#what are optimal og posting times

[landinrris]

On Our Terms- Chapter 4

Pairings: Carlos/Lando

Rating: E

Tags: Football Player Carlos, Artist Lando, More specifically Lando does pottery, Unintentional Outing, Explicit Sexual Content, Established Relationship, Minor Angst, Always a Happy Ending, Fluff and Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Euro Cup

Chapter: 4/?

The prospect of traveling to Germany for the Euro Cup is surreal to put it lightly. Lando’s never been to Germany— had never even been out of England until he’d traveled to Spain to meet Carlos’ family way back when. But here he is now in Berlin with the entire Spanish National Football Team trying to blend in like he belongs.

Read Chapter 4 || Read from the beginning

[gabityaby]

I think i cracked it, the reason everything produced in the times of the High Republic is soo good compared to modern Star Wars, tldr its because of pain.

See, in all the works that date during the High Republic (specifically during George's ownership of SW) there's this fearlessness to show pain and tragedy and death, and i know it sounds like "everything for the children these days is sanitized!" but think for a second if Revenge of the Sith would be something Disney would publish these days and that's your answer, but that's just a tangent meant to emphasize the difference between Og SW and new SW, because what Og SW had was strife, and you the viewer knew that, because every time you booted up KOTOR or played Phantom Menace you knew what was coming, you knew to expect the isle of happiness in which the characters lived to slowly sink beneath the waves of tragedy and you'll see it happen as the characters around the story just dug up their own fates, in very much George Lucas fashion, and THAT is what made the work and the small moments of levity to taste so much sweeter, because you see the characters who you've grown attached to suffer so un-justly that when you return to the good times you can't help but appreciate the good and mourn it's departure.

The reason new SW does not achieve this is because the characters are dealing with the aftermath of the destruction of the baddies, its the birth of the hope for the future, its when you look at the horizon at the END of the movie, yes new problems may arise but the big hurdle is done and Disney didn't cultivate the joy from the Alliance's victory as it should, because instead of giving us proper post-war optimism (as it fits the real life post WW2 countries counterparts and fantasy sci-fi proper) it stuck only with the brooding post-war trauma, and while yes, that is also a very realistic take it still lacked verily from the former and thus there is no reason why we should mourn a character's strife if that is all we've seen from them, its like watching paint dry, nothing particularly changes, just a new villain here and there, the new character discovers new powers, new info, but there is no resolution, no reward for their strife, and even if they were going for a bleak post-war future (which they didn't and it also doesn't fit SW's constant theme of hope for a better future) it still ends up looking incomplete for the mere reason that they don't want to shut the book in case they need to milk the cow some more.

My point with all this was not to bash new SW though, my point was to use it as a comparison to highlight how Og SW built itself on a foundation of hope, how it showed us the height before the fall, how it is possible to make Shakespeare in space and leave all of us with broken hearts and looking hopefully into the future.

[y-rhywbeth2]

Was musing on what Bioware's original BG3 ('the Hounds of Iyachtu Xvim,' or something along those lines iirc), where the main character is Charname's kid, would've been like, aside from Bane-centric, and had an absolutely cursed Durge thought.

Brain: 'Hey, how can I make the deranged incest crap in BG3 worse while tying it to BG2 and the og concept for BG3? I KNOW!'

PC of BG3 is Charname's kid + the fucked up family shenanigans of Larian's BG3 where Bhaal has no fucking standards...

So Charname becomes reigning God of Death/Murder. Xvim seemingly successfully replaced his dad as god of hate and tyranny just like you did to your daddy, but oops! It's 1372 DR and Bane just fucking hijacked the kid's ascension to be reborn.

Time to make your own 'backup plan' and drop by a certain rock floating in the Astral Sea to cut a deal with daddy dearest, mayhaps. Failing that 5e Bhaal isn't OG Bhaal it's just Charname using his name and face to cash in on his reputation, but I like to keep some of canon for the weight.

Since we've gone to the pits of no return, let's go full gothic: we could even install the Sarevok romance mod to enhance the state of the family in BG3! Have hate sex with your half-brother who you hate for killing your adopted father, who hates you because you stole your shared birth-right and condemned him to hell, but who is the closest to being able to understand you and the position you are in. Work out a horrible dysfunctional relationship between you. Become goddess of death, appoint him your chosen. Later become your own father as well due to sharing the office with Bhaal as aspects of each other (either Angharradh or Mystra style). Use brother-son-husband, child-sibling and grandchildren-children-sibling-nephew/nieces for murder plans!

The downside of this is that I'm probably going to have to make an elf charname or something just to make Vel fit, because unfortunately I am attached to him being an elf for some reason... she'll just have to be a very short elf so that I can keep my tiny tyrannical librarian concept.

I can throw in the Xan romance! Young woman develops fascination with the first member of her culture she's ever met. Turns out to be an abomination which simultaneously repulses yet fascinates him because the dude is obsessed with doom and nihilism and how we're all marching to our inevitable miserable deaths. A year down the line, once all the youthful optimism has been crushed she has embraced the divinity and lost interest in you. She fucking leaves you for her brother who tried to kill you both.

Everybody needs therapy, but only Durge and Orin will be going (dragged kicking and screaming). There's a post-game adventure somewhere down the line where Vel goes to Gehenna and drags Orin back and they don't really ever get 'fixed' nor good, but they do get slightly better and some degree of happy.

[destiny-in-the-universe]

Into the Ninjaverse: Concept Talk

Oh boy, okay-

Good timezone, my lovelies! So, here's how this is going to work- I'm only going to pick one of the variants of the AU (more specifically, it's the one where it fuses the Ninja suit with Spidermen/Spider Society lore because I just can). Now keep in mind, none of this is officially canon for the time being but that will be revealed eventually!

I'm going to break this down into three categories: characters, headcanons, and general infodumping/lore explanation! Good luck because this is extremely messy hahaha. Fair warning! This is going to be a long post.

Character Concepts

OG (Canon) Universe/E-1610

Randy Cunningham: This is Randy from the canon/show universe- with some differences to fit the narrative! He's only been the Ninja for a few months, still adjusting to everything but this eludes the canon ever so slightly- in this verse, he has yet to fully face the Sorcerer but he does deal with stankings! The Sorcerer just isn't a major threat at the moment- this is likely set somewhere in the middle between the two seasons

Howard Cunningham: Howard is, of course, Randy's best friend! He mostly stays true to his canon persona- though with some minor differences. He's slightly more involved in the battles, serving as backup at times for the Ninja and occasionally patches him up when things get a little dire. Despite his manipulative tendencies, he still cares for Randy.

First Ninja/Finja/???: The first official Ninja of Norrisville. He's soul-bound to the Nomicon- he can't leave it, but he can vaguely communicate with Randy via dreams. His canon plays out the same where the Norisu 9 committed the "ultimate sacrifice" against the Sorcerer and he just exists as something akin to a spirit/ghost within the Nomicon. He's Randy's mentor- very no-nonsense attitude.

Alternate Universe/E-616

Finja/Ninja of Norrisville/???: This version of Finja is technically meant to hold the spot of Peter B Parker. He has long since 'retired' as being the Ninja of Norrisville, and isn't necessarily lazy per se but he isn't active as the Ninja anymore. Certain details are, of course, being kept vague- his canon event is fairly obvious (coughs the Norisu 9 coughs) but there's some differences to this reality. Finja exists in modern times due to undisclosed reasons. He's a little wary of Randy's endless/relentless optimism. The only thing I can say right now is he ended up in OG! Randy's universe- he was found unconscious and a little injured, resulting in Randy deciding to help him.

Howard Weinerman: Howard is an adult in this reality- his life as a Norrisville High student was what you would expect when there is the Ninja and he grew up to become a teacher, of all available jobs. His best friend, Randy, ended up becoming a well-known idol. There's not a lot to be known about him- for now, at least. I don't see him being incredibly important for now. I just want to share concept ideas!

Alternate Universe/E-14512

Theresa Fowler/The Purple Ninja: Theresa is one of the Ninjas in an alternate timeline- a little similar to Peni's but not quite. Her alias is The Purple Ninja as her outfit looks purple in the universe she's a part of. In that dimension, Theresa and Randy's relationship is friendly but they're not dating- Randy's only a civilian after all, and she does follow the Nomicon's rules to not get too close to others. She fears putting him at risk.

Randy Cunningham: In some other life, perhaps- Randy and Theresa would be together but that is not this reality. Randy's a civilian who was never chosen to bear the mantle of the Ninja and instead works at the Game Hole with his best friend Howard Weinerman. He's friends with Theresa Fowler, but he isn't aware that she's also the Purple Ninja.

Alternate Universe/E-318

Spike/The Punk Ninja: requested by @just-animaxiz Spike is somehow appointed the Ninja in this universe- due to a shift in that universe's canon, Spike is a protector to Norrisville and has extreme issues with authority, preferring his sense of anarchy over anything else. There's not an official Ninja due to, well, reasons but we'll get to that later. Though, he's occasionally seen with a young teenager- the two seem fairly close.

Alternate Universe/E-928

Nomi/Nomicon: the equivalent to Miguel O' Hara. In this universe, Nomi is an immortal being who takes on the mantle of the Ninja- though, something seems to have gone wrong... he's cold, reserved, and distrusting of everyone and everything. While he's not literally Miguel O' Hara, Nomi believes in the order of the Ninjas and he isn't too keen on OG! Randy, but that's all I'm going to say right now.

Additional Characters

Howard Weinerman/???: Ho' boy, you are going to get a kick with this one. Howard is from one of the few canons where things are... different- he interned for a little under Viceroy and then sort of went off the radar for a while, but of course upon the multiverse opening- he meets OG! Randy and seems almost saddened surprised (?) to see him.

The Kitsune: [INFORMATION NOT FOUND] ᴇʀʀᴏʀ 404

The Dragon: [INFORMATION NOT FOUND] ᴇʀʀᴏʀ 404

How do I explain the rest of the characters without accidentally spoiling my own AU? Would anyone even want to see this as a fanfiction- this is going to take a lot of work, planning, and time so we'll see how this works out. Boy, I'm excited for this one but I still have a new fic to write and whatnot-

Headcanons

McFist and King Pin are meant to share similar roles- for what I feel are obvious reasons. The difference is that McFist's goal is to open a gateway or something that will allow the Sorcerer to escape and it's something they'd both benefit from. Unfortunately due to shenanigans, and even with Viceroy's intervention, it caused a rift- breaking the typical laws of time and space which led to the leak

OG! Randy isn't an anomaly per se- i don't know what direction this is taking right now, so nothing is fully confirmed yet but just know, there will be plans for him. Although he is a bit like Miles Morales!

616 Finja is Having a Time and he's exceptionally stressed from the fact he's involved with ninjas again, but that's all I'm saying for now

Randy and Howard from Punk Ninja's canon are in a rock/punk rock band! Because I said so

This next part came to me from reading thesoundofmadness' own multiverse/randyverse AU! I feel like not everyone is going to have a nomicon :) do with this what you will for now

Spike isn't technically the Ninja but because the Ninja apparently hasn't been sighted, he somehow took over- i'm still working this part out

E-318 Spike and OG! Randy have the same type of relationship Hobie has to Miles, but that's all you're getting from me-

I am struggling with ideas right now, unfortunately so now we get to the last part-

Infodumping

Everything starts from OG! Randy's timeline- after a few months of being the Ninja, he's starting to get the hang of things, but he manages to uncover one of McFist's ploys and ends up caught in a fierce battle. He manages to escape- only managing to get what appears to be a USB and then books it back home. Sometime after, within a few days of infiltrating McFist Industries, Randy is out on patrol when a weird wormhole opens up and this is when he meets 616 Finja. Things go a little south when realizing Finja is unconscious, and after only a little struggle- Randy manages to take Finja back home since, thankfully, his parents aren't home. Feeling a little wary, he has the brilliant idea to tie 616 Finja to a chair- trying to get answers and it starts getting a little weird

Deciding 616 Finja isn't a threat, Randy lets him go but then offers him a place to stay- since his parents are barely ever home, there's not a problem doing this. Things are extremely awkward because he never considered there were other universes and now, well, here this other version of Finja is here- in the flesh. Randy has to continue going to school, but that's where something gets a little... weird because he feels like he's being watched

Now this is where our fun lore rambles kick in

The Ninja suits are infused with the same type of material as a spider-suit and gives them similar abilities- as well as the abilities that come with being the Ninja on the account of I said so. Since it's obvious that the Ninja suits are magical, this felt extremely plausible for ITNV as a whole

The Nomicon is a sentient being in every universe- there are very few where it'll reveal itself as a human. The only known dimension where this has been known to happen is in E-928 (and well, wherever the Ninja Society is located)

Each Ninja has different skills, abilities, and powers at their disposal. Some are universal to every single known Ninja in existence- like the sword for instance, and the smoke-bombs and whatnot but some things will change

Do canon events exist? Well- sort of :) let's just say that I have ideas because OG! Randy is something of an outlier and each universe is still different

Nomirandy will be showing up in one of these universe, but again more spoilers! I don't want to ruin the entire AU in one-go. I will say that there's no endgame ship here. For, well- a number of reasons. One that the AU isn't meant to be as ship heavy and more centered on the plot and expanding lore

The villains are exactly what you'd expect- but uh, with Across the Ninjaverse technically also being canon, this could change. Nomi's role is a little complex, because he's not literally Miguel O' Hara but he's also weirdly not a fan of OG! Randy either- it's... complicated, especially in the form of an idea that isn't complete yet

Spells from the Shadow Warrior's temple might be referenced a lot more here!

I'm going to add more when I have the chance since I'm not feeling my best right now and let's just say there is more to come! There's also just the fact I can't fully share everything hahaha

Additional Under-the-Cut Information

Other Notable Characters

Debbie Kang: [INFORMATION NOT FOUND] Julian Nightingale: Julian is involved with this somehow- i think you can possibly figure it out, but with a twist! That's all I'm going to say for now- jokingly thought of Ghoulian being the Spot because I'm a little menace though again! Unconfirmed-

I can’t think of anyone else atm, but I do have smaller tidbits of information! Because I have so much brainrot!

Extra Information

Much like we’d expect from other multiverse media, the dimensions collapsing because of being in the wrong reality- well, that applies here too! It might work a little differently so as to keep the leads safe for obvious reasons!

The Kitsune and the Dragon are my own flair to the ‘crossover’! Whether they’re original characters or canons is a different story! I will always be original character friendly, that won’t change no matter what I write-

As referenced in older posts, each Ninja is tied to a specific element and has a signature move they typically use- almost always connected back to that element. I’m uncertain at the moment if that’s going to be used here, but I will say that Randy’s definitely fire coded- like that boy is a Gryffindor but anyway, I’ll be writing more for this crossover soon!

For now though- this is where I leave you

[for-quill-with-love]

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[Messaging Online]

>> caretaker whispers to you: be very careful what you say next, spectators

>> caretaker whispers to you: or I will do as promised and the 'newsletters' will stop

[jump to the Archive -> ⌘]

[jump to the Discord server -> ⌘]

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[OOC]

for Quill, with love is an interactive story blog that uses text and screenshots to follow the story of our player as she explores the new world she has been put into.

All asks will be answered by Quill by default unless indicated otherwise. If you can also talk to me by tagging it ooc, or 'the caretaker' by putting any one of her names in your message.

All anon asks (unless they have some sort of signature, e.i. emoji or nickname attached) will be treated like they came from a different person, as I and Quill both have no way to identify the sender. You may talk to Quill with as many different 'identities' as you wish.

Asks are not guaranteed to be answered, but they will affect the story, even in indirect ways.

Before you start:

Please be kind! this is my first time running a gimmick blog, I don't know what I am doing.

This will be a PG-13 blog, please keep asks as such.

The story is being made up as I go! As of starting this blog I have no idea where things will end up.

I am one person doing this for fun, continuity errors can and will happen. Please don't mind them.

Quill has basic knowledge about (vanilla) minecraft and it's various mechanics. Quill has no knowledge about modded minecraft, but I (the mod) do have some knowledge of the mods (mostly create). I will also be learning as things go, and playing for fun, not optimization.

The world I am playing in is modded using forge and through the Modrinth launcher. I am constantly reworking the pack according to my own preferences and what my computer can handle, so it may not be 100% accurate all the time, but a full list of the mods on this world will be under the cut.

The tag key for this blog will also be under the cut.

Tag key:

#with love - the default story tag for this blog. anything without this tag is not canon.

#for quill -

#Quill's answers - the ask tag for when quill answers an ask

#Quill will remember that. . . - if this is on your ask, congrats! you have helped guide the story along.

#day [insert number here] - the day this post happened on. aka, a loose timeline.

#caretaker's thoughts - a tag for when 'the caretaker' speaks or changes something in the world.

#caretaker's answers - a tag for when the caretaker answers an ask

#OOC - out of character post tag

#first draft - the first storyline from this blog, which was discontinued due to technical difficulties and me losing the og minecraft world.

[more to come as needed]

Mod list:

Content mods:

Animal Feeding Trough

Better Lush Caves

Comforts

Companion🐈

Critters and Companions

Decorative Blocks

cat_jam

Create

Create Central Kitchen

Create Deco

Create: Liquid Fuel

Create: More Automation

Create: Extended Cogwheels

Create: Structures

Create Encased

Various music disc mods:

1.21 disc backport

Pure Discs - Trails & Tales

Pure Discs - Tricky Trials

Xtra Discs

Elytra Trims

Endermite Expansion

Endless Biomes

Extra Advancements

Fresh Animations

All Extensions pack

Fresh Wolves Variants

Farmer's Delight

Ocean's Delight

Nether's Delight

End Delight

Corn Delight

Silent's Delight

Crate Delight

Fruits Delight

Crabber's delight

Friends&Foes

Friends&Foes - Flowery Mooblooms

Geophilic Reforged

YDM's Fennec Fox

Backported Wolves

Hellion's Sniffer+

Illager Invasion

Just Mob Heads

Various Macaw's mods

Macaw's Doors

Macaw's Bridges

Macaw's Trapdoors

Macaw's Paintings

Macaw's Lights and Lamps

Mystic's Biomes

More Fossils

Naturalist

Nether Depths Upgrade

Spawn

Simple hats

Sophisticated Backbacks

Lopy Create Sophisticated Backpacks

Sophisticated Storage

Tom's Simple Storage Mod

Traveler's Titles

Unnamed Desert

Waystones

Fresh Waystone Textures

Waystones Teleport Pets

Xearo's Minimap & Worldmap - Waystones

Xaero's Minimap

Xaero's World Map

Yung's better structures, including:

YUNG's Better Desert Temples

YUNG's Better Dungeons

YUNG's Better End Island

YUNG's Better Jungle Temples

YUNG's Better Mineshafts

YUNG's Better Nether Fortresses

YUNG's Better Ocean Monuments

YUNG's Better Strongholds

YUNG's Better Witch Huts

YUNG's Extras

Framework & Quality of Life mods:

Appleskin

Advancement Plaques

Balm

BetterF3

Biome Spawn Point

Citadel

Caelus API

Collective

Clumps

Controlling

Cosmetic Armor Reworked

Curios API

Data API

Ears

Entity Culling

Easy Anvils

Elytra Slot

Freecam*

*used for taking pictures only

Followers Teleport Too

Geckolib

Geckolib 4

Gen Assets

Formations (Structure Library)

Iceberg

Jade

Just Enough Items

Kotlin for Forge

Low On Fire

Limited Life Armor

Make Bubbles Pop

Mysterious Mountain Lib

Puzzles Lib

Rubidium

Searchables

Shulker box Tooltip

Sophisticated Core

TerraBlender

EMF

ETF

World Preview

YUNG's API

[smoft-demons]

MC ask game random answers 2 (rapid-fire mode)

Link to OG post! Feel free to ask me to answer any other questions, from that OG post or otherwise! Or to elaborate on any of these!

Answers are about Auva, my obey me MC. Basically she’s human, 20, aroace, ADORES her seven demons, and like,, changes the tone of the story from polyam-coded romance-ish to straight up found family/big QPR vibe.

Assorted questions from the general info section:

4. What kind of magic do they possess?

She’s got a few assorted spells from her pacts. She doesn’t learn to use any of them until like,,, some point after the time travel thing. Maybe in year two. That remains to be seen. It’s spells that have something to do with each pacted avatar’s abilities/values/something they want her to be able to do. Plus she got lay on hands and chill touch from Lilith after meeting her ghost. Thematic choices from her lol.

5. Which deadly sin best aligns with them? Which do they embody the least?

At first glance, dead tie between gluttony and sloth. She’s a foodie and bonds with Beel about it, but it becomes a gluttony thing because it’s not just a love for food, it’s an impulse to try to fill an emotional void with overindulgence. Not just food! Also games, sleep, reading, watching stuff, escapism in general.

For sloth, it’s just that she is not very inclined to move or do much when she doesn’t have to. She’s a homebody who LOVES oversleeping, and puts so much effort into optimizing necessary tasks so that she can spend the least amount of energy at any time. She’s careful not to go so far into those tendencies so as to make other people’s lives worse by being lazy, but she knows that’s a thing that she could fall into easily if she’s not careful.

She LOOKS like she embodies sloth the most, but if you examine her motivations, Gluttony juuust takes first place.

For what she embodies the least… depends on how we define them. Without question it’s Lust if we’re counting that as just… a sexual thing. Because she’s aroace. She experiences no sexual attraction, and if we’re equating lust to that then she’s fully immune to it. However, if we’re defining lust as intense wanting, fixation, staking your identity on cravings and goals and passions, then it’s higher up. She feels very deeply, and makes a point of being careful about remaining balanced and reasonable about that.

Greed too. If we define it as just a money thing, then she doesn’t really feel it. Nothing like how Mammon does, at least. She is not an impulse spender nor a hoarder. But she does sometimes notice herself getting a little bit more possessive than she’s comfortable with, and having to immediately back all the way off and examine where the hell that came from. So in that way, she’s got a bit of greed.

Envy as well is like that for her. She feels it in ONE specific situation. But then again, it never manifests in a way that would urge her to make someone else’s life worse. She’s never “if I can’t have it no one can” when she’s jealous, like classic envy, but instead like “oh… but me too though?”

With that in mind, probably envy is the one Auva embodies the least.

7. What is their favourite place, and what do they love so much about it?

Her demons’ arms. No question. She pretty much always wants one of them to hug her. She takes every opportunity to be in someone’s arms. It’s just nice. Warm and comfy and safe. If someone is holding her, she can’t possibly forget that they love her. Unfortunately, this is a pretty easy thing for her to forget otherwise. RSD sucks. Her history of touch deprivation sucks even worse.

(If we want an actual location, then there’s a few. Her bed, the library, the observatory, anywhere she can be in water, that sort of thing. But really, she would be happy in any random place as long as one of her demons is holding her.

9. Do they attend RAD? What is their role there? Best subjects, club activities?

Yes, she’s a student at RAD. She’s good at languages. AWFUL at numbers. Good with theory, be it science or magic. Really likes potions, because it’s kind of like baking. Working with spell components as well. Math, phys ed, and seductive speechcraft are all the bane of her existence however. She’s got dyscalculia, she’s NOT fast, she’s aroace, and her charisma stat would be like,, -3 probably if she were a D&D character. She only succeeds in that class on the days when demon classmates are trying to practise on her and she’s NOT supposed to let it work. That’s very easy for her! She isn’t even fully sure what they’re expecting her to react to lol.

In terms of club activities… if RAD has a choir she would do almost anything to join it! Otherwise uhhh… do they have D&D in the Devildom? Maybe a GSA? An astronomy club, a book club, anything like that? She likes those.

If there’s nothing like that, it’s okay though. She’s more than happy hanging around with her demons at home. She wouldn’t want to do more than 2 clubs anyway, she doesn’t want to be TOO busy.

[finedinerofmoths]

Actually hold on I can't sleep so let me tell you what I think about Kevin, the smiling god, Strexcorp, and how it all ties together.

(rant incoming)

So! The podcast of WTNV contradicts itself sometimes as to who founded the congregation of the smiling god, and I find it interesting! (I'll try to to source my findings but I'm kinda trash at that so sorry in advance.)

First things first, it was before strex for sure. This is confirmed by the episode with past Kevin and I think a priest of the congregation actually? He talks about smiling, uses friendly language, and overall seems like a happy guy pre-strex in a somewhat similar fashion to during-strex Kevin. Personally I love the contrast, but that's not the point whoops. And after his disconnect with strex, there are still many! people that worship the smiling god.

Here's what I think, and take it with a grain of salt because I hadn't read any of the books or seen the live shows (wiki fandom is my best friend on this), but it seems like the corruption of a religion to further a social/political goal on strex's part.

I refuse to get too political on this but my thoughts on this was the OG religion was positive and harmless, centered around a more spiritual belief of goodwill, optimism, and respecting life (maybe the energy of every living thing via blood and bones and the beauty of just... Life and living thing? Only to turn into a blood and bone fixation? Hm.) Smiling has been proven to help your brain make happy chemicals, and laughing is literally contagious! I read a post that while science is Night Vale's religion, religion is Desert Bluff's science, and I agree. It makes sense that a guy like pre-strex Kevin (as little as I know him) would understand and appreciate these values. Hell, I even think cutting a gaslow smile into yourself could've been an original thing, some religions are like that man, especially not surprising in WTNV.

Strex is obviously sadistic, faux-friendly, manipulative and gaslighting, etc etc etc. It wouldn't be the first time a company or group would use and corrupt a popular religion to seize control, and brainwashing is how cults work! That mixed with torture and meds, no wonder strex employees were so loyal. And they most likely used his own religion (albeit an essentially bastardized version) to condition him. By telling him pain is good (yikes) and "crushing the weak" to paraphrase Kevin himself is all part of this religion HE FOUNDED, they could've easily twisted their own virtues into his. Despite being a prophet, I don't think Kevin has had contact with it for a while now.

However, the smiling god is obviously malevolent, I am not sure about that bit. It either drive him just a bit mad upon first meeting it (valid tbh), it killed him but didn't?? because what is logic in night vale honestly, or somehow tricked him into believing it was a more benevolent presence. Or, maybe he worshipped it because why not, Cecil was totally ready to adhere to the demands of the glow cloud, the distant prince, all of them due to a healthy dose of terror and cosmic fear. Kevin might've gotten luck of the draw.

A thing I don't know yet that's driving me crazy is Kevin met the smiling god via oak door the first time, and it makes me wonder if the desert otherworld is it's domain or something?? And dbt is there now, just thinkin' thoughts about that.

He's shown to be a bit controlling, opinionated and stubborn even before strex (only heartless people don't like cats, Cecil!) and I think strex amplified these traits to terribly negative proportions. As well as using his own trauma, maybe? He compares his father to a thing always watching (in the walls, I think?), the sun to an overbearing father, let's not even mention the burning hot caramel situation. If his father was strict and abusive, it might be easier to say "hey, wasn't that actually a good thing? All that pain, what a great dad!" And turn his brain into a functional positive feedback loop.

Sorry for the whole essay, ack, but I've been thinking about this way too much lately. To summarize, smiling god came first via Kevin, Strex ruined everything as per usual, and religion and science and this podcast are soooo flipping interesting!!!! Okay thanks for coming to my Ted talk, Mothy out

[sapphire-weapon]

My favourite thing ever is the way Ashley gets Leon to smile. Honest to god, his most sincere and genuine smiles are the ones he's given Ashley.

Now if she could just get him to laugh, that would be something completely unprecedented.

Sorry, it just occurred to me literally today that Leon never laughs -- even one time -- at any point in this series. Other protagonists, at the very least, laugh at how stupid a villain's plan is sometimes. Not this guy. Not our Leon. He's too dead inside. Bro doesn't even laugh at OG Salazar, who may as well have circus music playing in the background any time he's on screen. We stan a depressed king.

I was actually thinking about this a little last night -- again, in the context of the whole "Ashley is Leon's anchor to reality/his road back to himself" thing that I've talked about before, while also paired with the shitpost-but-not I made the other day about Leon's sense of self-worth and identity.

Leon drifts further and further away from himself as the series goes on, and not only does he not smile anymore, he becomes downright sullen. There was a time -- a significant period of time, actually -- where you could have said that one of Leon's defining traits was his optimism. That stops being true by the time of Damnation; Leon's optimism is replaced by hollow machismo in a poor attempt at a coping mechanism in that movie -- and, by the time of Vendetta, even the machismo has fallen to the wayside. By the age of 37, Leon has completely and utterly embraced the creeping sense of despair that's been hounding his steps for years.

That has never been who he was. But it's who he is now.

And, as soon as I had that thought, something occurred to me that I somehow had not noticed in the 18 years since RE4 OG has been out:

Ashley is a foil for Ada.

That wasn't her intended purpose when she was created, but it's the narrative role that she's come to inhabit as the series has gone on and Leon's character has progressed without her.

In OG canon, Leon thinks of Ada as a part of himself that he can't let go. But the longer he clings to her, the less of himself he becomes.

And the last person to actually see him as his true self, lifted up from the despair, and without hiding (fully) behind a veneer of machismo was Ashley -- someone he did let go. Even in OG, he is very genuine and very sincere with his affection for her (platonic or not) in a way he really isn't with anyone after RE4.

So, when you point out that his smiles for her are genuine, there's really something to that. He trusts Ashley with a piece of his heart that he doesn't show to anyone else post-RE2. Like, literally, the last person who probably saw him like that was Sherry, and we already know that Leon estranges himself from her almost completely after they're taken into CIA custody following RE2.

And the Remakes make this way more obvious than the OG games did, too -- not only because of the RE engine being great for facial expressions, but because of the way the script changes make certain parts of Leon's character more noticeable. If you go straight from RE2make to RE4make, the entire opening sequence involving the cops and the hunting lodge is absolutely horrifying. If I was a new fan coming in from RE2make to RE4make, I would be knocked on my ass and going "This is not my Leon. This is not the sweet boy that I know. What the fuck happened to him?"

RE4make does such a good job with sharply juxtaposing who Leon was with who he is now. By the time of RE4make, Leon is so beaten down and tired and closed off and angry and, honestly, scared -- that he almost kind of feels like a completely different character. Except, he's not a different character. He's still Leon -- just, Leon with his blinders ripped off and his heart broken.

And, we know that he's still Leon, because every once in a while, the sweet boy that we know comes back. It's infrequent, and it's only for a few moments, but he's still in there. And it always -- every single time -- is only ever Ashley that pulls it out of him.

And Ada? She forces him to retreat again immediately, and he locks himself back up tight.

So, when Ashley gets permanently erased from Leon's life and Ada becomes more of a permanent fixture in it, that sweet boy from RE2 disappears, and he's replaced entirely by the version of Leon that's heartbroken and angry all the time -- because Ada is a constant reminder of all that he's lost, whereas Ashley, as his only true success story, was a hopeful reminder of all that he could potentially be.

I honestly don't think that Capcom even realizes that this is how they've written Leon's character. I don't think it was intentional for Leon's smile to fade with Ashley's absence in his life.

But that's just kind of how it happened.

[illmetkismet]

I'm so sorry if you've talked about this before, but if not, i wanted to ask you what's your opinion on 4make Leon? Do you think he's still a bit like that 21 yr old rookie he was in Racoon City?

:)

Eeeeeee thank you for the ask!! I talked about the ways Leon changes between 2 and 4 a bit in this post (and specifically the second part in the reblog), but more in a general sense. To get more specific, I think re4r Leon still has the same core values he did when he was a baby boy rookie - he's kind, he's selfless, he wants to help people so badly - but Raccoon City made an open wound out of him, and the intervening years between then and when we meet him again in 4 have scabbed the wound over and then mangled him with emotional scar tissue.

Let's start with some good: re2r Leon had kind of a naive trust in authority figures that led him to do some shitty stuff. I'm thinking specifically not letting the reporter out of the holding cell, insisting he has to talk to Irons first, because there must be a reason he's in there, right? Even in the face of a zombie apocalypse, Rookie Leon was like, "The carceral system makes sense, actually." And I'm sure him helping Ada, and being so difficult to dissuade from doing so in the end, had to do not just with his crush on her, but also with her telling him she was FBI. The one time his easy trust of authority figures pays off is with Marvin, but let's not talk about that 🥺

Re4r, on the other hand, opens with Leon basically monologuing about how much he hates the government and then having an uneasy car ride with two cops. You get the distinct impression that he's trying to be civil but he finds the implication that they don't want to be there or help him kinda distasteful. He sees them for what they are: lazy country cops who don't take their duties seriously, and that ticks him off. So right off the bat we see a Leon who's kinda withdrawn (he spends most of the cutscene staring out the car window) and who hasn't retained that blind adoration of a police uniform.

Him meeting Luis and immediately clocking him as 'fishy' is another great character beat. In the OG he just takes Luis at his word about being a cop, but in the remake he asks Hunnigan to look into him, which not only shows us he's not as naive anymore, but actually helps advance their story and relationship in a way the OG never did. They get to have that confrontation later about Luis working for Umbrella, and then Leon has to work his way towards trusting Luis enough to rely on him for the medicine and for help getting to Ashley.

So he's less naive, which is the good, but the bad.... Oh man, the bad... Along with his naivete in 2, he was also kind of an optimist. That's been almost thoroughly beaten out of him by 4 - he's withdrawn, quiet, depressed, and traumatized. We see it so clearly because it stands in such stark contrast to his central motivation in the game: that this time it can be different. He hasn't fully given up on optimism; there's a tiny spark of it in his heart still, and all throughout 4 he's desperate to keep it alive by trying to save Ashley, to connect with Ada, to trust Luis, even in trying to talk Krauser down while they fight.

It feels like in 4 he's mourning the rookie he used to be. He's not as trusting or earnest or open. Instead, he's closed off and brooding, and he uses humour as a crutch, as a way to distance himself from the horror of the situation he's in. So he's clearly developed some unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with his trauma.

I know you didn't ask about 6, but I think what they do with a 6 remake could be really interesting in how things go for Leon from here! 6, as it is now, and the way it segues into Vendetta, follows a through line of a Leon whose little flame of optimism pretty much gets extinguished. In re4 OG we don't get the ending cutscene of him and Ashley looking hopefully at the sunrise, and I think that could be the crux of things going differently for him. The 'things could be different' premise gets resolved in the remake - things ARE different this time! I really hope they carry that over to the rest of the remakes and don't take Leon down the same road of depression and alcoholism... That's a lot to hope for, since it seems like they intend for Vendetta to remain canon, but that's what I want to see, personally.

I want Leon to reclaim the positive aspects of the rookie he used to be, now that he's shed the negatives, and to fan that little flame of hope in his heart until he fucking burns with it!! Resi in general could use some hope, I think!! I'm just not a fan of where they left Leon at the end of Death Island, as this flippant, resigned guy who, ok, is not an alcoholic anymore, but now he's just a toy soldier. Same with Chris in 8, kinda, but that's a whole other can of worms!

Thank u for the ask again - I hope my Leon rambling answered your question 😅

[coolmaycroft]

Coomaycroft's guide to experiencing the Scott Piligrim

fWell H'llo newcomers at the Scott Piligrim Franchise.

I've seen this questions posted for several days now "On What order should I experience the media?" "Should I watch the anime or the comics first?"

Well, because it's become an encompassing franchise like Star wars or LOTR, I figured I'd propose a watch order for the people that just became aware of this multi-media spanning saga.

The (main) franchise is made of:

Scott pilgrim (the manga, comic, graphic novel): first released in 2004 as separate volumes and later sold in boxsets, and later in color hardcovers.

Scott pilgrim(the movie): released in 2010, directed by edgar Wright just a mere month after the end of the last volume. Disclaimer, I am biased against the movie.

Scott pilgrim (the game): Released pretty much at the same time as the movie (august 2010) for the play station and Xbox (what gen I don't remeber, it was a long time ago). I'll add a disclaimer here: I have never played the game, But I did watch the gameplays. The game is a side scrolling-beat em up/plataformer/RPG with a few different events depending on choices you take across the game.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off: the animated series released this november. controverisal for choosing to make Ramona the protagnist of the story rather than scott.

there's also:

Scott Pilgrim vs the animation: A short cartoon made to promote the movie which adapts a flashback from vol. 2 where Kim, Scott and [Redacted] are still in Highschool

The Mobile comic: The comic in app form, which uses animations, sounds and vibration for the experience.

neither of these last 2 is fundamental for the expereince. Now onto the main topic:

what is the optimal way to enjoy Scott Pilgrim?

for this, I'll propose several orders depeding on what your priorities are:

A) the 2010's order: If you like doing things in chronolgical order

Read the comics first

watch the movie

then play the game (tho you can skip it)

finally watch the anime

As its name says: this order is best if you want to experience SP the "correct" way, as in, knowing what the story is about and seeing how it changes across time. basically you get the OG story in comic form, which still has that 2000's vibe. Then the movie takes the main elements of the story and gives it a more grunge 2010's aesthetic with some character change. The game serves as an intermission or break where you get to focus more on the vibes of the world rather than the story. finally the anime is a sort of revisionism on the character of Ramona and sensibilities of the modern times can be seen influencing the overall story: deconstruction, refference and subersion of expectations.

B) The Just the basics Order: if you just wanna se what the fuss is about

watch the anime first

read the comics

skip the movie and the game altogether

Old fans of the franchise will consider skipping the movie a sacrilege but hear me out: there is no storytelling value to be gained from it. All the beats of the story are in the comic and the hottest new thing for the next months is the animation. Sure, the movie is 1hr and 52 minutes, easy to knock out along the animation. But the problem is precisely how much it skips, giving the newcomers little context to understand the characters from the POV of the anime.

The game follows the story beats too loosely to get the full context of the story and characters. sure there are alternate events to the comic but by virtue of it being a game, these events are not elaborated on; no narrative payoff, no storytelling value.

IF you watch the anime first you've gotten a good taste o the SP world and characters with a focus on Ramona. Then you go to read the comics and you'll see the characters in a fuller picture, and much of the lore reffered in the anime will be explained. The anime and the books compliment each other: the anime focuses on Ramona and the side characters more (the exes and ramona's friends) The comics focus on Scott and the main characters (Ramona to a lesser degree, Sex-bob omb, Knives, and Wallace)

C)The Unraveling order: If you don't care much about spoilers and like Lore to be given little by little

watch the movie first

watch the anime next

Read the comics last

the videogame is not necessary.

This order has a few advantages: by watching the movie first you get the crash course on O' Malley's vision. know the cast, basic events, and setting. watching the anime second the world will be expanded, and side characters will be explored but many events will still be shrouded in mystery. Finally by reading the comic last, you get a new context of the events of the movie, the characters the anime and pretty much the story on which everything was based off. Think of it like knowing a friend's story/drama from others and finding a book telling the full version of the events.

This order also gives a very interesting interpretation of Ramona: in the movie you'll see her as a distant, and alluring girl. By watching the anime you get another side of her that the movie doesn't show; much more reletable and understandable. Finally, the comics give us a full understanding of why she is the way she is: her fears, flaws and virtues.

In the end, I consider the comic/manga graphic novel fundamental because it's just good. It has drama, action, romance. It's a story about friendship, gorwing up, and facing your demons. The movie, though I'm biased against it, has some of the funniest moments in the franchise and great scenes. The animation presents a new story and a new vision on the same world. So they all have their merits.

Addendum: FAQ about the franchise

basically quick answers to some of the most asked questions:

Do I have to look at the comics/movie before the animation?

No, the reading is not required. The animation is its own story told with the same characters, epsode 1 is vol. 1 almost to a T except that vol. 1 goes more in depth about evertyhing. From there the story beats are different; they happen with different characters or in different order or are entirely new.

So you can jump right in, and if you go with the other media there's newer stuff from your POV

What's the difference between the comics/movie and the animation?

In layman's terms: the movie and comics focus on Scott, and Ramona is the co-lead. In the animation Ramona is the lead and scott is even less of a co-lead and more of a romantic interest. Again, events differ but are similar.

Are the comics worth it?

Yes, they are. Even if you liked Ramona's story more, she still gets a TON of screentime in the comics and she goes through very different stuff, giving a whole new angle to her. If you didn't like Scott, the comics are all about beating him into the ground and making him learn from his mistakes. If you think Scott is a cinnamon roll that must be protected you'll get a crash course on why nobody is perfect. If you wanted more Knives, wallace, Stephen, and Kiim the comics are totally worth it.

bonus: you also get to know who the unknown blonde girl is, and why everyone is throwing a fit about her and why the fit is totally justifed.

Do I get the b&W version fo the comics or the color version?

That's really up to you. it's the same story but the color versions usually have some extra mini-comics about scott and friends that o'malley made avoer the years. I'm on the camp of "you should read it in the original black and white because that's the original experience" but I'm a pretentious nerd.

why are some people saying they didn't like the animation/it felt off?

the animation changed a LOT of things after ep. 1. Again, they made Ramona the protagonist. But I agree that we got SO little from Scott. In my opnion, the struggle Scott goes through the story to better himself is fundamental to the theming. So, for an old fan, the animation does feel lacking.

On top of that it took the fandom by surprise because all we had heard was that Ramona would get more developemnt but the promos and trailer pretty much felt like they would follow the comics but in a more compressed way. The story structure is changed as well: the comics are a sort of tournament arc shonen. The animation is a murder mystery shonen.

If you're a new fan, don't listen to the olds. It's the Prequel syndrome all over again. the animation is good, the movie is good, the comics are good. Choose your fave and don't let anyone tell you you're worng.

[teefa85]

Since the interface for image posting is better than a decade ago and I can use the Robin Customizer website to make images better than what I can take with the camera (even if I have a phone now), I figured it's a good time to just create a new masterpost for all Avatars. Links back will be updated if ever I get the itch for a new run.

Names other than direct references come from Fantasy Name Generators and the Dragon Name Generator. You can also click on an image to see their name in the description.

More info under cut...copy 'n pasted from OG posts and edited due to context changes.

The first is Teefa, named after my Head Muse.  She’s married to Lon’qu because I have a big obsession with Swordsmasters.

The girl with blue hair is Lufia, named for the heroine of the first game in the series of the same name.  She’s married to Chrom and anyone who knows said series would get the joke behind both her name, looks and marriage immediately.

The green-haired shota is Miath, my first male Avatar.  He’s a shota obviously because he married Nowi.  Wanted to have two overpowered Manakete daughters of destruction without feeling guilty about marrying 1000 year old legal jail bait.

Lennalt is the second of the male Avatars.  He eventually got married to Panne, though a bit late because I am the moron who didn’t plan an Avatar/Sumia file in the ones where Chrom marries another girl, and am too lazy to shuffle pairings.  And was NOT going to be trying a shuffle on a file where Chrom is marrying Olivia…

This here is Rthyin, unfortunate recipient of a crazy name.  And married to Tharja because I am evil and have Trainwreck Syndrome.  But in reality, I just ran a Four Sorcerer run and left it at that!

Next up is me returning to parody world with Rutee.  Yes, I married her to Donnel since she’s named after a character who does marry a farmboy and has a hyperactive son.  And ran her as a Trickster since Rutee was a healer/thief.

Talath was decided completely by a Randomizer.  I Randomized her gender, appearance, and even who she and everyone else married!  After getting rid of duplicates I’d already done, I had the file she’s in.  Due to this stuff, she’s actually a Sage and is married to Virion of all freaking people!  He’s…actually pulled his weight for once, probably to impress his very particular wife (it is Virion after all!)

My camera did NOT like trying to snap a photo of Saphira, so I can finally share a good image of her.  She’s married to Stahl, and is FINALLY after so long back to my standard class usage of Dark Flier.  Hey!  I have a full family of riders this file…

Next is Maylanth (May for short). The first Reset Run when I just marry all the opposite gender children and Spot Pass units. Her ultimate husband at the end was Gaius, although that was at the very end of the game.

Danny was also a reset run, this time with a male Avatar. He ended up marrying Emmeryn and I went really screwed up with this by having Morgan marry Yarne (considering their Supports...). Other fun fact...his full name is Daenerys because when I got a bunch of Avatar names from the Dragon Name Generator GoT wasn't yet around and I'd never heard of "A Song of Ice and Fire" and didn't realize this related to a female character...

Beroan's run came about since I didn't do Priam's Supports since I didn't want to do his battle with a sub-optimal lesser party or grind the kids on a second file. Since the servers are switching off, I have to do this beforehand and chose a new file over just grinding Danny's 2nd gen. Marries Cordelia and gives his fetching purple hair to Severa.

Nveryll was my curious test to see if the SpotPass data I'd downloaded could still be loaded once the servers went down despite my earlier desperation. She marries Henry and I can only guess, since Henry's endings all talk about him being a surprisingly good father, both of them dote on Morgan endlessly.

[tuiyla]

not a top 5/top 10 ask, but it's still a ranking question: you said before that Katara, Santana, Marceline, Korra and Asami are your top 5 favorite characters of all time and that Korrasami, Bubbline, Brittana, Hollstein and Catradora are your top 5 ships of all time. How would you rank the characters that are part of your OTPs but didn't make it into the list of faves of all time (Brittany, PB, Carmilla, Laura, Catra and Adora)?

(Can you tell that I've been binge reading your blog? 🙈)

Well first off I'm honoured you'd be binging my blog, hope you had fun! Second, fun question let's get into it.

Hard to choose between Hollstein and PB, they're so similar in terms of appreciation in my mind. In fact, one of the great essays that never was is a Bubbline and Hollstein comparison post. "Of Nerds and Vampires," ah yes, posts that will always just be half-finished word docs on my desktop. But all that said, Hollstein are so equally matched to me they have to be following each other and I can't bear to put PB third because I've come to love her so much. So:

Bonnibel Bubblegum - She wins out because she's SO different from what people first expect of her and I just love her in all her tyrannical glory. A much, much more complex character than many give her credit for and I adore the moral grey area she lives in. Definition of women can be war criminals too.

Laura Hollis - It feels kinda strange to rank her above Carmilla as Carmilla is basically just My Type as a character and I did start the series preferring her. But Laura grows on you and she's just so damn endearing in all her naïvety and relentless optimism. I just find characters who stay kind and compassionate no matter what so damn compelling. Being nice is a superpower.

Carmilla Karnstein - Do not worry Carmilla isn’t far behind. She’s the OG lesbian vampire, what else is there to say. Well, lots, from tragic backstories to moral ambiguity to a desire, despite all that, to be good in some way. Even if that goodness only relates to connections with others, but I mean what is ‘good’ if not what we do for each other. Very Character. Much Vampire.

Brittany S Pierce - I feel there’s a clear distinction between the top three and bottom three here but I still very much like the bottom three. I think ranking Britt here above Catradora is just me being in my Glee brainrot era because I do find the other two more well-developed and compelling characters. But just in terms of how I feel right now and because I’m actively in the Glee fandom but haven’t rewatched She-Ra in a long while, I’ll say Britt. My love for her is reignited literally any time I watch a scene she’s in. Precious unicorn.

Adora - Again I feel like I “should” rank the more morally grey character first because that’s more my type but Adora called to me. Differently than PB or Laura did, more in the Korra way. If Bubbline and Hollstein are parallel versions then Korrasami... well their parallel is Supercorp, but Adora is a different universe and hero’s journey version of Korra. You know, I never used to go hard for protagonists before Korra but here I am with Adora now as well. She’s Anxiety™ and martyr complex and truly just has so much baggage but she gets her happy ending and I love her journey.

Catra - I do have a slight not like other girls bias against Catra, I must confess. By which I mean that after a certain point a character gets so popular that even if you see the appeal you kind of get turned off, which I’ll call the Zuko Syndrome. Both because he’s the first example in my fandom experience and because, well, I think there are other similarities with these two. But for real Catra is a super super complex character and I’m nothing if not a lover of messed up female characters. Catra is so deeply flawed in a way that I instinctively turn away from because it hits too close to home but also am drawn to because the story is so... kind to her. I do think her redemption is done well in a sense that it’s not like she faces no consequences but she’s also allowed to heal and move forward, exemplifying what’s so beautiful about SPOP. Frankly I don’t think audiences deserved a ch like Catra, from some Discourse I’ve witnessed, but I also think SPOP teaches us that it’s not about what we deserve.

[srarlight]

Another year another summary! This was... an odd one that's for sure ;v; A lot more IRL shenanigans happened that had my days a bit up and down, but as I tend to be, I'm keeping up the optimism! 

A break down of my year under the read more!

So for an art update- I was worried by the time I got to December, that I would find I hadn't actually done too much since my usually source of work like RG took a hit this year. However, between zines, commissions, and new topics that helped me through some days- I was able to have a fair amount to show off here! This year is also heavily marked by me getting an iPad which ended up being a godsend because I often found my self either working 46 hour work weeks or a lil in bed or away from my pc. So in reality most of the art I got done was done on the iPad.  So what I accomplished was: More paintings! Mostly for commissions, job prospects, and charity zines. I really like the ones I did finish and I think I am keeping up my art journey up well enough with practice. I also did a fair amount of concept art and character designs for both dnd related hobbies and a secret OG idea I'm collabing on with a friend for after RG is finished which will probably not be a few more years yet. Although if you notice that little blip above, that "fair amount" of the dnd concept art actually turned in a LOT thanks in part to a fixation I have that hasn't weaseled its way into my art much until now. I actually really like fish and ocean themes which mostly manifests in the stuff I own, but while I was dealing with surgeries and happenings, that was kind of like a huge comfort for me. It was mostly sketches and really rudimentary colors, but there ended up being so much of it. I actually am happy to see it because what it also lead to is inadvertently finally learning human anatomy because the fish folk concepts often had human counter parts or family. So FINALLY I'm bucking up and covering what is usually something I avoid like the plague, but now I can say I somewhat have a handle on. Unfortunately, because it's dnd related, I didn't really post much if any of it since it be spoilers for a hand full of people but the surprise is half the fun so maybe one day I'll post a massive collage of all of it. Outside of that I drew a few fancy weapons; made 23 pieces of music; handmade a pile of felt ornaments again; helped my roommate with a Halloween piece; did manage to get RG back in gear; and edited a good few things. Time for the bit of the more- personal stuff all vague like just to serve as a memory capsule for me. Starting off, in march I had my wisdom teeth removed. I know that's basically a common surgery, but in order to get it done I had to uproot my life for about a month to get that done. It wasn't all rough though because I stayed with my family for the entire duration. During that time while I was still a bit roughed up, I started that fish art, but also I got told about a job opportunity from someone I trust that they wanted me to try for. In order to do that I ended up making 3 very involved illustrations. Unfortunately with all that happenings with shows getting cancelled for animation this year, that ended up getting cancelled so that wasn't in the cards for meeee. Eventually I got home and had a few significant life things at least to me. That BF I had last year I ended up breaking up with, not because they did anything wrong, they were sososo very nice, but turns out I'm plenty touch adverse and was rather struggling to feel romantic feelings. I consider my self plenty ace and aromantic so I felt very- "was trying on a coat to see if it works" only to find out that maybe it could work one day, but for now I feel much happier being super platonically involved with the people I care about. That break up was rocky at the start but we recovered and are still great friends which was a relief cause I really do feel strongly about my friends. On a happier note I got to do several trips with friends this year! Saw the redwoods, went to local cons, & went on a road trip with my roommate and fair.  I'm on team- go have experience with your friends when you can now or at least do friend activities online so I actually, for me at least, was out and about or was in voice calls a lot with friends. I really liked it and I feel enriched for it ;v; There were a few more negative things. Some additional situations that changed my life some that were hard and some stuff with my family where I had to give away at a lot to try and help them keep afloat. Family struggled with health this year a lot so I do fret over that. Also had a SECOND oral surgery. My gum just straight up ripped on me and I needed to get a skin graft that saw me distracted for another half a month or so while I was a mashed food gremlin and a lil unhappy about the pain stuff  :T  cost a pretty penny like the first one did, but rather that then have roots exposed. And for additional expensive things, I spent a good few dollars fixing stuff with my car. Was unpleasant but like 4/5ths of that is done. End of the year is fairing alright though! Still got savings despite all of that, still in a good home with nice roommates, & with plans to visit more friends in the future where ever I can squeeze it out. Oh and this was the first year I tried text RPs with close friends with our ocs and yeah turns out I can enjoy that too, but probably only with friends hah. So yeeeep I think that's most of what happened. Basically could have been worse and could have been better, but I'm still super thankful for the nice things that did happen. No matter what things happen this next year, if I can keep up hanging with friends, making art I enjoy, and scraping time to see little chunks of the world- I'll be good!!

[sonadowkismesis]

prev u fucking get it !!!!!

the more i think about it the more i realize how much theatre symbolism you can read into shadow. it goes deeper than just his design or voice or how extra his mannerisms are at times, because theres something abt theater that rlly hits thematically with shadow as a character

i think you rlly hit the nail on the head w the idea shadow was made to perform. time and time again he has to play the role he was given, carry out someone else's wish, whether it's gerald's, eggman's, black doom's, even maria's. and when he does he always gives his all to deliver a flawless performance, bc he's a perfectionist at heart.

the way shadow wears "the ultimate lifeform" title is also interesting in this aspect. more than being theatrical in how dramatic it is, it's a role he was placed into. theres a kind of artificiality in that, where his capabilties arent from nature but from human intervention to mimic real life.

and ultimately, thats what theater performance is about: it's mimicry, it's an exaggerated recreation of reality. it's impersonation.

when sonic calls out shadow for impersonating him, it's a direct attack to his abilities. it's not just calling out their artificial roots, it's also an accusation that theyre all show. power and authenticity are intransically linked here.

because if a good theater performance is measured by the intensity and soul actors give into their roles, shadow measures his own performance in strength. his confidence in his identity revolves around his ability to perform well, to prove he is stronger than his double is also proving hes not the impersonator here and is authentic. unfortunately, shadow dies anyway, he even goes as far as giving up his title, basically his identity to sonic, thus placing himself in the role of the impersonator. power is authenticity, and shadow didnt have the strength to live this time. why?

to go back to what you said, i think shadow's true setback in his early appearances was his (conscious or not) inclination to perform other's desires. puppet theater comes to mind, as the incentive for his very conception was to follow the script his creators had for him ; who couldnt see him as a living being, but a shell to instill and act out their goals.

except he's not playing in someone else's show anymore!! post shth shadow found his purpose and character motivation, he became the leading actor of his own life... shadow has always had the strength to carry out his own wishes, all he needed was the willingness to do so in spite of everything and everyone else :33 love him so much

((ALSO forgot 2 mention this in og post but david humpfrey also did a lot of theater (specifically musical theatre) aside from his role as shadow. aint that fun

srsly though, other than its theatrical use, i often think about how the transatlantic accent came to be and how it relates to shadow.

the thing about this accent is that it didnt start out as a product of cinema/theater: originally, it was taught in upper class, fancy schools in america from the 20s to 40s. that's right, taught. its not an accent you could learn naturally, theres no "transatlantic" region where one could speak it from birth, you had to take classes and everything. the overall gist is its a deliberate pick and choose of american and british sounds, taught to the upper class to sound more sophisticated.

then during a time (around the 30s or so) where sound in cinema was just beginning to appear thanks to technological improvements, renowned stars in the industry found themselves unequipped to give good vocal performances on set. therefore they were urged to take classes to work on their eloquence and such, and ended up learning the ta accent, which is why it became so widespread in cinema at that time.

and i think theres a lot of thematical weight in giving shadow this accent. a deliberate selection of characteristics optimized to sound the most superior, reserved for the elite, artificial in how you cant find it anywhere in nature..... it fits so well for shadow, this premeditated perfection))

srry for rambling but im insane so. thumbs up

ok but i find it interesting how shadow's appearance was partially inspired by kabuki theatre

like ooo that makes sense. that makes a lot of sense actually

funny thing is it kinda fits perfectly with shadow's first va using a slight mid-atlantic accent. i thought the accent was a nod to him being from the 50s when it was still in use, but the fact it was almost exclusively utilized in theatrical and cinematic settings kinda makes me wonder if it was an intentional reference to the theatrical aspect of shadow's design as well? his dramatic demeanor sickens me

[wr1t1ng-d1ary]

Where Am I Going?

How long has it been since I've written from the first post? Sometimes I don't think it's because people would care. Sometimes I just think it's better to discontinue. Sometimes I even wonder what's the point of writing this? What am I doing this for? For a glimpse of fame, fortune and respite? Hard to say.

So I reached a simple conclusion for all of this. I am NEVER going to be consistent with my writing, in this diary, in my stories or anything else. Sometimes I might leave my stories discontinued because the story is lost against time and loss of interest but I usually convince myself that it's better writing something and leaving a mark than leaving nothing at all. Is it crueler to leave a story discontinued, giving people a taste of one's writing or not writing at all and never letting anyone experience a story that can somehow, somewhere touch a reader.

I suffer from a lot of things when it comes to writing, from doubts to the words never being enough and me never being enough. I look at my fanfictions and see how long since I publish them. I look at my word count and I despair. I look back at my notes and see how much the years go by and yet my stories are never finished.

And don't get me there when I think about what would happen agter writing everything. The agents, publications, marketing. All that if you want to write, publish and bring your book out to the world instead of a writer for oneself, something easier and yet more difficult than publication.

I admit that this thought dump screams negative sentiment, doubts that have popped up in one's head but then you realize all those thoughts were useless, you read inspo from other writers and have a community that tells you not to give up, who have been there and offer advice and whatnot and then with a little courage, with want stronger than fear and without ever giving up, you can keep going back.

And I have not given up, I have always gone back but I still feel a little unteetered about how I want my writing journey to go. From all the unfortunately discontinued stories concerning fanfiction publications when I no longer feel much for the fandom and the OG stories that would simply be drafts and where I lament that no one will like them and I think my writing is garbage...

I keep going but I don't know where. I can't keep up consistency, because it pushes my brain to oblivion. I read some inspo but it's harder to implement and then I can't help feel... where am I going?

I have stories, I have vague ideas but I cannot make them tangible. I have short burst of notes, a fair few scenes but I can't tie them to a story. We live in a generation slightly more cynical and critical, or at least what we like to believe in our minds for the louder negative voices in social media that influences the voices in our minds. Sometimes, we know all that and yet we fall for such traps again and again. What happened to optimism, to freedom? What happened to just writing for fun, without caring for hot garbage and just trying? What happened to going full throttle, even with words that make no sense but just doing it for character's fun?

What happened to just writing without checking then notifications and inboxes for other reader's comments because deep down, you need to know what other people think or else you think you are writing lousy stories when in truth, it's not really about the people but yourself because as a writer, you are the first and maybe only reader?

Again, I know all that. Again, I still fell for such a trap. Because maybe, throughout all these questions, it stuck to one point:

Where am I going? And really, I don't know. And not knowing frustrates me because it feels pointless with a prolonged sense of achievement I do not get. Without the sensation of joy that I have lost.

A really negative sentiment, and is this a selfish cry for help or something deeper? A self-doubt and low self-esteem that some of us has gone through and finding ways to deal with it without truly knowing how. I wish I can say that I've overcome it, that I reached an epiphany but sadly we all have our low days. Sadly, we want to create, not give up, discover and hold on to the feelings that made us become writers in the first place, that are still there deep within our heart but reality, depression, boredom and just being lost had made it so much harder. I'm trying to dig my way back up, I'm trying to tell myself even though I don't know where I am going that I can just chip away through any of my many, many drafts and find something to sink in. I'm trying to tell myself that my loss of creativity that I'm trying too hard to find does not mean the end of a writing career, just something that I should let happen naturally when I let go of my depression and boredom.

We all have sentiments, we all have doubts but I don't want to give up. And as writers, even with the unknown ahead of us, I think we always want to try. We always want to grasp the feeling that made us writers in the first place, because of the stories we seek out. We try our best.

In a world of validation and approval, it's harder to convince myself as such because we need reader's approval for that and that's impossible when they aren't with us throughout the drafts, the notes and only at the final product. I want to trust myself more, be my own reader but my mind cries out bias or is the worst critic ever.

But if I slowly cut all that away, if I just let it be me, my stories and just a whole world of possibilities...

One day, I will find the meaning of this diary, made once more maybe for people to see, for people to help but maybe it can be what it should be. A diary to post for my future self, to read, to understand my plight, to pick apart and get an answer that I now cannot. To remind myself of the buts to my negative sentiments, to the wistful thinking that could be more even at the darkest moments.

I hope it would mean more, and for anyone who stumbles to this little diary, I am just showing my writing vulnerability despite not being as famous, or popular or great a writer. I am showing the struggles of a dreamer, and whatever that means to the world. For the first time, I am writing down my own story. And see where it goes.

[market-spy]

Decoding the Global Procurement Outsourcing Market: A Story of Efficiency, Expertise, and a Few Hiccups

Remember that feeling of staring at a mountain of invoices, wishing you had a magic spell to streamline your procurement process? Well, buckle up, because that's essentially the global procurement outsourcing market – a $5.54 billion behemoth in 2021, projected to balloon to a whopping $14.28 billion by 2030. That's enough green (both the leafy and paper kind) to make even the most hardened CFO raise an eyebrow (and maybe check their outsourcing budget).

But before we all get giddy about all that moolah, let's dive into the nuts and bolts of this market and see what makes it tick (and potentially leak, but we'll get to that later).

Why the Buzz?

Cost Efficiency Craze: Businesses, like lovesick teenagers, are head over heels for efficiency. And what better way to boost it than by handing over your procurement headaches to seasoned outsourcing experts? They'll negotiate like ninjas, optimize supply chains like chess masters, and save you money like magic elves (okay,maybe not that last one, but you get the picture).

Technology's Helping Hand: AI, automation, and other fancy tech are transforming procurement into a digital wonderland. Outsourcing providers, armed with these tools, can analyze data faster than a hummingbird on Red Bull, giving you valuable insights to make smarter sourcing decisions.

Complexity Conundrum: Supply chains these days are more tangled than a teenager's earphones. Outsourcing gives you access to specialized expertise that can untangle this mess and ensure you're getting the right stuff at the right price.

But It's Not All Sunshine and Rainbows:

Control Freak Blues: Letting go of your procurement reins can be scary. What if the outsourcing elves run off with your budget and leave you with shoddy supplies? Data security and compliance can also be concerns, like that time you accidentally posted your vacation photos online (we've all been there).

Implementation Jitters: Transitioning to outsourcing can be bumpy. There's training, integration, and cultural clashes to navigate. Think of it like introducing your cat to a dog – it might take some time and a few hisses before they're curled up on the couch together.

Hidden Costs: While outsourcing can save you money in the long run, there are initial setup costs and potential hidden fees to consider. Think of it like buying a gym membership – you might save on personal trainers in the long run, but those monthly fees can sting.

The Regional Rockstars:

North America: These guys are like the procurement OG's, with mature outsourcing ecosystems and tech-savvy businesses willing to throw money at efficiency. Think Wall Street in suits, negotiating deals over lattes at fancy coffee shops.

Asia-Pacific: This rising star is growing faster than a teenager's social media following. With booming economies and a skilled workforce, they're the future of outsourcing. Think bustling factories and tech hubs humming with activity.

Trends to Watch:

Tech Takeover: AI, robots, and blockchain are the new kids on the procurement block, promising even greater efficiency and transparency. Think of it like upgrading your flip phone to the latest foldable masterpiece – it's a whole new game.

Sustainability Spotlight: Businesses are starting to care about more than just the bottom line. Ethical sourcing and environmental responsibility are becoming hot topics, and outsourcing providers are adapting to offer green-friendly solutions. Think of it like trading your gas-guzzler for a hybrid – good for the planet and your wallet.

End-to-End Evolution: Forget piecemeal solutions, businesses are craving one-stop procurement shops – from sourcing to payment, it's all under one roof. Think of it like ordering a delicious pizza online – convenience is king. For More Information: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/procurement-outsourcing-market

The Bottom Line:

The global procurement outsourcing market is a dynamic beast with its fair share of opportunities and challenges. While it's not without its hiccups (and privacy concerns), the rising demand for efficiency, coupled with technological advancements and regional growth, paints a promising picture for the future. Just remember, with great outsourcing power comes great responsibility. Choose your providers wisely, negotiate like a pro, and keep an eye on those data elves – because even in the land of procurement magic, a little skepticism goes a long way. About Us-

SkyQuest Technology Group is a Global Market Intelligence, Innovation Management & Commercialization organization that connects innovation to new markets, networks & collaborators for achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

Contact Us-

SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

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