#I like talking about background characters :]

[notherpuppet]

hazbin race talk (kinda uncomfy but said w/ love!)

When it comes to human iterations of the hazbin characters, my decision making when it comes to race is usually dependent on canon/semi-canon info and voice actors.

Many of the demons in the show can have pretty "race-blind" casting because their characters don't necessarily have racial ties to their background. There are some characters who do have clear ties to an ethnicity and/or viv has overtly stated so, such as Vaggie (Latina), Angel Dust (Italian), and Alastor (Creole). Some of these may no longer even be canon since the show started. As for their race, their skin tone is still pretty open interpretation for artists because canon reference just does not exist (yet? maybe ever?).

As for other characters, such as Husk, Niffty, Charlie, Sir Pentious, etc. I feel that those characters have a pretty ambiguous background, open to interpretation by artists who are depicting their human forms. I depict Husk as Black because I watch the American version where his voice actor is Black. I depict Niffty as Japanese (when I do draw her human form) because Niffty's voice actress is Japanese. The Hazbin pilot did not have the same voice actors as the ones for the show, and internationally, that's not the case either. And the voice actors are usually just one direction I might take, I don't hold myself to that option as a rule.

Like, idek if I would depict Sir Pentious as White because his voice actor is a White American, I may consider his British background and honestly the fact that he is dark demon into play. I think that's where "casting" the human forms can be very open to interpretation for certain characters.

I think something that is really cool about the show is that there are opportunities to cast a character as whomever. (I think of Little Mermaid 2023). There are times where a character's race is integral to their background, and other times where it is not so explicit. When it is not explicit, I think it's okay for an artist to interpret a different design. I don't think it should be assumed that it is erasure or tokenism (though I do empathize with that reaction as someone who craves certain representation).

I personally love seeing a diverse cast, so I like incorporating that in my design choices! But I don't think someone is 'wrong' for having a different interpretation of a character. It's okay to not like a direction someone may take, but I don't think that means they're wrong and if you don't like it, idk, you can always just close your eyes or scroll lol.

My two cents.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[princesimonsblog]

I need to talk about Charles’s death scene because it's the most beautiful death scene and one of the most beautiful scenes in general that I've ever seen.

It starts with quick flashbacks of what happened previously, Charles defending that kid and then getting himself attacked by his friends because of that. We've already seen all that.

But then it switches to him, alone and shivering, in the attic. We know what is going to happen. We already know he is dying. The light is cold, just like he is.

Then, enters Edwin, holding a lantern, bathing the attic in a warm colour. And Charles can see him. We and Edwin know why, Charles doesn't, yet.

Edwin wanted to bring him the lantern in case it helped, but it's already too late, Charles is dying. So he stays. They talk, Edwin answers Charles's questions, all while Under the Milky Way plays in the background (and what a beautiful song). Charles learns that Edwin is dead and is a ghost and he looks sad for Edwin, but he asks more questions, until he can't anymore.

When Charles doesn't have much energy left, he's not shivering anymore, his body can't even do that anymore. He's too tired to talk. Edwin reads him a story, changing his voice according to the characters.

Charles looks out the window as Edwin's voice fade in the background.

Then, we see him standing near that window, in a tank top, no longer wearing that blanket. At first, we don't see Charles's body, giving us the time to understand what just happened. And then he turns and sees his own body. He just died.

And despite knowing that throughout the whole show, Charles is a ghost, seeing his memory of his death still hurts. It's unfair. He was killed by his friends because he chose to do the right thing. But it's also beautiful, because Edwin was there. Edwin made what would have been a cold and lonely death a warm and friendly one, despite the fact that they were just strangers back then.

Charles then choses to stay with Edwin, and it's the start of a beautiful friendship between the two, a much more beautiful existence then they both ever had when they were alive (or even in death in Edwin's case, when he was in Hell).

This scene never fells to make me cry. It's so sad and beautiful. It makes me feel so deeply for him, a beautiful soul whose life got cut short.

And another reason why I love this scene so much is because it's when Charles and Edwin first met. It's how and why they became friends. This scene wrecks me on so many levels and I'll never shut up about it.

[jess-the-vampire]

Happy Arborgeist Day/ Hurl'ullack!

Checked out the storyboard for another deleted s1 episode "No Tree Left Behind"

You can read it here:

An episode about boiling isles holidays and traditions? interlaced with eda and lilith's sister drama? This one was actually pretty interesting, and got me even a little sad, despite it absolutely being non canon now.

Thoughts on the cut episode below:

Honestly this board really serves to remind me we didn't get to know a ton about the actual culture of the Boiling isles, like we kinda get to know the stuff witches do on the isles, what they eat, and the everyday stuff they get into....but not so much about it's culture. You can kinda chalk that up to belos a little but this boarded episode was basically about keeping tradition and making new memories, even in spite of change, so it more or less feels like the crew either didn't have time for this or had other things to focus on.

So the culture of the island is a lot more in the background in the actual series as it keeps it's focus more on the characters dealing with their personal issues and with the conflict at hand.

Speaking of which, despite belos being the bad guy for his hatred and fear of witches, can't deny....the culture of the isles is quite disturbing at times that i can understand that not all humans are gonna have luz's extreme acceptance. Like king's holiday is primarily the celebration of demon overlords and is very casual about maiming others to present to the deity when talking about it. If the isles was a real place i think most humans would be a bit disturbed.

Anyways, king's part of the episode, while funny at times, is the least interesting of the two, the real emotional core is the A plot with eda and luz.

(I did think the scene with willow and gus was fun tho)

There is one scene where i think another demon calls king insensitive for putting the wrong bloodthirsty battle painting of demon history on display and king being like "Tomatoes, tomatoes, it's all the same and not a big deal", and the guy gets SUPER offended and i don't know how to take this scene.

Eda is such a menace during the holidays my god

Luz trying to tell Eda it's ok if her celebration tree is gone because she and her mama celebrated all holidays even if it wasn't on the correct day, and it was more about family in the end then the tree itself.

Only for it to be revealed this tree meant so much to eda because it reminded her of the days she and her sister got along is actually pretty heartbreaking.

Even Lilith, who, despite threatening luz's life to get her way, still has a moment of sadness for the fallen tree you can really feel from the panels. It's really good.

We get some moments for both the construction coven and the plant coven, though the construction coven acts more like.....an actual construction team.

The plant coven members being old guys had some fun jokes tho, think it's cute one wanted to intern willow at the end.

Also kiki cameo.

I know this is a canned episode, but i'm a bit glad we don't have an episode where some of the jokes are about eda telling luz their holiday traditions involve them all being naked and dancing around a tree, this....would of been taken a weird way.

also witches might be able to remove their SKIN??????!!!!

Also this board just remined me how inconvenient it really is that the coven guards don't have palisman, like eda just.....easily flies away from them and they can't catch up to her. Like this is an incredibly bad security system if your trained guards can't even fly up and chase after criminals, like my god.

One reason for sure you know this is basically non canon is apparently the tree in question, the Arborgeist. Is the tree that eda made her staff from, and there's only 10 of these on the entire isles that i assume supply all the palisman.

Basically, these were the proto palistrom trees.

I can kinda see why this was changed, like even if we take it that belos is cutting them down for his palisman eating, this would just raise the question why he's doing it NOW of all times. But on top of that, these rare trees that apparently only show up once per generation all being cut down at once feels like the kinda thing that would REALLY tick off the isles, especially if all palisman are being supplied by it.

Having the trees just be a normal thing that was depleting due to his consumption makes both him seem less suspicious, and the witches seem less dumb for just being....ok that they're not going to make staffs anymore.

It's implied they don't protest mostly out of fear, but still.

Also belos's, i assume fake, reasoning for chopping down the trees is apparently "We can't have you people celebrating non-coven holidays" and it's just, it's so petty.

granted, it's much more meaningful to actually SEE the tree being cut then having it be stated offscreen like in the show. Like even the resolution to this episode, as in, finding a sapling they plant, is still an offscreen thing in the final series. Where they just talk about replanting trees.

And of course, we gotta have a dance party ending, tho i do think the last scene tying back to the tale eda told about the holiday is very cute.

So it seems a lot of elements of this episode were more split between multiple episodes.

Still, a pretty decent episode, moreso for the main plot but the boards do great at really making you feel for eda and lilith despite it not even being animated.

[deliciousangelfestival]

The Malicious Daughter Is Back! - 4

Character : Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Summary: It's just a business marriage. Bucky thought it would be easy until he encountered the stepsister of his fiancée. She turned his world upside down.

Chap 1, Chap 2 , Chap 3 , Chap 4 , Chap 5 , Chap 6 ,-

Main Masterlist || Support : Ko-fi 🙏🏻

Thank you to everyone who has read this chapter. Leave a comment and Reblog, please. I'd love to hear your thoughts. ❤️

Bucky was speechless after you kissed his hand, even though it was through the leather gloves.

You let go of his hand. "Was that too much? Sorry, I’m just overwhelmed by the offer you gave."

“I take that as a yes?” Bucky asked, still processing.

“Well yeah, didn’t I seal it by kissing your hand? I thought it was clear.” You smiled, a hint of playfulness in your eyes.

Bucky chuckled softly. "That's a new way to accept an offer, but joke aside, I’m grateful you accepted."

You lowered your guard, leaning back slightly. "So what happens next? I have to say, I won’t do anything that makes me a homewrecker."

“Oh gosh, nothing like that,” Bucky reassured you, his tone earnest.

“That’s a relief.” You let out a breath, feeling more at ease.

Suddenly, Bucky's phone rang. He picked it up and saw the caller ID: "Victoria." He bit the inside of his cheek, not wanting to talk to her at this moment. However, he didn't want to ignore the call either, as his fiancée would quickly learn that he had no feelings for her.

He excused himself to answer the call. "Hello?"

"Hello, my fiancé. I apologize for bothering you, but I heard something that doesn't sit quite right with me. I heard that you are with my older sister?" Victoria asked, her voice calm and cheerful, though her perfectly manicured fingers were crumpling a few papers nervously on the other end.

Bucky felt like he had just been caught cheating. "I am. I have something to discuss with her because of what happened last night."

"Oh, I see. Alright, I won’t bother you. See you soon." Victoria ended the call, smirking as she looked at her phone. She knew Bucky's reputation—quiet and calm but ruthless if disrespected. She remembered how you embarrassed him last night and thought perhaps he was giving you a warning.

Victoria felt a tickle of satisfaction, believing Bucky understood her without her needing to lift a finger. She felt lucky to have him as her fiancé.

Bucky, not entirely sure what had just transpired, felt relieved that Victoria didn't seem suspicious and quickly ended the call.

He returned to you and saw you chatting with the waitress and his secretary. In seconds, you had already become close to new people.

Unlike you, Bucky’s circle of friends all had to undergo background checks before he could trust them.

"Let’s talk in the car. I’ll drop you off," Bucky suggested.

"Sure," you agreed, thinking this would save you transportation money.

Inside the luxurious car, you felt like you were being enveloped by the comfortable seat. Even if you worked for 20 years on your teacher’s salary, you wouldn’t be able to afford this car.

Bucky wore his reading glasses and read a document. He spoke to you without lifting his head. "Tomorrow, after your school is over, I’ll pick you up, and we'll meet my psychiatrist."

You raised your eyebrows in surprise.

Bucky explained, "He knows my condition, and I hope bringing you to meet him will help us find a solution." His voice sounded serious, a little desperate.

"Have you had this disorder since you were little?" you asked.

He flinched, his hand stopping mid-motion as he was about to flip the paper. "It started when I was 12 years old," Bucky replied, his voice tinged with a hint of vulnerability.

His expression turned grieving. You knew this was the moment to stop asking questions; after all, you’d just met him for the second time. There’s a limit to how personal you can get with someone you barely know.

🥀🥀🥀🥀

The car stopped in front of a small house. It looked old but cozy, especially the garden with its many flowers. Bucky wondered if it was you who took care of all the roses.

You rolled your eyes, "It was my grandma who has the green thumb."

Bucky glanced at the flowers. "Pretty. I’m grateful for your cooperation, but I hope none of this gets leaked to outsiders."

So he was giving you a warning. You made a gesture of zipping your lips. "My lips are sealed." Then you closed the car door and headed to your house.

After he saw you enter the house, he told his driver to start the car.

You watched the car drive away from behind the curtain.

"Is that your boyfriend, my Ophelia?" The cheerful voice of an older woman startled you. You jumped, turning to see your grandma, Cassandra, standing beside you.

She smiled at you, happiness evident in her eyes, but you couldn't share her joy. To your grandmother, you were her daughter, Ophelia, your mother, who had passed away years ago.

Life had been cruel to her, taking away her only daughter, her son-in-law ignored her, and her business at the same time, which took a significant toll on her. The final blow was dementia.

She didn’t remember you at all. At 70 years old, her mind had regressed to when she was 40. Because of the striking resemblance between you and your mother, she thought you were Ophelia.

You sighed and put on a smile for her. "No, he's just a friend."

Cassandra giggled. "Really? Your father will be jealous when he hears this. Uhuk... uhuk..." She started coughing. You bring her to sit on her chair.

Your heart clenched each time you heard your grandma cough. It was getting worse.

She needed surgery, but you didn't have the money.

Having a rich father like Jonathan was useless because you didn't have access to your money. The reason was clear: Genevieve and Victoria.

She really hated you and wanted you to starve to death.

You quickly put a blanket on Cassandra lap and turned on the air humidifier to help ease her cough.

As you added the eucalyptus and lemongrass essential oil into the humidifier, your eyes caught the family photo on the wall. It was a picture of your family—your dad, your mom, and your grandparents—standing in front of your childhood home. Everyone was gathered to celebrate your birthday. But now, it was all just a memory.

You clenched your fist, feeling a surge of determination. Soon, you would get what was supposed to be yours.

💋💋💋💋

The next day after school, you went with Bucky to see the psychiatrist. But before that, the school was in an uproar because of the clothes you were wearing. You, who always dressed like a vampire hunter in jeans, combat boots, a grey shirt, and a black jacket, were now wearing a casual outfit with a vintage aesthetic.

You wore a cream-colored blouse tucked into a high-waisted plaid skirt paired with brown loafers and a light brown blazer with elbow patches. Your hair was styled in soft waves, and you carried a small leather satchel. The change in your appearance left everyone talking.

Jimmy couldn’t believe you were the same teacher who always yelled at him. “Who are you?”

You replied with a smirk, “Your worst nightmare.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Despite your elegant outfit, you still commanded authority.

Bucky also noticed the change in your appearance. “You look different.”

You explained, “I don’t want your psychiatrist to think that I could be a bad influence on you.”

“Fair point,” he nodded in agreement.

After a while, both of you arrived at the destination, a fancy clinic. The receptionist, already accustomed to Bucky's appointments, greeted him warmly. “He’s waiting for you.”

Bucky led you to the room, which was bright and comfortable, conducive to a relaxed atmosphere. The walls were painted in calming colors and adorned with abstract art, and the furniture was modern yet inviting.

There was already someone sitting in the chair, holding a pen and a writing board. It was Dr. Javier, who had known Bucky for a long time.

Javier waited until both Bucky and you were seated. "You told me that you had a breakthrough. Is it her?" he inquired.

Bucky nodded, taking off his leather gloves and putting on a pulse oximeter on his finger. He then reached for your hand, and you placed yours in his.

Javier widened his eyes and adjusted his glasses. Bucky showed no signs of panic attacks, and his pulse appeared normal. "Wow. Incredible. How long has this been happening?" Javier asked.

Bucky replied, "Three days."

"After you touched her, you mentioned trying to shake somebody else's hand. Did the panic attacks suddenly reappear then?" Javier inquired further.

Bucky confirmed, "Yes."

Javier wondered what made you so special. Suddenly, he moved closer to you without warning.

You exclaimed, "What the-?"

“Interesting,” Javier nodded. “I can think of one reason: your body fragrance.”

You were taken aback. Did you really smell bad? You started sniffing your clothes. They were still new; you had only worn them three times, and they had been dry cleaned.

Then you remembered, “I am surrounded by buckets of sweat and cigarettes.”

Being around students who smoked and sweated a lot due to their frequent sports activities made you open all the classroom windows to get rid of the smell.

Bucky found it difficult to accept that his disorder could be triggered by your body odor.

Javier felt as though four eyes were judging him. He cleared his throat. “Ahem. Your case is one of a kind, Bucky. Perhaps her scent doesn’t trigger your trauma—” He didn’t continue when he felt someone glaring at him.

Trauma? Bucky’s trauma? You wondered what Javier meant.

Bucky crossed his arms and changed the subject. “So the solution to my disorder is the smell of a locker room?”

Javier raised both arms, trying to calm down his patient's anger. “I’m not saying it’s the solution, but it could be.”

Bucky sighed heavily. What kind of nonsense was this? But the way he met you was also out of the blue. His life is full of surprises now.

Author Note: Poor Cassandra. 🥺 Also the reader is a non-smoker.

Taglist:

@thezombieprostitute

@thetravelingtyper

@scott-loki-barnes

@mostlymarvelgirl

@chemtrails-club

@dexter99

@seresingirlie

@missvelvetsstuff

@kjah97

@tfatwsoldir

@itsteambarnes

@toldyouitwasamelodrama

@sapphirebarnes

@thedonswife13

@angelbabyyy99

@cjand10

@esposadomd

@buckitostan

@wh0reforbucknasty

@bada-lee-ily

[chosolala]

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆𖦹.✧˚ jjk date headcannons

pt. 2!! just some cute ideas of where i think jjk characters would take you on a date :)

characters: gojo, geto, shoko, higuruma, kusakabe, toji, todo, kokichi, noritoshi

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

satoru gojo

laser tag + go karting !!

maybe he’d take you on a double date with geto and his partner

your team destroys getos (gojo carries you guys)

gets you guys food from the bar (he pays ofc)

he keeps you laughing and smiling the entire time

suguru geto

escape room !!

he makes you feel a little stupid with how fast he catches onto everything right away

you do your best to help

he gets you guys burgers after :)

he takes you home after too and tells you how much fun he had with you (already planning your next date)

ieri shoko

stargazing !!

you guys sit on the roof and have really good convos

it wasn’t a planned date, it kinda just happened

she brings candy for you guys to share

you guys end up learning a lot about eachother through your talk and it kind of becomes a ritual you guys have, meeting on the roof and talking

hiromi higuruma

depends on his schedule, either a fancy restaurant that’s like super hard to get a table at

or if he works late or doesn’t have much time he’ll order food to his place for you guys and cuddle up on the couch with a movie on

he is very sweet and holds you very gently

you guys aren’t focused on the movie for very long

atsuya kusakabe

lego building or puzzle + order takeout !!

he’s probably too lazy or tired to go out so he’ll bring home some food and you guys crack open that lego plant you bought so long ago and never built

you guys just listen to music quietly in the background while you build and drink whatever beverage of your choice while eating junk food

toji fushiguro

also depends, if he just got paid from a mission he’d spoil you on a shopping spree

new clothes, new shoes, maybe a quick stop at victoria secret too

if he doesn’t have money then don’t expect anything from him

if you set up a date he’ll go along with it though

maybe a home cooked meal and candle lit dinner

aoi todo

he would probably do something really romantic, like set up an at home spa day for you or bring you out on a picnic

probably does something cheesy like sing you a song and play guitar for you

keeps you laughing the entire time

brings you chocolate and flowers

kokichi muta

aquarium or painting date !!

he picks you up and you guys take the train together to the aquarium

he gets you guys boba and you guys walk to the aquarium together

he takes so many pictures of you and secretly admires u

if you guys paint i feel like hed want to do that trend where you paint for 5 mins then switch canvases and add to each others pictures and then switch again (does that description make sense idk 😭)

brings you home and sends you all the pics he took and talks abt how pretty you are

noritoshi kamo

home cooked meal !!

he would cook your favorite meal and suprise you when you get home

he doesn’t strike me as the type of guy who would go out and be romantic in public

he would put on like jazz music and set the table vv nice for you guys

you guys have really good convo and he holds you hand on top of the table :]

maybe he’ll put on a cute romantic movie for you guys to watch on the couch after

[blackkatdraws2]

How about I draw your Blank Scripts OCs and Self-Inserts?

When I made this post rambling on about my TSP Blank Scripts AU, I said at the very end that—

"It would be so cool if people made self-inserts or OCs for my AU actually. I'd love to see how you guys would work with my stuff. Play around with it like a barbie world for your little barbie dolls. Be canon compliant, be canon divergent, who cares, have fun."

—and it's been marinating in my head ever since. I thought it would be a fun thing to do. I'm gonna give you all 1 week to make those characters of yours! [Deadline: June 5 – June 11/12]

If you have something to share about them, feel free to have an essay about it on the post! I'd love to read about what you'll come up with to make them fit in to the Blank Scripts worldbuilding.

You are free to ask me questions about the Blank Scripts AU in my DMs if you're unsure on how to go about doing this!

Once you're done, post it and tag me with either @blackkatdraws or @blackkatdraws2 [Both accounts are fine as long as I notice you.]

@blackkatdraws will reblog your posts and let you know I saw it while @blackkatdraws2 will work on drawing the submitted characters before showing them all in one post later! It'll take a while, but I'll get it done. Give me two or three weeks. [Be patient with me.]

Give this a reblog to let others know if they're interested!

Get Creative. Have Fun.

[Below are links of posts that can serve as a refresher for the Blank Scripts AU world.]

My Blank Scripts Google Drive

Post talking about NPCs and background characters

Post talking about other Parable inhabitants

Post about Stanley with hints of in-Parable lore

Drawing dump, the first post is about Black's ability to see Us

Post about how Players fit

Post about the Parable itself

Post about how Viewers fit

Post about the Museum Butlers

[You can make some stuff up if you'd like. Lololol have fun~]

[aihoshiino]

chapter 151 thoughts

Chapters Since The 143 Kiss Happened And Went Entirely Unacknowledged And Unaddressed Count: 8

Aqua Hoshigan Status: Black

Kana enjoyers continue to eat good in this new arc, as 151 very clearly parallels what's considered one of the more iconic AquKana chapters from the first half of the manga with a bit of role reversal in the mix. 'Reversal' is sort of the keyword for this chapter for a handful of reasons but we'll get into that when it's relevant.

the usual shout out to mengo for Peak Faces this chapter. my faves were kana's blushy face as she takes off her glasses and aqua covering his blush with his baseball glove… it does NOT get cuter than that.

It's pretty cathartic to see Kana get a similar TV spotlight to BH!Ruby, where she's centered in B-Komachi's success and Ruby is sort of just in the background lol. That said… kinda of hate that OnK is continuing to frame the ShimaD shit!!! I have a lot of complicated feelings about it but I will say that overall, it's pretty fucked that the story made all those correct assertions about sexual harassment in the entertainment industry and how women and young girls specifically are pressured to kowtow to men to retain their place in the industry and then like… not? link any of this?? to what happened to Kana??? Weird and bad!!!!

on the plus side. megarima and maskua <3

It feels like a good step for Kana to confidently assert that they are, in fact, on a date and their shared visible embarrassment is pretty cute. This is what I meant when I said this chapter was a bit of a reversal of chapter 30, which Aqua even calls explicit attention to - running from school to play catch vs running to school. It works well, imo, as a sort of marker of both change and consistency for both of these characters, showing us how far they've come… but at the same time, how much has managed to stay the same. This return to the early AQKN dynamic is really nice… their moment to moment rapport is the one I enjoy most in the series so even though it's definitely jarring to whiplash back to it after the Movie Arc… idk!! I am still enjoying it all the same.

aqua calling her out on it being a baseball date was really funny btw

And their talk about dreams is… Very Shrimptresting. I keep waffling back and forth on what to take from it, because hypothetically I think it's really interesting but whether or not I really end up liking it is going to depend on how things are handled with Aqua going forward…! IDK, this is the obvious pitfall of analyzing the story like this week to week,

I guess all I'll say now is that this falls in line with how I was reading last chapter's framing of Gorou -> Aqua, where Aqua's inheritance of that identity is just that - an inheritance and it's up to him what he chooses to do with that legacy. He can decide for himself what parts of it he wants to take with him into the future and what he chooses to leave behind.

That said: this is still black hoshigan Aqua. Is this just a 'dream' because it's something he wants but doesn't think he'll be able to have? Or is Aqua starting to seriously consider a future for himself past the end of his revenge quest? It was Kana who prompted him for an answer, after all, and he's already had to make a promise to her that he won't 'disappear'. Is he just lying here to put her at ease? Much to consider…….

Kana's side of this conversation is also really interesting. Kana is a person who acts out of genuine love for her craft, yes, but she's also correct that she kind of already got her assumed end goal of 'be a nationally famous actress' when she was a kid and it didn't necessarily make her happy or fulfilled. To a degree, she's been operating on momentum and desperation to cling to the industry so much of her identity was formed around. But if a 'dream' is something she just wants for herself, without her career coming into it… then what does Kana really want?

And the answer, obviously, is Aqua. With another 'oshi no ko' title drop, to boot…!

It's a little sad that even as Kana makes this tentative confession to him, she still downplays herself in favour of Memcho and Ruby but the emotional stakes she's putting on the table are very loaded. This essentially, without either girl knowing it, puts her in direct competition with Ruby who very much seems to still want to milk her sensei's Little Aqua and I don't imagine that conflict is going to go off without fireworks.

Interestingly, though, this isn't the only point on which the two are opposed here: this is what I mean when I said this chapter's keyword was 'reversal'. While Ruby insists that 'Sensei' is her oshi, Kana offers to be Aqua's oshi. This isn't the first time it's happened, either - when Kana talks about her feelings last chapter, she describes them as 本気の恋 (honki no koi), i.e, seriously, earnestly, truly in love whereas Ruby's confession uses the term ガチ恋 (gachikoi), a slang term referring to a fan who considers themselves to be legitimately in romantic love with a celebrity/idol/etc - and specifically says she's gachikoi for Sensei. Gachikoi is also how the first generation of B-Komachi are described in both Viewpoint B and 45510 in the original Japanese text. On just about all fronts, these two are bound to clash going into the final arc of the story and I'm tentatively interested to see where it goes.

No break next week!

[ripplestitchskein]

To be a bit clearer about my issue with the tweet that I talked about in this post as I was posting in the car on the way home (I was not driving but had to do it fast because I get super motion sick) and have had some time to expand a bit:

If we’re talking about the general concept “Stolas set the parameters of the initial sexual transaction thus rooting their relationship in sex from the start and because Blitz is too self loathing and willfully blind to see the desired parameters have changed it is Stolas who made their relationship all about sex in large part because Blitz was never going to be in a healthy enough space to be the one to change it” then yes I agree with the sentiment.

Stolas could have simply said “I’ll let you use the grimoire in exchange for a date” instead of jumping straight to sexual relationship and they could have gotten to know each other first, maybe one date for each Full Moon*. So yes, he did make it this way, he set the terms. At the start of the show.

(*Side note: This would be a super cute fanfic premise tbh and if the show did something like that, where they need to exchange something and say “Hey, how about we make a deal to go on a date on the Full Moon” it would be a really fucking adorable way to reconcile them *starry eyes*. Just think about how much that would slap. The narrative circle of that would be *chef’s kiss*. )

My problem with the framing of “Stolas started it that way in Murder Family, was super over the top horny for a few episodes, now he must suffer the consequences despite the fact that he has been trying to change their dynamic since Blitz expressed how he felt in Ozzie’s” is that, the events of The Circus completely recontextualize the deal we see made and Stolas’s behavior.

We, the audience, didn’t know in S1 that Blitz initiated the whole thing and that Stolas was just mirroring that energy, so I am extremely understanding of this perception pre-S2. Even up until Western Energy, but by Oops we have enough evidence to show Stolas has been trying, Blitz is just refusing. So Stolas didn’t “make it this way” for where the characters are NOW. Not in a “It is Blitz’s fault” taking sides in the divorce way, but in a “This is about character growth or the deliberate lack of it within the story” way.

My big issue with the tweet now, and didn’t learn until I read the tags of a lovely person is that is apparently from an individual who actually works on the show. And that is….kinda concerning to me. A bit.

The idea that Stolas’s efforts count for nothing because he set the initial deal and behaved badly at the start, that we the audience should still see the current dynamic as “Stolas making everything sexual” is a problem 8 episodes into the 2nd season. We have many examples of him not doing that any longer, he has changed, we the audience have been shown that change. Why is it still being framed this way by the actual creative team?

I don’t know how animation production works, so I’m not sure if the people who work as animators are given the whole picture or not. I don’t even know they are fans necessarily, or if they get their individual parts to work on and that’s it. I have zero background info on how these meetings are conducted. I am not coming from a position of authority in this regard.

Setting aside the dismissal of Stolas’s character growth this season. framing it this way undermines the journey Blitz is on too. At this point in the story he is refusing to acknowledge Stolas’s earnest attempts, his willful ignorance is not a funny gag but a reflection of his character and state of mind. It is implied his own trauma and self loathing make him unable to believe what has being explicitly told to him. This confrontation is the tipping point for further development in one direction or another. His choice now is to continue to ignore it and lose Stolas entirely or to try and work through it in some way. By implying Stolas is the one who created thier current situation way back in S1 implies Blitz’s ignorance of Stolas’s feelings is not because of character’s motivations and his own choices to ignore it but simply because it was that way at the start and it is immutable. Stolas said “sex for book please” and “jelly sandwiches” and Blitz was just “I’m just doing what he said he wanted, now he’s coming out of nowhere with this feelings stuff” when a huge part of showing the audience that it is Blitz’s self loathing driving the conflicts in his life is that he refuses to believe the truth of the situation which is it wasn’t Stolas making it all about sex at all. That Stolas has been trying and Blitz keeps shutting it down because of his issues.

That just seems like a crucial part of what we’re doing here? Yes Stolas creates the situation in S1 but he went out of his way to do the opposite in S2.

Obviously this individual’s qualifications for interpretation, being an actual employee, trump my “I’ve watched it a bunch and obsess over it constantly” credentials by a long shot. But my concern is to have a meeting of people responsible for creating the show reflect this sentiment after what we’ve seen in S2 so far is just a little baffling to me?

Either those attempts by Stolas portrayed on screen and the change in his behavior towards Blitz after he realizes his feelings are meaningless in the face of first impressions being everything to both Blitz and the audience. If that is the case I’m not sure why they would be included if the end result interpretation is still “Stolas horny. Made it all about sex. The end.”

Or, I am misreading something, either the tweet itself or the canon text. This is very possible, tweets being an imperfect communication tool and myself being an imperfect person. But as I stated in the original post, if we’re accounting for what is shown on screen as being how we should interpret the characters, Stolas has been trying for months to shift gears and Blitz is the one who continues to frame it as “just sex”. So I just find the tweet completely out of touch with the narrative we’re consuming.

[haruchi-slit]

PRETTY RIBBONS 𐙚

ft. suguru, satoru, sukuna, yuki, choso & shoko

synopsis: reader asking the jjk characters if they can tie a bow on them | warnings: just fluff! + not proof read!

SUGURU: "wha-no...ok fine!"

"suguu can i put bows on you?" you asked getting suguru's attention from his laptop, "what?" he grumbles "can i put bows on youu!" you repeat, getting up from the couch, "baby i heard you the first time, but-" "pretty please suguuu~" you begged, giving him the prettiest doe eyes, with your hands pressing against each other, as you pout your lips, "ugh- fine.." he'd grunt, closing his laptop and putting it aside before pattering towards you, "reallyy? oh my gosh really!? i knew you couldn't resist this charm" you cackled, before running to your shared bedroom, you took the light pink roll of ribbon from your desk before running back to the living room, suguru sighed softly before he smiled "did you seriously bought that, just for this?" he laughed,

"what? noo i would never pfftt-"

"oh really, huh?" suguru chuckled as you uwrapped the plastic cover of the ribbon,

"do you even know how to tie a bow?" suguru asked "well duh of course i can!" you giggled cutting portions of the ribbon, "ok now get that comb and I'll yassify you" you'd playfully order suguru as he obliged "ai ai miss ma'am!" he took the comb from the table before coming back to you "here you go bae" he hands you the comb before sitting you on top of his lap, you ran your finger thru his silky smooth hair, tying the pink ribbons on him while he giggles as you talk about your life gossips, he just loved seeing his cute little girlfriend getting so worked up just for tying a bow on him, "voilá! suguu look in the mirror and rate it one to ten, yeah?" you excitedly hand him the mirror while you wait for his reaction, suguru looked at the mirror with cute bows adorned to his hair, perfectly tied and neat,

"it'd be a solid 12/10 bae!" he giggles and pulled you in for the sweetest kiss, "say: cheese!" you said before clicking the shutter button of the camera.

"your turn princess!"

SATORU: "I've been waiting for this moment!

it was a boring afternoon, just you and your precious boyfriend satoru who's laying on top of your chest while fidgeting your hair, as you scroll thru instagram reels, you came across a certain video where in a girl ties a ribbon around her boyfriend's biceps as the boyfriend flexed, curling his muscles causing the ribbon to rip and be torn apart, the background music played over and over getting satoru's attention,

"hey cutie, what are you watching?" satoru asked satoru jolts up, "just some random video, wait- satoru can we do thisss" you babbled showing him the video you've been watching for the past three minutes, while he was watching the video you saw him smile, his eyes glimmered like he was waiting for this moment to come,

"I've been waiting for you to say that!" he exclaims "let me just get my damn ribbons" you chuckled as you ran out the living room to grab some of your ribbons that you use for you hair, "ok im back grab my phone over there 'toru" you giggled while satoru gave you your phone, "flex them biceps baby!"

"your wish is my command" satoru laughs, flexing his biceps while you put a ribbon on it,

"you gotta break it when the beat drops ok?"

"ok!" he responds, you clicked the recording button of your phone recording satoru's bicep "i need to brethe some air" the music rang across your living room as the camera focuses on satoru, "cause you got me- so soaakkedd" satoru quickly flexed his bicep causing the ribbon to rip,

"oh goshhh 'toruuu"

SUKUNA: "if that makes you shut up.."

"i think bows would suit you" you giggled your skin brushing his, as you nuzzled to his beefy muscled arms, "what do you mean" he huffs, "like...you know those things i always put on my hair i think it would suit you.." you murmur feeling the heat from his body, making you feel safe and comfortable, "you know what can i put bows on you?" sukuna ignores you, "sukuu~" you coed, getting the curse's attention once again "please?" "no" he responds, "pretty please?"

"no" he repeats...

"come on now you old man, i ribbon won't hurt, right so pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"tsk, will you stop bickering if i grant you permission?" he grunts, raising one of his eyebrows, your eyes beamed with joy as you nod your head profusely, "then, go on" he coes you blinked twice, "huh?"

"i said go on and tie bows on me..." he sighs in defeat, the king of curses was no match to his loving wife...

"suku lean down, pleasee" you asked him, as he obliged, you took some ribbons off, of your kimono, using it as a ribbon to tie on sukuna's hair, as you tie it on his hair, his oversized hands supports you to stand still on the stool you're standing on, one of his hand placed on your waist, as you talk about your past haircuts and why you do not or like them, while sukuna listens, "and just a few more touches here and...you're done!" you chuckled as you stare at him so lovingly,

"oh wait, i still have one left!", you gasped as you slowly get off the stool with sukuna supporting your body, "suku, give me one of your four hands", "why?" "hurryyy!" you command as sukuna rolls his eyes and obliged once again, he swiftly whips one of his hand out off his kimono placing it infront of you, "yeyy!" you exclaimed, before you tied the last red ribbon tou had around his wrist... sukuna admired the ribbon on his wrist and hair, "this is so childish...but, it's not that bad" he says, before pulling you in for a kiss on the forehead, "my lord the visitors-..." uraume

paused as soon as they entered the room, sukuna turns to them with ribbons on his hair, "what is it, uraume?",

"the visitors has arrived..."

YUKI: "you can do what ever you want as long as you're happy"

you and your girlfriend yuki are on the garage in a sunny afternoon, just you eating ice cream sitting close to her and, her fixing something in her motorcycle, your eyes wonder on her garage, you stood up to stroll around since your legs are getting cramped.

you stroll around her garage but you were stopped when you found a unopened roll of ribbon, placed in a box that looks like she's about to throw away, you quickly picked it up and brought it to your sit, "yuki" you chimed, getting her attention from her motorcycle, "hey, you need something?" she says, as she used a towel to wipe the grease off her hands,

"look what i found!" you mused, smiling so lovingly as yuki stares at you with a soft demeanor, "i was about to throw that away cause i don't know where to use it..." she laughs-

"you can have it if you want!" she offers, you gasped, "y'know what i got an idea!", you opened the roll of white ribbon, "jus' gimme a sec!" you giggled as you cut even portions of the ribbon with the scissors you found beside you,

"m'kay princess" she chuckles as she walks up to you, "what's your plan, huh?" she chortles as she waves her eyebrows, "'n done! give me your bicep!" you asked, "y'know i saw in social media" you start, "and i jus' wanna see if it'll suit you-" you paused, as you tied the last knot on yuki's bicep,"tadaaa~" "it's so cute" she scoffs, with a blush spreading across her plush cheeks,

"can i also put bows on you motorcycle?" you asked, "of course you can baby..." "really?" you asked "really!" she responds, pulling you into a kiss..

SHOKO: "my fiance did it"

an early morning starts as you and your fiance start your day, a sunlight bounces on your face from the window, your eyes flutter open as shoko was no where to be found, you guessed that she's in the kitchen, making breakfast for the both of you and, you were right

" 'morning sleepy princess" she greets you as she hands you a cup of coffee, "thank you, and good morning to you too!" you respond as you took the cup of coffee from the table, "I'm going to take a shower now be right back" she said.

she comes out of the bathroom with her classic go to outfit for work, a turtle neck and some jeans, "shokoo let me do your hair, pleasee!" you spoke, "sure girl, just let me blow dry my hair ok?"

"oookkkeyy!" you hummed, as soon as she dried her hair she went straight to you, "sit down now m'lady...hehe-" you chuckled "and also can i put bows on you?" you add, "I can't see why not...do what you need to do" she giggles.

you combed her soft silky hair, your fingers running across her hair "you're on day-off right?" "mhmm" you hummed as you focused on tying her hair,

"is it too tight? do i need to loosen it a bit?" you asked as you put a ribbon on top of the hair tie attached to her hair, "nope, nope it's all good princess" she uttered "you can look on the mirror now!" you add, "it looks cute haha!" she chuckles "I'm gonna get to work now-" she stood up kissing you on the cheek and lips, "I'll see you later ok? i love you!" she spoke, kissing you once more, "okay, byeee see you later" you bid your goodbye as you watched her grab her tote bag, she waves at you and head out...

when shoko arrived at the jujutsu tech she was greeted by utahime, "shokoo! how are you?" "im good, long time no see.." she responds "yeah long time no see, i like your hairstyle!" utahime giggles "thanks, my fiance did it for me"

-the hairstyle-

CHOSO: "we're matching now!"

"choo! we should try riding the ferris wheel!" you exclaimed as you point your finger on the ferris wheel nearby, you and choso are on a date in the amusement park, "let's go now quickly!" he responds, as he took your hand to ran for the line of the ferris wheel, both of you were laughing non-stop once you reached the front of the line, "i almost tripped!" you giggled "you were too slow that's why" he jested, "two tickets, please.." he utters to the clerk in charge on the tickets, "here you go sir.." the clerk hands choso the tickets before the two of you were allowed in, choso gave the tickets to the other employee and then they let the two of you in.

when the two of you are on the ferris wheel, you both sat down immediately, "it's getting dark..." you babbled, "it is getting dark, I'm having fun today!" he said looking thru your eyes, his dark brown eyes orbs piercing yours, "you look so beautiful-" he paused, tucking your hair behind your ear, "with those purple ribbons" he faltered, "thank you, choso I'm also having fun today" you murmured as you felt your cheeks burn from how smooth his words,

"y-y'know i wonder how you'll look with these ribbons" your words slip, "can i tie a bow on you?" you inquired, making choso chuckle, "of course you can, so we can be matching!" he responds, "really?!" your repeat, as he nods his head profusely, "yes!", "ok let me just get one ribbon from my hair" you cackled, as you tug one of the ribbons on your hair, after successfully pulling one out youu quickly tied it around choso's hair, "you look so cute!!" you gagged in his cuteness "we are matching now!" he yelps, as your eyes locked on to each other, he pulls your cheeks for a kiss, you immediately melted with his touch as he fills your stomach with butterflies, a few moments later you hear fireworks being blown up to the air, as choso deepens the kiss, your hands lightly tugging on his hair, with his hands on your waist, he pulls away to catch a breath, your eyes shot open while catch your breath, his kiss was so intoxicating

"i love you.." whispers as the both of you watched the fire works up on the ferris wheel.

a/n: yey!

[yourmaidsp]

Hello, I’m inlove with your art style and how you draw sceneries!! I really wanna try learning how to draw backgrounds more often, do you have any tips about drawing background? Thank you!

Complete guide to Background painting:

So um thank u for asking me Caleb- chan (˃ ⌑ ˂ഃ )! Im glad u trust me on this! But I'm not actually that confident about myself on this, and as a chaotic anarchist, I'll just dump everything I know about this topic to u...

There's so much to talk about background painting, so this is going to be very long, pls bear w me here n forgive me for the broken english_(:зゝ∠)_

It's better to demonstrate with an illustration, so I'll be using this colorkey for that upcoming animated project as an example(two versions for different methods).. along with some other old pics of mine and this sketch I loosly built.

(Also just like I've mentioned in the color tutorial, this would be the only time I explain the theories n tricks, bc it takes too much time to make these.(；′⌒`) I hope ppl r okay w this?)

Purpose and rules

Well for me personally, I'd like my paintings to be rich in storytelling and emotion, rather than a pure decorative picture. So I'm providing two basic methods here, one about realistic background, another about surreal background.

We'll talk about these two in later chapters, but first, preparation.

Preparation

Like I mentioned in last tutorial, gather information before u start any project.

Some irl images —— for real life physics, I'm studying mostly reflections here.

Refs from the original material —— Ofc

Illustrations —— once you studied the irl physics, check out how other ppl deal with the same situation for inspiration, but pls don't just copy them.

Movies —— I think they're just neat (for a nice overall tone, and that helps making your work more)

You could start by painting characters on existing photos, it's a nice exercise.

Realistic

Realistic background requires the understanding of a lot of things, for me personally, proportion is the most important, bc it's the easiest mistake your viewer could spot.

If u check any tutorials on this they'll say u need to use vanishing points to create invisible grids and , I loosly made these to show u how they work

most of the time u use vanishing points to set up the whole scene, two would be enough most of the time.

( Well, or three points, if u want to do something more dramatic, fancy. Or 5 points if u want to do something even more dramatic. )

( For a more lens based logic, 3 or 5 points work best for a mock up 15-35 focal length shot.)

Do a grid using these points. and build environment following the grid.

Put your character in this environment, and their vanishing point will match the one with this environment.

Determine the lighting for your environment, one lightsource first.

Then do the shadow for your character.

(If you don't want a very detailed background this would be enough? Normally I don't do sharp and clear perspective for a more chaotic and hand crafted aesthetic.)

But again, sometimes u just need it to be extremely accurate.

So I made a model for my animation scene, it's widely used by concept artists, so if u're interested, try it out:

u don't have to make a complete set, just boxes would also help.

Surreal

No need to think about actual background this time, just do whatever u want that makes it look good in 2d composition.

u could check out my tutorial on composition on this.

For topics and ideas to put in these experimental surreal paintings, u could try thinking in a "meta" way?

Like this one, I compositioned it from the understating of texture and material : glass.

all the strokes r square-ish, making everything looks breakable.

and the composition is also square-ish, u see sharp edges for the silhouette

Um... it's something I can't explain to the fullest, but u'll get it one day...

Demonstration

And now, the demonstration: I've painted this twice, this one using Blender as the assisting tool:

My logic here is using a mild color scheme over an existing environment, using strokes following the structure.

I made mock up lightings in my model, so the lighting is easier.

the rest is just putting Butters in this set.

And this one just traditional method + eyeballing: (what I've been using recently)

Since I'm not painting over model, eyeballing the set or use the vanishing point+ grid method from earlier... then set the main tone for it (this time it's blue)

I went for a very saturated blue compairing to the other one.

Then paint the light out, for a main light source. I used yellow for a contrasting effect.

The rest is basically the same, but since it doesn't have a model under it I don't need the strokes to tenderize the solidness of an existing model...

Anyways...

I'd suggest u use whatever method that is more comfortable to you, bc I might not be that good at doing it most effectively_(:зゝ∠)_ and I'm sure you're going to find your own unique way!)

Recording of these two paintings is here, hope they're helpful to u:

Exercise and Summarize

So um, after each painting u might want to summarize. One thing I would do is to remove saturation and check if the grayscale looks good-

check what colors u used the most-

check what angle (or shots or framing) u like better-

check what lighting suits your atmosphere-

these are good for u to develop a style-

There are some tutorials on the internet on more of this topic, I'm sure ur able to find them, they'll do a better job for me I think~

And I'm sorry this came out so late! a lot of things have happened...

Hope u have a good time creating art, and have a nice day Caleb-!

-Maid

[mika-mp3]

The treasure is all mine!

-Prologe- Genshin Impact x Creator!Reader

warnings: first post ever! almost swear word, the most classic start to a SAGAU fic ever (Im sorry I dont know hot to start else), no y/n used, gender neutral ,english isn't my first language so propably spelling errors, I don't know how Aranaras talk. (I professionally ignored that quest.), characters might turn yandere in the future

summary: After playing TCG your screen becomes strangely white. It starts glowing brighter and brighter and the light seems to suck you in? That can't go wrong... right? Suddenly you find yourself in a forest, not remembering anything but meeting a little creature that might be able to help you out

characters: you, your mom (no this is not a joke), aranara!oc: Aramasu

word count: 1.359

https://pin.it/38Diiq1CA

"THIS BI-" you yelled at the screen. The third time. The third time you lost at that damn card game, and the third time you got annoyed because of it. "How?? How can this be so hard? It's the same technique I always use when I play normally! It works against bosses; why not now in the Genius Invocation TCG? I was so close this time too!" With a frustrated sigh, you let your head fall back. On the screen was still the word "defeat," big and plastered onto a red background for extra drama. Seriously, who had this idea? It's just frustrating at this point. Not even the recommended teams online seemed to work. You even tried copying the other players' teams that defeated you, but you still lost anyway. Why were you doing this again? Oh right... rewards.

Another sigh escaped your mouth when you heard your mother's voice from the kitchen. "Darling! Come down, dinner is ready!" A small smile crept on your face. 'Darling,' a nickname your mom gave you whenever she was in a good mood. Seems like work was quite alright today.

"Coming!" you answered, the dinner smell already reaching you by the time you finally mustered up the courage to sit up. Looking at the screen one last time, you decided to stop playing Genshin Impact for today. You had already done your dailies and everything else you felt like doing. Seriously though, doing dailies started to feel like a chore. That's why you were more than happy to open chests and explore instead. Standing up, you turned the game off and watched the screen go black.

Or... did it?

You were just about to leave the room when it lit up once more, but not with the loading screen, just plain white. "What the..." A bright white light filled the room, instantly blinding you. With your hands lifted before your eyes, you managed to get closer. "What is this?!" you said, a bit of fear in your voice. This had never happened before! You didn't even know that your screen could be so blinding! Just when you were about to touch it, everything went dark. Dark and warm. That's all you felt. Looking around frantically, you tried to make sense of the situation. It was still bright outside, so it shouldn't have been so dark now! Maybe just the aftermath of the blinding light?

"Darling, are you okay?" You heard a voice in the distance, but it felt oddly far away, as if it went further and further away with every word spoken. "M-.. Mom?" you asked, but there was no answer. It was still very warm. So warm. Slowly, you felt yourself grow weaker and weaker. Soon your knees gave in, but you didn't fall while your eyes closed shut. Before you could say anything else, your consciousness had already left your body. . . . . So... comfy. It was so warm, like on a sunny summer day when you lie down on the grass and just enjoy the fresh air. Talking of which, whatever you lay on felt just as nice. The sounds of birds could be heard in the distance. After a couple of minutes, you opened your eyes and saw...

A vast expanse of vibrant green, stretching out before you. You're lying on a bed of soft moss, the texture cushioning your body like the most luxurious mattress. Above, a canopy of trees sways gently in the breeze, their leaves creating a symphony of whispers. Sunlight filters through the branches, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow that dance around you.

You sit up slowly, feeling the softness of the moss beneath your fingers. The air is filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the earthy aroma of the forest floor. You take a deep breath, the freshness of the air invigorating you. The sounds of chirping birds and the distant babble of a stream create a soothing background melody.

As you look around, the forest feels both alien and familiar. Massive trees with trunks wide enough to house entire rooms rise majestically around you. Their leaves are an array of colors, from the deepest greens to shimmering golds, reflecting the sunlight in a magical display. The forest floor is dotted with flowers of every hue, some glowing faintly, adding to the otherworldly atmosphere.

Confused, you try to remember how you got here. The last thing you recall is the blinding white light from your screen and your mother calling you for dinner. Your thoughts are interrupted by the feeling of something soft nuzzling your hand. Looking down, you see a white rabbit, its fur pristine and its eyes large and expressive. It seems completely at ease, cuddling against your hand as if it belongs there.

With a gentle touch, you stroke the fur of the rabbit. It nuzzles into your hand, happy and content. A gentle smile spreads across your face. Have you ever felt so at peace before? It's hard to say when you don't remember anything from before. Not like it matters now. Nothing matters. There is no reason to question anything at all. Not why this wild rabbit is so calm and cuddly with you, not scared at all. Not why you don't feel certain things, like hunger or thirst. It's all so nice and warm and cozy.

Wait, there is something. Some feeling, not very familiar, but you still recognize it. Are you being watched?

Yes. No, no, it can't be that. Probably? Turning around, you scan your surroundings. All the bushes, the trees, and their leaf crowns, then you see it.

It isn't threatening, more weirdly familiar than anything. The small creature is floating above the ground with a little cute 'hat'? One word pops into your head as the creature comes closer: 'Aranara.' But how do you know that? It feels natural, like knowing the name of a dog or cat. Aramasu. This little Aranara's name is Aramasu.

"You're not a Nara," says the curious creature.

You answer, "No, I am no Nara. That's what I believe, at least."

With a soft smile, you reach out, cupping the little Aranara's face. It looks up, surprised, almost speechless. The warmth soothing through its body by the mere touch of you.

"What might you be doing here, little Aramasu?"

The rabbit, still cuddled up in your other hand, seems very happy with the encounter. The Aranara isn't surprised that you know its name; it feels truly natural.

Aramasu's eyes widen slightly, then it relaxes into your touch. "I was just wandering, like I always do. But today felt different. The forest whispered to me of a new presence, something... special."

You look around; the forest seems to glow with a subtle, otherworldly light, as if acknowledging Aramasu's words. The trees sway gently, and the air is filled with a soft, harmonious hum. It feels as though the entire forest is alive and aware of your presence, welcoming you in a way that goes beyond mere coincidence.

"Special?" you ask, intrigued. "How so?"

Aramasu tilts its head, studying you with a curious expression. "You have a light within you, one that resonates with the heart of the forest. It's warm and soothing, like the embrace of the earth itself. It's rare to see such light in anyone other than the forest spirits."

The rabbit nudges your hand, drawing your attention back to its soft fur. You feel a sense of contentment and belonging, unlike anything you've ever experienced—or at least, anything you can remember. The forest, the creatures, even the very air around you, all seem to sing in harmony with your presence.

"Perhaps," Aramasu continues, "you are more than what you think you are. The forest recognizes you, and so do I."

As you ponder Aramasu's words, a sense of purpose begins to stir within you. Though you may not remember your past, the present feels vivid and alive, as if this is where you were always meant to be. The forest, with all its mysteries and wonders, seems to be waiting for you to discover your true self.

-to be continued-

https://pin.it/3bEkLA0wa

Thank you so much for reading! Fell free to give me feedback and ideas how to continue this!

Mika

[dirty-droid]

So I played through some more dbh last night and woke up thinking, God, there is a good reason Markus and Kara, and their respective companions never got as popular as Connor and Hank. Literally The Bridge is surrounded by the most *do everything for absolutely no reason* chapters, and there's no comparison.

First the Kara chapter wastes your time, she barely gets any small talk in with Luther, then the car breaks down, then you're just doing tiny tasks, doing a shitty sum up of her story so far when Alice asks you to make one up- they could have done something interesting with that story but they chose not to, literally anything specific anything that would function as a parallel to their journey would have actually had some value. Then you barely start a conversation with Luther, where are you maybe get a hint of his personality before we're back to just talking about the plot and Alice, but then it's over again and you meet the Jerries and you learn almost nothing about them.

It is a chapter where you do nothing interesting, and you learn almost nothing about the main characters, for a downtime chapter, I expect character development and get barely a sneeze of it. There is so much room and so much time for you to really push and question your main characters but it just doesn't get used.

Honestly I think the protagonists all could have probably really benefited from the audience getting to hear their internal monologues if they weren't actually going to talk to their companion characters, but even that would just be a substitute for decent writing.

Either way, after that, we come back to Connor and Hank, who do almost no tasks in this chapter, *but spend the entire time TALKING.* They talk to each other in a constant volley back and forth for the entire length of the chapter and it's probably one of the best chapters in the game, it's certainly one of the most important in their story. You spend the entire bridge scene learning more about Hank and Connor's inner worlds, and how they think, and how they feel, you spend the whole chapter learning so much about their perspectives, this chapter is all about asking the hard questions about both of their individual characters, and the tension is high, it's a straightforward chapter to play, and it really fucking feels like your choices matter here, there will be immediate consequences, not just walking through your environment trying to find the right answer, or being dragged through an interaction. It's just plain good.

And then Markus infiltrates the Stratford Tower, and you get the most boring and useless and frustrating chapter in the game that doesn't seem to serve any purpose beyond looking cool. If Kara's last chapter was only to gain sympathy and create some soft and fuzzy feelings, this chapter is only about looking cinematic. This is probably my least favorite chapter in the game, honestly I've just gotten lost on that yellow ass office floor building too many times, even though I'm very familiar with the game now I still managed to get lost again last night.

I will admit that eventually it does become an opportunity to decide between pacifism and violence but that seems to be the only real development for Markus, and it wouldn't have been hard to make that kind of opportunity in another setting. Because we get next to nothing watching him get past the front desk, or from walking around that floor, just some outfit changes and pretending to be a machine and a little more Android hate in the background, Markus is almost completely silent yet again, there is almost no talking with North once she appears. We actually get more about North's personality here than Markus', she just feels like she has more lines somehow, because sometimes she just talks without it being connected to the plot and Markus never does.

This bit is more speculative, but my fiance and I were going off last night about whyyyy did they have to break into the tower? We're never given any reason for what the steps are and why they are important, just usually pretty important in these mission impossible type scenes, they're usually explaining in a voice-over why they are taking the steps that they are taking. But we get no explanation for why he needs to go to the 47th floor or whatever, No explanation for why he needs to change into a maintenance Android uniform, why North was in the stairwell, how Josh and Simon got in, it's all just handwaved, and whyyyyyy they couldn't have just?? Made a recording and then hacked the station's broadcast remotely and basically just posted the speech? I don't know, it's just a particularly frustrating chapter to play, personally, but it isn't strong.

Either way, you've got two chapters with next to no character development, that just have a lot of empty space and time where the characters could have been talking or could have been doing something else, but didn't because the vibes were more important, sandwiching a simple scene with ten pounds of character development and it just feels weird. And once I noticed it, it just made the Kara and Markus chapters look incredibly weak and poorly written... And conversely, make the Connor and Hank chapter look much, much stronger in comparison.

It's like Detroit become human almost needs it's own type of Bechdel Test, just to show how much they fail Markus and Kara. "Do they talk about something that isn't the plot?"

"Do Kara and Luther talk about something that isn't Alice or getting to Canada?" "Does Markus talk about anything besides his speech for this chapter?" "Does Alice talk at all beyond basic communication with Kara?" "Does Markus or his buddies talk about anything that's not the revolution or just Markus himself?"

... They don't pass a lot.

It's just hard to take these characters above simply *likeable* when they just, don't, ever, talk. There's little to no development for Markus or Kara, and because they've just become deviants, there's hardly any character establishment in the first place, they barely even get the chance to just be flat, because if they don't really know who they are, we don't really know who they are.

Connor and Hank's friendship is more functionally the main plot, more so than the deviant investigation, and for Markus and the team, and Kara with Alice, that's simply just not the case, there is hardly any relationship, they're just in the same boat. This is why Connor got astronomically more popular, and why he and Hank have the staying power that they do.

Markus and Kara just don't ever talk, and Connor does. And I'm fucking mad about it. The amount of time that was just wasted in their stories, I could probably take a damn stopwatch to all the moments where there could have been a little something-something, and nothing was put there. It's not to say Connor doesn't get some quiet moments too but he always gets the chance to make up for it.

Even at the beginning of the Stratford Tower chapter, I noticed that they could have had Simon and North talking about something maybe unrelated when Markus walks up, but there's nothing, only silence until Markus comes in with a plan. And of course we know about every time Luther tries to bring up the fact that Alice is an android, only to be shut down and walked away from. It fucking kills me how much time Mark is has the focus of the camera but it's only so he could look cool for a minute, and share no thoughts of his own, none of his new feelings, everything is only implied and then followed by the action where he is only allowed to be the leader of the revolution and never just Markus. There's a tragedy in that, but they could have driven it home harder by *pointing that out.*

[empiredesimparte]

⚜ Le Sacre de Napoléon V | N°6 | Francesim, Versailles, 27 Thermidor An 230

Napoleon V met Madame Royale de Thornolie (@theroyalthornoliachronicles) at the coronation gala. It was not the first time she had visited Francesim, but he had never spoken to her before. Curious, he was soon disillusioned by Eleanor's coldness. The young emperor hoped that he had not complicated his future diplomatic relations with the kingdom of Thornolia. He also hoped that she had not formed the wrong impression of him.

Beginning ▬ Previous ▬ Next

Some of the characters in the background belong to @officalroyalsofpierreland

⚜ Transcription

Louis: Madame Royale, are you enjoying the festivities?

Eleanor: They are certainly festive…

Louis: I'm delighted to see Thornolia is continuing its friendship with Francesim. Do give my regards to your father.

Eleanor: If only you had the opportunity to send your regards in person.

(Long Pause)

Louis: I must say you are intriguing, Madame Royale, for an ambassador. My advisors told me about you, or at least, they told me what they’ve heard of you, so much so I wanted to see if it was true. 

Eleanor: Do tell. What do your advisors deem worthy information to tell you about me?

Louis: They say you're not very talkative, to put it simply. I'd like to invite you to Compiègne one of these days so we can get to know each other better. What do you say?

Eleanor: Tell me, sire, is that all it takes for you to impose yourself on a woman? To hear they are not very talkative?

Louis: Madame, you’ve got me all wrong. I'm just... 

Eleanor: Non. I’m afraid you have me all wrong. Perhaps you shouldn’t take everything you hear to heart, particularly from people who claim their loyalties only to hide their own agendas. Then you might be able to make valid conclusions about people all on your own. In fact, shall I share what I have heard about you? Louis: I'm all ears, Madame…

Eleanor: In the public eye you are the darling boy emperor who everyone loves to praise. Not a single hair out of place, not a single event you attend favouring you negatively. 

Louis: Not an unappealing narrative…

Eleanor: Perhaps the words I’ve heard are more favourable than I lead you on to believe. 

And yet…. watching you tonight it is easy to see why anyone would be hard pressed to see behind the smoke and mirrors act you project. And that’s all you are: Smoke and mirrors. You have had everything handed to you on silver platters and fed to you with silver spoons, and therefore you have no problem believing everyone you deign to speak with will bow down to give you anything you desire. So do forgive me, sire, if I refuse to be another.

Louis: … Last I knew, we are cut from the same cloth.

(Short Pause. this is when Eleanor shows the chink in her armour at Louis’s words)

Eleanor: That may be, Louis, but not everyone cares for their cloth the same way. 

Marie-Joséphine: Your Majesty, may I join you?... Louis: Of course, Mère.

Eleanor: Bonsoir, Madame Mère. 

Marie-Joséphine: Madame Royale. It's a pleasure to meet you. 

Eleanor: Truly, the pleasure is mine. My father was adamant I passed along his regards to you.

Marie-Joséphine: Merci, it’s appreciated.Eleanor: I’m afraid you must forgive me. Despite the lovely evening put together tonight I’m feeling a bit run down and must retire. Pardonnez-moi. (curtseys) Sire, Madame Mère. (Leaves)

⚜ Traduction française

Napoléon V rencontre Madame Royale de Thornolie durant le gala du couronnement. Ce n'est pas la première fois qu'elle se rend en Francesim, mais il n'avait jamais pu s'entretenir avec elle auparavant. Curieux, il déchante bien vite devant la personnalité froide d'Eleanor. Le jeune empereur espère ne pas avoir compliqué ses prochaines relations diplomatiques avec le royaume de Thornolie. Et aussi, qu'elle se soit faite une mauvaise idée de sa personne.

Louis : Madame Royale, appréciez-vous les festivités ?

Eleanor : Elles sont certainement festives...

Louis : Je suis ravi de voir que Thornolie continue son amitié avec la Francesim. Veuillez transmettre mes salutations à votre père.

Eleanor : Si seulement vous aviez l'opportunité de les transmettre en personne.

(Longue pause)

Louis : Je dois dire que vous êtes intrigante, Madame Royale, pour une ambassadrice. Mes conseillers m'ont parlé de vous, ou du moins, ils m'ont dit ce qu'ils avaient entendu sur vous, si bien que j'ai voulu voir si c'était avéré.

Eleanor : Dites-moi donc. Qu'est-ce que vos conseillers jugent digne de vous dire à mon sujet ?

Louis : Ils disent que vous n'êtes pas très bavarde, pour faire simple. J'aimerais vous inviter à Compiègne un de ces jours pour que nous puissions mieux nous connaître. Qu'en dites-vous ?

Eleanor : Dites-moi, sire, est-ce tout ce qu'il vous faut pour vous imposer à une femme ? Entendre dire qu'elle n'est pas très bavarde ?

Louis : Madame, vous m'avez complètement mal compris. Je suis juste...

Eleanor : Non. J'ai bien peur que ce soit vous qui m'ayez mal comprise. Peut-être ne devriez-vous pas prendre à cœur tout ce que vous entendez, surtout de la part de personnes qui prétendent leur loyauté uniquement pour cacher leurs propres agendas. Alors, vous pourriez être capable de tirer des conclusions valables sur les gens par vous-même. En fait, puis-je partager ce que j'ai entendu à votre sujet ?

Louis : Je vous écoute, Madame...

Eleanor : Aux yeux du public, vous êtes le jeune empereur chéri que tout le monde aime louer. Pas un seul cheveu de travers, pas un seul événement auquel vous assistez ne vous désavantage.

Louis : Un récit pas déplaisant...

Eleanor : Peut-être que les mots que j'ai entendus sont plus favorables que je ne vous l'ai laissé croire.

Et pourtant... en vous observant ce soir, il est facile de voir pourquoi il serait difficile de percevoir ce qui se cache derrière l'acte de fumée et de miroirs que vous projetez. Et c'est tout ce que vous êtes : de la fumée et des miroirs. On vous a tout donné sur des plateaux d'argent et nourri avec des cuillères en argent, et donc vous n'avez aucun problème à croire que tous ceux à qui vous daignez parler se prosterneront pour vous donner tout ce que vous désirez. Alors pardonnez-moi, sire, si je refuse d'être une autre.

Louis : ... Pourtant, nous sommes faits de la même étoffe

(Courte pause. C'est à ce moment qu'Eleanor montre une faille dans son armure aux mots de Louis)

Eleanor : C'est peut-être vrai, Louis, mais tout le monde ne prend pas soin de leur tissu de la même manière.

Marie-Joséphine : Votre Majesté, puis-je me joindre à vous ?...

Louis : Bien sûr, Mère.

Eleanor : Bonsoir, Madame Mère.

Marie-Joséphine : Madame Royale. C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer.

Eleanor : Vraiment, le plaisir est pour moi. Mon père était catégorique pour que je vous transmette ses salutations.

Marie-Joséphine : Merci, c'est apprécié.

Eleanor : Je crains que vous deviez me pardonner. Malgré la charmante soirée organisée ce soir, je me sens un peu fatiguée et je dois me retirer. Pardonnez-moi. (révérence) Sire, Madame Mère. (S'en va)

[eddies-disability-swag-blog]

Can USAmericans be normal about Jews FOR FIVE SECONDS?

So, for those not in the know, climate scientist and Nobel laureate, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo just won the Mexican presidency by a landslide, becoming the first woman president of Mexico (Her term doesn’t start until October, but whatever), and also apparently the first Jewish president of Mexico.

Her Jewishness is not noteworthy because Mexicans really don’t care about Jewishness unless they’re a particularly Antisemitic individual. You will not hear people talk about someone’s Jewishness as of its something that important to a person’s character the same way you’d hear people talk about Jews in the US. We literally couldn’t care less, Mexico is home to thousands of WWII Refugees from different background and thousands of SWAsian immigrants, people literally could not tell you who’s a Jew or not and probably don’t care either way. I only learned Sheinbaum was a Secular Jew via US and UK news, Mexican news did not consider it a relevant thing to report on.

So, while looking for English language news about her election to see what they think about her up north I came across swathes of antisemitic comments. I saw people using a menagerie of dog whistles, “Jews are a rich secret elite” kind of comments, comments saying things along the lines of “Hmmm… Sheinbaum definitely sounds like a traditional Mexican surnames” and comments calling her a Zionist, despite her criticism of Israel’s crimes and the fact her government will join South Africa on its genocide lawsuit against Israel.

I just ask, why?

Why can’t USAmericans be normal about Jews?

Mexicans literally do not care

Who is this benefiting?

Sorry for the rant, I’m just deeply frustrated about this and needed to put it to words.

[undersxcore-vee]

9-1-1 season 7 finale thoughts

much like everyone else, I was disappointed! :D I felt bad for being disappointed but like??? what was that? the cartel? Bobby being up and walking after having his heart stop for 14 MINUTES??? BUCK WAS UNDER FOR 3 MINUTES, 17 SECONDS AND WE WENT THROUGH MORE! I saw someone say that they didn't like how they took mara from a lesbian couple and placed her with a straight one - I hate that take bc the way that I see it is a friend doing a favor for another friend. chim and Maddie could do this for hen and Karen so they fucking did! also did anyone else notice the weird cut near the end when Athena got handed the phone after the fire in the warehouse? AND THAT WEIRD SUS LADY THAT WAS IN THE HOUSE?? I knew too much going into the episode bc of stills but I genuinely didn't know about Gerrard. . . I teared up bc holy crap (regarding my last post, waaatch watch how the 118 will be working under this disgusting man but they will all remain the kind and caring people that they are bc that's who they aaaare! cough cough tommy cough cough) also let's talk about the way that as soon as buck was canonically bi, he basically became a background character. oliver deserved better after all his excitement to explore this new aspect of buck??? what the fuck was this shitshow?

[arabian-batboy]

Don’t play with me now, this better be for real-