#mostly for my own reference but thought i might as well share it since i put more time than i shouldve into collating this from here lmao

[rioblitzle]

hey, i made a big long youtube playlist out of a bunch of responses in this post's tags! can't get them all obviously but i tried to be pretty thorough. if anyone is looking for game song recs, here you go!

wait. tag with your favourite video game piece of music. if i had to pick one, i'd probably say wanderlust from ffxv.

[chongoblog]

SCREW IT IM GONNA TOOT MY OWN HORN FOR A BIT

So it's been like a month since I put up my last big mashup, and the response has been awesome. I wanted to talk about all the little bits I put in there, because frankly, I put a lot of love into it, and I want to share it! Here's the video of the mashup with the music video (which is a big part of it.)

First of all, shoutouts to Shoocharu for the incredible animation for the original MV. I've found him to always have the best Game Grumps animations, and his abilities work perfectly for this music video.

Okay, now just to talk about all the Silly Jokes and Bits and Stuff. A lot of these were noticed by comments (and shoutouts to them! I love seeing people get these)

-Ska Cha Cha is used as a reference to the name of the actual song "Transcendental Cha Cha Cha". Close enough.

-A couple samples are used multiple times at different points in the song. For "Tik Tok", "Ska Cha Cha" and "Down" it makes sense since it's the chorus of the song. However, I also bring back "I'm Blue" and "Toxic" because in the original song, those samples are played over the lyrics "The universe is getting colder, colder. Still every universe somehow got Zumba". Those lyrics are repeated at the end of the song, showing how what was once madness is now being embraced. I thought playing those samples again with the full mix was appropriate.

-And yes, in the two appearances of The Void in the music video, MEGALOVANIA plays because he looks kinda like Sans.

-"words, words, words" was a super interesting inclusion. At first I added it because of the lyric "Just relax..." which is a lyric during that portion of Transcendental Cha Cha Cha. Also, not only did "here's two facts" thematically work well (since the song was about to discuss two separate universes) but it also perfectly aligned rhythmically. Also, that "words, words, words" line might be one of my favorite pre-choruses ever.

-I included Cruel Angel's Thesis at someone else's suggestion, but I'm really glad they suggested it. I actually start it with a somewhat heavy low pass filter before slowly fading off it because I thought it sounded cooler.

-I included "Harder Better Faster Stronger" during that portion because Tom's vocal effects sound similar.

-Cha Cha Slide matches perfectly since the lyrics of Transcendental Cha Cha Cha are also "Slide to the left....slide to the right". Incredibly proud of the little breakdown I included during the mix-up portion.

-"Sometimes this song, it sounds like" segment is referencing myself, since over the years I have developed my own patterns. Sometimes the song does indeed sound like Crawling (plus funny commercial next to it. Again...patterns) and sometimes it does sound like All Star (shoutouts to Star Shop)

-The Mighty B! Theme slaps actually.

-I felt like I had to include the Peanut Butter Jelly snippet, since "it's everything and nothing, it's a baseball bat" sounded almost like it was a direct reference to it. I wanted to include the original Tom Cardy lyric on top of that one both to hammer home the joke and also because I thought the harmonic vocals layered perfectly onto Peanut Butter Jelly Time would make for a nice touch.

-Every time I saw someone notice that I put the "God Dammit" directly after Never Gonna Give You Up to imply that he was mad about getting rick rolled, I gained a year of my life.

-Keeping the "Blink!" from the original song I felt was useful to help kinda punctuate the wildly different samples I was using.

-"Money Game" and "Money Money Money" being played over the French Revolution. Completely unrelated, but have you noticed how much wealth inequality we're facing here in America? That's interesting.

-"Closer" and "Closer" is such an easy joke. In fact it's so easy I've done it before. Did it anyway lmao

-During the big buildup, "Larger Than Life" was used mostly because I hadn't used that song before and I thought it was time. "Dare" was put in because I think that the vocals work really well to naturally create a sense of buildup (unless it's the Live version). "Brain Power" was put in to replicate the noise gate that Tom put on his extended note.

-Monkey Watch and Mr Brightside. Again! Patterns!

-toes

So yeah that's Transcendental Fever Dream. I'm sure if I had more time and excuses to talk about all the nitty gritty details and choices made I'd do it, but I think this is a pretty big breakdown. Something's always felt kinda Big about this one. I think that save for Super Smashup, this is the best mashup I've ever made, and I think it acts as a sort of a culmination of these last 7 years or so of mashups. No idea what the future holds, but if it comes from love, then it's gonna be great.

Thanks for reading.

[some-triangles]

I've been on tumblr since 2011, and this is technically a sideblog. My creative focus shifted over here, to - I guess what could loosely be referred to as fandom space? It was Homestuck's fault - many years ago, and I more or less consciously decided to shift the original blog's purpose from writing little bits of poetry about weird birds to finding bird videos on other platforms that I thought could go viral and reposting (stealing) them. (Always credited, of course. I'm not a monster.) This worked pretty well, and now I have 6000+ followers over there. Since I never use it to promote anything or for any purpose beyond birdposting I feel OK about this as an experiment. I mostly use it to people-watch.

The latest video I have gaining traction over there is one my friend Rat sent me (one of many friends who either found me through birds or Homestuck and each is equally plausible) in which a pelican at a petting zoo is forced to cough up the gosling it was attempting to swallow by a handler who has clearly had to deal with this many times before. She then frogmarches (birdmarches?) it away by its beak. Good stuff, and very on brand, as I've been warning people about the horrors of pelican vore for ages. (I even got my very own pervert for a while, an anon who kept badgering various bird blogs to write about what it might be like to be swallowed.) When something I post starts doing numbers I like to watch the notes and tags, because it fascinates me how people like to make the same jokes, over and over and over. Not even their own jokes. I have never fully understood this but it's undeniably foundational to the way the internet works. Like, I get dropping References in conversation - social glue and all that, fun and funny - but in a public forum? Where you could literally check and see how many people have said the same thing before you got to it? Baffling. Universal.

Anyway. We started slow with this one, and we had some discerning folks doing Democracy Manifest bits - succulent avian meal, and all that. As references go it's a pretty good one, as it has its own wikipedia page and everything, and it's timely with Jack Karlson's recent passing. There were a few I am Forcibly Escorted From tags, which is nice, since you don't hear that one much these days. A bunch of quotidian "she's so done" or "like a toddler being dragged by his ear" observations, mostly uninspiring, although the specificity of one person's "my mom dragging me into the church bathroom to whoop my ass" was worth sharing. A little bit of the classic concern trolling you get with any animal video - why indeed is this bird being kept in the same place as all these edible little guys? But, inevitably, because it is the perfect time to use it, most people went with "put baby in pelican mouth."

And the thing about this is that I know the person who wrote the original "put baby in pelican mouth" post. We met through tumblr. She was absolutely inspired by my pelican posting to write that piece, and I know that because we ended up dating. It ended badly, and I still have regrets about it, and now, every time I make a pelican post, I am treated to a choir of strangers - literally hundreds of them - repeating a joke which was written by my ex-girlfriend. It's straight from the ironic punishment division, really. But birdpost I must, and tagwatch I must.

Anyway, Nikki, if you're out there, hope you're doing well.

[writing-for-life]

2024 Roundup

Thank you all for being here!

It’s that time of year again—the recaps are flooding in. Ruuuuuun! 🤣

First of all: Thank you everyone who connected this year—you are all so appreciated, no matter if we are mutuals or not 🖤

I’ll give you a little selection of the posts that people loved most in 2024, plus a few related thoughts about what happened during the fandom year (I always do, so if that’s not your thing, you know what to do 😉)

And what a year it’s been for the Sandman fandom—lots of complicated feelings. For me, they start straight off the bat with this (I’ll get to why later)…

So let’s have a little look at:

Art

Here are the art posts you enjoyed most in 2024:

1. Dream by Vince Locke

2. Dream by Frank Quitely

3. Dream and Death by Mindy Lee

March Mania

My partner in crime @tickldpnk8 and I ran our first fandom event: March Mania. In a Tumblr fandom mostly interested in the show and shipping, it was so much fun to reconnect with the source material and feature the amazing original artists, and I still want to send the biggest “Thank You” to everyone who took part—you know who you are! 🖤

If that’s still not enough art for you:

You can find all my art curation posts via the #sandman art (all art, including my own somewhere) and #sandman x art (official artists only) tags on my blog.

[Speaking of art: I post art for all Sandman characters. However, if you look at the top posts squares on my blog, you’d think it’s only Dream. It’s both funny and a bit sad. You can use my character library to get started, but please, please support all the amazing artists and writers on here who create for more characters than just “the two” by checking character tags on main. You’ll only find the underappreciated characters if you go into the weeds yourself].

Fics & Poetry

I’m a professional writer. However, I’d never written fanfic before 2022. But I had a Sandman idea that wouldn’t leave me alone, and I clobbered it all together during NaNo ‘22 and published on a weekly schedule in 2023. It was a slow start (people on Tumblr are apparently a bit weird about OCs), but it’s really picked up since. I’m grateful for the little community I built around The Light of Stars, and writing its sequel “The Pillars of Creation” also kept me busy in 2024. It still has me in a tight grip right now (if all goes well, I’ll finally start publishing in January/February, yay!). But my writing in 2024 mostly belonged to canon characters, and these fics/poems were what you liked most:

1. Lupē (short vignette, Calliope x Morpheus)

2. Requiem (poem, Death & Dream)

3. Ode to Death (poem, Death)

Honorary mention: Dream’s Therapist [a fun little project I started just because I honestly think he needs one. Many of you seemed to agree, because you liked it more than all the other fics and poems of ‘24. This is the episode you liked most, but I personally don’t think it’s the best one—it’s just the first 🙈]

And again, if you’d like to read more, you can find all my fics and poetry here.

[Another annoying side note 🤣: The work of fic-writers gets shared so much less than that of artists and meta-writers. Even less if you don’t write reader fics, smut or for one of the big ships. I had this conversation with many other writers, and it’s the same for most of us, to the degree that people will ask us for the next chapter and tell us how much they like our fics, but never, ever share them. So maybe that’s something we can all improve on in 2025: If we like something, we’ll share it?]

Meta-Analysis

The Sandman is one of the few stories that hasn’t left me alone since my teenage years, despite having books and bookshelves clogging up literally every available space of my house. I find something new in this work all the time, and I just love taking the fine tooth comb to it.

And the next one is tricky for me, because in 2024, three of my metas took off a bit for certain reasons:

1. The Endless are not their Opposite—they only define it

2. The Truth of Mankind is also Dream’s

3. Only Hope calls you out like that

And at the time, the creator reading and acknowledging my thoughts meant something, simply because the story always meant so much to me—I’m not particularly susceptible to parasocial relationships or putting people on pedestals. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t feel a sense of anger and disgust on…

July 3rd

The Tumblr Sandman fandom has been limping for some time now because it’s mostly a show fandom. After such a long time with hardly any news, many people simply move on and get their shipping needs met somewhere else. As someone who is mostly interested in the source material/comics and literary/meta-analysis, it never worked like that for me because neither characters nor stories are replaceable for me. But NG turning out to be a piece of shit was definitely the death knell for an already dying fandom—I could actually show you stats to make a point, but I won’t because I want to keep the demarcation lines clean here: None of this should ever be mostly about fans being disappointed or “losing their comfort show”, or whatever. We didn’t lose anything. Those women did. And I personally think every new fan should know about what he did so it doesn’t happen again. Plus, the structures that enable the abuse of power and, more importantly, keep people like this in power, will never be brought down if we pretend they don’t exist. But whether someone can separate the art from the artist is entirely up to them, and no one owes anyone an explanation. Emotional processing is hard, not every personal thought needs to be aired publicly, and our actions matter far more than our words. That’s all I’m going to say about it—my first post on the matter still stands.

Community: The Sandman Book Club

The news awkwardly coincided with having just founded the meanwhile biggest Sandman community on here. And despite everything: I love what my co-admin @tickldpnk8 and I have put together to reconnect people with the source material. We’re always happy if new people join and participate (it’s a community, not a blog 😉).

Fandom Thoughts

There was a lot of stuff in between (we got a S2 sneak peak!)—the same old fandom discourse is one of them. But if I have one goal for 2025, it’s that I want to maintain creating the space I’d like to see.

So in that vein, I’ll be honest and tell you what I lament most: It’s the transition of fandom into a consumer space. As someone who is more of a creator and sharer, I want to keep doing my bit because I love doing it. But I’d lie if I didn’t admit that my well felt fairly empty at times, and that my energy is a bit drained at this point. Investing energy into a limping fandom while others openly stated they would “only come back when S2 starts because there’ll be more engagement” felt strange, and I freely admit it annoyed me at times. It’s just a way of thinking I don’t get—are we primarily fans, or are we primarily chasing clout?

And speaking of engagement:

I often see beautiful art and wonderful poetry that has under 10, or even 0, notes. And it breaks my heart a little that so many people don’t share/reblog anymore. Because every time I reblog someone’s underappreciated art, I see the notes of those posts go up because my blog is connected enough to kick off a chain of engagement, even if it’s not always earth-shattering. You can do that, too. But it won’t happen if you only like. Reblogging is not for social clout—I personally believe that’s a fundamental misunderstanding when it comes to fandom. I see it more as saying Thank You for a gift someone gave us, and to make sure that more people also receive that gift.

Because artists/writers give their gift to fandom. Making others happy and connecting over it is the whole point!

And I’d love to see fandom turning into more of a gifting culture again. These pockets exist, so I’m not saying it’s not a thing anymore. But I also see a growing culture in which people only consume and at best engage in a TikTok/Insta-type manner by giving a like that holds no real thought. I get not everyone is a creator. But if you’re not, your gift could be to share and engage more thoughtfully. It doesn’t have to be with everything—it already makes a difference if it’s only the stuff you’d like to see more of. That’s my fandom wish for 2025…

I’ll see you all on the other side—much love to you, and may only the best come your way 🖤

[herefortheships]

What is your opinion on the Beetlejuice 2 Dream Theory?

My short answer is that it's plausible, but not likely that that's what the writers or Tim intended. That said, every viewer is entitled to their own interpretation. When a piece of media leaves the author's hands, then it doesn't belong exclusively to the author anymore; the story takes on a new form when it falls in the hands of the audience ("the death of the author is the birth of the reader" etc).

I'd have to rewatch the movie with my brain prepared to point out references that may show that everything we're witnessing as the movie plays out is not real.

As for my personal interpretation, I don't think that's the case. There was indeed a dream sequence at the end though; we have to decide, when does the dream start? Was it when Betelgeuse and Lydia were dancing in midair? (Betelgeuse does break the 4th wall to tell the audience "I love a good dream sequence", so that's possible). Or was it later after Lydia says her goodbye to Delia? I've only watched the movie once so far, so my thoughts may change when I rewatch it, but for now, this is where I think the dream starts:

I think the dream started with Lydia quitting her show. She may not have quit it at all, as a matter of fact, but her dream started with this because she's now hoping for a fresh start and quitting her show is part of what she has identified as her ideal life, going forward. She's dreaming about a perfect life, believing herself rid of Betelgeuse and Rory and her past, and starting fresh with Astrid, focused on being her mother and being there for her this time. Astrid and Lydia only have each other now after the loss of Delia and Charles, as far as family goes. All of that from that moment on is the dream. In truth, she isn't rid of Betelgeuse, and she is pretty isolated now. So she is shaken awake by the nightmare (I already made a detailed post about that, so I won't go into detail about the dream and what I think it means here). I think the dream ends when she hears/feels Betelgeuse in bed with her. Betelgeuse isn't gone and he's still very much in love with her, which may not be a very comforting thought to her just yet lol.

Now as I'm writing this, as a matter of fact, her little jumpscare when feeling Betelgeuse in bed with her might have a double meaning. Why was she dreaming about him being in bed with her? To be honest, when I first saw that in the theater I thought the wedding had gone through, since they were sharing a bed now! Lydia may be beginning to realize her feelings about Betel have changed, which understandably scares her right now. Then she wakes up again and he's gone. There is a question here, was he part of the dream or was he truly in bed with Lydia? Maybe he was there after all (which is what I personally believe).

Anyway, I am beginning to ramble, but Tl;Dr: There was a dream, but it starts when Lydia quits her job (or maybe after she quits, when she and Astrid are in vacation together).

Again, if it's the same theory I read (which I totally love and find super intriguing), it does make good points, so in short I would say it's plausible. Today I read a post about how the name "Richard" repeats in the movie in several instances, which may add to the "none of this is real, it's all a dream" theory. But to be honest, for me at least, there is more reason to believe that what we witnessed in the film did happen, and Astrid, Rory, Richard, etc are all real and part of Lydia's life.

That Lydia isn't married to Betel by the end of this film doesn't mean her feelings about him will remain as they are and that she will never accept him or even love him, though. This movie was SO a setup for a third film and I am sure of that. It was left open ended so in the event it didn't land well, the franchise could be set to rest with this sequel which was mostly a passion project for those involved, but now we know the movie was a massive hit, so it's very likely and I have no doubt we will get a final third part. There is a LOT of "the rule of three" around Betelgeuse, starting with the fact that you need to say his name three times to summon him. "Third time's a charm", you know what I mean? So I believe the final movie will see them married (yep, not just together or just friends, but married). Marriage is a very important theme in Beetlejuice, both for the series and the titular character himself, so that wedding will happen and it will go through next time, for better or worse (and I hope for better!) Again, rule of three applies here. I think the story is prime for either a soulmate story, or a tragic "true love will set you free" kind of story in which Lydia has to marry Betelgeuse in order to free his soul so he can move on (it was pointed out to me that this resembles the story of Corpse Bride, which is also a movie directed by Tim Burton). If he goes with the latter, then that doesn't mean Lydia won't love him and will just marry him to free him (as in she’s his true love but she doesn’t love him back romantically); she may still fall in love with him, but will find a way to break his attachment/curse to set his soul free and "let him go" for now (it could go either way tbh 😭), and they can still find each other in the afterlife. And wouldn't that be nice? If the two of them can move on to a better place in the great beyond in the finale? To spend eternity together in peace.

Anyway, rambling again! This is my answer. Sorry for replying a little late (and "yapping" so much lol), but trust me I was thinking about this question all day.

[itzmee-07]

MHA x ATLA AU Part 2!!! Meet Kacchan of the Bakugous U-U A firebending prodigy and Izuku's best friend since diapers.

........well not really! They were really close as kids, but that was mostly because their moms were friends. When they were kids, they heard stories about the previous avatar, the one who brought the longest era of peace, All Might, and looked up to him (in their own ways of course u-u). Both of them wanted to get into the Fire Nation army (so they could fight and be cool like All Might!) Neither of them thought much of it when Katsuki turned out to be a firebender, but Izuku didn't. However, Katsuki spent more and more of his time training, so they just kinda drifted apart. After Izuku finds out that he's the avatar, Katsuki teaches him basic techniques. (Need to flesh out this part a bit more) (I might draw this little scene actually!) While they're travelling around the world (running away from the Red Lotus-LOV gang) they both pick up new moves together. (Will the flames of their rekindled friendship ignite into something brighter?? 👀)

I haven't thought much about his lore yet (It's so hard to live up to Hori's characterization of him y'all cut me some slack here 😔) I wouldn't mind if you guys make up your own lore of these guys though! (tag me if you do please u-u) I'm only drawing these guys and sharing my own thoughts about them :> (The pose reference is from pinterest!)

MHA and all its characters belong to Horikoshi Kohei ATLA and all its characters belong to Nickelodeon Art belongs to me :)

[newtthetranswriter]

Dayquil, Curses, and Soulmates

Paring: Toge inumaki x gn! reader

Summary: In a world where soulmates are real, you get a bond that is quite annoying per say, you feel each other's pain, and your soulmate happens to be the one guy in the world that has a lifetime supply of throat medicine.

Word count: 1698 

Warnings: talk of explosion, talk of medicine, talk of pain, putting these just in case cause you never know

A/n: thought this was a fun idea, let me know how you like it, and big thanks to @just-jordie-things​ for the bit about bumping into each other buying cough medicine. Also if you catch my reference you get a cookie. please ignore any typos, i might come back and fix it later. If I mention school I mean college.  MINORS AND AGELESS BLOGS DO NOT INTERACT

 For as long as i could remember i have always got random pain in my throat. I couldn’t explain it but I would describe it as if I swallowed sandpaper. When I was younger it used to happen all of the time. One moment I was fine and being a happy kid and the next I was coughing like I hadn't had water in days. Around the age of five though my parents took me to the doctor to see if they could figure it out. Turns out that out of all the soulmate connections I could have, I’m stuck sharing pain with my soulmate. I couldn’t help but wonder what my soulmate was doing at such a young age to cause such pain so often.

 At around the age of ten or so it stopped happening as often, but when it happened it sucked. I got used to always carrying around a bottle of cough medicine for when it happened so I could at least talk with less pain. I still have no clue as to what my soulmate does to give us such terrible sore throats but I'm at least glad they slowed down a bit. 

  Today was a normal Saturday which means going out to check the shops for any cool trinkets I might want and get some snacks. Even though I was going out to get fun things, my first stop was the corner store to pick up some more cough medicine as I ran out last week and forgot to get more. 

  I swear when I meet my soulmate they are paying me back for all this cough medicine I have to buy. I thought to myself as I entered the store I have been a regular at for the past two years since starting school. I waved at the shop keeper as I walked off to the medicine aisle to grab my usual travel bottle of cough syrup and an extra just in case. As I reached for the medicine my hand bumped into someone else who seemed to be reaching for the same thing as me. 

  “Oh, I’m sorry you were here first; you can go ahead.” I said looking up at the stranger. Looking at them I would guess that they were a boy about my age with fluffy white hair and beautiful purple eyes. I also noticed he was wearing a school uniform with what looked like an extra-long collar covering the lower half of his face. Even though I was confused by it, I tried not to stare at the handsome stranger in front of me.

  He looked almost shocked when I spoke to him. He gave me a small nod, grabbed the medicine and walked away. I couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t said anything but brushed it off as him being shy. After he reached the register, I finally snapped out of my trance and grabbed my own bottles of cough medicine and headed to the front.

   “Hey, there Y/n. Soulmate causing trouble again?” asked Ukai, the owner of the small business who is used to me coming in every couple week.

   “Yeah, I wonder what they keep doing to cause this cause it's so annoying not being able to talk for an hour because of the pain.” I responded not noticing the stranger from earlier freezing up for a second before leaving the store.

  “Well kiddo, I hope you find them soon so you get some answers.” He responded as he handed me my bag. “Have a good day and good luck with the soulmate.”

     After waving goodbye to the man behind the counter who was always kind to me I made my way towards the shops for the day. I was ready to just enjoy my time alone with my thoughts, mostly plotting revenge on my soulmate for this pain, but also just enjoying the fresh air.

  After a few hours I noticed it starting to get dark and decided it was probably best to head home before my parents get concerned. I also don’t really enjoy being out when it gets dark. I don't know how to explain it but other than the annoying soulmate connection, ever since I was kid I could see these weird creatures. As I got older I started ignoring them but whenever I go out at night it seems like there's a lot more, and they give me the creeps.

  As I was passing an alleyway I heard rustling and paused to look and see if it was an animal or something, boy was I wrong. As I looked down the alleyway towards the sound one of the creatures, that I feel like only I can see, lunged towards me. Long dark claws stretched out towards me, right as it was about to sink its claws into my arm I heard what sounded like someone running up from the side, and a voice yelling to move. I’m not sure what came over me, it was like my feet had a mind of their own and I jumped out of the way.

 “EXPLODE” was the next thing I heard the voice say before the creature did just that. It exploded in a large cloud of smoke. Almost immediately after that thing exploded, I was thrown into my own terrible coughing fits, but what was even weirder was I could make out the sound of someone else coughing as well. I reached for the cough medicine I bought earlier and drank half of the first bottle, as large amounts were the only thing that helped.

  “What the hell was that?” I rasped out as best I could waiting for the medicine to start working. The person who had saved me looked up at me with a look of shock on his face. It was at that moment I recognized that it was the same guy from earlier. I could tell it was him from his white hair and uniform jacket that now had the collar unzipped, with the collar no longer hiding the lower half of his face. I could make out what looked like strange tattoos on either side of his mouth. 

  I probably also had a look of shock on my face as I pieced everything together. One this guy could see the weird creatures as well, two he somehow made me move and that thing explode with just words. Last and most important, this guy is my soulmate, it just makes sense it can’t be a coincidence that my soulmate would get a throat pain right as this guy saves me, causing his own coughing fit. I was sure of it and judging by the look on his face he figured it out as well.

  I waited for a moment as I watched him scramble for something in his pocket, and he let out a sound of triumph as he pulled out his phone and walked closer to me while typing out a message. He motioned for me to look at the screen. Sorry for making you spend so much on cough medicine, It's part of my job kinda. I looked at him slightly confused as he started typing again.

  “Why do you keep typing, why not voice what's up instead?” I asked, not understanding fully why this guy who just made something explode with his voice is now refusing to talk. I watched as he shook his head at me and pointed to his phone again. My throat is still messed up, but I also can’t talk like you do. I could explain more over dinner tomorrow if that's ok with you? He asked me using his phone's note app. I looked at him skeptically for a second, but the agreed and gave him my phone number to text me the details.

  “I’m Y/n, by the way, if we’re soulmates I figure we should probably know each other's names” I said as he started typing again. It's nice to meet you Y/n, I’m Toge Inumaki, but you can just call me Toge. After I finished reading the message on his phone I looked up into his kind purple eyes and knew that this was the start of something great. “I can’t wait to go out tomorrow, and also find out whats up with that thing that you blew up.” I said with a chuckle 

  “Salmon” I heard the boy next to me rasp out, his voice sounding more messed up than mine did when I first spoke a minute ago. I looked at him confused for a second before I felt my phone go off in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a message from an unknown number. Hey, it's me, your soulmate, what I mean by salmon is I can't wait for tomorrow either. I also promise to explain everything, I bet this is all kinda weird :)  I read the message and smiled back at him as his face lit up with one of the brightest smiles I had ever seen. 

  “Well it's getting late, I should be getting home. I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye Toge.” I said waving to him as I walked off hearing a small “salmon” and catching him waving before zipping his collar and walking the opposite direction.

   I was a few blocks away and almost home when my phone went off again: get homesafe, if you need me text please. Have a goodnight.  I smiled at the message and responded with an ok, you too. After the small text exchange I finally made it home, I went up stairs and went to bed happy with how the day went. I may have been almost attacked by a weird creature that most people apparently can’t see, but I finally met my soulmate. I can’t wait to get to know him and maybe find out why i was saying salmon so much but hey that's a problem for tomorrow.

  I drifted off to sleep with the thoughts of my soulmate and some slight planning on how to get revenge for the non stop sore throats without causing pain, cause that would be counterproductive.

[mydearestbeloved]

Firstly, I would like to apologize for accidentally deleting this ask (good thing I always screenshotted my inbox) and for the late response. My apologies, dear Anon. 🙏

Secondly, in that case, welcome back to the bandwagon! 🎉

As for me, isekai—well, to be specific, isekai-romance—is still going strong as my favorite since I discovered it. Glad you noticed the many inspirations/references/classic tropes/clichés that I used, 'cause writing those are the privilege I want to abuse the hell out of when writing my own isekai fiction. Asdfghjkl

If it’s not obvious enough, I even deliberately made Trial Player!Reader aware of the clichés she's living through with direct mentions in-story. And while they serve their due depending on the moments' context (two obvious examples being showing TP!Reader’s inner fangirl and my poor attempt at rom-com XD), I actually made them quite relevant to the story! Say, implications of TP!Reader's personality & how she views everything about her situation, her knowledge & awareness, her thought process & imaginations—maybe even serving as foreshadowing, hints, and or a nod toward her truth, fate, & destiny. 🤫

Good to know you like what’s going on in the story so far. Indeed, there’s more going on with TP!Reader’s ‘connection’ with the Absolute Being, and while I can’t spoil much, one aspect that’s already implied to be playing a part—which I can say for now—is that these two are like reflections in a mirror—same features but also flipped. So, not quite the same but also not quite opposites at the same time. Creator-Mother, Entertainment-Spectator, Indifference-Love—these are just some examples.

Also, you know when Ashborn and Jinwoo go like, “I am you and you are me”? In a rough comparison, the Absolute Being and TP!Reader might go like, “What is beyond the reflective surface? Are we really the same? What of the other glass?” Basically, in a nutshell, I’m giving TP!Reader the amalgamation identity crisis of the big three isekai: reincarnation, transmigration, and summoning—all in one go. LOL😅

Now, while I did say in the past that I already have a rough idea for TP AU's sequel in Solo Leveling: Ragnarok (placeholder name for now: Guide AU), I haven’t looked back and developed it further past a very general synopsis draft. Partly because I’m already so busy with college and writing TP AU, and mostly because I don’t know much about SL: Ragnarok’s story. I’m not motivated enough to read the novel, and while I might be more motivated to read the manhwa, both are still ongoing, and to add to that, I heard that the manhwa diverges from the novel. I just don’t have that much time to catch up. T_T

In conclusion, while I do want to make this story an AU that can be freely and easily imagined with canon, I can’t promise that it’ll be entirely canon-compliant information-wise—especially for details that were elaborated more in SL: Ragnarok. So, I apologize in advance for this, but I feel obliged to advise you to keep your expectations low regarding any connecting-information pertaining to the sequel made in the current TP AU. That said, I’ll still try to make those connections as best as I can, and hopefully, they’ll come out good enough. 🤞

Reading the comments and asks from everyone has always been a joy. So, thank you for reading my works and for sharing your thoughts, dear Reader! 💕

[rainibao]

Re-reading Devils' Line: Chapter 1 thoughts/analysis/things I noticed

Warning for mentions of sexual assault. And minor-ish spoilers

--explanatory/intro stuff--

This will be my second time reading through the manga. Very excited to go through the story again, especially for the characters! The last time I read this manga was probably a year ago and I binged through everything, before I went on to devour every other Ryo Hanada work I could find.

I'll be noting down things I didn't pick up on during my initial read and sharing them. Let me know if anyone wants me to do the same for Blackguard! (btw if you know of anyone currently posting for any Hanada Ryo mangas, be it thoughts or fancontent, pls direct me to their accounts even if they're on other platforms)

----

#1 Easter egg(?)

Devils' Line (Pg 4-5)

Good-bye Geist (Pg 13-14)

Good-bye Geist (2011-2012) is an earlier manga by Hanada Ryo. Just like in Devils' Line, the way the male protagonist is introduced paints him to be a creepy stalker on the train. And in both cases, we find out they don't really have ill-intent. (Anzai is following Tsukasa to protect her, the guy in good-bye geist is recording because...he's a not very well-adjusted guy with a crush who does learn his lesson, and gets to know the mc like a normal person)

I'm thinking Devils' Line starting so similarly might be a reference for long-time fans/a trope the author enjoys/just a subconscious thing. Either way, pretty interesting!

#2 Biblical references

*based on very superficial knowledge, if anything specific from the Bible comes to mind let me know! + mostly speculation towards the end

Upright cross on title page, also present in volume 2, 3 and I presume all other volumes? In volume 14 however (I happen to own vols 1, 2, 14) the cross is upside down so I'm not sure if other volumes would have it too. Though it might just be that vol 14 is a volume of extras to tie up loose ends, hence the subversion

Horizontal cross on the back cover and Anzai's ring. Might be to represent equilibrium/themes of equality/how things aren't just black or white(holy or unholy), especially since the shorter line intersects in the middle. Which could also be a statement that there's no saintly/unsaintly side (regarding humans and devils) in the story despite the name. I forgot if the ring has any significance later on in the story, but if my stated assumption is right, it fits because Anzai is half devil and half human(and he wears the ring on his middle finger), so in theory he SHOULD represent the middle ground that can be found. (However, pg 33: "my bloodlust is supposed to be weak, but apparently not." so not really, which makes sense because genetics isn't that straightforward. Just like how coming to a consensus isn't so straightforward either. Going to go on a limb here and say that it could symbolise Anzai having no choice but to face and accept all that comes with being a devil, thus also accepting pure devils instead of believing them to be separate from him and more violent. And on a larger scale, society having to accept devils and actually address the issues between them, instead of brushing them under the rug and letting them fester.)

This one seems like a no-brainer, what with the title and all, but I remember taking all the cross imagery at surface level on my first read, even when Hans appeared in a later chapter (his cross necklace iirc). And somehow I also didn't link the choice to name this series's version of vampires “devils” to, you know, hell, beyond the subconscious understanding of how they're treated as monsters in society. It just felt natural as an in-universe term at the time, unlike if they were named “demons” which are universally understood to be FROM hell what with their use in various media. Don't know if I'm making sense here.

So…how are the devils of Devils' Line associated with the unholy? Based on what we learn about Akimura and Anzai in this chapter alone, I would say the fact that it's in their very nature to ‘sin’, even if they don't want to.

Anzai instinctually leaps to lick Tsukasa's blood, but then ALSO goes in for the kiss(with tongue)

I remember being confused by this since the cut was beside her mouth, and not on it. I was also confused by why Akimura had raped the women he killed, since he was in love with Tsukasa. Turns out Anzai's lines in this page explains it:

Pg. 35 (last-minute edit: ooh his eyes transformed although he was normal right after he tranqed himself. Looking at previous pages the eyebags also slowly return in each panel)

"This urge makes me sick. I wanted to do it while drinking her blood." which explains that he went for the kiss because the literal thirst for blood triggers lust as well, against his will. The "urge [making him] sick" is sort of reminiscent of catholic guilt I think, especially since accepting this lust is a plotline in the story.

To relate this back to 'sinning', it's like this:

Sight of blood(temptation)> automatically acting on desire to drink blood (Innate inability to resist temptation)> lust arises (the sin) >Anzai immediately acts upon it (kissing)

It's not that devils have an innate desire to maim for blood in day-to-day life, they just can't resist it when it's in their sight. I recall finding the choice to intertwine bloodlust with sexual lust kind of weird, but it makes sense if the sight and taste of blood sort of takes away some self-control, making the devils more animalistic(which maybe makes bloodlust and lust indistinguishable from each other as forms of desire). To stop himself from going too far with Tsukasa, Anzai had to inject himself with a tranquiliser (pg. 30), and because of this experience he, for the first time, can understand why devils "that rape and murder end up trapped in that pleasure"(pg. 20), although he still condemns their actions and continues to separate himself from them("that's why these devils have always-").

In Akimura's case, it's the same thing(except he goes much further with his bloodlust and lust), just with one thing extra: Tsukasa as the trigger.

pg. 22/Akimura's trolley problem(strangers vs one person he cares about, or everyone else vs himself)

Here, Akimura talks as if him resorting to killing was inevitable. Looking at what's been gathered so far, this was probably the chain of events:

Akimura falls for Tsukasa> [lust/desire(strong emotion)> bloodlust automatically triggered (temptation) >to protect Tsukasa, he directs it at an innocent(does not resist temptation) >drinking blood triggers lust > the lust is immediately acted upon (the bloodlust and lust probably cause a feedback loop, causing him to drain the victim of all her blood. Maybe unintentional the first time, likely indulgent the following times)]x3 (falling deeper into sin by committing actual atrocities)

However, it's not that devils can't help themselves at all. When Akimura leans in towards Tsukasa (pg. 13), he manages to stop himself from doing anything. Same with when Anzai makes himself bleed to reveal Akimura's identity (via eye colour change), and when he spots Tsukasa bleeding (fangs grow out), he doesn't attack instantaneously(in Anzai's case, might be because it was his first time) . Could be attributed to the fact that he was "taking medicine" and "gave [himself] a tranquiliser", but my personal interpretation is that he realised those couldn't help him anymore and was in denial.

If he could resist to this extent, why attack those innocent women? I think, without the sight of blood, bloodlust that is triggered by strong emotions (other than desire, in future chapters we see anger do this iirc) feels more like an irritating itch that can't be scratched. (I'll probably need to correct this once I read further in). Basically, being a devil is like having to deal with temptation from The Devil(their nature) whenever something gets a rise out of you. (Akimura definitely deserved that life in prison though.)

#3 Equality, Prejudice

"Don't curse your lot, Anzai. Whether someone turns into a monster or not depends entirely on them. That's true for both humans and devils." -Sawazaki

After everything I've written so far, what first comes to mind is that the sentiment is true, but flawed. Devils have to actively restrain themselves in situations that would not faze most humans at all, in the sense of getting an urge that would cause harm if acted upon (pg. 27: "out of humanity and instinct, vampires constantly grapple with the terror of losing themselves the instant they see human blood"), and they might even feel cornered into a 'trolley problem' situation, seeing themselves dying as the only way harm could've been prevented(see above pg. 22 image). They literally have to medicate themselves, and if that doesn't speak to how disadvantaged they are then I don't know what does. Anzai even asks for stronger doses of tranquiliser for his restock(pg. 34), implying that using them is the reason why Tsukasa was the first time he drank blood. Sawazaki then says, "Take anything too strong and you'll get addicted. Tranqs aren't the best thing for you to begin with." which means these drugs pose additional dangers. I forgot if the story tackles this plot point of over-reliance on tranquilisers, but now I'll definitely be paying more attention to the use of them. Additionally, drinking blood makes the devils' perpetual eyebags disappear(pg. 30), so I imagine drinking even a little bit of blood (like Anzai) is actually good for them, but due to their situation they can't openly ask for blood. All that to say that devils are definitely disadvantaged, but as with real life, that only means more attention should be dedicated to helping them live their lives, rather than shunning them.

The statement also warns against stereotyping, or categorising people and seeing them as completely "other" and labelling them all as "monsters". "Don't curse your lot, Anzai."- if even a half-devil has internalised this prejudice (Anzai at this point thinks that devils and people shouldn't be with each other (pg. 27)), just wait till you see what conclusion some humans(who know of the existence of devils) have jumped to. If even Akimura considered the fact that he should've died to protect everyone else, what kind of thoughts will humans who feel threatened have? Will they see Akimura's trolley problem as a problem at all, once they've from their prejudices and human and devil lives are not seen as equal?

Despite me dwelling too much into the specifics of Sawazaki's statement, the theme of "turning into a monster" being based on individual choice is definitely prevalent throughout the series for both devil and human characters. When devils do not have their vampiric tendencies provoked, they are just like normal humans (pg. 26: "vampires are very close to humans, biologically. And if they don't transform, even other vampires can hardly tell them apart.") and should be treated how anyone else should: which means holding an individual accountable for their actions rather than an entire group, while also acknowledging the shared internal battle the devils share and catering to help them lead the normal lives they want.

#4 Tsukasa

how her experience in this chapter sets up her role as a mediator, and reflects the ongoing conflict of the story

She finds out her friend is a vampire, and not just any vampire, THE vampire she hears has killed three people at the start of the chapter, though at the time she didn't know that vampires did actually exist (as the devils in the series. Other than bloodsucking they don't share traits with the vampires that are allergic to sun etc.). Speaking of which, THIS is how she finds out about the existence of devils, by finding out someone close to her is one, and has harmed others. Then, the guy who apprehends him ends up leaping at her to lick her cut just at the sight of it.

However, it is mentioned that she had been "friends with Akimura for a long time". Furthermore, he was also a potential love interest, and although she did not accept his confession, I see it as her not wanting to compromise their friendship (the wording of "We spend too much time together. And I couldn't..."). And because he wasn't just a random devil, she is more inclined to try to see things from his perspective and acknowledge his struggles, rather than holding ill will(despite feelings of shock and maybe betrayal I would presume) since she knows him as a person outside of him being a devil. This is supported by how the very last panel of the chapter was her wishing Akimura well, even after everything that happened. Anzai even further elaborates on the struggles devils face to explain that he was "sure [Akimura] really did like [her]", allowing her to further understand devils from a sympathetic viewpoint and thus be more receptive towards them. Since Anzai immediately tranquilised himself after he leapt at her, she can understand that he was no doubt just trying to keep her safe the entire time. She also noticed how being a devil was a sensitive subject for Anzai (pg.32), adding to what she has learnt about devils: that being one isn't easy.

She essentially had encounters with a 'bad' devil (one who has committed atrocities because of his bloodlust) and a 'good' devil (one who tries his best to restrain himself), both ends of the spectrum, but with the added privileges of knowing one personally, and getting to know the other. This establishes a pretty unique perspective, and sets up how she probably will be pretty open-minded towards devils from this point on. However, these encounters also showcase how difficult it is for devils to resist their bloodlust, since even Anzai, who had never drunk blood prior to Tsukasa, ended up succumbing to bloodlust as well. It seems almost unavoidable. Which then begs to question of, how can devils live alongside humans peacefully?

#5 Conclusion

Now to link all of these to the chapter title, "Dark Side":

Tsukasa finds out about Akimura's 'dark side' he had been hiding from her: the fact that he is a devil, and his crimes. By extension:

The 'dark side' that has been hidden from society by presumably the government and the related institutions(the news, the police) (pg. 6: "you only ever see stuff like that on TV specials or tabloids. It's never reported in the news."): that devils/vampires actually exist. What else are they hiding?

Both Tsukasa and Anzai are faced with the 'dark side' of being a devil: the daily struggles, the looming threat of bloodlust. Anzai is also confronted by the 'dark side' of himself he has been hiding from, his bloodlust and the fact that it is stronger than he thought.

If you read all of that, sorry and thank you lots. I didn't expect it to get this long. Hopefully it was just due to the first chapter setting up overarching themes that I just had to make connections to what I already know about the story, and let it all out of my system.

I'm off to finally read chapter 2 and pray I don't have as much to say about it!!

[sonkitty]

The Pocket Chain Rainbow Connection - LINKS - Updates

I have finally gotten around to several updates on the Rainbow Connection. I had meant to focus on Part 4, but it made sense to update Parts 1-3 as well. Updating Part 4 took way more out of me than I thought it would so I didn't track my changes in the other parts well, sorry.

In Part 1, I mostly have some mild wording changes. The more I've played while working on the Crowley S2 Hair posts, the more sure I am that the Tied Hands untie and retie frequently, so I am more sure than ever that they retie during intermission with Nina.

In Part 2, I added more about the possible Black and White being used to trap the Green for later in Triple Part 2. I also added more details about how the switch from Blue to Purple does not happen in a specific cut because Crowley still needs to do more preparation for using two pockets in the Double.

In Part 3, I added some more info about the suspected Black and White trap because of a human wearing suspenders as a clue they work together to suspend something.

Okay, for Part 4, I updated A LOT. The big stuff is closer to the END.

-I added that I think Crowley's Pocket Frame for The Door Trick is Car Mirrors and that might be helping with how the mirror flips are managed.

-I added that I think the human with the skirt holding the orange bag could be the "FIsh" in Bullet Catch magic word references because the pattern on her skirt looks like scales. Other places I look, I can't find a strong enough visual clue for a fish. My instinct was to look at cars and a human on a scooter first, but the skirt still feels like the best option.

-I added info about the actual rainbow that exists and the potential over-the-rainbow touches allowing colors to switch as needed.

-I added more about the lacking Yellow on the red alert that is hopefully somehow still stalling the actual switch due to where certain colors and humans are.

-I added info about the human I most suspect is the "Gorilla" for the Bullet Catch reference and that I can't figure out if they contribute to this Rainbow Connection part. Also, I think every Bullet Catch magic word reference is supposed to be no later than the actual link from Crowley to Aziraphale with the Pocket Chain, intentionally ending at "dash of nutmeg". The other references are not in the exact order, but that one is last. With this particular update, I now have a guessed place for every magic word in "banana, fish, gorilla, shoelace with dash of nutmeg".

-I added that the tie strands are also shown to be still during The Door Trick, but each cut shows they moved a little off-camera.

-I added more details of my assessment on the Yellow when it is being connected to Aziraphale and the Metatron.

-I committed more to saying that Aziraphale and the Metatron are sharing the connection and hopefully more precise wording with things like "visually touching yellow behind them" instead of "touched by yellow".

-I added the following about reaching purple during The Door Catch:

In the previous iterations, there was a double purple in The Pocket Trick's Double and then a possible double red in The Pocket Trick's Single. Since a skip-to-purple and back already happened with The Door Trick, connected to The Door Catch, my guess then is that a double purple to start going back up is not required.

-I updated the wording in general to be less "we" and "us" in the wording though not completely. It's otherwise more third-person about the game or first-person with my own play.

-I updated more certainty about the two different Pocket Frames I believe are happening (Elevator Edges for Aziraphale and Doorknobs for the Metatron).

-I updated the wording about the window pane reflections. I state quite explicitly that I am lacking the words for what I sense to be a significant thing happening in that moment with the Metatron's reflection being caught where it is with Aziraphale by the end of the cut.

-The wording about the non-rainbow shades was actually decent enough to leave mostly as is, so then I mainly just added my far more detailed info below it.

That detailed info is significant enough that I will post it here too:

...

Well, it's been weeks and this bit is the best I've got, so here we go.

In the Heaven elevator with the Metatron, I do believe the following is supposed to apply:

Black blocks.

Brown borrows.

Gray shades.

White keeps.

I like "white keeps" in the rhythm better than "white holds," but that is the same general idea and why I've said I think Muriel's white helps hold things for assisting Crowley in other Threshold Tricks.

There are two huge problems I encounter with this idea, but I can't let it go. It still sticks with me.

The first one is that I can never, ever figure out what Black blocks outside the Heaven elevator. Inside the elevator, the Black is blocking out the elevator's Gray. I am as sure as I can be that's the intent.

The White is holding the Gold to keep it as Gold.

Together, that allows the Black and White to effectively trap the Gold, so that it cannot be switched to Yellow despite so much Gray outside the Black circle.

There actually is a little Gray in the White but it's not enough or inaccessible because the Metatron makes the mistake of using a zoomed touch and not showing either of the two types of thumb joints he has on the hand doing the touch. So, the dark Brown he wears can't use the Gray to qualify the Gold as Yellow.

However, if I go and look at The Pocket Trick for what Black might do, I can't figure out what it's blocking. In Triple Part 2, I think it's helping trap the Green for eventual use in The Door Trick. It's part of how I got the idea that Black and White together can act as a trap. What needs to be blocked to make the trap? If it's the switch to Blue until the Green is properly trapped, that's actually being accomplished by the timing and synchronization with the human puppet by making a pocket and stalling the switch with where that human's neck is. The Black is not blocking a color. It's not stalling. It's just there to trap the Green with the White through the method Crowley chooses.

Crowley and Aziraphale stall Blue switching to Purple for the Double, and the lighting is not setting Crowley's clothes to Black as obviously as it is in Triple Part 2. Maybe there is White helping that time but not Black.

The problems go on from there in similar ways. In Triple Part 3, that's where I got the idea because I was like "Okay, I guess the human wearing suspenders mean the Black and White suspend something". Well, they do in that part at least.

In The Door Trick, Crowley's illusionary touch is on a black bag between edges and it essentially acting as a cue for Aziraphale to Begin. So, then, it doesn't seem to actually block anything. There are three other words other words with "b" around though! Between. Bag. Begin.

So, the Black's meaning itself switches, depending on what one's imagination requires it to do or I'm just incapable of finding what is being blocked.

That imagination part is the second huge problem. So long as I can see pockets in the right places and a goal in mind for what Crowley might want to accomplish, it doesn't seem to really matter. I mean, it does because I'm supposed to find the logic. But in both Triple Part 1 and the Double, I can say that the color didn't switch until a given time because of how Crowley and whatever assistance he got managed the timing, framing, and pocketing. If non-rainbow shades happen to be there, that's fine. I still don't know what Black is blocking or White is holding a lot of the time, if anything. I don't really think Brown is necessary to borrow either. Is there someone on-screen using pockets while Crowley himself has something he wants from his play in the game? Then it's done!

So, this bit:

Black blocks.

Brown borrows.

Gray shades.

White keeps.

This bit is more like a default with a limited imagination or limited available pocket assistance.

It's not exactly that way though because Aziraphale gets someone with white and brown. What does that do? What does he need to borrow that needs a hold? The Green from the nearby humans in the preceding cut until the shadows on his coat can do the Trick?

I guess!

So, if my play improves, I'll update this part accordingly, but it just plain hasn't.

I do have guesses that the 1941 minisode actually gives clues on these shades as well.

For Black, the miracle blocker blocks the turnip from turning into an inkwell. Ink is black. Black blocks. In this case, black is blocked, but I still think that's the clue. There are other colors involved, including a white handkerchief, but, again, I still think that's the clue for the Black.

For Brown, the clue is gross—and I am not a fan of gross things, so you're really going to have to use your own imagination because I am not going to spell it out completely. The old man the zombies kill is singing about farting. They kill him and one of them ends up borrowing that guy's voice to sing some more. You figure it out from there. Okay, fine, I will give you one more hint: it is a crappy joke. Nonetheless, Brown borrows.

For Gray, the clue is much more pleasant and is found near the end of the minisode at a lovely candlelit table while Crowley and Aziraphale are drinking wine. The "shades of gray" are mentioned in conversation, including darker shades and lighter shades. Gray shades.

For White, Aziraphale waves a white handkerchief around with "prestidigitation" in his dialogue when offering to help Crowley to Mrs. H. before the trick is actually performed. With the miracles being blocked later in the minisode, the problem keeps happening while he uses the white handkerchief over the turnip. White keeps.

And that concludes this updated part about these shades.

...

Main link and all the part links can be found here:

The Pocket Chain Rainbow Connection (1, 2, 3, 4)

[traintrainingmontage]

Skarloey Appreciation Essay: Interpersonal Intelligence

I know that I still have several ficlet ideas to write, but instead, have an analysis. This one's about Skarloey, mostly because he's my absolute favorite, but also because there's a lot to say about him. This is primarily based off of the Railway Series and Model Series seasons 1-5, since they're what I'm most familiar with (although it's been a while since watching the show, so please pardon me if I miss anything from that perspective).

For this analysis, I want to briefly mention how the various sagely characters excel in different types of intelligence. Some know a lot about the world and are happy to share their knowledge (Edward), while others are highly experienced and have that experience to fall back on when trying to guide and help others (Toby). However, out of all of them, I would argue that it's Skarloey who has the best interpersonal intelligence, in that he's great at creating healthy relationships between himself and others, and by extension, maintaining a measure of relative peace on his railway.

(There's also an Edward Appreciation Essay for you all to enjoy!)

Interpersonal intelligence is defined as "the ability to understand and interact effectively with others. It involves effective verbal and nonverbal communication, the ability to note distinctions among others, sensitivity to the moods and temperaments of others, and the ability to entertain multiple perspectives" (University of Tennessee).

To start, I'd like to give some examples of how Skarloey is good at this. Skarloey is a "do no harm, but take no shit" kind of character. When done well, this kind of character tends to be highly compelling. (In fact, Toby could also be classified in this way, albeit differently flavored.) Some Skarloey-specific examples include:

-Skarloey scolding the coaches after they sabotage Sir Handel (Old Faithful). Skarloey essentially scolds them for endangering the passengers, and when they try to blame Sir Handel, Skarloey's not having it. What's particularly notable is that he doesn't take sides here; he doesn't validate the coaches' feelings nor does he defend Sir Handel. Instead, he focuses on their professionalism, and the coaches really don't have anything to say in their defence.

-Building on the previous point, this whole event, especially with Skarloey pushing himself on the passengers' behalf, resonates with Sir Handel. It ends with Sir Handel thinking that "Skarloey is the best engine in the world," which is high praise coming from an engine that referred to Skarloey as "rubbish" in his debut (Sir Handel). It's almost a shame that Skarloey left for six years to be mended, as if he'd stayed, a number of Sir Handel's more overbearing qualities might have been ironed out sooner.

-Skarloey's own character growth is also on full display in terms of the way he treats others. The worst comeback he actually has in the RWS, toward anybody, is when he says to Sir Handel that all respectable engines want to work, and then immediately follows that up with advice for Peter Sam (Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady). Every other time another engine says something rude or ridiculous, Skarloey says nothing and winks at some other engine, or keeps it to himself ("Rusty told Duncan about the bad bit of line, and warned him to be careful. 'Huh!' he grunted, 'I know my way about, thank you! I don't need smelly Diesels to tell me what to do.' Rusty looked hurt. 'Never mind,' said Skarloey, 'you've done your best.' He said no more, but he thought a great deal.") (Rock n' Roll). He's come a long way from the hot-tempered engine who threw petty insults at Rheneas (Stick-in-the-Mud).

-Skarloey delivers lessons in ways that aren't just "you shouldn't do this because I said so." This way of giving advice to headstrong engines often gets ignored, as seen when other sagely engines try it. Instead, he takes a more cunning approach, as seen by his tactic of goading Sir Handel into facing off against George (Steam-roller). There are other engines who are cunning, certainly (just look at Donald and Douglas, or some key Thomas moments), but they don't really try to pit other engines against each other. The only other one who does in a notable way is Diesel, and he's not really protagonist material for most of the series.

In this case, the other engines (let's be real, it's Peter Sam and Duncan) are fed up with Sir Handel's boasting, so they tease him. However, he just shrugs them off. By contrast, Skarloey recognizes that trying to be straightforward won't work, so he decides to appeal to Sir Handel's pride in the hopes that he and George might teach each other a lesson. It's a strategy that ends up working exceedingly well, and also doesn't undermine his standing with Sir Handel himself. Honestly, Skarloey can be a little bit devious and that's such a fun character trait (it shows up again when Skarloey just doesn't tell the others that Culdee's Godred story is made up (Bad Look-out), choosing to let them stew and perhaps be a little more mindful of their behavior, and those moments are some of my favorites).

-Skarloey earnestly compliments others when they do well. He's incredibly grateful to Rusty for fixing the track, and tells him so. He speaks earnestly about Rheneas, and compliments Culdee upon hearing about his railway. Not a lot of other characters do this unless under duress or when they feel bad for taking things too far! In fact, tying into this point is that Skarloey doesn't kick others when they're down (see above), and stops the other engines' teasing when it gets out of hand (Peter Sam and the Prickly Problem).

There are certainly other examples of Skarloey's excellent character (one of my favorite character traits of his is how he owns up to his mistakes and even talks about them as proof of how he's grown instead of trying to hide shameful moments from his past, making him more relatable), but I'll instead pivot to why he's my go-to for a shining star of interpersonal intelligence by comparing him to some of the fandom's other favorite sages.

-Edward is probably the most wholesome character in the whole series. He's kind, he's giving, he doesn't complain, and you just want the best for him. However, he's also been worn down by life to an extent. His coworkers are often rude to him for no reason, even while they begrudgingly respect him, and unlike Skarloey, who is undoubtedly the moodmaker on his railway, Edward simply isn't; Gordon is. While I feel bad that Edward is treated this way, I also can't help but wish that Edward would have stood up for himself and others more, particularly in the early days when the railway's culture was still being figured out, because everyone on the NWR always has something to prove. It's super fulfilling when Edward proves his worth and shows that not only is he still useful, but that he has an unmatched will. However, while letting his actions speak for themselves is great, all he's really done is prove that he too can still run with the young'uns. He's earned their respect in terms of his abilities, but not their respect for his authority as an experienced engine with good advice to give, or their respect as an equal, really. He's a coworker who's shown that he can handle his work, but his opinion doesn't hold as much weight as theirs.

Perhaps part of this is that Gordon is a physically larger engine with an ego to match (after all, size DOES matter in the inherent engine pecking order, and the Skarloey Railway engines are all the same size so that's much less of an issue). Perhaps it's that Edward simply isn't confrontational, and would rather just let a lot of this slide. Perhaps another part of it is that the NWR just has so many more engines now and without that groundwork, it's very unlikely that the railway's culture can be changed at this point without a lot of effort from multiple engines. However, everybody constantly picking at each other's old wounds and feeling defensive all the time does not lend itself to a kind railway. Edward just doesn't stop that nonsense in its tracks the way Skarloey does, and he doesn't really come to the defense of some of the smaller engines. He moreso manages the fallout and is a counselor for the others, reactive but not necessarily proactive. Edward is a kind, nice character, and I absolutely adore that about him, but he often comes across as just rolling with the punches or being a shoulder to cry on for the others instead of taking a proactive role in setting the other engines straight. (To be fair, what he needed most was James or Henry having a character arc that would let them get out of the shadows of their inferiority to Gordon or their own selves/circumstances and back Edward up more often so that people actually heeded and respected his advice, but that's hardly Edward's fault.)

-Toby, on the other hand, takes no shit from anybody and will bite you if you give him grief. That's also a great character trait, but it has the side-effect of making him difficult to get along with. He's filled with great advice, but the other, haughtier engines don't want to listen so Toby doesn't want to give it; he's happy to watch them fail abysmally and come crawling back. I absolutely love Toby as a character, but these kinds of people are rather difficult to get along with in real life. I find that Toby and Duck are particularly similar in this regard; they don't take shit from the other engines, but come off as more prickly for it. Everyone except their closest friends are coworkers at best, and so they also don't necessarily improve the vibes of the railway as a whole. Toby and Edward are two ends of the spectrum, two extremes in this regard.

Thus, to me at least, it's Skarloey who wins out in terms of being the most interpersonally intelligent sage character, who makes his railway a good place to be for everybody on it. He uses a couple of different strategies to help other engines see sense, whether it's being straightforward with them, using a story as an example, or cajoling them a little bit. He scolds others when necessary, but doesn't use their shame as ammunition and doesn't tear them down. People may not like the story "Pop" Special because it makes Duncan seem too nice, but I like it in the sense that it shows how decades of being around people who are good to you and treat you well can lead to an insular, angry person becoming kinder and more thoughtful. Who made that the culture on the railway and enforced it? Skarloey.

Like I said at the start, this analysis is limited to the Railway Series and Model Series seasons 1-5, so I'd love to hear others' opinions on what I've put forth here. I hope you enjoyed; ficlets to come soon(-ish)!

[theboywithburninghands]

I’m back! It was a nice break, but I found my mojo again. This one took a bit longer to write since I wanted it to flow well, as it’s mostly just conversation. Buuuut I think it’s good! @fernstarsblog tag for you, hope you all enjoy.

T/W: Era appropriate sexism, vague references to a nonexistent book’s disturbing themes

Primum Peccatum Ch. 7: The Rest is Still Unwritten

Pomni had seated herself by the fireplace, the flue closed to prevent any errant rainwater from trickling down the chimney. She left it unlit. The stray papers littering Mr. Kinger’s floor and accumulation of dust was a house fire waiting to occur. No need for additional heat, regardless, she had a cup of tea for that on a stack of papers nearby.

The chair she sat in, while moth eaten and a bit musty, was a pleasant spot to read. It was dark, certainly, but the dim sunlight smothered by rain clouds provided reasonable natural light. She had to squint to read, but her eyesight was sharp (20/20 according to her physician). As Jax changed into dry clothes upstairs, she read in the quiet, coughing occasionally from the abundance of dust and sipping her beverage. These peaceful moments were so scarce these days. Once she was married, would she ever experience them again..? Well, if this rascal honored the deal he made with her, she might. She really should have gotten that in writing. Having to share her space with someone else all the time was daunting enough. It would have been just about impossible if she had a child.

She had thought about children. Jax told her he had no interest, but truth be told, the idea intrigued her. There were pros and cons. Babies were quite cute, she only wished they made less noise… and required less attention, and produced less bodily fluids. Having a baby meant she would have to let Jax conceive the child with her, and then she would carry it full term, which was also worrying. Her mother miscarried several times, and she had been born quite early and small… truthfully she was lucky to have been born at all.

But, on the other hand, a son or a daughter was something entirely hers. Something her parents couldn’t meddle in. Someone she could impart her wisdom on without being told to be quiet, she was a woman. Her legacy, not her parents’. She was taking another man’s name, after all. Her own surname had soured on her tongue by now.

A child was something to consider, since marriage was unavoidable at this point.

She realized she hadn’t been paying attention to her novel, and found the last place she remembered reading. She had the book mostly memorized already, but she wanted to read each word again. It was a pleasant experience to have the written word in front of her so she didn’t have to conjure it in her head. She sipped from her cup, finishing the last of her now lukewarm tea.

She heard a door open upstairs, and shrank a bit in her chair. He was finished changing and would inevitably come down here to pester her. She didn’t hate him, she hated that she would be stuck listening to him blabber for the next few decades. Perhaps that would be the biggest threat to her peace, not a baby.

“Pomni?” he called.

She didn’t answer.

“Pomni, dear?”

She held her tongue to keep herself from telling him not to call her “dear.” Her name was Pomni, and only Pomni.

“Ah, there you are.” Jax emerged from the door, stepping carefully over the scattered stacks of papers. He had on very little barring an undershirt and a pair of dress pants. “I almost didn’t see you. That chair engulfs your entire form.”

Pomni glared in his general direction. “Have you come here to make light of my stature? If so, you’ve made your point. You’re dreadfully underdressed.”

“Apologies, my dear. I didn’t quite feel like dressing only to perspire through another set of clothes. What are you reading?”

Pomni rolled her eyes and closed the book, her finger keeping her spot, showing Jax the cover before reopening the book.

“Ah, Rachel Houston. Good choice. I’m more of a fan of Margaret’s Rise, but Humidity is a nice little story.”

Pomni raised an eyebrow and looked at Jax for as long as she could manage. “You’ve read Margaret’s Rise? You.”

Margaret’s Rise was an 800-page thunder lizard of a novel that Houston considered her magnum opus, published three years before her death. It followed an alternate universe, an ultra-religious corrupt society that kept women in a bastille city until they turned 18, where they were sold to the highest bidder. The novel was named after the protagonist, Margaret, a woman who spent almost her entire life in “the rise,” the lowest point of the prison where misbehaving women were sent. It was lambasted by critics for its disturbing scenes, although Pomni always thought the “critics” were just waiting for their chance to pounce on Houston for her years of supposed “misandry.” Allfather forbid a woman write what she felt…

“Yes I have. The prose was excellent, if somewhat moralistic at times.” Jax said. “But I suppose a story about the oppression of women would have a few points to make about the oppression of women.”

Pomni looked back down at her novel. “I’ve only read it once, and once was enough.”

“Too upsetting to revisit, hm? Which scene was it? Carlotta’s flagellation?”

Pomni raised her eyes again. It seemed he actually had read the novel. Or at least knew about one of the more infamous scenes from it. He actually remembered a character’s name as well… It must have been a ruse.

“No, actually. I was more upset by the scene with The Constable. Certainly you remember?”

Jax exhaled, sitting in the chair opposite Pomni wearily, as though the very question required substantial effort.

“I suppose you’ll have to narrow it down a bit more. His introductory scene? The part with Annette? The burning of the watchtower?”

Pomni raised both brows this time. So he actually had read the novel.

“The scene with Annette, of course. I couldn’t eat my supper afterwards.” Pomni said.

“What a frightening character he was. I believe Houston said she left him nameless because he was meant to serve as…” Jax thought for a moment.

“To serve as ‘an amalgamation of every man that possessed entirely too much power.’” Pomni finished. “You read that interview in the Herald as well?”

“I certainly did. I read the paper every morning after my father and my brothers have finished with it.” Jax said, tenting his fingers.

“My father is only interested in the financial section. Or anything having to do with Telychia. I read the rest.” Pomni replied.

“You know, since we’re on the subject, I was going to ask. Is it true you only need to read something once before you have it committed to memory?”

“For the most part, yes. Not every single solitary word I read is a prisoner in my skull for as long as I draw breath-”

“Very poetic,” Jax added, grinning.

“But,” Pomni continued rigidly. “In general, yes. My physician calls it a nearly eidetic memory. At least for books and written texts. If something is of little importance to me, I soon forget it.”

“So you could recite a book from memory? That’s astounding. I see why your father trusts you to take over his firm.” Jax said.

“I appreciate the compliment, but I no longer have an interest in taking over my father’s law firm.” Pomni replied, not looking up from her novel.

Jax sat up a bit straighter. “That is… Well, unsurprising, truth be told. Given your stringent opposition to this marriage, I’m surprised you haven’t ripped your own picture off the family tree entirely. Well, no matter. I suppose I can always take over my father’s trading business.”

Pomni locked eyes with Jax for a moment before quickly glancing away again.

“You? I don’t understand. I’m aware that your eldest brother Altonicus is a doctor, but what about… Osvaldo? Nepotism would put him as next in line, yes?”

Jax put his chin on his closed fist, appearing lost in thought for a few moments: “Not quite. Aldo has… other pursuits.”

“Such as?” Pomni asked.

“Those my father does not necessarily agree with.” Jax replied.

“You’re dodging the question- Is it your intention to frustrate me? You’re succeeding.” Pomni said.

“Well, you’re quite interested in my family. And here I thought you didn’t pretend to know them.”

“Fine then,” Pomni picked her book up and found her page. “If you’re going to act childish, this conversation is over.”

“You needn’t be angry,” Jax leaned forward, fingers tented again. “I’m merely happy you’ve taken an interest in me, however small. If you like, we can change the subject back to Rachel Houston.”

Pomni remained quiet for a spell before sighing. “…I suppose it’s difficult for me to understand why you’re so hesitant to share any information about your family.” Pomni said. “You’re so talkative about any other subject. It makes me suspicious.”

“Suspicion is the proper response to some members of my family. You met Boone?”

Pomni thought for a moment. “The third eldest brother. Green fur. He wore a brown waistcoat.”

“Yes, your memory is impressive- Treat him with ample suspicion.” Jax said. He was no longer smiling.

“What on earth does that mean? Should I be frightened?”

“No,” Jax answered quickly. “But, I grew up with him as my elder brother and all that I will tell you is… Let sleeping dogs lie.”

“I… see.” Pomni closed her book. “So why is he unfit to be the heir? Is he light of brain?”

“Far from it. Boone is quite intelligent. But he’s easily bored by… most things.” Jax replied.

“And these are things that your father does not approve of and yet you cannot relay to me, much like Osvaldo?” Pomni asked flatly.

“…Aldo wishes to be a vocalist. My father does not see it as a lucrative career.” Jax said after a moment.

“What about your mother?” Pomni asked.

“I wouldn’t know. My mother is dead. She passed away shortly after I was born.” Jax gazed into the empty fireplace.

“I… oh. I’m sorry to hear that.” Pomni said.

“Hmm. It’s quite alright. I was merely a month old.” Jax locked eyes with Pomni, who shortly glanced away. “You have difficulty with eye contact. Do I make you uncomfortable?”

Pomni shook her head. “It isn’t you. I have difficulty with all eye contact. And physical contact.”

“Is that so? I’ll do what I can to keep that in mind.” Jax said. “I’m glad you didn’t grow up with my father. He considers someone speaking to him without eye contact disrespectful.”

“My parents have hounded me about it for years. They claim it’s ‘improper etiquette.’ They also claim I don’t smile enough, or speak sweetly enough, or wear elegant enough clothes…” Pomni made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat.

Jax hummed contemplatively. “Etiquette. What a load of hogwash it all is.”

“You have it so much easier.” Pomni replied automatically.

“Oh, I know. I don’t pretend to have anywhere near the amount of social pressure that you have as a woman. But I can empathize. Take fashion for instance.”

Jax tugged on his own undershirt. “What’s so offensive about a shirt and trousers? Comfort in one’s own clothes is apparently an afterthought compared to appearances. And yet, we all look the same! All the men in their waistcoats and tight trousers, all the women in their ridiculous puffy dresses and those outrageous hats that look like enormous clams are trying to devour their cranium. It’s why I appreciate your style of dress. Simple and pretty. I know for a fact your parents forced you to wear that ugly red thing the day we met.”

Pomni nodded. “I couldn’t agree more. And yes, they did insist I wear it. I’m just thankful they didn’t try and force me into a corset…”

“You, in a corset?” Jax regained his Cheshire grin.

“You needn’t tell me how ridiculous an idea that is. I’m only 110 lbs, my waist is slender already. And yet my mother insisted, nay, begged me to try one on for my 24th birthday. Our caretaker Zooble managed to talk some sense into her by telling her that I was at risk of cracking ribs if I tightened the horrid contraption.”

Jax gave a short laugh of disbelief. “What foolish lengths we go to just to have others call us beautiful. I already know I’m beautiful, and I know you’re beautiful. What else does it matter?”

Before Pomni could fully digest what the rabbit just said, Jax suddenly sat up straighter as though jabbed by a pin.

“Oh, I’d almost forgotten! I have something for you!”

Jax hopped up from his chair and went upstairs. Pomni looked back down at her book, but found it difficult to focus on the words. She hadn’t despised her chat with Jax like she had expected… He was a rake, certainly, but he was well read, and surprisingly respectful where it mattered. Most would have told her to simply get over her difficulty with eye contact, as if it was so simple… She would have to further test his knowledge on books and poetry.

She did worry about his family. Especially Boone. What did he mean by “ample suspicion?” She certainly felt… uneasy around the fellow, that derisive aura he carried about himself was hair-raising.

Hm. Hare-raising.

Jax stepped back into the room, carrying a small red-wine colored box.

“I know you’re none too pleased with this marriage, but I figured to keep up appearances, I should perform this ritual. I believe this is the appropriate position…”

Jax fell onto one knee in front of Pomni, holding the box in an outstretched hand. Pomni stared at it.

“Miss Pomni Shutnyk, would you accept this ring of betrothal?”

Jax opened the box, a tiny glimmering object set in the red-violet silk. Pomni reached into the box and removed the ring. The band was polished gold, and the inset jewel winked an iridescent magenta. She held it up to the dim, cloud-blotted light, the purple gemstone reflecting countless other colors despite the darkness.

“Mr. Krolik, I… Oh, goodness. How many crowns did you spend on this?” Pomni looked down at Jax, who closed the ring box and set it on a nearby stack of papers. She felt a peculiar warmth beneath her eyes.

“Don’t fret over the price. Osvaldo and Kali helped me select one at a reasonable cost. Mr. Rooker informed me that your favorite colors were red and blue, so I decided on a happy medium. Besides,” His soft smile widened into an impish grin. “The color will forever remind you of my lovely countenance.”

Pomni rolled her eyes again. Nonetheless, she slid the ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand. She held it up to the light again. It was… beautiful, in an unobtrusive way. Not too large or gaudy.

She looked at Jax, and for the first time, gave him a genuine smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, dear.” Jax replied, giving a small bow of his head. His ears swayed slightly.

The front door opened, making Pomni jump. The rain, a good deal lighter than earlier, could be heard pattering outside.

“Mr. Krolik! I’ve returned from the mainland! Say, did Ms. Shutnyk forget her hat?” Kinger called out.

“I’m in the reading room!” Pomni got to her feet, carrying her empty cup and saucer with her out into the foyer. “Shame on you, by the way! You locked the door and left Mr. Krolik outside in the rain!”

Kinger in a purple waistcoat, black top hat and white shirt (trousers were unnecessary as he had no legs,) looked around from hanging up his own umbrella. He held a paper bag full of paper and sketching pencils.

“No key?” he wondered aloud. “But that’s impossible! I gave him one just yesterday.”

Pomni smirked, Jax exiting the reading room with her novel and the ring box. “No, I don’t believe you did. He was sitting outside your locked door, sopping wet, not an hour ago.”

Kinger took out his wallet of keys. “But I did! It should be- …oh.” Kinger held the spare key, still hooked into the wallet with the others. “Blazes.”

“No need to be embarrassed, Mr. Rooker. My fiancée came by to let me in.” Jax said, gesturing to Pomni. She scoffed.

“Well, regardless, that was careless of me. Here you are.” Kinger unhooked the key and handed it Jax. “All apologies.”

Pomni retrieved her hat and placed it on her head. “I should be going. The damp weather will surely bring out hordes of mosquitoes.”

“You’re certain you want to leave right away?” Jax asked.

“I’m certain. I’ve imposed upon you long enough. Kinger, your kettle has water in it, it only needs reheating.” Pomni opened the front door. The rain had eased into a drizzle, puddles littering the weedy pathway to the main road. The air smelled fresh and bright, an aroma of damp leaves.

“Do be cautious, Pomni! The road has softened considerably.” Kinger said, hanging his top hat on one of the umbrella hooks.

“I shall. Our next visit will be longer, I promise.” Pomni gave Kinger a brief hug. He was one of two people she felt entirely comfortable embracing, the other being Ragatha. Kinger patted her back fondly.

“Farewell for now, dear.” he said.

Pomni ended the embrace, then turned to look in Jax’s direction. The rabbit tilted his head, curious of her next move.

She walked over, took her novel back, and held out her hand, eyes on the floor. “Good evening, Jax. Your company was… not unpleasant.”

Jax grinned his familiar grin and shook Pomni’s hand. “Good evening, Pomni. I did not despise your presence either.”

Pomni nodded, heat in her face, before she turned and hurried out the front door, her novel under her arm.

[crusherthedoctor]

It's really sad how people keep going after your group just because you defend yourselves

Apparently, the statements "I'm generally content with the quality of my personal stories" and "I spot many issues with this comic" justify getting spammed with graphic death threats and ableist insults

Yet it's insisted that you're the ones who are too harsh? It's straight up unfair.

Who would have thought that a group of people might occasionally get upset after being crucified and ridiculed by countless strangers?

Funny how they NEVER have a justification beyond "well shut up no one wants to hear you"

Somehow, it's always YOUR fault that a part of the fandom goes rabid whenever someone doesn't conform to the current "right" opinion, and YOU'RE to blame for THEIR ungodly behavior. That doesn't make any sense, does it?

This fandom is vain and abhorrent to the nth degree and y'all deserve better. That's all I wanted to say.

Par for the course, innit. They'll lash out at us. They'll hand out death threats. They'll make disgusting ableist comments about my autism, and similarly terrible comments towards my friends. They'll threaten to bomb SEGA HQ and stick Iizuka's head on a pike, among other wild declarations of violence. But don't you dare make a goofy meme about Surge not living up to her hype. And whatever you do, don't even think about criticising the unprofessional antics of the IDW crew. What are you, a monster?

They dismiss us as insignificant one minute, then fearmonger so hard that they see fit to give us a boogeyman-esque moniker the next. I'd be surprised if they could walk in a straight line without contradicting themselves.

As for "You talk so much about your fics!" ...No shit. I'm a guy with a blog. This isn't a movie production with a budget, I don't have a team or advertisements backing me up. And unlike fanartists, I don't have my own art to catch people's attention. I kind of have to talk about my writing in order to get it out there and inform people of its existence, and while I try not to sound too much like an unskippable YouTube ad, what else am I supposed to do? Upload them silently and then never refer to them again? How is showing passion for my work any different from official creators showing passion for theirs? Just because fanfic tends to get less attention on here than fanart doesn't mean it's not worth sharing, do they want fandom to flourish or not?

When I compare my work to a certain comic, I do it to highlight the dissonance. If fanfic writers - plural, not just myself - can understand the importance of keeping the characters recognizable, and making the universe faithful despite any necessary differences, then what excuse do official writers who have been involved with the series for over a decade have? If someone who doesn't even love Sonic that much compared to other characters, finds him annoying and unfunny half the time (no, not just in the Pontaff games, in general), and even finds it a pain in the ass to write for him at times and has more fun writing other characters because of this, can still attempt to write what made him appeal to fans... why do writers who supposedly love him so much keep fumbling so hard with him?

I compare for the sake of highlighting why these off-kilter portrayals are so easy to spot. If Sonic Twitter only gets "He's just stroking his own dick" from all of that, then they haven't been paying attention.

The most ironic thing about it all is that they've only gotten more vitriolic as most of us have mostly moved on from the height of IDW discourse (cause the comic goes in circles at this point, and is very likely to be running on fumes due to IDW's financial troubles, so there's no point). Yeah, I'll still criticise it now and then, and make a meme on occasion, but I rarely make lengthy ted talks about it or participate in ongoing Lanolin Is A Bitch/Silver Is Uwu-ified/Whisper Is Trauma Bait/etc back and forths anymore, because it's just tiring now. And since most current Sonic stuff has been putting me off in general, combined with growing fatigue and frustration at not being able to criticise certain games without people waving the finger at me (especially SA2, since the Year of Shadow has made it the center of attention yet again...), I've took a step back from intense Sonic discussion to focus on Stellar, as well as other fandom projects, like my recent brainstorming for Paper Mario or: How I Learned To Insert Eggman and Love The Vivian™.

In no way can you say I've been up in their faces as of recent. Yet they continue to cry otherwise, because they want people like me gone completely.

[childofsquidward]

Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)

Damaged Like Us (Like Us #1) by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie

“We’re like lightning and thunder, inherently different but alike enough to share the same sky.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Me reading the first Addicted World book and then jumping right into the first book from its spin-off series? More likely than you’d think.

Reading the books out of order was definitely not a good idea because the Core 6 are all well-established and the Addicted series probably covered how they set up their businesses and charities, so to get all this info from Moffy when I haven’t seen how they got there is super weird, I absolutely regret reading out of order now. And I swear the writing in this book compared to Addicted To You gave me whiplash because there’s like a four-year gap between when the two books were released, so Krista and Becca Ritchie have had time to improve as writers and it shows. I honestly found myself liking the writing style of Damaged Like Us a lot more than Addicted To You. I think some people didn’t really like how in Moffy’s POV he would kind of address the readers in a way, like almost breaking the fourth wall, but I personally thought it was kind of cute (mostly because I tend to talk to myself and talk out loud a lot, and that’s kind of the vibe Moffy also gives off). I also think the little sporadic paragraphs Moffy had, kind of introducing his siblings and cousins was a really cute touch, it was almost like he was asked to say one thing about a family member every time and he would have the most random fact but it made sense and honestly just added to the rest of the story.

I loved this book so much!!! Maximoff Hale is hands-down one of my favourite characters ever and I would die for him. There are certain aspects of his personality that I really related to, like how he’s just constantly overthinking everything and a lot of that comes from being the eldest child. This man is the blueprint of eldest sibling trauma energy and I do tend to have a bit of a soft spot for eldest siblings, especially ones in his position (not only is he the eldest sibling, he’s the oldest out of all 13 cousins!). I feel like it was just expected of him to constantly think about his family and look out for his younger siblings/cousins to the point where he’s lowkey a parental figure… and here’s the thing - Moffy adores his family and doesn’t have a resentful bone in his body, but eldest children internalize a lot of those expectations and it affects their lives in ways that they might never realize (the fact that he’s in 12 different group chats with his family - truly my worst nightmare). I just really connected to Moffy in a way that I didn’t expect and all you really need to know is that I would go to war for Maximoff Hale.

Something else I adore about Moffy is how he feels like such a good mix of the Core 6. You can see a lot of Lily’s personality in him and he absolutely comes off as someone who grew up in a super nerdy household like Lily and Lo’s with all his references. He’s obviously a lot like Ryke, but he has similar traits to Connor and his aunts as well, and this is highlighted throughout the book. For example, how Jane said Moffy will get explicitly creative with his death threats the same way Rose does. I’m actually curious to see if this is something that remains exclusive to Moffy or if in Jane’s book you’ll kind of get to see that she shares traits with the Core 6 as well and it makes sense since they’re the two oldest.

Speaking of Jane, I loved her and Moffy’s dynamic, so that fucking ending with the parents pissed me off so much! I don’t even need to read the entire series to know that their reaction was such bullshit, out-of-character behaviour. Realistically, if your kids are in a position where they can’t make friends outside of their own family, then of course Moffy’s best-friend is gonna be his cousin and they’ll completely lack boundaries (this entire family has never met a boundary in their lives), like, everything about that plot point makes me want to tear my hair out, that was so unnecessary! I was shaking because of how angry I was reading that part!

I genuinely believe that this was the only way the writers could think of to have everyone find out about Moffy and Farrow, and I call bullshit! (I took one star off just for this part.)

Anyway, on to things that make me less mad - Moffy and Farrow! I adore Moffy and Farrow - I mean, I have to, the book is about them. But genuinely, I loved their banter because it felt like two best-friends taking every opportunity they could to tease each other and there’s something so wholesome about their dynamic before getting together that I think is just so underappreciated. And while the childhood friends to lovers trope doesn’t completely apply to them, I really liked how elements of the trope could be seen in their relationship with Moffy and Farrow knowing each other’s families so well and surprising each other with things that they remembered from when they were younger. Also, the way Moffy was instantly antagonistic towards Thatcher because he could tell what an asshole he was to Farrow, and then Farrow doing the same with Charlie - if you can’t be irrationally defensive of me, then you’re just not the one.

Little things that were written in here for me specifically:

There are a lot of things here for me to like as a Marvel fan, but Luna writing Stucky fanfiction for Moffy took me tf out. (but also, writing fanfiction for your sibling was the most unrealistic part of the entire book, and this family is supposed to be the Kardashians of the Philadelphian suburbs) 

Moffy’s dog being named Gotham because true nerds love both DC and Marvel, fight me.

Moffy himself being named after Pietro Maximoff, but in my head he was named after Wanda, and that is the canon I choose to believe.

“Moffy! You’re a Hufflepuff. Be nice.” - respectfully Lily, your son is textbook Gryffindor, maybe re-read Harry Potter again babe

Some of my personal favourite quotes:

“There are five Cobalt boys, and my little sister had to befriend the two that lit Jane’s dollhouse on fire and laughed while it burned.”

“They say I go three-fourths Loren Hale. Sometimes I think they test their wrongdoings out on me just to build the courage to confront him.”

“Maximoff collects responsibilities like it’s his favourite toy.”

“Did that convince anyone? Wallpaper, lamp, table, man on the moon - you all fucking convinced? Me netiher.” 

“You’re a prince who wants to be a knight.”

“I trust myself to rein in the casual flirting. I’m sure he trusts himself, too. He just likes to add five padlocked chains onto a dead-bolted door.”

“You fuck with Kinney, I’ll slit your throat and then she’ll shove you to the bottom of a volcano.”

[musicribbons]

hi! hope ur doing well, im a big fan of Pursuit and Sunflower. with the evolution and popularity of AI growing faster and stronger, what views do you have with the usage of AI in writing creative works? i.e., using it to proofread works, to give you ideas or a backbone for a story, etc--not major writing or letting it do the work for u, but giving it jobs that an editor or a person could do. im at a crossroads with that and idk how ethical or right it is, so what do you think?

Hello! I hope you're also doing well. This is going to be a little long…

This is a great question. I'm still trying to find where I stand on the ethics of using AI for work since a lot of is overhyped, environmentally destructive, and financially unsustainable. So I'll share what my current thoughts on the use of AI is. I am going to touch on how AI is used professionally before how it's used creatively though.

If you talk to anyone who runs a business or freelances, they'll say that you get to pick two: fast, quality, and cost. I've started to use AI, specifically ChatGPT, for some of my professional work. My clients demand fast and high quality work. Sometimes, the only way to close that gap and the impossible time budget expectations is to use AI.

Now how do I use AI in my work? Mostly to generate a first rough draft for whatever I'm working on. But the caveat here is that I've had to feed a lot of data and my own work into ChatGPT to finally get something close to an acceptable rough draft for me to review and refine until it's good enough for me to show my clients. Sometimes, if I need a completely different writing style, because the client wants that, I'll ask ChatGPT to do that for me. Stylistically, my professional writing is pretty technical. Sometimes, my clients want something more bubbly and exciting. ChatGPT comes in handy here, but I still need to go through everything to make sure that it has the core point and didn't make something up.

Going off on my last point, ChatGPT definitely hallucinates. I only use ChatGPT for things where I can cross-reference the source materials I'm working with and I'm personally an expert in. I can't use ChatGPT at all for any of my medical/academic projects. It just lies and makes up scholarly sources. It also fully cannot do word counts. It's incapable of it. It's so bad that sometimes it's hilarious, albeit, I get pretty frustrated with it.

At the end of the day, ChatGPT is like a keen intern that tends to work faster than a human being. However, it lacks all the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that we develop as humans. I am personally not afraid of ever being replaced by ChatGPT. My clients can try, but they'd be in a real world of hurt. I know organizations who have fired several employees thinking that AI could replace them and save money. Surprise! It couldn't replace humans, and AI is just a tool that humans created and use.

Okay, I know you were specifically asking about creative works. I personally found that AI isn't great at proof reading. You can definitely ask it on how you could improve your writing, but sometimes, it's a hit-or-miss. You still need to do the bulk of the heavy lifting and feed it a lot of your original work.

I mean, you can definitely use AI to give you ideas or an outline, because tropes are just formulaic versions of stories and characters that we've repeatedly used in our literature and creative works throughout history. But you still had to have a rough idea of what you want and create a prompt for that.

I personally think it's also fine to use if you have really bad writer's block, and you need to get unstuck. I don't think it makes you a bad writer or person for using tools at your disposal. If you're the sole creator of your writing and you're doing all the writing, it's still yours. If a friend helped you get unstuck at a plot point, would it mean your story is no longer yours? No, not really. You might give them a shoutout. (You do not need to give AI a shoutout.)

Now the ethics of how AI is being created, scraping data, and has impossible energy requirements? I have a lot of feelings about that. I just try to use AI as ethically as I can as an individual, and that includes not treating it like Google when I can use a search engine and only using it when I actually need to use it.

I hope that answers your question. It's also okay that both of us will have evolving opinions and stances on the use of AI as the tech and policy landscapes evolves. I think it's a bit early to tell how things are going to go. I just know that it's a lot of hype, and a lot of tech critics don't think the AI hype is going to last.

(I hope I don't get cancelled on Tumblr lol) There's also a great podcast interview on the "The Journal" by the Wall Street Journal who talks to Hans Zimmer about how a movie used AI to create a soundtrack that sounded like what he would've composed (but likely didn't want to or could pay for him). I really liked his perspective on the use of AI in music. It might be worth a listen!

[asexualcorvidae]

There's something to be said about the public performance of discussing concepts like "how one's year went" and "plans for the next year" publically, but there's something nice about sharing these thoughts with the world - even if they are mostly melancholy this year.

This year has been... mixed, to say the least. On a personal level, I don't have much to comment on. I had a paid month off of work in May, which I spent traveling to a few places to see people I haven't seen in a long time (as well as visit family). This time off was really nice. Really, really nice. I wish this wasn't a once-in-a-blue-moon thing. I found such regularity in being around other people.

Beyond the personal, work has been much improved. A very long & tedious project finally finished. (Mostly. It has been over half a year and I am still helping to clean things up. I don't mind it, though; it can be interesting work at times, and when it isn't, it helps to pass the time.) Now that this monster of a project is done, work has mostly been steady & consistent - which is a boon considering Everything Else Going On.

Oh, the medical stuff. It started slowly this year, with a diagnostic colonoscopy + endoscopy revealing nothing regarding my energy levels, and has since spiraled into 5 months of endless appointments and tedious "following-up-on-people-who-should-have-done-things-independently". My PCP sucks (2 months to go until I get a new one) and treated me like shit. I got off of continuous iron supplementation, finally, after over 5 years. I tapered down my SSRIs. (I could not come off them completely, because apparently Lexapro enhances the affects of Adderall, and changing my Adderall dose during the ongoing DEA-manufactured "shortage" is, in my opinion, a non-starter.) I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea & have been working to adjust to sleeping with a CPAP machine, which is still an ongoing process. I finally got into physical therapy, struggled immensely with it, and was then referred to aquatic physical therapy, which has gone really well - perhaps the only medical thing that really has gone well this year. I'm still seeing eating disorder specialists, even if I haven't made much headway there. (There's too much going on.) I still have many problems, and many which I believe to still be undiagnosed & untreated. I'm better than I was 2 years ago, but I don't think I'm better than I was last year.

I do think I've improved with keeping up with chores. I've hammered down quite a few to keep up with on a weekly basis. (Laundry, dishwasher, trash, recycling, mail, and groceries.) It is... mixed at times, but I do what I am able to. I overhauled a lot of what was in my bathroom this year too. I replaced my shower curtains. I finally had maintenance replace my shower head, after owning the thing for over 2 years. I got new bath mats. I cleaned out much of the old medicines & supplies. (The supplies are still waiting to be donated. That's for another day.)

That's about all I have for a reflection on the previous year. I don't fully remember what my resolve was for this year - if I had to hazard a guess, I wanted to keep a focus on medical things (which I definitely did, for better or for worse) and maintain some structure with chores (which is much improved over the past year - I am, at the very least, basically never backlogged on anything I consider to be in a maintenance state).

As for next year... the medical focus is self-explanatory (and necessary). I actually might even join a gym??? (It's really terrible that there's no way to access a warm water pool without paying for it in some capacity. Medical care is gate kept by money! Unsurprising.) I'll keep tweaking my CPAP settings in pursuit of better sleep. I would, eventually, like to get off of Lexapro entirely. A new PCP will hopefully mean a new set of eyes on all of my symptoms. And, energy permitting, I'd like to get back into cooking - which I think will help my eating disorder a bit. (I'm not sure if I will be able to do it without the support of a meal kit service. I'd like to be able to do that, but I'm really not sure where I stand there.)

Beyond the medical, I want work to remain mostly stable. I'll keep advocating to be paid more, but I'm not expecting much. At this point, the health insurance is so worthwhile that I'm not particularly interested in moving jobs (or moving period). And in my personal life, I want to keep working to make my apartment somewhere I am happy to be in - somewhere I am proud to have decorated and am proud to maintain.

That's about it. I hope 2024 is a better year. (At the very least, I hope it is okay.)