#also this is legends design bc i like that better than the more recent ones

[ohkraken-a]

q’rhurh has an anooba as a constant companion. his name is ton ton, which is jawaese for sand; she named him that due to his sandy coloring.

[sugar-petals]

I see that lately you’ve been reblogging the ice skating guy. Could you introduce him to us in the caro way??👀

i see, i see. you are falling for the beautiful ice skating guy. with delight do i talk about him. ♥︎ who are you asking about, then?

shōma uno (22) of nagoya, japan, the dreamiest ice angel you will ever see:

lucky newcomer stans: shoma is extremely easy to spot. 5′2, soulful, sparkly, and always headed for the podium because his artistry fucking slaps. this angel is the latest olympic silver medalist ✨

if you see a petite, serious-looking guy with thighs for the gods and impossibly elegant upper body work, you can be sure it’s him.

off the ice, look for this: the supreme doe face. dark uwu eyes, wide baby cheeks, 100% shook. needless to say: it’s over when he looks at you like that. 

something else to watch for when you want to spot the angel. his primary hobby is sleeping lmao! shoma naps everywhere. once, he was so exhausted, he was found cutely slumbering before his olympic press conference. 

meanwhile, his presence on the ice? expressive, alluring, aptly sensual start to finish. sometimes feisty, even. he saves all his energy and then delivers. it’s ballet on blades. the guy puts so much passion into his choreo. 

most well-known are the moments when he ends his program and switches back to his normal cute mode. that’s when you see the puppy gaze return.

bc the thing is: you won’t see shoma’s feistiness elsewhere. the japanese are already very reserved and shy, but he’s made an art form of it. his voice is quite light and high, that contributes to the effect. i have not seen one interview where he tries to stand out or embellish his answers. shoma stays true to his unobtrusive character, you’ll see him spaced out 90% of the time.

shoma is often freightened by social settings and fan service. if you didn’t know how he’s on the ice, you can easily get the impression that he’s avoidant or insecure. but it’s just this: he’d rather be gaming or eating than get animated and play celebrity. you have a cozy introvert here. he’s in the game since he’s 5 years old but still doesn’t show himself off, he’s in his own sphere. 

you might see him look overwhelmed pretty often, but the flipside of the coin is, shoma is humble and doesn’t act out of arrogance. for a skater this great, his ego is minimum inflated. he doesn’t like putting himself in the center. legend has it he could always win gold but takes default silver out of politeness 😂

what he does like and respond to is getting direct praise. shoma lives for encouragement. that shit flusters him immensely, and it’s something he accepts. when he’s uneasy in crowds he doesn’t smile very often. but to this day, fans shouting ‘shoma, you’re so cute’ before he starts to skate has proven to lift his spirits effortlessly. last time it happened, he immediately cracked a smile:

now, there is plenty to compliment. 

i mean, look. the sheer athleticism of this man. god knows how high he jumps.

from facial expressions to hand postures, everything captures the music. he looks fantastic. 

shoma has great sense of dramatism. what you’re seeing is always art. 

shoma’s infamous signature move is the cantilever. you can see why. the audience is losing their minds every time.

what else to praise? the absolutely beautiful costumes. 

shoutout to satomi ito who designs these.

the #1 shoma praise bot is skating god yuzuru hanyu (aka current reigning olympic gold medalist) himself. imagine this: a baby is babied by a fellow but slightly older baby. yuzu said this about shoma: “he is like a puppy!” what you see is what you get, shoma is as adorable as he looks. 

so, yuzu takes good care of him and makes sure smol shoma is always included even if he’s getting shy. even since the early days:

if you ask me, team japan couldn’t be any more handsome and princely. the sheer combined power of cuteness and skill. you’ll hear from these lovelies.

shoma and his younger brother itsuki are also pretty much inseparable. goals, this is the softest sibling insta you will ever see. once again, with sleepy shoma.

baby photos included. faith in humanity restored. 

he also has wholesome interactions with his idol and fellow skater daisuke takahashi. dai is a funky, bubbly personality and complements shoma’s introversion really well. 

another important person to shoma, if not the most decisive recently, is retired world champion stéphane lambiel. yes, this handsome swiss glamazon.

shoma went through a highly distressing period of being coachless last year. he parted ways with machiko yamada and mihoko higuchi (below) who were his coaches for 16 (!) years. they were a dream team.

so that he decided to go for something new ended up as the most heartbreaking shit. he lost his inspiration and will for skating and kept dropping to lower rankings. he broke down in competitions because his fans were cheering for him even if his skating deteriorated and he felt undeserving. 2019 was shoma’s existential crisis. he went to several camps to try out coaches, to no avail.

enter coach stéphane! who started to work with him last winter. oh thank god. lo and behold, shooms has been consistently improving and getting very smiley (!) ever since. these two go together like fries and ketchup. 

so, guess who is currently training in switzerland now. whole new world for the little guy 💕

stéphane is eccentric, cheeky, and bold enough to uplift and inspire him but also “so friendly!” as shoma described him. he praises genuinely and knows how to foster shoma’s talent. their language barrier is also no problem, lambiel is a polyglot. i think that stéphane is off ice what shoma is on ice, this is the perfect exchange. i love this song. 

the ice angel has quickly recovered from his misery thanks to the amount of positive feedback. on youtube, you find multiple fancams of stéphane getting very invested in uno’s performance from the sidelines 😄 shoma adores him and stéphane is a protective ice dad. just look at these two.

there’s no better coach he could have. stéphane’s choreographies perfectly cater to shoma’s poetic interpretation. so satisfying. so impeccable. as dostoevsky said, beauty will save the world.

last japanese nationals in december, shoma even took gold and cried from relief on the podium. he’s improved so much. stéphane will make him go far. 

what convinced him to coach uno was simply this: “his eyes sparkled!”. and yes, there’s hardly anyone who won’t be impacted by this.

this puppy has all of our hearts so let’s send out compliments to him. fingers crossed for shoma’s upcoming competitions and the next olympics where i am sure he will stun the world. i mean, he won gold in the baby boy hall of fame already. he’s a really great artist and soft person who deserves everything. thank you for attending my ted talk.

[moldy-mold]

life updates and goals

I think after a very low point of my life, like many others, I want to make some big changes this coming year.

Quit Twitter Most notably, I’ve greatly reduced my social media usage. It was sucking up all my happiness and I tied my emotions and friendships to what goes on on the hell site and I realized that it’s just an illusion I’ve created for myself. I started feeling guilty for not commenting/liking and I got jabbed a few times for not interacting enough. So... enough already. Obviously, I still like to draw and I want to share it and talk about the stuff I like but if I don’t have anything to post, I’m just keeping off of it. So if I don’t interact, it’s not because we’re not friends anymore! (And if you have this mindset about your friends then I recommend reevaluating how you use social media as well.)

Draw Less It seems kinda weird to do less of what I love doing but I realized I worked way too hard for the wrong reasons. Why stay up until 5am drawing for strangers on the internet? I will draw precisely when it is right for me.

Engage in Other Hobbies Ugh I have GOT to do other things instead of drawing. I had quit gaming for a while because I had no life outside of drawing and working. I love reading too: books, graphic novels, manga. I recently caught up to Golden Kamuy again after forgetting about it for a while and I am reminded how much I love it. And Webtoons. I’m kind of obsessed with Webtoons now. I’m reading like 10 things at once.

Nail art is something I began pursuing early 2020 so I could do Kratos-themed nails (lmao) for the con that got canceled but I hope to get good at it again.

And finally, to no one’s surprise, I picked up Gunpla building! I don’t think I’ll get more than 2 kits but I have enjoyed learning how it works. I currently have Char’s Zaku and the Zeta Gundam!

Talk to Friends I often fail to initiate contact with people because I feel like I don’t have time to sit and chat when I was drawing so much. I want to change that. It’s important to nourish the relationships you have because when it comes down to it, your followers aren’t going to be there for you - your friends are. I would like to put it out there that I encourage you to DM me. I am happy to say that I’ve made a few wonderful friends because we all got over the fear of “bothering the other person.”

Improve Self Care This is also a budding hobby but I’m starting to get into skincare products. Yeah, that’s a rabbit hole alright. My skin has always been “okay” but then I thought, what if it could be radiant?! I always thought I’d never be able to afford anything outside the drugstore (and even then it can still get expensive) but I’ve been watching this girl’s YT channel and she has some pretty affordable recommendations. She’s young, like 23, and trying to save money lol. I’ll still have to make these birthday gifts to myself tho. T_T

Because of her, I’m starting to understand the appeal of watching Vlogs now?? It began bc I was so fascinated by her skincare regimen and then that led to me wondering what she ate and what she does as a content creator. It really was interesting! And so relatable lol... “staying up all night to edit a video to be posted the next day.” I felt that.

Learn How to Invest This is probably the worst time to be investing but what’s important is learning. I have a lot of free time now so it would be an excellent skill to learn. It seems that it was a thing to learn during your college years so I’m pretty embarrassed to be so far behind... yikes. You want to know know what I was doing during college? Drawing sports anime and playing league of legends.

Get Buff My friends know I’ve been trying to get buff arms for years but I’ve never been able to do it lmao. But I will now. I’ll be changing my lifestyle in hopes I’ll achieve this goal this year. Sleeping earlier, working out more consistently, eating properly, drinking more water. All of these things are naturally good for the body (and skin!) so I want to make it a lifestyle even after I’ve attained my goal.

Get a New Job It’s been my goal since forever, but I feel especially fired up now. Plus if I don’t I’ll probably be in big financial trouble haha......... However, with these life changes, I can properly focus on applying and present a super amazing design portfolio.

Be More Generous When it comes to saving money, I can be pretty annoying and strict. I think it comes from fear/lack of confidence in my future. I want to let go a little and gift more of my friends. They’ll probably be "ok” gifts but it’s better than not doing anything. I also want to support my fellow creators. I must commission someone this year!

Anyway that’s all for now. Thanks for reading / checking on me. I appreciate you!

[words-with-wren]

and if you need a friend i’ll help you stitch up your wounds

Fandom: Tangled/Tangled the series

Characters: Varian, Eugene, Ruddiger

Content: Varian gets beat up, some guilt etc. also team awesome bonding bc it’s me writing 

Word count: 2,205

A/N: lil low effort thing I did while procrastinating everything else I should be writing!

 _____

Stars sparkled high above the quiet streets as Varian walked back to the palace, a contented smile on his face. It was a cool, clear evening, the sky stretched out above Varian like a beautiful painting. There weren’t as many stars as at home - the lights from the castle overshadowed them somewhat - but it was still a beautiful sight. 

He had dropped in to visit Xavier and discuss the plans for a new design but had got extremely distracted talking about various legends and developing the design and now it was late. He didn’t mind hugely, it was a nice night and Ruddiger would probably have hot chocolate ready for him when he returned to the lab. 

He was almost at the castle gates when a stone skittered across the ground in front of him. With a frown, he paused, glancing in the direction it had come from and made out a dim shadow in the alley beside him. 

“Evening!” he called cheerfully, suddenly wishing he had brought his belt. Everything in him was screaming  danger, but there wasn’t much he could do. 

There was no reply from the ally and Varian took an uncertain step forward, wanting nothing more than to be back in the safety of his lab. 

A stone slammed into his shoulder and he yelped lightly as he spun, making out a young man, only a few years older than himself, stepping out of the shadows on the other side. 

He took another step forward, the urge to run growing stronger and stronger, but another boy blocked his path ahead. He turned, realising with a sinking heart he was surrounded by a small gang. 

“Well well well,” the one who had thrown the stone said, stepping forward. Varian wrapped his hands around the straps of his backpack and glared at him. “If it isn’t the traitor.” And he shoved Varian, hard enough to make him stumble back. 

“Eh heh,” Varian laughed nervously, mentally tallying his options. There were four of them, one covering each of his exits and they were all much larger than him. If they were here for violence, he wasn’t sure if he could do anything. “You know I’m not sure I would say traitor,” he began. 

Another shove, two hands to his chest. He stumbled back again, and this time a hand grabbed his shoulders, making him jump. He was on edge, heart thumping quickly, memories of cold stone and barred windows feeling painfully recent. 

His arms were pinned beside him by two of his attackers and no matter how much he struggled he couldn’t break free. The leader stood in front of him, eyes hard, a malicious gleam in them. 

“You did kidnap the queen, or am I remembering wrong?” he asked. Varian glared up at him but didn’t say anything. “See, the little traitor can’t even defend himself.” He crouched, laying a hand on Varian’s shoulder and leaning in close. “The princess has been too soft on you,” he said darkly. 

Varian lunged forward, feeling slight satisfaction as his head connected with the man’s nose. He staggered back with a shout, pressing a hand to his face and Varian was dragged back by the two holding him. 

“That’s it,” the leader said, balling his fists and revealing a bleeding nose that made Varian feel even more unsteady than he already did. “Teach the charity case a lesson.” 

He tugged at his arms, teeth bared in a snarl as he tried to break free. But a fist slammed into his chest and he gasped, sagging forward as the air was knocked from his lungs. Another blow knocked into his shoulder and he staggered backwards. 

The two holding him had stepped back and he pressed a hand to his ribs, eyes hard. One of them came at him, swinging widely and he stepped to one side quickly, ducking under the blow. But as he did something connected with his head and his vision spun as he staggered into the nearby wall. 

Before he had a chance to recover, they were on him, throwing wild blows as he held up his hands in a desperate attempt to protect himself. Four of them, not hesitating as they slammed their fists into his ribs, his shoulder, his stomach. 

He collapsed to his hands and knees, gasping, and one of them punched the side of his face, filling his mouth with blood and knocking him to the ground. Instinctively, he curled into himself, wrapping his hands around his head and shutting his eyes as he waited. 

But the beating he expected didn’t come. Instead, a hand grabbed his hair and hauled his head up to meet the eyes of the leader. 

“You’d best not show your face around here anymore, traitor,” he hissed. Varian spat blood, glaring up at him, but didn’t have the energy to do anything more. “The princess may have a soft spot for you, but don’t you think for a  second that you’re forgiven. You don’t deserve to be after what you did.” 

He dropped his eyes, the words cutting more than the blows. 

“My father was forced to mine your precious minerals.” The voice was low, in his ear and Varian shut his eyes, trying to keep his breathing shallow. “He shattered his leg and can’t work anymore. And yet the traitor gets to continue living, happy and  free, unpunished for his crimes.” 

The man in front of him was right, really - maybe Rapunzel had forgiven him, but why should he expect the rest of the kingdom to? He had done horrible things to them, taken over their kingdom, help to dominate them. Why should he be forgiven?

His head was dropped, but two of them grabbed his hands, hauling him to his feet in a haze of pain. His ribs were shifting painfully and he was pretty sure at least one of them was broken and his head was pounding. 

“Run along home, little traitor,” one of them said and he was shoved forward. He stumbled a pace, wrapping a hand around his ribs and hesitating. “Go on, go cry to the princess.” 

Someone shoved him and he stumbled forward, catching himself with a step that caused pain to rush through him. He gritted his teeth and did what he was told, moving forward as quickly as he could with his aching ribs and pounding head. 

Pain burst through his shoulder as a rock slammed into him and he gasped, glancing back to see the four boys, grinning, holding more rocks. He stumbled forward, another rock skipping across the ground near his feet as he began to move as quickly as he dared. 

Every step jolted his ribs and sent pain coursing through him, bringing tears to his eyes. He wanted to go home, to curl up in his father’s arms, or to feel Rapunzel’s warmth around him. But his father was at home in Old Corona, and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to make it up all the steps to Rapunzel’s room. 

He made it to the castle finally, relaxing slightly as he moved under the gates and stepped inside. He leaned against the wall for a long moment, fighting down tears as he tried to figure out what to do. 

He couldn’t go to Rapunzel - that was clear. He didn’t want to wake her, didn’t want to disturb her. 

“Don’t think for a second that you’re forgiven.” 

He shut his eyes as the words came back to him, the words he had whispered to himself in the dark of night, the words only Ruddiger knew haunted him. How could he expect the kingdom to forgive him? He was naïve, foolish. He should never have assumed he belonged here. Belonged anywhere. 

He couldn’t go to the infirmary - not this late at night. The words they had spoken hung heavy over him, and he knew - he knew he wasn’t going to be more of a burden than he already had been. They had better things to worry about than one small boy who deserved the beating he had been given. 

With a hiss of pain, he pushed himself off the wall, stepping carefully through the halls towards his lab. At least Ruddiger would be there - and he never had to worry about forgiveness around Ruddiger. 

Instead, he found himself leaning against the wall beside Eugene’s door, head spinning. He knew he needed help and not knowing where else to go, Eugene’s room was the closest. Taking a deep breath, he knocked weakly, trying not to sway. 

It seemed like an age until the swung open and Eugene appeared, hair dishevelled, a half yawn on his face. He rubbed his eyes, blinking a few times as he peered out into the hall. 

“Hey kid, what’s - what happened?” 

Varian regretted this already - clearly, he had woken Eugene up and now he stood on his doorstep, bruised ribs, a black eye and blood on the corner of his mouth. He should have just gone to his lab and not bothered anyone until morning. 

“You should have seen the other guy,” he tried sheepishly, hoping Eugene wouldn’t worry. But a wave of dizziness washed over him and he swayed, stumbling forward. 

“Woah, hey.” Eugene darted forward, catching him and Varian couldn't help but flinch at the touch. “Easy, come in, sit down.” Eugene led him into the room and helped him drop onto the bed where he took a shaky breath and balled his fists. “What happened? Who did this?” 

“I - I’m not a traitor,” Varian muttered. He released his hands and they were shaking - his shoulders were shaking but the tears refused to flow. Eugene sat down beside him, a hand hovering over his shoulders. Varian leaned into the touch, suddenly feeling like he was about to shatter into a million pieces and Eugene’s presence was the only thing stopping him. 

“Of course you’re not,” Eugene muttered, gently squeezing his shoulder. He reached forward and picked up Varian’s hand with the other, eyes soft. 

“But I - I did… I hurt people and I…” He trailed off, pressing the hand Eugene wasn’t holding to his face and fighting down a sob. “I  am.” 

“Hey, Varian - look at me.” Eugene gently reached up and lifting Varian’s face, meeting his eyes with a serious, concerned expression. “You wouldn’t call me a thief, right?” When Varian slowly shook his head, he continued. “But I undoubtedly was one in the past. You’ve made mistakes, but that doesn’t define who you are now. And it certainly doesn’t mean you deserve this.” 

Varian dropped his eyes, the accusations of the gang still ringing in his ears. Sometimes, he felt almost normal - like he could forget the dark stain on his past. But he knew he was never going to be fully free of it. 

“But I hurt people,” he said softly. 

“You’re not that person anymore, Varian,” Eugene said softly and Varian looked up at him through his hair. “If they don’t see that I’ll have to have words with them.” His eyes were hard as he spoke. “You want to tell me who did this?” 

Varian hesitated, then slowly shook his head and looked down, unsure if he was doing the right thing. He didn’t want Eugene and Rapunzel to fight all his battles for him, didn’t want to be seen as the royal family’s special project. 

“Are you sure?” Eugene asked. “They need to know that hurting you isn’t okay.” 

“I - I just…” Varian trailed off, staring at the ground and fighting down a wave of pain as he gathered his thoughts. “I don’t want anyone else to get hurt because of me,” he said finally. 

“Alright,” Eugene said, but he sounded unhappy. “Just… if they ever come near you again, you tell me, okay?” 

Varian nodded slowly, feeling a little better knowing Eugene had his back.

A soft chattered from the door made him look up to see Ruddiger, peering worriedly around the door. Catching sight of him, the raccoon bounded into the room and onto the bed beside Varian. 

“Hey buddy,” Varian muttered and Ruddiger trilled softly, sniffing him worriedly and bounding to curl onto his shoulder. The weight was comfortingly familiar, but it caused Varian to winch and press a hand to his ribs, trying not to show how hard it was to stay upright. Eugene slipped off the bed and Varian swayed slightly at the sudden lack of support. 

“Come on, let’s get you to the infirmary,” Eugene said. 

“But -” he began, but Eugene didn’t listen. 

“No buts, you need to be looked over.” He held out a hand and Varian hesitantly took it. Eugene pulled him to his feet but the movement was enough for him to give a small whimper of pain and almost collapse. “Lean on me, I’ve got you,” Eugene said, his voice soft and encouraging. “I’ve got you.” 

Varian leaned his head into Eugene’s shoulder as his friend supported him, Ruddiger curling around his neck. His ribs were still aching and his head still spinning and the taste of blood still in his mouth, but with Eugene beside him and Ruddiger warm on his shoulders he didn’t feel quite so alone. 

[seoschangbin]

Hi hi, it’s ya gal Rachel! To start off, this isn't really a follow forever but more of a mushy love fest. I was going to do this back in October when my blog hit 2 years but then with everything that happened... 😞✌ figured it wasn’t the best time! But since it’s the new year, I just wanted to spread some love to start off the decade, especially towards all the lovely people who have made my 2019 a little bit happier ♡ Thank you to everyone for making this such a fun & amazing year; thank you for supporting my gifs & graphics and interacting with me; overall, thank you for making Tumblr fun again! So to all my moots and followers, I’m wishing you all a very happy and wonderful 2020! 

I wanted to take some time as well to write some messages to all my mutuals - seeing you guys on my dash + all your work (if you’re a cc) is such a joy and I admire all of you very very much! Thank you for putting in the time to making gifs/graphics/fic/etc. and I hope you won’t mind if I gush about you a little, even if we’ve never spoken hehe! Under the cut in alphabetic order.. she’s a long one sorry!

@00hj | karen!! angel!! first of all, everything u make is just the cleanest cutest thing ever, i truly want your brain!.. u are such an incredibly talented gfx creator and i get heart palpitations every time i see ur work!! i adore u so much n ur tags are also so full of sweetness n purity and 😞💕 i just want to give u a hug!! + the way u always say hi to ccs in ur tags when u rb their stuff. cute!! pure!! 

@01degree | joanna!! first of all... thank u for filling my dash with so many groups, some of which i almost never get to see 😌💕 ur brain being multi af like me.. chefs kiss! also! you make such clean and nice gifs please don’t ever doubt that laskjd!! 2020 joanna stops saying her gifs suck! idk how u make them so clean but legends only! bls remember to be kind to yourself this year! 💕

@1095 | nicolle!! i haven’t seen you around recently but i hope everything is okay and you’re doing well! i have to say that your graphics are absolutely INSANE i don’t know how you do it!! the colours.. how it all comes together.. amazing! ur career as a graphic designer will be a good one 😌👍 secondly your urls are always so cute nd nice!! and thirdly back to number 1.. i just love everything you make so so much bls come back to us 😖

@3noracha |  falak.. ur the fandom’s gem.. the sharpening on ur gifs takes my breath away everytime + the colouring.. omg chef’s kiss!! i didn’t know you before you came back earlier this year but i’m so so glad you did come back bc u are so full of love 😳💗 you make the cutest graphics as well and are just radiate so much positivity 💞

@bamgchan | henri! still my confident car selfie king!! so glad i found you through sagey.. i love all your content (ur graphics.. always so well put together!) and the way you interact with people is so full of energy and positivity and i adore that! i hope 2020 treats you well 🥰

@banghans | ollie!! all of ur content.. ur gifs! amazing.. wonderful.. iconic thank you for providing so much hq content for the rest of us peasants 😌💕 your love for chan and jisung is also so pure n cute when u rave abt it 💞 bls stop being so hard on yourself and i love reading about how you’re always striving to be better to yourself! i hope 2020 is a good year for you 💖

@binnieseason | emily.. a loss for binnie stans that you’re gone 😔 anyways i hope to see you back sometime because you make such nice gifs + the colouring on them.. so pretty and clean.. how to be you! i hope things are okay with you and that you’ve been well!

@cb-97s | miss li! y/a novel protagonist herself!! li you’re a burst of sunshine in my day and i love chatting w u! your love for chan.. too pure 😭 every time i talk to you i’m like.. dang.. she’s real.. ppl get to see her for real! might force u to meet me irl 🤷‍♀️ also queen of gfx.. always so clean.. 😍 i know it’s been a stressful year for you but i hope 2020 brings you happiness and love 💞 love u! 

@changbeanie | hi ruby! ur graphics are always so intricate n pretty + the colouring on ur gifs.. so pretty 😭💖 thank you for providing like 90% of the changbin content nd keeping me well-fed 🥰 ur always so sweet to ur anons as well and are just a lil ray of sunshine ☀️

@changbinie​ | jo.. what even is there to say abt u.. still can’t believe i got u into skz.. CAN’T!!! thanks for suffering w me and dealin w me wakin u to talk abt middies.. + changbin arms.. i love u a little i think (?) 

@channie | hi fishy! ur one of the very first skz blogs i ever followed back in 2017.. we ancient 😌🤙 i know you’re not too active anymore but all of your gifs have like. the prettiest colouring ever idk how you do it! i hope you’ll come back to us 

@elfminho | min! i love the way u tag skz in your tags.. so cute 😭 star boy!!! cute 😭 ur gifs are also lovely as well 🥰 i think ur one of the first skz blogs i followed when i starting using this blog again n i’m glad i found ur blog bc i adore u 💞

@glowsvt | grace.. my little baby! i wish i could just !! get into ur brain how lovely nd wonderful of a human you are.. have more confidence in yourself! 😣 you make wonderful graphics.. ur style! cute! and you have such a sweet and good heart!! i love when you ramble about things and always appreciate how you take the time to reach out to me despite how busy you are 💕 thank you for being a real-life angel, i hope 2020 is good and kind to you 🙇‍♀️💞

@hanjisungz | britt!!! nerd squad let’s go!! you’re such an angel, the way you treat everyone who talks to you with so much kindness and positivity makes me want to cry!! ur truly just the cutest sunbeam and just such lovely lovely human!! thank u for puttin up with my late replies and how boring i am 😭 i also adore your gifs and icons.. which you know.. but always.. chefs kiss to them!

@huiracha | marie... first of all skz AND ptg? great, amazing, fantastic combination... galaxy brain 💞 secondly, u make such SUCH nice gifs 😭 ur prob one of my fav skz ccs and all ur pretty chan comp sets.. always look forward to them! thank u for also bringing me ptg content i never see enough of them 💕

@hwang-hyunjin | agnes!! ur topaz settings r always insane and they make your gifs look amazing!! + the colouring u do is always so beautiful!! the combo rly makes ur gifs so distinctive nd pretty💞 ur edits too!! just lovely 🥰 also the fact that we’re also moots on our mx blogs.. amazing.. i love a staybebe!! 

@hyunjins​ | godleigh???? still one of my fav gifmakers ever!! perfect colouring.. sharpening.. best brain! 💞 rmbr ur skz x prince series... still think abt it sometimes.. wish i could be half as brilliant as u!  i’m so glad we started talking bc u are incredibly funny and fun to talk to and i love witnessing ur breakdowns even though they’re probably way funnier to me than they should be 😭 love that u vibe w me and we can be mean together 😭 thank u for giving me this url 😭 thank u for being my friend, u truly are like. half the reason i enjoy being on this blog 😭 you’re wonderful and i love u a lot! sorry for clowning u sometimes! i hope everything sorts itself out soon bc u deserve some peace nd happiness 😩 and i wish u nothing but the best for this year and hope that the next year will be filled with good things 💖

@ifbin | mikaela.... u know i could talk abt you forever right???? ur graphics.. bro 😭 literally my fav gfx ever on this site.. u have such a vibrant + clean style it’s so sexy 😭 literally am in love with everything u make.. every time i see it i’m like 😳💖 also you’re such a sweetheart in your tags i can’t with you... spare friendship miss 💍

@jeonginz | bri! honestly.. i think you’re my oldest mutual from when we first started our blogs during survival era #ogs? 😳 when i found out you were nctmark... mind blown... anyways all your content is AMAZING even though u dont make as much for skz anymore msdg but ur dedication to all ur sideblogs.. galaxy brain 😌

@jinlix | kelly...!! still gazing at u across the river i love love love u!! how to purchase friendship? ur just the purest snowflake and a wonderful person with the cutest tags... ur love for hyunjin.. CUTE 💞 all your graphics are so pretty and clean as well.. dragonlix gfx never forgotten.. 😳 and you’re rly just a little angel!! 💞

@kim-woojins​ | emma, i know that you’re gone and closed pretty much but if you come back to this! just wanted to let you know that you were my fav woojin cc and i hope you’ll consider coming back someday 💖 your gifs.. always amazing! plus, you’re such a kind person and i hope everything is okay with you and things have settled a bit! sending you lots of love 💕

@kittylixie | moon.. honestly one day i just started seeing ur content everywhere.. ur gifs are so clean and pretty and just! mwah! you’re always so quick to gif as well i don’t know how you to do it! all the stuff you choose to gif as well.. best moments 💖

@kmwoojins | sagey.... still don’t really know how i came to be following you! 😩 but i’m so happy i am because you are so pure and sweet and i adore adore adore you!! 💞 love how welcoming and lovely you are as a human and still laugh every time i think about how shocked you are about jo and i... 😌 anyways i adore your graphics and you, thank you for just being such a lovely human, you were a wonderful part of my year 💖

@leeminho-s | hi lia! i know we only became moots recently but all your gifs.. so pretty 😳 and we never have enough minho content.. thank you for providing 😫 i’m sorry i don’t know much about you yet but i just wanted to say i admire your gifs so much and hope you have a wonderful start to the new year!

@minknows | hi thien! first of all.. your name.. so lovely 😳 secondly.. the colouring on your gifs is always so pretty and good 😭❤ the sharpening too.. 😔 just!! chefs kiss to it all, would take a class on how to gif from you 🙇‍♀️

@nochous | dez!! we haven’t interacted much on this sb of mine but hehe i loved our convo on my sf9 blog.. still always thinkin abt you calling kun daddy 😭 you’re such a fun person to talk to and i hope everything is okay with you since you’ve gone on a semi-hiatus! i hope we’ll have another chance to talk soon, sending you some good energy for 2020 💗

@prodskz | hi neha! i feel like you took a hiatus sometime this year (??) where i didn’t see you on much but i’m happy to see you a little more active on here now!! u provide such nice content + for some reason i rly rly love your icon 😭💗

@realstraykids | miss em.. secret santa FATED us 😔💕 anyways i adore you, we are the core of fantastay culture and this will forever unite us 😌 i’m vibrating at the thought of their comeback 😖 ANYWAYS you are such a friendly and lovely person and i enjoyed getting to talk with u so much over the past couple of weeks 💖 you’re one of my fav gifmakers honestly your mv aesthetics swap.. as i said.. 😭 amazing iconic showstopping! + the colouring on all your gifs.. so pretty 😭

@seungminhos |  to quote you. you are far too funny to be a gifmaker 😣 but then who would provide all the good seungmin content.. 😞 you’re such a force of nature on my dash and i love reading all your thoughts bc you are Funny.. and your love for seungmin + how you always want the best for him is pure!! our sporadic interactions too.. always enjoy them 💕 even though i know you’re stressed about being on here sometimes, i want you to know that you’re wonderful and i appreciate all you do to bring more seungmin on our dashes 💗 pls stop threatening to delete your blog, i would be devastated 😫

@seungminsmile | aurora!! the one time i was about to have a seungmin breakdown and went to you... hehe you’re such a cutie and very grounded person (imo!!) and you make the cutest little graphics.. the little doodles.. how do you do that!! 😳 and now that you’re making gifs.. Queen! i hope your first semester went well! 💕

@seunie | hello nia!! i know we are still new moots but you are such a pure soul.. just ur blog title.. angel! you radiate so much love and sweetness 💞 your gifs are always so vibrant + colourful as well and bring a bit of colour onto my dash just like you! hopefully we can speak in the coming year, i wish you the very best! 🥰

@skzbffie | rayana... all ur gifs... bro.... how to start a rayana religion... amazing 😍 ur gifs are always so clean + i can recognize them by the subtitle font you use.. u always choose the best moments to gif honestly how to be u! honestly ur tags are fun to read too don’t judge me i am just an admirer and fan of u 😭

@skznta | miss sierra! idk how to put it into words but you... goddess of goodness? you truly radiate so much positivity and happiness and it makes me so.. uwu (for lack of better words).. you’re so so cute over all your love for science and i’m glad we got to bond over that! the way you’re always striving to learn more + improve yourself.. u inspire me 😳 you are also an incredible cc and thank you for bringing so much joy into the fandom and my life!! i feel very grateful to have gotten to know you a little this year 💞

@thechanboys | jem.. u are a GEM... 😭 the way i got u for secret santa i’ll never get over it!! you are just such sunshine and so fun to talk to and 😳💞 if u ever wanna abandon bin for me.. 😌 my fav number one chan/bin stan..! i’m so happy you got into skz this year and i’m gonna try my hardest to get you into some other groups hehe 🤧 anyways, you are incredible, lovely, wonderful, amazing i love u jem!! 💖

@tinyjisung | bea! honestly.. we are moots on like 3(?) blogs our multi selves.. galaxy brain...  i know ur more active on ur ateez blog but i wanted to write abt you here anyways because I CAN! 😌 but i love all that good san content you provide + you just seem like a very calm n fun person 💕

@virgolix | nina. you’re such a cute person filled with love and you just spread so much positivity and good energy! you treat everyone with so much kindness and it’s so nice to see 💖 and if i can rave about your gifs for a minute... they are unreal 😫 the sharpening.. colouring.. always so amazingly clean + pretty + vibrant! 

@wonstal | hi hi! okay.. i adore all your content, you have the cutest colouring ever!! + topaz settings.. so pretty 😖💞 even though we started off as moots on my mx blog, i’m so glad you got into skz and ateez + will be on your sweet merry way to sf9 soon 🤞 i’m glad we’ve just started chatting a bit because you seem super fun and i’m excited to get to know you better! i hope 2020 treats you well darling 💖

@yongbells | iana.. hope everything is okay with you always and sending you lots of love! i miss seeing you on here but i hope you’re taking good care of yourself 💗 also.. gfx queen... 😖 you’re SUCH a ray of sunshine.. the way you always tell people how much you love their creations is so kind and all of your own gfx are some of the most beautiful things ever 💖 we are so blessed to have you in this fandom 😩 

[crapfutures]

Careless whispers

In a previous post we mentioned the story of the infamous conflict between King Henry II and Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 12th century England. It’s a familiar story of two powerful and egotistical men clashing over issues of status and pride. After a series of altercations over clerical privilege, Henry finally loses his temper; what he actually said to the assembled courtiers has been lost to history, but the most likely version comes from the biographer-monk Edward Grim, who recorded it as follows:

What miserable drones and traitors have I nourished and brought up in my household, who let their lord be treated with such shameful contempt by a low-born cleric?

Whatever Henry said, four of his knights (Richard le Breton, Reginald FitzUrse, Hugh de Morville, and William de Tracy) interpreted the utterance as a royal command. They rode to the Normandy coast, took ship for England, and confronted the Archbishop. What happened next was described by the aptly named Grim, who was on the scene and actually wounded in the attack:

The wicked knight, fearing lest Becket should be rescued by the people and escape alive, leapt upon him suddenly and wounded this lamb who was sacrificed to God, cutting off the top of the crown which the sacred unction of the chrism had dedicated to God.

More terrible blows followed, and eventually the Archbishop succumbed. Was the king’s statement interpreted correctly? We’ll never know. But we can perhaps read parallels to our own time in the complex motivations and agendas that informed the knights’ collective decision to commit murder.

Another story, more recent. This one takes place in Dallas, Texas, where a six-year-old girl asked her family’s Amazon Echo: ‘Alexa, can you play dollhouse with me and get me a dollhouse?’ Alexa promptly complied, ordering a $300 KidKraft Sparkle Mansion doll’s house from one of Amazon’s suppliers. She also ordered (for reasons known only to the internal logic of the system) nearly two kilograms of sugar cookies. The story doesn’t stop there: the following day, when a San Diego news programme reported the story, a number of Echos were roused by the wake word ‘Alexa’ coming from proximate television sets, and they in turn followed the command to also purchase dolls’ houses.

What inspired Alexa to order the biscuits? A flawed system or a very smart one?

In 560 BC, King Croesus of Lydia set a challenge to the world’s oracles to determine who provided the most accurate prophecies. His emissaries were sent to seven sites to ask the resident oracle what the king was doing at that precise moment. The winner was the Oracle of Delphi, who correctly reported that the king was making a lamb-and-tortoise stew.

Oracles were seen as conduits to the gods, speaking and giving advice on their behalf. Divination came in many other forms: augurers would follow the flight paths of birds (legend has it that the location of Rome was decided through this approach). Haruspices would read the entrails of sacrificed animals. Today, however, reading the future is much less exotic or gruesome, being mostly about data and statistics.

The next story starts back to front. A man walks into a Target outside Minneapolis and demands to see the manager. He’s got a handful of targeted coupons that had been sent to his teenage daughter, and he’s angry. ‘My daughter got this in the mail!’ he said. ‘She’s still in high school, and you’re sending her coupons for baby clothes and cribs? Are you trying to encourage her to get pregnant?’ In fact the daughter actually is pregnant. Target knows it before the girl’s father, thanks to a hunch based on its analysis of online searches and product purchases - in this case a particular lotion often used by pregnant women in the second trimester.

One more story. In happier times for Facebook, the social media giant played a significant - if unevenly distributed and still debated - role in the Arab Spring by facilitating communication between protesters. The April 6 Youth Movement in Egypt, for example, used Facebook to launch a successful call for protests in the aftermath of the Tunisian Revolution that preceded the spread of uprisings across North Africa and the Middle East in 2011-12. Events of the Arab Spring demonstrated that social networks provide a perfect mechanism through which to disseminate information broadly and quickly, as long as you have access to the internet.

So far this is a familiar and well-trodden tale; the more interesting story, however, happened when Arab states began to shut down internet access. Activists in Cairo found the solution in a different kind of social network - not screen-based, but via the city's taxi drivers. The activists realised that if they could direct conversations towards the planned anti-Mubarak gathering on 25 January 2011 in Tahrir Square, taxi drivers might spread the word and the protest would be a success. Initially, the activists tried to talk directly to drivers. 

But they soon discovered that due to the highly politicised nature of their subject, conversations would quickly turn into arguments rather than dissemination, and their objective would fail. The solution was found in exploiting the human tendency to gossip. Instead of engaging in direct conversation, the activists allowed the taxi drivers to overhear a mobile phone conversation where they would disclose the details of the protests. The taxi drivers eavesdropped, and believing they had overheard a gossip-worthy secret, they began to spread the message.

‘Technology is making gestures precise and brutal, and thereby human beings.’ - Adorno

In one of our very first posts, The Pleasures of Prediction, we described the daily experience at our local cafe - where the gestures of interaction were not always precise, sometimes brutal (depending on the mood of either ourselves or the people behind the counter), but mostly genial and surprisingly seamless. More recently, our colleague was telling us how his landlady keeps track of the number of bottles of alcohol he consumes each week by counting his recycling - a sort of small island version of a fitness tracker like the Fitbit. ‘She’s not judgemental’, he said. ‘Well … not really.’ Of course surveillance and tracking - mediating, amplifying, interpreting - have always been present in society; in the past they were just more social, or at least more analogue.

These examples raise some big questions, such as: Would you rather be monitored by a human being or a machine? If machine, why? Why don’t we trust humans? For that matter, why don’t we trust ourselves? How have we been shown to be untrustworthy and unable to control our own self-destructive or anti-social impulses? For the past two years we have been collecting stories that relate to the interpretation of information - tracing the shift from human beings to technological mediation as translator and interpreter; who is making important decisions, on whose behalf, and why.

There is certainly precision and brutality in Cambridge Analytica’s use of Facebook data for micro-targeting and psychological profiling. Likewise Amazon Echo, a data-based Trojan horse mediating our personal lives in increasingly precise but also brutal ways. There is a tendency to understand and evaluate technology according to old-fashioned notions of progress: faster, easier, more efficient and so on. But digitisation, the data that it creates, and the vast networks of dissemination also facilitate the augmenting of darker aspects of human behaviour, targeting our deepest vulnerabilities. How we examine the implications, embrace the ethics, and understand the complexity of these systems are some of the fundamental challenges we face.

Real Prediction Machines

Shortly before the Echo appeared on the market in 2014, Real Prediction Machines addressed many of the issues Amazon’s new device (and others like it) would raise. The speculative project was developed by James Auger in collaboration with designer Jimmy Loizeau, artist Alan Murray, and Edinburgh University data scientist Ram Ramamoorthy, who at the time was developing predictive modelling systems combined with machine learning to predict when professional athletes might sustain an injury through overtraining.

James, Jimmy and Alan began by asking Ram what kind of other things might be predictable through such techniques, such as ‘Will my child become a professional football player’, ‘Will Labour win the next general election’, and ‘Will I suffer a heart attack?’ The words inside the circles of the Bayesian network diagram represent potential variables. In relation to a heart attack they could correspond to something like diet or exercise, the data coming from a supermarket loyalty card, or the accelerometer in your smartphone. Or more finite information such as family history, for example data coming from a genetic testing service like 23andMe.

These variables combine to create a live and ongoing feed into the predictive algorithm. The heart attack example seemed a little too banal due to its obvious connection to wellbeing and the huge growth of data and tracking methods, so the group suggested another question to Ram: Will I have a domestic argument?

The Bayesian network shown above looks similar to the earlier one, but in this instance a microphone was added for live sound input (anticipating the omnipresent Echo). Using machine learning, the system would become better at predicting arguments through the statistical analysis of keywords, tone, and frequency - identifying particular subjects that a couple might commonly fight about.

The output was translated into an object - not an app but something more symbolic, sympathetic. They settled on an ambient device sitting in the background, providing information when you might need it. 

The device essentially has three states:

Clockwise means that the argument is moving into the future;

Anti-clockwise means that the argument is approaching, and the slower the rotation the more imminent it is;

When the rotating stops, the argument starts.

Projects like Real Prediction Machines work when it is not completely clear whether the idea is a ‘good’ one or not. Is it too invasive? Is it genuinely helpful? This is how we should think about all potential technologies, but we rarely do.

What happens next? How far away are we from Alexa ordering not biscuits, but a councillor? How much control will we have in the future, and how much do we want to have?

Images:

All diagrams by James Auger; photo of Real Prediction Machines by Sophie Mutevelian.

[krinseldraegun]

All the video game asks

Played obsessively? Kingdom hearts!Influenced me creatively? Final Fantasy Tactics AdvanceWho did I play with as a kid? Nobody really. I played single player games for a long timeWho do I play with now? I'm back on a single player binge, but my best friends occasionallyCheat codes? Yeah, pretty often when just burning through emulated games for fun. Outside of that not too often.Ever buy strategy guides? Only for Final Fantasy and pretty much just to collectMultiple copies? DDR Supernova and KH1Rarest/most expensive? I have no idea. I don't have many expensive gamesMost regrettable purchase? A couple games in my steam library were pretty fucking bad and I got them for cheap like half a decade agoMidnight release? I went to the LoZ Breath of the Wild midnight release despite not preordering it bc I had a friend who didEver made new friends from a game? I met my best friend because of maplestory!Picked on for liking games? NahA game you've never played that everyone else has? Most Legend of Zelda games, most spyro games, most crash bandicoot gamesFavorite game music? The OSTs for most Square games are absolute bangersIf you had to, game related tattoo? If I'm doing a game related tattoo I'd rather go all out than get some small tattoo. Like a sleeve of Yojimbo's FFX designFavorite game to play with friends IRL? Mario Kart!Lost a friend over a game? Kinda, I knew a person who was convinced that if the game wasn't structured like Mass Effect or a Telltale game it wasn't an RPG which is objectively wrong.Date someone that hates gaming? It's a big part of my life and always has been. That'd be like asking someone who's been on a football team his whole life up to graduation and maybe college if he'd date someone who hates sports. I don't think I could. Someone who doesn't play games but doesn't hate them? Maybe. I don't really have to worry about this question though 🖤Favorite handheld console? 3DS hands down. It's just fucking goodGame that I know like the back of my hand? KH1. I can beat it without dying with starting equipment in under 9 hoursGame you didn't understand but now love? FFX had quite a confusing leveling system for me when I was a first grader. Good shit now thoughGame related clothing/accessories? I have a couple different KH necklaces, a couple KH shirts, a moogle pin, a palico pin, and the KH 2.8 limited edition pinGame you've logged the most hours in? Recently it would be FFXIV, but Modern Warfare 2 is definitely the mostFirst pokémon game? XD Gale of DarknessArcade game player? I'm really good at time crisis 2 and for a while I was really good at House of the Dead 3Gaming rivalries? Nah, neverGame that makes you rage? Dark Souls and For Honor, but I still 100% Dark Souls 2 SotFSEver play in a tourney? A small local one with friends for Sm4sh. I'm not good at sm4shGaming setup? My computer desk has my gaming pc, wii, ps2, and ps4 hooked up to my TV in my room next to my mini fridge and my ps3 is out in the front roomHow many consoles? 5. PS2, PS3, PS4, Wii, Xbox 360 that's collecting dust in my closet3DS/virtual boy headaches? Everyone gets Virtual Boy headaches, that's what it does. My 3DS doesn't give me headaches thoughGame based off favorite media? YESS I played a LOT of Megaman Battle NetworkBootleg/plug & play? I had an atari plug & play for a bit iirc. We got it for free and it didn't survive longGaming parents? Both used to play, now my mom doesn't and my stepdad only plays panzer general and candy crush despite having a ps4 proEver work in a game store or have a favorite game shop? Never worked in one but my favorite is a local store ran by a really chill dude named David who also hosts smash bros tournamentsSweat blood or tears because of a video game? Sweat often. I get really into games and start stressing a lot. Never blood. Tears is an almost because of the lightning field minigame in FFXE.T.? Never played it, but a game that ended up being shoved in a landfill to that degree must be terribleGuilty pleasure game? None that I can think ofDream sequel? YA BOI WANTS A NEW .HACK// GAMEVR and motion control? I absolutely love VR. I'm waiting to get my own VR setup, but I'm kinda waiting for the cost to go down and better games to come out, but games like superhot and RE7 really show promise for the idea. I've always been a fan of the .hack// series so I've been waiting for VRGenre not for me? RTS and fighting games. I'm terrible at both and I kept getting people telling me I'd be good at starcraft because I'm 1/4 korean and it just isn't happening and it's made me hate the game.Game that started it all? It actually was my first game, and it was Kingdom HeartsGaming when you shouldn't? Too often. Way too oftenMost played arcade cabinet? Either Time Crisis or House of the DeadMario Kart? I'm pretty damn good if I say so myselfRelaxing games, animal crossing, harvest moon? Not really. A lot of them require you to come back day after day for progress without a clear endgame and I can't do that. The idea of needing to consistently log into a game just for maintenance doesn't work for me and is why I burn myself out on mobile games fast.Competitive games? Absolutely! Team based shooters I love competitive modes and ranked modes forCustomization time? It varies, but in games with a lot of customizing it can take around an hour or two if I'm trying to get something specificPreferred class? Tanks! I like being on the frontline being the wall between my team and the enemy!Dream game to make? Real time open world action RPG that's a mix between high fantasy and magitek that has a story mode and an open, create your character and group with friends mode that has its own list of quests and missions separate from the main line but has events that overlapForgotten to eat or sleep? Yeah. Not on the eat part but definitely the sleepGame I begged for as a kid? Kingdom Hearts 2, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days, KH Re:Coded, KH 3DDLC? Expansions that add a decent amount of new content to a game are wonderful. Locking non-episodic main story content, fighting game characters, and non-cosmetic items behind paywalls is wrong and games shouldn't be pay to win.Steam sales? I have no money to give in with and I'm picky with games I enjoy.Sims voodoo doll? Never played a lot of the sims and if I did it'd likely be more just dumping OC's in a houseRoller coaster tycoon murder? Never played it100% games? First game I got the 100% trophy in is Dark Souls 2 SotFS, and that's after miracles were nerfed into the ground3 games for the rest of your life? Pls don't make me do this. I can't choosePhone games? FFD opera omnia, mobius FF, KHUx, but rarelyKonami code? Ye boiTrade in or keep forever? I keep specific games and trade in the restBuy a console for 1 game? Almost? I bought a 3DS for monster hunter and kingdom heartsGaming convention or tournament? No... I wish...Gaming specific tv or monitor? I don't have any mahney. If I did have the money I definitely wouldGameshark etc? I had a ps2 gameshark. It never corrupted anythingOld nokia with snake? Nope, but I had friends that didHappy childhood gaming memory? Pretty sure I cried the first time I beat Kingdom HeartsArcade tickets for prize? Nah, the games that didn't give tickets were more funBest game ever? Can't think of any. My favorite game is KH, but it isn't the best game. No game is perfectFirst game beaten? Kingdom hearts!

[cielospeaks]

complaining abt the s/i fandom part whatever but

idk but i always felt like ppl kinda... had an animosity or resentment towards a lot of my inserts bc they usually had kinda plain designs and stories. usually didnt have flashy hair colors or flashy powers (with the exception of aime)

but the reason for that is i dont have flashy hair or powers so imo why would a representation of myself have it? unless it makes sense like demiservant or whatever, but even thats like suuuper hypothetical tbh. a lot of my faves appealed to me bc i felt like what i actually have would be really... mesh well with them. i like the idea of being able to play music for nizou and look out for him when he gets hurt. i like the idea of being someone whos nerdy ish but also kind and not looking down on izou, who can really care about him and share passions with him. and so much more. and thats all from who i am as a person, its not from flashy powers or a more eye catching person that isnt me. even characters that are like... not me but a “self insert oc”. i dont like moz and schuu bc i want them to be in reverence of a badass.... entity with powers, i like moz and schuu bc i want mokou to be an understanding and friendly force in their lives. if theyre like.... in reverence its bc of mokou just being mokou, not having powers or inheriting some ridiculous thing. they just mesh well with this quiet and self conscious yet brave and dedicated like... regular human person with no crazy powers. and so on and so forth.

for me it’d be taking away mokou’s real power and strength to give her like “oh she can do musik of anything lol” sorta thing. i know a lot of ppls ocs were loids/had loid powers at the time, but thats not for me. i like the idea of a narrative of like... kinda dysfunctional and eccentric not quite human individuals and a human that meets them, a kinda grounded person who above all odds meshes well with them. and despite their differences they help each other get better in life in general. and making mokou some super powered individual would take away from that. its “she gets along w them bc shes also a loid lol and you should just stay in your lane” rather than “she gets along w them bc she resonates w their feelings and experiences and genuinely connects w ppl despite being really different”. which for me is a story and motive im actually going to enjoy.

not that im opposed to giving inserts powers. heckin aime has like.. the badass weapon of her series, and it can change forms. and believe me have i gotten heck from like... “si positive! uwu” ppl bc of that. even kasumi is like... has the slumbering power of legend waiting to reach its potential, or something like that. which youd think id be opposed to bc of how much i hated this “op chosen one” stuff in the two most recent games, but i think it works for kasumi bc 1. she wasn’t born with this power, one could say it was “thrust upon” her. and 2. her relationship with her friends, laegy and hrid and the others, came before these powers, it was solely her and them, not “ohhh ur so powerful and strong o chosen one uwu! notice me”

but yea, tldr every time i make yet another brown haired brown eyed self insert with no extremely potent power its good. and honestly i might be doin -meme voice- another one

[cutegirlmayra]

On one hand I get it but on the other hand it's so bizarre to me that to understand exactly how the sonic franchise works you need knowledge of the way the company functions?? case and point: how it kinda seemed Shad/Amy could've been a thing in earlier games (Knux/Rouge as well) but then never came up again being explained by a replacement in the higher-ups at sega??like that's absolutely bizarre. if you leave a fan to just figure it out from the games-good luck bc the writing doesnt address it

(Our friends at IGN have some research done for you: x Take it with a grain of salt.)

“As SEGA’s star has faded, some are quick to whitewash their history; to act as if their success was the fluke and their failure inevitable. It’s natural – the victors always write the history books – but that isn’t the way it happened. This is the story of SEGA; the good, the bad, and the possibilities of what could have been.” -IGN

Ah, I see you’ve done your research, my friend! indubitably so, our friends at SEGA have been making ideas and scrapping them mid-way for some time now. If you study any companies ‘fundamental personality’ with running a certain franchise you will see how that affects production.

Always remember!

 History is affected by how the Pre-Production is handled.

This can be for any number of medias, but I think it mostly affects the film industry. Games are different, mind you, but they also have a cinematic field/feel to them that shouldn’t be overlooked. Scripts, animators, directors, etc. Just to name the familiar ones.

Marketing, managing, and running the ‘behind the scenes’ for a lack of a better word- productions is incredibly complex and extremely psychological but crucial for the creation of practically anything marketable.

SEGA’s learned a lot through the years and has kept afloat by more than loyal fans. They don’t shut things down, they keep going and count their losses with a sense of “We’ll excel to the future” instead of just falling down and sprawling out because they feel they’ve run out of their luck.

For this, I admire some of their staff and officials. But for other reasons, I wish I could just say- “Hey, this is a good idea. Develop this further.” Or “Don’t do that. I promise you, that’s a waste of time.” There’s a lot of things that they haven’t considered or haven’t recognized ‘silent successes’ that I believe is the key to moving them forward.

Sonic characters are highly influenced by choices. Inexperienced writers or fans that haven’t worked in the particular genre of Sonic will find it difficult though fun to try and mess with it. However, this isn’t meant to be a fun project to fiddle with. They’re being PAID to write a SUCCESS GAME. Most writer’s today write to hit deadlines and sip their drinks. They have passion, but it’s for particular things, and when those things aren’t there they run wild for the jokes to keep themselves and possibly their friends entertained.

I know this sounds harsh, lol. But reality never was sugar-coated in the grand scheme of things.

If SEGA allowed fans to view their history. A documentary or even an insightful look at how characters were created, plots for stories were formed, games were designed, and problems they faced… I think the fandom would be more emphatic to their circumstances today. (They’re not in extreme peril or anything- or the abyss of debt like they used to be, but do have their struggles. Much like the Japanese, they keep this on the downlow, as most companies do.)

If you look into the history of many companies, not just games, you can see how their franchises shift with the ‘Company Personality’ changes that occur too. Either to new staff changes, tragedy, loss, paranoia, lack of experience, etc.

SEGA overall has been a survivor with gritted teeth, yanking his competition down and climbing to where he’s made it today. At first brutal, he is now a silent admirer, hands in his pockets, only pulling them out to make and show new things he’s quietly content with. Recently, he’s been extremely excited about Sonic Mania, and confident in showing that off to people.

I could literally personify SEGA for you. A hard worker with a loud mouth that has slowly grown quieter over the years, more refined with age. He’s never stopped learning nor given up, and the once restless teen has become a contender to grab at long-lasting fame and this time- hang onto it like a football.

SEGA is trying to re-identify many things about himself, and this process is long and tiresome for most of those working for him, wanting the benefits fast and him delivering it as soon as he can. But he’s slowed a bit and tried to refine himself in his old age. I have high hopes that with good people patting his back and whispering, kindly, great ideas that he’ll excel with a running start up that cliff to success and fame again- where he silently now longs to return. (The fall was rough, lol he hurt his shoulder. He rotates it ever now and then to remind him that he was once tall, and he’ll be okay as long as he keeps pushing through.)

This is just the trends I’ve seen. So when I see things like- “Sonic Boom” I think, “SEGA is having an identity crisis in America again.” Or when “Sonic Mania” came back- “He’s not only reminiscing, but inventing again. He’s got his spark of passion/enthusiasm again. Looking at things in a new light and in new times.” When I see the news about “Sonic Forces” I see SEGA taking a stride in the new time, trying. Always desperately trying without showing too much of his struggle in doing so.

A once punkish kid who picked his nose and flicked it to other companies is now wearing a more casual business attire and making a Rocky Movie change. This has been happening for years now.

I’m excited for this little guy’s progress but hope his speedy intents slow down further to think things through and really put everything he has into finding pride at the end of his creations again. and with that-!

DO YOUR RESEARCH MY FANS!

“Not all stories have a happy ending. SEGA is not dead, but they may be in shackles. Since the Sammy takeover, the flow of internally-developed SEGA games has slowed to a small fraction of what it once was. Arcade operations have been pared down sharply, and Western developers have been handed the keys to SEGA's franchises, even when the original creators are still on staff. Many industry legends still work there, but too few are being allowed to do what they do so well. Occasionally we are allowed glimpses of SEGA's potential greatness in games like Yakuza, but more often we simply wonder what they could possibly be working on for so long.

Either way, we know it will never be the same. Whatever we have to look forward to, it will be different than what it was. The important thing is that we don't let the present color the past. It's a tendency of writers, and perhaps just human nature, to focus on the victors and their glorious paths to conquest, but it often doesn't reflect the complexities of history. SEGA was one of the most active, creative, and productive developers the industry has ever known, and nothing that can happen to their name since will change that.“ -IGN

that is all~

[tipsycad147]

Mirror Gazing (Scrying)

Written and compiled by George Knowles

Since time began, man has been fascinated by his reflected image as seen in the still waters of woodland lakes, pools and rivers.  Among primitive peoples superstition was rife, and seeing their image reflected in water may have been like catching a glimpse of their souls, for it was widely believed that the soul existed separate from the body.  Others may have found themselves gazing through a portal into the spirit realm, there communicating with departed loved ones or gaining insights into future events.  However, these same woodland lakes and pools were also known haunts of fairy folks and nature spirits, sometimes friendly, but sometimes hostile, and likely to snatch at human reflection to capture the souls of the unwary.  Little wonder then that anything reflecting images was regarded as magical.

The Mirror of Venus by Burne-Jones

Ancient prophets, soothsayers and oracles initially used bowls filled with water in which to scry and divine answers to questions about past, present and future events.  Later, highly polished stones such as beryl, crystal and quartz were used for similar purposes.  The first man-made mirrors used in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome were commonly made of sheeted metal (pewter, copper, tin, bronze or silver etc.) and flattened into rounded disks to which handles were applied.  Some had decorative designs inscribed on the back, but the face would have been highly polished and reflective.

In the Middle Ages when it became possible to make glass, crude hand held glass mirrors were made backed with thin layers of metal such as tin and lead.  Later during the 16th century, better quality mirrors were produced in Murano, Venice (Italy), the backs of which were covered with an amalgam of tin and mercury (normally 75% tin to 25% mercury).  In 1836 a German chemist called ‘Justus von Liebig’ developed the process of coating a glass surface with metallic silver, a process that is still used today.  By the end of the 17th century plate glass was developed, and the use of large stationary mirrors became commonplace household features.

Legends, Myths and Folklore

Dr. John Dee (1527 – 1608)

Dr. John Dee was a famous Alchemist, Mathematician, Astronomer; he was also an adviser to Queen Elizabeth I on matters pertaining to science and astrology, as such, he was commonly referred to as “the last royal magician”.  A serious academic, some thought him to be the most learned man in the whole of Europe.  He was fascinated by all things occult, and was an adept in Hermetic and Cabbalistic philosophy.  Dee had a particular interest in divination, and spent much of his later life experimenting with different methods in his efforts to communicate with Angels.  From 1583 onward, Dee worked with Edward Kelly using both a black obsidian mirror and a crystal ball to see visions of ‘Angels’.  Allegedly they communicated by pointing to squares containing letters and symbols that Dee had transcribed.

John Dee’s black obsidian mirror and crystal ball

This is the mirror together with a small smoky quartz crystal ball used by Dee and Kelly for their occult research.  These are now on display at the British Museum in London.  The mirror is made of highly polished obsidian (volcanic glass) and was one of many objects brought back to Europe after the conquest of Mexico by the Spanish conquistador Hernán (Ferdinand) Cortés. Obsidian was sacred to Tezcatlipoca, the Aztec “Sky God” associated with Kings, Warriors and Sorcerers, and whose name can be translated as “Smoking Mirror”.  The Aztec priests used mirrors for divination and conjuring up visions.

The case along side it was especially made to fit the mirror, it has a paper label written by the English antiquary Sir Horace Walpole who acquired the mirror in 1771 stating:  “The Black Stone into which Dr Dee used to call his spirits...” and added later:  “Kelly was Dr Dee’s associate and is mentioned with this very stone in “Hudibras” (a satirical poem by Samuel Butler, first published in 1664) Part 2. Canto 3 v. 631.  Kelly did all his feats upon The Devil’s Looking glass, a Stone".

Archimedes

In one of the many legends of Greece, the mathematician Archimedes (287-212 BC) invented giant mirrors that were used to reflect the rays of the Sun onto Roman warships during the battle of Syracuse in 212 B.C.

Wall painting from the Stanzino delle Matematiche in the Galleria degli Uffizi (Florence, Italy). Painted by Giulio Parigi - 1599-1600.

“At last in an incredible manner he (Archimedes) burned up the whole Roman fleet. For by tilting a kind of mirror toward the sun he concentrated the sun's beam upon it; and owing to the thickness and smoothness of the mirror he ignited the air from this beam and kindled a great flame, the whole of which he directed upon the ships that lay at anchor in the path of the fire, until he consumed them all.”

(The above description is from Dio's Roman History - Translated by Earnest Cary, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1914)

Narcissus

In Greek mythology Narcissus was a handsome young man whose beautiful good looks claimed the love of all the women who met him, but he continually rejected their advances.  One day while hunting in the woods he came upon a clear pool of water and stopped to take a drink from it.  Mirrors were almost unknown in those times, but when he bent down to drink from the water, he saw what he thought was another young man.  Amazingly the young man seems to be alive and responding, for when Narcissus smiled, so did he.  The young man was so incredibly beautiful that Narcissus immediately fell in love with him, but when he bent forward to kiss him, just when their lips should have touched, the young man’s image blurred and rippled and all he got was a mouthful of water.

Narcissus by John William Waterhouse (1903)

Eventually Narcissus realised it was his own reflection in the water, but he could not bear to pull himself away.  As he continued to gaze longingly at himself, he gradually pined away and died.  At the place where his body had lain now grows a beautiful flower, a Narcissus, nodding its head over its own reflection in a pool.

Perseus and Medusa of the Gorgons

In Greek mythology, the Gorgons (daughters of the sea god Phorcys and his wife Ceto) were three monstrous sisters called:  Stheno, Euryale and Medusa.  They were dragon-like creatures covered with scales, had wings, claws, enormous teeth and snakes replicating hair.  They lived on the farthest side of the western ocean, shunned and feared because a single direct glance at one of them could turn a person to stone.  Of the three, only Medusa was mortal and could be killed, a feat that was achieved by the hero Perseus (son of Zeus).

Perseus, with the aid of a sword given to him by Hermes and a highly polished shield given to him by Athena, by watching Medusa’s reflection in the shield, was able to cut off her head without directly looking at her.  The severed head, however, still had the power to turn a person into stone if it was looked upon.  Legend has it that Perseus gave the severed head to Athena who used it to turn Atlas into stone.  This stone became known as the Atlas Mountains that now hold up the heaven and earth.

Medusa painted by Caravaggio 1596-1597

Other legends about mirrors and scrying include the Goddess Hathor, who carried a shield that could reflect back all things in their true light.  Nostradamus is believed to have used a small bowl of water as a scrying tool into which he gazed and received images of future events.  And who can forget the magic mirror featured in the Disney folktale classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, when the wicked Queen immortalized the question “Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?”

Making a Scrying Mirror

All types and sizes of mirrors can be used for scrying, but commonly round or oval mirrors seem to be preferred.  Old mirrors seem to work better than new mirrors, and more particularly those encased in a silver frame.  Silver is generally associated with the moon, and while scrying can be practised at any time, best results are often gained in the quiet of night during a full or new moon.

Many people find it easier to scry using a black or obsidian mirror, the dark depth of a black mirror being more conducive to inducing visions.  Obsidian is a black or dark-coloured volcanic lava rock, chemically similar to granite, but formed by cooling rapidly on the Earth’s surface at low pressure.  The glassy texture of the rock is the result of its rapid cooling, which inhibits the growth of crystals.

Obsidian was highly valued by the early civilisations of Mexico, who used it for making sharp-edged tools, ritual and ceremonial sculptures, and polished mirrors similar to the one owned by Dr. John Dee above.  Sadly, the ancient method of mining, grinding and smoothing obsidian into reflective mirrors was a long and drawn-out process, and so true obsidian mirrors, particularly old ones, are now quite expensive.  However, given modern techniques and the demand created in the contemporary market, new obsidian mirrors can be obtained from most modern occult shops who stock them in a range of sizes at competitive prices.

Here’s an old mirror and stand I found at a car boot sale recently.  I then purchased a new black obsidian mirror slate from an occult store in Glastonbury and collected  all the bits and pieces needed to transform and create my own magick mirror.

An alternative to using obsidian is to make your own ‘black’ mirror.  If you have an old silver picture frame lying around the home, simply take out the glass, clean it being careful to remove any marks, finger prints or blemishes, then paint the back of it black.  Matt black paint tends to work better than gloss paint, as does black enamel or car spray paint.  You may need to give the glass a few coats of paint to cover it properly, but allow each coat to dry thoroughly before adding the next.  Also try to leave a smooth finish without streaks or runs.

Having rubbed down the mirror frame with fine sandpaper and sprayed it with black satin paint, I decided to decorate the boarder with appropriate directional and elemental stones.  North is Malachite representing Earth, East is Citrine representing Air, South is Tigers Eye representing Fire, and West is Lapis Lazuli representing Water.  Replacing the silver backed mirror glass into the frame, I then centralised and bonded the black obsidian slate to it leaving a silver rim around the black mirror...

Another good idea is to use the curved glass face of an old clock and paint the convex side black; you will of course need to make a suitable frame to mount it on.  Antique shops are a good source for old clocks, and who knows, you could also find an antique silver frame on which to mount it.  Frames can be as plain or as ornate as you like; you may even wish to personalise or decorate it with meaningful stones, gems or sigils.  Remember the mirror will also need some method of standing-up on your altar or table, ideally at a shallow or adjustable angle.  Some picture frames have a leg on the back for this purpose, or alternatively you could use a display stand similar to those used for collector plates.

... and the end result is my own Magick Mirror.

Before using your mirror, as with all magickal tools, it needs to be cleansed of all previous associations and negative energies, then dedicated and charged with your own energy.  It is up to you how simple or elaborate you wish to make this process, but most people do it inside a properly consecrated circle.  Once your circle is formed and quarters called, a simple dedication might go something like this:

“Into this sacred space I bring this mirror, here to be cleansed and dedicated to my service”.  Face each direction in turn and call on its associated element with these or similar words (start with North - Earth):  “By the spirits of the North and the powers of the Earth, I purify and dedicate this mirror” (repeat the same with the other directions:  East - Air, South – Fire, and West - Water).  Next you may wish to call whatever deities you are working with for their blessing, saying:  Goddess/God (or deity names), bless this mirror, let it be a tool I use for positive purposes.  Guard and watch over the works that come from it, and ensure no harm can ever be caused by it.  In thy name Goddess/God I dedicate this mirror to my service.  So Mote It Be!”

Mirror Gazing (Scrying)

The art of mirror gazing (scrying) is called Catoptromancy, a term that refers to the use of reflective surfaces for the purposes of divination.  Scrying mirrors can be used to make contact with spirit guides, to access knowledge for healing and self-improvement, or to define the past, predict the present, and perceive the future.  As a portal into other realms, it can also be used to aid astral travel, and during ritual to communicate with deity.

Scrying can be practised at any time, but best results are often gained in the quiet of night after the hustle and bustle of the day’s activities.  It is not necessary to construct a fully consecrated circle for scrying; it is enough to simply create your sacred space by visualising a circle of white light surrounding and purifying the appointed working area.  In a quiet darkened room, place your mirror on a table or altar with a dark cloth beneath it.  Light a candle, one on each side of the mirror, but in such a position they don’t reflect on the mirror’s surface, and if you wish, burn an appropriate blend of incense to stimulate the psychic senses.  Switch off all other light sources except for the two candles, and seat yourself comfortably in front of the mirror.  Take a few minutes to relax while you tune into the atmosphere created.  When ready to start, first ground and center yourself then call your guides or guardians to protect the work from unwanted or misleading influences.

To begin, when looking at the mirror try not to just stare at it, but look through its surface as if gazing into a dark and endless tunnel.  After awhile, images and colours will begin to take form, they may even appear and take shape outside the mirror surrounding it on all sides.  When you first start scrying be patient, keeping your first sessions to about 10 - 30 minutes, and gradually work it up to hour-long sessions as you learn.  The art of scrying is interpreting what you see in the images and colours as they take form.  This in a way it is a little like dream interpretation, and initially you may wish to consult one of the many books on the subject to help define the images you see.  At the end of the day however, the real interpretation will be what those images mean to you personally.

After you have completed your scrying session, re-ground yourself and close your sacred space.  You may wish to keep a journal and note down any visions you received during your session and later compare them with a list of dream interpretations.  The more you practice, the more familiar the images and their meanings will become, but you may need to meditate on them for awhile to reveal any hidden meanings.

In conclusion, there are many differing ways and methods of scrying in addition to the one above, so it pays to experiment and use what works best for you.  Whatever tool or method you use, be it your own personalised mirror, a crystal ball, or simply a bowl of coloured water; it can with time and patience become a font of wisdom and knowledge.  As Ostara, the Spring Equinox approaches, a time of fresh beginnings, who knows what future truths can be divined???  Believe in your abilities and may you find what you seek.

End

https://www.controverscial.com/Mirror%20Gazing.htm

[tripstations]

Walking the Great Wall of China: How did Dong Yao-hui cover it all?

Luanping, China (CNN) — On a warm spring morning in 1984, Dong Yao-hui and his two young friends, Wu De-yu and Zhang Yuan-hua, pulled on military surplus backpacks and boots and set out on a hike along a stretch of the Great Wall of China.

Their walk began at Laolongtou — or the Old Dragon’s Head — in Shanhai Pass, where what was once believed to be the easternmost stretch of the Wall reaches into the Bohai Sea. From there they forged westward toward the mountains of Hebei province and the vast Chinese territory stretching out beyond.

By sunset the first night, they’d made good progress and took shelter in a crumbling fortification that, centuries ago, had accommodated the men who once stood guard on the Wall, perhaps watching for invaders from the north.

There they contemplated the journey ahead of them — a walk of 17 months and 8,850 kilometers (5,500 miles) that would test their endurance, but also take them into the record books as the first people ever to walk the length of the wall.

It was a trip that would not only change the lives of the three friends but would change the fortunes of the wall itself, helping preserve it and elevate it to the revered status it holds today.

First Great Wall expedition

Dong Yao-hui has spent the last three decades protecting and promoting China’s Great Wall.

Harry Forbes

“It was the first time ever for humans to go on an expedition of the entire Great Wall, leaving the first complete set of footprints,” recalls Dong, now 62. “It was a nonstop uphill and downhill journey.

“The heat from summer, the snow in winter and the exhausting hikes were all challenging but they weren’t insurmountable. We just walked and walked and we made notes of what we saw. It was very repetitive like how a farmer tends to his farms.

“Little did we know when we were on the journey that it would end up becoming a lifelong project.”

Back in May 1984, the Great Wall was famous beyond China as the structure that could — so the legend goes — be seen from space. At that time, however, more was perhaps known about the surface of the moon than the contours of the wall.

Work on it began more than 2,500 years ago, its origins dating back to China’s Spring and Autumn Period of around 770 BC to 476 BC. Various sections were added in subsequent eras as competing dynasties and factions sought to exert their control.

Work eventually stopped in the 17th century. Today the wall reaches over 21,000 kilometers, winding its way through 15 provinces, 97 prefectures and 404 counties.

And while certain parts had long attracted tourists, both from within and outside of China, such was its size that by the 1980s — when the country was emerging from the turmoil of its 1949 communist takeover and the excesses of the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and ’70s — many sections had slipped into obscurity, disrepair and sometimes oblivion.

Dong Yao-hui, Wu De-yu and Zhang Yuan-hua were the first men to walk the entire length of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall.

courtesy Dong Yao-hui

This is where Dong enters the story. At 25, he was working as a power cable technician — and poet — in his hometown of Qinhuangdao, close to the Shanhai Pass, where he would later start his odyssey.

“I climbed power towers, often next to the Great Wall,” he recalls. “Slowly, I developed an interest in the Great Wall. ‘Who built it? When was it built? Why was it built?’ I had all these questions but there weren’t a lot of books you could read about it — not even the government had such a record then.”

Soon Dong’s interest formulated into a plan. And after two years of preparation, he and his two friends embarked on the epic trek that they thought would take them three years, but would in fact be completed in just 508 days.

An unexpected lifelong project

Dong, Wu and Zhang decided to focus only on the 8,851.8-kilometer Great Wall stretch that was restored and built during the Ming Dynasty — around 600 years ago. It’s the most well-preserved section and the part most commonly referred to when we talk about the Great Wall today.

“Our hiking outfits were military uniforms provided by troops stationed at each area,” recalls Dong. “Our rucksacks were donated by China’s Mountaineering Association — which were used during their expedition to Mount Everest. We were considered well equipped in the olden days.”

Instead of referencing a map, they simply followed the wall and recorded their own path on paper as well as their observations on the wall’s condition. At night, they usually slept inside the wall’s gates and fortresses, which were physically separated from the main structure, so they could document them too.

“Just think how tiring it was for us to walk the Great Wall… But today we keep taking it apart, so is society more civilized now? Or more idiotic? ”

Dong Yao-hui

“Little did we know when we were on the journey that it would end up becoming a lifelong project,” says Dong.

On completing their journey, the expedition team spent the following two years consolidating and publishing their experiences in a book titled “Ming Dynasty Great Wall Expedition.”

But what they initially thought would be the end of their obsession with the Great Wall would transpire to be just the beginning as the repercussions of their journey rippled much further than expected.

Prior to their expedition, Dong couldn’t find much documentation about the Great Wall.

courtesy Dong Yao-hui

“We had another plan originally to trek along China’s 18,000-kilometer seashore,” says Dong. “But our affair with the Great Wall was unstoppable once ignited.

“The further I went, the more it became a responsibility to society rather than just a self-fulfilling project.”

As they shared tales of their adventures, it became clear to the trio that it was not just the physical demands that left lasting impressions, but also the emotional impact of seeing how much of the wall had fallen into ruin.

So much so that they alerted authorities.

“When we told the ruling officials they said, ‘Right. Right. Right,'” Dong says. “But actually no one took it seriously, so we felt pain.

“Just think how tiring it was for us to walk the Great Wall, let alone how it must have been to build it. But today we keep taking it apart. So is society more civilized now? Or more idiotic?”

Today Dong comes across as a gentle, scholarly figure, one who has dedicated more than half his life to the study and preservation of the Great Wall, but contemplating its parlous condition revives the youthful indignation that propelled him on his original quest.

“Yes, I admit I can be reckless and emotional when talking about the damage sometimes,” he says. “It’d be better if I could deliver my message in a more rational and gentle way.

After trekking 508 days, the trio arrived at Jiayu Pass in 1985.

courtesy Dong Yao-hui

“But I can’t control it. I’m so upset — it’s a pain that comes from the bottom of my heart.”

Dong’s anguish isn’t without justification, with the wall continuing to face threats. In 2014, the Great Wall Society, which Dong founded and is now vice president of, reported that only 8.2% of the structure was in good condition.

Dong tries to put such stories in a positive light, saying the fact that these issues are even appearing in the news suggests there’s been a change in attitude regarding the Great Wall.

“In these 35 years, the effort to protect the Great Wall has changed [immensely],” he says.

“Before the nation reformed, every village was destroying the Great Wall so it wasn’t considered news. Today, the media fights to report on it and people condemn it. The overall awareness of Great Wall preservation has improved.”

Witnessing the damage being done to the Great Wall, Dong devoted his life preserving it.

Harry Forbes

Cable technician-turned-‘Son of the Great Wall’

Dong can, of course, take a lot of credit for this. These days he’s known as the “Son of the Great Wall,” with a reputation as its leading authority. When US Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton visited the wall, he was their designated expert guide.

The respect conveyed on Dong is on display on another spring day earlier this year as CNN Travel joins him during a visit to the Jinshanling section of China’s Great Wall, in Hebei province, about two and a half hours northeast of Beijing.

Wearing a modest checkered shirt and a pair of dress pants, he is welcomed by a village of local officials and managers, before putting on a red hiking jacket to climb up the wall’s stairs, his agile frame always a step ahead of the crowd.

“Mr. Dong hasn’t been here for a while now,” one of the managers says with a broad grin, before updating the special visitor on the status and conservation works happening along this section of the wall.

The bespectacled scholar quietly nods and occasionally whispers short inquiries.

A survey carried out in 2014 found that only 8.2% of the Great Wall is in good condition.

Yong Xiong/CNN

Work to preserve the Great Wall began in earnest in 1987 — three years after Dong’s hike — when UNESCO inscribed it was a World Heritage Site. Since then, China has implemented a number of measures to protect the world-famous attraction.

The Cultural Relics Administrative Department was given control over the overall protection of the Great Wall.

Meanwhile, a new daily visitor cap of 65,000 has recently been implemented at the popular Badaling section of the Great Wall to improve the overall experience and prevent deterioration. A three-grade warning system will also be deployed to warn tourists about the size of the crowd on the wall — all in real-time.Other measures include the demolition of a heavily commercialized tourist market at the foot of Badaling. It’s to be replaced with a Great Wall-themed cultural square by 2022.

China’s Great Wall was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

Yong Xiong/CNN

Great Wall tourism: Turning the poorest into the wealthiest

“Great Wall tourism gives the local community a tremendous push as it develops,” says Dong.

“Look at Mutianyu, a village at the foot of the Great Wall. It was once the poorest village in Huairou district. Some 30 years after it has tapped into Great Wall tourism, it’s now the wealthiest village.

“How did it go from the poorest to the wealthiest? It didn’t steal and sell a single brick from the Great Wall — what it sells is the culture of the Great Wall.

“We must develop local economies so the local farmers can enjoy the benefits and fruits of Great Wall preservation. Then you don’t even need to ask them to stop damaging the wall or stealing bricks — they just wouldn’t do it.”

Dong places his palm on the weathered wall, still contemplating it as he did 35 years younger. But today, he ruminates on a mission grander than his own journey.

“Someone, once upon a time, dug up some earth, molded it into a brick,” he says. “Someone else brought it all the way up the mountain and built a wall. Then many people guarded the wall for hundreds and thousands of years.

“The Great Wall is definitely alive. It isn’t just a cold, stone wall. When you put your palm on the wall, you’re holding hands with countless of ancestors from over the years.”

The post Walking the Great Wall of China: How did Dong Yao-hui cover it all? appeared first on Tripstations.

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[syncogon]

Some Chinese Cartoons

[Disclaimer: this was addressed to one specific person. I’ll make a better post one day.]

One day I’ll add pics and make this actually formal and stuff. But for now...

我为歌狂/Music Up:

Summary: Two musically talented, insanely popular high school guys - but that’s about all they have in common. In fact, they hate each other’s guts. And yet, through complicated circumstances, they and two others join to form a four-man band, “OPEN.” Both individually and as a band, they face a variety of problems: financial, academic, familial, romantic, and everything in between, in order to pursue their dreams. (52 eps)

Commentary: This is set in modern(ish) day, real world. Made in 2001, so keep that mind when considering the animation quality. They do have a lot of good songs, since this IS a show about singers and pop bands. Overall the tone is pretty light. Some things are a lot more dramatic than they need to be but that’s fantastic. And a lot of the problems are highly relatable. Development of characters and relationships is def one of the selling points. HUGELY nostalgic for me and a lot of Chinese people it seems haha

Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLkMLYnt73g the second opening.

战龙四驱/Go For Speed:

Summary: Two years ago, the genius high schooler Fei won the minicar (4WD) racing Nationals. But only shortly afterward, he disappeared, with only a short note hinting at why. Now, his younger brother Dragon follows in his footsteps, designing and creating his own minicars to compete in the tournaments and steadily working his way up through the rankings. Along the way, he meets many people, makes friends and enemies, and struggles to find Fei and his reason for leaving. (64 eps)

Commentary: Modern/slightly future-day, real world (Shanghai!!). Okay so this show is based around like the gimmick of “minicar racing” - not sure what to really call it. The races are surprisingly fun to watch actually imo, with the technological abilities of the minicars, interactions between players, and obstacles to pass... but you’d probably have to decide that for yourself. For me, the biggest draw was probably the surprising number of subplots, which explore the complex relationships between all the characters - literally every single side character is well established and developed. Family and familial relationships play a pretty big role. Revenge and forgiveness are there too. I got hooked into this show when it was airing on TV solely because of one character haha. Caveat that it starts slow, I don’t know how much you’d actually like this, there needs to be some suspension of disbelief, and the animation quality isn’t fantastic… rip

Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb0tHRbyaek&index=30&list=PLQukwpGC9a0wfDv0ymEgGX-LydTKbZY_s (a trailer, in english for some reason even though i’ve never found an english dubbed version of this and don’t want to. It mostly focuses on the racing aspect, but as before, don’t let that fool you, it’s surprisingly deep. Come for the races, stay for the chars)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQukwpGC9a0zqrmIGCXOW1QVlfh6svY7y since when was this on youtube?? :o WAIT HOLY SHIT SINCE WHEN DOES THIS HAVE ENGLISH SUBS THIS IS A GAME CHANGER AAAAA NOW LIKE I MIGHT GO REWATCH THIS - just kidding, only the first episode. Man what a letdown

弹珠传说/Danzhu Legend:

Summary: This is a world where people have Danzhu battles: competitions involving channeling your magic energy into Shooters to launch marble-like Danzhu at targets. These objects have great power, but, so far, no one has decided to take advantage of it… until now. One day, a young boy who has always dreamed of becoming a Danzhu battler is chosen by one of the five Legendary Shooters. He journeys into the mountains to seek training from the Danzhu Master, where he meets the other four Legendary wielders and learns that their job is to stop the evil threatening to take over their world. (52 eps)

Commentary: Fantasy world. So this is like your pretty standard “boy discovers power and works to save the world” story, but still enjoyable in its own right. The gimmick of this are the aforementioned Danzhu. The Guardians are also very important; all Shooters are linked to a spiritual animal/creature/something that’s the basis of power. The battles are all very cool! Quick disclaimer: for various reasons I am more familiar with this show than maybe any other of the ones here. This fact made me appreciate how much potential this story had, but also made me realize all of its flaws. There are a lot of things it could have done better - character development jumps to mind, because aside from the MC and one of the antagonists, most of them don’t change all that much. Also there’s lots of recycled animation. Just keep these caveats in mind. However, I still found the adventure/plot/magic very exciting to watch, a healthy dose of idealism and humor as well as tension/smarts/raw courage, so if you’re interested in that aspect more, I’d recommend this!

Links: ALL THE EPISODES ARE ON YOUTUBE ONCE MORE PRAISE this is very helpful for me because when i needed them to be on youtube, someone had like taken all of them down, which was very upsetting, but now they are back again, glorious

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvQUvsPwKA0&list=PLZKi4aAqJS8dbVOUrKnDqNU4F4rnm8Ott playlist isn’t in order but you should watch the opening theme to get a feel for it - if you want even more of a feel, watch to 4:50, which is kinda like a prologue and a better summary of what I said above lol

开心宝贝/Happy Heroes:

Summary: Just read what’s on tvtropes tbh haha (link below) (Ongoing, 10 seasons, 52 eps each (except season 8 which was 40 eps) )

Commentary: Imo the best seasons were 3, 5, 6, and 8. After 8 the animation style changed a bit and the humor quality kinda went down…well, that might just be me, though. Either way, though, there are so many amazing earlier episodes, and I’ve gotten really attached to all the characters. It being a kids show, there’s no super deep plot or lasting impact of anything (aside from the last arc of season 7, heh. I remember watching when it came out in 2014 and flipping out bc I did NOT expect that, knowing HH) but it’s still thoroughly enjoyable. There are also two movies: the second movie is kinda confusing and meh but the first movie is pretty good and I think you can find it on youtube. In fact I believe all the episodes are on youtube, but I imagine you have those links already

Links: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKA3CuHXUxHflv9KAgEJyKQ is the channel with everything. Watch the trailer for season 8! It’s v epic and got me hyped when it released.

Tvtropes: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Animation/HappyHeroes

Movie 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUiA3nue22Y. (there are english subs too! haha)

Movie 2 isn’t worth watching trust me

星游记/Rainbow Sea:

Summary: Years ago, a man dressed in all red made a declaration to the universe: behind the largest black hole was a mysterious place called Rainbow Sea, a place where any dream could be fulfilled. Enchanted by the stories, people from across the universe joined the man in red in his journey. Unfortunately, no one ever returned. Rainbow Sea was scoffed at as a myth and a lie. The man in red was cursed, nicknamed by people as the Red Demon. The sinister organization known as the Galactic Eyes quietly gained control of the Solar System and numerous other star systems, sealing off the planet where the Red Demon had come from, Earth, and forbidding any ships from entering or leaving. Now, ten years later, the Red Demon's son Maidang has reached adolescence and is determined to fulfill the pinky promise made to his father before he left: to reunite with him at Rainbow Sea.

Commentary: Quality stuff right here. Best part is the backstories of all these characters, there’s some really moving stuff. The characters are p great - Maidang is so inspiring, Gudong is highly relatable, Diya is awesome... The art style (esp for their eyes) is really nice. ...Not much else to say off the top of my head, esp since the story is far from over, but even if it starts off slow, this is definitely worth your time!

Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiB_oZBdi7k&list=PLF068DA90359EDE0D all the episodes. The opening theme/sequence was what got me hooked, you should def watch it (up to like 1:20 or whatever, then if you want like a prologue watch to like 3:07)

26 eps so far. Season 2 and after are apparently going to be “web movies” instead of episodes, something like 60 minutes each, and will cost money (rip) but I’m sure they’ll show up for free somewhere eventually. Fingers crossed this’ll be soon. Wanna join me in hiatus hell :DD

神魄/Zinba:

Summary: Kan is happily chatting with his closest friend on an ordinary school day when, all of a sudden, he finds himself pulled into an alternate fantasy world. This world is filled with Zinba, large and powerful creatures that may form bonds with select humans, called Linkers, for immense battle power. After becoming a Linker with one of the strongest Zinba ever to exist, Kan joins the peacekeeping Dux force of the kingdom of Toria and fights against the various evils threatening the land, all while trying to find his way back to his own world. (52 eps)

Commentary: Okay, so you know, I wouldn’t recommend this as much as some of the others on this list, esp since it’s the most recent Chinese show I actually watched, but it made enough of an impact on me to have it worth talking about. I started watching bc a) it showed up as recommended for me on youtube, b) the opening is SICK as HECK, and c) the protag of this is voiced by the same person as the protag of DZL, and generally looks/acts kinda similar haha. Anyway, overall thoughts: basically, it had a lot of unrealized potential. The world and the character designs are AMAZING. I liked the animation. The plot is interesting, with a surprising number of plot twists as to who’s the real ultimate villain. But there could have been So Much More development – we could’ve gotten more thorough backstories for the main crew, for example, or seen more of the world/magic/tech, but instead a lot of the people as well as Zinba just… exist, as static and boring entities. There were like two interesting characters total (Kan’s aforementioned “normal” friend being one of them heh). Kan himself was suuuuper annoying, esp at the beginning. (can you tell I really appreciate/prioritize the characters of a show?) However, some moments were quite well done and epic, and I wrote some fanfiction and commentary on basically every episode, so it holds a place in my heart. Also, there is a full English dub lmaooo (the voices suck but the translations for names/places/etc are interesting) (episode 1 has 318k views??? That’s a TON for a chinese cartoon)

Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G83STZ9xcc the opening which is good and worth watching, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQukwpGC9a0xatMI-KGO9SILZ5sSWfWXX full playlist, syncogon.tumblr.com/tagged/zinba lol

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

I’ve been thinking recently about how if I had absolute autonomy I’d reorganize the various Spider-Man titles and to a lesser extent the Marvel Universe titles as a whole. Thought I might as well share.

 Putting aside stuff like price point, distribution and accessibility, the main things I’d do is try and make things better structured and easy to follow.

 Part of that would be creating a fairly meaty recap page on the interior of every comic so that ANYONE can pick up a comic book cold and read it no matter the title or issue number. I’d advertise that feature on the front of every cover.

 I’d create 4 distinct categories for every Marvel title, each denoted by a different colour banner and label atop every cover. These would be:

 Prime Marvel Universe: Red with white text literally saying ‘Prime Marvel Universe’. Obviously this is the ongoing progressing adventures of the Marvel universe characters.

Marvel Legends: White with red text. This universe would contain classical and iconic versions of Marvel’s most famous characters. Each individual title would be not only out of continuity but also self contained. That is to say the Peter Parker of ‘Marvel Legends Spider-Man’ would be unrelated to the one who might guest star in ‘Marvel Legends Avengers’. You just follow that particular Marvel legends title and nothing else.

Cinematic Marvel Universe: Silver with black text. This universe would function identically to the Marvel Legends universe with each title being self-contained but instead of classical versions of each character it would be based upon the MCU versions. These would not be in continuity with the MCU but rather be akin to those 90s Disney shows that spun off from their movies. You could pick up this brand’s version of Iron Man and I’d feel like the MCU version but it would be telling is own stories and have only loose continuity allowing it to arbitrarily change as necessary when the next instalment of his films come out.

Alternate Marvel Universes: Blue with white text. Literally any comic or title which takes place outside of the regular Marvel Universe. This would cover ongoings like Spider-Gwen but also one shots like What If.

 As for what I’d put in each of these 4 corresponding catagories...

 Cinematic Marvel Universe

Literally every movie and Netflix show would have their own comic.

 Marvel Legends

Spider-Man: Basically Spider-Man in High School

Peter Parker: Spider-Man: Spider-Man in college

X-Men: First Class: the Original Five X-Men

X-Men: Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Wolverine maybe Kitty Pryde. Basically the classic Claremont/Byrne X-Men

Hulk: Bruce Banner as the lonely man wandering America

Captain America

Iron Man

Thor

Avengers

Fantastic Four: Obviously based more on the Lee/Kirby era

Heroes for Hire: 1970s goodness with Luke Cage and Iron Fist

Defenders: Hulk, Sub-Mariner, Silver Surfer and Doctor Strange

Ghost Rider: Johnny Blaze

Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD: Obviously based upon Steranko’s stuff

Any other really, really classic or iconic Marvel character and series you could think of

  Now for the big ones

 Prime Marvel Universe

Amazing Spider-Man: I’d have this come out 3-4 times a month but with the caveat that there would be 2 writers working on it simultaneously. Essentially it’d be like having 2 ongoings publishing twice a month but they would just be ASM. I was considering having a title exclusively for Peter’s supporting cast or Untold Tales but I figured that with 3-4 issues per month you could cover all that stuff pretty easily, even if its just back up stories. Meanwhile you get the benefit of not relying upon just ONE writer’s talents for ASM to ride or fall. Plus it’s less confusing. All you need to do is pick up ASM and you got everything you need to follow Spider-Man

 Spider Women: I’ve spoken about this before but it’d basically be the Birds of Prey of the Marvel Universe starring Madam Web/Cassandra Web, Spider Woman/Jessica Drew, Arachne/Julia Carpenter, Mattie Franklin, Arana/Anya Corazon and Silk/Cindy Moon

 Superior Foes of Spider-Man: Comedic adventures starring Boomerang, Beetle, Speed Demon, Overdrive, but given how iconic he is I’d drop Shocker but replace him with Grizzly and Gibbon

 Silver Sable and the Outlaws: Silver Sable assembles a team of Spider-Man characters who have either been reforming villains or else been morally ambigious and they’d go on mercenary missions alongside her in and out of the USA. These characters would be Black Cat, Prowler, Rocket Racer, Cardiac, Sandman, the Puma and Phil Urich/Goblin Knight

 Scarlet Spiders: Ben Reilly and Kaine’s buddy cop adventures featuring a back up strip about Ben’s lost years.

  Marvel Alternate Universes

Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man/Ultimate Spider Woman: Miles adventures continue back in the Ultimate Universe with Ultimate Jessica Drew starring in some back up strips

Spider-Gwen: More of the same

Spider-Girl: pick up where the series left off in Spider-Girl the End and explain away Spider-Verse later

Spider-Man 2099: Miguel back in the future

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane: More of the same from Sean mcKeever

Venom: This would be it’s own universe similar to 616 but with an emphasis upon the symbiote characters. Agent Venom/Flash would headline and a back up strip would rotate adventures starring Eddie Brock as Anti-Venom, Carnage, Toxin, flashback stories with other people as Venom, any other symbiote related characters

Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows: More of the same

Superior Spider-Man and the Spider-Verse:  I’ve spoken before about how I’d handle Superior Spider-Man going forward. But to reiterate I’d make it clear that Doc Ock and the lead character of Superior Spider-Man are different entities. The entity which was once Superior Spider-Man would get his own body and be exiled to another universe where he supplants that world’s version of Spider-Man and picks up from Goblin Nation onwards. He’d be the headliner but it’d be an anthology with other stories rotating adventures starring Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Man India, Spider characters from the Mangaverse, Spider-Ham and other such characters

 What If: You get it

  I’d also invest in a trade program designed to make the history of the Spider Verse easy to access

 Spider-Man Classics: This series would take EVERY Spider-Man story barring flashback tales like Untold Tales of Spider-Man and organize them into a reading order of linear volumes. So you could pick up volume 1 and it’d start with Amazing Fantasy #15 but as you keep going issues of Spectacular, Web, guest appearances, mini-series, one shots and so on would show up. But rather than you tracking these stories down yourself and figuring out what order to read them in the trades would have you covered, including exposition text where necessary. The aim of these volumes would be to be comprehensive and make things easy to follow.

  Amazing Spider-Man: This could go one of two ways. Basically if you began ASM over with a new volume then the trades would start there and just keep going indefinitely. Alternately if you didn’t do yet another new #1 you would just make an issue of Volume 4 a new jumping on point and start these trades from the start of Volume 4. Either way the idea is that you read the Classics trades to catch up to these trades which are the modern adventures.

 Spider-Man Flashbacks: A trade series collecting untold tales and other flashback stories with text informing you when exactly they take place in Spider-Man’s history. I’d make this a separate collection because the problem with placing them chronologically with the rest of Spider-Man’s stories is that you spoil stuff for the future and also get distruptive on account of drastically different storytelling styles between different eras

  Venom and the Symbiotes: A trade collection collecting EVERY symbiote related story ever. It’d start with Secret Wars and then keep going including the 90s Venom minis, the Flash Venom stuff, Carnage, Toxin, etc. Once they are caught up I’d launch a separate trade series for the AU Venom series I mentioned above.

 Goblins: The same thing but for Goblin related characters like Norman Osborn, Hobgoblin, Phil Urich, etc

Doctor Ocotpus: the Superior Spider-Man: A trade series chronicling every Doctor Octopus appearances from Slott’s run leading into the AU stuff I spoke about above.

2099/Spider-Man 2099: A trade series chronicling everything that happened in the 2099 universe leading into the stuff from Superior onwards and into the series I listed above.

Spider-Gwen: Every Spider-Gwen appearance including Spider-Verse, Web Warriors, etc

Ultimate Spider-Man: Peter Parker: Every USM Peter Parker story

Ultimate Spider-Man: Miles Morales: Every Miles story leading off from Death of Spider-Man up through to the present day

Possibly Ultimate Spider Woman trades

Spider Women: Literally every appearance in chronological order of the characters starring in Spider Women

Black Cat: Every BC appearance leading into Silver Sable and the Outlaws

Silver Sable: See above

Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends: A anthology trade collecting appearances from the other characters to star in Silver Sable and the Outlaws plus other spin-off characters like Alpha

And of course every individual series would have it’s own trade set too.

 I’d also invest in creating what would amount to ‘playlists’ on Marvel Unlimited. People could click on any individual character and get either a publication reading list or a reading list which follows their personal chronology.

 By doing this a reader could if they so chose just read every appearance of Spider-Man with flashback stories placed in their correct places in his history too if they so chose.

[tmae3114]

*kicks down a door* WHO WANTS A FIC???

So this is... a way overdue fic I started on last year (New Year’s joke a week after New Year’s go me) (but seriously it was months in the making it’s way overdue)

Anyway, so, @mismagireve, @hnybnny, this one’s for you guys bc it was your headcanon I just went I’ve gotta fic that and then took months to do it.

The Man In Green

Some things are constants. Not many things, certainly, but some. Things that, across universes, you will find in every culture in every species. Things that, no matter where or when in space and time you travel, you will always find.

Urban legends, though they are not always called such, are one of these. Tales told in hushed voices between the young in the dead of night, whispered across campfires by the older, passed along from mouth to mouth until nobody is quite sure where they came from in the first place.

Lore is no exception to the rule. If anything, with the saturation of the magic in the world, Lore has a richer history of such tales than most. Adventurers who bear claims of mysterious wingless dravir who appear only for a passing moment before vanishing, tales from farmers who swear up and down that they have seen horses that walk on two legs, warnings to travellers of odd young waifs who appear at the edges of paths in the forest, asking for help only for those who follow them to vanish forever... the tales of Lore are as varied as they are many.

And, as with any such tales, some are known to only specific areas, and others travel widely, changing in accordance to their locations.

And of these, none are as widespread as that as the Man In Green.

Be you hailing from or travelling through the kingdom of Greenguard, the mountains of Volkenraand, the forests of Tkaanie, the deserts of Kaer Sterra, even the vast Shapeless Empire, the people around you will have heard of the Man In Green. As far as such tales go, this one is a close to universal as it comes.

And, perhaps even more bizarrely than simply the spread, the tale does not change much from place to place.

Always, there is a man dressed in green who appears. Always, nobody has seen him before. Sometimes his arrival is to towns and villages, sometimes in the path of travellers on the routes between them. Always, he will approach someone who is present. Always, he will ask them if he can have a picture. If one agrees, he will appear happy and pleased, thank the one with whom he took the picture, and then leave. If one declines, he will appear disappointed – in some tales, sad – and leave without any further interactions.

There are variations to this tale, of course, but even these variations have constants. In some, he arrives appearing upset and brightens up when he sees the person he requests a picture with. In others, he approaches more than one member of a group. In yet others, he appears to look for someone among a group and seems disappointed, then leaving without asking for a picture.

As tales of his nature go, the Man In Green is rather benign. Never has there been a tale with his negative reactions going beyond sadness or disappointment. Despite what variations there are, every story about the Man In Green that there is seems to agree on one simple fact – he just wants a picture, nothing more.

There are many theories as to what precisely he is and even more about why he wants the pictures. From an otherworldly being seeking to build an army out of those whose pictures he takes, to a tricksy fae playing an elaborate joke, to a ghost wandering the land searching for his loved ones, almost every possibility that there could be has been suggested at some point or other.

Those who subscribe to the ghost theory have no idea just how close to the truth they are.

The box had been on the kitchen table when Warlic entered the room and he had promptly given it the wide berth that such a threat deserved.

He knew that he hadn’t been the one to leave it there, after all, which meant the only possible culprit was Cysero. And things that Cysero left lying around places were usually better off left alone if they were spontaneously combusting or exploding, as they had a tendency to do. Especially when they looked as innocuous as the box did. Appearances deceive.

It was on Cysero’s side of the yellow line anyways, so he had no reason to spare it any more thought.

Deciding not to spare things any more thought is generally a good and viable tactic where creations of his roommate are concerned, he discovered fairly early on. The ability to ignore utter chaos in the background of your life unless it directly affects you was a hard earned, hard trained skill, but one that came in useful quite frequently when living with the Mad, Magical Weaponsmith.

On this occasion, however, it turns out to be a double-edged sword.

He bites back several rather uncouth words as something crashes into the back of his legs, sending him stumbling and bracing a hand against the counter to stay upright. He whirls around to identify the cause and fixes a glare on the pair of laundry golems – who’s entry he must have tuned out - clearly in the middle of a fight on the table. They both freeze and then flee the scene together, whatever conflict led them there in the first place seemingly forgotten.

He redirects his gaze to the floor, looking for whatever hit him.

It’s the box from before, clearly knocked flying by the tussle. Because, of course, despite the yellow line being enchanted to keep the myriad of experiments and accidents (on both their ends, much as he hates to admit it) from crossing over, there was nothing to stop an object propelled by force alone.

It’s also lying lid down, cracked open with the contents scattered across the floor.

He sighs and then crouches down, with every intent to scoop the box's contents back into it, stick it back on the table and just go about his day. He turns the box over, moves to start and-

His intentions fizzle out when he realises that each of the small objects - bits of paper, it seems - are written on in a language that he doesn't even remotely recognise.

That means that it's either a language from a very secretive people, or it's very, very old.

Curiosity gets the better of him and he picks one of the things up to get a closer look. It feels more like card than paper and the light catches it in a slight way that gives away that it's glossy. Very odd paper, it seems. 

But then, this paper is Cysero's, so he supposes he shouldn't be too surprised that it's odd.

He turns it over and his train of thought speculating what they could be grinds to a halt.

A photogaph?

A high quality photograph, at that. Somewhat faded, presumably with age, but high quality nonetheless. It's of Cysero and a young pink-haired woman that he doesn't recognise. She has a slight point to her ears, a gleam to her eye, and a giant wrench of unmistakeable design holstered across her back, all of which belie at least partial gnommish heritage.

He sets the photo down in the box and picks up another of the objects. Flipping it over reveals it to be another photograph, this one most likely older than the last.

They're all photographs, he realises. A snippet of an old tale dashes through the back of his mind and an idea starts to niggle, but he pushes it aside. No need to jump to conclusions, especially not with so little evidence.

The photograph currently in his hand is of Cysero and a young girl with teal hair and green eyes, clearly sitting in the branch of a tree in an orchard. She's grinning at the camera and has a green apple in her hand, identical to the ones born by the branches in the background.

A part of him chides him for going through what is so clearly a personal belonging, but the curious part of him just can’t help himself. He lets himself slip from crouching to sitting, his legs halfway tucked under him.

The next one is Cysero and an individual who looks to be some kind of elf. At least, he’s pretty sure that they’re an elf, though he can identify which type. There are a lot of elven species and for the life of him he can't remember which ones have green hair and blue-purple skin.

The fourth looks more recent than the others, showing his flatmates and another young woman, this one holding a frying pan who has firey red hair tied back in a pleat.

The fifth picture is much, much older and gives him such a shock that it feels like his heart has stopped. His fingers go loose and he very nearly drops the photograph.

It's Jaania, looking exactly as he remembers her, smiling brightly at the camera. Through the trees behind the two, there's a wall visible, and his heart pangs as he realises that this picture must have been taken the very same day that she first arrived in Swordhaven.

He sets that photograph down in the box with a shaking hand. The idea in the back of his head is starting to grow and become harder to shove back down. He debates with himself whether or not he should pick up the next photo.

The part of him that wants to not do so, that wants to just get up and walk away, loses.

He wishes it hadn't.

His hand shakes all the more and he closes his eyes. It does nothing to dispel the image of the photograph though, right there in his mind’s eye as though painted onto the back of his eyelids.

Alex.

Younger than he had ever known him, certainly. He’s not sure if he could even estimate an age for him but he’s probably early teens at most and still undeniable and recognisably Alex. Cysero is crouching down next to him, looking just the same as ever, grinning at the camera and making bunny ears behind the young boy's head. Behind them he can see the buildings of Lymcrest.

Without prompting, his mind layers fire over the image, roaring and burning and destroying and-

His eyes fly open and he drops the photo into the box with a slight gasp, snapping himself out of the unwanted images. He tucks his shaking hands against his stomach, closing his eyes again, and sits and just breathes for a few moments.

This is what he gets for prying, he supposes. Brought it on himself, didn’t he, really? He really shouldn’t go snooping through someone else’s belongings.

Magic tingles at his fingertips.

The idea is still nagging at the back of his mind. Curiosity prowls around him like the cat it always kills.

He opens his eyes again and flicks his fingers in a small, swift movement.

Every photo remaining on the floor flips over.

The photos all vary in age, that much is immediately visible. Most of the faces are unfamiliar but a few... a few he knows.

The idea isn’t in the back of his head anymore.

He sweeps up the photos and puts them all back in their box, fits the lid back on and picks the box up, standing in the same movement. He strides over to the table and sets it down.

On his side of the line.

He pulls out a chair and sits down, pulling a tome on ancient languages over from one of the many piles of books lying around the room, and settles in to wait. Cysero is rarely home, but he’s seen all the signs of him being home and sticking around for a while recently, and he’ll have to come to the kitchen either to eat or to pick up his box eventually.

And they really need to talk.

He startles to wakefulness when the book slips from his hand and thuds against the floor. He blinks blearily at the room around him, the lightning look almost like it’s dusk. Or possibly dawn. A midway time, at least.

Cysero is sitting in the chair on the other side of the table, the box just to his side and open, and number of photos spread in front of him. There’s a slightly curved twig sitting on the box’s lid. That’ll be how he got the box back across the line without crossing it himself, then.

“Ever the scholar’s mind, huh?” Cysero says. His head doesn’t move in the slightest but Warlic feels the sudden sensation of being looked at and knows he must have looked up under his hair.

“Wha-?” is his supremely intelligent reply.

Cysero just smiles, rather more cryptically than he usually does, and holds up one of the photos, the back with the writing facing Warlic.

“It was the writing that got you, wasn’t it?” he says, something almost sad in his tone “A language that you don’t recognise, let alone know. That’s what grabbed your attention,”

He feels himself snap from still half asleep to focused and aware in an instant.

“Ah, there you are,” Cysero says, very quietly as though he doesn’t mean to be heard.

Cysero then places the photo back down on the table, back facing up, and fans out several other photos in a line alongside it, all with their backs facing up. He sits back slightly with a small smile and seems to just... watch.

Warlic’s brain makes the connection it didn’t before in a millisecond.

“They’re dates,” he says.

“Mostly. Also names, and notes on differences and stuff,” Cysero says, sweeping the photos back up and dropping them all into the box again. “But that’s not what you wanted to talk about, is it?”

“You’re the Man In Green,” Warlic says.

Cysero shrugs, picks up the twig and fiddles with it.

“Yeah, I guess I am,” he says, sounding somewhere between flat and amused.

“I have so many questions,” Warlic says, his own voice incredibly flat because he isn’t entirely sure which emotion to go with.

Cysero’s mouth quirks in a way that indicates it was probably accompanied by an eyebrow. Warlic takes it for the silent invitation that it is.

“Why?” he starts with, summarising about five questions with one.

“Long story,” Cysero answers.

“How?” is his next one. There are structures older than he is in some of those – and he’s not entirely sure he’s talking about his human self when he says that.

“Long story,” Cysero says again, shrugging “Same long story, actually,”

“Will you tell me the long story?” Warlic asks.

“It’ll take a while,”

“I have time,”

“Wow,” Warlic says, when the long story is finished. “...wow,”

“Yeah,” Cysero says.

Warlic looks at the box of photographs.

“So those are all...?” “People I knew before the Reset, yeah,” Cysero says, looking at it almost wistfully. “Not all of them. There’s some I haven’t found yet and some refuse to take a picture with me, so it’s not ever going to be all of them, but...”

He shrugs.

“I’m sorry,” Warlic says.

Cysero shrugs again.

“For what?” he asks “There wasn’t anything you could have done to change it, and it’s a time long gone now anyways. I’ve... come to terms with it. Mostly,”

There’s silence for a moment.

“Actually...” Cysero says, breaking the silence and drawing out the word “...this does remind me of something,”

And then there’s a device in his hand that Warlic has never seen before but finds eerily familiar all the same.

“I never got your picture,” Cysero says, gesturing with the device. “Would you mind?”

Warlic smiles.

“I’d love to,” he says.

[liaflowerwall]

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You Will Never Believe These Bizarre Truth Behind Artificial Water Lilies | Artificial Water Lilies – Lilies are extremely elegant blossoms that have clearly been treasured and loved for the very long time period. These are just a number of of the reasons why a lilies bouquet will be a great conjunction with virtually any household.

Lilies bloom throughout summer, and have an amazing scent, which is utilized to attract bees, the butterflies and other pollinators. These are very popular the planet over, have been used of in literature plus painted by famous artists. Even today, a lilies bouquet is very properly received because of the flowers’ beauty.

Lilies were first mentioned on a tablet from Sumeria about 5000 yrs ago, where they had been described to surround a city. However , the Vergine lily, for example, was handled with much respect by simply the Minoans, who connected it with the empress Britomartis. Of much better importance it had been to the particular Greeks, because they related it with Hera, the particular queen of gods. Moreover, their mythology tells the lily first appeared upon Earth after Hera’s breast milk stained the air, creating the Milky Approach, and a few droplets than it fell down in order to the ground. Those droplets, the legend goes, started to be the first lilies.

As a matter of fact, the very word “lily” comes “lilium”, its brand in Latin, which originated from “leirion”, its name in Greek. Later on, the particular Romans also started to be able to share the Greeks’ value for the flower, and tied it in with their own own queen of gods. Even one of their own poets, Virgil, who resided between 70 to 19 BC spoke of the flowers in some of his poems.

A lilies bouquet is yet a very effective messenger, because of typically the things lilies symbolize. To the Greeks, they designed birth and renewal, generally because they associated it with the legend regarding Hera. On the other hand, they represented purity and innocence for your Christians, who associated the plants with virgin Mary. Additionally, the three petals in the lily flower is often considered to represent the trinity. Whichever meaning speaks in order to you, body fat denying that they are a very positive symbol.

When preparing a lilies bouquet, consider away leaves around the comes, as having them marine will only end upward making the water murky and the whole agreement will become unappealing. Then, stop about 2 centimeter from your stems, and carry out so in a diagonal line to increase the absorption area. If possible, hold the stems underwater while performing the cut to prevent formation of air pockets within them. As the particular stamens from the flowers create, make sure to slice them because when slipping, they will end up staining everything they touch. Finally, replace the water every few days and add floral food, in order to ensure that the lilies arrangement are always well fed.

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[jelantiahilma]

You Will Never Believe These Bizarre Truth Behind Artificial Water Lilies | Artificial Water Lilies

You Will Never Believe These Bizarre Truth Behind Artificial Water Lilies | Artificial Water Lilies – Lilies are extremely elegant blossoms that have clearly been treasured and loved for the very long time period. These are just a number of of the reasons why a lilies bouquet will be a great conjunction with virtually any household.

Lilies bloom throughout summer, and have an amazing scent, which is utilized to attract bees, the butterflies and other pollinators. These are very popular the planet over, have been used of in literature plus painted by famous artists. Even today, a lilies bouquet is very properly received because of the flowers’ beauty.

Lilies were first mentioned on a tablet from Sumeria about 5000 yrs ago, where they had been described to surround a city. However , the Vergine lily, for example, was handled with much respect by simply the Minoans, who connected it with the empress Britomartis. Of much better importance it had been to the particular Greeks, because they related it with Hera, the particular queen of gods. Moreover, their mythology tells the lily first appeared upon Earth after Hera’s breast milk stained the air, creating the Milky Approach, and a few droplets than it fell down in order to the ground. Those droplets, the legend goes, started to be the first lilies.

As a matter of fact, the very word “lily” comes “lilium”, its brand in Latin, which originated from “leirion”, its name in Greek. Later on, the particular Romans also started to be able to share the Greeks’ value for the flower, and tied it in with their own own queen of gods. Even one of their own poets, Virgil, who resided between 70 to 19 BC spoke of the flowers in some of his poems.

A lilies bouquet is yet a very effective messenger, because of typically the things lilies symbolize. To the Greeks, they designed birth and renewal, generally because they associated it with the legend regarding Hera. On the other hand, they represented purity and innocence for your Christians, who associated the plants with virgin Mary. Additionally, the three petals in the lily flower is often considered to represent the trinity. Whichever meaning speaks in order to you, body fat denying that they are a very positive symbol.

When preparing a lilies bouquet, consider away leaves around the comes, as having them marine will only end upward making the water murky and the whole agreement will become unappealing. Then, stop about 2 centimeter from your stems, and carry out so in a diagonal line to increase the absorption area. If possible, hold the stems underwater while performing the cut to prevent formation of air pockets within them. As the particular stamens from the flowers create, make sure to slice them because when slipping, they will end up staining everything they touch. Finally, replace the water every few days and add floral food, in order to ensure that the lilies arrangement are always well fed.

Together with this type of history behind all of them and such beautiful symbolism carried in their sturdy petals, it is zero surprise that lilies are loved a lot. Many may tell you that they like the flowers’ shape, or even their amazing scent that can easily fill an entire room, but will be certainly so much more to them than the way they appear. A gift : for someone, or for yourself- of a lilies bouquet is a great reminder regarding love and evidence of focus that will certainly bring a smile even on the saddest face.

You Will Never Believe These Bizarre Truth Behind Artificial Water Lilies | Artificial Water Lilies – artificial water lilies | Welcome to be able to my personal blog, with this time I am going to demonstrate with regards to keyword. And from now on, this is the very first graphic:

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