#first moot. day 1. we styling.

[channoticedmeuwu]

i don't even read txt fics but if it's channoticedmeuwu's txt fic?? you can bet I'll read it either way 🫢🫢

*screams* OMFG YUNN NOTICED ME AAAAAA

MAAM PLS. everytime I see u on my dash I fangirl literally biggest kdyism fan no one can beat me.

literally me @all ur content no joke I love u smsmsmsmsmsm

[riiwrites]

Do you have any tips or advice on writing,your way with words truly is amazing-♦️

thank you sm lovely anon, this is such a sweet compliment 🥹

i’m not good with tips or writing tbh, like one day I just started this blog and started writing and now I’m here I guess 😭 (funfact i acc ran an IT fanfiction blog back when I was like 11 this is not my proudest moment I shouldn’t have even been on this app)

i’m a big fan of english literature and always have been, im taking higher english next year for s5 and I’ve learned quite a bit tbh that I think can help!

1. my teacher always tells me to not repeat the same words over and over again. like for example :

“character watches s/o walk into the room with their bright smile and bright eyes”

instead, you could say :

“character watches s/o walk into the room with their beaming smile and bright eyes”

personally in my opinion repetition is good for both writing and poetry but using more adapted words can really elevate your writing. but that’s just my opinion on what it does for me and i try my best not to repeat the same words consistently. if you struggle to think of more advanced words you can use google because that’s quite literally what i do but you can also use a thesaurus, they’re quite helpful i used to use them in primary school for writing :)

2. another tip i can think of is using techniques of writing, this also goes for poetry too (as im currently having to study for my english exam on poetry). there’s a few techniques you can use in writing fanfiction such as

- metaphors (an implied comparison eg. “my mum has a heart of gold” - meaning my mum is a kind hearted woman. she is)

- similes (similar to a metaphor but it’s a direct comparison, typically used in the forms of “like a” or “as” eg. “she was as cold as ice” - meaning that her personality and demeanour is rather cold and stern.)

- personification (similar to a metaphor also but this connects human characteristics such as personalities or emotions to a non living thing eg. “the trees danced in the wind” - trees cant dance like a human can, but the way they bristle in the wind can make it seem like they’re dancing)

i know some of these people would’ve already heard about but i thought I’d add in the examples and explanations just to clarify it for people who are confused and want to learn about it

this isn’t a MUST you have to include in your writing or anything but these are just tips on ways you can elevate your writing and personification is specifically good for describing scenery so the reader can feel more engaged within the story :). these are only a few of the techniques i use so if you wish to hear about more please do feel free to shoot me an ask.

3. one last tip that comes from me in my experience of writing is actually educating yourself by reading some writings you’re interested in. one thing I’ve learned about writing is that you can gain experience by becoming influenced by other people’s writings on any part of the internet. not like plagiarism of course but i mean you can become inspired by the way they write and adapt your own writing style.

i’ve learned so much from my beautiful and amazing moots and they’re all just so talented, im forever grateful and proud for each and one of them :)

but i hope this helps ♦️ anon, and YOU are my first official emoji anon HEHEHE SO THANK YOU!! and i will be adding more to this tip list if i think of anything.

and please remember, anyone can be a writer. it doesn’t matter wherever you’re a natural or if you’re “inexperienced”. we all engage and write in different styles and ways and that’s what making writing such a beautiful thing to contribute in. so don’t give up and if you need anything at all don’t be afraid to message me, i hope you’ve given this a read and again, i hope it helps. <3

[puckpocketed]

Tag game <3 @neonfretra thanking and cursing you for this tag my mind is poisomde… <3

Rules: post your first ever hockey art, your latest hockey art, and your favourite hockey art, then tag three hockey artists

NEONFRETRA you and oensible are 2 of my go-to tag targets for this exact game I’m shaking my fin and cryign…. Anyway . With 0 pressure or expectations . Here are my tags!! mwah <3

@18minutemajor - we don’t interact except when I scream in the reblogs of your posts and that one time but you inspire me to paint all the time every day <3

@kmercer - my comrade my sharpie lid my woolly jumper <3 hello…!

@chownkie - hello… please show us your hokcey art…… I think I saw some from you once but I can’t remember if it was a fever dream…. If it was and u ain’t ever make hockey art then please show us some stuff u like pleag……

if ur an artist and see this . Consider yourself tagged. Photography and other crafts count (TO ME!)

First ever hockey art is technically THIS piece . it’s tangentially hockey related because I got the phrase “enemy of silence” that one time a broadcast fired those exact words at TZ (current favourite annoying girl of all time). My friend Harry was describing his journey to try and pick up books and how the cashier wouldn’t shut up and Harry has MAD stimulation issues when people talk too much at him so he hit da bricks only to have to do it all over again because he’s . Got a store membership and it’s a sunk cost situation which has turned into a horrible timeloop . I drew a representation of it <3

Latest hockey art… well. hockey has actually brought me back to taking my craft a little more seriously + practicing it with so much more joy. every artist on here is so interesting and cool and inspiring waaaaaaaaa <3 So I’ve finally dedicated time to doing a nicely rendered and coloured piece,,, here is a bit of it ! I flirted with the idea of doing it in black and white but then I started having too much fun colour picking and getting my reps in . I hadn’t properly touched my tablet for painting in about a year prior to starting back up about . 3 months ago? and coming back to form has been a journey! But I feel myself improving every day and settling back into my old rhythms/styles. life is so sparklingsweet (<- all one word because that’s the only thing that feels right) I’ve said this before on other platforms but. No matter what is happening in your life, no matter where you are, if you are an artist and you haven’t made anything in a while…Hold on. You will make art again.

Favourite hockey art.. probably my recent pfp! I did the line art for this one in a daze while recovering from an illness ksjcjskjsdk anyway it’s my favourite because a friend/moot messaged me and called it my “time skip” pfp and I just about died laughing. we ARE about to bring Sasuke back to the village….. on god….

1. This is me and my mullet. 2. I wear yellow/orange tinted lenses and have done so for. the past 6-7 years? 8? I’m not counting. Why? they look cool that’s why (also they help with eye strain but I chose the colour because they look cool) 3. Those are real earrings that I do own and they are that big . Gender isn’t just fake it’s a cop inside your head and you need to kill it with prejudice . 4. This will be inaccurate as of. 4 months from now when I get a moon tattoo on my neck <3 I love moons so bad <3

[chaoticamelay]

Jewish gomens headcanons

I originally put this on twitter but I am running away from there so here they are on tumblr!

-crowley and aziraphale were very involved in how Purim came to be celebrated today! it's a holiday of dressing up (imo your outfit should always be at least a bit campy) and drinking a ton of alcohol and heckling, tell me that doesn't sound like smth they'd do

-crowley and aziraphale know ancient hebrew and it confuses the fuck out of any jewish religious leaders and modern hebrew spakers they meet bc,, why are they speaking perfect biblical hebrew,, what is this fuckery

-aziraphale likes to crochet and he has crocheted a ton of kippot for himself in all sorts of fun colours and styles

-crowley has worn both traditional men's and women's head coverings and is comfortable with both (art of crowley in a tichel should exist please i love her sm)

-aziraphale is exempt from the shopkeeper associations rule about christmas lights and his menorah for hanukkah is one of the oil cup ones bc he's a traditionalist

-crowley can walk in a synagogue without hurting his feet bc if G-d banned everyone who ever asked questions from entering there literally wouldn't be a single person allowed inside

-Crowley loves rosh hashanah because people always offer them apples and they think it's hilarious

-crowley and aziraphale do their own version of tashlich where they through peas into the water in st james park, knowing the ducks will probably get to them first

-yom kippur is the one day a year where you'll see crowley wearing white and it's as uncomfy for everyone around him as it is for him bc it looks so weird

-them going to the ritz after armageddon was literally just "they tried to kill us, they failed, let's eat" that's so jewish of them!

-at some point someone jokes about the temple menorah being in the basement of the vatican and crowley convinces aziraphale that they should immediately go on a clandestine undercover mission to find it and return it

-one of aziraphale's many certifications/talents is being a sofer

-crowley likes to try to stump aziraphale's knowledge of jewish texts and theory with hypothetical scenarios (think "if we took cells from a living animal and cloned them and sectioned off a chunk of the new stuff and did it again and grew meat that way would it be kosher?")

-both of them skip the ritual hand washing blessing because while they aren't sure it would harm crowley, better safe than sorry!

-aziraphale has lots of opinions about latke toppings and once he didn't talk to crowley for a week bc crowley joked that he likes chocolate sauce on his

-maggie and nina are jewish and after aziraphale goes to heaven he spends rosh hashanah with them and they teach muriel to make round challah (this one is courtesy of twitter moots)

-crowley doesn't fast on yom kippur bc we are supposed to "be like the angels" and he only likes one (1) angel who loves to eat! so instead he just eats a bunch of aziraphale's favourite foods

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Lilia Vanrouge Birthday Boy Personal Story: Part 1

"Happy Birthday"

Part 1 (Part 2) (Part 3)

[Diasomnia Dorm – Birthday Party Venue]

NRC School Newspaper Special Feature: Interview with the Birthday Boy ～Lilia Version～

Happy birthday

Lilia: Well, thank you. I don't often think about ageing anymore, but it's still pretty nice to be celebrated like this.

Lilia: And also, birthday parties are lively and get me all excited. I'd love to experience it many times over.

Whose birthday wishes has left the strongest impression on you?

Lilia: Hm, let me think… I guess it would have to be from my online friend who was the first to send me a happy birthday message.

Lilia: Last night, we were just playing games online like usual, and the moment the clock struck midnight, he sent me his well wishes in our chat.

Lilia: Honestly, I had completely forgotten that it was my birthday. It's not like it's something brand new for me to celebrate, after all…

Lilia: That's why it was a pleasant surprise! I'll have to thank the "Gloomy Samurai" for shooting me that message.

What did it say?

Lilia: It was a very upbeat message!

Lilia: "Today is that fateful day in which my BFF (lol) was born. Been xcited waiting for this day lolol."

Lilia: "I've always admired your play style."

Lilia: "Especially the unprecedented way you get everyone else to enjoy the game, or how you protect the newbs without fear of taking any damage yourself."

Lilia: "Or the way you stay up all night playing games like a true addict… You're so hardcore. To the best moot, hbd!"

Lilia: …Is basically what it said. Don't you think it's enthusiastic and filled with such heart?

Lilia: Also, they've celebrated my birthday every year since we came to know each other. The "Gloomy Samurai" is a true friend.

Lilia: Kufufu… How wonderful to be able to make new friends via the internet… This too is all thanks to having lived such a long life.

Part 1 (Part 2) (Part 3)

Requested by @polesender.

[wishingicouldfly]

Louis Tomlinson - LGBTQ icon

A moot on Twitter asked me for some sources, so I decided to put them here in case it was helpful to others. I don't claim that this is all encompassing or definitive.

There isn’t only one instance of Louis alluding to being a part of the LGBTQ community. It’s repetitive and continuous across years. It’s the cumulative instances that make it definitive for me. While he has said that he’s straight a couple of times, it’s been in writing (most notable on Twitter on 11/10/14, and detailed in this article: 'F***ing ridiculous' 1D Louis in meltdown after wrongly thinking reporter called him gay - Daily Star, which was notably the day after he wore this shirt in support of Apple CEO Tim Cook and a couple days AFTER Harry Styles said "not that important" in reference to a dream date being female--there's some debate as to whether Louis was in control of his SM that day, but I digress), and he never once adequately denied being in a relationship with Harry verbally. It’s important to remember he’s closeted.

Adding a cut cause this got long.

While I personally think he’s been in a long term monogamous relationship with Harry, most of these aren’t about Larry. I think it’s important that both men stand as strong LGBTQ icons/role models apart from their connection together.

Nothing here proves anything about his sexuality or how he personally identifies. I don't claim to know how he identifies. This is simply a list of ways he seems to message that he aligns himself with the LGBTQ community. For me, it’s the cumulative moments that make it impossible to dispute. Anyone reading this is entitled to make your own opinion of what he means.

A few times Louis has alluded to being close to gay/LGBT culture

This is a good post that talks about his casual athletic style being a nod to gay “chav” fashion. it’s wild to me that ppl don’t realize Louis... | Facts, Queer Fury, And Spite (tumblr.com)

He uses LGBT symbols in videos, such as rainbows and pink triangles. First one is We Made It. Second one is Miss You. Screenshot by me on 1/16/23.

Links to video: We Made It: https://youtu.be/XWXRh6icAzQ

Miss You: https://youtu.be/inZzcTXYowY

There are a lot of allusions to gay history in the Just Like You lyric video including George Michael Lyrics: https://youtu.be/qvXXMsiQBDg

An analysis of Louis’ songs and his use of pronouns by @bluewinnerangel: it's subjective - Louis using pronouns in his lyrics (tumblr.com)

There are a lot of allusions in his lyrics to being “different” and about his love for his significant other being made to keep secret.

His triangle ankle tattoo, which coincidentally (or not) aligns nicely with a tweet once made by Harry Styles.

This tweet was made literally a day or two after the tattoo reveal. (as of 1/16/23 that tweet is still live on Twitter, screen shot taken by me).

The Rainbow Bears during the last year of 1D before Hiatus—if you’re not aware of this, it’s too much for me to put here. But basically, it was widely accepted that Louis and Harry were behind the bears which alluded to a lot of LGBT history, as well as shaded BabyGate. A couple of links:

It’s a beautiful war 🌈 (tumblr.com)

https://youtu.be/sCNVPRNzmuE

Louis has been closely associated with the Polari brand, which takes its name from a language created by gay subculture in the 1950s. Polari - Wikipedia

A companion post with times Harry has come out: (32) Wishing I Could Fly on Tumblr

[sapphic-scylla]

I’ve done a lot of Soulsbornekiro posts but I don’t think I’ve ever written a Game ranking. So here goes. Reminder that this is opinion based on the thousands of hours I’ve sunk into these games. Enjoy!

All Souls Games Ranked from Best to Worst

Dark Souls 3- This is a no brainer for me. EVERYTHING I love about the Souls games were on full display in DS3. The scale of the fights, the lore, the weapons, the environments, the aesthetic. DS3 will always win for me in every regard.

Sekiro- A spin-off, sure, but such a creative presence in FromSoft’s anthology. The combat was unique while still having the classic Souls flair. It also forced me to learn its combat system and when you learn it, it’s such a satisfying victory. My only gripes were that it didn’t have DLC and that it wasn’t a longer game.

Dark Souls 1- Where it all started for me. Looking back on it, it’s probably the easiest on this list for me, but it’s still a very solid entry. I love the nostalgia it brings me as well as it setting the pace for a lot of lore and moments we see in future games. I wish it had gotten a little harder in the remastered version, but I can’t complain past that.

Elden Ring- A lot of my moots are probably surprised to see this down this low. Mommy Malenia is a shining star and definitely tops a list of my favorite souls bosses, but looking at the rest of the game, it fells short in some respects. A lot of the bosses are either way too easy or brutally difficult and not always for the best reasons. The lore and boss scale is great, but a lot of solid play styles get drowned out by the rising difficulty and it becomes a cheesefest fairly easily. Also, I’m annoyed by a lot more bosses in Elden Ring than most of the games on this list and it’s not because they are difficult.

Bloodborne- This is where I will lose A LOT of people. People rank this at the VERY top of their lists for a lot of reasons and are probably gonna be completely lost as to why this is down this far. Don’t get me wrong. The lore is great, the environment is good, Lady Maria is perfect, the weapons are fantastic, and people know I love cosmic and eldritch horror stuff, so you would think I’d love this game. But for me, what really shafts this game is the balance, the combat, and the walk back. One of the first weapons you get practically makes every other weapon in this game meaningless if you let it, my favorite weapons come at the END of the game (#rakuyobitchfolyfe), the combat and dodge system bones me about as much as it helps, and the fact that blood vials are a consumable? Not my favorite design choice. I don’t like having to refarm my healing options after having to trek through Cainhurst or the Fishing Hamlet and if I’m slamming my head against the Orphan of Kos, it dampens the experience to have to go back and refarm blood vials because I ran out. There were a lot of things that could have been executed better and it probably wouldn’t have been as bad if these issues weren’t so blatant.

Dark Souls 2- It’s the design choices. I don’t hate DS2 as much as a lot of people, but I’ll admit the game did not come off good to me when I first played it. The hollowing system actively frustrates me to this day, the quantity over quality bosses leaves a lot of nebulous memories, the open-ish world hurts me a lot more than it helps, and the weapons were really meh compared to the rest of the list. It’s definitely not as bad as people say, but there were some questionable choices here.

Demon Souls- The walkback hurts in this game. The system is great, but again consumable healing is brutal. It also is a lot of punishment unless you know the gimmicks that each boss has and once you know them, it kinda waters down the experience in an unsatisfying way. At least in DS2, you have Estus and can always have a healing option, but Demon Souls’ LOOOONG walk back to boss rooms and exhausting areas really wore me out of love for this game quickly.

[maiverie]

Hahaha… heyyy…

Long time no talk maiverie 😜‼️ I totally like didn’t disappear off of the Earth of Tumblr… or did I.?? 😳😳 I REALLY REALLY MOST DESPERATELY hope that you’re doing well bffl!! I WILL ALWAYS RESPOND TO YOU FROM NOW ON UNTIL I FEEL LIKE ITS TIME FOR ME TO JUMP INTO MY DARK HABIT OF GHOSTING TUMBLR 😚🫶 BIG NEWS. I’m ngl… but I’m kind of leaning towards Heeseung bias.. BUT. Jake will always be ma numba 1 hyperpuppy boy ☝️I KNOW.. WHO THE HELL AM I?1!?1 I DONT EVEN KNOW ME ANYMORE T-T ! MY WHOLE BLOG IS DEDICATED TO THAT MANS‼️

ANYWAYS DID YOU HEAR BOUT THAT P1HARMONY CONCERT?1!1? AND REX ORANGE COUNTY AND LAUV TOO?1!1? THERE ARE SO FUCKING MANYPEOPLE TOURING AUSTRALIA ITS SOOOOOO UNBELIEVABLE !!! I LITERALLY BARELY LISTEN TO THEM BUT I WANNA GO SOOOOO BAD 😫😫 but like what the hell I dont get paid enough to even afford those tickets 😟

I have no excuse to run away from you anymore. I hope you didn’t feel lonely :( ENOUGH OF DAT GLOOMY SHIT!! IM SO GLAD YOU HAVE SO MANY MOOTS NOW!! YOUVE GROWN SO MUCH ON THIS PLATFORM AND IM GENUINELY SO PROUD OF YOU T-T I will now be off to go read your works until like 3am and shed tears (+repost, like, let the whole world know and shed some more tears) I LOVE YOU LOADS MAIVERIE!! 🤍 ALSOOO HAPPY LATE VALENTINES DAY??? IK IM LIKE 5 MONTHS LATE BUT ITS WHATEVER… MUCH LOVE 🥰

- from dat bitch that always dips

SHUT THE FUCK UP SELENA YOURE HEEEREEEE???? 😭😭😭😭😭😭 im actually gna kms i missed u a lil too much i’m gna cry 😭😭😭😭😭😭

KSJEKSJWLWIJDAKADKA i didn’t actually expect a reply CMONNNN it’s been months ☹️💖 (i ghosted tumblr too for a few months but it’s okay we both have our faults and we’re still perfect amazing sexy ppl 🫂) ALSO SHUT UPPPP THAT IS THE BIGGEST NEWS EVER IAKEKWLFJLSS IM CRYYINGGGF idk if u rmb but i used to be jay biased 😭 you 🤝 me 🤝 succumbing to heeseung BUT PSLSSS HELPP IM SO EXCITED FOR U (i can finally call u my fave heetual 😽) SO WHAT CHANGED UR MIND ?? WAS BITE ME THE FINAL STRAW ?? 🤭

OH MY GOD I DIDDD 😭😭😭😭 i’m literally confused bc at first it was that NOBODY was coming to aus and suddenly everybody and their dog wants to come 😭 also niki is coming?? taylor swift?? CHARLIE PUTH??? like hold upppp 😭😭

🥹🥹 NO BC SHUT UP WHY DID UR LASK GEN MAKE ME WANNA KMS IN A HAPPY SAD WAY IM 😭😭😭 NOOOOO BC U ARE MY DAY 1 😭💖🫵 I LOVE U SM WTH this acc has definitely grown a lot since the beginning but it makes me so proud and happy that you were a part of that 😭 nothing makes me happier than interacting w u so tysm for popping in ☹️💗 also it literally is so late GO TO SLEEP you’re like an hr ahead of me which means it’s 3:30???!!!!!$&”&:&;” btw as i was typing this i saw ur rb on bite by bite STOPP WHY ARE U READING IT GO AWAY 😭😭 naur cos it’s so different from my usual writing style BUT PLS IM GLAD IT WAS OKAY 😭💖💖💖💞

anyway i miss u i love u HAPPY BELATED VALENTINE’S DAY thank you for stopping by MWAH MWAH MWAH appreciate u loads 😽😽 hope u are keeping warm for winter && work + uni are going well 😵‍💫 vvvv exciting news that u r now heeseung biased I CANT BE MORE PROUD 🤭😈 love u long long long time my fave KEEP SAFE PLEASE EAT WELL STAY HEALTHY BE HAPPY && AND I WILL BE HAPPY 💕💞💓💗💝💘💖

[honeyed-sunflowers]

I posted 4,420 times in 2022

That's 3,031 more posts than 2021!

259 posts created (6%)

4,161 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@your-brittle-heart-warm

@lostinthestarsss

@1989tv

@garden-of-the-soul

I tagged 840 of my posts in 2022

#asks - 166 posts

#moots &lt;3 - 72 posts

#anon - 39 posts

#sakshi ✨💕 - 37 posts

#taylor swift - 35 posts

#sparklingstar 🧡🧡🧡 - 27 posts

#thank you! 🍭 - 26 posts

#picrew - 25 posts

#tag games - 21 posts

#🫀 - 16 posts

Longest Tag: 105 characters

#your spotify was tay-tay-fangirl-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-awkward-middle-school-slow-dance bad.

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

heaven sounds like this 💗

28 notes - Posted May 6, 2022

#4

Tag ur top 10 moots and write smth nice abt them!(if u want to tag more than 10 that's fine!)

hey, anon! thank you for sending this ask!! i'm gonna tag all my adorable mutuals and/or people i love! ❤️

@sugarspiceandeverythingnoice @sparklingstarr-tv @your-brittle-heart-warm @1989tv @doctorcheeseburst @cruelestwonderland @midnights-13 @toowisetotrustme-toooldtocare @allyonthemoon @candyswiz @ourstv @kazzlethedazzle @taylorswifff @midnights-xiii @lostinthestarsss @lovethethief @garden-of-the-soul @salenagomez @dried-roses-old-letters @vesperaverysage @fearlesslymarta

you guys have made my year so wonderful with your kindness, jokes, and infinite love and care. 🥺🌻

i'm also using this opportunity to let you all know that i'm going on a long break now until all my exams are over. that's gonna take at least six more months. i'm going to miss you all so much!

i'll be here on specific days like for midnights release, christmas, and/or new year! so until we meet again, stay safe, and stay beautiful. i love you all to the moon and to saturn. 🪐💝

(i'll still keep my discord, so you can reach out to me there if you wish to!)

31 notes - Posted October 1, 2022

#3

new theme! 🌻

“she is the sunlight and the sun is gone~”

— trading yesterday [she is the sunlight]

See the full post

36 notes - Posted February 12, 2022

#2

Midnights – Taylor Swift

Side A: The Dark Side of The Moon

1. New Moons: the first track, starting with a slow rhythm and then building up. theme – being afraid of the new changes in life, like going to a new school and the fear that keeps you awake at night. here, new moons, refer to youngsters facing life changes. this will be the other pov of nothing new. (‘the kind of radiance you only have at 17’ but it'll show the struggle of being 17 here)

2. Saudade: it means nostalgic or melancholic longing. this can be about wishing to go back to a certain time of life when you believed you were the happiest or had someone precious but they aren't around anymore. it can be about sleepless nights thinking about that moment of life.

3. The Tale Of October: this can be a narrative style of song, following the story of a memorable october – how that month symbolises something meaningful to the narrator. it can also include myths associated with this month (it's known as the month of gods in japanese folklore).

4. Cinderella's Shoe: a long-story short kind of song – but it focuses mainly on the negative/darker side of it. inspired by the saying “if cinderella's shoe fit her, why did it fall?” and the enchantment that wears off by midnight.

5. Insomnia: for all the night owls. for those nights where sleep is a distant place, an escape from reality, but it's hard to reach it. it'll include wild thoughts, anxiety and/or imaginations we may conjure while trying to sleep. this will be the saddest song, of course.

6. Werewolves: a song about transformation (every full moon, so contrasting the first track). halloween vibes that will first show werewolves (humans) as monsters but slowly show the misunderstood side of them. it will have reputation vibes and be the song connecting side a with side b.

☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️

Side B: Midnight Paradise

7. Meet Me At Midnight: the first single of the album. it will be a beautiful, romantic song but with hints of fear of losing it, just like delicate or peace. it'll also follow a timeline, like the first verse will be about 10 pm, the second verse will be about 11 pm and in the bridge, at midnight, the two lovers will finally meet.

8. Aquila: it's a midnight constellation, in the shape of an eagle. it'll be about the random bursts of creativity or ideas we may get when we are about to sleep. it can symbolise independence (like owning your own music) or about the growth that occurs in solitude, which no one appreciates us for.

9. Stargazing: another love song, but this one goes like a fairytale. like love story or invisible string. it can be about staying up late at night with someone special, spending your midnights with them after a long day.

10. Temporary Deaths: thinking about lost friendships or relationships and finally understanding how to let them go. it's a slow song about goodbyes, how they tear us apart, how we wish to avoid them, but they still happen. “temporary death” refers to how a part of us dies when someone we cherished disappears from our life.

11. Cerulean: it's about love that keeps you awake at night. it can either take a happy or a sad turn, depending on the listener, so the writing will just super creative.

12. Lanterns: inspired by the emily dickinson quote “i'm out with lanterns looking for myself”. taylor also mentioned ‘lanterns’ in the announcement post. it's about self-discovery or self-reflection. finding your mistakes, forgiving yourself and being free from the guilt, and working on being a better person. it's about accepting our true nature and being at peace with it.

13. The Witching Hour: technically, the witching hour is 3 a.m. so this song takes place after midnight. a story about witches (inspired by a poetry series i once wrote), how the public humiliates them but they stay up all night for a good cause instead. a song with i did something bad and mad woman vibes but it will have less angry tone, and more like “i turned the stones you threw at me into jewels” vibes.

so, this is something i've always wanted to do but never got the chance to do it. i'm not so sure about how much it makes sense or if it matches the theme of the album enough but this album allowed my imaginations to run wild and i knew i had to do something about it! let me know if you liked my ideas! and if possible, i'll try to write some of the songs or just turn them into poems. until next time, keep burning the midnight oil! *winks*

– dandelion

See the full post

42 notes - Posted August 30, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

it’s time to go || good-byes

i have always been terrified of goodbyes. in my head, they were the worst thing that could ever happen to me. i don't know what was worse — saying goodbyes or receiving them. naturally, i have been bad at handling those situations. at first, they were invisible. like childhood best friends who did not find me "cool" enough to hang out with me or my favourite teachers who disappeared into the crowds and never appeared after i left my pre-school. those goodbyes were not defined, so many words were left unsaid, so many emotions forever bottled in my heart that i still write about in poems. but then came the goodbyes that were said. maybe that should have been the point where i should have realised why. it was because i had grown to deny whenever a friendship started fading away. i was clinging and holding on to the person even though they've had enough of me and only wished to leave. even after they left, for good, all i did was weep and weep. in poems, in songs, in everything that i did, a part of me wept forever, waiting for them to come back and tell me they'd never leave me again. i think a part of me still does... but it's not like before. and i'm sure i'm not alone, that there are so many people who are still learning how to accept goodbyes and not let it kill them.

earlier, i used to try to find new ways to show people just how useful and lovely i can be. it was selfish, or perhaps, it was truly out of love, but in the end, i wanted them to stay. i did not want any more goodbyes. so, i went out of my way to love them, shower them with as much as i had to offer, showing them the most authentic and lovable version of me. i wanted to give them reasons to stay. but, did it stop certain people from leaving? of course not. no matter how hard you try, you cannot make someone love you. you can beg and cry all you want but if they want, they will surely leave you. they do not owe you anything. and they do not have to hold on to you forever, even if you are the best for them. it's just how life works. certain ships are meant to stay as long as the storm is raging and once the ocean is calm, they will sail off to other islands. certain butterflies love to visit you while you are full of flowers and sunlight, but they cannot stay when the rain comes pouring down. some will only find you in autumn leaves, others in chocolate ice-cream cones, and some in your neatly handwritten study notes. you can try to show them that they are wrong or that you deserve better, and maybe you are right, but they will leave when the time comes. however, there's one thing you can control — your reaction to their departure.

grieving is not a bad thing. in fact, i feel like it's so important to grieve freely and unapologetically. but once that's done, we have to truly let them go. they can leave physically but only we can remove them from our minds. only we, ourselves, can wipe the ghosts that we allowed to haunt our bones because that's just what we knew at that moment of vulnerability. but now, it's different. time makes you stronger and smarter. what feels like the death of you may not threaten you by the next decade. goodbyes felt like the end of my world but now, i know they are there. they are always waiting in the dark corners of life. but now, if a dear friend of mine says their time has come, i hope i will be able to see them off without breaking down and losing all my hopes for a good life. i hope i won't rely on their ghosts to bring me a sense of peace and can find other ways to regain the happiness i need in my life.

goodbyes, whether said or not, are still something i hope to see less often in life. but the fact that i am not constantly worried about "who is going to stay?" and "who will be the next person to leave?", i think i can survive them. i have survived them, even the worst ones, and i know it gets harder as life goes on, but it also gets easier to accept them. they will come and go but what stays with us are the lessons and memories and those are the things i want to remember. not the nights my hand feels a little too empty or the way they burn down my house as they leave. as long as i do not give people the ability to kill me when they leave, i will be all right. because i deserve to survive these storms. i deserve a life that is not defined by goodbyes. and only i can create that life. it's my choice. it has always been my choice. and i am finally accepting goodbyes for what they are — endings — heartbreaking but necessary endings; promises of a better sunrise. i hope i will remember this the next time i watch a relationship break and i'll know when it's time to go.

— dandelion [it's time to go]

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

108 notes - Posted January 26, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[hoochy-coo]

OK honest album review after full day of lying to myself and Swiftie moots on Twitter

First of all, it's mature but repetitive. Like the sound on a lot of them are too similar for my taste. Again, maybe it's a personal opinion thing but I'm not a big fan of the excessive synth pop(strangely enough though, Style is one of my favorite songs from her)

Secondly, it's underwhelming that's all. Anyone else released it, it would be a solid A- like you said, but from Taylor "never has a bad album" swift, this one seems like one hat would be overhyped among the GP and critics because of the matured tone(which is I think exactly what she wanted so good for her) but overall it's just forgettable compared to the rest and again, doesn't have the Swift X factor.

You might say she set the standards too high for herself on Folklore and Evermore with the lyrics and on 1989 and Red with the production and this one just feels half baked with neither of her best qualities shining through on it.

It's also filled with hits and misses, has it's valleys and peaks you might say. Unpopular opinion but she hit the mark with the single choice this time because Anti hero is the perfect blend of the most catchy and well written song in the album and the sexy baby reference is actually going to be well received by the GP, methinks.

But some of them are, Im sorry to say this, but actual snooze-fests and what's ironic about that is the fact that the Folkmore albums were actually the indie ones but their songs were FAR more exciting than some ones on here, maybe because her penmanship was so spectacular on those.

Also wasted opportunities...like I get it, Taylor is THE consistent pop girly of the decade and we can't forget that and give her shit for not keeping the Folkmore indie vibes on this album...but but BUT, here's the thing, these songs are not even catchy enough to make up for the medicore-for-her-level lyrics like we had till Lover...Even ME! is more redeemable than some songs on here but this is an unexpected album from her so people will give her props for the experimentation and not acknowledge the rest.

Like Question, Maroon and Mastermind are great lyrically and I think they'd be far more popular if the melody was better. Anti hero is the only memorable one followed by You're on your own, kid.

The things is, even TS's #1 hater can't deny that she has potential for a perfect skipless album, I think where she fumbled here was trying to seem edgy and have a sharper sound to the things where it DOESN'T fit and sounds awkward and unsatisfying, but like she said herself on one song, she's just to soft for all of it...it doesn't suit Taylor Swift simply.

She should stop trying extra hard to appeal to gp or radio and stick with her storytelling format of songwriting, it's her at her best. Ofc if she's trying new stuff that's good for her but she should be careful not to lose her charm by overcompensating to certain bits of her audience which I'm afraid she might.

Good aspects are definitely the lyrics on particular songs and should've could've would've (or in whatever order it was, I forgot sorry) and basically the reminiscing songs are my personal favorites. Karma is too immature but it's fun, and some others are a bit too incoherent which doesn't let her main ability, which is immaculate songwriting shine through imo. Even 1989, her most mainstream pop album was thematically better and something just made it work, maybe the drastically different topics on the songs but held together perfectly in a way that it makes sense.

Overall, the rerecordings are on the way and I'm sure she'll provide great content soon.

This is a fair review and I agree with most of your points, except ME! Cause I hate that song with a passion

I’m really curious about the vault tracks for Rep

[tacticalhimbo]

SUMMER GAMES FEST 2023 THOUGHTS

lots of notes. lots of betrayal.

i am so 😐 at the fact phantom liberty had no news and they're keeping it behind one of their small sgf play days. we were hyped for a main event reveal. i literally sat through the event JUST FOR THIS.

thoughts below the cut and very much unformatted idc

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

- Loved the mixed trailer; Gameplay! more companies need to do this

- Not really into 2D BUT I would play that

- actually available on xbox one! yes this is a note im making on entries

Mortal Kombat 1

- Reboot! new timeline. inchresting.

- This year?? wow. WOW. good secret.

- I played some of the og Xbox games... dunno much lore but 👁 curious

- Story seems kinda cool tho with the modern take and retelling of some of the lore; subzero and scorpion are brothers??? okayyyyy 💅 cain and abel 2 electric boogaloo!

- kameo fighters... allies!

Path of Exile 2

- uhmm... idk shit about this! congrats to the fan girlies

- is it supposed to be like LoL and WarCraft? looks like it.

Street Fighter

- looks cool! more of a mortal kombat gay myself

- aritifical intelligence companion? robotic ryu?

- why is everyone a robot- ohhh... idk what exoprimal is but okay!

NICK CAGE DBD I'M STILL PISSING OVER THIS

- NICK CAGE INTERVIEW IMMMM

- the suit is nice. it's a good shade of green

- "horror is my fave genre and it's a museum of horror that's good enough for me"; also aww family inspo. probably one of his kids if he has those.

- at least it was confirmed that he is, sadly, a survivor. killer nick cage would've been funny.

Witcher Season 3

- Very surprised Netflix is doing a season 3 of a show! Definitely a way to try and distract from the WGA strike bc why pay for writers when we can announce a beloved series and make people forget?

- Don't like Cavill for some things he's done but good for him to play a role he has passion for. I know he said he wasn't gonna be in season 4 bc of the writing direction so.

- It is what it is. Won't be watching regardless bc I wanna learn the game lore first.

Witchfire

- Epic can make good cames and honestly? Visually appealing.

- Not my cup of tea honestly

Crossfire Sierra Squad

- VR gunfire. That makes my head hurt!

- Looks kinda gun tho.

Remnant

- Looks interesting

- Co-op shooter souls game realness

- I wanna know the lore because it looks like a cool universe

Sonic Superstars

- OH!!!! cute

- the music still slaps i couldnt stop wiggling to pay proper attention

- multiplayer!

- xbox one!!! let's go!

Honkai StarRail

- i've been curious about this one; it's made by hoyoverse tho

- genshin wasn't my cup of tea and this probably wouldn't be either (minus the universe; i do kinda like the aesthetics)

Lies of P

- inspired by pinnochio??? that's quite the opening line

- resident evil energy lowkey... another interesting universe concept

- music is nice!

- like resident evil, final fantasy, and bioshock infinite had a weird little baby

- shark submarine!!!

- xbox one

Sand Land

- art style is interesting; made by the person who made dragonball

- looks cool but not my kinda play style

- ur telling me THATS not on xbox one???

Throne and Liberty

- oh god an amazon game

- noticing a trend of characters opening doors in trailers

- it looks okay honestly; i like that you can turn into creatures

Warhaven

- Free to play adventure thingy; Reminds me of For Honor

- You can turn into supernatural stuff? Looks aight

Party Animals

- another gang beasts clone

- i mean it's a good genre of game but i personally dislike it

- vague releases... xbox x only or all xbox? specify!

Dying Light Update

- Okay! I've been interested in this series

Crash Team Rumble

- online multiplayer... style is cute!

- forgot crash bandicoot still had things going for it

Alan Wake 2

- been interested in this series too honestly; know some moots will be excited

- what i have seen of the universe looks cool as fuck

- love me a good survival horror with interconnected timelines. i'm a sucker for transdimensional fuckery

- the creator seems very chill. his voice is nice.

- the gameplay looks good for being unedited and unfinal

- maybe i'll finally check this series out... not on xbox one tho 😔

Warhammer Space Marine 2

- co op campaign? aight. up to 3 players is ofdly specific but the squad does look like a predetermined trio

- space marines... looks abt right. style is cool

- gameplay and cinematics look intetesting too; reminds me a bit of gears of war

Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall

- OOH PIXELS!! i genuinely loge softer styles like this

- honestly would check out the story if anything

TOXIC COMMANDO

- oooh john carpenter made it

- the characters look cool, the monsters look cool too

- the bad singing,,, me and my friends fr!

- bit fast paced for me but i'd honestly give this one a shot

- no xbox one 😔

Baldur's Gate 3

- OOH more official news and release stuff

- idk shit about the franchise but i've seen so many cool looking ocs and i wouls check it out for the character creation alone

- it looks pretty !!

- i forgot wotc was involved with it tho... hate them ♡

Spider Man 2

- YESSSSS GOOD SHIT

- i watch my brother play these games and that last trailer they released at the playstation showcase had me 👁

- nice box art; nice conceptual art too! that venom art is fucking SICK. curious to see where that goes bc it's not eddie brock and idk any lore like that

- manhattan, queens, and brookyln holy shit. that's a huge map

- october 20th release date woagh!!!

PalWorld

- ope world survival crafting...

- pokemon... with guns??? this man has some interesting openers

- HUH?????? THE MINIGUN????? SHEEP WITH MINIGUNS?????

- what the actual fuck am i witnessing im-

- i didnt know i needed this but I NEED IT

- early access next year okay periodt

BLACK DESERT

- ooh souls combat style

- looks pretty

- i got so excited but it's black desert dlc

LOTR: Return to Moria

- NEW LOTR????

- DWARVES!@@@ O7GYYYYYY

- my face was just the poggers emote the whole time

- FOR ROCK AND STONE BABEYYYYT 💅✨️

- i hope this isnt bad like golem PLSSS

Final Fantasy: Ever Crisis(?) I couldn't read that font I'm sorry

- IOS/andoird?

- hey bitch where u at 🤳

- oh... okay.... that looks.... 😐

- hm. there are too many styles at once u got the chibi cutscenes the rendered battles and the anime portraits

Banishers Ghost of Eden

- oh hot character... oh no he looks like john seed that's why

- gameplay looks cool; i fw that mutated hound that showed

- TRANS-DIMENSIONAL LOVERS!!!!! devotion 100%

Like A Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name

- YAKUZA!!!!

- Codename Joryu 👀

- i didnt play like a dragon but i know bits of it and this looks just as cool

- OH NO THE BBE IS HOTTTT

- xbox one!

Under the Waves

- ooh underwater game; no thank u i get too scared.

- looks pretty!

- xbox one babey!

Call of Duty Season 4 MW2 Warzone

- medieval castle?? soccer stadium?? zoo???

- vondel is the name of the place

- looks cool! too bad i can't play it (or anybody for that matter since cheat menus are currently grabbing ips and force crashing)

- my xbox cant run warzone anyway even on lowest graphics

Porsche

- im not a car guy but congrats on however many years it was

- pretty xbox console

- waiting for someone to say it went woke

- not for sale?? it's a competition?? boy. y'all coulda made MONEY

Fae Farm

- cozy games my beloved

- the style looks like mysims

- omg wheelchair user!!!

- i'd probably play this it looks adorable

Marvel Snap

- ... okay ig

- imma be real i don't get card games; esp collectible ones

- this guy is. okay! good for him for being so enthusiastic. even tho he has that classic marvel personality (derogatory)

- PROZD????? i'd play his card game over that.

King Arthur Legends Rise

- mobile/pc fantasy squad rpg

- cullen rutherford is that you? KDJDKDJDJD

- why that dragon look like the lotr one?

- cinematics look okay, gameplay looks better than i thought tbh

Wayfinder

- the comic style of this is cute. so are cinematics

- love a resurrection arc

- playstation and steam only. huh.

Stellaris Nexus

- turn based space game

- ngl i havent played turn based stuff

- heard stellaris was cool tho

Space Trash Scavenger

- cute style! huge 3d platformer

Star Trek Infinite

- oooh star trek. a franchise i know fuck all about

- it looks cool tho!

Twisted Metal

- Peacock? I used that service once. It kinda sucked ngl

- big beefy clown,, i wanna [redacted] his [redacteds]

Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior

- duplicating oneself to multi task? aight

- OUGH THE STYLE I WANNA EAT IT

- fuck it's so pretty

- gameplay style is cute too!

- love the protag's design and voice ♡

- seems like a cool concept

Immortals Og Aveum

- fps magic shooter?? now that seems interesting

- interesting splash art

- the in game cinematics look good; so does the combat style

- very surprised to see ea behind it but i mean what arent they behind nowadays

- the gameplay looks decent tbh. it'd take me some time to learn bc it's minimal (which i do like minimal uis), but honestly? im curious

Fortnite C4S3

- i still cannot believe transformers are gonna be canon in the universe now too

- i probs wont get this battlepass but it looks cool.

- you can ride raptors. and ride vines!!

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

- hä? i thought this was supposed to be like. phantom liberty?? or like. something. kinda a let down for a finale (at least bc of the hype i've seen)

- good news for the final fantasy gays tho. y'all got fed today with some stuff.

- this is a franchise that makes me curious but i've heard it's so convoluted that i never got into it.

- ANDREW TATE LOOKING HEADASS????? LMAO

- like usual: looks great, combat is wild, good shit from someone who knows nothing

- ps5 exclusive looks like

CDPROJEKT WHYTYY 😭😭😭 i feel annoyed and betrayed wym it's on one of their play days!!!

[crispy-chan]

a guide how to not f*ck over your writers

hello, i am joining the bandwagon with my own two cents on how tumblr interactions have gone from shit to lower shit.

first of all, let me just stress how much i appreciate readers who interact with fanfics. you guys are the true mvp's and i applaud you for doing god's work. (also let's be real a significant portion of those readers are fic writers themselves).

second of all, i want to say that i'm not trying to be “ungrateful” or sound like a prick, i just see so many writers leave this site because they feel unappreciated, alone or they think that nobody enjoys the fics they work hard on.

honestly, there were/are times where i think if this is even worth it. i get so much enjoyment from this, it's a hobby that allows me to be creative, to escape reality and have a little fun. yet i feel like what i'm doing is just good for nothing since it seems like people are allergic to me on this site.

it truly means a lot to us when you guys interact. it doesn't even have to be much, just a short comment, but it can still make our day

now onto the ways you can support your fave writers:

1. interact with the fics -- comment, reblog, send asks. trust me, you can't go wrong with this one. don't be afraid to send an incoherent wordspill or type out that essay in caps lock where you go nuts about your favorite scenes, comment on the characters and their development or compliment the author's writing style. again, i guarantee you'll receive answers that are similarly incoherent as the author tries to not lose their shit bcs what the fuck? someone is finally interacting with my stories

2. recommendations -- you can rec fics to networks for various events, send your recs to your moots or maybe even to fic rec accounts who accept recommendations. even by reblogging - you're already basically doing this. it can make our day when we see that someone recommended something we worked on to someone else :)

3. interaction -- usually, most authors on here wouldn't mind more asks that don't even have to be about fics. you can ask how their day was, talk to them about a favorite book/movie/song literally whatever. i feel like i don't really have much to say on this topic cause i don't really get these types of asks :} but yeah, i think most of us would feel really touched if people wanted to talk to us outside of our writings. note: if you're shy, you can go on anon :> it's there for a reason :P

4. criticism -- now be careful - this one is tricky. you should first make sure if the person is okay with you giving some constructive criticism. if it isn't mentioned anywhere on their page/at the bottom of their fic, just ask. i for one wouldn't mind hearing things like “just a suggestion but i think you could work on your descriptions more” or “be careful - you often use the same words in one paragraph” etc.

lastly, i wanted to stress that you shouldn't force yourself per se to do these. nobody wan't your feedback if it isn't genuine. i just feel like people think “oh well if i won't comment, i'm sure somebody else will-” bullshit! that's the problem here. this mindset is what has to change. if you want the writing community to not wither into dust, you'll have to give something. in this case it's interactions and feedback.

i won't go into the details of how long it takes to write but as someone who writes primarily long fics, i can tell you it's extremely time consuming. and i spent the past fifteen minutes typing this post instead of working on yellow wood @_@

so yeah, this is a desperate cry from me. i'm hoping that if you're a silent reader/serial liker who doesn't leave feedback, you'll learn something new here. thank you for reading so far and i hope you have a lovely day <3

[hummingbird-games]

2021 In Review (Visual Novel Edition)

Okay!! 

So. 

I played a LOT of games this year, but for sake of relevance we’re gonna narrow it down to the VN games and demos I tried. I’m not a fan of bashing games I don’t like (with certain exceptions) so don’t expect those titles to make an appearance here. 

So, in making this list it got too long for my own liking so I decided to focus on the titles I REALLY love or think are noteworthy and should be on others’ radars...note how the list is still too long F R I C K. 

DEMOS

Trouble Comes Twice - there isn’t a day that passes where I WISH I could have supported the Kickstarter. I was drawn to this game because you can play as either twin, and then stayed for the great banter and interactions and art style.

Herotome - the superhero genre is one I’ll never get tired of so to see visual novels out in the wild??? I’ve been on cloud 9 ever since. (Also the dev is a GEM so maybe I’m biased, but let the record show that I fell in love before we became friends and moots so there!!)

An Everyday Love - I’ve talked about this game a lot and love any excuse to reblog content (click here or here or here)

Twin Coves - I actually am not the target demographic for Twin Peaks but the dark atmosphere and the promise of mystery drew me in.  And then I played the demo and was SOLD!! And then I did a happy dance because I got so support the kickstarter lol

After-Party Chemistry - !!!!!!! Don’t remember how the algorithm worked in my favor but one day I was looking for a high school game to play (to be inspired on my project and also because we just need more HS/teen stuff and I’m starved ALWAYS). This project is still very much a WIP but I love that it’s chemistry based (I sucked at this subject in school BTWs and this game reminded me while also being such a treat to play) 

The Radiants - Along with superhero games, I also have a love for magic. Also school based games....yeah there’s a theme here, thanks for noticing LOL. Another “demo made me fall even more in love with the game”

College Craze - Hey look! Another school theme game!! But it’s mature. No, like super mature, like Smut City with Plot and Character Customization lol. Dev is slowly trucking away at this project and it’s a joy to see it come along even if I’m late to the party. 

Dagonrompa: REVIVE - My sprite artist’s WIP so maybe I’m a little biased but that just means it’s totally worth your time to check out the demo!! Also I knew of  Danganropa and didn’t plan on seeking it out, but this fangame demo is my first ever interaction and I it was truly a good time. 

Band Camp Boyfriend - There’s a handful of demos I’m chomping at the bits to have a full game, and this is one of them! I was never a band geek in HS but was always curious about band kid culture (plus I am a high school content connoisseur *twirls mustache*) so I was destined to fall in love with this one. 

The Closet Door - This is another game that has the blood, sweat, and tears of a loving dev, who wants more representation in games, and I’m so happy I stumbled upon this WIP. It’s charming and the art style is SO so so lovely to stare at, and the main character is such a firecracker who doesn’t take shit and can be a little sharp and I ADORE her!! (JMB if you see this, I love you and I think you’re doing amazing, always!!) 

Fully Released & Played (at least 1 playthrough) 

War on Roses - I actually cannot stand love triangles, but I ALSO can’t stay away from fashion sims...or beautiful Black people in games...and also character customization??? Yeah um, this is one of my top faves whoops.

Magical Diaries Horse Hall - School + Magic YAAAAAAY. Wolf Hall is on my list next, but this series is super fun. It’s stats raising and romance and fun (or off the wall) events sprinkled through game play. This is probably the only series that made me consider just once writing a male protagonist. (Horse Hall, f!MC and Wolf Hall, m!MC by the way)

Our Life: Beginnings & Always - This game makes it on the list by a technicality because I devoured it Nov 2020 buuuut I’ve replayed it so many times this year and it was the simplicity and wholesomeness of this game that inspired me and Hummingbird Games that I had to add it.  

Blooming Panic - At the time of this post, there is a full and expanded version available for play and I haven’t done a replay, but I have romanced 3 of the guys and there aren’t enough words to explain why I love this game. If I could buy it I would have done it without hesitation, so for the content to be free really feels like I’ve won the lottery. Also, IRL I’m terrible when it comes to participation in Discord groups, and DMs are not too great--shoutout to everyone I still need to message back ahaha-- but the essence of this game is being on a discord server and it’s so. Much. Fun. (Quest is a gem, but nightowl was my first and by that logic still reigning champion in my heart) 

Raptor Boyfriend - First I’d like to apologize for judging this game by it’s cover. SECONDLY I’d like to stress that it shouldn’t have taken a sale for me to put this on my radar but I’m soooooo glad it worked out. It’s very 90s (my fave time period for content consumption and storytelling) all 3 love interests are quirky and loveable in their own ways, the telephone call feature is SO fun, and I just had a really great time with this game. 

Chess of Blades - This is not the list for boys love titles, BUT I will eventually make that post too. For now you will accept that this is pretty dang high on the list of faves this year. The voice acting is perfect, the art is exquisite, the love interests and their routes all bring something different to the table, and your choices have consequences!!! I hate that but I love it. Play this game. Cop it on sale if you have too. I love it, that is all. 

  Fully Released (& still on 1st playthrough)

Women of Xal - Being a baby dev on the scene + being Black with an intense love for VNs meant I was resigned to seeing white (and anime) faces more than anything else, as the MC and as the love interests. And then I saw art for WoX. Alllll the beautiful melaninated people. And then time went by and I fangirled and was rewarded for my efforts for seeing this project to completion (I wasn’t there at the veerrry beginning but it all worked out.) There’s soooo much content and treats and lore and just sheer amount of STUFF that I’ve put in X amount of hours and I still have more to go. And it’s super exciting.

(FINISH) Butterfly Soup (because I’m suffering from ‘I don’t want this to end’ syndrome, but I can’t have all these unfinished games in my life)

Do we share any favorites? Any titles you want to fight me on over my tastes? Let me know!! Or just scroll on 😂

- Gemini

[mimsyaf]

Monday's child is fair of face - Sam

Sam remembers what it was like in the Before Times, when boys’ eyes would slide right over her as if she were invisible. When merely brushing her hair and her teeth counted as being ready to go. When she and Aisha hurled inside jokes across the hours in a schoolday like skimming pebbles across the surface of a pond. When her body was useful For Things: spinning, kicking, blocking. Now she spends an hour on her makeup every morning and boys’ eyes get stuck on her like she’s covered in flypaper.

Tuesday's child is full of grace - Demetri

“I want to try something,” says Yasmine, “close your eyes.”

“Uh,” says Demetri. Is this going to be where we give each other handjobs? he wonders, feeling a little hysterical.

Yasmine pulls his eyelids shut with two beautifully manicured fingertips, then wraps his arms around her waist. She sways her hips, the motion traveling through his hands into his wrists and up his arms, and pretty soon they are swaying together — holy shit, they’re actually dancing!

Wednesday's child is full of woe - Robby

“People with disorganized attachment oscillate from two biological drives whenever the opportunity to attach comes about in life: the need to belong (to love and connect with others) and the need to survive (to protect oneself). People with this style of attachment often feel fear and anxiety when forming intimate relationships and suffer from a negative self-image and extremely damaging self-talk, not to mention intense loneliness.”*

“Christ,” Daniel stops reading and puts his phone down, scrubbing a hand over his eyes.

“It’s not your job to fix him,” Amanda says, coming up behind him and firmly resting her hands on his shoulders.

“I know,” says Daniel, turning to hide his face against the taut curve of her stomach, “but oh Mandy, me and Johnny... we made everything so much worse.”

Thursday's child has far to go - Eli/Hawk

They’d found an IQ test online when they were twelve, and of course Demetri insisted on taking it. And of course Demetri got deeply offended at testing two points below him, and launched into a diatribe about multiple intelligences, and how these tests were racist, classist, ableist and a whole bunch more -ists, which somehow eventually devolved into a heated debate about American imperialism.

If he could go back in time, before the birth of Hawk, would he? He supposes it’s a moot point, time travel being paradoxical and all. But two extra IQ points or no, he has no idea how to even begin to apologize to Demetri for the terrible things he did to him, or how to fathom why he’d done them in the first place.

Friday’s child is loving and giving - Miguel

Sam pushes her fingers into his thick black hair, tugs on it until he raises his eyes to meet hers. “Where... where did you learn to do that?” she gasps.

“You don’t want to know,” he mutters with a rueful grin — ah, of course, Tory.

“Do you like doing it... to me?” she asks, a little shy.

“I love it with you, Sam,” he replies, beaming at her like the freaking sun before sinking his head down again and oh, oh WOW.

Saturday's child works hard for a living - Tory

$43.19 in tips, not bad, but not nearly enough, not two days before they’re going to cut off the electricity. Sensei can’t exactly threaten Southern California Edison for her.

She clicks on “Payment Assistance” and is immediately overwhelmed by the options: Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA), 1-Time Energy Assistance Fund, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), 12-month Payment Arrangements Plan...

Tory feels a sharp prickle behind her eyelids, but tears are for losers and there are no losers in this dojo, are there, Ms. Nichols? She swallows hard and clicks “Learn More”.

And the child born on the Sabbath day,

Is bonny and blithe, good and gay - Aisha

“I thought you weren’t doing karate anymore,” Sensei says, grumpy as ever.

Aisha feels like her face might split in two, she’s smiling so hard. “I heard there was a lot riding on this year’s All Valley, and some things are worth risking parental anger for,” she says.

“Your parents don’t know you’re here?” he mutters, looking shiftily around the dojo. “Alright, but do not, DO NOT, tell Sensei LaRusso that, got it?”

———————————————————————

* much of the description of disorganized attachments I lifted from this article in Psychology Today.

This version of Aisha is from my story Aisha Gets A Life.

I wrote this based on the nursery rhyme Monday’s Child, giving each character a line from the poem and trying to provide a little glimpse of or about them in five sentences. It’s amazing how much more I like some of the kids, having written just a snippet for them. I’m even warming up to Yasmine!

[kirain]

Hazbin Hotel and VivziePop Drama

I've been hearing/seeing a lot of drama concerning Hazbin Hotel and it's creator VivziePop, and while I don't know her personally or really care what people think, I do hate slander and the spread of misinformation. Truly nothing in this world upsets me more than when people believe rumours while making no effort to fact check, and that's exactly what's happening right now. That said, I wanted to try and clear up some of the rumours going around about Vivzie and the show, because I think some of them are absolutely outrageous and need to be addressed.

1. Vivzie hired an abuser onto the show.

Now, I’m not here to burn anyone at the stake, especially since I don’t know anything about Chris Niosi (the alleged abuser), who I believe openly admitted to the allegations? Regardless, this is a moot point. He’s not credited anywhere at the end of the episode. So either he was booted before production wrapped up or he had nothing to do with the show in the first place.

2. Vivzie supports bestiality.

Admittedly I thought this one might be true, since she draws so many anthropomorphic animals. In the very least, I figured she was probably a furry, but I haven't seen any evidence supporting this accusation either. Near as I can tell, this rumour started for two reasons. One, because of her famous Zoophobia comic, which revolves around a therapist named Cameron who gets assigned to work with human-like animals. Ironically, poor Cameron suffers from crippling zoophobia, which makes for some pretty decent comedy. I didn't read the whole comic because, quite frankly, it’s not my cup of tea and I just don’t have the time. But from what I saw there are no examples of bestiality anywhere in its contents.

Two, this message, which blew up all over social media:

To me, this just proves that people are more interested in virtue signalling than checking to see if their claims are actually true. Everything about this message is 100% false, which I’ll touch on in my next point.

3. Vivzie is a pedophile and she’s drawn child porn.

This is hands down the worst allegation and holy shit, I really wish people would stop using it to defame someone when they don't have any proof. This is a life-ruining accusation and you're disgusting if you believe it based solely on hearsay. This rumour began to spread when Vivzie allegedly shipped the two underage characters in the above photo and drew them NSFW-style. At the time, one character was 19 while the other was 14, and the relationship was a very illegal student-teacher relationship.

This is WRONG! The characters were not 14 and 19, they were actually 18 and 19, the legal age of consent! Additionally, the relationship wasn't student-teacher. One character is a student and the other is Alumni (a student teacher). This one pisses me off the most because it’s obvious the person who sent that message didn’t even bother to conduct any research. They said, “He’s a teacher, she’s a child.” Both characters are MALE!

Since then, Vivzie has apologised for any NSFW art she drew in the past and stated that it's not a reflection of her art today, and I'm inclined to believe her. Almost every artist has drawn NSFW content at some point in their career, and hers wasn't even distasteful. Other than this one example, there is no evidence anywhere that suggests she’s drawn “child porn”. In fact, she’s never even drawn explicit NSFW.

Please stop spreading this rumour. It’s dangerous and completely incorrect.

4. Vivzie said the "N" word!

No, she didn’t. It was a fabricated tweet. That is all.

5. Vivzie is copyright striking every video that criticises her!

No she isn't. YouTube’s DMCA is automatically striking people who are using full clips without permission. Vivzie has gone public several times, telling people exactly how to avoid getting a copy strike from the algorithm, which is something she absolutely does not have to do. At this point, she doesn't owe you anything. In my opinion, she should just sit back and watch these channels burn.

6. Vivzie copies and traces other artists’ work.

This is another one I’ve seen going around, but I looked into it as thoroughly as I could and failed to find any concrete evidence to support the allegations. As of right now, there are only two examples of Vivzie “copying” or “tracing” other artists’ work, and both of them can be explained. The first is a gif she made with a character from her Zoophobia comic, which looked a lot like the girl from ME!ME!ME!:

Damn, that’s pretty incriminating. She obviously stole-- oh, wait. This gif was part of a ME!ME!ME! MEP (multi editor’s project) and Vivzie didn’t take full credit, despite the fact that it’s not even a direct trace. It’s supposed to look like the original, which she fully cited. The second example comes from a short dance sequence from her Timber video, which seems to have been inspired by several Disney movies. As Vivzie herself stated, that was an homage to the original animations. Lots of artists and shows do this, including the beloved Stephen Universe series.

Regardless, this doesn’t count as stealing character designs or plagiarising someone’s work. It’s meant to be respectful, an admiration of other projects. Other than these two instances, however, there is no evidence of her tracing or stealing other people’s art. From what I’ve discovered, all other designs she’s been accused of “stealing” are characters she bought and paid for. They’re quite literally HER characters.

7. Vivzie supports problematic creators.

I’m getting really tired of guilt by association. Vivzie follows and enjoys some controversial figures, but who cares? We can argue all day about whether or not the accusations against them are true, but it ultimately has nothing to do with the show or Vivzie as a person. I do the exact same thing, to be honest-- follow and listen to people on all sides so I can learn, understand, and form my own opinions. The fact that some people think this is bad, to me, is absolutely mesmerising. Vivzie doesn’t control what the people she follows post, and if they do something overly questionable she publicly criticises and denounces it.

From Vivzie:

Now that that’s been dealt with, I’d like to address some complaints/claims about the actual show.

8. Vaggie is an angry Latina stereotype and a lesbian stereotype. Vivzie is appropriating Hispanic culture and misrepresenting the gay for profit.

First off, I see a lot of people passing around yet more misinformation regarding Vivzie's race. So many people seem to think she's white? Well, I'm here to tell you they're wrong. Very incorrect. Vivzie is in fact Latina, and Vaggie is meant to mirror some of her own personality traits.

Second, who is Vaggie mad at? Context matters, and if we take a look at the episode, we see that Vaggie is literally only mad at two specific people: Angel Dust and Alastor. Why? Well, for starters, it's her girlfriend's dream to run a rehab hotel for sinners, and Angel Dust nearly demolishes that dream single-handedly. Vaggie has every right to be over-the-top vitriolic. Then there's Alastor, a known sadist, narcissist, and murderer who loves trapping people in his nefarious schemes. He invites himself in, effectively takes over the hotel, and pushes both her and Charlie aside. At one point he even sexually assaults her by slapping her butt during his musical number. So yeah, I think her seething ire is totally justified. Keep in mind, however, that when she's around Charlie she's calm, collected, and happy. I wouldn't call that a stereotype.

Thirdly, the lesbian stereotypes. I keep hearing this argument but I really don't see it. Both Vaggie and Charlie have so much personality and trust for each other. Maybe I'm wrong, but the stereotype I know always totes a more butch, tomboyish woman with a ditsy, innocent, naive woman. Charlie is optimistic, but she isn't stupid. She refuses to shake Alastor’s hand because she knows he’s likely trying to screw her over. She’s also not entirely innocent herself and uses words like “fuck” and “shit”. I also wouldn’t call Vaggie butch or tomboyish. She has a cute, girly presentation, complete with a pink ribbon in her hair, lace stockings, and a dress. She's protective of her girlfriend, as I think we all are with our partners, and there's nothing wrong with that. They're flawed characters, as every character is meant to be. This isn't a problem.

9. The show is racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, blah, blah, blah.

I’m amazed this is even an argument. The show is supposed to be a dark comedy that takes place in HELL. You know, the place the worst of the worst end up after they die? What were you expecting? Everyone gets a shot or two fired at them, but that doesn't make them bad characters nor does it make the show itself horrible. Take, for example, Katie Killjoy, the news reporter so many people are up in arms about. She says she doesn’t “touch the gays” because she has “standards”. Well, here’s a newsflash of my own: we’re not supposed to like her! She’s an antagonist. Not to mention ten seconds later Charlie insults her and isn’t the least bit slighted by her pretentious attitude. The characters are strong and don’t take shit from anyone, because to some degree they’re all terrible people who can throw down when it’s called for.

Obviously if you don’t like the show or think it’s offensive, I’m probably not going to change your mind. That’s perfectly fine. You’re entitled to your opinions and you don’t have to watch the show. Just stop lying and stop trying to take it away from everybody else. Stop attacking Vivzie and spreading misinformation without checking the facts. I realise a lot of people probably aren’t trying to be vindictive and only want to do something good, but just remember this: the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

[southeastasianists]

A lot has been written about Myanmar since the military takeover in the hours before dawn on Feb. 1. Much of it has been about the violence on the streets, which after a weekend when at least 114 people were shot dead is understandable. But more needs to be said about the reasons for the coup, the historical context for what we see today, and how both affect what is happening in full public view before an increasingly critical global audience.

It is time to tick a few boxes.

The past

The first time an elected government was removed in Myanmar was in 1962 when the Tatmadaw (armed forces) commander, General Ne Win, overthrew Prime Minister U Nu and abolished the 1947 independence constitution. It was an almost bloodless event that at the time many people saw as a logical and not unreasonable reaction to fears of the imminent disintegration of the then Union of Burma.

It was only later that Ne Win’s Revolutionary Council made up entirely of Tatmadaw officers launched what was known as the “Burmese Way to Socialism” and ultimately the end of Burma as a prosperous nation. Socialism was, however, used by Ne Win as the ideological glue binding the Tatmadaw and the civilian bureaucracies.

The evolution of Tatmadaw rule into the “Socialist Republic” in 1974 saw the institution of a one-party state with all significant offices held by the men of the Tatmadaw, who retired from their military command posts to take up parliamentary or other civilian positions.

The second, in 1988, was in part a takeover from itself. The collapse of the Ne Win system that year was accompanied by the promise of constitutional amendments allowing free-and-fair, multi-party elections. This promise was maintained by the new Tatmadaw regime, which styled itself with Orwellian flair as the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). Headed at first by General Saw Maung, and after 1992 by his deputy General Than Shwe, SLORC abolished the 1974 constitution.

SLORC decided it had restored law and order in 1997 and changed its title and defined purpose to become—with an inspiration that rivals Orwell’s “Ministry of Truth”—the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). It is tempting to believe that Orwell, who wrote “Burmese Days” in 1934, saw this coming.

The SPDC remained a body formed by, and largely constituted of, Tatmadaw officers. It remained in office until March 2011, when it handed over power to the parliament elected under the 2008 Constitution, a document put to a national referendum by the SPDC and approved through a process widely described as rigged. The SPDC announced 94 percent of voters were in favor.

The 2008 Constitution included provisions that guaranteed Tatmadaw control of all essential state security functions, a quarter of the membership of all elected bodies, and a requirement that any proposal for constitutional amendment obtain three-quarters support in the national parliament—an effective veto over change.

The present

The National League for Democracy (NLD) was founded by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in September 1988, 10 days after the SLORC seized power but pursuant to the promise of multi-party elections first mooted by Ne Win. Many tribulations befell her in the years that followed, but the NLD remained a registered political party despite persistent harassment of its leadership. The party was ordered to cease political activities in 2004. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was seen by the Tatmadaw, and the population alike, as the only person with the stature and personality to deprive the military of its control, generating both fear and hope in both camps.

There was, however, a general appreciation of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as the person most likely to make a difference, and also of her as a person who could achieve change with the support of large sections of the Tatmadaw because of her place in the country’s history—the daughter of independence hero General Aung San. It was because of this strength that she was kept under various forms of house arrest between 1989 and 2010 (with some breaks during which she was able to build the image of the NLD and herself throughout the country).

When she attained power after elections held in 2015, it was clear one of her priorities would be to remove the Tatmadaw’s control of parliaments by virtue of its 25 percent guarantee of the share of seats. Whenever this issue was raised, it was immediately clear the Tatmadaw leaders, especially commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, would not entertain such a change. However, many others in Myanmar had believed that Snr-Gen Than Shwe’s Constitution was part of a planned transition from military to civilian rule.

The Myanmar general elections in 2015 were the first contested countrywide by the NLD. The result gave the NLD 86 percent of the seats in the national Parliament. This was more than enough for the election, by the Parliament, of the president. As Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had been rendered ineligible to be president by qualifications placed in the Than Shwe Constitution, the Parliament elected the nominee of the NLD at the time, U Htin Kyaw. He retired on health grounds in 2018 and was replaced by NLD nominee U Win Myint.

Approaching tomorrow

Tatmadaw commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing has been in this office since March 2011 and so was present during the three presidencies since the retirement from public life of Snr-Gen Than Shwe. Many Myanmar people, including Tatmadaw officers, were surprised when he was elevated to this position by Snr-Gen Than Shwe, for he had not had a particularly distinguished army career and was promoted above many more senior colleagues.

In that sense, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing was seen as a parallel to an earlier president, U Thein Sein, who was elevated by Snr-Gen Than Shwe and served between 2011 and 2016, despite there being others seen as more senior and deserving.

U Thein Sein quickly became a president who seemed to have the public’s interests at heart and was known for his instruction in 2011 to parliamentarians to go to their constituencies, meet the people, understand their problems, and bring them to the capital for solution. Nobody had ever done that before.

Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, on the other hand, was widely rumored to have engaged in corrupt activities through ownership of shares in companies run by the military. Despite some efforts to meet a wider range of people than is normal for Tatmadaw commanders, he never won public admiration or trust.

The NLD won a stunning victory in the elections on Nov. 8 last year, when it improved on its 2015 numbers. There was a widespread expectation the NLD would lose some seats in ethnic regions, but would hold its numbers in the Bamar (ethnic Burmese) heartland. The elections were observed by respected international observers (such as the Asian Network for Free Elections and the Carter Center) as well as 13 accredited domestic groups. All found the procedures on election day stood the test of fairness.

When results started coming in, the first murmurings of dissatisfaction emerged from the Tatmadaw, matching protests lodged with the Election Commission by the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). Nobody took the complaints seriously, and the country began to prepare for a peaceful transfer of power.

It was striking at the time to see how similar some of the protests were to those lodged in the US by people alleging voter fraud and other irregularities, and perhaps that dulled the impression that the protests should have generated. When challenged about the Tatmadaw’s intentions, and whether it would allow a peaceful transfer of power, the Tatmadaw spokesman played down the questions. It was not until a couple of days before the newly elected parliament was to meet for its swearing-in ceremony that anyone started to think that the ceremony might not take place.

Why Feb. 1?

At this point it’s necessary to note that the elections took place under Snr-Gen Than Shwe’s 2008 Constitution, held up by the Tatmadaw as the way forward. Had the new Parliament been sworn in as scheduled at 10 a.m. on Feb. 1, it would have had a five-year term ahead of it, under the Constitution.

It would have had the authority to choose the president and it would have been responsible for choosing the next Tatmadaw commander-in-chief when Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing compulsorily retired on July 3—his 65th birthday.

As banal as this sounds, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing’s personal expectations stand out as the core element in the takeover and its date. It is widely believed he aspired to the national presidency himself, but the size of the NLD victory dashed that hope, and also introduced the real possibility that antipathy to the Tatmadaw everywhere in the country would permit Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to mobilize the people for constitutional change aimed at reducing Tatmadaw influence.

There are plenty of signs that most of the people were looking forward to the swearing-in of the new Parliament, and few signs that the Tatmadaw or the police were preparing for anything else. When the army and police struck, there were no signs of much preparation. People detained were at home or asleep, and they were not taken off to detention sites for some time, sometimes for days or longer. There were no measures in place to lock down communications or take any action for public control. There was no immediate release of legal language to justify what was being done.

In other words, although some close observers did say they had picked up noises that the Tatmadaw might move before the Parliament was sworn in, very few of those in power, including in the NLD, saw it coming. Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing would have anticipated no serious resistance.

Afterwards

The situation which confronted Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and his self-appointed State Administrative Council was the appearance on the streets, day and night, of millions—yes, millions—of Myanmar citizens demanding respect for the Nov. 8 elections and the resumption of democratic government.

Now, almost two months later, the demonstrations continue, undeterred by extreme violence. They are everywhere in the country, from the big cities to the villages and involve people of all ethnicities, religions, cultures, genders and age groups. Age is a special consideration, for the demonstrators include the bulk of the country’s youth, most born and raised after Gen. Saw Maung’s takeover in 1988 and virtually all, thanks to President U Thein Sein, fully internet-literate.

Internet literacy enables the population, led by the youth, to communicate with each other, and with their colleagues and friends outside Myanmar. This has produced a great deal of public pressure from outside the country, and while most of the Tatmadaw have not traveled widely, nearly all of them have relatives who have. There is much more knowledge of the outside world now than in 1988, and the lessons which Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing would have learned as a young man would no longer fit to the world he inhabits now.

Tomorrow

The indications from yesterday and today say that this is where astrologers (very popular in Myanmar) would be looking: