#this sole event will revive this blog

[hydriadd]

Phil said he was probably going to die via sacrificing himself so he doesn’t have to see his friends die and that add that it’ll probably be for Missa and I’m so unwell

[pommunist]

i honestly think that the qsmp is experiencing a quiet and slow death. like qsmp related stuff barely comes across my dash anymore (and i follow hundreds of mcyt blogs, back when things actually happened my entire dash would just be qsmp fanwork and liveblogging).

like sure the server is still open (not that i think it should be) but i barely see anyone talking about it anymore. the most i see is announcements for some new event thats supposed to revive the server and then i maybe see 3 or 4 posts about it the day of?

theres also way less new fanart being posted, the majority of the fanart i see is either a) shipping art that isnt set in any specific time (or is set during the peak ship era), b) art about one of the old events/plotlines, or c) pure egg art also with no specific time setting. there is relatively no fanart that is solely about the new events.

they keep trying to wave events in front of the jaded fans like "hey!!! new event! you want more events yeah? you guys used to love events :(" as if we dont see it as the distraction from their workplace abuse that it is

tbh i hate to see it happen but it’s what you get when you mix mistreatment of your workers with terrible pr management like….

first you have everyone who stopped supporting it when they learnt of the admin’s working conditions. already by this point, and because it’s been two months and no signs of betterment a big chunk of the fandom has dropped qsmp.

then you also lose people who were really attached to the eggs, especially if their favorite hasn’t came back or won’t come back at all.

and then you also lose people who were in for story and lore because they just learned that everything they had theorised about for months was for nothing because while the writers were trying their best the higher ups had no idea where the plot was going + ccs couldn’t be involved in the big storyline

and even if all of that wasn’t enough to make you leave, you might just drop it because your cc doesn’t log on anymore, or because the fandom is dying/dead (especially if you speak a language that massively left the project)

😀👍 just saw the tweet announcing the tzc murder mystery event and im so bitter i’ve waited like 9 months for it to happen but to see it happen in these conditions…. maybe the real murders that took place was the self sabotaging of qsmp and all these massacred workers rights

tldr qstudios completely fumbled the bag and that’s on them 100% L+ratio or whatever but it still sucks to see the state of qsmp rn

[cruelfeline]

okay, non-forspoken player here.. i NEED to know what exactly cuff is? is he just a talking bracelet that annoys frey?

Sorry, anon! I kept remembering and then promptly forgetting you sent this! Okay. Here we go. This contains total spoilers for the game, FYI, but you've already seen this blog, so *shrug*.

Cuff is the name given by Frey to the demon Susurrus, who is trapped in the form of... well, a cuff. On her wrist.

So, yes! He is a talking bracelet that annoys Frey. He is also her teacher, her protector, her alarm clock, her closest companion, and her overall guide through the world of Athia in all of its horrible, mutated, apocalyptic glory. Likewise, he is the reason her life has been terrible from birth. He's the reason she was raised an orphan. He has since killed her mother and her pseudo-aunts. He destroyed her country and has slaughtered millions.

He also whines a lot, is almost comically needy and nagging, and hates getting wet for some inexplicable reason. Frey makes him search for cats with her. He taught her how to read Athian. She asks him what he thinks of her new necklaces and nail designs.

It's very weirdly complicated. They're a bizarre pair. I love them with all my heart.

Now, Cuff is originally the demon Susurrus, a creature made for the sole purpose of destroying Athia some... I dunno. Thousands of years ago? The lore isn't clear. A long, long time ago. Longer than anyone alive remembers. Long enough that it's legend. He was defeated once, broken apart, and buried underground in large dungeons called labyrinths. He was revived about twenty five years before the events of the game, defeated again, broken into four parts and contained in the fancy cuffs we know and love today.

When free, Susurrus doesn't look like a bracelet. Susurrus, at his simplest, is a massive flock of tiny, metal starlings that can come together into - theoretically - any form he wants. His preferred form appears to be a very tall humanoid with six wings and no face; looks kind of like a classic angel. His hardcore attack form appears to be an unholy version of the flying spaghetti monster.

I hope that clears it up, anon!

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 15/02/2024

Corridors of Vine

Season 6 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume FF

Ripped by Heboyi

Right, okay, we've had a good streak recently of covering more "traditionally good" rips for the blog - arrangements and remixes like NIGHTMARESCAPE 〜Unrestrained HyperCam 2〜 (Final Boss Phase 2), genuinely good arrangements like mlp racism anthem (comix zone arrange), even the premiere of a new Season with the Magolor's Shoppe Fusion Collab. I think its about high time we change the clock to something "stupider" - the kind of rip that reminds you just how much SiIva is driven by the wild imagination, skill, and commitment-to-the-bit of its contributors. Only within a community like SiIvaGunner's will you get something like Corridors of Vine.

With memes as a whole, there seems to exist some sort of...invisible hierarchy that defines their public perception, that I've always found really fascinating. It's not impossible to understand why this hierarchy exists: Memes like the Hampsterdance in Wario's Hampster Mine, the Sparta Remix in THIS. IS. SOLEANNA. and more call back to a different, more innocent time in internet history, wheras memes like Despacito in Plains of Des-passing-to and It's Everyday Bro in It's Everyday Lake are oft met with comments like "I hate that I love this", or other similar sentiments. Memes generally follow a trend where, once one has worn out its period of inferred relevance - typically once it stops being a niche internet activity and spreads to marketing teams and unfunny people in general - its labeled as "dead" and unwanted, left as a relic of a smaller period of internet activity. That is, of course, unless it gets brought back into fashion by virtue of nostalgia and given some sort of new spin, as we've seen happen with Doge as of late - until that then too becomes co-opted by unfunny people (this time crypto-grifters) and the cycle begins anew. Yet part of what makes SiIvaGunner as a channel so great, is that very few of the memes it uses ever reach that state of abandonment: the team is so good at finding new, inventive ways to use memes as old as from Season 1, to where they rarely feel stale. And if they do feel stale - well, then that can ironically become part of the joke, playing into just how samey and played-out the joke is for a sort of ironic appeal.

All of this is to say, that I always find it immensely funny whenever the team decides - seemingly at the drop of a hat - to begin using memes that have been thoroughly labeled as dead for years by that point. A meme like the Harlem Shake didn't have so much as a pulse by the time Season 6 rolled around even past its sole revival to relevancy a few years back from being attached to Ajit Pai - yet The Harlem Shakeover of that very season was one containing over THREE HUNDRED rips utilizing the joke, next to none of which were made with the intention of sounding bad. Funny enough, then, that one of the first events we'd see during that same Season would be doing the exact same thing to a meme that's likely far more loathed than the Harlem Shake ever was - Damn Daniel, the core joke to Corridors of Vine.

Damn Daniel is perhaps the closest we've ever gotten to having a meme that felt like a social experiment - a complete non-sequitor of a joke starring an average, marketable teen and his immaculate footwear. At the peak of Vine's age of randomness humor, the series of various videos on Daniel's Vans absolutely blew up - and immediately, there were cynics from outside of Vine, older internet dwellers mainly, who made a big point about how lacking-in-funny the videos were. Yet the guy, Daniel, made it onto the damn Ellen Show of all things within mere weeks after his debut, and in a way it kind of made Damn Daniel a symbol for everything considered wrong about Vine: its mainstream appeal and focus on short, memeable videos had created a form of shitposting that...no longer felt like they were part of a community.

That is, of course, just my summary of the opinions I gathered from all the way back in 2016 - back when SiIvaGunner itself was first revving up into gear. And I find it so incredibly befitting that it was during Season 6 that the Damn Daniel event occurred on SiIvaGunner - the Season all about letting go of the past. To have it begin with SiIvaGunner, itself a 2016 meme, acknowledging its near polar opposite made around the same time: A meme that was, for a solid while, one of the most wanted-dead memes of all, one that the internet as a whole frankly felt a kind of hatred toward during what would come to be a rather cynical, hateful year in general.

There's definitely an overarching aura of irony applied to the anniversary celebration's rips regardless, of course - part of the joke with Corridors of Vine is that its using a song otherwise so closely enveloped in emotion and vulnerability (one SiIva itself used to similar effect with 時の回廊 ＜ver. CCC＞), alongside a joke that's so bitterly remembered that its mere inclusion makes it difficult to take seriously. Yet Corridors of Vine takes itself as seriously as the concept could be, it is a genuinely fantastic YTPMV using several of the famous Damn Daniel Vines in conjunction with one another, resulting in an infectiously catchy combination of lead- and backing melody instrumentation. I do think the commitment to the bit worked excellently, and the comments of the video itself appear to agree with me - despite how beloathed Damn Daniel itself was, the time to properly acknowledge and accept it had arrived, and we were for once actually...enjoying the meme?

To circle back to the point made in the second paragraph here - the truth is, there are very few memes that wind up actually full-on dead for long. Dead memes as a concept are a label we put upon jokes we feel have ran their course, yet especially in the world of YTPMV there will always be people out there able to prove the naysayers wrong, even if the intentions are purely ironic. Ironic or affectionate, the end result is the same, isn't it? You've got a smile out of your audience through your work in adapting the meme! And through all the comments expressing their concerns over returning to the hellscape that was 2016s meme culture, those smiles - even through the barrier of the internet, felt as if they were shared by all of us. The entire event - and Corridors of Vine in particular - showed Damn Daniel a sense of affection it likely hasn't had since the days when the SiIvaGunner channel's name began with a G.

Here's to 8 years, Daniel.

...Stussy man, Damn.

[rwby-necromancer-au]

Hello and welcome to the world of the RWBY Necromancer AU!

My name is Morgan/Bowl, you’re lovely writer and blog owner. I’m the sole owner of this blog so if you have any questions about the AU, feel free to ask me directly! :]

Now, with that out of the way, here’s some things you need to know,

Salem’s whole thing happened a WHILE ago, so she is a thing of the past. There will be mentions of her and leftovers from the war against her, however she does not ever fight the main characters

Ozpin is functionally immortal, due to Ozma originally figuring out how to revive himself before death, there began a duplication loop of his magic. He gained his revived magic, but his original living magic needed somewhere to go, so it attached itself to the next host. Ever since then, each of the heirs to the magic are immediately revived after death without any control over it, thus continuing the cycle.

Oscar is autistic in this AU, he is 10 physically, but mentally he is more akin to a 5 year old.

Speaking of mental ages, revived people will take the appearance of whatever their mental age is, not the age they died at. So for instance, Oscar died when he was 7 but because of his mental age being 5, he looks like your typical 5 year-old

Ozpin, Oscar, Qrow, and Glynda are the main characters in this au, RWBY and Co play supporting roles

Ironwood, and by extension, Atlas & Mantle, are the main antagonists of the story. Mistral also serves as an antagonist but more so as a support for Atlas & Mantle

Pursuers are soldiers of Atlas who are assigned to hunt down and kill necromancers or capture them to put into a necromancer prison. No exceptions. Even children.

Songbirds are random people who decided to give up their names, identities, and lives for the cause of saving these necromancers from the prisons and from Atlas. They are known for singing coded songs that tell different meanings.

Ozpin, Qrow, and Glynda all met in Atlas when they were 12, two years later they were captured and put into a Necromancer prison. Three years after that is when they escaped via the songbirds and made their way to Vale

Vale and Vacuo are safe havens for magic users and especially necromancers

Healers are forced to work for the Atlesian government because of their healing magic

Shapeshifters are rare and most people in Atlas think they don’t even exist. They also have the capacity to change their general appearance so long as it still looks like them (I.e, changing hair length, sex, or body height), this is the only other form they have besides their animal form.

Shapeshifters are also capable of having animal features, however many have evolved to lack these features as a result of Atlas attempting to breed Shapeshifting out of people. Qrow for example, does not have feathers, while Blake, has cat ears and a tail.

This story is dark so be forewarned.

There is a separate timeline occurring on this blog called the Young Necromancer AU timeline. Which is how the story of what happened in the main characters’ teenage hoods is told.

Anonymous is on at all times unless I begin to get concerning or otherwise rude asks in an unreasonable amount

Cloqwork (Ozpin x Qrow) is in fact a thing here, it’s my favorite ship, sue me.

If you’re not sure what to ask, feel free to ask me what I’m in the mood for and I’ll give you some options :)

I go by they/them and necro/necrom pronouns!

Here’s how to use those:

Here is some other info you may want to know!

The map of Vale in the N! AU:

Holidays:

Past events timeline:

I hope you enjoy the AU! Hope to see you soon!

[flanplayspokemon]

Welcome to Amber's Flandre's Pokemon Black Nuzlocke Playthrough!

To prevent spam in the main dash, this blog is solely for her run, because there will be ALOT of stuff.

As mentioned, this is a Nuzlocke run, so here are the rulesets for this playthrough:

Mandatory Nuzlocke Rules

If a Pokemon dies, it's dead. No ifs, ands, or buts. Dead.

You may only catch the first Pokemon you find per area. If they faint or flee, no second chances.

Other Rules in Effect

Dupe Clause is in effect. (If a Pokemon which has already been caught has been found in another route, you must try again for another encounter (Especially if the Pokemon you caught before has been dead))

Healing Items are allowed EXCEPT Revives.

This will be a BLIND RUN. No spoilers, please.

If there is a wild Pokemon found from cutscenes or an event, they are allowed to be captured.

To ease on grinding and a more comfortable experience, a x2 EXP Multiplier cheat may be used when the situation calls for it (Way underleveled against gyms or Elite Four Training) (Only applicable when grinding against wild Pokemon)

The challenge ends when the 'Elite Four' is beaten, or wipe.

Wish her luck!

[ambertpdpmasochistrun]

Welcome to Amber's Touhou Puppet Dance Performance: Shard of Dreams (Extended) Nuzlocke Playthrough!

(That's a mouthful, isn't it)

This blog has been made solely for putting Amber's TPDP Playthrough in to prevent spam in everyone's dash, because there will be ALOT of stuff.

As mentioned, this is a Nuzlocke run, so here are the rulesets for this playthrough:

Mandatory Nuzlocke Rules

1) If a Puppet dies, it's dead. No ifs, ands, or buts. Dead. 2) You may only catch the first Puppet you find per area. If they faint or flee, no second chances.

Other Rules in Effect

1) Dupe Clause is in effect. (If a puppet which has already been caught has been found in another route, you must try again for another encounter (Especially if the puppet you caught before has been dead)) 2) Healing Items are allowed EXCEPT Revives. 3) You are allowed to look through in advance on encounters when able, so this won't be a blind run. (Please give me this, this is a Touhou fangame LOL) 4) If there is a wild puppet found from cutscenes or an event, they are allowed to be captured.

The challenge ends when the 'Elite Four' is beaten, or wipe.

Heavy emphasis on the wipe, because, again, Touhou Fangame.

Mods used:

TPDP SoD - Extended (Version 4.0)

SPOILERS AHEAD

ARCHIVE

Playthroughs

Prologue -> Start of Human Village

2. Start of Human Village -> Myouren Temple Graveyard

3. Myouren Temple Graveyard -> Forest of Magic Backdoors

4. Forest of Magic Backdoors -> Scarlet Devil Mansion

5. Scarlet Devil Mansion -> Kappa Village

6. Kappa Village -> Animal Kingdom

7. Animal Kingdom -> Tengu Village

8. Tengu Village -> Mayohiga

9. Backtracks! (Lunar Capital, Forest of Magic II, Muenzuka, etc.)

10. Road to Chireiden -> Exiting Geyser Control Center

11. Geyser Control Center -> Myouren Temple (Revisit)

12. Myouren Temple (Revisit) -> End

Puppet List

Links for Amber's Reference: https://tpdp.miraheze.org/wiki/Puppetdex https://tpdp.miraheze.org/wiki/Mod:Mod_Puppetdex https://tpdp.miraheze.org/wiki/Type_Chart https://wikiwiki.jp/enbu-ap/

[batteriesandmechanical]

Step Up Your Style with City Sneakers

Welcome to the City Sneakers blog, where we bring you the latest trends, tips, and insights into the world of urban footwear. Whether you’re a sneakerhead or just someone looking for the perfect pair of kicks for your daily grind, City Sneakers has got you covered.

Why City Sneakers?

At City Sneakers, we understand that your footwear is more than just a functional necessity; it’s a statement of style, a reflection of your personality, and a key component of your overall look. That’s why we offer a diverse range of sneakers that combine fashion, comfort, and performance, ensuring you always put your best foot forward.

The Latest Trends in Urban Footwear

1. Retro Revival

The nostalgia wave continues to dominate the sneaker scene, with classic designs from the '80s and '90s making a strong comeback. Think bold colors, chunky soles, and iconic logos. Brands like Nike, Adidas, and Reebok are leading the charge, bringing back timeless models that blend vintage charm with modern comfort.

2. Sustainable Sneakers

Eco-conscious consumers are driving the demand for sustainable footwear. More and more brands are incorporating recycled materials, organic cotton, and eco-friendly production methods into their designs. Look out for sneakers that not only look good but also contribute to a healthier planet.

 3. High-Tech Kicks

Innovation in sneaker technology continues to push the boundaries of comfort and performance. From breathable, lightweight fabrics to advanced cushioning systems and smart shoes that track your activity, the future of sneakers is here, and it’s incredibly exciting.

4. Minimalist Designs

For those who prefer a sleek and understated look, minimalist sneakers are the way to go. Clean lines, neutral colors, and simple yet sophisticated designs make these shoes versatile enough to pair with almost any outfit, from casual jeans to smart-casual office wear.

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Pair

1. Know Your Style

Identify your personal style and choose sneakers that complement it. Are you into bold, statement pieces, or do you prefer something more classic and understated? Knowing your style will help narrow down your options and make the selection process easier.

 2. Consider Comfort

Never compromise on comfort. Look for features like cushioned insoles, breathable materials, and supportive designs that ensure you can wear your sneakers all day without discomfort.

3. Quality Over Quantity

Invest in high-quality sneakers that are built to last. While it might be tempting to go for cheaper options, quality sneakers will provide better support, last longer, and ultimately offer better value for your money.

 4. Stay Updated

Keep an eye on the latest releases and trends. Follow your favorite brands on social media, subscribe to sneaker blogs, and visit the City Sneakers store regularly to stay ahead of the curve.

Spotlight on Our Favorites

Nike Air Max Series

A perennial favorite, the Nike Air Max series combines innovative air-cushioning technology with stylish designs. Perfect for both casual wear and athletic activities, these sneakers are a must-have in any collection.

Adidas Ultraboost

Known for their unparalleled comfort and sleek look, Adidas Ultraboost sneakers are ideal for running, gym workouts, or just a day out in the city. The responsive cushioning and stylish design make them a top pick.

Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars

An iconic classic that never goes out of style, Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars are versatile, comfortable, and effortlessly cool. Pair them with jeans, shorts, or even a casual dress for a timeless look.

Join the City Sneakers Community

At City Sneakers, we’re more than just a store – we’re a community of sneaker enthusiasts who share a passion for great footwear. Follow us on social media, join our newsletter, and participate in our events to stay connected and inspired.

Thank you for visiting the City Sneakers blog. Stay tuned for more updates, style tips, and exclusive insights into the world of sneakers. Whether you’re looking to elevate your sneaker game or simply find a comfortable pair for everyday wear, City Sneakers is here to help you every step of the way.

Happy Sneaker Shopping!

[coolremove]

#COOLREMOVE : independent roleplay blog for jodi albright, an original musician character heavily inspired by the 1970s & 80s punk scene. originally established june 2022, remade 20231219. crossover, canon, au, oc etc friendly. written by ink ( she / her, 25+, melbourne australia )

jodi is, first & foremost, a drummer. a combined-type adhd kid with a hyperactive lean, jodi's parents were desperate to find something that would let her get her energy out, & that ended up being her uncle's old drum kit. from there jodi expanded her skills to include guitar, bass guitar, keyboard ( though that never fully caught on ), harmonica, & a slew of other instruments that seemed to exist solely to drive her mother mad. she picked up singing in school, but it was never something she was that interested in ---- it's only something that she starts taking seriously when she's much older, & becomes the frontwoman for a 1990s punk-revival / grunge band

she's loosely set in the early-mid 80s, but it's not something i'm stuck on. i'm happy to write her set more modern, or even earlier, tbh. anything post-early 70s though, & she's taking heavy music & aesthetic inspo from debbie harry, patti smith, cherie currie, & the like

jodi barely scraped by in school --- she was a bright kid, but her dad died in her penultimate year, & that kind of brought everything to a standstill. she went from being a band geek to being a dropkick almost overnight. she was the type to openly bring alcohol to school events, & knew the local cops on a first-name basis by the time she graduated ( which it's rumoured only happened because the faculty felt bad for her )

she works now as a waitress in a diner, & prefers the night shifts because that's when all the interesting people show up. when she's not working, she is in a band --- or bands . . . depends on how many people have quit that week due to her sometimes-caustic nature or her poor time management skills

she does, at some point, actually become successful in her chosen career. quite successful. she becomes the drummer of a pretty popular punk band, & is ( in her original verse & timeline ) a strong proponent in the creation of the riot grrrl movement. the band eventually falls apart due to infighting & egoism, & jodi ends up creating a new band in the 90s, wherein she's the vocalist & lead guitarist -- quite a shift from what people know her for

she's in her mid-20s in her main verse -- usually about 25, & a heavily woman-leaning bisexual ( with a crush on joey ramone )

she's also a tall girlie at 5'10" <3

she's a natural brunette, but has bleached her hair blonde. she's not great at the upkeep so her roots tend to show, & her hair is quite fried looking sometimes as she honestly just does it herself whenever she can be bothered

she's an avid horror fan & believer in the bizarre & unbelievable. she has - when she can afford it - a subscription to almost every cryptid & ufo magazine available, as well as fangoria

she was originally a stranger things oc but isn't anymore :) just in case u recognise her idk

normal rp etiquette rules apply

i like to think i'm pretty chill ? except for the adhd & sporadic blog making sorry

i don't follow first, but you're more than welcome to give me a follow if you're interested

i'm very slow with actual ic content, & i hoard memes like a dragon. sorry

[lesbianfeminists]

“When groups such as WoLF and WDI USA focus solely on gender identity, and do so while making common cause with powerful and well-funded anti-feminist, pro Christian nationalist organizations, they reinforce the idea that opposition to gender identity policy is a right-wing position. Is it any wonder that some potential feminist activists feel stymied, wondering where they can ethically and usefully work to create a better world for women?

Since I began publishing blog posts expressing my concerns about, and objections to, self-avowed radical feminist groups working with Council for National Policy organizations such as CWA and Heritage Foundation, both formed expressly to roll back the gains of second wave feminism, a number of women have reached out to me to express similar concerns - and relief that someone was talking about this. Several women reported they had raised concerns about working with right wing organizations in the secret WDI Facebook group - and had been banned for their trouble. Several others told me they refrain from voicing their concerns in that group, lest they, too, get banned. (This is deeply depressing, considering that Article Four of the Declaration on Women’s Sex-Based Rights, the founding document of WDI, reaffirms “women’s rights to freedom of opinion and freedom of expression.”)

I also learned that FIST lost a significant number of active members over this issue. Some of these women were looking for an alternative to WoLF; others had previously volunteered with WoLF, and left that group after learning of WoLF’s acceptance of a grant from ADF, a right wing Christian legal organization. FIST was organized as a feminist group that explicitly “reject[s] any alliances or collaboration with the Religious Right or the white supremacist, anti-immigrant Right.”

Eventually it became apparent that not all FIST women were on the same page. Some members viewed FIST's role as actively fighting against right-wing influence in the movement, while others, (some of whom were also members of WoLF), limited their anti-right wing position to direct alliances with openly right-wing groups. Differences came to a head when it was decided that FIST would co-sponsor a WoLF event in Seattle. Realizing that FIST would publicly promote WoLF, instead of exposing them, a significant number of founding members left.

It is difficult to know from anecdotal stories the extent to which feminist groups working with the radical right impedes the development of a revived movement in the US. But I’m beginning to suspect that it is much greater than I initially realized. Feminists do not exist in a bubble separate from the larger, deeply polarized, political culture and many understand that working with the radical right is not a trivial act.

Over the past four decades, the Coalition for National Policy (CNP) network, which includes organizations with whom both WoLF and WDI USA have worked (e.g. Heritage Foundation, Concerned Women for American, and Alliance Defending Freedom), has pursued an agenda of connecting “the manpower and media of the Christian right with the finances of Western plutocrats and the strategy of right-wing Republican political operatives” to establish what Ann Nelson calls a “pluto-theocracy.” As we witness their success in packing the Supreme Court with right-wing ideologues, their probable success in advancing voter suppression laws, and learn more about their role in “organized efforts to challenge the validity of the [2020 presidential] election, conspir[ing] to overturn its results, and tr[ying] to derail the orderly transfer of power,” the case against feminists working with CNP organizations becomes insurmountable. Feminists who care about preserving what democracy we enjoy in the US, and promoting the resurgence of feminism here, must not be afraid talk about these issues openly and honestly.”

[lucky-sevens]

mechs deep lore compilation post

so! maybe you’ve read the other compilation post i made of basic lore/how to get into the mechs! maybe you want to know more! or maybe you’re a fan already and want to see how deep down this rabbit hole you can get!

well, good news for you: i have gone down the rabbit hole and hit bedrock only to find maki yamazaki standing by my side with a pickaxe! it is time for mechs lore part 2: electric boogaloo also known as ‘wow blue have you considered sleep’

rest under the cut!

i’ve tried to organize this, but given how many random facts there are, it’s hard! decided to start off with lore for each character (in order of them joining the mechs in-universe), including all the carmilla lore at the end; then move into general world lore/a bit of album lore, and finally more obscure/unknown facts, such as explaining the whole scuzz thing! also, citing the sources has been difficult, as a lot of things are from, say, old twitter posts and the like. there might be less links here than you all would like, but bear with me- compiling all this lore is quite difficult!

disclaimer: unlike stuff like the wiki, this includes a lot of my own theories and red stringing, and while i’m noting if something’s fanon or canon, the fanon may occasionally make its way into my theories!

links to the songs will be mostly TheVoidSings’ youtube lyric videos, as i don’t want to find the links to all the different platforms they’re on and the videos are lovely and accessible!

also- i’ve done some significant editing on the mechanisms wiki, as have other talented people- go check it out! it’s a good source of lore!

now on w/ the actual post!

crew

jonny d’ville

his lore is fairly concrete, but since he’s an unreliable narrator, we don’t know what bits can be trusted! his backstory song is one eyed jacks, which gives a pretty clear picture of events, but here in his crew bio he says that he made up new texas, and doesn’t have a very good memory of events in general. (it’s implied that he didn’t lie about killing his father, but we don’t even know that for sure.) a note: unlike the others, we don’t know what happened to his heart in order for him to be mechanized.

the aurora

the aurora’s lore is a mess. here’s what we know for sure, which is an edited version of what i have on her wiki page, (where i have also given a list of her known physical attributes);

she started off as a moon, but was weaponized and turned into a ship. she initially was a navy ship, but mutinied and joined the rebellion, participating in the october revolution, in which nastya died and was mechanized. this may have been her choice, but it is more likely that carmilla and/or jonny forced her into it, as they are the ones who won her from the cyberian navy.

when they stormed the ship, a woman was trapped inside- specialist 278 tereshkova, presumably aurora's programmer. What her and aurora's relationship was like is unknown, but aurora did not make any attempt to save her, so it may have not been positive. before dying, tereshkova managed to program a final distress message into aurora, as well as coding the mechanisms' blog.

she’s likely to be based off of the historical battleship aurora, like nastya is based off of the historical russian princess anastasia.

now, it’s time to get into the main theory about her: that aurora used to be briar rose! i’m collecting all the evidence on it, as well as all the evidence that can disprove it.

here’s a refresher on briar rose’s whole deal, taken from ‘the aurora strikes’-

The Rose Reds were the most effective of the soldiers created from Rose's genetic material, but they were not the first. Rumours spoke of an early prototype, known as the Briar Rose, that had malfunctioned and slain everyone on the desert moon of Briar, where she was being grown. But she was not dead. As the Mechanisms discovered, instead, she slept, at the heart of the defence grid that surrounded New Constantinople. The grid was composed of Thorn-class gun emplacements and was virtually impenetrable. And in its centre, the Briar Rose slumbered, plugged into the system, her anger, her rage, her hatred and her fear, fueling the machines, and focusing their gun turrets.

the main support for the theory here is that over time, briar rose could have fused to the moon, which is one of the very few conditions in which a biomechanical weaponized moon seems plausible and not just like a collection of vaguely cursed words. however, in the fiction ‘by any other name’, which is some collected lab research on briar rose, there’s this line- “During transportation and integration of the specimen, take all precaution and care.”- key word here being transportation. so she must have been moved off the moon.

the fiction i cited to disprove the theory actually has something that further supports it, though- the presence of a mysterious woman in king cole’s lab, who could be carmilla. hood, the revolution’s hacker, notes on a picture of her ‘[No idea. The others I’ve been able to find evidence of, but she’s a fucking ghost]‘. the description is a bit off, though, as she’s described as a short, pale, woman with hair long enough to be pulled back and carmilla is quite tall and has short hair- as well, in a later part of the fiction, the woman is killed and does not revive. however, there’s also another who could plausibly be her, noted here- ‘A tall woman sits opposite Prof. Root with a tray of her own. From her stature, it is conceivable she was one of the figures in the chemical suits. They talk sporadically, but the audio is heavily corrupted.’ she isn’t one of the ones killed later on, either, so that’s possible.

we know carmilla knew aurora when she was a very young moon and raised her practically from birth, so if she is one of those two people, it would make sense.

in ‘the aurora strikes’, aurora pushes to save briar rose- nastya explains this as ‘she can not bear to see another biomechanical organism in pain’. in my own writing about aurora, i interpret that as her having very high empathy, but there could be a more personal connection here. this is also notable as the only time aurora is mentioned in-album beyond jonny calling the mechanisms ‘the crew of the starship aurora’.

nastya rasputina

nastya’s backstory song (cyberian demons) was only performed when they were still dr. carmilla and the mechanisms, so it’s harder to find! thevoidsings has made a lyric video of it here, though, and it gives another very clear picture of her backstory! there’s also the fiction of the same name, which i didn’t understand upon first read-through but is basically a nastya character study, covering different points in her immortal life.

her performer went on hiatus for a while, and as an in-universe explanation, the cyberian sequence was written! in which nastya flies aurora to cyberia, infects herself with a computer virus, and transmits it to the entire planet, causing it to explode. this is all in the cyberian demons fiction i linked above, and with it are two other tangential fictions- one presumably just before those events, and one that’s an outsider pov.

there’s also out, which i’d suggest reading rather than just looking at my summary; basically, nastya has a crisis over aurora changing so that it’s harder to recognize her love, and ends up leaving the ship to float away into deep space- this is presumed to be her death, but that is never confirmed and nastya seems to assume she will wake up at some point.

ashes o’reilly

ashes’ whole deal is quite straightforward, which is a nice break from aurora and (to a lesser extent) nastya! their backstory song is lucky sevens, and it’s elaborated on further in their crew bio; interestingly, ashes was the one most into the idea of immortality at first, and also gave clear consent to carmilla.

ivy alexandria

we don’t know that much about ivy, which is fitting, as she doesn’t either! the most clear information we can find about her is in her crew bio, which can be summarized as: she grew up in a library!

archive footage explains more about her memory situation. she has no memories of anything before she was mechanized, according to this line ‘[...] she can tell you dates, and places, and body counts, she can list for you the exact circumstances of each event of her long, long life (at least, every event since that time, long ago, among a maze of bookshelves in a library that, awake, she can no longer describe to you, though once she knew its every turn by heart, when a woman stood over her and offered her eternity: before that, there is nothing at all).’ she also processes her memories differently than most people- they’re more like records, instead of things that affect her emotionally. (archive footage is also beautifully written and very much worth reading!)

the toy soldier

would say it has concrete lore, but it’s also almost solely responsible for fucking up my timeline and the album lore, so i’m rather angry at it. nevertheless, its entire backstory can be found in the fiction ‘the story of the toy soldier’. additionally, there’s a short story about its time fighting in the revolution of once upon a time (in space); presumably, this is the first time it did so, though it was likely in the war at least twice and possibly even three times. the mechanisms were only watching the second time, though it’s not out of character for it to have participated in the war again, and there’s also the dr. carmilla song, eleven, (which is about a war and uses a lot of rose symbology so it’s likely the revolution) where it is present. notably, carmilla had left the mechanisms by the time once upon a time (in space) takes place on their timeline, and the toy soldier is the only one there. at first, i interpreted that as carmilla meeting the toy soldier before it had met the mechanisms, but there’s two inconsistencies there: firstly, it doesn’t recognize her when it joins the band, and secondly, in the song they leave together. this increases the likelihood of it having been in the war three times.

we actually have a recording of the toy soldier’s first time joining the band- the mechanisms @ lashings! (part one / part two / transcript) there’s also a note of that show in the story of the toy soldier! they bought it because jonny was in jail (x). interestingly, that show is the first recording of rose red, and it’s later noted jonny was in a rose red prison!

now it’s time to get into the main theory regarding it, which also will factor into the write-up of ulysses dies at dawn later! i personally subscribe to this theory, or at least, most of it.

here is frankie @byron-von-raum‘s post- the theory here is that the toy soldier is the rebodied mind of the widow’s fiance. i’m not going to get too into that part, as i don’t personally incorporate it into my lore and more importantly frankie already has a post on it! read that if you’re more interested!

the most important bit here is the evidence it collects regarding the toy soldier living near labyrinth; in one of the pictures from the toy soldier’s backstory, there’s a dionysus brand wine bottle. the consensus he comes to is that the toy soldier lives in a colony of earth that trades with labyrinth, and while i think that’s possible, the all-encompassing nature of the city makes it more likely that they would have a minimum of outside communication, so the toy soldier would just be from the city proper. i will get into the impacts of this/expand on it more in the world lore section!

another thing: the angel has an out of character explanation! if you look at photos of old mechs gigs, jessica law looks similar to the drawing of the angel in the story of the toy soldier! their voice being stolen was most likely a reference to that.

drumbot brian

brian’s backstory is laid out in his crew bio! i’d summarize it, but to be honest, it’s already a summary, so i’d suggest just taking a second to read that! sadly, this is all of what we know about it. the priest from his backstory was apparently made almost immortal in some twisted form of mechanization, and has never forgiven brian for it/is still trying to hunt him down (x).

his bio is also where his morality switch is introduced! (interestingly, it takes a far lower role/is mentioned far less in canon than in fanworks.)

there was originally going to be a backstory album about him called indistinguishable from magic. this never happened, but ben below is working on a new one called the wanderings of drumbot brian! no more knowledge on this currently. 

the main theory about him is that he had some kind of alliance/is lying about something to do with carmilla! we know from maki that carmilla didn’t go out of the airlock (more on that in her section), and when brian is questioned on what happened to her, he doesn’t give a concrete answer. this is in contrast to all the other mechanisms, who assume she fell out an airlock. here’s what he said:

I will not point fingers and lay blame. I do not know how it came to pass that Dr. Carmilla left this vessel, whether by fair means or foul, and so I will not engage in this painful discussion. I hope she did not suffer, and that we may forgive the perpetrator of this deed.

he’s speaking very formally here. (fucking nerd). well, no; legitimately, this is not the normal way he speaks in other contexts. he could be masking something. we know that even when he’s lying, he’s not good at it, and this comes off as clearly odd. in support of this, i believe one of the songs on his unwritten backstory album was called ‘the doctor’s demise’ (though i could be remembering incorrectly).

there’s not much more evidence we can draw on here to come to a consensus, though!

something else to note- i’ve written this other meta about his prophetic powers! feel free to read if you’re interested in that aspect of his character!

gunpowder tim

of course, tim already has a whole mini-album to himself (gunpowder tim vs the moon kaiser), but there’s a couple more niche things about him, though not as much as aurora and ts!

mainly, the implications that he destroyed the sun. there’s an old mechanisms tweet that states he 'was floating in the wake of a detonated star’. additionally, there’s this old blog post, which turned into a bit of a fiction! the figure speaking is not named, but given the other mechanisms who speak (therefore knocking them off the possibilities list) and the fact that the post was made around the time tim joined, it’s likely that it’s him. now, he says this:

“It wasn’t the deep space that drove me crazy,” he said, his voice low, calm and polite.  “It was the sudden realisation that I was entirely responsible for the destruction of my entire civilisation, and happy for it.”

though destroying the moon and his other actions in gptvtmk could possibly count for this, it would fit more if he had destroyed the sun.

both those posts also imply that he was floating in space for an incredibly long time. i don’t know how he survived if so, but it seems very likely that’s what happened.

i considered these posts being too early/having a changed canon now, like the odd use of different pronouns for some characters in the earlier fiction, but they seemed to have gunpowder tim vs the moon kaiser mostly worked out by the time tim ledsam officially joined, as they perform it at the only recorded gig from that year with him (port mahon 2011), which was around when the second blog post was made!

marius von raum

we don’t have a written backstory or backstory song to go on for him, but kofi young (his performer) is working on a full album about him called ‘the death of byron von raum’!

the blog post kofi made about it as a summary is the main source of marius lore that we have! i’d highly suggest reading it, but the main points are:

1. it’s going to be very dark and tragic, and shows that marius at heart isn’t really the kind of comedic figure that he comes off as in the band! ruth @thedreadvampy (the mechanisms’ official artist, as well as morgan’s sister and kofi’s partner) has also made a tumblr post that connects to this!

2. the world he’s from used to be high-tech, but has devolved over time into 18th century levels of technology! what this boils down to is; what we assume is marius and an unknown friend (more on this in raphaella’s part) manage to discover ancient technology and attempt to use it! all we have here is this quote om the blog post- ‘In the middle of this, two kids hiding from the soldiers discover an army of ancient mecha and use them to fight back, but only end up plunging the world into further chaos.’.

3. anime protagonist marius!

we also have this small piece of writing, screenshotted here (monogoggle...)-

[image id: a screenshot of writing, most of it out of view/hard to make out. it’s also in the middle of the line, so the breaks are off. however, it looks to say ‘at the controls of RISML/cockpit is cramped and d[...]/has his monogoggle over his/controls are uncomplicated/the neural interface. They [...]’ end id.]

raphaella la cognizi

i’ve been very deep down the mechs rabbit hole for over a month now, and yet i’ve found hardly anything about her!

there’s a small theory i have, though it doesn’t have too much supporting evidence! in marius’ backstory, it mentions two kids, and raphaella and marius joined together (first mention of either of them is together, in this facebook post!) when questioned about marius and raphaella, nastya says a story instead of stories (x). (that post also clarifies that carmilla was not involved in either raphaella or marius’ backstories!) this could potentially point to raphaella being the other person from marius’ backstory. the evidence against it is that if raphaella featured that heavily, r. l. hughes would have said something about the album as well instead of it just being kofi talking about marius, but it’s still interesting to think about!

there’s also a theory that she was the preacher’s daughter from brian’s backstory, but the only real evidence there is that she could have used his tech to mechanize herself (which her doing is only fanon!) and that she performs ‘lost in the cosmos’.

dr carmilla

this is most likely going to be the shortest section, as it’s basically another crew member; that being said, there’s a lot of lore here!

if you haven’t listened to the carmilla albums, i’d really suggest doing that! there’s two- exhumed and (un)plugged and ageha prototype edition! the story there is harder to put together than in the mechs backstories, especially because the songs are mostly out of order, so i’ve decided to just straight up summarize my interpretation, along with what we have to go on from maki, instead of framing it like a theory, as that’s the easiest way! still, please bear all this with a grain of salt- it’s most likely to be contradicted in the new album maki is working on.

carmilla and her girlfriend loreli lived on a planet called terra. for their childhoods, it was a fairly okay place to live (though i elaborate on this a bit in the world lore section!) however, it was bombed; most likely taking the role of an alternate universe hiroshima, as the blurb on her bandcamp says ‘Dr. Carmilla tells the twisted tales of a dystopian future following WWII having ended very differently.‘ after this, the planet sunk into a nuclear winter.

loreli got sick and died; or, she should have, but carmilla saved her by turning her into a vampire as well. this resulted in loreli losing her morals and becoming abusive towards carmilla. carmilla was too deep in love to see this, and stayed in the relationship for several years.

we don’t know what happened to make her strike out on her own, but eventually she did, and created the mechanisms. while with them, she recognized her own failures with loreli, and left the mechanisms (which they all believe was caused by jonny d’ville pushing her out an airlock, rather than her own volition.)

from there, she traveled back in time to the point where loreli was dying, and let it happen- potentially burying herself and loreli alive, which she survived due to her immortality and loreli did not.

however, she was trapped underground for a hundred years. when she is finally found and dug out, she starts enjoying herself (i.e. committing murder). for some unknown reason, she clones herself multiple times, creating the in-universe version of maki yamazaki.

the mechanisms assume she pursued them after she was pushed out of the airlock, and that that was what eleven was about, but i’m not sure why she would do that, given that she left them of her own volition. because of time shenanigans, it could have been far later on her personal timeline; maybe she simply wished to reconnect with them after all those years.

that’s all we have; we don’t know if she died, or anything like that!

world lore

all the folktales and normal history the irl mechs work off of also exist in-universe! (for an example- the toy soldier and ivy start reciting the walrus and the carpenter together in lashings, and the mechs also do alice in wonderland as a song.)

we know the alternate universe theory is correct, mostly because of this piece in the fiction on kofi’s blog-

In those burning instants, he’d feel the weight of it all, and know it was true. The golden age that never came; the city that stood at the dawn of a world instead of in its dying embers. And beyond – to a myriad of Camelots and a thousand thousand Arthurs, unfathomable worlds apart, each different, each fighting the same hopeless battle.

He’d feel the burden of that task pressing down until it felt like it’d crush his chest, and he’d wake every day gasping for breath, feeling older than he ever had, older even than Ector.

And as he screamed inwardly, Galahad would meet his gaze with those crazed eyes of his and grin, and Arthur would know again that whatever had spoken to Galahad was moving him too.

the mechanisms are most likely traveling between several alternate universe versions of folktales, and occasionally alternate versions of earth! (cyberia, tim’s earth, terra...) this is likely why everyone in their stories is human, and is actually low-key evidence against drawing them as aliens (though ofc feel free to have fun!)

i was initially going to put all the album lore in its own separate sections, but a large amount of it is how it intersects with other pieces of lore, and the rest isn’t necessarily niche enough to cite here? my personal advice is that if you want to learn more about the albums, read the fiction! i have a compilation post of all the fiction up on this blog, and you can find it on the website here!

let’s start with the mechanisms’ roles in ulysses dies at dawn, though! we know for sure ashes is hades, brian is the oracle of delphi, and the toy soldier was a nymph (which is actually quite worrying, considering what that means and the inherent issues with consent there, but i digress.) tim most likely took on the role of achilles (more on that here). then, we know some of the mechanisms’ activities and can guess their roles from that. raphaella was helping athena on her research, marius was psychoanalyzing the olympians, and jonny was committing mass murder. it’s a common theory that one (or three) of the mechanisms was cerberus, but sadly i couldn’t find any evidence towards or against that.

i said in the toy soldier’s section that i would talk more about the implications of it being from labyrinth here! the main thing is the fact that, for it to join the rose red war, the city must have interacted with king cole at some point. it’s a risky thing to pose a theory on the toy soldier’s allegiance towards a certain group, but the fact that it seemed to stick with the rose reds here might also mean that the city was, in fact, under king cole’s power. this fits in nicely with the greek mythology aspect of it all; king cole, in that universe, could have been a stand-in for the figure of kronos/saturn!

a few other theories on how the lore intersects:

1. high noon over camelot takes place after the bifrost incident! in terminus, we see communication breaking down, and that could have been the reason the station was isolated. the mechanisms go from it to the bifrost incident, but as they canonically travel in time, that’s not enough to disprove the theory!

2. arthur becomes king cole eventually! this is mostly going off of the fact he’s called ‘the once and future king’, but also the fact that cole used to be considered a good king.

a few loose pieces of worldbuilding:

people from new constantinople seem to be longer lived, and their culture is built around age as a concept. the older you are, the more wise and important you are. specifically, in this fiction, snow is dismissively noted as ‘barely fifty’ and king cole’s age is held up as evidence to why he’s a good ruler.

terra, carmilla’s planet, has two major languages; high terran and low terran! high terran is a more regulated, formal way of speaking, specifically something that only the rich and privileged tend to know. there are many dialects, but the grammar is dictated by the capital. low terran is a creole language formed from several others, including high terran, that most children are taught in school as the baseline. (though they might speak a completely different, less widely spoken language at home!) carmilla speaks low terran but not high terran (although she pretends to know the latter.)

the mechanisms were all (or mostly all) at fort galfridean at one point; don’t have the source to hand, but marius apparently became a prophet to the saxons for staring into the sun for a very long time.

if you’re looking to draw album fanart, there are a few things i know aren’t as widely known; the ones i can think of off the top of my head is orpheus having a ‘foppish haircut’ (the type of thing that falls under that definition is narcissus’ undercut), and snow’s disfiguring scar. there is also official album art; i, personally, have not seen much of it, and i’d encourage coming up with your own character interpretations.

one last theory- it’s highly likely carmilla was involved in the events of the bifrost incident. in the mechscord (sadly, invites are closed due to the difficulty with handling the boom in the fanbase) maki yamazaki has mentioned that part of the criteria for picking a mechanism is ‘good friend for lyf’. at first, i assumed that she meant good friend for life, but when asked on that she was worryingly cryptic (as tends to happen), and she made a joke earlier in character as doc c about accidentally calling odin. though immortal lyfrassier edda most likely became fanon just so they could become a mechanism, this is a piece of evidence towards them actually becoming immortal.

my personal headcanon is that to gain true immortality (which maki has said king cole and the olympians do not have) you have to have some kind of eldritch component, so carmilla had to go to odin for aid. this is supported by the fact that in drive the cold winter away and cyberian demons, their mechanisms are noted as having a rainbow sheen to them!

other lore

scuzz nishimura

scuzz has built up a bit of a reputation for being the ‘cryptid mech’, but her lore is really quite simple! she was a member of the band back when they were doctor carmilla and the mechanisms, but left before they became more popular, so there’s not too much knowledge about her. she appears in this fiction and the only two recorded gigs from that era (lashings and homesick). she’s also visible in several photos!

i know i’ll get people in the notes asking for photos of her if i don’t include any, so have this;

[image id: a cropped picture of scuzz nishimura, looking tired and resting her head on her hand. she looks to be wearing white gloves and some kind of sweater or waistcoat, and her hair is cut short. her cello is also visible, as is someone else’s hand. end id.]

we don’t know too much about her; all we really have is that she was their cello player!

assorted things with no explanation

there’s this old piece from the wayback machine-

[image id: a screenshot of what looks to be the fiction page from a old site for dr carmilla and the mechs. the writing reads;

Writing

( The Aldwich Horror } A short story in which Dr. Carmilla attempts to solve the mysteries of the Aldwich Horror, the strange appearance of a new crew memeber and several zoologically dubious pets.

( Disinterration } A cautionary tale about exhuming corpses.

end id.]

‘disinterration’ is most likely a reference to the carmilla song exhumed, but i’m unsure about ‘the aldwich horror’. the most intriguing bit there is ‘the strange appearance of a new crew member’. i’ve researched the other aspects in an attempt to figure this out. aldwych is a closed london tube station- it served as a bomb shelter during the blitz, which is interesting as both carmilla and tim have backstories involving the world wars (though only carmilla’s is world war ii specifically; tim’s is wwi). the zoologically dubious pets are most likely the octokittens, which we know the toy soldier brought on board, so it would have to be in a place on the timeline after ts joined and before carmilla left. the only mechanism that joins in that space is gunpowder tim, so it’s possible that he is the new crew member.

the mechanisms blogs have a lot of incidental lore, so if you’re this deep in i’d suggest looking at my compilation post of some of my favorite posts of theirs!

and that’s it! we did it! i can finally go to sleep now. i’m so tired. please. i am going to die. i have homework. thank you all so much. please consider coming to my funeral service.

[castformation]

About Me!

Hi, I'm Rainier Shine (any/all pronouns)! I'm a public educator employed by Skygate City's Haus Aquarium here in the Oniata region. I lead many of our tours, and serve as a host for our shows and exhibition battles! I know a lot about local ecology and our aquatic and semi-aquatic mons, but I love all pokémon and would be happy to answer questions about them, or even just chat! :o) Feel free to send inquiries, comments, concerns, etc.

In my spare time I volunteer helping with habitat restoration, leading group paddles, and caring for some of our ambassador mons behind the scenes at the Haus. I'm also an amateur coordinator, and would love to connect with other coordinators! Aside from that, I like Dungeons & Dragonites, disco music, and a good romance novel. I'm happily married to Mark Darkly (who does not have a rotomblr account), and live with him and a great many pokémon.

My current team

♀ Doppler: Standard castform. Hardy nature. Acquired through a work event, serves as a work pokémon for informal engagements around the aquarium! Also my partner mon for contests. ♀ Baby Blue: Standard swablu. Careful nature. Oldest current pokémon; sole offspring of my starter mon. ♂ Birdie: Prairie comfey. Quiet nature. Caught locally. ♂ Theodore: Banded pachirisu. Quirky nature. Adopted from a local shelter. Has cerebellar hypoplasia-induced brain damage. ♂ Hector: Standard drampa. Gentle nature. Inherited from my great grandmother. Ride pokémon.

My husband also has a gengar, impidimp, sneasel, and a work-issue rotom-- as you can imagine, our house, and our care schedules, are pretty packed, especially since we have a broad variety of mons with different care needs. :'o)

[!!OOC!!]

About the mod. Hi, I'm Blue or Ozone (she/they)! I'm 24. I work at an aquarium irl, and am reviving this blog because the hyperfixation compels me to do so!

Notes/Ground Rules

This blog follows game continuity for the most part, but may borrow worldbuilding aspects and locations from the anime and manga! Oniata is a homebrew region based on the great lakes region in the US, and Skygate City is based on Chicago in particular. Feel free to ask me about it, or use it in your own stuff if you want to for whatever reason.

Aside from the non-canon geography, I'd like to keep things somewhat canon-adjacent, so for rp reasons Rainier probably won't respond to interactions from sentient pokémon, and things like pelipper mail and magic!anons will similarly not be accepted-- sorry!

I will not answer something if it surrounds a topic that is especially heavy (like sexual assault) or bizarre/taboo (like human/pokémon relationships).

This blog is heavily inspired by the likes of @prof-peach, @bills-pokedex, @ranger-rai, and @nerdpokemonheadcanons, so please check them out and give them a follow if you haven't already (which if you're here, you almost certainly have)!

[jjuzoir]

A3! Rant bellow! I know most of my followers now follow me because of Haikyuu or other fandoms but originally this was a A3!-centric blog, which is why due to the news of the Eng server being shut down I felt the need to just… say something.

To sum things up: I’ll continue writing for A3!, I’ll still be up to date with the events on JP and reading translations of the game, so don’t worry (^_^) I’m way too invested in the game to leave it just yet. If anything, it’s inspiring me to keep studying japanese even harder;; kkkk

TW// Su*cide, S/H, and me being mentally unwell on main :’)

- - -

Now, onto the longer side of things… to say this is depressing is an understatement. I’ve been playing and following the game since it came out in english and, as unhealthy as it sounds, was such an important part of my recovery process. 2018-2019 were such hard years for me, and it culminated in October of 19’ where everything really felt like it was ending. I’d had a couple of attempts at the time, but that October had been especially hard — it was around that time I had discovered the game and god, the amount of joy it brought me back then… whenever I felt down or overwhelmed I’d always go back to it, the characters and the stories became such a comfort that I struggle to imagine what I’d have done if it weren’t for the game. Whenever I felt down or like I was about to hurt myself, I’d always try and turn to the game — and while it didn’t always work it made me feel safe. When I ultimately recovered from my final attempt, A3! was one of the few things that kept being a constant to me; like it didn’t matter how much I struggled and felt like things were stagnant, it was always just there.

Nowadays, it still serves as a comfort, I’m healing and don’t have that much of an unhealthy relationships with it that I see it as the sole reason I’ve kept going. I’m getting better, albeit slowly, but I still find myself running back to when things get too much. Which is why, I guess, the news have hit me so hard. I’ve been basically bawling my eyes out for the last 40 minutes since I heard the news. It’s not the first time a game I’ve been a fan of has shut down (afterl!fe comes to mind), but this is the one where I guess it hurts the most. I’ll still hope, albeit childishly, that maybe someday we’ll get new events in the Eng servers, because god knows how much this stupid, definitely broken gacha game about a silly little found family means to me. God, just writing this makes me feel like crying… I’m so, pissed? At the way Cybrid has handled the game, because it has absolutely everything to be successful, but the marketing was so, so bad. I can’t help but wish another company had taken the localization and distribution, because A3! already had the Japanese market and backing to prove it could be successful… I hope Liber is able to revive the server with better marketing someday, maybe they’ll realize the opportunity a game like A3! brought. They know how to release and market games, the Ikemen series is a clear example, so I can’t help but wonder why the hell A3! was such a failure… maybe they’re just used the romance games. As for now, I’m just glad they won’t delete the game and still allow us to revisit the stories and cards, I still have a bunch of unread events and card stories and I don’t think I’m quite ready to completely leave the game.

I don’t think, as long as this blog keeps running, that I’ll ever stop writing for A3!. The current event will still be going and I’ll continue working on requests on the meantime. If for some reason you read this far, thank you for listening to me ramble/cry about a game getting shut down.

Take my favorite CG’s as gifts!

[anartofblooming]

The Perils of Digital Escapism and the Power of a Digital Detox

Disclaimer: this is my own personal experience with digital escapism and I hope that sharing this experience might serve others who’ve gone through something similar, especially at a time where most of us are locked down because of COVID-19.  I’m not claiming one size fits all.

It’s been about six months since I’d relapsed into a deepened state of depression. After a series of challenging events, I was incredibly overwhelmed. At the time, I didn’t have it in me to go through the pain of processing my emotions and, as a result, I withdrew into the numbing world of my phone. I felt safe there, mindlessly playing games for hours on end, but it was a false sense of safety. The more I withdrew into my device, the harder it became for me to function and enjoy the things I once used to. 

Tasks like brushing my teeth, showering, and keeping my space clean became progressively daunting, let alone handling the greater responsibilities of adulthood. Overeating food without actually tasting it magnified the numbing effect, so I gained 16 kilos over a span of four months. I felt so uncomfortable in my own body, my need to withdraw grew stronger. I barely engaged with my partner, friends and family. I essentially became a sad potato that would migrate from my bed to the couch every single day for those months. 

This was deadening me inside. I wanted to withdraw more privately, to ease the guilt I felt when I was seen in my vegetative state. So, I slept throughout most of the day and spent most of my nights wide awake. The lack of sunlight, in turn, made my depression worse. I was quickly heading down through the vortex of a downward spiral and I knew that, if I kept going through this vortex, my suffering would ultimately become much worse.  

The Perils of Digital Escapism 

1. It prolongs recovery unnecessarily 

The longer I escaped, the harder it was for me to bounce back and practice healthier habits. It IS doable, but I had to jump through more hoops and my path to recovery was unnecessarily extended. 

2. It can take a toll on the body

The mindless activity of escaping into a device lead me to mindlessly eat too. Mindless eating leads to weight gain. The more I escaped into my devices, the more I became sedentary. I became more prone to painful infections, developed severe GI issues and sleep apnea, became a pre-diabetic and, to my disbelief, began experiencing internal bleeding that made me anemic. I felt trapped inside my own body. Every movement became uncomfortable and strenuous.

3. It exacerbates mental illness

The state of my mental health became worse. The minor benefit I got from retreating into the world in my device was akin to placing a bandaid on an amputation. It doesn’t work. In the same way that poorly dealing with an amputation can result in bleeding to death, dealing poorly with a mental illness can have horrible results. 

4. Self esteem takes a hit

Failing to take care of myself made me feel guilty and ashamed. Then, not processing those feelings only made them fester. I’d think, “wow, I’m so useless, worthless, pathetic, etc. etc. etc.” To no surprise, this negative self talk made my depression worse.   

5. Relationships suffer

I was barely engaging with my partner, friends and family. I can say, with confidence, that this was the worst side effect of digital escapism for me. I felt lonely, isolated and disconnected from the world. 

6. Purpose and meaning are stripped

The days blended into one another and I lost my sense of meaning and purpose. I had no reason to wake up in the morning, but went through the motions anyway. This created a nihilistic undertone that cast a shadow on my life, stoking a small flame of anxiety into a raging fire. 

7. Sleep loses its quality

My sleep became irregular, further exacerbating my physical, mental, and emotional suffering. On the outside, I was motionless but, on the inside, I was restless. This made my anxiety worse. 

It was time to make a change. 

I unsubscribed from all my streaming services, deleted the games on my phone and placed restrictions on my social media apps using an app blocker. I let my partner set the password so I couldn’t go back and surrender to the temptation of my devices when I felt anxious. I entered the process of a digital detox and the positive change this created for me was monumental.

The Power of a Digital Detox 

1. The discomfort of zero distractions motivates productivity

Because I couldn’t escape or distract myself anymore, I had to fill my days with other activities; specifically, those activities I avoided in my digital escape. I used the two minute rule for anything I found daunting. Washing dishes? I put a two minute timer on and gave myself permission to stop when it went off. Responding to an email? Two minutes to start my draft. Brushing my hair? Two minutes. What ended happening is this: once I started I, more often than not, finished the task working past the two minute mark. It was much easier than I had perceived it to be before starting. If I was having a really bad day, I still accomplished my two minutes and that felt good, even if I only did a single two minute task that day. 

2. Couch potatoes become sweet potatoes

I began to move more. It’s boring to sit on a couch all day without the distraction of a phone or the television. I began making to do lists for myself and moved around inside the house. I even began to go for short walks outside, something which was previously very daunting for me. All the weight I’d gained began to drop and with it my health issues began to diminish as well. 

3. Mental health improves

I began to take more interest in things again, like learning, drawing, and writing. I was listening to audiobooks while cleaning and taught myself new skills, like how to start a solid fire in a Norwegian Winter. 

4. Self esteem improves

Becoming productive as a result of my digital detox made me feel good about myself. I was accomplishing things and this made me feel useful, worthy, competent, etc. etc. etc. I was motivated to treat myself well as a result. The more I treated myself with respect, self compassion and self care, the more confident I felt. 

5. Relationships improve

 began to engage more with my loved ones. This made me feel more connected to the world. I started laughing more often, relating to others and forming new memories. The feeling of connection was the most powerful benefit of my digital detox. 

6. There’s more focus on self care I began to connect with my body in a nurturing way. I’d dance with my partner as we cooked in the kitchen, I’d apply body lotion to enjoy its feeling and scent, and I began to take pleasure in brushing my hair until it felt silky. I sought to feel good in ways that were healthy for me. 

7. Purpose and meaning is discovered once more

I became more intentional with how I spent each day, and this was reviving. I then took a step further by setting my intentions for the next day by writing them down the night before. Over time, I started to feel more excited about my life and what I could do with it.

8. Sleep improves

My sleep became more regular, giving me a bit more energy to take on the process of recovery. I started feeling more rested and relaxed. My energy began to replenish itself.

I Didn’t Forgo Technology Altogether

Rather, I am using it more purposefully now. I use my phone to catch up with friends and family, as well as make shopping lists for my trips to the grocery store. On my laptop, I’m working on writing my book, research, and creating this blog, and the television is solely reserved for movie time with my partner and step son. I do still use social media, but I’ve tailored my app blockers to only give me access for an hour a day, starting at 6:30pm after dinner and ending at 7:30pm. Disconnecting from distracting apps is allowing me to reconnect with the world and this is the radical self care I needed to become proactive in my healing journey.

[reynaruina]

Are you going to do zadr week 3?

I usually don’t like to participate on community events like these for the sole reason that, since often all works expected to be uploaded are sfw in nature (at least here on Tumblr) and a lot of my work is heavily adult oriented (if not on abundance of pornography at least on the themes and stuff, altho I do not shy away from sexual themes on my written stuff) I expect these events to be followed by a sizeable audience of minors, and even though I do not mind them following my content as long as they mind the tags and know how to not interact with stuff that might make them uncomfortable, I am not really looking to advertise my work towards them; and I fear participating in these events may bring too many young eyes to my blog. I have been requested to participate many times, however, and since this particular event is one I would really like to support (because of the past Revival stuff, ya know the deal w that thing) I may actually do like a sketch a day and then post them all together at the end of the week, so I participate but keep my art off the tag for most of the days. That’s the compromise I’m willing to arrive at.

[telesthisia]

Heya guys just a few recaps of past headcanons on here because I legit went my city now with this blog and have too much ;v;

Hylia is an obscure and lost goddess by the Downfall Era, because of the vast records that only the Hyrulean Family possess most of the members are aware of all the eras that goes on in the official Zelda Timeline. BUT the final battle between Ganondorf and Link, with Link being the loser much of Hyrule’s history is lost to the great destruction that came with Link’s failure in the battle. With the brief power trip, Ganondorf only briefly succumb to the madness that comes with the Triforce that draws out the greed of humanity (I mean, Hilda and Yuga are both very good examples to what happens when you only have greed on your mind, no matter how will intended you are as with Hilda). It takes a sound mind and heart to wield the awesome powers of the Triforce... that in mind Hyrule more or less BURNED to the ground and so many things were lost before OOT Zelda and the sages sealed him away. And aside from the royal archives hidden away from the public, not many people know about the history of the nation. And well, let’s not forget the imprisoning war that went on in ALTTP as well as the plagues and disasters that hit before Agahnim came, so suffice to say even in Zelda’s time Hyrule was to shit. The only existing reference to Hylia is Lake Hylia and most believe the name is from the word Hylian so :’) 

As such, when she took the crown after the events of ALTTP as the sole heir since the Triforce could not revive the dead, she wishes to lead the nation to the Golden Age before war plagued the lands and before Agahnim fucked shit up. 

People are maaaaaad salty with OOT Link while OOT Zelda is on thin ice, which is why there are little to no references to them in the downfall period unlike with the other periods of time. ALTTP Zelda has so many feels for the OOT squad really after reading up the history about them.  

 Weeps this entire post is too much to shorten but very important to take note of!

Zelda is very OP in that she has the power of the goddess Hylia, power from the sages, and light force but it works against her rather than for her because Poor Health Issues™ and to add to that, she’s known as the “holy sacrifice”. Meaning those who want to resurrect Ganon much like Twinrova tried to must use Zelda as sacrifice for that, meaning her life for his. As such, she’s very much a big target for those who align themselves with Agahnim/Ganondorf or anyone who wishes to use her powers for dark arts really. Being Zelda is suffering ;v;!!! For the most part, she tries to keep her light magic on the DL but many are aware of the mysterious powers flowing through the royal family veins. 

In that regard, since Hylia is more or less forgotten, no one really knows that the royal family actually did in fact descend from gods. It’s funny, irl many kings lied about coming from gods to keep their power but in LOZ, the royal family try to present themselves as ordinary people to hide the secret of the fact that they came from a goddess. Mostly to prevent issues that could arise from this... :’) 

So with that in mind, what can Zelda do? She can heal, use telepathy, bless weapons, seal away darkness, break down seals with the help of the seven maidens, clairvoyance... and yeah that’s it I’m pretty sure!

She is a romantic, the edgy gothic kind that loves nature, heroic tales, and focuses on emotions but also explores the morbid and melancholic. And also a hopeless romantic but keeps this side hidden, all those romance novels are a secret that no one must know.