#(she has. extensive lore that was never shared online)

[rsenak]

Does your character have a go-to 'comfort food'? Something they can pluck quickly out of their cupboard and make when they are tired, sad or just plain don't feel like they can commit to a meal? What is it and how is it made? Is it a comfort because it's associated with something or just because it takes no time at all and warms the belly?

hiii thankyou so much for the ask! i spent days trying to figure out how/when to answer but! going to try with my wol (bringing her out of her cage)

her favorite is bread or other pastries! preferably freshly baked, but she's not that picky about it. she probably had way worse at some point during her journey.

her go to for the road are some kind of bread (usually stale by then), dried fruits and dried meat but it's more for necessity than comfort.

as for making it, she's a decent baker but if given the option, she'd prefer to buy it her pastries from a vendor in a city state. from ul'dah or ishgard if she gets to choose as they're the closest to what she was used to growing up

during her worst she was often a patron of the forgotten knight, but she has little to no memory about what any of their meals taste like. regardless, they got her through a very rough patch.

(astrid is also fond of chocolate, but she considers it a luxury and doesn't get it too often)

+ 1; there's a bakery in ul'dah that she used to visit with a friend (until that friend disappeared..........) (she hasn't been there since as it would remind her of the memories too much) (the friend in question is minfilia)

+ 2; closest to really comfort food she'd get it sidurgu's cooking. which is the same 2 or 3 recipes of mostly stews that are too spicy for her (little to no spice tolerance)

[thebookshelfmonster]

Review: Seduced by a Selkie by Lauren Connolly 🦭🌊🦭🌊🦭🌊🦭🌊🦭🌊🦭 Girl rescues boy from drowning and realizes he wasn't drowning; boy is a selkie and is convinced that she is his fated mate; girl does not know any of that and is running from generational trauma and mental baggage and by extension, the beautiful but strange town full of magical folk her father died in. You will never see the twist coming at the end. I was genuinely unprepared for how wonderful this book was. The blurb and the way the book is written as one begins reading it, sets a baseline of expectations that the story constantly exceeds. Many of the tropes of the shifter romance genre are used in ways that don't feel tired. I have always enjoyed reading about Selkie lore and liked how the author uses it. One of the main attractions of the book, for me, was the entirely unexpected conversation the writer engages in about online learning and higher education in current times. It makes the book very current, which can be both a strength and a weakness. I was not expecting online learning to be an issue in a story about a Selkie seducing a woman, but it makes sense because the main character is a PhD student and her dissertation is on online learning. This is also probably what makes this book an urban fantasy. And finally, the plot twist towards the end of the book, because it has to be acknowledged, was so smoothly executed it almost feels like a magic trick. The author partially shares information and misdirects the reader so thoroughly, that the surprise revelation at the end feels appropriately shocking but also at least somewhat believable. 4/5 🌟 and full review on #goodreads PS. I have been obsessed with seals since my visit to the Pacific Northwest and I am glad that @booksirens suggested and made this ARC available to me. #seducedbyaselkie #laurenconnolly #shifterromance #paranormalromance #urbanfantasy #romancereads #readersofinstagram #bookreader #bookstagram #bookstagramusa #bookstagrammer #booklover #fantasylover #fantasticbeasts #mythology #mythicalcreatures #selkie #celticmythology #norsemythology #therianthropy https://www.instagram.com/p/CaOE6IxLRKn/?utm_medium=tumblr

[ihappentolikefnafsurprise]

I have a little FNAF Security Breach theory I'd like to share. This is being posted on 2021-02-26 (although it's like 1 am so it's barely the 26th). This is after watching the new trailer and Fusionzgamer and Dawko's reactions and analyzing.

Starting off, I think Vanny and Vanessa the Security Guard are the same people. There's a lot of evidence of this (the voices sounding similar, Vanny and Vanessa never appear at the same time in the trailers (some argue that it would take too long to change but Vanessa only seems to be with Gregory for a short time (ooo brackets within brackets, it's bracket-ception)) FNAF AR emails, etc.) but that's not the focus of this post.

I think Vanessa is genuinely a good person, for starters. She's called a Reluctant Follower for a reason, she didn't want to be bad. During AR she's going mad, Glitchtrap keeps trying to influence her and she's really trying to fight it and it's taxing. She tries to be positive (researching butterflies, getting hair rainbow hair extensions, trying to become friends with Luis) she wants to be better (searching 'help' online) but it's all too much. She eventually starts breaking and doing what Glitchtrap says, resulting in her getting a job at the PizzaPlex as a security guard.

In Security Breach I feel that Vanessa will be the main character, despite playing as Gregory. She's visibly unsure, and that results in Glitchtrap giving her praise, trying to convince her that she's somehow better. However, she decides she wants to help the kid, approaching him in her regular uniform and offering to help him out. Of course, Glitchtrap is watching. He probably even asks "what are you doing?" So, Vanessa tells him that she's trying to trick Gregory. However, she is truly trying to trick Glitchtrap.

During SB she'll be truly trying to save Gregory, while also having to dress in the rabbit costume and scare him. Without Glitchtrap knowing she'll give the tools to Gregory so that he can escape (flashlight and watch). She wants to be good.

Unfortunately, I don't think Gregory will make it out. I think, despite all of her efforts, Gregory will be killed. This will be the last straw, the death of a child. This is when Vanessa will truly break. She'll be distraught and Glitchtrap will be the only one there. There's no one she can confide in, now one to comfort except for him. And she's already so wrecked. And he'll be telling her how good she was, how it had to happen, and how the kid deserved it. And Vanessa, tired and desperate to feel better. Desperate to be in the right somehow, she'll agree.

I think SB is the story of how Vanny finally goes mad and loses the title Reluctant Follower.

Of course, this very well might not be true. Maybe the popular theory where she has a split personality is true. Or she's trying to trick Gregory. Or Security Guard Vanessa and Vanny are not the same person (Scott does reuse names sometimes for lore reasons, like Jeremy and Fritz. Maybe there's a different reason they have the same name. Could be just screwing with us I guess).

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my theory. If you want to give some counter-points go right ahead, I'm all ears. I'm game for anything in SB really, I'm just excited and like guessing and making theories.

[dragonkeeper19600]

What is the Medicine Seller?

The subjectivity of Mononoke is a large part of what makes the series unique. But, one of the biggest mysteries that the show leaves unanswered is what exactly the Medicine Seller is supposed to be. From his weird powers, traits, and appearance to the fact that he clearly doesn’t age, it’s an understatement to say that this isn’t a normal guy. All kinds of theories have been floating around about the Medicine Seller’s true identity, that he’s a onmyōji, a god, or some kind of benevolent mononoke. 

However, for my money, looking at all the evidence combined from the show and Japanese mythology, I’ve concluded that the Medicine Seller is most likely a kitsune. 

Now, I feel like most anime viewers have at least a cursory idea what a kitsune is, but just to recap: “Kitsune” (狐) is the Japanese word for fox. Traditional Japanese folk beliefs attributed all sorts of mysterious powers to foxes, including shapeshifting, creating illusions, and warding off evil spirits. Taking cues from ancient Chinese lore about fox spirits, kitsune have captured the imagination of Japanese artists and storytellers for centuries and continue to do so in the present day.

I’m far from the first person to come up with the “Medicine Seller is a fox” theory. It’s the only theory cited on the admittedly bare-bones Mononoke Wiki, and numerous commentators and Tropers have speculated that our favorite flamboyant exorcist might be a fox in disguise. So, allow me to take some time to display all the compiled evidence as to why I think this is the most plausible theory.

Let’s start with the obvious: The guy looks like a fox.

The red markings on his face are very reminiscent of the red paint you see on the traditional kitsune masks people wear around festival time. These markings are highlighted in the anime’s opening, so you can really see the similarity.

His long ears and fangs could also be considered vulpine.

The literature is rife with examples of foxy traits showing through a kitsune’s human disguise, especially when they’re startled or caught off-guard, such as ears, a tail, or canine teeth. We’ve never seen a tail on the Medicine Seller, but who knows what he’s hiding under that robe? I’ve also seen some sources claim that the tail will be revealed if you see the kitsune’s reflection or shadow. We haven’t seen either, so who knows?

Secondly, there’s a hierarchy to keep in mind when thinking about Japanese foxes. Some kitsune are holy messengers while others are malignant spirits that bring ruin to humans. Some are merely pranksters, using their powers to pull hilarious tricks on unwitting humans, sometimes to teach them a lesson but often just for shits and giggles.

Holy, high-ranking foxes are said to be messengers of the Shinto god Inari, the rice god and the patron deity of merchants and sword smiths. 

Pictured: A merchant with a sword.

Fox statues like the one pictured above can be seen standing guard in front of Inari’s shrines, where they are said to ward off evil. The A-to-Z Online Buddhist dictionary has this to say:

“[T]he fox is associated with the concept of Kimon 鬼門, literally “demon gate,” a Japanese term stemming from Chinese geomancy (Ch: feng shui). In Chinese thought, the northeast quarter is considered particularly inauspicious. It is the place where "demons gather and enter." This belief was imported by the Japanese and is referred to as Kimon. Kimon generally means ominous direction, or taboo direction. In Japan, the fox is considered a powerful ally in warding off evil Kimon influences. Fox statues are often placed in northeast locations to stand guard over demonic influence, and two foxes typically guard the entrance to Inari Shrines, one to the left and one to the right of the gate.”

He may not be a statue, but “warding off demonic influences” is basically half of the Medicine Seller’s job description. He often uses seals, salt, prayer, and other methods accessible to humans, but the Bakeneko arc of Ayakashi clearly shows he can keep a mononoke at bay just by flexing really hard. 

Yokai.com goes into some detail about the various ranks of kitsune, from the lowliest trickster to the most divine guardian. One rank of kitsune of particular interest to me is called the Kiko (気狐), a servant of Inari that has evolved to the point where it no longer has a physical form. Many Kiko adopt human disguises, but they have not yet ascended to a heavenly plane and so remain on Earth serving Inari’s will. 

We have never seen the Medicine Seller eat, drink, or sleep. There is, however, one physical need that he does indulge in.

If you get my meaning.

Pictured above is the Medicine Seller’s extensive shunga (春画) collection. Shunga is Edo period porn, and it wasn’t exactly uncommon for merchants to be carrying volumes of shunga on their person. However, 20+ volumes seems a bit excessive to me.

It’s a trait that doesn’t come up all that much in Mononoke, but the first episode of Ayakashi’s Bakeneko arc reveals that the Medicine Seller is a bit of a horny bastard. He trades info on various virility and fertility medications with Kayo, a conversation that involves a lot of whispering into her ear. He was about to share his porn with Kayo before they were interrupted. I’m convinced that if Sato had entered the kitchen ten minutes later, she would have found the two of them fucking on the floor.

As anyone who's watched Naruto can tell you, kitsune are often associated with sex. Inari, among other things, is also a fertility god, and there are many stories of kitsune adopting human form and seducing unwitting mortals, running the full gambit from the horrific to the romantic. A good chunk of these stories involve the kitsune marrying their human beau and even bearing his children in some cases. 

Most stories of this nature center on female kitsune, but it’s not like male kitsune don’t exist. The popularity of sexy fox women can probably be chalked up to male-dominated Edo society, but more and more male kitsune have been sighted in modern anime.

I believe we can add Mononoke to this number. Practically every woman in the series creams their pants at the mere sight of the Medicine Seller, and it doesn’t seem that their attraction is one-sided. The Medicine Seller has all kinds of sexual tension with Kayo in both series. And, if you look closely, you can spy some romantic tension with Ochou as well. There’s little doubt that the Medicine Seller is attracted to human women and is even capable of falling in love with them. However, due to his role slaying mononoke, it is unlikely that he can ever settle down and marry one the way many other kitsune do.

Personality-wise, the Medicine Seller is also reminiscent of a fox. Like I mentioned above, kitsune are often tricksters by nature. Although the Medicine Seller never acts in a needlessly malicious way, he does like to dick around with people. A lot of the aforementioned tension with Kayo takes the form of teasing banter. 

Keep in mind: It wasn’t him who changed the compass. Which means he’s being vague for no other reason except to mess with Kayo.

He also spend a good portion of his arc in Ayakashi trolling the Sakai household, especially Odajima. And do we even need to mention his gambit in the Nue arc? 

So, his appearance, relationships, and personality are all decidedly fox-like. What about his powers? Well, in the Nopperabou arc, we get a pretty clear hint that the Medicine Seller’s physical form is just an illusion.

The Masked Man’s attempt to take away the Medicine Seller’s face failed because that wasn’t his real face. He outright compared his face to a facade. Since it was just an illusion, it was easy for him to change it back. It should also be noted that the Nopperabou, the faceless ghost, often appears not as an independent spirit but a hilarious prank that other yokai like to pull on humans. Tanuki, Manji (badger spirits), and, yes, even Kitsune have used the image of a faceless human being to scare humans. This is getting into fan wank territory itself, but it is entirely possible that the Medicine Seller is all too familiar with the art of face removal, having pulled that trick himself in his younger days.

That the Medicine Seller’s body isn’t real could also explain the nature of his Other Self. During his first transformation sequence in Ayakashi (which is repeated in the Nue arc), we see the markings on his face and robes disappear.

Before gold markings reappear on his Other Self.

It might be possible to think of this “transformation” as more of a body surf. The flowing markings could indicate the presence of the fox spirit as it moves from one body to the other. This is a good time to point out that gold eyes are said to be another common trait of kitsune, and white fur is indicative of an Inari fox. The Other Self’s long white hair may be a hint as to his divine nature. 

Now, with all his powers and religious motifs, is it possible that the Medicine Seller is not a fox but in fact Inari himself? I did briefly contemplate that possibility, but I ultimately decided it probably wasn’t true. The Medicine Seller’s powers have limits that I feel a high-ranking god like Inari wouldn’t have. It looked like he did serious damage to himself trying to hold back the bakeneko in Ayakashi.

Ouchies.

Rather than being a human avatar of Inari, I find it more likely that the Medicine Seller is a kiko carrying out Inari’s will. In his first appearance in Ayakashi, some men spot the Medicine Seller standing outside the Sakai household, apparently talking to himself.

At the beginning of Mononoke’s first episode, he does the same thing outside the inn. His mouth is moving, but we don’t hear what he’s saying.

In both cases, the men who see him try to call out to him to get his attention, and in both cases he ignores them. He never says who he was talking to, and nobody ever asks. It is strange, however, that he always shows up just where a mononoke is going to be, even when he doesn’t seem to know anything about the mononoke before he arrives. Could it be he is actually receiving instructions from Inari? Inari might be telling him where to go, and the Medicine Seller figures out the rest from there. He can’t know about the mononoke’s form, truth, or reason yet, otherwise he’d be able to slay it right away. How else would he know where to go unless he was being told?

Of course, there are other possibility as to who he could be talking to. It could be his Other Self, if you hold the theory that the Medicine Seller and the Other Self are separate entities (which I don’t, so much). I also contemplated whether it was the sword he was talking to, but the sword is in the trunk. For my money, communing with a god seems the most fitting. 

According to Shinto beliefs, foxes can live for up to 1000 years, which would explain why the Medicine Seller is still around after centuries have passed. But, what happens after the millennium is over? At that point, a kitsune sprouts its final, ninth tail and ascends to the heavenly plain, leaving this earth behind. I personally believe that the Medicine Seller has been tasked to wander the earth for 1000 years, slaying mononoke until his time is up. At that point, he’ll become a being as powerful as a god, but until then he must learn to truly understand humanity. Only once he has become thus enlightened will he be able to ascend. 

This, I believe, is why the Sword of Exorcism can only be drawn once he’s learned the mononoke’s form, truth, and reason. He can only slay the mononoke if he comes to truly understand it and sympathize with it. It’s all part of a thousand-year long learning process in addition to aiding humanity.

And once he’s done, some day centuries from now, perhaps another young fox will take up the sword and walk through man’s despair, putting the souls of the anguished to rest. 

It’s a lonely destiny, but it has its perks.

頑張ってね。

[wits-writing]

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Movie Review SPOILERS)

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, directed by J.J. Abrams with a screenplay by Abrams and Chris Terrio, has the most fun being a capital-A Adventure movie of any Star Wars movie in a while. The majority of the movie’s first two acts is comprised of a treasure hunt for a Sith artifact. The main trio, Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) are in a race against time before Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order launch their final strike, with the artifact being the one thing that could help the Resistance strike first. That part of the story, on a pure visuals and spectacle level, has some of the best action beats in all of Star Wars, including a speeder chase to rival the classic one from Return of the Jedi.

Enhanced by Dan Mindel’s cinematography and John Williams’s expectedly excellent score, if that quest was all there was to the movie, I’d be more than happy to call this a satisfying movie and conclusion to the story that preceded it in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. However, that’s not all there is to it and what else there is takes away from what does work in favor of a more convoluted narrative. One that I find more frustrating the more I’ve thought about it, even as I tried to enjoy what I could from it as it played out. To explain why, I’ll need to go into some spoilers, but I’ll save the big one for the end of the review.

[Full Review and SPOILERS Under the Cut]

The Rise of Skywalker had two possible directions for how it could close out the story that was set into motion back in 2015:

Focus on being a finale to the Sequel Trilogy itself

Focus on being a finale to “The Skywalker Saga” as a whole

While doing a bit of both was unavoidable in a situation like this, TROS defaults to the Door Number 2. It gets in the way of closing out the narrative of characters that aren’t as directly connected to the Jedi/Sith conflict that drives the “Skywalker” narrative. It’s a problem that goes back to this movie’s central hook, a move I’ve been skeptical of since the first trailer dropped; the return of Emperor Palpatine.

One smart thing about Sheevy-boy’s presence in this movie is that they don’t treat it like a twist. In fact, it’s the first thing seen in TROS’s title crawl. Everything that comes after that is where things start to come apart at the seams in irrevocable ways. He doesn’t have a real dynamic with any of the new characters, to the point they retcon in connections. McDiarmid doesn’t seem particularly awake, he’s been brought back to serve as a glorified lore-delivery service and to artificially escalate a conflict that didn’t need it. He shows up, gives Kylo Ren the “Join me and we can rule… etc.” spiel and exposits the previously mentioned retcons about how he’s been the true puppet master all along. If you’re framing this story as the end to the nine “Episode” movies, the Emperor who started this whole thing by pulling strings from the shadows coming back to reveal he was still doing that in these new movies makes a little sense. Taking this only as an extension of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, two films I feel work as wonderful companion pieces, it’s clumsy and reductive.

When it comes to the journeys of the characters that have been here for the previous movies, it’s a mixed bag. Poe’s been going through a sort of crisis of faith since the last time we saw him. Watching the First Order overtake the galaxy between movies, he’s lost his belief that the Resistance was ever worth being a part of if no one’s willing to stand up alongside them. He goes through this doubt as the story takes the audience into a look at his background. We meet an old friend of his, Zorii (Keri Russell), who resents him for ever joining the Resistance in the first place. Her scenes with Poe put his internal conflict of what he thinks versus what he wants to believe in place. The way this internal conflict gets to resolve makes Poe’s story feel the most complete of the main trio in this movie.

On the other side of the spectrum, Finn’s story feels emblematic of the movie’s problems, similarly split between two focuses. One of them is a barely present arc about his connection with Rey. There are multiple points in the movie where he says he “needs to tell her” something and it never resolves. Between those moments the only scenes between Rey and Finn are her rebuking his offers to talk about her problems. It’s a disappointing display for two characters whose friendship has been a motivating factor for both since The Force Awakens. The other side of Finn’s story comes late into TROS’s runtime, the discovery of other Storm Trooper deserters. Getting to not feel alone about what he did anymore would have been a great starting point for his story in this movie, but it’s introduced so late in the game that it feels tacked on to introduce the, admittedly cool, leader of the deserters, Jannah (Naomi Ackie). Nothing about Finn gets to coalesce by the end of this movie, he’s left with two loose threads and nothing tied up.

The good stuff from Poe and Finn’s arcs gets sidelined throughout the movie to focus on new wrinkles added to the story between Rey and Kylo Ren. A lot of my problems with Palpatine’s involvement in this plot most heavily effect this part of the story. After taking his place as a Supreme Leader, de facto head villain of this trilogy, by the end of the last movie, Kylo’s arc goes backwards and he’s someone else’s attack dog again. Promises from Palpatine to rule over a “Final Order” if he’s able to deliver Rey to the Emperor drive him. We replace a villain like Kylo, who’s been choosing the Dark every step of the way despite “the call to the Light”, with a mustache twirler. All of this to serve the start of a redemption for him and a retcon to Rey’s backstory that feels more in service of the “Skywalker Saga” than her personal narrative.

[Major SPOILER after this point]

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Rey begins the movie in the middle of Force training based on the books she found in The Last Jedi, frustrated with her inability to connect with the full legacy of the Jedi. It’s all framed under this idea that she’s somehow “afraid of who she is” and that’s before the full retcon… er, reveal.

[Final SPOILER warning, for real!]

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Rey is revealed to have been Palpatine’s granddaughter the entire time. This decision from Terrio, Abrams and everyone else credited with the story for this movie shifts the focus of her story. She’s no longer uncertain of her place yet ready to forge it for herself, but instead she gets to be conflicted about the potential for falling to the Dark being in her blood. I was willing to give this a chance, like everything in this movie, but there’s nothing more there beyond the same temptations to the Dark Side we’ve seen in the Star Wars movies before. The final fight between Rey and Palpatine works overtime to add dramatic heft and make it feel like a culmination of nine movies, while utterly failing to be the culmination of this trilogy or just The Rise of Skywalker.

I’m frustrated while writing this, because I can acknowledge strong points to The Rise of Skywalker, some scenes on their own are the best put together in the history of this series. But I keep coming back to how what got shoehorned in for this final entry in the Sequel Trilogy left me feeling empty.

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”

[rangercommand]

COMIC REVIEW - POWER RANGERS: SINS OF THE FUTURE

On Wednesday, October 28th, POWER RANGERS: Sins of the Future will be released from Boom Studios. News first broke of this graphic novel back in February, and next week the wait is over! Over the past couple of months BOOM! Studios have given us a first look, a preview earlier this month, and another preview just yesterday!

When Jen returns from the future, she and Wes are attacked by a mysterious stranger who has dire news — the timelines have been altered with deadly consequences and Jen is to blame! The shocking identity of their accuser sets them on a collision path with an enemy they never expected. Can Jen and Wes survive the threats to their pasts, presents and futures? Or will it be the end of everything as they know it?

Host Eric (@trekkieb47) had a chance to read the issue in advance and shares his review:

“Will the our actions in the past define us forever? Is it within our ability to change by looking back at the past? Only if we are willing to make tough choices and commit to them through hard work.

Power Rangers: Sins of the Future is a fascinating story steeped in the lore of Power Rangers Time Force and, by extension, Power Rangers HyperForce. Serving as a sequel to the first and a prequel of the other, Sins of the Future takes place five years after the events of the show in both the past and the future timelines.

Through past previews of the comic, we see that Jen Scotts and Wes Collins are trying to maintain their relationship despite orders from Time Force Command. To Time Force, it’s strictly all business and no pleasure to stop rogue Cyclobots with no master. Jen and Wes have other plans with the time remaining on one particular trip, and it ends in explosive disaster… literally. With the appearance of a new Black Time Force Power Ranger, the mystery is only beginning.

Overall, I enjoyed Power Rangers: Sins of the Future. Writers Matthew Erman and Trey Moore (story by credit) did their homework when writing this, making a satisfying sequel to Power Rangers Time Force that stays true to the continuity of the show. This story slots nicely to explain events that happened in HyperForce, the Power Rangers Ninja Steel crossover ‘Dimensions in Danger’ and even the comics event Shattered Grid.

My note to readers is to take it slow and really pay attention to small details and the dialogue. Otherwise, you may miss small cameos by a few HyperForce characters. Being a show based in time travel, Power Rangers Time Force actually did very little of that. This graphic novel did a complete one-eighty, with timeline changes and glimpses into the past and future of the Power Rangers universe. I would almost suggest watching a few important episodes of Time Force before reading the graphic novel. I admit having to look up a couple characters I forgot about, but overall if you are a huge fan of the series this shouldn’t be a problem.

As for serving as a prequel to HyperForce, it’s ok if you did not watch the online RPG from Hyper RPG. Although faithful watchers of that show will be excited with the references made to the early formation of the branch of Time Force. I was pleased with how the graphic novel opened up for more narrative possibilities in the future.

In regards to the art, Guiseppe Cafaro makes his return from past original graphic novels, Power Rangers: The Psycho Path and Power Rangers: Soul of the Dragon. Cafaro continues the wonderfully detailed artwork with rich setting and accurate representation of actor’s likenesses. It seems like BOOM! Studio has made him the official artist for these one shot stories and I hope that trend continues! The colors by Francesco Segala are vibrant, mixed with wonderful effects that bring the art to life and enhance the time effects we see. As always, letterer Ed Dukeshire is a power force for everything Power Rangers, and this issue is no exception.

Power Rangers: Sins of the Future continues the trend of fantastic original graphic novels for the franchise. It’s a shame we get these only once a year, but patience is rewarded with quality. Highly recommended.”

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POWER RANGERS: SINS OF THE FUTURE – Original Graphic Novel Publisher: BOOM! Studios Writer: Matthew Erman Story: Trey Moore Artist: Giuseppe Cafaro Colorist: Francesco Segala Letterer: Ed Dukeshire Cover Artists: Main Cover: Diego Galindo Price: $19.99

POWER RANGERS: SINS OF THE FUTURE features a main cover by Diego Galindo.

Currently, Power Rangers is celebrating 27 continuous years on the air, making it one of the longest running kids’ live-action series in television history with nearly 900 episodes aired to date. Created by Haim Saban and launched in 1993 with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the franchise continues with the 27th season, “Power Rangers Beast Morphers” currently airing on Saturdays at 8 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon in the U.S.

Print copies of POWER RANGERS: SINS OF THE FUTURE will be available on October 28, 2020 at local comic book shops  (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one), or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers like comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and Madefire.

Softcover collections of MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS, and other Power Rangers releases from BOOM! Studios are available now, everywhere books are sold.

For continuing news on the MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS series and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

For more on Power Rangers, please visit www.powerrangers.com and follow Power Rangers on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

COMIC REVIEW – POWER RANGERS: SINS OF THE FUTURE was originally published on Ranger Command Power Hour

[scandinaviacroatiaengbergs]

Monday and Tuesday: Stockholm to Gothenburg (with a few extra nice words about the Stockholm Central Station!)

Wow!  I am so behind on these posts!  We’ve been having such full days, with the kids going to bed later than usual, that I haven’t had time to write a post in the evening on many days. OK, so after we successfully woke up on the Baltic Princess to disembark by 6:10, we got off the ship with little fanfare and found ourselves in the chilly Stockholm morning.  It was the first time the weather on this trip has been chilly at all (but it warmed up in the daytime, considerably, during our two daytimes there).  The kids and I actually waited inside for our Uber.  We got to our hotel, the Nordic Light, by 7 a.m. and miraculously, they were able to check us in.  We were so glad. Now, this hotel is one of the last things we booked for the trip (actually, we still have two things to book: our rental car in Croatia and a night back in Gothenburg in a week).  Finding lodging in Stockholm was *so hard.*  I mean, I felt totally rejected because I seriously put booking attempts in at about 7 Airbnbs and was declined on all of them. We have an extensive Airbnb track record with a good set of reviews ourselves, so I couldn’t figure out what the deal was! And all of the places were *so* expensive! We had similar trouble in Oslo and Copenhagen, trouble like I’ve never had booking something anywhere we’ve traveled.  Rejection after rejection.  So, for Copenhagen, I selected “instant book” and got something, and in Oslo, one guy finally accepted our request (I am writing this from Oslo now and the place is totally awesome). Anyway, back to the Nordic Light, it is actually a very good thing we booked a hotel rather than an Airbnb because we were able to check in early, which would’ve been very unlikely for an Airbnb.  It was a really cool-looking hotel, just recently updated and kind of on a main drag, right adjacent to the train station, which I will come back to. We got ourselves collected, after the kids watched some show on National Geographic about extreme truck/equipment repairs in Alaska, and we walked first to the Old Town and, en route, we passed a wonderful shopping street, and I noticed two stores I had to return to later (and did): Paper Tiger (which is based in Copenhagen and I’d noticed two years ago in Warsaw)  and Villervalla children’s clothing.  It looked *totally* cute.  When I went back later that day, I got the kids new sun-protecting long-sleeved swim one-pieces.  So cute.  OK, so on our walk to the Old Town, we passed Parliament and then the royal palace, and once we were on the other side of the royal palace, we actually saw two horse-and-carriages go by.  The kids were pretty into that.  Once we were kind of on the outskirts of the Old Town, we stopped to eat and the kids got quiche and a waffle with ice cream—yes, ice cream at breakfast time. This was Eric’s choice and he chose carrot cake ice cream, and Cece and he gobbled it up, and Rowan actually turned it down!  It was crazy!  The boy has been asking for ice cream like multiple times daily, and then we have it for *breakfast* and he’s like, no thanks! So, after going through the Old Town, we went along one of the rivers (Stockholm is comprised of multiple islands so there are rivers –or inlets, whatever—everywhere and bridges everywhere) and visited the Vasa Museum.  It was recommended to us by our friend Ethan, whose brother lived in Stockholm for a long time.  Anyway, the Vasa was a 17th century multi-use transport/war ship (it had a ton of cannons) which, on its maiden voyage, sunk in Stockholm harbor.  We learned that a lot of ships are lying in the muck at the bottom of the harbor, as capsizing was not uncommon.  What is unique about this ship is that, a) it was brand new, so it was kind of state-of-the-art at the time and loaded with provisions that reflected the times, and b) it sunk in just the right kind of mud and in water of just the right kind of brackishness, so it was excellently preserved.  Its sinking had gone down in lore with people searching for it from time to time, and then, in the 1960s, a private citizen decided to organize an effort to locate it (which he did) and then galvanized the interest of the citizenry and government to undertake the huge project of lifting it out of the sea. So, the whole museum is about the ship being brought back up out of the muck and its restoration and then all about it: its history, its crew, its back-story, what life was like in Sweden in the late 1600s, etc.  It was really interesting, but the kids were not as engaged as would’ve been ideal for parental enjoyment ;) Walking home from the Vasa, we took a meandering route, and that took us to a high-end shopping era and to the central market, something we always love to check out in new cities. From there, we went back to the hotel for naptime, which is when I went out and did a spot of shopping.  Afterwards, I took the kids to the Abba Museum and Eric went for a run.  The Abba Museum was so, so, so amazing!!!! I can’t even do it justice with a brief explanation here, so I am going to spare you all my attempt.  I love Abba, and even if you’re not a huge fan, I think it’s really engaging and fun.  Cece was luke-warm about it, calling it “too boring” from time to time, but Rowan and I were into it ;)

After our museum time, we all went out and managed find a restaurant to eat in before I lost my mind from exhaustion, hunger, overall crankiness, and an aching body, haha.  We actually ate at an Italian restaurant (I think we’ve done pretty good work at eating Scandinavian delicacies, well some, so having a comfort/familiar meal was fine, especially for the kids).  My mood really improved after dinner and we actually walked some more. We didn’t tarry too long this time, and got home and the kids went right to bed (after their first actual bath in quite some time; they’ve had irregular showers on other days) and then I managed to get to bed by 11-ish and the next morning when my alarm went off at 8:45, I was like, whoa, wait, where am I?  I hadn’t stirred or anything that whole time; I slept like log.

Tuesday morning we had breakfast at the Nordic Light and I put Cece in some new black-and-white Marimekko pants I’d gotten on sale for her at the outlet.  Let me tell you, a four-year-old in black-and-white pants and mixed berry compote do not get along well together.  Within ten minutes of her getting dressed—and seriously, don’t judge me, because I also *knew* this was likely but was looking on the bright side that, for once, it might not—she had red splotched all down the leg of one pant.  I quickly swooped the child and her pants upstairs and did some quick internet research and let me tell you, if you need to get berry stains out, flush them out with boiling water.  It totally worked! I was amazed!  Anyway, we went back down and finished breakfast and then were on our way to our next adventure: to the Swedish Center for Architecture and Design!  It goes by ArkDes for short and it shared a building with the modern art museum.  What a great few hours we had there. Rowan says he wants to be an architect and general contractor when he grows up and Cece wants to be a cat doctor (veterinarian) and a variety of other things when she grows up.  Both kids were really pretty interested in ArkDes!  Rowan loved looking at all of the models and seeing all of the different architectural styles.  We went over to the modern art side and it was really incredible.  So many really interesting paintings, multi-media works, audio installations, and so much more.  We actually had very little time there, but Rowan was interested the whole time (and Cece was not quite as interested and I think she was really getting tired).  Rowan loved this mixed-media large format painting/sculpture by Yves Klein, and we took a picture of him in front of it. There were some Jackson Pollock painting and Picassos and other folks I recognized, even though I am not the most hip to all the important artists, though I can kind of hang ;) We scooched on back to our hotel to collect our bags (passing by the “pink carpet” that was going to be used that night at the Grand Hotel for the Polar Music Prize, Sweden’s biggest award, funded by the royal family).  Bags in hand, we walked around the corner to the Central Station for our 2:32 p.m train to Gothenburg on SJ.  We’d bought our tickets online that day and we had plenty of time.  So, the train station is so crazy convenient.  I think of big-city train stations like London’s Euston or Victoria – you know, insane, busy, lots of tracks and platforms, etc. So, this was also a pretty big situation, but imagine that if you walked into an airport from the curb and approached the ticket counter and the *track* was where the luggage conveyer belt is behind the ticket agent.  It was like so convenient and unexpectedly nearby! There were taxis that were pulled up literally *at* the platform!  Eric and I were both totally thrown off by it, but it seemed great and very convenient. We had a very smooth and pleasant three-hour ride to Gothenburg.  Cece slept for an hour and I managed to get a grant application submitted, which was due in three days, so it was a big relief to get that off my plate. More about our Volvo adventure in Gothenburg in the next post!

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

Barbie may not be out of the closet yet, but her fans sure are

Has there ever really been a gay doll? 

Well, yes and no. In 1977, "Gay Bob," marketed as the world's first gay doll, was sold through mail-order ads in gay magazines. And I'm sure that Mattel still thinks about the "Earring Magic Ken" fiasco of 1993, and his "necklace." 

But there's nothing inherently gay about dolls themselves – they're toys, pieces of plastic after all. In the same vein, there's nothing inherently gay about doll collecting as a hobby, as a passion, as an art form. 

Dolls are cultural reflections of the times, for better or worse. But doll brands like Barbie that are symbols of hyper-heteronormative, old-school femininity are being reclaimed and reinterpreted by adult LGBTQ collectors in a new way. And don't think the toy companies are unaware — they’re not, and they are absolutely involved. 

More recently the main way collectors are expressing this kind of love and solidarity, and where community can be found, is through the internet and social media. This is a space where the toys' brand narrative has usually been out of corporate hands. But companies like Mattel are in it now, noticing these LGBTQ fan communities, and vying for their digital eyes.  

Now THIS is what the Dreamhouse should look like.

Image: THE SIMPSONS/ Fox

Coming out of the (doll) closet  

Many adult collectors choose dolls because of the nostalgia associated with collecting toys from their childhood. Younger LGBTQ collectors aren’t connecting as much over the nostalgic dolls themselves, as much as they are using social media to connect with other gay fans. 

Tumblr user @dolljunk, who used to collect Barbies as a young boy, got into it again as a young adult through online fandoms. “Internet groups were a great way of connecting to other collectors. I had never even heard of [doll-related social media], let alone other collectors and when I went to my local library, I found a multitude of forums and fan sites that detailed how people collected dolls such as customizing, photography, and numerous guides for doll releases. It really opened my eyes to another side of playing with and seeing dolls.” 

LGBTQ collectors are also identifying with the messages of newer doll franchises, and the potential for what the dolls can represent. Monster High collectors in particular are mostly Millennials who never grew up playing with the dolls themselves, but with whom the brand's identity has resonated. 

Dott, a doll collector active on social media, introduced her collection, saying “I mostly collect Monster High, but there's some Barbies, Ever After Highs, and Descendants strewn in there." For reference, all of these brands were created after 2009. "Monster High's my main focus because...well, I think I connect with the lore the most. Unlike a lot of doll collectors, I love the lore aspect as much as, if not more, than the actual dolls. And there's something about the MH media that I just adored.” 

In an article from the University of Connecticut titled "Valuing queer identity in Monster High doll fandom," author Sara Mariel Austin wrote that "Monster High's recent ad campaign claims, 'We are monsters. We are proud.' Race, ethnicity, and disability are coded into the dolls as selling points. The allure of Monster High is, in part, that political identity and the celebration of difference..."

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The #Goochella monsters couldn’t get enough of the #FierceRocker’s freaky-fab cover of @LadyGaga’s song, Born This Way! 🙌💁🙌 Thanks for showing us that any dream is possible if you are brave enough to put yourself out there! 💪❤️ #KindMonsters #MonsterHigh

A post shared by Monster High (@monsterhigh) on Apr 21, 2016 at 8:05am PDT

If the messages intrinsic to these brand identities are like this, it's no wonder that LGBTQ doll collectors connect with these dolls on an emotional level. Social media doll communities like "Dollblr" and "Dollstagram" have also inspired other ways for a group that's traditionally marginalized to express themselves.

A passion for fashion: doll artistry and expression

Doll collecting is, inherently, at least somewhat escapist. There’s something that feels revolutionary about being constantly bombarded with the idolized bodies and lives of cisgender heterosexuals on social media, and then going “screw that! I’m gonna take this toy, make it a representation of me, and imagine a new world with it.” 

Utilizing dolls as an art form – through mediums like photography, clothes-making, customization/modification, and fanart – allow for LGBTQ collectors to envision a world free of toxic masculinity. Creating doll art in and for an online world allows a safe space for folks to literally “play” with their own femininity and subvert gender roles as they see fit. 

“It's something that's a nice escape from real life? We aren't worrying about gay stuff if we're rerooting a doll head, cause we keep pricking our fingers on accident, and our wrists and palms are sore from using pliers. In all seriousness, I think it's a form of self-expression,” Dott told Mashable about the physical art of doll modification and customization.

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A post shared by Barbination™ (@barbination) on Mar 10, 2019 at 3:31am PDT

The way that @dolljunk connects to his collection emotionally through art is similar. “Dolls and toy collecting [are] a great creative outlet...and can encompass fashion design, hair styling and face painting/makeup while also offering a way of creating new items,” he said. 

"It resulted in me becoming more secure in my identity and interests because Barbie, for better or for worse, is a symbol of hyper femininity that doesn't allow any room for toxic masculinity in her world. Being able to get in touch with my feminine side and interests was a big contributor to accepting my sexuality as being an intrinsic aspect of myself that didn't need to be changed,” @dolljunk said.

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A post shared by Barbievette (@barbieboyvette) on Dec 31, 2018 at 1:52pm PST

And for many LGBTQ folks, especially gay boys and trans girls, that's incredibly important. Even Carlyle Nuera, who is now the lead designer for Barbie Signature at Mattel, sees the growth in these social media communities as being rooted in collective childhood experiences. 

“I think for a lot of us, in different ways, for different reasons, we feel repressed growing up," Nuera said. "Depending on our homes, our family situation, we might not feel safe expressing ourselves. I think a lot of people when they start to have expendable income, they kinda create this fantasy world, this beauty that they never really had access to as a kid. They can see it — and I think they can sort of create it with their own dolls, by customizing their own dolls, or with photography. And then also to share with other people, cause you can connect with other people [on social media].” 

Dolls are humanoid, so it’s easy to project our wants, desires, and dreams onto them. And if we alter their resemblance enough, they can mirror us back in ways we hope society will someday. 

Does life in the Dreamhouse have to be so straight?  

Toy companies, though, are already creating their own miniature worlds with their own identities for the dolls through tie-in media. With various outlets and extensions of their brand, they impose their own meanings onto the products. Mattel and Hasbro, for example, have their own TV shows and movies. Barbie has the Netflix series Life in the Dreamhouse; Monster High and Ever After High had their own movies and webisodes, and Hasbro has the massively successful My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic series.

They also have flashy social media accounts with good fashion photography and witty interactions. Barbie is now an Instagram influencer, as well as a vlogger with her own popular YouTube series. Mattel once ran an entire in-universe Monster High school newspaper through their Tumblr account. 

The presence of toy companies on social media is intriguing though, given that the minimum age for Instagram, Tumblr, and Facebook is 13. So who really is the audience for these branded doll accounts? 

While these companies likely don’t want to risk alienating the parents who buy dolls as toys for their kids, it's also seems fair to say they want to capture this LGBTQ adult interest in their products. There have been brand partnerships like with Crayola, meant to solely market towards kids. But when you have Mattel partnering with Lady Gaga’s Born this Way Foundation for Monster High, it’s obvious that they spend at least some time thinking about their messaging that can be subtly aimed at the LGBTQ community. 

Especially since in a lot of their media franchises, there's a heavy focus on messages about being yourself, accepting others, and celebrating our differences — great lessons for kids of course, but all of which resonate deeply with LGBTQ doll fans. 

Milissa C. is a big fan of the Monster High and Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse series, alongside collecting the dolls themselves. She believes that the connection between the brands and the fans is deliberate. "[We] members of the LGBT+ community are oftentimes made to feel like we are not normal because of our feelings and our identities. Monster High encourages people to celebrate what makes them unique, 'freaky flaws' [as the main character Frankie Stein says] and all. LGBT+ doll collecting communities will certainly imagine more of their dolls to represent themselves. Every time I see a post from the official Barbie Instagram accounts where Barbie is obviously having a date night with a lady friend, I think — bi queen!"

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It’s a museum date! Taking in the @mickalenethomas exhibit today at @mocalosangeles. See more from the galleries in Stories. 💙 #MickaleneThomas #barbie #barbiestyle

A post shared by Barbie® (@barbiestyle) on Feb 1, 2017 at 2:26pm PST

Connecting to the storylines as much or more than to the dolls themselves is a celebration of LGBTQ identity, in Dott’s case. “Mostly because Monster High's entire concept is centered around embracing who you are. Plus, it was my special interest when I realized I was a lesbian. Mattel never gave us any canon gay characters in that franchise, but I find it profoundly moving that lots of lesbians/bi girls see themselves in characters like Clawdeen [daughter of the Wolf Man] and Twyla [daughter of the Boogyman]." 

Yet, she's right — the representation so far hasn’t been that explicit. There’s a line between using broad metaphors to illustrate big concepts (mainly for kids), and allowing the diversity of the real world to exist and be seen on the small screen. 

Despite knowing that he is far outside the target demographic, @dolljunk says that toy brand media “influences or recontextualizes the designs of the dolls I collect. A good piece of toy tie in media often encourages its audience to invest in the universe they have created, and I've seen it result from kids to adult collectors to go on to create their own fanart or fan characters. That being said, in the future I really do hope they are able to innovate and modernize for an ever changing audience in a world with changing attitudes and values.”  

From the Ever After High episode, "Dragon Games." This was supposed to be "CPR". Yeah, right.

Image: NETFLIX / MATTEL 

Dott says she always hopes for more explicit inclusivity. “Put some canon LGBT characters in your doll and toy franchises. Show kids that it's okay to be gay or bi or trans! It hasn't got to be something big; maybe a boy character has a schoolyard crush on another boy, you know? Just something small like that to get the ball rolling. Companies still have to do better.” 

Not having canon LGBTQ representation is not unique to doll media, but because the companies have opened the door by putting these messages front and center, doll collectors engage with the media as a way of reclaiming identity, and then push the representation further than canon allows for. Toy companies arguably owe it to both children and adults, LGBTQ and not, to step up with better depictions of diversity because they're already toeing the line. 

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A post shared by Barbie® (@barbiestyle) on Nov 21, 2017 at 2:36pm PST

Progress is being made, slowly but surely. There are new dolls and action figures coming out of prominent IRL figures and fictional characters who are LGBTQ. Last year on Instagram, Barbie wore a shirt that said "Love Wins." Even in doll-related media, companies are beginning to test to waters — in 2016, Mattel's movie series based on the doll line for Ever After High featured an on-screen kiss between two princesses.

For many collectors, it's not enough anymore to simply admire and collect these fashion figures. They want to see themselves in the dolls that they've been projecting onto for decades. 

So while we wait for the brands' next move, gay culture will keep claiming dolls because we know in our hearts that they're ours as much as anyone's. Barbie? More like Bar-bi. 

WATCH: Lady Gaga hopes award shows will become gender neutral

[written-in-light-blog1]

“LET US SPEAK OF THE TERRIBLE BEAUTY OF BECOMING OURSELVES”

Illustrating Destiny’s Books of Sorrow with community artist Francine Bridge

One of the most impressive Destiny fan-projects we’ve seen to date has been Francine Bridge’s incredible illustrated rendering of Destiny’s Books of Sorrow. Francine, otherwise known as Witnesstheabsurd, agreed to take some time to answer a few of our questions about her work, its impetus, and what the project means to her.

Written by Seth Dickinson, the Books of Sorrow tell the story of the Hive - and by extension Oryx and his siblings - and give deep, rich background to one of the game’s largest and most important conflicts. Lyric and evocative, the books offer insight into both the Hive themselves and the universe they inhabit, and remain Destiny’s most impressive and most in-depth piece of lore-building. For those who may have joined the community in Destiny 2, or never had the chance to read the original books, they can be read in their entirety here. Francine’s project shows the same impressive attention to detail, and most importantly, the same level of empathy as the works that inspired it. We’re ecstatic to be able to share this conversation with the Destiny community, and we hope you’ll take the time to admire the full project.

You can find Francine on Artstation, as well as on Twitter and Tumblr.

Written in Light: To get things started, tell us a bit about yourself. What you're studying, what field you work in, what you like to do for fun - give us a brief summary of who you are and what's important to you!

Francine Bridge: HI! I'm Francine, although I'm better known online as Witnesstheabsurd. I work as a freelance illustrator and concept artist in the UK - you might have seen some of my work in the game Hiveswap or at labels like Killstar. I do album covers, shirt designs, character/monster etc design work for games, comics, private clients. I'm currently in my 4th and final (I took an extra sandwich year to do a supplemental diploma in professional studies) year of my Illustration and Visual Media BA degree in London, after which I'm probably going to look for more permanent studio/contract work rather than the one-off freelance stuff I've been pursuing while I've been in school.

A couple of years ago, prior to starting the degree, I came out as a trans woman, which is probably an important detail, and it's informed a lot of my  work. However, my driving impulse has always been monsters - my preoccupation with Destiny started entirely because a friend of mine showed me screencaps of Oryx after the The Taken King release and I was smitten. Pretty much all of the media I consume, the games I play, the art I create is in pursuit of ever greater or more unique creature and monster design, and they're very dear to my heart.

As far as what I do for fun  - my day is 90% working at the tablet, but I find time to play some games and build "gunpla" model kits as well as paw through my artbook collection. Almost everything I do is informed by my profession, so I use my hobbies as a means to access and process more referential or inspirational visual material or  techniques. I only recently started sincerely learning how to actually "paint," rather than just do some basic rendering under lineart, so that's been a major part of my work lately.

WiL: Was there anything in particular about Oryx that really drew you to him? Did Oryx come across as particularly great and/or unique to you, or is there something else that struck you with his character or design?

FB: Well, as I said, I'm transgender. In the ‘pitch’ my friend made to me about Oryx as a character,  the most interesting aspect to me was that he's a transgender man (although I'm a trans woman, the experience has some shared parallels obviously).

In media, it's incredibly difficult to find trans characters not wholly defined by that aspect of their identity, or who aren't constantly wallowing in the Misery and Tragedy of being trans. I want trans characters who occupy all roles - villain, hero, supporting and main - and it's rare to find anyone who's more than a token or like, tragedy porn. Oryx super resonated with me because he was this figure who acquired power and immediately transitioned, asserting his identity in a way that couldn't be defied - Oryx's story is very much one about self-definition and the value of existence under your own terms, which are very important concepts to me.

When I decided to start work on illustrating the Books I actually reached out to Seth Dickinson, the author Bungie contracted to write them (and the Cabal Booklet/odd flavour text, by the way) to get some specific questions answered and he was kind enough to respond and was very cooperative and supportive. Among the things I asked about I wanted to know  if Oryx was consciously written as transgender character or if it was just a coincidental "weird alien race" flourish. I was very happy to learn Seth had purposefully written Oryx that way, and that he was happy people took strength from it.

It's very novel to have, like, a "trans power fantasy"... a character who acquires absolute power over the self and instantly rewrites the contract between themselves and their body that so many of us spend our entire lives making adjustments to and renegotiating for some measure of peace. It was satisfying, refreshing.

Oryx is super cool to me on multiple visual levels obviously as well, being a mineral-encrusted deep space insect mummy warlord, but that element specifically sets him apart for me, and always will. It's cool to know that a trans character in Destiny can also be a hideous monster from beyond the stars.

WiL: Nice! I've wondered if Oryx was intentionally written to reflect a transgender person. I'm glad to hear a positive answer to that question, and I'm glad you found strength in it!

My next question is, why did you decide to take on this project? I mean, it's very clear that you love Oryx, so that factor is a given, but you mentioned in your original post that this was something you did for your degree. Care to elaborate on that?

FB: So, the structure of my illustration degree is such that while we’re given specific "briefs," such as topics or techniques, the final year gives us significantly more free rein. We're obligated to  complete three "projects" and author a thesis over the course of the final year, but the subject matter, material, everything about those projects is our call. The outcomes are judged based solely on technical and professional development rather than adherence to a specific brief.

This left the field wide open for me to kill two birds with one stone and bring in a project I had intended to do anyhow, but hadn't had the time or space for; something that I was sincerely passionate about rather than an edict handed down by a tutor. Illustrating the Books of Sorrow was something i'd wanted to do ever since I first read them back in The Taken King, and I jumped at  the chance. In addition, while i've produced and formatted artbooks before (My first published work, The Occult Supergiant Primer, can be found here ), I've been able to recoup the time invested away from client work in sales and funding. The Books are obviously material belonging to Bungie and I can't justify selling copies, digital or otherwise, of my illustrated version, so I had to find some other reason to make this investment of time and unpaid work worthwhile as well as enjoyable.

Being able to use the work produced to further my degree was the perfect "excuse.” That said, I've received so much attention from the Destiny community at large, including commissioned work from several new clients, that it would have easily been worth it regardless.

WiL: Your work definitely deserves the attention, you clearly have a strong sense of design! Would you be willing to tell us a little bit about the process you went through to make the Books of Sorrow? Do you have any early versions or storyboards that you'd like to share? Or did any of the illustrations go through any major changes from start to finish, and would you be willing/able to show us that process and talk a bit about why you made the changes you made?

FB: The greater part of the Books came together incredibly smoothly and naturally, with very little iteration required on specific pieces. The images had been stewing in my mind ever since I read the original verses a few years ago and they were more than ready to be rendered. What did require a lot of research, development and false starts were the designs for the sisters, Savathûn and Xivu Arath. Both of them have yet to appear ingame in any major capacity (although it's looking likely Savathûn is going to be a Year 2 DLC), so it was up to me to create designs for them that:

Satisfied the descriptions appended to them in the verses, as light as they were, and also matched the info Seth gave me

Satisfied my own personal expectations and interpretation

Conformed to the lore and the existing known morphology of the Hive in a way that would make them recognizable to a player with no prior familiarity with the Books

Balancing these principles lead to a lot of internal back and forth - Savathûn was easier because we had already seen her brood in D2 on Titan, so I knew to emphasize ornate crests, bonelike texture and a slightly less mineral, more biological look by comparison to Oryx's brood, the hive we exclusively encountered in D1. She was tough at first but ultimately fell into line with something satisfying for me, which actually drew a lot from the Xenomorph Queen in Aliens.

Xivu Arath was a little trickier because she had to be distinct from Oryx, who kind of already occupies the "big mineral/bone-encrusted bruiser" archetype visually, so I had to take her even further. I spent a lot of time wondering whether she would have any ornamentation like some of  the bigger Knights (Alak-Hul comes to mind), given that she represents the "ultimate" Knight morph, but I eventually eschewed all decoration in favour of something reflecting her nature in the narrative: blunt, implacable, spartan. She dispenses with the ritual and hierarchical trappings the other siblings indulge in - notably she decides that all battlefields are her Court, rather than entertaining a court herself, and she tends to default to just brutally bludgeoning whatever stands in her way rather than making an appeal to the Deep or engaging in trickery. I was very satisfied with how she turned out, and the piece featuring her is easily one of my favourites.

WiL: I was going to ask which piece is your favorite! Do you have a Top 3 that you're most proud of?

Is there anything about the Books that you wish were different, or is there something you wish you had the opportunity to draw for this project but couldn't justify including it?

FB: I have a strong tendency to favour whichever the last piece I completed was, because by default I'm always proudest of my most recent work and very rapidly lose favour with pieces even like, a week old. That said, I think overall the strongest piece for me personally would be Oryx slaying Akka, alongside the final Wormfood painting and the Savathun piece, although honorable mentions go to Xivu Arath and Quria, Blade Transform.

I can't say there's anything about the Books specifically I wish was different. The part of me that's purely consuming it as a narrative wishes that they had found Taox, that there had been some confrontation there. I feel like there's a very strong "childhood vengeance" element to the Taox subplot, like when you're put down by an adult for drawing in class and you fantasize about coming back to the school years later as a wildly successful artist and making them admit they were wrong to have stopped you. A key part of that fantasy is recognizing it as a remnant of childhood, this impulse born out of a narrower perspective and inflated self-worth, and realizing you can move past that shit (Although if/when I do become a wildly successful artist there might be a few teachers I'll look up).

Ultimately, I think the arc of the books and what the story is trying to say about distortion of intent and self makes Taox disappearing a much more emotionally resonant and interesting turn. It would be neat if Taox turned up somewhere in-game, and became the focal point of a new Hive offensive.  An entire species/culture with such a specific individual grudge is a fascinating concept.

With about a month and a half of time allotted for the project and 50 verses, there was a lot of stuff I had to cut despite how much it hurt - in a complete version I would have wanted a painting for every verse, but specifically I would have liked to draw Akka in full, the Dakaua War Angels, the Harmony/Gift Mast,  the Qugu; basically I would have given form to the many species and cultures Seth conjures up with a few phrases and a loose description but still manages to make incredibly evocative.

WiL: Do you think you'll ever return to the project and draw those images, either as standalone pieces or as an update to the PDF you've already made?

FB: An update to the .pdf itself is unlikely. I tend to consider projects released to be complete, and usually by the time I revisit a subject I'm not obligated to work on it will have been a few years at the very least. I tend to have developed my technique and approach enough that new pieces inserted retroactively would look somewhat disjointed in terms of quality and style. The chance of releasing standalone paintings - especially of points of specific interest for me like say, Akka in his entirety, the Dakaua war angels, the Qugu, etc. -  is significantly higher. Whether that happens sooner or later depends entirely on what my current workload looks like, and aside from the incredibly generous and supportive response to the project from the larger community the Books are very much a passion project and have to be weighed against, say, contract or school work going forwards.

WiL: That makes sense. What other projects do you have going on right now, if any?

FB: Just this morning I decided on the subject of my final degree project, which I'm also planning to run as my second artbook with an accompanying Kickstarter and print run - something I can actually sell as well as being material that excites me! It's entirely too early to disclose any specific details about it though.

Other than that, I continue to produce odd pieces of fanart in between a regular flow of client work both from private individuals and studios. I guess I can safely say I'll be doing more work on the second Homestuck game after contributing to the first, as well as doing some designs for a music video I was contracted for, and also finishing my thesis for the aforementioned degree.

The key thing, I think, is to keep moving - I get very anxious when I'm spinning my wheels between projects, and the temptation to linger on the threshold a while longer is incredibly strong, especially when there's always the fear your new work will fail to surpass what's come before. Reaching a personal peak like some of the paintings I did for the Books of Sorrow is a double-edged sword, and it can signify both a great accomplishment and a raising of the bar that can be daunting to follow. I'm confident that whatever you see from me next will manage it, though!

WiL: Believe me, after talking with you for a while, I'm confident your next project will meet your expectations. You are a very talented and very ambitious artist, and we can’t wait to see where your career takes you! It’s been a pleasure to talk to you, and we’re looking forward to your next Destiny passion project.

//

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

All images courtesy Francine Bridge

[wind-singer]

The 50 Most Beautiful Words in the Irish Language

Aimsir (AM-shir) – Weather, time, season. THE ELEMENTS THAT SURROUND US.

This is the Irish word for an ever-popular topic with which to make small talk in Ireland. Its earlier meaning, ‘time’, occurs in a proverb which translates as ‘time is a good storyteller’.

Aisling (ASH-ling) – Vision, dream, apparition. OUR DESIRE AS IMAGE.  

This word is used of a popular eighteenth-century  poetic genre in which Ireland appears to the poet in a vision in the form of a woman who speaks to him of the current state of the nation. The word is now popular as a personal name.

Aoibhneas (EEV-nass) – Bliss, delight. FILLING OUR SENSES.

This word generally refers to the joy we feel from external things such as music, song, scenery and good weather, and may be contrasted with áthas (AW-hass), which is joy arising from internal considerations.

Baile (BAL-yeh) – Place, home, homestead, farmstead, village, town. WHERE WE COME HOME.

This Irish word is probably the most commonly occurring term in Irish placenames and is usually anglicized as Bally.

Bean an tí (BAN-a-TEE) – The woman of the house. SHE WHO CARES FOR EVERYTHING.

Schoolchildren who lodge with families in Irish-speaking parts of Ireland quickly learn the centrality of this person in their life. Her counterpart, fear an tí (FAR-a-TEE) ‘the man of the house’, may also be encountered. Both terms can also be used to denote ‘the master of ceremonies’ at an event.

Beatha (BA-ha) – Life, livelihood, food, sustenance. THAT WHICH SUSTAINS US.

One of the uses made of this Irish word is in salutations, such as ‘your life and your health to you’. It also occurs in a surname meaning ‘a son of life’, one variant of which has given us the anglicized form Macbeth, as found in Shakespeare.

Blas (Bloss) – Taste, flavour, accent. BEAUTY THROUGH TASTE.

This Irish word is used in a proverb that translates as ‘a small amount is tasty’, a notion perhaps better suited to a country like Ireland than the concept that ‘bigger is better’. The word can also be used of speech – one says in Irish that there is a lovely flavour on a person’s speech if their accent is good.

Bó (Boe) – Cow. PARTNERSHIP IN NATURE.

The cow has been central to Irish rural life for many centuries and the Irish word for it occurs as an element in many place and river names. Looking up at the stars, the Milky Way is called ‘The Way of the White Cow’ in Irish.

Bua (BOO-a) – Victory, talent, virtue. CARRYING THE DAY.

One of the sayings in which this Irish word is used may be translated as ‘Bring victory and a blessing!’, in other words, ‘Best wishes!’

Cara (KA-ra) – Friend. OUR CONNECTION TO ONE ANOTHER.

This Irish word occurs in the quintessential way of addressing someone at the beginning of a letter – the formula may be simply translated as ‘O friend!’

Ceol (Kyol) – Music, song, vigour. THE RHYTHM WITHIN US.

This word conjures not only music but the conviviality that is a central element to Irish life. The idiom ‘you are my music’ essentially means ‘Bravo!’

Comhaltas (COAL-tas) – Co-fosterage, friendship, membership. LEARNING TOGETHER

This word is used in the title of the Irish traditional musicians organization Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (COAL-tas KYOAL-tory AY-ran) ‘Association of Musicians of Ireland’, which is very often referred to, by way of a blend of the first two words, as Ceoltas (KYOAL-tas).

Comhar (Core) – Combined work, mutual assistance, partnership. THE POWER OF WORKING TOGETHER.

Originally meaning co-operative ploughing between neighbours, this Irish word now evokes the general notion of co-operation and shared work.

Comhluadar (CO-loo-der) – Company, family. THE HARMONY OF BEING TOGETHER.

This Irish word primarily describes convivial company, namely people conversing pleasantly together, but may also refer to family.

Craic (Crack) – Entertaining conversation, high-spirited fun. THE SERIOUS WORK OF PLAY.

Although originally a borrowing from Middle English, this word has been borrowed back into the English of Ireland in its Irish-language spelling, and is felt to denote a uniquely Irish variety of boisterous fun.

Dáil (DAW-ill) – A coming together, a consultative gathering. A MEETING OF MINDS.

This word can denote a tryst or a meeting of various sorts but is best known now as the title of the principal chamber of the national parliament, Dáil Éireann (‘the Assembly of Ireland’) or simply the Dáil.

Dathúil (DA-hoo-il) – Good-looking. A PLEASURE TO THE EYES.

This Irish word literally means ‘coloured’ or ‘colourful’, and is used to describe beauty and comeliness of appearance.

Dóchas (DOE-hass) – Hope. BRINGING FAITH TO THE FUTURE.

This Irish word conjures a sense of trust, belief, confidence and optimism, and is used in the title of a number of Irish organizations and institutions.

Draíocht (DREE-oct) – Magic, enchantment. THAT WHICH IS UNSEEN.

This Irish word for magic once specifically denoted the secret lore and arts of the druids of pre-Christian Ireland and Celtic society.

Dúchas (DOO-hass) –  Birthright, heritage, native place, innate quality. THE DRIVE WITHIN .

This Irish word sums up what we are born with. One of the many proverbs in which it occurs translates as ‘instinct is stronger than upbringing’.

Éire (AY-ra) – Ireland. OUR ISLAND HOME.

The name of the country. The English form ‘Ireland’ derives from it and the poetic form ‘Erin’ is based on its dative and genitive forms Éirinn and Éireann. The land-goddess of the country had Éire as one of her names in medieval tradition, and writers represented Éire as one of three sisters, the others being Banbha (BAN-va) and Fódla (FOE-la), who also appear as personifications of the country, and are occasionally encountered in Modern Ireland in titles etc.

Fadó (Fodd-Oh) – Long ago.  WHAT CAME BEFORE.

This Irish word is used in a variety of phrases that can be used to begin a folktale, and corresponds to the English ‘Once upon a time’.

Feis (Fesh) – Feast, celebration. REJOICING TOGETHER.

Etymologically, this denotes the act of spending the night, especially with another  person, hence ‘espousal’, and by extension was used of a festival held in honour of the marriage of a king, including symbolic marriage to the sovereignty goddess. The most famous of these in early Ireland was the feast of Tara. The word is now generally used with reference to festivals or competitions of music or dance.

Fios (Fiss) – Knowledge. KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING.

If you want to say you know something in Irish you say you have its knowledge, namely knowledge of it. If you leave out the ‘its’, the sense is ‘prophetic knowledge’. The word is used in the title of Geoffrey Keating’s monumental history of Ireland (1634), which translates as ‘A foundation of knowledge about Ireland’.

Flaithiúil or Flaithiúlach  (Fla-hool, Fla-hool-ock) – Generous, princely. THE GIFT OF GIVING

This word, which is still often used in the English of Ireland, contains the element flaith ‘lord’, who in medieval times was expected to be munificent. Nowadays, generosity is not confined to the upper echelons, and it may be noted that Ireland was ranked the most generous country in Europe and fifth most generous in the world in the World Giving Index 2013.

Foinse (Fwin-sha) – Fountain, spring, source AT THE BEGINNING

This evocative word was used as the title of an Irishlanguage newspaper, which is currently only available online.

Gael (Gale) – An Irish person, a Scottish highlander THE ESSENCE OF IDENTITY

This word speaks to the shared heritage of Ireland and Scotland – and indeed to our more distant Celtic cousins, the Welsh, as the word itself is thought to derive from the Welsh word gwyddel ‘raider’, a sense which resonates with the fact that our patron saint, Patrick, was abducted as a slave from Britain in the fifth century.

Gaisce (GOSH-ka) Weapons, feat (of arms), bravado AT OUR BEST

This word is used as the title of the President’s Award, Ireland’s national challenge award earned by young people between 15 and 25 for participating in several activities, in which context it is best translated as ‘great achievement’.

Inis (IN-ish) – Island THE LAND SURROUNDED BY WATER

No longer the common Irish word for ‘island’, this word survives mostly in names, such as Inis Fraoigh (‘Heathery Isle’, anglicized Inishfree), County Sligo, made famous by the poem ‘Lake Isle of Innisfree’ by William Butler Yeats. The word occurs also in the old appellation Inis Fáil, a poetic name for Ireland, a term that was used in a speech by US President Bill Clinton in Dublin in 1995.

Fáilte (FALL-tcha) – Welcome OPENING UP WITH ENTHUSIASM TO THOSE WHO APPROACH

This Irish word, originally meaning ‘joy, bliss, happiness’, occurs in a traditional salutation which translates as ‘a hundred thousand welcomes’.

Leannán (LAN-awn) – Lover PERFECTION IN OUR HEARTS

To say that love is blind in Irish, one says ‘a lover sees no fault’. This was one of the words used by the professional poetic class in medieval times to metaphorically describe their noble patrons.

Meitheal (MEH-hull) – Working party JOINING OUR EFFORTS TOWARD A SHARED GOAL

This Irish word refers to the tradition of a group of neighbouring farmers coming together for a number of days to reap corn, pick potatoes, etc. No pay was involved but the recipient of the help was expected to provide hospitality.

Meas (Mass) – Estimation, opinion, esteem, respect A SENSE OF GRAVITAS

This Irish word is still encountered in the English of Ireland. ‘They have great meas on him’, for instance, means ‘they have great regard for him’. It is also used in a formula for signing off a letter, namely Is mise le meas (ISS-MISHa-leh-MASS), which translates as ‘It is I, with respect’, and which may be seen occasionally in the letters pages of English language newspapers in Ireland.

Misneach (MISH-nock) – Courage, spirit, hopefulness PUSHING FORWARD THROUGH UNCERTAINTY

This popular word occurs in a proverb meaning ‘The man of courage has never lost’, in other words, ‘fortune favours the brave’. The word itself seems to have the effect of adding encouragement to a conversation when introduced.

Muiceanach idir Dhá Sháile  (MWICK-in-ock-idder-gaw-haw-lya) – A hog-backed hill between two arms of the sea IDENTITY IN A NAME

This west of Ireland placename is impressive in both its original Irish form and in its anglicized dress, Muckanaghederdauhaulia, a form which appears in Georges Perec’s 1978 novel, La Vie mode d’emploi (the English translation is entitled Life, A User’s Manual), where it is visited and painted by the hero, who believes it to be the longest port name in the world.

Pléaráca (PLAY-raw-ka) – Revelry, boisterous merrymaking A PARTY YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

This word speaks to an element of Irish culture that goes back a long time. It occurs in the title of an eighteenth-century poem which was set to music by the famous harper Turlough O’Carolan and translated by Jonathon Swift as ‘O’Rourke’s Feast’. It begins: O’Rourke’s noble fare / Will ne’er be forgot / By those who were there / And those who were not.

Plámás (Plaw-mawss) – Flattery, soft talk, cajolery A FEW SWEET NOTHINGS

This is the art of flattery, Irish style. It may sometimes involve empty praise but it’s still nice to be on the receiving end of it.

Saoi (SEE) – Wise and learned person WISDOM THROUGH INSIGHT

Though this word is rightly reserved for the more eminent among us, a proverb reminds us that a saoi is not wont to be without fault, or, to put it another way, ‘Homer sometimes nods.’

Saoirse (SEER-sha) – Freedom, liberty BEING WHO YOU ARE

This word, which expresses a noble idea, originally referred to the privileges enjoyed by the nobility. Nowadays, it is an ideal sought after and expected by everyone and has become popular as a first name.

Scéal (Shkayle) – Story, account, narrative, tale, piece of news, state of affairs TELLING THE TALE

Storytelling – scéalaíocht (SHKAYLE-ee-ockt) – is an art that has always been appreciated in Ireland. Long-windedness, however, is not, and there are several intriguing ways that describe narratives that suffer from this ailment, one example being ‘the story of the eight-legged dog’.

Sceitimíní (SKETCH-a-meeny) – Excited feelings, fits of rapturous excitement BUBBLING JOY

If you are really excited in Irish, you say that these are on you!

Sláinte (SLAWN-tcha) – Health, soundness, completeness MAY YOU BE WELL

This Irish word can be used in various ways when making a toast, one of which is simply to exclaim Sláinte!

Slán(SLAWN) – Health, soundness; healthy, safe GO IN SAFETY

This Irish word can be used in various ways when saying goodbye to someone. One may simply exclaim Slán!, or Slán agus beannacht! (Slawn OGG-uss BAN-ockt), which means ‘farewell and a blessing’.

Sona (SUN-a) – Happy, lucky, fortunate MAY FORTUNE SMILE

The primary sense of this word is ‘happy’ and may be used, for instance, in wishing someone a happy birthday. Its less dominant sense is found in a proverb indicating that luck is largely a matter of opportunity and may be translated as ‘the lucky man waits for the lucky moment.’

Spleodar (SPLYO-dar) – Glee, joy, vivacity, exuberance PLAYFULNESS

One of the many Irish words for fun, this one seems to exude its sense and has been used for the title of a number of organizations and events.

Suaimhneas (SOO-iv-nass) – Peace, tranquillity, quietness, rest CALM COMFORT

This popular Irish word encapsulates the sense of serenity that is much striven for in modern life.

Taisce (TASH-ka) – Store, treasure, hoard THAT WHICH WE VALUE

This Irish word can be used as a term of endearment, as in A thaisce! (a-HASH-ka), meaning ‘My darling!’. It is also used with the definite article, i.e. An Taisce (un-TASH-ka), as the title for the National Trust for Ireland, an NGO with a public interest mandate relating to the environment.

Taoiseach (TEE-shock) – Leader, chief, ruler, prime minister FIRST AMONG US

In origin, an adjective meaning ‘first’, it came to denote a chieftain in medieval times. Nowadays, it is used exclusively as the title of the Irish prime minister.

Uachtarán (OOK-ter-awn) – President ONE WHO RISES THROUGH EXCELLENCE

This word contains the element meaning ‘cream’, that which rises to the top.

Uisce (ISH-ka) – Water THE SOURCE OF LIFE

Something which seems to fall from the sky endlessly in Ireland. Naturally, it has captured the Irish imagination. Its flowing underground has given rise to a metaphorical term for ‘intrigue’. Uisce beatha, ‘the water of life’, was originally anglicized to usquebaugh and variants thereof, and later shortened to ‘whiskey’.

Source

[phanconfirmed]

Updated Alters

So this is the updated version of the alter post I made a while ago

The parent of the system

Mika: Very confused about their gender but goes with they/them or he/him pronouns, some days they're a guy some days they aren't isn't genderfluid though, they've thought about this. Very happy that we got binders but always tries to remind everyone to be safe while wearing them because we sometimes forget and sleep in them.

Main reason why they chose this name is because it's gender neutral. Also confused about their sexuality, knows they like everyone, doesn't like the thought of sex but also likes romantic stuff ???? Like would love to hold hands & maybe?? Kiss but is repulsed by the thought of anything without clothes on. Maybe panromantic demisexual

Secretly doesn't really love the name they chose but is alright with it & can't think of anything better because it doesn't seem so important, maybe aiden but that's too gender specific so they'll keep thinking

Physically: looks the same as the body originally looked but has colored hair, the exact color changes sometimes & has always wanted to color our hair but at the same time understands that it's high maintenance. Their voice is very similar to the original and rarely ever changes tone, unless they're trying to scold someone

GALAXY!!!!!!!!! WOULD BUY EVERYTHING GALAXY IF THEY COULD, PILLOWCASE, BLANKET, WALL, A GALAXY ROOM IF IT WERE POSSIBLE

Is very concerned when we haven't eaten all day but disagrees with getting fast food unless it's healthy, a salad or subway veggie sandwich. Genuinely wants to take good care of our body but at the same time gets busy with school work and dealing with all of our other mental issues.

Does not like it when we procrastinate, recently has started making us work on projects days or even a week before they are due because it's " less stressful that way. " Is good at the bass, prefers to finish an assignment before they practice or learn a song, especially if it's important, but does enjoy playing none the less.

Tries to explain to Ashe why selling the bass equipment was a good idea but that just makes her want to learn the guitar more.

Gets along well with Ashe, appreciates them helping to make some days better with memes or puns. Tried to talk to Elyssa, didn't really understand a lot of what she said, when she would say anything.

Is secretly very insecure & anxious, very afraid of the dark, secretly glad that adahlen wants to sleep with a stuffed animal. Knows Anti is actually very nice deep down, but would always deny it if you ask them, appreciates how protective they are of adahlen.

The edgy teen

Ashe: Is like the person you saw wearing 20 different rubber bracelets & fingerless gloves everyday in high school. Is genderfluid & would be the first to tell you to f*ck off if you said it wasn't a real gender, or really said anything else rude to them or one of the others, they/them pronouns. Easily gets homicidal and either Mika or Anti have to step in.

Mika gets on to them about their language, the few times they actually curse. They are the aggressive bisexual who will very badly flirt with everyone, shares bad pun & memes with Mika who appreciates it very much.

They love to play the bass, would literally play this all day every day. Doesn't like learning songs because it takes time but LOVES playing new songs, would do this for a living but Mika always makes sure they know that school has to come first. Is still really upset that we sold them but understands we hadn't played them in months due to being busy with school and taking care of ourselves and that someone else would probably enjoy them more.

Doesn't really understand but pretends they do, wants to learn how to play the guitar really badly but knows that it would take a lot of money and time that we don't have, maybe one day

Good friends with Mika, doesn't really get along with elyssa, mainly because she doesn't show up basically at all. Stresses about college & the future but Mika talks them down a lot, explains the situation.

" I'm going to fail this class. "

" what assignments have we failed? " " 2 "

" And how many have we passed? "

" 8 "

" Then we're fine, you know you'll pass the rest of the ones this semester so don't stress. "

" Ok. "

Always wants to eat fast food but never wants to get anything healthy. Always wants to go to Whataburger or panda express, even though they know both places give us stomach pains. Then waits a few months each time, until they forget the intense discomfort and wants to go again.

Would eat taco bell all day everyday if they could, Mika tries to tell them what's great about subway but they hardly ever listen.

THE CUTEST LITTLE YOU WILL EVER MEET

Convinced everyone they were the host for a while but is actually just a little

Adahlen, they chose the name because it's dalish for forest & they love playing Dragon age inquisition just to wander through the emerald graves. Would gladly join a dalish clan and go into real forests if they didn't hate bugs and 99% of nature.

When things get really stressful in the headspace they start talking about the adventures they've been on in the ( fictional ) forests. She thought about going into a real forest once but then remembered the camping trips from when the host was younger and decided against it.

Detailing all of the beautiful scenery, the trees and talks about the elven lore of the emerald graves & the exalted plains that they have memorized.

If they can't think of one particular piece of lore, they look it up & get SO EXCITED about the new info.

Physically: Adahlen is what you would imagine a little kid looked like, her hair color changes sometimes and while she doesn't want to actively wear fake elf ears, she likes to pretend.

PASTEL PASTEL P A S T E L

F L O W E R C R O W N S They love all things soft & pastel, wanted to wear a flower crown all the time but claims we're to old for that now. Still insists that we sleep with a stuff unicorn that is also a Dragon when you flip it.

Loves stuffed animals, wants to buy every one they see, honestly has four in the bed. No arguments from anyone because honestly who doesn't like stuffed animals.

Sometimes Mika has to stop them from buying a stuffed animal only to let them get it a few days or so later, because honestly come on how do you not.

Always wants to front when we're hanging out with friends & gets hyper waaaaaay too easily ( keep them away from sugar ) is basically like Gregg from night in the woods with sugar.

Mika, Ashe & Adahlen are good friends, more so Mika than Ashe because Mika is more understanding & accepting of their sometimes childish behavior. Used to watch anime in 90% of their free time, sword art online, Tokyo ghoul, yuri on ice & Naruto. Cried when they saw the end of Tokyo ghoul and Anti tried comforting them but has no idea how so they just hugged Adahlen & listened to them until they stopped crying.

Stopped watching anime partly because it reminded us of a friend we used to watch with and because they claim we're too old now.

TALKS ABOUT ANIME ALL THE TIME WITH ANTI & IT'S HONESTLY THE CUTEST THING, still does this occasionally but much less often now.

The host

Comes out the least

Elyssa: I really don't like to talk about this one so let's keep this short. She's the first one that we had & then for years unhealthily repressed and ignored all possibility of other alters and just claimed that they were her.

Physically: stained clothes, messy hair from not showering really just imagine a severely depressed, anxious unstable person and there you go

So she's still here but she doesn't come out often or talk to anyone because she honestly doesn't know who or what she is. The host because she was the first one, thinks Mika does a good job taking care of everyone.

The void ?????

A fictive

Anti: Sometimes when no one in particular is fronting & we are very stressed or simply when no one is fronting. Physical form changes, most commonly looks like Anti with black eyes, black clothes and doesn't care for the business of mortals, but is very defensive of the host and the entire system, is ready to punch anyone who tries to do anything to them, very anti in that respect.

Will help with homework or projects rarely if we have been working hard and are almost at the point of homicide ( half joking ) we know it's them when we're anxious then suddenly calm and work better on whatever we were working on.

Doesn't really talk to anyone, is very uninterested in what Ashe or mika are doing as long as we aren't contemplating murder, the body & headspace are there, and as long as Adahlen is ok what more do they need to know?

Almost talked to Elyssa once, thought better of it when it saw them in a corner and left them alone. Mainly reads or watches popular anime if they have the time.

Loves the Harry potter books, insisted we listen to the audio books and were actually very interesting, wants to finish them & wants to actually read them but can't find the time so just looks it up on tumblr. #RavenclawPride Would run to Hogwarts if it were real and would be the best ravenclaw they had ever seen.

This is the alter that also comes out when I'm around the family excluding my mom, who I actually like. Fits into the very stressed part at the beginning of their description as my family outside of my mom, stress me out extensively and judges me even more since we have been diagnosed with signs of psychosis and Anti still hasn't forgiven them for treating us they do

We don't really want to put the effort needed into making a working relationship with my grandma & aunt, basically the only other family members we see, so we don't mind them fronting. As long as they're generally speaking, nice which, if you know anything about anti you know that can be difficult

The purpose of this is because we've thought about this for a while & we didn't want to be one of those " we have 2 symptoms for one day so suddenly because of the internet we have this " people. We think this would be helpful for our friends and for us because, we don't know supposedly writing things down helps.

This also helped to sort a few alters out & helped them in choosing names So this is the system I'm using:

🌌 is to indicate that Mika is fronting

🎸 is to indicate that Ashe is fronting

🍂Or🌳 is to indicate that Adahlen is fronting

👁️ is to indicate that Anti is fronting

( I'm not using one for Elyssa because that is how rarely she fronts )