmful. More on that here.

Avoid being taken advantage of. Always do your due diligence before giving money to any cause or organization to ensure they are legitimate and reputable.

2 ] Enjoy and promote their works

Another extremely important thing we can do is enjoy their work and show our support with reviews, ratings, and word-of-mouth recommendations. After all, this is the core of what their careers are about, and it's what they put so much hard work into and make so many big sacrifices for.

A list of key projects and how to view can be found here.

Taking it to the next level

Buy subscriptions on platforms where their work is being shown, buy tickets for their films, etc.

If the films are showing in a region you can't travel to, you can still buy tickets for turtles who can't afford to go. Consider organizing group viewings of their work, or helping to spread the word about their projects in other ways.

More suggestions in this post.

Stay away from

Never engage in false reviews, vote manipulation or manipulating view counts. Such behaviors can harm GG and DD and make them look bad.

3 ] Support their brand endorsements

The best way for any fan to do this is to support their brand endorsements on social media with likes, reblogs and gracious, rational, polite comments.

Always be respectful, calm, polite and professional when interacting with brands. Remember that these are professional partners of GG and DD and we should try to show GG and DD in a good light. Our behavior reflects on them.

Taking it to the next level

If it is within our means, we can buy their brand endorsements, but I urge fans to use good judgment and caution when doing so. I have a more detailed post about supporting their brand endorsements here. Bottom line: don't get caught up in spending all your money on things you can't afford or wouldn't have otherwise bought, just because GG and DD are representatives.

If you do decide to explore supporting their endorsements I recommend reading that post because it might give you food for thought, and help you decide where to invest.

Stay away from

Purchase only what you need and will use or gift to others. Never buy anything just to boost numbers. That type of consumer behavior is wasteful and reflects very poorly on GG and DD and can actually backlash harshly against them.

Never engage in sales manipulation behaviors, such as purchasing items to boost sales and then returning them later for a refund. Brands aren’t stupid. They will notice this type of thing and it will factor into how they evaluate GG and DD’s brand performance.

Understand that brands are very skilled at tracking where sales come from, where brand buzz is coming from, etc. It’s not strictly necessary to make any special fanfare about your purchases, and if fan behavior becomes disruptive it can become a negative rather than positive reflection on GGDD.

Never get involved in disruptive fan behavior, regardless of how hard other fans try to instigate you or induce you to do so.

Never spend more than you can afford. GG and DD are both mega-rich, and so are these brands. Have a sense of perspective and self-preservation and realize GG and DD wouldn’t want you to over-extend yourself on their behalf. Brand purchases aren’t even a core aspect of what’s important to their careers, so your impact would be marginal/practically nonexistent anyway.

If you really want a brand to know you support them because of GG or DD, let them know via social media or by contacting them directly. Send them a nice note, mention them in a tweet showing your purchases, or simply thank them for choosing GG or DD - no purchase necessary.

It’s OK to say you are a turtle, just don’t mention CP topics when interacting with brands, and don’t mention GG or DD in interactions with each other’s brands or bring each other’s solo colors into your messages, especially not on Twitter. That will only stir fan wars and cause disruption that the brands will inevitably witness. It’s not a good look.

Related posts

GG and DD’s projects

BXG, Fan Service and Supporting GGDD

Fandom Survival Guide

BXG Fandom Etiquette

Toxic fans and staying in your own lane

Why fan wars/arguing online is such a bad idea

Why it’s so important for our fandom to behave well online

Protecting GGDD

Again, this is all based on my own opinions and perspectives. It's up to every fan to form their own values and take their own path.

I hope this gives you some ideas, Anon! ☺️

[tearandscream]

In my absence of making art and this lull of photography, I finally decided, why not make a zine, more less not quite a photo book, but something reasonable for people to own, easy to print out and distribute in house. A friend of mine is helping me with layout and the whole print process. I think dwelling on my work made me want to make a nice little physical item to hand out. Originally this was going to be a shared zine with another photographer, but this holds some precious memories and to see the evolution of my work has been really amazing.

Below is just some sentimental stuff and more information.

I'm going to release it at the end of the year, refer to my previous post. Because I'm going to do something I've dreamt of doing, which I should've done in 2023-2024, I'm now given a chance in 2025, multiple chances to get what I want. I have the chance for digital and 120mm film. Frankly my body is vibrating, glowing even with this chance. I actually cried missing my chance in 2023, the following year was a fluke. It held more weight to me that I missed my chance more than anything. It sounds silly to many, but that was the most important chance of my life and it was robbed. I remember crying on a bathroom floor on a Monday afternoon because I was so heartbroken. To act as if I wasn't hurt in that time span would be a lie. It meant more to me than people in my life. I would've risked everything to replay those nights. Frankly risking my relationship to get my dream should've been my priority. I've risked my time, evenings in working my ass off, beautiful days inside working, to be simply robbed due to incompetent ignorance twice.

The good news is, my bucket list has been crossed off as the end of this year. I've had this list since I was pre-teens, it grew but there were core subjects. I've knocked out a few already, but this is precious to me. I get the chance, I finally get the chance to glow. I won't let anyone take this chance from me again and frankly, it's orgasmic to know it's in my hands. So much so I've jokingly said 'I probably won't do live photography ever again'. That's how important this is to me.

Take your art in a level of importance higher than anyone else. It's my best advice. To quote a letter I'd received;

"Getting laid every week is great, sure, but creating, hiking, solitude, reading, getting your fist deep inside the carcass of your art, has a better pay out than going out clubbing and saying you gained an experience, or pretending you worship death. There's only so much you can write about with drugs, fucking, but agony, that's where art creates. Better you pick up that yellow book in the bin, better you sit on a tree with a flask, better you're alone with your insanity. Sex, parties, becoming one with a trend or an aesthetic, only gets you so far. Better to lay in a field, quietly, with your suicide, than to act as if you're perfect in what you throw out there. Where's the risk if you use those around you? Where's the risk if your not taking the ticket, and the ride, like your tattoo. Not the ride of being in such a small circle, but to explore, to dare, to will, to know, to be silent, in any order. The only perfection in this world is your ego death. Once you realize you're a god, kill it, live in that high. Never fucking look back, only bring that corpse out to fuck it into your work. Fuck yourself, fuck your art, fuck nature, fuck the pages in books, fuck your brushes, your pens, fuck all you create, feel the earth, feel the stars."

[emmettkane]

😎 July Update 🔥

Greetings and such, we’re back again! Happy belated pride month! I survived June, despite the universe’s insistence on having events occur, and it looks like you all did as well.

This go around was slower than the last, but there’s enough to talk about anyway! Awful Wizards is being set aside for the time being in lieu of another project (more on that in a bit), I’ve finished up the necessary preparations for Art Fight, and I even had some spare time to play a classic, Deus Ex~

Let’s get on with the details, shall we?

---

Business first: Awful Wizards, while a fun concept, was not as much my bag as I’d hoped. I’m shelving it for now in favor of…

Derelict: Split Station!

A direct sequel to Deep Space Salvage, Split Station is going to be a choice-based RPG set aboard The Vanguard Imminent, a once mighty vessel designed to be the spearhead of a massive, decade-spanning colonial project. Reality has not been so kind to the station and this glorified truck-stop now finds itself edging nearer and nearer to obsolescence.

In the midst of this collapse, you play as L06-4N, a semi-organic salvage unit in the legal possession of a crooked scrapping operation. With the threads of polite society coming undone, you have the chance to decide for yourself what you really are: human or robot, half of each, all of both, or maybe something entirely new! How hard are you willing to fight to define yourself, and who will stand with you when the time comes? Find out on your own terms or fate will decide for you.

Derelict: Split Station will be free to play on Itch and Gamejolt when it comes out~

Woe, Art Fight Upon Ye

My preparations for Art Fight are done! Give the event a look if you want an excuse to draw cool characters and perhaps to get some fun drawings of your own! My sona got a design update too, long overdue if I may say~

I’m on team crystal because shiny rocks are a wizard’s best friend, be they diamond, calcite, fluorite, or uranium~

The event is for all skill levels and exists in the spirit of giving, so get out there and draw, and I’ll see you on the battlefield!

For Your Eyes Only…

Despite the happenings, I had enough free time to finally play the grandpappy of immersive simulators, the original Deus Ex! My introduction to the genre was Dishonored which is an enormously more polished experience. Still, I can see many of the common design threads between the two! More importantly, I can see why someone who grew up playing games like Deus Ex would be inspired to make more games in the style! It’s weird and janky and dated, but it’s very freeing, leaving the player to decide how they want to solve problems a dozen different ways! It’s also stylish, between the over-the-top cyberpunk aesthetic and JC’s ridiculous voice acting, you really can’t beat it~

I guess I was on a kick trying to clear out my backlog because I finally sat down to play Gods Will Be Watching, a game firmly rooted in making difficult decisions based on limited information. Full disclosure, I didn’t beat it! It’s insanely hard, and even on the game’s ‘Narrative’ mode, you can simply make the wrong decision and instantly lose, forcing you to replay through the last section once more.

Still, at no point does the game lie about what it is! It’s a brutal dissection of sci-fi dystopia, a war story about trying to do the right thing even when everyone around you wants to take the easy way out, and it expresses this through its difficulty. If it was easy, that would sort of defeat the point. It’s worth a play if you like hard games and gritty science fiction~

Lost and Found!

There’s the scoop! Derelict’s sequel is in the tube, Art fight will be soon upon us, and Ghost Houses is chugging steadily along in the background! Follow me on Ko-fi to keep up with my projects, check out my Itch for my games, and hop on my mailing list to hear about my books whenever they’re ready!

Draw something cool this month (for artfight or otherwise), take care of yourself, and I’ll see you all in the next one~

[danikamariewrites]

believe me when i say that your blog is AWESOME, AMAZING, im in love with your writing, i think it's the most beautiful thing in the world and i want to say thank you for sharing your talent with us. if i could marry one of your fanfics, i would do it without hesitation. 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 .now that i said my thoughts about your amazing blog, i have a request... MODERN rowaelin x reader.

🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️ (fancy clothes, expensive phones, cars...) i would LOVE to see a fanfic of them in the modern world with reader🧎🏻‍♀️😫 .

no pressure, take your time, stay safe, eat healthy, sleep well, and drink water 🫂💜

Modern!Rowaelin x reader headcanon

A/n: thank you! That’s so nice of you to say and I’m so happy you like my writing (trying to make it my career if Hollywood can get its shit together lol). I love this concept, it’s amazing and I had to write it bc Aelin would thrive as modern day princess/queen.

Sending you love bestie ❤️

Warnings: none

Modern!Rowaelin would be a fucking power couple (and with you a power trio)

Let’s say for this hc that Aelin and Rowan are just a rich couple that come from old money. I’m talking old New England money but they give it a new look bc Aelin likes new stuff, Rowan is like the antique collector in the relationship

When you met they were shopping for art at the gallery you worked at

You had just graduated college a year or so ago and this was your entry level job in the art world. You were actually very familiar with the pieces the gallery sold and you have an insane memory for art history

Aelin and Rowan came in to buy a few pieces for their new apartment in the city so you showed them a few pieces since the owner was busy

The three of you hit it off and they offered to take you out to dinner once you finished with work

You met them at the five-star restaurant that was in their building and that’s when they asked you out. “We knew once we met you we had a connection. If you don’t feel the same way please feel free to reject us and we can pretend this never happened.” Aelin said

But you had felt an instant connection with them too. You felt safe and at home around them. You knew you needed to be with them

After that night you moved in with them and they talked you into quitting your job and working for their clients as an art collector

It was like a dream come true

Aelin and Rowan spoiled you with love, attention, and gifts

You weren’t always a material person, you grew up getting things you asked for that were within your family’s budget but this was a whole other level

After a year of being with them they gave you a credit card, “unlimited spending baby. Anything you want it’s your.” Rowan said kissing you on the cheek

Shopping sprees with Aelin were the best! Those were your bonding trips and when you truly got to know each other. You talked about everything while wandering the aisles of high end department stores, trying on shoes and clothes

Lingerie shopping was the most fun since you would pick out pieces that would drive him crazy (and each other)

There may have been a time or two where you both couldn’t keep your hands to yourself in the changing room

With Rowan your bonding time was going on walks or runs or him teaching you how to work out at the gym

When you were out in nature with him that’s when you saw him most relaxed (besides at home)

Your yearly summer vacation is always to Cape Cod

Both their families have beach houses there but they wanted their own in a different area, so they bought one just before they met you

The house is huge and you obviously use it more than once a year but you always had those set 2 weeks in July that you would go

No work. No distractions. Just the 3 of you, the beach, and fun times

You and Aelin of course demand the best lobster rolls which Rowan gets for you

Ice cream every night after dinner

And they buy you all the souvenirs you want

Two days before you were set to leave, you and Rowan were packing. You folded he put away (he’d never admit it but he’s awful at folding clothes but he tries)

Aelin came running into the bedroom with a shit eating grin on her face that told you two she wanted something, “Row, y/n/n.” “Yes Aelin.” You responded in unison

“I just realized we need something for the Cape house that we don’t have.” Rowan rolled his eyes, “And what would that be, Fireheart?”

“We don’t have a Jeep!” You and Rowan shared a look. “Ok A, so what do you suggest?” Aelin clapped her hands together in excitement “We’re going to get one obviously.” “Right now!?” “Yes Rowan. Come on you’re driving.”

She rushed back out of the room and you followed her as Rowan let out an exasperated sigh, tilting his head back

45 minutes later you were all sitting in the Jeep dealership

Not only did you leave with a Jeep wrangler, but she also managed to find a beautiful jet black convertible Audi

Aelin insisted you bring both to Cape Cod and of course Rowan gave in to her

[stardustlives]

GOTY 2024

The games keep comin'. Another list of games I played throughout the year I thought could be worth mentioning during a game of the year discussion. This list continues to omit games I've replayed and games I didn't think were good or interesting enough to get a mention.

Games of the Year

1)Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom Now is the era of indie 3D platformers all about insane movement tech. Was utterly elated by the energy and level design in this car based platformer where your primary traversal ability is ramping off of stuff. Please give the demo a shot I think you'll find something really special here.

2)Metaphor: ReFantazio Fantasy Persona. After just being okay with Persona 5, I got completely engrossed with this one and its world. I enjoyed how demanding some later fights became as they had me actually do significant changes to my party and strategy to overcome them. In these times of games that are way too fucking long, this was a rare instance of me getting bummed by seeing the end of the adventure on the horizon.

3)Astro Bot The degree of polish in this thing is on another level. Individual stages feel like an entire event as they'll each treat you to lavish set pieces and elaborate, unique mechanics. A joy to give yourself to while looking for cute cameos from PlayStation's history. Now, concerning those cameos, you might think they would prioritize the recognizable mascots or big sellers, and while those are in there, Astro Bot will also grab you by the shoulders, look you straight in the eye and go: "Arc the Lad." It's awesome.

4)Nine Sols Fresh off of their struggle against Xi Jinping, narrative horror game developer Red Candle Games decided to take a swing at a tight, execution heavy, parry focused, action exploration game. And boy what a swing it is. Its intense action is backdropped by a cool comic book art style that it uses to deliver a beautiful melancholic story about one's time passing. Strong mood and fantastic boss fights.

5)BAKERU The Kirby's Epic Yarn developer made a Ganbare Goemon spiritual successor. Everything's bouncy and joyous. This thing's a non-stop party with regular enemies spread across levels having a silly good time just for the fun of it. The bright colors and bad guys hanging out gave me Ape Escape 3 vibes.

6)Animal Well There used to be a time where video games were occult and mysterious. Not because they didn't have tutorials but because the tutorials were written down inside manuals and we didn't read those. Nevertheless! This feeling of mystery kids make for themselves by being impatient is what Animal Well wants to emulate in its own atmosphere and design. The game refusing to textually explain itself instead presenting you with situations that nudge you towards uncovering its functions yourself leading to great feelings of discovery.

7)Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Elden Ring 2 over here. Loved the new weapon types and its gorgeous environments. Don't got too much new to say about more Elden Ring other than I mostly enjoyed the controversial high difficulty. But, boy, they can ease up with the next one. They gave entire boss move sets to regular respawning enemies. They don't got nothin' to prove it's okay.

8)Tekken 8 Tekken's fucking awesome. As a casual player, the intuitive nature of the controls allows them to be easily expressive. It's a great time at even lower skill levels which is not always the case with highly regarded fighting games. The (on release at least) downright reasonable progression mechanics made me reevaluate Mortal Kombat 1 from the prior year pretty negatively by reminding me that even in a "live" game, progression systems can be about drip feeding game elements and rewards to the player without being entirely about maximizing their time in a microtransaction store.

9)Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines Grapple Dog is back and he's the latest platforming mascot to find an interdimensional portal with an edgier version of himself in it! She's got a gun too, watch out! Develops the design of the first game further with some new powerups that bestow special abilities for the duration of a level.

10)Crow Country A uniquely stylish nostalgia play on your classic Silent Hills and Resident Evils. It has a grainy 90's atmosphere over toy-like characters and environments that seem to either elicit a creeped out "analog horror" vibe for some or nostalgic coziness for others. I lean in the second camp. Either way, a very compelling diorama world to explore.

An Ample Selection of Runners-up

11)Penny's Big Breakaway Era of insane movement tech again. Same developer as Sonic Mania which I'm more critical about than most people. Mania is beautiful and has wonderful music but I frequently felt like I was just holding right and watching the game happen rather than playing it. Not here, this is a very involved 3D platformer with many synergizing movement options. Difficulty can be a bit inconsistent as some challenges give me the impression of having been only tested by people who got very good at the game as members of its development team. While most of the game is pretty chill, it will sometimes spike and demand very sharp execution from you. The high skill ceiling is definitely its own appeal though.

12)UFO 50 I spent the entirety of this thing's development thinking it was going to be 50 minigames so I was like "what's taking so long?" but no, this isn't 50 minigames, it's 50 games. Mostly at the scope of NES games but still. In the 50+ hours I put into it I ended up clearing 11 games and cherry clearing (completionist clearing) 7 of those. There's some meat on them bones and I want to go back to 'em. Getting into specifics for each games would be an essay on its own, but, hey, you want 50 NES games that are almost all at least pretty good?

13)Instruments of Destruction Red Faction: Guerilla developers got together to make a hybrid between Blast Corps and Besiege. In the main campaign you use a kinda shocking amount of unique vehicles to fulfill destruction objectives in various combinations of destroy this, don't destroy that, do it fast, dodge the missiles… always with a new kind of goofy ass car that might just act like a bulldozer or have a giant flipper at the front. Then, in the second campaign, the game fully turns into Besiege asking you to build your own motorized solutions to the blight of upright man-made structures. I fell off of that second one but the Blast Corps style main campaign was great fun the whole time.

14)Dread Delusion A tiny indie team taking on the task of making an entire Elder Scrolls game taking particular inspiration from the odd vibes of Morrowind. Extremely ambitious and inheriting the limitations of its inspirations both in the form of simplistic gameplay and not infrequent technical issues (though they did patch the game heavily and quickly). Limitations or no, I cannot speak highly enough of the creativity that courses through the world and its distinct lands. From its blighted medieval countryside to its, uh, blighted but worse and more fucked up industrialized Siberian snowlands. The real appeal to me is hanging out in the wonderful, imaginative world to learn of its factions and takes on supernatural concepts like ghosts, undead eating habits and relationships to what one might call gods.

15)Children of the Sun Devolver Digital presents: JFK Reloaded. You're a young psychic woman with a Mandy-esque beef against a freaky forest cult. The game has you scout the positions of cultists whom you must then take out with a single bullet whose path you can influence with a small suite of powers. Starting with the ability to "refire" the shot in a new direction after a kill. Each level is a pathing puzzle all about achieving some real grungy Yondu shit.

16)Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Oh boy. I have such mixed feelings here. Remake's excellent combat system is still here as good or even better than it used to be thanks to new playable characters and new mechanics they sorta have to sneak onto the controller. The environments are mostly great (except the jungle which sucks) as well as beautiful but much of the game is spent doing map clearing stuff, uneven sidequests, and mediocre minigames. I find much of this version of the story awkward as well. The pacing suffering most of all both from the sluggishness that comes from the map clearing open world design and the relentless maximalism that comes from the developers' decision to turbo stuff every moment of the story. High highs low lows and a whole lot of mediocre faff in-between.

Something I've thinking about a lot is how much substance is actually present in longer games and how that compares to games of more modest length. My somewhat thorough replay of the original FF7 in 2020 took 60 hours. My similarly thorough playthrough of FF7Remake (covering the 4~7 hour Midgar section of the original) took 40 hours. Rebirth, which runs until the end of disc 1 of 3, took over 100 hours and its mostly mediocre 6 hour final dungeon lasted longer than a full playthrough of my third favorite game Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner and its extra mode, Zoradius, a simple take on a 3D Gradius. Just something I couldn't get out of my mind all the way through that dungeon. The fights against the red dragon and wall monster were very good.

17)Great God Grove You're on your way to vacation in the titular GGG when you come upon the near divine instrument known as the Megapon which allows you to speak to people! Or, more specifically, repeat shit you're told! Wow!! From the same developers as Smile For Me this is also a wholesome little adventure about getting an adorable cast of oddballs to understand each other. If you've any taste for Psychonauts this is absolutely down your alley.

18)Frogun Encore Tiny sequel to Frogun (mentioned in the Catch Up section) with new mechanics and camera perspective. Encouraging even wackier speedrunning tech than the original. Very much worth playing both.

19)Pepper Grinder Handful of tiny games down here. A Devolver published joint in the style of a GBA game all about zooming through dirt with a large drill to collect treasure and perform sick jumps.

20)The Rise of the Golden Idol Outside of some quality of life adjustments to the UI this is mostly more of The Case of the Golden Idol. Which is good because while the original deduction game is very good you kinda can't play it again. You've already deduced everything there is to deduce. Taking its world that's much like ours but not quite to modern times means taking modern technological trappings in consideration while thinking through the incidents.

21)Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door A mostly slightly better version of Paper Mario: TTYD. Still a great game but not different in ways that are excessively worth noting.

22)Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Ups and downs. It has a 6 hour long prologue that is almost lethally boring but once it gets going after the first war segment I enjoyed it. A word I kept coming back to when I was trying to figure out my feelings for it was "cozy". This is sort of the platonic ideal for a PS1 style JRPG and how appealing you find this will depend on how cozy the PS1 JRPG form is to you. Unfortunately, carries over the PS1 JRPG characteristic of a wonky localization where it seems the writer and voice director simply did not speak to each other. Very odd changes ignoring what the original work was going for especially in sidequests. There's group of 4 characters that are clear parodies of shonen archetypes in their dialogue and designs but the voice direction is just doing something else. So similar to Suikoden 2 I might recommend you just play Suikoden 1 then that instead but if you want something comfortable and familiar I enjoyed it as comfort food.

23)Dragon's Dogma 2 Second attempt at trying to "get" Dragon's Dogma. Really loved the skill system but did not vibe with its idiosyncrasies and caprices. I wish its game design had either been way more normal or way weirder. Appreciate that if they're gonna have ridiculous fantasy slut garb the dudes can put it on too.

24)Berserk Boy We will simply never run out of indie takes on Mega Man and we should be grateful, frankly. This one's not the best out there with some frustrating jank, even softlocking me during an optional challenge which turned me off of all of them but it's neat all the same. People who make these have a good tendency to ensure they feature unique ideas and make their games interesting in their own right.

25)Froggo's Adventure: Verdant Venture Teeny weeny little Kirby's Adventure inspired tiny small thing. You're a frog who suspects a witch girl might have maybe stole something from your well so maybe you should go to her house and beat the shit out of her? Maybe! It's less than $1.50 CAD and a good time for it.

26)Nightmare Kart Formerly Bloodborne Kart until Sony said no literally a day from release. Kinda funnier than it's fun but benefits from a "you get what you pay for" valuation as it's free.

27)Starstruck: Hands of Time A meditation on the blurry line between inspiration and plagiarism and the ways one is necessary to enriching an ever developing creative inner world while its nearly indistinguishable sibling is a harbinger of rotten, even apocalyptic, stagnation. This game has right in its main menu a bibliography of inspirations featuring the likes of Chulip, Kare Kano, and Richard Wagner. On that last one, it's impossible and arguably irresponsible to discuss ol' Deutschland Dick without mentioning his influence on Adolf Hitler which the game will momentarily do, awkwardly maintaining a wholesome veneer while non-specifically gesturing towards a "dictator". I'm gonna be blunt here I did not like this one. It has an issue typical of creative projects without much oversight where it eventually ends up with its head a ways up its own ass with the metaphors and references. I spent most of its climax muttering "fuckin' wrap it up" to myself. Some of its gameplay is a not great rhythm game with an uneven soundtrack. "Break the Mold" is the closest it has to Gitaroo Man's Legendary Theme and it sucks ass.

Despite all that it's an interesting text worth interacting with if the word "different" is important to you when used in relationship to video games.

Catch Up

God of War: Ghost of Sparta (2010) Bastion (2011)

Tyranny: Gold Edition (2017) Tyranny is set in a world where evil has won and you, as an exceptional individual, have been scouted to be a "Fatebinder" a sort of a wandering lawyer/judge/executioner representing the judgement of Archon of Justice Tunon the Adjudicator, highest authority beneath Kyros the Overlord. The game denies you the ability to make a morally clean character as before the game begins in earnest you'll be made to determine your history as mediator between two of the empire's brutal armies: The uncompromising supremacist Disfavored and the infernal snarling horde of the Scarlet Chorus.

Regardless of how many games I play I still have blind spots, CRPGs being one of them. Ahead of playing Baldur's Gate 3 I wanted to get my feet wet and train my ability to lean into roleplaying, play a character whose values differ from mine and accept less than optimal resolutions. I struggled at first but what really unlocked the roleplaying for me was the Reputation system. The first companion who joins you is Verse of the Scarlet Chorus and I utterly hated her. Going through her dialogue tree and learning about her was initially exhausting to me and threatened to make me bounce off of the experience until after a particularly unpleasant story the game gave me the opportunity to bluntly call her disgusting. The way Reputation works in tyranny is that you concurrently build Favor and Wrath with factions and Loyalty and Fear with companions. One does not take from the other like in say, Mass Effect, there's no wrong answer there's just what your character would do. Leaning into my hatred for the Scarlet Chorus committed me to a character which let me have a great time learning about Tyranny's layered world. Sorta peters out in the 3rd act in, what I'm told, is common for CRPGs but the way there was always compelling.

Yuppie Psycho (2019) Demon Turf (2021) Demon Turf: Neon Splash (2022)

Scorn (2022) First person atmospheric adventure all about diving into an H.R. Giger-esque world. Freaky and gorgeous. Many people struggle to get what the combat expects of you which is that as much as possible you do not want to be in a fight. You want to let creatures pass and you only want to hit them so they're staggered enough to let you bail. Worth playing if you want to be in this sort of atmosphere.

Frogun (2022) Adorable platforming adventure with tight levels where you use the tongue of your "Frogun" to zip across gaps. Every level is to be done twice: first as a collectathon and routing exercise and then as a speedrunning challenge where the level design allows and enjoys ridiculous skips that will satisfyingly cut down your time to a fraction of your initial playthrough.

Marvel's Midnight Suns (2022) Okay so the on-ramp is too long and it drags real bad at the end and it's got (pre-mcu) Buffy era style Joss Whedon dialogue you might find grating but hear me out: Once the game gets going for real its system of one-shotting mooks, tossing them into each other, to build Heroism points that can then be cashed in for bigger moves produces a rhythm and strategizing I've never seen in any other tactics game. It's a great time.

Lunacid (2023) I was never really impressed or into creepypasta style horror but this thing marries it to shockingly potent effect with King's Field style pacing and atmosphere. Made by a very small team its got some wonky balancing but the mood is something else. Very high recommendation for anyone who takes pleasure in exploring odd, eerie spaces.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (2023)

Turbo Overkill (2023) First weapons you get are dual wielded laser magnums followed by laser SMGs that are also dual wielded. A button press will make a chainsaw burst from you cyborg leg and launch you into a high speed slide at no cost. In some ways this thing feels like it's trying to be The Final Boomer Shooter, going for peak stupid meathead video game fun.

Orbo's Odyssey (2023)

Lies of P (2023) My favorite non-FromSoft Souls game. Can Timothee Chalamet become a real boy? Derivative in nonnegligible ways but things like the weapon combining system and Pinocchio theming help keep it apart.

Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) Oh boy I might have played this gigantic thing twice in a row. Spunky little indie sleeper hit you may not have heard of; I gave it a year to truly complete its early access period. I loved it. I loved roleplaying as a Vengeance Paladin struggling against the Dark Urge, I loved the party (except Lae'zel) and loved the build making. My second playthrough was all about goofy multiclasses and gave me a real taste for it.

PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo (2023)

A More Modest Than Usual Selection Of Retro Games

Jumping Flash! (1995)

Jumping Flash! 2 (1996) Hadn't played this since I was 6 when I got lost in the second world's "maze" level even though these are little games for little babies that a little baby could play. Don't know what was wrong with me. Very neat looking and a fun look back to a time before standardization when there wasn't a set way to make a first person shooter or any sort of game for that matter.

Final Fantasy IX (2000, HD 2017)

The Adventures of Cookie and Cream (2001) FromSoftware experiment in making an entirely co-op game where each player runs through puzzle platforming to allow their partner to make progress. Played through this with a friend and it was a great time.

Looney Tunes: Sheep Raider (2001) Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf outside of North America, a puzzle game based on the Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog Looney Tunes cartoons where you as Ralph have to use ACME contraptions to steal sheep from under Sam's nose. I was impressed by its capacity to emulate the cartoon's animation style with PS1 graphics and each stage having unique mechanics that never show up again. There's some real head scratchers in there too.

Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando (2003)

Ratchet: Deadlocked (2005) Going Commando was alright but I was annoyed with every part of it that wasn't just Ratchet & Clank combat. Then I remembered a rental from my childhood, like, hey, you know what game is nothing but Ratchet & Clank combat? All about leveling up your goofy ass guns so they get even goofier. Awesome time.

Call of Duty 2 (2005) You like that? You like me calling Call of Duty 2 a retro game?

Missed games I'd like to get around to when I can make time. The video games… Please... they are too good…

FANTASIAN Neo Dimension Freed from apple arcade, rub and tug diorama Final Fantasy.

Sorry We're Closed Resident Evil: Dead Aim by way of Silent Hill and Grasshopper Manufacture.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown I bought this months ago and never made time for it! Despite being a lifelong Ubisoft and Rayman hater, it's my opinion that Ubisoft Montpellier's Rayman Legends is an all-time great so you can imagine how upset I was when their next highly well received game didn't sell enough for Ubisoft's tastes so they shot the whole team in the back of the head. Eager to play it and complete my mourning period.

Dungeons of Blood and Dream Nasty ass grungy first person roguelite sorta thing.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven I gotta actually sit down and give a SaGa game a real shot and this one sounds way weirder than its art style suggests.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Genuinely not sure if I wanna play this one. It'd be the first Ryu Ga Gotoku game I skip but the length preemptively exhausts me. If I choose to play it, I need to figure out how I want to interact with it.

Flintlock: Siege of Dawn Played the demo which was alright and was intrigued by the exp system which has you gamble a multiplier. You never lose the exp but you might lose the bonus.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Great demo for a well focused, weird game; couldn't make time for it!

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Neat looking "good kind of a 7 out of 10" I don't want to pay for. Maybe after a deep discount or through alternative means once it's fully updated.

Gundam Breaker 4 Don't know if I could make time for it but I love designing robots.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Do I wanna play this? Do I wanna just replay the original?

Judero Whole stop motion world made with old customized figures, I wanna see it!

Slitterhead Demo for this one by the Silent Hill 1 and Siren director was rough but I'm still intrigued.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership Need to hear more about this one to know if it's a return to Superstar Saga quality or if it carries the issues of later Mario & Luigi RPGs

Sonic X Shadow Generations They made a good Sonic game? Seemingly titled like a slashfic?

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Want this to be my way to "get" S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Gonna do the same thing I did for Baldur's Gate 3 and give it a year of updates.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Got frustrated at how effusive the reception to this was because it made it something else to add to this bloated list. Good problem to have.

Kura5: Bonds of the Undying A free Boktai fangame that seems very cute.

[salted-anime-takes]

Sword Art Online (S1 & S2; dropped after that)

Author: Reki Kawahara, originally light novels

Studio: A-1 Pictures

Genres (Listed by MAL): Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance (vomits), Love Polygon (kills you)

Premiered: Summer 2012

Anime vs. Manga?: You couldn't pay me less than $100 to consume additional content to this series. I'd also need a large margarita.

Salted Genres: stereotypical teen boy fantasy, loser cardboard male mc, harem of women too good for him, jesus christ they had a torture dungeon for main girl in S2 by some grown man obsessed with her???, jesus FUCKING christ they gave Kirito a cousin who is into him but reasoned it off not being totally blood related, why did we let this series get so popular

Major Trigger Warnings: that weird sex dungeon thing in S2, almost incest, shitty writing, shitty love polygon garbage

Can I Watch It Around My Parents?: Just don't watch it. The cultural context isn't worth it. Do yourself a favor and stop thinking isekai will be family friendly when the main audience is incels.

Artstyle: That moe-esque style without any personality and makes all the main characters look 12, and many side characters look ridiculously older.

Personal Review: I will never forgive SAO for kicking off the isekai genre in anime so hard. Fuck yourself, Kirito. Every other anime lead in isekai is just you. Fuck this garbage pile for the isekai boom. Fuck my life

Context: This is the real reason you're here, aside from the scathing remarks you've probably heard a billion times. Why the fuck is this show even relevant? Let's go back to the early 2010s, before half of tumblr could pretend to read. (This is mostly from the Western perspective, so please add anything else happening in the world with this wild popularity jump, because I'd LOVE to hear additional takes.) Several factors were going on. Firstly, Netflix was finally a full streaming service, and most people were starting to subscribe. You didn't have to hope it was on Toonami or go to whatever sketchy websites had anime illegally available (and get every virus known to computer-kind) to get your fix anymore. Well... for a small starting selection. Secondly, while the isekai genre was already a fully developed thing, it hadn't broken into the majority Western anime viewership circles, which barely ventured outside of Toonami at the time. Then along came SAO. Netflix got the rights to the entire first season, and suddenly, it was not only insanely accessible but also something most Western fans had never seen before. You die in the game, you die in real life?! Incredible!!! (Sorry Tron, you weren't high fantasy enough for this crowd.) Thirdly, gaming was finally mainstream, and watching streamers was a new norm. The timing couldn't have been better for its release. And what with the insane levels of ignorance and assumptions most Western anime watchers had at the time of anime tropes, most red flags discussed were merely looked over. We let too much slide in the early 2010s, and SAO was one of the biggest culprits. Fourthly, if you needed a gateway anime? SAO didn't require any sort of understanding of Japanese culture to get, which appealed to a lot of people who didn't want to think outside their box, as was the early 2010s. Despite it all, SAO was easy merchandise. Hot Topic (apologies for the American chain drop) was venturing into nerd culture and including some nice trinkets for the little nerds that hung out with their goth besties, and anime merch- including SAO- was some of the first big hits. After that? It's history. I don't know if anyone who still claims to like SAO actually is banking on nostalgia or just never gained tastes beyond a lameass horny 15 year old boy, but that boom it created gave so many light novel writers the ticket they needed to get isekai as a major genre in today's seasonal anime lineup.

Favorite Character: Asuna deserved better you motherfuckers. She actually did stuff until you get thrown into the most unnecessary slice of life arc where they begin the Sexualization. S2 cour 2 they gave her a genuinely interesting opportunity to be a lead, AND Kirito wasn't there. Still not worth watching.

Fandom: you couldn't pay me ANYTHING to check this.

[frenchkisstheabyss]

hi ! ive been following you since i started using tumblr and literally LOVE everything you write ! i am wanting to start writing things myself and was wondering if you have any suggestions for new writers ? lovelovelove <3

Aww yaaaay. It always hits me in the heart parts when someone loves my work 🥹🖤

It's awesome that you want to start writing things! I demand a tag when you start posting your work so I can celebrate your first post!

The most important thing I want you to keep in mind going into this is that you are your own unique person with your own unique narrative voice! Embrace that. It's really easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others but know that who you are as a writer is beautiful.

Never be afraid to Google things. People say, "Oh you should just know." Bullshit. Google things if you don't know about them but you want to write about them. Research and exploration are a fun part of the creative process.

Follow writing resources/writing tip blogs on here. Also, don't be afraid to take inspiration from writing prompts. Art that comes from prompts is just as valid as anything else.

Use a thesaurus. You don't always need to use a fancy synonym but sometimes we writers can wear a word out and it's good to be able to switch it up.

Fuck what other people think, write what you want. Write what makes you happy. What brings you joy/comfort/etc. If people feel entitled to dictate what you write, well, tell them I said "suck it" and tag me lol

Don't worry about the length of your fics. Your story will come out how it needs to. Don't cut yourself off or stretch things out because you feel the need to.

Aaaand don't burn yourself out. Be easy on yourself. I use these writing session videos on YouTube to keep me from putting insane levels of pressure on myself. I hope this all helps you. You've got this!

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

I absolutely fall into this category.

I always have mixed feelings about these things.

I understand there's a form of unhealthy attachment that might happen with fiction, but I'm always of the belief that anything that brings you happiness + doesn't hurt anybody else or yourself + doesn't take from your routine/tasks/job/etc is actually good for you.

And this has happened for centuries, it's nothing new. We all know what the fans of Conan Doyle at the time did when he killed Sherlock. Escapism has always brought something positive to human life, which can also serve as an outlet to be creative - be it with writing fics or drawing or whatever else. Hell, if there's something all humans love is stories. And I'm not just saying that, it's a proven fact. There's research about neural coupling and storytelling being the strongest way of communicating ideas, to the point that brains synchronize with each other.

It makes me sad that this is something that attracts so much (fake) concern, but seeing a bunch of guys go crazy over a game of football is perfectly normal. They can wear the shirts, spend an insane amount of money to attend the World Cup, they watch matches and sports channels and talk about it with their friends... and I never see anybody writing novels on how these guys need a reality check or calling them cringe. It's just something they enjoy that triggers an emotional response, nothing more.

And anyway, I think attachment to a fictional character comes from within. There's something you might see in them that reflects something from you, your life, your experiences, your relationships... you're mostly projecting something about you or something you want for you, etc.

It's a hobby. A past time. Can it reach unhealthy levels? Sure, but anything can. Love for sports, music, arts... you name it. Should something be done about it? Perhaps, but I've read a few stories (ha!) from people who say their own therapists tell them their love for fiction is perfectly healthy and I'd say those folks know more than the average redditor...

That last line from OP though, I especially don't like: "They define their childhood by movies and shows and games they enjoyed in their youth". Yeah, alright. Dig deeper and they probably played/watched them with their parents or it made them happy for some time and met new friends over it or they had a shitty childhood and those movies and shows were their only way of escaping... If you want to judge it superficially then sure, but there's always more to it if you dig a little bit deeper.

[hospitalterrorizer]

diary448

12/15-16/24

sunday - monday

sleepy, long day,

it started oddly, i read about buddhist hell a little, here's what set that in motion, posted by someone who is in a server i'm in:

and then this perpetuated it, based on researching the hell garden in thailand:

one really insane takeaway here is the woman hating on display, talking about it with my friend he says most popular religions exhibit that, which is true, but buddhism seems to take it rather far, in ways, on top of that it's never talked about, it's de-fanged in the west and treated as a very spiritually 'pure' thing i guess, that's the best word i can come up with at the moment, but the other thing is this sense that in this grotesquery there is a kind of enjoyment, not in the sufferers so much, though some it feels the case, but in its representation, as if it serves two purposes, and one purpose attacks the other, maybe the dual structure of transgression, its subordination to law, is part of that, but there is a level on which it operates in a carnivalesque way, where it's this freeing of blood and disgusting facets of life, a nightmare given shape, pain to witness and grin at, but not because it is solely a joke, because of a terrible weight it offers to you, not necessarily because of any implication it has over your future, though that's part of its desired affect, but i think because some of these images are so outlandish and pointless seeming that even attempts to situate them in spiritual punishment/ a system of karma, something is left unsaid, look at these:

sure, the man's hands being avulsed is related to the act of theft most likely, but his face, there is something so morbid and excessive in what he is made to be, the torturer's role is almost to fade away, he is replicated, he is all over, the focus is solely on the suffering and pain. in some ways i suppose this brings to mind octave mirbeau's torture garden, it is a kind of literal torture garden. but that book, while it ends with this kind of phantasmagoric vision, i mean there's quite a lot like that but one thing that sticks with me is this moment with an older executioner, talking about how the art's fallen apart, he devised this method that was very intense, no one else is trying so much any more, that kind of interiority given to thought behind the act, but here all you have is the act and result in the middle of the process, no reflection, just miserable and strange fact. and then that pig man, rejoicing in his sin, this intense avatar of pleasure, pig-headed desirous being you are, an odd condemnation, you feel yourself in him as much as you are repulsed, and the man calmly feeding his guts to the crows, there is an image of intense bonding of desire and love of excess with the desire to meditate upon it, he is no saint or monk, he is a pervert, to me, a lovely and odd pervert.

i guess i wanna note the woman hating aspect, because it has a lot to do with reducing women to pregnancy and a big part is abortion, something i never really thought about with buddhism, i knew about them wanting to punish women for being temptresses and that kind of thing, i suppose that's implied here, but to follow that implication to this line feels crazy to me:

i can't claim to know everything about buddhism but i do feel rather certain about these sculptures being rooted in an intense misogyny, though the excessive nature of them also makes them feel like one could spin them around, expressions of nightmares of what one may have to endure, or to use them in that way as a kind of poetry. insane things though.

we also went out today, kind of a long day, hard to explain, we ended up going to sam's town after eating dinner somewhere i got no food at because everything seemed gross... (applebee's...), and looked at this thing in the center of the casino that's like, this wildlife garden/diorama thing, they had animatronic animals, one was a bear that looked really strange, like it had a heft to its face i suppose, it looked soft and nice and also kind of murderous but also mostly fake, there was a beaver by some water, some weird thing that seemed like a deer or a fox but i couldn't make sense of it, but here's something funny, they had these crazy no smoking signs:

i really like how shitty these look, also, idk what got on the lens of my phone but i liked it enough to not wipe it off when i took these. while at sam's town, we met up with my gf's mom's friends from aa, they were rather nice and chatty older women who left me alone mostly, one had a lot of stories and would talk talk talk, and the other talk talk talked but wasn't so interested in telling you about her life, she'd just find a way to talk about whatever came up in conversation, i didn't say a lot the whole night, i just figure the less i say the better, i can get myself into trouble when i want to be silly or whatever, and it seemed more interesting to just listen, the woman who had stories really has been through a lot, it seemed best to just respect her.

we spent most of the night in the car, with these women, my gf had to sit in the middle seat in the back, which is really terrible for her (i mean it (it's just not too comfortable)), for like hours, i think we drove through this like, light display thing on the motor way for like 3 or 4 hours? most of that time was in this miserable vehicle queue, this holiday lights thing. it was mostly my gf's mom's friends chatting and my gf and i listening in, it wasn't bad i think, more bearable than i'd expect but i'd also never ever do it again, that queue just sucked so bad. and the lights were okay but mostly ads... i mean "okay"... what do i even mean, it's like, it's definitely basically ugly and weird and shallow and empty, it's only interesting because that is something that we still churn out, you know, it's going to see a building on fire a little bit i suppose. there were like, difficult to parse holiday light displays of the taking of iwo jima, a soldier kneeling with an ar, port-of-subs... one thing one of my gf's mom's friends said that killed me was:

i love these trees with the lights and the icicles coming down, period.

not like, because her liking that makes her worth laughing at, the phrasing and how she said it reminded me exactly of how longmont potion castle speaks, and it felt crazy, and it made me warmer to her.

after that, on the ride back to sam's town because the two women left their cars there, my gf's mom pulled a twisted move which was bringing up the time colin kaepernick (is that how you spell his name? i'm not checking... i don't even recall the team he plays on ... sorry colin... i do respect you) took a knee and the women were like, it's so tacky he did that, it's good he ruined his career, stuff like that, stuff about how he disrespected soldiers because they put their lives on the line for us (they basically volunteer to die...), just that kind of thing, i said nothing but my gf's mom did it to just bait them to "show us what she has to deal with" sometimes, i'm not like mad at her or uncomfortable even, it's just a crazy gesture, they gave maybe equally crazy responses, the fact it's still on their minds at all or still makes them mad, that's like, insane. one was super christian, i wonder what she really thought about me, if anything.

at one point she asked for the radio station to be changed to this christian station, and she kept saying:

it's this christi-- it's - it's this spirit, it's christ- it's playing christian it's playing christmas music...

which was a strange thing to observe, she seemed so ashamed and wanted no one to know it felt like but is also too honest for her own good.

the other thing i did today was watch the horrors of malformed men, which was rather horny and objectified women massively, it also felt like, on some level you can wrench the idea that where women were at in the film, there's an awareness of what the bourgeoisie might do, and this affluent family and the mad patriarch trying to collect women to do "what he pleases" with them, on his island of malformed men, has some connotation in that direction. though, it also feels like it's mostly so you can look at naked women. even still i totally loved the film... my morals are so compromised... it wasn't really about the nudity but i wonder if it should upset me more that this is just part of japanese filmmaking of a certain period, that said there are some points, the especially hallucinatory moments in particular, which really need the excess and lascivity to work, and in those moments it didn't feel so... i don't know, i don't think it ever felt gross, never even pornographic, really the whole film feels dirty and rotten in a way, it needs that instability, that instability also enables it this double sided thing, where it almost articulates the fact that women tend to be objectified by these strange wealthy figures, that ressentiment is part of bourgeoisie morality and that it makes of certain people subjects to be punished, the imagination of half the world as weak and solely existing for sex and breeding, a kind of phantasmal outpouring of that fact against an overactive imagination, burning desires, total confusion. at once it feels important, on the other, it feels nauseating. but idk, what's the use in saying all this, am i just being a moralist, really i just want to acknowledge this weirdness of the text, that its messiness gets somewhere as much as it fails, that that itself moves me, and because of that, i think, the confusion and the lust and the desire to abscond with that horrible world, all while penetrating deeper to understand it, finding yourself wrapped up in it, deeply implicated in its workings as you try to free yourself, it made me cry, in all that burning and surreal confusion.

on top of this, i did not expect it to feature so much butoh, as well as tatsumi hijikata himself! this connection and having any background knowledge of butoh and angura elucidates the text, it being tethered to an earlier period of japan (taisho) as well as the way even in its setting are earlier periods implicated, the traditional seaside town, already backwards compared to the tokyo the protagonist flees from, oh, here i should note the presence of the carnival/circus, which also brings me to another odd function within the film that makes it feel tethered to kristeva's notion of the carnivalesque beyond featuring the circus, the odd humor, puerile at times, other times so oddly timed and inappropriate feeling, and being so, it feels perfect, oddly timed jabs at itself, laughter in the dark beating of the universe, our cursed position and our stumbles through the dark, the non-sense and terror, it felt as if it was really given place, here.

here are some shots...

the circus, so lovely, i need to see more films with taisho era circuses... i need to read more about that...

faces...

phantasmagoria... i wonder if it was intended that tatsumi hijikata had this jesus-like thing going on, or if it's just that he seems like jesus because of his odd and wasted body, and continuous expression/unfolding of pain/articulation of the body beneath all the forces of the world. the butoh performances in this film really make it incredible, and i feel like that's part of what makes the sex/nudity on display more than just purely objectifying for the actors, while the characters/figures they represent are, there's a dimension to their handling of their bodies that is an articulation of something, it's rooted in butoh although i wonder if this is enough of a difference to mean anything to others. it feels true to me, at least.

i took selfies today but i'll put them up tomorrow... i wanna watch another film tomorrow too, more j-horror... or maybe i'll rewatch hakuchi the innocent??? maybe i should hold off, watch some older films... read more too... need to read tomorrow.

here's a song:

getting into her too late... some of her stuff sort of hits me in my soul, not in an emotional way really just like it's in line with how i feel woozy and stuff, or i'm in line with her, that feels more right, i precede nothing.

then one more,

now i hafta sleep,

so,

byebye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!