#but it’s a lot more chill now bc I’ve like Adapted or whatever

[roylustang]

okay I did it it wasn’t that scary

[gr1an]

someoje said to come to you over this so. CANNOT get over gemtho. they're literally so cute wtf

its so stupid because like there are a billion reasons why this doesn't work relating to their compatibility and personality and all that shit but at the same time like

???? Im just saying they'd be cute kissing each other in that tunnel and cuddling and etho is so laid back and serene and its the exact opposite of gems frantic energy and they kinda rub off on each other (figuratively) as in etho makes gem more chill when they're both just going about their day or exploring and when gem wants to Commit various felonies and crimes and end up in jail etho will go along with it because he will forever deny it but he imagines a life with her every night when he goes to sleep in his house and in bed in the dark apart they feel a part of them missing so they do their best to walk together in the light

h

ive just realised this is hardly a question. my interminable yapping will not cease but I do still want to get the point across so.... what makes u ship it :3333

i would actually really disagree with the lack of compatibility thing?

i think that gem is outgoing but still introverted, and she really loves talking to people and making a lot of friends, as well as helping out those friends! we see this with skizz’s terraforming, building the pathing infrastructure near cherry mountain, and with her letting etho take whatever he wants from her base! but at the same time that she is helpful, she is not a people pleaser. she’s assertive and funny. she goes up to her friends chests and takes stuff out bc “these are mine now actually” but she has the ability to do that bc she’s so charismatic and easy to love!

and this plays very well with etho’s general awkwardness to the point of nigh agoraphobia at some points. (i hc c!etho as selectively mute bc he just. doesn’t/can’t talk if he feels socially anxious. he accidentally built up a persona of cool and aloof despite being the wettest cat alive.) i am very new here but i think the first time they spoke to each other for an extended period of time was while gem was teaching him how to fight. and bc gem’s charisma comes from being adaptable to situations but still maintaining her personality, she was able to teach etho a lot (counter-critting, stopping sprinting in order to crit, crit combos) and they both very clearly enjoyed it a lot! etho and gem were laughing and talking basically the whole time, and i think that’s where their dynamic of mutually teasing each other as a way to show affection started. gem didn’t treat etho like someone on a pedestal they could never reach, and she also didn’t expect him to be amazing right away. she let him be fallible and we know that all of the ppl etho is close to do the same things. every duo etho is a part of has a strong dynamic of mutual teasing. him and bdubs, him and cleo, him and joel, and more recently him and tango. with tango though that relationship is pretty new and so a lot of their interactions are just focused on redstone.

and i don’t think gem is that feral or frantic? she gets very absorbed into her projects and she likes being silly with it. she also Commits to the Bit. but i don’t think, at least this season, she’s very off-the-wall. again, i’m new here, and i’ve only seen gem’s perspective of her s10 videos and the hide and seek one, so i am still new to her character/persona.

i think one reason ppl may think of her as feral is because of the way she interacts with specifically etho. and also the “geminislay” nickname. but she’s more than that nickname. in all of the clips of them in decked out, she is at max energy and is constantly punching/fighting etho, but they’re both giggling like schoolgirls the entire time. she doesn’t do that to other ppl though, so it’s not just her general personality. it’s her cute aggression instinct. she’s infatuated with etho so naturally her reactions to anything he does are going to be exaggerated and over the top. but she’s not always seized by that cute aggression instinct, she’s absolutely able to hang out with etho while at a lower level of intensity. etho though does sometimes instigate bc he also thinks she’s adorable. he hit her like 6 times as they dug the tunnel, i’m not convinced that all of those were accidental.

and etho isn’t laid back and serene, he’s earnest and silly and intelligent but also very uncomfortable in most social situations. the recent clip of him literally being a wet cat while asking beef for shulkers (he wants them nyeow!!) is a bit of an insight into how he is actually very silly! his little “oh schnappers” is also a good example. he just doesn’t always show it or show that he cares bc he doesn’t know how to do it in a way that isn’t awkward, and the feeling of awkwardness is like his least favorite feeling in the entire world.

sorry all that to say: they are incredibly compatible and i’m making them kiss. sillies.

[meimae]

Look at me, not being on time for my April Immersion Overview as is the usual. (・w・;

First, little blog updates to get out of the way:

I reached 100 followers! Got an influx of people checking out my 1 year update post, and got plenty of nice compliments on my data collection.

For those of you wondering just why I keep up with so much data, it's mostly because it can get really hard to notice how much you're improving in a language especially with something like immersion learning that for people who don't get it feels like a waste of time or a time sink.

Graphs showing consistency, improvement in reading speed, increasing vocabulary counts, and generally just seeing numbers grow turns language learning more fun and motivating for me, and if as a bonus, it encourages someone to try immersion learning then that would be cool!

With that said, whether you're here as a fellow language learner, graphs enthusiast (笑), or just want some Japanese media recommendations, ようこそ! 

Also, made a tiny DP change - it’s チト from 少女週末旅行. Pretty sure it’s the first manga series I ever finished in Japanese (not the first one I started since ちはやふる is still ongoing), and I always felt a bit of a ☆connection☆ with  her - between her book-loving personality and being a no-nonsense kind of person, there was no way for me not to enjoy her character. Great beginner anime/manga if you’re not into most beginner recommendations.

-☆-

April has been a pretty good immersion month, as I was able to dip my toes in a variety of media. A bit competitive, too! The club I joined has been pulling all the stops to get to the Top 20 Immersion Leaderboard in it’s first month. I was able to snag the 9th spot among a bunch of people of different comprehension levels (the majority being N1+ since they’re able to comprehend much more and in turn stand longer immersion hours). Lots of tiny complaints though of potential “whitenoising” content (”listening” and “reading” but not comprehending very well just to get a large number to post), but really what can you do? People lie all the time on the internet. Besides, it’s internet points that doesn’t do anything beyond being a little shiny I guess.

Enough about that, let’s get into the nitty-gritty details you came here for!

ANIME

フルーツバスケット

Might need to rewatch this one. Felt like I didn’t connect with the characters the way the rest of its fandom has. I’m kinda sad about it, since I normally love Slice of Life and Fantasy, and I know this is one of my friend’s diehard shows.

ラブライブ! School Idol Project S2

A filler anime to watch tbh. Nice and easy enough to follow for beginners. Pretty good songs. With regards to it being a show about music and moe, I still 100% prefer K-On! if I’m going to be honest, but for a show about non-toxic idols, it’s good!

魔法少女まどか☆マギカ

First read this as English translated manga when I was 13 or something. Mistakes were made. Let’s all just agree to throw キュウベえ into a pit of fire and never talk about it again. Great ending and a show that really reworked the magical girl genre. But seriously, I was traumatized by マミ’s death then and now, help.

四月は君の嘘

Already knew what was going to happen even before watching this so I didn’t ugly cry like I was expecting. Still got that awful sinking feeling though. 10/10 would recommend for a good cry. Also, I’m planning to read the manga, might enjoy that more, because I’ve always liked it more than anime actually. *shocked pikachu face*

ホリミヤ

Watched before I even finished the manga which felt like a mistake at first until I realized that it perfectly stops where I stopped reading. Nice and comfy anime, the kind I would have loved as a teen. Fun animation too, making parts very dramatic even though it wasn’t really that deep of an issue even in the manga. Just teens feeling feelings. Still salty that we lose bad boy styled 宮村, but I get why it had to happen.

AUDIOBOOKS

氷菓

Second re-listen. I understand it fine, but it’s very easy to drift off when you can’t catch all the words so I had to replay often. Will have to mine more from the anime/book.

君の名は

I mined from the anime, and was really pleased to be able to follow all 6 hours of this audiobook perfectly fine. Will need to read the book, because I realized just how seamless reading it would be after listening to it with hardly any issue.

BOOKS

キッチェン

Completed! Read my thoughts about it and see my stats on this post.

君の膵臓を食べたい

Still trudging on with this one. It’s not a bad story, it’s pretty well written actually, I just made the mistake of watching both the anime and live adaptation first, so I know exactly what’s going to happen and it’s killing my motivation to keep reading. I guess reading the book first before watching the movie still applies in any language with me. Really need to 頑張れ and finish so I can move on. 

三日間の幸福

Started reading towards the end of the month, mostly because I realized that every chapter is only 5000-15000 characters long, and I was able to read up to 40k in a day with Island most days. Only two chapters read so far though because I got distracted by manga, but it’s shaping up to be a really good plot and potentially a really sad one, too, so I’m interested.

DRAMA

花ざかりの君たちへ イケメンパラダイス

Heard this was a classic so I gave it a try. Loved 生田 斗真’s character in this one the most especially all his internal dialogue acted out. Also, 小栗 旬 in anything is bound to be a good watch. Simple and fun watch. They dragged the ending so much though lmao 

ごくせん

Look, I see 松本 潤, I click. Definitely the kind of show you should watch for some great life advice. Planning to watch the 2nd and 3rd seasons even if there is a terrible lack of 松本 潤, because I love my strong female protagonists, and man, ヤンクミ is such a great character. Need to read the manga, too, if I can find it.

極主夫道

Oof, this was kind of hard. The yakuza talk was throwing me off, but the rest of it was enjoyable. Not really plot heavy as I thought it was going to be. The comedy side of it was fun and predictable after the first few episodes. Overall, pretty good slice of life, family story with a twist.

MANGA

Read a bunch of manga this month, mostly because I am struggling to find the next vn to read.

おやすみプンプン

Read a couple of volumes (6-7). This manga is so good, but it’s so depressing I need to stop to take a breather every once in a while. Please don’t leave any spoilers. The club has been reacting to me reading this, and it has mostly been a lot of crying emotes. It’s both been enjoyable to see and really worrying. 笑

チェンソーマン

Club recommendation. Only read the 1st volume so far. I really need to get into more 少年 anime/manga. That’s currently my 苦手 genre which is awful because literally all the top anime/manga is 少年 help. I just can’t enjoy it much still even though it’s comprehensible to me.

ちはやふる 中学生編

Read Vol. 1, chill read to me at this point after reading 45 volumes of the regular manga. Look, it’s my favorite 幼馴染 manga in baby format, of course I’m going to read this! 太一 has been a flake way before season 3 confirmed. Don’t come at me たいちはや stans bc I also like his character.

約束のネバーランド

Volume 7. I’m taking my sweet time with this one, because I heard the anime for season 2 sucked, so I’m avoiding it like the plague. This is 少年 how am I enjoying this and not everything else what.

ヲタクに恋は難しい

Enjoyed the anime hated the movie why did they make it a musical that sucked (ps i normally love musicals hated this one) 

The オタク jargon is kinda hard to read suprisingly but I do enjoy this ship very much. It’s a lighthearted take to otaku culture which is great because seriously it’s scary out there.

ツバサ -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE-

It’s my childhood ship, obviously I will read this again (read in English several years ago). Still as plot twisty as I remember it being (now at a bonus hard level reading it in Japanese 笑). Really enjoyed reading this one (I finished it this May).

-☆-

I’m starting to really dislike furigana in manga. It was a great help as a beginner, but now it’s like training wheels that you can’t take off. I feel like the gains I’m getting from manga is much lower than it was when I first started which makes me both proud of how far I’ve come, but also sad because I love manga. Sad that I might have to start choose VNs over it, because it’s not going to challenge me as much going forward. I mean it didn’t stop me from reading a lot of it this month, but you get the picture.

VISUAL NOVELS

ISLAND

Completed! See my stats and read my long spoiler filled post here.

ファタモルガーナの館

Picked up this VN and finished two doors (15 hours) before stopping. On the fence about it, because it has been kind of predictable so far, and I don’t particularly enjoy the horror genre. That said, this is more psychological than anything, so it’s probably not that that’s putting me off. The language is not exactly difficult, too - maybe some oddly specific words because it is after all historical fiction (which is one of my favorite genres, btw), and 敬語 is definitely interesting to read for once after encountering so many お嬢様 characters in anime/drama so far. 

I think maybe it’s the conversations that are kind of dull - dots (silence) every few clicks that keeps breaking the flow of reading. Probably judging it really harshly too early, because it’s rated so high everywhere, and I just have high expectations. Definitely not dropping it yet though, just taking a break and testing a couple of other VNs before I settle with whatever I end up choosing. It is, after all, going to be another 50+ hour read, and I just don’t want to not enjoy the process, because having fun with the process is a huge part of immersion learning.

Let me know if you’ve read Fata and if I should continue! 

-☆-

That’s it for this month!

If you have any suggestions on what to watch and read next, please send me a reply, especially for VNs because I’m struggling over here.

[stephanythedramaqueen]

See I would someone believe them maybe changing the endgame if the author who's heavily involved with the show didn't hate them so openly I saw someone say the tagline for the first book was something akin to "darkness pure light a love that lasts forever" and she wasn't expecting people to ship them what??? I'm so confused was she planning for it to be the endgame and then she swerved for some unknown reason .Ben barnes is a huge draw and I'm sure they respect him but he wouldn't be the first veteran in a show to play the villain and nope out of there after a couple of seasons also the way they ADMITTED they changed things about mal that people found annoying they made him perfect and hit us with that meadow scene every 5 seconds bc they're doing a malina slowburn and making sure everyoneeeee knows that they're the OTP as much as I would love for us to get a redemption arc or even have alina turn dark like people said he's a mess but he's trying to fix a problem and protecting the grisha what the hell are the heroes actually doing even at the end of the books they do nothing.... There is no way it's gonna happen and I don't want to set myself up for years of disappointment

I wanna disclaim first and foremost that I have *not* read the books.

At least you know from the get-go that Malina is supposed to be endgame. And I also heard that the author is pretty much as allergic to darklina as anyone else, the same author that, yes indeed, is a producer on the show. I keep my hopes up though, but not by much, that there could be changes made to the ending if the fan reaction is loud enough. It isn’t unheard of, as I’m sure you’re aware. Like we aren’t still reeling from that atrocious Game of Thrones ending as a whole, despite that the author of the series had also been a producer and a writer of the show. And that was coming from an author who was so staunchly adamant that the right kind of people adapted his work. Netflix, on the other hand, has retconned endgame pairings from their source material to the adaptations before. Riverdale comes to mind, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina as well. Over at CW, The Vampire Diaries had a drastic overhaul when it came to pairings. Netflix has done it before that they would follow through with the popular ship to cater to the fans.

And I mean, darklina seems to have been the more popular ship *before* the show came out, I’m scarce to think of the standing of the ship now after said release. The fact that the show pushed hard with Ben Barnes’s face is *not* helping the fact. I wasn’t aware there had been a rival ship to General Kirigan x Alina at all until I’ve seen the show. Like there was an obvious baiting here. The show runners knew what they were doing when they cast Ben Barnes - let alone the baiting in the original source material as well.

So I’m not holding up a lot of hope, lmao I ain’t walking around with Booboo the Fool stamped on my forehead all the time, but I am enjoying the ship for as long as we have it. And I know the detractors would say differently but Ben Barnes is the face of the show right now. And he’s real excited about it, about his character, and the darklina ship as well. Like he put all his passion into the role. All these tiny tidbits we seem to enjoy the most in the show are being revealed that Ben improvised them to bring nuance to his character and the pairing. Whatever will happen down the line with the darkling and for Ben, I feel we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. The adaptations changed enough, from what I heard. Who’s to say they won’t change more?

As for the author within her own work I cannot speak too much on it, simply bc I have not read them. From the looks of it, it sounded like she used darklina quite as a shipbait, if even the tag line on her (first) book alluded to some kind of eternal romance between Alina and the Darkling. I am absolutely not gonna lie; if I read that tagline on the first book before I even opened the cover, only for the books to do a 180 on me, then yeah I would sincerely feel baited too. And I feel like she restricted the possibilities of her characters just to allude to her own personal life. I see a few people defending the author for such which, a lot of the times In The Real World, I tend to disagree, especially when it seems that she’s purposely prohibiting the organic flow of where the story and the characters are heading, like allowing the Darkling a worthy redemption arc, just to fit her personal issues in her work. It’s not that I’m saying she shouldn’t— it’s her story, she’s allowed to write it per her whim— it just feels less satisfying to the general writing of the tale she’s telling. And that could factor to weak writing.

[tfw-no-tennis]

ani....morphs.....

ok so picking up after the david trilogy, which hit hard as FUCK, we have book 23, which basically was a semi truck that ran over my corpse, jesus christ, they really followed up the david trilogy w/all that....

23 was so so good and also painful. its the culmination of a lot of tobias’s characterization in the series thus far and also we finally get the reveal we’ve been waiting for about elfangor....ooooh man 

and there was a lot of painful stuff in this book but the worst imo was tobias wondering if it were possible that somebody wanted him and would take care of him, only to have it all come crashing down in the worst way when it turned out aria was visser three in morph, ouch. 

that was so brutal augh. and when he figured it out and just crash landed and kept thinking about how he wanted to die and how he was stupid to think he could have a home...bro get these kids some THERAPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

so yeah that book was absolutely brutal but also so good...and it further fleshed out the animorphs working as a near-flawless team, w/the whole setup of tobias meeting w/the lawyer being so airtight and well-planned 

also more free hork bajir!! its cool that there's stuff happening w/them offscreen, I like that 

I literally had to take a break from reading the books bc the david triology + 23 was like so much, and also bc the olympics were on and all my time got dedicated to watching those, but then I opened 24, not sure what to expect, and BAM it was the helmacrons lmaoooo

I don't even remember the helmacrons but ig a lot of people hate them? lmao so that whole reputation preceded the book and I was like oh wow time for a change in tone

which wasn't wrong but also I liked that book?? I was never bored, even tho the whole thing was patently ridiculous and also had very little bearing on the overarching story

but I think it would be a standout if it were a TV episode w/a good budget - the visuals were amazing even in text, and I can imagine all the cool shrinking/growing/cellular stuff would be WICKED cool visually (ideally 2d animation but an ant man-esque live action adaptation wouldn't be terrible if they had the budget for it)

whatever let me dream. so yeah I didn't hate the helmacron book even tho the helmacrons themselves were...sure something. lmao I think they come back? that should be interesting

next book is the arctic one, we have yet another alien of the week style adventure - I liked this one too, it felt like more plot-y stuff happened since they destroyed the base, and marco’s POV is always fun 

I do find it funny/interesting how sometimes when the animorphs do something - like in this book, destroying that base in the arctic - it doesn't really seem to impact the yeerks much/it doesn't get brought up much after that. and then other things like them destroying the ground-based kandrona get mentioned a lot (that example is understandable tho bc that WAS a big deal). its just hilarious to me how blowing up entire building complexes has become so routine that it isn’t even worth mentioning at this point

Also I adore when they meet other random people/kids and are chill w/them, like w/that kid they met in the rain forest earlier on w/the time travel 

the descriptions of the brutally cold weather were great. I hate the cold so I was like oof this is a nightmare lmao

also ig that was the first ghostwritten book and I did kinda notice it was slightly different than usual? maybe? I could be imagining it tho 

okay but book 26 tho...BOOK 26. bruh 

that was SO good and I really didn’t know what to expect - but when we finally revisited Jake’s dream w/crayak I knew it was gonna be good (but I didn’t expect it to be a chess game war epic..!)

basically I loved it. SUCH a good Jake book - I really appreciate his character now as opposed to when I was 10 and often overlooked him (sorry jake).

similarly, when I was a kid and read these I sympathized a lot w/the chee and felt bad for them towards the end of the series when they had to get more involved in the war (genuinely don’t remember what they even do but ik I felt bad) 

but now I've basically 180′d and I'm like damn those chee sure are hypocrites huh. 

like they could solve So many of the animorphs problems but their stringent adherence to nonviolence leads to them actively getting in the animorphs way sometimes? and obviously pacifism is a complicated topic, but in this case it also intersect w/the whole ‘child soldier’ thing, and as beings who are insanely old and wise, the chee probably shouldn't just leave all the dirty work to a bunch of literal middle schoolers

aaaaanyways. there’s so much I love about this book. the iskoort! they were sure something. and the ‘plot twist’ that they are actually 2 beings, the Isk and the Yoort - and the Yoort are essentially Yeerks - that slapped. the symbiosis of it all! 

I loved the part where they all realize what this means, that this is why Crayak wants the iskoort destoryed - because someday the yeerks might come across them and realize parasitism is not the only way. I love it! 

alas I don’t recall the iskoort returning in the story (but also my memory is terrible so who knows?) but still that would be cool

basically I feel like this is the book where Jake Truly comes into his own as a leader, in every sense. he outmaneuvers Crayak, and even the ellimist, who’s yanking them around in his own way

the scene where jake shoves the howler off the cliff and jumps off and morphs and acquires the howler...that was fantastic and tense. 

also the murder is definitely becoming more overt. I mean, it has been for a while, but it isn’t really pointed out as much anymore. oof

more on the chee - as Jake points out in this book, and other characters point out in other books - the chee could have saved the pemalites, but instead just stood by while their creators were slaughtered. on the other hand, jake says, what do the chee do AFTER they’ve killed the howlers - where to point them next? when is the end of their violence? 

buuuuut also standing by while atrocities occur is pretty damning, as is frequently mentioned in this series - from the very beginning, when marco initially doesn’t want to get involved in the war at all, and the other animorphs basically tell him that turning his back on the war and acting like he doesn’t even know it’s happening would be immoral and cowardly (which imo this reaction helps to push marco in the direction he ends up going, but I digress) - this topic comes up again in 19 when cassie quits the team and rachel is upset bc she sees it as cassie elevating her own feelings above the greater good (as in, as long as cassie feels good about how she acts, it doesn’t matter how much preventable evil the yeerks are committing while she turns away). etc etc. but that’s essentially what’s happening w/the chee - even tho they help w/intel, the lack of any sort of Action on their part means that they’re essentially allowing awful things to happen when they could prevent them. this is rambly but basically...animorphs deals so much in grey areas, and the chee are noticeably black and white in their actions, despite falling, in a meta sense, in an extremely grey area. its such good, thought provoking writing!

anywayssss I keep talking about the chee lmao what else was there. oh YEAH jake and cassie kissed for the first time awww that was super cute 

and ofc immediately marco teases them as asks jake if he’s gonna kiss him next, and all I can say is...marco is a bicon 

also I love the background worldbuilding w/the iskoort, how they have all these groups and guilds and stuff - its not dwelled on much, which actually works really well to give the world/species a sense of lived-in realness 

okay oh man and the reveal at the end that the howlers were just like...children who thought the whole thing was a game...AUGHH man that’s sooo fucked 

like, when jake morphs the howler and has rachel ready to knock him down in grizzly morph if he gets out of control due to the howler’s murderous instincts, and he morphs to find that the howler is...playful, like a dolphin morph. SUCH a good fucked up sense of dawning horror there 

and the fact that as far as I can tell the chee KNEW this, but wanted revenge anyways, so they let the animorphs assume that the howlers were Evil On Purpose

also I love smaller moments, like jake seeing that ax is ashamed for briefly running away during one battle w/the howlers, and then entrusts him w/an important task bc he knows that ax will see that as redemption - and when everyone thought jake was dead and were so happy when he wasn't (they all love each other so much im gonna cry about these child soldiers augh)

basically that book was so good

man one thing I absolutely love is that the longer the series goes on the more obvious it is that andalites, despite inventing morphing technology, barely use it themselves 

like, most of the andalite characters we see barely morph. its kind of a last resort to them, as they’re already plenty dangerous in their regular forms 

meanwhile for the animorphs, that’s all they have to fight with. that’s their only weapons against the yeerks, and its so fun to see them use the power in so many varied ways, and so creatively, while the andalites have barely scratched the surface of their own technology

its also interesting to contrast against the yeerks who start out w/absolutely no technology, and the andalites share some but not all of their technology w/them...its too bad that morphing technology was just starting out cause that would’ve been interesting

like imo a lot of the conflict w/the yeerks could’ve been avoided if they could just nothlit into better forms - of course, there’d still be plenty of yeerks who want to go start wars or w/e, just like pretty much any species in the series, but a lot of yeerks would probably be like ���yeah I'm good’ and just chill out as nothlits

also people online love to talk about how humans are alienfuckers and would definitely have sex w/sentient aliens and whatnot, and while I'm not saying that's untrue, its just funny bc in animorphs the truest alienfuckers are definitely the andalites

as of the hork-bajir chronicles, we now have a second instance of an andalite morphing another species to be in an inter-species alien romance (and eventually have kids) 

speaking of, I don’t think I’ve talked abt the hork bajir chronicles yet??? even tho I read it a while ago lmao 

HBC was great...I honestly haven’t really run into an animorphs book I’ve actually disliked at this point, I’m sure it’ll come w/all the ghostwriting and whatnot, but I’ve liked at least some aspects of every book

anyways HBC was great, and it’s funny bc I remember that I read this book as a kid, and yet rereading it now I didn’t remember a single bit of it lmaooo

I really liked the framing device of the free hork bajir telling this story to tobias. I also liked how we know from the beginning that this story wont have a happy ending - we know all the hork bajir end up enslaved by the yeerks, but it’s still somehow hopeful at the end? I think this is largely due to the framing device tbh. 

also I love toby, and I love that the First free hork bajir named their kid after tobias ;_; 

and oooh mannn I LOVED the different POVs from this book. all the characters were so interesting! aldrea was fascinating - I really like the increasingly negative view of the andalites that the readers are getting, all while maintaining the sense that they aren’t like, actively evil, just that they have their issues - like aldrea’s arrogance, and the general andalite arrogance which lead to the loss of the hork bajir. also, who knew andalites had their own brand of sexism? Ls

I did like getting a female andalite tho, that was cool. and dak was really cool, he was such a good, compassionate character who was able to maintain his morals in an interesting way throughout the story

and VISSER THREE...or should I say esplin 9466, because he’s not visser 3 yet...getting his ‘origin story’ was excellent - I really like how we’re learning about visser 3 backwards - we start off the series w/him as the main villain, and he’s campy and menacing, and then we see him in the andalite chronicles as a power-hungry sub-visser trying to climb the ranks and eventually getting alloran as a host, and then back even further here, w/the start of his focus on the andalites and the beginning of his ambition. its been very cool and interesting to see

plus, the beginning of the yeerks as we know them! seerow! alloran! it’s a party and nobody is having a good time, except for some of the yeerks. 

I like how it’s pretty obvious that the andalites are well-meaning with their interactions w/the yeerks, but go about it the wrong way - they give them enough technology that the yeerks realize there’s a whole world out there to experience, and then they blockade the yeerks on their planet and tell them they can’t leave. nnnnot the best approach imo

again, as I said above, I’m interested in how things could’ve gone if the andalites had given the yeerks morphing technology early on - could a lot of the conflict have been avoided, or would it have been worse? the yeerks seem pretty evil in this book, immediately jumping to enslave anyone they can. otoh we hear from esplin that not all yeerks like having host bodies, and find it overwhelming, preferring to swim around in the yeerk pool as a slug - I assume as host bodies became more available this type of thinking was probably stamped out in yeerk society or w/e, but there are a lot of interesting what-ifs in the situation 

I loved the scene where esplin first experiences having a host, and immediately knows he can’t go back. there are a bunch of great sensory descriptions, and it’s a nice scene to pinpoint as a foundational moment for the visser three in the current story, who spent a lot of time and energy getting what he sees as the best possible host body, an andalite

I find it interesting how much visser three clearly respects the andalites, even while constantly deriding them. and you can see the origins of that here as he immediately focuses in on the andalites, working to become an expert on them in order to make himself useful enough to move thru the ranks

another thing I like is how esplin seems a lot more crafty and ambitious than the visser three from modern times - I would guess that reaching his goal (andalite host body) and being given all that power was detrimental, playing on his weaknesses instead of his strengths. basically, I don’t think it’s ooc or anything, I can see how HBC-esplin became animorphs-esplin, especially w/TAC in between

as for seerow...poor dude. you really do have to feel for him, because you get the sense he really did just want to be kind to the yeerks, but it was borne from a place of pity, and he (and the other andalites) consistently held too much power over the yeerks for the species relations to ever be truly equal and functional 

AUGH I have so many thoughts about alien space politics. omg. I need to talk about the actual story lmao

so yeah I also feel for aldrea, she had a rough time, watching her entire family die and being thrown into a hopeless war

and then the andalite council or w/e not listening to her bc she's a girl AND seerow’s daughter...oof

also, I really really liked the running theme of the andalites - specifically aldrea - looking down on the hork bajir as ‘simple’ and constantly underestimating them, especially dak

and I like how this is portrayed as a bad attitude for aldrea to have, and she still remains and interesting and sympathetic character even while having obvious flaws. it’s about being 3-dimensional baby!

and oh man I love that dak realizes that aldrea looks down on him, and his entire species, but he can see that that’s how the andalites are, and it all connects back to the beginning of the story w/the yeerks, bc the andalites looked down on the yeerks and treated them with pity and kept them pinned under their proverbial thumb ‘for their own good’ and look how that turned out 

but dak is wise and kind enough to not hate aldrea for this, even acknowledging when she’s using him, but not pushing her away because he recognizes good in her too - and she ends up changing, partially because of his faith in her

and I feel like it can all be compared to that scenario of like - a hypothetical creature that lives in a 2D world suddenly being thrust into a 3D world, and comprehending what its seeing, and understanding that there’s so much more out there outside of the flat lines of its world - and then its dropped back into 2D-land with the knowledge of all the stuff its missing out on, and no way to get back to it or explain it to anybody else

I loooove that ‘trope’ or w/e you wanna call it, and it’s done beautifully here w/the yeerks - whos the say they wouldn't have been fine in their pool swimming around; as esplin said, a lot of the yeerks were terrified of having a host, it was only from the andalites’ perspective that their lives were sad and pitiful, and the andalites showed them what the world could be like, and then said ‘no, you can’t travel the stars like we do, you have to stay here on your planet and do what we say.’

and then again, w/the hork bajir - dak talks about how, even though he drinks up the knowledge that aldrea gives him, in the end it might have been better to just have lived peacefully, not knowing what was in the sky or the Deep - as aldrea says: “It was too late for Dak: he knew that the stars were not flowers.” 

plus the hork bajir having to go from a completely peaceful species who don’t even understand the concept of violence, to a bunch of soldiers fighting a war...oof 

basically everyone in this story uses the hork bajir. the yeerks use them as hosts, the andalites use their planet as a convenient place to dump seerow and then take their sweet time coming to help, and the arn created them as means to stabilize the planet, but block them off from their society and refuse to help when the yeerks come

like, the arn modifying themselves to be un-infestable by the yeerks and then being enslaved for physical labor instead? oof guys. if they had teamed up w/the hork bajir resistance things might have gone better, but probably not 

more on aldrea - throughout the story I was always thinking ‘how am I supposed to see her? as a good person, or as a bad person?’ 

as a POV character, especially a ‘good guy’ andalite, you just start off automatically thinking of her as a good person, but as the story goes on, she starts getting lost in revenge and begins using dak and the hork bajir, and you’re left wondering if this is a story about her slide into darkness, and then towards the end of the story her character development culminates in her making the decision to stay w/the hork bajir, and the be with dak, and that’s about when I went ‘ohhh right this is animorphs so every character is pretty much gonna be grey’

I feel like that moral grey-ness was on full display w/aldrea, and I really enjoyed that. I love so much when characters who are good do bad things, for good or bad reasons, especially in media like animorphs that’s aimed at kids. it’s so compelling. 

oof, and the ending when aldrea convinces dak to mobilize the hork bajir and teach them violence...and dak asks her if she’s ever killed another andalite, and she’s horrified, and says of course she hasn’t, and he says that that’s what she’s asking him, and all the hork bajir, to do - to kill their own people, even if they are being controlled by the yeerks. biiiig oof. I love that dak can keep up w/aldrea and her andalite supremacy attitude - it seems that the non-andalite characters who get along best w/the andalites are the ones who wont take their bs 

what else happened....oh my god how could I forget about alloran, and his quantum virus. oooof. I like how we find out about alloran in parallel to visser three, in the same backwards way - in animorphs he’s the tragic host of visser three, in TAC he’s the disgraced but still semi-respected war-prince who becomes the first ever andalite controller, and here he’s the guy who decides to commit some war crimes because, hey, we haven’t tried that yet 

but yeah that was fucked up, I love it. I’ve said it before I think but I like that alloran isn’t some perfect martyr tragically taken by the yeerks - it’s a lot more compelling that he’s a very flawed person who was taken as a controller partially due to his own bloodthirstiness. 

but yeah, the part where aldrea morphs alloran and ‘sneaks’ into that room was great. aldrea’s dedication to disposing of the virus is a great indicator of her character development - it really feels like the straw that broke the camels back w/re: to the andalites not being what she thought they were, w/their tardiness coming to help the hork bajir planet and the way her father was treated being the precursors to this realization. it all culminates nicely in aldrea saying ‘fuck this actually’ and nothlit-ing into a hork bajir.

and it’s really tragic but realistic that even though aldrea and dak end up seeing eye to eye at the end and getting together, the virus ends up being released anyways (and fails in its objective to stop the yeerks from using the hork bajir - the whole thing was p much a lose-lose situation oof), and aldrea and dak still die fighting a hopeless war 

but then we have the free hork bajir on earth, including toby, who, like tobias, has andalite ancestry, but no DNA to show for it - I like that they have that connection as well as tobias being her namesake

so yeah I enjoyed that one and its many-layered themes

WOW this got long uuuuuhhh ok I think i’ll leave this one off here. at the time I’m actually finishing the writing and editing, I’m on book 35 lol so I have some backlogging to do. never fear, I have a lot to say....

[lunar-lair]

I've been building up these hcs for a while, and I finally decided to unleash them onto the world.

So! Here ya go. My unadulterated thoughts over a long period of time. Have fun w them.

Remus bonks his forehead with another's to show affection. It started simply as something his brain told him to do, I think-some twisted idea of knocking both people out by banging their foreheads together. But then it turned into something he did for affection, due to how close it got your face to someone else's and the contact you share. Plus, it's so original, and that's Creativity's whole thing, right??

(It took him awhile to figure out how to do it lightly enough that he wouldn't hurt the person he was bonking (yes it's called that) but he eventually figured it out!!)

Him and Roman do it like,,,super hard as a way of greeting. Or like, just for shits and giggles, or even to knock someone out of something. It's one of those Brotherly Things™ they do together, y'know?

More Brotherly Things™ they do include slamming into each other to hug for the same reasons up above, shaking each other by the shoulders Forcefully mostly whenever they're explaining something Wild or they're Angy and the other pretending to be annoyed by it, and initiating sudden sparring sessions where one will just suddenly whip out their weapon, and the surprise is part of the spar, basically. It's not cheating; you just have to adapt to when the other suddenly starts one.

They had to explain to Patton Very Thoroughly that they weren't hurting each other and that it was all fun and games before he agreed w it

Janus was the first to adapt, then Logan, and then Virgil kinda had to take some time to stop being startled every time it happened

Thomas got it Immediately. 

He has brothers.

He gets it.

Janus! Likes!! Dancing!!!!! VERY important hc

Remus and Janus used to make skirts (and possibly other clothing?) together

All three darks know how to sew

It started with Remus wanting to make something and learning with Creativity Powers and eventually teaching Virgil and Janus

Janus actually already knew how to sew simple stitches due to having to fix a lot of Remus' clothes but Remus taught him a lot more abt it

He ended up knowing more than Remus even did, though, due to ending up Really into it

More than once, he has asked Remus for cloth and made his own skirt, shirt, etc. possibly with Remus' help

In a world where Jan and Virge are close,,,,,,,he totally helped with the jacket 

Jan and Lo absolutely have debates like. 24/7 while also playing chess

Remus is eternally wearing thigh high high heeled boots, no questions asked

Roman used to wear Normal boots most of the time before he got Good Bro Stats with Remus again. After that he was Jealous that Remus was a bit taller than him and started wearing his own heeled boots, though his were usually normal height 

Sometimes they'll switch boots to mix things up

Roman also started wearing heels bc he thought it'd be fun 

Roman and Janus have specific nicknames for each other; one nice and one teasing

Janus' are Prince and Beast 

Roman's are Beauty (to parallel Janus' for him) and Snake (another parallel; both are simple ideas of what/who they are)

Janus probably came up with his first and Roman flipped the script on him in return

Janus is pretty chill with coffee or tea, but he prefers tea and knows a lot more about it. Coffee? Eh, not too bitter please. Tea? Basically whatever, but the subtle calm stuff is really his jam. Mostly just a tad of honey, rarely any milk, if he ever adds anything at all. He usually takes his tea straight up; the kind to sit around and Think at the table while it cools y'know.

Patton's actually kind of a coffee dude, but he doesn't drink it that much, and if he does, it probably wouldn't be very bitter and pretty doctored. Tea is too mild for him; just tastes like hot water.

Logan? Coffee for energy, but he likes the Calm tea brings. Flower flavors all the way babey, with a bit of honey and just enough milk to make it a bit richer. Since the coffee is purely for Energy, he doesn't give a shit what it tastes like, as long as it doesn't burn his fucking esophagus he's just downing it. 

Roman claims he likes tea bc it's Fancy, but he actually prefers Coffee for the chocolate/bitterness in it and the Energy, so there's that. He actually likes his pretty bitter, funnily enough. Really likes chocolate creamers and vanilla, caramel, or chocolate flavored coffee. 

And of course, Remus claims he prefers coffee and just downs it all the time (mostly for shits and giggles probably) but he actually likes tea more for all the different flavors and stuff. Plus it's always even MORE scalding than coffee so it's more fun to down! He actually doesn't like how bitter coffee is and if he did actually drink it it would be drowned in creamer I swear to you. He really likes honey in his tea and a bit of milk, maybe some sugar depending on the type? Not usually though. More fruit flavors the better man. 

Virgil drinks coffee in the morning for Energy, and he's pretty chill with it, but he kinda prefers tea for the calming shit it can give you. Drinks the coffee for the Energy, but refuses to just let it taste like shit, so he adds a bit of creamer and sugar, yeah. Mostly up for fruit and flowery flavors, honey all the way babey. Thinks sugar tastes like shit in tea.

Janus has a Large Campaign around trying tea straight more often, or just generally adding less sugar, mostly. Virgil is on his team, Remus is kinda on it depending on what tea you're talking about, and Logan is also pretty much on that train except for when it comes to things like english breakfast teas, stuff like that. 

Virge wears a pair of headphones around his neck a lot; they're bluetooth, and hooked up to his phone 24/7, basically. He just throws them on and nyOOMS out of the situation best he can when shit gets hectic. They're kinda like a security blanket kind of thing; nice to know that you have immediate access to blocking out the world around you.

His jacket goes about the same, sorta. In the sense that it's a security object, I mean. He just feels...safer with it. There are very few situations besides being Totally Alone where he'd feel safe without a jacket (but specifically the one he's Chosen for the time, though the Chosen One can change if he finds something new or better), but if he does hang out around you without one, know that he trusts you with all his goddamn heart and he is taking a Leap of Faith rn and you better not screw it up ok.

Jan's gloves and hat are in a similar situation. They're just. Always There. They just make him feel safer y'know

Also I'd die for it to be canon that Janus has a little snake under his hat

Roman and Remus totally make copies of their sashes to hang up at Christmas

Yo but like,,,,,,,,,what if the sides' heights correlated to how long they'd been like...around?

Like how long it'd been since they manifested yknow

Pat is like. Emotions so he probably showed up Immediately. Same for Jan, considering he's self preservation. They're almost exactly the same height. Logan is just a small bit shorter, since he's partially curiosity and he showed up just a bit later. The original King would've been the same height as the other two, but...what about Roman and Remus?

So...the Split probably had to have happened after Virgil showed up, which took...a While. He's super short. Now the question is, would the twins be the height of the King, since they're technically part of him, or Tiney-like smaller than Virge-due to when they split?

...just for Tiney Virgil Rights, we'll make em tall. They're exactly the same height, of course, but Remus likes wearing heels.

All the Og Boys are the same height as Thomas-maybe a bit taller?-but Virge is like. A head and a half shorter than most of them. It's hilarious.

All the sides garden, for their own reasons

Virgil does it for the calm, the monotony, and the bright colors and smells. Plus, it just...feels really nice knowing he helped something stay alive. Makes him feel a lil better about himself.

Janus does it because he's been doing it for...a long time. Not to mention the calm of it all, digging your hands into soil and planting something new...plus, the flowers are always beautiful. Always have been, always will be. Tending to them is like...caring for an old friend. And he has so many memories with these flowers...old and new.

Plus he can plant his own tea leaves which is fun.

Logan does it partially for the monotony, partially for the care, partially for helping something to live. Partially for feeling a little something for the little guys; just...a feeling of saying hello again, having...a conversation with the flowers.

Less science, more emotions. For just a moment.

Patton does it because it's fun!! Because the flowers are pretty, the smells are nice, he can plant vegetables, too, the garden just feels nice, it feels like having more friends…

So many good, good reasons.

He'll have conversations with his flowers, and he's named them all.

Most of them haven't named theirs, but they do talk to them every now and then.

Roman does it for the calm and the prettiness and the scents. And just the concept of a pretty garden...excellent. And it is rather nice, just absorbing yourself in the work of it all...it's like all your cares fly away.

(They all agree with that, if only a little.)

He also has a venus flytrap or two...just gifts from Remus. 

Remus does it because 1, fun, and 2, weird exotic creepy plants are so cool!!!!!! He's got all kinds of stinky but fascinating plants, yeah, but he also has some really pretty vivid ones. He also has a soft spot for roses…

(...the King was known for handing them out, back in the day, for fun. The twins...never let it go, even though they're unaware.)

He actually has some nice smelling ones here and there, but he mostly bases whether it's goin in his garden off of it's exoticness, coolness, or cool colors

They also all know flower language!!!

Janus knew first but when Jan taught Virgil about it, he went NUTS over it

Jan taught Remus, but Virgil taught the light sides

After he learned they had gardens too, he went '!!!!!' and info dumped about flower language for a whole half hour before he realized what he was doing and stopped

The others urged him to keep going, and to visit their gardens someday and tell them some details on meaning

Now, most of them may be swayed by meaning when it comes to choosing whether or not they're keeping the flower, and they've even named some of them off the others

Remus, especially, could flip on a dime on a no or yes depending on a meaning and if it fits a friend well

Generally, though, they all chill out in each others' gardens a lot and talk abt their flowers!!

It's part of their daily routine

They all eat breakfast and then they leave to tend to their flowers

They have their own outside gardens, like. Connected to their rooms (with help from the twins, most likely) but they also keep some inside their rooms

Patton keeps cacti and little tiny flowers in little pots here and there. ("They're my little friends!!!!") They all have names, just the same as the others.

!!!!!! Also he totally goes into his tiney frog form sometimes after he waters his garden and chills in the moist soil, or even in the little plants around his room

Perfect place babey

Virgil has a few with calming scents scattered about. Maybe a few bright ones, just so they stand out

Logan...concept: bonsai. Why? Bonsai...cool. Also he can observe it's growth. It's fun ok

He also probably has a few he's doing experiments on and even maybe a few he just liked a lot yknow

Jan...probably just a few who's meanings he liked. A few pretty ones, a few calming ones. And…

One who's meaning reminded him of Remus, and one for Virgil.

After Virgil left, he set it on the dining room table.

It returned to its former spot on the counter when Janus was finally part of his family again.

Patton has a little plot he's set aside for the plants that remind him of the others.

Janus has a similar one. It used to be just Remus' and Virgil's; two lonely souls…

….but now it's filled with 3 more, neatly arranged.

Their family has grown so much.

Also Janus totally does the same thing Pat does but in his snake form. Like he just settles into the dirt and sunbathes.

Sometimes, one of them will come over to the other's place and they'll just chill in one of their gardens together. (Half the time, Patton is sitting on Janus' head, nestled under Janus' little snake hat as best he can, probably with his little frog nose sticking out.)

More than one of the sides have stumbled upon it. Every time, they just take a picture, gaze at them for a little while, maybe say hi, maybe not, and be on their way.

Roman probably plucks a rose every now and then and sets it in a vase. Not that often; just a while after the last one decays, and only one at a time.

He's nice to his rose bushes, ok? He swears to you.

He also totally has a few tiny, colorful ones here and there and some really nice smelling ones.

Just realized, he ABSOLUTELY has a honeysuckle plant. Same for Pat. That's like,,,,,,the Staple of excellent smells and pretty flowers AND childhood man

And...after he bonded again with his brother-or maybe even before-he planted one that reminded him of him…

But it's tucked away in his bedroom. Who knows if it even exists.

Remus just goes NUTS with whatever he wants inside his room, man. Cacti? Totally. Venus fly traps? Yeah, one or two. Colorful flowers that he just likes the looks of?? Hell yeah babey!!!

And...he himself has a flower of his own, tucked away upstairs…

...but he's had it for far, far longer.

(He may or may not have had to change what it was after bonding with Roman again, but hey, people change yknow?)

Also!! They all like poetry-writing AND reading

Janus likes it due to like...just. The pure elegance in the craft, I suppose. The way feelings, beliefs, and philosophies can be expressed.

It's all so interesting, how something so deep can be put into simple words.

His are usually elegant, with old-themed writing and deep metaphors, deep thoughts on philosophy and emotions that can only be expressed through odd metaphors and quiet words whispered by his pen.

Roman likes it for similar reasons; it's such an elegant way to express yourself, there are so many metaphors you can wind in there, and it feels so mystical, in a way...it's such a short little thing, but pure emotions can be injected straight into it.

He has so many. He...there's so much to feel, so much to write, so many ideas, all the time. But no matter what, they're full of metaphors, flowery language, the occasional serious one where he simply...pours every drop of sadness from his heart onto the paper. 

He happily injects the emotions he doesn't want into those packed words, filled with so much.

He has his fair share of mystical ones, though, describing old beasts and monsters and songs and soulmates and love.

Virgil likes it due to the emotional outlet it can be, and the pure craftsmanship of it all. Just...the way some poets weave stories together...amazing. 

His are often straight vents. Simple words, straight metaphors, lots of short lines and stanzas. Just...conveying things with the words straight from his head.

Remus likes it for the themes poems can carry. So dark, and maybe sad, and yet so simple; not gruesome, simply...heavy.

It's almost what he aspires for, in at least some aspects.

He also loves it for the dramatics of it all and the history, just as Roman does. Drop the love of the romance, though. However, he does adore how emotions can be conveyed.

His are just as mystical as Roman's can be sometimes, though his are often more about horrors lurking in the night, of course. He's prone to throwing extra emotions into his poems, as well, ones he doesn't know what to do with except throw overboard.

Logan likes it for the emotional outlet. For the explanation of emotions through metaphors, like puzzles for him to solve, to try and figure emotions out. And how much that can make him feel, so much packed into such a tiny package.

He has his own of those; small little poems that have...so much emotion poured into them, for when his cup runs over and the emotions he can't handle try to splash out on the ground and stain his carpet, stain the hearts of his friends and even his own.

He also enjoys the philosophy and even psychology in it all.

As mentioned, some of his are...simply filled to the brim with emotions he can't handle, straight vents. But as for style, he often writes with simple concepts, a lack of metaphors, big words that convey the same idea but are hard to understand with the common eye.

Patton likes it for similar reasons; there are so many emotions packed into poems, so many complex ideas he loves picking apart, so many metaphors that rely on emotion that he understands immediately.

He has his own fair share of vent poems. He has so many emotions that sometimes…he just. Needs somewhere to put them. He doesn't use big words, and uses a lot of winding explaining instead, but his metaphors and analogies are always flawless. He always knows what he means. 

Sometimes they just sit around and talk about poems, poets they like, recommendations, how they managed to get into it, stuff like that. Double whammy, sometimes they chill in their gardens together and talk poetry or even integrate certain flowers or flower language into their poems.

Roman, Remus, and Patton go out when it rains and just...have fun. Sometimes Ro takes an umbrella and just twirls around a little bit, enjoys the atmosphere (as the feeling of it all is what he loves the most), but sometimes Remus manages to convince him to come play with them. 

Remus just likes the rain cause it's fun to play in, yknow? Also, mud! And worms!! Worms!!! Worms are so cool, those wiggly little guys.

All Sides Confirmed, worms are cool, they have worms in their gardens and also worms are just generally cool dudes.

Pat likes it cause Frog, duh. Also it's fun to play in the rain, ALSO duh!! 

Lo considers rain just. Smth that happens.

Virge likes the atmosphere of rain and likes the smell that's in the air afterwards, but doesn't like getting wet. Thunderstorms terrify him too. 

Jan likes the Vibe of rain, same as Virge, and also likes the smell afterwards, but he likes to stay inside. Yknow, cuddle up with a nice cup of tea (or even hot chocolate, if he's feeling extra cozy) and a book and just listen to the pitter patter.

He doesn't exactly enjoy thunderstorms, but he's good at tuning them out. (And he's also excellent at calming Virgil down during one.)

So when a storm hits the mindscape (or however the hell it works) Pat and the twins will go outside and the others will stay holed up in the living room, drinking tea or hot chocolate and just Chillin.

Sometimes they even invite Thomas, just for fun. (And cause they mentioned it to him and he was affronted at them that he wasn't able to see Pat and the Twins just have fun in the rain.)

Sometimes, rarely, Pat and Ree will eventually convince Thomas to join them in their fun. (Ro or Ree can just magic him clean anyways.)

Catch the twins conjuring up feather pens whenever the hell they want to 

Janus absolutely has a pet snake or two. They just sit and hiss at each other sometimes 

Pat? Yeah, a couple frogs. He mostly keeps them in his garden, though; they're only really his pets in the sense that he feeds them and talks to them sometimes. 

The twins probably share their theatrical strengths 

Like,,,,,,Remus? If he's a villain or even slightly shitty as a person, he's got it. Plus a lot more complex characters

Roman? Can do dashing princes and kind characters excellently

Like...they just. Can't do some characters, because that's what the other can do. Y'know?

I don't know, maybe they aren't actually so...split down the middle? But I like the idea of that I guess

Sorry this got so long! I've been collecting these thoughts in a doc for a *while,* so it grew a lot. I can't add a read more either, since I'm on mobile...sorry.

[la-paritalienne]

hellooooo 🍭 how are you?? Just letting you know your fans are waiting for your usual song by song review for Chemtrails 😇 if you want to do one!!!! Xx

😍😭 omgggg this is long overdue :((( i’ve been neglecting my tumblr for a series of reasons – some of which regrettable – and i can’t believe this slipped my mind! please let me know if you see it and thank you for asking. i’m always amazed that someone cares. without further ado!

white dress: i looooove this as an opening track, the breathy voice is perfect and the song sets the tone for the whole album, both vocally and lyrically. the chorus is super catchy and got stuck in my head from the first listen (which was before the album came out hehe), i adore the look how i do this, look how i got this part. downatthemaninmusicbusinessconferece kinda makes me laugh but at the same time it’s iconic and different. also, i wish i could keep this for myself but i feel compelled to say that the way she sings down in orlANdo reminds me of sweet brown’s i got bronCHithis fgkgkkg so yeah funny AND iconic sums it up.

fave lyrics: ‘cause it made me feel, made me feel like a god / kinda makes me feel like maybe i was better off

8,5/10

chemtrails over the country club: this was by far my fave single, although i wasn’t obsessed w it at first as i got after listening to it within the album. from the first line, it just makes your stomach twist in that bittersweet way. i love the laid back production, the lyrics are poignant and gorgeous (there’s nothing wrong contemplating god, i’m not unhinged or unhappy i’m just wild) and i adore how mundane stuff meets poetic imagery, plus the astrology references... not to mention how brave it is to wanna share those placements (jk, no hate). the different vocals, the falsetto, the layering... it’s just so good. also this might be an unpopular opinion but i think the title is genius and i absolutely support this as a title track.

fave lyrics: you’re in the wind, i’m in the water / nobody’s son, nobody’s daughter

9/10

tulsa jesus freak: this was my fave from the first seconds, it’s stunning, bittersweet, i loooove the production (the little autotune over hurry up gives me chills). i can’t even comment properly because i love everything about it.

fave lyrics: like a little piece of heaven, no more candle in the wind

10/10

let me love you like a woman: i think the opening promises more than what the song delivers, especially the chorus is maybe a bit underwhelming? but tbh after a few listens it grew on me too, i love the high notes and the lyrics are sweet. the first line remains my fave part tho, the way she delivers it... also the verses in general, simple and honest and kind of bratty (i guess i could manage if you stay / its just if you do, i can’t see myself having any fun, so), i can’t not love it.

fave lyrics: talk to me in songs and poems / don’t make me be bittersweet

8+/10

wild at heart: this one gives me old lana vibes, like somewhere between ultraviolence and honeymoon, especially the verse – i’m just obsessed w it. the chorus sounds a lot like some other songs of hers, maybe a little too much for me to enjoy it completely (esp mariner’s apartment complex, her vocal runs sound exactly the same??). anywayyy it’s just a very beautiful song. at first i wasn’t particularly bewildered by this album, like i recognised quality but that was it, but after a few listens i have to say it’s impressive how consistently good the songs are.

fave lyrics: i love you lots like polka dots / you’re killing me more

8-/10

dark but just a game: the hidden gem of the album, competes w tulsa jesus freak for the n.1 spot in my heart, actually maybe it holds it rn, i’m just stunned by it. it almost sounds like lizzy grant’s repertoire, but with lana’s maturity and nonchalance. simply a gorgeous reflection on fame. both musically and lirically i just find it impeccable.

fave lyrics: life is sweet or whatever baby

10/10

not all who wander are lost: ok this might be my least fave (spoiler: with the cover), it’s pretty and the lyrics are good, maybe slightly basic? and it just doesn’t stick w me, it kinda sounds like a poem slightly sung? the background music is maybe too feeble and there’s no memorable melody, if it makes sense. however, the look at me, look at you part elevates it quite a bit. (i mean, it’s no ‘how you like that’, but i liked it)

fave lyrics: the thing about men like you is you got a lot to say / but will you stay?

7-/10

yosemite: another not-fave, maybe this and the previous ones kinda feel like fillers to me, like for my taste, i like them and would never skip them if listening to the whole album, but they wouldn’t make a separate playlist. however, the chorus of this is kind of catchy, although the metrics in we did it for the right reasons kind of bug me, idk why! i also find the song a bit too long and monotone! yes to the candle in the wind reference (again!) tho.

fave lyrics: isn’t it cool how nothing here changes at all?

7/10

breaking up slowly: up there w tjf and dark but just a game. why the fuck isn’t nikki lane credited???? she is insane, when she opens she sounds like stevie nicks and her armonies w lana are perfect. the lyrics are simply heartbreaking and the country feel of it all is unexpected and fresh within the album. love love love

fave lyrics: we might be breakin’ up after this song

10/10

dance ‘till we die: spoiler alert, this song kind of bored me until the rock break??? iconic????? it’s still not my fave bc the verses are a bit too slow and unremarkable to me, but That Part just levels everything up.

fave lyrics: but sometimes, this ranch feels like my only friend / and life doesn’t always work out like we planned / we keep it movin’, babe

7,5/10

for free: i love both weyes and zella, although i find the mix of them + lana a bit confusing, like individually i can tell them all apart, but none of them brings the rawness and contrast w lana that other features of hers did (nikki, stevie!!!). also im sorry joni but i really don’t like this song?? maybe the original is amazing and im an ignorant for not knowing it and it was them who made it so boring and lamentous? idk. anyway. it’s a cover so idk if the vote is more for the song or for the production and adaptation or what but yeah. strong lyrics of course, but this is my opinion on this version of it

fave lyrics: and i’ll play if you’ve got the money / or if you’re a friend to me / but the one-man band by thе quick lunch stand / he’s been playin’ real good for free

6-/10

sooo overall i really loved it and some of the songs i particularly liked are among her best ever to me, though that’s like 100 songs by now so, quite a big list. what did you think? again, thank you for caring and sorry for the delay ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[fanguuuhhhrl]

Im kinda obsessed with I-Land right now. I love 23 boys and if possible i would like them all to debut but the elimination is in 30 minutes so im going to post my top 12 picks before it airs (kind of in order, kind of not, im biased, this is based on an unsure mixture of skill and personality, could change but most likely not):

1. Sunoo- BITCH!!! WTH!!! I JUST LOOK AT HIM AND MY SEROTONIN LEVELS BURST THROUGH THE ROOF!! He is a puppy!! He is amazing. If you didnt know anyone yet and you put all 23 boys in a line up. He will draw your attention with his sunshine smile :)))) he is so heartwarming. Most people be like "i have no filter" but they just be mean, but this guy is different, he literally has no ability to hide what he thinks but it never comes off as anything negative. He says "Me! I can do it!" but it's just endearing and never comes across as trying to show off. He says "there was a little bit of friction" and when the members look at himshocked, he looks at them shocked too.... theres no dull moment when he's in frame. It's so amazing how pure a person can be. But know that i am not just rooting for personality but for talent. his voice... His Voice!!! Vocally geonu and heeseung really slayed the butterfly performance but if you ask me, "save me" had a more emotional attack. His facial expression is just brimming of feelings. His voice is so raw. Also You know that part in save me where he transitions from head voice into chest voice really smooth??? You'll know what im saying if you see it. thats so fucking satisfying that i had to replay it so much. I definitely replayed the save me performance more times honeslty. And the way he dances!!! It might not be That refined yet but that's the charm... it's so raw and full of emotions... so like him. I can see myself stanning this group long term if he debuts with them.

2. Jungwon- tf i love this boy so much. his visuals already stood out to me when they were entering i-land, then his voice stood out to me in the first challenge... he did that hard ass choreography without any audible changes to his voice that i had to rewind that multiple times (more than the editor already did) then the moment i saw him dance the center in episode 4??? BOY???? BOY!!!! that was my breaking point... i can't believe im saying this about men but i already knew i would die for him... plus he is so sweet :((( his eyes are just so naturally cute but i was so shocked in the last challenge when he was able to pull off that fierce ass look.... i am devastated... im about the same age but my parental instincts are at work here. plus SPOILER ALERT to those who plan to watch he won first place in both the first and last challenge can everybody say jungwon ace

3. Geonu- my feelings for him are much like jungwon :((( except theres more parental instincts... and i say this despite being younger than him but whatever age is just a vibe... HE IS SO LIDDOL :((( i want to be his mom :(( at first, personality wise, it's hard to notice him bc he's a little calm and laidback... but its the little things that draw you to him :((( his glasses and hoodies just seem a little bit big on him and that just makes me smile for some reason... he cries silently when people are sent to the ground and he gets along well with the people... i noticed him first together with jungwon in the first i land challenge because they had the most stable performance. but i've never been more attached to him than when he sang butterfly (favorite bts song anyone??)... i honestly thought they could debut then and there and i wouldnt bat an eye... also it's so funny that the one thing i identified him with during the early episodes was the fact that whenever the camera pans to him, he just has the dead eye stare and parted lips (think: pokerface but confused) especially with the huge ass glasses but in the end the poker face thing that stuck to me became the thing that worked against him i cri

4. Jay- hold on folks this is going to be a long one. Jay has such a powerful personality that at first made me hesitant about liking him... idk he just seemed like the guy i would not vibe with in real life, but the longer time passed, the more he became one of my favorites and i root for him now like crazy. at first it was funny when they kept rejecting him for the vocal parts, but the more it went on, i was so sure that if it was me, i would have cried and dropped then and there, but it was so amazing watching him push through that and he didnt even lie about how he felt. his unique determination is such a breath of fresh air, a little heartwarming and oh so inspiring. i honestly learned a lot from just watching him. the time he went to the ground was so crucial to his development as a person, leader and performer. it was so mindblowing when he became the leader at the ground and even adapted heeseung's teaching methods. you know that meme "improvise, adapt, overcome?" he is the exact personification of that. what i loved about him the most is that even with his steely determination, he didnt enforce or project that on the other grounders, he just shared it with them. he understands when they need rest, encouragement or massages. he was such a caring leader. Skill wise- i can't say anything. He already proved himself so many times. Great dancer and potential vocalist. The mnet specials also show how much sweeter he is than the show shows him to be. He takes care of everyone, and has more of mother duck than street gang vibes (and he knows how to cook!!). And at the end, while he seems to be mostly self- oriented about debuting, he ends up spending most of his time teaching others and helping them improve. I just love him. Debut Jay 2k20!!!

5. Sunghoon- tf this guy is so cool and laidback that i didnt even pay much attention to him during the early parts but he just keeps crawling into my heart because so many members love him so damn much??? and he just goes along with them?? they want me to do triple axel while average people can't even do a single axel on a trampoline?? ok imma give them a double axel tho. jake is challenging me to arm flexing? yeah why not? k wants me to dance?? yeah lemme just spin 50 times. jay wants to shower together?? weird but im not strongly against the idea. ej wants to scare people? count me in. someone needs a hand to hold?? ok here's my warm hand to the rescue... everyone just wants to be his friend that he birthed my favorite sunoo scene "im cuter than him [jake]" and he was just like "yeah ok i guess so" sksjsk sunoo is that how you ask someone to be your friend jshdk??? and can i just say? as a figure skating fan, he has automatic +52536 points... and when the judges said he's the most natural performer out of them??? i vibed with that hard.. he dances well so naturally and he takes your attention without even seeming like he's trying to. that dance performance with k and jungwon?? i thought at first that his energy wouldnt catch up but damn boy my eyes were just trackingnhim the entire time unintentionallu that i had to rewind and he was just as great as all of them... with the additional benefit of being a stunt boy!! and though it might seem effortless, we saw that he practiced so hard for it. overall a 100/100 boy with a naturally charismatic personality that bleeds into his performance... as a fellow 02 liner i would also like to apply as his bestfriend thank you

6. Heesung- what can i say except he's a perfect boy ok thats it why are you still reading... jk... ok lets talk about him... skill wise?? I cried during the butterfly performance. i marvel at his vocal stability. his voice is so crystal clear. his dancing is so clean. his skills are superb but most of all, theyre already so refined. there's nothing more i could ask for. personaloty wise... i also have a lot to say... despite his celebrity status, it's awesome how he can make the other trainees comfortable with him. he's kind and soft and lovely.

but because i am me, i have to overanalyze people so idk skip this if you dont like that. for someone who's experienced being an academic achiever... i sure do vibe with his personality a lot... you know when there's a group activity and you're so sure you can lead it well but you don't want to? half because you dont want to come off as a show off and half bc you genuinely still have self-doubts, and you're scared of falling short of expectations. Also, you feel that if it all fails, you'll be responsible so you have to feel that everyone approves you before you can take leadership and show your entire thing. And the moment you feel validated and take the reins, you start unconsciously projecting your perfectionist attitude on people??? yeah... i love that despite being an almost perfect person he still has issues most people can find relatable and that, in addition to the talent makes me want to root from him. (im also going to take a stab and guess that his mbti is probs ixxp) i'll be honest tho, because its like 100 percent sure now that he'll debut, im not super attached to him??? i love him tho but he's just not in any danger so i can just let my support for him chill. i think amidst this, bc most of the trainees depend a lot on him, i mostly hope for him to take care of his mental health

7. Daniel- awww danielll... i went into i-land not knowing anyone's ages so i had a brief whiplash feeling when someone said daniel is 15... it's because he's so emotionally mature?? like he's such a supportive and caring person that it barely struck me the that he might be the youngest?? he already caught my attention when they performed "any song" bc they just seemed like they were having fun and doing their best without the pressure of whether they would win ir not, and for me that attitude is something you'd see from more experienced performers. and during the second ep when he just felt the need to comfort everyone bc he's got such a high score?? i loved that an i was so bummed out when they eliminated him. the save me performance was definitely a cherry on top that i just had to love him more than i already do... he may be young but he's as ready to debut as everyone else.

8. Jake- jake is just one of the people who showcased so much growth between ep 1 and ep 2. he already had the right attitude when they performed crown and he just had to improve skills and stage presence, and improved he did. despite being one of the trainees with the shortest training time, he was the one teaching the others by the end it just supports my theory that he might have been an ace as well if he just had the same amount of training as everyone else. im also truly in love with his mischievous antics. he seemed like an introvert to me at first but he came out of his shell and i love that. also i just crave more moments of him and sunghoon's friendship (they both seemed like introverts who found someone they could be extroverts with in each other) i am 👌this close to storming i land and demand that they let me join their merry little band of 2002 children

9. Niki- dance skills= 100 he's just so good it's unreal... it's insane... everytime he's on screen i hear boss musicand i cant even imagine him being younger than anyone, let alone taki. i get why some people dislike him but honestly i think it's just because they don't see him as a child... but he is. i was honestly a bit mad for him when they kept guilt tripping him into leading all of them, and i understood his tjought process when he thought he just kept failing everyone and when he thought things just kept backfiring on him. he is held on such a high pedestal and i dont think he deserves that kind of burden. as for me, it would just be a waste of talent to let him go. his attitude could still improve, as we'd seen when he eventually volunteered to help everyone. i also felt bad when he said that he's scared he might not be voted bc some people dont base on skills and i love him and i just want him to kmow that he's loved

10. Taki- what the hell can i even say?? he's the kindest softest boy ever. he tries to see the good in people and is very hardworking... he listens to people well and actually follow them, so he improves a lot... he knows people think he's cute and he tries and tries and tries to look fierce if the song calls for it... he is amazing

11. K- i really can't say anything, he really stands out during performances. also very pro at dancing. his choreography??? *chef's kiss* and i think the younger trainees depend a lot on him, besides heesung and so he's good at keeping the team together.

12. EJ- im really hesitant about the last person to be the twelfth i lander because it could almost be anyone and i wouldnt be too bummed out bc theyre almost all equally talented... the thing with ej tho is he already gets along well with the i landers and has harmony with other members. (plus see above: im a sucker for the 2002 line) i think its a tiny bit unfair to base it on this bc the others didnt even get a chance to show what they can bring to the group so im torn.

bonus: i wouldnt feel too bad if it were jaebeom (he has great voice, the producers think he's not too stand out bc he's weak at dance, but the i land is already so full of people whose expertise is dancing, so i think there should be someone who's specialty is singing), kyungmin (i really appreciated how hard he worked during the last test and it actually paid off, i honestly noticed him there even if he was always at the back. i also loved his determination and i was so touched when he and jaebeom were talking and he said "there's really nothing to do but believe in the impossible right?" it's just that the i landers were already ahead of him in terms of skills so he failed the votings) and hanbin (i've watched his cover videos and he's really good at dancing and stage projection. like i was honestly wondering why it wasnt showing in the performances :((( and he hadnt even had too much screentime to actually See what he's capable of.

[universal-kitty]

   So!! @sosoftandsweet​ asked me about my boi, Yoshirou... He’s an Okami OC I’ve made that I ship myself with and because he’s an OC, you all can’t ship us if you don’t know about him!

   So, take this at last! A post about my kitsune boyfriend, Yoshirou~!

Faceclaim is Yuuzan Yoshida from Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun! ...Well, for his human disguise. His kitsune disguise is represented by arctic fox icons and in-between form is Keaton (Fire Emblem).

He comes from a clan of ice-white kitsunes that live in Kamui. Their clan tradition is, after a certain amount of years (about 200), they expel the young foxes from home to travel the world, and learn things on their own. It’s believed this allows kitsunes to gain their tails faster and live longer.

Both are connected, so. No wonder...

Another clan within Nippon follows this idea as well...and that’s how Yoshirou eventually meets the red kitsune, Akemi. They quickly forge a bond and, as far as they’re concerned, are basically siblings.

Akemi is younger than Yoshirou by a few hundred years. (Akemi is three tails; Yoshirou is at four.)

They’re also opposites in elements! Yoshirou is more lively in the winter (his native element), where Akemi thrives in the summer.

However, Yoshirou... Well, he’s a bit of a stick-in-the-mud. Poker face for days, snappish to new people/anyone he doesn’t trust. He even speaks in monotone to strangers!! Befriending him feels like a daunting task when one on one, but that’s why Akemi’s good to keep around; she’s the reminder that he’s a softie at heart, he just needs to see that in new people before they can see that side of him.

Once he softens up, it’s easy to see why he latched onto Akemi like a sister; he’s naturally protective, but just the right kind of playful. The ideal older brother figure anyone would want in their lives. If he was in the modern day, he’d be the type to listen to Akemi’s venting, drive her anywhere she wanted, and sometimes even buy That Thing She Couldn’t Afford.

You can see why he’s Ideal Man material.

Also, his kitsune abilities make him the ideal protector, so like. Again, you wouldn’t date him WHY??

The only downside is that he and Akemi do worship Ninetails (aka the motherfucker who took over Ryoshima Coast with a friend) as some kind of idol (think the celebrity of kitsune-kind), but this is largely only due to nine tailed kitsune being so uncommon and their might being....mistranslated over time. From a violent beast who killed many (and nearly killed many more) and held false power to a mighty kitsune who obtained all his tails naturally.

Yoshirou probably wouldn’t be surprised about the truth (very “don’t meet your idols” about it), but Akemi would be so sad.

Well, with this much known about Yoshirou... What’s he like in a relationship, right? Let’s get into that.

Yoshirou in a Relationship: While he keeps his head held high, looking so refined and elegant any other time... Softened by love, he’s a flustered mess more often than not. Sleeping? He swoons quietly, heart squeezing at how peaceful and gentle a sleeping face can be... Pouting? Oh, he’ll tease about it, but there’s that soft look again...

Akemi would joke her big bro is gonna make everyone sick and Yoshirou wouldn’t hesitate to say he doesn’t care. He’ll feel bad if Akemi doesn’t like him being too mushy, but he adapts; he’ll save mushier moments for alone time, then. Anyone else, however? Deal with it. He’s in love and proud of it.

Protectiveness amplifies. Now, I personally don’t mind it, as his protectiveness lulls my anxiety, but... If his S/O was more of the “free bird who can protect themselves” type, there’d probably be a few fights about it. His heart is in the right place and he’s not obsessive, per say, he’s just paranoid about losing them or them getting hurt.

...Not to say kitsune aren’t possessive, on occasion. There’s a lot of fighting between groups over things/places/etc., so it does run in their blood to a certain degree. Yoshirou has learned from humanity how to temper it and thus, teaches Akemi how to do the same, so they hurt as little people as possible.

He’s one of the lucky ones, to have learned of kindness and violence...or so he sees it as, since Akemi can learn from him without experiencing as much pain.

His body is littered with scars due to his past. People trying to kill a fox, usually, not realizing he is a kitsune in disguise. He’s a little embarrassed about them, as he recognizes he has a handsome build (he’s TONED), but thinks of his scars as a detriment from being as attractive as he could be. (Which is BULLSHIT, but. We’re working on that.)

His energy boosts in winter, so expect him to be a bit more like Akemi during this time. (While his poor summer-sister whines like she’s perma-sick.) Lots of energy to spare, will throw snowballs... Might change to his kitsune form and rush about, snow seeming to be brighter and sparkling when he runs through it, tails streaming behind him......

Loves cuddling in his kitsune form. His outer coat has a chill to it, like frost, but the longer you stay among it/sink into his fur, the warmer he gets. For a winter fox, he is a HEATER.

But this is also why he hates summer; it makes his coat thin and STILL the heat is unkind to him... Pouts so much and doesn’t want to do much of anything that isn’t laying around in ice while in fox form or swimming. Whatever feels better in hot weather.

“Does he purr?” Me, a bitch who loves purring HCs: Not specifically; it’s more like a rumble-purr... Close, but no dice, but nobody’s complaining. I’M not complaining. This is what I’m about.

So clingy when he sleeps. Struggles to fall asleep while cuddling, but you wake up in the morning with him half-over you and legs tangled together. It’s bliss.....until you need to get up to use the bathroom. Then good luck wiggling free from the clingy bastard-

My Okami SI has their own animal form- a three-tailed cat- and Yoshirou loves messing around with it. Kitsune form? We’re either playing tag or I’m riding on his head. Fox? He attempts to playfully bite me many, many times. Sometimes, I’ve been the cat and he’s gone walking around with me purring like a motor in his arms. It’s.....adorable.

Local man with Resting Bitch Face walks around Sei-an City with his happy cat. Nobody understands why this cat is so happy, but certainly a pet must bring good luck.

Only children are allowed to hold my cat form. I am terrified of everyone else, Yoshirou knows this, and if someone tried to take me from him, he’d get pissed and on the defensive immediately.

I am the Autumn to this seasonal merry-go-round. (We’re just missing Spring...) Akemi jokes a lot that this is how we ended up together; Autumn always is paired together with Winter, isn’t it?

Naps in animal form help him sleep faster...but it’s largely bc I always purr happily when around Yoshirou.

Akemi claims he cried once, when he went out on a patrol to find me and Akemi cuddled up together, sleeping. Yoshirou fervently denies it. I don’t quite know who to believe...but leaning towards Akemi.

It’s so easy to make him blush, but he makes me blush so much easier and it’s like...... Wow, rude. Of course you have the advantage with your handsome face... Yeesh. (To which he probably says something like, “Oh? Like I don’t get distracted by how beautiful you look?” Which....kills me in one hit...)

I gave a few headcanons about us in this ask, as well! [HERE]

   Anything else just ask, heyoo.

[thrcshold-blog]

i’ve been laughing at this gif for five minutes straight, hELPSFDKJGSDF

hey guys !! i’m kat, 21 yo struggling uni student from east coast canada who’s whipped for fromis, boa and brockhampton and currently ignoring finals prep in favour of typing my soon-to-be bland and long-winded intro ! sjfkgdf so i’m gonna get to the point as quickly as possible and present my messy sagi baby, zoe who’s kinda just. cracked tbh. you can check out her ( slightly unfinished ) stats HERE, and like this or im me if you’d like to plot !

EDIT: btw, my d*scord's EXO'S BITCH#2030 if anyone wants to hmu over there !

< park jiwon, cis female, she/her, twenty-one > welcome to the witching community of chicago, ZOE RYU ! you’re a HEDGE WITCH right ? some of the locals around here have described you as being RESTLESS and CANDID, but others have said you’re PERCEPTIVE and VERSATILE. i guess i’ll have to see for myself. now, being a hedge witch, i hear you excel at DREAM MANIPULATION. the chicago witching community prides itself on having skilled witches so make sure to keep practicing !  < kat, 21, nt >

so i still haven’t figured out the full backstory with her but i’ll edit this a little later when i have my wits about me sjglfgd

that aside, zoe grew up with her parents in a suburb of halifax, canada and it was a fairly simple life they had — papa ryu's a hedge witch and is just living a chill life as a cop.. just handling a lot of petty crimes and traffic violations bc i’m p sure halifax is about the same criminally as my own province dklgsg

and her mom’s a green witch who’s like, the closest thing to a hippie that you can get given she’s got a policeman for a husband sgkdfjsgfdkl anyways she did her own Thing by running her family’s little garden centre uptown before delving into a venture with a uh, microbrewery 

that whole set up sounds Dumb but. one of her parents has to be cracked like zoe in some ways and it clearly won’t be her dad so ! moving on !

sdfhjhgsh so zoe was a middle child with an older brother and twin smols of opposite sexes, and the only one of the four to end up becoming a hedge witch, or showing signs of becoming one i should say, like her dad ! she was always an imaginative and creative kid — something her mom especially let her expand upon — and a little wise beyond her years

she often had vivid dreams and, in her soon-to-be proven crackhead fashion, would tell them in a dramatic, outlandish way

the bitch was born to be a Loud theatre kid. anyways DKSFGJDSGFK

her dad saw this and other little things as a sign that she might just become a hedge witch like him and was Hyped, so like any proud parent he.......... kinda projected buT with good intentions

ig ?? idk but yeah, a hedge witch she would become sdglkgdk

she did delve into her powers and was interested in being a Good little witch, but she likely didn’t make it her top priority if the rest of this intro will be anything to go by 

her school life was p ordinary, she was extroverted and enthusiastic but so fucking Annoying all the same

performed decently but def excelled in language arts/english. not just saying that bc Me but —

joined the drama club in high school and was a little thespian until she graduated and headed off to uni at acadia for an arts degree !

but after a couple of years, and despite the friends she had there, she took a step back. def the type of person to wanna escape and explore, and her studying so close to home limited her ability to do that

so she moved to chicago like, a couple of months before tr*mp became president-elect bc she would’ve cancelled everything, demanded her deposit back, had she arrived after that SKLDFGSDGFL

her brother had been a little more focused on his abilities than she had been at the time, and had visited a couple of larger witching communities to idk, see what they were like ?? since theirs was quite small in comparison; and he told her about them only for her to decide to check one of them out for a bit

and she picked chicago bc....... tbh she only really picked chicago on a whim, and her weird love for that one episode of victorious with trina doing her one woman show might’ve played the smallest role in it all KDSGJKDSGF

so she’s been here for a couple of years now and had started her studies again a couple of months back at a uni near her little apartment ( haven’t checked out possible places to add to her stats just to have a uni Set, so i’ll do that later gdklsdg )

and that’s really it for her bg !

PERSONALITY, SPECIALTY BG AND OTHER SHIT

so she needs action or something of interest in her life to keep her Up, but the feeling can fade quickly

like i said, she left her province — and country — to experience more, both in her abilities and in general; and while the latter is a little defunct given her time here already, whatever else comes with it tends to keep her from wanting to run off to the next enthralling adventure as soon as she possibly can

she also can’t sit still for v long if we wanna keep this short and show less Grand ideas sgdklfg

given her partially goofy ass, it’s hard to fathom her as being a blunt, serious or even snide person, but she can be given the situation or..... perhaps it’s just how she is in the moment sdjgsfdg

zoe does, however, show her blunt side in a more quick-witted, casual way than serious so it’s unlikely that you’ll see her act up, and uncommon but definitely not rare to see her be mature and handle shit accordingly

idk if that made sense but we’re gonna keep going for now sdgkjgdf

she’s a solid, loyal person, but she’s also quite observant and wise — well, wise when she wants to be anyways

and she’s definitely NOT a mary sue, but she is, as i said in her app, versatile

she’s adaptive in certain settings and situations, she doesn’t limit herself in what she can and can’t do and is a semi-functional multitasker DGKHJDF

the second thing prob has something to do with her ( over ) confidence but anyways

uhhhhh last but not least, she’s a Crackhead.

SFJGDDFSG

she’s a living, breathing level 4 shitposter and my patience is definitely gonna wear thin with this brat, i sweaR

tho at the end of the day, she’s chill despite it. by some miracle at least

when it comes to dream manipulation, she’s always found it to be cool

and one thing that makes it rewarding and interesting is how it would help her little sister with nightmares when she started becoming proficient at the actual manipulation aspect of it

bc who wouldn’t use a power to help a distressed kid :(

eventually it’s escalated to her just chilling with her mom in her dreamland bc phone and skype calls are boring af and not enough for them to be dumb bitches together sdgfklsgfdj

and to just fuck around with her neighbours and what not. in a good way

........ for the most part, the witch can’t guarantee that the rude girl down the hall won’t see her long-time crush run off with zoe out of subtle revenge for knowingly closing the elevator door in her face when she had her arms full of grocerieS —

and while it is.. p invasive, it also fuels her creativity by using some elements as inspiration for her writing 

it’s an ethical dilemma that she wrestles with, rest assured folks

what else, what else.............

she’s good with her family if i didn’t imply it enough

she’s bi but..... girls disappoint her far less than guys so she has a Preference DJFGSKGDKF

likes to act like she isn’t a massive party girl but, she’s a massive party girl

how else will she release her pent-up energy ?? sgkjhgsdj

loves garlic fingers, but bc america’s behind on shit from what ik, she’s as disappointed as i am that she has no access to them

spits.

honestly, she’s just v atlantic canadian when it comes to food, her fondness for fog and the ocean and neither are Really a thing in this part of the states so she’s struggliNG still

uh, feels like the only one who’s following a more...... human life path, one not as connected to magic as other witches she’s met, and feels a tad embarrassed bc of it, but it’s what she feels most comfortable with

loves horror movies and halloween, is That bitch who laughs at the former and goes all out with the latter

thinks virginia woolf is a legend and is Right in doing so SGKDJFGD

idk what else to add so let’s end it here !

forgot to mention that i don’t have her plots page finished, so i’ll link it when i do !

[the-cat-chat]

September 17, 2022

Constantine (2005)

A chain-smoking, world-weary demon hunter helps a cop investigate her sister's death, plunging them into a plot involving the forces of heaven and hell.

JayBell: After watching the Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman and seeing Jenna’s Coleman’s version of Constantine, I figured it was time to check out this Keanu Reeves angsty gem.

I loved the world building in the movie. They managed to create an environment with its own rules and creatures in a pretty limited amount of time. And no matter what Anzie says, the special effects weren’t actually that bad. Technically, I also liked the way it was shot, the cinematography, the lighting, and the framing. It added to the atmosphere and tone of the movie overall.

The actors all did a great job in their roles. Keanu Reeves managed to showcase his character’s personal journey throughout the movie effectively. His character wasn’t too much of an asshole in the beginning of the movie, so he remained likable, yet still managed to change for the better in the end. It was funnier than I predicted a dark and dreary movie like this to be, which was a fun surprise.

On the other hand, I felt like the stick or spear of destiny or whatever it was called could have been included into the movie in a better or more inclusive way. It felt like a forgettable side point until it became relevant. And as much as I appreciate baby Shia LaBeouf’s performance, his character felt largely irrelevant and unnecessary. The movie would have been fine without his small comedic bits, and his character’s story arc felt like an easy way to get an emotional response from the viewer. If his character had more of an impact throughout the story, instead of just briefly in the beginning and end, then I would feel differently.

Rating: 7/10 cats 🐈

Anzie: I’ve always wanted to see this, but the fear of early 2000s cringe always made me think ehhh maybe some day but not now, and honestly- it may or not have been Something Corporate’s almost 9 minutes long, even older song from 2000, “Konstantine,” that for some unknowable reason wormed it’s way out of the deep holes of my Swiss cheese brain and convinced me that this weekend was the time to watch Keanu Reeves in all his glory smoke cigarettes and kill demons (yes that was a sentence, yes that’s how my brain operates).

And I thinkkk this was the PERFECT!!! movie to to kick off spooky season. It not too scary, but kinda funny just a bit- and although it’s two hours long it is totally bearable. And they better hurry up with the sequel.

The plot and story is really engrossing, and all the actors are great and well cast too- and they all really do well with creating the vibe for this movie, which makes up for the super funky early 2000s CGI. Small issue with the plot was the feeling that the main plot about the blade of destiny felt kinda unrelated and was forgettable while watching the other side of the plot, even though the two plots are actually one? But for being such an elaborate idea it feels like they did get the main point across best the could in 2 hours.

Soooo many actors are in this that I had no clue because I was blinded by Keanu Reeves’ presence. Most notably baby Shia Lebeouf, who was totally unbelievable driving that car, and the Narnia Witch. And we love a good cat cameo. My only complaint is Lucifer needs to chill it with the weirdness bc it was a lot and not in a good way, like yeah you’re the devil sure be a freak- just not like that.

Rating: 5.8/10 demons 👹

[stvrmwitch]

Book Tag

Thanks @mariedtofiction! Sorry it’s like 8 years late!!!

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

I still have some books from when I was a kid. The one I can pull from memory is On the Banks of Plum Creek, but I got that when I was about 8 and there’s probably some less memorable ones from when I was even younger.

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

Current: Motor Crush, Vol. 1 (I’m in such a Mood for comics)

Last: Mockingbird, Vol. 2: My Feminist Agenda (MERCORGIS!!)

Next: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (v excited!)

3. Which book does everyone like and you hated?

Pretty much anything Cassandra Clare puts out. No specific reason, I just couldn’t get into her writing.

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

Narcisa: Our Lady of Ashes by Jonathan Shaw. When I bought it, it was something that I thought I could be into. But in the few years since my whole worldview has shifted enough that it lost its appeal.

I still want to read it, but the chances of that happening are so fucking low.

5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?”

All of them lmao I’m so slow to pick up new stuff if I can’t read it in one sitting. That’s probably why I’ve moved toward comics. 

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?

Depends, honestly. Like if I’m really stressed out, I’ll skip to the end or look up reviews. But if it’s intriguing but not in a way that makes me anxious, I won’t spoil myself.

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?

I tend to read those. I do find them interesting, but usually what happens is that I’m not ready for the book to be over. Or more specifically, I’m not ready to detach myself from this thing that’s consumed me for 400 pages even though I know it’s over. So I’ll keep reading whatever remains, which leads me through acknowledgements.

Plus they’re sweet. Like authors are the reason the book exists, but a lot of other people put work in to actually produce a hard copy (and the ebook) both on that production end and by supporting the writer in daily life. Acknowledgements are a kindness, the least I can do is be like “aww it’s v sweet that you matter to this person who’s given me a gift.”

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

anyone rich and gay lbr

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?

The Land of Stories series (esp. the first two books) really marks that fandom period of my life. Like it’s a very specific Era of Me where I knew my interests and buried myself in them and openly shared them with people who returned my enthusiasm. It was a very positive, exciting time overall. 

Now I have hangups with the writing and tone of those books, and I’ll likely never read them again, but I do associate them with fond things. 

10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.

I don’t think I have any interesting stories like that.

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?

Regretfully, I’ve given away books that were like limbs to people who didn’t appreciate or deserve them. I’m that person that does too much, and I’ve become closed off over it because I’m trying to learn limits. There are few people I’d do that shit for is what I’m saying.

12. Which book has been with you to the most places?

uhhh idk fanfiction

I traveled quite a bit during those fandom days, and the only stuff I was reading was fanfic for a very long time. I always had my ipad and read constantly. If I wasn’t obligated to do something else, I was reading fic.

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?

I did shitty in English classes in high school (jokes on me for becoming an English major), so I skipped a lot of the required reading tbh.

14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?

When I was sorting my bookshelves last week, I found annotations in a used book I bought. Hadn’t noticed them when I bought them at all whatsoever! Notes aren’t really strange, but that’s literally the only thing I’ve ever found in a book that I wasn’t expecting.

15. Used or brand new?

idc tbh

New is nice, but used is cheaper.

16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?

Having read next to none of his work, I can’t fairly say. But I hope the consensus is literary genuis bc he’s a chill dude who’s honed his abilities and I know he didn’t put all that work in to better himself and his writing just to be called an opiate of the masses.

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

Divergent. I actually saw the movie first, maybe that’s why but honestly the book is so annoying because it’s always right there on the cusp of being good and then it’s not. 

18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?

Ughhhhh I’m mad about this because I really like the book, but The 5th Wave was a truly shit adaptation. I know people bitch about “it should’ve been in the movie” on a regular basis, but the problem I saw with this one is that they left too much in. 

19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?

Nope!

20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

My own???? I don’t have irl ~book friends~ or religiously follow any reviewers. I just kind of browse around on my own time.

Tagging: @authorrjcity @rawr-booklover @firstdove15 @superangstyreads and @booksarehereforyou

As always, if you’re tagged don’t feel obligated and if you’re not tagged you’re super welcome to play anyhow!

[somanypetals]

ok ok ok. are you a spuffy fan? i feel like i've seen spuffy on yr blog and if that's not true then please ignore but i've been thinkin recently and i'm very interested in what you think/how you reconcile spike's attempted rape?? bc as a spuffy fan i love them together but i also can't ignore this part of their history in good conscience. was it ooc? was their relationship building to a horrible climax? i'm just very interested in what people think abt that writing decision

omg I’m sorry for taking so long to answer this, I wrote like half an essayand then firefox crashed and I got grumpy about it for a few days lol ;___;

anyway in short: do I ship it? yes. is my relationship with the shipcomplicated? fuck yes. can I reconcile the attempted rape? on a base level, no.on a character level, I am able to move past it but not look past it. on awriting level, I don’t reconcile it at all. was it ooc? yes and no,which is the interesting part

this got really long and I’m hoping that I can remember everything I wassaying before I had to start all over again (rip) but I’m sorry it got so longunder the cut

so I do still ship spuffy, but I have a really complicatedrelationship with it. I’ve shipped it since I was a tween, before I reallyunderstood the unhealthy parts of it (rape scene aside, which I was very clearon), and I’ve come to see those in a new light the past five or so years, butI’m still also someone who is very adamant about people being allowed to shipwhatever the fuck they want in fiction whether it’s unhealthy or not becauseit’s fiction, and at the end of the day I’m shipping something because I findit entertaining or interesting, not because it’s the paradigm of relationshipexamples. in fact most of the time it’s not, because I find most of thoserelationships boring on screen. so like, I do still ship it, but not the way Iused to?

 anyway, was it ooc? in terms of mythology canon I don’tthink it was ooc at all. spike had no soul, he was at a base level evil. I don’t think this excuses theattempted rape at all, nothing excuses it or forgives it, but it does explain abit how the spike who dressed buffy’s hand wounds at the start of the seasonwas the same spike who flipped a switch and attempted to rape her near the endof the season. spike never became “good” when he had no soul, he was like aferal animal on a leash. he learnt to play relatively nice with others andbecame fond of some of his owners, but he still wasn’t cured and if you tookthe leash off at the end of the day he would have bitten them. yes, spike lovedbuffy in his own soulless way, but he still had a literal, animalistic demoninside him (we even see in angel in over the rainbow etc. what the actual demoninside vampires is like at its base level) and no soul to control it—only theintellectual knowledge that some actions would get him in buffy’s good booksand some would get him in buffy’s bad books and so he kept it under controlbecause he wanted her and he also wanted to not be killed by the scooby gang.again: this does not excuse the attempted rape at all. nothing forgives it. butlike, it does explain why buffy and many viewers are able to move past it. Idon’t think that on a mythology canon level it was ooc at all, I think thatpeople just forget that spike was stillevil when he was being nice to buffy or dawn or joyce. I think that’s partof the reason it’s so hard to piece together whether spuffy really could workor be good as a ship, because the show never separates spike with a soul fromspike without a soul the way they did with angel. with angel it’s so clearlytwo different people, but with spike it’s a muddy mess of the same thing and ifyou don’t write spike with a soul differently to how you wrote him withoutone—how are viewers supposed to forgive him for what he did?

 was it ooc on a character level though? that’s a wholedifferent thing because that opens the can of worms of spike being ooc ingeneral. the spike we see in season four onwards is drastically different fromthe spike we see in season two, and I do think part of that is just plain oldcharacter development but I also think that part of that is due to them wantinga slightly different character when he became a regular? spike was almost woobified by his own writing team? I don’t thinkit’s anything like the character assassination of britta for example, and Iwouldn’t even call it character assassination, but I do think that at somepoint late during season three or early season four they decided they wanted aspike who was funnier, a bit more sympathetic, and a bit more worthy of being afan fave. it's less like character assassination and more like characteradaptation? I feel like they saw that james had this excellent comedicpotential and wanted to use that, and I’ve seen that with other characters onshows too. I think they had to bend spike a bit along the way to get the spikethey wanted and who they could have fun with. he went from spike the genuinelychilling villain, to spike the comedic relief, to spike the stalker, to spikethe coping mechanism, to spike the love interest…and it definitely wasn’t astraight line of development. they definitelyhad to bend the character along the way and lose some of what was thereoriginally and add some of what wasn’t there. and like, it’s not necessarily abad thing, like I fuckin love comic relief spike and I can totally understandwhy they might’ve been like “fuck this james guy is good we want more of that”,but I do think that on a character level they ended up with something that wasquite frequently messy. if you’ve taken this villain and woobified himyourself, then even if he is still evilit’s not surprising that people are surprised or find it ooc for him to attemptto rape buffy because they made him a puppy with a temper instead of a wolfwith a playful streak, and then suddenly his fangs come out again. andobviously to a degree that was the point of it, to remind viewers that he wasevil and he wasn’t good and buffy forgot that, the scoobies forgot that, everyoneforgot that, but at the same time if you woobify a character that much doesthat point land? or does it just become ooc? I think a spike in love with buffyand protecting dawn and getting flowers after joyce died could be consideredjust as ooc as a spike who attempted to rape buffy. he became a bit of a messycharacter if you really think about it for too long, and they never separatedhis soulless state from his soul-having state enough to keep track of it

 so anyway, on a character level I’m able to move past itbecause I think at the end of the day…spike didn’t have a soul when it happenedand he was written kind of weirdly over the course of the show but I still likehim. I move past it as a viewer because I wantto move past it, and because I find the spuffy relationship interesting (yet Istill want more/better for buffy always? man, I said it was complicated hahah)

 NOW, FROM A WRITING STANDPOINT

 bullshit bullshit utter fucking bullshit.

 why though? well apart from the reasons I’ve already mentionedabout kind of messy character writing and it being impossible to tell whichparts of spike are ooc or not…………the attempted rape scene was not about buffy,before during or after it happened

 they wrote it as a gateway to spike’s redemption arc. theytraumatised their main character, this beautiful female character and one of mytop favourite characters of all time, to boost a man’s redemption arc, andthat’s just fucking awful and we’ve seen it too many times and buffy doesn’t deserver that bullshit.

 now I don’t know whether there’s a solid answer on whetheror not spike went to that demon at the end of season six to get his soul or toget his chip removed, but it also like…doesn’t matter, lol? I personally alwaysread that scene as he went to get his chip removed so he could kill her, andthen the demon was like lol psych herehave a soul! which I think also makes it easier for me to move past theattempted rape, because then it didn’t literally lead to him choosing to go have a redemption arc andbecome a better man for her, but like a lot of people do read it the secondway. and either way!! it’s a crock of shit!!

 not only did they put in this scene so they could kickstartspike’s redemption, instead of picking some other non-rape or non-violence againstbuffy related plot point to lead to him getting a soul, but then they sort ofmade it all about spike in season seven too?

 they do address bits and pieces of buffy’s trauma afterwardsand how it impacted her, but way way too much of the focus was placed onspike’s guilt and spike’s wanting to fix it and how it impacted spike etc., sonot only did they have buffy almost raped to kickstart a man’s storyline, butthey barely focused on her trauma over the “trauma” of spike and that’sjust…fucking awful. like it makes me so mad and it makes me feel so gross.

 as a writing decision I think it’s sexist, disgusting, lazyand unforgivable and the biggest fault with what is literally my favourite tvshow of all time lol (you wouldn’t think it is from this rant?? but it is?? andI like spike and ship spuffy??? god this is a mess) and I think it was probablythe worst fucking writing decision on all of buffy (and this is the show thatkilled tara, a literal lesbian angel)

 and honestly……the fact that I am aware of and think it’s theworst writing decision possible almost makes it easier to move past from acharacter standpoint? because it was a bad writing decision, it takes some ofthe weight off of spike’s actions for me and I’m aware that it was stupid and grossand it would’ve been better if spike tripped and accidentally fell into a gravethat had a stray soul in it that he inhaled.

 I don’t know if that makes sense, in fact I don’t know ifany of this makes sense…but it’s like: spuffy is interesting. to me they havechemistry, they have narrative and trope appeal (even though it wasn’tfulfilled, or wasn’t fulfilled right), they are two characters I likeindividually, and so…I continue to ship it and enjoy it despite the horriblefucking bad writing decisions that went down in season six. I know that evenwithout the attempted rape season or even without season six it’s still anunhealthy ship and it’s problematic (and I want better for buffy at the end ofthe day), but it is at a base level to me entertaining, and that’s what I likefrom my ships

 god this is almost two thousand words I’m so sorry I have alot of thoughts and I had to rewrite half of this so it’s really, really scattered and confusing butlike…yes I ship it, no I don’t think the attempted rape was a good writingdecision, no I don’t excuse or forgive it but I do move past it

 and in answer to what other people feel about the scene andship….it’s really divided lol, a lot of people feel like I do, a lot of peopleprefer bangel, a lot of people prefer spuffy, a lot of people can’t look pastthe rape at all, a lot of people look past the rape too easily, and a lot of people probably don’t know what to thinkor have no strong opinions lol

 god

this is two thousand words I’m sorry

[magicgeekponsol-blog]

could it be that no one else sent this before? ♛ - knights-queen and ♛ - mamachansenpai bc I wanna know your opinion about mama lol

Taken from meme: [x] ||Accepting|| ((You clearly hate me por quuuueeee))

@knights-queen​ @mamachansenpai​

my opinion on;

character in general: So as you and aoi both know, I have a huge bias for Arashi, as do I Izumi. Probably because those are the two characters I associate you both the most with, therefore bias. I mean they’re also just wonderful characters in general. So here’s what’s up: 

Arashi, from what i’ve been told is a narcissist. Very feminine, and I feel as though he’s also just like-- kinda dominant in a way? He may be very girly and stuff but he’s apparently pretty buff like dang child, CHILL. I’ve also seen art where he’s just yeah, large and in charge. The one I saw looked as though he was protecting Tsukasa from Izumi? I just look at that like //squints ‘does this happen often. Does Arashi get in the way often and stop Izumi from being mean to the Kohai? Eehhhhh???’ So pretty much this boy is a bit of a mystery to be tbh. 

I do know that he was apparently a lil shitstick in the past... supposedly. Though with a certain event, that apparently changed and he’s become the lil thing he is today. I believe he is someone who like, goes to many lengths for those that he likes? What was it, for a while he wore glasses because someone he liked did? Wasn’t it also that he joined a club because a teacher he liked was the advisor or whatever for it? Oh child. Well, From what I know, he’s a very lovable child, and though he’s a narcissist, he’s still pretty friendly, caring, and just a gentle creature until you piss him off. lol 

how they play them: So like, I only really know the enstar muses from like 2nd hand information really. So I can’t really say that I know them well. I’ve seen some things from the game so it’s like I have a few things to work off of. From what I can tell, aoi does well in making the guy a very lovable thing. I feel like his ‘higher than you’ kinda aura is a lil less? It’s like, as a narcissist, you have to see yourself in a high place and you kinda look at everyone like ‘ohhhh how cuuuuuuuuuute you all are~’ kinda high? I can’t really explain it well but I feel Arashi in age has toned down a bit-- however i’m very sure I only think that because I am speaking about the interactions with my muses. You simply cannot just walk up to Shugarl like ‘Awwwwww you’re so cuuuuuuute~~~’. I mean, you can, you’ll just die. So really Arashi had to adapt there, huh? I figure it’s similar to how he’d act around someone he had to respect like a teacher. Just a guess.

Now, when he’s interacting with other enstar muses, you see more of that. You see the way he kinda treats everyone like they’re really cute, or just sorta teasing them a bit. You gotta be in a high place to tease someone, you know? Arashi is also just really my pace about things, like the way he joins the track club to help him loose weight but doesn’t like to go too often because he builds muscle easily. Just a willful guy, honestly. You can still see that in aoi’s writing, especially when he’s dealing with Shugarl. The amount of suffering that model gave my guy. Amazing. All in all, I think aoi does a good job and appropriately changes things here and there according to muse. 

the mun: Ahhh I love aoi. We just talk a lot and i’m often indulged with all my shenans. I do love to be indulged. Let me be a troll and i’ll be happy. Let me be a angst magnet and i’ll be happy. Let me give my muses some happiness in life, and i’ll be happy. I also get sent cute videos and pictures all the time. Especially those of Arashi or Izumi. This is how you get my heart. Send me pictures of my biases. lol 

So like aoi always does their best when rp’ing. Arguably you can say that she can be a bit slow sometimes, but we all have our own pace. Sometimes people are more influenced by their moods and what not. Regardless, aoi does try. She also tries to keep things in line with her muses, and is also mindful of what the other muse will do. Gotta think reaaal hard when interacting with the Geripeta’s, ya know? lol aoi really just goes along with a lot of my BS which i’m always grateful for. Listens to me complain about life and just yeah. ... Yeah. lol Often tries to make Neo be a good girl by actually sleep or eat. A good friend. 

do i;

follow them: Yeyerp with them: Here and there yeyewant to rp with them:  ... yeye????ship their character with mine:  //ming. I mean... like... so like... he’d like that lol but I’m not going to let that happen lololololololololol-- So no.

what is my;

overall opinion: So pretty much aoi is a good person to talk to and bond with. An understanding individual. I’m a very passionate kind of person? I can get really riled up. aoi is a bit more indifferent, I guess? At least, that’s how it seems, but that’s not the case. aoi just doesn’t really show off emotion as strongly as a lot of people do? So that would be my word of advice to always remember. 

aoi is someone who will work with you and try to do things that will help you feel comfortable. If you have an idea, she will work with you the best she can to make your idea work out. Of course she will throw in her own ideas if she has any so it’s never just a one-sided thing. A very fair individual. A caring friend who looks out for you. If you are super emotional like I am, aoi is a good grounded person so she keeps me from flying off the handle a lot. Just talk to me and let me vent my frustrations by venting and then i’m good. aoi adores her muses and does try to keep on top of things though sometimes you know, you may not feel like it, or you may have lost muse.

Even so, she pushes through things, which is always respectable. All the muses are fun to read/interact with so I don’t think you’d be bored if you wanted to interact with em. Most if not all of them have strong personalities/quirks. you won’t be bored. A lovely person to add onto your ‘muns I interact with ‘list. 

my opinion on;

character in general: Did you mean, hello he’s a serial kidnapper? Okay i’m kidding (but seriously tho), this guy is Aesthetics. Neo loves the way he looks like hello there, come here often? Yeah? Well you don’t come round often enough, come around more will ya? I only know a few things about him from what you or aoi have told me. I know he used to be the leader of Ryuseitai or something, right? I believe he was Green? He’s now the solo unit member of MaM. 

Now, I do understand (sort of, begrudgingly) why he did what he did for Leo. I do, but at the same time I think about how it would look in the eyes of the public and it’s like dude, pretty sure in some ways, or even MANY ways that is illegal. Very much so. However, it did help Leo and it’s like... mnnnnn I wanna say ‘BAD BOY!, BAD JOB!’ but really it’s like a ‘good boy you helped a friend’. Still, like that way was like like WTF BOY???? 

I think he’s like what, a student who is constantly going on exchange student programs or something? Therefore he’s just always travelling? Like no one really knows how to reach him or where to like... find him? That’s really as far as I know. He seems like such a fun and loving character. He’s totally a kidnapper, but he does so meaningfully... if that... like pardons him a bit. Probably not, but hey. He’s pretty so I guess he can get away with it. No, more like this is people reading on with fictional goggles and everything is okay. With all honesty, it’s good that he knew what Leo needed and he took the time to help a friend out and help him heal. That’s a good thing. 

how they play them: Ahhh so like... I’ve been slacking so I haven’t really been reading all that much. After that one day I took off early because I wasn’t feeling very happy, I missed the start of a thread and since I came in like part way through I didn’t want to read bc I prefer to read from the very beginning. I can’t start from the middle. However, I’ve read a few sections of rp’s here and there sparingly. From what I can tell, he’s still the lovable and energetic guy that he’s known to be. Very friendly with all his friends and he seems like someone who is willing to lend a hand when they need help. I honestly don’t really even know much about him. I don’t really even know what his personality is like but I get the feeling he’s a lil weirdo, but a lovable one. If lovable is accurate, then aoi is doing a good job. 

the mun: I dun wanna repeat

do i;

follow them: Lol well ye, we gotta.rp with them: Nopewant to rp with them: Mmnnnn I’m totally up for it. We got so many threads tho and a part of me cries a bit with how much there are that I gotta keep track of.ship their character with mine:  Naahhhhh I’m not about to make this a square.

what is my;

overall opinion:  MORE REPEATS

**Note: Mun’s answer are all to be completely honest. Don’t send url if you don’t want brutal honesty.

[advicefor-yu]

my lease ends in august & i've been planning on moving bc my work commute was 4 hours total each day before covid & working from home. i want to move closer but i have such a hard time adjusting to new things that i'm scared. idk if i want to live with other people bc i notice how shy i get currently w/ my housemates. i feel like living alone would make me more comfortable but i'm afraid of getting lonely. i've never lived alone before. my boyfriend also told me that if i wanted to live together

then he's open to that discussion. living with him sounds great. i wouldn't be lonely, i'd be living with someone i'm already comfortable with, but i also don't want to move in with him just bc i'm scared of being lonely, if that makes sense? we've been together for 8 months & i need to start looking for a place soon & i just don't know what to do or what choice will ultimately make me the happiest. i know you won't have an answer for me, but maybe some living experiences of your own?

Do you see your relationship with your bf as a long time commitment? Do you feel as if you guys are in a good spot right now? Ykno like worked out the kinks, find out in depth about each others dislikes/likes. Do you think you’re open to the idea of waking up to him every morning or spending your nights with him? If you’re okay with all that and feel like you’d be more open to staying with him, then maybe you can move in together?  

It’s okay to be scared when experiencing change. If you want to live alone you can do that too. Think about every accomplishment or decision you’ve made in your life, those were new adjustments for you then weren’t they? You were able to overcome that and work your way around the change. So you will always adapt to new things regardless, that small moment of fear/anxiety will go away and won’t last forever. If you’re worried that you’d be alone, then you can always fix that up! For ex, if you start feeling lonely you can always ask your bf to come over and chill at your place, you can ask your friends if they want to meet up and hang out, you can always video chat with your family and friends to keep yourself occupied. 

It also comes down to what type of person you are. Like a lot of people like being around people all the time, others want to be left alone once they’re home. I’ve gotten used to living around other people, but I’m definitely trying to be on my own when I can afford it. You won’t know until you don’t try right? I think you’ll be find with whatever decision you make. Don’t focus on the lonely part too much, you’ll always have some thing to do to keep yourself busy. 

[dekumidoriyall]

Hormones are a bitch. Like I understand the cramps (I hate them) I understand the cycle of mother nature. But why the fuck does she have to make me so sexually frustrated omfg. The last three days were almost unbearable but WHATEVER. Anyway. She was actually nice enough this time to wait until I woke up and not just surprise me like last time... >.> So that's a plus. Also these Aleve help tremendously so my cramps aren't killing me rn. The usual fatigueness isn't so bad but probably why I suspect i was able to stay asleep in bed until it was actually light outside. Also ykw let me cuddle him this morning so that was actually kinda nice. It felt like it's been a while. I've just kinda stopped even trying bc he had said he's not like that really. Which is hard to adapt to considering Everytime i spent the night in his bed last year he gave me the impression that he was. But it's okay. Although tbh I probably wouldn't have been as interested in him just cause I'm a touchy feely person with people I am comfortable with. Like Kel I will just randomly hug forever. I literally still give my mom not enough personal space bc I just lay on her on the sofa when watching TV. I get it from that woman actually she spoiled me and my brother with attention and affection tbh. Like she'd always chill with us in bed in the mornings when dad went to practice and when one of us were feeling down she'd literally lie in bed and just like cuddle and play with our hair and let us cry or talk about it or not say anything and just take a nap with us. So I probably just equate physical affection to caring about someone I guess. And it doesn't have to be romantic bc like I said me and Kel are also touchy feely.

So again, it was nice to be able to be close to him instead of all the space between us regularly during the night. I already made my peace with that's how it is and I don't take it personally as much anymore. And I only say as much bc every now and then a small thought does creep into my mind about it and itll linger longer than it should sometimes. But I am getting better at just being like jazz just go to sleep and don't think about it. But I'm not fucking perfect. It used to be one of those things that really mattered to me and the it still kinda does. It's just the association of that with validation that doesn't matter as much, if that makes sense?

Anyway I know I haven't really written much in a while. At least things I'm thinking about and going through and tbh I'm kinda worried about myself lately. I haven't talked to my dad in a bit. And I've texted Kel here and there but haven't hung out. And it's all me. It's not like neither have reached out. I've been finding it harder to want to actually go out. Idk I feel in a rut. And I have to put on this whole facade of acting good and okay and like normal Jazzelle and it's been exhausting tbh. And it's only bc there's nothing to pinpoint to this rut. And some days it's not even like the grey depression I feel it's just I feel apathetic and lethargic. I feel discontent with my body. And don't get me wrong i still feel peace with all of this and God is doing a great work in me. Bc usually this sort of feeling will get me way worse, and the only way I've been able to even get up and out is because He has given me the strength, bc trust me, if I didn't have Him right now I would not have any strength my physical body is tired. My mind is minefield of potentially destructive thoughts. Honestly, I am navigating through it constantly these days but maybe it's cause I saw that sermon about changing the way you think? It's like playing minesweeper. I'm touching tiles I think don't have a bomb and marking the ones I have with red, instead of just clicking around everywhere in my head setting of bombs that set off other bombs. So while I'm exhausted, I still don't consider any of this as bad as how it's been before. I'm actually okay and nothing is particularly bad. There are things my mind wants to convert into bad. As in my mind has a way of making things hurt me more than they were originally intended to or hurt me when it isn't meant that way at all. But luckily I'm slowly getting the hang of choosing to interpret how I take things. Even if the intent is to hurt me, I don't have to accept it. It's a new strategy for me, but I've seen a lot of improvement in January alone. So I hope to keep pushing through February even better AND I THInk it will be. I pray it will be. Just bc January started out so piss poor and it literally just gradually got a tiny bit better in the last two weeks (backseat DJs is a LIFE changer) so I know if I keep focusing on Him, and all things good and pure and lovely and true and authentic, that his peace will provide me with a way. I don't know that I'll 100 percent ever be better but I am better equipped already to not lose those battles i thought I could never win. Like God didn't give us a spirit of fear or depression or anxiety He doesn't want that for me. And he's provided me with strength and resilience and self control and love and mercy and Grace and joy and peace and truth. I heard something about how all the devil has got to do is get you focused on yourself and your problems to take your eyes off Him, but I can tell you when my eyes are off Him, and the joy set before me, I might as well build my house with feathers bc that's how quickly I'm blown away. But when I focus on him and who he says I am in these moments I am not defeated. Not by my own personal monsters. Not by the devil. Not by anyone or anything. When my eyes are on him, my feet are on the Rock. So whatever this shit is that I feel I'm not gonna go clicking grey tiles. I'm just gonna click the white flagged ones and keep on going.