#super severe art block/lack of any motivation

[neuroticreno]

I PROMISED A GORIS and i shall deliver

[laesas]

About the violence ask thing:

10,17,21,9,20,4

10. worst part of fanon

Daddy Chan. Every time there is a "subtle" background ChanBig where Big "slips up" and says "Yes daddy" I literally vomit into my own mouth. If i see it again I will start chundering into envelopes and mailing them to people as I see fit.

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

Vers fics: When an author takes a "stereotypical" dynamic and plays with it, it tells me they've actually thought about the characters, their likes and dislikes and motivations. (it also says gay people like what they like during sex and it literally doesnt matter just like real life!! but that's besides the point!!).

I'm much more likely to read a ChayKim or PeteVegas oneshot *because* of an authors willingness to play around with character dynamics. I've read some outstanding PorscheKinn fics where Kinn is revealed as treating topping as the least 'gay' way to be gay (and as we learned in the very first scenes of KinnPorsche: "do you still like gelato" - being gay is treated as a weakness/thing to mock) so any exploration of being gay + sex acts as subversion/rebellion is so tasty delicious to me.

ALSO JUST KENBIG IN GENERAL. ANY ORDER. ANY TIME. THEYRE FUCKING. EVERYTHING. TO ME. OK GOOD.

21. part of canon you think is overhyped

Genuinely loathe to admit that I lost interest in Kinn x Porsche when they started being happy-clappy "in love" around episode 8-9. I apparently only love bitches with severe problems lmao.

9. worst part of canon

Other than the absolute tonal dissonance between some of the scenes (KimChay breakdown to helicopter sloppy my behated) - I think KinnPorsche completely missed a trick when it came to bodyguard deaths affecting the other bodyguards. I know I bang on about Big and Ken as my favourites, but having 2 of the highest ranking bodyguards die- one of which was a trusted traitor and one of which died protecting Porschem- affect??? noone??????? Especially when the fact that nobody mourned BIG - who died for Kinn's LOVE and for Porsche. The fact that Kinn barely mourned Big could have absolutely played a super interesting role in Pete's decision to leave. It could have sowed seeds of doubt in Porsche's trust of Kinn - and if they HAD left space for Kinn to grieve the loss of his closest bodyguard, it could have really reshaped Kinn and Porsche's whole dynamic in an interesting way.............. idk. I think it's a loose end and a poorly handled opportunity for interesting characterisation. But the extra time did make room for KinnPorsche fart jokes sooo it's fine. I'm not seething. :)

20. part of canon you found tedious or boring

I will defind Jeff Satur to the ends of the earth. BUT AND HOWEVER. I genuinely think that the direction for Kim's interactions with Chay were relatively poor and far too focused on Kim/Jeff looking pretty than like... showing genuine emotion. Barcode seemed to act rings around Jeff at times, and yet in scenes where he *was* allowed to show emotion (see bar scene and polaroid scene!!!) he fucking smashed it. But scenes like WDYS at the end lacked emotional depth because the production was too worried about Jeff looking good on camera for a music video clip rather than the emotional payoff of the scene...

I also think KimChay could/SHOULD have absolutely been lesbians. There's something so fucking lesbian about KimChay I could cry. I nominate Silvy Pavida as Kim and Fah Yongwaree as Chay. but that's just my lesbian opinion.

4. what was the last straw that made you finally block that annoying person?

fdhjkhsknhdajksh GOD. I honestly don't block all that often. I hate to end on an actually sour note but - just people treating the Build situation as "tea" or "entertainment" or "hashtag drama" when like...... it was just so serious to me. idk. I definitely blocked a few people that I personally think handled that badly.

That said while I generally dont block often, I did block someone yesterday for blazing stranger things fanfiction with no readmore onto my dashboard. It was like 6k+. It was just quicker to scroll up and block than get to the bottom of it haha

THANK U FOR ASKING ANON ILY

🔥 The Choose Violence Ask Game 🔥

send me some here 💌

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 114

Episode: Futari wa Precure Splash Star 16 - “Dreams, Hopes, and Kenta’s Worries!” Date watched: 20 April 2019 Original air date: 21 May 2006 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/9tLWpZb Project info and master list of posts: http://tinyurl.com/PCDabout

Kenta overhears Avengers: Endgame spoilers

I’m not sure if Splash Star is a bit more on-the-nose with its life lessons than FW/MH were, or if I’m just more acclimated than I was when watching those seasons, but this is another episode with a very clear moral theme, and also parallels to an episode of Max Heart... and a conclusion that almost (almost) undercuts the whole thing.

Kenta is in a bit of a slump, and after some pressing from Saki, he admits that he overheard his parents having a conversation that seems to be about how they want him to take over running the boat rental shop eventually. He takes this to mean that they don’t really believe in or care about his dream of being a professional comedian, and he’s not sure what to do next. Mai mentions that her brother’s dream is to become an astronaut, which her whole family found silly at first, but when they realized he was serious, they decided to support him fully. Kenta is unconvinced, so Saki suggests they all go to Mai’s place after school and talk to Kazuya directly. Meanwhile, the Kiryuu sisters are eerily standing behind a door, listening to all of this, confused about the concept of pursuing dreams.

creepers gonna creep

Kenta doesn’t see any value in this, convinced that his dream is over and his parents don’t care, but Saki drags him along to Mai’s house anyway.

that wasn’t hyperbole, she literally drags him

The talk with Kazuya is less inspiring than they might have hoped, as he admits that his dream may not come true, but he’s got to work for it or it will definitely never come true. Kenta is still not very convinced and goes home to ruminate on it.

The next day at school, he’s still feeling down, and Saki calls him out on this. They argue for a minute and he says he’s already given up on his dream before storming off. Michiru speaks up from behind a surprised Saki to ask if she thinks dreams are really that important, because the twins don’t think they are. Kaoru starts to speak up about her own dream....

homework, sports, world destruction, you know, the usual.

You may have noticed Dorodoron creeping in the background of that shot as well. He did not go unnoticed by the sisters, and after Saki walks off he talks with the two of them and asks that they not get in his way today, as he has his own dream.... to defeat the Precure and become Akudaikaan’s right hand man.

((doubt))

Saki isn’t letting Kenta’s depression get her down though, and she goes to an extra training session after softball practice and works her heart out. Mai similarly decides to live in the moment and put her all into her drawing at the art club. Kenta watches the softball practice and cheers on Saki, starting to reconsider her words. Saki’s training is interrupted by Dorodoron of course, who has an Uzainaa made out of pipes that shoots mud. Saki is angry at him for interrupting when she was trying her hardest, which he responds to with scorn. Mai quickly appears and the pair transform. Without missing a beat, the monster shoots mudballs at them, which they block with their spirit power but are visibly weakened. Dorodoron taunts them, since he chose this time to attack thinking Saki would be weak after expending all her energy in practice. (That’s actually smart!) Unfortunately for him, he’s just pissed the girls off, and they respond that nothing is impossible for them if they never give up! Then they knock the Uzainaa on its ass before blowing it away with Twin Stream Splash. At least he tried!

After the dust settles, Saki wakes up a sleeping Kenta and he admits that watching Saki practice has reinvigorated his interest, and he vows to take the first step towards his dream that day. Saki and Mai follow him home, where he confesses to his parents that he really wants to be a comedian and he can’t take over their shop. They’re confused, because they never had any doubts about his future or any expectation that he would take over the business, and it turns out the conversation he overheard was about them leaving for a weekend vacation, where he’d be needed to man the shop, but not a permanent takeover. Oops.

MECHOKKU - wait am I allowed to say that this early?

The trio go out on the dock to absorb this information, which mainly consists of Kenta moping while Saki and Mai can’t stop laughing at his misunderstanding.

He does say, though, that this has set him on his path, and tomorrow at school he’ll take his first step toward his dream.

The next day, the two friends are wondering what Kenta’s “first step” could be as they arrive to see a crowd of students around the entrance to the school.

It turns out Kenta is in the middle, recruiting for his new Comedy Club! He makes some absolutely terrible jokes and the episode ends on a still of him laughing.

Obviously, the theme of this episode is pursuing your dreams, no matter what, and hey, even the villain gets in on it!

I can list several reasons that’s not likely to happen

They touch on a point Max Heart once made that you don’t have to know exactly where you want your life to go, just pursue your interests right now. Mai’s brother Kazuya is, as usual, a dispensary of good advice on the subject, and it’s always pleasant to see him. Maybe I’ve just seen too many misunderstanding plots lately, but I really don’t like the fake-out at the end where Kenta’s foks reveal that he misunderstood. At the very least, I wish they’d resolved the misunderstanding earlier, or started it later. Maybe have the episode start with Kenta struggling with comedy and thinking about giving it up, and then in the middle he overhears the conversation about him taking over which gets him in a downer mood. It was just super obvious to me, given his limited understanding of the situation and how vague the conversation he overheard was, that all was not as it seemed, and that undercut my ability to get invested in Kenta’s concerns. Self-doubt is a powerful feeling, and I’m all for it being explored, I just wish it came from a more emotionally resonant source.

This is mainly Kenta’s episode, but Saki has a large role in motivating him, intentionally or unintentionally. The episode opens with her at softball practice, doing catching in the outfield and missing a bunch of balls. The coach tells her to do extra practice after school, which is what she’s doing the following day when Dorodoron attacks. She’s not doing her best, which is why she vows to work hard at her goal of becoming a better softball player. It’s Saki’s drive and commitment that really helps encourage Kenta to talk to his parents and move forward in pursuing his comedic dreams. She also, to a lesser degree, encourages Mai’s artistry. That is Pink Precure Energy. There’s a particular scene that stuck out at me because of the tone and use of music, and that’s Saki’s after-training practice with her coach, catching balls in the outfield. It’s not a long montage, but it is  moving, and punctuated with a lovely song from the soundtrack called “Konjou, Konjou, de Konjou!” or “Spirit, Spirit, Lots of Spirit!” It’s a marching theme with drums and heavy brass and while it’s been used before in the show and will be used again, it stood out to me more in this scene than usual. It’s that perfect blend of visuals and music that just sells how hard Saki is working to improve herself, and in turn motivating Kenta. Give it a watch:

Michiru and Kaoru don’t have a lot to do in this episode, but they are fun when they appear. The shot of them eavesdropping on Saki, Mai, and Kenta’s conversation on the school balcony is visually interesting because of the use of distance. Not only is there a physical wall separating them, but they’re also a good distance down the walkway, which speaks to the amount of separation between them and the heroines, despite their apparent closeness. Also they’re cast in shadow, and I don’t think that’s just because they’re indoors.

Reading even more into it (probably too much, I don’t know how deep the symbolism goes here), the sliver of light on their faces may represent their growing curiosity about the Land of Greenery and its residents and their behaviors, and lack of loyalty to Dark Fall. In other words, it’s a sign of the light within them starting to shine. But again, maybe I’m reading too much into that. It’s fun to speculate though. Normally they would try to hatch a plot to undermine the girls’ dreams or otherwise disrupt their day, but today they stay out of it. Sure, it’s partly because Dorodoron asked them to, but they didn’t show any indication that they were going to launch an attack (or tell him what to do to get to them). Their observations of the humans and their kindness seem to be having an effect.

But also this bit is hilarious, when Saki is like “Don’t you two have dreams?” Michiru is like “not really” but Kaoru says “Yes” and Michiru just looks over at her in confusion, before she starts to say “My dream is to destroy -”

Michiru’s face is priceless and she quickly ushers Koaru away before she can reveal that they’re evil. Somehow Saki didn’t pick up anything.

There’s a few examples of really unique camera angles that I want to showcase real quick, but I don’t have much to say about them.

They all happen back to back and I’m not sure what the intent was except just to avoid the usual shot/reverse shot for this conversation with Kazuya.

Also you may notice that the characters are looking a little sloppy. The art is not up to par this episode, especially in the mid- and wide angles.

I remember reading somewhere that poor quality control on the artwork and a slow plot led to a ratings slump in the show that they never quite recovered from, even when the storyline picked up (around this part really). I’ll look more into that. The art is noticeable but not awful, and of course we’ve seen much worse. So much worse.

Never forget

I think I’ve exhausted everything I wanted to say about this episode. It’s a nice turning point for the show. Next time, Mai and her mother have a heart to heart. Look forward to it!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 0 Zekkouchou Nari. There was a “Zekkouchou” on its own, by Kenta (as part of a joke) but I’m not counting that.

Miracle Drop Count: 3

[theanoninyouraskblog]

Well, well, well.

@erasermic-aus​

Looks like henry and windy are at it again. Lets give them hell shall we.

Mmm look at that delicious hint. Alright you know the drill lets look at obvious stuff first. 

1: We’ve got a recording microphone. Specifically based on the shape it looks like we either have a condenser mic (specifically a large condenser mic) or a Ribbon microphone. Knowing what we do about Present Mic canonically (He has a radio show) we can assume this Mic also has a radio show (or a vlog, we’ll get to that later) which means he’s probably using a Ribbon Microphone given that they’re said to have the most natural sound and are usually used for recording human voices. 

But we can take this further. 

Hizashi’s Microphone is a mounted mic on stand... obviously (they help with audio quality). And he appears to have a pop filter on the front (basically it makes audio not sound like shit or in the words of an expert: “One of the simplest recording gadgets is the humble pop filter... positioned between the vocalist and your microphone to block plosives – those percussive P and B sounds that cause annoying low frequency bumps.”- a random fucking website, I did this research myself, I’m not sighting it if I don't have to.)

2: Red eyes. Now Hizashi canonically in the Bnha comics has read eyes, it was changed for the show... for atheistic reasons I guess? This isn’t some measly one off, because Windy and Henry aren’t sloppy. Lets take a look at what versions of Mic have green eyes. The mad hatter. Waiter Hizashi. That's it... there aren't that many full color pictures of hizashi with his eyes colored/open. 

But lets look at who has red eyes. God’s Abomination, specifically when it’s villain mic and hero eraser. (there's no fully colored version the other way round so I’m just sort of assuming his eyes are green when it’s hero hizashi and villain eraser, would make my job soooo much easier being able to draw that conclusion) BUT NOPE I can’t make that clear decisive cut of red means evil, because guess what... HERO MIC HAS RED EYES IN SCREECH’S AU.

But you know what we do know. 

Mic isn’t a hero. Henry told us as much. 

Odd emphasis on not there... implies he’s a villain. But we wont rule out civilian yet.

Now we get to talk about this:

Firstly, that one eye visible one eye not is a fucking trope in the art world. 

Want to know why?

Nah, I’m joking it’s been around a lot longer than him. But the glasses glare and the one eye is a very common theme. Don’t believe me?

That hiding one or both eyes on dangerous characters thing? Also a fucking trope. 

Want a list of popular anime character with only one eye showing??? I have one!! https://www.ranker.com/list/best-anime-characters-with-one-eye-showing/ranker-anime Want a whole fucking page about it? https://www.animecharactersdatabase.com/tags.php?id=1085 Here's the data base!!!

Want videogame examples? Undyne (undertale), Sans (undertale), Garry (Ib)! The list goes on!

And doing something with a character’s eyes is always a trope! Character got possessed??? Guess what you can change the eyes to clue your audience in! You’re character just went fucking feral? SLITTED PUPILS ARE THE WAY MY DUDE. Aizawa Shouta just activated his quirk? Zoom in on them eyes, change color and do a weird color fracture. 

Super powerful character has eyes flash? Totally normal, robot character’s eyes change color when scanning? One eye changes color?

Heterochromia is also super common. 

This implies that Hizashi is dangerous, since it’s not happening before a fight as far as I can tell, it just implies he’s a dangerous man and not to be messed with. 

Also remember how I mentioned vlogging? There is the off chance Hizashi is blogging and that’s why his attention isn't on his microphone. Or he could be looking at photos,  or something... maybe a kidnapped and tied up Aizawa... who knows. 

3: Now lets look at that dialog. 

“He was amazing!” We can infer that the he in this situation is probably Aizawa... though it could technically be anyone. But we’re going to stick with Aizawa. 

He was amazing? Well sounds a bit like Hizashi talking about Hero Aizawa, having seen Aizawa on patrol or even having fought him. One this is for sure, this is probably an obsessive mic. The sort that fixates on Aizawa or the like. Seems to me like a villain obsessing over a hero. Now, subtler details. 

1: Lets take a look at this background. That’s glass right there which means this isn't Hizashi’s house, this is a recording studio. And Hizashi is either the host or is being interviewed, and we can rule that out due to the fact his feet are up and it’s fucking rude to do that if your being interviewed. 

Now this could also be a police interrogation room, but the chair lends to it not being so, as does his posture and the mic itself. No this is a recording studio which means Mic defiantly has his own show.

Not only that, he’s a public figure. And probably a villain!

2: Hand guestures are something distinctly Hizashi. As someone who speaks with their hands the same way he does, expressing with hands isn’t just a thing for other people, you move your hands by yourself, reminding yourself to put on socks with motions, etc. But that, that's an odly specific position. 

Now talking with your hands is a common phenomena, books have been written about it, it allegedly conveys strong leadership and the like... however it’s also a trait sociopaths and psychopath are known to mimic in order to endear people to them. Now let me put up a sociopath/psycopath checklist (The tests are very similar and I didnt feel like doing both) and lets look at Present Mic as a character.

GLIB and SUPERFICIAL CHARM — The tendency to be smooth, engaging, charming, slick, and verbally facile. Psychopathic charm is not in the least shy, self-conscious, or afraid to say anything.  A psychopath never gets tongue-tied. They have freed themselves from the social conventions about taking turns in talking, for example. ✓ Hey, look Charm? Never gets tongue tied... hmmm

GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH — A grossly inflated view of one’s abilities and self-worth, self-assured, opinionated, cocky, a braggart. Psychopaths are arrogant people who believe they are superior human beings. ✓ This one is a little harder to check off, because he’s not nearly as self centered, but cocky? yeah... yep, so he gets half a point here.

NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM — An excessive need for novel, thrilling, and exciting stimulation; taking chances and doing things that are risky. Psychopaths often have low self-discipline in carrying tasks through to completion because they get bored easily. They fail to work at the same job for any length of time, for example, or to finish tasks that they consider dull or routine. ✓ I dunno if you’ve met Hizashi, but this fits in rather well.

PATHOLOGICAL LYING — Can be moderate or high; in moderate form, they will be shrewd, crafty, cunning, sly, and clever; in extreme form, they will be deceptive, deceitful, underhanded, unscrupulous, manipulative, and dishonest. ✓ If he’s a villain he checks this easily. Especially if he’s a public figure AND a villain. 

CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS — The use of deceit and deception to cheat, con, or defraud others for personal gain; distinguished from Item #4 in the degree to which exploitation and callous ruthlessness is present, as reflected in a lack of concern for the feelings and suffering of one’s victims. ✓ See above

LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT — A lack of feelings or concern for the losses, pain, and suffering of victims; a tendency to be unconcerned, dispassionate, cold-hearted, and non-empathic. This item is usually demonstrated by a disdain for one’s victims. Ehhh… I really need to see more of this version of Hizashi to determine that. 

SHALLOW AFFECT — Emotional poverty or a limited range or depth of feelings; interpersonal coldness in spite of signs of open See above.

CALLOUSNESS and LACK OF EMPATHY — A lack of feelings toward people in general; cold, contemptuous, inconsiderate, and tactless. Once again see above

PARASITIC LIFESTYLE — An intentional, manipulative, selfish, and exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of motivation, low self-discipline, and inability to begin or complete responsibilities. Nope.

POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS — Expressions of irritability, annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse; inadequate control of anger and temper; acting hastily. ✓ Acting hastily? Yep.

PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR — A variety of brief, superficial relations, numerous affairs, and an indiscriminate selection of sexual partners; the maintenance of several relationships at the same time; a history of attempts to sexually coerce others into sexual activity or taking great pride at discussing sexual exploits or conquests. Cannonically this would make sense but we wont check it.

EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS — A variety of behaviors prior to age 13, including lying, theft, cheating, vandalism, bullying, sexual activity, fire-setting, glue-sniffing, alcohol use, and running away from home. Dunno yet.

LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS — An inability or persistent failure to develop and execute long-term plans and goals; a nomadic existence, aimless, lacking direction in life. This man wanted to be a radio host. That's not a fucking stable job Hizashi. This is poor planning. ✓

IMPULSIVITY — The occurrence of behaviors that are unpremeditated and lack reflection or planning; inability to resist temptation, frustrations, and urges; a lack of deliberation without considering the consequences; foolhardy, rash, unpredictable, erratic, and reckless. ✓ No duh

IRRESPONSIBILITY — Repeated failure to fulfill or honor obligations and commitments; such as not paying bills, defaulting on loans, performing sloppy work, being absent or late to work, failing to honor contractual agreements. ✓ if He’s a fucking villain.

FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS — A failure to accept responsibility for one’s actions reflected in low conscientiousness, an absence of dutifulness, antagonistic manipulation, denial of responsibility, and an effort to manipulate others through this denial. ✓ if He’s a fucking villain.

MANY SHORT-TERM MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS — A lack of commitment to a long-term relationship reflected in inconsistent, undependable, and unreliable commitments in life, including marital. Nope

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY — Behavior problems between the ages of 13-18; mostly behaviors that are crimes or clearly involve aspects of antagonism, exploitation, aggression, manipulation, or a callous, ruthless tough-mindedness. Dunno yet

REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE — A revocation of probation or other conditional releases due to technical violations, such as carelessness, low deliberation, or failing to appear. Dunno yet

CRIMINAL VERSATILITY — A diversity of types of criminal offenses, regardless if the person has been arrested or convicted for them; taking great pride at getting away with crimes. …..✓

Let me spell this out for you, Hizashi is displaying an oddly exaggerated handmotion, even for the most exuberant of hand talkers. (Generaly talking with your hands never gets outside of a box, here I’ve drawn the box on mic for you.)

The larger box is where most people talk and people why are shy or have been bullied/are self conscious of their hands talk in the smaller box. 

He as a character ticks of most of a psychopathic checklist and if he is indeed a psychopath he could have learned that hand motion endear people to you. Now I’m not saying he is a psychopath, most people tick off at least 4 of those boxes, I’m just saying it’s possible. 

3 yep that eye is still confusing me, he defiantly seems like he’s looking at something and the more I look at that smug expression the more I think it’s Aizawa tied up and gagged in a chair with his own capture weapon glaring at him.

4: That's a nice chair. That's a nice chair. Not interrogation I guess. But something about that chair irks me. 

Alright nitpicky now. 

Posture:

That's not fucking relaxed posture. That’s posturing to give of the air of being relaxed. Mic may have been relaxed when he crossed his legs but those arms are not relaxed. Look at the stiff angles. That’s a man who’s up to something. 

And lastly, no, no I could not figure out what kind of shoes Mic is wearing, and I don't think it’s relevant.

[sapphicbookclub]

Author Spotlight - K.F. Bradshaw

Today I’m excited to spotlight K.F. Bradshaw, the author of Enchanters (which was also Sapphic Book Club's October book of the month). Check out  her post to learn a bit more about her writing process as well as some fun tidbits on how the Enchanters came to be!

Guest Post by K.F. Bradshaw

If you told me three years ago that Enchanters would be A Thing™, I’m not sure I would have believed you. In fact, Damea as a setting was something I began working on wayyyyy back in 2001 (okay, to me, this wasn’t that long ago!). There were dragons, elves, way too many prophecies - and magic was anything but scarce. I figured it would be a fun homebrew setting for a tabletop game or maybe even a video game and wrote a few (terrible) stories around it.

Fast forward to 2014. My fiancée (now wife) and I were driving home from a weekend vacation and the topic came up. I had put Damea to rest for a bit, but admitted to my fiancée that I would love to see something come out of it. Being an experienced DM and campaign creator herself, she suggested I sit down and start outlining to see where it went. It ended up taking several months, but eventually I reinvented the setting - keeping only a few things from its original concept - and had the outline of what would eventually be Enchanters.

The outline included detailed points of the plot and subplots as well as a codex for the setting, history, and characters. Things like “Who is the ruling family of the Azgadaran Empire?” or “When did the Second Era begin?” and “Where are all the regions in relation to each other?” all had to be thought out. Some of the main characters were there from the start while others were added to the codex much later.  Things like names, dates, places, cultures, and even characters were in flux for a while. Kye actually began his concept as a her; Azgadar was called the “Imperial City”; and Elisa wasn’t even a character until very late in the outlining. Even the map of Damea went through several revisions before the sketch was given to the artist – I worked with my wife, who studies geology and geography, to make sure that things such as climate, distance, and other geographical characteristics made sense.

Writing Enchanters was hard. I had written scripts, composed music, and designed cinematics for video games and film, but writing a book was a completely different animal. The original plan was for Enchanters to be a novella – each page would be accompanied with art. But the scope of the story (and the overall project) was far too large for such an undertaking, and so I made the decision to develop it into a novel.

After a shaky start, a rhythm was established. I tried to write every day. Some days the words came easily, other days I wanted to throw the thing in the recycle bin. My own characters would frustrate me sometimes (I went through a period where I despised having to write Andrea, seriously). I wrote chronologically as it made sense to do so at the time, but around 50,000 words I hit a block that would last several months. I started this project because I wanted to write a story that was immersive and entertaining for others while incorporating some of the traits I felt were lacking in most fantasy works I knew at the time. I also wanted to write a story that as a reader, I would have enjoyed reading. But at this point, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to finish it and there was still such a long way to go in the entire process that I began to doubt whether it was even worth finishing.

After months of not writing, I finally sat down one day and looked over the manuscript and my notes (a giant OneNote notebook). I tore out major pieces and started outlining again. I skipped ahead and began writing out of order as a way of moving past the writer’s block, going back later to bridge the gaps. I also decided the story would best be told as a trilogy. I began writing every day again, on a variety of devices – even my phone – and wherever I could sit down long enough to access a keyboard (home, train, during work breaks, during dinner). I even took screenshots whenever I hit a word count milestone. Quality over quantity was important, of course, but it was still motivational and kept me going.

In 2016 I finished the first draft. It wasn’t perfect, had a lot of issues (hell, it still has some but what book doesn’t?), but I had finished it. Several months and many stages of editing later, the book released in March of 2017 in e-book and hardback (the paperback would come later). And as proud as I was of it, when I sat down to start detailed outlining for Conduit, I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me on both a storytelling and technical level. That didn’t really bother me as I’m very challenge-oriented, and if improving in both areas resulted in a more enjoyable book, who was I to argue?

The good news was that the characters and world had been introduced already, which meant more opportunities to develop them in the upcoming books. Every character has a section of the codex dedicated to them. However, not all the details were super polished at the start of writing – which meant the characters developed organically as I wrote Enchanters. What’s nice about this is that I got to know my own characters through writing them, which for me was far easier and less frustrating than staring at a bullet point list of their traits and trying to somehow work that list into the story.

And so, here we are. Conduit is progressing nicely. The writing process feels more consistent than Enchanters ever did. The pacing, writing mechanics, world building, character development – it all feels better. And Conduit isn’t the only thing being worked on – there are at least 3 other Enchanters-related projects that are in progress (and they are all really cool).

It’s been kind of a wild year, and this entire experience helped bring to light a truth that I will freely admit was difficult for me to accept. As an author/content creator/person/robot, I cannot possibly please everyone, and that is okay. My original goal remains the same and it’s incredible to know that there are readers who support me in reaching that goal - whose mail, notes, asks, and suggestions have been more inspiring and motivational than any word count screenshot could ever be. :)

So, to those individuals: thank you. Andrea is still frustrating to write sometimes, but I promise Conduit won’t take three years.

-  Kat

(this little guy helped out, too)

Follow K.F. Bradshaw on social media: Twitter - Tumblr - Website

Get your own copy of Enchanters here!

[mikeevanhopson]

The Ideal PSP Multiplayer Games - Pick the most effective Video clip Video game for yor Children

Review our full testimonial of Extreme Journey 2 here. Severe Trip 2 is an unlimited 2D automobile racing game in which you need to race versus time by executing stunts. Playing the current installment in a significant video gaming franchise business like Madden, Grand Theft Auto or Last Dream makes it very easy to get hooked on the tale, style and also general idea behind the video game. For those of you who do not yet grasp the art of driving a race cars and truck the NASCAR racing game comes total with a tutorial by Kenny Wallace himself that gets you prepared to go behind the wheel. You should note that this video game is just usable on non touch devices/ with a connected key-board. What makes it sticks out from the crowd is that it even operates on lower end Windows 10 devices without any exterior graphics card under the hood with piece de resistance. How to Choose Video Games for Kids The graphics of the video game are excellent, and also the controls are straightforward - all you have to do is to pull the equipment change lever up or down depending upon your rate to shift the prepare or down. The video game is light-weight as well, and is certainly worth your download if you are searching for a video game which offers car racing with an extremely customizable experience. The game is mission oriented and also is quite light-weight and also well brightened all around. It collaborates with Windows 8 and 8.1 too. Well I make sure if you have games you most likely beat them quick with the help of cheat sheets, yet with on-line computer game shops you can defeat more and pay much less! Almost every little thing can be fine-tuned, from positioning or getting rid of anything on the HUD to exactly where you prefer it to a ridiculously scalable AI that let's you slide the problem from 0-100 until you have actually called in the excellent digital challenger. While various other racers often tend to have the exact same attributes, Task CARS let's you change a range of UI and also race setups prior to every race. The puzzle-focused video games in the Portal collection may lack the clue-collecting and range of puzzles that Myst offers, however still is worthy of addition on this checklist just for its impressive physics-based puzzles and also dark humour. An Excellent Suit For: Followers of fast-moving action video games like Evil one May Cry and also, well, the initial Bayonetta. The game has different controls for performing numerous feats, and also therefore produces a good way to kill some time when you have nothing on your hands. These benefit your lady. Undoubtedly a few of these are a provided like that of Lara Croft and others? The game takes you via various surfaces like desert, yard etc. The vehicles can be opened and brand-new autos can be made use of for better efficiency. If you have actually got a PS4 with a PlayStation VR headset, basically every one of the game can be played in online truth, which has to be just one of one of the most immersive auto racing experiences on console today. This game is a fairly new kid on the block, however trust me, it's rather amazing. Control has been taken over by an otherworldly risk as well as it depends on you and also your newly found powers to solve the trouble. It's based upon drag racing idea where you require to change the gears at the appropriate time to accomplish a best equipment shift, which will assist you in crossing the finish line much faster. The game is devised around a plan where you require to move gears at the proper time to go across the finish line first (which is the concept of drag racing). Yes, this is one of the most one-of-a-kind game in car parking globe. This is an action role-playing computer game that happens in a post-apocalyptic globe that is swamped with vampires. There is, naturally lots of research that go into whether video games cause aggressive behavior. Women aren't as stupid as they look, as well as here I will explain the way to successfully play computer game with girls, helping you save hours of asking, and from doing the dreadful things they like to waste their life doing. A couple of that are recommended to play are Drift Racer, Drift Revolution and also Super Wander 3D. All games are easily located using your favorite online search engine! You see, this is what I'm discussing when I ramble on regarding consistency, as Namco is STILL draining hits, with Tekken, Soulcalibur and also Time Dilemma simply being a few of their latest offerings. Among minority video games that does not make me angry. You could generate added lights to make it added brilliant as well as enjoyable. Keeping an eye on timelines may be complicated, yet the characters' motivations never were. The game has extreme graphics which look extremely practical and lots of tracks to be picked from. Tracks are originally secured as well as get opened when you complete the previous tracks. The even more you take into Super Mario Run, the a lot more you'll leave it. I definitely suggest that you take a look at this game! Multiplayer mode matches you with arbitrary gamers online, whereas solitary gamer setting has unlockable 60 degrees, out of which originally only the very first level is unlocked, but succeeding ones obtain opened as and also when the previous ones are finished.

[sufiandallo]

The Most Effective PSP Multiplayer Gamings - Select the Best Video Game for yor Kids

Read our complete testimonial of Extreme Trip 2 right here. Severe Trip 2 is a countless 2D automobile racing game in which you need to race against time by executing stunts. Playing the current installation in a major pc gaming franchise like Madden, Grand Theft Auto or Final Fantasy makes it very easy to get connected on the story, style and basic idea behind the game. For those of you that do not yet grasp the art of driving a race vehicle the NASCAR racing game comes full with a tutorial by Kenny Wallace himself that obtains you all set to go behind the wheel. You should note that this game is only usable on non touch gadgets/ with a connected key-board. What makes it attracts attention from the crowd is that it even runs on lower end Windows 10 devices without any exterior graphics card under the hood with great performance. How to Choose Video Games for Kids The graphics of the video game are fantastic, as well as the controls are easy - all you need to do is to draw the gear shift lever up or down relying on your rate to move the get ready or down. The game is lightweight too, and also is undoubtedly worth your download if you are searching for a video game which supplies automobile racing with a very personalized experience. The game is objective oriented as well as is rather light-weight as well as well polished all over. It works with Windows 8 as well as 8.1 also. Well I make certain if you have games you probably defeated them quick with the aid of rip off sheets, but with on-line video game shops you can defeat even more and pay less! Nearly every little thing can be tweaked, from positioning or removing anything on the HUD to precisely where you prefer it to a ridiculously scalable AI that allowed's you move the trouble from 0-100 until you have actually called in the excellent digital opponent. While other racers tend to have the same features, Project CARS let's you readjust a selection of UI as well as race setups prior to every race. The puzzle-focused games in the Portal series might lack the clue-collecting and also range of challenges that Myst deals, but still is worthy of addition on this checklist just for its fantastic physics-based puzzles and dark humour. A Good Suit For: Followers of fast-moving action games like Evil one May Cry and also, well, the first Bayonetta. The video game has separate controls for carrying out numerous stunts, and therefore produces a good way to eliminate a long time when you have absolutely nothing on your hands. These are good for your girl. Certainly a few of these are a provided like that of Lara Croft as well as others? The video game takes you through various surfaces like desert, turf and so on. The vehicles can be unlocked and also new vehicles can be utilized for better efficiency. If you've got a PS4 with a PlayStation Virtual Reality headset, virtually every one of the game can be played in digital truth, which needs to be among the most immersive racing experiences on console today. This video game is a fairly new kid on the block, yet believe me, it's pretty incredible. Control has actually been taken control of by a transcendent danger as well as it's up to you and your newfound powers to address the problem. It's based upon drag auto racing idea where you require to shift the gears at the appropriate time to achieve an excellent equipment shift, which will certainly assist you in going across the finish line much faster. The video game is developed around a plan where you need to change equipments at the appropriate time to cross the finish line first (which is the concept of drag racing). Yes, this is the most special game in parking world. This is an action role-playing computer game that occurs in a post-apocalyptic world that is swamped with vampires. There is, certainly lots of research study that enter into whether video games trigger hostile habits. Ladies aren't as foolish as they look, as well as here I will certainly explain the method to properly play computer game with ladies, assisting you conserve hrs of asking, and from doing the terrible points they such as to squander their life doing. A few that are suggested to play are Drift Racer, Drift Change and Super Drift 3D. All games are easily found using your favored online search engine! You see, this is what I'm discussing when I babble on concerning uniformity, as Namco is STILL draining hits, with Tekken, Soulcalibur as well as Time Dilemma simply being a few of their latest offerings. Among minority video games that does not make me mad. You might bring in extra lamps to make it added bright and fun. Keeping tracks of timelines may be complicated, but the personalities' motivations never were. The game has extreme graphics which look really sensible and tons of tracks to be selected from. Tracks are at first locked and also get unlocked when you complete the previous tracks. The more you take into Super Mario Run, the extra you'll get out of it. I definitely advise that you check out this video game! Multiplayer setting matches you with arbitrary players online, whereas solitary player setting has unlockable 60 degrees, out of which originally only the very first degree is opened, yet subsequent ones get unlocked as and when the previous ones are finished.

[lovehaswonangelnumbers]

New Post has been published on https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/new-moon-february-2019-under-the-radar/

New Moon February 2019 ~ Under The Radar

New Moon February 2019 ~ Under The Radar

 BY MARINA

The new moon 4 February 2019, falls at 15º Aquarius decan 2. This new moon is the focal point of an eye aspect pattern which triggers one of the big aspects of the year Saturn sextile Neptune. It also aligns with Alnair, a watchful kind of star that falls in the constellation of the Crane.

The New Moon is quite a gipsy here in Aquarius decan 2 and feels quite isolated in the domicile of Saturn. Because of this, this new Moon will make us grow up very quickly if we have been clinging to redundant childhood behaviour patterns. The Moon in this decan forces us into emotional independence. This is a good position for the mind and imagination since Mercury rules this decan, but we may find it difficult to listen to the body at this time.

New Moon February 2019 Astrology

The New Moon February 2019 astrology tends to make us distrust our gut feelingsand instead rationalize every problem that comes to us. This can lead to health problems if we continually ignore the bodies’ aches and pains. There is a tendency to carry on stoically, pushing through the pain body in order to look after someone who appears to be more in need. Those touched by this new moon could find themselves playing the martyr in relationships. However, we can express our feelings very well through art and poetry at this new moon, even if actually talking about those feelings is difficult.

Austin Coppock calls Aquarius decan 2 ‘Heaven & Earth’ because it is about bridging the gap between them. This means that at this new moon we can sometimes feel in a state of limbo. “The natives strive to be emotionally independent but may suffer from a lack of support and feeling of alienation…. Many have a detached, philosophical disposition” he also agrees that “The lunar position supports the mind, but often at the cost of the body”[1]

New Moon February Star ~ Alnair

Not much is written about the constellation of the crane. It is very small, but its main star Alnair has a “retiring, active, proud, watchful, kind, idealistic and devoted nature, with a liking for astronomy.” There are many other stars in the crane in this decan and also one in the microscope, which brings out the geeky tendencies of this decan. The observing qualities make it fit very well into the eye aspect pattern particularly since it is right at the focal point of the triangle.

  NEW MOON MEANING

New Moons tend to make us want to plant new seeds and start afresh. But we are essentially working blind, however, without the illumination of the Sun’s wisdom. With a New Moon, we are working 100% on our instincts, so any decisions made at this time will be from habitual drives and infantile cravings which may not be in our best interests. We should listen to our body. The more we tune into our guts, the more we can tell the difference between a wounded ancestor who is crying out for attention and a genuine gut-feeling that is one’s trusted intuition.

Otherwise, discernment is needed, because the guidance of the Sun (the light of truth) is missing at the new Moon and one may easily be hoodwinked. A new moon can work powerful manifestation magic because the Moon is furthest from the earth and this frees the imagination from material limits. Thought-seeds planted at the New Moon will grow, so be careful what you wish for! A Solar Eclipse is like a really powerful reboot. The blinding light of the Sun is blocked for just enough time to get a new perspective. It is mind-altering and refreshing, but it can turn your world upside down too.

The quick summary version for those in a hurry!

New Moon February 2019 Aspects

Moon sextile Jupiter is a beautiful blossom of an aspect that seems to breed writers of song or word in particular since Jupiter rules publishing. The imagination is expansive and pioneering, inspired by overseas or inner travel. This aspect support roots though, no matter how far afield they voyage. Moon sextile Jupiter can fall into success by chance, being at the right place at the right time. There can be a dark side to this aspect, however, when the combination of Jupiter licentiousness and lunar bad habits can spill over into drug or sexual abuse, either given or received.

The New Moon February 2019 ~ Eye Aspect Pattern

This is one of the aspect patterns recognized by the Huber school; “The eye flexibility, inquisitiveness and alertness produce a state of concentrated attention. The area of this aspect figure, information is sought, everything is observed in detail, nothing escapes the ‘Eagle eye’.

The eye can also be compared with a radar screen, which rotates to take in all sides, scans the surroundings and records everything it comes across.” So this eye can work in two different ways. Focusing on a very small sphere of interest or with a wider lens as with the radar screen. The way that the eye works depends on what planets are involved. Here we have Neptune which is more diffuse, while Saturn is more discriminating.

Taking all factors into account then you could say this particular eye works more like the radar screen. The Hubers say “The aspect figure can pick up things that are not visible as if it was a rotating radar screen producing parapsychological abilities like clairvoyance, clairaudience or clairsentience, especially of spiritual planets are involved” Well, in this case, they certainly are. They go on to say “A deeper insight into motivations and life patterns can be gained. Several sides of all issues are taken in mainly unconsciously so that they see more than the normal perception allows; it is something like an “instinctive intuition” [2]

New Moon February 2019 Tarot Card ~ 6 Of Swords

The tarot card associated with this decan is the six of swords which is about moving on and finding a safe harbour. Karmically this suggests that you are moving away from more turbulent lifetimes to one that is more stable. There is also a feeling of being protected

“The Figure steering the boat in the Six of Swords is often symbolic of a Spirit Guide or Guardian Angel who stays close to you during times of trouble, comforting and guiding you through dark times.” ~ teachmetarot

This card may also indicate that this life is one of many travels where you are searching for your spiritual home because you are not quite rooted in that which was your place of birth. It is interesting that this card features water when there are so many aquatic and riverside animals associated with this decan of Aquarius.

Saturn Sextile Neptune Triggered!

The Moon falls on the midpoint of 2019’s important aspect, Saturn sextile Neptune.These two planets are also super powerful as they are placed in their own signs.“Saturn sextile Neptune is serious about religion and spirituality. This as an aspect that also takes organic, practical steps towards health and medicine. Ideally, this soft aspect can bring out the best in two planets that can be melancholic and deceptive otherwise. These planets work well when Saturn provides the structure and realism to the dreams of Neptune. It also makes one sensible about future plans and gives you the ability to defer gratification.

Those touched by this new moon should find the patience to see a project through to the very end, no matter what obstacles fall in your path. Patience is probably one of its biggest gifts. Saturn can turn Neptune into a bit of a martyr at times, but this sweet sextile can do much to avert the misuse of this energy. Creative projects have the much-needed self-sacrifice and prudence to have them crystalise into a form that is not self-indulgent or ego-driven.”

The 2nd Face Of Aquarius

“A man who looks like a king, who permits much to himself and abhors what he sees. This is a face of beauty and position, having what is desired, completion, detriment, and debility” ~ Picatrix

New Moon February 2019 ~ Summary

The themes of this new moon include travel by water but also doing that without falling under the radar. Of course, in recent years the subject of immigration has become one of the biggest issues of our times. In my opinion, this is how WW3 is being played out in the collective. Now, more than ever, there is a watchful eye on what the gaslighting media are up too with the realisation that the majority are propaganda machines and working against the ‘populists’ ie. Normal people.

The image of the face of Aquarius decan 2 speaks of a King who abhors what he sees. The verse is quite a confusing and contradictory one, much like what is occurring in the world today. A lot of red-pilled healers and gnostics now find themselves trying to share ‘forbidden’ information while also trying to cloak their words so they do not appear on the censor’s radar.

In our personal lives, this is a fantastic new moon to concentrate on projects that are dearest to our heart. We will have the willpower to see them through no matter how much the odds may feel stacked against us. Connecting to the intelligence of the Universe and getting your programmed-self out of the way of your higher-self will be easier at this time. We could look at this eye aspect pattern as functioning as a third eye.

Jo Dispensa in this book ‘Becoming Supernatural’ actually refers to this ‘eye’ as being the first eye which makes it more important, but I prefer the 3rd eye concept because of the number three and it being part of a triad. Like all triple gods and goddesses, it shows nature’s cycle and connects sky-eye to earth. This also fits quite well with Aquarius decan 2’s meaning and the name given to it by Austin Coppock. ‘Heaven & Earth’. Saturn sextile Neptune also does a great job of marrying mysticism with science too. At this new moon our body and intuition will speak to us very loudly, so listen to it!

New Moon February Healing Crystal ~ Nuummite

I chose Nuummite because it is great for forming that bridge between the 3rd eye and the grounding earth. ” Nuummite has very string wild-nature energies which gives it its fiercely protective powers…It is a great antidote to urban living that blunts the instincts and can bring over-reliance on technology… Hold in the center of your forehead to send a blast of nature energy down towards your feet, and it will bounce up again” [3]

“Nuummite, the Sorcerer’s Stone, draws from the fiery energies of ancient Earth and combines with the elements of Storm. Black as midnight shadows on moonlit water, this talisman shimmers with mystical gold light, lifting the murky to see what lies beneath. It is a stone of personal magic, increasing the frequency of synchronicities and luck, clairvoyance and intuition, and for those evolved enough to work with its intensity, it allows for journeying deep into the personal psyche, offering a clear vision of one’s true Self. It helps to release energies trapped in the subconscious and brings the gift of inner power, healing, and self-mastery.” ~ crystalvaults.com

~~~~~~~~~

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[rubyleeray]

Several Shades of Sadism Game & Routes Review

This is something a bit different for me but I always look for these before I start a game/route, so I hope this will be informative/helpful to someone else! 

Game Overall - The game overall is really fun and one of my favourites for sure! It operates much like every other Arithmetic game but you can really tell they put a lot more into this one. The addition of the voice actors is really cute and interacting with them multiple times a day made me very giddy (the voice actor for Minami is the same as Yuri from Yuri on Ice!!!). This game has everything I look for when deciding if I love a game and whether or not I recommend it to others. Those being: 1. Good Stories/Plot - Absolutely! There is a great mix and variety of funny and devastating moments with real relevant issues being addressed at times. I looked forward to my 5 tickets every day and there were several occasions where I spent because the cliff hangers were too intense! I just had to know what happened next!

2. Good MC - with the exception of Murayama’s and Minami’s MC - This MC is one of the best I’ve ever played! 

3. Interesting/Hot Guys - Yessss! The art in this game is amazing! Every guy (even the evil dad!) is gorgeous. I will say that the secondary sprites are just blue and pink outlines and that seems like a waste opportunity. 

4. Sex? -  I’m not shallow enough to say this makes or breaks a game for me, but as an adult playing a game with adult love interests, this matters to me. Yes there is sex, but only with some characters in their main story (Event stories differ in that they often feature sex with every character).  I’ll tell you below who has sex in each route description because that’s something that helps influence my spending.

5. Can I have a good time if I don’t spend any money/Will they force me to spend/make me wait weeks to progress? - Absolutely you can have a great time and achieve all endings without spending money! I played 3 full routes before I decided to spend money and the money I spent was on story tickets and an event after ending. As for having to build up free cash/experience/skill points for road blocks - it happens very easily and as long as you do it at least once a day you should never have to wait long to advance past checkpoints. 

TLDR - You need to play this game! It’s so well written and fun! You’ll find the perfect mix of romance, comedy, angst, and sex within this game but the best part is the MC who feels refreshingly modern and truly representative of a young woman of this time. There are other incentives like generous daily logins and frequent events that aren’t impossible to full clear without spending so you really feel valued as a player and a person. I highly suggest starting with Chiaki or Mei and then moving onto the others.The game is alive and well and new routes are still being released. 

Full breakdown of each guy and route spoilers below!

The MC - The MC is what made me fall in love with the game. She is HILARIOUS and she has motivations and dreams of her own. She is still my favourite MC ever despite her behaviour in Minami’s route ( much more on that later). She is just a super funny, goal oriented, mature (for the most part but aren’t we all) woman who speaks her mind and isn’t afraid to put the men in their place. I felt like she was a good representation of a real woman in an otome game. 

In order of release:

Chiaki Kira Route

- Chiaki was my first route! I chose him based on appearance alone really - Tall, dark, handsome - giving off real Jumin Han vibes you know? Chiaki is an adorable lazy idiot who says offensive things but is really sweet. He will also give you lots of attention which is something I look forward to! His route is very similar to Jumin’s in the sense that it centres around his resentment of his father but it’s a good story that really develops a good relationship between Chiaki and the MC. Sex? Unfortunately not but it’s still super cute! In the happy end they have confessed their love and are finally able to give themselves to each other fully. (The ending CG involves Chiaki climbing on top of you telling you he loves you and asking you to not give him blue balls lmao).

Sequel to Chiaki - This is a real fire & ice route. When it’s hot, it’s very hot! But when it’s cold, it’s freezing! This route suffers from the typical MC doesn’t speak up when she’s depressed and being bullied which drives a wedge in her relationship. Chiaki isn’t exactly innocent here, he can be a total dick when times get tough but the route overall is great and the ending CGs are GORGEOUS! Use your gacha tickets on his epilogue... a CG of Chiaki wearing a wedding ring as he licks your wrist? GIRL I’VE GOT THE VAPORS! 

Pick Chiaki if you love attention, romance, and a witty/sassy relationship between love interests. (Think of characters from other games like SLBP’s Nobunaga, MM Jumin + Zen, TCC Claude, Ikemen Nobunaga + Masamune)

Toma Kira Route - Toma was my second route and while Toma is drop dead gorgeous - he is kinda dead inside? His story is a dark one but it is very interesting and the climax is intense! Excellent character development here from both the MC and Love Interest. Sex? Hell ya! Toma does have sex with you towards the end a couple times and they are DETAILED scenes (The happy ending CG has a naked MC and Toma in bed after a night of sex as they are about to have even more sex!). But! He does something super hurtful to the MC during a sensitive time, so you have to have a bit of a thicker skin to play through this. Thankfully, he apologizes and more than makes it up to you! I\ll be honest, I wasn’t enjoying Toma’s route as much as Chiaki’s initially, but his ending retroactively made everything better! 

Pick Toma if you like a challenge, don’t need constant attention, don’t mind a teacher/master relationship, and you enjoy good smut. (I’m still shook from Toma’s sex scenes). (Think of characters from other games like Ayato from 7HAMH, Isuka + Asena from TCC, SLBP’s Kojuro + Masamune, Ikemen Hideyoshi).

Minami Kira Route - Ugh...let me just tell you based on every event and item scenario I got of Minami, I was REALLY looking forward to his route - like a lot a lot. It started off alright, but I quickly realized there wasn’t going to be much of a plot which was really disappointing. Minami is a fun and intelligent yet immature guy. He’s constantly pulling pranks and showering you in false affection. Unfortunately Minami does something completely unforgivable (I’ll write the spoilers at the bottom if you really want to know) and because of this and the combination of the lack of character depth and the worst iteration of the MC in the entire game - I can’t happily recommend his main route. His event routes are fun but his main route is the one of the most disappointed I have ever been in an otome game and I’m not sure how Event Minami and Main Story Minami can be so different. The MC in Minami’s route is completely different than the MC in Toma, Chiaki, and Mei’s routes. She has no ambitions of her own and she never puts Minami in his place even though he deserves it and needs it the most. She’s so scared of hurting his feelings and making him not like her that she becomes a shell of her former self and that was seriously disappointing. Minami’s past was very sad and dark but it wasn’t really fleshed out. It’s confusing. There was so much potential and it feels like it all amounted to nothing. I would have rather seen a route where the MC teaches Minami how shitty it is to treat women like toys and have her fix him, or a route where the MC helps Minami accept and control the darkness and anger within him instead of just pretending to be a happy prankster all the time. Sex? Yes but at this point I was screaming “Don’t do it!” to MC through my screen. It didn’t feel like anything good was going to come from it and surprise, surprise it didn’t. 

Do not pick Minami unless you have the thickest skin and an infinite amount of patience. 

Mei Tarantino Route  - Mei’s route reminds me of why I fell in love with the game in the first place. Mei is the sweetest tsundere there ever was and I’m still smiling about his Happy Ending. His story was wonderful (motivational and inspirational) and the relationship that develops between him and the MC feels natural, believable and is absolutely beautiful. They really support each other through their trials and tribulations and work to achieve both their dreams. There is a tragic past that explains a lot but doesn’t try to justify poor behavior in the present. His route is far superior to Minami’s and has even helped wash the bad taste Minami left right out of my mouth! Mei is everything you want from the perfect Tsundere route. The MC is funny as ever and back to her intelligent strong self. Sex? No but there’s a lot of satisfaction to be found elsewhere in this route. 

Pick Mei. Just pick him. He’s so sweet. He has creative insults but the more creative they are the more you realize he’s falling in love. Plus the red blush on this boy is TO DIE FOR!!! (Think of characters from other games like SLBP’s Mitsunari, DTL’s Takasugi, RB Aito, Ikemen Ieyasu)

Rei Shindo Route - Okay this is seriously one of my favourite routes I have ever played in any otome ever. It is extremely emotional  and the Sweet End is the most beautiful thing - paired with an absolutely BREATHTAKING pair of CGs that I think about on the daily. This route has angst, romance, comedy, and tragedy in HEAPING spoonfuls. I genuinely SOBBED twice.

I can’t write much as I don’t want to give too much away because you genuinely need to experience this route and see how fantastic and touching otome writing can be. Basically, you are roped into a revenge plot by a version of Rei that is far different than the man you have come to know in the other routes. The more time you spend together, the more you find out his reasons and what his end game is. It is A LOT TO TAKE IN but it is so rewarding! Please play it and tell me all of your thoughts and feelings.

Save him for last (if you can wait that long) because I feel like if you start with him, the other routes won’t look as good in comparison - and they don’t deserve that (except you Minami). I will say it’s important that you achieve his Sweet ending. I did not like his Normal ending at all in comparison. It was fine but it was much different and lacked all of the emotional depth of his Sweet End, so in playing Sweet first - I had high expectations of his other end as well but that was unfortunately not the case. Sex? Oh god, forgive me but I really don’t remember! I was so stressed out and emotional during this route that sex was the last thing on my mind!)  

Pick Rei if you have a thick skin and don’t mind being put through an emotional ringer. (Think of characters from other games like SLBP’s Ieyasu, + Saizo, TCC’s Lugar + Yuri, MM’s V + Saeyoung, 7HAMH Soichiro + Ayato, Ikemen Mitsuhide)

Shizuka Kira Route - Okay I loved Shizuka’s route, I really did BUT it is the most hollow of them all. Shizuka is a sweet heart but his story isn’t very exciting or memorable (Save for the sex scenes!). It’s not a bad route by any means! It it full of genuinely funny and romantic moments so I really enjoyed it and him as a love interest, the problem is that it is the most formulaic and predictable so it’s not necessarily a unique story. One of the best parts of Shizuka’s route is the more mature and level headed MC compared to the other brothers’. She was also very in touch with her sexual wants and needs which I really appreciated and found refreshing! The biggest surprise in this route for me was how big of a role Minami had and how amazing he was in it! This is the Minami I want to romance! 

Rintaro Murayama Route - Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I didn’t think I could hate a route more than Minami’s but HERE WE ARE. This route was so so so bad! I’m shocked! I took a week off from thinking about to to see if I was just being dramatic but I’m still just as mad as I was when I finished it.I’m so mad that I went back and CHANGED MY MIND about Minami’s route. That’s how bad this was. The thing about this route is everything is bad. The story makes no sense and they make NO ATTEMPT to make him a desirable love interest! The MC starts off strong and I felt for her inner struggle but then she just becomes flat-out stupid and not the fun loving hilarious witty MC this game has offered us from day 1 #notmymc. Murayama’s motivations make 0 sense and contradict themselves often. He’s supposed to be doing everything he does for his sister but he’s also supposed to not know anything about her these past 10 years?! So then why is he ruining little events that the hotel runs? To get back at his sister’s adopted brothers even though he might need them to be organ donors? What? And then that Happy Ending. No. That “Happy Ending” made everythign the MC did and put up with worth NOTHING. I have no idea how someone approved this. Murayama blackmails you constantly and at one point - late into his route - he starts trying to raping you while recording it. Not only that, he insists he’s going to show the video to her bosses and everyone else at work. Like - enough is enough in general but Murayama’s route was enough by chapter 3. It was like a cycle of dumb that just kept repeating.  

Murayama route is inexcusably bad, don’t play it. 

Sex? Another great part of Shizuka’s route is that it has the most sex and all of it was free sex (I also got to view the CGs for free? I’m not sure if this is a bug that may be fixed by the time you read this). The sex scenes were all INCREDIBLY HOT and I was sweating and taking screenshots while trying to remind myself to breathe. Out of all the Kira Brothers - Shizuka has sex with you the most. I believe it is 3-4 sex scenes vs Toma’s 2. 

Pick Shizuka if you want a romantic route with a plot straight out of a romantic comedy and/or if you like sexxxxxxxy routes. (Think of characters from other games like DTL’s Haru, MM’s Zen, 7HAMH Haruto + Shizuki, Ikemen Shingen).

***Minami route spoiler*** Minami goes on a bender after kissing you where he stays out for days getting drunk and not coming home. One night a random guy brings him home and they accidentally end up in your bedroom instead of Minami’s. Minami flops down onto a chair by your bed and then gives permission for the guy to start raping you - he even says he doesn’t care. Only after the guy has began his rape of you and like the equivalent of 6 story tickets later - does Minami stop and actually do anything about it. This was seriously disappointing and you’d think that would be the end of Minami’s bullshit but it’s not - not even close. I just found it so unforgivable that near the end of the game after you both have fallen in love, that something like this happens and it’s not even vague/implied - it’s full on clothes tearing & body violating and Minami watches the whole thing!!! His apology after doesn’t even make up for it. The writer’s really disappointed me here. It would have been just as hurtful for Minami to say he didn’t care if the MC slept with the guy but for him to sit back and watch her get raped wasn’t something Minami could come back from for me, especially with such a lackluster plot. Minami also never really apologizes or makes up for referring to women as his toys and he treats women really poorly overall. There is a really heart wrenching scene where a woman who was in love with Minami confronts him politely and he screams at her and belittles her and the MC just kinda forgets about it. 

[thisnerdsadventures]

this summer

I just wrapped up my internship and established that i really liked my team this summer! We played Among Us on my last day for like two or three hours and it involved a lot of screaming and betrayal. I am so blessed to have spent two summers in a row with two really great teams who I had so much fun with. I’m sure that if I was in person, I’d have had even more fun with them, so hopefully I can go back :) I also lowkey committed to New York, so that’s kind of locked in now, so maybe part of it also me mentally committing to liking my team because at this point I don’t have as much of a choice LOL

I only posted a few times this summer because there was honestly a lot going on outside my internship. Actually, my internship was the only part of my summer that went well consistently, without a lot of ups and downs. Everything else???? absolutely a mess. I’ll share a bit of a rundown of all the shit that went on [warning major depressing shit goes down lol, it is a lot, but dw! it turns out ok :) Honestly posting this so that one day I can look back at this and remember how much I had to overcome and also reflect on what I was able to achieve in my internship despite the circumstances.]

June

June 1st started out already disappointing when I didn’t get grad housing. I was really banking on it, so I was really unsure as to what I was going to do, and it didn’t help that I had to wake up at 6am to enter the lottery. This started the apartment squad document, where I tried to convince several of my friends to room with me in an apartment. [start: bunker squad fiasco]

additionally, i was still working on this nonprofit called Amplify that my friends and I started. We were going really strong in April, but by June, we had run into some timing issues and I felt like all the time I had poured in doing development was going to waste. Thus commenced the anxiety related to this project. [start: nonprofit anxiety]

at around this time, we also had a lot of police brutality/racial justice things arise, and I was reading a lot and spending a lot of time on Twitter. My friends and I talked a lot about what was going on and how we felt powerless or struggled to have conversations with our families. [start: current events anxiety]

somewhere around this time, my internship started. It was a lot of figuring out expectations, setting up remote work environments. For some reason, I actually didn’t code until week 4 or 5, which was why i felt kind of discontent with what I had been accomplishing so far, and I was nervous I wouldn’t get anything done. Throughout this, I was struggling a lot with keeping up motivation through the day, esp when I had 3-4 hour blocks of meetings in the mornings and waking up at 8am, courtesy of west coast time. A lot of my exhaustion was also attributed to housing drama in late june when i was trying to figure out whether my friends would commit to an apartment, and what the chances of them returning to campus were. [continue: bunker squad fiasco]

i think the pandemic quarantine isolation caught up to me and my friends because everyone was struggling on a personal level and it leaked a lot into how we interacted with each other. so a couple of us got in a fight and we had to split up the group for two weeks, and I got really frustrated wondering if any one of my friend groups would ever stick together, especially when I kept getting put in the middle. [start: friend drama] Around this time, my parents were pushing me to apply to grad school when I really didn’t want to, and it got to the point where I had to pay for the GRE, and then I simply decided to /not/. [start: home drama]

July

Trying to work my 9-5 job with this (gestures vaguely to the aforementioned) was difficult, and in early july, we had to deal with the impending MIT announcement of whether they would let students back to campus [start: MIT plan anxiety]. Our (aka my) housing plans [re: bunker squad fiasco] were contingent upon these plans. Somewhere in this, Harvard leaked their decision and said they basically weren’t letting seniors back, which threw me into a loop, and the next day, our school said they were only letting seniors back onto campus for the fall, and unless something changed, they wouldn’t be let back for the spring. Moreover (super shit for me), offcampus seniors wouldn’t be let back onto campus. [bunker squad fiasco explodes in my face. end: bunker squad fiasco, start: solo housing spiral] So tl;dr everyone was screaming and sad for like two days, and then we just had to deal with it and adjust.

The good news was that more of my friends decided to go back to campus, but on my end, I was stressed out of my mind for the next week trying to figure out housing on my end. I was super nervous that I wouldn’t be able to find an apartment if everyone was going to try to live offcampus in Boston/Cambridge for the fall, so I frantically tried to find a place. [continue: solo housing spiral] I ended up finding a place within a few days, mostly out of panic, but also playing the “sometimes you gotta make a move and deal with the consequences later” card. 

It was mid-July, so it was also one of my best friend’s birthdays, so a bunch of us stayed up to plan her birthday gift. I timed everything super well so that the art would be done by Friday afternoon, FedEx booklet would print on Friday night, so I could put it together and send it Saturday morning, so it would deliver Tuesday. That was one of the bright spots of my summer. There is truly nothing better than putting in the work for someone or something you love.

In classic quarantine fashion, I strung together a stable 48 hours before I had a huge mood landslide and then got triggered by another conversation until I decided to ghost everyone and go to the beach. Watched the sand and the waves. Felt a little better.

And then things got worse, and I got in a nasty fight with one of my friends [continue: friend drama], and my dad told me to give up on the nonprofit [continue: home drama], and then everything kind of exploded in mid/late July, but then my other friends tried to make me feel a little better. Throughout this whole ordeal of a summer, my friends really were the only thing that were keeping me afloat, just through checking in, surprising me with boba, and keeping me laughing with conversations joking about anything and everything, from backyards to Rhodes scholarships. 

August

AUGUST. was a mess. An entire mess. It started off with when I cracked under some more friend drama and unresolved old drama and then I decided I could not handle it anymore. It spiraled very quickly and blew up into flames and then the flames lit on fire tl;dr. [continue: friend drama, but abysmally bad] My anxiety was sky high this entire week, so my productivity hit near zero and my sleep hit near zero. Around this time, a lot of schools were also either exhibiting huge spikes in COVID or were outright cancelling campus returns, so we all had to hold our breath, praying that our school wouldn’t backtrack. [continue: MIT plan anxiety] I would’ve broken my lease.

Something interesting that happened this summer was that I think I actually started subscribing to journaling and being in tune with my inner spiritual self. I keep thinking to myself “this is some hippie shit”, but when I was at my lowest, the only thing that really kept bringing me solace was the words and poems that my friend recommended to me. When every day seemed impossible to get through and when every waking moment was filled to the brim with anxiety and instability, I had these words and my friends checking in on me.

I slowly started finding a little more peace in my life, but felt, for a lack of a better term, bored? But I called my friends a lot, I distracted myself with Model UN things, I started recruiting. I made it to mid-August. and then I got kicked in the face by more friend drama repeatedly for an entire week, and hit absolute rock bottom where it became difficult to not only get through days, but even hours, as I got friend broken up with..... somehow twice in a week! [continue: friend drama, but got even worse] The nonprofit team essentially put stuff on hold to reevaluate what we were doing. [continue: nonprofit anxiety].

From the friend drama spawned a lot of anxiety about the fall [start: fall anxiety]. At this point, a lot of the rules started popping up about offcampus/oncampus rules and campus access, and I started recognizing the need to get campus access, for my own mental health and easier life things in the fall. So thus commenced my long struggle to get campus access via my PI, which was like 12983192839182 oz of stress on top of what was already a very stressful existence. [continue: fall anxiety]. Also was fully in recruiting season at this point. Also was getting anxiety not knowing where my on-campus possessions were. [continue: fall anxiety] Also was unsure as to whether I had a lease or not because the guy never emailed me back? [continue: solo housing spiral] I had never felt such stress and anxiety levels before.

September

This brings us to the last week of my internship (early September). At this point, August had really brought to my knees. My friends were moving back to campus and I was fully prepared to have soul crushing FOMO for the next two weeks. I think I shitposted on my main “god I wish something would go right for once.”

And all of a sudden.... things started to go right. By some act of God, the friend drama magically dissipated into thin air [end (for now): friend drama], and everything was normal again. I got campus access, which means I can see my friends and play tennis with them and work in lab every now and then [end (some): fall anxiety]. My RLAD confirmed that my belongings still exist. My apartment was indeed still my apartment, they just didn’t send the lease documents to the right email [end (to an extent): solo housing spiral]. My internship ended up really well and I vibed really well with my team. Recruiting had been going well for me and I was getting positive results. I just bought some furniture today for my apartment. Sure, some things are still in the air, like the nonprofit thing that never got resolved and also general fall anxiety about timing my furniture deliveries and timing my COVID tests, but six days out of arriving in Boston for the fall, and things are really looking up. 

Somehow things just..... worked out. I’m honestly shocked my internship actually ended up going really well because my life was an absolute mess this summer lol. lessons learned here are that i ended up hitting rock bottom and i found peace in words and my friends, and my relentless pivoting and crashing through obstacles ended up working out and the decisions i made along the way maybe weren’t the best ones, but they’ll suffice to get me where i want to go, or at least to the place i think i need to go.

anyways, i’m going back to campus in a few weeks, so I’ll continue with semester 5.1!

[entergamingxp]

Memories of Celceta Review — Delve Into the Great Forest to Find a Solid JRPG

June 18, 2020 12:00 PM EST

Ys: Memories of Celceta features fun and challenging gameplay complemented by deeply satisfying exploration that keeps your interest.

Ys: Memories of Celceta is the PS4 port of the previously-released PS Vita version, and is also a reimagining of Ys: IV, which first released back in the 1990s for the Super Famicom. Memories of Celceta is now considered the fourth canonical game in the series, due to the previous installments being outsourced to other development companies in the 90s.

Despite the complex and confusing lineage, the game itself is rather straightforward in both its self-contained plot and how it fits in the overarching franchise.

You begin the game as a young man named Adol Christin, who has unfortunately fallen prey to the trapping of many a JRPG hero: amnesia. After stumbling around the town, he eventually meets a man named Duran who claims to know him and reveals that Adol had previously left to explore the dangerous Great Forest.

Soon after, monsters appear in the local mine shaft and trap several miners. Since Adol is in fact a JRPG protagonist and therefore has an intrinsic instinct to help others, despite having no memories, he runs off to help said miners. Duran joins him and they successfully evacuate the workers while defeating the monsters inside the shaft. After that, the General offers them a deal to explore the same forest Adol came back from, which officially opens up the game proper.

The main goal of Ys: Memories of Celceta is to fully explore the Great Forest and discover all of its secrets while completely filling the map. As you make progress in this goal, you receive awards based on the percentage value. There are ten tiers in total and you must report back to General Griselda to receive any rewards.

As you progress through the game, certain characters can interact with objects on the field. These objects allow for that corresponding character to perform a unique action that influences the story. For instance, when Adol touches a mysterious blue orb, he regains a part of his memory back. When Duren encounters a locked chest, he can pick it open.

Combat is simple and action-based rather than turned-based, similar to the recent Trials of Mana. You can attack, dodge, guard, or use a charged attack that regains SP. Enemies, however, are resistant to certain kinds of physical damage (slash, pierce, or strike) so players must learn to switch between teammates that deal the proper damage. Aiding you in this is the ability to scan to view an enemy’s weakness and level at any time.

When characters learn skills after leveling up, they can be equipped through the main menu then unleashed in combat by using the shortcut automatically assigned to them. The Extra gauge fills up when a skill hits a foe, with skills that use more SP filling the gauge faster in turn. Once the gauge is full, you can unleash an Extra Skill. Generally, the flow of battle has you using normal attacks and skills, charged attacks to replenish SP, and, unleash Extra Skills when the gauge is filled. It sounds easy enough but pulling off that pattern while dodging and blocking attacks takes some skill and plenty of practice.

“The Great Forest itself feels like the massive, dangerous, and foreboding labyrinth that the NPCs play it up to be.”

There are also more advanced techniques such as Flash Guard and Flash Move, which work essentially as a perfect version of the basic mechanics. If you time either a dodge or guard at just the right moment, you’ll gain some handy benefits such as invincibility, more rewards, critical hits, SP restoration, etc. Attack Bonuses are also used to reward a player for fighting strategically.

You encounter and fight foes on the same field as they appear in, with the environment playing a huge role in how well you can fight them. Your human characters naturally do best on flat plains with plenty of space to move around in, but there are plenty of other environments that they can end up battling in, such as tight, rocky slopes or in water. Ys: Memories of Celceta actually incorporates the lack of mobility the humans would experience if they’re ever outside their most suitable domain.

This pairs well with the enemy AI. Like in most JRPGs, enemies will normally attack in easily identifiable patterns. However, at times they will lure unsuspecting parties to engage in areas that give said enemies an advantage. For instance, water enemies will gang up on party members and attempt to lure or push them in the water which means you can’t use skills and regular combos are reduced to a single thrusting attack.

Another example is the tendency of enemies with opposing weaknesses to be in close proximity to each other. This means players need to be able to switch between party members on the fly in order to effectively take them down.

There’s also some excellent enemy variety from the start and it continues to impress on that front. What makes foes truly stand out is that they require constant strategy and managing in order to best them. Players simply can’t expect to button mash their way through the Forest. Instead, learning the ins and outs of the combat system and applying each mechanic is the key to surviving early encounters.

Bosses and strong enemies make for interesting, strategic battles as well. Even the first boss, though simplistic in its patterns, requires you to immediately apply what you’ve learned about attacks, SP regeneration, and skills effectively in order to defeat it without taking too much damage. Meanwhile, the sub-bosses that you encounter on the field require players to exercise cautious judgment, seeing as how you can literally run into one that can decimate your entire party in a few hits.

It’s interesting then, that unlike most other action JRPGs, Ys: Memories of Celceta promotes the art of running away and coming back reinforced. Not only are you encouraged to flee when you encounter an enemy too strong for your current level (without any penalty I may add) but you can heal up and then return to said powerful sub-boss and keep fighting while they retain any damage dealt to them.

The Great Forest itself feels like the massive, dangerous, and foreboding labyrinth that the NPCs play it up to be. Unlike in many other titles in which the beginning is far too easy and no real challenge is encountered until mid-game, the Forest from the start is filled with powerful enemies. Its level design is quite varied for being essentially the same location, as there are tons of different environments to uncover as you slowly fill your map out. This design choice really lends a sense of adventure to Ys: Memories of Celceta and motivates players to keep exploring and discovering more of the Forest.

When it comes to equipment, you can absolutely purchase them normally as new pieces become available. You can also choose to delve into the deep system of item refinement and equipment reinforcement to strengthen weapons and armor. Refinement involves taking ores and monster parts found on the field and in dungeons and upgrading them into better items. You then apply those upgraded items and reinforce your weapons and armor.

Reinforcing not only boosts attack and defense but also gives the equipment a unique effect such as SP regeneration, status attacks and protections, or stat increases. Reinforcement is a good way to increase your equipment’s overall potential, which extends their longevity.

Being that this is, in fact, a port of a PS Vita game remade from the original Super Famicom title released over 20 years ago, the graphics leave much to be desired. The environments and character models are slightly blocky, muddy, and low res. Even the walk and run cycles look awkward and stiff.

The plot itself, while decent enough, is far from engaging and interrupts the otherwise great gameplay. Thankfully, both the fun characters and the great voice work save cutscenes from being too boring and motivates you enough to still care about the characters. The game has a pretty great soundtrack as well, complementing the battle system by increasing its energy and intensity.

“If you’re looking for a fun, challenging, and strategic action JRPG, Ys: Memories of Celceta is a great title to pick up.”

Another area Ys: Memories of Celceta lacks in are the side quests. The NPCs that populate the various villages you come across as you explore more of the Forest are vibrant and full of life so you’d imagine that the side quests must be as equally unique to play through. And while the conversations before and after the quest is finished can be entertaining, quests themselves are painfully easy. Even worse, they’re scattered around sparingly so you never get your fill of them.

If you’re looking for a fun, challenging, and strategic action JRPG, Ys: Memories of Celceta is a great title to pick up. Though its graphics leave much to be desired, both the battle system and exploration are by far the biggest draws of the game and will easily pull you in for the entire 25-hour runtime. While the plot is a bit on the light and inconsequential side, it’s nothing particularly bad and the characters themselves are entertaining enough to keep your interest for the long haul.

June 18, 2020 12:00 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/06/memories-of-celceta-review-delve-into-the-great-forest-to-find-a-solid-jrpg/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=memories-of-celceta-review-delve-into-the-great-forest-to-find-a-solid-jrpg

[alltheworldsaroulette]

News Archives from ComicFury

These are old updates that are still on my old website, which will likely remain up.  I may also use the old site as a backup for my posts in case anything happens to the main website.  As you will see if you read these, I had a pretty rough start and re-wrote the comic at least twice.  This time I plan to see it through, but these show how rocky my progress was at first.  So here we go, in order from oldest to newest:

What’s to come?

25th Nov 2014, 10:08 PM

"Gee, Starr!  That's a nice cover you got there, but what the heck is the actual comic going to look like??"

I'm still debating on the exact coloring style, but I can tell you it will be MUCH simpler than the covers are.  I don't have the energy or time to fully color every single page like that, but I promise to make it look nice, and even give my viewers a say.  Keep an eye out for a post on my dA asking your opinions on which coloring style I should use for this comic.  Actually, I'm just gonna do this:

Here's what I'm thinking about doing.  And just any type of feedback is GREATLY appreciated, especially for a starting comic artist like me.

I'm going to try to get on a natural schedule for myself, but I can't promise anything right now.  I hope you'll put up with my possible inconsistancy pffffff.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a good one!

Til next time,

Starr Myers*

We’re off to a good start!

14th Dec 2014, 5:02 PM

And I have SO MUCH planned for this comic.  I think I'm over-doing myself, but man am I excited.  To give a basic idea of how I'm going to be organizing everything in the future, there will be three books, each with two arcs with parallel points of view from the same two characters: Julie and Eileen.  Each arc will have however many chapters it takes to finish it, and who knows how long each chapter will be.  Though, I can tell you now that (Arc 1) chapter 1 will be very long while chapter 2 will be very short.  That's about it for now!  ENJOY MY SLOW-ISH UPDATES HAHA! <3

~Starr Myers*

Hiatus

14th Feb 2015, 12:07 AM

I know it's a little early for any of that, but I'm running slow on updates, and it's embarrassing.

If you haven't read the comment under my most recent page, I will in fact be putting this comic on a hiatus for awhile.  But, never fear!  I will be working my arse off to get tons and tons of pages drawn and colored and ready for the internet!  I will just be holding off on posting them for quite awhile until I have enough to set up my not-so-long dreamt of schedule of twice per week.  This un-hiatusing will likely not occur until I am good and settled in my new home.  I have several months of school left to get through before I graduate, and then it's off to Arkansas!  However, I may lack internet for awhile once I am moved.  So, once that is up and ready and delicious, I promise to start posting as soon as possible again.

I really hope anyone who comes across this comic will put it on their back burner or something for later because I do plan to return with so much more development on it and a better grip on the scheduling and what not.  Also, since I'm an indecisive little cat-girl, I am currently considering scratching my previously mentioned idea of splitting the comic into two points of view, and just sticking with Julie's ALREADY SUPER LONG (as planned) point of view, leaving room for some shorter side stories.  I'm pretty scared as it is taking on this kind of commitment, and I don't want to get burnt out!

Not to worry guys.  I'll still be on deviantART everyday to update more often on my ideas and art and everything else.  You will likely get a warning there, and possibly here, shortly before I move.  And as for Julie and her new alien target, they will see you all soon enough.

Bye for now! <3

Temporary Hiatus Drop

23rd Jun 2015, 7:12 PM

I am breaking my hiatus for the next 8 pages in order to give some more content for a contest I'm entering JR in.  So, until page 18, the hiatus is broken!  Huzzah! :3

HERE is the contest, if anyone else is interested in entering.

Re-planning and re-drawing

30th Sep 2015, 12:09 PM

I took a look back at my original script and realized that a lot went unexplained in the actual comic as well as some things later being rather juvenile-sounding and even badly written.  The comic was too blocky with the 4-part plan thing going on (I plan WAY ahead).  Now I'm going to mix things up a bit to give it a more natrually flowing structure, a deeper story, and actual exposition.

Beginning with CHAPTER 0, the entire comic will be re-drawn (which isn't much since I'm only at 20 pages).

To be frank, I haven't had the motivation to get any further than that, which was really my fault.  I was too busy writing random roleplays that had nothing to do with the canon story and otherwise being lazy.  I'm still going to be lazy, but I have more confidence in the story now and much better writing skills that I picked up from some admirable sources.  So far, hiatus isn't the best thing for me (though in a way, it was to give me time to fart around and finally come to the conclusion that the story needed to be modified), but I'm not quite sure what I'll do for uploads.  I'm thinking I'll ditch the schedule for now, and just upload based on bulk.  5-10 pages per update: how does that sound? =3 That way I can still work at my own pace and have little minestones to motivate me.

So, I guess I will see you in 5 pages, since ch. 0 is already written and ready to be drawn. <3

Refreshing

8th Aug 2016, 8:09 PM

Okay!  So... I haven't updated in almost a year and I feel TERRIBLE about that.  I don't even know what happened.  There was an OCT and moving boxes and visiting family and just... so much stuff, as well as a major artist's block and lack of motivation (which is what originally caused me to stop working on the comic).

A quick update: I am changing the font in all the current pages to Steel City Comic, which can be found at 1001Fonts.com, and it's free for commercial use.  I changed it because the previous font, Comic Book, was not, and I want to be precautious in case I ever do make money off my art. I'm also snipping out the scene that page 5 transitions to (with Boss and the Chief alone in his office) because I found it took the focus away from the first scene too quickly and may have confused the narrative.  I decided to go ahead and do this since I'm still so early in the drawing process.  I can afford to redo one more page.

Also, one good thing that has happened since I "left" (I never really left, I just wasn't drawing comics): My YouTube channel is finally active and I have a schedule and plans and such.  I unfortunately do not have a schedule set for the comic updates yet because I don't know if I can do five pages a week yet, and one page per week sounds agonizingly slow for the viewers.  So I'm sticking to uploading whenever I finish a five-page bulk, but the difference this time is that I am integrating the work into my schedule.  I will upload videos every Thursday, and in between making videos I will draw as much as possible, whether it's the comic or personal art or commissions.  This does not mean the bulks will be uploaded every week, it just means I will definitely be working on them every week.  But I am determined to get back on this comic.  It's time to get JR off the ground.

Thanks to anyone who has been watching the comic for being so patient.  I hope it's not too late for you to enjoy the story. =3