#aesthetic • is it really that strange if i always wanna change?

[steviehcllis]

tag drop!

[danieyells]

. . .I could've sworn I did Ritsu's already. Apparently not. Yuri's one of my favorites and he's the one I chose in the beginning so I'm saving his for when I'm a little better rested(I have Monday off because of another doctor's appointment, so that's the lastest i'll post it)

RITSU IS SO. . .I LOVE HIM. I'll rag on him a lot because he's so tunnel visioned and just like. . .repressed. And he needs to touch grass(figuratively) but also. . .when you've been set from childhood to work and care only for your work and only know your work. . .it's understandable that he is the way he is. . . .

The way he changes as his affinity goes up is very repressed too. . .but you can still see the change at the end a little. He's a very stagnant character. . .but still interesting to look into the mannerisms of.

Hello: (the first time the game is opened after that character is set as home screen NPC. Only happens once per day, unless the character is switched out and back.)

"Any self-respecting inspector would stay comfortably ahead of schedule—I suggest you get into the habit. Let's go—there's no time to waste."

dude this is the 'you've logged in for the first time today' dialogue why are you assuming that i must be late! rude.

You've Got Mail: (whenever there's something in the inbox, usually Arena rewards)

"Did you check that notification yet? We could have a request from a client, so please do so right away."

Default: (requires no affinity, has no time constraints)

"I have been assigned to Sinostra, so I will not allow them to stand trial, no matter how villainous their actions. That is the Shinjo family policy."

"I shall ensure the Gala is held this year, and that Sinostra will wear the Laurel Crown. I have never made a promise I couldn't keep."

boy i can't wait for that to fall through--he, respectfully, needs the humbling.

"I've read the Compendium of Laws countless times since I was a child. Memorizing its contents is a rite of passage for the eldest son of the Shinjo family."

and somehow it ended up an artifact he can use as a weapon? I really wanna know what it does tbh.

"What business do you have with me? Please keep in mind that I charge 5500 yen per half hour for consultations, tax inclusive."

(roughly $35USD, although it's faster to just think of it as $55--) WE ARE BUSINESS PARTNERS. WHAT ARE YOU CHARGING A MFER FOR.

"As long as I have a notebook, my business cards, a binder, paper, and my voice recorder, I can handle the initial stages of any case."

i need my binder every day too ritsu.

Affinity 1: (between 5am and 11am)

"{PC}. Are you aware of the responsibility your position as inspector entails? I suggest you tidy your appearance and wipe that vacant look from your face."

they do not need to be aesthetically in order to be inspector. as long as they're paying attention it may even be better to look vacant. lure them into a false sense of security. also it's easier to pay attention if you're comfortable, in my experience. . . .

Affinity 2: (between 11am and 4pm)

"You've lost your notebook? Just a moment. ...At 9:04 AM, it was inside the photocopier. Yes, I do have that information recorded."

Affinity 3: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Have you seen Taiga Hoshibami? Strange... According to my behavioral model, he should be in the casino at this time..."

Affinity 4: (between 8pm and 5am)

"At the end of each day, I compile information about every person I encountered in my notebook. It always proves useful eventually."

yandere adjacent behavior, except it's for everyone and not just one person lolol

Affinity 5: (between 8pm and 5am)

"The vice-captain has asked me to organize some documents. Let's start by making copies of everything in case the originals become lost or damaged."

Romeo has a line that references this as well!

Affinity 6: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"I always have my business cards on hand. It should go without saying—any lawyer who fails to gain their client's trust during the first meeting is not worth their salt."

Affinity 7: (between 11am and 4pm)

"A post-meal coffee must be drunk black. Unnecessary additives only interfere with the natural flavor."

Affinity 8: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Until the age of three, I spent my days visiting the greatest sights the world has to offer with my mother, as from four my studies would prevent me from doing so."

is that child abuse? i think that's child abuse. you learn the source of ritsu's problems very early on in his affinity--he has had zero normal social interaction opportunities and no childhood. From birth until he stopped being a toddler he was just flying around the world looking at beautiful things, no stability in his location or world aside from the presence of his mother, and then he went home and probably basically got locked away to study law the moment he could sort of read. His whole existence was molding him to work. . .Subaru is similar, even down to what age they were forced to start preparing to work at. But Subaru is at least better adjusted, probably because acting awarded him better opportunities to try and think about how other people think.

Affinity 9: (between 8pm and 5am)

"According to my behavioral model, there is a 29% chance that Taiga Hoshibami is currently at the baccarat table."

Affinity 10: (between 10pm and midnight)

"I review the day's coursework for two hours then prepare for the next day's classes for three— no more, and no less. Six more minutes of silence, please."

WHERE DO THE RECORDINGS COME IN TO THIS. This mans somehow has 40 hour days. Maybe his artifact slows down time or something lol

Affinity 11: (between 5am and 11am)

"Good morning, {PC}. We have a meeting at 3 PM today, so please adjust your plans accordingly."

Affinity 12: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Darkwick Rulebook Article 183: "For the protection of anomalies, unnecessary running indoors is prohibited." This rule has been in place for over one hundred years."

wait how old is this school? how old is the Institute???

Affinity 13: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"All right. We need to organize our notes from today's investigation, so let's relocate to the diner. Our usual booth, of course."

Affinity 14: (between 5am and 11am)

"The content of our classes may be novel, but I topped the year in the scholastic ability test—they are nothing I can't handle."

so among the first years' scholastic ability tests, Ritsu was 1st, Leo was 2nd, Sho was 5th. Considering there are only four new first year ghouls then that must include the general students too. I wonder where Ren placed? Probably not very high. But still, Ritsu is a genius. . .or at least very very good at memorizing information. Lots of book smarts, minimal other smarts.

Affinity 15: (between 5am and 11am)

"As your business partner, I request that you improve your conduct. Please refrain from consenting to any further uncompensated labor."

Affinity 16: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Our Anomalous Law classes are truly fascinating. There is a long history well worth learning about— though of course, I have already mastered the basics."

Affinity 17: (between 10pm and midnight)

"I cannot afford to be complacent, even before bedtime. It's vital that I check the day's notes again to ensure nothing has been missed."

Affinity 18: (between 8pm and 5am)

"I set time aside in the evening to watch opera performances online. It allows me to get my thoughts in order, and provides a change of pace."

when??? what time??? because he has to review all of the audio recordings and notes from the whole day--what time does he have to do anything in???

Affinity 19: (between 10pm and midnight)

"I just finished checking my recordings from today. You sighed a total of four times— is something troubling you?"

i love the vibe of this. rather than silently nothing your sighing and potential exhaustion or scolding you for not caring for yourself, he expresses concern towards you. also, it's so soft yandere. like he already records everything you say and do, to confront you over it on top of that he shamelessly defends his recording and notetaking. . .if not for that he recorded everyone it would really be so yandere lolol. instead it's just his odd and overbearing way of showing he's beginning to care.

Affinity 20: (between 5am and 11am)

"You struggle to get up in the morning? I can contact you each day at a set time if you like, but I'll have to think about how much to charge..."

affinity 20 and my guy still wants to charge for his time. . .we're gonna have to teach him to have A Singular Normal Social Connection aren't we. and we're probably gonna fail.

Affinity 21: (between 11am and 4pm)

"You wish to have lunch with me? All right. We are business partners, so I will accompany you free of charge."

wait maybe i spoke too soon.

Affinity 22: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"This is for you, {PC}— it's the takeout coffee I often purchase. Your performance will decline if your mind isn't sharp."

his increased attachment is shown in the bare minimum of understanding normal human social interaction and caring for you by sharing his things and his time without charge. In trying to make you the best you(from his perspective) that you can be. Because that's what his parents did for him--so surely that's the best expression of love he has, aside from obsessive study and understanding.

Affinity 23: (between 8pm and 5am)

"I feel we made solid progress toward the reinstatement of the Gala today. Let's reconvene again tomorrow and continue working together to realize our goal."

Affinity 24: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Could I ask you to accompany me a little longer, {PC}? I realize it's outside of business hours, but...I would appreciate it if you could make a special exception."

He wants to spend time with you. And he's realizing he can just ask that. But he's so entrenched in legal and business mannerisms he doesn't know how to say "i want to be around you for longer". You're his business partner. It's bad form to request your attention outside of work, it has no value towards your goals and business efforts, but. . .that he's making a sort of formal appeal for your attention outside of work is as far as he can get in terms of expressing his affection right now.

Affinity 25(max): (no time constraints)

"It seems we make better business partners than I would have expected. I look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with you."

kind of comical that his max affinity line is still so formal after a more friendly 'please spend time with me late at night' 24th. . .but also, he wants you to be his business partner for longer. i think that counts towards something! It's a reason to stay with you! Maybe over the course of your business partnership he'll learn how to express deeper feelings. . .he's going to need an heir, after all--

Spring: (March-May) (between 5am and 11am)

"There has been a noticeable increase in reports of suspicious activity of late. More incidents means more business. Be prepared."

(between 11am and 4pm)

"You have a petal in your hair. A little more to the right. No, not there. Just let me remove it. Hold still."

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Indeed, the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Incidentally, Japan's oldest cherry blossom tree can be found in Yamanashi Prefecture and is estimated to be 2000 years old."

ritsu would probably kill at historical trivia night.

(between 8pm and 5am)

"I had tempura at the cafeteria today. It didn't come close to the tempura I would eat with my father at the historic soba restaurant we used to frequent though."

Summer: (June-August) (between 5am and 11am)

"This one is for my face, and this is for my body. I have six handkerchiefs with me— enough for morning, noon, and night. I cannot let my opponents see me sweat."

why's this giving me ace attorney prosecutor energy. . . . .

(between 11am and 4pm)

"I witnessed a half-naked man running around in this vicinity. Did you see him? He is risking a charge of indecent exposure."

but we saw Kaito in his underwear and you said that meant he wasn't at risk of indecent exposure. . . . . . . .

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"The warmer it gets, the more of a racket people make. Honestly, how were these people raised?"

to relax and have fun during the summer break. . .you should give it a try.

(between 8pm and 5am)

"You want to go and watch the fireworks? A rather childish request, but all right. So? Where would one go to view them?"

FIREWORKS DATE FIREWORKS DATE just don't touch him without getting his consent first that could be counted as sexual harassment and he'll Get Your Ass.

Autumn: (September-November) (between 5am and 11am)

"The weather is much more pleasant for going out on professional errands now. A first-rate lawyer keeps their boots on the ground. Now then, let's get going."

(between 11am and 4pm)

"I object to the cultural assumption that fall is the season of the arts. The arts should be enjoyed throughout the year, regardless of the season."

you and yuri would get along well i think. until you realize the guy is a medical malpractice suit waiting to happen. then you'd criticize him and he would take that so poorly.

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Once I've perused the relevant documents in the library, I plan on doing some reading. Please excuse me."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"The nights may grow longer in the fall, but daylight hours should not affect the time you rise and retire. I'll see you tomorrow."

Winter: (December-February) (between 5am and 11am)

"I have detected a change in how Taiga Hoshibami divides his time since the weather has taken a cold turn. It has created quite a quandary for me..."

yeah he doesn't like getting out of bed when it's cold. he also eats a lot more, like a bear about to hibernate. shockingly behavior patterns tend to change with the seasons.

(between 11am and 4pm)

"I've never experienced snowfall heavy enough to obstruct my movement, but I'd like to deepen my knowledge of the phenomenon for future reference."

to frostheim then! i'm sure that place is just awful for movement in winter.

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"I'm heading to the diner to fulfill a request from Ren Shiranami. Perhaps I shall enjoy a warm bowl of soup while I'm there."

. . .I wonder if this is an Obey Me!Raphael situation where he has no grasp of that the food is not good. . . .

(between 8pm and 5am)

"People say that hard work is the key to success, but it only took me a year to master German—as was the case with Italian and French."

His birthday: (January 13th)

"Indeed, today is my birthday. I've always celebrated this day by enjoying my mother's cooking, but from this year I am striving for a more self-reliant existence."

MAMA'S BOY MAMA'S BOY tbf up until he was 3 his mother was probably his only social connection and then he was locked away studying so. . .his mom is probably the only one he has like. . .personal feelings and attachment for. you'll be a tradwife too :) but also that he's trying to be more self-reliant at darkwick. . .that really does explain that he's like. not used to any sort of social interaction or doing things he hasn't been told to do by his parents. maybe in his time at darkwick he'll realize how good it feels to just. . .be a person. dedicate time to fun and relaxation. realize that work isn't everything. or maybe he'll be so judgemental towards the lifestyles of others he'll retreat even further into his current habits.

Your birthday:

"Happy birthday. A year older, a year wiser. I have high hopes for your performance in the coming year."

New Years: (January 1st)

"Happy New Year. Let's devote these next 365 days—or 8760 hours—to finding fitting solutions to the challenges that come our way."

what if it's a leap year. can we take the extra day off?

Valentine's Day: (February 14th)

"Thank you for the chocolates. Are you gifting them to me out of social obligation, or is this an expression of affection? Your answer will influence what you receive in return."

(for the uninitiated, that is very much a thing in Japan where on valentine's day a girl give some men in her life--like coworkers--obligation chocolates, which are generally not as nice and most likely store bought, although this practice is losing ground. friends get friendship chocolate and you give people you're actually attracted to or in a relationship more extravagant, expensive, or homemade chocolates to express your true feelings or a desire to be in a relationship with them. Ritsu is essentially asking 'is this because we're coworkers or are you asking me out' because White Day is the day for return gifts in response to given valentine's day gifts, and in the case of chocolates given to someone you wanna go out with they can act as a response to that proposal. presumably if you're asking him out he wants to give you chocolate to agree to get with you, since he's bothering to ask. . . .

White Day: (March 14th)

"White Day has its roots in Japan, having been invented by a certain historic confectionery shop. With that knowledge, please accept this."

'here's some trivia. and some chocolates. we are now in a relationship. should this be as fruitful as our business partnership, we can discuss marriage plans within the year.'

April Fool's Day: (April 1st)

"The spreading of false rumors is subject to strict punishment under Article 233 of the Penal Code. Do you still intend to continue this ruse?"

NO FUN ALLOWED.

Halloween: (October 31st)

"Coercing another party to choose between a "trick" or a "treat" could amount to intimidation. Engage in such festivities at your own risk."

NO FUN ALLOWED PART TWO: ILLEGAL BOOGALOO.

Christmas: (December 25th)

"Religious freedom is guaranteed by Article 20 of the Constitution. If this is a day that you wish to celebrate, then I will accept that."

he can't make you work on religious holidays you need off!!

Idle: (about 20 seconds without interacting with the game) (below 13 affinity)

"Five seconds have elapsed. Yes, that is how long you've kept me waiting."

(13 affinity and above)

"How long do you intend to keep me waiting? As always, I am on a tight schedule today. Please hurry up."

Absent: (logging in for the first time in 2 or more days?)

"I've been expecting you, {PC}. You weren't planning on breaking your promise to me, were you?"

SUCH A HARD-WORKING, SOCIALLY INEPT LAD. But Ritsu's a lot of fun, I give him a lot of shit and i desperately need him to touch some grass and get a reality check and learn about how others live and maybe experiment. . .but like i love him for being such a little shit. he's so. . .ignorant to the rest of the world and how other people are. . .i love seeing him try and dissect other people's behavior and intentions and coming to the conclusion that they must want the same things as him because he just. . .has no grasp of interests and intentions that aren't his own. . . . It makes me facepalm but also makes me laugh 8'D good boy. quality boy.

[preservationofnormalcy]

Looking for nutcrackers, you say? Boy do I have one for you.

This is Father Time and Baby New Year. The duo has been in my family literally since I was born; I can't get the photo of the actual one in my life, but I have one of the same model, just the year after. I've supplemented with art of the year I have.

Ten years ago, they started to.... Change. Their eyes would follow you, blink, the usual. Breeze blowing the hair when there really shouldn't be any breeze. They've never actually moved, but I swear that creepy baby winked at me once.

But the strangest thing? Father Time's hourglass sometimes becomes a real fucking hourglass. Which would be fine, if it wasn't running when it changes. And if, when the sand runs out (after a far longer time than it should last for), bad things didn't always happen.

The tree fell, breaking beloved vintage ornaments; the cookies and Christmas cakes burn (we only have him, or any other nutcracker, out at Christmas); car accidents or huge snowfalls happen to loved ones trying to visit. I can't even just leave him in storage, because something worse seems to happen!!!

It only occurs during winter, and seems to get a bit better if I brush Father Time's hair or face them toward a window. Or leave them some of the cookies I bake. .... They're always gone by morning.

It's strange, but I don't want to get rid of them. They've been here my whole life. If your poor patient needs them then I'll gladly send them over, but if this is enough, then what can I do to stop this???? Please help!!!

Photo from ForestAveAntiques on etsy, art by me! My art blog is megalunalexi, my main is megalunalexi-aesthetic 💜

Wow! This is a foreboding figure! And so insistent….this seems like something we’d wanna look into after all this is over! I’ll come say hi. Toys like being greeted by someone on their level.

For now I’d suggesting leaving walnuts around by the duo. Yes, they still do crack nuts, or most of them do, and noospheric memory doesn’t go away easily! Hopefully that will give him something to feed on.

If they ever end up asking for something else, like….you know, fruitcakes, or candies, or human bones, do not give them anything else! It’s unhealthy.

Especially the human bones. I really cannot stress that enough. Do not give an ectoplasmically active toy or figure human bones. They want them, trust me. By god do they want them. But they can’t be allowed to have them.

This art will help out tremendously! Thank you for your submission!

[theladyheroine]

Softer Werewolf Headcanons 🌙

❥ Hey everyone! So I know that I should be working on my Bad Batch one shots for the time being, I promise I am, but recently I’ve hit a bit of a stump? So I’m trying to get my creativity out with these little posts. I might make another small one about my crossover just to get some ideas too. But all these fall writing prompts are so cool & fun, I’ve been wanting to give it a try for awhile!

❥ Plus werewolves are one of my favorite creatures, I wanted to try writing about them! It’s also because super gorey or gothic vibes just aren’t entirely my thing, no offense do anyone that likes that genre, but I wanted to do something different! Thank you & I hope you enjoy! 🙏🙌✨

They don’t fight each other to see who’s in charge, it’s more like a sense of already knowing. Someone who already “commands” a presence or behaves more responsibly is gonna be the leader. But if there’s really a big opinion about it, they’ll just arm wrestle.

Make sure you write your name on leftovers!! Or they’ll be gone by morning, even the veggies aren’t safe…

The whole shifting during nighttime is more of an urban legend that human folk made up. However, it’s become more of a scary campfire stories werewolves use to get kids to go to bed on time. 😅 Kind of as a more spooky “If you keep making that face it’ll get stuck like that” vibe?

Werewolves can change form any time they want, but there are rare occasions they get “stuck.” This can last from 15 minutes up to a whole day.

Daily hangouts!! If a werewolf lives near a forest or near vegetation, morning hikes & walks are a must. But if a werewolf happens to live in a city or anything similar, a nice nap in the park or even breakfast on a balcony is just as good!

Dogs LOVE them!! Usually all animals do but it’s mainly dogs, even unruly or grumpy dogs will be on their best behavior! They make for good trainers if you just need a helping hand.

Regardless of appearance, werewolves are definitely stronger than the average human. While it’s not always obvious, even a scrawny guy or gal without any workout experience can lift a 30lb weight easy.

Okay these next couple points I was inspired by Cartoon Saloon animation studio, and their film Wolfwalkers. I love the interpretation Irish folklore has with werewolves!! It’s not this super eerie or gross transformation or anything, but it’s just beautiful and maybe a bit simple. The characters look completely normal in human form too! There’s nothing too odd or bizarre about them either, they’re just normal people with incredible powers! Plus the aesthetic is so beautiful and woodsy and vibrant, this is what I wanna see in werewolf movies. 🙌✨

In all honesty, when I think of werewolf vibes or even just wolves in general, I think of like an earthy colored version of fairycore. 😅 Which is also my favorite, but anyways, Wolfwalkers is literally the perfect werewolf movie I honestly can’t believe how good it is! Plus wolves are my favorite animal anyways lol so this made me happy to see.

Anywho! This next idea was inspired by the studio’s Song of the Sea and selkie mythology. I’ve always thought the idea of a magical animal cloak in mythology is sooooooo amazing! I know tales about swan maidens and other animals are a thing, but a magic fur coat is most popular with selkies. But it would be cool to have this for werewolves too! Like imagine a fluffy fur coat and when you put it on you’re a wolf!

I do like this idea better than some transformations I’ve seen. 😅 Plus, I’ve always found it strange that werewolves are sometimes “super hairy” or they’re a bit aggressive personality wise? Idk, that just doesn’t sound very nice to me. 😅

[kengan-daddies]

My Byzantine Romance: Ohma Tokita x (F) Reader

Chapter 1, Chapter2

MY BYZANTINE ROMANCE : OHMA TOKITA X (F) READER

Anime : Kengan Ashura

Pairing: Ohma Tokita x (F) Reader

Warnings: Mention of death, horror, Violence, Mental Heath, Toxic Parents

You were an average woman, living in the big world, the city was busy and as loud as usual. The peoples where hustling and bustling, going to and fro. It was cloudy, but it wasn't raining. A relaxing breeze in the air, the leaves slowly changing colors, matching the cooling weather. Men and women of all ages, all going to different places.

You walked along the crowd, your mind wondering yet focused as you just walked, a destination in mind yet also not. You were an average woman, nothing special stood out about you, you weren't pretty, you weren't ugly, your weren't smart, you weren't dumb, you weren't tall, you weren't short, you weren't strong, you weren't weak. You were just average.

Average everything, you lived with your family, never having enough money to own your own place, you just made enough to take care of your needs, your hobbies and to help your family with groceries and household products. You sighed as you stopped suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk, your mind processing before you shook your head and you continued on walking. 'Nope, got everything this time.'

You thought as you walked through the crowd, you passed by all kinds of people everyday, but nobody every really stood out that much, every now and then you'll see someone wearing your favorite anime as a shirt or hat, a favorite band or even have a similar aesthetic to yours. For a split second you'd think of walking over an talking to them about it, but then you'd loose your nerves. 'What fi they think I'm weird? What if they don't actually know the anime or band? What if they don't feel like talking? What if they're a bad person? A kidnapper? A murder? A rapist?... Never mind, I should keep to myself.'

You'd think, you wanted to make friends, but with how messed up the world was, you'd always second guess it. You were a scary cat, you'd rather stay inside then actually go out an adventure alone. You'd dream of going out, going to places at night, or to stores you never been in. You'd think of moving out, getting away from your toxic parents, you'd think of dating... but non of it would ever happen. You were too scared, too cautious, too aware of your reality.

'I need to get home, I'm ready to start on this new fanfiction, it looks good and I wanna read it. Not to mention I even found an amazing writer on Tumblr who has a pretty large masterlist. They write about my favorite character, he doesn't get enough love.' You thought, as you can see yourself now, laying in your bed, the room dark, the TV on low playing your favorite show/song in the back. You sighed blissfully.

"Woah!!" You said, as you came back into reality right before you ran into a person. You stared at them for a while. 'Man, this guy is huge.' You thought as you looked up at him. His skin was tan, and his hair was shaggy and wild, he wore a red and black jacket with blue jeans. "Sorry!!" You said with an awkward laugh and a little wave. He stared down at you, a strange fire in his fierce eyes before he seemed to relax. "It's fine." He said in a low voice. 'Wow, he's sexy with a sexy voice too?' You thought as you stepped around him with a small nod as you continued on your way. 'Man that guy was hot... Wonder what he would be like if he was my boyfriend....no,no,no... he probably already have a girlfriend, and knowing my luck he wouldn't even spare me a second glance.'

You thought in self pity as you walked on, slowly forgetting about your encounter with the man as you made your way on to your destination.

You sighed in happiness as you crawled into your bed, tossing your phone onto your pillow as you plopped down next to it, your aching legs tensing before relaxing. "HEHEHEHEHEEH!!!! I've been on my feet ALL DAY LONG!!!!" You giggled in glee as you pulled the blankets on you, snuggling into your cocoon. Your hand slipped up from the blanket to grab your phone, you turned it on, punched in the password, the screen lightening up to revealed your newly obtained fanfiction. "And it's 20 chapters long too? LETS GOOOO BABY!!!" You thought in glee as your began reading. 'Not to forget that it's a smut too? I must've hit the jackpot.' Was your last thought, before you got lost into your story.

5 hours later, you awoke up to your room was covered in a slightly orange hue, the TV was still on but nothing was playing, the sun was beginning to set. You sighed as you stretched before you went limp on the bed. Your sleepy mind slowly going back to sleep, but the sound of a large banging noise shook you awake. You laid there, still... BANG! BANG! BANG! You heard. Your lungs became tight and your body ran cold from slight fear. You seen the light come on from under your door, the sound of your family waking up and coming to the front to investigate.

You laid there, listening for a while to your parents and siblings complain about the crazy noise. "WHO THE HELL IS BEATING ON MY FUCKING DOOR LIKE THAT!?" Your mom shouted in anger and irritation. You could hear everyone speaking about it before the banging started again. BANG! BANG! BANG! "THIS BETTER BE THE FUCKING POLICE!! OR ELES I'M CALLING THE DAMN POLICE!!" Your father shouted as the sound of the front door unlocking and opening sounded out. You listened intensely, but everything went quite, the the sound of screaming and gun shots sounded throughout the house. You sat up quickly, your chest raising quickly as your breathing became labored, fear coursed through your cold body.

'Holy shit.....what the fuck..... why......I gotta go.' You mind thought, as you quickly reached for your phone, you tuned it on, checking your percentage. '55%... shit.' you thought. You looked at your door, seeing that it was locked. The sound of glass crashing to the ground made you jump, heavy furniture moving, small furniture being thrown carelessly. Every new noise made you jump as you shakily got up from your bed. You put on your sweat pants, before you shakily pulled on your hoodie, stuffing your phone and charger into your pockets. You walked over to the window, sliding the curtains to the side.

You looked out, checking your surroundings before you unlocked the window and you slowly slid it open. 'Never thought this shit would actually happen.' You thought, as you stepped on your bed, your body was so cold, but your mind was on auto pilot. You jumped up on the window seal, pushing your body up until you sat on the window seal. The sound of the robbers roaming about your home grew louder as they drew nearer to your room. You looked back at your room, one last time before you jumped out. You hissed in slight pain as you landed on the uneven dirt, but you forced yourself to move quickly. You reached back up to your window, sliding it back closed to the best of your ability, but you gave up half way when the sound of your doorknob began jiggling.

"Fuck it." You said as you made a mad dash for it. Your bare feet slapping on the ground as you ran down the street, you breath labored and your legs burned your lungs ached but you refused to stop until you made it to the park. 'If I make it to the park, I can blend in, and match the people.' You thought. Honestly, you probably could've just acted like a young woman walking past the house, but your adrenaline was pumping, your fear was guiding you.

You huffed and puffed, as you staggered over to the park bench, you plopped down on it, as you focused on your breathing. "Holy shit." You breathed out, you sat there a while longer before you began to chuckle to yourself, your laughter growing in volume as the people around you stared at you like you were crazy, but you didn't care. "I survived... I survived... I actually made it out... the one person in the family, who never been in any form of real life situation as extreme as that. The sheltered child of the family, the one who was 'lazy' and 'cuddled'.... actually survived.....all by myself... I'm actually alone now... no more annoying siblings... no more toxic parents... no more anything....everyone is dead... they're all gone... I'm the only one left... I'm the only one.... left." You said, your chuckling died down, as you were left sitting there, numb.

No emotions could explain how you felt, no words could describe how lost you felt, nothing mattered anymore, as you sat there, lost in the daze, as shock over came you. The people in the park, non the wiser of what you just experienced, of what you just went through. You felt small, you felt alone, as you sat there in the park, on the bench. You sat there for a long time, the crowd of people slowly getting smaller and smaller, as the area grew quiet, dark and empty... just like your home... You sat there for hours, you should've called the cops, you should've asked for help, but the adrenaline wore off, and the crushing weight of reality kicked in... making your mind go blank and empty.

Someone walked past you, their walking was confident, and strong, no worries, no insecurities, you looked up, your dull eyes seeing the familiar black and red jacket, the Tan skin and the shaggy hair. 'It's the man from before.' You thought, as you watched him walk past you, not giving you a second glance as he went on about his business, you stared at him for a moment. His back was straight, sharp, and strong. He didn't have any issues, he didn't have any weight, he was his own man. You stared at him, suddenly moved by his own confidence, as you reached into your pocket, and you pulled out your phone, unlocking it as you went and dialed 911.

"This is the local police department, what seems to be your emergency?" Asked the male operator... You sat there for a moment longer, watching the man walk into the dark, towards what seems to be a larger silhouette. "Hello, I'd like to report a murder robbery, sir." You spoke calmly. "Okay, and can you tell us where this took place at, ma'am?" He asked, not sounding as relaxed as he was at first. You gave them the address of your home as well as much information about the situation as you could. "6 family members. 2 sons, 2 daughters, a mother and father, all dead." You said. The operator was quiet for a moment before he spoke once more.

"How many robbers are in area?" He asked. "Not sure, but I'd say 4 to be safe." You said. He went quiet once more before he asked one last question. "Do you have any relations to this family?" He asked. You answered, without hesitation. "No, I never knew them, I just seen what happened, and I'm reporting it." You said, your eyes never leaving the two men's silhouettes as they seemed to be in an heated argument. The man spoke once more. "Your name, Miss, for records, and where is your current location?" He asked, a edge to his voice. You remained silent, as you hung up the phone.

You turned it on airplane mode, before you pocketed it. You stood up, pulling the hood over your head, making a move to follow the two men. You didn't know what made you want to follow. By right you shouldn't care, by right you should be grieving, you should be waiting for the cops to come find you, you should be a mess by now, you shouldn't be like this.... so numb.... So empathetic. But you were, and for some reason, you couldn't find it in you to be sad. In fact, you were starting to feel glee, happiness, joyous even.

"I'm free." You said, your feet feeling light, your shoulders not so heavy, your mind free. "I'm free to do whatever now... no more hiding behind my parents, who were oh so strict with my safety, keeping me chained home with their manipulative head games... no more getting told how much of a fuck up I am, just because I make one little mistake... no more... I'm free." You spoke, a smile stretching on your face, as you followed the men around the corner leading to the city. The sound of police sirens filled your ears, and you looked back, seeing swarms of cops getting out, as they searched the area for you.

You stared at them all for a second, before you waved them goodbye, as you walked around the corner. "I'm gonna need a job, I need a place to live, I need to make it out here... as a new person." You said as you followed the men for so long before you stopped, you watched as they dipped into an alleyway, before they were followed by a wry old man with a briefcase.... 'Hmm.'

[poohsources]

HELLO EVERYONE! as the year is slowly but surely coming to its end, and i'm now home for the holidays, i thought it was finally time to make another one of these. partially to give a little update on what's been going on in my life and partially as some sort of retrospect for this past year and a look into my plans for next year.

looking back, it's been quite an eventful year — especially when compared to the weird covid years we had to deal with previously. the biggest change was probably my dropping out of college to start a dual studies program in law. i did like my college program just fine ( until i didn't anymore ) but i really feel like law is my thing. and apparently everyone else in my circle of family and friends thinks so as well because i seem a hell of a lot happier than i did before. kinda unfortunate it took me seven years since quitting high school to figure that bit out, but hey, at least i got there in the end. it's been quite time-consuming, and i feel like in those past five months, i've already learned more than i did in all my years of college, but it's fun. i also finally got some new friends my age again. it's also strange to think back that just one year ago i was still struggling financially and just generally dealing with some bad mental health stuff.

i'm actually happy now.

in terms of tumblr and roleplaying, i gotta be honest that i have been sidelining it a lot over the last months. sure, i'm still around but it's not my primary focus, and i'm learning that it's okay not to be online all the time. it's okay to take breaks and focus on other things because as much as i love this blog, the community and tumblr, there are some more important things now. still, i am and always will be eternally grateful to every single person who supports me - whether it is by liking or reblogging posts, sending asks or messages, following me or using any of my stuff. it means so freaking much to me, and i always feel so proud whenever i randomly see my own stuff pop up on my dash because mutuals use it. thank you all so very much! in a similar vein, i honestly still cannot fathom that i almost managed to double the follower count this past year. i'm probably not gonna reach the goal i've kinda been looking at until the end of the year but that's okay. i am so incredibly grateful for everyone here anyway. no matter what.

as for next year - i'm not too sure what i'm gonna do. of course. i'm gonna keep posting memes, and templates and whatever other stuff i feel like doing, but i think my activity is gonna keep on being spotty. i'm also still tempted to do commissions one day ( and we're totally gonna ignore that i've been saying this for over a year now, okay? ) but with the amount of time i don't have, i'm not sure i'm gonna be able to deliver on that. if i do finally build the courage and self-esteem to do that, it will be like an occasional thing that might take some time. however, one thing i do wanna do more of is gifs. i'm not sure what kind of gifs, but i enjoy making them and it's been way too long since i did them so i'm gonna see how i'm gonna incorporate that. or if anyone has any specific gifs they want, always feel free to shoot me an ask or a message. maybe also some aesthetic-y stuff? after all do love making pinterest boards for characters.

maybe i'll also do a blog reveal once i finally set up my multi that i've been planning to work on for months now. since i'm gonna scrap my current main blog ( which i haven't really been active on in a while now anyway ) i'm kinda thinking of coming back to writing and who knows, maybe i'm gonna reveal it here in case anyone would like to write with me.

anyway, this was a lot of rambling, and if you've made it this far, i once again wanna thank you. i know i do this a lot but i really do appreciate you all being here so much, and even after two years of having this silly little blog, it still feels unreal to me that so many people here enjoy what i do.

much love and happy holidays, pooh 🧡

[maiden-of-sea]

Why I Still Haven't Return to This Blog (Please Read)

So within so many, MANY catching things up upon School, I have a confusion that I wanna make...

For the Past Years that I've barely had anything to do with this blog, part of Me feels like that I don't really want to run with it anymore as for some reason there is this Big Gripe for Me that slowly makes Me fully regret creating this blog all because of some semi-unhealthy obsession that I've had with one of my fandoms.

For the past years, I've used to be totally obsessed with the King Neptune/Poseidon character (I know they're separate characters, but giving on how that they're the still same outside) & for some random reason that felt like a huge waste wanting Me to run a Blog on its own (inspired to those who have their own Single Fandom Blogs like some fans do in the SB Fandom).

But now, I've come to the conclusion and realize on how much that I didn't need a Third Blog (considering on how both of my art and posts of my Main Blog are already full-filled with so many of my personal main fandom posts, it's downright INSANE).

The only reason as to why my brain in the first place thought of wanting to have such an unnecessary blog is partially because was inspired by other people who had their own single fandom blogs (like with most people on their Greek Myth blogs for instance). But honestly, due to the fact that I am very indeed afraid of wanting to delete it (which would cause the deletion of My Main Blogs with all of the other works that I've wanted to show), I've just realize my own huge mistake that I felt didn't need on what had to be done all because of a single obsession that I've recently just grew out of it for very mature reasons.

You see, I only made the blog for a very strange reason was because it was one of my surroundings in the beginnings of the SB Fandom when I came here. (As I've said before), I was completely obsessed with the King Neptune/Poseidon character and while I did paid any attention to the Main Cast like I would always do, I felt like my main interest was only a target towards the cast's obscure characters (which I blame for my own pure love for obscurity) and nothing else which is such a shame to Myself as I feel rather disappointed in what I've committed, but I can clearly see why on how everyone else wouldn't tend to see it since I was always a bit calm during a join in the fanbase. Now, when I say, "Disappointed", I meant on how that I couldn't afford to focus much on the Non-Merfolk characters more often as I feel as if though that I could've had the chance to study if it weren't for my own Big Merfolk brain rot.

Now, for the record, I am NOT saying that I am giving up on my Most Favorite Characters at this point since every any character is dedicated to their own fanbase, but honestly, for awhile, I've still been thinking if whether or not I should either just change or at least abandoned this blog but I defiantly have been thinking to restart it or at least perhaps have it a new fresh change.

For the Second Option part, if I were to re-do this Third Blog, I'd probably would make it an Ask Blog but I'd still have it around my Main Fandom's theme at this point.

It's just that for some time, I've mostly and mainly been focusing around my Main Blogs to point where I have no one else to do with this one and re-blogging some of my SB Art/Reblogs from my Main One into this One to fit this Blog's Main Aesthetic is often kinda hard to do (especially on how long given the Hiatus is) but for the most part, wishing my own self that I would want to return to this Blog would be Wonderful but I would prefer to want to make a change to it somehow just so that perhaps that maybe I would want to do with it whatever I'd want, but maybe not as an Polacia blog since I've been thinking about wanting to do something else for awhile if I'm going have to re-design My Greco-Roman Gods anytime soon when I feel like it (just to perhaps if maybe I were to keep this Blog's Main Theme that I chose alive).

I know that the idea of "Deleting" (Getting Rid) of ALL of the stuff that you've full-filled within a certain theme of a blog will take forever but honestly, I just don't know to the point where I feel as if though that I am indeed incredibly lost within my mind, especially when you are not in the same mood as you used too anymore. I just feel as if though that time changes real quick.

Recently, I've been focusing on drawing out ideas for my Original Stories (as well as drawing out some personal character designs) since this Whole SpongeBob-Fandom break has really given Me some relaxing time and I've already got out of School as I did graduate recently.

Considering the fact that I can't get rid of my Third Blog, I might as either consider to either continue run it or reboot it (if I'm going to start something different for it). I still haven't re-worked my own personal Redesigns in the moment but recently, I've been re-joining my Old Fandoms through a blast within the past.

So in case if I do return to this blog anytime once my SB Fandom break is over (as far as I have been trying), I'll probably give my a Third Blog a second chance. If not, I'll probably either abandon it. But I see on how time will tell if Fishes from the Sea sent by their own God will tell Me (aka if my Mind brainstorms once again).

Granted, I still and always will love Poseidon no matter what, just not in a crazy way that I did when I made this account and even when I somehow regret making it, since I felt very scared that I knew I was going to be in a Different Fandom mood.

I'll probably make my own decision to return one day if my SpongeBob hyper-fixation comes back to Me. Right now, I'm going through a Different Fandom Phase as I will be more active on my Main Blogs (@the-indie-owl and my Art Blog; @marine-indie-gal).

Hope you guys understand.

[libra-cant-just-dance]

My “Official” Review of the Enter the Danceverses maps

Disclaimer: all of this is purely my opinion as someone who just recently got into the fandom, can’t dance, and has only played three games. In no way so I think any of the following is “right”, it’s all just personal opinion. Also I love all the maps so even the ones I like less I still love. Also this was originally written for an audience of my friends who know nothing about this game.

Can’t Stop The Feeling

A cute, simple intro to the danceverses and the story mode playlist. The whole thing of starting out live action and having our main character be pulled into the world of Just Dance is fun, makes you feel like you’re along on the journey. Is it a little bit terrifying to watch this strange blue man reach through a TV screen and kidnap this girl? Kind of, but you get used to it. He’s wonderful. You get this nice little montage of Wanderlust showing Sara around the verses and meeting cameo coaches from older maps. Also great that you can play as Sara or Wanderlust. Always a bonus for playing as Wanderlust.

Honestly i don’t find myself coming back to this map that often, but that’s probably because I prefer the alternate version. The choreo is very simple and I just don’t find it as fun. But the simple choreo makes it easy and a perfect way to start out the playlist and “introduce” the player to the world of Just Dance. You’re having fun doing this silly little dance, then suddenly all your new friends get kidnapped and we have a plot hook. It works great. Bonus points for Wanderlust doing that one move I really like from the alternate version at one point.

I will say, as much as I love being able to play as him in this map, I feel like that’s part of the reason I can’t get too attached to Sara. I don’t usually get super into main protagonists already, and since this isnt’ a solo song for her, I’m never forced to play as her (except in If You Wanna Party, but that one has all the characters in it so even when I’m playing as her I’m barely paying attention to her). When I do actually watch her dance, her style is really cute and I think she’s adorable and fun. But I just can’t get into her as much when Wanderlust is RIGHT there.

Can’t Stop The Feeling- Danceverses Prince Version

The best. I come back to this one all the time, I’m actively trying to learn to do it properly. Technically this isn’t part of the Enter the Danceverses playlist, it’s a separate map. But I don’t care, I love this map, I love Wanderlust, I wanna talk about it. That’s my boy. This map is great. I guess the only downside is it’s not as cinematic as some other newer maps? The background stays mostly the same the whole time. And it’s hard. But that just makes it more of a challenge. It IS the alternate version for a reason, of course it’s gonna be hard.

Starting out with a shot of The Traveler and Si’ha Nova to make it clear that they’re Wanderlust’s parents, perfect. Gorgeous. Wanderlust is just. So silly. Even though it’s hard, the choreo is SO fun to do. Bonus points for that little pose he does that I love, especially the time when he does it and then he does a little nod I LOVE that. This whole map just has the energy of dancing alone in your room having a good time and even though I’m dying by the end of it it makes me so happy. I hear this song in the car and think about this map and replay it several times and it’s a wonder I haven’t crashed yet. I love this map. I want to say more about it, but it really just comes down to “Look at him. He’s so silly. This is great. I love it.”

Witch

Great introduction to our antagonist. Obviously, this map slays. The Night Swan slays. No questions here. She has such a good aesthetic going on, and even though I hate her, I can’t deny it. She does in fact slay. That costume! That background! The way it changes throughout the song where it’s just her throne room in the beginning and by the end it’s full of Swan Soldiers being sent out through a billion portals! The shot with the eye in the beginning makes me feel like I’m about to watch an early 2000s punk rock music video, but it’s still cool.

My favorite shot of course is her sitting in the throne with Jack standing next to her. That shot just. Oh my god. It’s perfect. Him standing there like a knight next to his horrible mother who doesn’t deserve him. Someone save this boy. I wish he was more in the map even just in the background, but I don’t know what he would do. They’re not gonna just pay Mickael to stand there in sweating in the background in full costume for no reason. Actually there really isn’t a reason for Jack to be in the rest of the map, I just like to see him.

Getting back to the actual map, I honestly don’t like this one that much? Like it’s good, it’s just not for me. She does a lot of spooky wavey arms movements which are cool, but it’s just not my style. I don’t find it that fun, but that’s not a criticism of the map. It does, again, slay.

Physical

Love this one. Fun and funky map, good song, good vibes. It’s also got some funky camerawork! Man I’m so in love with how much better Just Dance maps have gotten over the years, it’s not always just a static camera pointed head-on at a dancer. Quick shoutout to Wanderlust’s face when he runs through the portal at the end, but I need to stop just talking about Wanderlust for every song. He’s only there for two seconds. I love the implication that Brezziana is an aerobic dance class instructor who just sets up a boombox in public places and lures people into flash mobs. She’s so great.

The dance is SO fun, but it’s an actual workout. I have to rest for like fifteen minutes after doing just this one song. While Can’t Stop The Feeling Danceverses Prince Version is “Wow this makes me so tired but it’s FUN!”, Physical is “Wow this is fun but it makes me SO TIRED!”. I wish I could do this map over and over again but I physically can’t (pun not intended but welcome anyway). I love the choreo, I love the energy. Even while I feel like I’m dying, Brezziana’s making everyone have so much fun it makes me determined to make it to the end. If she was a real exercise class instructor, would I actually take her class? Probably not, I’m really lazy. But I’d definitely consider it, and that’s saying something. God I love this map and it frustrates me that I can’t do it that often (at least if I want to play multiple songs in a row).

Rather Be

This one’s SO cool. Mihaly is awesome, the map is gorgeous, the vibe is excellent. I LOVE the choreo, the only problem is it’s hard. It’s so cool to watch and I wish I could follow along, but it’s just so hard. This has got to be one of my favorite choreos in the game, I just love Mihaly’s style and the way they go all these funky moves so quickly! My only other complaint is did they really have to decide that their zen magic dance temple is run by a giant anthropomorphic panda named Master Panda? It’s just… yeah. I guess in their defense the panda is kind of the mascot of Just Dance so if there was gonna be a master of Just Dance’s version of the force it would make sense for it to be a panda? Oh well, it’s definitely not the most poor taste decision the game has made in it’s history. Some older maps are… something. On the bright side, Mihaly is basically canonically nonbinary!! They’re SO cool. Or maybe I just like the red and blue color scheme. And the funky glasses. So basically, I love this map, I just don’t play it that often because I just can’t keep up with it.

Locked Out Of Heaven

Okay this one is going to pain me to review. I love Jack Rose with my entire heart. And that initially made me too biased about this map, but I think I can give it an honest review now. Still, we’re gonna start with the good things. First of all, Jack Rose. Duh. Look at him. The red suit, the gold, the earrings, literally everything about this character design is a personal attack on me. I love him. And he’s angsty?? This is a perfect boy! Literally the quote on his character avatar is “With a mother like mine, who needs enemies?”. That’s SO dramatic.

The map also tells his backstory SO well. It’s gotta be hard to tell a whole story like this in a JUST DANCE MAP. Right from the start you get baby Jack Rose practicing and then his mom in the doorway in a spooky silhouette being all disappointed in him, and then the transition where suddenly he’s an adult now and just the look on his FACE tells you everything. You can see how the pressure from his mother made him lose all the childhood happiness and he’s just so serious about everything now. Of COURSE he takes this so seriously, all his mother cares about is perfection so if he’s going to have this one thing that he’s good at (performing) he has to be PERFECT at it! He won’t get his mother’s love otherwise! And at the end of the map, even after he’s given this amazing performance to his thousands of adoring fans, she STILL isn’t impressed by him! He works so hard all the time just to please her and nothing will ever be good enough for her! Who knew you could get that much emotion from Just Dance!! Just watching it you see how good he’s gotten at performing but you wonder “at what cost?”!

And the use of the song! I LOVE when Just Dance can take a song and completely recontextualize it for a map. At first glance, okay, yeah. Locked Out Of Heaven is a good typical popstar heartthrob kinda song for him to perform. But when you think about it for way longer than anyone needs to be thinking about a Just Dance map like I have, it’s brilliant. Sure, the song is actually about some guy feeling “locked out” of the “heaven” that is having sex with some girl. But for JACK? It’s about being deprived of the simple happiness that comes from a mother’s love! He tries SO HARD! He’s won the affection of SO many people through his art, but he still can’t get the one thing he wants! His MOTHER to LOVE HIM! (This is why I hate Night Swan with a burning passion. I know everyone loves her cuz she has a great aesthetic and she slays and all that but she EMOTIONALLY ABUSED my BOY and I will never forgive her)

Okay so now that we know how brilliant this map is, you may ask yourself why I say it’s hard to review. And that’s because despite all of that, the choreography is BAD. Sure, I can do it. And some of the moves are good. But the majority of the dance is just silly. And yeah, Just Dance choreos are always a little silly. It’s a stupid party game. But they aren’t all THIS silly. And for all of the maps to give silly choreo, this is NOT the one. Jack is supposed to be COOL. He’s SERIOUS about his performances. There’s no way you can tell me that man would do some of those moves. Even if he would, I can’t be emotional about the story while dancing like an idiot. Some of the choreo also isn’t very doable, either. The spin is one of the less stupid moves, but they do it way too many times. And the microphone? Look, it looks great. He’s so cool with his big microphone on a stick. But the person playing the game isn’t gonna have a big microphone on a stick, and even if they did they aren’t gonna be able to magically make it appear and disappear out of thin air like he does. You just have to mime it while you’re dancing, and no matter how well you do it you’re just gonna feel like an idiot.

Sure, I’m overanalyzing this map. It just makes me mad that this could be one of my favorites for the existence of Jack Rose alone if it wasn’t for the ridiculously corny choreography. So bottom line, Jack Rose needs a hug. I will be revisiting this. This map is good, it could have been perfect. But they nerfed it. For nothing.

Majesty

This is a really cool one! The first map where you’re picking from two different teams of characters instead of just from different characters! Overall, I really like it. It does however suffer from both “too much story, not enough dance” and “too much dance, not enough story” at the same time. But not too badly? And considering this is the first time they’ve done a “story mode” kind of thing like this where they had to make a map that was a major plot point (the climax of a story, actually) with a whole bunch of characters, I think they did a really good job. It’s fun getting to play the different characters dancing in their own different styles, and they really did manage to tell a whole story through the map.

It’s just a little difficult to follow along with them, partly because you keep switching characters/styles and partly because you’re trying to pay attention to what’s going on in the scene. At the same time, it’s kind of tricky to get the whole story while you’re dancing because you’re trying to pay attention to getting the moves right. There’s a scene you can see go on in the background where Jack is arguing with Night Swan, and that’s when he turns on her and she sends the possessed Wanderlust to attack him. I didn’t even see that until like the third time I watched it, and I think that’s a pretty important scene. If you don’t see that, it doesn’t really make sense that you start out with Jack on Night Swan’s side and end with him saving Wanderlust and teaming up with The Just Dancers (yes, that’s what they’re called).

The ending is cute, I like that they all hype up Sara to be the one to defeat Night Swan. (Side note apparently Night Swan and Sara are played by the same dancer, and I don’t know how to feel about that) I believe she’s supposed to have a character arc about becoming more confident in herself and her dancing, and we don’t really see that much in the story, but that part kind of shows it. Her style is really cute, and I think the whole dance battle thing is just really funny. Night Swan really got danced at so hard that she had to surrender. Also the song is great! It fits the map really well and they did a great job of timing beats in the story with beats in the song. Also also a very nice touch to make this one and Night Swan’s solo map use songs by the same artist, it really makes the story feel tied up.

Now it’s time to rant about Jack Rose again. HIS FACE when Night Swan turns his whole audience into swan soldiers!! He looks horrified, it’s actually heartbreaking I will never get over it. His mom straight-up betrayed him! He loves his fans so much, that winds up being his breaking point to finally stand up to her and then switch sides to defeat her. I’m just so happy he finally realized he has so many people who love him so he doesn’t NEED his mom’s approval! And then him grabbing Wanderlust’s hand to save him and turn him back into a guy?? He made real friends! People who’ll actually love him even if he’s flawed! I just really love Jack Rose. I think his character arc is fantastic. And he’s red I love red.

If You Wanna Party

I feel like most of what I can say about this map is that it’s cute. I don’t mean that in a bad way though! They just took down the Night Swan, they deserve a little bit of a party. Now this song is CHEESY. Just Dance literally made the most cliche stereotypical “lets party everyone!” pop song they possibly could, complete with Jack Rose doing a rap that boils down to “yo yo we’re so cool” and the incomparable lyrics “move your hips from side to side, peanut butter jelly time, mashed potato feeling fine, dip baby dip”. But honestly? I kind of love it. It’s FUN, it doesn’t need to be anything else. Dare I call it camp? Perhaps.

Now my biggest complaint with this map is that you can only play as Sara. What the hell. All of them are there! And they all have solos just like a dance with multiple playable coaches! WHY can you not pick which one you wanna play?? The others are just standing there taunting me! You can’t put Wanderlust on my screen and tell me I CAN’T play as him! Seriously, this map should let you play as whichever one you want. I’d even trade out playing as Wanderlust in Can’t Stop The Feeling if it meant we could have five playable coaches for this map (only because he does already have his own solo song). This map is a bunch of friends having fun dancing together, that’s what Just Dance is ABOUT! Why can’t a player gather up their friends and dance as The Just Dancers together? That’s the whole point of the game!

Aside from that complaining, again, it’s a really cute map. It’s cheesy, but in a good way. I love to see Jack Rose getting ot have FUN for once. It’s also so cool how they all still retain their own dance styles while making a cohesive choreo all together! They’re all doing their own thing but it blends together. I know nothing about dancing or choreography but I’m just gonna assume that’s a challenge. All in all, great map. Great ending to the story. Sara waving goodbye to everyone as she returns to the real world. Jack looking super confused about it. It’s great. Good friends, good adventure, good dance.

[mayordeas-clone]

detailed thoughts on the new designs for the crypton superpack :]

(i drafted this post when they were initially announced and before their release so i know this isn’t exactly relevant but it was so close to finished anyway that i might as well publish it while cleaning my drafts)

miku

finally, FINALLY ixima got miku’s hair weight right. my main gripe with the nt design, for as much as i loved it, was that her hair was a little too top heavy. the hair getting wider at the bottom is reminiscent of the v2 and v3 designs and looks much better (i will note that i didn’t even mind miku’s hair getting thinner that much, i think it suits her but aesthetically i will always prefer bigger hair)

a little more minimalistic compared to NT. i guess they wanted to keep things more classic here. kind of a shame since i loved all the scalloped edges of NT 😭😭 miku’s top is on the plain side again but im glad it’s still white

the new tie shape is interesting. i know it’s subtle but i wanna say something anyway. im glad they’re back to the tie instead of the ribbon like in nt, but idk the shape sorta overlaps with len’s who i think suits it more. i think i prefer the traditionally diamond shape it has

a liiiitle mixed on the hair tie things. very reminiscent of v4 but less tall. they’re definitely easier to draw i’ll give it that but it does feel like something is missing with them

overall miku is pretty much unchanged, she’s sort of back to basics after the bigger departure of her NT design but the hair really does sell it for me

rin

my girl! :D they’re still doing the thing where rin wears a lighter grey while len wears black which i just don’t get 😭😭😭i feel like the value gap is even wider here. it’s nice they let her have a little black in her belt but now im just thinking, why couldn’t the rest of her dark clothes be black?

I LOVE HER SHORTS… that style with the two buttons is right up my alley. my personal designs may or may not see some edits in the future

they’re back to the belts on their hips which i like to see. the two toned effect is nice

the ribbon thing on her chest sort of returns from her v4 but different. i did not like it there but i think it’s improved a little bit here. its more loose and not as voluminous i guess, so its shaped more like her hair bow, which is nice. not sure if i prefer it over how it originally looked but its growing on me

i’ll miss her garters from v4 TwT not much else to comment on the foot/leg wear besides that

overall she’s cute as always but i will never get over the grey, please let my girl wear black im begging!!!!

len

definitely the most familiar-feeling of the group. i might have the least to say about him

i forgot to mention this in the others’ but the two black clips are a thing that’s included in everyone’s design in some way (except rin? maybe it’s her hair clips but they didn’t want to make them black). len’s are on his tie and while it’s a small detail i’m just like…. you are cramping miku’s style man. especially since their ties are shaped the same! anyway i know that’s a small nitpick but it’s something i noticed. that’s probably the most notable change in len’s design

it’s len

luka

yes….. YESS this feels like the proper upgrade and evolution of her v2 design i have been WAITING for, combined with some of the elegance and class of her v4x

her hair doesn’t seem as thin as it did in v4x??? (this is the actual hair loss that mattered not miku’s). maybe i’m coping though

her chest plate (ripped straight from v4x) is kind of strange but i’m glad the rest of her bodice isn’t that weird nude color 😭😭

her emblem is finally in a normal place again yay (really did not like where it was in v4x)

rejoice!!!! her ugly ass gold boots are gone!! her shoe game now is sort of overlapping with miku but i do like the situation here, it’s very sleek

i love those sleeves and the little chest window. so glad to see that damn mesh gone

her single sleeve from v2 is gone which sort of removes an element of asymmetry that was a main ingredient of her whole design but i do like this approach more. it was a bit of a clunky element that got in the way of the elegant character luka’s voice is meant to embody. they probably could have implemented some sort of asymmetry on her arms or neck in a more subtle way but i like the look of her exposed arms a lot

this is easily luka’s best iteration yet (i know there’s not a whole lot of competition but still). it sort of meets her v2 and v4x incarnations in the middle with the familiar feeling with new tweaks to make it feel cleaner and more classy. i love her a lot

meiko

oooh i love all the additional black elements in her outfit, adds some value to her fit compared to the white elements. i believe the black was an invention of her design in project sekai?

oh my god… her popped collar, it’s everything to me. has a lot of attitude that i’d expect from meiko

love the new wrist cuffs, not much notes there i just think they’re cool

the black goes a long way in enhancing what was great about her v3 incarnation and she definitely feels COOLER now. i love her

kaito

oh kaito… he’s seen a few small changes and i really love them!

his coat is fully opened now which i think really adds a lot. it sorta makes him feel less stuffy and he can breathe a little. makes him feel more casual which i do like

THE GLOVES!!!! they’re a small detail but i am glad they’re here!! super cool

boots are slightly different and they got shorter. they look…. a little goofy ngl, i do miss the higher boots of V3

coat design is virtually unchanged from v3 without the small unnecessary details and colors. i know they were tiny in the grand scheme of things, but their removal does clean his design up substantially. overall an improvement and one of my faves in the lineup

[swtwondrland]

closeting in the music industry

this was for my school project last year where i described why closeting happens and decided to share on here for people who want to understand, i put an example of a contract (worded easily) at the end and the sources i got them from :)

history on the music industry and queer artists

Gay stars have been masking their sexuality since the beginning of the entertaining industry. Going back to the early 20th century and carried past the gay liberation movement in 1960. They hide by being in heterosexual relationships, sometimes as far as so called ‘lavender marriages’. This is a marriage between a man and a woman, arranged by Hollywood, to hide the sexual orientation of one or both of the partners to the public. Lavender marriages began as a response to big studios adding limits, or restraints, or proscribing certain behavior to their star’s contracts, which is called ‘moral clauses’. Gay stars picked partners, often celebrities themselves.

Gay rights have always played a key role in the music industry. Keeping artists closeted, some until after their death, and changing their aesthetic of musical performance.

In 1960 glamorous pop and rock took hold, when the gay rights movement started. Music of the time drew upon that culture. At a time when being gay was illegal, the only way to live as an out gay man, was in a theater or as hairdresser. Pop management gave a new opportunity, so a lot of gay people took it.

The laws didn’t stop artists from adding gay culture and flair into their acts. Examples for this are Queen and David Bowie, who came out five years after laws on homosexuality had been removed. He changed labels a lot, finally telling Rolling Stone in 1983 that he was “always a closet heterosexual” but that he saw coming out as “the biggest mistake” he ever made.

While in the ‘80s artists went forwards with adding gay culture themes into their music, the ‘90s were the complete opposite and created the current state of industry.

Contracts

The business model is to screw the artist. Labels take advantage of uneducated, easily swayed artists who don’t really care about the money, to sign a contract. If they don’t wanna sign the contract they can be forced to, threatened that their career will be over otherwise. They also aren’t always given the time to read the contract through. The contracts themself have a really strange complicated system that it takes a lawyer to really understand. They put up a big issue but underneath that issue there are a lot of other little laws that they throw in that they’re not talking about. So you think you say yes to the one big issue while in reality you’re saying yes to many other things as well.

Once you’ve signed a contract, it’s really hard to get out of it. You’d have to sue them, which is difficult since you agreed to a lot of things by signing it.

How and by whom are artists closeted?

There are a lot of people behind the closeting of artists. Some artists like Olly Alexander talked about how his media trainer said it might be better not to say anything about his sexuality, that it won’t be worth it or Lance Bass about how the label are kind of grooming you to make sure you don’t even mention you have a girlfriend so screw the fact that you’re gonna come out as gay. Many other artists talked about how their management told them they couldn’t be gay or couldn’t come out as gay. They also mentioned knowing lots of other artists, who are still told to stay in the closet and cover it up.

Because artists have already signed a contract, they gave their management the permission to do the things they do. The artists are ‘advised’ to stay in the closet, to be happy. They are made to believe that if they come out they will ruin their career and the career of the people around them. If someone in that position of power and knowledge tells you these things, you believe them.

Management can put artists in the closet or in a glass closet. That’s a closet where the artist can look gay but not actually come out. In this case they are sold as straight artists who are really outrageous, flamboyant etc.

To cover up the fact the artists are gay they create fake relationships.

Fake relationships are very common in the entertainment industry. Public relations (pr) is a staged relationship where two celebrities make everyone think they’re dating. The celebrities involved will gain more fame, magazine covers, starred in important movies, increase their followers on social media etc. It usually happens when one of the celebrities doesn’t have the popularity as wanted so their management team links them with someone in the spotlight. It’s not always the celebrities’ choice, lots of times they are forced by their management. If they refuse they could lose their careers or in the worst case scenario face legal issues.

For fake relationships that are used to cover up an artist's sexuality they use a beard or merkin. A beard is a woman who’s used to cover up a male artist’s sexuality and a merkin is a man who’s used to cover up a female artist’s sexuality. The beard or merkin knows most of the time. They can go either two ways. One is many short lived relationships to create a “womanizer” or “man crazy” image to the public. In this case they sometimes use other famous people as a beard or merkin, to add the other benefits of a fake relationship. They can also create a long term relationship to make it look like they are in a serious committed relationship.

Fake relationships can go as far as marriage and having children or faking having children.

The step by step manual pr managers, someone whose job it is to create and maintain the public image of the artist, use most of the time especially in cases where they go for the serial dater image:

spotted together publicly

celebrities avoid the topic and say they’re just friends and even blacklist each other

interaction between them (e.g. liking each others post)

another reunion sometimes fans involved who won’t have solid proof, even families can get involved

repeat until people are fully convinced they are dating

worked: after months or even years they’ll stop talking and avoid the topic

flopped: celebrity who started the fake relationship will play the victim and speak about the “romance” damaging the image of their former partner.

Management is really good at making it hard to come out with things they don’t want out. They have lots of connections with the press and the media. They can create any narrative they wish about whomever they want to. Apart from the connections they have, there are also lots of people silenced with NDA’s. That is a contract which is used to keep things confidential. It says what information is confidential, why it’s confidential and what the receiving side of the contract can and can not say.

What are the consequences of coming out in the music industry?

When artists come out it overpowers everything. It becomes one of the things that they are known for and changes the perception people have on you. With some people it’ll change in a good way but that isn’t always the case. There’s a possibility that people will stop listening to the artist and the sales will go down. They fear that the artist will lose fans even if a lot of the time that doesn’t actually end up happening.

There are also still music genres that aren’t acceptive of queer artists. So is hip hop still very homophobic and does country radio not play any gay artists. There have even been country artists who have lost their record deal over it.

When are queer artists being closeted?

Fans fantasize about artists. This fantasy is important for mass market, for teenage boys and girls and it can’t be effected by the gayness of the artist. Even with evidence that fans haven’t lashed out on their idol for being gay, labels look at the bottom line, which is making money. Artists are their product to make money and if they aren’t going to pull as many fans because they’re gay, they aren’t going to support them as much.

For some artists it can go as far as stopping any speculation while others are in a glass closet. In a glass closet they can act and look gay without actually coming out.

Like this they keep the game of “are they? aren’t they?” going, which keeps the media and the people talking. This is also a good way to gain more faim for the artist. In this case they are also sold with the gay looking image, the fans are there based on that image and it’s the reason the artist is more successful and makes more money. The image has to be interesting enough to be talked about but not crazy enough that it makes people uncomfortable. Also in this scenario the artists aren’t able to come out since it makes it possible for the fans to still fantasize.

Extra

Here’s an example of parts of the Britain’s Got Talent contract a few years ago. Britain Got Talent is a talent show that's open for people with any talent, from any age. This is the contract that contestants had to sign after they got through the off-screen auditions and wanted to go through to the auditions on TV. These are only a small part of the whole contract and are put in different words to make it easier to understand.

- they own everything you do on the show and can use it however they like

- you do what you're told by the company

- you are required to sign an exclusive deal if they offer it to you and they can set the terms however they like

- anything you’ve ever made even before the show that is online they now own

- if you make it to the semi-finals you are banned from releasing content without their written consent

- you have to irrevocably sign over all contracts past present or future and give them full rights to do whatever they want with it

- they can exploit your image in any way they see fit

- they don’t have to use anything they don’t want to use

- you have to tell them if you are covering someone or if it’s original and have to license over any original content and they can extend this license however and whenever they want

- you can’t talk to anyone in regards to anything to do with syco* or the program

- if anyone contacts you you have to contact syco’s publicity who will talk to them for you

- you can’t appear in anything that’s not syco, the company* or the program without consulting them first

- you can’t sue them for anything aside from damage

- they can give your rights away to anyone they decide

- if any of the clauses become unlawful you are still contractually bound to the other clauses and once the contract becomes lawful again you are still bound to that new contractual agreement

The company = the contract in between

Syco = entertainment company behind the show

Sources:

- https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/television/bridgerton-star-jonathan-bailey-opens-up-about-the-pressure-he-felt-to-hide-his-sexuality/

- https://orangemag.co/orangeblog/2012/11/27/theyre-coming-out-a-history-of-gay-musicians

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beard_(companion)

- https://jennyboom21.tumblr.com/post/159279198016/bearding-is-still-a-thing-in-hollywood

- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glass%20closet

- https://queensgaybeach1d.tumblr.com/post/189762941089/simon-cowell-the-industry

- https://historydaily.org/famous-hollywood-lavender-marriages

- https://www.vice.com/en/article/mgm873/why-famous-women-marry-gay-men-david-gest-liza-minelli

→ http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sqhec4

→ https://www.youtube.com/watchv=h7GUZbNmV2s

→ https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/celebrities-who-fake-pregnancieshollywood-6781083 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXCgLWGyje8

→https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNbEU4Emaas

→https://youtu.be/KNRlLQR3Pj4

→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8HLgjWYgTk

→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaSgFo91TyE → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj_nsOUN3yE → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6TD2_N6SvA

[raxistaicho]

Are we not Engaged? Part 10.

I’m thinking it’s back to paralogues until they get too tough again. For sure I wanna do Byleth because Celine can always get stronger.

Spoilers under the cut!

Now we begin the party where the party takes turns beating up Sigurd for Canter! :) Well, at least my non-melee units for sure. Ivy, Celine, Hortensia, Yunaka, and Seadall.

Alear Seadall C: He’s dancing late at night for the stars, he believes people join the stars when they die, and that his teacher is up there. He takes his craft exceedingly seriously. Interesting.

Celine Fogado B: He’s trying to flirt with her again, lol. She at first rebuffs him, but he replies Firene is known for being closed-off due to their self-sufficience thanks to their strong farming. She decides to accept his offer to talk more to prove him wrong - and also so she can glean some of Solm’s secrets in return. I’m not sure who in security let the Three Houses writers sneak in to write this support chain, but I salute them.

Seadall Yunaka C: She can do impressions, lol. Seadall invites her on stage for a play, lol. She’s shy but he convinces her.

Louis Rosado C: Rosado starts off doing his usual “aren’t I cute? :3″ teasing, but Louis openly and honestly agrees he is. They actually hit it off quite well due to their respective aesthetic natures, it’s a very sweet support.

Byleth paralogue time!

Byleth reciting the legend of Saint Seiros is odd, it makes me wonder from what point of 3H Byleth was yanked. His hair isn’t green so he can’t have fused with Sothis yet, and he’d learn eventually the legend was a lie, so he.

Ugh, nine units, just the same as the map itself.

Oh shit, Byleth’s staffers used Warp tactics on me!!! That’s cheating! :(

The first half of the chapter was easy because I just did the same thing I do in this map in 3H, but once I aggroed the dragons Byleth’s priests got cheeky and began warping in units to break the crystals. I lost 1 but according to a friend of mine I got the same reward he did when he saved them all.

That reward being a talisman and an elixir. Alyos!Rhea is a fucking skinflint.

Alear: I’m worried what might happen if I ever make the wrong choice...

Well don’t look to Byleth for guidance then, he’ll just kinda act sad around you as you commit atrocities and hope you snap out of it.

Alear Diamant B: Diamant admits he’s unsure he’s worthy of leading his people. Pretty classic FE Lord concerns, but it’s in response to Alear’s fear of Corrupted, so that’s not bad.

Chloe Seadall B: She gives him some weird folk food and has to kinda cajole him into trying it. This is a pretty cute little support of her sharing the things she likes with someone else :)

Hortensia Fogado C: Fogado tries to invite Hortensia to tea, but she scolds him for being a flirt, saying he has the reputation even in Elusia, lol. She scolds him for idling away his time and not helping Timerra. Fogado has no luck with the royal princesses in his supports, lol.

Louis Rosado B: They get into a discussion about whether sea grapes are cute. Louis thinks they aren’t, and is sad that he doesn’t share Rosado’s enthusiasm for them, since he likes liking the things his friends do. Gotta say, these two are kinda great together!

Alcryst Boucheron B: Alcryst is trying to work out but he’s struggling. Boucheron says they’ll try later.

Corrin paralogue! She talks about her choice to Alear, but doesn’t say which she chose. Pretty typical. Corrin dries out the river partway through, but I saw that coming, lol.

Strangely, Yato has 4 gems but it has the appearance of the base Yato. “Yato was by my side on every step of my journey” Nobody tell the devs that the Corrin meta involves class changing Corrin out of Nohr Prince(ss).

I only just noticed Ivy’s really tall too :3

Alear Yunaka B: Alear wants to get to know Yunaka a little better so she can trust her a little better. Yunaka admits she spent time wandering and is trying to distance herself from her past self. Cute support :)

Celine Hortensia B: Hortensia tries to out-cute Celine, only for Celine to not take the contest remotely seriously and just be friendly. Celine’s friendliness ends up making Hortensia happy, which upsets her. Cute support, lol.

Celine Jean B: Jean's dedication to his studies so he can save lives moves Celine, so she decides not to ask him to TEA.

Celine Alfred B: Celine criticizes Alfred at length for choosing stupid solutions to his problems and points out that it makes him look bad as a prince, but he doesn’t really get the point. Alfred’s such a doofus.

Seadall Yunaka B: They’re practicing for the stage show, heheh. This is a cute support but it REALLY shows off Laura Post’s chops as a voice actress.

Gotta say, Yunaka actually has some impressive depth for an Engage character, I’ve really come to like her.

Rosado Jade C: (People who’ve only read these posts probably have no idea who Jade is lol) Basically she’s just jealous of Rosado’s boundless energy and he convinces her being cuter will give her more energy.

Back to the story!

Sombron’s big mad. Also Veyle’s asleep. Somborn gave Zephia some sort of ridiculous helmet lol. It seems Sombron believes he killed Alear and was imprisoned shortly after. Zephia didn’t get the chance to retrieve Alear’s corpse. Hmm, so it sounds like Lumera probably saved Alear while she was near-death.

Boat map!

Oh, cannon’s interesting.

Engage managed to make a good boat map, which is interesting, lol. Using the cannon you have to manage enemy approaches on both sides so you don’t get overwhelmed, it’s pretty careful stuff.

Also I finally recruited an enemy unit! lol.

Seems the Emblems can do a “miracle” which could be used on Lumera, but Ike, Sigurd, Lucina, and Lyn believe it would be reckless to use it. Honestly, it’s REALLY nice getting a scene of the Emblems interacting.

Interestingly, during her wakeup talk, Ivy mention she’s long wanted to come to the Somniel to pray, but the Elusian royal family never accepted Lumera’s invitations. I guess Hyacinth wouldn’t allow it.

Ivy Diamant A: Aww, Ivy fashioned the gem Diamant gave her into a necklace so she can wear it every day, and as a symbol of the future relationship Brodia and Elusia should hold. They both promise to build a better relationship between their countries. Very very good support!

Ivy Alcryst B: She mentions that Elusian children are taught to fear Brodian armor, which is interesting. Alcryst apologizes on behalf of Brodia, but Ivy teases him, asking him if he means that as an official gesture from Brodia. She dislikes Brodia, but not Alcryst himself.

Ivy Timerra C: Though both are future queens, Ivy feels she and Timerra are as opposite as can be. When Ivy mentions she’s never been camping, Timerra urges her to give it a try lol.

Seadall Alcryst C: Seadall used to travel with traveling merchants, which makes Alcryst a little jealous as he hasn’t traveled around. Seadall offers to tell Alcryst about some of his travels.

Fogado Timerra C: Lol, mostly it’s just them being gushy good siblings. It’s pretty cute. Seems they barely spent much time together before, as they were both rarely at the palace.

Yunaka Citrinne B: Apparently Yunaka was named Larimar at birth. She was abandoned by her parents but found by an assassin who trained her to in the same profession. There’s more to this tale but it just kinda awkwardly cuts off.

Continuing with the story!

Veyle is still asleep. It seems Zephia’s fucking up with Veyle’s mind is detrimental to her health, and Mauvier is concerned that they should knock it off. Zephia seems to think puting the helmet Sombron gave her on Veyle and then casting her spell will make her permanently evil.

Anyways, Marni offers to go fight us. Guess it’s round 4 of knocking her and Mauvier on their asses. Seems Mauvier’s loyal to good Veyle but he doesn’t like...

grab her...

and run away...

Seems Sombron turned the people of the Elusian port to Corrupted.

God dammit Marni you suck. Marni stole stole some Emblem Rings it seems. Thanks for the delivery, dumbass.

This town is filled with Miasma lol. Seems I’m to use the flame canons to burn it out.

Oh no Mauvier has warp. Bad feeling.

Lol, there’s corrupted ambush spawns in the houses. That’s... actually pretty sensible, Ivy and Alear did say everyone was dead.

Yeah he multi-warps thanks to Micaiah having staff AOE lol. But Warp only has so much range in this game so you just need to be mindful of that.

So rather than use his last warp, Mauvier rescued in Marni’s group and charged, but Marni didn’t... actually move. And even if she did, I decided to kite Mauvier back toward the bottom part of the map where I know I have more canon shots open and Marni’s still an armor and she’s still slow as hell on the move.

Marni sucks and she needs to be fired :p

Oh Marni’s finally moving. It was only AFTER Mauvier was half-dead, but she tried. Sorta. Not really.

Alear can one-shot Corrupted Wyrms with Twin Strike. That’s pretty cool.

So to kill Marni I had Alcryst plink at her with a longbow to proc Dreadful Aura and Draconic Hex while Celine with Byleth blasted at her. Holy shit Corrin is GOOD.

And now we have Roy and Micaiah back! \o/

Seems like Sombron’s been nabbing Elusians and turning them into corrupted.

[aperfectsonnet]

There’s a lot in me I don’t understand. I feel scattered and contradictory. I feel like a faded flame. How do I get the fire back? The passion? Is this just a part of life and growing old? Did I neuter myself as a response to externalities? Or is this just supposed to happen?

“Are these my good years, or do I have none? Are there really good years for everyone? I don’t wanna live with a life of regret.”

I feel happy. But I feel sad. There’s still so much I don’t get. Why am I who I am? And why don’t I like who I am? Why did I change so much at 10 years old? I consistently can pinpoint my large shift at that age. I think back the the major highlights of that year; my parents divorce, the religious trauma with my sister, my first boyfriend (that I didn’t even want), my last year of elementary school. Did the divorce actually even affect me? I don’t remember caring. I remember it shocked me, but I never missed my dad or felt sad about it.

I can remember this as the start of isolating myself. Growing up I was never the popular girl, but I had girlfriends. I got along well with girls and related to them, had fun, could talk easily. I had my “clique”. But slowly I backed off. I didn’t understand them. I struggled to connect, I no longer enjoyed their company. What was wrong with me? It’s not healthy for a girl to so strongly oppose her peers. This is when I started feeling alien. Was it my way of coping with my blooming sexuality? My body changing, a boyfriend urging me to kiss him, my older sister being punished for her own sexual relationships. Was my distancing from other girls an attempt to detach from my own sex?

I did have a shift into being a bit more of a tomboy, but what girl doesn’t? We all have our phases. But was this something deeper to me? Shifting into middle school and feeling so insecure about my body. No longer liking “girly” things. Not wanting to be a dumb girl. Leaning into more “edgy” aesthetics, cutting my hair very short. At one point wishing I had a boys name. Completely and utterly finding an escape in music and art, forming my whole personality around it. Simultaneously embarrassed I did not fit the “pretty girl” look while also rejecting the concept as a whole, not wanting to fit into it. Refusing to even attempt to fit the mold. This strange instinct to be embarrassed of my developing body, cringing to be thought of as a sexual object of desire.

Did all of this just tie in with how sexualized I had felt by my early boyfriends? I was 10/11(?) when I had my first kiss. And over the course of around 2 years it escalated to groping (lol there was nothing to even grope). I never wanted to. I always just placated the boy I was with. By 13-15 years old I had felt pressured to do things I’ve never even told another person in my life. I don’t even know who to tell, or why I should even bring it up. I look back and think, god, I was a child! Why did I let these guys do this to me? I still can’t bear the shame of it.

Of course at that age, I wanted to feel grown up. I thought if you loved a guy it’s just what you did. From 15ish onward I had become accustomed to it. And figured it’s just what all boys wanted. I sought it out, would want things to become sexual if I liked a boy a lot. Again, it’s not like I ever even enjoyed it. I just went through the motions. I played the part. Why didn’t I respect myself? Why could I never say no? Did the boys truly just wear me down? Was I that lonely? I don’t know. I don’t understand why I didn’t protect myself better, protect my innocence.

Granted, even at the age of 14 I had friends that were already losing their virginities. So it all felt normal. I remained a virgin till 19, but in all other ways had been exposed to so many sexual things. What does it even matter to be a physical virgin if your mind is so tainted with those other things?

Has sex honestly been at the core of my issues? I lean towards no, but looking back on all this I feel like there’s still so much to unpack there. 10 years old felt like my first big shift in life. 19 years old was another big one, which I guess DOES end up boiling back down to sex (I fell in love with a man, and wanted to be with him more than anything I’ve ever wanted in life). Maybe Freud was right lol.

But if it’s really my issue, then why don’t I feel like my past is resolved? I have a flourishing, satisfied sexual life now. Wouldn’t my love life be suffering now if that was the crux of my issue? I feel like there’s something else to be discovered there.

Control. The strict upbringing of my family. The constant restraints of my youth. I could not become close friends with kids from school. What was the point? It’s not like my mom would ever let me hang out with them. I could not seriously explore sports or hobbies. What was the point? I could not join a school sport or club. I quickly learned ambition and extroversion were futile. I was forced to be social and active in an extremely small, previously approved square. Religion above all else.

[ibolyafagyi]

social pressures eating my ass up.......... i freak out about making new irl contacts online, as in adding someone i met in real life ; and im also insecure trying to measure up with my few instagram numbers on my private account. because my numbers are low, its like im elevating the ppl that i do have contact with, like those 20 ppl are my bffs, which is not at all true. its a couple past dating app matches, a really few legit friends, a few of their friends, loose university contacts.

i want everyone to see me quietly, unknowingly, and know that im interesting.

i dont want to make new contacts.

i dont want to be "someone who cares about this".

so many ppl from my major have hundreds of followers, insta baddies, strangely preoccupied with a niche aesthetic, that at the end still feels alien to me. i wanna be like that, but also i havent been collecting contacts since years ago, and i feel like i still dont do it "right" currently, i dont wanna add new contacts... i dont want to look at and care for other people, i want people to care for me, reinforce me!

i feel like i need a token friend in my learnt language (my major). it feels, seems easy for others to do, n i feel like im late again, just like in all my teens about making friends and making steps in socialization. i am at the same time literally running from the exchange student i ended up in contact with. and it makes me feel small that i dont wanna meet her. and if i think about my therapist picking at this and asking why, i get soooo annoyed. ik its telling something, it may be regressive to not engage, but i wont cuz i have a lot on my plate rn, even if i miss this specific opportunity. might be bc of the selfishness of give me x, but i dont wanna give you anything.

reading back, all this seems so juvenile. its not like people have more authentic connections cuz they have instagram contacts.

i hate my therapist for making these problems so everyday in their nature, like what steps can we do to do that simple thing that im insecure about. in my brain i know it, i have the voice telling me it, that its not glorious and not dramatic and not huge, but i dont internalize ngl!!! cuz i hate the ungloriousness of it!! i preemptively feel stupid about them. i take them seriously, but it feels like this sentiment wants to cancel that, emotionally. they are huge things for me, and it feels so dissatisfying that others are incapable of seeing me/it that way, that its just another small thing for them, my big step a dust in their universe..... is that self-centeredness and immaturity? i mean yea. is it also perhaps a wound? i mean it could be?

i have other friends i havent written back to in a year. i have my high school classmates i was never comfortable with. ik its mostly about getting over it. no ones even forcing my hand to be besties with anyone, to go back and befriend my high school class at a reunion. it just comes back exactly because im stressed and insecure ----------

this loneliness sucks so fucking bad!

i hate overindulgent introverts bc this is that side of me! wallowing in own sadness. i wanted to believe i just have to believe in connection with other people, but it doesnt necessarily work just like that. i cant know. i cant decide. i cant just go in and feel fine and connected always. the answer to this particular step isnt "just suck it up and extrovert more". its not "introvert and find yourself cool by yourself" either.

i dont want it to be "stop thinking about yourself so much" either. cuz come on >:( i have to be between people all day everyday, changing situations, how could i stop perceiving my percepted perception! instagram is that perception hyperrealized. its an imitation and caricaturization of that same reality, but also it *is* a part of reality, its not like its not. ugh

[moondoposting]

do you have any good places to start reading the mk comics?

yes!

MOON KNIGHT (2016) #1-14

what people are talking about when they mention the "lemire run". first issue looks like this:

features:

amazing art

inventive storytelling and story concept

analysis of marc spector as a character

exploration of his jewish upbringing, mental health, and origin as moon knight

the inspiration for many of the show's aesthetics and set pieces

not gonna say much more, just go read it

it’s very much a coming together of a lot of moon knight characters from across the comics, but it’s still very enjoyable without prior knowledge. you can quickly pick up on the characters and their dynamics, but if you’re at all confused just look them up :) the main ones are gena, crowley, marlene, and frenchie.

that’d be my main starter recommendation, but here are some other great ones! (under the cut because this got very long):

MOON KNIGHT (2014)

it’s like a series of shorter, contained stories. they’re really fun and have some great art!

this run is often referred to by the first author's surname (ie. ellis), but be aware that this writer is a real POS so it would be best to avoid calling it that. upon recommendation ive starting to refer to it as the "shalvey run" or just "2014", cause it actually involves a lot more than just 1 artist.

they’re collected into 3 volumes that look like this:

features:

accessible, largely self contained stories!

fast paced - sometimes brutal - action

the origin of mr knight!

marc khonshu divorce arc

marc living in an abandoned hotel with a bunch of ghosts cause he’s a loser he pushed all his friends away

this one story that’s told almost entirely through camera/phone footage. it’s really cool when you see it

MOON COPTER

MOON KNIGHT (2021)

the mackay run. it does reference some things that happened in previous comics, but honestly all you need to know is that khonshu tried to take over the world and got put in jail for it. also marc technically has a kid. but it barely comes up. the first issue looks like this:

features:

the midnight mission, moon knight’s open door hero service/church of khonshu

more analysis of marc spector et al.

WHAT’S THAT, 8-BALL? I CAN’T HEAR YOU OVER THE SOUND OF THE INDUSTRIAL CAR SHREDDER!

the origin of hunter’s moon, another servant of khonshu!

mr knight sleeping in a sarcophagus like a vampire

MOON KNIGHT (2016) #188-200

the bemis run. it's numbered strangely because marvel changed the way they number their issues, but this follows directly after lemire. the first issue looks like this:

i…. hmm.. i have mixed feelings about this run. it has some really really fun stuff involving the other alters, but i kind of despise bemis’s writing. he loves to constantly refer to marc as “crazy” and in general seems to write with less love than the previous lemire stuff, if that makes sense? so i recommend it with the caveat that it has some uhhh cringe moments

features:

fun (and not so fun) system shenanigans

they have a kid??? more news at 8

origin of another avatar, this time of ra!

jake being fucking unhinged (sometimes derogatory)

the origin of the system's DID (specifically #194 if you just wanna read that, it’s pretty stand-alone tbh. content warning for discussions of the holocaust and nazism)

i honestly might just make a master post of fun system moments so people don’t have to read bemis LMAO

FINAL NOTES

there are a lot of things that are different from the show to comics but the main ones are:

steven grant is a playboy billionaire film producer, not a soft spoken gift shop-ist

marc is as aware of jake as he is of steven and vice versa. jake is also general not more violent than marc is, but is a bit rougher around the edges.

mr. knight =/= steven grant and moon knight =/= marc spector. it depends on the writer, but generally they are separate personas/alters and are almost always not tied to a single alter

while the DID rep in the show has its flaws, it is far more considerate than the majority of comic runs. outside of lemire and mackay, writers have not done the best to respectfully examine marc's mental illness so please be aware of that

other than that, have fun with it! these comics are great and i hope you enjoy them

[ichayalovesyou]

Gray-Ace/Sex Repulsed SNW Spock: Feeling Seen as a Graysexual Man 💜🖤🤍

Spock being gray-asexual and sex repulsed/neutral is basically 100% canon at this point thanks to Strange New Worlds, there’s very little denying it. And! I am SO happy!!

We never get talked about, especially not us ace dudes, and certainly not on-screen! I feel so goddamn seen by SNW Spock in this regard it’s kinda crazy.

Spock is out here RUNNING away from T’Pring, his own goddamn fiancé, because he’s not emotionally attracted to her enough and/or hasn’t known her long enough to be comfortable having sex with her for the most part. That absolutely tracks!

I mean, he’d rather cut his shore leave short to go help space dad than have obligatory highly logically commemorative engagement sex after T’Pring proposed to him! Even though he said yes! (Because he’s An Idiot 💕)

The one time they did do the deed was because they hit an emotional breakthrough understanding each other, or at least felt like they did. *cue Looking For Love (In All The Wrong Places)*

And even AFTER that, Spock NOPES the fuck out (complete with a tea spit take) when T’Pring brings up human sex stuff in Serene Squall. And they’re not even in person it’s a fucking Zoom call! 😂😂😂 They are SO not at all on the same page! Poor guy!! Chapel, Christine honey please help a guy out and tell him what asexuality is! Please! It’ll make things so much less painful for him for the love of gods!

If y’all think SNW’s Spock arc changed the fact that he canonically has an extreme aversion to sex (at the very least sex with T’Pring) I really don’t think we’ve been watching the same show??

The fundamental thing wrong with their relationship is Spock straight up doesn’t wanna have sex with her. But he has NO idea how to articulate it! That’s a BIG deal! And super relatable!! He’s doing literally everything else other than tell her he doesn’t like sex. He’s avoiding her through work, he has sex with her because it feels like he should, he cuts the most casual conversation about sex short because he’s uncomfortable!

Like, I have BEEN where Spock is right now, with so many relationships!! Some partners understood, some of them really, r e a l l y did not. And I didn’t know how to label it until a while after I started having serious adult relationships.

I also definitely know what it’s like to feel compelled by the expectations of your culture or partner or family to be more intimate with somebody than your ever going to be comfortable with. No matter how much you love or feel emotionally/physically/aesthetically attracted to them.

None of that is gonna change the fact that you Do Not Like Sex, you can experience sexual thoughts/desires and still dislike having sex! Spock is struggling the way a lot of people who fall on the ace spectrum do, myself included!

Anyway, Spock is and always has been ace and I am HERE for the queer representation, even if they aren’t saying it out loud 🖖🏻 (yet?)

[theskeletonprior]

Tag 10 People You Wanna Get to Know Better

I was tagged by @pinespittinink and I actually have a day off (sort of) so here we are.

Relationship Status: Married. I’m polyamorous, but I’m not seeking any additional partners at this time. Favorite Color(s): This is nebulous for me. Black is always good. Favorite Food: I struggle with my appetite, so it’s hard to pin down any particular favorites. I think that fondue and hot pot is one of the most delightful ways to enjoy a meal. Tonkotsu ramen is also very good. Butter chicken comes to mind. Song Stuck in My Head: None, presently, blessedly. But I had People Are Strange by the Doors in my head for two days recently. Last Thing You Googled: The Ratman of Southend. Time: 1:20pm EST. Dream Trip: I just want to get back to my polycule. But I’d also love to take a long train trip across Canada, and visit BC. I want to see the redwoods! Last Thing You Read: I just finished Uzumaki by Junji Ito, which I enjoyed thoroughly. He really can’t do wrong by me. I love how visceral, and how dynamic his images are. I’m also reading an ARC of Fayne by Ann-Marie Macdonald. Last Book You Enjoyed Reading: I lately finished A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson, which was a pleasant treat. The experience of eating a nice bonbon, but as expressed by reading. Favorite Thing to Cook/Bake: Oh, I do not like to cook. I think if I had my own kitchen, that might change. I have an interest in putting together charming little lunches, and that sort of thing. But since I don’t, I don’t really have any favorites. Favorite Craft to do in Your Free Time: Bookbinding. I love making little books. I also like origami, though I’m not particularly talented at it--paper stars are about as far as I go, these days. Most Niche Dislike: I hate, I hate, I hate the deckled edge on books. It’s hideous, and it disrupts my reading experience because I have to page-turn from the bottom. I also don’t like French flaps, because they make your book gape open. I also also don’t like when there are just testimonials on the back of a book instead of a pitch.  Opinion on Circuses: They’re all right. Aesthetically, I’m not particularly moved by them. But I do like to watch acrobats and aerialists and contortionists and that sort of thing. It’s impressive. Do You Have Any Sense of Direction: My sense of direction is middling. I can follow directions, but when wayfinding on my own I can get turned around.

This is an open tag. Feel free to answer these yourself and tag me.