#there is just such limited merch for them in general that like. i Gotta

[ectonurites]

god damnit im gonna have to get more funko pops. look at them

[ponett]

Would you ever consider making SLARPG plushies? I would spend 1 quadrillion dollars on them i swear

I would love to do plushes or figures or just more merch in general someday, but I'm reluctant to turn to any of the Makeship-style companies that will let fans crowdfund a plush during a limited window of time. I've gotten a couple of those before, but the quality of how well they actually capture the characters' likenesses is extremely hit or miss, and I also just don't want to do FOMO-based merch drops where you gotta preorder one NOW or you never get one. What about fans who don't have the money at the time of the campaign, or fans who only become fans later?

But the reason people do those so often is that it's just SO much easier to let Makeship handle the logistics of all that than to figure it out yourself. For a lot of people it's either you do a Makeship campaign or you don't get a plush of your character at all, and so they put up with the FOMO model. I don't like that model, and I don't have the bandwidth to get a plush designed and manufactured and ship them out myself, so for the time being these things don't exist. But maybe someday...

[fagsex]

i really do think a lot of people here / violent fandom warriors in general would be a lot happier getting into football. imagine all the fun of getting into a war over high school anime boys, but with the luxury of being able to talk about it with virtually entirely normal people. you dont gotta know much to start with just one team you just need one team. theres 53 men on the roster already, thats 53 peopl- i mean characters you dont have to reddit the ages of and swear to jesus theyre actually 30000 years old before you horny post about. doesnt that sound fun. and they have character arcs and battles. diversity too! britain covey is mormon and the team still loves him. its like found family trope. and some of them get taken in from rivaling teams so like youve got enemies to friends to... the sky's the limit. you can still scare people off like you usually do, but now, they sell merch for you virtually anywhere from september to february. theres also gambling you guys love gambling ive seen the genshin impacted. theres crossover events with your friends teams every week! theres even a boss level: pretending last years superbowl winner doesnt sound, and act, and look, like an actual, literal, muppet.

[sburbian-sage]

On the topic of Terraria... God, what a wonderful game for alchemizations. Even unmodded, there's SO much great stuff. And I don't just mean the weapons and armor- those do tend to be pretty pricey grist-wise after all- but even stuff like, the potions. People are for real sleeping on the fuckin potions. They aren't generally all that pricey, and flasks of ichor makes any given fight in Sburb SO much easier.

(Fair warning, DO NOT drink the "Red potion". You will die very painfully. Tossing it into the black king's mouth however...)

With that said, I kinda have a rep as the "potions guy" now. And you know, I don't really mind it, but I feel like my lineup's a bit limited!

There's a lot of games with potions, but most of them are kinda hard to get at with alchemy. With Terraria, you just grab the game (assuming you have a physical copy, or some merch which also works) and alchemize it with random fish and plants and you'll probably get the materials you want eventually, and then the alchemiter seems to take it's cues from the game on what things you gotta combine for the potions.

Not so with a lot of other games. I feel like the alchemy system gets stuff mixed up too much with real-world herbalism or whatever. Terraria has stronger, like, iconography or something, so it's not as easily lost in the sauce.

Any recommendations for other media that doesn't tend to get too muddied up when used in alchemy, with cool potions and buffs and things?

Or hell, just any advice you have about buffs in general.

(And is it true that troll blood is a potion unto itself, and does different things based on it's color when drank by humans? Or is that just a fucked up racist rumor?)

Troll Blood Potions isn't even a racist rumor, I think it's a weird joke. Partially because, yeah, their blood if put in a glass vial would indeed look like a potion. And partially because Vampires Are Real. Some Trolls are vampires, and so some of those vampires get their friends to bottle some blood in case of an emergency. I think it helps them heal from injuries, in addition to being a source of nutrition. I don't know if the different blood colors taste like, or if "candy red" blood tastes the same as human blood, or if they can even drink human blood. Might wanna get around to asking a Jadeblood about this. Or how Cherub blood works (how does it change color and does it do that if it's outside of the body).

In terms of Potions, there's a simpler solution there's a SBURB brand original thing you might wanna look into. This is one of those breakthroughs along the same lines as the Alimentator where some genius replayer (unironic use of the term, from me, wow) named ballisticSpectacle futzed around with the game mechanics, found a replicable exploit, and disseminated it to the replayernet for everyone's benefit. In this case, it was in fact an Alimentator hack, and with it we got "Xshakes". The process is a bit involved, so I direct you to reference not only your complimentary Alimentator reference PDF, but also a more dedicated guide/discussion board, but the result is a drinkable solution that provides beneficial effects. Lifeshakes restore Vitality Gel, Pluckshakes restore Pluck (a godsend considering how slowly it can regen sometimes), Voidshakes purge Other Corruption, Lightshakes purge Angelic Corruption, etc. They're all a bit difficult to make, and expensive (Pluckshakes especially), but very much worth it, and more importantly, replicable and documented. Pretty sure it has something to do with Aspect Charges, even though from my understanding eating anything Aspect Charged results in a nightmarish death. Hence why you should really look up a more dedicated guide on this.

In terms of buffs though, potions are generally not the most effective solution. As noted, they can be hard to make, but I also worry about the imbibing process. What if I'm falling into lava and can't bust out a fire resistance potion quickly enough? If someone attacks me and the bottles break? If it tastes really nasty? I think the better thing to do is making clothes that offer buffs or status resists. If I'm going to an associate's Land and it's ungodly cold or lethally hot (or filled with lava), I'll just whip up an outfit which has an innate resistance to that. It's basically always-on, not to mention provides armor bonuses. The only potential downside is that changing clothes takes a while (and exposes your nude forma to the elements and any voyeurs who may be lurking), but a wardrobifier alleviates both issues. Or for a more low-tech solution, captchaloguing a standing metal ring with in-built curtain for some privacy. Don't laugh, I actually did this before I discovered the wardrobifier. It served me well, and bravely sacrificed itself when I used it for impromptu cover during a fight with a laser-blasting boss.

[mikuyuuss]

I just got home from the Kny premiere❤️ I got these free merch, and sadly we had to choose between Mui and Mitsuri shirts, so me and my friend both chose Mitsuri for each of us.

The only size that was available is extra large, and is way too big for me. I hope I can still pull it off with a baggy look with my matching green socks or something. Anyways, I need to gather my thoughts because, man I didn't expect to be as speechless as I am now after finishing it lol.

First of all WOW, I somehow didn't expect the infinity fortress to be so big I don't know why I somehow visualize it as just some really big maze of hallways, but the movie showed a whole ass city, and apparently with houses too as Douma said.

And speaking of Douma, Mamoru Miyano did such an amazing job with him! I don't remember him being this cute in the manga, but in the anime HE WAS JUST SO ADORABLE. I almost felt bad with how Akaza and Kokushibo were treating him lol. I just cannot get over how amazing all the vas are, especially Koku with Byakuyas voice!!

And speaking of Swordsmith Village. Ngl, Swordsmith wasn't exactly my favorite arc in the manga, (as much as I adore Mui, Mitsuri and Genya there.) but seeing it in anime and just seeing the environment in general, with the swordsmiths, the blade forging and the world building, made me appreciate it so much more. My friend however, said how he wished the village looked bigger. Our guess is it might be a lot bigger than it looks with more houses that are simply hidden.

Tanjiro's introduction to Genya is just h i l a r i o u s, sometimes I just forget how weird their first interaction is lol. Just from the the way it was animated and how it went manga panel style just as soon as Tanjiro is gonna jump. It's all just perfect.👌

And of course there's the infamous Mitsuri bath scene. I remember saying before about how I was worried that they might exaggerate the fan service scenes, but thankfully, it wasn't as bad as I thought. I know there were some people who wished to omit the bath scene altogether, and I'M SO GLAD THEY DIDN'T, let her enjoy her bath smh 😤 Prior to this, I heard stories about how someone moaned in the theaters during that scene. There wasn't anything like that in my own experience. 🤣 But the audience did gasp, mostly heard comments like "She's so pretty!" something like that.

Also gotta give it to Mitsuri's va Kana Hanazawa! I mentioned before how she also voiced some of my favorite female characters like Akane Tsunemori. I felt that she's a bit underrated within the va community, probably bc they think that she's limited to shy and cutesy roles (she isn't) but the thing is, Kanahana REALLY SHINES when she plays characters like Mitsuri, and it shows. I LOVE the Mitsuri and Nezuko scenes. It was just WAY TOO CUTE AND WHOLESOME (I can't believe I haven't drawn these two together yet ;_;) and I even heard the collective "Awwwwwwws" of the audience during that scene. It was just that cute.

(But that said, I'm a little disappointed they didn't include the part where Mitsuri was singing to Nezuko, it was such a missed opportunity, I wonder if it's too late to add them to the episode once the season is fully released... 🤔)

But overall, It was all really really good, and I was getting so excited to also see Muichiro and then suddenly it ended abruptly, and then I remembered that this was just a teaser of sorts and not the full movie. So I don't know how to end this post except to say that me and my friend are both shoocked.

[rose-of-the-valley]

Mooncake Headcanons Pt. 1

Featuring the demon brothers! (all others coming soon in a separate post!)

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Mooncakes are one of my favorite holiday foods even though they're getting more and more expensive every year. My mom used to make them when I was little so that she could make them with the fillings she liked, which then led to us knowing the extent of how bad these things are for your cholesterol.

I still eat them though because I think they're delicious and I am no stranger to hedonism. I would eat an entire box of mooncakes in a day if people would let me.

Lucifer

Lucifer's favorite mooncake flavor is Wu Ren (five kernels/mixed nuts). It's a pretty traditional mooncake filling, favored among older generations but less popular with younger people

Thus, perfect for the Devildom's resident Old Man™

If you remind him about the Mid-Autumn Festival early enough, he might even ask Diavolo for permission to bring you to the human world to celebrate

Knock on his study door the night before with an ornate box of them. He'll actually pause his work for once, even pulling out a bottle of demonus for the occasion

Offer to feed him a piece and his eyes will go wide, but he'll chuckle and let you do it anyway, so long as you can keep it a secret

"Mooncakes? Is it that time of year already? I'll have to arrange for us to go see a lion dance together. You'll share these with me later, won't you?"

Mammon

He's not particularly picky about what flavor he gets, but his favorites have a salted egg yolk core. Bonus points if it's got two

The sweet-and-salty combo is admittedly good, but mostly it's about the fact that the golden center makes him think of money

If you're planning on surprising this demon with a gift box, you better hide it well. They sell for a lot, and he's got a knack for finding things in hidden spots

If you manage to pull it off, watch this demon light up with joy. He knows how much they cost, so you must care for him a lot if you got him some

The tsundere will never admit that that's why he's happy, of course. He'll brush it off saying he's only blushing because it's warm, never mind that it's the middle of fall

"Whaddya mean the egg yolk's supposed to represent the full moon? Doesn't that look like Grimm to ya? Whatever, ya better not have gotten mooncakes for anyone else!"

Levi

Everyone's favorite otaku loves red bean mooncakes

You can bet that there's an Azuki-tan limited edition mooncake design that he just has to get

Imagine his surprise when you show up at his door two days before the release with a box of them! Just for him!

Poor guy can't decide between asking what strings you pulled to get these and just blurting out that he loves you. What comes out is a garbled mix of the two followed by a string of attempted clarifications

You'll have to convince him to actually eat them; he loves them so much that he tries to keep them on his shelf with all his other merch and gifts from you

"T-These are the Azuki-tan mooncakes! They only release them once a decade! I'll cherish them forever! Now we gotta watch the episode the design is based on!"

Satan

A bit more into modern styles than his older brothers, Satan's found that his favorite mooncakes are lava custard

The gooey liquid center surprised him the first time he had one, but he found that he quite liked this alternative to salted egg yolk fillings - it provided a nice flavor contrast without the annoyance of the egg yolks falling out when you tried to cut them

(Besides, think of the look on Lucifer's face when he gets these from an "anonymous fan" and cuts one open only to spill egg yolk everywhere!)

Catch him when he doesn't have his nose buried in a book (or cat fur) so you can share these without worrying about making a mess

However, when you find him he's got a box of your favorite flavor in his hand. He likes to keep up with human world holidays, after all

"You know, I've heard that you're supposed to solve lantern riddles for Mid-Autumn Festival. You'll come with me to try and guess some, right?"

Asmodeus

Asmo's favorites are snow skin mooncakes

Look at how delicate and beautiful they are! Just like him!

He's definitely snapping a bunch of pics for Devilgram. Cue a collage of him holding up mooncake halves and winking or blowing kisses at the camera

Of course, if you were the one to gift him the mooncakes, then you have to be in the photos too! Show the Devildom how much you love him and how adorable you both are!

His favorites are the ones where you're feeding each other a bite. He'll only post the one where you're using dessert forks though, saving any spicier ones for his personal collection

"Oooh they're so pretty! Look at all these colors! If you come to my room later I'll show you how thankful I am ♡"

Beelzebub

While he'll take any mooncakes he gets, Beel's favorites are the savory Suzhou style mooncakes with a minced meat filling

Soft and flaky, they're not as dense as regular mooncakes, but oddly enough they feel more satisfying than their sugary counterparts

When you share these with Beel, he'll likely try to devour them in one bite, which really isn't too bad of an idea considering how many crumbs these flaky pastries leave

If you're feeding him though, be careful not to get your fingers bitten

You won't have to worry about saving any for yourself. The holiday is about family after all, and Beel loves nothing more than sharing with the people he loves

"I want to have a big dinner with everyone. Then I want to share these with you after. They'll taste better if I eat them with you."

Belphegor

Belphie's favorite is another regional variant - specifically the Teochew/Chaoshan thousand layer mooncake. He prefers his with a mochi and black sesame paste filling

This demon loves the human world, and with the mochi craze it's no wonder that this is his (current) preference

Take him out for an Authentic Festival Experience™ and surprise him at the end with these mooncakes. Break one in half and feed it to him if you want to see him blush

He might be sleepy after a day of activities, but he'll try to stay awake and admire the full moon with you

If he does fall asleep, you can bet he'll be dreaming about laying under the moonlight with you

"Hey, come lie down next to me. Just make sure you don't get any crumbs on my pillow, ok?"

support me on ko-fi!

[seokwoosmole]

KAMP LA Day 1 Pros&Cons

This'll be a long one...

Cons (Let’s get those outta the way first)

-$50 parking?????

-Lines. For awhile there were like 6 of them cause no one knew where they were going or what they were supposed to do. I spent like half an hour w/ another fan just wandering around in different lines tryna find the right one until we did a full circle and went back to the line we were told to move from in the first place. Like why were there no signs whatsoever?? No workers stationed throughout the grounds to give instructions. Just eww.

-Maybe I was expecting too much from a company that couldn’t even get all of their booked artists to fly over but I was kinda hoping there’d be artist-specific merch or freebies. I would have even been happy with cheaply printed fake photocards :/

-P1Harmony & iKON should have had longer sets. I was a casual Piwon fan before KAMP but now I am srsly considering committing full-on. Their energy was soooo good, they have great live vocals & dancing, and every song they performed had me so hyped I totally would have wanted more. iKON. I practiced the Killing Me fanchant over and over only for them to not perform it?? I get opening with Sinosijak is basically tradition, Love Scenario is a must as the national anthem, Bling Bling was amazing, obviously gotta promote But You since it’s the newest, and I am a BDAY enthusiast but would I have preferred Killing Me, Freedom, or even Dragon? Absolutely. The set times were weird in general. T1419 was on stage for a very long time for a new group. I like them a lot but they performed like half of their discography. And Momoland seemed surprised that they were supposed to do another song. I don’t remember but I think it was Nancy that was like “oh we have another song?!” after they were ready to leave the stage. Then when iKON was on, they were tryna prolong their stage time by talking in between songs. Idk if SUJU got the amount of time they deserved but I really hope so since so many of their fans were there.

-That translator?? First of all, not 100% of my frustration goes to her since it seems like she’s not an actual translator but just a staff member of KAMP that was suddenly forced to be translator cause they probably didn’t have one. However, that still doesn't change the fact that she was...not the best. I don't speak Korean and I could still tell that she was not doing her job fully. There were moments when an artist would say like 5 sentences in Korean and the translator would be like "I'm so happy to be here, thank you". Like uhhhh I know for a fact that they said more than that and gave adequate pauses in between speaking to give room for the translator to talk. Also, asking T1419 who the best BTS impersonator is? What kind of question?? My memory is hazy, but I could have sworn there was a moment when the translator either dipped or just stopped talking, and T1419 were just trying to tough it through with their limited amount of English. I felt so bad for them, as this was their American debut and this is what they had to deal with. I noticed that besides Bobby, Jinhwan and from my memory, even Donghyuk a little bit, tried speaking more English, not relying on the translator too much as she wasn't translating everything they were saying, especially things in relation to the many mishaps going on. I also heard that one of the Super Junior members called out the translator for mistranslating what he said. I don't know if this was KAMP's weird attempt at censoring the artists' critiquing the organization, or if she just wasn't well-versed in translating – her grammar was off at times, making me wonder if she's just proficient in English and isn't actually fluent, which I am not blaming her for. But if that is the case, and the predominantly Korean-speaking artists can point out when there are flaws in the translation, then maybe KAMP should have actually had a professional translator prepared.

-I'm not elaborating on the obvious screwups of idk...half the artists not even being there and the lack of a sufficient apology and such cause idk what else I can say about that. I ended up requesting a refund for Day 2 because the artist I wanted to see most was MONSTA X, and even without them, T1419, MOMOLAND, and EPIK HIGH were up there, but I already saw T1419 and MOMOLAND on Day 1 so at that point, it just wasn't in my best interest financially to go. I think about how I at least got to see one of my ults, iKON, but a lot of people didn't even get that. I met someone in Koreatown who flew in from another state in the midwest JUST to see Kai. Like yeah, a refund is great (deserved tbh) but what about people's hotel expenses, gas costs, airfare, etc. Obviously KAMP isn't legally responsible for covering those, but on a moral front – all that money wasted because of a mistake KAMP made.

ANYWAY

Pros (Cause KAMP sucked but there people that showed up didn't)

-P1H's set was sooooooo good

-"When I say 'Kee', you say 'Ho'" and that bilingual joke. We love Keeho, bilingual king

-Oh yeah, P1H was great btw I may or may not be on my way to becoming a P1ece

-T1419 did amazing & congrats on their American debut! They seemed super nervous but for being so young they were great live performers. I'm definitely gonna keep supporting them.

-Also the collective 'ohhhhhh' from the crowd when they explained the meaning of their group name💀

-MOMOLAND has gained a new fan. Their type of music is usually not my cup of tea at all, but there's such an aesthetic appeal to the way they dance and their songs are so catchy I just loved every bit of their performance. Their stage presence is just AHH Exquisite. Also I could tell at parts they were being real sarcastic about the whole situation. The passive aggressive behavior was suuuuuper relatable and I adored it.

-iKON!!!!!!!!!! I can't even speak about it coherently yet. They were amazing. I love them. I loved them before. I love them even more now. Seeing them live is everything I imagined and more so. They didn't live up to the hype but exceeded it.

-Jinhwan shading the translator. Also him jumping as if to say "can y'all see me?" I love all 65 inches of him.

-Bobby live –– seeing one of my ult biases live –– he's (no pun intended but well deserved) iconic. Also he made us bark. I was too in awe to even process it but if my delayed processing hadn't kicked in I would have barked and chased my own ass in circles if he asked me to😩✋ Mrs. Bobby tell ur husband to leave his kinks at home

-Also Donghyuk bias-wrecked me harder than he ever has that night he was looking fine af🥵

-Met @aqua-bebe ☺️ See you at the next show <3

-There was a trio of dudes that sat in my area that were just the definition of the greatest fans on the planet. They cheered so loud waving their EXO lightstick like a lasso and dancing and singing for EVERY. SINGLE. ARTIST. What class-A supporters. When Keeho said "When I say Kee, you say Ho," they said HO with their whole chest. When MOMOLAND was on, one of them screamed "I LOVE YOU NANCY" louder than I thought was humanely possible. When iKON left the stage before their encore, they started the iKON chant in my section for them to come back. The were incredibly loud and obnoxious and looked like they had a blast. I aspire to be them.

[colorful-horses]

💐 ?

💐 - who’s your favourite mlp blog?

I don't know if I have a Single favorite blogger, so heres a list of some of my absolute favorite pony bloggers:

🎨 MLP Art Blogs

@cassettepony - Such a unique art style. Cannot stress enough how unique her art style is! It's very stylistic and the colors are POPPIN- they're so saturated and pretty! Her art reminds me of jolly ranchers,, I also absolutely love the exaggerated expressions and how she draws EYES (when the corner of the mouth slightly clips over the bottom of the eye.........immaculate) + She does something really special that I never see any other pony artists doing, which is giving the ponies little chin hairs or 5 o'clock shadows (I. i don't know what it's called please forgive me). It is so special and cool to see, and it's so recognizable! I ADORE Cassettes art and I've always been too shy to say hi so uhhh. Hi! 👋

@msponies - ponies drawn in mspaint. HIGH QUALITY posts here. I am so inspired by their use of colors- the RANGE in some of these posts is crazy. Some of these drawings have such extremely unique color combos that you wouldn't think would work so well together, but msponies is just a master at using a color palette to its full potential its actually crazy! Their Trixie drawings are some of the best, and I cant help but admire how bold their backgrounds are (yea I know that kinda goes hand in hand with the whole color palette thing but i just really like their art); the bold colors and the dark outlines are so scrumptious

@celebrationcastle - They don't update extremely often, but when they do, you kno its gonna be a top tier post. They have a very flexible artstyle, and they post fanart for every generation. They were the ones who made that Valentines Pinkie Pie design that popped off a while ago, and for good reason; they are extremely good at drawing and designing. Like, they've completely mastered the artstyle of g3 and g4 (and probably every other gen. its nuts), and their g5 fanarts art probably my favorite I've ever seen (sunny starscout, my beloved). Everything they post is a banger. Their blog is just such a big inspiration to me :,)

📖 General MLP Blogs

@yodawgiheardyoulikeponies - absolute FAVORITE pony collecting blog. OP is SO sweet and her collection is AMAZING! I absolutely adore her photos and her posts, and her enthusiasm about collecting is so infectious. The positive energy on her blog is absolutely pure sugar, and I just really cannot stress enough how much effort she puts into her posts. She makes little pony photo shoots! And makes little stories out of them!!! It's so fun to just sit and read through. I always check her blog after new merch is released just because it's it's interesting to read about a Pony Veteran giving their input on modern toys. 1000/10 I love this blog

@ahorseofeverycolor - I only have notifications on for like. 5 or 6 blogs? And this is definitely one of them. They regularly post about ponies and horses (okay, they mostly focus on Breyers, but thats not a negative to me at all- I got my first Breyer the other day BECAUSE of this blog, lol), and their blog is just so clean and organized! They post about so many different kinds of ponies, whether it be comparing flat-footed release to concave foot releases, or custom ponies they made themselves, or just really cool pony finds that aren't necessarily obtainable (prototypes, special custom ponies commissioned by hasbro by professional artists, etc) but are really cool to look at!!! I really like this blog!!!

@mustcollecthorses - This is a blog that I have a super bad habit of opening and then scrolling through for like. 2 hours straight, lol. It's a mix of reblogs and original posts, so it's really my Ideal pony blog; usually when I hear about pony news, it's because he reblogged it! It's a very focused blog, so it's definitely a good one to follow if you need some more horses on your dash! He recently made an edit of Hitch from the new 5 pack to give him brushable hair, which I absolutely love (why did they gotta give him sculpted hair umu) I also like that OP leaves tags on the posts he reblogs! I don't know if it's just me, but I always like a blog more if they add tags with input about the toys and news and things like that. It adds some personality and a Vibe to the blog and I just really like it!!!

ok thats all! i of course follow a bunch of other pony themed blogs, but those are some of my top favorites, and ill limit it to 3 per category for the sake of simplicity. please consider following them! They're all so cool and talented!!!

--

send me pony themed asks

[vashti-lives]

i decided to rate the flannel in this year’s joann pride collection

First up we have the category I like to call, so bland I only know its supposed to be gay because of the label.

Its rainbow stripes, which is cute? Who doesn’t love a rainbow stripe? I’m not that into that sky blue stripe but eh. 7/10.

This heart fabric is aggressively fine. I mean Joann has cuter rainbow heart fabric than this, right now, but whatever. I can imagine a nice grandma making her 16 year old lesbian niece christmas PJ pants out of them as a show of support. 5/10

Next up we have-- the obvious. 

Love is love was a perfectly good slogan for people campaigning for gay marriage but it has outlived its usefulness and AGAIN I am not into that light blue in the rainbow,  like commit to the original pink and turquoise colors or just use the actual rainbow. I honestly can’t imagine what you make out of this. 4/10

Its rainbows. They’re fine. This is what that grandma makes into sleep pants for her granddaughter NEXT Christmas. 6/10

Now we have, the obvious, but worse:

I know common wisdom says that Rainbows Are Gay but these rainbows are not gay. This pattern looks like it should be on a rug in a low rent daycare where the bright colors and busy pattern distract from the fact that its been puked on 8 times in the last 6 months. 3/10

This next section is what I like to call: If Rainbows Are Gay, Are Colors Gay?

Yes. Yes they are. I personally don’t like this because I think the colors are muddy but I gotta admit: this is pretty gay. 9/10

My gut reaction is that tie-dye is not gay but upon reflection fake tie dye flannel fabric IS actually probably very gay. Its ugly, but I’m sure there are tick tock teens who would be into it. 7/10

And now we have... but who is this for???

This ALSO looks like it belongs in a daycare, but a much bougie-er one that really leans into neutral colors and wooden toys. 7/10

Points GIVEN because its very inclusive and that’s cool but points deducted because they got the colors of some of the flags wrong. Points further deducted because frankly this is a boring and lazy design. 6/10

I mean, its very cute and I like how inclusive it is but... WHAT IS IT FOR? What are you supposed to make out of this? I could see the print being good in other contexts, on canvas it might make a cute tote? But this is brushed cotton flannel? I... don’t understand. 5/10

OK WHO WANTS THIS? Like... if they had a whole series of pronoun fabrics that would be adorable! My pronouns are they/them or she/her or he/him is totally cute. You could make an adorable “congrats on your transition gift” out of it! This is just... lists of pronouns but with rainbows. 4/10

CONCLUSION!

So ok this is their example of what you could do with this fabric and I think it really hits why I don’t like this collection. Because like. This doesn’t look gay. This looks like it should be hanging in a community center during an anti-bullying week. Like... I cannot imagine a queer person making this and putting it in their home because its just so deeply impersonal. Which really is the heart of the problem.

This collection is *about* the gay community but its not *for* the gay community. Every pattern attempts to encompass the entire community but like, if I’m making a quilt for myself or a friend I want it to be *about* that person.

I mean ok... giant corporation doesn’t get Pride Month, more at 11. I know I know. But like... last year they quietly released two rainbow plaid prints and they were the best rainbow plaid prints I’ve ever seen??? Why not just do it again this year but with more purpose! Release plaids for every flag! Or stripes or... something. Joann is pretty good at prints that come in multiple colorways? I just... generally people don’t want merch with *all* the pride flags they want merch with *their* pride flag. They released 11 pride prints this year? It was so many this post is formatted weirdly because it was over the picture post limit! WHY ARE THEY ALL GARBAGE??? They didn’t even reprint any of last year’s good rainbow plaid!!! That shit sold out in like, a month. I *know* they know it was popular. I deeply suspect if they rereleased it people would snap it up again. I would literally buy at least 10 more yards. But no, we get rainbow elementary school grammar exercises.

[papermariosuggestion]

What are you hoping for from a new Paper Mario? What's your "golden ideal", I guess?

I could spend, like, years thinking of things I’d like to see in a Paper Mario game, but I’ll try to narrow it down. Here are some of the main things I’d really like to see:

☆ New partners (plural)

• Based on previously established Mario species, preferably “enemy” species, as “The circumstances of one’s birth are irrelevant; it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.”

• Unusual, but believable, and perhaps even poignant, backstories and fully realized character arcs. I want to care about these characters because I’m invested in this world, its inhabitants, and those inhabitants’ personal successes and failures, not just because their design is so kawaii and/or their dialogue is so funny, though those things are a plus.

• Distinct personalities and opportunities to show those personalities off (through design, body language, dialogue, etc).

☆ RPG mechanics

• Built on the solid foundation established in Paper Mario (N64)

• Turn-based combat

• A leveling system where you get to choose which stat to increase

• Badges (Including superficial badges like the L Emblem and Attack FX badges)

• Something new, like being able to use two partners to perform a Bros.-Attack-like move, or maybe even stats specifically pertaining to your partners.

☆ New locations

• It’s a delicate balance. Locations should both feel like they could realistically exist in Mario’s world and feel like something we’ve never seen before. TTYD has some great examples of this (Rogueport, Boggly Woods, Twilight Town, etc). Super Paper Mario has some creative locations as well, but because it takes place in another dimension, not in the typical world that Mario inhabits, none of them really feel particularly “Mario-esque” in nature. They’re all a bit off-brand, so to speak.

• On a technical level, graphics are improving all of the time, but that doesn’t automatically lead to more intriguing and/or more visually satisfying designs. At it’s core, Mario is a fantasy franchise, an escape from reality, and the Paper Mario series is one of the few series in the franchise that really builds out- or at least used to really build out- its world, and that world was interesting because it was new and mysterious, it practically begged to be explored. Paper Mario games should show me something I can’t see in reality; I know what paper and cardboard and lemons and steaks look like, show me underground cities and palaces, show me sprawling gardens with talking flowers, show me a floating tourist trap in the sky. The biggest limit is your imagination, so let it run wild, and show me that, show me that Alice in Wonderland-like controlled chaos.

☆ An interconnected world and motivated backtracking

• No stage-selection maps. Even if the game is fairly linear, I don’t need to have that shoved in my face. I don’t want to feel like I’m working my way down a to-do list, glued to a track, I want to journey through the world and explore somewhat freely.

• No fast travel by default (maybe you unlock fast travel after beating an optional challenge like the Pit of 100 Trials)

• No pipes that take you right from the hub world to the chapter area; I wanna walk…

…and I want it to be through a believable, expansive, intricate world that changes as I progress through the game, a world I could see hundreds of times and never get sick of because its details are constantly in flux, and because those details are the kind that make it feel realistic and lived-in. I don’t want to be teleported from A to B, or confined on a path from A to B to C, I want to explore, I want to discover, I want to experience this world and to form an attachment to it. This alone would make backtracking more worthwhile, but…

• …another way to make backtracking even more enjoyable would be to add events that make walking into a game in and of itself, like having to follow a creature up in the trees, or having to get through a cursed area in Mirror Mode, or having to dodge and weave through falling rocks because there’s a huge earthquake destroying- and altering the actual geometry of- the area. Walking doesn’t have to be a chore for you to complete in order to get on with the game, and it shouldn’t be, it should be part of the game, just as engaging as anything else you’re involved in.

☆ Non-linear elements

• The game should still be fairly linear overall, because Paper Mario games are chapter-based stories with beginnings, middles, and ends, but having some say  in which chapter comes next, or which partner you meet, or even just which puzzle you solve next would give the player a stronger sense of agency. Story-driven games are at high-risk of making the player feel like they’re just along for the ride, and this would help to counteract that.

☆ Spin dashing

• Gotta go fast! Getting rid of spin dashing always felt like an odd choice to me. Characters like the Yoshi kid, Carrie, and Dashell kind of replaced it, in the sense that they allow you to move quickly, but being able to speed up without switching partners, as well as being able to spin attack and just to witness the utter chaos of Mario flinging himself across the screen again, would make backtracking and walking around in general less of a slog. It would also give you more agency in the overworld and serve as a nice callback to the original game.

☆ Free-moving NPCs & situational dialogue

• In past games, NPCs have been confined to certain paths and locations. They might move from chapter to chapter, but they would always stay in the same general area until you triggered an event that placed them somewhere new. I’d like to see characters wandering around, going in and out of buildings, visiting other locations, having private conversations with one another, getting into fights, buying and selling items at the shop, putting on different clothes, and doing just about anything else they would typically do in-universe. Obviously this would be huge challenge to program, but we’re talking about an ideal here, and anything in this general direction would be an improvement in my eyes. We already see a bit of this in the series, but I’d like to see even more.

• When NPCs say things like “Where are your manners, Mario? You shouldn’t climb on the table” and “Don’t be so careless. There are too many enjoyable things in the world to gamble with your life!” it makes it feel like they actually see what you’re doing and care about what you’re doing. Having NPCs respond to you differently because of where you’re standing, or what partner you have out, or what badges you’re wearing, and so on, makes them into more than just set decoration or a sign to read, it makes them people, or at least more person-like. Nintendo’s been pretty good about this in recent years, probably because technical improvements have made it easier than ever before, and I think it would be fitting for a series known for its world-building.

☆ Dynamic lighting design & a day/night system

• This is all about aesthetics because, as it turns out, visuals are pretty important in a video game. Paper Mario (N64) had some really interesting lighting design, notably in darker areas like the secret passage in Peach’s castle, and we haven’t really seen a lot of that since, despite having more advanced technology that would allow for advanced lighting.

• I’d like to see things like swinging chandeliers that cast beams of light, and cracks in the ceiling that light pours through, and mirrors/reflections that Mario uses to solve puzzles, and shadows that hint at secrets. Lighting is a huge part of shaping a world, and using it in a variety of different and meaningful ways just makes your world seem that much more complex and grounded.

• As for the day/night system, I am picturing a game that visually changes based on the actual time of day, kind of like Animal Crossing games do, but not a game that requires it to be a certain time of day for any gameplay purposes, not for the main quest, not for side-quests, and not even for easter eggs. All I want is for it to be bright when I play in the morning, orange when I play at sunset, and starry when I play at night. This also would add to the game’s replayability, as different chapters would look and feel different depending on what time of day it was when you played through them.

☆ Easter eggs that reference other games in the franchise

• I want it to be clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Mario we see in Paper Mario games is the same Mario we see in other Mario games, not another person, and talking about the time he visited Isle Delfino or when Bowser fused with a sentient tennis racket would really drive that home.

• Make me really look for some, though. It’s cool to spot easter eggs in plain sight, but what’s really rewarding is having to dig for them. I don’t just wanna see Luigi standing in the background, I want to spot little inconsistencies and cracks in the walls and cryptograms spread throughout the world. Sure, the five-year-olds playing might not find them on their first playthrough, but when they’re fifteen and they remember that awesome Paper Mario game they played a decade ago, they won’t just be revisiting a world they’ve fully explored, they’ll be playing on a whole new level, figuratively speaking.

☆ amiibo Compatibility/functionality

• I’m not a big fan of DLC in general, as it’s often overpriced, but I do think amiibos are neat; using a real object to unlock something in a virtual world makes the virtual world feel just that much more alive to me, that much more like it’s a little world I can actually affect.

• The Paper Mario series never really got official merch, and while you do see a bit of your partners’ lives in the epilogue, it’s only a glimpse into their future, so getting little figurines of past partners that make them appear in the game, tell you about a recent adventure they had, and give you a unique badge based on their abilities/personalities/experiences, would be like a dream come true.

☆ Just be creative (I know it’s not that simple, but like, figure it out)

• Surprise me; throw in something inventive and revolutionary, like Wall Merging from A Link Between Worlds or The Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device from Portal.  There’s a whole universe of possibilities out there; please dream a little bigger than items disguised as a gameplay element and a hammer that fills in glaringly obvious gaps in paint. Nintendo’s always pushing the video game industry forward with their creative consoles. Use that, take whatever whacky control method they come up with next and integrate it like Super Paper Mario did- but hopefully even better than Super Paper Mario did- with the Wii remote.

• I see fans writing stories, and drawing characters, and making sprites, and working with all kinds of mediums to make art that knocks everything from recent “Paper Mario” games out of the park. Obviously Intelligent Systems can’t just steal those ideas, but I’d love to see them get on that wavelength and match that passion.

• Make a game that you’d never want to put down because you just can’t get enough of it, and don’t even bother with that “You’ve been playing for a while. You wanna take a break, grab a snack, chill out for a sec?” message; if I die playing your game because it’s truly that good, I see that as an absolute win. That’s legendary game design, my friend; aim to make a Paper Mario game so good it’s worth dying for, and if you fall short of that, hopefully you’ll still land on something pretty awesome.

[x0401x]

Q&A with the Archery Men

Translated compilation of the eleven-part Q&A from the official Twitter. Feel free to message me about any mistakes. Please consider supporting the creator by purchasing the novels here and here. (Raws || Index)

Question 1. What is your family structure?

I live with just my father. My mother passed away in a car accident when I was in sixth grade.

I live with my father and mother. My older brother lives by himself. Of course, Kuma is a precious family member too.

Grandma, Dad, Mom and Nee-chan! Eeeveryone is nice! I’m a grandma’s boy.

Dad, Mom and little sis! If I do say so myself, I think we’re a family of good-looking men and women. ★

Dad, Mom, two big sisters and our cat, Lucy. The height of my shoulders is close to my Dad’s.

Dad, Mom, Aniki. Dad and Aniki travel outside of the prefecture for work-related matters. I also currently live by myself in an apartment complex close to the shrine.

Father, mother, younger sister. There’s a bit of a gap between mine and my sister’s ages, so we have never played together that much...

Question 2. What’s a food (or drink) that you like?

Egg rolls. Not with sugar but salt! It’s gotta be salt!

Stir-fried water spinach. I’ve never come across a stir-fried water spinach that wasn’t delicious.

Cream stew! I kinda feel happy whenever I eat it.

Soy latte. ❤ Soy is good for health and soy latte is fashionable, huh?

Salted plum. It has a bactericidal effect for recovery from fatigue and is also all-purpose! I have it pickled at home.

Coffee. The ones you can drip yourself are good, but I also like canned coffee. Getting to enjoy the scent is kinda adult-like, isn’t it?

kyoani did you really have to romanize his name like that oh my god

Japanese-style food in general. Spending time with my grandfather might have had a big influence on this. I like takoyaki.

Question 3. Any foods (or drinks) that you hate?

Japanese ginger. That smell is just... I wonder if I’ll grow to like it when I become an adult...

Ratatouille. Lots of things I don’t like are mixed in it... What I don’t like is a secret.

Sukiyaki... Everyone likes it, but I once ate too much and ended up feeling sick...

Bitter gourd. I’m a bit bad at dealing with bitterness. Ah, but if it’s a bitter gourd chanpuru made by you, I’ll eat it. ❤

Chocolate. Can’t really eat sweet stuff...

Eggplant. The texture doesn’t go well no matter what...

I make sure not to hate anything.

Question 4. What are your hobbies?

Pottering. I also go play in the river with Seiya a lot during summer. Of course, Kuma comes too!

Watching soccer games. I like collecting data and coming up with tactics. Eh, why don’t I play it myself, you ask? Haha, because I’m more on the analytical side of it!

Bouldering and traditional drums! I like moving my body, and traditional drums have been on display at a festival in my hometown too!

I like gaming and mangas! But what I’m into right now is gathering frog merch. ❤ The girls give me lots of goods.

Gaming and reading. There’s a game I’m into now, and coming up with tactics is really fun. As for reading, anything goes, I guess... What d’you mean by “that’s unexpected”?

Visiting cafés and enjoying the shop’s coffee! I enjoy reading too. I also go hitch-hiking and there was a time I went on a journey.

I don’t have what could be called a hobby, so... let’s go with “meditating”.

Question 5. Any special abilities?

None in particular. Saying, “This is my talent!” is kinda embarrassing...

Creating smartphone apps. I also register my hit counts in my own self-made app. It’s pretty simple to make one, y’know?

Kendou! I was in the kendou club in middle school. But I don’t like hurting my opponents...

Hip-hop dancing! Cool, ain’t it? I’m also in the middle of studying many languages, not just English! Maybe because I sound good, I get compliments on my pronounciation.

Archery! Nothing other than that! Period!

Car driving. Parallel parking is a breeze too! But the roads and parking lots are large here, so I don’t do parallel parking that often...

None in particular. Aah, archery? I don’t want to attribute it to a category as narrow as “special abilities”.

Question 6. Are you a dog person or cat person?

Kuma! He’s the dog kept at Seiya’s place, and he’s cute and a good boy! I wanna cuddle with him!

Dog, I guess. My Kuma is more attached to Minato than to me, though... I can’t get in-between the two of them.

Dog! People tell me I’m like a golden retriever, so my affinity with them just goes up on its own!

I’m a kitty person. ❤ Of course, I’m talking about you!

Cat. Our Lucy is obviously the cutest thing in the world.

Can’t I be an owl person? In the past, after I took care of an owl that got injured, I became an owl person!

Dog. Japanese breeds are cool, aren’t they?

Question 7. Sea person? Mountains person?

Mountains. I used to often go insect hunting when I was a kid, and climbing trees is my specialty! Be it in spring, summer, fall or winter, there’s a lot to enjoy.

Mountains. When I was a child, I often went to play in them with Minato. I also quite like playing in the river.

Both! I can’t choose between either sea or mountains~. Except, the fact that there are bugs in the mountains and jellyfish in the sea is a bit...

Sea, I guess! I wanna walk on sandy dunes with you. ❤

Sea. Hey, don’t go making that “thought so~” face. I’m into hover boating.

Sea. Why, you ask? Because pretty women in swimsuits are there!

Mountains. My parents have a villa, you see. I’d often play there when I was little.

Question 8. If you could move through space and time, would you want to travel to the past or the future?

Future. I’m sometimes like, “I should’ve done this or that”, but rather than thinking about these things, I wanna move forward.

Past. The reason is a secret.

Future! I wanna try riding on flying cars! Also, maybe going to outer space!

To a happy future with you, I guess. ❤

Past. I’d become a warlord in the Warring States era! The warlord I admire is Date Masamune!

I live cherishing the present. That’s the most important.

Either. If I were to say it, I guess it’d be the future. I’m interested in space travel.

Question 9. What if you could use magic?

I could easily buy the stuff I want in limited-time sales. Last time, a 90%-off black wagyu fillet sold out before my eyes...

Controlling people’s minds. Haha, why’re you looking away?

I wanna try flying in the sky! If I do that, maybe I’d get to be friends with birds!

I don’t need magic. Like, it’s meaningless if you don’t make it happen with your own hands.

Not interested. It kinda feels like there’d be a catch, so I can’t trust it. For example, losing something important every time you use magic...

I’d be able to perfectly clean up the shrine’s grounds in an instant! We’re short-handed, so the cleaning takes up time... I wonder if someone couldn’t help out.

I wouldn’t rely on magic. It feels like I’d soon lose anything I get my hands on without effort.

Question 10. What’s something that made you happy lately?

I got to buy a good pork meat in a limited-time sale. But even though I made ginger pork with it, Dad said he was coming back late from work so he didn’t need it...

That I was able to safely enroll into high school. Eh, sounds like a lie, you say? It’s true.

I found a four-leaf clover! I gave it to Onee-chan!

That I met you. ❤ Hey, are you happy that you met me?

I went to the live show of a band I like. The lyrics that the vocalist writes pierce into your heart...

I got “winner” at the vending machine. I have strong luck, if I do say so myself! Guess I’ll try my hand at buying a lottery ticket or something if it goes on like that...

My sister drew a portrait of me. Of course, I keep it soundly in a safe place.

Question 11. What’s something that made you cry recently?

Tears came out when I was cutting the onions for the ginger pork. I was spacing out...

I don’t cry. If I have time to be crying, I make some effort to get strong instead.

I cried after watching a movie about animals! The child-raising struggles of that cheetah mom were so touching... *cries upon remembering it*

Out of happiness for meeting you. ❤ Speaking of which, why have you been giving me this cold look since earlier!?

I don’t cry.

You used to cry like a pipe in the past!

Shaddap! It’s in the past!

I haven’t ever since I became an adult. My tears have dried up... Just kidding!

I didn’t cry even when I was a child. I don’t even know what’s the kind of time that one should shed tears.

[secretmelon]

Hypnosis Mic Super Translation Masterlist

Since there’s a ton of different people translating and it’s difficult to keep track of, I thought I would try compiling a masterlist of every translation out there! Let me know if you do not want to be linked in this masterpost and I will remove it. 

I will update as I find more translations and as more dramas/songs/etc. are released! Please check out @eng-hypnosismic‘s page, FAQ, and masterlist for recommended order to listen/read! 

I will have a second post soon on how to purchase the songs/dramas/manga outside of Japan that are not legally available online.

P.S.A.!!!

DO NOT BUG TRANSLATORS TO HURRY WITH TRANSLATIONS!! LET THEM WORK AT THEIR OWN SPEED!! IF THEY DO NOT GO FAST ENOUGH FOR YOUR LIKING, LEARN JAPANESE AND TRANSLATE IT YOURSELF!! THANK YOU!!

LEGEND

Track Availability x = Full song/drama officially available on Youtube (linked) *  = Partial song/drama officially available on Youtube (linked) # = Song/drama not available on Youtube. & = Song/drama not available on Spotify. Must be purchased with album. $ = Public video not available outside of Japan (so linked to unofficial video post)  S = Link to song/drama on Spotify.

Track Name = Translation not available track name = Translation not available BUT synopsis currently is

Divisions BB = Buster Bros!!! / Ikebukuro Division MTC = MAD TRIGGER CREW / Yokohama Division FP = Fling Posse / Shibuya Division MTR = Matenrou / Shinjuku Division DH = Dotsuitare Honpo / Osaka Division BAT = Bad Ass Temple / Nagoya Division TDD = The Dirty Dawg

Helpful Links Sites for purchasing manga, music, and merch Character Emoji Legend How to make a JP iTunes account (Coming one day) How to buy off of JP iTunes (Coming one day)

SONGS (in order of release)

Single Division Rap Battle (All) - (x) (S)

Buster Bros!!! Generations - Album [ 山田一郎 ] Ore ga Ichiro (Ichiro solo) - (*) (S) [ センセンフコク ] Sensenfukoku (Jiro solo) - (*) (S) New Star (Saburo solo) - (*) (S)

MAD TRIGGER CREW Bayside M.T.C. - Album G Anthem of Y-City (Samatoki solo) - (*) (S) [ベイサイド・スモーキングブルース]  Bay Side Smoking Blues (Jyuto solo) - (*) (S) What’s My Name? (Rio solo) - (*) (S)

Matenrou Clinical Sound - Album [迷宮壁 ] Wall of Labyrinth (Jakurai solo) - (*) (S) [ シャンパン ゴールド] Champagne Gold (Hifumi solo) - (*) (S) [ チグリジア] Tigurigia (Doppo solo) - (*) (S)

Fling Posse -F.P.S.M.- - Album Drops (Ramuda solo) - (*) (S) [シナリオライアー ] Scenario Liar (Gentaro solo) - (*) (S) 3$EVEN (Dice solo) - (*) (S)

Single Division Battle Anthem (all) - (x) (S)

Buster Bros!!! VS MAD TRIGGER CREW - Album WAR WAR WAR (BB vs MTC) - (*) (S) IKEBUKURO WEST GAME PARK (BB) - (*) (S) Yokohama Walker (MTC) - (*) (S)

Fling Posse VS Matenrou - Album BATTLE BATTLE BATTLE (FP vs MTR) - (*) (S) Shibuya Marble Texture -PCCS- (FP) - (*) (S) [Shinjuku Style ～笑わすな～ ] Shinjuku Style (MTR) - (*) (S)

MAD TRIGGER CREW VS Matenrou - Album DEATH RESPECT (MTC vs MTR) - (*) (S)

The Champion - Album The Champion (MTR) - (*) (S) T.D.D LEGEND (TDD) - (*) (S)

Single Hoodstar (All) - (x) (S)

Enter The Hypnosis Microphone - Album [おはようイケブクロ ] Good Morning Ikebukuro (BB) - (x) (S) [シノギ ] Shinogi -Dead Pools- (MTC) - (x) (S) Stella (FP) - (x) (S) [パピヨン ] Papillon (MTR) - (x) (S)

Limited edition duet singles (1st Set) - (Bonus w/ manga) [Nausa de Zuiqu] Sauna Quiz (Samatoki/Ichiro duet)  - (&) BB’s City (Jiro/Saburo duet) - (&) Wrap&Rap ~3 Minute Cooking Vibe~ (Doppo/Hifumi duet) - (&)

Single Alternative Rap Battle - (x) (S) Division Rap Battle + - (x) (S)

Osaka Dreamin’ Night - Album [あゝオオサカdreamin'night] Osaka Dreamin’ Night (DH) - (*) (S) Tragic Transistor (Sasara solo) - (*)  (S) Own Stage (Rosho solo) - (*) (S) FACES (Rei solo) - (*) (S)

Bad Ass Temple Funky Sounds - Album Bad Ass Temple Funky Sounds (BAT) - (*) (S) [そうぎゃらん BAM]  Sougyaran BAM (Kukou solo) - (*) (S) [ 月光陰-Moonlight Shadow-] Moonlight Shadow (Jyushi solo) - (*) (S) One and Two, and Law (Hitoya solo) - (*) (S)

Buster Bros!!! -Before the 2nd D.R.B- - Album Break The Wall (Ichiro solo) - (*) (S) School of IKB (Jiro solo) - (*) (S) [ レクイエム ] Requiem (Saburo solo) - (*) (S)

MAD TRIGGER CREW -Before the 2nd D.R.B- - Album Gangsta’s Paradise (Samatoki solo) - (*) (S)  Uncrushable (Jyuto solo) - (*) (S)  2DIE4 (Rio solo) - (*) (S)

Fling Posse -Before the 2nd D.R.B- - Album [ ピンク色の愛] Pink Colored Love (Ramuda solo) - (*) (S) [ 蕚] Calyx (Gentaro solo) - (*) (S) SCRAMBLE GAMBLE (Dice solo) - (*) (S)

Matenrou -Before the 2nd D.R.B- - Album [ 君あり故に我あり] You Are, Therefore I Am (Jakurai solo) - (*) (S) [ パーティーを止めないで] Don’t Stop the Party (Hifumi solo)  - (*) (S) BLACK OR WHITE (Doppo solo)  - (*) (S)

Single Survival of the Illest - (#)

Limited edition duet singles (2nd Set) - (Bonus w/ manga) LESSON (Ramuda/Jakurai duet)  - (&) Private Time (Jyuto/Rio duet) - (&) Once Upon a Time in Shibuya (Gentaro/Dice duet) - (&)

Misc. Singles Three Musketeers Mic Relay (Cypress Ueno to Robert Yoshino, Gesshoku Kaigi, and TDD) - (&) EZ DO RAP (BB) - ($) Give Me the Mic from Hypnosis Mic Stage Play -Rule The Stage- Track.1 (BB, MTC, and North Bastard) - (*) (S) Momoiro Ouen Rap 2018 (TDD) - ($) Momoiro Ouen Rap 2019 (TDD, Sasara, and Kukou) - ($)

DRAMAS (in order of release)

Buster Bros!!! Generations - Album Ikebukuro Division Buster Bros!!! Drama track 1 (BB) - (x) (S) Ikebukuro Division Buster Bros!!! Drama track 2 (BB) - (#) (S)

MAD TRIGGER CREW Bayside M.T.C. - Album Yokohama Division: MAD TRIGGER CREW Drama Track 1 (MTC) - (x) (S) Yokohama Division: MAD TRIGGER CREW Drama Track 2 (MTC) - (#) (S)

Matenrou Clinical Sound - Album Shinjuku Division: Matenrou Drama Track 1 (MTR) - (x) (S) Shinjuku Division: Matenrou Drama Track 2 (MTR) - (#) (S)

Fling Posse -F.P.S.M.- - Album Shibuya Division: Fling Posse Drama Track 1 (FP) - (x) (S) Shibuya Division: Fling Posse Drama Track 2 (FP) - (#) (S)

Buster Bros!!! VS MAD TRIGGER CREW - Album [Know your Enemy: Side BB vs. MTC] - (x) (S) [Louder Than a Bomb] (Saburo/Jiro vs Jyuto/Rio) - (#) (S)

Fling Posse VS Matenrou - Album [Know your Enemy: Side FP vs. M] - (x) (S) [Just a Friend] (Gentaro/Dice vs Hifumi/Doppo) - (#) (S)

The Champion - Album [Me Against the World] (MTR) - (x) (S) [ 証言][Testimony] (MTR & TDD) - (#) (S)

Enter the Hypnosis Microphone - Album [Fight For Your Right] (BB) - (x) (S) [Somebody Gotta Do It] (MTC) - (x) (S) [We Just Wanna Party With You] (FP) - (x) (S) [２９歳のリアル ] [The Reality of a 29 Year Old] (MTR) - (x) (S) [Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win] (All) - (#) (S)

Limited edition duet singles (1st Set) - (Bonus w/ manga) Hypnosis Mic -Before the Battle- The Dirty Dawg (Samatoki/Ichiro)  - (&) Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- side B.B & M.T.C (Jiro/Saburo) - (&) Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- side F.P & M (Doppo/Hifumi) - (&)

Osaka Dreamin’ Night - Album  [ アイカタ back again ][Back Again, Partner] (DH) - (***) (S)

Bad Ass Temple Funky Sounds - Album [ 不退転の心は撃ち砕けない ][A Heart’s Conviction Can't Be Broken!] (BAT) - (***) (S)

Buster Bros!!! -Before the 2nd D.R.B- - Album [Helter Skelter] (BB) - (*) (S)

MAD TRIGGER CREW -Before the 2nd D.R.B- - Album  [All In the Same Boat] (MTC) - (*) (S)

Fling Posse -Before the 2nd D.R.B- - Album [ マリオネットの孤独と涙と希望と][The Loneliness, Tears, and Hopes of a Puppet] (FP) - (*) (S)

Matenrou -Before the 2nd D.R.B- - Album [ 過去からのchaser ][Chaser From the Past] (MTR) - (*) (S)

Limited edition duet singles (1st Set) - (Bonus w/ manga) Hypnosis Mic -Before the Battle- The Dirty Dawg (Ramuda/Jakurai)  - (&) Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- side B.B & M.T.C (Jyuto/Rio) - (&) Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- side F.P & M (Gentaro/Dice) - (&)

MANGA

Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- Side BB&MTC

Slug Translation (Currently Ch. 1-11)

Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- Side FP&M

Slug Translation (Currently Ch. 1-12)

Hypnosis Mic -Before the Battle- The Dirty Dawg

Slug Translation (Currently Ch. 1-9)

[artificialqueens]

Underneath The Mistletoe, Part 3 (Bianca/???) - Albatross

AN: short chapter but the next one is the final installment and will be a lot longer!

Saying their goodbyes to one another a short time later, Bianca hurried back to her car to call Willam with her updates.

“It’s not Dela and definitely not Manila,” she stated with a short huff of annoyance.

A snort of laughter quickly echoed through the phone’s mic. Rolling her eyes, Bianca waited out the storm until Willam regained control of herself, or at least enough that she was able to ask, “How’d you find out?”

“Texted Dela,” Bianca replied simply as she set her phone on speaker mode and began to drive home. Once she was clear of the driveway, she added, “She took Jinkx home a little bit after 2. Couldn’t have been her. You made out with Jinkx, by the way. Dela saw it.”

“Yeah,” Willam drawled out, sounding a little pleased with herself, “Sounds right. Jinkx had been trying that all night.” There was a short pause, probably reminiscing, Bianca realized, but then she heard Willam inquiring, “What about ‘Nila?”

Bianca stayed quiet for a few moments, debating if she really ought to tell Willam about this but ultimately, she decided, it didn’t really matter. Willam would probably find out from the couple at some point anyways. So, keeping most of the details to herself, she replied back, “I stopped by their house to drop off gifts. Ended up kissing her before I left. Definitely wasn’t her at the party.”

Immediately a loud, echoing burst of laughter filled her car as though Willam were right there with her. Bianca had thought it would die out soon enough but she was dead wrong. Almost half of her drive home was spent listening to an unending seal-like laugh coming from someone she was questioning for the upteenth time, why they were friends. In the end, Bianca’s self-conscious irritation, especially with Willam cackling out “I gotta tell Adore!”, got the better of her and she abruptly ended the call to stew in silence.

Upon arriving back home, she found her notification light flashing away as if to continually mock her. Of course it was only because of Willam. Bianca was inclined to ignore it but it seems Willam did have something of potential use to share about another party guest and potential suspect:

W:😂😂😂😂

W: daaaaamn!!!

W: but you do you

W: btw i was looking through trixie and katyas posts. trix had waaay too much to drink. 

W: she was making less sense than katya!!! 

W: god she’s a mess. i love her

W: but talk to trix

Interesting. 

Bianca thanked her for the information and made a mental note to follow up on it if nothing panned out with Phi Phi. After Manila, Phi Phi seemed to be the next most likely. She was there alone that night, as far as Bianca remembered, and it wouldn’t be the first time they’d gotten a little too close while drunk. Usually it only involved Phi Phi hanging off her or burying her face into Bianca’s neck before being interrupted by a roar of laughter. But it wouldn’t take much of a stretch, especially if both of them were drunk off their asses, for Bianca to picture herself kissing Phi Phi. That stupid mistletoe was probably just the right catalyst they both would need in order to cross that last remaining line.

Deciding that Phi Phi seemed even more like a viable suspect than before, Bianca could hardly wait for their dinner date. They had decided on Thursday night, the last free night Phi Phi had before flying out the next day. She hadn’t been thrilled giving up that chance for a good night’s rest before rushing off to the airport in the morning, but for Bianca…well, Phi Phi always made some extra allowances, Bianca had noticed. After all, Bianca knew she could be difficult to book for a casual hangout most of the year anyway; she preferred to keep herself busy and last minute offers or even inviting her out a week or two in advance would often yield no results.

It was almost a miracle this year that both women happened to be free at the same time, especially so close to the holiday itself. And each snatched up the opportunity to meet up without another thought. Now all Bianca had left to do was find out just what Phi Phi remembered from that night.

*******

Raja: Ladies!

Raja: Do we have a story to tell you.

Willam: go on, girl. I got something even better to share after you

Raja: Just steal my damn spotlight, huh?

Raja: Fine. So Bianca came over and-

*******

The night of their dinner date was pretty relaxing, all things considered. Though the restaurant was a tad crowded, it was nothing overwhelming and the women had no trouble tuning everyone else out. They caught each other up on recent events and ordered drink after drink to accompany their meals. If the service was slow, neither really noticed, preferring instead to just focus on each other. Come the end of it, both women were laughing away about anything that came to mind as they walked back to their cars. Bianca handed over her gift first, something she had taken a chance on in the hopes that it would work out.

Back in the spring, she and Phi Phi had been hanging out with a couple of other friends. At some point in the conversation, Phi Phi’s eyes lit up as revealed that some new game was announced to be released for one of her favorite series. Bianca, and a few others, rolled their eyes at the announcement, but Phi Phi was as excited as ever as she described (in a bit too much detail, in Bianca’s opinion) why the series was so incredible. She spouted out every hope and theory she had for this new installment based on the limited information in the trailer.

Bianca distinctly remembered telling her, “Girl, you are almost 30, why are you still playing those things? Just drink like the rest of us.”

But Phi Phi emphatically defended her choice. Even then, Bianca was a little amused by the passion she had for both this series and other games as well. A few others made a comment or two and then the conversation shifted once again to something else. A movie or something, Bianca thought, but that game that Phi Phi mentioned stuck with her for some reason.

That same night Bianca tried watching the trailer but admittedly nothing really stuck out to her about it. It had that fantasy element that Phi Phi adored combined with the fighting aspect that she seemed reasonably good at. Other than that, nothing spoke to Bianca the same way it obviously did to Phi Phi. She did notice a few things listed in the trailer that were of interest; the release date was still months away but pre-ordering was already in full-swing. She had no doubt Phi Phi already gave the gaming company her money but there were a few offers otherwise for a variety of merch items. Everything from blankets to water bottles, they stuck either a logo or character from the series on anything that could be printed with a design.

But one of the characters did stick out to her…she’d seen it often enough in Phi Phi’s apartment in the form of little dolls, plushies, and even her phone case. There was no denying that this was probably Phi Phi’s favorite character, not just of the series, but in general. And this one seemed to be popular with a number of others as well; many items had the red “Out of Stock’ warning that Bianca felt she’d seen all too often while shopping for herself.

There was one figurine however, that really stuck out. It was an alternative outfit design than what was depicted on almost every other piece of merchandise and of course, was out of stock to boot. But in all the times Bianca had been around Phi Phi’s apartment, she didn’t remember seeing that particular figure anywhere. And when she looked at the price on the website it wasn’t hard to imagine why. She nearly choked on her drink as she saw what the cost was normally. No doubt since it was unavailable through the game’s official site that the price had now skyrocketed.

But it didn’t take a genius to know that Phi Phi probably wanted that figure more than anything. Likely she was waiting and hoping that it becomes available somewhere, perhaps even on the game’s site itself, and she can snatch it up without it costing an arm and a leg. And just in seeing that figurine, Bianca knew what gift she wanted to give Phi Phi for the holidays. She scoured the internet, hoping to find a decent price and kept herself updated whenever a new listing would be added. Finally after a month or so, an ad came out on Craigslist and within a few minutes Bianca was contacting the seller and exchanging shipping information.

The amount she paid meant nothing, hell, she’d even pay triple now, just for that look of absolute joy on Phi Phi’s face. It was even more stunning than Manila after receiving her bracelet back. A wide toothy grin broke out and even her attempts at hiding it did nothing to dull the happiness exuding from her very being. She immediately engulfed Bianca in a tight hug and refused to let go until she had said ‘Thank you’ at least a hundred times.

An unknown tension released itself from Bianca’s shoulders as she returned the gesture and let Phi Phi cling to her for a few moments longer. When she finally pulled away, she looked like she was dying to say more but bit it back in order to shakily hand over her own gift to Bianca. Her eyes drifted to the ground more than once as Bianca tore back the paper. Once it was finally free, a jewelry box was left staring back at her and her heartbeat picked up as she opened the top.

Inside was a beautiful pair of stud earrings. Sapphires so blue they almost looked black in the dark of night and cut into an oval shape set in sterling silver. Surrounding the sapphires were a ring of amethysts and on the posts themselves, small diamond chips extending down the short length. The design was incredible…and quite familiar.

As if sensing her thoughts, Phi Phi mentioned with a hint of nerves, “Yeah, when we were at the mall that one time, I saw you looking at them for awhile. You didn’t say anything but…”

“Thank you!”

Bianca truly couldn’t find the right words to express how much she loved her gift. She’d honestly forgotten about these earrings until now. She had intended to go back another day to pick them up but life just always got in the way. She always found herself too busy to get back to the mall or on the rare instances when she was there, she’d completely forget about heading into the store. 

But Phi Phi didn’t forget. 

She had recognized the interest Bianca took in those earrings and had gone back for them. That meant more to her than words could ever express.

Closing the box, Bianca stepped forward until there were only a few inches of space left between. She had just enough time to see Phi Phi swallow back a nervous gulp before their lips were pressed together and a pair of hands were resting firmly on her hips. Her own free hand found its way to Phi Phi’s face, tucking back the loose waves behind her ear, before cupping her cheek and letting their lips glide against each other until it came time to part.

Though this still wasn’t the kiss she was looking for, Bianca almost wished it was.

There was something there…something that she hadn’t felt in any of the other kisses. That tiny little spark was present but there was nothing calming about this kiss. It left her nerves on edge…like they’d been thoroughly fried by a sudden jolt of electricity…

Even Phi Phi didn’t seem too certain of what to say. Her eyes looked a bit dazed and an almost goofy looking smile rested on her lips. It took a few seconds for her to find her way back to reality, only then did she dare let out a nervous laugh, “Wow…really liked those earrings, huh?”

“I do,” Bianca assured her, taking a step back so they both could get some breathing room. “I really do. Thank you.”

“No problem,” came the vaguely distracted response. It seemed like the conversation would end there, that they’d part ways to each bang their heads on their steering wheels before driving home but Phi Phi dared to make one final inquiry before Bianca slipped away. “Hey…when I come back, after the holidays, I mean…do you wanna meet up again? Just us, like we did tonight?”

Finding herself relieved at the proposal, Bianca confirmed, “I’d love that…Pick a date and I’ll make it work, promise.”

With that understanding, the women said their goodbyes and returned home. Before falling into bed, Bianca texted Willam a quick update.

B: Not Phi.

W: what? kiss her too?

B: Yes

W: gross

W: lol

B: She was better than you.

Bianca let out a soft laugh as her phone became flooded with message alerts. Ignoring them for the time being, Bianca instead let her mind wander to her dwindling suspect list. Though that kiss with Phi Phi was a nice turn of events, she certainly wasn’t the same person she’d kiss beneath the mistletoe. Thinking back on it again, Bianca was sure there was another detail she remembered but just couldn’t pick out what it was. Something familiar…

But she didn’t dwell on that for long before realizing she now only had two names left (if she ignored Willam’s earlier suggestion of certain person, and of course, she would). 

Trixie and Shangela…Well…Willam did mention that it looked like Trixie had been drinking a bit that night…perhaps it really was her, after all.

But would she remember anything if they had?

Maybe Katya knows something…it certainly seemed like she was posting a lot of her roommate that night…but then again, when isn’t she? About half of Katya’s posts on any platform are of the various tactics she uses to annoy her roommate. Hell, it was a wonder that Trixie hadn’t killed her by now. 

Mmm…she still had yet to deliver their gifts…perhaps a visit this weekend is in order? 

Bianca was dead certain that if either of them knew something, she’d find out before too long. After all, they both turn into quite the chatterboxes when placed together and neither was above spilling secrets if the right buttons were pushed. Or…with a little luck….all she might need is just a bit of alcohol and some encouragement and off those two would be recounting the party and everything they remember…

*****

The next morning Bianca awoke to no less than 23 messages from Willam revolving around her kiss with Phi Phi. A few were demanding to know why Phi Phi was better, some even accusing her of lying and then finally it just devolved into sulking and name calling, ending with a simple text of ‘hateful old cunt.’

Sending back a short series emojis to further taunt Willam, Bianca let the conversation die with that and moved on to her next person of interest. She sent a quick inquiry to Katya to see if both she and her roommate would both be at home tonight, or failing that, when they’d be together so she could drop off their gifts.

A flurry of emojis flashed across her screen less than half an hour later and somewhere mixed in with all of that and a few nonsensical words (thank you button-mashing), Bianca learned that Sunday night they’d both be in for a ‘quiet’ evening together. With that understanding, Bianca sent a confirmation that she’d be over for a quick visit while out dropping off gifts for them and a few other friends she’d not yet seen. 

******

Later that week, the group chat came alive once more and immediately Willam tuned in to see what was developing. Things had been silent for awhile but now it seems Bianca was back in action and one of the other girls had news.

Trixie: You were right Willam.

Willam: i always am

Willam: about what this time?

Trixie: B’s coming over tomorrow. Katya just told me. At least i think that’s what her text said

Sharon: Does she know?

Trixie: Katya?

Trixie: No, I haven’t told her if that’s what you’re asking. But I know someone told Adore.

Trixie: Willam

Sharon: Willam

Vanessa: Willam

Jinkx: Willam

Willam: what? it was funny!

Mariah: She better not ruin this for us.

Willam: she won’t. as long as i keep her updated. that was our deal.

Willam: she’s having just as much fun as we are

Mariah: If you say so. No one told Phi Phi, right?

Sharon: I haven’t heard anything since Willam told us. 

Sharon: Pissed off at her. Why wouldn’t she tell me? You sure it actually happened Willam?

Willam: trust me, bitch. it happened.

Sharon: Bitch.

A few further texts of name calling were exchanged before the conversation reverted back to Trixie. She had precious little information to go on but anything she knew, she gladly shared with the group. By the time the conversation faded out for the evening, Willam was dying to know what would happen. She was certain that something huge was gonna go down Sunday night. But just what, she could only guess.

[nagatsukinura119]

Japan Expo Malaysia Day 1 (26 July 2019)

Okay, it’s the first day for one of the biggest Japanese events in Malaysia, I originally came here only to attend AKB48’s concert, because my Oshimen, Okada Nana (Naachan) was one of the members who were coming. Since I live in a nearby country, so it was possible for me to come (with my parents) not to mention the ticket prices were considerably cheap. So I was a bit bummed that my mother might not let me go alone to attend the concert, but thankfully from the first day my parents seemed to feel comfortable and confident to let me go to the venue (Kuala Lumpur Pavilion) since it is located near to our hotel (Capitol Hotel). So in the morning I arrived at Pavilion at 11 am and killed some time at Daiso at the top floor and got a sweet black hat with golden Apple logo (if you know me, you’d know why I had a compulsion to buy this hehe). When I came downstairs, they were just opening the expo and the very first performance, a Kyodo (archery) performance was starting and I took the time to rest at the Coffee Bean next to the stage. Afterwards, the first idol group to perform was called KiREI. Now, I’ve never heard of this group before this expo and I didn’t bother checking on them. But we were told that KiREI is a group made up of 3 disbanded idol groups in Tokyo. Their theme is to "Make Everything Beautiful" not just their inner but outer appearances. One of the hosts (Aki) kept telling us audience that they were super cute and I challengingly said, “Sway my heart babe”. So the girls came in; Tanaka Hana, Konatsu Mia and Miyadera Miho. Sure they were cute and beautiful (which idol isn’t, am I right?)

(From the left; Hanapii, Mianyan and Chori-chan)

Nevertheless, I took the chance to take pictures of them with my Nikon camera. I was standing at one side of the stage and since there were some empty seats it was quite easy access for me to take pictures of them. But what I did NOT expect was when one of the members, Hana (nicknamed Hanapii) actually made an eye contact with me and WINKED. My heart MELTED (jokes on me; my heart wasn’t just swayed lololol). Maybe I’m a sucker because this was my very first time attending an idol concert, but gosh darn it I just fell for her on the spot. Aside from that coincidental moment, I realized her face is totally my type among the 3 of them, not to mention she’s also pretty tall (well I’m super short so for some people she could be a medium height). Side note: during their performance the wotage group was doing the Overture chant and I joined them from far away (lol) and it was actually a bit awkward since it seemed like I was the only female who was chanting passionately. Also, another side note, there was this adorable old man who was a huge fan of Harupiii (another idol that performed after KiREI) but I think he’s a fan of idols in general cuz he was also singing along to KiREI’s songs. Back on track, after getting wink attack-ed by Hanapii I was so moved that I paid 150% attention on them. And while I was snapping pics at every second and taking vids, what do you know? She saw me again and made an eye contact again! I realized that she was THE ONE in this group. She’s my KiREI Oshimen.

(Yeah baby!)

Time flew really fast and before I knew it, their slot time was over (most of the idol performances had only 30 to 45 minutes time slot) but thankfully they were having another performance outdoor in the afternoon so I was sure I’d attend it. After KiREI was Harupiii (who is an idol who has performed in this event for 3 years).

Harupiii definitely looked younger than the KiREI members but you know what, that didn’t stop me from staying and watched her performance till the end. What I like about Harupiii is that despite being quite small, looked young, she definitely slayed the performance and I was hooked with her. All the more when she saw me, and finger gunned me (OOF!!) Another hit right on the heart! What’s with these idols making me fall faster than flies lololol!

The wota guys were more hyped this time and so was I and the old man fan ran to the wotage guys and started to enthusiastically chant for her. And you know what, I find it adorable. Especially when one of the guys was carried on other men’s shoulders to the front. I really really like their enthusiasm and I can see why wota life is pretty exciting. I just wished that the awkward atmosphere wasn’t lingering, but YOU KNOW WHAT? SCREW IT, LET’S HAVE FUN!

After the end of Harupiii’s performance I was exhausted so I went back to my parents at Coffee Bean. They told me to get an autograph and picture from KiREI’s members you gotta buy some merch (I mean, that’s how their business works so I knew the procedure). At first I wasn’t sure to go or not but my mother was being encouraging and persuasive made me go for it, and you know what, GG mum! You made the right decision for me! It was worth spending RM80 ($14) to get 2 Cheki tickets (one for autograph and handshake, and another for polaroid photos). I was legit happy since this was my very first time attending a meet-and-greet event with a Japanese idol, and while I used to do translations and subs for some AKB48 stuff, I’m not that confident with my Japanese speaking skills but Hanapii made it so much easier and fun. Albeit she knew limited English, but we managed to communicate successfully. As for the poses I thought we were gonna do the usual heart poses like the guys in front of me did with other members. Well we did just that, but since I bought two tickets so I got to take two photos, and I did not expect that she hugged me (well more like she reached her arms out towards me and leaned in, but close enough, man!) The conversation continued as she was signing the polaroid frames (side note: she asked for the alphabets for my name which was pretty funny considering how easy the pronunciation is, even in Japanese) but at the same time it’s nice how considerate she was. So she asked me if I was a Malaysian and I told her no, I’m a Bruneian which impressed her and I told her that it’s because of this event that I flew over which impressed her even more (I really like how idols tend to give cute reactions when they’re impressed). Then she complimented me for my Japanese and naturally I was like “No no no~ I need to study more” and she was like “Ganbatte~!”. AH SO CUTE! She then asked if I liked idols. If only she knew. But I just told her, “Yes, I love idols”. As much as I loved talking to her I didn’t want to take too long since there was a long line behind me so I told her I was leaving and she was like “We’re gonna perform again outside!” and I responded with an enthusiastic nod, “I will DEFINITELY come!” I was legit happy to the point of shaky hands and happy tears when I came back to our table (Extra note: mum took some pics and video when I was lining up for the merch).

(Polaroid photo with Hanapii! I’m too ugly so I blocked my face lololol)

My parents wanted to go elsewhere, but I told them I was gonna stay there for more performances. So I was finally left on my own (WHOOOOO!). While waiting for KiREI’s next performance I decided to take the time to post things in my social media, and also look for KiREI’s and Hanapii’s Twitter accounts. I love that when I shared my experience with my Discord friends, they were so supportive and happy for me (I love y’all!).

So for the afternoon performance at the outdoor stage I was surprised that 15 minutes before it began the space was rather empty except by shoppers and a handful of fans so I was like shimmying my way to the front because once again, I was self-conscious for being like the only enthusiastic female fan (was I already considered a fan?). There were even some guys nearby who I could hear talking about me, saying, “Look, she’s waiting there, how cute”. It wasn’t anything negative per say, but it just made me more self-conscious lol. So about 10 minutes before starting and the girls were seen strutting towards the backstage and I find it funny yet adorable that they didn’t need some security to cover them. I guess this shows how chill the audience here is. I mean, Mianyan jogged past me and brushed my shoulder a bit, but I just acted chill. I know why one can get excited when their favorite celebrity is around, but for goodness sake some crazy fans need to chill.

Since no one was really taking the front row (this time it was an outdoor stage so there were no seats), I just slipped my way to the left side of the stage. A few more minutes till starting and the girls made their way next to the stage and it’s adorable I could see them doing the chanting thing, where they go “Ganbatte, ikuzo! Ohh~” I was already in my wota mode so I managed to take pictures of them doing that.

Before I attended this concert, I didn’t know why people would kill their money to get front rows, but now I can see why! The reason why I know now is because as I watched their performance right in front, the eye contacts you get from the artists are more direct and you feel like you made more intimate and personal connections with them. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE HANAPII MADE SEVERAL EYE CONTACTS WITH ME THAT I FELT SO OVERWHELMED I HAD TO LOOK AWAY (not all the time). Okay this may sound pretentious, but I honestly think when Hanapii saw me her smile doubled the radiance cuz I could see her smile reaching her eyes during those times. I tried to take pictures and videos of all three girls but you can really tell my bias for Hanapii was evident from the pictures I’m sharing here lololol.

(KiREI performing)

(Chori-chan at the back is literally me on the inside lol)

More, more fun things happened when I went to take pictures with Hanapii for the second time. This time it seemed Mianyan and Chori-chan were familiar with me and they kept looking at me as I interacted with Hanapii. She remembered me so she was like “Ahh~ Nura-chan~ welcome back” and I swear my heart was pierced by that and I just covered my face out of embarrassment and said, “I’m back”, then she responded with the heart throbbing line, “Eh~ I’m so happy! I love you!” which naturally made me embarrassed and hid my face again and she was like “Nande, nande?” GURL YOU DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH POWER YOU HAVE OVER ME EVEN THOUGH I’VE ONLY KNOWN ABOUT YOU FOR 3 HOURS! So we did new poses and while she signed the polaroid frames she started chatting with me like “Where are you staying” and so I told her I was staying at a nearby hotel and she was like “Ah me too! I stay in a hotel” Ah of course you do sweetheart, so cute. And I jokingly asked, “Which hotel?” And she responded, “We’re not supposed to say yet.” AHAHAHA SO CUTE. Then she told me she saw me taking so many pictures (well I did stand at the first row so heheh). I complimented everyone and naturally they thanked me (Ahhh Mianyan and Chori-chan were so cute too). After that I made a mistake to look at Hanapii in the eyes and once again hid my face, but to make things worse (or better) they were all like “Kawaii~~~” GAH THESE GIRLS I SWEAR. And she also patted my head while doing so. I. Was. Dead. So after that she apologized for being sweaty and I was like “No, no, you’re still very cute.” And believe me when I said that she gave this blinding smile and I thought, “Welp, she got me in the palm of her hands.” Once again she apologized for sweating so much and started to talk about the heat. Being the concerned fan that I was, I asked her, “Are you okay? Y’know, with this crazy heat?” I could tell she was trying to ease my worries and said “Yeah! I’m okay, I got used to it.” Once again, I didn’t want to take too much time, so I proceeded to leave but before leaving I told her that I was coming again the next day, to which she thanked me for and said she’ll look forward to it. As I was leaving (while clutching on my new polaroid pictures) I looked at all three girls and said “Ganbatte~” and they all cutely waved while saying their thanks.

(More pics with Hanapi hehehehehe)

Since I was sweating bullets (curse the heat and black clothes lol) so I went back inside for the AC and sat on the stairs leading towards the center stage. What was going on was an AirAsia dance performance by their staff. I gotta say for non-dancers, they did pretty good, especially with the fact they danced in their working uniforms! Then I looked around the shopping mall in search of my parents, only to find out they were elsewhere. So I decided to stay a bit longer. While doing that, a boy band called cosmic!! was performing and for goodness sake were the boys CUTE! Okay, I may be biased, but I really prefer J-pop male idols over K-pop male idols because I can actually distinguish their faces, and not to mention they did not to wear much makeup and to me they still looked handsome and cute. Also based on their facial expressions, they looked they were having so much fun and also interacting with the fans (who were definitely having so much fun too considering how vigorous they were with their glowsticks).

(cosmic!! having fun performing on stage)

To be continued in Day 2!

Bonus picture

(Hanapii be like ‘I’m a goddess’ lmaooo)

[mandssisters]

Barcelona 27.4.19

Barcelona it was the first time that we met. Barcelona!

Anyone for a 20 hour trip to Barcelona. 👋 over a weekend? Hell yeah.

National Express joy ride to the airport. Simply can’t wait for the same ride home. Who knew you could avoid so many motorways and really focus on all the A and what felt like B roads..... 🤢

The weather has been tropical most of the time over here in Barcelona (compared to UK standards). We are leaving behind storm Hannah in the UK.

We wanted to do more than just a gig over the weekend, so squeeze in a visit to the world famous Segrada Família.

An unfinished church built by Antonio Gaudi and still under construction today. We opted for the guided tour.

Having easily got through Gatwick security it would appear that I dumfounded the security team of Sagrada Família with the complex problem of having coins and a key ring in the same confined place. Yet a can of water was fine. Always better to be security safe, but they are now intimately familiar with the contents of my rucksack.

Our tour host was Sylvia and she narrated us around the outstanding church. The outside and inside both breathtaking. It is indeed a thing of beauty.

Onwards to Palau Sant Jordi. Next door to the Olympic park of “Barcelona..... “ the urge to break out into song is simply massive.

We met in the queue some fellow Agorians. Waves hello to Rocio and her boyfriend. Banner maker extraordinaire. Waiting in the afternoon sun never gets tiresome.

The security team checking tickets had an issue with my UK driving license to match my ticket and refused to accept the validity.... it’s only lucky I had my passport on me. Mild moment of panic.

Our VIP host Emma is a great welcomer. A friendly face. She had us in an orderly line and everything under control. We could hear sound checking in the afternoon. Unsure of what at this stage. General proceedings were running a little late. Late sound checking by Gang of Youths meant a slightly later entrance to the venue. We entered at a high into the venue and got walked down the steps with no running. The perfect way enter a venue. Our first adapted good ship Delta gig.

The venue is larger than I imagined and is very slow to fill up. We are suitably entertained by a dance light show from the awaiting crowd to the pre-show mixtape. Mobile phones are a true winner. Gang of Youths appear on stage around 8pm. Wow, what a real treat. I felt for them playing initially to so many empty seats. What a performance. The drummer thrashing it out and the lead singer dancing around the stage. He owned that performance. He even undertook a mini Ditmas run into the crowd and hugged some excited fans. Buy their records. See them live. You won’t be disappointed. I was so impressed.

9.35pm eventually came. The vibe from the crowd felt good and we weren’t disappointed. From the first chord we were all up for a good time there was BOUNCE a plenty in the room. Noticeably, all the seated people seemed to stand immediately and never sat down. Opening with Guiding Light.... swiftly moving onto Little Lion 🦁 Man.

Winston looking as dapper as ever in his crisp new suit.

It was a real joy to experience the Delta show in the round again. Without the side ‘ends’ it feels more open. Seeing the crowd across the other side of the stage jumping, and singing their hearts out made the experience even more inclusive and invigorating.

The lads seemed very in good form and really seemed to enjoy the gig, as did we. Personal highlights, so much love for Slip Away,

New lighting to replace the pyro, they worked really well. Winston now gets a well earned solo spot light in the centre of the stage during the start of Tompkins. Loved Tompkins.

The crowd respected the quietness of Cold Arms. With Marcus doing his best Spanish to inform them the “shut the fuck up”. They did. The crowd were singing their hearts out to Forever when the lads sang around the one mic. It was special.

Being joined on stage by Gang of Youths for the special Middle East cover of Blood was just mind blowing. Marcus spinning and dancing so much. It was an honour to watch and listen and learn. I can’t believe how quick the time flies by.

Gotta 🥰 Ditmas 🤗and at the end we could see across the stage that Marcus took the crowd surfing technique to re enter the stage!

Loved that show: it does indeed Awake the Soul. Any sign of tiredness was shaken off the moment the music started.

We dutifully recycled after the show. #deltatourrecycling

Walking to find a bus, we stumble across a fake merch seller. Tee shirts on a ground sheet, but not many left. The quality is questionable. This was apparent as the European tour venue for Amsterdam is the ‘ziggo done’. Unsure exactly what happened next. Possibly a language barrier, or the seller wanted to get home early, so she gave us the tee shirt. One limited edition for the memory box and careful washing.

Onwards to the airport, no time for a hotel tonight with the later Euro timings. Some of us have a 0700 flight to catch and a exceedingly cold marble stone floor to lie on while we wait. #notmuchbounce

I think we caught 1hrs sleep.

As I write this I am now about to embark on the coach ride home. With the front seat taken, I’m back seat all the way...conveniently located next to the toilet. As they say. What can go wrong?!!!

Until next time.

X

[whx-m]

I'm curious about online shops. Got any general information / details that might go missed?

i am a dumb dumb that has inhaled too much information the past couple weeks trying to learn so take what i say w/ several grains of your preferred salts

this all goes for etsy/shopify/whatever you use for e-commerce. the levels of serious you take it and get into it i think depends on how far you want to take your online shop... or how much you make. google the hell out of your states sales tax laws and apply for a sales tax permit in your state before you sell a damn thing. ill go over the stuff i think really needs to be highlighted for anybody mulling over starting a legit shop, esp artists who want to make a living selling their stuff.

edit: HEY HIT “J” ON YOUR KEYBOARD IF YOU DONT GIVE A SHIT BC THIS IS REALLY LONG AND IM NOT SORRY BC I THINK I LEARNED EVEN MORE WRITING THIS SO THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT...

this will be how you feel when youre 2 hours into logo trademarking research

1. hm..

if you make, or plan to make, over $400 in sales, then most states consider this going beyond a hobby and being self-employed. so accept the fact you gotta pay a self-employment tax on your income.

also... gotta pay federal and state income taxes on your sales. even if your online shop is technically considered a hobby, not licensed as a business and you dont make over $400, still gotta report/pay income taxes on it. i know a lot of ppl dont take that seriously but it might bite you in the ass if you let it go on too long. 

2. register sole proprietorship so i know its real

registering in your home state as a legit business entity is likely a solid route to go if you really plan on fleshing your shop out and building it up for the future. most artists starting an art shop or craft shop file a SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP type of business- meaning the business isnt a place or a group of owners, its just lil ole you. you file under your own name or a “Trade Name”/DBA (Doing Biz As) with your state. but beware, this trade name isnt trademarked or federally protected. and since you ARE your business, any tax trouble means the IRS is auditing you personally and holding you personally liable.

its relatively affordable to file, but take your bookkeeping seriously... be careful because the IRS eyeballs sole proprietorships’ reported taxes and expense deductions hardcore, since the lines between business and personal expenses get really blurry and sketchy. the more you need to save, the more you need to log as a deduction, and the more you deduct the more likely they’ll try to audit you and catch a mistake. so keep your books right and tight. [ 50 state guides for applying for sole proprietorship ]

that being said, IMMEDIATELY OPEN A BUSINESS ACCOUNT AT BANK/CREDIT UNION AND KEEP ALL BUSINESS RELATED PURCHASES/SALES ON THAT ACCOUNT and not your personal one!!!

3. bite the hand that takes your income away!!!

sole proprietorship means your business income = your income, aka “pass thru entity” where profit in your business passes thru and adds to your personal taxable income. it used to be that your business income was just taxed at the same rate as your personal income bracket and thats it. BUT LISTEN UP! NEW 2018 TAX LAWS  ADDED A STANDARD 20% DEDUCTION TO TAXABLE INCOME FOR PASS-THRUS WITH LESS THAN $157,500 REPORTED INCOME. that's auto-subtracted along with your business expense deductions etc, before it’s taxed. what does that mean? it can knock your taxable income down: if you’re single and make $38,700 you get taxed $3.7k instead of $4.6k. If you make $82,500, you get taxed $14.5k instead of $18.1k. And thats not even accounting for other deductions before being taxed.

applying sooner than later for sole propriety/”pass through entity” can really help because of BUSINESS EXPENSE DEDUCTIONS. if you keep careful itemized records and your books clean, you can report tons of business related expenses and get your taxable income at the end of the year lowered. that new tablet, paints, software you bought on the business-only card? the gas you put in your car to get to your anime con, the hotel you stayed at? take it even further: shipping costs, wholesale costs, promo merch for advertising (stickers & swag) and even fees from hiring an accountant can usually be claimed. there’s a LOT that can be claimed.

dont skimp on the research because just logging and reporting expenses can make or break your shop. [heres another link] applying to be a business entity early means more of your start-up costs are logged and claimed as expenses.

and you know what happens at the end of the year when you report your income and claimed expenses? the expenses are subtracted from your total reported income, and youre taxed on whats left. so if you make $50,000 by the end of the year, but you spent $10,000 in approved business expenses, you’re only taxed for $40,000- but wait! 20% deduction= $8k, which drops your taxable income to $32,000. you just dropped from a 22% tax rate bracket to a 12% and you end up only paying $3,840 in taxes. that is only 7.6% tax on your 50k income!! and you could probably pay even less with all the other tax breaks you can score. 

make sure you read up on the IRS website on this stuff too. look up youtube videos and stuff to make sense of anything that confuses you. and dont forget to crawl your state’s own websites and see if they have any tax breaks or incentives for start-ups, artists, etc!!and now the worst part. im so sorry. 

4. the ugly seven-headed demon of sales tax and online shops....... stay with me plsthis is the biggest thing and becoming a super hot topic these days with states wanting to cash in on online sales to their residents

first things first: NEXUS. think of your sales tax nexus as the physical irl presence of your business, in a state-by-state basis. customers in states you hold nexus in? gotta charge them sales tax. customers from states you DO NOT hold nexus in? no sales tax for them! (for now... ill explain later)  

you have nexus in your home state, obviously since you are your biz and you live there, so you’ll need to charge sales tax on anybody buying from you in your home state. BUT.... if you contract someone in another state to do design work for you, unfortunately that means you also have nexus or “presence” in their state, too. if you have a warehouse storing inventory in another state, yep, another nexus and another state wanting to cash in on sales tax. getting enamel pins made in yet another state and they drop-ship your orders for you on your business’s behalf? yeah, likely another state to report sales tax to. 

collecting sales tax isnt a big problem- nearly every ecommerce site like etsy, shopify, bigcommerce and the like automatically configure sales tax in U.S. states you set up as a nexus for your shop. the problem comes around when you’ve got to apply for a sales tax permit in every nexus state, and then keep track of all the filing deadlines. every state is different. just four nexus states to report to means there are four permits to apply for, four reporting/filing schedules/deadlines to keep track of... and each state has different schedules, you could have two states requiring you to report annually and two states quarterly. it can be really hairy and a lot to keep track of if you’re not careful.try to keep your sales tax nexus in ONLY your home state, if at all possible. use manufacturers in your state to print/drop-ship orders.if theyre out of state, have them send the finished product back to you before you mail it off to customers, so you can avoid creating a new taxable nexus.

[ Sales Tax & Nexus Guide ]

still with me? this is the ugly part sorry:

the other big problem with having multiple nexus to report is how much sales tax varies- not just state by state but by city, town, county, even jurisdiction ! 

one state can have HUNDREDS of different sales tax rates to report, and you have to clearly report each individual one you collect sales tax in. 

for instance, over a year you sell to multiple people in your nexus state-- in the same exact county, under the same sales tax ordinance. they live near a bunch of schools so their county has an added jurisdiction sales tax that goes toward education programs. the report you file has to clearly define how much tax $ you’ve collected from them so that state knows exactly how much is going back to that jurisdiction, so they can divvy it up for that sweet sweet education funding.

now imagine that multiplied across counties, cities, and then doubled with another entire state... and thats why keeping your nexus low is a huge deal for someone who’s running an online store solo.

thankfully, you probably wont have to input all that data yourself. 

MAKE SURE you find a good website to settle into- that, at the very least, compiles this information for you to make it less of a headache to file in the right format, with the right info. there are upgrade auto-file options built into most ecommerce websites, so you dont even have to worry about it or think about missing a deadline... but that monthly fee might be too expensive to manage at first. that would be one of the FIRST things i’d do once i could swing it, to eliminate any chance of late fees, getting audited or having my sales tax permit suspended for that nexus state. 

5. IMPORTANT!!: even if you make absolutely $0 dollars in sales from any nexus state, you STILL HAVE TO REPORT IT AND FILE BY THE DEADLINE. don’t get a $50 fee over literally nothing.

ANIME CON OR CRAFT CON ARTIST/VENDOR? BEWARE! 

always research the convention’s home state/city sales tax regulations before registering (or blowing money making merch) for a con. it varies great and wide and has been changing a lot so always recheck before cons. some states supply simple time-limited permits, some states dont require sales tax at all for 2/3 day vendors, and some states will qualify a single physical sale as creating a permanent nexus. dont overlook that stuff or you’ll regret it when you get home to do business as usual with your shop and you have to start charging/reporting sales tax for every customer from that state!! 

6. but wait ore.. you said something ominous about no sales tax for non-nexus states...... “for now”..?

yeeahhh... there’s a big national reform going on currently and it boils down to: Jeff Bezos ruined ecommerce for everybody. fuck you greedy bastard!!

a slew of states are jumping on a bandwagon to snipe up more sales taxes and create “Economic Nexus Laws”. this may not really apply to you at the start of your shop, but its something you need to be aware of for future ref. 

basically states are passing laws that say, “If you make more than $XXXX or do more than XXX transactions selling to people here, that creates a state nexus and you need to get a sales tax permit with us.” which, is not ideal. the good thing is, most sales thresholds in these states are between $10k - $500k, so its not a problem you’ll face right off the bat. transaction numbers might be the one to watch out for, though. once you hit a few hundred transactions in a state it might create a nexus and you’ll have to start charging sales tax.

the problem is this: 1) every participating state has different thresholds, rules, and sometimes tax deductible/exempt items. thats a lot of fine print to go thru and toggling options on your shop, and a LOT of sales tax bookkeeping, filing, reporting, managing. 2) some ecommerce sales tax plugins and clients havent caught up yet to be compliant and convenient for online sellers, its a big job to program and categorize all these variables. when choosing your website host, be sure to vet their built in sales tax clients and see that they’re updating and streamlining capabilities ASAP. it may not be a concern now, but you wouldnt want your shop to boom and have to shut down, lose money and switch hosts to be eco-nex sales tax compliant.3) for successful solo start-up shops, this almost makes it impossible to file your own sales taxes once you pass those thresholds. this is like 30 states! youd spend so much time doing paperwork, its just not feasible. there will be a rising cost of economic nexus management and auto-filing services that you just cant run your business online without.

[ Everything You Need to Know Abt this Shit ] ( ^ full list of state regulations and updated with new developments so bookmark this page)

tl;dr: online shops are complicated, research literally every term you dont know and look up youtube videos on everything you suck at. if youre still motivated after being depleted of brain power, then go the fuck for it and all the Moon Crystal Power Make Up to you