#Catering App Development

[4theitgirls]

productivity apps for self improvement

pinterest

you know i had to include the ultimate form of social media. pinterest is one of the only truly peaceful social media apps out there and focuses on sharing photos to your themed boards. this app is everything if you’re into making vision boards, moodboards, beauty, productivity, and really anything else. there’s something there for everyone!

finch

this is a wonderful self-care app, in which you take care of a bird while taking care of yourself! this is my new favorite app. i use the free version and it is adorable. the app asks you some questions about your goals and how you feel about self care, and gives you some daily goals based on your answers, but you can delete and add goals of your own. the more you log in and track your goals, the more adventures your bird can go on and the more they grow. i recommend this app to absolutely everyone and i will never shut up about it.

gymshark training

this is a free training app including many different types and styles of workouts. you can search for workouts based on duration, equipment used, the targeted muscle, and so on. you can also add workouts and plans of your own and track your progress.

i am sober

this is my favorite app for if you have something you want to quit. this isn’t just for substances or alcohol, but can also be used for quitting sugar, skin picking, caffeine, fast food, and so many other things. you can track your progress, review your days, make pledges, and connect with others who are struggling with the same thing you are. you are also given motivational quotes and reminders when you log into the app. there is an option for a subscription, but i use the free version and have had no problems with it at all.

study bunny: focus timer

an adorable focus timer where you gain coins with every goal/time you accomplish something with your focus timer and you can spend your coins on cute little accessories for your bunny! the only real issue with this app is that the ads are kind of crazy, and it’s $15 a month to go ad-free.

flora - green focus

this app includes a pomodoro timer and plants a tree in a rural community based on how often you stay focused using the timer on the app. the app does not plant a tree unless you opt for their subscription, which is $2 per year and allows you to plant one tree for 120 hours of focused time. you can also plant a tree every 24 hours with the $10 plan.

focus to-do: focus timer&tasks

this app combines a pomodoro timer with a daily to-do list. the app is free to use, but includes additional features for those with a subscription, which is $3 for every three months or $9 for a lifetime membership.

balance: meditation & sleep

a great app that includes nightly reviews, meditations, and sleep sounds. this app has great reviews, but it’s worth noting that it’s not completely free. it includes a trial, after which is $12 per month, or $70 per year.

insight timer - meditate & sleep

just as it sounds, this is another great app for meditations, ambient sounds for sleep, and progress tracking. there are tons of free things included in the app, but if you want to unlock everything, the premium plan is $10 per month or $60 per year.

structured - daily planner

an app with great reviews intended to help organize your daily tasks into achievable goals and track your progress. the app has basic features for free, but also includes a premium subscription if you want to unlock all the features.

routineflow: guided routines

this app caters to those who have difficulties staying focused and maintaining a set routine by guiding your routine for you and managing your progress. the app gives you one routine for free, but if you want another, you would need to pay for the $30 annual subscription.

how we feel

a wonderful free journaling app developed by therapists and scientists for logging your emotions, talking to other users, and tracking your mood patterns.

gentler streak fitness tracker

if you’re tired of the constant work and grind mentality, this may be the app for you. this app takes a gentler approach to fitness by tracking exercise, giving encouragement, and notifying you if you are overworking yourself. the app itself is free, but certain features require a subscription, which is $8 per month or $50 per year.

glo | yoga and meditation app

glo is a highly rated app for yoga, pilates, and meditation. unlike most of the other apps listed, you can’t really access much on glo for free. to access the full courses, they offer two plans: $30 per month or $245 per year.

waterllama

another adorable app that lets you track your water intake with a cute llama! super motivating and is free for basic features. if you want to unlock all features, the subscription is $7 per year.

mindllama

made by the same people as waterllama, this app allows you to practice and track your meditation and breathwork practice with a cute llama! like waterllama, the app is free, but some features require a subscription, which varies depending on whether you want the premium plan, the anxiety relief plan, or the sleep focused plan.

daily bean - simplest journal

another super cute app that helps you track your days and moods. the app itself is free, but a premium plan is also offered, which is $20 per year.

schmoody: mood & habit tracker

this app aims to help you through depression, anxiety, and/or adhd by helping you track your habits, talk to other users, and give you the resources to get you back on track. the free version includes the “essentials” to support mental health and well-being, but they also offer a premium version, which unlocks more resources and personalized options. the subscription is $15 per month, $60 per year, or $100 for a lifetime membership.

meditation timer - zenitizer

this is a meditation timer that focuses on simplicity and organization while tracking your meditation practice. a free version is available with a limited amount of content, but a premium version is also offered, which is $3 per month, $20 per year, or a $50 one-time payment.

mineral - gratitude journal

this is a free journaling app that is secure in the fact that you have to use face id in order to access your journal. this app is definitely more simple, but effective nonetheless.

focus keeper: productive timer

this app is a popular pomodoro-style timer app. i’ve heard that this app works wonders for many people with adhd. the app is free, but includes additional content and features for those with a subscription.

[harunayuuka2060]

MC: Idia, would you like to try the new game I developed?

Idia: No, thanks.

MC: Why?

Idia: The last time I played your game, it totally wrecked my files.

MC: I asked Ortho's help to check for viruses.

MC: So I can assure you that this game is totally safe.

MC: Most of the students are playing it too.

Idia: What is it about?

MC: Well... It's a virtual space. You create an account and log in, you choose your cat avatar.

MC: Then you can talk and socialize with your friends, but you can only communicate in cat language.

Idia: ...

Idia: Show me how it works.

MC: Okay.

MC: *opens the app* *then hands him their phone*

Lilia: Meowmeow~ MEOW~. *his cat avatar playing a guitar*

Kalim: Nyanyanyanyanyanya! *clapping*

Cater: Ma-meow... Ma-meow...

Trey: *puts a blanket over him*

Cater: *ends up being covered by it* Meow.

Idia: ...

Idia: How do they understand each other?

MC: Cat translator.

Idia: ...

[alaskan-wallflower]

eyes (2025 redraw)

i’m very glad i finished this lol—i spent quite some time on it—this definitely caters more to me and my personal designs (which i’ll explain under the cut for those who wanna read it) but i had a lot of fun with this :)) im not usually a soft shading/airbrush person and ive never really done it before, so this was a new experience, but im glad i tried something new :) i still prefer hatching tho

here’s a side by side for comparison

i think this is almost an exact year later too? idk i’ll have to check the posting date of the first one lo)

rambling under the cut if you’re interested :)

ponyboy’s is actually my least favorite one 😭 but honestly i think he does actually have grey green eyes rather than just green eyes like some people say. i just think they’re leaning more towards green rather than being completely green. also i know his hair is more ginger than auburn here. but yk what its ok

sodapop with heterochromia!! this one kinda came to me cause i saw a bunch of people talking about how both movie and musical sodapop have creepy blue eyes while in canon soda’s described with warm brown eyes, and i really liked both so !! kinda combined ‘em. also freckles! my guy has a LOT of ‘em

darry…i don’t like how his came out :/ but i think he’s another one whose eyes are more blue than green, although there’s definitely a hint of green if you look closely. if his looks jumbled it’s cause i merged the layers early and closed out of the app and once you do that you can’t undo it and i had to move some stuff around so that’s why some things look off

johnny’s was a lot of fun tbh—i’ve mentioned a few times but i headcanon that johnny has vitiligo. i tried showing that? i dunno if i did a very good job, i used references as best i could and tried to shade it with my utmost effort but idk if it really worked? also his eye scar! i forgot that in my previous drawing of johnny, which i realized after posting it, but i tried to go with the “big and hard to look at” part of it but i don’t think i did a very good job admittedly—

dally!! dally gave me a chance to kinda show myself with this cause i headcanon that dally has albinism (cause i have it and y’know, i wanted to add it for my own self indulgence)—i used myself as reference for this (minus the hair and with a bit of exaggeration to fit my style better) but i really like how his turned out!! i assumed he’d have some facial scarring too tbh from the fights he’s gotten into, and i wanted to add it in.

two bit—honestly, admittedly, his design is the only one i prefer from the musical over the movie (minus pony) but i still really like the movie/book description since its classic, so i figured why not add both aspects? personally i headcanon two bit to be half polynesian and half irish, and i kept the ginger hair because i thought it was neat and i like it, so i kept it. i also really like him having stormy grey eyes, and i kind do have my own concept for him that’s easier to draw than describe so i guess if/when i make a lineup for all of the gang it’ll be there.

steve…okay i had a change of heart with steve yesterday lol—an anon came to me about steve with green eyes and i had originally said that personally, i headcanoned steve had brown/black eyes…BUT then i thought about it and was like “why not both?” so boom, hazel. (i also think tom cruise has hazel eyes, no? idk) BUT there’s a reason for this. ponyboy originally says he “hates most guys with green eyes” and it kinda made me think like “oh, maybe ponyboy sees steve as one of those guys with green eyes” because he doesn’t like him, but maybe part of both of their character development is go from “steve has green eyes” to “maybe he doesn’t”. it’s more for my own symbolism than anything. oh, also he has a slit eyebrow because he thought it looked tuff and thought it’d look stupid to let it grow back so he just keeps it cut. also rather than “complicated swirls” i kinda think he has big, untamable hair so i tried displaying that, but thats another thing that’ll look better if i get to drawing a lineup lol

sorry steve’s was so long, i just put a lot of thought into that one far—

also just some little things but ive never really done airbrushing before so this was kinda new (which is prolly why they look kinda ehhhh but yk what it’s okay, i tried something new even tho i didn’t want to so i consider it a win

i dunno, i switch between liking how these turned out and hating them so idk, maybe you guys’ll like them more than me! i think ive been staring at em for too long

[coochiequeens]

Good news for my same sex attracted sisters.

Lesbian dating app to use facial recognition to exclude trans women from matching with biological females

By SANCHEZ MANNING and SUE REID

PUBLISHED: 19:03 EDT, 1 June 2024 

The first dating app for lesbians is set to launch – using sex-recognition technology to exclude trans women and ensure only biological females can sign up.

It is the brainchild of feminist campaigner Jenny Watson, who says there are currently no dating apps which cater purely for women who want same-sex relationships.

The current crop of dating apps, she says, are increasingly being used by males who identify as female and who say they too are lesbian.

L'App will use facial recognition technology to verify a person as a biological female.

Ms Watson said would-be users will have to go through a process when they sign up where the app scans their face via their smartphone.

It is the brainchild of feminist campaigner Jenny Watson (pictured), who says there are currently no dating apps which cater purely for women who want same-sex relationships

The software, which Ms Watson claims is 99 per cent accurate, analyses features including bone structure, the shape and positioning of an individual's eyes, eyebrows and nose shape or size. It will also be able to detect if a person is presenting a live image rather than just putting a photo of a woman up to the camera by detecting movement, blinking motions and heat emissions.

Tests have revealed that if someone tries to disguise themselves as a woman by putting on a wig or make-up, the technology will spot the deception.

Ms Watson, 32, a town planner, told The Mail on Sunday: 'There is no female-only dating apps at the moment. Lesbians need an app which they can use without being messaged by trans-identifying males.'

She said L'App had also been developed in response to many lesbians finding that they were being banned from existing apps if they dared to specify that they wanted to date only natal females. Speaking about her own personal experience, she said: 'Any time I've joined a lesbian dating app or any other dating app myself, I get banned.

'To avoid trans-identified males, I will always write a little blurb, nothing disrespectful, saying my preference is for women and please respect my boundaries.

'And every time I do that I get banned. On one app I was asked to put down my most controversial opinion, so I wrote that J. K. Rowling was right and was banned for that. It's insane.'

Ms Watson has previously campaigned to protect lesbian spaces, by hosting female-only speed dating nights. She plans to open UK's first single-sex lesbian bar.

She has been criticised as transphobic for excluding transgender women – which she rejects. Her launch comes as a court case is being heard in Australia over whether a trans woman can be lawfully excluded from a female-only social networking app called Giggle.

[starrihan]

Before I go to sleep, I leave my thoughts here for you to develop. About Taesan again 🫦.

Taesan is part of the Student Council President at your school, a good kid who plays an active role in school, a favorite of all the teachers, tall, smart, and a source of pride. All the girls have a huge crush on him, probably would give themselves up for just one night with Taesan. Meanwhile, you are a student who likes to cause trouble and even thinks that Taesan is just a teacher's pet because he is close to all the teachers. You dislike Taesan even more when he punishes you directly for wearing a tight skirt, he scolds you in front of the students. Make you embarrassed. Since then, you often openly mock Taesan quite harshly, because you are sick of being punished by him often. Until one day everything changed for you. Taesan, who was fed up with punishing you too often, finally took an extreme way to punish you🌝, so that you don't become a troublemaker student again. Making you ride him, begging for him with tears streaming down your face, you desperately want him more than anything. It doesn't matter if he doesn't wear a condom or you're not on the pill. Who would have thought, Taesan, who has the reputation of being a good kid, is actually an 'evil' dominant who can degrade... BUTTTTTT After you achieve that satisfaction (punishment), he treats you as if you were fragile goods. Putting your shoes back on, putting your underwear back on, even combing your hair. He even gave you a soft kiss on your forehead for quite a while🥹. ANDDDDD HEEEE SAID "The most perfect girl I've ever met..."

I think this is too long. But this is a thought that is always in my head, aka always LONG 😭😭😭. Don't forget to keep your health, don't be too hasty in writing. Many people are always patient for your work😘.

(Actually, this is just one thought of mine... I have lots of big thoughts. Including Beomgyu's matter🌚)

_🦄_

i think i am the luckiest writer on this app for having such amazing moots and anons! i treat you all like friends and it makes me so happy that you all are so supportive 🥹

this is not too long at all! you've given me so much to work with so this might come out to be a little long, but i dont think you mind 🤭

please come to me with beomgyu thoughts hes literally my husband i would do anything for that man

-> Here's a link to all my other masterlists!

༄ ༄ ༄

Imagine that you kinda despise him for always being so perfect. You hate how much of a suck-up he is, always kissing ass and obeying the rules of all of his professors. He's president of the universities student gov which only gives him more opportunities to kiss ass but now to all the students because they think he's so great and perfect and always caters to them, which works because he's so close with university staff. But you dont care about how popular or great people think he is.

Especially because he's always ridiculing you about the clothes you wear, crop tops or short tight skirts, telling you that "you're a student in university not a waitress at a club begging for tips," and hate him even more. You'd get mad, telling him that even if you were begging for tips you wouldn't want anything from him.

If people would talk to you about him you'd tell them off, saying he's not as good as he seems, making big claims but never delivering on them and even outright ignoring him if he tries to interact with you in anyway.

But you intrigue him. Youre the only girl that doesnt fall to their knees for him and you have a mouth on you, never afraid too call him out or talk bad about him. You never care what he has to say and refuse to listen to him, something that he finds incredibly hot about you.

He's a TA for one of your classes and calls you after class to talk, telling you that you have too many missing assignments and that you would need to make them up.

"Unless the professor himself is telling me to do them, theyre not gonna get done,"

He'd lock the door of the small classroom, pulling you by your wrist into him and whispering to you that "if you wanna be exempt from making up the assignments you'll have to make it up to me."

He'll harshly kiss your neck, sitting in a chair and pulling you onto his lap, pulling your low-cut top down to expose your boobs. You cant lie and say you havent found him attractive, letting him have his way with you as the desperation between your legs grows.

"Youre so quiet now that I'm taming you, huh? What? Cat got your tongue? You're not gonna tell me to stop, are you? Dirty, slut. Needing me to teach you a lesson."

And you have nothing to say because, like he is about everything, he's right. He'd bite your skin, being sure to leave marks to remind me of your 'lesson.' Youre grinding on him like crazy, needing some sort of relief between your legs, but he'd stop you, having you stand up and strip.

"Since you wanna be a dirty slut, go ahead and strip for me. Take your pants off, sweetheart."

And of course youre gonna listen because you need him that badly, taking off your pants and panties. He'd pull his pants and boxers down, letting them pool at his ankles, pulling you back onto his lap and having his fingers run along your slit.

"Fuck, Taesan..."

"You usually mock my name and now youre moaning it. Funny how you switch up when dick's in the question. My little slut."

He'd finger you for a bit, having you ride his fingers before pulling them out of you and rubbing your slick over his throbbing length.

"Go ahead, ride me like a whore and I'll consider fixing your grades for you, go on."

And youre riding him as hard as you can, moaning his name as his fingers rub at your clit. Tears are streaming down your face at this point, the overwhelming combination of his fingers and dick too much for you.

"Look at you, completely dumb for this dick. I should've figured, so arrogant yet pathetic."

And the way he would downright REFUSE to help you. You brought this upon yourself, this is your lesson, your punishment, so you need to learn yourself. You'd moan out his name as you cum, harshly pushing his fingers off of you as you still yourself, body shaking at how hard he had made you cum. He's find you so hot, needing to speed up and finish himself. Pumping himself inside you as hard as he can, lifting your hips and slamming them back down on him and meeting his thrusts before he cums inside, smirking victoriously as ropes of his cum stain your walls, small streams dripping down and out of your hole and onto your thighs.

"You did so great."

He'd say, slowly pulling you off of him and placing you on a desk, grabbing napkins from off of the table to clean you up. He'd hand you his water bottle, sliding your panties over your legs and securing them onto your waist. Helping you with your skirt and putting your shoes back on for you, holding you close and running his hands through your hair, kissing your forehead.

"You're so beautiful and perfect, I just needed an excuse to have you. Keep acting up and I'll have to reinforce this lesson."

༄ ༄ ༄

I hoped you liked this!! Send me all of your thoughts! Ill be getting through a lot of my asks this weekend 😈

-> Here's a link to all my other masterlists!

[raleigh-edward]

Once you've spent enough time reading romance club stories, you can never go back to Choices and read their stories with similar enthusiasm and interest.

Choices stories simply put are cheap, lazy work. It's a cash grab which is justified in the current socio-economic scenario but why would anyone in their right mind invest in trash?

People have been saying it all this while, I'll still take another jab at it. The stories that Choices have been putting out for the past couple of years are such stereotypical commercial bullshit. There's no real character development, no characters with personalities, there's no scope for developing romance routes either. All characters in all stories are walking archetypes and honestly none of the newer LIs are attractive either.

So what even is your USP at this point? What's your product offering? Are they simply trying to cater to brain-dead teens? Wattpad has more substantial stories than choices and that's something.

Sure Romance Club has its own flaws but at least the writers make more fleshed out characters and with much better narratives too. Their stories are often so much more than archetypical and formulaic content. They do use writing formulas too albeit more creatively than Choices. Newer settings are often explored, they get creative with their medium and the app overall ever so often. The prices of in-game currency are decent and they do have free alternatives too.

Now before the internet trolls come after me to educate me about the "If you don't like it don't read it" approach, I must implore, sure I won't read that crap with the same passion as you but I'll take every opportunity to criticize the sheer dumbassery going on in the name of stories. Why? Because they've signed up for it. When you put your project out in the public domain, you shall prepare yourself for criticism in case your work absolutely sucks, which choices absolutely does.

My advice to anyone still playing choices would be to get a mod rather than spending actual money on it. I would be more than happy to help you with the link to a working mod.

[susanghanmessenger]

The Men We Want and the Women We Love to Hate: Gender Roles in Mystic Messenger

Mystic Messenger (수상한메신저) is a 2016 otome game developed by the South Korean indie game company Cheritz. It was an immediate hit upon release, largely due to its unique format for the otome genre as a whole: the game takes place in real time over a period of eleven days via a series of chatrooms, texting, and phone calls with each of the love interests.

The story centers you as the main character (hereafter referred to as "MC") accidentally downloading an app that acts as the main chatroom for Rika's Funding Association (hereafter referred to as the R.F.A), a charity organization that fundraises through throwing parties. Rika, their namesake, has since passed away; in her absence, the remaining members attempt to keep the parties going in her memory, but without success. You agree to become their new party coordinator and begin organizing right away, bonding with the rest of the members and gathering guests for the party, all while gradually unraveling all of the locked away secrets the organization is hiding.

I'll be primarily addressing question three of the assignment, albeit on a broader scale to include ways in which the game regards femininity:

How is ideal masculinity presented in these games? What aspects of virility, behavior, values, physical beauty, social status, and more are being offered up to the consumer? What are these men fulfilling that is “missing” in mainstream culture?

Heavy spoilers for most of the game under the cut.

One of the more interesting aspects of Mystic Messenger is the way in which its core cast is characterized. The R.F.A members tend to cater towards certain fantasies or archetypes as is typical for the genre—Jumin, for example, appears on the surface to be a shoe-in for the "wealthy CEO" trope—but due to the game's long-form format are afforded a deep emotional complexity to flesh out, individualize, and humanize them all in a way that's difficult for similar games to fully achieve. This is, of course, all part of the fantasy, as their complexity at its core stems from and centers around their roles as love interests, which itself is tied to their overall gendered appeal.

Let's continue to look at Jumin as an example:

Jumin's character is very easy to get the gist of within having a couple of chats with him; he's stoic, calculating, cautious, and logical, taking his work and his role in the organization seriously. But he is also is obsessed with his cat, unflinchingly deadpan and sardonic in his humor, and at multiple points is willing to put his entire career on the line for the sake of helping the members of the R.F.A. As the player becomes closer to Jumin and begins his route, however, cracks quickly start appearing under the surface and Jumin begins to unravel. You learn that Jumin is naturally a deeply sensitive, emotional man, and his seemingly cold and uncaring attitude is just a front to protect himself under the fear people will only want to be close to him for personal gain due to his status. This eventually caused him to develop a crippling loneliness and paranoia and, in turn, is the reason for his obsession with cats: he was given his own cat by Rika, one of the only people Jumin had ever let into his life, to help with this same loneliness, and after her passing, his cat became a projection of the complex emotions he felt towards Rika due to his inability to process his grief. This is why, when his cat runs away, he has a nervous breakdown; he's not losing his cat, necessarily, but being "abandoned" by the last bit of Rika he's able to connect with. The MC, ideally, is expected to be supportive and understanding, gently helping him learn to process his emotions while emphasizing the need for balance and trust before eventually starting a relationship once he's more stable.

This multifaceted nature isn't unique to Jumin; every single main love interest offer a spectrum of different traits and fantasies. However, the struggles of each and every character—707's guilt, Yoosung's grief, ZEN's anxiety, Jumin's self-doubt, literally everything V and Ray have going on the entire time—are framed by the very nature of the game as not something that's part of their personalities and lived experience separate from gender, but rather a byproduct of the masculinities they're meant to represent and stand in contrast to. For example, 707's trauma and sense of humor, while integral to consider when engaging with his character, can't be divorced from the fact that traditional masculinity discourages men from outright displaying vulnerability.

Mystic Messenger is also unique in the ways in which the identity of the MC is approached. As stated before, Mystic Messenger is chatroom-based; none of the characters know what "you" look like until the day of the party. So when you're interacting with them, deepening your bond and getting to know them, the characters have no reference. They're falling in love not with your looks, but who you are as a person—your kindness, your humor, your support. This is part of what set it apart and made it popular, and while there is a faceless, nameless, stand-in MC, anyone can be her. I say "her" since, by virtue of being an otome, you are assumed to be feminine (the game goes as far as to mock initial insistence of masculinity) and, as such, your interactions with the R.F.A. members—and, by extension, how their character traits feel to the player—are seem through this lens. MC is kind, nurturing, selfless, patient, quick-witted, emotionally intuitive; she is a passive figure who solely exists to comfort and be pursued. She's the ultimate desirable woman, in stark contrast with to many of the other women in the game. Rika, Echo Girl, Glam, Sarah, Jumin's mother—they are framed as obstacles; jealous, manipulative, villainous. They subtly embody the "wrong" types of femininity: those that are too sexual, too confident, too emotional, too controlling. MC can be anyone she wants to be, and her association with the player inherently uplifts her—but even still, she must be a woman in a way that's non-threatening, that downplays her own being in support of the man she loves.

It's through the MC that the very traits discussed with the male love interests earlier are codified as a kind of masculinity, since these struggles are inherently filtered through a romantic lens and shaped by the influence of the MC. It's not about being a man; rather, it's about the romantic fantasy of a masculinity that's seen as desirable. None of their traits are inherently "masculine," and indeed, many jokes are made at the expense of the characters for going against what's expected of them. But because Mystic Messenger is designed to be about what kind of man you want to love, this fantasy is shaped around a romantic idealization of gender roles in the first place.

[dasketcherz]

Any digital art tips for beginners

Oh man, hmmmm

don't be afraid to explore all the brush/tool sets available at your disposal in your art app, you could potentially find the ones that just fittingly caters to your personal preference/your art

always remind yourself that your first couple of digital pieces doesnt have to be perfect because you are still just starting out after all. Just because now you have the power of Ctrl Z and lasso tool on your side, doesnt mean there shouldnt be room for errors anymore. Theres always room for improvement so prioritize just experimenting !

you can also go look up on your fave artists and do an art study of how they do certain things (like lineart or color theory or rendering) to develop a basic understanding of how stuff works or even watch art tutorials theres full of them on youtube

take advantage of having textured brushes if your art app has any, it elevates your work to look more interesting to view!

also test out your layer modes, they do wonders at making magic happen for your art piece! So yeh! I hope these made sense or somewhat helpful in any way ngselignddxgx

[maziijapanese]

Complete guide to self-studying Japanese

Learning Japanese on your own can be a rewarding experience with the right resources. Here's a comprehensive guide to various methods and materials that can help you effectively self-study Japanese.

Self-study Japanese through textbooks and guides Textbooks and guides are the backbone of structured language learning. They provide comprehensive coverage of grammar, vocabulary, and kanji, ensuring a solid foundation. The "Genki" series is highly regarded for beginners, offering thorough explanations, engaging exercises, and accompanying audio CDs to practice listening and pronunciation. Another excellent resource is "Japanese for Busy People," perfect for those with limited time, focusing on practical conversation skills and essential vocabulary. Additionally, "Minna no Nihongo" offers an immersive experience by using only Japanese, pushing learners to think in the language from the start.

Self-study Japanese through videos Videos are an invaluable resource for enhancing listening skills and understanding pronunciation nuances. YouTube channels such as "JapanesePod101" and "Learn Japanese from Zero" provide free lessons ranging from beginner to advanced levels, covering grammar, vocabulary, and cultural insights. Additionally, watching anime like "My Neighbor Totoro" or dramas such as "Terrace House" with subtitles helps learners get accustomed to natural speech patterns and everyday expressions. For music lovers, listening to Japanese songs like those by J-pop artists such as Hikaru Utada or Arashi can also improve language skills and pronunciation.

Self-study Japanese online The digital age has revolutionized language learning, and Japanese is no exception. A plethora of online resources are readily available to cater to diverse learning styles. Interactive platforms and engaging apps offer personalized experiences, allowing learners to focus on specific language skills and track their progress efficiently. From mastering grammar to honing pronunciation and expanding vocabulary, these digital tools provide flexibility and convenience for self-paced study.

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[yuri-is-online]

Back with some more thought experiments! This time, let’s talk about the actual worldbuilding of Twisted Wonderland. I mean, this is a completely separate world where fairytales and fantastical things actually exist. It’s functionally impossible for Twisted Wonderland to just be Earth plus some Disney sprinkled on top.

The biggest point that really gets me is that fact that methods to foresee the future exist. Astrology is a valid class in NRC and Yuu suffers from plot convenient prophetic visions. The mere idea that the future can be foreseen should have huge ramifications on how businesses and governments operate. Imagine knowing the effect of a deal or policy before it even happens. Or minimizing crisis by knowing about it before it strikes.

Magic should also affect technological development. We know that there was an age before magic was widespread among humans, thanks to Trein in GloMas. In that sense, I can see how up to a point technological development may be similar… but post-magic the technology should be different due to a different set of limitations.

Language is also an interesting topic. Setting aside things that humans probably can’t event speak like the Fae languages seen in game, what of the languages used in Twisted Wonderland? Would they be similar to Earth as a result of the Disney movies used to create its history? Does that explain why Rook speaks French?

This isn’t accounting for religion either. The Age of the Gods is a thing, drawing from the Hercules movie. That would mean that the Greek gods actually exist in Twisted Wonderland. So how did they fall out of worship? I mean, only Hades seems to be recognized anymore due to the Great Seven, and not even in a religious way.

Look, I’m going to hit the character count if I keep trying to list all of my questions. This is just all so fascinating! And true to my fixation on Yuu, this is all great content for exploring just how alien Twisted Wonderland must feel. Like, Yuu should honestly ask more questions. I don’t buy how easily they adapted in the game.

- 🦐

*cracks knuckles* Shrimp you have brought up stuff I've been thinking about for a hot second, I'm so glad you have come into my inbox ( ๑ ˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و ♡

I agree that I don't think Yuu would have adjusted as easily as they are depicted to in game, but this is a mobile app gacha game licensed by Disney so it's not going to focus as much on stuff like that. Luckily that's what we're here to do anyway~ I am going to go through these points one by one.

Point One: Astrology

The most we learn about how fortune telling works in game is from the Scalding Sands hometown event. There is an exchange between Cater, Trey, and Jamil about using coffee grinds to tell fortunes, and Trey specifically says something I think is interesting: we get two really interesting lines:

From what's said here we can tell two things: A) there is a distinct difference between types of fortunes and B) a distinct difference in the quality of fortune tellers. Someone like Cater is correct most of the time with his divination, but not everyone will be making actively relying on it for major decisions. I could absolutely see older kingdoms having a seer employed who a ruler could call on for supernatural advice, but I don't think that would be common practice in modern day Wonderland outside of maybe Briar Valley. Besides, just because you know something bad will happen doesn't mean you will be able to efficiently mobilize your forces in time to make a meaningful difference.

Speaking of which, not to touch on spoilers too much but Leven seems to be implied to posses the ability to actually clearly see the future, and as for Yuu's visions...

Well Lilia says he thought they might have a curse like Silver's (not that he knew why they were dizzy)... and the ability to see the future IS often handed out in Greek Myths as a curse, but well. Make of that what you will.

Point Two: Magi-Tech

The way technology works in Twisted Wonderland is a bit vague. From how Idia talks, I think there is a distinct difference between technology and magitechnology, with Idia specifically specializes in the latter. I actually went a really long time thinking that since Yuu hadn't a single trace of magic on them they wouldn't be able to ride a magi-wheel because of how Deuce talks about it syncing with your own magic and what not. Even magicless people in Twisted Wonderland don't seem to be completely magicless, they just don't have enough of a mana pool to actually cast a spell.

I think it would make sense to suggest magic and magitechnology probably affected Twisted Wonderland's development in the same way the silicone chip did ours, but the key difference would be that if you put too much magic into a device most humans can't use it. That would bring up a completely separate set of setbacks and issues... while there might not be a difference in the type of things built their internal construction would definitely be wildly different.

Part Three: Language

I think the easiest answer to this is yes. We know there is a "common" language that most places now use... I like to headcannon that language as being unique to Twisted Wonderland but I have seen some people think it is probably English. Which brings out my scrunchy face because the prevalence of English in our world is because of the British Empire... which never existed in Twisted Wonderland.

Rook speaks French because one of his favorite plays is set in Fleur City/the Shaftlands... which as a side note. In his Vampire card vignette he names the play that made him like Neige so much: Kingsroad~ The Sword to Become King!~ which is literally the Sword in the Stone based off of the little song he sings from it. I have been going crazy since GloMas thinking about if this suggests that King Arthur is french in Twisted Wonderland or if Rook is referring to another play... personally I think he's from Sage's Island but that's a crack for another post

Part Four: Greek Myths and Religion

There doesn't really seem to be any religious presence in Twisted Wonderland at all. It's unclear if Hades was ever worshiped or if he was just referred to as a god due to his perceived immortality and power. Given that there is something called the Jupiter group... and the Shrouds are a branch of the Jupiter family... AND that the Titans you fight in Chapter 6 are yelling about getting to and killing Jupiter... I think that it's highly likely there are events in Twisted Wonderland's history that correlate to the stories of the Great Seven, but didn't necessarily involve the Great Seven themselves. It's just that those events are remembered as having been done by them... for some unknown reason. Not to be conspiratorial... but do we have any proof they ever actually lived in Twisted Wonderland at all? (━＿━)ゝSure there are relics and things, and there are apparently paintings in the Land of Dawning Meusuem, but where did they come from? How old are they? I don't need sleep I need answers, is this a primary or a secondary source about the Queen of Hearts Riddle?

The End

I also wish Yuu would ask more questions, but I get why they don't :/ this is a gacha game blah blah blah but also. I don't think Yuu knows what questions to ask, there's a lot of stuff about life you don't think about as being abnormal until someone looks at you funny and I think Yuu realistically does a lot of that, but if you put every single instance of that into a game it would get very exposition heavy very fast. Luckily you, I, and everyone reading this have massive brains and can talk to each other about it!!!

[lizzybeth1986]

A Brief History of Alternative Romances in Choices

Series - TRR's Alternative LIs: The "Romances" that Didn't Happen

TW: Mentions of OH2's handling of Rafael (though not in detail), racism.

To be clear, this introductory essay isn't directly related to the rest of this series. TRR operated very differently to the other Choices series' when it came to alternative LIs, so a lot of what I'll discuss here won't actually apply to its specific romance mechanics.

Still, it is important to explore what it means to give an LI an alternative romance in PB, and for that we need to look at what the approach to such romances were. Both in the past, and after TRR became popular. Looking into this gives us a general idea of which specific LIs got an alternative romance, why just them and not others, and what such developments said about the way the writing team viewed a particular character.

The Choices App was introduced in 2016, with three stories that were likely meant to cater to different audiences. Out of the three, the crime drama Most Wanted was the only series that focused on a single romantic pairing.

The other two - The Freshman and The Crown and the Flame - presented players with multiple romance options for their main character(s). TCaTF split its narrative between two main characters - Kenna Rys and Dominic Hunter - exploring both Kenna's fight to gain back and then expand her kingdom, and Dom's discovery of his heritage as a member of the Fire Tribes. Even though Kenna and Dom could be paired romantically, they had other potential LIs. Notably, Kenna had 6 (Dom, Tevan, Raydan, Annelyse, Val and Diavolos) and Dom only 2 serious contenders (Kenna, Rose, Sei, Will Jackson all had romances with him. Of these four, Rose was eliminated early on in the series, and Will was a last-minute addition at the end of TCaTF3). TCaTF didn't seem to focus much on the love lives of these LIs outside of Kenna and Dom, until Book 3 in 2017 - and of the cast only Raydan and Tevan seemed to get hints at other potential romances (with Aurynn and Zenobia, respectively).

Unlike MW and TCaTF, The Freshman's focus zeroed in on just one character. It was the first series to feature a customizable MC, whose experiences and choices alone would move the story forward. The original three-book series featured romances with three LIs - Chris Powell, James Ashton and Kaitlyn Liao. By the third book, two more were added to the roster - Zig Ortega and Becca Davenport.

You could choose a boy/girlfriend by the end of Book 1, and change partners in Book 3 if you weren't happy with your first LI and/or wanted one of the newer ones. The first three books didn't really have any alternative romances for the LIs themselves, but all that was about to change (for two LIs) in The Sophomore (released in 2017).

(Screenshots from the UnruleLee Gaming Youtube Channel)

In TS, the MC had the opportunity to pair James and Kaitlyn up with other side characters if she wasn't dating them. Kaitlyn begins to show an interest in Annisa, the new keyboardist in her punk band. Similarly for James and Reyna, a member of the editorial staff of Hartfeld's student-run newspaper. Both pairings only resulted in long-term relationships if the MC encouraged them enough, and she had both free and paywalled opportunities to do so.

What is noticeable at this point is that there are three LIs that are not given romantic alternatives - Chris, Zig and Becca. Though members of the fandom did headcanon certain pairings that had some potential in canon (such as Zig with his roommate Aaron and Becca with Madison), the narrative itself never indicated any romances for these characters, preferring perhaps to focus on their romance with the MC.

A possible reason for this could have been popularity. At the time, some in the fandom theorized that Chris was the most popular of the OG LIs, and that Zig and Becca garnered popularity quite quickly when they emerged as options in TF3. So there would be a lot more investment from the teams in charge of the book to focus their writing on their MC-centric routes.

James and Kaitlyn received criticism and sometimes outright hate from fans - some of whom complained ad nauseum whenever options to help them with their professional lives or personal development came up, while being largely accepting of the more popular LIs' conflicts. So it is possible that the writing focused on giving these two LIs other romantic options, in a way they didn't need to for the other three.

However, giving James and Kaitlyn other love interests didn't affect their overall writing. The Freshman series handled the balance between all five LIs with a deft hand, ensuring that every LI had adequate growth, development and attention within the narrative. Whether they were single or paired with the MC, all of them had unique stories that allowed the characters to make mistakes and learn from them, to confront their fears and conquer them, to deal with their problems in a realistic way.

James' story wasn't simply stuck on Reyna - he spent most of TS honing his writing skills and developing a novel, and later co-writing a play with the MC. Kaitlyn's story wasn't simply about romancing Annisa - it was about dealing with her insecurities, building her band from scratch, getting over her fears of Natasha sabotaging her again, being comfortable in her own identity. Their romances with Reyna and Annisa felt like bonus side stories that we could get if we were interested enough...not the be-all and end-all of their stories.

Alternative romances for LIs didn't happen in all books. Many didn't bother with one, especially those that wound up being one-book stories. Some books that ended with an elaborate wedding for an MC and their LI also seemed to do away with this too, mostly by eliminating other love interests or making their presence scarce (for instance, in RoE, the other two LIs for "Katie" virtually disappear when she make her choice, only featuring in brief cameos and mentions). Alternative LIs often featured in series' that were successful enough to get three books, so more often than not, two-book series' like #LoveHacks would barely even have the time to develop new characters to date any LI.

The books that did end up following this route often lasted long enough for at least three books (with PM and ATV standing as exceptions), and likely had more than 3 LIs. In certain books the pairing was paywalled, and in others you could choose a number of free options to encourage the romance.

After a while a pattern seemed to emerge in who got such romances. Sometimes the alternative LI was given only to the "forgotten fourth/fifth" of a series (the extra LI who would get the least attention) - sometimes the "lucky" LI would be a character that was NOT a late addition to the roster of LIs, but an OG LI that just got so little attention and buildup it became obvious that they were given an alternative because the writers couldn't be bothered to imagine what their romance with the MC would look like. One can confidently say this because very often the "alternative romance" was written with more thought than the romance with the LI or any of that character's individual problems, and it started becoming very obvious that the writers felt more comfortable imagining the playthroughs where such LIs could only be friends with the MC.

Once the Choices app found its "core demographic" and started churning out more books, there were more and more cases of the writers indicating who their favourites were, early on (through providing a higher frequency and quality of diamond scenes for certain LIs, and through their interviews before the book releases). Which resulted in those characters getting more popular and others less so. And it was this "popularity" that often impacted writing choices and treatment.

Such a system of storytelling results in a vicious cycle, where a team will either assume already that one particular character will rake in more money, and give them a head start over others...or where a writer - through intentional or unintentional bias - could push forward a "favourite" front-and-center to the detriment of other LIs.

Here's a list of books that wrote alternative romances for certain LIs (except for OH, but I will get to that one in a minute). See if you can figure a pattern in at least most of these books:

High School Story 3 (2018) - Caleb Mitchell (Jade Ali), Emma Hawkins (Luis Marino), Aiden Zhou (Cameron Levy)

High School Story: Class Act 3 (2019-20) - Skye Crandall (Lilith Vidal)

Desire and Decorum 3 (2018-19) - Luke Harper (Cordelia Parsons)

Perfect Match 2 (2018) - Sloane Washington (Khaan Mousavi)

Across the Void (2018-19) - Zekei Sentry becomes a love interest both to the MC as well as their sibling Eos Elara.

Endless Summer 3 (2017-18) - Quinn Kelly (Kele), Sean Gayle (Michelle Nguyen). (Technically, almost every LI does get some potential in terms of alternative romance...but Estela and Jake's pairings feature mostly in the AUs shown by The Endless (Sean x Michelle, Estela x Zahra, Jake × Yvonne are all shown - among other AU romances). Quinn and Sean's romances, however, are solidified in the MC's handfasting ceremony with their LI, where the couples could share a romantic look and Michelle even leans on Sean's shoulder.)

In theory, the alternative romance could sound tempting. It allows the MC to demonstrate care and concern for an LI regardless of their romantic interest, or lack thereof. It may potentially give the reader the surface comfort of seeing an LI they rejected lead a happy life with someone they can love. It seems like a win-win situation for everyone.

But it becomes apparent when you comb through both the romantic and friendly versions of these characters' stories, that something is not quite right. I will take two LIs here as an example.

(Screenshots from Abhirio's YouTube Channel (D&D3) and Danni Stone's YouTube Channel (PM1))

Sloane Washington's major character points in Book 1 involve her love for coding and astronomy, as well as her strong bond with her mother. Book 2 (2018) does very minimal work on either of these; once Khaan enters the picture, almost every diamond scene she gets focuses solely on the possibility of a romance with him. The narrative doesn't even focus the reunion with her mother Kim on her!

Likewise, many, many complaints emerged during D&D3 (2019) about the way Luke's wedding was handled. His mother - who is supposedly very close to him - only features in letters and one memory about his brother Ezra's gambling addiction, doesn't have a name, is given a used sprite that isn't even dressed in period-appropriate clothing, and never even attends his wedding. On the other hand, his alternative romance with Cordelia was explored in excruciating detail, to the point where the two are given a wedding and the promise of a future child. It is almost as if the writers couldn't bear to envision him marrying their precious MC.

There are two major things that become apparent the more you observe the above list of LIs who got alternative romances.

One, the LIs that don't get "alternative LIs" are often white and male (Chris in TF, Micheal in HSS, Ernest in D&D, Meridien in AtV) with a couple exceptions. The writing takes care to weave their issues and conflicts into the MC's larger narrative and try their best to ensure that we become invested in whatever they have going on in their stories. A good example of this are Ernest's larger storylines about his stepson Percival and his destroyed house in Book 3. On certain rare occasions (especially when there is no default white man in the LI cast), an ambiguously brown man who can be easily exoticized fits into this role of "Creator's Pet" just as well. The writers spend enough time on perfecting their romances with the MC that there is literally no time for anything (or anyone) else.

Two, in all but two of these books, the LI that gets their 'alternative romance' most often...is a black love interest. On the rare occasion a white character is included in such a list, it is often a canonically queer white woman (only if she is an LI tho, because white female side characters have attention and love practically showered upon them) who ends up in such a position (Emma and Skye from the HSS series'). But besides that, it is usually the black LI - who btw is often one of the first people we interact with and written as the most approachable - that bears the brunt of a narrative that makes it clear that it isn't interested in exploring their story on their terms.

That is why Luke's mother never gets a name or his younger brother is hardly seen. That is why Sloane is sidelined in her own reunion scene with her mother. That is why most of the romantic playthroughs featuring these characters feel so scarce on the details or the nuances, while their white male (or ambiguous brown male) counterparts chew scenery in their own and everyone else's playthroughs.

In narratives like these, the "alternative LI" is no longer the sweet, sensitive, "they deserve happiness" route that it pretends to be...but more a sign that the writers are uncomfortable with writing said LI in a romance with the main character, and the audience they most want to cater to is uncomfortable reading it.

When the intent behind such a supposedly-nice gesture becomes so rife with bad faith, what is the end result? What happens when an 'alternative LI' - a route that seemed to promise happier futures for certain LIs - becomes more of a tool to punish them for lack of popularity? What happens when the company that created this system stops pretending to value the diversity they claimed to pride themselves in??

What happens - is that you get a story like Open Heart 2.

A lot of the stories I mentioned above were written within the space of 2017-2019. In fact, most of the books in the list came out in 2018. During these years Choices was gaining popularity in the choice-based storytelling business, and romance stories were on the rise. Many Choices Books at this point had at least 3 LIs - 2 male and 1 female - and some had more. And most of the writing teams managed to get away with treating their LIs of colour (specifically their black male and female LIs) badly without significant backlash.

At the time of OH2's release (2020), the book had four LIs in its lineup. Ethan Ramsey - like most white male LIs - was meant from the start to chew scenery. Comparatively the other LIs: Jackie Varma, Bryce Lahela and Rafael Aveiro were at a disadvantage and often it felt like the team seemed to work more on writing them out rather than incorporating their stories organically into the narrative. Rafael particularly seemed to suffer from this in the first book, and by this time making one LI the "forgotten fourth" became accepted as the norm. So when OH2's cover showed every single LI except for Rafael, there was a sense of mild alarm.

It soon became clearer, however, that something more insidious was afoot. The book itself began with a funeral, and Rafael was missing in the first chapter. When Rafael stans finally did get to see him, in Ch 2, they would be hit with a nasty surprise - the LI who was utterly devoted to their MC and introduced them to his beloved Vovó, would be shown dating a childhood sweetheart without any explanation or warning.

(Screenshots from Gabbieschoices YouTube Channel)

When asked about the sudden shift, PB's response was cryptic...but also ominous to a fandom who had already seen all kinds of unfair, horrible treatment meted out to a wide range of black characters by then:

For all intents and purposes, the relationship between the MC and Rafael appeared to be over, with very little by way of closure. Even the few diamond scenes they would get later would show friends-only options. As the book went on, it became frighteningly clear that the narrative was planning to do away with Rafael. At one point, Rafael even spoke of leaving the city altogether, and there were hints towards a far, far worse manner of departure in later chapters.

(Most people who were playing at the time remember PB's plans for OH2 Ch11-12, and the backlash, response and hiatus that followed. If you weren't there at the time, PB's Statement following the backlash - "Representation at Pixelberry" - briefly alludes to the issues that people in the fandom had with the writing decisions OH2 took at the time)

As most of us know by now, this ended with significant changes in the existing story - ensuring that Rafael lived, reinstating him as an LI and having Sora break up with him so they could disappear from the book altogether. Post 2020, no further attempts have been made the "alternative LI" route for LIs.

Part of this could be attributed to the change in format. With the introduction of VIP-access and single-LI books, the need to prepare an alternative romance for an LI has reduced greatly. Other factors too could have contributed: the extra romances becoming too much work, possible fatigue among fandom towards such pairings leading to less revenue from diamond options featuring them, certain books having only one or at most two LIs.

No one in PB has spoken of Rafael's treatment or the inclusion of Sora in OH directly...but since OH2 featured the last ever alternative romance till date, it would be safe to say that perhaps even PB recognised that the Sora story crossed a significant line. In any case, this practice hasn't been adopted in recent books in a while.

At the outset, one could argue that the Rafael and Sora situation is extremely different from the "alternative romances" I have listed so far. Unlike all the others, the intent behind introducing Sora was to deny the player a Rafael romance altogether, rather than present Rafael himself with an option. Whatever the problems with the other LIs, at least they got a romance with the MC!

However, I do think the Sora story was rooted in what the alternative LI route had become over time. It may have started with good intentions - with the idea that perhaps if the numbers showed certain LIs being ignored, it may be kinder to give them happy futures with other people who would love them. As long as the alternative romance was just a part of the character's larger story (as is the case with James and Kaitlyn), it felt less harmful and more sweet.

But when the ability to rake in finances becomes a marker of a character's worth, when the writing itself rigs the game from the start of a series, when both PB and fandom find themselves incapable of examining their own biases with regards to said characters...the purpose of such romances becomes warped.

At such points, it becomes more about establishing that this character's romance with the MC is not worth exploring. About delivering the message that it's okay to drop this LI - that as a player, you had more chance of getting your money's worth if you did drop them.

To be more clear, the Sora story is a culmination of what happens when a certain type of LI is set up to fail from the start. There are less opportunities for them to win the reader over, less time, less options to bring in money. In such an environment, the "alternative romance" becomes about considering certain types of LIs "less worthy", and spending far less time developing their MC-route - because as far as the "data", "money" and "finances" are concerned, they hardly have one!

The culmination of such a system, is that the worth of an LI can be brought down so much that the writers become comfortable with killing a non-main and non-white LI. Sora, as an alternative LI, was a way to write Rafael himself out as a romantic option, not a route meant to move his own story ahead. Sora is what happens when PB pushes forward favouritism and racism to the point where the writing is emboldened to take such steps for LIs of colour (particularly black LIs) they deem unpopular.

Which is why - in the present climate - the elimination of such a system is a marginally better prospect. If we cannot trust such a seemingly "nice" process, what's the use of having it around?

This essay series isn't about all of PB's stories, however. It is about TRR. Still - it is essential to explore and understand the original intent behind using these romance routes, and the history of how such storylines developed over time. Considering that TRR released from 2017-2018, analysing the significant patterns of that time places the writing of TRR's alternate romances into context.

TRR's approach to the alternative LI route has been different from other books, in very specific ways. One of the most prominent ways was that the narrative featured romantic options for the three OG LIs, and briefly attempted one for a fourth (the closest parallel to this in another book would be Endless Summer). Even popular love interests were presented with romantic routes, in case the MC wasn't going to marry them.

Does this mean that TRR managed to avoid falling into the same rabbit hole of bias and favouritism, that the other books did? Not by a long shot. The same problems just manifested in very different ways - and in this essay series, I will discuss those problems, romance route by romance route.

Next - Liam and Olivia: When You Prefer the Side Character to the Main

[dumpingscreenshotshere]

hi! i just wanna say i saw the screenshot of the gender selection rant (i hope that’s enough to identify what im mentioning lmao) and totally agree! men love nothing more than to invade a woman’s space. i also have to admit that i get really bummed when games i want to play are gender locked, especially romance centric games because as a gay man, the romance isn’t happening irl lol. i just wanna say basically that i think it’s stupid that any game is gender locked either way. i can understand independent authors gender locking their stories for ease of coding but with companies or apps? it’s just about saving money imo. i’ve never really understood why, with companies like pixelberry, they don’t have like a character creation aspect that could be carried over into every game. idk just wanted to add to the conversation!

I've said this before in the confession blog, and I'll say it again: I have no issue with another male MC. What I do take issue with is how loudly some male players have been demanding that VN apps cater to them instead. They’re not asking to share space, they’re demanding to take over.

If you’ve been playing Love and Deepspace, you’ve probably seen the drama surrounding male players. The majority of female players have never harassed the creators of male-centric games, so why are male players harassing the authors and developers of VN apps designed for women?

Another thing: I don’t like gender-choice stories. I’ve tried playing as a male in Choices, and most of them are clearly coded as female characters with a pronoun swap.

As for that screenshot, it’s being completely misunderstood. The OP never said men shouldn’t have VN stories. They were pointing out that men shouldn’t be making such excessive demands when women have only recently carved out a space where they don’t have to beg to be represented.

Then there was that comment mocking feminism, claiming that women want to play as a male MC. Okay? And who’s saying they can’t? Some people seriously lack reading comprehension. There was no need to drag feminism into it—nobody said male-centric stories should never exist again. Some of these guys are desperate to feel oppressed.

[watchinghallmark]

Alright! I was at work this morning (not necessarily working because how could I with all the excitement??), so here is the deep dive no one asked for.

This is extremely long because I posted the summaries but if you want to know my thoughts on each movie/program, join me under the cut! This is just for Hallmark Channel. Another post coming for Mystery and Hallmark+ later on.

Hallmark Channel

🎄 ‘Twas the Date Before Christmas  Premiere Date: Friday, Oct. 18 at 8/7c Cast: Robert Buckley, Amy Groening Premise: To prevent her family from canceling the “Chamberlain Family Christmas Olympics,” Jessie (Groening) lies and says she’s inviting a date to the long-standing holiday tradition. She meets Bryan (Buckley) on a dating app, and he agrees to spend the holiday with her and her family. As Jessie and Bryan engage in eccentric activities like the search for the Christmas tree star, gift wrapping contest and snowball fight, they start to develop real feelings for each other. Soon her family begins to catch on to their secret and Bryan suspects she may be hiding the real reason for her unusual Christmas date request. As the celebrations continue, Jessie must work to keep all her stories straight and save her date with Bryan.

I love this pairing! It's so great to see Amy as a lead. She was so fun in The Santa Summit last year. This sounds like a fun one and a great way to kick off the festivities. What is she hiding???

🎄 Holiday Crashers  Premiere Date: Saturday, Oct. 19 at 8/7c Cast: Lyndsy Fonseca, Daniella Monet, Chris McNally, Jag Bal Premise: Best friends Toni (Fonseca) and Bri (Monet) have worked at the same card shop for more years than they should as both struggle to find their true life’s path. This holiday season, Toni and Bri decide to shake up their humdrum world by creating new identities to crash the amazing Christmas parties from the shop’s confidential invitations. All harmless fun! Until Toni gets mistaken for a lawyer, which isn’t too far off the mark since she did finish law school… just never completed the bar exam. Toni and Bri are then whisked away to a fancy corporate Christmas retreat in the snowy Vermont mountains by handsome business mogul, Justin (McNally), whose crush on Toni is real even if her legal career isn’t. And Bri is along for the ride as she has eyes for Vinny (Bal), a valet who may have a secret of his own. Can a distraction help Bri find what path in life she’s supposed to follow? Will Toni end up with the guy of her dreams or in a blizzard of trouble? This fun Christmas crashing romp will either end in disaster or two happily-ever-afters!

This sounds like a wild ride and I'm here for all the shenanigans! Great cast. It's nice to see Daniella acting again.

🎄 Scouting for Christmas  Premiere Date: Sunday, Oct. 20 at 8/7c Cast: Tamera Mowry-Housley, Carlo Marks, Marci T. House Premise: Angela (Mowry-Housley) has been a busy realtor since her amicable divorce a couple of years ago to Dakota (James Paladino, Lucky Hank), a paleontologist whose adventures kept him anywhere but home. Now, she is a devoted if often harried, single mom to a smart and loving 10-year-old girl, Brooklyn (Audrey Wise Alvarez, The Good Doctor). Angela’s busy schedule makes it hard for her to find time for much of anything — or anyone — else. As it is, she can barely get Brooklyn to her scout meetings on time, much to the disapproval of the other mothers. When Brooklyn gets the idea to have William (Marks), the owner of her favorite bakery, cater her scout troop’s posh annual holiday event, she asks Angela to work with him on pitching the idea to the moms in charge. Despite sensing that her daughter might be trying to play cupid, she agrees to help and finds herself enjoying time with him, but is reluctant to open her heart and life to someone new. When Dakota returns, missing her, Angela must decide what is best for her daughter and best for her heart.

The daughter is sweet mute orphan Millie from WCTH! The one who was obsessed with Henry (same girl same). Love her. Anyway. Carlo is one of my faves. He's just so cute! This sounds like there will be some drama with the ex and that's fun. Throuple?

🎄 Operation Nutcracker (Previously on Hallmark Movies Now) Premiere Date: Friday, Oct. 25 at 8/7c Cast: Ashley Newbrough, Christopher Russell Premise: When an antique nutcracker set to be auctioned at the Warby family Christmas charity goes missing, a demanding event planner (Newbrough) and the heir to the Warby dynasty (Russell) try to track it down.

I've already seen this and it surprised me. I don't necessarily care for either actor but it was actually really enjoyable.

🎄 The Christmas Charade  Premiere Date: Saturday, Oct. 26 at 8/7c Cast: Rachel Skarsten, Corey Sevier Premise: Whitney (Skarsten), a cautious librarian raised by home security experts, finds herself in a real-life adventure when a blind date mix-up leads her into an undercover FBI operation. Forced to pose as the girlfriend of Special Agent Josh (Sevier), she helps him track down an art thief targeting the Saint Nicholas Ruby at a Christmas Eve charity ball. As the stakes rise, Whitney must embrace her inner action hero to save the day—and her family—just in time for Christmas.

This sounds incredible. Sort of reminiscent of The Royal Nanny but that's a good thing because that was so different and fun. I'm here for more Christmas action movies. I like this pairing a lot too.

🎄 The 5-Year Christmas Party Premiere Date: Sunday, Oct. 27 at 8/7c Cast: Katie Findlay, Jordan Fisher Premise: Over five years, Alice (Findlay) and her old theater school rival, Max (Fisher), reunite each holiday season to work at a Chicago catering company’s Christmas parties. While their undeniable chemistry grows, the timing is never right for romance – until the company’s final season pushes them to confront their true feelings. As they say goodbye to the job that brought them together, they might finally find love in the most unexpected way.

Sounds cute! I like when we get to see a couple through time.

🎄 A Carol for Two  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 1 at 8/7c Cast: Ginna Claire Mason, Jordan Litz, Charlotte D’amboise Premise: After moving to New York to make it on Broadway, Violette Wagner (Mason) gets a job at Fiore’s, a legendary theater district diner, famous for its singing wait staff, who bide their time there, while awaiting that big break. Luck seems to be on her side when she gets a coveted slot, singing during Fiore’s annual Christmas Eve concert, which is attended by a who’s who of the theatre world. But her big opportunity turns out to be a duet with Alex (Litz), who has been less than welcoming, and believes she was only given the job because the owner of Fiore’s is a family friend. They’re stuck with each other, though, since people have been plucked out of that show and put right on Broadway. As they rehearse together, Alex’s cousin, Brad, takes an interest in Violette, and they begin dating but, unbeknownst to her, Alex has been feeding Brad information about her, Cyrano-style, to win her over. However, when Alex begins developing feelings for her as well, a love triangle ensues, and things come to a head when their deception is uncovered, which, in turn, threatens Violette and Alex’s big opportunity.

Well this sounds messy! I love mess! Great casting for Broadway fans.

🎄 Our Holiday Story  Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 2 at 8/7c Cast: Nikki DeLoach, Warren Christie Premise: As Dave (Christie) and Nell (DeLoach) recount their love story to their daughter’s boyfriend Chris, we follow them through one special Christmas where fate routinely brought them together – and kept them apart. But as Dave and Nell tried to find one another, they were oblivious to the fact that they were work nemeses paired together to throw a Christmas festival for their town. Meanwhile in the present, Chris struggles with relationship issues of his own as he attempts to say “I love you” for the first time to his girlfriend Jo. As our two couples and storylines intersect, lessons are taught and learned about communication, honesty and the capacity for change — in ourselves and in others.

I'm confused by this summary. How were they oblivious that they were working together and didn't like each other? Are we getting young versions of Dave and Nell? Why the boyfriend and not the daughter? Overall just a big HUH? from me. It's Nikki and Warren so I feel like it'll be good but I simply just do not get what this movie is about.

🎄 Holiday Mismatch  Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 3 at 8/7c Cast: Caroline Rhea, Beth Broderick Premise: Sabrina, the Teenage Witch reunion! When free-spirited Kath (Rhea) and uptight Barbara (Broderick) clash at a Christmas committee meeting, they’re shocked to discover they’ve accidentally set up their adult children via a dating app. Determined to stop the romance, the two mothers team up, only to realize they have more in common than they thought. As their kids’ love blossoms, so does an unexpected friendship between their meddling moms, bringing both families together for a festive Christmas.

So excited to see Hilda and Zelda back together. This sounds like so much fun. I love that we're getting romance and friendship in a lot of movies this year. I need to know who the children are played by.

🎄 Trivia at St. Nick’s  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 8 at 8/7c Cast: Tammin Sursok, Brant Daugherty Premise: Pretty Little Liars reunion! When students all flee an elite university in Vermont for winter break, the locals and faculty hunker down for their favorite time of year – the annual Christmas Bar Trivia Tournament! For Celeste (Sursok), a Type-A astronomy professor, this event combines the magic of Christmas with her greatest comfort in life: knowing the right answer. But when her colleague drops out of the tournament to do a month-long lecture tour in Asia, Celeste’s team must adopt Max (Daugherty), the football team’s new offensive coordinator. To Celeste, Max seems like nothing more than a grown-up class clown – though he brings an undeniable knowledge of sports trivia (a category their team has always fallen short in). Initial clashes between the two eventually turn into mutual appreciation as the team enjoys scavenger hunts on campus, decorating the international house with Christmas lights, baking Christmas cookies, and advancing toward the championship trivia game. Celeste can’t help but delight in Max’s infectious enthusiasm, love for all things Christmas and perhaps most importantly, his comfort with the unknown. And after a romantic wintery night at the campus observatory with Max, Celeste starts to wonder if being open to life’s surprises is more important than knowing the answer to everything.

Another fun reunion. This sounds cute.

🎄 Santa Tell Me  Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 9 at 8/7c Cast: Erin Krakow, Daniel Lissing, Benjamin Ayres, Christopher Russell, Kurt Szarka Premise: When Calls the Heart reunion! When Olivia (Krakow), a successful interior designer, finds an old letter from Santa promising she’ll meet the love of her life by Christmas Eve—and that his name will be Nick—she’s stunned to meet not one, but three guys named Nick (Ayres, Russell, Szarka). As she navigates these holiday romances, Olivia also finds herself drawn to her charming co-worker, Chris (Lissing), throwing her magical Christmas quest into question. With the clock ticking toward Christmas Eve, Olivia embarks on a heartwarming and humorous journey to uncover her true soulmate.

This is one reunion I actively dislike. Daniel Lissing, the quitter. But honestly bless him for not having the ability to be a lead in a show so that we could get Kevin McGarry. Obviously a huge upgrade. I hope she makes out with all of these guys. I definitely didn't expect this movie to have so many men when it was first announced so that was a pleasant surprise.

🎄 ‘Tis the Season to Be Irish  Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 10 at 8/7c Cast: Fiona Gubelmann, Eoin Macken Premise: Rose (Gubelmann), a nomadic house flipper, heads to Ireland to renovate and sell a cottage, but her plans are upended when she meets Sean (Macken), a local realtor determined to preserve his town’s heritage. As she works on the cottage and embraces Irish Christmas traditions, Rose finds herself falling for Sean and questioning her fear of settling down. Together, they must confront their pasts and discover if love is worth taking root.

This summary doesn't really give me any feels but I'm sure the movie will be pretty and Eoin is a hunk. It'll be nice to be transported to Ireland at Christmas.

🎄 Christmas With the Singhs  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 15 at 8/7c Cast: Anuja Joshi, Ben Hollingsworth Premise: For Asha Singh (Joshi), Christmas is the most important time of the year. But when she’s stuck working at the hospital during the holidays, she wishes for some much-needed Christmas magic. Enter Jake (Hollingsworth), her former high school classmate, who unexpectedly reappears in her life. After a magical year together, Jake proposes. But their first Christmas as an engaged couple isn’t exactly the fairytale they imagined. When they head home for the holidays, they quickly discover their picture-perfect romance is about to get a serious reality check: their families couldn’t be more different! Juggling various holiday traditions, big personalities, cultural differences and complicated family dynamics proves to be a challenge as Asha and Jake have to learn if they can bridge their two families and survive a Christmas with the Singhs.

I really like this premise. It's nice to see different kinds of families and cultures represented on Hallmark. It's shocking, but Christmas isn't just for white people.

🎄 Jingle Bell Run  Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 16 at 8/7c Cast: Ashley Williams, Andrew Walker Premise: Avery (Williams) is an unadventurous schoolteacher whose sister secretly signs her up for The Great Holiday Dash, a Christmas-themed reality competition show where she’s paired with former hockey player Wes (Walker). Despite clashing at first, Avery’s puzzle-solving skills and Wes’ physical prowess help them excel as they travel from city to city and compete in festive feats that have a local flavor. It’s not long before a real connection between these opposites begins to blossom. But when Avery overhears a conversation between Wes and a show producer it threatens to derail their budding romance. Keeping their eyes on the prize, the duo continues to dash to the finish line but there may be a more personal adventure for them still in store.

This sounds like a blast. I think they're a good pairing.

🎄 Confessions of a Christmas Letter  Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 17 at 8/7c Cast: Angela Kinsey, Alec Santos Premise: Settie Rose (Kinsey), a quirky family matriarch, enters her town’s annual holiday letter-writing contest but needs help, so she hires struggling novelist Juan (Santos) to craft the perfect letter. When a mix- up leads to the rumor that Juan is engaged to Settie’s daughter Lily (Lillian Doucet- Roche, The Cases of Mystery Lane: Death is Listening), the whole family scrambles to keep up the charade. As Juan bonds with the Roses and overcomes his writer’s block, Settie learns that embracing her imperfect family is what truly makes her story special. Features a cameo appearance by Brian Baumgartner (The Office).

If Juan isn't gay I'm gonna riot. Happy to see Angela in a movie with a bonus reunion too. Seriously though. He better be gay. Where are the gays???

🎄 Christmas on Call  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 22 at 8/7c Cast: Sara Canning, Ser’Darius Blain Premise: In the lead-up to Christmas, emergency room doctor Hannah Michaels (Canning) juggles her demanding job and a budding romance with EMT Wes Sullivan (Blain) in Philadelphia. They spend time together as Wes helps her become more acquainted with the sights, sounds and tastes of Philadelphia, it’s clear that they’re starting to fall for each other. As the local First Responders balance duty with holiday celebrations, they come together to face challenges, support each other and find moments of joy. Features a cameo appearance by Donna Kelce.

This sounds really nice and it's fun that they gave Donna the opportunity to be in this one too for fairness sake.

🎄 Three Wiser Men and a Boy  Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 23 at 8/7c Cast: Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker, Margaret Colin Premise: The story begins five years later with the Brenner brothers preparing for another memorable Christmas. In a crazy turn of events, possibly brought on accidently by the brothers themselves, the director of Luke’s (Walker) son Thomas’ (Miles Marthaller, Round and Round) school holiday musical steps down. Luke is desperate to make his son’s stage dreams come true, so he enlists the help of his brothers Taylor (Hynes) and Stephan (Campbell). Meanwhile, the trio navigates meeting their mom Barbara’s (Colin) new boyfriend and the brothers grapple with their own feelings about this relationship. In true Brenner brother fashion, they are all in for a Christmas they will never forget.

Ok but what about the girlfriends?? Where are they? There's a lot of pressure on this one to be great so hopefully they can deliver.

🎄 To Have and To Holiday  Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 24 at 8/7c Cast: Madeleine Arthur, Robert Bazzocchi, Eric Close Premise: When Celeste (Arthur) gets engaged to Jason (Bazzocchi) after just a few months of dating, her father and the couple’s would be officiant, Pastor Mark (Close), insists on putting them through a pre- wedding “bootcamp” filled with Christmas-themed challenges. As the couple grows stronger through the festive activities, Celeste considers following her dreams in the fashion industry. Meanwhile, Pastor Mark learns to trust his daughter’s choices, leading to a heartwarming holiday season for the whole family.

Love to see the ghost from 3 Bed get to be a lead. She was lovely in that movie.

🎄 Debbie Macomber’s Joyful Mrs. Miracle  Premiere Date: Thursday, Nov. 28 at 8/7c Cast: Rachel Boston, Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes, Tanner Novlan, Matthew James Dowden, Max Lloyd-Jones Premise: Three adult siblings (Lamothe-Kipnes, Dowden, Lloyd-Jones) return to their childhood home at Christmas to honor their late grandmother’s wishes and try to agree on new leadership for the family’s company. Enter Annie Merkel (Boston) – also known as Mrs. Miracle – who poses as an estate planner and uses her special brand of Christmas magic to help the family find common ground and rekindle their bonds. As the siblings try to sort things out, Charlotte (Lamothe-Kipnes) also finds herself reconnecting with Austin (Novlan), the manor’s caretaker and her first love.

I'm gonna need one (or both) of the brothers to be gay, thanks.

🎄 A ’90s Christmas  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 29 at 6/5c Cast: Eva Bourne, Chandler Massey, Katherine Barrell Premise: Workaholic lawyer Lucy Miller (Bourne) is celebrating her promotion alone on Christmas Eve when a mysterious rideshare experience transports her back to 1999. Reliving the holiday with her mom, sister and best friend – not to mention her high school crush – Lucy gets a second chance to understand where her relationships went wrong. Will this magical journey help her rewrite her future or leave her destined to be alone?

Did her Uber driver drug her? Also, how were they high schoolers in 1999? Kat and Chandler were both born in 1990. Maybe it's just weird phrasing? Concept seems fun I guess.

🎄 Deck the Walls  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 29 at 8/7c Cast: Ashley Greene, Wes Brown, Danny Pellegrino Premise: Rose (Greene) is a Chicago-based interior designer, whose brother Sal (Pellegrino) is responsible for a Christmas Charity House Flip back in their suburban Ohio hometown. When a budget crisis puts this important project in danger, Rose reluctantly returns during the holidays to try to save the day. Not ready to face the ghosts of her past, Rose’s plan is to get in, get it done, and get out ASAP. But before she knows it, she is face-to-face with Brysen (Brown), her brother’s best friend, contractor and who just so happens to be the bane of Rose’s youth. With the help of friends and family, and buoyed by the season of giving, the trio figures out a way to work together for this worthy cause. As Rose works, she discovers unexpected love and deeper purpose along the way.

Oooh we love a brother's best friend enemy to lovers romance!

🎄 Believe in Christmas Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 30 at 6/5c Cast: Meghan Ory, John Reardon Premise: When Beatrice (Ory) reluctantly joins her best friend on a trip to the enchanting Christmasland, she’s skeptical of the holiday magic surrounding them. But as she experiences festive traditions and meets a charming stranger named Ethan (Reardon), she begins to question what’s real and what’s part of the experience. In the end, Christmasland helps Beatrice rediscover hope, love, and the magic of new beginnings.

Very cute that these two get to do a movie together and it sounds intriguing.

🎄 Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 30 at 8/7c Cast: Hunter King, Tyler Hynes, Ed Begley Jr., Richard Riehle, Diedrich Bader, Christine Ebersole, Megyn Price Premise: Alana Higman (King) is sure that her family’s lifelong history as Kansas City Chiefs superfans makes them a frontrunner to win the team’s “Fan of the Year” contest. Derrick (Hynes), Director of Fan Engagement, is tasked with evaluating how Alana and her family stack up against the other two finalists. As the pair spends time together, it’s clear there’s a spark between them but when her grandfather’s (Begley Jr.) vintage Chiefs good-luck winter hat goes missing, Alana begins to doubt everything she believed about fate, destiny and even questions her future with Derrick – unless, that is, a little Christmas magic can throw a Hail Mary. Features cameos by Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid, Chiefs Players Trey Smith, Mecole Hardman Jr., Clyde Edwards-Helaire and George Karlaftis, Donna Kelce, and Jenna Bush Hager.

There's so much hype for this one so it better be worth it.

🎄 The Finnish Line  Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 1 at 6/5c Cast: Kim Matula, Beau Mirchoff, Nichole Sakura Premise: Inspired by her father’s acclaimed legacy in dog sled racing, Anya (Matula) decides to follow in his footsteps. After his passing, she heads to Finland to participate in the 40th annual Joulurauha race, her father’s final race where he fell short of the victory. Following an injury to her lead dog during the qualifying race, Anya finds herself partnered with a new canine companion owned by journalist and former racer Cole, (Mirchoff) who aims to pen a story about her journey. Struggling to build trust with her new dog and facing her father’s rival, Monty, (Páll Sigþór Pálsson, Mr. Murphy) Anya must navigate many challenges as she strives to win the race.

Really looking forward to this one! Fun, different plot and punny title too. I also really like the leads.

🎄 The Christmas Quest  Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 1 at 8/7c Cast: Lacey Chabert, Kristoffer Polaha Premise: An archeologist (Chabert) and her ex-husband (Polaha), an expert in ancient Norse languages, are sent to Iceland at Christmastime to search for the legendary treasure of the Yule Lads. When others join in the hunt, the pair find themselves swept into a thrilling adventure as they race to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.

It'll be great to see these two together for the first time and I love that it's an adventure. We need more of those.

🎄 Private Princess Christmas  Premiere Date: Friday, Dec. 6 at 8/7c Cast: Ali Skovbye, Derek Klena, Erica Durance Premise: Vi (Skovbye), better known as Princess Violet of Wingravia, adores the privileges of being a royal, if none of the responsibilities. After being disappointed by Vi one time too many, the Queen (Durance) decides to test her daughter’s mettle once and for all and issues an ultimatum: Vi must pass a vigorous leadership boot camp in Colorado or lose the throne to her uncle. At boot camp, Vi and her fellow cadets are put through a rigorous grind under the uncompromising supervision of Captain Ryan Douglas (Klena).

I'm not sure what a leadership boot camp is. Zoom meetings? Telling people they won't be getting a bonus? Concept sounds fun though and the romance maybe a little forbidden which I'm into.

🎄 Sugarplummed  Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 7 at 8/7c Cast: Maggie Lawson, Janel Parrish Premise: Emily (Lawson) has always dreamed of creating the perfect Christmas, meticulously planning every detail year after year, only to feel like she’s falling short. Hoping to bring her family closer together, she makes a wish for a holiday as picture-perfect as the ones she sees in a made-for-TV holiday movie. To her shock, Sugarplum (Parrish), the film’s relentlessly optimistic main character, magically steps off the screen to make Emily’s wish come true — whether she’s ready for it or not. As Sugarplum applies her movie-world rules to real life, Emily gets caught up in the possibility of finally achieving the flawless family Christmas. But when Sugarplum’s magical fixes start to backfire one by one, Emily begins to question what an ideal holiday really is. With time running out, Emily and Sugarplum find themselves on a heartwarming adventure – one that might just amount to an entirely different kind of Christmastime perfection.

I think this one will be a lot of fun and really unique which is nice. Very curious to see how it all comes together.

🎄 Leah’s Perfect Gift Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 8 at 8/7c Cast: Emily Arlook, Evan Roderick, Barbara Niven Premise: Leah Meyer (Arlook) is a bonafide lover of Christmas – the trees, the ornaments, the eggnog! But she has always admired the holiday from afar because she’s Jewish. Though her family celebrates Hanukkah, Leah has longed to experience a traditional Christmas. When her boyfriend Graham (Roderick) invites her to spend the holidays with his classic Connecticut family, she eagerly accepts. Excited to dive into the quintessential Christmas she’s always dreamed of, Leah quickly discovers that fitting in with Graham’s uptight family and his not-so-welcoming mom (Niven) is easier said than done. As holiday traditions clash and awkward moments pile up, it is not quite the cozy Christmas that she expected.

A mean mom is a really fun twist. I like the concept. Not familiar with Emily so it'll be nice to have a new face.

🕎 Hanukkah on the Rocks  Premiere Date: Friday, Dec. 13 at 8/7c Cast: Stacey Farber, Daren Kagasoff, Marc Summers Premise: One week before Hanukkah, corporate lawyer Tory (Farber) finds herself unexpectedly unemployed and questioning the career she’s dedicated years to. As she helps her Bubby prepare for the holiday, she embarks on a quest across Chicago to find the last box of coveted Hanukkah candles. Her search leads her to Rocky’s, an Old Town bar, where she encounters Jay (Kagasoff), a charming doctor from Florida, his grandfather Sam (Summers) and a cast of quirky regulars who make her rethink everything. Torn between keeping her job loss a secret and embracing a newfound sense of belonging, Tory ends up bartending at Rocky’s, transforming it into the vibrant “Hanukkah on the Rocks” celebration. Through festive food, drinks, and games, she revitalizes the bar, bonds with Jay, and finds the courage to pursue her true calling. As Tory navigates the holiday, she learns that sometimes a detour can lead you exactly where you’re meant to be, lighting the way to a future filled with joy, romance, and self-discovery.

Could be fun. Haven't seen Daren around in a while so that's cool.

🎄 The Santa Class  Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 14 at 8/7c Cast: Kimberley Sustad, Benjamin Ayres Premise: Kate North (Sustad) finds herself reluctantly taking over her father’s once acclaimed and now struggling Santa School. In the weeks leading up to Christmas and the school’s next session, Kate and her new co-worker Dan (Ayres) discover who they believe to be the real Santa Claus, lost and without his memories after his sled steered off course and crashed near the school. They decide to help him remember who he is by inviting him to participate in the intense Santa training program. There’s a lot at stake this year with Kate’s school needs to best the rival St. Nicholas School or be forced to close their doors, and Nick (Santa Claus) needs to remember who he is, or the fate of Christmas might be at stake.

Bonkers but ok! I always love Kim.

🎄 Following Yonder Star  Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 15 at 8/7c Cast: Brooke D’Orsay, John Brotherton Premise: Abby Marshall (D’Orsay), once celebrated for her role as an inspirational mother on TV, is finding her real life in shambles after dealing with a scandal. She retreats to a luxury Vermont resort for Christmas only to find herself without a room due to a booking mishap. All the local hotels are booked up due to a rare astronomical event – a beautiful star said to mirror the Star of Bethlehem will appear on Christmas Eve. Thankfully, Abby finds a room at a quaint B&B, owned by Tom Maguire (Brotherton), who is also a high school astronomy teacher. Since his wife’s passing, Tom has taken on a lot of extra responsibilities, including running the inn and directing the local church’s Christmas pageant. Empathizing with Tom, Abby offers to help with the pageant and various activities around the inn and finds herself enjoying both the projects and Tom’s company. Through newfound community, family and love, Abby discovers that hope sometimes comes in the most unexpected ways.

This sounds sweet.

🎄 Happy Howlidays Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8/7c Cast: Jessica Lowndes (Major Crimes), opposite the to-be-announced winner of Finding Mr. Christmas Premise: Mia (Lowndes), a meticulous webpage editor for the Seattle Tourism Board, finds herself unexpectedly navigating the holidays alone. As the only one working, she’s drawn into an unusual encounter when she encounters a stray dog. Unsure how to handle the situation, she crosses paths with Max (Winner of Finding Mr. Christmas), a dog shelter owner. Mia agrees to let Max’s ailing dog find solace with her newfound companion, in exchange for Max showing her the hidden gems of Seattle. Through their journey together, they both step out of their comfort zones, discovering new perspectives and forming a meaningful connection.

Sure. I guess it'll be fun to watch Finding Mr. Christmas and then get to watch him in action.

[preservationofnormalcy]

ITEM FILE #3336

ITEM: “ASMO”

ITEM HISTORY: Developed by Morningstar Industries and released in 2013, ASMO is an extranormal phone app available on "magebroken" devices.

ASMO functions as a "dating app" catering to the extranormal community. It fills a niche of operating under secrecy regulations, partially due to its distribution method of Wizapp, and partially due to built-in functions helping extranormal civilians maintain the secrecy of their status.

Users on the service are able to enter their classification or ontological status or keep it secret, apply warning labels to their account in order to help prospective partners or narrow down preferences, and schedule dates or meetups. It functions similarly to mundane "dating apps" in this way, with the notable exception of the "swipe left/right" haptic functionality being replaced by swiping "up or down" in what is often interpreted as a veiled joke at the expense of angelic forces despite the Paradise/Pandemonium ceasefire. Despite this "joke", Morningstar Industries have made efforts to ensure the app remains open to all classifications and purportedly have an internal team dedicated to suppressing harassment - though the efficacy of these efforts is sometimes in question.

As the name of the app implies, Asmodeus has been a silent partner in the development of the app. Rumors range on his level of involvement in ASMO, from a key programmer to merely allowing the use of his name and image. Many of the major demonic powers have kept a lower public profile since the absence of Luce was noticed by the broader community, and Asmodeus is no exception.

Despite the app's ubiquity, it has garnered a range of criticism. Critics of ASMO claim that reducing classification to a mere label is reductive, that relationships outside of the "community" should be encouraged and ASMO's focus on intra-community relationships is counterproductive, and that ASMO's tracking of personal data oversteps its boundaries.

The Office maintains a position of neutrality on these matters, but is closely monitoring Morningstar Industries.

[ultrakill-confessions]

@ the-anon-fixing-up-the-points-thing-in-my-how-to-build-vseries-wall-of-text!! You are completely right!! I actually knew that, i have no idea why did i put the points thing down like that lmao. The same reason I didnt go back to correct all those godawful typos i think? (still unclear. hashtag system things)

I feel a bit bad about it now, especially considering how UNDERRATED the relationship between the terminals and other machines is. They deserve so much better lol.

Kinda thinking now about how did the terminals manage to get v1 to assess the style factor in real time. There IS the possibility that v1 is using its own software for it, its own Style Point Index, (possibly created on purpose before as a way to Cater To The Sponsors Of VSeries Development - or maybe just to humans in general, maybe it happened on its own, i mean you can tell a machine "that was so fucking cool" just so many times before it starts doing it on purpose to get you to stimulate its rewards centers again) BUT. Im thinking of how funny would it be if this software came from the terminals. "DOWNLOAD OUR APP, GIRL" "okay :D"

I feel like there could be evidence to this if you delved deeper into all the little messages that the little Style Index Window Thing Shows You. Might do that eventually, because im hooked now. 👌🦚

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[mochifiction]

Finally finished the new Earthspark episodes and I’ll definitely voice my thoughts on it soon. However, there have been a few complaints I’ve seen on here that genuinely confuse me pertaining to how this fandom interprets this show regarding plot, pacing, character arcs, and target audiences. I saw one user already dislike the fact that the Maltos are the weakest point of this show mostly because of the more slice-of-life episodes that lack that TRANSFORMERS vibe such as conflicts with the war and its lore, consequences of these conflicts, and more. This person rightfully acknowledges that ES was not meant for people their age, and that right there is the point. This entire season was in of itself exposition, to put it in literary terms. It laid the foundations for future conflict, purpose, and development. If you think about it in a timeline of our episodes, we only just met Nightshade, Hashtag, and Jawbreaker not that long ago. It was only JUST NOW that Jawbreaker got an alt-mode. This show is partially if not majorly about growth. The audience grows up with these characters in an initially healthy learning and family environment. The Terrans are discovering the world we as an older audience on this app know already. They were also initially heavily protected to keep them away from Ghost. That healthy and secluded environment leads to discovery and family development. It is only later that this bubble starts to burst, and the more they are exposed to the war’s consequences, the further they stray from childhood innocence. Innocence that we as the audience believes deserves to be protected, but won’t be. It’s easy to be frustrated or bored with the more casual episodes. The amount of secondhand embarrassment I got watching the Terrans break boundaries or go about things I wouldn’t is immense. However, quite frankly, that’s the point. They’re children. Those around them attempted to protect them from consequences of a war that did not involve them. Unfortunately, they fail by the end of the season, which goes into my second point.

A lot of people think some character encounters or developments here were too rushed, but this goes back to my statements about the plot pyramid. This was intentional because it is the exposition. If anyone remembers their elementary school English lessons, they would remember exposition introduces characters, conflict, setting, etc. That was the purpose of this season. We have hints and undertones that were not answered this season, but if all of the conflict was resolved in the first few chapters of a book, it wouldn’t be so entertaining now would it? The things that were not resolved or touched upon this season are likely going to be in the future. Starscream’s time to shine was brief, which a lot of people disliked apparently, but there are clear indications his hatred and resistance against Megatron persist. A lot if not all of the Decepticons heavily loathe Megatron and view him as a traitor. They came to help the Maltos at the end of the season to help save their kind, NOT to resolve this conflict with Megatron. Thrash even in this new chunk of episodes is clearly frustrated that they inherited a war that had nothing to do with them, and this is not the first time he’s said it. That wasn’t resolved this season. We finally got Orion Pax lore! That didn’t get developed this season. All of these things are obviously going to reappear in the seasons to come. That’s how plot works. We got the exposition of a brand new show with new concepts and new takes on old ones. To cram deeply fleshed ideas, arcs, and attempts to satisfy everyone while still catering to kids on Nickelodeon is HARD.

You may be asking where I think these loose ends will go. I think we will probably get more inner Cybertronian conflict next season. With the fallout of Mandroid and Ghost as an organization, humans as the antagonists may potentially shift away from focus. The dust had settled and left Autobots and Decepticons, who still heavily disagree, all together. There is clear resentment from the Decepticons to Megatron, but there is also open hatred between them and Optimus who, to their knowledge, orchestrated and justified their imprisonments. Not only that, but the classic Autobot vs. Decepticon hatred by affiliation remains. I believe the war will be discussed more in the next season along with inner Cybertronian conflict. While this season covered a lot of hatred to the Terrans from people outside of their species, it is possible it will also cover the struggle of receiving hatred or judgement from people you would hope to find kinship with. This will probably be where that childhood innocence dissipates and more individual growing up amidst war aftermath takes place. I’m not sure, but what I’m trying to say is a lot of you are impatient and are asking a whole lot from a show’s first season and then getting upset or irritated when things don’t happen right away. It’s called patience. We are in the exposition. Let them cook for Christ’s sake.