#especially because I don't have a lot of times where the stars align and I can work on things

[kris-mage-fics]

tfw you are just about to start editing and then all the sudden there are a ton of huge bangs outside your apartment, because the arborist that cut down the tree that fell last week came back to take away all the cut up logs

[total-drama-brainrot]

Alenoah AU, where Noah says this in London instead:

Owen: "Why don't you like Al? He's great!"

Noah: "I like Alejandro and I agree that he's great, but I still don't trust the guy."

Owen: "Why?"

Noah: "I have my personal reasons... One of them being that I don't like how he treats you, Owen... So, please be careful from now on..."

Owen: "Okay, Noah... You do have a point."

How would Alejandro react to Noah liking him, but not truly trusting him? 😲

See your first mistake is assuming Noah would ever give up an oppertunity to shit-talk someone. /j

But for real, if Noah did clarify that he doesn't dislike Alejandro but does distrust him, I can't see things playing out too differently from canon - save for Alejandro being a bit less openly hostile towards him post-challenge. Noah would still be eliminated, because having a teammate who distrusts him doesn't align with Alejandro's game plan.

Especially if Noah divulges why he doesn't trust Alejandro. If Noah tries to out the fact that Alejandro isn't as altruistic as he wants to appear, that makes Noah himself a direct threat to Alejandro's plans and schemes. Again, he'd be eliminated as soon as possible.

Regardless of any potential feelings between the two, Alejandro can and would always prioritise the competition over any budding relationship he has with Noah... at least in London. Further on in the competition, if/when the two of them have gotten to know each other better (and when mutual feelings have had time to grow and develop) it's a different story.

It would, however, mean there's a lot less bad blood between the two post series. At least on Alejandro's end. If anything, he'd probably have a smidge of respect for Noah, since he's one of the few people who had caught on to Alejandro's false geniality pre-merge and/or pre-elimination.

Meanwhile Noah would still be justifyably salty that Alejandro got him eliminated, but I imagine he'd pin most of the blame on himself. After all, it was his big mouth that once again dropped him into hot water with his team. Plus, in this scenario, Noah admits that he does like Alejandro, so even considering his elimination I doubt Noah would be too upset with Alejandro himself.

So, in the case of this hypothetical AU, I'd suggest that the main meat of the story here would be post-World Tour, which plays out canonically (or as close to canonically as you'd like). Alejandro gets Drama Machine'd, and Noah - as one of the few people in the cast who doesn't actively hate Alejandro - questions his whereabouts when he fails to show up on the cruise boat the Gen 1 cast are seen on at the beginning of RotI.

He's likely the only person to do so since, barring Heather, Noah's one of the select few who Alejandro didn't royally fuck over. Not directly, at least. And Heather's too preoccupied with the loss of her million to think about Alejandro's wellbeing. And Chris tells him straight; the robot on the cruise ship? Alejandro's chilling in there, healing from the lava burns in almost complete isolation.

Noah is understandably horrified. He's even more horrified when Chris reveals that the Burromuertos signed over custodial rights for Alejandro and disowned him, so Chris is full within his legal rights to keep Alejandro in the Drama Machine for however long he deems fit. Unfortunately, he's also sworn to secrecy about the whole deal; Chris can't have Alejandro's situation reaching the press, it'd be bad for the show's publicity. (Add some legal jargon here, or something about non-disclosure agreements being in the casts' contracts, or whatever.)

But he can't just leave alejandro to suffer in an indefinite mechanical imprisonment. So Noah bargains his way back into his old position as a PA, if only to keep tabs on Alejandro's wellbeing.

Something something you end up with one of those Assistant Noah x Drama Machine Alejandro AUs, which eventually evolves into a "Noah works as an assistant on All-stars" AU, or whatever.

[useless-catalanfacts]

Bon dia. I am writing in English to make sure I get the feeling just right. Maybe this is not the right forum, but please know I'm asking this with nothing but respect and love. So, a few years ago I basically lost everything, and I ended up in the hospital as a result of a suicide attempt. For over a year I was convinced that I was never going to be able to leave my bedroom again, but after a lot of therapy and a small return to normality my friend managed to talk me into a super guiri coded trip to Barcelona. It was my first time being abroad since childhood (I'm Scandinavian). I don't drink alcohol nor do I like crowded places or heat, so while the group I travelled with did classic tourist shit I took some random train out to Terrassa, Cerdanyola, Sabadell and basically just found shadow or museums or some place to read. I had learned some basic Catalan before going, and I noticed that people really enjoyed that. Just by ordering tea I felt like I made friends, and locals offered to show me around or give me special tours of the museums etc. I've never felt more home, and I think I decided already there and then that this is where I wanted to be until forever. I live outside of Girona now, I'm decent in Catalan and I just started my PhD focusing on the political history of Catalonia. I'm a politically active leftist, and have really found a community here. Now, to my question: I want to get a tattoo, haha. I want to get something to honor my new home and celebrate this journey, plus also express some political alignment. When I ask my catalan friends they just laugh and ask why I would want to have a symbol of their "shitty" (said lovingly) country on my body. Their reactions make me worry it might seem like fetishism or appropriating, even if they mainly seem to find it funny. I would love to get a tattoo of the flag (maybe super simple, as in four lines and a star. Or even four lines that simply have the cutout of a triangle to show its the Estelada) but I worry I might be sending signals I don't fully understand. I was considering Montserrat or some other more... physical symbol. But a lot of them carry religious symbolism and that's not really what I'm getting at. I don't know. Maybe the very idea is disrespectful. I simply just need input from someone that's a) not my friend that will just laugh and b) knowledgeable in Catalan culture and codes. So if you have a take, I would be so happy to hear it. Thank you so much for your time.

Wow, thank you so much for all your respect, and I am very happy that you found a place to feel at home here ❤️

It would not be disrespectful at all nor signaling that you don't understand; all the opposite, it's a deep show of appreciation. I think your friends find it funny because it's unusual and, as you said, because they're your friends and friends always joke around with each other.

I honestly can't imagine anyone feeling like a tattoo like the ones you mentioned are disrespectful, fetishism nor appropriating. First of all because you have full knowledge of what you're deciding to tattoo and you are doing it from a point of appreciation, celebration, and also connection with an important part of your life. The only case I feel it's laughable is when people don't know what they're getting (for example, a friend showed me a TikTok where a foreign girl had gotten the tattoo "Besòs Mar" after the metro station in Barcelona for said neighbourhood at the end of the Besòs river —a neighborhood that doesn't have the best reputation, to put it lightly— and was showing it off pronouncing it badly and claiming it means "sea kisses" by her Google-Translate-level Spanish lmao. That's just stupid and will get her made fun of, but it's in every way all the opposite of what you're talking about).

All the options you mentioned seem completely okay to me. As always, everyone (especially Catalan people in this case) is welcome to add their opinion in the comments, but as I said I seriously can't imagine anyone taking an issue with it. I think people's reaction will be more of a mix of "wow!" and "aww ❤️".

I've been thinking of more physical symbols, I could think of a sickle, in reference to the reapers/els segadors, who were the poorest agricultural workers and marched to Barcelona in 1640 to kill the viceroy and to revolt against the monarchy that was restricting Catalonia's historical rights in favour of the king in Castilla. As you'll know, the reapers have become a symbol of Catalonia since then, and the folk song created during that war ended up becoming Catalonia's national anthem.

Painting Corpus de Sang, by Antoni Estruch i Bros (1907) which represents the Reapers' uprising in the Catalan Revolt (Guerra dels Segadors).

You could also do the shape of another mountain (Montserrat was a good shout but I understand the point about religious elements), you could do the Pedraforca or the Canigó, though the Canigó's shape isn't as recognizable and even less outside of Northern Catalonia. Maybe there's some place that you remember from your first trip or from your time here that you've enjoyed, or that you've seen often, a building or something else that you can do its silhouette.

I don't know, I'm saying ideas but the ones you mentioned in your ask were already good 😊

[solradguy]

....so got any sol johnny headcanons

:) <3

I don't think there's any actual love between the two, it's purely carnal and situational

Tbh I imagine Sol as the top in most pairings, but Johnny is so smooth and one of the few characters in the GG cast that Sol doesn't seem to view as an existential threat, so I think in certain circumstances Sol might bottom for Johnny

Denki Akiba writes their interactions (in Heliogenoms) with them kicking each others' asses and realizing it's kinda hot seeing another beefy guy sweaty and bleeding and that's probably like 90% of how anything between the two happens. It Just Makes Sense™️

There's a lot of gay chicken between the two and eventually it went too far because neither tapped out and it turned out they were kinda into it

I know Johnny talks about hooking up with hot babes all the time in the actual canon, but he brings it up so much and they show it actually happening like... maybe once... So I think he's actually gay as hell. There's no reason to really lie about that in a setting like GG's where it seems to be pretty chill about LGBT people though. BUT a lot of Johnny's persona comes from how he viewed his dad, so it's possible he's clinging to that memory and overcompensating slightly. Performative heterosexuality as a coping mechanism.

Sol is bisexual. I won't budge on this. Daisuke hasn't outright said it but I know it in my heart of hearts.

SO. Johnny is gay as shit but surrounded by cute women all of the time and May hovers around him like a gnat 24/7. Man has zero privacy at home, he's gotta be dying. There is NO WAY he would EVER phone Sol up and be like "let's bang, ok." Probably. Sol would laugh at him and hang up. I think, if the stars aligned, Johnny would call and be like "there's [x thing] happening at [y place] with a bounty of [z world dollars]. could be worth it" just absolutely dripping with subtext.

Post-GG Xrd it gets harder to imagine Sol and Johnny hooking up though. Their chemistry is best between roughly GGX through Xrd. Once Jack-O' gets more involved I just can't see Sol and Johnny engaging in their ritual "beat the shit out of each other" roleplay anymore, and that's kind of the core of how I imagine their interactions. I also don't think Jack-O' and Johnny have any (sexual) chemistry either, but they'd probably at least be friends. Johnny's cowboy-Zorro thing and Jack-O's disco girl thing are fun platonic dynamics and it's fun imagining them with Sol (and possibly Axl too) just sitting around somewhere drinking crappy beer and laughing about the absurd stuff they've been through together.

Neither Sol or Johnny are very big on opening up emotionally to other people, but the two of them have been through some serious shit, especially with Gears killing loved ones and being forced (willingly or unwillingly) into almost savior-like roles they would rather not have ended up in. Eventually I think they'd realize they have this common ground and it would lead to a massive increase of respect for each other. That said, they're both so weighed down by having repressed their emotions for so long that I haven't imagined a scenario (yet) that feels convincing enough for them to ever talk about it in a major way. This aspect of their dynamic is the most interesting to me though.

Sol and Johnny are incredibly similar, yet process their traumas in completely different ways; they were both beaten down and spit on by the world, and I enjoy exploring that aspect of their characters. While Johnny focused that trauma into something positive—by becoming a father figure for so many girls/young women orphaned by the Crusades and making sure they never had to go through what he went through—Sol isolated himself, blamed himself for everything bad that happened to him and his loved ones, and forged his trauma (and himself) into a literal weapon that he then used to better the world through destructive force. Lighting fires to contain an even bigger fire, in a way.

If Sol had had someone to rely on, that could have kept pace with him, would he have been able to truly prevent the Crusades? Johnny is only a mortal human man, but he can keep pace with Sol, and I genuinely think that's fascinating.

[macabresymphonies]

With the news of cancellation of Good Omens S3 into a 90 minute finale I sort of find myslef reminicing about where does the border between seperating art from the artist lie.

As a preface I'm gonna say I don't have any particular attachment to Gaiman's body of work as a whole. Western comics were never really popular where I'm from outside of extremely niche circles that graduated into standard niche circles only recently, with Gaiman's visual and literary works included. So this opinion does not stem from any particular nostalgic place. As far as I'm aware the situation is currently still under investigation, but there is concrete proof that Gaimain is, by the traditional definition, no longer considered a "good person" or at least not aligning with his previous public persona. I'm not really an authority to speak on the topics involved in the scandal and I'm really here just to ramble on my own personal blog about art and artist relationship, I'll leave the rest to people who know what they are talking about. Good? Good.

I know it's easy for to denounce, degrade or disprove work made by people we find out were some sort of morally corrupt or did awful stuff in their life. This usually stems from the fact it's hard to believe someboy who's in empathetic and introspective enough to write about topics that resonate with many people so well would still choose to hurt vulnerable people around them or to generally engage in activities that mean to do harm to others.

If we take JK Rowling for example, as heartbreaking as it must have been for most fans of her works to find out about her hate campaigns and such, if we look objectively at the body of work in question it was already brought many times it was a bit problematic. Class issues, race issues, character development and morality weren't really well handeled topics in her books and the whole pedestal was really based more on the whimsy of it or mythos that people enjoyed getting immersed into. Even that was put into question with many plagarism allegations, as such, while flabbergasting from a fan's perspective, from outsider's perspective it wasn't really that thought provoking. "Bad person's books turn out to be pretty bad after all" type of situation that's pretty common among people, especially with writing that's generally consider to be "cool", but ultimetly hollow when it comes to emotional stakes.

Another thing is actors that did bad or immoral things. Generally unless an actor doubles as a writer for stuff they star in, it's not hard to imagine that they are actually wicked people behind the curtain. It was a "funny movie trivia" for years that some actors who played the sweetest most innocent characters on screen were awful when the cameras stopped rolling so it's not that hard to detach yourself from their work. Especially when you consider that it's technically not their work to begin with, just because Bratt Pitt plays an important character in Fight Club, does not mean the whole movie should be shunned, because that's just punishing other actors, director, screenwriters even the OG book's author for sins of one person who's personal life was irrelevant to the work in question.

Gaiman is a special case to me, because despite his actions, his work has been universally regarded as very emotional, empathetic and generally very introspective. I was not an avid fan but I did see merit in his work and ideas he helped create. To write stuff like that you need to be in some way selfaware of your own morality and emotions while also being an empathetic enough to be able to imagine how your characters feel. He touched upon a lot of topics, including stuff he's accused of, while also getting praised on how he handled them.

We want to seperate art from the artist and claim it's impossible only when that art relates directly to the artist's immoral deeds (like in Jeepers Creepers), but to me it's just that we don't want to consider the fact that somebody can be so introspective and emapthetic and STILL use their position to hurt people. To write about the emotional damage caused by cruelty and malice of others and then do the same is incomprensible to us and it either speaks really badly about the person or about our understanding of what it means for somebody to be a "bad person".

[toskarin]

So elves are angels?

if you're going off my description, which I largely lifted from tolkien, the answer is "not especially"

tolkien style elves are beholden to the concepts of fate and prophecy, but that's not a trait unique to them. they're just kind of especially fateful guys

as a fair warning, you've triggered a fantasy infodump here and I've quarantined it below the readmore

this is all going off of like... loose memories of a time where I was more fresh off of reading tolkien when I was younger, so I'm abridging a lot here. don't cite me to anyone or you'll probably be wrong. also how literally this is intended to be understood depends on whether you take the elves' word for how the elves came into being.

which you might.

men* and elves are the children of ilúvatar, more properly eru ilúvatar, who you can here understand as the closest thing in the legendarium to the christian god

*: understood to mean humans, including hobbits for the sake of this explanation, although that's left a bit vague because hobbits are thematically the most normal guys possible. they don't even feel much of a drive to give themselves a creation myth

elves were given immortality, ethereal beauty, really good memory, and incredible talents for creation. they were the first type of incarnate, from the time when the stars were coming into being

men didn't come around for a while after that. men are mortal, but will inherit the earth and can break away from prophecy and fate, specifically as it pertains to the music of the ainur, which is kind of hard to summarise without just saying "it's the scheme of how things unfold that was laid out from the moment everything was created, destiny itself"

to skip over a bunch of more complicated details, this means that elves are a union of body and soul, like men. they're intimately bound to the workings of the world, but most things that aren't men are also bound to it, and being bound to it doesn't necessarily mean you're aligned with it

there are entities that directly serve the god figure on a few different tiers. the god figure's first spirit creations were ainur*, and then the ainur who descended into the song of creation became lower forms of divinity called the valar and maiar, with the maiar being the lower-ranked spirits that assisted the valar

*: same ones mentioned in the context of the song of the ainur, since they wove the world more or less as proxies for ilúvatar

the valar take the roles of sort-of-proxy gods, while the maiar work to assist them and occasionally incarnate into mortal form when something needs REALLY fine tuning. the valar and maiar are much closer to what you're looking for, as far as angels go! (assuming I understood the question correctly of course, which I might not have lmao)

elves and men are two different kinds of incarnate, with dwarves being a third. in some way, they all contain echoes of divinity, and while some are more beholden to the framework of its designs than others, everything in tolkien's writing is echoing out from divinity, carrying divinity within itself

[pineapplefulfillseveryneed]

Sparks tour 2023 part 5: Cirque Royal, Brussels (june 20, 2023)

This was the show I was probably the most excited about out of all of them because we had the best seats in the house: front row, right in the middle! It had been the one ticket sale where I'd been super lucky, and this was going to be my final show of the tour. And truly there could not have been a better way to end the tour! (Be prepared for the most excited writeup :)) The fun already started when on our way to Brussels we came across a piano at a train station. I played my best rendition of This Town on it (which frankly isn't very good at all) and there was a woman there who wanted me to play more - we had somehow managed to come across a Sparks fan out in the wild! Once we arrived at our bnb in Brussels there was a key in the door with an Air Jordan shoe key chain attached to it. (I don't know what it is with Brussels, the stars aligned to a degree that makes a person believe in a higher power.)

The venue was quite fancy and we got to our seats to find there was no banister! We were so close we could touch the stage while remaining seated. (Some people may dream of winning the lottery, this is winning the Sparks fan lottery.) Excitement & anxiety (positive) were through the roof and one of the songs played over the sound system made me feel like punching a hole in the wall XD Sarah shazamed a few songs and the one that got me the most was Fahrenheit 451: The Nightmare by Bernard Herrman (here's a link). The other song Sarah looked up was Salaambo's Aria. (I am very happy to have made a video of the hall before the show because it makes me feel all those feelings of being there again.) To our right was a young fan and to our left were two of our friends, the company could not have been better and we were going to have an extremely strong front row game!

Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer

Some lights in the hall went on and they lit up the front row, me and Sarah in our giddiness were joking to each other that the light was especially for us and we were giggling about it to then realise Mr. B was standing right in front of us hahaha woops XD (oh no.) We quickly made up for this by applauding and cheering. It really was very confusing as no one knew what time things were going to start this evening and unfortunately this meant there weren't an awful lot of people in the hall. It was shockingly empty when I looked around. Mr.B was in top form though! At the end of his set we gave him a two-person standing ovation :) I am still so happy that he was the opening act for the European shows!

Before Sparks came on the fire alarm went of for some reason, but luckily it didn't seem to mean anything.

Sparks!

Excitement was through the roof when they came on! However... something seemed to be wrong with Ron's setup which became clear just as Russell was entering the stage. Russell went back to the side of the stage and the entrance music played a second time. It was all pretty quickly fixed and then Russell walked to the edge of the stage. Right in front of us! Towering over us!! "So.. Brussels! May we start?" I will never forget the looks me and Sarah quickly exchanged when this happened, like IS THIS REAL? IS THAT WHAT THIS SHOW IS GOING TO BE LIKE? (Spoiler: it was. And Russell clearly had a good time doing this lmao. What the hell is our life!) We were overjoyed and Russell and Ron seemed very happy and then it kicked off!

We spent the entire show bouncing in our seats and having our arms in the air. Throughout the show there were quite a few smiles and so much happened that I can not even recall it all! At one point Russell smiled at me (!) and so I smiled back and did a happy wiggle, AND THEN HE WAS STILL LOOKING, so I tried to smile even wider and tilted my head to communicate something along the lines of "this is so much fun and I love being here with you guys and all these fans so much it's driving me nuts" and he GIGGLED (I can die happy, my dreams are fulfilled).

Obviously Russell spoke French for this show and my French isn't the best but he said really sweet things about how it's always really special in Brussels and that tonight would be no exception, "guarantie!" (Sorry to French speakers I don't know if I chose the right form of the word to spell it correctly.) I will have to upload a video of him saying this because it was 1) really sweet, and 2) I know some of you are Very Normal about Russell's French :) [Edit: here's the video!]

I was so happy to be at this show with Sarah and so so happy with our show neighbours! Some of my favourite moments are definitely very much down to the great company and so I am going to start mentioning all of those <3

Near the end of Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is both me and Sarah were punching the air to the beat and I noticed our moves mirrored each other exactly, we were completely in sync with each other and the song (in the moment it was very much a HOLY SHIT WE ARE DOING THIS, THIS IS THE BEST!) and we really pulled it off! Kept it up to the final note, ending the song perfectly with the both of us punching both our arms in the air! And it made Russell smile - I am still giddy about this. We did so well :D

It Doesn't Have To Be That Way was incredible. Me and Sarah both had gotten our phones out and were sitting there curled up in our seats with big eyes, I vividly remember looking over to Sarah next to me and being like, ...yeah 🥹

For Balls we had prearranged with our neighbours that we'd all get up, because holy shit we all love Balls so much and we needed them to know - that song deserves everything from the audience. It really was the best feeling in the world, to be standing there with the 5 of us at the front singing Balls right back in Russell's face. There's videos of Balls from Brussels and it is genuinely one of the very best moments of my life, it's everything. I love Balls so much. (Most people talking about Balls in Brussels will only mention the fact that Russell had a fall, and he did, but he was a real champ and got up real quick, made an attempt to throw the speaker that tripped him (good man adfjhdf), and bounced and sang on even harder.)

With Escalator it was clear Russell knew how much we loved his dance because he was dancing A LOT, and he added some really great moves for she's going up as I'm going down. Obviously we were doing the same dances in our seat with the biggest smiles on our faces, I just love Escalator so much! It didn't go unnoticed and I love that so much!

During When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way' 4 of us did that "in heaven or hell" signing with our arms in sync with Russell and Russell smiled because of it, real sweet fucking moment - I am not over it.

And that concludes my favourite moments that had everything to do with my show neighbours, I love you all so much! (Oh yeah forgot to mention there was a lot of giggling to my left and it just made me so happy, every time Sarah would shout "WOO!" giggles broke out on my left and it was really sweet. Also my neighbour on my left had a fan and she actually fanned my face at times, like... Sparks friends, next level :))

Okay on to some other highlights. A really big one was during Music That You Can Dance To and by now everyone knows how I feel about this song, BUT RUSSELL HAD A PROP! He skipped to the back of the stage where he has that little table thingy and he HAD A MINI ELECTRIC FAN AND STOOD THERE HOLDING IT TO HIS FACE FOR A SECOND XD (I love this guy. He was very much smiling about this.) Then he put it down, said something along the lines of "okay back to it!" and went back to skipping and dancing around. (I have not found any footage of Music That You Can Dance To though and so if anyone has that, LET ME KNOW.)

We definitely got a "YEAH" from Ron during Shopping Mall Of Love. During We Go Dancing Russell went to Ron's side of the stage (where he had had the fall during Balls) and signed at the spot on the floor after he sang "sometimes I get injured man, it's harder than it looks". Way to incorporate this into the performance XD He signed at that speaker on the floor once more during The Number One Song In Heaven. Honestly, iconic.

It also really needs saying that Belgian audiences are generally really, REALLY, good. There were so many arms in the air throughout the entire hall for When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way', The Number One Song In Heaven and This Town. They all take off so beautifully. There was an applause between songs that made Russell hide his face and he went to stand with Ron, Sarah was drumming on the stage, it was just incredible. It only stopped because Ron started playing the next song. I loved punching the beat into the air for The Number Song In Heaven right in front of Russell and he seemed really encouraging of it too, it was just amazing :D It was probably my favourite experience of hearing This Town live as well because Russell came to dance and jump really close to us for so many of the important moments in the song! (Our timing was really good, I am so proud of us!)

Gee, That Was Fun hit me really hard as this was the last one. I don't know if it was a conscious decision or not but from here on to the end of the show Russell addressed the audience in English instead of French (I am grateful though because it meant fully understanding what he was saying): "We've always enjoyed coming to Brussels to play and tonight was far and away the best show and the best audience we've ever had in Brussels so thank you" 🥹 We probably got a little wave before they exited the stage but unfortunately my memory is hazy.. :')

During My Baby's Taking Me Home I finally spotted the plastic figurine on the stage that had been on Stevie's drums in Utrecht! It was lined up with the band and stood on the floor on its own with its arms in the air, the tiny thing looked like a rock star with the backlight and smoke and I was absolutely delighted by this XD (I love this band.)

The band intro was sweet as hell and Ron was smiling so much, also he looked extremely cool - he sat with one leg up while applauding the rest of the band. Russell said really sweet things about the band members, but seemingly scrambled for words for a second in his introduction of Evan Weiss which led to a pause in him saying something along the lines of "he's just an amazing ....person!" and (unfortunately I didn't see this) but apparently Stevie laughed at this and looked at Russell who then gestured like an "I dunno" at Stevie and they both laughed. When introducing Ron as his big brother Russell held his hand above Ron's head as he stood up and this was pretty great :) (I have a video of the band introduction so I'll upload this - it doesn't include the exchange between Stevie and Russell unfortunately.)

They let us applaud for a while before introducing All That. Russell said "When there's evenings like this that are really emotional for us, and we hope really emotional for you as well, this song is even ... takes on more resonance and it becomes even something more ... it becomes sadder to us. So in any case, it's called "All That"." (We audibly went "awww" - sorry Russell if you heard that :'))

And there it was. The last song of this show and the last song of this tour for me. I don't recall the photo moment all that well but I do remember us having a little panic as we didn't have a game plan and were right behind Russell. But we figured it out :) We made it in! (I love this photo so much and I've smiled about it so many times!)

There were waves and smiles and quite a few people in the front row got a handshake from Russell - us included (I smiled at him and said thank you :D). They stood there in front of us smiling for quite a bit, and our friend on our right had a small poster to ask Ron for his tie. (I couldn't read the poster so in this moment I was laughing to myself thinking about Ron making sure Russell couldn't see that sign that said "Ron you're sexy take your shirt off" on the 2022 tour XD) Ron actually replied though?! He smiled and said "next time". These guys... I love them so much. 🥹 There really could not have been a better show to end this tour on. I still think about it very regularly and can't help but smile about everything.

(My footage of this show can be found on youtube.)

~

After the show we stood around talking with more of our friends who had also sat in the front row but on the other side, smiling about it all. Someone we didn't know came up to our group to also excitedly yell about it all and asked us with a big smile if we had also seen "those kids in the front row". HOLY SHIT? 🥹

We said goodbye to our friends and went to see Mr.B to say goodbye and thank him again, because it all ended now. He was in conversation with someone and Sarah found a setlist on the floor in front of his merch table and for some reason we asked him if we could have it (you heard it here first, Mr.B is apparently the deity of setlists and will decide on if you can keep something you find on the floor lmao). He witnessed our deciding on who got to keep it which I hope amused him hahaha (thank you Sarah for letting me have it - it still makes me smile). The guy who was talking to Mr.B was a guy from the UK and he had apparently sat behind us, he said he had really enjoyed how much fun we were having and that we were probably the biggest Sparks fans he'd ever come across as "we didn't miss a single beat". 🥹 (I will cry.) I proceeded to have a possibly cringy conversation with Mr.B but everyone was laughing so I probably did alright hahaha. He told us he was hoping to tour Europe at one point and that he hoped to see us again. I hope so too! :)

Leaving the venue we bumped into all our friends again outside who hadn't made it very far past the door of the venue. They sang Bon Voyage at us as we left 🥹💕

[aceseonghwa]

ateez in arlington: a messy and emotional review

july 31, 2024.

okay. so. honestly, i don't even know where to begin.

a few days ago (july 28) i saw ateez at globe life field in arlington, texas, for the first time. having been a fan since september 2022, this was truly a long time coming and a HUGE dream of mine. i wasn't able to make it to their break the wall tour, so i kept the next one in mind and prayed that the stars would align and i'd be lucky enough to make it to this one. the stars did align, and i'm so glad they did, because i had the greatest night of my life.

i knew from the first ateez performance that i ever watched that i wanted to see them live. their energy and stage presence has always been so powerful, and even when i was just watching them in the comfort of my bedroom, i could feel it, as if i was there. this will come as no surprise to y'all but ateez are absolutely -- somehow -- even BETTER in person!

one thing that i have always loved about ateez is their emphasis on and appreciation for theatrics. the props and the set design were amazing, and i love how much it felt like we were actually in another universe. it really did feel like i was somewhere in world z, enjoying a thrilling concert, even though emotions and music are forbidden. ateez are incredible actors too. there were so many moments where certain members would be running around the stage with fearful expressions as guards hunted them down. it was literally breath-taking and felt like i was watching musical theater and not a kpop concert. i feel like with other groups, it's always a missed opportunity to not include elements from their lore into their stages, especially when the lore is genuinely cool and interesting. i really appreciate the fact that ateez concerts are so immersive. and anther thing that i love is that ateez do not just get up there and sing and dance, they perform. they have lyrics about oppression, being silenced, revolution, etc, and they really show the pain and the fear through facial expressions and gestures. ateez clearly think a lot about how to VISUALLY show you their story and it's truly just next level.

of course, the actual performances were just unforgettable. every positive thing that you've ever heard about ateez's stage presence is very true. i already knew these guys were one of the best, but seriously, they are truly in a league of their own. i haven't been to many concerts so maybe it's unfair of me to say this but i don't know if any other concert can top this one. aside from whatever ateez themselves do next, because at this point, i'm convinced their only competition is themselves. hearing their songs live was everything. ateez truly command that stage. i couldn't take my eyes off of them and i never wanted to. i was so absorbed and mesmorized. the concert was two hours and it flew by.

i sincerely wish i could relive this night over and over again. next tour, i will definitely be seeing them again.

okay... the end LMAO.

[inventors-fair]

Emergence: Hope Contest Winners

Our winners this week are @hypexion, @melancholia-ennui, and @wildcardgamez!

@hypexion — Lochthwain Dawn

I think this flavor text caught me off guard a little bit, but it's something vitally important to black's color identity that we don't get to see a lot of in a positive light: endurance. Green and black have that overlap of endurance that's even given rise to the elemental namesake. The difference is that the contextualization of black's endurance is often portrayed at the expense of someone else. Here, we have the knights of the realm fighting for the realm in a manner that shows a type of single-minded devotion eschewing selfishness. We take those pleasant surprises when we can, especially in the context of it being well-justified on top.

Obviously in various cheesy formats this card can go infinite with sac triggers, but Commander is in a place right now where I don't really care about taking it seriously. As a five-drop curve-topper in aggro decks, this card makes your opponents have strong reconsiderations for combat, and I love how the math changes. Swinging in becomes, well—more hopeful! Honestly, where the flavor is excellently executed, the gameplay fits more with the theme of the contest, in my opinion. And in a good way! You can always let your creature turn into chump-blockers if you need to make your swings, and that's the kind of strategy that I like to see rewarded.

@melancholia-ennui — Enduring Legacy

Lol @ the "Enduring" cycle from Duskmourn. I was just trying to think of where that cycle came from as I was looking at this card, and then it struck me. Not that this has anything to do with that, but all the same... I was thoroughly impressed the first time I read through it and I'm still impressed with it now. Of course, I think that it's an absolute nightmare to deal with, but that's also because I'm a hatebears fan, and I want to chain together Skyclave Apparitions and tutor with a sac outlet for my Adelines and Thalias. The more I talk about it the more I feel that this card could use a little less power somehow but for the time being, be thankful you can get away with me wanting to be evil. So, so evil.

Does that have anything to do with hope? Conceptually, not really, because this card may be a come-from-behind kind of deal but it's less about that and more about the celebration of life, I feel. The death is not so much death as it is a passing-on, and the representation here just happens to align with a gameplay strategy that my brain wants to, ah, "inflict on" other people more than "play with." That's okay, power is okay! Children and parents and society's passing-on of information and strength is indeed vital to the concepts at large. No knocking ya there.

@wildcardgamez — Tomorrow

What is Tomorrow? Tomorrow comes on a thousand thundering legs through the clouds. Tomorrow breaks the storm and the fog, devours the cold of night and whatever restlessness comes with its snapping predators. Tomorrow is the element that marries the celestial presence of awe and the solemn inner meditation of time's passage. Tomorrow bears eyes that always look forward and wings that always push yesterday's breath behind. Tomorrow will not last, but it will always return, even if you can't see it, even if sight has left you, even when the stars have traveled to other worlds, broken their paths, gone out with the moon and the towers and the hands that swore to you, silently, that they would be with you when Tomorrow arrived upon you and you alone.

But why a finality counter? I think a replacement effect might've been a little better for that one line of text; otherwise, yeah, it's a great card that speaks to a cycle (kinda, by past precedent) and makes me feel real good about opening it if I ever did. Miracles in various formats never really took off past that one Legacy deck, but hell, why can't we try again with bodies and whatnot? Creatures are the lifeblood of their formats. I love the sheer power put into this card, sincerely. It feels great to look at and great to play, I imagine. Miracle's a tough mechanic but it's so awesome here. Hope indeed! Hope indeed.

Runners on the horizon. @abelzumi

[godshideouscreation]

I saw your content wind-down and your pinned post. I know you’ve been making content for years, what made you finally step away?

Asking because i’m curious but with respect for your former profession

I don't really like being chronically online and I wasn't enjoying making content for many years. It's a draining job to be available at all hours for more personal services, and that's where the money is at. It took a toll on my mental health in many ways, and my relationship over the years too. I also just want peace and more privacy. I don't want to feel like I haaaave to post. I don't love my new job necessarily, but I'm paid hourly and regularly every 2 weeks for the time I know I put in. Not having consistent income makes it hard to save or plan.

Over the years, many people have told me that they felt inspired to start doing sex work because of me and I hated that. Because I never did it out of choice, I started posting online when my ex posted my nudes (while I was still in high school but after my 18th birthday) and I wanted to take control of the situation. There were many years that I acted like I liked my job because when you complain about it, it affects your income. So I kept my mouth shut.

I realized after 12 years in the industry that I had a career almost double in length to some of my co-stars that got out before me, and really that's just because I felt like I didn't have a lot of options being mentally and physically unwell. I found someone who's attendance policy was easy to align with due to my health issues and jumped at the opportunity for change.

I also have many criticisms about porn/clip sites /especially OnlyFans over the years and don't even watch it anymore. (Not that I fault people who do, I just don't find it sexy or entertaining anymore personally) I still support independent sex workers and anyone who wants to keep doing sex work, however many of my friends from over the years are stuck doing survival sex work and I hate that for them. I just had the opportunity to get out, and I took it.

[thetypingpup]

Also I know I'm far gone bc I'm imagining a fwb au with mingi and I'm NOT ok. Thinking when you smoke and fuck it's not awkward at all, not even after the first time. It feels like everything falls into place, like the stars align, like its the most natural thing in the world to be entangled like this. And when he gazes at you with those hazy eyes, want is present, but above all else there's fondness in his eyes. Would get kinda flustered if you express your desire for him. The thought that you want him as much as he wants you has his face burning and his cock twitching in his pants.

You let the music dictate who leads as you ease yourself up and down on his cock. Sometimes Mingi is the one who catches the beat and grabs onto your hips, thrusting up in time with the music and groaning all the while. Sometimes you're the one who feels the beat thrumming through your body, your hips moving at the same pace and intensity, making his eyes slide shut as he moans. He can't believe that not only do you look this good, but you feel this fucking good. Your pussy envelopes him completely, sucking in every thick inch if his huge cock like you were made for him, and the way you whimper at the size just makes him want even more. Even as he's deep inside you, stretching you open in ways you didn't think were possible, he still wants more of you. He will always crave you, and your shared high only intensifies that feeling. He lets his eyes slide shut as he enjoys the pleasure, knowing that he's got you, and you've got him, and you can just enjoy this together.

Thinking about how this all started, where the music gets quiet and you both just stare at each other. You giggle at the sight

"What?" His voice is barely louder than a hum, but you hear him all the same.

"You just...you look like you really wanna kiss me."

"I do." Slowly, his hand trails up your thigh, communicating his intent with his soft touch. A blissed out smile and a chuckle bubbling to the surface has your heart racing when you stare at him.

"I've always wanted to kiss you." He admits, laughing softly, "But now I really, really wanna feel your lips."

You don't think twice about sliding onto his lap, legs settling on either side of his hips. The stretch of your thighs really makes it sink in just how broad his is, and your clit pulses ever so slightly at the feeling. Those first kisses are so soft, so endearing, just letting soft tenderness guide the slow press of your lips. It's the most natural thing in the world, to feel his hand fit to the curve of your face, to feel his other hand take hold of your waist, embracing you just as intimately as he's kissing you. You don't know how long you kiss like that, but you both feel the shift in the air when he moans into your mouth, low and deep. You can feel his cock twitch in the confines of his jeans, and he's acutely attuned to the heat radiating at the apex of your thighs.

"Seems like you wanna do a lot more than just kiss me." You giggle, and he feels his breath hitch because your laughter has no right sounding that seductive.

"I do." He admits, not having in him to be coy. Not now, not when it comes to you.

You on the other hand are intent to seduce him more, to working him up so much he's panting before you even touch him properly. And it works like a charm. Your lips on his neck, your hands roving his shoulders, the occasional teasing words that slip from your pretty lips, gets him so worked up his hips arch up against you, his cock chasing the friction he can find between your legs. You express your desire like this, with teases and subtle touches, intensifying your motions only slightly in response to his building need. Impossibly hard now, he doesn't think he can wait another moment, especially not when you gyrate your hips and move your ass on him like that.

"If you want me I'm yours." Mingi makes quick work of his shirt and you hum as you take in the sight of his muscular chest. But his eyes, his eyes don't leave yours, not for a moment, and his emphatic whisper has your heart hammering in your chest, "I've always been yours."

Enjoying pleasure with you, kissing you, touching you, fucking you, making you moan his name...he can't think of anything better than this. He can't think of anything he'd rather be doing than letting the music move through you as he pleases you, as you please him, as your bodies move as one and share in sexual bliss.

As for you, no matter what you do, you can't stop kissing him. Even when he goes down on you and makes you see stars, you keep tugging him towards your lips to kiss him again. And he doesn't mind. Not in the least bit. He smiles against your lips with every kiss, no matter how affectionate and chaste, no matter how lewd with copious amounts of tongue. He can't get enough of your kisses either, so much so that when it's your turn to get him off with your mouth, he does the same thing you do. Every so often, he just gets transfixed by the sight of your pretty face, the sight of your soft lips stretched around your cock, and just has to pull you off him to kiss you deeply.

No matter what, you two never stop kissing. When you ride him, you're kissing him. When he's pinning you to the bed, he's kissing you. When he fucks you from behind, when his attention isn't on your ass for a brief moment, he's leaning down and kissing you deeply, slotting his mouth against yours sensually and making you shudder and melt beneath him. Even when you come down completely, you keep kissing. Even when you share another blunt, you keep kissing. And when you wake up beside him the next morning, the first thing you do is kiss. He doesn't think he'll ever get enough of this, beyond thankful to have you behind closed doors like this. Out there, he doesn't know if it'll be possible to contain himself, but in here he doesn't have to hold back. He can hold your waist and pull you towards him, he can kiss you and slide his tongue into your mouth, he can make you giggle with glee in ways only he knows how. He can tell you how much he feels for you with his actions.

As far as your crush on each other, that goes unsaid. It doesn't need to be said, not when your kisses and moans of bliss do the talking for you. He's head over heels infatuated with you, you feel so much affectionate arousal your heart bursts every time you look at him, and you both show each other how you feel between the sheets.

[spikezonebby]

SS would ABSOLUTELY bottom for them.

In my headcanon and AU I got with a friend him and KO switch occasionally but I can clearly see him needing to be the bottom.

He needs to know he is in control and having the role as a bottom gives him that.

Also KO being a reformatted Seerker?! Yes please! I havent thought about that at all!!

He would know where to Touch SS wings and tell BD about it in secret to catch Starscream off guard when he is in the medibay.

BD is such a softy, I can see him be absolutely thrilled about the idea of having two Husbands to pamper, after all that big guy has the Spark to do so!

He may die in the Show but for ever will live on in our heart and AUs <3

I also love to think about ways SS passt KO and BD back. Be it small Gifts or small public displays of affection like thanking them silently, showing a smile, almost unnoticeable touches to the servos, shoulder or hip since SS does not want to show any sign of weakness.

I haven't read the novels yet but I am very interested in reading them. Especially since I miss TC and SW

Oh I can totally see SS's primary love language being gift giving! He can't ever do it directly though, or if he does, it's slapping it in KO or BD's servo and then carrying on. BD gets energon goodies and rust sticks, small tasty luxuries that are hard to find or make during the war. Ironically KO is easier to get gifts for because they're things that SS actually would like himself. Waxes and touch up paint, sometimes pretty glitter metal fleck paint or even UV paint that might have been used on Vos. KO and SS basically preening each other is essentially foreplay to a Seeker so they both pick up on that right away, but SS wimps out and escapes before it turns into anything deeper lmao

Please picture SS making an embarrassing emergency escape from the infirmary. He's more cleaned up and pretty all properly buffed out and waxed than he's been in millennia, but also so MORTIFIED and more painfully aroused than he's been in just enough time. I don't know if it's funnier if he DOESN'T know KO was a seeker, or funnier that he DOES know but he's that deep in denial that he just thinks he was being overly friendly.

Tiny, tiny shows of affection go a huge ways for SS too, and that's actually the one that gets Breakdown to realize "oh, holy slag, Screamer likes me too" because he doesn't pick up on the wing gestures and body language that KO can.

I suppose I should tag Spoilers for the TF Aligned Novels here so I'll put the rest of this under a cut. I'll also develop how I see this affecting Starscream below here too.

TC and SW meet an unfortunate end up the novels. If memory serves I think SW was eaten by a Sharkticon but I don't remember what exactly happened to TC. I remember though that it was SS's fault largely because he'd gotten in a sort of one sided pissing contest with SW because SW had started catching Megatron's attention more than him. So, SS had tried to sabotage him during a mission which ended up costing him his life.

I interpret this as younger SS once being far more impulsive and currently living with a lot of guilt over it that he honestly just can't bring himself to put to the forefront of his mind. He got his trine killed because of petty reasons, and YES that makes him a horrible person. He can't deny that his misses them, but also he's been putting layer upon layer upon layer of blockades over top of the feeling because processing it NOW won't do him any favors.

Depending on your interpretation of trines and trinemates, this can be various levels of devastating for Starscream. Maybe trines are just allies to keep your aft out of trouble, just allies in arms. Or maybe trines are in a league of their own as a queer poly relationship that was supposed to have echoes of growth for everyone involved for the rest of their lives. Maybe Star got two random smucks killed, maybe he killed his soulmates.

That's not something you can just shrug off, no matter how hard you might try. We've seen Starscream do some ruthless things but he didn't start off that way. He became that person through choices he's made and the affect it's had on him.

[peachykoii]

…

I–

All right, y’all, I’ve got some things to say.

Spoilers for ramblings about Dislyte Unknown Collection Story Mode:

First, some positives!

• There were some pretty interesting concepts introduced: Raven having premonition and memory-erasing powers, using her wings + comet/shooting star + all how it influences the EU: the use of stone tablets, giving out only pieces of information to the public, not interfering with the future, etc.

• I liked how the Esper Union felt more gray aligned than straight up black or white considering its origins.

• I enjoyed seeing Triki a bit fleshed out, but let me just say that I'm biased about this because I literally don't have him yet so I don't know too much about him aside from the basics. A little disappointed to not have seen the whole crew. I was also hoping to see Zora and Ren Shi too. 😭😭 I will say, I can appreciate Yamato just coming around to be a menace and have fun, lol

• The silly and cute things like the Draw and Guess game, Tevor’s photo with Hilda??? (When and how even was this/could this happen, lol), commander Xuan Pin post-Immortal Fire and her relationship with Mateo, Alexa and Abigail having their moments together, and Alexa being a Wattpad writer amateur romance novelist on the side, lol.

• Lots of lovely and memorable artwork especially! Sachiko was obviously the devs’ favorite since they drew her so adorably, lol Assassin’s Creed reference?

Negatives.

• Y’all… This felt like an alternate universe rather than an addition to literally everything we’ve ever been introduced to in canon, so I’m just going to treat it as such. I could've avoided this and wouldn’t missed out on anything.

• Also, as interesting as it is, Raven being clairvoyant came out of nowhere, lol There’s no mention, reference, or anything anywhere suggesting this in Dislyte canon, besides the fact that Odin (Norse Mythology) has that ability. I do miss her bike and wolf though, lol The [Player] character gave more Mary Sue isekai’d into the game vibes rather than someone literally not from this world who’s experiencing Grandis and Miracles for the first time. If Markiplier can be canon in the universe but not in a weird way, then they could’ve done something along those lines for him too. Why exactly did Tang Na turn into a “Miramon”? Usually, overdrawing on your powers (could) just kill(s) you like in Gaius’ or Leora’s event. I guess it changed for then humanity/divinity balance. Where’s Discboom? She could’ve been a good lock instead. 😔😔

• What was going on with the writing and pacing? There were lots of typos, weird wording, and kind of a strange flow from chapter to chapter. Maybe localization editing was rushed? Like, I could appreciate trying a new style, but it also felt off-putting a lot of times and not as cohesive or seamless as it could’ve been. The Shackled Collection, the OG story mode, was much better in this regard. And then, there’s…

The ending…

• Honestly, it’s a bit hard to play devil’s advocate with that ending because from the standpoint of a first-time new player, who hasn’t been through Gaius’, Norah’s, or Embla’s event, the OG main story/Shackled Collection, or any other big lore heavy events, it might feel like “whoa, plot twist! That’s interesting!” But it’s still a little lackluster.

As a long time player whose way too DEEP and invested in Dislyte lore, characters, and world building, I was very disappointed.

I mean, he didn’t even have a hinted-at “I want” moment or off-putting conversation with the [Player] to help build it up. All the Anesidora moments literally could’ve been her talking to Embla or Hyde for all I know. I think that I needed better breadcrumbs not because I didn’t see the twist coming, but because it didn't really pay off. As if they chose him to be the villain for the sake of shock value instead of any substance. Why does he want the power? Gaius. Union Hub Director and Researcher Gaius? He was just like, “Good job, Mayor Abigail. Pot, kettle. Yes, I’m bad. AND I want a new world order. 😈😈 What'd you wish for, Sachiko!???” And was anti-climatically blasted away.

The Shadow Decree is more than just “bwahaha evil villainy because evil” kind of people and we’ve seen that several times now so there was a lot to work with. Personally, I’m anti-evil Gaius, but if they wanted to make it a bit more believable, here’s three different scenarios off the top of my head that fits Gaius’ personality and the whole fate theme going on.

1. Desperate Gaius “It’s been more than a decade of fighting and failure and bloodshed. I’m tired of seeing Raven hurt because of her [powers™] and witnessing both the Esper Union and SD fail at achieving what for mere humans and Espers is impossible. But then, I remembered Hannah’s private research from long ago all this time about [insert gate of promotion info to explain how that even cropped up]. And it was all true. Yamato finding [Player], Raven’s vision, and Abigail’s intel confirmed that even further. Hyde, not believing in [insert gate and wish stuff], had tried to counter it with his artificial esper project, but it devolved into something entirely different [insert Sieg]. But I knew if I wanted to prove it, I needed to take measures beyond just the Union’s resources. So, I reached out to Yamato and Hyde and the rest was history. Hannah told me that I could use my powers for good. With the full power of the Starlight’s Miracle Nexus, I can save this world from the havoc and turmoil the Miracles created — by making a new one.”

Or like, 2. Slightly Ominous Positivity™ Derails into Deluded Gaius, “Don’t worry, Raven and [Player]. Just as I trust you, trust me. Even if that was her final premonition, I trust that all will play out according to fate. If fate brought us [Esper Seven] together, if it brought Hannah into my life, then I know that it will lead me to where I need to be to help everyone that I can.” Slowly turns into obsessive, corrupted selfishness as he stresses over of Raven’s prophecy, learning about the Gate of Promotion does through Yamato and the Shadow Decree, corrupted with thoughts of its unlimited potential and what it can do for him; “Can you believe it? Fate brought us to the Starlight Miracle’s Nexus that can grant me the power to do anything. Raven was wrong. This is true destiny [taking all the divine power for himself]. Hannah, give me the strength to best this fate like you did for me to save everyone. I will succeed no matter who’s against me!”

Heck, even a 3. Turned His Back on the Light to Save His Friends Gaius “They’re my friends. Us Seven have been through more than you [Player] can ever imagine. So, when Hyde and Embla came to us [Raven and Gaius] with a truce and told me that we could use this power for actual good for the world... I had to make a decision. One that could change the fate of everything Raven knew, regardless of what she saw, but be our only chance at saving everything. I know Raven would never forgive me after what I did… especially to her… but as the Esper Union Hub Director, I will do anything and sacrifice everything I have to save as many people as I can, even if it means colluding and sinking to the darkest places. Even breaking bread with the dark forces I once knew as my comrades. I promised Hannah that I would help others. You need to understand that the ends will always justify the means.”

Or something like that since we know he can be incredibly selfless/borderline sacrificial when it comes to saving people close to him and up keeping this position. Also, is Leora’s backstory still the same bc I feel like she would’ve already tried to tell everyone about Gaius being a shadow councilor when she defected since she was mentored by Embla, a shadow councilor. They hold annual end of year All-Hands, for crying out loud, lmfaooo Ain’t no way she didn’t know.

I don’t know, y’all. I’m just rambling at this point.

I really needed the seasoning Gaius was missing in his life if they’re going to make him bad. He wasn’t a very compelling bad guy. 🤷🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️

Furthermore, it felt like they potentially retrofitted the general Dislyte lore/world building for a lot of stuff?

For me, one of the biggest things was everything around the Gate of Promotion in the Nexus. “The Miracle Nexus, the source of all Miracles,” Mkay, but how did they learn about the Gates? How did Narmer and Cang Ji, dudes who LOVE researching and exploring Miracles, not find it or learn about it years before? It’s been about 10+ years since the whole Miracle-Miramon situation began when the Esper Seven explored Miracle Prime and you’re telling me that supposedly somehow only now Yamato, Gaius, Raven, Abigail and the SD know about the Gates? And if Raven’s premonition gave that info, that still doesn’t explain why everyone else knew about it before then like Xuan Pin, Abigail, and Yamato. And about the lock too. Who gave everyone this knowledge? Like, Did the [Player] character come with a manual that Yamato’s been making leaks of or something, lol? He’s supposed to be a whole ‘Miracle destroyer’ and no one else is interested in that?

All in all, all I can say is that it was a choice and I had fun if I just think of it as an OVA or Isekai AU or something.

Bonus pics bc Hall’s censored for some reason lol AND my bby girl, Jiang Man, is looking cute here.

[looks-to-the-moon-cock]

*I fall through your ceiling*

Hi, I'm perisex and all my knowledge of intersex rep has come about in the past year.

A few months ago, I made an intersex OC (Sybel) and I want to know if their physical traits are an accurate portrayal of being intersex.

They have a very feminine appearance and a very masculine voice, so much so that they often get mistaken for being trans in one way or another. They have extensive facial and body hair growth as well as a more stereotypically female body. They don't have breasts, but do have (mostly) female external genitals. I'm not too certain about the internal bits yet, I think they're testes but I'm not sure what specific condition would best align with their physical features.

Sybel was raised female, but experienced male puberty (to an extent) that gave them massive gender dysphoria. Eventually, they realized that they didn't have to fit into gender roles when neither of them represented who they are, and such, identified as non-binary. They didn't experience genital mutilation at birth because their intersex qualities weren't significantly noticeable till puberty.

Is this a good portrayal? How can I make it better?

I think it depends on the setting and supposed advancement with technology the most! However I do think this is fairly accurate in a lot of regards, as someone that is confused for being a trans man OR a trans woman due to my appearance. (I will note my traits are different, as I HAD a testes but was mutilated and need testosterone to help me be regular and not seizing as much.)

The only thing I say is Iffy is the features not being noticed till after puberty hit. But it could just be me as I was mistaken as a trans girl before I even hit puberty by a few classmates. Especially because I'm fat. So I'd say thats fine.

My only recommendation is potentially looking at intersex folk that have conditions or features like your OC! I know I'm fairly sure there's folks like that in some way and likely can help in that regard! Plus potentially look at how certain variations of intersex has factors going into disability. Like "is their variation causing this disability?" or "Due to lack of needed care, they became disabled in this way?" Now, not EVERY intersex person is disabled, but it can be a factor for some intersex folks. That can help make a character feel more real, at least to me.

But again, it comes to time period and technology + medical advancement. If it's a setting like... idk. Rain World, there likely is extensive knowledge but now lost due to the disappearance of those researching it. Then there's Star Wars for another example, which would be dependent on where you lived, your status, and usually your wealth too. But then if you were to try, say, a classic medieval setting in DND, there likely isn't much known other than the physical characteristics and potentially a term for it.

I hope this was helpful! A lot of my OCs are variations of intersex and I rarely state what since I'm more focused on personality and lore lmao

[witchofthesouls]

It's always fun to think about crossover AUs and how one can twist and tweek the the lore of one setting to fit the lore of the one it's being crossed over with.

Transformers and Star Wars are a particularly interesting pairing in my eyes, since a lot of the more fantastical aspects of Transformers lore can easily fit into Star Wars with only minor tweaking.

Like, here's one idea in particular I had pertaining to 'The Force' goes something like this.

The Extradimensiol being known as "The One" is a living conduit of the 'Cosmic Force', and at the dawn of time, the creation of the universe, created Unicron to be its counterpart, a conduit of the 'Living Force', but when Uni-boy was pulled to the Dark Side, The One took what little light remained from Unicron, and created his brother, Primus (who I would imagine as being more of a "Grey" entity that just leans towards the light). The rest is similar to the Aligned continuities bit of history, Primus and Unicron battle for countless centuries, mentally Primus creates the Thirteen Primes (who I'd imagine as being of similar levels of power, perhaps slightly more so, as the Father, Son, and Daughter of Mortis), Unicron is defeated, knocked tf out and sent flying somewhere into uncharted space, then Primus becomes Cybertron. Where would Cybertron be in the Star Wars galaxy? Well, I was thinking perhaps somewhere in the unknown, because in this AU, maybe the reason that the Hyperspace lanes in the Unknown Regions are so fucky is because it was the site of the grand final battle of Primus and the Primes against the Chaos Bringer, and where Primus chose to rest and where he'd set up his vigil for Unicron's return.

As for the rest of Cybertron's history? Well, depending on where they’d be technologically at the time, perhaps the transformers fought against the forces of the Rakatan Infinite Empire back when they more or less ruled the galaxy, the savage, Dark Side-aligned Rakata standing juxtaposed to the Cybertronians very own God of Light whom they strode across everyday.

Now, I think it's safe to say that the Transformers would be capable of being force sensitive. I don't think they'd ALL be force (mainly that because of how advance their tech would be with how ancient they are as a species already making a force to be reckoned with), like maybe here, the Point-one percenters are those rare few capable of wielding the Force. And that's not even getting into the potential if we included Cybertron's colonies here.

Like, maybe the Eukarian Fateweavers, and Camien City Speakers would special organizations of Force-wielding Transformers, the City Speakers having been tutored in the ways of the Force by Caminus (the titan) himself, and the Fateweavers being descendents of a particularly close sect of Onyx Prime's disciples.

Gods, this is so fun to think about!

It is fascinating, especially with the rich lore on the spiritual and religious aspects and sects that can mesh well.

I mean, who's to say that sigma abilities are part of the Force? Then, there are the extra layers of the cultural shifts and biological differences between each city state.

Those of Carcer have descended from a sect of warrior-diplomats of Liege Maximo that vowed to remain as his wardens. Generation after generation refining certain invaluable techniques and discarding others to withstand the Prime's influential tongue should he ever escape.

Camiens may have similarities to the Old Mandalorians with the immense overlap of forge symbolism and heavy spiritualism (because I'm way too in love with the concept that Camiens are the descendents of a melting pot between warring tribes and Seekerkin culture). I mean, the Way of the Flame is a heavy call to how Solus is a blacksmith and a war diety herself, especially since the High Priestess wields a war hammer, too. Forge and reforging.

What happened to scientists of Navitas to create the racing-obsessed Velocritron?

Did Devisiun create a unique communication language based on their nearly split-spark population?

A lot to delve into here!

[alphabetboyluvr]

I read your work on Wattpad and I totally love you, but what I don’t like is the way you focus on read to vote ratios. You are literally the only author I know (and I follow hundreds of authors, some that could rival you) and you are the only one that cares about read to vote ratios.

I think it’s something you shouldn’t worry about because the read count isn’t even accurate because it also includes when the author reads the chapter themselves even while editing.

I know votes are important to authors, but to most readers (because I’ve asked some friends I’ve made on Wattpad) we don’t even look at how many votes a book has to make us want to read the story. We look at the description and how many views it’s gotten, not the votes, because we know votes aren’t a good representation of how good a book is because people can forget to vote or just don’t give out votes no matter how good the story is.

Your books have millions of views (regardless if some are proper views or not) and your books are always out there and they get discovered, and I think you’re a bit greedy with asking for votes- especially when you do those god awful vote goals in order to get a chapter out.

I’ve seen other authors do vote goals, and it makes me want to do the total opposite and not vote because you should be writing and releasing chapters for the fun of it because you like writing and want to update, not for the votes.

I love you and your writing, but I’d say the whole voting ratio thing is a flawed concern and does leave a few readers bitter with you. I know you probably don’t care, but I just had to say it as I saw your insta where you mentioned the vote ratio and it irked me coz like I said, you’re the only author that cares about it when you shouldn’t worry about it considering your thousands of followers and your millions of views

okay, a lot to discuss with this one!

so, firstly thank you for sharing your thoughts - discussion is always welcome, even if we have different views on the subject! and thank you for the kind words about my work, too!!

i will just say that pretty much all the fic writers i know on a personal level do, to some extent, care about the engagement on their stories. whether it be wattpad, tumblr or ao3, engagement is hugely appreciated for a number of reasons.

i know of a good handful of writers, large and small, who use vote goals - even if they don't outwardly state it, they care about the ratio. they wouldn't do the goal if not. that's what it's for.

i think it's also important to note that i don't do vote goals anymore and haven't done for quite some time. i tried them for a while, didn't like them, no longer do them - because i agree that they felt insincere and icky.

i don't hold my chapters to ransom - i think there's one instance in my 11 (!!) years on wattpad, and 5 years of writing for the tannies that I've delayed an update because a vote goal hadn't been met.

but like you say, views aren't an accurate way of measuring engagement. votes are.

to me, a vote is a considered effort that readers will make to say 'yeah, i liked this', without needing to comment or interact on a big level. asking for people who read hours worth of your hard work for free to simply press a little star at the end of a chapter isn't a greedy ask, in my opinion.

so why do i care about the ratio?

because when i used to look for stories as a reader, it was something i glanced at to see if the views aligned with the quality. a good ratio indicates good writing. it's as simple as that.

on a personal level - i don't actually care. it's not like i sit up at night thinking about it, or obsessively check my stats. i post chapters, read the comments, and that's about it. the vote ratio can be seen at a glance, and even though I'm bad at maths, it's an easy thing to compute lol.

this is the back end of bad decisions. none of the numbers make any sense, really. i'd go mad if i tried to figure it all out. so please don't think I'm sitting here obsessing over the numbers, because I'm not. i wouldn't be able to write if i was.

what i do care about is what you guys think of me. of course i care. i like to think i have a pretty good relationship with my readers, and so it does suck to know that something like this, which you agree is trivial, is enough to make you bitter with me.

i consider myself very lucky when it comes to my readers, but I've also worked damn hard to cultivate my readership. those millions of reads didn't come about just by chance.

it's kind of insulting when you see how much work i put in and know how much i love writing these stories to then be told that i only care about votes. bd alone is the length of 4 standard-sized novels, published for free, written on my own time. you don't do that if you don't write for enjoyment.

so if you think I'm being greedy - when we both know in the grand scheme of things votes mean nothing and will earn me nothing more than a metaphorical pat on the back - then fine, but it's not like you aren't getting fed, either.

vote, or don't vote. it's all just pixels on a screen, at the end of the day.

but please don't insinuate i don't care about my stories.