#{ I think this is pretty fitting as a result for Mika. }

[yuichiroswife]

Which Fairytale Archetype Are You?

The Monstrous Bride.

 “Just as the ultimate goal of Arthurian quest finally defines itself as the Holy Grail, the object that can never be assimilated into the real world, so the ultimate woman of romance is a fairy mistress, or fairy queen.” — Helen Cooper. The monstrous bride is not necessarily monstrous, but she is, by definition, inhuman, which is part of her je ne sais quoi. Her happiness often depends on whether her groom knows her inhuman. If he does not, he is bound to find out before the story concludes, at which point he will either be repulsed by his wife's deceit and leave her, or attempt to make the relationship work, but fail, because he is operating under a misinterpretation of her nature. If he is aware of her inhuman identity, it will often be one of the factors leading to his attraction to her, and he will be rewarded with her love – but often at the cost of abandoning his previous life completely.

Tagged: @crxstallium​

Tagging: @casketcat, @devotionobsessed​, and @rosxtenebrae​

[rev3rb]

Hi!! It’s me again asking about the new chapter. Literally every other page had me like 😳 from either the gayness or just the plot points like wtf. I complained last time about being confused from lack of info and now I’m confused from too much info but very excited to see where this goes lmaoo

I think the illusion part was a fun lil twist. Sometimes it can be annoying when a high stakes situation turns out to be fake all along, but the way it was done sorta short kept things interesting and added to Rigr’s sly behavior. Also just Rigr bantering with Urd by being oddly sweet and saying how he was planning to come back and work together was such an intriguing 180 flip. Urd already considering the offer & being on the same page with the hostages was kinda gold. I feel like he’s already sorta accepting his fate, I’d honestly be surprised if he doesn’t decide to team up with Rigr next chp.

And then on top of all ~that~ the stuff about all versions of Yu being made for Mika?! We get it, they’ve been destined to each other for thousands of years, they’re soulmates, it’s gay 🙄 I haven’t been super onboard with Mika becoming Yu’s demon bc I want him to stay himself & have a role on his own, but now I’m more excited for how that works/messes with the First’s plan.

Oh, and I enjoyed seeing Byakkomaru + Raimeiki despite being worried for Shinya + Kureto. I feel like all the demons/progenitors relationships to the First get more complicated each chapter and I would really like a better breakdown on where loyalties lie at this point lol

Hello once again anon! I was wondering if you'd crop up!

Ho boy. This chapter. A lot happened. I can see why you're confused. While this chapter did give us quite a bit of information, we can still only speculate as to how everything fits together. There's really no right or wrong right now. I have a feeling that starting next chapter, we'll finally be able to start fitting things together. If not then we'll at least be getting back into some action I imagine. It'll be nice after the last handful of chapters.

In that same vein, I agree with what you said about the illusion. It was fun to get some action even if it did end up being fake, but not only did this serve as some fun, it developed Ky Luc and Lest Karr as well as what you said about Rigr. While we've seen Ky Luc fight before, we didn't really see him with his back against the wall. As Guren and Shinya put it:

(They tied as Guren said shortly before this but this is funnier)

It was nice to see how Ky Luc fights in a tough situation. It speaks to his character quite a bit. On top of that, there's Rigr's comment about Ky Luc being strong enough to kill a 3rd Progenitor. I'm sure that will be relevant later, possibly even explained, but likely not for a while. Not only that, but, and correct me if I'm wrong, we haven't seen Lest Karr fight before. This was a cool insight into what his battle presence is like. I imagine that both of these things will come into play sometime later. Plus! It's like Rigr said:

At the very least it tells us Ky and Lest will side with whoever Urd does.

I ish made a post addressing Urd and Rigr, but god, yeah. These bitches gay, Rigr especially. Good for them. It makes me think that Rigr always intended to return to Urd's side (in a gay way or not). After all, as he said, this is all according to plan apparently.

It's interesting to think about, but I think Urd is as much a pawn in this game as the likes of Guren. He has his own view/side to things, but he's going to get swept up in other people's messes/plans whether he wants to or not. Given his history with Rigr and it being unlikely (at the moment) that Rigr will betray him again, I imagine Urd and Rigr will be on the same side going forward? Allegiances change like the weather though so who knows. This is just the feeling I get at this point in time, and you alluded to it too.

I'm left a little unsure about how to feel about the whole Yu and Mika situation. None of what was shown really comes as a surprise. The eye being a doorway to the past was something I didn't expect, neither was The First being able to affect that vision, but pretty much everything else was. We'd already been basically told that Yus were somehow grown/created, so now we just finally get to see what the exact method is. Can't say I understand how that works, but there you go. It wasn't much of an explanation, but it's something I guess.

Mika becoming Yu's demon/weapon also doesn't come as a large surprise. Ever since he "died" back in chapter 90 (91?), this is pretty much what I expected. I'm not even that surprised that it was something that Mika ultimately chose. It's not quite something I would have speculated back when Mika first died, but after we started getting chapters that showed off demon Mika, it was something I suspected might happen. And maybe it's just me, but I don't think Mika will become any less important now that he's Yu's weapon. I wouldn't be surprised if he took a role similar to Mahiru going forward. Mahiru is one of Guren's demons, but she's still her own character and can sorta do her own thing. I don't see why Mika couldn't be the same, even if their situations are a bit different.

SHINYA!!! I, like many others, have been waiting for this moment. Never would have guessed that he ended up getting captured, but what surprises me more is that Kureto was also captured. Last we saw he was directing troops. It seemed like things were going well for him. I wonder what happened that resulted in both of them getting captured. Is the rest of Guren squad okay? Who's running the Imperial Demon army now? I hope it's not Seishiro. Hey, maybe that's what happened to Narumi. He's running the army now :) In all seriousness though, if Guren squad is okay, I could actually see them running the army, but again I digress.

I made a post talking about what I think will happen to Shinya and Kureto (and by extension, Byakkomaru and Reimeiki) here. While I too am worried about them, I think that they'll be okay. If Rigr or Urd wanted to kill them, they probably would have done it by now. That's not to say that they couldn't be harmed though. I'm just hopeful that being hostages means that they'll stay alive.

Maybe it's a weird thing to say, but because of Guren's attachment to Shinya, I'd actually say that it's likely that Shinya has some thick plot armor in this instance. I'm confident that Shinya will remain alive at least until Guren is around him again. As for Kureto... well. I don't think there's as much plot armor for him. Again I think he'll be okay? He's the representative of normal humanity in all this and there's no good replacement for him (there's lit no other character that cares about humanity as a whole), so I think he'll stay alive for at least a little while longer.

And that pretty much sums up my thoughts! Sorry this got long, but as I said at the start, a lot happened. There was a lot to analyze and process. Thanks again for the ask! I hope you enjoyed hearing my thoughts.

[dollsonmain]

I was thinking about how Keith is wanting to rebuy things he lost in his youth, and me missing items that my mother threw away when she’d throw away everything I owned instead of teaching me how to clean to try to make me be tidy (like the Barbie ice cream parlor with real ice cream maker?) and how that did NOT work.

I’m still a mess.

Like right now I’m sitting in the middle of a nest.

And that led to me thinking about how I’ve tried various cleaning programs and none have worked for me.

And it’s like, little bits and pieces of different programs have sort of worked.

Fly Lady was TOO MUCH and all wrong for me, but she was right about getting dressed in the mornings, though I don’t wear shoes or slippers in the house. I do get more done if I’m dressed instead of wallowing around very comfy in my jammiejams.

Or like UFYH only really worked for me when she’d post something very specific, like “Go clean the bathroom floor right now.” and I’d be like WHICH BATHROOM??!?!?!? but I’d get one of them done at least but if she said “Find 10 things that aren’t where they belong and put them away” my brain shuts off. It’s not specific enough. But she was also pushing making the bed every morning. I am now, finally, in the habit of making the bed, and while doing so isn’t a catalyst for getting things done the rest of the day, it is a pretty good indicator of how much I might get done in a day.

If I don’t make the bed, chances are I’m not going to be able to do much at all that day. If I do make the bed, making the bed may be the only thing I do, but it’s at least one thing done.

Then Konmari really didn’t work for me because some days I feel joy over everything and some days I am wholly devoid of joy. But I started folding my underwear, bras, and socks her way and found that ever since I did that, I’ve always put my clean laundry away immediately. I’ve also been able to let go of some gifts that I never wanted in the first place, get rid of clothes that needed mending but I would never get around to, buckle down into an aesthetic for my doll and toy collecting from here on out, look at dolls and ponies that don’t quite fit and decide whether to change or let go of them, and start making myself buy the ABJD clothes that I LIKE, even if they cost more, instead of clothes I can afford. Which then makes them even more joyful for me to look at.

Which resulted in Mika being too damn cute and she’s still in the office with me instead of down where the others are, and led to the creation of Pastelicious out of Neonlicious, and buying Togetherness Bear and.....

I’m still a human disaster and my home is still a damned mess, but I’m happier in it, now? I feel like I am trying, now. Or maybe more like I’m aware that I always have been trying? And failing.... But trying.

[nonatowers]

ladies and gents, this is the moment you’ve waited for

a shy “hi” and welcome to my first blog post on this side blog!  my name is rosie, its a pleasure to meet you all and i will be honest, i dreaded my first post into this community for quite some time, but I just saw this answer-reply by psycho-sybil that made me pull out my literary resources and decide, it’s time to throw in my dime (please ignore this stupid joke). i’m sorry by the way, this is terribly random but i never really managed a blog before so…trial-by-error? (please be kind, i have a glass heart under my analysts hat)

anyways, my first idea was to unravel the character that is Arata Shindo (since many people seem to kind of misunderstand this fella), but that post is, uh, gonna be very very very long and i’m kinda trying to figure out if i should put it elsewhere? Or how to post it? if you guys got any ideas, let me know. 

for today’s dish, i will humbly offer a very watered down and shortened take on psycho pass’ possible ending(s) from a more literary theory-point of view, and hopefully inspire some fella writer out here. for this, i could go on a rant of literary theory and criticism but our medium does not fully fit in there as well as too little people would know what I’m going on about, and likely have life’s to care about unlike me. but if you guys wanna know what books i read to get a grasp of the theories and criticism for like, your own free time, i can link you the uni books i got. with so much blubber done beforehand, lets get to this under the cut, since this will contain some spoilers from season 3. 

the full circle idea is a very classic and satisfying theory in both film and literature. i suppose it circles back to the human brain’s need for completion, and to bring something full circle is the easiest and most ideal way to mentally rest a case and finish things. its can be possible for psycho pass to finish that way. however, i believe there are some different aspects that don’t get emphasised as much as they should when trying to imagine the future of the world in psycho pass. for once, its a so-so chance for a piece of work from the genre of cyberpunk to end on a simple type of full circle. if we take the “father of cyberpunk”, william gibson’s neuromancer trilogy, as an example we will see something that is quite similar and that came up within season 3: the introduction of AI’s, and specifically, sybil’s interest in them. i don’t know if it was just me who was confused at the end of the season why the AI aspect was suddenly so important, literally obliterating interest in an entire character that seemed kind of important to some extent at least (r.i.p. karina komiya at this point) but looking in retrospect and after rewatching it, there is a whole lot of sense to it. the story of psycho pass more or less started with us meeting the world and its limitations, heavily focusing on the bad sides as we follow akane’s point of view for most of the story to the point where figures like mika shimotsuki feel outright wrong to us (disclaimer: i am personally not a big fan of her, but i have to say that 70% of the slander on her are missing some pretty important points regarding her, but that’s for another day). akane stated that one day, sybil will not be needed anymore, which is - let’s say it as it is - a very romantic and ideal way of thinking. but we’re all very morally correct idealists, this idea just speaks most to us. however, over the course of the three seasons (i shall exclude the movies for this) i think it became pretty clear that society with the established politics and functions cannot really return i.e. function without a system like sybil anymore. think of this as an evolutionary type of thing: people are so used to buy food that practically nobody will just willingly agree to stop all that and go hunting like in the “good” ol’ days. mental evolution has finally let us come to understand that for example, gender is nothing but a social construct and we all are just humans. we could not imagine going back to times like 1600s, where race and gender were categorised by some b*llshit f*cking idea like “god-given privilege” (pardon my language at this point). hence it lays rather logically close for people to just give up the comforts of a society which we see in psycho pass is very unlikely. the comforts of that world goes as far as pulling in immigrants from all over there world, which does underline this statement- even if we strictly assume that the entire world is in chaos and war, that just makes japan with its sybil system as something desirable. naturally, we could flip this coin in different ways for various argumentations, but it will all boil down to people should reject living like that but they likely won’t. and I think i do not point out something outrageous or illogical when i say that humans are willing to silently accept a lot of things, even when they really shouldn’t. and that is not just some theory, in episode 4 ma-karina’s existence is shown on broadcast, and yet still karina komiya ends up voted as the new governor. the society knows that she herself has an holographic AI doing work for her, yet they still accepted her, and subsequently, sybil accepted ma-karina as a “citizen” with voting right and hence, right to be nominated (which, if you remember, was this thing that unraveled at the end of first inspector). now, sybil’s motives in accepting an AI likely could be different, namely because it could bring the acceptance of society about the system’s true facade closer, but that is a mini-theory for another day if i’m honest. taking these points in consideration, the first likely option that might occur in psycho pass’ future could be similar to real world situations: more people will start to reject the idea (of AI ruling, especially if the truth about the system ever gets publicised) which then results in bringing forth change and evolution through humans, a very classic scenario. hence it would not finish with our main cast, (which mainly serve as our story teller’s) as triumphant in this battle of man vs machine, but rather with their testimonies of society, and how the begin of change can look like. 

here i shall will finish my already long post here, but i will hint that i personally do a have another theory about how this series could go towards the end. but i will save that up for when the community actually wants to hear it. 

thanks for reading, i hope it wasn’t too messy? i'd appreciate some feedback c:

[inmyblood-au]

[The text in the book is under the cut]

Ok, this is very silly but it will be addressed again in the future. But half of the reason why I wanted to draw this scene is because of the misunderstanding that Yuu made here, and Mika noticed that, hence his line ‘I suggest you pay more attention to what you read’.

The first text that I used in the book (called Memoirs of Those Who Roam the Darkness) is from @sophelia-moon ‘s fic Down till You Fall (reversal AU, it’s g8, you should read) (and I edited the text a bit to make it shorter), while the second text is written by me trying to imitate her style. The thing is, as I thought about some details of this AU, I started to think about the book Yuu is reading on the first chapter of the manga, and then I realized that my idea was pretty close to what Sophie wrote on her fic, so I asked her permission to use it.

I have no idea when the next part will come out, but I know already what I want to do. And the angst will begin.

First

Previous

Next

Learn ye well, nightcrawlers, from the story of Florin Dan.

Turned in the eleventh century by Lady Stela Antonia, nineteenth progenitor, Florin Dan became a commoner of some skill. For over five hundred years he lived out serving his sire admirably, until he, as most of our kind tend to, fell into a rebellious phase.

In 1571, I happened to make a visit to her residence, where I obtained the account of what transpired from the lady herself. 

Five years ago, Florin Dan, along with some other vampires of little wisdom, had decided to make overtures to another noble: Lord Marcel Gabor, fourteenth progenitor. It was well known at the time that he was looking to expand his territory, and no doubt would have taken them in if the opportunity arose.

However, his plotting could not come to fruition. I suspected that my child had grown restless, and had ordered a trusted servant to mark him. This servant witnessed a meeting in the early morn at the German church. With such undeniable evidence, I could not mistake his treachery. 

I accused him according to law in the presence of witnesses. As the minister of the territory, I performed his execution personally. Politically, that put an end to the affair. I must say that the occasion moved me so close to rage that I could swear I almost tasted its shadow. I stomped on Florin Dan’s head several more times than necessary as a result, ruining my shoe in the process.

Stela Antonia

Braşov, 18 of August 1571

This story is notorious for its second-hand embarrassment, but I think it portrays quite well the extends of one’s pettiness. It happened in the Iberian Peninsula in 1640, when the human crowns once more split in two.

After the division, arose the need for a similar rearranging in the vampire's territory as well. After some discussion, it was decided that one of the current monarch’s subordinates (Cecília Almeida, eightieth progenitor, and Felipa del Bosque, twelveth progenitor) would be in charge of the other country.

There wasn’t actually a competition, since Cecília was by far the favorite of the two—and Felipa knew it. I can’t say I blame her for wanting such prestigious position, but I’d rather remain defeated than to execute her crude and quite embarrassing scheme.

I never got the full story at the time, and who told this in details was another subordinate, Emília Cruz, fourteenth progenitor:

“No one really expected it, if anything we all gave Felipa our silent condolences. Not that any of us were particularly bothered; she was rather difficult to deal with actually.

She wasn’t the brightest either, but one thing she understood: she wouldn’t be the one selected unless Cecília would suddenly look lesser in the eyes of the Commission. And that’s exactly what Felipa tried to do. She spread calumnies about Cecília and even paid false attestants against her. They said, among other things, that she was consorting with humans! The audacity...

She was quickly discovered of course, those ludicrous claims towards Cecília were hardly taken serious. Felipa was judged before the Commission for her calumnies and mock of the higher jurisdiction. They confiscated her ring1 and sentenced her to the Croix.2”

The sentence she got was quite fitting for her transgression: just as garish as the commotion she caused and just as painful for her as it was for whoever watched it unravel.

A curious thing I noticed though, was that the Croix is a sentence much more common among nobles and progenitors. When it comes to commoners, the verdict is usually considerably less flashy—yet quite deadly. Commoners certainly have been killed for way less.

1- A quite rare substitute of the common sun guard. Only a few progenitors possess it.

2- A punishment in which the culprit is tied to a cross under the sun.

[a-silent-symphony]

NIGHTWISH's TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN On 'Human. :II: Nature': 'It's A Concept Album Without Intending It To Be'

Arto Mäenpää of Finland's Kaaos TV recently conducted an interview with keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen and drummer Kai Hahto of Finnish/British/Dutch symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On how Holopainen emerged from writer's block to write the band's forthcoming "Human. :II: Nature." studio album:

Tuomas: "I just started doing songs one by one. I didn't have an idea of how the whole album would sound like. Already at that point, I knew there's going to be a long, orchestral song. I had the idea for the thematics of the songs 'Music' and 'Noise' being the first two tracks of the album. It gives a nice contrast. 'Noise' was one of the first songs I did because I felt so strongly about the subject matter that the song deals with. It had to be done in this time and age. But, yeah, the songs came one by one and at some point, I realized that, 'Hold on, almost all the songs are about humankind.' The word 'human,' the word 'nature,' they appear a lot in the lyrics. Somehow, it's a concept album without intending it to be. Then, at some point, it became clear to me that 'Hold on. Clearly, nine songs sang by a human voice about humanity about humans, then we have the nature epic, the instrumental second point. How about calling this album 'Human. :II: Nature.'? There's also a lovely little wordplay because it's also about human nature, how we are as species."

On whether it was intentional for NIGHTWISH to separate the tracks into a double album:

Tuomas: "Absolutely, as a whole album. It's just because the album clocks at 85 minutes or something like that, so you cannot fit it into one album. The idea was never to do a double album, but because we can't fit all the material into one CD [laughs], you have to have another one. It's simple as that."

On whether "Human. :II: Nature." is a more of a band effort than previous NIGHTWISH studio albums:

Tuomas: "We left the full orchestra for the first nine tracks, so that left a lot of space for the instruments and the vocals. That was a deliberate decision. Then, the orchestra comes full-on for the last symphonic epic. But I think when it comes to the process of doing the album, the formula was pretty much the same as the previous albums. I tried to do the songs as finished as possible on my own, then I introduce them to the band, then we start the process from scratch again."

On the prominent contributions from NIGHTWISH's three vocalists: lead singer Floor Jansen, bassist Marco Hietala and multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley:

Tuomas: "It's a result of many different things. We just realized that we hadn't really fulfilled the full potential of the three vocalists in the band because all of them have their unique sound, all are truly incredible singers, so why not do a vocal-oriented album, especially the first half of the album? Let's do an album for singers. Do every single chorus in three harmonies, and that's what we ended up doing."

On the amount of work Jansen had to put in to record her vocals on "Human. :II: Nature." :

Tuomas: "A lot. Really, really a lot. But she took the challenge; she really enjoyed the process and in the end, she made them sound so easy. But, when you start to listen to them, you realize that it's not an easy task because she's not only singing them beautifully but also telling the story. You become hypnotized by her interpretation, especially if you have the lyrics and read the story and understand what the songs are about, especially songs like 'Music', where the lyric is really important. But, also Marco and Troy — just incredible work throughout the album."

On whether Holopainen "pushed" his bandmates for their best performances:

Tuomas: "Yes. It's not like I was like the dictator and whipping them. [Laughs] I mean, everybody seemed to truly enjoy the process and wanted to give it their best. Also, with the engineer, the mixing engineer, mastering engineer, ToxicAngel [Janne Pitkänen], who did all the cover artwork. He worked with them for about 18 months. So everybody put everything into this album…it's just the ultimate feeling to have, the dedication that people have."

On the concept behind the "Human" part of the album:

Tuomas: "It's nine songs that have some connection to the species of human. I'm not going to go into them one by one, but there is a connection. For example, song number five called 'Pan' is an ode to human imagination. Song number six ['How's The Heart?'] is an ode to human empathy. And so on."

On the instrumental that comprises disc 2, "All The Works Of Nature Which Adorn The World":

Tuomas: "It just occurred to us that in the NIGHTWISH catalog of songs, we have never done a big, fully orchestral piece. Now it was the time to do it because you have nine songs about humans, then you want to go out into nature and relax there without the human voice. So, it was the perfect timing to do this kind of song. It's our love letter to planet earth."

"Human. :II: Nature." will be released on April 10 via Nuclear Blast. The long-awaited follow-up to 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" will be a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters on CD 2.

"Human. :II: Nature." was recorded from August to October 2019 at Röskö campsite, Petrax Studios and Troykington castle, as well as Finnvox Studios, by Tero Kinnunen, Mikko Karmila and Troy Donockley. The mixing was done by Mikko Karmila at Finnvox, with Tuomas Holopainen and Tero Kinnunen. Mastering was done by Mika Jussila at Finnvox.

[actuallyrandomperson]

I wanna ramble about how I experience dysphoria as a genderfluid person for a bit, and my identity in general, so I figured Tumblr was a good place to do it.

So, for starters, I should probably clarify how I'm fluid, as all of us are a little different in how we experience gender. I was assigned female at birth, and, to be completely honest, I wish I was amab. This shocks some people, especially as I tend to sit on the female/demigirl/nonbinary side of things, but it's true. Realistically, I know my life would be a lot different if I had been, and I would have experienced a different set of struggles, but in an idealistic world, where nothing would change about me except the way my body looked and what pronouns were used for me, I'd want to be assigned male. I could not care less what genitals I have, especially since I'm ace so it has no real effect on how I'm gonna live my life, this relates back to the two other most obvious issues with being afab: Periods, and boobs.

I hate getting my period. As most people do. I don't even have particularly painful ones, just some semi-bad cramps on the first day or two, but I hate it anyway. 9 times out of 10 I'm non-binary on the first day of my period. Whether that's related to hormone levels or some subconscious part of my brain whispering "hey periods suck being a girl sucks why were u born a girl", I do not know. I just know it happens.

I also hate my boobs whenever I'm not female. Including when I'm demigirl. I don't hate the idea of boobs in general when I'm demigirl, and don’t think I need to be completely flat-chested to feel happy when I’m non-binary (but that could come back to me doubting I’ll get fully flat without surgery), I just hate my boobs. That is because I am incredibly busty, especially for someone who is 5'1/155 cm tall. I'm an Aus 10G/US 32I, I have small shoulders (my straps slip down no matter how tight we pull them), and a large part of what made figuring out my gender identity hell was the constant question of whether me hating my boobs was an ace thing (not wanting to be constantly sexualised) or a gender thing. My best fitting bra actually helped me figure that out, as reportedly it made me look smaller (i.e. technically less likely to be sexualised) but it had the side benefit of making my boobs, well, actually look like boobs, and when I looked at myself in the mirror I wanted to claw my eyes out. So. 90% of the time I hate my boobs because they're so big, and 100% of the time I hate my period.

You might be sitting here, reading this, and going "but Em, are you sure you're genderfluid? Not just demigirl or nonbinary or agender or any of the other non-binary identities?" My answer to that is, well, sorta no. And sorta yes. No, in the fact that I've never been sure about anything in my life. Maybe time will go on, and I'll begin to identify with some other label, or no labels at all. Yes, in the fact that genderfluid feels right right now, and that's all that matters. Humans change. In turn, labels can change too. Hell, as a genderfluid person, my labels technically change on almost a day to day basis! That doesn't make my feelings and my identity at any single moment any less valid. It also doesn't mean that long term, I'll wake up one day and realise that I actually just identify with x gender. It just means that it could happen, and that’s ok, just as it's okay that my identity is changing constantly at the moment. Side note, while we're talking about labels- you also don't need to identify with one! I personally like to use them, as they bring me comfort, but everyone is different, and y'all who choose not to use labels for whatever reasons are entirely valid.

I have 4 main types of day, gender-wise. Days where I feel like a girl, days where I feel kinda like a girl, days where I feel non-binary, and days where my gender is that 'women' shrugging emoji (that I use all the time because long hair babeyyyy also their shirt is purple on iOS and purple rules). Day 4 I mostly lump under demigirl, as with day 2. Day 3 could probably be most accurately described with agender, or a similar identity label, but I find it personally easiest to just refer to myself as non-binary on said days.

In a hard to explain way, I feel as though I experience less dysphoria on days where I am demigirl than on days where I am fully female. This is not entirely accurate, and is almost certainly as a result of me having unintentionally put in place coping mechanisms for said days in terms of how I present myself for years now, and probably isn’t the right terms for me to use, but it's true.

You see, I dress in a fairly gender-neutral way. My presentation has still always come off as feminine, as I love my long hair and enjoy nail polish, but I've always hated shaving, and I avoid wearing dresses and skirts as much as possible in my day-to-day. I don't mind wearing dresses etc when I'm demigirl, I just don't gravitate towards them, and when I'm demigirl I generally present as a not-overly feminine girl whose a little uncomfortable with their body shape and likes to be comfy, and wears heels in an effort to be taller rather than as a fashion statement.

But when I'm fully a girl, I often love being feminine. I usually want to wear dresses/skirts, and jewellery, and lipstick (not any other makeup though, years of dance and stage makeup ruined me- if someone puts it on for me and it's not heavy/powdery I'm not actively adverse, though), and have my hair braided, and generally just to Get Prettied Up. But that’s not 'me' to other people. That’s not the person I've presented myself as for years. I've spent my entire life catering to my demigirl and non-binary days because they're more common, and whenever I do lean into my feminine self on girl days my family and a lot of my friends are kinda surprised. I wore lipstick and nice clothes to two separate movie hangouts with two different friends, and one of them (who I hadn't seen in a while, to be fair) commented on how it was unusual for me while the other looked visibly surprised. It's not a coincidence that the two irl people I'm out to outside of my schools lgbt+ club are my brother and my best friend- both of whom complimented me (in a non-creepy way with my brother slvjfk) when they saw me wear lipstick for simple things last year, without making a big deal out of it. My mum still acts shocked and gets excited about me being feminine when I express an interest into buying clothes from a particular brand (Princess Highway/Dangerfield in general, for my fellow Aussies, as I don’t think they exist in the US) even though I've been getting presents from there for a few years now. She's talked about slowly starting to replace my clothes with 'fashionable stuff' from places like Dangerfield as the years go on now that I've 'expressed an interest in nice clothes' and I feel anxiety start to ball up in my stomach, because I don't want to wear fashionable clothes all the time, because fashionable for me, closeted and big-chested as I am, means feminine. When I present or show interest in presenting in a more feminine way on my female days, my mother and a few people I'm surrounded by unintentionally make me feel guilty about not wishing to present like that all the time, make my dysphoric for my future and past self, and make me doubt myself as a genderfluid person because I wish to present as my birth gender on one day.

So rather than dealing with all that, I don't present in a more feminine way unless I'm going out, and even then, avoid wearing lipstick if my mum is home, or coming with me. If I can, I'll stick a tube into my bag to apply when I get to wherever I'm going, but it's not always possible. I have Safiya Nygaard’s colourpop collection hidden away in my room. I continue to present myself in a way that aligns more closely in my mind to my demigirl days, with the slight change of being able to actually look at myself in the mirror for extended periods of time, being ok with my slightly more tight-fitting tops, and being chill with wearing my best bra. And I feel, as a whole, dysphoric on these days. I am not happy with how my gender presentation is, because it does not reflect how I want to present. Dysphoria is probably not the exact right term to use to describe these feelings, given I'm afab but it is the easiest way for me to put it, as it most closely reflects the unhappiness I feel with my presentation on my non-binary days, it's just my non-binary days come with a whole lot more body-related dysphoria piled on top. A song I like to listen to on female days is Platform Ballerinas, by MIKA, as it helps remind me that I am a girl, and the way I'm presenting as a girl is valid even if it's not exactly how I want to (it doesn't actually fully come back to societal expectations placed on women because I might shave my armpits but my leg hair still stays, and I genuinely want to get prettied up rather than feeling like I should to be seen as a girl, it's just something I want to do and not being able to makes me feel whack, but the song is definitely more focused on the whole 'societal expectations suck y'all are all valid' thing).

Non-binary days suck in the same way I've heard a lot of trans people of all varieties discuss. I hate walking past mirrors, if I have to wear feminine clothing for whatever reason I feel like I'm going to cry, she/her pronouns kinda make me want to die (generally I'm chill with she/they, and on female days they/them is okay, but she/her on nonbinary days makes my dysphoric as hell), and I generally Do Not Have A Great Time dysphoria wise. But hey, one day I’ll have enough money for a binder. Eventually. I always feel weird about entering giveaways given there are people who experience extreme dysphoria around their chest every day, I can deal on my demigirl days and survive on my non-binary ones.

So, that’s been me rambling into the void about gender for almost 2000 words, how are y’all doing? Also, if anyone actually read all of this I’d appreciate like,,, a like. Or something. I kinda want to know if people have actually seen and read this.

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 156

Episode: Yes! Precure 5 08 - “Rin and Karen’s Compatibility: Zero?” Date watched: 14 October 2019 Original air date: 25 March 2007 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/JGs54VL Project info and master list of posts: http://tinyurl.com/PCDabout

that’s it, that’s the episode

The five ideals represented by the Precure team are hope, passion, effervescence, tranquility, and intelligence. Passion and intelligence tend to represent opposite sides of a coin, and we’ve seen Rin and Karen butt heads before. This episode pits them against each other in a classic Red Oni, Blue Oni dichotomy, to great effect, and it almost spells the end of their friendship.

The Plot

Rin and Karen have a small disagreement about what flowers to decorate Natts House with, which creates tension between them because they’re both invested in their decision. Later, a disagreement about what kind of tea to drink with their snacks causes more of an argument and the other girls can’t calm them down. Suddenly all they can manage to do is get in each other’s way and annoy each other. Rin taunts Karen about being her Precure senpai, despite the seitokaichou being the elder girl. When Rin comments that it’ll be a good day for sports, Karen chimes in that the weather forecast predicted rain. It gets to the point where they just stop talking to each other, despite the other three trying to intervene. However, Arachnea has been dispatched by Nightmare to capture the Dream Collet, and once again she emerges from the sewers (what is it with her and sewers?) as Nozomi, Urara, and Komachi walk home. They transform but she captures them in her webs this time, taunting Coco to leave a message for the other two girls about what happened, and to bring the Collet if they wanted to save their teammates. Karen and Rin run into each other as they leave school, exchange tense small talk, but they put their dispute aside when Coco tells them what happened. They trek into the sewer, snarking each other along the way, and finally find Arachnea and their teammates. The two transform and fight against a Kowaina made of sewer pipes, and despite their differences, they manage to work in harmony. When Arachnea demands to know how they can be so tenacious, they each respond that they can’t afford to lose to each other, and Nozomi manages to free herself and use Dream Attack to finish off the Kowaina. Afterwards, Karen and Rin make up and say they’d like to visit each other sometime to share their love of flowers. However, at Natts House the next day, they can still be found arguing over the placement of a flower, because some things never change.

The Analysis

Something I thought was really interesting about this episode was Rin’s point that the two girls didn’t talk much before they became Precure, so going back to that isn’t really unusual or a sign that they hate each other or anything. Despite their animosity, both girls are fine with just not having much to do with each other to resolve the problem. I thought that was a reasonably mature response, as opposed to constant bickering, however, this is a show about making friends and overcoming hardships, so that’s not going to stand.

Precure squabbles are a time-honored tradition at this point. Nagisa and Honoka did it several times, it’s been the running theme of the movies, but now we get to see it translated to a larger team and the result is interesting. I appreciate the portrayal of how different people in a friend group may not be equally friends with each other, how they sometimes clash in major ways, and how that affects the team harmony. Interestingly, in this episode, their fight doesn’t hurt the team in battle in the traditional way, but it does affect group harmony outside of it, and of course when it’s just Rouge and Aqua against the monster, you get to see that.... they’re not that at odds. You would expect them to trip over each other and argue with each other, the usual side-effects of squabbling cures, but in fact they work together pretty well. They harumph a bit but they have the same objective and are mostly able to put their differences aside in the heat of battle to save their friends. The fight sort of puts things in perspective for them and allows them to vent, as well as hear each other out, and they apologize afterwards. It’s a really good take on things.

(I made a gif of a scene to emphasize my point, but it’s too big to upload, and I’m having trouble embedding it from imgur, so here’s a link: https://imgur.com/8Ge5EsA)

The thing that stands out to me about this is, of course, this isn’t the first time the two of them have butted heads. They’ve never out-and-out fought like in this episode, but they did have some gruff encounters before. The one that stands out to me is in episode 6, where Karen is explaining to the girls why she cannot become a Precure, and Rin snarks that her approach to rejecting them was rude, and Karen snaps back at her to be quiet. Rin has often been opposed to Karen becoming a cure, not maliciously but she didn’t think the Student Council President would be a good fit, so there was a basis for this. It’s funny how it all comes to a head, though. It starts as the two just disagreeing over what flowers to place in the shop, with their personal biases coming into play because hey, each one wants to display the ones they brought, and then after that every single thing they say or do is wrong and annoying.

Also, aggressively eating out of spite is a goddamn mood.

I like the scene at the beginning where it all starts and the tension between them is reinforced by the dramatic music and quick cuts and closeups. That’s some quality cinematography.

Switching gears, this episode finally shows us the big bad of the show, Despariah! Kind of. We see her from the back, and an extreme close-up of the bottom of her “face”, which is actually covered by a mask.

She tells Kawarino her goal is to grant herself eternal life and youth while ruling the world with absolute despair. You know, a normal Tuesday for a villain. But it does shed some light on the environment she has set up. One can assume the masked boardroom members are people she has previously brought despair to. Also, perhaps the Kawaina masks are based on her own? It’s not the last time in this show we’ll explore what really goes on in those things.

Of note, all the girls (except Nozomi) transfer their captured Pinkies from their Pinky Catches to the Dream Collet, including Karen, who has not actually been seen catching a Pinky yet. This will be the first of many that are caught offscreen.

Urara and Nozomi are adorkable this episode. Urara seems almost oblivious to the tension in the room and, in what is becoming a running gag for her, spouts a non-sequitur answer to a question. In this case, when the discussion is whether to drink black or green tea, she confidently says she prefers milk!

Nozomi can at least tell there’s a fight going on and she tries to settle it in the most Nozomi way possible: by combining all three!

that would probably taste terrible

Bless her, she is trying.

I don’t really have a lot more to say here, it’s a solid episode about two girls overcoming some personal strife, friendly fighting to outdo one another, and protecting their friends. We also get a little insight into the villains. Next time we meet the best girl that isn’t a Precure, Masuko Mika! Look forward to i!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 1 Kettei!

[yuichiroswife]

Once you're stripped clean, what's at your core?

Acerbic Wit.

You're a mentor — an old scarred wolf, an injured soldier, a disgraced paladin. Your teachings read as shamelessly pretentious, speaking in rhymes and biting down hard into anyone stupid enough to make the wrong move. This isn't your first life, nor your second, nor your sixth — you'll make the most of your time shackled to this world, no matter how many loops it takes to get it right. With every defeat, you reincarnate; a little smarter, a little quicker, crueler and nastier. Will you choose to be brutal, equalizing, that final strike in the face of your enemies? Will you go soft, become tender and domesticated? The choice is yours. It's not like I can stop you.

Tagged by: @crxstallium​​

Tagging: @s-talking​

[flying-elliska]

The transformation of Lucas Lallemant pt 1 : Hell Week.

Skam OG S3  can be more or less divided in three acts, and this is even more obvious in Skam France, which has a more...dramatic style of storytelling, let’s say. Act I : Lucas meets Eliott, struggles with his internalized homophobia, develops feelings, ends with Eliott’s apparent betrayal. Act II : Lucas is isolated, struggles, finally comes out to his friends and to the world, Eliott and Lucas reunite. Act III is what’s yet to come, the revelation of Eliott’s MI, possibly elements related to Lucas’ parents and religion, and the resolution. 

I want to take a look at Act II as a unit and the essential character developpment that takes place within it, starting from the disastrous party scene at the end of Vendredi 19h21 and ending with the paint scene in Vendredi 18h34, because this is really where we can see Lucas’s arc pivot, as he is left alone to confront himself, and the nuance with which it was done is incredible in terms of storytelling. 

Fair warning, it’s going to be a long one. 

Vendredi 19h21 : Fête de trop 

It has been pointed out by many that, whereas Isak and Martino punched into bushes and garbage cans during this scene, Lucas hurts himself until his knuckles are bloody. He’s angry at the world for sure, getting in a fight with his friends, but it’s ultimately himself he blames - for having feelings, for caring, for thinking he had a chance with Eliott, for being attracted to a boy, for wanting a family that supports him, for wanting to be loved. Chloe possibly outing him by yelling Lucas is gay in a crowd, Arthur joking about his family, Eliott kissing a girl - it brings all his worst pains and fears to a head, and things he’s been repressing for the longest time just boil over, in the shape of rage and inarticulate despair. He punches his hand into the wall because he cannot speak, cannot think, cannot do anything else. It’s violence and self-harm as a symptom of powerlessness. The look on his face at the end I read as him being totally overwhelmed.

 In the background the song talks about partying to pretend to be alright - but emptiness and chaos catch on eventually. It’s ironic in a sense because the singer is talking about glitter and kissing boys in public, things Lucas very much shies away from, but in the end the result is the same, loneliness and alienation. The association of the two brings up very old themes in queer culture, specifically things gay men have had to deal with - feeling adrift, disconnected from family and people and feelings, internalized hatred, self-harm, feeling like you have nowhere to go, putting on a happy face even when you’re spiralling out, partying as a substitute for connection, and what happens when the facade breaks. At the same time, the drop after excess can have a revelatory effect. 

Even if it’s painful, this scene is necessary and kickstarts the part of his journey where he is facing his fears on his own. The hurt is a recognition of what is happening to him and how important it is. 

Lundi 08h52 : Scared but doing it anyway

That's the definition of courage.  With his bandaged hand and the slow opening, as he puts his hoodie up, he looks like a boxer stepping into the ring. Lighting is at its most overcast, blue-tinted, dark and depressing. This clip is heartbreaking, bringing Lucas's worst fears to the light. Being mocked and ostracized, turned into a vulgar joke, having been played for a fool. 

Fear number one. He sees his friends laughing at him. Lucas is a character with huge abandonment issues, understandably. As his familial situation went sideways and his sense of self was put in turmoil, he’s relied on the normalcy of his friendgroup to keep him afloat, going to great lengths to preserve their view of him - even declaring love to a girl he feels nothing for. Them laughing would feel like the ground disappearing under his feet. 

Fear number two. We can see Alex mimicking a blowjob. Through his rant to Mika about dick shaped confetti or his reaction to “Krindr” dick picks, we can see that he seems to be uneasy when it comes to the overly sexual way the gay community is often presented. And homophobic jokes and behavior tends to be overly sexual too, reducing gayness to a series of sexual acts presented as disgusting, instead of the whole love, identity and culture aspects (not that there is anything wrong with gay sexuality in itself, but when it’s reduced to only that, it would be understandable he has issues with it, especially for a teenager who’s just discovering things, belying the cliché that all men are naturally horndogs.) He's afraid of his intimate feelings and process of discovery becoming a vulgar joke, that’s very understandable. 

Fear number three. Eliott looking at him smugly. Basically confirming that he’s a player,  that this very special connection they had, something that allowed Lucas to open up and be vulnerable and artistic and bold, and muse about alternate universes and play the piano and feel comfortable enough to be happy kissing another boy - was a lie. Eliott doesn’t care and now he’s able to be on the side of the bullies because to him - like the cliché “bisexuality” Lucas had in mind talking to the girls - his attraction to boys is just a fun side piece, he can just go back to his girlfriend afterwards, whereas Lucas can’t. He’s “stuck being gay” and he’s failed at maintaing a straight façade. 

To close it off, there’s Chloé, fulfilling the narrative purpose of a ticking clock and a reminder of Lucas’ failure at straightness and imminent outing. This of course, is not really happening, but this paranoia is very typical of being a closeted queer person, of constantly having to wonder who is going to love you anyway and who is going to reject you because even when your people are mostly liberal and tolerant, there is no way to really know because of how deep homophobia is rooted in our society (see my meta about French humor). It really is Schodinger’s unconditional love. 

And then there’s Daphné. This is the first of several ‘tonal breaks’ in this arc, in which the angst is cut with moments of levity, randomness and wacky jokes that seem a little out of place but do serve a purpose narratively and in terms of themes. In this one, she goes out of her way to praise Lucas’ masculinity. It wouldn’t surprise me she already heard rumors, going from the alarmed look on her face, and wants to reassure Lucas he is still a man in her eyes. Daphné is an interesting character to do this. Because she has little brain to mouth filter, she tends to say stupid things and offend people, but at the same time, she can break through people’s walls and isolation - the foyer, meant to bring different people together, is a symbol of this. She’s a key representative of Skam’s central theme of people being flawed, able to learn, and of -trying and reaching out, even with mixed results, being a super important thing. Therefore, it’s interesting she’s the first to reach Lucas in this difficult phase, and this will happen again later. At the same time her words about defenseless women needing a strong man is a reminder of the overwhelming clichés about gender roles that make Lucas’ life so difficult. 

Lundi 14h03 : Ennemies and Allies

Chloe's threat of outing Lucas whenever she wants gives the whole episode a feeling of urgency. She is extremely hurt and he can’t catch her, either physically or symbolically. She’s a loose cannon, and her holding Lucas’ outing hostage as revenge feels very violent. It's not clear that anybody knows yet, but she could take Lucas's choice from him any time now. His harsh and terrified words (”I’m not a f*g”) illustrate the level of denial he is trying to stay in as it’s slipping away from him, the powerlessness he feels. The scene taking place in PE class with people throwing balls at one person standing in a goal reinforces the overal symbolism of being put on the spot. 

On the opposite side, Yann's reminder of support sets up what happens later. He wants to be there for Lucas, but he’s also been hurt by his silence. He doesn’t want the squad to be Lucas’ punching ball if he can’t verbalize. 

Mardi 13h08 : Miscommunication. 

Eliott is trying to make a joke about the time they met and he couldn’t chose what to get from the vending machine ; Lucas interprets it as him saying he wants both Lucas and his gf, and he responds harshly. Lucas is pretty much standing up for himself here, as painful as it is. He signals to Eliott he's not game to just forgive and forget, to do as if what happens didn't matter. Him alluding to a choice that Eliott needs to make - there's still a sliver of hope there though, as agonizing as it seems.

Lucas not finding a place to sit and leaving the canteen represents his worst fears about coming out - being left alone. It’s a classic high school story trope, not knowing at which table to sit, eg. not fitting in anywhere, so he chooses not to feed himself. (Again, hurting himself). 

Mercredi 13h37 : Sorting through your old shit

This moment of levity after the heavy angst serves as a reminder that life, whether you are ready for it or not, goes on. It’s also the second time that the show subverts horror tropes - first in the first kiss scene for romantic purposes, here for comedic purposes with the creepy dolls everywhere and the guy with an axe. The theme is that things that look scary at first often aren’t, and can even bring unexpected gifts. The overall scene doesn’t have much impact on the plot, but it can symbolize several things - the need to do away with the messy things of the past (like all the shit in the shop and internalized homophobia), giving things that are still useful a new place where they can be better appreciated (the couch is a metaphor for Lucas being gay lmao), the difficulty of dealing with grief and your baggage alone and the need for outside help (like the shopkeeper who can’t get rid of his brother’s things), the importance of playfulness and unexpected gifts (table football). 

The girls opening up about their dating woes puts Lucas’ struggles in the larger context of teenage boys being trash, normalizing what he goes through. On the other hand, again, Daphne’s comments and Imane’s joke show that the girl squad have their own problems with gender clichés. Manon denouncing them marks her as a safe place for Lucas, as well as her going through the deeper kind of turmoil of love troubles. 

Lundi 01h48 : In the abyss

The scene is dark and drenched in blue light, giving it an oceanic, almost submarine vibe. This is Skam taking full advantage of its real time format, showing the story at a time where viewers are very likely to be in the same state of exhaustion and half-consciousness as the characters. 

Even though he doesn't show it much, Lucas is a deeply caring character. He's just been extremely burned out, possibly by his family situation, and what happened with Eliott. And yet, it's still there. We can see it here in how he comforts Manon, trying to be stoic, but it's getting to him in the end. Compassion is often much easier to extend to others than to yourself. He might punish himself for feeling too much, but he would never do that to Manon. 

This scene is, to me, the most pivotal moment of the season yet along with the piano scene : they're moments where we see Lucas's soul come to the surface. And as vulnerability is key to the plot, those moments of openness really move things along. The piano scene was Lucas letting out his more passionate, artistic, sensitive side ; this moment is more raw and ugly, about what lies beneath the anger, the despair of caring too much. And yet there is beauty and relief in owning it. In this particular context the shell of anger Lucas protects himself with is meaningless - it’s just the utter loneliness of the night and two people who are broken and lost. Manon is also from a broken home of sorts, she’s also been given a lot of reasons to give up on love. The fact that they’re able to share this intimacy of letting themselves feel like that, at a moment where words are beyond them, is however a sign that they’re not giving up. They’re feeling the feelings, as painful as it is, and they have a witness. It’s beautiful. 

Vendredi 09h14 : Exhaustion

Lucas's body is basically close to giving up on him. He can front all he wants, but he's still only human. So he goes to see the school nurse for insomnia. He thinks maybe if he can solve the physical problem, maybe get pills, he can go back to being tough and pretending nothing is wrong. The nurse’s answer - not exposing himself to any screens or blue light before sleeping - is laughably unadapted to his problems, which in turn makes the idea that Lucas can solve his problems this way ridiculous as well.

The nurse is a mess - is she cheating on her actual husband there ? Why is she talking about her (murder)fantasies to a student ? Teacher’s back acne ? She illustrates that adults still have problems (again, normalizing what Lucas goes through) and that life in general is messy and you need people on your side who can be there even though you are going through ugly, difficult things. Lucas cannot talk to her, they’re not on the same wavelength at all, but there’s still someone he can talk to. The medecine is not pills, it’s human support and trust. 

Vendredi 17h05 : Trust issues 

This clip is very painful to watch. 

First Eliott’s drawing. At this point in the story it feels like a cruel joke. This guy played him, and now he’s talking about destiny ? Lucas really bought into the whole Polaris thing, we could see he was starving for a real connection, and maybe he thinks Eliott is using that against him, tugging on the heartstrings like a true artsy fuckboi. At the same time, the loneliness that emanates from the drawing is heartbreaking for us, who know what’s up with Eliott. 

Lucas decides to go talk to Yann. That’s his destiny. I thought he was going to walk up to Eliott for a moment, the filming is deliberately ambiguous, but no. In a way, he’s choosing himself, deciding to bring stability to his life by opening up to the guy who’s been his main support system for years : Yann. And he lays it all on the table - his problems with his family, his insomnia, the mess with Chloe, the difficulty talking, having a crush of sorts for Yann, falling in love with Eliott. He’s so brave. He banks on his ability to trust Yann, he wants to believe he’ll be there for him. He’s finally coming out to someone on his own terms, with clear words. 

It doesn’t work. Now, I never believed Yann was homophobic - his face only shuts down when Lucas starts talking about all the people who already know. But after Lucas’ slow, painful journey towards opening up, it feels like a bucket of ice water in the face. However, it is thematically appropriate. 

This story arc tries to balance two concepts very delicately : on one side, as a teenager it’s important to realize that you’re not as alone as you think, not alone struggling. On the other hand, both internalized homophobia and French culture’s latent homophobia (that makes people do shitty things even though they’re not homophobic at heart, without realizing it) make this process of teenage alienation vs self discovery and acceptance, a thousand times more painful than it needs to be. Ending the episode on this note signifies that the struggle is real, that however brave you might be, sometimes the world is going to try and slap you down anyway. Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there, but for Lucas, this is the bottom of the pit. As his instagram post says ‘god needs your lifeboat as an ashtray’. Sometimes your best efforts mean nothing. This seems like a very pessimistic and cruel conclusion but I believe it’s an important beat in the story, recognizing that sometimes things go wrong through no fault of your own. It’s the system that is to blame, that has not given the tools to Yann to react properly and for the both of them to communicate better and for Lucas to accept who he is and not hurt people around him in order to hide. They’ve gone the road of validation over comfort and I think it’s a very interesting choice. (Even though I can also understand people who needed a more positive message and were hurt by this). But like a lot of queer people, I’ve had my share of half-botched coming outs and it’s important to show how you come back from that. 

...

So in a nutshell : this week, we bear witness to the slow death of Lucas’ tough, uncaring, player straight guy facade. His feelings have reached a boiling point, and he can’t ignore them any longer, it’s taking a toll on his body and isolating him from his friends. The moments of levity serve to dedramatize and normalize what Lucas goes through, encouraging him to reach out, while at the same time, the show takes his pain and fear seriously, by showing the minute toll it takes on his health and the less than ideal reaction of the people around him. However, through it all, he finds the courage to keep facing his feelings and opening up. He is staring his worst fears in the face - abandonment, ostracization, having his feelings used against him - and he still manages to choose trust. Eliott might have been a catalyst, but in the end he chooses to do what’s right for himself. He talks, even though it’s almost a moment of symbolic death, but the transformation can take root from there. Honesty is grueling sometimes, but it’s still necessary.  It’s better than letting the lie ruin your health and your relationship, better than hurting yourself in an attempt to push down the truth, better than violent powerlessness or night time devastation. Lucas is so good at wearing a mask, but how he reacts in this crisis is revelatory of his own deepest need for change and love. 

In short, I love this character with the intensity of a thousand suns and even though it's super painful I love that we got to go on this journey with him.

Thank you for reading this monster of a post, and see you next time for pt 2 : Acceptance ! 

[mikarashis]

Haunted Dollhouse - Chapter Four

School Festival ☆ Tamayori’s Haunted Dollhouse - Chapter Four

Season: Spring

Location: Handicrafts Clubroom

Natsume: Good Afternoon ♪

Shu-nii-san, pardon me.  I would just like to chat with you a bit, if you have the time...?

Shu: boy, as you can see, I’m quite busy, so do try to keep it brief.

Hm...?  Aoba, you - why are you together?

Tsumugi: ahaha, I’m really loathed, huh~.....

Natsume: actually, we recently decided that Switch should participate in the ‘school festival’, and we were thinking of doing a haunted house...?

Mika: na, a haunted house!?  I love scary things, so if ya do somethin’ like that, I fer sure wanna come ‘n play in it ♪

Natsume: fufufu, as we thought, Mika-kun is really into this idea.  

Mika: y-yeah, but why were ya even considerin’ my thoughts when ya came up with this?  I mean, I like bein’ scared and I think it’s fun, so o’ course I’d be into it. 

Natsume: no, that wasn’t a consideration of ours...Switch had already decided on this earlier.  

Mika: ah, so ‘it was just decided’, ‘s how it happened?  Anyway, this is kinda a big thing t’ take on so close t’ the actual date.  Is it just gonna be you guys?  That might be tough, yanno?  I heard it from Naru-chan, too, that Knights ‘n Ra*bits are doin’ somethin’ t’gether, so maybe ya might wanna consider that, too.

Natsume: you saying that makes me job much easier, because we were wondering if Valkyire would join us.  

Shu: in other words, you want Valkyrie to be part of the haunted house.

Natsume: yes.  I’ve heard that you have not yet applied with anything else.  

Well, ‘yet’ may not be accurate, depending on whether or not you intend to participate.  

Shu: if we don’t participate, technically we can’t be penalized.  If you are finished disturbing me, I will retreat to continue my work.

Natsume: speaking of which, Shu-nii-san, what exactly is this prickly thing that you’re sewing?  It’s fine work as always, but as I thought you were in a slump, it’s a relief to see. 

Shu: do those eyes of yours see anything?  I’m not uninspired, but it’s foolish to praise me for this level of work.  I would like to finish this properly, but time constraints have limited what I can do.  Wataru has said that it needs to be half-done by tomorrow, so if I work all night, how can my efforts possibly be up to my normal standards?  

Natsume: fuun, you’re making it for Wataru-nii-san?  I can’t believe that he would ask you to make anything for fine, so is it perhaps for the theater club?

Shu: it’s a comfort for me to simply be able to say ‘that’s right’, in this case.  It’s not as if there were any disputes, though it was a request that I still had to consider at first.  But, as a result, you can see that my hands are full with making costumes, so we cannot help you with the haunted house.

Natsume: hm~m, so there’s no way to manage it? 

Shu: you’re too persistent.  Where did that cute girl I remember from the past go?

Well, I’ve been working around the clock, so I suppose I’m entitled to a break.  While I do that, I’ll allow you to consult with me, if you wish.

Natsume: thank you, Shu-nii-san, you’re truly a kind older brother ♪

In order to properly put on the haunted house, we need to make some props, so I would like to hear your honest opinion.  

Mika: na, what a cute doll~ ♪ Wa, it’s so shiny!?  N~, if ya press the button on th’ back, its whole body starts t’ shine!  ‘s magical and beautiful... ♪

But, t’ use it in a haunted house?  ‘s not scary at all.  In th’ first place, dolls are small ‘n pretty, that’s how I feel.  ‘s not somethin’ that fits with th’ atmosphere of a haunted house.

Shu: I’ve examined it carefully, but why did you make its whole body glow?  What kind of device is that?

Natsume: eh?  why?  Because it is for use in the haunted house, of course.

Shu: hmph, in a haunted house, the intent is to frighten the guests.  Aa, Kagehira is always watching television shows related to that sort of thing at home.

Natsume: hee, it appears as though both of you have extensive knowledge of this theme.  So, after all, I would like to ask again for your cooperation...as for prop making...even if you cannot do that, could you not perform the role of a ghost?  If we want to create something magical, then we need to be led in the right direction.  

In this way, it’s not merely a haunted house, but a type of show in its own right.  But, this would not be possible at all without the involvement of the two of you.

Mika: yanno, Oshi-san’s a perfectionist, so if y’ wanna have him create a haunted house, ‘s gonna be suuuuuuper scary~ ♪

‘s fun t’ make scary props, too.  I mean, ‘ve already kinda got things that are kinda like cursed toys, so they’d be th’ perfect thing t’ use.

Shu: Kagehira, we’ve been through this already.  I’ve said many times that I do not intent to participate.  

Natsume: well, if we want to conclude this, it would make a good story, Shu-nii-san.  If you join the ‘school festival’, there is prize money at stake.  

Mika: na, really!?  I’ll work even harder ‘n more happily if there’s prize money involved!

Natsume: is that so?  Ah, of course.  Mika-kun is always working jobs around the school, right?

So?  Shu-nii-san, is this not, in many ways, a good story?

Shu: ........

Tsumugi: Natsume-kun, isn’t it better to be honest here~?  But then, the prize would eventually come to light, though you neglected to mention that it’s only for the show that is chosen to be the best.

Natsume: ...*punches Tsumugi in the stomach*

Tsumugi: ouch!  What was that for...!?

Natsume: s̡͕͍̬ẖ̡͖̞̮ų̝̫̣͍ţ̤̙ u̢͖͕̝p̨̣̞͉̫ͅ,̩̜̬͜ M̝̭͜o͍̥̟͇͜j̧̮͕a̧̬̪̬-̗̦͢m̢̰̣͎̘̰e̢̩̙̰͔g͕̙̯̖͢a̧̫̖͓͍͈n̢̗̲̠̘e̬͎̳̩͢ͅ

While it’s true first place will receive a prize, the same is true for second and third.  It’s not a lie, Koneko-chan herself confirmed it. 

Tsumugi: ah, speaking of which, weren’t you in contact with Anzu-chan on your smartphone on the way here?

Natsume: yes, I was negotiating that the majority of the prize money be given to Valkyrie.  If Sora’s negotiations are successful and 2wink joins us as well, our share of the pot will be rather minimal.  Is that okay?

Tsumugi: ahaha, why are you asking me?  You’re the leader of Switch, so in the end, it’s your decision.  

Besides, the prize isn’t the motivation for me to participate in the ‘school festival’...and Sora-kun won’t care about that, either; that child often says that he’s not fond of money because it has a cloudy ‘colour.’ 

Natsume: that’s that, then.  Well, Shu-nii-san?  

Shu: hmm, that does sound acceptable.  Very well, if what you say is true, then we’ll cooperate with you, boy.

Mika: eh?  Oshi-san, really!?  We will!?

Shu: I’m not interested in money on principle, but when we cannot hold proper lives without funding, it becomes a bit of an issue.  Besides, if we get the prize money, that will decrease the amount of ‘part-time jobs’ you’ll need to work.  

Ah, I meant to say this earlier, but aren’t you concerned about your physical condition?  If you break down, I’ll need to perform maintenance, and that just becomes troublesome.  

Mika: yeah.  ‘m real happy... ♪

But Oshi-san, when y’ say that we’re gonna ‘cooperate’ with ‘em, d’ya mean ‘participate’, too?

Shu: unless I expressly say ‘join’, do you truly not understand?  Use your brain a little...no, this is not the time for that.  As I said before, Wataru will need the costumes soon.  As soon as that time passes, I will get in touch.

Is that okay with you, boy?

Natsume: yes.  Thank you, Shu-nii-san.  Well then, Senpai, let’s head back to the ‘secret room.’  

We will need to report this to Sora, and hope that he has a good report to give us as well... ♪

Notes: 

- this chapter ended up being almost 1500 words which is pretty much as long as some fics I’ve written, Yuuki’s getting almost to Akira levels of wordiness here...

[mystech-master]

Okay I wanna actually consider the implications of the four series in BBTAG interacting, no simple plots or anything. Cause looking at the spoilers (going to try and provide as little detail as possible so don’t worry), it just feels like, character from world A meets two characters from world B-D and meets another character from any of the worlds, the later teams up with them and fights the next two. There is no casual interaction/meeting that won’t end with a fight in this.

These are my own opinions, and they may vary with yours greatly.

Lemme get into the grit of this, super long post beware:

Blazblue

I’m pretty sure we can ll agree that a large percent, not all, but a good chunk of the BB cast are angsty assholes, or at least not the most pleasant of individuals. They have a reason to be like this, but they are still not the nicest people around.

I honestly feel like half the fight are a result of:

Character A:: hey bitch, obey me and do the thing

Character B: what did you call me? fuck you no way

Character A: do it bitch

C B: fuck you

C A: FUCK YOU!

FIGHT

Seriously if you guys met someone from Blazblue and didn’t know who they were you might be drained dealing with them.

Their situation is a BIIIIT more stressful than anything these other guys have been through, and as many people have said they RE the more powerful characters in the crossover. But not everyone has their....mindset. As we will discuss later on.

Persona

Okay for just a minute imagine that the Persona 3-4 cast aren’t flanderized into fighting gamery where only their base personality traits are shown.

Admit it, how many of you were pissed when Chie was reduced to “KUNG-FU/MEAT!” or Akihito being reduced to ‘TRAINING/PROTEIN!”? Dumbing down their characters into these much simpler versions.

The Persona characters only fought in the Arena games against Shadow Doubles, or because Shadow Labrys was twisting their words, the only fight I recall happening between actual people without this was Kanji being an idiot, to which fighting game logic says “It’s no use, you need to beat the shit out of him”.

Not counting Sho since he’s an antagonist, you’re supposed to fight him.

The Persona characters are all BFFs and Power of Friendship is their thing, so I doubt they would immediately be hostile to anyone.

Under Night-In Birth

Okay I’ve only recently learned about UNI and it seems like an okay premise. But it also feels like they drop the ball a lot in terms of plot and or naming names.

The issue is this: Take a shot for whenever you hear the reason for an arcade mode fight being “Because we’ve met on this night.” That is a bullshit reason. it’s supposed to be some “rule of the night” or some garbage but it just makes it seem like everyone wants an excuse to kick the shit out of each other.

You could easily just say hat the Hollow Night is an inherently violent place, because:

You got Voids running amok during this Night, and you don’t want your existence being destroyed. i mean these things are how people get their powers of course they’re running around.

Rival factions: From Licht Kreis, to Amnesia, to EFG, to Night Blade, you can simply have the fights be due to the rivalry or something.

In-Births who just wanna show off their power. Like Carmine being his Ax-Crazy self, or Enkidu looking for a worthy opponent.

And if those don’t work for the situation, find something. Like Hyde and Yuzuriha can fight because she wants to see if he’s ready to handle the Night. Or he and Phonon fight because he pisses her off when she wants the dominatrix queen vibe and he’s ruining it.

Also a few characters were all “We will now fight In-Birth scum, I will defeat you.” and it’s like “.....soooo, you’re calling them out on being an in-Birth, when EVERYONE here is an In-Birth?”.....logic.....who needs it am I right?

UNI is the least well know of these three franchises and I hope this game gets it into the limelight so we can PLEASE have a continuing story. I mean very new re-release (no, not new game, re-release) just adds new characters, and more backstory. Nothing ever moves forward. We don’t even know what’s anon because all of the Arcade Modes don’t connect..

But in terms of them interacting with the other franchises, it really depends on the character, and if they know this sin’t the Hollow Night (where some kind of magic field heals them, so they don’t have that safety net in other worlds.

RWBY

Okay this is my personal headcanon here but I feel like it sticks

As anime-esque as RWBY is, it ISN’T an anime. It was made by western developers, with western views, and a western sense of humor.

there was originally going to be a bathouse/hot springs scene, but they scrapped it because they are underage. In Japan they would’ve gone full hog with it. Yang’s flirtatiousness never goes beyond the kind of stuff you’d see in a high school sitcom while if it was an anime she’d be showing off WAY more cleavage. Weiss never complains about her rack (or lack there of), etc.

So, IMO, RWBY characters would play the straight-man role to all this anime craziness.

Fighting Games flanderize their characters because you need to have their personalities fit their gameplay quotes. and you can’t re-do ALL of their dialogue whenever some big character development thing happens, that’d be WAY too much work (see the Chie and Akihiko thing above)

And admit it, some.... a LOT....of anime characters have a sort of craziness that mot people wouldn’t not be to fond of in reality. I know Nora is pretty bubbly and weird but she is a bit more tame than say.....Taokaka from Blazblue, or Mika from Under Night. In RWBY Nora does know how to be a bit mature, in a full on anime world, she’d be twice the Cloudcuckoolander she is now.

RWBY, as  a show first and foremost, even with it’s flaws, the characters develop and grow, and aren’t TOO crazy and quirky. They have their roles and character archetypes, but they are able to grow out of their more hostile and worst aspects and become better people, while still being recognizable. While fighting games need to keep a character acting how they always have, or at least keep them close to their base personality because that is what the character is advertised as, plus they need to keep that one Running Gag going.

Plus I just wanna see these non-assholes interact with the asshole BB cast and not be pulled into their gag/bit and call them out on how mean, or jerky they are being. Because be honest do you honestly think anyone from these other worlds would listen to or obey Rachel or Kokonoe if they mocked them or were like “Bitch do the thing”?

BBTAG treats all the characters like they are from the same world/franchise, with the same conventions that govern one world making em do the gag we expect. Persona and RWBY characters wouldn’t jump right into a fight, Under Night I don’t know it depends on whether or not they think this is all part of the Hollow Night, but Blazblue characters are kind of Blood Knights.

Try not to think of them in the context of this game, think of how these characters would act, with their personalities from their original franchises, and NOT twisted to fit the gags and craziness of this crossover. Don’t think of how anime-Ruby would act, think of how RWBY-Ruby would act.

this might just be me taking things WAY too seriously, but that’s what I do. I might be talking out of my ass about how characterization and character development work in two different mediums in two different countries, but it just feels weird to see a character’s personality be tottally twisted mjust so they can fit some gag or play along with another gag that they, in their home series, wouldn’t follow in the slightest.

I apologize if I stepped on anyone's toes here. But if you need to call me out on it, please be respectful. I understand my viewpoints vary greatly from the norm, but don’t freak out. If you must call me out on something, do it calmly.

TL;DR: Try to imagine all the characters in BBTAG with their personalities from their original franchises. Not twisted to fit the jokes of one series, not flanderized. How would the characters, in their original characterization, interact with one another?

[juniorformulamotorsport]

Wednesday, 11th/Friday, 13th November 2008 – Macau, Days 5 – 7

As ever Wednesday was the day it all kicked off with the traditional photo opportunity/PR stunt held at Fisherman’s Wharf in the afternoon. First though there were some shopping-related errands to run. Glyn wanted to look at the shiny new Apple store to see if he could get any accessories for his iPod and Lynne and I wanted to go and look for model cars, new shirts/jackets and some white port. That meant we were keen to locate the New Yaohan department store’s new premises, since the old New Yaohan is now a building site. As it turned out the Apple shop and the new New Yaohan are pretty much next door to each other over on the Nam Van Lake complex. In the end Glyn bought a case for his iPod and then we decided that we needed iced coffee and for that we needed to visit the Singing Bean Cafe, a somewhat eccentric establishment where they claim that playing Mozart to the coffee beans makes for a smoother coffee (!).

They also serve the scariest cake portions I have ever seen, and in fact two year’s after the event Glyn was still spooked by the sight of the cake display. Instead we settled for an iced coffee and a custard tart each.

I love the iced coffee you get in Macau, served with a jug of very creamy milk and a jug of sugar syrup, it’s just the thing on a hot, sweaty morning. After that we wandered through Leal Senado Square, and along the road leading to the ruins of Sao Paulo, only to discover that the model shop has vanished, as had all but one of the shops selling Chinese shirts, blouses, jackets and dresses – probably mostly to tourists given the sizes in stock. Anyway, a brief foray into there was most rewarding with two jackets and a shirt for Lynne, and two shirts and two jackets for me.

From there we decided to go over to the old Protestant Cemetery, and St. Anthony’s Church, neither of which we had been to despite having made hefty inroads into the World Heritage sites on Macau.

It was very peaceful up there, apart from a bird (some sort of Oriole I think) which refused to show itself properly, but which had a lot to say for itself even so.

Oh, and the cemetery revealed some interestingly mangled English on some of the gravestones, as well as the rather alarming one for a Lewis Hamilton…

Additionally, the Morrison Chapel (originally built in the early 19th century to serve the requirements of employees of the British East India Company) at the entrance to the cemetery revealed that the Anglican congregation in Macau had a woman chaplain as early as the 1940s, and an Oriental woman at that. I didn’t realise the CoE was that forward thinking back then, and I’d really like to know more about her. We then strolled across the street to the Camoes Garden, which we also hadn’t seen before but had time for nothing more than a cursory glance at the entrance area. It’s most impressive and we must go back next year for a proper look round.

And then we had to get ourselves down to Fisherman’s Wharf, where the PR event was scheduled for 2.30. We settled in for a cold beer while the organisers set everything up, and then watched in amusement as various drivers demonstrated that they had chosen the right sport and that they made dreadful basketball players. It was entertaining for them too, as photographers were allowed to sit under the hoops, a consequence of the locals failing to understand the very simple plan Nikki had drawn up which had free standing hoops – instead they’d attached them to a hoarding so the only way you could see the players’ faces was to lurk under the hoops. It was stressed that this was entirely at our own risk if we wanted to take photos from there, and I had the bruise on my knee to prove it after a direct hit from Jaime Alguersuari! Ah well, the risks of photography…

Afterwards I had a chat with Mika Maki and discovered that basically we’ve had the wrong Finn all season; Atte Mustonen is a fake, I reckon, whereas Maki is the real thing. As mad as two boxes of frogs though apparently harmless at first sight.

Anyway, the F3 drivers won for once, with the bikers doing worst as ever!

Once they’d all gone, we had another beer at the cafe, having discovered that Yvonne had arrived from Australia earlier than we’d been led to expect. We made a potential plan to meet her at the Convention Tower that evening for the buffet dinner and the fireworks display being held to celebrate the start of the Grand Prix.

The buffet spread was much the same as in previous years, concentrating on sections of Chinese food (and why is there NEVER any crab left), Indian food, Portuguese food, and a seafood counter as well as sushi and sashimi freshly cut for you by the chef.

Glyn was suffering his usual affliction when it came to dessert and his bits of fruit kept accidentally falling into the chocolate fondue – but what can you do…

I had a variety of cute little sweets and then, as they were closing up, we left and had the usual undignified fight for a cab after the food festival crowds decided they didn’t want to wait in the cab rank and would instead hail the cabs before they could get there. This resulted in a brief argument with a small official who seemed to think it was OK for the locals to do that but not for me to try it. Then he tried to push me – As I was about twice his height he’d really picked the wrong person to shove…

Thursday got off to a good start, not too early, with a trip to the Melco Hairpin to start the day. I like going there for the very first session simply because it’s such fun when the drivers encounter it for the first time. If you don’t get the line absolutely spot on you get stuck against the barrier on the outside, and just to help matters along there’s a nasty bump on the inside that means you’ll have at least one wheel off the ground at a fairly critical moment. As a photographer it’s great because you really could reach out and rap the boys on their helmets as they go round – and if they have clear visors fitted, you can see the whites of their eyes!

We got there to encounter a very friendly security guard, and were joined not long afterwards by a bunch of familiar faces, loaded up with camera equipment and ready to start the day. The inevitable moment soon arrived when someone thought we shouldn’t be standing there, and he vanished off down the hill to get clarification – and was never seen again. I can’t help thinking his subsequent discussion went one of two ways, with the most likely being:

“Sir! There are lots of photographers standing on the outside of Melco!”

“Are they young?”

“No, Sir.”

“Then they clearly know what they’re doing. Ignore them!”

The alternative version may have started the same, but then deviated:

“What pass have they got?”

“A media pass and a Press on Course stylish flourescent green plastic tabard!”

“And what pass do you have?”

“This.”

“Ah… They can stay there. You can’t!”

At least this year they didn’t fence the area off before seeking clarification (which is what happened last year). After that we went back to the hotel, got organised for the day, and caught the lunchtime shuttlebus to the jetfoil terminal (and thus to the paddock via the escalator which has the advantage of meaning you don’t get run down by the traffic on the main road).

We spent the afternoon in action in the press office, watching the first qualifying session and writing and filing our report. After that we retreated to the hotel for a shower and clean clothes, cursing the final hill as we dragged the laptop trolley up it. We opted to eat at the IFT restaurant that evening, which is always a good experience gastronomically and simply an experience where the service is concerned. Because it’s not long after the start of term most of the students are very new, and are therefore hovered over by the tutors and the maitre d’ to make sure they don’t commit any truly awful errors. It’s got to be tricky because what the restaurant is aiming for is fine dining, European-style, with students who come from a very different tradition. It can lead to the odd misunderstanding but it would take a very hard heart to hold it against the students; they’re willing, keen and incredibly attentive. And the food is something special too…

We started with a glass of white port each as an aperitif, then moved on to Bacalhau Risotto with Wild Mushrooms for me:

Seared Scallops with Portuguese Black Pudding and Pomelo Confiture for Glyn:

Lynne had the Terrine of Foie Gras with Verjus Jelly, Red Onion and Quince Jam:

I followed this with Pan Fried Venison Fillet with Truffle Spätzle and Port Wine Sauce, as did Lynne:

Glyn ordered the Beef Tenderloin with a Gratin of Wild Mushrooms and Cream Potatoes:

Dessert was a Blueberry and Rhubarb Crumble with Créme Brûee Ice Cream which, to this Yorkshirewoman, needed to be more crumb and less crust, but which was still delicious.

There was also Red Berries Créme Brûee with Egg Tart for Lynne:

It was just a shame they couldn’t do the tasting menu for three people, it was only available in multiples of two.

Friday we had a slightly later start, and then – despite the press shuttle bus driver insisting he couldn’t take us there – we took the cameras to Hospital Bend (by cab – the bus driver was insistent the closest he could get us was the Lisboa and it’s an uphill slog in the heat from there – however we struck it lucky with our cab hunting as there was one just drawing up behind the shuttle bus as we needed it – and Jonathan Cochet climbed out. I thanked him for bringing us our taxi!) Once at Hospital were settled in amidst a pleasant garden under a bus shelter that kept the heat off us nicely.

There were lots of huge butterflies, and equally large dragonflies (with what looked to be very velvety bodies) but no burning tin tops to my mild disappointment.

There was a startling view of the new Grand Lisboa from there, which we had time to fail to appreciate:

Due to the general incompetence of the local competitors the session was so badly delayed that it ended up happening after lunch, which was delivered to the marshals on a truck that almost didn’t make the next bend, to the derision of the marshals.

Anyway, we figured there wasn’t a lot of point going back to the press office so we ended up watching the next lot of locals out, the cars including a Honda NSX that appeared to have eaten a 1970s F1 car, all apart from the airbox.

During the lunch break the very sweet security guard kept worrying about us being in the sun, especially Lynne whose redhead’s complexion seemed to really worry her. She should probably have worried more about the F3 drivers!

After the session we walked back down the hill, locating a hitherto unknown (to us anyway) short cut that spat us out near the Holiday Inn, and lo-and-behold there was another handy cab, just when we needed on. We went back to the paddock via Fisherman’s Wharf and the Talay Thai restaurant overlooking the water and the ferry terminals. We decided lunch might be a good idea at this point (and I wasn’t sure I could face the porklion sandwiches in the media lounge – whatever a porklion really is; I’m assuming pork loin, but prefer the mental image the misprint conjures up). We ordered iced tea, iced coffee, prawns in a red curry sauce…

And a seafood hotpot:

Afterwards it turned out that one of the prawns may have been off (damn the fortune teller – he was right about my stomach!) though it’s possible that the problem had started before that as I wasn’t feeling too clever while we stood out on the trackside.

Anyway, we made it back to the press office for practice and the subsequent press conference, before again heading back to the hotel to shower and change. Tonight’s invitation was to the 15th anniversary of the Macau Grand Prix museum. They were also launching a three dimensional map of the circuit. I still wasn’t feeling too good so had to forego the canapes, confining myself to two Gaviscon tablets and a glass of red wine and a piece of beautifully chilled melon to try and take the taste away!

As far as I was concerned that was the end of the evening. We got a cab back to the hotel, and I went to bed with a litre of water. The other two raided a nearby supermarket and had Japanese sweets and nuts and cold beer for dinner.

Travel 2008 – Macau, Days 5 – 7 Wednesday, 11th/Friday, 13th November 2008 – Macau, Days 5 - 7 As ever Wednesday was the day it all kicked off with the traditional photo opportunity/PR stunt held at Fisherman's Wharf in the afternoon.

[rickyriddle]

AnR Crossover idea: Akuma no Riddle x Psycho-Pass

Hi! this is a new concept I wanted to start, about crossover with Akuma no Riddle. I already did one with Danganronpa, in my fic Akuma no Ronpa. But I also want to explore other potential crossovers. I don’t intend to write fic about those tho, unless it interests some people.

So I want to explore a crossover between Akuma no Riddle and Psycho-Pass. Let’s call it Akuma-Pass or Psycho no Riddle. Let’s see where I would see each AnR characters in the Psycho-Pass universe.

Haru would most likely be an inspector, probably a purer version of Akane. Optimistic, naive, sweet, friendly, yet able to be badass and really good at her job. Haru would be the kind of inspector who tried to talk to criminals or even latent criminals and try to reason with them. So the talk first, then shoot type. Really, she would get along pretty well with Akane. The Queen Bee ability wouldn’t really work in the Psycho-Pass universe, and Haru’s past either. But she could have a similar past, she could have survived but lost her entire family because of assassination attempts and ended up scarred. Since characters usually have realistic hair colour, rather than red-pinkish hair, Haru would have auburn-brownish one. Her usual psycho-pass would be around 30.

Tokaku would be en enforcer in Haru’s division. Her family would still be an assassin clan but, thanks to the implantation of Sybil, they could no longer keep their assassination business. Since she lived before Sybil, Tokaku’s grandmother didn’t want to give up her clan’s vocation and tried to make her granddaughter an assassin and the heir of the family, since Tokaku’s mom died at her birth. Her other daughter would have denounced her to the authorities to save her niece, but eventually ended up murdered by her mother. Due to her education as an assassin and the fact she witnessed her aunt murder, Tokaku ended up with a high psycho-pass and she became a latent criminal while she was still a kid and sent to a special jail. She was only freed as an adult when Haru chose her to be an enforcer in her division. Since this day, Tokaku is extremely grateful and loyal to Haru, and eventually ended up in a secret relationship. Tokaku’s hair would be raven (a blueish-black) and her psycho-pass around 150.

Sumireko would be an inspector in the same division as Haru. She would always keep a good figure, act polite and distinguished, even with her colleagues. But in reality, she would have a strong dislike for criminals, even latent ones (so the enforcers too), and have a silent yet strong rivalry with Haru. Just like her, Sumireko would have survived an assassination attempt, but in her case, she lost her limbs and eventually becoming a cyborg (which keeps as secret). This is the source of her dislikes for any kind of criminals, as well as her desire to be a better inspector than Haru, whom she views as weak and too nice with criminals. But she never expressed her dislikes publically, especially not to Haru, but has no problem discrediting her behind her back at each occasion she has. She would probably get along with Mika on certain points. In fact, Sumireko would be a more classy and hypocritical version of Mika. But her opinion slightly changed because of a specific criminal...I would see her hair either dirty blond or chestnut, and her psycho-pass would be around 60.

Banba would be a tricky case. First of all, her backstory would be pretty much the same as in AnR. But her split-personality caused an irregularity with her psycho-pass. As Mahiru, her psycho-pass would be under 100 (thus not a latent criminal) but as Shinya, her psycho-pass is over 100. Which means the Shinya persona is a latent criminal, but not the Mahiru one. But, when Banba has a psychosis (when she has the desire to kill and become crazy), Mahiru would be over 100, and Shinya over 300. Banba would have eventually be arrested for murders and due to her irregular psycho-pass and mental issues, she couldn’t be treated the same as a regular latent criminal. Shinya became an enforcer in the same division as Sumireko, who got the task to take care of Banba. So Mahiru, who is mostly a regular civilian, would live in Sumireko’s house and work as a maid, mostly as a cover-up. To avoid people to know about the possibilities of such an irregular psycho-pass, if anyone learns about Mahiru’s existence, the official version told will be that they are twin sisters. In case you didn’t catch it, she’s the specific criminal I was referring in Sumireko’s description. Banba is probably the sole “criminal” Sumireko sincerely like. Banba would still have the same hair colour as in AnR, but her natural hair colour would have been black, and they would have ended up becoming grey-white due to too extreme stress.

Chitaru would have been at first an inspector who ended up becoming an enforcer. As an inspector she was on the side of justice, always trying to obey Sybil, because it represents justice. But just like in AnR, her teacher’s daughter had been murdered and Chitaru wished revenge on the murderer, Angel Trumpet. Unfortunately for her, Angel Trumpet ended up being Hitsugi, who she considered as a close friend. But since Hitsugi’s psycho-pass was under 300, the dominator couldn’t kill her, which resulted in Chitaru stabbing her. Chitaru would have then try to kill herself with her own dominator, but her psycho-pass being under 300, it only knocked her out. Because of that, she became a latent criminal and was retrograded as an enforcer. At first, she would have been sent to a therapy, but it wouldn’t have worked since Chitaru would have felt too guilty to feel like she deserves to be cured, thus staying a latent. Her hair would be reddish-auburn, and her psycho-pass would be around 120.

Hitsugi would have been a trained assassin from Datura, that somehow managed to escape Sybil’s vigilance. As a professional assassin, Hitsugi would have been able to keep a clear psycho-pass most of the time, without being an asymptomatic criminal. Because when she’s about to kill and when she does it, her psycho-pass is really dark, but soon after she’s done, she can make it go under 100. She was working at the public safety bureau as a scientist, but in fact, she had been sent there as a spy by Datura. She ended up falling in love with Chitaru and the guilt of lying to her made her unable to keep her psycho-pass clear, thus becoming a latent criminal. She survived the stabbing and continue to work as a scientist, but is now officially a latent. Despite those events, they would eventually go out together, which certainly didn’t help their respective psycho-pass. Her psycho-pass is around 200. I have no idea what hair colour she could have...platinum blond?

Shiena would have been a computer scientist working for the public safety bureau as a skilled hacker. She would have eventually begun to be torn between her loyalty and her suspicious towards Sybil. With her hacking, she would have eventually discovered the existence of asymptomatic criminals. She would have work on a case regarding a certain serial killer, which would have gotten her kidnapped by the say serial killer who happened to have developed some kind of obsession towards her. Shiena would have survived and been eventually rescued, but her psycho-pass would have been at 99. Fortunately, it would have dropped down, but always remained at the limit. Therefore, she’s pretty much treated the same as a latent. Due to her complicated view of Sybil, her psycho-pass can’t become clearer. The feeling is mutual, Sybil also doesn’t know what to do with her, since she’s both useful and a nuisance because she knows too much. Even if Shiena doesn’t know the truth about Sybil, she does think that Kasei is an asymptomatic criminal and that those are somehow controlling their society (which isn’t wrong). Due to weird circumstances, she ended up living with the serial killer...Her hair would be a little bit darker and her psycho-pass around 90.

Otoya...wow, that one. Dunno if you have read my psychopath characters in anime/manga list, but I said that criminally asymptomatic was, in fact, the same as psychopathy. Which means, since Otoya is most likely a psychopath, she should be an asymptomatic criminal, which is truly frightening. Unlike Makishima, Otoya would like the actual society. Thanks to Sybil, she could more easily commit murders without being arrested, and people, basing their opinions on psycho-pass, would trust her. During an investigation for her crimes, she would have met Shiena and developed an obsession about her, enough to kidnap her. Sybil would have eventually learned about her existence but since Otoya’s personality doesn’t really fit the Sybil system, Sybil wouldn’t be interested to add her to their system. But since Otoya’s psycho-pass is clear and that asymptomatic criminals are rare, Sybil would let her live. In exchange for Otoya living as a normal citizen (which mean no killing), Sybil would let her have what she wants, which is Shiena. Shiena agreed as if it was a mission because she knows Otoya can’t be arrested but still want to refrain her from killing. Sybil hopes that Shiena’s presence will turn Otoya into a potential member for the Sybil system, and that Otoya will make her psycho-pass darker enough to be a latent, so Sybil could more easily control or even get rid of Shiena if she becomes a threat. Otoya’s hair would be black and her psycho-pass would be always under 100.

Kouko and Suzu would also work for the public safety bureau as doctors, Kouko being a doctor for physical injuries, and Suzu a psychiatrist. They would be both taking care of the employees’ health, as well as the criminals they would arrest.   I don’t really have a lot of idea for them, let’s say their personalities would be pretty much the same as AnR. Kouko would still have black hair, but Suzu, I would see her with prematurely white hair. Kouko’s psycho-pass would be around 70, and Suzu around 40. I don’t really see the other characters in the psycho-ass universe.

Thanks for reading, don’t hesitate to tell me what you think of this crossover idea. I might do more if you’re interested, and if you have any AnR crossover idea, please share it with me and I might make a post about it.

[bethygauw]

Enstars Magazine vol.2: Interview with Development Staff - Unit Concept

From Enstars Magazine vol.2 Knights, released in September 2016.

This segment writes comments from the staff on their image of each unit in Yumenosaki Academy. Includes 10 units, and Switch got a longer part because they just got recently introduced at that time.

Staff interviewed:

M.T: Chief Planner and Contents Director. Person in-charge of overall supervision for elements such as contents direction, world setting, scenario, outfit designs among others.

M.H: Art Director. On top of being the art director for illustrations, they are also in charge of the Live2D.

K.M: Lead Illustrator. In charge of character designing, copyright illustrations, and line art for 4* and 5* illustrations, among other duties.

Note: I had to take pictures quickly before I flew out and didn’t take proper ones for the post, so I will add more pictures when I get back.

1. Switch

Staff comment: We want to give you moments that become “switches” that bring forth all sorts of changes.

From M.T.:

For Switch, I look at the unit’s theme color, the number of members, and the image color of each member. I chose the color that won’t clash with any of the other units, green, and at first I thought of motifs such as plants and fairies. On the other hand, because there are three of them and they have traffic light colors, in the end I included their individual color into their unit outfits and made them into their hair color. Also, because we were also planning to include one of the Five Oddballs, we had their key motif to be something more fantastical than Wataru’s “magic tricks”, hence “magic”, and that’s how the unit’s themes expanded even further.

In the creation process, we had challenges and there were points we were fixated with. To a certain degree, I already had a fixed image when I passed the character description onto the person in charge of the character’s visual roughs. But we spent a lot of time in designing the unit outfit, adapting the word “sporty” into “idol outfits”. Valkyrie had a dark orientation throughout and their chuunibyou elements were easy to design, but we felt that it was hard to realize the opposite into shape, which is presenting something in a fresh and new way. For unit outfits, they have balanced elements to them, so for future event outfits we hope the different themes and motifs will demonstrate their charms from a different angle.

As for their personalities, like giving muscles to the skeleton, further depth was given to the character description by Akira-san. So for the details on their interaction and what they think of the other characters, we’d like the players to read the stories and see for themselves. Switch may give off a fresh feel as a newly formed unit like Trickstar and units with first-years focus, but I hope it becomes a unit that, more than anyone else, produces chemical reaction with all sorts of units. We want to give you moments that become “switches” that bring forth all sorts of changes. Maybe it’s amongst Switch themselves, maybe it’s from another unit towards Switch, maybe it’s from Switch to other units.

 From K.M:

I’d like to talk about things to note about in their visuals. To start off, Tsumugi. It would be his frizzy hair, and his sweater that has overly long sleeves*. We didn’t want his hair to make him look too gloomy, so we had his posture look sharp and his accessories neat. He wears glasses and has fringe, so his double eyelids tend to stay hidden. But we made the depression in his eye socket more pronounced so that his expressions are easier to interpret and his gentle atmosphere can be brought out. Only Sakuma brothers, Shinobu, Mika, and Natsume don’t have this depression, while everyone else’s shapes differ slightly from one to another.

*It’s something moe, also called moesode (lit. moe sleeves).

Next is Natsume. We have a lot of characters with slanted eyes, so I made sure to make a different shape. Hokuto and Souma have almond-shaped eyes that are typical of that of Japanese, but the area around Natsume’s eyes leave a showy impression closer to Wataru and Shu’s. To give him more of a magician’s vibe, the eyeline at the corner of his eye is thick and curved. His expressions were tuned to show confidence and staggering atmosphere.

Sora’s hair has an unusual clumpy feel for the game, so I made sure to fit him into the game without ruining the atmosphere. I didn’t want him to look too young, so I made sure that he doesn’t only feel fluffy but also cool. There are already a number of students who are wearing parkers, so I chose slightly thick material. The strings around the neck are also thick to bring out his individuality. His triangular eyebrows and acorn-shaped eyes are to be noted.

During character designing and creation of event CGs, we pretty much already solidified their unique traits in terms of outer appearances the moment we received the three’s character proposal. But we also paid close attention to ensure there are enough differences between them and the already existing characters, so that they blend into the series. Everyone has unique hairstyle, so we’re really careful about adjustments of things such as the thickness of the hair tufts and the way we draw the hair ends. Tsumugi has a heavy perm and dark hair colour, he wears glasses, and he has unique traits that are not what you’d call a hot guy in general. So I thought about how to make him likened by many while still keeping these individualities and adjusted the details quite a lot. As you may have guessed from his character description, Tsumugi is not your typical hottie, but he has a slightly refined touch, delicate and seems kind. That’s the image I was striving for, hence the visual’s end result. I want to hear people say, “I like this part of Tsumugi!” so I was fixated on things like the nuance of his hair, his big and sinewy hands that show anxious gestures, a posture that gives him a high-class impression, and his accessories. We made his event CG before the script was ready, so it was difficult to picture his emotions from a specific scene. His unbloomed CG is a tragic scene, but despite being in despair, he performs on top of the stage, creating something akin to a beautiful painting. I hope it can give you such impression. His pose too—so that I can create a shadow on his face, I lifted his arm. The sense of negativity is to attract your attention to his expression even more. But he’s still part of fine, so I kept in mind to keep the movement elegant and brilliant. Conversely, his bloomed CG pictures him casting a gentle magic that gives happiness to people, as if expressing Tsumugi’s original nature.

As for Natsume, finding the balance was difficult. For example, his hair is divided into fringe and the back side, and its asymmetrical sidelocks are its unique trait. I wanted to let out a mysterious feel so I made sure that he makes complacent smiles. For the event CGs, I first drew Natsume then Tsumugi, but it was difficult to come up with compositions and poses that express the feel of both idols and magicians. I watched magical girl shows for young girls and movies and I was able to grasp the image of scenes showing how “magic is cast as if they bestow dreams to others.” When the curtains are lifted, Natsume would face the audience and click his fingers and release the first magic. That’s my image for Natsume’s CG, while Tsumugi would spin* some magic with his fingertips. Even with Natsume’s 2☆ card, I wanted people to be able to tell at a glance that he’s mysterious and gives off magical feel, and I had a hard time coming up with the pose.

*”tsumugidasu” which is usually used for “spin a tale”; “weave a story”

2. Trickstar

A unit that is close by your side and genuine, a unit that’s very high school boys-like.

M.T.: I think compared to other units, the combination of the four in Trickstar is the closest to the feel of high school boys. All members are second-years, they clash with their true feelings, they make stupid jokes, their interactions are like skits between the silly man and the straight man. You don’t get to see that kind of thing from anyone else that often. Trickstar’s charm is that compared to any other unit they’re the closest to your side, and you can easily build a sense of familiarity towards them.

M.H.: In their key visual, each of them is riding on a star. During the creation process of the key visual, we the staff discussed among ourselves what kind of unit Trickstar is. I think Trickstar is a unit that would burst out into the open and is lively. They would ride on the stars and would probably say, “It may be an unstable [ride] but we’re going to challenge ourselves on various things.” I made their visual packed with vigor that is characteristic of them.

3. Fine

Their theme is rulers who have the position to command others.

M.T.: It’s a unit that rules from the top of Yumenosaki Academy, so I think they have a ruler-like personality and confidence. Hence, they may seem to stand on formalities, or rather, there is a certain distance between the members. Compared to Trickstar, the members may not have a single common thought.

Fine’s outfit has the motif of a ruler’s, at any rate, Eichi, the leader’s image is strongly brought out. We also added an element of music, and they also have a theme of rulers who are in the position to command others. Also, we use angel’s wings as a motif in their unit logo. The way they put pressure on other students from above is perhaps like them taking the role of angels who relay messages from God, in a sense. Their unit colors are white and gold, and an angel’s wings are also pure white, aren’t they? It’s also a color of nobility, brilliance, and purity, so I chose it as their theme color.

4. UNDEAD

Their charm is the gap between their on-stage selves and their usual selves.

M.T.: UNDEAD’s image colors are black and purple, and their charm point is their wild feel like that of a beast. They’re a unit where we can show off sexiness the most. They’re wild, but rather than lunging at other units, it’s more like the way they appeal themselves as idols is thorny. So the members are actually tender-hearted, to put it in another way, there’s a rather huge gap between their on-stage selves and their usual selves. The way they behave towards their classmates and their juniors or seniors is distinguished properly.

Regarding their outfits, we thought something rock and black would be nice after all, so we chose leather jackets. Fundamentally for leather jackets, long sleeves predominate, and when I designed it in an orthodox way, it felt like they were wearing so much (laugh). It was also because the game’s development period was not in summer, so even if they’re a sexy unit their skin exposure is on the lower side. If we had made it half-sleeved, maybe it would have been something like PirateFes.

5. Knights

The appearance of the absent leader, Leo, was undecided.

M.T.: With the models as the top batters, everyone in Knights have a pretty appearance and gives out the air that they would protect someone, just like a knight. We use chess as their motif, so “pieces” are reflected in their relationships and the way they act, in some way.

The fact that the leader was absent was part of the setting ever since we were at the stage of unit creation, but whether the leader would make an appearance or not was not clearly decided. It was like, if an opportunity arises as the game moved along [then we’d introduce the leader].

When Leo was introduced as a new character, I wondered about what kind of position would an idol get the most attention. In the end, I thought it would be the moment the absent leader comes back. Originally, Akira-san’s suggestion also became the trigger of how he was created, “It would be interesting if there’s this kind of character.” He’s a character that lets you feel the connection in the Ensemble series.

6. Ryuseitai

M.T.: As a sentai group, each member of Ryuseitai is doing whatever they want, so compared to the usual sentai group they have a bond that is somewhat different and I think that’s interesting. There are no second-years, only first- and third-years. So there is somewhat distance in their relationships, which is also unique to them.

Every position has their own color, so I don’t have too much trouble figuring out their event outfits, however transformation suits like in Supernova was tough. I asked myself if this design would let them move as I created it.

M.H.: For Ryuseitai’s key visual, I wanted to make it so that their unique traits can be spotted with just one picture. We were told that their part in the main story was like a comic band, so I wanted to bring out not only hero-like feel, but also a little bit of them joking around. In the first proposal of the robot, Midori was the son of the grocery store so we were going to make the cabbage transform, but in the end we decided on eggplant and thus it became what we have now (laugh). To tell the truth, we were also thinking of another form where the robot is separated into pieces.*

*I’m actually not sure about the reference to this whole part, please let me know if I made a mistake.

7. Ra*bits

Nazuna is the one who pulled the other three along, who doesn’t know left and right yet.

M.T.: Ra*bits is also a unit composed of first- and third-years, just like Ryuseitai, but they have a different kind of relationship. The only third-year, Nazuna, demonstrates proper leadership, but he also has cuteness that blends in with the first years. A point to be noted is that everyone is “cute”. There are no less than three first-years who are starting out to become idols, and they don’t have a vision of what it’s like to be an idol just yet, so something to highlight is their development within the stories. Each of them would sell themselves in an adorable way while bringing out their own individuality—as a boy, they may be against it, but I hope we’ll be able to illustrate that kind of conflict. Their first-year peer, Tori, would use his cuteness on purpose (laugh), but those three are not so self-aware—it’s more natural.

I designed their outfit by making a sailor’s uniform become idol-like. The only ones who get to wear knee-length pants are Ra*bits (laugh).

8. 2wink

They shoulder a dilemma only twin brothers would have.  

M.T.: 2wink are twins so the bond between them is strong, but what they think and what they aim for is different… They disagree and are unable to fit into each other, and they shoulder a dilemma only brothers would have. From the start they're already experienced in street performance, so they’re not shy in front of people, and they understand how to show themselves off. I think a little bit of that mastery is their unit’s charm. They would guide other units and give them advice. They are dependable first-years.

M.H.: Among all Yumenosaki Academy units, I think 2wink is the sportiest. The hue on their outfits somehow gives of a feel of pointedness, which becomes their theme*. They are a duo, so they present a challenge different from other units. How far should they match and where should we make them different is a point of consideration that always puts us at a loss every time. But that being said, if you just look at their expressions, I think we are able to make it so that you’re able to tell which one is Hinata and which one is Yuta.

*I’m also unsure about the nuance for this, sorry. I think it’s the way they’re being sarcastic, but not so spiteful inside. Most of the time. The original word used for “pointedness” is 毒っけ.

9. Akatsuki

They have masculine toughness and grace, but the three’s distance are that of a family’s.

M.T.: Akatsuki is the only unit with traditional Japanese elements, so their unique traits are the least blurry. Their theme color is red, and while they are substantial and solid as the academy’s number two, there’s also passion hidden within each member. They have that kind of image. During the initial stages, they were powerful people with masculine toughness and grace, but after Akira-san had a hand in them, their role became very clear. The distance between them are close, and I think you can see their strong bond like that of a family.

As for the outfits, it’s a combination of kimono, pants, and boots, which makes a good seasoning comprising traditional Japanese elements and idols.

Also, in their key visual, that becomes their first illustration, they used fans and traditional umbrellas instead of mics which bring out their showiness. This can only be done by Akatsuki. As for Souma, it’s very like him to bring around his sword during his idol activities as well.

10. Valkyrie

The unit’s motifs are “dolls” and “strings”.

M.T.: I think there’s still a lot of mysteries to unveil about Valkyrie’s relationship with other units. We will create more as we discuss with Akira-san, so please look forward to it.

Valkyrie’s motifs were already decided since the beginning: dolls and strings. “Pulling the strings” also connects to the relationship between the members. The antique motif is not really used in regards to other units, but the colors red and black are used a lot, so when I was thinking how I can bring out a different mood, I thought steampunk would make a good compatibility, so we decided to go in that direction. It’s a unit that was created later, so I included motifs that carry a meaning from the get go.

As for their outfits, Shu is the handicraft club’s captain so we chose laces and so on. So elaborate ornaments predominate.

[isolaween]

Costumes Under the Spotlight! (Part 2)

At the stage, a lone figure clad in red stood up. It wasn’t hard noticing it after the host so kindly announced her presence like that. A bright smile stamped her face, just as flashy as her outfit. It might not show actual skin, as the original one would, but the one wearing it was proud of her confectionary abilities.

“Ummmm, what a big audience you’ve brought us tonight, Riiche~.” Maya spoke in a sultry tone. Not her usual by any means, but hey. What’s the fan of cosplaying if you don’t immerse yourself into your character either. “Pleased to meet you, humans, demons and all other species present here. I’m Gaap, one of the 72 Great Demons of Hell and your host for the costume contest tonight. Let’s see if any of those brave enough to face public scrutinization by their outfits have half of the capability a demon like me would have to pull them through, ufufufu~.” (Ummmm, I hope I don’t end up offending anyone by speaking like this…) “Now, before we start, let me explain how things will work. At the entrance, some of the Pokémon you met must have handed you a sheet containing several names and numbers, correct? Like this one.” She raises one such sheet up high and lets it be projected at the screen behind her. “If any of you missed this, just inform them and they shall complete their service adequately. Or so should they hope…” (I’m sorry, my babies!!) “This is the voting sheet. Each of you has the right to vote only once, and you must provide your name when voting to assure so. For each presented costume, you must rate them from 0 to 5, 5 being those you like the most. After you’ve rated all of them, you must submit your sheet into this box right here.” Maya shows a container decorated in a style similar to her dress. “You can submit your votes until exactly midnight. After that, we’ll take the time to count them, so that we can announce the grand winner at the end. Don’t you dare to fall asleep until then!” She knocks the floor with her heels, making quite the impact. “The winner shall be granted the biggest gift a mortal could ever wish for: a witch’s wish! Ufufu, I wonder what sort of twisted desires your dark hearts are hoping to be granted tonight. I hope you have the clothes to match them!!”

The crowd salutes the ‘demon’, who gives it time to do so. Once they’re done, she looks at the voting sheet once again. “But enough of this. Let’s get to the truly hot and exciting part of the formalities. DJ!” She snaps her fingers loudly. “You know the drill. Let’s show off… our daring contestants!” The spotlights began to dance, chasing among the crowd those that 'Gaap’ announced. Their visage would be displayed for everyone to see, for that’s what a costume contest is all about: image!

“Our first contestant is actually one of the many artists that will grace our night with their talent. A not very traditional vampire look, huh? Hopefully that won’t offend the sensibilities of the actual vampires in our audience, ummm~. With you, GAKUPO KAMUI (@utatteru)!!!”

(Art by Gakupo-mun)

“Next we have… aaaaaw, how sweet! Children can be very considerate and willing to impress their friends, no? And in a place like Hive City, such homages make perfect motifs for Halloween. Dressed as an alien friend, we have STEVEN UNIVERSE (@firstgemboy)!!!”

(Art by @/skidar)

“Following that, we have what seems to be a doctor. Also a remark about it being the worst father in the world, although I can’t confirm that without evidence. And antimatter arms? Sheesh, I’m a demon, not a scientist! Don’t ask me to dwell on science. Anyhow, here is PHI (@radicalroot)!!!”

(Art by Phi-mun)

“Hooo, looks like we have some sort of witch for our next candidate! Wonder if she has a Lady title like Lady Beatrice over there. Lambdadelta is her name? Hah, it’d be pretty amusing if she were in our audience. In the meantime, let’s salute SAYU YAMAMOTO (@macabreexeunt)!!!

(Art by Sayu-mun)

“Gosh, a magician’s outfit? Aaaaah, Trucy would love seeing this! …I mean, *cough* Quite impressive for a human seeking to become equal to a witch in power. Let’s see if you can enchant your way to victory, huh? Hope you all enjoy… I’m not reading this whole name out loud, so MAGILOU (@thewitchmagilou)!!!”

(Official art)

“A god eater? Heh, can’t imagine a cute one like you going out devouring almighty beings like that, but then again this city is known from breaking deceitful perceptions like that. Just be careful with that prop, alright? May you all admire the craft of EDNA (@normincarenaqueen)!!!”

(Official art)

“One more of tonight’s idols this time and what a style! Vampire Gakupo should keep an eye behind his ear, for you never know when this gruff vampire hunter will put a stake on his heart. Oh? Is it supposed to be a clean cut anime version of this? Well, you know what you want. EICHI TENSHOUIN, everybody (@10showin)!!!”

(Offical photo)

“Now we have the first half of another matching duo, once again by idols. There’re sure a lot of you in this contest, I must say. An ‘steampunk doll’ is not something you see everyday, so points for creativity there. Hope you like the hard work of MIKA KAGEHIRA (@smilingidoll)!!!”

(Official art)

“And here’s the second half! I must say, people who like one will probably like the other. Unless the butterfly wing ends up being a make it or break it deal for them, which might help with the untie process. I’m certainly curious to see the results~. Before you all, SHU ITSUKI (@raisanutau)!!!”

(Official art)

“I must say that I’m surprised that no women have brought princess costumes so far. To think that our first one of that cathegory would be from a boy. He sure brings forth all the qualities fit for one, however, so perhaps they just saw that they didn’t stand a chance! Please make space for Your Highness RIKU NANASE (@idolish7center)!!!”

(Official art)

“Next - hoh, what an interesting style. Steven Stone is a rather familiar name. It reminds me of a character from a Pokémon game i’ve played, Roland Rock. Hope you have the hardness of a rock to stand this challenge, boy! All salute KNIGHT UNRYUUJI (@cloudwhiteknight)!!!”

(Edit of official art)

“Another vampire, although I must say the dragon friend is an interesting touch. Such a shame that you didn’t come as a cowboy, vampire, though! Even more so that your friend there didn’t submit their costume themself, for we don’t accept two people for the same submission. Hope you’ll enjoy the work of TASUKU RYUUENJI (@tasukusenpai)!!!”

(Official art)

“Now this one should be familiar to everyone. An idol that has stolen everyone’s hearts throughout the past 10 years, with a mix of appeal and talent never seen before. Her choice for the contest is an outfit that I’ll admit not to know, but I’m sure some of you do. One that needs no further introduction, MIKU HATSUNE (@cv01android)!!!”

(Art by Sour暄)

“Wow, now THIS guy understands about fashion! I completely agree with you, my fellow fashionista, anything is worth having this demonic glamour. If someone is fashionable, I’d be able to go through all sorts of crazy adventures with them… but only if they’re hot!! Here is the Pumpkin Witch, KING KNIGHT (@gildedusurper) !!!”

(Art by KK-mun)

“The next contestant has a… much more natural look, I could say. And even considerate enough to add flowers for a better smell? If I didn’t know better, I’d have long thrown a pokéball at you, my darling, ahahaha! Ah, but I jest. Each individual in this city has different skill levels that should be respected. And hopefully admired! Please admire ORI (@saviourofnibel) !!!”

(Art by Ori-mun)

“Hoo, what a beautifully stylish outfit this is! A simple enough design that showcases its true splendor in the form of cobweb patterns under the spotlight. Just like a true circus artist! And complimenting web gloves, how interesting. It’s truly wonderful seeing people use their natural talents the most like this. Ladies and gentlemen, applauses for MUFFET (@actuallymuffet) !!!”

(Art by Mumpkins (Deviantart))

“My my, this one is pretty creative, I must say! Using your own body as a prop is not something most people would be comfortable with, but you seem to have pulled it off with a T! And that modern internet aesthetic will sure gain you a couple points from the meme loving citizens, ahahaha!! Anyway, here is STAR PLATINUM (@wildberryoras) !!!”

[Aside from pixelated plastic he fashioned to look like a censor bar covering his eyes, all he’s wearing is two pepsi logos covering his unmentionables both in back and front. It’s the three piece cardboard display he constructed that are the main attraction. One side sits upon the floor while the others act as walls, a window into the world he pained into it. Neon pink and black checkerboard tile stretch into the turquoise horizon. The landscape lay nearly barren except for an oasis not far away. At the edge of a pool sit palm trees, VHS tapes propped against a pedestal, on which sits a television. Vaporwave is playing on it thanks to a phone acting as the screen, tapped there from behind. Star Platinum takes position on the display and poses like classical sculpture to tie it all together.]

(Description by SP-mun)

“…….Are you kidding me? Look, there’re ways to make use of memetic aesthetics and this is not really… *sigh*. Please, you’re a skeleton. You could have probably done a better job just by submitting yourself! Ahhh, but I digress. Everybody, enjoy the trumpet tunes of W.D. GASTER (@scirephysica) !!!”

(Edit by Gaster-mun)

“Ah, finally a werewolf! I was starting to think that the vampire lore would dominate tonight’s contest without any sort of opposition. I’m glad to see I was wrong. Especially a pastel colored one, you never see those in media. Definitely an original twist to the concept! Hope you’ll all howl for SUNNY OF THE FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS (@hairbeat) !!!”

(Art by Sunny-mun)

“Ah, what a fancy design this one has. That top hat of yours is your signature, isn’t it? I must say, it gives you a very gentlemanly air. I’ve once met a man who too wore a top hat all the time, and he was the most gentlemanly person I’ve ever met in my long life. But remember - a noble design means nothing if you can’t act the part! I present to you, DIO (@dioleft) !!!”

(Image source)

“And now an alien! Ahhh, what a futuristic looking dress! And those green bobbies on your head are quite charming (although I wonder why they aren’t silver to match the rest of the attire). Also really liked the makeup trick on your eyes - gives them that creepy grey alien feel for sure~. Hope you’ll all be abduted by the charms of MARCELINE ABADEER (@buryyouinmysounds) !!!”

(Image source)

“My my, another vampire? I might have anticipated myself in supposing that the werewolves stood any chance this year. A pretty traditional design this time - the paper teeth are a cute touch, though. Maybe we could say that you’re the Iron Mask Vampire! But I digress. I’m sure you shall be a respectable guest, darling. Please be kind with DRIFTER (@hyper-light) !!!”

(Image source)

“Would you look at this one! Representation for the other ways to celebrate Fall! Yes, for Halloween is but one of the many celebrations around the world this time of the year. I wonder how a Dia de los Muertos would go in Hive City, hmmmm… In any case, let’s all enjoy some sugar skulls with SOMBRA (@transl0cating) !!!”

(Official art)

“Ohhhh, a Frankenstein’s monster! Oh, I-I mean, Junkenstein’s monster. Forgive me for the confusion, miss. I can definitely approve of seeing more muscular women getting into the fun of costume making. It’s no fun if women are reduced to just being super thin and short demure mannequins, am I wrong? Hope you won’t get zapped by ALEKSANDRA ZARYANOVA (@itsonlygame) !!!”

(Art by @/kakimari (twitter))

“Now comes a bunch of matching outfits! First, a couple of cops, ready to arrest anyone disturbing the enjoyment of our citizens here present. Although I must admit, the first one’s design doesn’t really suggest me ‘cop’ that much besides the handcuffs. You sure you didn’t mix up with your roleplay costume~? Hope you enjoy the energy of CROW (@crimsongaze)​ !!!”

(Official art)

“Now the other half of this cop duo! …Oh, it’s you. I must admit, Halloween is indeed the time of the year most fit for one immersed in fantasies and acting plays. Wonder if that makes you the ‘good cop’ to your partner’s ‘bad cop’. Who knows, you might actually obtain a real ‘legend’ this time! Keep your eyes open for YAIBA (@legendoftongueflame) !!!”

(Official art)

“Now, a couple of vampires! The first one isn’t the tradiotional you’d see in old books, however. He seems to have gone with the more modern depiction of them as sexy boyfriends that’s become quite popularized in YA books the past few years. Will that exposed skin of yours sparkle, I wonder~? May the audience swoon with the charm of TITAN (@unichord) !!!”

(Official art)

“Our second vampire in this duo is more akin to the old times fashion, I see. Hah, I can already envision how this story would go. An old vampire finds an attractive young man and turns him into one of his kind to appease his encroaching loneliness that immortality brings. C’mon, it’d sell like bread! In any case, hope you’re as popular as my story would be, ORION (@aurochial) !!!”

(Official art)

“Ah, another freak of science! This time, we face the terror of eeeevil cyborgs, whose only goal in mind is subjugating all organic life to their master’s whims. I must say, I’m truuuuly terrified! That aside, I must say that this costume’s handcrafting is of top quality! I surely hope that it’ll be well seen by our guests. Hope you can survive the onslaught of MILES PROWER (@milesabovemobius) !!!”

(Official art)

“Hoo, I must say that I was quite excited when I saw the name of this costume. And also a bit afraid that our hosts wouldn’t allow it as per the rules, but it seems like we can keep the PG rating. I wonder if this is what a human/dragon hybrid is supposed to look like in YA novels. Ah, I know! I’ll include you in the story I mentioned earlier! With you, TRAVIS TOUCHDOWN (@suplex51) !!!”

[The Sexy Dragon is an Ibuki Mioda original that gives off an aura of sensual power. A “tough-love look,” you could call it.

The top is a sleeveless leather jacket, covered in brilliant green scales. The collar has been torn away, forcing the wearer to show off their collarbones to the world. Jutting down the wearer’s shoulders and spine are a set of dorsal fins, small enough to not be cumbersome while still large enough to give a sort of badass kaiju vibe.

The jean pants share the green color scheme, only with an added layer of crimson red felt underneath. Multiple lacerations to the green ‘skin’ reveal that 'muscle’ layer, which comes to look like the scars of a battle-hardened warrior.]

(Description by Travis-mun)

“Now we have a classical hero to protect us all from the beasts that here stood so far! I must say, you remind me of a certain protagonist from a videogame series that I’ve been playing recently - The Myth of Zolde, ever heard of that one? I’d highly recommend it to the audience! *Coughs* B-But I digress. Beware, evildoers, for you’ll feel the power of BAYONETTA (@txmmxrxwismine) !!!”

(Official art)

“Awwww, this one is totes adorbs, uhum~! I understand that you were forced to participate, darling, but I’d say that the chance of getting a wish for yourself is definitely worth the risk of social embarrassment. Plus, you really think you’re any worse than anyone else here? Trust me, you’ll survive this sting. Wonder if you shall be clawed by the hands - or should I saw mittens - of SASUKE UCHIHA (@tiredsasukeboy) !!!”

(Art by Sasuke-mun)

“Finally, our last contestant! Going for a style derived from tabletop RPGs, how interesting! It’s certainly a shame when we can’t obtain that one needed prop we wanted to encompass our perfect vision, but don’t worry. I’m sure that your design will be appreciated by all present anyway. Very well, let’s clap the hard work of PHILLIP DOWD (@tiireur) !!!”

(Art by Phillip-mun)

“This should conclude the opening. Now, go. Enjoy this witch party to your heart’s content! We shall meet again at the end of it all…” Once Maya said that, the curtains close, indicating the end of festivities’ opening. Have a nice evening, citizens.