#but! whooooh. i had a lot to say

[hiddenmangaka]

OMG I CANT BELIEVE IT; WE’VE HIT 2020 ALREADY!!!!😱

I had to say some good-byes this year- to some family and friends who moved away- but this year was DEFINITELY productive for me, drawing wise.

✨HOORAY FOR +800 FOLLOWERS!!!✨

Although I was unable to hit my 2019 resolution of posting more original works, I’m still satisfied with what I obtained:

I finally got the courage to get out of my comfort zone and submit my Big Hero 6 Kaname x Hiro works! I normally don’t post my BL stuff cuz I’m still worried for the responses I’d get, but hey, this is tumblr! I was happy people were giving me so much support!! I wanted to display something that showed my support to the LGBTQ+ community (and mostly show my fujoshi side 🤪)

I AT LONG LAST joined the One Piece fandom!!! I fell in love with the ASL Brothers and just HAD to do a Reader!Insert, and with it, I gained many new friends and followers!!! I’m still planning on keeping them as kids- with the occasional sneak peek into their future selves- I’m trying to keep the reader as vague as possible, but with drawing, you can only do so much~!! 🤗

Though I didn’t have much, I re-entered the DC world- specifically the BatWorld! I’ll try to post more as soon as a feel inspired! (I had no idea my Bayboys would get over ✨1700✨NOTES✨WHOOOOH!!! ✨🤩✨

I started watching multiple artists both here on tumblr, instagram, Pinterest, Webtoon, and Tapastic, which is inspiring me to finally go out and create my original works! Still in the processing phase, but I’m very hopeful!!!!💚💚💚💚

Among other things, I also got into baking sweets, participated in a Cancer Walk, attended FIVE CONVENTIONS, and am expanding my works!!! With that, I’m planning a lot for this year! So, here’s to 2020, everyone!!!

✨🌟THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!🌟✨

[mythologyfolklore]

Ares and Athena through the years - Ch. 01

Chapter one: You're weird.

(Ares and Athena meet for the first time. Things get awkward.)

.

Ares was excited.

A new goddess had joined the Olympians and he would get a new sister!

Well, not really sister, as she had another mother. (That ticked him off a little; what could another woman have, that metera¹ didn't have double? After all, she was married to father! Then again, Ares was certain that there was no love between his parents.)

But he decided, that he wouldn't blame his new sister. After all, it wasn't her fault, that she had another mother, right? Right.

Ares wondered, what she was like.

He hadn't met her yet, but metera had said, that today he would!

He already had a few sisters: the Horai (Eunomia, Dike and Eirene) and his little sisters Eileithyia (who was still a toddler) and Hebe (who was still a baby).

They loved him and surely his new sister would love him too.

Metera had said she was a war goddess – just like he was going to be a war god! Maybe they could have some awesome fights and he would impress her with his strength!

Although … mum had said she was already grown up. How was she grown-up? When father had informed them of her impending arrival, he had said, that she was younger than him!

But that would mean … no, he would not finish that thought.

And metera liked her, right? If she liked her, everything would be okay.

The little boy couldn't wait to meet his new sister!

They would play and he would protect her from all the bad guys, he would!

It was already noon. When would he finally meet her? He was getting more restless, then he already was normally.

“Ares, sit still and eat your ambrosia!”, Hera scolded her son and Ares tried, he really did! But he was just too excited!

“Metera, when will I meet my new sister?”, he wanted to know.

Hera sighed; her son was just always so impatient!

It wasn't that she didn't like Athena (on the contrary, her mother Metis had been Hera's friend, to whom she owed a lot, and Athena was almost her spitting image).

But Ares was too excited for his own good: Athena was completely different from him and Hera knew her son would be disappointed in the end. Her poor little boy.

“You will meet her in the afternoon, okay?”, she promised and fondly stroked his black and red hair. The Queen of the Gods loved her son, she really did. But sometimes she was just overwhelmed and couldn't handle his ungovernable temper.

After lunch, Iris came to inform the boy to wait for his new sister in the training hall. Before she could even end her message, he was already off, dashing through the palace.

Finally he came to the gymnasion (why did it have to be the gymnasion? He didn't want to run around naked!²) and waited. But after a while he got bored, so he started doing a few exercises. Sure, he was really good at throwing spears, but practise was important.

He also tried swinging a sword, that actually belonged to his father, but was still too big for him. But the voice in his head (because he had one of those) told him how to do it, so it wasn't actually that difficult.

The pre-teen hadn't noticed, that someone had entered the room, until one of his spears missed its mark and was caught by someone's bare hand.

Ares froze, when he saw the two gods standing in the doorway.

It was a tall woman, the one who had caught his weapon so effortlessly, and …

He paled and began to apologise profusely, because he hadn't meant to hurt anyone and holy shit, he was so frightened of his father!

But instead of yelling at him, Zeus just reprimanded his son: “Ares, how often have I told you, that these weapons are not meant for children! You are way too young to handle those!”

It took all of Ares' courage to not tremble in fear in front of the stranger next to his father.

Calm down, the voice in his head whispered. Think of your role in the play. Play your act.

Right. Play the act.

So he swallowed his fear and got his innocent, huffy child on: “But father, I got bored. And it's not like you ever have time for me or show me how to handle those! Besides, apart from that one spear, I was doing really well!”

Zeus was about to object, but the woman next to him put a hand on his shoulder.

“It's fine, father. No one got hurt after all.”

Then she gave Ares his spear back. “Next time, let an adult teach you how to use these, before something like this happens again.”

I am an adult!, the voice in Ares' head huffed.

But Ares wasn't listening. “Father, who is that?”

Zeus sighed in frustration: “Well, this is not how I planned this to go down. Ares, meet your new sister, Pallas Athena. Athena, this is your older brother Ares.”

She smiled gently: “Hello, brother.”

The King of the Gods scratched his head. “Well, I have work to do. You two have fun, I'll be back soon!” Then he was gone.

Meanwhile, Ares stared at the newcomer. This was his new sister?

He stood on his toes and still could only just about reach to the height of her chest.

“Whooooh, you're so tall!”, he marvelled, his blood-red eyes growing even larger.

.

Athena chuckled: “Yes, I am.”

“And you look so strange! Your eyes! They are so blue! Like, really blue! Like the sea! And hey, did I already say that you're tall?”

“Yes, b-”

“I want to be tall like that too! No, taller! I want to be taller than you! Then I will be tallest and everyone will stare at how tall I am, because I will be so tall and strong!”

“I'm sure you will be”, Athena assured him kindly.

“And when I'm tall and strong, I will protect metra and all my siblings and everyone will like me!”

“Of course, Ares”, Athena agreed, even though she wasn't that sure.

But children needed to have dreams and she didn't want to upset her new brother, especially not in their first meeting. Even though she was technically younger, she still wanted to be his big sister, the best in the world. She wanted to be there for him and teach him everything she knew. Well, maybe not everything, but the things he needed to know. She wanted to be his role model, his teacher and just someone worth looking up to.

So she smiled, listened to the 12-year-old's ramblings and agreed, where it was due.

But there were a few things, that irked her.

“Do the others not like you?”

His face darkened. “No. They say I'm insane. What does that even mean?”

Athena bit her lip, but explained: “'Insane' is another word for 'crazy'. But don't worry, I don't think that you're-”

“I'm not crazy!”, the boy protested, “I can't help, that I have a voice in my head!”

Her eyes widened.

A voice in his head … ? Now she was concerned.

Because of that, and …

“Can I ask you something?”

Ares looked a little apprehensive, but consented.

Athena suddenly found, that she had trouble expressing, what she wanted to know. But her curiosity was overwhelming, so she tried to put this as tactfully as possible (which was hard, she knew how boys reacted to what she was about to ask).

“Earlier, when you first noticed me and our father, I couldn't help but notice, that you were rather … uncomfortable.”

Afraid. A word no boy or man liked to hear about himself. But it was so obvious, that he had been positively frightened – of Zeus.

Why was he so afraid of his own father?! That was not normal!

Unfortunately, Ares seemed to get exactly what she meant.

He gritted his teeth. Shit.

“You mean 'scared', don't you? I wasn't scared! Boys and men don't get scared! That's pathetic!”

Athena frowned. “Not really. Sometimes it is, but more than often it isn't.”

.

That took Ares by surprise. “What? I don't get it.”

She sighed: “How about we sit down and I explain it to you?”

This really weirded him out (and agitated him, he was not gonna lie), but he humoured her.

.

The blue-eyed goddess and he sat down and she began to explain.

Unfortunately, she noticed after a while, that the boy had stopped listening after a while and now was drifting off.

“Ares!”, Athena said sharply and he startled awake.

“Sorry, sorry!”, he apologised hastily, “But I didn't understand a word and-”

“Calm down, I'm not angry”, she tried to soothe him, “But next time let me know, if you can't keep up. It's kind of hurtful, when you're trying to explain something and the other just dozes off.”

He looked really down.

Fantastic. This was not how she had imagined this to go down.

After some awkward silence, he spoke up again: “Your question from earlier …”

“You don't have to answer it, if you don't want to”, she said.

He sighed in relief: “Good. Because I don't.”

“But if you ever feel ready … if you want to talk to someone, I'm here for you, okay?”

Ares tilted his head. “You're weird.”

Athena smiled lopsidedly. “So are you, brother.”

.

---

.

1) Metera - Greek for "mother" (I hope this is right, because I don't speak Greek) 😅 Edit: I corrected it from “metra” to “metera”, because a Greek reader was so kind as to point the mistake out to me. 2) Gymnasion actually means "place of the naked" (gymnos = naked), because students (male only) usually wore little to no clothing, while performing their gymnastics and other sportive exercises. 😅

[getdownsaturdaynight]

So! I’ve been trying to organize my thoughts about YTTD for several days now. It’s a game some friends & mutuals of mine really enjoy, so I feel kinda mean getting this negative about it, but... man. I hate this game’s writing. 

Some spoilers (but no ending/death spoilers) below.

Chapter 1 is an imperfect but incredibly ambitious game. The ZE-style puzzles, especially the mirror room and the roulette game, are well-constructed. I had to do some complete guesswork in the first Main Game, but it’s nothing worse than the hail mary passes I’d have to do in Danganronpa or Ace Attorney. I could nitpick several elements of the story, but the overall narrative works, and most of the twists (especially the ones involving Kai) are tight and set up well. 

Then, we get to Chapter 2.

I had high hopes, because the introduction scene with Kai is absolutely adorable, but then... new characters, new mechanics, and new arbitrary forms of torture just get thrown at the cast and the player. While the minigames (especially the dancing one) are mostly fun, and have some wonderful failure animations, they simply can’t make up for the story.

I’ll start with the best element first, and that’s Reko. The arc about Reko’s former band is probably the side story that gets the most cohesive resolution out of anyone’s in the cast (even if it’s not a happy one). I have my biases - aggressive rocker chick with a heart of gold is my jam, look at how much I worship Phi! - but Reko really gets her moments in 2-1, and that flashback at the beginning of 2-2 is legit the most emotional I’ve been while playing. Alice, too, is a real star of this chapter, going from being one of my least faves in Chapter 1 to a fave by the end.

Other than some incredibly cute Gin moments, and some welcome development with Nao in 2-1 and Keiji in 2-2...  that’s where the positives end.

Pacing is an issue that plagues this whole chapter. Chapter 1 had this hurried element to it, where even though you weren’t on a physical timer, it really felt like the cast’s stress and despair were building at an exponential rate. In Chapter 2... spreading out the plot over several days (most likely to accommodate the minigames and negotiation phases) removes so much of the immediate danger. Nankidai could have done something with that waiting period, maybe a little more existential horror, but all we really get are some bloody hallucinations, and the impact quickly wears off after the first one. Especially when you know you can “fix” them with a machine.

I thought Mary was one of the weakest elements in Chapter 1, but I’d gladly take her back over the floor masters in Chapter 2, all of whom feel like they came straight out of Villain Stereotypes 101, no matter how cool their designs are. And it’s one thing for them to alternately support and abuse the players, but when they start turning on each other... it’s like, okay?? Thanks for reinforcing the arbitrary nature of this game? It still doesn’t make things good? If anything, it just cheapens the deaths of the actual players even more.

And I know some people really like “Sou”’s story, but it’s like... it ain’t for me. There’s too many nonsensical moments. When he gets his “amnesia”, why does everyone trust Kanna to take care of him? Once Sara finds out he’s lying, there’s this cool moment where you think he’s going to emotionally blackmail her and only her, which could have some nice tension - and yet less than five minutes later, Keiji and Q-Taro have called him out and he’s gone back to being the most obvious asshole he can be. And then he gets a few sympathetic moments, some more blackmail, and the world’s shortest redemption arc, and none of it works. I went through the Main Game in 2-2 just wanting it to end (and I can’t really get much more into the rest of 2-2 without spoiling everything).

But I think the best way to talk about this game is via its two youngest characters, Kanna and Gin. Let’s start with Kanna: she’s pretty much a cosmic chew toy, totally fucked up since the very beginning of the game. For someone so vital to the plot, she doesn’t get much development outside of her relationships with her sister, or Sou, or Sara - there’s very little on who she is as a person, or what makes her unique. That makes it fairly hard to invest in her, even as she’s delivering what are supposed to be very powerful, emotional lines. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one thinking this, since she gets among the least fandom content out of any of the cast. Maybe she’ll get more development in a hypothetical Chapter 3, but... who knows?

Then there’s Gin. I think we can all agree Gin is wonderful. His speech pattern, woof, it’s incredible, meow. I certainly went out of my way to make sure big sis Sara was looking after him in every available negotiation segment. But he’s got the opposite problem to Kanna - I don’t want to see anything bad happen to this kid. Nankidai knows this, which is why he continues to specifically put Gin in death traps for him to be rescued before he suffers any physical damage, and it’s like... stooooppppp. Stop!! If you keep going back to the well with this almost-torturing Gin, it’s gonna lose its impact, because he’ll soon be not much more than a continually kicked puppy. He deserves better. He deserves a lot better. 

Everyone in the cast deserves better.

Nankidai should be commended for pushing RPG Maker to its absolute limits as an engine, and YTTD is one of the most impressive solo-creator games I’ve ever played. But impressive doesn’t equal good. And several beautiful coats of paint can’t save an atrocious plot.

-

P.S. Unrelated to the above rant, but as I was writing and editing this over the course of a few days, I saw that one of the main ships in the fandom is Sara & Keiji and WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK 

[perksofwifi]

2020 Toyota Highlander Interior Review: Delving Into the Details

Although it’s the bulging fenders and blacked-out A-pillars that first grab your attention, the 2020 Toyota Highlander’s most important changes are inside. Whether Highlandering to you means commuting to work, carpooling to school, or something wildly different, the interior is where you’ll spend your time. With the Highlander new for the 2020 model year, here are some key details about the latest version of this hot-selling SUV.

How Many Does the Highlander Seat?

The 2020 Toyota Highlander seats seven or eight, depending on trim. With a second-row bench seat for three, the L and LE can hold eight people. The XLE and Limited seat seven or eight depending on whether the Highlander is equipped with second-row captain’s chairs, and the high-end Platinum only comes with the captain’s chairs and a seven-passenger seating capacity.

While climbing back to the third row, we found access and space back there to be average, and the floor was a little high. Although more spacious three-row SUVs exist, few are as short (and thus, as easy to park) as the Highlander. If you’re seeking maximum space, however, consider other SUVs (or a minivan).

How Do the Seats Fold Down?

The Highlander’s second-row seats are flexible, though there’s no way to tilt and fold down the seats if you have a car seat installed. Nevertheless, the sides of the seats have easily accessible controls to recline the backrest, fold the backrest down entirely, and shift the seat forward so the third row has more room. For the 2020 Highlander, the second-row seats can move 1.2 inches farther forward than before. There’s also a latch on the top of the seats to help move them out of the way.

How Much of My Stuff Can the Highlander Carry?

A lot! The 2020 Highlander’s cargo capacity is improved from the last-generation model, though it’s still far from class leading. You’ll find 16.0 cubic feet of space with the third-row seats in place, 48.4 cubic feet of space with the third-row seats folded down, and 84.3 cubic feet of space behind the front seats.

The Highlander offers a couple clever storage areas, too. The open spaces at the bottom of the dash and in front of the passenger-side dash are shallow, but they could become useful places to stash small belongings. Other storage spaces in front include the cupholders, door pockets, and a deep but somewhat narrow compartment below the center armrest. If Qi wireless charging is of interest, be sure to check whether your phone fits the tray.

Whooooh, Look at That Big Screen!

I know, right? The 12.3-inch touchscreen that’s optional on the Limited and standard on Platinum is great. Placed at the top of the dash, the wide screen splits the visual real estate into two, with the standard Apple CarPlay or Android Auto appearing on two-thirds of the space. An on-screen button or sideways swipe is all you need to switch the screen segments’ places (if you wanted fuel economy or climate control info closer than the nav screen).

Speaking of navigation, Toyota’s own system uses the same graphics and font we’ve all seen before. Saying “Navigate to the nearest Target” or “Navigate to [address]” got us search results relatively quickly. Also, unlike getting directions through Apple CarPlay (which I still prefer), using the in-car system adds redundant next-turn reminders in the instrument cluster.

Most Highlanders will have an 8.0-inch touchscreen—and unlike the last-gen model that had haptic-feedback buttons on both sides of the screen, this one has real, slim buttons.

World-Class Knobs…

…are not found on the 2020 Toyota Highlander. Really, we’re nitpicking, but consider us spoiled after experiencing the enormous knobs on the RAV4, controls that are covered in a satisfying grippy material. Even if Toyota doesn’t add that grippy material on a future Highlander, we would still appreciate knobs that are a tiny bit longer and easier to grab at a glance.

A couple other interior negatives: The silver trim on the top of the enormous 12.3-inch touchscreen reflects a little on the windshield, and the two second-row USB ports are located at the very bottom of the back of the center console. It’s great that they charge at 2.1 amps, but their placement could be better. The Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade have theirs midway up the backs of the front seats, and the 2020 Mazda CX-9 in high-end Signature trim includes two within a second-row armrest.

Visibility and Excellent Mirror Controls

While we’re being negative constructive, it’s worth mentioning that rear visibility isn’t great. It would be better, however, if the second-row seat headrests folded down as the third-row units do. Adjust your mirrors with the “I can do it without looking” sideview mirror controls, and you should be good.

If you have a car full of people, balloons, or suitcases stacked dangerously high, the Platinum trim’s digital rearview mirror can help. Some MotorTrend editors including myself find these rear displays disconcerting, but in a pinch, I could see it being useful. Once the kids have popped the balloons and the suitcases have been unloaded, switch the mirror back to a traditional non-digital rear display.

Should You Touch That?

Yes, by all means, touch the soft leatherlike material on the doors. Even on a Highlander LE model we drove, that soft material welcomed the knee closest to the door (left knee on the driver’s side or right on the passenger side). Unfortunately, the knee rests on either side of the center console are covered in hard plastic. On higher trims, it’s still somewhat hard, but is at least covered in a soft material—hey, it’s a Toyota, not a Lexus.

That same Highlander LE also announced its lower-trim status with plain black door handles instead of the chrome ones on higher trims.

  Should You Buy the Highlander Platinum?

On the high end of the three-row mainstream SUV segment, the Highlander does a much better job of justifying its near-luxury positioning than the last-gen model. A couple competitors execute their upscale-ish SUVs more convincingly, however, and at a lower price. But if the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade aren’t for you, let’s consider the positives of 2020 Highlanders with prices approaching $50,000. The Highlander Platinum gets a 1,200-watt sound system (like the Limited) and makes that 12.3-inch touchscreen standard. The bold Glazed Caramel color becomes available for the soft, perforated leather seats, and a panoramic moonroof and a good surround-view camera system are standard.

So?

The new Highlander interior has definitely improved. Owners will appreciate the additional tech and extra cargo space, even if the overall package and the way it drives hasn’t changed much. The Toyota’s best feature isn’t in the interior at all, but under the hood. As we suggested in our 2020 Highlander reviews, the hybrid model may not be perfect, but it’s especially compelling.

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