#I'm separating the gifs into 3 posts otherwise it will make too long posts

[harwin-breakbones-strong]

THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS (2020-2022)

Ryan Corr as Simon Beecher & Todd Lasance as Jack Shaughnessy

[mhalachai]

some of you may have seen a notice today from a tumblr-popular youtube show, saying they're putting all their content behind a subscriber paywall. This post isn't about them per say, only bouncing off what that has brought up into the following:

When is a digital subscription something i'm willing to pay for? Rubric edition

Disclaimer - my first news job was in the early aughts at a digital stock news company, so I've been keeping an eye on this subject for over 25 years.

So you want to access an entertainment or news service that has content behind a subscriber paywall. What steps should you go through, to figure out if it's something that you should pay for?

This post will go off the caveat that artists/authors/reporters (I'm not calling them content creators, that term is garbage) should be properly compensated for the works they produce, and the current business model in our late-stage capitalist society means we all have to deal with the worst possible way of engaging with art - the subscription-model paywall. It's a terrible garbage system but there we are.

Step Zero: Do you care enough about the content to consider paying for it?

It might not be important enough to you to want to pay for, and that's okay. On the other hand, you may want to continue watching/reading/listening, either because of the content itself or because you want to support its creation.

(I'm separating the above as they are two different reasons - personally, i'm in favour of paying an annual subscriber fee to my small local news room to keep them in producing the content because I think it's important they exist.)

Step 1: Can you literally afford it?

Everything costs more and salaries aren't rising. If the answer to the question is no, can you split the cost with someone? Is it something that can be accessed through your local library (in terms of audiobooks or magazine/newspapers)? Otherwise, moving to:

Step 2: Is the cost of the subscription in line with what you're willing to pay for the content?

I still subscribe to the newspaper i used to work for - I can read all the news and get all the quotes I'm interested in, and I know i'm supporting local news. I'm willing to pay money for that.

On the other hand, back last year when Disney Plus announced it was raising its prices, I decided that I wasn't interested in paying that amount for what I was getting, so I cancelled that one. Do I miss it? Yes, somedays. Would I go back to them if the cost went down? Honestly I don't know.

Step 3: Did the company/channel do something to lose your trust?

Sometimes, all the above have been met with the affirmative, but something about how the company is doing things sets your teeth on edge. Maybe it's how their business model is evolving, or how they treat their customers (Netflix and their password sharing crackdown was that tipping point for me - i no longer wanted to support a company that sees its customer base like that). Maybe it's how they decided to move to subscriber-only. Maybe it's their take on geopolitical or social issues. Whatever it might be, you get to make that call for you.

Summation: Don't feel pressed by FOMO to pay for something when you're not comfortable doing so.

Whatever the situation is, you get to decide where you spend your money. The corollary of that is that you may not get to see the new stuff created by companies/channels that you like, but honestly? That trade-off might be better for you in the long run (and I'm saying this with too many years of regret behind me) nothing poisons the enjoyment of art more than feeling like you were forced to pay/pay more for it than you were OK with.

The tl;dr: Take a step back and see if you're really comfortable with paying for all your electronic subscription fees for news or entertainment. Don't feel pressured into paying for something you don't really want to see, or what to support. Consider where you want your money to go.

It's hard economic times - do what you need to, and spend your money where you want to.

(And check into what your local library has on offer - they may have streaming services or digital content you weren't aware of - might be enough to tide you over for a while).

[sunburnacoustic]

HI MUSE ASKS

2, 11, 14, 32, 36 (I love this question), 45, 51, 59!!

sorry it’s a lot but I’m also not sorry

Hi hi hi @goosetown5! Thanks so much the ask 😊Don't be sorry at all, I'm so pleased to chat to you about Muse!

2. What's a Muse song that sounds better live than in the studio?

Without a doubt, Verona, that's the first song that comes to my mind! I had the pleasure of seeing it live, it's a literal religious experience. Matt lost in the sauce, eyes closed, playing guitar on the verses. My gig had a really good crowd too, so in my mind, I'll always remember Verona now with the chorus of fans singing, "I neeeeed you sooo" in a slight French accent, the reverb around the stadium on Matt's guitar and just how much bigger the song sounds live: you can feel the drums under your skin, in your chest, in your bones. Confetti blasted out into the air just after Matt belts the chorus, blue light lights up the stadium, hands are in the air, ugh. Beautiful. It's an experience just listening to the song in normal everyday life can't recreate. It's a great song otherwise, lyrically it's my favourite on the album, but holy shit you can't return to the studio version after the experience of seeing it live :) I need to experience this song again!

Eyes closed, just lost in the sauce guitar line.

EDIT: My pictures don't half do this moment justice, so enjoy these pics from @prttyinpvnk!

Pretty special, eh?

11. Favourite song that's never been played live?

Falling Away With You. I love that song so much, the way it transitions between the verses and the choruses, such agitation on that chorus, the change from a major -> minor feel, the synths, the lyrics; oh, rip my heart out! I'll never understand why Muse have never played it live. I guess, technically the did almost play it... that one time at an iHeart Radio gig or festival or something in 2018 that Matt began playing its intro on the acoustic guitar and then went "nah, just kidding" and began playing Something Human. Matt why would you toy with our hearts like that </3 They've teased it a few times before.

Map Of Your Head is another. Muse can write such addictive pop songs! (I would also want to say Falling With The Crowd because that's an old one from one of those demos that we have no live footage/audio of, but it was supposedly played regularly in 1997. It's quite fully formed for a song of that era, it's a proper song with verse-chorus-bridge-outro, and I think it's a tune. The problem is, it wasn't played at the one and only 1997 gig we have audio of*, Plymouth's Soundwaves Festival, that was taped by a friend of Muse's off a radio live broadcast locally in Plymouth. And there are no known setlists on which it appears, so has it ever been played live? Who knows.)

*Update, nevermind I found out we have a tiny clip of video footage by someone who saw Muse at a different gig in 1997! It's 50 seconds long, the videotaper seems to have been keener on recording Dom, and it's of the song Boredom. No mention of Falling With The Crowd on the set though. Still, what a treat, it's from so long ago, Matt wasn't nearly the performer he would shortly become. I'll make a different post about that though, so that I actually answer your ask here!

14. Favourite live riff/jam/intro/outro?

I love this question because I've been thinking about it recently! 😊

The improvised, extended Jimmy Jam riff at Wembley before Time Is Running Out. What annoyed me for years is that they split up the clip on the Muse Youtube in ~2015 to separately have the Jimmy Jam riff as one video and TIRO as another, and they fade Jimmy Jam out and that got stuck in my head without the ending. I should make a proper edit of it from HAARP because that jam is my jam, I love it!

Also, how it ends is so cool:

A second favourite is the outro to Assassin played at the Mayan Theatre in 2015 (Theater?), it's so fuzzy it's so filthy, it's so heavy I could listen to it all day. Drones was a good era for Muse's slow-heavy/chugging stuff that The Handler kicked off. I don't know the name of this riff, but it's so good.

And I must mention the riff played during the French 1999 Olaive interview, where the interviewers asked Matt questions and he had to reply by largely playing his guitar, an acoustic, and it was so beautiful despite Matt being really young and nervous, that one of the interviewers told him at the end of the interview that there was magic in his guitar (how poetic the French were, but he's right!). I'm not cheating on this question though, it is a legitimate intro because they brought it back years later and opened Unintended at Wembley with this piece, but transposed higher. It's a classical guitar etude by Cuban composer Leo Brouwer.

(And of course, some classics - Helsinki/Glasgow jam -> bringing bagpipes to a stadium rock gig and then playing Muse fuzzy bluesy hard rock under it is something I admire so fucking much)

32. Have you ever followed Matt's advice to not give a fuck if people think you're a pretentious wanker?

Yes, definitely, and the realisation came for me more from an off-stage moment rather than one on stage, because I guess in some ways you personally can write off on-stage ambition and personas as just something that's easier to do on stage, a place for theatre, but the fact that Matt just lives his life without shame, without feeling self-conscious, without giving a fuck what anyone else may think— I'm learning that from him, and it significantly came from this moment back in 2014:

He's out there living his best life, unbothered. He's knows not to care what anyone else thinks of him (and my respect for him just skyrocketed after this). That made it click for me, just don't give a fuck, don't care if anyone thinks you're a pretentious wanker, cut all the hangups in life—don't be afraid to be yourself! I've kept that in mind since 😊

36. Favourite song to sing along to.

Hm, I suppose it depends on the setting! In a stadium, hanging onto people, bouncing around, headbanging, screaming together "No one's gonna take me alive..." is a life-affirming experience!

Otherwise at home, on your own, a really satisfying vocal part to sing... I'd say a lot of Matt's falsetto bits are so much fun to try and do because you can lose your head and turn into an absolute diva for 20 seconds, I highly recommend trying it with no shame (refer to Q. 32!) And have I tried Micro Cuts out loud? Yeah, while fearing for my life I have lmao. Don't need neighbours calling the paramedics on me! Supermassive Black Hole is fun to try and sing along to (multiple parts). I Belong To You is nice. Showbiz is fun. Undisclosed Desires is another, Screenager too. Dead Inside is so good to sing along to! (and we haven't even got into singing riffs live, something Matt noted Muse fans do a lot live :D)

You're so right, I love this question too!  😊 (Side fun fact, a singer friend of mine told me that Time Is Running Out sung properly is actually quite technically difficulut— it's an acceptable Grade 5 piece to perform on Trinity College vocal exams (the rockschool ones))

45. Tell me a little-known fact about Muse

Oh, yes please! (not the song :P) I've been hoping someone would ask this one :)

Here's one I've decided on at random: Muse played a gig away in North Devon on Matt's 17th birthday. Someone found a poster for the gig years later in like 2008, look at how Muse sometimes stylised their name—quite psychedelic! This was on 9 June 1995, in Torrington.

51. Dom - bleach blond era, 90s slacker-band, wraparound shades era, surfer dude era, Drones black hair era, 2022 'pornstache' baby blue hair era, or 2006 aviators era?

Do you know what, I'm partial to aviators Dom. I'm so fucking partial to aviators Dom. But I think we all know which picture from Dom's Instagram I had in mind when I typed up "surfer dude-era Dom", don't we?

59. Favourite Muse accessory? (Matt's OOS era thick necklace, the guitar-pick necklace, any rings, etc.)

Very partial to the pick-necklace! Independently of Matt, I'd been doing it myself for years, so I was delighted to find that Matt had a pick necklace phase too (except mine is very DIY: it's a pick held together to a chain with paperclips lmao. I haven't lost the pick in 7 years so clearly it works... happy to show pictures of it if you like!)

Matt's 2006-era braces are a top notch accessory too, that was a really good look! I picked up a fondness of scarves from him too, which was also mostly BHAR-era photoshoots as well. Glitter in Matt's hair, A+ accessory; love it.

That time someone stuck a star on Matt's forehead

And of course, Matt's sunglasses. I wouldn't be the "Matt wearing his sunglasses on his head like my mum" blog if I didn't mention that.

(^3 pairs! of sunglasses!)

(This got quite Matt-heavy, didn't it? I love Dom's ever-expanding shades of trousers too! Orange is the latest one the WOTP tour has blessed us with :) Not really an accessory though, is it? Otherwise I'd be able to openly drool over Matt's cool jackets.)

[cowboymantis]

Started this pretty much immediately when I saw the post! :D

So here is my journey so far! Decided to stop for today (well, it's already tomorrow technically...) since it's 4 am, but I had a lot of fun already :3

I wrote this separately in a notes app, while I was playing, so I'll be just pasting it here:

First of aaaall, I'll give a short comment on the extra PDF:

Advanced Documents for the Board Overseeing Archaeological Research Department

As someone who is familiar with Blade, I tried to put myself into the shoes into someone who has never heard of it, so I think even with this bias it looks very understandable for newcomers to Blade!

Okay, now to the main thing!

I loved the description of the Undead as furries, realistically people would totally first think they are furries (goes with any Tokumon really) 😭

Before I started, I was getting ready and making it look all aesthetic, fully knowing I won't use my epic Oneus card deck from the Trickster album bc it's not a full suit, also fully knowing I won't need all the other dice but they just cool for the photo :3

(Future note: My notebook here has a lot of random information in it, like world times, different currencies of the world, a world map, etc, which is really cool! But now I noticed oh wow it actually lowkey influenced me in my character creation, love the subliminal messages from my own equipment)

Creating a character

Since I am writing those notes, in real time while I am playing the game, I just want to say, the "Thoughts on anti-homeless architecture?" questions in the character creation was a jumpscare. 😭😭 Well we'll see how relevant this will become in the future, I guess... But you're on thin ice 👁👁

Anyway, for the character I tried to make it a bit quick, since I wanted to get to the game fairly quickly to test it out. But the questions about creating the character gave me a lot of inspiration so I sat a bit longer on the making! I guess it's just like the character creation in video games, you end up spending way too much time on it. 😭

He's got some characteristics from me, but at the end everything else, like abilities and origin are mostly OC, in general just more focus on existing in a Kamen Rider world!

So yeah, my rough character sketch:

Put it in more of a cute almost chibi style so I don't spend too long on the drawing kdjdjd

Btw... The name is a BIIIT of a refference to Ravn from Oneus, bc I had to think of them with the card deck staring at me, and I love Ravn, so yay!

His last name's meaning is something along the lines of "peaceful warrior", which I think fit perfectly for the character :)

Also, I tried for the first time to draw an OC Kamen Rider design, I'm not sure yet if I will even go that route, but I just thought it would be cool to have :3 Loosely inspired by the Cobra Undead, since I love snakes and it's my Chinese zodiac funnily enough, and going for the obvious (Mantis Undead) felt kind of weird given Hajime exists lmaoo 😭 He stole not only that humans identity, no, MINE TOO!!! I AM MANTIS!!!

Anyway, let's get to that character lore:

Raven Humphrey

[he/him, aroace which is completely unrelated but I just want to specify it so there is one more aroace character on this planet 🙏]

Age: 34

Origin: Alaska

BOARD:

- just newly joined BOARD as a Kamen Rider in training

- saw weird people in suits fighting monsters, was immediately intrigued, so he followed them, ended up being the one attacked by an Undead, actually tried to fight back, until he got rescued by the suited people and got ridiculed for doing such a dangerous thing. Wouldn't stop pestering them until they told him what they were and now he somehow ended up training to be a Kamen Rider

- is very fascinated by the Undead, thinks they're actually kinda cute! Thinks fighting them looks fun, but is kind of sad about the only option to interact with them to be hostile, so he likes to imagine different possibilities how to interact otherwise

Even has a small notebook where he has a lot of sketches of the Undead he encounters

- is, like any decent person, very much against anti-homeless architecture and gets kind of sad whenever he sees it

Before BOARD/backstory/overall character:

- grew up in Alaska, was always rather quiet, but easy to make friends with once you get to know him. He's rather introverted though, so he never really went on too many activities during his childhood

- doesn't have the best relationship with most of his family (probably bc they want grandchildren or something), but is still in contact with his older sister from time to time

- nowadays generally prefers peace and quiet over everything else, but has been doing Judo from an early age, later on started fencing, then archery. So while he is regularly more of a pacifist, he can get heated in a fun battle and his old battle spirit gets ignited!

- actually got heavily in trouble in high school for knocking out someone cold in a battle THEY started and didn't expect him to fight back. From then on spiraled into a bit of a street fight phase, got thrown out of his Judo team due to that

- normally is rather logical and tries to see things through, but also always tries to see the best in things and the best in people, since he went through a rough depressive episode during his teenage years (probably the major factor of his more aggresive behaviour during that time) and since then managed to come out more positive and controls his anger well now

- worked a bunch of different jobs you can do from anywhere (like writing books, doing journalism or photo/video editing, which back then definetly wasn't something just anyone could do!), so he could travel the world a lot, in the countries he stayed he would also sometimes work in random establishments, primarily works with heavy lifting since he's quite strong and also doesn't need to talk too much in those (helpful when you're introverted and not an expert at a language)

- in general is just interested in many things and loves to learn about new stuff

- really liked it in Japan, always loved different movies and shows from there, especially when they had fighting, and decided to study the language more in-depth and live there for a while (since all of this Kamen Rider stuff is happening, seems like he'll be staying there for a bit longer!)

Special skills:

- martial arts, different weapon fighting skills and also quite strong

- skilled in first aid (very useful and needed when you're travelling alone all across the world)

- very cold resistant due to growing up in Alaska

- I guess it is kind of a special skill, stays cool most of the time (no Alaska joke inteded) and its very hard to rile him up nowadays

- speaks a bit of multiple languages

- different computer skills

Relationship to the other characters:

Kenzaki:

- thinks very positively of him, while they haven't talked too much, he thinks Kenzaki is a good person, maybe even a bit too good given how naive he seems, but appreciates that there are people like this

Shiori

- probably interacted with her the most so far, since he's very interested in the Undead and their story. Overall the easiest to talk to for him, maybe because she almost feels like a little sister

Kotaro

- thinks he's a bit silly, but alright other than that (but the obsession with milk is, no offense, kind of disgusting)

Hajime

- thinks he's an alright guy, but they never really talk. Probably all of their conversations would just consist of silence since none of them would want to be the first one to talk

Tachibana:

- isn't so sure how to feel about him, since he seems a bit unstable, but trusts him anyway, since he and Kenzaki were the ones saving Raven back then from the Undead, so in a way he feels like he owes them trust

Mutsuki

- thinks he means well overall, but sees him as a bit annoying, but that's just how teenagers are. He'll hopefully grow out of it

Everyone else not named: neutral

Position in house:

Second floor, his room is filled with different bits and bops from all the places Raven has visited and immediately looked very lived in!

Now, finally getting into the gameplay!!!

Already like the system with different tasks and how cards are being used to determine what you're going to be up to for the day!

Also damn!! Started off with some great RNG, get to do 3 tasks!

For those, I pulled K, Q and Joker!

(Live Mantis reaction:

Okay let's see what task K is- OH MY GOD)

Anyway, Day 1 from the perspective of my character now, imagine him reminiscing or writing about the day in a journal:

"This day was certainly off to a rather weird start! I finally finished packing all of my belongings in the temporary farmhouse home, and it seemed like a quiet moment for once, so I went out for a walk to get my mind off things. So much happened all at once, it's only natural you need a bit of a time out, right?

Well, seems like the universe had other plans... For some reason, this weird guy claiming to work for the IRS just kept on bothering me. Not sure how he knew me, IF he even knew me (I didn't ask about my name at all) or if he even was IRS.

It was rather annoying, but thankfully, I just started to talk English, which he didn't seem to understand, and act like a confused tourist. Which probably just confused him more in turn, since he just completely stopped trying to annoy me at all.

Guess that's one way to get rid of the IRS (don't try this at home kids!)

Being sure that weird man went away, I continued my journey around the city. And I went down this really idyllic forest path, when I set my sights on an absolute abomination. Such a beautiful bench, ruined by an ugly metal bar in the middle. Surely, this was just to prevent homeless people from sleeping on it. Not even that, it also looked absolutely hideous.

Now, I normally try to stay calm, but I just couldn't, it infuriated me so much, I just HAD to get rid of those. I'm sure I'd be doing a favour to everyone.

Thankfully, it wasn't to hard for me to get them off the benches, but when I was just finished with a second one, an officer spotted me! And I was so stupid and held the other one still in my hand, thinking I could recycle it into a cool makeshift weapon or something else. But it just ended up exposing me further and the cop watched me put both of them back again... Ah, well I guess all I got was a warning.

Eventually, I decided to just give up and go back home anyway, away from scammers and police."

Adding to the Joker Task: Omg this reminds me so much of one of my favourite dramas, SPEC: Birth, where one of the protagonist always throws a bunch of paper in the air (it has a point there but the mental image I got from this task just reminded me of it!)

Also, just trying to make sure, but I'm fairly certain this isn't canon/included in the story, since it is a "safe", aka a joker task?

DAY 2

Exciting, my first Undead Encounter!

Also, I keep accidentally writing Unded 💀 My brain is rotting from the internet I swear

Omg, I got a King of Clubs 😭 Tarantula Undead... Guess that's probably the most fitting first encounter for my character (well, Shima to be more specific bc he's also rather chill)

But that also means no fighting!

"Yesterday I pretty much just fell into my bed, exhausted from everything and then those weird encounters on my walk. I'm not gonna lie, I was feeling a bit down this morning and just wandered around the house a bit.

Eventually I started to get into a little chat with Shima, who also was around at the time. I never really actually got to talk with him, so I didn't know he was so chill! If anything, it just further proves my theories that Undead don't necessarily have to be fought. It makes me wonder if there are any other Undead like him..."

DAY 3

I didn't roll an Encounter, so I thought it would be a fitting idea to make my character look for an Undead, after a conversation with Shima he might be encouraged to try and look for Undead to potentially befriend.

And...Oh boy we'll see if this will go horribly wrong or if he gets lucky for once!

And yes, I actually got an Encounter and pulled 7 of Hearts. SO CLOSE to 8 Hearts! Why do I care about 8 Hearts? Bc now I have Welcome To Hell stuck in my head, aka the boss theme of 8 Hearts in No More Heroes Travis Strikes Again... the boss also likes to say RIDER KICK when attacking you, so I guess it's all connected somehow-

Anyway, I got distracted again!!!

"Today, I was feeling rather optimistic! Talking with Shima gave me some new hope again, and especially ensures me that it's not impossible to get along with different Undead. Obviously, since my training isn't complete, it's not recommended I go and look for Undead myself, so Mutsuki was sent by Tachibana to follow me, since he somehow knew my intentions for leaving. Ah well. I mean, the kid isn't bad (I think), but edgy teens like him are the exact reason I don't ever want to be a parent. No offense, but I just couldn't handle this all day.

One day though, I guess that's fine. Or rather, part of one day.

We were walking through a park, when suddenly, I felt like something held me back! And there I noticed, something was tangled around my ankle, I could just about stop myself from tripping.

Didn't take me long to realize it was an Undead, because it revealed itself, probably trying to squish me, thankfully Mutsuki quickly reacted and punched it away.

This encounter definetly didn't start off friendly, but I tried my best talking to it! I'm... honestly not sure if it understood me or just chose to ignore me, but I felt like talking to a wall. I guess it was annoying even Mutsuki, since he told me to just leave it to him, eventually defeating the Undead and sealing it.

Honestly, I was a bit frustrated. I told him we could've tried harder, he answered it just won't listen. Eventually, he just threw the card at me and told me I can always try and talk to it this in there, not that it would know.

Now I'm home again, staring at this card while writing... I'm... not sure how this made me feel. I guess, some Undead just have to be fought because they have a more violent nature.

It definetly sucks, but I'm also not saying no to an exiting fight..."

Having the Plant Undead as an encounter while Raven was trying to look for one to befriend was definitely kind of funny. I was trying to think, but I just don't think that's an Undead you can befriend. Not saying it's impossible! Just maybe for my character :'D Also it's a good character development moment where he learns early on how different the Undead can be!

DAY 4

Another day with tasks, 3 again and... JOKER AGAIN??? Like damn I know the Joker Undead is one of my favourite designs ever but damn...

Anyway, I got Joker, 3, 6!

"I guess I woke up rather early today, I just was very exhausted after yesterday, once again! But I decided to do something nice for everyone and prepare breakfast today!

There was this dish that wouldn't leave my mind ever since I tried it in a breakfast menu in Germany! To be honest, I had to look up what it was called in my journals: Kaiserschmarrn.

But I absolutely wanted to try and recreate it, so more people can experience it.

It's basically like a scrambled egg for pancakes, if that makes sense.

And, well, I guess it smelled very good because everyone was commenting on that, but once we tasted it... Yeah, I think I definetly mistook the salt for sugar...

I mean, because of the cinnamon sweetening it too, it wasn't aaawful, but it also wasn't good either. Funnily enough, I think Tachibana really liked it, which, I don't know if he acted like he did, out of sympathy, or he actually just has a weird taste.

Either way, I think in theory this recipe would've been nice, if I actually added sugar. Ah well, we'll see next time!"

Fun fact: I tried making Kaiserschmarrn the other day for the first time and I was amazed at how easy it was and everyone absolutely LOVED it, I inhaled everything off my plate in record time it was so good. So it went the exact opposite from what my character here experienced lmaooo this poor guy man 😭

I got the baseball practice next, and I just want to add: this is actually such a creative way to implement that training into this game!

"Later that day, Tachibana asked if I wanted to do baseball practice with him and Mutsuki.

...I knew exactly what that meant and no, I am not good at it. I don't even know why, with my skillset, hell, archery especially! I technically should be good at it, but it seems almost impossible to me.

But with everything, practice creates the master.

So I did join them, and I would say I was very average at it. And with average I mean about how good a regular person with no fighting experience would be at it.

I mean, I did guess some of them.

But I always impulsively punched them away, and I might've accidentally hit Mutsuki on the head with one!

Now, I am not one to start a fight or hold a grudge but all I'll say this is payback for him being so stubborn with the Plant Undead. Yes, I am still thinking about that. Yes, I do think mayyybe it was possible to befriend it.

Either way, I think all things considered, and the unfortunate happenings aside, today was quite fun."

It's funny, the ONE character my character was a bit negative towards (Mutsuki) is now one he keeps on having to interact with, like a kid having to babysit his smaller brother 😭😭😭

NEXT TIME ON OWO, THERE WILL BE AMONG US... (Yes I rolled that task)

But for now, it's sleepy time.

As a last visualization, page 1 from today and my setup dkdjdj

Hopefully me going through my experience like this kind of shows the thought process of someone who did not make the game and just goes after the instructions, however here are some things I haven't explicitly listed during my playthrough, and just thought about later on:

I started to kind of question this when my first real fight started:

Does your character have Kamen Rider abilies in the fights?

Or just the characters that help you?

When an Undead gets sealed, does your character get the card? (aka can you freely decide?)

If your character has Kamen Rider abilities, do you just make up a new Category Ace Undead card for them (however that would work logically)?

Obviously, a lot of things are open for interpretation, since it's all about telling your own story with vague instructions, and at the end of the day you can literally do what you want, but I was just very unsure about those points personally, and if they were intended in a certain way, or if you're completely free to go Kamen Rider fighting route (wether it is from beginning on or during your journey)!

Version 1 of the Kamen Rider Blade Solo Journal RPG project is now up!

I'll be posting the link in a reblog of this post in a second. This is my first time making one of these, so any constructive criticism is very, very much recommended. I hope you enjoy trying it out! And if there's any issues with the gameplay, please let me know immediately. Thank you!

[miraculousares]

It's been a while since I've analyzed a Miraculous episode but Psycomedian was so good that I had to share

1. Starting off strong with the writers feeding their queer audience this scene.

There's something so casual about the way they talk and how tender they are with each other that just makes me so happy. While I, of course, wish that the writers could make it explicitly stated that they're girlfriends, I appreciate how clear they make it through things like this so that they can still please their queer audience without getting censored.

2. Adrien watching Marientte instead of the comedian Nino's trying to show him is the cutest thing in the world oh my god.

Tell me those aren't heart eyes, I'll wait.

3. I absolutely adore Harry. In my personal opinion, he's one of the most likeable sid characters that Miraculous has had in a really long time. I might make a separate appreciation post just for him but I can't talk about this episode without mentioning this absolute gem of a man.

4. Carrying on my love of Harry, I love the weird uncle energy he has with Marinette. I have to admit, I'm a sucker for that dynamic, especially within this show. First we had it with Jagged Stone and now now Harry Clown and I'm never disappointed. He's so sweet and gentle with her, even teasing her about her crush and helping her out with him. I really hope we get to see more of this relationship in the future.

5. I know we're all talking about the still-secretly-pining-for-eachother ex energy between "Gaby" and Harry but I wanna talk about it too because gjejfjejdjdnsjshfjeksfjeje

Again, I'll probably make a separate post talking about this in more detail and why there is no doubt in my mind that there is something between these two but for now, I just want to say how much I absolutely love this. Harry is so confident around Gabriel and literally not intimidated at all by him. He sees right through the emotionless front "Gaby" puts up. Also, I know that nobody, not even Adrien, could get away with being so casual with him, let alone going as far as to call him "sweetie" and "Gaby," so the fact that Harry does is so hilarious to me.

6. Not much to say for this one but of fucking course Gabriel designed the French fry costume.

8. Again, not much to say about this but I cannot get over this part. Chat looks like he is having the time of his life painting that helmet. He's straight up vibing. Also I think it's so funny because there is absolutely 0 reason he needed to paint it like a lucky charm. I can understand painting the visor to block Psycomedian's power, but he did not need to paint the full helmet, especially with how much detail he put into it. I choose to believe that he was just enjoying himself and knew that Feralbug was doing just find out there throwing hands.

9. The entirety of feralbug had me absolutely laughing my ass off, seeing her just go apeshit over the most random things. But in addition to the peak comedy of that, I also love how patient Chat was with her and how he knew how to handle her/calm her down.

10. THIS.

This line is probably the most important line I've seen in canon in terms of their relationship, platonic or otherwise. He doesn't need Marinette to put on a whole stand up comedy show to make him laugh, just her natural sense of humor is perfect for him and that's so sweet.

My final thoughts on this episode is that I think it is easily one of my favorite episodes of the entire series and especially this season. Season 4 has been absolutely incredible in dealing with a lot more serious and mature emotions and plot lines in a way that I never expected from Miraculous and it's been incredible. However, everyone needs a breather and a laugh, a chance to not have to take the show so seriously and be able to just enjoy it. I'm glad that we got that with Psycomedian. I'm so excited to see what else Miraculous has in store for us. I also have a lot more that I wanted to talk l about with this episode that I'll make separate posts for either because I wanted to go more in depth about a topic or because I wanted to keep this post more light hearted so I am by no means done talking about this episode.

[drakulateeth]

My femme fatale essentials

I have seen way too many posts and articles about how to become a femme fatale and most of them are useless. And since I have had the femme fatale mindset ever since I was quite young, let me share with you what being a femme fatale actually entails:

1. Being in touch with your dark side.

By this I mean, understanding and not suppressing the negative traits that we have. Being selfish, arrogant, wanting to lie, wanting to steal, craving violence. Once you look at those feelings in the face and truly understand them, you will no longer be a slave to them and to what society says is unacceptable. Regardless this does not mean wrecking havoc in others lives and self-destructing, but you should accept yourself fully and work on whatever you see fit, however you see fit (I'm a popstar, not a doctor).

2. Having a generally dark and muted color paletter.

For your clothes and your environment, I think this is quite self explanatory. Dark reds and browns, shiny pinks and even deep blues. Candles, antique furniture, old books, heavy curtains, classic cuts for clothes, for this part I would suggest you mix the stereotypical aesthetic with your own authentic style. Do not buy into the mainstream products you see online though, please, I would suggest see what type of Halloween decorations you enjoy and move from there. (My inspiration ever since I was young have been vampires)

3. Being the demise of men.

My personal favorite. I have yet to destroy anyone's life but I have used the feelings that many guys had for me, for my benefit. From school projects, to concert tickets, to snacks, free rides around town, to now getting a guy that likes me, that I of course do not like, to do most of my work in the conference I am working on. And in the end breaking their little hearts.

The way I go around it is that I act cold (I already look intimidating) and never give them actual hope, so when the situation blows in the guy's face, he knows that it was his fault and that him being blinded by lust cannot be my problem. This is where the be in touch with all your feeling and urges comes to play. Be ruthless. (I should do a whole separate piece on being ruthless, 10/10 would recommend)

4. Emulating classic and/or glam looks.

For this part, fuck trends and do what works for you. You must know yourself first and then craft a look, I cannot tell you to just do a red lip and you will look stunning. You should know your undertones and what shades of lipstick compliment your face. I only wear dark reds and browns, otherwise I do simple nudes, because pink or purple or anything vibrant looks terrible on me. Pick and choose whatever suits you and I repeat stay away from trends. Hair, make up, scents, dresses, shoes, nails, everything should be coherent, should suit you because YOU are wearing them they do not wear you, basically look well put together in a glam way in a darker color palette. (The look is a very simple part)

5. Having a very particular hobby that must be intellectually stimulating.

For me it would be learning languages, I already speak four (French is one of them, you want someone to be hypnotized by you, speak French with the accent, even if it is visible you are not French, it still sounds hot) and I intend to learn three more because I have picked them up but have not taken them to intermediate or advanced levels yet. Your hobby can be anything as long as it is very intellectually and artistically stimulating. Think playing the cello, the harp, the violin, the piano, think classical ballet, ballroom dancing or even belly dancing, sculpting, writing poetry, pottery, I can go on for ages. You have read this in other guides too, be curious, be authentic and indulge in the things that you enjoy.

6. Oozing sex appeal.

That starts with being confident in your body and being in complete touch with yourself. You already know what I will say on this, eat well, do something physical that makes you feel good, take care of your health, wear well made lingerie, have a deep and sweet perfume (I am a Dior girl, I buy a dupe for daily wear, and the actual perfume for more important matters). The rest, I don't know you, you must figure it out yourself, a guide I made cannot dictate your life, do whatever makes you feel sexy. Start with sexy lingerie, shiny jewelry, also gun and dagger shaped things, put on a sultry playlist, imitate supermodel walks, the world is your oyster.

7. You must stand tall

The main appeal of the femme fatale, is the self confidence, the directness, living their life in their own terms. They have boundaries, standards, refined taste... basically they are the dream girl that would do everything to get what she wants, there is this sort of perfect imperfection about their poise, their anger, their movement. They seem so cool yet so ready to strike, at any moment they might unleash hell. I always loved them because they seemed so multidimensional. I never particularly enjoyed the nice and sweet heroin in media, I related more the the amoral, darker "villains" hence me being a well known bitch from age 12 until now.

On an ending note, I would suggest pick a few fictional characters that have traits you would like to emulate, and live as they would. We live in the age of information, chances are you already know what you like or not about the aesthetic, so make it your own and live authentically. The only thing I want to say is, bring back misery to men's lives, because 1. the trope is based on that and 2. because they love it.

Happy hunting my maneaters,

💋

snowblack

[komoriyui]

୨୧┈┈┈┈┈ · Main Info · ┈┈┈┈┈୨୧

꒰ ˘͈ᵕ˘͈ Hi~! Welcome to my blog and thank you for visting! I'm an ask/roleplay blog for Yui Komori, but this will also double as a space for me to make general posts about the Diabolik Lovers franchise, too. For convenience, when referring to me in asks you can call me just Admin or Admin Yui! I will separate IC and OOC posts with tags to make things easier for everyone ✿

୨୧┈┈┈┈┈ · Ask Rules · ┈┈┈┈┈୨୧

.  .  . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ These are rules regarding anything you send in for Yui!

1. No hate is allowed!! This is very obvious, but any hate sent in for Yui will be deleted and I won't respond to it! I do not want to be responding to asks sent in genuine ill will, or put into that situation at all.

2. Roleplays, headcanons, scenarios, OC interactions, and general questions for Yui are all permitted! I would love to interact with everyone and anyone, so I will probably allow any type of interaction from any character as long as it is for Yui.

3. If Yui is uncomfortable by an ask or doesn't respond for any other reason/takes long to respond, please do not spam the ask box or demand an answer, or I will delete it. Remember to be respectful!

୨୧┈┈┈┈ · Admin Rules · ┈┈┈┈୨୧

.  .  . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ Information regarding Admin and interacting with Admin!

1. Please be kind ♥︎ I would love to get along with everyone, so when I make posts about any characters, please don't criticise my ideas or how I interpret any of the characters and story. I'd love to have discussions and learn about other people's opinions, but please don't start arguments with me if you disagree with something (｡>_<｡)

2. Please do not try and discuss anything NSFW with me if it isn't related to/doesn't appear in the Dialovers world! Anything like that will make me uncomfortable, put an NSFW warning in an ask for Admin and anyone else if it contains explicit content mentioned in the games/manga/storyline etc, otherwise just don't send it in.

3. You can request headcanons, moodboards, ask questions or request any type of post about anything Dialovers on my blog! As well as it being an ask blog for Yui, I'll also be posting things like this so I'd love it if you can interact with my little idea dumps or ask me about my own opinions too (*´˘`*)♡

୨୧┈┈┈┈┈┈ · End · ┈┈┈┈┈┈୨୧

Thank you so much for reading my information, and I hope that we can get along well! Enjoy your stay!

୨୧┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈୨୧

[inessencedevided]

(You can find the set that this gif belongs to here 💙)

From planning to posting, share your process for making creative content!

To continue supporting content makers, this tag game is meant to show the entire process of making creative content: this can be for any creation.

RULES: When your work is tagged, show the process of its creation from planning to posting, then tag 5 people with a specific link to one of their creative works you’d like to see the process of. Use the tag #showyourprocess so we can find yours

I was tagged by @aheartfullofjolllly. thank you so much Pat! it was really fun to reflect about my own process 💗 You can find her post here and @lan-xichens' post that started it all here :)

Also thank you @huigusu 🥰 (who tagged me for my nie brothers set) I'll get to that one in a few days!

Now Pat gave me two sets to chose from to show my process, so obviously I chose the more complicated one :P

I only work in Photoshop CC 2018. I know that there are programs out there for easier cutting and sharpening but I have only just figured out how to do that in PS and I am too lazy to figure out any other programs right now xD

1. Idea and Planning

This set, like most of my sets with lyrics started with me reading the poem, clutching my heart and going "oh shit this fits my favourite characters!!". The idea actually started with me thinking that the first stanza of the poem would go really well with wwx during the burial mounds arc. Then I realized that the last stanza fits lwj better than him and from there came the idea to contrast the both of them next to each other. This is when I realized I wanted to do a dark-light contrast set, though I did not know that I would go with red and blue at that time. My idea in the beginning was just to do a black and white set

I was really impressed by how Pat said that she plans her sets around exact timestamps. Because I don't do that at all ^^ I just get ideas for which scenes would fit (in this case the wwx burial mounds scenes and lwj's kneeling and punishments scene) and then I watch the scenes to narrow them down.

Back when I made this set, I still used a screenrecorder (AceThinker Screen Grabber Pro to be precise. They have a test version that allows you to record up to 3 minutes) and recorded the scenes I needed from Netflix. This worked well enough but now I have the entire show saved on an external drive and it makes a world of difference when it comes to gif sharpness

Now, in this case I had to repeat this step once because when I was almost finished, I realized that I wanted a gif for the lwj corner but let's pretend I didn't do that and that's the way this gif was always going to look because otherwise this post will be way too long ^^

2. Creation

Short disclaimer: The creation process for this gifset was anything but linear. Multiple effects I used here were things I had never tried before. I just had a vague idea and tried to realize it through trial and error. So whenever I say "then I did xyz", it is implied that I ultimately went back to that step several times and changed stuff ^^

I started with the Wei Wuxian part of the gif. I usually use a frame rate of 0,06 (with some variation depending on gif length and size). I work in timeline so I converted all the layers to a smart layer. Then I resized the gif into a square, leaving big chunks of the gif empty (as can be seen below.) I flipped the gif horizontally, so he is looking inwards. This was simple because I felt it fitted the composition better. Then I imported the Lan Wangji part of the gif, again with a frame rate of 0,06. (Image 2)

After that I created a layer for masking in a separate PS document by rotating a square until it was point down (is that a rhombus?). I sized it to match my gif (540x540 pxl) and copied it over. (Image 3) a bit of masking magic and ta da! There's the basic layout (Image 4)

I put a layer of solid black behind wwx to get rid of the transparent bits (Image 5) and then started adding more white and black to both sides by adding solid whit and black layers that i put masks on and changed the opacity as i needed (Image 6)

("reading" direction: from the upper left to the lower right corner)

Then I fiddled with the colours a bit. The first thing I always do is using the curves layer to get more contrast. Then I use the colour balance tool and the selective colouring tool to get rid of that cql-typical cyan tint after that it's just trying to have it look "natural" while the colours still fit the overall scheme. This was difficult here because wei Wuxian’s side of the gif was very dark and when i turned up the saturation to see which colour dominated it was a very weird mixture of multiple colours. That's when i decided that I'd just go with red on his side, since lwj's side was already so blue and those to look great as contrasts.

After that just came a lot of fiddling with selective colour layers and brightness and contrast unti I has happy. There really wasn't much to it ^^. (Image 1)

After that I added the text. I knew I wanted the two lines to for a square of some kind. So I tried different fonds until I arrived at the one below. The two lines are in seperate layers so I could move them around and change the spacing between the letters until I was happy with the layout. I also changed the layer mode for the text to "difference" (is that what it's called in english? my PS is set to german sorry ^^), keeping their colour white. (Image 2)

I originally hadn't planned adding anything else but I felt like the gifs (plural because I switched between the gifs of this set) was still kind of empty and lacking, so I added the tear down the middle (a tutorial for that is either coming up later or already posted. I recently got an ask for this :)) (Image 3)

It still felt empty after that, so I tried different overlays. Okay no, first I wasted a lot of time on different free image sides but then I tried out different ones until I chose the one you can see in the finished gif. I liked that one because a) I felt the round shape was a nice contrast to all the straight lines already there and b) because once I applied a black and white filter to it and switched the layer setting to "difference" (again, i hope this is the correct translation) it looked a bit like a moon. (Gif at the top)

("reading" direction: from left to right)

And that's it! :)

Although in general, these gifs took so much fiddling! I went back and forth between them a lot and sometimes almost redid the entire thing because I had no idea what I was doing in the beginning and by the time I noticed an error, the only way to fix it was ti redo everything. So yeah, this set definitely is the the one that took me the longest out of all the ones I've posted so far.

3. Posting

I save all my gifs to my drafts first to see what they look like put together and to check if they look any different on mobile. Usually i do this several times and change stuff until I'm happd enough with it to hit post. Once i am happy enough, i can't hold back. Doesn't matter if it's at a time when nobody is online, i hit post 😅

And that's it!

Tagging:

@lanwuxiann for this gifset (I adore it so much. I've looked at it and read it severat times since you posted it and the poem just kills me every time!)

@suibianjie for this gifset (The combination of static images and gifs in your gifs is always absolutely perfect! This one is only my favourite of yours because the light coming from behind wwx is just so pretty!!! ^^)

@sweetlittlevampire for this piece (It was soooo hard to pick a piece of yours because I have so many favourites! But this one is just so out if this world, I want to know how you worked that magic :D)

@wei-gege for this set (sparkling shijie! 😭 that set is so incredibly beautiful! I love how you matched the colour of the overlay with her dress!)

@purplexedhuman for this set (your gifs are always incredible! I chise this one because it showcases both your colouring skills and some really intricate effects)

If any of you have already been tagged or don't have the time or energy for this, obviously no pressure to do this at all! 🥰

(btw, I originally tried to place the actual text of this under a "read more" cut but somehow it always messed with the order of the images, so this ended up as a rather long post. sorry!)

[geekgirles]

Goodbye & Broppy

After the song was released, I felt the need of doing something I haven't done in a while for the Trolls fandom: an in-depth analysis.

The lyrics of the song were a real tearjerker; the separation, the longing, the sadness, the impression of giving up as the only option... And, considering it said Justin Timberlake was supposed to sing it, and the mentions of "My queen", "My love"; it totally sounds like a Broppy song.

Now, I know @georgebeard mentioned they'd talked to an animator who confirmed the scene was indeed deleted from the film. However, as a loyal and experienced member of the Miraculous fandom, I know better than to cross out the possibility of being misled in order to avoid spoilers (I'm looking at you guys, Chloé redemption, Félix , and Chat Blanc). So, there's that.

And even if the song did not make it in the end, we must not forget the first movie and its extra content.

If you purchased a DVD copy (like myself), or were obsessed enough to search for every possible Trolls-related video on YouTube (like myself), you must have surely found the deleted scenes from the film.

Poppy's dresses.

Poppy's storytelling.

"Bringing Back Happy."

And that's what I wanna talk about!

Bringing Back Happy was a, rather early (considering its storyboard stage), villain song that Chef was supposed to sing. So, even if Goodbye doesn't make it into Trolls World Tour, the chances of it appearing as extra content are pretty high, considering it was even mentioned before the release of the movie.

If that weren't enough for ya, there's more. Don't worry.

As I mentioned earlier, if you're familiar with the deleted scenes, you'll know 2/3 were in a very advanced stage of animation before being scrapped. Not to mention, the one major change we got no info about: turning Poppy's coronation party to the 20 year anniversary since they escaped the bergens. Again, a scene so advanced in its animation stage that even made it to the trailer!

Moreover, there's this detail in the very first trailer of Trolls World Tour that stuck with me: Branch's quote "This is a terrible idea that will blow up in your face!"

Which, if we compare it to his supportive attitude in the latest trailer ("I'm coming with you"), is completely different and even unexpected.

And that leads me to this: there are many reasons why a scene would be deleted; it gives a character a quality they didn't want, Chef didn't get to sing because it made her too funny, while Poppy didn't wear her dresses because it made her look spoiled; it becomes longer than they expected, another reason for the dresses and, I think, for the storytelling; or it changes the vibe of the movie greatly (if you guys knew the original script for How to train your dragon 2...).

On a side note, I remember a post from long ago that explained that one of the reasons its OP liked trolls so much was because, unlike the vast majority of films, Poppy and Branch never really had a fall out. They were always together.

What do I mean with this?

What if their fall out happens in this movie? What if Branch says that line out of frustration and Poppy and him, both devastated, are forced to go their separate ways?

That would be the perfect cue for a song as romantic and heartbreaking as Goodbye.

Not to mention, it would also explain how on Earth Poppy could be captured by Barb, alone. Because there's no way Branch wouldn't go down with her otherwise, and you know it.

Now that the song analysis and theorizing is out of the way, let's move on to the deeper part of the analysis: Broppy itself.

As someone who's been a hardcore Broppy shipper even before watching the movie, you can believe me when I say that it'll devastate me if they killed Broppy.

Even so, I also consider myself as someone both highly emotional and analytical, hence, why I create such analysis on the things I love. Trolls being no exception.

Something I want to talk about to make you all understand my point of view is the way Dreamworks works (as I see it). And for that, I'd like to compare Trolls, HTTYD, their tv shows, and their main ships, Broppy and Hiccstrid; respectively.

If there's something I've noticed about Dreamworks and Disney, that's that Disney movies have a much greater stand-alone value than Dreamworks'. That's why 95% of its films end with an extra-official couple or why their sequels are either shitty compared to the original (Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Mulan...) or a fucking masterpiece. I mean, take Frozen, for instance. The film made a major point on criticising Disney's "I get together with someone I barely know and we live happily ever after" trope. And yet, even if it was much subtler and less intense than usual, that's exactly what happened with Anna and Kristoff. Maybe they weren't married, but they got officially together. And as for Frozen II... I haven't seen it, but I've been told it's very, very different than the first one, and very, very good.

So, yeah. Stand-alone value.

But Dreamworks... Dreamworks manages to reach beautiful conclusions that, at the same time, let the plot perfectly open for more stories to be told.

Seriously, just watch How to Train your Dragon!

Every film had its ending, but it also made you wonder what was gonna happen next. It made you understand that the saga wasn't over, just a part of it. And I think that's what they're trying to achieve with Trolls.

I mean, sure. The plot of the sequel wasn't what we expected at all and made many of us think about the astounding amount of fanfics that delved in the possible existence of different kinds of trolls... But it left us all with one question in our minds, "what now?" And, at the same time, the film had reached a beautiful conclusion.

See what I mean?

I wholeheartedly believe this is something Dreamworks aim to achieve with its pairings. They don't want them to be rushed, they want to develop them. Sure, they want us to see there are ships, but they strive to form deep, strong relationships with much more meaning behind than just sharing an adventure together.

And that, that is something I can clearly see with Hiccstrid and Broppy.

If we take HTTYD, the hints on the romantic relationship between Hiccup and Astrid were even greater than Poppy and Branch's. Heck, they even kissed. And you know what was their official description for Riders of Berk to half of Race to the Edge? Not-so-platonic best friends.

But that's because they took the time to naturally develop and strengthen their bond!

Which is what I think is supposed to happen to Poppy and Branch.

Sure, they are close. Sure, they were on a life-changing adventure together. Sure, they are countless hints on their romantic feelings.

But they still spent 20 years being practically strangers.

They still need to learn how to be a team together. They still need to learn how the other works. They still need some basic ground.

If we keep on comparing the two films, we must not forget that HTTYD 2, despite having Hiccup and Astrid as betrothed, wasn't as heavy on their romance as the first and third movie were.

Because the focus of the film was Hiccup becoming a leader. Not becoming Astrid's husband.

And, considering the plot of Trolls World Tour, it's still very possible that it won't be as heavy on Broppy as it was the prequel. After all, TWT is more about diversity and harmony than happiness, which is what made the contrast between the optimistic princess and the cynical survivalist so important for Trolls.

But, please, fear not. This does not necessarily mean that Broppy is dead. It just means we might have to be careful about letting our hopes up and, more importantly, in case nothing is conclusive about these two in Trolls World Tour, that we just have to be a little more patient.

After all, a good written ship never disappoints.