#anyway i had a clear photo memory of the dream of the second pic

[kirumiri]

these are a month old but i had a dream that kazuki and rei were turned into rabbits somehow, and miri was the only one who could understand them

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Take time to enjoy the scenery

Clear blue-gray skies, rolling hills with patches of green poking out after a long slumber, sunlight making its way through the surrounding mountain peaks… 

At times like these I wish we can take pictures with our minds so what shows up on film matches exactly what’s in front of us. The view of the mountains is still great on camera, but the pics don’t quite do it justice. 

Today I went on a hike with Josie and Richard. It was sort of an impromptu thing that was planned last night. Josie, Richard, and their daughter Quinn are taking a trip to Anglebridge to visit old friends.   

Since it’s a long drive and they have a toddler, rest stops are a must. The camp happens to be the halfway point from Spectrum Falls to Anglebridge so they decided to spend a couple days here since we haven’t seen each other in forever. 

Josie is rarely seen without a camera. Photography is her passion and she runs a photo studio called Photogenic Moments. Her husband Richard is a marine biologist who’s also studying in grad school.   

They met in college through Josie’s brother Mark, who was Richard’s roommate. The three hung out often as Josie was shy so naturally she stuck to her older brother while Richard was far from home and didn’t know anyone in Spectrum Falls. Mark was pretty much their wingman. 

Growing up, Josie was always into photography. Many of her childhood memories involve her running around taking pictures with her toy camera. She expressed herself through pictures and became known as the camera girl. While at school she slipped by unnoticed unless needed as a photographer, she developed a following on social media.   

In high school Josie’s sister Jennifer opened Shine Boutique and Josie ran the business’s social media accounts. Realizing how much she enjoyed taking pictures for her sister’s boutique, and how much her sister loved running her own business, Josie wanted to follow in her footsteps with a photography studio. 

It was pretty much a given that Josie was going to Spectrum University. She was always one for making safe choices so it would make sense for her to choose the same college as her siblings. Also the visual arts programs at the university are top notch and running the boutique’s social media helped a lot with her portfolio as well as getting her noticed by the faculty. 

Richard has an interesting upbringing. He spent most of his childhood moving around until his mom got a job at the Edelton Hotel as a singer. So he and his twin brother Brandon lived in a hotel. Then in high school they lived on a cruise ship hotel, also by Edelton. Richard was the reliable twin so he was usually entrusted with keeping an eye on the hotel owner’s daughter Anya, who looks up to him and Brandon. 

Coincidentally, after the cruise ship hotel shut down, Anya transferred to Peace Coast Academy around the same time Richard went off to college. So their schools were about an hour and a half away. At one point he spent a few months at the high school as a teaching assistant during Anya’s senior year.   

Also, both initially came for school, only to make Spectrum Falls/Peace Coast Island their new home. After graduating Anya’s now studying at Spectrum University while Richard’s in the grad program so they occasionally run into each other on campus. 

Anyway, when Richard left for college, he was basically starting with a clean slate. For most of his life he was seen as the nerdy, know-it-all twin. He was one of those snobby and standoffish self-proclaimed intellectuals, so while at times he was nice, he could also be insufferable.   

Part of the reason why he wanted a new start in Spectrum Falls was because of how he treated most of his friends. He had an on and off girlfriend but it wasn’t a healthy relationship as both of them are highly competitive and he took out his insecurities on her.  They planned to go to Harvard together but she got accepted and he didn’t. He was upset since that was his dream school but in hindsight it was for the best. By graduation they ended their relationship for good after realizing how much they dragged each other down. 

Along with Harvard, Richard also got rejected from Brown and Yale. Spectrum University was actually one of his last choices as he knew almost nothing about the school. By then he didn’t really care where he wanted to go as long as it was far from home.   

So that fall he moved into his dorm, lost and alone in an unfamiliar place. And then Mark introduced him to Josie, who lived upstairs. From there, Josie and Richard became close friends. 

The summer before their sophomore year marked when they became a couple. Instead of going home like he originally planned, Richard decided to stay in Spectrum Falls. Mark had just moved out of his parents' house so he offered Richard his old room. Considering how much time Josie and Richard spent together, it wasn’t surprising that Mark and Josie’s parents would be fine with Richard moving in for the summer. 

Months later, during spring break, marked a turning point in their relationship. Josie, Richard, Mark, and some friends were in Tripletown when the infamous earthquake took place. Josie and Richard were trapped at a hotel that was eventually destroyed by the aftershocks.   

The night before they slept together for the first time and didn’t wake up until noon the next day. After hanging around their hotel room a bit, they got dressed and were about to leave when the main earthquake hit. After barely surviving the catastrophic natural disaster, Josie and Richard became closer. 

On an interesting note, the hotel where they almost died was where Quinn was conceived. 

So that summer, Josie and Richard got married, and months later they became parents. Josie’s parents were surprised but supportive while Richard’s were caught off guard and were initially against the wedding. Things were a bit difficult between Richard and his father and brother as they still saw him as the nerdy and insecure kid who planned out every second of his life. 

Since starting college, Josie has been documenting her life through photos by keeping a scrapbook diary. It was just a side project at first, something to help her with the transition. She almost dropped it because she felt that it wasn’t getting anywhere. But with Richard’s encouragement, she kept it up and it became their project. 

Not only it helped her improve as a photographer, it was also therapeutic. At first, Josie only took pictures of memories that were considered interesting, something you’d show off on social media. Then she began to take pictures of the mundane and the not so good moments.   

Somehow in the midst of the earthquake and aftershocks, she managed to snap some pics of the destruction. It sounds strange but putting the pictures in her scrapbook and writing a lengthy diary entry about what happened helped her process that traumatic event. 

What Josie couldn’t put into words, her photographs spoke.   

Taking inspiration from her scrapbook diary, Josie created Photogenic Moments. A picture is worth a thousand words, so Josie wanted to tell stories. 

Even when she’s on vacation, Josie and her camera are still attached at the hip. After being at the camp for two years, you get used to the scenery. But for Josie and Richard, it’s a sight to marvel at.   

Through a different perspective, you notice things you haven’t seen before. Seeing the world through Josie’s eyes is like looking through a high tech camera lens. She can turn something mundane like a patch of grass into something thought provoking and aesthetically pleasing to look at.   

When you’re with her, you learn how to take the time to appreciate the surroundings. Thanks to her, I fell in love with the scenery of the camp all over again. 

If anyone can take an excellent picture of the mountains that would do it justice, it would be Josie.

[love-little-lotte]

POTO Manila 2019 Experience

I crossed one thing off my bucket list last March 2, 2019. 

Finally, finally, finally. I finally got the chance to witness my all-time favorite musical, The Phantom of the Opera, live. Anyone who really knows me knows that I am totally in love with this show. 

I first learned about the existence of POTO when I was 10, when I first read an abridged version of the Gaston Leroux novel. Then I watched the 2004 film, starring Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum. Ever since then, I fell in love with the musical. I listened to the Original London Cast, with Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, and Steve Barton. I watched the 25th anniversary, with Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess. I streamed countless YouTube videos. I wrote down the lyrics, memorized them by heart, and sang along even though I couldn’t reach the high notes, not for the life of me. 

POTO became one of my passions, and (yes it sounds cheesy AF) also helped me become the person who I am today. It’s not my first musical (family friendly The Sound of Music is my first because my mom plays the Julie Andrews movie all the time), but it opened my obsession to musical theatre. Through POTO, I got to learn more about Broadway, theatre, and musicals. 

I have my brother to thank for this wonderful experience. This was meant to be a birthday and graduation present all rolled into one. And it’s actually the best present I’ve ever received. Not only did he pay for all of my expenses, he also accompanied me and took my pictures! Shoutout to him for making one of my major dreams come true.

This was taken on our way to the theatre. It was a one-show day, and the play was going to start at 2:30 PM. I heard from my friend (who already saw the previews) told me I should be there as early as possible so I can take a lot of pictures before most of the audience arrive. And since I want to take as many photos as I can, my brother and I left our hotel as early as 12 noon. 

I was so excited I even took a photo of the theatre while we were in the car. My heart was pounding the entire time. My head was reeling. I still couldn’t believe I was there. It felt like a dream I had before. And believe me when I say I dreamt a lot for this moment. 

When we got closer to the theatre, I saw a big poster just right outside. I gave out an excited squeal. “I got to take a picture of that!” I told my brother. 

And so I did. 

Before entering, we noticed there was some Phantom stuff just right outside by the entrance. Aside from the make-up closet (which is self-explanatory), I didn’t know what was inside of the rest of the boxes but I still took some photos nonetheless. I still had a lot of energy around this time. 

This was by the entrance: some posters of the musical productions that toured in Manila before. (From left to right: Chicago, Singin’ in the Rain, Les Misérables, Wicked, West Side Story, and The Sound of Music)

After entering the building, I saw this amazing backdrop and of course, immediately posed in front of it......

.....only to learn the words “The Phantom of the Opera” were cropped so I told my brother we had to go back so we can take a proper picture again. 

And there we go. 

We went to the second floor afterwards, which was where the theatre was located. And this was when the “taking of photos” spree began. 

Exhibit A: Mask, roses, and candelabras. Yep, that’s the whole show right there. 

I’m kind of bummed that they didn’t really have a photoshoot for the World Tour. I mean it’s nice to see Kelly Matheison from the West End cast because she’s adorable and gorgeous, but I would love to see some Meghan Picerno HD posters too. 

Don’t mind me, I’m just posing here with the POTO posters. 

Exhibit B: Ah love this shiny, sparkly mask. Yes, the pic is sadly a bit blurry. 

Exhibit C: My brother told me to go sit down on the floor and pretend to be Christine, but there was no way I’m doing that with that dress. I wanted to put on the cloak and the mask, but decided I should go with the rose instead. 

Exhibit D: “Look at yourself in the mirror, I am there inside!” This is my favorite picture, which also refers to my favorite part in the musical. 

Exhibit E: Yeah at this point I was running out of poses. Standing and smiling at the camera was getting boring. 

Oh, and would you look at this! A production of Cats in November 2019, starring Joanna Ampil! Isn’t that amazing? She’s one of my favorite theatre actresses and I would kill to see her sing Memory live.

Anyway, what’s up with the Philippines and Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals?

Yeah, what is up with Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Philippines? We just can’t get enough of it. I’d definitely want to watch Love Never Dies when it comes to Manila, even though I’m not such a big fan of the story. The music is brilliant, as well as the sets and costumes. Can we please have Meghan Picerno as Christine Daaé in this production once again? (And maybe throw in Jonathan Roxmouth, too, cause people love him so much here.)

At this point, my brother already left me. He went back to the hotel while I sat on one of the couches, waiting for the theatre to let the audience in. I took a selfie with the brochure. I thought we were all given a program for free, but it turns out you still have to buy them in the gift shop. 

Yay! I’m finally inside. I was in the second row, which was very thrilling, especially since the chandelier was really close to me. I couldn’t wait for it to fall down at the end of Act 1!

Sadly, this is the only picture I had inside the theatre. I was so busy taking it all in that I forgot to take a selfie or something. I still couldn’t believe I was there.

I cried as soon as the overture began to play. There are three possible reasons why I did so: one, I can’t believe I’m really here; two, the music was so beautiful, and three, the light from the chandelier made my eyes hurt lol. But, whatever the reason was, I assure you, there were some tears.

My first genuine cry was during The Mirror scene, when the Phantom showed himself in the mirror. It’s just a super iconic scene, and truly one of my favorites.

But the major highlight for me was Masquerade. Sure, I was expecting myself to cry during All I Ask of You (Reprise) or the Final Lair, but Masquerade overwhelmed me. The costumes were amazing up close! I’ve mentioned a lot of times before that POTO costumes are my favorite things ever. The intricately-designed Elissa dress, the fan-favorite Wishing dress, the iconic white robe, and of course, my personal favorite Aminta dress.

But the costumes during Masquerade was the highlight. I didn’t know where to look because I want to take it all in! The ensemble were great, too, and there was just a big fat stupid grin on my face the whole time.

You know, live theatre isn’t that perfect. I can hear the whirring of the machines as they change the backdrop and their heels clicking loudly onstage. I see them spit at each other’s faces. But damn it, it was beautiful. It’s raw and real, which is what theatre is all about. 

Sorry for the bad angle haha. This was the cast I saw my first POTO production and I’m eternally grateful at them for giving me a performance to remember. I was just so excited to see that I’m going to watch Jonathan Roxmouth and Meghan Picerno! I’ve seen a lot of videos of them rehearsing, and they both sounded heavenly. I was grinning from ear-to-ear.

Jonathan Roxmouth didn’t fail me. His voice was soft and angelic, and he truly embodied the Angel of Music. I got chills during The Mirror scene, as soon as he sang the words, “Insolent boy!” His Music of the Night was a spectacle, and his height difference with Meghan Picerno also helped. I don’t know why, but I really love it when the Phantom’s a great taller than Christine. Meghan only reached Jonathan’s chest, so their iconic “hug” scene during MoTN looked really good. He also glanced at me during All I Ask of You (Reprise) as he sang the words, “You will curse the day you did not do, all that the Phantom asked of you!” So that truly “made my night.”

Jonathan also scared the crap out of me during the Final Lair. He was truly menacing and just plain scary. I love scary Phantoms, and he definitely delivered! When he said the line, “You try my patience! Make your choice”, he put his face really close to Meghan, and I could definitely see him seethe angrily at her.

But he gained my sympathy in the last part when he started singing Masquerade to the music box. At that point, I was crying my eyes out already. I hope the people in my row didn’t judge me too harshly! No matter how many times I’ve seen POTO, I always cry during the Masquerade reprise.

On a side note, Jonathan’s really adorable in the curtain call. He made a Korean heart sign just after he bowed. Korean culture is really popular in the Philippines for some reason, and he earned a lot of laughs and claps from the audience when he did so.

Meghan Picerno, on the other hand, was the sweetest and sympathetic Christine ever. Okay, that’s a bit of a stretch since she’s the first Christine I saw live, and I’m a bit biased. Her crystal-clear vocals also didn’t fail. I’ve seen videos of her in Love Never Dies, and she was amazing there. Her Think of Me was just so pure, and her Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again made me teary eyed.

Meghan carried herself well. Not only was she a darling and innocent Christine, but she was also a fierce one too. During the Final Lair, when she said the words, “This haunted face holds no horror for me now, it’s in your soul that the true distortion lies”, her expression was not scared or anything. I just love that she could project a lot of emotions from Christine, and not only stick to one.

She also shared good chemistry with Jonathan Roxmouth, especially during The Point of No Return. The sexual tension between the Phantom and Christine was undeniable. The way they touched each other, even caressed each other in that scene was so, so, so good. It’s definitely one of the main highlights of the show for me.

And, of course, Matt Leisy was a darling Raoul. Just like his co-stars, his vocals were heavenly. His All I Ask of You is plain sweet. The way he hugged and twirled Christine at the end part of the song was also a major highlight for me. Also, he was very attentive to Christine, and he was protective of her - some important qualities that Raoul should have. In the Il Muto scene, when Christine started getting nervous that the Phantom was watching over her, I can’t help looking at Matt because he was so undeniably concerned and protective of her. And during Twisted Every Way, he was demanding, but at the same time, very considering.

Matt also worked well alongside Meghan. They balance well with each other. As a matter of fact, the three of them are great together. It’s obvious that they’re comfortable with each other onstage. The Final Lair was so thrilling, and it’s all thanks to them. I’m so happy that they get to be my first POTO Big 3.

Overall, the ensemble was great! I love them so much, and I’m extremely honored that I had them as my first ever POTO cast.

Also, bought two souvenirs from the gift shop! A really cute necklace (which costs 1,500 PHP/28.75 USD) and a tote bag (800 PHP/15.33 USD). I wanted to buy the charm bracelet, too, but I feel like I’m going to have more fun with the necklace, compared to it. 

And there you have it! This was an extremely long post, but I want to immortalize my first POTO experience. I’m still in cloud nine, even though it has been almost three days now. It’s truly an experience I will never forget.

[jainarden-blog]

A Little Bit Of Organization Wouldn’t Hurt A Bit

Today is a searching and researching online day for an end to the endless clutter I have lived with FOREVER! I am so ready to clear the decks both physically/mentally and offline/online and get to some #extremeproductivity.

This is going to involve a lot of thinking and a lot of trying out things to streamline it into this no-fluff ecosystem I am dreaming about, even as I am typing this. A big part of this is to go paperless and also to start using my IOS phone a lot more. The below may seem like a lot of places but the object of my game is to have places to put things where I can go back and retrieve them. My mind and life goes so fast a lot of the time that the clutter, even when it is just mental has a tendency to pile up and to overwhelm me. By clearing physical mess (most importantly paper) and mental overflow, I can create the space I need to be the best me. Two big goals are time to do online study and being fit mind and body.

Read on for tools and thoughts about them:

Tumblr - Reasons for Tumblr: braindumps, writing habit, connection my introvert heart desires at times, and ease of use. Tumblr is good just to write or to spend time reading. I find a lot of the people on Tumblr are pretty deep, creative and wildly entertaining. Tumblr is a good place for introverts.

Saved.io - to try and curb the worthless habit of saving fifty trillion bookmarks and adding to them daily without ever really delving into those websites or using them. No extensions for this. You just add saved.io after the http:// or https:// and to make folder (tags/labels) put a name in front of .saved.io. Super easy. Sign up for an account and have an online spot for bookmarking your heart out

Google Keep - I need something to take down my own thoughts in a browser as I am surfing/researching and do not want to make a big deal out of it. There is a Chrome extension or you can right-click to add notes with tags. Braindumps and a place to satisfy data pack-rat urges. Follows the line of thinking that I am using Google for a lot of things and it’s already there anyway.

Google Calendar - I have multiple Google accounts but one where all my emails and appointments go. I synced this as my main calendar on IOS instead of the default calendar. One calendar to rule them all! Same for the one gmail. There is also an extension to add events quickly, along with the right click option.

Feedbro - RSS feed reader - too bad Google did away with theirs. This takes away some bookmarks for favorite sites/blogs and gives me an easy and fast way to know that I am keeping up with things that are important to me. Clicking the extension lets you “Find feeds on this page,” save feeds and also to open up your feedreader. Feeds can be categorized into folders.

LastPass - I have used this for years on my computers. It is the best password keeper as far as I am concerned. AND FREE! Today, I put it on my phone. I cannot say enough about how great this tool is for your information.

Scanbot - app for scanning in documents by taking a pic of them. This will definitely come in handy for those on-the-go document situations. Things like bills, manuals, purchase papers, etc. I have at home will, most of the time, be scanned in using my printer’s scanner.

Bullet Journal (BuJo) - my offline to-do / to-did and short journal things. I have one for me and one for my computer. The one for my computer has already saved me this year when I was trying to figure out what program was conflicting with another. My memory was helped by my documentation on what programs I had downloaded and when. I also document computer problems: what happened and what helped. Everything in one book - I think everyone should have one of these and I am surprised I never thought of it before this year. My personal BuJo is not one of internet proportions. I tried that and failed miserably and lost all site of what the book was supposed to be for to begin with. I ditched the trying to make it pretty and doing weekly/monthly spreads. I am back to the original version that Carroll Ryder set forth with his inspiration and am a thousand times better for it. This is something I can hold in my hands and look back on from time to time to see exactly how my time on earth went.

SimpleNote - I have a Reminder label in this for to-do’s, but I mostly just write to-do’s on the calendar or on a post-it/index card to throw away. I also document to-do/to-did’s in my personal BuJo. No this program is going to be something I use for some time, I do believe. I decided I am going to document work with this, especially conversations. I never remember the specifics in time so this will be my second work brain. Tags will be people (initials, first name, or my nickname for them). I can then go back to specific conversations that I want to refresh myself on and also for people notes such as date of birth, family (kid/husband/wife name), and/or specific things about them. Also, dates of meetings, project dates,etc. This is in its infancy - I have high hopes for this going forward.

AirTable - This website/app has high potential. I really like that it is set up like an Excel spreadsheet. I have projects set up in it for tracking daily spending, pantry inventory, gifts, etc. etc. etc. This is so customizable!!!! In my pantry list, I can add columns to be able to know what my lowest price on an item was - so in essence, a pantry checker with a price book included. I figure the way I use it will grow as I get used to it and find its value.

mySymptoms -  $$ App for tracking your health. This is the one thing I paid for. I can’t wait to get enough stuff in it for a good PDF download. It is customizable to you, just like the AirTable. You can add/delete the things you want to track and there is a big list of them: drinks, food, medications, supplements, mood, symptoms, bowel, energy, sleep, stress, exercise, environment, and other. Some of these can be extra helpful for people who struggle with certain diseases or triggers. This is certainly a make-it-all-about-you app that can show correlations between a factor(s) causing another factor(s). Or even for people who forget when or how long they took medications or supplements. In my new found goal of creating a life that serves my health - this one is a winning part of it. I will be a participant in my healthcare.

Instagram - because, at times, I like to take photos of food and things I see that I like. And because, I hate Facebook. IG also gives me an easy way to change the way the photos look and share back to myself for other uses and ways to share my account online with my online people-ha. Braindump for photos.

Twitter - because it’s fun... and sometimes informative. Twitter is the quick connection to the rest of the world and let’s anyone fit into it. My favorite parts of the twit are hashtag and whatever “new episode” tv show I am watching. It’s fun to join in with whatever other people think of an episode and throw your two cents in too. I never feel like I am sitting at my house alone on Friday & Saturday nights with #livepd. With the added gifs on posts, it can get quite hilarious.

GoodReads - This is hooked up to my Amazon account and my Amazon account is hooked up to my local library account through Overdrive. So... free books. I read every night on my Kindle app (you can read in your browser too). The books are automatically added to my GoodReads account. At this time, I am 8 books ahead on my goal to read 100 books this year. 

Listal - As for movies, the best site I have found is Listal. You can tag, star and make lists for the movies/tv you watch (along with books, products, people, dvds, and games, if you wish). Many members do a Halloween movie list each year.

Pinterest - this place fulfills my yearnings to save a million quotes, presented in a pretty way and is the easiest way to make kick ass vision boards. I have multiple boards for this very thing: HouseVB, ClothesVB, ThingsVB and so on.

This is the big starting out list. I didn’t want to leave anything out because I need to be clear on what I am really using and be consistent on what accounts I use for what services. Pinterest may be a big black hole, but once set up with mostly productive boards, I can relax knowing that they are helping me visualize the things I want while also letting me do something that is fun (even if sometimes just losing time surfing the internet).The same with Twitter and Instagram. They are black holes for time. But this way they are serving a purpose of entertainment and braindumps to clear the way for good space in my life. I will follow up with this as being productive online is both an important topic for me and also a much needed topic discussion. In my research, I wish more people would post about their systems to help the rest of us out :D

[starsailorstories]

[EDIT: now with image captions; was aware that this is a frame of reference for what a bunch of different characters and frankly species look like, so I tried to be detailed.]

[Image: a colored pencil illustration styled to look like a blue-tinted photo in a stained, worn cardstock frame. It’s a group shot of the crew of the Revelator as they were about 10,000 earth years ago. All are humanoid aliens with lights on their heads and some assorted buggy features; individual descriptions will precede their intro writeups for ease of use.]

A million years ago I asked if there were any intro posts you guys hoped I would hurry up on, @awesomesquirrelstuff said the Revelator crew, I said omg yes!! in my head and then proceeded to procrastinate finishing this picture for literally I think 6 months. I am so sorry. Anyway. 

The rogue crew of the Revelator are, L-R:

Angia (ship’s medic): [medium height; medium-light eye and skin tones; comes across as fat, though she has an exoskeleton so actually she’s just shaped like that; two long fins hanging off the top of her head fall to rest on her shoulders. She wears a draped scarf and flowing dress and a pair of transparent, butterfly-shaped glasses.] A military surgeon from the imperially-annexed world of Aphacaria. Quite possibly the only sensible person in the bunch. Having immigrated to the rings as a 20something (in quinturns) and made her way through the mazes of respectability, she’s cautious about defying the system, but older memories--and new friends--push her towards rebellion. 

Bash (navigator): [tallish, though she’s bending her knees here and folding her arms to lean on Angia’s shoulder; she has a light skin tone and dark hair pulled into a thick, neat braid, and the Basillan feathery antennae; her facial features are severe and look a little banged-up, and she wears a military-style coat with a bomber collar and epaulettes over a wrap dress with a sash at the waist.] A young war vet from the atmosphere-mining colonies in the rings of Shali. Got involved with the mutiny purely to sort out an intensely personal grudge thinking she completely disagreed with everything they stood for and then found out she didn’t, she just found them all annoying. She still finds them a little annoying but they’re her family now oops

Consider (science officer): [she’s only just visible at the back of the group, but she’s a tallish, very pale Basillan with equally pale eyes, wearing a dark veil that covers her hair and antennae and a second, sheer veil that covers the lower part of her face, though you can see she’s smiling through it. Her hand is also just visible gesturing ambiguously beside her face.] A vestal and botanist from a slightly posh estate in a forested queendom on Glasmiri, sent to space as part of the Revelator’s original exploration mission. She’s the most educated of the crew by far, but also (having moved from a lent-out country lodge in the middle of nowhere to a prestigious school to a literal convent) doesn’t know much about the world outside of a book. Un/fortunately, she’s now surrounded by people who are determined to help her find out.

Im (communications officer): [short--just a little taller than Lux, who’s like 4′11--and slim, although she has wide hips and legs which are kind of suggested by the lay of her circle skirt. She’s an Aeverellan, with a round face, darker skin tone, button nose, and four eyes arrayed in a radially symmetrical pattern--the lower pair are dark, the upper pair are bright blue. Her hair is a short afro and she has short antennae that bend at the top. She’s also wearing a vest over a dressy blouse and a tie, and posing with her hand around Lux’s waist.] an Aeverellan student who was tagged along with the Revelator mission by her well-to-do Basillan matrona to receive training as a secretary. She has no intention of ever becoming one; if the rebellion hadn’t come along, she would have taken the first opportunity that did--she’s a big geek with much bigger dreams. She misses her family and her world a lot, but she understands that there’s not much there for her. And she understands all too well that that’s the Hyperians’ fault.

Lux and Cepheid are introduced elsewhere :) [Cepheid is actually the second-tallest of the bunch but she’s leaning down to rest her chin on Lux’s head. She’s a Caesuran, with long gossamer antennae, shiny dark-toned skin, and wings (which in this pic are just a blur because she’s fluttering them). She has a buzz cut and you can just barely make out that she’s wearing a full-skirted party dress. Lux is very small and thin with a dark brassy skin tone and light colored hair, smiling and gazing directly out to the viewer, one hand reaching around to touch Cepheid’s shoulder and the other stretched out holding her staff. She wears a long white bell-sleeved top with a two-buckled belt.]

Teng (ship’s engineer): [small, fairly muscular; lighter skin tone and medium-toned hair styled in an absolutely wild quiff pushed up with a pair of goggles; wearing a white tank top with open sides with trousers and a bulky leather belt hapazardly laid over a long sash. She’s Melwar, an isolated astraea species, and has long, thin, featherlike eyebrows rather than the more typical astraea feathery eyelashes and a fine covering of somewhat reptile-like skin over her exoskeleton.] a former factory tech who was born in the insular Melwar enclaves of an Andromedan colony in the Milky Way known as the Fuscus Swarm. She went to sea with conflicting hopes of eventually getting to visit her people’s ancestral star system, and of finding a niche outside of her super-traditional colony. Teng tends to be brutally practical, bluntly honest, and kind of a troll, but she’s loyal, and a surprisingly deep thinker when you hang around her long enough. She’s playing it close to the chest about any other motives for sticking with the mutineers.

(top) Holiok (turret gunner): [Over 6′ tall and extremely skinny; medium skin tone, undercut hair divided into a slicked combover and a short ponytail. Holiok is an Esmrrrderian, another more isolated type of astraea. She has a long, insectlike jaw which she has pierced with a ring and a beaky-looking upper lip with a labret piercing.You can only see her from the shoulders up, but she’s wearing a leather bomber jacket and resting her elbow on Cepheid’s back, and has her mouth open like she’s in the middle of saying something. Also, she has long eyelashes like most astraeas, but has them gelled together so they’re not so soft and fluffy looking.] a career spacefarer from a shipbuilding town on Esmrrrder that continuously held its own against the exploitation of the empire mainly via labor organization. Her intention wasn’t to start any sort of movement in space, but she’s there to back up her friends and doesn’t mind getting into it with people. She’s also like...Cepheid’s anger translator.

Mag (sail deck hand): [medium height; Basillan with Basillan antennae, one of which is permanently crooked after being broken off in a fight; light skin and eyes and wild, medium-toned hair just past shoulder length. Wearing a wide-collared duster coat and a hip holster and a scarf tied around her head behind her antennae. Hanging off of Dovi and playfully slugging her in the side with a goofy smile.] Formerly of a pirate ship, recently in prison, assigned to work on the Revelator with a bunch of other convicts--most of them just debtors and pickpockets who they dropped off at a spaceport to figure things out as they wished. The only one in the bunch who’s actually Down For Murder was also the only one who wanted to stay (because she had enemies at that particular spaceport). She never really stops being openly chaotic neutral, but she’s also found the first group of friends she’s ever had who she actually trusts and relies on.

Dovi (boatswain): [medium height, broad-shouldered and sturdy, medium-dark skin tone and hair color with light eyes. She has the Basillan feathery antennae and a very sculptural, swirling hairstyle, and she’s wearing a utilitarian jumper-skirt over a frilly blouse with the sleeves rolled up and affectionately eyerolling all the other shenanigans in this picture.] is a settled, respectable middle-class mom (well, aunt) from the Rings who dabbled in political activism in her younger days and literally decided to become part of the rebellion because she and her wife had promised each other they wouldn’t become lukewarm boot-kissing suburban center-liberals. In her defense, she forgot about getting past her quarter-life crisis pretty fast once it became clear the crew needed a steadfast, supportive older sister.

[cassianandor]

DRAMARAMA: Who is Hyungwon? A theory

[Mark Lee’s voice] It’s a long ass ride

A very nice acc I follow on twitter talked about their theory that Hyungwon is a grim reaper in the storyline of Dramarama. At first, I agreed with them because of all the aesthetic and HW being talk as fuck like Lee Dong Wook’s character in Goblin. So let’s talk about tvN Goblin. Monsta X is probably the biggest fans of this drama since it was airing (btw, Lee Dong Wook is under the same company as them, they probably cried when crossed paths with in at Starship). Jooheon has been talking about dramas a few weeks ago, they did that hilarious skits in Monsta X Ray 2, the boys renacted the scenes from Goblin at: ISAC, Meet and Greet; Shownu did a CF as goblin himself, Kihyun sang Beautiful by Crush (from Goblin OST) at KCon Mexico (just hyping my boy rn lmao), etc. So yeah, big fans. 

Back to HW’s role in Dramarama, I don’t think he’s a grim reaper. I think he IS a goblin, similar to Gong Yoo’s character in the tvN drama. 

Hyungwon appears in the first Protocol Terminal Scene in a formal suit, which looks like a bit of vintage. His whole figure seems to be out of place and time. In Goblin, Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) leads an eternal life as a goblin due his desire for revenge, which very soon he realizes it’s more a curse than a blessing. He uses his endless time to help people (at least in the past as they show us) find their right path in life, giving advices about things that are about to go wrong in their lives so they can correct it. The goblin also has some skills: it rains when he’s sad,he can make flowers bloom, he can make gold, he can see the supernatural like ghosts, grim reapers, etc. 

In these pictures, we can observe some things:

As I said, Hyungwon always seems out of place. Minhyuk and Changkyun and in casual modern clothes in the first picture above, those that people wear these days. In the second picture, Changkyun’s head is in Minhyuk’s shoulders in their second picture together released, and CK’s eyes are closed. His solo picture is faded, different from MH’s that is pretty focused on. Same thing happens to Wonho and Shownu’s picture together; WH’s side is almost completely fading away (the second one where they’re together). Also: Chankyung and Wonho are the only ones with their eyes closed in their photos with their partner. That could indicate that: a) their picture partner (or themselves) is dead and they’re struggling to deal with it (could be bc of guilt); b) they’re going to die and need help. Fields are commonly used in cinematography to represent passage to afterlife, ethereal dream-like scenarios. MH and CK’s story isn’t very clear, but when it comes to WH and SH’s, you can see them in a kendo gym (apparently. there’s wood swords beside them and they’re in almost full kendo uniform), then in Shownu’s solo picture he’s alone, still wearing the kendo uniform and probably still at the gym, with a sorrowful expression. They could be brothers, or just hoobae and sunbae (I don’t know the honorifics in kendo, sorry).

Kihyun and Jooheon are kind of a different story. They seem to be in the same boat, you could say. Behind their picture with Hyungwon, you can see a car with the front almost completely destroyed. It seems like they both were in the car when it crashed. Hyungwon in the middle, still in suit, looking at his watch. Again, at first glance one would say he’s definitely a grim reaper but wait, I’ll bring it back a bit later. Back to KH and JH, they’re not fading away, not even in their picture with HW (there’s a bit of some white fog around Kihyun but it’s small and idk if it’s just a filter effect?). In all of this, HW seems to be running out of time; he is seen holding a hourglass in one of the first teaser pictures, he’s looking at his watch in the picture below, looking impatient, and his solo picture actually comes paired with a picture of a hourglass. It could also be the case of the scene in the picture above HW, KH and JH. In Goblin, the female lead’s mother is run over by a car and she’s dying, but she prays for help so the goblin saves her. It could be a similar case with KH and JH, and maybe the others too.

In Jooheon and Kihyun’s second picture together (without Hyungwon), they’re on a road (probably the one where the accident took place), heading in opposite directions. It’s possible they have different opinions about something related to their possible death, or about what happened before the accident. They don’t seem to be in good terms. KH’s black and white picture could mean that he’s the one that died, or chose not to survive (I can’t see if his eyes are closed it’s too damn blurred) by not accepting help from the goblin but Jooheon made a different choice (his picture is colored, and he’s looking at something).

In the hourglass photo, in the right bottom you can see all the boys’ logos half highlighted (they’re probably near death) except Hyungwon’s. If he was indeed what I said, the fact that that indicate he isn’t alive it’s actually because he already died, coming back as a goblin. As matter of fact of him not being human, he doesn’t fit the pattern of life and death, that seems to be the theme of all these pictures. 

@ hyungwonope, on twitter, also mentioned that you can see their individual logos highlighted on the right column. However, in the pictures which contain Hyungwon, his logo isn’t highlighted at all. You can notice that they don’t seem to acknowledge Hyungwon in the scenes. One of the beliefs in Korean mythology is that dokkaebis (goblins) also have the ability to become invisible to humans (by wearing a hat, but myths are always being modified), and actually there’s a lot of different types of dokkaebis. In Wikipedia and in other sites I’ve looked into this topic, there’s possible options: a) nat dokkaebi (they appear during daylight and usually interact with humans, even befriending them); b) chonggak dokkaebi (know to attract humans). But the question still stands: who is Hyungwon? What does he wants, what are his intentions? Does he wants to help them? What does they mean to him? Of course he could be like Kim Shin from tvN’s Goblin; however for all we know he could also be: a) Cham dokkaebi (a mischievous dokkaebi) B) gae dokkaebi (an evil dokkaebi). He may seem harmless in the teasers, but we all know this shit can be unpredictable.  

To me, he seems to be looking for something that involve the six of them. Maybe one of the boys is the key to a issue he wants to resolve (like in the drama, Kim Shin needed a bride to pull out the sword of his chest so he could finally die); all of them seems to play an important role in his situation. In Goblin, Samshin (goddess of childbirth) says that goblins can be found anywhere, but nowhere; that could explain about the different scenarios he’s with all of them; he’s timeless. In the video released (the pic above is from it), you see the 6 boys in front of Hyungwon, who is looking at the ground as if he is ashamed of something, passing him by as if he isn’t even there. They deviate from him though, suggesting they know he’s there. This video is the only released piece of info about Dramarama that actually puts them together in the same environment, looking like they’re actually from that place they’re at; the pictures separated by duos have contexts completely different one from another.

He could be a grim reaper, of course. If you look, it fits. What I say that support myy theory is: a) grim reapers are known, in Korean culture, to wear all black and with a hat in their heads (the very first stories about them dates from the dynasties eras, so they were pictured using the Joseon era traditional hat; of course HW could appear with a hat in the MV or in other scenes though); b) it’s known by everyone in the fandom, as I said in the beginning, that they’re huge Goblin fans, and there’s this joke about Hyungwon being the Grim Reaper because he’s tall (as fuck) and wears black most of the time (he was wearing a goddamn black hat in Monsta X Ray 2 at the beach). I think it’d be a bit obvious that this is his role in this era, but it could be the right theory, who knows. As I also said up there, grim reapers are only invisible to human eyes when wearing a black hat (at least in the Goblin drama, which is what we’re discussing), and the boys do not seem to notice Hyungwon’s presence and Hyungwon is not wearing a hat. I don’t remember if goblins could become invisible to humans in tvN’s Goblin (it has been some time since it ended and my memory is shit, lemme live), but as he has a lot of powers, this could be one of them. Or it’s just part of the concept aesthetic.

To conclude it, here’s a scene of Goblin where Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) visits the graves of his dead friends, people who died while he had to continue to live. His expression is similar to Hyungwon’s in the picture above. In the Protocol Terminal video teaser, Hyungwon is seem using modern clothes (wtf is that jacket but HW would look better than me even if he was wearing a potato sack). I don’t think the clothes would fit a reaper, but that could also be a misleading scene. Koreans are the masters of misleading editing, if you watch kdramas and see the previews for the upcoming episodes you know what I’m talking about. It’d be an interesting concept to follow because they could explore different storylines inside one plot. Anyways, can’t wait for this comeback that is feeding my conspiracy theorist and art hoe ass so damn much. I miss Goblin btw

[yumenosakiacademy]

metr0con 2019 friday diary

Cosplayed/breakfast/snack: same as thursday diary

For future me only. preferred that you dont read this, thanks. 

Okay so we arrived at like, 10:23 or abt that time so i had some time before my first panel so i just kinda walked around. i dont think anything happened around that time, sorry. my memory of today is a lil bit hazy at parts. but while on the escalator, i looked over at registration n saw creeper print and a yellow crown n the person rly looked like king gavin n i openly Gasped but i couldnt get to them obviously but i was like gjhnsmjgh hh.

then, i went to the yoi panel! uhm.. not much to comment on for this panel, sorry. there was a viktor, yuri, and yurio! i remember there was a personality swap ask and for part of the panel, they all had switched jackets because of a dare.

next was the oh-shc panel! the honey was rly cute n gave a lot of hugs to a lot of the audience members n they were such sute hugs gjhnsm.. like the ones where u semi-leap at a person n hug em w slight movement it was so cute. kyoya said his entire budget book he brought was all for tamaki’s expenses and tamaki proposed to haruhi as a dare but earlier in the panel he was imagining outloud him n haruhi’s wedding gjhnsm

after that, i couldve went to the grav!ity falls panel or the bn-ha one, but since the bn-ha one was in the same room as the previous two, i just decided to stay in my seat for that one. the todoroki n kirishima came in late w starbucks which todoroki says was paid for by endeavor bc he had his dad’s credit card n he actually gave out 2 fake paper credit cards to ppl. aizawa got asked what the dumbest thing he’s gotten asked by one of his students n he said it was “whats your quirk, aizawa?” n todoroki said “it’s not ‘is mayonaise an instrument’? then there was other stuff n they played Sentences and i suggested the scenario “furry convention” after someone suggested todoroki and izuku. ALSO!!! i won the raffle for a bn-ha poster! it was drawn by the uraraka that was one of the panelists n it looks so good ;w; dunno where im gonna put it.. but as my first fanmade print (that’s not my hs wall scroll, which was officially licensed), ill cherish it.

after that i had time to walk! i saw a bunch of id0lish cosplayers! the id0lish7 ones in the dream journey outfits n the 2 trigger members i saw were in similar outfits? i forgot the name for them. anyway! i saw a gentaro n took their pic n they were like “i hav a dice n ramuda somewhere around here.. we’re fl!ng posse” so i wndered around the dealers room n eventually found the dice n ramuda together n took their pic too! thn i kept wanderin n i!! found the king gavin n i was like “are you cosplaying king gavin” n they were like “yea!” n i was!! so happy!!! n they turned to their friend n they were like “see you shouldve stayed in costume! [turns 2 me] they were mad k!ng ryan up until a lil while ago; they changed” but anyway i took their pic n they were talking abt how it feels kinda odd to come to terms w the fact theyre cosplaying minecraft n how they saw a minecraft person earlier n thought abt talking to them but it’s different bc it’s ach!evement hunter so they dont kno the full picture. i saw a corrin w arei button!! which was exciting. also met a nico who said they were gonna b arashi that day but didnt wanna contour but theyre gonna b her tomorrow!! DURING THIS TIME i also saw an adachi body pillow at an artist’s booth n im.. gjhnskm....... i wanted it...... i later found out it was $60 tho so. ;w; i met a sougo n tamaki n i asked if i could take their pic n they said yea, just give em a sec, n the sougo was like “r u cosplayin tsukasa??” n i said yep n they were like do u wanna b in our mv?” n i thought it was a whole event thing n i was like “oh. id hav to check my schedule i might b busy but” n they were talking abt how we (me, the luka next to them, n the kaito next to luka) would just do like steps to the side by following sougos lead n i was confused n repeated myself but the sougo was like “oh, no no it’s right now” n so i did that w them while the tamaki filmed n unfortunately i 4got to ask their instagrams so idk where the vid is but w/e. the sougo told me abt an id0lish meetup at 5 pm, too, out on the docks. 

the h!veswap panel was p funny! an eridan n feferi in the audience were also entertaining, esp during the improve games. i remember someone asked lanque “what r ur fashion tips?” n lanque was like “...Dont Bother” n joey was confused by troll stuff n i asked daraya what her fav punk band was n she was like “we only listen to the grubbles. have u heard em?” n i was like “i.. actually havent heard the full album yet so i guess not?” but as im typing this i think i actually have?/ oops. anyway a lot happened but it’s rly hate so im gonna.... move on. im typing this paragraph last bc i 4got to type it lmao.

a ruby and dia complimented my nails! then i saw a doppo!! they were apparently the reo i took a pic of yesterday. they said their jakurai was still getting ready. 

i tried to go to the grav!ty falls party but it was just one girl as mabel making the audience do games for prizes that were rly boring like decoding n stuff so i left after abt 15 minutes n went walking again. i had 2 hrs to walk now.

i went downstairs after walkina round the dealers room n there was!! a bloody banquet rei and koga!!! they were so pretty.. i was intimidated kinda but i managed to approach them n we talked abt rei’s rei itabag n koga’s goro itabag n rei said they once spent $150 dollars in rei merch in one sitting on yahoo auctions whoa. they were rly cool tho! we talked for a few minutes. later, i also saw another hypm!c group of MTR + ramuda n took their pics n the ramuda was like “ur sign omg. wait r u tsukasa??” n i said yep n we got excited abt ES n the jakurai told me theres an ES meetup tomorrow at 1 pm!! unfortunately, i hav a panel (2, actually, but i can only choose 1) that is at that time so idk if ill go... esp since it’ll prob only b a few ppl n im not the type of person to make friends anyway, yknow? ....anyway! the hifumi game me a lil clear heart tin w tiny fake yellow flowers n a piece of paper that said: “thank u, prince/princess! -hifumi [doodle of 2 champagne glasses]” n thats.. so cute. i gave them a lollipop in return. little while later, met another jakurai! i think we also talked abt ens-tars!! cant remember a lot of it tho gomen. then a lil while later, i saw the kakeru cosplayer i had heard abt on twitter! they were manning an art booth. i was like “are you cosplaying kakeru?” n they were like “yea!” n i took their pic n i was like “i didnt think id rly find k!npri cosplayers here aa” n the kakeru went “FINALLY i can use one of these!” n handed me a lil kakeru sticker they drew n i was like “his fumb bg pink jacket.. it makes him look like a Shrimp” n we both laughed n they showed me the k!npri stuff on their table n a joji on the other side of their display that looked like he was behind bars bc the display thingy and a jin hanging from one of the bars. they (the kakeru n the person they were with) were like “we kept seeing you walk by w ur sign n we were like ‘i hope they find leo!’” (both days, bc the other person asked if i was tsukasa yesterday) n i showed them my yug!oh card that’s an obscure reference to a tsukasa cg! n i talked to them a lil bit abt ens-tars but i cant remember a lot gahh!! and while i was standing there, a honoka came up and asked for my photo n i was like “ANOTHER ES FAN??” n i talked to them for a sec n forgot to put up my prop for the photo at first gjhnsm but that was cool!!  oh, the honoka also asked me if i liked anzu n i was like “she’s super cute in the anime”

after that i tried to go to the fru!ts basket panel but im only 6 eps in the remake anime n they had almost all the characters n i didnt understand a lot of the questions bc i hadnt seen much of the show so.. then after only a few minutes of q+a they started up trivis so i left n just walked around the dealers room. it was during this time that my crown fell off (SECOND DAY IN A ROW) n i searched the whole dealers room but couldnt find it?? ghh..

ANYWAY i found another ramuda w a jakurai n the ramuda liked my sign too n they were like “ur tsukasa!” n i went yep n they saw the buttons ns tuff on my bag n all my keychains n they were like ‘oh, sry” n i was like “no no, it’s okay, u can go thru all the keychains on my backpack i hav A Lot” n i pointed out chiaki as my best boy n mika as my 2nd fav n they said they cosplay hakaze. at some point, i played drops on my flip phone i think bc ramuda was saying smth pertaining to drops?? mayb not. but i played it n jakurai was like “oh god i hav to hear it hre too..” (in-character, i think) n i spotted another ramud in the distand n asked them to wtch my stuff while i took the ramudas pic so i went over n the person next to them had an arashi plush!e n we both squealed (i think. i did tho, Loudly.)

after this i just wandered n i danced on the dance floor! chacha slide, cupid shuffle, n time warp iirc! def time warp tho. also to some 80s song n some guy not in cosplay spun me around nt ried to swing dance we me but he was completely leading it n i didnt kno what to do!! after that i saw a tumblr/con friend while on my way to the yoi panel!!

then the yoi panel was actually p funny! a lot of questions abt yurio’s parents being viktor and yuri and yuri n viktor slowdanced to an edd sheeran song n otabek showed off their muscles (like, flexed their arms in their tank top) n yuri kept dramatically thwipping open their rainbow fan esp in responses to gay asks. at one point, someone asked abt yaois n a mom who was attending w their preteen or teen child was like “whats yaoi?” n the ppl behind her were like “i dont wanna b the one to do this..” n ppl told the mom n the mom to their teen/preteen kid was like “what are u watching? where? is it okay? is it on tv?” n the kid was responding to ehr questions but i couldnt hear them gjhnsm. yurio did a dance to a song n after that, we all danced to cupid shuffle n wobble n then i stopped but others did the time warp too. oh! also i answered a trivia question right (”who’s yuri’s best friend?” “pichit”) and got an utapr! keychain/strap! it’s reiji in a glitter thing. none of the other stuff there aside from some yoi straps was my fandoms so i saw utapr! n went for it.

then the bnh-a pj party! ...uh. the original panelists never showed up so random bn-ha cosplayers (and their non-cn.ha-cosplaying friends) tred to host the panel but everythign was hectic and loud n unfocused n a wreck but i noticed a ramuda n a hifumi i hadnt taken a pic of yet in the corner of the room (there were no chairs) so i eventually got annoyed/bored n went over to ask for a pic but ended up asking to sit w them (i walked over, put my sign down, n went “i said Fuck leo rights n higumi was like “that chara is familiar..” n i said leo from ES n they were like “oh i watched p 1 of that” n i was like “ep 2, this unday. stan ryuseitai”) n i ended up talking to them abt hypm!c n cosplay stuff n i talked a bit abt ens-tars and we all agreed that stella n papillion Slap on the new album. n ramuda said they were cosplaying as a prom!sed neverland haracter tomorrow n recommended it to me n i was like “oh im watching fru!ts basket rn tho” n the hifumi said they were too n the ramuda was like “do u kno the horse one in fru!ts basket? My Horse Boyfriend....” (the game. i think that was the name) so i showed them the hypm!c ask blog where they draw some of the charcaters as horses n the other characters as cowboys n the ramuda showed me the pics that r on their swear jar (photshopped pics of kinako w long legs in stockings+heels) n id0lish memes n it was all chill!! i played drops for them on my phone too. someone came over n went “if u can type w those nails, ur a god[dess]” n i said i could w Only my nails n they said i was like a god[dess] hehe. the higumi said they should make a tumblr n i heard them muttering “should i put 14 on here?” n ramuda went “well i mean, you Are 14-” n i went “ur 14?” n they nodded n i asked the ramuda how old They were n they said 14 n i was like “oh my god.. yallre babies..... gjhnsmk im 18.” n the ramuda crawled back a bit n they were like “18??” n the hifumi was like “u look so young tho whoa! rly?” n i was like “yea i look p young.. ive been compared to a freshman b4..... n yea i graduated like 2 months ago” n the hifumi was like “congratulations :o”