#My issue is not that I can't figure out how to parse it into a serious question

[maeamian]

Hey no reason, but all you cool kids who said stuff like "I'm not autistic, everyone finds it almost physically uncomfortable when the things they are asked aren't actually the question that the asker wants an answer for" I've got a cool online quiz for ya

This may just be the autism speaking, but I fucking hate when customer surveys ask me 'how likely are you to recommend this or that to a friend' because they are lying about what they're asking. I am 0% likely to recommend almost any product to any friend and especially not by brand if at all possible, but what they want to know is 'did you have a decent experience with the thing' and that's a whole other fucking question if you want that answered fucking ask that. Except if I answer the question they're asking instead of the secret question, they yell at their employees on my behalf which I never wanted either. Terrible system, would not recommend it to a friend.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Ouyamatsumi - Day 173

Race: Kunitsu Arcana: Strength Alignment: Light-Chaos March 24th, 2025

One of my favorite aspects of SMT V is the presence of Punishing Foes: giant demons that roam the map and prove to be a far bigger hurdle to battle than most of the other demons throughout. While I have my issues with SMT V's exploration, (mainly in the samey environments, though that was addressed in Vengeance,) the Punishing Foes add a lot of extra challenge, and it can be seen first in the very first Punishing Foe you ever encounter in the game. Who doesn't remember when you first arrive in Da'at and see this massive stoney being walking around in the distance, only to realize that, holy shit, you can fight it?! Only for you to be sent right back to the main menu because, well, what did you expect. That first massive demon you run into isn't just some nameless golem, though- it's Ouyamatsumi, and his role as a major (albeit optional) hurdle in the game is well fitting, given how powerful he is in the mythology he comes from.

Interestingly, Oyamatsumi isn't actually mentioned very often- he's a rather obscure Kami in the Shinto pantheon, all things considered, but given what we do know about him, he was incredibly interesting. Oyamatsumi was one of the first kami born to Izanami and Izanagi, and, importantly, he was also the older brother of both Susanoo and Amaterasu. This is incredibly interesting given one major fact- he was a Kunitsukami, while both Amaterasu and Susanoo were Amatsukami and the relationship between Kunitsukami and Amatsukami was rather famously very strained, to say the least. Past this, Oyamatsumi was also a god of mountains, the sea, and, curiously, a god of war as well- while Hachiman was typically seen as the god of war, he was more the patron god of warriors, while Oyamatsumi seems to have been the god of war as a concept overall.

Most of what we know about Oyamatsumi, though, is in his startlingly long lineage. After he got married to Kaya-no-Hime, the two pumped out babies like there was no tomorrow, giving birth to many genderless deities. This is recounted in the Kamiumi, which states that they birthed Ame no Sazuchi, among many others. Their children... also don't have many sources, but one of his children does. He gave birth to none other than Konohanasakuya-hime, one of the most important deities in the entire pantheon, as well as the healing queen of many a Vengeance run. Admittedly, the family tree of the kami is about as complicated as any other religion, so that's about all I can go off of regarding this topic, but still- being the baby daddy of several NB deities and then the father of Konohana Sakuya is definitely worth noting.

There's not much more to go off of, past this, though- he may have been the god of Mt. Fuji, but most sources say that role belonged to Konohana Sakuya, so yeah. A little hard to parse. Still, he's a very cool figure from what we know about him, but I'm also admittedly very tired today and haven't had anything to help me wake up yet so I'm kinda running on fumes and can't really do much more research past this. In SMT, Ouyamatsumi takes a lot of inspiration from his role as a god of the mountains, being made of literal earth and stone, and I honestly love his design- I'm so glad they didn't stray away from making him look like a living mountain, especially in SMT V, where his sheer scale makes it clear what his role is, right away.

[alarrytale]

I have some things I disagree with in regards to the talk of Louis’s image. While I do believe that certain things are highlighted excessively like the smoking, laddy lad, and chav stuff. I don’t think everything Louis says is a lie. Maybe he doesn’t like to work out or diet. Maybe he does enjoy a burger and beer at the pub. Maybe he would rather go see a game of footie than to the ballet. Maybe he does enjoy watching shit reality tv. Why does he have to have the same image as H? A lot of fans prefer and like Louis because he’s more relatable and down to earth. I don’t want him to be pretentious and stuck up. I’d rather hear him talk about his favorite sports team than about art. He does have things he’s passionate about and it doesn’t have to be the same things as Harry. I just feel like we can point out the image downfalls and also acknowledge the good parts. I don’t know if this makes sense and isn’t directed at you so much as in general, I’ve seen some Louie’s making it sound like they just want Louis to be a carbon copy of Harry. I don’t care if L goes to museums. I don’t care if he runs marathons. I just him to be okay first and then have a long successful career and fix his image and put out good music. But he can improve his image while still staying true to himself and not becoming just another snobby LA celeb.

Hi, anon!

It does makes sense. I've seen several fans cherry pick what sides of Louis they like and say that's his true self, and everything he says and does that they don't like, they ascribe to his fake image and persona. The problem with that is that fans like different things, so they don’t agree on who he really is. I know it's really difficult to parse out what is genuinely Louis and what's either said and done as his persona, or it's heavily exaggerated or given a heavy focus. But it doesn’t help if you're biased.

My biggest issue and annoyance with Louis image and persona have always been the stereotyping and trying to make a multi-dimentional man a one-dimentional one. They're trying to make him seem like he's a simple man. Vodka and redbull, the football on the telly and his mates around. He's is that, but he's also so much more than that. He can be one who hates working out and dieting, but still tries to get on the treadmill every now and then. People have met him out hiking in L.A with Harry. He was papped eating salad with DC at least twice (when he had a different image and they went for a more "clean and proper" image). He's said he eats a lot of seafood at home (living with a pescitarian will do that to you). Louis loves himself a fancy cocktail and i can't imagine he's stopped going for pedicures. We've seen glimpses of his art collection (and just heard rumours of pieces he's bought over the years), and we know he’s really into interior design.

There is a whole side to Louis that we hardly ever get to see, because it's being overshadowed by this simple lad persona. I think Louis is a man of multitudes, he's got both masculine and feminine traits and interests. I find Louis utterly fascinating and i'm so tired of being presented with a Louis who can't even say what he likes about living in London, in case he accidentally reveals something actually interesting...

Louis isn't Harry, but the interest they share and the things they have in common (pretty sure Louis frequents the men's pond too) are kept away from us, because he needs to present straight and masculine. It's come to a point now where the persona he presents it isn't beliveable anymore. It's too fake, too exaggerated and too hypocritical.

Louis is not his persona, but his persona isn't devoid of the real Louis either. It's just figuring out what's really him and what's not, and how fans are going to react when they see the real him, that's the hard part.

[twopoppies]

Hi Gina, I hope you're well. I think I need a little comfort here, do you also have creative blocks for a long time? I have a fanfic and the last time I managed to write something was in December 2023, and it makes me feel horrible because it's as if I had no commitment to my readers for not publishing anything; I want to write - I really want to, but I just can't. Does that happen to you too?

Hi darling. If you look at the dates I have posted my fics, you'll see my looooooong periods of writer's block. It is very normal, and I'm sure there are different reasons it happens to people.

I like to think part of my issue is that I really want to publish things I feel proud of at the moment. And there's so much I want to write that I don't think I'm capable of doing as well as I want to. And I get into my head too often. And I am weirdly inspired visually, so often I have a vision of all aspects of a story but no real story (if that makes sense). So... yeah.

To make you feel better. Here's my timeline (you're doing way better than I am. LMAO!)

Whoever, However 9K – March 27, 2020

gathered on wings 33K – May 24, 2020

An Invincible Summer 45K – July 14, 2020

You can see they were getting longer, I was trying to learn how to do different things with each one, but I also had a ton of ideas from years of reading and having no outlet. So, the first three came fairly quickly.

Then we hit writer's block, and I couldn't think of a thing until almost a year later.

Literally Making Love 30K – April 14, 2021

Then, again, I must have started three or four different fics and got stalled at various stages. Finally, I wrote something fairly short, but I was happy with it. It only took me 9 months. LMAO!

Hike Up Your Skirt (And Show Your World To Me) 18K – January 27, 2022

And then I went back to those four unfinished fics, added three more I haven't been able to finish and moped about my writing for THREE YEARS before I published again.

all the sins you didn't have 100K – January 5, 2025

So, my suggestion is to see if you're able to figure out what's keeping you from writing. Try to write every day (or as close to it as you can manage), even if you only can spare 10 minutes. Just get into the habit of doing it. Some days you'll write shit. Once in a while, you'll write something amazing. And at some point, you'll string all those amazing bits into something you want to share.

Your readers will be there. They want to read something you're proud to show them. Personally, I don't feel compelled to post to just fill up space. But do what motivates you the most. Maybe find a writing partner. I know I wouldn't write a thing if I wasn't always talking about writing with mine. Or join a writer's group. Or even a book club where you can really parse what you love about other authors' writing.

Try not to beat yourself up.

I hope something here helps a little. 💗

[aurorialwolf]

i have a few for Aria

I was muttering to myself (random roleplay thoughts) when I saw the notif for this ask pop up and went "goodness gracious" pffft

Hold on lemme parse these

is the first one just fantasy!Aria or is it also a metaphor for the other Arias? either way holy shit. :( poor lil gal allllll alone,,

Also yes that second one does perfectly describe Aria's general childhood(s) even across universes,, she really does believe that there's something wrong with her, and she can't get it out. So she bottles up that insane desperation for control that she has, in hopes that she'll never slip up and become obsessive again over her current friends (notably, she did almost slip up during that roadtrip with Allan)

And yeah. Aria has majorrrrr issues with approval. Someone telling her they trust her makes her nearly explode (with joy or anguish, who knows?) and it gets way worse when it comes to authority figures and also. men? somewhat? Her dad is good, but there might be either some issues there or general society has affected her perception of being valued (genuinely positively instead of being objectified) by men,, hm.

Also if Pidge ever expressed true disappointment in her (in prime) it would absolutely shatter her and she'd have a horrible time, and probably the same with Allan

She does indeed feel very undeserving of some things. I mentioned this a while back, but in my OC love languages post, I noted that prime!Aria is usually incapable of receiving gifts unless it's for a special occasion. Because of her autism, she finds it excruciatingly difficult to "seem grateful" and has been conditioned to believe she doesn't deserve something if she can't express sincere thanks. (not by her parents but by other people). So, she "hates" getting random surprise gifts because the feels as though people will be disappointed in her when she can only say "thank you I love it" with a deadpan expression.

Also I'm assuming this last one is referring to imp!Aria, although prime!Aria being an ex-convict could fit in some sense as well.. this def fits for prime!Aria because she has to step away from that idea of being just another criminal that cannot be trusted and doesn't deserve anything good anymore because of how badly she's hurt people. Same with imp!Aria being an ex-slicer, she's hurt too many people and not been punished for it, so she feels unable to climb out of the hole she's dug herself into (if I said her getting injured would be a catalyst for her forgiving herself finally do u think someone would do it? :3c half kidding bc this "learning to be a healer" arc will probably slightly accomplish that too)

jesus christ I yap far too much guys I'm sorrrryyyyy there's just so much to say !!!!

[twoidiotwriters1]

Almighty (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: We love a mature love interest -Danny Words: 2,600 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: 'Feels Like' -by Gracie Abrams

XLI: Lester My Man, You're Scaring the Hoes

"The Throne of Memory, we need it now!" Lester exclaims while Peaches carries in Meg. "Calypso—Notepad?"

"Got it!"

"Stay with me, Meg, you're among friends now. You're in the Throne of Mnemosyne. Speak your prophecy!"

Meg opens her mouth, an oracle voice coming out smoothly.

The words that memory wrought are set to fire,

Ere new moon rises o'er the Devil's Mount.

The changeling lord shall face a challenge dire,

Till bodies fill the Tiber beyond count.

"Oh, no," Lester winces. "No, no, no."

"What?" Leo asks.

"We're going to need a bigger notepad."

"Surely the prophecy's done—"

Yet southward must the sun now trace its course,

Through mazes dark to lands of scorching death

To find the master of the swift white horse

And wrest from him the crossword speaker's breath.

To westward palace must the Lester go;

Demeter's daughter finds her ancient roots.

The cloven guide alone the way does know,

To walk the path in thine own enemy's boots.

When three are known and Tiber reached alive,

'Tis only then Apollo starts to jive.

Meg slumps forward and Lester holds her, shaking like a leaf.

"What was that? Buy one prophecy, get three free? That was a lot of lines." Leo scoffs.

"It was a sonnet. May the gods help us; it was a Shakespearean sonnet."

"That was all one poem?" Thalia frowns. "But it had four different sections."

"Yes. The sonnet conveys only the most elaborate prophecies, with multiple moving parts. None of them good, I fear. We will parse our doom later. We should let Meg rest—" Lester collapses next to the girl suddenly, having run out of energy.

"I'm sorry about Festus..."

Leo grins. "Nah, man. I can put him back together easy enough. I redesigned him so he's like a Lego kit, built for quick assembly!"

Lester nudges her discretely and speaks in a whisper. "Did you tell him what happened at the cave?"

"Yeah," Ara sighs. "He's made his decision. And it's fine, really. He's right, trying to foresee what the right choice is, that's exactly why Janus had so much fun harassing me all these years. You can't opt out of heartache."

Lester hums, eyeing her carefully. "So what now?"

"Now I gotta figure out my new body settings. I still feel like sleeping, but I don't know what will happen if I do. What if I wake up in Olympus? Or worse, what if I combust and die?"

"Many humans have turned into gods," Lester says simply. "You'll be fine."

"You have no empathy towards my issue," she says and continues before he can deny it, "I get it, it feels unfair to you. Just don't try to comfort me, you won't do it right. Not even I know what I'm sad about, I'm having trouble recalling what I lost."

During the funeral rituals for Heloise the griffin, Ara stands with Thalia, needing to speak with someone who might know what she's feeling. "When you became a hunter," she says, "weren't you scared about the whole immortality bit?"

Thalia chuckles. "To be honest, no. I've got no hopes of living long either way, you know?"

Ara looks at her, now taller than the hunter. "I was twelve when I met you, now we're the same age. You've done well so far, so why not consider you might live a few centuries?"

Thalia puts an arm around her shoulders. "To me, you're always going to be a kid, just like Percy. Immortality doesn't change how I feel, it only messes up time, which is something I was already used to since I was a tree for years."

Ara sighs. "Right."

"I'm sorry I can't help you, Birdy," Thalia says empathetically.

"It's almost like you were fated to be where you are," she shakes her head. "I don't feel that way. I feel used."

Thalia raises a brow. "Ara, whether the gods tricked you into it or not, you do good in the world, and it doesn't matter how it came to be."

"I guess," her voice cracks, "I just wish I hadn't been stripped of my own sense of self in order to do so. I'm not Ara anymore."

Thalia hugs her. "You've never been anything other than who you've always been, you just haven't gotten the time to get to know your new body, but trust me—If you weren't you, Leo wouldn't have looked at you the way he did after you fought Commodus."

"My moms told me you might be my dad," Georgie says, staring at Lester's shoes.

"I—I might be, Georgina," Lester blushes down to his neck. "I don't know."

"'Kay. Made this for you. You can take it with you when you go away."

She hands him a doll made with pipe cleaners. "Thank you. Georgina, if you ever need me, if you ever want to talk—"

"No, I'm good." 

Lester is slightly hurt as the girl runs back into Jo's arms. Ara pats his shoulder. "Don't take it personally. If my dad—" her voice catches in the word. "If my progenitor had shown up claiming to be part of my life... that's just stupid. A parent looks after you when you're vulnerable, not when you're old enough to not need them."

"Those visions in the cave... you met your dad?"

"Must've been primal memories," Ara frowns. "From the day he left me at the orphanage."

"But you know his face now, you could—"

"He's dead." Saying it out loud feels like taking off the heaviest winter coat. "Killed by one of you."

"A god?"

"He died within the day of abandoning me—not a chance of vindication for that guy... his car stopped working."

Lester scowls. "Well, it must've been Aphrodite."

"She would've told me," Ara shakes her head. "I mean, why wouldn't she? A man who rejects her gifts isn't worthy anymore."

"Who, then?"

"Maybe he pissed off someone else on the way, maybe the fates kill off the parents of abandoned demigods. Thalia's mom died after she gave away Jason..."

"So he's dead."

"Yeah..." And then she sniffs, crying softly.

Lester stiffens. "I'm sorry..."

"I'm happy," Ara admits, "I've feared for years that one day he'd try to take me away from my parents and I wouldn't be able to say no because I'm underage..." she sobs. "I was scared of a man that didn't even care enough to feel anything towards me... I get it now, why I cling to my title."

"You don't wanna feel like your father was right," Lester concludes, deeply understanding her. "That you were a curse."

"Now I find out he's been dead all along, that giving me away was a mistake..." She crumbles and clings to Lester, who wraps his arms around her, slightly shocked. "I think knowing would've been enough."

The Waystation is packed with cheery-looking people, even Meg and Lester look that way. Even Ara.

"Okay," says Calypso. "We've interpreted some of these lines, but we need your help, Apollo. Maybe you could start by telling us what happened at the Cave of Trophonius."

Meg is quick to hand over the responsibility. "Don't remember much. You two go ahead." 

Lester and Ara take turns talking.

"I don't mind the Oracle being destroyed, but I worry about Georgie. She's always felt connected to that place. And Agamethus... she likes him a lot." Emmie says.

"The last thing I want is to cause more pain to Georgina. I think, though, the destruction of the cave was necessary. Not just for us. But for her. It may free her to move forward."

"We cannot remain," Ara adds. "Agamethus told you that the other day, didn't he? You told me that."

Lester remembers. "True. Maybe he was ready for this." 

"All right, then," Jo continues. "About the prophecy..."

"The first stanza mentions the new moon," Thalia comments.

"Time limit," Leo sighs, draping one arm around Ara's shoulders. "Always a dang time limit."

"But the next new moon is in only five nights," the hunter frowns.

"Bodies filling up the Tiber," Emmie quotes, "I assume the Tiber refers to the Little Tiber, the barrier of Camp Jupiter in California."

"Yeah. The changeling lord... that's gotta be our homeboy Frank Zhang. And the Devil's Mount, that's Mount Diablo, right near the camp. I hate Mount Diablo. Ara and I fought Enchiladas there once."

"I got hit by lightning," Ara winces. "Not fun."

Jo glances at them with concern. "So the demigods of New Rome are about to be attacked."

"I believe the first stanza is all of a piece. It mentions the words that memory wrought. Ella the harpy is at Camp Jupiter, using her photographic memory to reconstruct the lost books of the Cumaean Sybil. The details aren't important right now. My guess is that the Triumvirate means to eliminate the threat by burning down the camp. The words that memory wrought are set to fire." Lester explains.

Calypso scowls. "Five days. How do we warn them in time? All our means of communication are down."

"We gotta send someone," Ara replies. "Can't be the hunters, they'll attract attention. That without mentioning they've done too much for us already."

"Damn right," Leo nods at the girl. "You've done enough for us, T."

Thalia glances at Ara with a little grin. "All in a day's work, guys. But you do owe me a bottle of the Texas hot sauce you were telling me about, Valdez."

"That can be arranged," Leo smirks.

"Well and good, but we're left with the same dilemma. How do we get a message to California in five days?"

"Me," Leo declares casually.

"Leo," Calypso shakes her head. "It took us six weeks just to get here from New York."

"Yeah, but with four passengers. And... no offense, one of them was a former god who was attracting us all kinds of negative attention and had no means to deal with it. Ara and I were dragging your butts until you got your magic back. I'll be fine."

Everyone looks at Ara like waiting for the bomb to explode, but instead, she smiles. "You sure you got this?"

"I travel fast and light," he taps the table with eager digits. "I've covered that much distance before by myself. I can do it."

"I believe you," Ara says. "But you told Lester you wanted an easy life..."

"I'll just enroll late for the spring semester! Cal can help me catch up. Besides, it'll be good to see Hazel and Frank again. And Reyna, too, though that girl still scares me."

"I love Reyna," Ara says, maybe too fancifully, because Leo glances at her with a scowl.

"Yeah, well," he reaches for a piece of her hair and tugs to regain her attention. "My point is, I've got plenty of time to start that life. You guys don't."

Lester sighs heavily. "No, we really don't."

"So we've got one stanza figured out. Yippee," Thalia puts away her knife. "What about the rest?"

"I'm afraid the rest is about Meg and me."

"Yep," Meg nods while still eating. "Pass the biscuits?"

Josephine gives her the entire basket. "So the line about the sun going southward, that's you, Apollo."

"Obviously. The third emperor must be somewhere in the American Southwest, in a land of scorching death. We get there through mazes—"

"The Labyrinth," Meg offers.

Ara groans. "I hate that place. I don't care how dormant Chiron thinks it is."

"We must find the crossword speaker," Lester insists. "I believe that refers to the Erythraean Sybil, another ancient Oracle. I... I don't remember much about her—"

"Surprise," Meg taunts him.

"But she was known to issue her prophecies in acrostics—word puzzles."

"Sounds bad. Annabeth told me how she met the Sphinx in the Labyrinth once. Riddles, mazes, puzzles... No thanks. Give me something I can shoot."

"I remember the Sphinx," Ara tilts her head. "Whiny."

"And the third emperor? Do you know who it is?" Emmie questions.

"Meg," Lester looks at the girl. "what about the line Demeter's daughter finds her ancient roots? Do you have any family in the Southwest? Do you remember ever going there before?"

Meg hesitates a millisecond before replying. "Nah."

Lester and Ara share a knowing look. "Hey, though," Leo pipes in. "That next line, The cloven guide alone the way does know. That means you get a satyr? They're guides, aren't they, like Coach Hedge was? That's, like, their thing."

"True," Jo nods. "But we haven't seen a satyr in these parts since—"

"Decades," Emmie sighs.

"I'll find us one," Meg burps.

"How?" Lester frowns.

"Just will."

"I wouldn't mind a satyr. My friend Grover is one," Ara ponders. "Haven't seen him in months..."

"That just leaves the closing couplet: When three are known and Tiber reached alive, / 'Tis only then Apollo starts to jive." Calypso reads again.

Leo wiggles in his seat doing a funny dance. "About time, man. Lester needs more jive."

"Hmph." Lester adopts a haughty expression. "I believe those lines mean we will soon know the identity of all three emperors. Once our next quest is complete in the Southwest, Meg and I can travel to Camp Jupiter, reaching the Tiber alive. Then, I hope, I can find the path back to my former glory."

"By... jive talkin'," Leo sings out of tune.

"Shut up," Lester grumbles.

Leo and Ara watch the hunters from the rooftop as they leave, riding the army of ostriches.

"Man, this never gets old," the boy grins, leaning against her. "By the way, you know Lester has a crush on you, right?"

Ara snorts so hard she coughs. "Yeah, right," she glances down at the aforementioned, currently bickering with Meg as they return to the Waystation. "He can't stand me."

"He can't stand how nervous you make him," Leo retorts. "Trust me, that guy is hanging by a thread."

"His soul light ignites for others."

"I said he's got a crush, not that he's happy about it," the boy clarifies. "Soul lights only show people's positive emotions. I wasn't happy to be crazy about you after like a day of knowing you. You saw mine until I gave in."

Ara shifts in her place uncomfortably. "Is that why you volunteered to travel to Camp Jupiter? To make sure I'm not left alone with Lester for long?"

"Nah, it's never gonna happen between you two," he laughs. "He's all spectacle and you're all substance. He would fizzle out the moment he tried to touch you."

Ara blushes. "Don't be dumb..."

"Reyna, on the other hand," he raises his voice teasingly, turning sideways against the railing to face her. "That's a conversation we gotta have out. I don't see no soul lights, but I practically heard you moan her name."

The girl gets even redder. "Leo!"

"Listen, I won't hate if you tell me you feel some kind of way about her. I also love a girl that can step on me, Ripley from Alien could get it—"

"Leo!"

"I just feel like... like you're no longer mine to keep. And if you feel more in tune with her than with me... I just... I want to know."

Ara stares at him, shocked but not angry. "Are you serious?" 

"About 90%."

She doesn't even know what to answer. "Just because I'm... whatever I am, doesn't mean I suddenly developed an interest in dating multiple people at the same time!"

"Yeah, no, but I don't know, I feel like I'm hoarding too much real state that needs more than one person to look after it—"

"Are you calling me property right now?" 

"I'm calling you a freaking goddess on earth," Leo huffs, "who is worth so much more than I can offer. I won't give you up, but if you... if you feel like you want something better, or different, I—"

"Leónidas," Ara holds his face. "Yes, I have a crush on Reyna, but this is crazy talk."

"You're only saying that because you haven't settled into power yet," he grumbles through a pout. "Let it simmer and see if you're still happy having me as your only partner."

"You're crazy. But I knew that since the start." She kisses his nose. "I can't believe Lester sent you spiralling like this—We've been dating for more than a year, Cracker."

"Technically, it's been nine months. I went missing for six."

"You were my boyfriend, weren't you?"

"Was I?"

"Duh."

That's a good enough response for Leo, so he kisses her.

Next Chapter –>

Taglist.

@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen @orbitingpolaris @obxstiles @ellipsisspelled @thepixiechicksh @ebony-reine-vibes

[tgrailwar-zero]

Well, i can think of one person who might have a weapon like that or a clue to a weapon like that, but Gil seems content to sit out for now. We're working on trying to wow him, but it's one of those situations that feels like the right answer is to not push.

If you two are concerned about the Titan, then maybe you'd like to go back to the Inn with us to chat with the rest of the party? We've gathered some interesting, but confusing, info we need to share and parse that might be useful to everyone involved.

More immediate though, Lair Servant Sigurd saw the beam of light from the unsealing and very much thinks we're involved. Correctly, I might add. That's how you can tell we're good friends. Bro knows what type of trouble we get up to. Suzuka-Senpai, how much of this would you like us to keep vague or secret? We'll need to tell him something, no lying to our friends, but i don't want to get you in trouble either.

APOLLO: "Well, I've leave you to figure that stuff out. Right now, leaving is a solid call."

At that moment, you saw the woman that SUZUKA had asked to bring you your new tablet, HINATA, come up the steps.

SUZUKA GOZEN: "There you are! Thanks again for grabbing that tablet for me, by the way. Figured you'd be on the way once you saw the light. You always are on top of things around here, girl."

HINATA: "I see… so that light… you really are leaving, aren't you? The shrine will certainly feel your absence."

SUZUKA GOZEN: "Yep! I'm outie. You're the 2nd-in-Command now. Just make sure Tama… Priestess Aria doesn't walk off a cliff or something while I'm gone. Figuring I'm not there, she'll have to be more careful with how she assigns people responsibility. If she starts slacking off and overworking you, just hit the bricks. You've got my number. I have my issues with your goddess, but that doesn't mean I've got beef with you."

HINATA: "And... should we expect you to come back?"

SUZUKA GOZEN: "Nope!"

APOLLO: "I guess I'll put some of my divine duties to making sure there's a smooth transition. After that, I'm gone too, since I've got no intention of being wrapped up in babysitting Aria. Besides, I can't leave these lovely ladies without even saying goodbye first."

HINATA: "We're always grateful for your assistance, O' Shining Lord Apollo. And... be well, Lady Suzuka."

SUZUKA GOZEN nodded, before swiftly heading down the steps. Further and further from the palace, the shrine, and anywhere else.

There was a moment of hesitation just as she reached the threshold. She held out a hand, waiting for the curse to kick in… and thankfully, nothing happened.

SUZUKA GOZEN: "…Right. Let's go!"

You began walking through the forest path before hearing a voice.

???: "My, my. You really are a troublesome group, aren't you?"

SALIERI: "Ah, is Aria awake?"

You followed the sound of the voice, looking down the forest path. A figure approached, the swishing of robes and the jingling of jewelry accenting her every step. She stopped in front of you, her eyes staring directly into yours, unwavering.

PRIESTESS: "Wrong one, I'm afraid. I know it can be a bit confusing."

SALIERI: "Caster…"

NERO: "..."

SUZUKA GOZEN: "Tamamo! I'm like, soooo flattered that you got off your ass to see me off in person~♡"

PRIESTESS: "Well, when the cursed seal I had a genuine god watch over was suddenly broken, I just had to see what happened with my own eyes~☆"

TAMAMO-NO-HIME: "Still, I suppose this is the first time I'm meeting our troublesome Interlopers while they possess a body. And thus, I shall not forget my manners, being able to address you eye-to-eye like this. I am the Head Priestess of the Heavenly Shrine, Tamamo-no-Hime. The one that our Original Self has entrusted the majority of her divine power to. And as Head Priestess, I cannot allow the will of the Heavenly Divinity to be defiled without delivering proper recourse. So the question is…"

She didn't drop eye contact, but you could feel it intensify. Heat radiated off her body, a leaf falling from one of the branches and--

Fwssh.

--Instantly bursting into flame the second it got within an inch of one of her tails.

TAMAMO-NO-HIME: "What shall I do with you?"

[brain-of-rain]

Having both adhd and autism (or whatever the latter is called today) tend to have my head swarming with ideas and thoughts like angry bees or wasps. Specially when I have a hyperfixtation going on. And fair point. I got 3 of my own to deal with and thats enough for me. Though now I kinda want to make my own little crossover au with the KN8 and Godaigo. Got to think about it real hard about it.

I think the explantion you just gave us is good enough for now, specially since it sounds like your still figuring some stuff out. A 5 to 15% power increase from his own combat suit, along with being slightly stronger then the captains sounds about right for now. Take your time to work out the rest like with what you did with Daigo's hight, wight and the calories he needs to eat every day.

Btw, thats probably one of the best way I've seen someone do when it comes how tall the man is, much less how much he wights or how much he needs to function. I don't think the manga fully explained these parts in detail, though I kinda need to re-read it to make sure. Also loves how you drew it up, makes it way easier to follow it all.

Yeah it would be a bit unfair for Daigo being equal or more powerful then Kafka, but I think you have a bit of breathing room on that given the huge upgrade Kafka gets in the last act au. Maybe not much but it should allow you to get away with certain aspects on how strong the big guy is. But thats my opinion. And you have good points in the differences between the mangas when it comes to power as well, so I can see it be a quite the issue for some time yet. Still stand though that 9 and the Meireki kaijus are things that Daigo can't fight on his own though.

Though as long as Daigo don't do any of that little stunt with the Mirage kaijus and their self-destruct ability, I'm fine with what you have or planned. Thats like one of the few things I hated about the manga really. Seeing Daigo doing take all that damage and being the only one able to do so kinda hurt.

But I'll have to talk to you later Brain. I got to get to work soon, and I'll be busy for while after. And I got a promised update to give to Sonic in a few days as well. I hope to talk to you soon.

Sorry for the super late response! The last couple of weeks have been filled with preparations for my sister's backyard wedding and brother's graduation. Most of the worldbuilding I've done is really loose and subject to change, a lot of speculation and theorization about the broad strokes of the crossover. I'm excited to keep developing the specifics! I'm not much of a writer, but I want to practice and hopefully become comfortable writing for fun, to make it a hobby like art is for me. This summer, when I have more free time, I'd love to try writing one-shots set in this universe, just to explore random relationships and scenarios without the stress of parsing out a full-length storyline. I need to work on the basics, like grammar and flow, before jumping into something big like I tried to do earlier lmao. I totally agree with you on Godaigo not handling the Meireki kaiju or kaiju no 9 on his own. He's definitely way too self-sacrificing in the finale of his own manga. Thankfully, in this crossover, he has a lot of companions who won't let him fight alone.

Thank you for the ask!

[constellationcrowned]

Everyone needs to read this post please and thank you!!

Rather than make a poll about this ongoing issue that's impossible to parse bc I can't see who picked what specifically I'll do this another way: Help me help you by telling me why you don't actively interact. I post and reblog plenty of content all day every day that can be sent in, utilized, etc and it's crickets from ya'll all of the time and that's frustrating af and we need to work things out.

It'd be a different situation if I never offered stuff like calls or what have you; that'd be my bad and I'd need to work on being more proactive, but I'm already doing that and it goes nowhere. I'm constantly offering to help you guys---like right now, because I know the majority of you have read a post similar to this from me and you're gonna do it again---and I mean it every single time no matter how many times I offer it but on the flip side of things you guys need to actually take me up on what I'm offering.

I'm not offering to help merely for fun, you know? I'm offering to help because I understand that this shit can be difficult, it can be hard to talk to people, hard to interact with super niche fandoms and characters, and so on, and there's nothing wrong with having trouble but after a certain point if you continuously refuse to step out of your bubble or accept someone trying to help you the fear argument kinda loses validity, at least in regards to rp related stuff. I'm extending a hand and you need to fucking grab on because chances are the thing that's stopping you---be it you need help with the characters or the lore, you need me to type the first interaction, we need to have an ooc chat about what interests us, whatever it is---can be resolved but we need to fuckin communicate. I'm already meeting all of you halfway; honestly I've been meeting you guys more than halfway for awhile now, and now you need to step up and get in here.

Now does this mean that I'm going to stop offering to help, providing opportunities to interact through calls, memes, etc? Absolutely not. That would defeat the whole purpose and, again, I love offering such things and will continue to do so because it's not only part of what I need to do as a good rp partner I also enjoy doing so, plain and simple. All that I'm asking is that my mutuals (and yes, this applies to everyone, because even those who've followed me for months or years across multiple blogs fail to engage, it's not just newer folks) be more proactive in general. If I'm offering to help you or posting a call or whatever else? Engage. Ask questions. Send a meme. Tell me you want to interact even if you don't know how and we'll figure it out together. I'm tired of constantly chasing people or pulling proverbial teeth, especially when it's completely unnecessary. Communicate and engage with enthusiasm; both on your own and when I offer, and we'll be writing together in no time. Stop getting in your own way. Stop depriving yourselves. Let's have fun and actually fuckin write together.

[blackjack-15]

no you know what let's keep going

TINA MY BELOVED

EBRA MY BELOVED

every second counts, huh? alright what's gonna waste our time this ep

RICHIE FATHERHOOD MOMENTS LET'S GO

and look at that! he respects the other parent, he talks her up to his daughter...and of course the ex-wife is talking about child support to/around the child. fabulous.

richie, despite his faults as a person, is a really good dad. let's have more of that? please?

"i just needed a break [from taylor swift]" and oh, do we all. tumblr blacklist can only do so much

syd calling? he spending too much time cleaning?

NOPE

"did you really give me a fake number?" oh. what a delight.

oh this little passive aggressive "should my feelings be hurt" thing? yeah what was she, the mean girl in school who just thought of herself as "friends with everyone"?

"mm. no no no. that must have been a mistake" he leads with the truth (the affirmative mm), then corrects to a lie -- a lie in the passive voice, no less. if he was any more removed from her there'd be a court order involved

wow, pulling the "i know where you sleep so you can't run from me" card. Romance. sparkle sparkle.

this conversation is like my local high school. no chemistry.

"just walk me through giving me a fake number" so she's got issues with being told "no". definite high school mean girl

"it wa a mistake. i'm sorry. *beat* i'm sorry" "thank you. i really appreciate that" we've reached the point in the evening where i tell claire to go to hell. earlier than expected!

"is it okay that i have your number or did you really not want me to have it?"

sigh.

see, this is a question best answered by the fact that HE GAVE YOU THE WRONG EFFING NUMBER. millions of drunk dudebros at bars have managed to parse that information and figure out what it means. it's either escaping her -- unlikely -- or she absolutely doesn't care, and is asking now, after she's beat acceptance into him, to be like "see i asked i'm a good person"

also his pause before he agrees apologetically? mm.

"okay say that one more time" a second go to hell! she could enter the hall of fame if she keeps this up.

"are you busy today?" *various carmy noises of hesitation, unsure how to say 'yes' now that she's very neatly placed him a position of apologizing for the guilt of disappointing her* "okay can you like not make this weird?"

i want y'all to know i had to actually step away and breathe. further post to come i need to scream about this, and not in the fun way

[mermaidsirennikita]

Ok now that you put it like that I see what you mean better, and I really like the blackmail angle that has some potential. I feel like it would need some work shopping but you could still stick to the spirit of the thing without again bringing in the threat of rape. To me the biggest sicking point would be the Westcliff scene which could be turned consensual fairly easily imo. But I am with you I don't really wanna see this get an adaptation? I'm afraid they would fuck it up for the reasons you mentioned re cast and production values. But to bring it to my original point I've read far worse, now that I really think about it there's maybe a handful of Romance novels I have read that don't have rape, dubious consent, assault, etc. Then again I haven't really read any historical romance published beyond the early 2000s, which is not a generational thing I'm younger than you lol. So in the grand scheme of things yes I do think Wallflowers is fairly inoffensive. Like I would love to see someone try to adapt a Jude Deveraux novel from the 80s in this day and age.

Yeah, I totally get why your POV would be skewed by the books before the 2000s lol. By their standards, the Sebastian thing is skewed. I do think it's interesting to see though, what is called out as rape and what isn't. I'm going to read some Lindseys next year, but I remember Fires of Winter saying, from the heroine's POV, that the hero raped her. And it wasn't the only one? But I don't think I've read any where the hero threatened or did rape a woman who wasn't the heroine, from that woman's POV especially. I really think that's part of why the SVS sticks out more--Evie can't excuse it or reconcile with it, because it didn't happen to Evie? Even though in the grand scheme, he didn't rape Lillian obviously (not to dismiss it, but I do side on the "he wouldn't have done it" argument; not because I think he's a great guy, but because I think he probs wouldn't have been able to perform if she was resistant and he would've ended up like "well, I'm in a tight spot" because a criminal mastermind he is not).

Lol Jude... I love Jude. I think it would be so hard for anyone to adapt Jude, or at least Jude's BEST works, today. And that's a whole other thing, because I think that in romance, there's often this idea that "best" means "least problematic" and... I don't know, man. To go back to Kleypas, I won't argue that her 90s books had more consent issues and hard alpha heroes (I love... Then Came You.... a book where the hero calls the heroine a whore and a bitch lol) but those books to me read as better-written and frankly more interesting on a dramatic level. That's a lot of authors. It's not that you can't write more progressively and interestingly, but imo a lot of historical authors especially right now are struggling to figure out how to parse that out.

The harder answer is "you keep the shit that's trickier to deal with and deal with it", but a lot of people revert to the easier answer which is "pretend that nothing is wrong and just cut anything difficult to write". Which... I don't know. I disagree with, no matter the subgenre.

Which brings me back 'round to: lol that's why I just can't handle a Wallflowers adaptation. I just can't take "cut the hard stuff" as a solution.

[neverhangd]

Belated Sinday? Questions for Anne:

1) Is Anne kinky? How is she kinky, if so. 2) What makes sex an enjoyable experience for Anne? 3) What's the best sex she's ever had in her life? If all of it has been shit - then what's her fantasy? 4) What's her energy in bed? (Top/bottom/switch/domme/sub/etc.) 5) Does she have a preference in partners?

BONUS I am tossing Marin and Westley's name in for the surprise. They're glaring at me. Too bad for them.

Only if you feel like it though.

orion gets me ♡ || the crowley show!

Let me preface this by saying that I am still very much exploring Anne, so all of this should be considered at least somewhat mutable unless otherwise stated.

Well I can't imagine her vanilla, if that's what you mean. There's a sad combination of a dearth of experience and really shitty partners within that dearth that make the extent of kinds weirdly hard for me to parse through, but I've figured out a handful already. Anne is a sub, though she also service tops as needed (? - unclear). She really isn't into anything too painful--rough past experience, consider that mostly immutable--but I think she could try most things for most partners. Including injuring them to some slight degree, if that's what they're into and they ease her into, IZZY. Group sex is considered kinky and Anne's polyamorous and sometimes uses sex as an expression of social bonding. I can't say if the entire lifestyle is for her, but a lot of the trappings of BDSM--bondage, d/s themes, safe words > no, etc.--are very appealing to Anne. Fun bonus, as long as you don't almost die doing it, she's a great Battle Partner and will get frisky watching you kick ass. (...and other generally pirate things, we've learned, but I don't want the non-pirates simping for Anne to feel left out. ;P)

-laughs in backstory- Uhm. Sorry about that. So "enjoyable experience" has to here be taken as "why does she continue to have sex even with the trauma and the drama surrounded by it," the answer to which might actually surprise you. On the one hand, sex is a social bond, a moment in time in which Anne is able to give a piece of herself she'd otherwise keep locked away. Besides, it's an easy, she'd say "mostly painless" way to connect with somebody else and give them something they're lacking, at least in that moment. She's gone such a long time feeling that she has to justify her worth and using sex as an easy means to do that to anyone who "cares" for her. It's only recently Anne's begun to tell the difference between lip service and meaning that, though, and she's incredibly wary of anyone she can't immediately peg as lying to her--because she's come to assume most people are. And on the other hand, Anne wants to like sex. For all her usual reasons: it isn't ladylike, it's vulgar and crass and obscene, the people in her life have always enjoyed it and have always seemed to have an easy time with it, etc., and she has gotten herself off, thank you very much, so she knows its possible to orgasm and can take care of the issue solo.

She's finally getting some that doesn't suck now, does that count? Listen. The only reason the dash on the whole has been spared Anne's tragic fuckery is because I'm still splitting my time on other projects. To say it's been shit is the understatement of the year. The problem is...the worst of it happened during a developmental period for Anne. So on top of having really fucked up social/romantic relationships and a shit-ton of sexual problems to boot, her idea of a sexual fantasy just ends up being really sad and painful because she just wants something nice. Someone to say they love her and mean it. Someone to come back again and do it for her, not because she's convenient or willing or some shit. Before James and even early with him there were silly things almost like fantasies she wanted--the zing of a kiss before or after battle, while adrenaline is high; sex where they might get caught, laughing and shushing each other; a whole, wakeful night to themselves with only the stars to report back what happened; a cliche she'd now deny with her dying breath, but just being together with their feet in the wake and seemingly no one else on earth--but between him and Jack, Anne hasn't really let herself explore what there is to be wanted out of life. Because that means admitting that the freedom she found isn't freedom at all.

She would tell you she's a switch if she'd tell you she's anything, and she'd be lying to your face to protect her own ego. Mostly. Anne is a sub but there have been moments when it's occurred to me that in a...if not healthier than at least less-abusive?...relationship than she's ever been in before might open her up more to explorations. Like sorry to swerve hard to kink out of nowhere, right?, but there was an instance of knife-play between two people Anne has an interest in (...it's complicated), and despite almost having an identity crisis after realizing she really isn't a dom/top, she very quickly realized that with some patient teaching/adjustment time from/with a partner, she would absolutely do that. Especially, I think, in a situation with multiple partners, she could figure out how to dom/top in a switchy, fluid way. I honestly think the ideal for her would be a thruple with one person who is Normally Dom/Top and one who is Normally Sub/Bottom and her floating vaguely between bottom bitch and middle bitch. XD

I can't tell if she leans towards masculine slash androgynous people or if that's just been the majority of her experience, so like. There's that issue. I can say shit like this bitch weak for a commanding presence, yeet!, but that doesn't really narrow down her type since, like I keep saying, she's a sub and a service-happy one at that. Can I trade this question out for another? I'm gonna trade this question out for another.

Although I don't think sexlessness would suit her, especially after she starts moving away from dickbag partners, I do think Anne could have a contented and loving relationship with a primary partner even without sex. So that's nice. ♡

[ecrivainsolitaire]

Alright, let's play by your rules.

How much would you rate this project made with handmade CGI and what deadline do you estimate it could be finalised?

Alternatively, how long do you think it would take me to learn the skills to make it on my own?

Do you believe this piece of art should not exist if demonflyingfox can't afford the time or resources to produce it traditionally?

Also, I want to hear from the people who say there is no creativity in AI art. There is no AI that generates full projects like this. Even if the song and video were entirely AI generated, a human still had to come up with the idea, gather the AIs needed to create the visual and audio elements, write a script for the AI because storyboarding isn't well supported by any big AIs, plan out each shot and parse it in a way that the bot understands, check for consistency issues, figure out the language to explain to the other bot what to do for the song, edit it all together so that the visuals match the lyrics and rhythm, and then just hope it does well; all this while believing in the idea long enough to put all that work into it. Explain how something like that can be done without creativity.

If you're using gen AI because "you want to make art but don't know how/can't learn/it's easier/whatever"

You don't want to make art.

You want someone to make art for you, but you don't want to pay or exchange anything of equal value for it, and also you want it right now, in whatever style you fancy that moment, and in whatever quantity you want. You're greedy and entitled and it is just that simple. You don't want to make anything.

[castlebyersafterdark]

do you think it's fair/wise to dismiss the things actors say outside the show about the show regarding byler endgame? because honestly, more than 50% of my belief in byler is based on the way finn and noah behave when talking about it/thinking about it. but understandably plenty of fans of the show and ofc GA would not have even seen these things. i only ended up following their socials and watching interviews etc because noah's gushiness was addictive - he practically confirmed via facial expressions alone. but so many fans not only totally disregard the things actors say outside the show, but also can't seem to read these facial expressions and things. so they can't parse between when an actor is clearly covering their ass legally at a con appearance, and accidentally letting something slip while drunk in their dormroom on instagram live. noah is the type to let his face tell all, but the anti's go-to is: well he's clearly queerbaiting fans to get attention on his socials and its going to backfire when melvin are canon s5. literally who would be that dumb, esp as a gay man himself? noah, self-owning?! are they fucking joking?!

so i wonder if they truly can't see what he's doing, or if they just deny it because it's easier and more fair to only use evidence from the narrative itself to defend your viewpoint, even though a facial expression speaks a thousand words. honestly one look at noah's giddy face tells you almost everything you need to know - that something romantic and exciting and unexpected is going to happen with this sexuality storyline. plus it's helpful knowing he's a sore loser, and therefore if will got a storyline he didn't like, he'd probably seem a bit cold and distantly professional instead of literally star struck with excitement. idk it just seems foolish to disregard the actor's behaviour if you really want to figure things out.

Honestly, like everything else - nuance.

We're in an era where a big issue for most, no matter subject, no matter situation.... there's a lot of black and white thinking. This or that. Yes or no. When in reality - hey man, I think it depends 🤭

There's absolutely some vital insight I think we can glean from actions outside the show. For multiple viewpoints and wants, when something can be construed for the opposite of your personal agenda, then we disregard the actors and say jusy watch the show, but when it's supportive oh yes see we should listen to them. When in reality - yeah, exactly. There's nuance. You got it.

These people have media training, things they can and cannot say, ways they've been instructed to answer or steer a topic, combined with being very human.

David Harbour, who is a seasoned professional, who performs a specific personality - are we to take him one hundred percent literally? No way. You gotta doublethink and cut through his bullshit and understand he lies and trolls for fun and has this sarcastic interview personality sometimes, with moments of pure honesty mixed in. But the average person who might catch an interview randomly - how are they gonna know that if they're not super fans? And some people just have the issue of taking everything said in general at face value. Detecting sarcasm and recognizing lies isn't an automatic universal skill and that's the truth, and it's not an insult. We are all human, too.

You have someone like Finn, who I feel adheres to his media training well enough, but who also has preferences and anxieties about how he answers interview questions and deflects and disperses info. He's tricky. Just his style to want to discuss his projects a certain way, and I think sometimes we gotta be as aloof as he is about what he's saying about Stranger Things, while also recognizing he's viewing things discussed a certain way. I don't think he's one to spin an agenda into his discussion while the hardcore fans on any side do spin agendas while very often there isn't one. But his words have a lot of straightforward truth. I think Finn these days tries to stay neutral on things until he has opportunity to not. And I think some super fans WANT him and his demeanor to be regarded the same way Noah acts with fans and they have way different personalities anyway.

MBB. Must consider her as the face of the franchise. She represents the everyman average fan. She's designed for wide appeal, deeply media trained, the go-to soundbite. While also not being afraid of deadass giving a personal opinion or viewpoint mixed in just as serious as promotion. I think she's rather good at confidently spinning a narrative while also being somewhat emotionally inaccessible - and that's not a criticism. It's an impressive skillset when you're in the public eye and expectation is placed deeply on your words. Love her or hate her - she's industry savvy and paves her way, to both the charm and disdain of the show's audience.

Noah. Noah Noah. If you're paying deep attention, he often wears his heart on his sleeve. And he's in tune with fans and fandom. With him, that's vital information when considering what he talks about. Everything said above in the ask - accurate. I honestly do think Noah is the best example here of a person with nuance. Situational. He speaks openly, has a lot of opinion, has agenda, must adhere to official guidelines, etc. You see patterns with him. And he's accessible to fans in ways most others aren't. I consider him someone to look to for hints because he does give it away via his inability to leave emotion out. Where does him representing the show end as someone whose job it is to portray a character and just a guy hanging out on social media casually taking to fans outside of a convention setting, where's the line? Where do we hold him accountable for every opinion? I do however feel like it's fair that we do that. He said it. He gave opinion and bias and it never ends, really. How could it? So. Reflection on the weight and benefit/consequence of some of his words were gonna have to wait for the show being out - because if it goes one way, I think many of us will have big questions for him...

[teanderthalrex]

The Martian Contingency by Mary Robinette Kowal.

The Martian Contingency follows the continuing story of Elma York, as she goes from world-famous Lady Astronaut to Martian.

This book is like a slice of life in space. While I found the traditions of the 1950s (yes it takes place in the 1970s but overall that's the vibe here) slowed the pace of the story more than I would have liked, there are some deeply heartfelt and well-written suspensive moments here that fans of the series will love.

The mystery that Elma encounters as she starts her journey towards calling Mars home is one that tragically illustrates the desire of the entire contingency to not make Mars just a second Earth, but a better home for all humanity than the one they left.

Overall, I want to stay positive about this book because it has a lot of positive things to say about colonization and racism. Not calling the Martians colonists or their base a colony was great. That being said, the writing really did drag at times. It's like The Martian in some ways and like I Love Lucy in others. Call it Slice of Life on Mars.

2.5/5 stars.

Content Warnings for racism, transphobia, and abortion.

Okay, the most spoilery way I could describe this book is that I think someone who loves those World War II spy stories about women in the war would eat this up. Maybe that's the target demographic. Maybe I should let my mom read this to make the case that Science Fiction is, in fact, the best genre out there. I don't know.

I haven't really figured out my thoughts on the weird messaging here about gender and racism. It was all over the place from women having to figure out how to pleasure their husbands when condoms run out, to Elma rescuing a crew member via abortion after giving her bad sex advice. If these topics had been worked into the plot instead of one and done beats I would have had an easier time parsing through them but it was like the sexism was cilantro and Koval decided everything needed it. You could honestly remove the entire condom, sex advice, abortion plot and nothing changes that couldn't have been changed more effectively another way. The racism plotline was better. It actually had an impact on the characters, their decisions, and how they continued forward throughout the story and so I had an easier time with it, but I'm not really qualified to say if it was better or not. It just felt clunky but not unnecessary to the plot.

This was a weird one y'all. I love me some space scifi with gender commentary and rep that subtly addresses real world issues so I can't really tell you what didn't hit here. But it was a miss for me. If you had similar vibes, I'd love to know your thoughts because it might help me put my own together.

[eriisaam]

In a show of 'trying to calm down from being too anxious (proceeds to get even more anxious)' I'm just... realizing I'm not in a great place mentally and might be overthinking things... I'm so wound up over this, but it feels so dumb yet I'm too overwhelmed to sort through it...

So like I said. Commissions. I was planning on figuring out how to approach it. For a while, I was trying to work on an example sheet to better convey my options for it (give or take separate additional examples but I'm more concerned for this main sheet first and foremost).

Originally, my plan was to make a whole dedicated picture, featuring my artsona - specifically the humanoid form of the one you've seen on and off across either my socials/blogs or as a stealth cameo in certain art (the blue cat with the neckerchief whose the current blog icon for my art blog) - and they would serve as a fresh example of what art I can do from certain different points and steps to work up to based on payment plan, all while being uninvolved from earlier (dated or fandom-specific) examples otherwise so you know this was the latest skill point I can do right then and moving forward.

The problem? The artsona in cat-form was figured out. The artsona in human-form, on the otherhand, I never had the time or space to parse out or fully design properly. There's loose concepts I've been mulling over playing around with or incorporating in theme or design otherwise, but they were never fully fleshed out and realized in full yet, and initially, they weren't going to until I clear out a good chunk of backlog taken up by the summoners first (not just in a mental-block 'I need to finish this or it'll keep haunting me until I do and I can't get anything else focused on otherwise' way (though that's also sometimes a factor) but in an 'I was supposed to practice doing this with the summoners first and then go back to them among other OCs after' way.)

This wouldn't be as big a deal - just give it time, let the character cook more until they're figured out, then come back and figure them out after and draw them in a proper debut - except another shittier aspect of why the sudden interest in commissions despite saying in the same breath I have all the confidence in commissions as a tiny anxiously-vibrating dog, is because personal issues I'd rather not go deep into led to multiple financial-related jumpscares stressing me out and driving my blood pressure up the wall, so an 'I would like to actually find a way to make money continuing to work on something I feel decently good at' turned into more immediate pressure than I'm comfortable with, and I'm panicking of being rushed so much on things I already feel nervous of approach and handling in general, and now I'm even more keyed up about bulldozing through it when I'm not remotely in a good headspace to even try to force it. I already feel like I'm going to get even more bitter and resentful at myself of debuting an OC with an undercooked design due to time constraints that I'm going to inevitably hate and scrap again.

The immediate solution that came to mind so far is to fall back on an OC I'm already familiar with (I do still want a consistent, recent, new example to carry the examples across within the same pic for consistency, rather than the third option of just displaying whatever's in my gallery that fits a given criteria), since that OC is someone I already fully designed, can draw in fairly short order, and still carry the point across that was originally going to go to my artsona.

Second problem? The aforementioned OC is Kyo. AKA summoner Kyo, AKA, an OC infamously oversaturated in rep and overshilled to hell out of the six, and I'm worried I'm going to cause an even bigger annoyance of shilling him even moreso to have him take over my commission examples, despite him being the easiest and quickest to draw, and he would've technically appeared (in a different example on my commission examples) in the first place anyways.

I don't know why all the hangups. Insecurity? Definitely plays a part. Old kneejerk feelings from past experiences? For sure. But... Am I being too heavy-handed or obnoxious about the summoners if I do end up using Kyo for this? Even though he's also my OC anyways? Even though it's so I can get the ball rolling on something pretty critical, and he's plenty able to come in clutch when I don't feel good otherwise to force my artsona out half-cooked by comparison? I feel almost stupid even asking but I also feel so bogged down and rushed and overwhelmed in general, like stuff keeps happening on the constant, and time keeps flying by too fast to keep up...