#anyways so the very first burst from the big elemental

[ralistrasz]

My Pathfinder 2e group just party wiped today, due to our general lack of party heals. Our poor DM tried so hard to help us out in that fight, but the dice gods demanded blood. Good fortitude modifiers only do so much with the long odds of the boss recharging its AoE burst literally every round after the first recharge. it blasts us for around 50 damage for every failed roll, half on a successful roll. The only reason we lasted as long as we did was by having three party members having a feature that allowed us to treat successful fortitude saves as critical successes, but in the end... it didn't even matter. We were overwhelmed, and we were too deep in the thick of the campaign to realistically have a backup band of adventurers capable of stepping in to stop the events that would destroy everything.

I shared this with our DM, despondent that he'd killed his party, and said,

"you let the six-year-old win"

[fifteen minutes of silence]

"i forgor to finish my thought. let your inner child be this six year old for a minute and take joy in winning."

anyways thank you for sharing

My friend sometimes brings her six-year-old to our DnD sessions and my husband (the DM) lets her roll for all enemy attacks and sometimes he will show her a few figures and let her secretly pick what creature we meet next. Who needs encounter tables when you have a first-grader around

[ruershrimo]

HEEEYYYAAA SWEETHEART

so I saw your Christmas event thingy and wanted to request a #13 with lyney x reader, preferably fluff but not like overly fluff so it becomes cringe (I sound bitchy I'm sorry😭)

Anyways congrats on 2 years on the blog,don't forget to eat and drink, mwah mwah(⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

the christmas mix | #13- baby it’s cold outside | lyney x reader

event masterlist

features lyney

notes: hiii<33!! thank you so much for requesting (and for being the first one too!!) aaaa!! anw I’m so sorry this came so late but I wanted to write something a bit longer (to be honest, I still feel like this one’s pretty incomplete, so I may write a part 2 for it!! I just didn’t want to take too much time so I just want to give this to you first.) and I really wanted it to be good because you seem so sweet aaaa <333. but ANYWAY thank you so much and have a merry christmas, mwah!! lmk if you need a rewrite of this and my apologies if there’s not enough (?) fluff (??) or if it's too short!!

warnings: none, except for the fact that it's fem reader, really (I hope that's okay!!)

summary: (set before the current events of the game) it's in the winter of his first show at the opera epiclese that he meets you. you think you may be falling for this stranger, this all-too-busy magician. it's alright if either of you have to go, though, the two of you can stay together-- it's too cold outside, after all.

The first time you meet him, the both of you are young and he’s a nameless stranger you meet at a friend’s party. You hit it off with him and glass bottles clink against each other before you bring the rim of yours to your lips and sip your fonta. 

“So, what brings you here?” you ask the stranger before you. He’s a new, unheard-of magician, you’ve been told. You think he’s the epitome of what magic should be in a world of surging elemental powers and mythical beings— a perfect mix of misdirection and secrets— with all his charm and mystery, and that little bit of dramatic flair he uses to present himself. 

“My sister and I were invited to perform, it seems,” he explains, taking his own sips in, “And you?” 

“Invited? Why, I just waltzed my way in like most of the others. Do you think I’ll be seeing you up there later, then, Mister…” 

“Lyney. Mister Lyney.” 

“…Mister Lyney.” 

“And you won’t be seeing me, anyway. I’ve told the host that my sister and I must attend to some urgent business concerning our first show at the Opera Epiclese tomorrow.” 

“Hm,” you hum, “The Opera Epiclese, huh? Glad to know I’m speaking to a future big shot. Remember me when your tickets are worth every gem and mora in Fontaine, won’t you? I don’t think I’ll be able to steal each and every one to see you again.” 

“Of course,” he grins, “And you won’t have to steal anything, I promise. Nothing would be worth as much as you.” 

“You’ve a penchant for words, I see. And here I thought budding magicians were often shyer than this…” 

“Our introduction to being in the limelight would not change my occasional sharing of the truth. Then he lays his bottle down on the table, and it’s silent and so very unlike how you thought he would based off your initial impressions of him, and so very different from how anyone else would after drinking fonta. He sets it down quietly, stealthily, as if if he were to clash any louder against the wooden table’s surface he would dart out of the host’s house while the liquid in the bottle barely moves, appearing like creases on a red velvety tablecloth. “But!” he exclaims, “Now I really must get going—” 

His voice is like a twinkle out of a music box, its melody even better than the one bursting out of your friend’s gramophone; his eyes are like a velvet coat that pair well with his cheshire cat-like smile; his hair is silky as it is silvery and you want to run your fingers through it. 

So you don’t want him to go. 

“Leaving so soon?” 

“Well, the magician’s life just so happens to be a busy one, dear [name]—“

“Oh? Mr Lyney, I don’t recall having ever told you my name,” you remark, quirking up a brow and holding him by the wrist as he begins to get up. 

The mister giggles, “I’ve heard of you before, of course. Our host informed me of who you were— and so did everybody else at this lovely soirée. Why, who hasn’t heard of the eccentric, renowned [name]? But I really should get going.” 

“Oh, but won’t you stay? It’s just so dreadfully cold out and it would be a shame if you and your sister were to get sick from the winter winds right before your grand show. Goodness, I’ve heard of the severity of all the snow and hail these days, and even some of my acquaintances have nearly succumbed to hypothermia due to it all!” 

He feigns a sigh, his voice like velvet wrapping around your eyes and ears and engulfing your senses, as he sits down again as you keep a firm grip on his wrist, “Well I hope they’re well into a good recovery, [name], but Lynette and I have the thickest coats and a great tolerance for the cold due to our brief time in Snezhnaya a few years ago—”

You pry a little further. “What got you into Snezhnaya, Mister?” 

“Oh, please, that’s certainly a story for another day—” he starts again, taking hold of his hat. 

“Well even if you wouldn’t like to tell me, Mr Lyney, I must know everything I can about you— everything you’d like me to know— in these few minutes you still have. So, please stay?” 

He sighs again, freeing his hat and his coat. “Alright, since you’ve been such lovely company, perhaps I’ll just stay for one more sip.” 

“Perhaps you could stay for one more bottle?” you cheekily suggest. 

“Five more sips.” 

“Please, just one more bottle…” you suggest again, “And come rain or shine I’ll be sure to come for all your future shows, whether they be in the Epiclese or not. Your first one’s tomorrow, right?” 

“…you, my dear friend, have a deal.” 

You laugh, “That took more convincing than I thought it would.” 

“Well you’re definitely persistent as you are eccentric,” he comments, digging into his pocket to reveal a deck of cards, “Now, allow me to show you a magic trick as we chat through our next bottle…” 

—

“Didn’t think you’d be the Casanova type,” Lynette jabs as he finally exits the building, “So you just left [name] there as she kept talking to you?” 

“Well, you know how things are,” he says. 

He already knows he can’t afford this. He’d been honing his magic for years from the streets to the halls of nobles’ houses to their rooms in the House of the Hearth for the sake of Father’s cause. If he were to let just anyone in, if he were to fall back from that tower of deception and secrecy and let it topple, then— 

“I’m sure that Father would be alright,” she states, a knowing, teasing lilt in her voice, “We won’t even be that late.” 

—

There are a handful of things you know about him by the second time you meet. That he used to perform solely on the streets and was then offered the chance to have a show at the Opera Epiclese after gradually gaining renown over the years; that like the cats he adores, he likes fish dishes; that he and his sister have a younger brother. 

The hall itself seems empty, the hues of each chair blurring together to form a sea of gold and red. 

“Why, it seems we meet again!” a voice echoes from behind you, then softer, it goes, “You’re earlier than I thought you’d be, though. And in the front seat.” 

“I know,” you smile, torso twisted, “I wanted to be extra early. And don’t ask how I got to the front seat, would you?” 

(In truth, you’d purchased it from someone who wouldn’t be available and was selling their front seat ticket at a much lower price than it should have been. No theft had occurred.) 

He moves in front of you. “To talk to me once more, I assume?” 

You pause and hum, tilting your head in an acted-out thought process. “Of course.” 

“Well,” he starts, “I still have more things to get ready backstage, and more props and tricks to prepare, so I don’t think I’ll be able to.” 

“Oh, I don’t mind, go ahead—”

He panics. “—But it’s you, so I’ll make some time. About five minutes, possibly— in truth, I do have a trick for you, dear [name],” he says, the words pouring out of him like a magician’s trick of pulling out an infinite number of differently coloured silks sewn together from his pocket. 

You lean forward in interest, and you try not to notice the barely audible gasp threat’s pulled from his lungs as he almost unwillingly backs away, then schools himself again. Maybe you were leaning in too much? “Show me, then,” you say. 

“Alright, then,” he begins, “I have a flower in my hands, and—oh? It’s disappeared!” he narrates, the sun-coloured flower vanishing with a flick of his hand. 

You raise a brow. 

“Now, have you noticed anything near your ear?” 

“My ear—?” Then to your surprise, you feel something tickling at the skin between your scalp and your ear, finding a whole stem tucked behind it. You pluck the flower away, bringing it to your nose and inhaling its scent. “Well, wouldn’t you know.” 

He giggles, “Do you like it?” 

“I do,” you reply, “I just thought you would’ve used a rainbow rose instead. But I love marcottes, too— they have such a sweet, light scent. Marcottes symbolise purity and sincere care,” you recite from a book you’d read, “And rainbow roses… well.” 

“Why, I’ve never learned of the language of flowers before,” he remarks, “…but I can start.” 

“Oh, really? Well, I don’t want you to take up too much of your time— a magician’s life is a busy one, no?”

“I suppose we all have to trade the time we have for something we care about no matter how little of it we have.” 

“Hm, I suppose so. Now, go—! Ten minutes have passed, mister!” 

“Oh—? But I’ve one more thing I need to say, dear [name],” he hurries, taking your hand and lightly pecking it, then letting his lips go and keeping your hands together, “You should stay later. It’s too cold outside for anyone to leave, but… if you need it, once everyone has left, you’re always welcome to stay and bask in the heating the Epiclese provides. Lynette and I will have to stay here for a while after, anyway.” 

You grin at his invitation— or his request, maybe. “I will.” 

“And, Lyney?” you call right as he turns back to face you again. “You’re always welcome to visit me in my own home.” 

You scribble your address on a piece of paper as people start to trickle in. It’s as if there are half as many people as there should be. It’s a sour thought, and, hopefully, in his next show, there’ll be more people.

The marcotte is tucked tightly between your index finger and thumb for the whole show. You bring its petals to your lips when the show is over. 

You hand the paper to Lyney after and you praise his show as you bid him farewell. You leave only a second earlier than he does with Lynette in tow. 

—

In the frigid winter weather, Lyney heads out, shivering, and buys a bouquet of rainbow roses as well as a book on the floral language of Fontaine. 

—

The show actually turns out to be a smashing success among the people who had watched it. The names Lyney and Lynette appear on the Steambird three days after the show, and you have the pleasure of reading an article about it, with details on a trick involving water and fireworks, written by one journalist Charlotte. 

The same day you read it, you open your door to see a bouquet of rainbow roses near your doorstep, hoisted and kept upright by the edge of the door and the wall. 

You wonder how they could have stayed alive without freezing, but you take it in. You already know who it’s from, even though there’s no name, no address— nothing. Nothing besides a note in elegant, cursive handwriting, saying “Thank you for coming.”

A dig through your house finally reveals an old vase of your parents’, a gorgeous, transparent vase of glass with patterns of roses embellishing it near the bottom that you trace with your fingers. You fill it with some tap water, remove the wrapping around the flowers, and place them in the vase. 

They rest near your bed and though the days are getting colder your heart warms at the sight of them every morning. 

So as it gets cold outside you think you’re falling for the all-too-busy magician, with his mystery and his tricks and his beautiful silver hair and violet eyes. 

You ought to invite him sometime during Christmas. And hopefully you can keep him for a while, too, as the fireplace crackles. It’ll be too cold outside, anyway. 

event taglist (please send an ask if you'd like to be added!):

wishing everyone a merry christmas ♡!

[eolewyn1010]

Downton Abbey Fashion 75 - outdoors fashion in 1925

Not even Edith can escape the beige curse entirely, but I’m inclined to be more gracious with her because she brings all the colorful prints to the yard. Also because I like her hats better than Mary’s.

Edith’s coat for Carson’s and Mrs Hughes’ wedding is 100% flowers in cream and yellow on periwinkle. I think this is a weave rather than a print; at least it looks like something structural. This could do with a little more color, but it’s overall a nice coat.

We already know the blue coat from fifth season, but I’m bringing it back because Edith never again wears this suit. Perhaps the cowards got scared of combining two funky bright orange patterns. Personally, I think she pulls it off, especially since she and Rosamund are talking about the flat Edith inherited from her boyfriend in this scene, so it’s nice that they bring back the orange-indigo pairing for thematic congruence. The diagonal stripes on the skirt and the tiny checker on her waistcoat – okay, that is wild. But she goes with an understated coat and a pale blue blouse she wears a lot in professional contexts over the season. Let her do her thing.

Away from the funky colors and into the grey tweeds, Edith wears this sharp walking suit with a matching scarf a couple times throughout the season, and I’m in love with the layering that the scarf makes with the lapels. Also, the little checker weave. The hat didn’t also have to be so grey, but I think the shape looks very nice on Edith. Plus, cute colorful necklace.

Quite possibly the most ostentatious coat Edith owns (or jacket? shorter styles seem to be coming into fashion), this shows up first for her date with Bertie and later after the Dinner Of The Burst Ulcer when they have fancy company like a minister and such. Well, first, this has a massive light grey fur collar, and fur equals the smell of money. But it’s actually the fabric that I love. It has a very gold brocade-y look, and if you look closely, this pattern is set together from countless autumn leaves in various shades of brown, orange, gold and green. It is beautiful; I would wear it in a heartbeat.

Another business look, but Edith is serving cape. I wish they hadn’t had her do the t-rex arms in this, but whatever, check out that lovely herringbone tweed. Also, this is actually a suit; the skirt matches the cape. And there are cute buttons, and these arrow elements that make up the lapels and repeat on the waist slits, and she pairs it with that yellow blouse with the ruffle tie… I love the look. And she has some funky piping on the hat to bring in an additional pop of color.

Sorry for the grimacing shots, darling, but they were the best I could get in between all the panic. Edith’s car race outfit? As much as I love Mary’s get-up for the day, this easily holds up. Mary does not embrace charming prints! Blue wasn’t necessarily a regular color for Edith for a large part of her run, but it dresses her quite well. Also, the coat is lined with the same fabric the dress is made of? Brilliant. Cute straw hat with braided weave; we’ll see this one again. And because Edith is not afraid of colors, she puts a red necklace on this. Love it.

Are you getting sick already of Edith’s Middle-Eastern style prints? Too bad; I’m not! A cream knife-pleated skirt with a dark blue shirt and coat; so far, so subtle. But then they just went wild with wherever they could put the patterns, collar, cuffs, the lower half of the coat, the big arrow element on the front and the subtler ones in the back. And it’s red, and turquoise, and orange, and purple, and it all adds up to a picture of beauty.

Not much to say on the light brown coat because that’s a holdover from last season, but it pairs nicely with this funky shirt that Edith only wears on this occasion. Who even designed this? And how does the butterfly fit in with all these abstract swirls and splotches? Who knows! Anyway, a woman who brings in shirts like this, I will gladly forgive her pastels.

Edith’s coat for breaking up with Bertie and telling Mary in no uncertain terms what she thinks of her, but even without the latter context, I would hold this in high regard. Look at that print! Red flowers, blue flowers, green leaves, blue maze lines, down the front, the applications on her lower sleeves and hem, and the diamond insertion in the back. It all adds up so nicely. There’s also the deep kick pleats which is imo one of the most elegant things you can do to a thing that’s supposed to fall smoothly. Make the volume an elegant little sneaky peek. Oh, and the straw hat from earlier is back.

Having a look at her future home of Brancaster Castle, Edith wanders around in an off-white coat that has this V element and buttons in the back. You know, I have a coat with a button at approximately that height – and I love wearing it ever since I cut my hair short. Having long hair and buttons in the back is the literal worst, so I guess I can blame the bob-prone 1920s for this design element. Edith pairs two different dresses with this, a coral one with beige flowers and a way redder one with blue and green-golden flowers, both bringing in all the necessary color the coat won’t bring, and both looking pretty with these big, almost tropically-looking flowers on her hat.

It really took me all the way to Edith’s wedding to consciously acknowledge that all the girls wear blue for starting into their honeymoon. “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” Duh. Okay, I’m slow with some things. Edith keeps it simple with a plain periwinkle dress and a slightly darker coat that has a bit of brown fur trim and the loveliest light blue swirly piping. Add an overlong light blue bead necklace and a cute hat, and off she goes into her well-earned happy end.

[why485]

2024 Games of the Year

It's the time of the year where people make lists about the games of the year! I haven't done of these in a while, but this year I feel strongly enough about enough games that I really want to do one. As is always the case, I only go by games I played this year. Doesn't really matter to me when they were released. Honestly, release date means even less today than it used to because of Early Access, continued support, live service, etc. Anyway, onto the picks!

Game of the Year: Derail Valley

This one caught me completely by surprise. In every meaning of the word, this is the VTOL VR of train sims. An accessible, but still kinda simmy, approach to train simulators that is deeply interactive by virtue of being designed as a VR game first. It has an addictive game loop, and learning the ins and outs of every locomotive, and the various routes, is deeply satisfying.

There is a physicality to every action in this game that is just wonderful. You don't just press a UI element to couple two trains together. You get out of cabin, walk over to the coupler, connect the anchor points, connect the brake hose lines, open the brake valves, and then undo the handbrake on the car. It sounds mundane, but 80 hours later and it still hasn't gotten old.

This game has been out for a while in Early Access. I'd heard about it occasionally, but the B99 trailer was what really convinced me that I had to give this game a shot. I'm glad I'm playing this now, because with the current feature set it feels like the best time ever to get on board.

Best Flight Sim: Nuclear Option

Tiny Combat but good, this game, being made by an incredibly talented, small, and competent team, is incredible. It's a sim-lite in the same vein as the Novalogic sims or the Jane's Fighters games. It's set in the near future with made up planes with crazy detailed damage models, and with a love for very, very big explosions.

What's most impressive to me about Nuclear Option is the breadth of features. You have low intensity conflict trainer props and jets, a quad rotor V-22 Osprey-like tiltrotor that can also double as an AC-130 style gunship, and a VTOL electronic warfare/AWACS plane with laser turret in the nose that can shoot down incoming missiles.

This game is still in early access, but progress has been steady, and with a bright future ahead of it.

Best Graphics: Thunder Helix

Like Nuclear Option, I've been following this game since almost its inception. Thunder Helix is a modern take on the arcade helicopter sim, somewhere between Desert Strike and Gunship 2000. It's very fun, and easy to play in short bursts.

What's so exceptional about this game though is its aesthetic. It is a gorgeous representation of what you remember these games looking like, authentically recreated to a meticulous degree. This is a game that uses color palettes, dithering, and doesn't even have a depth buffer. The game opens with a fake DOS prompt! The only real departure, and a welcome one at that, is that the game runs at a buttery smooth modern framerate.

Most Rent Free: Metal Gear Solid (1 and 2)

Following the graduation of my kamioshi, I decided I would finally play Metal Gear Solid. This is a series that needs no introduction, but I thought I should at least play the first game, if nothing else because of its historical significance. In the end, I played MGS1, MG1 VR Missions, and MGS2.

These games blew me away. They are so good. Kind of. There's a lot of qualifiers actually. They simultaneously have aged super well, but also are pretty rough in some areas. However the most lasting element from these games, is that they turned everything into a Metal Gear reference. Due to just how much dialog there is in these games, along with its kitchen sink approach to writing, you can relate almost anything to Metal Gear.

For about 6 solid (METAL GEAR REFERENCE?) months, I was thinking about Metal Gear constantly. It really sticks with you, for a lot of reasons, not all of them good. There's just so much to talk about with these games but I guess this it for now!

[octahedral-chaos]

So I finally drew my two Sayonara: Wild Hearts ocs! But I'll be posting them separately so here's the first one: Inkblot Heartpiece!

AKA silly little fella /gn. She's, of course, the Ace of Wands... and you may notice some design elements that are very much intentional.

Anyways, they're an artist, and uses a very big paintbrush as a weapon! She's also very short (No joke, they're almost half the Fool's height.).

Image ID under cut:

[Image ID: A digital drawing of a human with wings and tail. She have amber toned skin and tangerine hair, wings and tail, with her hair being somewhat long and fluffy. Their wings and tail also have a Corn yellow gradient near the tips, and their tail tip is vaguely heart-shaped. She is wearing an Oyster Bay and slightly oversized jacket with a geometric heart, the colours being a gradient from Tangerine to Corn Yellow, Viking Blue jeans and Cloud Burst Blue boots. They're also wearing an Oyster Bay domino mask, with Cloud Burst 'eyeliners', her eyes appearing as pure white, as well as an Ebony black ring on her left index finger. The background is a gradient of dark orange to dark blue, and there's a colour palette represented by overlapping circles outlined in white. The text reads "Inkblot Heartpiece/ - Ace of Wands/ - She they." / End ID]

[beyblader-observations]

Okay, so let’s see if I can pinpoint why this manga had a big first impression on me.

- I saw vague posts about people liking it or being excited about the prospect of it, which rubbed off on me, and makes me feel like this series has more of an impact than the last few, which I didn’t see many people talk about

- I’m in a good mood right now, with my dreams and goals in mind, leaving me more open-minded to watching/reading something new than I would be if I was in a bad mood or stressed

- The art style and character designs are downright gorgeous! After the first series (Bakuten Shoot), the characters in the later ones didn’t have designs that really appealed to me.

- It feels like it focuses on the bladers rather than just the beyblades. I feel like Burst focused more on the Beyblades and didn’t flesh out the characters as much. That’s just my opinion based on the bits and pieces I saw.

- It feels like it has a good level of… tenseness? It starts out in the middle of a tournament, unlike Burst, where the characters are playing in school. And it feels more grounded than Metal Fight. I don’t yet know if it has fantasy elements, but I am hoping for some bit beasts and danger! I do love the overly dramatic elements in the original series, like Beyblades destroying the world, but it all depends on how they go about it. So I have to wait to see how this goes. I liked how Bakuten did the dramatic fantasy stuff, but I didn’t like how Metal Fight did it, and I can’t pinpoint exactly why. They just had different tones. Anyway, I can’t comment on how that will be in X yet.

- Not to stereotype, but it feels more for women like me… or maybe I should say more for anyone with my sensibilities. It focuses more on human emotion than on battles, and they make the characters very beautiful.

- I’m instantly in love with Kamen X/ Ex Kurosu! He’s like The Irresponsible Captain Tylor as a beautiful Beyblade boy! His carefree personality is the kind of contagious relaxed optimism that I want in my life. The message he gives to Bird is exactly what I need to hear right now, as I make an “effort” to progress my career as a freelance artist. I’ve been getting so stressed out about trying to figure out how to make a living with my art that I was having trouble drawing. I forgot to have fun with it. In order to be a successful artist, I need to love what I do. I need to enjoy the process and play and have fun with it, and then I will be able to draw pretty pictures that people love and succeed. If I think of it as just work, I’ll be like Bird without his Beyblade. I can’t lose that joy and playfulness. Kamen X reminded me of that. <3

- Bird is relatable because he’s been struggling with having fun with his passion from worrying too much about success.

- Kurosu’s hands are so gorgeously drawn, so when he’s wearing a mask, I keep gazing at them! They’re so manly, and they have so much personality!

- I had seen pictures of a blue haired boy on Twitter and saw tweets that he will be voiced by Soma Saito, so I had a hunch that I would like this character. I fell in love with Kamen X while he was wearing his helmet, and I was like “wow, I already have a favorite, and I haven’t even met the blue haired boy yet!” Well, it turns out it was him, so there’s no contest there. xD

[buckets-and-trees]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

I wanted to stop by for two things: I think I first read Salt and then I couldn’t control myself and had to read everything else you’ve ever posted. You’re so talented and I’m eternally grateful for you in so many ways. 💞💞💞

With that, I present to you something that made me cry laugh and couldn’t stop thinking about your despair over Royalty AU being demolished in the brackets last week:

Thank you my dear, dear, Chi! I'm so glad you're around to celebrate all this chaos with me! You don't know how much I appreciate our friendship bursting onto the scene. 💚

That shirt is hilarious!

I literally don't know what it is, but royal has just always always always been one of MY THINGS, from watching Disney's Sleeping Beauty as a kid (my first obsession - as a literal toddler), to The Princess Diaries (I watched the movies and read the first few books), to The Crown, and devouring nearly every Royal AU fanfic I come across (whether it's soft like @navybrat817's modern royal AU or @targaryenvampireslayer's dark series) and being maybe the biggest fluffy fangirl over my own royal Steve collection. And it will probably come as NO SHOCK for anyone to hear that there's a Bucky modern AU plot bunny kicking around up in Aspen's attic that someday will probably be trotted out.

You didn't specifically ask for a truth by bringing up Salt, but... FORGIVE ME IMMA GO THERE ANYWAY!

So I was pretty excited to write salt when it happened. I'd read a ton of mob/mafia, I'd written King which had Steve as a mob boss but it's like...such a background detail/hardly relevant to the story/just only really something that was important to me... and then I have a big chaptered fic with a Mafia Bucky that I started working on last summer, but... I was excited to finally do a mob/mafia story when it was announced for @the-slumberparty's March theme.

I was itching a little bit to do a series, and I wanted to have a straight up tougher Bucky, but I also wanted a very spirited reader, and I knew exactly what would go down for salt, but I had a pretty clear idea for their entire trajectory. Then I happened to have Burnt with Bradley Cooper come up on my Netflix suggestions, and I thought, "Oh, perfect, let's watch for some research," and I'm so glad I did watch it because I didn't want exactly that tone, but I was initially considering a more happy go lucky kitchen in the restaurant, but Burnt helped me with shifting that to give me the grittier edge. Some elements of Burnt, some elements of Hulu's The Bear.

I just wrote it because I wanted to, but it's also then become far and away my story with the most notes. Which just ... it's not that the number of notes matters, it's just cool to see that I put it out there and a bunch of people basically said HELL YEAH, WE LIKE THIS!

My intentions are to get the three follow up parts out by the end of summer. And I'm stoked.

Link to the List of Sleepover Games

[what-aboutno]

you

tell me about your blorbos. i see them quite often and i am Curious

👀👀👀👀👀👀 okay okay so I'll do one for now skdkd I can talk about the other ones another time

They're from the game genshin impact, it's a mobile/PC game that's similar to things like botw, it's an open world rpg. But it's also a gacha game

First there's Diluc he's my favourite.

Let's not look at his in game model....

In the game there are 7 regions in the world of teyvat. The first being mondstadt the city or music and freedom. They worship the anemo archon but he's been absent for years in order to not push his own ideals of freedom "what's freedom demanded of you from an archon?"

So diluc is from mondstadt. He is one of the richest men of teyvat. Running the mondstadt wine industry. He owns and runs the dawn winery, and angels share the tavern in mondstadt.

In this world when an archon recomizes you Ig you would say or they acknowledge your ambition they are gifted what's called a vision. A small glass orb that allows the user to control one of the 7 elements (anemo,geo,electro,dendro,hydro, pyro or cryo)

When diluc was 10 he received a pyro vision. At age 13 he became mondstadts youngest cavalry captain. He becomes a knight to make his father proud, who never received a vision and didn't make it to the knights because of that.

He has an adopted brother named Kaeya. They found him in the woods during some rainy night and adopted him

My other beloved blorbo. They're called the ragbros because dilucs last name is ragnvindr. Kaeya idk if he ever used that but after some lore stuff it's Alberich

Their lore together is so ajsjjajs they make me ill

Everything is like all cool until dilucs 18th birthday when he has to escort his father on this mission for the knights. Uh so halfway through they're stopped by this creature called ursa the drake and it's kinda like this big dragon. It kills all the other knights that were with him on that missions and he tries to fight it off and get his father to safety but he is knocked back.

His father randomly pulls out this delusion which is like a vision but it's man made, and made of dead god remains. It usually kills the user, ages faster, takes from their life force or other unknown side effects

He uses it and it like insta kills but him the drake is gone woo ajsjs uh oh

Kaeya arrives as back up with other knights but it's just took late. It's implied in the game diluc mercy kills his dad to stop him from being in so much pain but in the manga he just kinda disolves???

Kaeya actually feels really relived that his adopted dad died because kaeya lore. He was sent as a spy by his birth father. There's this other nation we're told about called Khaenri'ah. Which was a nation with no archon. It was like the peak of humanity but Celestia (even higher up to the archons) was like nuh uh tkk dangerous look at those machines they're making. And sent the gods to destroy the whole nation. That was 500 years ago. How kaeya is from there is a mystery but he's sent to mond and left by the winery on that rainy night to be a 'spy' according to him anyway. His father told him that he was their 'last hope'

So dilucs had this terrible birthday and kaeya goes to talk to him because he feels so guilty about how relieved he was that their father died. Even if it was for a brief moment and decides to come clean about his past.

This part is very much up to interpretation because their stories don't say much. But they end up fighting. Diluc using his vision. The fanon verisons is he relases this massive fire bird which is his burst in the game towards kaeya. And that moment kaeya receive a vision. Making a sheild around him causing this elemental reaction.

You unlock kaeya sheild at c4 (you get 4 extra copies of him. gacha game moment skdkd)

Some point in the fight diluc injuries his eye covered by the eye patch. Giving him a scar. through this one event we find that he's not blind there and his voice lines say he can see perfectly fine out of it.

But he was wearing an eye patch for no reason before this. Maybe for fun?? Maybe for lore who knows. He won't tell us his lore skdkd not yet at least

They end up fighting. Next day diluc is back at the knights because they're investigating his father's death. One of them who turned out to be a traitor from the fatui (this massive army from one of the nations sneznhaya) he's like yo actually we're gonna cover this up because it's gonna make us look bad if the knights didn't fight but this rich winery owner who has no powers did. Diluc is like fuck this I'm leaving. Leaves his vision and a week later leaves mondstadt.

He decides he gonna go on a killing spree taking on the delusion that killed his father. He disappears for 4 years. Ends up in sneznhaya. Meets some harbingers almost gets killed but saved but this random organization. He joins the organization and ends up being really high ranking too and then returns to mond to run the winery. With apperently no side effects from the delusion???? Hoyo please tell us what happened. Literally the game tells you about the side effects of delusions and how bad they are yet he uses it for 4 years and nothing happens???? What are you hiding

Hes no longer a knight but he still wants to protect people so he becomes a vigilante. People in mond somehow don't know it's him but they call him the dark knight hero

Girl is not even hiding his BRIGHT RED hair. Yeah so that's him.

Personality wise as a kid he was this bright and happy person

As an adult after all that trauma he really keeps to himself. He seems very lonely tbh. Described by kaeya as in his own world all the time. Less happy, seen as grumpy and never smiles :(( he still mischievous in his story quests and is so kind.

Literally his description for his card (from card game in the game)

Ouyghhhh and you see he still deeply cares about mond in his own way. His relationship with his brother is strained and a whole other thing but he still cares about him :((

Anyway beloved blorbo I could talk more about him with lore and theories but I'll do it another time skdkd

He's also so pretty like omg,,,,

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Whenever One Of Those Disney Remakes Comes Out...

This was originally a Twitter thread that I wrote the other day, and wanted to repost it here because I... Accidentally deleted the first tweet, haha...

Anyways... Regarding "shallow" Disney romances, plot elements of the animated films that supposedly don't add up, and how these remakes supposedly "improve" on them or "add depth"...

For all the talk about some Disney romances happening in such ostensibly short amounts of time or feeling kind of halfhearted... It becomes apparent when you step back and think about it, possibly... but there's a reason the stories hold up and work despite this perceived issue... That's animation and lyrical storytelling bypassing what's supposed to be realistic. That's one of the medium's very special abilities...

Like, most people watching those Disney animated classics back when they came out were so engrossed in the stories and even the romances, because animation like that is really on its own plane of existence, operating on a unique wavelength that really makes it all register so seamlessly. But there's also plenty of substance & depth in what's being told, as it's woven in there by the visual (and sometimes visceral) storytelling itself. That's a big thing for me with Disney's animated movies, that they can establish so much in such short bursts in an 80-90min runtime.

A lot of what's often said about certain animated films reminds me of "style over substance", which is a phrase I absolutely can't stand. The style *can* be the substance, actually... it's there if the one watching is on the film's wave. Otherwise, it's just pretty pictures and noise to them.

A lot of my favorite Disney animated movies play this game very well, going all the way back to Walt's output. That there can be so much feeling, emotion and ideas in mere drawings mixed w/ music, dialogue, editing choices, etc. It's often hard for me to explain, but I naturally feel it whenever I watch it.

And that's not even getting into the language of fairy tales and fantasy stories, often laden with symbolism and metaphors and such, which are also on their own wavelength entirely. I feel, when you try to take all of that so literally, to make it "realistic" and feasible in another medium, let alone apply these ideas completely to *real life* itself... you're breaking it apart and overdressing it. Hiding its unique essence, ripping it away even. The fantasy element is dialed down, which kind of takes away from the whole appeal?

As I get older and I really try to nail how I write fantasy stories myself, I find the connection between this kind of fantasy and reality fascinating, how they in different ways inform each other. Not in the sorta "cute" ways that you can put into a neat little box ("Disney movies once taught me-"), but much more complex than that.

I'd say in terms of a recent live-action fantasy movie, one of the most interesting was David Lowery's THE GREEN KNIGHT, an adaptation of Arthurian legend, which really embraced a kind of lyricism and dream-like logic that you don't often see these days. Even in mainstream animated movies that favor talking heads scripting over this kind of thing. Naturally, it was "confusing" for some. I know I was kinda lost when I first saw it, but I couldn't stop thinking of the intricate texture of the piece after I left the theater. It's a feat when a movie of any kind can preserve that onscreen, not what was only in the text.

Of course, a classic animated movie isn't immune to criticism, but sometimes I think a lot of what I see written online is done out of misunderstanding of the animation medium (does that peer pressure from when they were 10 years old still linger in their heads?), and there's a lack of media literacy there as well. As if the CinemaSins crew are in charge here, nitpicking small things that don't matter while missing the much bigger picture. Animation and fantasy like this require a nuanced perspective to dig in, I feel.

Animation itself, when executed like this, is just really on a whole other field... And those who dig the films so much, I feel they naturally get it and don't knock the movies for these perceived "issues". Nor make rash generalizations about a whole body of work, which is also common with some folks who talk a good show about Disney animated movies. Even Disney themselves, which is always concerning, but this is nothing new. As far back as the late '80s/early '90s, various people who worked for them or on their movies echoed these kinds of weird reductionist sentiments, too... And I feel it really all boils down to... These movies are animated. Thus shallow, for children, lacking, without much substance...

If not that, then I feel it's a misunderstanding of how these outlandish stories work and what level they are on... Almost like it's being reduced to a "that was weird!" MCU-level joke, or- Again, fodder for CinemaSins or some garden variety Nostalgia Critic-style video.

[its-aji-here]

It's Always You

Chapter 11: Sing Your Heart Out

A few days later…

Kim was invited to sing at the anniversary celebration of one of the biggest malls in the city. It is the first of the many shows he has booked for the next few weeks. He has a full calendar and he was happy about it. Kim is one of the biggest rising stars in the country and it shows through the number of events and shows he has been booking.

Kim just released his latest single the night before and tonight is the first time he will be singing it live. You're also coming to watch him at the mall show. It will also be the first time you will be seen with his family and their lovers. Time and Tay will be coming with you so you would not feel left out, although Kim’s big brothers are really fun, kind and humble people.

It also means his former lover will be in the mix. You have never met him in person though you have been seeing him in pictures. P’Tankhun has been especially proud of the younger male since he has been excelling in his studies and music unlike their youngest cousin who seems to struggle with his. 

Kim asked the organizers to send his brothers and cousins invitations for the event. Fortunately, all of the Theerapanyakul boys decided to grace the event with their presence. It is the first event after a long while anyway. Kim went on a long hiatus after he and Porchay broke up. He lost all the will to write music—lyrics and melodies just won’t come to him. It felt like his music left him the moment the younger boy decided to turn his back on him and step out of his life. 

However, it is only one person that Kim wants to be there—and he's not confident that he will see him there. He’s a total wildcard, extremely unpredictable. However, Kim hopes against all hopes that he will show up and watch Kim perform his song.

You stepped into the backseat of Time’s car. Your best friend was seated on the passenger seat across from his lover. His body is turned towards you at the backseat, a beautiful smile on his face. You reciprocated it before addressing Time that is busy maneuvering the car onto the highway with a hello. 

“You look so excited,” Tay commented.

“Of course!” you answered enthusiastically. Tay shook his head as he turned back to face towards the front. “This will be the first time I get to watch him sing in his full element,” you sounded so wondrous and exuberant that Tay hesitates to burst your bubble.

Tay wanted to point out the latest song he released is another break up song. It is another song that illustrates how he has been longing for his former lover. He wanted you to open your eyes and be made aware of this fact.

Time noticed how worried, annoyed and anxious his lover looked. He took Tay’s hand to anchor him and calm him. Time watched as the little tension that the exuberance of the girl behind them brought Tay slowly dissipated. He offered Tay a reassuring smile when he noticed his lover take a glance his way. Tay squeezed his hand and exhaled a slow sigh to calm down.

You noticed Time’s hand holding onto Tay’s. It made a small smile appear on your lips. Your eyes shifted between the comforting and reassuring smile plastered on Time’s lips and the trust in your best friend’s eyes as he looked at his lover. It made you more appreciative of Time and his positive influence in your best friend’s life. 

Although you have known Tay since you were in middle school, it was only in high school, when Time came into the picture, when you first saw Tay smile radiantly. The radiant and carefree smiles and laugh was thanks to the very person that holds him now. 

Time was the person that took Tay out of his shell. He let him fully express himself and discover who he is. Time let Tay become the brave person he is today—a proud gay man who is not afraid to stand up for every thing or person he loves and what he believes in. Time is the foundation that ensures Tay will always be standing strong through quakes and obstacles that may shake him and who he is. Nevertheless, his presence in Tay’s life assures you that someone will be looking after you best friend even when you’re gone.

Kim had to come in for make up and styling, so he left earlier than everyone. Everyone else was still either sleeping or busy with their own businesses. It made him more worried and apprehensive about what can happen later at the event. After his stylist gave him the okay, he was ushered inside the van that will take him to the venue. Kim immediately took out his phone as soon as he got inside the van to check upon his brothers.

He exhaled a sigh of relief when his brother mentioned that he would be coming to watch him. On the other hand, it also made him more nervous and apprehensive. This will be the first time he will perform this song live. It’s the first time he will sing it in front of an audience, a crowd of people that includes the love he will never deserve to get back. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back to get a hold of his sanity. Kim was in the middle of performing a breathing exercise when his phone chimed. He took a look at the screen and found you shot him a text. He forgot that you will also be at the event.

After a few moments, the van arrived at the underground parking lot. It stopped by the door where all artists pass through to get to the dressing room at the back of the stage of their event hall. Kim was ushered by an army of guards, from the mall and from his brother’s personal army. Although the access was private, he still had to pass through the mall to get to the events mall. So, to make the journey easier, the mall had him ride a cart to minimize the time he had to spend on the main mall floor. Getting inside the venue, he was immediately pulled through sound checks and run-throughs which had become second nature to him. After a minor issue with his in-ear not working, he finally was able to get to his waiting room and relax before he needed to get on stage. 

The boys arrived at the venue half an hour before the event was scheduled to start. They were photographed as they walked down the red carpet laid down for the prestigious guests. These two powerful families are known for being great clans of business tycoons, holding a few of the largest brands in the country. The Theerapanyakuls have some of the top hotels and resorts under their belts while the Kittisawasds own a few widely known fashion brands. It is what made them influential figures and widely known to the public even beyond Kim’s fame.

Kim was scrolling through the blue bird app as he waited for the event to start and for his cue. He saw the photos of his brothers from fans that know of them and from legitimate media entities covering the event. A photo of Porchay made him stop scrolling. He was wearing an all white outfit that made him look ethereal. Porchay looks like the angel that he is tonight. Kim sighed and locked his phone, willing the image of the younger male out of his head and failing. A few moments later, he was notified that the event is starting and he will be on in a few minutes.

Kim is already at the entrance to the stage, waiting for the performer before him to finish their stage. He was hiding behind the curtains, sneaking a peek at the crowd to look for his brothers, to look for him. He found Kinn and Porsche a few rows from the stage, but failed to locate him. Kim was still looking for Chay when the AD cued him for his turn. He greeted the crowd, smiling one of his brightest smiles due to the intense cheer of the crowd.

“Hello, guys,” he greeted once again as he was reaching the middle of the stage. “Are you having fun tonight?” The crowd cheered even louder as he looked around while standing on stage. He doesn’t have his guitar now, and it makes him feel naked and exposed. But the loud cheers from the crowd is boosting his confidence. He smiled again as he addressed the crowd more. “It’s been quite a while, right?” he chuckled at the disappointed rumble of the crowd. “I’m back now, and I’ve brought a few songs with me. Do you want to hear it?” the crowd answered him by shouting a collective ‘yes’ in perfect unison. 

He looked at the band behind him with a smile to cue them before flashing a brighter smile at the roaring crowd again. The beginning notes of ‘Loop’ began resonating through the hall as the guitarist started strumming his guitar. 

Kim watched as he began singing the first verse, letting each note engulf his being. He started to feel everything again, how he wrote this song on the first few days of Porchay walking out, how he struggled to put words into paper due to the multitude of things he wanted to express. It took him almost three months before he became satisfied with its sound. 

His eyes roamed the venue as he started running out of words before the chorus. He gave up looking for Porchay and began singing with his whole heart, willing the younger man to hear his words. Kim sang his heart out, hoping he could hear his sincerity.

She watched Kim sing with everyone he’s got. Kim has always been a soulful singer. His voice has always been full of emotions whenever he sings for you. However, this is the first time he heard him sing like this. It’s like he has put his everything into the performance. 

Soon, the first song ended and a spotlight opened to illuminate a seat behind a piano. You watched as Kim sat, fiddling with the keys before beginning to play the first few notes. Even through the noise of the crowd, you instantly recognized it as the song he drunkenly wrote while begging for the boy a few seats down to stay with him. It contains the words he longed to tell him but is now too late and he’s too afraid to utter them.

You watched as Porchay watched him with sad eyes and concern etched all over his face. The look he has been giving Kim at the stage is enough for you to know how much the two souls long for each other. Your focus on the younger male took your attention from Kim. You missed the look Kim gave when his eyes finally collided with younger male’s—full of longing, asking for forgiveness, begging him to never stop loving him. It was a look that did not escape his brother’s eyes.

The song ended and Kim stood up from the piano. He smiled like he did not just pour his heart and soul on the stage. It was breathtaking and you felt mesmerized by it. Kim addressed the crowd and told them how it's his last song. The audience gave a collective chant of disappointment and complaints—how it’s too short and too fast. He laughed at their complaints and apologized playfully before giving the band the cue to start playing the last song. It was another one of the many songs you heard him write for him. You felt Tay put his hand on your back, providing you comfort and reassurance. All you can do is fake a bright smile, telling him that you are okay. 

Kim was the last person to perform for the event. He thanked everyone for coming and reminded them to go home safely. The lot stood up from their seats and began socializing with the many faces in the crowd. You looked at your best friend and saw him happily conversing with Pete. He was one of his fashion influences, being a person that is not afraid to wear anything and everything he feels like wearing. It is what made him boldly dress up every day. You’re happy for him and lets him have his fun. Unknowingly, a younger male was eye-ing you as you observed everyone else. 

He looked at the male beside him who was busy with his phone. Sighing, he nudged his best friend to get his attention. Macau begrudgingly looked up and saw his best friend’s doe eyes. One of his eyebrows automatically came up in annoyance and curiosity.

Porchay was still holding on to the sleeves of his coat. He tried to pull his hand away, but Chay’s grip only tightened with every millimeter. Macau sighed while rolling his eyes and looked at Chay inquisitively.

“What is it?” Macau finally asked. “What do you want to do now?” Chay bit his lip as he stole quick glances to his side with just his eyes. Macau followed the direction he was looking at and found the older female enthusiastically chatting with a few people. He can only shake his head at the martyrdom of his best friend. “I’m not gonna help you with that,” he flatly declined.

“But Cau~!!” Porchay begs. He was giving the best doe eyes he can muster to persuade him to even just accompany him.

“You will only hurt yourself, Porchay, and I want no part of that,” Macau gave him a flat look, taking out his phone again.

“Macau~ Please??” Chay begs as he sways his hold on Macau’s arm. “You just have to stand beside me,” he flashed the other boy a begging look, trying to persuade him with all his might.

“Then, tell me, Chay. Why do you desperately want to speak with her?” Porchay can hear Macau’s annoyance in his tone. “You will only be hurting yourself,” Macau sighs.

“I just want to befriend her,” Porchay uttered. “you looks like a good person, Cau. It’s not her fault that you fell in love with Kim,” he reasons. “Besides, I don’t want her to think I hate her when I don’t even remotely feel any negative emotions for anyone,” Porchay fiddled with his fingers as he explained to Macau his thinking.

Macau sighed. He knows he can’t dissuade the latter from wanting to interact with the female. “You’re too kind for this world, Chay,” Macau sighed and took Chay’s arm to start pulling him in the direction of the older female. 

Porchay smiled at his best friend while Macau just continued to look annoyed. He enthusiastically walked with Cau towards the female, trying hard to calm his nerves and not show how he truly felt. The circle of people that surrounded you dissipated as they came nearer, like they knew that Porchay was coming. Macau and Porchay stood in front of you—Cau looked like he’d rather be somewhere else (which he does) and Chay trying his hardest to flash a friendly smile. You can only look at them with astonishment and awe.

“Hi!” Porchay greeted you. “I think you already know us,” he said with a giggle. “But, I’m Porchay and this grumpy gremlin here is my best friend Macau,” he introduced the both of them. Macau huffed at the description Porchay gave, which made the other boy giggle even more in amusement.

You were shook out of your stupor by his melodic giggle. Chuckling at your ridiculousness, you flashed them a bright smile. “Uhm… yea,” you answered shyly. “It’s nice meeting you both,” you added.

“So…” Porchay cutely put his hand together as he swayed back and forth on his foot. 

He was about to ask more about you when a hand and an arm suddenly came around you which took their attention. Your face lit up as you turned to face the owner of the hand. Porchay’s and Macau’s eyes followed the arm that led to the face Macau hates the most at this time. Kim was looking at them as Porchay’s bright smile slowly dimmed and Macau’s face became even gloomier, the tension between the three males becoming even heavier.

[they-them-that]

Ranking Precure seasons purely on design and concept because I'm up early anyways (least favourite to most) Part 1.

18. Happiness Charge Precure

They're magical girl outfits have the least distinctive personalities with only minor differences from each other. I understand they were going for a Sailor Moon idea with a uniform style but the appearance of the outfits are very underwhelming to me. They're plain even for just overall magical girls, tbh.

17. Doki Doki Precure

It's mostly the hair that throws me off. It's a mixture of normal strands to big blobs. I wish they committed to the stylized hair and got rid of the fringes or else I'm stuck trying to understand how Cure Rosetta's pigtails work that would still make her bangs possible.

I like the overall drop-down dresses but its mismatched appearance feels like a bombardment of layers and shapes that don't mix harmoniously. I wouldn't be against an asymmetrical style if this Precure was heavily alternative but it ends up clashing with the cutesy atmosphere instead.

16. Precure Splash Star

This one is victim to being the first new precures after the original where they barely changed it up. It just ends up being the lesser version of the classic that made itself impossible to not make comparisons.

I do like the idea of Cure Egret's first outfit that lost its uniqueness in the new one just to match with Cure Bright. Cure Bright's outfit does upgrade as the greens in her old outfit didn't match her but it's nice they maintained green as an accent for her new one!

15. Healin' Good Precure

The designs are lovely and elegant, theres nothing inherently wrong with it but it's visually weak compared to its predecessors and descendants. I don't have much to say because there's just not much to say about it, to be honest. It's just kind of generic.

14. Smile Precure

I love the wild and creative hairstyles and the hair wings but that is really the only unique visual aspect to Smile. Also questionable transformation tool that markets wearing makeup to young girls which I know isn't new but still feels patriarchal and groomy. 😅

13. Soaring Sky! Precure

I have mixed feelings. I really dig Cure Sky's design and it's cool for the protagonist to be blue this time! I'm not into the puffy arm bands but the cape adds so much flare! Cure Prisms' softer design bounces off Cure Sky nicely and she looks great!

The other too... I despise honestly lol. It's cool we finally get a boy Precure as a part of the pack and that he isn't stereotypically masculine but his hair and outfit feels so unflattering. Cure Butterfly's outfit has the same issue with Doki Doki Precure and the merged arm sleeves are unsettling to me.

12. Delicious Party Precure

The style is meant to have festival vibes with traditional design elements which is a cool idea! It's a fun burst of colours with a cohesive theme but it doesn't stick in my mind. I wish all the girls leaned more into the cultural aesthetics but besides Cure Yum Yum (who I think is one of the best Precure Designs overall), they're mostly Victorian-esque which should've been unique to Cure Finale. Speaking of her, although I like her design, I also have a gripe with the blonde hair and blue eyes because it feels Eurocentric. And when her normal appearance is dark haired, she honestly feels white washed to me...

11. Tropical Rouge Precure

I love the designs and they gave such a unique concept, I just don't end up feeling strongly about this series. The designs feel a bit busy to me although I do love that Cure Summer isn't predominantly pink. She has a very unique look but other than her, everyone just feels like another iteration of past precures.

10. Suite Precure

Cure Melody and Cure Rythm slay, their designs are perfect! I love the music concept and their appearance bounce off each other just as well as Cure Black and Cure White did. The other girls ruin the cohesion for me, tbh and I don't really like their outfits. 🫤

[a-shrieking-cloud-of-bats]

anyway one of the sale games I got was Bore Blasters, a little uhh, something, by the guy that made Void Scrappers, a survivors game with a shmup flavor with a focus on very high speed rather then the crawling pace of normal survivors games

looking at the trailer I'm sure you can see Why I got it; dwarf game. You fly around and shoot little blocks that are clearly more valuable then the blocks surrounding them and they shatter and fly into you and basically it's dopamine, I was expecting another survivors like more or less. I'm sure I was also cluing in on the fact that you are surrounded by terrain at all times and this shakes up the survivors game model in a fairly unique way but I mostly liked void scrappers, saw that their next game was Dwarf Game, and gave a pity wishlist. Wasn't expecting much. But what I got was an almost like, "campaign mode" survivors game with elements of motherlode, that old flash game that has been oddly influential on indie games I suspect.

basically you start at the top in your gyrocopter and go down, at the bottom is a big chest, opening it ends the level and unlocks a new upgrade (there's loads of them by the way, and only a few of them are generic stat upgrades). It goes to the world map and all of the adjacent locked levels open up and you can go along. Many stages have a side quest that relays a basic little plot about (space) dwarves v (space) goblins like nearly every other dwarf game. Stages closer to the edge of the map are deeper, have more enemies and your fuel and health gauges become a more pressing concern. Cash from the ores you dig up is used to upgrade your boat in a survivors like fashion (though it being a more major aspect of the game it doesn't feel like nearly as much of a chore). Another additional benefit is that this means stages do not last 30 minutes, enforced, which I love, because a survivors like stage run can last almost an hour after you spend all the time in the menus picking shit. Bore Blasters gets in and out pretty quick, and it's much easier to enjoy in small bursts, which is great because I feel like survivors games really lend themselves to that sort've thing, but many of them demand such a huge grind that those single runs don't really feel like much. Bore blasters feels a lot better tuned, to me.

I was expecting to play the game for like an hour before I moved on to other stuff and I played it for almost four times that, well after the dopamine hit wore off. Honestly I think it might be one of the first larger offshoots of survivors games that we've seen, given the terrain blocks your shots, but does not block enemy movement. In hectic situations reacting quickly to enemies coming out of the walls is important, and it spices up the combat in an honestly pretty compelling way (for a survivors game, that is). I wish more of them weren't just hitbox monsters but like honestly a really solid game from a dev that has basically no reputation, it's not a huge groundbreaking release but it's solid and I think it shows a good handle on what is enjoyable in these little top down monster blasting sims, removes a lot of the cruft from the initial genre (like the other major genre variant, brotato), and adds a bit of extra onto it, I was really impressed.

also the game dev's studio icon is a flaming skull with glowing eyes so that's also very good

[bobelblogger]

The Lost Realm

Clamgams half shells with legs.

Blood Ape                   Rapetor hybrid Raptor Pack

Breeze 'Bree' Ariss                            Breath 'Brea' Flamid Pyrod Flamid

Because the idea of this happening while the titular character is present doesn't fit, refer to these stories as the B.J.G timeline, after the creation of the realm before the entry of said protagonist. (remove)

The entry of a comet into the sky heralded woe and misfortune just to start, such an event would prove disaster laden to any area the object impacted upon, moreover it's what was riding in the comet that would cause the most destruction, it drew closer and closer as it crashed tumbling into a foul bog hissing and smoking.

Twin sparks flicker in the pitch darkness gave rise to a swaying form who took breath and burst into flames incinerating the foliage around it as trees bowed blackened as it became aware it was first hungry and second hot for a mate, third inquisitive.

'This thing is strange, it had thoughts and is alive?'

'well that's the supernova calling the sun bright isn't it?'

'Things often don't need reason to act as they may, they just do on instinct or by will.'

'We are therefore proof that will is reason, we saw our plight and made a instinctual choice to save ourselves.'

'So this thing we shall observe for the time being, as one does to better understand it's process.'

'That is a bad course to follow, wait for it to do something horrid and then what, ask it to stop.'

'Meaning observe for a weakness by tailing it, it's living flame, nobody can't touch it even if they wanted to.'

"Umm, gust of wind, smother with dirt, a heavy rain fall, you think those would do the job, it's a walking ember."

"Most would think that, but its far from the only methods we have to employ, a chance for someone to change."

"My sapling broke before I even had a year, now I'm out of my element, why not send me?"

"You're not out of your element, you are exactly where you belong until the time to plant your seed comes."

'Let me go, it's my turn out anyhow, let me see what this thing is and what it wants.'

'You must only watch, if you intervene the consequences would be calamitous, no extra blessings on you."

'Fine just leave me flight, quicker to move and be stealthy and if this thing attacks me I can escape.'

'Done, let us unseal the boundary and be gone, speak to anyone in the area and bring news of its movement."

'Oh look it just ate a leech, now it ate another.' If it's possible to mentally gag she did.  'I will be leaving now.'

As a spirit blessed with air she could modify her form to be stiff or lax, blow things and make her voice soft as a whisper or loud as a torrent along with flight swift as shadows before the sun, unseen as a star in daytime.

"In my task I set forth---oh how rude of me--for a second I, anyway the names Breeze Ariss, call me Bree."

Her voice echoed as she took form amid the smouldering remnants of bushes and shrubs.

She looked about in awe at the realm she inhabited but had rarely seen much of, taking off with wings of wind to follow the stench of brim and ash, little knowing the way or what she would find at the trails end.

A really big cloud nearly grazed her as she blew by in haste to get the word out, she plowed through a flock of birds on their way to nest, to whom she whispered an apology.

Scouring the ground with her far flung vision, spied many objects on a sandy shored cove near a wide lake, descended to treetop level into dense foliage, a dozen very large white clamshells lay in semi circles along the sand seemly to soak in sun, some appearing more dull or shimmery as the rays hit them, unimaginable.

Seeing no threat took a deep breath and blew a medium wind across the sand to stir them as none could see her current form, within a moment one moved and unburied itself, standing on two sleek feminine appendages ending in four digits, legs and foots if she recalled rightly.

"Shellby, Shelley, Shellsa, Shellma, Shellode, Shellynn, Shellsea, Shellucy, Shellisa, Shelltir, Shellfay, turn over!"

In unison all burst from the dunes and stood on long legs with glowing circles at the joint were foots met legs.

Shaking, stretching and dusting eachother as the main clam walked up and down the rows and checked each one.

Making whispy noise began to rebury themselves in the sand a ball of flame from the foliage began assaulting them.

The freak doused its gripping part in the sand to seize a clam about to dive by the leg and dragged her foot up to its face, tickling with frivolity for a straight minute until she opened up coughing up a shimmery orb that glowed on hitting the sand, intrigued let her go and looked at it, then jumped another and gave them the same treatment, crackling roars like a geyser blowout, was it amused?

Bree found the sight weird yet was oddly intrigued and if she believed her eyes the thing deprived five of their orbs before letting them submerge to safety in the water, taking the gathered items in hand and in one motion gobbled them up, tapping its gripper on its chest burped and ran into the jungle as she swiftly made to follow.

The water pulsed and moved with a malevolence Bree sensed something gigantic as the tides flooded the shore she stood on watching, two streams of bluish mist poured from within it using such force as to float the whole oval ridged hulk into the sky and up until it vanished.

Sprinting like the wind after this flaming freak using the limit of her blessing blew across a smelly bog over a rocky ridge and two raging rivers, she whistled through purple and pink blossom vine curtains until she found signs of charred and burned shrubs which she parted to find the infernal hothead attempting to wrangle what appeared to be a big lizard thing that was running in zig zags with smoke rising from its tail and back chortling clearly in pain, with a mighty blast of her nostrils sent the burning baddie tumbling as another lizard thing emerged from the brush and following from above this hairy white and red creature leaping from the trees shrieking as it hurled stones.

The burning turd simply stood and watched bit before setting a fern alight and absconding into the bush again.

The second teamed up with the first as they turned chasing the lone hairy beast behind some foliage the noise morphed from screams and roars to hoots and coos, Bree looked about in worry as the bush went silent and held still. -----------

Silvery tinted folk wearing colorful robes come to climb the highest peak, serenade their deity to be given wishes.

In doing all that they pollute the environment with semi awful sounds and litter and lewd acts.

"Chord, Overlord of Lyricism, Conductor of Valvana's Host, Master of Minstrels, Most Honored, In thy name."

Maestro white robe       baton         47

Maestra black robe        baton         46

Sibling Harm red robe      drum         31

Sibling Onia orange robe   fiddle        29

Sibling Bari yellow robe    mandolin     30

Sibling Tone green robe   accordion    32

Sibling Bass blue robe      xylophone   34

Sibling Alto purple robe   harpsichord 25

"Sibling sings true."

"Sibling sings false."

"By Chords Tempo."

"Six Step Sibs Serenade Sweetly So Sun Shine Shall See Song Sorrow So Save Skin."

"Stay single file and keep quiet unless I motion so, Maestra keep order at the rear." A tall man in pure white robes with a hood barked to red robed man. "Harm, beat in three four, step in time."

A short curvy woman in black hood robes drew one stick like thing from her sleeve as the man in white did the same.

"Ave Maestro, if anyone falls out of formation has to go it barefoot, breaks will be permitted when we stop so use the buddy system, if you lack in discipline," She paused. "punishment will be mercilessly swift."

Six more in red orange yellow green blue and purple stood with objects slung along the back or side, eight total.

Bree

Red and Orange robes left soon after green and blue followed them, leaving yellow, purple, white and black at the mountains base.

Far from Harm, orange was accosted by the two in green and blue, parted her robes and poked her supple udders.

"What flavours have you got for me today?" Knelt in the gold grass as they stood on both sides of her with robes flapping in the wind wearing looks of mirth and eagerness as she delved into their folds, emerging with two fat silvery stems firmly in her fists with lips pursed into a O rhythmically slicked her grippers up and back down again and again as all three swayed together in the bizarre act.

Placing both to her lips while groaning the hood slipped from her head was caught by blue, who replaced it and green guided her into licking and kissing both with lavish attentions unbecoming of a maturely mannered maiden.

"Liquorice and caramel, tart and bitter to the taste, equally delicious." Smacking her lips and remarked lively.

"Sure hope thee oral talents have improved since last played, commence the performance, Sibling Onia."

'what were they doing, why do it and why was she watching them?' Breezy pondered. 'Could it be me?'

'Get this thing to take care of these invaders for me, the spirits will bind him and leave me free in reward.'

-------

'For your crimes of blessing a dangerous being aiding in the murder of eight mortals and the eruption of a dormant volcano leading to destruction of acres of land, I sentence you to under binding with your gifts stripped and only this creature for company.'

"That's not fair, sure my methods sucked but it got the desired result, anyway what's a few hundred acres here or there that's nature."

'That reasoning is exactly what got you here, methods or results pale when loss of life and unrepentant spirits are allowed to go unpunished, understand your folly and maybe in time the cost of your actions will be repaid.'

-----

Daily life of two caged roommate's in a maze in a hole a buried under a mountain suspended in time.

You think the fucking would be pretty awesome right? they got pretty burned out by round sixty I mean, How much can two persons do the deed before the trysts become stale, some extra kind of stimulation was in order.

"I'm 451 sparks old as ash by my races standards Pyrod spoke squarely "So how young are you, whisp of wind."

"Get lost Pyrod

"I deserve to be blown! before anything else, I'm in heat so get on your non existent knees and do your duty."

"Go suck yourself Pyrod, I don't love or need you, get the fuck away from me, your not worth two shits."

[eolewyn1010]

Downton Abbey Fashion 71 - outdoors fashion in 1925

Last season, last chance for Violet to stroll up in masses of fur. Although she doesn’t do a lot with the chance because she mostly repeats two coats from the last couple seasons, the lilac one with the white meander trim and the pale blue one with the lacey lapels. I’m not sure why, after five seasons of an ever-increasing wardrobe, they suddenly take a step back, but there we are.

Violet’s new walking suit this season could honestly use a little more color. How does everyone get so inclined toward beiges and greys now? It is a little blue in the right light, and the embroidered applications to her collar, sleeves and pockets are nice. I just wish it wouldn’t leave such a washed-out impression. Check out her sweet new hat though! A big square aigrette with black feathers, a lace ribbon – I may not love the hat shape, but I love the decoration.

But Violet wouldn’t be Violet if she didn’t go big one last time. This is more of a cloak than a coat (different than two others that I’m saving for special occasions because she introduces them at the weddings), and it seems to be made of a ton of grey velvet and another ton of just fur. Definitely for chic evenings and entertaining a minister, and luckily Robert didn’t get a chance to spit blood on this one.

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

A walking suit for Isobel of which I would probably have a higher opinion if she had anything in this category for the season that is not grey. This is her dark grey walking suit to which she wears the zigzag-trimmed shirt; in a moment, we’ll see her light grey walking suit to which she wears the zigzag-trimmed shirt. Whatever. I like the black applications to the pockets and cuffs and in the back of the coat, my only point of interest here.

For the most part the same shirt, a different walking suit and hat. I guess if you squint and put the right light on it, the skirt, lapels and cuffs could pass for a lavender shade, but honestly, it just looks grey and streamlined, and I have seen this one entirely too often, so now not even the buttoned elements catch my fancy anymore. Uhm, nice hat? The first two or three times I saw it, anyway.

A pretty simple dark grey or black satin coat that she curiously only wears to the Dinner Of The Burst Ulcer. It’s nothing special, but then I really don’t see much of it here. It sure has lapels.

Would you believe it, a grey coat. In all fairness, this is some very pretty damask. And it’s another of those 1920s coats like we’ve seen on her walking suits that only buttons all the way down at the hip. I also admittedly like this wide sort of collar better.

Hurray for gray. And I do quite like the lower half of the coat, grainy and small as the shot may be; that is some nice decoration. Only, when it comes to the collar, it really doesn’t look great up close. It looks like the paper folding a kindergarten child does for a garland. I don’t know why it looks like that. Previous outfits incline me to think that both people in the 1920s and costume makers for the show were able to do decent rosettes or spiral coils even with the pleating, so… Why does this give such a sloppy impression? Sweet hat though.

Wasn’t sure if I should take this into the festive occasions post because Isobel wears this coat to two weddings, but I think she also wore it in everyday. Not that there’s anything special about it because it’s just grey felt with some black fur slapped on it. I do like the arrow shape of the cuffs, and she bought a new hat for the final wedding with some black lace and glittering blue beading and… a triskele in rhinestones? Okay, I’ll take it.

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

I almost want to praise Lady Shackleton for bringing a little brown into Grey Country, but girl, what is that hat? Why is one side of it so crunched; did you sit on it before you out it on? Oh well, at least the flowers match the embroidery on the coat lapels and cuffs, and while she’s still marching up in Edwardian blouses, the coat shape definitely says 1920s.

Much nicer, her coat for a dinner with the Crawleys. There’s just something about black-and-white combinations that catches my eye. It’s the most basic play at contrast, but it works. That collar looks very fancy, although I cannot quite tell if it’s a fur or an especially fluffy velvet.

[goldsmile-ent]

I'm just talking, feel free to jump off at anytime...

Hey, thanks for reading. Even if you only read up to here, thanks.

Anyway, so I am working on something. Im finally up to the first big pump in my story. Lily is about to awaken her powers by complete accident and I have been REEEEEEEEEAAAAAALLLLLLYYYYYY have been waiting to get to this point.

Lily doesn't have much access to magic. At least not yet anyway. Well, through complete accident, the poor girl gets hit by a big ol' magical energy burst.

The previous chapter to this one, The unposted chapter 10, I introduced Lily's departed grandmother. She died a few years prior to the start of the story and Lily missed her passing. Not because they were fighting or anything. Just couldn't make it before she passed on. The two were close and she was the most supportive of Lily's rockstar dreams. The fact she missed her haunted Lily.

Well Lily is about to find out that she is a being known as a Quila[Coy-LA]. Basically people who draw their magical power from the living spirit of the world. That means they are incredibly powerful naturally with access to magic normally people don't. Quilas are more a myth due to some forgotten history. Unknown to Lily, being a Quila is a hereditary trait and the last Thorne to be born as a Quila was...



You guessed it, Lily's grandmother! She was born under the needed conditions, namely being born under strange circumstances. Now when I say strange, I don't mean good or bad. Just strange or unusual. She is the only female child of her siblings as well as the only single birth [She has 10 twin brothers with her being born between the 2nd and 3rd set of brothers.] There was no trace of elemental energy confirmed it to Lilac. That's why Lily has a name that starts with L.

Okay, sorry I kinda got lost in the weeds. So yeah, Lily gets hit with a magic nuke and gets knocked of her body. Yes, knocked out of her body. During this state, the rabbit...fuck Lily is an anthropomorphic rabbit I have a picture around here somewhere. Anyway, the rabbit sees the hidden item that caused this to happen. I'm not going to go into the thing rn but lets just call it a magical windchime...because it is. There, in this black all encompassing void, she hears the voice of her grandmother before seeing her appear holding the chime.

I want to play with her softness and vulnerability. She's a rambunctious, loud, fun loving and irreverent. She has very few regrets in life and believes life is too short to dwell on things. The moment she sees the ghost of Lilac, all the confusion of the moment melts away and its just teary-eyed calls to her. The two speak a little until:

"I'm sorry I can't be here with you. I was so happy to know you carried our gift," Lilac closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She held the chime up as the whispered chanting started again, "Know that, while I may not be by your side, I am always with you my little bulb."

"What? No..." Lily stammered out as she felt her feet leave the floor of the void. She repeated her last word as more hot tears poured from her eyes, "Please, Memaw! Please!"

Lilac flinched at the sorrowful pleas while trying to stay focused on the matter at hand. Gathering her thoughts, Lilac spoke the echoed phrases in full and clapped her hands, letting out a powerful crack.

This sends Lily's soul hurdling back into her body and kicks off the arcane furnace resting in her chest.

Thanks for listening. I just needed to get it out. I appreciate your time.

[variousqueerthings]

me reading this book in a day instead of doing any work? more likely than you think

@mage8 it's a book called "getting married in buffalo jump" on which a Paul Gross movie was based. the book is... very different to the movie in that they are practically different genres, i can now say

the movie is about a woman from the town of Buffalo Jump, Alberta, who moved away to the big city when she was a young woman to study classical piano playing and has returned to her family ranch upon the death of her father. she decides she's going to continue ranching, as she wasn't satisfied with her life in said big city and her career never did take off, and while there she reconnects with a man called alex whom she vaguely knew in school, who is now simply incredibly hot, just absolutely stunning (this is actually relatively plot important, and also true) and also very sweet -- he's helping out on the ranch. the man (PG) then suggests pretty early on that they marry in order to better take care of the ranch and despite initially not being into the idea -- she really just wanted to have sex with him and he's not having it, alas for her -- she realises it's a good idea and agrees, but literally everyone in town thinks he's pretty much worthless for any number of reasons: poverty, not educated enough, anti-immigration sentiment (he's second gen ukranian), and most importantly, he got a girl pregnant when he was 17 and then ran away from town for x amount of years. the only reason anyone can imagine she wants to marry him is because he's kind of a stunner, and there's a whole bunch of gender-reversed objectification that's fascinating in the story. also he's basically a horse in the shape of a man -- anxious, shy, easily spooked, and she's a horsegirl so... all of this gets sorted out, the main character, the hot guy, and the (now grown) woman with whom he had a child have a whole threesome undertone to them, they get married, the end

IN THE BOOK, the main woman never left town, she's got a bit of a naive awkwardness to her, she teaches at the kindergarten, and there's all around more of a... "well it's a good thing you're getting married to this reasonable man with a good head on his shoulders" type sentiment that... hmmm, wasn't as fond of that. she also bursts into tears a lot ANYWAY she gets propositioned from this hot guy, alex (second-gen ukranian-canadian, soft spoken, withholding, also a horse, like his movie counterpart) and is like "hmmmm idk" and discovers that in his past, he and his siser were basically in love with this guy called benedict, who was the brother of the (in the book 15yr old) girl he got pregnant before he was run out of town by benedict and his own father (benedict for... many reasons, we'll get to that, and his father because he's super racist against native people and benedict and annie (the girl) are both presumably blackfoot considering the town it takes place in). it is very textual that they were both in love with this guy called benedict - "the strange communion of those who loved benedict malone" is how the main character at one point describes it (also at another point it's really suggested that the guy she's marrying didn't have any girlfriends as a teen because benedict got to him first... fascinating. there was also a whole canonical blood brother pact which is... rituals galore) this guy benedict was a real messed up guy, and everyone whom he sucked into his orbit he abused - his sister first, then alex and his sister marfa, then other girls, and then eventually he killed a woman he was seeing and hanged himself in jail and all the survivors are real messed up about it all and don't talk about any of it and the book is really about the main character getting to the bottom of all of their traumas and in a way the whole wedding part of it is almost secondary to this main plot? and there's no real threesome element to the lead character, annie, and alex, in the way there is in the movie, except for the way the lead is so very bisexual all the time

so movie: more of a romantic drama book: more of a romantic thriller

the book is both more and less queercoded than the movie, in that we have those kinds of quotes above (there's also a fair bit of the main character comparing the sister of the man she's marrying to him and being like "well they sure are both good looking siblings!") and the heavy heavy subtext between benedict and alex, but a lot of the interpersonal dynamics are a bit... pettier, a bit crueler, and more stereotypical

there's a lot about anti-native and anti-immigration sentiment in there, which i think the author had some interesting ideas about, but much of which ages.... In An Interesting Way. it was written in 1988, i don't know what the situation in canada was like at that point vis a vis the types of narratives that existed, especially about native people, but in this case also immigrants, but certainly the whole plot of "benedict was so twisted up about being native that he just had to abuse everyone he knew and his sister was pulled from school for getting pregnant at 15 and is now an alcoholic, just like their mother was, also all of these ukranians are drunk and leery and many of them beat their wives...." -- it's not necessarily a book I'd recommend if you'd rather not hold all of that, is what I'm saying, but i do think it was interesting and had some cool interpersonal dramas + it's descriptions of landscape were great!

the movie is very charming, and I'll probably base my ideas of the characters more on that in the end, but it was a fun sunday read, with a lot of meta cultural information

(i cannot stress how much everything about benedict was excised from the movie, he is not a part of any backstories or any part of the drive of the narrative, it's not the same story at all)

reading "getting married in buffalo jump" and while i do think the movie is overall stronger in characterisation and avoiding stereotypes and pacing, my goodness does the bar scene give us about 10000 more sapphic moments for me to think about in my fic