#but cosplaying and being creative like this is so much fun

[fashionbugster]

pokémon x fashion dreamer [18/18] | water

squirtle — the tiny turtle pokemon. its shell is not just for protection. its rounded shape and the grooves on its surface minimize resistance in water, enabling squirtle to swim at high speeds.

[animatingforfun]

This was a pure joy to work on.

For the behind-the-scenes story of how I made this animated mini-short, click “keep reading” below.

I started this 6 weeks ago, just before Nintendo shut down its 3DS and WiiU servers. The server shutdown meant no more multi-player online play for 3DS games, like Mario Kart 7, but also no more uploading to the Butterfly Animation online gallery directly from the app.

As an homage to the Inchworm and Butterfly Animation apps for the DSi and 3DS that I’ve been animating on since 2011, I originally was just going to animate just a single shot featuring something butterfly related.

But the story evolved as I began asking myself a series of "what if" questions that I had fun answering, like, “what if it was a little girl playing dress up as a butterfly?” And then “what if she was first cosplaying as a caterpillar then the butterfly?” “If this is a story of growth, what if she stumbles? What is her attitude when she stumbles?” “What if the design of the girl was something like Isao Takahata or Yoichi Kotabe would draw?”

Making this was the embodiment of everything I hope to achieve with my personal animation: to let creativity flow and just have fun animating and creating.

Since this mini-short was animated on my Nintendo 3DS, there was a memory limit of only 100 drawings, which was a bit of a challenge for longer or complex actions, but was a fun puzzle to solve. Sometimes limitations force you to come up with even more creative solutions. (I was able the squeeze in more drawings than the memory allowed, and filled it to the max!) :)

The song I used is from Rebecca Sugar’s album, "Spiral Bound", and perfectly fit the theme of the short. Initially, while I was drawing the character, I found myself humming a tune from Steven Universe that dealt with beginnings, endings, and not being ready. It’s amazing how the brain can subconsciously pick the playlist!

In the end, that song, sung by Steven’s father in the show, didn’t quite fit, but then I remembered another song by Rebecca Sugar which was more on theme with my story, called “My Own Way to the End”. The whole album is wonderful! You can check it out here:

Painting the backgrounds for this was the most challenging thing for me, but also the most eye opening! After painting, I would look around at the trees in the neighborhood differently. So many colors when you really look closely.

There’s so many talented people at my work and it was great that I could ask them for advice. One person I asked was the talented Tia Kratter, who happened to teach a mini-painting class for the animators while I was working on this short. I asked her for advice on one of the background paintings and she asked great questions which challenged me to try different things, but I still felt like I was having fun and playing without fear of failure. I mean, it was still hard though! Hahaha!

If you’ve read up to this point, thank you for reading this. :) I hope you enjoy this mini-short as much as I enjoyed making it!

[voyagerweek]

VOYAGER WEEK PROMPTS

DAY 1 - JAN. 10: Favorite Episode | Away Missions

DAY 2 - JAN. 11: Favorite Character | Meet You in the Runabout

DAY 3 - JAN. 12: Favorite Relationship | Allies & Enemies

DAY 4 - JAN. 13: Favorite Season or Arc | Time Travel

DAY 5 - JAN. 14: Favorite Quote | Home Away From Home

DAY 6 - JAN. 15: Favorite Holodeck Program | Lost in the Holodeck

DAY 7 - JAN. 16: Caretaker (S1E01) 30th Anniversary | FREE SPACE

Fanwork originally made and posted on Tumblr for this event with the tag #voyager week will be reblogged by this blog. Racism, bigotry, harassment, or discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. Be respectful of other fans and have fun! FAQs ↴

How do I participate? Make a new post on Tumblr with the tag "#voyager week" during the week of January 10-16, 2025. Crossposting to other sites such as AO3 is allowed, but please also make a new post on Tumblr so this blog can reblog it. If your post has not been reblogged within 48 hours of posting, please send a DM to @voyagerweek along with the post. Submissions will only be reblogged during the event week and for up to two weeks after the event. Please do not post a submission before January 10, 2025.

Why are there two prompts for each day? Do I have to use one or both? There are two prompts to cover multiple interpretations of the event. A prompt that is accessible for a writer may not be for a gifmaker, for example. You may choose to use one or both prompts for each day, or multiple prompts from different days combined in one post, or no prompt! These prompts are being provided 5 months in advance of the event so that there is plenty of time to consider them, but if none of them inspire you, feel free to make a fanwork about Voyager that does not incorporate any of the prompts. The prompts are meant to inspire but not constrain your creativity. You may also submit multiple posts in one day. Participate as much or as little as you would like!

Can I post X kind of fanwork? Yes! If it is made by you (or you have express permission from the original creator) for this event, it counts as a fanwork and will be accepted. The following list of types of fanwork is not meant to be restrictive but to provide examples: fanfic of any length, fanart/comics, gifs/edits/fanvids, playlists, moodboards, meta discussions/essays/headcanons, crafting/textiles, cosplay, and anything else made by fans to show appreciation for Voyager. **Please put long written works below a "read more" cut**

What if my fanwork is part of an ongoing work such as a multi-chapter fanfic or series? That's fine! As long as whatever you post is new and made for this event, whether you use one of the prompts or not, it will be reblogged (i.e. you may not make a post for a previously published chapter of your fic, but a new chapter or installment posted during the event is acceptable).

Can my work include other Star Trek shows/movies/books/etc? Yes, as long as Voyager or its characters are one of the main focuses of the fanwork, you are welcome to incorporate other media properties, Star Trek or otherwise.

Can my work be about an actor or the production/behind the scenes of Voyager? Yes, as long as the work's focus is still on Voyager (i.e. not a gifset solely of the actor in another show/movie).

Are OCs (original characters) allowed? Yes, if a Voyager setting or its characters are included in the fanwork as well.

Are AUs (alternate universes) allowed? Yes. Canon divergence and different settings (i.e. modern AUs) are allowed if the work still features Voyager characters or elements.

Is NSFW/adult content allowed? Yes, as long as you tag appropriately with trigger warnings and follow Tumblr's restrictions for explicit content. Reblogs of works that contain graphic violence, sexual content, strong profanity, or nudity will be tagged #nsfw for filtering.

Threshold Day is January 29 and already a recognized fan event on Tumblr, why are you having a Voyager event that doesn't include this day? The dates were chosen to coincide with the thirtieth anniversary of the original airdate of the first episode of the first season. This event is meant to share enthusiasm for the entirety of Voyager, and hopefully that will continue after the event week is finished.

**If you have any other questions not covered by this list, please send an ask to @voyagerweek.**

[catacombbee]

school bus graveyard headcanons because im thinking about them

and because im projecting

just general / random headcanons

Tyler has arachnophobia and entomophobia. creepy crawlies are a HARD NO for Mr. Hernandez. Jackass bullies? No problem. Phantoms trying to eat him? Easy. Tree? Been there, done that. Fucking spiders? get it the FUCK away. mans has a visceral skin crawling reaction to even SEEING something creepy crawlie. it's one of the only things that makes him seriously panic other than yk someone being hurt

Ashlyn has autism yes this is basically canon i think. BUT Ashlyn has a lot of texture sensitivities both with clothes and with food. itchy scratchy clothes are a no. she cannot stand t-shirts keeping their tags they rub and scratch her neck and it makes her want to scream. she cuts the tags out before wearing anything. and food she can't have anything too squishy or tough or else she just loses her appetite entirely.

^^ to build on the clothing tags. everyone else in the group cuts the tags out of their jackets/hoodies and some shirts so if Ashlyn wants to borrow something she can be comfortable

Aiden is down bad for someone wearing his clothes. this can apply to any ship you want, i like him with Ashlyn Tyler or Logan (ive like never seen any talk abt Aidgan? Loden?) but regardless. whoever it is Aiden likes he gets so giddy butterflies giggly seeing someone wear his clothes. this is moreso for Ashlyn or maybe Logan because Ashlyn is so much smaller than Aiden that his sweatshirt would probably hang off her and Aiden would just abdjshfkefbns she's so cute!! this is mostly an Aidlyn hc for me but Logan would also be cute in anyone else's sweatshirt

uh if it's not clear by now im a multishipper ive said it before BUT i like Tyben a lot. they find calm and quiet in each other and bond through expressing themselves through something much healthier: music. i adore Tyben. AND because of Ben in the canvas webtoon: Tyler calls him ladybug. "Hey ladybug" "It's okay ladybug ive got you" "ladybug, you okay?"

kinda related to previous one but like blush hc. Ben does not blush. maybe a little pink on his cheeks. but his EARS. his ears get so RED when he's angry or when he's flustered. his face might be 😐 but you look at his ears and they're red you know he's flustered

ALSO everyone learned ASL for Ben so he didn't have to just use notes n stuff. Aiden was already learning but everyone else picked up on it

Logan likes compact spaces, they male him feel safe and secure. Like the tire! He feels very nice and snuggly in his tire. But also like. under beds. in closets (haha). one time they played hide and seek in Aiden's house and Logan won because he fell asleep curled up in an empty cabinet. Logan loves being little spoon because he just fits snugly in everyone's arms

it's been mentioned Tyler plays guitar, but i hc that he's also a really good artist. because he got into baseball for a scholarship he's kinda dropped both art and music, but in getting to know the others and especially Ben he gets back into playing music which leads to him drawing again. he doodles pictures of his friends and they realize what a good artist he is. that's how he realizes he actually has passion for creativity and decides he wants to be a tattoo artist.

(i was writing a tyden tattoo artist Tyler au on a reblog draft from a post @\the-killies made and like forgot abt it. someone peer pressure me if you think that sounds like snth you wanna read. it was probably over 1k words by the time i forgor)

Taylor likes mechanics (cus. the club) but she also knows some programming. this is solely because I think Taylor would like making little robots just for fun. Aiden would beg her to make him a little robot like that one companion toy robot Cosmo

in canvas sbg Logan brought a bunch of clothes for them to wear in the pictures/videos they took. so. Logan likes cosplay and renn faires. History is one of his favorite subjects (the other being science. english/literature is a very close third. he doesn't dislike math just isn't his favorite) so he has a lot of clothes from different time periods because of the renn faires he's been to.

This is a really unhinged headcanon and isn't something ive ever thought about before but thinking about Logan having outfits and stuff made me think who would be the most likely to be a furry. and no not Logan. it would be Aiden. hes rich enough to splurge on his fursuit. THIS IS A JOKE I DONT HC HIM AS A FURRY THIS IS A "WHOS MOST LIKELY TO" PLEAS

Aiden's favorite subject is history, he likes reading about wars but he also enjoys learning about other cultures and differences from how we live in modern day America. Aiden would probably study anthropology just for the fun of it. he and Logan bond over their love of history. Aiden can't remember what he had for lunch yesterday but he can tell you every little detail he knows about the Civil War start to finish, dates and names and locations and all.

this is a really weird hc but. Ashlyn is an amazing rapper. there was a karaoke night and one song someone did had a rap part coming up and they were like ahaha it's too fast for me and Ashlyn just stood up. took the mic. and fucking blew everyone's minds. and then she sat down like she didnt just rock their world

this last bit is self indulgent. assuming the phantom world things don't last forever, the kids get therapy eventually :D

^^ building on that, Ben specifically, he lives in my head rent free. i love him sm. Ben gets therapy for not just the phantom world things but everything beforehand. slowly and surely, starting with Aiden and Lily and maybe whichever person he's shipped with, he starts talking again. Some days are better than others, sometimes he gets quiet again, other times he goes for days talking as much as anyone (except aiden he yaps.) everyone almost cries when Ben is doing something and begins singing to himself because they realize he's better

im gonna do like gender & sexuality headcanons too,,, maybe later. might do silly ship hcs too cus i ship so many pairings here

[pyreo]

I've never thought about this in the 11 years I've played but I just realised gw2 must look.. pretty zany to outsiders? It didn't even occur to me. I'm really glad it's in a low fantasy setting that allows for pretty much anything and I think it's inkeeping with the focus on player creativity in an MMO to have that kind of range.

Like I know the overall aesthetic can get wacky but because that's so fitting for a multiplayer game... it's never occured to me that anything looks odd.

Like, here's a screenshot of me, someone's bird, and some lovely folks from the last pride march

Like real pride marches, being over the top and loud is the point. We have the tools to do that, even in regular gameplay. I think it's fascinating that nothing about this feels out of place. Magic in this universe does practically anything you want it to. Technology varies from nonexistent to far beyond real life. There's a massive range but everything feels kind of.... justified?

Some people will wear fantasy armour and keep everything on a theme. Some people are going to group transform into giant frogs and some people are going to cosplay as Johnny Bravo. It happens. The game doesn't mind. It doesn't shy away from people being incredibly weird. I remember the devs recalling a decision they had to make about letting players jump on top of a plot-important table where NPCs sat for serious discussions. The decision was they they shouldn't stop people from doing that if they wanted to.

The openness of the setting means these are all things that could exist. People reanimate corpses here for the hell of it. The weapons are magic and can be literally anything. The mounts are all creatures that have been tamed, or vehicles someone could have invented. Even the living plushie mounts are lore-compliant because... magic.

But on top of this, this game has one of the most sincere stories of anything I've ever played? Whether it's to your taste or not, I don't think you could deny how much care goes into it. From terminal conditions to villains having tantrums over childish insecurities to symbolic anticapitalism to racial superiority rallies, it has treated its topics with dead-solid respect. It does not undercut its serious moments - but it allows you the privilege if you'd like.

Maybe it's the balance of being so immersed in that that's stopped me from thinking any of this looks silly. The players can be silly, sure. Maybe there's a kind of game-and-player suspension of disbelief. We tell our story, and you have your freedom, and for the most part they won't intersect (except for the infamous Wynne cutscene).

In the MMO space there's other ways to approach this. You've got ESO which holds back very tightly to its high fantasy setting. That's for people with different tastes who don't want anything aesthetic-breaking in their game, and they have to cut back the player freedom to get it while trying to introduce a steady stream of new armours that can't be too interesting. They have magic, but don't go too far. It also means you get deals begging you to come to the cash shop to buy, like, rags. Fun rags for your character!

Then inbetween those two there's 'your name has to be lore compliant but fuck it, flying convertible'

[theorahsart]

Jsyk I have zero tolerance for shame culture/'cringe culture'. Its cruel and most of the time unnecessary. Its ableist. Its the perfect way to shut down creativity, curiosity/open mindedness, and shut down the positives to mental health and society that come with that.

When you participate in this idea of shaming people over whatever line you have decided in your personal comfort zone they have crossed, you're participating in the same culture that:

Bans queer books for kids

Stops a decent sex education, which leads to people harming themselves because they're too ashamed to ask questions/learn

Makes people think its okay to beat up trans people just because they feel disgust

Stops people with depression from expressing those feelings through a healthy (but cringe) outlet such as poetry or writing

I started with the big things it impacts, but theres the smaller things too, like making someone feel ashamed of their poor art skills and never wanting to draw again. Or making someone feel too scared to cosplay, or outwardly enjoy that thing that makes them get up in the morning cos theyre too scared other people will think theyre 'weird'

I see people do these smaller things a lot and I dont think they see how its connected to those bigger things.

I guess I do because Im old lol And grew up in a time where it was very wrong to be queer and neurodivergent. But we went to these 'cringey' spaces that other people made fun of, because they were spaces where you could be as ugly and weird as you liked, and then through those spaces we learned how to get rid of shame. And then discovered we were queer and neurodivergent. And so built this culture you see now where kids are so lucky as to openly apply and explore labels with much more safety.

If they arent hurting you or anyone else, or they aren't disrespecting your boundaries, dont shame people.

If you dont like smth thats totally fair, just block the person and move on.

Dont make a big song n dance where they can see. Dont make them feel ashamed for being weird.

Just dont take part in that, its not cool and I find it especially contradictive when nerds/queer/neurodivergent people go out of their way to make fun of other peoples harmless interests.

[ijwrsmff]

MC showing the brothers their favorite anime character and they are exactly like them! How do they feel? Do they bring it up? Or not say anything? (If you don’t want to do all 7, could you do Lucifer, Levi, Asmo, and Beel? :3)

This was so fun XD I had to write for all 7, simply because I wanted to. And I had a pretty good idea for all of them, so it wasn't too much at all to let the idea take me away ^~^

Ended up being pretty long, but I put it in headcanon format, even though a lot of bullets were several sentences. I tried.

@ibby-miyoshi-nerd

Word Count: 1,677

Lucifer:

“He’s so cool! He’s the oldest brother, and he has a lot of weight on his shoulders, and even though he’s sweet on the inside he acts really tough! And rightfully so, he is actually really tough.” You rambled to Lucifer about your favorite anime character. 

“So…he’s like…” Lucifer wanted to say “Like me” but that would mean admitting he was soft on the inside. He wouldn’t dare say that, especially since some of his brothers were home. “A responsible big brother.” 

As you went on and on about the character, he simply smiled softly and nodded to show he was listening

You were warming his heart, in a way that hadn’t been done for centuries…maybe even ever

He asked a couple questions, here and there, but he really did just love to hear you talk

“So what do you think about him?” You asked with beaming eyes

Lucifer hesitated a few moments while he gathered the words, “He seems like a smart man. Brave, and powerful.” 

“Yeah…he is.” Your words were quiet as you gazed into Lucifer’s eyes

You know…your character and Lucifer were pretty similar, huh?

Mammon:

“Mammon! Pleeeeeease let me tell you about this character!” You whined and followed him as he was practically running away from you

His face was red, because you’re puppy eyes were was too cute to look into for long

But after a few minutes he stopped and you bumped into him “Fine! Just make it quick, I’ve got a date with Goldie!” He waved the card in the air, and had a mischievous look in his eyes

“Okay so! He loves money, but he loves his family and the person he loves even more! He won’t say it, but he’s one of the kindest men in the world! He does kind of get caught up in himself, but he can be humble when the time comes!” You showed him the picture of the character as you spoke, and scrolled through a few

Huh…blond hair, somewhat tall, got a glimmer in his eyes…

“He seems okay. Kind of stupid though.” Mammon did not at all put the pieces together, and ended up unintentionally slamming himself

To anyone else, it was clear you were actually talking about Mammon, and you hoped he’d realize but he didn’t

It’s alright though! Next time you’ll make it absolutely obvious

Levi:

All you had to do to spend time with Levi was say “I wanna talk about anime characters!” Your secret password didn’t even matter, the door was swung open and there he was with a dorky grin on his face

He expected nerdiness, but not to have you describe your favorite anime character to be so much like HIM!

“He loves anime and manga, games too! He doesn’t talk to many people, but sometimes he talks a whole lot if he’s passionate about something! Especially to the few he does care about. He has a TON of special interests, and can be super creative!” 

With each passing word his face got just a bit redder. He had a small scowl on his face after a bit though. To hear you talk so much about someone else kind of bothered him, and he still wasn’t sure if you were even talking about him or not anymore!

“Me or him…” He muttered, but you could barely hear him so he repeated it once more

“Well you, of course!” You laughed and he tried to figure out if your laughter meant you were joking or not

“No seriously, no anime character compares to you. I thought…you’d find it cute if I even liked a character just like you.” With a smile, that made him officially melt

“Then…I’LL COSPLAY HIM! THAT’S IT!” He ran to his closet and started talking about the way to “win them over” was to combine the two

He’s such a silly demon, and you loved that about him

Satan:

He never openly complained about spending time with you, and you came up with a plan! So you went to his library to set the plan in motion…

“Saaaaatan! I have a character from one of my favorite anime I wanna show you!” You burst in, and he was reading as…was expected.

He closed his book after finishing the paragraph he was on, with a bookmark in place

“Oh? Another character, go ahead, tell me about them” He would always make time for you, and seeing you so excited was just adorable

“He can get angry a lot, but it’s usually only because he cares! He’s really creative, and gets lost in his books all the time. It’s kind of like an escape for him, and learning has always been a passion for him!” 

It made Satan smirk, as he said “If you liked me you could have just said so.” He walked towards you and his smirk turned into a smile

“No need to beat around the bush, you know why?” He was close to you now, and for a second you thought he was leaning in for a kiss, but he leaned so his hot break brushed against your ear

“Because I like you too. My favorite little human…” 

Asmo:

When you walked in, super excited to see him he finished his makeup quickly and ran up to hug you

It made you blush, but you had a plan! 

“Asmo! Look at this character! He’s my favorite! He always wears pink, loves to dress up and look all around both handsome and beautiful! He can be a bit of a flirt, but nothing like how he is with the person he loves!”

The more you spoke the more he smiled, “You have excellent taste! I can see why I’m your favorite demon!” He spun you around for a second and kissed your cheeks forehead and nose

You were blushing more than before, “Okay, okay!” You laughed and “tried” to push him away, “Don’t let it get to your head!” His kisses didn’t cease for several minutes and he ended up setting you down in his makeup chair

“We should have matching makeup! It’ll show how cute we are together!” He kissed your red cheeks and smiled wide

“T-together? Really?” It was hard to contain your excitement, and he ended up laughing at just how cute you are

“Of course! I’m your favorite, it means you looooove me~! If you think after rambling about how much you like a character because he’s like me we wouldn’t get together you’d be wrong~!” He giggled and started working on your makeup, but it was hard since you kept giggling

“I don’t know about LOVE, but we can get there. Just don’t mess it up!” You joked, letting out a few giggles as you winked at him

Beel:

“Beel! Look at my favorite anime character!” You ran up to him as he worked out, which was funny timing, “He loves to work out, can eat more than anyone else, and can be really funny but also adorable! He loves his family a lot, and ends up sacrificing so much to make them happy!” 

He stopped the second you were in the room and walked up to you to look at the picture

“He’s like me…” He tilted his head and saw a ton of similarities in the characters personality and looks to him

“Y-Yeah! Isn’t he cool?” He wasn’t putting the pieces together yet, but you knew he’d get there with time

“Wanna help me with my workout?” He smiled and it made you smile too

You had a big soft spot for the tall demon, if he asked you to do anything in the world you probably would, and he’s showed on multiple occasions that he’d do the same for you

You sat on his back while he did push ups for a while, but then he fell

“B-Beel? Are you okay?” You were concerned and he spun around while lifting you while you laid on his chest, faces super close together

“Does that mean…I’m your favorite character? Uh…demon? …Person?” He was fumbling and it was really cute, honestly

A couple giggles escaped and you kissed the tip of his nose, “Yeah…you are.” 

With a hug as tight but gentle as he gave, it gave you all the answer you needed. He liked you just as much if not more, as shown by the deepening blush on his face

Belphie:

“Belphie look!” You showed him a picture of a character sleeping, “He’s my favorite! He sleeps a lot, and can be a hopeless flirt but it’s sooooo cute! He cares a lot, but has a secret dark side which can be really cool but also scary if it’s directed at you!” 

He was hanging out in his star-gazing room, and looked like he’d fall asleep at any minute

He grinned and grabbed you, pulling you down to his level while he laid on the floor and hugged you close

You blushed a bit, but it wouldn’t be the first time you cuddled with Belphie, since both of you did really like to cuddle. Especially with each other…

“Go on, tell me more.” You were facing each other, one hand holding yours as the other wrapped around your shoulders to your back

You rambled for a bit, but had a hard time making eye contact with him

“No. No more.” You told him, and because you were flustered, you leaned forward and hid your face in his neck

“Awww please? I want to fall asleep hearing all the things you love about me, that you’re projecting onto that character.” So he DID know. Maybe you were being too obvious…

After several moments, he continued with a “Fine, maybe we’ll do the opposite. I’ll tell you all the things I love about you until you fall asleep.” He rubbed your back and chuckled to himself before he did exactly that, saying each and every thing about you he loved, which was more than you thought possible

Falling asleep like this…really isn’t so bad at all

[certifiablyinsanez]

My ADHD creative juices are flowing, appropriately at 4am, and I just daydreamt of a means to meld my two loves of fandom and spirituality: hear me out.

I make a rad ass cosplay of Clawneck, and get a spot at a con. I set up a tent with little decorations of the shiny moons and stars with (fake) candles everywhere, just like Clawneck’s tent. If I really feel like being unreasonable about this, I could make a COTL themed tarot deck (tbh I probably would just use my regular tarot cards and sell prints of COTL themed cards (probably my own designs) that are based off the major arcana. Like, if a reading with someone revealed that they need more patience I would give them the temperance card. Maybe with a channeled piece of wisdom on back to make it unique to each person. I’m a wood carver. I could make little moon and star earrings and paint them gold. Have a book on a podium nearby with descriptions of the cards and on the other side have it be a sort of “pick your random card to aid you on your crusade” make game accurate camellias and real crystals for sale to decorate the space like his camp. Not to make it sound all business-y but that sounds like so much fun to me, I think I would finally enjoy my work 😅. I don’t know about legalities and copyrights I’m just a dreamer lol.

[ddarker-dreams]

Lock, your thoughts on penacony in hsr? Or just the last 1.6 with dr ratio and Ruan Mei (the love of my life)

2.0 SPOILERS BELOW !!! BEWARE BE CAREFUL BE SAFE!!! ⚠⚠⚠

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i went in thinking penacony was a far superior former IPC prison planet to live on than eris (from nexus) and left going hm. perhaps the eternal night is preferable to biblically accurate flying killer worms. LOTUS-EATER > the reverie hotel

this update might be my favorite yet. i've always loved dazzling, noire veneers with seedy undercurrents. i'm not sure if i've mentioned it on this blog (i probably have bc i never shut up) but the game la noire is one of my all-time favorites. jazzy music, glamorous starlets, corrupt organizations; those set pieces just do something for me. the environments are gorgeous. the reverie hotel has this larger than life feel to it and its layout reminds me of a panopticon, then there's the dreamscape itself. a city that never sleeps which you can only access by falling unconscious. there's so much creativity in the puzzles and charm in the little interactions littered throughout. i especially loved playing matchmaker with a bunch of bottles.

alright, onto the story itself: the start and end were strong with the middle being a hit-or-miss. i am far more forgiving with this in star rail than i am in genshin, since in the former, i'm subjected to the cruel and unusual punishment of hearing paimon's banshee shrieks. i think they did a good job crafting a compelling mystery. anything involving the unconscious is a writer's treasure trove, there's so much you can explore with it. i'm curious to see the angle they take.

as for the moments that stood out to me the most:

the initial dream sequence ft acheron with her being weird. the seemingly eternal hallways, contorting in physic-defying ways were a personal favorite. it reminds me how in dreams, there isn't always an outright threat, yet uneasiness persists. what's familiar warps into something indifferent and unknowable. very neat. then the shot of her crying blood after cutting down the trailblazer... very iconic of her.

mr aventurine. what was he about to do to the trailblazer?? why must they have stopped him?? let him cook. i was game for anything. zero fear, zero hesitation. he's an interesting player. neoliberal girlboss topaz had some workable parameters, aventurine is a total wildcard. his ambitions are murky at best. i kinda wonder if he might stick it to the IPC by purposefully flunking his assignment, it'd make for great revenge.

sparkle is unapologetically awful which makes her fun. her cosplaying as sunday's recently deceased sister was so appalling that i actually stopped for a moment when i pieced together what was going on. i've always found aha and their absurdist philosophy one of the most interesting among the aeons. it seems like there's a real emphasis on characters that embody their aeon's ideals (black swan + fuli, sparkle + aha, sunday/robin + xipe, etc). i hope they lean into it more.

SAM.................................................. his encounter betrayed my expectations in the best way possible. i have so many questions about his involvement and motivations. the music for his fight had my heartrate ascending. i play with japanese voices so i'm not sure if it's limited to the JP dub, but i was surprised by how polite he speaks?? even as he's about to immolate the trailblazer + her two accompanying girlfriends. it wasn't the cadence i envisioned for him. the stellaron hunters never fail to capture my interest, wtf are they Doing........

[gloriousburden]

Getting really tired of those grossly suggestive AI generated images of Loki (but especially Tom bc wtf he’s a real person..) that are all over Pinterest, TikTok, and even here for some reason.

(AND THERES NO FUCKING WAY TO FILTER IT OUT GRRRRRAHHHHHH)

It’s not even anything artistic. It’s just these AI generated images with no soul, creativity, or anything in it that depict Loki in a lustful manner.

I don’t have an issue with suggestive content, of course. But creating AI images of such nature is just so icky. And especially to post it on TikTok where children/young teenagers can innocently search up content of their favorite character, and then see those images and be exposed to so many things??? And also… kids not being that familiar with AI, they could take it as real :/

It was bad when I was a kid on the internet, but now with AI that somehow gets around the guidelines and never gets taken down…

It’s so prevalent in the fandom and I don’t know why. Loki fans are such creative people, and I know a lot of us are so talented whether that be fic writing/writing in general, creating art, editing, cosplaying, etc…

Like seriously. You guys are great. One of the most creative fandoms I’ve been in.

Picking up a pencil, or downloading even the most shitty drawing app, learning the basics of how to draw, and seeing all the work you put in come together is so, SO much more rewarding than making a shitty AI image with no love put into it! And you get to nail all the creative aspects that AI cannot! The world is your oyster 🦪

Oh and don’t get me started on Character.AI! GO WRITE A FANFIC LIKE WE ALL USED TO BACK IN THE DAY, YOUNG MAN! 👵🏻

Instead of using AI to do all the “complicated work”, people use it for the “human” work such as creativity… So you just did all the boring work, but let a robot do the fun work. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Speaking of AI and Loki… last year for Christmas, I received this Loki coloring book as a gift which was filled with AI generated images… it’s so over guys.

[andthisisdia]

🫧Hi🫧

Name: call me Dia💎

Age: I was born in 2002 and I'm too lazy to update my age every year💅

Nationality: Italian (English is not my first language so I might make some grammatical errors)

🏳️‍🌈: I'm a bisexual and demisexual/aromantic girl (I use she/her pronouns)

MBTI: ENTJ (Don't stereotype me. I'm just really into doing things right and I like to have a plan for everything. I always try to find a solution to people's problems)

Something about me: I'm autistic 🪐 and I'm very extroverted, I like to socialize and meet new people. So if we have any interests in common, feel free to write to me🌌 (Read the continuation to find out more about me and what I post, it's important. Thank you)

(I made this edit using picsart stickers that represent my interests and something about me)

🎮Favorite video games:

•League of Legends (I play on the European server)

•Wildrift

•Valorant (I don't play it that much because I'm not very good)

•Overwatch

•Team Fortress 2 (my hyper fixation, I need to talk to other tf2 fans. I'm going crazy, I don't know who to talk to about it, I'm afraid of appearing boring to my friends who aren't fans😭😭😭)

•Life is strange (this game made me realize I'm not straight)

•Detroit Become Human

•Danganronpa (I discovered this thanks to tik tok during the pandemic. It was very trendy at the time)

•The last of us

•The Sims 3/4 (I never had the chance to play the previous ones)

🍿My favorite TV series are:

•Shameless

•Love, Death & Robots

•Bojack Horseman

•Arcane

•She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

•Ever After High

🎼Singers I like:

•Madison Beer

•Mitski

•Ariana Grande

•Ashnikko

•Kali Uchis

•Girl in Red

•Marina and the diamonds

•KDA ("Akali that girl, 'kali go grr 'Kali don't stop, 'kali don't skrt 'Kali got a job, 'kali go to work 뜨거워 언제나 don't get burnt" 🗣🗣🗣)

•Gorillaz

•Queen

•Molchat Doma

•Arctic Monkeys

•Mother Mother

•Jack Stauber

•Cavetown

•TV girl

•Bo Burnham

I actually listen to a lot of artists but I don't remember them all c:

🫧Things I like:

•Lost media

•Liminal space

•Dreamcore

•Nostalgiacore

•History of cinema (especially animated films)

•Psychology (and all other branches of this science. I also love anthropology and sociology)

•Travel and discover new places

•Everything that has to do with creativity (Drawing, writing stories and fanfiction, creating things like accessories for your clothes and such very cute things. I really admire people who can repaint dolls)

•Having fun (going out with my friends, watching films - if they're trashy films it's even better -, sending each other memes and tik tok videos and things like that)

🪷Hobby:

•Cosplay (Especially cosplaying my comfort characters)

•Drawing (I haven't drawn seriously since 2020. I'm waiting for inspiration)

•Collecting dolls (I love Monster High, Ever After High, Rainbow High and L.O.L O.M.G. I also collect Funko pops and figures from other brands. I also have many books and comics -which I have to finish reading because there are too many-)🧸

•Roleplay (Doing roleplay with me means that I have already organized the whole plot. But I also listen to the other person's ideas)

•Find out about the topics that interest me (Most of the time they have to do with culture. I'm a very curious person and I love to inform myself)

💿What I post on Tumblr:

•Things about my fandoms (Mostly I repost cute icons, headcanons and wallpapers) I post things related to my fandoms. I like making wallpapers, icons and moodboards (Maybe start writing some headcanons)

•Positivity (Especially mental health or pride posts about being a member of the LGBT community. Be yourself🌈Be unique)

•Aesthetics (If I see some nice photo of a sunset or the sky, I immediately repost it because I feel like it. I also post a lot of things related to nostalgia because as I said before I like the "nostalgiacore" aesthetic. And I'm very nostalgic, they were beautiful times when the only worry was "which Monster High character am I?")

•My posts are tagged "Dia's post"

🦦Other random things:

•My favorite musicals are Heathers and Ride The Cyclone (the name of my blog is a mix between two of these songs)

•I'm terrible with numbers and sometimes I read the wrong words (I have a learning disability -be patient-)

•In my blog there are posts about Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss BUT IT'S NOT A SPECIAL INTEREST OF MINE. I recognize that they are two series with a lot of plot holes and nonsense. But it still reminds me of time spent with my friends. I actually like hearing people analyze and criticize it. I'm fond of the character of Vaggie and I like the ship between Sir Pentious and Cherri Bomb but as I wrote before: it's no longer a special interest of mine. I am neutral towards them

•I'm an atheist

•I am very interested in the meaning (and world) of dreams

‼️ Sometimes I also reposted something related to when I feel down. Unfortunately I have a lot of trauma but I'm trying to move forward and get better‼️

🔞I'm a girl from 2002 so I have young adult maturity‼️ For adults (because I know we are not all the same and not everyone likes some things) I would like to point out some things that I could reblog: I might reblog paintings or sculptures with naked people BUT also drawings with people semi-naked or shown in a sexy way. The artists I refer to are: Fumetti Brutti by Josephine Yole Signorelli and EvviArt. They are the only ones I follow but it is to make you understand what type of art I like. I could reblog posts where sexual topics are written: from the classic "use protection when having s3x" or raise awareness about some topics related to this theme. I want people to be informed about some aspects of this topic (I'm not talking about p0rnographic things ) such as the importance of using protection and above all how important consent is. I don't reblog kink-related stuff or explicit porn because it's not a topic of interest to me. And I don't even have kink because s3x isn't a topic that interests me. It doesn't shock me to hear about NSFW things (it disgusts me if disturbing topics are included in this topic). Many of my interests (TV series or video games and things like that) involve adult themes. I prefer to specify that I could publish things like this because I know that many people don't want to see these things. And in any case I want to talk to people my own age. If you like some wallpaper made by me, there are no problems because a wallpaper is a normal thing and everyone can use them. But if you don't like adult things then don't interact (especially if you're a minor) In summary: you can like icons or wallpapers or memes (these are innocent things and everyone likes them. Everyone uses icons and wallpapers) but interact with me if you are adults🔞

🧜‍♀️Comfort characters:

•Jinx (League of legends/Arcane. She is my main and for certain things I see myself in her)

•Seraphine (League of Legends. didn't like her at first but I love her gameplay. And I think she has the best skins -along with Jinx, of course-)

•Evelynn (League of Legends. She's a Goddess)

•Chloe Price (Life is strange. She made me understand that I like women too. I love this punk)

•Sunset Shimmer (Equestria Girls. She is one of the few ENTJs to be a positive character. I really like how her character has evolved)

•Reagan Ridley (Inside Job. We are very similar in certain things)

•Entrapta (She ra. I love this chaotic neutral autistic scientist princess. Again, I see myself in her)

•Kotori Minami (Love Live! When I was in middle school this was my favorite anime)

•Dia Kurosawa (Love Live! Sunshine. Love Live is an anime that accompanied me as I grew up. I'm very fond of it)

❕️I'm looking for young adult people like me (young adult means being over 18 and under 30). I have no problem with NSFW (I prefer artistic nudity) and I have no problem with swearing. I have a certain maturity so I want to interact with people like that.❕️

🌟Talk to me if you are a normal person (and if you're nice and send funny memes. Or if you want to talk about some fandom in common or something. We can also play some video games together or talk about philosophical things like "what's the point of life?" or things like "do aliens exist?")🌟

‼️ This is my safe space🗣 SO DO NOT INTERACT WITH ME IF YOU ARE: racist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic and against the LGBT community, do not interact if you are a pedophile and if you harm animals.Don't fetishize queer people. We are people, not nsfw categories. And don't romanticize the Mafia. Be kind and open-minded. Don't interact if you are against feminism (which I remind you, means gender equality), don't interact if you are people with ideas of hatred and discrimination. No ignorant people about mental health or what is happening in the world, because we are in 2024 and we need to have a minimum of culture. If you think abortion is murder, I would say you can also go elsewhere because I support women's rights and human rights in general. In general, don't interact if you are a person with bad ideas (that kind of bad ideas. Go away)‼️

[welcometothejianghu]

Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 心宅猎人/Psych-Hunter.

Psych-Hunter is a 2020 drama about a hot young amnesiac who, accompanied by a rich psychiatrist with major daddy issues and a rich girl who cosplays as a cop, uses his Inception-style psychic powers to solve crimes that are part of a shadowy conspiracy orchestrated by a mysterious figure.

True story: Once I couldn't remember the English name of the drama, so I called it "House Haunters," and now my brain insists that's the real English title. If only!

Do not, under any circumstances, labor under the impression that this show is good. It's not. It's incoherent. The writing is bad. The villain is absurd. The vibe is comically melodramatic. People make inexplicable and out-of-character decisions all the time. Countless complex mysteries get set up with no way to resolve them. There's a thin lampshade hanging over it that blurs the line between bad decisions made on accident and bad decisions made on purpose, but the net result is largely the same. This is the show that first inspired my wife to declare something dumb as a guinea pig in a roller skate.

But it's fun. It's a sea of colorful chaos with brilliant pieces that shine through like strange gems. It knows how to work an atmosphere and does so to create some legitimately creepy moments. It spins a wild yarn filled with bizarre and loveable characters. And it has some twists that truly have to be seen to be believed. In the mood for some beautiful nonsense? Here's five reasons that despite everything I warned you about in the previous paragraph, I think this one's worth watching.

1. Psychonauts for Jazz Age homosexuals

Honestly, that phrase alone should let you know if this is the thing for you. But just in case, let me explain the basic premise of the show:

Jiang Shuo, a man who has lost his memory and been adopted by circus folk, is capable of jingling his keys and diving full-body into someone else's subconscious, represented by lovely and thematic dreamscapes. He does this to solve crimes. Sometimes he takes along a handsome doctor who seems like he might know more than he's letting on, by literally tying their hands together with a red string.

Also, when they do this, they get gorgeous steampunk magical girl costume changes, complete with the cutest little pony nub you've ever seen.

This show can be stunningly beautiful. It knows how to manifest dream logic eerily well. Most of these cognitions are gorgeous, and many are done with primarily practical effects, like it's a stage play. ...And it's good it relies on that so much, because the CG it has is kinda cheap and terrible! So, yeah.

(Side note for the DMBJ fans: This is directed by the same guy who directed Sand Sea, which I assume is related to how this both is a visual treat and completely falls apart on the back end.)

The reason I'm a bit surprised that this hasn't taken off more among the creative set is what a great piece of worldbuilding this Psych-diving is. These boys (and, once, the girl) get to short-term manifest bodily in someone else's materialized mental state, where the person whose brain they’re in neither controls the experience nor remembers what happened after it’s done. Were you writing weird Arthur/Eames fic a decade ago? I got a new best thing for you. Can you say freaky dream sex? Because I can.

The base premise should be more than enough to get your gears going. Come ready to get weird with it. There's so much potential here, and so much of that potential is incredibly gay and wearing impeccably tailored suits.

2. Your friendly neighborhood circus family

As I mentioned before, Jiang Shuo lucks into the best possible fate that can befall an amnesiac: being picked up by carnies.

The troupe includes Ventriloquist Man, Really Big Dude, One-Eyed Acrobat, Other Acrobat, Cheerful Fat Girl, Boy Who Looks Like A Kid But Is Actually Played By An Adult So I'm Not Exactly Sure How Old The Character Himself Is Supposed To Be, and Silver Fox Circus Dad, who manages the whole crew. They're a ragtag bunch of performers who all live together in this cute little compound in some very nice slums, and sometimes they open the gates to their lavish compound and put on a circus show for all the common people!

Now: You know this is not going to be the wokest, most sensitive portrayal of body differences, because of course it isn't. But damn, it's pretty not-bad. The show treats all the circus members as valuable people worthy of affection, whose (occasionally exasperating) quirks are no more or less exhausting than those of the non-circus weirdos in the rest of the supporting cast.

I was half-expecting them to disappear after the first arc, but no! They’re a constant fixture through the show! They’re mostly there to support the show’s more comedic moments, but some of them get wrapped up in more emotional plotlines as well. And every now and then you get to see them actually do their circus shit, which is great.

I will admit that my fondness for them is related to how much I generally love fictional Freaks — you know, misfits who have banded together because society considers them unacceptably weird, but together their weirdnesses make them strong. When you find them, they’re usually the bad guys (e.g., the Gung-Ho Guns from Trigun, the Scorpion crew from Word of Honor) whose freak statuses make them formidable and occasionally sympathetic antagonists. But not so here! The Psych-Hunter Family Circus is good guy support all the way through to the final episode.

I know "found family" is a term that suffers from overuse, but that's the best way to describe what's happening here -- really, it's a family that's already found itself even before the show starts, and now they all live together as an unconventional collective of astonishingly flexible people. How did they find one another? Doesn't matter! What matters is that they all love and would do anything for their newest member, and they think it's great when he comes home with his attractive rich friends, who often arrive bringing snacks, which is really the best use for rich people, if you think about it.

3. Two hands, one ring

Now, if you've seen the series already, you know the moment I'm talking about. But if you haven't (and, statistically, you haven't), know that what I mean is the relationship between these two losers.

Together, Qin Yiheng and Jiang Shuo form the emotional core of the series. They're both drawn to one another because of mysterious circumstances that have started to align. Jiang Shuo's memory is missing, Qin Yiheng's dad has vanished, and all signs point to those absences as having something to do with one another.

Very early in the show, we see Qin Yiheng pull a "come with me if you want to live" on Jiang Shuo, giving the impression that he knows just what's going on in this crazy city. Except, no, he doesn't. Or does he? No, we're pretty sure he doesn't. Or he does, but he's forgotten what he knows, if he ever even knew it in the first place. Anyway, time to tie their hands together and jump into someone else's brain!

I'd say they're in love, but that's not quite it. Dr. Qin Yiheng, high-class homosexual, is in love with Jiang Shuo to the point where he's about to murder someone (possibly Jiang Shuo himself) out of frustration about it. Jiang Shuo, on the other hand, is much more sticking his fingers in his ears and going LA LA LA YOU CAN'T CATCH ME GAY THOUGHTS while trying get a girlfriend in an effort to pretend that all the shit they get up to together isn't tremendously romantic.

That is, until the scene that leads to the which-hand ring guessing game, at which point the burden of their relationship falls on Jiang Shuo (and the Inception parallels get unignorable) for exactly as long as the show will allow it to, before it freaks out and has to add another girl love interest just to make sure all the homos got no'd.

It's not textually gay, because seriously, have you met Chinese television? But it's pretty gay. Or, rather, I think Liu Dongqin (Qin Yiheng) is playing his character as a dedicated homosexual on purpose, and Hou Minghao (Jiang Shuo) is just ... kinda like that? I mean, everything I’ve seen him in, he gets real dreamy-eyed around strong men who pay close attention to him. Maybe it's just his thing as an actor. I'm not judging.

However, the main cast isn't just the two of them. One of the things that led me to this show was the promise of an OT3. And does it deliver on that promise?

Well ... sorta.

Qin Yiheng, Jiang Shuo, and Yuan Muqing are a pretty standard MFM not-love-triangle trio of Male Bestie, Main Guy, and Girlfriend (respectively). There's about five seconds at the beginning of the series where it looks like Yuan Muqing might be into Qin Yiheng, but no, that evaporates almost instantly and is never spoken of again -- and with it disappears most of their interactions with one another, period. So it's less an OT3, and more a case of bisexual cutiepie Jiang Shuo getting both a boyfriend and a girlfriend in a world where censorship will only let the latter relationship exist textually.

But damn if these boys aren't made for one another. Sure, there's a level of conscious comical queerbaiting to it -- I mean, there's straight-up an "only one bed" moment, so you know the show isn't stumbling into rainbow territory on accident. No matter how sexual or nonsexual or whatever you read it as, though, their dynamic is the spine that holds the story together. Really, it's almost sad how often the relationships are set parallel to one another, because when you do that, it becomes obvious how intense Jiang Shuo's bond with Qin Yiheng is, and how largely lackluster and comphet most of his canon romance with Yuan Muqing is by comparison.

Like so.

sidebar: The Girl

I am not going to go into a full-throated defense of The Girl this time, as I am wont to do, mostly because I think Yuan Muqing is full of potential in concept but so badly executed that there's really no hope for her. Her entire personality is whatever they need her to be in any particular scene. It's just that once in a while, what they need her to be is completely insane -- like, seeing-things-that-aren't-there insane -- and it's so great that it makes me mad! She could have been like this all the time! But noooooo

As it is, she has a perfunctory canonical romance with Jiang Shuo that's about as endgame as anything is capable of being (see point 5), and it actually gets pretty cute when it finally gets to the point where it's not just awkward obligation! But alas, it only does that so late in the series that it's not even worth it getting invested in it.

She is a creation of the show. She has no novel counterpart. Her entire function in the drama is to un-gay the dynamic between the boys. You can tell that she was initially supposed to have a different role -- to be the muscle of this trio -- but the narrative forgets pretty quickly that she's got that skill set, and she regresses to being The Girl. She makes dumb decisions that forward the plot. She gets put into danger whenever it's convenient. She demands Jiang Shuo do manly things for her because that’s what a girl is supposed to do, I guess? And then there are moments where she’s cool and crazy and it’s awesome! But they never last.

So if you are going to watch this, be prepared for the fact that the female lead is badly written to the point of frustration. I feel her actor is doing the absolutely best with what she's got; the problem is that what she's got is pretty crappy. Still, Muqing gets some pretty charming moments here and there, and I think it's worth hanging onto those and imagining the character she could have been, if the writers had cared just a little more, or even at all.

4. Powerfully surreal worldbuilding

I'm not even talking about the way people's psyches are structured according to dream logic -- the "normal" waking world is almost equally bizarre. The story takes place in sort of the real world c. 1930, except that a lot of things are off. For example, Japan and England are real locations, but China kinda isn't -- instead, the show takes place in a Shanghai-like city-state run by this moustachioed generalissimo with a faux Latin American dictator aesthetic. The place has its own flag and government and police force (where all the cops have coordinating surnames) and diplomatic relationships with other countries, so it’s clearly its own thing. But what that thing is? What it’s even called? Look, don’t worry about it. Nobody else is worried, so you shouldn’t be either.

You will, at every point in the series, be wondering if the show is trying to telegraph to you that Something's Not Quite Right Here, or if it's just making weird decisions for the sake of artsy weirdness. But don't worry -- there's absolutely no way to tell the difference between the two! Just roll with it.

There's a weird mix of universe rules happening throughout, where everything is mostly period-appropriate for a while, and then somebody builds a clock with levitating parts, or causes someone else to have very specific memory loss — or, again, swings some coins in front of a person’s face and gains the ability to treat their subconscious like a VR amusement park.

You can sort of reconstruct the evolution of this weirdness: The book has actual factual ghosts in it. Well, that’s fine for books, but TV isn’t allowed to have ghosts. But TV can have people who imagine ghosts, so long as it’s all in their heads. Okay, but you know jumping bodily into those imaginations isn’t actually a thing real people can do, right? Well, then let’s make it scientific. How can that be scientific? I don't know, it’s psychiatry. I don’t think that’s psychiatry. Look, it could be. Well, it’s definitely not psychiatry in 1930s Shanghai, and that’s the set we’re allowed to film on. Okay, what if it weren’t actually Shanghai? What if it weren’t actually 1930? What if all of this were at best a weird approximation of the period that adheres to no rules except the ones we want?

Once you’ve thought that, the sky’s the limit.

The show has a very inconsistent grasp on reality, and I am listing that as a pro instead of a con because I am choosing to embrace it as a deliberate choice rather than assume it’s the result of craven incompetence. There's something to be said, though, for how pervasively inconsistent it is. It'd be one thing if there were just a few plot holes here and there (and there are), but this is more along the lines of: We woke up in a mysterious boat and got taken to an island with a giant sea monster skeleton on the shore! What's that all about? Couldn't say! Was it real? Maybe! Moving on!

Let the number of "it's fine! who knows!" comments I've made throughout this rec indicate how much this is the kind of show you just have to roll with. If you are a nitpicker or someone who is troubled by unexplained nonsense, this is not the thing for you. If you love artistic magical realism and high strangeness, you will eat this up with a spoon.

And the lampshade that hangs over all of this worldbuilding is...

5. THE STUPIDEST POSSIBLE ENDING EVER

Okay, usually I am coy about when I think an ending has problems. I am going to drag this one out front and center: Psych-Hunter has an ending so jaw-droppingly, head-clutchingly stupid that I'm actually listing it as a selling point, because it has to be seen to be believed.

When I first watched it, I suspected the show ran out of time or money or something and just had to slap together the quickest possible ending ever. But no! This is the ending they meant! If you go back to the rest of the series, you can see that this is what they were (kinda) setting up the whole time! They just set it up so poorly and decided to make the twist hit at such a late point that not only is it complete nonsense, it actually renders moot the entire emotional stakes of the show! Absolutely incredible!

Now, as I've said before in other places, I don't begrudge the actual twist itself. I mean, it's stupid on its face, but I think they could have done something with it — if they'd had it happen halfway through the series, when the characters would have had time to adjust to the new knowledge. Instead, they slap it on at the last possible moment, when there's no time to have any reaction to it. It's just jarring and baffling, and then the whole thing's over.

I've seen lots of people say "season 2 when???" Season 2 never, friends. There was never going to be a season 2. The only reason you think this was an even remotely acceptable narrative move was that you were assuming that this would be the midpoint, not the end. You're having the same reaction I did, only I can tell this was always meant to be their spectacular dismount.

(To me, it's clear what happened: They J.J. Abramsed themselves into a cool premise for a mystery with no idea how to solve it, hoping they'd figure it out along the way. When they got to the end and still hadn't figured it out, they simply ... opted out of solving it.)

Now, if you want a normal viewing experience out of this show, watch to the end of the next-to-last episode, close your browser window, and have imagination adventures about how you think all the mysteries should resolve. But you're not going to. You are going to continue on to that last episode, and you are going to realize that nothing I could have said here could possibly have prepared you for this. And somewhere, I am going to feel the urge to cackle wickedly and not even know why. Except I'll know why. We'll both know why.

Want to watch this hot mess?

That baby's an iQiyi exclusive! But you can watch the first episode on YouTube, if you feel like getting a taste that way.

Look, I know I may have spoiled my pitch somewhat with that last selling point. After all, why would you bother watching a series if you know it has a shit ending?

I refute your objection thus: Knowing it has a shit ending changes the whole game, because it removes the feeling of betrayal that hits upon your discovering that the ending isn’t what you wanted. You know that already now, so there can be no betrayal. The ending goes from being an unpleasant surprise to being exactly the unexpected thing that you expected. With that in mind, you can dive right in (ha ha) knowing that you’ll never get the closure you crave, and therefore whatever you make up along the way is perfectly valid.

This is obviously a turnoff if you prefer shows that are like seeing someone start a magic trick, perform it without breaking a sweat, and walk off calmly, leaving you wondering how on earth they accomplished such an amazing thing. Think of this more as someone starting a magic trick, accidentally letting the rabbit fall out of their hat, saying “I meant to do that!” like thirty times, and suddenly vanishing through a trapdoor, leaving you wondering what the trick was even supposed to be in the first place — but they were really good-looking and well-dressed, so at least whatever they were doing was nice to look at while it was happening.

See? They're having fun.

[sirianasims]

We had dinner at the food stall behind the gallery, talking about everything and nothing. Paul asked about my costumes and I showed him some of my cosplays and even a few original designs on my phone. He could name every single character I’d done, and I was quite thrilled to discover that he was just as much of a geek as I was. I don’t know why I had expected otherwise, considering the kind of roles he played.

He told me he’d loved comics and superheroes since he was a child, so when the casting call for a live-action Llama Man series went out he had jumped at the chance even though he knew the risk.

And he’d been right. By the time the series ended, he was too established as Llama Man and casting directors were passing him over for more serious roles.

He didn’t seem to mind that much though. He said that being a lead actor was hard work and he much preferred smaller roles where he could have some more creative input. These days, he mostly worked on Llama Man: The Animated Series and a few other voice acting gigs.

After the gallery closed, we found ourselves on a bench outside. The night was warm. I didn’t feel like going back to my apartment yet, and Paul didn’t seem to be in any hurry either.

“Finally, the director told me that if I didn’t get it together, he was going to replace me with an actual llama next season. So, obviously I had to bring a llama for the launch party. He did not appreciate the gesture. Turns out very few llamas are house-trained.”

Our laughter echoed slightly in the empty plaza.

“You know, you remind me a little of my grandfather.”

“Ouch. You wound me. I’m not even forty, you know.”

“No, I mean, he was an actor as well. Conrad Richards. He loved pranks like that too.”

“Conrad Richards was your grandfather?”

“Well, he married my grandmother, but he was always grandpa Conrad to me.”

“That’s amazing. I was a big fan of his, actually. I liked how he always seemed to have fun with it, not like those actors who take themselves too seriously.”

“Yeah, he never took anything seriously. In every memory I have of him, he’s laughing.” My voice wavered slightly. “Sorry, I still miss him a lot.”

“Understandable.”

Paul took my hand.

“I wish I could tell you that it gets easier, but the truth is, it doesn’t. You just get better at carrying the pain.”

He looked away, seemingly lost in thought.

“When my father died, my mother told me that grief is just love that no longer has a home. It has nowhere to go. So, what you need to do is give it a new home. Surround yourself with friends and family. Love the ones you have left even harder. It doesn’t make the grief go away, but they will help you carry it.”

He cleared his throat and gave my hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. I immediately missed the warmth.

“Thank you, Paul. I mean it.”

“You’re welcome. Julia.”

We sat in silence for a moment. Then, he looked at his watch and smiled at me, back to his cheerful self.

“Sadly, as much as I’d love to, we can’t sit here and chat all night. I have to catch a flight back to the Valley in the morning. So unless you feel like walking me to my hotel to make sure I don’t get lost, we should probably part ways.”

“Sure. Where’s your hotel, then?”

He hesitated, his eyes searching my face.

“ZenView Heights. But -“

I leapt to my feet. “It’s this way.”

Paul grabbed my wrist and looked at me with a serious expression.

“Julia, it was a joke. And that’s way too far to walk. Are you really sure about coming back to my hotel?”

I tried to listen for that little voice in my head, the one that was supposed to warn me when I was about to do something stupid, but there was only silence. 

And Paul.

I nodded, slightly surprised at myself. Paul sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“I don’t even know what I’m doing any more,” he muttered as we walked to the street to find a taxi.

beginning / previous / next

[crushedsweets]

As someone who had been part of the creepypasta fandom since 2012, I agree with anon. I see SO much BS now that I never had to deal with until now. People apparently can't have head cannons anymore; you can't like so and so or the classic hate against AU's. As someone older, I do not care. This is supposed to be fun for everyone. I'm not letting some 12–15-year-old tell me how to enjoy myself. Also Gatekeeping is just cringe.

Really ?!? When I was 9-11 on qoutev reading fics/roleplaying, I remember people were really mean about anything that wasn’t “canon” (whatever that means at this point) and being really mean to “Mary sues” and self inserts .. Nowadays I feel like everyone I meet is like “yeah my AU is like this, but I like how your AU does this!” LOL

I think the biggest gatekeeping issue I see nowadays is “they’re killers!!! They’re cold hearted and this is supposed to be the SCARY FANDOM!!! If you make them anything other than horrifying monstrous creatures, you’re stupid and lame and boring and a child!” And the realism vs fanon vs canon etc debate.. but I literally couldn’t care less like this fandom was built on anime boy jeff the killer x readers you cannot convince me otherwise

I wish there was a better way to distinguish creepypasta (the scary stories) from the creepypasta fandom (the characters and relationships and comics and animations and cosplay etc etc)

Anyway that’s just my experience but I hope that u guys are able to find good healthy circles of people who embrace new interpretations and creative story telling and interesting designs and all! That’s the best part of this fandom and what makes it so much fun

Edit; not to say that what u described DOESNT happen though HAHA I’ve had people make some remarks about my stuff and whatever so I know it’s true !

EDIT 2; THIS WAS ABOUT STUFF I SAW ON TIKTOK IN LIKE SUMMER 2023 DONT SEND ME ASKS GOSSIPING SBOUT SPECIFIC PEOPLE THANK UUUUU

[squeaksinc]

2023 creative year in review! 💦💦

The most stand-out thing to mention was this was arguably my most active and productive cosplay year...maybe ever? its incredibly uncommon that I can handmake 9 costumes in a year, but on top of that, 7 of the 9 were also custom designs, which is pretty wild.

costume-wise, i learned a stupid amount of skills and really pushed what i was comfortable with. IMO the best from the year are the collector, knives, pupet, and nekomancer at least just from a craftsmanship perspective. I try not to brag or be an ass, but I am genuinely very proud of those. they posed fun creative challenges that kept me engaged, and I'm happy with how they turned out!

the other side of the coin is although last year was my most dormant cosplay year, other crafts were super active....and the reverse happened this year _(:3」∠)_ i didnt really draw much at all other than making cosplay designs, and other physical media didnt get much time to shine either. I made some plushies, but they were lackluster, and I think I made maybe one unfinished figure lol. but I did try BJD making and loved it!! I made 4 this year and have plans to do more haha.

thats the upbeat overview, the readmore is going to be a more negative perspective so proceed with caution haha.

More than anything I wish i had more time to do art and build up Stitch in The Ditch/more OC work, but honestly this year was also objectively insane in the non-creative front. like i hit the worst patch of chronic pain i've ever had/found out my abdominals have been ripping themselves apart and bleeding for the past 10 years lol/had to go to the hospital like THREE!!!! goddamn times and now i'm dealing with the news i'm going to need abdominal surgery, got a teaching promotion/award, got my physics masters, utterly INSANE family happenings, had gastroparesis for 2 months and couldnt eat more than 200 cal a day in that time which caused all my blood levels to crash and i'm still reeling from it, and of course, have just been Cashually working goddamn 60-80 hours a week in an experimental physics lab in the background during all of this which is driving me to the point of madness- suffice to say i hit my limit like months ago lmao.

like looking back i know i should be happy and proud i did so much but i cant help but feel disappointed and wishing i had done better quality stuff. honestly, i know i goof about how hard work is, but its really really getting to me. i've always been happy with my ability to juggle so many things and preserve my ability to have a cool job, make cool things, and independently take care of myself, but work is month-by-month morphing into more of a monster thats just been suffocating everything else out. I really dont know what next year will look like, as i've been wearing thinner and thinner i'm noticing a trend where I just dont have the energy that I used to to do anything outside of my job.

I bring this up because on paper I should be happy with what I made, but I still feel like im in a stand-still. I made a lot of costumes, but tbh they were low quality/lackluster. like the number went up, but the quality didnt and I couldnt do much of any other art things. I couldve, and shoulve, been able to make much better work this year than I did, but it didnt happen as a combo of being snuffed out by my job physically and mentally.

in 2023 I got a head start/built up momentum from the beginning of the year that carried me through when things got insane in spring/summer/currently, but I'm already starting 2024 from a low point. yall. im so tired. im so goddamn tired. like its funny to goof about how much I do but its catching up fast and i think this is going to be the year when I just cant keep up anymore. Its hard to talk about since the "being crushed to death by your job" topic isnt one people want to engage with, and unless you're experiencing it first hand its hard to understand what living like that really means.

for 2024, i know theres no way I will be able to match this same number of costumes, but my goal is no matter what I want to start making things that are more solid on a construction level. fewer projects, more polish. also doing more non-cosplay stuff like world building and dolls would also be awesome. will that happen??? lord only knows. honestly usually these predictions/goals go haywire but this is also more of a response to external things outside of my control so ???? ??????? we'll see lads

[wanderingblindly]

I just read a recent ask answer post and you said you got asexual burnout from writing smut I FEEL SEEN I FEEL HEARD I FEEL KNOWN literally love smut so so much and I loveee writing it but like after writing ONE (1) scene I need a fat break bc I like to visualize things in my head when I write them to make sure it’s all plausible and unfortunately sex is something that I don’t find rewarding enough to sit and and think about and write forever

YOU ARE SEEN YOU ARE HEARD!!!!!!!!!!

I always jokingly describe writing smut as putting on my allosexual-cosplay (and I'm terrified ppl will call me out on it) lmaoooooo. For me, I really only enjoy writing it when there's a dynamic to explore. The smut itself is relatively inconsequential, but rather a vehicle for me to think about and parse out the relationship underpinning it. It's like how fries are vehicles for ranch, you see.

Soooooooo interesting to see how you think about these things! I never considered the like... effort to conceptualize being the limiting factor, but if you're someone on the hyperphantasia end of the spectrum, that actually makes so much sense? It be tiring to have such creative ideas, dissect them to hell and back, and then write them all down.

Especially if you're not, like, as invested as non-asexual ppl are.

Anyways thank your for this ask!! literally this perspective is so fun to chew on, and definitely made me assess my own barrier to (smut) entry.