#this is the kind of image where it seems important to be detailed since its a map

[thepringlesofblood]

it's 3 days after the suffering game released and only now have i realized I can just borrow the dang 11th hour from the library on Libby

so! a continuation of specifics from Chapter 3 on! the suffering game GN list of bonus content may kill me, so if you never heard from me again, that's why.

overall stuff

The boys are way more map-based in the pod, a lot of their decisions being based on ‘we haven’t gone there yet’

see: paloma's place, which was labeled 'witch's hut' on the map. griffin mentions that he put her there to act as a sort of guidance system for if they got stuck or didn't know what to do next.

the rest of ch. 3

Paloma’s crystals were growing from the ceiling in the podcast. or maybe that's just how I imagined them lol

Taako & magnus meet Paloma the first time while Merle goes all Book of Mormon on Cassidy - in the gn Taako does eventually get there but way after Magnus who follows her in by tracking her. In the pod they just want to check out the witch’s hut. She also talks a lot more about istus in the GN

paloma's voice is griffin's best Bjork impression, which is to say, hilarious.

one of her more important prophecies gets kind of shifted to when they see istus. it reads: "In the future, you will be offered a terrible choice between two options that will determine the fate of reality itself. In this moment of crisis, remember: there is always a third option." and shows two potential apocalypses - a world of darkness and a world of ash. for more podcast prophecy stuff go to the wiki page

Lucretia doesn’t throw the mud at merle in the podcast but honestly I like it.

Merle is also a lot more jokey and pessimistic about Pan

good quote from merle after Lucretia's verbatim little speech about taking the direction of her life in her own hands. ‘You gotta stand for something or you’ll fall for anything. I tell you what, you have faith! It’s faith in you”

Chapter 4

in the podcast before they use the holethrower they find a bunch of stuff (bombs, a pickaxe, a headlamp) buried in dirt near a bush in the quarry and take it with them. not super plot-relevant but justin does make a joke about it being "Chekov's Bush"

the puzzles are different - there's a cameo on pg 137 where the lockers say 'explosively out of order do not open!' and have letters on them, which is a nod to the locker puzzle from the podcast (they had to open them in a certain order that spelled out words), plus there's the meat and the bugs, and then to get through to the chalice room/mineshafts they have to enter the right keycard and magnus keeps trying to cut the right wires and killing them all. here's the episode it's too much to go into. (transcript)

Ch 5-108 [it makes sense when you read the book]

pg 150 these carnivorous bugs are the only 'trap' that were in the pod (the trick is that light wards them off, hence the fire. in the pod, merle cast Light on a minecart which they took to the bottom) if you want more puzzle content, it's ep. 44 (11th hour ch 4) (transcript)

the layout of the room at the bottom of the mines is different in the GN. there's one room with one bubbled-over mineshaft - in the the podcast there's two rooms, the purple worm'd mineshaft (which the boys encounter first) which is otherwise empty, and then a bubbled door leading into a second mineshaft room which is where isaak and june are. so, The Boys don't meet Isaak until the last loop.

isaak is considerably different. in the podcast Griffin would have The Boys occasionally make perception checks throughout the loops to notice shadows they couldn't quite focus on, including a shadow that looked like a person wearing a Stetson hat [cowboy hat]. the implication is that Isaak has been watching them through these shadows this whole time.

Isaak is considerably more of a mystery in the podcast, which makes finding his journal in the vault our first real introduction to him as a character, whereas in the GN he's introduced halfway through. I'll talk more about the final confrontation with him in the podcast when we get there.

Ch. 109

Bc of Ren taking on the role of bank robber, this whole chunk goes extremely differently. in the podcast, the way they get to 'we need to rob the bank' is by first finding Luca (a skeleton but don't worry he gets better) who tells them to go get his brother Redman so together they can restore the temple of istus, as the two brothers were the head priests back when it was more of a temple and less of a ruin. Redman is the head of the purple-kerchief bank-robbing squad, and he's like 'look I'll come help w the temple thing for sure but I just gotta rob this bank first we have like a timed bomb so we gotta do that first' and The Boys are extremely hesitant given the many times they've seen the bank burn down with the vault very much intact and not robbed. however, they decide to do it anyway.

in the GN, taako strolls into the davy lamp like IT'S BANK ROBBIN' TIME!

even though it's a different person, the motivation for robbing the bank is essentially the same. Refuge is cut off from the world, and they need to get out. main difference is that Redman is following a feeling sent by Istus that they need whatever's in the vault, and Ren's operating off some intel from Brogden.

also merle trying to divert roswell as a goblin doesn't happen in the podcast - The Boys fully forget that in the "save point" they made of talking to Roswell to get into Refuge, they told them that the bank was going to be robbed. So they literally get to the bank and Griffin says (direct quote) "as you start to approach the bank you see Roswell standing in front of it, because that’s where you told Roswell to fucking be." they're just like 'hey roswell go find isaak' to get rid of them in the podcast which makes it 100% possible for roswell to hear the bank stuff and go 'yeah, something's not right'

the bank robbery is extremely different. it spans the back half of ep. 46 and the front 15 min or so of ep. 47. (transcript 46) (transcript 47) I would highly recommend listening to it. highlights include:

taako using mockingbird gum to imitate Roswell's voice and confuse the guards

merle accidentally Commanding (the spell) the wrong guard to flee, causing the other guard to run after him and them both to run into roswell

the aforementioned bit where ren comes in and says her signature 'oh my god taako! what are you doing here?!' and taako tries to banish her

magnus throwing taako through the hole in the teller window where they take your money from, perfect landing, taako gets the gold.

magnus de-arming roswell then taking a torch and like. burning their clay stump arm? all while shouting "I'm really really sorry!"

taako actually does use the hole-thrower on the vault door

merle tries to cast dispel magic on roswell, and it works for a second, then they just kind of reboot, bc roswell is above your puny mortal magics

taako scoops up some of the apparently many gems just sort of strewn around the vault to use as material components to cast "Planar Binding" on Roswell and Griffin excitedly describes it as 'almost like a computer error, like two things are running simultaneously that should not be running simultaneously" and roswell fucking explodes and fills the bank up with clay and taako's about to drown in clay when he finally reads the last entry in sheriff isaak's journal and says 'junebug' and roswell is able to reform. it's fucking e p i c and the music (aptly named 'the diary of sheriff isaak') is one of my favorite pieces of all time.

'fuck your door!' is 100% podcast accurate

in the podcast there's no key, they just have to get Redman up to his brother so they can raise the temple. this also means that all 3 boys get into the temple at the same time, not just magnus.

Ch 110

by god istus is beautiful. in the podcast her hair is described as silvery and infinitely long, and when one of the boys is like 'I like your hair!' she says 'thanks. I've had it for a while.' I love her gn hair though

in the podcast, she gives merle something that will let him go 9 seconds into the past when he uses it (once), then gives all of them the gift of time itself. merle calls it '9 seconds in heaven' and completely forgets to use it until the finale, maybe the very last episode, for essentially a one-off goof. it's a good goof, but I like the GN change of him getting the gift of time itself.

the rest of the interaction with istus is beautifully, wonderfully accurate.

Ch 111

as mentioned, the emancipation of roswell does not take place in the podcast - they sacrifice themselves and then come back in their little bird form, in which they are assumed to be uncommandable. while The Boys do order roswell to do things in the fight, they take back the sheriff badge and tell off isaak on their own, which is very important to me personally. I am a big fan of the GN decision for them to just give roswell command of themselves.

while in the GN they just take the elevator, in the podcast the elevator was part of the gauntlet-of-traps. they climb down a well in the middle of town that leads straight to the bubble room

this is when they have the big confrontation with isaak (ep 47 linked above), and in the podcast, it's the first time we actually meet isaak as a character. he is described as idly spinning a Maddock (pickaxe) and smoking a cigarrette (magnus: 'only losers smoke, Isaak!'). they have the same conversation essentially as in the GN, though taako (badly) tries to bluff that he's also a sheriff using his plastic sheriff's badge (isaak doesn't fall for it). that distraction lets magnus try to pop the bubble, but a quick-draw contest between magnus and isaak goes to isaak, who draws his wand from its holster (!! cool!!) and shoots lightning at magnus, but taako is able to cast bigby's hand & sneak the chance lance into popping the bubble while roswell tackles isaak. it's extremely cool. they don't go to initiative, it's resolved in a series of contests - in order to do anything, you have to win a quick-draw with the sheriff, and he's mighty quick. understandably this does not translate to the GN but it's an incredibly cool mechanic.

some of the conversation they have before popping the bubble in the GN happens post-bubble in the podcast but who cares lets get to the good stuff

Ch. 112

the format of the flashbacks in the podcast is a bit different - the boys hadn't really established a lot of backstory for their characters at this point in the podcast, or hadn't solidified it (magnus is a notable exception, but they still hadn't gone into a lot of detail with him). griffin spends each section with just that player - for merle's section, it's just clint and griffin, etc.

they talk about the character's life as a whole, as june/the cup goes through their memories, searching for the one thing that they would most like to change. needless to say, much longer and more detailed than they had time to put in the GN. here's the episode and transcript if you wanna see more.

in all three scenes (with all three players), june notices a huge chunk of static in their memories, as well as bits and pieces static throughout their lives, especially earlier times. she remarks on the oddness of it, that all three of them are missing a big length of time from their memories. that's what the static in the background of the memories in the GN represents (I assume). taako especially has a lot of static in his childhood.

there's several easter eggs in these memories, all of them very spoilery - I'll put them at the bottom with other spoiler-y bits

merle's scene is completely different, as noted in the beginning. I really like how they re-contextualized merle leaving his family. in the podcast it was kind of a running joke that turned serious later on (this show has a lot of those iykyk)

taako's roadside assistant assassin is called "Sazed" in the podcast. apparently they changed it to "Phillipe" bc justin named him after a character called Sazed from the Mistborn series, and they didn't want to chomp Mistborn's flavor in their published novel.

fun little fact: taako had been under the impression that the elderberries he used as a garnish got confused with deadly nightshade and that's how the poisoning happened. like we know in the GN that he's finding out about Sazed Phillipe's betrayal and the real source of the poison for the first time now but I don't think we know about the berries. it also recontextualizes the elderflower macarons from first ep of CK

magnus' scene is as heartwrenching as ever. the only big change is that in the pod, magnus isn't leaving to go to a meeting, he's leaving to go to the "Continental Craftsman Showcase" to enter his gorgeous black oak lavender smelling chair for consideration to win the title "Master Craftsman". he takes the chair with him of course so in the podcast it survived. i wonder if he still has it?

ch. 113

this sort of conversation with the cup happens before the individual scenes in the podcast. there's also the aforementioned extended-old-lady-de-aging which they very understandably cut. the cup promises to let june go and go quietly as long as it can be allowed to make its pitch to each of them, and it does.

fun fact: in a TTAZZ, griffin mentioned that he fully expected magnus to take the cup, and had a whole side-arc planned for if he did.

also look. this isn't technically canon, but I know in my heart that podcast taako did not have a therapist at this point in time. mostly based on vibes but also based on Events that happen later.

taako also takes his offer in a much more 'humor to cope with life-changing news' way - "as it turns out, remember the thing that I've spent so long feeling kind of bad about? Not super bad but, like, pretty darn bad? Get this - not my fault!"

magnus also starts off the discussion with a 'I'm not going to judge either of you for taking the cup if you do' which is excellent but I understand and agree with the way it goes in the GN. both travis and magnus were Crying (understandable)

bc of the whole HTBG plot change where Kurtz doesn't exist, the phandalin haverdale offer is done a bit differently - in the podcast, it offers to let them kill Kurtz, in the GN it offers to let them keep the phoenix fire gauntlet away from gundren bogard. also, the boys continue to lean hard into 'humor to cope with terrifying situation' in the podcast, and the cup is Not into it - as revenge for how unseriously they seem to be taking its offer, it shows them a bunch of scenes of the people of phandalin haverdale just going about their lives, and then being incinerated. she does also show them barry bluejeans, who in the podcast is just trying to get people to safety.

ch 114 (worm time)

one kinda rough thing is that june doesn't really get any lines in the GN. in the podcast she talks about how the worm situation happened, and makes magnus promise not to kill the purple worm since she's just a mama protecting her babies. well, they sure don't kill the purple worm!

she also has an interaction with isaak where he's like whispering to the boys "i don't think i can get her to come with me i mean i killed her dad" (the boys suggest ice cream) and june just goes [direct quote] "alright, come on. let's go, dummy."

roswell literally just goes over to the minecarts on their own and says [direct quote] "I'm gonna lead the worm away from the city. You three are more than welcome to join me if you want." an icon and a legend

in the podcast taako casts 'shatter' to get the worms attention, and merle ALMOST casts what might have been his most competent spell in the campaign, Geas, but the fucking worm rolled a nat 20 wisdom save. i'm never forgetting this, and now neither will you.

the GN worm fight goes about the same as the podcast, with aforementioned junebug differences, and also in the podcast magnus throws his collection of arms at the worm to try to slow it down. it helps a little but not much. also they probably want him to still have his collection of arms for the future, and they haven't emphasized it as much in the GN.

Ch 115

so the order of things is switched in the podcast vs GN. in the GN, we have the fast-forwarding of Refuge and all the lovely goodbyes first, and then the red robe shows up. in the podcast, immediately after they exit the bubble, the red robe freezes time to have a conversation with them. their conversation with the red robe is actually almost completely different, up until the red robe breaks down. in the podcast they're less antagonistic and don't really mention the connection with refuge - they mostly just respond to the questions the red robe asks. in the GN, they go on the offensive almost immediately, and do some interrogation of their own.

idk if 'deus ex nasty boys' is supposed to replace 'tres horny boys' but i can't help but notice the latter hasn't appeared yet.

in the podcast, paloma's final prophecy says "man wreathed in flames" instead of "hero wreathed in flames" I have a suspicion as to why this was changed and I am excited and terrified.

as mentioned before, in the podcast june gives magnus a scroll with old blueprints for the statue in the center of town where you can see everyone's face instead of jack's sketchbook. the red robe does speak in magnus' head when he gets the scroll, but doesn't actually appear. also magnus looks at the scroll immediately after the red robe tells him not to (of course), and griffin literally says "uh we'll unpack what you see later we got more scenes to do before then". personally I'm excited to see where they go with this, the blueprints were basically just one mind-bending image, but a sketchbook can really tell a story.

there's not a lot of mention of isaak after the 7 years. he's a bit more of a heel in the podcast, like he wants to be a better person but he's also done a bunch of bad shit, and we focus more on June than on any redemption arc of his.

in the podcast, before leaving, the boys go to visit the temple of istus. not much occurs, they get to see Redman and Luca (no longer a skeleton), some candles are blown out ominously, but one of my favorite audio goofs happens. merle offers the root beer barrels cassidy gave him to istus, leaving them on her altar, and on the wind an ethereal voice says "yuck". merle goes to take them back and she goes, in the same whisper "no, leave them. maybe I can clean them off"

the same kids who made the clay statues at the edge of town are making one of roswell in the center and they (as just a bird now) show back up to be nice and alive and free and ready to go fly around and see the world. magnus mentions the moonbase as a potential place to visit and taako's like yeah cause birds regularly fly to the moon and magnus is like it's not the REAL moon and I mention this because of this wonderful line roswell says "So maybe one day I'll try to fly to the moon, and I'll see you there."

in giving ren the diploma from taako's amazing school of magic, taako also gives her the gustmaster 5000 (which I don't think he has in the GN bc it doesn't really do much), which creates a minor plot hole bc he sells it back to garfield in a later episode. i guarantee this will never come up in the GN.

in the podcast, the red robe conversation starts with them asking 'did you get the cup? what did you change?' and they're like nothing and the red robe is like 'i'm so proud of you i was worried this one would go sideways' and they are very confused and are like 'tf? you're the bad guy?' and red robe is like 'what? who told you that?' and they're like 'literally everyone' and the red robe is like 'anyway do you trust me?' and they're like fuck no and then the red robe breaks down

the main difference is that in the podcast it's described as red lightning crackling out from the red robe as they lose composure. merle has to dodge one of these lightning bolts. in the GN it's more like they're glitching out. their voice also changes in the pod - griffin describes it as "it doesn't sound like it's sounded every other time that he's spoken to you. Like, it sounds like a guy's voice." the voice griffin does for The Red Robe is very spooky hissy whispery, but the voice he does here sounds like a slightly gravelly middle-aged man from NYC. it says "Lup. They don't trust me. I can't do it anymore, Lup. I'm sorry."

the red robe is able to get it together though, and leaves the boys with the message ' The next time we meet, I will need you to trust me, completely and absolutely. Otherwise, all of this will have been for nothing. The Hunger is almost here. And when it arrives, this world will be lost.'

we don't have time to unpack all of that bc then time unfreezes and the red robe is gone.

in the podcast justin/taako doesn't (verbally) recognize the red robe saying "Lup" [pronounced 'loop'] as being connected to the letters L U P getting blasted into the wall. meanwhile in the GN, we the audience can easily recognize the red robe's "Lup" as being connected to the (properly capitalized) "Lup" burned into the wall, bc it's the same letters and we're reading them, not listening to them. no pronunciation = no room for miscommunication. audio medium vs visual medium make for fascinating differences in the Lup mystery.

ch 116

merle writing the letter to his kids is new (in this scene) originally he was just stargazing when the stars wink out.

taako cooking for Kravitz in this scene is new and very welcome. originally the scene ended after taako responding to "you've added quite a bit to your death count" with "that one's on me"

I want to add some of the descriptions of these scenes since they're just so iconic. (transcript) (episode)

Griffin describing Magnus seeing himself in the sketchbook/scroll

"And there’s something strange about the parchment inside of this tube, which is that you can see it. You can see what’s on it. But when you try to draw conclusions based on what you see, when you try to understand what it is you’re seeing, your mind turns to static. And it’s an incredibly uncomfortable sensation."

"...in this sketch, in this earlier sketch, Jack and June look exactly the same, but the Red Robe’s hood is pulled down. And you can see his face. And… it’s an incredibly familiar face, Magnus. Because it’s your face. This figure in this red robe, is you."

Griffin describing the stars winking out

"...you’re laying on the grass and there’s a small bed of flowers actually growing up where your soulwood arm is laying on the grass. Um, and you’re looking up at the stars, which you’re known to do sometimes, and the elevation of the headquarters gives you sort of an unparalleled view of. So you often look up at the stars, but tonight as you are laying out and looking upward, you feel like there are fewer stars in the sky, than there usually are when you do your stargazing. And as you just sort of intently watch the sky to try to confirm that, to try to count them, you see it, undeniably: a star winks out, right in front of your eyes."

just for funsies: the original map of Refuge griffin made for fans and players alike to reference!

SPOILERS BELOW SPOILER-Y SPECULATION ALERT

pg 137 way in the back - is that Good Ice?

171 'a community can't survive in isolation like this' yup just like a plane can't survive cut off from the bonds of all the other planes 0.0

237 BATTLEAXE PROFICIENCY sorry im still not over it. also merle studying plants to be botanist and healer in the ipre! and also to be nasty

238 the memory of him on a beach alone just staring at the sand carrying huge backpack - is that how lucretia left him?

239 i love how they handled this, because there is something huge missing from his life, even if he doesn't know what it is. he's missing a century of memories and a core aspect of his identity. along with the self-loathing remark, it really contextualizes merle leaving his wife & kids in a more serious and complicated way

243 heartbreaking static aside, I think we have an appearance of the famous Taako's Aunt Who Taught Him Cooking! hell yeah! it looks like she's teaching them magic too, and all the stuff he's shown doing is right next to something fiery - he puts out a fire with water, he creates a flower while his aunt is creating fire, he's sitting around a campfire. they put a lil lup in each memory without putting lup in the memory girl im sobbing

bonus content for those who read the taz: the 11th hour graphic novel and haven’t listened to the podcast arc

disclaimer: so. I lost my book about ¼ of the way into this post. so the rest of it is just from memory (I did finish reading it several times, I just no longer have it to refer to). I wanted to post this before the next one comes out though, so here we are. If I find my book, I will attempt to finish up the details for the rest of the book. I cover some basic big things from memory, but nowhere near as detailed as the stuff I wrote down when I had the book to refer to. but in the meantime…let’s go!

by god they’ve done it again. 11th hr is a Lot and definitely the most plot-heavy book so far, PLUS they had to include the first lunar interlude where the boys had individual scenes. the result is frankly beautiful. we’re really hitting critical mass now.

as a result a lot more stuff got compressed, cut, changed, or skipped. i’m going to try to at least point out each difference, though there’s no way I could summarize EVERYTHING that got cut in one post. I’m going to be linking relevant episodes (& transcripts thank u tazscripts) instead, for things that are Just Too Much to include.

as always, this post is intended to be Fun and Cool Bonus Content for people who haven’t listened to the podcast, not a manifesto of stuff they “should have” included or a list of flaws. they had 11+ hours of content to squish into one graphic novel, that happened over a period of months. of course stuff got cut. and it’s stuff that was recorded in 2016. that’s eight years ago. of course some things are going to change.

tl;dr - I liked the dang book. you can be sad something wasn’t in the novel while still understanding why it isn’t. here is a list of the stuff that was changed, skipped, compressed, or cut, presented as cool facts & extra info for gn fans who haven’t listened to the podcast.

spoilers ahoy for the 11th hour, but I’ll try to keep spoilers for the rest of the series to a minimum or at least mark them clearly. At the very end I’m going to put a section of series-spoiler theories and observations, very clearly marked

Keep reading

[101suouexpressions]

How Umemiya seems to be the epitome of Suou's image of adulthood and a proper teacher/mentor

It is a subtle thing, since we rarely see Umemiya and Suou interact with each other, but somehow, Umemiya is surprisingly fitting into what Suou called "adulthood".

Suou's definition of adulthood and a teacher/mentor seems to blend a bit from the way he uses these terms somewhat interchangeably. Nonetheless, it is certain that he is talking about a certain role model. Of course, he doesn't just say them for show. Suou understands it and is striving to become the same kind of adult that he looks up to.

Imagination, experience, ability to turn imagination into reality

One can say Suou only officially has his debut after he went against Kanuma of Shishitouren in chapter 11. It was the first time us readers had a glimpse of his mind. Here, he talked about 'the first step up the staircase to adulthood' - Imagination and Experience.

While having been graphically demonstrated right after this panel, this idea comes back in a different form in chapter 96, where past-Umemiya explained his motivation to become Fuurin's leader.

In his imagination, Makochi would be a town of happiness, and no longer the notorious lawless delinquent streets. And for that to become reality, he needed to be the leader. Umemiya had both the vision and the ability to make his wish come true.

Bonus: The theme of 'adulthood' is concurrent even in Umemiya's flashback.

We still don't have much of an idea on what Umemiya's caretaker at his orphanage and the mysterious ex-student of Fuurin entail, but this is just an interesting note.

Sympathy is the key element to adulthood and mentoring

Quoting the man himself, it is important to not only understand but truly engage with one's situation to be able to help and be supportive to them. This has been clearly reflected in the way he mentored Nirei.

First, he attempted at understanding Nirei's feeling (after their battle with Keel), not by giving himself the right to guess but letting Nirei express himself. His action unexpectedly coincides with Umemiya's words to Sakura - to be able to connect with others, you have to willingly accept them as they are.

Then, Suou could find out what Nirei needs (to protect himself and fight back at the same time). The flexibility in his ways really starts to shine through him adjusting their lessons according to nirei's goals and intrinsic ability. This, is 'engagement' to its fullest.

He also let Nirei practice in real situations (while keeping said situation under monitoring, of course) in order for Nirei to gain experience. Moreover, Suou always encourage him afterwards!

In Umemiya's case, this more so implied in the way he was unwordingly preparing for Sakura to be the next leader (which I went into details in this post). Umemiya understands what kind of person Sakura was, and let him, a first year, encounter dangerous situations so that he could grow. Umemiya tended to not tell Sakura what to do, but rather observe and point out what was a possible path (fighting is also a conversation)/what he lacked (how Sakura needs to rely on his teammates more).

Bonus: Suou has a very strict standard when it comes to what a good teacher should be. After all, Suou himself was trying his best to become a good mentor to Nirei. All of this is suggested to come from how he views his master (very brief flashback from chapter 110).

This has been so much fun to write and I fully encourage discussions on this topic (surely I am not the only one who is insane about wkb). Thank you for reading until this line!

[mrs-snape5984]

“As long as I'm with you, I've got a smile on my face…”

“Save your tears, it'll be okay. All I know is you're here with me…” (“Here with me” by D4vd)

Suffering from ME/CFS makes me feel like my whole world is falling apart in front of my eyes. Since I’ve already lost so much joy and so many abilities due to this devastating disease, my continuing loss seems to increase even further.

As some of you might know, do I love to write my own stories about Severus and Julia just as much as I enjoy using my tumblr blog as some kind of journal, whenever I’ve commissioned another artwork. It’s my way of rolling out a red carpet for the artists of Snapedom…it’s my way of honouring them for their talent in their profession. Commissioning those amazing people and letting them make my ideas and fantasies come to life, is my very own manner of coping with my physical and emotional pain.

And now, this coping mechanism seems to crumble into pieces as well as everything else, that I’ve already lost! It hurts me to admit, that my brain fog takes advantage of my capability to create vivid images with my words. My thoughts are getting blurry and chaotic. I’m struggling to find the right words to express my emotions (it’s even worse in my native language German than in English!!)…and this scares me to hell!

My mind was the only place, where I could find some shelter from my infuriating and terrifying reality of losing myself to ME/CFS. What if I forfeit my only - just barely existing- talent now?? How should I flee this nightmare of existence if writing wouldn’t be an option anymore?! How should I express my gratitude towards all those marvellous artists of Snapedom, who are all weaving my emotional comfort blanket with each piece of their art?!?

I don’t want to give up on my writing…and I won’t…even though my pride would probably fade away with each badly written chapter of my fictions…and with each unworthy post on my blog. I must admit, that I’m already acknowledging the loss of quality. 🥺

I found an inspiring poem about the importance of staying resilient, no matter how difficult the hardships of life might become, and I want to share it with you:

"KEEP GOING" (Better known as "DON'T QUIT") by Edgar A. Guest

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and debts are high, And you want to smile but have to sigh.

When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest, if you must, but DON'T YOU QUIT!

Life is queer with its twists and turns, As everyone of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won if he'd stuck it out, Don't give up though the pace seems slow, You might succeed with another blow.

Often the struggler has given up, When he might captured the victor's cup.

And he learned too late, when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown,

Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint on clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems afar,

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

My dear @mmad-lover, I can’t stress enough how grateful I am for your dedication to this stunning piece of art and believe me, it was worth every single second of waiting! Paula, I was incredibly touched to hear, that my request seemed to be something special, something personal to you. I can assure you, that, indeed, all of my ideas have a profound meaning to me and I’m glad that you’re such an empathetic person, who sensed that particular importance of your art to me. Your devotion to this drawing is palpable in every single detail, every line of your brushes. You created exactly the mood, that I wished for Severus and Julia. It doesn’t matter that the world is burning to the ground around them, they will always have each other’s backs! Just like I’m relying on Severus for more than 21 years now. Thank you for everything, you precious soul! I’m glad that I met you and I hope, we’ll stay in touch. 🥹

🖤Severus & Julia🖤

🖤Sevy & Jules🖤

[im-fucking-baalin]

Tell me . More about your cult of the lamb au :3

I'm specifically curious about the idea that lamb could have been a priest of a religion based around a warped version of Narinder (you could say... a cult)

How did they warp his image? Does he know about it? How long has the religion been around- does it dissappear when the lamb is sacrificed? Grrrr I am so curious!!!

RAHHHH ITS 5AM THE PERFECT TIME TO ANSWER THIS OF COURSE !!!

ok first of all, english is not my first language so if theres something you didnt quite understand lmk pls 🤝

sooo,,, an incredibly long explanation is incoming!

im gonna be honest, this all originated from A Single™️ line that Shamura said in-game. This One:

"The lamb is, after all, the sacrificial beast. Bred to slaughter"

Since the first time i read it, it kept lingering in my mind because, wdym.

In my own madness, that lines existence means that, even before the lamb genocide happened, the bishops considered lambs as some kind of free soul resource they could use for sacrifice with no repercussions. And thanks to that, ive been constantly in a state of Making Things Up In My Mind Until Shit Starts To Make Sense.

And heres where, basically everything comes into play. The lambs were Narinders cult, to some extent. They were assigned to him, courtesy of his siblings, to be literally the pastor of them, yknow, protecting them and guiding them until the time to be sacrificed came. However, those sacrifices were never for him. Those were for the rest of the bishops.

Let me explain! One thing i LOVE with what the community has done in COTLs lore understanding is the way we see the crowns powers. like HELL YEAH they are NOT a single concept they EMBRACE the whole spectrum of said concept! Including everything that may be considered "good" and "bad"!!!

AND NOW, the important thing with this,,,,

In-game, after indoctrinating the bishops into your cult, and completing each individual quest for them, they kind of tell you where they got their crowns? the version of the game ive been playing is the spanish one, and honestly i hadnt read those same dialogues in english to see if they actually translated them faithfully, but oh well!

Thats what i got from it; with the four telling you how they were basically normal creatures before finding the crowns. mind you, finding

We are talking about a culture in wich gods were kind of the basic population, maybe in the timespan before that weird "war" happened; youd think they would be more careful with those things no? Exactly!

The bishops werent properly crowned!!! :000

THIS MEANS, in my mind, that they had absolute zero knowledge of what those crowns fully embrace!!

This, also, is where i have a loose knot, for i still hadnt come to a reasonable explanation on how Narinder got his, for he seems to be the only one who wasnt a crawling creature before the crown, possibly meaning he WAS properly crowned. ill work more on this in the future :P

SO, before i start expanding waaaay more, this is where i wanted to get to, but itll be on giant general terms that i promise ill explain with more detail in the future:

the bishops didn't believe in death having some kind of spectrum to it, one that they used on their own personal gain, receiving offerings and such in exchange of "good things". As a result, they kind of excluded him, in a not so catastrophic way like you might think, but rather in a "your domain is of no use to us" kind of way.

This was a result of Shamuras doing, for they were the only bishop who got to understand what a crown entails, knowledge being in their domain after all

(as a little side note, i FUCKING LOVE what this implies. Yknow? that the contrary of war is not peace but rather knowledge, because the more informed you are the more able to see what kind of shit youre doing, yet also functioning as the greatest weapon to use in the field IS PEAK TO ME)

What Shamura was trying to do was protect him. They were very afraid of him, and in trying to make that fear go away, they decided to kind of "keep" the truth away. This resulted in him never exploiting his full domain, wich then led to ppl believing that praying to death was basically useless, unless you did it to get consolation, wich meant there were no offerings or sacrifices in his name.

Now, as the pastor of the lambs Narinder hated the way the other bishops treated them. The lambs were kept in some kind of village, from where they, whenever they wanted, could choose any lamb and make Narinder sacrifice them in their name. Even kids!

Well, after this half-assed explanation bc i didnt want to make it way longer, here comes the actual answer to your question! (sorry!)

the religion started the moment the lambs managed to escape the place they were kept in. the situation that led to this, was the same one that sparked the conflict between siblings: a resurrection.

even if Narinder was their patron god, the lambs never had contact with him until the time to sacrifice came. here youre gonna meet ellen! shes a missing link i had to write into the story for it to make more sense. she is, also, the culprit for that religion to exist!

Basically, that day they had sacrificed her lover. they were planning to escape that night, but sadly they had no chance on knowing who was to be chosed for slaughter next. instead of praying to their god, she insulted him, with such a burning passion, Narinder knew this was his opportunity.

he made a deal with her. he would revive her lover, and in exchange she would leave and never tell anyone what happened. the only gain Narinder was going to have with this was the knowledge that he could actually revive ppl, so it was a total win-win.

ellen, however, saw this as death being the kindest god to ever exist, and she felt incredibly lucky, for she was the first and only to ever be offered this.

we all know how this went, though. the ritual was interrupted by the bishops, they started arguing, Narinder did what he did etc etc

she escaped, alongside her whole village, and decided to mask her selfish act with sermons about how Narinder sacrificed himself so they could live better lives, and how he had choose her to be the carrier of his word. it was all made up ofc.

so, for a millenia, the lambs were worshipping an incredibly distorted version of Narinder. They didnt even get his name, nor his title. They only knew him as death. This also meant Narinder never got to know about this. As far as his knowledge go, the lambs may all had been sacrificed without any regulation in the next coming days after his imprisonment. None on his name, tho

fast forward and we get to Lambert! theyre the last priest to this religion, both figuratively and literally

the way priests and priestesses (?) work in here is something that in on itself deserve its own post, but on general terms:

in catholicism the priest is a person who got religious preparation to serve god and spread His word. they are meant to be chaste, kind, and just. they are also meant to be "served", to some extent.

in here, priests are more like the leaders of the lamb population, replacing Narinders role back in the day. they were all following a rule that only female direct descendants from ellen could get that title which OF COURSE MEANS IT WAS A TRANS DOMINATED FIELD LETS FUCKING GO (projecting much? LMAOOO)

so, yeah! they guide and serve! so imagine Lamberts pain after the bishops kill not only their family, but their Whole Fucking Species in front of their eyes!!! lads flabbergasted!!!!

and thats it! thats how they got a distorted version of Narinder for worship. No, he had no idea that both the lambs were still alive and that they had been worshipping him in a completely different way than intended. and yes! the religion did disappear once lambert got sacrificed! but to explain what actually happened there i need to make another pointlessly big paragraph and honestly i think i already abused my yapping rights for today!

i promise, all these concepts WILL be treated at their own pace, but it may take time for me to develop them nicely!

if you, however, fancy keep asking questions for me to go apeshit at them, PLEASE PLASE PLEASE DO SO!!!!!!

MAN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ASK YOU MADE MY WHOLE WEEK!!!! you asked about the EXACT point ive been DYING to expand more on THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!

[1moremilgram-enjoyer]

Since I'm a very "the curtains are blue for a reason" kinda person, I want to talk about potential symbolism in the couches of Ai Nan Desu Yo and I Love You! Does that sound weird? Maybe it is, but I think it's kinda fun!

CW Suicide, unhealthy relationships

What first caught my eye is that the couch is (mostly) symmetrical, split right down the middle. Well, the pillows are symmetrical, not the... blanket? Yeah, blanket. Because it's symmetrical, it could be seen as a representation of Mahiru's relationship, with each side representing one of the lovers. Notice how it's yellow-orange, which can represent happiness and warmth, which fits.

[Ai Nan Desu Yo] Do you really think you know what love is? If you do, then let's just overheat together

What I then noticed is that the blanket thing is mostly on the left side (I'm using camera view for this post), which could be interpreted as meaning the partner on the left puts more effort into the relationship, 'gives more warmth'. Meaning the partner on the left would be Mahiru, who is implied to be showing way more affection than the boyfriend to the point of being overwhelming. For example, just looking at the size of the pieces of cake they give each other in I Love You.

(Mahiru left, boyfriend right)

And this idea of 'Mahiru to the left, boyfriend to the right' is corroborated because that's how they're shown sitting in I Love You.

... Well, the couch is slightly different. It's more detailed, possibly because I Love You gives a more realistic look at the complexities of their relationship (?), but it does seem like it's a reference, especially since the green pillows are still there.

Although the green pillows are tattered when we see them in the Purple Background Dimension (<- why is this series so hard to talk about). Could this imply they're actually a representation of the lovers? It feels like this makes sense. Pillows are often filled with feathers, which are an important aspect of these two's symbolism (they're both in the bird cage -> they're both birbs). And it also fits with the "calling" scene, sort of.

[Ai Nan Desu Yo] Ring ring, I'm calling you in the middle of the night Forcing you to wake up, and I say "Good Morning!" But I fall asleep before you, I really feel bad you know? We can both feel lonely sometimes, but wonder if you'll get angry soon I'm going to start relying on you if you're kind to me, so please forgive me, thanks!

We see her call her boyfriend while somewhat-tightly hugging the pillow which apparently represents him, and the lyrics imply she's calling at an inconvenient time. Mahiru has a lot of imagery of smothering and suffocating, as her love is too overwhelming for her boyfriend, which vaguely fits the first two images. In this case, she wants to talk to him at all times, which he likely doesn't appreciate, he gets angry with her being overbearing, they do what seems to be one of the "breakup rituals" mentioned in a later line. Still, she longingly holds onto the pillow, before breaking down when it's no longer in her hands. They always come back to each other, because they've probably become dangerously codependent (I think? <- My aromantic ass does not understand romantic relationships)

Does that sorta work? Maybe.

Then there's the scene where Mahiru jumps into the right side of the couch, possibly a representation of invading boundaries (again, overwhelming affection), and sends a bunch of feathers flying. The feathers are in the middle, because again, both the lovers are birds. And this makes sense, since Mahiru's love in a way was also hurting her by making her love someone who could not meet her emotional needs.

[I Love You] My love, it scored an own goal, destroyed my love and me with its weight

(Also, I swear I remember Mahiru hugging a pillow here, but no, she grabs air. Mandela effect, ig)

The final thing to note is that Mahiru is sleeping on the right side of the couch before her boyfriend's suicide in Ai Nan Desu Yo, but she goes to sleep on the left after the suicide in I Love You.

The former again possibly implying Mahiru's unwillingness to separate from her boyfriend, and her tendency to invade his boundaries, is part of what caused him to commit suicide. Meanwhile, the latter makes sense, as Mahiru is alone and thus has to stick to her side of the couch.

(I'm frankly not sure how this would work with the shinju theory, but to be fair Ai Nan Desu Yo's ending as a whole doesn't work perfectly with that theory anyways)

Uh... so it sorta works? If that's the case, we can look at the stuff around the couch to establish some further potential symbolism.

For one, the diamond pattern in the carpet. Diamonds in general represent love and all the aspects of healthy relationships, which doesn't seem like it should make sense until you realize most of Ai Nan shows an idealized version of the relationship, and the carpet isn't present in the more realistic I Love You. Though I have to disclaim I'm talking about diamond the gemstone, because the shape itself (lozenge) represents "a sown field and female fertility" which I don't think is exactly applicable. Mahiru and her boyfriend aren't farmers.

(As far as we know)

The phone could have really been on either side since it just represents communication, so it's probably on the right for the sake of the "calling" scene.

The potted plant on the left is something which needs taking care of to survive, which may represents Mahiru's unfulfilled desire for attention and matching love from her partner.

[Ai Nan Desu Yo] This is a claim of responsibility From the two of us with matching love

The lamp is odd because I can't tell where it's meant to be pointing, but thankfully it makes sense with all three possibilities. Since it's on the right, it may represent how much attention Mahiru is giving her boyfriend. But it seems pointed to the left, so it could represent Mahiru's desire for her boyfriend to pay attention to her. Or maybe it's pointing at the middle, because the video is focusing on the relationship. The beauty of symbolism is that, if something looks a bit odd, you can just make shit up as long as it doesn't contradict any of your other claims!

Anyways, am I onto something or am I going completely insane? Good question! But I wanted to share this so. Take care!

[thefloatingstone]

Sorry, this is about a post from 2020, but in answering an ask about homophobia in Utena you mentioned, “another is a man who is gearing himself up for a hetero marraige because he feels its the proper thing someone in his position should do, until he meets a teenaged boy and it’s like “…..oh fuck…””… are you talking about Mikage? Are you saying the search for eternity he’s researching is a metaphor for hetero marriage, à la Akio’s “the castle is where a prince and princess will live together forever?” (not disagreeing just wanting to make sure I understand correctly, id never thought of it that way before)

or did I miss something in the series lol

Oh oof this was a while ago and I haven't watched the series in a while. But kind of?

More like, Mikage is very emotionally detached from social norms when we first meet him and is completely engrossed with his work. He is constantly referred to as "a human computer".

When he meets Tokiko there is enough symbology to make you realise as he's speaking to her he is very logically and coldly thinking to himself "ah yes. A female. I am supposed to marry one of these and start a family. She seems like a good candidate".

"She is feminine and is doing feminine things. This is seen as attractive by men so this must make her an attractive partner."

"Yes. This is good for what is expected of me. Starting a family with her would be a good move."

While at the same time there is ONE singular moment with the flashing hand that is difficult to catch. In all the previous scenes the flashing hand makes a beeping noise. But in one singular moment during this scene while he and Tokiko are speaking, the camera pans over the other researchers walking to and from the hall and you can HEAR the hand but it's not onscreen until the VERY last second and even then the camera cuts away before you can really figure out what it's pointing at.

The hand is pointing at two men holding hands as they walk.

As Mikage is speaking to Tokiko and gauging if she might be worth pursuing as a partner as a Good Hetero Boy should. But this image shows just as Mikage is saying "They have gathered a good group of boys here who can continue my research".

There is no solid way to interpret this as "Ah THIS is what Mikage means!" but I think it's placement and the way the camera cuts away from it pretty quickly is pretty telling. Especially since the flashing hand in this scene has been showing us Mikage's internal thoughts as he's spending time with Tokiko.

It's possible to see this as his thoughts briefly wandering to the male students in the program, and that doing so automatically, if only for a brief moment, becomes a dreaded GAY THOUGHT. which is why the camera cuts way from it so quickly and back to the room he and Tokiko are sitting in.

AND THEN. FUCKING. (sorry I am rewatching this scene and losing my mind at details I didn't notice before)

FUCKING. AFTER THIS GAY THOUGHT. He is speaking to Tokiko about how the boys are spreading rumours that they are trying to revolutionise the world. But it's clear he has no interest in this and says "It's like they're trying to build a perpetual motion machine" to mock them as ridiculous. BUT THAT'S NOT THE IMPORTANT PART!!!!

THE IMPORTANT PART!!! is AFTER this gay thought, and him dismissing the boys as stupid, the camera does a LOOOOOOONG pan over Tokiko's body as Mikage says

GOD DAMMIT MIKAGE!!!!!

"If I run away fast enough the gay thoughts can't get me!"

I AM GOING INSANE KSDHKSHDKHFDS

Anyway then Tokiko runs when she hears mamiya in the rose garden, Mikage follows her, and the SECOND he lays eyes on mamiya, Tokiko, very WEIRDLY, just leaves the room and walks away without Mikage or Mamiya even acknowledging her.

REAL SUBTLE.

The next scene has Tokiko explaining to Mikage how his research of attaining eternity is what could save Mamiya's life. Even as she's explaining to Mikage and her motivations, he remains emotionally detached from her, as he is only seen in this shot reflected in the mirror. Standing next to her, but not.

But when Tokiko sheds a tear and apologises for this, Mikage says, still reflected in the mirror, "I feel like this is the first time I've seen a person cry."

Basically 'This is the first time I actually feel emotionally responding to someone else's sadness"

Baby's first empathy... because it's about Mamiya.

And then as he moves to leave and return to his research, this time with purpose, Tokiko asks him if he has anyone who is precious to him. That part's not important. The important part is the next sentence she says as Mikage leaves.... having said for the first time he's connected to someone's sadness over the young boy....

And then he throws himself into his research

So that is how Mikage embraced the gay thoughts in his weird academic way. "Well it's not TECHNICALLY gay if I'm just trying to save the life of the woman I have selected to be my partner!" And so the story starts to unravel for him.

TO get back to your question tho, Mikage is actually NOT chasing Eternity when he meets Tokiko. And his hetero relationship with here does not actually symbolise eternity to him at all.

He repeatedly says before he meets Tokiko that he is a "living computer" and describes himself as "a dry man passing dry days". He also says the research isn't going well, but he doesn't actually care.

However, when he is at Tokiko's home he is STILL expressing disinterest in the research when she brings it up. He not only makes fun of the other researchers as I previous said, saying "it's like they're trying to invent a perpetual motion machine". He specifically refers to the research and his fellow researches in a detached way. THEY are trying to create a perpetual motion machine. THEY are trying to attain eternity. He is completely disinterested and detached from the research himself.

In fact he tells Tokiko

He even says "I have done more than what the contract called for." (which incidentally he says directly before it cuts to the boys holding hands)

IT'S ALMOST LIKE HE ISN'T TALKING ABOUT RESEARCH AT ALL HMMMMMMM 🤔🤔🤔

"I was an emotionally detached man. Living on auto-pilot. I find the thing everyone else is doing to be stupid. But I am taking part despite being completely disinterested. The BOYS are extraordinary tho. But anyway, it's stupid to want more. People should be satisfied with the chosen direction they already have. But purely for business reasons."

*Mamiya enters* hey

"Oh shit now see THIS is a different story!!! I have something to live for!!! Doing this thing because of this BOY is now the most important thing in the entire world!!! I am a man possessed!!!!"

*whispers* nothing in this scene is about research.

[cloudplpnt]

talking about armored core all day because of the short film/episode AC is going to have is crazy - i like that most people share the same opinions as i do! i kind of want to type them, so i might as well. it’s a little rambly. none of it is particularly important or a real concern, and more just because i think too much, LMAO

-

the overall ‘vibe’ is definitely reminiscent of later AC generations, but i have a feeling that it’s largely going to ride on ac6 because of popularity/recency, even if this is some sort of original story.

there seem to be bits and pieces from prior games here and there, like the cockpit and pilot getup feel reminiscent of V/VD (the cockpit moreso because of the official media we have of said cockpits), the VOB-like boosters like from FA, and the generally blue-tinted visuals they have going on are definitely touching AC6. the setting in the few shots we see do feel in line with later AC (wasteland, some destruction - the big ‘machine’ in the distance evokes an arms fort or the strider) but for these same reasons, i’m worried that it could end up more like ..fallout, instead of AC?

it’s difficult to explain, but it think it comes with the fact that this is about ‘armored core’ as a franchise, so it must be trying to either encompass themes of multiple games, or what feels like AC rather than a direct relation to a specific generation. the appearance of our pilot, even if i remark the V/VD similarity, it makes me wonder if what we’re going to get might not be the sort of corporate-ruled world we often have, where you have a handler or liaison. instead, maybe we really are following some individual in the style of the background mercenaries of AC6 or the mercenaries in 5th gen? to put it simply, they might not be ‘ravens’ as we know them?

i’m worried we might lose the concept of ravens’ so-called ‘freedom’ and the emphasis of every AC; the devaluing of human life and humanity by the corporations that use everything for their own greed, in favor of something that’s easier to digest or ‘cooler’ for the audience.

one of the greatest details of AC to me is the emphasis on the machine - not only the machinations of the world but the ACs themselves that are a reflection of it, and the fact that ultimately you as the pilot are one of many who are essentially exploited by this sort of world. main character syndrome (the player) aside.

i’m not even sure if we’ll get the names of existing corporations here, just because of the vague sense of familiarity that isn’t totally there. there’s also the fact that the way ‘secret level’ is presented reminds me a bit of ready player one, so it’s possible that all of these different franchises will have their stories, but it won’t be a very loyal adaptation of anything.

AC suffers a bit more here, since the other games have iconic characters, stories, and settings, but AC we know for the titular ACs *and* the recurring concepts and character types in the games, so it’s complicated to touch on everything in a specific way rather than just the feeling! and that’s not to forget the visuals of the games!

the broadness is both a convenience and the reason why it could be difficult to work with, or accurately represent the image and feel that makes AC.

that’s a lot to say when we only got a few seconds’ worth of viewing time, but i can’t resist thinking. most of this is just me, i’m sure! for all i know, all of this might get flipped on its head. my thoughts on the armored core itself are a bit more direct though.

i was a little disappointed that the head didn’t look like a variant of the iconic mono-eye!

it does in the side view shot, but when we’re given a proper look from the front it’s like a strange shade-eye (+ megatron’s head, lol).. unless if that was actually a different mech? the core is also a peculiar shape, but it was difficult to see it from the angles we got so i’m not sure what to say about it. the range of movement and structure also seems more human-like than the z-axis-inclined ACs do, but i was pleased that the hand fit the design of AC hands - the gap between the fingers and palm even when in closed position, the guard panels, and the overall construction of the joints evoked the right image for me. the arms felt kind of large and bulky though. i’m a little scared that the AC could be more like a power suit than an AC, but we didn’t get to see much so far!

i hope that if we see other ACs or more of our main AC here, that we get parts that resemble the ones we know! that’d be great, since so much of what makes armored core well.. armored core, are the parts. it’d be a bit sad to have AC media without a single recognizable icon, be it certain parts or weapons. some well-known references could be cool too, but not sure if they’ll go that far.

anyway i could go on for a long time, but i don’t want to write a whole essay about 10 seconds;; regardless of what i say, i’m still curious about what we’re going to get. my hopes aren’t insanely high but i’m not particularly negative about this either, since it’s still more AC media after a drought!

edit: wanted to drop a few additional thoughts; i really do hope that the animation will feel like AC! generally fromsoft knows how to do this best, and it makes sense given that they’ve gotten it down all this time. like the intros, they’re all stunning and iconic in their own ways, each fitting perfectly for the story or setting they’re made for. the feelings they evoke in only a minute or so through visuals, sound, and music.. that’s hard to replicate. i don’t expect one episode of a show that probably isn’t with in-house influence to do it, but y’know.

[chososdiscordkitten]

PLEASE GIVE ME SMUT WRUTING TIPS..GOJO BREEDING KINK MADE ME WANT TO WRITE SOMETHING FOR MYSELF. (EVEVN IF U DONT LIKE GS BREEDING KINK, ITS ONE OF UR BWSTS) PLEASE GIVE ME DIALOGUE WRITING HELP. HELPPPPP DONT LEAVE ME HELPLESS

UHHHH smut writing tips... hmmm. (yapping below the cut)

this may sound very wrong and not pc BUT, ive been reading smut for years. Since I was like 10, ive read countless different writing styles, and millions of words of pure filth.

And as I read them I developed a taste of what I like and don't like- I write in a way as though I am reading to the reader- you/your/yours, because I don't like y/n or I don't like using third person pov nor first person.

What I do- is I think of the scene, picture it and if I can't get a body part- or a hand placement correct, I go look at porn videos or hentai- whatever. Not because i derive like arousal from it- but I truly use it as a form of studying. (im asexual)

I also use shows, movies and songs for inspo- certain lyrics I can picture on x character I write down.

I find it helpful to use a physical notebook for my ideas, there are times I don't have access to my computer so actual paper helps.

And as for dialogue, I try to keep a mix of x characters physical state while they speak, an example;

("blah blah blah" she said, and he said "blah blah" and then-) ive never liked this specific kind of writing so I include the way their eyebrows furrow- or the way their nose crinkles after saying something.

with smut I think its helpful for the reader to picture the way x characters face churns, a trembling bottom lip, dilated pupils, it helps make everything seem more intimate and inclusive for the reader.

And when it comes to describing the way something feels- if its something small like a trailing touch- I take a second and do what im writing about onto myself-

example; if im writing about a gripping hand on a hip- ill press the tips of my fingers onto my thigh to see the way the skin indents and how it feels? (embarrassing)

One thing ive learned- just because you write it with a specific image in mind- doesn't mean people will be able to see it the way you do unless you provide details.

usually when im doing laundry or at work a specific sentence pops into my head that id picture x character saying.

Let's use gojo for example, in my head when I think of his dialogue I think of playful, sweet, but with kinda mean undertones. Because in the anime/manga he keeps a playful tone while saying some very mean things.

once ive finished a very rough first draft- I spell check everything and read it outloud to myself- I say the dialogue in the tone I pictured while writing to be sure it sounds correct. and if it doesn't I brainstorm different phrases or words. (use of different words is soo important.)

And once ive corrected any words that don't fit together- or changing certain things that make me squint- I feed it into Siri nd have it read it to me outloud while I follow the sentences.

I do this 3-4 times till the whole thing sounds correct and how I mean for it to be read.

And I do one final skim once I paste the story onto Tumblr.

it's a tedious process, I know, there's times where im on my 4th reread and it seems boring or uninteresting- but only because ive reread it a million times and combed through it carefully.

There are times where I think my writing sucks because it seems over processed it and it's not entertaining- but!!! I proceed regardless.

And remember- you shouldn't write for the likes of other people, write for yourself and to your likings.

The masses shouldn't tell you what you should enjoy writing, pls don't take this as rules or as like a demanding thing- this is just my personal experience and the way I like to do things.

Writing should be a fun hobby and something you do to get the filth out of your mind, nd im not a very big writer on here, so don't listen to me too much

thank u for the question :>>> (I know how it feels to reach out for some help anon, im happy you enjoy my writing enough to ask me this, ily)

[m0ch1nut]

After Sukuna spills the beans, YN says that theyd been looking at a Heian artists painting of his curse form to associate Sukuna with that visual rather than Yujis looks, and even piles up blankets/pillows around themselves so its like his 4 arms are hugging them. Sukuna kinda just goes 🥺 (or as close to it as he can lol) at how accepting they are before kissing YN for the first time. Sorry this is so long and detailed, I just thought it was precious! No pressure tho <3 (no part 3, it all fit!)

Okay I don't know if I can put both parts of the ask in one post so I'll summarize,

Sukuna struggles to be physical with his s/o because he's uncomfortable doing so while still being in Yuji's body. While he's not insecure about his true form, he's still unsure if his s/o will still find him attractive since his true form is more monstrous and "creepy". Eventually, they discuss it (and the rest is continued in this ask).

Now I'm kind of stuck on how to write for this. I know you might be expecting the full story but I, just like Sukuna in this situation, am uncomfortable with the idea of Sukuna still being in the body of a teenager. This is why I write strictly for his true form or an AU. However, I still think this idea is really adorable so I want to add to this in a way I'm comfortable with.

-

Communication has never been Sukuna's strong suit. He believes any problem that can't be solved with power and strength isn't worth his time. This "actions speak louder than words" attitude has never failed him, (mainly because he's shit with words) but then again he's never been in a situation as difficult as this. At some point, you became very important to him. Ever since you accidentally stumbled upon his domain within a dream, Sukuna was intrigued by how you continuously managed to return. For some reason, your humanness piqued his interest; the fact that you were physically attractive was just the icing on the cake.

Being stuck in Yuji's body had its pros and cons, but mostly cons. The damn brat was able to maintain control over his body, forcing Sukuna to spend the majority of the time stuck within his domain, all whilst remaining the spitting image of Yuji. As Yuji goes about his daily life as a high school student, Sukuna is constantly reminded that although he is hundreds of years old, his physical form is still similar to that of a child.

At first, he's able to keep his frustrations hidden. Anytime you arrived in his domain, he told you stories of his prime, his views on the world, and anything else he was willing to share; all while you sat politely, listening in awe and wonder. For a while, this was enough to hide his inability to act on his attraction to you. However, your impatience began to show, with each visit you sat closer and closer until your chin rested on his knee; looking up at him with love and admiration.

As the King of Curses, Sukuna's not used to difficult situations where things can't go his way. He knows he should talk to you, but doing so requires being vulnerable and weak. So unfortunately for you, Sukuna dragged you into one of his long-time habits: taking his frustrations out on others. He became short-tempered, quick to snap and force you out of his domain the minute you got too close.

You weren't stupid, you knew something was wrong but couldn't put your finger on it. Sukuna wasn't the easiest to read either. You knew from his stories that he's had no issue being physically affectionate with humans in the past, and his words showed no indication that he was upset with you in particular. It takes night after night of pestering to get Sukuna to talk about his feelings, and its... adorable? Seeing him stumble over his words and avoid your gaze makes him seem almost human; that is until you see the paintings of his past form.

Fearsome, ravenous, and powerful; every painting depicted Sukuna in ways you should've feared, but all you saw was beauty. His familiar tattoos wrapped around his larger form, except now the black bands circled twice as many arms. A rough mask stretched over half his face, the name Ryomen now making more sense. One image, in particular, caught your eye, depicting Sukuna towering over the remnants of a village. The image was still, motionless, and yet the flames seemed to dance around him; bathing his muscular body in shades of red and orange. Compared to his true form, it made sense now why Sukuna would feel uncomfortable in Yuji's body.

Some time had passed since he last saw you, and embarrassingly, Sukuna was starting to worry he'd scared you away. He decided to pay you a visit. This was rare since you had never actually told Sukuna where you lived, he found you on his own. He concluded that regularly visiting you outside of his domain could make you a target for local sorcerers. Yet here he was, seated on the roof of your home, gazing into your bedroom window. The room was dark, it was late and you'd already fallen asleep. Sukuna didn't notice at first, but after his eyes adjusted he noticed the mountain of blankets and pillows wrapped around your resting form. Were those... arms? Was that supposed to be him? The realization hit Sukuna like a truck, for once he was actually caught off guard. Waves of different emotions coursed through his mind, relief? Sadness? He was glad you weren't frightened by his true form and actually embraced it. You looked comfortable and really fucking cute. Unfortunately, he's stuck in this body for now. A reality where he could hold you like that, if at all possible, was not promised. As he made his way off your roof and back towards the school Sukuna thought about how disgusted he should've been, the mere sight of you like this was so cheesy. To feel like this for a human was almost nauseating. He ultimately pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, deciding he could work through those feelings later. For now, he was allowed to be happy.

The next time he saw you, things would be different.

-

Again, I'm sorry this took longer to write than I had originally promised, but I hope you like it! This idea was so sweet and I had a lot of fun writing it.

I'm glad to be back :)

[tmntkiseki]

TMNT Art Diary 2: The Importance of Art Goals and Focusing Your Attention

Happy March, everyone! How are we doing? It's been almost a month and a half since my last turtle art diary, so I figured it was about time to type up yet another set of ramblings talking about my experiences learning how to draw the 2003 TMNT.

Before we get started, I feel it's worth mentioning that the future of this blog is kinda up in the air at this point? From the beginning, I've been against AI generated images because of the ethics involved and like many in the Tumblr art community, recent going-ons with the site have me concerned for where things might be headed. I'm not planning to jump ship just yet, but there is a pretty good chance that I'll be posting less and less original drawings here and start utilizing my newly created Pillowfort instead, as the staff has taken a very firm anti-AI stance to the point of completely banning both AI generated images and writing on the site (the official Tumblr post regarding their decision). If you're a fellow artist, TMNT or otherwise, they might be worth checking out as a potential alternative to Tumblr.

With that out of the way, let's begin!

Okay, so let's talk about something that applies to most anything when you're learning how to do art; the importance of art goals and taking things one step at a time. Whether you're a beginner artist or someone who already has years of experience under your belt, it's important to not only have goals in mind of what you want to learn, but also to try and not do everything all at once. There is a lot that goes into successfully drawing the turtles; their anatomy, applying their less human features like their shells and three-fingered hands, their expressions, their colors, etc. HOWEVER, if you're trying to learn to draw too many aspects of their designs all at once, you are going to become overwhelmed very fast and you will not see improvement as quickly, which inevitably results in frustration and loss of motivation. Ergo, you need to take things bit by bit, breaking down the turtles designs into bite-sized pieces and focusing on specific areas that you are having trouble on.

For instance, early on, I realized pretty quickly that one of the areas I was struggling in was the turtles heads; I love their shape, but damn are they hard to draw. Subsequently, there was a point where I was largely drawing turtle heads and ONLY turtle heads so I could learn what shapes went into them, what they looked like from different angles, etc. Within even a few days, I already saw massive improvements just because I wasn't trying to draw EVERYTHING all at once; just one very specific aspect of their designs. Compare the very first Donny I drew on the 5th of January to a quick doodle of Mikey I did a couple of weeks later on the 25th and you can see how much I learned in such a short timespan.

Speaking of shapes, you wanna know the biggest hack I've discovered for learning how to draw the 2003 turtles? Studying the Fast Forward art style. Yeah, you heard me.

At first glance, this seems kind of stupid. I'm pretty sure most people aiming to draw fanart of the 2003 turtles are planning to draw them in a similar style to the first five seasons, so it makes more sense to study screencaps and model sheets from those seasons rather than FF. However, the reason why Fast Forward is so useful for TMNT 2003 fanartists is because, at its core, Fast Forward is 2003's art style simplified. Anyone who has ever taken a professional art class or looked up tutorials online knows that basic shapes are incredibly important when drawing, as they are the building blocks of literally whatever illustration you're trying to make. Now, I absolutely love how detailed the designs from the first five seasons are, but because they are so detailed, a lot of the basic shapes do get lost under everything as a result, which can make it hard to figure out what actually goes into the turtles designs at a fundamental level.

Because the designs in Fast Forward are less detailed compared to what was seen in the first five seasons, many of the basic shapes that go into the turtles designs are much easier to spot. If you've been following me long enough, you know that I was absolutely LIVID to discover that one of the things I genuinely don't like about the Fast Forward style--the pentagon shaped heads--makes drawing the 03 turtle heads so much easier. To explain it in detail; a pentagon basically maps out the five "points" of a turtle's head. What these points represent can change depending on the angle from which you're drawing your chosen turtle, but if you're doing a turtle head from a front/three quarter view, the five points denotes the top of the head, the cheeks, and the chin. It requires some practice to get right, but by building off this initial pentagon shape, you can easily draw a turtle head in the style of the first five seasons. A hexagon works just as well and is especially useful if you're going for a rounder/softer head shape.

Beyond that, I think making to deliberate choice to draw in the Fast Forward style rather than the OG style is helpful for other reasons. When a turtle's head is only a pentagon, you don't have to worry as much about details and can focus on other areas you might be neglecting, such as figuring out the positioning of the eyes/mask, or developing the way you draw the turtles' expressions. (Seriously, the white pupil-less eyes are cool, but they do make conveying emotions a hassle, especially when the turtles are lacking for proper eyebrows.)

It's been about two months since I drew my very first 2003 turtle and while I'm still very far off from where I want to be, I've already made some leaps and bounds in terms of overall progress. I do sometimes feel annoying yelling about my turtle art learnings and struggles (especially when I know there is stuff that potentially comes off as Captain Obvious territory to others) but I personally find it helpful to write down everything I've learned and experienced in case I forget something and need to look back on it. And hey, maybe someone will see these disjointed ramblings as helpful. You never know.

Anyway, here's a lil Donny doodle from today to finish this entry off. See ya later!

[bismuthburnsblue]

dress research still going strong, heres todays thoughts-

i am pretty heavily leaning towards the robe a la francaise as my base dress. first, its quintessentially 18th century in a way im not sure the l'anglaise quite comes across as, and i can find way more reference images of the exact details i desire for the french gown than the english. the english seems to lean more towards a closed front, which im not looking for in my design, and generally??? seems to be later in the century. while im not pinning myself anywhere in particular, the fact that the francaise seems to have developed first, and had a much longer life, are definitely things to consider.

the other thing im noticing about the l'anglaise is that it leans a bit more towards bum roll territory. not completely, but im seeing more examples with that kind of shaping, more backwards volume than sideways. im not sure im explaining that right, but theres definitely a vibe (my completely unsupported theory is that the watteau pleats negate the need for any shaping back there by adding backwards volume as a cape, while without them it feels like it needs a little more going on)

i think the most important thing for me and my needs though, is that francaise are inherently size adjustable. you technically get some leeway with all stomacher dresses, as the act of pinning something in place will give you choice of width, but in the french dress the lining is also split under the back pleats. its tied together, letting you adjust it as much as you need for that particular wear. this sounds GREAT to me since this dress is intended for cosplay, i love extra size flexibility without compromising the original vision.

i still feel like i have a ton of research left to do, i have many more extant dresses to stare at before i make my decision, but this is where my next step of research has left me.

i think next i want to focus in on the under layers, as ill need to get that all sorted before i can truly start the actual dress. i have a stays pattern i think will work, theres even a project idea can blend into this costume, and im feeling 75% confident about my pocket hoop plans (most of my issues are around "what the fuck am i boning them with?"), so im feeling good about this!

[ladyofthenoodle]

Turns out that Tumblr's ask box is way too small to post 500 words, so just: "you will never sleep alone (i'll love you)", the last section after they wake up (or all of it if you prefer, I'm just picking that section because of the word limit) for the DVD commentary thing!

here's the first 500 words after they wake up:

If Chat Noir did end up having nightmares that night, Marinette never heard a peep. She’s always been a deep sleeper, so maybe she’d just slept through it, but— She would’ve woken up if he’d screamed. So if he’d had any nightmares, they weren’t scream-inducing, at least.  Which was good. She didn’t want him to have nightmares of any kind, but especially not scream inducing. Without thinking, she squeezed him tighter. Her eyes shot open. She’d squeezed him tighter. Meaning she was already squeezing him. Meaning, at some point throughout the night, one of them had destroyed the pillow barrier, and in the absence of its protection, her arms had found their target. She released him like a hot pan she’d lifted without gloves, complete with an accompanying yelp of surprise— one that caused him to roll over and blink the sleep from his eyes. She squeezed her own shut, seconds too late. “G’morning,” mumbled Adrien Agreste. Slowly, she opened her eyes again. Adrien fucking Agreste. This couldn’t be real. It had to be some sort of hallucination. There was no way her Chaton, who she’d searched and searched for all these years, had been just a phone call away, all along. No wonder he didn’t want to vacation as a civilian. “Marinette?” he asked, stretching like the cat he was. “You’re not transformed,” she whispered, and watched his eyes grow wide. “This should be interesting.” Plagg emerged from behind Adrien’s head. “I told you I loved you!” she shrieked, shooting up out of bed.  Adrien’s mouth opened, gaping at her. Right, probably not the most important detail here. “I—” He started, and then shook his head, following her out of bed. “You did. Thank you.” Marinette blinked. “Thank you?” He nodded. “For loving me. For telling me. Even though you’ve moved on… it’s—well, it means something to me, that you did.” Absolutely zero percent of Marinette had moved on. She’d mistakenly thought maybe she had, but… Maybe Wuthering Heights hadn’t been the worst comparison, after all. Or maybe she’d just been wrong about why it didn’t fit. She still didn’t know why he’d left without a word. In fact, it made less sense than it did last night, because Chat Noir had disappeared months before Adrien’s father died. “When did it happen?” she asked, desperate. “The thing that is giving you nightmares, when did it happen?” Adrien averted his gaze to look at Plagg. Plagg sighed, but nodded. “It was right before his father came out with those creepy rings. You know the ones.” She did. For about a year, it seemed like almost everyone had an Alliance ring. But sometime after Gabriel Agreste’s death, they’d been discontinued—a decision rumored to have come from Adrien himself, who’d inherited not only the company but the rights to his own image as well. From the pain etched across Adrien’s face, though, she could tell the Alliances were not the reason. What else had happened that day?

the ending of this fic is probably the easiest part to write commentary on, since it's where the fic really diverges from the original. but of course, i had to keep the classic trope of them waking up cuddling despite the pillow barrier! it's a classic for a reason. and seemed especially appropriate for marinette here, who despite her resentment towards chat noir, really has missed him and would want to be close to him.

the wuthering heights line was fun for me, because as much as adrien and marinette bear almost no resemblance to the characters in that story, there's something to the idea of marinette immediately thinking of that story when she's trying to compare her and chat noir to the romantic literature movement. because that story is about being separate from someone you loved due to lack of communication, and while adrien is very much not heathcliff, he still left thinking of himself as a monster while she longed for him. so marinette is more accurate than she realized, not just because her connection to chat noir was undeniably romantic, but because he'd also left her without talking to her about what upset him.

which brings us to the realization of why he left! in the original story, adrien had quit being chat noir the parkour streamer because he'd blamed himself for his mother's death, but that doesn't work in canon since her death is different. i suppose i could have gone the route of having him blame himself because his mother died making him with the peacock miraculous, but him cataclysming his father worked even better (both for the angst and for a convenient way to have hawkmoth out of the picture without ladybug ever learning who he was or knowing for sure he was gone).

as for what happened with gabriel, he never learned adrien was chat noir. once chat noir disappeared, he started to ramp up his plans, which meant things were really rough on ladybug for a while. but after a while it became pretty clear he was not going to draw chat noir back out anytime soon, and he only had a few months left, so eventually he stopped and decided to enjoy the time he had left with his son. this of course fucked adrien up even worse which is why it's been SO long, i had to give him enough time to mentally recover!

thanks for the ask!

for the director's cut ask game

[darkness-in-the-valley]

A DEEPER ANALYSIS ON THE FALL OUT BOY CLAYMATION VIDEO 

  Fall out boy released a claymation video on Christmas, as a celebration of Fall Out Boy video and a promotional video of FOB8. It certainly… is something! I believe that a lot of this has a way deeper meaning than just what we’re seeing on the surface.   I wanna take a deep dive into the analysis of the video, since there are plenty of hidden details that, knowing Fall Out Boy, cannot just be coincidences. 

QUICK WARNING: there will be some mentions/imagery of drugs, and kinda vomit. It's not at all graphic, but I just thought that it might be better to give a heads-up just in case.

A SUMMARY OF THE VIDEO

  First, I’ll give a quick summary of the video before I go on. 

The video starts out with stars falling from the sky, as the camera pans down to a Doberman sitting in a backyard. As he lies down, the falling stars emerge from the bushes and approach the dog. He stares curiously as they move toward him and sprinkles stardust onto him. As he inhales it, he starts sneezing, before his doghouse behind him reveals a portal somewhere. The dog appears intimidated as he sees a green, octopus-like monster drag him through the portal unwillingly.

  He’s taken to a much larger purple monster, so large that he can stand on its tongue. He drags his tongue back into his mouth with the dog on it and swallows him. The dog looks confused as standing around him are bright neon hands, regurgitating some kind of green substance. A lot of them appear to be dying. 

  There is one much larger hand that gets up from the ground and looks toward the dog. The hand points towards an image on the wall of a dog, surrounded by hands, and arrows pointing towards it, and he is dragged over to this painting by the hand. The door opens to a beach, where the hands seem excited to see. The dog enters the beach, the hand leaves, and he is welcomed by more creatures coming out behind the palm trees.

  A centipede like creature, and a dinosaur like creature approach the dog, and the centipede turns into a door. The dog is pushed through the door, and is pushed into what seems like the same backyard as he was in from the beginning, but daytime. There’s a man, assumingly the owner of the dog, grilling burgers, and he tosses one to the dog. As the dog is about to eat it, the owner turns around and reveals many faces all over his body. The video ends with the dog barking up at the owner somewhat abruptly.

ANALYSIS

  Now that we know the video, let's take a deeper look into the details and what this video could mean:

The dog’s dimension

  We’ll start from the beginning. The blue skies and the stars seem very similar to the cover of Infinity on High. We’ll get into why this is important later, but it definitely has an influence on the references made in this video. 

  The stars sprinkle stardust on the dog, which is what seems to be the thing that kickstarts his journey through this alternate dimension.

  Stardust can refer to a few things:   -Stardust is a slang term for cocaine   -Stardust can refer to a person’s soul being dreamlike

-Stardust also can refer to the stars and supernovae which lead to the birth of the earth, and actually is what science refers to as the things that humans are made of (97% mostly as carbon is the thing which kickstarted the creation of earth, and is what all life is made of)

  So lets apply what all of these meanings can mean for this video:   For the first definition, stardust is a hallucinogen, and the dog inhaling this could mean he is “hallucinating” what happens. Immediately after he inhales it is when his doghouse opens to another dimension. I don’t believe he’s hallucinating it, but it could be the thing which lead to him seeing this alternate dimension– maybe its a drug which allows people to enter this dimension.

  The second one could be that maybe this is a dream the dog is having, or that his soul is entering another plane of existence. However, it seems like its truly happening, so the soul explanation may make a bit more sense.

  The third is one that could be just a reach. Or it could have something to do with something I’ll mention later, about the end of the video and the man himself.

  I’m considering all options, but the first seems the most likely. 

  Purple monster layer

  Next, we’ll talk about the dimension itself:

  The dog is brought to the first layer of this dimension. I was not able to find any smaller significant details except for the monster having eight eyes, and some are a yellowish green while others seem to be bluish green. I don’t know if this means anything other than a tease for fob8. There doesn’t seem to be too much of note here, so for now, let’s move on.

  The monster’s stomach

  Let’s think about the stomach of the monster. The hands are suggesting they were expecting the dog, almost excitedly as they point towards the drawing of the dog on the wall, and this wall opens up an entrance to the next world. If the door is inside the monster’s stomach, are they living inside of the monster? It is the thing the dog entered through.

  The dog is emphasized by the markings on the wall. There are three hands pointing up, and three pointing right when facing them. These hands are right hands, which will be important later. The existing hands in the stomach appear to be all left hands. There are right hands, but the only ones I can see are dead ones. Not all the dead hands are right hands, but all the right hands are dead if that makes sense. They seem to be sick from something, as they are vomiting some kind of substance.

If we know anything from this video, if they've all been sent by the same stars, it's possible this drug they've been given could mean they're OD'ing, since it is a common symptom. I’ll be mentioning why this is applicable later, but green inverted would appear as red. Could it be they’re coughing up blood?

  The beach layer

  The next thing we see is a beach. Something that’s been really consistent throughout what we know of this storyline.

  The pink shell beach website changed as soon as this video dropped. When clicking on the seashell it now reads: “The beach was never real, none of it is”, and opening the console refers to it as a red herring. The beach has been the most difficult thing to decipher, because although its supposedly not real, its still a theme in what we’re looking at.

  Obviously, this beach has to exist on some level, otherwise why would we have seen this dog entering a beach? It can’t be a coincidence.

  But wait, it isn’t pink is it? It’s primarily green, but green is also a complementary color to pink. When inverted, it would appear pink/red. It could be that the colors are inverted in this reality. We can assume this as the trees are a dark purple and when inverted, will look brown- the way our reality perceives them.

  We are playing an alternate reality game though.

  It’s not that this beach isn’t real:

  It does not exist on the same dimension we are, and to us, does not exist.

  The final part: dog returns to his own dimension

  Now lets analyze the final part of the video, the backyard.

  The dog stayed overnight in this dimension, although he was only there was for seconds, which may suggest time passes much quicker in this dimension. If the man was grilling burgers, then we can assume this is later in the day as well, so he was there for longer than just overnight.

  The man is obviously friendly despite his appearance that we see. He feeds the dog, he smiles towards him, and continues to smile despite revealing his appearance. I assume this man must be the dog’s owner if both he and the dog are already friendly with each other and the man does not question him appearing in his backyard. The dog only seems scared of him once he notices the faces on his body, as if he isn't who he thought he was.

  The faces on his body however, seem angry and in distress as they shout, the man himself is calm. 

  I’ve been made aware (credit to @ive-traced-your-shadows for this one) that one face, on the right wrist seems to have blue eyes, and is the only one while the others have dark eyes black or brown. 

  Does this have correlation with the right hands on the wall of the monster’s stomach brought up earlier? Is there a reason why there are so many hands swallowed by this monster? Why are the right hands dead? 

  I believe this could be a reference to GINASFS, “trade baby blues for wide-eyed browns” which could be a metaphor. This metaphor has been explained as losing your innocence, as people are born with blue eyes but as they mature, may turn brown.

  Are the innocent hands dead? Does this mean innocence is no longer alive in most people, but maybe to this man who may only have an ounce of innocence left? Are the drugs and the trips they caused a symbolism of losing innocence?

  Once again, @ive-traced-your-shadows has added onto these thoughts, suggesting coming out of “the other side of the apocalypse” definitely would drain you of whatever innocence you have left, or at least most of it in the case of this man. Drugs and the apocalypse would certainly get to anyone's head.

  I would also like to mention the man being in swimming trunks, having a barbecue, suggests this is summer time.

  This is worth noting as this means we have at least one reference of three seasons so far.

  “Spring training” in the sending my love to the other side console. 

  “I’m in a winter mood” when clicking on the seashell from the same site, and the date the song snippet was dropped.

  And now, likely this, the video taking place in the summer.

  The only one we seem to be missing is autumn, if it doesn’t yet exist. 

  Or maybe it already does… Could it be “grand theft autumn”?

  But what would it have to do with this video in particular, it sounds like a reach on surface level doesn’t it?

  We’ve been given snippets of a promotional image, and @ive-traced-your-shadows has stitched them together. If you take a look, they look very similar to a specific album cover, don’t they? The same album that would have grand theft autumn. Is this album relevant to what's to come?

EDIT: this has been confirmed by the fall out boy tumblr, but I'm still giving credit to him for getting it right lol

The music snippet

We get a few seconds of a music snippet at the end, and its DEFINITELY giving off earlier FOB vibes, leaning more towards punk rock than they have in recent years (well… recent album its been like 5 years so its not very recent in terms of time, but we’re gonna ignore that).

  Several people have brought up that its similar to “Alpha Dog” which would make sense, this whole video is centered around a dog. 

“Alpha Dog and OMEGAlomaniac” for now are the only lyrics I think are relevant, and it's mostly the sound that's similar. We might have to wait and see what the song is.

I will say though, omegalomaniac is a play on megalomaniac (don’t say it don’t think it-) which means someone who is crazy with/for power. Whether its applicable or not I’m not sure.

What’s the apocalypse?

  Another thing we haven’t answered yet is, where is this dog and this man living? Where is this set?   Well, let’s take a look.   They’re living in a suburban area, the weather is sunny and warm, and there are palm trees in the background. 

  A beach perhaps? The pink seashell beach background does have a lot of houses.

  I’ve been thrown off by “The beach isn’t real”. Was it meant to throw us off from our search? Is it really a red herring or do they want us to think it isn’t? Is it possible that maybe they don’t want us to think its real?

Even if it isn't real, it doesn't remove it from the analysis.   The beach exists on some level, even if not on our world.

  And then there’s the apocalypse, which I've barely touched on yet.

  As we see, the dimension has started to affect the plane of existence the dog is on, as the monsters were the first to approach the dog. Everything seemed to be normal in terms of our reality- until the man revealed himself to be a monster himself. Are monsters affecting the reality? Is this the beginning of them starting the apocalypse? Monsters seem to be affecting the reality, and since the dog seems to know the man we see at the ending of the video can mean a few things: 

-The monsters are affecting him

-The monsters are taking his place

  A running theme in the past of Fall Out Boy is turning people into monsters (Patrick in the Youngblood Chronicles comes to mind, and Pete as a vampire in the Sixteen Candles music video), and if we’re correct about the loss of innocence, the passing of the apocalypse, then it could be this man is turning into a monster before our eyes. And as we can see, the man himself is not hostile, but the faces appear to be. They are clearly separate from who he is.

  The beach could be the start of the apocalypse, and might be why for some reason it isn’t considered real.

I don't have a for sure answer yet on what pink seashell beach could be, so I'm throwing several ideas out there, in case it sounds contradictory.

CONCLUSION

  We are getting references to a lot of albums here. Pink shell beach is going to be very important to this story, it is more than just a red herring. We may be seeing alternate dimensions and I have a feeling we could be getting another storyline with this album. The monsters are likely starting the apocalypse as they traverse our world. There is so much I am not able to sum up in just a few sentences. 

BUT HEY, THATS JUST A TH-

  I plan on adding more thoughts to this as I get more ideas, more connections- I am far from finished with my thoughts. I’m sure we are going to be getting a lot of more things over the next few months (especially if we could be getting this album in the spring/summer).

  These are just my thoughts, my word isn’t law of course. I don’t have answers for everything yet but I still feel a lot of these things are at least important to bring up.

Thank you to my husband @ive-traced-your-shadows who helped me out with this a ton as well ily.

  If there’s anything anyone would like to point out, add onto, suggest, or give insight to what may be important to some of the things I’ve mentioned (especially if anyone is familiar with coding and can find some important info on these websites)- I would love to hear your thoughts! I am most certain that people will have a better clue about things than what I currently do.

  Thank you for taking the time to read this, I really appreciate it! <3

[felixcloud6288]

Fullmetal Alchemist Chapter 15

The conclusion to everything that's happened since getting to Central.

Al finally tells Ed his concerns, resulting in Winry beating Al up and telling him Ed's concerns. Winry is totally right that you need to actually say some things for them to be understood.

Back in chapter 12, I said I'd talk more about the whole "Is Al an artificial soul" bit later. And it's later. First thing, I didn't like this part because I feel like it was executed kind of bad. Why would Al listen to someone like Barry? As soon as Barry suggested Ed created a fake brother, Al should have punched him harder in the face and kept punching until there was a dent in Barry's helmet.

BUT this is an important question. How do we know Alphonse is the real Alphonse? Even if he isn't artificially made by Ed, how do we know at this point in the story if it's actually Al's soul or some copy? These are genuine questions a new reader might ask.

Maria Ross is fed up with being involved in discovering these grand conspiracies.

We have our first official introduction to Fuhrer President King Bradley. He seems like a jovial and trustworthy figure. He tells everyone to stop the investigation for their own safety and be more discreet. Assume the entire military is your enemy, but when the time comes he will call on them. He also mentions Marcoh's entire research team has gone missing.

Now onto something more lighthearted.

MAPS!

We got a full map of the country! It's circular (hmm) but we can't make out any major landmarks or cities from this map. It's possible to tell where Youswell, New Optain, and East City are if you cross reference this map with the ones in earlier chapters. Youswell really is at the end of the east border. I'm going to guess the light grey lines on the map are rivers.

Winry points out Rush Valley, an automail mecca. It looks like Rush Valley is 4 stops south from Central City. We don't see Dublith though.

A little later in the chapter, Hughes is reading a newspaper which has an image showing Reole in relation to New Optain and East City. There are no railroads on the image but it looks like Reole might be somewhat north of Youswell in a section with no train stations.

So here's my guess as to why Ed and Al went to Youswell in chapter 3. Youswell has a single train line connecting it to New Optain. Since it's a coal city, that line is most likely for a freight train that goes back and forth picking up cargo. After leaving Reole, Ed and Al probably went to a train stop along that route and the only train was making its way to Youswell before it would go to New Optain.

Speaking of Hughes, he found something out and was promptly killed. Lust went after him first, probably to make it a quiet affair. But when that failed, Envy made it a more public spectacle. One nice detail is Envy used a photo of Hughes's wife to transform into her, but the photo only shows her from the upper half so Envy didn't really transform their lower half.

Ed is an artist.

back

Spoiler Discussion

Wrath most likely put the hit out for Hughes. Hughes worked in the court martial office and had access to all the information that would let him find out about the nationwide transmutation circle so Wrath informed Lust and Envy that Hughes needed to die.

Hughes probably realized Bradley was part of the conspiracy just as he was about to call him.

I wonder if Maria Ross and Danny Brosh were also targets for assassination. Even though the two of them weren't actively looking into things, they were within close enough proximity to learn a few things. If Lust had succeeded in quietly killing Hughes in the records room, maybe Maria and Danny would have been killed shortly after. But she failed and Envy is Envy, so Hughes's death became a more public affair and they had to divert their effort to framing Maria Ross for his death. And at that point, they probably would have decided killing Danny would be more trouble than it's worth.

Bradley told everyone to be discreet, assume the entire military is their enemy, and be prepared for him to call on them. These all ring so different when we find out King Bradley is Wrath. Yes, the entire military is their enemy. And when he calls on them, it won't be to stop the conspiracy. It will be to make them help with it.

[wowimprints]

Guide to Choosing a Good Logo Tablecloth

A logo tablecloth can do so much more than just acting as a beautiful piece of fabric; it is actually an integral branding tool that will make perfect whatever the event, conference, trade show, or even in-store display will see your business does, because, first and foremost, this is what can get your business noticed. Sounds terribly obvious, but in today's marketplace, having a custom logo tablecloth that actually represents your brand's identity may just be the difference between mediocre performance and best.

This all-inclusive guide will give you everything you will know about choosing the right tablecloth with your brand's logo-from what kind of fabrics to use, through the different techniques of printing, to design tips. Thoughtful consideration of these aspects ensures that your tablecloth proudly stands for your brand and will attract exposure, ultimately giving them a permanent impression.

Why a Custom Logo Tablecloth Matters Let me tell you, whether you are a small business owner or a large corporation, a logo tablecloth can actually make a big difference in your brand visibility. A customized logo tablecloth is like a billboard for your company, grabbing the attention of the attendees of your event and potential clients. Plus, it speaks of professionalism, establishment of brand recognition, and consistency in marketing and promotional materials.

Brand Recognition It is the face of the company; therefore, displaying it elaborately on a tablecloth at events will ensure it keeps coming up and restores brand consciousness. The more often they view your logotype, the more they are familiar with your venture that might make them believe in you and become interested.

Create a Professional Look It presents a classy and well-arranged tablecloth on a booth or presentation that makes it look professional. This shows the public that you take your brand seriously and put attention to little details. Such can thus increase your reputation, as you are likely to be different from others who have low standards by taking little attention to presentation and its importance.

Consistent Branding This means that having a logo tablecloth for all events can be sure of uniform branding. Your business will gain the trust and credibility of the audience if you have a consistent brand image, especially at a trade show or corporate event.

Choosing the Fabric for Your Logo Tablecloth The fabric is going to be one of the most important things to consider when selecting a logo tablecloth. Depending on the fabric, the tablecloth may be durable, aesthetically pleasing, or how well your logo is displayed. Some common options include: Polyester Polyester is actually the most commonly used material for custom logo tablecloths since it is versatile, affordable, resistant to wrinkles and stains, and thus ideal for events where you know you're going to reuse the same tablecloth several times. Polyester also seems to maintain color and images well with digital printing.

Cotton Cotton tablecloths are even more classic and elegant in appearance. It has a softer touch and may also make your booth look classier. However, it wrinkles and stains faster. Screen printing is most suitable for this kind of tablecloth because the image produced will be very sharp and clear.

Vinyl This type of tablecloth is best used for outdoor events or settings that are most likely to spill. It is water-resistant and can be cleaned easily, making it suitable for food fairs or outdoor campaigns. However, vinyl may look less formal, so keep in mind the kind of event you will be having when you choose this material.

Print Quality Option for Logo Tablecloths Just as important as the material is how you apply your logo onto the tablecloth. There are many printing methods-you get to pick which one best fits your needs and your budget.

Screen Printing The traditional method where ink is pushed through a stencil onto fabric, an excellent method for simple, bold logo designs with a one or two color effect. It really does give great, long-lasting prints but does not really suit some detailed designs or variations in print color.

Dye Sublimation Dye sublimation is among the best options if indeed you want truly full-color designs or logos with details. Applying heat, through direct dye transfer, into the fabric provides very long-lasting colors. Polyester fabrics work marvelously well with dye sublimation, and it produces smooth, crack-free, and peel-free images.

Heat Transfer In heat transfer printing, the image is transferred onto the tablecloth by application of heat and pressure. It is effective where lesser quantity or one-time order prints are required because it allows for a high definition image with a wide scope of colors. However, the results tend not to last as long as those from screen printing or dye sublimation.

Design Tips for an Effective Logo Tablecloth With regard to the logo in tablecloth designing for you, it should be simple. Do ensure that the tablecloth is attractive but not crowded. You can apply these strategies to guide you in effective design making:

Keep the Logo Front and Center Your tablecloth should focus on a main theme of your logo, preferably at the center front or at the area where it would most be seen by people walking by. Avoid a crowded design with too much text and perhaps other graphics, which defeats the purpose of branding.

High Contrasting Colors Consider using high contrast colors for your tablecloth and logo so that your design is easily readable from far away. If your tablecloth has dark colors, use dark for your light and vice versa for a logo. This not only makes visibility good, but your booth can stand out against the sea of other exhibitors.

Consider Your Exhibit Space Before finalizing the design, reflect on the kind of event and the space where you will be assigned. If it's an outdoor event, your tablecloth should be of good quality, possibly of vinyl material. For formal indoor events, you may require a glossy, silky polyester or cotton tablecloth.

[slowlycasualtraveler]

7 Trends You May Have Missed About cars Pwllheli

https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w

Benefits Of Selecting A Private Vehicle Rental Company

Personal Automobile Rental Companies

There are several wonderful advantages related to hiring a rental car from an exclusive car rental business instead of making use of public transport approaches for moving around. Here are some of the reasons you should utilize this alternative over various other ways:

You can have overall control over the automobile

You could be aware of the idea that there are various kinds of autos. This isn't only real yet if we even more discover this principle after that it comes to be a lot more clear to us regarding the numerous distinctions in automobiles and also just how they work as well as what all they do. These might seem like really small details yet they help a whole lot when it involves driving. In the case where you could need to drive across town and even further away from house, having a map or instructions useful helps out a lot. If any type of motorist has an automobile then he would certainly at least know his surroundings well. Nonetheless, those that utilize public transportations know nothing concerning their surrounding which makes them vulnerable to crashes. When it comes to renting out a lorry via a private cars and truck rental company, you reach select the best option for yourself. For example, if you desire something extra unique or glamorous, you can go for it. Furthermore; you would not have to worry about just how secure the course is because the whole process would be dealt with by the company.

You avoid the long lines of buses as well as trains

When it pertains to traveling, the first thing that comes to mind is most likely going to be getting involved in a bus or train station to take a trip back home. Now, visualize going through miles of buses waiting your turn as well as listening to countless announcements informing every person just how much time they have actually left before boarding and also how much money you need to pay. Not to mention, when you ultimately make it inside, you probably won't locate a seat. This is just a normal scenario that everybody faces daily. Envision if you had a private automobile and you were not required to wait in line! What fun that would certainly be right?! We can ensure you that renting a lorry isn't as pricey as it seems to be.

You can save time

Time monitoring abilities aren't our strong suit. So when we consider time management, it generally consists of taking advantage of readily available spare time to make sure that we don't spend way too much time doing worthless things. Leasing an automobile is an excellent instance of being able to take full advantage of time By merely calling a company as well as picking a car, you can save hours of wasting time sitting in a bus or train. An additional benefit of leasing a car is that there are no rules or limitations. Regardless of the length of time the journey is, we can start driving as quickly as we prepare.

You prevent getting lost.

When you plan on traveling somewhere, there are specific things you should bear in mind. For example, you must figure out where you must park, how much time it will certainly require to reach your location, whether it's secure to traverse throughout areas, etc. This action alone is important since you never ever want to risk obtaining stuck somewhere where you don't belong. That said, many people have a tendency to obtain lost when they get out of their familiar surroundings. They typically try to rely upon maps only to Visit this link find that they've gotten themselves right into a bad circumstance. An auto enables its passengers to conveniently navigate with unfamiliar terrain. Rather than losing time seeking signs pointing towards where you require to go.

You save precious time.

On your daily trips, you could need to stop off for fuel, food, remainder, washroom breaks, appointments, and so on. Sometimes, you might need to leave your trip mid-way due to scheduling disputes, unexpected scenarios, or something else completely. If you choose to utilize public transportation, you'll greater than most likely face long lines. Moreover, the chances of experiencing a hold-up are significantly high because many people share the same course. Nonetheless, suppose you had a vehicle? Your trip would be smooth sailing.

Your personal privacy is maintained.

If you do not want anybody to recognize that you are seeing your good friend's residence or maybe going on a business trip, after that why would certainly you enable them to adhere to along with you and even see where you're going when you can hire a personal automobile? Privacy is essential, specifically when it involves individual matters. It makes a lot of feeling to preserve your personal privacy. You are completely capable of driving safely as well as safely to any place you require to go. All that requires to be done is to get a car that provides full privacy. Don't let people attack your area whenever they pick.