#and the extra layer that makes it more is that they're also best friends and specifically the best friend Dan's ever had

[dandp]

Don't you think that maybe, just maybe Dan and Phil might be QPR? Like it's a very special relationship, more than romantic [as Dan said in his coming out video] but not exactly like typical couples. I think if they are, they don't hv the words. But oh gosh, do I not love whatever they have!

No.

[dreemurr-skelememer]

Hello :D

I have been following you for the last year or so (a few days after I got my Tumblr lmao) and I absolutely love your art!

I have been wanting to study your art style for a while but don't really know where to start,,,

Could you please show me a small portion of your art process, if it isn't too much trouble of course. Thank you and have a nice day!

hello. oh my god. this took forever to find.

im sorry it took 2 WHOLE FUCKING MONTHS for me to respond to this but i wanted to put it off until i felt happy with my art process again, so here it is

my fall 2024 rendering tutorial!

(this will be very very long)

FLATS AND WHATEVER YOU WANNA DO WITH LINES GIRL. then make sure to recolor the lineart to better match your base. trust me it helps, bold dark lines are Not your best friend when rendering. wait for that post-rendering

i start off with a doodle or a sketch, and then filling it in with flats and other details such as blush

FIGURE OUT YOUR LIGHT SOURCE. FIGURE IT OUT GIRL YOU CAN DO IT you can make it as simple as possible, make it as big as possible, dont even THINK about the details.........just make it really fucking big so you at least know where the shadows and the light goes THEN add smaller shading details LISTEN TO ME. LISTEN TO ME OKAY!!!!!!!!

my key point with this is for you to learn lighting fundamentals.

it's SOOO ANNOYING but alas......they are all correct. it helps a lot.

one thing i also really want to point out is that i like creating a big shadow shape first before fixing up the little details (such as folds and whatever) because it helps me focus on the way the lighting actually works instead of tunnel vision-ing into making the shading make sense on the clothing.

contact shadows (i dont remember if thats what theyre called okay) theyre fucking ugly because im not actually thinking sorry 💔

okay so basically:

contact shadows (if that's what they're called) are the spots in shading and lighting where light will NEVER hit.

shadows are still influenced by the colors and lights around it (it's why a blue shadow and a yellow shadow feel completely different, despite both being shadows) so it's not always COMPLETELY dark.

BUT! there are small points in shadows where light never hits, and they're almost always super dark or pitch black.

it's hard to explain shadow and light so briefly for a tutorial, but you'll notice it when watching fundamental studies and when trying it out for yourself

YES i unclipped the multiply layer YES its ugly and terrifying but it makes coloring the multiply layer easier okay the colors merged w multiply so now it looks cool and has depth overlaying colors that actually make sense

so basically what i did was color the multiply layer that i used to shade the overall drawing

adding a band of red/orange/yellow around where the light hits, and blue where the shadows get big and wide, gives it a fake ambient occlusion effect in the way that a person would get if they stood under the sun with a clear blue sky

the colors don't have to make sense, especially because i never draw backgrounds, but coloring the shadows really help it give a sense of depth and extra subtle detail and effect that just helps make the painting look nicer

around the end, i also put in colors (in an overlay layer with a low opacity brush) that actually make sense in context of the drawing, which is the lit cigarette and the yellow eyelights

mostly because none of the colors were making sense and i needed to actually make use of the lighting that DOES exist in the drawing lol

adding a muddy golden yellow pin light layer (opacity turned down to like 40-50%) to make the light colors less ugly lol

i SWEAR by the fucking pin light layer style. it's so useful and so so underrated.

i used an almost brown-ish gold color on stop of all the layers, and with the pin light layer, it helped make the bright (almost blue-ish) white colors more warm and more yellow. it just helps make things more warm (something i prefer)

i could probably show what it looks like without adjusting the layer opacity to truly show off what i mean (like in the coming section) but i sadly forgot to do that lol

make a layer on top of your drawing with this color in these ranges YES the drawing is fully merged NO don't be afraid, the base was fucking ugly anyway 💔 make this layer into an exclude/exclusion layer style TRUST turn down your exclusion layer opacity from a range of 10% to 40% literally until you're happy with the contrast and the way the color over the drawing. use your eyeballs. i know you can do it im so proud of you

this is pretty self-explanatory instruction-wise, so i'll go into why i do this instead

i really like art that seems like it has low contrast, with almost mid-gray shading and lines. i don't personally use dark and bold lines and shading, unless i find it necessary for the tone of the piece, so using this method helps lower the contrast of the art and make it look "pleasantly muddy" in the way that it's easier and softer on the eyes.

the inverted blue color also helps makes things warmer!

the exclusion layer style is still a bit of a mystery to me but i really like the effect it gives, even if i don't completely get how it works lol

if you want an alternative method to this, and if you have access to it (because i primarily use sai and sai only),

i absolutely encourage you to play around and experiment with gradient maps.

there are so many out there you can make yourself or even get from others that just give the painting an extra amount of depth and color variation. they're SO fun.

personally, if sai2 gets a gradient map update, it's over for y'all it will literally be so over no one will be able to stop me

then i merged everything and actually adjusted the contrast back up because it was looking too muddy for me 💔 but the color adjustments are still there so all hope is not lost here's a comparison of the adjusted contrast in black and white (adjusted on the left) (newly merged layer without adjusting the contrast on the right)

as you can see, i actually turned the contrast back up (despite talking all about how i liked things with less contrast lol)

i wanted to demonstrate that doing adjustments should be done in moderation, and is why i adjust layer opacity often when making color effects

you are free to play around with colors to help your style, but don't lose your initial idea and colors along the way.

you still need to trust your own colors and intuition!

along with that, i just want to say that it's completely okay to change your mind mid-painting, and it's okay to make somewhat drastic changes.

don't be afraid to change things you don't like or change your mind about certain aspects way later on

that's basically the whole thing of this!!! don't be scared!!!

now im gonna hold your hand when i say this..........but you need to learn how to render by yourself. it seems like i can teach you but i literally can't, because rendering is different on every piece and depending on how clean your base is. i have to render A LOT because of how fucking ugly my sketches are LMAO to simplify it, think of it as obsessively cleaning up every detail you can see, but with a color picker and a clean, hard edged brush. if you have shit lineart, you don't have to redraw it cleanly over and over, just paint over it. that's basically what rendering is

THIS especially is where you need to be brave and stop being scared.

like i said, i can't teach you how to render, and it's something you have to discover yourself because rendering is something that will always be personal to every single piece you make. the way you render on every piece is different.

on one piece, you will barely need to render, and on another, rendering is more than half of your ENTIRE process.

don't be afraid to paint over your old art.

rendering is a process that's both very perfectionist yet also very careless.

find your balance and just go for it.

and then that's it……..u did it………..now yuo know how to paint and render. it's literally just layering shading and lighting knowledge until you think it makes sense and looks okay lol additional note: since i render in only one layer (you don't HAVE to do this, but it'll be harder for you…), i also made slight adjustments with the transform (and liquify, if you have it) tool to make things more proportionate. (i drew the head too big lol)

if you compare the finished piece to the final unrendered base, you can see that a LOT changed, including a bit of subtle proportion adjustment.

particularly, the sleeves changed A LOT (because i really didn't like them)

but it's also over all cleaner and more coherent, instead of having haphazard colors and shading just thrown about.

rendering is when you finally use all 100% of your brain to finalize and figure out where the shading should go, where to clean up your lines, where to ERASE or ADD BACK in lines, and make sure all your colors look coherent.

it's not as intimidating as it seems, i only use a hard edged brush with a little bit of color mixing and my color picker.

it's like dragging and dropping colors to cover up mistakes, it's really quite fun when you get used to it

i wish i could explain it clearer but it's hard to describe without visuals!

i hope this helped, and i hope all my yapping isn't annoying (art as a special interest beloved)

have fun studying and trying to render in my art style!

[batfambrainrotbeloved]

what do the rouges think of cardinal?

OHHHHH What a lovely question <33

Since i've yet to write in Cardinal in a scene beyond his desk work- these might change.

Cardinal acts well- like a cryptic?? It's a complete coin toss how he will behave, if he will turn the creepy to 100% and speak in tounge's (its a mix of latin and greek) But when he DOES respond its through a heavy voice modulater.

However if you want specifics?? (also some extra lore of some rouges no longer active- both due to. Cardinals interference and BECAUSE I SAID SO)

Joker- They are a menace, never once humors his schemes- he knows the moment Cardinal gets involved his fun is ruined. Therefore he hates their guts. (Cardinal is reported 10x more brutal when faced with the Joker)

Scarecrow- Self proclaimed "Arch enemy" of Cardinal since hes never once sucseeded in drugging them, and he longs to know what would make the little bird sing. (Cardinal is said to have an entire pocket dedicated to backup rebreathers, usually lets the bats take over)

Riddler- LOVES Cardinal so so much- they are like best friends (no no they are not) Cardinal seems to enjoy his puzzles and he's able to pull out ones even the Batman would struggle with. Sometimes an informant for a good game. (Cardinal will admit, out of all the rouges? He doesn't mind Riddler- just with less hostages)

Harley- Thinks they are strange, even more strange than the bats. But more than anything concerning- their behaviors raise a ton of red flags but she doubts she can convince them to therapy, though it is her goal. (Cardinal is... unsure about Harley, she's changed- but memories are hard)

Ivy- Theres a mutual respect- Though out of all the vigilantes Cardinal seems to fear her the most, the last time being hit by her pollen they freaked out enough Harley made her give over the antidote. They definently fight, but she does try and hold back some of her more underhanded stuff. (Cardinals suit got several more layers after that incident)

Mr.Freeze- Reformed villain now, as a result of Cardinal. Aka when he first did his villain monologue to them- they had spoke (for the first time to ANY rouge) and asked to see his blue prints. A few years later his suit was fortified to help him live a somewhat normal life, and his wife had been cured. They got their life back. Leaving Gotham soon after, but he still checks in on ocassion (Cardinal never responds though, but they're happy with the updates- that he was able to help)

Catwoman- Annoying, but interesting for sure. It seems no matter how elaborate her scheme they always seem to pop in and just stare or even wave. The most interesting thing though? They never stop her. Certian locations she robs they will return the item (usually museums) but have never once tried to actually take her in. If anything shes half convinced they throw the bats off her trail, its interesting. (She never steals from anyone who cant afford to replace it, and honestly her stuff goes to a good cause-)

Clayface- Never became a villain- After his accident, Dagget had been shut down long before so Matt Hageb he had no accsess to the cream. With the help of his coworker (and future husband) Teddy Lupus he got the help he needed. Drake Industries came out with an amazing prosthesis program that helped construct a whole new face. Now Mr & Mr Lupus live in upper west side of Gotham where they now raise two daughters going to Gotham Academy.

Blackmask- Hates their fucking guts. People think Cardinal comes down on the Joker hard? They're practically suffocating Black Mask movements- buisness is failing and at this rate he's trying to put out a hit on the fucker. (The hates their guts is mutual)

Two face- Instead of going to the Manori trial- Harvey had an emergency call from a very panicky Bruce who suddenly had CPS knocking at his door about Dick. The delay finding a new attorney meant Manori was found with the acid and held for attempted assault while Harvey was scot free. He owns his own law firm now and has continued to be a close confident to Bruce and "Uncle" to the kids. (Cardinal cried when he first found out about Harvey, that he was okay- he thought it had been too late.)

Penguin- Cardinal is a pain in their ass, not as much as Black mask but still just enough that he doesnt hold back when attacking. The ONLY saving grace from absolute hatred is Cardinal outright refuses to fight any of his birds, and will even go as far as to save some of them when the bats are too careless to notice a penguin slipping off a roof. (Cardinal wishes Penguin would stop dragging actual penguins into his shit- even with guns they're just too cute)

[horsegirlwarcrimes]

For drabble ideas: MQF and SQH feat. rare medicinal plants.

(I feel like SQH doesn't know it but on MQF's side they're totally friends)

Hope you like this one, thank you for your hard work! ^-^

I LOVE THIS. and i liked it so much that i didnt answer for like 3 weeks im s o so r r y. HOWEVER it is also twice as long as my usual prompt fills so i hope you enjoy pt 1

—

As the Lord of Qian Cao Peak, there are few things which cause Mu Qingfang to make anything like a ‘walk of shame’ across his peak. He is an esteemed scholar, a competent fighter, and a doctor who is considered by many to work miracles. People come to him to solve their problems, and when he must consult his sect siblings, it is with the self-assured confidence of an expert in one field seeking the wisdom of an expert in another.

It is with a heavy heart that he is forced to trudge across Qian Cao, over the rainbow bridge, through Ku Xing Peak, around Xian Xu Peak, and up to An Ding to knock at the Peak Lord’s door in the middle of the night. 

Shang Qinghua answers on the second knock. He appears in the doorway, backlit by the lanterns behind him, accompanied by a wave of cool air and an anxious smile. The man is still fully dressed, guan in place and ink turning his fingers black and smudging darkly across his jaw. No—a bruise, blooming purple. Mu Qingfang’s hands itch to check it, but instead he folds his hands in a shallow bow as Shang Qinghua’s eyebrows go up at the sight of him. 

“Shang-shixiong, this one apologized for disturbing you so late.” 

“Mu-shidi! A pleasant surprise. Don’t worry about it, there’s no way I would be asleep at this time. I thought you were gonna be one of my disciples telling me something was unexpectedly on fire, so really, this is an improvement. What can I do for you?” 

Mu Qingfang sighs. He really hates doing this.

“I’m afraid I must ask your expertise on a sensitive matter.” 

“Oh—? Ooooh. One of those nights, huh? Come on in.” 

Shang Qinghua steps aside, waving lazily over his shoulder for Mu Qingfang to follow him. He calls out, facing his sitting room, 

“Make yourself at home, Shidi. Sorry about the mess, you can push some scrolls over if you need to.” 

Mu Qingfang steps into the front room, taking in the familiar papers, scrolls, and cushions scattered around the floor, the desk, the shelves… he sees one booklet poking out of a plant pot. A Snow Lion Bush, red berries gleaming and viny tendrils swaying as if in an invisible breeze—maybe that is what’s responsible for the unusually cool temperatures Shang Qinghua always seems to keep his rooms at. Mu Qingfang almost wishes he’d worn an extra layer. 

Shang Qinghua starts making tea, and Mu Qingfang moves to take the kettle from his hands.

“Please, allow me. I’m the one who is disturbing you so late.” Best to step in before they both end up sipping bitter tea. 

Shang Qinghua chuckles and raises his hands in defeat, stepping away to ease himself down at his overflowing desk. Mu Qingfang makes a note—stiff, moving gingerly. Fatigue, muscle strain, or an injury he’s avoiding aggravating? He roots around Shang Qinghua’s cabinets until he locates slightly stale dried danshen and curcumin, makes a note to bring more by later as a thank you. 

“So… who’s the lucky victim?” Shang Qinghua asks. 

Mu Qingfang nudges some scrolls aside with his foot and sits in front of the man’s desk, pushing more paperwork aside to set down the pot and two cups of tea with Shang Qinghua’s consenting hand-wave. 

“You know I can’t tell you that, Shixiong.” 

“Ah I know, I know. Can’t blame me for asking. I really want it to be that one guy from Qiong Ding who keeps denying my funding requests for—anyways, it doesn’t matter. What are you looking for, exactly?” 

Mu Qingfang knocks his tea back like downing a cup of wine. “I have two victims of a spring plant. Contact based—their clothes were coated in an opalescent pink powder, fine grained. I spoke with them both individually. One described it as ‘vine like,’ the other ‘bush like.’ Both said the flowers were white and pink, with green stems and leaves and a darker pink tear drop shaped metal emerging from a soft, fur-like white bud.”

“Ahh, ‘Drawstring pulled tight upon sweet fragrance pent within’1?” Shang Qinghua asks, quoting something Mu Qingfang doesn’t recognize. He tilts his head, and Shang Qinghua waves him off. “Don’t worry about it. Those sound familiar! Should I assume the sect members in question are, ah, feeling some effect?” 

“They have refused the… ordinary methods of relief from a trained service worker, myself, each other, and any other member of the sect who might be asked. One of them has a fever that’s making them hallucinate, and the other has developed an unusual rash.” 

TBC...

1王文英 (Wáng Wényīng) Poems of a Hundred Flowers: number 70 - Purse Peony

玲珑奇巧涎欲滴

[syninplays]

So uhm... I did a thing...

✨Character Info Template✨

UPDATE 11.24.24: this template now has a page theme version! if you're not a fan of templates, you can get the code to use it as an interactive multimuse page >here<

Been meaning to do this a long time ago (and actually started it but never finished it, lol) as a way to share some more information about my ocs without needing to use a custom page theme, but mostly because I haven't found any page theme that looks exactly as I want and allows this much customization.

There are two versions and both are almost exactly the same; but the example shown in the left has an 'appearance' section which is small and has few quick facts regarding the oc's appearance; while the example on the right has a 'moodboard' section instead which allows you to add more info about your oc.

You can change every section/title to fit your needs like I did in the examples below; I personally removed some categories as well and got rid of some connections as this oc doesn't have that many close friends/partners to fill the original template. However, I also included an extra separated 'connections' section in the download in case you want to add more people and more information.

I recommend you stick to square-shaped pictures so it's easier to fit them to each section. Also if and when you edit the information or section titles, please select only one line at a time to replace it so you don't lose the text format. (Titles shouldn't change because that's a single format/font within the same text box, but should it change you can always hit ctrl+z hehe) When you're done, I strongly recommend you save this as a .png instead of .jpg so it's the best possible quality!

Last but not least, this is a .psd file. So you'll need either Photoshop (I did this with Photoshop Portable, but it supports newer versions of PS and it *should* support older versions too) or Photopea to open and edit this file.

Credits: Adobe Photoshop, Inter font, Golften Vintage font

>DOWNLOAD< (patreon but free :p)

(note: I'm posting this with my gaming blog because I think my fellow gamers might be interested in this, but please consider giving credits to me if you use this template by tagging @synindoodles instead of this blog)

More info on how to use and edit this template below the cut!

Layers:

>Each layer is properly named and categorized. The general layers such as the background, the icon shape and background shapes are under the groups.

>If you don't want to see/don't need one of the connections' pictures and information, I recommend you find which one it is (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6) and click on the eye symbol next to the layer to hide it so that way if you ever need it, it won't be truly gone.

>To edit a text section, simply find the layer (such as General Information>Left Column) and double click on the 'T' symbol next to the layer. That way it will open edit mode and allow you to edit the text, just don't hit delete or enter while everything is selected or you'll erase it :p

>Main text sections aren't separated, they're blocks of text. I recommend you don't remove the amount (for example, if you downloaded the version with the 'appearance' section, which has 5 sections of information, don't remove the fifth line.) Either leave it empty or replace it with another data, otherwise it will look weird. The 'general information' section might look good even if you remove a few lines, just don't get rid of the whole block of text.

Pictures:

>To add a new picture, simply paste it over this document and move it using the Move Tool.

>To frame it (so it becomes a circle or fits over the shape you want), make sure the picture layer is over the layer you want, then while holding alt click between the two layers. [For example, if you want to add a new main oc picture: 1) paste the pic you want, 2) move it with the Move Tool so it's covering the big circle, 3) once you've fully covered the shape (if it isn't you can resize it by right clicking on it then on 'free transform', sometimes you might need to hold shift to proportionally resize it) make sure the newly pasted pic layer is over the layer named "picture goes here", 4) hold the alt key and hover your mouse cursor over the line between your pic layer and the circle layer until you see an arrow going down symbol, once you see it click it and tah dah! your picture should now have the same shape as the circle! - you can further move it if it doesn't fit the way you want with the Move Tool (;

Others:

>You can change every color, font and section to your liking, just don't change the general layout of the template.

>To hide/show the guides (those bright blue lines all over the document), click ctrl+,

>'Inter' is a free font and you can get it in the link above (linked with the credits), Golften Vintage is not, but you can get the demo version >here< (just scroll down and click the blue download button under license). I will not tell you how to install fonts as it might be different for everyone (for me it's C:/Windows/Fonts and I just drop the zipped files (except the .txt one) there), but google is your friend.

>I can't think of anything else that needs to be said here, but if you have any other question feel free to send me an ask or dm and I'll help you out!

>Last but not least, a like is appreciated if you plan to use this plus consider tagging @synindoodles if you use it <3

[bratbby333]

the jjk men + their drink of choice

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾

blurb/brain dump

sfw; mentions of alcohol, obvi

feat: suguru, yuuji, megumi, satoru, nanami, sukuna, toji, ++ choso

author notes: i've been bartending for three years now and i can safely say ive gotten pretty good at reading people and guessing their go-to drinks,,so here's the jjk men!

-suguru: a whiskey coke. probably jack or maker's mark. simple, straightforward, and gets the job done. suguru is too laid back to be picky and is definitely the most patient person sitting at the bar. his intuitive and observant nature has him scanning the other patrons at the bar; he's a people watcher for entertainment, paying no mind to the tv's. he speaks to the bartender with a smile on his face, joking around with them, making small talk and sarcastic remarks. he's just so sassy and violently intelligent; his soft, healing energy rubbing off on everyone around him. he's a breath of fresh air in a busy bar environment. he tips well, too.

-yuuji: a piña colada (rum, coconut cream, pineapple juice; blended and served in a hurricane glass, garnished with a slice of pineapple and a maraschino cherry). freshly 21 years old, this would be his first legal drink. "look, you even get snacks with it!!" he'd say, referring to the garnishes, his age definitely showing with this drink. he attempts to chug it, getting a brain freeze in the process.

-megumi: an espresso martini. classy, bold, and strong; this drink is definitely for someone who wants to appear more mature and sophisticated than they actually are. megumi is mature, but he's overcompensating for the fact that his best friend just ordered the fruitiest drink possible. the caffeine mixing with the liquor makes meg more talkative than usual, and his reserved nature and unreadable face is left at the door and replaced with soft smiles and the occasional chuckle at his goofy friends. he'd also definitely makes fun of yuuji for ordering that piña colada.

-satoru: a tequila sunrise (tequila, orange juice, grenadine, layered to make a gradient). extra af, sweet, and fruity. orders it with a triple shot cause he's grown. "it's just so pretty, isn't it?" he'd giggle, kicking his feet under the bar like he isn't a fully grown man or the strongest sorcerer in the jujutsu world. oh, satoru. filled with such child-like wonder. with enough drinks in his system (although, he'd definitely do this without the liquor), he would work his way around the bar trying to make conversation with anyone and everyone, not caring if they didn't participate- no biggie, he'd just talk at them.

-nanami: a manhattan or an old fashioned, but only with top-shelf bourbon. it'd be a waste to have the bartender craft this perfect cocktail and use shitty liquor. he sips it slow, savoring the caramel notes of the bourbon. the perfect drink for a stoic and reserved man. nanami definitely has a sophisticated palate and never settles for low quality liquor. he goes to more upscale bars, enjoying the smooth jazz that pours through the speakers, occasionally snacking on small h'ordeurves, but more often than not working his way through a pile of paperwork.

-sukuna: liquid cocaine shots (equal parts goldschlager, jager, and rumple minze). absolutely unhinged and vile, but if you like them, you love them. and sukuna loooves them. he takes the shots like they're water and still manages to out drink everyone else; he'll even offer to buy shots for everyone at the bar, the other patrons cheering and thanking him, expecting it to be shots of vodka or tequila. with a maniacal smile plastered across his face, he watches as everyone's faces contort in disgust when they realize it's a liquid cocaine shot. sukuna just grins as they struggle to get them down. such a sadist. an absolute menace.

-toji: an adios motherfucker (equal parts tequila, vodka, gin, rum, and blue curaçao, with sour mix and sprite). "but that's such a lame drink!" his friends say, but toji would roll his eyes and state that it's a funny drink name and that it gets him drunker quicker; promptly chugging it and ordering another. the glass looks so small in his giant hands, other bar patrons casting judgmental gazes in his direction at the scene in front of them; giant, scary-looking man and his fruity little drink, but he couldn't care less. it's not like they have the balls to say anything to his face, any way.

-choso: a little overwhelmed by bar culture but happy to be invited anyway, he'd sneak a straw into his brother's piña colada, even though yuuji would be more than happy to share. choso would eventually branch out on his own after feeling a bit more confident (and after googling the most popular drinks around the world) settling on a mojito, not realizing it was one of the more laborious drinks a bartender could make. he'd feel bad when he realized it and wouldn't order one again, apologizing profusely to the bartender.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾

author notes: this took me way longer to write than it should have solely because i couldn't stop laughing over some of the scenarios. also,,i just want to thank each and every one of y'all for liking, commenting, and reblogging my stories...it means so so so much to me and i wish i could give all y'all a big ole smooch on the forehead (consensually). my inbox is open n ready for ur suggestions...please feel free to drop a request♡

© bratbby333 on tumblr. all rights reserved. please do not distribute. 2024.

[demonslayedher]

Well... after spending most of my day languidly sighing about having to wait for more content but how much that content is gonna hurt, I did my rewatch with a friend and we spent about an hour pouring over every detail of it and how good it was, as well as our apprehension about the pacing of combining other content into movies. As much as we'd love to see a return to a 60 episode anime arc for the sake of momentum, we come to Ufotable expecting quality, and they wouldn't decide to do this unless they had a plan for how to make it quality. Try though I might to guess how and where they'll split this into three movies, it's all guesswork (heck, maybe they'll even switch the order of things around so that Douma's defeat comes before Akaza's for the sake of a more complete-feeling movie.

But the thing that makes me most sad about the announcement, now that it is official and not just a rumor, is that I don't know how long I have to wait.

And what will I get at the end of this wait? The death I fear watching the most, and they're gonna make me go through that in the theater, and not even at the end of the movie. That's gonna be almost right at the start.

Phew. Anyway. We really did gush and gush and gush and gush about everything that was so good in this episode, and it's because of this that I trust Ufotable (mostly). There is SO MUCH to gush about it, and it doesn't just come down to the slow-mo explosion and use of color to show how healthy Muzan is in comparison to Kagaya and the layering and timing of images and sound, but also just what the editorial decisions did to take Gotouge's characterization and make it unmistakable.

It's such a good reminder than what has kept me so deeply in this is the characters themselves, the layers going on between what we're given. Like, Kagaya only being able to trust Himejima with this mission, knowing there is a possibility Himejima will have to hold his own against Muzan, for who knows how long, and how is touched by Kagaya's faith in him, and how the unsurprising realization settles that this will indeed be a fight until sunrise, and the relief as well as the pride he feels when the other Hashira assemble so quickly, and the way his voice cracks when he announces who they are looking at? And nobody else made that connection except for Tanjiro, for their thoughts were so wrapped up in either holding out some desperate hope that their master might respond to them calling out his name like Mitsuri and Iguro, or like Sanemi consumed with the thought this demon, whoever he is, killed their master, for again, only Tanjiro who smelled the explosives seems to realize right away that this was on purpose? And the fact that Kagaya thought through every one of those five Hashira, and decided one by one that he couldn't tell them his plan? Even Shinobu, who herself has the very same plan and has discussed it with Kagaya, cannot be entrusted with the knowledge that he plans to use himself as bait. And that Kagaya, for every word he said, he was very consciously stretching that out, second by second, knowing that any extra innocuous thing he can get Muzan to listen to, whether it be prattling about tigers and dragons or asking Amane what he looks like, is going to save his children precious seconds of having to keep an onslaught going until sunrise. The little touches of characterization, like drawing us in to wonder if Zenitsu is sleeping and then revealing that no, indeed he is not, and the fact that Nichika and Hinaki had to choose to go outside, to a courtyard where a stranger was already standing, to start playing and do their best to play up their innocence for the sake of adding seconds more of distraction, and the way Kagaya turns toward Amane in the very last second, and Giyuu looking for Tanjiro as they fall, and despite everyone else stuck in free fall or smacking into things, Tanjiro, the only one who has seen Muzan before, is the only one to find his footing, is such a good main character moment.

And the "people's feelings are inextinguishable" moment among candlelit graves? Thank you. I had been thinking about those graves ever since we didn't see them in any of Muzan's strut through the previous episode.

Okay, speaking of linking images with sounds and lines, the fact that Kagaya brings up how Muzan hasn't been forgiven for ruthlessly taking away others' lives, and how it focuses especially on Hinaki and Nichika, whom Kagaya has already chosen to do the same to? And the hot linger of slaughters innocents represented by all those toy balls? AND HOW EVERY MOMENT MADE US MANGA READERS FLINCH AND THINK "NOW IT BLOWS UP"? Yeah, that was good.

Also, Japanese Netflix did not include the Taisho Secret. I don't know if this extra-secret Taisho Secret was only available on FujiTV or something, but when it comes to the mood this episode set me into, I'm glad I didn't initially see it. While I'm generally happy it exists (and I've been hoping for this kind of content ever since the previous season), I wish they would have had a little more restraint to make it sweeter. But hey, it was still sweet and I bought a sweet potato today for obvious reasons.

[serasarascreams]

Might as well add more thoughts into the mix. I was going to do it in the tags of the last post but it felt long enough. The last set of tags was a perspective I don't think I've seen yet, but then again I haven't been here too long. I think they're right in idea that the theme of responsibility doesn't just extend to Curly and Jimmy and that the game itself is a showcase of how all the little things add up and create the bigger issues alongside the certain major steps that were taken. They (aka @son-of-crows-and-rats) put it in much better terms than I did.

I was so focused on the main plot of the game a lot of other things went over my head, and while some things hit me later I'm sure there are more things like the person (and multiple others) pointed out that I'll catch here or again have it hit me later. Fuck Jimmy is the initial reaction I had at the end of the game, screaming disappointment in Curly came next, and the bleakness and awfulness of the events continue to seep through whenever I think about it.

I'm also very much on board with the statement that Curly did not deserve what happened to him and it's kinda messed up to say. Him getting deep fried, for lack of a better term, is another major consequence of him and Jimmy's actions (or inaction in Curly's case) while Anya is another. It's just a consequence that effects him directly now and I think that's a parallel to the way Anya was directly affected by Curly and Jimmy's actions. Neither Anya or Curly deserved the pain inflicted upon them, deserved to be forced to continue to live with it and all the suffering that followed, or deserved to have their autonomy ripped away from them.

Curly is not a trash human being, but I don't think I can call him a good man either. Good natured maybe, but not the best guy. The painful irony of his situation hits harder after the final conversation with Anya. His eye is always open, it's too painful to move, he can't speak. He can only watch and listen. There's no way for him to take responsibility anymore even if he desperately wants to. I think what's worse for him is that he got to live after seeing the monster beneath the skin of his friend destroy everyone and everything around him. I saw someone else say that when he froze the day of the crash it was a moment of "you were everything I feared you were" and I think that just adds an extra layer of awful to it. Curly could have been better, and if he gets rescued and lives, I like to think he will be. But I wonder if in the back of his mind it'll always eat at him that it wasn't when it mattered.

Sorry, that this partially ended up turning into a Curly post. It's just that he seems to be talked about the most. That's fair. He, Anya, and Jimmy are the ones who push the initial topic of discussion to the surface because it's there front an center.

I'll probably have more to say the more realizations dawn and the more I scroll through the tag. This is the first game in a long time that made me cry and the only horror game to really mess me up. Funny enough, it's because Curly scares me more than Jimmy.

I love this game and all the infuriating and saddening elements within and around it. I love and hate how human all these characters are. If Wrong Organ ever makes another game in the future, I'll be running to check it out.

[llamagoddessofficial]

thinkin about Naga Skull in the winter and just- Mc cranking up the thermostat, covering themselves in layer after layer of thick clothes until they’re sweating and then letting Skull wrap around them and absorb the excess body heat, Mc calling in to work to say they’re gonna have to work virtually- and hot cocoa. hot cocoa every single night

Is your naga partner wintering, and you're not sure what that entails? Here's a helpful guide for when your naga partner is starting to get broody in the cold weather. If you don't know what to do, or this is your first time wintering with your naga partner, just follow these simple steps to be prepared!

Your partner will undergo some behavioural changes. Don't panic! This is a very normal process for naga and he'll be back to his regular self come spring. Common 'broody' behaviour changes include shortened temper, possessiveness, distrust of outsiders, increased need for touch, heightened dislike of whichever gender you're attracted to, lack of speech.

Remember- uncharacteristic possessiveness of a human partner is normal for a wintering naga! Winter is usually a dangerous time for naga, and it's a sign that he loves you and wants to protect you.

Your partner will get defensive of his territory (the home). This is fine, so long as no strangers enter his space.

Generally, your family and close friends will be allowed to enter the premises, but if you're on bad terms with any of them he will pick up on your stress and may become aggressive. It's a good idea for anyone considering visiting a wintering naga and their partner to bring food as a gift.

Stock up on snacks in case he decides he doesn't want to let you go out in the cold. Telling him you're going to get food will sometimes be a good enough reason to let you leave, but just in case he's moody and would rather go hunt something himself than let you out, some extra food in storage wouldn't be remiss.

Try to keep the lights low. Many naga enter a near-hibernation state in winter, bright blue lighting can confuse them and make them grouchy. Try replacing harsh bulbs with warm mood lights, or lots of small string lights.

He may sleep for up to fourteen hours a day. This is normal.

Let your partner make you a nest. A minimum of ten pillows/blankets in the house is recommended to prevent him from tearing up any furniture. Even better, get some more pillows and blankets before winter arrives, just for him- he'll greatly appreciate you assisting him in making the nest.

It is also normal for a tired naga partner to start talking about long-term relationship plans, like children and marriage. This is just his nesting instincts talking, it's best to wait until spring/summer to make any serious life plans.

Your natural body heat will be very attractive to him during this period, so expect to be unable to leave the nest when he's sleeping.

If your partner is a Class C naga or higher, or is venomous, Do not let him answer the door

Let your boss/place of work know your partner is wintering. They cannot legally make you come into work during this period. If they demand you come in anyway, be sure to let them know they're welcome to come try and get you out themselves.

[icy-book]

Hi, I'm Icy and this is my terrick propaganda post

Why should I vote terrick in the unpopular/niche dndads shipping pole, you may ask. Well, here's my best attempt at consoladating why I ship terrick, things I love about them, and why I think they're a ship that should be significantly more popular than it is:

Narrative parallels in season 1

This one I think is fascinating! The kiddads went through a lot in the Forgotten Realms, and the fact that they're the only ones who can understand what they've been through has been the basis of a lot of fics and posts I've seen about them. But I would argue, Terry Jr and Nicky can understand each others experiences best.

They both had their memories messed with in the Forgotten Realms. Nicky obviously through the trial and the two dads, two timelines things, but vampire Terry Sr literally ate Terry Jr's positive memories of his father, and given how long he was there, Terry Jr probably only has faint or negative memories of the real Terry Sr. They also both have a dead parent that they can't mourn properly because of the memory thing. With Morgan, she's not dead anymore. Except Nicky remembers her dying, remembers grieving for her, and in many ways that Morgan is dead. Glenn himself says so. And for Terry, how do you mourn someone you don't remember? Who you know you grieved but can't understand why anymore. And that loving one dad feels like a betrayal to the other. For Terry Jr, loving Ron feels like forgetting Terry Sr, and for Nicky his two dads are actively antagonistic towards each other. The fact that they go through such similar things in the opposite direction is a really fun playground to play in, and being able to have that openness because they understand it better than the others I think ads an extra layer of intimacy.

2. They're canonically best friends.

Childhood best friends to lovers is a trope I adore. I think the notes of this post describe it well, as well as this fic I accidently wrote in Aether's inbox. They have the potential to be really incredibly fluffy together, even from a purely platonic perspective. But it also puts a really interesting spin on my next point:

3. The Betrayal

Ooooooooooo Terry Jr having been the one to shoot Nicky's arm off was a goldmine of angst potential I was not expecting. The fact that Terry was basically begging Glenn to kill him out of a guilt is something I have thought about a lot. A lot. This also makes Nicky's potential reaction to Terry's death incredibly interesting, especially since Terry Jr went to hell aka Nicky's house. Post-season 2 has a lot of room for divorced energy, as well as the navigation of learning to date someone you never fell out of love with, even though time has changed you both considerably.

There are a lot more reasons why I love this ship, and you should go check out the terrick tag on both AO3 and here on tumblr! AO3 especially has some amazing fics (I strongly recommend this fic by Cookies, the one that officalgleamstar wrote, and all of Aether's fics but especially this one) and then also some of mine. Tumblr is perfect for passionate ramblings, and is honestly 90% me and Aether talking to each other.

If nothing else, I hope this post has given you some things to consider about Terry and Nicky, even unrelatedly from terrick. Oh, and go vote for them in the ship poll (@/dndadscharacterpolls)

[foreverautumn89]

Just connecting the dots

I've already talked about this before. This was a rambling mess but it will do for now...you get the gist

-Jonathan was always babysitting Will except when he was working/at school -We know Will was always hanging out with the boys Meaning that Jonathan [when babysitting Will which was always when he wasn't at school or working] was always hanging out with the boys. -The boys love Will and will do anything for him. -Jonathan loves Will and will do anything for him. -Jonathan and the boys love and appreciate one another because of that -But theres an extra layer of appreciation here to the point where they think the other hung the moon/and think of each other as super heroes. They think of Jonathan as a super hero and Jonathan feels the same about them: because Will is treated like garbage by everyone in Hawkins, including Will and Jonathan's own father. They think the world of people who show Will the love and appreciation that he deserves. Meaning each other. Thats just basic common sense. Why wouldn't they love and appreciate each other for that when its clear they all love Will and would appreciate anyone who was there for Will.

-The boys especially love Jonathan and look up to him because he is Will's fiercest protector and does everything for Will, while Lonnie was such a disappointment and was horrible to Will [and most likely them too] Jonathan does everything for Will. He is constantly sacrificing everything to make Will happy. He always put Will's [and Joyce's] needs and wants before his own. Lonnie and everyone would treat Will like dirt, but Jonathan would go out of his way to constantly remind Will why he was so special and the person that mattered most to him. They'd have a deep appreciation for Jonathan also for being the opposite of Lonnie, Jonathan was the person Will needed

-Jonathan was the cool older brother who didn't conform to what Hawkins wanted them to be and encouraged others to be who they were/their true selves.

-The boys loved J also because Jonathan didn't expect them to change for him in order to get his approval like everyone else did, Jonathan just loved the boys for being special and unique and different. The rest of the town might have treated them like freaks, but Jonathan treated them like they were special and important because they were. -And they'd love Jonathan most of all because Jonathan is like Will's parents constantly sacrificing for WIll's needs and wants and happiness. Why wouldn't the boys adore and worship him? -Its also about Jonathan and the boys values. They hate the townspeople of Hawkins for hating anyone that is different. They themselves are different. They're all against conformity. Jonathan shows he values and appreciates ppl for being true to themselves and not giving into what society wants/pretending to be someone you're not just so you could fit in and be popular. Jonathan values love and friendship over what the rest of the town values. Which is money, appearances, popularity ext all the stuff this show teaches you doesn't matter and that you should value love and friendship and being loved for who you truly are above all else.

-Mike and Jonathan are the closest. Mike is Jonathan's little co-pilot on this magic carpet ride. And its nothing against Dustin and Lucas. They are just much closer because they've known each other so much longer- Mike was Will's first best friend, so Mike and Jonathan have been through a lot more hell and battles together fighting Lonnie ext and only had each other to lean on back in the early days of their 'Will Byers protection squad' And ofc why wouldnt Jonathan appreciate Wills first best friend who loved him as much as he did.

[thebreakfastgenie]

The Burma Shave Signs

In order to understand the significance of the Burma Shave signs, we need to understand Hawkeye's emotional state when he returns to the 4077th. The jeep driver is chatty, and Hawkeye basically ignores him. He tells Sidney he's uneasy about going back, which makes perfect sense; who would want to go back to a MASH unit close to the front? Besides, we know he's anxious about performing surgery again. But Hawkeye has another reason, too.

He's anxious about not being accepted back by his friends and colleagues. This, too, is a perfectly reasonable fear; the contact he's had with them since being hospitalized has been awkward and uncomfortable at best. Potter, Mulcahy, Margaret, and BJ were all more or less disastrous on the phone, and even Klinger, who handled it better than the rest, didn't get a joyful reaction out of Hawkeye. Then BJ visited him in person, and that went even worse. Hawkeye is very understandably afraid that everyone is going to look at him differently, a fear that's proven largely correct. It's uncomfortable knowing the people you're close to have seen you at your worst, and that happened to him very recently. His breakdown and involuntary hospitalization were very public.

There is also the nature of his breakdown to consider. He made a scene in O.R. and very nearly harmed a patient, then drove a vehicle through a building. People at the 4077th who witnessed that might be afraid of him now. They might be angry with him, too, because he destroyed the Officers' Club, which was one of the few places they had to socialize and relax.

So all of this is going through Hawkeye's mind while this enlisted man who doesn't particularly seem to care is trying to make small talk. And then he sees the message:

HAWK WAS GONE NOW HE'S HERE DANCE 'TIL DAWN AND GIVE A CHEER Burma Shave

The driver reads them and clearly thinks they're nice. And Hawkeye, Hawkeye smiles.

This is one of the first times we see him smile in this entire episode, apart from the flashbacks. He smiles when he thinks he's going home, and then here. This one is different. It's soft and understated--not a manic grin--and very genuine.

He smiles because for all his fear and worry and anxiety about going back, he's just been given a welcome back. Not just any welcome, either, it's personalized. It rhymes. It's a pop culture reference. It's joyful. It's thoroughly Hawkeye. I think the red paint is most likely a reference to the color scheme on classic Burma Shave signs, but if you want to add an extra layer, you can consider it a callback to the red party. It's a nice touch, too, that there is no reference to them later, so we never find out who was responsible for them. It emphasizes, as the goodbye dinner scene does, that the entire camp is close, not just the characters we usually focus on.

The message here is We're glad you're back. We missed you. We love you. There is no promise it won't be awkward, but there is a clear, unwavering acceptance, which is exactly what Hawkeye needs.

And then this happens:

Of course Hawkeye can't have nice things, but it's more than that. As I've just established, the signs are a symbol of the love Hawkeye's friends have for him. We know what the bus symbolizes. It's all throughout the first hour. "A bus, huh?" "Again with the bus? Why don't you subscribe to Arizona Highways and leave me alone?"

The bus is what happened. The bus is the trauma. The bus is the horrors of war. The bus is why Hawkeye had an ugly public breakdown and was committed to a hospital in the first place. The bus comes up from behind.

In this scene, his friends' love for him is flattened by his trauma, which has followed him all the way back to the 4077th.

I've never quite been able to figure out if it is indeed the same bus that Hawkeye finally boards after that shot where he hesitates and looks about a million years old, but this bus was approaching the 4077th for triage.

Potter says "Why don't you start on the bus?" the same thing Sidney asked him to do. He can't escape the bus. It follows him; he gets back on it. Because the war still isn't over.

The message on the Burma Shave signs still matters. He still got to read it. He still knows how they feel. And we him socialize among them and be loved and accepted, even as we also see him hanging back. The bus doesn't permanently destroy all hope, it just shocks him by barging in on a happier moment. We see throughout the second hour that though he's been released from the hospital, Hawkeye is still recovering, and the bus is a reminder of that. It's just an absolute gut punch of a moment to see it destroy those welcome signs.

Maybe it's not just about Hawkeye, either. If the bus is the war, maybe it's a reminder that any moment of joy or niceness will be interrupted by the war reasserting its iron grip on everyone's attention. Like all the way back in Bulletin Board, or the end of Movie Tonight, or Dear Sis. You can have nice things in a war, but only for a moment. But unlike in those other episodes, by the end of this one the war is actually over.

[ticklystuff]

hello friends, i was having some random childe/wanderer thoughts (romantic or platonic, up to you)

i think like wanderer would try to avoid anything related to his association with the fatui after everyone forgets about him, just so he can focus on his new life but somehow he still manages to run into childe (he travels to sumeru for fatui reasons blah blah, use your imagination) and i think wanderer would do his best to avoid interactions with him for his own and childe's best intentions, but still somehow manages to reacquaint with childe (trips and falls into his arms kdrama style idk)

and like even though he's trying to stay distant, there's this sense of familiarity that he yearns for and is reminded of when he sees childe face again for the first time

anyway to make this tickling related i think childe would still know how to tickle wanderer despite forgetting and not knowing him for that long. like, to him, he's just tickling wanderer like he would anyone else, but for wanderer, he notices that a lot of childe's movements are still similar to when they knew each other back then and he still does all the things wanderer enjoyed like gentle tickles to his rib cage or nuzzles to the back of his neck (im just making these up as i go, insert w/e kind of tickles you think wanderer likes) if that makes sense. like they're the same kind of tickles from before that wanderer liked except now there's this extra layer of nostalgia to them that wanderer finds himself leaning more into and it's comforting because it's like childe still knows him even though he doesn't

and this doesn't just apply to tickles too, like maybe he somehow understands what kinda food wanderer enjoys right off the bat or someone knows how to get under his skin just like how he used to back then

i also think that with his new identity, i think wanderer would at least attempt to being more open to things that he would flat out deny when he was still part of the fatui, so maybe he might try to signal that he enjoys the tickles to childe and it doesn't always work but he's trying his best okay

[oodlyenough]

aa6-1 foreign turnabout

finished off DD last week and we're straight into soj.

i know the least about soj of any of the games probably, which is kind of nice because these later games really need the element of surprise they don't have a lot else lmao.

some thoughts on the tutorial case:

the good

this is a big visual upgrade from dual destinies (although i'm still unconvinced the games needed to move to 3d assets). phoenix's model looks better in ways i found hard to articulate until someone on twt pointed out SOJ gets rid of the bulky black outlines. it's so much smoother!

aside from the models, the sprite animations for the new characters are very detailed (almost too detailed... i mean do we need ninety animations per NPC? can we get some extra ones for phoenix lmao), i like how the UI has been refreshed to match khurain, overall it just looks more polished/complete than DD.

insight is new, and subject to suck more later lmao, but so far it's the best minigame since the magatama. both perceive and mood matrix suffer from being kind of nonsensical; it never stopped being goofy to me in DD that you just had interactions like "well i found the body and i was shocked" "UM ACTUALLY my robot says you were RED EMOJI FACE, so you're lying!" insight, on the other hand, is more based on logic/reason -- spot the contradiction, think through a couple different layers of info (rayfa's words vs what's on screen and what makes sense), etc. i also like the idea that the ghost witness isn't lying, you just have to interpret the memory -- it's a bit of a refreshing change from everyone just committing perjury 30000000 times.

the defense culpability act is very funny. i can't be mad at it because it is too funny. i think i should get to kill the prosecutor if i win.

also, maya having lived here for unspecified time period, surely being aware of the lawyer stuff and still inviting her best friend, ace attorney phoenix wright, is very hilarious. i hope edgeworth, academic of foreign legal systems, had a heart attack as soon as he heard where nick's vacation was

it is also funny to see supervillain payne. winston payne was just kind of an asshole and largely incompetent. gaspen is a supervillain who longs for murder. well, okay. why not i guess

the questionable

khura'in is but the latest in a long line of exciting AA countries that will have you asking "what are the geopolitics of this world?" and "...is this racist?"

it's really funny to me that the first culprit was a white guy on an eat pray love journey but that his eat pray love journey is totally incidental to the crime, apparently. khurain is apparently very welcoming to immigrants if one can become head monk guarding their sacred treasures after a mere six months, and payne is chief prosecutor after three.

it's also very funny that with his life potentially on the line, the only person phoenix is worried about is maya. i think there is an understandable in-game explanation, which is that you have to assume every game might have a new audience and that new audience has only been told of maya so far. but returning players who know he has a teenage daughter might uh. wonder.

the bad

i can sense that the more lore i learn about khurain the more racially uncomfortable i am going to become

the names are BRUTAL i wish they'd stop. i get that ace attorney always has silly goofy pun names. but i feel they're veering further and further from the... slightly more believable names into stuff that just sounds stupid, and man, trying to apply ace attorney pun name goofiness to names that are also supposed to be in a fake fictional language .... i mean it sounds like i'm reading racist jokes from the 90s. it's uncomfortable.

i also think khura'in lore is bound to upend or retcon the superior kurain village lore, which ruled in the trilogy and did not need expanding into a kingdom. isolated little village matriarchy of witch family that are constantly committing sorocide >>> whatever's about to happen here. it's great for rayfa that she does her lil dance for enrichment 2x a day to have temporary hallucinations in a pool of water, but maya crosses her fingers and shapeshifts. checkmate.

lastly, one thing i found myself thinking as i moderately enjoyed the tutorial case was that it was honestly kind of nice having a case scaled back. i can't shake the sense that three playables is just too much for these games; apollo was dead weight narratively in DD and i think athena is about to suffer that fate in SOJ. the character writing in these new games is just not strong enough to manage this many major characters and their whole entourages. the mistake of the original trilogy was accidentally setting a precedent for "new prosecutor every game, who is also our friend by the end :)". the main cast is so huge that most of them just end up stagnating or disappearing into the void or whatever; apollo and athena cannibalized each other's screentime in DD, athena usurped trucy, SOJ is introducing a whole whack of new characters to replace THOSE newbies... it's a lot. we don't need to reinvent the wheel every new game.

anyway... i know a little about 6-2 and i expect it to exacerbate a lot of these issues lmao.

[asklotarasarrin]

Lessons from Adepticon

//An out-of-character musing about the weekend.

So while sitting the the airport waiting for our return flight, I had some time to muse on the course of the weekend.

It's been a lot of fun! We did have a good time; I really enjoyed meeting some online friends, dressing up, and playing games. It was also a learning experience, as every con is a little different and every venue has its quirks. It's very much a competition and playing convention, with an array of hobbying layered over it, so going without the intent to compete or play does curb a significant amount of the actual events.

It's definitely not a costume convention. There were probably about two dozen full on costumes for a convention with eight thousand visitors. Apparently in previous years there have been costume competitions, but its been awhile(last documented thing I could find was for 2018). In talking to the staff about it, there was some (semi-joking?) suggestion that I should volunteer to staff next year and run it myself. Then another veteran staffer said she'd look into running it. I got her email with the offer of supporting that venture. So maybe. lol.

We did also meet the staff for NOVA Opens costume contest with three encouragement to make the trip down. So we might have to add that to the list.

As one of only a handful of costumed persons(and maybe a touch of arrogance, definitely one of the best), I was WELL received for the most part. Lots of enthusiasm, lots of squeals, and lots of pictures. I will definitely do that again. We did have some costume mishaps (my Jedi&lotara boots will need total replacing)and I will probably do some upgrades/additions for the future.

It was also not a ribbon convention, so almost everyone I gave a ribbon to needed explanation for what it was/how it worked. But maybe with the power of repetition and exposure, we can change that lol. I did really enjoy handing them out because there was also an air of wonder and enthusiasm about it.

Hobby seminars! We really enjoyed our resin class and our freehand class. We also learned the hard way that there was a BIG difference between a "demo" hobby seminar and a "hands on" hobby seminar. I admittedly didn’t notice the difference(since they're both hobby seminars) until we discovered we'd paid 40$+ a head for what amounted to an in-person version of a youtube video. Not a mistake I will make twice. In the future I expect we'll only take classes for things we dont think we could somewhat easily learn via youtube or would otherwise not benefit from a teacher hanging over our shoulder for guidance. We'll also likely watch a youtube video or two of teachers ahead of time- some people, while very talented/experienced, are just not great teachers.

My brother will likely bring a mobile hobby painting set up next year, as there was some down time to paint. I’m not totally sold on the idea but we shall see lol. We did end up picking up a number of models and such, so I am glad we had some extra bag space.

All in all, an excellent experience. We will likely return next year, a little more prepared and ready to battle. :)

[y0d00p]

Weddings in Dream Land

okay so a while back teeny and I were talking about dametameta wedding and got on the topic of wedding traditions that aren't just from the Christian white wedding and thought it would be fun to make up some Dream Land specific traditions and this is what we came up with

note: probably not actually called marriage/wedding but I haven't thought of any alternate names for it so idk

note 2: cultural views on the "wedding" are pretty relaxed and not restricted to romantic relationships at all, it's normal and common for platonic best friends etc

a basic traditional Dream Land wedding consists of:

Preparation of the Feast

food is a big deal, naturally, as is making and sharing it

the couple (or throuple+) works together to prepare a meal for all the guests. this can take anywhere from a couple hours to a couple days, depending on the size of the party. they can work in private or not, but traditionally the couple doesn't receive any outside help

the complexity of the meal isn't important, it doesn't need to be luxurious or involve the usual dinner type foods. the means justify the ends. the preparation is like a trial for the couple, a test of their teamwork and compatibility and care. and as a show of gratitude and love to their friends and family. as long as love and cooperation went into it, it doesn't matter how simple or offbeat the food is. stews and curries are common choices

in addition to the feast, the newlyweds also each make a personal (usually small) dessert for the other, alone. polycules make a desert for every partner they're marrying, or one to be shared. all the same expectations apply here except, yknow, being a dessert

The Party / The Feast

the wedding is usually held at night often quite late. it's considered good luck to hold the party outside, weather permitting, or inside with the windows uncovered. it's also good luck to have clear skies. it's good for the stars to witness :)

the party begins with the couple exchanging and eating their desserts. dessert before dinner to ensure them joy and whimsy in their life. at this time they might also exchange vows or a kiss or other gifts such as jewellery, or something sentimental to them specifically. this exchange is basically the "ceremony", and once the pair declares it's time to eat, they're officially "united". no officiant needed.

then, everyone enjoys the feast and celebrates. there's no strict meal time VS party time, the atmosphere is casual and friendly, "formal" weddings are not that common. entertainment and activities, gift giving, etc begin whenever, but... usually everyone does like to eat first

The Sleep

these parties tend to go on until dawn, although not everyone is required or expected to stay that long. ending at dawn represents the beginning of new life. once everyone has gone home, it's time to sleep, because relaxation and daytime naps are important. the day after a big wedding is usually veeery quiet and sleepy

Extra

the day after the big sleep, it's usually expected for the guests (or at least those closest to the newlyweds) to return and finish any cleanup required from the party, including the dishes and kitchen used. this is like their collective wedding gift, so regular material gifts are never expected from any of the helpers

if there are any leftovers, it's usually the guests that get to take them home

traditional garments for the couple are long, loose, comfortable robes, sometimes layered or thick like blankets. it's a common sight for the couple to share an outer shawl together during the party

"divorce" is more or less just a verbal agreement. if there's any legal system in Dream Land, it's not strict at all around matters of marriage