#definitely one of the more unique messages I've gotten

[molkolsdal]

Going through my old chats on this site and my heart hurts even more now

[theresattrpgforthat]

Hey! I've gotten super into solo rpgs but I tend to find combat boring. Are there fantasy themed rpgs with less focus on combat that you would recommend? (If they are soloable, that's also a win!)

THEME: Fantasy Solo Non-Combat.

Hello friend, thank you very much for your ask! I'm going to direct you to two Solo-themed game recommendations first, before I dive into today's recs.

Character-Focused Solo Games: Games that focus on character-building. Lighthearted Solo Games: Fun, non-serious solo games.

A Year in the Spirit World, by ToriBee.

The wind rustles through the emerald canopy above as you open your eyes to an unfamiliar world. You're lying on a bed of lush moss, the gentle warmth of the Spirit World sun caressing your face. Around you, a forest of towering ancient trees, each pulsating with an otherworldly glow. It's ethereal, enchanting, and unlike anything you've ever seen.

Drawing from a deck of fate, you'll encounter spirits, creatures, and natural phenomena as enchanting as they are daunting. Each encounter might test your spirit, challenge your harmony with this world, or tempt you to act against your values.

There is some combat in this game, but it certainly doesn’t seem to be the focus. The game is about survival, but you’re as likely to be navigating social situations as you are to be fighting enemies. What I like about this game is the spirit companion who will travel the world with you: there are four different options, each of them cute and enchanting. If you love Studio Ghibli films, you should definitely check out A Year in the Spirit World!

The Goblin Thought, by Kai Medina.

The goblin hoard - a pile of goods and trinkets - is a place of greed, yes. But it's the same greed that thrives throughout this land of men and beetles. It's the allowed selfishness that helps us learn and grow, walk and run, screech and scramble. The hoard is the goblin's memory.

The Goblin Thought is a unique and engaging journaling game that combines chance and narrative to create a compelling story. Players take on the role of a goblin, collecting memories and items in their hoard as they navigate through a world of wonder and danger, allowing for growth and change. With a deck of cards and a six-sided die, each turn presents new challenges and opportunities for creative storytelling, drawing, and reflection. 

This game is placed in a fantasy setting, but with a larger purpose. It’s both a journaling game and a thought experiment, a chance to place yourself in the shoes of someone whose history exists within the hoard they have accumulated. Each card you draw from a deck has three prompts attached to it, so you have the potential to play this game (and build a history) for a very long time.

Little Shepherd, Little Spy, by @psychhound.

You try to keep out of the whole war business.

It’s just not really your thing. There are more important things to worry about, like Gethin, your biggest ram, getting stuck in the fence again, or Ffion rubbing against the raspberry bushes and getting her wool all sticky.

Life is pretty simple for a humble shepherd such as yourself.

Little Shepherd, Little Spy is a solo journaling game about being a spy in the fairy war. Choose which side you're on, then draw tarot cards to interpret the messages coming through the information ring. Your tarot card tells you what book to look at and what page. Then you copy down all the relevant information on that page and consult your spy codebook.

I absolutely love fairy games and the premise for this one is super interesting to me. Your character will be interpreting messages that take the form of books that you have on your shelf, and you’ll determine which book to look at (and which page to read) by drawing tarot cards from a deck. If you look into this one I definitely recommend setting aside some time, and perhaps selecting a few books for each category to have on hand, to ease the cycle of play.

The Wandering Library, by AP.

You are the proud owner of a Wandering Library. Whether you bought, built or inherited it, it is your home. Travelling as far and as wide as you desire, your days are spent encountering an assortment of customers, exploring new locations, and tending to your beloved home of books.

This is a a game designed to generate prompts for you to answer in as much or as little detail as you would like. All you need is two six-sided dice and your preferred method of journaling. Using the tables provided, you will explore locations and meet different people, recording your adventures and encounters as you travel in your Wandering Library.

This is a simple one-page game that presents you with a few starting questions, and the supplies a grid of prompts that you’ll roll 2d6 for. Each prompt is a new event, complete with a question, asking how your character reacts. There’s plenty of room for your own imagination. The house is a travelling library, which feels pretty fantastical to me! This game will likely last a few hours or so; it’s not really built for extended play.

Fetch My Blade, by Ethan Yen.

For years you have served your Master faithfully. A loyal companion, you accompanied your Master through the difficult times, and the good times. Now, you are called in a moment of dire need: a Stranger has challenged your Master to a duel, alluding to time before you. Your Master rises to the challenge, calling you forth. This is your moment. You have trained for this. It is time to do your Master proud. 

FETCH MY BLADE is a solo journaling roleplaying game where you play as the dog of a retired legendary master of the sword, tasked with a quest of your own: retrieve your master’s fabled weapon in time for their final duel. On your quest, you will uncover and explore your Master’s guarded past-- transforming your character, deepening your relationship with your Master, and ultimately influencing your Master’s fate.

This is a lovely little game of exploring a dog’s relationship to their Master, and developing a backstory as you play. I don’t think there’s specifically a setting in place for this game, but the presence of swords certainly points towards the fantastical. There doesn’t seem to be any specific combat in the game, but violence is considered to have happened in the past, as the game provides a content warning regarding a war that has already happened.

[bloggingboutburgers]

Something that really ought to be said more... it's ok not to understand. To never understand even. (In the case of the reblog, understanding sex / peoples' fixation on both it and romance, but it can apply to anything.)

People can give all myriad of reasons they do or like something, but that doesn't have to change your mind about how you personally engage with it.

I think the only case where understanding matters is insofar having a greater understanding helps limit how much people hate something out of ignorance, but that isn't foolproof (people can understand and still double down, which I've seen happen a lot towards every hated group under the sun).

Aspec or not, your cultural upbringing and how you physically perceive intimacy of all kinds is going to affect both if you enjoy it and how you understand it.

For many, sex and romance isn't an important goal but a thing that just happens. The uniquity of it with "life" is worth questioning, especially in cases where people feel pressured to perform and participate in sex and romance. But for many it isn't something they plan for at all. They may include it in fanfiction or fanart (and yeah it absolutely is prevalent in that space the same way edgy ms paint furry art was prevalent in the early 2010s) but that inclusion is not a message to onlookers that they must themselves aspire to a relationship like the one depicted.

Thank you so much for this, it feels sincerely validating and... Yeah, like you said, it ought to be said more.

I gotta admit it's hard sometimes not to want to understand, when (as an aro/ace person, that is) you're pretty much incentivized to do so at every turn. Even if you're lucky enough to not have been treated as a prudish freak for expressing you're aro or ace, and finger-pointed with a "You should try to understand people's point of view better" (sic: very few people try to do the same for you)... Society is portrayed as just working that way, putting romance and sex as #1 priority is portrayed as "the normal thing to do", and in my own experience and a fair amount of aros and aces around me, it seems, it's not just "included" in fanfiction or fanart, it's... Aggressively prevalent. Like, 95% to be generous, possibly more. And it's not just fanwork either. Fiction and art in general are loaded with it. So... Yeah, it's kinda hard sometimes NOT to take all of this as a message that this is what we should aspire to and the way we are isn't valid.

But then even if you're lucky enough, like I am, to FEEL valid despite all that, it's still... Lonely. I wanna understand because some days, a lot of days, it seems it's the only thing people actually connect over, and even if I'll never feel the appeal, I wanna understand the logic behind it, at least that much, so I'm not made to feel like such an alien for wanting to focus on other things. I wanna know the reasons.

Another more personal thing is that when I was growing up as an aro-ace, before I figured myself out, I thought everyone else was blowing things out of proportion to an abnormal degree without realizing I was the "abnormal" one, and that lead me to see breakups with a very "well, duh, that's what people do, they break up" outlook and not understanding the devastation behind it. I've gotten better at it, but there's still a lot I just find myself smiling and nodding to without really getting it, and that hurt too, to a degree. I feel cold to my friends and to other people.

I know I shouldn't, because I am who I am and I don't love them any less or am any more unfeeling than them, and I know I guess I shouldn't feel too guilty for not understanding allo people because allo people in general, exceptions aside, will make little to no effort to understand me back, but... Yeah, it's hard not to, a lot of the time. So being told it's OK is definitely valuable and a relief, even if it won't make that feeling go away in me, it's still a relief. Thank you.

[notablogtwiy]

Okay this is mostly just for fun and not meant to be taken so seriously. I think shipping is okay as long as it stays in fan communities and people don't harass the actual people about it. But even then, this is mostly just fun/wishful thinking:

For a long time, I had it the back of my mind that Spencer has a crush on Angela. And for a while I didn't think it was reciprocated. But with today's video and a few recent ones I'm starting to think that it is lol.

Thank you for this message and I'm also sorry because I'll probably ramble on now because I can't help but gush when it comes to them.

I agree with the shipping thing, and that's why I was hesitant to make that Spangela moments post. It might get misinterpreted. They are simply my favorite Smosh members and I love seeing them as a duo, that's all. Does the idea of them together sound great? Sure, but it's just an idea. And it's just like you said, as long as people are respectful and know how to stay within the fandom and not make it weird, then it's cool. You can have fun without being creepy or invasive. I'm so glad they're not a "popular ship" because I don't want people sending them stuff or having them see things that would make them uncomfortable and affect their friendship and how they interact. It's very important to remember that they are real people and we do not actually know them.

But yes, just for pure and harmless fun, I've had very similar thoughts to yours, hahahaha. Spencer was the whole reason I started noticing their dynamic in the first place. I really can't explain it, but the way he is with her is just different. The way he talks about her and hypes her up. Even the way he teases her is different to me than how he does it with everyone else. It feels like he really gets her and knows her very well. It's just a feeling, of course, I know that. But to me, it's so obvious how much he admires and adores her. In what way? Who knows. I only know that it's really adorable and I very much enjoy it. I feel like with Spencer, he doesn't hide how charming and funny he finds her. Now, Angela is a little harder to read and she has such a unique dynamic with everyone, too. But you can still see the difference in how she is with him as well, especially now. You can definitely tell that they appreciate each other and that they have gotten so close and become such great friends over time, best friends, I'd say. And it absolutely melts my heart. They're very different, but they're also more alike than people may realize, and I can write an entire essay about that. But I won't, I've already made this answer too long, I'm sorry, lol.

[thefirstknife]

The Vex and the Wish

It's been a while since the finale of the Starcrossed mission and I've not stopped thinking about it. I want to talk about some of the stuff that's been on my mind, mostly about all the little hints about what we might be delving into after The Final Shape.

So, the whole premise of Starcrossed is really interesting and has been since we first heard about it. Some sort of a mission in the Black Garden? During an Ahamkara season? It immediately meant that we'll be dealing with some Ahamkara shenanigans in the Black Garden, two things that have previously not been combined. And the Ahamkara element was really good and nice and heartbreaking!

But the bigger thing that got me thinking and overthinking was all the Vex elements this season. They're kinda flying under the radar because we have bigger issues to deal with, but everything we got about them this season has been super weird and concerning. Especially the Black Garden stuff!

The Sol Divisive have been very active doing... things we don't truly understand. They've made their attempts to somehow interact with Ahamkara magic and they've been messing with Darkness as well. I'll do my best to recap all the stuff we've gotten about the Vex this season and how it relates to Starcrossed. Long post under!

The first thing that got us all thinking was of course the premise for the season in the first place; we knew that we would be dealing with Ahamkara, the Dreaming City and the Awoken, but we did not know about the Vex. That was peculiar in general because they simply haven't been mixed together with Ahamkara before. This was also really intriguing because of the reason we needed an Ahamkara in the first place: to get through the portal in the Traveler and follow the Witness. So why are the Vex (Sol Divisive) interfering?

As soon as the season started and we could look at the items, the first very interesting lore tab was Scatter Signal. In it, we have Osiris tracking some sort of a signal, locking onto it and getting a transmission in the form of hexadecimal code. When decoded, it revealed a strange message from a still unknown source, discussing the Vex:

“A churning singularity of shadow and mimicry beats again within cultivated chaos. Minds orbit its gravity, to bridge communion with a Voice, to move from parallel to entanglement. They dream of a dark core, contained within a timeless structure. A suspended return to the primordial. If not for this truth, why kneel? If not for this truth, why does it elude definition? Though not all agree on all, all agree on this. Sol is Salvation.”

We still don't really know what this message means or who sent it, but I've speculated before that it could have something to do with the Ishtar scientists, most likely Chioma or maybe even Maya and the others. I wrote about this speculation before Starcrossed was out, so now that we know how Starcrossed ended, I believe more strongly that the Ishtar team (at least their simulated copies) is somehow still out there and capable of communicating and that they're the ones who sent this message.

As for the message, now that the season is over, I believe it talks about the Black Heart (churning singularity of shadow and mimicry beats again within cultivated chaos) and the Sol Divisive's obsession with it and their belief that it could grant them some sort of knowledge or ability (possibly paracausality) or a way to return the universe to the way it was before paracausality existed (return to the primordial): this is possibly also talking about the speculative time when the Traveler and the Veil were one, a time that the Vex perhaps remember. It also warns us that while the Sol Divisive are unique in their worship of the Darkness, the Vex as a whole agree on the simple truth that whatever they want to finally achieve will be achieved in Sol, our system, because this is where they have all the necessary ingredients to do so. Whether this is understanding paracausality, resetting the universe or Convergence, we don't know.

When I wrote that speculation initially, since Starcrossed wasn't out yet, a lot of my questions were about what possible connection could there be between the Black Garden and the Ahamkara. That was the only thing we knew before the mission dropped after all. Now in retrospect, we can at least put some of the theories to rest; originally there was speculation that Riven or the Vex or both are doing something that would end up tricking us somehow. This has since been disproven; the Ahamkara in the Black Garden was Taranis who made his lair there to stay hidden and to hide his and Riven's children.

However, a very important question remains. Did the Vex know about this and did they use Taranis' residence in the Black Garden to study paracausality and Ahamkara magic? I believe they must've known about him and that they must've dedicated at least some observational resources to monitor him and his shenanigans in their space. This obviously isn't good. The Vex have been trying to understand paracausality for a very long time and we've been practically giving this information to them for almost equally as long. Taranis living within reach of the Sol Divisive probably offered them some insight into it as well and possibly also insight into Ahamkara abilities.

Sol Divisive has spent a considerable amount of time and resources trying to understand the Darkness, the Witness and the Veil. This season we've gotten confirmation that they're actively merging with Darkness and even trying to somehow fuse with the Witness. We've seen them being able to simulate techeuns, we've seen oracles appearing outside of the Vault of Glass and shaping themselves with Darkness energy, as well as tapping into Darkness in general, into memory, to enhance their predictive abilities. They spent this whole season messing with Ahamkara eggs and Riven's Lair and the Coil as Vex artifacting became more and more prominent as the weeks went on. Osiris has also noted, on several occasions, just how similar wishing magic and Vex simulations are. The second one is particularly interesting:

What is a simulation if not a machine's wish? A projection of what might be, were certain parameters to be altered.

One big problem is that while a lot of this is linked purely to the Sol Divisive and their obsession with the Darkness and the Witness, a lot of it is not. First, one very interesting thing that happened this year is that after nearly 10 years, we finally got an explanation about the Black Heart; it was the Sol Divisive's failed attempt to recreate the Veil, very likely an idea given to them directly by the Witness, to create a makeshift Veil after the original had been lost in the Collapse. A lot of the stuff in the background of this year has been about the Vex, simulations, augmented reality and the Vex attempts at understanding the Veil and paracausality at large; discussed at length in Veil Logs, most notably this one where Chioma speculates about how the Vex could potentially gain access to paracausal simulations if they gained access to the Veil.

This thing, the Veil. It’s… it’s some kind of web of consciousness. Just like the Vex network, but organic instead of artificial. It makes sense why the Vex want it. Paracausal simulations? There’d be no stopping them.

As I said, a lot of this is about the Sol Divisive, but a lot of it is not. The Vex we see on Neomuna are not Sol Divisive, for example. Scatter Signal also implies that despite the Vex at large being in disagreement with the Sol Divisive, all Vex do seem to share some basic ideas which the speaker in Scatter Signal summarises as: "Sol is Salvation." Apparently, all Vex agree on this.

To make things even stranger, here comes Starcrossed. As soon as we first saw it, it was strange because it showed us a big Vex structure in the Black Garden!

This is the centerpiece of the whole mission and as we proceed through it, we get closer and closer to it. This is called a Citadel and it has appeared in the game before; notably, in Destiny 1, but you can now see it in Destiny 2 as well, in the first encounter of Vault of Glass. This structure is distinctly not Sol Divisive and it never has been.

The origin and purpose of the Citadel are not entirely understood, outside of ties to the Vault of Glass. It's been on Venus since the Golden Age where it was investigated by the simulated copies of the Ishtar team:

No human being in the Ishtar Academy has ever crossed the safety cordon and walked the ancient stone under the Citadel, the Vex construct that stabs up out of the world to injure space and time.

And:

"I wonder where it came from," Duane-Mcniadh says. Of course he's the one to break the reverent silence. "The Citadel. I wonder if it was here before the Traveler changed Venus." "It could have been latent," Chioma Esi suggests. She's the leader. She kept them together when it seemed like they faced actual, eternal torture. She pulled them through. "Seeded in the crust. Waiting for a period of geological quiescence, so it could grow." Dr. Shim shrugs. "I think the Traveler did something paracausal to Venus. Something that cut across space and time. The Citadel seems to come from the past of a different Venus than our own. It doesn't have to make any sense by our logic, any more than the Moon's new gravity." Maya Sundaresh walks at the center of the group. She's been too quiet lately. What happened to them wasn't her fault and maybe she'll believe that soon. "What could you do with it?" she murmurs, staring up. "If you understood it?" Chioma puts an arm around her. "That's what we're going to find out. Where the Citadel can send us. Whether we can come back."

This is interesting to us now because a very similar construct appeared out of nowhere in the Black Garden and when we reached the end of the Starcrossed mission, we gained access to the inside of the structure. And inside, we found a single room decorated with the symbol of the Ishtar Collective made out of Vex materials.

As I've noted before in the post where I speculated about the names of the seasonal missions and the meaning of Scatter Signal and what this mission in the Black Garden could be, this whole situation brought me back to thinking about the lore book from Season of the Undying: Aspect. In it, we follow Praedyth who is eternally stuck in the Vault of Glass (incidentally, this happened to him because he wished to an Ahamkara) and who discovers the simulated Ishtar scientists and establishes communication with them.

He realises that something has changed and that he's no longer in a loop, but able to change things by talking to the Ishtar team. He and the Ishtar team develop a strategy in which the simulations are able to theorycraft and instruct Praedyth (who is physical and in a physical space) to create a way for all of them to escape their associated prisons. The team figures out together that a way out could be achieved through the Black Garden and that they would need a specific event to jumpstart their escape; this event would be the Undying Mind and its awakening which opened the gate to the Garden again, this time on the Moon. They start with Praedyth sending messages through in hope that someone, somewhen, will hear them. Soon, as the disturbances in the Black Garden get more prominent, they get the chance to not just send messages of code out, but to actually try to escape physically.

The lore book never tells us if they succeeded.

A hundred and sixty Mayas reach for the Chiomas by their side. A hundred and fifty-eight Chiomas reach back. One Praedyth, waiting for the conductor's baton to drop. Uncountable Vex in the Garden, waiting for the same event, a synchrony none of them notice. Somewhere, a veil is always lifting. Somewhere, Kabr is always dooming himself. Somewhere, a door is always opening. Somewhere, they are always stepping through.

The name of the final chapter is "irrealis;" a grammatical mood for situations or actions that are not known to have happened at the moment of speaking. All Aspect chapters are named in this way, one of the reasons I started thinking about this lore book in the first place, the moment I noticed the names of missions this season (this theme is also extended to the weapons reprised from Undying: Imperative, Adhortative, Subjunctive and Optative). As an addition, the final mission's name is also very interesting and it is possible that maybe there will be another (one more radio message and triumph haven't been unlocked yet).

The point is that we don't know if the Ishtar Collective simulations and Praedyth managed to escape because at the time of speaking (when this lore book was released) this was an irrealis mood; unknown if the action has occured. But their plan, to use the situation with the Undying Mind in the Black Garden and the Black Garden itself to escape (the Vault of Glass and a simulation) seems to be connected to the massive Vex Citadel usually connected to the Vault of Glass that suddenly appeared in the Black Garden and has tangible proof of the Ishtar Collective inside.

As in, I believe they did manage to escape, in what for us is right now (or at least in a way that we could detect right now; time shenanigans with the Vex could mean anything honestly). I think that the appearance of the Citadel in the Black Garden correlates with their escape and that the Scatter Signal message is also something that came from the Ishtar team trying to give us information about the Vex. I also believe that this is a massive setup for the future content about the Vex and most likely the return of Venus in some form.

This whole year spent quite a lot of time reacquainting us with the Ishtar Collective: from Neomuna and their adventures in founding this secret city and their investigations into the Veil. Chioma Esi, a character that has existed in Destiny since the first game's release was finally given a voice and she and Maya Sundaresh were developed further and given some extra details to their backstory, most notably all the stuff we were told about Maya specifically and how much the Veil drove her mad. Not only that, but we were also given additional information about the Black Garden and the Black Heart, another point from the original game's first story that was brought back almost a decade later. Like a loop to the beginning.

The fact that it all ended with more stuff about the Black Garden and the Ishtar Collective is not a coincidence, I think. Most importantly, it's not the story that will be resolved this season and very likely won't be something we will be dealing with in the Final Shape. So this is setup for something after; about the Vex and their search for paracausality (and possible success?), about their connection to Venus and about the Ishtar Collective, perhaps even more about the Black Garden and maybe even Praedyth and the Vault of Glass.

As a quick summary:

The appearance of the Vex Citadel in the Black Garden - the original Citadel is linked to the Vault of Glass and is located on Venus. Somewhat related to this, this season Oracles appeared outside of Vault of Glass and were shaping themselves into Pyramid energy.

The Citadel architecture is not Sol Divisive Vex. This is important because otherwise we would be able to just chalk up the appearance of this structure to the Sol Divisive shaping the Black Garden, but the Citadel is not their work.

Ishtar Collective symbol inside; not only linking to Aspect, but also to Venus itself (we got a lot of Ishtar content this year in general, starting even before Lightfall, with Spire of the Watcher dungeon in Season of the Seraph, just before Lightfall, as an intro to the story of Ishtar and founding of Neomuna)

Several mentions of Venus, indirectly (the Citadel, Ishtar Collective) or directly (mentioned in one voice line linked to the history of the Ahamkara in the system, and also in the mysterious mention of an incredibly niche character of Albios, also in context of the Ahamkara history in the system)

All of this points to some Vex heavy content coming post-TFS with a strong connection to Venus and the story of the Ishtar Collective (perhaps their simulations) and some possibility of Praedyth and more about the Vault of Glass. Pretty much everything discussed here and everything the Vex have been doing for years is likely not getting resolved in TFS as the primary problem for us in TFS will be the Witness.

But once the Witness is gone? I'm pretty sure we will be finally moving on to the Vex and possibly their grasp of paracausality. We might be forced to go back to Venus and dig up more information about them, perhaps even reach out to the Ishtar simulations, if they've escaped (which I believe they did, given what we've seen at the end of Starcrossed).

Obviously this will likely be happening in Episodes, probably the first one, given what we've seen about it so far; it is called Echoes and has something vaguely Vex-shaped as a placeholder image. Not only that, but it's covered with plants that have reminded me of Venus ever since it was first shown. Note that none of this is still final and this placeholder image was shown to us before all the troubles with layoffs and delays. But it seems like the general idea will have to remain the same because of all the hints and setup about Vex content we've gotten so far, especially with these open questions at the end of Starcrossed mission.

We don't know yet how big Episodes will be which obviously makes it impossible to make any kind of prediction on what the stories in them might be able to cover and how extensive the content will be. Especially how likely it is to get a whole location like Venus back, not to mention that there are still questions about other Vex-focused locations; for example, are there plans to expand on Nessus and are there plans to also deal with Mercury?

Obviously I would love to deal with Mercury first and foremost (we know Bel), but I think most of everything we've seen through this story and through the hints and setup points to Venus and the return to some of the original unanswered questions in the lore. I'm really excited for the possibility that we'll get more information about the Ishtar team and about what truly happened to their simulations. I'm also excited for the possibility that there might be more information about the Vault of Glass and the Black Garden and the Black Heart (for which I think that the Vex have been trying to rebuild or fix in some way). It would be a neat way to create a circle back to the start of the story, especially since it's dealing with the Vex and time travel shenanigans. I'd really love if the story of the Vex forced us to metaphorically go back to the start of the story and look at everything we've seen so far with a new perspective.

I've gone to a lot of different points in this post, but I hope it makes sense. There have been some really interesting background infodumps and discussions in the lore and character interactions about the Vex and their impact on the world, overshadowed by the fact that we have much bigger imminent problems to deal with. This incidentally also gave Vex enough time and space to do their thing unsupervised. They've had enough time to observe us and other paracausal entities (such as the Ahamkara and the Witness and the Traveler), we've given them plenty of information about Guardians (the fact that we deposit our "paracausal sparks" into Vex receptacles in the Black Garden during Starcrossed is quite concerning) and they've evolved enough to begin shaping themselves with Darkness resonance, and they've never had more information about simulations and prediction.

The Vex have taken their time to catch up with us and they've been especially prolific during Season of the Wish while our attention is directed elsewhere, even with them being directly involved. I'm super excited for whatever they have planned for Vex stuff after TFS and they've given us plenty of content to speculate about it until it releases!

[jjba-smash-or-pass]

Who are your top 5 favorite JoJo characters and why? Who are your least favorite characters?

Alright I'm gonna go into more detail because I love talking about characters <3

1: Foo Fighters. Like I've said before, Kakyoin and them have some similar motifs, namely the motifs of feeling othered from the world and not really having friends until they become a part of the main Jojo group of their respective parts. As a (probably) autistic person and a (definitely) ADHD person, I heavily relate to this message, as I never really feel like I belong unless I'm with my tight-knit friend group. What I like better about FF, though, is that this "otherness" is a key aspect of their personality and characterization, instead of being shoehorned in right before their screen time ends. That, and their overall personality is just more fun. Also nonbinary representation is always cool in my book.

2: Josuke Higashikata. He's the manifestation of my favorite things about Jojo all put into one character. He's got a snazzy outfit. He can switch from silly to serious at a moment's notice. But most importantly, he has a heart of gold and won't stop fighting for peace. The fact that he's a former fictional crush of mine definitely kicks him up a few places as well.

3: Yoshikage Kira. I know I said Josuke includes all of my favorite things about Jojo, but Kira is a manifestation of all the minor things I love about Jojo. He "looks normal" in canon but wears a Bright Purple Outfit. He has really unique dialogue. He's insanely smart. And, of course, he's a needlessly cruel villain. Araki seems to love creating villains that like to kick puppies for fun, and I love seeing them in his work. The funniest part is that Kira would actually just be a normal guy, if not for his urge to kill women. There's a lot of other things about his character I like, but none major enough to mention here.

4: Jolyne Cujoh. I really appreciated seeing her character growth throughout the story of Stone Ocean! Jolyne, like Josuke, has a lot of that fighting spirit and willpower, but instead of fighting for the sake of others (although she definitely does that don't get me wrong), her story is about fighting for the sake of herself. She's been through a lot. She grew up without a father figure. And now, she's stuck in prison for a crime she didn't commit. Her story is about fighting for her own future, fighting to make amends with her father, fighting to free herself and her soul. And in the end, it was her decisions that ended up defeating Pucci.

5: Danny. The bestest boy. Little ouppy. He deserved better.

okay but really my number 5 pick is Iggy. He's a dog who gives absolutely zero shits about humans unless they're giving him coffee gum. But underneath that shittiness is a tenacity that's almost human-like. He reminds me of my own dog, in a way. She's a grumpy old lady who doesn't listen to a word you say unless there's food involved, and she refuses to die. Seriously, she's gotten her little paws on SO much chocolate during her lifespan, and she's had to take a medicine that was supposed to give her leukemia years ago.

And for the sake of not making this any longer than it needs to be, I'll just list my least favorite character from the main cast and then overall.

My least favorite Jojo character from the main cast is Giorno. I feel like there's a lot of missed potential with his character. This is a 15-year-old boy who has both Joestar and Brando blood. There was so much Araki could have done with Giorno that he didn't, and instead created a character with very little personality who was supposed to be the driving force of his part. I think he's part of the reason Golden Wind is one of the most forgettable parts to me.

My least favorite Jojo character overall is Forever the orangutan. His Stand fight could have been really interesting but instead we got a child's bare ass on screen because Forever was a creep. I actually watched the Jojo OVA from the 2000's, and they cut Anne's character out entirely but keep the Strength fight. Because Anne wasn't there they altered how some of the events went down and honestly? It was super cool. I liked it a lot more. And do keep in mind that I don't think Araki was trying to write this as a sexy thing. I do think he was trying to incorporate shock factor though so it's still not very redeemable.

[atmymercy]

hi tea!!

alrightyyy, here's my feedback.

okay so I've gotten multiple readings with you and I'll just tell you about each one.

the first one was the august monthly special for the pre-2k song and details about that. can I just say that the song was so perfect omg. like scary accurateee. I really appreciate the reassurance you provided and I love how you just said whatever popped up loll. I'm like that too. there were some things you mentioned my guides said that I'd have to do (and that I don't really want to bahaha) but I honestly agree with you. and I believe I don't really have anything to worry about.

okay next was the september monthly special reading for the rest of the year. and omg you were so right about the big things coming my way, specifically the money thing, because I literally got a good job I think a couple days before what you said. ahhh. and I appreciate the advice from my guides that you gave me. its so unique! lol! and I agree that my heartspace probably has a connection to my room :) that resonated heavily with me <3 and againnn thanks so much for the reassurance <3

and finally the birth chart game (I finally caught it in time and actually did everything right lmaoo yayyy). I believe what you said about me shining too bright that I burn others. it's actually happened in the past. I really struggle with that omg (and this challenge doesn't sound fun at all 😭). I will definitely take note of that, and take your advice. I don't know much about reading birth charts so you pointing out that my mercury and mars being so close together causing this had me like "woahhh".

but ya that's all (for now)

thanks so much for your time and energy, tea! you're an angel <3

hello drop!

omg! honey, that's so sweet of you! that you did all your reads! aww! you totally didn't have to but omg! thank you so much for taking this time!

okay! first off, thank you for doing the pre-2k song monthly special! omg! i love music so much and retro music has such a special place in my heart so getting to do that was so much fun for me! and i loved how it all tied in together for you with the cards and the song! for sure felt heaven sent! hehe thank you, spirit! and i do write whatever pops up! i just think it makes it feel more personal to you if all the details are added as much as possible! i'm so glad you appreciate that and i know you have nothing to worry about! you got this, honey!

omg congrats again on your new job! i'm so excited for you! and how the rest of the year goes for you, honey! and you got a lot of good things coming for you if i remember those cards right! woot! that's the kind of stuff i like to hear for yall! and i hope you've been really connecting to your heart space! i think it's really cute that it's connected to your room. heart is where the home is! lol

lol i'm not surprised! you have so many fire placements, honey! you can't help but burn hot! i know you'll figure out how to use your heat and fieriness though! everything is a balance game and i'm know you'll find your true balance with time! just you recognizing that it has happened in the past is already a good step in the right direction! woot!

aww? an angel? me? aww! you got me blushing! thank you so much, honey for this feedback! i truly appreciated every word!

love & light!

-tea

♡ message me for details/questions & to book a reading! ♡

[prodigal-explorer]

my top ten undertale songs of all time

(my opinions are very unpopular. also, spoilers for undertale below!)

the top ten undertale songs of all time are as follows (my opinions are extremely unpopular, and one is the best):

10) ghost fight (it's just so groovy and fun! i like it better than dummy because the simplicity of this one just makes it more groovy and fun.)

9) undertale (just because this song is seven minutes doesn't mean it's number one. i still really love it though! the orchestrations are gorgeous.)

8) respite (oh my gosh, it's such a sweeping melody, it brings me to tears whenever i hear it, especially when i remember when this song plays. this part of the ranking up is when you can really start to hear toby fox's talent for putting feelings into music and giving each song the exact message and vibe that it's supposed to give. in this case, that vibe is that feeling of knowing that the world is so much bigger than it used to be, and there's so much potential, but it also makes you feel so small. things are never going to be they way they were before, and you're forever changed.)

7) bonetrousle (this song is the perfect mix of goofy and sophisticated, which makes it the perfect papyrus song! the orchestrations are amazing, and the melody is very unique! i've never heard anything like it, and it just flows. this song gives me the image of somebody with a lot of bravado who internally believes they're this grandiose, dangerous, person, but really, isn't seen as an explicit threat by those around them.)

6) it's raining somewhere else (man this song is just so good. the little background noise toby added for ambiance just adds to the piece even more. the melody is so bittersweet while also being smooth and almost jazzy. it reminds me of somebody who hears bad news, and suddenly, time has gotten slower, and everything's still except for them. they feel lost and cold, but slowly, whether it's from somebody else or it's from within, comfort emerges, and warmth starts to seep into their body again.)

5) waterfall (i just love the mystery to this song, the way it's calm and relaxing, but there's a strange sort of darkness to it that only reveals itself in the smallest and most inconspicuous ways, as if it doesn't want to be detected. it gives the air that waterfall is an enchanted place, but it's not harmless. the energy is just so cool, and it's another amazing melody.)

4) asgore (i just love this song. it's super epic, and the harmonies are just so good, it's such a musical piece. it doesn't tell as much of a story as some of the other pieces, but it just had to be high up on this list because of the sheer emotion in the music. it almost feels like a declaration, a decision that can't be reversed, so you might as well go all in.)

3) battle against a true hero (man this song...it's so amazing. it's definitely the most advanced boss song musically, i think. there's so many melodies, so much of a journey from the beginning to the end. i think how long the song is represents undyne's desire to keep pushing past her limits. the song almost feels longer than it naturally should be, because undyne is pushing herself past her natural limits. it's another song that is so representative of what is happening while it plays.)

2) heartache (this song is the BEST boss song, and i cannot be convinced of otherwise. sure, other ones are more "epic", but heartache opens up toriel's mind and heart, it shows the listener how she's feeling so acutely: desperation, fear, pain, loneliness, dread, and love. hesitation creeps in, and the entire song is toriel battling with herself, even though she knows that no matter what she picks, she loses the game that she created for herself.)

1) core (okay i'm gonna feel like a goof because all these other explanations are so meaningful and deep...i just like this song because it's a bop. objectively, it is just such a good song, it has me dancing in my seat every time i hear it. and it has an intensity to it. i think since the core is the last real location before new home, it builds up to something very climactic as the player realizes how close they are to the end. it's really spectacular!)

[destieldisaster]

I'm going for a theme today and that theme is superhero AUs! I've got four fics where Dean and/or Cas is some form of superhero.

I chose these four because they all have podfics that I've listened to.. let's say more than once, though of course you could just read them if you prefer. Fun fact: they're all well over a decade old!

Holding Hands with a God by Annie D (scaramouche) (@no-gorms) (7k, rated E, podfic by exmanhater)

Cas is a reporter who's trying to get an interview with the local mysterious superhero. His partner Sam's brother, Dean, spends a lot of time hanging around the office and flirting with Cas.

Can't really go wrong with Annie D and this is another great one. You see Cas interacting with both versions of Dean, without knowing they're the same person, and you get to see those different dynamics. Dean is such an interesting character and there's clearly so much more to him than the fic gets into. There's also a (text only) sequel that goes much deeper into the characters.

Kryptonite in Shades of Blue and Green by Annehiggins (13k, rated E, podfic by litrapod (@litrapod))

Dean is the only member of his family who doesn't have superpowers, which means he's been sheltered all his life to prevent supervillains from kidnapping him. Until Dark Angel does just that. Dean manages to foil his plans of world domination by trapping them together for two months.

Okay, yes, Dean is technically Cas's hostage, so obviously there's some dub-con elements, but this is addressed and it is very clear to the reader as well as both characters that they want the same thing. And boy do they want! Lots of chemestry between Dean and Cas here, but it develops into a very sweet connection. Which, of course, is doomed from the start because of who they are.

Aside from the starcrossed romance that will make you feel all the things, this also gives you a lot of laughs, especially in Dean's POV. He's witty and sarcastic.. at least inside his head. And certainly, their time trapped together gives both Dean and Cas a chance at some good character development.

Look, Up In The Sky by thraced (18k, rated T, podfic by Tenoko1 (@tenoko1))

Captain Awesome and The Angel are a superhero team protecting Lawrence City, but aside from their public heroics, they're also fighting a war against the demons that wiped out both their home planets.

Some good lore in here, mostly because of what it means for Cas and Dean, who definitely have a unique connection. Honestly, I wanna cry everytime I think too hard about Cas in this fic, he breaks my heart. (Happy ending, though, I promise!) Also, Sam isn't Dean's brother in this, but he's an excellent character and their dynamic really works.

Head For The Exits by TemporalArchive (25k, rated E, podfic by Tenoko1)

Dean is a cop investigating a string of gruesome murders, helped by a mysterious vigilante who leaves him messages. Cas works in the coffee place across the street and has finally gotten up the nerve to ask Dean out. While the case gets more and more personal for Dean, he also starts to think there might be more to his new boyfriend than meets the eye..

The case and the whole backstory around it is very well done and builds at a good pace. The developing relationship between Dean and Cas is excellent and ties in well with how Cas's secrets are revealed along the way. I love how the fic incorporates elements from canon alongside this completely different lore.

Also, this gets extra points in my book for having Dean and Cas recreate the opening scene of Gilmore Girls.

omg it’s FAN FICTION FRIDAY

Reblog and promote a fic of yours <3

[look-at-the-soul]

Hi! It's gossip girl! I hope you've been well!❤️❤️ And thank you for the encouragement in grades🥰 Also oohhh I can't wait for the next part of The Runway! I still don't know to much about Lenny I haven't gotten to seeing the movie yet but I like what I've read about him in stories like yours and the gifs I've seen (🤭 he's very pretty obviously🤭...)

And yes the airports was a very great inspiration at writing! I'm back in school now so I did have to slow down writing a bit though again! I still have a good number of ideas to work on though!:)

Oh and guess what! I did actually try posting some of my writing stuff again and it turned out pretty well! People seemed to like it! I still haven't getting to much back into the interacting with others but so much though😅 still working on that. I'm not always to sure what to say😅but I am trying, which is good! I think got encouragement helped a lot❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

And oh shoot! SA means like Sexual Assult and TW is like Trigger Warnings! I probably should have clarified that on the other post! I just happened to shorten them for some reason that time and idk why😅 I know that's how some people note them but others don't and like yeah! Sorry for any confusion! And yeah! You can totally post the other message with the idea! I know I was kinda vague and rambling about it so if you have any questions about it I'd be more than happy to answer! 

And Alfie is definitely one of the most unique characters on the show! I'm so glad he survived, I know it won't happen but I'd love to see a version of peaky blinders from Alfie's point of view, so we could see all the stuff he gets up to when not trying to mess with Tommy😂

Both Breakfest on Pluto and Virgin River sound interesting from how you'd describe them! I'll have to add them to my list!! Also I think The Sandman (the one with Morpheus) is on Netflix but there are plenty of clips online too! But I totally get what you mean about having a hard time getting hooked on other series! 😂 I feel like all the ones I've come close to liking are on a service I don't have or only have like one season😂🥲 plus Peaky Blinders is just brilliant 😂 

And I dont really know how to describe it but boba doesn't taste too much like anything sometimes. I know it's make of like molasses or tapioca and they some have like a brown sugar syrup flavoring . But they also have a popping kind which is like gushers that come in all sorts of flavors. In the end boba is like the closest thing I think we have to edible Orbeeze like those little water beads and I can't think of another way to describe it  😂😂

And I guess I will have it try AQP2 if your reccomend😂 though I make have to grab some friends to hide behind just in case. And that does seem odd what you pointed out about Anna. I think I'll have to finish watch the whole thing at some point to try to understand it better 😅 but idk?😂 and that's the great thing I think about having unanswered questions, it leave so much room for my own cannon when writing 🤭😂 

For the other books I've read it's been two series I'm trying to do. The first is one called The Strange Case of the Alchemist Daughter, which seems to be like a clump of classic stories mixed together (Sherlock Holmes, Frankenstein, Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde...) and I haven't really stared that one but it seems good! I like stories with the classics. And then the others are some of Agatha Cristi's Hercule Poirot Mysteries. I watched the Murder on The Orient Express and then Death on the Niles movies based on some of them and was hooked😂 

Ohhh doing nails is always fun!! I get what you mean about gel though! It last longer than regular polish but it can damage them when it comes off! I have this one color nail polish that I love though because it exactly matches this lip gloss I have (both are by revlon) and wearing them together just makes me feel so powerful😂😂 the matching nails and lips, I love it! 

And oohhh yeah inspiration!! And warm weather! Also seeing a concert with your friends sounds like it would be lots of fun!! I'll definitely cross my fingers❤️❤️❤️

And thank you for your words too❤️❤️I hope you have a great day/night/time zone😂😂 ❤️❤️xoxo GG!

Hello again dear GG!

How have you been? And school? ☺️

Part 2 is posted, I hope you enjoy it (if you happen to read it but no pressure tho..), Lenny is one of those characters I feel we could (should) have gotten more background like Robert Fischer… and I feel so sad because Lenny was such a rich character to me, but they had to ruin the movie 🙈😆 he deserved better!

Airports, cafés… I love the snippets of inspiration we can get from almost everywhere, by just looking at people, I love to sit around and stare at their mannerisms, their company… I hope you can find a good balance between writing and school, I find it so relaxing, it’s helped me a lot with stress.

Oh that’s a fantastic news!!!! 🤗🥰 I’m so happy for you! Isn’t it great? To be surprised ? Yeah I know what you mean, I think I suck sometimes at interacting because I don’t want to become noisy or such and in real life I’m so so shy ☺️ but I’m genuinely happy you are happy with the interaction and response you got! I hope you keep writing ❤️

No, it’s alright, I’m familiar with a couple of short versions but others are new, so thank you for clarifying that. Well I hope you continue to work on that one, I haven’t seen something like that around, so it’s always nice to find something new to read (that’s what I think, I write what I’m not finding somewhere, that idea that needs to be brought to the table), I think is original and well the difficult situation reader will go through will open endless opportunities for you :)

That’d have been such a ice pov to see on the show! Can you imagine? The king of Camden town, dealing with everything behind Tommy’s back, I’d pay to see that!

I found Breakfast on Pluto online in a local cinema, but it’s not available anymore, I’ve seen some people buy the dvd’s (I’d love to start collecting Cillian’s movies!) maybe I’ll get hooked by the Sandman, I mean PB is such a different series from Virgin River and Sweet Magnolias, so I will let you know later…

Oh now I get what kind of drink it’s, I think I tried tapioca once in high school but I guess I wasn’t a big fan because I never tried it again oops 🤭 or maybe I should be more open mind and not stick to flat white all the time huh? Hehe Idont know why, but I was think it might be like those iced drinks where they pour something blue into a huge glass of ice? No? Haha 😆

Oh yes definitely! I personally prefer Emmett because in general he was an important part of the film, vs inAnna they tried to focus in everything but nothing made sense (to me) in the end, like they get Anna involved with two agents from rival agencies and a model girlfriend… like what’s the point? Lenny deserved more credits than he got (I love Lenny he had a huge potential) it’s on Netflix well I found it there the other day, I started playing it and fast forward to Lenny’s parts hahaha to get inspiration for the story… (and I just had a deja vu of Lenny walking into my place with all his men like he did in the movie with the poor gf 😆😂 haha)

Oh wow that first book sounds so interesting! (I love Sherlock Holmes!!) but I never found myself getting hooked with the recent series they did with Benedict like I’m old school and I prefer Robert Downy Jr as Sherlock in the films… 🫠 I have an Agatha book, I’ve always found her books are kind of similar or is just my feeling? Oh! There are films based on Agathat’s book???? I surely have to watch it! I loved an author a while ago, Barbara Freethy she has so many great stories!

You are right about that, I love nails designs!!! I used to watch a tutorial to make them look like marble, pouring nail polish in water and it turned out pretty amazing! (I never did it tho), but yeah the gel benefit is how much it lasts and the finish, so I’m only leaving the gel for “special occasions “ like a wedding or a bridal shower 🤭 ohhh what color is it??? That sounds like the perfect combo!!!! There’s a local brand where you take an old lipstick they don’t make anymore and they fit the color from scratch! 💄 I did it once, I brought one a friend bought for her wedding and I loved it but years later Clinique didn’t make that color anymore so this brand replicated exactly the tone! And there’s a store in LA (I think) where you can bring a blush or eye shadow and even nail polish and they make the exactly same color for you, it’s so cool!

Oh I need you to cross your fingers again for me!! Adele is extending her residence at The Coliseum! I already registered but the presale is in April 5th 🤞🏻💕 and I LOVE Adele so so much, I love going to concerts specially with lovely people who love the same music… what’s the last concert you went to?

Thank you so much GG for sending in this lovely chat!! Hoping to talk (I was typing see 😅) you soon !!! Take care! xx ✨🥰💕

[forever70301]

[HYUNGWON] 210911 Kstyle Interview

Take all translations with a pinch of salt as there may be inaccuracies!

Ori article: https://news.kstyle.com/article.ksn?articleNo=2174102

Hyungwon: The members sang 'Secrets' coolly so I'm really satisfied. 'BEBE' which I wrote the lyrics for; was the most difficult song that I've ever participated in. I thought it'd be nice if my feelings were conveyed to fans but it really wasn't easy to express them in lyrics. I wrote and erased it, wrote and erased it countless of times. The process was difficult but I'm glad that the fans are happy with it. There are still a lot of parts that are not enough so I can't say I am a 100% satisfied. Especially more for my songs.

But when I see fans who say that they are touched, I am even more touched. I will do work hard to show you better results.

- On 'Nobody else' charting on Billboard Digital Song Chart I'm thankful that it's loved but it is also true that there are still many weak parts.

Rather than the song is good, I think it's because of the members. It's like putting only a spoon on a set (meal) prepared by the members? *smile*

I'm usually far from a perfectionist but it's only when I'm composing, I do my best because I want to get closer to being 'perfect'.

I'm not the type to work fast and making one song takes quite a lot of time. 'Nobody else' was a song I prepared since FANTASTA X. I wasn't satisfied with it so I put it off for the next album. I'm always trying to write songs so that there'll be songs at good timings.

- On the performance that left the biggest impression 'Shoot Out'.

- If you were to do solo activities, what sort of concept will it be? Have you thought about it? I haven't thought about solo activities before. There is a concept that I definitely want to do.

Hyungwon: MONSTA X mainly shows powerful music and performance. If I were to have solo activities, I want to show a calm atmosphere. If there's a chance, I want to release an album as a DJ. Not one song at a time but a proper full album that has various genres.

- Are you still steadily practicing (DJ stuff)? Yes. I even made a playlist of songs that I can play in the future. I think DJ activities and composing are closely related. There's a difference between DJ-ing alone and a DJ who can compose.

Hyungwon: I can't DJ now so I'm focusing on composing. When the situation gets better, I want to use the ideas that I've gotten while composing on the DJ stage.

- You are said to be in charge of MONSTA X's visuals, do you think so? Actually, I don't really know. I don't think I'm particularly handsome. I don't think there is any specific person who is in charge of visuals in our team. Each of us has our own distinctive appeal.

Everyone is really unique. I think we are a group with no one in charge of visuals. My members will probably get really angry with me when they see this interview thinking I'm being humble and wanting people to say that I'm 'cool' *smile* I hope the members don't misunderstand...

- What made you decide to train?

I.M had been tempting me for 3 months on the side. To say it nicely, it was a temptation, actually it was a reprimand *laugh* I didn't really care no matter what I.M said but one day I saw myself in the mirror and got a shock.

My stomach was sticking out. I thought I looked like a spider. I was thin in the other places but only my stomach was sticking out *laugh*. So I started exercising from the next day. It has been about 8 months. I found that my shoulders gain muscles easily. My next aim is my back

- About monbebes messages

Mbbs' sense is the best. They are really interesting that I'll forget about the time. Among the title of the letters, there are really a lot of savage ones *laugh* I'm scared just looking at the titles. It makes me think if I did anything wrong but when I really click in, the contents are overflowing with love. Sometimes the fans seem to be more intense than us *laugh* I guess this is the feeling of being intensely loved? Thanks to the fans who overflows with intensity, I'm happy.

- I think #MONSTA_X is a group on such good terms that they can communicate with just looking

Even if we don't, we can *smile* I can say confidently that our teamwork is the best. Every member is different so we fit well. I, Shownu and I.M are the quiet type while Minhyuk, Kihyun and Jooheon is the type who overflows with energy. It's a good combination because it's properly mixed. Also, because we spend a lot of time together so we understand each other better than anyone else. Because we understand how it feels, we can respect each other.

- What do you think you'll look like 7 years from now?

My dream is not big. 7 years from now, just like presently, I want to keep meeting the fans. To do that, we have to strive to keep growing. If we don't do our best, I don't think we will be able to be in our current position.

[verdantude]

That sounds like such a beautiful experience, love that so much! The coat instantly gave me that impression, certainly such an ideal layering coat with so much potential. Chunky knits, blazers, wide scarves, etc.

I had almost mentioned the bone I have to pick with luxury brands that use polyester, viscose and such for their pieces. As much as I do love them, it's definitely disappointing. Quality over quantity is one of the most important, impactful things I've learned.

I had only heard of TOTEME because of their iconic scarf coat that I've been seeing everywhere, but just took a look at their story and pieces and definitely want to look more into them now. Not surprised they're Stockholm inspired too!

I really admire "But I want my main pieces to come from the smaller brands, where it feels intimate, warm, and tailored just for me."

Fashion is truly an art. What is most captivating about a brand is their story, their process, their values, their transparency, their inspiration. Eric Bompard is a just one example, I think you'll enjoy reading everything under their "LA MAISON" section. Transparent, authentic and beautiful.

The noticeably authentic brands with unconditional passion and love weaved into everything they do will always stand out and do well. One that doesn't settle for the faster or most profitable routes, and just CREATES on their terms with their touch.

Rhiannon seems amazing!! Her statement is so beautiful and awe-inspiring, not to mention her pieces are a clear reflection of her love and passion... wow.

What if the act of clothing oneself in objects of art spawns a more embodied confidence so as one walks in the world, they feel more freedom to stand out rather than to blend in? We are all unique as our thumbprints, and through this distinction of how we chose to express & how we shine, we feel the thread of humanity that each and every person here wants to be seen, felt and heard.

Norlha is exquisite, guru @infiniteko has great recs as always. I was literally looking into Yak Wool too a few weeks ago and had only found this coat by Joseph, it's beautiful don't get me wrong, just not much options.

And that’s so sweet! I’m certainly enamoured by Norlha and going to show them to my mother asap.

Loving Franck Namani, recently discovered them and love love love. Joseph and Eric Bompard like mentioned earlier. Alanui also do such gorgeous, unique cardigans!

Also love classic French brands like Gerard Darel, Sandro, Soeur, Les100Ciels, Claudie Pierlot. Might be because I’m half french but I’m just naturally so drawn to them.

Loro Piana… I have a story to tell actually. I mentioned them to Ko who hadn’t known about them before and showed her some of their stunning vicuña pieces. She fell in love and went searching for them. One thing I forgot to mention is that the screenshots were from last year. She came back saying she couldn’t find them… then saw my message. Poor girl was distraught. She was even planning to gift them. SORRY 😭

Another thing I want to mention since you like textiles, if you ever find yourself in London, there is a floor in Liberty dedicated to fabrics & textiles. An absolutely gorgeous, iconic building with pretty much everything from fashion to art to skincare to books to fragrance.

Could only find these pictures from that floor:

Definitely want to delve more into the textile artisan world now, you’ve gotten me intrigued!

I totally agree with taking the time to curate a wardrobe. I actually made an appointment at The Row's location in Lenox Hill, NYC, was there for like 2hours just chatting, trying stuff on...even setting up tailoring and fittings!

It was such a stunning experience. Highly recommend. I chose the double breasted Hairisi coat as my "oversized" layering coat. It's meant to drape over me with flowing structure while also giving room for thick oversized sweaters and dresses, and leaving it open to show off said layers

I ofc adore Max Mara. My mother and me actually started our journey into quality garments with them. We both have their classic MM wool robes which I love for their versatility. I do wish the lining was made with silk and not viscose (especially for the price) but it's perfection otherwise!!

I've recently been looking into Toteme as well. I just love quality garment companies actually owned by people, privately. There's just something so authentic about it. That's what brought me to The Row. These people really truly care about what they're putting out there without any strings being pulled by venture capitalists. The Row and Toteme seem to really balance out the financial aspect nicely.

I of course love some big fashion houses, classic brands etc. as well. But I want my main pieces to come from the smaller brands, where it feels intimate, warm, and tailored just for me.

And then aside any luxury fashion. You have true textile artist/artisans. Which is my next venture. Stunning work, stunning people.

https://www.rhiannongriego.com/bio

^shes just incredible, her "Birch Drape Cape" was one of my autumn wears this year. The pops of color in her creations were very needed in my collection. She's such a sweet person too.

https://www.norlha.com/collections/luxury-yak-wool-scarves-shawls-accessories

^I was introduced to this incredible brand by Ko🤍 my mom and me basically have a scarf collection from them now. And i will continue to be one of their clients for as long as they're producing. Impeccable work, truly. It's an honor to be donning these creations. Nomad Net Scarf, layered with my Hairisi Coat 👌🏼👌🏼

Curating these multi layered winter looks, piece by piece. And very intentionally. Classic looks/pieces that I intended to keep as staples for a long time

Please do share any more of your favorites!! Any textile artisans too!!

🤍

I had spent time writing the LONGEST reply probably of my life and now it’s gone and didn’t save. So sorry, give me some time to reblog this again afterwards.

[fashionsfromhistory]

Hi! I don’t know if you’re still answering Met Gala questions. If you are, I still as wondering if you could explain why you had Quannah Chasinghorse in Atelier Prabal Gurung as part of your top 10? I love her look and would wear the dress in an instant; she’s definitely one of my favorites in terms of loving the fashion, but I can’t figure out how it fits the theme. Did you put it on the list because of fitting the theme (which you definitely know more about than me) or just because it’s an AMAZING look? I’ve loved reading your thoughts; thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us!

Of course! I've gotten a couple of questions about her look and I think she did a brilliant job of incorporating her culture while also understanding what the MET Gala is about.

Quannah Chasinghorse in Prabal Gurung with Jewelry by Lenise Omeasoo of Antelope Women Designs

While the Gilded Age was a massive boom of wealth and culture in the United States, much of this success was built off the exploited lands and labor of immigrants, Black people, and Indigenous Americans. Quannah went and flipped that narrative on it's head. Many people went with the Glamour part of the theme, but she went with the gilded. I pulled some quotes from this article in Vogue from Lenise Omeasoo herself and Quannah's mother, Jody Potts-Joseph. I think they articulate the deep message and meaning far better than I can.

"Chasinghorse’s accessories—her intricate jewelry and feather hairpieces—celebrated the idea of Native community and love in a unique way. The custom jewelry by Lenise Omeasoo, a Blackfeet and Cree artist who runs Antelope Women Designs, was intended to quite literally envelope the model with Native pride. “The piece was inspired by the Native community,” Omeasoo tells Vogue. “The tipis surrounding Quannah represent the love of her community, there with her.” Omeasoo applied dentalium shells, porcupine quills, and beads on smoked hide. “All the traditional materials I used were gifted through trade with other Native artists over the years,” says Omeasoo. “This was my first quilled jewelry set—a bit risky, but I wanted to give my all for Quannah’s iconic moment.”" -Lenise Omeasoo

"For Chasinghorse, the celebration of her Indigenous heritage overall was also important given the theme. “Quannah’s look encapsulated the Indigenous perspective on Gilded Glamor by showcasing Indigenous artistry, ingenuity, resiliency, beauty, and excellence,” says Jody Potts-Joseph, Chasinghorse’s mother. “It is important to understand that for Native Americans, the Gilded Age represents a period of  United States policies of removal, genocide, and assimilation all creating generations of trauma for Native Americans. Yet, we are still here—and Quannah gracefully reminds the world of our strength, beauty, talent and resilience in every space.”" - Jody Potts-Joseph

[traegorn]

Alright Alright light me on fire for this one lads BUT when is it actually cultural appropriation?? Like I get that *dressing up as xyz culture for Halloween is bad* right but I've lived in Japan the last 5 years and want to bring some of what I've learned culture wise with me when we move. Is this the same? Like what exactly is the line here? Does me having lived there somehow change the answer too? Like if I hadn't would it be worse? I feel like im over thinking this but I know if you don't know then someone who follows you might. I feel like the message of what is and isn't has gotten lost to the internet's lack of ability to see shades of gray lately. Sorry if this is stupid

Okay, so I often say I'm probably the worst person to ask about this, I'll do my best.

Cultural Appropriation's definition is usually something along the lines like "when members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way."

There's more than one thing at play here, but what is and isn't cultural appropriation comes from a number of factors. One element is whether or not something is closed to outsiders or not -- and this comes up in Witchcraft discussions a lot of the time. If a group says that outsiders should not perform a ritual unique to them, then things are pretty clear cut. Another important part are the power structures of our society. These structures are contextual, and power dynamics that exist in one country may not exist in another.

Now you say you've been living in Japan, and to some degree I have to assume that you've been learning and adopting things from Japanese culture as a form of assimilation there. There is nothing wrong with that, and I'm going to assume you've been doing that with respect.

You carrying on those things in your life after you come home is not appropriation, but that doesn't mean it won't sometimes appear that way to someone -- so you might need to be ready to accept that. The experience of Japanese people and Japanese Americans are very different. Asian Americans have to deal with racism in a way that Japanese people living in Japan don't. There is a chance that your doing these things may be perceived as perpetrating a stereotype.

Not everyone is going to know your back story, nor will they take the time to listen to it even if you tell them.

There's also a danger that you may be doing something that is furthering a stereotype, but it's not bothering the Japanese people around you. The cultural power dynamic is very different where you are. A friend of mine who has lived in Japan for about fifteen years describes being a white person living there akin to being a "dancing bear." If he screws something up, he gets congratulated for trying -- and no one corrects him when he makes mistakes.

Everyone is just impressed the bear can dance in the first place, no one is expecting it to do a perfect Charleston.

So you may be doing something that in context, in Japan, is not seen as inappropriate, but repeating that activity in the context of the US (where you have shifted in power from the minority to the majority) might be.

So, like, make sure you don't fuck stuff up I guess?

So here's the TL;DR: If you continue to do things you added to your life while living in Japan and do them respectfully, it's probably not cultural appropriation at all. That doesn't mean it won't look like that to someone else though, and you have to be okay with that.

[autisticlalna]

so while waiting for Dominion season 2 to start, i got really into watching Fixxiverse! which is Fixxitt's interconnected hardcore multiverse series. and it's fantastic. please please please watch fixxiverse if you like fix's dominion content

i've been meaning to do a lineup of bust drawings of all the Dominos, so i started on that, and then it just.. devolved into Fixxiverse. my good friends Solar and Fluffy have been listening to me liveblog and yell about Fred and CAL (not shown) and all these guys, and as usual i feel the need to inflict it on more people.

including season 1 Dominion Fixxitt, 4 of these guys use the same skin (sometimes with different outfits), so figuring out how to make them unique was a challenge! but also a very fun one. i gave Dr. Tepic a hat because he feels like the kinda guy that wears a hat.

as for the alien thing, uh.. halfway into watching 100 Days Colony Edition i messaged Solar "okay, colony protagonist is definitely a lumian" because if there's anything i picked up from other mcyt circles it's funky glowy aliens. i think they're neat. ANYWAY by the time i found out more about Fixxiverse and how exactly everything is connected i'd gotten too attached to the design i came up with, so uh. whoops. everybody being human may be plot-important but that can't stop me because i can't read and i like drawing glowy things

out of these, my favourites to draw were Fixxitt (both of them), Percy, and Dohan. i also really like how Fred and Dr. Tepic look! Fred is my favourite so expect more doodles of him lmao

uhhh be gay do minecraft watch fixxiverse. and also dominion

[crazycookiemaniac]

Health update

My condition has worsened to a point where I have rarely left bed in almost a month. I stopped eating, drinking water, showering and taking care of most basic necessities. Lost quite a lot of weight, have no energy for anything, and am desperately trying to distract myself with videos and articles about the most various things to try to suppress suicidal thoughts.

Got a new psychiatrist, will see him in 2 days. Am talking to my psychologist every week. I am tired of trying and don't think I'll ever be able to live a normal life, since I've been treating myself for years and have only gotten worse.

Please don't send me supportive messages, nor "I can relate/I know how you feel" messages. Words not only don't reach me anymore, they make me feel bad. And there is nothing comforting about knowing someone else knows how it's like to feel miserable. You will find no comfort in sharing experiences with me because I have no energy to talk to anyone, and also can't tell you to keep fighting when I myself don't think it's worth it. Not to mention that when you "relate" to someone you automatically level their feelings to your own, which can be worse or not as bad as they actually are to them. Each person has a unique way of dealing with their own problems, and that greatly impacts on the gravity of the situation.

I've written other longer and more detailed texts as to why I don't think it's even worth it treating myself anymore, but I decided against sharing them for many reasons. I guess the major one is, how I feel and how I interpret my situation will be invalidated for the sole reason that I am mentally ill, and so, "unable to speak for myself". That's how the majority of people think anyway.

But if you want to help, definitely don't pray for me, send good vibes my way or hopes things will get better soon. Like I said, words don't reach me and I don't want support. I honestly wish people would stop. I'm writing this for the sole purpose of keeping people informed, since there are a few of you who are worried and messaged me.

Please understand that I am in no condition to respond to any DMs at this time. I also cannot answer comments. You might find me tweeting about Magna at some point and maybe responding to someone about him, but that's it. My energy is very limited.

If you want to do something, the only thing I ask is that you be respectful of my wishes. I won't disable the comments section in case anyone has any questions so I can try to answer if I get another spurt of energy.

Quick note to people who I still owe commissions to: if at all possible I would like to ask you to please give me some more time to contact you. My course of action greatly depends on how efficient my new treatment will be, so I need some more time. But at any moment you wish to contact me, especially if you decide you want a refund, I will do everything that's in my power to respond to you as quickly as possible. As always, I greatly appreciate your support, patience and help.

Thanks for reading

One more thing... I'm sorry if what I wrote is aggressive or rude. Of course I know no one means any harm in trying to cheer me up. But it doesn't work, it hurts me and if I don't say it then no one will understand.

I may delete this later.