#also you can take a guess as to what each item is a reference to

[wonderjanga]

Who are you???

Pedro, Darla, and Eugene canonically don’t have hero names. Because of this, I have a head canon that they actually don’t have hero names and Billy, Mary, and Freddy just refer to them as “you.” As a result, no one in the JL knows their names and also refers to them as “you.”

GL: “Hey you.” *is trying to talk to Eugene*

Darla: “Yes?”

GL: “Uh… Not you. You.”

Pedro: “Yeah?”

GL: “No, no, no, not you. You.” *points to Eugene*

Eugene: “Oh? What is it?”

GL: “What is your name? Also, what is her name? And his?” *points around the three*

Darla: “I’m D-”

Pedro: *slaps a hand over her mouth*

Eugene: “We don’t have hero names if that’s what you’re asking.”

GL: “Then what’re any of us supposed to call you??”

Eugene: “Whatever, I guess.” *shrugs*

Notice how all the yous are different? Thats because Marvel says “you” different for each of them. Don’t ask me how they’re different, they just are and the kiddos can tell. People just ended up taking to calling them by their colors.

WW: “Purple one. Could you please tell me where the Captain is?”

Darla: “I think he’s over there somewhere.” *points away*

WW: “Thank you.” *pats her head*

or

Pedro: *sitting, chilling*

Supes: *notices him* “Uh… green one? You look bored. Wanna help me lift some stuff and move it to the supply room*

Pedro: *nods his head, soft of confused as to while he wanted him to help, but was happy to help anyways*

Supes: “Great! Well, you can take the lighter stuff-”

Pedro: *picks up all of the heavy items in one swoop with no difficulty*

or

Martian Manhunter: “Grey one. You have technopathy, correct?”

Eugene: “Yup.” *nods head*

MM: “I need your help sabotaging the Flash’s phone. We are currently in a “prank war” with one another.”

Eugene: “Happy to help!”

[lynxgriffin]

You know, in retrospect, the Cattenheimers possibly being important in the future would line up with how the significance of cat-related stuff has increased dramatically now.

Starting with Chapter 2 and the hiatus after it’s release, the Spamton Sweepstakes Q&A had Spamton bring up the elemental pairing of [Puppet/Cat] among other examples. This can be seen in the hidden elemental property system that is sometimes assigned to attacks and armors - which has been more clearly seen with the Shadow Mantle’s effects against attacks from the Titan and some of Gerson’s. In particular, some attacks from Spamton NEO, Tasque Manager, and Tasques all share the same element ID which most likely is [Puppet/Cat].

Alongside that, there is the enigmatic IMAGE_FRIEND/DEVICE_FRIEND:

It initially appeared in Queen’s Basement with a random chance of appearing where the teacups rise up to take you down to the barrier generator. Obviously, it contains the now recurring motif of pink and yellow, which back then we could only connect to Spamton’s glasses. But then in the second round of Spamton Sweepstakes ARG stuff back in May, “FRIEND” was confirmed to explicitly be a cat from the image files of the rarecats game page. And as you have seen, FRIEND became openly prominent in the game as the face of the Endogeny-shaped Darkner during Ralsei’s Ch 3 explanation about the Dark World, as well as the enemies ERAM summons against us during the Sword Route boss fight.

Interestingly, you can even see FRIEND during the first board of the Sword Route. With a maxed out sword, not only can you reach a hidden path to a room with ERAM in it, but you can also cut down the trees to the left and right of the pyramid to find two caves that each have a half of FRIEND’s face appear after moving long enough. And they appear as a pitch black silhouette in the 3rd Sanctuary room with a Waferguard in it, meaning they’re only visible via the sound waves.

The hidden Mike fight and minigames certainly have a lot of cats, with Battat’s minigames directly taking from rarecats and Pluey being based on the fan theory that FRIEND was Mike, but it’s a bit harder to gauge how important this in particular is.

Moving on from FRIEND, I’ve brought up the pink and white cats in the Sword Route, which brings the topic back to the Cattenheimers. And Chapter 4 has a bunch of really odd details surrounding them.

Their cat flap is noted to have a lock that “requires 3 codes” - the flavor text really does have this color - in a clear parallel to the shelter door, but is treated as a joke as ‘useless information.’ Sans’ teleporting shenanigans make an appearance for the first time with him going between his store and the Cattenheimers’ grill between screens. Not only that, he fixes/upgrades the grill to now be capable of also smelling of dogfood, not just catfood, and cooks his “hot dog/cattail” prank on it. And then there’s Catty being the one who is picked to give the sermon about the prophecy behind Deltarune.

A sermon that explicitly confirms one of the heroes to have horns and is he/him - which fits Ralsei AND probably Asriel given Toriel and Asgore’s dark world/prophecy crowns. A sermon that brings up Catti is currently still into summoning/communing with demons. And a sermon that has Catty keep the church guessing about whether or not she’s secretly “actually a Hero” (the capitalization is part of the quote) or that she’s been keeping a secret from everyone - which I presume is in general.

That’s not even bringing up how the dad calls Catty his “genius daughter” in yellow text, which in the church is otherwise reserved for referring to Alphys, Noelle, or Noelle being locked out. Catty acts like she misunderstood what Kris was talking about and points them to Noelle and indirectly to Alphys, but still.

Heck, during Catty’s sermon, it is the only place you can get the Ancient Sweet, which is a bizarre healing item worthy of its own tangent. Really, the most relevant part here is that if you fulfill the conditions required to get it, Kris’ interaction with Susie changes to her finding an undelivered letter in Asriel’s church clothes from Asriel to Catty about their upcoming junior dance together. The same dance that Catty brings up very fondly in Chapter 1 and calls Asriel a “cutie pie” for, not too dissimilar to how much she imagines the horned hero to be “SO cute” for reasons she says she doesn’t know.

Even the other option, the option to pay attention to service, has Susie provide a similar expansion upon another part of Catty’s sermon. Namely, bringing up how Catti and Kris are rumored to have tried to summon demons back when they were kids, which much more openly brings up that plot point about Kris and Catti’s history.

But yeah, there seems to be something really, really weird going down with cats in Deltarune. And more likely than not, the Cattenheimers or at least the sisters will be important to it.

(Not gonna lie, Sans’ modifications to their grill has me lowkey looking suspiciously at the explicitly cattish FRIEND being paired with an Endogeny-like body. That, and also at how it seems to establish some kind of close connection between Sans and the Cattenheimers in general. I mean, he just upgrades and starts using their grill while the family is away without any apparent permission. I hadn’t even realized that last part with the grill until the moment of writing this. )

I'm just gonna stick all of these asks together because...MMMFFGH. I feel like my brain is just absolutely overloaded on cats now and I don't quite know what to make of all of it!

I still don't know what to make of FRIEND, ultimately. The mentions of Friend in the Mike Room honestly almost seem to be teasing players about getting too Pepe Silvia-brained about Friend, but at the same time, there's all these weird little connections with ERAM and Spamton and man it's all a lot. Best I can work out is that, whatever Friend is supposed to be, they're adept at jumping between the layers of reality that the game presents (the game-within-games of the dark world, the dark world itself, the light world, the device layer, etc.)

Catti's got connections with Kris in regards to the demon summoning (which I still maintain could be US all along)

Catti has got serious tension with Susie over Noelle, who are supposed to go to the festival tomorrow together. "Raging inferno of jealousy" could apply to Catti as much as it does Asgore.

Catti's also got tension with an older sibling the same way Kris might have mixed feelings about Asriel. Asriel is likely coming home next chapter for the festival.

There's SOME kind of big cat fight we've got coming in the future but I'll be damned if I can figure out how it will happen or ultimately shake out.

The primary conclusion I draw from this: Undertale is the dog universe, and Deltarune is the cat universe. I don't know how on earth to explain what that means, but it's a conclusion I've got nonetheless.

[baptaincarnacles]

Geode headcanons?

Hey, anon! Thanks for the ask!

I love Geode so much, and have a couple of headcanons I’d like to share!

Geode/lostshipper haters DNI :)

-

-When they first met, Cole was very hesitant about trusting Geo- with all the past experiences of meeting people who betrayed the Ninja- but Geo had been openly trusting to Cole from day one. When you have so few people around, anyone near your age coming around would have you ecstatic.

* Bonus if it only takes Cole a couple days to trust that silly purple munce.

-Cole taught Geo how to fight while they were in the Land of Lost Things… after noticing his complete lack of fight or flight. Geo, while not the best, can defend himself and The Finders.

*Geo totally freaked out and apologized the first time he landed a hit on Cole.

*Cole was super proud and expressed it- even if his breath was knocked out of him.

-Cole and Geo refer to the Finders as their children. Taking pride in all of their achievements, and they probably pin their drawings on one of the walls. Yes, it includes things Bonzle makes.

*Bonzle actively made fun of Geo when she noticed his liking towards Cole

-Hear me out, Cole fell first and didn’t realize it. Geo fell second and it hit him hard. Cole is still convinced he fell second.

*Cole thought he just loved things Geo did. The way he braided his hair, the way he tucked Fritz and Spitz in at night, the way he laughed, talked… that glimmer in his eyes when he saw something he enjoyed. But that could just be… platonic, right? Right? (Sure Cole, keep telling yourself that, buddy.)

-Geo cried the first time he tasted Cole’s cooking because all he had up to that point was whatever he could scratch up from the Land of Lost Things and he never learned to cook, so he always burnt or never fixed it correctly.

*Cole freaked out a bit when Geo broke down, and quickly ran over to comfort him and ask him if he was okay- Geo tried to explain himself through tears but he couldn’t talk between crying and eating.

*Bonzle had to explain the situation, because Fritz and Spitz were equally concerned/unsure of what was happening.

-I like the idea they have a little makeshift kitchen. Outside, or a small building with ventilation. After Cole and Geo entered their relationship, they would listen to old records on an old gramophone that had been found in the piles of junk, and dance. Slow dances that Cole taught Geo, ones that they had both enjoyed. Gentle embraces, swaying, and small spins.

-Geo reignited Cole’s interest in art… Cole has at least one or two sketchbooks filled of doodles of Geo and The Finders.

-Cole and Geo braid one another’s hair.

-Geo didn’t know about birthday parties (or really when his birthday was) until Cole showed up. The first time he celebrated his “birthday” (they chose a random day of the year) was with Cole. And they made sure Fritz, Spitz, and Bonzle also got to celebrate their birthdays.

-Geo makes all sorts of gifts for Cole, always finding shiny things to fuse together into flowers, or things he believes represents Cole.

-Cole has tried to make jewelry for Geo, but he always falls short of completing it without the fusion ninja’s help.

-Cole sometimes draws things for Geo to make, to fuel both their creativity.

*Sometimes it’s Jewelry, other times it’s random items, like metal vases or odds-and-ins.

-Cole initiated the first kiss. They were sitting alone, talking to one another, telling each other about their dreams and passions. And Cole leaned closer, and Geo took the hint (he didn’t know how to kiss) and tried to guess how it worked. Long story short, their teeth hit together and they both laughed over it, after initial embarrassment.

-Geo, for a long time, didn’t actually know Cole’s last name. Which gave him the idea that most people- like himself- don’t have a last name.

*After he learned it, he was surprised it took him so long to realize.

-Cole is taller than Geo, but Geo is close to his height.

-Upon meeting the other Ninja, Geo was surprised by how loud everything was. He had to sit away from everyone for a while- with Cole by his side comforting him. (Geo has larger ears, therefore he has a stronger sense of hearing, making it easier for him to get overwhelmed in new situations.)

*Zane and Frohicky startled Geo, as they both seem to have naturally loud voices.

*He was used to Fritz and Spitz being loud, because they’re children and it’s expected, but hearing it from grown people was a bit… surprising.

-Cole brought Geo fresh fruit once they were both out of the Land of Lost Things because he realized Geo seemed to really enjoy it.

*Geo’s favorite was blueberries and raspberries.

[scrubbinn]

Slime HRT: 12 months “Nice meeting you”

“Well hello there. I don’t know who’ll be listening to these recordings. That odd doctor perhaps? Well… Hello! I am Mayday Mulberry. I think. I don’t actually remember. It's a long story. Perhaps we should start at the beginning. I woke up one morning in a hospital bed with a nice doctor looking over me with a sorrowful face. There were a few people crying by my side, and some tried hugging me. I really didn’t like the feeling of being hugged, but I felt like they needed it. They gave me so many interesting items and told me they belonged to me. They practically shoved them into my hands, and each time they asked me to remember anything about it. I never did remember, all it did was make my head hurt and gave me an awful sense of guilt. I suppose a lot of people liked the person I used to be. But I'm not exactly sure how I can become this person again. I don't feel like Mayday, perhaps I shouldn't try to be. Perhaps I should avoid referring to myself as Mayday for the moment.”

“The doctor said I would need to make these recordings of my journey every month in order to continue my transition. I was told I was originally human, and slowly became a slime. I can’t say I really understand it, but every time I see myself in a mirror, I become so happy, yet so sad. I asked the people here to remove the mirror after a while. Seeing the human bits of me still clinging on like ragged clothing. It hurts in a way I don’t think I’ll ever understand. Becoming a slime is the only way to fix that pain. That is simply something I know for a fact. Maybe the previous me knew why, I truly wish I had the chance to ask her.”

“Forgive me, I'm a bit beside myself. I know I should be marking down the changes I've been experiencing, but it's not exactly easy to spot the changes of a body I don't know. All I've ever known is change. Am I going to notice when this heart isn't human anymore? Well, I guess it never was. It's not in a slime’s nature to reflect on the past. We simply drag ourselves forward, perpetually stuck in the simple present. Perhaps I'll start acting like that as time goes on. I think it would be rather nice not to worry so much about the past. Right, physical changes, that is what this recording is about, another thing slimes are not good at is focusing, haha… I was given some photos of mysel- Ms. Mulberry from a month ago. Most of this body's skin has been covered in goo since then. Some of the cloudy sections have cleared up, and muscle fibers are visible underneath. It would seem the skin underneath has dissolved or transformed to the slime biomass. The only parts not covered are the upper neck and face, with the chest area still clouded as I wait for the skin to fully disappear. I am able to poke through this layer and touch the muscles underneath. A thoroughly unpleasant experience that I do not wish to do again. My fingers and part of the hand now have a new layer of “skin” over the slime. This new layer is waxy and smooth. It bubbles up like bar soap and can be stretched like taffy. Though putting it back into place is, rather difficult. Perhaps I'll be able to control it one day, being able to stretch into all manner of shapes is a pleasant thought. The new layer is certainly living tissue, or the equivalent of such a thing for a slime, so moving it is within the realm of possibilities. I'm able to feel things through it, and with skin this smooth, almost every surface feels like silk, but changing the texture of my fingers is currently impossible. Perhaps one day, mimicking the textures of nearby objects will be possible as well, and with color changing, I would be able to camouflage anywhere I went. But sadly, it seems that is a mere pipe dream for now.”

I might have also done something rather, well, mostly… almost definitely… completely rash. Curiosity, another trait common among slimes, got the better of me and had me take a knife and whittle a small piece off the new skin. Just to see its composition of course!! But, well, it certainly hurt that's for sure. But, this is a brand new medication, and science stops for nothing, therefore it's in everyones’ best interests to gain as much knowledge as possible about it! So now, I have a small piece of waxy skin, and I'm currently waiting to deliver it to Dr. Erian tomorrow. It's only in hindsight that I realize, perhaps this hair would have been a better sample. Then again, I'd prefer to not think about this mess on my head any longer than I need to.

This hair can only be called a handful. Based on the journals I've read, it would seem I- er, Ms. Mulberry! Didn't see much of a point in proper hair care, nor chose to describe it in great detail either. Every morning I find myself spending half an hour reshaping the entire thing. Sleeping on a pillow seems to compress it to the point where it's completely flattened to one side. I've become a ball of clay, slapped down on a table. It moves like small strands of sand but removing it hurts just like plucking a human hair. I guess the best description of it would be something similar to soap shavings. It used to be much more gel-like but has hardened to solid bits, and unfortunately it most likely will not be controllable like the rest of me. There's no feeling to it besides the connection to the scalp. If anything I’m finding it more a pain than euphoric, but removal at this point wouldn't help all that much. At least it's better than shedding human hair everywhere.

“There have been, other, changes too. Less pleasant ones. I was told before I first woke up that I experienced debilitating headaches nearly everyday, even to the point of fading from consciousness. This fading, soon passed as my new core had fully formed. A stomach-like organ that sends its roots through this body in order to better control it. Organic matter is siphoned through it like a funnel, then spitting out new biomass to rebuild the body. However, the dreadful problem of these pulsating headaches has persisted. It would seem this problem will no longer dissipate on its own. Consultations with the doctor of this care facility or Dr. Erian has proved unhelpful in resolving this. Any pain medicine no longer works and has only caused more problems. It feels as though my perception is loosening nearly everyday. I wonder in fear and excitement what my mind will become in the coming months.

“Now then back to the physical changes. Let’s see here, Ah yes, let’s talk about-

“Hey, are you free right now?”

“Oh, hello Sweetie. I’m recording right now for the doctor. I’ll set it aside for now. Do you need something?”

“How are you feeling? Is… your memory back? I found some more pictures of us to see if it helps.”

“No, I still don’t remember anything, I apologize for not being able to recognize your face, but I’d rather not look at old photos, I can’t stand seeing those old faces. We'll just have to be patient and wait for these memories to come back. So please… Please just be patient.”

“I don't know how much longer I can wait. I basically watched you die. I, I... I miss you hun.”

“I'm sure she misses you too. Now then, I have a recording to finish. Goodbye...”

“...Resuming recording in 3, 2… Other changes, other changes... Ugh. My memory is completely shot now! Great, absolutely fantastic. Sigh, perhaps lunch is in order. Recording over for now. I’ll finish the rest later. Maybe. If I remember.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Mention list: @a-shramp, @calliecwrites, @be702

[is-the-thing-actually-jewish]

Okay i saw your answer on etrogs so it made me wonder: etrog vs rimon, which is more Jewish?? (I’m not actually invested in a definite answer, but I’m VERY invested in the debate)

Rating: HERE’S THE DEBATE YOU WANTED 

Answering this question necessarily requires a working definition of what makes something “more” or “less” Jewish, and what that definition is results in several different answers with their corresponding justifications. Does “more Jewish” mean “more important to Judaism religiously”? Or “more important to Jewish culture?” Or “belonging uniquely to Jews as opposed to any other enthno-religious group?” So, here goes: 

More religiously important: ETROG. The etrog, also known as the citron, is one of the four species critical to the celebration of the Festival of Sukkot. Leviticus 23:40 commands that “on the first day [of Sukkot] you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before your God seven days.” “Hadar” translates to “splendor” or “beauty” and is traditionally read to refer to the etrog tree. Interestingly, the Jerusalem Talmud suggests the possibility that “hadar tree” could refer to pomegranates before dismissing it, as the pomegranate has a “beautiful fruit but not beautiful wood,” (or possibly vice versa, scribal texts disagree), whereas the etrog has both beautiful fruit and beautiful wood, along a beautiful scent. (Jerusalem Talmud Sukkah 3:5:2). All that aside, there is mitzvah d’orieta (a religious obligation directly from the Torah, as opposed to an obligation established by the rabbis, a mitzvah d’rabbanan) that requires the use of the etrog, whereas all religious use of the pomegranate, such as at a Tu B’shvat Seder or as a siman on Rosh HaShanah, have merely the force of minhag (religious custom, not law). 

More important to Jewish culture: RIMON. Pomegranates feature in a huge amount of Jewish art, especially as decoration on pretty much any Jewish ritual item. You can find them on everything from ketubot (marriage contracts) to hanukkiot (hanukkah menorahs). I’ve seen pomegranate tallitot, pomegranate mezuzot, pomegranate tzedakah boxes, etc. Personally, in my house, we have four different pomegranate mezuzot, a pomegranate hand-washing cup for ritual handwashing, pomegranate candlesticks, a pomegranate kiddush cup, and, ironically enough, an etrog box decorated with— you guessed it— pomegranates. (I also have pomegranate earrings and pomegranate socks, thank you fiance) (At the time of this writing, this blog is also a Jewish thing decorated with pomegranates). A search for “pomegranate” on Judaica.com offers 197 results, whereas a search for “etrog” turns up 4 actual lulav and etrog sets, plus 13 decorative boxes designed to safely hold one’s etrog during sukkot and not as decoration at all. 

Pomegranates are one of the seven species biblically associated with the land of Israel, along with wheat, barley, grapes, fig, olives, and dates (Deuteronomy 8:8)-- a list that does not include etrogim. They are also an important motif throughout Shir haShirim (Song of Songs), in which the lovers frequently compare each other’s beauty to that of a pomegranate. Pomegranates symbolize beauty, fertility, fecundity, mitzvot, and merit, as in the annual Rosh HaShanah wish that “our merits be as plentiful as the seeds of the pomegranate.” A common (though inaccurate) bit of folk wisdom gives the number of seeds in a pomegranate as 613, one for each of the commandments given in the Torah. 

In a particularly entertaining digression in the Talmud (Bava Metzia 8a) in which the rabbis are comparing their physical attributes (yes, this means exactly what you think it does), the narrative voice pauses to explain that if you want to understand just how unbelievably gorgeous Rabbi Yochanan was, you should take a “silver goblet from the smithy and fill it with red pomegranate seeds and place a diadem of red roses upon the lip of the goblet, and position it between the sunlight and shade. That luster is a semblance of Rabbi Yoḥanan’s beauty.” Does this really support my thesis? As minor evidence at most, but I will seize any opportunity to share that description. 

Meanwhile, the etrog does not appear as a symbol or decoration in and of itself, only in the context of Sukkot and the other three Sukkot species. You may indeed see an etrog on the Torah curtain in Tishrei or in a panel of stained glass in the synagogue… but you’ll only know it’s an etrog because it has the lulav right next to it, generally as part of an array of holiday-related symbols. (I do, in fact, also own an etrog earring, but just the one— the other one is a lulav, thank you sibling.) There are a plethora of midrashim on what exactly the etrog symbolizes, but always as part of a set. For example, it’s often associated with the heart, to go along with the palm frond’s spine, the myrtle’s mouth, and the willow’s eye. As my fiance put it, “If you see a pomegranate on something, there’s a decent chance it’s Jewish. But without the lulav, an etrog just looks like a lemon, and there’s nothing particularly Jewish about lemons.” 

Belonging Uniquely to Jews: ETROG. The citron is widely agreed to be one of three “true” members of the citrus family, along with the mandarin and pomelo, with all others the results of hybridization. Archeological and primary-document research confirms that the citron originated in eastern India and southern China, and was found in Sumerian ruins dating from more than six thousand years ago. It is referenced in the Vajasaneiy Samhita, a compilation of Vedic religion texts, called Yajur-Veda (ca. 1200-1000 B.C.E), and early Greek and Latin writers describe the citron clearly, mentioning its use as an antidote to poisons and a way to ward off moths from one’s clothes.* However, a 2015 study found evidence that the diffusion of the citron throughout southern Italy and the surrounding region dated to the destruction of the Second Temple and subsequent Jewish diaspora. The study concludes that their results “evidence the special role played by Jews in the spread of the citron as the authentic sacred fruit used in their Tabernacles ritual.”* It is worth noting that there is a variety of citron known as “Buddha’s Hand” that may be used as offerings in Buddhist temples, but it looks so dramatically different from what we know as an etrog as to be a different item entirely (and, indeed, multiple rabbis have ruled that it should not be used for fulfilling the mitzvah). Thus, the etrog is inextricably and uniquely linked to Jews. 

On the other side of the debate, pomegranates appear frequently in art, stories, and cultural artifacts throughout the world, particularly in the Middle and Near East. These stories range from the Ancient Greek myth of Hades and Persophone, whose consumption of pomegranate seeds kept her in the underworld for the winter each year, to a Buddhist legend of a child-eating/stealing demoness whom the Buddha convinced to only eat pomegranates and become a patron goddess of children.  Greece, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, among others, consider the pomegranate to be one of their important symbols. Traditions regarding pomegranates abound, including a Greek custom of smashing a pomegranate on the new year for good luck. They are widely considered a symbol of fertility, abundance, and good luck, similarly to their symbolism in Judaism. In short, while Jews are very into pomegranates, so are a lot of other cultures. 

*Gina Maruca, et al. “Religious and cultural significance of the citron (citrus medica L. ‘diamante’) from Calabria (South Italy): A biblical fruit of the mediterranean land.” Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering A, vol. 4, no. 4, 28 Apr. 2015, https://doi.org/10.17265/2162-5298/2015.04.006.

[kyouxa]

Amnesia World: Normal World (Choice Story)

In terms of the gameplay: Whenever you´re given a choice in the game, the translation will lead to the different choices. The name of your MC will be Y/N (your name) in the translation, but in game screenshots it might mention my name.

Choice

— Criminal 

(After closing)

Nova: Thank you for your hard work today…

I wish we could go out of this shift feeling happy, but with no results to our problem, there’s no way we could feel like that.

Why can’t everyone just clearly talk about the event… ? Isn’t it way harder to talk to each other just using the terms “this” and “that”?

And with everyone acting like that, it’s even harder to ask direct questions without stepping on a landmine… Guess we’ll have to keep on trying our best.

Everyone else has already gone home for today, though. It seems as if we have no choice but to head home as well. 

….. ? What’s wrong, Y/N? Did you forget something?

That’s… Toma’s ID card? It looks like he has not punched out yet.

Does that mean he’s still here? It’s way past closing time already, though… 

If you’re curious, why not check up on him?

Toma: …Haa, could this be any more annoying?

Nova: Ah, he’s still here after all… Why is he looking around on the floor by himself?

Toma: …Hm? Ah, it’s you.

You must be tired. Are you the only one left? Be careful on your way home, then.

Choices

1) Aren’t you going home too?

2) I want to go home together

— Aren’t you going home too?

Toma: Ah, I’ll stay just a little longer. There’s still work to do for me.

— I want to go home together

Toma: I’m glad to hear that, but I still need to stay here.

I will make it up to you next time, so please feel free to head home without me.

end Choices

Toma: Actually, Waka entrusted me with the table decoration for the event, you know. 

We don’t have much time left, so I wanted to see what it would look like today…

I can’t come up with good ideas, though. That's why I've been experimenting with different approaches.

Nova: Ah, so he’s sitting on the floor to think.

It’s true that imagining new decorations might be hard at first… especially at a place that you’re used to seeing every day.

…Now that I think about it. Why don’t you take a look inside the office?

The manager said something earlier about all the past event equipment being stored there.

Maybe we can find something there to use as a reference? 

10 minutes later

Toma: Eh, Y/N? You still didn’t go home?

What’s with that box? I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before…

— Ah. Is this where the previous event stuff is stored?

Come to think of it, Waka mentioned that he put it away somewhere here. I must’ve totally forgotten about it.

Now that we have that, it might be easier to imagine the decoration. 

You’re a lifesaver, Y/N. I would have gone insane if this had kept on going.

I’m sorry to ask that all of a sudden, but can you stay a bit longer? 

I know it’s embarrassing, especially since I asked you to go home at first… But I feel like having a girl’s opinion might be important here.

How about it? Of course I’ll walk you home once we’re done.

Choices

1) Leave it to me

2) Thank you

— Leave it to me

Toma: I knew I could always count on you.

— Thank you 

Toma: Haha, why are you thanking me? That’s supposed to be my line.

end Choices

Toma: Well then, let’s look inside the box. I wonder what useful things we may find… 

Wow, we have quite the variety. It seems like they did all kinds of events already.

There are some rather strange items in there, too… Like this Japanese doll?

Nova: …I’m really curious what this was used for.

Toma: I’ll put the non-fitting items aside for now. That way we have a better view of what else is inside the box.

Stuffed toys don’t fit the theme, and neither do these Japanese items. The replica houseplants are out of place as well.

There’s even a model ship… I think it might’ve been used during a pirate event.

…Now that I think about it, Waka also asked for warmer colors.

If that’s the case, then we’ll have to avoid cool and neutral colors as well…

Nova: Wow, he’s handling this particularly well… As expected of Toma, he’s a rapid thinker, right? 

You used to tell me that he’s always been talented at this kind of work.

Like when he was a member of the executive committee for the school festival in high school, he quickly sorted out the equipment that had been disorganized…

Y/N: ….. ?

Toma: I think we’re good now. I’ve narrowed the items we could use down.

Nova: — Oh, now’s not the time to be talking about that.

Toma: What do you think? Is there anything in here that meets your standards?

Nova: …Is this our chance? It’s not a difficult question to answer either.

Look, Toma just listed the things that didn’t fit the event, right? 

Why don’t you ask for the reason he doesn’t think they fit? The things he did not pick out seem to go well with the event idea. 

Taking this into an extreme example… If plain things don’t suit the event, then what about flashy ones?

Maybe if you think like that, you might find someone good?

Choices

1) Aroma candles

2) Artificial roses ♡ ♡ ♡

3) Lace tablecloth

— Aroma candles

Toma: The aroma candles? They are the perfect item to create a fantastic atmosphere.

…But when it comes to using them, we would have to turn the lights down.

With only the light of the candles, it might be hard for us to see the floor, which might be dangerous. 

I’m sorry to say it, but this idea might be difficult, especially with the lights.

Nova: I see. I didn’t think you’d have to be careful about things like that… Then what about the artificial roses?

Toma: The roses? True, they sound nice. I think it fits the event nicely.

— Artificial roses

Toma: The roses? Works for me.

Just adding these to the tables will make the whole restaurant seem livelier. 

— Lace tablecloth 

Toma: Hmm… It feels like that alone isn’t enough. 

Nova: Isn’t enough, huh… I guess it’s not flashy enough. 

The most flashy item among them all would be the roses, no?

Toma: The roses? True, they sound nice. I think it fits the event nicely.

end Choices

Toma: As I thought, it’s best to discuss these kinds of decisions with a girl.

Right, these aren’t just for the decoration, but they could be used for presentation purposes as well. 

If we were to scatter them on the floor once the staff appears, don’t you think it would get everyone excited—

…No, never mind. We’d damage them if we do.

Well, I’m sure Ikki would be happier about this idea, though…

Nova: …I just imagined it, and it’s scary how well it would suit him… 

Toma: Come to think of it, roses are also often used for proposals or confessions.

I also heard that the meaning changes depending on how many you bring. Five roses mean that you care for someone, ten roses mean that they’re perfect.

100 roses mean that they’re 100% in love with you. 108 roses straight up ask them to marry you.

However, I’ve only seen this being done in either manga or dramas. 

It’s only meant for rare situations, I guess that’s why girls long for it.

Would you like to receive these kinds of flowers from the man you love, Y/N?

Choices

1) Yeah, I’d love that

2) I’ve been yearning for that, but…

— Yeah, I’d love that…

Toma: Haha, thought so. I could see you being pleased with that. 

— I’ve been yearning for that, but…

Toma: Well, I guess there aren’t many men who’d do something like that. It feels wrong to ask for it when it should come naturally.

end Choices

Toma: You’re a girl after all, it’s no wonder you long for romantic scenes like those. 

…Ah, that’s right.

Can you stay still for a moment, Y/N? I won’t do anything weird, promise.

Nova: Eh? Is he crouching… No, wait, he’s kneeling!? What is he scheming…

Toma: …Okay. Well, one rose might not be enough to set the right atmosphere, but…

— Y/N, I love you.

Toma: If you feel the same, will you accept this rose… ? 

So, what did it feel like? 

Nova: …..

Toma: Eh? W-Wait. Was it that weird? 

Nova: It wasn’t weird, just something he shouldn’t do as a joke… 

Toma: Ah… I get it. What I said just now shouldn’t be something you say lightly… 

…But if I don’t do this now, I won’t be able to tell you in the future.

Nova: Huh?

Toma: Anyway, I’m sorry. I’ll reflect on my actions, so calm down. 

Nova: …Well, he did apologize. There’s no need to sulk anymore, right?

While we’re at it, I’d also like to share some knowledge about roses with you. 

Toma's earlier statement about the different meanings of rose numbers holds true. There’s even more to it, though.

It’s not well known because it’s an odd number… 

But three roses is the typical confession of “I love you,” while seven roses mean “I secretly have feelings for you.”

So one rose means—

“You’re the one.”

Place: Home

Nova: Haa… Thank you for your hard work today…

Gathering information is way harder than I imagined. I didn’t realize it would be so difficult to act as if we already know everything…

We might’ve not gathered much, but we did get some insight on my magical power from the manager.

Look, don’t you think my body looks a bit different than it did before?

…Hmm, you don’t see it? I guess it’s only a change from my perspective then.

Maybe I can show you this change in another way.

— These are the magical powers I've obtained today. Well, I had to solidify my magical power so you can see it.

Fufu, are you surprised? Actually, I just tried it out, and it was rather easy. If we keep the pace up, we might achieve our results in no time.

Since the future is uncertain, I'm sure we'll have to work hard.

Above all, your precious memories and your personality are at stake. Even if it might be a little difficult, we have to get them back. 

Choices

1) Let’s do our best together

2) Agreed… !

— Let’s do our best together

Nova: I agree. Let’s work together as one.

I can’t deny that I’m a little dependent on you, though.

N-No, let’s not think about this now. Now’s not the time to be depressed.

I’m sure there will be a lot of work we have to do from now on. 

— Agreed… !

Nova: Yeah, well said. We won’t give in, no matter what.

↳ Continue story

[rosieveltsworld]

Okk a little theory or I guess I'm saying this more of a Headcannon since I suck at theories.

It's basically about The Manager in Malevolent now here is what I want to say. Basically it's canon that The Manager is another version of Kayne, perhaps the last one and frankly probably tries his best to keep his sanity low. Now here's one thing I haven't seen anyone talk about, it's basically which universe of Malevolent did The Manager come from?

Well my Headcannon is, the universe or alternate reality whatever you may call it that The Manager came from is from the Inverted Universe, think about it.

The Manager which imma just give him another name for example Abel (Totally not a reference from the bible with Abel & Cain). Now Abel seems somewhat more stable than Kayne which is a good thing because he doesn't want to be like him, he's I guess you can call a "Nice" version of him and some fanarts and cosplayers tend to give him a white suit and the color green to identify the difference between him and Kayne, now why Green? Because Green is the opposite of Red, therefore why I think he's from the Inverted Universe.

Now let's talk about some small stuff I've made for the Inverted Au of Malevolent, let's just start off simple with our lovely main characters, Arthur & John. Now in this version, arthur is more cold and straight forward. He is less nicer and is a complete psycho, he kills anyone he gets the chance to. Basically the reasoning for his behavior is that in this version Bella didn't die while giving birth to Faroe. She survived and raised faroe with Arthur for 3 years, now the two weren't in love with each other, they simply became friends and wanted to raise Faroe together.

In this AU Bella & Faroe died because a group of robbers broke into their flat and tried stealing their items. Arthur and Bella always had a gun in the drawers and they managed to shoot some of the Robbers, but one of them escaped and while doing so, he shot Faroe. This completely broke the two's heart seeing their daughter's death. Bella in anger chased out of the flat towards the robber that shot Faroe. She ran into the streets where a car was speeding because of the drunk driver and killed her. After the death of both Arthur's "Wife" and Daughter this was his reasoning to act the way he acts. In this AU Peter did try his best to comfort Arthur the best way he could, he isn't changed in this Universe, he's still Arthur's friend.

Now moving on to John not only is his personality different but also his appearance and, The King In Yellow. What's the opposite color of Yellow? Purple. So in the inverted Universe John is still a fragment piece, but instead of The King in Yellow, he is a piece of The King In Purple. John in this Universe isn't Sensitive or Good, he is a bad person in the first season but he takes on a different approach and personality. For example in the first meeting in S1 John seemed calm and impatient with Arthur since he just wants to be back with Kiy, that was his original goal until he met lily a nurse, which completely changed his whole perspective of humanity and even himself.

In his inverted self John is more quiet and in a way..he acts Nice and Friendly towards Arthur despite his acts of stealing the man's Eyesight, his leg, and his arm. He always tries to act positive and completely normal about everything, let's just say he acts like this to try and get on Arthur's good side. Now in this version John did also kill Peter but he actually feels bad and tells the truth to Arthur which angered the man even more. John and Arthur's dynamic in the inverted Universe is basically John trying to reason with the cold man and Arthur almost ignoring his friend...that is until John snaps at him and actually scaring Arthur to the point he apologizes to John for ignoring him all the time in S1.

In S2 the two actually try getting along, well more like Arthur trying to get along with the entity inside his head while John has been trying since the beginning. Arthur is a complete killing machine in his inverted self, when someone gets in his way he just kills them or hurt them brutally scaring them for life, and Jon? He tries to reason with Arthur but in the end the two just like putting suffer towards other people.

Their relationship grew to become a lot closer to each other despite everything, they were always there for each other, +they're much more affectionate towards each other in inverted crazy right?

[koalatysleep]

That time Togashi sneaked in a same-sex Soul Bond romance in Shonen Jump, in 90's uber-conservative Japan 😆❤️❤️

Somebody give Togashi a friggin' award for the Sneakiest Genius to ever Sneak, coz I'm not even kidding, he straight out created Kuwameshi as a Soul Bond romance in the subtext of YYH, where he tells us the real story is hidden! 🤩🤣😍

Full meta's on AO3 with proof points & screenshots, but here's the teaser!

When put together, Yusuke 幽助 and Kazuma 和真 means Souls (幽) in True Harmony (和真) who Help (助) each other which our heroes continually do throughout canon!

Kuwabara's last name is drawn from the Japanese phrase "kuwabara kuwabara" くわばら くわばら to ward off Lightning aka Bad Things like death, danger and bad luck, but written with the characters for Mulberry Field 桑原 instead, and GUESS WHAT - Mulberry has Divine significance in Japanese culture, is associated with the Sun God (Kuwa’s Reiki is Gold, like the sun), and items made from Mulberry wood are traditionally gifted to Japanese royalty, which Yusuke turns out to be!

Yusuke literally gets struck by Suzaku's lightning, tortured and nearly killed the minute he's separated from Kuwa in 4 beasts arc - more signs that Kuwa really is Yusuke’s Divine Protector who's been warding off lightning (Bad Things) from Yusuke just by being there, and their separation has immediate catastrophic impact on Yusuke coz Yusuke's not yet strong enough to fend off these threats on his own!

I know Togashi claims he came up with the Mulberry Field 桑原 characters for Kuwa's last name by combining characters from baseball players' names, and he very well may have done so, but considering the depth of Mulberry references throughout canon that we'll see in the full meta, you be the judge whether Togashi was also thinking of Mulberry's connotations when he picked these characters! Especially since at the end of the manga, there's a lot of seemingly throwaway lines about how both the Sky and the Sea are the same blue color, and how Yusuke told a half-truth about his real reason for picking the blue button in the 3-buttons mission! (This deserves its own meta another time!) I read this as 4th wall hint that Togashi was drawing from both Mulberry's divine symbolism and baseball players' names when he picked the characters for Kuwa's name, but he told a half-truth that he was only thinking of the baseball players! 🤣

Given the double Divine Protector symbolism in Kuwa's last name (from lightning ward and Mulberry) and the True Harmony meaning of his first name, Kuwa's literally made by his creator to be Yusuke's Divine Patron Saint who protects Yusuke from Bad Things coz Kuwa's in True Harmony (True Love) with Yusuke!

I read Yusuke's Good Luck in his fights throughout Genkai's succession trials as Kuwa's High Reiki unconsciously or semi-consciously increasing Yusuke’s Good Luck to save Yusuke from death or serious injury, as per the mini meta in the End Notes of The Good Fight Chapter 7!

Even if you choose not to take this read, who can forget Kuwa's SOUL literally left his body to save Yusuke from the demon fish in Rando fight? 🤯

Seriously, I L❤️‍🔥ve Togashi's audacious True Harmony soul bond subtext! 🤣

There’re SO MANY times when Yusuke's opponents are outright surprised that Yusuke somehow has Reiki reserves when he shouldn't have any left, or they straight out say Yusuke's protected by stronger Reiki than expected (e.g. Rando fight, Suzaku fight, Toguro fight) - I read this as canon BOTH foreshadowing Yusuke's Mazoku heritage AND hinting that Kuwa's protecting Yusuke as his Divine Patron Saint by contributing his Reiki to Yusuke through their True Harmony Soul Bond connection! 

Of course, this can be read as just Yusuke's Mazoku heritage giving him deep Reiki reserves & protection, but consider this! Yusuke's Mazoku Reiki is Red! In all these instances when Yusuke has unexpected Reiki reserves, his Reiki is BLUE!

Guess what else is the exact same blue? Kuwa's SOUL is literally blue when he saved Yusuke from the demon fish in Rando fight, and immediately afterwards, Yusuke escapes the demon fish in a spectacular explosion of Blue Reiki, the same color as Kuwa's SOUL! We only see Kuwa's Soul return to his body after Yusuke escapes!

In final Toguro fight in the Dark Tournament, after anime Yusuke fires his last Rei Gun and has no Reiki left, Hiei tells us Rei Gun's power is still going after leaving Yusuke's finger! There's a mysterious background music when this happens, and key characters look surprised! I read this as Kuwa (who was playing dead 🤣) contributing his Reiki to Rei Gun!

Their Reiki literally becomes ONE after Kuwa gives his lifeforce to save Yusuke post Suzaku fight as per the pics at start of this post! and it's Gold, Green, and Blue to represent Kuwa, Yusuke, and their Soul Bond respectively! Reiki is basically the energy of your heart, spirit and SOUL, so this is canon visually showing us they have a True Harmony Soul Bond! Just look at how epic our heroes are with their ONE Reiki!

Greek culture even has a star-crossed lovers story associated with Mulberry trees (which inspired Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet), where the lovers are thwarted by family circumstances, life-threatening danger, bad timing, and one party jumping prematurely to the wrong conclusion, which then leads the other party to follow suit -- all these elements appear in the Kuwameshi Love Story! Proof points in full meta!

The COUNTLESS times Yusuke and Kuwabara are in sync and mirror images of each other, and how they’re literally Two Souls in One Body when Yusuke possesses Kuwa’s body pre-revival, and then One Soul in Two Bodies for the rest of canon when Kuwa stands with Yusuke through thick-&-thin, and Yusuke follows Kuwa's moral code right back, eventually setting up the Makai Unification Tournament with Kuwa's 1-1 fight code, which prevents an all-out war, all its unnecessary bloodshed, and brings about Peace!

Preventing a war that's hundreds of years in the making is as good as Divine Intervention warding off catastrophe, just like saying "Kuwabara Kuwabara" wards off death and lightning strikes!

Even birds as symbol for Kuwameshi romance has Divine connotations in real-world Japan!

Sacred Mulberry wood symbolically expels evil in real-world Japanese rituals, same as how Kuwabara (literally Mulberry Field) expels the "evil" of Yusuke's inner demons from Yusuke's heart, the inner demons being Yusuke's distorted view of himself as a "bad, violent, good-for-nothing fuck-up unworthy of love", deep emotional pain, anger, and self-loathing.

There's even a manga pre-revival story (the 2 female best friends) that parallels this! Not to mention Kuwa literally manifests his Gold Rei Ken for first time using a broken piece of Musashi's wooden sword made from sacred wood!

And in the manga pre-revival story of the Old Man & the Raccoon, a wooden branch prevented the trap from closing fully around the raccon, thus preventing death or serious injury, foreshadowing how Kuwa likewise prevents the trap of the Dark Tournament from closing fully around Yusuke, preventing death of Yusuke's SOUL and True Self! Sacred wood, divine providence, and soul references abound throughout canon! Deets in full meta!

Given the massive weight of evidence that we see in the full meta, what else is Togashi showing us, other than two lovers forging a Soul Bond and becoming ONE?

What is True Harmony, other than another way to say Soul Bond?🤣

If you'd like to read how our heroes forged their Soul Bond in an Alternate Canon fic which has no constraints on what we can show in the main text, try The Good Fight on AO3! Most chapters have End Notes that gush about the canon subtext that inspired it!

If you're as intrigued by canon subtext as me, read the full meta for the mind-blowing depth and details! As always, meta is based on the canon versions that hew as close to original Japanese canon as a non-Japanese speaker can get!

Now on to the mind-blowing symbolism of Mulberry (kuwa 桑) in Kuwabara's last name!

[4uni0fficial]

Chapter 2 Roblox games react to eachother!!!!

NOTE: I do not own neither games and will be using old lore for TRUD. Guest 666 wont be transfem and Builderman wont be related to Jane and John. This is a crack fic not to be taken seriously, do not harass me.

C00lkidd sat up with a groan. Ugh, where were they? This did NOT look like the hideout they were just in. He stood up, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings when he spotted very familiar looking people. Plus a few others he had never seen before. ANd for some reason, doubles of some of them/

Taking his knife out, he flashed a grin. Well I guess it didnt matter, not when the people he was hunting were right in front of him for easy pickings. Oooo hes gonna have a blast gloating to the rest about this. Then he was knocked down by that damn ‘dog’.

“Ugh Drako- get off me!! John get your stupid dog!” He wrestled with him for dominance, c00lkidd hoping to not be mauled by Drakobloxxer today. Then, 1x grabbed Drako by the waist and pulled him off the well.. kinda deserves it man. C00lkidd dusted himself off from his recent plight, using one of his tentacles to lightly slap Drako for his attempt. The ‘dog’ growled in return, struggling in 1x’s grasp. The other killers seemed to have recovered from the fall as well but still havent noticed the survivors cowering on the other side (minus the Forsakeners cause they think they will just respawn back in lobby when they die).

It was only when Noob spoke did the ones on the killer side take notice of the other ones occupying the theater. “G-guys, what do we do? There’s so many of them and no timer!” Panic lacing their voice as they spoke. Clearly Noob meant for the comment to be quieter but with how silent the theater was and how it was built, it seemingly amplified their voice.

The killers all finally noticed the survivors staring them down from the other side, gripping their items tightly. They got ready their weapons, targets in sight. Noob covered their mouth with their hands, realising their mistake. The survivors readied themselves for the clash of their lives.

Then the killers for Forsaken were dropped in before the killers could rush to the survivors side, much to everyones shock.

“Ahh, seems like I got here just in time. I was betting on the killers being too disorientated to notice you all yet but their senses are sharper than what I give them credit for. But now that the Forsaken killers are here, we can get this party started!” A new voice rang out in the theater, the owner of it not found in the area.

Everyone looked around in confusion, all the killers included. They couldnt even pinpoint where the voice was coming from, it sounded like it was everywhere at once. Then suddenly, in the blink of an eye they were all seated at tables for their respective games on each side. A placard at each table, written on it their universe of origin.

The Trud people seated nearest to the barrier dividing them from the killers side, looked uneasy being in such close vicinity of the people that were literally hunting them down and their lookalikes. At another table, the Forsaken survivors shivered in fear of the fact ALL of the killers were in the same room as them and they wouldnt be able to defend themselves properly. Then the disembodied voice caught their attention again.

“Hello, my dear reactors! Im sure introductions are in order for who these unfamiliar people you are in this room with! Ill start off first, you can refer to me as The Watcher. Now onto one of you.. Ill shine a spotlight and you can introduce yourself!" The lights in the theater dimmed, as a lone ray of light shined down and moved around, searching for who will be the first to speak their name. After a beat or two, it stopped on someone.

note: frgot to mention it last post but my story is also up on ao3 under my authoer name mentioned in pinned post!

[maggiemacabre]

SiIvaGunner SmashUp! Behind the scenes and post-mortem

Hello folks and welcome to my new Tumblr blog. I don't know how much I'm going to actually use this thing in the future but I figure if I need it, it's here. As you can probably tell by the title, today's subject will be none other than my most recent "work", the SiIvaGunner SmashUp!

The idea of a SiIvaGunner take on the concept of "Royal Rumble but full of stupid contestants" was in my head for a while, but the motivation to do it wasn't in place until I found Dead Meat's Horror Royal Rumble in August or September of 2023. The Jerma Rumbles and Vinewrestle were definitely also influences on the idea, but the Horror Royal Rumble was the impetus, and played a part in influencing some creative choices featured in the SmashUp (more on that later).

After running the idea by the team and the rest of backroom, I picked up WWE 2K23 (which fortuitously was on sale that weekend) and got to work. Going in, I had next to no idea of the ins and outs of pro wrestling, which meant that I had to do a lot of research into things like the wrestlers themselves, moves, terminology, different match types, general historical stuff, how shows are actually presented, etc. This put me in a very, very deep rabbit hole which I have still not crawled out of. I even went to two house shows!

Making the wrestlers was the first step and by far took the longest amount of time out of anything, since this was the first show of its kind on the channel and required the creation of 34 unique wrestlers. Some of them were easier than others (lookin' at you AMUNO), but others such as Ninomae Ina'nis took days to complete due to the amount of detail they required. This also isn't including wrestlers who were made that got cut; some of these exclusions include Bottom G, who was left out because Andrew Tate sucks, Elly from Touhou Project, who was replaced by Sumireko, and Wood Man, who was left out for lore reasons and replaced with 8-Bit Beast in a somewhat 11th hour decision. Maybe next year?

The decision to make Hot Cross Buns and Raft Ride into women also spawned from this period. Hot Cross Buns was made first and was originally meant to show up in the Grand Rumble, but after some time I ended up deciding to move her to her own match, which became a Women's World Champion match because lol. I had to use mods to make the men and women able to fight each other, so theoretically Raft Ride could have been a man, but women are awesome.

Being an egotistical maniac, I also included some references to things I'd worked on in the past. Totino's Stadium, the arena where the match takes place, was first mentioned in the FUMO JAM ad from the DJ Professor K Day stream, and Nu Grandiose City is the city where Woodyana is from in Woodyana Stones: Raider Made of Lost Bark. Also I guess this is why Elvira was included? LOL. Fun fact: The footage of "Totino's Stadium" is actually of Gazprom Arena in Russia.

Since I was involved with the channel's MAGFest panel in 2024, I was able to announce the show months in advance, although I'm not sure how many people actually paid attention at the time. Getting a logo ready between finishing CCC and MAG was a bit tight, but thankfully it was able to be done on time, and on top of that I was able to make the big card poster thing on my own. I actually designed it to be printed, and I proposed making it a sold item, although that idea was rejected. I also came up with the date during this period, choosing the day right before the WWE Hall of Fame show, and while things got a bit close to the wire, it was luckily able to make the date and time without a hitch in the end.

After all the wrestlers were made, it was time to record and edit. I was a bit worried about my laptop overheating while doing so, but I was able to get good quality 60 FPS 1080p footage recorded without any hitches other than some human error on my end. While the controversial ending of the Grand Rumble wasn't what I had in mind, I ended up leaving it as-is for time reasons and also because it felt like a funny troll ending. Which it was! Editing was not quite as smooth since I had to go through all the footage and edit it together into a cohesive product. WWE games don't allow you to cut to entrances during a Royal Rumble, which meant that I had to record and edit those in myself. The method I ended up using resembled the one from the Dead Meat rumble mentioned earlier with cuts to the audience as the buzzer rings, although I'd like to believe I did a better job than they did with their 2024 entrances where they awkwardly cut around shots of the ring. This is also where the fun facts come from, as they are actually covering up the nameplates that show up as an alternative to cutting to the entrances.

After editing was done I got some other team members to do commentary. Thankfully I was able to get someone with wrestling knowledge, which definitely added a dimension of realism and legitimacy to the project. I don't know if I can say who the announcers are because of leaks, but if you haven't figured it out, Randall Shields is a Smash Bros. reference. Also it was the first contribution to SiIvaGunner that had "Randall" made in about half a decade. What a return!

The premiere of the project was electric. Seeing over 1.3K people tune in and get hype over something I made was incredible and made my week, if not month. I did feel a little bad about the reaction when Dream came in (💀), but other than that it was awesome. And don't worry, he won't return.

In the end, I had a lot of fun with the project and it was awesome seeing everything pay off. I want to thank everyone who helped, including the artists who designed the logos and the people who did commentary. It couldn't have come together without help and assistance from everyone, and I hope that this becomes the first in a series of similar videos.

[penskecar]

top 5 art tips/brushes/techniques, etc !

hi here's a little bit of all of that

1. brushes

im an ibis paint warrior and also a strong believer that brushes can truly improve your art!! they wont give you skill but they'll gjve your art a totally different vibe, "blurring marker 1" is what i use for sketching and "render" is well the render one lol

qr codes + examples

2. use the reference image, its not cheating

just just aAUGGHHH photo bash even it looks stupid BUT IT WORKS

3. three layers max

okay this is probably insane but this is just how i do my art, maybe dont take my advice on this- THREE LAYERS MAX!!!!! excluding reference images. I have 1 for a sketch, one for ALL coloring, and one for a background. this is "per item" so if im drawing like 2 people, each person would have that 3 layers max. i feel it helps with canvas management but what do i know man

well 4 max i guess, i like having my signature on a separate one

4. listen to professionals

OKAY!!!! put the pitchforks down and let me speak my truth first,,, PERSONALLY i found most of my growth through art classes and watching art videos on youtube! i mostly watch Drawfee and not a lot of "tutorial" videos but just watching how they draw had an impact even when i wasnt copying exactly what they were doing. they draw fun prompts, i definitely recommend!!!!

5. have fun its art

i have a more semi realistic style and people think thats boring but its what i like and thats all that should matter lol, just do art how you want!!! put that grown man in lipstick, put that other grown man in a bright pink color palette off of pinterest, and draw that grown man as a woman!!!!! (aka mitchell penskecar's tuesday routine)

[an0ldworld]

Can I request miles 42 with an alien male s/o that has completely white eyes and struggles with social ques/ human culture🫶🫶🫶

miles 42 w/ an alien boyfriend !

i’m listening to charlie’s inferno rn, hope this is half decent <\3

established relationship

warnings: meh

pairing: earth 42 miles x male!reader

requests: refer to the blog guide besties

★⋆ ⋆☆⋆ ☠︎︎ ⋆☆⋆⋆★✧

i’m gonna go ahead and quote the anarchist hobart brown rn and say i ain’t got a scooby doo where tf ur from or how u two met, that’s up to u

but at the same time i guess w the avengers n shit aliens aren’t something people can deny, so while miles was maybe a bit skeptical at first, it wasn’t the hardest thing in the world to believe

especially when you’ve got those big white eyes

not to mention how wildly awkward and clueless you are when it comes to earth customs

what’s christmas, you say ? it’s where this guy in red and a really big beard sneaks into ur home to drop off concealed items in a box that’s determined by lists that you’ve been put on depending on ur actions throughout the year. yeah, he sees you when ur sleeping my guy, be scared

i imagine miles explains it in a less lowkey way but i like to imagine ur now scared of santa and the concept of christmas

culture ! so much to learn

miles is obviously most eager to teach you about his own, his mum would be very happy to tell you things too

when he eventually tells her about his alien boyfriend, that is

you get to try foods from their culture, maybe try to learn spanish if you can

if you have some uncanny ability to grasp language’s immediately, then miles’ mum is thrilled, very happy to talk in her first language with you

gonna go ahead and assuming this miles is also fluent so, spanish all around if you can

go ahead and share ur own culture too, they’re admittedly intrigued

he occasionally likes to ask you about certain things, like if you have an equivalent of something on your planet while holding the thing up or showing you a picture

is specifically intrigued w art on ur planet, but he’s not the kinda guy to overwhelm you with questions

maybe like a handful a week

it takes miles a little while to get used to the fact that ur from off planet, so it takes him a bit to clock that you don’t understand a lot of things ur seeing

but eventually he’ll get into the habit of briefly explaining things to you, general concepts and guidelines

it becomes pretty second nature to him as some point and subconscious

like if ur staring at kettle and he notices how ur white eyes are just locked on it he’ll be like “…don’t touch it-“ cause he doesn’t want you to burn urself, he might fail to explain that at first

social cues ? who doesn’t struggle w them from time to time

miles likely won’t know how to help you at first, it’s an adjustment you both have to make to help each other out

so maybe you come up with some kinda signal when ur with other people, like he might do something discreet to help you out

ur still abrupt asf about it though because you never expect the signals, he honestly loves it about you lmao

might help you practice whenever he gets the free time, only if you actively wanna improve, he doesn’t mind otherwise

he cannot stress how important it is that you don’t wander off in the streets, if that’s something you tend to do

he loves you dearly and isn’t mad about your curiosity, but i feel like he’s able to read a room really well . if he feels like you aren’t safe then he’ll tell you to put your head down so people don’t see ur eyes, then ur both out

will figure out some way to hide them, it’s not even an if in certain situations

ur eyes are mesmerising to him but there’s no point if they put you in danger, so there are scenarios where he just won’t let you go certain places

not in a possessive way, it’s just literally the safest option

hates to be controlling like that sometimes but it’s better than risking it, he hopes you know that

while earth 42 is in flames i do still think that there would be a tight knit community in the neighbourhood, in those kinda circumstances all you’ve got is each other, y’know ?

so while it may not be the safest for you in some streets, you’ve got a home with miles and can feel secure enough

i cant even begin to imagine the amount of organisations you’ve gotta stay under the radar from

have fun w that

★⋆ ⋆☆⋆ ☠︎︎ ⋆☆⋆⋆★✧

i’m lagging oh god

[furinana]

Reviewing SMT's 30th Anniversary Event in Yokohama

In 2023 (the year of Nanashi's birthday!) I spent some months in Japan so I lucked out when they announced a Megaten concert right before my departure.

This is a compilation of thoughts from tweets and messages I sent to friends that I decided to turn into a public post for archival purposes.

Disclaimer: unless stated otherwise, none of the pictures I'm using here are mine. Most of them were taken from the event's official account.

May 6th. From Kyoto (the city I was staying) to Yokohama was approx. two hours by Shinkansen. Like how a close friend of mine says, "The thing about Japan is that you ride one train and you just become the biggest car hater immediately".

[I ended up taking an overnight bus for the back trip however, took around 7 hours. Cramped on your legs but your pockets hurt way less]

How is Yokohama at the moment? A bright sunny noon and like this user illustrated, windy as hell (my cap came off once and I had to run in the middle of the street to rescue it).

[KT Zepp Yokohama]

I arrived 4 hours before the concert's schedule so I fucked around Yokohama's cozy Chinatown for a bit, among other places I don't remember. I didn't take into account that you could arrive hours prior to the event to purchase the limited merch line and stare at concept art of mainline games in an exhibiton placed in the entrance. The merch would get sold out in a matter of minutes in the gap between the opening and when the concert would start! Don't underestimate scalpers, folks.

A beginner's mistake, this is how life teaches you to be smart.

[For every 5,000 yen you spent, you got the chance of receiving a colored bookmark of one of the protagonists. A lot of items involved abysmal luck to get. Fortunately I was able to grab what I set my eyes on in the later online raffle so things turned out fine on my end (although I'm currently having to deal with a lot of dupes much to my annoyance. But hey, I have official merch of Flynn and Nanashi now)]

Regarding the exhibition: Not a lot of stuff to comment on. They made a timeline of sorts for each mainline title (except the NES games because fuck 'em I guess) and pretty much most of it was available in official artbooks published previously. Nocturne for example, they displayed the writing process & how they sketched cutscenes and attacks prior to making them 3D etc, which was no-news if you browsed the Ayakashi Monthly book before.

[We weren't allowed to take pictures so I can only show the previews from the official account. We had to stay at a long line to look at each piece in a chronological way so it felt particularly... uncomfortable. I don't like the feeling that I might be slowing down other people so I end up rushing what was supposed to be a serene activity]

The actual exclusive never-seen-before art was regarding beta character & demons concepts from SMT4A:

[Top: Drawn from memory by me. Bottom: The "mermaid" is a reference to the Starbucks logo that interestingly, is also present in Nanashi's room (which could mean there was an intention of Nanashi's only reference of a mermaid being the logo of a cafe that wouldn't exist in-universe anymore. For those unaware, the mermaid in question is actually a siren!]

Here are the descriptions I typed on my phone right after I exited the exhibition (and would use as base for my own sketches a day later):

Chironnupu had two beta forms with the face as it is now where one walked on four legs and the other his legs faded out in a ghost-like manner. He also had a third and more distinct from his current design where he was dressed in Ainu attire on 2 legs and was smiling to the viewer (a Youkai Watch sort of vibe, very cute).

Nanashi had an unseen sketch where Doi drew him with a suspiciously big waist. Yeah, I know it's minor but I wanted to comment on how unhinged Doi is in drawing girly boys. Go off king

Cleopatra had a form where she had dark skin, dark green hair and emerald green eyes (...huh? I just realized I painted her hair with brown instead of green lmao I became fixated in making her look similar to Maria Torres from Trauma Team). Considering how some demons get color variations (such as Vishnu or Moh Shuvuu), some even getting darker skin in adaptations (take Rama in the Devil Survivor 2 anime), perhaps Cleopatra getting an alt that is closer to this beta depiction isn't an impossibility. I can dream

Vishnu-Flynn had a version where his face was the same as how Flynn normally is.

Mermaid had a form where she was supposed to resemble the Starbucks logo where her palette was red&other color (I don't remember if it was blue or green) and showed an alluring evil smile.

Now let's talk about the concert. The structure of how it went was basically alternating between the band playing remixes of soundtracks with gameplay videos on the screen and then pausing for the hosts to talk with the audience and share some free-talks with the musicians that worked on the titles.

Fans used this menorah they sold in the booth as a glow stick (the ones you see in idol events).

[Event announcers Mafia Kajita and Chiaki Matsuzawa in day 1 and 2]

At the end there was a little quiz with gameplay-specific questions, for example what a certain skill does. You had to answer with this little cardboard thing that had a Jack Frost in one side and Black Frost in the other.

Regarding the free-talks, a summary of what I was able to get (take those with a grain of salt):

Kozuka never played any Megaten before composing for the games (he thought they were too dangerous)

SJR composer played all of them

Tsukasa said the songs for the SNES games were a lot longer and better-sounding but unfortunately they had to chop off a lot

Meguro makes sound effects before making the music, finished SMT2 before starting composing but doesn't play games anymore

By the end, Kajita wishes Megaten games were released more often so events like this could happen frequently and Matsuzawa says she's a big Digital Devil Saga fan.

By the way, you could easily recognize the western fans from the audience from how louder and cheerier they were compared to the local ones. Japanese fans are the types that respect silence to a scary degree. For another example, I was able to watch The Boy and the Heron right in the opening week and nobody from the session I went to laughed or made any perceptible reaction to other viewers. The only one laughing in the entire room was my, notably, non-JPN roommate.

When the concert was nearing its end however, the hosts allowed everyone to be as loud as they wanted to thus letting the atmosphere at long last turn closer to the spirit of Megaten... chaotic.

[Going personally to the concert was a totally unique experience compared to seeing it from a screen with diluted audio. You truly had to be there to have your stomach twisting from the echoes coming from the band's instruments]

My personal favorite remixes:

SMT1's Ginza

SMT2's Disco Theme

SMT4's Boss Theme & Map theme

SMT4A's f6 Godslayer (when they showed Vishnu-Flynn on the big screen... 😳)

[stoic--rose]

final fantasy 1 progress update #1:

hi everyone, ive been playing final fantasy 1 for psp lately and i feel like it might be a fun idea to post occasional progress updates on how my first playthrough of the most classic "classic jrpg" is going. (i think that title actually belongs to dragon quest 1, but like,, idk)

you can see what classes and names i chose for my party in the screenshot above. one of my friends told me that all of the designs for the party members in ff1 (at least in the nes version) are pretty androgynous, so i wanted to channel that here. it's a little less so for the psp version, but i still did my best with what i had. i named my warrior Raz, and i headcanon her as a girl. i feel like having an ff1 party without a warrior feels kind of sacrilege, you know? i chose a monk as my second party member, since i heard you can do some wacky stuff with that class in the lategame, and named him Lars. just seemed like a fitting name to me. i also chose a monk since in my first first playthrough on the pixel remaster, i had a party of a warrior, thief, red mage and black mage, and wanted to try the two classes i didnt try before. (if you're curious, i named my thief "Mack" and my red mage "Phil" in that playthrough) that's also why i chose a white mage as my third party member, and named her Mia. finally, i chose a black mage as the final party member, and named them Jojo, since that sounds to me like a sort of mysterious, ambiguous name to me. (for the rest of these progress updates, i will be referring to my teammates by these names, so learn them and learn them well.)

i didnt really understand Lars at first, he just felt like a lesser warrior in every way. that was, until i looked up "monk purpose final fantasy 1" in google and found out that he's WAY better bare-handed. once i removed the nunchaku from him, he went from doing 30 damage to around 80-100 damage per hit, if not more. Jojo has also been serving me well, as they are the only party member with a reliable aoe option. i swear, blizzarda is SO good for dealing with those annoying encounters that just have too many guys in them. Mia is the only party member that kind of feels like dead weight, i know she's support oriented and all that and that's fine, but whenever i'm not fighting a boss, it feels like she's just attacking for peanuts and not doing a whole lot else. dia is good for wiping out those huge hordes of zombies that occasionally show up, at least. plus, i feel like items have been very scarce my whole playthrough so far, and Mia's healing spells are super helpful to make up for that.

speaking of magic users, i wanna touch on the magic system for a sec. i knew ff1's magic system was different from a lot of other RPGs, and while the psp version does take some steps to make it a bit more conventional, it is still REALLY weird how you have to buy spells, rather than learning them from level up. that being said, i think i like that a lot more than the normal system. it makes arriving in a new town exciting, because you get to pick out some cool new spells for your casters! i feel like it makes your playthrough a lot more personal to you, since you can only choose three of the four spells at each magic shop. it's indicative of what the person's playstyle is like to see what spells they choose, and i think that's really fun.

one thing i don't like a whole lot so far, however, is that you can't run on the overworld. you can run in towns, dungeons, and even boats, but not on land. kind of a nit pick, but it makes overworld traversal feel kind of like a slog. i guess i could say that i'm not a huge fan of having to press circle and select at the same time to open the map, but i do admittedly kind of like that. it feels like a secret cheat code, and i only learned about it because i talked to one of the brooms in matoya's cave. learning about that stuff naturally is pretty cool to me, and i always love moments like that.

i'll post more thoughts once i get my first crystal, since this post is kind of dragging on, but i hope yall enjoy reading these! it's always fun to write about my game experiences, and they're good notes for the inevitable review of ff1 i'll write for my website once i finish the game.

[27dragons]

Quiz Meme thing for people over 50 - via @gilajames

1. Name one body part that doesn't hurt: my elbow (who gets that reference? but really mine doesn't hurt. at least not today.)

2. Were you able to answer #1 because you have taken ibuprofen recently? Nope, I haven't been able to take ibuprofen at all for a few years now because I'm prone to ulcers. (I also haven't taken any tylenol/paracetamol, because it straight up doesn't work for me for pain relief. It lowers fevers, but that's it.)

3. Name one activity you are greatly relieved you don't do anymore because fuck that shit: change diapers and otherwise deal with any (literal) shit that isn't my own

4. Have you gotten at least eight hours of sleep in the past five days. (Not each night, just total.) Oh yeah, I average about 6.5 hours a night and on the weekends sometimes it stretches to seven!

5. Name one song that is NOT forty years old, what the fuck. The 1980s were, like, twenty years ago. Fuck you, the 80s were like, five years ago at most lol. That said: The Hamilton soundtrack, and also "Panic" by David Ford. Those are only like 10-15 years old.

6. Do you remember the last time you got carded (not counting 'we have to card everyone' places.) If we're not counting "card everyone" places, then I have never been carded. When I bought booze legally for the first time on my 21st birthday, they did not card me. Apparently I radiate an aura of "yeah she's old enough."

7. Name one musician that you keep hearing their name but have no clue what their music is. My Chemical Romance, I guess (I have a general idea what the music is but I don't know that I've actually heard it. I could be wrong about that I suppose but I definitely didn't know it.) I'm not really a music person, this is a lot of music questions for me.

8. Have the celebrities you loved as a kid started dying of old age? A few but not too many yet.

9. Have the celebrities you loved as a teenager started dying of old age? Same.

10. When did you start listening to the Oldies station? Another music question? I mean, I listened to the oldies station when I was in frickin college because I don't care about music and that was the station my boyfriend at the time liked. I really only listen to music in the car, and after I dumped that guy I switched to listening almost exclusively to tapes, CDs, and music downloaded to an iPod/phone.

11. Have you told a younger co-worker any form of the phrase "wait until you're my age/older/hit your 40s, then you'll..." Not really, though I've done the "wait until you have kids who are [age] thing to younger co-workers, and commiserated with co-workers of similar age about all the shit that hit us after 40.

12. Do you seek out older co-workers so you can quote something at them that they will get? Nope, because I am a work-from-home introvert. :D

13. Would you rather just stay home? At least 85% of the time, YES.

14. Have you reached the point that for birthdays, other gift-getting events, you say "I just don't need more stuff"? No, because I love getting gifts. When I was young, my mom told me she didn't care what was under the Christmas tree for her, she just loved opening presents. Seriously, one year when I was like 14 I got her a 6-pack of socks and wrapped each pair individually and she LOVED it. I thought she was crazy then, but I get it now. Anyway the only people who get me actual gifts these days are the Things and I'm not going to discourage them because they're so fun.

15. Do you often find yourself saying "I remember when" and you describe something so completely foreign to Life Today that you wonder if you made it up? All the FUCKIGN TIME

16. Did you look at this list at the beginning and hope it was a short quiz because you don't have time for those 50 item lists? Lol no because this counts as social interaction for me these days.

My fellow "old" tumblrs, join in the fun! (Or don't, I'm not the boss of you.)

[foster-the-world]

Onward and Upward

Last day of school. Onward to 3rd grade, 2nd grade and 4K. Can't believe she's going to be a "big kid" in the 3rd grade. They grow up so fast, its goes too fast, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah.

They were happy this morning. Certainly no learning will take place today. Bee's teachers is bringing her 9 and 13yo. Bee loves, loves, loves the 13yo. Our flight to my parents house is 8pm tonight. Got an email that we could change for free due to bad weather. It looks like maybe the storm is coming in later. Fingers crossed.

The girls had their awards ceremony last week. Disappointingly 2nd grade only did "you completed 2nd grade" awards for everyone. Lame. 1st grade had individual awards but they were generic - leadership, academic excellence. Rebel won both big awards because she's a teachers pet type. I had to miss because I don't have vacation hours at work. My husband said all of the kids were really excited for each other. I loved, loved Bee's teachers awards last year. Every kid got two very specific awards. They were very, very sweet and captured each kid beautifully. The kids tried to guess who she was talking about and they were 100% correct because the teacher really understood each kid so well. I had tears in my eyes. One of my favorite things is to see my kids being known and loved by other people. I wondered if it would be less so with a kid who has much more challenging behaviors. But nope. Baby boy was very well loved and known this year also. His teacher sent me a long text message about how much she is going to "miss her boy." She also sent a ton of pictures that capture him really well. Bee wrote "You are a great teacher. You treated me like family" in her teacher's card. So sweet. Teachers gifts sent off (flowers + gift cards). Feeling relieved to have all of the end of school year stuff over with.

I'm enjoying Clair Lombardo's books. I got a bunch of new books for baby boy on hold at the library. Found some about personal space. He's more of a crasher into other people so I'm not sure it will translate but let's see. His social skills class finished yesterday. If insurance paid we would keep sending him but I don't think its worth the steep price for what he got out of it. He understands social rules he just doesn't always follow them. They have a summer camp - nice to know for future reference.

The ADHD parent coach has given us some good suggestions we are trying out. We mentioned taking him to stores is difficult. He wants to run around and touch everything. I think it would work better in the suburbs where they have carts. In NYC we try to hold his hand while holding all of our purchases. Stores are smaller so less space for him. Anyway, he suggested we try it when we don't actually need to buy anything. That way we have time to set rules for him (stay near us, don't touch everything) and can leave if he's not following through. We are also going to put him in charge of finding one item. He can then buy/keep the item if he follows all of the rules. He gets three warnings. Normally we only take him when we have to buy something so we can't follow through with the threat of leaving if he doesn't listen. Not sure why we didn't think of this before. Fingers crossed some practice will help him/us out.

His sitter said he is interested in reading the pamphlets/how to's from the ADHD parent coach. Which is appreciated. Once again thankful to have so many people who want my kid to succeed.

His sitter owns a backpack company. Such a cool idea. They are really high quality: https://shiftbackpacks.com/ I'm really hoping they go viral at some point. I suggested he try to get in the NYC private school circuit. Those rich people have money and are all about letting their kids express their emotions.

Bought my husband (and I) tickets to Sturgill Simpson in October for his Birthday. Birthday present done and I get to see a concert = yes, please.