#i usually translate the songs as they re about to play them

[ineffablejaymee]

when i say im nonbinary but in many ways still a girl, i mean im still my mothers daughter and i just spent an ungodly number of hours translating every song from Mamma Mia! and writing it down by hand so my mom can watch our favourite movie and understand every part of it after i move out

[monst]

Where are those Bruce Wayne hcs 🤨

Oops my b forgot to post them lmao

Bruce Wayne General Hc’s

  Kinda random, Kinda angsty, 

700 wds

I don’t know where I cooked this up but a big Indiana Jones fan. And sue him he loves “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. He also enjoys rewatching “The Mummy”, “Alien”, “Jumanji”  and “Jurassic Park”. Adventure movies are his favorite. Science fiction movies are also right up his alley. 

His most prized possession is his parent's old vinyl records. He remembers learning how to dance atop Alfred’s feet as his parents danced next to them, they’d swap partners after each song. His mother's laughter as one of her favorites played “Tom this is the song we met too!” Thomas telling Bruce all about how “you should sweep your partner off your feet. After all, it worked for me~” After their passing, Alfred had made an offhanded comment “They were the worst dancers on the floor that night. But they were so happy.”  He hadn’t had the heart to play them or part with them. Also, no one play “Angel of the Morning” Near him too many memories of his mom belting the lyrics in the morning. 

Baths. Bruce Wayne is a bath whore and few people know this. Background music, incense, bubbles, candles, wine, body scrubs, and some Epsom salt for his sore muscles. He rarely gets the chance to take them since he’s usually busy but he’s always looking at his calendar to see if he can squeeze one in. Lotions up after, and ends up sleeping like a rock. Those who don’t know this about him think that the bath bombs he gets gifted him are gag gifts. 

Obligatory sock mention. Very plain sock wearer they’re either navy, white, or black. They also end up bunched up at the legs of the bed. The pets in the manor love it when his door is open because the socks accumulate and the pile gets divvied up between the two dogs and cat. He’s not very happy when he has to buy new ones either because he can’t find them or because he can’t use them. 

That being said he carries a lint roller. At all times. Has to use it frequently and since Damian doesn’t care about having his shirt look patterned he ends up going through two rollers per week. Three, if the Waynes™ need to show up. 

He has a sweet tooth. It’s not that he hides it, it’s more of a ‘They ate all the cookies’ so he can’t have any. It’s fine since they’re usually the typical sugar or chocolate chip cookies good but not his favorite. His favorite cookies are Oreshki’s and he doesn’t play about them. No one knows he likes them because this man will never share them. 

It’s not that he can’t cook. It’s more that he’s very utilitarian about it. He’s more worried about hitting his macros than he is about whether the chicken even has salt. Doesn’t have to be edible just has to fuel him. It’s not something he favors which is why he doesn’t usually cook but if not grabbing the species saves him time well your eating the most tasteless of foods. It’s not that he can’t make it taste good it’s that he doesn’t bother. Besides he can barely taste it if his attention is wrapped up in another case so no big right? 

Suffers from Google translateitis. Especially in high-stress/traumatic situations. Meaning, that brain-to-mouth filter sometimes gets run through Google Translate, and what the heck Bruce why would you say that?! Or How could you say that?! Look now you're drawing conclusions and putting words in his mouth. He was getting to it, he had to get out the negative before the positive. His brain just sorts things a bit differently, let him gather his thoughts and re-word them. And on no, they left. Story of his life and a symptom for all who suffer from Google translateitis. 

Was on Shark Tank once but his deal was so generous that they didn’t want to invite him back. “We’re supposed to take a shark deal Mr. Wayne and you just gave him a handout.” However, after the episode aired and it did numbers on tv&social media the network was blowing up his phone. So every once in a while Brucie Wayne is throwing around money in the Tank. 

[necnnights]

MERRY-GO-ROUND: NEON NIGHTS THE BEST is the fifth anniversary compilation album by fictional girl band NEON NIGHTS. It was released on July 12, 2024, a week after their fifth anniversary, and is the final Japanese album with guitarist QIUYUN. It contains twelve tracks: three new songs and nine re-releases of older music spanning their Korean discography as well. The album peaked at number seven on the Oricon weekly album chart.

Described by the band and critics alike as their “cutest album yet,” the three new tracks feature a brighter sound reminiscent of their first studio album. Like the vast majority of their music so far, the production was led by HWAJUNG. It is their second album to feature songwriting contributions from all five members, following their English-language debut from earlier in the year.

TRACK LIST

MERRY-GO-ROUND — Title track

Gachapon

Sneaker Cinderella

Cross - 2024 Version — The opening track of their debut album, INTENTION. Re-recorded.

We Are - 2024 Version — The lead single from the same album. Re-recorded.

Dice - 2024 Version — The lead single from their first EP, FIRST SIGHT. Re-recorded.

KICKASS - 2024 Version — A popular b-side from the same album. Re-recorded.

Deja Vu - Japanese Version — A b-side from their Korean magnum opus, NEW ISLAND OF UTOPIA. Translated into Japanese.

Jealousy - Acoustic — The second lead single from INTENTION. Acoustic arrangement.

That Won’t Save Us - Acoustic — A b-side from INTENTION. Acoustic arrangement.

I Know I Love You - Neon Nights Version — The title track of their first Korean EP, MIDNIGHT. Originally featuring FABLE’s Andrew and Mingeun.

(No More) Utopia - Symphony Version — The title track of NEW ISLAND OF UTOPIA. Re-arranged.

ERA NOTES

The elephant in the room is, of course, Qiuyun’s impending departure. They gave her a slightly different send-off with every show, and they had a lot of shows. Highlights included: part switches where Qiuyun sang a few songs (usually “Merry-Go-Round”), chose the encore songs (usually “仮面ミーハー女子”), and picked some of their stage outfits (she had Eden wearing dresses). 

No one seemed to be upset about this. In fact, it was the opposite. There were very few tears shed. Hwajung looked happy, despite being almost completely hidden behind her drum set for every show.

In their company’s usual cash-grab style, the album released with a lot of extra content. Besides the songs, each member wrote a letter expressing their thoughts on their anniversary. In the only attempt at marketing them to their widest audience, their words were translated into Japanese, Korean, and English.

The album also included a DVD of behind-the-scenes content for the re-recording of their songs, and another DVD of highlights from their careers so far.

Hwajung is still banned from her personal Instagram, but both she and Eunbyul alluded to disliking these business practices multiple times during live shows. At the same time, they both re-signed their contracts. So there’s that.

During a few shows, they took requests for songs for the first time instead of playing whatever they want. There were some deep cuts in there, especially when fans requested “Asphalt,” their second single ever. Yumi forgot half the chords, since it’s been eight years since they last performed it.

STYLING

[kaiowut99]

Crow Story Event 1 & Duel Lines Testing VS Aki | Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V TFSP Re-Translation Project (WIP)

(Project Announcement blog post/video)

With my GX 115-116 subs finalized in late August, I went on to get some re-translation work done on Crow's story (which is actually pretty cute around his kids trying to figure out how best to cheer him on and everyone else helping them) and his in-duel lines/bio, while also getting work started on GX 117-119 (and trying to finish up another thing I've dabbled with for months that I'll hopefully swing around to posting soon lol)--with all that done, figured I'd show off his story's first event along with some casual playtesting of his in-duel lines, as well as a peek at Aki's which I haven't shown off (unfortunately she didn't pull off Black Rose Dragon in this one, but her other decks were annoying to test with because of Black Garden lol). The in-duel anime OST was edited in by me, and I quite like how it came out! (The only songs I tweaked were Helpless Battle and Crow's Dueling; love how the timing worked out for the ones I didn't, haha.)

Quick note: Crow's attack-name line for his Arms Wing/Armed Wing has it as "Black Tornado!!", seemingly only in the TF games and in the Duel Terminals--in the anime and Duel Links, it's "Black Charge!!". To keep it consistent, I ported over his "Black Charge" line from DL to replace "Black Tornado" and tweaked the dialogue line accordingly (to this day, Crow still doesn't know where he got "Black Tornado" from). Also, a minor tweak since recording this, but I changed Crow's "I'm going to take you down!" in-duel line to "I'm gonna take you down" for consistency with how I was writing him.

(Also, replacing Crow's one voiceline got me curious about whether or not voices for the other characters that should have voicelines could be added back--I tested by making a folder for Johan and copying in Crow's line files, but I'm guessing it'll take more than that and involve editing the game's code since that didn't work... It'd be a matter of figuring out how to enable those characters to have voicelines, tell the game where to find them to play, and then probably also making them show up for the Voice Test in their bios... But questions for later. [That said, since it was so easy to replace Crow's line, it should be pretty feasible to replace budget!Kazama as Dark Yugi with Kazama's DL lines as appropriate, but that'll be a side thing once the base game's done.]

Going to go full speed ahead with finalizing my 117-119 subs, and then I'll come back to work on Kiryu and close out the 5D's big five's stories. But while mainly working on 117-119, I'll likely also be chipping away some more at the bios on my morning office commutes to keep myself busy, haha. Stay tuned!

Also, as a bonus below, here's a bit from Crow's second story event that I thought was amusing as I drafted it; this is as Crow's looking for his kids (who Martha can't find and is a bit worried about) and finds Jack having his usual ☕ time, ft Carly--and I can definitely hear them having this convo, haha.

(The "moment of zen" lines are from Carly, though I did think they were Jack's for a minute and thought Crow was yanking him from his coffee or something before I checked the game footage, lol. [Not shown here, but after the duel, Crow rushes off with Jack but leaves Carly with his coffee bill 😭])

[aeternallis]

Ren's Meta / Rant List :: KPTS / Kimchay

I've had a number of requests from people to put all my metas and rants onto one place for better reading and access, so here you go! I'll update as I go, but for those who'd been asking me, thank you for your patience!

Since I've read the fan translation of the novel, my rants usually tend to center on the differences and changes from book -> show (with a hyperfocus on Kimchay, cuz they're my fave). This serves as a way to better highlight my own understanding of the story, as well as to speculate on BOC's intent with their changes. I personally think it's important, since the authors themselves-no matter one's own opinions on how problematic they are-were heavily involved in the production of the show (at least from the limited BTS footage available online).

Having said this, I'm not here to to tell people what they can and can't do with these fictional characters, and this should already go without saying. This is fandom, you're more than welcome to play with these mafia dolls however you like, and I shall do so as well.

Please don't take these rants/metas as self-appointed gospel for the show, these are just my opinions and thoughts, and in no way are they intended to attack anyone else's opinions and views, no matter how they may come off.

Y'all are also welcome to read the book and draw your own conclusions, and you wouldn't get any judgement from me!

Please don't argue with me about your headcanons and whatnot, since arguing with people online just gives me anxiety. Lol Headcanons are just headcanons and may not always be universally shared, so please treat them as such.

:: Updated as of: 07/16/2024 ::

Show-ONLY Meta Posts

A Deep Dive into Kim's Fight Scene in Yok's Bar

Kim's Morals Re: Incest Insinuations in the Show

How Kimchay's Love Story is Presented in the Show

Fandom's Views on Kim's Redemption Post-Canon

Kimchay Fic Trope: Should Kim Grovel?

Porsche and Chay's Reaction to the Theerapanayakuls' Wealth

Kim's Potential Aggression Towards Chay Post-Canon

The Third Song / Why Kim Rewrote Chay's First Song

Kim's Introduction is in Parts

Show/Novel Meta Posts

Porsche's Views on Kimchay's Relationship in the Novel

Kim's Place in the Mafia: Book vs Show

Porsche and Chay's Brotherhood: Book vs Show

Follow up to Kim's Potential Aggression: Book Comparison

[soup-du-silence]

YES TUMBLR, I KNOW YEO TAGGED ME, IM AWARE, YOU DONT HAVE TO SEND ME A PUSH NOTIFICATION EVERY HOUR, I WAS AT WORK!!!!

Taico tagged me too apparently but I didnt get a notif for that??? ok

Last Song: The DJ is Cryng for Help. Excited to be the oldest bitch at the AJR concert this summer.........again lol. Love/hate relationship with the new album but they put on a good show

Favourite Colour: red! I need to re-dye the red in my hair I am considering this a reminder.

Currently watching: We've been on youtube lockdown pretty much ever since Vanguard debuted, but with the boys in japan for holofes/their upcoming 3D debuts, their schedules have been inconsistent. Alisa's a very hardcore Betellion meaning if Bettel's streaming she has him playing on at least two screens simultaneously and is active in chat, and Im a very normal Hakkito meaning I usually get through like 65% of Hakka's streams, eventually, if I have time. We'll throw on Shinri or Altare if we're caught up or there's nothing else happening. I made the mistake of introducing Alisa to HBomberguy and she's been filling the gaps with her 500th rewatch of the Plagiarism or Pathologic vids while the stars are busy. But also we're watching Dungeon Meshi! Izutsumi soon!!!!!

At this precise moment in time Alisa's watching the new JapanEat upload. (We love this guy)

Sweet/Savoury/Spicy: Spicyyyyyyy I love spicy Im a terrible cook and i only know how to season with cayenne. i dont know when exactly i started equating "flavor" with "pain" but it is what it is. I'm kind of reaching the stage in my life where I need to be more careful about what I put in my gut because sometimes just too much pepperoni will fuck me up for 24 hours but also what if I ignored my aging body and didn't do that?

Relationship status: I've been with Alisa for 15 years! We met in the Meet the Robinsons fandom on livejournal/deviant art

Current Obsession: Four years late to the party Twisted Wonderland finally got its hooks into me! (Add me on EN: ZyEdsarR) I'm very mentally unwell about Scarabia. None of the fanfic on AO3 is scratching the itch so I'm spending too much money importing doujin. It's great but it takes a month to get like eight books and oops one of them is just a straight up fanfic and im sure its banger but I can't google translate my way through 60 pages of japanese text, one of them is solid porn which, yknow, cool, but it was probably something I was in the mood for when I placed the order a month ago and now I want story, and I have to sit down at my desk with good light to translate with my phone camera when what i CRAVE is to lie in bed on my side reading fic on my phone until 2 am. I'm dying, squirtle. (Anyone got good fic recs? there is WAY too much fic for pickings to be as slim as I feel like they are)

Last thing I googled:

none of these recipes look like the amazing shit they gave us at Falafel King so wish me luck

[indecisive-dizzy]

I can’t be cohesive about DearDollops so have random headcanons bunched together

Every time Daisey wants a kiss, they go to Eddie and just ask “kiss?” and they get a kiss :3

Daisey knows how to play guitar, so they sometimes play guitar when Eddie visits. He loves hearing them play, and Daisey loves playing for him

Daisey once straightened their hair thinking Eddie would like it more than their curly hair. He liked it but he said something like, “it’s nice but I like your curly hair more. It suits you!” Daisey hasn’t straightened it since (mostly cause they hate burning their hair)

Eddie’s hair is curly and Daisey helps him take care of it (hair care tips, gets him hair products and stuff that help it not get damaged, etc)

Daisey has totally done that stereotypical thing of playing music outside Eddie’s house while waiting for Eddie to see them from his open window. The first time it happened it was late at night and his dad chased them away thinking it was a stranger. He apologized the next day after Eddie scolded him

Eddie lifts Daisey up in a hug and spins them around whenever he sees them sad

They get coffee in the morning together, but Daisey usually gets hot cocoa instead and pretends it’s coffee since they don’t get tired easily (they pass out an hour later-)

Hand kissing me thinks. Daisey just kisses Eddie’s hand to be polite and they get all flustered over it

Daisey loves going to the arcade and dragging Eddie with them, they win a bunch of prizes together by combining their ticket amount

Daisey plays guitar when they’re sad, so they play sad songs. Eddie totally doesn’t cry when they play those songs noooo-

Back on the quinceañera idea, Eddie knows very little Spanish but still tried to talk to Daisey’s uncles and aunts and cousins. Daisey had to translate a lot and they scolded their cousins if they made any rude remarks over Eddie

Eddie just likes spinning Daisey around, either by lifting them and hugging them, or spinning them when they’re dancing because cuteness

Eddie gets flustered more, but Daisey turns red when flustered more

They get teddy bears and buy them matching outfits

Friendship bracelets and necklaces! Daisey never takes them off :)

I have so many more but I’m satisfied with these

They are my special little guys and I love them

That's So! Points! CUTE!

Man I love guitar,,, I could never play but dang. Also Eddie knows violin! Canonically! So he can play violin for Daisey <33

Curly Hair Eddie is everything. The hc I never said out loud is suddenly everywhere I look and I am thriving. Also I think Eddie would always prefer his partner's natural hair over anything, i don't how to describe it but it's just,, them!

Ah yes, boom box serenade. Did they lift it over their head? Or was more Book Of Life style and playing their guitar hehe

Spin Hugs my beloved, Eddie is putting that strength to use! Also hand kisses, aoudhshdh <333

Arcade dates are top tier especially the larger arcades if you can tolerate all the noise

Yeah Eddie definitely doesn't cry like a baby over the very sad heartbreaking music. No clue where that box of tissues went either!

Eddie (re)learning Spanish when? Go take your Duolingo lessons Eddie. /lh

[polandspringz]

I cannot express how much the Hidden Inventory arc has me in a chokehold

I've said it before, I'm not a real fan of JJK. I feel the same way about this series as I do about CSM- I love it artistically, I see the craft put into the manga as an artform itself (through the sequencing of the panels, the decisions in terms of angles) and thematically, I love it. However, I just don't like it because the series is a bit too nihilistic for me, or just a bit too dark for my tastes, and couple that with my constant mixed feelings on MAPPA- not wanting to support them for their working conditions despite the beautiful work they put out- and you get a general gist of why I will say I don't like JJK. I won't get more into the little other things because I did that before and I got a lot of replies on that post, so we'll get back to the point of this post.

However, Hidden Inventory has me in chokehold. And I know exactly why.

As a joke I said to my sister when I finally sat down to force myself to watch it (after I had already tried to watch S2 E1 after it aired and failed, and after I had seen a spoiler on Twitter for the fake-out scene with Geto and Riko), I made the joke "If the thing that gets me into JJK is some yaoi bait between Gojo and Geto then I'll-" and unfortunately, it was Gojo and Geto's arc that made me more interested in JJK. While my yaoi bait thing was a joke, I cannot lie that the angst of Gojo and Geto's dynamic was what made me more interested.

However, what had really been drawing me back into JJK was the choice in music, specifically the new opening. MAPPA keeps hitting it out of the park with their music choices for these adaptions. I'm still not over "Give it Back" and it's visuals being about everything Yuji missed out on/lost while having to pretend to be dead. And now the official Shounen Jump page made a video of Geto and Gojo with the Give it Back song playing and I-

This post is really just me rambling with no point to it, but Tatsuya Kitani's "Where Our Blue is" has been hitting me hard for weeks even before I finally read a translation of the lyrics yesterday. The lyrics talking about "Our Blue", and in the series Gojo demonstrating how the Jujutsu sorcerer's power is represented by "blue" while cursed energy is "red" and then of course Gojo has his "purple" ability. The way that "blue" is often used to describe youth or associated with youth in Japanese culture because of the kanji's use in the word seishun. The visuals of the opening being about all the moments of Gojo and Geto's high school days we don't actually see because we are dropped into the past in media res as everything collapses. We only get to watch the crumbling, the destruction, we don't get those good moments but we still feel it. We still feel how tragic it is this friendship, this relationship being torn to shreds. Feel how deeply these two care for each other, how one goes down a horrible path with no remorse while the other can only watch in horror.

The irony here is that, and I'm sure other people may have expressed this sentiment already, Gege Akutami is that good of a writer that I would have LOVED if JJK was actually completely focused on Gojo and Geto before introducing Yuji and Megumi and Nobara. How in a typical series that we would have started out with this flashback or how Gojo would usually be the main character instead and then the series would be reframed around his mentorship of the characters and trying to fix what was lost by his mistakes, but instead it's not about that. It's a side note, important background information but not the focus. And that just makes it more powerful because it just makes me long for more. It makes me want more of a slow burn, more of it visualized in the text where we see Geto and Gojo meet and be friends and then everything fall apart in the end. But at the same time, we have the iceberg theory with writing. The writing is strong enough that we don't need to actually spend time on any of that, the pain of this loss is expressed even in the short time we spend in this memory of these characters. The subtleties in the writing that only hint at or show glimpses of what we had do enough to establish their friendship before it is ripped apart before the audience's eyes. It's beautiful.

And the opening's lyrics only add to this. The way the song is clearly from Gojo's perspective, the idea of him saying that "their blue still lives", their youth, their memories, their ideology and dreams before everything went wrong, it's still alive. It's still clear. Gojo knows what he must do. Even if no prayer or word could reach Geto, Gojo will keep going. When they went their separate ways, Gojo was too confused and horrified to stop Geto, too attached to turn him in knowing that only death awaited him, he wanted to still believe that they could turn things around. The unvoiced voice says "We'll see each other again, won't we?" I also have felt that the song can also be interpreted to be about Riko who died too soon, specifically whenever I hear the lyrics "To you, who bloomed and fell away as a fruitless flower". And on a personal note, I have always loved the word play in Japanese on the main lyrics, how the singer uses two different phrases although they sound, very, very similar. The "our blue still lives"/[ima demo, ao ga sundeiru] and "Our blue is still clear"/[ima demo, ao wa sundeiru] is the main thing that kept me so latched onto this song even when I was not actually watching the show. Every choice in the lyrics of this song have destroyed me and drawn me back into this series, because it makes me want to believe that things will be fixed and that there is hope, even though I know there is none. The song gives off the feeling of this being the final farewell, of Gojo singing these thoughts even after Geto has died, almost to reassure himself that their blue is still alive, that he will carry on the will. It's wistful, its painful. It's beautiful. I love it.

[mblematic]

hi babe!! So random but was just doing a lil google search for some good audiobooks to listen to but then remembered that my bestie tumblr mutual molly posted about her love of audiobooks just this week !!! Do you have any recs for me ill take any genre any length whatever your faves are <3 xoxoxo

BABE I love you and this so much !!! thank you for thinking of me my little heart is So warm

(this got a little long so I put it under the cut!!)

okay WELL I would be remiss not to recommend The Locked Tomb (Gideon the Ninth etc) audiobooks right off the bat, they are INCREDIBLE, Moira Quirk does the BEST voices (esp. for Gideon and Harrow) and the ENERGY and HUMOR are unmatched imo. (usual caveats re: TLT which are that the series is initially quite confusing and you may have to read/listen twice. but they are the perfect books. i want gideon to smush me with her powerful thighs and harrow is my poor little meow meow who also cooks soup out of her own bone marrow)

I loved both of Madeline Miller's books on audiobook! something about her prose really worked for me read aloud. Song of Achilles is of COURSE amazing, Circe is also fab

do you like sally rooney? the audiobooks are great (i'm a sucker for a calm irish accent). Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan is a good follow up, Roony-esque but sexier (imo)

Oldie but goodie : His Dark Materials on audiobook has a FULL CAST and it's amazing. I love all the readers, I will never not love the Lord Asriel actor and Lyra will always sound Like That for me (no offense to the HBO adaptation ppl)

Daisy Jones & The Six: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid — another full cast and TJR really benefits from being read aloud. (I tried to read several of her books and didn't like them until I listened!)

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is SO good and I really enjoyed the audio book. it's kind of about video games but it's actually about friendship & love & asking for help & play!

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong is read by him !! Ahhhhhhh it was so good I cried TT_TT

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara — I LOVED this book & thought the audiobook was fantastic

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R. F. Kuang — SO MANY GOOD CHARACTERS, great book, anti-colonialist themes and a magic system based on translation. V SAD. The audiobook is very well done - they really incorporated the footnotes (lol) in a way that was so lovely

[the-eclectic-wonderer]

Tag someone you want to know AND/OR some of your besties.

I was tagged by @valentinaonthemoon, my sweetest mutual! Thank you!

Favourite colour: warm shades of yellow (think gold yellow or sunglow yellow).

Last song: Dreams by The Cranberries (thank you, Derry Girls!)

Last movie: Anastasia (1997). My brother mentioned he'd never seen it, and I simply had to show it to him. It's as magical as i remember. The last new movie (as in, not a rewatch) I watched was Asteroid City by Wes Anderson, which left such an impression on me I still rant about it regularly with the friend I saw it with. It was an incredible experience!

Currently watching: The Golden Girls! I'm having such a blast - it's hilarious, the girls have amazing chemistry and interactions, and its treatment of 'charged' themes (regarding eg sexuality, gender identity, poverty, race, having/not having children etc) holds up surprisingly well for a show that was made between 1985 and 1992. It's easy to see why it's so well-liked. I'm also watching season 2 of Loki, and enjoying it very much! I haven't really posted anything about it yet because I'm watching with family, and we're quite behind schedule. So no spoilers, please!

Other stuff I watched this year: Oh, dear. I don't remember all of them, but let's see... I rewatched Steven Universe, Steven Universe Future and Brooklyn Nine-Nine in the first few months of the year, but I don't remember watching anything new in particular (although I remember playing a lot of videogames - that's probably why). I caught up with the new season of the lovely Only Murders In The Building just in time to theorize about the last four episodes or so (and this season was so so so good, I think it's become my favourite!), and I watched S2 of Our Flag Means Death as it aired (I still haven't recovered from the ending of Ep. 3, good heavens). A dear friend recommended Derry Girls to me a couple of weeks back; I finished it just a few days ago and loved it to bits. It completely broke my heart and put it back together in such a gentle, caring way - instant favourite. And then, of course, although I haven't talked about it all that much, I've also watched Good Omens, season 2. And then rewatched Season 1. And then rewatched both in Italian, to check out the translation. And then rewatched them both in English, because I missed the original voices. I might have a bit of a problem.

Shows I dropped this year/didn’t finish: I don't recall anything specific this year, but the last season and a half of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel has been hanging above my head for a while. I reached a point in the story where the second-hand embarrassment was so intense I couldn't bear to keep watching, and it's been haunting me ever since. I'd love to get back into it, eventually, when I find the courage.

Currently reading: The Blackwater series, by Michael McDowell. I'm not usually a fan of horror, but the cover art captured my attention, and before I knew it the story had captivated me completely. I'm also re-reading and annotating A Girl's Story (which is a horrible translation of the original title, Mémoire de fille) by Annie Ernaux for my book club. It's a poignant, thought-provoking work, and a truly deserved Nobel prize winner.

Currently listening to: Mr. Hozier decided to drop his new album at precisely the right time to twist the knife into my Good Omens heartbreak, and so it was inevitable I'd end up listening to his stuff a whole lot. Jokes aside, Unreal Unearth is phenomenal and has made me cry a lot of tears so far. Then we have some sparse stuff (Glenn Miller, Queen, Kate Bush) and some rock - mostly Greta van Fleet (Starcatcher) and Voyager (Colours in the Sun and Fearless in Love). The most recent addition to the roster is the new album by Rebecca Sugar, Spiral Bound (Good Morning Afternoon has quickly become a new favourite of mine).

Currently working on: a couple of WIP fanfics, planning for Christmas gifts.

Current obsession: Listen. Listen. If you follow me, you know. You know what my current obsession is. Good Omens has filled my every waking thought since July 28th, 2023 and I have made it everyone's problem for months. (I'm not sorry about it, by the way. i did warn you all.) At this point, I'm guessing this new obsession will sustain me at least until season 3 drops.

This was really fun, thank you @valentinaonthemoon! I honestly can't choose someone to tag, so - if you got this far and would like to tell the world about your interests, please consider this your official invite. And tag me if you do it! Enjoy!

[sage-is-in-fact-very-tired]

Ah. Today's list. The Bane of my existence-

(Imma take a break from listing for like, an hour, and then I'll get back to it, so centross/sherb lists from streams from the last few days should be up tomorrow!!)

《▪︎▪︎》

[FROM SHERBERT STREAM "HARDCORE TIME!"]

- Music is not usual music (On starting screen)

- Eyes are now Purple and Yellow, but not in a C!Sherbert way (Switched), Purple eye was the blue one

- Other eye, was brown, now yellow, is also beginning to bleed

- Scar (C!Sherbert's) is there again

- Charles in background is now Yellow Among us

- Red and Green Among us

- Crab rave not Crab rave

- Chuck is not Chuck. He is Ralph. (Who is a Turtle. Not a Crab)

- Quixis writing on note on desk, Translates to "I THINK I GOT TO YOU" (⍉ ⍔⦚⌭Ψ⍉ ⍉ ⭗⌭⍾ ⌭⭗ ⭗⍩⍬ - G LIRFG G MRE RM MSW - I NKTHI I OTG TO OUY - I THINK I GOT TO YOU)

- Blanket on chair is Light Yellow and Light Blue (Not Normal Yellow and Purple)

- Open Minecaft, Light changes to light purple (Not usual purple)

- "I feel weird." "I feel like I'm wrong."

- "I don't feel like I'm supposed to be here."

- IRL touches purple bleeding eye, gives a weird look

- "Something's wrong. Somethings wrong today."

- "He doesn't belong here, then again-"

- They stretch for a moment, Light momentarily changes yellow.

- Song time, Lights change back to yellow

- "Guess this is where I can die, just one and done."

- They go back to playing Minecaft, Light changes back to purple

- Ears are switched around (White and Black in front, Yellow and purple in back.)

- "'Just like normal?' Yeah just like normal."

- "I have... I don't know what I've been doing."

- Wack Music probably not #1

- "I was sleeping. Maybe. When's the last time I slept?" Quieter, "It doesn't matter."

- "Ahh, My brain feel fuzzy."

- Wack Music #2 (Probably.)

- "'Well what happened before you woke up might contribute to how you feel, What is the last thing you remember before you wake up?' Um. What was- I was finishing the- I went to the- And then I- I- was like.. crying.." (Context wise, No idea, but. In Sherb's most recent C!Sherbert tiktok, They were crying. I assume this is in reference to that.)

- "Yo, I wanna see, I think it is neat when you are.. me.." (Refering to C!Sherbert in first person)

- Wack Song #3 (Probably.)

- "This is my Music." Light changes to yellow as they say that, changes back to purple just as quickly

- "I'm doing okay. Ish. Maybe."

- "That's Ominous." They pause, light changes to yellow, once again changes right back

- They spot the DER, "..Rae.." (technically a HC!sherbert thing. Putting it here for ease. Also because sad.)

- Wack Music #4 (Probably.)

- "I see you guys cosplaying me. Is cool." (Refering to C!Sherbert in first person.)

- "I wanna learn a couple languages, Cause it's hard to figure out what things are saying sometimes."

- "'What languages do you wanna learn?' Well there's a lot of them I don't understand."

- Wack Music #5 (Probably)

- "'Is everything okay Sherbert? I DONT KNOW!"

- They then do a small rant about how they feel weird and not right.

- "Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow.."

- "My outfit for stream tomorrow." (Refering to C!Sherbert in first person, refering to C!Sherbert's outfit as their own.)

- "Every once and while we get some of my music" (Refering to C!Sherbert in first person.)

- "It's doesn't feel like hardcore."

- "Is that I no longer have a Fire Res potion on my belt." (C!Sherbert has a potion belt. I don't believe HC!Sherbert does.)

- Another Music time, Light changes to Yellow

- They go back to Minecaft, Light goes back to Purple

- Wack Music #6 (Probably)

- "I should try them in a potion, that's one of the few things i haven't done."

- "They've only caused damage in the past." (Refering to the Blue Mushrooms)

- "And also what happened with the. With the. The. With the potion."

- Wack Music #7 (Probably)

- During singing to said wack music, light changed to yellow. They change back to purple after.

- Wack Music #8 (Probably)

- While dancing along to said wack music, light changes to yellow, it stays like that even after the music changes

- "'Opinions on frogs?' I had so many- I had so many... I haven't even been to a swamp." Lights change back to purple

- Wack Music #9 (Probably)

- "'We need a doctor, Oh!' but we don't have one!"

- "'I just might drive me crazy~'"

- "I think it makes sense to put the potions underneath."

- They touch both eyes, specifically the blood, pulling their hands away to give them a look. They don't acknowledge it.

- "I'm okay. I'm okay, really." Pause, before the light goes yellow. It quickly changes back.

- "I am not supposed to be here." Light changes yellow. "But I am. But I'm not supposed to be here." Light does not change back.

- Wack Music #10 (Probably)

- "I'm gonna go to sleep. I'll see you. I'll see you." Pause, after yhey close minecaft, "I'll see you tomorrow. I'll see you tomorrow. I think."

- "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." They do a little salute before spinning in their chair. They stare at their desk, presumably the note there, for a moment before turning back and ending stream.

《▪︎▪︎》

[sstabhmontown]

Familiars

Another of the old classic spells that is quite bad—perhaps I will make a tag for them here on this blog.

The issues with AD&D's Find Familiar are themselves familiar. It's a spell best cast outside of the adventure, and all-but-meaningless in a spellbook or scroll. It grants a permanent ability or set of abilities which are awkwardly balanced by some really annoying stuff about what happens if the animal dies. Which makes it actually not very fun for play.

Later D&D likes to solve this by making it a class feature instead. I don't love this either. But I do love, as always, reading “spell” as an unusual thing the magic-user is able to do. In that sense, what if the spell is something you cast during the adventure, even if your relationship with the animal is ongoing. The animal's performance is the spell, not it's summoning.

Shout out to ktrey at d4caltrops for inspiration for a few of these powers.

The conjuration of a familiar spirit

Magic-user 1 (Druid) Duration: 1 hour

Call upon a specific animal companion to use its three special abilities for one hour or as listed, either immediately or as soon as the creature arrives following your call (usually within an hour).

When the Magic-user learns this spell, they make contact with an animal who can aid them. It is among the more cunning of its kind, and will behave in a friendly and often-helpful manner at all times.

The familiar may converse with their master during this time, reporting on all they have seen and done, or hatching future plans. The familiar's second ability is determined by it's nature—roll a d12 when the familiar is met. The third ability is unpredictable, making this spell unique to each Magic-user. Roll d100 on the same chart and record both results in your spell-book.

Butterfly: Touch can deliver your charms and curses with -4 on save

Cat: See in dark

Crow: Speaks the same languages as you

Goat: Carries messages to an otherwordly patron

Hare: Sense foes and danger

Hawk: Enter trance to see through eyes

Horse: Untiring day & night

Mouse: Speak with other animals

Owl: Read, can use your Read Magic spell

Toad: Can sense invisible folk and warn you of their presence

Weasel: Sucks out poison, re-roll the saving throw

Wolf: Follow all trails

tells truth from falsehood

detects magic

spots secrets as an elf

shape-changes into a second animal form

poison bite

lives within a small trinket like a ring or bottle

can manipulate objects as well as a person

pick pockets

knows direction

force 1HD folk to check morale

fascinating charm, lure a target for one turn

travels to the underworld to ask questions of the dead

contact through dreams even when distant

return from the dead even if slain

grows to giant size

can appear as a person instead

warns of traps

helps prepare an extra level 1 spell

detects evil

beautiful or sacred to same alignment, +1 on reactions

knows values of treasures and promises

friend to elves, speaks their language

friend to dwarves, speaks their language

find the way in woods for a small party to travel unencumbered

find the way in hills for a small party to travel unencumbered

translates an ancient language

always ignored by onlookers unless they are specifically warned to look out

sings a beautiful song, re-roll one reaction check

can cast your other level one spells on your behalf

imitates specific voices when told what to say

knows what made any tracks

recruits 2–8 others of its kind

made of æther, hit only by magic weapons

the dead recognize it as one of their owns

has a tiny sword, starts as a level 1 halfling

charms either predator or prey animals (your choice)

can swallow small objects and produce them later

can speak a single word to tell the fortune of a course of action

produce food for up to 6 as milk, eggs, or meat sliced from its sides that regrows

as lookout in favoured terrain of animal, can warn of surprise all day

finds treasure

can pull a wagon, sled, or cart

senses rival magic-users and the spells they are about to cast

its howl can interrupt spell-casting

predicts the weather

accurately measures distances and aids map-making

can shrink you down to its size

holds its breath for long periods

might open locks, 2-in-6 chance

skilful herder

good at burrowing and digging quickly

scrying sees familiar instead of you

instantaneously switch places with you once during the spell

magic resistance, saves as your level in HD

becomes a demon to hunt your killer if you fall

feed it one of your fingers to regain the spells you've cast today

will be petrified into a figurine instead of you

is slain by a level drain or aging attack that would otherwise have affected you

will be charmed in master's stead

interacts with illusions as if they were real

warns of poison

can take one blow meant for you upon itself

stands in for an object required to cast any spell (Continual Light, Magic Jar, etc.)

can pass through magic barriers such as Walls of Fire or Protection spells

sleeps overnight while while you remain awake but are rested

owed a favour by the Queen of all its kind

identifies potions

can mark things, places, or people with a scent only you know

sings a lullaby, doubling the effects of your Sleep spells or slowing the waking of dragons

given a quill and paper may transcribe conversations

never makes a sound

drinks blood as a Strix, feeds to master to heal that much

contorts to pass narrow spaces

breaks the paralysis caused by undead with a touch

slightly telepathic—communicate up to three words total to anyone either of you can see during the hour

appears as a different animal each time you call it, reroll both powers

immune and unharmed by spells you cast

feed it a spell to grant immunity to similar effects

swallows all your company's lights to grant you alone infravision

cute and cuddly, +1 on reactions to those who pet it, beloved by children and halflings

elemental spirits including Djinn and Efreeti seek to avoid it

spooks horses and hounds

knows gossip about everyone it meets

sees through disguises and identifies shape-changers by smell

always arrives within moments of being called, no matter from how far

those who touch it slowed by venom like a centipede's

1-in-6 to conjure a demon, takes one turn, no guarantee of friendship

roll twice

[giddlywinks]

Giddy Mag #6: Mediumship and I-Part 1

This issue of the Giddy Mag is more personal than usual.

Also, all of the linked songs come from my meditation playlist. I use Apple Music as my personal platform. I understand why many people do not. But, they pay significantly better royalties to artists than Spotify, and that is a dealbreaker for me.

I found out I had wildly unmanaged gifts for mediumship in March of 20-. A lot of really challenging things were happening in my mind, body, and spirit at that time. I found out at 12:01am exactly. I was watching a YouTube video of Mary-Anne Kennedy (a well-respected Canadian medium) talking about the basics of her work and experiences in mediumship.

"Let me whisper to you profound secrets. You, man of the hour, and then you will know where the water meets the road to God."

She said everything that was already happening to me that I couldn't explain. I wept, called my Pentecostal mom, and told her everything. She said, "Well, yeah, we knew that." No, I did not know that. But the irony is not lost on me in the more private narratives of my life.

I have had an intuitive art practice, where I make photo grid collages (every day that I can) for over a year now. These collages sometimes involve my experiences with mediumship in different ways. Although, I do not understand that until afterward. Usually, months later.

"My bones erupting with power and the wind being it's most sensual, I couldn't help but wonder, truly, in the best way possible, if this is why I am where I am."

My collages act as a kind of subconscious weather forecast, prophecy, assessment, and receptor for information for me. Usually, as the months progress, each corresponding day (the 1st day, the 22nd day, etc.) of the month exhibits the collage in my real life more intensely. It ends at five months. At four months, any issues within the collage specifics are usually resolved. I make up the titles as I go along, and I re-title them as I see fit. All titles and interpretations always apply. They do not narrow. They widen each month.

Sensualism (n.)

persistent or excessive pursuit of sensual pleasures and interests

Sometimes, the images are just facts about the astrological weather. Transits or aspects. But most importantly, they are also an energetic vibe, a complex feeling words don't provide. They are my processing tool as much as my higher wisdom floating down and up into my subconscious waters. Translation is never accurate to 100%. Can you or anyone interpret dreams perfectly?

"Deluxe Version 69 zoomed up full hey baby coochie/cunt I'm thinking about grass mama I'm thinking actual motion my joy sex appeal heat"

Spirits talk in symbology. That's why I've been obsessed with film since I was a child. It is like a 4D theater experience that no one else knows but you. You have all your senses firing to say something mythic, something absurd, something montaged far past the Avant Garde, something true to living.

"In the Theater of Form, there are two players, the intellect played by the angels and the feelings played by the moon. When you put it all together, you realize how ice is a prism of light. I would guess so."

A lot of the spirits who seek my help do so because we have relatable life experiences somehow. Usually, it's something that would make a person empathize, so it's often shared grief and pain. They see me as able to see them, in all the ways a supporter should, and that draws them close to me.

"I hear your echo for generations."

I have a Letterboxd list of films that I feel teach aspects, express ideas, or involve mediumship. You may be surprised to see what is on there. Or not! Maybe you're also dealing with knowing everyone is still around. I'd love recommendations for the list. It grows all the time as I think of the films.

I was raised Evangelical, and I do not support hierarchical organized religion, but I love going to churches alone because there's never any spirits in there. They don't need it like we do. It's their whole being now. So, in the pew, my brain is silent.

"Now, I've brought my Sunday best. Please let me be with you. Just for a moment. I want to be being. Why do I always have to be myself? Can I have the peace? Can I have a moment where I feel the rest? Or, will you kiss me? I need to understand what the hell has ever been going on."

Not all spirits are happy or healed, but even the most malevolent spirits deep down are perfectly good, and they reach that highest good in time.

(The efficacy of YouTube sound healing is shaky and inconsistent at best, but sometimes things work for a moment for unexplainable reasons. So, I share them anyway, hoping they'll do for someone else what, at least once, they did for me.)

My work is easy. I just love the spirits (who were once like us), and on occasion, the people they send me. My life is hard because knowledge is power and exhaustion. And, I often know too much, which usually consists of the difficult feelings of others. Most of my days, I'm doing two things at once. I'm helping the beings we don't usually see, and I'm living my LIVING life. Would you want to be harassed by strangers in your home all the time, even if they meant you no harm?

"Gorg, brilliant, a threat."

Consider that they may also look scary and that night time is when it's most common to see them. Nothing scares me anymore except jump scares. Those aren't fear based. They're reflex based. They trigger the point of fear underneath the consciousness. The animal. I've started feeling the jump less and less in time.

"Oh, my haunted house. Yes, isn't it lovely."

When I'm tired, I'm more frightened.

Please, allow yourself rest.

"Form and gestation for the continual generation of life's miracles. For myself, rest and a kind beauty."

Anyway, I loved these so much as a kid. I blame my cusped Sun.

the oyster the whale

P.S. My experiences with mediumship are why I am so drawn to (and love) hauntology, ambient, experimental, dream and hypnagogic pop, etc. I love music that sounds like it is from a liminal space. Sometimes, I wonder if it really is. A feather dropped on someone's brain from another world. Also, Paige Lewis' Space Struck is an incredible collection of poetry, and I highly recommend it. The poem "God's Secretary Overworked" comes from there.

[impmansloot]

Getting to Know You Meme

thanks for tagging @russenoire !!

01) are you currently in a serious relationship? nope! also a "serious relationship" is different for everyone!

02) what was your dream growing up? i remember really wanting to be a writer in middle school, other than that don't remember except for maybe being a vet like every other little kid because you know, working with the animals

03) what talent do you wish you had? i don't know if it's a talent but falling asleep easily and not being disturbed by sounds and light a lot... being able to do two different things with different hands properly with my brain not being confused af

04) if someone bought you a drink what would it be? usually i don't like drinking but i do enjoy craft beers sometimes so that'd be it?

05) favorite vegetable? too many of them, let's say tomatoes for now

06) what was the last book you read? the last one i think was I, Tituba: Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé, right now I'm (finally) reading The Masked Empire by Trick Weekes, a book for Dragon Age series

07) what zodiac sign are you? leo

08) any tattoos and/or piercings? i recently got my earlobes pierced, no tattoes

09) worst habit? maybe not the worst but biting skin around my fingernails

10) what is your favorite sport? running. i also like playing volleyball, badminton, and table tennis but I RARELY have the opportunities to play them. I only played badminton relatively recently cause my friends had rackets and the flying thingie. i don't watch sports usually though only competitive tetris

11) do you have a pessimistic or optimistic attitude? i'm usually optimistic (for my own mental health's sake) unless i'm like, spiraling. it doesn't prevent anxiety though.

12) tell me one weird fact about you. i'm afraid of angelica plant, idk why

13) do you have any pets? i don't own any pets but yeah, a cat

14) do you think clowns are cute or scary? something worse.

15) if you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be? i'd make my feet bigger, i want to wear chonky shoes

16) what color eyes do you have? gray?

17) ever been arrested? no

18) bottle or can soda? bottle but i like the feel (?) of can soda, it's just less practical to me though

19) if you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it? i'd go to a therapist/psychiatrist + other doctors + maybe other quality of life stuff. i'd probably start saving up to move.

20) what's your favorite place to hang out at? my friend's house, one picnic spot where apple trees grow, the big supermarket closer to midnight... and home

21) do you believe in ghosts? a bit

22) favorite thing to do in your spare time? indulging in my interests/hobbies?.. playing video games, drawing. hanging out with friends is neat too, especially if it includes tabletop games

23) do you swear a lot? yeah

24) biggest pet peeve? hmmmmmm. logical fallacies in any sort of discourse? (i mean we're all at fault at some point). other than that too many, especially in writing and fandom culture

25) in one word, how would you describe yourself? softlocked

26) do you believe in/appreciate romance? yeah sure

27) favourite and least favourite food? favorites are sushi and kimbap, least favorite is chicken that is edible but not fresh, like day old, the flavor gets weird (at least that's what comes to mind first)

28) do you believe in god? in a personal way

29) what makes you happy: delicious food, free time when I don't need to worry about work, being able to talk to people, my blorbos

30) currently listening/the last thing you listened to: probably some song in Right Place, Wrong Person by RM

31) favorite place to spend time: wherever i feel at home and safe

32) favorite lyric: "I wanna be a human 'fore I do some art" (Yun, RM, Erykah Badu) and "Like morning comes after night goes, would summer come after spring goes, Like fruits ripen after flowers wither away, everything must suffer" (everythingoes, RM, translated by doolsetlyrics). That's a whole ass verse but really, I could include more. The whole song is about the fact that pain is inevitable but it's not eternal, it helped me through a lot.

33) recommend a film: unfortunately, i don't watch a lot of movies...

34) recommend a book: a book with a bit controversial name It's all in your head by Suzanne O'Sullivan. It's about (cases of) psychosomatic diseases, as well as stigma around them. As a person who's had several instances of those, I generally found it compassionate and educating

35) Recommend a band, a song, or album: I already mentioned Right Place, Wrong Person album (which is great), so I'll also recommend a band Shortparis, one of my favorite songs from them is Нелюбовь

36) recommend a TV show: Revolutionary Girl Utena, naturally... (reading a trigger warning list recommended)

37) where are you from, and do you still live there? Where have you lived? northwest of Russia. i mean yeah I'm still in that region, but I moved only once.

38) do you have any pets or animals in your life? how did you find/get them? again, a cat. it's my sister's, she was found near the railroad as a kitten

39) what's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? i don't think there's a thing i would consider unusual

40) how did you 'find' fandom? it just happens... some things stick with you and some don't no matter how good they are?

41) make a list of 5 things that you see without getting up. a pair of pants, a hanging cachepot, a rolled up yoga mat, a mirror, a short cup with two handles for the cat to drink from

42) how do you style your hair? i don't... i just blow-dry it and let it do its thing. i mean i get it cut

Any of my moots and oomfs feel free to participate too <3

[pyrettawychwiggin]

I know it's no longer April, but this looked fun! :D

1. The Basics.  What is your character's name?  How old are they?  How tall are they?  Skin color?  Eye color?  Hair color?  Gender identification?

My character's name is Anya Strekoza. As of the start of the main game's storyline, she is 30 years old.

She stands quite tall at 5'9".

She has green eyes and pale skin with light freckles that are only really apparent when she's gotten a fair amount of sun. She has messy, shoulder-length brunette hair that she usually keeps flipped out or wind-swept. She identifies as female, with she/her pronouns. She is pansexual.

2.  Love Interest.  Who does your character love?  What attracted them to that particular LI?

Anya's main love interest is Julian Devorak. He piqued her curiosity initially with his mysterious nature and rebellious antics, and she already found him physically attractive when they'd first met and she saw him without the mask for the first time. However, the moment he really won her heart was when she realized that he's actually a massive dork.

In Anya's words, "I once wrote a song comparing him to the sea, and I still see him as the ocean personified; dramatic, unpredictable, never truly calm, passionate and devastatingly beautiful - but what really gets me is how much he cares; even when he's trying not to, he just has so much love in his heart. I only wish he could turn some of that love inward once in a while. Someday, I hope he'll figure out that he's deserving of unconditional love. Until then, I will always be happy to remind him."

3. Familiar.  Does your character have a familiar?  How did they meet?

Anya's familiar is a blue jay named Orion, who she met somewhere between the defeat of The Devil, and the end of 'XXI - The World.' As for precisely 'how' they meet, this is yet to be determined. It's likely that Malak led Anya and Julian to Orion for some reason.

Orion and Malak have been very close ever since. Malak is very protective of Orion, and Orion loves to be close to and preen Malak in return.

4. Hobbies.  What kinds of things does your character like to do for fun?

Anya loves music about as much as she loves magic; she is quite a good singer and she can play the lute and the lyre as well.

Anya is pretty damned skilled with a cutlass and dagger, and has dabbled in archery for fun, though her actual combat experience is nearly non-existent and she has no idea if her learned skills would translate well in an actual fight.

She loves to kick back and relax, and delights in watching the clouds or stargazing. She also loves to dance, but she rarely does so without a partner, feeling self-conscious without someone to work off of.

5. Hidden talents.  Is there something neat that your character can do?  Tie a cherry stem into a knot with their tongue?  Say any word backwards perfectly?

Although she's not one to perform in front of audiences when it comes to acting, she is actually a very convincing actress, who can slip into character almost seamlessly, and she's quite skilled at speaking in accents. She also knows how to juggle a little.

Anya is also particularly skilled with ropework.

6. Magical talents.  Is there a specific type of magic that your character excels at?  Any magic they aren't so great at?  Or do they actually shy away from magic altogether?

Most of Anya's magic is based around illusions, glamors and small charms. She had apparently once been very skilled in divination, but re-building her skills with this ever since she'd lost her memory has been a long and arduous struggle. Asra suspects she may never get back to her previous skill-level when it comes to this aspect, as long as she still has missing memories.

7. Interaction.  How does your character typically interact with people?

Anya is relatively quiet and reserved around most strangers, but she makes a point of remaining friendly and fairly approachable, and is willing to help others in need; sometimes to her detriment, and she can sometimes be a little naïve and gullible. A true ambivert, she thrives off of being around people in fun settings like festivals, taverns, etc. but she needs ample time to herself afterward to recharge in equal measure.

8. Romance.  What is something that your character and their LI love to do together?  How do they show affection?

Anya and Julian tend to be sickeningly insatiable, and are typically unable to keep their hands off each other; almost to the point of making others uncomfortable at times. They are quite open about their affection, regardless of whether or not they're around other people. They are also absolute doofuses that love to mess with each other. They love to sing and dance whenever they have the chance. Anya shares in Julian's love for adventure, though he does to be the more reckless one out of the two.

9. Travel.  Does your character like to travel outside of Vesuvia?  How often?  For how long?  What kinds of things do they do away from home?

Anya loves to travel whenever possible; in fact, she used to be resentful at Asra, not for leaving, but for not being able to go with him. She feels most at-home on the water, and she can't sleep if she can't at least hear the sound of the waves nearby. She loves to explore and try interesting new foods and activities wherever she goes, and is always curious about the customs and histories of other cultures.

10. WTF.  Has anything just...weird ever happened to your character?  Something that made them stop and go "What just happened?!"

The first time Anya met Julian during the main game's story, she threw a vase at his head, which she still shakes her head at to this day.

While attempting to master spells she wasn't yet ready for, she's had a number of mishaps; she's accidentally teleported to a brothel (which, Asra teases, that she totally did on purpose), she's turned herself blue while attempting to change her eye colour, and she's even set her hair on fire (in fact, before her revival, she actually had long hair down to her waist. After it caught fire, she wound up cutting it, and decided it was easier to maintain this way).

She once attempted to cast a spell that could temporarily give her the ability to communicate with insects, and wound up vomiting grasshoppers for three days. She still can't look at a grasshopper without feeling a little queasy.

11. Crime.  Has your character ever been arrested?  If so, what did they do?  Have they ever helped stop a crime?

Anya hasn't been arrested for anything (yet), but she did accidentally steal once. She had been inspecting a merchant's wares and put a pretty quilled pen in her pocket to buy later while she perused more of the merchant's wares. She'd bought a few things and didn't realize the pen was in her pocket until she got home. Too ashamed to ever return it, she keeps it unused in a drawer by her bed.

She has often seen poor folks pocketing food, and she refuses to report them. On a couple of occasions, she's actually helped them steal something they needed by posing as a distraction or casting a subtle spell to help them get away.

12. Secrets.  What is a secret that your character has?  Are they in line for the throne in a far off land?  Was there this one time at band camp...?  Are they secretly involved in an assassin's guild?

Anya doesn't have many secrets; though she wonders if there's anything from her previous life that she simply doesn't recall.

13. Overcompensation.  Is there something that your character just HAS to do better than anyone else?  Or are they just that dang good without trying?  If they see someone else showing off, what is their kneejerk reaction?

Anya is not particularly competitive with others except when it comes to Julian; she loves to spar and dance with Julian, and with them being as passionate as they are, this usually leads to... other things.

She enjoys working off of Asra when it comes to spells and magic; though she still feels she can't keep up with Asra's knowledge and skill level, so she doesn't get particularly hung up on 'competing' with him, and really just tries to keep up with him as best she can.

She is, admittedly, playfully competitive in the bedroom as well.

For the most part, however, she'd much rather cheer others on than compete with them.

14. Fight Club.  Is your character a good fighter?  What kind of skills do they have?

Anya has impressive technical skill when she's armed with a cutlass and knife. She does not, however have much (if any) actual combat experience, and has no idea how she'd fare in a real fight. She is highly ineffective in hand-to-hand combat, and her magic is rarely used for combat, reserved for illusions, etc.

15. The Arts.  Is your character a creative type?  What kinds of things can they create?  Can they act?  Street perform?

Anya make little doodles, but nothing more than half-decent scribbles. Aside from that, her artistic abilities are limited. Her handwriting is passable, but not particularly elegant unless she really takes her time (which, she never does).

Music is where her artistic talent lies, and while she does like to perform, she is also a little self-conscious, so it helps to have someone to perform with.

16. Goofy.  Is your character a clown?  Do they like to make people laugh?

Anya can be a goofball, but her wit is typically more on the dry, sarcastic cynical side. No one brings out her inner doofus quite like Julian, and she'll often be a lot sillier with him to work off of.

17. Language.  Is your character multilingual?  How many languages do they speak?  Do they have an accent?  Is it sexy?  Is it silly?  Do they have a multilingual lisp?

Anya only speaks one language fluently, with barely-conversational skills in two others. She can, however, both swear and apologize in 18 languages. She doesn't have an accent, but she can speak in accents at will.

18. Embarrassment.  What is something really embarrassing that your character has done/said?

Anya is still sheepish about her lack of self-control the first night she and Julian had stayed at Mazelinka's house. Things had gotten hot and heavy between she and Julian when Mazelinka walked into the room and gave them a scolding. Mazelinka loves to tease her about it, and will never let her live it down.

Anya also once fell into the canal after having one too many drinks during a festival when she was startled by a falling leaf. Julian, Portia and Mazelinka were all present.

19. Memory.  Has your character gotten any of their memory back?  If so, what?  Did it change them?

Anya will likely always be missing bits and pieces, but by the end of the main story, she at least remembers roughly what happened to her during the events of the plague.

20. Family.  Talk about your character's family.  Who were they?

Anya still doesn't remember her family, but from Asra's account, her mother left when she was just a baby, and her father was one of the first to fall ill during the plague, which claimed him in the end; this had been Anya's main driving force to stay and find a cure while Asra was determined to leave.

Apparently, Anya had been very close to her father, and even though she doesn't remember him, there's a sadness in her that never fades that seems intrinsically connected to the echo of his memory.

Anya's father was a craftsman and merchant of various oddities, contraptions and inventions to help improve the lives of their buyers; he dabbled in some household magic, but never took his own magical practices farther than that.

(The original design for Anya was created by Mimishadraw. You may also have seen her written work on Dorian.live for the infamous 'What Lies Beyond.' You can find more of her work and support her at the link below! I couldn't recommend her work highly enough.)

Thank you for reading!

If you want to read/see more about Anya and her adventures in Vesuvia (and beyond), be sure to check out my work on Dorian.live. You can also find me on Ko-Fi and on Istagram/TikTok/YouTube (@PyrettaDruidess).

I hope to see you there!

~Pyretta Druidess

Apprentice April Asks #1

Alright my darlings, let’s kick off with an ask list!  Reblog with your answers, and tag your post with #apprenticeapril !!!  I will post a new list every week so everyone has a chance to answer!  And look in your ask boxes for random asks from me!  Feel free to add pictures to your answers as well!  If you have any ideas for asks lists, DM me!

WELCOME!  TO APPRENTICE APRIL!!!!

1. The Basics.  What is your character’s name?  How old are they?  How tall are they?  Skin color?  Eye color?  Hair color?  Gender identification?

2.  Love Interest.  Who does your character love?  What attracted them to that particular LI?

3. Familiar.  Does your character have a familiar?  How did they meet?

4. Hobbies.  What kinds of things does your character like to do for fun?

5. Hidden talents.  Is there something neat that your character can do?  Tie a cherry stem into a knot with their tongue?  Say any word backwards perfectly?

6. Magical talents.  Is there a specific type of magic that your character excels at?  Any magic they aren’t so great at?  Or do they actually shy away from magic altogether?

7. Interaction.  How does your character typically interact with people?

8. Romance.  What is something that your character and their LI love to do together?  How do they show affection?

9. Travel.  Does your character like to travel outside of Vesuvia?  How often?  For how long?  What kinds of things do they do away from home?

10. WTF.  Has anything just…weird ever happened to your character?  Something that made them stop and go “What just happened?!”

11. Crime.  Has your character ever been arrested?  If so, what did they do?  Have they ever helped stop a crime?

12. Secrets.  What is a secret that your character has?  Are they in line for the throne in a far off land?  Was there this one time at band camp…?  Are they secretly involved in an assassin’s guild?

13. Overcompensation.  Is there something that your character just HAS to do better than anyone else?  Or are they just that dang good without trying?  If they see someone else showing off, what is their kneejerk reaction?

14. Fight Club.  Is your character a good fighter?  What kind of skills do they have?

15. The Arts.  Is your character a creative type?  What kinds of things can they create?  Can they act?  Street perform?

16. Goofy.  Is your character a clown?  Do they like to make people laugh?

17. Language.  Is your character multilingual?  How many languages do they speak?  Do they have an accent?  Is it sexy?  Is it silly?  Do they have a multilingual lisp?

18. Embarrassment.  What is something really embarrassing that your character has done/said?

19. Memory.  Has your character gotten any of their memory back?  If so, what?  Did it change them?

20. Family.  Talk about your character’s family.  Who were they?

[eurofox]

Project zero/Fatal Frame 4 review

I really want another addition to this series or at least a re-release of the original triology so I can play them again so I paid full wack for this now 15 year old port but I did enjoy it. Although I ‘m going to be controversial here, I preferred 5 overall, this game is by far the least scary in the whole series. I enjoyed it, but probably worth about 30 euro, not 50 😩 Anyway spoilers at the end:

Although it’s on old Wii game, they’ve touched up the models and everything looks well enough. The characters aren’t very expressive, fairly doll like and don’t react much to the freaky shit going on around them. They are also improperly dressed for such a trip, heels and dresses, and I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, that is very jarring for me. The ghost design is the most uninspired ever in the series, most just look like normal people who float and there’s only one or two really freaky ones. The gothic lolita ghost was more cringe than anything. They did react just before a shot and that was kind of cool, it’s just a shame they were mostly pretty boring looking. Plus there are 3 in particulr who just keep coming back again and again and I got so fucking sick of them. The original game still has the best disturbing ghosts.

  I was disappointed there was no English voice option. I know it was never originally released but it meant I couldn’t understand what the ghosts were saying and that takes away from the fear. I also enjoyed the goofy voice acting in the other games, it gave me an uncanny feeling. The Japanese just didn’t do it for me.

The controls are ok, but stiff. Characters can barely run, just shuffle slightly faster looking like they've shat themselves. Evade feels clunky as hell but usually works. The mechanic where you shine the torch to reveal items is an absolute ball ache though, didn't translate well to PS4 at all and you can miss things. Plus those fucking shitty ghost hands are here too, albeit far rarer.

 I liked the environment this time, the western style hospital made a nice change from the usual Japanese mansions in the other games. I also didn’t get lost as much this time as most rooms felt very unique and memorable so I knew where to go. The other games had a lot of similar tatami rooms and I’d always mix them up and spend ages running around. A lot less open than MOBW which helped set it apart. Although some areas I felt were used too much and other areas weren’t really visited except once.

 The camera gameplay wasn’t as good as 5 I feel. I liked the way in 5 you could target weakpoints, felt there was more strategy to it. There is variety here though so it didn’t get too stale. I quite liked Chosiro’s OP torch, loved blasting those ghosts back to hell with my superbeam. Made a nice change of pace. The fighting was more tricky than 5 as the you’re often in small corriders and the enemies can ‘blossom’ and move faster and hit harder. I died once in the beginning but you can buy healing items and film so it was ok after that. A lot of the ghosts in this game just slowly float around, probably as it was a wii game originally, so it’s easy enough. The final boss is the easiest of them all.

 Some good sound design here. Usual spooky atmosphere tracks and I liked the pipe Organ tsukimori song, that was fairly memorable. There is also one room in particular with a very unsettling track.

 Ok now for the story

I liked the way they changed the usual format of the stories for this game. It isn’t the usual ‘maiden must suffer for the good of all and something fucks up’ schtick, the ritual here was just supposed to help. And something fucks up. Just a local dance, with friendly islanders looking to entertain tourists, with a family of oddballs hosting a ‘real’ version in secret that backfires. And even the real version isn’t supposed to kill anyone. Refreshing tbh. The lore this time was little light though, not as many notes to read and they were usually short. More is better imo. Some of it is cliche at this point, dolls, long hair, medical malpractice, etc.

 None of the characters themselves were all that interesting, other than the haibaira family and some of the ghosts. Choshiro had his notebook so you got to see his perspective a bit more, but the girls were fairly bland. Misaki seemed like she’d have an attitude but that was dropped pretty quickly and we don’t learn much more about her. Ruka’s just the usual project zero spiritually gifted quiet protag, nothing to say really. Sakuya is scary shrine maiden no.5 and is the least frightening. I still enjoyed her story though, more sad than disturbing.

The scares in general were poor honestly. Far too many attempts at jumpscares that fell flat. Loud noises and zooming in on pretty meh ghosts happen too often to count. I started guessing when they'd occur it happened so often. I'm not opposed to jumpscares, if they're done well and they just aren't here There's no random spawning ghosts this time, which I don't mind tbh but you always feel fairly safe backtracking. I found 5 scarier, which I wasn't expecting since a lot of people said this was scarier and it just isn't, and nowhere close to 1 or 2 either. No subtle scares I can recall at all. And the fact that there's no English voices means the ghosts mutterings were lost on me. Least scary game in the franchise by a mile.

 The story in general was a bit vague and confusing at times too, especially with the time loops. I don’t understand the timeline, especially with Ruka’s mother, is she dead when she sends the man? Then how does she know Ruka left? Why did the other 2 girls suddenly get sick and die after years of being fine? If the guardians could prevent disasters why did they phase them out? These games are always kind of vague though so nothing new. Lack of endings here too, just two 'good' ones and the second is just still images, pretty poor.

Overall though the story was enjoyable though, if confusing and I enjoyed my playthrough. It's not the longest game and the most streamlined I'd say. Less repetition than 5 which is a good thing. The areas led into each other in a logical way. The combat is good, if trickier than usual at first and the sound design is great. The atmosphere is good as usual and it looks well despite it's age. I just wish it was scarier. Still well worth checking out if you like spookier horror games.