#if it was for like. two or three specific things just vote the second to last and comment in tags if you so feel like

[smallishzine]

very important official zine stuff for real this time guys please spread this around

we realized we haven’t asked you what you want this zine to be, so here is poll with some different options for things we could do, but this still won’t set things in stone cause we’re aware that we’re working with a relatively small albeit amazing awesome and extremely appreciated audience, but it’ll give us a good idea for what direction you want the zine to go in.

some examples of what we mean for added coherence, please read before voting unless you wanna be like that guy in the Simpsons movie:

an eras tour zine (yes this is a Taylor swift joke shut up if you’re judging us you’re wrong) would be like different pieces dedicated to each, for lack of a better word, “thing” that Joel has done. @/inthelittlezine is a great example of this concept, except the mod has far better organizational skills than we ever could hope to

tourism brochure would be like we pick a specific thing Joel, such as esmp 1 or 2, or x life, or one of his hardcore/survival worlds (I haven’t listed Hermitcraft season 10 cause that’s still in progress but if you guys really really wanna, that too), and make an in universe guide to it expanding upon the lore and characters and builds and stuff. @/scarland-artbook is an amazing example of this, though of course we would be a much smaller scale of a project.

do you wanna tell a story? Or ride our bikes around the halls? We can’t help with the second one, we’re not very sporty people, but this option is both the most difficult and dangerous to the success of the zine, and the one that intrigues me specifically the most. Like, guys, I know I’m polling this, but I’m secretly hoping that this one wins. Like all the hoping. Ever. But I’m not gonna just say yeah let’s do this because if like only three people also wanna this zine will never get made and I will be really, really sad. This option is basically do we wanna take something Joel has done and work together to create an original universe/story based off of it, each contributing a small part of the story in comic or writing form. Unless you’ve been living under a rock and/or this post broke containment sorry if it did I assure I’m usually mostly sane, you probably know where I’m shamelessly stealing taking inspiration from. We heart you @/hotguycomiczine. If we went with this we would obviously create our own universe and storyline, and we’d try to base it off of one of Joel’s characters if possible. Also, if we went with this, we’d start the mod and application process and stuff and once we knew everyone who was going to be in the zine then we’d all get together and start working on the story, and this is the part I’m worried about because if we’re all stumped then I guess the zine is out of luck and I’d be sad. Also even if we did do this, like preemptively temper your expectations I am no where near as good as the legends at hotguycomiczine at organization and promotion and story writing and all that good stuff. However, if you have an idea for a story and want to share, send us an ask cause we might just end up using it.

I think the last two are mostly self explanatory.

please reblog for reach.

[putschki1969]

📢UPDATE📢"sprinter" LIVE AUDIO

Thank you to everyone who voted in my poll and left a comment in the reply section of my previous post on the matter. I was intrigued when @gslin sent me a link to this audio but I had no idea it would spark so much interest.

I received two very enlightening messages today that provided some substantial evidence. With the added information, I now feel confident that I can clarify the situation. This will hopefully clear up some of the confusion.

The first lovely follower (who would like to remain anonymous) sent me their personal recording of the live in question. They have been a fan for a very long time and got the chance to attend the concert back in 2008. First up, a big apology. I wish I could post the recording but they asked me not to share it so I will respect that. However, I've been given permission to talk about it so here's what I've been able to find out〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

Just in case you are wondering, there's no doubt in my mind that my follower's bootleg is legit. You can tell immediately that this was recorded from within the audience. There's clapping all around and the music is considerably louder than the vocals. You can still make out the song pretty well though. None of the voices sound off or out of place. It's blended together pretty well without losing the distinct vocal colours of the individual singers. Which is why I know that this can only be from the YKL Vol.#2 front act performance since you can clearly make out Maya during her "bokura ni dekiru koto wa tada" line and some other parts. From what we know, no other live performances of "sprinter" have featured Maya.

For the past hour or so, I've been listening to different versions of the song on repeat, mostly focusing on the YouTube audio and the newly acquired bootleg. While the bootleg is of admittedly quite low-quality, there are two things that very clearly set it apart from the version on YouTube. Those two obvious differences make it absolutely impossible for the recordings to be from the same live performance. And since we've already established that Maya was not present for any other "sprinter" performances, we can easily conclude that the YouTube audio is fake.

Difference #1: Absence of the infamous guitar riff. @octopusofpaint already mentioned this in the reply section of my original post. The YouTube audio has a pretty blunt opening whereas the bootleg recording starts with the guitar riff we are all so familiar with. It's hard to know how audios are cut/edited so I'd be willing to let this slide if it weren't for the next difference.

Difference #2: In the authentic bootleg recording of YKL Vol.#2, one of the final lines, "naite sakende kiete yuku bokura wa", is sung by no other than (!!)Keiko(!!). That is very surprising since it is usually not one of her lines. Look up any random official live performance of "sprinter", starting as early as 2009 on the NHK program Pop Up Japan, you'll absolutely never hear Keiko sing that line. You know who has always been in charge of it since becoming a three-person-unit? Wakana!! Now let's listen closely to the YouTube audio again, shall we? Whose voice do we hear? I'm giving you a hint! It's not Keiko's! But it's not Wakana's either!! Surprise, surprise, it's Hikaru's!! And do you know where Hikaru sings this line? Only in the studio version (and most recently during Kalafina covers at YKL but with a notably different voice so I won't take that into account here). And you know what else is very specific to the studio version? The lyrical cold open without a guitar riff. This leads me to believe that the studio version was almost certainly one of the main sources for this awkward mash-up on YouTube.

Now onto the second message I received today. This time from my lovely follower @concretebadger. Thank you so much! Many of you speculated that the 2010 live performance might have served as an inspiration for this supposed "unreleased" audio track. And I think you were not wrong about this. While I do believe that the studio version might have been the "main" source, I do think that the creator needed to add something else to make it sound more like a live performance. This is where the 2010 Red Moon version comes in. @concretebadger actually took the time to mash up the two tracks for a comparison and the result makes it quite clear that the two audios are eerily similar. Check it out for yourself〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

If you use the studio version and Red Moon live version as base layers and then add a few tweaks here and there to distort certain sections in order to make them appear more raw and unedited, you basically end up with that mysterious track that's currently floating around on YouTube. The previously mentioned line "naite sakende kiete yuku bokura wa" might actually be a good example for the layering/mashup of those two sources. While you can definitely identify Hikaru's vocals during that part in the YouTube audio (indicating the usage of the studio version as base), there seems to be a slightly different texture to her voice that makes it sound almost ethereal. This is most likely due to Wakana's singing of the line being added to the mix. It's very subtle and Hikaru's vocals are certainly more prominent but it's worth mentioning.

Anyway. Mystery solved. At least for me. Maybe you still have some thoughts on it. Feel free to share them below.

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

01/18/2024 Crew Recap

TLDR; Summary: #HoistTheAds and Astroglide OFMD both happening tomorrow 1/19/24; UK Fans We Need Your Help!; New Hashtags/Petition Link; David Jenkins/RhysDarby/TaikaWaititi Troll us with Hidden Stuff; More Articles; Petition Status, News That Gives Us Hope for S3, and Rhys Darby in Shorts.

Note: Please feel free to let me know if I missed something important, if I'm incorrect, if the formatting pisses you off, or whatever, I take constructive feedback <3 thx lovelies.

Need to catch up on recaps? ofmd daily recaps

==Things You Don't Want To Miss Tomorrow 1/19/2024 and 1/20/2024==

EDIT: HOIST THE ADS: This might be starting at 12 EST - https://www.tumblr.com/renewasacrew/739916790295052288/join-us-in-just-over-10-minutes-at-midnight-est?source=share

#HoistTheAds is finally coming to NYC and LA tomorrow. There will be Flyovers, Billboards, etc. As of right now it looks like its just happening every few minutes on the billboard for the next day.

Tumblr Info

Twitter Info

==Astroglide Watch-A-Long at 1/19/2024 1 PM PST ==

To clarify exactly how it works, basically what they're doing is asking you to stream on the service of your choice starting at Season 1 Episode 1, and Astroglide (and Squishables might be joining) will be tweeting reactions as they go.

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

=UK Fans! We need your help! @lamentus1 was kind enough to give us updates on the efforts going on over the UK!=

UK specific OFMD fans in groups on Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook are trying to come together to push for the BBC to air OFMD Season 2 in the UK since they haven’t done so yet!

So many UK fans can’t actually watch the second season *legally* based off a tumblr poll that @lamentus1 did recently, and a third of fans who voted can’t even watch OFMD because it’s not on in their country!

The current plans are:

Email two key people at the BBC:

Sue Deeks (Brought OFMD to the UK) --- sue.deeks@bbc.co.uk Charlotte Moore (Chief Content Officer ) --- charlotte.moore@bbc.co.uk Email Prompt: if you need an example:

Send Tweets regarding wanting Season 2 to Air on BBC on twitter (same hashtags from @renewasacrew I believe but it that's incorrect please let me know!):

BBC2 IPlayer

The ongoing twitter thread for this is here

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

====New Articles ====

BBC fans fight to save cancelled show, with petition reaching 58,000 signatures

'Our Flag Means Death': Fans Rally to Save Cancelled Show'

Our Flag Means Death: Fans campaign to save queer pirate comedy

---Articles in Dutch---

Fans pikken cancellen van Our Flag Means Death niet en tekenen massaal petitie --------------------------------------------------------------------------

=Cast and Crew Seen in the Wild=

**START OF DISCLAIMER: This whole thread on Djenkins and Taika's mother in law is fan theory at this point, read into it as you will, but think of it like tabloid news**

The most exciting and I think ... brain candy worthy today was Rhys and David posting a BTS picture of Rhys in the colonial hat/outfit. It sparked some interesting ideas on the status of season 3.

I have to say, hats off to the folks over on twitter @fowlfiend for making this connection

Earlier today, Chaos Dad, David Jenkins posted the following picture of Rhys that Rhys shared on his Instagram with a song attached to it called "I'm a Man" by Jobriath.

Now, all well and good right? Rallying cry to all the crew! BUT Twitter folks think there's a deeper meaning and I'm inclined to agree.

How fucking cool is that? Thank you to @lamentus1 for pointing out also that Chaos Dad's post had the "three finger" I love you which is yet another 3 today.

Add to that, Taika's Instagram's been pretty quiet lately, and he happened to post a picture today of his mother-in-law @veraora on IG for her birthday, which just happens to have... 3 pigeons in it. Once again, thanks @lamentus1 for bringing this to our attention. ---also please wish VeraOra Happy birthday!

Now, could all of this be just coincidence? Sure, but where's the fun in that? Seems like we're going on a treasure hunt.

**END OF DISCLAIMER: This whole thread on Djenkins and Taika's mother in law is fan theory at this point, read into it as you will, but think of it like tabloid news**

===Other Chaos Dad Posts on Twitter===

=Hashtag Updates / How you can help=

@renewasacrew Has done some cool stuff and made saveofmd.com direct to the petition site. This should help with being able to share more easily. Full thread here on tumblr

Today's Goals and Hashtags Per @renewasacrew

#ArentYouGLAAD #SaveOFMD #TheNumbersWereThere

=Petition Status Updates=

Petition hit 60K all!!!! GREAT JOB! Just in time for Time Square tomorrow!!

I didn't see a drastic change on a lot of the fundraisers so I'm not adding those today--- I think we've had a big day as it was with the stuff around David posting without posting about season 3.

So I thought I'd end with some more info from our lovely @TheCozyPirate on twitter, the lovely person who exposed the information about how s3 was already in preproduction. They seem to have more insight in a lot of this.

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

=So if your question is, is it making a difference? Why doesn't dad just come out and say it? Here's some insight:=

And this next one helps me to feel like we're still heading in the right direction. "If there were nothing viable, he would be able to say that. He would never, never let this go on if hopeless". I think is pretty uplifting.

Lastly, I think you all should be damn proud of yourselves with these calls, as a former Customer Support Person, I appreciate you all so damn much for keeping it kind and polite! Stede would be proud!

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

Finally-- one last thing, since today's theme on tumblr is trolls getting all up in our faces, just remember you do not have to engage with them if you don't want to. If you want to have kind discussions, and you feel up for it, go for it, but don't feel obligated to defend the community.

We all know we care, we all know we're doing a great fucking job at taking care of each other, helping awesome causes, and still having fun while doing it. You don't have to prove to anyone that you are allowed to enjoy your pirate show that means something to you and spend a few bucks to support it.

Don't let people who are struggling with their own trouble take your light. Enjoy things, have fun. You deserve it.

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

On a lighter note to end on: I have a serious question for all of you.

Who gave this man the right to wear these fucking shorts? Good god.

[solar-wing]

⚣ The Bet: M'Gann's Romantic Evening 🌹

⚣🌹 A/N → I didn't include the prompts here since this will be a series, but they'll be included. Personally, I love a good enemies-to-lovers trope, but as I said, I love an oblivious reader. I also get very frustrated with them but it balances out. This will be a series with different parts describing everyone's scenario! I'll put up a vote of who you want to see next, and if you think the adults should get in on it! WARNINGS: Fluff&Comfort. Very Mild Angst&Emotions. Minor Manipulation and scheming.

⚣🌹 Summary → Alright, it was official. Your friends were getting sick and tired of waiting for you and Conner to confess your obvious feelings for each other. When discussing when they figured you both would fess up, Wally got the genius idea to make a bet on when and how everyone figured it would happen. M'Gann lost on the time-frame part, but the dance wasn't over yet.

⚣🌹 Words → 2.5k

REBLOGS and replies are greatly appreciated, please! 💛

⚣ ENJOY 🌹

“I give it a week.”

“Nah, I’d say more like a month.”

“Have you seen those two? I’m betting Wednesday LATEST!”

The Team, minus you and Conner, were sitting in the lounge room discussing a very interesting topic; you and Conner.

“Okay, but we all know how stubborn Conner is. He will legitimately refuse to make the first move until the very last second. And, no offense to Y/N, but the dude has fallen for the ‘something on your shirt’ gag one too many times to be able to pick up on the obvious feelings from the one person who hides his emotions through grunting, shouting, and ripping off his shirt.” Wally replied, munching on his pretzel sticks.

“True, but Conner has gotten really better with properly expressing feelings.” M’Gann pointed out, placing the cookie dough, she finished mixing onto the baking sheets.

“Okay, just because you go to five therapy sessions with Canary does not suddenly make you emotionally secure,” Wally countered.

“True, but again, have we all seen those two?! I swear it’s like watching a Christmas rom-com in live action.” Artemis said.

Everyone nodded their head in agreement before Dick eventually spoke up.

“So, what do we do? Sit and watch this movie play out, or be those characters who butt in and inadvertently mess everything up but help to bring them together?”

“Are we sure getting involved is the right thing to do, though? If this is between Conner and Y/N, shouldn’t we just, in a sense, ‘mind our business?’” Kal brought up.

“I mean, yes, in a sense, that would be the right thing to do. But, isn’t it like our job to get involved in stuff that’s none of our business?” Zatanna responded.

Everyone agreed with each other while Kal just sighed, “I have a strong feeling this is going to end in disaster.”

Artemis leaned over, patting him on his knee, “Oh buddy, when has it not ever ended in disaster.”

She had a point.

“I say we make a bet!” Wally suggested. Eyebrows raised, and interest peaked as everyone leaned in to hear the speedster’s idea.

Yeah, this was definitely going to end in disaster.

So, the bet was each person would give a time-frame of how long it would take for you and Conner to confess to each other. Everyone had to put in $25 to get in on the bet. There were two ways to win the earnings, which could end with one winning half the money or all of it.

Whoever's time prediction ended up being the right one got half the winnings, while everyone else whose predictions were wrong had to put in another $25 making their total bet $50 from each loser. The other way to win was if you predicted how the two would get together. No money was put in on that since those could be very specific scenarios.

Some paired into teams, so they had a better chance of winning both the earnings.

Artemis and M’Gann bet two weeks to a month tops before you and Conner ended up together.

Dick and Zatanna predicted at least a month, a maximum of three.

Kal and Wally were solo on this one. The Atlantean claimed five to six months, while Wally said a year.

It was December, meaning Wally was proclaiming you and Conner wouldn’t confess or realize your feelings for each other until the next holiday season.

“Wally, don’t you think that’s a little excessive?” Zatanna asked.

“Not at all. Like I said, Conner’s stubborn, and Y/N couldn’t be more oblivious if he wanted to be. This is going to take some time.” The speedster explained.

“I’m so gonna enjoy your $50 bucks,” Artemis smirked.

To be honest, it was no surprise to anyone other than Artemis and M’Gann when they ended up paying their extra $25 when the middle of January passed. Though M’Gann was still hopeful she’d win half when almost into February, her predicted scenario almost played out.

Your school’s winter formal was coming up, and you couldn’t be more excited because you’d finally had a date that year! It’d be your first school dance where you wouldn’t be flying solo or going in a group.

When you told Conner the news, you’d been more than surprised by his reaction.

“I don’t get why you're so excited about some stupid dance.” He said with his usual deadpan face, though you missed the sour expression that appeared when he turned away from you.

“It’s not just a dance!” You angrily retorted.

“Isn’t the whole point of the event to dance?”

“No! Well, yes- I mean, that’s a significant part of it, but it’s not the whole thing! It’s about making memories and sharing those special moments with some of your closest friends.”

“Well, that sounds stupid,” He muttered standing back on his legs after finishing the adjustments he was making to his bike.

“It is not stupid,” You gritted through your teeth, “How would you feel if I said fixing your bike was stupid, or having heat vision is stupid, or better yet, you were stupid!”

Now, you managed to hit the Kryptonian’s nerves more than you already did before. He didn’t do well with hostile tones.

“What’s your problem?! All I said was I didn’t see why you were so excited about some stupid dance!”

“There you go again with that stupid word. But, hey, I shouldn’t expect more from someone with the emotional intelligence of a 4-year-old who only knows how to throw tantrums when something upsets them!” You yelled back at him.

This wasn’t going well for M’Gann’s plan, who sat and watched from around the corner as you and the half-Kryptonian continued your screaming match with each other. She predicted Conner would be the first to confess and he would do so by taking you out for a special evening, and so far, it wasn’t looking good. But, there was still hope, because what more special of an evening could there be than your school’s winter formal?!

“I can think of one,” Wally said.

“I can think of several,” Dick added.

“I have a list of them, actually,” Zatanna remarked.

“A dinner date at McDonald’s could be more special,” Artemis laughed.

Okay, so they weren’t going to be any help.

M’Gann hadn’t given up, though. The night before your dance, she‘d convinced Kal to find and give her the address of the boy who asked you and ended up making a special trip to your city.

The next day, out of the blue, you received a text from him calling off your date. Your dads tried to console you, but nothing worked. You spent the day on your living room couch, not even wanting to go to school. 

Your friends had texted you all day to see where you were, but you turned your phone off, not wanting to be bothered by anyone.

When it came time for you to get ready, instead, you were on the couch, watching another episode of whatever random cartoon you picked off the streaming service. Your dads once again tried to cheer you up and convince you to still go to the dance (especially since they had paid for the suit already), but when you stretched your arm all the way from the couch to the kitchen to grab another can of soda from the fridge, they’d given up.

Hopefully, they could get their deposit back.

Just then, your doorbell rang. Your dads went to answer it while you hit ‘Next Episode’ on the TV screen. The stupid timer was just wasting precious seconds that could’ve been used to already get you through the first part of the theme song.

“Hello, sirs, is Y/N home?” A familiar voice spoke from the other side of the door.

Before your parents could even call your name, you were off the couch and already at the door causing them both to smirk seeing as how that was the fastest you got up all day.

You found Conner standing on the other side of your front door dressed up in a tux that was the perfect matching accent color to your own, holding a box that contained a boutonniere with his hair looking neater than his usual style. Now, you could see what Artemis was talking about when she complimented him on that one mission when you and the Team were protecting that scientist.

‘Mmm, that boy.’ 

You were snapped out of your thoughts when you felt your papa nudging you.

Why your parents were both holding cheeky smiles, you’d find out later. You shooed them away before stepping outside and closing the door, pretending to not see them watching you from behind the living room curtains.

“Conner, what are you doing here?” You asked.

“Um, well- I-um, I heard your date bailed on you, and I know this stupid dance was important to you. So, I figured maybe, if it was cool with you, that- um … Well, I could take you?” He stuttered, his fingers twitching and his shoulders tensing. Something you knew he only did when he was either very uncomfortable or highly nervous.

You stood there for a minute, wondering if you were being punked for some reason. Because while this was sweet and all, how did he even know your date canceled on you? Even though you wanted to text him the moment it happened since you always went to him when something upset you, but you guys were fighting this time so you chose not to.

Ah, it didn’t matter. Those were all things that could wait till tomorrow!

You told him to wait in the living room with your parents while you ran upstairs to get dressed. While you were gone, your pops gave Conner the ‘protective dad’ talk while your papa just watched with amusement. In no more than twenty minutes, you managed to shower, fix your hair, and get your suit on without tripping and falling once over an arm or leg.

People would be surprised at how clumsier a person can be when their limbs can stretch long enough to pat a giraffe on the head from the ground.

When you got back downstairs, you figured the look on Conner’s face Conner was from how fast you’d gotten dressed. In your hands, you held your own boutonniere that was meant for your ex-date but was now going on your current one, holding back a laugh when the Kryptonian admitted he didn’t know what in the world they were for or how to put them on.

Your papa huddled you together for pictures, taking as many as he could to where your pops had to drag him away so you both could leave. When you got outside, you looked around expecting to see Sphere or his motorcycle around somewhere. You were pleasantly surprised to find a limo sitting at the end of your driveway.

“Yeah, I had to ask Dick for a favor. M’Gann wouldn’t let me bring my bike.”

That caught your attention.

“Wait, M’Gann set this up?” You asked while Conner opened the door for you, letting you get in first.

“Sort of. She was the one who told me your date had bailed on you. Which, by the way, do him a favor and don’t point him out to me tonight,” Conner said with a slightly irate look, “Luckily though, she had a suit and showed me how to prepare and get ready.”

Noted.

When you arrived at the dance, your friends were surprised to see you, some slightly mad that you didn’t show up to school that day and ignored them. It was all quickly forgotten about though when they saw who you walked in with. Everybody at your school and their dates were more than surprised to see who you had on your arm. Some made flirtatious looks while their dates were standing right there, and some looked at you in complete envy and jealousy. You secretly enjoyed the attention but no one had to know about that.

On more than one occasion, guys and girls who never gave you the time of day in school tried to come and talk to you, well, more so your date, but they acknowledged you. If you took personal joy in how Conner brushed them off with little to no care, you had no shame in showing it.

The Kryptonian made the night all the more special for you in ways you couldn’t even imagine. Introducing him to your friends and all the new inside jokes you would have with each other, laying your head on his shoulder while slow-dancing together, and seeing the jealous look on your ex-date’s face the entire night. But most of all, it was great for you to see Conner genuinely having fun.

It wasn’t any secret that the reality of him being a genetic clone and not a naturally-born human weighed on him a few times. Never mind that half of his DNA was from someone who didn’t want anything to do with him, and the other half was from an egotistical billionaire who tried to use him as a weapon and replacement for the first one.

You knew things were hard on him, and you tried to be there for him as much as possible, and you could see him doing the same for you with the way he showed up for you tonight.

He did ask you why this dance was so important at some point and you admitted it wasn’t really the dance that had you excited, but instead, the fact you had a date for the first time. Since coming out, you were used to getting overlooked and ignored by your different crushes for a cheerleader or one of your female friends.

So, when you ended up getting asked out, you couldn’t help the joy that you could finally partake in all the cutesy stuff you got to see your friends do with their dates at other dances, feeling like you finally had someone for yourself.

Conner’s hands tighten a little around your waist at your admittance, and though you didn’t think anything of it, you couldn’t help the fluttering feeling in your chest when the Kryptonian said you’d always have him.

It was a great night.

After that, other kids at your school would try to hang with you, inviting you out to parties and events and mentioning how you should bring your boyfriend along.

Boyfriend?

These people must be mistaken. Conner wasn’t your boyfriend. He was one of your closest friends since you’d joined the Team around the same time Artemis did. But you guys weren’t dating. You just had a special bond and always looked out for each other.

He was your best friend and nothing more.

At least, you thought.

Obviously, this created much disappointment with M’Gann, who eagerly awaited to hear how it went. The pictures were adorable, though, but now, she had to deal with an angry boy who she’d promised that you wouldn't show up to the dance with another date.

You hadn’t forgotten your suspicions though with how Conner suddenly showed up at your door. Choosing to ignore it for now, you’d be keeping a closer eye on Miss Martian, not even realizing your other friends were cooking up similar plans themselves.

Oh boy…

☀️ | Conner Kent/Superboy | ☀️

☀️ | Masterlists | ☀️

[zombeebunnie]

Trembling Essence:💙Ending progress + poll results💙

Hi again and welcome new followers, here's another progress update about the game! >;]

But before I write that out I just want to say a very big thank you to everyone that participated in the poll I did so far, The results and responses have been helping me for the final version. :,] If you still want to give your vote/opinion on the start of the game here's the poll from my tumblr! There's less than 24 hours to vote!

I took a small break to gather my thoughts before continuing from where I left off. I was brainstorming a lot about this because I didn't want the beginning of the game to be too long when it comes to figuring out how to get to Noah, but I do want the explorative side to give some lore.

Suddenly, an idea came to mind that'll help me solve this issue I've been having. :,]

Last week I mentioned the two endings you could get that are from the [Extended Demo]. I don't count this as spoilers but these endings will have their own separate choice to go down instead of it being in the same path. This replaces a section from the [Extended Demo] and lowers the amount of time it takes to figure out how to get to Noah, especially for those that are new to the game. Consider this a healthy quality of life change, only one ending has been put on the shelf that I didn't have a connection with so far! :] This also gave me a chance to go through both endings individually and give a deeper exploration into these areas as they do play a part in the game. I added a few choices to show the differences in the terrain and how the player(Y/N) reacts to it. You can get an alternate situation but it will still end the same. I also fixed up some errors I found through the alternate choices that I almost missed too. For right now I'd say this ending will be finished once my play testers look through them! They've given me pointers on the CG's and dialog but not everything else yet. x] Speaking of quality changes I also went back and adjusted some of the new CG's I've drawn. I had a habit of drawing the landscape too low so you couldn't see anything unless you toggled the text box away. :,,,] Luckily this was a quick and easy fix.

Here's the results:

Before:

After:

I'm very happy with how far I've come when I draw backgrounds now! It's been a interesting journey but overall I enjoy knowing everything is coming together no matter how long it might take. There was another one I wanted to share but this the second CG I tried posting gave me an error. Luckily I had everything saved so I don't have to rewrite anything! :,,]

It took some time but I went back and fixed one of the effects that happen when you lose HP. The old version lights up the edges of your screen but sometimes it can be hard to see if there's another effect happening. I went back and gave a small hue effect every time you lose HP instead.

Lastly in other news, I finally started work on Noah's reference sheets! >:]

There will be a total of three(?) which will have specific details for each one! It's took some time to create since I'm still learning how to do angled faces/poses but I've gotten time to practice so I'm ready. >:] I also want to state that Noah's sprites/side sprites in the [Extended Demo] are accurate to how he's suppose to look too. Since I've improved my style certain specifics of his appearance might be slightly different! :]

Almost there to the cabin section, yay! I just have a few more things to fix up. >:]

If you like what I create, please consider supporting what I do on kofi! All donations and tips help tremendously while I work on the game. Also a very huge thank you to those that have optionally bought the [Extended Demo] and the March 2023 demo on itch.io too, it really means a lot. :,]

Q&A / Ask box is open:

If you have any questions about Trembling Essence/Noah feel free to ask here or on itch.io please. This makes it easier for me to see and answer accordingly! I would really like to hear from you guys!

There were some other things I wanted to discuss but this post is getting too long so I'll save it for next week, thank you guys for all of the support, I appreciate it! :,,]

[leviackermanscleaningbuddy]

#asktheskzpack

Who in the pack likes knotting the most? Who like whose knot the best? Also who has the biggest knot? And while we’re here I might as well ask what everyone in the pack is packing in their pants?

"Whew, did it just get hot in here?" Hyunjin jokes, laughing lightly.

Chan's cheeks are already going red.

"You're the biggest knot whore out of all of us, don't even try to deny it." Jisung teases back, ribbing Hyunjin in the side.

The omega shrugs without an ounce of shame. "Guilty."

"I mean, I don't blame you." Jisung continues, glancing to the alphas with a sly sort of look. "Look at them. And if how they look is any sort of indictive of how they fuck, which it is-"

Chan lets out a sort of strangled sound from beside you.

Beside Hyunjin and Jisung, Changbin pinches his nose between his fingers and takes in a deep breath, his face screwed up into an expression akin to some sort of pain.

"Can we please just get on with it already? Talking about this makes everyone's scents weird and I can't fucking handle it."

Hyunjin bats his eyes innocently at the alpha. "Weird how, hyung?"

"Horny weird." Minho deadpans, staring straight at the luna pointedly.

"Okay, okay." You laugh, trying to ignore the sweet scent of omega in the air, the suddenly sharp smell of alert alpha, your own included. Changbin's not wrong. "Let's just answer the questions in order, all together. Ready?"

Everyone nods, and you hold up a finger. "Question One-"

"Chan." Everyone agrees unanimously in one voice, and Chan reaches up to rub his temples as if he's getting a headache.

You grin sidelong at him, but don't allow discussion to break out, holding up a second finger.

"Skip Question Two. We'll come back to it individually. Question Three-"

"Changbin."

Once again, the vote is immediate, unanimous.

A weird flicker of pride and embarrassment moves across Changbin's face at the announcement.

"Thanks...I guess?" He chokes out, turning red, shifting uncomfortably on the couch as Hyunjin and Jisung cackle next to him.

"Question Four-" You announce, shrugging, as you glance around. "I don't feel like we really owe that information to anyone. It can be an uncomfortable topic for some people, and we want everyone to feel safe. All you really need to know is Alphas can always knot-regardless of primary gender-and omegas possess the organs to become pregnant with pups-also regardless of primary gender. I think you can form your own conclusions from there."

"And if you can't-" Seungmin announces sagely, shifting his glasses on his nose. "-maybe go back and take a high school biology class."

"Going back to Question Two-" You glance around at the other pack members, giving them the floor, specifically the omegas and betas. "-if anyone has any insight they want to share, go ahead."

"I just want to say, before we start, from a scientific standpoint-" Seungmin starts, and beside him Jisung rolls his eyes good naturedly. "-that it's proven that knotting and breeding feels better between confirmed moonmates. It's part of the biology that makes a wolf in the wild want to stay with their mate-not only do they have the best gene compatibility, but the most physical compatibility as well."

"I wouldn't argue with that." You nod, considering. "I definitely feel like I lean toward physical enjoyment the most when Chan is involved, but I also know it's different when you take your subgender into consideration as well."

"Correct." Seungmin nods. "Sensations vary greatly depending on your subgender-omegas tend to get more out of the breeding experience than any other role, and alphas tend to get more out of the knotting experience. So if you're in an alpha x alpha intimacy scenario, the sensations of knotting and breeding may not be as heightened as they would be in an alpha x omega scenario. Again, it's biology's way of keeping things square."

"That being said-" Hyunjin arches a brow and glances at Felix. "-if a knot isn't involved in a scenario we have substitutes that can be used-toys and such."

"But nothing feels like the real thing." Jeongin adds, grinning from ear to ear.

"It's also important to note that knotting doesn't occur every time there's sexual intimacy." You point out, adding to Hyunjin's point. "It's usually only something used during a heat or rut cycle where breeding is the main goal, although there have been instances where accidental knottings have happened during regular sex, and usually it's because of heightened emotions or emotional/mental bonds."

"Oh my god." Jisung groans, slouching on the couch. "I feel like I'm in a lecture right now. Are we on campus?"

Hyunjin rolls his eyes. "I like Changbin's knot most, maybe because he's always the one my omega wants during heat."

Jeongin raises his hand. "I like Channie's. Maybe also because he was my first?"

"Ew." You wrinkle your nose and tease the youngest, sticking your tongue out at him as he flips you off.

"Minho." Jisung finger guns. "I think it's obvious why."

"Also Minho." Felix adds on, nodding now. "He's always just felt and fit the best. I dunno what it is, but my omega likes his alpha."

"I like noona's." Seungmin shrugs, glancing to you almost shyly. "I'm not big into the whole knotting idea, but it's never been uncomfortable with her."

"I think as an alpha, I'm not really particular when it comes to being knotted?" Changbin shrugs, and the other alphas nod in agreement, as an evil grin stretches across his face. "I definitely have favorites when it comes to breeding though."

More nodding, more enthusiastic, from the alphas.

"That wasn't the question, hyung." Felix offers patiently with a little half sigh and a flare of pink on his ears.

Changbin's grin grows, his teeth sharp. "Damn. You woulda liked my answer, Lixie."

The pink on Felix's cheeks flares to red.

[lovesongbracket]

Reminder: Vote based on the song, not the artist or specific recording! The tracks referenced are the original artist, aside from a few rare cases where a cover is the most widely known.

Lyrics, videos, info, and notable covers under the cut. (Spotify playlist available in pinned post)

Your Song

Written By: Elton John & Bernie Taupin

Artist: Elton John

Released: 1970

Cover included: Ewan McGregor for Moulin Rouge!, 2001

The song was composed and performed by Elton John but the lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin. It originally appeared in his self titled and second album. Elton John hadn’t come out of the closet yet, but Bernie Taupin knew, which is part of the reason why the lyrics avoid using gendered pronouns. In a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone, Elton John said: “What can I say, it’s a perfect song. It gets better every time I sing it. I remember writing it at my parents' apartment in North London, and Bernie giving me the lyrics, sitting down at the piano and looking at it and going, ‘Oh, my God, this is such a great lyric, I can’t fuck this one up.’ It came out in about 20 minutes, and when I was done, I called him in and we both knew. I was 22, and he was 19, and it gave us so much confidence. ‘Empty Sky’ was lovely, but it was very naive. We went on to do more esoteric stuff like ‘Take Me to the Pilot,’ of course, but musically, this was a big step forward. And the older I get, the more I sing these lyrics, and the more they resonate with me.”

[Verse 1] It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside I'm not one of those who can easily hide I don't have much money, but boy if I did I'd buy a big house where we both could live [Verse 2] If I was a sculptor, heh, but then again, no Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do My gift is my song and this one's for you [Chorus] And you can tell everybody this is your song It may be quite simple but now that it's done I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind That I put down in words How wonderful life is while you're in the world [Verse 3] I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss Well, a few of the verses, well, they've got me quite cross But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song It's for people like you that keep it turned on [Verse 4] So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do You see, I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen [Chorus] And you can tell everybody this is your song It may be quite simple but now that it's done I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind That I put down in words How wonderful life is while you're in the world [Outro] I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind That I put down in words How wonderful life is while you're in the world

Demolition Lovers

Written By: Matt Pelissier, Mikey Way, Ray Toro & Gerard Way

Artist: My Chemical Romance

Released: 2002

The Demolition Lovers are the couple seen on the cover for MCR’s next album, Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. This song, along with much of the album, is a prequel to the story of Three Cheers… in which a man makes a deal with the devil to get his dead lover back by killing 1,000 evil men and giving the devil their souls in exchange for her. This song is most likely where the lover dies. The two “Demolition Lovers” are featured on the cover of the album.

[Verse 1] Hand in mine, into your icy blues And then I'd say to you, "We could take to the highway With this trunk of ammunition, too" I'd end my days with you, in a hail of bullets [Chorus] I'm trying, I'm trying To let you know just how much you mean to me And after all the things We put each other through and [Verse 2] I would drive on to the end with you A liquor store or two keeps the gas tank full And I feel like there's nothing left to do But prove myself to you, and we'll keep it running [Chorus] But this time, I mean it I'll let you know just how much you mean to me As snow falls on desert sky Until the end of everything I'm trying, I'm trying To let you know how much you mean As days fade and nights grow And we grow cold [Post-Chorus] Until the end, until this pool of blood Until this, I mean this, I mean this, until the end of [Chorus] I'm trying, I'm trying To let you know how much you mean As days fade and nights grow And we grow cold But this time, we'll show them We'll show them all how much we mean As snow falls on desert sky Until the end of every… [Interlude] All we are, all we are is bullets, I mean this All we are, all we are is bullets, I mean this All we are, all we are is bullets, I mean this All we are, all we are is bullets, I mean this [Guitar Solo] [Bridge] As lead rains will pass on through Our phantoms forever, forever Like scarecrows that fuel this flame We're burning forever and ever Know how much I want to show you You're the only one Like a bed of roses There's a dozen reasons in this gun [Outro] And as we're falling down, and in this pool of blood And as we're touching hands, and as we're falling down And in this pool of blood, and as we're falling down I'll see your eyes, and in this pool of blood I'll meet your eyes, I mean this forever!

[ginaporterr]

HIIII Y'ALL!!!!!!! this is honestly very insane to me but i recently hit 1k on here, so i just wanted to say thank you all for being here and joining me on this fun ride over the past two years since i made this blog. i feel like i've joined the hsmtmts/specifically rina fandom three separate ways/times and i've always been able to easily find my niche of people, which really speaks to how open and wonderful this community as a whole is. this third time around was no exception, this little subsection of some of the nicest, funniest, smartest, most talented, most supportive people ever means the world to me, so thank you all for following and partaking in all of the fun that was this rollercoaster of a show, and thank you for supporting my relentless content creation bc i am most definitely not stopping anytime soon skdjfks 😭 this milestone perfectly coincided with the show's ending since i hit it on the day of s4's release, so i thought it would be fun to celebrate both my little milestone & the ending of our beloved show (and our many major wins) with you all, the lovely people that have made this time with the show as wonderful as it was! this show, these characters, and you all hold a very special place in my heart, so. let's celebrate it all!!

like last time, this celebration will be split into two components; prompts & polls! i thought it would be fun to see the difference in top ships now that the second half of the show's been released (+ with a bigger voting pool), so we're running it back! to join in on the celebration, you can vote in the poll linked below and/or send in an ask with a prompt!!

RULES — mbf this blog — send in a prompt (or multiple) from below — vote in the top ships poll

PROMPTS — ❄️ : song association! send in one of your favorite songs and i'll make a gifset relating it to some aspect of the show — 🦋 : personalized sets! tell me what you like about hsmtmts / what it means to you (in as little or as much detail as you'd like) and i'll make something inspired by your message — 🌀 : requests! send in a character/dynamic/episode/etc. + color/quote/song/motif/etc. that you'd like a gifset of — 🪁 : make me choose! send in two (or more) characters/episodes/dynamics/scenes/etc. & i’ll choose between them for a gifset — 💙 : surprise! for mutuals only <3 (reminder that i follow from milesgmorales)

and one last thing, i want to especially say thank you to some of my mutuals, old and new, that have made being here one of my favorite experiences <3 you all genuinely brighten up my dash, my tag, my blog, the show tag, the ao3 tag, everything with your thoughts and creations and talent and humor and i'm so very grateful to you all bc these past few years would not have been the same without you (especially those of you that were around for the s2/post-s2 rina dark ages KSJDKFH) forever grateful to this fun little disney show for bringing so many wonderful people into my life <3 LOVE YOU ALL MWAH

@ginaricky @laylakeating @homemade-ghosts @chuckclayton @richiebowen @saythewylie @aamirmitchell @pinkhysteria @mjsparkour @bakerolivia @spookys @blues-valentine @ginasporter @starrrbakerrr @emiraee @squishymar @rickybowsn @mariasyko @frostluvrs @ginaluvr @narcobarbies @usersojo @tabithatate @kitherondale @mike-el @userguts @kayascodelorio @yellowlaboratory @bartowskis

don't feel obligated to participate or rb ksdjkfs

[intervex]

Intersex-disability combination survey results Part 3: flags for whether one's disability is linked to being intersex

Part 1: four flags and coining of interdebilitated

Part 2: inter-iatrogene and interimpaired (two flags & coinings)

The following three flags represent three different positions that disabled intersex people may hold about what connection (if any) there is between being intersex and disabled.

Intersex-linked disability: an intersex person who has one or more disabilities that are linked in any way to being intersex. This is an umbrella category which includes:

Having a disability that is commonly correlated to your intersex variation (e.g. Deafness and MRKH)

Having an iatrogenic disability (e.g. chronic pain caused by IGM) - i.e. being an inter-iatrogene

Debility due to intersexism (e.g. PTSD from intersexism) - i.e. interdebility

Seeing your personal intersex variation as personally being a disability (e.g. "I find my salt-wasting CAH a disability but I am not trying to claim everybody with this variation does.") - i.e. interimpaired

I wanna explicitly note that like every other intersex-disability combination, this is inclusive of ALL models of disability. While the medical model is a very common way in our society of understanding disability, identifying as disabled (or "with a disability") does not mean that one subscribes to the medical model. 💙

Right: Intersex with unrelated disability. The complement of intersex-linked disability (on the left). Note it's not mutually exclusive: for example, somebody with intersexism-associated PTSD may also wind up with long covid and see that as unrelated to being intersex.

Left: It's complicated! Not everybody has an easy time identifying/articulating what relationship their disability identity has to their intersex disability. Sometimes things are just unclear. 💙

Survey results

Intersex-linked disability

The inset flag was the highest rated candidate flag for this use case, with a weighted average rating of 4.4 out of 5. (People who self-identified with a given use case effectively got to "vote" twice for anything concerning that use case, for reasons I explained in Part 2.)

I had some hesitation in assigning this flag to this use case though. 🤔 The problem with the inset flag is it was broadly popular across the ten use cases. For 8 out of 10 use cases, it had an average rating higher than 4.0. This made it kind of tricky to match to a meaning because it seems it has a real broad appeal/interpretation. 😵‍💫

As a result it felt important to me that whatever meaning I assigned it would be a broad umbrella term. It was rated slightly higher as a candidate flag for commonly-correlated disabilities (4.5) but that use case had less demand, plus it had one (different) flag that people really consistently rated as being specific to that one meaning. 🤷

Given its broad interpretation, I considered making this flag be a second flag for people who are disabled in any sort of way. 🤔 But then what flag would I pick for intersex-linked disability? The second pick option for a flag was very clearly rejected by a quick poll. And everything else scoring well for this meaning had a clearer association with a different use case. That quick poll also strongly backed up this meaning-flag association, so that confirmed it.

Unrelated disability

Out of the ten use cases in the survey, this one actually had the lowest demand for a flag. Weighted average perceived utility was 3.0 out of 5 (basically: neutral).

I decided to release a flag for this case anyway because I had data which favoured this specific meaning-flag pairing. 😎 If releasing a flag for this meaning, I wanted the flag to be a definite "opposite" to the intersex-linked disability flag.

So I added a row to my spreadsheet where I took the difference between the flag ratings for the linked-disability use case and the ratings for the unrelated-disability use case. Most flag designs had a higher rating for intersex-linked than for intersex-unrelated. The segmented ring flag and the universal symbol of access were the only two where people associated them more with unrelated disabilities than intersex-linked disabilities.

Since the universal symbol of access flag had a much higher rating for the "all possible disabilities" use case, and that use case had a lot of demand, I had allocated that flag to that meaning.

This left the segmented ring flag. It wasn't otherwise getting used, and since the data indicated it was understood as a a flag for disabilities unrelated to being intersex, I figured, why not. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It's complicated!

This was another case where I picked the flag-meaning association based on what flag design was most uniquely associated to the meaning. This maximalist flag had a rating of 4.0 out of 5 for this meaning, which is decent.

It was not the top-rated flag for this meaning - it was actually the third highest rated for the "it's complicated" use case. The coloured stripes on the side flag that I released as the "intersex is part of the disability community/movement" flag had a higher rating of 4.3. But that flag was more strongly associated to that meaning (4.5).

Same deal with the inset flag - it had a score of 4.2 for "it's complicated", but 4.4 for intersex-linked disability.

Importantly to me, the maximalist flag was more popular for the "it's complicated" use case (4.0) than it was for the either the intersex-linked case (3.8) or the unrelated-disability case (3.3). So this pairing felt good to me in that it seems distinct from both intersex-linked and intersex-unrelated disabilities. 👍️

The version of this flag I'm releasing is a wee bit different from the one in the survey, which was not neatly oriented. A participant wrote in the open-ended feedback they were bothered by the rotation of the survey-version flag being a little off. This version is slightly rotated so the segment at the horizontal middle of the flag is actually parallel to the midline of the flag. 📏

💜

Once again, my appreciation goes out to those who filled in the survey! And to @scifimagpie for sanity checks! Two people filled in the survey after I started the data analysis. This post includes the results of those two people, but the previous two posts did not. I have now set the google form to stop accepting responses.

Like in Part 2, I used weighted averages so that people who self-identified with a given use case had twice as many "votes" on any question directly relevant to the given use case.

This now shares all the flag-related results of the survey! In my next post I'll get to the remaining coining-related results.

Tagging for archival: @intersexflags @varsex-pride @disabilityflagsarchive @disabilityflags @liom-archive @radiomogai @mad-pride

EDIT TO ADD (2024-10-05) For anybody who wants a fuller picture of the ratings, here's a screenshot of the main spreadsheet - the ten use cases are each columns, and the different flag designs are rows. Darker green means a more positive rating, and if the text is in white it means that was the matching I made.

[sinfulequity]

Thinking about how what the implications are if "(Not) A Devil" is Mikoto's third trial song.

Specifically, about these two lines and how they contextualized the song as a whole.

It's preceded by these lines

My radiant halo is closing in around my neck It loosens when I lie, the “Mayday” I can’t call out Let’s cover-up in white paint, get lost in the part and play It gets easier when you lie go on, try it

And as we can see here, their lines are dyed in the others' colours, while brown/gold is them in unison.

(Incidentally, I decided to look up what patrician means, and uh.

That is certainly A Definition, when tied to Mikoto)

This implies that the angel's claim that they're dead and gone is part of the lies interwoven in the song. Isn't this a claim that sounds familiar~?

Mikoto: Please, forgive Boku. If you don’t… I’m sure he won’t be able to deal with this any longer. Es: “A sin committed by another personality isn’t a sin”... you’re telling me that’s how I should judge? Mikoto: Yeah. If you forgive Boku… I’ll disappear. Es: … Mikoto: That’s right. I’ll have to disappear eventually, anyway… Disappear, and take all of it with me. I… was born to protect Boku, after all. Es: You were… born for it… Mikoto: Yeah. If it’s for Boku, I’ll… do anything.

You see, I don't think that he will disappear?? We know that there's still a third trial. I doubt that Mikoto wouldn't be stressed by the prospect of being voted guilty for a second/third time. It would be one thing if it was a longer period of voting, or one vote equating to instant freedom. But the prisoners are fully aware of the fact that it's not one and done (and if they didn't before, I'm sure that Haruka's interrogation would give them that insight). As it stands, there's a very real possibility that the more guilty you get, the less likely you'll be allowed freedom. Furthermore, it's also a possibility that it's a two out of three system. Or, to draw on his relation to baseball, three strikes and you're out.

Mikoto would probably be able to piece that together, and even if he isn't outwardly stressed next trial, I'm sure the idea of that would linger subconsciously. You know, the thing that brought out "John" to begin with. This is regardless of the outcome of this trial.

A tangent, but the lines

this is just a silly joke song

(just kidding~)

(who cares~)

would also feed into the continued insistence that this is all just a dream/bad joke that needs to end. That, and this aspect of Mikoto's character that has been showcased repeatedly

Mikoto: It’s pretty tough, isn’t it? (laughs) Ever since I came here, so much has been happening that I don’t understand… Es: … You really… do laugh when you’re suffering, huh? Mikoto: Huh? Es: You don’t get angry. You don’t scream. You laugh, like it’s a minor inconvenience. Mikoto: Ah… I guess so. I might have that kind of trait. Es: … Mikoto: Usually, if you just laugh and pretend, things work out in the end, right? I’m pretty good at that. Making things work out to the best of my abilities. Es: Is that so… Mikoto: (laughs) …But… it’s not coming to an end. All of this. With things I’ve never even heard before, the whole ti—

His reaction to stress is to diminish it, or treat it as something ephemeral. Something that doesn't truly exist, just ignore it and keep going. Except as we've seen, it's not working in Milgram, and I'm pretty sure it didn't work in the circumstances before his murder too. And I don't think it will work as he wants, even if he's voted innocent this round.

I need to specify that this isn't a thing to sway the vote in any direction, just something I thought was interesting. And honestly, I may be interpreting it all wrong too! I'm not always great at looking at the evidence and drawing the right conclusions- sometimes I can convolute something that's really simple. Or to put it another way, miss the forest for the trees.

[wolfinshipclothing]

Amphibia Fanfic Poll!

Alright, full disclosure, I'm in a bit of a writing funk. I can't get more than a few words down and I hate them! Its a painful situation...

So, to get my writing groove back, I thought about writing something shippy and Amphibia-related.

And since I have many ideas and don't know what to write, I'll make a poll so you guys can choose for me.

Just pick the fic in the list you would want to read! I'll probably pick the first and second winners, so as to have more to write about.

(also i love polls and this was a good excuse to make one)

There you go! Again, i'll pick the first two (maybe three?) most voted options to write about, so feel free to vote if you like any of my ideas OR feel free to tell me what, exactly, would you like to read about!

[acourtofthought]

It genuinely made me laugh out loud! “Shadows disappearing is confirmed good by HOFAS!” I was confused at first thinking when tf did that happen.. and then had a chuckle when I realized they were talking about Ruhn.

I typically stay out of the subreddit, and have their tags blocked on here, but I was curious to see what theories or hints they gathered from HOFAS. Seems like the bulk of it is:

- ruhnlidia “parallel” confirms mate language for e/riel from the bonus (or something like that, I’ve forgotten which precise passage they warped).

- stone mother song is about elain (vast stretch, seems punitive to focus on the song and not everything else that happened in that scene). And is so fucking interesting because that’s a bonus chapter and they’re still claiming BC aren’t canon/down voting when you point out they are. Can’t seem to make up their minds !

- today show article & interview about fans expecting the story to be Az & Elain, and SJM saying there’s a lot to explore in a rejected bond. The first is whatever imo, and the second they seem convinced is about them but I’m more convinced it’ll be Eris & Mor. Admittedly, Helion & LoA is another possibility more likely than e/riel, but their story breaks my heart already and I desperately want them to have HEA

Are there any other arguments you’ve seen/heard of? I’m curious what you think of these three as well!

🧼💖

The Stone Mother argument being about E/riel is just bonkers to me. First off, we have no idea if the song itself is actually based off Native American legend or whether SJM just liked the name. But to take a Paiute legend and claim it about a white women's love story is very cringe to me. I agree with you, I think the rejected bond is going to be Eris and Mor and the effects of an unaccepted bond will be Helion and the LoA. I could see them eventually getting together but for the last however many centuries, they do seem to be an example of a "rejected" bond. And you're right, they have selected very specific lines from the interviews and articles while ignoring the rest. First SJM said she only asks herself those same questions when writing. Is there choice? Is it destiny? What if it's wrong? But she's already written that into the series, where the characters wonder how it happens, is there choice, etc. And every time, the characters have said that it doesn't matter because at the end of the day they still chose one another. Bryce confirms that it didn't matter where her bond with Hunt came from or who it was determined by because it's what she wanted. Nesta struggled with the mating bond because it meant giving up her humanity but in the end she decided she wanted Cassian as her mate. They take that to mean SJM is proving to the reader that she's definitely going to write a rejected bond for two main characters when all she's saying is she makes sure to have the characters ask themselves the important questions so in the end they know without a doubt it's what they wanted and not just something decided by fate. But they ignore SJM saying that characters end up with who they need to be with for the most growth. How her MMC cheer on the FMC and encourage her. These things clearly go against the E/riel narrative but they conveniently leave those quotes out of their arguments. The one big argument I heard going around during the release was how the Cauldron was corrupted therefore Elucien's bond is. So basically.....an event that happened 15,000 years ago and in all that time the ONLY corrupted bond to come out of it was Elucien's? That's quite convenient, don't you think? There is also zero proof that the Cauldron or the Daglan were responsible for mating bonds. So yeah, I imagine all these theories will end up in the graveyard of E/riel theories along with Bread and Roses meaning that E/riel are living together and pregnant in CC3.

[tdp-fandom]

TDP SHIPPING POLL!

🔴CLICK HERE TO VOTE🔴 (Please share for more accurate results)

Hello and welcome to the second TDP Shipping Poll! It’s an online survey that will help us understand the shipping preferences of our fandom. I ran the first poll in 2020 after season 3 and now that season 5 is approaching, I decided it was time to run a new one. Two new ones, actually, as I would like to run one poll before and one - after the upcoming and later compare the results. 

So let’s start with this one. The poll will run from June 1st to July 1st. I’m leaving the exact hours vague because I might need an extra hour or two to finish things up. I also leave myself the right to extend the poll if such need arises (e.g. I am physically unable to close the poll or the number of votes is very low)

More information is on the poll itself and under cut

How does this work?

The poll consists of three main parts: general questions, opinions about specific ships and the final wrap up. The general section covers basic demographic information as well as your shipping preferences. The questions about specific ships are divided into 6 categories to make the lists more manageable. Please note that the 6th category is dedicated to controversial ships - adult/minor, incest and ships with animals. This category will be hidden and you will be able to see it if you choose to.

Which ships are included?

Basically, all ships I've encountered online as well as the ships that people asked me to add, with the only exception being ships with the characters from Tales of Xadia (at least for now). If a ship you like wasn't included, you can submit it manually at the end of the poll and I will include it in the next poll.

Why were problematic ships included?

They are part of our fandom's shipping preferences and without them the picture would be incomplete. As mentioned before, they are hidden and you won't accidentally see them.

However, it is worth pointing out that I only consider adult/minor, incest and animal ships to be problematic. The following may not be everyone's cup of tea, but they're perfectly normal ships: - young adult x late teen ships where the age difference between the young adult and the teen is 5 years or less;

- older adult x young adult ships no matter the age gap. Both characters are adults;

- human/dragon or elf/dragon ships when both characters are adults.

Please remember that just because something squicks you out, doesn't mean it's inherently problematic.

Where will the results be posted?

The results will be published on twitter, tumblr, TDP subreddit and dreamwidth. I will publish the results bit by bit, because there are a lot of different categories to work through.

Have any questions?

Feel free to DM me on the mentioned platforms. I also accept constructive criticism!

[irlcats-bracket]

bracket 1 FINAL BATTLE

RUSTY versus PRISSY

RUSTY

Rusty used to be a stray and then he had An Accident and now he has three legs (he had been living at a vet's office for a month when submitter adopted him). But he's doing great! Submitter taught him how to climb stairs and built him some steps out of cardboard boxes so he can get on their bed whenever he wants. They think he could be anywhere from 6 to 12 years old, it's hard to say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. To their pleasant surprise, he does not mind wearing a harness at all, which is good because he still loves the outdoors. He often gets his ear turned inside out while bathing and weirdly prefers dry food over wet.

PROPAGANDA

breaking: semi-feral baby learns to cuddle, becomes addicted to laying on my face

and here he is chillin on the patio with me!

vote for rusty #1 best at sticking out leg

when i first got Rusty he could not go up stairs... but he could go down, so he would get stuck at the bottom of them and meow for help. Of course he also hated being picked up and carried up the stairs.

but now he just goes ZOOP up the stairs doing audible damage to my carpet the whole way, which is so valid of him because i hate carpet on stairs

and something that is not quite propaganda for rusty but important words from rusty's human nontheless

For this semifinal I am going to do a different kind of propaganda.

Next time you are looking to adopt a pet, please consider getting an older animal or one with special needs, if you are able, or even just a shy, timid one. The reason my vet friend came to me about Rusty was because cats like him are usually overlooked in shelters. It wasn't just his injury--behaviorally, it was like he didn't know how to be a pet. For about three months he spent 95% of his time sitting in one spot, doing nothing, mostly indifferent to human attention. And now, after less than two years, he is super active and follows me to bed every night for cuddles. There are so many pets like Rusty who just need somebody to give them a chance, and give them time. If you can be that person, it is the most amazing thing to see what they bloom into!

Thank you for reading my spiel, now here is a picture of Rusty sleeping in the cat equivalent of a T-pose for some reason:

PRISSY

If she's quiet she's either sleeping or somewhere she shouldn't be. Or Both. Openly favors submitter, tolerates others. Very autistic cat: anxious of bad noises, very picky eater, kneads with her right paw out for no reason, must walk a circle around the room before going somewhere, has Specific eating spots for mealtime, etc. She probably knows more English than she lets on. Disobeys authority when she's bored or hungry. Loves the outdoors but she needs her pretty pink harness or she'll run; her favorite activity is playing with grasshoppers. She's a little brat but you can't help but love her when she squeaks at you.

PROPAGANDA

As you can see, she likes tight spaces (it's the 'tism -u-). She has access to larger, roomier sleeping spaces, but she always gravitates to places where I can't understand how she could possibly be comfortable. That round thing in the top right pic? She sleeps on top of that for the night even though a whole leg falls over the side. We've debated getting her a bigger one, but I don't think she'd like it.

She is also a lover of people food; we tried not to get her used to it, but somewhere along the way she broke down our walls. Whenever I snack on cheese puffs on the couch, she's always gotta get up in my face to try to get some of that delicious cheese dust, going so far as to stick her big face in the bag right in front of me while I'm holding it. And if you've got salmon, she will go nuts. I think salmon is her favorite food with cheese as a close second. ...but she'll also beg for chicken nugget.

[Image description: a photo of OP sitting at the dining table over a plate of chicken strips and ketchup, OP on one side of the chair and holding a piece of bitten chicken and Prissy sitting on the other side of the chair with one paw on the table eyeing the bitten chicken strip. OP's face has been painted over with a black spot.]

As for speaking English, I've caught her saying Hello and Mama clear as day, and is working on pronouncing Outside and Water (I mean it, just from her tones and "syllables" of her meows, it's like she's trying to speak).

Sorry for the spam, but she really is that photogenic. And also sorry for the stuff on my bed, but my legs were injured at the time and needed extra support. While they were injured, I also spent a lot of time on the couch, where Prissy frequently sat by my side and especially on my lap. Now that I'm better and not sitting there anymore, she now claims that specific corner of the couch as her own; she's even stolen that spot from me when I get up to do something really quick.

I've also trained her to hop on my lap when she wants to eat, instead of jumping on the table, but at the end of the day she still does what she wants lol. She's always been by my side, from the first day she got here at 3 mos. old and took a nap on my lap right in the hallway.

[candybowbeansies]

a Beatboxer!Teacher!ProHero!ReaderxMic ficlet

warnings/notes: sfw, i got to thinking while listening to these covers….what if teacher!reader had a mutation quirk with mutated lungs and voicebox, has gills, and is an extremely capable sea hero…also knew how to beatbox. like the widest range of sounds. and how the kids would request them to cover their favorite songs or freestyle. bonus points is mic’s s/o. they make him so proud 🥺 (truly)gn reader(no defining features, unlike the majority of my gns, you’ll know if you’ve read them lol), and shameless PDA <3

~~~~

From sassy falsetto and honeyed high-pitch, to grunge-growl and throaty rumble, to boom-basso and smoky timbre. Your lungs and voice box mutations allowed you to create a large variety of sounds, many of which took years to perfect. Being a Pro Sea Hero, you somehow found yourself strapped with teaching at UA. Not that you minded much; after all, you met the man of your dreams, there.

Hizashi Yamada.

One beatbox session was all it took for him to ask you out-when the kids found out you could beatbox, they’d pester you to do just one cover.

Which turned into two, three, and more often than not, more. He’d join in later in the longer sessions.

Singing-beatboxing, specifically, was your passion, other than patrolling the waters surrounding the island you called home.

Out of the entire faculty, you garnered the most attention from the youngsters. You even gave voice lessons to Class 1-A for the school festival.

You exhale through your teeth, short and harsh, sounding a sassy chirp.

The kids asked you to freestyle, each one gathered around in interest. The majority voted romance and breakup for the theme.

‘The tide’s bringin’ in romance,

My heart’s at the floodin’ point

Can’t think anymo~o~ore~’

You press your palm to one of your gills, tapping your voicebox for that slight grunge-effect. You follow up with a short cheeky, melancholic melody, pressing your knuckles against your gills to give vibration.

’I try to say goodbye, but you’re like an ebbing wave

Now, like the fo~oa~am, you’re go~one.’

Again, you press your palm to one of your gills, tapping your voicebox for that slight grunge-effect; something that would happen often in this freestyle cover.

As you bring forth the sounds, your hands moving fluidly, the beat starting off more mellow, you remix your verse and your favorite line. Gradually, you build up the beat with hints of sass.

'Like foam, you’re gone’

'Like foam, you-’

'Gone in seconds’

Then you bring the angst, bringing out a wide spread of sounds. You go on like this, soon tapering off back into that melancholic melody you started with.

'Like foam, you’re go~one in seconds.’

For the last time, you press your palm to one of your gills, tapping your voicebox for that slight grunge-effect, following up with that short cheeky, melancholic melody, pressing your knuckles against your gills to give vibration.

Upon the end, your audience cheers, and you can’t help but clap along with them. You notice Hizashi-at some point he came in.

“That’s my baby.” he compliments, approaching and leaning in to give you a smooch. All too happily, you reciprocate it, earning grossed out sounds from the kids. Both him and you snicker as they grab their stuff and file out, chatting about many things amongst themselves.