#i probably didn't need to add this as its own full addition to the post outside of the tags but this came at a very good time for me.

[res-on8]

I've had episodic hemiplegic migraines since I was 11 years old. I'd usually get them 1 to 3 times a year, and I kinda just assumed that's my migraine. That kind of migraine is very dramatic and noticeable, so it felt like that had to be the only way I got a migraine.

In the last year and a half or so, I've had a vague awareness that I get headaches petty often. I never kept a close eye on it, I either took pills or I deemed them not bad enough to do so (or, honestly, I stopped registering the mild ones). I've also had various other weird things pop up lately (like dry mouth and jaw soreness), and some things I've sorta had before get more frequent ot worse (like neck stiffness/aching and "icky stomach" where I wasn't nauseous but food sounded bad even if i hadnt eaten much that day).

A couple weeks back, I started noticing a weird sensation of being unsteady and wobbly when I walked, but it was on and off. I didn't know what to think at first, but I got a blood draw for blood sugar levels, metabolic stuff, and thyroid bc of family history. All came back normal.

I started putting pieces together and realized that this might just be chronic migraines. I've started a spreadsheet to keep track of various symptoms that I've noticed but never thought much about. Randomly not being able to stop yawning even if I'm not tired, irritability, visual and/or audio overwhelm/sensitivity, dry mouth, icky stomach, brain fog/forgetting words, can't speak clearly (slightly slurring my words). Even in just a week and half, I have finally noticed how frequent this is and how these often all happen around the same time.

Additionally, I keep a log of how I felt each day and other things I did, and I've been doing it very consistently just before bed for YEARS with Daylio. I've had "headache" on the app for nearly 2 years as an option I will select. Looking back on the data in the last 1.5 years, I have a headache about 1/3 of the days of the year. And I would guess that's an underestimate bc of silent migraines or the pain "not being enough to count" since it doesn't last long or isn't that bad even though it happened. I wouldn't doubt that I forget or completely overlook some instances bc they're so common or not painful enough.

THIS IS NOT NORMAL.

But it took until being "wobbly" when I walked to seriously consider this wide array of symptoms being from one source. I was a software trainer for nearly 4 years, and I thought my inability to remember words was a failing on MY part and I was just bad at being a trainer lately.

I learned my lesson the hard way. I have an appointment with my PCP in a week with the intention of stating my suspicion of chronic migraines and asking for a neurology referral. But because of reading this post, I am going to declare this is chronic migraines AND that I would like to try preventative medicine ASAP and a neurology referral as well.

I'm not gonna let myself suffer more than I already have, and I am going to be assertive about this. I'm lucky my PCP is very good and listens to me, but I still cannot leave room for more suffering physically and blaming myself for shortcomings that migraines are almost definitely the cause of.

here's your regular reminder that if you consistently, regularly get headaches, you are almost certainly having migraines, not regular headaches.

MOST recurrent headaches are migraine headaches.

"migraine" does not mean "extremely painful headache." it is a type and source of pain, not a degree of pain. migraines can also include some or all of the following: fatigue, sensitivity to light and sound, visual auras, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, cognitive impairment, etc. these symptoms can be mild or severe and it may actually be difficult to determine if you have them. (who wants a bright light in their eyes during a headache?? i thought that's just how headaches were lmao.)

this is important because while aspirin, NSAIDs like ibuprofren, and other over-the-counter pain meds can effectively alleviate migraine pain, getting diagnosed with migraines allows for a wider range of treatments and preventatives.

it's also important because, in my opinion, your average general practice doctor is not equipped to diagnose you with chronic migraine. don't go to one expecting them to. a neurologist with migraine specialty is a better option, although a regular doctor can still be useful if they listen to you lol.

my life would be miserable and unmanageable without sumatriptan. and i never would have gotten a prescription for sumatriptan if i hadn't gone to my GP and said, "i have migraines and want to try migraine medicine," even though at the time i wasn't 100% sure that was true.

if you have chronic headaches, they're almost certainly migraines. if no one has said that to you before, let me be the first. start treating your migraines.

[darkpoisonouslove]

1, 2, 5, 7, 12, 19, 26, 33, 39 for yet another writing ask game (I tried to pace myself, believe it or not 🤪)

(Mhm, I can see that! XD)

yet another writing ask

1. Which of your fics would you keep the basic plot of but rewrite completely?

Why would you do this to me? Don't I already have enough WiPs on my plate? You know this is only ever going to end one way.

I'd say Prey on the Heart. I do like the descriptions of the setting and the worldbuilding but *pinches bridge of nose* Valtor is SO OOC, I'm in literal pain. I don't know what was going on through my head but oh, boy! Then again, it's been almost three years since then and my understanding of the characters has definitely improved plus my headcanon game has evolved too!... Now I feel the need to add that to the pile of WiPs. I. Am. Mad. at. You! 😤

I'm also definitely touching up the three chapters of Gifts Are Given To Be Taken if I ever get to writing the rest. And same for Have No Name for My Heart. That one is such a downer. 😅 I need to rework the tone completely.

2. Anything that you'd like to write but feel like you're unable to?

In general? Murder mysteries. I LOVE murder mysteries (though I'm somehow way better at identifying the red herring (as such) than the actual culprit)! But they require way too much research and that's literally the bane of my existence. So, uh, yeah... that Scream AU for Winx is probably not going to happen.

In particular I feel that I'm unable to write the Winx rewrite. Like, I want to! I have so many cool ideas that I'm excited about! But I lack the motivation and the sheer size of it scares me. Besides, there are so many rewrites out there that it feels like a waste of time to do that when I can be working on Griffin x Valtor (or a Griffin x Faragonda or Marion... or anyone really) fics, which are... mostly my niche (not to monopolize the ship but *looks at the Griffin x Valtor tag on AO3*).

5. What's a tag you never want to use for your works even when it applies?

I can't think of one? If I don't want something associated with my account, I just don't post it. But I guess, generally speaking, I wouldn't want to tag something if it's spoilers. AO3 luckily has the "creator chose not to use archive warnings" and you can write an additional tag to the same effect if it's a trope you don't want to tag rather than an archive warning.

7. Your favorite ao3 tag.

I was gonna say I didn't have one but I'm afraid that if my answer here isn't angst, you will hunt me for sport. XD You know I love my pain and tragedy.

12. If you write in more than one language, what's the difference?

I write in Bulgarian very rarely anymore. I think the last time was in the beginning of last year and I have only written down a few ideas since then. But the key difference I feel is that I have a much easier time describing things in Bulgarian because the language itself is more descriptive. It's possible that I simply understand it a lot better than English since it's my mother tongue but I have also analyzed some Bulgarian texts and their English translations and while translations can rarely capture the full spirit of the original, I still feel that the Bulgarian language just offers more when it comes to how descriptive words are. Idk if that makes sense.

Another one is that I have a much easier time with varying sentence structure in English. Though, that might be because I've paid special attention to that while I haven't practiced it in Bulgarian... at all.

19. Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

I want you to know that I have to try so hard to restrain myself from saying at least five different things about this:

She slid a hand between her breasts to touch only flesh instead of her monad necklace that was usually nestled there. Its shine was replaced by the gold she’d threaded into the plunging neckline of her nightgown with her own powers, all on Valtor’s insistence it would bring out her eyes. Despite the darkness trying to creep over her form, a smile was curling her lips at how right he’d been.

A draft disturbed the room, the air moving as if with something shuddering.

Griffin whispered his name. Only once. Like it was some cursed, forbidden knowledge. The power it held was immeasurable – greater than any spell.

Her fingers dipped under her neckline to trace a path for him directly to her heart.

As if offended by its thundering, a lightning tore through the blanket of clouds enveloping the castle.

The flash of light revealed in the mirror a pair of glacial blue eyes, pale skin and maroon fabric that would blend together with her nightgown perfectly if not for the gold threads distinguishing where her form ended and his began.

The darkness surged over the room once again a moment later, greedy, great enough to swallow even him, making it look like she was a lonely island surrounded only by empty air and the hazy glow of her magic. Yet, even that omnipotent cover failed to hide him from her.

He was silent, motionless, not even a gasp of breath coming from him to make the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. The magic that had clung to her day and night had evaporated, leaving only a hollowness behind, a cold that made her shiver as if she’d been thrown out in the storm.

It didn’t matter.

She was dressed for him, in her favorite nightgown she hadn’t worn for anyone else – a tribute to him. She’d only needed to call his name once and he’d come running. He wasn’t leaving here until she was ready to let him go, until all the cards were on the table, everything revealed. No more distant voyeurism and half-lies, only naked truth.

26. What would you describe as OOC?

A behavior or action that isn't properly supported by the previously established characterization. For fics specifically, a character isn't OOC if the story took the time to take them from their canon self to the person that they are in the fic but there has to be a hint at least of why they are the way they are.

33. Give your writing a compliment.

You know, I'm starting to like my descriptions more and more! I'm learning to focus more on the vibes and that makes it easier to pinpoint which parts I need to describe. I was panicking about this one description I needed to do recently and then I ended up getting it almost perfect right away!

39. Wildest AU scenario you have written?

I answered this here.

[red-dyed-sarumane]

OKAY VOCACOLLE SUMMER TOP 15 SONGS (my ranking) LETS GOO

1. Kannagi - Hiiragi Magnetite: the lyrics on this are going to keep me occupied for the longest time until i understand it better. the atmosphere of this song is just incredible, the addition of the bells in her hand in the song, the light chime-y parts of the the instrumental, the piano, the longer notes, u dont need to know the lyrics to know theres a sense of regret in here. theres enough in the chimes u can feel the inner reflection in this, & like other series songs it hits that standing at the end of world in the rain feeling. its paced so perfectly it doesnt even feel like 6 minutes. series wise i think thats not only a call back to kyuuyaku but like shoushitsu & kyuuyaku it shows off that loop theme, getting into whats going on building it up, theres a bit of calm and then it picks up again. lots of story telling & details in it to add to the narrative. haru fits it so perfectly & that's definitely by design. this song has already embedded itself in my heart

2. Stockholm Office - Crump: if kannagi wasnt posted this would take first place EASILY IMMEDIATELY. i cant say in words how much i loved this so instantly. the light whispery-ness of kafu & the spacey-ness of certain instruments and parts combined with the heavy groundedness of the rest of it is so so perfect. the poetic way the lyrics show off the state of things in this song without being super blunt about the complaints in it & the overall rhythm of it draws me in so so much. they really matched the mood of the instrumentals & the lyrics so perfectly. its not spacey enough for me to say true dissociation type feel but theres such a strong feeling of disconnection in this, that feeling of lying to urself to stick something out which im sure is entirely intended given the title. im about to become the number one promoter of this song its one of those found it at the perfect timing things for me.

3. Candy Drop - yurame: this has the usual yurame song feel. i can only describe it as sounding how carbonation in drinks feels. its trendy sounding but at the same time is all its own thing and authentic feeling. the lyrics are written in a way its like ah yeah i get that feeling. despite the lightness of the instrumental its good at getting that melancholic feel across & isnt jarring in the slightest. flower has that mix of rough & cute to suit this as well. very good song.

4. Quiet - szri: szri's usual quick & heavy pacing definitely building off what they did in anaphylaxis. even includes the smallest part of it & u know i love songs that connect to each other. gekiyaku & kafu are such a good combination too especially how they pull it off. not a very light song in terms of content but fun nonetheless & isnt that what vocaloids about.

5. Euthanasia - Dopam!ne: a lighter/simpler song in terms of instrumentals that he does. nice change & still very distinctly his style. definitely not a light song in terms of content the guy even put a content disclaimer at the end. still easy to listen to if u like his style tho. good song

6. Waste - mairu: this ones probably about as heavy as szri's quiet musically speaking though theres a few calmer sections. flower's roughness fits the topic well i think. another one where the mood of every part of the song just seems to align well. i dont have anything profound to say i just think its neat

7. OSINT - Sheeno Mirin: i love the atmosphere in sheeno mirin songs a lot & this one doesnt disappoint. interesting vocal combination choice not that they overlap in any part & they work well with what they were going for. theres something brain scratching (in a good way) about the instrumental, a full sound thats got a weight to it but isnt too much. its really good idk what else to say

8. groom groove - yowanecity: i feel like its been forever since ive seen anything from yowanecity i really should follow them anyway i got really excited to see they posted & this didn't disappoint. its got that bounciness i expect from their songs. fun & smooth sounding. makes u want to dance. definitely worth your time.

9. Capsule - Fuyuu: cat rime & sekai thats so fun i love that and then the gachpon theme on top of it so fun. the sound is not what you'd expect from that description tho. it has a darker feel to it almost grungy i want to say but definitely not off putting. as part of the rime lover nation i love this song. this is going to end up stuck in my head all the time just like crow crow does. very good & both sekai & rime sound like they belong in this song 👍

10. Gambit - Yunosuke: another trendy, almost bubbly sounding song from yunosuke. pretty atmosphere to it. love the whistles & traditional sound instruments mixed in with the otherwise modern electric type sound its got going on. this would be fun to sing if i take the time to learn the lyrics. super good very worth your time

11. Rain - Gomennasai ga ienakute: the usual simple sounding style they have, deceivingly simple sounding bc its very clearly not. the tension building part right before the 3 min mark hits me in particular. very cool rin high notes at the end. very nice melancholic mood to it. maybe i should rank this higher its growing on me the more i listen to it. their lyric sense is very good. compels me. definitely give this a listen.

12. Static Love - Hagino: kafu rap nation rise up. its got that chiptune sound at first that gradually gives into a more modern edm sound. a good mix of cute, cool, and fun sounding. underrated the mixing & execution of this is too good to only have a few hundred views & yet here we are. worth your time

13. Prototype - Aira: THIS SONG GOES SO HARD!! coko chisei is such a good combo too. interesting theme going on here but the melody & such is just very good. the lalala parts make it seem a little lighter than it actually is. love the slightly wavering slightly squeaky sound on both vocals. lends a certain charm to this song.

14. Lewder Liar - Zensen: another great electro swing song from zensen. very fun fresh sounding instrumentals & flower's in no way out of place here. good mix. kind of an interesting theme going on here what with the demon stuff etc.

15. Death Game - Uron Riyu: this one is so fun to me. kafu running a death game. posting this as a vocacolle song feels like its framing vocacolle itself as a death game between songs & thats such an interesting way to look at it. kinda fun. the composition on its fun in its own way too. ik it's supposed to be dark but its just a fun song to me.

[fanganedit-beach]

Iroha... the painter... baby..

I apologize for the late response , gathering the screenshots for the analysis was difficult lol. So i'll cover Iroha's fte's on this post and if this analysis gets support i'll reblog with a follow up analysis of her actions in game (though i'll mention stuff about the kg here of course)

Iroha isn't a decieving character, so analyzing her fte's were much easier than the other ones i've watched and tried to analyze (which i'll try to cover later) Anyways let's get started, First lets start with this.

In iroha's first fte, she explains painting helps to calm her down when she's in a rough spot. We'll stick a pin on this as this point will become importantish later. Taking what she says and thinking about what happens with her throughout the game I believe she means rough spot as in when she's stressed, I think it'd make the most sense she'd paint while stressed since this has probably been a built in response to pressure since her childhood, so its not necessarily the painting itself that calms her down than it being just a natural response after such a long time of being pressured to paint.

Also in her first event, Sora asks iroha if she can watch iroha paint, iroha says yes of course but she also responds with this as well. Iroha doesn't stutter much during her events so I think this is a way of showing the pressure of having someone watch her paint, once again because of her backstory iroha was watched a lot while she tried to draw so even if sora had no ill will, her watching iroha paint probably reminded her of that time (only a little bit) and it caused her to feel pressured, thus her feeling the need to work extra hard in sora's presence.

This isn't really too relevent, but I thought it'd be a neat thing to add

These are the kind of paintings iroha usually paints, she does all sorts actually.

But she also on rare occasions also draws

Manga. However her events make it clear that she's not very good at drawing it. For whatever reason the talent given to her with divine luck seems to not apply to her manga drawings.

This is also another addition I thought would be good to add

This is something iroha says during her second fte if i remember right, its one of her responses to sora's multiple choice answer. From what I remember sora clarified something she said to iroha because she didn't understand what she meant the first time. This is actually pretty common for iroha in her event to not really understand what sora means at times, So Iroha has difficulty understanding stuff people say sometimes, which in full honesty I actually kinda relate to, I'm sure a lot of people can relate to this too.

Now, iroha's favorite types of manga!

She likes slice of life and comedy, its understandable that iroha going through what she did would just want to enjoy light hearted things, I could just be reading into it too much here though.

But what really gets iroha into a certain manga is the characters, if she likes the design of the characters and they are cool she'll enjoy it no matter what genre. This is also just another relatable moment with iroha tbh.

Back to deep analysis, I thought this would be important to add because usually iroha is depicted as selfish but when she realizes she's only talking about her own interests, she apologizes (again relatable) So I thought i'd just add this to remember that while iroha acts selfishly its mostly survival wise and as a person iroha is pretty considerate of others feelings.

After this sora actually encourages iroha to draw her own manga, and while iroha is hesitant at first;

Because sora told her so iroha decides to, though with the amount of dots i think iroha honestly wasn't sure about doing it but since sora insisted she didn't bother to talk back. I might be looking too deeply into this part but this might be a small piece of evidence showing that iroha has a in general issue of saying no.

On to her next event, iroha shows sora her manga but as mentioned earlier, it didn't turn out as great due to her given talent not working with manga drawings. So sora says it doesn't look that great and the story wasn't understandable.

Iroha obviously doesn't take it well, and while she quickly cheers up I can't help but feeling bad for her in this moment, it makes me think of all the times back during her past where she would be constantly scolded for not drawing in a way that was satisfying to her family.

Like I said she quickly cheers up, though with her using her nervous sprite during this line I can't help but think she just said this to comfort herself. Honestly it just made me think about all the times iroha tried to tell the cast to think positive, and how maybe this might be a common thing she says to herself for comfort and assumed this would work for the others too.

So she tells sora she'll remake the manga and it leads to the next event, and sora's response is much better saying the story is more understandable (though the art is still not great) and she responds with this.

The line itself isn't anything too big, but its the sprite she uses during it that interests me. She responds with her crying smile sprite, and honestly its just heartbreaking. Sora was probably the first person to compliment her on her manga.

And she is, she's the only person who's ever liked iroha's comic's, its genuinely such a sweet moment when you think back on it.

And a bit after iroha explains why that's the case.

Yup. Iroha's parents are those kind of art snobs. Iroha's parents don't see manga as an art and what counts as art to them is only the ones in museums.

And because of that iroha wasn't allowed to read manga, she had to hide the manga she had just so she could. And when her mom found her secret stash she ruthlessly tore the manga apart, so iroha never really got to enjoy what she liked.

After this we get the most infamous scene in iroha's events, the uh two boys kissing drawing on the back of her manga. Of course its obviously a shock and kinda odd but the one notable thing about it is iroha's response to sora seeing the doodle.

She actually gets super embarrassed by it, it doesn't matter what choice you make she still responds with her insisting sora forgets she ever saw it. So i'm pretty sure its just a private thing she doodles for one, and another is it kinda makes sense? I guess? Iroha didn't get much freedom as a kid so she probably never got the chance to actually explore things like relationships or sexuality, and seeing how the lgbt is commonly viewed i would like to believe this was just iroha trying to show a bit of rebellion and explore sexuality now that she can and not...the other thing.

And finally iroha's final event, she invites sora to her room so she can paint a self portrait of her. Remember the first point I made? Well now I can finally take out that pin.

As Iroha doesn't actually like to paint, in fact its upsetting for her.

Her entire family does all these types of art, and all have a name in the art world and influence, and probably enjoys it possibly more for the fame though.

But iroha doesn't, she draws everday and can paint with such skill, but its not what she actually wants to do in fact with all that's been done to her she's upset by it and probably can't stand it. But comic's, the one thing she's not an art master at is what really makes her happy.

After this explanation sora encourages iroha to stop painting and instead focus on drawing manga, which iroha states she'll try to do. obviously this doesn't happen considering the multiple times she paints in the game, which brings back my first point that painting has sadly just become a reflex for her at this point when she's under pressure.

And this is my analysis on iroha's fte's, I hope I did good with this its my first time doing something like it after all. If anyone would like a follow up analysis like i mentioned in the beginning, just send an ask :)

[falinscloaca]

OKAY! HERE GOES NOTHING! (writing this long before i end up posting because i still need to fucking compile shit. how hard is it to complain about things in here. god damn.)

First, The Initial Post:

if you can't click the original to see it full-size i'm gonna unfuse my atoms

okay, now some relevant OP-replies

OKAY *NOW* I COPY OVER THE MEAT OF THE REBLOG-ADDITION I WAS DRAFTING:

A) For the OP: hey if this post was only intended for your immediate circle and isn’t meant to describe everyone (despite literally stating shit in universal terms….) maybe turn off reblogs? I’m pretty sure the feature didn’t exist when this was posted but its not too late… unless tumblr doesn’t let you do that for old posts in which case fuck my life I guess B) For people reblogging this post thus removing it from its original context (apparently): This rhetoric doesn't meaningfully convince people with disordered eating habits (i.e. the most likely to "need" to eat their veggies) to eat healthier, nor does it cause people to be more sexually active. Which, like, is apparently unhealthy? I feel like we have a fair bit of "treating symptoms rather than causes" on these two, like I GET certain illnessess decreasing libido but for people who actually have a problem with that just telling them to fuck more often isn't... anything??? Fucking wierd. And by the way if this post isn't "about" people with serious roadblocks behind not doing the things this is urgently telling "you" to (even though logically those who CAN'T are most... like... at need....) then hot tip but "you" is a pronoun that refers to the "reader" and does not discriminate based on authorial intent. at least not without textual clarification thereof. which isn't really here unless you count the addendum to the original post which isn't even the one people are reblogging. Also, for the people insisting that the original message be recategorized for asexuals or those with indominable eating issues (or like, the other parts of the original message)- like insofar as "if you are asexual and reading this don't worry the ACTUAL message is to pleasure yourself in some way!!! not just have sex! :-)" - thats.... Sorry but that isn't in the original post. Like i get it, adapting a rather inflexible message for broader applicability, but at least fucking provide that without giving the original unearned positivity. It didn't fucking say that shit and you know it.

[Redacted 'til later is a third, C) section (lol babies are born), which pertains to other jackassery I will get to.]

#the replies being perhaps overdramatic but ‘you need sex to be human’ isnt really a good take even if that ‘you’ is not meant as a generally#applicable pronoun-tense#had to restrain myself from just saying ‘fuck off’ at first lmao i’m at least glad i checked the ORIGINAL post

Returning to my present editorializing, okay also i can't shake off a terf vibe from the OP. but like i also don't fucking care to go digging. searching "trans" didn't result in *anything* on the blog which is probably just tumblr being fumblr. thats as far as my will to investigate went.

Added since posting this because i found out *through this post*: Okay if you reblog your own post to add onto it you can't turn off other reblogs??? I guess??? Thats fucking stupid tumblr staff fix this shit. So the original A) point is just wrong. Fuck my gay ass (that'd make me human again even maybe).

NOW ITS TIME FOOOOOR: OTHER JACKASSERY!!!!!!!

C) "LOL MENTALLY ILL LOSER VIRGINS MALDING IN THE REPLIES LOLOL THIS POST IS BASED" seagullesque dipshits latching onto this (admittedly i only saw like three or four, and no "malding" and "based" weren't quite the lexicon at use. i paraphrased it into a style i find even more contemptible because i hate all your guts): congrats on making the OP's point worse somehow. And making everyone else look bad by association. Good job dickheads.

(Zesk is here to provide a visual break from "worst assholes on earth" and "giving my regards to somebody whose commentary i support".)

And lastly, tags anonymizedly taken from some random person that I agree with, and whose brevity I oh so deliciously envy:

i have by far my most ..... enthusiastically disagreeing with the op and people reblogging a post addition to said post saved to my drafts that i've had in YEARS, but like. the feeling that the OP seems "sus" and i might be exposing myself to harassment even if they aren't is.... gluhhh

[ratcandy]

If you can full on rewrite ahit how would you do it

This is just my answer to how'd you fix the found family but more broad dgHSGH

I don't know if I would do much to really rewrite the plot? I think I would just change the motive, a bit. Hat Kid obviously needs the timepieces to get back home, and that's why she needs to recollect it, but I feel like it could easily be compounded with the whole timepieces-corrupt-people theory. Easily. It wouldn't even take much to add that into the current canon. Just a lore book somewhere, some off-handed dialogue, a glow around or in the eyes of corrupted individuals. Have them even SAY something like "the power this timepiece grants is so tantalizing, I just can't tear my mind away!" or some dramatic stuff like that!

That way, it helps in excusing those that try to hurt Hat Kid, making an ending redemption for all of them seem more plausible, while simultaneously adding more stakes. Makes things more interesting!

(this ended up longer than I thought it would because of course it did)

Then all the ideas I threw out for fixing the found family. I want more time. More development. More additions, changes, interactions; flesh out the characters more. If backstory still has to be revealed through storybooks in the rifts, that's fine! The characters don't have to dump exposition all the time. But just the vaguest mentions. Like Conductor mentioning his grandchildren! That was good! It gave him something! But more of that. With more characters. I dunno.

The characters just have so much potential that was never explored. Developments don't happen in AHIT. Character growth is a myth here, with Snatcher as the slightest possible exception if ignoring the Death Wishes.

I'd like to elaborate on them. Fulfill that potential. MORE.

Anyway, with characters all properly fleshed out and redeemed - or antagonistic characters receiving due comeuppance - the ending would feel more... wholesome. And by "the ending" I Mean not the finale in canon. The finale in canon is actually a halfway point. Because we need a whole Mu redemption arc after that. More places could be added to make it work, too. Or. Or. And hear me out. We just get rid of the Mafia.

In ANY!! Plot rewrite I would do of this game, the Mafia would be the biggest change. I don't want them on the island. After we learn what exactly HAPPENED there, they should be KICKED OUT. GONE. I want them OFF of that island. Their boss is already reduced to a jar this should not be difficult to manage. And with all the friends HK would have by that point, that's a whole thing. That'd be a whole grand thing. And think of how well it'd work, too! With Mafia Town being the first act, and then it coming full circle getting them OUT of there. Returning it to whatever it was before the Mafia took over. Give it a NAME! Give that island a NAME, its ORIGINAL name, its OWN name. NOT Mafia Town. And I want it time-related because funny. Even if it's something like Clockwork Island or Hourglass Sands. just. Gimmie something.

Because inevitable dialogue of "Well, before it was Mafia Town, it was actually [time-related name], funnily enough"

And before anyone argues that it's not Hat Kid's job to fix this, I totally agree, but I would argue in this circumstance that HK would want to do something. We have the option to give Mu a timepiece at the end of the game how it is right now. Why would HK do that if she didn't care about Mu's cause. So let's rewrite it and say she also just wants to be friends with Mu again! Because she feels bad! She liked their friendship, despite how shortly it lasted (though i'd probably add more of them working together to make it a little more authentic). She wants to make up. She wants to help her. And if helping her means getting rid of the Mafia, then so be it!

And really, aside from accidentally fixing the whole situation of Dead Bird Studios if going with my proposed ideas in the other post, that'd be the only thing that HK "fixes" of everyone's problems. Yes I'm looking at Snatcher. She's not his therapist, and he clearly doesn't want her to be. So no, I wouldn't add anything about her helping him overcome his gripes with Vanessa. She's a child. He's a grown ass man. It'd be cool if the game gave as some amount of closure, but not through Hat Kid. I'm personally a fan of any idea where HK is in immediate danger due to Vanessa and Snatcher comes to her rescue (post timepiece corruption) and somewhere in the mess Vanessa gets Defeated, but. Thatse just me.

also would I redeem Vanessa? no not a chance in hell

Anyway. Overall I wouldn't change the plot idea too much. Honestly the whole fact that Hat Kid ended up there because of Mafia interference would've been genius if it eventually led to ultimate revenge in kicking out the mafia but. Yknow. Who ever heard of tying things full circle AMIRIGHT

So Hat Kid ends up on funny planet, goes around different places collecting all her timepieces, inadvertently fixes the problems of some gay birds and makes a bunch of (genuine) friends/found family members in the process. Mu screws everything up, Hat Kid fixes it, and then Mu redemption arc out of Hat Kid's own choice. Mafia removal. Then Hat Kid goes home.

Yeah I'd keep the idea of Hat Kid returning home! And I'd want everyone on Earth to be happy for her instead of begging her to stay! Everyone cheering as the ship blasts off and she goes back home, as that was the main goal! This Child is Going Home!!!

...And then if going with my personal angsty-ass headcanon that I would NEVER put in an actual game rewrite but I would consider canon so she goes back to the found family, Hat Kid gets home and her planet is Gone because she was gone for millions of years in a time rift before she went to Earth and now it's All Gone. Because I LIKE ANGST!! nnnn then hat kid goes back to earth and a lot of hurt/comfort ensues

but we ignore that <3 if I was actually rewriting this hehehe. wouldn't want to OVERLOAD the game.

other things I would add:

- After the Mafia is kicked out the original inhabitants come out of the homes they locked themselves in. They're alive. So Mu isn't alone on the island. I win

- Also so Mu isn't alone GUESS who adopts her. You're right it's Cooking Cat. I WIN

- Also Mafia Boss can stay on the island I guess. he's a jar he can't really do much in that state. if for some reason he doesn't go with the rest of his Mafia when they're kicked out

- I get to give Empress the boss battle she deserves <3

- I want fun side quests that happen in the middle of other acts. I want Hat Kid to do fun mischief with the subconites. Like a side quest one gives you is Help Us Play a Prank on Our Dad (Snatcher). Hat Kid, blissfully ignorant, suggests the old ice-cold water above a door trick but everyone cringes because YIKES... maybe not ice. Maybe not that. Just to tie in lore things subtly. Hehehehehehe

- other side quests include helping various people in town or express owls/moon penguins/caw agents/the like. because I LIKE side quests. FIGHT me on that

- Something I would love to add but I haven't actually put much thought into (yet) is Alpine Skyline lore. That's. Like. Barely touched on, but enough in such a vague ass way that it COULD be very interesting. I've seen interpretations of the funny goat that ascended and its relation to the twilight bell and I love that. I want that canon. I want Alpine Skyline TO MATTER

- I want cruise to be longer because so many more funny shenanigans could've happened that did not happen but at the same time three acts does work for it to not overstay it's welcome. so eh

AND THAT's all my brain is supplying right now. Hopefully this is all coherent

[zombiiesque]

Nocturne Alchemy Osirian Purnima Perfumes Part Two

Originally published 3/24/19

Welcome back to the second half of my Osirian Purnima (OP) reviews! Y'all, I've put off reviewing these, because I just don't know if I have enough of a language to give them the accolades they deserve, but here we are, I'll continue along. They are really something special. All of my life, I'd loved incense, and to be able to wear a perfume that smells like incense (plus other amazing notes)? Yes, please. NA has done something truly incredible with these.

If you've already read Part One, found here, you can skip through these next few paragraphs, but I want to post the OP base and my little speech for anyone who might have come here first.

All of the Osirian Purnimas (OPs, for short) have the same base, so from the website: "Each Osirian Purnima includes the original OP recipe in addition to the notes above for each individual perfume. The Osirian Purnima blend uses the most beautiful and exotic of ingredients, including the tuned recipe of Bastet’s Zamsara: An exotic Blue Incense blended into the dark sensuality of aged Kashmir in Mahogany wood and a drop of Santalum Black, Black Frankincense, Black Hessonite, Bastet's Amber and aged Eternal Ankh Vanilla Absolute. This was then blended into Purnima Incense: Blue Coriander, Italian Bergamot, Ambrette Musk, NA Incense Accord, Egyptian Cedar Chips, Palo Santo Chips and genus of three beautiful Frankincense Olibanum Resin: B. Carteri, B. Thurifera and B. Serrata. Solid Myrrh wood is then stirred in and taken out, leaving a trace element of sweet wood within the blend. Intoxicating blend of Labdanum Extract, Benzoin Syrup and Oakmoss stir in the incense ephemeral element to the blend. Five Sandalwood perfume oils swirl throughout the Osirian."

The labels are gorgeous. They're done by Trista Musco, an artist from New Orleans. If you click on my photo up top, you can have a closer look. Little, beautiful works of art, representing each God or Goddess. All the names are from the Egyptian pantheon.

A caveat: The components of this series are delicate due to the very nature of the oil compositions with their finite incense notes of absolute, essential and steam distilled nature. Travel really disturbs them. The impulse is to open them and at least sniff them, if not try them immediately, but they're going to be very off. Whenever I get a new OP, I won't even open it for a week. It's entirely up to you, of course, but I would hate for someone to get the wrong impression and miss out on something special. When they first came out, this was the one request Seth had for us, to please give it a few days, so as to have a proper first introduction. I have also found that giving these a full month aging really changes them. I was a little underwhelmed at first by OP Pakhet, my first choice of the series, and I didn't understand what I was missing. Everyone had rave reviews. So I stuck it away in a dark box, and went back to it about a month after I got it. The change was mind blowing - it was an incredible scent, far from underwhelming! /soapbox

Okay, there we go! Information passed along, let's get started on these last five Gods and Godesses, shall we?

OP ANUBIS: Guardian of the Necropolis, protector of the dead – With Underworld Oudh (unreleased ICON) at the base of this perfume with Black Frankincense and Black Myrrh ruminating through smoke, the Guardian of the Necropolis protects his dead with the incense of dark wood and rich incense smoke. Ooof, Anubis is absolutely brimming with deep resins. The myrrh is beautifully sweet, balancing the almost citrusy frankincense. Smoky incense provides a counter to the sweet. I bet Underworld Oudh would have been incredible, because the glimpse I get of it here sure does intrigue me. If you've got the SL Ember, it reminds me the tiniest bit of that - but it's much more complex. I adore Ember, so this was definitely one I'd wanted, and it doesn't disappoint. Mesmerizing, and yet so cozy.

OP BABA: God of aggression and controller of darkness – Black Musk & Nag Champa are the wild animal tamed only by a God. Oh, how do I love the various nag champas NA does, and this one is no exception. The black musk is so plush here, it's a wonderful juxtaposition against the nag champa, which is of course perfect with the OP base. I used to be scared of black musks, they can be so overwhelming and strident, but Nocturne Alchemy has by far the best I've ever smelled, it's just so appealing to me. It doesn't drown out the more delicate incense notes, but rather enhances them in a beautiful dance. And this one has special meaning to me, it's the name of an ancient Mesopotamian healing Goddess, and I have always had a connection to her, so I was really drawn to this. It was my third OP, and I wear this a lot when I am doing meditation or ritual work. It really helps with focus.

OP OSIRIS: God of the dead, God of the afterlife and resurrection into eternal life. Black Amber Incense is the base of this God of the afterlife, the resurrection of scent comes in the billow of incense and dark amber notes. This one is really close to my heart. I was pretty distraught when Laura, a dear friend and invaluable member of the Nocturne Alchemy community, passed away last year. I probably wore this for a solid month, it brought me so much comfort. Osiris is the dark amber version of OP Isis, there's a wonderfully fresh amber here, it's almost sweet, but it's a deep, viscous and mysterious. It's balanced against a smoky note and the OP base, a beautiful incense with this. It curls around you in a fragrant warmth. There's a feel of protection and comfort here.

OP SET: God of Chaos, Storms and Darkness; Lord of Sepermeru – With NAVA Egyptian Temple Oudh at the base of this perfume, the chaos of incense and rich dark smoky woods permeates this God of storms and darkness. Set has one of my all-time favorites featured, Egyptian Temple Oudh. I've raved and raved about this Icon, so I'm sure regular readers know how much it has my heart. Here are the notes: "A more intense Oudh that softens over time on the skin. Egyptian Agarwood Oudh is represented here and it is recommended for first time Oudh enthusiasts to inhale from the bottle softly or fan the open bottle toward you with your hand to catch the nuances of smoking embers, dried honeycomb and sandalwood." It's a smoky, deep, and a little sticky wood, and my bottle is so thick at this point, it's almost gummy. And I adore it. If this sounds pretty amazing to you, I really encourage you to get a bottle of OP Set and age it - it's one that I would more firmly advocate needs a good long time to come into its own, but I promise it's worth it to sock it away in a dark corner of a box and just walk away. Set is pretty simply Egyptian Temple Oudh and incense, but it's an experience. The incense adds a subtle sweetness to it, but it doesn't take away that incredible, deep dark sensuous smoke and wood. For me, this is like going into a temple at night. There are piles of smoky, fragrant incense, and immediately you are drawn away from your daily worries, and into a sacred space where you are calm and at peace. It's wonderful for meditating, but of course, I wear it more often than that. This one might possibly be my favorite, but of course I can't make that decision, I love them all so much.

OP SOBEK: Alchemist against evil, protector from crocodiles and the Lord of Faiyum; controller of waters – deep blood red Kashmir and Crimson musk flow throughout the OP perfume. Two of my favorite musks ever, combined with incense. Of course I love Sobek! Unapologetic, sexy red musk of Kashmir, against the cleaner, brighter red musk of Crimson. What a great combination here. So appealing! The incense base definitely provides a balance for Kashmir, which can be absolutely full speed, no stop - here, you're able to get all three aspects, and that's really awesome. However, if you're looking for a softer musk scent, this is definitely not it. This is definitely a warm red scent, and it isn't shy. I get a lot of compliments from random strangers when I wear this - people find it very appealing, and unusual.

I forgot something, and I feel like it's important to add this in. So, the OPs are all quite potent - especially aged. They last a wonderfully long time on me, and they are not in any way skin scents - a little does go a long way. I would start out with a light hand, and if you want more, you can always add to it! Also, I wanted to mention that I wear these year 'round. You might think, looking at the notes, that they're too heavy for spring or summer, and in my experience, they actually do great in the humidity down here in Florida. So give them a try, you might find yourself really enjoying them in warmer weather!

Okay, so that's the last of the OPs that I have. I'm missing Ammut, Horus, Khepri, Khnum, and Sekhmet. Hah, and I want all five! I've especially had my eye on Ammut, Horus, and Khepri, but I have definitely been loving myrrh and frankincense a lot more than I used to, so they'll have to come home one of these days. Which ones do you have? Which are you wanting to bring home? Who is your favorite? Gods, I couldn't choose one, if I had to. It's such a sublime collection, a magnum opus to incense. A love letter to the Egyptian pantheon. And now, the promise of more, with the arrival of the Spring collection! I'm beside myself. I hope y'all have a wonderful Sunday. Wear something beautiful today.