#probably got details wrong

[fionacreates]

Today’s sketches, a little fun with Green Bone Saga vibes. Shae and Hilo. Siblings you do not want to piss off…

[peachducy]

professor layton spoilers

thinking about hershel and theodore both get adopted au

[somegrumpynerd]

How absolutely wild must it have been for Nightmare to have like, minimum-to-no contact with mortals for hundreds of years and then the first two he has any regular close interactions with are Killer and Dust.

Like he must have a book in his castle somewhere of all the observations he kept like he was studying a new species

[druidonity2]

It was surprisingly hard to develop a chibi style.

[caffeiiine]

kiyo redesign i finished last night be upon ye!!!!!!

[closeups + extras under the cut like usual <3]

[also small note: the left hand scarring hc comes from @/kijimha + his kiyo blog @/korkshinguji !!!]

i had two drafts for this fun fact :3

[draft 1 -> final design]

also total time bc i think it’s cool

[chickenstrangers]

Photography in Aof's Series

I have been thinking a lot about cameras and queer visibility since @dudeyuri's tags on this post and @miscellar, @respectthepetty, and @telomeke's following discussions. In Bad Buddy and He's Coming to Me, the motif of the camera plays with the ideas of public vs private aspects of the character's relationships and how open and visible they are able to be. I think this is very true in BBS and HCTM, but it is also a recurring theme in Aof's shows.

Bad Buddy and He's Coming to Me

I am not going to delve too far into these shows because I think @miscellar and others have already written brilliant posts about this linked above. @miscellar makes a wonderful point about photography being seen as a hostile act in most of Bad Buddy because Pat and Pran are trying to hide their relationship, but the context changes when Ink is taking the photo: "ink's camera sees them for who they really are, and more than that, it affirms their relationship." Who is taking the picture changes its meaning, which I think can be extended to discuss queer media more generally, how directors using a queer lens will portray queer stories in more nuanced and/or realistic ways.

In He's Coming to Me, we have the theme of public vs private queerness with Thun taking a selfie with Mes but Mes is of course not visible. Not sure if I have anything to add here, but I do think this fits into the many other scenes where Thun does absolutely nothing to hide the fact that he's talking and hanging out with a ghost. They're hiding in plain sight but no one else sees what they do. This could be a comment on how often people overlook queer relationships or devalue them.

Dark Blue Kiss

In Dark Blue Kiss, Pete photographs Kao a lot, and he doesn't do this in secret. Unlike Pat and Pran who aren't even supposed to be friends, Pete and Kao have that act to disguise their relationship, so they are able to do some parts of their relationship in public. In episode 3, Pete takes Kao's photo in front of a horse and buggy ("You said you like taking photos of views." "You're in every view I see." "Smooth."). Right behind them we see other people also taking photos, including someone taking a photo of two people who look to be a couple, contrasting Pete and Kao with the visibility that straight people get to enjoy.

But while we do have public photography here, because their relationship is hidden and Kao isn't out to his mom, he hides the photographs. In Pete's room, there is a photoboard with lots of photos of the two of them or them separately. Pete doesn't have to hide the relationship in his own home because he is out to his dad and his dad is incredibly supportive.

Kao, on the other hand, primarily has his room decorated with posters about math (this is yet another Aof show where a character has 1 interest and it becomes their entire room décor). But he does keep all the photos, even if he can't display them.

He reveals them at their anniversary surprise when he decorates a whole room with pictures of them together. This moment shows that even though Kao isn't able to be completely open about their relationship, he still wants to put in the effort to show his love, even if it is only possible in an empty school room that no one else will see. While this moment is sweet, there's a thread of sadness behind it because being open to the world is such a huge point of concern in their relationship for the whole series.

Moonlight Chicken

Heart and Li Ming take photos together multiple times, and their comfort with this I think speaks to @telomeke and @waitmyturtles point about how this show is about generations and their different experiences of queerness (x), and so it is an important counterpoint to Jim and Wen that Heart and Li Ming are fairly openly affectionate with their friendship and then their relationship, within safe spaces. For example, they ask Wen to take a photo of them in the food court (Wen who acts as an observer throughout most of the show), and in this interaction Wen sees that there is more to their relationship than friendship. In this way, I think he acts in a similar role to Ink.

I also think it is noteworthy that Wen and Alan have so many photographs of each other, and then their break up scene takes place right in front of the photoboard that is a monument to the good times of their relationship. Wen starts with his back to the board, facing away from that history, and then the framing moves to have the board in between them. The traces of the past are literally acting as a wedge between them as they fight over it. And then that board remains in the apartment, with the photos taken down, as a continued reminder of what used to be there. The love that no longer remains.

There's an interesting parallel between Jim and Wen's conversation on the pier and the scene I talked about before in Dark Blue Kiss. While they discuss the Marina Food Court, there's tension between them, with Wen's guilt in his role in the project affecting Jim's diner and Jim still putting as much distance as he can between himself and Wen. In the background we see a two people, potentially a couple, taking photos. They are wearing almost the exact same colours as Jim and Wen. Their happiness in this scene seems like a direct contrast to the sadness Wen and Jim are expressing, hinting at what they might have when they get past this disconnect. And then once they do get together, Jim and Wen take their own photo together at the beach.

Our Skyy 2 x A Tale of a Thousand Stars

In these special episodes, as the brilliant @wen-kexing-apologist has discussed in their incredible essays (x, x), the main journey of the special surrounds Phupha becoming more comfortable being a partner to Tian in public and being more open with Tian in general, working through a lot of internalized homophobia. This is once again demonstrated using the photography motif.

Phupha takes photos of Tian taking photos of the food in the café, a date during which he is initially uncomfortable with how public they are. He is slowly getting used to how this feels to be so open. But he does push past the discomfort because he knows that this is important for Tian, and important for himself as well.

The next stop on their date is to a photobooth, which an interesting liminal space between public and private. Inside the booth they are alone, but it's still in a very public space, and anyone walking past could see them coming out together, or could look at the photo strips as they're printed out before Tian and Phupha have a chance to collect them. The public and the private are slowly becoming enmeshed.

Tian and Phupha then take a photo with Ink, Pa, Pat and Pran after the play. This is the most open they are with photography, Tian's hand resting on Phupha's shoulder, standing close. This is also an opportunity for Pat and Pran to be in a photo together publicly, like the play itself. Like I talked about regarding the play, it's important that all the people in this picture are queer, and that this creates a safe space to blend the boundaries between public and private sides of their relationship.

I also think it's important to consider when talking about photography, the role that the camera plays as a stand-in for the audience. We are getting this glimpse into the characters relationships, both public and private, and the cameras we see within the scenes can often reflect queer media and queer visibility more generally.

[hplonesomeart]

Oh boy wonder what’s on the channels tonight-

Huh a gameshow with a totally mentally sane TV head host and not at all captive actors onboard? Seems like a great watch can’t imagine it’ll accumulate into something gone awry :3

Oh yeah and this was the “work in progress” photo taken earlier before SMG4 cast was included. Elusive bonus feature content on the DVD behind the scenes Mr. Puzzles only edition I suppose

[envolvenuances]

and I think child modelling should be illegal I'm not even joking

[seeminglyseph]

If you are concerned about Polites dragging Odysseus down in "Get In The Water," please know that Shades are not the same as Souls. They are not representations of the complete self. Once a person has died, they do not have their whole self anymore. The scene in The Odyssey, where Odysseus is able to have complete conversations with the dead, is due to magic kind of reviving them a little for a bit. There's definitely like... something there for a Shade to be judged and like... for there to be preferable afterlife options, etc.

But, Shade Polites being part of a mob dragging Odysseus down is not a sign that Polites or Anticlea having ill will towards him in any way. It is simply part of the tragedy of the dead that they don't possess the will or motivation of the living, and Polites did not receive proper funeral rites. His Shade cannot be set at peace, and so it repeats his last thoughts endlessly and reaches out without a mind towards things it vaguely recognizes without conscious intent to cause harm.

I think it's implied Anticlea walked into the sea at the sight of what seemed to be her son dying in a storm just off the cost of Ithica which is why she also did not have a body that could have appropriate funeral rites performed but I could be incorrect.

Funeral rites are really important for this reason, Shades that wander but can't pass on can be... just. Passively fucked up. It also fades over time. It's the stuff haunting are made out of.

[gornackeaterofworlds]

A gift for @mermmarie !!

[randomsufff]

Since Ace Attorney is trending for some random ass reason rn I’m taking it as a sign to say I’ve been working on a video presentation thing for a friend explaining literally every single game, plot wise (like going real in depth for the BIG cases)- The Great Ace Attorney Duology included and was thinking of posting it on YouTube.

It’ll probably end up being like, 4+ hours long- so really this is for fans of the series to indoctrinate their friends/have them know the crazy lore or for freaks like me would 100% listen to a 4+ hour yap session on all the games.

Anyways… thoughts?

[texeoghea]

for no particular reason what does Allegro's side look like and what color is his mouth

edited because i straight up forgot that his markings are meant to be symmetrical when i was drawing them on his back LOL

[nashishishi]

i've seen a lot of theories about what the virtual singers signify to each character. the two main theories i've been seeing are that they're either symbolic of what the members of the sekai need to grow, or are just milestones of their growth and/or their desires. i'm not quite sure which camp i fall into personally, but i do think both theories are really interesting. especially since, when you think about it, what do the wonderlands x showtime virtual singers signify?

first of all, we have miku. miku is a bubbly younger sister type character. she's curious about everything, thinks everything is wonderful and amazing, and she literally has stars in her eyes all the time. she talks in onomatopoeias and is high energy. she was part of the sekai when tsukasa first discovered it.

then we have kaito. kaito is a parental/older sibling figure. he takes care of the plushies in the sekai, takes care of the other virtual singers, takes care of the unit members, and basically takes care of the sekai as a whole. he's shown bits of being a workaholic as well. he was also part of the sekai when tsukasa discovered it.

next is len. len is curious about anything he finds interesting. he's willing to learn from others, constantly spouts about how cool everyone is, and is always looking for ways to improve himself in the things he likes doing. he manifests right after the main wxs story ends, but only makes his actual first appearance in the story during "It's On! Wonder Halloween!".

after that is meiko. her characterization is the trickiest. she seems to be a "supporting role" kind of person, happy to be on the sidelines helping out, instead if being the center of attention. she first appears in "On This Holy Night, I Sing".

next is rin. she "completes" len, in that she's curious about her friends. she always wants to learn more things about them so they can be better friends. she first appears in "Musical Twilight Parade" (which isn't actually a wxs-centric event but they are there).

and last but not least is luka. she's always sleeping. she's said to sleep when everyone is happy, because she can rest knowing everyone is doing well. she appears during the "Doll Festival at the Tenma's" event (which is a tenma siblings centric event).

so. what do they symbolize? well, the easiest ones are len and rin.

like i said, len first manifests right after the main story of wxs, and him being curious of things he finds interesting could be symbolic of tsukasa actually making new friends after like. a decade. which i WILL get back to.

it works with both theories. tsukasa needs to be more curious to get his friends to open up/get himself to open up to his friends, but it could also signify tsukasa Actually Being Curious About His Friends. he's never known anyone like emu, or rui, or nene, so he wants to get to know them and what they do. it also fits that len's first proper appearance was during the halloween event (or, if you remember events by the songs, the Becoming Potatoes event), because that's the same event where tsukasa gets injured by one of rui's robots, rui shuts down, and tsukasa has to reassure him that it's okay.

rin is basically the same. she's symbolic of love, care, and curiosity for her friends. i haven't read the twilight parade story in full, so i'm not exactly sure how she ties into the story, but it makes sense that she'd show up then, because right before her was meiko.

SPEAKING OF MEIKO! meiko is also relatively easy to figure out. like i said, she's a "supporting role". there to help out when needed, not to take the lead. it makes sense that she'd show up during the christmas event because the event isn't tsukasa-centric. it largely doesn't involve him. but meiko is also loving and caring and, as i said before, supportive. she's symbolic of always wanting to help and support friends, even if from a distance. tsukasa reflects this by complimenting nene in the event, often saying things like "that's our diva!" and such.

again, this works in both theories. nene needed support and, seeing this and (likely) wanting to help (idk like i said he isn't shown much lol), meiko manifested. but she could also be symbolic of how tsukasa has grown past his earlier actions in the main story, where he yells at nene for messing up the show. meiko is a symbol of how he's come to care for her, and genuinely wants to help her.

luka is. a bit trickier. as i said, she sleeps when everyone is happy. that means, if she's wide awake, someone is upset. she first appears in the doll festival event which is. worrying.

in the doll festival event, tsukasa misinterprets a memory from his childhood. when he was younger, he wanted to give his little sister saki these 2 dolls, but on his way to the hospital, he trips and ruins them. when he shows them to saki, she cries. he misinterprets this to mean that she hates him for it, when in reality she was touched by the gesture.

luka's appearance in an event like this is... concerning, because tsukasa is also shown as a bit of a workaholic at times (kinda like kaito). he doesn't stop until he reaches his goal, and even then, he quickly moves on to an even greater goal. this means, depending on which theory we're following, luka could either signify

a.) how tsukasa needs to rest every once in a while. how he doesn't need to shoulder everything on his own. how he's Allowed to Rest When Everyone's Happy. or

b.) how tsukasa FINALLY LEARNS EVERYTHING IN A.

so then. we get to the last 2. the duo that had been there from the very start. miku and kaito.

miku and kaito are kind of polar opposites. one is bouncy and bubbly and full of energy, while the other is calm and collected. one is a playful little sister figure, while the other is a responsible older brother or parental figure.

i want to briefly talk about another theory (or rather, headcanon), separate from this, that has become quite popular lately: the theory that miku and whoever else was there since the discovery of the sekai has been there since the unit members were children. i mention this theory because...

miku is a little sibling. she thinks everything is wonderful. she thinks everything is amazing. she literally has stars in her eyes.

she could have only been made when tsukasa was a child because, depending on the theory, she's either:

a.) a manifestation of how tsukasa needs to let loose and have fun and enjoy life like a kid would?? (which doesn't make sense bc of kaito)

b.) a manifestation of either tsukasa's childlike wonder, tsukasa's Want to experience childlike wonder, and/or his want to spend more time with saki

and kaito is an older brother/parental figure. he's responsible. he's calm and collected. he's cool. so depending on the theory, he's either:

a.) a manifestation of tsukasa needing to be a reliable/responsible older brother figure for everyone around him (which is worrying)

b.) tsukasa's need for a parental unit in his life, or tsukasa's desire to be seen as a reliable older brother figure (Which Are Both Worrying (seeing as kaito seems to be a workaholic and tsukasa has also been shown to be a workaholic as well!!))

which brings me to my next point: the designs of some of the virtual singers.

miku, rin, and luka are designed a bit specially in comparison to the others. they all have elements of animals in them, implying their designs are supposed to resemble plushies. (which makes sense considering how many "fluffy" elements and pompoms they have in comparison to all the other characters.) miku is a cat plushie, rin is a bunny plushie, and luka is a sheep plushie. but.

why?

why is miku, the embodiment of childlike wonder, a plushie?

why is rin, the embodiment of excitement and love and care for friends, a plushie?

why is luka, the embodiment of resting well knowing everyone is happy and healthy, a plushie?

actually, why are plushies way more important to tsukasa than they ever were to saki?

tsukasa's sekai is all made of things he made for SAKI, right? all of the things, from the giant train in the sky to the singing flowers, were for SAKI, right?

but saki barely ever mentions it in her story. in fact, it only ever comes up when TSUKASA is involved. saki sees them as nothing more than toys, meanwhile tsukasa has personified them. it may just be because of his sekai, but let's not forget...

while these were SAKI'S plushies, they were also TSUKASA'S co-stars. they were with him when he put on all those shows for saki in the hospital. they were with him when the plushies were brought back home.

and what else is a lonely little boy at home, with no family and no friends, supposed to do, other than to anthropomorphize inanimate objects to keep him company.

suddenly, we have a reason why miku, the embodiment of childlike wonder, is a Plushie. we have a reason why luka, the embodiment of being able to Rest now that Everyone is Happy, is a Plushie. we have a reason why rin, the embodiment of the Excitement of Friendship, is a Plushie.

because tsukasa's childlike wonder Started with plushies. he made them act out scenes from the wonders created in his brain, and the plushies were there to bring them to life.

because tsukasa always used plushies to cheer people up (like in the shows he put on for saki). because the plushies were always there to cheer Him up.

because for the longest time, for maybe a decade, or more, for most of tsukasa's childhood...

his only friends

were

the plushies.

[backpackingspace]

Hey in my 'Penelope slipping into monsterhood is her unweaving her work for the first time fic' what if I made Athena/feel/ the snapping of the thread, she can feel the unraveling in her soul. What if I made it so that Penelope had taken a vow as Athena's blessed weaver. What if Athena was /pissed/ about this

[milfbrainrot]

man i rly do just hate like. most of my fandoms. lol. i'm glad i'm doing better sticking more to myself these days bc it is good perspective that [neopets voice] this place is a freakshow and i don't respect literally any of you people etc

[bat-the-misfit]

whoever that Italian youtuber on the sims 25 hour stream was he was probably an ENFJ and i'm here for that