#symphonia of birds

[crystaldreamcarnivals]

Symphonia of Birds banner, from Angelic Pretty's 2012 homepage ♡

[bright-eyes-hope]

Had a blast at Aninite this year. (ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ)💓

Haven't been to a convention since November 2019, so glad I could attend again.

Spent the whole day with many friends, met some lovely new people and bought a lot of stuff. (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

Currently fighting the convention hangover but this too shall pass. ✨

[mxdotpng]

u know i cant wait to be able to figure out what metaphor velvet is in berseria. like how luke and asch represent a phoenix, and sorey is king arthur

[neilperryismine]

songs I relate to neil !!

(disclaimer: these are all probably sad + it’s a really long list sorry)

making the bed by olivia rodrigo

pink pony club by chappell roan

bigger than the whole sky by taylor swift

I bet on losing dogs by mitski

I know it won’t work by gracie abrams

my tears ricochet by taylor swift

mirrorball by taylor swift

this is me trying by taylor swift

the lakes by taylor swift

no body, no crime by taylor swift

you’re on your own, kid by taylor swift

midnight rain by taylor swift

family line by conan gray

mastermind by taylor swift

matilda by harry styles

bigger than the whole sky by taylor swift

anatomy by kenzie

what was I made for? by billie eilish

so long, london by taylor swift

I can do it with a broken heart by taylor swift

fortnight by taylor swift

the smallest man who ever lived by taylor swift

I hate it here by taylor swift

end of beginning by djo

vienna by billy joel

you’re gonna go far by noah kahan

out of touch by daryl hall & john oates

scared of my guitar by olivia rodrigo

don’t dream it’s over by crowded house

can’t catch me now by olivia rodrigo

all too well by taylor swift

night changes by taylor swift

1 step forward, 3 steps back by olivia rodrigo

story of my life by one direction

sign of the times by harry styles

scott street by phoebe bridgers

I love you, I’m sorry by gracie abrams

tv by billie eilish

piano man by billy joel

capital loss by gigi perez

pretty isn’t pretty by olivia rodrigo

the subway by chappell roan

heaven knows I’m miserable now by the smiths

this night has opened my eyes by the smiths

seven by taylor swift

daddy issues by the neighbourhood

teenage dream by olivia rodrigo

iris by goo goo dolls

winner by conan gray

everything I wanted by billie eilish

wicked game by chris isaak

the cut that always bleeds by conan gray

kids by nick rattigan

the prophecy by taylor swift

nda by billie eilish

vampire empire by big thief

your best american girl by mitski

symphonia ix by nick rattigan

no surprises by radiohead

favourite crime by olivia rodrigo

exile by taylor swift

the last great american dynasty by taylor swift

fourth of july by sufjan stevens

army dreamers by kate bush

half return by adrienne lenker

pretend by alex_g_offline

wasted summers by juju<3

waiting room by phoebe bridgers

I know the end by phoebe bridgers

half a person by the smiths

first love/late spring by mitski

the grudge by olivia rodrigo

gilded lily by cults

I don’t smoke by mitski

holidays by conan gray

vincent by don mclean

knockin’ on heavens door by bob dylan

everyone wants to rule the world by tears for fears

forever young by alphaville

please, please, please, let me get what I want by the smiths

hey jude by the beatles

no surprises by radiohead

boys don’t cry by the cure

beautiful boy by john lennon

that joke isn’t funny anymore by the smiths

funeral by phoebe bridgers

don’t try suicide by queen

my life by billy joel

all the young dudes by mott the hoople

falling by harry styles

sign of the times by harry styles

little freak by harry styles

love of my life by harry styles

songs kinda about neil from todd’s pov !!

francis forever by mitski

mr. loverman by ricky montgomery

this is me trying by taylor swift

ur so pretty by wasia project

the lakes by taylor swift

the exit by conan gray

I miss you, I’m sorry by gracie abrams

back to december by taylor swift

birds of a feather by billie eilish

wildflower by billie eilish

haunted by taylor swift

who’s afraid of little old me? by taylor swift

loml by taylor swift

right where you left me by taylor swift

cool about it by boygenius

k by cigarettes after sex

this love by taylor swift

fade into you by mazzy star

astronomy by conan gray

angel eyes by abba

strange by celeste

fine line by harry styles

christmas kids by roar

all I wanted by paramore

sunsetz by cigarettes after sex

I wait for you by alex_g_offline

reflections by the neighbourhood

nobody by mitski

cool about it by boygenius

anything by adrienne lenker

break by alex_g_offline

someday I’ll get it by alek olsen

blue hair by tv girl

cigarettes out the window by tv girl

blondie by current joys

remember that night? by sara kays

once more to see you by mitski

I want you by mitski

astronomy by conan gray

lover you should’ve come over by jeff buckley

slipping through my fingers by abba

don’t you forget about me by simple minds

as it was by harry styles

songs I related to neil and todd

casual by chappell roan

close to you by gracie abrams

guilty as sin? by taylor swift

smile by sabrina carpenter

set fire to the rain by adele

suddenly I see by kt tunstall

dive by olivia dean

bags by clairo

picture you by chappell roan

sailor song by gigi perez

rolling in the deep by adele

ocean eyes by billie eilish

somethin’ stupid by frank and nancy sinatra

watch by billie eilish

I love you by billie eilish

about you by the 1975

21 by gracie abrams

satellite by harry styles

blue by billie eilish

look after you by the fray

dream by fleetwood mac

I wanna be your by arctic monkeys

labyrinth by taylor swift

my love mine all mine by mitski

not a lot, just forever by adrienne lenker

velvet ring by big thief

always forever by cults

there is a light that never goes out by the smiths

head over heals by tears for fears

hey lover by the daughters of eve

keep driving by harry styles

if you’ve made it this far please share songs you relate to neil/todd/anderperry!! <33

@fruityeleonora

[nessianweek]

Day 1 Round-Up: What Happened Next?

Nessian at Starfall Fanart commissioned by @c-e-d-dreamer

In Due Time by @acourtofladydeath

Constellations by @fimproda

Nessian Family Fanart commissioned by @melphss and @podemechamardek

Nessian’s Wedding Fanart by @dustjacketdraws

The Best Day of Cassian’s Life fanart by @jmoonjones

Like a Bird by @moodymelanist

Walking In The Wind by @c-e-d-dreamer

One Day I’ll Be Good Chapter 1 by @perseusannabeth

Nessian Mating Ceremony Fanart commissioned by @podemechamardek and @melphss

Nessian Mating Ceremony Fanart by @tellmelater

Symphonia Chapter 79 by @darklove9314-blog

Imbued [Nesta/Cassian/Azriel] by @witch-and-her-witcher

The Consequences of Normality Chapter One by TheTeaQueen

[jh-newman-opn]

Writings on (proper) Orthodox Iconography

Or, things that were useful for my diss-writing: requested by @naomisramblings

The Meaning of Icons - Leonid Ouspensky, Vladimir Lossky -- this was the book I kept coming back to: excellent pictures, wonderfully spiritual explanations, it's the real deal

An introduction to russian art and architecture – robert auty and dimitri obolensky

Byzantine Sacred Art - Constantine Cavarnos -- a collection of writings by Photis Kontoglou, a 20thC Greek iconographer

Le Stoglav Ou Les Cent Chapitres - E Duchesne -- a French translation of the Stoglav, which is a 16th collection of rubrics around ecclesiology, symphonia, and iconography compiled after a Russian church council. Slightly controversial document but historically useful. Couldn't find an English translation.

‘The Moscow Stoglav (“hundred chapters”) Church Council of 1551. (Volumes I and II) - JE Kollman -- more stoglav stuff,

https://web.archive.org/web/20130424141441/http://www.themoscownews.com/local/20130304/191296031/A-guide-to-the-interior-of-a-Russian-Orthodox-church.html -- guide to the interior of a Russian church

Development of Eastern Christian Iconography - Elena Ene D-Vasilescu

The Iconographic Canon of Orthodox Churches: History, Evolution, Symbolism - Gheorghe Gîrbea

Icons in Theory and Practice: An Orthodox Christian Example - M Kenna -- more about greek icons but still a lot of transferrable info

Sinai, Byzantium, Russia: Orthodox art from the sixth to the twentieth century - Piatnitsii et al -- LOVED this book, gives a really good bird's eye view of the development of iconography. Iirc it's one of those books that has a real hard on for mount athos but I could be wrong.

https://russianicons.wordpress.com - this blog is also useful, esp on podlinniki. it's not scholarship per se but it's a guy with a niche interest and honestly is that not the backbone of civilisation

Строгановский иконописный лицевой подлинник: (Конца XVI и начала XVII столѣтий) - Sergei Stroganov -- if you can find this, I found it helpful as a closer look into podlinniki

Hope that helps! I don't have access to half of these books anymore, but if you have a university/institution login that should do the trick. Annoyingly I seem to have lost a bunch of my notes but these ones survived-- if you want my notes from any particular book you're very welcome to them as well. Ah, the joys of the internet :)

[loveitselfofitself]

Symphonia of birds OP ~ Angelic pretty

[yesterday05]

run by a system mostly for littles

hi, pinned post, please like if you read, tysm❤️

no nsfw / kink interaction here, please, and in addition we personally avoid pacifiers + diapers the latter of which is usually triggering, thanks*

*we are OK with regressors or syskids who find comfort in pacifiers or d*apers, we just personally dislike them / have trauma surrounding them in regards to regression

playlist for your troubles

main is @b0xspring, sys specific blog is @boxspringz. other littles w/o blogs listed might reblog things as well but we try to keep the general stuff here. he/it collectively, age ranges are pretty varied but typically the littles here posting are around 6. non traumagen systems please dni, no syscourse etc we’re too tired to get into anything

might try to tag some posts? writing this very blurry and possibly overall regressed rn but here are some emoji tags for some frequent posters & their blogs (if they feel comfortable enough to share)

🌈 izzy: she/they @izzyshy

🎋 baby / julia: any @bubbabouncer

🦊 ren / clover: she/he @sleepingkitsune

🦋 girl / luna: she/her @liddellgirl (cw?)*

🎀 girl / lizzie: she/it

🐈 kitty / riley: she/her [this blog! also izzy’s]

🐶 lulu: she/they @oupylulu

⏱️ link: he/him @lullabyboy (not very active)

🕯��� wax: she/any @waxwormwood

📦 box: she/he [this blog!]

🐺 hunter: he/him @huntergrave (cw/tw)*

work in progress, more below the cut if you’re interested

*could have potentially upsetting content reblogged/not entirely just regression posts

some more interests / identities . . .

🌈 izzy !

- mlp (esp. fluttershy), wolves, twilight princess, rainbows, iridescence & opalite, animal jam, coraline, nintendo wii + gamecube, sesame street (esp. elmo & julia), geese, cats, ferrets, namine (kingdom hearts), eevee

🎋 baby / bouncer / julia / mei !

- red pandas, turning red, sesame street (esp. julia), stuffed animals, toys, nature, bingo heeler

🦊 ren / clover / nanako !

- madoka magica / magical girls, nanako dojima, persona 4, pokémon (esp. fox pokémon), animal jam, futaba sakura, huohuo (hsr), qiqi (genshin), star guardian ahri + soraka (league of legends), the fox & the hound, clovers, studio ghibli (esp. spirited away & ponyo)

🦋 girl / luna !

- alice liddell (alice: madness returns), mourning doves, mlp (esp. princess luna), lavenza (persona 5), coraline, the color blue

🎀 girl / lizzie !

- mangle (fnaf), natsuki (ddlc), the color pink, parties, ldshadowlady + minecraft

🐈 kitty / riley / anne-marie !

- animal jam, inside out, tangled, pokémon, webkinz, wolf children, animal crossing (esp. population growing/gcn), peewee’s playhouse, spongebob squarepants, super mario games, dragonball, mlp (esp. twilight sparkle), pound puppies, littlest pet shop, tmnt 2012, all dogs go to heaven, land before time, cats

🐶 lulu !

- blues clues, bluey, littlest pet shop, pound puppies, scooby doo, dog with a blog

⏱️ link / boy / hero !

- ocarina of time + majora’s mask, cows, horses, chickens, minecraft, princess zelda & navi, koroks, teddie / kuma (persona 4)

🕯️ wax / marcy / briar !

- candles, spirals, pink + white + black, vocaloid (esp. hatsune miku), opossums, cookie run (esp. milky way cookie), little white kitties, draculaura, adventure time (esp. marceline)

📦 box / angel !

- general early 2000-2010’s nostalgia, most of everyone’s interests combined, twilight princess, rain, blankets + stuffed animals, nighttime, animal jam, red pandas + wolves, calico cats, deer, lambs, tales of symphonia, adventure time, the owl house, amphibia, gravity falls, littlest pet shop, my little pony (fim + g3), sleepovers / pillow forts / safe places

🐺 hunter !

- the owl house, any & all halloween nostalgia, autumn, red cardinals + other birds, wolves, twilight princess, plants, gladion (pokémon usum)

[umbry-fic]

Mirage

Summary: The role given to Colette Brunel had been that of the Chosen. It was a role only she could play. And she played it to perfection.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters: Colette Brunel Relationships: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving Rating: G Word Count: 2720 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 30/07/2023

Notes: An introspection fic that spans from pre-canon to post-canon, inspired by Mirage by Harumaki Gohan and Engeki by Nanou (also see: the full vocaloid version.)

This might be a bit messy cos I wrote it without a plan... Just wrote what came to mind while listening to Mirage :p

~~~

Under the Goddess Martel’s watchful gaze, each and every person had a role to play in this vast world, filled to the brim with endless wonders simply waiting to be experienced.

That was the first of the Goddess’ teachings that Colette had come across, sitting at a table in the Church that had been all sharp corners, crafted from stone that had been cold to the touch. Statues of angels had loomed over her, severe in their marble perfection, a book larger than her head laying open before her. Contained within pages yellowing from age had been the sacred scriptures, penned in the angelic script, the lines of which she had only just learned to decipher. She had always thought it beautiful - the way the flowing lines curled into each other to form letters that spelt out meaning in such an elegant manner. Even now, she still did.

She kept that teaching close to her heart, wanting to trust in the piece of the Goddess that she believed resided in everyone’s hearts. No person was incapable of doing good for this world, regardless of the actions they had committed in the past. The Goddess, who saw everyone as her dearly beloved children, could devise the role they were best fit to play. Just as Lloyd could create beauty out of something mundane with nothing more than a whittling knife, his deft fingers shifting rapidly over wood as she watched with wide eyes.

The role she was meant to play… It was that of the Chosen. A role only she could play, a role tailored just for her.

Yet sometimes, it was impossible to believe that she was the best fit to be Chosen. The role handed to her by the Goddess’ gentle hands, the role passed down through centuries of history given form through dense passages in books detailing the hardships of those who had proudly performed it and brought centuries of peace to Sylvarant, the role that she was constantly reminded of with each sidelong glance and hushed whisper whenever she passed.

Would someone who was the best fit to be Chosen carry so much doubt and fear in their heart? Not just regrets that hung over her like a vengeful shadow, sharpening its wicked claws with each second that slipped through her fingers. But worry over whether she would even succeed, knowing full well that the Journey of Regeneration was fraught with danger and that many before her had met their untimely end while attempting to complete it.

Compared to the effortless grace of Spiritua, what was she, even? She wasn’t brilliant, she wasn’t strong, and she wasn’t capable. A pathetic disgrace, almost, constantly tripping over her own two feet and terrified of each step she took, knowing that one day the path she walked would reach its inevitable end.

But only she could play this role - only she could bring salvation to a world that was on its dying breath. The quiet mornings, when the villagers tended to their gardens, the sky still dark with dawn having not yet broken… The birds that flew overhead as the seasons turned and a warm current began to blow, birdsong filtering down to her ears… The serene forest, the air alive all around her with the chittering of woodland critters and the sounds of the rushing river… All of it, everything that she loved and cherished, was at risk of disappearing if she failed to perform her duty.

So play it she would, as best she could, tamping down the grief that threatened to choke her at night when she awoke from fleeting dreams of a future she would never be able to grasp. For someone with their doubts painted plainly on their face could never perform the role of an inspiring saviour, bringing hope to people who had been deprived of it for far too long.

Cries for help did not fit the role she had been assigned, and so were forbidden. She swallowed them down, the words she wished she could let escape from her lips. Wrote them down on pieces of paper that she would then rip to shreds, watching the pieces of her heart flutter into a wastebin, abandoned.

Pleading all the while for someone to hear her silent voice, knowing that no one ever would.

~~~

Live by complementing each other, by filling in the gaps in another’s soul.

Lloyd’s toothy smile never failed to spark a lightbulb in her chest, a light that was painfully, blindingly bright, capable of striking through the dark clouds that hung over her head. She clung to his endless optimism, curling into his side and savouring the warmth that settled over her like a soft blanket. The grin on his face, his windswept hair and the patch of sunburned skin on his nose, were all details she traced over with her gaze countless times. They were a reminder of all that was at stake if she were to stumble over her lines at any point. It was not just an intangible salvation that she chased, but the contented smiles of those she cared for. A perfect performance - she could pull off nothing less.

By his side, she played the part of a girl who wasn’t fated to die, hoping to spare him the heartbreak. She did so with everything she had, praying that one day, even she could come to believe in the act. So much so that sometimes, she forgot to breathe, a practised smile painted on her face. Her breaths would return in the dead of night, rushing out of her in quick succession as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Once she had set out on the Journey of Regeneration, she held his hands close, memorising each callus as she let his infallible confidence bolster her own. Listening to him proclaim how she would definitely save the world made her heart clench tight in her chest, but it helped to assuage the fears that she would fail to be of use to this world she loved so much.

At the Tower of Salvation, she wept with tears that had been forgotten to her, just as the Goddess had wept over her children aeons ago. Amidst the locks that clanged shut around her heart, she recalled a night where the stars had spread far and wide across an inky black canvas, two cups of coffee abandoned on a cliffside as he’d taken her into his arms, his tears falling, one by one, into her hair.

Even knowing he would have wanted the full truth, unwilling to avert his gaze any longer, she had yet again built a mirage of herself, one that had now burned away under the sacred judgement of the Angel who had descended to retrieve her to Heaven. Leaving behind ugly reality and broken hearts in its wake.

Through blurry vision, she could still make out the anguished betrayal on Lloyd’s face. As she closed her eyes, entrusting to him all the dreams she had awoken from, she wondered who it was that he would remember as the river of time flowed ever onward.

The Chosen, who had brought salvation to this dying world against all odds?

The Angel, increasingly unrecognisable as the nights wore on and she forgot all that made her human?

Or Colette, the girl who was terribly afraid of being alone, who had deceived him all this time?

~~~

But then, have I been living my life all wrong?

There wasn’t much opportunity to contemplate anything after Lloyd brought her back from the empty void her soul had resided in, locked away from the world. Not with so much happening at once, everyone in a constant state of rushing around, fighting to save both worlds from a system that was slowly but surely killing them all.

In a twisted way, she was grateful that there wasn’t time. Not enough to tear away the bloody remnants of the collar that had been clasped around her neck at birth, to pick the shattered pieces off the ground and observe their shape under the violently bright light of her wings. Not enough to peel back all the layers that constituted the Chosen, and examine what was left beneath it all.

When she noticed the strange scales that were beginning to creep up her arm, surely a punishment for her failure, for the hundreds of mistakes she had made of her own choosing, it was simple. Simple to slide back into what had long since become second nature, so deeply ingrained that she was terrified she’d never be rid of it, yet remained a crutch that she continued to cling to.

When Lloyd swung by her room the next morning, her mirage smiled and told him everything was fine, a thousand regrets hidden behind its shimmering image as the honest words stuck in her throat melted into nothing.

~~~

The world was vast and beautiful, perhaps even more so now that the two worlds had rejoined into a rightful one.

And it had never before been so terrifying.

Now that the dust had settled, everyone had set off, each cradling their own precious dreams, each hoping to achieve something known only to them.

After saying goodbye to her father and grandmother, she herself had set off through the gates of Iselia, Lloyd squeezing her hand, the smile on his face capable of stealing the air from her lungs.

With winter fast approaching, the nights dragged on, often spent by the side of the road, a chilly wind her and Lloyd’s third companion as they slept. Or, rather, as Lloyd slept. She was often wide awake, staring up at the same stars that had blinked down at her when she’d walked on a path she was certain ended in her demise. Bright lights filled with the hopes of all those who had uttered wishes in their name, forming shapes that she traced with familiarity.

As she was doing now, her cheek resting on Lloyd’s chest as she listened to his steady, calming breaths, each one marking the passage of time. They’d set up camp with the weakening light of the setting sun to act as their guide, the pinks and oranges painted haphazardly on the sky giving way to darkness as they’d curled up together.

On nights like these, where sleep eluded her, she had nothing but time to think, making circles in her mind as she went round and round.

The path she currently walked stretched out endlessly before her, filled with infinite opportunities. Thinking about it was enough to make her hands tremble, her grip tightening on Lloyd’s shirt as she pressed closer to his comforting warmth.

Everyone had a role to play. Except that role wasn’t rigid, and it wasn’t handed down from the Heavens. It could be decided only by oneself. That much had been made clear to her over the course of the long journey she had undertaken. Too many people had been forced into boxes, whether by their own choices or by those around them. She was grateful to have been freed from the invisible collar around her neck, yet fear had replaced it to be her new restraint, squeezing tight around her throat.

The role of the Chosen, a lie from the very beginning, had been all she’d known for years on end. It had defined her, controlling everything she had ever done, turning her into nothing more than a puppet on strings. Now that the strings had been severed, she could be anything. Yet trying to be something else altogether - it was a terrifying prospect. Did she even know how to? Was she even capable of such a thing, when she wasn’t even sure who she was without the role of the Chosen to guide her?

The kindness she never hesitated to extend to anyone who needed it. The urge to apologise, to take on the sins of the world as her own, to see them as her responsibility to fix. The instinct to keep smiling, regardless of her own true emotions. Where did the Chosen end, and where did Colette Brunel begin?

“I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for you,” Zelos had told her before they’d parted ways, voice uncharacteristically gentle. “That’s just something you… No, we’ll have to figure out for ourselves.”

The girl that had played with her friends on the grassy hills outside Iselia, the girl that had shouldered the weight of the world… Had they both been real, or had they both been a mirage all along, fated to vanish with the morning light? It was a mess of tangled threads to sort through, and every time she tried to unravel it, she would stop mid-way through, paralysed at the thought of what she’d find once she undid it all.

“What are you thinking about down there?” A finger poked her cheek, Lloyd’s voice rumbling through her.

“Did I wake you?” she whispered, propping herself up on an elbow to glance down. A sleepy pair of russet eyes met her gaze, chocolate brown hair falling into his face that she longed to brush away - it was always so very soft. “I’m sorry. It’s nothing. You can go back to sleep.”

“Don’t apologise,” he grumbled, pulling her up with him as he sat up, a gentle hand cradling her face. She leaned into his touch, as she had never been able to help herself from doing so. “So? What’s got you up so late?”

It was tempting, to slip back into old habits. It was far easier to just create another flickering image that would spout lies that came to her as easily as breathing. But she’d promised him she would try to be honest, even if doing so sometimes felt like she was pulling a dozen needles out of her own raw, beating heart.

And she knew that there would be no judgement here. She would not receive the stormy disapproval she had gotten from the members of the Church whenever she expressed so much as a hint of discontentment. She would know only a gentle kindness that washed over her like a rain of stars, illuminating the way.

“I’m just… worried, I suppose.” Her explanation likely came out a jumbled mess as she stumbled over words, anxiously folding and unfolding her hands, unsure whether she was making any sense as everything spilt out of her at once. “That I’ll never be able to… be anything other than the Chosen, because I. I don’t know how to. I… I don’t even really know who I am, really.”

“Silly,” Lloyd replied without a second of hesitation, bending down to press a kiss against her forehead, making her shiver, heart leaping in her chest. “You’re just Colette.”

“And who that is… Well.” His lips curved up into a small smile, his thumb brushing her cheek and wiping away the tears she hadn’t realised had started to fall. “We have all the time in the world to find out.”

It was the answer to the question she hadn’t dared to ask, that she already knew the answer to and yet had fretted over all the same.

Will you stay?

She’d been turning over all the times she’d lied to him, even though she knew it mattered little to him. He’d learned to see through them all and had found her real, vulnerable heart, choosing to protect it to the best of his ability. He’d always been willing to stay, to help her take step after unsteady step in this vast new world, looking for the answers to the questions that had been buried in the depths of her heart that she was now beginning to unearth.

“Won’t you go to sleep?” A hand carded through her hair as all the tension left her in one go, prompting her to melt into his arms, exhaustion suddenly weighing on her shoulders.

She barely had the energy to nod as he gently tugged her back into their original positions, her head once more pillowed on his chest as his arm came to wrap around her, pulling her ever closer.

Closing her eyes, she drifted off to the sound of his heartbeat, a steady rhythm that ferried her into peaceful dreams, of a future that was hers to shape as she wished.

[tokis-imouto]

🌸🍡🍮 Dethklok as sweet lolita prints (with no explanation) 🌸🍡🍮

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・

• Nathan- Sweetie Hospital jsk (Diamond Honey, indie brand) • Toki- Toy Fantasy or Dreamy Baby Room (Angelic Pretty) • Pickles- Whipped Magic (Angelic Pretty) • Skwisgaar- Little Birds Symphonia op (Angelic Pretty) • Murderface- Tales Of A Kingdom Bustle jsk (Metamorphose)

[alazyparallelworld]

Any artists you look up to?

i like BIRD!! and AVVY!!! they were the whole reason i got into drawing. i wanted to draw 310s like them.... my style is very different than what i 'want(ed)' but i think now i prioritize my own psychotic uniqueness over another copy. :0

others, hmmmm... maggyo, grimfantas, and varmintz are all very good!!! i admire different things in each. :)

i think 4 media, tales of symphonia had a huge impact on my sense of clothing/monster/coloring.... i enjoy 'the last unicorn,' too, for aesthetics. a lot of my childhood insp'd me. every time i was in the library, i took some aside to admire the cover art for 'redwall' and 'blizzard of the blue moon'. furthermore, i combed over the illustrations in westerfeld's 'leviathan'...

[blueberry-beanie]

Hiiiiiii! Decoration Dream and Symphonia of Birds <3

Thank you for the questions, Lina! 🥰 Decoration Dream: Favourite way to decorate a cake? "If there was cake on the table I would not be talking to you," to quote a certain guy I post too much about recently. I love all sorts of cakes and they don't need to be decorated in a certain way! As a kid my birtday cakes were decorated with leaves and pink roses made of marzipan. So maybe that for nostalgic reasons. Symphonia of Birds: Favourite type of bird? I like all the small local songbirds. It's wonderful to hear them singing in the morning or when you're walking through the park. As a kid my room had a window into the garden with two big trees and in summer I would be woken up by their singing.

[lyubochka]

angelic pretty asks by @.princess-peachie

Sugary Carnival: Have you ever been considered popular?

nope, never.

Milky Planet: Besides earth, what planet would you come from?

jupiter.

Rose Toilette: Your signature perfume?  

chanel no 5 or gucci flora gardenia

Whimsical Vanilla-chan: What pets do you have/want to have?

a brown tabby cat named sushi

2 rats named funnel cake and candy apple

Marine Kingdom: Favourite undersea creature?

lionfish

blue whale

anglerfish

gulper eel

Dreamy Dollhouse: Describe your room with just 5 words.

cluttered

lived-in

homey

aromatic

well-lit

Melty Chocolate: Favourite type of chocolate?

ghiradelli dark chocolate squares with raspberry jam

Sugar Dream Dome: What do you like most about Winter?

snowbright nights

no bugs

christmas and valentines day

coats and boots

Milky Berry: What do you like most about Summer?

my birthday <3

concert season

red bull flavors

Happy Garden: What types of things would you plant in a garden?

rosemary

wild lavender

patchouli

wild berries

Magical Étoile:  Favourite attraction at a carnival?

carnival games

petting pens

funhouses

Toy Parade: What toys did you play with as a child?

pokemon stuffed animals

bratz dolls

Holy Lantern: Describe the darker side to your personality.

possessive, easily jealous, spiteful

somewhat sadistic

Melody Doll: What types of music do you listen to?

pretty much everything

but my favorite artists right now are violent vira, chase petra, snow wife, ashnikko, motley crue, fall out boy, deftones, slipknot, chappell roan, ethel cain, and banshee

Wonder Party: Favourite type of tea?

peppermint herbal tea

irish breakfast

Glass Bottle of Tears: What, without fail, makes you cry?

frustration

being acknowledged

child abandonment or neglect

Cinema Doll: What makes a movie really enjoyable for you?

good well paced atmosphere

tasteful scares

unique ost

Memorial Cake: What is your ideal romantic experience?

cumming first

Star Night Theatre: If life was viewed as a theatre stage, what role would you play?

secondary protagonist/love interest

Cotton Candy Shop: If you had your own shop, what things would you sell?

psychic readings and divinings of the future

seasonal ingredients for spells

cat whiskers and shed teeth/claws

Decoration Dream: Favourite way to decorate a cake?

just icing and fun sprinkles hehe

Fancy Box: What gift(s) did you get for your birthday last year?

perfume

stuffed animals

Misty Sky: What is your favourite type of weather?

light rain or a calm thunder storm

chilly with a clear blue sky

flurries of snow

Dreamy Horoscope: What is your zodiac sign, and do you relate to it?

leo sun, taurus moon, cancer mercury

yes obviously

Symphonia of Birds: Favourite type of bird?

luzon bleeding heart

mute swan

carrion crow

Day Dream Carnival: What do you daydream about the most?  

being important

Royal Cards: Name a game you are really good at.

chess

Milky Cross: Are you a religious person?

yes.

i primarily follow hellenic traditional practices of faith.

Cream Cookie: What kinds of snacks do you munch on?

i have a snack mix i love thats cashews, dried pomegranate, dried apple, and vanilla.

Drained Cherry: What emotionally exhausts you?

circular arguments

boredom

Fancy Paper Dolls: What accessories would come with a doll version of you? 

a stuffed bunny

strawberry lipgloss

a knife

Holy Night Story: Favourite thing to do when it’s night time?

find a game to play with my partner

watch vlogs and drink tea

Candy Treat: Favourite type of candy?  

gummy bears :3

dark chocolate

Fantastic Dolly: What cosmetics do you use?

primarily too faced, colourpop, and elf

some nyx and anastasia beverly hills

i generally stick to powder, blush, mascara, and lipgloss

sometimes i do a nice eyeshadow look or a blotted lip

Drink Me: Favourite drink/beverage? 

a caramel macchiato

a matcha latte

lemon green tea

grape fruit sparkling water

diet coke

Merry Making Party: Describe the biggest party you’ve ever been to.

Country of Sweets: What countries would you like to visit? 

italy

japan

lithuania

germany

france

Fruits Parlour: Favourite fruit? 

pomegranate

Dream Sky: Have you ever seen a shooting star?

yes frequently

Soap Bubbles: How do you like to bathe/shower?

hair treatment. shampoo. shampoo again.

condition. exfoliate. wash with bar soap. wash with body wash.

rinse. wash face. get out. body oil.

leave in. hair oil. face mask. serum. toner.

moisturize. lotion. perfume. lip scrub. lip balm.

done.

Jewelry Jelly: Name 3 of your favourite jewellery pieces.

my engagement ring

my rosary

my necklaces given to me by my aunt and mother

Dream Fantasy: What is your wildest fantasy?  

having cat ears...

Milky-chan the Fawn: Favourite forest animal?

white tail deer

grizzly bear

coyote

Honey Cake: What do you normally eat for breakfast?

coffee

sometimes french toast

if im feeling up to it, omelettes are good

Dreamy Baby Room: The most childish part of your personality?

my fear of being alone

my princess complex

Chess Chocolate: What piece would you be on a chess board?

a pawn turned queen

French Cafe: Favourite thing to eat at a patisserie?

chocolate croissant

Sugar Hearts: How is your love life right now?    

im engaged

Wonder Story: What types of things do you like to read about?

horror. usually horror involving a realistic scenario. like people

or a fate/circumstance we couldn't have avoided if we tried

Twinkle Mermaid: Favourite type of fantasy creature?

pegasi

centaurs

kelpies

Gloria: Name a very rare item that you would love to own.

a piece of the wooden cross jesus was crucified on

[mannatea]

Break Open the Sky, a Tales of Symphonia ‘fic (Chapter 9)

Current Word Count: 65,066 Summary: What kind of “Hero” of Regeneration would she be to leave an infant to fend for itself? Someone had to have left it here for a reason. The question was, of course, why? But as she lifted the little thing carefully into her arms, the motion reminding her of nights so far in the past, now, the why seemed almost tragically clear: this baby was of mixed blood. Chapter Summary: Raine, Regal, and the children head to the Crestfield Orphanage. Pairing/Characters: Raine, Original Characters, will also feature Genis, Regal, and Sheena. Endgame is Regal/Raine. Extra Info: This is technically an Accidental Baby Acquisition story, but I liken it more to “Doorstep Baby” literature because it sure ain’t cute. Rating: Mature, for themes. Genre: Eventual romance, gen, family, character study.

The title is the link to Ao3 for Chapter 9! Please enjoy! 🤍

Notes are under the cut!

Reminder that Crestfield is somewhere around here on the map:

If you're wondering why I'm using the separate Tethe'alla and Sylvarant maps btw, it's because DotNW doesn't exist in my brain and I refuse to acknowledge the map used there or in Phantasia in relation to this story.

I have eventual intentions of making a nice pretty map in Photoshop someday for the way I imagine things but like, who has the time for that.

--

I decided to marry the words tech-birds and rheiards because I thought it might be cool that the name they started out as ends up obsolete as a desire rises up to manufacture them with a catchier name. Yuan would be sooo so big brain if he did that. I went feral imagining Regal sending a yearly note to Yuan like "sell me one plz" and Yuan just always says no (and not always politely).

--

This chapter gives us a bit better of a peek at Regal as an empath. At least, that was my intention.

Sorry to put you on another boat, Raine, but at least Regal is trying to reassure you a bit.

--

I don't know what to say about Crestfield. I wanted to paint it as a place that feels quite opposite to Hima but not necessarily for the reasons you might have expected.

--

I couldn't model George after his drama CD personality because he's SUCH AN ASSHOLE THERE. I like the idea of George being a bit of an asshole, like it's fine if he's classist and racist the way he was in the drama CD, but it still has to make sense that Regal would value George's opinion and trust him to run the company in his absence after everything that happened.

I know a lot of people let Regal blame George for Alicia's death, and plenty of folks wonder why Regal doesn't take his anger/etc out on George, but the point of Regal's character is not the guilt he feels but rather his capacity for caring and for feeling things. Literally everything about this man screaaaams "empath" to me and I think he was too busy bearing the brunt of the responsibility of Alicia's death himself to ever fully blame George (who did apologize most sincerely in the game).

Also, Regal isn't stupid. George might have helped the tragedy along in the game, but that's all he did. To compare, in the drama CD he's outright a scumbag about it, saying things like Alicia poisoned Regal's mind and he had to fire her for it (+ outright hating poor people and helping Regal's father pay off/put pressure on voters). We also can't really forget that, completely separate of George, Presea's experiment was a success. You know they were going to get their hands on Alicia one way or another. George wasn't that big of a player in the event happening and I think Regal would know that, especially after the game events.

(Someday I might give my thoughts on the drama CD alone, but for now just trust me on it if you haven't listened to it.)

Anyway, George mostly means well in this one. He doesn't understand everything but he does want Regal to be happy.

--

I really felt compelled to make it clear that Regal knows Raine can't really take advantage of him (because he's the privileged one in their relationship and she's got a good heart), but understands fully that he could take advantage of her easily and feels yucky about it.

It kind of goes back to George, who so easily assumes Raine would be the one taking advantage in this scenario (because he is a racist and classist little shit, but in this house people are allowed to Grow) even though Regal is the one with the power.

--

Two and a half weeks it is. Will Raine reach a decision by then? Stay tuned next week to fiiiind outtttt.

[kitkatt0430]

i have officially been sucked into Tears of the Kingdom. Any willpower to finish out Symphonia first died the moment I had the chance to save and quit to 'test it out'. That said, I'm just gonna have to swap between the two games because I do want to finish my Symphonia replay.

TotK spoilers next

So I like that TotK gives a reason why Link's been nerfed once the game 'really' begins. So after the prologue beneath the castle, it makes sense why Link's down to his three hearts/default stamina ring when he wakes up again. Admittedly, there are other things not making sense but I'm going with 'Zelda stole Link's clothes' and 'Rauru's hand flew Link up to the sky before merging with him'.

I did kind of feel like the awakening in the sky was a little too much of a parallel to his awakening in Breath of the Wild. I guess this Link just does that now. It's his thing. Waking up naked but for his underwear in strange, ancient temples and then hanging out with a ghost who is mostly non judgmental about Link's state of undress. *snicker*

I like the new powers. Fusing is super useful, rewind is also super useful, and the ascend power is pretty awesome too. I am wondering why we've got a knock off Sheikah Slate - the Purah Pad - but hopefully if I seek out Purah later that'll get explained. And despite not having the Sheikah Slate's special abilities, the Purah Pad seems like it's still pretty useful - still has the map, camera, and warp abilities, I'm assuming I'll unlock a sensor and item glossary later - so it compliments the new source of Link's special abilities quite well.

I've done 4 shrines thus far - I was hopeful that maybe the Temple of Time would be a starter dungeon, but nope. I'm hoping for more actual non-shrine dungeons as I get further into the game and that they're bigger and more complicated than what BotW had. The shrines are interesting mini-dungeons and I do enjoy having lots of those. But there's something really satisfying about a proper Zelda dungeon that the shrines don't quite manage to embody.

Anyway, I only really went as far as completing the training ground and then making a splashdown in Hyrule. So tomorrow I'll start checking out my old BotW stomping grounds and, hopefully, starting to re-fill in that map.

There have been a lot of references to previous games in the series already. Rauru has shown up in the past, previously as the Sage of Light in Ocarina of Time. Now he's a Zonai ,the previous, uh... owner... of Link's new hand, and our latest ghost friend who apparently got to know Zelda during Link's most recent long nap. Zelda geeked out over the Zonai ruins beneath the castle which included depictions of the Imprisoning War, which has been mentioned in previous games though unless it's Skyward Sword (i don't really think so) i can't remember which (so many wars as backstory in these games). The Demon King is depicted as well - Ganondorf, of course, who shows up just a little further down in the caves.

The ruins in the sky is itself a reference both to Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess, where people lived on floating islands. The bird shaped gliders remind me a bit of the Loftwings - miss those guys, such loyal and kind birds...

As far as old enemies made new go, Like Likes are back and as unsettling as ever. I'm just glad they don't make the weird squelching noise I associate with the OoT/MM version of these things.

[siverwrites]

Game Log 2022

And here's how that game log for 2022 went. I had changed things up from previous years with three lists. The main To Play, knock 5 off my To Play itch.io collection and continuing with my journey through Dragon Quest.

To Play:

Disco Elysium (PC, GOG)*

The Messenger (PC, Epic)*

Ara Fell (PC, Steam)

Forgotton Anne (PC, Steam)

Machinarium (PC, Steam)

Moon: Remix RPG Adventure (Switch)

The Night of the Rabbit (PC, Steam)

Persona 4 Golden (PC, Steam)

Primordia (PC, Steam)

Wandersong (PC, Steam)

Book of Travels (PC, Steam)*

Metroid Dread (Switch)

Toem (Switch)

Tangle Tower (PC, Steam)

Later Alligator (PC, Steam)

Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Switch)

FAR: Changing Tides (Switch)

Sea of Stars (PC or Switch) (Removed for delay)

Return to Monkey Island (Switch)

Knock at least 5 10 games off the To Play collection on itch.io (complete or retire)

10mg: SNAAAK

A Bird’s Tale

a garden on the sea

A Good Snowman is Hard to Build

Anodyne

Astrologaster

ᗢ

Baba is You

Backbone

Beasts of Maravilla Island

Book of Eos

Button City

Bug Favor

by constellation

Celeste (Removed)

Chalk Gardens

Chook & Sosig: Walk the Plank

Cloud Gardens

Coffee Talk

Cookie’s Bakery

CrossCode

Eselmir and the Five Magical Gifts

Fairy Song

Falling Awake

Friendly Fire

Get In The Car, Loser!

Hidden Folks

How We Got Here

inbento

Little Mouse’s Encyclopedia

Lonely People Potion Shop

Mable And The Wood

miniNATURA

Minit

Momodora II

Monkey Warp

Moon Hunters

Night in the Woods

Nonsense at Nightfall

OneShot

Papersaurus

Panmorphia

Pendula Swing – The Complete Journey

Pillars of Dust

Quench

Rusty Lake Hotel

Satan Loves Cake

Semblance

shrubnaut

Signs of the Sojourner

Spring Falls

Star Surveyor

Symphonia

Tales Across Time

Tales from Windy Meadow

Tenderfoot Tactics

the bell shrine

The King’s Bird

The Old City of High Walls

The Search

The Stillness of the Wind

The Sweater Thief

The Tale of the Cartographer

Underhero

Where the Snow Settles

Wonderflower

Ynglet

Dragon Quest:

Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation (DS)*

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (3DS)*

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (3DS)*

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS)**

*Has been started before or currently playing (note I have played DQ VIII before but on PS2) **Replay

Currently Playing:

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (3DS)

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN, emulated)

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (PC, Steam)

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 3rd (Steam)

Pokémon Violet (Switch)

Chained Echoes (Steam)

–

Finished:

January:

Later Alligator (PC, Steam)

TOEM (Switch)

Disco Elysium (PC, GOG)

Nonsense at Nightfall (PC, itch.io)

February:

shrubnaut (PC, itch.io)

the bell shrine (browser, itch.io)

The Sweater Thief (browser, itch.io)

a garden on the sea (PC/browser, itch.io)

Papersaurus (PC/browser, itch.io)

Bug Favor (browser, itch.io)

March:

Cloud Gardens (PC, itch.io)

inbento (PC, itch.io)

Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster (PC, Steam)

10mg: SNAAAK (PC, itch.io)

Disco Elysium (PC, GOG)**

April:

The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition (PC, Steam)

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge (PC, Steam)

The Curse of Monkey Island (PC)

Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation (DS)

May:

Tangle Tower (PC, Steam)

Pokémon Snap 64 (N64, emulated)

FAR: Changing Tides (Switch)

June:

Chrono Trigger (SNES, emulated)

She and the Lightbearer (PC, Steam)

Sorcery! Part 1 (PC, Steam)

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC (PC, Steam)

July:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

This is a black parallelepipedon in a yellow field (browser, itch.io)

Tales of Monkey Island (PC, Steam)

The Secret of Monkey Island (PC, Steam)

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge (PC, Steam)

The Curse of Monkey Island (PC)

Hidden Folks (PC, itch.io)

A Bird’s Tale (PC, itch.io)

Crash/Impact/Contact (browser, itch.io)

August:

Everything is Garbage (PC, itch.io)

Trapped with Jester (browser, itch.io)

Late Night Talks (browser, itch.io)

Celeste 2 Classic: Lani’s Trek (PC, itch.io)

Satan Loves Cake (PC, itch.io)

Sort the Court (browser, itch.io)

ᗢ (PC, itch.io)

Wonderflower (PC, itch.io)

Mimi’s Delivery Dash (PC, itch.io)

Burly Men at Sea (PC, Steam)

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling (PC, Steam)

September:

Return to Monkey Island (Switch)

Persona 4 Golden (PC, Steam)

October:

Final Fantasy X (PS2)

November:

Donkey Kong Country (SNES, 3DS Virtual Console)

Baba Is You (PC, itch.io)

Symphonia (PC, itch.io)

Live A Live (Switch)

King’s Quest: Quest for the Crown (PC, GOG)

December:

Hot Pot Panic (PC, itch.io)

◫ (browser, itch.io)

Solomon’s Box (browser, itch.io)

King’s Quest II: Romancing the Thrown (PC, GOG)

Sisão (browser, itch.io)

beachcombing (browser, itch.io)

King’s Quest III: To Heir is Human (PC, GOG)

Nothing to Say (browser, itch.io)

Cookie’s Bakery (gameboy emu, itch.io)

Resonance of the Ocean (PC, itch.io)

Towerbag (browser, itch.io)

Mario Party 2 (NSO)

King’s Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella (PC, GOG)

2023 Log