#The Prairie Nerd Posts

[hestusjamsession]

Faces of Hyrule.

[merp-blerp]

Gaylor/Kaylor and Oz: Parallels and Theories 🌼🌈❇️

CW: Light Spoilers for L. Frank Baum's Oz book series (books 1-15) and major spoilers for Return to Oz (1985). And this post is very late-stage-Kaylor-specific, so if that's not up your alley, that's chill.

Overblown Analysis Under the Cut ↓

As a huge Oz nerd, I and many others have noticed many Oz media parallels in Taylor's music. I wanted to piece together some I've seen mentioned and some I've noticed myself. More things could pop up as time goes on, so I could imagine me editing or making a second part to this post if necessary.

Part 1: Rainbows 🌈

In the 1939 film, Dorothy's home, Kansas, is portrayed as a dreary sepia or greige color, that way the contrast to the gorgeous technicolor of the land of Oz could be even more effective on the audience. Somewhat surprisingly I guess, this sepia color is reflected in the book, with Kansas being described as "the great grey prairie" and even W. W. Denslow's original illustrations of Kansas being colored in greige; the pages don't include more color until Dorothy is swept into the cyclone on her way to Oz.

So many of Taylor's lyrics describe events turning her world from colorless to colorful or vice versa. "The rest of the world was black and white // But we were in screaming color" from "OOTW", "You showed me colors you know I can't see with anyone else" from "Illicit Affairs", "If all you want is gray for me // Then it's just white noise, and it's my choice" from "BDILH", "Like a rainbow with all of the colors" from "ME!" turning into "I'm just... in shades of greige" from "The Prophecy", etc.

For TTPD, from a gaylor perspective, the sepia and greige theme of the album is supposed to reflect that for Taylor the closet is colorless and sad. It also invokes old Hollywood and how closeting is an old-fashioned practice figuratively and literally. Closeting is a practice based on outdated mindsets and fears and it's been a practice since Hollywood as we know it today was beginning to be established. MGM Dorothy actress Judy Garland was in at least one lavender marriage and might've been queer herself, but the latter isn't as confirmed as other victims of closeting of the time like, say, her husband Vincente Minnelli. Taylor often utilizes vintage imagery in her music, romanticizing it, but the song "TTPD" (and other points in the album) calls her out for it with her lover having to remind Taylor that they are living in modern times despite being held down by old-fashioned ideals. The Wizard of Oz (1939) film is arguably the epitome of old Hollywood nostalgia, so it makes sense for Taylor to use it as a way to tell the story she wants to tell, especially if it's a queer one since Oz is very special to a lot of queer people.

For what it's worth, Ashley Park performed the film's song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on The Drew Barrymore Show in what looks to be the Christian Siriano rainbow dress. Fun! Curiously, I can't find a video of this performance, I just happened to stumble upon this GIF on giphy.com and an article talking about the performance.

As an extra tidbit, in the Oz books, the rainbow is personified in the character Polychrome, the youngest daughter of the rainbow. She happens to be featured in one half of a certain famous quote from The Road to Oz. Polychrome comments, "You have some queer friends, Dorothy," to which Dorothy responds, "The queerness doesn’t matter, so long as they’re friends." This quote is theorized to be the inspiration for the phrase "friend(s) of Dorothy" in queer slang. And it's nice to have a friend like Dorothea, of course. Speaking of which...

Part 2: Dorothy and Ozma 🌪️🌺

Dorothy Gale needs no introduction, but I will give Princess/Queen Ozma one since she's a more niche character. Ozma is the rightful ruler of Oz. The "Wizard", Oscar Diggs, was not meant to rule over Oz. He went to great lengths to usurp the throne from Ozma's father, Pastoria, and hide Ozma away as a baby, dumping her on a witch named Mombi, who enslaves her and disguises her as a boy named Tip so she and others won't know her identity. She learns the truth about who she is and takes back her throne in book 2, The Marvelous Land of Oz (This backstory is why Ozma is a trans icon, along with a sapphic one). Ozma and Dorothy meet each other in book 3, Ozma of Oz, and are inseparable from there on. A common queer interpretation of Oz sees Kansas as like the closet and Oz as being out and free. A part of why the queer interpretations of Oz work particularly well in the books is because in The Emerald City of Oz, Dorothy and her Kansas family move to Oz permanently when Kansas stops being liveable for them. So Dorothy becomes the second ruler of Oz and Ozma's "constant companion" at Ozma's "proposal", as L. Frank Baum describes it. Dorothy is the only person allowed in Ozma's bedroom unannounced, which is cutely domestic. Baum's story and John R. Neil's illustrations of the two often depict them as being very close, holding hands, and kissing. It's not really knowable if Baum intended for it to be seen this way, but many modern Oz book fans see them as a couple.

Naturally, there's the theory that Taylor's song "Dorothea" is about Karlie, as well as the fact that Karlie dressed up as Dorothy for Halloween 2023 and did a partly-Oz-inspired photoshoot in 2010, among other Oz-themed things. Also, after the first book, Baum had a falling out with Denslow and appointed a new illustrator, John R. Neil; Neil's design of Dorothy sports a blonde bob, which reminds me of the "Karlie Kut" a bit, even if that's coincidental. Since the Karlie as Dorothy theory is pretty well established, I want to forward a theory about Taylor taking on the role of Ozma.

For starters, Taylor wears a gingham green dress in her music video for "Karma (ft. Ice Spice)" as she skips and sweeps down a yellow brick road in red shoes, looped braids, and lemon beret. This outfit is a bit perplexing, as while it seems very Dorothy-inspired, it actively makes itself just different enough from how Dorothy is illustrated in the first Oz book and seen in pop culture. It could be suggested that this is for copyright reasons since 1939 Dorothy is not in the public domain yet and using that likeness would require making a payment. However, thanks to the book specifically describing/illustrating Dorothy as wearing blue and white gingham and pigtail braids, these features can still be used, as all of Baum's Oz novels are in the public domain. Oddly, the only potentially copyright-able aspect of Dorothy's costume is the one that Taylor kept, the ruby slippers exclusive to MGM's '39 film, since in the book Dorothy's shoes are silver. So why were all these unnecessary changes here?

My main theory is that Taylor is subtly invoking Ozma in a way that would still be recognizably Oz-ian, as I don't think most people would catch on to the Oz reference if Taylor dressed as a more accurate-looking Ozma. Hence why the gingham and red shoes are present even though Ozma is never described as wearing anything like that. Ozma is often depicted in long flowing white or green dresses. And while Ozma's hair is usually free in Neil's illustrations, her hair is sometimes tied into a bun, and Taylor's looped braids seem to be in the same family as a bun (I don't know how else to say that, I hope you get what I mean...). The lemon beret is hard to explain. As far as I know/can recall, lemons have never played a major role in any Oz media, so my guess is that the hat is meant to match the yellow brick road or maybe slightly invoke the fighting trees from the film and book. Since Taylor's outfit is similar but not the same as Dorothy's, it could be interpreted as Taylor dressing as someone adjacent to Dorothy, or a friend of Dorothy's, and Ozma would definitely fit that title. Ozma is also a fairy, so this also lines up with my Taylor is the beast to Karlie's beauty theory, since a fairy is a creature. And as the small, coincidental cherry on top, Ozma was originally described as blonde like Taylor in the story's text, despite the fact that Neil always drew her as a brunette. Dorothy's appearance outside of her clothes is rarely if ever given, that way anyone could see themselves in Dorothy, her design not mattering too greatly. The only clue to her physical looks is in the illustrations, but the consistency changes over the Oz series when it comes to Dorothy's design, so again it doesn't matter. Kind of like how, whether a song has male pronouns or not, it’s always describing Karlie, the "design" of the muse not mattering. And it actually does make some sense for Ozma to have the ruby slippers, even though she never had them in the books, but more on that in the next part. If Karlie is Dorothy, Taylor is Ozma.

An alternate, more flimsy idea is that Taylor is dressed as Dorothy in her green dress returning to the Wizard with the wicked witch's broom as proof that she melted her. However, this doesn't quite work for me personally, as in the film, Dorothy never got a green dress from the Emerald City. And while book Dorothy did get a "green" dress, she never had to bring the witch's broom to the Wizard and her dress wasn't actually green but white; it only appeared green in the Emerald City due to the green spectacles everyone was tricked into wearing by the shamming Wizard. And of course, book Dorothy's slippers weren't red like Taylor's, but silver. Maybe I'm being too particular, but to me, the details of the two titular versions of Oz make this idea weak.

Another idea is that Taylor is dressed as an amalgamation of Dorothy and the witch, which is definitely an interesting thought. In the 1st book, both Dorothy and the witch have no magic of their own and need to obtain magical items, like the silver shoes or the golden cap. But the difference is that the witch uses her power to do evil while Dorothy doesn't know the power she has, even by the time the shoes get her to Kansas again, as they presumably could do way more than that. The idea of Taylor combining the two is interesting, but again the red shoes put me off.

I think the Ozma theory works the best (and I think it's the cutest).

The story of Ozma being unrightfully taken from her throne and hidden away from everyone and herself reminds me of many stories told through Taylor's music. Lyrics like "I (I) don't (don't) like your kingdom keys (keys) // They (they) once belonged to me (me) // You (you) asked me for a place to sleep // Locked me out and threw a feast (what?)" from "LWYMMD" and trapped imagery in MVs like "Willow" feel somewhat reminiscent of that story.

Taylor isn't any kind of genderqueer as far as anyone publicly knows for sure, but Taylor definitely seems to have no problem with aligning herself with masculinity and taking on male roles. Take things like the wonderland photoshoot (Lordy! 🤭), Taylor semi-confirming she's Folklore's JaMEs, "The Man", "Peter", and maybe etc. Ozma being a girl but forced to present as a guy for years could be seen as similar to Taylor having to paint some of her songs about women as being from a male perspective, or some songs never being officially said to be from a male perspective being assumed to be so anyway, like "Question...?"

One more small parallel between Taylor and Ozma: Ozma is often pictured as wearing two poppies, one on each side of her head, seemingly in her hair or connected to her crown. Reminds me of "Say a solemn prayer, place a poppy in my hair" from "The Great War".

Part 3: Return to Oz 👠

Return to Oz (1985) is an unofficial sequel to The Wizard of Oz (1939) made by Disney. It takes the stories of The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz and combines them into an original story. At least in America, this is the only feature-length film to feature Ozma and attempt to vaguely adapt the novels more closely. (Context for RTO photos in the image descriptions, which is the case for every image and GIF on this post because why the hell not)

Return to Oz adds a setting that wasn't featured in any of the Oz books: a mental hospital. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, concerned that Dorothy isn't sleeping and won't stop insisting Oz is real, send Dorothy to a mental hospital in an attempt to get her help (not out of malice). As we know, TTPD features the theme of asylums prevalently. The treatment chosen to help Dorothy is electroshock therapy, similar to Taylor receiving electroshock therapy in the MV for "Fortnight". In "Down Bad", Taylor says, "They'll say I'm nuts if I talk about the existence of you", just like how Em and Henry thought Dorothy needed psychiatric help when she talked about Oz being real.

When Dorothy stays over at the hospital for treatment, a character named Nurse Wilson (Kansas doppelganger of Mombi) escorts her to her room; Nurse Wilson wears a black dress very similar in style to Taylor's black dress from "Fortnight".

When the power goes out and the electroshock therapy isn't given a chance to begin, a fellow patient revealed later to be Ozma helps Dorothy escape the asylum by freeing her from the bed she's strapped to and bolting with her. Ozma and Dorothy slip into a river while running away, in which Ozma finds an abandoned chicken coop for Dorothy to ride through said river to Oz, Dorothy fearing Ozma drowned during the process until the end of the film. This is similar to Taylor and Post Malone's character escaping the asylum after Post cuts the power in "Fortnight". Ozma unstrapping Dorothy from her bed is similar to the nurse who unchains Taylor from the bed in "Fortnight", theorized to be played by Karlie herself. And Ozma finding the coop for Dorothy to ride away on is reminiscent of Taylor clinging to her piano in "Cardigan". Clinging to something when in rough water is common imagery, so it could definitely be coincidental, but I thought I'd mention it.

In this film, Ozma is trapped in a mirror by the witch Mombi, reminiscent of Taylor depicting herself as trapped behind glass closets in numerous MVs. After Dorothy saves Oz, she is the one to free Ozma from her glass prison by touching her hand and guiding her out of the glass, similar to Post and Taylor in the last scene in the "Fortnight" MV. Ozma in the mirror behaves like Dorothy's reflection, which reminds me of Taylor having Post's tattoos when she wipes her face in the mirror as if to say she's a reflection of his character.

Dorothy gives Ozma the ruby slippers before leaving Oz (Disney paid for the right to use them). That could help to explain why Taylor wears the ruby slippers that Ozma never had in the books if she's truly dressed as Ozma. And notably, when dressing up as Dorothy for Halloween, Karlie wore a full Dorothy costume, except for the ruby/silver slippers, arguably the most important part. As if Karlie was in "Kansas" and gave Taylor her shoes.

Dorothy chooses to return home in the end, but Ozma gifts her a way for them to communicate: through her mirror. This way Ozma can watch over her and when Dorothy wants to return to Oz, Ozma will make it happen. I've mentioned the parallels with the glass closets, but this also reminds me of "A tiny screen's the only place I see you now" from "Dorothea". In the book and '39 film, Dorothy uses her shoes to get back to Kansas, but in RTO, they are presumably going to be used to get Dorothy back to Oz when the time is right. So maybe after Taylor potentially comes out she will use Karlie's ruby slippers to sweep into the rescue and save Karlie from Kansas/the closet and back to Oz/freedom with her. Outside of RTO, it could also work the other way, with Taylor using the shoes to go home, especially with all the lyrics Taylor's had about returning home to/with her lover. Kansas doesn't represent anything bad in the original story, so it's possible that Kansas isn't a debilitating cage/closet, just home where you feel safe with the ones you love. Ozma also encourages Dorothy to keep their communication secret. Dorothy wants Aunt Em and Uncle Henry to know of Ozma, as she calls for Em to come and look as soon as she summons Ozma. But Ozma seems to see it as best kept quiet, no exact reason given to the audience from what I can tell, but it's understood by Dorothy and Ozma themselves. Pretty similar to Kar and Tay maintaining their closet for reasons we gaylors don't fully get to know, at least not yet.

(I didn't know where to put this little factoid, but in this film, the only times Ozma really smiles is at Dorothy. It's not important, just a bit cute and sad.)

And as a bonus for you Spade riddle fans out there, when Dorothy meets Ozma in the hospital, Ozma gifts Dorothy a pumpkin because "it's Halloween soon". The pumpkin is a Kansas doppelganger to an Oz character called Jack Pumpkinhead, who calls both Ozma and Dorothy "Mom" because Dorothy saved him from Mombi and Ozma built him and brought him to life. A bit reminiscent of Karlie and Taylor having Levi and Elijah if you ask me. I'm admittedly not a huge riddles person because it goes a bit over my talents, but I think they're intriguing and I'm curious if the riddles and Oz/RTO together would mean anything.

There's debate on whether Post's character is supposed to represent Taylor working with herself to get free or Karlie. I think it could be either or even both in a convoluted way. I like both theories. If "Fortnight" is based on RTO, the roles of Ozma and Dorthy seem switched, with Dorothy rescuing Ozma from the asylum. However, the tattoo mirror scene suggests that Taylor is mirroring Post's character, or playing him, and if that's Karlie, maybe the MV could be seen as Taylor playing Karlie in a sense since they're "twins" whose pasts are "parallel lines", while Post is either playing Taylor or Karlie; they are one and the same. The MV is really interesting to ponder in general.

Part 4: Miscellaneous Oz Connections ❇️

Lightning round (filled with tons of reaches)! ⚡️

In the "ME!" MV, Taylor and Brandon running up to the green building with a rainbow beam on it whilst in green marching band outfits looks similar to Dorothy and her friends running toward the Emerald City in the '39 film.

The all-pink soldiers in the marching band scene of "ME!" remind me of Glinda's all-female red army in the books.

In "loml", Taylor sings "The coward claimed he was a lion", a reference to the cowardly lion.

The men in the "ME!" MV falling from the sky with umbrellas reminds me of Dorothy and her cousin Zeb falling through the sky with an umbrella down to Oz in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz.

Taylor might've been in a Wizard of Oz play at her school in 2006. The linked post doesn't give too much evidence admittedly, but I think it's worth saying that the play at least happened at her school.

I wasn't sure where to put this mini-analysis, but I think it's interesting that Taylor associates Dianna Agron with Wonderland and Karlie with Oz and the differences that could suggest. Alice and Dorothy go through similar adventures, but the two go about them very differently. Dorothy adapts to Oz very quickly and loves it there, enough for it to be her second home. Meanwhile, Alice certainly doesn't enjoy Wonderland as much as Dorothy loves Oz, itching to get out and stay out. Dorothy is very active in her role, making friends and changing Oz forever, while Alice passively goes through the motions and lets things happen before escaping to the next thing. It seems like Baum wrote the Oz books to give children lessons on friendship, feminism, and more, while Lewis Carroll wrote the Alice books with the exact purpose of saying nothing and giving birth to the genre of "nonsense writing". And Wonderland is definitely a dream in the original two novels while Oz is a very real place in the books. I know the associations seemingly have to do with the muses’ actual taste in fairytales, but I wonder how the differences speak to the story Taylor’s spun in her music about them. Assuming both Oz and Wonderland are freedom to some degree, does Wonderland being temporary speak to Taylor and Dianna as a couple, while Taylor and Karlie are still ongoing IMO, just like the Oz book series to this day (Canonical Oz books are still being written by different authors. There’s 40+ of them)? Is there something in the fact that Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is an English fairytale and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is considered the first American fairytale, and Karlie convinced Taylor to stay in America and live in New York rather than London where Dianna was? Do Alice and Dorothy’s different reactions to their discovered worlds speak to how both Karlie and Dianna feel about closeting vs being out or maybe how they feel toward Taylor in some way? I genuinely have no clue, but it's some interesting food for thought. (This isn't Dianna, Swiftgron, or Alice's Adventures in Wonderland slander btw, I don't know enough about Swiftgron besides the basics to do that.)

In Conclusion 🌼

I have no way of knowing if Taylor has even read the Oz books, seen Return to Oz, and knows all this information, but I think it's fun that these connections are there. If there are more connections you thought of or ones that you think I missed, let me know!

Thanks for reading!

[hecckyeah]

I'm visiting Minnesota for the first time outside of the airport this year and I recall you posting a bit about that state. Any recs of cool things to do/ good places to eat in the Twin Cities?

OMG yess exciting!! I grew up right in that area :))

I'll add what I can think of off the top of my head, but maybe some of my other MN moots can chime in? @3friesshortofahappymeal

I'll start with the big ones, then scale it down a bit :)

The Mall of America, for sure. I know it's a typical tourist attraction but it really is quite spectacular and worth a short trip. Sometimes there are cool concerts and events going on in the Rotunda (they have a list here), and if you've ever been shopping and thought, hmm I could go for a rollercoaster right about now, then the MoA's got you covered :) Also, I haven't been but my brother says the Fly Over America exhibit is AMAZING

Minnesota Zoo!! I haven't been there since my childhood, but they used to have this treetop rail which I think they replaced with a walkway. Either way, it's fantastic, very informative, super adorable!

The Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul!! Seriously one of my FAVORITE places ever. There's an omni-theater, which is worth the trip in itself. The exhibits are top tier, tons of interactive stuff for adults, and it takes FOREVER to get through it, so you know it's worth the admission price :)

Stillwater is about a 30 minute drive from the Cities, but it's incredible if you want to do some light hiking and visit some cute shops!

I've never actually been to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, but it's a top destination if you have the time/interest for it!

Depends on what time of year you're visiting, but you have your pick of lakes to swim in (or paddleboard, rent a boat, lay on the sand and get burned by the sun, etc) Some favorites are Long Lake, Wayzata Beach, Silver Lake, and White Bear Lake Park!

There are some super nice walking paths around the Stone Arch Bridge

The Mill City Museum is worth a visit if you're a huge nerd like me :) It's a great little peek into Minnesota history and culture!

The Guthrie Theater for SURE, especially the yellow tinted room a couple floors up. Iconic MN spot!

Asia Mall in Eden Prairie! You can get some top tier boba there

If you have time to drive a little further north, I personally love the Albertville outdoor shopping mall. They're all outlet stores, and it's enormous and a really nice area.

Again, I've never been but The Armory always has some kind of events/small scale concerts going on. I think my brother saw The Band CAMINO there a couple years ago :)

Sadly I'm way less educated on restaurants in the area :( I know the Maple Grove area has tons of elite spots, and you really can't go wrong around the downtown area around the US Bank Stadium.

That said, just a couple places I do know of--

Fogo de Chao in Minneapolis

Henhouse Eatery in Minneapolis

Teppanyaki Grill in Fridley

Hoagie's Family Restaurant in Hopkins

Also, just a side note, if you have a day or two to spare, I'd HIGHLY recommend a trip up toward Duluth and the North Shore. In my opinion that's the most gorgeous place in all of MN.

Again, MN moots feel free to chime in!! I haven't lived in the Twin Cities area the last couple years and now I'm moving back soon, so I'm a little out of touch hahaha, especially after covid :)

I hope this helps!! Have an AWESOME time, and definitely let me know how the trip goes!!! <3 I love MN, it has so much to offer <33

[sunshinebunnie]

Hi! Regarding the Director’s Cut asks, I may not be doing it right but I’m curious…

What inspired you to write Prairie Doll? Such a unique AU, I would love to hear more about your research process. ❤️

*Squealing* Thank you so much for the ask, Jess!!! (Sorry in advance because I’m totally gonna nerd out. lol) So, given Fez’s interest in Little House on the Prairie and being all ‘bout that farm life as his long term plan, it got me thinking. One of my two majors in college was History, and I had a subconcentration in U.S. History circa the Civil War/Reconstruction era. (I’ve been fascinated with this period of US History for a loooooooooooong time. lol) Anyways, it got me thinking of what would Fez’s life look like during this era. Although people were going out to California during this time, because the Transcontinental railroad hadn’t been completed yet, I hesitated to have Lexi try to follow Cassie out to California because if she’d lost contact with her, it would be highly unrealistic that Lexi going after her would be successful, and I’ve always known I’m going to reunite the Howard sisters in my story (It’s coming! I SWEAR!!!).

Given those 2 constraints, I tried to think of somewhere in the US that would be relatively far from where Lexi & Cassie started (which would make a little more sense why Cassie was responding to a mail order bride advertisement), while having enough going on that I could introduce the other characters in a way that made sense without trying to retcon entire arcs/storylines, but still being a little chaotic in a way that a state/city that was established for 100-200 years at this point in history likely wouldn’t be. I also didn’t want to feel duty bound to really dive into Reconstruction politics/attitudes by setting the story in the post-Civil War South, not to mention, I just didn’t get the vibe that Fez would’ve fought for the Confederacy. The other thing that I really enjoy about it (although it’s definitely been challenging at times) is that it’s such a fun era of history to think about how would things that we don’t necessarily think about play out in this world.

For instance, Ash’s awkward clothing sitch. Like, for the most part (certainly in canon Euphoria), if Ash started having a growth spurt or he had clothes he didn’t like, what have you, he or Fez could just go to the store or order something on Amazon or whatever. They have the means—both actually and economically—to get him clothes he likes and that fit. The whole idea that people would give him shit for not having clothes that he doesn’t look awkward in is a little crazy. But, transport him to the late 1860s/early 1870s? Yeah, now it’s a little less realistic (even for merchants with a little bit of money) to think he either (a) has some huge selection of clothing to pick from or (b) it would be easy for him to just get/find/buy clothes that are the right size. I mean, commercial clothing production really was just not as much of a thing back then, and clothes were still fairly expensive. It wouldn’t be uncommon to expect multiple members of the family to wear the same clothes, but add in the fact that they’re not living with Kitty full time and there’s no other wife/female relative who would be expected to take care of family tailoring for them, yeah, Ash more than likely would get stuck not only wearing Fez’s hand-me-downs but wearing them even though they don’t fit and he looks ridiculous doing so. But those kinds of things are great for the story! Because then it makes it easy/easier to figure out how to introduce the characters into each other lives and have those sub-conflicts (What does A need from B?) that help drive the story forward and develop the characters within the larger context of the story I’m trying to tell. 

Anyways, I hope you like this BTS take on Prairie Doll!! Thank you so so so much for letting me nerd out and talk about my story/writing thoughts!!! 🥰💗🥰💗🥰💗

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (7-13 May 2023)

ᵗʰᵉ ᵗʳᵘᵉ ᵏᶦⁿᵍ

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

😍👂‍Gilded Cage (Lilywhite Boys #2) (KJ Charles, author; Cornell Collins & Victoria Aston, narrators) - I fucking love Susan Lazarus so much. Love a prickly, irritable female character that ISN'T softened by 'true love'.

🥰The Scandalous Letters of V & J (Felicia Davin) - an epistolary historical fantasy romance with two nonbinary main characters - read this via email and it was great, can't wait to reread in book form

🥰Do Not Meddle in the Affairs of Grad Students (for They Are Caffeinated and Quick to Nerd Out) (theemdash) - 46K, stucky no-powers modern AU - roommates-to-lovers where they're both HUGE LOTR nerds

🥰when i don't touch you it's a mistake in any life, in each place and forever. (antithetical_dreamgirl) - 48K, steddie AU - actual AU where Eddie dies (apparently) in the Upside Down and then wakes up 10 years in the future in an alternate universe, more or less married to Steve - lots of good angst with an HEA

💖💖 +140K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

Lucky Screwdriver (Zenaidamacrouras1) - MCU: stucky, 6K - a ridiculous bit of fun, riffing on that grindr screwdriver borrow tweet/post - just left me with the biggest grin

Gold Sunlight and Deep Water series (justanotherStonyfan) - MCU: stucky, 19K - great short series with mer!Steve; the 2nd installment in particular has some really, really quality monsterfucking

my soul's adorning grace (goseaward) - KJ Charles' Lilywhite Boys series: Jerry/Alec, 1.6K - Jerry buys some lingerie for Alec - hot af + nailed the character voices

No School of Desire (drunktuesdays, michaud) - AEW: OC/Chuck, 6K - I know zero about wrestling but I do know this is a hilarious and hot af fic

The Haunting of Harrington House (Kedreeva) - Stranger Things: steddie, 8K - Steve Harrington inherits a haunted house - absolutely DELIGHTFUL (and tho it's tagged with MCD it's not actually sad)

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Finding Your Roots - s9, e3 (Carol Burnett & Niecy Nash)

The Brokenwood Mysteries - s9, e5

Ted Lasso - s3, e9 [x2]

Um, Actually - s2, e10, e12-16; s8, e4

Eurovision 2023 - Semi Final 1

Eurovision 2023 - Semi Final 2

Dirty Laundry - s2, e12

Eurovision 2023 - Grand Final

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

Re: Dracula - May 7: Stranger in a Strange Land

Re: Dracula - May 8: Foul Bauble of Man's Vanity

Into It - 'Mrs. Davis' Just Wants You to Be Happy

Re: Dracula - May 9: Castles in the Air

Switched on Pop - The Jonas Brothers' Yacht Rock Revival

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - National Poo Museum

The Sporkful - The Musical History Of Jelly

⭐Decoder Ring Plus - Who Owns the Tooth Fairy?

ICYMI Plus - We’re Sorry

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Best TV Series Finales

Strong Songs Bonus Episodes - The Light and Dark of Music, with Lily E. Hirsch

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Close to the Edge

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Iowa Remnant Prairies

Vibe Check - Britney Spears Was Onto Something

⭐99% Invisible #536 - Nuts and Bolts

Re: Dracula - May 11: Pray for my Happiness

Richmond Til We Die: A Ted Lasso Podcast - A Guide to Midwestern Conversation (with Taylor Kay Philips)

Ologies with Alie Ward - Invisible Photology (INVISIBILITY CLOAKS) with Greg Gbur

Dear Prudence Plus - My Co-Worker Repeatedly Ignores My Boundaries. Help! (with LeVar Burton)

⭐Endless Thread - #BlackFaeDay

Into It - Are We Into a New 'Zelda' Game, the End of MTV News, and 'Jury Duty'?

Re: Dracula - May 12: What Manner of Man is This

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Butter Sculptures

Twenty Thousand Hertz+ - Songbugs

American Hysteria - Munger Road | Urban Legends Hotline

Overinvested - Ep. 279: Jurassic Park

American Hysteria - Hysteria Home Companion: The Vanishing Hitchhiker

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

lofi hip hop radio 💤 - beats to sleep/chill to [LoFi Girl]

synthwave radio 🌌 - beats to chill/game to [LoFi Girl]

Dub Instrumentals

Back To The Yacht

Eurovision 2023

The Album [Jonas Brothers]

The Family Business [Jonas Brothers]

[hesitationss]

susan blight followed me on IG years ago prob cuz i'm friends w M, but the funny thing is that she did not follow my art account (that I don't use), she followed my personal one where i don't even post... there are just rando selfies and a couple dabi pics... like one of them is of my friend holding a piece of art that they painted of me and dabi almost kissing... older indigenous aunties love weirdo anime nerds it's true... that's why there are so many furry artists in the prairies.. the older ones encourage it!!

[skogkronet]

This is a new blog, but I've been around for a long time.

My name is Kayla, and I'm a very, painfully average 30 year old lady living in the Canadian prairies.

Expect to find art, nature, folklore, anarchism, and nerd stuff interspersed with the occasional personal post here.

TERFS/SWERFS/NAZIS and general bootlicking scum are never welcome, and will be blocked on sight.

Find me on Insta here, if yer feelin' nasty.

[greysthegreen]

Http www ivideo com tw

#HTTP WWW IVIDEO COM TW UPGRADE#

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#HTTP WWW IVIDEO COM TW FREE#

Im going to osaka with the deal of the week I love Japan and go out of my way to help anyone who has an interest in visiting.

#HTTP WWW IVIDEO COM TW FREE#

If anyone has any questions or whatnot feel free to get in touch with me. His name is Akira and his English is pretty decent! Here are the links to the two properties: You choose the start date of your pass when you redeem the pass voucher at the appropriate ticketing counter, so a little planning on when you'll actually be using the pass is suggested.įor anyone visiting Kyoto, a friend of mine runs two AirBnBs.

#HTTP WWW IVIDEO COM TW UPGRADE#

I got the standard fare pass, and never paid to upgrade to a reserved seat and it was fine for travel from mid-end of September. Prices are the same pretty much anywhere you can order the vouchers as far as I know.

#HTTP WWW IVIDEO COM TW PORTABLE#

I'd definitely recommend bringing along a portable usb battery to keep your pocket wifi and other devices charged.įor the JR Rail Pass, I used the 1 week version and for my purposes it was worth it. You can pick up/drop off at the airport or a hotel (return envelope included). I would lose service only when going through tunnels while on the bullet train, otherwise very reliable (travelled from Tokyo as far west as Hiroshima).īattery life was pretty good, just make sure to turn it off while charging overnight I rented the Standard Wifi unit in 2014 and it was great. Just wanted to leave some feedback/advice for those taking advantage of this great deal. Unfortunately, I won't be able to take part in this deal, but hopefully something similar comes up in 2017 when I plan on visiting Japan again. May be cheaper to rent for a month and return early (was for us!) all kinds of coupon codes to be had for it as well. May add some more laterĮdit: Found a really good really cheap pocket wifi for use in japan.

Akihabara - Electric Town - Anime Nerd City.

Shinjuku (Night club district I think?).

Īs for Itinerary, a few things we are considering: Other subways can be used by purchasing a SUICA or other subway pass. It can be purchased in many places and you receive a voucher, which you must trade in at a JR office for the official pass. Typically it is said that if you are not travelling a long distance in Japan (IE Osaka to Tokyo) then a JR pass is not worth the money. Make sure to research where you want to go and what subway lines to be sure this can be used. This pass works for all Major bullet train lines operated by JR, as well as some local subways. I don't know an exceeding amount about the JR Pass, but I know once its activated, the days you can use it for are sequential (IE, bought 7 days, activate on a tuesday, it expires next tuesday). For those that don't, return cost is your responsibility. Choose wisely! They ship the pocketwifi to the post office at the air port so you can pick up then. Usually they have 2 options - 1 super-fast but with limited bandwidth, 1 slower but unlimited bandwidth. Pocket Wifi Carriers (There are definitely more options than I list: I think the basics of this thread will surround Pocket WIFI, JR Pass, Subway, Itinerary, etc. Non-stop from Toronto, Canada to Tokyo, Japan for only $754 CAD roundtripīooked 18 days in sept. Non-stop from Toronto (1 connection Ottawa & Montreal) to Tokyo, Japan – $784 CAD roundtrip including taxes | Air Canada PRICE DROP!! ANA | Toronto / Montreal / Ottawa to Tokyo, Japan for only $597 CAD roundtrip including taxes. a-1975139/)ĪNA | Toronto / Montreal to Tokyo, Japan – $681 CAD roundtrip including taxes. Toronto / Ottawa -> Osaka RT $542 & Montreal -> Tokyo / Osaka RT $537 (. Toronto / Montreal / Prairies -> Tokyo RT $756 (. Toronto / Montreal / Ottawa to Tokyo, Japan – $674 CAD RT (one-stop) Toronto/Montreal -> Tokyo RT $725 (one-stop U.S.) Toronto to Osaka / Kyoto, Japan - $541 CAD roundtrip including taxes Non-Stop Toronto to Tokyo, Japan - $679 CAD roundtrip including taxes (1 Stop) Toronto, Montreal or Ottawa to Tokyo, Japan – $602 CAD roundtrip including taxes | Delta Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal to Tokyo w/ Delta $749 Oct to May Help reduce your jetlag with Jet Lag Rooster for guests and the guide during the tour shall be borne by the guest." *Well, not 100% free, but it's not that bad given that these are your local Japanese citizens giving up their free time to show you around: "All costs such as transportation fare, entrance fee, meals, etc. Want to have a FREE* Tokyo Tour Guide? Click HERE See the Japan Autumn Color Report if that's something you want to catch: īest Currency Exchange I found in the GTA (which I will use for my trip): Kantor This thread is intended for RFDers to share information / tips / pose questions regarding travelling to Japan.

[damallarky]

“I suspect you have questions.”

What would Solas’s Animal Crossing catchphrase be? Because I can’t think of a good one and it’s keeping me up at night

[theprairienerd]

Top 5 Games from the PlayStation 5 Event

1. Little Devil Inside

I will admit I never even heard of this game before the Sony event, which is a shame because apparently it’s been on Kickstarter and even had a Steam page for a while. It looks incredible. The art style is incredible. The gameplay looks incredible. And it looks hilarious in a weird sort of way. There’s a lot going on here but I’m here for all of it. 

2. Spiderman: Miles Morales

I am so excited that my boy Miles is getting the attention he deserves. He’s been one of my favorite Marvel characters for a while now and it’s so cool that not only did he get a kick ass movie, but now he’s getting his own standalone game. I still haven’t played the first Spiderman game (it’s on my list) but I am HYPED for running around Brooklyn as Miles. 

3. Kena: Bridge of Spirits

This game is BEAUTIFUL. Like, it is totally my aesthetic. It is made by a studio that, before getting into games, made animated shorts. Most notably this one. And the gameplay looks VERY Zelda like which I am also 100% here for. I cannot wait to dive into this game!

Plus look at these guys omg:

4. Stray

The apocalyptic, cyberpunk cat simulator I didn’t know I needed. I have absolutely no idea what’s going on but I need to play it. Like, really bad.

5. Horizon: Forbidden West

Other than the reveal of the actual PS5 itself, this is what I wanted the most from the event. And boy did it deliver. Horizon: Zero Dawn is easily one of my favorite games of all time, and the sequel looks to be even bigger and better.

I’m coming for youuuuu Sylens! 

Bonus: Project Athia

This game looks cool. The main character looks like a total badass, the powers look sweet and the monsters look suuuuper awesome. As long as it’s not too Souls like, I'm down to give this a go. 

[hestusjamsession]

I love that we have a better photo mode in TOTK. And Goron City is pretty photogenic.

[coco-returntomitclan]

My part of an art trade with @alemanriq! I loved drawing such a happy Hector, which, let’s be real, is the best Hector amiright???

[humblerose]

Here’s my skid and skadult (?) oc’s for Sky: Children of the Light, Rose and Chibi (or Fleur if it’s comfortable). I'll be drawing them a lot over the next month or so, and might write some more about their journey. Feel free to keep an eye out for these two in game, as I quite literally play as them, and don't be a stranger, as I accept all candle lighting offerings =w= For the sake of trying not to crowd the tags, I've typed out what the boxes say and the dialog, as well as some more details and a bit of lore on these two, under the read more. :3c Please feel free to read it! Do note that I have incorporated me and my spouse's headcanons into this, so if something seems weird its most likely because of that, sorry in advance!

Rose’s box in the top right reads:

Rose

She/They

Quirky Moth Mom

Adult ((Main Oc)) *yes, I know that technically skids don't age, but I am an adult and I'd like my main Oc to reflect that. Also she's more of a sona than an Oc, but it's whatevs

Shorter than average

Bonded to Voiden (Spouse Oc))

Loves: Flowers, Jellyfish, Ice Skating, and stars

Dislikes: Crabs, and paper boats *that crowd high traffic places, such as the return portal at Home

Chibi’s box in the lower left reads:

Chibi (or Fleur)

She/Her

Sleepy “Flight battery pack”

Baby ((Side Oc))

Perma-Chibified

Rose & Voiden’s child

Loves: Clouds, her Bunny head-prop, and sleeping

Dislikes: Krill, and walking

The dialogue bubbles are Rose, in pink, saying, "What do you mean you 'dropped' the Moth in Eden?!", with the response in blue being Voiden saying, "It was an accident, for the most part..."

Moving on! This is the part where headcanons show up, so please excuse the weirdness.

Rose was born after Eden fell, though her parents are unknown. The only clue she received was her cherished fox pendant and a unknown glyph scribbled on the back of her childhood clothes. She lived by herself as an orphan in the daylight prairie until she could withstand the wild winds of the rest of the world. She was alone in her travels for a long time, and managed to pass through Eden by herself due to pure luck and a strong sense of curiosity. Since then, she's made it a point to always help new skids with gaining their wings and helps to settle them into the world of Sky. When not enjoying a candle run or completing daily goals, she spends her time in Daylight Prairie helping with the multiple puzzles there and also takes frequent trips to Eden to help guide skyfolk through the treacherous land.

She is an adult, but due to malnutrition and some weird magics, she's ridiculously short, and her friends make fun of her for it. One day she might get her hands on a height spell...one day!

At some point in her journey she met her current gaggle of family which consists of a tall skadult named Voiden who she met in the Hidden Forest after he was blown into there by the newest wind paths, and her dear friend Z, who was lobbed into the Vaults faster than "Oh Krill!" could be beeped in the same winds. Shortly after meeting, Voiden and her began their courtship, due to a strong mutual interest and trust in each other. They sealed their bond by running through Eden together, sharing their last lights to keep each other safe until the very end of the run.

Fleur (Chibi) is roughly the age of a human toddler if a human toddler was in Sky. The winds blew her off of her mother and carried her to the Isle of Dawn, where she wandered alone until Rose found and adopted her. Rarely will one be found without the other now, as Chibi adores Rose and vice versa. Only Voiden gets to carry her around when Rose needs her wings and hands free, though Z tries his hardest to be her favored uncle-figure, even by giving her her nickname of Chibi. She's a shy child, hiding on her parents shoulders when around newcomers, and will rarely call out due to this.

(It gets a lil sad here, just a heads up!)

Due to an tragic accident where Rose and her were hit by a particularly active krill and multiple crabs in the Golden Wasteland, Chibi spends most of her family's daily trips asleep on her mother's back. Rose tries her hardest to avoid running the wastelands due to this accident, and when it is mentioned she feels horrible for not saving Chibi in time to avoid the damage she suffered. Maybe one day she'll be healed enough to stay awake, but for now she dozes peacefully even through the worst gusts of wind.

(ok, sadness over!)

So that's it, for now, on these two's lore =w=

[sunshinebunnie]

Hello! I've just finished 2nd chapter of the Private Dancer *silly Fez&Lexi* Private Dancer and Prairie Doll have very! different settings, and it seems a bit unusual (in a good way) to me that two such different things could be written by the same pen. How did both ideas cross your mind? And is it hard to work on two premises so separated from each other?

Prairie Doll is a gorg❤

Awwww!!! Thank you so much for dropping me such a lovely note, @mimbletonia-mimbulus!!

As for how the ideas crossed my mind, I’m a pretty big history nerd (US Civil War/Reconstruction—basically pre-WW I is my ultimate jam!), so when I started thinking of ways I could play around with these characters, the American Plains post Civil War just felt like a really natural fit. As for Private Dancer, the gremlins were getting really annoyed at me for how slow burn Prairie Doll was being, and demanded an outlet. 🤣🤣🤣 I got the idea of the sex club with the candies from Babylon Berlin. I liked the twist that Fez isn’t actually a sex worker, but because that’s how they meet Fez and Lexi, they both kinda get stuck on the idea. 🥰🥰🥰🥰

As for keeping the two ideas straight, thankfully they’re so different that knowing what I want to accomplish with each isn’t too bad. The part I do tend to get a little more caught up with is which tense I’m using for each story and some language stuff. Like, wanting to have Ash or Rue say they’re “not a fan” of something in Prairie Doll then remembering that “fan” is a shortening of “fanatic” and that people in the 1860s wouldn’t speak/think like that, and then having to rephrase the idea in a way that’s more authentic to the period. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

I have to say, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you saying that it’s hard to believe the same person is writing both stories!! I try to challenge myself with all of my stories to do something I have do before—whether it’s play around with a different trope, do stuff with grammar I don’t normally do, even change up my smut (in one story I wrote for a different fandom, for example, I actually wrote a soul mates smut scene where the guy didn’t actually get the girl off at first and she legitimately felt bad about it!). Especially for someone who is well aware of her brand, and takes pride in being a smut writer quite honestly, I know it can be easy to fall into a formula with that type of storytelling. If people like you are going to share your time with me, the last thing I want you to be is bored because you can already predict how my story is going to turn out by like the 2nd or 3rd chapter. 😊😊😊

Thank you again so much for talking to me!!! I really appreciate it! 🤗🤗🤗🤗

[montmartre-parapluie]

Will you please explain American Girl Dolls to my poor European self? Thank you!

Hi @orlissa!

I’m probably not the best person to explain, being a UK gal and very, VERY new to the fandom- but what the heck, I’ll try! 

picture-heavy below the cut! 

I’ll borrow from my good friend Wikipedia for the serious facts:

“ The Historical Characters line of 18-inch dolls, which were derived from the 18-inch dolls made by Götz in West Germany (during the late 1980s to the 1990s, were initially the main focus of Pleasant Company, founded by Pleasant Rowland in 1986. This product line aims to teach aspects of American history through a six-book series from the perspective of a girl living in that time period. Pleasant Rowland came up with the idea after she returned from a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, where she noticed there was a significant void in the toy market for younger aged dolls and saw an opportunity to provide an alternative to baby and adult dolls.

Although the books are written for girls who are at least eight years old, they endeavour to cover significant topics such as child labour, child abuse, poverty, racism, slavery, animal abuse and war in manners appropriate for the understanding and sensibilities of their young audience.”

There were initially 5 original dolls. You could choose from Molly, a girl from World War 2,  Addy Walker, a fugitive seeking freedom during the American Civil War, Kirsten, a little Swedish girl from 1854 who lives on the prairie, Felicity, who deals with outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and Samantha, who’s from 1904.

it sounds pretty dry and educational In the Wikipedia , but oh my giddy aunt, the QUALITY of the stuff they put out! 

for instance, here’s Kirsten - and this is just a FRACTION of her collection. She had hand-painted wooden furniture, beautifully made. She had trunks. She had 19th century accurate little footwarmers, reproduced ACTUAL children’s books FROM the 1850s, Her Saint Lucia’s Day outfit! Even down to warm flannel underwear for those cold nights out West in the New World!

And here’s a close-up of the LITTLE school set. A REAL Victorian school slate, chalk that actually works, a little schoolbag - authentic miniature exercise books from the 1850s - even tiny merit awards printed on card! And all authentic!

This isn’t the only doll they do this for, either? Addy?

real little crinoline, working wooden Lazy Susan table, Victorian bonnets, tiny perfect little sewing accessories.

Samantha also gets accessories that look like they’re straight from an Edwardian Toyshop...

(the flower pressing kit! the tiny skates! The painting box!!)

Molly’s stuff wasn’t/isn’t as interesting to me, because I’m not really into the  20th century, but even her accessories are cute! (the little 1940s radio!)

I tell you, I would have SOLD my soul for any of this. ANY of it. But especially Felicity, because the 18th century has always been my favourite time period , and her stuff...just  WOW. I feel the need to give you all her stuff, because... it was amazing.

THE TEA SET. THE PATTENS. THE MINIATURE HORNBOOK. THE CLOTHES PRESS. 

And this stuff is all really faithfully produced, and just... really well made and researched. As a history nerd, I get twitchy fingers just looking at all this!

And they just.. KEPT on producing this awesomeness. All through the 1990s and 2000s. They extended the range to include  Kaya'aton'my, a Native American girl from 1764, Josefina, a Spanish Colonial girl from 1824, there was a Regency girl, Caroline from 1812. - and Marie Grace and Cecile, a lovely set of  French friend dolls from New Orleans in the 1850s - and there were so many more!  

I am incredibly bitter & twisted that Europe & the UK didn’t get a look in on buying these. (although I think West Germany had them in the early 1990s?) I suppose as it’s American history, they didn’t think it would sell well abroad, but - gah, I’d have bought it all! And they could have branched out into European history, which is just such a tempting thought.... 

(You can probably see why I post about A Girl for All Time - they’re very much a new UK take on American Girl)

My mother actually collected American Girl stuff for a while when the US postage was cheap enough for it to be feasible , but I wasn’t around then much and only took a vague interest. Lock-down’s been making me re-evaluate my opinion! Especially once I learnt the company made do-it-yourself SEWING PATTERNS as well...

(this is definitely on my to-do list, by the way. )

Recently the company has archived most of these lovely things in favour of more modern dolls, which I think is a REAL shame. Educational, well-made and fun is a hard mix to achieve in one go, but American Girl did it. Definitely worth a Google search if you’re interested in seeing more!

[techmomma]

SINCE I CANNOT DRAW CURRENTLY Here’s a rundown of different planet types in Starbound. All planets revolve around one of five types of stars: Gentle, Temperate, Radioactive, Frozen, and Fiery, with each increasing in difficulty, respectively. Certain planets will only appear on certain difficulty tiers. So for example, Lush/Garden planets only appear around Gentle stars, while Volcanic planets only appear around Fiery stars, but most of the other planets can occur in varying degrees around different types of stars.

There are six tiers of planets/objects you can visit. Their primary biome is typically what gives them their name. A planet that has forest biomes, but is mostly a garden biome, is called a Garden/Lush Planet.

Some spoilers for the gameplay storyline.

Tier 1 (easiest)

Garden planets: These are your starter planets. Lush, full of resources, they usually have a mine and for sure have an Ancient Gateway, a teleporter to the ARK. They only have one surface biome, which is Forests, but can have mini-biomes within including Spring biomes, patches full of flowers, and Mushroom forests, full of mushrooms several stories tall and usually housing the Agarans.

Barren planets: Like the name says, there ain’t shit-all here. These are mostly for base-building, and are easiest to terraform later around end-game.

Moons: Where you find the Erchius Fuel in both liquid and crystalline form. There’s no atmosphere, so you need an Environmental Protection Pack (EPP) to give you breathable air. Fun to bounce around on with lighter gravity. Beware not to dig too deep, for you may disturb what lies below...

Asteroid Fields: Empty pockets of space with big chunks of asteroids you can mine for copper, silver, and sometimes gold. The only enemies are ghosty-type monsters that mostly just sort of bug you.

Space stations and friendly ships: You can visit stationary space stations for missions, resources, and sometimes gathering crew members. Friendly ships are also places for resources.

Tier 2

Forest planets: A little bit more difficult than Garden planets, but still with resources galore. Biomes can also include Gardens and Jungles, and mini-biomes include Alpine, Giant Flower Forests, Mushroom Forests, Spring, and Swamps, where Froggs live. Forest planets are where you’re most likely to find settlements of Florans.

Desert planets: Now we’re really getting someplace different. Covered in sand, cacti, and palm trees; beware the occasional sandstorm.Biomes can include Barren (fucking nothing there), and Savannah, with grasslands and trees and prairies. Mini-biomes include Oases with healing water and reeds, Tar Pits with oil and bones, Colorful with rainbow trees, and Bones. With bones. And bone caves. And bone people. Who want to eat your bones.

The Erchius Mining Facility: Owned by a Hylotl corporation, this is how you repair your ship’s FTL drive to explore other systems. Horrible mutated monsters who were miners now want you dead, along with an unspeakable horror deep in the bowels of the mine. 

Tier 3

Ocean planets: Planets covered in a giant ocean with floating, sandy islands. The islands only rarely have settlements, but there will often by Hylotl cities, ruins, and sunken ships on the sea floor. There are no secondary biomes or mini-biomes. Needless to say, this is the type of planet you can most commonly find Hylotl.

Savannah planets: Dry grassland planets, not as lush as forests but not as dry as deserts. Can have Garden, Barren, Desert, and Forests as secondary biomes, and can have Colorful, Tar Pit, and Bone mini-biomes. These are most populated by the Fenerox npc race.

Snow planets: Snowy wonderlands. Chilly, but not perilously so. They can contain Garden and Forest secondary biomes, as well as Alpine, Bioluminescent (glowy glowy), Steamspring (full of steampunky machines and melted pools), and Prism (full of rainbow crystals) mini-biomes.

Hostile ships (occur on all following tiers): Space pirates and cultists abide here. You can steal their shit.

Space Anomalies (occur on all following tiers): Space dungeon encounters. You don’t know what they’ll be until you explore them. Mostly generic encounters, such as old mining facilities, labs, refineries, shelters, and space camps, but can be more unique encounters such as derelict USMC ships, Novakid saloons, astro-gardens, space diners, and more.

The Floran Ceremonial Hunting Grounds: Go through some underground caves with monsters to fight a giant gross spider.

Tier 4 (only accessible after acquiring the EPP for radiation)

Jungle planets: Your most likely bet to find Avians. Filled with tropical jungles and monsters. Secondary biomes can include Garden, Forest, Savannah, and Mutated. Mini-biomes can include Giant Flower Forests, Mushroom Forests, Eyepatch Forests (forests made of eyeball trees and uhh. Eyeball dirt), and Swamp.

Mutated planets: Bathed in radiation, the jungles are full of weird colors and stripey-trees and pools of poison. Can have Jungle, Savannah, and Forest secondary biomes, and Eyepatch, Flesh (yes, fleshy blood-cell ground and fleshy... trees) mini-biomes.

Toxic planets: Like ocean planets, but with a poison ocean and industrial wasteland cities in the background. Whoever made these planets is a mystery, with only their toxic cities and radioactive waste left behind. The toxic ocean can only safely be explored with the Poison augment to your EPP. No settlements, hostile or friendly, live on these planets. 

The Grand Pagoda Library: An ancient Hylotl structure with untold numbers of books. A nerd named Koichi lives there, and you have to save him from Cultists trying to attack the library. 

Tier 5 (requires Heat EPP upgrade)

Arctic planets: Ocean planets, but frozen, with icebergs floating on the surface. Ain’t nobody live here, too gotdam cold.

Tundra planets: The icier, harsher version of snowy planets, and where the Apex are most likely to be found. Secondary biomes can include Garden, Forest, Snow, Midnight (more later), and Decayed (more later). Mini-biomes can include Prism, Alpine, Steamspring, and Bioluminescent.

Midnight planets: Cloaked in darkness, the sun does not reach the surface, and the ground is made of obsidian with black, ashy trees that grow up out of it. The enigmatic and silent Shadow race live on this planet, speaking in whispers you can’t hear, and living in spooky, small temples and structures. Secondary biomes include Desert, Tundra, Forest, Snow, and Barren, and mini-biomes can include Bioluminescent and Hives (made of purple, hexagonal ground and gross, pulsy white larvae and monsters and I hate this one).

The Great Sovereign Temple: The Avian dungeon. Tomb dungeon-crawler, and defeat Not-Kluex to gain the artifact at the end.

Tier 6 (requires Cooling EPP upgrade)

Decayed planets: For you Mad Max, Fury Road fans. Scorched, barren, post-apocalyptic worlds with rusted skyscraper cities and Deadbeat npc race living in the tattered remains of buildings, made of rusty pipes and tarnished metal and garbage. Whatever ruined these cities isn’t elaborated on. Have fun. Secondary biomes include Volcanic (more later), and Midnight. No mini-biomes, but lots of microdungeons, like rotting skyscrapers and old roads to explore.

Magma planets: Ocean planets, but with MAG-MA. These are, imo, the most difficult to resource-gather from, because there’s no augment to protect you from the lava, so getting to the magma ocean floor requires building large pillars in a very, very careful way, laboriously, down to the ocean floor from one of the islands--both in the foreground and background. 

Volcanic planets: Like magma planets but more traversable. Still a hellscape. The ground is magmarock, difficult to mine, but there is ore a-plenty once deep enough. Hot volcanic ash can rain down and catch you on fire. Secondary biomes can include Midnight, Desert, Decayed, and Forest, and mini-biomes can include Bones, Geode (full of geode rocks that hum different notes and sparkly crystals), and Foundry (rusty metal machines that harness the heat for power, with NPC workers and rusty metal trees). The Glitch are most commonly found on these planets.

The Miniknog Stronghold: Fight Big Brother with Apex rebels! 

The Baron’s Keep: Cultists return on a metal as hell bone dragon to steal an artifact from the eccentric glitch the Baron. Defend him and his castle.

The Ruin: Endgame. Beat up the asshole who destroyed your planet. 

Tier 7??

Tier 8 (spoilers)

Ancient Vaults: These are your post-endgame dungeons, where you get access to Ancient Essence, which powers terraformers. They have the hardest enemies, and are like enhanced challenge portals. They’re accessed by the ancient Gateways that exist in the outer ring of some solar systems.

Gentle stars can have Tier 1 and 2 planets. Temperate stars can have Tier 2 and 3 planets. Radioactive stars can have Tier 2, 3, and 4 planets. Frozen stars can have Tier 2, 3, 4, and 5 planets. Fiery stars can have Tier 3, 4, 5, and 6 planets. All stars can have Gateways and Asteroid Fields.

Special Note

Gas giants are technically an object in solar systems; you just can’t land on them! Moons and planets of all tiers can orbit them. 

At least, you can’t land on them without a mod or two...