#and i feel like the message is too crucial and has resonated with too many people to delete it

[modify-and-sever]

at this point I kind of want to mute that post but if I do then I won't know if people are being insane in my notes so that I can block them. I am trying to prevent people getting into arguments with either me or my commenters but with how rapidly its gaining notes some will inevitably slip through. sighs

[sheher-gayboy]

Up next, Barbie! As before, text copied below the cut-off ❤️

The most interesting thing about Barbie is how people talk about it and what they choose not to talk about. In a just world this is a box office hit, changes some thirteen year old's life and the rest of us go on, thinking of it occasionally whenever we see an impossibly built blonde man or a pink car. In a just world, Barbie is Die Hard for whatever the woman equivalent of that guy is.

We don't live in a just world however, and instead a movie that is better than it has any right to be (but crucially, still not amazing) is a whirlwind vortex of our culture, coming to represent everything about this moment in time. Some of this the movie invites on itself, it self evidently wanted to start some of these conversations, it wants to be talked about as a feminist piece though it never purports to be saying anything all that deep and lampoons itself for how it conveys the trite messages that it does. It's conveyed quite competently and it's all in a fun package, Robbie and Gerwig are confident in their abilities as storytellers and it's clear this is all just a stop along the road for them towards higher pursuits. God forbid this be seen as the height of anyone involved's career, everyone is putting in a good show but you can feel that they can all do better and this one is just for the hell of it.

There are good things here that are actually worth talking about and it's baffling to me how little attention is being paid to them. Ryan Gosling easily steals the show as Ken, though to be fair no one is given nearly the comedic breathing room to shine as him. The design of Barbieland is rival to the greatest of the Star Wars or Hogwarts sets, as the camera pans by it's pastel pinks you can feel the children in the audience get their first urges to create a world we could live in. Though short, the time we spend with Rhea Perlman as Ruth Handler (though, more accurately, God), is phenomenal, weaving the film in Gerwig's larger tapestry about women, memories and those that create us. Likewise too, America Ferrera's turn as every Gen X and Millennial woman ever feels more like a grounding piece, through her character we see how Gerwig is approaching the task of making a film that she must've known would be everything that it is in the public eye. Strangely, the movie feels like it has something much more emotionally resonant to say to young men, speaking personally, I could've used a message that said I didn't need to define myself by filling the boxes of the comphet lifestyle a lot earlier than I did receive it in my life.

I don't only have praise of course, I feel that the appeal to small familial emotions is Gerwig stunting herself and repeating the emotional cores of her previous films while not having anything new to say on these points. The film plays with queerness but not in any way that can rallied behind, it's as if the movie is somehow gay best friending the entire queer audience. Finally, as I said, it all feels a little trite. I suppose there's room for this sort of messaging, it's not like we're in a post-sexism world and there's always someone who's hearing this stuff for the first time (I guess I assumed there weren't quite so many adults who hadn't heard it before though).

Overall, I want to see Margot Robbie in things that challenge her and I want Greta Gerwig to make things that challenge us and yes, Ryan Gosling needs more comedy roles. The principal take away is that it's a god damn shame we'll never get The Nice Guys 2.

[fmpyr2ap]

-Evaluation-

I wanted to cite my final project within my specialist context of games art  to help me progress in it and develop my skills in that area further. I considered using concept art and moodboards in my project as practice using these things will help me in the industry. Throughout my project I have looked at historical culture and how it would have affected jobs in the 18th century onwards as well as common symbolism in those eras, these considerations were really important for my project as this research was the foundation of my story.

I chose my project topic as a recent trip had sparked my interest in gardening and horticulture. Within exploring my project, I had learned many different styles of pixel art and lighting techniques, as well as balancing colour palettes and texture. My original plans for the project were to create a larger space to design a puzzle for the gameplay, I decided it was best to stick to a location which had a character, so that dialogue, character design and more detail could be shown in the final outcome. My project would fit into the category of narrative style 2D pixel art game.

Originally my primary observations such as local gardens and estates which prompted my interest in the subject, seeing them in person helped visualise the style and atmosphere I wanted the finished game to have. I really resonated with the book “The secret garden” , the moral of it being, nurturing your garden for as long as you need, being a metaphor for spirit. I thought it was a lovely message for the reader to leave with. This influenced my creative development as I wanted my game to have the same therapeutic comforting feel, like the player themselves is nurturing their soul.

Mind Mapping and concept art has been crucial for the development of my project, not only for characters but also designing the environment, without them I wouldn't have explored the characters design far enough to a good standard. The specialist process I have been most interested in is concept art for characters as this gives me full freedom to express my creative process on paper and produce something useful. Over this project I have been very successful at strengthening my concept art and using it as an opportunity to explore details that relate to a character's personality, background and context.

During the development process I took steps to help make unreal easier to work with. However, I had to work around a lot of obstacles to get the outcome I desired. For example, I had a few problems trying to place my artwork into unreal via export, I got help from my teacher and then understood where I had gone wrong and corrected it. Having classmates and tutors that can peer review my work is extremely helpful towards overcoming difficult problems during the development process. Having access to things such as youtube and online tutoring has also been very helpful.

I chose to make my final outcome in pixel art as a lot of the inspiration I drew from was 2D, I wanted the final outcome to have the same feeling as a picture book, pretty and sweet but also nostalgic and homely. I felt as though pixel art would be perfect for that. As my main audience for this game are people who enjoy aesthetically pleasing cosy causal narrative games, I didn't want the game to appear too overwhelming. If I had done 3D art for this project it wouldn't attract the correct audience.

I decided to present my final outcome as a trailer video. I did this to help not only showcase the best aspects of my game in a shorter amount of time but also to make it easier to promote my final project. Trailer videos would be used in Games art and development to get people to buy their game. Overall, I have been very successful in producing my final outcome in this format as it is clean, precise and showcases my strengths and  the very best parts of my project. I am extremely proud of how the final product came out.

At the start of development I was planning on creating artwork as a playable experience using Unreal Engine, which after completing development I have achieved what I set in my project proposal. I have kept up to date posting my project progression on tumblr giving detail on the decisions I made throughout the project, and how they contributed to creating the final game outcome. I have been keeping up to date posting mind-maps, concept art mood boards on my blog, as well as noting down problems, change of original plan/concept and artistic decisions.

[madstars-festival]

[Inside the MAD STARS Final Jury] Pradeep Savio D'Souza & Issam N.Amrani (2)

Advertising vs the slings and arrows of change: Pradeep Savio D’Souza, co-founder & creative partner, NineTwentyEight & Issam N.Amrani, CCO, Fledge Brand consultancy

Issam N.Amrani, chief creative officer, Fledge Brand Consultancy and Pradeep Savio D’Souza, co-founder & creative partner, NineTwentyEight attended MAD STARS this year as final judges. In their jury room, they selected the work that stood out this year, while also adding their perspectives on a changing industry, what that means for the creativity that is needed to succeed, and the qualities needed in the young people who will be making it in the future. Here are their views:

Q. Advertising has become a tough industry. What do you think are the keys to success right now?

Pradeep Savio D’Souza: I feel that the keys to success in advertising right now are not very different from before. Creativity that sells is still relevant. It’s just that people have started replacing creativity with craft or execution and selling with telling.

Issam N.Amrani: In today's advertising landscape, success isn't solely measured by the brilliance of creative concepts or the memorability of slogans. It's about something deeper, something more profound. Advertising has indeed evolved into a challenging industry, one that demands more than ever before. To succeed, we must embrace several key principles.

We must remain agile. The world is in a constant state of flux, and advertising must keep pace. We need to be adaptable, ready to pivot and adjust our strategies as the landscape shifts.

Embrace Technology, it is our ally. It's not just a tool; it's the driving force behind many of the most innovative and impactful campaigns. Understanding the latest tech trends and leveraging them is crucial.

But let's not forget the core of our craft - storytelling. Even in this digital age, the power of a compelling narrative remains unparalleled. It's the emotional resonance that allows our messages to connect deeply with our audiences.

And finally, success hinges on relevance. Our work must speak to the concerns and aspirations of our times. We must be socially aware, environmentally conscious, and inclusive in our messaging.

In essence, success in today's advertising world requires a delicate balance of adaptability, technological savvy, compelling storytelling, data-driven precision, and unwavering relevance. It's an industry where creativity meets purpose, and where the most impactful campaigns are those that not only capture attention but also inspire change.

Q. What would you say to creatives on the way up about how to make their work great? How best to develop their creative thinking?

Issam N.Amrani: If I may, I'd like to share some thoughts that have guided me in my own creative journey, and I hope they might resonate with you too.

Firstly, never stop learning. The advertising landscape is ever evolving, and I've found that curiosity is a powerful ally. Exploring emerging technologies, design trends, and cultural shifts can provide you with a rich palette to paint your creative ideas.

Secondly, the magic of collaboration cannot be overstated. Some of the most remarkable ideas are born from the collective genius of diverse minds. Working closely with talents from other industries, exchanging ideas, and being open to feedback can be a rewarding journey in itself.

Additionally, I've learned that constraints can often be the birthplace of innovation. When faced with limitations, it's amazing how creative solutions can emerge. Sometimes, the most profound ideas arise when we're challenged to think differently within constraints.

I've also come to understand that failure is not the end but a stepping-stone towards growth. Creative work often involves experimentation, and not every idea will hit the mark. It's in these moments of setback that we learn the most.

Empathy has been a guiding principle for me. Understanding your audience, their needs, and their emotions can give your work a powerful resonance. Great advertising touches hearts.

Lastly, storytelling remains at the heart of what we do. Regardless of the medium or technology, storytelling is a timeless art. Crafting narratives that engage and resonate is a path to creating lasting impact.

In essence, these are reflections from my own journey, not directives. Each creative path is unique, and your experiences will shape your own insights. Together, we navigate this ever-evolving industry, learning from one another, growing together. With the incredible talents I've had the pleasure of meeting, the future of our creative industry is in wonderfully capable hands, and I'm eager to see the new horizons you'll explore and the stories you'll tell.

Pradeep Savio D’Souza: I have five points that have always guided me. I hope they can guide others too.

Define the business problem clearly 

Understand the audience intimately 

Uncover an insight that’s relatable

Create solutions that push limits 

Sell like your life depends on it.  

[punkpandapatrixk]

Cancer Season Overview for 🐞🐍⛲🐝ALL SIGNS

With the elements/signs of the zodiac, you can freely use your Sun, Moon, Rising/Ascendant, or even your Stellium (❗️)

[Back to Masterlist]

Cancer being the ruler of the 4th House speaks of Home. This season would be best for deepening our understanding of what Home means to us personally.

But Home is also how we feel on the inside, about our own company. This Cancer season may entail an energetic message of returning home to yourself before you think about the company of others.

To know our place in the world, first we have to understand who we are in the presence of no one else but ourselves. This is why understanding the 4th House is crucial for understanding the 10th House (its opposite) more completely.

If this season calls you to a lot of inner child healing, be sure to check out elements contained in your 4th House—Planets and Signs and all that stuff. This Cancer season, make sure you spend extra time eating well and daydreaming. That’s just what Cancer needs for emotional balance.

This Birth Chart Navigation may come in handy, but especially if you resonate with being a Starseed. Also: I kid you not—for this Cancer Season Overview the deck bottom for the tarot just has to be XVIII The Moon.

Coming Home for 🐞Fire Signs

🐏Aries – 9 of Pentacles Rx

It seems you haven’t been able to relax. Or this is something you’ve only recently come to realise: that you’ve been having a lot of worries that they practically prevent abundance from coming into your Life. Even if your finance isn’t particularly terrible, it’s like you’re realising you could’ve done so much better if only you would’ve stopped worrying too much.

In another scenario, there’s also the peeps who are beginning to yearn for a more relaxed lifestyle where your finances are still taken care of. This whole hustling business doesn’t suit you anymore. You want out of the rat race. You need a reset. You’re exhausted of feeling like a hamster on a wheel. And yes, you can have that this season!

What’s contained in your 4th House? This will give you insight into the most suitable self-care methods when you need to reset, refresh, rejuvenate. Maybe you need to take a long bath with your favourite scented bomb, and use this time to really ponder: what aspects of my Life are currently causing me distress, and what can I do to remove those aspects immediately?

With the Priestess of Ritual on your side this season, best believe whatever you choose to remove, ignore, disengage from, will not cause you a long-term loss. Instead, you will only gain by removing those aspects. Fly, my dear~ Have courage!

🦁Leo – 7 of Cups

This season, your vibe is entirely represented by this song 춤 (Dance) by OFFONOFF. Like… you’re in need of a lot of Love, hon. Slow down and take it easy. Your mind could use some ease. There’s a sense of your having been battling with options. You’re trying to be realistic and responsible. But none of the options is making you hopeful for what’s to come.

You’re Leo, right? Are you really the type to have your options decided by someone else? Are you the type to succumb to the narrow options provided by your society? Of course not! But now’s not the time to march forward and fight. Now’s the time to sit back, relax, and plan ahead. Make plans that reflect the authentic you. Make decisions that express your true voice.

You have to respect yourself enough to muster the courage to be yourself—even if that means you risk being disliked. What’s contained in your 4th House? That’s the drive for your 10th House. If you’re going to succeed at all, make sure you succeed on the basis of your authentic dreams and desires.

🎠Sagittarius – 8 of Pentacles Rx

There is a need for developing your inner world this season. I’m sensing many of you have a tendency to be outwardly focused. Like your attention is more often on the world external of yourself and that your opinions tend to develop on the behaviours of others. Uh… you do realise that you have a lot of opinions on what other people are doing, right?

But if you continue to develop yourself in this way, without ever stopping to reflect on your own behaviours that may actually be the exact same as others… you could end up becoming an insufferable gossiper of sort. Do you ever see your own tendencies and in what ways they are the same as other people’s?

Maybe what you see in others that really rile up your bile is only a reflection of what you really hate about yourself. You look down on that behaviour, but you can’t erase it normally, so you condemn others who showcase the same behaviour. It’s a projection of your disgust at yourself.

If you wish to be more at peace with the world (well, if you want to) you would do well by starting with developing a healthy inner world. Solidify your own identity and get clear about your value system within the realm of your inner self. -I explain more in the bonus content.-

Mind Magick Transmutation🔻❤️👻

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Coming Home for 🐍Earth Signs

🐂Taurus – Page of Cups

Balancing the two aspects of your physical and mental health. That’s currently your main focus this Cancer season. This will play out differently for different individuals, but the picture is like this:

If you’re lacking ambition and often feel lazy, take care of your mental health so you gradually gain motivation to chase after the pursuits you’re passionate about. If on the other hand you’re too ambitious about work that your physical health is in decline, take care of your body first so you don’t risk a burnout.

After all, a burnout is very similar to a feeling of depression. If this state of being continues for a long time (or reoccurs multiple times) you might as well end up getting drained of all motivation altogether. I’m sensing some of you may have been so tired lately that you often shed tears when nobody's watching.

🧘🏻‍♀️Virgo – Knight of Cups Rx

-The combination of all your cards are SO mystifyingly spiritual!-

This season is gonna be heavily spiritual for Virgo peeps. This card in Rx is in direct opposition to the Green Magus oracle. I’m noticing like, two worlds trying to meld together to become one. As above so below. As within so without. A strong alchemical process is taking place for you this season.

There is a battle within, between your innate goodness that seeks to create an ideal world and what your earthly duties up until now has made out of you. You may have wanted to give up on your ideals and then adjust your attitude to fit the standards of the world. That, or you simply feel exhausted of fighting your demons inside.

This Cancer season invites you to come home to yourself—remember your child self who used to be so pure before the hurts of the world tarnished your worldview. Do you think you can revive that child? Or just, reabsorb that child’s purity to give you strength to go forward with your God-given ideals?

🐐Capricorn – Knight of Wands

Caps are feeling mellow this Cancer season😂Are you craving romance? It seems your heart yearns to get caught up in a whirlwind of romance. It does seem like this Cancer season will bless you in this field. You kinda have a tendency to keep things to yourself or be a little too guarded, so this season you might want to socialise a bit more and show some vulnerability when doing so LMAO

Though that may sound unnerving to some, why don’t you see where this takes you? If you never allow yourself to explore your own realm of emotions, how can you ever know how much love you’re capable of giving, as well as receiving? -Wow, that’s such a mellow message.-

And here’s a cosmic message fit for this situation:

‘I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.’ – Oriah Mountain Dreamer

You could do well with lowering your walls (just a little!) if you want to let yourself see what love the world has to offer. Be brave and explore Life’s possibilities.

Mind Magick Transmutation🔻💚👻

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Coming Home for ⛲Air Signs

👯Gemini – 9 of Cups

Muchuu ni natteru. You’re currently caught up in many dreams of a better, more exciting future. That’s really wonderful. I’m seeing that this is making your heart fill up with joy and a sense of adventure. This is still your season after all—of course you can prolong it if you so decide🍨

I think you’ve worked hard to have the excitement you’re currently bathing in. Everything’s good because you’ve been selective enough with your pursuits. I’d say, continue what you’re doing. The more you explore, the more you know what sort of pursuits aren’t worth your while. Continue to be selective until you can be super duper sure of only the pursuits that make your heart sing.

This Summer simply holds so many colours and flavours, all for your taking. So there isn’t much to say but enjoy. You deserve all of this good energy! If there’s any caution at all, it is just the clichéd: remain grounded; and when you make plans, be realistic about them and don’t squander your money!

⚖️Libra – 4 of Cups Rx

WOW! Not sure what’s going on with Libra cosmically, but this season you’re totally getting out of boredom. The energies are supporting and encouraging you to get creative, get festive, have a good time and produce something on your own. Maybe this is talking about a creative project you’ve been trying to get on. Maybe this is talking about your finally attending a class about something you’re passionate about.

This season, you’re all about prioritising yourself and doing things that make you feel good mentally, so you become productive in a healthy way. No more sacrificing your mental health for the pursuit of goals that aren’t even good for you spiritually. If you’re not yet resonating fully with this energy, it’s still a good idea to try to tap into it. This might as well be the very start for you.

When thinking about solo self-care, look into your 4th House and its elements. Understand who you are when nobody’s watching and you can build a self-concept that rings true to your Soul.

🏺Aquarius – 10 of Wands

Phew, what you been up to, babe? You seem exhausted. But you’ve worked so hard and now it’s time to kick back and relax. You’ve done all you can and good results are sure to be had. If a chance for travelling to a quiet and relaxing destination comes up, snatch it. On the other hand, if you’ve been out and about for work, get cosy with a book or just Netflix and chill at home. You get the gist.

This Cancer season is really all about your self-care. You may want to eat a lot and that’s good because it’s almost like your body’s avenging all that energy spent on working, or building your passion project. And if you could learn a thing or two about cooking, might as well indulge in healthy homecooked meals.

Above physical balance though, this season is all about returning your peace of mind. If you relax well now, you might even figure out a more genius way to work in the future. That it is possible to keep being productive whilst maintaining balance in other areas of your Life, so you never run out of energy, or something like that.

Mind Magick Transmutation🔻💙👻

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Coming Home for 🐝Water Signs

🦀Cancer – 9 of Wands

Have you been feeling like the world is a battlefield? Seems like you’ve needed to be extra strong just so you don’t lose to the harsh world. Although this is your Season, I’m sensing that this battle isn’t ending just yet; but hey, you’re really near the end, so keep going and don’t lose hope! You are coming out a winner, you know.

To some extent, it seems to me that this battle (or a general sense of things being very difficult to deal with) has been brought about by your lack of commitment in the past. Not saying this was your fault—you were literally lacking clarity so you didn’t even know how to move or where to go. But the Universe moved you eventually and now you’re dealing with heavy spiritual lessons.

Nothing anybody say can take away your pains or lessen your struggles, but let this reading remind you that you’ve done wonderfully well, and that your rewards are totally just around the corner. Just keep going and keep your faith because when the hard part is over, your Spirit Guides are just gonna immediately flock to your side and give you extra-luxurious energetic massage hahahah

🦂Scorpio – 3 of Pentacles Rx

You need to take a hard look at the company you keep around. I don’t know if you’ve heard this, but Scorpio speaks heavily of control, so you also have a hard time letting go—because you feel like you’ve invested in these relationships. But if the reality says they’re bad people for you, no amount of denying will change anything. If anything, choosing to deny it will only cause you further misfortunes.

That said, this Cancer season entails for you a change in the wind. A change in the way you view human relationships, as well as how you relate to yourself. There must be a reason your controlling behaviour makes you afraid of losing people—is the feeling of friendship mutual though? In some cases, even your offer of friendship may not be so genuine; then, what is the reason for that?

This reading isn’t so much about change as it is about understanding your fear and the subsequent controlling behaviour that is the result of that fear. You could do so much better in Life if you’d expend energy on the kind of company that resonates with you on a Soul level. You’re typically selective with your affection, but more importantly, keep quality company, my friend.

🎏Pisces – Queen of Cups

OWW~! Manifestation abound! It seems like you’ve really been taking care of your spiritual energy and now you’re literally on top of your game. You have an abundance of emotional energy that becomes a fuel for your amazing manifestations. Keep going because this Cancer season there’s gonna be a lot of pleasant surprises!

Ngl tho, being highly sensitive to energies, you could still be feeling or accidentally tapping into negative energetic pulses that may feel like psychic attacks. Essentially, such energetic pulses are gonna try to make you feel disorientated just to ruin a day or something like that. But I’m seeing you’ve matured quite a lot and you’re more than capable of navigating through these manipulative energies.

As long as you keep focusing on having a good day—just a day—you will continue to swim nonchalantly throughout the season. Take it easy and maintain a spirit of nonbiri (relaxed, unrushed, leisurely). When you’re nonbiri, that’s when the magick of manifestation is strongest.

Mind Magick Transmutation🔻💛👻

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Feel free to support me on Patreon if you love this kind of content🍑I create stories and tarot readings that calm the mind & heal from within🍒

[insanityclause]

Guillermo Del Toro is no stranger to widespread acclaim, especially from his ride or die legion of fans. Pan’s Labyrinth, the Hellboy duology, the list of genre-bending, timeless masterworks goes on. Coming off his 2 Oscar wins for The Shape of Water in 2018, and moving into finally releasing his animated Pinocchio film from the pits of development hell along with an adaption of Nightmare Alley next year, this couldn’t be a more thriving time for the Mexican auteur. Though amongst all the praise and glory, something has still felt missing these last handful of years. Besides his Oscar-winning film, Del Toro’s works prior to the 2010s are what generally buzz conversations of his genius. Those aforementioned films did, after all, skyrocket his name to fame. His titles from the last decade, however, are just as crucial to the Del Toro canon and emphasize his greater influence as a filmmaker. One, in particular, has seemingly gotten by in its young life at the hands of few. But now that Crimson Peak has officially turned 5, it’s time to turn that few into many.

Del Toro’s trifecta of the 2010s (not counting his work on television) stand out vastly from one another. Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak, and The Shape of Water: all love letters penned from the ‘nichest’ corners of his mind. These 3 arguably boast more diversity in genre than Del Toro’s 5 films of the 2000s (3 comic-book adaptations and 2 Spanish-set fantasies). Not a criticism, as established, those films now flaunt an immovable place within the cultural zeitgeist. Though with a career notoriously marked by a slew of unrealized projects (more on this later), it’s not often recognized how the ideas that did make the cut still lead a crystal clear trajectory in Del Toro’s growth as a storyteller. In the eyes of many, Del Toro pulls ideas out of a hat and gambles on which one actually sees the light of day. Humorous sure, but this is far from the truth.

Each Del Toro project feels like a pivotal step for what would come later, take his work on Trollhunters paving the way for his upcoming first animated feature for instance. Despite this trajectory, Crimson Peak feels criminally unsung 5 years later. Pacific Rim continued its life with a sequel and more planned spin-offs. The Shape of Water literally set a new bar for the Academy. This leaves Crimson Peak feeling like the pushed aside middle child of this trio. This isn’t a call for a sequel, and ‘underrated’ gets tossed around very loosely in modern film discussion. But for cinema as quintessential as Crimson Peak, it just doesn’t feel like it gets enough recognition – especially when the current film industry is seeing less big-budget, R-rated projects heavily steeped in genre.

You can easily trace Crimson Peak‘s short-lived spotlight back to its marketing. The timely October release and scare-heavy trailers sold a classic ‘Haunted House’ horror, when in reality, Del Toro’s film is a Gothic Romance. Set in the early 1900s, an aspiring American writer, Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), is swept away by a promising English baronet, Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). They discover true love and marry, leading the young newlywed to her husband’s decaying mansion in the English hills. The age-old manor is slowly, but surely, sinking in red clay – the very source of Sharpe’s wealth. Here Edith is forced to live with her new sister-in-law, Lucille Sharpe (Jessica Chastain), a reserved yet commanding force who works to hide the true nature of the house and its endless secrets. Mystery lingers as untamed lust, envy and greed unfold between the mansion walls, not leaving enough room for the restless red-colored spirits who haunt them. When it snows on this cursed hill, the clay surfaces, making it seem as if the land bleeds. Given more than just red clay rises from beneath, a deeper meaning is given to the place locals call ‘Crimson Peak’.

Just like the clay at the center of its mystery, Crimson Peak is an amalgamation, but of genre. It would be novice to expect anything less from Del Toro. The Gothic elements call back to many classic tales, such as Alfred Hitchcock’s adaption of Rebecca and, of course, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. On the horror side, homage is paid to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and Jack Clayton’s The Innocents. It’s a devilish blend that only this filmmaker could pull off so beautifully. And oh is Crimson Peak so god damn gorgeous. To contrast common period pieces that go for muted or sepia-toned color palettes, Del Toro turns the saturation on high. The result is an eye-popping picture that heightens the core emotions at play: fear, pain, and more importantly, love. Simply mesmerizing, avid fans will be quick to recognize the same shades of golden yellows, sea greens, and ruby reds found in Del Toro’s other works. It feels right at home in his filmography visually, while packing its own unique punch.

Red, a color mainly associated with passion, here instead intricately represents endless bloodshed. A twist that would suggest Crimson Peak is just as equal a horror film as it is a love story. Regardless of what might have been initially marketed to audiences in 2015, this film is a Gothic Romance from start to finish. Del Toro himself made this distinction clear to the studio from the get-go and repeatedly draws the line whenever given the chance. Yet, much like the rest of his repertoire, Crimson Peak utilizes horror not as a means to an end, but as a means for introspection. Yes, there are classic horror conventions such as jump scares, but it couldn’t be more obvious that Crimson Peak isn’t trying to evoke the same kind of high and dry fear other films heavily rely on. Del Toro is actively trying to get under your skin to achieve a hell of a cathartic viewing experience.

The ghosts of our past and how we let them define us is a core theme in Crimson Peak. The film opens on a flashback in which Edith is visited by the charcoal black ghost of her recently deceased mother. The nature of this visit sets the groundwork for the rest of the narrative. Mother Ghost, dreadful in appearance, doesn’t necessarily come to haunt her child, but to warn her. “Beware of Crimson Peak,” she says. The way Edith takes in this otherworldly occurrence, and those that follow, sets her apart from everyone else in the film. Wherein others flee from or lock away the ghosts of their past, she learns how to wear them on her sleeves – reaching out to the dead multiple times in the story, each attempt more confident than the last. Not too dissimilar from what Del Toro was playing with before, Jaeger pilots confronting past trauma in their quest to defeat Kaiju. At the same time, the transformation that occurs in Crimson Peak when neglected demons consume you from the inside – humans becoming the true monsters of their supernatural tales – would only be amplified in Del Toro’s next film.

Every minute detail coincides with this strategized, therapeutic use of horror. And to the everyday moviegoer trained by common tropes, Crimson Peak is quite deceptive. Just like Mother Ghost at the beginning of the film, the red spirits never manifest with the intent to cause physical harm, but instead to give messages and guide. Red clay seeps down the walls and the mansion ‘breathes’ as the country winds burst in. The house feels alive in the most cinematic sense possible, but the case as to it being ‘horrifying’ is not so black and white. Expertly designed to every inch, there is plenty of beauty to be found in the manor. Much of it has just been corrupted by a debauched affair – keeping this story rooted as a Gothic Romance. Subversion has always been the name of Del Toro’s game, and it’s within Crimson Peak that he uses it to mix genre so well while still staying true to his vision.

Though Crimson Peak saw Del Toro take subversion to a new level, notably with his main character. This film is a key chapter in his overarching legacy; not the first of his works to be lead by a defiant woman, but the first to have the female hero entangled in an unabashed love story. Effortlessly played by the brilliant Mia Wasikowska, the not so damsel in distress at the center of Crimson Peak is one of the most significant characters of Del Toro’s career. In discussing Gothic Romance with The Mary Sue in 2015, Del Toro explains: “This is quintessentially a female genre, that was written with characters that were very complex, very strong. I wanted to make a movie in which to some degree I recuperated and, maybe if possible, enhanced all that.” And enhanced he did for every central male character acts in more distress than Edith ever does, even when she is literally at the edge of death. A more than welcome change of pace that makes for a more resonating film.

Edith’s willingness to tackle the unknown is captivating and her vigor inspiring. But she isn’t absolved of frailty. For someone who comes to terms with facing the dead, her sheer vulnerability to heartbreak and suffering brings great humanity to the role. Hardly recognized, but Edith is one of Del Toro’s most self-reflective protagonists. A marginalized writer, inspired by the great Mary Shelley no less, in the midst of drafting her magnum opus, she immediately faces backlash from her novel’s inclusion of the paranormal. “It’s not [a ghost story]. It’s more a story with a ghost in it. The ghost is just a metaphor… for the past,” she says – giving Crimson Peak a rare Del Toro tongue-in-cheek quality that he utilizes until the credits roll. Meta enough given that the crimson ghosts Edith later encounters are, in fact, echoes of the past, but when looking back on the public’s initial perception of the film, it creates a charming, albeit ironic, wit only found here.

Additionally, when tracing back to Crimson Peak‘s pre-production days, you’ll find something even more profound. Penned by Del Toro and an old collaborator, screenwriter Matthew Robbins; this was the first script completed after the release of Pan’s Labyrinth in 2006. The two first worked together an entire decade earlier on Mimic, which has now gone down as the only film Del Toro has truly lost to studio interference. Del Toro was supposed to direct Crimson Peak in the late 2000s, but along came Hellboy II and his involvement in launching The Hobbit (another R.I.P). Through this hectic time, Del Toro would reunite with Robbins in writing 2010’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, directed by Troy Nixey. However, the two also spent time together writing something else: an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness.

For those unfamiliar, At the Mountains of Madness is by far one of, if not, the most tragic of this filmmaker’s unrealized projects. After spending years trying to get this dream off the ground, Del Toro had the following to say to Empire in 2010: “It doesn’t look like I can do it. It’s very difficult for the studios to take the step of doing a period-set, R-rated, tentpole movie with a tough ending and no love story.” The payoff of Crimson Peak being a period-set, R-rated, tentpole film only 5 years after that statement couldn’t be sweeter. In the film, Edith is told to insert a love story for the better of her novel. Del Toro is obviously commenting on expectations tied to gender here, but you can’t help but wonder if he’s also referring to one of the biggest thorns in his own writing career – one that also ties back to writing partner Matthew Robbins.

When faced with the question, Del Toro has consistently said that all of his films carry an inherent Mexican touch just from the utter fact that they come from him, and Crimson Peak is no different. Whether if deriving from his personal experiences with tackling genre, both on and off paper, or from actual events tied to his life – Del Toro reimagines two separate ghostly encounters experienced by him and his mother through Edith – this film beams with the very essence of Del Toro’s soul. Perhaps most personified when the marginalized writer gets bloody and fights back with nothing but her pen, a visual that cements this as an important stepping stone in his career. It’s a fascinating through-line, connecting to very different segments of his canon while still defining a clear path. The mending of our wounds and subversion of gender roles is continued from Pacific Rim, while setting a bold new course for delving into unfiltered, mature romance in The Shape of Water.

This is only a fraction of what makes Crimson Peak quintessential Guillermo Del Toro. Gothic Romance has long been part of this auteur’s framework, and you would be remiss not to indulge in all of its glorious melodrama. Even if it isn’t your cup of tea, Del Toro will make it so. Reaching its 5-year anniversary, the film hits stronger than before. The intricate motifs, compelling use of practical effects (complete with the involvement of Del Toro veteran Doug Jones), and cathartic use of horror make for something that has yet to be replicated by a major studio. Its lacking box office performance suggests that maybe the world merely wasn’t ready for this masterwork? But just like its characters, we hold the power to define what comes next. Del Toro himself has previously ranked Crimson Peak as one of the 3 best films he’s ever made, and straight-up called it the most beautiful. Take his word and dive in no strings attached, because who knows when we’ll get another large scale, unapologetic Gothic Romance with this much grandeur.

[curewhimsy]

Symphony Saga Resonate Outline So Far

This outline has gotten so long... by the way, chapters 1-4 have been written and are on AO3.

—————

Each Arc is 25 chapters.

ARC 1

Chapter 1

(Brief cold opening where the big underlying plot is vaguely explained...)

(Monochrome is trying to ban music.)

(Queen Rainbow is recruiting people to form a magical music group.)

(Motivational message that we all have stories, we all matter, and can all reach our dreams...)

(Brief run-down of Haku’s life, and her grandmother’s recent death.)

(“Haku’s grandmother was the most magical person she knew.”)

(Snowbell was a gift from Haku’s grandmother.)

Lonely Haku had lost 3 important people...

Her brother Dell, her friend Miku, and now her grandmother...

Chapter 2

November 29...

Haku and Neru are two misunderstood, troubled, 16-year-old students who meet at lunch and break period. They both have autism and are ostracized for it. Haku shows Neru her stuffed kitten Snowbell, and they bond and talk about nice things.

There was pizza for lunch, but it ran out because the bullies pushed Haku and Neru to the end of the line. Haku and Neru had to eat nasty asparagus

coleslaw casserole instead. The day isn’t looking too good for them... but at least they met each other.

Haku is happy to have met a new friend.

Chapter 3

Everyone starts talking about Haku and Neru and teasing them.

Bullies start sticking Neru with needles during her walk to gym class.

In gym class, Neru can’t walk far because the lunch upset her stomach. During the 5-mile marathon outside that the boot camp teacher made the class do, Neru lags behind in the rain.

The rain turns into a thunderstorm while Neru is outside. The entire school loses electricity during this time. Meanwhile, Haku has a breakdown in math class because the rain reminds her of her grandmother’s recent death, and has to go to the counselor’s office alone in the dark. And the school is big and even scarier in the dark. Haku then trips and falls down the stairs.

Neru ends her school day in the nurse’s office, and getting painful rubbing alcohol being put in where bullies sticked her with needles. The counselor’s office is nearby, and they see each other there.

Haku and Neru have both had a horrible day. But finally, they can see each other again.

Chapter 4

Haku and Neru meet again after school, and decide to run away together. Haku’s mother is always late home from work, and Haku’s dad is nowhere to be found. Haku’s mother is very neglectful and Haku is convinced her mother wouldn’t miss her. Meanwhile, Neru is an orphan and lives with her mean grandmother.

Haku and Neru pack away their important things and run away to the mall where they find a secret room with a magical mirror. They get sucked through, and end up being transported to the magical world of Whimsica, in the town of Speckle Town!

After stepping through the mirror, Haku’s plush cat Snowbell comes to life.

They are sent out through a portal mirror that is in the magical world. This mirror is a one-way portal, meaning they cannot go back through it to get back to Earth.

The mirror is located in a wooded area in Speckle Town.

“Where am I?” They both ask each other.

Snowbell, who is now alive, jumps from Haku’s arms and begins to wander off.

Alarmed, Haku and Neru follow after Snowbell, and notice a very magical feel about the woods. They eventually make their way out of the forest and into Teto’s magical bakery, which is connected to the Cozy House.

Luka is there too.

Chapter 5

(Magical and whimsical food is at the bakery)

(Rhyming parts to introduce characters?)

(Mako and Luna)

(Yowa)

(Sora)

(Emi, Nova, Roy)

(Ian)

(Muffin and Merengue)

(Happy and Banana)

(Slumber the owl)

(Add more details)

(Music themes)

(Haku and Neru learn about Monochrome from chatting with the cafe guests and with Teto and Luka...)

(Introduce Luka’s pet, Tako Luka)

Chapter 6

(Haku and Neru move to an empty housing space in the Cozy Building, which is a large apartment complex that also has things like stores, restaurants, movie theater, auditorium, recreation center with a park, swimming pool and wildlife reserve, and clinic. Some of the others who live there are Ame and her parents and cat, Joy and her parents, Teto and her parents, Luka and Tako Luka, Ruko, Momo, and the Kagamine family. There is additionally a portion of the building that is said to be haunted...)

Chapter 7

November 30.

Haku and Neru attend their first day of the wacky, 300-floor Adventure Academy.

Haku and Neru have two classes out of six where they are together. (Gym and piano.)

Snowbell also gets to go to school with Haku.

In one class where she is without Neru, swimming class, Haku meets friends named Ame and Joy. Snowbell makes friends with a small talking lioness cub named Buttersotch.

Neru hangs out with Luka a lot. She also meets a friend named Emi in snowboarding class in the snow-cone hills.

Teto hangs out with her childhood friend Momo and tells her about the new students while they are in first-period baking class.

At lunch, everyone meets together. The lunch food is cooked in a volcano.

Chapter 8

During lunch, a villain attacks. However, they don’t show their face.

The villain targets Ame. Even though Ame seems cheerful, she has low self-esteem.

The villain creates a gloomy rain monster to possess Ame, who is compatible with the monster because she has sadness in her heart. (Also, Ame’s name can mean both “candy” and also “rain.”)

When Ame is possessed with the monster, she suddenly becomes really sad and cries, and begins to cause blind destruction out of frustration.

“Ame? Why are you doing this?” Neru asks her.

Ame’s puffy pigtails become swollen rain clouds and heavy rain begins to fall from them.

Storm clouds begin to fill the school, flooding it.

Haku and Neru run away scared. They ask Teto what’s going on. Teto looks back to the one time her hair became real tornadoes, because she was possessed by a monster herself!

“Ame is possessed by a monster!?” Neru reacts. “How did that happen!?”

“It must be those Monochrome goons attacking our school again! I’m sure of it!” Teto says.

All of a sudden, a harsh gust of wind blows Teto away. Haku and Neru are alone.

Two magical, colorful anthropomorphic cats named Sparkle and Twinkle show up and tell Haku and Neru more.

“Don’t be scared of Ame.” Sparkle says. “She needs you to save her. A monster has ahold of her body and is making her rampage.”

“That’s right.” Twinkle says. “This isn’t her fault. The villains used their monster to posses her. That’s not the real Ame! In order to defeat the monster, you must separate it from Ame.”

“How can we do that?” Haku asks.

“You have to give the real Ame strength.” Sparkle says. “Talk to her. Make sure she listens.”

Haku and Neru agree.

Ame is hiding in a sad painting. Haku and Neru tru to coax her out, but she keeps firing mini tornadoes at them from inside the painting, while telling about how much she hates herself.

“Ame...” Haku says to her. “I haven’t known you for long but... I know how you feel. Okay? I know sometimes it’s hard to believe in yourself. But... I believe in you. So does Neru. I understand you. I don’t have many friends either but... let me be your friend, okay?”

“And me too!” Neru says. “I know what it’s like to be lonely. I know what it’s like to have doubt. But nobody deserves to feel like that. And if you need someone, I’ll be here. So please...”

“Let me help you.”

Chapter 9

Ame turns around and looks at Haku and Neru. Suddenly she smiles, the painting becomes happier, and the monster is out...

But now Haku and Neru have to fight it!

Suddenly, they both transform into magical girls.

“Just in time! By cheering up Ame, you two fulfilled yourselves!” The cats say. They explain that In Whimsica, magical transformations are unlocked when the user “fulfills” themself, symbolizing that they’ve overcome a difficult hurdle, accomplished a wonderful goal, or opened the door to their true self.

By cheering up Ame, Haku and Neru had also told important words of encouragement to themselves.

Now that they have magical powers, Sparkle and Twinkle guide them.

The monster is strong and they get hurt. Ame doesn’t have strong magic, but she jumps in and risks everything to help her friends.

This is when a transformation happens to Ame. She fulfills herself too, because she summoned bravery and confidence during a crucial moment!

The magic of Ame’s transformation ended up healing Haku and Neru. All three of them join their powers, and they are able to defeat the monster together with a magical song!

After the battle, they look for Sparkle and Twinkle to thank them, but the mysterious cats are gone...

Meanwhile, Sparkle and Twinkle have fled off to tell Queen Rainbow that they have found pure-hearted heroes that could surely help defend Whimsica from  Monchrome. They are discussing Haku, Neru, and possibly Ame being members of the group they are forming...

Chapter 10

Neru and Haku’s final period is music class, where they are with Snowbell, Luka, Teto, Momo, Joy, Ame, Emi, Butterscotch, and a lot of other significant characters.

Class lets out late. They miss the school bus and they have to ride the Tragic School Bus to a land called Eeby Deeby...

(Marko and Hirao)

(A surreal rhyming dream part?)

Chapter 11

After the Tragic School Bus ordeal, Haku and Neru are back in their room and talk about the day and stuff. Suddenly, Luka joins them. And Ame too, and she thanks them.

Chapter 12

December 1...

In one of Neru’s classes, magic class, she notices a person who is quiet and seemingly standoffish. Apparently his name is Wallace.

Wallace is quite tall, doesn’t talk much, nor does he show much expression. He is always working on something secret under his desk, and he’s very good at hiding it. Everyone spreads rumors that Wallace is doing something “bad.”

Neru doesn’t believe the rumors and senses that Wallace is misunderstood. She wants to confirm that he is a good person, so she sticks around after class. Neru doesn’t mean to be eavesdropping, but when Wallace thinks nobody is around, Neru catches sight of what he creates. He makes small stuffed toys. Neru thinks it’s nice that he has a hobby he’s so passionate about, but she sees something else unexpected. Wallace passes by a drop-off donation box for children who cannot afford holiday gifts and drops the toys he made in it.

Neru comes out to talk to Wallace then. He has a startled and flustered reaction.

“Ah! Please tell me y-you didn’t see anything... I mean... um... I wasn’t doing anything... okay? You saw NOTHING?”

“Huh?” Neru asks. “I don’t get it. You’re doing something so nice, but... you don’t want people to know or see?”

“Ah... well... it’s....” Wallace turns red. “It’s... embarrassing.”

“...Why?” Neru says.

“Well...” Wallace says. “The toys I make... they aren’t very good... I guess... not yet, anyway...”

“But... I don’t think that matters at all.” Neru says. “I’m sure the kid who receives your gift that you put so much heart and care into will be overjoyed when they see it.”

Neru looks in the donation box, even though Wallace tries to stop her.

“Aw, they’re not bad at all.” She says, seeing what he made

“Ah, well... my father... used to make stuffed toys.” Wallace says. “They were much better than mine. He passed away a few years back. Lately I’ve been feeling down, so my uncle told me I could use the skills I learned from him to make people happy... and well...”

“Well... does it feel nice though?” Neru asks. “Knowing you’re making people happy?”

Wallace’s face lights up with an unexpected smile.

“Yeah!” He says.

“That’s great.” Neru says. “Well, I’m Neru. And well, I already know your name. Wallace, right?”

“Yeah, but... um... I’d like to be called Wally, please...” Wallace says. “That’s what I’d want my friends to call me.”

“Oh. All right then, Wally.” Neru says.

However, two ridiculous villains (Maddie and Sadie, the mad and sad clowns) show up and try to destroy Wallace’s things he worked so hard on.

Stelle, Lunette, and Celestine show up. They give Haku and Neru advice and tell them a message from Queen Rainbow, the Queen of Whimsica...

Apparently, Haku and Neru have been recruited into a group that fights for justice all around Whimsica. All they have to do to participate is to continue to be true to themselves and to continue to use their magic, determination, and kindness, to settle problems.

Maddie and Sadie reveal they attacked because they hate people’s happiness. They think “If we can’t be happy, nobody should be.” Haku and Neru tell them that just because their feelings are understandable, doesn’t mean they are correct.

Haku reaches out to them and says she’s unhappy a lot, and sometimes is even jealous of people who are, but she still tries her best to spread joy. Neru joins in, saying that even though Wallace is unhappy because his dad died, he still tries to make kids smile with his toys.

After this fight, Maddie and Sadie end up reforming and becoming good. We find out that they always wanted to spread joy, but gave up because nobody laughed at them, and therefore became cynical mad and sad clowns. Haku and Neru, along with Wallace, inspired them to try again. After reforming, they join Gladys, a glad clown, and form a trio to make people laugh together.

Intermittently in the story, Haku’s backstory about her brother Dell, who she lost before her parents divorce, had been told. We also get to know of Haku’s cousin Miku, who mysteriously disappeared.

Chapter 13

They have to ride the Tragic School Bus Again... And then the Cash Cab shows up! The driver is Kiyoteru. But after that, they group goes straight to the auditorium!

That night after school, Maddie and Sadie have a fun comedy and music show to perform alongside Gladys in the Cozy House auditorium. Luka, Teto, and Momo have parts in the show as well, and Wallace is also in the show playing the saxophone!

Chapter 14

December 2

Haku and Neru get ready for school.

That day, it’s the birthday of Simone, an outgoing, popular person at school. They are a musical idol. They get to have a school-wide party that cuts through class time.

At the party, Haku catches sight of Miku, her cousin and treasured friend from childhood who mysteriously disappeared one day. She also is friends with Simone. They have an emotional reunion. Haku offhandedly comments to Miku about her lost brother Dell, but notices Miku grows a sour expression on her face at the mention of his name.

However, soon enough, things are attacked again... but the villain this time is... Haku’s long-lost brother, Dell?

Chapter 15

Dell has been notorious in the school for being evil and causing trouble for the innocent.

Miku, who also has magical girl powers, transforms and begins to fight Dell. Haku is in disbelief and is saddened watching two precious people from her childhood fight.

“Dell... this can’t be!” She cries. “I know you aren’t like this... you were so sweet to me. You can’t really be on the side of Monochrome. You just can’t!”

Dell has a completely different and mean look in his eyes than the gentle look Haku remembered from childhood.

Dell doesn’t even seem to remember Haku. He appears completely cold, and he seems sinister. Dell is creating monsters to terrorize and destroy peace, while not even seeming to bat an eyelash.

Haku is heartbroken at having to fight Dell, but Neru urges her she has to do it. Eventually after a strong attack is fired at him, Dell retreats...

Haku is left crying, deeply affected at what she just experienced.

Chapter 16

That night, Haku thinks of what she can do if Dell shows up again. Haku is a bad cook, but she stays up all night at the bakery with Teto and Snowbell, making a batch of the cookies Dell used to eat when they were still living together as children. She doesn’t give up until they taste exactly the way they did that time.

Chapter 17

December 3

Haku and friends spend a day at school and eventually help out another character. The character they help out is Lita.

Chapter 18

Dell shows up again to mess things up. Haku begins pleading to him.

Dell begins charging an attack, getting get ready to hit Haku, but Haku just stands there. Everyone watches, thinking Haku is nuts.

As a last resort, Haku starts singing to Dell. She sings to him the song Dell always sang to her when they were little.

Dell suddenly remembers Haku. Precious memories begin flooding his mind. It shows, because he grows a soft expression stops charging the attack... But all of a sudden, he shakes them off and charges at her with a punch. Miku pushes Haku out of the way and continues to fight Dell.

While fighting, Miku notices Dell isn’t fighting with full force. Miku even notices he seems like he‘s fighting back tears. Eventually, Dell retreats.

Haku is crushed once more. She realizes she forgot to give Dell the cookies she baked.

Chapter 19

That night, Haku feels down, so her friends try to cheer her up. They go to karaoke. Haku is shy but her friends coax her to sing and be confident.

Chapter 20

Meanwhile, Dell is walking down the street after a fight with his abusive dad. He hears Haku sing from the karaoke building.

Dell is affiliated with Monochrome, the planet who wants to ban music. He’s should hate music... but it makes him feel so warm and nostalgic... and painful.

Remembering the times he and Haku sung as children, Dell flees to an abandoned building down the street where nobody would enter to sing by himself. Dell sings the song he and Haku sung together as children, before becoming emotional and sobbing loudly for the first time since childhood.

Dell is letting out years upon years of pain caused by his dad. He can’t believe he ever forgot about Haku. She was really the only friend he’s ever had. As kids, they were an inseparable pair of siblings, before their parents divorced. His father brainwashed him to be evil and forget about Haku, but hearing Haku’s song that day cleansed his heart and restored his memories.

Chapter 21

December 4

The next morning at school.

Haku and Neru join a music club after the urging of Miku and Luka, and meet a lot of new friends.

Teto and Momo, however, say they are too busy with clubs already to be in music club, so they are left out. (Note, they will join in a later part of the story.)

Miku

Luka

Ame

Joy

Emi

Wally

(Rin)

(Len)

(IA)

(Yukari)

(Shun-ichi)

(Octavia)

(Sonata)

(Aria)

(Tempo)

(Lita)

(Aisha)

Chapter 22

Dell shows up again, and this time, a group is with him. Dell has a really sad and forlorn look in his eyes this time...

Haku tries to give Dell the batch of cookies she made, but Dell forces himself to harshly reject them and begins to fight Haku.

Suddenly, all targets are on Haku. Haku defeats most of the group except for Dell and the mysterious leader of his group, and is in bad shape.

The leader of Dell’s group attacks Haku. He is very powerful, and if this goes on any longer, Haku could possibly even get killed.

Dell absolutely cannot let this happen. To Haku’s surprise, Dell desperately jumps in and helps Haku fend off the attack.

“Haku...” Dell speaks to her. “It’s okay now. I’ll fend him off myself. You stay safe. I don’t want you to get hurt!”

“Dell... Dell! No! I can’t... You’ll get hurt too...” Haku begins crying.

“It’s fine.” Dell says, choking up with tears. “I deserve to get hurt. I’ve done nothing but cause people pain... I’ll take the damage for you. So run, before something happens to you!”

To Haku’s surprise, the man says something strange...

“Betrayal, huh? From my own son?”

Chapter 23

“I’m NOT your son!” Dell shouts.

Haku’s face turns white.

“You can’t deny facts.” He says. “You are my son, Dell. Also, Haku... I am your father.”

Haku is too shocked to speak for a couple seconds, but...

“No!” She shrieks. “You are not! You’re a part of Monochrome! You’re evil. You’re the one took Dell away long ago. You made him like this! You raised him and brainwashed him to be just like you! Dell... he was always very sweet to me. He was always protecting me. He’s even protecting me now! He never wanted to be a part of Monochrome! Now I will protect him from you! Begone!”

Haku hits Gin with an ultra-strong attack, and Dell joins in. Gin decides he cannot handle it, so he retreats so he can live another day.

Haku and Dell did not defeat him this time. But at least they chased him away...

Haku pretends to be optimistic after what happened, but her fake cheers quickly turns to sobs. Dell hugs Haku and tells her everything is okay. To Haku’s surprise, Dell is crying too.

Haku had never before seen Dell cry.

Chapter 24

After calming down, Dell begins to talk to Haku and Miku about how evil his and Haku’s dad is. Gin mistreated Dell. Dell always loved music and wanted to be a singer. However, whenever Dell sang, Gin punished him by using evil magic to brainwash him bit by bit to be evil just like him. Eventually, the magic closed the door to Dell’s heart, and his memories, causing him to forget about the happy things in his life, including his love of music, and his memories of Haku.

Chapter 25

December 5

Haku, Miku, Dell, and all the others spend a fun day hanging out.

Dell decides he will join the music club.

————ARC 2————

Chapter 1

(Introduce the lore and conflict as Uta/Defoko and her life/surroundings are introduced.)

Uta Utane (AKA Defoko,) 14 years old, is an artificial humanoid from a dystopian planet (Discord) where music is banned and kept a secret by the government. This planet mass-produces androids. This planet is at war with another dystopian planet (Monochrome) and they both produce androids for the purpose for fighting the war. Due to a manufacturing error, the one of the “Default female-1” (codenamed “Defoko”) androids ended up significantly more sentient. She hated the war and fighting, so she rebelled. Defoko feels very depressed and empty about her life, and hates being a machine.

Chapter 2

One fateful day, Defoko, using her advanced aerospace engineering intellect, completes a high-speed “disappearing” spacecraft she was building so that can flee from the planet unnoticed. She arrives at the magical world of Whimsica where things are better on December 6th. Defoko changes her name to Uta Utane, after some kanji she saw on the sign of a karaoke cafe around her new home.

Uta chose to name herself after kanji from the cafe, because the musical sounds coming from the building made her feel something “warm and poignant.” The night when she visited the cafe, Taya and his friend Ritsu were inside, having a session of singing karaoke. Taya was singing a solo in attempt to get over his shyness. The sound Uta fell in love with was actually Taya’s singing voice.

Uta begins living alone in a small, worn-down apartment in the Cozy House. She acquires a part-time job repairing computers to make ends meet.

Uta would describe herself as being self-aware, but lacking the ability to feel euphoria. (Think of it as a sort of depression.) She wishes she were a “real girl” so she could feel this emotion. Despite this, Uta is a very kind, considerate, wisecracking, and compassionate spirit...

On Whimsica, she is still very lonely for now.

That night, Uta sleeps and she has her first dream, because she experienced something that gave her life a meaning (music.) She hears music in her dream and it makes her happy, but when she wakes up, she cannot explain the sensations she felt.

Chapter 3

Uta enrolls herself in the local magical high school, as she is still a young teen and she wants to meet friends. It is her first time going to a proper school. Her new school is very strange. Along with human students, there is also an array of supernatural humanoids, talking animals, anthromorphs (furries,) other creatures, and even... talking objects!?

Even if that is true, Uta sadly feels she still doesn’t fit in.

On her first day at school, Uta‘s first period class is cooking class. She ends up making the confections explode, and gets a scolding and awful grade from the teacher, Miriam. She doesn’t feel like she fits in. On her way to her second-period class, Uta ends up meeting Taya Soune, her shy 15-year-old classmate.

Taya is very late to his second period class because a mean bully girl named Tei Sukone threw Taya’s monocle (also his power source) in the giant wishing well and ran off, leaving Taya having to change into his wetsuit, dive in the well and find his monocle, and then go back to the dressing room and change back into his suit and tie outfit. Uta meanwhile is wandering the chaotic hallways of the school, completely lost.

Sometimes in Adventure Academy, when class is in session and students are supposed to be in class, there is a small chance of a monster called a grungle spawning in the hallways. If a student needs to visit the bathroom or walk down the hall for any reason during a class session, a hall pass can protect students from these monsters.

A grungle ends up spawning in the hall as Uta and Taya cross paths. It’s nine feet tall and looks like a cross between a penguin, bear, and snake. And it has lots of neon spikes. Neither Taya or Uta have a hall pass on them, so it attacks them!

In Whimsica, grungles are creatures with no souls that typically do nothing but cause destruction. They are mostly made of negative emotions.

Taya may have some magic, but isn’t very good at fighting, so Uta uses her epic android powers to protect them both ad defeat the grungle. Uta has a magical machine gun type of pistol, a force field shield, and teleportation powers, and something like The Force to fling large objects with psychic power.

When grungles are defeated, they sometimes drop various kinds of items. This one drops game tickets to use in the arcade. Uta doesn’t know what they are.

Taya thanks Uta profusely for defeating the beast. He is in awe of the new student’s powers and asks where she is from. Uta is very shy, which Taya doesn’t expect since she is so good in battle. She has a quiet voice that sounds monotone and a bit artificial. Uta finally spits out that she is an android from space. Taya realizes Uta may be sensitive about this, so he vows to try and keep this secret...

Taya tells Uta his name and begins to get to know her. He is quite friendly and guides Uta on her way to her second period class, magic class, which they have together. After school, Taya says he will go to the mall with Uta and show her the arcade, and use the game tickets they acquired from the grungle.

Chapter 4

Uta’s third period is math class, which Taya isn’t in. She feels lonely again and thinks about Taya. But then, she ends up meeting two new friends named Teto and Momo, who welcome her to the school. Taya’s third period class is music class. He has this class with with Ritsu, along with Ritsu’s other good friend, Ruko. Taya tells Ritsu about the kind and cool new student named Uta, but not the fact that Uta is an android from space. Ritsu notices that Taya seems to be fond of Uta, which is great, because he notices Taya seems lonesome a lot and wants him to come out of his shell more. Ritsu then offers to help Taya become more social, by offering him friendship and introducing him to Ruko as well. Taya is overjoyed to have a closer bond with Ritsu and another friend in Ruko.

After third period class, is lunch break, and everyone meets up together. Uta introduces Taya, Ritsu, and Ruko to herself, Teto, and Momo. Neru and Haku also get introduced through Teto and Momo, along with other characters from Arc 1.

For fourth period, Uta has computer coding with Ritsu. Taya has music class with Teto and Momo, and Ruko is alone in language arts.

In fifth period, everyone (including Haku and Neru) has gym class together.

Finally, in sixth period, Uta and Taya have Whimsica Geography class together. Everyone else is together in dance class.

Uta starts opening up to Taya when she feels she can trust him. By the end of the school day, they are friends.

“I want to be a real girl.” Uta somberly tells him then. “I want to have a soul. As an android, I cannot truly feel joy.”

However, Taya believes that Uta is already a real girl, and that she has a beautiful soul. He is determined on his quest to help Uta feel true happiness.

Chapter 5

After school, everyone else is busy, and only Uta and Taya have free time. Taya takes Uta to the arcade. Uta hears all kinds of music at the arcade. Taya has never seen Uta so entranced before. Uta asks Taya why these sounds make her feel so alive. Taya tells Uta that they are more than just sounds, they have feelings and soul, and are called “music.” Uta falls in love with music. When she hears it, she becomes indescribably enthralled.

At the arcade, Taya plays a dance game and gets a pretty high score. Apparently, it’s Taya’s favorite game at the arcade and he has had a lot of practice every chance he could get. Uta is mesmerized as she watches Taya dance to the music. Uta is a bit shy to dance herself, but a spacecraft piloting game catches her attention. Uta plays the game and gets an incredibly high score, and ends up attracting a crowd of people in awe of her skills. Uta ends up getting a huge output of coins to exchange for prizes. When Uta and Taya put their coins together, they have enough to buy a brand-new karaoke machine that even comes with three karaoke albums to sing to!

Music had awoken something deep in Uta’s soul. It’s a feeling of excitement, thrill, and comfort, but also immense yearning. Uta feels she wouldn’t be truly happy unless she would be able to compose music and sing. Taya sees Uta staring longingly at the karaoke machine.

“Oh, would you like the karaoke machine?” Taya asks Uta. “If so, it can be all yours. I already have something like it. I think it would be great for you. You want to sing, don’t you? You’ll get to experience music even more!”

“Thank you.” Uta says. “But... I’m afraid I can’t.”

Uta looks incredibly forlorn.

“Why?” Taya asks softly. “What do you mean?”

Uta explains that she feels she wouldn’t be able to sing or compose music, since one needs a heart to be able to make music. Uta is convinced she doesn’t have one. Also, can a being with an artificial voice really sing?

Taya can tell how much Uta longs to create music. He hugs her gently and tells her a story. Taya thought he couldn’t sing either at first, because he was too shy. But thanks to an old friend he had, he found the courage to keep trying back then. Taya promises he will help Uta however he can as well.

Taya ends getting a bit emotional... Uta ends up getting emotional too. They end up holding up the line. Galaco, a snobby girl from school, is next in line. She rolls her eyes and says “Oh PLEASE.”

Taya ends up developing feelings for Uta. Her story and dream pulls at his heartstrings. He feels very sincerely for her.

Chapter 6

They end up buying the karaoke machine and go back to Uta’s apartment. Taya calls his parents and tell them he is at a friend’s house. Taya supports Uta with her dream and teaches her the first steps to singing. They have their first singing lesson.

Taya is a bit shy with singing in front of Uta, but he is determined to be a good vocal coach. He looks back to the exercises he did with Ritsu in attempt to get over his shyness. As Taya sings, Uta recognizes his voice as “the sound that awakened her soul” back when she first came to Whimsica, but she keeps quiet about it due to being bashful.

It takes a while, but Uta finally figures out how to match pitch. She is able to vocalize simple tunes, but still has a long ways to go...

Chapter 7

The next day before first period, Teto sees one of the non-humanoid students in the school getting bullied in the hallway. The bullies are Galaco, Mayu, and Mizki, the snobby girl clique. They are surrounding and throwing paper at poor Inuhebi, a cute, sluggish limbless creature with a snake’s body and a dog’s head.

Teto is a little apprehensive to face up to them, but knows she has to do something.

“Like, wow. Being fabulous is like, so last year.” Teto says.

“As if. Last time I checked, you weren’t exactly a notable figure.” Mizki says.

“Who needs to be? I’m so sorry you guys can’t just have fun without worrying about who’s on top.” Teto rolls her eyes.

“Shut it, clownface.” Galaco says.

“Yup, that’s me! I’m clownface!” Teto laughs. And laughs, and pulls out a horn and honks it and does a cheesy little dance.

“Ugh. Like, let’s get outta here.” Mayu says.

Teto successfully chased away the mean girls.

Teto goes up to little Inuhebi and asks if he’s okay. Inuhebi isn’t hurt, but he’s sad because he can’t move very fast, and is bullied a lot and is usually late for class.

“Hmm... how about you be my buddy? I’ll carry you on my shoulder. We’ll always be together!” Teto said. “Then you’ll never be late again, and I’ll always be there for you!”

Inuhebi is so happy that he cries tears of joy. Teto lifts him up and lets him ride on her shoulder.

It turns out that Uta, Taya, Teto, Momo, Ritsu, and Ruko all have first period together, but they just didn’t notice before. Inuhebi also has first period with everybody. Teto introduces Inuhebi to the rest of the group, and they are now a group of seven.

“Oh yeah... you were the girl who made the kitchen explode!” Ruko says to Uta, remembering the previous day. Uta is a bit embarrassed.

Momo is the best cook in the class, so she offers to teach Uta a bit how to cook on the side. Taya is very great with cooking and baking as well.

Taya, trusting the others, tells them about Uta’s dream, but is vague about the fact that she is an android from space. Everyone in the group finds that they have an interest in singing in common.

“Hey, since we all like to sing, how about we start up a music group?” Inuhebi suggests.

“Sure!” Momo replies. “That would be fun!”

“That would be great!” Ritsu says. “But what will we name it?”

Everyone begins thinkng long and hard about it...

Chapter 8

Later that day, the group of seven go to the music store together.

Afterwards, everyone goes to Uta’s house and have a karaoke party session.

Uta feels awful and dejected however when it’s her time to sing, however. Everyone else sang so amazingly, and Uta can barely carry a simple tune at this point.

“It doesn’t matter how well you sing, Uta...” Taya reassures her. “It’s about being happy and doing your best. We all want to hear you.”

Everyone cheers Uta on. She takes a deep breath and begins singing “When You Wish Upon A Star” but messes up a bit and stops the music.

“I can’t do it.” She says, her entire body shaking.

“Uta, don’t give up!” Taya says. “I’ll sing with you this time. Will that help?”

Uta nods and tries to calm down.

They take turns singing lines from the song. Uta finally is able to sing the last few on her own. Taya comes in and harmonizes with, her and Uta is amazed at how they were able to sound together.

Everyone claps for both of them. It’s a wonderful feeling Uta wants to treasure forever.

“This moment resonates with me...” Uta says.

Uta ends up practicing her singing all night that night. However, she eventually grows discouraged when she just can’t seem to control her voice as well as she did when Taya was there with her.

Chapter 9

Tei Sukone, the bully, shares first-period class with Uta and everyone else. She is usually skipping class, but this time, Tei actually shows up to first period and causes a lot of trouble.

Tei picks on Taya and Inuhebi because she considers them timid. She picks on Ritsu, because Ritsu is Taya’s friend, and has a tendency to come to people’s rescue.

In the days before, Tei noticed that Inuhebi had become friends with Taya and Ritsu.

Tei’s nasty cronies, Jern and Kild, show up to class too. They both have ugly names.

Inuhebi doesn’t know Jern and Kild, so before class, she bakes a biscuit filled with wasabi, which Inuhebi can’t stand. During class, Jern and Kild give it to Inuhebi as a “present.”

Inuhebi is trusting and bites into the biscuit, only to cough it up seconds later because of the wasabi. Tei can’t conceal her laughter, and Uta notices the scene and figures out what happened.

Uta begins to glare at Tei, who notices Uta for the first time.

“Oh wow. You’re like, so plain-looking.” Tei says to Uta. “I didn’t even notice we had a new student because of how totally plain you are, wow.”

Uta, who underestimates her own strength, takes out her laser cannon...

“Oh, what does that thing shoot? Flowers?” Tei scoffs.

Uta fires a laser at Tei’s hair and burns off part of it.

“AAAHHHH!” Tei shrieks. “THAT... That’s not a normal thing you see on Whimsica! This girl... she must be an alien robot!”

Everyone in the class begins to uproar.

Jern and Kild begin laughing maniacally (and rudely.)

“SHE’S A ROBOT!! SHE’S NOT EVEN REAL!” They screech.

“SHUT UP!” Ritsu belts above all the chaos like the madman soprano he is. “Uta is a precious friend of mine, and she was trying to defend Inuhebi! Robot or not, it doesn’t matter!”

“That’s right!” Taya yells. “Uta cares about us! She’s more real than any of you who put her down!”

Suddenly, Uta is running out of the classroom, unable to handle the stress.

“Ah, Uta! Wait!” Taya runs after her

Ritsu, Momo, Ruko and Teto follow. Teto had gotten Inuhebi as well, and put him on her shoulder.

Uta is running off, But Taya calls her back and stops her. Taya gives her a hug.

“Taya, do I belong here?” Uta asks him.

“Of course you do.” Taya says. “You belong. Everyone belongs here.“

“Tei and her nasty cronies are the ones who don’t belong.” Ritsu says.

After a while, the teacher comes out and tells the group to get back to class. The group does. Tei and her friends are now out of the classroom, because the teacher punished them and sent them to detention. However, because of the “distraction” Uta had created, the crappy teacher also orders Uta to also go to detention.

The rest of the group think this is outrageous, to they volunteer to spend time in detention with Uta.

Chapter 10

In detention with Tei, there is no teacher keeping watch. Therefore, all sorts of madness and fighting could break out.

“So. You do realize you volunteered to have detention to defend something that can’t even dream.” Tei says. Jern and Kild laugh.

“As if!” Ritsu shouts. “Uta is not a thing, and you’re the ones who can’t dream. You three DESTROY dreams. And Uta DOES have a dream! She wants to be a singer and inspire people.”

“She’s very passionate about it too!” Ruko says. Everyone else nods.

Tei bursts into laughter along with her two friends.

“A singer!? Oh, come on! Don’t make me laugh!” Kild says.

“Right? Like, how could Uta possibly sing with such an artificial, robotic voice! She doesn’t even have a soul!” Jern says.

“She’s trying her best.” Taya said. “I know Uta can do it. She’s improved so much since she’s first started.“

“Well, I think she should just give up though. I’m saying this for her own good.” Tei says. “She’s just a robot after all. Robots don’t have souls. They really don’t have what it takes to sing.”

Suddenly, a crushed feeling falls over Uta. She feels discouraged. But she tries her best to hide it.

“That’s... that’s just too far!” Teto says. “Why are you three so joyless and mean!?”

Ritsu goes up to Tei and slaps her, and Tei shoots a beam at Ritsu. Defending her, Teto grows her chimera wings and tries to cast magic on Jern and Kild.

Jern and Kild swiftly dodge the move and use wind powers to blow the desks at the other group. A full-fledged fight had broken out.

In the midst of all the madness, Uta had left the room in tears. Nobody noticed.

A teacher eventually comes in to stop the fight, and sends everyone home with a note to their parent or legal guardian that they were fighting in school.

Since Taya’s parents are strict, he gets grounded.

Chapter 11

After school, Ritsu calls Taya and tells him to sneak out while his family is supposed to be asleep, even though he is grounded. Taya is a good boy and has never done something so... rebellious before.

It takes a bit of coaxing, but Taya eventually agrees. Ritsu, Taya, and Uta make their way to the auditorium, which is empty this time of night. They turn on one spotlight, and shine it on Uta.

“There you go!” Ritsu says. “Don’t you feel like a star now, Uta? The whole stage is yours! Now sing your heart out!”

Uta takes a deep breath, about to sing... until she remembers Tei’s words. They painfully cut through her again, like a knife through butter.

“I can’t.” Uta says.

“Uta...?” Ritsu says. “Why are you saying that? You were getting so good!”

Ritsu notices Uta looking down, with a sorrowful expression.

“Is... is this because of what Tei and her stupid cronies said?”

Uta nods.

“Ritsu... Thank you... But maybe I was not meant to sing.” Uta says sadly, her voice shaking and glitching.

Ritsu grows outraged, mostly at Tei for breaking apart Uta’s self esteem... but also at Uta for letting those words get to her.

“Uta!” Ritsu begins raising his voice. “Are you really going to give up just like that!? Don’t be so weak-willed! If you are gonna give up, your dream will NEVER be reality.”

Uta begins crying and wiping her tears on her sleeve.

“Ritsu, that’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?” Taya says.

“It’s only the truth!” Ritsu says back. “You never know what you can do until you keep trying!”

“Ritsu, can’t you see how hurt she feels already?” Taya wraps his arms around Uta and comforts her. “I’d say give her some time to heal.”

Ritsu looks at Taya for a couple more seconds, sighs, and walks off.

Chapter 12

Taya spent a couple more hours that night trying to cheer up Uta. By the time he got back to his apartment, it was almost morning, and his parents had discovered that he had snuck out and was not in his bed. As a result, Taya becomes grounded for an extra week.

The next day Uta doesn’t give up on singing. Wanting to be alone, she runs off somewhere far away and secluded to practice singing alone.

Uta ends up in the outer reaches of Tragic Woods, a very dangerous forest that also happens to be a Dissonance. A Dissonance is like a cursed land, labyrinth, or dungeon. Monsters tend to spawn inside Dissonances, and they are very hazardous and erratic.

In Tragic Woods, there is a deathly array of dangerous plants, and even though the forest seems devoid of wildlife at first glance, there are monsters such as giant mutant bears and wolves at times. While Uta is singing, a plant temporarily paralyzes her body from the neck down, meaning she can really only move her mouth and use her voice...

It is almost nighttime. After dusk, monsters start to come out in Tragic Woods. Uta can only do one thing—Just keep singing. She sings louder and louder, hoping her voice can reach someone and that they can hear her and rescue her. The effects of plant that paralyzed Uta are temporary, and can be reversed with an injection provided at the emergency room.

Once it is noted that Uta is missing, Ritsu instantly becomes the most worried, considering he hurt her feelings the night before.

Taya is grounded, so he has to stay in his house.

Ritsu, along with a bunch of other characters, form a search party and search around town for Uta. Everyone is extremely worried.

Suddenly, Ritsu hears something as he leaves the town and is standing in the windy field. It’s Uta, singing a powerful and really sorrowful song. (-ERROR.)

It’s coming from the direction of the woods. Tragic Woods.

“Idiot... what’s she doing in Tragic Woods!?” Ritsu says under his breath. But he is extremely, painfully worried.

By the time Ritsu gets there, Uta is in bad shape, as her voice is almost wearing  out, she is freezing cold, and the sun almost is below the horizon.

Uta is rushed to the emergency room where she is administered a dose of the injection for her paralysis.

Ritsu gets a chance to apologize to Uta. He says he just wanted to see her fulfill her dream and would’ve been as crushed as Uta if she were to have given up. He didn’t mean to be so harsh.

Ritsu and the rest of Uta’s friends reassure her. Taya gets to come to the hospital as well, and upon seeing Uta, begins crying and apologizing he had to have been grounded.

Uta’s friends help her the best they can, and Uta begins practicing singing nearly every chance she gets.

Taya can tell that Uta really loves music and is truly determined. Eventually he’s impressed and blown away by how far she gets.

Even though Uta was never programmed to be able to sing, she eventually begins to develop a unique singing voice through hours upon hours of practicing painstakingly.

—Eventual chapters idk—

The story goes back to the slice of life, monster of the week, helping people formula. There are also adventures involving the Tragic School Bus and magical mishaps in the school. The old heroines Haku and Neru, along with more characters from Arc 1, begin appearing more during these chapters.

Uta soon discovers her singing voice has magical power and that it can defeat monsters and evil!

Uta and the rest of the group also join the music club established back in Arc 1.

Eventually there is a part where Taya, along with the rest of the group of Uta’s good friends (Teto, Momo, Ritsu, and Ruko) are captured because they were accused of stealing “Defoko” away from the planet that produced her. (Or as Discord calls it, “Deforcing a Defoko.”) Uta is taken back there as well.

Uta is taken back to the android containment center, in a prison-like ward for severely malfunctioning androids. She uses the combat powers she kept hidden for a long time to bust out.

Uta then travels all over the center, fighting aliens and setting up her plan... she is putting speakers all over the premises and connecting them to her microphone.

Suddenly, she finds herself surrounded by the aliens who built her, and they plan to destroy her for “malicious behavior.”

“You’re just one malfunctioning android.” They say. “You’re not that important. We’ll do away with you, and we’ll have plenty more.”

Uta is not having it. She takes out her microphone...

“What are you going to do with that? Announce your defeat?” A couple more aliens surround her and say.

But Uta gives a smug smile and starts warming up her voice. Since there were speakers everywhere, her voice reverberates around the entire place. Since music is banned on Discord, the aliens can’t stand the power of it and cover their ears... The strength of music is downright foreign to them...

Uta can fight the aliens with music, with her singing, the skill she learned in Whimsica.

Once she’s finishing warming up, Uta fights her own creators with a power that is unknown (and deadly) to them.... The power of song! The power of love, and passion, and heart, and... joy! The evil aliens do not stand a chance against the power of Uta’s magical song and voice.

“Default-female model-1 DF01fx-0057! When the heck did you learn to produce a singing voice? This isn’t what you were programmed to do! Stop this madness, right this instant!” They tell her

Uta does not give them mercy and starts belting out GHOST RULE. They took her precious friends. They continue to manufacture androids that cannot feel joy. This needs to stop right now!

Uta ends up destroying the entire sinister operation, and also starts the dystopian planet Discord down its path to peace. The aliens who run the operation get blasted into space. The rest of the aliens are innocent and never wanted to be part of the operation in the first place. They also have finally heard music for the first time, as Uta’s song was broadcasted around the entire planet live on the news. It fills the depressed aliens’ hearts with love and joy.

Discord is finally a peaceful place.

However, Monochrome, the ultimate enemy in the story, still won’t budge, and continues to be an evil force...

After this feat, and rescuing her dear friends, Uta fulfills herself and unlocks her magical girl transformation. In Whimsica, magical transformations are unlocked when the user “fulfills” themself, symbolizing that they’ve overcome a difficult hurdle, accomplished a wonderful goal, or opened the door to their true self.

Uta is the first among her friend group to become fulfilled. In Whimsica, the average age of fulfillment is 16 years old. (Uta, Teto, and Momo are 14. Taya, Ruko, and Ritsu are 15. Inuhebi is 12.)

Now that Uta is fulfilled, she unlocked the power herself to be able to experience euphoria. All the other androids that were produced by her shady manufacturer also gained full sentience and the ability to feel joy as well.

Uta had slain the chains in her heart and will live on happily with Taya and the rest of her friends.

“This moment resonates with me.” Uta says.

“Wait, that’s it...” Taya says. “Resonate... that’s a perfect name for our music group! We should call ourselves Resonate!”

However, after this is over, and it’s time to go back to Whimsica, everyone finds themselves started on the planet.

“Mind if we give you a ride back, Uta Utane?” A default male-2 android created by Discord pulls up in a high-speed spacecraft, along with a default male-1 and a default female-2 android. “I hope you don’t mind. You’re our hero. You’ve done so much for us.”

Uta feels a bit embarrassed and blushes.

The rest of the group steps inside the spacecraft and are given a ride back to Whimsica.

While in the spacious vessel, a conversation is had.

“Thanks to you, we can finally feel the thrill of a good movie, the comfort of a hug, or the satisfaction of hard work... Thank you, Uta.” The default female-2 android says. “And... I have a request for you. Can... can we be sisters?”

“Um...” Uta suddenly feels embarrassed and put on the spot.

“We... were designed to be sisters after all.” The android continues. “Your codename is Defoko... short for “default-ko,” and mine is Defo-Imouto... basically, “default little sister.” Like all of us, I was never given a real name. We were never treated with any love or care. We were all just cold machinery, until you came along...”

Uta suddenly hugs Defo-Imouto, along with the other two.

“We’re all family.” Uta says. “We were all created by the same company. If you want, we can stay together.”

“On Whimsica, with you?” Default male-1 android says.

Uta nods.

“Whimsica is my home now.” Uta says.

“Well, we have nowhere else to go. Why not?” Says default male-2. “By the way, I’m called Defosuke.”

“I’m Defota.” Says default male-1.

“How about I show you a special place?” Uta says. “It’s the place where I got my name. Maybe you’ll find new names there too.”

When everyone gets back, other kanji on the Japanese karaoke cafe read, “Koe” meaning voice, “Hibiki” meaning reverberation, and “Kanade” meaning playing instruments.

Default female-2’s new name is Koe. After all, it was Uta’s voice that saved her.

Default male-2’s new name is Hibiki. Uta’s song echoed around the world and saved everyone.

Default male-1’s new name is Kanade. He recently felt very passionate about learning to play the piano.

“Why did you choose to name yourself after this building, Uta?” Kanade asks.

“Because...” Uta says. “This place was where I first heard the music that awoken my soul.”

Afterwards, there is a chapter about Uta spending time in her apartment with her new siblings.

———————————————

Arc 3

Resonate, the group of Uta, Taya, Teto, Momo, Ritsu, Ruko, and Inuhebi, merge with the unnamed musical group formed by the music club, that includes Haku, Neru and Ame.

They retain the name Resonate, and become a huge group! Queen Rainbow, witnessing Uta’s feat, and sensing that everyone in the group has pure hearts, recruits them all as official members of the Monochrome-fighting musical magic group!

But this is not the end of the story for everyone.

Now it’s time for Taya’s story.

Taya hasn’t seen his friend Saya for years... He is beginning to lose hope that she’s still alive...

Taya Soune and Saya Toune were childhood best friends who grew up someplace else. However, one day when they were both 12, Saya became depressed, and it was hard for Taya to watch his friend suffer. Some time afterwards, an earthquake hit the area and everyone had to take only their most important items and evacuate rapidly before a tsunami were to hit. Taya had to move to his current location, and had to leave Saya without saying goodbye. He never saw Saya again.

After this incident, Taya never got a phone call from Saya, or a letter or any hint she might’ve still been alive and out there. It wouldn’t have been unlikely that Saya and her family had died tragically in the earthquake or aftermath tsunami.

Taya is now left with a heavy, broken heart, and an intense fear of earthquakes. He is most torn apart that the fact that Saya had depression and the last few months before her departure to be so sad.

One day in the present, Uta, Taya, and the rest of the friend group are out at the mall. A song comes on that reminds Taya of his memories with Saya. He begins fighting back tears, but eventually starts sobbing and splits from the group, telling everyone he needs a moment alone. Everyone is concerned. Uta approaches Taya gently after he calms down. Taya then tells Uta about Saya, their story, and how much he misses his friend.

Uta is the first person Taya tells about Saya since he had moved. None of his other friends knew about the sadness he hid in his heart.

It had been years since Saya’s disappearance. Taya has pretty much lost all hope at this point.

Uta reassures Taya that he still shouldn’t give up hope. Uta’s words uplift Taya with a new hope that he had never before felt.

So Taya decides to use that glimmer of hope to look for Saya, who may still be out there.

(He releases the song From Y To Y and writes a play in order to get his name big)

Leeds, a girl with an illness, becomes a big fan of Taya’s musical play.

Sometime in this arc, everyone gets to meet The Queen...

Meanwhile, Uta bonds with her siblings.

One day when Taya is feeling useless, Uta consoles him and tells him something she was too shy to say before.

“Taya, your voice was the sound that awoken my soul. When I first came to Whimsica, I walked past the karaoke cafe, and I heard you sing. It was the first time I had ever heard music. You sang so wonderfully, and I felt so warm. I felt then, that music was a truly amazing thing. It was you who changed my life Taya... So please, don’t feel sad.”

Eventually, there is drama with a girl named Qingxian who takes advantage of Taya’s kindness and asks him to do lots of favors for her. As a result, Taya ends up getting sick right before a big day.

Eventually, it turns out that Saya is actually still alive. One fateful day, Taya and Saya reunite at an airport.

At the busy airport, Saya at first doesn’t recognize Taya because he’s trans-masculine now. They are both transgender, with Saya identifying as trans-feminine since childhood. Taya, however, discovered his true identity a bit later.

Taya eventually finds Saya in the crowd and runs after her. Saya sees Taya and passes him by.

Taya loses Saya in the crowd and becomes heartbroken...

Saya had to find Taya within a certain time period before her mom urges her to go back on a flight home.

Taya is completely heartbroken and starts crying because he doesn’t know why Saya just passed him by.

Taya calls out again and speaks how much he misses his friend from his heart. Saya recognizes his mannerisms and how he says he misses her.

Saya eventually recognizes Taya’s voice, even though it’s changed.

“Taya..? Taya...! Is that you?” She says, emotionally running forth.

“Saya? You didn’t recognize me?” Taya says, tearfully and relieved.

“I’m so sorry...” Saya sobs. “I missed you so much!”

“Me too... It’s so great to see you again...”

They hug.

Meanwhile, Ritsu is watching at the scene, crying happy tears for them. Ruko comments on how much Ritsu must care about Taya, despite how different he and Taya are.

Saya becomes a part of Uta and Taya’s group of friends.

Arc 4

At the beginning of this arc, we learn about Saya’s side of the friendship story.

Then, Uta has a new goal. She wants to become a musical artist, but feels discouraged wondering if she can make people happy with her music.

Taya, wanting to motivate Uta, has an idea of a gift to buy her. He buys her a dharma/daruma doll, a Japanese decoration.

Uta and Taya now live next to each other in the cozy building. Taya presents his gift to Uta.

“I bought you a gift! It’s called a daruma.” Taya says. “As you can see, the eyes are blank. You draw in one eye when you set a goal for yourself. When your goal is complete, you fill in the other eye. Here, I’ll give you a permanent marker.”

Taya doesn’t notice it yet, but Uta is shaking and getting a very painful flashback looking at the familiar shape of the toy.

Taya puts a permanent marker down on the counter.

“Uta, look.” Taya says. He pushes the daruma doll down with his finger, but it balances and comes back up. The way it comes back after being knocked over triggers traumatic feelings for Uta.

“See? Daruma dolls always get back up after being knocked down! So remember that whenever you’re feeling discouraged, okay?”

Taya notices Uta is silent.

“...Uta?” Taya says again. He looks at Uta and notices she is trembling with tears streaming down her cheeks. She wipes her face with her sleeve, and suddenly she’s hyperventilating as if she’s panicking.

“Uta? Are you okay?” Taya asks. Taya puts his hand on Uta’s shoulder, but Uta brushes him off. He notices an expression of fear is on her face as she backs away.

“Uta, what’s the matter? What’s wrong? You can tell me... please...” Taya offers comfort again in a calm voice. Uta shakes her head.

“No...” Uta manages to choke out. She begins to flee.

“Uta!” Taya promptly follows her in an attempt to calm her down, but sensing that his being there is only distressing Uta more, Taya lets her go.

“Uta...” Taya mutters. Once she’s out the door, Taya is left with worry and heaviness in his heart.

The shocking scene replays in his head a few times. Taya had never seen Uta in such a state before... He could sense every bit of her pain. But what could it have been? What could have triggered it?

Taya calls Ritsu on his cell phone. Ritsu hears the heaviness in Taya’s voice and figures out he’s about to cry. Ritsu tells Taya he’ll be there for him. Taya only gets a few words out before he starts crying over the phone.

After a few minutes, he calms down and tells Ritsu what happened.

“So... I got Uta a daruma doll and I showed it to her, if that part matters. I was in the middle of showing her that no matter what pushed them down, they get back up. I thought that would inspire her to always get back up no matter that pushed her down. But when I looked at her face, she was crying and hyperventilating... I tried to calm her down, but she began to panic and reject being comforted... It was if I was suddenly a stranger to her... It felt so scary. But I couldn’t imagine what it must’ve felt for Uta herself. I wonder what could’ve triggered such a response in her?”

“Hmm...” Ritsu starts thinking. “It sounds to me like Uta was having a panic attack. Was she acting as if the entire world was caving in on her?”

“Yeah...” Taya responds. “She kept trying to get away, so I just let her. Me being there only seemed to be stressing her out.”

“I see...” Ritsu says. “Perhaps Uta is just the type of person who prefers to be alone during times of distress. Or perhaps she just didn’t want you to see her in such a state. Either way, please don’t take it personally. Uta wouldn’t try to reject you on purpose.”

“Okay...” Taya says. “But... what could’ve caused her to panic? I hope I didn’t do anything to hurt her...”

Tears begin to pool in Taya’s as he recalls how painful Uta seems to feel.

“The last thing I want to do is hurt my dear friends.” He says sadly.

“Taya, based on what you said, I have a theory that maybe daruma dolls could be Uta’s trigger.”

“A trigger?” Taya asks. “Ah, you mean... like how I have a phobia of earthquakes?”

“Yeah, sort of like that.” Ritsu says. “A trigger is anything that brings negative feelings or flashbacks to someone. Even though daruma dolls are innocuous to you and me, a trigger could potentially be anything. I’m wondering if perhaps Uta had a traumatic experience in her past that had to do with daruma dolls.”

“Ah... that would make sense!” Taya says. “Poor Uta... Now I feel awful for hurting her.”

“Well, you didn’t do it on purpose.” Ritsu says.

“Well... what should I do now?” Taya asks.

“I say, give her some space.” Ritsu says. “Wait until Uta is willing to open up with her trigger and willing to tell you her feelings and confirm it. Don’t forget to apologize, and try to make her feel accepted.”

“Okay. Thanks, Ritsu.”

“Anytime.” Ritsu says.

“Um... Ritsu?” Taya asks. “You’re... a really good friend, you know? You may seem wild, but... you’re wise when it comes to this stuff, and really caring! So thanks!”

“Oh... it’s nothing really.” Ritsu says. “I just know how to deal with this stuff because... I know what it’s like. To deal with these emotions and stuff. But... I’m fine, really!”

“Oh... well, at least you’re ok now.” Taya says with a bittersweet smile. “Bye for now!”

“See ya!” Ritsu says.

They hang up.

It turns out Uta’s trigger of daruma dolls indeed has to do with a traumatic memory from her past.

Back when Uta still was a combat android on Discord, before she fled, she and a team of other combat androids were in a traumatic battle with a tremendous monster shaped like a daruma doll. The monster was ultra-powerful and seemed to never tire out.

Just like a real daruma doll, it would always get back up, no matter what pushed it down.

Many of the other androids succumbed to their battle wounds, or used up all their power and were wiped out, and could never be brought back.

The monster was eventually defeated, but not without a substantial amount of androids never returning to life. Uta was one of the lucky ones involved in the battle who survived.

Needless to say, Uta was incredibly traumatized. However, her feelings were never validated since she was treated as a machine. Also, even though the other androids didn’t have quite the same emotional capabilities, she could tell they were very traumatized too, and felt awful for them as well.

This arc will eventually be focused on Ritsu however, and reveal his depression and insecurities. Uta’s PTSD will also be a theme along with Ritsu’s depression. They will help each other grow and overcome their negative feelings.

Other themes brought up will be Haku and Neru’s autism and depression, Ame’s low self-esteem, and Taya’s insecurities. Saya was also diagnosed with depression right before she got split apart from Taya, and it comes into her life on and off.

In this arc, Taya also cheers up and befriends a boy in the hospital named Jay, who has leukemia. At the end of the arc, Jay becomes dispatched. Jay gets to become a member of Resonate after being their fan, looking up to Taya especially.

However, this arc won’t be all depressing! It will feature a lot of bonding, friends having fun, and of course, wholesome humor and cheer.

Resonate grows and develops as a group as well. Monsters are fought, and some songs are released!

Koe and Nana become friends.

Teto’s cousin Ted comes into the story!

Arc 5

The backstory of Haku’s (and Miku’s) grandmother is revealed... slowly.

Swim class

Celestine and Nika’s friendship backstory is told, leading up to how the curse set where royals and commoners can’t befriend was broken.

Kanade and Momotaro become a couple... Momotaro is Momo’s older brother!

Ame goes on fun, eventful adventures with friends.

Hibiki meets Demo one sleepy day.

Arc 6

Fun times for everyone.

A mysterious guy appears at school... But it’s actually just Ruko’s silly cousin, Rook.

Haku follows in the footsteps of her grandmother in this arc. It’s revealed she was once a powerful magical girl in Whimsica.

Ame is feeling down on her birthday... but it turns into an awesome adventure and surprise party!

Taya finds an ice-blue egg (size of a chicken egg) outside in the cold when the Tragic School Bus takes him and friends to the Northern Seaside Peaks one day. The nest was destroyed and abandoned. Aside from the single egg with a small crack in it, only eggshells of its siblings were left behind. The egg is cold, so Taya keeps it warm all the way home. He brings the egg to a shelter, and begs the rescuers to put it in an incubator, even though he was told it has a low chance of survival. The egg unexpectedly survives and hatches into a tiny species of harp seal called pocket seal three days later. Pocket seals are commonly kept as pets. Taya is attached to the seal, so he decides to keep him as a pet and names him Mochi, after how fuzzy and round he is. Mochi is a bit weak at first, but grows stronger with love and care. Mochi lives in a terrarium installed in Taya’s house, and eats kibble made for pocket seals, and fish. Taya sometimes even prepares Mochi gourmet fish dishes.

Tei also reforms in this arc after accidentally sending Inuhebi to the hospital...

At the end of this arc, Haku falls asleep and gets to see her grandmother again in a dream during a beautiful moment.

Arc 7

This arc is when the previous slower pace starts to get broken.

The plot begins to thicken!

Uta experiences android prejudice.

A jerk named Carl Carlson forcibly dates Uta, then dumps her once he finds out she’s an android.

Haku and Neru get an important job!

New, stronger villains show up.

Teto uncovers the secret of her chimera side?

Momo feels insecure... then gets brainwashed by a sneaky villain...?

The Princess Trio needs help with something...

[conduitandconjurer]

Hi there! I’ve lurked for a little while and just recently followed. You have a really interesting take on Klaus and I’d like to ask: what kind of things do you do to get into character so to speak? Are there any important things about his character you like to keep in mind when you write him? And as someone who has written for many years but is considering rp, any advice for a first-timer? Thanks and hope you have a wonderful day/night!

First of all you should know that I’ve been rping on various platforms for over 15 years at this point, and messages like this still MAKE MY WHOLE WORLD BETTER <33333  Thank you SO much for your gracious and generous kind words.  You took a second to extend a hello and compliment my hard work and it means so so much.

So Klaus and I are NOTHING alike, which is exactly why I choose to write muses like him.  It provides me an outlet of escape from my own life (which has its ups and downs) and it’s a creative and intellectual challenge to understand what makes a person so behaviorally different from myself tick. Most writers like to write characters who are like them.  And I do that too, but for me, I just need some single trait in a character that I resonate with. For Klaus, it’s his innate sweetness and vulnerability (which he tries and fails to conceal) and his need (and failure) to establish boundaries (with family and with ghosts), and finally it’s his fear of being insufficient as a person his family can rely upon (which he copes with by creating artificial emotional distance, and abusing substances, whereas I the mun marinate in guilt and try to overcompensate lmao).  While we’re still not alike, I can BEGIN to understand WHY he behaves the way he does, and I can build my portrayal off of that. 

Put another way, most of my muses are queer nonbinary he/him/they pronoun users, often neurodivergent, who are undergoing a moral struggle, usually somewhere in the antihero category, or even villains. I on the other hand am a queer cis disabled woman with PTSD who is a Lawful Good......and I think that, having a point for relating to but still not being exactly like my muses,  I almost begin to see myself as these characters’ mother or advocate of some kind.  I want to see them GROW and THRIVE.  From that urge, I derive the compassion that every writer needs to have for their character to (try to) portray them authentically.  

And that also means that the character is not going to remain within the bounds of their canonical portrayal. The way I write them will always START and be BASED ON that.  But the character will grow far afield of it.  Take Klaus, for instance. I sense you call my portrayal “interesting” (correct me if I’m wrong) because I choose to write Klaus as almost always post-season 2 AND sober.  He’s more at peace with himself than he was during the first season, he’s begun to properly process his grief for Dave Katz, he’s getting clean and staying clean, he’s becoming more emotionally reliable.  But he still makes mistakes, he still has the most severe, frustrating and painful (for him) case of ADHD I have ever seen, people still don’t “take him seriously” (his own words) and he has to grow a thick skin about their dismissive behavior.  

The fandom, even a number of Klaus rpers, like to keep Klaus in this depressing stasis chamber where he’s constantly nihilistic, selfish, and strung out, and a lot of people see Klaus’s addictions as the brunt of jokes, and while that’s cool for them, and I’d never ask them to censor their portrayal, that makes me uncomfortable. As a person who’s worked with, still works with, at-risk youth at the college level, I just can’t jive with it.  Addiction is an illness and it’s not funny, and there are underlying reasons for Klaus’s addictions.  And what I want to do is excavate those underlying reasons, and watch him get the support he needs. He is still a snarky, sartorial, chaotic, quirkily sweet goofball when he’s sober.  He’s still Klaus.  

Things I do to get in the headspace:

--Listen to playlists that I make for the character or mood. Music is crucial.  --Watch videos of Robert Sheehan talking. Doesn’t have to be as Klaus, but sometimes is.  If you can’t hear the character in the dialogue (not only word choose but little mannerisms and speech patterns), rewrite it. Don’t settle until you can hear the actor’s voice.   --Scream to my friends on Discord about how much I love specific elements of the character, to get psyched up. I’m so sorry, @apocalypsejumped, you are the main person I do this to with Klaus, lmfao.  

--Never EVER look at my follower count, because it’s gonna either depress or intimidate me. 

--Look at pictures of the character. I’m incredibly visual. Just looking at my own screenshots makes me want to dissect him more. 

For advice? Oh lordy!   Uhhhh..... 

Write a lot. Practice a lot. I have a PhD and have written book manuscripts exceeding 600 pages, but you don’t have to go that far, lmao. That drabble in your head at 3 am? Get up and write it down. That passing bit of funny dialogue you think your muse would say? Write it down. I used to carry around a physical journal. Now I use my laptop. 

Write fast and only edit minimally because this is for fun, avocational, and you don’t want to spoil it with too much plotting and refinement.

Drop threads that aren’t working for you. Again, this is not a job, and when it feels like one, scale back.

Resist the urge to over-format.  If your posts cease to be easily legible, the aesthetic will only impede the flow of your prose.   It’s okay to vary your writing voice character by character. My syntax, vocab/word choice, sentence length and structure, vary from one muse to the other, bc the standard rp pov is third person singular, present-tense, meaning your muse is narrating it all from their specific pov.  Klaus and say, a very serious, formal character, would not have the same internal monologue, or even exposition. 

Beware of writing partners who are passive aggressive or possessive, who get jealous of your writing with others, and guilt you for spending your time elsewhere than catering to their needs.  I spent eight years in one of these writing partnerships and only escaped last March, and I am still recovering emotionally. Writing partners can absolutely be abusive, so make sure to enforce healthy boundaries and when they are violated repeatedly, run.

Pick a blog theme that is clearly organized and accessible. 

Don’t pick “main” or heaven forbid “exclusive” writing partners until you have experimented with your chemistry with a number of “versions” of their character (especially canons).  Take your time and see who you gel with. Sometimes you can have a great friendship with someone and your writing together still doesn’t click. It all depends on chemistry.  

Pick a small group of like minded friends and write with them. Do not worry about “exposure” or “popularity,” they are over rated.  Fandoms are genuinely crazy.  Just sit in your sandbox with your trusted buddies. <3 

Anyone else reading this, chime in with some writing advice for nonnie! <3 They’re an experienced writer but new to rp! 

[blknwld]

11/29 Pleasure Principles: Exploring The Medicine of Pleasure for Black Women Convo Resources

In this conversation, we discussed our definition of pleasure, our relationship to it, what we have been taught about pleasure by our families and social institutions, how to create a pleasure practice in real time and how Black Women in pleasure act as a healing and revolutionary force for ourselves, our friends, our lovers and our communities. During the chat I (as well as a few attendees) shared a few medicines to work with in order to facilitate pleasure in our lives. Here’s a recap of what was shared:

Herbal Therapy for Pleasure 

Mother Earth provides for her children because she wants us well and she also wants us to experience pleasure, happiness and joy. The following herbs have resonance with pleasure. Not only do many of these herbs strengthen the nervous system to facilitate ease, relaxation and receptivity in the body, they serve several emotional and spiritual functions as well.

Lavender: Gives a sense of peace and stillness in the mind and body, relieves tension, aids in getting unstuck from old mental habits, eases shyness, self consciousness and embarrassment by engendering relaxation, calms frustration and irritability, an aphrodisiac that attracts male lovers, resonates with throat and third eye chakra

Rose: Known as the Queen of the Flowers, promotes an appreciation for beauty and pleasure of all kinds, balances yin energy in order to give an overall sense of well being, promotes self love and compassion, supports the ability to heal from rejection and deep loss that inhibits openness to pleasure, joy and happiness, aphrodisiac that helps to embrace sensuality and sexuality, inspires creativity and fertility, promotes heart chakra healing

Damiana: Aphrodisiac in nature, promotes a sense of groundedness for full embodiment and presence, provides energy and vitality in the face of exhaustion and fatigue, arouses feelings of lust and desire and awakens sexual appetite, facilitates the healing of sexual hang ups, inhibitions and trauma, promotes creativity through activating vision and inspiration, resonates with sacral and third eye chakra

Lemonbalm: Promotes joy, happiness in the heart and good cheer, chases away melancholy, grief and sadness, promotes creativity and self expression, works to address the inner child and mother/feminine wounds to cultivate goddess energy, works in strengthening/healing the heart chakra

Chamomile: Calms the mind and body, relieves feelings of anger, irritation and overheating, soothes inner child wounds, assists in releasing frustration around not having wants and needs met, gives a nurturing mothering energy, assists with tendencies to over-control and promote letting go in a healthy way, promotes comfort with receiving what others have to give, supports a sunny disposition, resonates with solar plexus and throat chakra

Jasmine: Aphrodisiac in nature and reawakens the sensual/sexual nature, especially when it has been repressed by fear, frigidity and anxiety, reawakens feelings of desirability, beauty and attractiveness, helps address feelings of inadequacy, promotes creativity and feelings of being divinely inspired, supports intuition, promotes rest and high quality sleep, resonates with heart chakra and third eye chakra 

Ylang Ylang: Helps address and eradicate fear surrounding pleasure, sensuality and sexuality, promotes reconnection to the body and to the senses, uplifts and relaxes the body and mind, quells inhibitions, assists in relieving depression and anxiety, resonates with the heart and sacral chakra 

Explore the herbs in whatever way you see fit. Not only can these be enjoyed via formal medicines like teas, tinctures, flower essences, yoni steams etc, they can also be incorporated in magickal/spiritual workings, baths, aromatherapy, smoke blends, in self/body care products etc. Something as simple as burning a candle or incense with the fragrance of the herb can be healing. Simply be sure to research your herbs first and consult with a medical professional before ingesting. 

Breathwork 

The element of air is crucial! The body has to breathe. Many of us are not breathing deeply enough and therefore our bodies are not fully alive, fully engaged or fully primed for pleasure. Make a practice of breathing deeply, all the way down through the stomach and the genitals. Tonglen Meditation is an example of breathwork that not only helps us circulate air throughout our bodies, but also assists in transmuting undesirable energy and teaches us the art of giving and receiving. 

Inner Child Work

Many Black Women were robbed of the opportunity to just be girls. Therefore many of us are disconnected from the part of us that is carefree, imaginative and light hearted. Inner child work can help to reclaim this aspect and reacquaint us with what delights and satisfies us. Taking time to consider what you used to enjoy as a child/what you always wanted to do/be/have as a child is a simple yet powerful piece of shadow work that teaches to play and imagine our way back to pleasure, aliveness and pure joy. 

Chakra Engagement 

The health and functioning of our feminine chakras (energy centers) play a large role in our ability to perceive, receive and experience pleasure. 

Sacral Chakra: The seat of creative power, stores our emotional experiences and those of our ancestors, deals with relationships, the ability to connect, the ability to feel and experience pleasure. When balanced we are juicy, comfortable with our sensuality/sexuality, able to experience healthy relationships of all kinds, have good emotion regulation and good taste and are able to give and receive pleasure with ease. We are able to play the role of the Empress. When out of balance, there can be shame, guilt, fear, codependency, martyrdom, self denial, issues with addiction, frigidity and disengagement from the senses that inhibits the ability to experience satisfaction and pleasure. This chakra is supported by staying hydrated, spending time by water, movement of the body, making time for creative self expression and leisure, yoni steaming, herbs such as ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, orange, ylang ylang, jasmine and crystals such as carnelian, citrine, orange calcite, tiger’s eye and moonstone.

Heart Chakra: The connector chakra, speaks to our ability to give and receive, holds genetic, ancestral and past life memories, deals with issues of self worth, deservedness and self esteem, helps us perceives beauty in ourselves, in others and in the world and speaks to upholding boundaries. When balanced we are able to receive just as much as we give and experience reciprocity, feel worthy and hold ourselves in high regard. We can show up healthily as the lover, of people and of live. When out of balance we may have poor boundaries, an inability or refusal to receive, experience relationships with unsatisfying power dynamics, a poor self image, be plagued by the issues of our ancestors/our past life selves and a lack of appreciation for the beauty of life. This chakra is supported by loving affirmations, exposure to beauty and culture, honest communication and connecting authentically with others, herbs such as rose, lemonbalm, sandalwood, bergamot and mint and crystals such as rose quartz, rhodonite, rhodochrosite, chrysocolla, malachite and pink opal.

Third Eye Chakra: The place of vision, speaks to our ability to perceive beyond our 5 primary senses, deals with our ability to dream and allows us to correctly discern. When in balance, we are able to receive intuitive messages from our bodies about what is pleasurable and good for us, imagine new possibilities for lives and instinctively know the truth. We are able to rest in the energy of the High Priestess. When out of balance, we lack vision, are prone to deception by self and others and disconnected from divine intelligence. This chakra is supported by meditation, dreamwork, healthy sleep and rest routines, prayer, visualization, herbs such as mugwort, lavender, frankincense, passionflower and holy basil and crystals such as herkimer diamond, amethyst, lapis lazuli, lepidolite and clear quartz. 

Ancestral Practice

Living in pleasure is an intergenerational affair. We inherit many of our beliefs, thoughts, emotions and patterns around pleasure from our ancestral lineage. It can be extremely impactful to bring up the issues of pleasure, happiness, joy and satisfaction at our altars for healing, insight and wisdom. Consulting with the ancestral mothers (and the daddies, too) can help us heal and untangle intergenerational traumas for ourselves and for our dead. Many of our ancestors did not have opportunities to experience the pleasure we now have access to now and they want us to get our inheritance. If you are interested in learning how to begin/nurture an ancestral practice, we recommend checking out the following reputable practitioners and priestesses:

A Little Juju Podcast  @Jujubae

Satarra @iamsatarra

Iyalosa Osunyemi Akalatunde @got2boshun

Negarra A Kudumu @negarraakudumu

Astrological Moon and Venus

Planets in astrology represent psychological impulses and can shed light on how we receive pleasure, what we deem pleasurable and how we can get our needs met. The planet Venus is the planet associated with affinity, our tastes, preferences and likes, style of connecting, how we give and receive affection (love language), receptivity, femininity, aesthetics and sensuality. The moon is associated with the body and its cycles, physical and emotional needs, our natural instincts and what is inherited through the bloodline, particularly through our foremothers. Taking time to explore the chart can assist in getting us acquainted with what we want and what we need to maximize the pleasure we experience in our day to day lives. I recommend checking out the following astrologers for more information:

The People’s Oracle (Sidereal Astrology)

Samuel F. Reynolds (Tropical Astrology)

Sagittarian Mind (Tropical Astrology)

Books

We stan a book over here. These are suggested reads from me and a couple of the beautiful ladies who contributed to the conversation.

“Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good” x adrienne maree brown 

“Please: Radical Self-Care for Wild Women of Color” and “Pussy Prayers” x Black Girl Bliss 

Chakras and Their Archetypes: Uniting Energy Awareness and Spiritual Growth x Ambika Wauters 

“Urban Tantra: Sacred Sex for the 21st Century” x Barbara Carrellas 

Fascinating Womanhood  x Helen Andelin

The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook: A Complete Guide to Magickal Herbs and How to Use Them x Karen Harrison