#IT’S ARTISTIC STAMINA THAT’S THE ISSUE

[sincerely-sofie]

So like I was listening to the hamilton ost earlier and after hearing one specific song I was like 'wait I could make TPiaG out of this' and so here's a redoing of the lyrics meant to be set during around the midpoint ish of TPiaG? not sure where exactly idk I'm tired [and I'm not telling you what song it is and am just hoping someone else will recognize the song-] G = Grovyle T = Twig [Used to indicate who's singing what part]

G: How does Twig... An anxious, former-human, orphan, reckless, untrusting- Somehow confide in Dusknoir, his enemy, a pokemon she's despised since his betrayal- Just to keep me out of it?

I just want her to be honest with me, for her to be honest with me, for her to be honest with me I just want her to trust me with this, Just the one time...

Dear Twig... I am not one for anger, no matter what you may find as I reckon with the effects of your life on mine... I look back on what I said, and after everything I checked, I suppose it's only fair you started to deny your own pain

You may claim I'm a hypocrite, or no better than you, but whatever it is you want to claim, lie about, or to do, I want you to know That I am here for you. Singed, 'Clover'.

T: Well, Grovyle, Just because you lied isn't the reason I don't trust you. The reason is you're overprotective, and No: I won't stop being reckless just because you said I should.

And No, Ark is not the problem here, You should know that he's harmless, no matter how much you claim I'm 'not sleeping'- Like, I only had twenty-one panic attacks yesterday.

G: Sweet Arceus.

T: Listen, I may not be 'free' Only because there is just one me I'm a bit busy making sure he's better I don't want to fight,

Nor will I apologize for doing what's right. I know that you say you're here, That doesn't mean I have to trust you. Signing off, Twig.

[And yeah I'm cutting it off here since it's midnight and I'm tired]

Well now I just want to animate this.

[cyberclouddream]

Inheritances from Mother

This can also be hidden or suppressed aspects of your mother or key maternal figure.

Aries/Mars in the 12th House

sharp intense gaze with bright eyes; high energy levels or quick metabolism; strong or angular facial features, like prominent cheekbones

impulsiveness or eagerness to take action; competitive streak, or a natural drive to "win" or come first; very direct communication style, often blunt or straightforward

prone to headaches or stress-related tension; strong cardiovascular system; quick recovery from minor injuries or illness

Talents: strong athletic ability; natural leadership skills; starting projects enthusiastically; rallying people together

Mars: hidden injuries or tendencies to ignore signs or stress or fatigue; tend to have sudden bursts of energy followed by exhaustion, benefiting from alone time, repressed anger or competitive spirit

Taurus/Venus in the 12th House

sturdy or well-defined build with natural strength; smooth, often attractive skin; love for physical comforts, like blankets, plush toys, or scented candles

stubbornness and persistence in achieving goals; appreciation for luxury, beauty or sensory pleasure; tendency to take your time, like preferring a steady, relaxed pace

struggles with weight management; sensitive throat or neck, making you prone to colds or allergies; good stamina

Talents: eye for beauty and aesthetics, whether in art or design; culinary skills, particularly at making delicious meals; strong gardening or nurturing abilities

Venus: tendencies towards indulgence or escapism, particularly through food and comfort, which can lead to weight fluctuations or emotional eating

Gemini/Mercury in the 12th House

quick movements and expressive hands; youthful appearance, often look younger than their age; clear, communicative voice, often melodic/musical or chatty

curiosity or thirst for knowledge; "gift of gab", with a tendency to talk a lot, like carrying a conversation for ages without breaking a sweat; restless mind, always jumping from what idea to the next

energetic but may experience anxiety or insomnia; respiratory issues, like allergies or asthma; fast metabolism, tend to keep their weight in check without much effort

Talents: excellent communication skills, both written and verbal; quick adaptability to new situations or environments; talent for storytelling or entertaining others through humor

Mercury: mental restlessness and difficulty expressing feelings; anxiety and overthinking, benefiting from outlets for their thoughts like journaling or talking to friends

Cancer/Moon in the 12th House

round, gentle features or a soft face; sensitive stomach or digestive system; drawn to nostalgic objects, like family heirlooms or photos

deep emotional intuition and empathy; protective instincts, especially toward family or loved ones; moodiness, emotions shift easily

sensitive digestive system, affected by stress or emotions; tendency to hold onto water weight, making hydration important; strong immune system but may feel physically off when emotionally drained

Talents: great at understanding emotions; good intuitive abilities; nurturing skills, whether in caregiving or teaching; strong artistic talents, especially in visual arts or music

Moon: strong connection to your subconscious; strong emotional sensitivity; fluctuating moods or struggles with boundaries

Leo/Sun in the 12th House

thick, voluminous hair that draws attention; strong, upright posture with natural confidence; eye-catching personal style, with a tendency towards bold colors or statement pieces

need for recognition or acknowledgement; big-hearted and generous nature, often giving freely to those they care about; natural leadership qualities, with a tendency to step into authority or inspire others

tend to recover quickly from ailments; prone to heart-related issues, if they don’t manage stress well; high energy levels, benefiting from activities like dancing or sports

Talents: charismatic or performance skills, whether in acting or music; creative talents, particularly in theater or visual arts; strong leadership abilities that motivate and uplift others

Sun: struggles with self-identity and recognition, leading to feelings of insecurity; may experience burnout from needing constant validation, which impacts their mental health and energy levels

Virgo/Mercury in the 12th House

clear, glowing skin due to focus on health and cleanliness; precise, meticulous hand movements or gestures (type to fold a fitted sheet perfectly); good physical health, with a focus on taking care of themselves

always noticing small things or obsessed with details in some way (may ask questions often); analytical thinkers, love to solve problems and make sense of things; super organized, their space tends to be tidy and efficient

health conscious, often focusing on nutrition and wellness; prone to digestive issues due to stress levels or perfectionism; good overall health but may struggle with anxiety or overthinking

Talents: exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail; analytical abilities, particularly in problem-solving or research; talents in health and wellness, whether through fitness or nutrition

Mercury: perfectionism or overcritical thoughts, potentially resulting in anxiety or health issues; difficulty in recognizing own needs

Libra/Venus in the 12th House

symmetrical facial features or well-balanced appearance; graceful movements, often with a sense of poise; knack for fashion, good at stylish or coordinated outfits

diplomatic nature, tends to see all sides; people-pleasing tendencies; love for aesthetics, beauty, and creating balance

prone to stress-related issues, especially when dealing with conflict; strong skin and overall health but may need to watch their weight; social activities often promote your overall wellbeing

Talents: diplomatic skills and ability to meditate conflicts; aesthetic talents, particularly in design or fashion; creative writing skills, especially in poetry or romantic themes

Venus: people-pleasing behaviors that mask your own needs; tendencies to be stressed or anxious in relationships (romantic, platonic, domestic)

Scorpio/Mars/Pluto in the 12th House

intense, piercing eyes that seem to “see through” people; strong physical endurance or resilience; drawn to dark or mysterious objects, like amulets or crystals

super passionate, going all in on what they love; inquisitive nature, having a knack for uncovering hidden truths; natural air of mystery, keeping people guessing

strong stamina and resilience; prone to emotional stress, which can manifest as physical symptoms; strong immune system, tends to recover well from illness

Talents: ability to understand complex emotional dynamics; talents in investigation, whether in research or detective work; creative expression through deep, impactful storytelling or art

Pluto: struggles with deep-seated fears or hidden emotions, which can manifest as intense psychological experiences

Sagittarius/Jupiter in the 12th House

long legs or a tendency towards an athletic build; strong, healthy liver and digestive system; fondness for travel gear or souvenirs from different places

adventurous spirit, always seeking new experiences; optimistic outlook, with a natural sense of humor; restlessness, always seeking freedom or something new

often need regular physical activity to feel their best; prone to accidents or injuries from their adventurous spirit; good digestion but needs to monitor caffeine intake

Talents: natural teaching abilities, especially in philosophical or cultural subjects; gifted storytelling or public speaking skills that inspire others; athletic talents, particularly in outdoor sports or activities

Jupiter: tendency to seek escapism through travel or adventure; struggles with excessive optimism, leading to disappointment when reality doesn’t match their expectations

Capricorn/Saturn in the 12th House

strong bone structure, often with prominent features; natural resilient, especially to illness; inclination towards classic or timeless objects, like leather wallets or old watches

strong sense of responsibility and duty; practicality and grounded approach to life; discipline and perseverance, often willing to work hard

strong bones; prone to stress-related issues, especially from work; tend to have good long-term health habits, benefiting from routine and discipline

Talents: strong work ethic and determination to achieve goals; natural leadership skills, especially in structured environments; talents in business or finance; particularly in strategic planning

Saturn: feelings of isolation or self-doubt, often related to stress-related health issues; challenges with letting go of control

Aquarius/Saturn/Uranus in the 12th House

unique facial features or unconventional beauty; slim or wiry build, with a tendency towards quick movements; love for tech or quirky objects that showcase their individuality

independent spirit, needing their freedom and space to be themselves; unconventional thinking, often challenging norms; friendly yet somewhat detached in social situations, hard to read sometimes

generally good health, but may experience sudden illnesses due to their busy lifestyle; prone to circulatory issues or cold extremities due to their “unique” physiology

Talents: innovative think and problem-solving abilities; talents in technology, science, or humanitarian efforts; creative expression through unique art forms or performances

Uranus: unconventional thought patterns and a sense of detachment; struggles with feeling misunderstood, which can affect emotional health and relationships

Pisces/Jupiter/Neptune in the 12th House

dreamy, often soft or gentle eyes; sensitive feet or appreciation for comfortable shoes (like therapeutic socks or shoes); drawn to water-related objects or environments, like the beach, rivers, or fountains

highly intuitive and in tune with emotions; imaginative, with a natural artistic or creative flair; empathetic and compassionate, often feeling others’ emotions deeply

sensitive immune system, often catch colds or infections more easily; prone to stress-related issues, especially if they don’t take care of their mental health; tend to escape through food or habits that aren’t always the healthiest

Talents: creative abilities in music, art, or writing that resonates with others; strong intuition and empathetic skills; tend to be good listeners; talents in healing or counseling, particularly in spiritual or holistic practices

Neptune: deep connection to collective unconscious, leading to heightened sensitivity and empathy; struggles with escapism; need to be mindful of their emotional boundaries

[neptunes-sol-angel]

Can they match your freak? 👀 Think of a person that you're interested in, then pick the picture that you feel drawn to the most to find the corresponding message about how the sexual chemistry would be like between you guys.

Paid Readings | Botanica | Tip Jar

Pile One

The person on your mind comes across as formal, polite, but not interested in being in everyone’s face or being the center of attention. They could be considered a bit odd, maybe the timeline in which their beliefs, speech, and hobbies are not common in their age group. They could be assumed as a nerd because of how serious they take most things, like if you were to joke with them or use sarcasm, they’ll turn what’s not supposed to be literal into something pragmatic which is kind of cute in an innocent way. But they’re not rude or dismissive, because if you stick with them long enough they’ll eventually catch up with your sense of humor, even if the jokes don’t land, the fact that they’re trying makes it hilarious. They’re great at guiding people and teaching someone without looking down on others. They could come from a big family and are actually really nurturing and considerate which leaves them feeling more selective with who they choose to be their friend or romantic partner, and are content with spending a lot of time alone. They’re really “slow moving”, they don’t like to be rushed in anything, and for a good reason. They don’t like to compromise their stability, and love to have a work-life balance, even if they are an overachiever.

When it comes to doing the deed, it feels like intimacy is heightened because it feels as if you’re with a whole different person. Their sexual energy feels electric and eccentric. I feel like they’re a music junkie. They’re a lover of all genres, but pay attention mostly to the artists and bands that don’t get a lot of appreciation. I keep picking up on music theory, which could of course hint more about what they like to learn about, but I see this more as them effortlessly knowing the right note, the right rhythm, and the right scale to successfully lead their partners into an orgasm. They’re absolutely magical with their fingers, but feral with their stamina. They’re competitive when it comes to showing their partner who can go round for round, and they’re determined to make sure they’re at the top. Speaking of top, they love to be dominant in the bedroom. Their sex talks chains and whips! Just kidding, but it’s an art for them to see the many ways in how pain brings their partner pleasure. They’re down for almost anything in sex, as long as it’s consensual. Outdoor sex could be a favorite of theirs. Should you have sex with them? I feel that sex with them will be better than anything if you’ve had with anyone else, which can be addictive. Make sure that the relationship is something solid with this person, if it’s a situationship, it can be problematic, especially around issues with possessiveness, unhealthy attachments, and a lack of boundaries.

Pile Two

Sol cherubs…I’m sorry but I’m going to have to roast this person. I feel like they’re the kind to wine and dine a person. Dinner dates are nice, yes, but this person is very cheap, and likes to do the bare minimum while thinking that the other party should give them something back in return. They talk themselves up a lot, and could even get carried away with dirty talk in the bed because THEY think they’re doing something. Like this person could think that they’re a total freak, but their sex talks vanilla…They do basic positions, they’re repetitive, which is not the problem, the problem is that it’s not doing anything for the other person, and the only thing freaky about them is their gross personality. They’re self-serving, it’s not to say that you can’t experience pleasure with this person in sex, but if you expect for them to care about making sure that you finish too, don’t. They’re cheap with their wallet and in the bedroom. DO NOT have sex with this person, you won’t feel satisfied, and their energy in general is creepy and the epitome of what a loser looks like. If they’re a man, they have a toxic patriarchal mindset, weak in reality, but prowls for individuals who they think that they can control. They’re an energy vampire. Sex is an ego booster for them. It excites them more when they come across a person who’s strong in personality, or harbors a lot of potential to be a star, so that they can seduce them in order to feel better about themselves.

Sex should be an equal thing, where both parties are respected, having fun, and feeling good. You should both feel empowered rather than seeing it as taking power from another person. I’m also getting the feeling that this could be a past person for certain individuals. The message is also for you guys to know that sex isn’t supposed to be a shameful thing either if you’re still in regret about giving it to the wrong individual or even individuals. You’re not less of a person because you had sex so don’t let anyone try to punish you for it, and that includes yourself. Heal the negative beliefs you have about sex within yourself by not seeing yourself as a body count, limiting yourself to people who don’t satisfy you, and to trust in yourself to keep your stance in not doing something if you don’t want to just because someone gave you something and speaking up about what you want and how you want to be treated.

Pile Three

The person on your mind is spontaneous. You could play hard to get with them on the outside, but on the inside they’re very alluring to you, and lowkey they know this. Your chemistry in general with this person is breathtaking, if you aren’t a couple, people wonder why you aren’t one yet because of how close you guys are with each other and how obvious your attraction towards one another is. There’s heavy sexual tension here, partly because of how racy things get when you guys flirt with each other or how compatible you guys are to the point where you feel comfortable just yapping about almost anything, and the other part being the elephant in the room, which is something just feels forbidden about this relationship. Maybe this is a coworker which I understand why it wouldn’t be appropriate. You could consider this person a goofball, someone you always have fun with, or can count on to put a smile on your face, but the friendship between you guys is strong. Y’all get each other emotionally and are generally supportive, I would be shocked if you guys weren’t best friends. I’m not even picking up their individual sexual energy, my intuition just keeps pointing to how it would be if you guys were to ever have an encounter. I just keep getting “yes, yes!, YES!” go for it with this person, because it doesn’t feel at all like something you would regret. Ya’ll complete each other in so many ways that it just feels right. The sexual chemistry would be stable, you wouldn’t get bored of each other because it brings you guys closer rather than apart. This won’t be for everyone, but some people in the pile might have a theme of knowing right then and there that this is the person that they would want to spend the rest of their life with. Be wary though if you aren’t in the position of wanting to have kids or having enough to support a child, because you guys are going to be on each other like rabbits.

[tarotomorrows]

WE GOT THE OG 5 IN THE HOUSE!!! This is part of my Inside Out punk au. Their band name is Harmony! So let me introduce their roles and how they came to be. PART 2

Our 3rd member is Fear! He joined Joy and Sadness’s clique way back in their 7th grade year.

He is the only band member who didn’t join already knowing how to play an instrument. In fact he actually started at the artist and would often make designs for the band’s potential logo and was very keen on staying out of any potential limelight. Although during the 8th grade talent show Joy and Sadness needed someone to play the guitar as Joy was planning to do some acrobatics/dancing choreography while singing and didn’t have the stamina to play and sing at the same time. Fear knew how much this meant to the two and had seen them practice for weeks and with only 2 weeks left he pushed his own fears aside and offered to learn the chords to the song to help the duo out. In the end he liked playing so much that he continued even after the show and with enough practice later on joined as the 3rd member.

During their time on the tour Joy forced them all into. He was the first to deny and the most out of it while on the trip. In fact he it got so bad it would interfere with playing which would upset Joy and the others but as time passed on it only seemed to bother Joy in the end.

He missed home and he didn’t ask for this but didn’t want to start conflict so in an act of desperation to feel heard he confided in Sadness about his true thoughts on the matter which sparked the ignition for Sadness to really have a talk with Joy about the stakes this whole music career dream has gotten them into. Once it was announced by Joy that they would be returning home he was ecstatic he didn’t care why he was just glad they were. Right? I mean what does it matter if the reasons are known…

Next is Anger he’s the teams killer drummer and owner/designated driver of Bing Bong! (The giant mini van the crew uses to travel in, who Joy named Bing Bong because of the silly sound the horn makes).

He was the fourth to be recruited to the team. After getting sent to detention for one of her senior pranks Joy met Anger in detention where she over heard the accidental killer rhythm he had going with his shoe and pencil tapping. Joy asked if he played he gave a simple eyes roll, which was good enough for Joy. She begged him to join and he proposed she couldn’t do anything in the world that would make him join her crazy idea. In the end Joy proved him wrong by breaking both if them out of detention and also returning the item he had stolen from him that he fought trying to get back (the whole reason which got him into detention his drumsticks). Reluctantly out of the honor system and due to a possible charming face he caved and became the band’s official drummer.

He may or may not have had issues with the whole unorganized and possibly dangerous on the road tour trip but he had faith in Joy’s judgement and the strength and bonds of the rest of the group. However the more and more the trip dragged on the more and more he started to realize just how far apart they actually were…

Last but certainly not least is Disgust! Although not a band member she is still an important asset of the crew as their manager. She handles finances,bookings, and how their brand is presented and NO, She will not be dressing in rags (aka how she refers to the punk/alt aesthetic) but she will deck herself out in her own uptown style.

She was the last to join the crew. Although friends with everyone since sophomore year she never partook in any of their “rough housings” she called it. She never saw the appeal in getting all sweaty and lugging around heaving metal equipment but one day Joy asked for her help to organize the flyers for the show they were doing for the Senior Festival.

Getting to talk about how amazing her friends were and how she’s affiliated with them and getting to look pretty while doing it. Now that was something she could do not to mention managing the funds for new equipment and getting to style them with awesome costumes for when they started doing shows outside of school. She loved everything about it the generosity, hanging out with friends, and the popularity…

During the trip she was the second to snapping, Fear obviously was the first. During the trip she did her best to manage the finances with the best odds she could, it started off alright but of course later on their lack of funds lead to more cramped nights sleeping in the van. It came to a point where she started to up-sale some of their merchandise in hopes of allowing the everyone to eat a full meal or have enough gas. After the fateful night Fear confided with Sadness, Disgust, overhead their conversation and grew livid, she could live with Joy’s delusions but blind ignorance towards other people’s own well being was not on the table. She swore that night that if Joy couldn’t see that this was beyond hopeless she was gonna knock her around and make her see it. That fateful evening when dinnertime arrived Disgust did more than just expose Joy’s selfishness but also how morally and emotionally taxing this dream of hers has been on all of them and what she’s had to resort to doing to meet ends meet for everyone. In the end Joy stormed off which is what prompted Sadness to have that heart to heart later on in the night.

In the morning after Joy announced about them going back to Anderson Falls a huge relief was lifted off their chest. Well some relief she still felt horrible about how Joy had treated them. However she wasn’t going to apologize for what she said to her, you don’t say sorry not for being right at least. So she vowed that until Joy owned up to her mistakes back home they’d keep the pleasantries to a minimum and distance herself as far as she could. It’s not like she had to try very hard as Joy had already began to stop talking or listening to her. Which is fine she can wait till Joy’s ready to be a grown up, she can patient I mean that’s all she’s ever given anyone. She can keep waiting, it doesn’t matter how long it takes…

[purplehanfu]

Rating the Husbandos: The Story of Kunning Palace

notes: Spoilers! You really have your pick of men in this drama- but are any of them husband material?

Thoughtfully considered ratings behind the cut:

Xie Wei

A mysterious, tragic past is not a personality.

pros: Sexy as he looms over you in his fur collared capes. Exhibits very progressive thinking on women's issues. Which is strange considering all of his cons (see below).

cons: Explosive temper; violent; acts like he owns you; keeps trying to choke you (and not in a sexy consensual way); expects you to be grateful when he doesn't kill you in service to his grand revenge plan. Tough guy demeanor which he can only back up with the judicious application of his lackeys. Backstory so complicated you kind of lose interest. Looks like he has conjunctivitis a lot of the time.

hobbies: Making qins and tracking the wood shavings all over the house. Being afraid of snow except when the plot requires him not to be.

sexxin: Endless stamina and exquisite anatomy. Too bad he has no idea what he's doing. Cries after sex and gets mad when you laugh about it (why would you do that you monster).

Grade: C-

Zhang Zhe

Sometimes being hot is enough.

pros: HANDSOME

cons: His devotion to truth and justice will probably get him killed in the course of some courtly intrigues but the real tragedy is that he will never lie to spare your feelings. He will, however, compare your cooking unfavorably to his mother's.

hobbies: Restoring antiques; doing his own laundry

sexxin: Pathetic but you have to pretend it's great or he will become obsessed with improvement. At least the view is nice.

Grade: C

Yan Lin

A cheerful sweet ray of murderous sunshine.

pros: Smart, handsome, thoughtful, loyal, excellent martial arts, terrifying military skillset. You're his one and only, his ride-or-die, his day one.

cons: Related to Xie Wei

hobbies: Swordplay (see below)

sexxin: Complete freak in the sheets. Hope you have a strong bed and a soundproof bedroom, you're going to need both.

Grade: A+

Yan Lin's Dad

Reporting for duty.

pros: Has his own army but doesn't make a big thing about it (the Emperor and Xue family do, however).

cons: Frequently has the intensity dialed up to 11 when the situation clearly calls for a 6.

hobbies: Carving figurines for his 3-D map sandbox thing

sexxin: As expected of a military man he is good at taking orders and completing missions. His courage tongue should be awarded for its service to the nation you

grade: B+

Emperor

Heaven must have a sense of humor because it mandated this guy.

pros: Easily seduced by you.

cons: Easily seduced by people other than you. Married. Paranoid. Sickly but that might just be poison (if so add "unable to poison him" to the con list).

hobbies: Marveling at how good he is at seducing people.

sexxin: His game is as weak as his constitution.

grade: a solid F unless you want to murder your way to Empress, then he's a D

Fake Xie Wei

Ain't nothing like the real thing.

pros: social butterfly at parties, everyone knows him, can give you a wild night out on the town even if it's Tuesday and you're in some backwater village.

cons: is an actual con artist

hobbies: Collecting STDs

sexxin: so good you might be tempted to forgive him for his wandering eye. Don't. Just enjoy him if you must and move on.

Grade: D-

Gu Chun Fang

Hear me out.

You've been married more than 40 years. When your parents first arranged your marriage he snuck into your rooms that night to make sure you were ok with it. You fell in love at first sight. You never had children despite years of trying but he has never so much as looked at another woman. You come from a huge family and he has many young subordinates so your mansion is always very lively. Your New Year's parties are the stuff of legend.

pros: In all his years as an official he has never once made you get up early to help him get ready for court sessions.

cons: Would have no clothes if you did not buy them for him, would never eat if you did not arrange his meals, would fall asleep at his desk if you did not force him to come to bed.

hobbies: Collecting weird ugly giant rocks which he deposits in the various courtyard gardens of your mansion. Pretending to fish but really just taking a nap.

sexxin: After all these years you can still make him blush with a whispered invitation. Adorable.

Grade: A+ but he's not available and never will be

Dao Qin

It's always the quiet ones.

pros: Loyal; physique that was created as though by the gods themselves; surprisingly high EQ

cons: Kinda sad life made this guy an NPC when he has such strong main character energy.

hobbies: designing and crafting hidden weapons and/or cat toys

sexxin: You have seen the top of the mountain, and it is good.

Grade: B+

Master list of all show recaps etc.

[the-ellia-west]

For the ask game thing: 25, 9, 16, 13, 15, 18, 27, 29!! It’s a lot lol oops

9. What’s your dream job?

25. Worst thing that has ever happened to you?

16. Hair color?

13. Height?

15. Eye color?

18. Obsession?

27. Something you would change about yourself?

29. Worst mistake?

Thanks for the asks, love!

-

9 - A Psychologist or a Movie/Book Critic!

25 - Uh, three way tie, that time I got a concussion, the time I almost convinced myself to end my own life, and the one time my mom hit me

16 - Brown, like Almond skin!

13 - 5'8, 5'9 with my boots

15 - Sky blue (greyish)

18 - Uh, Sonic, The Slay the Princess Voices (particularly Stubborn, Paranoid, and Smitten), Endoparasitic 2, Sunny's WIP, and my own Project

27 - The skin issues, and maybe lack of stamina, but otherwise, I like myself the way I am

29 - Stopped practicing drawing for about 8 years bc I didn't think I'd ever be an artist, Thinking I wasn't good enough

[soviet-supersoldier]

Character Examination: Omega Red

Part 3: X-men (1991) #5

Alright, tackling part two of Omega Red’s introductory arc into Marvel Comics. X-men #5 has this awesome cover, which has actually been made into t-shirts that are now sold online and in other locations as well (I own one, I'm very happy with it).

I love this cover. Wolverine and Omega Red are both locked in battle, and the detail is incredible. You can see the cybernetics that are underneath Arkady’s hair here on the cover, something that used to be quite common to see in his earliest appearances. As the technology for his implants became more and more advanced (and likely smaller), I imagine that they became less noticeable as an in-universe reason for the detail of his skull cybernetics to be lost. Out of universe, cybernetics just seemed to lose their detail after the turn of the century (Lady Deathstrike was a victim of this loss of detail as well), and artists probably just didn't want to draw it anymore.

As this is before the bone claw retcon, you can also see the housing of what would have been Logan's claw implants inside his forearm. I always thought that was a neat detail, although with the retcon, the implant housing no longer makes sense.

So, the first part of issue #5 focuses on the X-men discovering the attack made by Omega Red and the Hand and the rescue that is made to retrieve everyone not named Wolverine. How exactly did he and Omega Red get away at the beginning of this issue? It's not shown nor properly explained how, but presumably, there was another vehicle that the X-men did not find when they were making their rescue that Omega Red and the Hand used to spirit Wolverine away.

While the X-men are regrouping, Wolverine and Omega Red speedily make the 8-hour flight (approximately, according to Google) to get from New York to Berlin (must have been one interesting plane ride. How did Arkady keep his powers/Carbonadium poisoning in check during the long flight? Used Logan?), where the next phase of Matsu'o's plan takes place. We jump into the middle of said plan, which is focused on wearing Logan down both physically and mentally so he won't be able to resist the mental probing they're doing to dig into his memories to find out what he remembers about what happened to the C-Synthesizer.

While they are fighting in the snow, it does seem that Arkady and Logan are fighting in a simulated room similar to the danger room rather than an actual snowy environment.

When reading the dialogue exchanged between Omega Red and Wolverine here, it does read rather weird with the knowledge of everything we know about their history now. They're speaking as if they know each other and their fighting styles well, saying things like "How very unlike you..." or, "You're as fast as you ever were..." This, along with snippets of dialogue in other parts here make me believe that there were originally plans to have had Wolverine and Omega Red fight at some other point in the past between Arkady’s debut here and the flashback to the Team X mission. But those plans (if that was the original plan anyway) ultimately never went anywhere, instead having the Team X mission being the one and only encounter Logan had with Arkady before the modern day. So, the dialogue reads a bit weirdly as a result. But hey, it's Omega Red’s debut, and his character is in the earliest stages of being fleshed out. Even today, so much of his story is wrapped up in mystery. I can forgive the writers for having little direction to start out with here. Every character has to start somewhere, even if it's "generic bad-guy of the week #1."

The fight between Logan and Arkady continues, and we are shown that it is being observed by Matsu'o and his crew. They note that the fight has been going on for the past 18 hours or so and they all talk about how remarkable Arkady’s stamina is. He's still going, and it's likely that he could have kept going for quite a while even after this, as he's not shown to be tired at all, while Logan is completely spent. That's probably due to Omega Red stealing energy from Logan as they fought, making Logan weaker faster while he remained strong.

Omega Red is also shown to be indulging himself a little here, as he's laughing as he's pretty much gutting Logan. As the first time that he's been able to work out in 30-ish years, Arkady probably enjoyed getting a chance to cut loose a bit and get some exercise (we'll see a bit more of his thoughts on the exercise a bit later in the issue, so I'll discuss this part more there), and this was both a performance run and a method to really tire out Logan more than anything else. I do also want to point out that there's a bit of "karmic justice" Arkady ends up facing years later in X-Lives of Wolverine #4, which seems to mirror this moment where Omega Red guts Logan:

Here, Arkady is actually possessing Logan's body and feels his guts get ripped out by Sabretooth in a moment that parallels X-men #5. He's quite literally placed in Logan's shoes even for just a moment. So, this moment in X-men #5 does seem to get at least artisticly referenced nearly three decades later, which is a detail I'm not sure people caught when they read X-Lives.

The last thing I will note on this page of issue #5 before I move on is how Omega Red immediately obeys orders when he's asked to. He doesn't continue to beat on Logan, but stops the exercise when he's told to. This really shows his military training and how it's ingrained in him to obey commands. He's a soldier first and foremost, his desires are secondary.

The process that the Matsu'o and crew are using on Logan seems to be working, as Logan's fight with Omega Red is starting to jar things loose in his memory. The most interesting thing of note is of this image we see on this page:

This is presumably a part of a collection of information Team X acquired about Omega Red’s weaponization project, and it includes a photo of Arkady in his Red Army uniform. I believe this is one of only two photos we have of Arkady as an adult before he was weaponized. The yellow colorization of the flashback always made me think that Arkady had normal skin prior to his weaponization, but we now know that he is in fact naturally albino and would have looked this pale regardless of the color of the flashback.

So Omega Red appears on this page but says nothing with regards to the conversation we hear the villains discussing. We never do learn what Arkady thinks of Matsu'o, Fenris or the others, but given that Fenris are Nazis and Omega Red is a Soviet, I doubt he has any love for being under these people's control, given what happened in World War II. After this arc, Omega Red is not shown to be associated with Fenris, staying entirety with Matsu'o. And while that has a lot to do with Matsu'o being the one who bankrolled Arkady’s return, I imagine that there were things that happened behind the scenes that forced Matsu'o to break off with them. At the moment here, Arkady does seem to be tolerating them enough to get what he needs to live. Keep in mind, Arkady was sold to these people for an undisclosed amount back in X-men #2, and he does have very strong motivation to keep working with these people regardless of personal preference. He needs to have a cure, and their treatments (whatever they are) are the only things that have been stabilizing him this far. He's not in a very good position to complain, since these people were the only ones who were willing to fix him. Use and discard when you have what you want from them and move on.

So, after a lot of action, we finally get some real pieces of introspective dialogue here from Arkady. You can tell, based on what he is telling Logan here, that he is very angry about what Logan’s actions did to him. "Let him try to sleep, if there is sleep for one whose dreams are places of darkness and despair," he says. While this could have been a reference to his own struggles, his next line of dialogue suggests this is more about his desire for Logan to be experiencing these sort of restless nights: "At least, they are if there is any justice in this world."

Arkady wants to see Logan punished. He's suffered at the hands of his Soviet handlers, experiencing many things that we are still to this day not fully aware of. He was thrown into cyrogenic stasis, and he tells Logan here that it was an experience similar to the drug-induced state that he's currently in. "Oblivion," he calls it.

One thing that often gets overlooked when people think about Omega Red is the time jump he experienced. 30 years is a long time, and a lot can and does change. Advances in technology. Culture. How world politics change. Arkady woke up to a world so unlike the one he left. The Soviet Union he was born and raised in was gone. We never are shown what his initial experience was like trying to adjust to all the change, but my guess is, based on his habits and what we know of them, Arkady presented a cold exterior that showed he wasn't affected by all the confusing, frustrating changes that he had to suddenly adapt to. But inside would have been turmoil. He would have been grieving his losses on some level but unable to openly express it, to express any sort of weakness whatsoever with regards to suddenly waking up in the future as the property of a bunch of rich foreigners. They wanted a weapon, not a man, and he had been trained to act as such. Once again, his personal preferences had to be cast aside for bigger goals.

So Maverick interferes here and allows Wolverine to make his escape. I do find it rather funny that Arkady calls Logan an "old friend," here. Buddy, you met and interacted with the guy once for maybe 4 hours 30 years ago. You got attached pretty quickly. It's probably just a turn of expression rather than anything with real meaning (and lends more credence to the idea that more of a past was originally planned between Logan and Arkady), and most likely used ironically here in light of what we known now about their connected past.

Logan gains some real speed despite his condition and runs away with his canister of goodies, all while Arkady is demanding a fight. It becomes more clear that Arkady is angry and frustrated on the next page, while Logan is quite busy stumbling around trying to stay on his own two feet. All the while, he's having flashbacks, no doubt due to all the memory treatments he's getting here:

So here we get to hear Arkady’s real thoughts about those exercises he had to perform. He's eager to start again, this time, "Without the drugs, without the watchful eyes." Based on what he's saying, he is frustrated and angry about not being able to do more to hurt Logan. He knew the whole fight in the snowy simulation was a sham, a performance run. He wasn't allowed to really hurt Logan, not in the way he really wanted. He had to hold himself in check in the whole course of that fight to please his new handlers, giving them what they wanted to see rather than showing fully what he was capable of. Once again, this shows his soldier tendencies and training. Arkady knows what the expectations are. He knows that he was bought by these people and they want their money's worth. Otherwise, he won't get the treatment he needs. So he has to perform to their standards, be their little dancing monkey. This is made all the more clear by Matsu'o's dialogue to Omega Red when he unleashes his frustrated outburst on the man after Logan escapes. Arkady owes Matsu'o everything right now, and he is the one offering him the cure he needs to live. If Arkady wants it, he has to put up with whatever he's told to.

So, the comic ends with Maverick getting a full reveal and rescuing Wolverine while the X-men break into Matsu'o's headquarters (and some wasted pages on Mojo stuff, but none of that matters for anything we care about here). It all sets up things for the next issue of the arc where we will learn even more of Team X's background and what role they played in the loss of the C-Synthesizer.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

June 12, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JUN 13, 2024

On June 13, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9182, consolidating a number of different government information offices into the Office of War Information (OWI). The mission of the new agency was to gather public information and to spread it across the U.S. and abroad through the press, radio, motion pictures, and other media. Its aim, in the middle of World War II, was to develop “an informed and intelligent understanding, at home and abroad, of the status and progress of the war effort and of the war policies, activities, and aims of the Government.”

The United States had experimented with a government information bureau during World War I. After the U.S. declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, the Secretaries of State, War, and the Navy asked the president to create a Committee on Public Information (CPI) to unify Americans behind the war. They had watched as artists whipped up enthusiasm for enlisting to fight the Germans as early as 1915, with the sinking of the Lusitania, and wanted to create a similar shared experience over the war itself.

On April 13, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson created the committee through an executive order, then put newspaperman George Creel in charge of it. Creel had organized a committee of friendly newspapermen to promote Wilson's reelection in 1916. Strongly opposed to the idea of government censorship during the war, he instead promised to create an agency that, as he later wrote, would use “every possible media…to drive home the justice of America’s cause. Not to combat prejudices and disaffection at home was to weaken the firing line.” The CPI set out to reach every person in the U.S. by flooding the media zone with pamphlets, newspapers, posters, films, and short speeches given by so-called Four Minute Men, local figures who embellished talking points handed out by the CPI.

In 1940 the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan foreign relations think tank in New York City that had grown out of Wilson’s internationalism, published a book by Harold Tobin and Percy Bidwell titled Mobilizing Civilian America. It set out plans for putting the nation’s manufacturing and military on a war footing. It also noted that in the modern world, in which war was often about domestic production as much as numbers of troops, “victory may depend not so much on the skill of generals or the fighting quality of their troops, as on the loyalty and stamina of the men and women on the home front.” 

With that in mind, the authors examined the Committee on Public Information and concluded that while the committee had done brilliantly at informing the public of the facts, the Four Minute Men and other local writers during World War I had spread “hysterical and fanatical outbursts,” sometimes in connection with bond drives, that had whipped up communities against their foreign-born neighbors and other alleged “spies in our midst.” After the war, Americans were so disgusted by their own campaign of hatred and violence against German-Americans, the authors wrote, that they were hugely resistant to anything they saw as propaganda. 

Nonetheless, the authors said, if the U.S. got involved in another war, the government must be prepared for a public relations campaign. In such a case, they said, it was crucial for the government to make sure it stuck firmly to the truth and did not permit the kind of freelancers whose extreme rhetoric had hurt the CPI. 

That advice seemed prescient in the months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor ushered the U.S. into World War II. Information came from different departments and bureaus, but no one seemed to be explaining what America’s goals were or what it was doing to achieve them. FDR was reluctant to set up an agency that his political opponents would charge was a propaganda outlet, but gradually he greenlit small agencies to explain the war to the country. 

In June 1942, FDR pulled those agencies together as the Office of War Information, putting popular news commentator Elmer Davis in charge. Davis vowed to focus not on building morale but on delivering news that would enable people to understand what was at stake. OWI officials were chagrined to learn that in summer 1942 almost a third of Americans said they did not know what the country was fighting for, while Representative Joe Starnes (D-AL), for example, complained, “I think it is an insult to the intelligence of the American people to say that we do not know why we are fighting.” 

In the three years it operated, the Office of War Information created radio programs that explained to Americans which nations were at war and why and others that portrayed life on the home front, and film documentaries about Japanese American incarceration, military training, and so on. Overseas, the OWI established the Voice of America, which is still the official U.S. international broadcasting service, as well as running secret radio stations and disseminating propaganda to harass enemy forces in combat zones. The OWI also examined scripts for Hollywood movies—1,652 of them before the war ended—to make sure they supported the Allies’ mission. 

The OWI ran into trouble quickly as reporters determined to explain facts were overridden by advertising men who wanted to sell the war with positive stories, and both were often tripped up by military leaders who withheld information, especially negative stories, for “public safety.” By 1944, OWI operated mostly overseas, as FDR’s opponents insisted its domestic efforts were designed to help him politically. In September 1945, with the war over, president Harry Truman ended the OWI by executive order after congratulating it for its “outstanding contribution to victory.”

In the years to come, especially after the government’s disinformation regarding the Vietnam War, the idea of government propaganda fell into even more disrepute in the United States than it had in the aftermath of World War II, as the excesses possible under someone like the chief propagandist for Germany’s Nazi Party, Joseph Goebbels, became clear. 

But we have been far less guarded against the ways in which other actors shape public opinion. 

In February, cyber experts said that Russia was already spreading disinformation to influence the 2024 election, and in April, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, warned that the U.S. is more susceptible to Russian influence operations than it has ever been, despite the understanding of the importance of Russian influence operations on the 2016 election. “With polarization in this country, and the lack of faith in institutions, people will believe anything or not believe things that come from what used to be viewed as trusted sources of information,” Warner told Julian E. Barnes of the New York Times. “So there’s a much greater willingness to accept conspiracy theories.” 

Also in April, Microsoft said it had uncovered fake social media profiles run by Chinese operatives to destabilize U.S. politics, and in May, TikTok said it took down thousands of accounts from fifteen covert influence operations in the first four months of 2024. Last week, NewsGuard reported on a network of 167 Russian disinformation sites fronted by a former deputy sheriff from Florida.

On June 6 the State Department’s top official on digital and cyber policy, Nate Fick, told an audience: “I don’t think most American citizens really viscerally understand how much of the content they see on social platforms is actually a foreign intelligence operation…. I just don’t think we viscerally get how much of what we see is bot-generated or foreign intelligence service–generated.”

Today, officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) told lawmakers that Russian influence operations aimed at undermining support for Ukraine and faith in democratic institutions provide the top threat to the upcoming U.S. election. China is the second-greatest threat but is more cautious because it is concerned about U.S. blowback, while the third, Iran, acts primarily as a “chaos agent,” trying to confuse voters. The ODNI officials said they have been issuing warnings to political candidates, government officials, and others targeted by foreign groups. 

Senator Angus King (I-ME) urged Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to make threats known to the public. “I’m worried that you may be overly concerned with appearing partisan and that that will freeze you in terms of taking the actions that are necessary,” he said. “Please ramp it up. We’ve got about six months and...we know that these adversaries are going to be coming at us.”

The modern propaganda flooding the U.S. portrays us as bitterly divided along lines of race and gender, religion and ethnicity. In contrast to this version of America is the one portrayed during World War II by the OWI documentary photography unit. Photographers who had been moved into the agency from the Farm Security Administration documented war work, women in the factories, and civil rights struggles, including those of the incarcerated Japanese Americans as well as Black and brown Americans, showing them at work or in their small towns or cities. The images were of ordinary Americans, often singled out as heroic individuals in their own frames, to represent the American people as a whole. 

And these images were some of the most lasting and vital elements of the OWI’s work. If the hero of the military was the ordinary soldier, the G.I., as newspaper reporters wrote, the hero of the home front was the ordinary American who, in order to make sure that the G.I. had supplies, went to work in a factory or on a farm. 

That image was central to the shaping of postwar America. 

[Alfred T. Palmer, Operating a hand drill at Vultee-Nashville, woman is working on a "Vengeance" dive bomber, Tennessee, 1943, Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Color Photographs, Library of Congress]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[hccn-overseer]

Issue 12, 7/5/2023 - The Overseer

Issue Masterpost About the Overseer

This week’s issue is accompanied by a PDF version created by the lovely Cheer! Pick it up here to check it out!

This Week at The Overseer HQ: Issue 12

By Lydia

After The Masquerade, our writers, editors, artists, and graphic designers have returned after non-stop chatter, dancing, tasty snacks, and showing off their most glamorous costumes. All of them had stated that they had enjoyable excursions, many of them having been to multiple black-tie events in the past that had proven to be rather lackluster in comparison. They also noted that the decor and preparation were admirable, and would like to extend a thank-you to everyone who contributed to them!

The Incident Count rose significantly because of their attendance, rising from a mere 28 to a total of 136. Aside from the previously failed kidnappings, the staff was seen celebrating both their evasion skills as well as enjoying the biggest social event of the month, diving headfirst into starting a dance-off with all of the other guests at The Masquerade. This was conducted through a challenge in which stamina was the key, rather than skill, and the last person standing on the dance floor was declared the victor. Despite their best efforts, absolutely no one from the staff won the competition, as the last staff member standing was knocked down with a metal pipe to the kneecaps. The victor of the whole competition was none other than Berry of the Decked Out Crew, completely through fair play. He had nothing to do with the sabotage of the other contestants. Multiple staff members were also seen falling down the frozen stream into the Void in the Purpur Pavilion, their evident yelps as they had fallen proving to be quite amusing to the other partygoers.

An article written by Nes also covers the many costumes presented at The Masquerade, noting favorites of The Overseer staff as well as the detailed craftsmanship of these outfits, as almost every single one of them was designed entirely by each individual participant. The staff has collectively dropped their jaws at the sight of the artistic abilities of all who have sent their Citizens down the Red Carpet. We are thrilled at the way all of the participants have seized the chance to show off their innovative creativity regarding their Citizens’ personalities and how they are presented through each piece!

A collection of stray cats, more of which have been added over the past week, have been living at the office since Tuesday, June 22nd. Luckily, none of our staff members are allergic to cats, and the majority of our staff members have taken a very quick shine to them. Several staff members were seen quickly rearranging their offices to suit the comforts of these creatures. Some of them have gone on an extended shopping spree for the most high-quality cat food, multi-tier cat towers, the latest cat toys, cat beds, blankets, and many treats. Aside from the great affection being given to these cats, Lydia had threatened to shave any cat that walked into her office, which successfully kept almost every cat at bay from that particular room, but three cats are now hairless and terrified. Some of our visitors asked if these stray cats were up for adoption, and the staff had very reluctantly given away six of these cats. One of these cats has taken to sleeping upon the largest printer in the office, much to the chagrin of the other cats, who have begun an ongoing battle for the warmest sleeping place in the building.

The Overseer staff is pleased to announce that the Citizen Census has been completed for the first week of July, and hopes that all Citizens so far have enjoyed their time on the Server, whether they are newcomers or have been here since the very beginning! The staff would note that this was well worth it. We do not call ourselves The Overseer without good reason, and while we do not consider ourselves Watchers, none can escape our ubiquitous gaze.

Despite the overall jovial week, a few of our staff members had attended a game show on July 1st in which the rules were incredibly loose. This would not be of important notice until they had all decided that to show the opposing team what for, they should raise the stakes and put the entire newspaper on the line in a bet, with the victor of that night’s game show taking on full ownership of the paper for the next week and a half. The opposing team had placed their large apartment suite on the line for their side of the bet, to show that they were just as serious about this competition. After many rounds of trivia questions, guessing games, and obstacle courses, The Overseer staff members lost the final competition of the game show. As the credits rolled, the entire audience, as well as the opposing team, joined in the vicious mockery of The Overseer team. Those staff members of our newspaper were seen collapsing on the ground in shame, cartoonishly shouting, “Woe are we!”

Now onto other news under the cut!

Hermitcitizen Census

Written by Nes and Lydia Data compiled by Lydia With help from Corundumcat and Morph Meme by Coffee

Over the past month, we here at The Overseer have scoured the Citizen Information threads in order to compile a mostly complete Hermitcitizen Census. As of the posting of this article, we were able to collect data on 671 citizens. Some of this information was submitted via our Google Form, and others were sought out by Lydia. For the sake of this article, we are not taking into account whether or not an individual is being paid for their job, because the answer is most likely no, and we do not feel like asking 600+ people this.

Raw data for this article can be found here for those interested. Otherwise, enjoy our condensed version. 

Hermitcraft has a 10% unemployment rate, 8% of those being unemployed while 2% have an unclear employment status. Additionally, 2 citizens were exempt from this count due to lack of information. Scarland appears to be the most popular employment location with 68 citizens, approximately 10% of the population. 45 citizens are shop owners, although most of these shops were not given specific names in the citizen census. Customer Service is by far the most popular form of work, with this trait occurring in approximately 121 employed citizens’ jobs. Odd Jobs took second place with 106 citizens, and Scientific Research took third place with 74 citizens.

281 citizens submitted their age to the census, leaving 388 citizens unaccounted for, or 58% of citizens. The youngest citizen is 9 months old while the oldest is 1572 years old, among those that provided specific numbers. There are citizens who are several thousands of years old, however, they did not specify exact numbers. The median age is 20 and the most common age is 19, with 38 citizens submitting that age, or 13% of those who submitted an age.

The most common species on the server is the Avian, with 77, or 11% of the server self-identifying as one or more variations of the hybrid. Several species only have a single inhabitant on the server and therefore we are unable to name the least popular species. Approximately 100 citizens present themselves as human, whether they really are human or prefer to be under the radar regarding their species. 86 citizens were noted to have a specific real-world basis of an animal or creature for their species by their participant, with most of these creatures being various species of birds.

Scar is the most popular Hermit in terms of Citizen Associations, with approximately 124 citizens identifying as Scar Affiliates. Grian has the second most Citizens identifying as affiliates to him with 80 citizens, and Pearl has the third most citizens identifying as affiliates to her with 77. Pearl is also the most popular Hermit of the Soup Group, due to both citizens living in or near her bases and citizens who work jobs related to her or her bases.

83, or approximately 12% of citizens do not have a base or consider themselves nomadic. This number significantly outweighs those who do have a base. Among those that do have a base, Scarland is the most popular Hermit-related base location, with 52 citizens living there. Gem has the second most popular Hermit-related base location count, with 34 citizens living in or near her bases. Doc has the third most popular Hermit-related base location count, with 33 citizens living in or near his bases. 28 citizens are Dual citizens of both Hermitcraft and another server, with several being citizens of Empires. One citizen noted only living in Tumble Town but not the Hermitcraft server.

Additional fun facts: the tallest citizen is 13’5” while the shortest is just two inches tall. Four citizens admitted to crimes on the census, ranging from being a tomato thief to a cult leader. Someone listed their occupation as ‘Grian’s 1 Braincell,’ their species was a Waffle. Finally, the most popular first letter for a name is S with 67 total citizens, or 10% of citizens submitted. U was the least popular first letter, with 3 names or just under 0.5% of citizens having a name that begins with U.

The Overseer would like to acknowledge that all data listed above is prone to human error and numbers may be slightly off. We do not believe any major errors were made, however, we encourage you to peer review our stats to ensure they are accurate.

Affiliate Summaries

By Roo :)

Bdoubleo: It’s been announced that Bdubs most certainly has the best sleep schedule in ever, but we as The Overseer staff must beg to differ as we are, in fact, spectacular at getting to bed on time. We don’t talk of the incidents of the past week.

Docm77: He's got butterfly wings now, which makes us wonder if he's gone through metamorphosis recently. At any rate, we've been told he looks like a watermelon, which is a perfectly true fact.

Ethoslab: I think we should be glad that, in Season 8, Tango went to blow up the moon and not Etho, although if our sources are correct (and they always are), he would've been quite close had he not been given free range of the shopping district.

Grian: I don’t know what the world would be without Grian noises. Quiet, I suppose.

ImpulseSV: If anyone sees their little guy around, please alert them, as they miss him very much (but wish him a very lovely break).

JoeHills: (Impatiently) Joe Hills.

Pearlescentmoon: I think that there have been requests for The Overseer to get cats in its office. Lots of cats.

Welsknight: He has been squished and Shakespeareified? It has been a busy week for him. Maybe he could cuddle up with a new office cat to relax.

Zombiecleo: All Cleo affiliates are boarding a big ol’ school bus and driving around to museums and wherever else. The former teacher in Cleo would be proud.

Weekly Weather Report

By Lydia

Temperatures are written in Celsius Format.

Thursday: Temperatures are expected to cool with a high of 18 degrees and a low of 13 degrees. Drowned mobs may appear sporadically near large bodies of water, so be careful if you plan on swimming today.

Friday: Temperatures are expected to rise with a high of 28 degrees and a low of 19 degrees. Showers may come in the early morning but will clear out before 12:00. Fire whirls will be visible throughout the entire afternoon.

Saturday: Temperatures are expected to stay warm with a high of 27 degrees and a low of 21 degrees. A colorful, cloudy haze will fall upon the server in shades of teal, orange, and purple, and will last for approximately three hours. This haze will have no ill effects, but may make those who stand in it feel mildly rejuvenated.

Sunday: Temperatures are expected to be mild with a high of 25 degrees and a low of 18 degrees. Hot Guy sightings are expected, and archery classes will be held around 1:00. It is likely that Hot Guy will remain in the area throughout the afternoon to sign autographs and promote his new book.

Monday: Temperatures are expected to rise significantly, with a high of 34 degrees and a low of 28 degrees. Both fire whirls and dust devils will be visible, so make sure you have a way to cover your face. If you look hard enough into a fire whirl, you may see the face of an unfamiliar but unnerving foe.

Tuesday: Temperatures are expected to stay very hot, with a high of 36 degrees and a low of 30 degrees. There is no rain expected, and skies will be clear throughout the entire day and the evening. A meteor shower is expected around 9:00, visible to everyone, so step outside for stargazing!

Wednesday: Temperatures are expected to fall back to a mild range, with a high of 26 degrees and a low of 20 degrees. Light rain is expected throughout the entire day. No storms are expected, but are not impossible.

Masquerade Fashion

By Nes Art Compiled by Lydia, drawn by all participants

Last week the server took part in their first ever event, The Masquerade. With 53 participants, the event was a huge success that brought in citizens from all over, all of them in unique and stylish outfits. This article will cover some of the most stunning looks from the evening.

Roo was the first to arrive in a stunning blue ensemble that seemed to shimmer gold as the avian hybrid moved. His gown was a rather simple shape and blue in colour with star-like specks throughout, though the accents adorning his wings made up for that fact by being the real eye grabber with various golden decorations. The mask paired with his outfit covered his entire face, with one side being a simple blue with gold specks and the other had golden wire wrapping to resemble a bird. The look seemed to match the Astral Library, where the event took place, and was an amazing start to the evening and a tough look to top.

The next outfit to catch our eye was put together by City, entering the venue rather early in the evening with a black iridescent gown that swayed as she walked. The dress itself was rather simple, a standard ball gown with just a little more poofiness than one would expect and fell just past her ankle. She wore silver accessories that complemented the look, and her mask covered about half her face and seemed to be inspired by orcas. Truly a unique ensemble that caught other participants' gazes.

Nerd made a valiant attempt to enter the masquerade unnoticed, but we here at The Overseer are determined to bring to you everyone's ensemble and were able to jot down what she wore. Our first suit of the evening, Nerd’s two piece had a purple almost blue in colour jacket with golden trimming, a silvery shirt underneath, and black dress pants. She wore her usual boots to the event, and black gloves with the same gold trimming as her jacket. Her hair was braided, and she opted for wearing her usual all white mask that covers her entire face, and decorated her wings with a sheer fabric that shimmered in the light. With such a gorgeous look, we’re sad we didn’t get to see it more, but we’re sure those who did catch a peek would agree that it was a highlight of the evening.

Arriving not long after, Winter was also a treat to see. She wore a pale lilac gown that glowed as though enchanted, with simple heals and a mask. Although a very standard look compared to the others, it truly brought out Winters beauty as it matched her hair and complimented her eyes. Additionally, it was a wonderful contrast to everyone else at the masquerade making her stand out.

Arriving as a trio, KP, Erina, and Flayre were certainly a sight to behold. KP appeared in a gorgeous green floor length gown with a silver cat mask that covered the upper half of their face, which complemented one another shockingly well. Erina arrived perched on KPs shoulder in a sparkly blue dress with a golden mask that covered the left half of her face. Her hair was done up in space buns with star clips, but the true show stopped were the blue and green feathery boa decorating her shoulders and brought the entire ensemble together. Additionally, she appears to have redone her cane just for the occasion. With a fresh coat of teal and a million sequin stickers, the entire look was truly awe inspiring. As for Flayre, the blaze hybrid followed behind her two friends in a beautiful purple suit with a sparkly undershirt and matching gloves. Her mask resembled that of HotGuy, both in shape and colour with contrasting cyan and orange that fit the suit well. Her blaze rods seemed to form a crown above her head. Overall, the three were quite a trio, each with such a unique look that no one but them could have pulled off. 

Budgie arrived in a floor length gown that contrasted everyone else, with its emerald green colour. The top of the dress resembled a corset, and was decorated with various floral laces and gems that really drew your attention. The lace and gems could be found on the gown portion of the dress, and the sleeves were sheer and bell shaped on the avian's arms. To compliment such a stunning dress, the mask was simple in design with a matching colour to the gown, decorated with only floral designs. It’s a look that stood out from everyone else, and gave ample room to show off the avian's three sets of wings without it being too much. 

Taking the cake for the most creative look of the evening is Mercury, with a black button down jacket and blue accents one may think the look was standard. Though the true charm and creativity comes from the bottoms, which was a poofy skirt that seemed to mimic skulk and shined blue and green as he walked. The front of the skirt was altered to show off the simple black slacks underneath, and the entire ensemble seemed to glow. We can’t imagine a more creative look that perfectly shows off ones personality!

Cara arrived in a simple black dress accompanied by a split top with one pink and one green sleeve that almost reached the floor. She had on a white mask with lace attached to it hanging down to her stomach. Although simple, the ensemble had so much personality and seemed almost hand crafted, giving it an immaculate vibe, and it complements Cara’s green hair so well!

Fleur's outfit is a personal favourite of mine and had me fangirling the moment I saw it. She entered with a sleeveless black dress with a v-shaped neckline. The dress has small white stars that give off a faint glow, and is tailored in such a way to show off the shiny black boots accompanying the dress. Her mask was truly a showstopper, in the traditional masquerade style, one eye is modelled after the sun while the rest of the mask resembles the night sky. Such a classy look that not only matched the Astral Library, but also the one wearing it.

Opting for a more subtle look, Hopper arrived in his usual clothing but with an additional bow-tie. His prosthetics’ had been decorated in glitter and they had a beautiful fox shaped mask on which covers their entire face. Simple yet effective, the look was truly one of a kind.

Patchwork’s look was also more subtle, switching out his usual vest for a dark purple embroidered version with a swallowed tail back. Their moth wings, which are typically green, were purple as well to match the look. His mask resembled a black cat, with golden designs and some purple and blue accents to really draw your attention. His cane was made of warped wood and had some stunning gold accents to tie it in with the rest of the look. Although not as showy as some others, the outfit truly complemented Patchwork and had a certain charm to it.

The last person to arrive was Anura, wearing a plain black dress that reached just below her knees. The only shape given was a small bit of poof, and very few details accompanied the look. Her mask appeared to be made of plastic and was a simple black. While the most subtle look of the evening, we here at The Overseer do appreciate the effort put in and can say for certain that it complimented the hybrid's wings!

That’s all for the fashion we saw at The Masqurade last week. Additional looks have been provided by Lydia who has compiled several artist renditions into one collage! Original artists for each piece can be found by going to the server, event submissions, the red carpet, and looking for the matching piece there. Unfortunately there are too many for us to properly credit in this article! 

Astrology Corner

By Corundumcat

Have you been feeling without guidance? Do you look at your birthday, look up your star sign, and wonder, “What medieval piece of food am I from The Abbey Medieval Festival Banquet 2023?” “Am I gonna be dropped on the ground?” Don’t worry, here at The Overseer, we can help you.*

Aries: Braised beef in red wine with herbs. This meal was a favourite among the guests, some even asked for more. However if you are vegetarian, vegetable and barley stew in an open pie was served.

Taurus: Pastries of duck & root vegetables. This was one of the earlier meals so it got eaten up quickly. The vegetarian option was pastries of root vegetables. 

Gemini: Maids of Honour – tart of curd & almonds. Sorry to those who are nuts intolerant. 

Cancer: Platter of cheeses, fruit paste, dried fruits, nuts. Apologies to the lactose intolerant AGAIN. Vegetarians had the same meal. 

Leo: Mushrooms stuffed with cheeses, spinach & leek. This smelled pretty epic. 

Virgo: Tarts of pears & apples with spice & honey. These were smaller than I expected, however it makes sense because it was a 10 course meal. 

Libra: Lamb shank roasted in camelyn sauce (cinnamon & ginger). It was the hardest meal to serve, because the meat was willing to drop. The vegetarian option was tart of eggs, cheese and spinach. 

Scorpio: Salad of greens & herbs with orange vinaigrette. This ended up being a snack for people in between courses. 

Sagittarius: Fruitcake with fondant on top. This was the final course. 

Capricorn: Roasted root vegetables with honey & spice. 

Aquarius: Leg of chicken roasted in fruit wine and spices. The vegetarian option was Cabbage with apple & spices

Pisces: Glazed carrots & peas

All star signs: Revel in the night that was once there. 

AN: I hope that you enjoy your meal, and if you want you should make it yourself. I know these haven’t been your normal Horoscopes but after all the server is not normal. On a more serious note I will still be sort of here next week. 

*Ignore how blatantly specific these are. Nothing bad will happen to you.

From the Sidelines

By StarryFelix Horses and Chickens… ChickenHorse?

Hello, and welcome back to 'From the Sidelines!’

Today, we will mainly be talking about how to properly handle animals. Seeing the (alarmingly) growing incidents regarding horses, the ever loving struggle of strangling wardens and a very actual issue with how to deal with chickens... eyeing Poultry Man because he should know better, it is the time to address the elephant in the room.

While keeping pets and holding pets has a couple of different reasons, most of which are justified and understandable, there currently is an apparent server-wide need to address that. You do not try to crash and fail the server by spamming it with chickens. (This may even cause the need for a respawn.) Doing this will also affect your neighbours. "I really don't like being your and Grian's neighbour right now," is very much a sentence that has already been muttered, and understandably so, seeing the chaos that this mistreatment and forceful re-allocation of chickens may cause. (I, as a writer, would also like to state that it is still uncertain whether we actually know who Poultry Man is and whether his constant affiliation to the person that is Grian is not actually factual.) 

The larger problem at hand is the fact that a significant amount of horses have been lost to rogue arrows. In past seasons, this has never seen as high rates as it has now, and it is important to remind people that you do not use arrows on horses or anywhere near horses, for that matter. Sometimes, it seems to be surprising that there has not been a law for this yet. The loose 'vigilante' causing the main issue may not even listen to these laws in the first place, however, doing our best to avoid the death of horses server wide, vouching for better treatment of some of the creatures wandering it is a rather active topic. It is very much encouraged to talk to anyone who holds any type of weapon close to a horse specifically when a moss-covered figure is nearby to avoid further retaliation and to stop the rise of the chance of cursing by 378%. The main point in this story being: please watch out for loose arrows, take care of one another and please look out for one another (and the horses, I am afraid the chickens are already an unavoidable problem). 

Lost and Found

By Lydia

All of the following items have been brought to The Overseer staff’s office for safekeeping until they are claimed. If you recognize one of these items as yours, please visit us to receive your items, or contact us at lostandfound@thehermitnews.org. Thank you! *Not a real email address.

Item 1: A “snack bouquet” This “snack bouquet” is made with several candy bars as well as an origami heart with a bow inside, held together with what appears to be colored wax paper and tissue paper in maroon, orange, and white. If this item is yours, please pick it up before our staff members eat it. You do not have very long, so visit us as soon as you are able!

Item 2: Several posters depicting various Citizens for Artfight Several posters were found of various Citizens, many with notes attached to them regarding their specific skin markings, fur patterns, creature-specific features, and accessories. The Citizens depicted include the following: KP, Byro, Clementine, Ender, TV, Flayrian, Scythe, Khalid, Raidne, Lemon, Arcade, Kare, Gene, Kaze, Hyo, Phantom Irene & Cirrus, Juneau, Ozzy, Nerd, Budgie, and Jay. If these posters are yours, we wish you the best of luck in Artfight this year, and hope that you receive many attacks! [Citizens drawn by Kier, TV, Lemon, Arcade, Kare, Kit, Gene, Kaze, Juneau, Nerdi, Elodie, Hyo, Moonixi, Grim, Okami, Juneau, Lydia, Seven (Mateo), and Tony. ArtFight links are posted in a thread within the Art Studio chat!] 

Item 3: A jukebox disc containing a Masquerade Playlist These songs include waltz songs from a collection compiled by Martin Vargic and are as follows: Aram Khachaturian’s Masquerade Waltz, Under the Sky of Paris, Johann Strauss II’s Voices of Spring, Tales From the Vienna Woods, and The Fledermaus Waltz, Eugen Doga’s Gramophone Waltz and My Sweet and Tender Beast, Dmitry Shostakovich’s The Second Waltz, and Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers and The Swan Lake Waltz, Iosif Ivanovici’s Waves of the Danube, and Juventino Rosas’ Over the Waves Waltz. [This playlist can be found here: https://youtu.be/WnWQ56zEuko Note: Songs are not listed in the same order as the Playlist.]

Item 4: A pair of black lace gloves These black lace gloves were found near the East Gate, intricately detailed with depictions of flowers and vines. Upon trying them on, our staff members noted feeling as if they could float in mid air, though they were unsuccessful upon trying to do so. If these gloves are yours, please tell us if you have enchanted them!

Item 5: Photographs depicting gifts given during the Masquerade These photographs depict various gifts that were given to different Citizens, including but not limited to two color-changing pens and a pendant of a Sniffer for Mateo’s birthday, a promise ring given from Pen to Raven, a cane given from Eloise to Z, and a small red dragon illusion-turned-familiar created by and for Terra. All of these photographs were taken with a Polaroid SX-70 camera and left in one of the bookshelves of the Astral Library.

Item 6: A horn that plays a chant of the Joe Hills affiliates This horn may or may not be cursed. When blown, it plays a chant used by the Joe Hills affiliates and makes the staff question the origins of Joe Hills himself, though they know they will likely never find the answer. If this horn is yours, you surely must be one of his many associates!

Item 7: A music disc of eerie lofi This music disc has a surprisingly long playtime, lasting approximately seven hours, and plays entirely lofi-sounding music, all of which is noted to sound slightly eerie. The staff has been playing it in the background, much to the joy of the stray cats that are still wandering around the office.

Item 8: A screaming sword This sword screams with a volume level proportional to how fast it is being swung, and seems to be used to set off Sculker Shrieker pranks. If the sword is swung very quickly, it can reach approximately 95 decibels. Our staff members are having a great time with it, and are running amok setting off Sculker Shriekers with reckless abandon! If this sword is yours, your fellow Citizens would greatly appreciate it if you would pick it up to help them return to some form of quiet!

ADVERTISEMENTS

By Jamie

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Things are going back to where it all started during this week’s Garden Club meeting! Stop by Spawn this Friday to show off your best or rarest plants! Now that v20 is here we expect quite the collection of specimens to get shown off.

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Do you have trouble getting your mob farms to work? Need an extra hand with your redstone? The SUS is more than willing to help you get it up and running, no worries! Your farm will be overflowing with monsters, guaranteed!

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Fun and Games

This week's word search, crossword, and brain teasers are brought to you by Lydia!

Hello, lovely readers! The Overseer staff would like to make sure everyone knows that next week's issue will be very heavily themed on kidnapping. We do love surprises, but want to make sure everyone knows ahead of time. Hope you enjoyed this week's issue, and stay safe, everyone!

[kaylapocalypse]

Hello!! This may be a bit of a long-shot, but you're a published and fairly successful author that I know how to contact, and I love The Wicker King..

You can respond to this via this ask or direct messages (or not at all!) Whatever you're comfortable with.

I'm in a position where I really need to start seriously thinking about my future career, and the one I'm leaning towards the most at the moment is a creative writer. I love it, and it's one of my strong suits... but the field is not known for being easy to navigate.

You clearly have experience, so I was wondering if you could shed some light on what I would need to do if I decide to be serious about pursuing this?

What does the publication process look like, how do you support yourself financially (is it substantial?), what courses did you take in college (if at all), and how did you get your name out there?

Being an author is a plan/dream I had years ago and had since given up on, but after two years of chasing a different passion, I'm starting to waver again on what I should do...

So, I was wondering if you could tell me about your experience in the writing/book industry; if you're comfortable of course!

Thank you for your time and I hope you have a nice day!

My apologies for taking so long to answer this, I had to think very hard about what I wanted to say.

I think the most important thing for you to know is that it takes about 10 years before most creative writers--novelists especially--are able to live off their craft. And that's not even factoring in the metrics of chance.

I don't mean this as a dissuasion of any kind. Its just very important to me that you enter this field with this understanding. Most authors have a second job, in particular, most authors are either teachers or attorneys for some reason (especially romance novelists, chock full of attorneys) quite a few authors also work at call centers (low effort job that allows for tons of energy for personal time) and another subset are just RICH PEOPLE.

I myself started out as a call center author and then I married someone kind of Well Off. Without them I might not be able to do nearly as much writing as I do.

The biggest thing I want you to be doing right now is picking a secondary "job" that will allow you to write for long enough that you are able to get to that 10 year time when you can retire your first job and get into your writing career. I know 10 years sounds like a long time, but I graduated at 22 and only now as a 32 year old are things starting to fall into place. Think of it like becoming a doctor. Those 10 years are med school and residency.

The next thing that I think is important is that you develop a strong relationship with constructive criticism and stamina.

Here are the three things that kill potential authors early and stop their potential careers on the spot

Being too scared to share their work with as many people as possible. Especially people they do not know. Getting opinions on your work (notably bad ones) lets you learn much quicker how to fix issues. You'll grow much faster as a writer if you're open to harsh opinions and open to sharing your work.

Thinking that because someone doesn't like your book, they don't like YOU. Art is so personal and its really difficult for a huge amount of people to jump this emotional hurdle. What helps is thinking about your favorite artists and authors and whether you like every single thing they ever created. Chances are, you just like /most/ of it. What you really like is THEM. I know of at least 4 people I'm online friends with on twitter who have hated every single book I ever wrote but think my twitter is absolutely hilarious. And people who love my books to pieces but think I'm so extremely annoying and have me blocked on twitter lmao. Its just product, its just a macaroni necklace. Its ok.

Thinking because they aren't having a Wunderkind Experience that they're a failure and give up too early. I recently met a guy who sent out 20 query letters and didn't hear back from all of them and got so bitter he threw an online tantrum (that likely got him blacklisted) and swore not to try trad publishing ever again. 20 queries is nothing. I personally sent out 80 and queried for about 7 months and I absolutely had what people describe as "a Cinderella experience." A lot of other people are like...., 27 and are like "ohhh im too old to be an author... there are so many young authors" meanwhile, if you go to any major conference, all the authors there are like 45-65 years old and there's like 10 people in their 20s-early 30s and everyone treats you like an interesting baby. Getting bitter and insecure about this is the quickest way to lose hope and squash your OWN dreams for literally no reason.

As for the publication process, I have a few links for you:

This last link will be very important to you later, so please save it to your computer. The first two are just informative stuff about the process.

If you have any more questions or want me to talk more about anything I've mentioned here, feel free to send them my way!

[disformer]

hi i love ur art and redesigns, especially ur big pieces they’re so well put together i can’t imagine how much time it takes, and i was wondering if u have advice on burnout? or lack of focus? sorry idk how to describe it.

whenever i try to do real big pieces or even just regular ones i start out real i excited (sometimes with laid out plans to try n stop myself from getting burnt out) and then half way through i can’t even imagine picking up my stylus without throwing it across the room /j

if ya got any tips i’d love to hear em

also if u don’t respond dw bout it, it’s chill m8! have a good one :3

AWWWW THANK YOU!!! I have a real issue with art stamina, I’m not someone who has the patience for intricate fiddly work, so it’s a lot of work smart not hard. Where to focus, where to cut corners, what deserves 6 hours of attention and what really doesn’t.

My honest advice is to keep going, a lot of what you’re describing sounds like the skill wall that intermediate artists face when they try with some more compositional complexity (comics, environments, placing characters in a scene) and that’s something you just have to prod from a bunch of different angles until something feels ‘right’ and then it gets a lot easier.

A lot of my early backgrounds did NOT look good, my more ambitious pieces felt more like failures than successes, but they were still important because i’d then hear some advice about what i could try next time, and i’d get a little better, and feel a lot more confident about trying it again.

[thesweetestdevotion]

hello can i request career reading for p1harmony? thank you

P1Harmony Career Reading:

Dice: Gemini, Jupiter, 7th House

Tarot:

Their Current Career: The Moon Reversed, Two of Swords, Nine of Wands Reversed, Seven of Swords, The Sun Reversed, Three of Cups, The Hierophant Reversed, Knight of Swords, Five of Swords Reversed, The World,

I feel like their current career isn’t going in the way they hoped it would in some aspects. They might’ve come across something revealed to them that put them in a cross roads situation. They feel like they have to make a choice right now and it could weigh heavily on them as a group. Im seeing they became aware of some sort of sneakiness or underhanded behavior that was hidden from them which was the cause of a lot of stress and fatigue. I think right now they are leaning heavily on each other in order to overcome this, i feel that they have good rapport between them. Their biggest strength is their ability to be relatable to other people, they seem to be very good at communicating, social media is also a strength here with Gemini. They also have great ability to expand beyond what they are doing now. I think right now they are ending a past cycle in their career, maybe they are changing something in their contracts, or dealing with legal stuff. I think this will allow them more freedom to expand to bigger things and grow as artists. They are a very great group of people and I’m seeing they just work so well together, very harmonious and fun. this will help them greatly in the long run, I think whatever legal or contract issue they are dealing with now will get resolved well, but they have to prioritize communication with their higher ups and also be aware of themselves and what they want in their work and their development as artist.

Dice: Jupiter, 12th House, Virgo

Future of their Career: Seven of Cups, The Wheel of Fortune, Eight of Swords, Three of Swords Reversed, Ace of Wands Reversed, The Star Reversed, Judgement, Ten of Coins, The Hermit Reversed

Okay so for their future career I’m still seeing expansion lol! They might begin to focus on foreign markets, they could also do some sort of training? Or something where they’re able to hone new skills and by learning these skills they’ll be able to “re-enter” the world of entertainment with renewed power and strength which will allow them more leverage. I do think they will have many options in the future, but they will have to take initiative to choose one path to stay on! It’s best if they dont get caught up in pretty promises and choose what is best for them. They might also feel a bit like they lack the ability to take charge in their projects and their creative direction which could cause them some stress and grief ngl, they might feel like their dreams are being dwindled as they have to focus on more material things. I think this will be temporary however, i just think they might run into a situation where their self-expression will be stifled in order to make them more ‘palatable’ to a wider audience. I do think they will find a lot of opportunities in the foreign market and will be expanding towards that so it may shock them how to navigate this and they might have trouble adjusting to foreign tastes and fan-culture. They will be very financially rewarded for their efforts however, they might even sign new contracts that give them more money. They will also just have more work to do, their everyday routines will change a lot, there will be focus on their health and appearance. They might get more into fitness as a group? Or better their health, which will be important for their stamina and performance. I did say that they will learn new skills so they might be learning new dances/music styles. I just heard PR training so also that.

There was a lot of mercurial energy and jovial energy in this reading, so i think their career will have an emphasis on learning and growing as they go. they have luck on their side, I’m seeing their career is divinely guided, spirit has plans in store that even I have no access to. Ultimately their efforts and hard work and also determination, discipline, and discernment will have the most impact on their career! It’s truly in their hands hehe. They feel like a talented group of people that has the ability to reach huge heights if they put their mind to it. Hope you guys like it!! Xoxox

[jeanjauthor]

This is kind of important for writers to understand (and artists, I suppose). If you have a very fitted bodice (for men's garments as well as women's, etc), and a standard armhole seam for your sleeves, you are not going to be able to lift your arm very far.

This lady (who has decades of experience designing patterns for Simplicity, how cool is that?? yes I'm a sewing geek, so what??) demonstrates not only the issues involved, but three ways how to get around them.

Writers, if you're going to use a fitted fashion for your story cultures, yet you still want your characters to be able to fight, you're going to have to consider how the standard garments would need to be adjusted for fighting.

In the Assassin's Creed series, if there was anyone running around in the Regency Era (early 1800s Europe), fashionable garments were tightly fitted for men of means, to the point that they had to have help getting into their clothes, and couldn't do any labor. Riding outfits would be modified so that they could move, but your typical evening wear would barely let you dance with the ladies, and brawling was right out.

Thirty or forty years earlier, in the late 1700s, corsets with stiff boning and skirts with big-ass panniers were all the rage for women. And while you could probably literally sneak in a couple of assassins under your skirts (if you practiced coordinating your movements), you wouldn't be able to fight because 1. all that boning and so forth restricted your movements, and 2. it was heavy, ranging anywhere from 30-50 pounds / 13-23 kilograms (between the actual structural materials, being metal, wood, and literal whale bones, and the petticoats, etc), which would also limit your movement and your stamina.

(Also later on in the Victorian era, all those hoop skirts might have been a little lighter, but they were still weighing down those women with layers of petticoats and metal and whalebone, and there are tales of women drowning after being blown off the edge of a dock when a strong wind gusted across their sail-like clothing.)

But anyway, back to sleeves. If you're writing a kick-ass hero or heroine and they're living in a culture where fitted tops & sleeves are the norm, and they don't have stretchy fabrics, then you're probably going to have to mention how they've had their clothing modified so they can stay kick-ass. (There are ways to "cut on the bias" or arrange things so the threads are going diagonally across the body rather than vertically & horisontally, but that only provides a modest amount of flexibility compared to a knit, and the very finely woven level of a spandex knit is very very much a modern mid to late 20th century invention, so adjusting the fabric qualities can be a bit problematic, depending on what level of tech you have going.)

This can either be done directly, aka the character is doing the modifications themselves, or discussing it with the tailor / seamstress, or it can be done indirectly, aka thinking "thank goodness I had my sleeves altered at the armholes!" as they're mid-fight...orrrrr, you can have someone else notice the modifications to their gown, comment on it, and have your hero/ine have to quickly come up with a believable excuse as to why they altered The Fashionable Garment Of The Year in such a manner.

(An excellent excuse could be, "It annoyed me, so I had it altered." Or if they're known to be bookish, "I couldn't reach for my favorite books off the top shelves, so I ordered my maid/valet to alter it." Or "Because I'm cleverer than you, obviously." Or even just, "It's a new variation, very daring, isn't it?" to make your character look like they're at the forefront of fashion.)

For the record, if you're worried about the gusset adjustment being "out of period", it actually goes back several hundred years to at least the transitional era between T-construction and more fitted garments. In the turn of the 1300s, in the reign of Edward I, men's gardecorps (tunics) were often designed with a diamond square sown into the armpit so that it formed a diamond shape and thus flexed on the bias when they lifted their arms. (This was the era of Braveheart so there was a lot of fighting going on, and being able to lift your arms over your head was kinda important for that whole combat thing. Also, prosperity was on the rise, so a little later on, people wanted to show off that they could afford to waste fabric by cutting curves into it to make it more fitted...which restricted movement, so they had to adjust that stuff if they wanted to be able to move again.)

Also for the record, there are things you need to do to the gusset / crotch seam of pants to allow better movement...and one of those things genuinely is to insert a cat's eye shaped gusset! This is done for pantyhose & leggings, and is larger for dancers than it is for the general populace.

[triciamfoster]

The Color of Auras

"Here are the basic colors and their meanings to give you some context when you see your aura or someone else’s. 

White: When speaking of white, which is a combination of colors, remember that we’re referring to light, not pigment. White (bright light) will always have a positive vibration. We should strive for bright light, not the color white. This light is associated with truth, purity, cleansing, healing, and protection. It further indicates a high level of spiritual attainment and a disposition to help others.

Red: Represents the physical body and can indicate force and stamina. This color can be representative of a person who is self-centered, money-oriented, athletic, or sexual. Deeper shades of red support the negative interpretations, while light shades suggest the more positive interpretations.

Orange: Attention to detail, self-control, and optimism. As the Sun can be uplifting, so can people projecting this hue. Some challenges the color implies include trust issues with others—for example, falling in love with people who do not respond as you desire.

Yellow: If the yellow is pale, it could indicate you are shy and maybe trying to attempt to start a chapter of your life over again with a different approach. A golden yellow implies you have deep inner wisdom and a general sense of well-being. The basic color of yellow shows you have a natural flow of things and enjoy life for the most part.

Green: This is the color of nature. You are a good listener and enjoy focusing on healing yourself and others. This is the color of different types of healers. If you see a yellowish shade of green, it can mean uncertainty and even dishonesty.

Blue: This is the color of truth, meditation, and spirit. Any shade of blue is good. Those who are artistic tend to have a lot of blue in their aura. Blue can also indicate healing and the ability to heal. On occasion, people with blue in their aura can become melancholy or get the “blues,” but for the most part, they follow through with projects and are spiritually focused.

Purple: This is the mystical color. People with purple in their auras are intuitive and spiritual individuals. This color does not tend to linger too long and will eventually become a deep shade of blue. If it does appear, it means you are having strong insights at the time.

Black: This is technically the absence of color and not a color at all. Regardless, for the purpose of interpretation we will list it here. The qualities of black can be good and not so good. In fact, it can confuse you. It may indicate depression, evil, and ill health. On the other hand, it can mean you have a protective shield around yourself—that for the moment, you are in a protective state."

From: Moon Magic: Your Complete Guide to Harnessing the Mystical Energy of the Moon by Diane Ahlquist

[keeekii]

Kea Ki Jung

(So…Apparently…. I’m dramatic… Shibal)

~™ BASICS INFORMATION ¿~

~™ birth name ¿~

-Kea Ki Jung

~™ nicknames and meanings ¿~

-Keke

-Keki

~™ birthdate ¿~

15/.4.2004

~™ zodiac sign ¿~

Aries

~™ face claim ¿~:4uvrslatt

asian and black

~™ nationality ¿~

Setswana-Korean

~™languages spoken ¿~

↳ Setswana— 100%

↳ korean — 100%

↳ english — 95%

↳Mandarin—52%

~™ gender ¿~

Female

~™ pronouns ¿~

She/her

~™ sexuality ¿~

straight

~™ weight ¿~

59 kgs

~™ height ¿~

165cm

~™ blood type ¿~

AB-

~™ hair colour ¿~

Dark brown

~™ eye colour ¿~

Hazel brown

~™ CAREER INFORMATION ¿~

~™ occupation ¿~

Artist/Youtuber/Dance teacher

~™ future goals ¿~

To just live life and make one more person happy whether it be cause she helped them be confident and find their style or make home cooked food and maybe baking as well.

~™ business ¿~

She works for both parents in both fields,having designed her dads work attire and her and her mom made it,she works as a chief for her dads restaurant as well as she is a waitress for her dad as well.

~™ signature ¿~

Kea.JG

~™ social media ¿~

⇲ instagram ¿~

Keki_JG

⇲ TikTok ¿~

Stvrfire_lvy

⇲ twitter ¿~

KekiJG

⇲ youtube ¿~

Keki Jung

⇲ facebook ¿~ -

~™ stats ¿~

⃘ public speaking : 90/100%

⃘ intelligence : 92/100%

⃘ memory : 65/100%

⃘ endurance : 90/100%

⃘ strength : 89/100%

⃘ stability : 66/100%

⃘ consistency : 32/100%

⃘ flexibility : 95/100%

⃘ speed : 92/100%

⃘ stamina : 10p/100%

⃘ cooking skills : 94/100%

⃘ driving skills : 65/100%

~™color representation ¿~ light purple

~™ representative emoji ¿~ 🐻‍❄️(polar bear)

~™ catchphrase ¿~

Seis nigger

~™ career background ¿~

Growing up both in Southern Africa and South Korea,she loves to design clothes and just anything to do with clothes,most of the things she likes doing is cause she watched her parents and older brothers do it first,she was a little kid model for her mother.

~™ physical traits ¿~

She had freakles littering her face

She had one dimple on her rigth cheek.

~™ body modifications ¿~

Ear piecings on both ears

~™ habits/mannerisms ¿~

Gets lost yet knows how to navigate around without trying much, after getting lost so much it's just natural to find her way.

Way to facial expression, she can't control her expressions during conversations so many people take her for a stand off-is type of girl or a men's girl even if it's not her actual intentions though she gets irrated very easily.

Mimics people's actions unconsciously, she did it alot as a kid and in general never really cared about doing so, she copied anyone she likes being around or admires.

She snorts alot when she laughs.

She speaks in Amharic or uses South African slang a bit too much, unintentionally it just comes out.

~™ fashion style ¿~ Style(1)

~™ family ¿~

She belongs to a good family, not poor but definitely not rich, she has 4 older brothers one being her twin and 4 younger brothers, she is the only girl in the family, in her family there is no such thing as gender so fights can get physical between children, that how she got her confrontational tendencies from, her mom is the sweetest person she knows always willing to help her kids when they need it, but she is also scary, especially when mad, her dad is actually the most sweetest if it comes down to it, but he can be very strict especially coming from a super strict household himself, the family is very tight knit, everyone has each other's back no matter what, family is very important since they believe it's their day one's.

~™ mental health and conditions ¿~

Anger issues (quite often but it's mainly irration issues)

Anxiety (slight)

~™ allergies ¿~

Nuts(all types), pollen, bee stings

~™ TRIVIAL INFORMATION ¿~

~™ education ¿~

Growing up Kea fell under pressure to get good marks and be great at sports, her parents always said school years is what takes you forward, so she made sure she was able to get over 85 each term /semester, she soon got first place in her last year with an average of 90% on most grades, she liked sports the most especially dance and basketball, she was very social as well, she wasn't popular but she was known, she wasn't the nicest a lot of people didn't like her attitude or her smart mouth but she survived to be able to get a scholarship instead of her parents using money to on her.

~™ academic achievements ¿~

She got top of her grade her her final year, she joined the Gauteng team when she lived in South Africa for debating and basketball.

When she got to Korea she ranked first place in debating for her age division in her area, and made it to the south Korean gymnastics team and got gold for her ball and ribbon dances.

~™ likes ¿~

Pink Carnation flowers

Dimples

Sporta

Animals

Cooking/baking

Music

Dancing

Making drinks even if she doesn't drink most of them.

~™ dislikes ¿~

Nuts

Staying in one spot for to long

People touching her hair or her in general too much if she doesn't like or know them.

Disrespect

Overly sensitive people

Geography

Dry texters

~™ skills and hobbies ¿~

Dancing, she absolutely loves to dance no matter what genre of dance it is.

Playing the drums (she can play any other instrument very well, except the violen, she just ends up breaking them)

She loves baking and cooking especially for her family and loved ones, it's always nice making people their favorite things and they love it.

She has a good way of taking care of children, she is gentle yet is the exact same as herself too them.

~™ favorite subjects ¿~

English

Maths

Sotho

PE

Biology

Dramatic arts

~™ favorite genre ¿~

Thriller

Comedy

Agnst

~™ favorite colors ¿~

Dull and light purples

Black

White

~™ favorite number(s) ¿~

2,just cause it's the first even number and cause there is two of her(her twin brother)

~™ favorite season(s) ¿~

Winter and spring, she loves to build snow art and likes pushing her siblings in piles of leafs.

~™ favorite celebrities ¿~

Tyler the creator, Tupac Shakur, Kanye west, DJ Maphorisa, Cassper Nyovest, Kwesta, Black Coffee

~™ favorite characters ¿~

Princess Tiana (she loved the move princess and the frog cause she believed that if Tiana was a princess and could own a bakery so could she.

Jerry the mouse (she thought Jerry was adorable even if he was a menace)

~™ favorite movies ¿~

Princess and the frog, the notebook, adventure time, The Green Mile, Alien.

~™ favorite tv shows ¿~

The king of pigs, Vincenzo, strangers from hell, Weak hero class.

~™ her released songs: Name~2+2=Me

~™ favourite foods ¿~

Injera, berbere potatoes, veal dumplings(and alot of spicy things)

~™ favourite drinks ¿~

Stoney, soju, granadila flavored water

~™ role model(s) ¿~

TorrikuYonas Jung(her eldest brother)

~™motto ¿~ “If you fail then lol don't fail again"

~™ ideal type ¿~

She really isn't peaky, she has no type but they preferably have to be taller then her.

Someone who she can talk to freely and not feel restricted with how she can talk to them.

She likes when going out, so she would like to head out and do something even if it's a late night walk on a beach or in a park just the two of them eating ice cream.

~™ Extra INFORMATION¿~

She has two pets, one Doberman named Bo, she named him Bo after po from Kangfu panda, but po didn't math him so she named him Bo.She also has a pet rabbit named Thumper she named after Thumper from Bambi the movie.

She is a sucker for music, wether it be dancing, singing rapping or whatever, especially dancing.

She dosent like seafood all to much.

She once took a baby bird from the streets and raised it only for it to be a pegion after it grew up so she kicked it out let it free.

She has a note book of memories and a jaw of memories from different times growing up she still keeps track even now.

She is a daddy girls, her father is sun(her mom is still sort of the favorite) .

She has been in multiple fights growing up with her siblings and people at school both verbally and physically.

She is sort of a smart mouth and will talk back and not back down unless proven with facts and receipts that she's wrong.

[quiet-art-kid]

The grades I think I would get if I was in the pirate training program

Bbad spelling: 10/10 I would fucking ace that class. My spelling is so horrible that in fourth grade I was put in the “special class” for spelling. I can’t spell their properly for fuck’s sake, I always misspell it as thier. 

Basic burglary: 6/10 I think I’d be pretty good at stealing and even better at gaslighting the victims like “Where is your bracelet? I haven’t seen it. No, you didn’t put it on today. Oh, this? This was a gift from my cousin. Why does it have your name? It's a hand me down duh, my cousin has the same name as you. If you’re that upset about losing your bracelet, I can help you look for it, because I’m just that nice.”

Baseball: 0/10 I will activate my quiet, nerd, introvert cloak of invisibility (standing so still that adults forget I exist)  during all sports. It’s worked before, it will work again. 

Beginner Burping: 2/10 I could do it, just not very well.

Boarding an enemy ship: 1.5/10 - 6/10 This one sounds like it requires a lot of stamina and depending on if I’m in a more manic or depressive episode my grade would fluctuate.  

Dragon training: 1/10 I would have a bunch of fun debating my dragon about the meaning of life and free will. I would not train the dragon, I would educate them. My dragon would be able to do quadratics and tell you why true democracy can never work on a large scale, but would not be able to catch fish.

Frightening foreigners: 5/10 I can be scary when I want to be, however my brand of frightening is…different from the vikings. It would also require quite a bit of effort, half the time I’d just end up being a resting bitch face nihilist. 

Hammer throwing: 1.5 /10 I have been working out regularly, so I could probably pick up the hammer and toss it like ½ a foot in front of me, but not much more. 

Herding reindeer on dragonback: 3.5/10 I would be so-so at it (a bit below because I don’t love getting near large animals) 

Herding sheep: 4/10 I feel like sheep would be easier to get closer to. 

Hunting-With-Bows-and-Arrows-on-Skis: 1/10 I’m a shit archer but not a terrible skier (which would be the only thing saving me from a 0/10) 

Pointless graffiti: 8/10 I would get 2 points taken off for accidentally creating moving and meaningful graffiti. 

Robbery: 4.5/10: I am good at stealth and plans, but I can be clumsy. 

Senseless Violence: 5/10 I am not normally a violent person, but if need be I won’t hesitate to throw hands. My older brother would fight with me when we were kids for fun. I also have anger issues. 

Shipbuilding: 4/10 I would not follow the instructions but through sheer luck, determination, and will power would get a working boat, that is simultaneously an artistic masterpiece. 

Shouting: 1.5/10 I literally can’t raise my voice nine times out of ten because of my trauma. I’d also probably start crying in the middle of class. 

Spitting: 0/10 I’m not even trying on this one. 

Sword Fighting: 4/10 I’d be average at it (just slightly below)

Sword Fighting at Sea: 3/10 I’d be even worse due to the rockiness of the boat. 

Advanced rudery: 7/10 I …watch way too much r/roast me. 

Weaponry: 2/10 I’m not sure what this class entails but I doubt I’d be good at it.