#colour theme-wise hehe~

[kquil]

Kquil, this theme!!! It’s soooooo cute and it suits you so well omg I’m obsessed

eheheheheee~ thank you thank you~ ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝)♡ I'm still attached to my old theme's colours though so it's only a semi-revamp (⁎⁍̴̛ ₃ ⁍̴̛⁎)

But OMG! have you seen YOUR THEME?! You always pair such interesting colours together, colours I wouldn't typically pair together, but you make them make sense, and it always looks so pretty! There's something so cosy and charming about your new theme. I don't know how to describe it but I simply adore it omg!ヾ(。✪ω✪。)ｼ

[kianamaiart]

I just wanted to tell you that I love idwtbamg and am especially blown away by the character designs for aika and zira!!!!!! their colour palettes compliment each other really well and are soft while still having some contrast and I would love to know how you came up with the designs or if you don't feel like sharing that, your favourite parts of their designs and what you're most proud of? Good luck with the pilot, by the way!!! ^^

Aw thank you so much! Character design was initially what I wanted to do when entering the industry so I love whenever I'm able to do it~

I talk about my process for picking colors here a bit!

Design process under the cut (loooong post ahead)

Whenever I'm designing a cast of characters I always start with the main character and build off of them. I started specifically with Aika's normal girl design. I wanted a star theme, and the star hair was the first thing I knew I needed. With her hair being the most eye catching and important part of her design, I wanted to make sure whatever else she had going on wasn't gonna distract from it too much. So I went for a more top heavy, but simple look with a big tshirt, small black pants. Aika was initially fully blonde but the stark black pants was starting to pull the eye. That gave me the idea to use the stark black in her hair (for the bottom half)! Made her hair even more eye catching and highlighted the star pigtails in a nice way.

For her magical girl design, I wanted to make it feel over the top and overwhelming to contribute visually why Aika wouldn't want to be a magical girl. Big poofy dress, ribbons poking out everywhere for a crazy silhouette and tall, tall platforms. I also wanted to give her longer hair in this form so I went with goddess locs! I was able to do an easy shorthand with it (long thick strands with lil curls at the end) I like the kinda biblically accurate angel look she has. My favorite part of this design was the ribbons in her hair that make the star pigtails look like shooting stars heehee

With Zira I knew I wanted her to be opposite to Aika. So sticking with the space thing, I gave her a moon motif and that was my jumping off point. With Aika having high pigtails, I decided to give Zira low pigtails and give them a vaguely crescent shape (like crescent moons get it?). Continuing with the opposites thing, I wanted to make Zira's design bottom heavy as opposed to Aika's top heavy one, and also color-wise, go on the opposite side of the color wheel from yellow for its complimentary color, purple! I didn't want Zira to feel too stylish (she's a loser after all) but also didn't wanna make her design ugly. I tried toeing the line of out of style but lowkey trendy with the grungy skirt, jeans combo. Also went with the stark black shirt under the tshirt to lean harder into the 2000s look. On top of that it helped tie her design to Aika's more (this is where I decided the stark black was gonna be an essential part of the design language of this show). My favorite part of her design for me is the mangled ends of her pants. It's a small detail but I think it says a lot about her as a character (she drags her feet, she's a little careless, kinda messy, etc.)

Hoshi is star. There's not much more to their design haha. I did give them wings to mirror Aika's dress ribbons. With their human design though, I just knew I wanted to make sure that they'd be able to make a star shape with their silhouette. Thus the hoodie and stubby limbs. Gave them the stark black pants (again at this point, it's part of the design language of this show). I tossed around the idea of giving them eyes that matched more with Aika and Zira, but it just didn't look like Hoshi so I stuck with the same face in their star design and I just thought that was funny hehe. My favorite part of Hoshi's design is just the overall fact that I managed to make them look like a star in their human form still haha

Eclipse was the hardest design for me. You would not believe how long it took me to decide whether I wanted to make him a boy or a girl. Eclipse was also gonna be named Void (and DeVoid was gonna be Eclipse) but it didn't feel quite right. I knew I wanted him to ALSO be opposite from Aika, but in a different way that Zira is. Looking at it that way helped me land on the name Eclipse because I thought it'd be fun to give both Zira and him moon motifs (as Aika's love interest and alleged love interest respectively). Similar to Zira I wanted to have purple be in his design to contrast the yellow in Aika's design. Due to his name now being Eclipse, I figured going dark with his design would make the most sense but my friend/roommie Bri @/ghostbri (who is a professional painter/color designer) suggested going pastel instead and it worked perfectly. It matched his personality and also plays on the fact that he cares more about theatrics and aesthetics than actual villainy. He completely misses the point of being the servant of darkness. He's heavily inspired by Tuxedo Mask. I wanted to make it feel like he saw a cool character once in a tv show and he decided to make it his whole persona. So he's got the suit, he's got the cape and he's got the mask. My favorite part of his design is his cape, intended to also have a crescent moon shape but then also have that stark black on the inside so his silhouette really pops against it. It's funny bc it ended up being like a reverse eclipse where the light is blocking out the dark.

DeVoid was the easiest for me to come up with the design for LMAO. Like obviously. I wanted to make her feel slick but prickly but also slightly over the top like a lot of old school magical girl villains. I thought it'd be a difficult balance to strike but it actually wasn't too bad! I gave her a sort of form fitting cocktail dress and at this point the stark black was a must so it worked out that the "void" character would just be in that all black look. It really helped her feel slick like I wanted (also gave her the slicked back hair for this reason). To give her some edge, I gave her the giant pointy shoulder pads, giant pointy horns, pointy ears, sharp nails and bat wings! Oh also worth mentioning she's the one main cast character I didn't use Aika as a jumping off point for. I designed her to look good next to Eclipse since they'd be the ones interacting the most. I made her wings white to contrast with her black dress (opposite to how Eclipse has a black cape but then mostly white outfit). To ensure that her design wasn't too dark and that her arms would read against her body, I gave her those bright silver bracelets~ While her design was easy for me to come up with, my god figuring out what color to make her hair was killing me. Tbh I was avoiding pink/red like the plague. I didn't want her to look toooo much like Jessie Team Rocket LOL. I tried white, I tried purple, I tried a more pastel pink but none of them worked well in a lineup with the rest of the characters. Bri helped talked me through all this haha. Pink/red worked the best especially there was no pink/red in the entire lineup. The Jessie influence is still there but I feel like she looks different enough! Favorite part of her design is her big ass horns)

Finally Miss! Miss was an interesting case because I designed her as I was storyboarding the pilot. She was intended to be an incidental character that we'd only randomly see once in a while. She had a veeery generic teacher design in my first pass but then as I was hiring VAs I got the idea to cast Michele Knotz to play her and that was enough for my brain to start going and come up with a backstory for her and a role that could tie in with the rest of the cast in a more meaningful way. Because of this, I designed Miss to the voice I imagined Michele would use for her. She does a great groggy and tired voice so I gave her those tired eyes, she has a darker color palette, her posture's a little more sluggish, etc. Her design still felt bland in the board so I gave her a couple piercings which helped. But then! The stark black! I gave her the half dyed hair which worked phenomenally and is probably my favorite part of her design. It leans into the tired feel (too tired to dye her roots) and also was a nice way to get the black in her design without just having to give her black pants or a black shirt or something. I'd only figured out her color palette way later and after recording Michele. The VA announcement image was the first time I'd fully drawn and colored Miss. I went with green since there was no green in the lineup! Also green's my favorite color so I had to.

PHEW that's it! Hope it was an interesting read and look into my brain.

[colourstreakgryffin]

Thank you for sharing your favorite showss aww Adventure Time is so nostalgic!! Hehe I sent my ask about your favorite shows and your fave KNY characters for a reason which is a request I wanted to make!

Your headcannons of Muichiro, Obanai, Tanjiro, Gyomei, Gyutaro, Kanae, Urokodaki, Giyuu, Senjuro and Kyojuro - basically their own takes about Adventure Time and their own kinnies on the shows' characters 🤭 Thank you so much and have a great day!! ✨

Hmmm. It probably won’t be accurate at all but I’ll give it a go! This type of stuff is my favourite so thank you! I’m glad you like Adventure Time too!

@aeolia18

Tokito Muichiro

For basically the whole series, Muichiro can barely pay attention but he does laugh at a few of the jokes. He likes Princess Bubblegum and the candy people the most, since all are really cute to him

Iguro Obanai

Obanai is quite the villain man, so most of the series is mediocre to him until the Lich’s arc begins, where he is very into the narrative. He likes only the Lich as every other villain is meh to him

Kamado Tanjiro

The Kamado of righteousness loves the hero of righteousness! Tanjiro kins Finn like crazy as he admires his heroic, good nature. He likes the series overall and loves the more wholesome episodes the most

Himejima Gyomei

How is he watching this show? Gyomei, for some reason, likes Jake the most so any episode with Jake has his undivided attention and is liked a lot. He always uses and condones Jake’s wise quotes. The show overall is decent to him

Shabana Gyutaro

Gyutaro does seem like a villain man but he actually isn’t! He doesn’t really have a overall favourite character but he loves siblings, so he’d say Finn and Jake. He has seen the show a ton, due to Daki loving it. He classifies the series as “very good”

Kocho Kanae

Like Tanjiro, Kanae loves the series for it’s cute friendly adventures and her favourite character is Flame Princess since she adores characters with pure golden hearts. She also likes the candy people as they are cute and colourful

Urokodaki Sakonji

Sakonji likes the more intense/eerie episodes the most(such as No One Can Hear You and All Your Fault) as the themes are well executed but everything else is adorable to him. He surprisingly likes Marceline for her mixed dark and sweet demeanour

Tomioka Giyuu

It’s suspected that Giyuu likes the darker episodes but no; the cuter the episode is, the better it is to him so about 70% of the show is loved. His favourite is the Huntress Wizard as he relates to her demeanour

Rengoku Senjuro

Another one who adores the colourful and cheerful vibe of the series so most episodes are liked a lot. Senjuro relates a lot to BMO so he kins BMO and loves the episodes based around the little robot

Rengoku Kyojuro

Kyojuro finds the whole series incredible, he loves the characters and the scenery dearly so he watches it with Senjuro. He thinks he can’t kin one character over others, but he reacts the most to Lumpy Space Princess

[gaming-of-the-shrew]

F's Weekly Roundup, vol. 1

LIGHTNING ROUND - EARLY-MID JANUARY 2025

Warmest greetings, everyone. Welcome to the first (and hopefully not last) post on 'The Gaming of the Shrew'.

I've often felt a creeping paranoia surrounding the topic of forgetting which specific games I've played, movies I've watched, books I've read; you know how it is. I've had a goodreads account for a while, but that hardly covers everything!

So, for 2025 (and hereafter?) I've decided to make a log of such things where I'll be documenting my brief thoughts once per week! If I have anything more in-depth to say about a given piece, that'll be a separate post of its own.

Let's begin!

GAMES

Purrgatory (2021)

SCORE: 6/10

Completed in: Roughly 4.5 hours.

Purrgatory is a fun one to start with, given its heavy themes of existentialism. It's a point & click adventure set in a monotone afterlife and featuring a cast of colourful characters. My favourite is Elijah, a purple armadillo poet who's overly critical of his own prose (I know the feeling).

But that's not exactly why we're here; that'd be because buddy, this game is exceedingly gay. Most if not all of the cast are gay, trans, or some combination of the two. We love this, of course, but it links slightly into my main critique of the game: not to mince words, every character talks like an online gay person circa 2018. We're talking crytyping, 'fuck dude he sure does', the whole nine yards. This isn't a cardinal sin (hehe) or anything, but it dates the game just a little and detracts from each character's unique voice.

However, with that being said, it's a game with a great deal of heart and compassion. Sean the pink snake's story brought me to tears with its deeply human, matter-of-fact depiction of how it feels to miss the little things about a person you've loved and lost.

At $0.00, it's hard to go wrong here. Check it out!

Felvidek (2024)

SCORE: 8/10

Completed in: 4 hours

Felvidek is a game I'd been meaning to play since it came out in early 2024, but only got around to recently. I was initially drawn by its unique presentation and the fact it's an RPGMaker game (my favourite) but make no mistake, there's much more to see here.

You play as Pavol, an alcoholic knight whose wife has left him. Life is shit, perhaps even moreso than life generally tended to be in 15th century Slovakia, but fear not! Laughter is the best medicine, especially if there's ought to do otherwise but cry.

Yes, Felvidek is a black comedy, but not in the style you may be used to. It's less 'non-stop comically dour misery' and more 'frying pan to the face' in its blackness. You'll meet comical characters, jolly drunks, demons of all shapes and sizes, and somewhere in between all of these you'll have an icy bucket of existential terror, grief, trauma or depression dumped on your head without warning. It's quite exquisite, and does a great job of portraying the manner in which these concerns often manifest in real life: suddenly, and without due warning.

There's a lot to love here I haven't mentioned, not least of which being the soundtrack, so if you like historical fiction or black comedy, you'll likely get a lot out of Felvidek.

killer7 (2005, Windows release 2018)

SCORE: 8/10

Completed in: 14 hours

So this is a party I'm immensely late to. After having played No More Heroes and its sequel for the first time last year, I wanted to try more of Suda51's offerings.

killer7 is in an interesting position as far as critique and review goes; it's a game which is inimitably unique, but one which has enough of a dedicated following that just about everything there is to say about it already has been. Regardless...

Narrative-wise, the game follows the eponymous killer7 (aka the Smith Syndicate), a group of elite assassins tasked by various shadowy organisations, government and otherwise, to eliminate key political targets. In my mind, the best part of this is that we get to see the broader geopolitical scope of our actions. Often, this view is a cynical one. The annihilation of an entire country is presented through dispassionate boardroom discussions and standard protocol, portraying an emotionally disconnected world much like our own.

Most everything else is very cryptic, and one often gets the impression that the specific vibe of what a character is saying is more important than the actual words they're using. Make sense of it or don't; after all, your charge is to kill, not to understand.

Funnily enough, though, I don't care too much for the actual moment-to-moment gameplay. At best it's a serviceable semi-rail shooter, but at worst it's clunky and frustrating. Normally this would be pretty damning, but everything about the game's artistic presentation and world is so compelling, bizarre and dripping with personality that it makes such flaws very easy to overlook.

Islands: Non-Places (2016)

SCORE: 4/10

Completed in: under an hour

I found this game looking through the contents of the itch.io bundle for racial equality, which I purchased a few years ago. Visually, it scratched a similar itch to Vectorpark's Windosill, a favourite of mine, so I decided to check it out.

Through a series of levels, you're presented with seemingly-mundane locations which slowly unfold to reveal idiosyncracies ranging from the unusual to the supernatural. Your sole means of direct interaction with these worlds is to click on, predominantly, flashing lights scattered throughout them. It's a very pretty and atmospheric game, but it's one that doesn't seem interested in truly allowing you to inhabit these spaces. Perhaps that's part of the intent; most of these areas capture the mood of the vaunted 'liminal space' trend, and are therefore inherently transitory. But in order to really evoke that feeling of transition, we must first be welcomed in - a goal such a limited means of interaction does not achieve.

Islands does a passable job of portraying liminal spaces, and the visual presentation is beautiful, but it simply doesn't go beyond the surface level and ultimately fails to make an impact.

Secret Little Haven (2018)

SCORE: 5/10

Completed in: 2 or 3 hours I think

Rounding out this gaming roundup is an OS simulator, in the same vein as Hypnospace Outlaw, and another extremely trans game. Though we have access to a number of applications in the fictional Sanctuary OS, the overwhelming bulk of the story is communicated through an instant messaging app à la MSN or AIM.

We take the role of Alex, high school student and magical girl fan. Alex is assigned male at birth, but when a male character from their favourite anime is rumoured to transform into a girl in an upcoming movie, doubts about their gender identity begin to rise to the surface. To complicate matters further, Alex's father is obsessively controlling and manipulative, with very specific ideas about the person Alex should become.

I've been pretty harsh in my scoring of this one, but only because I do not find the OS simulation to be a compelling vessel for this story. It's clunky, and not even in the way a PC from 1999 should be, and the few puzzles which involve straying from the instant messenger are either ludicrously simple or extremely poorly conceived, especially when it comes time to use the cmd console.

Otherwise, though the actual story we're presented is reasonably competent, it moves far too quickly. Our main character goes from literally never having heard the word 'transgender' to immediately identifying as such. This is forgiveable, but some breathing room for discussion outside of gender would have been nice; as it stands aspects of the story regarding what it means to live in a society with rigidly defined gender roles or the intersection of well-meaning love and abuse are malnourished. My absolute least favourite part is Alex's school friend, a character whose concept is good, but their implementation is sophomoric at best (think 'creepypasta character typing their accent').

This section is pretty negative in tone but I want to stress there are things to like here. It's a hopeful and cautiously joyful story of transgender awakening, and as a trans person myself I was deeply ingratiated to Alex's journey, confusion and all.

MOVIES

These are gonna be a little more brief, I think. We'll see.

Pleasantville (1998)

SCORE: 6/10

Has any other 'they go to a cool alternate world' movie had the balls to have one of the characters stay behind to live there forever at the end?

Great concept, decently executed. Cops out a little from its stated goal of challenging social complacency and conservatism, but it is what it is.

True Lies (1994)

Score: 3/10

Iconically bad.

I love how soft-spoken Arnie is in this film, he's like a frighteningly large St. Bernard. Goes on for like four hours too long and is considerably less clever than I assume it thinks it is. Jamie Lee Curtis and Arnold Schwarzenegger kissing in the glow of a mushroom cloud is the most emblematic image of Hollywood there could ever be.

(Perfect Arabic)

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Score: I'm not sure

What I liked: The futility of directly seeking meaning in life when you're far more likely to find it in the everyday without looking for it. Condemnation of orientalism (...sorta). Beautiful visuals.

What I didn't: Portrayal of women. Despite it being intentional, main characters are irritating in a way I don't find compelling. Plays into orientalism (...sorta).

Anora (2024)

Score: 8/10

This would've been a 7 if not for the final scene. Dramatic, hilariously slapstick, frankly a lot fucking wackier than you'd probably expect. Similar to Felvidek in that 'you laugh before you cry' kind of way.

Practical Magic (1998)

Score: 4/10

A little rough. Another in the time-honoured tradition of 'witch movies where barely any witch stuff happens'. Heartwarming story about how it is very difficult to kill Johnny Depp. I liked the margarita scene, though.

Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon (1995)

Score: So quintessentially subjective that I don't feel able to give one.

It's very telling that the poster for this movie is just Goku doing the big punch he does at the very end, rather than any of the core characters. Dumb and inconsequential, but the appeal of course comes from elsewhere. I love Tapion, this broody Link-type bishie boy. Vegeta shows up 85% of the way through the film and executes one attack which does not work. So it goes. I liked it.

The Craft (1996)

Score: First half 7-8/10, second half 4/10

Starts out positively iconic, lots of fun vindictive magic, edgy as sin, amazing outfit design. However, as with any teen revenge movie, the latter half must always centre around the main characters' comeuppance. I understand why this is, but it's just not fun!

Alright, that's all! I saw a few more movies so far this year, but I don't have enough to say about them to include in this post. Subsequent posts will most likely be much shorter. 'til next time.

-F

[joannaliangart]

Cat and Fish ceramics (2022) slipcast salt and pepper shakers, spoons, and bowl/mugs

---

General concept/theme with these is that the cat spoon goes fishing in whatever beverage/soup you put in the mug! And the salt/pepper shakers is the cat licking their lips satisfied with their caught fish hehe

Process details + photos under the cut:

made for my 2nd year ceramics class; Which was such. a pain. in the fucking. ass. Like good things came out of it but the amount of really draining work this class put me through was ROUGH

its also the time I got literally the sickest I've ever been, during a time where I had to be coming into the studio to work every single weekday just to meet deadlines. My cough did not go away for so long and when it did, a few months later it even came back for a while (only popping up near nighttime??) Until it seemed to finally completely resolve itself after like a YEAR. I'm 95% sure it was covid tbh... The test came back negative but I didn't trust those lil at home test guys very much considering how many variations were flying around orz ugh

This ceramics class was also a bummer because I went into it expecting to do at least some wheel throwing (as was on the course description...) But it was all slipcasting and plaster mould making and! I hated it!!! Don't get me wrong slipcasting is v cool, I just hated Doing it lol its hard fuckin work and working with plaster stressed me out orz

But! The nice thing about a ceramics class is you get some fun objects out of it which I always love...

Here's my sketches/ideation:

oh yeah also made some test tiles which was our v first assignment; used these throughout to test underglazes/glazes/colour combos:

Salt n pepper shaker maquettes! testing out two different designs:

Plaster mouldmaking my beloathed (salt/pepper shaker, Bowl, and Spoon+mug handle):

Slipcast the boys; drying before bisque. I'd have to redefine the details on the shakers and mug by hand because they weren't super visible right out of the moulds:

a Bunch o colour/glaze tests:

Also ran into a pretty major issue with the spoons... I 100% should have been putting a little hole in the top of the spoon handle so I could fire it via having it hang suspended in the kiln. Eventually I started poking holes by hand into the spoons, But having overlooked that from the beginning I had a good amount of spoons that were too dry to have a hole poked into and with the deadline so close... (and even with some new spoons I fucked up and broke a few spoons when I tried to poke holes augh) the techs in the studio said they could put em on lil stilts and fire them that way. And I thought ok that sounds good! But... I didn't realize I'd have to be sanding the lil bit of metal from the stilts off from where it gets stuck to the glaze... :((

(see that spoon on the far right with the hole on top? that's the ideal orz)

So I had to take like a diamond tip grinder sander thing and sand that off, but it was very difficult and unpleasant and loud and still left some grey blemishes. And I was still so worried that usability-wise, you'd put the dang spoon in your mouth and feel a sharp bit of metal cut the inside of your very delicate gums :((

Yeah so this whole class and all its projects were a big ordeal for me orz but at least I got some fun salt n pepper shakers out of it (I use the brown/white cat shaker to hold my cinnamon sugar now hehe)

Also storage was an issue, I had to get a locker space just for this class. I'd be cramming all my guys into my locker; kinda funny to open my locker and see a bunch of lil guys lmao:

I ended up giving 4 of my friends a mug and salt/pepper shaker combo each for Christmas that year! I hope they still use them lol but I'm not sure? The sad thing is that my own two mugs I had in my kitchen cupboard have. fucking vanished????? my parents say they don't know where they went n I literally have no idea either and it fucking sucks (if one goes missing it's like fine that sucks. But both of them?? What the fuck happened). I still have like two bowls (ie no handles) in my closet at least but those were the ones that I'm not sure were food safe lol

[artemistalkstoomuch]

I am obsessed and thus I am going to analyse the names of all of these eeveetwotions!! Props to the artist for being super cool and clever and genuinely setting my brain on fire :/

OKAY SO-

BOLTEON: Jolteon (Electric) + Steel: - The concept of STEEL BOLTS + BOLTS OF LIGHTNING MAKES BOLTEON JUST THE PERFECT NAME - Also steel is electrically conductive so it would WORK as a combo

Plus, the colour scheme combo of gold (ik it's yellow but close enough) and silver looks really good together.

SULFUREON: Flareon (Fire) + Poison: - SULPHUR GAS IS FUCKING POISONOUS!! AND sulphur is commonly associated with fire which just makes it such a cool link - The combo of purple and fire is also really giving volcanic vibes, which... also produce tons of sulphur AHHHH

- Also the black rock texture looks amazing!!

- Also, also I think using the "F" spelling of sulphur works so cutely here since it brings the design name closer to Flareon :) but I am a PH sulphur apologist until I die.

My only lil note here would be that sulphur burns blue, so that could have been incorporated #bluehellforthegays

AGUANEON: Vaporean (Water) + Dragon: - The shape of vaporeon with the tail structure blends extremely well with a dragon design (this works for the gills too)

- ALSO!! In spanish Agua = Water

BUT WAIT

- "Aguaneon" is also similar to "Iguana", which is a genus of reptiles AKA WHAT DRAGONS WOULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED TO BE

WHICH IS SO FUCKING CLEVER

Again, colours of the types work well together, plus I love the juxtaposition of the idea that maybe instead of breathing fire this dragon type would breathe water lol (which gills would help with ig hehe)

EPHEREON: Espeon (Psychic) + Ghost: - The new name is very similar to the original name, and we love consistency and theming in this town

- EPHEMERAL = FLEETING (yanno, like a ghost would be)(using my miraculous knowledge here

- The name also is vaguely close to Ethereal (pronunciation and structure wise) which is also linked to supernatural stuff!!

- Not the mention the fact that Psychic and Ghost are already both supernatural types, and thus work really well together naturally. - ALSO AGAIN look at that colour schemeee, Ephereon be looking like a dark high priestess I would totally sell my soul to

OBSIDEON: Umbreon (Dark) + Fighting: - Red and black go excellently together as fighting colours, especially the way the artist has designed the pokemon to look like a ninja

- The bandages (associated with exercise and boxing/exertion etc.) really bring the colour palette together

- Obsidian is a black, dark mineral, that is also very tough (obviously, since you need a diamond pickaxe to get through it) so OF COURSE Obsideon is the perfect name for a tough, dark pokemon.

SYLPHEON: Sylveon (Fairy) + Flying: - Not very different from the original spelling however the subtlety of this one is what I think makes it for me. - So Sylveon + Seraph = Sylpheon A SERAPH IS A CELESTIAL BEING NOTICE HOW SHE HAS A HALO AROUND HER HEAD AND LOWKEY LOOKS LIKE A PEGASUS (FLYING HORSE) - LIKE MAGICAL UNICORN ANGEL ESSENTIALLY, which works so perfectly for a flying fairy type!!!

LEPIDEON: Leafeon (Grass) + Bug: - Conceptually, this is such a good blend of types because, um HELLO, leaf insects exist!! - Upon looking it up, Lepidodendrons are apparently an extinct genus of plants, which I think adds to the eerie vibes that the design has

- And works well enough because it's a similar word to leafeon

OMG WAIT MORE RESEARCH I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT LEPIDOPTERA IS AN ORDER THAT REFERS TO WINGED INSECTS LIKE BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. THAT IS SUCH A PERFECT NAME FOR BUG AND GRASS TYPES COMBINED?? AS WELL AS BEING EXTREMELY SIMILAR TO LEAFEON?? HOOLY SHIT

- tHE MOth face is so cute omg, and the forest creature colour scheme vibes are epic

REGALACEON: Glaceon (Ice) + Rock: - Obviously we still have the root word Glaceon still in there, which is cool, and could have just worked by itself as a funny sort of "well, glaciers are just big ice rocks aren't they?" but I'm glad they didn't do that cos I get to ANALYSE 🤓 - However, upon research I found nothing, but what I interpret to be the artist's intention (and I think this is really cool) is that "ice" and "rock" are both like diamonds

(I mean, just look at the design, it is incredibly bejewelled)

So I believe it is Regal + Glaceon, which obviously fit very well together, to form... Regalaceon!!

A beautiful, Rarity from mlp-esque design (always a win for style)

- I like how the ears and tufts look like royal banners, and how the tail kind of reminds me of a red carpet vibe

EVEN THE SCRUFF OF THE NECK IS LIKE THOSE POSH NECK THINGS

It is very beautiful and regal, and I love it and think it's very clever.

AS I DO WITH ALL OF THEM

Also props to them for not including ground type (and obviously normal) as the most boring ones (no offence ground type lovers)

Eeveelutions 2.0!

[worthless-sleep]

Hmm...

Well it seems like I exist now..

Greetings watchers of the abyss, curious souls of the beyond, and literally everybody else. Welcome to my dearest little domain, dedicated to stories and little thoughtful snippets of your most treasured obsessions~

What is my domain you wonder?

Hah~! That's for you to discover, realise, understand, and it's not that hard to tell if you'd check the tags hehe.

I feel to move on but you deserve formalities, a quick gloss over who I am and what I do.

(also some shameless plugging AHEM)

I am.....

Name? : Zeepi or Sleep

Age? : To avoid specifics, younger than 22, older than 15

Birthday? : June 10

Zodiac? : Gemini

MBTI? : INFJ

Pref? (Fandom wise) : Any that interests me

Fav? (Fandom wise) : Currently tied with TWST and CRK

My current task? : Writing and more writing

DNI? : Non-con likers, toxic shippers, inc3st shippers, overall jerks, spammers, desperate posts, those random weirdos...

Downsides? : Fun fact I'm mildly colour blind so some colours have lower saturation or are slightly off in my vision, I have pretty trash memory, low-key will swear a teeeeeeensy bit, I have suppressed anger issues, lazy/blocked writer

Rules for the blog? : Uh, yeah- DON'T BE A JERK THANK YOU!! Warning for those who know the will be, not for the ones who had no intentions in the first place. If you will swear, keep it to the absolute minimum, I'm tryna keep this blog rated E....well actual some of the stuff I'll write won't rlly meet those expectations so do what you will. Oh! While we're on that topic.

WARNING ⚠️ : THIS BLOG WILL HAVE CERTAIN 18+ THEME SINCE ITS FOR STORIES!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Shameless plug? : Go read my story Bad Thoughts on Wattpad if you're a TWST enjoyer ❤️!!

And that's that.

Feel free to request things at any point in time, I will get to them. And to all the popular TWST posters, if you are wondering I will be under the alias of '😴🌜' because why not.

If there's anything you wondering souls would like to ask then feel free to,

I await your curious questions...

[cs300]

big big Archer Normandy infodump (im insane)

1. What genre of music do they listen to the most? Would people assume they would like that style of music or is it wildly unfitting to their appearance? (ie; cutesy pastel girl likes heavy metal)

hehe he has a playlist JUST for this. but he mostly listens to like... indie/alt stuff..? like guitar n bass heavy. and usually in minor chords.

i think it fits tbh, he looks like an indie kinda guy

2. In terms of power scaling in-universe, are they about as strong as everyone else, stupidly overpowered, extremely weak, etc?

now this kinda depends on which Archer we're talking about.

see, there's actually TWO Archers. from two different universes/stories. like he acts differently enough in each version to be classified as an entirely separate character

so theres Demon Hunter Archer (DH) where he is, you guessed it, a demon hunter.

and there's Spider's Den Archer (SD) where he's kind of a... nosy jack of all trades type with no powers at all nd hes just a regular person

DH Archer? significantly weaker than his peers. doesnt use his abilities properly, can do stuff on his own but its like. nothing spectacular. hes very mid power wise here.

SD Archer is also like, not spectacular. he is lacking in physical strength and stamina and endurance but like. his smarts? insane. i ranked the main cast based on intelligence and Archer was up at the top, tied for first place with two others (a seeeecwwet). but apart from that hes pretty mid too actually. a bit LESS mid than DH Archer but still mid

3. Their playlist. Drop their playlist (or, if it's extremely long, the most fitting songs on it) and include specific lyrics from each song you consider to be the most fitting. Explanation not required but you can if you feel like it! Do not care about cringe. It is fun.

hehe here's this bad boy

as mentioned, most of these are songs that he'd LISTEN to, more than like... songs that describe him. and also theres a mix of DH Archer + SD Archer who are basically like.... two different characters with how they act.

i'm currently fixated on SD Archer BUT. DH Archer actually DOES have a song tht best describes him. "switch it up" by the happy children. and its mostly the chorus (i forgor the lyrics) but about needing to get ur face smashed on a truck, u know. like something about his hopeful nature and that he's willing to get up and try again

SD Archer doesnt have a defined theme like that BUT. out of these... I Wish actually fits pretty well. surprisingly.

5. If their personality has changed drastically over development, what's something that was once true about them that is now absolutely absurd to imagine and false?

i wouldnt call this a personality change since its more like... him being a different character depending on what universe hes in. BUT.

the key difference between the two? DH Archer is more bright eyed and hopeful and is more willing to fight for the future. SD Archer is shit miserable and pessimistic and full of malice and evil (makes pipe bombs in your garage). also SD Archer is more deadpan and aloof at first (like when you meet him before he warms up to you). DH Archer is more... awkward.

6. When it comes to food, are they more into savoury, salty, sweet, sour, spicy etcetc food? Are they picky with their food or will they eat just about anything that isn't spoiled?

he'll eat just about anything, but he prefers savoury stuff the most

7. In your opinion, do you think if they were real you would be friends with them or not?

oh god no he'd think im cringe and annoying and would tell me to kill myself

8. ^ Relating to above question, do they consider themself easy to get along with, and is that actually true?

nope and its kinda true

10. Do you have a voice claim for them?

"bubblegum" by the happy children

11. What's their "theme" color? What color do you associate with them? Is it in their color scheme or just a color that reminds you of them?

red :) its in his DH colour scheme cause thats the colour of his uniform, but you dont see it as often in SD. in SD he's more black n white n monochromey, but sometimes he has a red shirt on

12. Would you consider them well-liked in universe, or are they more an… acquired taste

an acquired taste for SURE. he has a tendency to be aloof and off putting, ESPECIALLY around people he doesn't know/just met. so everyone that doesnt know him just thinks hes an ass

13. ^ What about outside of canon? Are they one of your more well-liked characters?

if i had a fandom, Archer would be. divisive. you either love him or you hate him, for similar reasons as the above question. i love him to bits tho hes my babygirl

15. What would their theme song/leitmotif be titled? What would it sound like, if you have an idea?

HMMM... his theme/leitmotif would be like... bass guitar heavy. thats His Instrument. and it would probably start out all like somber n sad, but then devolve into something... violent and angry? but finish off in a hopeful kinda way..

look its vague but it makes sense in my head okay

and as for a name... Missed Target? why? well. well.

16. Are they a projection of yourself in any way? How similar are they to you?

OH GOD YEAH. yeah. he has all of my mental issues and hes trans n gay and also seems aloof and quiet at first until you get to know him. hes super heavily based off of me but with like... a little touch of his own flavour. he is different from me in his own way

funny thing, Archer's character actually started as a self insert for a demon hunter story. when talking about him, id refer to him as "i" or "me". but he ended up becoming his own thing with time, completely separated from me :]

17. Are they capable of holding their own in a fight or are they laughably easy to beat?

UHHH depends on which one we're talking about again

DH Archer can hold his own against like... weaker, fodder type enemies. but with stronger n a bit more intelligent ones? ehhh not so much. and probably not much against other demon hunters either.

SD Archer isnt one for physical altercations at all. he'd get his ass beat. he'd probably end up getting enraged and try going for low blow fury type attacks, like going for the eyes or just hitting whatever's in the way, but like. he's really easy to deal with

18. Do they swear often? On occasion? At All?

all the time also he says slurs

19. How do they text people? Lots of exclamations? All lowercase? Very Serious And Grammatically Correct? 1 Billion Emojis? Cutesy uwu speak? Etc etc.

he types in all lowercase, doesnt shorten his words (you -> u, tonight -> tonite, etc.) and uses apostrophes. he doesn't use emojis unless its ironic and you rarely see him using punctuation of any kind.

he talks super blunt and just say what he means. no typing quirks, we die like men

20. How easy is it to befriend them? How easy is it to make them hate you?

hard to befriend for sure, mostly because he's so closed off at first. if youre enough of an extrovert or spend a long enough time around him he'll grow to like you tho.

WAYYY easier to make him hate someone though. he holds grudges like a mf

21. How do they prefer to be referred to? First name, last name, nickname, another alias entirely etc?

he does not care at all as long as its a variation of his name. most of the time he doesnt have a reaction to nicknames, but if its someone he likes romantically he'll like... blush a lil but not say anything

22. Compared to the rest of your cast, are they tall or short?

he's average. like super average. the middle of the bunch

23. Are they a dog or cat person? Neutral? Do they prefer another animal entirely?

neutral but has a sliiightly bigger preference for cats. just likes how quiet they are

24. Do they know what a sigma male is. Be honest

yes and he thinks theyre stupid and insults them

25. How do they react to being loved and/or cared for? Similarly, how do they express their love for others?

he's unsure of how to react.. in the moment? he'll blush and get slightly flustered, and later spend time overthinking what happened and if he understood the intentions correctly. he's most likely to brush it off as him just misinterpreting it and it mot meaning anything

when he loves someone he drops the aloof persona, becomes more talkative and actually starts smiling for once. he's more of an.. acts of service guy? im not sure actually because i can picture it clearly but cant put it into words, so just trust me ok

26. How do they react to being disliked? Similarly, how do they express their distaste for others?

depends. if it's someone he doesn't know, he couldnt give any less of a fuck about it. however, if it's someone he knows (and likes) he'll think about offing himself for DAYS, maybe even WEEKS.

the exception is his family he does not care about them he hopes they explode if they dont like him

27. What Pokémon type(s) would they be?

normal/electric

28. Are they the type to be chaotic and reckless or are they more the type to think before they act?

chaotic and impulsive wildcard type for sure

29. Are they an open book or hard to read emotions-wise?

hard to read because his expression rarely changes

30. Can they keep a secret?

yes, absolutely

31. What are some things you associate with them? Certain aesthetics, items, colors, feelings, tastes etc! Anything goes!

the colour red

the feeling of finding out something new/piecing info together

handguns

32. What role do they serve in the story? Are they a main character, side character, antagonist, protagonist etc?

main character/protag in both DH and SD. the special boy :]

33. What's the meaning behind their name?

there is none i just picked what sounded cool to me tbh

34. What inspired you to create them?

a dream i had abt a demon hunter world, in which, upon fleshing out the world with me bf, my first self insert was a demon, and his was a demon hunter.

well, with some time nd development, i decided to make a demon hunter self insert of my own and this bad boy was born

35. FREE SPACE! Drop some miscellaneous fun facts, tell us their backstory, do whatever! Go crazy.

SD:

he's been obsessed with a certain missing person's case for 5 years

has a knife he got as a gift from someone that he treasures dearly

used to draw nd make stories when he was younger but lost his spark completely and can barely think of a name for a character nowadays

has two fursoneys [deer and a mink/monkey thing]

undiagnosed autism [the "i make bombs" kind]

DH:

has lightning powers

comes from a military family

has chain knives he uses for combat

[mousehole5000]

tgcf chapters 107 - 120 this is one where i give some Opinions. i do overall like hualian a lot but i have some quibbles

wait why am i still taking screenshots? i can copy/paste again afskldfjasad

It really was hard to tell whether people would feel happy after watching such performances. However, in truth, slaughter and the sight of blood did create excitement in people. Whether or not there was fear, after the initial shock was over, a rush of adrenaline would be produced in the heart- me watching horror movies

“Shi Qingxuan said. “Then, Your Highness, Crimson Rain Sought Flower! I order you to—to immediately strip each other’s clothing!” - djslkadjlsd WHY DID HE SPECIFICALLY SAY THEY HAD TO STRIP EACH OTHER THISALSKDJ is this a normal thing is it a wingman attempt what is happening

“I’ll tell you what it is,” he said softly. “To watch with your own eyes your beloved be trampled and ridiculed, yet be unable to do anything. That’s the worst suffering in the world.” ... “Ming Yi asked, “What’s the biggest regret of your life?”- when truth or dare gets a bit too real

On the side, Hua Cheng was still only observing, and was already bored to the point where he’d changed back into his red robes. Then he changed to black robes again. Then to white robes. Almost every time Xie Lian looked back, he would be donning a different appearance, and with every new look there were different hairstyles, and different accessories, and different boots, and so on; sometimes playful, sometimes elegant, sometimes deadly, sometimes glamourous. Xie Lian was growing dizzy from all the colours and kept looking back, unable to look away. - THIS ISNT THE TIME HUA CHENG. YOURE PRIMPING. THE WINDMASTER HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED AND YOURE PRIMPING

obsessed with xie lian not being able to figure out to use the windmaster’s fan and just. using it to SMACK

also windmaster??? whats going on??? :( i know some things from spoilers like who is not to be trusted but i really have no clue whats happening rn

anyways back to puqi shrine lets check on those kids also can we PLEASE get some funds for this restoration smh. hua cheng and xie lian doing mundane hard labor together to fulfill prayers.... :pleading:

jailbreak in the heavens 2: dig a tunnel

Sure enough, the moment Ming Yi put pressure on his shovel, a hole opened up before them. With the shovel raised, he burrowed crazily ahead while Shi Qingxuan, in the middle, cheered him on crazily. As the only non-crazy person, Xie Lian brought up the rear. That treasured shovel of the Earth Master was indeed magical, and with only a few strokes, a new tunnel of over ten meters was dug. - anybody remember mulch diggums from the artemis fowl series? this is much more dignified than that but i think this is only the second time ive read a character just starting digging a tunnel as a plot point

okay so much is going on i wish i hadnt spoiled who certain characters actually are for myself but i have no one to blame but me for a) not blacklisting spoilers at all and b) just having a little freefall through the tags. oh well. anyway heavenly college admissions scandal except way worse. the corruption extends to the heavens and the windmaster is having a very bad day

i guess we’re having a high seas adventure now?

im gonna keep it real im getting tired of how often we get told how handsome hua cheng is. i know its all xie lian’s pov and while im not terribly familiar with it i know what genre we’re working with and im assuming thats pretty typical. its something i dont much care for in general and idk maybe it sounds better in the original but ngl its starting to make me roll my eyes. love you goth king but god okay we get it.

i guess what i will say about hualian so far is that overall i like them and i like how they interact in general they have a lot of nice moments and they just genuinely seem to like each other which is really nice to see EXCEPT for when it actually comes to things that could be romantic or sexual which is a shame bc i dont think it has to be like this. again disclaimer that im only reading a translation and dont know everything might not have all the knowledge necessary to accurately criticize etc etc and im assuming a lot of this is expected from the genre (disclaimer to this disclaimer that i cant say that for sure its just based on things ive picked up about the bl genre over the years) but idk like xie lian was so distressed after their underwater kiss scene. it was kind of uncomfortable to read and maybe im being unfair i know his cultivation is based around abstinence or whatever but idk i dont care for it. and that scene alone doesnt have to be a bad thing like idk i guess its his first kiss ever (?) and it would make sense if he feels weird about it but i just have my doubts thats going to be addressed or resolved in a satisfying way. also im like. dude everyone is like centuries old. xie lian’s been on earth for 800 years. has he really never met or heard of a gay person during all this time? maybe he hasnt idk what he got up to yet maybe that’s actually a thing. also same thing with the reactions from the immortals to xie lian in a dress and characters like the windmaster like again you’re all centuries old and its not uncommon to be able to just completely change gender presentation. why are you all weird about a man wearing a woman’s dress? i just feel like that shouldnt be a big deal to these characters idk

also again not going to lie part of this that im not really a big fan of reading romance in general. yes i am reading this book. yes i do read and write a lot of fanfic that includes or centers romance. im multifaceted. but really what im talking about is the like physical side of it and descriptions im extremely picky about it. ill give an example. early on in the torture pit (or whatever it was called i cant remember lol) when xie lian kind of accidentally felt up hua cheng in the dark when he was being carried. i dont think thats a bad thing to have happen between the two romantic leads i think thats fine and good to include that early but i just did not enjoy reading it when it happened idk maybe it was the wording and i do think that moments like these work better in a visual medium. ive definitely read het romance that reads like this and i wasnt a fan of that either lol same with fanfic i get tired when writers go on and on about how hot one characters finds another character. this isnt a huge criticism of it like i said im picky but again like with the way that hua cheng is described it just makes me roll my eyes sorry kings

okay back to the reading. this whole saving the fishermen thing feels like a big set up for something narrative-wise. hua cheng specifically insisted on coming and i know one of the characters involved ends up dying im wondering if thats now it would be a good time tbh if things get just a bit too unfortunate during this heavenly calamity... and the brothers are notably not having a harmonious time... also tho it feels very likely we’ll just have another Hualian Moment (tm)

In such a situation, Pei Ming still acted the same. In the evening, when they rescued a few fishermen girls, so scared their eyes were blurry from tears, he held them in his embrace and soothed them with a gentle voice; a true show of honeyed romance, affectionate and charming. - pei ming please get pickled again.

also its funny that hua cheng is just kinda hanging out and everyone else just has to deal with it

Looking down from above, the entire area was painted in a terrifying black. It was easy to see the collision between the two different-coloured currents. Their fierce battle was what formed this enormous whirlpool. As the eye swallowed the ship whole, the two currents of water separated. However, the battle was far from over. Like two venomous vipers, they continued to snap at each other. Each collision was followed by a mountain of angry waves. - this pretty dope ngl. also love our wind and earth masters just chilling on a shovel i dig it. hehe

Yet, other than discovering Hua Cheng had a fine body, there were no other finds. Xie Lian was at his wit’s end and started to worry. - okay see this one’s funny im just also irritated bc im like WE KNOW!!! WE GET IT HE’S HOT AND XIE LIAN THINKS HE’S HOT OKAY GOT IT

okay kiss #2 again its not the kisses themselves its xie lian’s reaction it just bothers me idk im not saying i need him to be super into it and completely unconflicted about it rn but he’s just so freaked out about it and idk i just dont really like it just feels weird i dont care for that aspect of it. also dude hua cheng is a ghost and he did this exact same thing for you before just chill. i wish instead of xie lian literally running away while screaming that hes sorry he was just like “oh haha youre fine thats cool im gonna go look around the woods i dont feel weird about this at all haha” like idk its kind of funny but when its literally our two romantic leads i just feel like its confusing like it kind of makes me feel like they shouldnt be together if one of them freaks out this much again considering the fact that they are both CENTURIES old. i know i know xie lian is an 800 year old virgin but. he hasn’t been like this about anything else so yeah idk like it still could have been awkward and funny i just dont think it needed to be so :/ that being said it was funny that xie lian was then internally like “oh i did it wrong? perhaps i should ask him for more.. instructions....” if that actually happens i might like it bc it would complete this little watery theme

Before he finished, he immediately remembered. Coffin wood. There were trees here everywhere; and a deceased? There was one right before his eyes. Sure enough, Hua Cheng smiled. “Won’t it be fine once I lie inside? - love that hua cheng just sat on the fact that he can turn anything into a coffin. that would have been really useful information earlier but no he just waited until everyone but xie lian was gone afjaklsdjf

also i do think that oblivious xie lian thinking “wow whoever it is that hua cheng fancies is an idiot for not liking him back theyre totally taking him for granted :/” is kind of funny and sweet. actually the whole conversation they have at the campfire is good and im bookmarking it to think about later

“...You on top and me on the bottom,” Xie Lian replied. “Isn’t top and bottom the same?” Hua Cheng asked. - okay im sorry but. mood whenever theres discourse about top/bottom dynamics for a ship im just like jesus christ i dont care. tbh i rarely read fanfiction if its just sexual and ngl if i see a fic specifically tag characters as top or bottom i wont read it lmfao. especially when people have really strong opinions about this stuff when theres nothing canonical to back it up like headcanon all you want but whenever i see people argue about it im just like no offense but go work out your own sexual issues and dynamics instead of arguing with strangers on the internet about who’s a top and who’s a bottom. sorry to be mean but just thats how i feel lol

this was mostly a ramble with a few excerpts but im getting sleepy im going to TRY to take a break from this for like a day but we’ll see how that goes i do very much want to know what happens. anyway if you read this whole thing hiiiiii sorry for subjecting you to my opinions on top/bottom discourse

[a-whispering-echo]

wow, hey, look at that! same idea, thats fun!

i dont really have much on them as characters, because this was meant to be just a little series of drawing for myself, as a reclamation of what i was when i was a kid. i was bullied as a child for liking things like mlp, and fairies, and all sorts, despite being LITERALLY IN the intended AGE RANGE for them! so, now in my adulthood, im looking back at them, recognising i was allowed and FINE for liking thing, these NORMAL things to like, and am trying to accept who i was and who i am now <3 so i started with the mlp series <3

otherwise, the obvious parallels between Celestia and Luna and Dream and Nightmare are there! ive made full storyboards for animatics to lullaby for a princess in my head before with those two as the characters <3

i love your designs! the clothing and embellishments looks SO cool, and i love the bend to Dreams tail in his drawing! thats very well drawn and my eyes keep darting to it, hehe! i like that you went for more stylised character design for characters like Killer, because i kept the same colour and patterns and stuff for the MTT, becaue i wanted them to have that 'were the same person' theme, with the odd change to show how they, well, changed! - things like Dusts cutiemark being scratched out and his hair changes, plus how Killers eyes are black, and he has his old cutiemark paired with what would be this potential universes Charas, the buttercup, overlaying it! i tred to keep Horror the MOST similar colour wise, but i changed his shape the most - took inspo from Big Mac, as im sure is obvious!

i think it was a fun little experiment, and im glad you like my doodles! i like yours too!

MY Little Bony - Cross

bonk.

-tales are unicorns, -swaps are pegasi, as such, Cross is a pegasus... in this timeline :)

i go beb now, night

[lnarizakis]

— sam’s match-ups masterlist

hi! if you sent in a match-up ask, you can find ‘em all here! if you sent off anon, i have just tagged you and added the link to the post. if you sent as anon/anon with identifying emoji, i included your description along with the link. this post will be constantly updated as i continue to post my match-ups! thank you and i hope you all enjoy your match-ups!!

— @hqprotectionsquad . . .

— anon . . . ❝ could i get a matchup🥺 with 2 boys~ i'm 4'9, i'm really tiny and i've been told i have really nice hair hehe personality wise i've been told i'm really gentle and calming, i had a teacher that said my voice is "serene" and "soothing" >__< i'm the mom friend of the group🥰 i'm quite the introvert, i enjoy just staying home with some takeout, studying quietly or playing acnh underneath all my blankets.. i'm quite fond of hugs and cuddling and forehead kisses too though😚😚💞💞💞 ❞

— anon . . . ❝ could i request for a matchup?🥺 i'm about 5'3, my friends always say i'm the perfect height to hug 🤗 i have long hair till my waist that i dyed a rose-gold colour, i like wearing green or grey contacts because i like the way they make my eyes look. i have a resting b!tch face though...i'm not very approachable because of it😭 i've been playing netball for about 6 years now and i'm quiet irl i guess, but off the court and when i'm comfy, i'm quite the goodball🤙🏻🤙🏻 ❞

— anon . . . ❝ grats for 500! I'd like to request a matchup w 3 ppl pls! Im female, 5'2, i LOVE volleyball! i play wing spiker but i used to play setter, i loved setting for my besties in hs after training. I like to work out, read books & study. i clean my room every morning cos i like neat things, my closet's organized. i have dark brown eyes and thick thighs, proud of em! i also dance, im flexible, and im taking journalism. i wanna play pro vb in the future but tbh 158.5cm's too short, but im not giving up! ❞

— ⭐️ 🌸 anon . . . ❝ Hey hey! If ur still doing the matchup event i would love one!! Im a short gal with wavy dark hair and green eyes. I wear makeup p often esp red eyeshadow and black winged eyeliner (bc im an egirl until i DIE). Speaking of egirl i dress in black and with a chain most of the time but i also randomly flip into floral soft girl hours?? As for personality im really energetic once im comfortable and i love people who can match that energy, esp bc i get anxious rlly easily so i need someone . . . who will help keep me calm and happy when my drive for success gets a lil out if hand lmao. I’m also v combative towards ppl who i think are disrespectful! I love classic novels and watching foreign movies, but I also LOVE sports and get rlly hype abt them. I also LOVE music esp metal but i can and WILL vibe to literally anything esp if its during a workout (bc i live at the gym and someone spotting my squats is so romantic 2 me 🥺). A match w/ 2 boys would be sick, tysm in advance! ❞

— anon . . . ❝ Im medium height with long brown hair and sharp features. I like drawing, reading, cooking. I’m rather chill and level-headed, i’m usually the one to fix objects and solve problems, I avoid drama. I’m compassionate and caring but sometimes indifferent. I like mountains, art galleries, concerts, cello and graphic design. I’m adaptable and open to learning new things but I don’t like changing my routine too much. + 1 male character. ty for this and congrats on 500 followers!!! you deserve it ❞

—anon . . . ❝ hihi!!!! congrats on 500!! i lov ur content sm.. akfjag im asking for a two chara match up!!! im 5'3 and i have pink hair,, i switch between so many hobbies LOL i play volleyball and softball,, and i love singing and painting!! i have a really cottagecore aesthetic and i love baking things for people!!!!! im really energetic and v bratty over text but i get flustered so easily in person,, i hope youre having a good day//night !!!!!! ty for ur fics ❞

— 🐧 anon . . . ❝ match up please!!🥺 2 characters n no gender preference!! im a tall (around 184cm) kinda chubby girl w/ shoulder length brown hair, hazel eyes, pale skin w/ a lot of moles n i wear glasses! im p shy n it takes me a while to open up. but when i do i am a completely dif person,, making friends is hard but the ones i do have i love more than anything! when im w/ them im cheerful, talk a lot n goof around. otherwise i look p intimidating n serious cause i have a rbf n barely talk,, . . . im the mom friend, an optimist, a dreamer n a procrastinator. im p hard to piss off but when im angry i can get scary 😳 im sensitive n cry a lot, currently im working on being more confident! i love animals n flowers!! cause im not the best with words i use lil gifts n touches to express my love! my hobby is drawing! ive been doing it my whole life n im rlly proud of it!! congrats on 500 followers love❤ ❞

— @raevaioli . . .

— 🦆 anon . . . ❝ Happy 500 bubs! You def deserve it :)! I was wondering if I could get a #1 male matchup? Looks: 5’1 petite fem w/ small chest/tiny waist. Thick/medium brown hair and eyes. I’m a cancer with ENTP type! I’m a very affectionate person to my loved ones. I’m very stubborn, sensitive (but I try to hide it), ambitious, witty and very talkative! I like to tease my friends, watch Netflix and try new baking things! Although I show my love through actions, I’m fine with getting love back in any way . . . Also I like baths! (It’s random but why not 😌) I wish you a good day! ❞

— anon . . . ❝ Hey! Can I get a matchup? (#1)I’m a Leo and a ISFJ chick! I have medium brown hair and big eyes w/ glasses. I have a petite body with a small waist and chest. I’m really nice to people but very awkward (I’ll laugh at the floor) and when annoyed. I’m much more open to others like my best friend,I feel at home with her :,) .My hobbies include watching greys anatomy, shopping for clothes, and calling my friends. I would want my partner to be a lil more extroverted than me. Happy 500 😊 ❞

— anon . . . ❝ hi! Can I get a matchup? I’m 5’2 straight girl w/ long brown wavy hair and big brown eyes. I’m thick in all the right places🥴 plus I have a curvy body. My star sign is Pisces and I’m a ISFP. I’m more introverted than extroverted. I dress like Hobo type of way, but i always wear AF1s and I NEVER crease them. In my spare time I draw,listen to raps (mostly by Tupac) and oldies, learn raps, and hang out wit friends. I also have a bunch of piercings on my ears and one on my nose. ty CONGRATS ON 500+ ❞

— anon . . . ❝ CONGRATULATIONS ON 500 WHOOP WHOOP❣️🥺, can i please have a matchup doe! so happy to celebrate this with you❤️ i’m a female, straight, 5’4 and a half, dark skin with medium black curly hair, chubby cheeks and always smiling, i love being outside just experiencing life or trying new drinks at restaurants!! i also enjoy staying home to watch tons of anime & movies or dates to the museum or theme park, spring is my favorite season and orange is my favorite color, i’m so hyper and loving, thank you! ❞

— 🐾 anon . . . ❝ Twice the charm I suppose :) I’m a 5’1 girl with long wavy brown hair. I have a lot of piercings and I tend to wear a lot of jewelry. I wear two knee braces due to a connective tissue disorder. I’m bisexual, so either way works for me owo. I’m an INFJ and a type 4. I’m told that I’m pretty easygoing but I get angry real quick when someone I love is threatened. I’m very empathetic and I’m the mom friend of the group 🐾 . . . Fun fact, don’t leave me alone in public for more than two seconds or else random strangers come up to me asking for advice. This has happened way too many times now don’t ask me why lmaooo. I’ve been playing soccer for eleven years now. I was the captain of a coed college-age division team for two years. I play left defense and goalkeeper. 🐾 . . . I go hiking a lot, I love cliff diving, and I’m an archer. I am also a painter and a writer. My dream job is to become a book editor, but I want to eventually live off my books. I tend to be pretty clingy when it comes to people. I randomly need a lot of attention and force my friends to cuddle. They like rejecting me 😔. Sorry that this was so long aha. Ily and have a good day 💕🐾 ❞

thanks for sending in an ask ! didn’t see yours? please let me know !

[cloudsofcollection]

My Experience with Ayahuasca

The way these few weeks orchestrated itself to align my soul with my ayahuasca ceremony was very intentional. I’m grateful that I’m able to trust my intuition to guide me to good and I’m grateful that I have the strength to follow through. Discipline takes work. It’s not that it’s difficult.. It just takes genuine work and effort. The gifts that come from that discipline make it all worthwhile and can even have you question why it took you so long to get here in the first place. But everything is as it is supposed to be. The struggle. The lessons. The choices made. Everything.

For the most part, I felt very relaxed and ready. I had been preparing for as long as I could remember and I trusted that I could handle this experience. I originally wanted to go to Peru, the sacred land where the magic started. To be in the jungle with the plants and the medicine, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that would be like. All year, I asked questions and researched how to get there. I accepted that it wasn’t time, but one day it will be. I had then crossed paths with someone who had done ayahuasca… here… in Winnipeg. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. If I can’t experience the jungle, what better way to do ayahuasca than to do it in my hometown, the city I was born in (rebirth is such a strong theme for me right now). A few months had passed. My heart was still yearning and this time the universe was taking the lead in our harmonious dance together. She guided me to this woman, Lori, who’s partner holds ceremonies in Winnipeg. Get this… she was the newest hire at my work. This allowed me to create a friendship with her, a bond that I could trust and feel safe with. It is incredible how magical this Life can be if we let it. There are so many loving and supporting energies that want you to be happy and want you to live the best Life. We’re all in this together.

Originally, the ceremony was supposed to take place a week ago, December 29. I was excited to end 2018 with a healing experience to help me recharge for the next year. I had felt ready and I anticipated it more and more with each day. The night before the ceremony, I received a message from Lori saying that the ceremony needed to be postponed for another week because her partner had caught the flu. At first, I was frustrated and upset. I allowed myself to feel those emotions and with each breath, I accepted the situation. I then realized that I have more time to cleanse, prepare, and rest. I said to myself, “I guess I have more work to do.” And I sure did. I spent my New Years alone. At 5pm on New Years eve, I packed a bag and booked a hotel room. I was going through an exhausting time because of the holidays and everything that comes with it. I felt drained in all areas and needed to refill my vessel. I had a very spiritual and intimate evening with myself. I was relearning how to love me again. As it hit midnight, I laid in a bath tub with my crystals. I aligned my chakras, did a breathing meditation to centre myself, and brought in the new year being reborn.

I woke up right before the sun started to rise. I stretched with the sun and enjoyed breakfast with my fellow crows. This will be my new ritual every year (maybe even every season). I am beyond grateful that I followed my intuition. I was broken before this. I felt like I “needed” to be with my family to celebrate or I “needed” to be out with friends partying. But deep, deep down.. that was all ego. When you can get out of your head, and into your heart, it can be so healing. This needed to happen for me because immediately after my beautiful experience, I was back in work mode. I had 4 days until the ceremony and I worked at my job all 4 days.

~ It was during this very moment that my heart had felt full. The sun was shining through me & I could feel absolute gratitude for all Life ~

Leading up to meeting the medicine, I chose to make some changes in my lifestyle (my guides also helped me with this as well). With about a week left, I took care of myself and my health. I chose carefully and intentionally what food, what feelings, and what information to process. I cut out caffeine and only drank water or herbal teas. I chose to ate mainly vegetarian dishes with the occasional fish or chicken. I ate ALOT of fruit. This alone took training and discipline. During this time, I was staying at my grandmother’s house and let me tell you… my grandmother’s cooking is my favourite cooking. She puts so much love into it, it’s always perfect. With that being said, it was really hard for me to watch my brother eat adobo, which is my absolute favourite, as I munched on a spinach and apple salad. Or how much I wanted to have a slice of Little Caesar’s pizza hours before my ceremony.

~ vanilla chia pudding with mashed bananas & blueberries ~ avocado toast with bruschetta ~ spinach salad with apples ~ quinoa with mixed veggies ~

Now that I’m on the other side, I’ve realized that those temptations and cravings are temporary. And temporary gratification is worth the lifelong gifts you can receive if you choose otherwise. My vessel was clear and pure for the medicine to be absorbed and for the healing energies to transform. I was ready. One step led to another and fast forward to January 5, at the peak of the new moon in Capricorn as well as a solar eclipse, I had journeyed with courageous and beautiful beings.

There were seven of us. The number seven is considered to be “the Seeker, the lifelong Searcher of Truth”. And that is exactly what we all came here to do, to seek our truths of our world. These people were all strangers to me, but I felt safe. I felt like we’ve walked this path with one another in a different Life. The ceremony was held in an art gallery in the heart of downtown Winnipeg. We had open space and it was perfect for the size of our group. I became comfortable in the corner close to our main guides. I laid out my crystals and stones that were also ready to walk this path with me. After brief introductions, smudging, and settling into the energy of the room, the ceremony began.

~ This was my time traveling space ship (hehe). My fucking awesome homies to the left: obsidian, selenite, amber, lapis lazuli, and a pine cone :) ~

Jeff, our ayahuasquero, blessed the medicine. I kept wanting to watch what he was doing because I was so intrigued. But that was my ego talking. My spirit was telling me to “centre in and stay grounded because it doesn’t matter what he looks like, what matters is where you are about to go”. I was the first one to receive the medicine. My female companion, Lori, came to me with a gentle smile and with a whisper, passed me a small wooden cup and said, “cheers”. With gratitude, I drank the ayahuasca very slowly, wanting to feel every bit of it move through my body. I closed inwards and gave thanks. As I sat still, I moved my awareness to my body, needing to stretch and move the energy through me. I repeated to myself, “I will heal. I will grow. I will let go. I will heal. I will grow. I will let go”. It was time for me to lay down. The lights turned off and it didn’t take long for me to feel the magic. At first, a red light dawned over me. I opened my eyes to see where it was coming from, but there was no red light anywhere. I only could see it with my eyes closed. This resonated with my root chakra and gave me the gift of grounding. My spirit was preparing me for my journey. I then saw a tiny eyeball blink at me and it scared me. I opened my eyes and took a deep breath. This was going to be some crazy shit.

I closed my eyes and then I saw a key hole. It was inviting me in and I trusted it and kept going. Mama Aya appeared. She carried this essence of an ancient wise grandmother. Her face was a carving on a large tree trunk. Her roots extended out to me, comforting me, telling me that she was here to help me. Jeff began to sing. The timing was perfect because the medicine had finally settled and I was somewhere else. The frequency of his voice was creating images and colours within my mind. Everything was very bright and electric. “This is a lot. This is intense,” I said to myself. Fear began to rise. I wanted to go home and be in my bed. I wanted to be in a familiar place. Everything I was experiencing was new and different and it was a lot for me to process. In my head, I was trying to figure out what to do next. I would try to enjoy the intense high I was feeling, but it felt like system overload. I called over to Lori to comfort me. I looked up at her, and she came to me as a bird. I told her I wanted it to stop because it was a lot. I felt her touch and she continued to comfort me. She looked down on me, and whispered, “it’s okay Mel. It’s the medicine. Everything will be okay.” It took me awhile to release resistance. I felt cold, I just wanted to be warm, I wanted water but couldn’t figure out how to grab it. There was a moment where I knew I was going to throw up, but couldn’t get up. I accepted that I was going to throw up on myself and call it a night. This was it. This was my experience. I whispered out loud, “I need help. Can someone pass me my water bottle? Where is my bucket?” But a voice came to me and said, “you can have whatever you want, but it’s you that needs to do it. No one else can do it for you.” So I sat up and opened my eyes. Thank God. I took a few deep breaths and observed my surroundings. The art gallery was no longer a gallery. But a blur of energy floating through the air. Every direction was a different realm. I came back to contact with my physical body. “Where is my wrist? Yes.. there it is. Grab the hair tie, Mel. Put your hair up. Drink some water. Where are my glasses? I got this. I got this. I have control. Shake it off. Try to throw up. It’s okay, just get it over with.” I couldn’t throw up even after hunching over my bucket with my finger in my mouth. I talked to myself, ALOT. (I mean, I talk to myself alot as it is so it makes sense that it was necessary for my experience. Lol) I laid back down and snuggled in my blanket. Intuitively, I went in the fetal position. Jeff and Lori were going back and forth in song. It was so beautiful. The song was coming from their heart and it helped carry me through my fear. Their song also moved the plant medicine within me. Everything was working together in every moment. I never felt so connected. I then felt like I was being packed into a cocoon. Spirit animals surrounded me in a circle to protect me. I could feel their physical touch pat me as if I was a baby. Waves of energy were pouring into me. My demons were nearby, but my spirit animals were warding them away. But I couldn’t have them do all the work themselves. It was my turn. I began to release resistance. I opened up from my cocoon and spread my body out. In that very moment, my heart opened and I was blessed with so much love. Ethereal beings showed me their world and it was so bright. It felt like they were each taking turns feeding me and nourishing me with love and light. They cleansed my body and had me in a bubble of unconditional love. I saw codes and symbols but I couldn’t understand it at the time. “What is happening? What does this mean? How do I integrate this information?" System fucking overload. My galactic family was showing me light language. Matter did not exist here. There was nothing physical to this experience. I had to touch my face and body just to make sure it was still there. I felt detached from my body. I felt like my mind was floating through consciousness and all it has to offer. Everything worked in frames and layers, pulsing back and forth. Now I wonder what would have happened if I stepped into each frame. Everything was detached, yet all connected. 

~ This is the best image I could use to describe the pulsating frames & layers. Holy fuck, I was inside bismuth ~

Then Mateo started to play his didgeridoo. I was in awe the whole time with what I was experiencing. I couldn’t help but say out loud, “this is so beautiful. How is this happening? How are you doing that?” There were moments when Lori and Jeff greeted me in my corner. They had me sit up as the blessed me and placed mama beads around my wrists. Jeff had blown tobacco smoke around me to cleanse my energy. They both worked so well together. Their intuition, guidance, and all-loving energy made the ceremony perfect. I was in admiration by what the medicine and sound can do together to any experience. It was very spiritual and deep and our energies were all working together collectively. There was a moment when I had felt that everyone was hovering over me. Watching me and protecting me. Their spirits came through and journeyed into my world for a moment. I couldn’t believe all the beauty and love I was witnessing within. I now finally understand how our universe is holographic because I was in the matrix. I traveled through space and time and I am so grateful that I was filled with the most loving energies.

Leading up to the ceremony, my angels were sending me messages of support. They do this by showing me angel numbers (one number repeating itself 3 times, for example: 222, 444, 555). On the day of the ceremony, I didn’t feel or see any messages. But I knew that was because I needed to do this one on my own and I needed to trust that they are always with me and sure enough, they were.

~ When trying to use words to describe my experience, I was blank at first. I came across this photo and this is very close. This is where my galactic family greeted me and showered me with love~

I was finally coming back to Life. The medicine was still within me, but my travels were coming to an end. I was coming back to my physical body and needed to reground. I felt a wave of excitement and happiness. Everyone was very pleased with their journey. We began to share stories and exchange wisdom with one another. It was hard for me to process everything at the time. My body was back on Earth, but my mind was still running around the universe. As I sat up, I enjoyed the aura of our space. Everyone was happy. Everyone was working through their blockages. People had break downs. People had break throughs. We supported each other and it was perfect. We sang songs and gave hugs. As we let light into the gallery, the reflection shined through the window. A beam of light stretched across the room and I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was the most perfect way to close my ceremony. It’s so beautiful to see how the medicine works. It doesn’t work for you, it works with you. There is a relationship between the medicine and the human being. The medicine is there to show you what you are willing to see. The human being is there to receive the gifts and share it with the world. I learned a lot about my flight or fight tendencies. I initially craved for warmth and something familiar because the unknown scared me. But man oh man… the moment I let go and released resistance, the unknown was the most sacred and most wonderful world I could dream of. It was hard for me to fall asleep because my ego was coming back & I started to judge myself. I was telling myself I was acting obnoxious or I was talking too much, and as I was doing this to myself, I could feel my heart hurting. My rose quartz necklace even broke from tossing and turning so much. And rose quartz helps with the heart and unconditional love. So I placed my hand on my heart and told myself to be gentle. Focus on the good, because there was so much to be gained. I also now see my potential as a human being. There is this world that I can tap into to gain wisdom and to recharge my vessel. I woke up the following morning feeling awake inside and energized, but my body needed to rest. I needed a full day in my pajamas, my grandmother’s cooking, and the opportunity to share the love I gained. The best gift I gained from my experience is feeling secured. I feel secure in my body and in my skin. My eczema is healing. I’m letting my hair down. I’m comfortable with who I am and I have so much love to give. Now all I can do is spread my light and inspire others to ignite their own.

There is so much to our world outside our four walls. We are conditioned to live in fear, but once we move from that, we possess so much magic within. Our Creator gave us the tools to succeed, but we must come back to our natural selves. Love, light, and nature are our best healers. They are here for us and are wanting to shower us with many gifts. You don’t have to see it to believe. You first have to believe, then you will see.

I will work with plant medicine again, but in moderation. This experience was very intense and a lot for me to process. But I survived. I didn’t throw up, and I didn’t shit myself so that’s always a win. Haha!

Wherever you are, I am sending you so much love. I encourage you to challenge your beliefs and explore the corners of your mind, and push through your inner fears. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, I promise.

Love and light to you and yours,

Mel

[raijinhasverybigpecs]

I would like to see a post from you rating all the skins of a single theme (like all the chibis or the mystical guardians (even though you probably love all of those))

i’ve actually been meaning to make a collection of all the skin families and make an edit out of that so i was gonna do that for this instead….. but i got lazy lol

anyways i have A Lot Of Feelings about the mystic skins so i’ll break down my thoughts under the cut:

1. mystic nu wa

pros

the abilities are a lil boring but what hi-rezo does with them is great and i love the wings when she uses her ult (so cute!!).

the model is absolutely gorgeous, nu wa has got a flawless base and what hi-rez have done w/ the skin is so nice. i love the lil animation on her dress as well and the colour scheme is easily the best out of all the mystic girlies

i’m not 100% on nu wa’s voice pack but the va does a really good job, she’s super cute and i’d literally die for her omg. an anon on the confession blog reminded me about that directed voice line towards erlang shen and when erlang shen does get a mystic skin i might consider joining the mystic nu wa X mystic erlang shen ship

(also i’m kinda biased bc i own this skin and i’ve gotten excellent games w/ her asdkfljdslkjikljlkljkl)

cons

i have no idea who the fuck chose goddamn mystic perfume bottles for her different elemental powers but it’s such a weird decision. still pissed that hi-rezo didn’t go with the obvious choice of having her wield elemental stars like…… :////

what always annoys me is the lil flap things under her dress, the skin would look so much better if they were on top of her dress or if they were just removed ENTIRELY… it’s like daji w/ her tails, there’s too many things going on and it’s really distracting

also this is a major complaint for every mystic skin but the hair colours are just waaaaay too much, i know they’re meant to be colour coded but holy shit would these girls look much better w/ darker hair. i’d kill for a brunette mystic nu wa

final rating: 9/10, nu wa setting the standard for everyone to aspire to once again

2. mystic artemis

pros

another really good model (although the shortness of the dress is… questionable), tusky is also p cute. i really love the heart arrows, that’s a cute lil touch

artemis ability-wise doesn’t have much to work with but the skin is still p cute, her 3 is unexpectedly good?? her animations are also really nice

voice pack is golden, artemis is always super shady and has some of the best lines out of the mystic crew + the voice actresses delivery is flawless

cons

her HAIRRRRRRRRRR!!! CAN WE GET ANOTHER COLOUR???? same with the outfit, kinda would’ve liked to see a darker red like sailor mars but w/e.

just in general it’s kinda boring bc artemis’ design and abilities aren’t super flashy, most of the skin is really quality but she just doesn’t have the same flashiness that someone like nu wa has lol

final rating: 8/10, a lot of the quality owes to the fact that she was in a major bundle but it’s still a choice skin and easily one of the better mystic skins

3. mystic athena

pros

love love love her leader personality!! it’s really nice that athena of all the goddesses got a mystic skin as she’s a perfect representation of what i wanted in the mystic set of skins aaaah

abilities are super cute, gives some much needed colour to athena’s fighting tbh. the ult really stands out and the taunt is nice as well

the model is p good, it somewhat manages to fix athena’s unfortunate face and it gives her boots instead of high heels!! thank the lord!!!. also it’s good to see athena in a nice looking outfit for once, most of her other ones are weirdly sexy??? even her base has the stupid slit on her dress lmao.

her lines are also really good. perfect and super fitting voice as well

cons

athena’s face still looks weirdddddd

hair? hair. it’s just. a lot. i just want her to have black hair man :(

final rating: 8/10, only just below artemis due to her sister’s superior model. athena’s mystic skin is still really amazing (it was the first one i got as well hehe) and she fits very nicely into the role of team leader :’)

4. mystic neith

pros

neith tried, a trendsetter as always. she died so that we could get more mystic skins

abilities are cute, love her passive. her ult is also good

cons

her voice sucks holy shit, the snorting is just…. ewwwww. i feel like the vp is kinda a mockery of the whole magical girl deal tbh

i have no idea what the outfit is? why’s it so plain? why is her hair that colour? what were the colours meant to be? she has wayyy too many colours there; just stick to a few in the same range omg

HER EYES ARE ALSO TERRIBLE ASLJFDLSAKJLKJKLKJLK, THEY’RE SO BIG FOR ABSOLUTELY NO GODDAMN REASON AND IT LOOKS SO WEIRD

every time you select the skin this terrible animation of her suspended in mid air and posing plays for half a second and then she goes instantly down. all i want her to do just just stay suspended for a lil while longer but her doesn’t and it annoys me so much asdklfjadsjkljljlkl

final rating: 6/10, i love you neith but we both know that this isn’t one of your better skins. neith, the flawless skin queen that she is, deserves a re-do of her mystic skin so that she fits in with the rest better

(thanks for the ask as well, i love ranting about skins lol)

also if you’ve made it this far down this post then i’d just like to say that literally any of wjsn’s title tracks (esp. dreams come true & secret) would totally fit the mystic au hehe

[myriadsofcorpses]

Best Smile

Best Smile: Which muse(s) are subjectively the most aesthetically pleasing appearance wise to the mun?

...wait a second, this is directed at me?I mean, I did design all of them. Even some of Yuki’s muses could be partly credited to me, mostly Niamh...

...who is already pretty close.She carries a really sweet mix of feminity and badassery, despite her overly... sexy appearance. I have a hard time imagining her in scenarios catered to that because she’s just so... natural? I don’t know if that’s the right way to put it.It surely helps that I do see Yuki in her however.

Shou has the unfair advantage that I actually designed her to cater to my tastes somewhat, hehe... well, not entirely. Maybe you already noticed the trope of really light hair-colours with me, they’re really pretty. Shou also has some of that badassery coming back with that corset, same with an angelic aesthetic since she usually dresses in tunics, togas or... well, something inbetween. She tries to be hip and classy at the same time, I think that’s really sweet!...she does lack the boobs to make me drool, I think I often draw them bigger than they’re supposed to be for her sportsy look.

...but I shouldn’t talk about those I constantly re-designed, right? What do you mean it’s the third character now? Hey, no one else is gonna ask about anything, so I gotta make the most of it!! So Krysta gets crossed out too, she hit those milf-vibes and my patriotism, but it’s no fun only giving the muses I prefer to write I think...

Upon consulting Yuki, she says Naris is a big hit, and... she’s probably right. She got the whole divine theme going on, along with super big boobs pastel-rainbow coloured hair, hard to believe I saw her in a dream before coming up with her, heh...

Daryll scores top for the boys without doubt, he got some... ‘Aragorn’-vibes going on, it’s wild.

[yeonjuins]

IT'S SO CUTE but then again, everything you create is LITERALLY AMAZING 😭❤️‍🔥 like i'm still so mesmerised by your creations 😍 you're so talented !! ❤️‍🔥

they do say green tea has a lot of benefits !! 🌿 it's supposedly really, really good for you <3 my gran drinks a lot of it, and she says it always makes her feel refreshed 💞 oh it's so delicious !! tea can be pretty cheap here so when i was trying to figure out what teas i would like, i was just buying boxes of different teas. i really like herbal teas <3

it was !! it helped an awful lot, i came out of it a better person. someone more confident. and while i still get my bad days, i'm happier and in a better place mental health wise because of therapy. i've had anxiety attacks since therapy but they're less frequent :) i agree and i wish it was less expensive. one of my close friends who lives in america can't get therapy because it's too expensive for her :(

yeah that's not worth the stress <//3 i'm really worried about going back into education when i figure out what i wanna do with my life bc i don't cope well with stress. stress makes me cry, and it makes me not eat :(

honestly I AM SO EXCITED !! i am praying for nice weather :( our weather this month has been storms, snow, rain, coldness and ice :((( i used to be really active but when lockdown hit for us, it put me back inside and i became comfortable with that <//3

yeah they're really focused on making sure everyone feels comfortable and not ignored 🏳️‍🌈 you can order name tags that have your pronouns on them, they'll design them for you and send them out to you <3 i totally respect that for you 💙 and that's okay 💞💚💙💜

i used to work Sundays in my old job and honestly? kinda liked them. it was always dead so there was more chat, people ordered pizza and we'd be lucky if we had two calls. it was bliss <3 my current job aren't open on Sundays. just Monday to Saturday. but we're on a 5 week rotation so i only work one saturday every 5 weeks so it's not bad !! 🌿 aw that's amazing !! i hope that continues for you 💞 i'm off today because this week is my saturday shift so i'm just chilling today ❤️‍🔥

(lengthy response!)

firstly NEW MOBILE THEME YAYAYAYAY PU8RPLES SOOO TRUE <3 i feel like everyone around me lately has been loving the colour purple and i think that is so adorable... 

ty my love for the compliments hehe i also updated my icon a while back too so it’s not as low quality anymore and i’m so happy (”: thank god my friend found a higher quality photo of the earring yj wore on lsd’s instagram... actually mind blown imo

speaking of caffeine, i had a french vanilla drink today (and ofc i got the smallest size) because i was so utterly sleepy during my first two periods at school and guess what it did to me (”: i ended up taking like 5 naps throughout the day because i felt so exhausted... thankfully my anxiety didn’t go up the roof but i think that’s purely because i just slept through whatever emotions i had LMFAO i thought it would keep me up and it would fix my need to take a nap in the middle of the day but unfortunately, it only messed it up more ;; hopefully i’ll be able to recover (planning to sleep early tonight to see how that goes) 

a bit of a tangent off that top but i used to obsessively drink hot chocolate as though it would keep me up... (<- still does that tbh) PAHHAH hot chocolate is super sweet so it’s not like it actually does anything but i think i convinced myself it does so therefore, i end up do staying up whenever i drink it (placebo effect at its finest) 

ahh.. i think the way that therapy works in any north american system sucks ass LOL (pardon my language) i’m thankful for those who acc are helpful and are beneficial to people’s lives but i truly think people preaching that ‘mental health support is accessible to anyone’ are slightly overreaching (not to be pessimistic) but i won’t go too much into that and rant about my personal experience (”: once again, i’m glad you were able to get the help you needed and come out of it as a better person <3 

i’m really glad i did end up dropping the course ! i have more free time to work on other things and actually begin investing time into healthier work habits/schedule (<- is dying as we speak) but i’m grateful nonetheless for the window of opportunity to finally be able to make a noticeable change in my bad habits.... oh no ): please take it easy... if things ever get too hard, please remember to take a step back and take care of yourself. obviously that’s easier said than done but still important nonetheless. 

today had actually nice weather (”: it was sunny outside and it motivated me to go to school/come home and be productive for the first few hours... (until my caffeine crash kicked in <3) just a good reminder that spring is around the corner and i am very excited to leave this winter depression hehe

i don’t have much to further comment on in terms of the name tags other than how that is so lovely ): i’ve already said this x50 times but i’m glad you’re in a community like that (”: 

i really like the place i work at (: to be clear as well, i have an internship that i work on weekdays, and then on the weekends i work in a retail store (that’s usually what i’m referring to when i say ‘work’). it’s a very nice community and i’ve been there for several months now so it’s nice being in the swing of things / having that trust with your coworkers already built (”: that sounds lovely omg... to order pizza at work... it’s happened a few times at our store where a coworker will order pizza for the rest of us and truthfully, those days are amazing hehe i rmbr once we didn’t finish a pizza and i got to take the enitre thing home <3 i hope ur day went well my love and that u rested well <3 

[betweenthetimeandsound]

Three Minutes to Eternity: My ESC 250 (#200-191)

#200: Alice Babs -- Lilla stjärna (Sweden 1958)

“Lilla stjärna i det höga, svara mig, svara mig, Kommer han som jag ska få så kär?”

“Little star up above, answer me, answer me, Is he coming, the man that I will love?”

And so we begin the top 200 with an innocent and sweet number, and which resembles the best of 1950s Eurovision. I'm not a fan of the decade, because most of the songs are a bit too old-fashioned for my taste (especially since we have the beginnings of rock-n-roll outside the contest), but Lilla stjarna is one of the better soundtrack-like songs.

Before Sweden became the superpower in Eurovision we all know and love (or love to hate), they debuted with this dainty, beautiful song that was selected internally. There's a sense of longing in the lyrics, with the narrator hoping that their loved one would return. It’s definitely a fairytale, with that classical instrumentation and Alice’s innocent voice.

Personal ranking: 2nd/10 Actual ranking: 4th/10 in Hilversum

#199: Domenico Modugno -- Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Italy 1958)

“Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu Poi d’improvviso venivo dal vento rapito E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito”

“I think such a dream will never come back I painted my hands and my face blue Then suddenly I was ravished by the wind And I started flying in the infinite sky”

The original classic from Eurovision, and the biggest hit of them all. It topped the Billboard charts in 1959, won two Grammys in the first-ever ceremony in 1959 (and still the only Italian-language song to do so), and is covered and over again to this day.

Considering the lack of attention most of the songs got in the first two contests, it's possible without Nel blu dipinto di blu's commercial success, we wouldn't have a Eurovision Song Contest to speak of. Or it would've been done for by 1960, haha.

Sometimes, I forget about this song when thinking about favorites, but when I listen to the intro, it starts bringing you into its little world, where I’m actually flying! The lyrics are quite cool and imaginative, adding to that feeling.

And of course, that "Volare..." is enough to keep people singing along!

Personal ranking: 1st/10 Actual ranking: 3rd/10 in Hilversum #Italywasrobbed

#198: Korni -- Moja Generacjia (Yugoslavia 1974)

“Mene majka moja rodi da sanjam o slobodi, U prvoj noći da čujem zveket, Da plačem sa rukom na usnama,”

“My mother gave me life to dream of freedom, The first night to hear gun sounds To cry with my hand on my lips”

World War II in Yugoslavia is not something I've learned about in depth. What I do know is that the Axis powers were able to take the whole country, and two major groups arose to collaborate with them. The Ustashas (Croatian nationalists) and Chetniks (Serbian nationalists) also both sought to destroy the other ethnic group and there was a bit of a mess all around.

(If you have any more information on this topic, let me know as I do want to learn)

Moja Generacija is a harrowing but powerful progressive rock song about those born during the Second World War, and their lives as a whole. I like the dark soundscape along with the instruments that accompanied it too. The orchestration at the chorus is especially noteworthy, because of the sweeping strings and the brass which highlight the times as a whole.

(And apparently, there's a seven-minute English-language cut, which makes it even more of a progressive rock song.)

Personal ranking: 3rd/17 Actual ranking: 12th/17 in Brighton

#197: Shiri Maimon -- HaSheket Shenishar (Israel 2005)

המבט אחר והקור חודר אתה מסתתר, את גופי שובר

“The glance is different and the cold is piercing You’re hiding, breaking my body”

Israel in the 2000s wasn't the best song-wise. I can only think of two songs that were really good in that period--of which this was one of them, which held Israel's best placing this century until Toy won three years ago. And it couldn't be anymore different from the song Israel would eventually win with.

Initially, I didn't get it, as it felt a bit derivative. Even now, it has offgrown me a bit because of pop ballad structure. But what I really liked was the smooth transition between Hebrew and English, along with how well Shiri sings it. She has a really sweet tone to her voice, which really helps in conveying the sorrow of being in love with a cheating partner and having to let go of it for her own happiness.

And that dress--it has to be one of my favorite performance outfits of all time!

Personal ranking: 4th/39 Actual ranking: 4th/24 GF in Kyiv

#196: Inga and Anush -- Jan Jan (Armenia 2009)

“Can't ya see, we aren't free?, Fixed like a tree to the holy ground, With my sound, gotta be always around, I wanna dance, don't ya stand, sister give your hand,”

"Sister, here we go!"

For a dance song, it's actually quite sedate--there isn't many moments of true boppiness, but there was something more "psychadelic" about the production and how it was put together. Either way, it works well all the same.

The sisters do a good job singing together, and I like the mix of ethno and dance music. Plus, their costumes are absolutely expensive and glamourous--I would like to wear them if I ever got the chance.

Also, for some reason, Azeris like to spam the comments on this song and claim that the Armenians "stole" their traditional clothing and music. Considering the two countries' proximity, I'm not so shocked about their similarities, but if Azeris would like to share a bit more of their ethnic music, it's always welcome!

Personal ranking: 8th/42 Actual ranking: 10th/25 GF in Moscow

#195: Sabina Babayeva -- When the Music Dies (Azerbaijan 2012)

“You, you are the best of me The reason that I believe, so don't leave me now...”

(Yes, Azerbaijan can send ethnic-influenced music. Hehe.)

Azerbaijan’s host entry when they brought the contest to Baku is a bit of a standard ballad, but with an ethnic twist. The use of balaban really highlights the melancholy of the song, and the mughum vocals pierces one's soul when performed.

I could feel how Sabina sings every word, pleading with her lover to stay with her despite it all. And that doesn’t begin to add with the beautiful LED dress, adding to the drama of the song as we see it in white, but it gets overlaid with sparks, shades of turquoise, and its final form with reds and oranges. That was a particularly beautiful moment.

A lot of fans believe this was the song that should've won it for Azerbaijan, and I can't disagree! This is a gem indeed.

Personal ranking: 6th/42 (a bit awkward here because I left out my runner-up of 2012 in this ranking, so amongst the songs here it's 5th/42) Actual ranking: 4th/26 GF in Baku

#194: Milestones -- Falter im Wind (Austria 1972)

“Tanz um die Lichter, Schmetterling, Deine Farben flammen auf, Tot ist die Nacht, in deinem Tanz, Ist das Leben hell wie Tag”,

“Dance around the lights, butterfly Your colours flame up The night is dead, in your dance Life is bright like the day”

My first forays on pre-1990s Eurovision was with the British blog, Lovelovepeacepeace. She would recap every year between 1968 and 2000, and 1972 was one of the years I went through the songs because of her. Coincidentally, I got to like Falter im Wind as much as she does.

It definitely fits with the hippy era, in terms of folk music and the general aesthetic. There's even a prominent (weird little) flute motif throughout. The lyrics talk about the life or a butterfly and how it shouldn't go to far into the sun. A bit strange, considering what most other songs are about, but it's a nice and gentle sentiment (with a message not unlike that of "Waterfalls", how strange).

Austria is not usually known for their highlights, but this is definitely one of their best (and a personal favorite of mine). Feel free to go an a road-trip playing this (though not with the studio cut--that's a bit slower)!

Personal ranking: 1st/18 Actual ranking: 5th/18 in Edinburgh

#193: Roger Bens -- Femme dans ses rêves aussi (France 1985)

“Mélodie, mélodrame, sourire et puis larmes Amoureuse ou sans âme, elle est d’abord femme...”

“Melody, melodrama, smile and then tears In love or without soul, first of all she’s woman”

ESC 1985 is notable not only because of a certain ripped-skirt incident, but also because they have a live album with the first eleven songs of the contest. Among these is the French entry, which has one of the best orchestrations of all-time, thanks to Michel Bernholc's arrangemnt.

(And because of that, it is my most-listened to song on Spotify)

The violins primarily make this song what it is—there are synths in the studio track, but don’t pack the same punch. The bass really provides some depth, and the brass at the bridge really sells the whole thing home.

The sense of drama in the song also includes the lyrics about being a woman and embracing her in all the ways. Despite the occasional eyebrow-raising and lip licking, Roger sings this with gusto.

To add to this, where is Roger Bens? This was the last known sighting of him and he is presumed to be dead.

Personal ranking: 3rd/19 Actual ranking: 10th/19 in Gothenburg

#192: Nina Zilli -- L'Amore È Femmina (Out Of Love) (Italy 2012)

“If you were my king, would I be your queen?, Stop breaking up my heart, you kill me – boom boom boom”

No, she's not Amy Winehouse resurrected for one night, but Nina Zilli! She also competed in Sanremo that year, and Emma (see #223) won it with the harsh but determined "Non è l'inferno".

Beyond the retro music and Nina's bouffant on the night, I didn't notice any similarities to Amy Winehouse. This doesn't mean "L'amore e femmina" have its own charms--it falls into the jazz theme that "Madness of Love" (#232) continues, but is the opposite in more than one way.

The English-Italian mix is a but clunky at times, especially in the choruses but it doesn’t take away from the attitude this song brings. I love the jazzy vibes and how Nina sings it with a sense of sassiness and charm. Her backing vocalists really help with conveying the mood, and don't do a bad job when the song goes back to Italian!

(As for the two Sanremo songs in question, I prefer Non è l'inferno to Per Sempre--the former is quite determined, and I really like the lyrics. Though I think the latter would have more appeal in terms of themes, even it's a bit more derivative musically)

Personal ranking: 5th/42 Actual ranking: 9th/26 GF in Baku

#191: Hovi Star -- Made of Stars (Israel 2016)

“Dance with me like we are made of stars...”

This is one of the first songs which got me into Eurovision. I would put this on repeat over and over again, because it's just so beautiful. (Or it was because it's Israeli, haha. Another country bias of mine will appear later.)

The first version of Made of Stars was a trashy and dull dance song, but the rework into a ballad makes it more magical. It’s serene yet touching, with a calming piano motif and a dramatic crescendo at the end.

The staging of Made of Stars also helps; while I'm still put off by the LED face when the backing vocalists sing "you hypontize me", everything else just works. The otherwise starry LEDs, the hoop dancers, and Hovi's glowing presence make this into a sweet, albeit overlooked package.

Personal ranking: 6th/42 Actual ranking: 14th/26 GF in Stockholm