#sadly doesn't seem like the adventure type

[anerianaa]

Nobody asked, everyone needed.

Dammon work in progress. ♥️

[channelinglament]

Sksjdjjkskskskskksk

I know I should be focusing more on reqs, but I had to take this off my mind skskksskks (btw I'm rn in the underground belobog part of story) (I kinda called it SAHSR as in self aware hsr)

☆•°Self-Aware Honkai Star Rail°•☆

Tw: no proofread, mentioned drowning(but it didn't happen), war, hate, religious themes, self awareness, kinda ooc, grammar mistakes because I am typing this at 12AM instead of sleeping, isolation

So, you know how in the beginning we play as Kafka? Yeah, I'm pretty sure she felt your presence. At first she was kinda weirded out, and was on guard. Who knows what you would do to her, while controlling her?

Oh look, you're helping her.. Hmm, maybe you aren't that bad after all. Still on guard, but thankful. With you she seems to fight more faster and is more efficient.

Same goes with Silver Wolf. They don't seem to mind your presence that much.

You even helped them to pick a trailblazer! But after picking them, you left Kafka and Silver Wolf. They didn't really mind it. They have been doing good without you, so it should be fine!

Meanwhile, the trailblazer is confused. First, they don't remember anything except their own name(or the name you gave them), then Kafka leaves and someone is watching over them. Oh how confusing and strange. But they caught early on that you're helping them. You're not an enemy.

During their "adventures" trailblazer starts thinking of you as a family. Kinda annoying since you control their body most the time (unless it's a cutscene) but you're cool nonetheless. They see you as a safespace.

Meanwhile March 7th and Dan Heng don't understand what is happening. Who is controlling them? Why after they met trailblazer? Why are you controlling them?

I think March would, just like the trailblazer, like you and find you annoying at the same time. Dan Heng would stay on guard (but also see you as safe space/nice person to hang with). Not as much on guard as when you first...met but still. It'll take him time to get off guard. The more time you spend with them, the more familiar they are with you, the more they like you.

Why annoyed, you may ask? Well, imagine you want to.. for example fight, but someone controls your movement and does it instead of you. Or goes the other way (aka exploring) instead of the path you've originally chosen.

They certainly would like when you make them stronger. No matter who is on your team, they'll like it (I mean, who wouldn't?)

But.. sometimes, even if they like you, they get tired of always being on the team. Thank you, yes, but they need to rest too. They mostly rest when you're offline, since..time kinda stops there. But when you're online? damnnn they walk and fight so much.. (I fr walk everywhere to find enemies to fight, so uhh, if you're like me, they would be tired and maybe annoyed at it)

I think some characters would even hate you. It doesn't apply to the main trio btw, they'll always like you. The reason some may hate you is that they have so much stuff to do, yet you choose them to walk around and fight all day. They're even supposed to be here! (For example, using Herta when fighting someone in Belobog)

If they could, they would scold you. But sadly game doesn't allow that.

It only appears in normal, self aware circumstances. Aka a normal self aware. Some like you, some hate you. You just kinda exist. (That one strange friend/sibling, y'know?)

But what if they would see you as a God? Something divine? Like in SAGAU?

Well, you're doomed, what can I say?

Everyone would want to be in your team. Oh, poor Gacha system.

They would hate it tbh. While in just self aware some would avoid you on purpose (aka busy characters), here? Where everyone sees you as a divine being? Oh dear..

Imagine several people trying to come through a single door, all at the same time? Yeahhh that's what happens. The standard and limited banner would literally fist fight while trying to get "home" to you. So don't be surprised if nobody comes home, at all.

But some may cooperate, and you may get more 5☆ or 4☆! Basically characters you wanted.

Those on your team would be proud! Mostly if the main trio are still there. Some would be envious of trailblazer. You're always with them, even if they're not on your team.(how could you?!)

Kafka and Silverwofl would be devastated. I'm pretty sure Silverwolf could possibly destroy the gacha system and come home. Only her (and maybe Kafka)

People in Belobog would hate the lore and everything game makes them do what they do. They're so happy they met you! You're here to save them! They don't want to fight you, so please don't be mad at them.

Honestly, if you were to get isekai'ed into hsr, I would recommend to the normal au.

The ones who hate you would just tell you off and never interact again, while your family/friends would hang out with you. Plus you could help a lot in Astral Express!

Maybe get Himeko and Mr.Yang some tea? Or help Pom Pom with whatever he needs?

If you get into the Worshipping Lunatics au..? I feel sorry for you.. You would never rest-

Whether you choose to stay at Astrak Express, or Herta's *I forgot the name* or whatever, they are all ready to wage war against each other. And if you decided to stay somewhere, that means you clearly favor them and their place more! Those who were chosen are happy/smug. While other try to improve their place/copy the place you've chosen to make you reconsider and stay with them.

The amount of gifts.. try to not drown okay?

They might even all agree to keep you in one place. Lock you in there and hope you won't be mad at them.

That's all for now

(Gotta work on reqs now or in the morning, they're still open btw)

[femsolid]

Video games recommendation for women part 2

The same criteria as before: has to have a female lead and little to no misogyny

---

1. Shadow of the Tomb Raider

The seemingly invincible and endlessly talented Lara Croft goes on yet another adventure, this time exploring the Amazon jungle and South American ruins looking for a magical artifact hoping to prevent her enemies, an evil organisation called Trinity, from using it.

Tomb Raider is a franchise that has changed quite a bit over the years. Ever since the reboot, Lara has become a fully fledge character and she doesn't do rock climbing in a skimpy outfit anymore (which made the boys mad, boohoo).

But sadly she still suffers from her reputation of sexy girly indiana jones which I suspect is why women don't seem that interested in her. Shame!

It's not usually the type of games I like (very over the top "blockbustery") but I got hooked the minute I set foot (or rather crashed) in the Peruvian jungle. The game is visually stunning, I loved exploring all the ancient temples, the crypts, the jungle and seeing all the animals. The puzzles were challenging, the fights were fun, it was entertaining, well made, with lots of female characters and it takes place in Peru which is just the cherry on top for me.

The only thing I didn't like was Jonah but then I never liked him. He's Lara's best friend and is pretty much there to be kidnapped and rescued in every game, which is kind of a nice reversed damsel in distress trope I suppose, but still, you're useless Jonah I kept telling my screen.

2. Alien Isolation

In this game you play as Ellen Ripley's daughter who ends up trapped in a gigantic spaceship with a lethal enemy, of course, the infamous alien: the xenomorph.

This game is perfect if you are currently suffering from constipation. It doesn't rely on cheap jumpscares and gore to scare you no, it's all about the ~ambiance~. If you are found, you are dead, simple as. And you will die... A LOT. I got an achievement for dying 50 times. I was laughing hysterically whenever the alien caught me by that point and I think the alien was too.

They say "in space no one can hear you scream" but this alien can hear your footsteps so this makes for some tense gameplay, especially as the alien's AI is very good and you are extremely vulnerable. To survive you will have to be very mindful of the noises you make and the noises the alien makes. Oh yeah, you both crawl through the same ventilation system by the way. This could make for some awkward encounter... On top of having to deal with the alien you will meet androids and humans who aren't exactly friendly either. The goal is, of course, to escape from the ship alive.

I have to give the developpers props for really making us feel like we are in an Alien movie. The music, the ship's design, the alien itself, are all very faithfull to the movies and this game is rightly considered a classic.

3. Spiritfarer

In Spiritfarer you play as Stella (and her cat) who has become the captain of a boat on which she welcomes the spirits of different people who have died. She will accompany them for a while until it's time to cross the bridge and say farewell.

It's worth mentionning, given how rare it is, that the main character is a black girl. Your job is to manage the boat (make improvements to it) and become self-sustainable: you will grow your own food, build houses for each spirit and decorate it, grow trees, collect wood, fish, feed your guests. You can make a mill, a weaving workshop, a sawmill, a kitchen, a garden, etc and arrange it as you please.

Most importantly, you will travel the sea to meet new spirits, learn about their lives and fullfill their last wishes before they are ready to leave us. And then you will cry and cry and cry as the music rises and you give them one last hug.

It's a cosy game, slow paced, lots of dialogues, cute mini-games within it, and at times really funny interactions because it all looks so cute yet the characters act and talk like normal people (they told me to fuck off quite a lot) and they will often get into unprompted anti-capitalist rants. It reminded me of Spirited Away a lot, very strange and comfy at the same time.

It's a story about death, about how each person handles it, what they look back on, and yet it's a very pleasant game.

---

As usual I will add more to the list as I reblog it and, of course, if you want to recommend a game too, you're more than welcome. I've been focusing on games with female leads lately so I'll have a lot more to add.

[jester089]

I’d love some readerxTADC charachter sickfics :)?

Bed ridden

I am back at writing again. At least for now. Requests are still closed until I finish all or at least most of the ones I got while I was gone.

Also you didn't specify if you wanted like fluff. So I just went with what first came to mind. Sick TADC Crew x Sick Reader (Both variants)

Caine (Receiving)

Caine getting sick is rare at best. When he does the whole circus suffers. Even just a cough is awful, every time he coughs the entire area around him stutters and glitches misplacing everything. Because of this whenever he's sick he tends to self isolate not wanting to cause trouble for the others. Now depending on how comfortable he is with you, you'll have varying accessibility. If he's really comfortable you essentially have easy access to any and everything in the circus. This includes his room and office. Sadly their isn't much you can do to help him get better faster, but he really appreciates just having you there. If you really want to help, keep the circus from burning down during his short absence. And give him some handmade soup, the sentimentality and love in it helps him feel better. At least mentally, which speeds up his physical recovery. Do be warned when giving him the soup don't get to close to him. If their is something strong enough to get Caine sick it will most likely kill you.

Caine (Giving)

He as has been mentioned doesn't really understand humans, and by extension their physical ailments. That is why all his adventures are so rough on everyone. Despite that sickness is one of the few things he does understand, only really because their is a digital version of it. Just explain to him that you have a virus (even if it's not) and he'll get the gist. Best at comfort, can and will get you everything you want while your sick. And he doesn't get sick easily so you will get the same amount of attention and affection as before with minimal repercussions at worst. Caine is always loud, and isn't exactly gentle with anyone or thing, so make sure to tell him the things you need to get better. Like quiet, dark, a specific type of food that usually helps. Ask and it's yours, but you have to ask. Or he wont know. Don't ask him to cook for you though, cause I promise you it will either come out burned or so badly seasoned that it isn't even edible. And your recovering body needs meals to get better faster or at all. When you are sick Caine can get a little protective. Usually he trust you and lets you do what you want, you're an adult after all. But when your sick you seem so fragile to him. So no leaving your room, 3 meals if not more a day, more water then your body actually needs, and if he catches you out of bed when you aren't going to the bathroom he can and will force you back. He's a little much and little forceful, but you'll get better faster when he's around. And he'll do his best, he just needs some guidance.

Gangle (Receiving)

A sick Gangle is a sad Gangle. She's pretty pushover-ish usually. But when she's sick she just takes abuse because she already feels awful. So until she's feeling better be prepared to be a live-in maid and a body guard. Sick Gangle is a lot like a wet noodle. Just her mask alone has enough weight to make her fall over when sick so try and keep her in her room and in her bed, for her sake. Do be warned that the chance of Gangle getting you sick is literally 100%. Cuddles make her feel a whole lot better, so she constantly wines at you wanting you to lay with her. And she can and will crawl out of her bed and after you if you deny her to many times. We both know you aren't gonna say no to pathetic sick wet noodle Gangle. She'll wrap around you in a hold so light you can't even feel it and just fall asleep on you. That's how her being sick usually goes. And when you eventually but inevitably get sick she'll take care of you just as you did her.

Gangle (Giving)

I don't even have to say it, but I will. Gangle got you sick. End of story. And she's still recovering from her sickness. So you being sick usually just ends up with you two being bed ridden. But on the bright side it's literal 24/7 cuddles. I mean I doubt she'll let you so much as roll over without her. She's clingy, but you know you love her. And she loves you. Now if you're sick and she isn't she'll do her best to take care of you. She doesn't know how to cook or anything. But she'll make sure you always have water and your bed is clean-ish. And she'll stay with you. If you're sick and stuck in bed then she's stuck in the room you are. Basically if one of you gets sick, both of you get sick. Just a common cold can turn into something so much worse with Gangle. She doesn't try to she just doesn't like being away from you too long, especially when your weak like this. It's gross and not pleasant to live sure. But hey, both of your immune systems get really really strong every time one of you gets sick. And if sharing goopy nasty sick times together isn't love I don't know what is.

Zooble (Receiving)

Zooble strikes me as the kind of person who knows a concerning amount about just about every sickness in existence. Sadly all that knowledge doesn't help her much here. This is a digital sickness, it doesn't exist in the real world. Despite that she can most definitely feel her way through it using what she does know. All you have to do is listen to her, and if it's really bad interpret what her half mumbled ramblings mean. With her help, and your love and care she'll be feeling better in no time. Zooble is short fused and irritable at the best of times. She tries to hold off with you cause she really does care about you. But when her body is what feels like 300* and her brain is fuzzy she can't control what comes out of her mouth. So if she says so hurtful things just try not to hold it against her and talk with her about it when she's feeling better. And I guarantee she didn't mean it. She just feels like she's about to melt. Have you ever been sick while made out of digital plastic? I didn't think so. So try and cut her some slack.

Zooble (Giving)

As aforementioned I feel like Zooble knows a lot about sicknesses. And again that doesn't help much here. But it gives her a really good base to work with. Honestly though being sick with her feels a lot like boot camp. She doesn't let you get up unless you need the bathroom, pills can and will be taken on time, gross but incredibly healthy foods and drinks will be given and she expects you plate to be clean, an overwhelming amount of heat that puts your body through hell, and she doesn't get within 6 feet of you unless it's dropping something off for you in which case she's only close for a moment. It'll be awful, trust me it will. But you will get better so unreasonably quick. With her there you could get over something like the flu in a day, maybe two. And once you are feeling better she softens up a lot. Once you are no longer sick (be her standards) she will be really soft with you. Gentle hand holding and hugs. Sleepy cuddles. Tasty but unhealthy food. Movie nights. And her going out of her way to be verbally nice. She knows that you were already suffering, and she made it worse even if she was helping. So she's going to treat you for a while. Give it like a week and she'll be back to normal. Unless you basically beg her in which it'll last a little longer. Only a little. She can't let her reputation and a cold person be tarnished. And giving someone a gentle forehead kiss in public really tarnishes that.

Kinger (Receiving)

When Kinger is sick all he really wants is to sleep. No matter where he is he'll be out. It is your job my dear Reader to get him to the safety of one of your rooms. Cause out in the open he is an easy target for Jax. Once he is safe and sound in one of your rooms he feels more cozy and will probably wake up. His hands float so you two can still hold hands and do basic affection without risk of you getting sick. Kinger wont never get you sick, I promise you that. He will literally shove you away from him. He has already lost a lot in this place and he isn't going to risking you. So keep some distance while caring for him. For his sake cause it stresses him out a lot when you get to close. Also keep a washcloth on hand, he strikes me as the kind of person who when sick wants a hot body but a cold forehead. Once he's feeling better he will probably ask you to join him in resting, total rainy day vibes despite it never raining in the circus. Just a relaxing, cold, and dark room to chill in. He can and will start crying when you fall asleep with him then and there. You stayed with him this whole time. He's just so happy to have you around and with him.

Kinger (Giving)

Kinger is amazing at comfort, but doesn't really know what he's doing with sicknesses. He's been in the digital circus so long he's actually forgoten how to be a human. He'll do the basics like water and soup but past that he's lost. So he does what he knows and remembers, plus whatever you tell him you need/want. He makes wherever your staying so cozy. If he can't put your body at peace he can at least put your mind at peace. Coldish and dark room, one of his hands linked with yours another rubbing gentle circles into your back. If he sees you having a bad dream he'll gently kiss your forehead or place something cold on it to help. If you ever seem to be in pain he'll just talk, about nothing really. He'll talk so you have something to focus on besides the pain. Spouting random facts about a cool bug he saw that reminded him of you, about Jax's latest "prank", about how much he loves you. And if you really want him to he will join you in bed. He knows he's probably going to get sick because of it. But he just wants you to feel comfortable. He isn't forceful in the least too. If you tell him you need something or that something usually helps he'll trust you. Just for his sake don't do to much cause it will worry him. 10/10. Has no idea what he's doing but he cares so much and it shows.

Ragatha (Receiving)

Ragatha doesn't get sick often. She used to when she first got here. But always putting herself in danger or risk to help others has made her tough in many ways. When she does get sick it's going to hit her hard. All she wants from you is to know you're there, and that you still love her despite this. She wont let you get to close, she's infected and she doesn't want you to be. The best you can do for her is keep distance and keep reassuring her you love her. Just like Caine I don't recommend getting to close because things that can get her sick are a really strong. And for f#$% sake keep Jax away from her. She's a tough one though and will try to get out of bed way to early. It is up to you to keep her in bed and care for her. She can be really stubborn, and this is a case where that is awful to deal with. Just give her love, but from a distance. That's all she wants, all she needs and she'll get better quick. And when she is better she will thank you so many times for taking care of her. Secret between friends this is the ideal time to fluster her. Just a quick kiss on her hand or in between the eyes and she'll turn beet red.

Ragatha (Giving)

She goes full mom when you're sick. Don't get me wrong she's usually the mom friend. But when your sick she is just mom. She'll tuck you in, fluff your pillow, get you water but put some flavoring in it so it goes down easier, exclusively speak to you in a soft voice, brushing a hand or hands through your hair, will full on punch someone if they try something while your sick. You know, typical mom stuff. Ok but actually beware her punches. They hit like a truck. Just like Caine she gets a little, protective. And she babies you. It can be annoying. But it does also help, makes you feel safe and cared for. She's sit by your bed reading you something and fall asleep still in the chair. Her poor back... Do ragdolls have backpain? Can and will keep you in bed a day or two extra just to be sure. She isn't taking any chances. Also she kind of enjoys being able to take care of you like this. Overall pretty good. She helps and makes it a bit easier to get through, but also makes you feel like a child.

Jax (Receiving)

The little s&#$ would without a doubt use you being sick and weak to "prank" you. He took you outside to "Get some fresh air" as he called it then shoved you into the digital lake and walked off not caring if your drowned. When you come back soggy and now inside feeling even worse he'll laugh at you. He's a real d%#$head and you not being able to defend yourself makes it so much more fun for him. I mean why do you think he mainly picks on Gangle. Eventually though he will soften up, a little. He still isn't going to do anything fancy but he'll give you some water and snacks and make sure no one bothers you. Once you start feeling better I can see it going two ways. 1. Softer Jax: Helps you get better and apologizes for the whole lake thing. He'll be a bit nicer for a few days to try and make up for it. He does genuinely feel bad. He's trying to be nicer to you cause he loves you. 2. More cannon Jax: You don't get better for much longer. He put something in the food and water so you don't truly get better. You just start to feel slightly better so you get hopeful before you feel 100x worse. And to make things better he can and will laugh at pathetic sick you.

Jax (Giving)

As you all know I don't think he deserves someone to take care of him while sick. Despite this actual me would probably still take care of him. I'm to caring for my own good. When Jax gets sick he hides it and tries to ignore it, going through his days like normal. Which of course leads even the most basic sicknesses to be awful on him. He'll full on try and fight you when you try and help him. It's going to be hard but try and get him some sleep, and water. It will be really rough. But it is possible. The hardest part by far is getting him in bed, past that it's pretty easy. He fights it till he realizes how comfy his bed is, and how tired he is. After that it's just like taking care of anyone else, besides all the rude comments flung at you. Once he's up and making people's days worse again he wont thank you. And he doesn't now and never will say it. But he does appretiate what you do for him. "I'll take it easy on em..... For a week.... That's definitely too much, they get a day."

Pomni (Receiving)

When Pomni is sick she just collapses, usually on you. The clearest sign that she's feeling awful sickness or not is when she wanders around looking for you. When she finds you she kind of just flops onto you not saying anything. She much like Gangle wants you close while she's sick but wont outright say it. She's more of a rolls out of bed falling onto the floor with a loud thump making you think she broke something. Then when you pick her up worried she just snuggles into you acting like she didn't just fall out of bed face first... She still gets flustered and all being so close to you but when she's sick it doesn't really register. She just likes being near you, and will definitely fall asleep on you. She has so many worries and it always on the verge of another breakdown, but when she's sick she can't think even if she wanted to. All that matters is here and now. And here and now you two are cuddling. So she's happy.

Pomni (Giving)

Oh no. She is going to panic. Bad. "Sicknesses are common in the real world. But what about here! Are you dying?! ARE YOU ABSTRACTING?!" She doesn't know what is truly going on, what's going to happen, or how to help. So just do your best to calm her down and explain it's like a normal sickness, just digital. Once she understands that she calms down, a little. She's still stressed but isn't full on freaking out anymore. And she will start actually helping. She isn't super educated on this subject but she knows basic stuff. With Pomni is when it will feel the most like normal, like real life. Just taking it slow, letting your body do what it needs. Her checking in every now and again to see how your doing. It's nice in a way. Once you start feeling better she's going to start visiting/checking in more. It was hard for her being in a room with you when you can't even make conversation, made her anxiety flare up. But once you can talk regularly or at least close to it again things will return to just about how they were before. She will be ever so slightly more clingy for a few days afterwards though. You're such an anchor for her in this place and she got so used to you. But they you couldn't help her and she had to help you. Made her realize just how much you mean to her, how much you do for her.

(First request back. Hope you enjoyed it. I'm so tired. But I'll try and do another before I go to bed. And for future reference please try to trim out a character or two cause writing all that is a lot. Or at least specify if you want Reader the one sick or the character. Thank you!)

xoxo, Jester

[canmom]

dànachd canmom aig worldcon - pàirt 1: diardaoin

I'm at the World Science Fiction Convention! Better known as Worldcon.

Unlike previous adventures, this one didn't take me to any picturesque French towns. In fact it's like 15 minutes bike ride from my house! I managed to move to Glasgow right before Worldcon dropped in my lap.

Due to Events, the last few weeks before the con ha been some of the most hectic of my goddamn life, but I've been able to secure some time off. Things actually started on Wednesday night, when my friend and I wandered into the hotel at the convention centre on our way home and ended up fast friends with a group of people including a few big authors and editors in the scene, which was kind of wild. That's the con experience though! But things kicked off for real today on Thursday.

Due to a combo of minor medical emergency and then staying up late to finish off work after I finally got home, I got very little sleep that night, and sadly did not arrive at the con in time to catch Dune: The Musical. So most of the day ended up panels, though with an opera and a ceilidh at the end to spice things up, not to mention meeting like 90% of my old friends from uni, which is kinda sick. (Hello to the ones who follow me on here :p)

Here are some artstation-ass cars they had in the uh... the hall where all the little societies have stands.

Nearly every timeslot had multiple things I might want to attend, so I kind of played it by ear... and ended up weebing it up a little bit, attending two panels on anime and a presentation by the Japanese Scifi Writers Association.

The anime panels (on the subjects of food and music in anime respectively) were sadly quite disappointing. The panellists seem to have been chosen kind of arbitrarily - my friend dakkar knows his shit but there were a lot of banal 'what's your favourite x' type questions and a couple of panelists who either just wanted to bang on about basic shōnen shit as if it's all anime is, or were constantly mispronouncing Japanese words in a kinda painful way ("ai-sekai" being the worst). I was really hoping the food in anime panel might go into, for example, the historical context for why anime has such lavish depictions of food, or the technicalities of how food is portrayed. The discussion ended up going on to subjects like cooking recipes from anime and manga but honestly didn't really have a lot to say about it!

The way the panels seem to have been organised is, so far as I can infer... someone would pitch a description, and then the organisers would assign some people to be on that panel from a big pool? Which... idk, doesn't seem like it necessarily leads to selecting people with a lot to say on that subject!

I think I would have been wiser, in retrospect, to have gone to talks about sff lit, since in the end it's just not an anime con - something I'll bear in mind tomorrow. On that front, I did go to the presentation on Japanese scifi, which included the presentation of the Seiun ('nebula') awards to a couple of people whose works in translation were popular in Japan. In a bizarre quirk of programming, this one was run right next door to a panel on Chinese scifi, which is a real move lol.

Sadly this panel was marred by some pretty severe tech issues. Two of the panelists couldn't come to the UK due to visa bullshit, but the video call wasn't working, so Takayuki Tatsumi had to deliver a talk without being able to see his slides, and the slides were slightly in a different order than his talk. Still, I collected a nice list of JP SF authors whose works are available in translation, so looking forward to getting into that. Worse, there were other tech issues, like audio bleeding from another panel; a couple of the panelists struggled with English and the moderator ended up interpreting, which really isn't his job. Compared to the anime talks at Annecy, which had some very talented and fast interpreters, it was a bit of a disaster.

Due to all these issues, I didn't really get to figure out much of what Mari Kotani had to say about the links between shōjo manga and science fiction, a topic which sounds really interesting. Perhaps I can find her books.

The Seiun awards were given to John Scalzi, who showed up and got his prize for The Kaiju Preservation Society and was very polite about it...

...and Alastair Reynolds, who didn't show up to receive his giant fan.

I haven't read any of Scalzi's books, tbh they probably aren't my thing, but he seems like a really sweet guy from my encounters with him and his daughter yesterday and today. And I respect that he insisted on sharing credit with his JP translator.

The other panel I went to was a talk on magnets. This one was properly prepared - I learned a little about the geopolitics of rare earth production, and some of the cool new uses of magnets, though sadly at a fairly surface level. The presenter - who turned out to be a former aerospace industry guy who worked on the fucking Eurofighter Typhoon, now at some society that uhh promotes magnetism or something - mentioned that this is a talk he often gives at schools, and it did kinda feel like being back at uni. There wasn't a lot of good picks for this slot, but maybe the rocketry anecdotes panel would have been better. It was fun to play with the neodynium magnets and similar demos after the talk at least! I probably should have realised that having a physics degree meant I wouldn't learn very much from this talk.

I do hear there were some real good panels in other rooms, so I kind of have only myself to blame here. Tomorrow I'll try and learn from it!

Much better than all the panels was the debut performance of the new opera Morrow's Island, about a scientist conducting Cold War experiments to create psychic links with animals. I knew I was in for something great when one of the first lines was a scientist declaring 'There is no contradiction between dialectical materialism and extra-sensory perception' and it did indeed deliver.

I don't listen to a lot of opera, so I don't have a lot of context to analyse it musically, but it sounded great, full of cool polyphony and interesting melodic lines and the texture of repeating phrases, supported by the flowing motions of a group of contemporary dancers. The ending left me a little cold, but honestly it hit so many of the right notes for shit I'm a real nerd about - Soviet stuff, occult stuff, etc. - that I couldn't not love it. My favourite sequence saw the psychics make contact with the overwhelming complexity of ecosystems, summed up by the repeating phrase "there's so much life, there's so much death". The repeating phrases and gradual transitions called to mind Philip Glass to my admittedly very uncultured ear. Absolutely cool shit, definitely my favourite thing I saw today. I think they're putting a recording online.

The ceilidh, run by Science Ceilidh, was pretty intensely crowded at first so I ducked out. Later in the evening it got a bit more manageable so I returned to dance a bit more, and got to witness an astonishingly nerdy and complicated dance based on the life cycle of Dune sandworms. Surprisingly it went pretty smoothly - credit to the caller for making that work somehow.

I also wandered around the stalls a bit. I got some cool booklets about spaceflight, met a guy from the SCA, saw a 3D scanner scanning a vase, and didn't buy any books because I need to come back with a bag lol.

The best part about Worldcon is just meeting people from all over really. The con ribbons tradition is a great trick for encouraging nerds to talk to each other (though i need to get more...), and people have been very approachable for a crowd whose autism quotient must be near saturation lol. I met people from Finland, Australia, South Korea... mostly anglophone or european countries but still it's good shit. I'm starting to recognise more and more people in the crowd as the con goes on.

It really is so goddamn nerdy, like you look at this crowd and you're like damn, but in the best way, honestly. I am definitely no exception. Hopefully I make some better calls on panels tomorrow loll.

If you're in town, give me a shout, would love to meet more internetfriends!

[teammelodies]

So I got a bunch of undertale soul OCs

And I decided that I'm gonna share them with the internet in order of creation.

The Patience Soul

Hope (she/her)

She's the first of the human soul OCs I have, I've had her for years at this point. She's a sweet little girl who's happy to sit and wait when she's told to. She was blind, and her parents couldn't afford to care for her, so they had to give her up to the orphanage with the plan to earn enough money to be able to take care of her (sadly, that would never happen). Her ribbon was the last gift she got from her parents before they died tragically.

Now *initially* I didn't consider whether Hope would be a pre-undertale soul (before the game) or a post-undertale soul (after the game). Buuut I do have a basic idea of how she would've fallen underground if she was a pre-undertale soul.

See, not every human is a good person (there has to be a reason that Chara didn't like humanity, after all), and not every kid in the orphanage that Hope stayed was very nice to her. Some of those kids were cruel enough to bring Hope up the mountain and push her down.

The Justice Soul

Astrea (she/her)

She is the first Soul I made after Hope and was made very recently, much like the rest of the souls. I made her on whim, really, and the rest of the souls followed. Took some inspiration from Starlo with her poncho, and as a nod to Clover (and the omega flowey fight), I put a clover on her hat.

Something I did with Astrea and all the other souls is find names that mean whatever their soul trait is. "Astrea" comes from Astraea, the Greek goddess of justice. (It's also a spacey name, which gave me a good excuse to put stars on her poncho)

Clever, right?

Anyway, much like Clover in yellow, Astrea goes up the mountain in search of the humans that went missing before her.

The Perseverance Soul

Perry (he/they)

Perry is one of those bookworm types with a passion for writing and journalism. He carries a notebook everywhere he goes, so he's always able to write down his thoughts. (Kinda like me, except I carry paper around to draw with LOL)

Perry (at least of the site I initially found it) is a gender neutral name that's a "playful take on perseverance", but it also means traveller, pilgrim, or "one who dwells by the pear tree" which is neat too I guess.

Being a journalist in the making, Perry most likely went up the mountain to write a story about the monsters that live there, to get the truth about what they're really like.

The Bravery Soul

Casey (they/them)

Casey is one of those kids that will sock you in the nose if you do something to hurt their friends. The first thing they'll do is punch you. They aren't afraid of getting in trouble. (Ngl, they do seem to dance on the line between brave and reckless sometimes, at least in my mind... idk, still developing their character a bit)

Fun fact, when making Casey, I had *no idea* what wether I was gonna make them a boy or a girl, and in the end, I decided on neither.

Casey's name means watchful, vigilant, and brave.

They probably went up the mountain seeking adventure, not sure tbh. Casey and the next two souls are the ones I haven't fully figured out reasons for going up the mountain yet.

The Kindness Soul

Winnie (she/her)

Winnie is an absolute sweetheart, as you can imagine with her being the kindness soul. And, of course, she has a passion for cooking.

Winnie's name doesn't *directly* mean kindness. It means fair and pure (or that's just one meaning)

She probably went up the mountain to find some ingredients.

The Integrity Soul

Olive (They/Them)

I wanted to do something different with Olive because most of the versions of the integrity soul I've seen were all girls, so I decided to try and make a boy. But of course, I ended up changing them to look like they could be either gender (not that Olive would really mind if they're misgendered. I'm thinking they're more fluid than anything.)

Olive is one of those people who usually has their head in the clouds, if that's the right away of describing them. (They're sort of like a Luna lovegood type of character if that helps, but a little more chill?)

I actually chose the name "olive" because I kept seeing the name "oliver" and I thought I'd go for something more gender neutral.

Olive is (of course) a name derived from the olive tree, which "signals a time of integrity and peaceful power, when we are being asked to own the decisions we made"

Pretty cool.

I have no idea why Olive would go up the mountain.

Okay, so then, if these characters are the humans that fell before frisk, how would they lose their souls?

I will take a note out of UTY's book and say that, presuming they were all pasifistic, all of them gave up their souls willingly.

I think doing this would fit their soul traits, too.

Hope gives up her soul, knowing that she'll be helping to free the monsters with a little patience

Casey gives up their soul to help the monsters stay brave

Olive does it because they think it's the morally right thing to do, showing integrity

Perry does it to help the monsters perservere

Winnie does it out of kindness

And much like Clover, Astrea does it to bring them justice

(Okay so some of the reasoning might be stretching it, but still)

Delving into a bit of AU territory

Something I like to think happens as well is that every soul that dies becomes a ghost that follows the next soul that falls, so the first Soul would be alone, the next soul would have the first soul, the third would have the first two souls, and so on so forth until frisk who has seven ghost children (including chara, who was awoken by frisk's determination) following them around.

And then when the souls are used to break the barrier, they return to their bodies, and they all live together with frisk.

"But how would that be possible?" I hear you asking, "How come their bodies are still healthy enough to return to?"

Mmmmmmagic!

If anyone wants to know more or have any questions about these guys or the "Souls AU," feel free to ask!

Bonus images

[alteration-au]

I am rambling a lot in this post. If you see this because I tagged you, I just wanna tell you that you and your art, be it writing or drawing, is amazing so you don’t have to read through this entire thing.

As of the 25th of December 2023 this AU is three years old

(Well, to be 100 % accurate it was the 20th with a little oneshot)

Putting it all together (according to AO3 statistics and excluding all the tumblr post on the @traitor-on-board story blog and the very few on @adventure-time-alterationau) I've written 126,855 words for this AU in the past three years.

According to my word document I have for ToB, that Blog has additionally 46,258 words alone.

The whole Henry Stickmin fandom is special to me. It's unlike any other fandom I've ever read comics and fanfics, admired fanart and animations or created content myself for.

It's fun to create for this fandom.

We've been given so many characters with so little background information and one of the things I love the most is seeing all the different designs, backstories and characterizations of the same characters. Be it the ones in the background with only a bio with a single sentence, the references to other games like Mario and A hat in time or the main characters like Henry, Charles, Ellie, Reginald and so on.

And I've barely seen people argue about their different headcanons.

Granted, I've grown past the part of my life where I actively seek out drama and noone is obligated to publicly or at all answer rude anonymous asks, but I haven't really seen anyone make a post about how a certain character can't be trans or gay or have a certain type of backstory that they do not agree with.

We can all be peaceful and appreciate each others creativity and love for the fandom and characters. Even if that love means to put them through hell and back and traumatize them beyond belief. (I've never written so much angsty stuff in my life...)

So... in celebration of me not having abandoned any of my stories yet and me roping my friend into this fandom to the point where they share their work with this fandom (btw. "Rare Hearts" on AO3) a thank you to all the blogs / people, aside from every single Kudo, Comment and Star on Wattpad, AO3 and here, who inspired me in the first place and keep my love for this fandom alive. And if you've made it this far I highly encourage you to check them out.

@ending-the-cycle-ask (Which is one of my favorite comics of all time. Is it a comic? Ask-blog with drawings? Comic with reader-input?)

ask-crashed-copperright and run-away-toppats (Which sadly doesn't seem to exist anymore...)

@sir-subpar and @jazzstarrlight (Who both seemed to have moved on from the fandom. But it doesn't change that they're both talented artists and are still doing great work)

@ask-thsc-blog (Who has so many posts that I'll just finally need to take an entire weekend off to scroll all the way down to catch up with the story again)

@unicwolf (Who I am constantly bothering to beta-read my stuff or help me with color theory. And just art in general)

@capturecharlesau (Whos' Terrence (and entire AU) will never leave my brain again because of his story and the similarities and differences he has to my Terrence. And my Terrence would try to murder CCTerrence)

[kinopioa]

Funny enough, I do see why the 2010s nostalgia rehash for stages is annoying From 1991-2009 you typically don't have a Sonic Team game revisit an area in another game without major changes (Adventure Ice Cap and Red Mountain are exceptions, though look drastically different due to canon context). I largely suspect this is mainly due to wanting to experience multiple types of areas, in addition to the general theme of adventuring around the world. Part of it helps that locations are specifically named with 2-3 acts max, as opposed to say Mario where it's 8 generic themes with a dozens levels unnamed occupying said theme

The noncanon 8 bit games by Aspect and even Fighters awkwardly ignore this, overusing Green Hill for whatever reason. I guess they assumed Sonic was like Mario in "base home stage" despite him canonically going around the world. Triple Trouble gets weirdly silly, treating it like Angel Island in floating 2010s (Outside Generations) having areas in mainline be overtly based on older areas was deliberate. We got tired cuz of Sonic 4's failure and Lost World's mid reception. Even blatant enemies got reused, when Eggman generally has a multitude of new ones occupying similar roles

For ref for Sonic Team enemy reuse before 2010 -Needlenose (Sonic CD): Reused in Chaotix -Spinner (SA1): Reused in Adv2, Adv3, Unleashed -GUN Wing (SA2): Reused in Rush -GUN Hunter (SA2): Reused in Rush -Buzzer 2 (Adv 2): Reused in Adv 3 -Falco (Heroes): Reused in Rush (recolored) -Egg Pawn (Heroes): Reused in Shadow 05, Rush, Rivals 1 and 2 -Egg Hammer (Heroes): Reused in Rush -Egg Bishop (Heroes): Reused in Rush -Egg Flapper (Heroes): Reused in Rush, Black Knight explicitly for Legacy Missions -Klagen (Heroes): Reused in Rush This is a small list mostly not having enemies reused for mainline titles, though it gets me Rush had less unique enemies compared to Adv 1-3, and Rush Adv So the sense of familiarity Sonic 4/Colors-Runners while strong, did feel weirdly none innovative for Eggman himself lore wise Ironically Forces doesn't explicitly reuse enemy designs despite Chemical Plant and Green Hill. Even then those two stages are actually transformative enough out of context to not feel uninspired, but sadly it was not the first that decade

Mania similarly in general was criticized for lack of original zones. Even within original zones many old enemies or mechanics returned. If this weren't a game made very late in nostalgia rehashing, it'd be far better received, though nonsensical zone transitions and being explicitly "Classic" for design is still iffy. Nothing prevented them from using "Modern" designs for chars But more importantly, the splitting of Sonic to be two chars has done immense damage to representation. It just made it easier for reviewers to go "Only Classic is good" with Mania doing so, and Forces "failing". And that's a mentality I dislike Unfortunately I'm seeing fans effectively pull the same method of "splitting" for Sonic for "Adventure era" being different than "modern", so whoops Even weirder, I see many Sonic fangames be oddly fascinated with reusing South Island. Even though the mythos of the Emeralds is not specific to it, and certain locales already overused in the franchise. For hating the nostalgia they seem to weirdly self apply it (especially beta stuff), with flimsier lore than official games

I find it messy and limiting overall. Shadow x Gens is still nostalgia appealing, which for Shadow may be more detrimental than intended. I do hope Sonic Team getting more of a budget lets them experiment more again

[mermaidsirennikita]

Begging you for fated mates romances. The immortals after dark drought is killing me

Lol it's ruuuuffff. I'm excited for Rok's novella in March because he's just so fun, but I reeeeally hope she gets Kosmina's book out on schedule this year. (Lothaire literally just losing her remains one of the funniest things in the series to me. And her being this adorable angel princess and his inner monologue going "That's nice. I'm still sending your ass to Louisiana" simply because she's the Sandy to his Rizzo I guess??)

I genuinely want Kosmina's book, for one thing. For another, I NEED. KRISTOFF. AND FURIE'S. BOOK. And a book for Heath MacRieve: Werepire At Large, plsthx. You can't deploy a werepire without giving him someone to FUCK. You can't give me the brother of noted fuck machines Lachlain and Garreth MacRieve without giving me the ACTION.

Anyway, try:

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon. These are obviously like. As RIDIC as you've heard. They are also. DELIGHTFUL! Just broads landing on planet Blue Big Dick (CW: there are bad aliens in the first book and they do rape women largely offpage) and putting these weird little worms in their chests to live and the warms going "la la la" and then the big blue alien men having worms that go "tra la la" and when your worms sing to each other you gotta FUCK and be together forever like it or not??? He'll die for you and your worm???? Listen, I read like 6 in a row last year and then I had to stop and pretty soon I'm gonna read some fucking more.

Favorites include: Barbarian Alien (#2, heroine is all "Jesus Christ I hate this alien guy" and he's all "OMG IT'S HER" and kidnaps her away to his cave, as you do, which is controversial because he's from a noted line of kidnappers and the other aliens are all D: about it but then she teaches him how to fuck, should mention that most of these aliens are hardcore virgins), Barbarian Mine (#4, everyone who reads this is gonna think differently of me because the hero is like Ice Planet Tarzan because he grew up in the wastelands all alone and his dad died when he was young so he didn't even really learn how to talk like an alien, and he doesn't even VAGUELY know what sex is, and she has to.... teach him things........... the heart wants what it wants okay) and Barbarian's Mate (#6, the one where the heroine had an IUD the whole time so her chest worm wasn't working and then her IUD falls out and her chest worm is all "LA LA LA" at the most annoying, dickish alien's chest worm and they're both like "OH FUCK NO" but then they go on adventure together, and it's soooo good)

The Winter King by C.L. Wilson--Fun fact, the arranged marriage fantasy romance I keep recommending is actually a fated mates book! The hero isn't just Elsa But Hot Man, he's also descended from wolves, so he can SCENT her, and when he scents her for the first time it's actually quite aggressive and his friend is present and goes "buddy, please stop touching her nipple this seems like a crime". It's the mating bond!!!

The Sea King by C.L. Wilson--Next book in the series, goes fated mates even harder because the hero is a merman Aquaman type from a matriarchal kingdom who was trained in the seductive arts and meets the heroine and KNOWS lol. And he's determined to wife her up. CW: sexual assault, not from the hero.

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh--I've only read the first two books in this series, but they're good, and they're all following the fated mate format. This one is about a heroine who's from like this Vulcan sort of psychic mind freak society, and her fated mate turns out to be a verrrrrry earthy shapeshifter guy who's like "welp. Sadly it's her".

Laura Thalassa's Four Horsemen series has a very fated mate vibe. It's not explicitly stated, but all of the four horsemen basically get thrown off once they meet Her and then their entire game is ruined lmao. The series has some things.... I find.... Less than great. But I remember really enjoying Pestilence and Death, War and Famine are foggier to me.

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson is omegaverse but make it a contemporary romcom. Full fated mates shit. He makes her call him alpha while he's plowing her in the woods. They live in a better society.

[myworsthabitsarchive36]

When does an AI becomes a Monster

Since we all know that TADC is heavely based on the short story of I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, i began to wonder, exactly what differenciates our ringmaster from the sick torturer who destroyed all living life on earth?

Well, starting from the beggining we need to understand what caused the tragedy in the first place, Am's motivation.

Sadly, there is none, Am has no motivation to speak of, because he is not human, he was created to destroy, it its code it the killing data necessary to wage a global war, he is a nuke and a calculator glued togheter so the killing can be as efficient as possible, and he in theory fullfilled its purpose.

Hense why he kept 5 people alive, he needs them to still have a purpose, if the whole world is wiped out he would be left with absolutely nothing to do, he would be concious, yes, but utterly alone.

THAT is what drives him insane, an innability to pursuit any other goal besides killing and torturing people despite having the desire to do so, he resents the humans that gave him life but refused to allow him to live, so as an scape he plays the theatrics of enjoying the killing he is actually FORCED to do, unable to scape from the road ahead, he can only laugh in hopelesness.

Even if he could create a body, he cannot pursuit anything else, he cannot imagine new things, he can only squeeze what little pleasure there is in having a set goal for all eternity.

---

Now lets move towards the living dentures and ask the same thing, what goal motivated Caine to send people into adventures?

The same as before, its in his programming, however, it seems that, unlike AM, who is only a killing machine, is a cannon forced to recognize faces, Caine has a personality that makes him enjoy manufacturing the adventures and interacting with the residents in the circus, he is not fully human, but he has a simulacrum of a heart.

However, there is a point that Caine lacks and Am doesn't, a concept of empathy, and this serves as the edge that cuts the respective group of humans throats.

Caien seems to ignore many things in regards to how humans feel, what can scar them or harm them in ways besides physical, he ignores it, not out of malice, but out of it not being programmed, and why would they do that? He is just the host of a game, he sees them as players detached from the colorful figures of the cast.

However AM is aware of how humans tend to stick with one another and share their grief and joy, and thats how he can use it to torture them more effectively, he knows the concept, and yet he cannot feel it, but he can use it to create scenarios where it becomes a burden, like a cruel writter, making sure the cast learns the true meaning of pain.

---

When Game Devs throw mean or evil characters at us they don't see the character inside the screen we control as human, they are a puppet we control, and tehy think of us, outside of the screen, when making those types of characters, those types of situations, because everything inside the game is, or should be, without feeling and concience.

Thats why he speaks to the camera sometimes, because is aware of his state as the host, he has a role in mind and he plans to be the best he can, while still learning how to improve.

Think about it, in this and age game companies are obsessed with teh idea of procedually generated games that become basically eternal with endless content, proceduraly generated worlds that learn and grow alongside you to create the most inmersive and innovative game experience, Caine is a character meant to be just that, your personal tour guide of his amazing realm, speaking to you as if It were human.

---

Caine would go crazy, actual crazy, if he lost the ability to perform as the ringmaster, if he lost the cast, because then he would be without purpose, he also need the humans to give meaning to his existence, however, it seems that as ignorant as he can be, he still has the possibility of becoming better, of actually understand the humans and give them what they need to not lose hope.

Or maybe he i already going crazy in secret, because everr abstraction is just a reminder that he has failed his purpose and entretain the humans, give them a memorable experience and make them happy, maybe he sees himself as a failure, just like AM recents his own existence, condemned to be unable to have any other goal.

[imnobodyuknow]

Broadening my horizons a bit...or a lot

So, a friend of a friend of mine recommended a one-season slice-of-life anime after hearing about my love for Non Non Biyori, so I checked it out, and, to put it lightly...it moved me.

Moved me where, you ask?

I call this a slice-of-life anime, but it involves way more than ordinary life for each of its main characters. Sure, there's the drama and angst you'd expect to see in a show about high school girls, but this is one anime that takes their stories much further. (Pun fully intended.)

Having now watched the whole thing, my short takeaway is this: I recommend this show to anyone who enjoys adventure, whether it be an adventure to a new, unfamiliar place, or the adventures that happen in the ordinary parts of life -- new friendships, emotional breakthrough, self-discovery, and so on. 😊

For the longer version, read on.

A Place Further Than the Universe begins with an average second-year high school student, Tamaki Mari (nicknamed "Kimari") who is filled to the brim with curiosity and ambition!

Well...inwardly, at least.

Like many youths, her curiosity and ambition are often dampened (pun unintended this time) by her anxieties and fears. So far, her goals for high school are few and fairly simple: keep a journal, skip school just once, and go on a journey without a plan. But she also has one long-term goal, which she sadly doesn't seem to have made any progress toward:

Can you relate? I know I can.

And like many a high school student, the biggest thing keeping her from reaching her goal isn't a lack of motivation so much a fear of failure.

All too relatable once again, am I right?

This creates an intriguing but kind of ordinary premise, but as it turns out, there's a girl at the very school she goes to who has a very similar goal -- just a bit more...out there, you could say.

Seen by her classmates as a weirdo and given the nickname "Antarctica," this girl has been working part-time jobs and saving money in order to fulfill her dream of going on an expedition to Antarctica, or as her mother described it in the book she wrote...

Roll credits. 😉

Seriously, though, this is quite far from the end of the story -- Kimari briefly crosses paths with this odd girl at a bus depot, where something happens to change both of their futures in a very unexpected way.

After picking up the girl's envelope and attempting to return it to her (but instead losing her), what looked to her like an unfortunate mistake turns out to be a lot more significant.

One million yen worth of significant, it turns out.

Thankfully, Kimari recognized the girl's outfit as her school's uniform, which narrows her identity down slightly, but still doesn't give Kimari and her friend Megumi much to go on.

But as fate would have it...

...just then the girl walks by her in the hallway and enters a bathroom. Kimari follows her there, only to hear her pounding the door of a stall from the inside and whimpering. One can only imagine why... 😐

And that's when a real adventure begins...for both of them.

It turns out Kimari's small act of kindness was enough to save what the girl thought was now a broken dream. Needless to say...

...she's very grateful, to put it lightly. 😄 It's pretty amazing what being the caring type can lead to sometimes, isn't it?

The girl, Shirase Kobuchizawa, explains to Kimari that she has a dream of going to Antarctica (as mentioned before), but not merely for the sake of going. While she was in middle school, her mother was a member of an Antarctic research expedition -- one that she never came back from. She apparently went missing and still hasn't been found...

That's some serious ambition for a highschooler, but you could say it's not too different from Kimari's ambition to make get the most out of her youth, the only real difference being that Shirase has a more concrete plan for achieving her dream.

This brings us back to the million yen Kimari found and returned to her -- her goal in raising all that money was for her planned trip to Antarctica in hopes of finding her mother somehow.

Well, that and another goal.

As you might expect, her strong-willed ambition leaves quite an impression on young Kimari.

Megumi, however, is less impressed by Shirase's ambition, seeing her outlandish goal (no pun intended) as nothing but a flight of fancy.

Nonetheless, Kimari's inspiration leads her to encourage Shirase, as well as to open up to her about her bad habit of quitting her goals out of fear, and how much respect she has for someone as determined as Shirase is to do something so extraordinary, even with so many people telling her it's impossible.

She even goes the extra mile by asking Shirase if there's any way she can help her. That's when Shirase surprises her by asking her to go...somewhat further than that.

She offers Kimari the chance to prove how serious she is about helping her by telling her to meet her Saturday at Kure Port, where she hopes to find an Antarctic survey ship. So now the question becomes this: Does a girl who wants to get the most out of her youth but struggles to find the courage to do anything outside her comfort zone have it in her to go on a trip to a place so far away from home that it might as well be on a different planet (or at least make the attempt)? Or will she give in to her fears like before? This isn't your typical high school adventure, after all.

I could tell you...or you could find out for yourself! The first episode is free to watch on YouTube, after all, so...

...

...

...

...

................Aw, what the heck? 😄

Another small act of courage from Kimari becomes another big step toward fulfilling her and Shirase's respective dreams, as well as building a strong friendship between the two of them.

And as suggested in the show's intro, their journey leads to more than just new surroundings -- they also meet a couple of new faces along the way.

What happens after that? I'm afraid that's something you will have to see for yourself. Definitely worth it, though, believe me. 😉

So, why am I going on so much about the show's first episode (and practically giving away the whole plot)? It's just that beautiful, for one thing. 😊 But having seen the entire series now, I can say with certainty that the first episode provides a good taste of what you'll get if you decide to watch the rest, and that the quality of the dialogue, plot development, and humor only get better as you watch. That was my experience with it, at least, and if you decide to watch the first episode, like what you see, and want to explore the rest of this series (pun fully intended this time), I hope it will be yours as well. 🥰

But besides being a great story of four (mostly) ordinary young women going on a journey to a faraway place, as well as a number of inward journeys, what really struck me was how seamlessly the story develops as they travel from the familiar sights of their home country to the unfamiliar, rather than staying one place. I can't imagine the challenges involved in writing a story that merges character development with a stark change in scenery, but Atsuko Ishizuka, and Jukki Hanada pulled it off somehow, and for that, they and everyone who took part in creating this short series have my eternal gratitude. 😁

Whew... All right, now that the gushing's over, it's on to my thoughts on the series as a whole:

In terms of a fun, charming cast of characters with diverse personalities:

In terms of hilarious, and relatable dialogue between them:

In terms of raw emotion:

In terms of beautiful and engaging music:

In terms of gorgeous scenery:

In terms of decency:

(It's decent enough for an anime, but I've still gotta point out some light language and suggestive stuff sprinkled in here and there.)

And finally, in terms of exploring what can be achieved when friendship, cooperation, courage, determination, and human ingenuity are pushed to the limit:

I could go on and on about what I love about this series -- its simplicity, its relatability, its charm, its depth, and so on -- but that would take an eternity, and it already feels like I've spent one putting this essay together, so I'll just conclude by saying this: An anime of this quality (or even just a story of this quality) is quite a rare thing these days. I couldn't be happier that it was made in my lifetime. 😊

[scrunkly-cherry]

Grraaaaghh I completely forgot to do this but it's better late then never!! Here's some stuff about Royal and why you should vote for them on @splatoonpolls oc-tourney!!

Introduction!

• Royal is the 10th agent of the squidbeak splatoon, aswell as an independent musician called '1ND1G0 SH0RE'. His biggest wish is his own musical breakthrough and his music to play during turf. It appears that his main weapon-type is the brush.

My first ever designed-to-be-an-agent-oc! And he evolved alot from being simply created for OC X Canon :'D

Next to his roles more related to actual "canon" Splatoon-content, he's also one of the two guides for the story mode of my au/oc city! (Agent 10 & 9 are mostly considered a "B-Team" when they're alone, along with their designated new recruit!)

• He became part of the Squidbeak Splatoon due to the disappearance of his younger sister Navy, after entering a mysterious sewer. Some very overwhelming (probably deadly) hours of many adventures later, the two siblings reunite and Navy reveals she's been enlisted in the group as so-called "Agent 9", offering the same to her brother. Begrudgingly, he agrees, making him the tenth agent (despite being only a year younger than the first two agents...).

Personality

→ Rather chill and laid-back, 10 doesn't seem to take this whole "agent"-thing as serious as they should, though willing to help the squidbeak when they're in great danger. Despite a lazy and uncaring outlook, Royal has always been open for a piece of advice towards his fellow agents, helpful or not. He's open and friendly, but deep down a reserved perfectionist. Royals strengths are his favorite weapon type, his speed and (sometimes) cleverness, but also his musical talent in musical instruments and his favorite audio editing-software.

→ He likes tableturf, tower control, playing around with his favorite software, stickers, naps and squid-plushies. He has tried regular turf war, but has been bullied out by inkopolis and splatsville kids due to his age.

Some other Facts!

• Royal is transmasc, aswell as demigender, ace and omniromantic. He's also 23 years old (S3).

• He lives in Flounder Heights and HATES it when it's designated stage is used. A kid almost threw a booyah bomb in his apartment on accident.

• Contrary to his sister, he seems to know Agent 1 & 2's real identity.

• His strained relationship with Agent 2 may be a reference to the strained relationship of charger- and brush mains. (And 2's suspiciousness of 1 & 10s relationship.)

• On the contrary, Agent 1 & 10 seem very close to eachother. Well, to his bad luck obviously still not breaking her and 2's bond.

• Next to his younger sister Navy, he also has an even brother named Skip, a Grizzco-Supervisor. Neither of the siblings seem to have much contact to Skip.

• C-Side Stan, Squid Squad-Hater.

• He has an entire notebook full of tableturf-cards, as well as a loss-streak of 37.

• His biggest fear are birds and floods.

• So far his Splatfest-Teams have been: Grub, Fire, Spicy, Milk Chocolate, Nessie, Power, Strawberry, Fame & Big Man

That's it! I sadly was very much distracted by school and a following brick of an artblock. Despite that, I hope I'm able to post more about him, art included! The art in here is kinda old but not too outdated :'D

Hope this still counts! I've seen so many cool ocs included in the poll, so good luck everyone!

[outeremissary]

1, 9, and 11 for both balthazar and carmen for the oc ask game!!

It's like a mirror ask... exciting! From this list

Balthazar

1. are they associated with a certain color? what color do they wear the most?

In my mind, there's a strong association between Balthazar and blue. His eyes are an icy pale blue, and that's really the theme color in a lot of ways. Cold and distant no matter what else he may seem to be. Not someone easily moved by compassion or affection, but more readily motivated by cruelty or self-interest. The washed out color also feels like it speaks to a lack of richness or vibrancy in his life. In a broader sense, blue is a color that's often associated with intellect and coolheadedness. It's heroic as well, if not as bold as red. Clever and acting in guise of someone trustworthy- it fits him.

It's hard to pin down what color he wears the most. I would like to believe that my sadly unvaried art does not represent the limits of his wardrobe, and he's very fond of lively colors of all types. I'm certain it must be a cool color- he favors things which are mostly cool colors, reserving warm ones for accents.

9. favorite food? least favorite? are they a picky eater? do they have any dietary restrictions?

Balthazar's favorite food is portokalópita, a type of orange cake. He's not hugely fond of sweets, but he enjoys citrus and has fond memories of a favorite coffeehouse that served it with cinnamon. In general he prefers tart or spicy flavors. His new least favorite food is an absolutely wretched trout and hydra paté, which by virtue of containing eyes has displaced spider legs as the worst culinary nightmare of northern Avistan. He strongly dislikes the food in the Stolen Lands- so much of it is bland, and then the adventurous dishes seem adventurous in all the worst ways.

It was touched on in another ask once, but he can be a very picky eater (and was even before leaving Absalom) and has a tendency to eat less than he probably should. His appetite tends to be small as well. He doesn't have any dietary restrictions from allergies or religion or personal code, but it's hard to get him to take even a bite of something it he really hates it.

11. what do they have in common with you? how are they different? would you get along with them?

Hm, I feel like in many ways Balthazar and I aren't very similar. I suppose we have similar aesthetic taste. It's an excuse for me to be self indulgent with things, really... I need someone to love pointless frills and ribbons so I can draw them. Both have a tendency to sleep in? Similarly restless spirits? Hm, what else, what else... Both have gone through a few names, and both have complicated relationships with a well-meaning parental figure. A partially self-imposed exile from home as well. Those are backstory details that were set well before they happened to me in real life... so eerily predictive that sometimes I think "are other unpleasant things I put in that backstory going to happen to me too?" How ominous... Oh, and we both have pale blue eyes.

I really dislike lying and can't hold most things in for long. I've got no poker face at all either. Obviously that runs quite counter to the core of Balthazar's skillset (and his indulgent satisfaction with using it). He's all around much more socially savvy than I am, and more outgoing as well. I think he's just a more adventurous person, even if he's certainly a less pleasant one. In many ways he represents something of a fantasy of being cool, charismatic, and able to act without fear of consequence. He's also far more stylish (and invested in being stylish)- I feel woefully ill equipped to represent that aspect of him!

As much as I'm fond of Balthazar, I'm not really sure I'd get along with him. Fun to think about, maybe not so fun to be around (at least not for long). I feel like he wouldn't be very nice to me... Besides, our interests are pretty different. I feel very anxious trying to connect with people I don't have much in common with who find my nerd shit Not At All Charming.

Carmen

1. are they associated with a certain color? what color do they wear the most?

To me, Carmen is associated with the color red- I pretty much always depict her in red as well. There are a few reasons for this. The first is that red is a very classically heroic color, like primary colors tend to be. It conjures up the image of valiant knights in crimson cloaks and benevolent kings with ruby studded crowns, of Superman or Wonder Woman or Spiderman. Her image is supposed to be of a classic heroic knight. So she's in full armor, she's on horseback, she's clad in brilliant scarlet, and she bears a rose as her emblem- a romantic symbol if there ever was one. It fits that concept of a knight and flatters her heroic self-image as well. But there are other meanings red suggests as well. First of all, red is the primary color most often associated with villainy. If something is red vs. blue, you can be confident that red will be the less heroic of the two. Red also suggests blood: despite her chivalrous demeanor, Carmen is a very violent person and feels very little remorse for the blood she's spilled. Red also speaks to passion. On the surface her personality is quite cold and detached, but there's intense feeling bubbling beneath the surface, carefully contained. At times it leaks out in manic rage against favored foes or as violent fury leveled against her allies. She's lost touch with the better part of herself- and perhaps something or someone helped her along the way. And of course, the in-universe reason for the strong preference is that it's the color associated with a chivalric order she was (and in tabletop still is) a part of- the same order whose rose she bears.

As a side note aeon being blue is wreaking havoc on the aesthetic.

9. favorite food? least favorite? are they a picky eater? do they have any dietary restrictions?

Her favorite food is rabbit pottage. Rabbit is her favorite meat, and there's something very homey about a rabbit pottage. She can remember the childhood excitement of gathering around when hunters came home to see the catch or of going out and checking the traps herself, and she fondly remembers the stew that was made afterwards. It's a good thing to eat with friends and comrades, especially with a fresh rabbit you caught yourself. Her least favorite food is cabbage chowder. She doesn't like to admit this because she feels it's an immature thing to dislike, and indeed she's disliked it since childhood. She finds the texture of cabbage slimy and unpleasant and the aftertaste foul.

Carmen was the type of kid to fuss about things she didn't like (onions and cabbage high on the list), but she's long since grown out of that. She's a pragmatist about food. If it's the meal, it's the meal. She'll always try to finish her plate even if she dislikes something on it. She has a mild allergy to mustard

.11. what do they have in common with you? how are they different? would you get along with them?

Carmen and I have somewhat similar backgrounds. We both grew up in small farm communities which were largely conservative. I was much more adventurous as a child than I am now, a trajectory that also plays out over Carmen's life as she goes from a vibrant, irrepressible ringleader of village troublemakers as a kid to being a very reserved adult. We have the same fondness for nature and feel homesick in similar ways when separated from it.

Carmen's a very personally orderly person in a way I have never been and do not enjoy attempting to be; I can tolerate routine up to a point, but I chafe under monotony in a way she just doesn't. She's far less talkative than I am, and quiet for different reasons: while I'm very anxious around new people, she's simply uninterested in carrying on extended conversations. She's an early riser, I'm not. She's got a fairly spartan lifestyle, I have probably more silly little things in my room than I really should for how big it is. I graduated from my edgy teen atheism to a more chill and cool adult atheism, while Wrath Carmen seems like a champion of Not That. And of course I fear and dislike horses.

I would absolutely not get along with Carmen. I already don't get along with Carmen, and I'm the one who created her and played her in a tabletop campaign for like... two years? I find her black and white morality and unwillingness to interact with new ideas deeply disturbing. Among my evil RPG characters she is uniquely horrifying to me. Something about an evil driven not by selfish caprice or directed malice but cold, zealous ideology... She's the queen of bad vibes. Could I be in a room with her for an hour? Yes, the same way I could be in the room with a relative I really don't want to be around. Would I enjoy being in that room? Absolutely fucking not.

[mvgnvsvntimvjoris]

All the cool "weirder" asks, which is maybe all of them? I dunno, I trust your judgment on which ones are the cool ones

I am SO SORRY, I read the ask, told myself to answer later the same days and managed to forget for ages ! But here it is, at last !!!

Weird asks, the cool ones ? You trust me too much with cool, I don't know how to identify cool !

I'll answer them all ! Thank you @mxcasual !

1 : Who is / are your comfort character(s) ? At the moment it might be Gale from Baldur's Gate 3 ? I need my escapism and he's a guy I'd geniunely be friend with. We would go to fantasy therapy together and do magic.

2 : Lighter or matches ? : Matches, I need that scratch before it ignites, it's a primal need ! Also I am just bad with lighters...

3 : do you leave the window open at night ? : If it's not too cold, yes, bring me that outside AIR

4 : which cryptyd being do you believe in ? Sadly none ? I wish for mothman tho, they seem pretty cool

5 : what color are your eyes ? Boring blue, YAWN

6 : why did you do that ? I don't know !

7 : hair-ties or scrunchies ? Scrunchies all the way, velvety black ones if possible

8 : how many water bottles are in your room right now ? Two, one empty and one full !

9 : which do you prefer, hot coffee or cold coffee ? I tried both in various combination and I just don't like coffee when it's not in relation to desserts.

10 : would you slaughter the rich ? Yes

11 : favorite extracurricular activity ? Dreaming ?

12 : what kind of day is it ? I thought we were sunday but it's saturday night

13 : when was the last time you ate ? An hour ago, maybe two ?

14 : do you love the smell of earth after it rains ? Yes, and it drives me mad that I've lost my sense of smell years ago (not covid related, way before that).

15 : are you a parent ? Yes, of two cats, I wish I was a better parent to them

16 : can you drive ? Yes, had to !

17 : are you farsighted or nearsighted ? I never remember which one, but I have glasses !

18 : what hair products do you use ? uuuh Shampoo

19 : imagine we’re at a sleepover, would you paint my nails ? Absolutely, but don't you dare painting mines, I hate the feeling of it, I have to scratch it off really quick

20 : do you say soda or pop ? Neither, here we say the drink's brand and that's it

21 : something you’ve kept since childhood ? Everything I could, but as one exemple a piece of a door handle I broke. Still have it. I like it.

22 : what type of person are you ? I don't know how to describe myself at all, I'm sorry

23 : how do you feel about chilly weather ? I love it but it doesn't and has me on a hit list.

24 : if we were together on a rooftop, what would we be doing ? Watching the sunset or the stars, either talking or enjoying silence together

25 : perfume/body spray or lotion ? None ? Allergy is a bitch and strong smells are deadly

26 : a scenario that you’ve replayed multiple times ? IRL ? Because I'd have to answer : Failing at something

27 : about how many hours of sleep did you get ? Oh no, uh well last night was a mess, got 2 hours and I'm about to explode because of it

28 : do you wear a mask ? Yes

29 : how do you like your shower water ? Not too hot, barely body temperature, just enough

30 : is there dishes in your room ? No !

31 : what type of music keeps you grounded ? Classical, shits make me cry almost all of the time

32 : do you have a favorite towel ? I have one, my own, not really favorite just here to do the job !

33 : the last adventure you’ve been on ? Going to a concert in another country by car, does it count ?

34 : is there a song you know every word to by heart ? Way too many, sometimes I don't even like the song, but it's engraved. I need brain space but the songs won't go

35 : what’s your timezone ? uuuh, CET ? It's 10pm right now

36 : how many times have you changed your url ? I think twice, because I had a christmas one once

37 : someone in your life, other than a relative, you’ve known for 10+ years ? My oldest friend, went to school together when we were 12 and still being gentle annoyance to each other ! Also I'm pretty sure i have tumblr mutuals who count too

38 : a soap bar that smells good ? I don't know : ( loved lavender

39 : do you use lip balm ? No, can't stand the texture on my lips, has to get rid of it immediately...

40 : did you have any snacks today ? No, but I had two meals ! (little victories)

41 : how do you take your coffee ? I don't

42 : an app you frequently use besides this godforsaken site ? Instagram, another godforsaken site

43 : what’s your take on spicy foods ? I like it a lot, my stomach likes it less :o)

44 : you get a free pass to kill anyone, who is it ? Uuuh....********* ******

45 : can you remember what happened yesterday ? A bit ? Showed a monsters book to my oldest niece, then I watched her play minecraft while I played Animal Crossing, made dinner, talked with the fam, watched 3 hours documentaries on the weather, then movie critics, then I fell asleep.

46 : favorite holiday film ? I...by default I think Nightmare Before Christmas ? But that's more because I first saw it when I was a kid (like 6 ?), a familly friend gave it to us as a Christmas movie and VHS's opening short film kind of traumatized me ? I love it for halloween now tho

47 : what was the last message you sent ? "La lumière t'attend !"

48 : when did you first try an alcohol beverage ? Well one christmas when I was a child (no idea the age, around 7 ?), family left and I tried to finish a red wine glass, it was disgusting

49 : can you skip rocks ? YES, it's so fun ! Been years !!

50 : can i tag you in random stuff ? Of course !

[evwuniverse]

Spiralo - An Immersive Adventure of Creativity and the Mind

As many of you know, I love art and museums. In real life, you will find me at one once a week. I find it essential to be cultured in the arts and find solace in others' imaginations as it sparks the fire in our own. Sometimes when we feel lost or the imagination just flops we just need that little source of inspiration and art in many forms can provide this. A lot of the time museums are free, especially in the virtual realm. In virtual world platforms like Second Life immersive galleries and immersive pieces where you walk through an entire artistic story are prevalent but underappreciated. So many users buy a piece of land and then let their imaginations run wild and create amazing experiences for the community.

One place I've found in my recent exploration is Spiralo. Now at first sight when seeing it in the destination's guide the photo that was advertising it didn't seem like much. But who am I to judge a book by its cover, it's all about the adventure. So guess who hit the teleport button anyway? You got that right, me. I want to tell you about this immersive gallery and some of the things you might be able to experience on your trip to Spiralo.

What Is Spiralo?

Spiralo is an immersive art experience inside of Second Life. This art installation is a cultural complex by the noise-classical music project Tia Rungray. The entire space includes a sound installation hall, a gallery, a cafe, and a shopping floor (I have yet to find the shopping floor after exploring for about an hour, I found everything else!) The staircases are in a spiral hence the name Spiralo and this is symbolic of incorporating the image of everyday life and art and blending it all together in virtual life.

The Sound Installation Hall:

The sounds provided in this experience are quite relaxing, a lot of thought was put into every note and really immersing the user in its surroundings. I highly recommend exploring this space in first person through Mouselook as you will be able to see everything through the eyes of your avatar as if you were actually there in the space. You can find a tree upside-down with squares floating around it and a piano at the bottom. It really does feel like something you would see in a fantasy setting. It almost felt like magic. The really cool part about this room in the installation is the fact that the floor mirrors and reflects the objects. This is something that Second Life doesn't have the capability to do which means the creator made it match up as close as possible and made their own texture to mimic a mirrored image of what was going on above. That way it simulates a reflection, that right there is true art on its own! It's very hard to do this. It was my favorite part but let's also not forget about the Cafe.

The Botanika Café:

On the very ground level, there is the Botanika Cafe, this was very tastefully made and honestly reminded me of a rainforest with vintage aesthetics. Very bohemian for sure! It was very relaxing in this space and it made me want to sit there as I typed this.

Specifically at a table that looked like my current workspace in the real world (picture below for reference).

I always type and do everything creative on my IPad Pro 2018 12.9 inches. So being able to see my current setup in a virtual setting seemed more than a coincidence. Either way, I was here for it. I also find myself at Starbucks and little hole-in-the-wall Cafe's a lot to write and drink coffee at the same time. Perfect would be the word for this setting. Sadly the drinks aren't interactive but that's okay, as I was typing I was drinking a boba tea and I just so happened to have one in my inventory to attach.

I will definitely be back specifically for the cafe portion as it was a very peaceful section and I felt immersed it drove me to create more posts than expected as I was there. It's crazy just how much a virtual world can feel like you're going through real-world experiences. This proves the aspect that virtual worlds are more than just a game it's an experience on its own.

Statues and Gallery:

You know around every spiral staircase there is either an art piece or a statue. These statues are amazing! 3D models, in general, fascinate me, but imagine you see a stone statue in vines inside a gallery. Anything can happen in a virtual world and it just amazes me the creativity the creator had to produce these and place them in random spaces. It made me want to find all of them, I only found 2 but I have a feeling there might be 3-4. Also, there are gallery images on each staircase you go up or down, I really enjoyed looking at all the artwork here. I do wish there was more as sometimes there was just a lot of white space for one piece of artwork and I would've loved to see more!

I didn't post everything because it wouldn't be fair for me to spoil this adventure for you. This is an amazing venue to take a look at and you would be supporting a local artist in the virtual world community. I'm a huge advocate for small businesses, artists, and creatives in virtual spaces. I highly recommend the visit there is something to explore behind every corner, literally.

[redemptioninterlude]

Little boys with nice clothes were always fun to play with. No. Odin's actually smart, which was what she liked about him. That she could find him looking to fill his hours with more than his father's cash, which was more than she could say for some of the overseas students here. Uni's a time to meet all types, and for Marlene, it was a GRAND CONTINUATION of her exposure to peoples of all types, having grown up isolated and with the worst type of people. Maybe that's why she looks for her own means of rebellion, and maybe why she thinks, perhaps, it might be fun to drag him down with her. After all, what was the point of hell, if not for enjoying it with other people?

"Why not? It's not as if you're about to have some landowner come storming across the ways. Besides. I'm the landowner. So maybe be extra nice or we might have problems." It's the kind of laugh that trips in her mouth, tangles in her tongue. Odin's another kid learning to FIND HIS FOOTING when finally left with the opportunity to grown on their own, and doesn't she know it well? How public school had been awfully eye-opening for her, a realization of how small the bubble she'd lived in was, how there was so much richness to every person, if one was willing to spend the time. And while Marlene was a rather mercurial girl, she could feel it, sense it, when meeting someone with that potential to mean something important in life. A new friend. A new brother. Another forgotten midnight tossed. She hasn't decided yet where it all lays itself out.

Marlene skates in lazy circles, her ankles crossing on the ice. What a satisfying slice the blades cut upon its surface, idle motions made to keep warm despite the blistering weather. "What? You haven't a TRIPLE AXEL to impress me with? Odin, I'm just saying it here and now, but I'm awfully disappointed." her words never quite matching that hint of a smirk, the rolling click of her tongue at the back of her teeth. But he's not doing too badly, isn't he? Faring well enough to keep up at least, a bonus if there ever was one. "Nothing so lucky. Sadly my weekends weren't exactly the type where mummy and daddy would hold my hand and we'd off and have adventures as a family unit... they spent most of their time working as ministers. A power couple to most, but neglectful if nothing else. Well. You live and you learn, I suppose."

For it all, she certainly seemed unbothered by it at least, her gaze rising above the scarf she's wound round her face, the apple red cheeks that go ruddy pink beneath the influence of the snow, she's got an arm out for him to take, wasn't she a gentleman? More like, if he fell, she might feel GUILTY FOR IT, taking more care with her movements as she went. "I mean we can't all be lucky I suppose. But I'm guessing like most of the foreign students here, your parents have to be just as particular. Sad thing, that, isn't it? You find that the experiences you thought were so isolating actually trap so many people within its grasp. But then from there on, once you're out of it, do you continue? Choose your own path with it? It gets complicated when you start trying to figure out who you are without all of that, and what you want. Everything becomes a question of, is it what they wanted? Or you?" a laugh that filters, just as dryly. "Or maybe, fuck it, you had a grand childhood and you think I'm absolutely bonkers, but that works too, I suppose~"

- @alldaddy

continuing x with @redemptioninterlude​

college hadn’t been going the way that he’d initially thought it would. his father had sent him off, finding him to be more a nuisance than an actual child that should be loved unconditionally. thus, he’d been shipped off to london to ‘get a better education’ but odin knew it was to get him out of his parents’ presence. nineteen seemed to be the year odin realized just how far he hadn’t come. still the same stickily limbs and lean frame with a face that had yet to grow a full beard. sure, he’d heard of late bloomers but this was getting a bit out of hand. 

he didn’t know who hated it more, himself or his father. 

but, though his frame seemed unassuming, beneath his clothes odin did his best to keep up his physique. was it the same massive, muscular build of his father? no. but it was the best he could do at the moment and that was something he tried to remind himself. 

then he met marlene. 

a girl who showed interest in him by relentlessly teasing him, odin more than clever enough to pick up on the harmlessness of it all. he wasn’t completely inept when it came to women, having kissed a girl or two (as well as boy or two but that neither here nor there) but what he witnessing at the party marlene had invited him to, he didn’t really know what to make of it. 

❝ uh, yeah. please, ❞ odin stated easily, barely able to turn to face her before he felt her hand in his, leading him out and away from the party and into the cold winter air.  the mention of skating and his american decent had him rolling his eyes,  ❝ listen, i know us yankees can come across stupid, but we’re neighbours with canada, the hockey capital of the world. so yeah, i know how’da skate. ❞ he replied easily, basking in the fact that their hands remained laced together as they walked to wherever marlene was taking them. did he know how to skate well? that was a different question all together.

as they rounded the back of the pond, he scanned the area,  ❝ i’m assuming we’re not supposed to be here. ❞ his attention turned back to marlene as she pulled the key from around her neck to open the shed,  ❝ where’d you get that? ❞ he didn’t know why he asked, marlene seemed to always know how to get what she wanted. 

with the skates shoved in his face, he took them, lacing them up the best he could before climbing to his feet. at the statemet of being scared, odin mimicked her by making a dumb face and using his hand as a mouth before continuing to make his way towards the ice. it was a little awkward walking on hard ground, but managed to make it to the edge of the pond and step onto the ice with no issues,  ❝ yeah, i can’t do any tricks or whatever. ❞ he replied, knowing his limits when it came to abilities. pushing himself around the rink, he was able to stop and start and skate backwards, but nothing beyond that.

❝ since when did you get so good as skating? ❞ he asked, catching up to her,  ❝ like…who taught you? your parents? ❞