#as a voice actor I can only ASPIRE to that level

[kissmefriendly]

Okay one thing I gotta point out that’s driving me insane. So in the Billy Gritt episode, Alan Burgon is doing this amazing thing where he’s adding little American twangs on certain words? While maintaining a pretty posh English accent and it sounds totally natural? Do you know how hard that is to do??? And not even mentioning his van Helsing. On top of his Scottish accent?? Come on. Showing off at this point.

[eddieredmayneargentinablog]

"Eddie Redmayne: ‘I won a prize for worst performance of the year’

The Oscar-winning star of ‘The Theory of Everything’, ‘Fantastic Beasts’ and (gulp) ‘The Danish Girl’ is playing a hitman-for-hire in his new TV adaptation of ‘The Day of the Jackal’. He speaks to Adam White about famous friends, weathering backlash, and why the acting industry is ‘deeply unhealthy’

Source: Independent, Saturday 02 November 2024.

Eddie Redmayne said (excerpts):

“Often something you’ve done is just a part of a much bigger discussion, and you try to make sense of it with the understanding and comprehension of any human being.”

"You answer, you trip over, you get quoted, get misquoted, It’s all par for the course. But the way I explain it to myself is I’m just a f***ing actor. I wasn’t bred to be a politician, or a great speaker, or a particularly articulate advocate. I will, of course, sputter my way through [advocacy] for the things that I care about... but I’m just an actor.”

“There have been many years when I’d watch The White Lotus and go, ‘Why do I never get those jobs and hang out on beautiful beaches?’,” Redmayne laughs. “So I wouldn’t want to say that was the reason for taking the job, but it was pretty high up there. I’ve spent years playing Elizabethans and Victorians, or people in the 1920s or 30s. This was the first contemporary thing I think I’ve done in years. And it was nice to be able to just whip on a pair of trousers and a shirt every day, versus lots of 26-piece tweed suits.”

"At the audition, I put on my best ‘space emperor with mummy issues’ voice, and that was what came out – it was definitely a big swing".

"There was a moment in the Jupiter Ascending script that described the character’s voice. It said that his throat had been ‘gnarled out’, or something like that. So at the audition I put on my best ‘space emperor with mummy issues’ voice, and that was what came out.” The Wachowskis let him keep it for filming. “I had the most wonderful time making that film, but it was definitely a big swing. I do hear that there are people who are into [my performance], which is nice. Though I’m also conscious I have a prize somewhere for giving the worst performance of the year.” He chuckles. (It was Worst Supporting Actor at the 2016 Golden Raspberry Awards, if you’re curious.)

Does he read his own reviews? “Oh, yeah, absolutely,” he replies, without hesitation. He only finds it difficult to read them if he’s in a play, where they can’t help but impact what he’s doing night after night. “TV and film, though, often it’s so long since you did the thing that there’s a level of detachment from it. But the interesting thing about them is that I’d say most actors are harsher critics of themselves than any critic can be. It’s rare that I’m sitting reading a bad review of one of my performances, going, ‘No! They got it wrong!’ I typically sit there going, ‘Oh, yeah, I saw that too.’”

"I’m certainly more critical of my own work than most critics, I would say. So the reason I do this job is to aspire to those glimmers of something that momentarily feels real. “It sounds f***ing pretentious, but there are those moments, and sometimes they last for under a second, where you’re completely free, and you’re playing against someone, and everything is alive, and momentarily you go somewhere else.”

As for what’s next, Redmayne is unsure. Fantastic Beasts is “over, as far as I’m concerned”, so his diary is currently open. But he’s excited for the future. “I love variety, and I love pushing myself, and I hope to continue doing that,” he says. “I’ll always take a big swing, and...”

Full interview here:

[mrxadreamin]

"Wait, I need to delete my browser history first!" – Jeon Chiaki, Son of Solomon, Circa. 2024

After a millenia(not really), I finally made an oc for WHB and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders!

With that, I offer you my son, Chi-chi Jeon Chiaki <3 now if you will excuse me I am going to rest my achey hands adjfgfdhd

Voice Actors:

(KR)Lee Sang-ho (Lilac Cookie from Cookie Run Kingdom, Wise from Zenless Zone Zero)

(EN)Howard Wang (Xie Lian from TCGF, Louis from Morariarty the Patriot)

(JP)Daiki Yamashta (Ritsu Sakuma from ensemble stars)

Personality: Most of the time Chiaki is level-headed and calm, not one to jump the gun onsite. Also quite sarcastic and sassy, it’s a form of coping as well as a defense mechanism for himself. Despite his calm demeanor, he’s not the type to sit back and take things. As someone who’s quite observant, he’s the type to analyze first and act after. However, all trains of thought are gone when his loved ones are on the line and his fury will set ablaze that even makes Satan blush(literally…). Chiaki, despite having gone through enough, has carried an outlook on life that extends far beyond optimism, always the type to believe that things will turn out okay while sticking to reality. In his own way, Chiaki can be rather playful and cheeky with most and due to his charm alone, he can coax others into doing what he wants to meet his own goals– for the greater good of course! Considering his past experiences, he acts as a maternal figure for many, especially those who lacked such internal warmth, but has a spot big enough for Chiaki to hold them. Chiaki is a chivalrous pervert, but with some virtue. He tends to get distracted by his own lewd thoughts and has always been open about his sexuality. Sex positive, Chiaki indulges others in their sexual interests and endeavors! Interestingly enough, he’s also one of the densest people on Earth, so it will take a lot for his man to even get a single hint!

Confidence point: Shoulders and thighs

Favorite food(s): grilled brisket

Hobby: writing songs and reading erotica novels

Ideal Type: someone more dependable and carefree

Backstory: Chiaki had a loving childhood, his mother was a piano teacher and his father was a lawyer. Coming from a humble past, he wanted to get involved with music like his mother. Thus, he aspired to be a songwriter and musician when he grew older, but that dream was crushed when he lost his family at an early age and was later taken in by Minhyeok and his family. Chiaki had nothing left from them except for a key necklace that his father gave to him. “No matter what, hold onto this, there will be a time when you will need it most,” his father urged, only a few days before he was brutally murdered alongside his wife. Chiaki didn’t get what his father meant–not until he witnessed his best friend getting hurt right before his eyes and having made a contract with the King of Fury to save him. Only then did he truly understand.

Trivia:

Is bisexual, and is a verse-switch(do not let his looks fool you!). Learned that he was bi when he was around 14 years old and his first crush was Minhyeok.

Before he went to hell, he worked at a bookstore and also read to children on occasion. Also worked part time at a music store and would teach music lessons on occasion.

Attended the same college as Minhyeok as a Music theory major, with a minor in  Literature

Talented singer and dancer. When he was still attending university, he would be seen dancing in the studio or recording songs in one of booths of the music buildings.

Knows how to play guitar and piano. Knows music theory.

Having lost his family, he learned to cook for himself and with the help of Minhyeok.

His father is Korean and his mother is Japanese. 

Speaks both Korean, Satoori, and Japanese. Satoori comes out when he’s angry.

Does in fact have a skin care routine even after descending to hell.

His favorite sanrio characters are Kuromi and Pochacco 

Before his ascension to Hell, some of his friends called him Qiqi because he used to play genshin impact(or whatever equivalent), and whenever he pulled for a character, he got Qiqi instead, losing the 50/50. They also call him Chichi due to his "impressive" chest size, which he refuses to acknowledge.

Has written and composed his own songs, some of which are saucy, raunchy in their own way. He keeps them in a journal, but regrets not taking said journal with him before leaving to Hell.

Going in depth with his hobbies aside from songwriting, he collects erotica novels and manga, but doesn’t have a porn collection like the original mc, but that doesn’t mean he owns a few toys himself.

owns a light purple galaxy z flip5, but uses it for selfies and nudes. He uses the phone Satan gave him for contacts.

In terms of combat, he was able to wield various weapons during his time in hell, more specifically weapons made of Sitri's blood. He wields both a glade and a hammer.

Can make barriers out of silver/gold

Can summon large extraterritorial monsters from his coffin(given by Leviathan) and hang people on command if need be.

Design Notes:

Character inspo: Cealus and Dr. Ratio(Hontai Star rail), Epel Felmier(twst), Eiden(Nu:Carnival), Shoto(Vtuber/indie), Uki Violeta(Noctyx, Nijisanji EN), Solomon(Obey me & WHB), Joenghan(Seventeen)

concept outfit: white v-line shirt, dark purple cuffed pants, white converse(platforms), and has a purple cardigan/jacket. 

Chiaki is a man of comfortability hence he would be seen wearing cardigans, sweaters, etc.

His main outfit as derived from Eiden(Nu:carnival) but instead of a jacket, I decided that a cardigan would fit him best due to lax personality and nature. Not to mention his previous occupation as a bookseller/keeper and a music tutor and musician.

Since his favorite color is purple, he can be seen wearing lots of cool, warm purples and sometimes blues and pinks.

Relationships

[shannendoherty-fans]

The Independent (UK) – Opinion

Shannen Doherty was irresistible, underrated, and permanently shackled to misogynistic speculation

The ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ star, who has died of cancer, played women too interesting to be simplistically boxed in – and spent a large part of her career waiting for the respect she deserved, writes Adam White

Sunday 14 July 2024

Shannen Doherty, who has died at the age of 53 following years of living with cancer, was an actor famous for playing women to whom respect wasn’t immediately granted.

Her Nineties TV hits Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed – shows embraced by generations of young people growing up both then and now – cast her as characters who, to the unenlightened, could be read as bitches or mean girls, those annoying descriptors always levelled at women too complicated and interesting to be simplistically boxed in. But as a skilled if often underrated actor, she was deft at conveying pride and regret beneath the surface grumpiness; the feeling of women only being a certain way because the world has made them so.

Doherty was also one of the OG tabloid fixtures, a child star gone berserk (not really) whose club-hopping and on-set lateness apparently warranted round-the-clock coverage at the top of the Nineties. She experienced the kind of wrath that could only have existed back then – regular headlines in the National Enquirer that weren’t ignored at the supermarket checkout line but actually had an impact on her career; a popular newsletter for pre-internet teens who could come together every month to talk about how much they hated Doherty and Brenda Walsh, the mouthy teen she played in 90210.

She has since admitted to being incredibly hurt by all of this – it contributed to her firing from 90210 in 1994 – but it did at least add to the lore that surrounded her. Doherty was sharp and icy and a tiny bit dangerous – all the things despised by the boring among us, and oddly irresistible to those who secretly wanted to be like that themselves.

Doherty was also incredibly glamorous, stomping around with the force of a supermodel and with black hair so shiny that you can imagine millions of women over the decades bouncing between box dyes trying to emulate it just right. I adored watching her on screen, the sense that she was always just on the cusp of slapping someone – as part of a clique of cruel teens in the Winona Ryder classic Heathers, say, or as the pissed-off girlfriend in Kevin Smith’s Mallrats. She was brilliant in Charmed, as the eldest of a trio of sister witches, who understood the weight of her duty to protect the innocent. Prue Halliwell was cool, responsible, complex and always inappropriately dressed for battle, but pfft – who says you can’t kill a demon in a belly shirt and a miniskirt?

I loved how much Doherty gave to incredibly bad made-for-television movies, too. Friends ’Til the End, in 1997, saw her play an aspiring musician being stalked by her best friend (the tracks sound like Cranberries knock-offs and Doherty’s voice has an air of Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles). Satan’s School for Girls (2000) cast her as an undercover reporter investigating evil witches on a university campus. Blindfold: Acts of Obsession, from 1994, is the kind of erotic thriller so devoid of eroticism that it becomes almost hypnotic. But Doherty is good in all of them, always magnetic and spirited and salvaging whatever she can from dismal scripts.

From 2023, Doherty hosted her own podcast – Let’s Be Clear – a kind of audio autobiography that covered her work, her personal life and her health. Tales of her cancer journey – she was diagnosed in 2015 with breast cancer, which went into remission and then returned, latterly spreading to her brain and bones – were sobering and moving. Doherty was reluctant to pretty up what had been a life-affirming if undeniably painful time. But the most fascinating episodes were ones in which she conversed with Hollywood women equally hurt by an industry that has only ever celebrated female compliance, and only begrudgingly given positive attention to those who march to the beat of their own drum.

She had a natural kinship with the likes of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Katherine Heigl, Tori Spelling and Christina Ricci, all of whom appeared on her show. Like Doherty, they are actors who arrived in Hollywood as children, grew up in the spotlight, and found themselves permanently shackled to misogynist speculation about their character: they were too difficult, too unpredictable, too eager to have a voice on chaotic sets.

Doherty never claimed total innocence; she was happy to admit to sometimes reading the room wrong, or getting defensive rather than looking for a compromise during arguments. But her cancer also provided her with a sense of clarity about her past – the things she should apologise for, and the things she absolutely shouldn’t. She put to bed years of speculation about what had happened on the set of Charmed – she was fired after significant on-set tensions with her co-star Alyssa Milano, a feud inflamed by male producers – and spoke eloquently about the relationships she regretted and the domestic violence she experienced while working on 90210.

It was often quite beautiful – here was a woman who knew she was dying, but wouldn’t go quietly or with unfinished business. She was funny, sassy, a little intimidating. It was Doherty to a tee. What fool would expect any different?

[no-facts]

my kingdom for a life purpose

Something is very wrong.

I must have known when I was a child. Children have the intuition for these things, before that intuition is shamed or beaten out of them.

Tears are never very far from me these days. I am never more than ten seconds away from crying, and it is only rigid self-control that prevents me from bursting into tears. (The version of me who was an aspiring actor, who wanted to be able to cry on cue, that person who in their junior year of college used to time themself to see how long it took to produce tears—they would be proud, at least.)

Somewhere inside of me an alarm blares. I don't know how long it's been going off for, but I hardly even notice the sound anymore. You see, somewhere along the line I learned how to ignore my body's signals in favor of listening to what others had to say.

And thus have decades passed, and today I have no idea who I really am or what I really want.

When I say I want something, particularly something that is abstract and long-term, more often than not I am merely guessing. I don't have a clue what I really want. I thought that I wanted to be an actor for four years. I thought that I wanted to be famous for almost my whole life. Guess who doesn't want either of those anymore.

Recently I was re-introduced to the "five whys" technique, a root cause analysis tool, though it was originally developed for the manufacturing industry to understand the reason why a new feature or tool was needed. After applying this technique to several different things (I thought) I wanted in life, the results were supremely depressing. Do I really want to get married and have kids? Apparently I just think that marriage and kids will give my life meaning and purpose. Do I really want a PhD? Apparently all I want is to do something of import with my life, to be able to support my family, and to have an audience. Do I really want to lose weight? Apparently I'm just insecure and fear getting dumped. Do I really want to become a musician? Apparently I just want a life purpose and think that reaching others through music could be a life purpose.

Again, supremely depressing.

I did the above as part of a workbook called "Get What You Really Want: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Defining Your Future." This was part one, "What Do You Want?" The results were the opposite of illuminating; I don't think I've felt this level of existential crisis since 2019. All that was made clear to me was that I am desperately reaching for something, anything, that could be a "life purpose" and that I am supremely lost without one.

I have no idea where to find a "life purpose." Can I buy, beg, borrow, or steal one? But seriously, where do these come from? Do I wake up one day and decide what my life purpose is? Does it appear to me one night in a dream? Am I to expect a road-to-Damascus scene, complete with light from heaven and the voice of Jesus?

Perhaps I've gone about this all wrong, and I don't need a singular life purpose. That's probably the reasonable conclusion to draw. But somehow that feels like giving up, like failure, like death.

I don't know what keeps me going other than the fear of death.

Perhaps it is time that I start listening to myself instead of other people.

[lalitsethia101]

Title: "Unveiling the Flaws and Benefits of Instagram Paid Verified Accounts: A Reflection by Lalit Sethia"

I wanted to delve into a topic that has been making waves in the Instagram community - the paid verification feature. As an avid observer of the platform and an advocate for authenticity, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on the flaws and benefits of Instagram paid verified accounts. So, let's embark on this insightful journey together.

Benefits of Instagram Paid Verified Accounts: When it comes to credibility and trust, nothing quite compares to the power of a verified badge. It's like a shining beacon, guiding your followers and potential collaborators towards your genuine self. A verified badge inspires trust by reassuring others that you can be trusted in this vast digital landscape. Improved visibility is another great benefit that comes with the coveted "Verified" badge. With a verified account, your content will get more exposure in search results and research sites. This increased visibility means your posts are featured, allowing you to reach a wider audience and share your unique perspective with the world. As an influencer, the advantages of a verified account are many. Brands and businesses are naturally drawn to verified accounts as they are seen as industry leaders, influencers, or standouts. With a verified badge, you open the door to exciting collaborations and potential partnerships that can take your impact to a new level. Finally, let's not lose sight of the importance of protecting against identity theft. Unfortunately, even in the digital realm, there are malicious actors who want to emulate and damage your hard-earned reputation. However, with verification, you get an extra layer of security that protects your brand image from scammers and ensures that your followers are interacting with you authentically.

Flaws and Limitations: Now, let's address a concern that has been voiced by many dedicated influencers who invest significant time and effort into creating engaging content. It's disheartening for them to witness accounts with minimal followers receiving the verified badge while their own accounts, despite their hard work, remain unverified. This situation highlights a few key issues.

Inequality and Unfairness: The verification process can sometimes appear to be unfair, as it seems to prioritize follower count rather than content quality or engagement. Influencers who pour their heart and soul into creating exceptional content, fostering genuine connections with their audience, may feel overlooked and undervalued when they see accounts with only a handful of followers receiving verification. This creates an uncomfortable sense of inequality within the platform.

Limited transparency: Instagram's verification criteria can be a bit unclear, leaving many influencers unsure of the exact requirements needed to earn the coveted verification badge. This lack of transparency can be frustrating and has influencers wondering what steps they need to take to improve their chances of being verified.

Cost of participation: The current system puts a lot of emphasis on the number of followers rather than the quality of an influencer’s interaction with their audience. In fact, engagement is often a better indicator of an account's authenticity and influence than follower count. Influencers who invest substantial time and effort into fostering meaningful connections and interactions with their followers may feel undervalued when they see less-engaged accounts being verified solely based on their follower count.

Aspirations and Motivation: The disparity between hardworking influencers without verification and accounts with fewer followers obtaining the verified badge may demotivate aspiring creators. It sends a message that follower count, rather than content quality and audience engagement, is the primary determinant of success on Instagram. This can discourage talented individuals from pursuing their passion and may hinder the platform's overall diversity and creativity.

Conclusion: While the flaws and limitations surrounding Instagram's paid verification feature can be disheartening for hardworking influencers, it is important to remember that the pursuit of success is not solely defined by a verified badge. True influence is based on real connections and the impact an influencer has on their audience. Instagram should strive to create a grading process that honors these deeper connections and provides an equal chance to recognize deserving creators. Until then, influencers must remain focused on creating exceptional content, nurturing their audience, and building a thriving community built on trust and engagement.

Join Fast Our Digital Marketing Classes and Visit www.lalitsethia.com

[icharchivist]

andddd I’m back! finished the whole thing. it was very good for sure. felt much quicker mostly bc I was not like. dealing with the culmination of probably over a year of hedging all my bets on hisoka’s identity. since I finished the whole thing I’ll be like. loosely chronological but also jump around as I please lol. considering im six paragraphs deep into a fic i definitely did have some feelings abt this.

anyways. very glad I paused where I did bc the moment I heard some random stranger picking on someone and going pretty boy my reaction went like this:

me: hm… pretty boy? that’s not yuki, is it? he would kill them already.. oh it’s azami!!! Oh my god it’s azami!! ah well then these guys are also dead. isn’t he a yakuza child.

and then azami beat them up :) love that kumon immediately thinks he is the coolest… it’s the juza-fan instinct. also love how when sakyo heard abt a middle schooler beating ppl up he’s immediately like ah fuck it’s the yakuza brat isn’t it. I will take this space to put in all of my azami thoughts before I resume. I was so surprised he showed up this early! then again I was a bit confused bc summer and autumn did their road shows together, and I was like… huh, didn’t spring start with these road shows too… how is autumn gonna begin? but nope surprise!! azami gets integrated here instead. very cool and I thought he and kumon becoming friends was done really naturally? like man who wouldn’t like it if someone was all starry eyed about you lol. especially since azami doesn’t seem. used to that level of appreciation. I, like azami, also thought that he and kumon were the same age lol. I did know azami did makeup but it was still so funny for him to shyly visit summer’s opening night backstage and then immediately be like oh u all look horrendous. let me fix this with the insane amt of makeup stuff I carry around. lovely. so very yuki-esque. also. wow, azami, how come you get to have *two* dads you’re beefing with! (sakyo and the boss) I think I am very sakyo-like tho bc when azami makes his phone calls I’m sitting there like ah… that kids not getting mixed up in a bad crowd, is he? he’s literal yakuza. kiri why are you like this. great voice acting on those calls also, it totally conveys the vibe of like angsty teen who chills out and is very casual around friends. I’m super interested as to who that person on the other end is, seeing as azami says he might reach that guys goal first after talking abt joining mankai… another actor / aspiring actor? haruto? misumis younger bro? who knows. only time will tell ig. was a bit sad abt the fact that azami and kumon didn’t have a cg—I think it would’ve been nice to have one when kumon collapsed into him, or a cg of juza and kumon where he’s picking him up… but there seems to only be 3 cgs per story for act 2. what a shame. well ig that’s what fanart is for lol—gotta brush up (pun intended) on my drawing skills! anyways I’m not super happy with azami’s dad lol. let him do makeup you clod. I always joke that I like characters who others are kind of homophobic to but it’s so true. it’s just actually a sign that they’ve got some Gender™ going on which I like. i hope he gets to play soccer with tasuku i think they'd have a great time actually.

moving back towards chronological events… kumon’s fancy gold keychain! love how muku immediately launches into an explanation abt it lol. “in exchange for making its wielded the strongest of all humans, it sucks their life force. it’s a cursed sword that can kill its owner if used too much!” I immediately read into this the moment muku explained it lol. like muku does not say it out loud and kumon is embarrassed about being a nerd but the moment this showed up i was like "oh. this is absolutely how kumon sees himself. all that pitching skill but theres a curse that prevents him from using it." and like. its never stated out loud during this episode but its absolutely true to me. the scene rly made me think like ah. kumons both naturally funny and adorable? like the noises he makes when hes freaked out there r great. i think hes a guy that is naturally a Bit Much and that translated really well to natsugumi stages. i wanna tackle kumon's condition here since it was brought up... again i knew that he was dealing with some kind of recurring health problems before, but not the specifics! and so learning that he was essentially getting fevers caused by stress was very. too real tbh like i dont want to think abt getting panic attacks during my free time. but. no i thought it was really well handled. like how at first yamaguchi is like. hey. its not like u meant to get sick, right? but then as time goes on you can see how people begin to be like. oh he's doing this on purpose to fuck us over. or theyre like. is ur illness even real. maybe you're just faking because you're an asshole. this is weakling behavior. and you can see how deeply that affects kumon in the way that he talks to and judges himself. in the way that he's got this drive that feels downright desperate--like EVERYTHING is do or die for him, and that is, of course, only going to stress him out more. i really liked that even at the end, past the play's end, he was still running a fever--it was clear that the play had rly been taxing on him and he wasnt like, just magically cured! i thought azami's whole magic brush thing was so cute--like, it was so obvious how better it made kumon feel. to me it felt like the equivalent of like, taking the time to put on really nice clothing and cook something special after a major depressive episode--like, you give yourself a nice treat and it helps you believe in getting better. in the same way, i think azami's makeup worked sort of like a charm on him--it gave him the ability to look like death hadn't warmed over and that like. helped him relax because now the guy in front of the mirror looks like he has the exact amount of energy that he wants to have. but yeah. i thought it was handled really well and i loved how natsugumi were supportive of him. the way kumon wakes up and finds out his fever went down and then when hes going to announce it to misumi he finds everyone sleeping by him... so sweet. again natsugumi was just sooo dearly supportive of kumon and refused to let him back out, it was great. when they all hug him and comfort him on stage... that cg is sooo cute. oh the moment juza approached tsuzuru i immediately knew he was gonna give him kumons backstory lol. like tsuzuru knows people well but not That well. i thought it was nice how the way inoue is was exactly like how real life yamaguchi felt--that he wanted to support him as a battery. tsuzuru precog moment strikes again. also every time he's on that balcony writing i think abt mizuno.

well this is probably a good segue to talk abt the play so i shall do just that. this one is literally a direct parallel to real life events so theres not something like... super interesting i can give as commentary there, lol? but when i first watched the play i was like. tsuzuru... where's the "comedy" in sports comedy? watching the play in the actual chapters tho i definitely saw it--it relied a lot on the quirks of the individual players! and that scene at the end is quite fun ofc. was confused as to why it was like. love. but even the og play has hatsukoi in it. ig its abt them liking their manager? idk it felt a little confused lol. but it was a very nice play in some ways... i am like, a pretty huge sports manga fan ahah, so i definitely saw stuff that was similar. i think i've... read 4 different sports manga abt baseball? daiya no ace, oofuri, cross game, and the one no one will recognize, hybrid berry. kumon would lose it if he ever read oofuri, i think... the main pitcher is an anxious mess who selfishly refuses to give up the mound and he and the catcher have a really interesting relationship. the girl manager that is sad they cant play baseball is absolutely a thing in sports manga. yuki was so great as washiyama. like her pretending to be a guy and subbing in for the catcher worked great since yuki can like. convincingly play both a guy and a girl. also the way washiyama essentially blackmailed people into joining. iconic. the associated song was also cute! i thought it was interesting that tsuzuru wrote yuki's role in specific along with tenma and kumon--i guess it makes sense since that role requires someone to play a female role, but the quirks of the other baseball players--uehara as a shut in with surprising athleticism, ohno as a player scared of the ball, and enomoto as a guy always on his phone--mesh really well with the people who play them, dont they? like, i dont think kazunari or muku could pull off the same sense of athelticism. it was nice, anyways. plus if u reach u can parallel washiyama subbing in for inoue and it hurting her hands with yuki + natsugumi trying to leader substitute in tenma's absence.

worst transition ever? perhaps. but now i get to talk about that bit BECAUSE OH MY GOD, THAT BIT. like icha i'm dearly glad i was not given spoilers but on the other hand i feel like i needed a fucking warning. the PHONE CALL. the PHONE CALL!!!! im going to take a step back and comment on the whole situation actually since i didnt even address tenma's first audition. that whole bit was so good. the way tenma's like heh. i'll handle everything. and like as you pointed out, at that point kumon was gonna join akigumi if he passed the audition! but tenma was like. no hes Mine. i definitely figured the audition was gonna go bad--like, if tenma himself was like "i feel like im not there yet" about his own acting? but the way it was executed was so lovely--i wanted to be like "ah, tenma's come really far, hasn't he?" but i think tenma has always been serious about this part of acting--didn't he join summer troupe in order to challenge himself because he felt like he was deficient? so i actually had to reexamine like. why did i assume tenma would be hugely emotional about missing the role. probably because izumi worried about it? also bc i kept recognizing when they were saying "chance" and since kumon just had a stressful audition chance i was worried tenma was gonna feel a similar pressure and cave. but nah. as strange as it might seem, this was kind of perfectly in character for him, i think... he didn't get the role, and he saw someone absolutely outperform him during auditions, and respected that. if there's one thing tenma's learned from summer troupe it's to acknowledge other people and recognize their strengths. so this was a nice extension of that. so all he does is chill in the theater at midnight and relfect a little on his own performance. it was mature of him. i felt like i could see him blooming. as much as i like to make fun of tenma he's been an actor for quite some time--i bet mankai is one of the places he really gets to act like a kid, yknow? i thought it was nice how suprised everyone in natsugumi was--even if they make fun of him, he sure is their leader who has some pretty great acting skills, huh... anyways. to then see him get an offer, turn it down to focus on the play (bc he loves natsugumi!) and then see yuki get fully outraged at him for doing so! that got me! the "when push comes to shove, you really ARE just a hack, huh?!" escalating into him yelling "we all want to support you, tenma!" like. how many times had yuki said tenma's name ever. also like. the way he indirectly says that he doesn't even mean it when he calls tenma a hack. anyways im glad they resolved it. not used to seeing yuki be so obviously distraught. the gifts were so good too. misumi giving tenma a triangle so he doesn’t. so he. “so you don’t get lonely like you usually do!” im going to wail. and then tenma going “I don’t get lonely” okay liar. but then when tenmas like oh jeez yuki another shopping list? and then receives a baseball keychain… if i was him i wouldve cried immediately. like wow. they rly adore each other and will never admit it ever.

and then seeing tenma in france! Almost getting lost! And carrying around the keychain… and saying “…take care of the troupe while I’m gone, yuki.” oh my god. like i genuinely lost it at this moment. tenma and yuki r roommates and they. They care abt each other. like there’s no explicit communication that tenma is putting his trust in yuki specifically but like. Of course its him. Hes the one that yelled at tenma to go in the first place. Id hedge my bets that natsugumi was planning on talking to tenma anyways (bc they rush in so quick when yuki and tenma start fighting) which if we take that to be true, yuki literally started picking a fight with tenma bc there was literally nothing else he could see himself doing at that moment. And the way that as they’re rotating leader by leader yuki is the one that’s like. Kind of nagging at them—pointing out that kazunari could be more decisive, and telling muku that he should probably give suggestions on fixing things rather than like just saying. “We have problems!” like. It is so deeply obvious to me how aware yuki is of tenma’s presence and how aware he is of him. Not being here. But then when tenma calls him! And yuki’s like. Teasing him being like is this a prank call? But he’s still in the practice room at 10pm, just chilling by himself because he’s thinking about what he can do. to quote from my notes during this scene: “it is genuinely so cute they call—AHHHHH A CG!!!!! A CG!!!!!!!” yeah i lost my fucking mind are u kidding me. of course i did. but yeah tenma checks in on the troupe through yuki and once yuki confirms that tenma’s doing okay, he’s like. we’re fine. focus on your work. and then he says international calls are expensive and hangs right the fuck up. like. if yuki wasn’t feeling guilty abt not having seen any improvements on the play u know he and tenma would chat for longer and yuki would antagonize him into paying his phone bill or something. but yeah the just like. the dynamic here is so good. and once he runs into kumon and figures out what he’s gonna do its so good! I felt like. idk. yuki rly pulled through for this one and it was nice to see tenma come back, pleased as punch, and tell natsugumi they did well. It was rly a breath of relief like ah. the leader approves! and it felt like such a success, that yuki and natsugumi were able to handle it. Idk why the phone call got me so bad. I mean i do know its like. two of my favorite characters but. it was just a kind of very understated moment and like this whole sequence is… what? four chapters? it’s not a long part in the whole episode but it just absolutely got me. its just such like a quiet, kinda subtle moment with a lot of depth. Seeing them call each other from different parts of the world. the way they’re thinking about each other and caring for each other. the way you can see them instinctually trust each other after being at each other's throats at first and bickering all the time even now. Yeah.

speaking of shorter parts i loved kazunari’s little side thing! with him realizing that he sorta wants to do a bunch of stuff. i thought the ultra multi creator / UMVC thing was so funny. but it was real lovely to hear just a very normal parent that obviously adored kazunari exactly as he was. this was also how i first learned kazunari was a traditional japanese painting major. I genuinely had no idea. i do think its funny that his lil sis in a huge tenma fan. i think ive mentioned this before but there is a like noticeable increase in quality of the a3 posters as time goes on which i think is really cool. but wow tenma telling kazunari he has like only shallow friendships is truly so. I love that it stuck with kazunari this long but also tenma would be distraught that he remembered.

okay now time for all of the miscellaneous stuff i forgot to talk abt!

azamis voice is refreshingly lower than I thought it might be? but it fits him. I know he and sakyo r gonna be so fun… sakyo wondering what happened bc azami used to adoringly follow him around was so absolutely real. like oh ur his dad already i see. I also think kumon’s relationship with muku and juza r so interesting… muku knows some stuff, but not everying about kumon. and though kumon so obviously adores his big brother and juza has helped him before, the actual talking they do seems like not much. which felt kinda realistic.azamis voice is refreshingly lower than I thought it might be? but it fits him and i like it. i’m so excited abt his dynamic with sakyo seeing as he used to be rly attached… sakyo and his bos should square off for custody i think it’d be funny. i think its rly funny that yuki refused to play baseball bc he was acting as the manager. the manager plays baseball in one of the scenes its like the whole point. loved the kumon pitching cg. oh tenma was so good during that street act they did tho like. the way his va played that… u can hear him loudly announcing the show and stuff and then his voice immediately drops to this soft whisper to ask if kumons ok. so good. again i rly liked azami and kumon’s relationship… the fact that azami was just gonna fight yamaguchi unprompted was so good? but the way kumon is specifically like. dont injure his arms he needs them for baseball rly shows like. just how much kumon treasures the sport i think. very interested in who would azami not want to see at his worst… could be a throwaway convo lol. but i liked that azami walked him home and stuff. muku pestering yamaguchi into taking his ticket was so. wow. he’s rly gotten brave, hasn’t he? i thought juza and muku were so interesting in how they supported kumon during this bc like. they were both obviously supportive but like didnt solve everything? Which was cool bc they were still good siblings to kumon but kumon’s issues still felt like. understandable and stuff. like juza being harsh in the beginning re: kumon joining made total sense even tho like. clearly it ended up being good for him. gosh when juza and muku tell tenma and izumi everything it is so good to see tenma be like. well. its alright u kept stuff from me. kumon is fully part of natsugumi so we’ll take care of him. i just like seeing him be capable and he was so capable lol. also banri offering to be an understudy instead of juza! very sweet. love that he can only offer by antaognizing juza abt his acting skills. also love banri saying yuki will thrash juza if he acts bad specifically… bc banri and yuki r. friends… i also like that this in specific seems to give juza pause. my “juza is frightened by this middle schooler” hc seems legit. oh and i laughed when juza was like. well we gotta be baseball accurate so i’ll bring the clippers. what is up with hyodos and banris hair for real. hm. i also like how u can see the bookcase in kumon and misumis room has noticeably changed—feels like not just misumi lives there, now.

oh and the cute girls skit. best thing ever. every time they did it, i laughed. so i absolutely get why it cheered kumon up. again summer troupe is clearly so good at this. they should do a play. This had more romcom energy then the baseball play they actually performed. like kumon blushing. into mukumi announcing u look like a dog I used to have!! unmatched. and ofc theres juko. cmon… take one step closer for juza in a dress…

I also loved everyone telling kumon abt the troubles they had. like tenma had to be like. I look very capable now but i actually tanked our first play lmao. also i had trauma abt stage performance. also idk if it was intentional but i love how the dialogue when theyre discussing sardine search is like.

kumon: the cat costumes?

tenma: anyways, the third play—

i think the last thing to discuss is the adlibs probably? the moment he was like concerned abt it i out loud went “fuck the fans” so that shows my position lol. but that for sure is summer troupe’s charm. I liked that in the end kumon’s adlib was just like? it was good. nicely in character. good response to. hang on washimiyas bf is MARRIED? but its not like he totally introduced a wild new direction or anything—the guy who started this was clearly tenma’s adlib as inoue. so i rly liked that it was like. competent but not amazing bc like… i think that would kind of reinforce kumon’s idea that he needs to “measure up” and be perfect. but here he’s just like. good at being part of natsugumi. and that’s all they need! i also know kumon originally wanted to join akigumi and i assume that’s bc he loves juza but i also wonder if some of it is bc akigumi is so clearly and obviously Strong. well. anyways for kumon i think being part of a troupe that makes him laugh is the best, in the end. i did think it was funny when the game went “acting isn’t like baseball. there are no winners and losers,” says a member of the troupe that had a literal competition against another troupe where winning was the most important thing ever.

and that’s all, i think! very good story im sure theres things i missed but. very good.

omg that was quick indeed. bUT HELP as to why you think it went faster. And omg. can't wait to see the fic as well!!

let's GOOO

and HELP. the deadly pretty boy middle schooler squad. gotta love how quickly Kumon found him cool indeed. I also love how quickly and organically they started to get along! Azami really does have a lot of Yuki in his behavior doesn't he. i still love how the make up things ended up being mentioned like "oh i'm NOT letting you leave this backstage without some help. you need it." type. eheh loving the way you look at Azami's set up so far! And you're so right this CG could have been so nice… nerfed by the amount of official CG per chapter :/ looking forward the fanarts coming out of it ;D Azami truly does have some Gender going on and yeah. The dad sure is not being good there. AND! hell yeah for the soccer squad this is what they deserve. Give Tasuku some peace also to know that while his troupe is bad at sports he can make his own team somehow still.

NICE CATCH ON THE KEYCHAIN!!! it really does fit Kumon way too much :sob: Kumon is indeed so likeable like, the actor really does such a nice job at conveying just how open and exhuberant he is, but also just how soft he can be. really funny and adorable like you say, perfect for Summer.

as for Kumon's condition, welcome to the specifics! I also really connected with Kumon on this because oof, chronic illness like that is no joke and especially when it's stuff triggered by stress it's just… it feels never ending bc then you stress about being stressed and it gets worse in worse. And even though it's obviously not his fault, the way other people started to perceive his sickness influenced how he saw himself and it really became even more worse and he became so scared to fail people which just meant more stress, so, more guilt… man his story was so effective it made me feel really emo.

Azami helping him out with the brush was so cute :sob: a little placebo in a sense. I do love how Kumon still was stressed but he managed to push through still. a bit like Tenma was still hella stressed in his first plays but managed to push through enough to now be comfortable about it. Natsugumi meanwhile taking care of him and being so supportive is so sweet :sob: Summer are all genuinely so good, and when you take into account all the problems they had to deal with one another… Tenma's stagefright, Yuki's indecissiveness for the future, Kazunari's anxiety about not being what others people would want out of him, Muku's own insecurities and his own history with "failing" his sportsmates because of health, with also Misumi's big brother's instinct kicking in… everyone had made some little work on their side on their own anxieties that i think they could see a bit of their journey in Kumon and went yeah, we'll take care of him, and it was such a good support for them. and DLKFJDLKF Tsuzuru's powers, all knowing, and when he doesn't know, people will come to him to update his character files. but also mood for the balcony.

DLKFDLKF yeah i feel like, Summer's plots could be seen as "not comedy", but in the end it's all about the banter and the way Summer will improvise stuff with their high energy, they probably have more room to improvise and all. BUT YEAH the love thing always was surprising to me, i guess yeah they're in love with their manager but it doesn't feel like it should be the focus?? or perhaps it's about the love of the game?? Or Tsuzuru should come out already and tell us the romance between Tenma and Kumon's characters was explicitly that this time come O- and omg, really ready for the sports story mood i see. I hope Kumon got to read this manga. perhaps he even recommanded it to Tsuzuru? Yuki's character was so fun and it felt so Yuki, it was so great. But yess the roles were pretty nice.

it's a perfect transition no worries AND HELL YEAH. No warning we get murdered by phonecalls like people who cry over a3. I'm so glad you weren't spoiled considering it was Made Just For You, it was so nice to see it shook you enough to post about it also :'D Everything you say about Tenma's audition is so spots on and so good :sob: he's so good… It's in moment like that that yeah you remember just that he is a professional who can accept things going in one way or another pretty maturely, and no doubt summer did make him even better at that. like yeah he learnt to be more silly and more of a kid with Summer, but it also helps him adding new outlook on his perspective. it's pretty nice. AND GOD YEAH. THAT. YEAH. THE WHOLE SCENE WITH YUKI WAS SO NICE. Tenma loves Natsugumi and Natsugumi loves him back so much the gifts scene was also so damn sweet like. god i love those kids so much.

AND YEAH… YEAH. MAN. Tenma and Yuki did come a very long way but they trust each other so deeply at this point it's just so heartwarming to see. No CG of Kumon and Azami bUT a CG of Tenma and Yuki calling each other! We still come out of here winning!! and yeah i totally understand what you mean about the whole scene and the whole dynamic of this specific arc. I think that approaching their dynamic with physical distance showed just how close they have grown emotionally speaking and it was just. so damn nice to see. It was such a nice arc.

Kazunari's little side thing! yeah it's really nice to see Kazunari just.. want more? I think it also shows he's growing more confident in himself that he just wants to try everything now. His little sis being fan of Tenma is really soft, no wonder Kazunari kept taking pictures of Tenma when they met. And yeah!!! honestly it's like, of course quality gets better as the app grows and everything on a doylist perspective because yeah, the devs get better, they get better fundings, you even see it at times from how prettier the art composition of some of the cards become. But in universe, since the posters are Kazunari's doing, it really also bring home that it's Kazunari!! who's growing as well. It's so nice. but god yeah. i love how things really do have an impact in a3? like conversations from years ago still matter so deeply for the characters. It's so nice.

ooh nice that you like Azami's voice :3c promising set up with his relationship with Sakyo and yeah. Sakyo was already a dad, bless him. The Hyodo/Sakisaka dynamic is indeed pretty interesting, like… yeah they're cousins but that doesn't mean they were that close until they started acting, but now they're all together in this. and yeah makes sense that Juza still was a bit distant in the sense of, he's socially awkward and keeping to himself a lot even regarding his little brother. Yuki refusing to play the baseball game while he gets to play later in the play is indeed pretty funny. Kumon's CG is pretty nice toooo, it shows how serious he is for baseball and still how much of his conflict comes from how serious he is about what he loves. (kinda contrast also how Chikage's solo CG was him with his coin, something that shows the way he deceives people but ultimately that he can't keep fooling Sakuya with and ends up being the cataclyst in staying with Spring bc of the coin toss. Like the solo CG tell us a lot about them and their arc in general). Tenmaaaaa<333 Eguchi Takuya always delivers in term of voice acting, and i love how he looks out for Kumon :sob: AND SO true about the Azami and Kumon's relationship and the way Azami was ready to square up for Kumon. It was so nice to see, they have a nice dynamic. Muku has indeed got very brave!! and even braver when he does thing for other people in general (a continuation both of him standing up for Yuki in the first chapter, and how he went to confront the Ikaruga family for Misumi as well) but yesss their dunamic together was so so nice, they knew some stuff but of course they couldn't solve everything… i think it's like, esp with stress, when family tells you you do well it's just yeah sure, that's what family says. i feel like, with setting up Kumon being so attached to Juza, it was important that his arc ends up being about him looking for something /for himself/ instead, and finding good things outside of him. But yeah Juza was just worried :sob: he just comes off as much roughter in general. aND YEAH…. Tenma immediately enforcing that Kumon is his responsability is soft. AND YEAH THE BANRI SCENE. WAS REALLY CUTE. Hell if Banri actually shows he cares, he needs to be mean to Juza to make it work. think about his reputation smh. BANRI AND YUKI FRIENDSHIP MY BELOVED. And yeah Juza still values Yuki's opinion enough to be frightened. More than by Banri at least lmao. AND DLKFJDKLFJD rip Banri's hair. and yeah sobbs it's so nice.

omg yeah the cute girl skit was really so sweet and funny. It's a recurring thing too like, remember when Muku was stressed out during their first improv with Yuki and Yuki went on with the cute girl thing? Tenma roasted them at that moment bc "all they did is change their pitch a bit", and now they perfected it so well that it's Purely Cheer Up Material… sobs. JUZA IN A DRESS WHEN PLEASE. WHO DO WE HAVE TO BEG.

DLKJFDLKF YEAH it's so nice that they really like, work to make Kumon part of the team? like he gets to know the stuff he missed as well, he's up to date with them all. BUT YEAH the transition for Sardine search is really funny.

BUT YEAAH AAH the adlibs stuff were so nice. I still find that ending so funny, i love how everyone managed to roll with it… and very good observation for why Kumon wanted to join Akigumi. He probably felt like it could help him measure up to the expectations he had put on himself, managing to be cooler and surpassing himself physically considering those were the things he felt he lacked. But in the end he needed just to find his own path and coming to term with what he actually needed. AND LDKJFKDLJFKLFD Kumon: it has no winner or loser! Tsumugi still half reeling from what happened during his first play: :). yeah :) totally :) completely :).

but sobss i'm so glad you liked it!! Summer knew to come after your feelies both reminding you of the growth of your favorite characters and introducing a new cutie to the team. It's honestly so nice, and it was SO nice to read through your thoughts! as always, thank you so so much for sharing!!!

as a reminder, next is the event A Springtime Snooze ! Then you'll be able to read the Autumn Chapter!

Take care! :3c

[moveobjectsonblogs]

Zodiac Challenge

Welcome to the Sims 4 Zodiac Challenge!

This idea came to me in a dream after a month of um-ing and ah-ing over whether or not I should start my very own Sims inspired Youtube Channel.

This is also inspired by the Not So Berry Challenge over on my queen, lilsimsie’s page, since I recently started playing that myself and found myself engaging with aspects of the game I never used to before. 

SO, the Zodiac challenge... It’s a legacy challenge inspired by Zodiac traits*, aspirations and careers with a little extra spice to keep the story moving along.  

*Please keep in mind that this is not a direct reflection of Zodiac traits, but merely an inspired challenge based on some common information surrounding each sign and a need to make a workable legacy challenge. I love all you little start signs out there equally and I believe we all have some positive influences on society as a whole. 

Okay, okay, cut to the chase already. Here are the rules of the challenge: 

No excessive money cheats (freerealestate is acceptable, as well as moderate transfer of household fees when a sim moves out) 

You have full control over CAS for your sims/partners/children, however traits are to remain according to challenge 

The color attached to each generation/sign needs to be visible on all sim outfits as well as in household, but you can decide to what degree

You can create looks inspired by the signs, but again, you can decide to what degree 

Make it your own! Where a generation requires pack-specific traits, aspirations, careers etc which you do not own, please substitute and come up with your own unique spin on it!

If a skill, aspiration, or career is listed, the expectation is to MAX IT OUT!

Please tag me! I want to see your videos, characters and creations on this

Generation 1 - Aries / Red - The Go-Getter

You start out as a runaway teen, trying to make it in the Big City. You believe you have what it takes to be the next National Leader, and the City is the place to be! You have a quick temper and a fiery personality, so in order to appear calm in the public eye (everyone wants a piece of you!) you need to practice Wellness every day. You don’t have time for marriage, but your PR Manager advised you it would look good for your political career to adopt!

Traits

Hot Headed

Self-Assured

Ambitious

Aspiration

Leader Of The Pack

Career

Politician (Politician branch to become National Leader)

Skills

Charisma

Wellness

Additional Requirements

Reach Level 3 Fame

Must have no biological children, only adopt

Don’t have a good relationship with child/ren

Never marry

Never retire 

Generation 2 - Taurus / Dark Green - The Loving Nurturer

All your life you tried to get the approval of your always-too-busy presidential parent. You were pawned off to day-care, baby-sitters and after-school activities to fill your time and never knew what a parental figure or family time was. You were told to always appear perfect in terms of good grades, a good university degree and a stable career but in your heart all you ever wanted was love! You spend quality time with your children and your greatest pleasure is helping them grow and succeed in life. You believe in taking the time to grow your own produce in order to eat only the healthiest food and other sims would describe you as ~earthy~.

Traits

Foodie

Family Oriented

Romantic

Aspiration

Big Happy Family

Career

Freelancer (any branch you want)

Skills

Parenting 

Gardening

Additional Requirements

Marry your High School/University sweetheart

Have minimum 3 children 

Work part time in order to help children with meals & homework everyday

Generation 3 - Gemini / Yellow - The Open-Minded Adventurer

You loved your cozy (some would say sheltered) and unconventional upbringing with your earthy parent and many siblings; however, you want to see the world and all it has to offer for yourself! You love people, creativity and being busy and you want to see it all, try it all and be it all. Thanks to your loving mom, you were always made to believe you can be whatever you want in this world. You can never sit still. Due to that, you have many different careers, many different worlds you live in and many different lovers...You’ll try anything once!

Traits

Outgoing

Adventurous

Creative

Aspiration

Renaissance Sim 

Career

Any 3 (as per Aspiration)

Skills

Flower Arranging

Video Gaming

Fitness 

Additional Requirements

Have a love child before marriage 

Have 3 failed romances before marriage 

Move to 3 different worlds in lifetime 

Generation 4 - Cancer / Grey - The Intuitive Gossip

You want a nice and normal life, no surprises, everything as it should be and in the right order. You want to settle down, and live an uneventful life. But when do plans ever work out like that? You earn a university degree in something sensible, and you follow that route with determination; however, you’ve always been described as psychic by those who know you, and you always have the dirt on the town folk. Finally, late in your life you understand that this ability can bring in some serious cash. You switch to the social media career and always work from home to protect your identity from those who’s secrets you spill. Who would ever suspect you, the nerdy Brainiac who barely speaks up? xoxo, Sims Girl

Traits

Neat

Unflirty 

Materialistic

Aspiration

Academic

Career

Initially something connected to Degree, but switch to Social Media (Internet Personality Branch) in late Adult Life Stage 

Skills

Logic

Writing

Media Production 

Additional Requirements

Attend university (Business or History degree)

Change careers when in Adult life stage to Social Media Career

Always work from home

Marry for convenience and not love (not attracted to partner)

Have no relationship with child/ren

Generation 5 - Leo / Gold - The Romantic Star

Your life growing up was boring. Your mom and dad were the least romantic people ever and everything was cookie-cutter perfect (and devoid of any emotion) growing up. So, from a young age, you throw yourself into movies and get lost in the romantic, passionate and fairy tale aesthetic of it all! You move to Del Sol Valley straight after high school to try and make it as a big star and start your own fairy tale! But it turns out not all fairy tales are perfect, and you have to kiss a few frogs to find your prince/ss!  

Traits

Cheerful

Self Absorbed 

Romantic

Aspiration

World Famous Celebrity

Career

Actor/Actress 

Skills

Acting

Singing 

Additional Requirements

Move to Del Sol Valley straight after high school with very little money (10K max)

Cheat on 2 different partners

Date both genders

Generation 6 - Virgo / Beige - The Critical Perfectionist

Owing to your famous parent, you always attended red carpet events with the best food imaginable. Let’s face it, you always thought your taste was just a touch above everyone else. And when you’re good at something never do it for free! Your dream is to criticize others and earn a pay check for it.For you, life is about experiences, perfection and having something to show for it in the bank account. You want to wear and eat the finest things!

Traits

Perfectionist

Genius

Snob

Aspiration

Fabulously Wealthy

Career

Critic (Food)

Skills

Gourmet Cooking

Mixology

Additional Requirements

Marry a famous sim or a sim at the top of their career

Have a house worth over 100K

Have 1 child

Generation 7 - Libra / Pink - The Classy Advocate

You grew up in a very classy home, with only the finest things. You believe in the value of beautiful art, intellectual discussions and physical beauty. From behind the thick, gilded window panes in your childhood mansion, you always witness the injustices of the world and felt a calling to help those without a voice.

Traits

Materialistic

Art Lover

Outgoing

Aspiration

Party Animal

Career

Law (Any Branch)

Skills

Charisma

Violin

Additional Requirements

Attend university, join the debate guild

Marry a sim you find extremely attractive

Volunteer weekly

Own art pieces worth over 20K

Generation 8 - Scorpio / Black - The Beautiful Empath 

You’re a sweetheart deep down and you find beauty in all things physical. Where your parents saw beauty in materialistic things, you see beauty in yourself and others. You always dreamed of perfecting your own body as a testament to your intense passion towards your goals. You meet a beautiful partner along the way and together, you create a perfect image of love, beauty and emotional intensity.

Traits

Jealous 

Active 

Romantic

Aspiration

Soulmate

Career

Athlete (Bodybuilder career)

Skills

Fitness

Mischief

Additional Requirements

Marry a sim seen as extremely attractive

Have 1 child minimum and encourage active side (from toddler to teenager)

Go on a date night with your partner every weekend

Generation 9 - Sagittarius / Purple - The Traveling Spy 

You’re fun to be around and can never sit still. You’ve used this to your advantage to lure people into trusting you, and you have friends all over the world! Little do they know, you’re a secret agent with some top-tier missions to accomplish. Your passion for love and romance means you have a few slip ups and made some (unexpectedly great) mistakes along the way. You can’t ever be tied down. Keep it moving, blend in with the locals and you’ll never get caught!

Traits

Non-Committal

Adventurous

Cheerful  

Aspiration

Serial Romantic

Career

Secret Agent (Any Branch)

Skills

Comedy

Photography

Additional Requirements

Live in Mt. Komorebi and Sulani in lifetime – dabble in local culture and activities  

Have children from both of the above worlds with one of the locals

Never marry  

Generation 10 - Capricorn / Brown - The Idealistic Pragmatist

You’re smart – scary smart. You are a quiet, intelligent soul and you love to lose yourself in the mountains when life gets overwhelming. You approach life with military intelligence, routine and perfection and never thought you could meet someone who cracked through your tough exterior. When you do meet them, you marry them after the first few dates and start your family. Your partner adores you and your family and quits their career to take care of the large brood of kids and animals in your rustic, outdoorsy home.

Traits

Loner

Genius

Loves the Outdoors

Aspiration

Extreme Sports Enthusiast

Career

Military 

Skills

Pet Training

Logic 

Additional Requirements

Marry a spouse after a maximum of 3 dates

Have spouse quit job to raise children

Have 4 children minimum

Go Climbing/Hiking or do Snow Sports every weekend

Generation 11 - Aquarius / Blue - The Outspoken Activist 

You grew up with nature and animals taking preference over technology and humans. Therefore, you are sickened by the state of the world that humans have created and you decide to pursue a green future. You are all for eco living, off the grid lifestyle and conserving the environment for generations to come.

Traits

Vegetarian

Green Fiend

Creative

Aspiration

Eco Innovator 

Career

Civil Designer (Green Technician) 

Skills

Fabrication 

Logic 

Additional Requirements

Live in Evergreen Harbor (all 3 neighborhoods) and convert all to Green Eco Footprint

Live off the grid at least once

Adopt children and animals until household limit of 8 is reached 

Generation 12 - Pisces / Light Green - The Creative Overthinker 

You’re a dreamer and you want to heal everyone. Due to your parent’s ideals growing up, you want to make a difference... but you also want to create art and move souls. You tend to internalize your dreams and fears and as a result often feel misunderstood. You move around as a doctor trying to heal the world and as a result, love is last on the list of accomplishments.

Traits

Creative

Gloomy

Loner  

Aspiration

Painter Extraordinaire 

Career

Doctor 

Skills

Painting 

Baking 

Additional Requirements

Have no friends apart from future spouse

Gain fame through paintings  

Marry for the first time as an elder

Never have children

Live in all worlds through lifetime

[dgcatanisiri]

I won’t say this is my last word on the subject of Legendary Edition bullshit, because... Well, I know myself enough to be able to say that I NEVER have a last word, I’ll always want to rant again later on. But let’s just make this a sort of master post of the issues overall.

So... Is it fair to hold a game that is a good roughly fifteen years old to the standards of the present? Not inherently. So if the games were being produced in any sort of unedited format, that it was a strict translation, 1:1 ratio, of the original to the remaster... Honestly, I’d still be bitter as all get out, for reasons I’ll expound on in a minute. But it could at least SEEM justified. I could consider it the kind of thing that would be expected - if KOTOR got a remaster today, I would not expect that Carth and Bastila would be made into bi love interests, or Juhani would have her romance patched up so that it has the same level of detail and attention as the het romances. If Jade Empire were remastered, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Sky or Silk Fox’s same sex romances adapted so that the straight romances had to be closed out first. That is the kind of thing that, on a functional, practical level, I could understand. Doing a translation from old hardware, the old engine, I get the PRACTICAL reasoning for not making things better. I still object to this on the moral level, to say nothing of the representational one. But PRACTICALLY, I see why - y’know, there’s only so much financial resources going in, and changing things like romances, even if justified, means doing new writing and getting the voice cast back in, which has complications the longer since a game’s original release - actors retire or even die, the passage of time changes voices (like listen to the difference of the exact same lines by James Earl Jones between both versions of the Lion King). Even without those complications, that means paying them, which, in the production of video games, for everything that goes in, something else must go out. So that is the practical argument.

BUT!

But.

But, the thing is, even apart from everything else that I’ll get in to shortly, is that there have been a lot of claims from BioWare about inclusion. There have also been A LOT. of homophobic bullshit from BioWare and Mass Effect. And yes, I’m calling it like I see it.

Because we had the game that followed Jade Empire, with a M/M romance option, be Mass Effect, with NO M/M romance option (but FemShep and Liara could bang - the writing obviously favored the MaleShep portrayal, given that there was no marketing use of FemShep until ME3, and we had ME2 give priority to having loyalty conflicts between MALE Shepard’s romances, but not Female Shepard’s, and we even had BioWare hem and haw about how “well, the asari are monogender, so they’re not TECHNICALLY women, so it’s not REALLY lesbians...”). Because the official claim is that they just “didn’t think about it” in time to have these options included in Mass Effect 1. Because we’ve had writers now come out that Jacob Taylor was originally written as a gay man, but in the game itself was a straight man. Because there are plenty of women who throw themselves at Male Shepard, and Shepard is animated with having Significant Looks™ with these women, but not a single man who expresses any interest in him, until ME3 finally offers SOMETHING, which came to just Kaidan and Cortez.

Because we had one of BioWare’s heads, one of BioWare’s founders, say in an interview right around the release of Mass Effect 2 say “Shepard is too predefined a character to be gay.”

That is what I mean by homophobic bullshit.

And I haven’t even started on Mass Effect Andromeda.

And I’m gonna start on Mass Effect Andromeda now.

So after ME3, after Kaidan and Cortez were actually romances, we honestly gave them a lot of faith - they got the message, we said. They understood that they couldn’t just cut out M/M romance in the game, we said. They didn’t need to have the constant observation that demanded they provide good representation, we said.

And then they cut Jaal’s bisexuality, leaving him straight on release, without even a chance to flirt and be turned down, the bisexual male character who did remain not only was planet bound, he also is a character who a solid argument can be made that he falls into the trope of the Depraved Bisexual, a trope that over in Dragon Age, Patrick Weekes specifically said that they wanted to avoid and so didn’t make a character bisexual because of that. And the gay man is not only almost totally disconnected from the game (aside from one point in the plot, he can be avoided entirely and is not included in almost any other group setting among the Tempest crew), he is also an accessory in his own plot line, which was also heavily criticized for being intensely homophobic. And of these, the only thing BioWare deigned to change was Jaal’s bisexuality. (Which, personal note, I’m uncomfortable with personally, because as it’s implemented, it just feels kind of afterthought-y. Much like Kaidan’s in ME3, being unchanged from a new FemShep romance, despite the active inability to romance him in ME1.)

So it is not just a matter of “you have the ability, you’re changing other things, you should do this.” I mean, that is absolutely there - the mods exist for the original game, to the point of being able to even get the romance scene to fire right without Shepard’s gender magically changing once the clothes come off. (I have a vague memory of, at some point, probably around the “too predefined” comment, that being another excuse, that there was difficulty with having the models play nice with one another in that scene.)

But this is about addressing a pattern of behavior on the part of BioWare, that they have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to the bare minimum that their own statements on matters of representation and inclusion claim they aspire to. That if the fans are not actively holding their feet to the fire, they are GOING to take their fans for granted - “you don’t get better quality content elsewhere, we’re your only choice!” But “only” choice is not a “good” choice. It’s not a choice with quality.

So if we don’t make a big damn deal about this now, when they have a chance - when they have a CHOICE - to make things better, to provide better representation, to correct the mistakes of the past... What will we get in the future? How will they backtrack on this in the future? How will they exclude us in the game they just announced a few months back? How will they continue to tell us that they don’t want gay people in this setting?

Look, I don’t use these words lightly. But that is, whether it’s a conscious attitude at all or not, what they are telling us. By not including us, by making us optionally involved, by making us disposable within our own stories, by cutting out our content, they are saying that they do not envision a world, a future, that includes queer men.

And anyone who does not speak up, does not condemn this, does not demand that they DO. BETTER... That is tacit approval and agreement. Because you’re saying that things as they are now - the removal and undermining of our content, of our EXISTENCE in these games - are perfectly fine and acceptable.

And yeah, I’m sure that reading that has probably made some people mad, believe I’m being unfair by saying that, because it’s going to push away allies. Thing is, and this is one of the things that always comes up in anything even tangentially activism related... THIS ISN’T ABOUT THE FEELINGS OF THE ALLIES. This is about listening to the people who are being hurt and saying “you don’t deserve to be hurt this way, things need to change.”

BioWare needs to change its approach. And, as we have seen, it does not come just because of a handful of angry queers, demanding to be represented in their games. It comes because of the community at large calling them out and saying “this isn’t right. What you have done is not right, and we are calling on you to fix it. To do better.”

Don’t just stand there and shrug this off. Because evidence tells us that if they aren’t called out on this now, the next game will not be better. And we will be in this exact same place, having this exact same argument, all over again, in a few years when the next Mass Effect game comes out. When the queer men are given the shortest end of the stick again, and people who are right now saying “what do you expect from a remaster?” will either suddenly turn around and go “I don’t know why BioWare would do something so homophobic” or, worse, “well, it’s something, I don’t see why you’re upset.”

We’re upset because we keep having this argument. And we are going to keep having this argument until people are willing to actually DEMAND that things be better. This is the chance to make things better now.

At this point, a post-release patch that includes a Male Shepard/Kaidan romance in ME1 that is tracked through to the following games is a bare minimum fix, a change done to make it clear that BioWare understands their mistakes in the past and want to make things BETTER.

It may not be easy, but genuinely fixing problems never is. But it’s work that needs to be done.

[thorne93]

History Repeats (Part 4)

Prompt: Life’s hard, right? Well throw in a not so great job, a broken heart, and chasing a pipe dream in LA. But could someone come along to make all the bad shit disappear? Or is he just another heartbreak waiting around the bend?

Warnings: language, drug addiction, alcohol addiction, angst/heartbreak, adult themes (??)

Word Count: 2386

Note: Aesthetic made by @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo​ because she’s absolutely amazing Beta’d by @like-a-bag-of-potatoes​ and @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo​ . Brainstorming from @carryonmyswansong​​

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before you knew it, you’d fallen into a routine with Hayden, somewhat. It wasn’t like clockwork, but there was definitely something that had become part of your pattern.

It seemed that Hayden would drop by a few nights a week and ask if you wanted to hang in his room after you got off. You always said yes because for the first several nights, it was a good way to vent and relieve some stress. You two swapped stories of hard working days, then it always seemed to work into the heartbreak you were both still going through. Realizing that not being with your exes was best, and accepting that fate were two very different things, especially for Hayden, having a daughter made it all the worse. 

But after a while, the visits went from bonding, being each other’s support, to being fun filled and like normal friendly hang outs. The two of you talked about Rachel and Jason less, and talked more about yourselves. At one point, he even hooked up his video game console and for several visits, they turned into video game tournaments between you two. It was a fun, easy way to blow off steam after work. 

Of course, sometimes you couldn't meet because he had an early day or you were exhausted from your shift, and that was okay. This was just two friends hanging out and there was no pressure for either of you to constantly want to hang out. In fact, for both of yours’ sakes, and for the sake of the anxiety that you both had, you didn’t over do it, knowing that being sociable for a long time wore on you both.

He listened to you about wanting to be a singer and you shared some of your lyrics with him and he told you stories of his aspirations as an actor and things he was proud and not proud of. Every time he talked about his acting, you felt awful because you were pretty sure you’d only seen two or three of his movies, so you couldn’t tell him your thoughts on any of his work. But he never seemed to mind, he was just happy to have someone that even wanted to talk with him about it. 

Tonight, nearly a month after the first time you’d hung out, you’d gotten onto the topic of how you got into singing, and feeling that it was the only thing you were above average at.

“You can’t be serious,” Hayden admonished.

“No, I am. Come on, name one quality about me that’s better than average,” you challenged, knowing he wouldn’t come up with anything.

“You’re an excellent manager,” he noted.

You laughed, throwing your head back. “Oh, thanks. I’m so good at my job. I’m good at organizing people and running a shift. Big whoop.”

“Okay, fine. How were you in school?”

“Average. I made B’s most of the time.”

“Well you kick my ass on Overwatch all the time, so there’s that,” he said and you wrinkled your nose at him. 

“Har, Har. No. I’m talking real, true talent. Like you! With acting!” you said, pushing on his leg slightly.

“I’m not so sure,” he remarked with an eyebrow twitch and half smile. “But I will say I was fairly good at tennis. Almost got a full scholarship and almost competed on a professional level.”

“See? Like that. That’s amazing. I can’t swing at a damn ball to save my life,” you said, falling back on the couch and throwing your arm over your face, tired from your work day. 

“I bet that’s not true,” Hayden tried in an overly sweet voice.

“You’d lose that bet,” you said, your arm still covering your eyes.

“Good thing I’m not a gambler,” he joked with a laugh and you returned it. 

“I’ll just stick to what I know best,” you said, sighing. 

“Or...I could show you,” he quietly said. So quiet, you weren’t sure that’s what he said.

“What?” you asked as you sat up and removed your arm, looking at him.

Clearing his throat, he repeated himself, speaking up as he did so. “I could show you. How to swing at a ball. Then maybe, in your eyes, you’ll be good at something.”

You eyed him for a moment suspiciously, then you began to laugh as if it were absurd. 

“No...Why?”

He shrugged, his eyes darting forwards, his elbows on his knees as he was leaned forward. “Like I said, to help you.” 

“That’s it?”

“Jesus, Y/N, why are you so skeptical of someone wanting to help you?” he asked, and it meant to come out as a tease, as a joke, but his tone was harsher than he intended. 

He went to apologize, opening his mouth to do so, but you stopped him. Hanging your head, and toying with your fingers, you softly answered, “Because I’ve never had it happen and it be innocent. People don’t just...help people for the hell of it.”

“Well I do and I’m going to help you be a good tennis player,” he vowed.

“Oh, really, Hayden, you don’t want a racket in my hand. I’ll kill you,” you said, shaking your head. “It’ll fly out of my hand and crack your skull. Or I’ll launch a ball right into your chest.”

He laughed, not taking you seriously. “I doubt any of that will happen.”

“I’m serious! This is a terrible idea!” you said, raising your voice, despite the fact that you were about to laugh too. “You really don’t want me handling sports equipment!”

“I’m sure I’ll survive,” he assured. “We’re going.”

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

Now, it was three days later, it was your day off and his, and Hayden was taking you two a recreation center to teach you tennis.

You dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, something comfortable because you had a feeling you’d be moving a lot more than usual. Hayden was looking rather adorable in shorts, a polo, and a baseball cap. He really did look like a tennis player.

The two of you grabbed the equipment and made your way to an indoor court, setting up. All the while you were so worried you wouldn’t be able to hit a single ball. He got everything in place, handed you a racket, then took his place on the other side of the court.

“Have you ever played?” he called across the court.

“A few times in high school.”

“So you remember the rules?”

You shook your head. “No, not really.”

“Okay, no problem,” he said before diving into the rules and logistics of the game. If the ball landed here, this happened, if you hit it here, this happened. If the ball comes at you like this, swing the racket like so...so on and so on. He was a really good teacher. He kept things simple and concise, perfect for you since you never played sports.

Then, the batting began and you were a disaster on the court. You couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn, you were flailing wildly everywhere, and you were slow. Hayden laughed once or twice, but you couldn’t blame him, in fact, it was kind of cute when he laughed at you, because to be honest, you were laughing at your efforts too. 

“Time out,” Hayden suddenly said as he walked over to you. “I think I see the problem,” he noted as he approached you, getting so close you could feel the heat off his body. 

“What?” you wondered as you looked down at your hands, feet, and racket, curious as to what he saw.

“Your footing,” he explained. “Half of tennis is making sure you’re setting your body up to accept the ball, no matter which direction it comes from,” he said as he moved behind you and put his hands on your hips and pivoted them and you followed the motion, trying to suppress the shiver  that wanted to escape due to his nimble hands on your sides. Hayden was your friend, and the last thing you needed was to develop feelings for him. 

“Now set your left foot a little more towards the net,” he instructed softly and you did as you were told. “Now bend slightly at the hips, a little more forward. Great!” he said, stepping back and eyeing you. “You’re holding the racket all wrong. It’s not a baseball bat, you don’t need to grip it like this,” he said, showing you how you were doing it. “If we were playing baseball, that would be perfect. A nice, strong, hold. But in tennis, you need a looser wrist, some range of movement, so that if the ball goes a little farther than you expected or comes back to the left, rather than the right, as you anticipated, you can pivot and shift quickly.” 

You nodded, understanding. 

“Okay, so take your racket,” he said and you took it in both hands, and he slid behind you once more, his chest pressed flush against your back as his body molded around yours in order to show you better. “Now put your hand here,” he said quietly, his voice practically right beside your ear as he took his hand and held yours and placed it on the racket correctly. “And the other, here,” he instructed, physically moving your hand again, adjusting your fingers as need be. “There we are,” he said, a smile in his voice and you turned to smile at him proud that you were finally in a good stance.

Yet, when you turned your head, he was gazing at you already, his eyes were smoldering. Your mouth went dry as your eyes went between his stare and his lips, his hold still firm around you. There was a charge in the air that was nearly strangling you two. Neither of you dared move, your eyes just holding the gaze that you shared, afraid to do what you wanted to do so badly. 

Eventually you both of you moved at the same time, clearing your throats.

“Thanks for showing me that,” you quickly said, trying to erase the tension still hanging in the air.

“Yeah, yeah, any time. I’ll just...go over here and we’ll try again, now that you know how to hold it.”

You nodded, as he took his spot on the other side of the net. He served the ball, and you didn’t hit it the first time, but on the third try, you did, and it felt great. You cheered and jumped, excited that you were finally getting the hang of this, while he congratulated you and ran up to give you a high five which you happily returned.

The two of you continued to play, and it was actually fun now that you could somewhat play. You still were no where near his level of expertise, but you were much better than you had been when you started this afternoon. 

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

After tennis, the two of you had worked up an appetite so Hayden offered to take you to dinner.

“Are you sure you want to?” you asked, knowing he sort of hated being out due to potential media coverage.

“Yeah, it’ll be fine,” he assured with a shrug and a smile as you two got back to his car. 

“I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t wanna do…” you said uneasily. Of course, you’d love to hang out outside of his hotel room, but if it would put him in a situation he didn’t want to be in, then you didn’t want to do that.

“No, I’m more than happy to go,” he said with a smile. 

“Well if you’re up to it, I’d love to,” you agreed with a grin.

With that, you two found a nice restaurant that was tucked away from everything else, off of main streets and areas, a perfect place for a man not wanting to be seen. The two of you had a great meal, chatting about tennis and he said maybe one day he’d teach you hockey and with an instructor like him, you actually jumped at the chance. Laughter about your performance today went between you two as you shared old stories about your little experience with athleticism and he told you all about his experience and how he almost went pro. 

All in all, it was a wonderful day, and it didn’t stop there. The two of you went on a stroll in the park that was just a couple blocks over. Walking side by side, taking in the beautiful, simple sights of nature, it was so serene. Being around Hayden was so easy and effortless.

You hadn’t really talked to your old friends in a while and Jason and you hadn’t spoken since the breakup. But you didn’t really miss them. You didn’t miss constantly pretending to enjoy being out and about all night. You didn’t miss that when you and Jason broke up, no one really checked on you or cared too much. The first day or two, you got a couple of texts from friends, but after that, it was radio silence. No one asked again how you were doing after that, and for you, it sent a pretty big signal that they weren’t the type of friends you could count on in a bad situation. That made it evident they didn’t need to be in your life. 

Same for Jason. He didn’t talk to you about your issues, he just decided for the both of you that he didn’t want to be in a relationship any more so he just ended it. No talk. No discussion. Just a “this isn’t working out” speech and he was out of your life. He didn’t even respect you enough to talk about it or give you much closure.

Hayden didn’t seem like a man who would do that. A man who would abandon friends in their time of need, or just up and leave without much of an explanation. That’s what you liked about him. He was sweet and reliable and it was refreshing. 

After the walk, he drove you back to your place, where you hugged him tight and thanked him for a wonderful day out. Thank your lucky stars you had a friend like him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forever Tag:

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Hayden Christensen:

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History Repeats:

@multifandomblog315​​

[polytropic-liar]

More info for this anon (if they see it...): most people who take testosterone experience some level of change in the pitch of their voice. This includes folks who take a low level of T, though they often report the change being more gradual and in some cases retaining more range. For some people this includes voice "cracking" for a period of time before it settles in the lower register (my voice only cracked once, when I yelled during a sports match, and it was very funny tbh).

Once a person's voice has settled, what they usually find is that their voice has a wider range than it used to in the lower register, but that some of their range in the higher register is still accessible to them. This is doubly true for people who do vocal exercises while their voice is changing--many report that while their singing voice definitely changed, they did not completely lose access to the higher register. Actors and D&D players who Do The Voices usually find that they can still easily do a voice that listeners interpret as female.

Almost everyone finds that their baseline speaking voice automatically falls into a lower pitch than it used to, but how much of a lower pitch varies hugely. Studies on voice changes for transmasculine folks are very sparse but a 2015 summary of the available literature said that of about 400 people who took T, about 10 didn't experience any change in their regular speaking pitch; of about 45 people, 5 said that they felt like their voice hadn't dropped enough.

What testosterone does not change is the tone, rhythm, speech patterns, and enunciation of a person's voice. Trans men who sound like cis straight men have either taught themselves, or gone to voice training to learn, to change all of the other aspects of their voice that go into passing. (No judgment on folks who do that, you're lovely and you should do whatever makes you feel safe and affirmed!) Without specific work put into it, trans men are often interpreted as gay men based on how we form our words and the tone of our speech. For white English-speaking trans folks in the US (the population I'm part of, because these observations are from my personal experience), things like how we aspirate certain consonants, how we stretch certain vowel sounds, and how our pitch changes to indicate uncertainty, surprise, or emotion, are all read as gender non-conforming for men regardless of how much our baseline voice pitch has changed. For some folks, like me, that's not a problem or is even preferred (I was mistaken as straight once and I did not care for it, zero stars).

What this means is that a person who likes the softness, or the brightness, or the smoothness their voice can likely retain all of those things while undergoing testosterone treatment. Testosterone does not usually make someone's voice more harsh, more rough, or louder--it just makes it deeper. A person who likes the specific pitch of their voice may have to do some work, like vocal training, to continue to speak at that pitch as their voice drops to a lower baseline register, and may or may not be able to retain it depending on how much their voice drops.

The changes to the pitch of the voice from testosterone are caused by a thickening of the vocal chords, and that thickening is one of the changes that does not fully go away if one stops taking T. However, it's also not an all-at-once change. People often report feeling like they have a cold for a few weeks and then suddenly realizing that they sound a bit different, and that that process repeats itself for anywhere from 6 months to 2 years to fully drop their voice's pitch. Someone who really doesn't want their voice to change could look out for that initial cold-like sensation, and stop or reassess their treatment before the voice change took significant effect.

Overall, if you're feeling like testosterone would make a positive impact in your life, it's worth considering exactly what is important to you about your current voice to see if it's something that T would change, and if you could mitigate your concerns/fears. It's also absolutely worth it to take your time and decide if hormone treatment is something you want to pursue, especially with the firm understanding that no one ever needs to take T to be a man, to be masculine, or to be "really" trans.

If you have more questions about transition, about the studies on the effects of testosterone, or about transmasculinity in general, my inbox is open!

(about the reminder to trans women video you posted) do you know if trans men's voices change on hormones? i want to transition but am attached to my voice

yes, trans men’s voices very often deepen on testosterone. my video specifically said that trans women’s voices don’t change in hormones but a lot of people get that confused haha. that’s why you always see videos of trans men comparing their voices pre-t and on t.

one thing a lot of people don’t realize about hormone therapy is that much like gender, hormone changes do not exist in a binary. trans men will experiences changes to their voice. trans women will not. trans women will grow breasts. trans men will not ungrow breasts. trans men will grow face and body hair. trans women don’t ungrow face and body hair. hormone therapy does a lot but its not magic. there’s still things that it won’t change and there’s a lot of effort involved in taking care of the rest.

hope that helps and best of luck to you!

[worldoshaking]

Thoughts on the Horimiya episode!

Miyamura and Tooru are so cute :D Their dynamic is a big part of why I stayed invested in the manga, and the anime does perfect justice to it already.

I was always really moved by how Tooru is the first person Miyamura chooses to show his tattoos to, after Hori (and Hori was kind of an accident). On the surface, Tooru is one of the cool kids and Miyamura’s a loner who looks like an otaku. A line that always struck me as important (I think they left it out in the anime?) is where Hori says that Tooru is the type to fall for her outward appearance, but that he wouldn’t like who she is beneath the facade... And Miyamura says, no, Tooru isn’t superficial like that, because he did show Tooru who he is beneath his facade and Tooru accepted it (and ditched class with him, and agreed to help him keep his secret). Both Tooru and Miyamura see through the other’s facade immediately. Miyamura finds his first real friend after Hori, and Tooru finds someone who trusts him and who he can confide in in turn. Of course Miyamura found the courage to trust him is that he’s found someone who accepted that part of him already, but I think Ishikawa is a really important part of that journey in his own right.

Also, the fact that Tooru is the first person in the class to look closely enough to notice Miyamura’s piercings! And that he notices them while he’s admiring how good-looking Miyamura is... (minor spoiler: I can’t wait for Tooru to tell him he’s handsome with blush marks in the next episode. On the rooftop. With their hair blowing in the wind, and Miyamura’s eyes widening as he realises that he is being perceived and liked. Aaaah I’m emotional already)

tl;dr I agree with Hori, they should date.

.

Anyway, I loved the episode. The anime character designs are really cute, they all look very smol and fluffy. (My boy Iura has made his first appearance too!!)

Also, the voice actors are brilliant. Especially Uchiyama Kouki, he pulls off that combination of wryness and vulnerability so brilliantly, and gives Miyamura a very endearing awkwardness. (I’m used to him playing salty, jaded characters, so this was genuinely a surprise.) I loved Miyamura opening up to Tooru, and the scene where he recovers from fighting for the eggs was *chef’s kiss* I really liked Tooru and Hori too. They all sound like the teenagers they are, silly and awkward and intense. (Hori saying ‘baka!’ made my day.)

.

**manga spoilers**

A minor grumble: it’s always bothered me a little that both Hori and Miyamura keep saying they want to be the only one that the other trusts. I know that’s a ery natural way for teenagers to feel, but I still think it’s a bit toxic, and something they need to unlearn. Of course, at this point in the story it’s just at the level of them liking each other for who they really are, and appreciating that they get to see each other be vulnerable. But I do think no-one should want to keep their partner for themselves, or be jealous of them forming meaningful relationships with other people. (We do get to see Miyamura make lots of close friends and gradually be more openly himself in public, and a lot of this has to do with Hori’s support of him, but the possessiveness remains, especially on Hori’s side, and is never quite addressed.) This isn’t just Horimiya, I kind of wish ‘jealousy as a sign of love’ wasn’t such a popular trope in romance animanga.

Also, I find it slightly amusing that they think it’s a huge secret that Hori doesn’t wear make-up and does her hair up in a messy bun at home because... that’s what people do? Nobody is, or should aspire to be, cool and fashionable all the time! Of course it’s not just that, it’s also about her doing the housework, and taking on a lot more responsibility than most kids her age, and generally taking on a more down-to-earth persona from the cool honours student she is at school... But I do think that she is worrying a bit more about appearances than she needs to. Of course, the point is that it’s a real issue to her, and this makes an important point about the superficiality of the fashionable crowd, and the unrealistic expectations that girls internalise. I just want to see them actually address it! (It always felt to me like it stayed a bit tangential in the manga... the whole ‘be yourself’ message isn’t really front and centre, the way it is in, say, Kare Kano.)

But I love them, and I’m very excited for the next episode!

(I can’t wait for Miyamura and Hori being all domestic and fluffy... And Sengoku being Sengoku... And Kyosuke, the man, the legend)

[okayto]

Mini-Review: Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!

I’m so glad @littlestartopaz​ recommended this to me, because it was SO GOOD.

Yuta wants to start high school afresh: new school far from home, new classmates who don’t know he spent middle school acting out the fantasy of being the mysterious and magic “Dark Flame Master,” new him. But one of his classmates has delusions of her own, and after she accidentally discovers his embarrassing past, Yuta is unwillingly drawn into her life and a growing circle of friends with their own quirks.

The “chunibyo” of the title basically means “8th grade syndrome;” a phase in middle school where some kids inhabit and act out their own fantasy stories, positing themselves as dark magicians, magical girls, and other wielders of magical powers.

I had avoided this for a while, until it was specifically recommended to me, because honestly, it sounds embarrassing, right? It sounds like it’s gonna be an embarrassing manic pixie dream girl scenario. But what it actually contains is the story of how a mixed bag of students--some actively chunibyo, others not--become friends and develop very endearing close relationships, while arguing and frustrating each other because that’s what friends do.

Now, the idea of being the star of what’s essentially your own fantasy-action anime is embarrassing, but what’s notable is that the show doesn’t really hold the chunibyo characters up for mockery. Sure we might laugh at them, but hey--it’s funny to watch friends be silly together. And most viewers, just like some of the characters who have moved on from their chunibyo phases, probably easily understand the mix of soul-wrenching embarrassment and (mild?) fond sentiment that comes with remembering our middle school selves.

But let’s be real: the reactions the two former chunibyo students, Yuta and Shinka have to being reminded of middle school, are #RELATABLE

Rikka, our title chunibyo, in particular uses her fantasy in part to cope with grief, coming from an extended family that (without getting spoilery) didn’t help a young girl to deal with a very hard and life-changing time. Now that she’s in high school, her older sister blackmails Yuta (using an a voice recording of one of his chunibyo speeches) into helping deal with Rikka and things (like the cat she wants to adopt) that pop up.

One thing the show is very good at, though, is not making a single thing the reason behind a character’s chunibyo. One may have started their fantasy inspired by another person, or prompted by an event, but it’s also (while active) part of their personal narrative that influences how they spent their free time, how they see the world and keep blogs or diaries, etc.

But at the same time, they’re still teenagers, and their inner view of themselves...doesn’t always translate skills.

I said the show is primarily about friendship. A lot of that friendship is between Yuta and Rikka, but they accumulate a little group, mainly through Rikka’s attempt to start a magic club. Recruit 1: Kumin, a polite, quiet senpai with no chunibyo history or aspirations.

Kumin starts off seeming like a background character, but by the second season it’s clear she’s not just there for jokes about how she’ll take a nap anywhere. She’s perceptive, and genuinely enjoys watching the others act out their scenarios.

Compared to the other characters who are boisterous in their chunibyo activities (Rikka, Deko, Satone), or vociferously trying not to get drawn in to chunibyo activities (Yuta, Shinka), Kumin is happy to watch and offer encouragement, but she’s also willing to participate if a chunibyo scenario calls for a group.

Incidentally, the show does a really interesting thing where occasionally, we’ll be drawn “inside” the chunibyo world, seeing what Rikka/Deko/whoever see: a fantasy land, big magical weapons, anime-grade magical attacks. Occasionally we’ll also see what this “really” looks like--a couple people running around waving umbrellas at each other--but often we only get the fantasy version. It’s clear that Rikka and co. are legitimately on some level engaging in a shared imagination, and the times when a reluctant character (particularly Yuta or Shinka) willing steps in to the shared illusion are genuinely sweet.

Speaking of, Shinka (aka Morisummer) became one of my favorite characters. Like Yuta, she was chunibyo (”Morisummer the magician”); like Yuta, she chose a high school where she didn’t know anyone expressly so she could reinvent herself as a normal teen. And like Yuta, she’s getting dragged kicking and screaming into chunibyo again.

It would’ve been so easy to make her a bad character. She’s pretty, puts a lot of effort into being popular and likable at school, trying to keep up a good teen girl image, despite being fairly sarcastic at her core. And as loathe as she is to admit it, she likes her friends (even if she won’t admit they’re friends, even if half of them are actively chunibyo, even if she says she’s only hanging around so she can make sure all traces of chunibyo-Morisummer are erased from the internet).

Shinka gets drawn in to the group through Rikka’s apparently only pre-existing friend: Deko, a fellow chunibyo who follows Rikka (or “Eye of the Wicked Lord Shingan”) as her master, and is extremely devoted to the great magician Morisummer. So devoted, in fact, that she has several physical copies of Morisummer’s book containing all her wisdom...aka Shinka-Morisummer’s blog, which Shinka has tried to erase all trace of.

Needless to say, the two don’t seem to get along great.

Deko’s dedication to chunibyo and Morisummer irks Shinka; Shinka’s claim to be Morisummer irks Deko, who refuses to believe the great magician could ever be this sarcastic, mundane girl. Deko’s refusal irks Shinka, bringing out the sarcasm and bluntness Shinka tries to hide from the school at large.

Obviously, they actually become close friends, but heaven help you if you actually say so.

The entire series is an exploration of relationships, and Yuta’s developing closeness with Rikka (hey, we knew it was going to happen) is also sweet. He’s a genuinely likable boy, embarrassed by the vestiges of his former self he sees in Rikka, but often willing to meet her on her level, and both of them also learn/reaffirm the importance of doing things their way, and keeping both of them comfortable, rather than acting a certain way or performing specific acts just because their classmates think their relationship status mandates it.

Speaking of classmates--and I know this is getting long but I CAN’T HELP IT, I LIKED SO MANY ASPECTS OF THIS SERIES--the characters aren’t ridiculed at school. Sure, some people think they’re weird, but there’s no shunning, no arc involving teasing or bullies. Rikka’s often content as a loner, but when she attempts to join in a social circle, she’s welcomed. Shinka’s obsessed with reinventing herself and appearing normal and seems to think that otherwise she’ll be cast out, but multiple characters mention that others at the school notice how she behaves (oddly, on occasion) and there are no social repercussions. Truly nice for a show that has characters spending quite a lot of time in school.

Verdict

English dub? Yes, and it’s got strong performances. Rikka’s voice actor in particular does a fantastic job capturing the difference between chunibyo!Rikka’s confidence and command, and regular!Rikka’s, well, normal awkward teenageness. (Plus, I also found her lower-than animegirl-average voice enjoyable.) (Double plus, I honestly think her English voice is better than her original Japanese voice at showing the difference between her emotions and chunibyo/reality.) Deko’s VA is fantastic showing the enthusiasm of the 9th grader (and what enthusiasm, Deko is like the Energizer Bunny), and Shinka’s VA manages to show her alternating annoyance, cheerfully sweet ideal self, and organizized leader voices.

Visuals: Fine, and I really liked the chunibyo designs for each character’s chunibyo phase. The contrast between chunibyo-vision (giant magic weapons; mysterious lights, fantasy landscapes) and reality (an umbrella or soup ladle; a strip of lights taped to the floor; a local park) was really well done.

Worth watching? Yessss. It’s very manageable--two 12-episode seasons--and while each season contains its own arc (you could stop after the first one, but why), together they make an excellent story. Heck, I think the second season is equal to, if not better than, the first, because the friend group is well-established and even more fun to watch.

Where to watch (USA, as of October 2020): Netflix (dub, sub); Crunchyroll (sub), HIDIVE (sub & dub, plus OVAs and film)

Click my “reviews” tag below or search “mini review” on my blog to find more!

[mst3kproject]

Voodoo Island

Leonard Maltin thought this movie was boring, which is, honestly, kind of terrifying.  Its ostensible star is Boris Karloff, who somehow managed to avoid ever being on MST3K, but it was produced by Howard Koch, the director of Untamed Youth, and was written by Richard Laundau, who did the same for Lost Continent (uhoh).  It’s also got Jean Engstrom from The Space Children, and if the voice of the radio operator sounds familiar that’s because it’s 🎶 Adam Weeeeeest.

A hotel company wants to build a resort on a tropical island, but the scouting party they sent never came back – except for one guy, Mitchell, who has been reduced to a catatonic state by whatever it was he saw there.  Worried, the hotelier sends renowned skeptic Mr. Knight to find out if it’s true that the island is under some kind of voodoo curse.  After much wasting of the audience’s time, Knight’s party reaches the island and finds it infested with man-eating plants, coconut crabs, and unfriendly natives.  I wish I could tell you more of the plot, but that’s basically all there is.

Voodoo Island is unusual as bad movies go, in that you don’t actually realize how bad it is until it’s over.  Things that seem to be the plot move merrily along, always feeling like it’s building up to something cool… and then at the last moment it just deflates like a gas station tube man with his fan turned off.  In hindsight, the audience realizes that very little of what they just saw had anything to do with what was supposedly going on. In many ways, you never do find out what was going on at all!

The middle section of this movie is not quite as obviously padded as Lost Continent with its endless rock climbing, but almost all of it is, retrospectively, pointless.  On the first leg of their journey to the island, the party’s plane is caught in a storm and forced to make an emergency landing – only to find that the weather has mysteriously cleared right up!  After repairing their radio they set off again, and nothing much comes of the incident.  They stop on another island where they have trouble hiring a boat, and where somebody puts a curse of some sort on them.  Nothing comes of this.  Later still, their boat stalls out and refuses to start again, even after they’ve cleared a blocked fuel line.  This has no real consequences, because the tide carries them in anyway, and the movie never deals with what happens when they try to leave the island again.

Along for the ride is Mitchell, the guy who was so terrified by what he saw on the island that he hasn’t moved or spoken since. He has a couple of medical emergencies that resolve themselves without long-term consequences, and then simply drops dead before they ever reach the island.  They don’t learn anything from him or his condition.  A similar fate later befalls another character, Finch, but this time the movie ends before he has a chance to either die or snap out of it. Mitchell is only in this movie to make it longer, and possibly so it could claim it had a zombie.

With the movie already half-over, we finally reach this mysterious island.  The group are greeted by a trail of clues that make Knight thing somebody is trying to lead them somewhere… perhaps to answers, perhaps to a trap.  Eventually they’re captured by the natives, but there’s no reason they had to be in a particular place for this to happen – the natives have been following them the whole time and could have intervened at any point.  None of this stuff reads as padding because it feels like it’s going to lead to something.  Again, it’s only when the credits unexpectedly start to roll that you realize almost the whole movie was irrelevant.

Padding is not Voodoo Island’s only problem – the dialogue is awkward at best.  Most of it is on a Revenge of the Sith level, where characters just say exactly what they’re thinking in a way that might have sounded poetic on paper but just doesn’t work out loud.  The boat captain, Gunn, gets a Gunslinger moment in which he narrates his traumatic backstory in a single talking head shot.  Knight is forever going on about Rational Explanations and then suddenly declares his change of heart when confronted with a voodoo doll.  There’s no meat to this arc at all, no sense of Knight questioning his worldview or coming to terms with anything – he just says I do believe! like he’s in a Santa Claus movie and then it’s over.

The worst of both the dialogue and the supposed character arcs occur in the love story.  There are girls in this movie, so of course there has to be a love story, and it’s terrible.  The lady half of this one is Knight’s assistant Miss Adams, who is very poised and professional and doesn’t smoke or drink, and spends the first half of the movie being tutted at by just about everybody.  The other woman in the group, Claire, tells her she could just be so pretty if she’d only change the way she did her hair.  Gunn calls her a ‘machine’ and asks if she even knows how to be a woman.  This raises some hackles in the modern viewer, who wants to see Adams appreciated for what she is rather than what she has the potential to be if she changes everything about herself.

But Voodoo Island was made in the fifties, when changing yourself to please a man was what women aspired to!  Miss Adams therefore swears off being a nerd and kisses Gunn, whose main personality trait is being a stunning asshole.  He’s drunk and bitter, and earlier in the movie he tried to hit on Claire, who had to tell him to fuck off about four times before he got the idea.  Later he insults and threatens Adams because her intelligence makes him feel like less of a man.  Apparently one kiss from her completely undoes his PTSD and he’s a better person now.

These two getting together also totally dismisses the healthy and supportive friendship Adams has with Knight, who is not only her boss but has some fatherly affection for her.  He praises her work ethic and tells her that she shouldn’t listen to people who think she’s boring.  I guess we’re supposed to think it’s good that she quits working for him so she can run off with a drunk who’s threatened to slap her, because Gunn will make her life more exciting.

At the supposed climax, the natives (an assortment of ethnic-looking extras who never speak) take the group prisoner, and they are brought before the chief (a white guy in dark makeup), who tells them why outsiders aren’t allowed on the island.  The prisoners are taken to a hut where they are tied up.  One of them is possibly murdered by voodoo, and then the chief… just lets the rest of them leave.  No conditions specified, although it’s implied that the islanders have more voodoo dolls and plenty of pins.  We don’t even find out if they actually made it back.  To get to their boat, the party will have to pass back through the carnivorous jungle without a guide, and once they reach the beach, they’ll have to fix their engine.  It really feels like there ought to have been more of a climax, never mind a denouement. As the credits begin, I was just going, “that’s it?”

The actors are mostly mediocre.  Boris Karloff tries really hard to rise above the material but never gets there, which is understandable when his lines are things like, “no, you fool, they’ll slaughter us to bits!”.  All this badness really is a terrible shame, too, because Voodoo Island’s setpiece monsters, the man-eating plants, are actually incredibly cool.  They never look real, but they’re much more creative than the standard giant Venus’ flytrap.  There’s a thing that wraps long bean-like leaves around a swimmer and drowns her, another than catches its victims with a sticky bulbous stem, and yet a third that folds ferny fronds around prey and digests it!  A movie that made proper use of these monsters would be a great time. I hope the prop people went on to the better things they deserved.

(At the other end of the effects scale are the coconut crabs I mentioned.  These are not actual coconut crabs, but dead specimens of some other, much more gracile species.  This, too, is unfortunate, because coconut crabs are living crustacean nightmares capable of killing and eating seagulls.  One theory about Amelia Earhart’s ultimate fate is that she was devoured by coconut crabs.)

As for Voodoo Island having anything to say… it has some kind of muddled point about not dismissing the supernatural out of hand, but its ‘magic’ is pretty lame, and Knight’s arc is handled so badly that it passes by without making much of an impression.  The story does seem to have another possible theme, though.  As usual I can’t tell if this is intentional or not, but Voodoo Island seems to have something to say about concepts of ownership.

The hotelier has taken an interest in the island because he did an inventory of his properties and discovered he owned it. How he came to do so, we have no idea… it must have been sold to him by somebody else who’d likewise never been there, since the tribal chief tells us that Mitchell and his companions were the first white men to ever go there.  What made that person think they owned it?  Does the concept of ownership even mean anything when you don’t know that you own something?  Does owning something entitle you to destroy it?

The natives own the island in the much less abstract sense that they live there.  The chief tells the party that his people went to this island on purpose, because they thought its nasty flora would keep white people from following them there. They want no part of modern civilization, and seem completely unaware that somebody outside their community is claiming he owns this land.  Whether the idea of ‘owning’ land is even a meaningful one to them, we can’t tell. When the Lenape allowed the Dutch to live on Manhattan Island, they probably had no idea the settlers would consider the land exclusively theirs.

These are some things that still need thinking about in the twenty-first century, and if you’re going to watch Voodoo Island do it for that and for the fun monsters.  Even then, you’re likely to be disappointed.

[whyamistillwatchingtheseshows]

5 BL Male Characters I Love

Tagged by @negrowhat​

1. Lan Wangji from the Untamed  (which we only categorize as BL when technically it’s not but it is because of original source material but its not because of censorship but it is because of the actors Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo perfecting a peak level of pining, falling in love, and confession all through body language and stares...and perhaps a script that was delicately woven...even if lost in a bit of translation.)

Picking LWJ is me probably thinking more like “Choose Your Fighter.” That being said he’s probably my dream fantasy character. Full on, no joke. If I could be reincarnated into favorite characters, Lan Wangji would probably be my number one choice. Why you ask? Most people think of him as cold, unemotional, but honestly I think he’s so hypersensitive. It’s just not outwardly so like his equally hypersensitive husband. Wangji established himself as the fierce warrior with no voice, always finding the chaos, but soon enough, he found that voice. Found ways to be more expressive. Was it because of one man? Yes, probably, but either way I love this pining gay warrior. 

2. Fighter from Why RU? 

This boy, this character for me is the kind where I *hiss* and say stay away from me probably because at first he’s got that “fuck boy” attitude. Sort of like a mixture of seemingly arrogant with a dose of I’m sexy and I know it? Moving passed that (false judgment which actually now feels more descriptive of Tutor- he might be the fuck boy because I just thought of that scene where the basketball knocks shit out his hands and Fight’s trying to apologize and pick up his things and Tutor’s all like I can take care of myself, jumping on him for just being helpful...) Except somehow I find myself drawn to Fight. There’s something about him before he even talks to you (after you’ve made several wrong assumptions about this let’s just say stupidly good looking person), where you’re like yeah I’m already gone. What did you say? Oh, hi! You said hi. That’s cool. My name? Oh, I forgot my name...once you get passed that and actually get to know this character it’d make it far worse, because honestly I think it’s pretty clear that Fighter is unbelievably kind (+plus sweet, romantic, goofy) and for awhile there it looked like he was only kind to others (except Tutor when he had him alone) but he did in public spaces try to get him drinks and take care of him (thinking of that canteen scene where Tutor is so against the drink that Fight instead offers it up to Hwa). What I also like about Fighter is that he’s against confrontation unless he must go into defensive mode and if he does you better watch it. 

3. Sun from Dark Blue Kiss (really thought I’d choose Mork) 

It’s a close draw between the two of them, tbh. However, Sun might win the gauntlet because I feel more akin to him for some odd reason. Okay, so maybe it is both of them. So I’ll cheat on number 3 (sidenote did I already cheat on #2 because I talked an awful lot about Tutor too)? 

They have that constant “fight me” attitude, sometimes in a playful way and sometimes (maybe mostly) aggressively, but then of course somehow they turn out to be a pile of squishy, gooey, mush like fresh baked choco chip cookie. Maybe a little crisp on the edges, but in the middle it’s that ooey gooey goodness. 

4. King from My Engineer 

What is the Forest/Plant King? Chaotic good? Who knows, but I think I fell for him because they did solid character development for such a silly show. There was build up and pay off even on an individual level despite the pairing, if that makes sense. I think it’s also safe to say he’s basically a pure soul and why would anyone ever want to harm him. Yet, as we saw his head cannot be put through anymore...plus, he’s got an immeasurable amount of patience to work with Ram’s choice of rarely talking. 

5. Type from TharnType which is basically TharnType...

You know doing these and trying to separate them from their equally great partner is difficult. Thought I’d definitely go all WangXian with the first choice, however, I’m realizing it’s incredibly difficult to separate these two. They seem more glued to each other than FighterTutor. More emotionally and physically invested in the other than WangXian as well. I choose Type because he’s actually on a top 3 list in my head of characters that I feel most similar too. Somehow he makes it to the #3 spot on that list. Number 1 being Dean Winchester (from SPN) and #2 actually being #2 from this list. I think what gets me about Type is that same “fight me” attitude MorkSun have, and like them Type will go to town for the ones he loves. Yet of course, Type is also ooey gooey chocolate chip cookie goodness on the inside. He can be sweet, kind, romantic. After all, it’s still going to take him a lot of time to let go of his repressed anger and actually stop being so aggressive (though I think some of that hotheadedness ran in the family)!! 

No one asked for long drawn out explanations, but if you thought I could be brief. I can’t so I’m probably more like Wei Wuxian, but I aspire to have the resolve of Lan Wangji. I want to also honorable mention Tang Yi, if not just to shout out History 3 Trapped as a kick ass show. There’s also Two from Theory of Love. Then there’s also Shin from 3 Will Be Free, or the poly throuple that is NeoShinMiw because that you cannot make me break up. Then there’s also Win from Until We Meet Again. This list could be longer than 5 because in all truthfulness every character from each show I’ve watched has a sort of pros and cons list in my head....

Tagging @lostinbl​ @this-solaris-life​ @flower-of-the-desert​ @romanceismycallingcard​ @musicdramalove​​ @occasionally-writing​

[lalitsethia101]

Title: "Unveiling the Flaws and Benefits of Instagram Paid Verified Accounts: A Reflection by Lalit Sethia" 

I wanted to delve into a topic that has been making waves in the Instagram community - the paid verification feature. As an avid observer of the platform and an advocate for authenticity, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on the flaws and benefits of Instagram paid verified accounts. So, let's embark on this insightful journey together. 

Benefits of Instagram Paid Verified Accounts: 

When it comes to credibility and trust, nothing quite compares to the power of a verified badge. It's like a shining beacon, guiding your followers and potential collaborators towards your genuine self.  A  verified badge  inspires   trust   by   reassuring  others that you  can   be   trusted  in this vast digital landscape. 

 Improved  visibility is another  great   benefit  that  comes   with  the coveted  "Verified"  badge. With a verified account, your content  will   get   more  exposure in search results and  research   sites.  This increased visibility means  your  posts   are   featured,  allowing you to reach a wider audience and share your unique perspective with the world. 

 As an influencer, the advantages of a verified account are  many.  Brands and businesses are naturally drawn to verified accounts as they are seen as industry leaders, influencers, or  standouts.  With a verified badge, you open  the   door  to exciting  collaborations  and potential partnerships that can  take  your  impact  to  a  new  level.  

 Finally,  let's not  lose   sight   of  the importance of  protecting  against  identity   theft.  Unfortunately,  even   in  the digital  realm,   there   are   malicious   actors   who   want  to  emulate  and  damage  your hard-earned reputation. However, with verification, you  get  an  extra  layer of  security   that   protects  your brand image from  scammers  and  ensures  that your followers  are   interacting  with  you   authentically.  

Flaws and Limitations: 

Now, let's address a concern that has been voiced by many dedicated influencers who invest significant time and effort into creating engaging content. It's disheartening for them to witness accounts with minimal followers receiving the verified badge while their own accounts, despite their hard work, remain unverified. This situation highlights a few key issues.  

1. Inequality and Unfairness: 

The verification process can sometimes appear to be unfair, as it seems to prioritize follower count rather than content quality or engagement. Influencers who pour their heart and soul into creating exceptional content, fostering genuine connections with their audience, may feel overlooked and undervalued when they see accounts with only a handful of followers receiving verification. This creates an  uncomfortable  sense of inequality within the platform. 

 2. Limited  transparency:  

Instagram's  verification  criteria  can be  a   bit   unclear,  leaving many influencers unsure  of  the exact requirements needed to  earn  the coveted  verification  badge. This lack of transparency can be frustrating and  has  influencers  wondering  what steps  they   need  to take to improve their chances of  being   verified.  

 3. Cost  of  participation:  

The current system  puts  a  lot   of  emphasis on  the   number   of   followers  rather than the quality of  an  influencer’s   interaction  with their audience. In  fact,  engagement is often a better indicator of  an   account's   authenticity   and   influence  than  follower  count.  Influencers who invest substantial time and effort into fostering meaningful connections and interactions with their followers may feel undervalued when they see less-engaged accounts being verified solely based on their follower count.  

4. Aspirations and Motivation: 

The disparity between hardworking influencers without verification and accounts with fewer followers obtaining the verified badge may demotivate aspiring creators. It sends a message that follower count, rather than content quality and audience engagement, is the primary determinant of success on Instagram. This can discourage talented individuals from pursuing their passion and may hinder the platform's overall diversity and creativity. 

5.  Conclusion: 

While the flaws and limitations surrounding Instagram's paid verification feature can be disheartening for hardworking influencers, it is important to remember that the pursuit of success is not solely defined by a verified badge. True influence is  based  on  real  connections and  the  impact an influencer has on their audience. Instagram should strive to create a  grading  process that  honors  these deeper connections and provides  an  equal  chance   to   recognize  deserving  creators.  Until then, influencers  must   remain   focused  on creating exceptional content, nurturing their audience, and building a thriving community  built  on trust and engagement.