#hence why the one meme says 2-A

[stargatenerd]

Fuck it I’m posting some of the in-universe memes that Hibiki makes for the class discord server/war council that Kasumi bothers Chikara into making

No context provided for any of these except to say that Chikara’s quirk is she looks like a polar bear

[werewolfetone]

have quite literally been waiting to see your comment on the new Irish unification meme that's going around. save me communist Irish historian. Communist Irish historian save me etc.

Well if you want my actual opinion on that article rather than just incandescent irritation I would say to the general tumblr community that one must remember 2 things: one, that people have been saying that Ireland is about the reunify for real this time since NI was created. 25 years ago they were saying this, 50 years ago they were saying it, 75 years ago they were saying it. Particularly when it comes to statements from groups like Sinn Féin, as cynical as it is, it's important to keep in mind that they and groups like them are political parties who want support and ultimately people's vote. In order to get these things, they tell people that their main reason for existing will be accomplished, no matter how far fetched some of their claims are, and, as noted above, this has been going on for a long time. I was reading just earlier today about articles published in the 30s with the same general message as this new thing going around and I think it's pretty clear what happened as a result of those lmao.

The second is that not only does not everyone in NI or even in the ROI want reunification, the bloc of people who really really really really don't want it is powerful enough in the north that any steps towards Irish reunification would not happen without death. People would die. It doesn't matter how much social media users who don't know a damn thing about the situation want it, the current political reality means that reunification would be paid for in a great deal of blood, because Irish people who are not hard-line republicans, and I cannot emphasise this enough, exist. Hence why it's kinda ridiculous to assume that anything will happen just because some guy said that Irish reunification is once again closer than ever. lol lmao l + ratio + talk to Northern Irish people + read Irish history + be realistic

[greypetrel]

Crisp those Lines!

Or: a small collection of suggestions for a crispy, neat lineart.

SO MANY OF YOU ASKED FOR THIS (it feels absurd to say, yes), so here you go.

A premise: there's no right or wrong way of inking, and some of the following tips entirely depend on the type of inking I do. Which is neat and clean, with no blacks, and moreover: digitally. More under the cut because it's gonna be long and full of explanatory pictures. Here's an example:

SOFTWARES AND BRUSHES:

Let's address the elephant in the room: Photoshop SUCKS for inking and linework. The stabilisation of the brush there is SHIT. Good for colouring and painting and doing photobashing, but for Lineart you want it to be precise. Do yourself a favour and don't use Photoshop. I generally use Clip Studio Paint, but i have to say that the best program for it that I've tried keeps being Paint Tool SAI 2. It has few functions, it's true, and I use CSP because it has more instruments. But if you don't want to pay much, SAI is incredible as for brush rendition and stabilisation.

As for the brush: you don't need a fancy brush, anything in your software will go. What I use and what works best tho must have:

Tapered start and end.

High stabilisation (I go from 60 upward, lower it down for trees and grass or anything more natural that needs to be less neat and flowy)

Low tapering.

It must be set so that pressure controls only the dimension. The more you push on your pen, the bigger the line gets. No colour or opaciy variation!

On Clip Studio Paint, I use the G-Pen in the program. It's good as it is, but I think I did some variations as per here:

FILE DIMENSIONS:Better work larger and then resize down. Sizing files up digitally is possible, but it leads to unfocused images. I generally work on files at 600dpi (300 is fine too, but don't go any lower. Particularly if that's something you want to print later on, any printing wants a minimum of 300dpi). in roughly an A3 format (bigger dimension is 43cm). Most pictures I upload here are 6000x5000 pixel. A bigger file will give you more possibilities with brush sizes, and it'll be easier. Remember: digitally, sizing down is ok, sizing up is not something you should do.

SKETCH:

This is the suggestion I should follow but never do. Having a clean, polished sketch simplifies your life A LOT. This is because if you don't have to worry about drawing details and fixing the anatomy of your drawing during the lineart, and doing it so GOOD because it's the lineart... You'll go that much slower and your life will be more complicated (it's not impossible, my sketches usually are very rough. I am ok with it, the most I do drawing wise is during the lineart... But I'm lazy, don't do like me. A good sketch will help you out.) Compare the two sketches below:

Another note about your sketch layer: you know those memes that complains that the sketch looks good but when you hide it the lineart is shitty? That's easily solvable. When you're inking, lower the opacity of the sketch layer down, A LOT. I generally go for a 30 or 40% opacity (depending on the colour of the sketch. the yellow sketch will go around 40% because it's less visible, the purple one lower).

When you're inking, you MUST see clearly the lineart you're doing. If the sketch isn't contrasting enough, you won't see clearly what you're doing... It's like trying to sketch with a dim light, not seeing the paper clearly. See the difference:

BEFORE YOU START:

You probably have read it everywhere, but it bears repeating: warm up your hand. You're using muscles and for more than five minutes. The warmer they are, the firmer your hand is, the easier it gets controlling your lines. It also prevents you from damaging your wrist. Stretching is also great, and grippers are nice to have. Keep your hand fit!

As for warming up: I usually do some calligraphy exercises, practicing on flowy cursives. You want to practice varying the pressure of your lines in a single trait, hence why calligraphy is good. But generally, what you can do is...

PRESSURE VARIATION AND LONG LINES:

So. My main tip and trick is to vary the pressure of your lines. In the same line, and between different details. This will help making the lineart more dynamic and interesting. A note: this works for semi-realistic styles. If your goal is obtaining a Cartoon Network style: they have generally little to no variation and it works. My suggestion would be to study the kind of style and effect you want to obtain, different styles will work best with different linearts. If you're aiming at hyperrealistic painting, there's no point in spending time over a lineart, for example, I inked the same lineart, but with a brush that doesn't vary it's dimensions with pressure, and not changing the dimension of the brush.

What makes my linearts look "flowy" and "neat" is the fact that I tend to draw less lines and longer, and pay attention when I stop, to start the line where I end it. This will give the impression of one continuous, single line, and make everything more fluid. See above in the french hood: on the right, I left the line rough on purpose, you can see where I stopped and started again. On the left, where I took care of it, you can't.

Generally speaking:

Thick, dark lines communicate that the object is close to the viewer (always keep the viewer in mind!) or in shadow. Lines should be thicker on the outside of your objects, to separate two planes, and in stuff closer to you.

Thin lines are delicate, they should be used in the background, for small details (see the hair, the lips, the small wrinkles around her eyes.)

As for line continuity: in both cases, the line of her face is one single line I drew. This can be obtained with a smooth result, particularly in curved lines, by getting the brush stabilisation on higher settings (80-100): sacrifice speed for accuracy.

MORE IS MORE, WHEN IT COMES TO LEVELS:

Particularly when there are two objects intersecating, or more characters interacting… Instead of inking all on the same level, I always do one level for each object, trace the WHOLE line as if there was nothing above, and then erase where it's not shown. This is a little thing, but pays off. Always in the drawing of above, the feather and the hem of the bodice were on separate layers, and then I erased the bodice under the feather. Take advantage of being inking digitally and not traditionally!

For many characters, here's an example of a vignette of a comic page before cleaning it up and erasing. Every single character and the weapons are on separate layers

For this it's very useful knowing your recurring mistakes. For example, I tend to draw heads bigger than they should. I know I do, so generally I keep the head on its own level, and the body on another, so it's easier to modify and size down just the head without getting crazy selecting only the lines you want with the lazo.

Again, you're inking digitally. It's not easier than traditionally necessarily, take full advantage of your instrument!

OTHER TIPS AND TRICKS:

High brush stabilisation sacrifices speed for accuracy. The line will lag a little from your cursor. Get used to watching the cursor and not the line, and trust that the line will follow.

GO SLOW.

Rotate and flip the canvas. Don't ask me why, but tracing long lines towards me is always easier than not the other way around.

Use the Free Transform, Warp, Distort etc etc and the Liquify to your heart's content if you notice the lineart has something wrong. The only cheating in art is using fucking AI generators (and AI pictures are not art, sorry not sorry)

References are your friends. Study how an artist you like does the lineart. Try and imitate them, and if you can and need to post them: tag them! (don't trace and sell it as your own)

Experiment with brushes, find one that you like for the effect you'd love. You do you, there's no right or wrong way of inking.

Remember to breathe when you trace those lines! (and to drink and do pauses and stretch, you don't want a tendonitis!)

Have fun. Lineart is not evil, lineart is your friend!

I hope this essay is exhaustive enough. I'm tagging ALL THE PEOPLE that requested it (and giving each of you a muffin). @ndostairlyrium @narina-gnagno @salsedine @whimsyswastry @layalu @n7viper

If you have any questions, don't hesitate in asking!

[quitealotofsodapop]

I don't really remember why I made this but I think I was thinking of potential pokemon teams for the Pilgrim's at the time of the Journey (so not a complete tram because they aren't complete themselves)

Ao Lie

• Rapidash

• Keldeo

• Kingdra

• Cyclizar

Tripitaka

• Espeon

• Rabsca

• Ninjask

• Shedinja

Baije

• Farfetch'd

• Slowpoke

• Oinkologne

• Poltchageist

Wujing

• Lotad

• Golduck

• Urshifu (Rapid)

• Politoad

Wukong

• Infernape

• Ogerpon

• Annihilape

• Lilligant (Hisui)

• Zorua

Honestly, the ones I picked kinda make sense.

Tried my best to manipulate the Pokemon Trainer Card Maker + Imgflip Meme Generator to make this a reality. I've discussed my previous LMK/Pokemon thoughts before with the non-canon trainer cards provided around S2.

Ao Lie: Best horse-dragon lad. Def loves his horse pokemon - probably didn't even catch them, Rapidash and the "odd Ponyta" added themselves to the Pilgrim's "herd". Cyclizar likely thinks Ao Lie is another of its kind, since he too is a dragon/transportation vehicle. Kingdra I feel is a guard pokemon given to Ao Lie by his family after he was put on parole. Added a little Dratini since I feel that he'd naturally attract wee baby dragon-types to him.

2. Tripitaka: Ofc he gets Bug & Psychic types. Tripitaka would start out with only unevolved Pokemon in his team, as he had just been inducted as a monk. His Munna/Musharna is a typically pokemon among monks - they naturally produce calming vapors that aid meditation. He received an Eevee as an "official" starter pokemon when he was chosen for the Journey, but it doesn't evolve until the monk genuinely befriends his travel companions. He is confused by the Nincada and Rellor bug pokemon that attached to him, but others think they're ok. Psyduck is his oldest Pokemon - it found him on the river when he was a baby and dragged him to the monks at shore. Psyduck is able to anticipate the Headache Sutra and counters Tripitaka's incantation when he tries using it.

3. Zhu Bajie: Honestly originally gathered most of his pokemon to eat them or use them in his cooking. Except for Oinklonge; she's his pig-mom (he was born from a normal pig after all), and she loudly argues with him when he's acting rude. He tried catching Slowpoke and Farfetch'd for their meat, and Poltchageist since he though it was a normal teacup, but was quickly outmatched and too impressed to actually eat them. The Swinub (based on a wild boar piglet) he found on accident while living in the mountains pre-Jttw - it thinks he's their mother.

4. Sha Wujing: Wujing's is a little hard to determine as we don't get a lot of time with him on a personal level, even in the book. His Jttw-era team would def be more combat-focused than say Sandy in the modern day. The Urshifu (pretty genius idea since it's based on taichi and taoist lore) I feel he obtained as a cub/Kubfu that wandered by his river. That Kubfu saw him as it's master, hence evolving into Urshifu's Rapid Strike (Fighting/Water) form - it's still devoted to Wujing as a student. Lotad, Golduck, and Politoed are all pokemon partially based on Kappas/water demons, so it makes sense that they'd hang around Sha Wujing for company. I added Lapras since, as ride pokemon, they and Sha Wujing literally carry the team.

5. Sun Wukong: Infernape is an obvious choice since it is Wukong, though perhaps he obtains it as a Chimchar - a baby monkey pokemon that recognises that this Big Monkey stuck in a rock isn't doing so good and tries helping him by offering him fruit. Wukong adores his little firey subject and is a little shocked to see how they look when fully evolved/grown up. Annihilape is a macaque pokemon who's gone beyond angry and is a vengeful ghost - perhaps joining Wukong in their shared character development in finding calm after the War. Ogerpon is an interesting but fitting pokemon, as it's a mischievious demon that turns out to be more of a protector than a threat despite it's negative reputation. On the flip side is Pecharunt - the Peach pokemon, which I feel Wukong more so helps Ogerpon defeat rather than catch. Pecharunt is almost a manifestation of how seeking power and immortality poisoned Wukong's life and relationships, and he hates that it's ultimately just a baby. In absence of legendaries, Wukong would have all the horsey pokemon, esp Mudsdale. Liligant is also an interesting pokemon as it's a "noble onion" - perhaps a Noble pokemon recognising a fellow royal? It's also a vegetable not allowed be consumed by buddhists XD. The Zorua is obvious - Wukong is a shapeshifter, and the little fox demon reminds him of Macaque... that is if it *isn't* already Macaque thinking he's being smart disguising himself as a Pokémon.

ty for sending these ideas in btw!

[darkdemeter]

Dem Hi! I'm back with a bit of an unhinged ask here:

Im sure this doodle gives you an idea where this is going. I was just making myself some tea, and I was thinking about Lovers In Eden (i was going to listen to a song called Eastward of Eden by Amelia Day,hence the association). And Since I am a film student, a writer and i took script classes as my subject las trimester, i offer you this unhinged recap of my conspiracy theory. So LIE (Lover in Eden) introduces us to the idea that Strife killed Y/N after a bloodlust outburst,right? Well, at first i didnt think too much of it, but then the chapter ends with the four on earth, which felt a little disembodied from the prologue. Which brings me to the hipothesis which is: Strife's lover is on earth,reborn without their memories. My proof for this theory is this: 1) We know that in the darksiders universe there is such thing as a well of souls, we know they go through the kingdom of the dead to repent and then be reborn through the well. 2) you wouldntve put the line "Love slayer" if it wasnt relevant to the plot. (Writing often times includes phrasing things a certain way to hint at other things). 3) Why would you close the chapter where you did? What relevance does the fact that the four are now on earth have? Simple, Strife will find a reborn,survivor Y/N and will fall in love with them (and have a crisis once he realizes its a whole like soulmates finding eachother again situation) 4) and last (which came to me as i wrote this) if you were to center the story only on Strife and the reader without the reader being reborn, you wouldve just started it from the medieval age/wherever strife met the reader and not end with the four on earth. Of course dont gotta tell me if im right,dont want to spoil the whole fic anyways. But I felt the need to share this with you. (I genuienly felt like the pepe silvia meme). And yeah, one offshoot of all this is that maybe the reader isnt a reborn soulmate, and that the prologue could just set up this inherit guilt and fear towards love that Strife has. Until we get the next chapter, i lay in wait...scheming/lhj/hj Have a nice rest of your day and i hope you've enjoyed my unhinged ramble. -Jer. PD: i feel so silly for sending this whole thing but as a fellow writer i know theres nothing we love more than ppl theorizing about our stuff. So here you go. I hope it doest read as overbearing,i just genuienly love your stuff.

First off, I love your pepe doodle! It’s so perfect. In fact I find it so funny that I made this a little bit ago myself... (As much as I'd love to rant and such about my AUs' lore and headcanons, I made this for shits and gigs)

I absolutely adore hearing theories readers have about my fics. (Sorry this has taken FOR-EV-ER to respond to, I'm terrible with replying at times)

I also fucking LOVE that you're a film student, I think that makes this whole theory situation even better because I do tend to have a very movie-esque thought process when writing. (Blooper reel and BTS footage rent free in my head)

And I think I've got the mind stewing a bit with that recent post, Flowers From My Lover. Without hopefully giving away anything, you do have some valid and interesting points in your theories and has me going, "Oh Jer is good little detective." You get a cookie for your theory skills!

There are indeed certain key details and clues I put in on purpose and it's so interesting to see what readers pick up on. And yes, the well of souls is involved to some extent in this plotline, but not in the way you might think...

I also find your choice of the word "reborn" interesting. Very obviously and right out the gates, I will say that yes, reader is alive in this story. But it's the manner in which reader's alive and again, the reborn theory is interesting and again, possibly not in a way you're expecting. Though it seems rather simple, I will tease that there is... quite a bit more to it than what's at face value.

And I wanna tease this little clue too because it is one of my favourites: It's interesting how the fic's title has a double meaning in plain sight...

[endless-season]

9 Fandom Peeps to Get to Know Better

tagged by @defeateddetectives /o/

3 ships you like: *looks into void* do I even have 3 proper ships

1) MikoIzuTotsu (Suoh Mikoto x Kusanagi Izumo x Totsuka Tatara) - K

And no one was surprised. I MEAN ITS BEEN OVER TEN YEARS. BUT A GOOD CHUNK OF THOSE TEN YEARS WERE DEDICATED TO HOMURA TRIO (well technically... the real answer is Totsuka Tatara however we will ignore that for the sake of this meme). Get yourself two others who will go through it all with you thick or thin. Get yourself a leash i mean what. Get yourself a Kusanagi-san! Settle down in a bar and raise i mean gather a gang family!

2) Qin Jiu x You Huo - Global Examination

Felt obligated to include them since I'm currently trying to drag ppl to read this lmao. Also bc i have no ships to answer with, help. BUT THE CHEMISTRY! I mean, this is probably the first time I clearly see what people mean by the word ~ chemistry ~. Qin Jiu is such a chaotic menace, You Huo is such a chaotic menace, they are similar but also different and then put them together and everyone suffers, it's beautiful *wipes tear*. But they are also so so so soft together (i was going to say, in private.... but also in front of people's salad so!!!) *clutches heart*. The author, 木苏里 just does a create job exploring the two throughout the story, READ GLOBAL EXAMINATION! THERE'S ALSO AN ONGOING MANHUA THAT COVERS LIKE A THIRD. DO IT. and then send me liveblogs pls and thanks.

3) H-h-help... ships... are hard... I... don't ...

first ship ever: IzuTotsu (Kusanagi Izumo x Totsuka Tatara) - K Shamelessly links to that post where I sobbed over everything #Actual Marriage Goals The trust! The intuitive understanding! The communication! (sorry Mikoto, your grunting fails you) The ~ G o S s i P i n g ~ ! The mutual support and comfort ;_;! The domesticity of it all! The quipping and doting! The we're all in this (this = Mikoto doom but with matching wing tattoos) together! The seemless division of labor haha

last song you heard: i turned on my playlist when i saw this question so that by the time i finish answering the meme and come back to this question, i will have an answer… Anyways, so the answer is…. ~ wHAT A coINcindENce ~ Dark Night Fireworks, Lucien's season 1 theme from MLQC.

favourite childhood book: Uh........ idk.... Deltora Quest? Alex Rider series? If manga counts then maybe Detective Conan? lmao.

currently reading: I’m Not Shouldering This Blame (这锅我不背) Current novel in my danmei binging spree. 40 chaps in, enjoying it so far. Synopsis gives a pretty good idea of what to expect. Hordes of book transmigrators trying to derail or benefit from knowing the plot, military dealing with the supernatural mess and notifying MC and ML who are supposedly the villains, MC... just trying to work in peace cmon, ML... just trying to seduce MC cmon.

currently watching: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Just finished it over the last few days hence why there's a few posts in my queue. It’s nice and chill. I admit I was eyeing Himmel the moment he appeared in the first episode and didn't know whether to laugh or cry at his instant transformation / flashforward to old bald man. Was pleasantly surprised to see him appearing constantly in flashbacks haunting the narrative ethereal dead wife style lmao.

currently consuming: I waited for dinner to write this! Was lazy tonight so just a bunch of easy to prep in 5 min sides. Rice, Prawn dumplings, Chilli Bamboo (Fu Chi brand), Century Egg + Tofu + Pork floss, Smashed cucumber salad that I managed to ruin :/

currently craving: A reason to live A shiny new satisfying fandom obsession... Motivation and energy and wisdom to adult... A yakult and WangLaoJi... ... ...... *walks to fridge and grabs yakult and wanglaoji*

---

A rare meme where I'm gonna actually tag!!! See what ppl are up to and eating these days >:)

@qserasera @chiaki-c @nervous-sheep @alice-chan-chan @jelly-cooperation

@laxmiree @caesurables @pu-san @vanishing-apples @dijeh

@ittybi @ellie-winthrope @bloomingmitsuri @a-justaway-is-just-a-justaway @constastan

As usual feel free to skip if tagged or do even if not tagged :> Edit: why is tagging not working *squints*

[silent-neutral]

About SH2 Pyramid Head symbolism and the remake PT.1

--mentions of sexual violence, suicidal themes and just overall mental illness-- please PLEASE DON'T READ BEYOND THE CUT IF YOU PLAN TO PLAY THIS GAME BUT KNOW NOTHING ABOUT SILENT HILL 2!! There will be spoilers in this ''essay'' and I don't want to spoil such a great game for anyone starting fresh and blind, because that'd be the perfect way to start this game imho - your feeling toward this game will be heightened without knowing too much, plus forming your own view and having questions about it is also cool.

(***Had to cut this down into parts after watching 10+ hours of the remake and so much watching gave me a headache that felt like a literal hangover the next day ugh I felt like James lol otherwise it's too many topics and words in 1 post. This way it might be easier to organize them. )

------------------------------- My mind was blown recently. Ig I'm posting this to clarify more to myself than anything, but I had to search up Ito's recent comments about certain scenes with Pyramid Head. (ahem, the first cutscenes specifically). I've always had my own ideas and guesses about specific details playing as James, but after some clarifications on Ito's part about Pyramid Head.. it kind of jarred me, but at the same time explained other things and now my initial view of this game and its characters are validating my assumptions.. And if you knew about this already, well good on you.... Ito tweets so much sometimes, info like this gets buried and I had no idea until a week or so ago lol. So in light of SH2R releasing, I conveniently found out about some crucial details that would *also* inadvertently explain my (petty) gripes about SH2R. I watched the entire playthrough and my views have slightly altered (mostly positive, as this game was actually very faithful to the original imo). but for now I give you...a very wordy analysis on some themes of SH2. Excuse my rambly thought process though, it's very hard to organise them sometimes, I say to future self re-reading this later lol.

We know the monsters all carry symbolism relating to James. Specifically speaking, the series has a lot of sexual undertones present. Man.. Idk where it all started but I'm pretty sure we all assumed it was true when every Silent Hill source or fanpage over decades would bring up James' sexual repression. It made sense because of how things appeared, plus Angela's trauma and her demon....that James even fights... Well.. Ito hates fans saying James 'sexual repression' being symbolised in the monsters are canon. He doesn't mind people forming their own opinion, but he hates when fans say it's canon lol. At any rate, there was a lot of confusion from what I read at first (and the language barrier didn't help, but I think I got the gist of what he meant). --------------------------------------------------------------- Talking specifically about the mannequin scene, Ito says PH is *not* raping them. Ok sure, tbh it looks too vague to label it something extreme like that. But it became something of a meme and Ig it ended up being believed as true. Kinda wish this sentiment was quashed many years ago and not in 2020/2021 gah... So, what's happening in that scene is actually far more deeper than simply to traumatise James.... Pyramid Head is a manifestation of James' guilt AND unconscious desire to be punished for killing his terminally ill wife. James is called to Silent Hill via a delusional letter from Mary he created in his mind.(A made up one to ignore the real one). He's suffering from some kind of selective amnesia throughout the game, hence why everything is there to remind him of his pain. Obviously he's traumatised by what he did that his mind has blocked it out to the point it seems he has remembered a false timeline of events... but his soul is yearning for judgement. Ito says that, therefore, James is suffering from many delusions, that's what's creating and manifesting his inner demons (true for all that come to Silent Hill). Pyramid Head himself is manifested as the executioner, tasked with punishing James, and so.. He is actually attacking James' delusions, trying to remove them:

*o* And Ito goes further! Right after PH kills those mannequins, he stalks over toward the closet James hides in (also meaningful, lmao, but okok it's not about sexual orientation). Apparently, PH's appearance is shifting. Ito says he modelled and animated all the monsters in the original, so I trust him when he says that the front left panel in the corner of his helmet is peeling/flaking back and a tongue-like appendage protrudes from the hole. Although.. he admits it might be too dark to see in that scene, but it's there supposedly. I'm paraphrasing, but Ito implies that PH is impacted by James' delusions in that James *thinks* he sees a tentacle come out of the helmet and thus manifests that. And that's when James shoots at him - He shoots at his own desire to be judged when it attempts to remove his delusions that are keeping him from the truth of his reality!! James can't face reality at this point - those delusions are keeping him somewhat sane and distracted! It hurts too much this early on for PH to attack those delusions so he stops it...this is why he is 'in the closet'. James continues to keep those 'skeletons' there, for now. It makes PH look like the true good guy - an angel.. like Valtiel (interesting to note they have similar body design). Because of learning this, I very quickly noticed how throughout the Remake, you will find plenty already downed enemies.. and it was easy to think ''PH was here''. After James realises the truth from the tape, the Hotel reveals its true appearance (not sure when it burned down or if that has something to do with Alessa, er wait I remember in Origins it was in her house.. well anyway! this could explain James' sketchy memory of events, especially when confronted by Laura having only met Mary and received the letter a year ago in-game.) Anyway, the point is; if James is aware, then the delusions begin to fade. So after watching the Remake, I hoped that the monsters wouldn't appear/be weakened and lo and behold! Bloober was paying attention! The monsters after you watch the tape are weak and limping, can't attack or are already dead and I was delighted! It means Ito was consistent that the delusions the town creates makes up the core theme of Silent Hill. In the original, there are only 2 lying bodies before the PH fight. (I forget the meaning behind them but it has something to do with James' helplessness.) At any rate, Remake did the 'dying vision' symbolism much better here and the explanation is so so fascinating that it led me to rethink the concept behind PH. Side note though, about that hole in PH's helmet. I was always so damn confused about it for so many years!! I used to draw it as a rectangular hole (some art by Ito actually depicted it like that iirc), and then eventually to a gunshot hole since James, well, shot at him, so I assumed that's what it was from. and NOW it's actually a triangular shaped hole from the paneling being 'turned upward' due to how James' is perceiving him in the moment. What a revelation, I cry. Ah.. and note on other design aspects.. Apparently Ito never designed PH with a mass of flesh under the helmet (just a perpetual shadow and the neck bag thing at the back) and he doesn't even know who conceptualised that, but I think it's due to all the cameos and appearances PH has made in many games since SH2. And he looks slightly different each time so.. yeah, interesting that.

Even the figma has that fleshy mass (and gunshot hole!) but I'd say it is accurate on nearly everything else:

It is a very nice figure though. I can't blame all these figures ever released that *weren't* supervised by Masahiro Ito himself, because lmao, Ito just admitted that PH is subjected to changes depending on how James views him, and that explains why details are vague and hard to determine let alone see bc the game is so dark. Take this little gacha figure of PH for example, from a cute baseball game called, I think, Konami Dream Stars (Pal Pro kun?) Yeah, I got Snake as well lol:

...and yes, shameless little peek at my nerdiness on display, all the Capcom stuff is directly below it lolll

------------------------------------------------------------------ So! Having learned what I did, I ofc had to question the next obvious thing; the cutscene just before the first boss fight. PH was without a doubt molesting the Lying Figure/Body which was moaning suggestively the entire fucking time - no one is about to gaslight me into thinking THAT wasn't sexual! And yes, Ito admits that scene was intentionally made to appear sexual (as opposed to the mannequins) and yet he says it has no sexual meaning....wtf does that even mean?! Well, I think I got it. Again, language barrier is most likely to blame, but... To apply the last explanation for the mannequins; James' delusions are making him *think* he is seeing something intimate to the point it manifests right then and there which is so disturbing he recoils and tries to go back through the now-locked door. And so.. it would seem that to PH, he is just trying to destroy the delusions and he can't help how James perceives that; it's just going to manifest accordingly. And while Ito hates 'sexual repression' as somehow being canon to some fans (the majority actually), well, bruh... can you really blame people for coming to that conclusion? The flesh lips, nurses too, are on the risque side. Now, idk how it doesn't indicate something sexual if it's not meaning to be but I am aware of Ito's art style tending to be quite sexual and suggestive, featuring a lot of bdsm themes in his artwork and he is quite obviously inspired by at least HR Giger's work. So making the nurses, for example, look the way they do may be a stylistic choice, but I highly doubt it doesn't also have a symbolic purpose other than referencing Lisa's image or something (This is Silent Hill though ffs, everything is symbolic, it HAS to be). I'll reassess the meaning of those for myself, but specifically I'm addressing PH (and soon in another post, the other elephant in the room: Abstract Daddy.) Initially, I always saw PH as trying to remind James of his sins, jolt his memory, to wake him up to reality. (Which is interesting considering it's not clear if Silent Hill itself is even rooted in reality, the alter dimensions I mean. Another topic I want to address soon.) I also noticed the mirroring effect PH/Maria were doing in relation to their human counterparts; PH is James, and Maria is Mary; James killed Mary, and so PH kills Maria. But.. If PH is actually also trying to destroy the delusions, (which also appears to reflect the fact James is trying to overcome his guilt, his mental blockages that are causing his selective amnesia)that inadvertently means PH will need to destroy himself in the end as well, and that is exactly what happens..

Coincidentally, this would also reflect James' suiciding.

But first, PH attacks the monsters that are manifested and represent different aspects of James' trauma/psyche. Then he is constantly confronting James by killing Maria, or James having to return to a dead Maria. I thought he was basically tormenting James by showing him what he'd essentially done to Mary. "This is what you're guilty about, this is what you need to accept'' I think that idea still holds water (pun very intentional), but now I feel it adds another layer because Maria is the ultimate delusion... and thus, PH must destroy her. Now when she says 'I'm not your Mary, but I can if you want me to be' makes more sense to me what she is. She too is subjected to James' delusions because she keeps shifting the perspective she talks or thinks in, Mary's or Maria's? But she knows she is not Mary, just a manifestation of an idea. And James deep down knows she is holding him back (like all the other delusions) and that feeling calls PH to thus kill her. When James can't escape the reality of his past, he finally accepts the truth, the memories revived by the tape, and confronts PH after stabbing Maria a final time. 'Stop denying/ignoring your guilt, and stop trying to cover it up with distractions like Maria'. James finally doesn't need to be told anymore, he has punished himself (fitting, seeing as PH is an extension of James anyway) and thus PH, the final delusion/illusion kill themselves and disappear.

-------------------------------------

OK so that's PH! Now to compare that with the remake

My main gripe was that the game is way too saturated in colour and too bright in certain parts, but it improves that as you delve deeper in the game thankfully. Kudos to Bloober for changing James' face to something more 'unaware' and disassociative. Gripe number 2: I do wish they cut out the 'hand rubbing' in the opening scene or at least tone it down bc that kind of foreshadowing is too damn obvious, sorry. Not needed. Especially not right at the start. Not even for old fans playing it, we know what happens, but cmon...It makes James too aware of *something* and his selective amnesia is what gives rise to his own customised demons...if he is even slightly aware of what he did, then what is the point to seeing the monsters, let alone PH attacking them, now that we know what Ito had intended? Wouldnt that change their appearance, or rather, remove them altogether? sigh, anyway. I find PH a bit too bright, not dirty enough and consequently, not as disturbing. Partly for that was how they clearly removed the lying body scene from the boss fight. I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed, but now with much needed context, this now makes sense...

HOWEVER....If my guess about James' assuming something sexual was taking place in that scene is what manifested it to begin with, then what is there to say about the remake?... So the simple act of hand-rubbing (awareness) really DOES make a difference, huh?! >:O it took away our favourite PH scene! 😂💔..

We can talk about DEI and stuff like that affecting certain themes in this game.... but Ito saying 'it doesn't mean it's sexual' would explain why it's taken out of the remake. Ito has supervised the Bloober design team on this, so they would have so much more context and info from the man himself... Still, it appears to conflict with James' psyche, bc it is through his very perspective that we are perceiving the town and how it presents itself to James so ofc if James sees something explicit, so are we the player. We are seeing the town and monsters through his eyes. And there is much to say about whether or not the other characters are even seeing the same town, but I'll get to that too. There is also the possibility that it's just 'creative freedom' on Bloober's part. It sucks, but overall... the game's pros outweigh the cons. Symbolism for Silent Hill is a very strong trait though, so I'm a bit conflicted about those changes. In the end, PH being a punisher and attacking the delusions of James' traumatised state of mind is fundamental, so as long as that is present, then I can't really say it's so inaccurate ig. It does imho, take away from PH's menacing persona and tones the disturbing factor down which consequently, in my humble opinion, makes him less scary. Intimidating, perhaps.. but less so. He looks very cool though lol. Especially how he breaks the walls during the chase and the final PH battle, I was super impressed with it! I didn't really like how PH was animated in the cutscene in the first fight (the way he turns around, idk..) but I love how they both throw the spears at you! This fight definitely improved upon the og version. Ah, and the sound of his heavy footsteps are wonderful as well! There was another creative thing Bloober did with PH's knife where you have to pick it up to advance through the tentacle wall thing. I realised this was a manifestation of James mental blocks since he starts holding his head in pain. But I thought "oh cool! James is gonna use the Great Knife to cut them!" But sadly, no.. but.. those tentacles would peel back, afraid of the presence of PH's knife... they are delusions after all~

Oh btw.. I didn't realize this before, but as soon as you attain Angela's knife, PH appears with the Great Knife - before this, he is unarmed. In Remake, right after you get her knife, you can hear PH's infamous screeching coming from dragging the Great Knife, reiterating that he is James. Subtle but very cool! I can't believe I didn't make that connection myself lol bah.

A bit more gripes to mention though: his strange janky movements that were imitated in remake made it look like a sad parody of the original scene, which was much more disturbing. I think it would have been better had they not added that part, it was random to see when he was moving as normal as one does trying to apprehend the mannequins, then calmly and slowly assessing the room only to suddenly flail about and strike random poses barely reminiscent of what he does in the original...and then just stand there as if James never shot him 🤨 not to mention, James looks so unbothered in this scene, he doesnt look at all anxious like in the original..the whole 'interaction' looked awkward. The original scene was paced better giving PH a kind of build up to those strange movements. I also dislike the lack of reaction and bad pacing with several of Remake's cutscenes as it toned down much of the intensity in crucial moments of the game, like in this one with PH. Yet... improved on others that I think were made better than the original's by elaborating on them.

Anyway I will touch on this and add more criticisms on remake in another post, this one is long enough lol; i just tried to get my thoughts on PH in one post but if I missed something I'll just add it in the PT.2.

If you actually read this, you must be as obsessed as I am (thank you)! Feel free to add your thoughts if you want, I love talking about silent hill symbolism or the ideologies behind The Order.

[callmearcturus]

writer questions meme: 8, 13, 20 if you please

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

It wasn't explicitly writing advice, but I can tell you where I learned what my specific style would be. There was a fic in the Dresden Files fandom called "Cross" by LightGetsIn. LGI was a tremendous writer and a very kind mentory-friend who I attended my first fan convention with. Extremely accomplished adult who I looked up to when I was barely an adult.

"Cross" is a story about the limitations of perspective. It was the first story that really drove home the idea that Character A would not have the same knowledge and understanding of the world as Character B.

In "Cross", the POV character is John Marcone, a non-magical mafia boss who is deeply entrenched in the magical world. He has a lot of factual knowledge of how magic works, but he's an Italian-American Catholic. So when he's pulled into doing magical rites to bring another character back to life, he specifically doesn't pick up on the more pagan symbology of what he's doing, but filters it through a Guilty Catholic filter. Hence the name of the fic, "Cross."

And that story, which isn't even my favorite LGI story, probably taught me the most about how to write Close Perspective Third Person, which is my default style. When I'm writing in a characters POV, I rigorously limit what the POV character knows and picks up on. I will plant clues and information that the audience will understand, but the connections a character makes, the reference pools they pull from, their morality and ethics, all of those inform that POV, and what you and I know does not.

That is probably the most important lesson I've ever had in creating my own writing method.

20. Describe your perfect writing conditions.

8 hours of sleep, small breakfast snack like a croissant, decaf beverage, one dextroamphetamine, and no one fucking talk to me for about 2 - 4 hours. I will write 4,000 words.

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Lets put this under a cut, and I'll give you some DVD commentary. This is from chapter 2 of you'll need a new name to survive this. It's the point where Benji realizes Ethan is stalking him and does that trick to lose him in the bookshop, then sits outside waiting for him.

Only five minutes later, the door opened, and Bell took one step out before freezing, his eyes falling on Benji.

Got you, Benji thought with a sharp little smile. "You didn't even buy a book? Bit rude."

One of the goals of the early chapters of PT AU was establishing Benji's character as boldly as possible because we were essentially telling a story that canon does not. This is YEARS before MI3, where Benji gets two gd scenes.

To me, the tightrope walk was that I wanted Benji to have a reasonable grip on authority, to be shiny and new and out of his depth but still empowered because of his accomplishments. He has managed to land a good job working for the US government, he successfully emigrated before he was 30 years old, he has an apartment and a cat, he's new to everything in the spy world but he also has a steel spine that frankly he's fucking earned.

Which is a long-winded way of saying that Benji is a bitch and I love him so much.

Bell's face was blank, but Benji could almost feel how fast his brain was moving, weighing his options. Eventually, he settled on huffing out a little chuckle and stepping closer to Benji. "Hi."

Meanwhile, Ethan. MI1-era Ethan is very very smart but very very traumatised. His skillset is rooted in controlling people and predicting them. So Benji, a fucking civilian, catching him off-guard like this is like waving a red flag at a bull. Or dangling a steak over a lion enclosure. Benji doesn't know it yet but he's setting himself up to be a tasty treat for Ethan Hunt circa the late 90s.

"Are you going to kill me or something?" Benji asked. "Is that your spook job, are you a hitman?"

The flash of expression on Bell's face was offended. (This makes me laugh every time. Ethan Hunt is not a killer unless he absolutely must be and he will go out of his way to avoid it. Being an assassin is gross and he doesn't want to be perceived at all bc he's a spy but if he MUST be perceived jfc don't assume he's a HITMAN) "What, no. I just…" Grimacing, he looked away, eyes scanning the other pedestrians around them. "Okay, I'm screwing this up, I can admit that. Can we talk somewhere private?"

Benji didn't even have to think about it. "We can talk somewhere public."

Benji is never going to be an IMF agent but his instincts are wildly correct. And that knowledge comes from a different place! He was a gay punk rock vagabond who dropped out of law school, he knows how to keep out of trouble. He is probably the guy who told his other punk friends "if you are arrested do not say a goddamn thing, just ask for your public defender, don't joke, don't be a smartarse, keep your mouth shut."

The smile that took over Bell's face was lovely, transforming his whole face from storm clouds to something more seasonal. "That's honestly a very smart answer, doc. C'mon, there's a bakery nearby. I'll buy you a coffee. Least I can do."

It really was, so Benji nodded and followed him.

They didn't speak until Bell opened the glass door to another shop and held it open for Benji.

"Wrong hand," Benji said, noticing the small wince Bell let out.

"Inside, doc."

If it isn't obvious, all of the observational skills Benji has canonically have been funneled into his preternatural observation of patients.

Basically, if Benji as a character has a specific set of SPECIAL stats, all of those are the same, he just has different tagged skills in this universe.

Canon Benji is probably.... Guns, Science, and Repair. PT Benji has Medicine, Barter, Speech.

"Not a doctor," Benji said. "You know I'm not a doctor."

"What do you want to drink, doc?"

Ethan is being purposefully annoying and I could write a whole post about Ethan's soft power and the way he manipulates people, but that'd be another post. Short version: some people you seduce, some people you act like a wounded gazelle at, and some people you annoy.

Inside the bakery was loud. It was a strangely open floor plan. A long pastry case cordoned off the seating area for the customers. On the other side was just… the bakery. There were ovens and industrial mixers and rolling racks of cooling bread. In the corner, the espresso machine howled with noise as the milk frother worked.

It smelled divine, like living inside a baguette during a spring shower of dark roast coffee.

It also was a constant racket, which Benji mentioned to Bell as he sat down and slid a dark tea with vanilla syrup across to Benji.

"That's the point," Bell said, slouching back in his chair. "It's very difficult to eavesdrop in here."

Well, he wasn't wrong. Looking to another occupied table nearby, Benji briefly tried to pick out a word of what was being said by the woman seated closest to him. Nothing.

"Right, then," Benji said, attention back on Bell. "Why are you following me?"

"Why?" Bell seemed taken aback.

One of the many moments in the early chapters that establish that Ethan's perception of Normal is not anything approaching actual normal.

"Yes, why."

"Normal intelligence collection."

"On your physical therapist?" Benji asked with a barked laugh.

"Yeah." Bell leaned on his elbows, one hand cupping his own jaw and holding his head up as he made uncomfortably direct eye contact. "You really don't know who I am? Or why some of the appointments on your calendar come with no information?"

Pursing his lips, Benji shook his head.

Blowing out a whistle through his teeth, Bell grinned. "Sorry, that's just… it's new. I'm surprised Dr. Falsion didn't clue you in, but I guess she's not technically supposed to." Lifting his mug, he looked down into it. "People do shit they're not technically supposed to all the time in this town."

Ethan's major trauma at this point is being targeted by Kittridge and the Mole Hunt, and his trust in people to do their jobs is at a critical low that it'll never recover from.

"I don't even know your name," Benji sighed, sipping his own drink. It didn't taste at all like iocaine powder, so he was probably safe for the moment.

Bell rested his temple against the knuckles of his hand, his gaze so intense that Benji didn't know how to look away without making it patently obvious he was unsettled. Whatever Bell saw, it made his lips curve up slight. "Alright. Yeah. My name is Ethan. I work for an organization that shouldn't legally exist, so that's why you don't get anything on me. Even CIA jackboots manipulating local governments are realer than I am." He blinked once. "Also, I was an unprofessional shitheel last session, and I apologize."

Ethan apologizes here because Benji has earned his respect. And also by earning his respect, Ethan is also aware that Benji is not going to be so easy to maneuver around, so he fesses up that he was a prick, softly setting up a different tactic with Benji.

Benji felt his eyes going wider and wider with every sentence until it was a little hard to breathe. So his patient wasn't the American equivalent of an MI5 or MI6 so much as an MI8?

That did sort of start to explain what a pain in the ass he was.

"Shame," Benji managed after a moment of sitting fairly gobsmacked. "I was getting attached to 'Bell.' But I appreciate… all that. Thanks." He frowned. "Are you saying all this because you're actually sorry or are you sick of being stonewalled?"

Benji has a much more cynical mind than Ethan is the funny thing. Benji gets arguably more accurate reads on people than Ethan does. Or, Ethan gets accurate reads but he is continuously poisoned by the hope that people will be better than he expects. So FUNCTIONALLY, Ethan is an optimist and Benji is a realist.

Bell— Ethan— grinned. "That's a very good question. You actually have great instincts, doc. You did a surprisingly good job of shaking me when I was tailing you, especially for a civilian."

One of my favorite running gags is Benji being impossible to tail, so I'm glad we really drove it home the first time it happened. I love consistency in longfic.

"Again: thanks. Don't suppose you'll answer my other question?"

Ethan sipped his coffee, his smile visible around the edge of his cup.

"Right," Benji sighed. At least this felt like progress. And at least he probably wasn't going to be disappeared by a government assassin. That was a relief.

So this entire bit is Ethan reassessing Benji and pivoting his methods and tactics, setting up for a better way of handling Benji. And also being kind of charmed by him.

[monarchamos]

I was watching cannibalism stageplay and found that it pointed out smth very interesting!!! Atsushi's relationship with his orphanage director/headmaster actually resembles Akutagawa's relationship with Dazai

Both Dazai and the orphanage director/headmaster deeply abused and traumatized their students, but it is revealed that both of them did so in concern for their students' survival.

Dazai treated Akutagawa harshly so he would have the strength to live, and even thrive, in the mafia. The orphanage director/headmaster treated Atsushi harshly so that atsushi could keep living with himself when things eventually came crashing down around him (such as when the tiger went feral).

They are also both revealed to have had a rough—arguably even rougher than their students' in some aspects—life, and as such wanted to protect their students from the same pain and agony... though toughening them up through even more agony, enough so that they could persevere and survive through real awful situations later on

honestly i never even thought about this parallel before the stageplay, so this was super duper cool

(more stuff analysis about dazai under the cut!!!)

what's even more interesting is that dazai seems to acknowledge this parallel, and it's through this that we gain further insight on how he views akutagawa. It's clear that he knows full well that what he had done to akutagawa was unforgiveable, and does not expect forgiveness.

however, it's still evident that dazai cares for Akutagawa (again, still does not at all justify what he did to him, but definitely helps put things in perspective). If he hadn't, why would Dazai have put him through all that training and suffering to toughen him up, when he could have just as easily thrown him to the wolves and left him to die as a meaningless grunt in the mafia?

Dazai saw a young child, only 2 years younger than him, with a similar lack of a will to live in his eyes. He didn't need to take him into the mafia, but he did. he saw that kid with nothing else to keep him pushing through life, and sought to give him a similar home and salvation that the mafia brought him. Perhaps even better, perhaps give him the hope that dazai had wished the mafia have given him (as it is revealed in stormbringer that he had already gotten tired of the mafia after a year despite saying that he might find a reason to live bc of it in 15).

but for akutagawa to be able to find a home in the mafia (which, its clear that he does later on, such as when he was trying to bring kyouka back to the mafia) dazai had to make sure that he could survive through the bad, hence the... well, y'know. we've all memed on that one gif of dazai beating the shit out of aku. i think. i dunno maybe im just fucked up.

dazai isnt a dick to akutagawa bc he was an edgy teenager or just for shits and giggles. and he didn't push akutagawa to the fullest because he didn't comprehend how strong he actually was, pushing on a notion of weakness onto him.

dazai knows that akutagawa is strong. we know he knows. Hell, Chuuya (and atsushi too but idk if im remembering the guild aftermath scene right) knows.

So did Dazai's method of putting aku through hell to make him develop a "loathesome anger to help him survive" work? yeah. does it resemble what atsushi went through at the hands of his orphanage director/headmaster? yeah.

however, the similarities in their way of teaching doesn't end there. Dazai's method of training akutagawa resulted in an extremely low self-esteem, the kind that depends on another's approval. While atsushi doesn't necessarily depend on the approval of others, he does have a very low self esteem and rather depends on helping others to prove that he's worthy of living.

This unfortunate side effect of Dazai's and the orphanage director/headmaster's teaching method is likely unintentional, as both probably only focused on the intended outcome of strengthening akutagawa/atsushi.

so anyway idk how to end this so yeah. tldr cannibalism stageplay pointed out the parallel between atsushi's relationship with his orphanage director/headmaster vs akutagawa's relationship with dazai. as such, it helps give really interesting insight on why dazai treated aku that way.

[fareehaandspaniards]

All 20 unhinged prompts for Maria Ushiromiya + A wildcard: Would this kid be an iPad baby if she were born in our time?

( @izunias-meme-hole )

Unhinged prompts

Maria Ushiromiya????!! Okay! I'll do my best to answer

1. How do you think this character would fare in a zombie apocalypse?

Die third probably (After some relatives). I think her out-of-the-box thinking will get her through the first day or two. But... too young, too naive and spends too much time in her own imagination :Р

2. Favorite hc for this character?

If Maria had grown up, it would have been a truly femme fatale around the age of 25! She would have been independent of people (because she is already used to being alone and with her magical friends), complex, intelligent, and probably wouldn't see men as anything more than entertainment because of her father who abandoned her and Rosa. She would be the opposite of Rosa :P

3. Make me a hc about [insert topic]

Hmmm... I have not so many headcanons about her and since you didn't choose the topic...

Food! Maria isn't picky with food, and also, despite living with her mother, is quite capable of cooking something for herself, and in general can live independently at the age of nine. But only if she has to. If someone else is around, she will dump the responsibility for herself on someone else xd

4. What snacks is this character getting at the movie theater? Where are they sitting? Do they turn off their phone or are they a criminal?

I don't think Maria needs snacks while watching, much less a phone! :D I think she is able to immerse herself in the movie to the point where she can see it as reality. Hence, food or extraneous noises will distract her

5. How would this character act on social media?

Maria is an adept of holywars in commenting on everything….. She has her irrefutable opinion, and she will prove it to you for five hours, even if she is wrong…. And her blog would be cottagecore style and overall very cute <3 The main thing is to remember to agree with her

6. How would this character answer the trolley problem? Then how would they actually act if faced with it?

MARIA CAN'T BE ASKED TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. She will probably create such an unbelievable scenario that from the trolley problem you will come to a situation of her demon army taking over the world.

If she were faced with such a problem, I think…. She would panic, but she would save one person, her loved one, instead of several others…. and she wouldn't regret it!

7. What’s your favorite thing about this character?

Well… I can't say we're alike, but I too was a kid who spent all my time in my imagination. I was so caught up in the game that I didn't notice my parents around while my dolls ran back and forth and tackled scary obstacles. So I can imagine how important her imaginary world of witches is to her, and why she treasures it so much. Even if she becomes convinced it's all Beatrice's fiction, she'll still hold a little piece of faith deep in her heart that it was all real

I love how Maria is shown from completely different angles. I love exploring child characters, and I didn't expect Maria to be so unusual and fascinating in the manga

8. What would this character’s favorite kind of weather be?

Absolutely definitely a thunderstorm with heavy rain! So everyone is sitting at home and Maria is enjoying the company and family coziness :3

9. How far would this character get attempting to climb Mount Everest?

THIS GIRL is gonna climb Everest!!! She will just deal with all the difficulties with her imagination, and in the end she won't even notice them. As long as her head believes that Sakutaro is helping her climb higher, she'll be able to handle anything

10. How would this character feel about [insert topic]?

Boom, randomizer said: topic is internet!

Maria would probably like to have some influence on the internet. You know, have her own channel, blog, community, uh, something else, and be in charge of it. You know, if she and Ange started some project together, they wouldn't be able to finish it as they would fight forever for leadership haha, just like with magic. I think Maria is the kind of person who would try to gather like-minded people around her, but would be interested in too narrow of topics to really have fans and followers

11. Forget the sex or die trope. This character must attempt to rob a bank or they will die. Do they succeed/how much do they get? (If you have extra time, what’s their plan? Who is their crew?)

Of course she will rob a bank XD And she will do it in a very lavish, bright and pompous way!!!! There will be fireworks, people in different costumes, shooting and many other things. Her gang will consist of an army of beasties, Sakutaro and Beatrice

12. This character suddenly finds themself on the titanic. Do they survive?

Yea. She was among the first on the lifeboat and didn't even realize how it happened herself

13. Shopping timeeee what outfit/style of outfit does this character put together?

But that's probably for an adult Maria….. She wouldn't be afraid to look “weird” in public, so she'd probably be dressed either like this ^ or something very colorful

14. This character comes suddenly face to face with a dragon. Befriend or slay?

Befriend! :D

15. This character is sent a scam email by the fae requesting they type in their name for a free prize. Do they fall for it?

She does, she does!!! Well, the first time XD And then she'll probably read a spell to give the offender diarrhea for two weeks.

16. What hurts this character the most emotionally?

Trying to smash and destroy her little miracle of magic! You know, there are those people who will prove to you that what you thought was luck or blessing (or magic) can actually be easily explained by science and math and shit. And they don't care if your little miracle makes you happy. Oh, it's people like that who can break her sensitive heart. Aaaaand Rosa

17. What gives this character the most comfort?

Support. Also when everyone around is in a good mood. She doesn't have to be afraid or worry about others, she can live a little in her world and try to find happiness with the help of magic once again

18. If this character is from a more modern setting, how do they fare when dropped unceremoniously with no warning into the middle ages? Or if they’re from a more fantasy/old timey setting, the other way around? You get the idea

I can't make up my mind XD on one hand, Maria is quite capable of taking over the kingdom by becoming a court wizard or something. I think she would be VERY convincing regarding her magic. And on the other hand - you know, little girls better not go alone in medieval times :0 She'll either become a saint, or a head warlock, or die very quickly

19. This character received a mysterious package in the mail containing a genie lamp. 3 wishes, the usual rules, go!

Oh okay. The first is to make sure mom never gets taken over by an evil witch again! Two, that everyone believes in magic with Maria. And three, I don't even know. Either daddy's return or something tangible like toys or candy. And MAYBE a magic wand that would allow Maria to control everyone around her!

20. This character is being marooned by pirates on a deserted island and the pirates say they’re allowed to bring three things to the island. What do they bring?

Sakutaro, dark magic grimoire and mom...? Mom can be a thing for her in some sense, I think. Well...

21. A wildcard: Would this kid be an iPad baby if she were born in our time?

Unlikely… Gadgets can replace the play of imagination, and Rosa would likely have been desperate to soothe Maria precisely with an iPad like so many irresponsible parents do. But Maria is too intelligent and independent to lose her mind in silly toys and cartoons. If she had used a cell phone or an iPad, it would have made her imagination even stronger! But it wouldn't have made her forget about regular games and entertainment! I think Maria would be great in Minecraft

[dailygrumbot]

Day 55: Family Tree Part 2 (with Part 1)

Part 1 was posted along with another post, so it could have been missed, hence why it is here. More parts will come, but that's when it gets complicated (as all the Hermits count as family). Rambling More info below!

(And reminder I made a discord to talk about the bots)

Remember this is about the characters and not the actual people since, y'know, the bots aren't really real (no matter how much that would be nice). But some of the actual people are on tumblr, and if there is some design element that makes them uncomfortable, please do say something!

I couldn't fit as many words as I would like, and some details got a little lost summarizing, so here's some of that extra context.

I know one common fact that's gone around is that Mumbo joined season 2 when he was still 17 or so. Character wise, Mumbo's bio family is out of the picture and joining as a minor of sorts needed some parental or guardian permission, so Xisuma essentially legally adopted Mumbo to make it easier.

Evil Xisuma would technically be a Great Uncle, but he insists on just being referred to as an Uncle, at least by Tegg. [Insert: I've only had [character] for 5 minutes meme].

I made Pearl's eyes pearlescent! And gave little star freckles! But otherwise Grian and Pearl being siblings is more found family than actually being related, but they call each other siblings.

Speaking of... Jimmy! Grian's lovingly bullying of Jimmy has major sibling vibes. I like to jokingly say they're soulmates, but not in the 'oh we are meant to be together, the universe says so' but more 'No matter what the situation is, even if technically the two shouldn't know each other, they do, and it's to annoy one another.' Soulsiblings if you will. Just, look at the entire interaction when the Hermits went to Empires and Grian found Jimmy.

NPG!!! He cameoed in the previous art piece. A pre-hermitcraft classic! He's in hels now with Evil Xisuma and the hels hermits. Grum isn't 100% sure if NPG and EX are friends, or if it's a low key hostage situation. In which case EX would be the hostage. NPG is sort of violently friendly.

Finally Grumbot Prime and Emperor Grumbot. Grumbot Prime is of course the alternate universe Grumbot that came from the rift. Grum worries about the fact that he wasn't successful getting Mumbo to be mayor while this alternate did. Meanwhile Emperor Grumbot wasn't exploded. Well he was, but got better and now just lives in Empires. (I mean this whole thing is sort of an au since Grum and Jrum aren't in s9, and tegg never hatched, etc etc, so empires is a lil changed as well.) Oh also Jrum doesn't just 'want' the crown, he just tries stealing it when he can. It is shiny. He want. Gib.

[take-me-to-valhalla]

Hello :) For the OC asks: 1, 9, 15, 19, 30 for the characters of your choice. I would also like to ask : 2, 7, 8, 20, 39 for Raphaëlle if you want.

Thank you so much! What a good set of questions.

For the first set, I'll take Sid. He's one of the PoV characters of the story I'm currently writing, and I have some things to say about him.

1: What is your character’s biggest fear?

Being abandoned. It happened to him once before the beginning of the story. One of the reasons he feels so strongly attached to his (vampire) boss is because he will never lose him (read: as a human, he'll die before him)

9: How does your character feel about religion?

He comes from a very religious family and it fucked him up. A Lot. Now that he lives among monsters and supernatural creatures, it's hard to muster a strong religious belief in one god or another...but I'd say he directed his faith (and fear) toward someone else.

15: What music genre would your character listen to?

As his nickname implies: punk music. He looks the part in the comic series, with a mohawk that's a pain to draw (in the book, his head is just buzzed cut)

19: What is your character’s deepest, darkest secret?

He's in love with his boss.

It's absolutely not a secret, but he's rather die than admit it to anyone, let alone said boss. As you may have gathered from the questions above, he's projecting a lot of things upon him. It's absolutely not sane or healthy, and his boss is both a vampire and an unsavoury character. It will not end well.

30: Would your character have any hobbies?

Other than listening to music and worrying about everything? No.

The Special Raphaëlle Round:

2: What is your character’s favorite memory?

I'd say when she fell in love. It sounds sappy, I know.

Most importantly, when she allowed herself to fall in love. Letting her guard down, accepting the change that would come with it...and, yeah. Her life became much more interesting.

7: How does your character feel about their name?

Her full name is Raphaëlle Bellespry* and she doesn't like her last name. It sounds clunky and stupid to her** Her boyfriend loves it though***

*pronounce it in French.

**though there is no Bellespry last name as I know of, I did meet a Bellefort at my job last week. So it's not that far off...

***and ends up taking her surname.

8: Does your character hate anyone? Why?

Though she has a complicated relationship with her family, she doesn't hate them. She wants them to respect her choices and feels smothered by them, hence the reason why she ran away. I'll have her confront them in a future story. I just have to figure out how.

In the comic series, she hates Polidori, but that's for the jokes to work.

20: What is the most surprising thing about your character?

Her bravery. And her level-headedness. When confronted to incredible or horrible things, she doesn't break down, even though she's just a regular human among monsters and supernatural horrors. She's a true believer of the "fake-it-till-you-make-it" method, hence she managed to keep her sanity where other people would have faltered.

On a more meta level, I think the fact that she's not particularly nice and/or considerate comes as a surprise to some readers. I like her that way though.

39: What would be your character’s niche on Tumblr?

I think she would be kind of a studyblr user, with tips and posts about efficiency, etc. And a sideblog for memes.

[ask-mortarion-the-death-lord]

thoughts bouncin around my head, figured i'd write it down, but an important thematic throughline of the traitor primarchs is in general the need for approval / validation. lorgar want to be validated for his religious and philosophical beliefs and when that not only doesnt happen but hes actively refuted he heel turns into chaoses embrace. horus despite his suave confident facade is desperate for the approval of being daddys special number 1 big time boy, so much so that when negged on the prospect that the emperor probably doesn't actually love him even a little he goes off the god damn walls and starts the haralds hairdressing.

now, one can definitely blame this in part on how the traitor primarchs are made out by the narrative as inherently flawed from the start well the loyalists get flights of angels and glowing stars signifying their descents onto the world. as a consequence of that the loyalists end up being almost totally self assured and self actualized as characters right from the get go, occasionally questioning things but always within the context of whether or not they'll lose that sense of self actualization [hence why i'd say guilliman has been baby girled to heck and back by the fandom since his return to 40k, because baby girl guilliman doesn't have that sense of self actualization he has in 30k when hes in the 40k time frame].

this brings me to the curious case of mort and pert.

now, if [some] 40k memes are to be taken as factual morts a crybaby loser who got pissed dad stole his kill well perts an anal retentive crybaby who acted solely on his grudge against rogal. in essence the popular layman vision of the traitor primarchs has it that only perturabo and mortarion are desperate for approval [or more commonly they disregard mort and focus solely on pert] despite all the traitor primarchs being clingy and desperate for approval in some respect.

i dont think its inaccurate however to say that pert and mort both evoke that theme of validation the most out of the traitor primarchs. they both betray the emperor out of dissatisfaction with the job, but also importantly they join up with horus because horus offered them any degree of approval for who they are at all, and they both get drawn further into the clusterfuck of the heresy because of feelings of gratitude to horus for that validation. and importantly they both 'justify' their decisions through rather threadbare reasons despite the actual reason being that gratitude to horus for saying 'ya did good son brother' [perturabo justifying it through his rivalry to rogal and mortarion justifying it through the emperor stealing his glory].

where they ultimately differ however, is that mortarion is entirely wrapped up in that desire for validation, well perturabos desire for validation stems from the massive chip on his shoulder of resentment hes been carrying his entire life.

and to explain what i mean by that, id like to point to an important fundamental difference between the two that highlights exactly what i mean by the assertion that mort is number 1 on the desire for validation of the traitors well pert is number 2 due to his primary motivation being a heaping load of resentment.

namely that well mortarion is always described as having chosen to throw his legion into the thickest and most dangerous of warzones, chosen to specialize in trench warfare, well perturabo is always described as being burdened or forced to take on that role of trench warfare, being tasked with it instead of choosing it.

and that i think speaks to the heart of what im getting at here. resentment is an important facet of mortarions character, but its so heavily tied up in his desire for validation that said desire is what i would classify as more important to identifying his character. the blow of the emperor 'stealing his kill' is so galling not [entirely] because of the wounded pride but because it invalidates a lifetime worth of suffering and struggle, and its a wound that entirely snowballs into dire consequences for mortarion. and similarly that horus out of all of his brothers shows any extent of approval to mortarion for his efforts and struggles of him and his legion during the great crusade is what secures so much of his loyalty during the horus heresy. it also nicely explains why nurgle corruption specifically is what mortarion fell into, because what nurgle ultimately offers is validation for suffering.

perturabo by comparison well similarly so desperate for approval that he jumps on team horus the minute horus shows any degree of sympathy to him and his plights, is so tied up in his resentment towards everyone and everything that if nothing else leaving in the middle of the siege because everyone pissed him off enough is a perfect sample of characterization for him. well mortarion desires validation to make meaning out of suffering and misery, perturabo desires validation because he specifically feels hard done by and left out to dry by the powers in play, which he projects into his rivalry with rogal dorn the praetorian whos constantly validated for talents perturabo shares and views himself as superior in. its also why i would argue hes nonaligned despite using the power of chaos for his own ends, not because hes some cool badass but because well... what have the powers at play ever done for him other then pass him up for reward and approval well dumping their gifts onto other people? its about time he got something back for his efforts and by golly he'll do it by force just to show em.

[coming in at third would be mangus as well his desire for validation for psykers and his and his legions research are important, whats more defining about him i'd say is his conviction in proving hes the smartest guy in the room at all times.]

[ariibees]

*climbs into your askbox like an old friend* I just wanted to come and say I vibe so hard with your feelings about Outer Wilds! Unfortunately for stupid reasons of physical impediment I'm unable to play games with a controller and it is, as it turns out, pretty impossible to play on mouse and keyboard, so i had to experience it through other people's playthroughs which was a huge shame. but nevertheless, I absolutely agree with "rewrote my brain"!!

Interestingly enough, I had the exact opposite experience with the control schemes -- I played the game using keyboard & mouse pretty comfortably, and absolutely would have suffered with controller. In the early game the controls do take some getting used to (particularly the delayed jump and zero-gravity maneuvering) and I was using a pretty awful button mapping setup earlier on, but with the exception of [THAT SECTION] that controller can arguably-slightly-cheese I preferred the ease of looking around and aiming my scout that kb&m provided. Though I'll admit I'm biased in that regard, as I've gone to pretty comical lengths to avoid having to use a controller for anything (looking at you, Sonic Adventure 2) and thus never really learned how to hold/use them.

That aside, even though you didn't get to play the game on your own, I'm glad you were able to enjoy other folks' playthroughs -- there are some seriously awesome ones out there. Since it's impossible to replay Outer Wilds for obvious reasons I always try to push people towards experiencing it on their own first, but in a situation where you can't I'm glad you still got to see it through one way or another.

As for the actual point of the ask hahaha, yeah, gosh, this game just fundamentally dug into me in a way others haven't. I legitimately went through the five stages of grief over the game's ending.

The game is also just great at putting you in the shoes of the Hatchling. With the exception of like, continuing a save after getting the kazoo meme ending which technically "doesn't happen," you explore the world and learn everything entirely in-character, which made it all hit much harder for me. It didn't feel like I was observing a story, it felt like I was the one making it and uncovering the mystery and having all of this happen to me. That and the fact that I had some personal things going on in my life around when I played Outer Wilds that aligned with the game's themes, leading to it kinda taking me out on a very personal level.

Outer Wilds also just seemed perfectly engineered to suck me in, haha. It's got computer simulations! Black holes! Quantum mechanics! I was the kinda kid who lived for space documentaries so getting to fly around and explore everything was amazing. Going through environmental puzzles, reading adorable exchanges with the nomai, getting to see the most incredible sights (the door falling away at the [SPOILER] and having to make a leap of faith to get across the gap was amazing), and putting it all together in a wild red-string conspiracy board...I completed the entire game over the course of like, 2-3 days as I recall? Just entirely immersed for that time.

It's inspired me so much in my stories and how I think about mysteries. It's the best time-loop game out there, and the presentation of the sandbox mystery is just unparalleled in any other game. Hence why everyone who's played it is left looking up Youtube playthroughs and chasing that high again -- personally I think going into the original Subnautica game blind touches some of the same feelings, but you're never really gonna get the Outer Wilds Experience again.

The mechanics are great, the mystery is presented wonderfully; I fell in love with the environments and the characters and the dialogue. The themes were tied into the story very naturally and hit me right in my core. Obviously I can't really replay it, but I do sometimes boot it up just to reread some sections or go hang out on Giant's Deep for the ambiance; it's comforting and nostalgic in a weird sort of way.

Sorry that this response isn't anywhere near coherent. I'm very, very tired right now, and I love Outer Wilds a lot and won't pass up a chance to ramble about how great it is. It's a very special game to my heart and dug into me in a way other games often can't do. It's not for everyone, but if it is for you it's REALLY for you. Clearly I like it and clearly you like it. So thanks for climbing into my askbox and setting me off, haha.

[saotome-michi]

Whenever I see someone complaining that the One Piece anime isn't seasonal because of corporate greed, I'm just like

(Takes a deep breath)

Yes Toei makes more money off one piece being weekly. But so does pretty much everyone involved with the production. Oda, his editors, the voice actors, the animators, EVERYONE makes more money at a relatively reliable and steady rate. The One Piece anime is dependably profitable in a way that not many anime series are and that job security is not something people want to give up. There are people who have worked on the anime for yearsss and they're booked for years to come. Which leads to my next point

Logistics!

Production is scheduled months, even years in advance. Investors have been secured; budgets have been planned; people and facilities have been booked, hired, and contracted. To transition One Piece from a weekly to seasonal anime would mean changing all those arrangments. And re-booking people can be a pain since so many people in the industry are freelancers and have their own schedules planned months in advance. (It's also a pain for the freelancers because oh that job you thought would keep you occupied and pay your bills from Oct to Dec? No longer available.) You would need at least a year (but more likely 2) to plan and execute such a transition. Hence why instead of going through that headache, we have a completely different studio doing a seperate seasonal anime.

Third point— I think a lot of people are either not aware of or completely downplay how One Piece being weekly has helped it increase and maintain its popularity and relevance in the public conscience. Which is funny considering how many people also complain about Netflix's binge model. Pretty much every week of the year there is a new chapter and a new episode. The reddit forums go wild, one piece youtubers broadcast their thoughts/reactions, twitter is awash with opinions and memes. People often say "it's a good time to be a One Piece Fan" but the thing is, it's always been a good time to be a One Piece fan, especially if you're Japanese. There has been a consistant output of material to process. It's this weekly model, among other things, that helped Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach reach their omnipresent status as the Big Three in the 2000s. Even with the popularity of series like My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Haikyuu, and Demon Slayer, you can easily identify their waves of popularity as, well, waves that ebb and flow with the broadcasting of each season, rather than the steady current that has been One Piece throughout the years.

[alpaca-clouds]

Castlevania and Themes

I experienced an epiphany yesterday, while discussing the series with a friend. And while I will still maintain that season 4 is very messy in many regards (especially writing), some choices make a lot more sense to me now.

The series is not really subtle about the base message. It is mostly really the "I know people who use subtext and they are all cowards" meme. With characters in every single season giving a big speach about the themes. You know, the entire thing about "building things" and "teaching people". But what I did not realize until yesterday is, that the series does not fall under the umbrella of progressivism, but radical progressivism. (Note that in the sense of the series this does not really maintain towards modern world interpretations of the words, but the original meaning.)

Let me explain. Within the series characters fall mostly into a spectrum of ideals. And those ideals fall into one of three categories:

Radical Progressivism: Building new things, sharing knowledge, teaching

Conservatism/Regressivism: Keeping things as they are, hoarding knowledge, upholding a sense of stability, undoing change

Destructive Nihilism: Destroying things, killing, not valueing life

Again, the show is not exactly subtle when it comes to the entire idea of making new things and teaching. We literally start out the series with Lisa lecturing Vlad about that topic. It is brought up through Sypha several times in season 2. In season 3 we have most obviously the Captain holding his monologue about the topic. And in season 4 we have both Isaac's and Trevor's respective monologues.

But watching the series under this aspect - specifically under the idea of contrasting conservatism with progressivism - certain things make a lot of change. Especially in regards of who ends up living and who ends up dying.

Also, under this perspective the Targoviste arc finally makes sense. As well, for that matter, where the entire thing with Taka and Sumi is going. Or why Lenore dies.

Let me explain: Adrian's decision at the end of season 2 is actually a wrong one. He decides to "protect the knowledge" in the castle. Which under the perspective of the moral good the series aims for being the sharing of knowledge is, in fact, a moral failing. He falls into the same battern as his father had before Lisa's arrival. Hoarding knowledge and not doing much with it. What the moral says he should be doing is, to go out and bring the knowledge to the people or outright advertise the castle as a place of learning. Hence, karma ends up kicking his ass.

Taka and Sumi meanwhile fall under the destructive nihilism thing. They want knowledge, but they only want that knowledge to destroy things. Hence, they are bad.

Same we see with Zamfir. She is a conservative. She wants to uphold the status quo. The fact that that status quo is a city literally in ruins basically exists to drive that point home. Which is also, why she ends up dying.

Carmilla starts out as a conservative, but then also runs into nihilism and she dies for it.

And while Lenore is not destructive, she is also not constructive or progressive. She just wants to maintain things as they are, and when change happens either way she resents that change - and hence she kills herself, because she does not accept the change and whatever new thing Isaac builds.

And it is also why Striga and Morana, who explicitly want to build a future together, get to live. And why Lisa and Dracula come back. Because Lisa is the serie's paragon. She is the one who wants to change and make new things and share the knowledge. And as long as she is around Dracula, who stands for the collected knowledge, actually can be a force for good. He comes back, because he embodies knowledge.

This moral is also, why Hector ends on the "I am going to write a book" thing. Because under this moral framework writing a book (meaning: sharing his knowledge) is one of the ultimative moral things to do.

To put it differently: From the very beginning of first watching the show, I could not shake the feeling that there was some blue-orange morals going on (aka: the moral framework the show works under is different from what you'd usually expect). But I could not quite put the finger on the moral set. Watching it under this perspective however and assuming the moral set involves "building/sharing knowledge" as the ultimate moral good and "destroying/hoarding knowledge" as the ultimate moral failing... the show actually deals out a ton of karmic justice.

And as I said: Lisa is a paragon from this moral point of view. So is Sypha. Heck, Sypha's character arc actually suddenly makes sense: She looses her way in season 3 as instead of returning to her people (whose entire thing is collecting, but also sharing knowledge and enabling an exchange of knowledge) she instead goes adventuring. Hence this entire thing bites her in the ass and she has to go to Targoviste to be reminded of her ideals.

An interesting bit about the entire thing is, that the framework also assumes that everyone can at any point become good and make up for anything they have done. Because if you start holding knowledge as the highest good, rather than something like human life... Yeah, it is actually pretty easy to rebuild that kinda stuff or make up for it.

Which is also why the show mostly deals with Dracula, Hector and Isaac and the entire genocide with "yeah, that was horrible - eh, whatever". Because it is not the moral framework that the show works under.

Also: St. Germain's moral failing is hence not his acceptance of death, but actually his misuse of knowledge with the firm goal to regress from it.

It suddenly all makes sense!