#but until then I'd like to know if there are ways to help the VAs affected

[cluescorner]

Pay the fucking Genshin VAs wtf?? Like, they’re 1/2 the reason I like the game and the fact that Paimon’s VA (who has the most lines in the game BY FAR) hasn’t been paid in 6 months is ridiculous. In the meantime, does anyone know how we can help support Corina and Brandon until they get paid? 

[hypernova-writes]

*in sad orphaned Canadian child voice* please... please do the rest of the pregnancy reveals, I'd give you a Looney, but I am all out. 🥺

a/n: Of course you can have the rest~! also only reason pyro isn't on here is that I have a fic planned with them about adoption!

Mercs finding out their S/o is pregnant! Spy,Medic,Engineer,Heavy,Soldier

Spy

You already knew how Spy felt about kids. And normally you two were so so careful because of this. You knew that he was Scout's father and how he was absent from his life. And you desperately didn't want to lose the relationship you had with him.

So you hid it. Swore Medic that he wouldn't say a thing. But the doctor was concerned.

"Y/n. I know you do not vant to tell Zhe Spy..but it could be dangerous if you go out on that battle field, and respawn vhile vith child." "I can't let him figure out Medic. I have to make it seem like I am normal."

You began shying away from his touch, not allowing Spy to touch your stomach, you hid the medicines Medic gave you for morning Sickness, and went out on missions as little as possible.

To Spy, something was fishy from the beginning. He'd notice you frequenting Medic's office, changing the size of your clothes, not wearing the stuff he'd bought for you previously.

Then when you started shying away from his touch, he just assumed you were setting a new boundary at first. Until he saw that you allowed MEDIC of all people to touch your stomach.

So today, he invited you to his smoking room, he saw that you were hesitate to enter, so he puts out his cigarette. He turns to you, his mask was off as he walked up to you.

"Care to explain.." He shows you the ultrasound photos, and you felt your breath hitch. He walked over to you to caress your face.

"You rather put yourself in danger, zhan tell me zhat you are pregnant?" "Spy-" "Non. I am talking. Why would you do zhis?"

Spy says as he lowers his hand to caress your stomach. "You put our child in danger. You're to stop immediatly. anything you need, I will take care of. Zhis is our child."

"I..I was.."

"Afraid. and zhat is my fault. but. I do not want to possibly lose you both because Of how i used to feel."

Spy holds you, allowing you to finally relax in his arm.

"I will be a better dad. For our child. I will not repeat my mistakes.."

Medic

(This is a bold of you to assume that Medic doesnt ALREADY kno-)

"Oh mein schätzchen! something has come up as an anomaly in your system! I'm gonna run some tests!"

Medic knew EXACTLY what it was, but he wanted to make sure that was what it was before he got all giddy.

He walked over and gave you a kiss before collecting the sample from you.

Medic was a wonderful lover, he always made sure to take care of you. His aftercare was amazing and he would always make sure that you were alright.

He was also the type of person to track your ovulation cycle. Medic really wanted to have a kid (i head canon that he is really good with kids-). So he tracked it so he would know when the perfect time to get you pregnant.

"Ah! My My I vas correct!"

He returns to your side and grabs your hand. "Ve're going to be expecting! You are pregnant!"

You kinda had a feeling, because of the morning sickness, but the giddy and happy expression on Medic face as he started to ramble off about baby things and eveything he needed to get ready and how he needed Heavy's helping building a crib was adorable to you.

"You seem more happier than I am baby.." "I Just might be! I've always vanted to be a Vater!"

Engineer.

This man RADIATES father energy. He'd already like the dad of the group (alongside heavy).

The two of you weren't trying to have a kid, but Engineer surely wasn't wrapping it before he tapped that sweet ass of yours. So when you fell pregnant, you were excited.

You would make your way to his workshop, ultrasound photo in hand as you skipped up to him. "Dell babykins!"

Engineer turns you with a smile on his face. "Howdy love of my life~. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

You smile as you bring him away from his desk, and making him sit on the edge of the bed as you begin handing him things.

First you hand him a mug that says #1 Dad on it. Then you hand him a cute baby tool set you had found made all out of squishy toys, this makes him chuckle.

"Awe thanks sugarpie-" "That isn't all!" "Now what in tarnation do you have there"

You hand him the envelope and watch as he opens it while mumbles somethings to himself.

"Now sugarplum what is th-" He cuts himself off as he sees the picture, he tilts his head before he covers his mouth with his hand.

The two of you stand in silence for a bit before Engineer feels the tears start to run down his cheeks.

"Y-you're..W-we're..?"

You nod, making him him pull you into a hug, he rocks you back and forth pressing kisses all over your face.

You could tell he was excited, no more words needed to be spoken between the two of you.

Heavy

(Think of this as a continuation from his kinktober-)

Heavy noticed a change in your routine ever so slightly

At first it started with you stopping drinking after matches, it peeked his interests because usually you'd share a drink with them after a battle well done.

He could understand that, he barely drank as it is, so when you stopped he respected your wishes.

Then he would see that you stopped eating certain things, staying away from seafood in particular, usually you were first in line whenever they decided to get together and make a seafood boil or bake/fry fish. You were turn it down, sometimes the smell alone got you nauseous.

Now when you stopped fighting? Oh Heavy was worried now. So he took you to Medic.

"DOKTOR! SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH WIFE!"

Medic runs tests on you, and asks you simple questions before turning to Heavy.

"Vell..Congratulations! your vife is pregnant!"

Cue Heavy wanting to SMACK himself for not realizing the signs. He helped his mother around when she was pregnant with his sisters, so he was surprised he didn't realize that's what was wrong with you.

"I..should've known forgive me.."

You give him plenty of kisses and just ask for him to give you a massage.

Soldier

You would have to break it down for Soldier.

Because while he does understand that women can have children, and that you could possible bear his child. But his understanding stops there. Like he's not that stupid, it's just he just doesn't understand womans anatomy completely.

"Solly, Look!" You decide to sit him down on his bed, showing him a picture of an ultra sound that you'd gotten done.

"AND WHAT IS THIS A PICTURE OF?" "A baby Solly! Our baby!"

Soldier tilts his head, "OURS?" Soldier takes the photo and holds it close to his face. "BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE OURS"

"That's because he's only a few months Solly, soon when he's born, he'll have our features."

"HE?" "Mhm. We're having a son!"

That'll make him excited.

He'll pick you up and twirl you around, kissing your cheek. He'll put you down and quickly ran out of the room.

"I AM GOING TO BE A FATHER!!!"

Pyro isn't in here because i have a seperate fanfic!!

[meanbossart]

I appreciate how you write Astarion so, SO much. I feel like way too many fic writers infantilize him to a point where I honestly start wondering if I'm the one who misinterpreted him so badly.

I'd love to know more about what you think of his character and his arc. Personally I saw him and immediately went "oh god this guy is gonna be the irritating tumblr sexyman of the year🙄" and it took me until Araj basically to warm up to him. What were your initial thoughts and did they change much while playing the game?

OH thank you so much!!! That's a shame if it's the case, and a little surprising to me, to be honest! While he's definitely written be an aloof jerk a lot of the time, I always found him to be surprisingly mature and introspective whenever he's not dishing out witty remarks. He comes off to me as the kind of person who learned to benefit from seeming dumber than he actually is, overall.

HAHA I had a VERY similar experience, not just towards Astarion but all the characters, really (I really disliked Shadowheart at the beginning, too). I had only seen pictures of him and pretty much expected a vapid character that was being carried to stardom because of a talented VA - and because people go nuts for anne rice style vampires lol.

While I was definitely enjoying his voice lines from the start (Again kudos to Neil) I definitely wasn't expecting much else. He piqued my interest after so devastatingly turning my character down at the tiefling party without me even having inquired, and that's when I, the gamer, was like "well, alright, I GOTTA fuck this guy now" (this is also where DU drow's personality began to come out as you can probably guess)

Obviously, if you have two neurons to rub together you can gather pretty quickly that he's not trying to woo you because you're so interesting and wonderful, so I started getting curious! With that dynamic being so different from what you usually expect of romances in these types of games, plus the charming way in which he is written, I started being won over.

I think what really did it was how gradually his attitude changed when responding to new, mostly trivial dialogue options and doing his greetings as you earned his trust, and ESPECIALLY with how he responds to your tav when you express any kind of fear or insecurity during his romance - which was with a lot of sincerity and confidence in his resolve to support you, and in you as a person, a complete 180 from his usual front - Which, again, makes me all the more surprised to hear that he's often painted with such an immature brush.

And obviously he has a DEEPLY ugly side to him (if you've read ANE, hopefully it's clear that I know this, and that I like to explore it just as much as anything else lmao) but it's very interesting to me how it seem to always come in the form of outbursts, rather than a constant evil-streak, usually followed by a glimpse of self-awareness. It feels very much in line with someone who's actually making a great deal of effort to manage their RAMPANT emotions and going through a lot of internal conflict in the process.

GAH. Yeah if you can't tell by this friggin' thesis I just wrote, I love the way they wrote this character a lot and I was definitely proven PROFOUNDLY wrong in my first impression of him - which, if that's not irony at it's finest I don't know what is.

And as an aside! I also very much appreciate that he's a "queer" coded character who's effeminate (in the Old Homo kind of way, but I digress) and flamboyant, but taken Dead Fucking Seriously. With as much progress as we've made in LGBT rep in media, I still often feel like gay men will only get that kind of treatment for as long as they "Aren't That Gay" (I know Astarion doesn't have a set sexuality - But lets not mince words: stereotypes exist, and he fits into most of them) and as a thin-wristed gay guy who's a little too found of linen shirts, I can honestly say that experiencing a character like that helped me with my own confidence.

[misty-wisp]

3, 13 and 17 for Asuka and 9 for another OC of your choice :3

oc development ask game

i answered 3 here so i'll go a number down bc i love answering these :3c

4. And reverse, which one of the four things (name, appearance, personality, role in the story) did you struggle with the most?

APPEARANCE. OH MY GOD APPEARANCE. okay so my self insert was pretty easy to put down bc it was literally just my sona but ASUKA. ough i had trouble with her design for a little bit.

like...okay. i figured out her hair style and color pretty quick. i got the idea for her scarf also really quick. i didn't have any casual outfits in mind (not until i designed them in like...the winter months of 2023-24) but i figured out how to alternate her uniform so she'd look like a unique character you could plausibly see in-game.

but HER THIEF OUTFIT. THAT WAS A WHOLE OTHER BEAST.

okay so. i'm pretty sure i always wanted a "witchy" motif with her thief outfit, looking back at old art. i also know i wanted it to be purple because that's my favorite color. but i also also know in the first draft i wanted a butterfly motif. but i also also also know that deep down, the entire time, i took inspiration from umineko because their witch designs fuck severely. you can tell because i straight-up stole eva-beatrice's shawl

the problem was that i didn't know how to design characters at the time. around then i was used to only drawing school uniforms and hoodies--my ass was NOT prepared to design an actual like. memorable character design.

i drafted it again in 2023 with help from my lovely girlfriend <3 she drew up her own concept for me and i took some things from that and made what's now asuka's current phantom thief design!!!

she also did the same for asuka's persona, aradia! i don't think i ever showed her original design here actually:

i more or less kept the original design's outfit and put it on shadow asuka. i think it fits her :3c

13. Do you have a voice claim for the character? What do you imagine the character sounds like?

I DO!!! I HAVE A VOICE CLAIM FOR HER IN ENGLISH AND JAPANESE!!!

okok so i did once mention i was torn between yui ishikawa (2B from nier, stelle from hsr) and aoi koga (kaguya from love is war, sylphy from re: zero) and i'm still not sure tbh. i'll put clips for both vas here:

i'm an amateur va myself and i like to think in english i voice my own oc. and i think i'd do a good job at it! you can see me have a go at voicing asuka's awakening here

but. without me in the picture. i do still have a voice claim for asuka in english, and that'd be cristina vee! i actually set that into stone last night because i was having trouble filling out that one wiki page template and my ass went searching far and wide. and i wound up landing on one of my favorite vas in general, lmao

17. Are there any motifs or symbols associated with the character? How are they represented, in their design, personality or in some other way?

nooooot necessarily? i went with a "witch" design because i like umineko. and asuka likes umineko. she likes it a lot actually. i like to think it represents her living in fantasies in her head that were brought up by the stories she reads--she doesn't really know what reality is like until it really hits her. her mask does have a motif of drama since it's suppose to take elements from the comedy and tragedy masks too, but that's just a reference to her being a theatre kid. she should def have a bigger motif though....that'd be cool....

9. How big is their role in the story? Do they make a frequent appearance or are they a character with little "screentime" but big influence? Or are they just a favourite background guy?

answering this one for juliette! she's much closer to a background guy than any major characters--the biggest part of her character is her connection to sunday and the family, but that's where it ends. any interaction she'd have with other characters would only be in the form of her quite literally making illusions of them for company </3

who knows though. maybe we'll get a future story i can easily incorporate her into--i'm not entirely sure abt fitting her into penacony's storyline

[rikeijo]

Hi! I've heard somewhere that some lines of Yuuri's speech at the press con in episode 5 were mistranslated and that because of this, the speech comes across as if Yuuri doesn't know what exactly he is feeling for Viktor. I can't tell if it's really mistranslated, but I always found the subs in this scene a bit confusing. So, I'd love to know: how would you translate his speech?

Hi! Thank you for the ask!

I must admit that I've never properly watched Eng sub or dub version, and even though I bought the US edition to someday discuss some translation choices (that's imo super fun thing to do ✨) my only laptop that had a built-in DVD player broke down >.<

Sooo, I searched online for his speech in subtitles, but I'm not sure if the subtitles I've found are official...

"My theme in this year's Grand Prix series is "love". I've been helped by many people in my competitive skating career thus far, but I've never thought about "love" until now. Though I was blessed with support, I couldn't take full advantage of it. I always felt like I was fighting alone. But since Victor has showed up to be my coach, I've seen something totally different. My "love" isn't something clear-cut like romantic love, but the more abstract feeling of my relationships with Victor, family and hometown... I was finally able to realize that something like love exists all around me. Victor is the first person I've ever wanted to hold on to. I don't really have a name for that emotion, but I've decided to call it love. Now that I know what love is and am stronger for it, I'll prove it myself with a Grand Prix Final gold medal!"

If this is the official translation, then well, the overall message is close, I'd say, but at the same time, hmm... If you wanted to base a ""deep"" character analysis on it, it could probably lead you in a wrong direction... Especially the end is just mistranslated.

今年のグランプリシリーズで僕がテーマにするのは〝愛〞です。My theme for this year's Grand Prix series is "love".

今までのスケー��人生いろんな人に助けられながらやってきましたが、愛について考えたことは一度もありませんでした。In my life as a figure skater until now, I've come to the place, where I'm now, while being helped by a lot of different people, but I haven't even once thought/pondered about "love".

恵まれた環境にいながらそれを生かしきれず、１人で戦っているような気持ちでずっといました。けど、ヴィクトルコーチが現れて、僕の見ていた景色は一変しました。I've always been in a very favorable ["for me to be a figure skater" in this context] environment, but I wasn't able to make a full use of it and I always felt as if I had been fighting alone. But, Coach Victor appeared and the scenery I see [that is: the way I see the world around me] changed completely.

僕の愛。それは分かりやすい愛や恋ではなくて、ヴィクトルとの絆や家族や地元に対する微妙な気持ち。My love. It's not [general] love or romantic love that is easy to understand, but my bond with Victor, and the lukewarm way I feel about my family and my local community. [This sentence, imo, is often mistranslated, but you can also argue about how it should be interpreted in Jp. However, to do that you have to be able to notice nuance just from the intonation of the sentence... For example, imo, because of where the VA makes a pause in the sentence, it should be "general love or romantic love that is easy to understand" and not "general love that is easy to understand or romantic love", but grammatically both option are possible. "微妙", when you look for the definition in a dictionary, is often translated as "subtle" or something similar ("abstract" is just a mistranslation, tho), but, imo, from the context, it should be the more modern meaning of the world, which basically means nowadays "not bad, I guess, but I don't really know". That's why Yuuko was offended by Yuuri's word choice. Also, based on the intonation and grammar (no need to have two "や"s in one sentence when giving examples) "bond with Victor" and "feelings towards family and local community" are two separate issues.]

ようやく自分の周りにある愛のようなものに気づくことができました。At last I was able to notice the love-like thing that is around me.

初めて自分からつなぎ止めたいと思った人、それがヴィクトルです。The first person that I myself [the vector of the action starts from Yuuri, it's an allusion to what the Nishigoris talk about with Victor in ep. 2] wanted to tie to me [and don't let them go] is Victor.

その感情に名前はないけど、あえて愛と呼ぶことにしました。This feeling doesn't have a name, but I decided to dare to call it "love".

愛を知って強くなった僕をグランプリファイナルの金メダルで証明しますっ！ I'll prove myself, who got to know what love is and because of that became stronger by [winning] a gold medal in the Grand Prix Final. [The way it's worded suggests that Yuuri wants to prove his own "worth", not necessarily that what he says is true - it's not "I want to prove that...", but "I want to prove myself, who...".]

Oh, and by the way, if you read the speech carefully, Yuuri talks about "two loves" here - first, he explains that his theme is "love" and what that word "love" means to him - so "something like love, that is around him", and only then he starts talking about one more feeling - the feeling that doesn't have a name, but he decided to "dare to call love" - and that is what he feels for Victor. Because the word "あえて" is there, and it means "dare to", do something "daringly", to me it always felt as a variation/reference to the famous quote from Oscar Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas' poem "The love that dare not speak its name", but maybe that's just me ✨

[flightfoot]

Can you rec fics in which Gabriel isn't the main antagonist?

I mean there are plenty of fics where he isn't the main antagonist, where there's no antagonist at all (ML has a lot of fluff), but I'm assuming you mean fics where there IS a main antagonist but that antagonist isn't him, and probably a more epic sort of story with an antagonist on Gabriel's scale and not like, a high school bully kind of thing (not that there's a lot of those I'd rec anyway).

---

Stitched Together by @nedjsmlfavs

Stitch Witch Marinette was just supposed to be having a nice, terrifying outing with her best friends. She never expected to find a magically trapped kitten, but here we are! Whatever happened to this poor little guy?

Poor Adrien, being transformed and chained up for ages, having no idea that he was gonna be rescued. But at least he got to have fun at Marinette’s place as a cat! 

Most of this fic is adorable, though with some dark undertones lying in wait. After all, SOMEONE chained up that poor little kitty…

---

In Direct Opposition by @generalluxun

Alya Cesaire is a brand new student to Francis Dupont, to Paris even. The first student she meets is one Chloé Bourgeois, and Alya is determined to make a friend. Things advance Chaotically. Her new 'friend' is definitely a handful, and suddenly Paris has a supervillain and two brand new superheroes! Alya finds herself balancing a lot of things, trying to live up to her ideals and those of her icons.

And then reality seems to contradict itself.

As time progresses it seems to happen more often. Becoming a hero, battling villains, staying alive, working through friendships. Something is lurking, tweaking events at times, changing them, and no one seems aware. Alya will need all her wits to get to the bottom of this. Her investigative mind can only get her so far though, and then she needs to rely on her friends. This is not a foe you can beat head on.

I betaed this entire fic, it’s really good! I adore the focus on Alya’s philosophy here, her determination to be a hero, to help people and defeat evil - and that defeating evil means trying to reform the people doing bad things when possible, to try to save EVERYONE, even the “villain”. I thought it was really clever the ways Alya would redirect Chloe and subtly encourage her to be a better person, while also trying to get the people around her to give her a second chance and keep an open mind. 

Also Alya and Chloe are an adorable sapphic couple XD.

---

The Rules of Engagement by @overworkedunderwhelmed

When tragedy sends Adrien Agreste racing back to Paris to run his father’s fashion house, Marinette doesn’t expect much from her very new, very rich boss. At least not until she is set up on a blind date with a very familiar face.

Much to her surprise, Adrien Agreste was hiding far more secrets behind his stoic business-like mask of temporary CEO. Maybe as many secrets as she had been trying to hide for years.

As they grow closer, Marinette fears her mask isn’t nearly as foolproof. Day after day, it gets harder for her to keep all her secrets well hidden from the surprisingly sweet man who insisted on staying by her side as often as possible.

Only she couldn’t afford to fail. Not when her biggest secret could spell the end of the job she’d dreamed about for years.

They might not be superheroes in this universe, but secret identities are still active here. Both Marinette and Adrien used to be involved with the Ladybug and Chat Noir movies, and both kept that a secret - Adrien especially, since if his father found out about it, there could be some bad repercussions, as he voiced Chat Noir without Gabriel’s permission. Marinette, meanwhile, is well known for making cosplay (calling herself “Ladybug” after the movie), and has been in contact with “Chat Noir” for quite some time before the story starts - not that she knows he’s the actual VA.

It’s mostly an Adrienette fic with the two of them getting to know each other after their unusual “first” meeting, where Marinette pretended to be Kagami in order to scupper the date with Adrien and get Tomoe off her back, with some intrigue and drama thrown in. Lila’s skulking around causing problems for the people around her, but she’s honestly not the main focus here. 

---

Kwami Magi Homura Magica by Crossoverpairinglover

After eighty-four loops in time, Homura Akemi takes a new path to Paris to save her friends.

The sixty-third loop after that, Homura arrived at the Agreste Mansion.

After clash after clash with the heroes of Paris and its greatest menace, events have reached a tipping point.

Ladybug faces someone verging on a second wish, a wish that endangers space and time to save a friend.

This was an absolutely AMAZING story that crossoverpairinglover dropped out of NOWHERE. Seriously, if you like Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Miraculous Ladybug, this is a real treat - but be prepared to sit down and binge, because it’s over 100,000 words and only has three chapters. 

Anyway, I adore the care that’s taken with going through Homura’s mindset here, she gets a lot of character focus. And the lore! There’s some good explanations here for the history behind kwamis and Incubators’ interactions, and the Order of the Guardians normally treats Magical Girls, and why the Incubators are wrong in their assessment of the universe needing more energy to stave off entropy (hint: it involves Plagg), and just... there was a lot of love put into this.

And the action! Most Miraculous fics don’t have much in the way of fight scenes, and what they do have is mostly just functional. This is one of the rare exceptions. There’s some really long, detailed fight scenes in this (roughly the entire second half of the second chapter has one between Ladybug and Homura), which are a treat to read! 

We also get some glimpses into a variety of other universes here, other timelines, alternate ways things could have gone down - I’m especially partial to the rather detailed view we get of one where Homura sent a message asking for help to the Ladyblog on her third time loop, and how things progressed from there. 

The ending I also thought was really good, a happy ending that generally made sense and dealt with the issue of the Incubators. 

If you can’t tell I’m really happy with this fic, it was incredible and unexpected. The length of the individual chapters can be daunting, but if you’re up for the task, I highly recommend giving it a shot!

---

Dreams of You by @chocoluckchipz

Dreams had long been his only escape. Dreams of Ladybug, the girl who had always been there for him.

If only in his dreams. And only while she was also sleeping.

Because with the first rays of sunshine gliding over her skin, with the first fluttering of her eyelashes, from the moment she opened her eyes in the morning, memories of Adrien would vanish from her mind.

She would go on living her life.

He would always be the only one who remembered.

At least until they meet in the real world and fall in love all over again, something that would’ve been easier to do if Adrien wasn't a prisoner in his own home.

Chocoluckchipz has some of the most beautifully executed lovesquare fics I’ve read, and this is no exception. Most of the fic is dedicated to Adrien wooing Marinette, spending time with her, with her own dream self acting as his wingman, giving her tips on how to get her to fall for him, all the while frustrated that she can’t share memories with her waking self, and that she and Adrien can’t share as much information as they’d like while asleep, due to limitations of the “curse” that allows Adrien to share dreams with his soulmate. 

It’s not all cute Adrienette fluff though. There’s a threat in the background waiting to erupt, as the weirdness of Gabriel’s ultimatum to Adrien about finding Ladybug or else being forced to marry Lila keeps on gnawing at him - and with good reason. This is a world with magic and kwamis still, and that fact makes itself very relevant in the last third of the story. 

It’s a well-written tale and very much worth a read!

---

[gameguy20100]

Why Alastor works where other's fail.

So anyone who follows my blog knows that I have a large distaste for the growing amount of characters who act like villains but always get sob stories in an attempt to make me feel sorry for them. The most glaring example being Felix Fathom from Miraculous Ladybug

I'm expected to feel bad for this character and feel sympathy for him but his actions are indistinguishable from the villains of the story.

Yet, I don't in fact, I hate him. And I was sure I'd hate this archetype until I watched Hazbin Hotel. And Alastor, despite being a similar type of character swiftly became my favourite.

So what makes Alastor a good character and Felix fail as a character for me? Well, a big part of it is Alastor is a lot more fun to watch.

Pretty much every scene he's in Alastor steals the show completely. With a combination of his VAs impeccable performance, the animation distorting in various ways to enhance his creepy effects, and of course that constant smile. Felix doesn't have anywhere near the level of charisma and charm to make it work.

Probably the biggest factor is who these characters direct their hatred and malice towards.

In Alastor's case, while he's clearly not a good person his actions do actually benefit Charlie and Vaggie. The protagonists of the show and ideally the characters you root for. Who does Alastor antagonise? Vox, a character who is depicted with every negative stereotype of CEO's ever, and Adam, the main villain of the story. While he does rile up Lucifer, the bitterness is mutual and hilarious.

Felix on the other hand? He claims to be against Gabriel, but his actions end up helping him and making the lives of two people who have done nothing to him, and in Adrien's case outright love him and do everything he can to help him, suffer. I'm sorry but if a character causes the hero to do this

They are a villain.

But another major factor is simple. Alastor isn't annoying. What do I mean by that? Well, despite Felix's claims to love Adrien he's caused him quite a lot of trouble. The main instances being gaslighting his friends by pretending to be him and insulting them, then betraying Ladybug making his life as Chat Noir much harder. Yet he's never punished for it and we have to listen to him whine about his daddy issues. Alastor does let slip that something else is going on but he never whines about his "Tragic past" If anything he seems to want to make sure nobody finds out, he even threatens Husk for even mentioning it.

Nobody likes seeing bad people go unpunished or go on about how hard they have it. Oh? You blew up a building because your child died? Cool motive, still terrorism.

Felix however never shuts up about how hard he has it, and make it everyone else's problem to the point where I lose all sympathy for him.

Yes Felix, your life is so hard and tragic. Now can we talk about the time you did this?

Or this

Or THIS?!

Sexual assault, giving a terrorist magical artefacts and betraying an innocent girl, framing your cousin in the process, and Genocide. But you know... he had a hard childhood.

So maybe I don't hate the archetype. Maybe it's just a bad idea to try and make a character's archetype go against everything they've shown.

In Alastor I see a monster who's taking down other monsters and the narrative shows him as that,

In Felix, while the story wants me to see a tragic anti-hero, all I see is a spoiled brat.

[kilfeur]

Voilà enfin fini mon nouveau comic Rayllum avec cette fois ci, un cauchemar de Rayla mais Callum est là pour veiller sur elle. A la base il y avait deux scènes que j'ai pas mit au final, la première est pendant la crise de panique de Rayla, Callum fait toujours le truc avec le pouls mais descend sa main vers sa coeur. Pour qu'elle puisse sentir ses battements puis l'allonger en lui demandant de se concentrer sur lui et sur sa voix. Au final j'ai opté pour autre chose qui on va dire plus réaliste même si je pourrais toujours placer ça ailleurs. La deuxième scène c'est qu'après la discussion du duo, Callum était censé jeter un coup d'oeil à l'arc de Rayla. Pensant aux dernières paroles de Claudia jusqu'à ce qu'il sente la main de Rayla et lui dise qu'il aime quand elle le touche s'en suit Rayla qui l'entoure dans ses bras pour se réchauffer. Je trouvais déjà que ça traînait en longueur et même si j'ai pu mettre le câlin, j'espère que je pourrais mettre la scène de l'arc sur un autre dessin ou bien un one shot par exemple.

At last I've finished my new Rayllum comic, this time featuring Rayla's nightmare, but Callum is there to watch over her. The first is during Rayla's panic attack. Callum still does the pulse thing, but lowers his hand to his heart. So she can feel his heartbeat, then lay her down and ask her to concentrate on him and his voice. In the end, I opted for something more realistic, even if I could always place it elsewhere. The second scene is that, after the duo's discussion, Callum was supposed to take a look at Rayla's bow. Thinking about Claudia's last words until he felt Rayla's hand and told her he liked it when she touched him, followed by Rayla wrapping her arms around him for warmth. I already felt it was dragging on and even though I was able to put in the hug, I hope I could put the bow scene in another drawing or a one-shot for example.

________________________

Page 1 and 2

Rayla : Where I am ?

Claudia : You're selfish, tell me why I don't have the right! All I want is to keep my father alive?! Everything I've done is for my family! To keep him with me! So why am I being robbed of what is rightfully mine?! So tell me you elf… Why should you be allowed to have yours back?

Rayla : Your father wanted to invade Xadia. He allowed a kingdom to be corrupted for his downfall. And you helped him, turning your back on your brother

Claudia : You know nothing! He did it for the good of mankind! Don't try to blame me for anything! When you've abandoned and hurt your loved ones. You came back like a flower, thinking you'd be welcomed. Nothing was going your way. You're no saint! So don't accuse me and see your own mistakes

Page 3

Viren : Tell me, elf, was my hunt really worth it?

Rayla : Ca... Callum. No... I beg you... Don't look at me. Outside, we'll be attacked! I've got to go! Otherwise we'll never reach the tower! Getting Nova's blade is the priority, we can't take a detour! I must protect you!

Page 4 and 5

Callum : Rayla, it's okay, you're not alone. You're here with me and Stella, remember. Can you feel my pulse and my touch? Rayla, relax. There you go, breathe just like me. Good again. We've eliminated the creatures that attacked us. And we've surveyed the area, haven't we?

Rayla : Yes, I remember.

Callum : That's good, Rayla, keep going.

Rayla : And the air dome you created at Umber Torr. You remade it for this cave.

Callum : See? Then breathe again. We're safe, you have nothing to fear. Do you want to talk about it ?

Claudia : You're selfish.

Rayla : Before that, I'd like to know… Why are you so intent on saving my family?

Callum : Eh… Well, why not? Recovering Nova's blade and saving them is like killing two birds with one stone!

Rayla : But...

Page 6

Callum : Rayla, in those two years, we created our own path. We've moved forward and sometimes lost our way, but we keep going. Because we want to achieve our goals. And we've done things for ourselves. Because we thought it was the right thing to do. But also for others, so that they can live in a better day. And finally, so that we can grieve properly. But you have the choice of reuniting with them. You shouldn't waste it when the opportunity is there. You could have continued your hunt. And yet you've come back to us.

Rayla : There are so many things I could have done better. So many things I haven't told you about my two years without you all. Even with Stella, I felt so alone. I was so cold and had nothing. I wish I could have stayed with all of you for those two years. I regret it but I'm here now and I want to stay by your side.

Callum : Rayla, you've always had a place with us. Even when you're reunited with them, that won't change. I promise!

Rayla : You always find the words to soothe me. They are magic! They make me feel able to face anything. You bewitched me and I've always been under your spell. So I can only love you more.

Rayla : I had a nightmare I thought I was going to die.

Callum : Really? And now you're thinking about it?

Rayla : Not so much now that you're here. Of course you do, Stella

[oneofthoseghoststories]

This is kind of long.

I find it really interesting how many people had super high expectations for hazbin. Not saying it's a bad thing to have high expectations for shows. It's just interesting because most of these people seem to be newer fans. cool, whatever. With this, I think people need to remember shows that start out on YouTube, at least in my experience, never are top quality and everything they say it'll be. With Hazbin is seems to be for a few reasons.

I know this has been talked about a fuck ton, but yeah the pacing kind of sucks. Maybe that's because of it being 8 episodes, maybe it's because animation is still not taken seriously, maybe it's just shitty writing. As a writer I don't think any of these are really great excuses. As a viewer, I'd rather have it end on a cliffhanger and not get a season two if it means we'd have a fleshed out plot line.

2. Vizi can't take constructive criticism to save her shows lives. I want to be clear that I've heard she's a shit person but don't actually know what the reasoning is behind it. But this seems to be a common occurrence with her works. It doesn't help that she's side lining her main character in favor for the men either.

3. This is tied in to pacing but the plot is kind of everywhere. There's countless characters introduced and then ignored like they aren't quite sure why they've been added. SHE SIDE LINES HER MAIN CHARACTER!! Charlie is in no way my favorite but we're supposed to empathize with her and root for her but her story is bland.

4. I know it seems crazy but the fandom tends to play a part in this as well. I can't even begin to count how many people in the fandom blatantly ignore canon sexualities and say they'll never recognize them just so they can write smut fics about the characters. I really don't care about the fanfic but it seems like erasure if you say you'll never accept it.

I will say there are some things the show does pretty well. The songs are catchy, and are done well. The VA's are putting their all in to it and you can really tell. The animation is good, I've seen people talk about wonky angles but I didn't really notice them. It's a good premise, it's unique and has the chance to be really, really well done, but it has yet to truly live up to the expectations the fans have had since the pilot.

That being said, I did like the show, it's good for what it is, an adult cartoon filled with crude humor, with so-so writing. There isn't anything inherently wrong with that either. But I feel like we've been tricked it trying to consume only "smart" shows when sometimes "trashy" shows are just as fun. Point is, yeah the shows not great, but it's not horrible either. If you liked it cool, if you didn't, also cool. You gotta accept that people's likes are subjective. Otherwise you may end up living a miserable life.

until whenever

-ghost

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

REMINDER: it's okay to rewatch a show you liked or a book you love as a young person and realise that, hey, nostalgia and the exact person you were when you first engaged also played a part

sometimes, they're just weird shitty shows or badly done books, but to you at the time you fell in love with them, they were perfect

and that's okay

accept that there's a thick layer of nostalgia on your memories, read/watch it again if you want to or not, it's alright to admit it's sily or awkward or just a strange plot now you think anbout it

you don't have to get defensive, or die on the hill for something you don't really love all that much now but you did once, etc

sometimes you have a story that hits you at the right time, no matter how weirdly scripted or awkward, or is now not like... great when you have the context that you missed as a kid...

and that's normal.

part of you can still love it, remember it fondly for what it was in that time, in that place, at that moment when you were a fan. but you don't have to defend it until you're a defeated husk of a human being hating everyone around you for questioning things you like(d) a dozen years ago. it's not an attack on your childhood or who you were to grow aup and realise things had subtxt, or were not the way you first read/saw them.

for example, we all liked the flinstones right?

you rewatch that recently? wilma and betty have to ask their husbands' permission to do a LOT of stuff, very religious onsense wrapped in caveman attire with the 1950s attitide.

does that mean the idea of dinosaurs also helping with everyday stuff wasn't fun? of ourse not. but you can see why it is uncomfortable to watch now, with the new lens / viewpoint of adulthood and current societal norms, right?

or land before time. Loved that shit so much, wanted to eat a treestar so bad because thy drew them delicious and the mother death scene hit a lot of kids right in the heart... was it the most fantastically scripted movie? OR the movies since? Nah. Especially the ones that seem to insist that singing and being friends will overturn racism and bullying, but you know what? That's baby's first step at these concepts.

You have a child who is sad about the triceratops being a cunt to the others and using a racial term (in the movie) you can use that as your go-to metaphor for explaining injustice, because it's a concept the kid gets and also is age appropriate.

would you spend 23hrs a day online defending Land before Time to people you don't know or those who are like "Wow man it sucks" or harassing the people making newer sequels of it because the 'uality is worse'

No, because it's a kids show. For kids. And while you loved it in your heart at one point, seething with anger over what is a singysongy fun dinosaur movie with increasingly limited plot... makes it weird. Fighting people online because it was a childhood memory is also weird.

And let's be real, there's a few fandoms that could stand to calm down in this way too.

No, Twilight was not the most fantastically written story ever made; but it hit a number of teenagers around the world in their Urban Fantasy horny hearts at the right time.

Was the Hunger Games quadrilogy (ovies) perfect in showing oppression and the plight of the children slaughtered while the world watches? No, I'd say they actually sailed right over it because the movies actually created a lens of the situation from the Capitol's perspective. Are some people still Fucking Furious about this? Yeah.

Why though? Will it help you do the dishes? To have a good sleep?

The Potter fans. I loved those books too, guys, but it is true a lot of things with context in place from an adult perspective come across as less 'yeah that's magic' or 'yeah bad lady gets taken away for punishment!' and more How Did I Miss That?

It would be a long essay on the things that are actually really upsetting when you think about it, but I am not typing that tonight. The blatant stereotypes, the racism, the weird Vamps are cool but WEres are code for AIDS thing, the wizard cops ending, gender nonsense, that no one seems to do maths but also can manage making potions, the slave race that loves it, and the centaur SA that was So Funny. Is there wizard child safety? I think there needs to be one. So Bad. Not the amreican system though.

There's a lot that slid over your head as a kid... (I thought they were going to ride off really fast and maybe chase her through the forest on threat of trampling if she's caught, not THAT). And also, if there's OSHA for wizards, someone needs to be looking into the lake full of homicidal mermaids and moving stairs, what if you fall, is there a safety spell or something?

I have thoughts about that series, about how the worldbuilding didn't need to go in any of those directions, it didn't really add anything. There were routes around them.

But to this day people will lose their minds if this is questioned, and sometimes I think they don't really want to. Not to that extent. IT's something they loved and is a part of their childhood they clung to for whatever reason (it's different for every person) and now they feel obligated to fight for it. To accept it without criticism.

Som really good examples of this are the Star Wars and Star Trek and Transformers franchises.

Have you watched th original star wars? They're FUN, they're DUMB, they're KOOKY and SCI-FI, and half the extras don't even get the action right but you got the intent. People were fucking foaming at the mouth because the fourth alien in the background's bandana was tilted the opposite way to the originals and then they put a GIRL in as lead?!?!?!? Chill.

REal criticism is saying 'yeah those last three were FUCKED, because all the growth in #1 of the new triology as imediately flipped around and written over in #2, and then again in #3, the narrative is a confusing slop of different writers and directors not working together.

Star Trek? Love the series. Do I cringe so hard my spine feels like it will eject like on of those weird multi-lead/eraser pencils we had in primary school back in the day? Sure. Do I like all iterations of the show? No, especially the one right after Voyager that decided Vulcans can fuck whenever and aliens are blue etc. Very confusing. But then on voyager the captain and pilot became lizards and fucked to make a new species on a planet in the delta quadrant and we never talked about it again. So like...

Do people still go fucking insane over any new iterations deviating from the last and defending it online? Yeah.

Transformers... fun kids show, fascinating use of special efects and CGI in the first one. Plot wise its a shitshow and if they span the camera any more times to make it an action sequence I think we would all vomit. But certain fans would rather chug petrol than accept it's not perfect because they had the toys. I had a knockoff one that was half-voltron somehow from an op shop as a kid. Loved it.

Won't go to war for it, unless I'm in a certain mood and need to just Word my way around a bendy issue because work or whatevs didn't stimulate that braining for the day.

Stargate? Love it. Not the best writing, cringy, but fun.

Steven Universe? It's a good show, there's fun and bright stuff and it dipped toes into deep topics in a way that made it easier to talk to kids about hard things. That's good. Was it perfect? Not at all. Songs were pretty good overall.

My Little Pony? This is a little napalm on the argument, but like... it wasn't a bad show. Cringey and blindingly bright, the plot seen from the opening credits but it was fine. Fun even. For young children or uni students whose brain is sizzling and wants shiny singing things to entertain them for two minutes after the assessments are finally uploaded and they are free. No thoughts required.

The important part there is that they were for kids. They continue toi BE for kids. You can like them. Any kids show that doesn't immediately make a parent want to vomit from their saccharine nonsense (you know the ones) is fine, same way there are occasional double entende in kids movies, so the adults can somewhat engage too.

Still to this day people are fighting WARS on the internet about how Great vs how SHIT the show was. (Any of the above really) and it's like...why? Which part of you feels so attacked when things like this, that you like, are riticised, that you go to Fight?

Which loosely circles back to my original point of.... its okay to like something, and recognise flaws. Its okay to still like something important to you in a nostalgia/retro/that haracter is half my teen personality way.

But you can let also choose to accept it does not match your memories of it, and let it go.

Just, think about it, okay?

You can pull a Marie Kondo with your nostalgia if you feel ready, or just move certan things to your mental attic until later.

No one needs to be sitting up all night emrbroiled in seething hatred and diatribe of an argument about a show you loved / may still be attached to, and feeling despair if you can't best the other person. Neither of you win if you didn't sleep, if you spent all that time fighting, if you leave angry even if you win, or you get nasty and namecall or dox.

These things can be very central and important to you but, think about what it is costing you to hold that level of love. IS it obsession? It is welded into who you are? Is it a past echo of who you were that you feel you need to defend? Did you just want to fuck the villain and people are like 'bruh???' Does one of the Not-Okay-Now things the characters or writer believe meld with your own beliefs and you feel attacked?

Find your why and think on how it makes you feel. Especially if it's a why that hurts yourself or others.

How can you move through that without finding yourself attacked or triggered or distressed and angry?

At the end of the day, it's your life.

You get just the one.

It's okay to admit that something you were obsessed with no longer meets with your level of enjoyment or love, or even with your ideals and beliefs. You can let them go.

A gentle burial under a mental seedling that grows into a new love for something similar but meets your interests now. Or a solmn viking boat down the mental river, alight in the twilight night with flames as you farewell it once and for all. Or perhaps you put it somewhere in the back of your mind to revisit another time, when you are ready, and can make a clear decision.

There isn't a wrong answer.

Almost all of life is about learning, growing and reflecting on yourself, your environment, the things you believe and take in, the things you reject, and the world itself.

I forgot where I was going, please assume something poignant was at the end about grief and loss for parasocial and fictional relationships (with a character or whole series or move / story itself) and how they can hurt like real ones. Depending on who you were at the time they meant so much to you, and how those characters likely wouldn't want you to build yourself into a narrow cage of anger and despair on their behalf, etc.

[footballfanficwriter]

Can I have some Kylian fluff where reader rests her feet on his lap, he knows she loves having her feet tickled so he always runs his fingers up and down her soles, tickling her arches and toes and always cooing at her tootsies and shes just always grateful for his touch pleaseee💗

Home alone

Summary:where the reader and Kylian are just enjoying each other's company

"Kylian" I shout through as I enter the house after a long day at work

"Cherie?" He responds from the other room

"Where are you?"

"Living room"

I walk to the living room and find him watching TV

"Ça va"

"Ça va ma cherie" he says pecking my lips

"How was you day" I ask sitting on the sofa

"Boring, just training and eating, then showering and then i came back home and made dinner"

"That doesn't really sound boring"

"Well it was, any way how was your day" he asks

"Tiring, my boss is an ass, that's for sure" I say and rest my feet on his lap

"What happened this time?

He starts removing my heels and starts rubbing my feet

"What are you doing"

"Trying to relax you"

"Weird, but ok"

"So, what happened" he asks and starts ticking my feet

" Kylian, stop ticking my feet" I say trying to stop laughing

"Shhhhh, I'm trying to relax you, tell me what your boss did"

"It's not even important, I don't wanna talk about her when I'm with you"

"Ok babe only if you say so, but are you sure you're ok"

"Yeah, just had a very stressful day, where are the kids?"

"Lizzy is having a sleepover at Roxy's house and Enzo is having a sleepover at Fernando's house"

"Was, that today?"

"Yeah, but don't worry I took care of everything"

"Merci beaucoup, mon Amour"

"De rien, ma cherie"

"That means, we have the house to ourselves"

"Yip"

"So, what do you want to do"

"I'm not gonna lie, I'm too tired to do anything naughty right now"

"Same"

"Let's just watch some movies"

"Ok, I'll go get my food and then we can find something"

"Nah uh Mrs. Mbappe, sit yourself down, I'm taking care of you for the rest of the night"

"Ok fine"

He walks to the kitchen, warms the food up and brings it to me

"Thank you"

"You're welcome"

He walks goes upstairs and walks our room

"Where are you going?" I ask

"I'll be back" he says

After some time he comes back with some of his clothes

"Here, I got you something to change into"

"Thank you"

"Here let me help you"

"I can do it myself"

"I know but I wanna help"

He starts helping strip down until I'm in my underwear and bra

"Can you help with my bra" I ask

"Yeah"

I then turn around

I feel him trace my healed scars on my back and his warm fingers trace them as I have my eyes closed feeling every single touch

"I can't believe, all this happened to you" he says

"Yeh, but it's all in the past now, ok"

"Ok "

He unclasps by bra and puts a shirt on me then a hoodie then his joggers that I have to fold because of how big they are

We eventually find a movie to watch, but after eating my food, I fall asleep cuddling Kylian

Kylian's POV

She's asleep now, and she looks peaceful

As I watch my wife sleep while cuddling me, I think about all the trama and abuse she went through only because she was born into the wrong family, the many times they hurt her and she'd still get up every time only to take their crap again

The amount of therapy she went to was a lot, flip a lot is an understatement

After some time I realize I'm crying, I try to be quiet,but seems unsuccessful as she sees my red eyes and tearful eyes

She looks at me and cups my cheek while wiping my tears

"Stop, ok you saved me from that horrid place, if it wasn't for you I don't know where I'd be , it's because of your love and our children that I healed and opened my eyes, Thank you"

"Don't thank me Amour, I was just protecting you, like you'd done for me before"

She looks at me and hugs me like this is our last hug

She then pulls back and says

"Merde mais je t'aime Kylian"

"Je t'aime aussi ma cherie, tes mon vie"

She kisses me and I deepen it and she pulls away and lays he head on my chest and I think of how lucky I am to have this woman in my life

[nucarnivalmadness]

Hello~ It's been a while, how are you doing? I hope you're good ^^

Well, I only came here to say that, in the Nukani subreddit, they're speculating that this might be another event with a song 👀 Mostly because of the Chinese Characters in Eddie's unit name(?)

Winter themed (in comparison to the Summer Idol event), three characters, with all three V/As that can sing -and very good, for that matter! I haven't checked yet, but "Hypnotic Mic" may be a song or "unit" in which Garu's and Edmond's VA worked together.

I don't really know as to what extent keep my hopes up for another song-event but! I hope it is!! I'd love to hear Edmond, Garu/Karu and ESPECIALLY Quincy sing!!!

Also, couldn't help but notice that Edmond's unit has a straighter, non-slutty-back-breaking pose. Definetely looks very mature and composed, and one can only impatiently wait and imagine what the scenes could be like~♡ It totally shows Edmond's growth and personal development, imo. Y'know, with all his units posing either side profile, or 3/4 until now, getting one with a full front pose....... that body language, and the tweet about his willingness to confront and fully review and change (or "admit" ;) ) his views on essence, and more importantly, about the Grand Sorcerer............ :3c

but yeah, uh, sorry for the long ask (^-^)ゝ"

Hey! ❤ I'm doing well and editing the Dante/Edmond fic when I have time :'D

EDMOND SINGING 👀💦 THATD BE JUST TOO MUCH FOR ME OHGOD IM NOT SURE IF ITS REALLY GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE WE DIDNT GET A TEASE ABOUT A SONG BUT ITS GOOD TO DREAM ( Quincy singing? thatd be out of this world. XD )

but honestly im already happy with Edmond, he looks so pretty in his winter unform asdfasdgadfgadfgadfh

also, yes probably he is on his way on his character development and im still saying he is terribly in love with Eiden and that changes him and it still hurts him because this love is just so intense for him 😌❤

so im looking forward on the intimacy rooms :D

[milkieways]

we are growing! 7/21/23

Honestly im feeling a bit all over the place, like, oof- what do I do first and where should I continue.. but things are moving forward even if we don't know the way. I appreciate my friends (the team / anyone whos working even just a bit into the game) ! BUUTT OKOKOKOK ! LETS GET A LIST OF STUFF THAT IS CURRENTLY FLOATING AROUND! - The town's name is Aiyana Gardens. ✨ - Here is a list of all of the characters so far: Star (protag, first person), Kishu Chi, Nocte Ventus, Markus Bowen, Lily, Daryo Anne "Incarnation", Yu Bou, Anemone (not official name), Manager Noe, J, Katie Anne, Angela and Oliver Miller. These are official characters that are being planned and then we have a list of possible characters implemented. Possible characters: Brielle Gilmour, Lee Gilmour, Skye Joss, Ryoko Tinselly, Chloe, Edward Sam, Misaki This is all subject to change but the first list is highly unlikely to change <3 Character profiles and desc will be coming in (yall can request specific posts abt characters as well!)

I✨ - Yu bou's VA is currently in the works! If his possible VA becomes his official, we have our first character with an official voice AND VA! WOOO ✨ - A general rule in this world is that everything around the world evolves around the idea of plants, characters are assigned to plants / are identified by plants except for some characters. ✨ - The Anne family is a famous family with one of the members living in the town

- The cafe's work system is being worked around, having multiple managers, workers and hours. So far, we have the hours and shifts: 7 am - 12 am. Morning shift is 7 am-12 pm, mid-day / afternoon shift is 12-6 pm and night shift is until 12 am ! Different characters are assigned to different shifts, still being discussed. ✨ -Our protagonist, Star, is a worker in the morning and night shifts, we have J, working morning and mid day shifts, (Anemone) is there as well working in the mornings and Manager Noe! ✨ -Working on getting character sprites for Markus and Yu Bou, drawn by one of our amazing artists >v< ari!! <3 ✨ -Star, Noe, Anemone, and a couple unnamed character development and details ✨ -Writing the "book" version of it so its ready dialogue ✨ -Looking for coders / programmers and general networking to find other people to help + abilities of ppl! ✨ - Doing research because I want certain amount of diversity and visual accessibility in the game (the cafe's design being accessible for example), as a disabled poc, lgbtq+ person, I'd love to create a media that shows more diversity for people like me and people from communities I know / come from :) ^ fair warning though because I am a third cultural person (basically having mixed cultures bc home country's culture, family culture and where I live culture) and I am yet to be learning more about other countries BUT I personally have a disconnection from stuff like that so getting feedback on cultural stuff would mean a lot! Despite this, my point still stands, the people and communities I've met plus myself have features I'd love to include! So, im open and planning sort of to make open discussions for this :) ✨ There might be some more stuff but I can't recall more rn so this is it for today <3 General reminder that while it seems that we r doing a lot of work, it will come in slowly, specially with me also being a college student + future full time student, but I appreciate all the comments and general support!! I literally am stimming everywhere and bouncing off the walls bc of this game and the development, emotionally everywhere haha. But yea!! <3 Might do an "about the creator" post and some about the team!! anyways, THANK UUU <33

[mirror-to-the-past]

Battling Vanitas for the first time as Ventus. Other assorted BBS thoughts below.

Alright, based off the intro sequence with Ventus' messed up heart where Ventus connected his heart with someone else's, the fact that Vanitas is established as an alter-ego of Ventus' (if we can believe Xehanort at all, which, after finishing the Terra route where he manipulates and manslaughters his whole way through, eh), the fact that Sora's VA also voiced Vanitas (I didn't recognize his voice at all! I'm impressed!)- to which I first debated inwardly if it was plot-relevant or coincidental, but now... noticing how Ventus and Vanitas both do the "See ya!" Sora would always do after fire spells... I can't help but think the casting was deliberate in some way. Maybe Ventus connects with Sora's heart in the intro, which would influence older Sora to do his little "See ya!" as well when he does fire spells, and would also explain why on earth Roxas looks like Ventus- something that has been bugging me the entire time. If that happens in the past though... the ramifications of what that would mean on his identity, Sora fusing his "new heart" (that "I'm a new heart line" is particularly one that's stuck with me in regards to this theory) as stated in the intro with Ventus' from such a young age... I don't know, I just find it interesting. How much of Sora would be Sora, and how much of Sora would be Ventus? I definitely see the similarities between them, but hm... if the story decides to go in that direction, I wouldn't be too surprised, given how much it likes exploring messy and enmeshed identity. I'd additionally feel more sad for Roxas as a character, because damn not even your face is yours, bestie.

P.S. I'm very impressed with how Roxas'/Ventus' VA so effectively and immediately demonstrated two very different personalities with the same voice, yet different tones.

P.P.S. I have to get it out of my system: The Destiny Islands section that took me off-guard during Terra's story has been haunting my brain. I figured we might see younger Sora and Riku at some point in the story, given their brief appearance at the end of the intro movie, but I had admittedly kind of forgotten about them until that scene. And WOW, Riku emitted more light than multiple Princesses of Heart?? You're kidding me, right? Was this only not noticable when he was older because he was shrouded in the darkness of teenage angst, has he lost this quality, or some other reason? I was wondering if it was just a childlike innocence thing, but Terra didn't really even seem to care or particularly notice Sora, so alright. The silver-haired kiddo is quickly ascending into Chosen One status, as per the narrative (I'll need to verify with tiny Kairi's heart, to be sure. This is a threat, SE. If I don't see a tiny Kairi happy and healthy in Radiant Garden before its destruction, I'll go bonkers). That was sort of touched upon in KH1 with Riku being the "rightful wielder" of the Keyblade- but I now question how much of that was influenced by Terra sort of anointing him spontaneously, and how much of that was Riku just being some wonder kid from the get-go. It would definitely explain his long-standing desire to go to other worlds and... apparently just a strong intuition at their existence from a very young age, outside of just childlike imagination (and he doesn't seem particularly whimsical as a child, moreso a very solemn one that I could imagine being reluctant to play around other kids at group times- y'know, the articulate but shy types where you have to help them warm up to others. It's really highlighting how unnatural and forced Riku's KH1 tough-guy act was, seeing him as he is in the present, and as a small child. It seems that innately, while doing some competitive talk on occasion, Riku's much more gentle and thoughtful in demeanor than he'd like to let on, sometimes.). I'm also very intrigued by little Riku's knowledge of 'some kid' that left the Islands before. How did he come across that information, I wonder? And the fact that Terra caught a glimpse of Xehanort and older Riku in what seemed like a brief prophetic instinct for some reason in that moment makes me assume that Xehanort was a Destiny Islands' native himself, then, which would, of course, make him that 'kid' that little Riku mentioned. Although it was established in KH1 that Xehanort saw himself in Riku's desire towards freedom, it's really becoming interesting just how linked the two seem to be. Xehanort's unwillingness to fully relinquish his hold upon Riku as a vessel or person of influence might run deeper than simply "muaha, I am evil villain."

And I couldn't help but clutch my heart at the "to protect the things that matter, y'know, like my friends!" On top of him letting Sora win the race across the dock. He really was such a sweetheart to Sora, from the very beginning. It's such a shame that Riku ended up isolating himself so much from him with age; you can clearly see Riku thought the world of him from day one. I don't mean to sound too much like a doting grandmother- but what a sweet kid. He should probably know better than to take Keyblades from strangers, though. (I laughed at how Sora seemed to notice Terra and just go "ooo-kay, moving on." At least some kids know stranger-danger, lol!) I wonder if either of them remember Terra, present day? Probably not, haha.

Okay, that's nearly everything out of my system so far. I've not gotten too invested in the overall story so far, admittedly. I mainly attribute this to most of the dialogue feeling pretty clunky. I know I've poked fun at occasional cheesy lines across the games, but Birth By Sleep especially seems... eh. I'm also spoiled after jumping here directly after finishing 358/2 Days, which had some lovely dialogue, in my honest opinion. Gameplay is awesome, though! I've decided to try to explore different combat styles with each character to really get the full effect. Physical/Earth centric stuff is what I decided for Terra, of course, and I'm trying more status-affecting and Thunder/Wind stuff for Ventus. Hehe, I like theming them. (⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)

Oh, but they're all going to have Break Time, of course. I found that during Terra's run, and I must see what the others do. My new favorite skill, lol.

Anyway... back to getting my butt beaten by Vanitas in all of his mysterious totally-not-linked-to-Sora glory... at least I've got Mickey Mouse now (Oh, and don't get me started how he wields the key Sora used for duel wielding in KH2, as opposed to the one he's had in the other games).

EDIT: HOLD THE FUCKIN PHONE, I *KNOW* I JUST HEARD AN EDGIFIED MOTIF OF SORA'S THEME IN VANITAS' COMBAT THEME JUST NOW.

[boredliondisorder]

Full accountability: Y'all can think I'm stupid for this if you want. I don't care. Just please don't post that in the comments. I know.

I've been really trying to be noticed in creative spaces my whole life. I know it's hard because of the BPD, because setbacks always feel like rejections. But now I'm almost 42 years old, and it's becoming harder and harder to make friends or even connections.

I remember back when I played on MU* games, there was a huge creative community that I desperately wanted to be part of. But my art was never good enough for them to want to embrace me into their circle, and one was actively hostile toward me and I never discovered why. I was undiagnosed and I probably tried way too hard to be liked.

That's just a little background.

But I've always wanted to work with other creative people. I always just miss the boat, either because I'm too cautious or I just don't understand certain trends until it's too late. And fuck, it's so lonely. I talked to my therapist about this the other day, because I really thought I found a kindred spirit in the comic artist I was working with for the NSP comic, but I must have said or done something wrong, because when the comic was finished, he stopped responding to me. And it sucks.

My therapist says she thinks I'm too careful and that puts people off. Like in the critical "are you friend or acquaintance" stage, I always come across as wanting to keep the other person at arm's length. That wasn't the case before. Before, I'd rush in too fast and put people off that way. I can't find the happy medium.

So now for the stupid part I promised y'all, because I'm 99.999% sure this ship has sailed. And I'm gonna censor this, because I don't want fans to find it and make fun of me for it.

A couple years ago, I realized that 4rin from G4me Grmps would be the perfect VA for my audiobook. I knew I'd have to come up with a lot of money to get him, because he's a professional voice actor and would have to be paid SAG/AFTRA rates, but I started hearing his voice as Meadow. I started writing Meadow with lines he'd actually say.

And you know... I actually thought it would work out. That I'd email him and make a professional offer and he'd get back to me and we'd work out a contract. I thought, you know. I'm not well-known in the creative community, but I think if I make a decent offer, he'll at least respond.

And I thought I actually had a good shot. Actually, I was sure it would happen.

I emailed his agent twice and got no response. I even sent the offer, which was a reasonable starting point for negotiations. I mean fuck. I researched this. I found the sweet spot for him in particular. I looked up the proper wording. I offered my phone number for any questions and I NEVER do that.

I really, really hate that I have no credits to my name because I never get a chance to make any. I hate that my lack of credits leads to more dead ends. And I'm completely sure that because I am an unknown name and there's no reason for anyone to trust me, I'm passed up on multiple opportunities.

I just need a break. I just need someone to give me a chance.

Even stupider, I sent a cameo request to someone which was essentially asking if I could send ANOTHER cameo request to interview him for research for my second book. I stated that an interview would be better. I hoped he'd let me email him. I cannot write this part of the book without help.

I know this was dumb. But I really hoped we could work something out without me having to come up with the money for another cameo. I think if my name was more recognizable, maybe he would have given me that convenience. But I'm no one, and I'm stuck there.

People tell me to keep trying, but how much can one person try before they're just exhausted. I AM still trying. I'm pushing myself to my limits. I'm tired. I want other creative people out there to want to know who I am, but even my friends are encouraging me to stay in my lane. And... what if that IS my lane?

I know deep down that it isn't. I know it's not in the cards for me. I'm getting too old. I'm not someone people look up to or want to talk to. I haven't been able to distinguish myself in the 41 years I've been on this planet.

The only thing to do is to keep trying. But I'm realizing more and more that my efforts are wearing me down to nothing, and eventually I'll need to stop and accept that I'm not worth it.

[just-a-fandom-blogger]

I'm a huge Winx Club fan, have been since 2013, iirc, to the point where I'd happily have the season 1 4Kids theme song played at my funeral. Earlier, I was doing some digging on Reddit to figure out which dub I wanted to rewatch it in and someone mentioned in the thread that the French dub had the same va's for all 8 seasons and that it was all on YouTube, and I was like, omg, I wonder if Italian is on there, because watching the og would be awesome, and yeah, its on there, but then I remembered that I'm trying to learn Mexican Spanish, but the only Latin American dub is in Venezuelan Spanish for season 1-7, and then Chilean Spanish for season 8 but ya know what, close enough, it gives me a solid base to work off, but now I want to fist fight Google translate, because oh geez idk how sentence structure and grammar work in Latin American Spanish, and the subtitles are also in Spanish and aren't helping me much, I've been here for like, an hour, and I'm still on episode 1 and only 1 minute in because Il and ll look way too similar and its not using any punctuation at all, and listen, we all know Google translate isnt 100% accurate, but it's the best I've got until I actually understand more about sentence structure