#aesthetic threads market

[lalsingh228-blog]

Aesthetic Threads Market May Set New Growth Story

Advance Market Analytics published a new research publication on "Aesthetic Threads Market Insights, to 2028" with 232 pages and enriched with self-explained Tables and charts in presentable format. In the Study you will find new evolving Trends, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities generated by targeting market associated stakeholders. The growth of the Aesthetic Threads market was mainly driven by the increasing R&D spending across the world.

Get Free Exclusive PDF Sample Copy of This Research @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/87871-global-aesthetic-threads-market The Aesthetic Threads Market report covers extensive analysis of the key market players, along with their business overview, expansion plans, and strategies. The key players studied in the report include: Aptos International Ltd (Georgia),  Croma Pharma GmbH (Austria),  Sinclair Pharma (England),  River Aesthetics (United Kingdom), Healux Corporation  (India), Intraline (England), Metro Korea Co., Ltd. (South Korea), Hansbiomed Co. Ltd. (South Korea), Aesthetic Experts Lab (England), N-Finders Co. Ltd (South Korea). Definition: Fueling Demand for Anti-Aging Treatments will help to lead the global aesthetic threads market in forecasted periods. Aesthetic threads are referred to medical sutures that are injected using a needle underneath the skin, to lift and rejuvenate the skin. Suspension threads are one type of elongated cosmetic threads that have cones or barbs, which pull backward on sagging skin when injected with a pointer into the marked area on the face skin. Rejuvenation threads are another type that has less of a lifting mechanism, but fuel natural collagen creation, when injected underneath the skin. The technique is gaining approval these days due to its shortened process time of less than an hour. The technique is also popular as a lunch hour facelift or weekend facelift. The following fragment talks about the Aesthetic Threads market types, applications, End-Users, Deployment model etc. A thorough analysis of Aesthetic Threads Market Segmentation: by Type (Suspension Line, Rejuvenation Line), Indications (Face Lift, Skin Rejuvenation, Ptosis), End User (Hospital, Beauty Salon, Other) Aesthetic Threads Market Drivers:

Up Surging Inclination for Minimally Invasive Surgeries

High Demand due to Invasive Treatments for Face Lifting as well as Face Rejuvenation

Rising Geriatric Population

Aesthetic Threads Market Trends:

Growing Demand for Suspension Thread Is a Minimally Invasive Surgical Technique

Fueling Demand for Anti-Aging Treatments

Increasing Use in the Combination Treatment Approach

Aesthetic Threads Market Growth Opportunities:

Introduction of New Technologies And New 4D Thread Lifting Technique

Huge Adoption Rate of the Procedure and Launch of New Safe, Effective and Economical Products

As the Aesthetic Threads market is becoming increasingly competitive, it has become imperative for businesses to keep a constant watch on their competitor strategies and other changing trends in the Aesthetic Threads market. Scope of Aesthetic Threads market intelligence has proliferated to include comprehensive analysis and analytics that can help revamp business models and projections to suit current business requirements. We help our customers settle on more intelligent choices to accomplish quick business development. Our strength lies in the unbeaten diversity of our global market research teams, innovative research methodologies, and unique perspective that merge seamlessly to offer customized solutions for your every business requirement. Have Any Questions Regarding Global Aesthetic Threads Market Report, Ask Our Experts@ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/87871-global-aesthetic-threads-market Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Aesthetic Threads Market:

Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the Aesthetic Threads market

Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary and the basic information of the Aesthetic Threads Market.

Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges & Opportunities of the Aesthetic Threads

Chapter 4: Presenting the Aesthetic Threads Market Factor Analysis, Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis.

Chapter 5: Displaying the by Type, End User and Region/Country 2018-2022

Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the Aesthetic Threads market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile

Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by Manufacturers/Company with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions (2023-2028)

Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source

Finally, Aesthetic Threads Market is a valuable source of guidance for individuals and companies. Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/87871-global-aesthetic-threads-market What benefits does AMA research study is going to provide?

Latest industry influencing trends and development scenario

Open up New Markets

To Seize powerful market opportunities

Key decision in planning and to further expand market share

Identify Key Business Segments, Market proposition & Gap Analysis

Assisting in allocating marketing investments

Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Middle East, Africa, Europe or LATAM, Southeast Asia. Contact US : Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) AMA Research & Media LLP Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA – 08837 Phone: +1 201 565 3262, +44 161 818 8166 sales@advancemarketanalytics.com

[ohnoitstbskyen]

re: Somerton

Not for nothing, but I think we should remember that James Somerton's fans and subscribers are normal people, just like you. They are people who received his output in good faith, and extended to him a normal amount of grace and benefit of the doubt, which he took advantage of.

I don't think it's helpful to respond to the exposé on Somerton with sentiments along the lines of "wow, how could anyone ever think THIS GUY'S videos were any good, ha ha ha, how did he ever get subscribers?" because 1) you have the substantial benefit of hindsight and a disengaged outsider perspective, and 2) it's a rhetoric that creates a divide between you (refined, savvy, smart, sophisticated) and Somerton's audience (gullible, unrefined, easily taken advantage of, terrible taste), which is a false divide, with a false sense of security.

Somerton's success happened because he stole good writing. He found interesting, insightful, in-depth work done by other people, applied the one skill he actually has which is marketing, and re-packaged it as his own. He targeted a market which is starving for the exact kind of writing he was stealing, and pushed his audience to disengage from sources that conflicted with him.

Hbomberguy makes this point in his exposé video: good queer writing is hard to find and incredibly easy to lose. The writers Somerton stole from were often poor or precarious, writing freelance work for small circles under shitty conditions, without the means or the reach or the privileges necessary to find bigger markets. And, as Hbomb demonstrated, when people did discover Somerton's plagiarism, he used his substantial audience to hound them away and dissuade anyone else from trying to hold him accountable.

He stole queer writing by marginalized people, about experiences and perspectives that people are desperate to hear more about, and even if his delivery and aesthetics were naff, his words resonated with people because the original writers who actually wrote them poured their goddamn hearts and souls into it.

Somerton also maintained a consistent narrative of persecution and marginalization about himself. He took the plain truth, which is that queer people and perspectives are discriminated against, and worked that into a story about himself as a lone, brave truth-teller, daring to voice an authentic queer perspective, constantly beset by bigots and adversaries who sought to tear him down. As @aranock, who works with some of the people he targeted, writes in this post, Somerton weaponized whatever casual bias and bigotry he could find in his audience to reinforce his me vs them narrative (usually misogyny and various forms of transphobia), which is what grifters do. They find a vulnerable thread in a community and pull on it. And while you may not have the particular vulnerability that he exploited, you do have vulnerabilities, and they can be exploited too.

People felt compelled to support him, even if his work was sometimes shoddy, because he presented himself as a vulnerable, marginalized person in need of help, he pulled on that vulnerable thread.

Again, he has a degree in marketing, and just like propaganda, nobody is immune to marketing.

YouTube as a system is set up to push for more, constantly more. More content, more videos, more output, more more more more, and part of Somerton and Illuminaughty's success was their ability to push out large amounts of content to the hungry algorithm, even if it was of inferior quality. The algorithm rewarded their volume of output with more eyeballs and attention, and therefore more opportunities to find people who were vulnerable to their grift.

It is a system which quite literally rewards the exact kind of plagiarism that they do, because watch-time and engagement are easily measurable metrics for a corporation, and academic rigor is not. There is pressure to deliver, and a lot of rewards to gain from cutting corners to do it.

Somerton and Illuminaughty and Internet Historian are extreme and very obvious cases, so blatant that you can make a four hour video essay exposing what they've done, but the vast majority of this kind of plagiarism isn't going to be obvious - sometimes it might not even be obvious to the people who are doing it. Casual plagiarism is endemic to the modern internet, and most people don't get educated on what the exact boundaries are between proper sourcing and quoting vs plagiarizing. We had an entire course module at my university aimed at teaching students the exact differences and definitions, and people still made good faith mistakes in their essays and papers that they had to learn to correct during their education.

All of this to say: it is extremely easy in hindsight to call Somerton's work shitty and shoddy, his aesthetics flat and uninspired, and to imagine that as a sophisticated person with good taste and critical faculties, you would never be taken in by this kind of grifter. It is extremely easy to distance yourself from the people he preyed on, and imagine that you will never have to worry about your fave doing your dirty like that.

But part of the point of Hbomberguy's video is that plagiarism is extremely easy to get away with, and often difficult for the average person to spot and call out, and with the rise of AI tools blurring the lines even further, it is not going to get any easier.

So I think we should resist the temptation to think of Somerton's audience as people with bad taste and poor faculties. We should resist the temptation to distance ourselves from the perfectly normal people he preyed on. Many times in your life, a modestly clever man with a marketing degree has fooled you too.

On a personal note, by the same token, I am resisting the temptation to assume that I am too good to be vulnerable to the systemic pressures that produced Somerton and Illuminaughty. No, I've never made a video by word-for-word reciting someone else's work, but I know for a fact that I could do a better job of double-checking my work and citing my sources. I feel the exact same pressure to get a video out as fast as possible, I have the exact same rewards dangled in front of me by YouTube as a platform, and I can't pretend it doesn't affect my work. To me, Hbomb's video felt like a wake-up call to do better.

[lunastrophe]

Drow Fashion 🕷️✨ Drow Textile Markets

Spider silks, particularly black spider silk and textiles that resemble spider webs, hold a special place in drow culture and fashion. Dark elves, though, use also other textiles in their clothing, depending on their social status, personal preferences and region they live in. Some raw materials, like wool of deep rothé and fibers of mushrooms, are usually easy to obtain and to process into cloth. Some less common or luxury materials, though, are obtainable only for wealthy drow.

🕷️ Raw Materials And Trade - like many other denizens of the Underdark, drow are often forced to rely mainly on local resources. In communities with connections to trade routes, merchants often ensure supply of raw materials like fibers, fleece, wool and threads, as well as semi-finished and finished products.

In large trading cities like Sshamath, drow typically have access to assorted goods from various regions – sometimes also from the surface. Some rare and valuable surface goods, including luxury textiles, are also occasionally transported to drow cities as raiding spoils, becoming possessions of noble drow and their houses. In general, though, surface fabrics, clothing items and accessories are rare in the Underdark, and they can be incredibly expensive there.

🕷️ Where To Buy? - drow-made textiles are among major products of numerous drow settlements, including cities like Menzoberranzan or Ched Nasad.

Dark elves typically like to dress as good as they can, so in drow communities, stores that specialize in selling fabrics and clothing tend to attract many customers – from large, fine cloth emporia of big cities to smaller shops and merchant stalls.

In Ched Nasad, one of such stores was located …along the side of the street leading to the plaza. (…) The store offered fashionable, decorative silk wraps and other clothing (T. Reid, Insurrection). Its building looked a bit quaint and it had a rounded roof that was shaped like a cocoon.

In Duthcloim, a district of Menzoberranzan know also as Manyfolk, there are many drow merchants who specialize in selling textiles and clothing. The most wealthy and influential ones are drow male Du’arthe Klendara and drow female Sh’aun Darnruel (E. Greenwood, Menzoberranzan, 2e).

🕷️ Drow As Customers - drow often look down their noses at goods produced by non-drow, considering them inferior. Despite of that, many wealthy dark elves appreciate materials and products that come from the surface, and are willing to pay for them – provided they are top quality, appeal to their aesthetics and personal tastes, and befit their station and rank.

Drow-made clothing materials and items typically surpass many others in quality, so dark elves, especially nobles, tend to be picky buyers, hard to impress and even harder to please.

🕷️ Noble Houses - not all drow need to rely on goods sold by merchants. Noble drow houses typically have their own skilled workers who can weave cloth, as well as craftsmen who can work cloth and other materials into garments (E. Greenwood, DotU, 2e).

For more of my drow lore ramblings, feel free to check my pinned post 🕷️

[thewadapan]

Spent today checking out The Amazing Digital Circus and Murder Drones, and god, the kids today have it so good when it comes to this sort of content. When I was a teen, I was obsessed with Red vs. Blue and RWBY, which I think it's fair to say are the equivalents of the time, and the sheer gulf in terms of writing quality and production value is stunning. I hear there were some rumblings of unprofessional conduct from the production company, which would hardly be surprising considering this is yet another guys-working-from-their-basement success story, but much bigger companies with much shittier business practises consistently put out much worse content than this.

The Amazing Digital Circus is definitely the better show of the two, thanks to its slam-dunk premise and some great writing from Gooseworx. The producers have talked about aiming to fill a perceived gap in the market between kids' cartoons (The Boss Baby) and adult animation (Bojack Horseman), and I think they have successfully threaded the needle to create a very unique tone. There's a sense of these works existing totally outside the mainstream media machine; they're not getting BBFC rated, but you just know millions of kids are watching them. It's on YouTube and the fact that it looks like some Frozen Spider-Man kids' slop just means da parents won't question what their kids are watching.

But truth be told, there's nothing objectionable about the content of The Amazing Digital Circus whatsoever. It's unusually metatextual and loosely apes the aesthetics of much darker media, touching on slightly more existential themes than your typical kids' cartoon, but it still has a lot in common with those same cartoons. The zany characters are all fairly one-note, and the emotional arcs of the episodes are honestly quite straightforward. The second episode in particular has an absolutely textbook plot structure to it. It's a far more self-assured and traditional style of writing than you ever see in this kind of independent work—certainly far more so than Murder Drones, which is written by an insane person.

More than anything, I'm reminded of how I felt watching Puella Magi Madoka Magica: that it's a very solid work of fiction, but that the people who'd get the most out of the work are isolated teens struggling to make the transition into adulthood. Certainly if nothing else, the fandoms of these shows must be bringing a lot of kids together around the world. I adore this soundbite from Goose: "Above anything else, I just wanted it to feel kind of lonely." You see Pomni's worldview shatter, she suddenly finds herself in a body that feels completely wrong, and she has to construct a new kind of belonging for herself.

As for Murder Drones, that show's absolutely fucking nuts, yo. The writing is at once painfully basic and utterly incomprehensible. If someone just sat down and explained the plot straightforwardly, it would be fantastically boring. But man, the presentation, the sheer delight the animators seem to approach every scene with...! I'd say it's clearly trying to use "the characters are robots" as an excuse to expose da kids to some absolutely shocking levels of gore, much like the Transformers movies, but midway through the series it starts straightup swapping the oil and wires for blood and bones and you've got to respect that.

The writing itself is so excruciatingly irony-poisoned that it goes beyond cringe and somehow wraps back around again to being sincerely funny. The show kind of wants to have its cake and eat it in terms of constantly lampshading how flat and cliché the emotional plotting is, but also clearly aiming to genuinely tug at the heartstrings and whip fans into a frenzy. And it kind of succeeds, I think! The way it veers between bizarrely high-effort implementations of memes, seriously cool fight scenes and horror visuals, and big emotional moments is very disarming. If The Amazing Digital Circus is an attempt to faithfully rework the American-cartoon formula for a slightly older audience, Murder Drones aims to crib the aesthetics of high-school cartoons while actively rejecting every traditional narrative technique used in those stories. Which means it's kind of bad, which means it's also kind of great.

If it's not already, then within a couple of years it will be deeply cringe to have ever been into Murder Drones in particular or (to a slightly lesser extent) The Amazing Digital Circus, in much the same way that everyone seems embarrassed to admit they were ever a Homestuck fan. But like with Homestuck, I feel like these series are genuinely pushing at the frontiers of storytelling in a way that's commendable and might inspire new kinds of writing once the fans grow up.

ENA is also pretty good, for the record.

[fereldanwench]

👀 please share your thoughts on the emp threads and especially goro’s vanity I’d love to know more

Happy to oblige!!!

So for those who don't know, EMP threading in the Cyberpunk world is a type of cyberware that appeared towards the end of the Red Decades/Time of the Red, likely in the late 2040s. It was believed at the time that it could protect its wearer against electromagnetic interference from more intense cybernetics (like weapon augmentations and the like) and radiation. However, that was never scientifically confirmed, and in my opinion, it was probably some sci-fi woo-woo marketing bullshit.

It's cataloged as fashionware in the TTPRG, which means that it doesn't really increase the risk for cyberpsychosis and other negative side effects the way the real shit does. It's basically just about aesthetics and typically has little functional purpose.

I believe it was Goro's writer, Philip Weber, who confirmed on one Pawel's Twitch streams in fall 2021 that the markings on Goro's face are EMP threads and not "proper" cyberware. (I don't feel like tracking down the link right this second, but when I have a little more time I can verify and/or amend the exact source in the comments. I do know that Goro definitely has EMP threading.)

Goro's exact age has never been confirmed--We've just been told he's at least 45 years old in 2077, although I personally always felt like that was too young. My initial guess was early to mid-60s, and then I bumped my headcanon down to 55ish to find a happy medium between the two. Regardless, he's likely somewhere between his late teens to late 20s when EMP threading is gaining popularity, and I feel like this sort of new trendy cyberware probably has much greater appeal to young adults who are really finding their personal style and identity and whatnot.

So I've always had two different but not necessarily conflicting thoughts about Goro's EMP threading:

He got them for practical purposes, thinking they would enhance his abilities and make him an even better little super soldier for Arasaka-sama. Or maybe Arasaka even made their soldiers get them at one point, buying into the idea that they did have a functional purpose.

He got them because he just wanted to look cool. 😎 And I mean, he does still have them, even after presumably something traumatic damaged a part of the threading (that scar, to me, looks like it happened after the threading was implanted given how perfectly it lines up against the remaining thread), so I think there's some conscious fashion/style decision here. I don't see them as being something he'd have a hard time getting removed if he really wanted to.

And like I said: these don't even necessarily have to conflict. Maybe he got them on his own because he thought they'd be functional AND looked cool. 😎

As for Goro's youthful vanity--I really don't have any hard evidence or anything to back up this headcanon, it's just kind of one of those Vibes™️ type things based on the very little he shares about his life before Arasaka.

He does mention that he and his peers always made it a point to wash before the Arasaka transports would roll through Chiba, and I could see him really leaning in hard to having impeccable hygiene, which could also extend to style, to try to distance himself from his streetkid beginnings. Between the bullying we see with David in the Arasaka academy in Edgerunners and real-life stories my husband has shared from his time in a military academy, I imagine Goro was probably surrounded by some real fuckin' assholes who would love to take him down for anything they possibly could, so it would be not just a matter of pride, but self-preservation.

Goro also mentioned that he lacked discipline before Arasaka, and I think he was probably a fuckin' handful when he was younger. I just really love the idea of him being a vain, arrogant pain in the ass in his teens and early 20s and having a major humbling moment in the field, like losing fellow soldiers due to his over-confidence. (Side note: his time as a soldier is probably the era of his life I want to know the most about--He has that line about Saburo understanding what it was like, and I feel like if Goro can identify with someone who served in WWII that he's probably seen some shit.)

So yeah! There's probably other shit I left out, but this is basically the gist of my Goro's EMP Threading as a Symbol of Vanity thesis, lmao

[glamrpevents]

Glamcity, we're heading to France! Prepare to be enchanted as we whisk you away to the beautiful and captivating city of Marseille, nestled on the sun-kissed shores of southern France. Marseille, often hailed as the "Gateway to the Mediterranean," beckons with its irresistible blend of old-world charm and cosmopolitan allure. Lose yourself in the rich tapestry of Marseille's history as you wander through its ancient streets, where each cobblestone whispers tales of bygone eras. Marvel at the architectural splendor of landmarks like the majestic Notre-Dame de la Garde, perched atop the city's highest point, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the azure coastline below. Indulge your senses in the breathtaking aromas wafting from bustling markets, where colorful stalls overflow with fresh produce, artisanal cheeses, and fragrant spices. Savor the culinary delights of Marseille's renowned bouillabaisse, a traditional fish stew bursting with flavors that will transport you to gastronomic heaven. But Marseille is not just a feast for the senses—it's also a playground for the adventurous soul. Dive into the crystal-clear waters of Calanques National Park, where dramatic limestone cliffs plunge into turquoise seas, inviting you to explore hidden coves and secret beaches. As the sun sets, surrender to the city's infectious joie de vivre as its vibrant nightlife comes alive. From chic rooftop bars overlooking the glittering harbor to cozy wine bars tucked away in labyrinthine alleyways, Marseille offers endless opportunities to toast to new adventures and unforgettable memories. So pack your bags and join us on this journey to Marseille, where every street corner holds the promise of discovery, and every moment is infused with the magic of the Mediterranean. Get ready to fall in love with the charm, beauty, and boundless allure of this enchanting city. A bientôt à Marseille!

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION BELOW THE CUT:

This event will take place from Friday May 17th until Sunday May 26th, 2024.

All celebrities within the group are invited and are expected to participate in some capacity.

As this is an event that spans over the course of more than a week, we will ask that you put all non-event threads on hold, as we hope for active participation for the event.

All characters will be staying at the same hotel for the sake of convenience within the group. The roommate list will be posted the day before the event takes place.

Threads, paragraphs and interactions written for the event should be tagged with GLAMCITYMARSEILLE + GLAMCITYEVENT004

We highly encourage people to post event outfits and aesthetics. These should be tagged with GLAMCITYOUTFIT.

Please like this post once you've read it!

ADDITIONAL INFO

As we prepare for our upcoming excursion to Marseille, we'd like to remind all participants that while this trip offers a wonderful opportunity for relaxation and exploration, it's also a chance for your characters to engage in group activities that will be posted in the coming days. These activities are designed to enhance the overall experience and foster interaction among characters.

We kindly request that all participants make an effort to participate in these planned activities to enrich the collective narrative and ensure everyone's enjoyment. However, if for any reason your character is unable to join the scheduled events, we encourage you to still have them explore and enjoy the city of Marseille independently.

Attendance at this event is mandatory for all characters. If your character is currently on tour or vacationing abroad, please arrange for them to go to France for the event. For characters who are married, we will naturally accommodate their marital status and assign them roommates accordingly. However, please communicate with the admins if this applies to your character. Failure to do so may result in the assignment of a random roommate.

To ensure everyone has some input regarding their roommates, please send us an ask or an IM with one person you'd prefer to room with and one person you would not prefer to room with. Even if your preference is random, please provide two names. We kindly request that these names be sent within the next 48 hours to allow ample time for us to organize everyone into groups of three.

Additionally, it is required that attendees interact with their roommates at least once during the event.

[marshmallowprotection]

Mystic Messenger 7th Summer Event

I was on the money with my speculation. I was right on the money and there is nothing you guys can do to stop me from talking about this photo in its entirety. Oh, my God. I am frothing at the mouth at this very moment because Cheritz gave me everything I could have ever wanted in a photo.

It's Ray DRESSED as Unknown, and that is someone I never saw coming.

See, I have egg on my face because they said Ray in their post last night and I never thought they were going to throw this at me. That's because they've never done something like this before. Usually, when he is mislabeled, it's just one of those things that happen now and again because of marketing or trying to avoid spoilers, but in this case, they actually went out of their way to bamboozle me.

I never could have expected something like this. I am most definitely not complaining because this isn't something I didn't know I needed in my life. Unknown and Ray are my favorites so the fact that they are combined in this situation is sending me. I didn't know I needed this but I'm happy that I have it.

On that note, does anybody have commissions open because I need more Idol Ray in my life? I want my MC to be in the audience cheering him on with a penlight.

When I tell you guys I cried when I saw this, I am not kidding about that. I cried. There are a lot of reasons why I cried and we'll get into that in a second. First I think we need to appreciate this for what it is. I think this is the first time in a long time my speculation has been 100% accurate.

This photo is split into three different parts just as I expected it would be, Rika is trying to pedal the soda, and V is in his believer robes which I joked about because the color was accurate but I wasn't sure if they would actually go through with it, and Ray painted his fingernails and that's sending me to Heaven.

V cannot believe what he is seeing. Need I remind everybody in this fandom that his mother was a musician and knowing that fact makes this a hell of a lot funnier when you consider this was Rika's plot. I would not put it past her to have thought about using music as a ploy to mess with him, not only because it's something they shared with her love of Zen, but because she wants to use everything she has against V.

The context in this situation is amazing. I don't know if any of you have seen the new Twitter thread but I'm going to share it with you.

[Link]

When I tell you guys I screamed, I mean it. I screamed because Ray was so smug when he said he has a cute face. That was a lot of confidence in a short amount of time, and if he looked at me after saying that, I would have melted and done anything he told me to do. I mean, I would already do that in general, he knows what I am.

She literally decided out of the blue that she was just going to sell him out because he has a cute face. I mean, she's not wrong, but that's such a Rika thing to do. After all, it's not the first time she pushed him into being an idol.

So, what I'm going to say here is a little silly. I have to tell all of you the implication of what this photo means. This is Ray and he is dressed as Unknown. He has no means to be able to dress that way without us helping him.

That means the MC is the one that chose his wardrobe for him.

That means we are the ones who looked at him and his princely attire and decided he needed to look like he just walked out of Hot Topic. See, my favorite type of character is a toss-between princely and edgelord, so that's even funnier to me. Saeran Choi is my full package deal when it comes to aesthetics, I swear.

I wouldn't want to change Ray out of his magenta coat to dress like Unknown. Well, I say that, but if I tell him to wear that and he takes off the jacket, then I can put it on... oh, yes. That's the best way to get a boyfriend's sweater.

But it is the single-handed thought that the MC is the one that put him in this outfit that is sending me to another plane of existence. Can you imagine doing that to him? Because that is way more funny to me than the idea that Ray chose to wear that himself. But it is always possible that he did choose to wear it himself because he often says that his taste and clothes are nothing like the outfit Rika gave him.

I also need to point out that that tattoo would have had to have been drawn on with Sharpie or temporary ink. He doesn't have the tattoo in Another Story. That is a fact that a lot of people get confused about despite the fact that we are shown a visual of him in the shower that proves he doesn't have a huge tattoo.

I suppose you could read this as a bonus AU where in some universe, Ray is the one who gets the tattoo first... which, ouch, I don't know if I can handle that... "I proved myself, body and mind, to my Savior so it isn't possible she'll throw me away. If I brand myself with the cause of Mint Eye... I'll... I'll be safe."

But, what that also implies is that there is a picture of him with that tattoo drawn in some capacity lingering in his room at Magenta. It also means that despite the fact that he and Suit Saeran inevitably disappear after not being able to live up to the potential the Savior wants them to, Unknown stumbles across that design.

Ray: QUICK, I HAVE TO DESIGN SOMETHING EDGY FOR THIS OUTFIT.

Ray: A dragon!

Ray: ME for Mint Eye!

Ray: This certainly won't effect anything later in life!

Two and a Half years later...

Unknown: I don't know who designed this tattoo but it's sick. I need it on my body.

It is so gut-wrenchingly painful for me to think about that. It means that a piece of Ray still exists. Unknown does not even know where that tattoo came from nor does he know who designed it. Because he doesn't get to know Ray one-on-one since I personally believe he isn't Suit Saeran. I view Unknown and Suit Saeran as separate people, after all.

The reason why he has the tattoo is because Ray drew it. I have long wondered where he came up with the idea for the tattoo, and it turns out it wasn't Unknown at all. Ray was the one who drew it and I don't know what to do with that information other than cry.

The Savior only gave him a short amount of time to figure out how to be an idol and he said I'm going to have a tattoo. Sure, should we just assume this is an Easter Egg and the artist might not have known all the details involved in the story of Mystic Messenger? Sure, you can think that, but for the sake of my enjoyment, I'm going along with the theory that I'm right, lol.

That's something that an idol has. Ray says. He draws a sick dragon and a twisted ME. That tattoo is so large and ridiculous, but I love it dearly. Ray, honey, You Are My Forever Babe. But I don't know what to do with you sometimes.

[If you want to know how I think Unknown gets the tattoo, I have a post on that.]

Rika looks amazing here and there is no lie about that. I actually really like the outfit she's wearing even though we can't see a lot of it. It speaks to a music festival because of how simple but trendy it appears. She's trying to be that friendly face that can do no wrong. She wants you to buy her homemade soda, and you should do that.

You should do that right now. It's good for you. There's nothing wrong with it.

A little bubbly soda won't hurt you. What do you mean it's burning your throat as we speak? It's not doing that at all! You're just excited by the electric energy of this concert! Drink more soda! I think the important question to ask ourselves here is how many cans of soda did she bottle and does she think it's going to work out as well as she thinks it does?

I don't think we need to talk about the fact that she is wearing a cross necklace. I don't want to unpack her religious trauma right now. I don't have time to do that right now but I will say it made me laugh my ass off. On a side note, her hair looks good here and I'm jealous of it.

This man looks like his soul just left his body.

I don't know what he's thinking at this very specific moment in time but I know he's not happy to realize that Rika has decided to sell out Ray as an idol. I mean that's probably the last thing he expected to happen. But, it makes sense, Rika loves music and if she thought it would work, she would absolutely push Saeran, Ray, Unknown, etc, into doing that for her. But, it hurts to think about V... to think about those complicated feelings he holds about his mother...

He kind of wanted to learn how to play the violin to get closer to his mother... He's already got complicated feelings about musicians and I don't know if his adopted son here being an idol is doing much good for him. It reminds me of the bad ending in the RAE.

He wasn't particularly comfortable in that situation either and this just reminds me of that. Which is a shame, because that ending is so horrible. It is one of the worst endings that you can get in this entire series.

I don't think we need to get into that in general, but just know that if you want to hurt yourself, aim to get that bad ending. If I can say nothing else, I'm really happy to see his long hair because I think it's the most attractive aesthetic for him. I've always liked that style on him a lot more than the traditional one. I don't know what it is about that look for him but it just works. He's like a wet kitten in a cardboard box.

I can't believe she decided to hold the concert at 7:00 p.m. I mean, I can most certainly believe she would do that, but it feels like spitting in Ray's face. Why would you do that, Rika? I know it's just a cute little Easter egg to remind us of his brother but oh my God that's awful.

I don't think anybody I've seen talking about this has pointed it out but the background colors are literally the same as Ray and V's hearts. It's the magenta and teal hearts. I thought that was a good touch. I do know that it's also in homage to the fact that it's Mint Eye and the building is called Magenta. It's a 2-in-1 package deal. Just like the fact that I got to see Ray dressed as Unknown. This is a two-for-one deal!

I do think it's interesting that they chose to make the penlights white. That means his image color is white. Oh, yeah, idols have image colors that correlate to those penlights so those things are very important! I didn't expect white. But, I didn't expect him to be an idol ever again after that bad ending. I mean that ending is horrible but he has great hair in it so like we're winning and losing.

Best day of my life. I won Unknown and Ray.

[dathomirdumpsterfire]

~Chapter 3: Haunted, Hunted, & Other Fun Hobbies~

[Ao3 link below the read more, at the end.]

It begins the day after Maul makes his return to Dathomir. 

The sith is elbows deep in datapads trying to gain background knowledge on the Crimson Dawn's next venture: an escargot farm, of all things, for a particular breed of shellfish. One that acts as a nearly universal aphrodisiac when eaten. Vos had declared the market for it 'an untapped niche' with projected gains in the 'I could buy a moon every other year' category. 

He already has a planet. Dathomir is more or less his, but Maul thinks he might like a moon or two. Besides, one never knew when they might need a spare astral body in his line of work. Perhaps for trade, perhaps for crashing into things. He is flexible. 

One minute he is reviewing zoology documents made by a mon calamari, and then gently, like a cloud over the sun, he is being watched.

His spine straightens and the sith pulls his sense of self tight to his skin, guarding himself while attempting to observe the observer. The presence slips through his fingers, but he too slips through theirs. They go round and round like two predators in the night, stalking each other through the flow of the force. 

Eventually the feeling fades, and Maul is left alone in his office space, perturbed. He waits an hour or more, patient and wary, but the sensation of being sought does not return.

He exhales heavily through his nose and returns to reading about aquarium keeping, stopping only to make snacks, refresh the tea pot, and stretch his back.

Dathomir's red star sinks below the horizon. Domir takes with it the light that had been coming in from the floor-to-ceiling windows, leaving the spectacular view of the sunrise canyon in deepening purple hues. Maul takes this as his cue to end the day.

The sith stalks out of his simplistic office, and heads to the end of the hallway. The decor transitions from plasteel to roughly carved redstone at the doorway, from the soft orange glow of sodium-vapor bulbs to flickering oil lanterns and magelight. He had appointed the bedroom den at the end of the hall with far more dathomirian aesthetics than the modern office space. 

Some furniture he had been able to scavenge from the temple, mostly of carved stone, though there were a few precious wooden pieces left unburnt by the droid army among them. A small table, a few mismatched chairs, and a hefty trunk. The rest of his furnishings Maul had collected from offworld. 

The result is… functional. Quiet and dark. The bed space is large and comfortable, partially carved back into the wall for extra protection. Nowhere is too open. Everything he wishes to be reminded of has a place to sit, somewhere he can see. 

Dim candles light all the cracks and corners without hurting his eyes. There are books and scrolls to read, an orb recovered from his mother’s temple, projects to tinker with in idle moments. It is… good, he thinks. Though he might reorganize his memory items again. Later. 

For now, he plans to undress, bathe, and-

w

  a

   t

    c

     h

    i

  n

g

 

l

o

  o

    k

      i

       n

       g

          f

               o

                      r                                                      ?

                                     y       o       u           ?

Maul whips around, expecting a physical presence, but there is no one and nothing there. He coats himself in a basic spell of obfuscating mist and draws his force presence close to his hearts, under his skin. 

The observer tries to catch him up with a searching pattern that feels like smokey claws and gossamer hairs, winding ribbons and closing jaws. Threads, deceptive in their affectionate creeping. 

"One?" he rasps in the empty hallway, "No… more. Several." 

There are so many aspects of force trying to locate him that surely it must be a ritual, fueled by multiple people. Four or five, at bare minimum. He would guess it was his former master's doing, but surely Sidious would not need to look for him so much as come for him if he decided to spare the effort. 

So who? Who?

But to look with that part of him which can See is to open himself, and Maul is not certain of the wisdom in letting this coven of force users near him just for the chance to find them.

Sweat beads on his scalp, dripping down and sliding off his chin. The effort to remain untouchable, hidden from these hunters, is intensely taxing, but the force vibrates in warning whenever he starts to slip.

Then, suddenly, he is alone again. 

He waits, just as before, shoulders high and breathing hard as he remains watchful. The air remains still, lacking that dark innervation. Maul falls back against the wall, and presses the heel of a palm to his forehead. The effort has earned him a headache and shaking fingers. 

The sith returns to moving down the hall, but changes destination. His den, while comfortable, is not the most secure location available here. That title goes to his mother's sanctum, riddled with runes and steeped in ichor fueled protections. He has not yet deciphered the nature of even half of the witch-made wards from the books and murals that remain of her teachings. 

Maul slips into the sanctum, touching his chest where once her spirit had anchored itself. 

"Mother," he begins, searching for an acceptable explanation for intruding. "I seek… shelter, in your sanctum. I am hunted by a power unknown, and the force warns me to avoid its touch." 

That is an understatement. The force buzzes with indistinct warning, a vibrating drone so deep and ubiquitous it feels physical. Bumblebees underwater, crawling anxiety like marching ants. 

No reply comes. He counts that as permission.

The sith goes to sit on the stone floor at the center of grooved patterns and runes. He will meditate now and gather his strength, assuming that eventually-

It returns! So quickly the threads descend again.

Vitriolic green light bursts to his left, then forward, then above him. Sharp eyes survey the room as sections of sigils light and dim along the walls, like fireworks. The grooves in the floor begin to fill with-

"Ichor," he murmurs, watching the luminous waters fill in the circling patterns. He cannot identify the source of where it flows from. 

This… is not magick Maul has witnessed before. Savage had, reluctantly, described his own rituals, and the healing the Nightmother had done for Maul after Lotho Minor, but this is… different. Carved into Dathomir’s living stone, commanding the planet’s power even in the absence of a witch to direct it. It is wonderous.

The feeling of being looked for slides away from him with so much more ease, and he sighs in relief.

Maul ends up sleeping there, curled in on himself on the stone floor. Every few hours the cloying tendrils return again, and he wakes to watch the wards and push away the hooks that stretch for him.

It is only after a week of being chased back to his mother's room, day and night, that he realizes he is trapped on Dathomir until the hunt is ended. Until he ends it. To do that, he will have to learn to hide all on his own. Without becoming an unhinged, sleepless mess incapable of hunting these new enemies.

Maul faces this reality with easy acceptance. He has survived harsher challenges before, and will again. Mustafar, Lotho Minor, Hypori- the dark sustained him every time. 

This will end no differently.

[cantspelldragoonwithoutgoon]

(5) Character Associations

tagged by @mythandral, @briar-ffxiv

emotions/feelings

curiosity - about the world and its workings, frequent cause of trouble pent up anger - you will know when it's too much  trust - hard earned comfort - easily given, reluctantly accepted  melancholy - weight of losses past and present 

colours 

dark red - magic, life/blood, sacrifice black - darkness, grief white - snow, a shimmer of light, a memory azure - the sea and the sky rose - fragile appearance, actually enduring

scents

lavender sea salt ozone/aether medicinal herbs cinnamon buns

objects

a grimoire with many notes sticking out  a cauldron that might just as well be a cooking pot  a flower necklace  a roll of thread with a needle attached  a teacup with a half faded old fashioned flower motif

body language 

crossed arms scowls  smoothing out clothes light arm pats picking at fingernails and rings

aesthetics

a hill with patches of lavender, dropping to the sea with a steep cliff a busy market square in a port town a haunted library with faint footprints in age old layers of dust a cozy kitchen with steaming pots an overgrown garden with otherworldly shimmers wandering about

(i have no idea who's already done this tbh, very cautiously tagging @pumpkinmagekupo, @picturesofashe, @koijikido, @aethericfist, @starrealmdream obviously only if you feel like it, the stars align etc. :3)

[pluck-heartstrings]

My mind is in shambles, I hope you know that. Here I am tangled up into like 3 different gauges and types of threads trying to determin the difference between steel grey and platinum and what becomes a hand and what becomes a dress while making her look like a creature of distinct parts. Should I double strand some cool pastels into her dress to make an Aurora affect ton mimic sun and moon taking on sun rise and set adjacent coloring? Or try and make her as acurate as possible with flat coloring so my brain doesnt itch? Maybe I could try and ombre her skirt in an attempt to make her face as striking as possible? Like a singular blinding star in the sky. Do I use micro thread for a tiny, figurine like statue, or more versatile larger gauges that look messier but allow for more variety, but a floppier plush like design? How much do I have to pay you for a reference sheet or should I go all and just freehand her a dress design? What color is the gem on her circlet I cant find a reference?!?! I know its non canon but she's about to get my ballet slipper pattern feet and become and en point queen. I could streamline the design by forgoing feet altogether and make a stand and thick skirts and pose her and straight up make like 10 of her! GOLDEN PRINCESS PLUSH! Oh my god, sleeping beauty dress split in sun and moon colors I can't. I feel a deep connection with Sun to the point of pulling my hair this princess has me in a death grip. Her aesthetic got me quaking. *her god damn head is a nightmare!!!!!!!* I've got a third of a two year project left to do *that I was paid for, and can not put on hold* or else I would be elbow deep in dragon scale patterns trying to make 3D eyelashes!

And part of this design process is trying to like... reverse enjineer Fazco type branding. What parts of ger are most marketable and thus, simplified and emphasized? With her and sun being the only two without "cool accessories" my brain wants to go whole fucking ham into the rose prop that will most likely be her signature and remove her legs so her skirts can become an inverted rose. I'll bet they'll be all over her merch.

Ima go die now. Or lie down and shake from overstimulation. Princess fixation always be hitting at 2 am.

Nelly I'm shaking you. I'm kicking my feet in a furious attempt to keep it together.

If there was a head of merch at Castle Faz I'd hire you in a heartbeat. You understand. /italian gesture hand/ No matter what happens Castle Faz is still a FazCo business and they'll do whatever it takes to make a profit.

Shitty little cheap plushies of the Princess? Fly off the shelves. Every little girl either buys one of the Princess cap crowns or a plush. Their parents bring them back to Castle Faz because the doll basically disintegrates with too much playing so they have to return to get a replacement. But the die-hard fans that follow the company and turn a blind eye to all the mysterious circumstances of the past? Those are the ones that shell out BIG BUCKS for the high resolution, hand painted figures. Especially one of the newest character in their lineup, the first in however many years. The Princess isn't well known yet, but if the business does well then she'll be the marketing face for the brand.

Her aesthetic is platinum, with an array of subtle colours. Picture fine particles of glitter that catch the light and refract into a multitude of colours. Because of her simplistic mask and hat, she looks good in all colours. That means her merch can change often, and it does! Dress up Princess dolls with changeable outfits for every occasion, holiday, theme.

See now you got me goin'

[skelekins]

have a lil skelek doodle

been thinking of him off and on while i work on other stuff

this is essentially how i imagine snaps first sees him - just hanging out all cute n comfy in a surface market

nicknames ive considered: spindle, weaver, needle

honestly been struggling a lot thinking of surface skeletons >:| don't have a reason for their bone colors. I think surface-skeletons are extremely uncommon to the point that many either are extinct in aus or are assumed to be extinct. This is due to a combination of reproductive issues [after losing the knowledge of how to access their souls] and also being hunted for their dust/for being spooky.

I imagine the folklore associated with surface!skeletons is like a mixture of elves, will-o-wisps, and general fairies. They usually live out and away from urban environments, forests being very common. Because of their negative human-interactions some of them became adept illusionists and enchanters.

Surface!skeletons like to dance with each other and use it a way of deeper communications. Usually accompanied by humming [either verbal or an effect of vibrating their bones.]

Spindle is from a family that specializes in needlecraft. He can spin threads with different charms/enchantments from his own magic - the thread extending down his spine to be pulled from the tip of his tail. He can then embroider, using either pre-spun threads, or directly from his tail, more advanced spellwork.

He can weave, but he doesn't often and it isn't his specialization. It takes him the most effort, with the warp being done with raw magic from his tail and the weave done with a combination of raw and pre-spuns.

His enchantments can be used for: illusions/glamour [like Kelek's seal, though Kelek's is a metal bracer on his tail made by a different kind of monster, Kelek has never met a surface skeleton in his au].

This doesn't extend only to disguises. Spindle's work can glow or emit different effects for aesthetical reasons. Since magic also functions as a way of communicating, Spindle's work can also reflect this. His strongest charms tend to go to those he cares for just as a result of that extra emotion fed into the process. His gifts tend to subtly emit what he was feeling for the person when he crafted it.

Spindle lives alone in an urban surface-monster community; meaning he lives around humans which is highly unusual. The community he settled down in didn't have great access to an enchanter so he stayed behind when his family passed through. He very very very rarely goes around humans. If he's not at the surface market then he's home. He lives in a basement apartment under a family friend who usually gets Spindle anything that he might not be able to find in the monster-market.

edit: forgot to say - considered having his magic also be a form of prosthesis. so if a monster lost a limb then: Spindle would weave/embroider/spin thread for another artisan with the expected result being an ecto-version of the lost limb.

[angstics]

(sources: nyt 2014, bryan ferry: 1976, 1979, maximilianmogg.de 2021, gerard way: 2005, sleek 2016, bowie: 1973, 1978, ama 2014, gerard way: 2014)

gerard way on style, authenticity, gender, british music from the 70s and 90s... and COSTUMES. that was just a primer on the topic i actually want to talk about, which is how different the outfits this past tour have been stylistically from anything gerard has PULLED FROM or DONE.

this entire run, 2022-23, the closest gerard ever got to wearing something he would've worn during the first period (01-13) was the when we were young shows. part making fun: the second night (the first was cancelled) they wore a replica of their revenge album run outfit with HEAVY old age makeup. part homage: night three, they wore something so reminiscent of colleen atwood's work that in conjunction with gerard's tour designer (marina toybina) saying atwood worked with gerard on something not specified and toybina not claiming this outfit as she usually would, led people to believe this was the work of atwood. which is significant because she designed the original black parade costumes!

(wwwy2, wwwy3, 2004, 2006)

every single other show was unique in some way. from the tshirts to loose jeans to short shorts to tight skirts to a nurse uniform to a full joan of arc get-up. this isnt to say they didnt divert from the "uniform" back in the day with other outfits -- but the new stuff either became the new regular or they were rare. they were always on theme. even beyond that, the wwwy looks are what people know them for. it's part anti-marketing -- no defintion, no statement. they just performed and people loved it. the only person to even publicize it is toybina, who just talked about the craft.

it's also part anti-glam aesthetically. for a decade, the same figures informed gerard's performance style. in evolving past The Past, he moves away from those figures. never entirely, especially not in artistic ideology. like you can see traces of ferry's idea of the authentic self interrupting expectations or bowie's evolution into softer adaptations of past selves -- but not as much as the hesitant alien look which was explicitly about that. looking at original glam rock style like bowie as ziggy stardust, there is an accentuation, drama, and single vision which defined mcr's revenge and early black parade aesthetics. those periods were gerard's biggest dedication to hair and make up until hesitant alien, which he describes as a return to glam.

looking at the tour vision today, it has none of these qualities. ive talked about how the outfits (mostly) arent highly dramatic or highly gendered, which is why i dont think calling it drag fits. esp on the drama point, that's a key aspect of glam missed. there's no makeup, no accentuation, no BIGNESS. the tour is marked by its long-range simplicity. when the drama comes, it's in the dirty and off-putting, not style. it's interesting that when way does act as a character, like the office worker or dracula, it's entirely physical like a stage actor not a singer. though those are just sparks. he doesnt "break" because it's just gerard as we know him.

one final thread to address here is the gender sphere. if gerard explicitly pulled from glam rock mcr 1.0 into hesitant alien, and he's mostly divorced from glam now... where is all this newfound gender presentation exploration coming from? from female archetypes (cheerleader, jackie-o) to theatrical gender neutrality (any of the body suits) to what wouldve been called "metrosexual" in 2006 (atlanta, nj2) to just a general feminine outfit (firefly, 8/9 of the 2023 leg) -- the artist has their source, meaning, motivation, sure. this step back from talking about anything is sooooooo genius for getting people to take what they want from the tour's artistic output. interpretation fuels discussion. people keep talking about the possible narratives of the albums. people keep talking about the constructed interpersonal narratives. people will keep talking about the mysterious narrative of this tour.

what people have taken from the looks of this tour is that they are a recontextualization of symbols gerard has always connected to -- one example is how cheerleaders went from an old failed pitch to the im not okay mv to revenge photoshoots to the blood and teenagers mvs. but unlike the wwwy outfits, he isnt using the symbols in the same way. it's entirely new that he becomes the exploited female figure he's attached to. the inspiration is the self. there's no avoidance. i think "foundations" had a lot do with the direction of the tour -- its self-reflection forming a new image, in both lyrics and sound, is exactly what the tour looks have been about. not Glam, not Post Glam... not mcr 1.0, not not mcr 1.0... making up new words for an old language to write stories not possible with just the old

[nadekofannumber1]

need to know what you thought of Nadeko Around

Honestly I blasted through the book pretty quick and I’m gonna prolly take a reread and put out more thoughts later. However, what I think of it now is that it’s a good Nadeko finale in a sense. I’d of course love to see more Nadeko but she really got her shit together in this one so a lot of character growth isn’t really something I see in the future. I’d like to see the confidant kinda mean Nadeko thrive!

More info below

I feel like it kind of went through all the major tennants of Nadeko:

Learning to want to live and feel alive

As a member of the “nadeko detested living to the degree she doesn’t want to live” believer club, I’m proud to announce that Nadeko is learning to feel alive and let go of inhibitions. Nadeko goes from feeling guilty for being “so spoiled” because she didn’t know shit about island survival scenarios, to being actively proud and happy when she wins to dropping her guard living ungracefully and actively going feral. Nadeko experiences the joys of it all and it’s wonderful.

The love of creation

Nadeko draws, Nadeko draws a lot it’s the whole thing she creates and she does things that are special. Nadeko becomes a wizard and that’s so awesome. The thesis of this book is the love of creation and how it drives people to truly live.

Society, roles, clothes, and appearance

Nadeko in this story abandons a lot of what society finds pure with her appearance, being gaunt, tanned, covered in wounds with calloused hands, building light muscle, having short hair. A ton of traits that make certain types scream and throw up in hatred for “not being pure”. While Nadeko does wear the uniform it’s a complex thing where it’s comfortable and there’s identity in it but Nadeko feels as if she’d prefer to wear other things even changing for the final confrontation. Honestly it makes me wonder about how they’d adapt it into an anime outside the obvious bc Nadeko acquires a ruggedness I think some would find hard to market unless simplified aesthetically. My final wonder is what outfit Tsukihi put her in as nademono had threads of the concept of Nadeko reconnecting with concepts of femininity and repairing that relationship but putting Nadeko in a cute outfit feels wrong. Personally I’d prefer perhaps something gnc or masculine and maybe trendy but also I’d take something mature aesthetic wise. I just feel that doubling down on the tomboyness (and also other potential read’s of Nadeko’s character with gender) would actually suit Nadeko well as one that forges their own path and doesn’t necessarily need to conform to tradition (being something entirely self made, for the love of creation).

Recognizing and self actualizing one’s own circumstance

Nadeko though this arc looks at her past and decides that it is the past and she was done wrong in said past. This includes Nadeko acknowledging that her parents did see her like the stuffed toys they bought her, Nadeko is self aware and understanding “I was sheltered but shit is fucked” and “I also get what my parents meant but I’m not changing carrier paths.”

Getting meaner on purpose

Nadeko’s arc involves her getting less cute and more mean on purpose. Urako tries to get under her skin but Nadeko is just like “whatever bro, don’t care, gonna save you btw.” Nadeko being allowed to be mean and falling from that grace can be also analyzed via parallels with hanekawa and shinobu but I think that’s a big post topic. TLDR Nadeko becoming more open and rude and honest is a break from society and tradition and Nadeko doesn’t need that. Nadeko needs to be free to go off and live her atypical life even if others don’t get her. Even if Nadeko works in the “real world” she doesn’t become normal and take normal paths set for her and I’m proud of her for that. Nadeko can work with others but doesn’t have to pretend.

Kind of the autism power fantasy jk(unless…..)

That current of homoeroticism that isn’t stated but definitely came to something

Nadeko got her “first kiss” (mouth to mouth with Yotsugi) and she spent so much time on that island thinking about drawing naked women and women’s bodies, and then the urako moment happened, and of course the beloved mention of Tsukihi in a pure positive light. Even with believing these characters are just friends nisio sure does love ramping up undertones as much as he possibly can. That it kinda becomes a cope to look away from their importance to Nadeko.

Even in a straight Nadeko scenario the image invokes a concept of experimenting with one’s self and identity which is integral to the coming of age aspects of Nadeko’s character arc (i also think that what Nadeko did with araragi was trying to experiment safely to test waters and limits, and that can still even apply in the straight Nadeko scenario.)

Nadeko’s family doesn’t want to talk to her much even though she’s successful and is forging her own path. Mangakaphobic, they really did hate her for coming out (as a mangaka) to them, they thought they had a normal daughter who wanted to be a bride and put it on forms of what she wanted to be when she grew up. Pay no mind to the fact Nadeko is masking her true self and picking what she’s supposed to. Nadeko a cute innocent girl but she came out (as a mangaka) and they hated that, Nadeko always had a secret she kept in the closet that she felt her parents disapproved of and yet in that closet was her real self (mangaka), the wanted the image of her to remain pure so even when Nadeko came back home and cut her hair short they hoped Nadeko would choose to go back on the path they wanted for her (not a mangaka), and yet that ended up with her homeless and taking odd jobs, years later Nadeko tries contact but won’t give up on being who she is it’s a them problem that they won’t accept her at this point, Nadeko will never stop being who she is and won’t closet herself in this society (from openly being a mangaka)

Nadeko valuing relationships with others

Nadeko’s aquisition of friends is more emphasized in Nadeko draw by presence but here it’s emphasized by silence how much Nadeko values her relationships with others. Yearning pining and surviving!

Nadeko not really thinking about Koyomi

A fun one! When you see a lot of character’s internality you can kind of see those opinions, and progressively through arcs Nadeko truly realizes those feelings were kind of misplaced and generally doesn’t think about the guy almost at all compared to a lot of other characters in subsequent arcs, Nadeko doesn’t really even bring up the guy herself until she’s about to die from that snake, there is reflection in urako of course but it’s a beautiful metaphor of scale peeling and “shedding one’s skin”

—————-

Even after this there’s a lot of fun implications with urako making the snake charms and kaiki dealing out fake ones that accidentally ended up activating. Real fascinating enriching chewable concept.

I got more I suppose but that’s all for now, expect other Nadeko brainrot posts in the future (and maybe something about shinomono 1 if I find motivation)

Nadeko’s autism truly has evolved into evil autism (congratulatory)

[gothhabiba]

do u have more details on your mourning veil(s)?? i am not in mourning but i have been wanting to wear veils in everyday life (probably not in black) and i also plan to dress in some kind of modified mourning when i next experience a death in my circles. im curious about whether u wear it over your face ever (im autistic and thats pretty much why ive been wanting to start wearing veils, apart from the aesthetics of it ofc lol), and also curious about the logistics, like what shapes they are & how opaque they are?

Mine is a 1930s (?) French veil; it's a large (34 x 60") rectangle of sheer material that seems to be black silk crepe. A short stretch of fabric in the center of one of the long ends (5") has two threads drawn through it to gather it together, producing a sort of half-circle of negative space where the veil may be attached to a bonnet; when worn, this causes the two corners of the rectangle nearest the head to fall down somewhat lower than the shoulders, while the two corners further away fall over the back and down to the knees: here's a link to a French mourning veil that looks similar.

1930s French veil laid out over a table; close-up on the ruching.

A bunch of writing from the 19th and early 20th centuries decries the expectation for widows to wear veils over their faces, claiming that the veils were heavy, stifling, and difficult to see and breathe through. I haven't found that to be the case with this one—even with my muscle disorder (like, my neck can only briefly and painfully support the weight of my head), the weight of the veil alone is negligible. It's very sheer and not too difficult to see and breathe through.

That being said, I wouldn't recommend wearing an antique veil (on the rare chance you find one—mourning clothes are harder than most antique clothing to come by, since the dye doesn't tend to wear very well, and crepe in particular had a tendency to shed and break down) over your face! You don't know for sure what kinds of dye or fixatives were used on it, and some of the more popular ones are things that you should not be breathing in.

Re-creation mourning veils intended for re-enactors can be purchased online—you may also have some luck looking into things marketed as Goth wedding veils. The only veil I occasionally wear over my face is a modern recreation. However, I found it difficult to come across one that didn't include satin trim or lace (both prohibited in English deep mourning). If you have some basic sewing skills, it shouldn't be hard to get a rectangle of sheer fabric (silk gauze or cotton voile might work; I have some 100gsm black linen on hand so I can tell you that it's a bit difficult to see through) and hem it on all sides.

You will need a hatpin or something similar to attach your veil to a bonnet or other headwear, or else it will blow right off. Headwear with a brim has the advantage of keeping the veil a few inches away from your face. The veil can be worn covering the entire bonnet and falling down over your face, or you can throw it back (so that it's folded over the back half of the bonnet, still held in place by the pin) to reveal your face. If you place the pin or pins about halfway back, you can make this adjustment on the fly. You could probably also just sew the veil to the bonnet if you're never going to wear them separately.

Short, modern veil worn over an 1860s-style bonnet to cover the face; the same veil worn over a bonnet to partly cover the face.

This veil makes everything look a bit darker and more grainy and gives a slight halo to light sources. It's not too noticable and I wouldn't say it impedes vision for the sake of any everyday task you would need to do.

When I'm forgoing the bonnet, I put my hair up into a bun, leaving some hair off to the side to make a braid; I pin the veil into my hair by putting bobby pins through my hair and then around the edge of, not through the fabric of, the veil (so that one half of the pin is between the veil and my head, and the other half is on top of the veil); then I take the braid and pull it over the area where the veil meets my hair, securing it with the halves of the bobby pins that are on top of the veil, and using another few pins to secure the bottom of the braid (the part closer to my forehead than the back of my head). There's no historical precedent for this, but it keeps the veil secure without damaging it, and keeps me from needing to wear a hat inside.

You can get a lot of variation in style by doing this:

1930s French veil worn directly in the hair with one large braid covering the join;

Ditto, with one large braid covering the join and one small decorative one across the head;

Ditto, with two twists of different sizes in stead of the braids;

Ditto, with the hair drawn into two buns at the side of the head under the veil, in stead of into one bun at the back;

Ditto, with one bun and one braid covering the join, with additional hair pinned into decorative swirling shapes on top of the head.

[goatsludge]

Customer purchased one of the ShekkinGear replicas of the Surefire 660 for his custom Gangster Grip

Thought I'd take a moment to compare it to my real SF660 (on the right, I'm too lazy to remove it from my g-grip lol)

The Shekkin repro does a LOT of things wrong that aren't instantly visible to most;

The bezel (head) isn't a flush fit with the body

The bezel and body are wrenched the fuck together insanely tight

The body lacks any o-rings on the threads

The threads themselves are anodized with the rest of the body, meaning they had to shave the ends to bare metal to make a connection (probably why they put it together so tightly)

The tailcap uses the most chinesium-quality pressure pad cable possible, they have a reputation for spontaneously pulling out

The way the cable is installed on the tailcap makes it so it can't thread in as much as it should be able to

I guess they work for aesthetics if you don't wanna spend $200-$300+ on a legit SF660 (death to the cloner market)

But considering these have a reputation of flickering under the recoil of just gas blowback airsoft guns, god bless the poor guy that paid me to wire this thing into a gangster grip.

[thestingerblog]

What Makes A Good Concept Album?

by Sam H. and Aero S.

Read on our site!

Concept albums are nothing new, but they remain one of the most exciting ways artists can package their art and express themselves. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve definitely heard (and loved) at least one concept album or another. Most concept albums tell a narrative story, build a world where the listener will be immersed through the songs and interludes, or set a backdrop that helps the artist talk about certain topics. With the advancement of technology and how music is marketed and delivered, concept albums have become even more of a common thing, especially among bigger artists. With so many such albums around, there are bound to be hits and misses, which begs the question: what makes some of these albums so good? 

To answer this question, we must set parameters; the concepts have to be relatively clear, either through the records’ lyricism, adjacent aesthetics, or tracklist and contents. It’s also important to note that many concept albums aren’t in this article, not because they are bad, but because we aren’t privy to them or have very limited knowledge of them. Additionally, we decided to focus on American concept albums. Below are some elements that we believe make up a solid concept album. 

Interludes with in-universe or concept-aligned audio

Having interludes doesn’t necessarily make an album a concept album. However, many concept albums have interludes that contribute to the world-building aspect and the development of the overarching concept and themes of the album. The interludes should also be situated within the album to provide structure to the concept. 

An example of this is the interludes in the “Long Lost” album by Lord Huron, which is an album following the rediscovery of an old musical act. One interlude is called “(One Hellava Performer)” in which we hear a host introduce a performer and the audience clapping, and in the interlude “(Sing for Us Tonight),” we hear that same host ask the performer: “What would you like to sing for us tonight?” These audio clips are positioned throughout the album to remind listeners to go through the album sequentially to uphold the concept throughout the listening experience. We’re taking in the songs along with the crafted universe. 

“Dreamland” by Glass Animals also employs a similar technique. This album deconstructs childhood and adolescence in a dream-like, reflective haze. Throughout the album are “home movies,” which feature audio from home movies that the lead singer’s mother videotaped during his childhood. These home movies are scattered throughout the album to evoke nostalgia and to remind viewers of the central theme of growing up that the album is centered around. 

Thematic Visuals and Supplemental Materials

Many concept albums utilize thematic visuals through album covers, posters, concert designs, merchandise, music videos, and more. The best concept albums find a creative way to tie their concepts into creative elements for devoted fans to follow the threads and connect the stories together. 

Lord Huron has employed incredible supplemental materials and merchandise for several of the albums to support the story told through their concept albums. For their “Strange Trails” album, they produced a comic detailing the characters mentioned in songs throughout the album. They also produced a series of videos called “(Alive From Whispering Pines),” which is a variety show that features performances that appear in the “Long Lost” album.

In Glass Animals’ “How to Be a Human Being,” there’s a lineup of characters on the album cover, and each song on the album is dedicated to a separate character. Though we don’t know most of the characters’ names, we know the person in the center of the album with the camera is Agnes, whose song is last on the album. The music videos for the album all feature the characters to highlight their unique stories.

My Chemical Romance, a band with one of the highest-concept discographies ever, in our opinion, created a whole world in which their “Danger Days” album fits. This wasn’t entirely deliberate, as Gerard Way will tell you himself: “The Killjoys project is an interesting thing because it evolved and grew into this other thing. It was the thing I was most obsessed with, creatively, so it bled into the music. And then, it became a concept album and a comic. And I was hesitant to marry the two things because I felt like I had done such a good job of separating the two things.” The band’s 2010 album tells the battle of art vs. profit and how commercial success can hinder artistic expression and freedom. The comics that would later be released flesh out the characters of the Killjoys even further and build a world that properly contextualizes the songs and the tracks that feature Dr. Death Defying, who is seemingly a radio DJ telling the audience where they are in the story and catching them up on the characters’ journeys. In one interlude titled “Jet-Star and the Kobra Kid,” he tells us, in slightly coded language, that Killjoy members Jet-Star and Kobra Kid had a run-in with the antagonists of the story, Better Living Industries that had gone south and killed them. While there are slight deviations between each iteration of the story, the comics, album, as well as the music video for “Na Na Na” and “Sing,” which feature all members of the band playing different characters, establish a somewhat cohesive storyline.

Perhaps the most committed a musician can be to a concept is to create a series of interconnected music videos that, when watched together, tell a story complete with character arcs and a message, and that’s exactly what Fall Out Boy did on their first album after their infamous hiatus, “Save Rock and Roll.” Comprised of 11 tracks and videos, the concept album follows the band as they fight against a few gangs that want to eradicate music for different reasons, and it’s a crazy watch. A bonfire full of the band’s older memorabilia is set on fire by a flamethrower-wielding 2 Chainz. The band’s lead singer, Patrick Stump, gets his hand cut off and is conditioned to become violent when he hears music. The rest of the band dies off one by one as the series continues. Courtney Love, Big Sean, Foxes, and Elton John, who all feature on the album, also appear in the series (with Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee making a cameo as the devil to Elton’s god). The entire series is interesting and plays like an independent short film with a stacked cast, and most importantly, showing the band’s determination to fulfill their album title to save rock and roll. 

Interconnected lyrics and songs

Arguably, this is the important part of any concept album. Having lyrics and songs that relate to one another is the most seamless way to uphold a concept during the listening experience. Lord Huron does this point masterfully, but considering that we’ve spent a lot of time already praising them, we’ll highlight some other notable albums and artists in this section. 

Bastille’s “Doom Days” album follows a party celebrating the end of the world. The song titles are all interconnected, following different points in the night. For example, the first song is “Quarter Past Midnight,” which marks the start of the party and the exact time it starts. Towards the end of the night is the song “4 am,” which is another marker for the time and indicates that the night is coming to a close. 

The narrative throughline of Tyler the Creator’s “IGOR” may not be evident upon first listen, which is fine – as a listener, the album is just as fun without knowledge of the story as it is with it. However, those who kept an eye out for the lyrics and are particularly good at putting things together can glean that the album tells the story of a character stuck in a love triangle when he starts dating a man whose relationship with both him and a girl he’s seeing is uncommitted, and how the main character moves on from the situation. The relationship is introduced in the opening track, “Earfquake,” and the story's conflict is established in “New Magic Wand”, where the main character tries to devise a plan to get the woman his sort-of boyfriend is also sort of seeing out of the picture. Character development occurs when the main character realizes his relationship is bad for him, as conveyed in “What’s Good.” Interspersed between these songs are quotes from comedian Jerrod Carmichael, who explains why the events of the story and the conflicts in the relationship are happening. This is an incredibly condensed retelling of the album as a complete work – if you want to dig deeper into the nuances of the narrative of this album, this article is a gold mine of analysis and information.

After looking at these concept albums, it’s clear why artists have created them to expand on their ideas and why they continue to do so. Records are a great form of expression and to share ideas and messages, but when it seems too restrictive, artists are increasingly able to branch out to other mediums to create broader works of art that go beyond their songs to build new worlds, highlight the nuances of their messages, and tell a story that otherwise would not have been possible with older album conventions. As technology advances, we can expect the parameters for concept albums to be even wider, incorporating new media and forms of expression to help enrich their music and elaborate on their ideas.