#I think this gives the best effect as this is how the original artist does his work

[luckytidbit]

Inked traditionally, coloured digitally. (Scan in under cut)

[whatswexceles]

I’m really tired.

This is I guess my big long official response to everything that's going on in the rainworld fandom

Since Tuesday I've been recording all my thoughts about this whole thing daily. This is something of a consolidation of all of that plus more. the original abridged version will be posted in a reblog.

I’d like to preface this with a few things

Firstly: This is a criticism of people’s ideas and philosophies. Not them as a person. I don’t despise anyone involved really either, I’m still friends with people on both “sides” of this dispute. I’ll try my best to avoid name dropping regardless

Secondly: if you DARE to harass anyone involved in this you are worse than everyone I’m talking about here

Third: I know there’s lots of misinformation floating around on this and I know I alone can’t clear it all out of my judgments. So if you spot anything I say that is blatantly wrong, I encourage you to tell me. Same goes for criticism, if you disagree with anything i say I wouldn’t mind being told RESPECTFULLY. If you just start attacking me I won’t really bother. I do want to have a conversation here

A few days ago, it came out that the single piece of evidence used to harass the biggest and most influential rain world artists off the internet was faked and spread with little thought or effort. And people have been scared that misinformation will be spread about them, or they’ll make a mistake and get harassed for it. Myself and my friends included.

My goal in this specific essay-post-ramble-thing is to give my thoughts and to write about how I believe to move forward In a way where that doesn't hurt people further, because I honestly don't hold a grudge against anyone who has spoken out against pansear or unwillingly spread misinformation in an attempt to help, or even people who wrote harmful stuff while angry or emotional.

There is, however, one individual who I will not spare sympathy for. I’ll get to them later.

Something I don't see being talked about that much is that misinformation about pansear and the shipping container have been spread since the initial post made calling out SC. The claim was thrown around that “SC is full of zoophiles and groomer defenders” which needless to say, is extremely false. Not only did nobody in the server know of the allegations until they went public (no hypothetical groomer defender would even know of a groomer to be defended), SC also had one of the strictest “no NSFW/suggestive material” rules of most servers I'm in. it was so strict that deez nuts jokes were off limits.

Was this a purposeful attempt to cause a harrasment campaign or just emotions clouding judgment? The answer doesn't really matter because this sentiment was doubled down on and hurt a lot of people, including myself

Why am I bringing this up? Because this misinformation had a similar, smaller effect to what we’re seeing now. People affiliated with SC were worried that they were going to be harassed for being affiliated with something everyone disliked. Today there are dozens of examples of people being worried about being harassed because someone might not like them and might spread misinformation. Let's hope this time we prevent this from going even further…

But, If it does. If the methods used to persecute pansear become the norm, then that hurts everyone, including the people spreading it. To quote myself from the past:

“…looking at how pansear was being nitpicked for problematic behavior, It just looks like the start of a cycle… …because if you foster a following that finds faults in normal behavior, what do you think will happen as soon as *you* make a mistake, or even a mistake you already made gets dug up. well then you’re gonna get nitpicked to oblivion. If You set the norm to be needless criticism that's what will be employed at your trial. People will try to erase your impact.”

A common sentiment I see being thrown around is that “although the main piece of evidence turned out to be faked, pansear is still deplorable because [X]” and while I personally think pansear has made their fair share of mistakes, a lot of things people put in that X factor is just… silly and can be chalked up to either coping mechanisms, panic attacks or just normal people mistakes. And every time I see that there's always a question in the back of my mind: “Is this an echo chamber?” And I'm inclined to say yes, but I also recognize I'm not exactly an authority when it comes to this, so I’ll leave it up to reader interpretation.

There's one specific person that I have a few choice words for, and that is the person who made the fake image that started this whole damned thing. And although we don’t know who you are, I know you are deprived enough to be reading this. I hope you don’t have a good ending, I hope you don’t have a bad ending either, I hope you’re FORGOTTEN, I hope nobody ever utters your name again. I hope you never leave the swamps of irrelevance. I hope you can see the people you’ve hurt thrive more than you ever will.

With the trash out of the way, how do we even move forward? my hope is that we can do it with forgiveness. Not all apologies need to be accepted but we should at least extend our sympathy to each other, it’ll be easier for all of us if we do. We should think about what we all did correctly and what we didn’t, and how to do better next time. We should think about how we all got taken advantage of with this misinformation and how to prove evidence next time. Does it even matter if pansear was deplorable or not when we’ll all likely never see them again? Can we all work on setting our grudges to the side? If we don't like someone we can just not interact with them.

Us as a community have a responsibility to think through all this and figure out our priorities moving forward. We all have a responsibility to coexist with each other. We all have a responsibility to treat everyone with the benefit of the doubt.

I think I speak for everyone in this whole situation when I say that we are ALL tired of this

[synthshenanigans]

I'm curious as to peoples idea for what he'd do for the next power hour so

[These all being popular ideas or ppl he's mentioned]

This was all just a ploy to get you to read my info dump theory on the concept of a Chonny Jash Power Hour loser HAHAHA

Im joking tho. Not about my CJPH theory, that is very much real but I'm not forcing you to read it lol

However if you're curious, my inane rambles are further down :}

[Long Rant Post Below]

Okay so I'm gonna start with the basic idea I got it from; that being Nerd. Nerd already foreshadowed the THDPH & the WWPH [Even down to the last song for each of them] Not only that, but he references the stuff hes done in the past as well with a break/pause inbetween.

[This is what I mean]

The first three being all stuff he already did. BDG with Pocket, Tally Hall with Vol.1 & then Cage by Tim Minchin being the start the power hours.

The next two being the power hours he would do after this song [Memento Mori & Charlie's Inferno-Will Wood & That Handsome Devil]. But those are the only songs he would reference in Nerd, leaving no more clues as to what the last one would be. The only thing left in it is the video game references & Stairway to Heaven in the ending. [Which oddly enough also fit the pattern in a way. StH being about dying and the afterlife like Memento Mori & Chonny's Inferno and the video game references being all covers he made on his old channel]

While the VG refs could be a hint at a Videogame or Toby Fox Power Hour, I think at most, if its a clue at all, hinting at the next thing he does is recovering old songs.

----

Next, a couple of his songs reference his past stuff. Fine, I'm Fine has a good amount of lines that vaguely refer back to songs from the before [heres a post that goes more into it that's pretty cool!!]. And more importantly Dear Machine references Pocket, Dream (Outro from Calamity) & wings of wax. Pocket being later used in Nerd & the mention of Icarus coming back in Art. Not only that, but the voice in the very end Thermodynamic Lawyer is the exact same [if not very close to] voice filter/effect he uses in Dear Machine. Even down to the British accent he does in it. [Tho it is fairly normal for a music artist to reference their older songs in their music so it could be nothing]

Speaking of Dear Machine tho, quick thing to add about it is that it shows he not against covering his own songs. While yea technically its just a different version of Ode of the Cog, DM,HtC in a way counts as a cover of OotC. Same goes for bargaining/compromise & The Ballad of Dr. Jekyll.

----

Another idea with a CJPH is that in the CJFS discord theres a "Question of the Day" Channel. Where, as the name says, a Mod or Helper will ask a CJ related question & everyone can give their idea/imput on it. For Day 100, as a special fun lil thing, they asked Chonny if he wanted to give a question for that day. His question being:

And yes he does say that he doesnt plan on doing anything like that in future [if he even were to do it]. I fully believe he wasn't lying there & honestly I never saw him redoing any song ever until I had the idea of a CJPH [aside from stuff like Spring and a Storm & Storm and a Spring obviously]. But this is the best idea I could ever see him doing that. Also that question was from early August so a fair amount of time has passed. Whether thats enough time to equal "at least in the near future at all" I have no clue, but it is a thought.

----

One of my last points [that I remember atm lol] is on how he would end the power hours. Cos like, while yea he does whatever he wants & doesn't rlly follow what anyone says or asks [which I 100% agree with & is completely valid btw], I'd imagine he'd still want to end the PHs with a bang. Which is why I originally didnt think the recent one would be Will Wood.

He's stated a couple of time that hes one of his favorite artist & he definitely knows that a huge chunk of his fan base listen to WW as well. So why not end with that? Why not end with one of the most requested artist people wanted him to cover? Why wouldn't he end with a power hour of the artist that was his #1 on his Spotify Wrapped? What else could he do after that? Well maybe he'd go with his #2 artist? WHICH IS JUST HIMSELF BBYYYY

Plus, the name Power Hour already comes from this:

So it's very likely he's had himself play multiple times in a row & had a "Chonny Jash Power Hour".

Of course theories are just theories so there's always the chance I'm wrong & just insane. And again he does whatever he wants whenever he wants so who knows what it'll be. I just think id be an interesting idea for him to do.

As for how a Chonny Jash Power Hour would look? Maybe each song being a cover of a song from a past album or single? I'd imagine one from the before. & Covered in Discontent [maybe Gothic Whore?]. Like remake Pocket since its been referenced so much, tho that's still just a BDG cover so who knows. the before. would be interesting just to see how his perspective has changed since he originally wrote those songs. Gothic Whore he already has 2 songs that have a story version & a him version so I can see him doing another.

I HIGHLY doubt he'd do anything related to Vol.1 as its his completely separate thing & he doesn't rlly wanna touch any song that's TH/HMS related until whenever he feels like starting Vol.2 [which is valid lol]. If anything I could maybe see like TWWAY, Special or maybe Greener? Or go a different route with the og I'm Gonna Win or like a more outta the box one with like Just a Friend [only cos be did a 20 second "cover" of it in Mucka Blucka]. Again, I do not see him touching anything Vol.1 related but still something to entertain ig? [4th TME cover; The Chonny Electric when/j]

Tho maybe he'd just remake songs that he he fully made [like the before. or Gothic Whore], since those are more of actual Chonny Jash songs rather than the others just being covers. Would be very cool to maybe see a remake of some of his Majora's Mask song tho [no this isn't me coping over HEAL not being on spotify shush]. Or maybe he'd do songs from his old stuff like Don't Take it Personally? [also not me coping over wanting that song on Spotify too]

Idk these are just my thoughts on the idea of a CJPH [or even a Can of Soup Power Hour/j]. Either way I am gonna say idc what he'd do, BDG or Streetlight Manifesto are my other guesses, but anything he makes is always rll good & fun so I'll be interested to see whatever it is.

But ya know considering I typed all this out in the span of an hour & a half I kinda hope im not wrong PFFT

[valeriefauxnom]

Random Art Quirks or Minor Royal Details?

One thing that caught my eyes very quick when playing Dragalia, to put in brief, was Euden's. It's usually subtle, but in nearly every single piece of artwork involving him, he has a red fleck (usually) to the right side of each eye. Now, I might be inclined to dismiss that as some form of shading, but this reflects even in all his models:

But when I mean it's everywhere, I mean everywhere. Even in wyrmprints, who were made by a whole host of vastly different artists, preserve this quirk when he's close enough to the front to be able to slip in. Enough to make me think it's in his character notes or guide for artists.

...But he's not the only one with this trait in the royal family.

We've:

-Zethia

-Chelle

-And, perhaps most interestingly, Phares, as his are purple instead of red.

Nobody else has it. Leonidas' eyes are bright green enough and plenty intense as it is, Valyx's are a plain brown, Beren's are purple/pink completely, and Emile's are a bright blue. Nedrick technically fits in that he's got red and green, sure, but he's...odd in many ways, and his default eye color without all the bad Bahamut vibes seems to be like Leo's, bright green with absolutely no hint of red.

When I first looked all the royal fam after I noticed this trend (for me, Euden to Zethia to Phares), I thought, "hm, is this a sign of possession, a joke among the artists that this character is or will be possessed?" Especially because Morsayati does that 'whole eyes to red' thing, and when Zethia is possessed, where should be her red fleck turns to a green one. And maybe Phares' are purple to signify the Progenitor instead of Morsayati.

But Chelle bucks that trend entirely, escaping scot free from any such shenanigans. So what is it, for such a small trait to be so consistently portrayed in these 4's art?

First, I thought it simply might be a trait from King Dad (AKA Aurelius, in my set of nicknames I use to communicate to my best friend who never played dragalia...) But no, Aurelius does not have the red fleck, just a deep deep blue/teal.

So I looked even further back in the bloodline, and for that, I turn to King Dork, AKA Alberius, -who may be the originator of this whole quirk!

Voila! If it is a trait that's been passed down through him, I got to thinking even more. What if the colored fleck was a result of him sealing Morsayati in the blood, and perhaps a greater concentration of it or something similar was what manifests a red fleck in the eyes? Ah, but alas, this is immediately disproved by the fact it's in this model, too, before he sealed the demon.

However, that doesn't mean it might lack entirely for significance. Perhaps it's an occasional feature of dragonblood, since they seemed like they kinda wanted to make the family have a bit more 'draconic' traits sometimes or otherwise have physical effects dragonblood brings, like how rarely some of the royal fam seems to have rather pointed/pronounced canines compared to the typical style in dragalia, like Leonidas and Emile here (alas, most the family doesn't often show off a full toothy grin, leaving us with the more emotive ones when they're really mad), or concept art of Euden who seems (to me, at least) to have slightly pointed ears:

I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this, but I think it'd be interesting to explore if the family had other traits because of their dragonblood! It's noted in like one place to give them some different veins, like literal new veins, not just the composition of blood in standard ones flowing, so I don't think it's entirely off the table. I myself kinda play a bit with this idea in my one dragalia fic, Scaling the Walls of a Mystery on AO3 because it's just so cool to me (Which I'm working very hard on getting an update ready soon!), but I'm always down for more speculation!

So yeah, red or purple flecks in the royal family's eyes is surprisingly common. Did you notice that when playing, and/or speculate as to a potential import? Or is it just artists adding a quirk for the sake of it?

[luminecent-sky]

How my sagau team would interact: Hyperbloom

Ah yes the team with the man i spent money on.... this man i swear.

Alright. Al haitham is main dps, shinobu is healer with Traveller and Xingqiu being sub dps.

A/n: just check the Zeph national post for Xingqiu's part

Tw: Yandere, mention of animal sacrifices in Shinobu's part

》 Al Haitham

The 11th to be bestowed with a golden star

He gets along quite nicely with everyone, their like a well oiled machine. On downtimes he talks with Xingqiu about various books mostly about the creator and her ideals, discussing various topics with Shinobu and asking the Traveller about the creator and their traits.

This man made me spend so much money... and i still don't have his weapon, crying rn. But i love him, hes my husband(real)

》About the creator: Sage of the divine

What do i think of their grace? Well from the short while ive been with her she is quite the artist. Had i known that i would be blessed by her after becoming the acting grand sage, i would have searched up all the known records the academiya has. Maybe i should ask the Traveller and Lesser Lord Kusanali for more information.

》About the creator: Facination

What's on the table? Well it's all the records and information we have on her grace. Being the Acting Grand Sage has its perks after all, anyways do you have some time to help me sift through these things? I need any and every bit of information you have on her. So that when she decends, we will be equipped to cater to her every desire.

----------------

》Kuki Shinobu

Blessed by the creator

Despite no longer being a shrine maiden she still remembers the rituals and ceremonies held for the creator, often prays for herself and the arataki gang. She gets along well with the others and shares the information about various ceremonies held in Inazuma for the creator.

She's really fun to play tbh, im still building her but ther heals and electro make Al Haitham so effective.

》About the creator: Prayers to the divine

O- oh hey what's up did Itto amd the others cause trouble? Just checking up on me, alright i just finished praying to her grace. She's helped me and the gang in our toughest times, so i always give her my thanks.

》 About the creator: Ceremony

Lady Guuji, called for me the other day looks like she wants me to be apart of this celebration for her grace. Apparently since I'm one of her blessed. Lady Ayaka will lead the sacrifice because she is the main vessel of her grace, they've already picked out a sacrifice, a white rabbit and a snake. I hope their grace is happy with this.

----------------

》 Lumine - The Traveller

Vassal of The Creator

Held in high regard by all the blessed for her connection to the creator. Everyone always gives their offerings to her in hopes of it reaching her grace. Gets along well with everyone, ever since she arrived in the land of Sumeru her grace has blessed her with more items.

Oh my beloved lumine, ever since dendro came out I've been using her more and more. She even tears the spiral abyss despite being half built along with the others.

》About the creator: Guide of the divine

Lumine: Hey paimon... do you think that their grace would still stay with us when she decends?

Paimon: Of course she would! Paimon knows where all the best food spots are in Teyvat!

Lumine: Well, she has people like Ayaka and Master Diluc who would let her stay.

Paimon: Well it doesn't matter! Because you and Paimon is the best guides in all of Teyvat!

Lumine: Alright Paimon.

》About the creator: Original

Paimon: Hey how many vassals does the creator have?

Lumine: If i remember correctly... She has 38 vassals right now.

Paimon: Does that include you and me?

Lumine: Well it includes me but it would be 39 if you were too.

Paimon: Yeah! we're like the original worshippers of the creator.... well maybe if you don't count Zhongli and the rest of the seven.

Lumine: Mhm, no one else can say otherwise.

Tagging:

@meimeimeirin

[mask131]

I'm going to really quickly drop something I have been thinking for a very long time - and I don't think I have made a post about it?

It is one of the reasons I kind of cut ties with fandoms on the Internet as a whole, and why I originally strongly disliked the way "headcanons" were used, and why I often roll my eyes with the way people behave on the Internet... And I don't know if it is because I was old enough to have lived in a time when I enjoyed series and movies and cartoons without the Internet - or better, with an Internet that was without the "fandoms" as we know them today.

The main thing that irritates me with the way "fans" act on the Internet is how they think because they are fans of a piece of media, it "belongs to them". I fully understand the idea of fanfiction-positive and I am ALL for fan-art and AUs and the like, don't get me wrong. I do enjoy what fandoms were for - sharing a common passion, bring fan-made content based on a loved piece of media, have fun with it all... But the way this positivity has been framed and formulated, and the way it got interpreted has been irking me a lot.

Because in effect, a lot and lot of people have gotten into their brain, somehow, that a fandom "owns" a piece of media. That a television series was made first and foremost for the fans, and not for anyone else, and thus that it must cater to their every whims and desire. More and more people take fan theories and headcanons as actual guidelines, or solid fact, or in general confuse "canon" and "headcanon". More and more people believe the idea that "If we are strong enough, we can change this piece of media" or that "The creator of this piece of media owes us things because we are fans".

I am not very old, and yet I still lived in a time when we understood that published books and the shows on TV and the movies in theater were not... "ours". Yes a fandom is a way to allow fans to toy and play with a piece of fiction, and thus in a way make it "theirs". BUT THAT'S METAPHORIC NOT LITERAL! It certainly does not help that recently more and more tv shows and cartoons and whatnot have been explicitely interacting with or refering to their fandoms, even sometimes letting the fans drive the course of the story. Which is great, and is fun - but should be remembered as something not "natural" and a bit exceptional.

It reminds me of how recently there have been more and more incidents in theaters where musical plays were interrupted by audience members who thought they just could do anything they wanted - because somehow they thought a musical was an interactive play or a karaoke night. Again, these kind of interactions do exist (The Rocky Horror Picture Show was built upon these experiences) - but they were unique and out-there.

Art, fiction and media can and will live on without fandoms. Fandoms are not a needed ingredient of a piece of fiction, they are something that at best develops a healthy co-dependency with the piece of fiction it selects, at worst acts like a parasite to its host. But the fandom can be destroyed and obliterated and die - the fiction will still live on, and the media will still exist. And yet, so many fandoms seem to believe that somehow, they are the movers and shakers of industry and fiction, and that somehow they are the ones in control? So many fans treat creators like commissioned artists or pals they can ask favors from or victims they can bully freely without consequence.

Again, I don't know how to properly express my thoughts but... I lived in a world without fandoms, and now I can't stand it when people make it seem as if art and fiction and media was all about fandoms. And I mean fandom in the modern, Internet-sense of the term. Fandoms have went from enthusiastic pupils and eager to learn students and symposiums of fair critics to just... whining, entitled, over-spoiled little brats that kick their feet in anger, give orders to everybody and try to run away with the painting that is hanging on a museum's wall.

Yes fanfiction can "correct" a badly written plot, in one's opinion. It doesn't mean the author has to stick to your corrections, or that other people can't actually enjoy the badly written plot.

Yes fanart can be much cooler than the actual design. It does not mean you suddenly know the movie better than the movie-maker themselves, or that your fan-art will have to influence the aesthetic of a cartoon's next season.

Yes headcanons are wonderful. It does not make them canon, and you cannot enforce them on anything.

I repeat myself like a broken record - but originally fandoms where a place of enjoyment and appreciation and theorizing and complaining, but solely as an audience, and as people gathered by similar interests. Now? Now they became places of control and influence and demands that don't understand that an audience member isn't supposed to jump on stage to point out "No you are saying it wrong, here is how you should say the line."

[magicwithclass]

Gustha's Scepter

Gustha's Scepter costs 0 mana. That alone is reason to give the card a second look. Never underestimate a card that gets around the Magic the Gathering resource system. It costs mana to cast cards. Any card that breaks that rule is inherently broken as it spits in the face of one of the fundamental rules of the game. Personally, I try to have at least 4 of any card that costs 0 mana or can be cast for free in some way. If a card has an alternate casting cost that allows it to be cast without mana, I always make sure to keep those in my collection. Typically those types of cards are conditional but Gustha's Scepter always costs 0. There are decks that simply want you to chain together 0 cost artifacts like Jhoira Weatherlight captain, meria scholar of antiquity, or fblthp lost on the range. There are only a certain number of artifacts that cost 0 so sometimes you have to play cards like this to reach that threshold. Even ignoring those decks, gustha's scepter does actually have an effect. You can use it to store cards under it so that the cards are not in your hand but you still have access to them. This can matter for decks around the hellbent mechanic or decks that want a certain hand size. It can even be used in wheel decks to hold certain combo pieces as you wheel for the other pieces. Of course, if the scepter is destroyed the cards go to the graveyard. That is a real risk but one you are willing to pay in certain decks. Recently, the card has gone up in price. Is it because players have finally realized the innate power level of 0 mana cards? Do people finally understand that a card that can be cast for free, and is also on the reserved list, should not be bulk? No, instead, the card is spiking because of a new commander in Bloomburrow. There is a lot of hype around the new set and some reserved list cards are moving because people seem anxious to build decks with these new cards. In Gustha's scepter's case, the card is increasing in price because of Flubs, the fool. Flubs is a strange commander but is pretty unique and interesting. First, flubs is an exclusive buy a box promo. That fact alone draws attention to the card. I am not sure if flubs would be as popular or as hyped if it was just in the regular set. Being an exclusive promo offers the card a unique prestige and marks the card as special. I also think Flubs is an interesting look at society's views on art, plagiarism, artificial intelligence, homage and inspiration. The art for flubs is based on a public domain piece of art on a tarot card. Obviously, flubs the fool is meant to reference the tarot card known as the fool. The art is clearly an homage to a famous piece but the art is very similar. if the art was not in the public domain would it just be plagiarism? If the artist had the original artist's permission would that be just a source of inspiration? If an artificial intelligence spit out this image would it still be art? Does the fact that a human intended this to be a reference to another piece of art what makes this acceptable? If machines had intent would their creations be considered art because art is emotion? What makes it acceptable? Where is the line? How different does the work have to be to be considered unique? Is anything unique at all? Those thoughts aside, the scepter synergizes with flubs perfectly. It was almost like the cards were made in conjunction to work together. The card has such a niche use and this commander takes advantage of that tiny effect in the best possible way. This just goes to show that even the most narrow of effects can eventually find a home in a specific deck if the effect is unique enough. The scepter is over five bucks right now and some copies are going for as high as 13 dollars. With the number of decks it can see play in, plus the fact that it costs 0, plus the fact that it is a top card with a high synergy in a new popular commander, will this card continue to go up? I certainly do not think it will ever be bulk again. I would be surprised if this card dropped below five dollars again.

[warrioreowynofrohan]

General musings about how I might go about a modern adaptation of Little Women.

The Marches are Christians. This is central to their characters and can’t be altered without fundamentally changing the story; the entirety of the first book is oriented around the symbolic reference of Pilgrim’s Progress and the girls’ temptations and moral growth.

Mr. March, the girls’ father, works for an international charity of some kind and has been called away overseas for a year in answer to an emergency/disaster somewhere in the world, whereas his usual job with the charity is in the US. This provides a reasonable parallel to him being a chaplain in the Union Army during the Civil War in the original book, and creates sinilar worries about his safety from the girls and their mother. As in the opening of the book, their first Christmas without him they decide not to do presents, in this case because they’ve decided to donate the money to the charity instead.

Like in the book, near the end of the next year Mr. March falls seriously ill and Mrs. March goes to join him, and he recovers and they return home for Christmas. In the original book, the family has a servant, Hannah, who helps the girls while their mother is away; in the modern adaptation it would be an older neighbour who looks in on them regularly.

If I was going to make one of the main characters LGBTQ, it would be Meg. The reason for this is that in the original book Meg is the most ‘conventional’ of the girls - she dreams of being a prosperous wife and mother, while Jo and Amy have literary and artistic ambitions respectively, and she repines more than the rest of them at being poor and not fitting in with society. Her marrying the poor tutor John Brooke is turning her back on what conventional society / the world would want and say is best for her. In the same way, in the adaptation, she’s conflicted about her sexuality and the social conflicts/challenges that acknowledging it would represent, and doesn’t openly admit her love for the other girl until Aunt March goes on a homophobic rant.

The latter part of Jo’s story can remain largely the same as in the original book: she wants to be a writer, she gets tied up in making too many moral compromises for her writing and is warned off it by Mr. Bhaer, and she later writes her successful book inspired by her family’s experiences. Mr. Bhaer (who will have a different name) can, to broadly evoke his situation in the original book, be a refugee from a country of your choice who is, as in the original book, parenting his dead sister’s children.

Since women aren’t reliant on marriage for money in the modern day, Fred Vaughn can be excised from Amy’s story: her fundamental conflict, in the second book, is about seeking wealth (with the desire to make her family comfortably well-off) in ways that conflict with her family’s morals. Modern-day Amy studies finance and starts making her way on Wall Street, with resultant moral conflicts and ultimately finding a career that is related but more ethical and less lucrative. (This does have the side effect of giving her a plot that parallels Jo’s New York plot in the original book.) She does still marry Laurie; and I think that Laurie is, as in the original book, still independently wealthy. The big argument they have in the book becomes Laurie criticizing her Wall Street career while she tears into him for loafing and not having any career at all (and he does get one in response to this).

The challenge with modern adaptations of 1800s novels is how to capture the fact that marriage at the time was both, well, marriage, and the equivalent of choosing a career path, in terms of its economic impact on women. For an example from another book, I would say that Elizabeth Bennett’s story translated to the modern day is, simultaneously, one of a woman realizing she’s misjudged a man who likes her (and whom she now realizes she likes in return), and of a fine arts major discovering to her horror that she actually likes engineering. (Darcy is of course also studying engineering and learning to be less of a STEM snob.)

[glasshouses-and-stones]

✨️ writer questionnaire ✨️

Thank you @agirlandherquill tagging me!

✨️My ao3 is tagged in the pinned post on my blog!✨️

-

About Me:

When did you first start writing?

I've been writing stories since I could string sentences together, and we always had to write creative stories in school, but I didn't seriously start to write until I was in about the 6th or 7th grade. I started out writing kpop rpf lollllll.

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

I write mostly romance in different forms, which I do love to read, but I also read a wide variety of genres. I enjoy reading classics that expand into things like tragedies and adventure, and I also love reading horror and murder mysteries, which I haven't written before. I might one day, though...

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you're often compared?

Not that I can think of. I probably pick up different styles of writing as I read, but I don't have specific names in mind when I write. Though, it really depends on what I'm writing. All of my novels have different styles of writing depending on who the narrator is. And if I'm writing a fanfic based off of a book, I'll try to emulate their style to the best of my ability. I think it's really fun!

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)? (Room, coffee shop, desk, etc.)

My writing spaces is wherever I can strike up the motivation to write. In class, when riding in a car, when chilling at home. Though, most of my writing happens when I'm laying in bed, trying to sleep or just waking up.

What's your most effective way to muster up some muse?

I get ideas when I listen to music, read others' writing, and watch TV. Songs often give me ideas for stories, especially by artists who make great pining songs like Conan Gray and Taylor Swift. But I can get inspiration for stories from literally anything. Too many ideas and not enough motivation to write them.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

I would say a little. Most of my ideas take place in cities, unlike the rural town I live in. Though, my characters often have upbringings like that: homophobic parents in a small town. And most of my characters also live in suburbs, so.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

Yes, pining. All of my characters pine after someone at some point, whether in my original stories or my fanfics. And no, it doesn't surprise me because I'm someone who pines a lot. I have a gf, and I still pine after her, so I'm pretty much a lost cause at this point.

-

My Characters:

Would you please tell me about your current favourite character? (Current WIP, Past WIP, Never Used, etc)

It would have to be Christian Laine, the main character from my current WIP Soup of the Day. He's a single dad struggling to get his life back together a few years after his divorce. He's awkward and terribly repressed and possibly autistic. He just wants to get out of his house and make friends who aren't his four year old daughter, but he was always bad at that, and he definitely does not know how to do that now as a 34 year old. He'll figure it out. Eventually.

Which of your characters do you think you'd be friends with in real life?

I'd love to be Christian's friend! But probably Marquis from my last WIP Neighbors Can Be So Hostile, Right? He's friendly and a little snarky and very gay. I'd make him cook for me, but I'd sit and let him tell me all about his plants. I think that's a fair trade.

Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

Uhhhh, probably Evan in Soup of the Day. He's kinda rude and probably wouldn't like me anyways.

Tell me about the process of coming up with one, all, or any of your characters.

I usually start stories in my head, and the characters evolve depending on what personality fits the plot the best. I always treat my characters as real people and try to come up with the most realistic person I can—someone who could be encountered anywhere and is relatable. I try to give my main characters traits that are interesting and distinctive, and my love interests are usually complements to them (but are able to stand as their own characters). I love instilling my characters with things that will make them lovable, and I think they're all somewhat an extension of myself.

Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters?

Almost all of my main characters are men, which needs to be changed. Oh, and most of them have at least one parent who don't support them/a difficult childhood. Other than that, not really. Oh, well, they're all queer.

How do you picture them? (As real people you imagined, as models/actors who exist in real life, as imaginary artwork, as artwork you made or commissioned, anime style, etc)

I picture them all as real people. I struggle a little imagining their faces (but I can describe them), but the rest of them I can see clearly. They have their own characteristics and styles.

-

My Writing:

What's your reason for writing?

I write because I love it. I love bringing ideas and people to life, and I love sharing them with others. Even if I never write anything down, I'll always create stories in my mind. I might as well capture them.

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

Anything, really! All of it means so much to me.

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work? (For example: as a literary genius, or as a writer who "gets" the human condition; as a talented world builder, as a role model, etc)

I just want my readers to think I write stuff for their enjoyment because that's a part of why I share my work.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Coming up with ideas is by far my greatest. I have docs and docs of ideas. My inspiration comes from anything and everything.

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

Writing feelings and injecting them into my stories. I'm glad they come across correctly!

How do you feel about your own writing? (Answer in whatever way you interpret this question)

I enjoy my writing! I tend to write what I like to read, so you can find me rereading over my own stories often. Sometimes I wish I had a more elegant style, but most of my stories don't call for that, I don't worry about it.

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

Absolutely. Otherwise, the ideas would plague me, and I would never get anything done. I'd probably get more writing done, to be honest. I have to keep myself fed, after all.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? if it's a mix of the two, which holds most influence?

It's a mix; I write what I like and hope others enjoy it, too. But ultimately, I write what I enjoy. I tell myself stories to past time and entertain myself, and then I might write them down. That's usually my process. But I always think about how there's probably at least one other person that would enjoy this, too, so I share it.

Thank you for tagging me, again! This was super fun :)

Tag list: @floweryprosegarden, @charlesjosephwrites, @riveriafalll, @willtheweaver, @chayscribbles, @willowseed, @zackprincebooks, @dyoniawrites +Open Tag

(Sorry if I've tagged you and you've already done this. I'm kind of late to the party.)

[ticklingisart]

Hiya! Hope your fingers don’t fall off hehe 🤭

☁️🌦️🌩️☀️⚡️/🧁🍦🍨🍩🎂🍭🍬/❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤💕💖💗💝💌

Here’s hoping they don’t! Tickling wouldn’t be as much fun if that happened. Thanks for the asks!

☁️ What are your favorite tickle tropes or scenarios? 

🌦️Is it difficult for you to say the word? 

Answered previously

🌩️ What kind of tickle content do you like to see/make the most? (art, stories, gifs, etc.)

I like to see content posted by real people in the community who are passionate about this kink. Whether that’s stories, original art, or original images/videos, I love to see people sharing their passion for tickling!

☀️ Are there any tickling scenes from books, movies, or shows that you're a fan of? 

I particularly like the Natalie Portman scene from Closer, and there was a series of clips posted here a few weeks ago where people in photo or video shoots had to have their feet cleaned and their reactions were very ticklish.

⚡ Do you like teasing? Are there any teasy words/phrases you especially like to see or hear? Any you dislike?

Verbal teasing is fantastic! I like “tickle toy,” “tickle slave,” and asking questions like “does that tickle?” I also like it when a ler expresses how much fun they’re having tickling the lee.

🧁 Favorite spots to be tickled?

Underarms above all the rest

🍦 Do you like being teased? Do you have any favorite/most effective teases? 

I do love being teased. I think one of the best teases is when a ler talks about what they’re going to do to a lee well before the session, so that the lee’s anticipation for the tickling builds

🍨 Do you like being pinned/restrained? If yes, what methods do you like the most?

I like being restrained more than I like being pinned, usually with restraints and cuffs

🍩 Favorite tools/techniques to have used on you? Are they different depending on the spot? 

It differs depending on the spot, but I like pointy feathers and fine point artists’ brushes

��� Are there any spots that make you melt?

My underarms, for sure. I think my hips as well but I have insufficient data to support this

🍭 Do you do anything other than laugh while being tickled? Begging, pleading, swearing, etc? 

Nobody’s gotten me to beg or plead………….yet.

🍬 Are you able to ask for tickles? If you can't say the word, how do you usually indicate that you want to be tickled, or provoke someone into tickling you?

Answered previously

❤️ Are there spots you especially love to tickle?

Feet, hips, and underarms!

🧡 Does tickling someone fluster you? 

Maybe a little at first until I really settle into it

💛 Are there any particular vocalizations/begging that you love to hear from a lee?

Mostly just laughter. I do like begging but I’m not sure that there’s one phrase that I like more than another

💚 Is there anything a lee could do, say, or wear that would make you want to tickle them, or want to tickle them more? 

“Please tickle me” is one thing that could be said, or any form of enticement. I think asking for it would be incredible, consent is hot.

💙 Are you vocal while tickling someone, or pretty quiet? If vocal, what do you like to say? 

I do love giving verbal teasing as much as I love receiving it. I love to remind a lee how ticklish they are and that they have nowhere to go.

💜 Are you ticklish? Do you enjoy being tickled, too?

Yes, and yes!

🖤 Do you have favorite tools/techniques to use, provided the lee is okay with them? 

I like light tickles, so feathers, brushes, and fingers are the tools I use most often.

💕 Do you like to use lotion or oil on a lee while tickling them? 

I haven’t tried this yet!

💖 Is there anything you have found that seems to make a lee more ticklish? This could be teasing, clothing, tools, etc.

This depends entirely on the lee, and I hesitate to answer as if it’s a blanket statement.

💗 Any “dream scenarios” as a ler?

I’d love to have a lee for a weekend, with predefined “rules” like you see in some dynamics

💝 Do you like being provoked? If yes, how?

I can’t say I have an opinion on this. Insufficient data.

💌 Any particular positions you love to put a lee in for a tickling? 

Spread eagle. A classic. And bound to a door using cuffs as well.

[heathermasonnum1fan]

Songs of the Week (2)

1. Bullet in the Head (Rage Against the Machine)

I’m honestly such a sucker for anything RATM-related, but this song is definitely in my top 3 this week. The band is so good at coming up with short but insanely effective slogans (is that what you call it?); like “they say jump, you say how high,” for example. Zack de la Rocha is one of the most powerful frontmen of all time, which becomes especially obvious in Bullet in the Head. This song really does give me chills.

2. Schism (TOOL)

Almost half a year later, and I’m still on Lateralus. I can’t seem to let this album go, it’s just so transcendentally beautiful I have to give it another listen. And then another. And another. I get that Schism is probably the most well-known song off this album, but I’m so tired of the ridiculous narrative that you can’t enjoy the popular songs because it makes you a ‘fake fan’ or whatever. Schism is amazing no matter which way you choose to look at it.

3. Die, Die My Darling (The Misfits)

I was originally introduced to The Misfits when I was about 10 by my dad with Dig Up Her Bones, but didn’t think much of the song or of the band until last week. Not only do they have a very solid discography, but Die, Die My Darling is such a catchy and heartfelt track that I felt it was necessary to include it this week. Apart from the mixing, which is a little strange at times, this song absolutely slaps.

4. Bleed the Freak (Alice in Chains)

Kind of an obvious favorite from Facelift, but a favorite nonetheless. I rediscovered it this week after completely overplaying it in August, but Bleed the Freak is such a genuine masterpiece that I just can’t seem to leave it alone. I don’t know what they put in this song but I am unashamedly obsessed with it (again).

5. Lullaby (The Cure)

Yet another banger from Disintegration. I swear I’ll make a separate post on this album someday, but for now I’ll have to make do with speaking about separate tracks only. Lullaby is so sincere and charming it makes me want to cry, even if at first glance there’s nothing to really cry about. Yes, it’s simple, but when has simplicity ever stopped a song from being good?

6. Testify (Rage Against the Machine)

God how I love The Battle of Los Angeles. This song is an absolute beauty, both in terms of being innovative with its music and giving you food for thought. As I’ve said before, I’ll bite at anything genuine or passionate, so you can imagine how much authentic happiness songs like Testify bring me.

7. Firestarter (The Prodigy)

Another band I was introduced to by my dad. I’ve been listening to The Prodigy quite a bit this past month because I missed a chance to go their concert in August, so really it’s no surprise that one of their songs ends up on here. Firestarter is mind-numbing, but in the best way possible; just like most of their music, this song carries the kind of energy you can’t find with any other artist. It’s gorgeous.

[daevite]

i think half of "analog horror" is a genre (the use of nostalgia to unsettle/disturb) and the other half is more of an artistic medium

by that i mean i watched a video a long while back that was either "Scanline" by Hbomb or something by Nyx Fears that talked about how movies like Halloween and such lost some of the horror effect that had in their original format in being converted to like, Blu-Ray, because part of the fear factor in the original VHS format and old television screens was the fact you couldn't make everything out, leaving the "bad guy" as more of a shadowed mystery rather than a figure you see in crisp clear detail - the visual quality of something was factored into its creation and intentionally used as a method of evoking fear of the unknown (Silent Hill did something similar where the fog in the original game is partially a product of technological limitations of the time, but it's something central to the setting of Silent Hill)

so imo good analog horror hones in one at least 1 of the 2 between "corrupted nostalgia" and the appeal of ambiguity when it comes to making monsters and other terrors, giving people hints of what's there through corrupted/dated footage but never showing the complete monster (which is fun & juicy if you ask me) and it's very artistically interesting to me to pursue the latter in an age where horror movies with big budgets and overly-elaborate cgi monsters/ghosts are the standard, as opposed to using technological limitations (hypothetical or otherwise) to one's advantage when trying to scare people

obviously not everyone does this stuff well though and the best of "analog horror" is what manages to do both effectively

[a-moth-to-the-light]

Current Top 10 Bleachers Songs

Though I can't exactly say I grew up with Bleachers--I was 14 when I first heard of them--I feel like I did. Maybe it's because I actually did grow up with Bruce Springsteen, and didn't someone once call Bleachers a glorified Springsteen tribute band? I couldn't find the original reference, but I love Bleachers almost as much as Springsteen (who's only my favorite artist ever--sorry, Alba Reche, you're a close second I promise!!!), so I can't say that label is a bad thing. The Springsteen energy happening in their music is FANTASTIC, with some interesting electronic influences to spice things up! They released a new album last Friday, so it's time to do a top-10-so-far before I find any new favorites :)

1. Wild Heart

This is for all the kids who lived off the Love, Simon soundtrack in eighth grade, who huddled in their room and listened to "Wild Heart" over and over and over again and tried to work up the courage to ask their parents to take them to see the movie... but what if they guess? What if they figure out I'm gay? I'll just watch the trailers over and over again, listen to the soundtrack on repeat... Look, I like so much about "Wild Heart", especially the echo-y vocal effects and the way the chorus crashes in and the grumbling bass and the outro, but really this is my favorite Bleachers song as a salute to my past self. I'm sorry. And thank you. And I'm so proud of you.

2. How Dare You Want More

This song is layers and layers and layers, it's all the chaos and glee of a really great party, and I feel tipsy by the time that sax solo hits.

3. Hate That You Know Me

I thought this one was pretty weird for a longggg time, but it got me eventually. The production here is emptier than what I was used to from their first album, but over time, it started to feel less empty and more immediate to me, like I could just be hearing a couple of people giving the performance of their lives across the street. Speaking of which, shoutout to the backup vocalist who does those riffs--they bring out the best in this song's rhythm. Also, these might be my favorite Bleachers lyrics. They're fantastically fun to sing, without losing any meaning to the sonic whimsy!

4. Don't Take The Money

This is my comfort scream-it-all-out song--it has the perfect blend of genuine humor and equally genuine agony that I love so much in my favorite Taylor Swift songs. Experiencing the mortifying ordeal of being known? Singing, "I SAW YOUR FACE AND HANDS / COVERED IN SUN AND THEN / I THINK I UNDERSTAND / ... OH I UNDERSTAND" is the most effective cure I know.

5. I'm Ready to Move On / Wild Heart -- w/ Yoko Ono

Okay, sure, this is kind of just "Wild Heart" again. But I think it deserves its own spot, since it really does have its own thing going on. I'm not as much of an experimental production lover as I want to be--though I respect attempts to expand the range of sounds we think of as 'music', I still have a hard time actually enjoying the more out-there electronic stuff. But I'll listen to this one any day, weird buzzing noises included, because Yoko Ono's melody instantly cheers me up, and I find myself singing it constantly. Snow is falling! All the time! Snow is smiling! All the time! I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready! To move on!

6. I Wanna Get Better (cw: sui)

This one is... intense. I think that's what I love most about Bleachers, though, is that you get all this emotion wrapped up in these ridiculously catchy rock anthems. There's so much feeling that's fighting to get out of these songs, and so much in my heart that's fighting to get out when I listen--but then I can free it by singing along. These are songs that want to be sung along to, that invite your shared experience of things that are too heavy to carry alone. Hell, maybe that's what drew me to Bleachers, specifically, out of all the artists on the Love, Simon soundtrack. Because their music felt like coming out, even before I actually did; it gave me an escape, to a place where I felt like my secret, my big terrifying secret, had already been shared. Even for just a few minutes, I could get that weight of things unspoken off my shoulders. And suicidal ideation is hard to talk about, too. And I didn't talk about it for a long time--not for years after coming out. But I had this song to process it with, and for that I'm eternally grateful <3

7. Like A River Runs

Okay, this spot could belong to a whole bunch of songs on the Strange Desire album, but I'll go with this one, which was my most-listened song on Spotify Wrapped 2020. I don't think I've ever been able to relate to this song--I'm lucky to never have experienced the death of a close friend, or of a family member I knew well--but the production always manages to capture me instantly. I guess this song gives us another good explanation of why I feel like I grew up with Bleachers: their music sounds like how my growing up felt--this overwhelming rush of reckless joy in the present, combined with intense fits of yearning for the past.

8. Everybody Lost Somebody

COME ON MOTHERFUCKER YOU SURVIVED YOU'VE GOTTA GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK !!!!!

9. 91

I never really know what to do with this song, honestly--it's not let-it-all-out fun, like I usually expect from Bleachers. Rather, it's mysterious and reserved... but that makes it uniquely captivating, too. Its lyrics have beautifully executed time skips, and I love that string instruments are made central to the arrangement, rather than left to a low-volume layer in the chorus.

10. Rollercoaster -- w/ Charli XCX

I mean, Bleachers has some of the best hooks out there, and Charli XCX has a voice that makes any chorus a punch to the gut. A dream collaboration, for sure, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is my most-listened Bleachers song ever!

Honorable Mentions: Reckless Love, You're Still a Mystery, All My Heroes, 45, Big Life, Don't Go Dark, Anti-Hero (Taylor Swift feat. Bleachers)

[measuringbliss]

Spider-Man Read-Through 044: Peter's Graduation (ASM 181-186, Ann 12)

MASTERPOST

Len Wein's run finished with an astounding Green Goblin story, what will Marv Wolfman bring to the table?

Oh wow, we're not wasting time, huh!

I also know some little kitten is coming soon...

Our story begins a grave. Uncle Ben's grave!

And what a striking first page. Beautiful colors, smart positioning for the artists, overall really impressive beginning.

This issue is just a recollection of how our hero came to be, with a subtle retcon of Harry Osborn existing back when Peter was in high school. There's an entire page about Jameson's various ways to attack him--he really tried his best! The issue features really nice art, and there's a page where it recounts Spidey's foes... including Will O'The Wisps and Stegron. Uh, sure. Not gonna let me forget the latter now, are we?

My boy the Prowler also gets a cameo, which is quite lovely.

At the end, a penniless father steals Peter's old microscope he just dropped to Ben's grave. That's another kid who'll be happy!

#182 time!

Marv Wolfman's first tenure is to bring beloved supervillain Rocket Racer. Huh! Paying respect to your predecessor, I can appreciate that.

More importantly, this issue starts with one of these panels that Ross Andru seems to love and that, for me, have come to define his tenure:

Mindbending perspectives.

And you know what?

I think Ross Andru loves Rocket Racer, because their chase gives him the occasion to have fun angles and draw specific buildings, and i'm sure it was pretty much Christmas in his head, hahaha. Good for him!

So Spidey loses RR, who blackmails his employer who wants incriminating evidence against himself to make it disappear.

First off: those angles in the first three panels are a rare kind of thing, I feel! And secondly: Hmm, who might that be? A small, thin figure... I'm intrigued!

At the hospital, May tells Peter that married life is really cool. Uh-oh... Are we going to get a proposal, folks?

I didn't notice that right away, to be fair. It's MJ who lampshades it as they leave the room, and she's even about to say she's sad she doesn't have anyone like that (at least, before she gets cut off: where's Anna in all this?) when Peter, who doesn't care in the slightest, has a bad feeling. Doesn't notice anything though, although we definitely see some focus on a character...

Later, the blackmailed guy tries to end things, but Rocket Racer saves him--he wants money after all.

There's a fun scene where two police offers try to catch RR, to no avail. It channels Spidey's chase with the Tarantula through the city a bit. Just a bit.

Interestingly, Spidey says that he'll be graduating "in a few months" and he's been offered a scholarship to teach at ESU and pay his PHD. Nice!

While chasing RR, Spidey notices that his web has been getting weaker for months now... something affecting the original formula (um sure Peter, let's go with that). Set up! Set up!

Anyway, RR escapes once again, but it doesn't matter because...!

Aww that's cute! I admit the scene made me smile.

You know, that was a fun issue. The hero side was fun, and the human side was fun as well!

In #183, Spidey tells us that MJ hasn't answered the proposal yet (oof, that "gulp" was sinister enough...) and we get this...

Lmao, why does Peter look so smooth in the middle panel? Get outta here with that omega man stuff, hahaha.

So Weele, the guy blackmailed by RR, goes to the Tinkerer and decides he wants to be a supervillain too. So the Tinkerer's effectively becoming "that guy every villain comes to to become a supervillain", given that he already built RR's suit.

At the hospital, May's gonna be fine, but "Robert" is there too. His mom is not fine, and the hospital bills keep piling on. He's definitely doing something shady to pay stuff, but what?

Turns out Robert is Rocket Racer. Nice, we get backstory and motivation! Interestingly, both heroes fight while wanting to protect their mother figure in the same room, it makes for a nice moment.

You know what is bonkers?

Weele's new alter ego: Big Wheel. The famous one. I'd heard he was pretty remarkable, and. Yes. I can see that.

The fights ends with Big Wheel rolling into the Hudson. Oops. It was nice to know you!

More importantly, Spider-Man's appearance at the hospital has put May in need of intensive care, says the most asshole male nurse I've ever seen. And then MJ comes... to give back the ring. Oof.

Poor Peter. Who is this in his apartment? That era where you let anyone go to your place, I swear...

Anyway, good issue too! I definitely enjoy the tighter focus on the personal lives of the characters.

Hehehe. A lot of people had guessed it was him! I think having multiple months during the storyline definitely was in their favor.

Some people are NOT happy, but I personally am. They're not yet ready!

In #184, Betty Brant is back! Is she gonna be a serious romantic candidate? I don't feel like Peter's ready for a new partner just yet... and isn't she with Ned Leeds?

Look, if I'm putting this here, it's because Peter Parker is fine as fuck. I think he looked better some 50 issues ago, but he's fresh regardless. He doesn't look as cute anymore... Then again, he's been through some stuff.

Oh right. The plot!

So Betty just left Ned, which means Peter and Ned can finally start dating. I've been waiting for this!

Her story is kind of sad, but also, I really understand it. Not speaking the language can be pretty isolating.

Peter quickly thinks that hey, Betty and him could rekindle their old romance, but he immediately thinks that's not a good idea. She's still married, and he's a good Jewish man.

...I kind of want to see that, though. A bit of drama. Scandal!

And she's into it too, clearly, because she's not going to let Peter go alone to his graduation practice. Is that a thing? I don't have my high school diploma, and I'm still not entirely sure how/when I'll be able to get my university diploma hahaha. Oh, Americans.

Nice to see Marla's still here. And continuation of the Man-Wolf storyline, that's great!

At university, Peter and Betty have a nice time, at least until they cross the path of Philip Chang, who obviously has some PTSD.

Let me enjoy hot Peter in peace.

There's Spidey business for a bit, then back to our betrayers! Betty says Paris is depressing, and she's entirely right. It sucks! It has beautiful things, but it sucks!

Oboy.

Unfortunately, their water is Philip from earlier! Philip is not jazzed up about it, but Peter once again tries to reach out to that lonely figure that calls back to his past self. It's heartwarming, I like it!

So turns out Philip is threatened by this gentleman below.

The White Dragon kidnaps Philip and in consequence, Peter quickly gets rid of Betty, but she seems enamored still, and he has to admit he's also not indifferent to her.

Turns out, Philip has to choose between one of 4 gangs to belong to. Oh. Spidey gets rekt by the White Dragon, and if he wants to save him, Philip has to pick a gang.

But Philip can't, and Spidey's thrown in a gigantic vat of burning oil. Poor guy.

In the comments on *a certain website*, one guy tells his own horror story, about how he also proposed to his girlfriend, who accepted the ring without saying yes or no... then they gradually stopped talking. Oof. That's rough. Hang in there, buddy.

In #185, Spidey gets off fine because while the oil burns his chains, it somehow doesn't burn HIM. Suuuuure. After drowning in the nearby river, he goes back to free Philip. Turns out Philip's dangerous activity back in Hong Kong caused the deaths of his parents, and he vowed to never use violence again. Naturally, that means he can't enter a gang.

These are fun panels. The White Dragon is easily defeated.

Now, onto the graduation! Robbie brings a TV to May's room so she doesn't miss anything, that's sweet!

All of Peter's friends are there (well, not Ned, nor MJ), but there's bad news... he's not on the list! No matter, he still goes to the ceremony. Jameson does a speech that literally lasts "several hours" until, at last... he concludes with "Excelsior" and a reminder that everybody should subscribe to the Bugle.

Peter's name is never called though. The dean tells him he misses one credit, for his sports class. How ironic!

Well, at least, he can always catch up in the summer.

...Wait. What is that.

Is Ross Andru leaving? Is he gone? Was it his final issue? It's a great issue to end on, with a sense of finality, but god damn it, to say I was so happy to have him all this time! Are you kidding me?!

#186 time! Hello, Keith Pollard. Let's see how you're faring.

It's like Ross Andru never left.

Spidey saves a guy from this burning building, to Jameson's despair, but the guy's not happy...

Ooh, that outfit has aged terribly. But the Chameleon seems gay for Spidey so I'm invested.

Anyway, Peter needs money because May needs to be treated and the US health system sucks. So...

Oh my god, they actually fucked.

This is awful, I love it.

The next page helpfully informs me that no, they didn't, they just spoke all night while very obvious sexual tension threatened to ruin their lives. I'm into this too, but it's a bit disappointing, I'm not gonna lie.

Spidey is fed up with being considered public enemy, so he goes to the feds, but...

What. DOC OCK "DIED" IN A SIDE NOVEL?!

Spider-Man is starting to look dangerously like Danganronpa.

Oh well.

Spidey gets an interview in Central Park, but the Chameleon tricks him and his reputation is once again ruined.

It looks right out of a horror movie, I love that left panel hahaha

Aww, Flash, baby! My babyboy

Hmm, we haven't seen Electro in a hot minute... Okay, alright, why not!

So that was alright, this issue. The artists did a good job!

If you're wondering, Annual 12 is ASM #119 and #120, so nothing special. I covered them here already!

Overall a really good batch, I loved the amount of social life we got to see, and I'm curious to see what happened in Spectacular throughout this batch. Next time, folks! I do seem to recall we've got a mystery...

Should be fun!

[striveattemptfail]

so i took this screencap after i read the latest ep and—

hn. (=_=)

idt i'll liveblog this week but i'll put my Thoughts under the cut

(tl;dr jason's Moobs and artemis' arms are the only thing getting me through this webtoon and unfortunately i am near hitting the point where that can no longer sustain me 😔😔)

(also pls heed the tags on this post bc there is a lot of Wank And Bitching. if you don't wanna read the meandering negativity, pls move along ᕕ(ಠ_ಠ)ᕗ)

okay so Thoughts™️:

i said i'd stick around to make sure lobo was done well but considering he folded and fucked off in <5 panels i can't even judge that

and idr if i mentioned it on my blog but i told some friends i'd stick around for the first season of rho and likely drop it after that

but idek if i can keep to that anymore

i've read a lot of really crappy comics, superhero issues and webcomics alike. i've had my fair share of whiplash pacing and wildly ooc canon

i'm not saying i'm an expert at judging comics, but i'll give myself enough credit to say at the very least that this webtoon is Just Not Good

while i'm personally not bothered by changing the art style—

(actually, it's one of the few things i appreciate in traditional publishing for superhero comics, so introducing it to the webcomic medium has been really interesting to me)

(but that's a whole other post lol)

—they're not using the change to its full potential, or even for its intended purpose

i get that the webtoon weekly schedule is brutal and borderline inhumane for a lot of asian artists, so it's probably hell on earth for western artists having to switch to that kind of scheduling

nico offloading all the inking to another artist so he can get a break makes sense

but if that's the case, the art should be more polished—and it just isn't

it's still abundantly clear to me that corners were cut to get eps out on time with the same kind of length

i'm not an illustrator, and my eye for perspective is already pretty awful with my glasses on, but i think it still says something that my half-blind ass can still see errors

if the art has to change to give the regular artist a break, why isn't any of the art (both from the original artist and the fill-in artist) not up to par?

and this isn't even considering that the art just changes in the middle of an arc, which makes everything hella confusing for a reader who can seamlessly read episode after episode due to the nature of the webtoons platform and the webcomic medium in general

at least if there's an art switch in most traditional comics, it's introducing a new arc or volume to that series, and it's physically broken up into multiple comic books/issues

the changes in rho thus far have just been ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ at best, and (to me) without any thought about how the style could affect the overall story

to be clear: wayne family adventures also does this. but at least toby succeeds in emulating starbite's art style enough not to break immersion. and because it's been toby every time, the changes in art style is usually only noticeable when scrutinized

unlike with rho thus far, who's had different artists with similar but still distinctly different styles

so the abrupt art change is not only impacting the immersion of a reader but the effectiveness of the storytelling

and i don't even wanna get into patrick young's abysmal writing thus far. i know better than to yell on the internet about comic writers after namedropping them lol

i love jason. i genuinely like his rebirth outlaws team. for all the flack i give lobdell for rhato (2011) and in general, he did some actually decent things for all three outlaws during their 2016 run onwards

(some things. i'm still not forgiving him for rhato (2016) #25, or the fact that willis todd was apparently gd wingman, or for a lot of other things, but that is a discussion for yet another post lol)

i honestly cannot say the same for patrick young's writing

aside from the (fucked up) storyline happening to bizarro, i stand by my point that the highlight of every arc thus far has been the villains

which would be a compliment if it weren't for the fact that the series is supposed to be about the titular (anti) heroes of the story, or if the heroes were just written half as well

and yet?? i've been disappointed by every development for jason, and the mostly lack thereof for artemis, much less the downright disrespectful treatment for all the other characters introduced thus far

bizz really is the best boy, not only for his kind nature but for being the only decently written character out of the three

i get that superhero comics allows for different characterizations and the webtoon is continuing that tradition

doesn't mean i like what's happened to most of the characters

it's just........it's been really disappointing reading this webtoon

and i honestly feel bad for those who've spent hard earned coins unlocking any of this webtoon's fastpass eps

verdict: am i gonna drop this sooner than i thought? likely so

unfortunately for me i am a stubborn masochist of a stan so i'll be testing how long i can hold on just out of love for these characters 🥴🥴🥴

[punkrockruby]

I was originally going to put this in the tags, but I decided to write it in the post instead.

I think one thing to note is that, while the original example definitely needed to be broken up (not Butthole Butthole, which is of course a literary masterpiece, but the example after that), it doesn't necessarily mean that the revised version is "correct."

The choice to split up all of those sentences instead of combining some of them (namely, some of the last sentences) is an artistic choice, not the correct or proper choice.

I'm a big proponent of messing with writing rules as an artistic choice, so please don't think this is me knocking the whole idea. It can be incredibly useful in conveying certain feelings, emotions, moods, etc.

Actually, the original example above shows another example of messing with rules for an artistic benefit, along with the decision to split the sentences up by individual paragraphs: how often the sentences start with the word "he."

The broken-up structure of the sentences in the example gives readers a very overwhelmed feeling, and that feeling is combined with the continued use of the word "he" as the first word of the sentence. Readers are getting a lot of reptition thrown at them, which makes their eyes linger on the words instead of skipping over them (which most readers do without meaning to; we skip over simple words and our brain fills in the blanks). Additionally, people tend to skip over bits of sentences in long paragraphs, but the sentences being split up in this way ensures that readers, again, slow down.

That overwhelming feeling is intentional here; the narrator himself is overwhelmed and making a very pivotal decision. He's freaking out, he's panicking-- but he's also letting go, as conveyed with the final "snip."

...But that doesn't mean that this style of writing should be used in all cases. Longer paragraphs are very useful in their own right. If you split up your writing like that all of the time, you're effectively just compounding the problem by making your own type of paragraph. Any intention or connotation you're trying to convey is lost. Does that make sense?

Another thing that you should consider as a writer is this: the artistic choice to split paragraphs up like the above example is primarily used in fanfiction.

Fanfiction has its own unspoken rules for formatting. For example: typically, paragraphs are seperated by an extra space rather than by indentation. You also see a difference in how people title their works; in fanfiction, people oftentimes use all lower-case words. That's an artistic choice that you usually don't see in published books.

What I'm saying is this: no, your English teachers weren't wrong. If you read published books, the majority of them are not going to have paragraphs split up the way you see in fanfiction. And that doesn't mean they're wrong-- the opposite, in fact.

This is why the whole debate about the artistic merit of fanfiction is silly to me. I think that the way fanfiction is formatted is really interesting. I personally have written passages exactly like the example above in my own fanfics! I think that reading fanfiction can definitely be beneficial to writers.

But it's also important as writers to read actual published books. Learn how different mediums convey messages. The best way to figure out your own writing style (and how to break the "rules" for your own benefit) is to read, read, read a lot of diverse books/stories/etc. Figure out why certain passages make you feel a certain way.

Whole-heartedly BEGGING writers to unlearn everything schools taught you about how long a paragraph is. If theres a new subject, INCLUDING ACTIONS, theres a new paragraph. A paragraph can be a single word too btw stop making things unreadable