#lighthearted post though. I always get an idea eventually so it's okay. It's silly.

[shimmershy]

I always have sooo many ideas for art and stuff when I have nooo time to do art, but when I actually sit down to do art, it's all "no thoughts, head empty". It's like my brain WANTS me to procrastinate on my work and Just Draw The Thing.

[highlifeboat]

Basics Ship Ask: 6, 19, 20, 22, 29, your choice of couple(s) cause I honestly like hearing all of your headcanons/AUs ^_^

Okay, just so this post isn’t 3 years long, I think I’m just gonna talk about… Miacina and Belena. Because those two ships are feeling under appreciated rn.

Miacina:

6. How do they make up/apologize after an argument?

Arguing is actually… pretty dang rare for them, overall, but in terms of making up for it; Mia is much more of a gift giver. She’s just bad with articulating herself, so if she can get something Alcina likes (usually lavander flowers. Alcina seems to adore those), or maybe bake her one of her favored deserts, that coupled with an earnest apology will at least make the situation better.

Alcina’s much better with just… talking it out. She has a much easier time if they can sit down and have a conversation about what happened (or why Mia got upset, if it’s specific to her), though she’s also known to bring Mia treats or hot drinks as a type of apology, given sometimes Mia’s just… hard to make talk after a fight.

They’ll always end up talking about it eventually, and try to find ways to avoid such things in the future, though. 

19. Do they wear each other’s clothes/jewelry?

If she could, I believe Alcina would love to wear Mia’s cardigan. She thinks it looks very warm and likes the idea that it smells like her wife. She fantasizes about this often, though has never brought it up. Mia’s… kind of in the same boat. She like the idea of potentially wearing Alcina’s dresses, but they’re all way too big.

Also I think Mia would be terrified to wear Alcina’s jewelry. It’s just all so fancy and expensive, she’d be afraid of losing it or ruining it somehow. I do think Alcina wouldn’t mind wearing Mia’s $20 earrings, but again, she’s never proposed the idea.

20. How do they comfort each other when one of them is upset? Is this method of comfort effective?

They’ve both come to find simple physical affection does wonders for them when they’re upset. Alcina’s a large fan of anything from cuddles to literally just laying down and holding hands. She just finds comfort in having somebody else there, if she’s truly honest. Plus, Mia’s usually good for saying something to make her laugh. Whether it’s a terrible joke or just telling Alcina something to distract her from the problem.

While Mia also adores cuddles, she specifically prefers it when Alcina will pull her into her lap and let her trace shapes on her hands. Something about the patterns calms her down, and she still gets the warm embrace of her big wife. (If there’s ever a time Mia’s upset and being touch avoidant Alcina usually defaults to covering her with a warm blanket and, once again, supplying warm beverage. It’s not as effective, but she respects her wife’s boundaries.)

22. Are they comfortable joking around with each other and being silly/playful?

I believe that Mia has made Alcina more comfortable with just… being silly sometimes. Around her, yes, but also just in general. 

Alcina, just by how she was raised, is refined, and elegant, and doesn’t really partake in a lot of simple humour. But Mia is… none of those things. She likes making stupid jokes, and has crude humour, and is playful, and I definitely think that’s something that rubbed off on Alcina the longer Mia was with her.

They’re at least both comfortable being playful with each other (usually more in private, Alcina still has a reputation to uphold after all), and I like to believe it’s even made Alcina appreciate her daughters’ (usually Daniela’s or Cass’) lighthearted jabs and goofs as well.

29. Describe their nighttime routine. 

They have… vastly different routines from each other.

Alcina takes forever getting ready for bed. She spends what time she needs removing her makeup from the day, removing any earrings/jewelery she may be wearing, then, a long bath (sometimes Mia joins, but this is usually Alcina’s alone time to relax after a long day), changes into her nightgown, and washes her face, probably puts her hair in curlers. Brushes her teeth and gets into bed with a book to read for a little while.

Meanwhile Mia is a much simpler… brushes her teeth (if she remembers), peels out of her clothes, and climbs into bed. She really only sleeps in boxers (maybe a shirt, if it’s cold), and she’s a morning shower person so it doesn’t actually take her that long to get ready for bed.

Once they’re both settled (Usually with Mia snuggled into Alcina’s side while she reads), Mia will do her little shape tracing around Alcina’s midsection. Despite her wack sleep schedule, Mia usually falls asleep first and Alcina has to carefully reposition her when she eventually wants to go to sleep as well.

Belena:

6. How do they make up/apologize after an argument?

Bela would do… literally anything to make it up to Elena if they got in an argument, honestly, she’d feel so guilty. She’d probably write out a little love note and maybe make a little gift (little origami flowers or something). She’d be nervous as hell giving it to Elena, though.

That said, Elena would probably be the same way. She’d feel awful and would want to make it up to Bela anyway she could. Would probably give a whole heartfelt apology speech and ask if there was anything specific she could do to make up for it. 

19. Do they wear each other’s clothes/jewelry?

Firm believer that Bela would wear Elena’s sweater. (It hangs off her like she’s a dang clothing hanger but is also too short so it’s lowkey kind of a crop top on her) Elena thinks it looks great on her despite being both too big and too short on her.

Unfortunately, nothing of Bela’s really fits Elena. (She probably would wear Bela’s choker given the chance, but Bela’s pretty… particular about it being left alone)

20. How do they comfort each other when one of them is upset? Is this method of comfort effective?

Bela’s go to is to always get Elena a warm drink. Usually tea, with a little cream and honey (she resists the urge to consume the entire jar in the process). She’s not really… great… with emotional situations, but Elena usually accepts the offering and then Bela will just sit with her until Elena either feels better, wants to talk about it, or asks to be alone. It’s… moderately effective. Elena appreciates the effort.

On the other side, Elena hasn’t quite figured out the best way to comfort Bela. The most effective method she’s found seems to just be… leaving Bela to it, and waiting for her to come out and seek comfort on her own. She respects Bela’s boundaries, she just wishes she could do more to help (that said she does give Bela lots of cuddles when she does come to seek comfort)

22. Are they comfortable joking around with each other and being silly/playful?

This is another one, where I think Elena made Bela comfortable enough to joke around. To a degree. Since Bela has a hard time reading certain social signals, she doesn’t always understand when Elena is trying to joke with her, but she does enjoy some lighthearted goofiness.

I do think there are certain jokes or things Elena can say that will make Bela actually laugh, too, which Cassandra and Daniela believe is witchcraft, because they’re pretty sure they’ve never made/heard Bela legitimately laugh (outside of sadistic reasons) in their lives.

29. Describe their nighttime routine. 

They have a nice couples bath, Bela will dress in her nightgown and wash the makeup off her face while Elena drains the tub, and also puts on a nightgown. Brush teeth, brush hair (Elena doesn’t really get the point of brushing your hair before sleeping but Bela does it and now she’s picked up the habit). They hold hands on their way back to the bedroom, and Elena will eventually pick Bela up so she can (gently) drop her into bed.

They snuggle together and share some kisses between idle chatter until they eventually just drift asleep.

[writingssummit]

𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 !

dancing headcannons !

content: fluff, that’s really it lol 

characters: sugawara, terushima, tendou, yamaguchi, oikawa.

a/n: not me listening to a haikyuu playlist and getting inspo from it- totally didn’t stay up all night to finish season 3 either wha t ? idk what you’re talking about.

i noticed my bnha post didn’t do so well, so i’ll stick with the haikyuu guys (and girls maybe? ooo) for now <3 hope you enjoy some silly fluff with them !

sugawara !

2nd most wholesome on this list.

Suga and you are just cleaning up the gym after practice one day.

You’re not exactly glad to be doing it, but you had offered to help your boyfriend out earlier,so there was no turning back now.

You had decided to play some music at some point, opting for an upbeat playlist to help you.

With motivation, of course! Upbeat music got you in that mood. Plus, the sound was cool inside the gym.

You hear Sugawara humming along every so often, the way you two moved around each other as you cleaned was almost like it’s own kind of dance, and you couldn’t help but smile.

“Sugar, come here.”

He takes your hands in his, pulling you away from the task at hand all of a sudden

You protest a little, but you give in and just stay put.

He’s grinning at you, tugging you a little closer.

“What’s this?” You cock an eyebrow at him.

“Just a little dance, c’mon! The clean up can wait a bit longer. Your face will get wrinkles with how much you’ve been pouting.”

Okay backhanded remark aside, you couldn’t just say no

You laugh as he sways back an forth with you to the beat, occasionally stepping on each other.

“Guess we both have two left feet, Y/N.” He jokes, spinning you around as the song changed to a slower one.

Any dances with him are just lighthearted and fun, neither of you really minding the fact that it was so offbeat.

Get dance lessons smh 

He’d add in twirls here and there

Eventually you’d settle down from all the laughs and goofing off and just sway back and forth slowly, you head resting on his chest, his hands on your waist.

Please omg I want this :’)

You guys get so caught up in it that somebody ends up coming back and then catching you both (yes, it was daichi, and yes he left awkwardly).

terushima !

This mans tries to be suave when he dances

You aren’t fooling anybody okay

stick with the sprinkler or something -

If anything, his dancing can be described as chaotic and random.

Sure, he has some moves but sir you aren’t michael jackson or something- 

One night in particular though, it’s a bit different. 

He kept bugging you to check something out with him that night, and so you just agreed instead of arguing about it at 2am.

He shows up at your window and he climbs inside your room.

Yes, yes he did and I do not regret that 

“Y/N! Check it out!”

You have to shush him because wtf it’s 3AM SIR

He’s quick to apologize, and just shoves one of the earbuds to his phone at you, and you of course pop it into your ear

And then you’re being pulled close and away gently, and his tongue is sticking out in slight concentration. cute :’)

i honestly forgot what this was called so uh my bad but it’s really fun trust me

“Somebody’s been practicing.” Tease him, please LOL

“It’s fun, right??”

So he CAN dance, if he actually tries. B)

Yeah don’t forget that he literally snuck into your house, because I sure haven’t

Your parents woke up not soon after you both started to laugh and giggle, but you didn’t hear the footsteps because you both were to wrapped up in the music and each other

Let’s just say he was banned from the house for a month or so 

Worth it though

tendou !

At this point it’s common knowledge that he breaks out into little dances randomly 

He isn’t even confined to any actual type of dance, he just goes for whatever he feels like doing in the moment, whatever feels right

So whenever you dance with him, it’s always really entertaining to watch him

But

He’ll tug you into a dance literally anywhere without a care in the world.

Which is cute omg, but social anxiety could never

This time just happened to be on the sidewalk, because there was a musician, and in Tendou’s words; “We can’t just let their music go to waste~”

So yeah, he’s dancing with you on the sidewalk in front of literal strangers and you’re embarrassed to say the least dw i would be too T^T

Like sir please why here

He’s reassuring you over and over that you’re just fine, let the people stare, etc etc. After all, you’re just having fun together, and that’s no crime

True, y’all could be robbing the pet store of hamsters if you really wanted to. yes i imagine he would do that and I’ll say it again smh

You end up loosening up eventually, he was just too happy and c’mon, this is Tendou. :’)

Y’all may have started a public dance floor

And it’s awesome as hell when you think about it

He twirls you dramatically, waving his free hand around as he hummed along to the song.

“Y/N, see what happens when you have just a liiiittle bit of fun? Hm~?”

Okay fine you see his point there

Literally sounds so fun to do this, so he gets 100/10 

yamaguchi !

Here’s the most wholesome one imo. unless that was tendou, idk-

Yams is so sweet with you, to the way he holds your hand, how he talks to you, all of it.

Dancing with you is no exception here.

He and you were sitting in the living room, all snuggled up on the couch together because it was a rainy day. 

Rainy days were always so calm and nice with him, just watching tv or napping together.

Yams asked you if you wanted to dance this time, rather bashfully though

And then you had an amazing idea

“What if we did it outside? Like in the movies?”

“H-Huh?”

Baby is blushing :’)

But he’s totally up for the idea, he’s nodding and agreeing right away.

Which is how you guys ended up outside in the pouring rain. 

You both were not prepared for the feeling of wet clothes sticking to your skin, it was mildly uncomfortable to say the least-

But you guys were just barefoot on the driveway and you both were holding each other close, just enjoying being there together that it kind of outweighed the initial discomfort

You settled for gentle, slow swying as your head rested against him, his hand reaching up to stroke your cheek every once and awhile

Yes his head is resting on top of yours, or at least his chin is resting on your shoulder

He makes a joke about how it’s weird to dance with no music

And then you end up just humming together and making your own. :’)

By the time you guys are done, you both vow to do it again, it was actually really calming

But of course y’all are soaking wet so it’s dry off time

Expect many cuddles after :D

oikawa !

Okay as much as he’s not my favorite of all time

I can appreciate the idea that he’d be the most knowledgeable dancer on this list

Like mans can serve and set like nobody’s business

But he can also dance.

He’s honestly proud of his dance skills, and takes it upon himself to teach you.

He’s a a bad teacher tho -

You guys are at your house during a holiday with your family, and he of course said his present to you this year is to teach you how to dance

Your family finds it funny because they know you can’t dance for your life.

But they’re egging Oikawa on

“Please no, end my suffering”

“So dramatic, tsk tsk. C’mon, Y/N-chan, it’ll be fun! I’m a great teacher.”

No you aren’t but go off LMAO

The first 15 minutes is awkward because you literally don’t know where to put your feet or hands.

Oikawa is smirking at you, because he finds it adorable 

After a bit of teaching you have some of it down, so now it’s just you both waltzing around the living room, trying not to bump into furniture

Your family is clapping and hooting because that’s what parents do apparently

You smack his arm lightly when he leans down to peck at your jaw real quick

Sir please

He gets a A+ for actually knowing an actual dance dance, but a B because

I know he would suck at teaching.

thanks for reading this ! i hope these were decent, i had fun writing tendou’s and suga’s, it gave me serotonin LOL - 

asks/requests are open ! check yay’s and nay’s in basics for this blog !

[kthstrawberryshortcake]

BTS Reaction: How they spend a rainy day off with their s/o

This one wasn’t a request, just an idea that came to me while it was pouring rain outside today.

These are set up as member x reader.

THE SITUATION: Your busy boyfriend finally has a day off, but it’s rainy and gross outside. How do the two of you spend it?

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

Namjoon:  It was just your luck that on a rare day off for your boyfriend, it was pouring rain. Despite the dreary weather, you had to admit that both of you could use a quiet day in. You gathered a couple of fluffy blankets and a book you were currently reading, curling up on the couch. It may have been a day off but that didn’t mean it was 100% distraction-free; Namjoon was on a work-related phone call at that moment. You settled in and focused on the pages of your book. You were so immersed in your reading that you didn’t even notice your boyfriend enter the room, so you jumped slightly, making a surprised squeaking noise when he laid down on the couch with his head in your lap. He gave you an amused smile before opening his own book. You adored this aspect of your relationship. You both were so content to just read together in silence, enjoying one another’s presence while engaging in your favorite activity. The sound of raindrops hitting the windows added to the cozy ambience for your perfect day in.

Jin:  It was no surprise that your boyfriend thought that a day off just screamed “opportunity to bake”, and you really didn’t mind. It was also unsurprising that said baking adventure resulted in the two of you laughing, covered in flour. “Do you know what happens when you eat too much while baking cookies?” Jin asked, and you knew this was going to be a dad joke. You waited for the punchline. “You overDOUGHse!” Cue windshield wiper laughter. As usual, Jin’s priceless reaction to his own joke was worth the cringe. His dumb jokes warmed your heart. When the cookies finished baking, you removed them from the oven, feeling impatient as usual for them to cool off. It then occurred to you what a mess you and Jin were from the flour. “We need to get cleaned up,” You said, only for Jin to light up in excitement at an idea. “Yes! This is a perfect lazy bath day!” He took off to the bathroom, digging through his (hilariously large) bath bomb collection. You followed him, starting the bath water before starting to leave. Jin grabbed your hand. “Join me please.” He said with a (frustratingly effective) puppy dog pout. You relented with a sigh, nodding. He tossed the bath bomb into the water and you both climbed into the tub, settling in to relax. “Okay fine this was a good idea.” You admitted, closing your eyes. Jin wrapped his arms around you, and though you were facing away from him, you knew he was smirking in triumph.

Yoongi:  Let’s be honest, you never really had plans to go out in the first place. A lazy day in was just Yoongi’s speed, and you agreed with him wholeheartedly. You stood in the kitchen in one of Yoongi’s sweatshirts and a pair of fuzzy socks, making the both of you some tea. Holly had taken to following you around, his little toenails making a clicking noise against the floor as he walked behind you. Your boyfriend looked up from his phone, giving a rare gummy smile when he saw the two of you. You handed Yoongi his tea, snuggling up next to him as you took a seat on the couch. Holly hopped up into your lap, curling up and letting out a contented sigh. “You know, I think he likes you more than he likes me.” Yoongi said quietly, putting his arm around you to pull you close. You smiled and shrugged, sipping your tea. It wasn’t long before the pair of you had set your teas down on the coffee table and dozed off like Holly had.

Hoseok:  Hoseok had been bothering you for weeks now about teaching you some choreography. You had been reluctant, stressed out by the concept of dancing with someone so talented, even if it was your boyfriend. You had been using his busy schedule as an excuse to put it off, but today was a day off and the rain had ruined your amusement park plans. You had finally relented, not that you had much of a choice when a cute bouncy Hobi was trying to persuade you. You spent several hours in the dance studio together, and it didn’t take you long to realize that he didn’t care at all how well you danced, he just enjoyed sharing his passion with you. After that you had a lot more fun, especially when your silly boyfriend had the idea to go up to the rooftop and dance in the rain. You ended the afternoon totally soaked, but with big smiles on your faces and feeling simply happy to be together.

Jimin:  You were dating an actual koala. It had been confirmed once and for all by Jimin’s clinging to you and refusal to get out of bed on a rainy day off. You didn’t protest, partly because it was near impossible to say no to his cute face, and partly because you loved cuddling as much as he did. You spent the day snuggled so close you were practically on top of each other, watching Disney movies on your laptop. The two of you were so content that whenever a notification popped up on his phone, Jimin just made a face and ignored it. After a while you took to checking his phone yourself just in case something truly important came up, but since nothing did, you were free to enjoy the cozy bliss the pair of you were nestled in.

Taehyung:  You and Taehyung spent your rainy day off with your “child”. You played with Yeontan in the floor, cooing at his every adorable move. The smart little dog picked up all the tricks Tae taught him so quickly, you were always amazed. “Tan, you’re the smartest little boy,” you said, picking up the dog and kissing the top of his head. Meanwhile Taehyung had decided that this was an occasion to grab his camera (then again he thought most things were, at least when it came to you and Tannie). He continued to photograph you as you played with the pup. Eventually Tan needed to go outside to potty, at which point Taehyung became infatuated with the idea of taking pictures of you in the rain. So you stood outside holding the dog’s leash, being your boyfriend’s model. If he wasn’t so excited to be taking the photos, you probably wouldn’t have gone along with it, but the absolute adoration in his eyes persuaded you. You loved this silly man, and this silly dog. Your little family.

Jungkook:  Jungkook loved spending time at home, so not having work on a rainy day presented the perfect opportunity. The two of you, each wearing one of his ridiculously oversized hoodies, sat side by side, crosslegged in the floor in front of the TV. You spent the day playing video games, which mostly meant your boyfriend beating you at everything you played and then being a cocky asshole about it. When his competitive nature finally fizzled out once the games were done, the pair of you ate instant ramen on the couch, watching Avengers movies and poking fun at each other like a couple of children. You were silly kids, but once you both settled in for the movie he put his arm around you and pulled you close, pressing a kiss to your temple. Your relationship was fun and lighthearted but more than anything, full of love.

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I hope y’all enjoy this little post. <3

REQUESTS ARE OPEN, please send some in!!

PS: I adore feedback :)

[hippomanblog]

Three Houses Characters, Ranked On Their Likelihood To Dab: Part III: Golden Deer and Church

Everyone, I have done it.  They tried to hunt me down, planted explosives in my dab lab and bees in my car, but I escaped the bombs and befriended the bees and now I’m here, here to present you with the final installment in my magnum opus, a comprehensive ranking of how likely each playable character in FE3H is to perform The Dab. Perhaps you thought I would stop at the Leicester Alliance and its students, surely finishing on the upbeat note of lighthearted Claude and pals, but much like von Riegan himself, von Hippoman has a scheme.  Like a [SPOILER REDACTED] fired from [SPOILER REDACTED], I’m gonna blow your minds with all the Church of Seiros aligned characters too.  Because you deserve to know.  Let’s save Fodlan together.

Minor Spoilers For Post-Timeskip Will Follow!

The list, as always, is Canon.  Thank you.

Claude: 14/10: The Master Tactician, the Golden Deer, the Schemer, the Dabmaster.  There are many challengers to the throne, but Claude von Riegan sits comfortably upon it, arm bent, face in elbow, unleashing the one and only God-Shattering Dab.

(gravityemblem314 suggested a ranking of 69/10 for Claude, but please, this is science,not NICE science.  @camelpimp​ mentioned that Claude likely instituted a mandatory pre-battle dab for the Golden Deer, that’s also canon.)

Alois: 12/10: The kids...they love to dab.  Alois wants to be hip and cool with the kids, and if his jokes aren’t enough to do it, surely his sweet dabs will do it!  Especially if he mixes them together.  He can frequently be seen in the dining hall, asking for some extra sauce on his meals.  When the students ask how much, he replies “Oh, just a...DAB” and he JUST FUCKIN’ LETS LOOSE.

Hilda: 10/10: Claude’s faithful (if not dependable) sidekick and friend shares in his affinity for the dab, but not quite to the same degree.  Claude’s sick dabs require a level of effort frankly beyond the Goneril scion, so she’s more into casual usage.  That said, it’s A LOT of usage. Raphael: 9/10: The big man of the Golden Deer loves to dab.  He’s absolutely jacked, so the sheer power contained in those moves could shatter stone, and once did, resulting in a renovation of Raph’s dorm room and a migraine for Seteth.  Despite his enthusiasm, he’s very, very bad at them, but nobody wants to point it out.  He’s just so happy.

Flayn: 8/10: Flayn is absolutely in for this.  She is totally, 100%, definitely a Young Human after all and this is what Young Humans do, they dab. Flayn does it all the time, often in a big circle with Annette, Caspar, and Claude.  Seteth is yearning for the sweet embrace of death.

Catherine: 7/10: She’s usually pretty jazzed about something, and all that excess energy has to go somewhere.  One time she impaled a man with Thunderbrand mid-dab but she doesn’t like to talk about it.

Manuela: 7/10: Manuela is at a crossroads.  On one hand, it’s not the classiest thing in the world, and she’s a pretty classy lady with some standards, you know?  But on the other hand, the students love it and they do say it makes her look younger.  The debate is meaningless because when she gets drunk she just lets loose anyway.

Leonie: 6/10: High energy Leonie is always ready for a challenge, and this counts.  She’d never seen a “dab” before coming to Garreg Mach, but it’s so much more fun than the usual high society shit people try to foist on her so hey, why not?  Plus, she heard from Byleth that Jeralt knows how to hit the dab too.  He was just covering a cough, though.  He can’t convince her of that.

(thanks to kokorikopi for assisting in this fascinating Eisner Family Trivia)

Ignatz: 5/10: Sure, Ignatz never really had any interest in dabbing.  It seemed sorta silly to him.  But Raphael kept begging him to try it, and he wasn’t going to turn down such a pleasant request.  So he did, and wait a minute.  You could do something artsy with this, right?  Ignatz is in search of a dab that is truly effervescent, an aesthetically pleasing pose to delight the senses and advance the culture of Fodlan through its grace.  Godspeed, you young visionary.

(Raphael and Ignatz ideas contributed by gardenvarietyfox!)

Seteth: 5/10: Seteth got caught sneezing by Caspar once and he started chanting “DAB SETETH DAB”.  It became a monastery meme for a while and Seteth could not leave his office without being hounded to perform the accursed dance.  Flayn likes it, though, so he doesn’t mind.  Too much.  Okay he minds a lot.

Lorenz: 4/10: At first Lorenz Hellman Gloucester would rather have been eviscerated by a weedwhacker than do something so base as dab.  However, through his experiences with his classmates, he came to realize that the dab is a powerful diplomatic tool.  It speaks much with little effort and helps to connect with commoners across Fodlan.  He still sucks at it but he’s trying.

Cyril: 4/10: Cyril wasn’t born in Fodlan, and frankly he finds their trends weird and doesn’t really care for them.  But they’ll usually start cheering and get out of his way to let him get to cleaning if he does it, so hey, when in Rome...

Lysithea: 3/10: Lysithea is already extremely short, meaning her arms have little dab power.  Whenever she dabs, someone calls it “cute” and it absolutely infuriates her.  So dabbing is for fools, obviously.  That said...after defeating a certain mounted masked marauder...she may have let herself indulge a little bit.  Don’t tell anyone.

Hanneman: 2/10: Ain’t no Crest of Dabbylad now is there?

Marianne: 2/10: Oh, poor Marianne.  She’s having a bad day, and a bad week, and a pretty crummy year.  She doesn’t feel like she has anything to dab about, and if she does, everyone will probably just laugh at her and point their fingers at the bad dabber.  Thankfully, the other Deer are there for her, and they gave her time.  Eventually, slowly and carefully, she did it.  It was terrible, but only one person told her that.  Hilda Goneril was later seen tossing a mysterious sack into the Garreg Mach pond.

Shamir: 1/10: Catherine won’t stop doing it.  She just will not stop doing it, and she’s so absolutely sick of it.  She’s this close to shooting an arrow through one of her partner’s arms the next time she does it.  Seiros hasn’t done anything about it yet and that’s why Shamir is an atheist.

Gilbert: 1/10: Dab?  What is that?  Does my daughter do that?  Hmm.  Didn’t get it from me.  I ABANDONED HER. And so we reach the end.  Through a comprehensive knowledge of the cast’s dabability, surely they can find a way to put aside their differences and work together to make a brighter future for Fodlan. By reading these posts, you have unlocked the Golden Ending.  I had it all along.  Thank you and goodnight.

[penguinsnoot]

Self-Care Tips from Someone Who Sucks at Self-Care (Part 2)

Part 1

In my last post, I listed some basic self-care tips and then proceeded to talk about them way too much. Guess what? I’m about to do that again. The difference between this post and the previous one is that the first one focused more on stuff that would mostly impact and improve physical health and this post is going to focus more on things to help you relax when you’re feeling anxious, stressed, overwhelmed, etc. (but still have positive physical outcomes). Of course, these things may not work for everyone since everyone is different, but the main point of this is to at least give you ideas that can lead to you being more relaxed. Without further ado, here’s Self-Care Tips Part 2: Relaxing Edition. 

Read | If you’re looking for a way do escape reality and avoid the problems of our messed up world for a while, read a good book! Or two, or three, or four. . .or more. . . Reading stimulates your brain, reduces stress, improves memory, provides entertainment, and can even lower your heart rate and muscle tension (help you relax). This may not be a cure-for-all solution, but reading truly is good for your brain and emotional state, so if you ever feel wound up and like everything is going wrong, stop, take a deep breath, and sit down on a comfortable chair and read. Getting away from the world for a while is sometimes better than facing your problems head-on immediately. You will still have to deal with them eventually, but you’re not likely to get anything done properly when you’re too stressed to function. Read a good book and let your worries melt away, at least temporarily. 

Listen to Soothing Music | If reading isn’t your thing (don’t knock it ‘til you try it), maybe music is. Listening to music, especially soothing music such as jazz, classical, acoustic, etc., can improve your mood, help you sleep better, and lower stress levels. There’s really nothing better than laying in bed with natural light coming in through the window and reading a good book with soft piano music playing in the background. Sometimes tuning out the world with earbuds in is more beneficial than parents encouraging us to go and hang out with other people realize (though being social is important, but more on that in another post).

Nap | I talked about sleep in my last post and I’m going to do it again, because it’s important. If you find that you have trouble sleeping at night or you’re losing energy quickly because life is just really damn draining sometimes, silence the notifications on your phone, turn off the TV and lights, and take a nap. Experts have found that napping helps reduce stress (are you seeing a pattern in the things I’m suggesting yet?), improve mood, perception, creativity, and memory, and boost alertness. When we’re tired, our bodies don’t function as well as they should, so if you can find the time, definitely lay down and catch up on some Zs. You’ll be amazed at how easily adding almost daily naps to your routine will improve your physical and mental/emotional health. 

Write | When I say write, I don’t mean break out the textbooks and peer reviewed articles to write a six-paged essay for your Psychology class. No, no, no. . . I mean write for pleasure. Whether you write a poem, short story, journal entry, or an entire novel, your creative juices will be flowing and your vocabulary skills will strengthen greatly. Writing can be a fantastic outlet for letting out all your frustrations and worries in life.  If you write even just a little every day, you will continuously be working on an essential skill used in school and most (if not all) places of work, so not only will you be doing something that can increase happiness levels and reduce stress levels but you’ll also be upgrading your value in the workplace. How’s that for throwing stones at a bird? That’s how that expression goes, right? Hmm. . .

Watch Cute Animal Videos | This will heal literally any problem you have (not really). What better way to spend an evening after a stressful day of school/work/family interaction/running errands than to wrap up in a warm, fuzzy blanket and watch cute bunnies hop around and eat leafy greens? Obviously this is something that’s more of a personal appeal suggestion than something everyone would enjoy, but if you’re sad or angry or just done with the world, why not give it a shot? Sometimes all we need in life to feel whole again is to watch cute videos of puppies and kittens cuddling. Honestly, what could be better?

Soak in a Hot Bath | Hot water relaxes the body and helps you fall asleep faster, relieves muscle tension and sinus problems, lowers anxiety, and more. Taking a hot bath right before bed will make curling up under the covers feel like absolute heaven, especially if you sleep naked (which has its own health benefits). After a straining and draining day, running a hot bath can be the perfect remedy. Fill up your tub, throw in a bath bomb or some bath salts, turn on some smooth jazz, and soak in the water for a little while. Just make sure to clean your tub first. 

Masturbate | Maybe don’t do this if there are other people in the house and you don’t have a lock on your door, because there’s a good chance of you getting caught (I’ve had a few close calls in the past), but if you can find somewhere private and appropriate (please don’t do this in a public space) to rub one off, do it. Masturbating reduces sexual tension and stress, helps you sleep, and relieves cramps and headaches. Not everyone may be comfortable doing this, but I’m going to tell you right now that there is no better way to build confidence in yourself than to explore your own body and figure out what brings you pleasure. Waiting around for someone else to do it for you can lead to some lackluster sex in the future (according to my mom; I have no personal experience with sex, but masturbation is great, I highly recommend it). 

Cry | Watching bunny videos and listening to Kenny G won’t always be what you need. Sometimes the best way to relax is to cry all your frustration, sadness and stress out. Crying releases toxins and reduces emotional stress by getting rid of stress hormones and other chemicals that negatively affect the body. Crying every day, for no apparent reason, however, can be a sign of severe distress, depression, or some other mental illness that should be treated. It’s okay to cry when you feel overwhelmed or like your emotions are clogging up, so don’t be afraid to curl up on your side and sob like your life is ending. You may end up feeling better than ever once you’re done, because not only will you have let everything out, but you’ll also be able to think more clearly once all of those negative emotions have been flushed out of you. 

Play with Makeup | This one probably seems silly, but I mean it: play with makeup. Whether that means swatching all your eye shadows and highlighters for the 10th time or doing a full face with products you don’t usually use, messing around with makeup can give you some time to enjoy yourself and not worry about the things in life that feel significant but are in fact trivial. Not everyone uses makeup, and I understand that, so obviously this wouldn’t apply to you, but it could. Go out to your local Walmart or  Walgreens and get some cheap drugstore makeup to play around with (unless you have sensitive skin, then you probably shouldn’t do that). You don’t have to get or do anything extravagant; sometimes it’s fun simply to put on a sparkly lip gloss and clumpy mascara and walk around your house in your pajamas acting like a supermodel going down the runway. 

Go for a Walk | Staying indoors all day every day can give your mind a chance to think up negative thoughts and let them fester, especially when you’re sitting in one place doing nothing for hours. Getting out of the house and doing something as simple as going for a walk can switch your mind over to a more positive space, or at least reduce the amount of bad vibes in the air. Walking regularly also reduces risk of heart attack and stroke, builds stronger bones and balance, lowers blood sugar, boosts energy and mood, and decreases stress levels by releasing endorphins (happy hormones). Even if all you do is go on a leisurely walk for 20 minutes every other day, that’s still better than nothing, and both your mind and body will thank you for taking the time to care for yourself. 

Watch Something Heartwarming | What this means for you is totally up to your interpretation. You can watch YouTube videos, TV shows, music videos, movies, documentaries, birds, and so on. When you want to relax and get away from stress but are feeling especially lazy, watching something that makes you happy can be just as good as exercising or going out with friends (not that you shouldn’t do these things; try not to be a complete potato [like me]). Personally, I like to watch My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic when I finish classes and homework for the day because the lighthearted, friendship-focused aspect of the show makes me feel happy and helps me free myself from the mess of stress and anxiety I constantly find myself tangled up in. Don’t spend hours binge watching something, because then you get so caught up in a story that you don’t make time for anything else, but you could try to watch an episode or two of something a day if it makes you feel good. I highly suggest checking out My Little Pony and Phineas and Ferb. They may be for younger audiences, but that doesn’t mean they’re not awesome. 

Color | Or finger paint, or sketch, or do photography- whatever rocks your roll (is that one right?). You don’t have to be inherently artistic to do art. Creating art reduces stress and anxiety, and increases creativity and positive emotions. Coloring while piano music plays in the background (gotta love that Yiruma) is so incredibly relaxing that I wish I took the time to do it more. The brain has been found to enter a sort of meditative state while coloring, which can help to lower stress and anxiety levels. Give coloring a try and see if it helps you relax, and don’t get upset if you go outside the lines- it’s completely fine. 

Sit Outside | Run your hands over the grass, listen to birds sing and squirrels scurry up and down trees, watch the clouds/stars, and breathe in the fresh air (unless you live next to a paper mill or gas station or something, then don’t do that). Going outside is said to help with seasonal depression and improve mental health. If you sit outside during the day, you’ll also soak up some vitamin D, which helps with calcium and phosphorus regulation (maintain healthy bones). If you do decide to go outside during the day, make sure to wear sunscreen regardless of weather conditions (UV rays can still cut through clouds, my dudes). 

Now get out of bed and go outside. It’s vitamin D time. 

[takerfoxx]

“The True Meaning of Christmas” Thoughts

Disappointing reception aside, I still really liked this story, and it’s worth talking about. So let’s jump in!

Like I said earlier, the premise for this special was actually recycled from the original idea I had for A Very Nineball Christmas, in which the various members of Team Nineball would try to explain the true meaning of Christmas to one another, with each explanation being more outlandish and inaccurate than the last. This was scrapped for reasons that I no longer remember, and the plot of Daiyousei's gift-hunting adventure was used instead. I always had an idea of writing a sequel that recycled the original idea, but it never materialized. However, when I was about ready to call the whole Christmas special thing quits on account of not having any ideas for another PMMM story, I realized that that old idea could be easily adapted into a PMMM setting, so the decision was made.

I knew from the get-go that I didn't want to make it a Resonance Days story, since the show's original setting worked just fine. I also knew I wanted it to be post-Rebellion since Nagisa was perfect for a sort of Little Timmy character for the other characters to try to explain things to. There were some changes to canon though. Everyone's still contracted with Kyubey in this version, even though the end of Rebellion implied that Homura had resolved to take care of the remaining Wraiths herself and would certainly not want Madoka anywhere near another contract. This was ignored to keep things at least somewhat familiar, as delving too far into what-if's would just distract from the story I was trying to tell. Granted, I did indulge in that little deviation with Madoka's vague Christianity, which, as I mentioned, just came from the particular English subs on my copy and doesn't seem to appear anywhere else, but it didn't change too much and stayed within the bounds of acceptable deviation, so it was kept.

Mami's story was sort of tricky. I wanted her to handle the family aspect given what happened to her parents, but unfortunately, the whole happy family at Christmas thing isn't the sort of thing that fills pages. In fact, originally it just had the one page and ended with her going downstairs and finding her parents waiting for her. But as the other stories kept getting longer and longer, I realized I had to beef hers up at least a little, so the whole bit with the arrows and the snowballs was added. Personally I would have liked to have done more, but even that bit of stretching was hard enough as it was, so I just left it.

Now, before I get to Kyoko and Sayaka's stories, let me just take a moment to comment on those two. See, it's no secret that they're my favorite PMMM characters, and I ship them oh so very hard. But the funny thing is, despite writing one of the biggest and certainly the longest KyoSaya fic running currently for the last four years or so, I realized during this story that I had never really written an actual interaction between them. Everything in Resonance Days was all Kyoko and Oktavia, and to date they had never hooked up. They did in Walpurgis Nights, but again, that's Ophelia and Oktavia, not Kyoko and Sayaka. Close, but not quite the actual thing. So this was the first time I ever got to write Kyoko Sakura and Sayaka Miki in a scene together that wasn't a flashback or a dream. And since this is my story and I do what I want, I just went ahead, killed the subtext, and made them straight-up gay for each other. And let me tell you: it was fun, especially since I got to get rid of Kyoko's cynicism and Sayaka's holier-than-thou attitude. As a result, I got a pair of wonderful goofballs that just bounced off one another beautifully. Getting the same chemistry out of Kyoko and Oktavia is always kind of difficult, since there's usually a melancholy note that dampens it. But this was just a delight, and I hope to be able to do something similar in the future.

Okay, let's get to their own stories. I had Sayaka cover Santa Claus, since she's the energetic, fun-loving one even in the original series. And because it's her, I had her butcher it terribly and turn it into her own weird fantasy where she coos over Nagisa (which she totally would) and eventually turns it into a cheesy Sailor Moon-esque show with skimpy outfits and Homura as the evil queen. Because she totally would. That one alternated between being fun and breezy to surprisingly difficult. It's easy to parody something that you are very familiar with, but seeing how I never watched Sailor Moon, I got stuck sometimes. It's easy for me to do silly. I am great with silly. But intentionally cheesy is another kettle of fish, and it proved to be more difficult than I expected.

Anyway, of course Kyoko would handle the Nativity, given her religious background. This story was probably the easiest of the bunch, since I already knew the Nativity story backwards and forwards. But what kind of held me up was exactly how to approach. I'll get into a little more in depth about my own feelings toward Christmas's religious aspects a little later, but even so, if I had her recite the actual Nativity story like Linus did in Charlie Brown Christmas it wouldn't have worked at all. For one, if you're going to go that route, you have to go all in like Peanuts did, and that just wouldn't have worked. It would've stuck out like a sore thumb, taken attention away from the rest of the story, and since I don't personally adhere to the religious aspects of Christmas, it would have felt fake and forced coming from me. Believe it or not, I personally feel that the lighthearted, irreverent parody I went with instead would have been less disrespectful instead, since it was made clear that it was just Kyoko having some fun, the other characters interrupted her constantly to tell her how much she was screwing up the story, and it never directed insulted the source material. Even so, while it was funny and the easiest of the stories, it was also kind of uncomfortable, as even though I don't go personally see Christmas as a religious thing, I don't want to disrespect those who do. That's just not me. So that was a bit of a tightrope to walk, but hopefully no one was offended.

All right, moving on to the next two. Again, it's weird to think about, but even with Walpurgis Nights being a thing, this was the first time I actually had a story that included Madoka and Homura. It was the first time they ever got lines. And that's just weird. For Madoka, I just copied how I did Gretchen in WN, but Homura was…well, I've been doing cold, sarcastic, and contemptuous characters for a while, so she was surprisingly easy to write for. Madoka's story had some issues going in though. I knew I wanted her to cover the romance thing, but like I've mentioned before, that sort of thing just doesn't come easy to me. Mami and Charlotte is pretty easy at this point since I've been developing their characters for so long and worked really hard at making their relationship believable, but this sort of cutesy one-off…well, it took some work and lots of rewriting. It kept veering into Homura almost guiltily confessing how she had brainwashed everyone, and obviously I couldn't include that, so for once I actually had to stop a scene from taking its own path and write something safer, which is not something I do often. I also had to figure out a way to explain why Madoka was sharing such an intimate moment with everyone when she hadn't even admitted that she and Homura were dating, and also find a reason why Homura wouldn't stop her. As such, the whole gimmick of her accidentally transmitting the memory to her soul gem was thought up. For that I feel it worked pretty well. I also got a kick out of the whole bit where Madoka is all embarrassed about coming clean, while everyone else is like, "Yeah, no shit you're gay." It was sort of difficult to think of an explanation for why she and her parents would skip out on having Christmas morning together. At least her totally not canon religiousness came in handy for that.

Anyway, things got darker during Mami's little emotional episode, though Homura did help turn things around. Funny thing is, I always loved the Homucifer twist in Rebellion, since it was a wonderfully dark way to take things, no one saw it coming, but it made perfect sense in hindsight. But I also acknowledge just how messed up Homura became and the many unfortunate implications there are concerning the extent she took her brainwashing of everyone else, especially seeing how she essentially erased Madoka and Sayaka's friendship. But those were implications for another story and I wanted to keep things light, so I just went a vague acknowledgement that this was indeed Homucifer and went for a more optimistic interpretation of her actions and left it at that.

Obviously Homura would be the one to set the record straight at the end, given how few fucks she's giving these days. And of course it would be a dry, Spock-esque recital, complete with her quoting Linus's famous line. Now to do this scene, I had to go back and do a little research of my own. I already knew that it wasn't actually Jesus's birthday and a lot is borrowed from ancient pagan holidays. And I had a fair idea of where Santa came from, and knew about Japan's own Christmas traditions. But a lot surprised me. Turns out Christmas has a really gnarly, and sometimes downright bloody history. Thank God a lot of it is no longer done, but things like caroling and gingerbread men come from some twisted sources. Also, I had heard about the connection between Odin and Santa, but this was the first time I had it confirmed. Turns out there's a lot of old Norse traditions sticking around, which is weird and really cool. But anyway, I felt it was a nice way to end things, with the confirmation that since Christmas has a really weird history that borrows from several dozen sources, everyone's reasons for celebrating it are equally valid.

Now that being said, let's get personal for a moment here. For me personally, Christmas is a weird time. Part of it is due to how I always have to work on it, and Christmas shifts are always pretty stressful, so that's a big bah humbug. And it gets harder to figure out what to get people every year. Further to the point, I was actually raised in a Christian household, so for many years the whole Jesus's birth was really important to me. But as I got older and learned more about the holiday's history I got more and more disillusioned with that bit. I mean I didn't come to have a problem with Christianity itself and certainly never had an issue with anyone who chose to celebrate Jesus's birthday on Christmas. But watching such dumbness like the War on Christmas and people getting all worked up about such things like "Taking the Christ out of Christmas" and moaning about secularization and all that when it was never actually Jesus's birthday to begin with…well, I didn't like it, let's just say that. It just seems like a dumb hill to die on, and seeing people I know and love still carrying on about it just really bothers me.

But even so, while I may be more cynical about Christmas these days, I can't deny that there's just something special about it. I still remember looking forward to it every year, the excitement of giving and receiving gifts, family all getting together and having a great time back before my aunts starting fighting, and just that feeling in the air. I still love Christmas music, Christmas decorations, and just that overall Christmas feel, and while I do like my job, getting my Christmases back is one thing I am really looking forward to once I finally leave.

So I guess right now my feelings toward Christmas are mostly in line with Homura and Sayaka's. There is something weirdly special about it, and it should be a fun day. And all the reasons for celebrating it are equally valid. So let's please stop with the dumb arguing and just have fun together, okay?