#and by full artist i mean a very artistic person with a clear direction but hobi is in a grand scale and joon is a intimate one

[pinboxes]

this is the most kpop song out of all their solos so far

[theywontletmebeprincipal]

anyway here’s my cornley polytechnic drama society into the woods fancast because I think it’s the perfect sort of show for them to fuck up 👍

jonathan plays the baker, alongside sandra as the baker’s wife. I imagine this is shortly enough after peter pan that they’re still very bitter at one another. said bitterness absolutely shows onstage, but it fits the characters perfectly and the audience ends up thinking that they’ve just finally gotten good at acting. jonathan brings a homemade “medieval feast” to celebrate opening night and it poisons the entire cast

annie plays the witch. this was the only casting decision that was unanimously regarded as good until chris let it slip that he’d ultimately done it because she was “the loudest singer.” robert took great offense at this and, despite having no interest in the part before, began campaigning to play the witch instead. it did not work. annie’s witch costume has two layers to make the quickchange at the end of act 1 easier, but the top layer keeps falling off before the reveal is supposed to happen. her magic staff is supposed to emit a smoke effect but it keeps malfunctioning, and at a certain point she just gives up and tapes lit cigarettes (stolen from trevor) to it. this goes about as well as you’d think

dennis plays the narrator. everyone had assumed it’d be an easy role for him since he could just read all of his lines off his book prop, but this is proven wrong near instantly when he starts genuinely reading the book instead. when dennis actually does start reading from the script, it becomes immediately clear that he somehow has the director’s copy and the entirety of the rehearsal notes are read out loud, including several deeply personal things that chris has written in his script for convenience

dennis also plays the mysterious man, but he keeps forgetting which way he’s supposed to be related to the baker. over the course of the show he goes from father, to son, to brother, to father again, to distant cousin, to grandmother

chris plays cinderella’s prince, alongside robert as rapunzel’s prince. they spend the entire show trying to out-act one another, and it goes without saying that this ends up a complete disaster. robert makes any moment into an unplanned duet to try and prove that he could have succeeded in seducing the baker’s wife. chris shows up at rapunzel’s tower and attempts to choke robert out with her wig. they get in an opt-up battle at the end of agony (reprise) that ends with robert singing a note so high it shatters a stage light

in accordance with typical into the woods casting, chris also plays the wolf. he orders a very expensive “wolf suit” online from someone he thinks is a bespoke costume artist. it doesn’t arrive until opening day, and it becomes immediately clear that what chris has actually bought is a full on fursuit. it’s very hard to see in and he keeps running into the fake trees

robert is double cast as milky white. there is no practical reason for this whatsoever, as milky white could’ve just as easily been a puppet or some kind of cutout on wheels, and it’s very obvious the whole thing is just a power move on chris’ part. during the scene where milky white is meant to “eat” the props, vanessa misunderstands and literally feeds them to him. he chips a tooth on cinderella’s shoe

due to a lack of numbers, vanessa is playing both cinderella and rapunzel. her costume is split down the middle, and due to this she can only face in one direction as each part. this means that half of the time she’s facing away from whoever she’s talking to, and that she frequently has to walk/run backwards without turning her head at all. whenever cinderella and rapunzel talk to each other she faces straight forward. the break-off mechanism in rapunzel’s side of the wig doesn’t work (sandra ends up stealing a single, barely visible hair), so she’s also constantly tripping on her hair

max, being in a new relationship with sandra, desperately wanted to play alongside her as the baker so that they could kiss onstage. unfortunately for him, he is playing jack instead. although this is maybe the single most-fitting role he’s ever been cast in and he’s genuinely giving a great performance, the opportunity is ruined by his having to do every scene accompanied by robert’s milky white

lucy was supposed to play little red, but was pulled from the production the day before opening by her parents, who have banned her from performing with “robert’s troupe” after what happened in peter pan

consequently, little red is now being played by trevor, who is wearing a costume far, far too small for him. trevor manages to get away with reading his lines off papers pinned to the inside of his cloak, but he doesn’t know any of the songs, so sandra has to sing them offstage for him while he lipsyncs

all of the ensemble characters are played by a celebrity “guest” frantically switching between various comically large hats. chris tried to get francis back for this part but after some careful deliberation he determined that it would genuinely be easier to kidnap a famous person than to get francis to come back after the disaster that was peter pan. the tension is only worsened when, via a botched music cue, it’s revealed that francis is now an active member of trevor’s metal band

the giant was supposed to have been played by trevor via voiceover from the sound booth, but now that he’s onstage playing little red the part is left to approximately four members of the run crew who are desperately trying and failing to say the lines in unison. lucy breaks into the theatre sometime during the baker’s wife search sequence and takes over the giant’s part the next time she’s on, much to trevor’s dismay

the worst fuck-up award goes to annie, for accidentally knocking the supports out from under dennis’ narrator platform during last midnight and triggering a chain reaction in which every fake tree onstage topples each other one by one like some terrible, life-threatening game of dominos. honorable mention goes to chris for spending $6000 of max’s inheritance on a custom costume without actually seeing it at any point during the process

the worst injury award goes to max, for getting his circulation cut off and almost losing a hand after his arm got stuck inside the golden hen puppet midway through act 2. honorable mention goes once again to chris, who got stabbed with a bunch of glass shards when robert broke that stage light

[gamebunny-advance]

An Idea.

So, I've seen a couple of those "Fixing/Redesigning X Character" videos, and I'm kind of a sucker for any kind of reimagining of almost anything. Very few things please me as much as "thing, but slightly different," like when you see fictional brands of real products in games/cartoons and stuff.

Anyway, I got an idea for my own twist on the concept: "Redesigning Ugly Animal Crossing Villagers, But We Follow the Laws of Equivalent Exchange".

That title is a little grander than the actual idea, but the gist is that it's one half redesigning an "ugly" villager to be "cuter," but the other half is taking a popular villager and making them "ugly."

I dunno, if I can actually make a video about it, but I wanted to at least give it a test run as a proof of concept.

If there's anyone in particular you want to see me redesign in either direction, feel free to let me know~

Till then, I used a randomizer to pick two villagers from the top 20 villagers and the bottom 20 respectively to be our first sacrifices for "fixing".

Ranked #4 Fuchsia, and #409 Broffina.

Fuchsia (Popular to Unpopular)

First thoughts: Pleasing color pallet, slight punk edge. She's an overall aesthetically pleasing villager. Just going by looks, I'd think she was a peppy villager.

Increased her make-up since "glammed up" villagers tend to be unpopular and to call-back to her ultimate goal of being a make-up artist.

Shrank her irises to give her a less friendly look.

Changed hair to be slightly less flattering.

Changed her clothes to fit with the new theme better.

Overall, I wanted to give her a "rougher" look to fit more with her Uchi personality. She's got a tough outside, but her pink color implies that she's actually sweet deep down.

Tbh, I think she's a little too similar to Renee now since they're both "pink tough girls" but, I guess that just means I did things right since Renee isn't too popular either XP.

Broffina (Unpopular to Popular)

First Thoughts: Inoffensive, but kinda boring. She's just a chicken with lipstick. If it weren't for her clothes, I don't think I would have noticed that she's supposed to be Latin American inspired.

Gave her a Day of the Dead theme. Villagers with "themes" tend to get popular and would make her original inspiration more pronounced.

Kept most of her body the same to make it more clear that she's just wearing make-up and not an actual skeleton bird. If I went full in, I fear that she'd stop being "Broffina" and just become an original villager, which isn't the ultimate goal here.

Overall, the main goal was just to make her "interesting". She wasn't ugly before, just boring. I think I could have been a little more meaningful with her make-up, but I like the concept at least~

[lavendermoonlitskies]

Life updates that nobody asked for <3

Hi. So my life has been kind of hectic lately and it has been really hard finding comfort in anything, but I think I might slowly be coming out of that stage. I posted a little while ago that my dad might have cancer for the second time in his life and I was kind of falling apart at the thought of it, and now it has been confirmed that it is, in fact, cancer.

The good news is it’s localized, which means that in its current state, it’s a small tumor and it hasn’t spread, so all hope has not been lost, which is what I think I was really afraid of. Someone told me that the hardest part is waiting for test results and not having any idea what the future looks like, and I think that’s true because even though it was bad news, we are not experiencing the worst case scenario at this point. That could be set to change, but I would drive myself insane if I keep thinking about it like that, so I’ll try not to. He has a treatment plan, and that’s gonna go on for another couple months before they reassess and figure out where to go from there. I still have hope that it will go away, and I think it’s really important for me to hang onto that for my own sanity.

With everything going on, with all the crippling anxiety that goes along with it, I still have the urge to create. I’m not the best writer, I’m sure my work at this point is littered with mistakes and it’s clear to any professional that I am most certainly not, well, a professional. I know my writing hasn’t reached that much of an audience and I am so okay with that, but it brings me joy. I’ve always had little stories floating around in my head and this last year has been the first time in a while I’ve actually sat down and put it to paper (or perhaps more accurately to a google doc that’s never going to be printed on actual paper).

I know that the gap between the time I posted the first chapter of The Road Less Traveled (GO fic) and whenever I’m going to finally update it again keeps getting larger, but it crossed my mind again today and I remembered all my plans for it, and even though things in my real life look bleak right now, I almost felt excited for just a moment. It’s going to be slow, but I want to keep this story going, so I’m just going to have to be patient with myself.

In addition to that, I’ve been reading a lot of original novels lately and I feel inspired. I’ve never written anything that even comes close to a full-length novel, but I have this concept and I think it’s a good one. I’ve created characters, plotted stuff out, and even written a scene or two, so I guess I’ll just have to see where it goes. I think that this has kind of always been something I’ve wanted to do in the back of my mind, and with where I am in life right now maybe it’s as good a time as ever to try something new just because. I’ve let depression and anxiety consume me before, so even though this is a very real and very scary situation that could go in a lot of different directions, I don’t think I want to let myself do that this time.

November is coming up (sort of), and I know that that’s a really important month for writers, so I’m sort of getting myself ready for that. People are organizing NaNoWriMo alternatives, so I might jump in on one of those (side note: fuck the NaNoWriMo people for claiming that denouncing the use of AI in creative spaces is “ableist.” As a disabled person, that is a deeply insulting misuse of a word that is meant to shed light on the real issues disabled people face every day). I am an amateur, I don’t know what I’m doing at all, but maybe there’s something beautiful in someone who doesn’t have any “credentials” as a writer/artist/etc. just creating something because they want to.

[fitzs-trained-monkey]

How TVD Could Have Been 10,000 Times Better:

(Some Creative Writing Disguised as an Essay)

Look, I think we're all aware that TVD sucks. But that doesn't mean it had to be that way. The CW ruined plenty of shows; SPN, TVD, TO, Legacies, Arrow - I could go on. In spite of weak plot or disappointing endings, these shows had some excellent character concepts and could have been so much better if someone had put just a touch of creative thought into them.

Now, I can't pretend to know much about acting or the world of production, and I can't say I could actually direct anything effectively, but I do have something of an artistic eye. So if I had been the one to direct something like TVD, then I can guarantee that at least the cinematography and music choice would have been ten times better.

Allow me to demonstrate.

Example One:

Do y'all remember the scene where Klaus breaks his curse? (Of course you do.) Let's face it, there are plenty of very cheap, practical tricks that could have made that scene feel ten times as natural and formidable. But, for now, let's just focus on camera and music. The ending to that particular episode with that big, frightening cliffhanger was alright. But you know what could have made it that much better?

Some gosh darn cinematography. So, picture this, if you will:

The full moon has passed it's apex and now sets over the tops of the trees - the forest beyond is black as night. On the edge of the trees, a lone wolf - wild and fierce - is seen prowling into the woods and the camera spins, flipping upside down and you realize... The moon isn't going down at all, it's only just begun to rise. The eerie howls of a wolf pack can be heard in the distance as Feelin' Good by Michael Buble plays full blast....

Significantly better, right? Let's have another.

Example Two:

In season 4, Kol (aka the love of my life) slaughters a bar full of freshly turned vampires. Such would have been an excellent opportunity to exploit the show's TV-14 rating for use of gore, and seeing as vampires aren't technically human, that gives a show a little extra leniency with its gore total. (TVD rarely used gore to it's fullest potential, just a little bit of set dressing and makeup can really drive a scene home. Just watch The Originals: The Awakening web series. That was well used gore.)

Now, even after all the show did to dismiss him, Kol is still a reasonably intimidating character. However, that extra carnage allotment could have been used to create a truly terrifying antagonist. Instead, the show chose to reduce a one-thousand-year-old being's massacre of a dozen or more relatively innocent people to some vague off-screen unfortunate mishap. This was - pardon my French - AN ABSOLUTE PUSSY MOVE!

They could have shown the kills and brought all the horror, without breaking the season's gore total. How? Why like this of course...

The woods are quite dark, but not black. The old pine trees lining a well-traveled dirt road are individually discernable but only just, lit in tones of grey. It's just barely sunrise, yet shadowy figures seem to flit through the dim light. The camera angle is set on the ground, like a person lying in the dirt.

An early morning fog creeps along, pooling in the clearing provided by the path as it carves its way through these forboding woods. The fog rolls and shifts - you're unsure if something or someone has disturbed it. You wait - another moment, another heartbeat - and then you see it: A tall, shadowed silhouette appears through the fog - small and faint at first but growing clearer, stronger as he approaches, much like the music that begins to play - heard by the viewers through the dark figure's headphones. The terrible stranger stalks closer and closer, seeming to grow larger than life, thanks to the camera angle which changes as he passes. The camera moves with him, circling around him once in one continuous shot before settling just a short distance behind. The song heard in his headphones is Stayin' Alive by Bee Gees' and he sways to the beat - casually, carelessly - as he walks toward that absolute dump of a bar.

The figure opens the door and the music becomes just a bit muffled as the door swings shut behind him. The song continues for a moment - just a second or three - calm and ordinary as one would expect and then

BAM!

BLOOD SPRAYS ACROSS A WINDOW!

Suddenly, the audio is no longer confined to those headphones; it expands outward, and now intertwined with the music, the audience hears the screams, the pleas, and the tortured cries of those poor souls as they're slaughtered like pigs. One by one, the screams cut off until it's once again only the music. Then, just as you thought it was all finally over, there's a loud crash - the door opens with a bang and you see a pair of hands latch onto the doorframe. They scrabble and scratch, burning under the faintest touch of sunlight. Something tugs at them, drawing them back inside, but they fight! Then, with a spray of blood across the camera, the hands go slack and are yanked back inside.

The screen goes black and the music stops...

See what I mean?

With just a little bit of camera creativity and a dash of practical effects, TVD could have been so much better, right?

[persephoneflowerpetals]

I was tagged by @enchantedchocolatebars to do this little OC questionnaire thingy so let’s go!

do they have allergies?

Nope, Persephone is a goddess so she doesn’t get sick or have allergies or anything like that. There are things that may not agree with her, like in the Driving Test episode of Hercules the Animated Series Hades mentioned that nectar and ambrosia give him gas (I believe in an earlier episode he drank a glass of “nectar flambé” and burped a huge flame lol, so I guess it’s true). I like to think that maybe Persephone is lactose intolerant (because I’m actually lactose intolerant despite my love of dairy lmaooo and Persephone is a self insert OC), so when she eats a lot of ice cream (she loves ice cream btw lol) or cheese she gets a belly ache or gets gas like Hades lmao, but yeah lol. No allergies.

what foods will they not touch?

In a somewhat recent ask someone asked Persephone about what vegetables she likes to eat, so I guess to answer that I’d say most vegetables lmao.

what kinds of music do they like?

I’d say (in the modern age of course lol) that Persephone’s very into pop music and music from the 70s and 80s. Her favorite artists would be Sofia, Madonna, ABBA, and One Direction. Just very girly pop music lol. In fact I have a playlist of songs I think she’d have on her personal playlist lol (I was gonna save this for a post featuring all my Hercules playlists but hey might as a give a sneak peek lol!)

how are they around new people?

Persephone is pretty introverted and shy. She always has been since she was a kid (mainly because her mother was very strict, especially when it came to her making friends), but she does enjoy making new friends. She’s generally very nice and polite towards new people. She doesn’t usually go out of her way to introduce herself to them first or anything.

do they speak in an accent?

Nope. Just like most of the characters in Hercules, she has a general American accent.

have they tried learning a new language?

I mean, not really? She was taught to speak Greek and Italian when she was growing up (because she’s a Greek and Roman goddess), but that’s about it.

how many languages do they know?

Just 3. English, Greek, and Italian.

what is a song that will always make them cry?

Oh, man. That’s good question lol. Uhhh…probably Home by Michael Bublé (that song makes me cry irl lol). Oh and also I’ve Been Waiting For You from Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again (legit makes me cry every time I hear it and I don’t even have a baby lmao)

how do they cry? heaving? silently? sobbing?

Depends on the situation and who she’s around. She’s pretty socially anxious and self conscious so if she’s around people she doesn’t know very well she’ll cry silently, trying not to be too loud or full out sob. However, if she’s around people she knows and trusts (like her husband, mom, or friends) she’ll straight up sob. But yeah, how much she cries depends on the situation.

how do they dress? for practicality or fashion?

Well, how she dresses depends on the au lol. But I suppose in the main universe she’s in (the movie/series au) Persephone dresses in traditional attire for Ancient Greece. She mainly dresses for practicality, but sometimes she’ll dress for fashion. Like, her regular attire (her pastel violet dress) is more modest and flowing while her underworld attire (her black dress) is more snug on her body and shows more cleavage (mainly due to Hades’ influence lol).

what is the first thing they notice about a stranger?

Usually, their attitude and personality. If it seems like someone she wouldn’t get along with (like Hades before they fell in love lol) she steers clear of them.

what is their humour like?

She’s got a pretty goofy sense of humor. She likes silly, nonsensical things, like memes and shitposts lol. She isn’t a huge fan of dark humor (unlike her husband), but she’s cracked a dark humored joke once or twice that’s put Hades in stitches lol.

do they have scars? what caused them?

Nope. I headcanon that in the Disney Hercules universe that gods can’t get severely injured (since they’re immortal and can’t die), but they can get kinda hurt and feel pain. Like, if they bump their head on something it’ll hurt or if Zeus throws his lightning bolts at someone lol.

do they wear jewelry?

Nah, Persephone’s not a jewelry type of goddess. She prefers to be more flashy with her clothes than her accessories lol. Also, she doesn’t have her ears pierced (she isn’t a fan of pointy objects being inserted into her skin). In a modern AU she’d probably wear a little bit of jewelry like a wedding ring/engagement ring or a fancy necklace Hades would’ve bought her as a gift lol.

are they a frivolous spender or a miser?

Persephone definitely likes to save her pennies (or drachmas in this case lol). She gets most of her offerings during spring (and she only gets an okay amount of offerings during the “off seasons”), so she tries to make sure not to spend too much money since she’ll need most of it to last until next spring. Of course, she’s not a cheapskate either and doesn’t try to haggle with people to get a lower price on things, she’s just a conscious buyer (much like her husband, though I like to think he probably has more money than she does for many reasons).

do they prefer luxury or practicality?

As I mentioned before, Persephone isn’t much of a big spender, so she’s more for practicality than luxury. Though, she does indulge in her fair share of luxury (since she used to live on Olympus and her husband loves to spoil her), so she’s doesn’t mind luxury.

who would they quote?

Idk lol. In the modern day she’d probably quote a lot of songs, tv shows, movies, and memes lol. But for Ancient Greece, probably some philosopher or writer like Homer or something.

what could make them change their mind?

Well, that depends on the situation. A lot of things could change her mind tbh. She’s a very thoughtful person and tries to take everything into account when making decisions.

who is the first person they'd call?

Before she met Hades it was always her mother, but after marrying Hades she ALWAYS calls on him lol. He’s basically always prepared for any situation and will always have his wifey’s back lmao.

how are they around animals? do they have pets?

Persephone LOVES animals (especially since her best friend is the goddess of the wild lol)! I suppose if you count Cerberus after she marries Hades, then yeah she totally has a pet lol. There’s also Thallo (a unicorn she spends a lot of time with when she’s working in the spring) but she’s more of an animal companion than a pet. Thallo does her own thing and isn’t owned by Persephone or anything. She lives out in the wild with the other animals. Though, she does become a little more domesticated after Thallo meets Pegasus and decides to stay with Hercules and Meg to be with him lol (she also grows a liking towards Meg too lol).

what is their favourite childhood food?

Tiropita

what is something they've never told anyone?

She would secretly love to rule by Hades’ side on Mount Olympus if he ever successfully took over. She’d feel very guilty, but deep down she’d secretly love being the queen of the cosmos.

childhood friends?

Artemis and Apollo

what are habits they've picked up from other people?

Demeter can be a bit of a perfectionist sometimes, so she’s picked that up from her mother, but after marry Hades, Persephone picked up a lot of his habits. She eats odd things like bugs and worms and she uses bits of Yiddish in her vocabulary sometimes.

what are their guilty pleasures?

She LOVES sweets and has a huge sweet tooth, but tries not to overindulge. However, her favorite guilty pleasure is chocolate. Another guilty pleasure of hers is that she likes sappy romance stories/movies. She’s a total romantic lol. And as I mentioned before, she loves cheesy and girly pop music by boy bands and stuff like that.

what is something they're staunchly against?

Murder and cheating (romantically). She also is against the obviously awful stuff like incest, pedophilia, and that kind of stuff too because I mean, who WOULD stand for that kind of stuff?

do they speak a certain way? do they use contractions? popular turns of phrase?

Not really. She speaks pretty politely to people. Sometimes she’ll say little funny exclamations like “aw petals!” or “holy hades!” or “oh my gods!” but that’s about it lol

can they fall in love? what does it look like? does it differ between people -- friends vs family?

….yes 😏 LOL I mean she’s crazy in love with Hades, so y’know lol. But yeah, she has lots of ways to show her love, emotionally, physically, verbally. She loves to kiss and cuddle Hades and doesn’t mind pda at all (but if Hades starts trying to get all “hot and heavy” then she’ll get all flustered and embarrassed lol). She also loves to hold his hand or his arm when they go out together. She also just compliments him a lot reminding him how handsome he is and how lucky she is to be his (when in reality he feels lucky to even be in her presence let alone be married to her) and that she’ll ALWAYS be his. 🥰 As for platonic/familial love, it’s rather normal I guess. Her family drives her crazy, but they’re her family and she still loves them no matter what. She’s also more casual and laid back (just kinda being herself than keeping up the “poised, sweet goddess” personality) around the people she’s close to and trusts wholeheartedly.

what would they rather die than do?

Well, she’s immortal, so she can’t die unless she somehow turns mortal (maybe be by a special little pink potion lol). Anyways, she’d rather die than do anything to harm an innocent. Whether it’s a mortal, an animal, or even a plant. She’d never want to hurt someone or something innocent.

what is their biggest mistake? one that they look out to never do again.

Man, that’s a hard one lol. I guess maybe not sticking up for herself? Like, before meeting Hades she used to let people walk all over her, but now she’s a little more assertive and knows how to say “no” lol. Or maybe letting a loved one get hurt? She doesn’t want to see anything happen to those she loves, so she makes sure she can prevent when she can. But, that’s really all I can think of lol. Persephone’s pretty harmless, so I don’t imagine her doing anything to horrible that she’d never want to do again.

[putschki1969]

Hi Sarah ☺️👋,

I apologize from the beginning in case you did not understand my meaning, the question was written through Google Translator.

Should we really not care about what goes on behind the scenes in the entertainment industry? I remember that you wrote that We have to take it at face value and not dig into what is happening behind the scenes in order to live a healthy life without carrying this worry, but after watching the oshi no ko anime, this made me think again about the state of the entertainment industry, do we really have to be indifferent to what is happening to our favorite artists not only our kalafina girls but in general. Shouldn't we, at least discuss this matter so that their conditions do not get worse? I feel we should not separate the product from the condition of the person who made it!

Hi there! Don't worry, your message is perfectly clear and fine. I apologise for taking so long to reply, this has been sitting in my drafts forever. This is a tricky topic so it took a while to figure out the best way to map out my reply.

I am assuming that this ask is a direct response to what I wrote HERE? For those who are curious, this is what I had to say to someone who seemed incredibly upset about the current state of Wakana's "relationship" with everyone else from the YK family.

[I]t is not at all healthy to be this invested in public figures and the things they choose to share with us. I fully understand the desire to get more insight but please don’t make your happiness and peace of mind contingent on something that is so completely out of our control.

Let's start with a quick clarification, I am by no means implying that we should take everything at face value. Quite the contrary actually, I am a strong proponent of critical thinking, it's crucial to look at things from a nuanced perspective, to read between the lines and educate ourselves on all the finer details before making any sort of assumption based on surface-level observations. Many fans operate on misconceptions and tend to jump to conclusions because they heavily rely on unverified news and brief snapshots without taking all the available facts into account. This is why I often feel the need to make elaborate explanation posts. I just want to keep people grounded and stop them from coming up with unfounded theories.

I am also not trying to tell people to be completely indifferent towards what is happening behind the scenes of the entertainment industry. The Japanese entertainment industry is indeed very harsh and genuinely messed up. It's impossible to not feel affected when you hear news of celebrity su!c!des and see some of those horrible conditions our favourites are subjected to. Being conscious of these issues while engaging in fan activities is a good thing and completely normal but it's very unhealthy to let your whole life become consumed with worry over someone whose mental/physical state and situation we are incapable of fully understanding.

Because you see, even with access to a vast amount of knowledge, we as fans have to realise that we'll never get the "full picture". The extent of our involvement is incredibly limited. There are boundaries we have to respect, there are lines we aren't allowed to cross, there are things which are purposefully kept from us. The truth of the matter is that regardless of how deep we try to dig into what is going on behind the scenes, regardless of how much we discuss the situation or how many possible theories we come up with while endlessly worrying, it won't ever lead us to satisfactory results, it won't bring us any closer to knowing more about the "real" condition of the people we idolise. So why should we sacrifice our mental well-being over something that's so far removed from us? It's utterly pointless. Hence my above advice to not get too caught up in this mess.

I am not sure if you are familiar with the term but when fans get overly invested in the lives of idols, celebrities and public figures, it's a slippery slope towards developing a so-called parasocial relationship with them. This sort of relationship is based on delusions, meaning fans fool themselves into believing they have a deep connection to that person (or rather, the "idea" of said person) which may lead to a false sense of intimacy and ownership. But make no mistake, despite what fans may think, we have very little insight into the lives of these public figures and while they have a considerable amount of influence over us, we have comparatively little influence over them. In reality, most things are completely out of our control. We often have no choice but to watch things unfold from the sidelines.

My point is, take everything with a grain of salt, thoroughly acquaint yourself with the topic, stay respectful, be aware of your limits and come to terms with the fact that you are not really in a position to save or help them when it comes to personal matters. Don't compromise your own well-being by getting entangled in a mess that's beyond our control. It sounds harsh but as fans we are quite powerless in that regard. All we can really do is support and appreciate the content (or "product" as you say) our favourites create and have faith that their "real condition" at least somehow resembles the positive image they choose to present to us.

And yeah, I am self-aware enough to know that this all sounds hypocritical coming from someone like me who has always been quite vocal about being crazily obsessed with Kalafina. I'd call myself an extremely dedicated fan who is very much invested in the lives of the Kalafina members. Still, I believe I know where to draw the line and that has more or less kept me sane throughout the years.

[omophagic-beast]

alright lets talk ttrpg goals for 2023! this post is about games im writing that i want to finish this year, ill make another one for games i want to play in 2023.

i have. so many half finished games. in fact i even have several games that are written!! they just need to be laid out and put out there. so heres the goals and the order for said goals

1- Record Collection 2K23, and the yet-unnamed game for it that ive been writing up over the past few weeks. part tarot-driven game, part... play? there’s stage directions in there in any case

its based off the four wind albums by the Oh Hellos, later on the two characters in the play only talk to eachother via lyrics from each album, moving through the seasons as they move through their story.

ofc i want to finish this one during the jam, which means by the end of january. very much pushing myself to just Get It Out There and not worry so much about it being exactly what i want, because i can always come back and update it later. its horribly (affectionate) self indulgent already so to b clear i am writing this game for Me, so the only person who needs to like it at any point is Me :3

2- There Is An Anger Inside Of You. ive been noodling at this game for over a year now, with the creation date on the word doc being may of 2021. its done!!! its finished, i swear to god, i just need to lay it out, and i already know how im going to do that i just need to *grabs myself by the shoulders* fucking do it

its a game about being angry when youre not able to express it, the struggle of keeping your anger under wraps being played out as a rather unfair game of chess. and i am going to get it out by the end of february.

3- The Lady, The Tiger, and The Accused, a hack of For The Queen based on the short story The Lady or The Tiger. its another one that is currently completely written out, but rather than laying it out and getting it out there my goal with this one is to get it formatted for playtesting. its a three player game, players taking on the role of either The Lady, The Tiger, or The Accused, and answering the prompts as such. i really love it, but it needs to be played by people and revised before ill feel comfortable declaring it finished.

also, i want to actually crowdfund and print this one, with art and editing and maybe some pretty extras and such. so my goal is to start playtesting it by my birthday, the 17th of march. after that... im not sure! crowdfunding it by the end of the year would be wild i think, since, in true For The Queen style, id love to get a gaggle of artists to draw Princess cards for it, and that takes time! so the goal is more to have it ready for crowdfunding by the end of this year, and if that happens sooner then thats cool and good!

4- Someones Simple Book of Spells Volume One: Paper. This one is also FULLY WRITTEN *sounds of agony in the distance* i just need to LAY IT OUT

and honestly since i already know how i want to lay it out lets put this one for the end of april. yes this is pretty much a game a month for the next bit but theyre all SO CLOSEEEE to being done anyways its just that final push, i could accomplish most of these goals in a weekend if i just did it so. im going to!! do it!!!

5- ok finally, one thats actually not almost finished, its The Center of the Known Universe. a small anthology of games originally started for the weird west jam but never finished.

its got some of my favorite concepts ive ever thought of though, a game about aliens freezing time in a small western town and LARPing as cowboys, two wild west wizards battling it out at high noon, a game about supernatural cowboys falling in love while experiencing all the seasons of the desert, and more. its a love letter to the small desert town i currently live in, and i want to see it come into being. im going to give myself the summer for this, lets say the goal is to have the full first draft written by september. i also would love for this one to go into print, so a secondary goal is to have it ready to crowdfund in time for ZineMonth 2024, so february of next year.

i think thats probably all the projects i can set goals for this year, october-december is always very busy for me so im not gonna set anything besides the two i want to get ready for crowdfunding in 2024, though i do have several other half written games lying about (looks nervously at my over-4000 word “ttrpg ideas” doc).

maybe ill get into the swing of actually finishing games and get to them as well! but if not thats just fine :3

you can always find all my games over on the Grey Jay Games itch.io page, and i may make a sideblog just for GJG, but for the moment all game news and stuff from me will be right here @resident-corvid​

[marvel911]

Cable – “HOW TO COPE WITH YOUR WORST NIGHTMARES”

Cable Volume 1 No. 98 Released Nov. 2001

Letter pages are a fun part of the history of superhero comics. Readers write in to compliment, complain, and contest. They get the joy of seeing their words printed in their favorite comic and maybe even winning an infamous Marvel No-Prize. The letters page usually even has a cheesy name like “Let’s Level with Daredevil.”

But you know what’s more fun than letters from readers?

A letter from the artist about precognitive 9/11 dreams, why the Editor-in-Chief of Marvel is wrong, Carl Jung, reproduction as the meaning of life, Serbian concentration camps, accidental shootings, and the value of talking about traumatic experiences with others.

That’s what Igor Kordey delivers on the final page of Cable Vol. 1 No. 98, in an essay titled “HOW TO COPE WITH YOUR WORST NIGHTMARES” and printed where reader letters normally appear.

The impetus for the essay is concerns from Marvel’s editorial staff about images of terrorism in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. Kordey disagrees with management’s concerns. It’s not completely clear why. He might see it as a denial of reality, or he might see it as a denial of the power of precognition? And then he goes in a bunch of different directions, ultimately ending with some sweet and insightful advice from someone with experience dealing with this kind of trauma.

It’s an entertaining read and it definitely feels at home in a comic book about a militant mutant from the future who preaches the value of mediation. It’s tempting to try and dissect what the letter reveals about the time period, about the artist himself, about bravado and vulnerability coexisting side by side… but to avoid the risk of over psychoanalyzing, let’s just go to the letter in full.

HOW TO COPE WITH YOUR WORST NIGHTMARES

I received a call from Joe Quesada the other day. Joe (and not just Joe) was upset about the possible psychological impact of page #12 of this issue (thanks to my ingenious storytelling), with a terrorist flying a jeep full of explosives into a financial building and blowing it up. Obviously, this is an image very close to everyone’s heart right now.

The page in question was drawn in June, but Joe and I spoke two weeks after the terrible disaster in New York City. Joe’s opinion was that we should somehow get rid of the most shocking images from this page. This is understandable, considering that pictures of planes crashing into the WTC towers were too fresh and too painful for the people working at Marvel (which is based in Manhattan), just as they are for many of you.

Well, I had a different opinion. By chance, I had a conversation with Brian David-Marshall the day before. Brian was worried about his Captain America script, written well before September 11, 2001, and featuring Captain America fighting terrorists who possess a nuclear bomb. In addition, I spoke with a number of people who had pre-cognitive dreams or nightmares about disasters several days before the tragic events in New York, Washington, DC and Pennsylvania. Most of these people didn’t discuss these feelings before it happened, as they were afraid of ridicule or embarrassment.

But that doesn’t change the fact that these things are happening.

It is my belief that this precognition is a warning to humankind, a form of collective subconscious as described by Carl Gustav Jung in 1914. These theories were written with the world on the brink of World War I, as Jung recognized himself and a great number of people around the world having precognitive nightmares. On a personal level, these themes were explored in a project called “Tarzan: Rivers of Blood.” Neven Antichevich and I began work on the first drafts of this story in the early eighties, during the turmoil in the former Yugoslavia after the death of President Tito.

However, we continued work on this project in the spring of 1991, immediately preceding the Serbian aggression against Croatia (my homeland).

When I first saw the pictures on TV, with planes crashing and towers collapsing, I thoughts to myself, “You can never get used to it!” This, in spite of the fact that my family and I survived war in Croatia between 1991 and 1995, witnessing similar spectacles nearly every day for four years (from the apocalypse of Vukovar town to the mass slaughter in the Srajevo market, to name just a few examples). My second thoughts was “death walks behind you” (Also the title of an old Atomic Rooster song), because I only moved to Canada in 1996. My wide Andrea and I were thrilled to Canada because we KNEW there had been no war in North America for nearly 100 years, and we KNEW that at last our children would be safe. And this year, our worst nightmare was revisited. We knew we could never get used to it, though we knew we could cope.

We fell back to the lessons we learned. Never lose HOPE, and never be SELFISH. The meaning of life is really very simple: REPRODUCE and keep your family SAFE. So we now cope with life by living in Canada with our three beautiful children, Rea (10), Vilena (8) and Rita (4). And we also learned to discuss our experience, sharing them with other people. In fact, some of my best friends here in Winnipeg are guys who survived Serbian concentration camps, only to be scrutinized and hated again because their religion is based on Islam.

But that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about getting these things out of your head. Talk about things, share your thoughts and experiences. Don’t let your dark side stay inside you, or sooner or later it’ll come out through aggression in the worst way – in full view of your friends, family, or your lover.

And it’s this dark side that reminds me of a statistic I once read. Nearly one out of every three young women and men in North America experienced some form of sexual or physical abuse during childhood. Most of their tormentors manage to get away with their crime because many children are afraid to talk about such things in public. We can’t do the same things with our feelings following September 11. Don’t hide your feelings under the carpet, but be aware of your feelings and learn of their true causes. Only then will you learn to live with trauma. In the meantime, turn to your loved ones for support, stay busy, sleep as much as you need, and DON’T LOSE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR! That kept me a SANE human being for a long time.

Yours truly,

Igor Kordey and family

(Photo caption) During the war in Croatia, my turn came to defend my county. This picture is from the Croatian highland, Lika. In spring of 1995 (that’s me with the hat). I show this picture because there is a story behind it – one of 5,000,000 Croatian war stories. The guy in the middle shot the guy standing to his right (his best friend) during the watch in the dead of night. It was an accident that occurred because we were all scared out of our minds. I was able to save the man’s life, because I was the only one in my squad who knew the basic first aid. But the man remained an invalid. He was just a poor farmer. A poor farmer with a family of seven.

Above: The page in question, Cable, Vol. 1 No. 98 page 12; writer David Tischman; artist Igor Kordey; colorist Avalon Studios.

[blondiest]

I'll raise you a weird level and dare say, phantom Thread Hellcheer? Insane or genius?

okay before i even get into this, i should mention that i do have a hellcheer oneshot that is named after a line from that movie, though i will say it only shares, like, one theme with Phantom Thread (hunger/appetite as an analogy for love). it's called for the hungry girl, and the idea came to me very suddenly and very clearly when my husband served me a plate of absolutely perfect scrambled eggs while i was quite high. it's under 3k words, and of all the fics i have posted, i think it's the most personal.

alright, getting into the actual question here now— i LOVE your mind, love the boldness. i think there are a LOT of themes from that movie that work well for hellcheer, but there are a few reasons i can't personally imagine a full-on Phantom Thread AU working. i'm going to try and break down what i mean here by going through the different elements that i think connect quite well with hellcheer vs the ones i struggle to imagine meshing well with the ship. putting the rest under a cut bc spoilers (though i do keep it vague).

alright, so... warning that this may be disorganized and my thoughts are highly incomplete on the matter (there are many little themes and subtleties i can't spare the time to get into at the moment), but i'm gonna give it a stab. here goes, a little stream of consciousness:

when we first see Alma, she's alone, and we never really learn anything of her family other than the fact that she apparently looks similar to her mother. though we aren't given direct insight into what the deal with Alma's background is, i think this setup works well given Chrissy's fraught relationship with her family— i can easily imagine her having separated from them entirely and going off on her own.

Reynolds and Alma connect instantly and are immediately obsessed with each other — obviously this works for the hellcheer vibe. there's also the fact that their relationship is one of an artist and a muse, which i think transfers easily to a situation in which Eddie is a musician.

Reynolds' prevailing devotion to his late mother, his fondness for the idea that the dead watch over the living, his insistence that he's cursed in some way — all of these things work well for Eddie, imho. Same with Reynolds' absolute commitment / absorption in his work, though I struggle to see Eddie being quite that pathologically intense, even about music. I could see Chrissy needing to strongarm Eddie into taking a break (albeit... not in the same method as Alma bc i don't think it would ever get that far LMAO).

the major things i don't see working for hellcheer... the central issue is that i don't see Eddie ever being as combative / disrespectful towards Chrissy as Reynolds is towards Alma, nor as dismissive / neglectful. and this is where things really start to fall apart if you were trying to follow the plot of the movie, because i don't think that the distance between Eddie and Chrissy would ever get extreme enough for her to consider the drastic measures that Alma takes to get Reynolds to "slow down" & to force him to be vulnerable and reliant on her. i think it's just hard for me to see their relationship being that dysfunctional.

(to be clear i love Reynolds and Alma. i think they're actually very compatible by virtue of being extremely, extremely odd people who are able to, through absolutely deranged (and highly dubious, on Alma's part) means, find synergy and harmony with one another. the reason that it's one of my favorite movies is that i repeatedly thought it was about to pivot into a horror or thriller (and it does often have the same level of tension as a thriller, to me at least), but it is ultimately just a very weird love story, and i ended up finding it profoundly touching.)

here's a collection of quotes i like for them though:

there are totally more that i'm forgetting but i have a huge project & some homework to do so i am cutting myself off here. thank you for the ask!! this was really fun to think about.

[wishingicouldfly]

All of Those Voices – My Review (3/29/23)

I saw AOTV twice in the theater. Once on March 22 with a group of friends, and again three days later on March 25 by myself.

Disclaimer: I’m coming at this as a full bodied Larrie—someone who believes Louis is in a committed relationship with Harry Styles. So that’s my lens in watching the film.

I’ll be honest. A few weeks ago, when the description of the film first came out, I was a lot more hopeful that this would be a more robust and personal telling of Lou’s journey. With language like, “All Of Those Voices is a story about the power of self-discovery and the courage it takes to be true to oneself,” I was hopeful that we’d hear more about, well, his journey of self-discovery.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the film. I love seeing Louis on the big screen talking about making music, and how the tragedies in his life shaped him. AOTV is a lovely glimpse into Louis’ head and where he was at leaving One Direction. It’s a lovely view of the last moments of the band, and his transition into a solo artist and his relationship with his current backup band. I loved seeing those candid moments of his team backstage. They clearly love one another and really enjoy what they do together.

The film is a linear line from touring with One Direction and touring as a solo artist, with little deviation. We don’t even see any mention of his several non-album singles (save Just Hold On, which he performed days after his mother’s death), or the Away From Home Festival (a self-curated festival of new artists, which is, by all accounts, one of his favorite things). Those career highlights feel missing—but they would deviate from the linear message, so I assume that’s why they are omitted.

What I wanted to see, and didn’t, is any real journey of self-discovery. I mean, it’s clear to me he ALWAYS knew that he had the ability to be a performer. He needed an injection of self-confidence, but the talent and the ability were both clearly always there. He talks about how much the touring/performing was his favorite part of being in One Direction. He got his start in writing music in those days as well—and continues to this day. I loved seeing him prepare for the stage with Helene Horlyck, and her consistent presence going back to the last days of 1D with the boys through his current tour.

I would have loved to have seen a bit more of HOW he found his confidence to go solo. There was a bit of a disconnect to how he got there in the years between. Who supported him? Who was behind the scenes, giving him that confidence in himself?

I loved the theme that he surrounds himself with the same people. Friends and colleagues like Helene, Oli Wright, and the 1D boys (both Niall and Liam are shown in the film hanging out with him post-1D).

I loved seeing him interact with his family. The moments of interaction with his grandparents were, to me, the most poignant part of the film. Hearing his grandfather talk about losing his own child (Johannah, Louis’ mother) was devastating.

But it still felt like a big part of the story was missing. There was very little of the “normal” private life he speaks about in the film. While it’s lovely to see him so overwhelmed by his success and the adoration of the fans, we really only see a very tiny glimpse into his home life—just a scene or two with his grandparents and sisters.

One of the biggest elephants in the room were the absolutely breathtaking sea of pride flags during concert footage—physical flags being waved, stickers on fans’ cheeks and phone cases, images of flags on clothing. It is absolutely visually clear that the fanbase is overwhelmingly queer or queer-adjacent/queer-friendly. And yet there was nothing mentioned verbally in the film of why that is the case. There’s no mention of any significant other, only a few minutes of time spent with Louis’ apparent child—no other parent in sight, and no reference to when or where he became a father. It’s a glaring hole in the narrative and feels out of place amongst the rest of the linear story. (I won't be detailing my thoughts about the child here).

If I wasn’t someone who believes that Louis is in a committed relationship with Harry, and I didn’t understand the reason behind why Lou is upheld as a LGBT icon, I’d be scratching my head. Even queer anthem and fan favorite ‘Only the Brave’ is omitted from the soundtrack.

For me, the personal journey of embracing his queer fanbase and potentially his own identification as not straight, would have been a powerful ending to the rest of the story. It would have made the reason for his lack of confidence more clear—coming to terms with your new solo career while navigating an epiphany of being queer in the 2020s, and how that impacts the aforementioned solo career.

Not that he owes anyone that.

But it was hinted at in that description I quoted above. It feels like it’s there just under the surface. It’s almost tangible, but not quite. The visual of the flags is so powerful, but acknowledging them would have been more powerful still.

All in all, it’s a wonderful film. It left me with some questions, but I trust that Louis will answer those things in due time, and I will be here supporting him wholeheartedly when he does.

[neversleepever]

My secret Santa gave me "art" they "drew" but it's ai art.

I just have to get this off my chest.

So for the past couple of years I've been doing an online secret Santa. I've had a good time both giving and receiving.

This year my secret Santa sent me a few little things I really loved. They also gifted me two pieces of "art" that they "drew". It's blatantly obvious it's ai art.

When you send your gift you notify the system. In your notification you can add shipping information as well as a note for your giftee. The note my secret Santa sent me only referenced their "art" and they specifically said that they "drew". I thought that might be the only thing I would get, which I would have been happy with if it was real art. I would have been happy even if it was real crappy art. Because at least a person put in time and effort. That's love.

Luckily their "art" was not the only thing they gave me. The gifts they did give I really did love. It was a few fun little things and an art book from one of my favorite artists. But trying to pass off ai art as their own just sours things.

Before I show you the "art", I'm going to have to add some context. When you sign up for this secret Santa you have to fill out a profile with things you like. I added a bunch of random things I like. Like how I love cyberpunk (the genre and the video game/ttrpg). I also listed all my pets. Including my 4 tarantulas. Clearly they just put "tarantula + cyberpunk" into an ai.

Cyberpunk is a fantasy genre. You can take a certain amount of artistic liberty. I just can't imagine an artist who can make almost photo realistic art make so many fundamental mistakes

Without further-a-do.

Where to begin? Nothing is symmetrical. Forget 8 legs. I would be happy if the same number of legs were on each side.

Many of the legs don't touch the ground. Probably because many of the legs aren't even full legs. They just stop at the first joint. Legs are going in all directions. The leg in the top right corner of the bottom picture looks like it's going behind the building.

Items in the foreground are blurry but the background is crisp and clear. It looks a little better in the pic I posted but in person it's really obvious.

"Hey there handsome. You happy to see me?"

"Yeah, you should have that looked at"

Where is this even coming from?

I just can't believe they thought they could get away with it. Obviously I know tarantula anatomy very well. You also don't need to be an anatomy expert to know legs need to touch the ground to use them. It's the lying that I hate. If they were honest that it was ai art, I wouldn't be so mad. I hate ai art but I hate people who try to pass off ai art as their own even more.

But also, I put in my profile that I'M AN ARTIST!!!

I did say I was a beginner. But just because my skill level is still beginner doesn't mean I don't know art basics. I've spent my whole life surrounded by art, going to art museums, art shows, art festivals. Looking at art critically. I even have family that works in an art gallery. I've spent my whole life around artists.

I was originally not going to call them out. I've been trying to be a nicer person.

With this secret Santa process, it is considered customary to make a post of what you got and a little thank you note to your Santa. I did make a post thanking them for the other things I got. I did genuinely like the other things I got. But when it came to the "art" I just said it was... Interesting.

I was going to leave it at that until my secret Santa commented on my post. I knew it was them because their username matched the name they signed on the back of the pictures. Because of course they signed the back of the pictures.

They once again brought up that they "sketched" these pictures. That's when I just couldn't take it. I replied thanking them for the gifts and said the art was ai. They haven't responded yet and I don't care if they do.

We are truly in the worst timeline.

[jesncin]

I realized the image I had attached to the "Failure of Asian Lois Lane" essay of Vicki Vale's concept art expired (because of discord shenanigans) so here it is again as its own post (and I'll update the essay's link to go to this post instead). Discussion under the cut for why I think this is distasteful and racist.

So some people don't understand what I mean when I say I consider this concept art racist. The description to Vicki Vale's character reads: "40s, FEMALE, INDIAN-AMERICAN OR ASIAN AMERICAN". When people say "Indian American or Asian American" what they're telling you is they consider Indian people a separate category from Asian people. However- Indian people ARE Asian people. Indians are grouped under South Asian people. Therefore they are Asian.

This is a common colorist idea that Asian people are only limited to light-skinned East Asians (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean people)- completely excluding South, Southeast Asian, West, and Central Asians. Here's a terrible comedy bit Ronny Chieng did for the Daily Show displaying that very colorist mindset. Notice how the description for Vicki specifies "Indian" but is vague about what "Asian" means.

I don't know if this concept art is taken out of context, and if there were multiple iterations of what Asian Vicki Vale would look like- but as far as what this image presents, this full body design that ended up making it to final is the only iteration. Are we to believe this design was meant to encompass what "Asian American" and "Indian American" Vicki Vale were supposed to look like? If they decided she was going to be Indian, were they just going to color her with dark skin and call it a day? Are Asians that interchangeable to the crew that they didn't feel the need to design more versions of her? I truly don't know. And it's still possible that this is one page out of context from several concepts. BUT this show already doesn't have a great track record for stylizing ethic features- and it hasn't stopped them from monolith-casting Asian actors for their Asian characters.

I mean look at how they ended up designing a supposed South Asian woman on the show. Livewire/ Leslie Willis is voiced by Zehra Fazal, a South Asian woman. Many people had no idea Livewire is South Asian. I mean she's got blue eyes and blonde-white bleached hair?

It doesn't help that she stood next to this character who is also dark skinned and blonde-haired- so people assumed they were related and therefore assumed Leslie was Black. It's not my place to say, but I have seen some Black critics being critical of how characters like Jimmy were stylized.

Overall this show's artistic direction is a mess when it comes to race. We can't keep looking up the characters' voice actors to get confirmation on their ethnicity (with that logic, Sam Lane is Filipino despite his daughter in-show being Korean)! The character design or story should make that clear for you. If POC representation was simply up for debate or a matter of interpretation, then you're not representing anyone at all.

This is why I think the show is simply not equipped to tackle POC representation but especially Asian characters. If this is the kind of language and art style that is normalized behind the scenes to developing Asian characters, can you see why I'd be suspicious of any future attempts at tackling "more explicit Asian representation"? I don't believe the showrunners are racist. However I wouldn't trust them with representation either.

It wasn't until I wrote that essay that I learned Vicki was "Asian". It wasn't until now as I write this post that I learned both Steve Lombard and Roughhouse are "Asian" (we'll never get specifics, naturally). I knew both characters were voiced by a Chinese actor (Vincent Tong), but I didn't think for once that that translated to the characters he was voicing.

this show feels like a personal attack on me at this point. For the record, I'm not asking for Vicki, Leslie, Steve, or Roughhouse to have storylines informed by their Asian identity. If anything I consider these characters so superfluous to the plot MAWS wants to tell that these guys should be removed all together (the most frustrating of them being Vicki, who's yet another Asian American character who's explicitly xenophobic to Superman). What I am saying is that I should still be able to recognize these characters as Asian!

[existentialmagazine]

Review: AMILLS newest atmospheric single ‘You Rolling Stone’ dedicates a slow rock ballad to an ex-lover that moved away

At just 22, the South-East London artist and producer AMILLS has been making herself known within not just her local music scene, but worldwide to anyone that’ll listen. Tackling topics that many can relate to, as well as linking her own LGBTQ+ experiences within, AMILLS work is sure to resonate for as long as you’ll let her.

With live performances throughout the month to celebrate her newest release ‘You Rolling Stone’, AMILLS marks a new direction for her solo project that she’s never done before - a full-band direction that truly shows off every layer of her carefully crafted tracks. But before you can understand the need for a full band behind her, you’ll have to listen deep to what it is that ‘You Rolling Stone’ and the handful of other singles she’s shared have to offer.

Shared to the world on Valentine’s day, ‘You Rolling Stone’ offers quite the opposite in what you’d expect from a day filled with love and appreciation, instead delivering a slow rock ballad dedicated to someone that refuses to settle down. Between the raw acoustic guitar strums and deeply reverberant vocals, AMILLS nestles an opening verse that’s clearly personal and stripped-down to the basics, keeping her emotions at the forefront of what it is that ‘Rolling Stone’ has to work through. Isolated and intimate, she shares some of her most tender thoughts: ‘you told me you’re skipping town, needed to get away to somewhere you felt more at home.’ As these initial lines come through it’s clear why there’s an anti-Valentine’s day message, pained to be left behind by someone clearly held near and dear to her heart, carrying some resentment towards those spending the day loved-up like she yearns for.

Building into the chorus with a padded-out atmosphere of added thudding drums and hazy drawn-out electric guitar, a lot more of the anger and heartbreak seeps through. AMILLS words are just as suited to that too, soft and haunting through the verses but powerfully soaring into the chorus with a deep rasp behind her lines, subtly cracking in emotion at the moments that weigh the heaviest. While clearly aching just in sound, the lyrics are also heart-wrenchingly conflicted, still holding this love for someone when they've moved away and will likely never come back: ‘you rolling stone, you can come find me, you know where I’ll be.’ It wants to feel romantic in leaving her heart open for them to return, still carrying a deep-rooted love that cannot help but hold space for them, but as things progress AMILLS truly begins to process letting go of that hope altogether.

As much as she describes the song to be about breaking up due to long distance, her lines indicate it’s very much a one-way thing, as she wants nothing less than to continue to love them regardless of where they are in the world: ‘I wanted no one else.’ Continuing to grow through large 80s drums, spacey acoustic guitars and an incredible guitar solo, every ounce of meaning pours through the development of the sound just as much as her words, depicting the emotions in the same force as she feels them herself. If you want a journey of sound that’s large and impactful while still held close, look no further than ‘You Rolling Stone’ here.

Written by: Tatiana Whybrow

Photo Credits: Unknown

// This coverage was supported and created via Musosoup, #SustainableCurator.

[nekathyran]

Soft Vmin - FESTA 2022

Festa Dinner sure was something, huh ?

Drift’s post covers many very important points about Vmin in Festa 2022 and this new chapter - I recommend reading it and its other parts. 

If I put on my delulu-queer-scenario hat, my predictions for this new Vmin chapter is that :

1- Vmin will do songs together

2a- Taehyung will release before his enlistment a romantic album about falling in love, hence the importance of structure (from being strangers, to friends, to lovers). An intricate album, narratively structured, introspective and intimate.

OR

2b- Taehyung will release a coming-out album AFTER his enlistment, which will be more clear about queerness hardships, falling in love and not be able to live it fully, with a vmin romantic duet, for example. I do NOT expect it to be 100% obvious : if there’s no progress of LGBT rights & their perception by the general public in Korea until then, it will not be a real coming out. My secret hope is that BTS makes public opinion change about LGBT people, but it’s only a dream at this point.

Now I take off my delulu hat to talk about small, cute moments between Vmin during Festa dinner.

There weren’t any big Vmin moments during this dinner because first of all, they weren’t next to each other (we vminies know that one person isn’t sufficient to prevent them from being clingy soulmates, but-), and second of all, it was a serious talk, melancholic and raw.

Nonetheless, there were a few cute moments I wanted to share with you, since I also needed some Vmin solace this week.

For me, soju is a Taehyung drink; and I wondered if Jimin is nowadays drinking more of it thanks to Taehyung, and if he wanted to share with him. Yet, Taehyung asked Jimin, very softly, to grab another drink for him, and it was very cute.

I love how naturally he heard him among the Bangtan Chaos, and passed him the bottle smoothly without barely looking xD

And of course Taehyung managed to make Jimin laugh with a joke (Jimin : the drink is very sweet / Taehyung : then it means your day was hard). 

And OF COURSE Taehyung asked Jimin if he wanted to eat some crab, which was out of Jimin’s reach. He wants his soulmate to be well fed at all time :’( And we know Vmin loves to share food. 

When Taehyung got up to go somewhere, he leaned on Jimin (but not J-hope) and touched his shoulders. Physical touch is one of Vmin love language, that’s for certain.

If you pay attention to Taehyung’s body position during the first part of the dinner, he’s often turned right, to the general direction of Jimin. For example, here, Jin made a joke about Jungkook, but Taehyung is laughing while looking at Jimin.

While talking about going back together as a group after doing solo activities, Taehyung looks directly at Jimin. I suppose they must have had many discussions about this - knowing that Jimin prefers to be the member of a group and doesn’t really want to be considered as a solo artist (he’s, after all, very private), while Taehyung likes to do solo projects and wants to try many things outside of BTS (and he’s, after all, very open on many things).

One of the many promises they must have made to each other is that, whatever projects Taehyung’s working on, with the hwarang-hyung other people and artists, they would keep spending a lot of time together.

Because after all, Jimin is Taehyung’s first supporter, and when Namjoon mentioned Taehyung’s album, Jimin IMMEDIATELY bragged about the fact that Taehyung already played the album for him.

Namjoon then says, that Taehyung played the album at his house (for the members). BUT, Jimin did not say “for us”, so again, soulmate privileges, he heard the album before the others, I guess.

And Jimin takes the chance to compliment Taehyung’s music!

With the members going “release the album!! now!!” I guess the album is more likely my option 2a, a romantic album full of love songs, but not queer-coded. Yet I wonder, then, if Taehyung doesn’t release it because of this- that he doesn’t feel complete freedom about it.

Well, that’s it! This post was just small Vmin moments, because Vmin isn’t only about grand gestures, hand holding and clinginess - it’s also small moments that show their bond.

This is a new chapter but Vmin’s bond is as strong as ever. Do not doubt it, even if you can’t see it anymore. June 10th Vlive shows that even after this difficult announcement and beginning of a “break”, Vmin were just as clingy as ever!

As someone who had a partner for 9 years now, and entered a period of distant relationship - I can assure you that beside calls, you’re SO happy when you finally gather in person...

[finelinevogue]

Can you do one where Harry take his children and YN to one of his concert and their just dancing around singing along on stage with Harry.

i love this concept so much!! i kinda of wanna make it sad though soooo it’s gonna be harry’s final show :/ hope you enjoy;

oli - 29, felix - 27, belle - 24

The concert had been amazing, but unfortunately it was coming to its’ end now.

The final show.

That’s what Harry had decided to call it; a clever play on words with reference to his first ever solo single. The last 50 years had been a rollercoaster for Harry, from growing up just a kid in Cheshire, to going on the X Factor and winning the hearts of millions and from being in the most successful band of the decade to going solo and still being absolutely beloved. Times had changed, though. Harry had changed. He had a beautiful family of 3 now, excluding his wonderful wife. His children were his universe, no question about it, but they were getting older now - Harry was getting older. He was 50 this year and with that in mind he’d decided to retire. Retiring had involved a long conversation with you, along with a bottle of red wine, about whether it was the right decision or not. But it was - is.

You had suggested he put on one final, massive show, to celebrate his life and his achievements along with all that the fans have too. Tickets were open internationally and it was being streamed on various TV outlets for those who couldn’t attend. The tickets sold within 47 seconds. 47 seconds. It was being held in the Olympic Stadium in London, because it was Harry’s home and it held the most number of people he could genuinely allow.

The concert had started with ‘Fine Line’ songs, which merged into HS1 songs with a few One Direction songs as well. The entire set list had been composed by the fans with various polls on social media, with the concert supposedly lasting 2 hours (although with support artists and a few extra surprises it was more likely going to be 3!)

It had been beautiful so far. Magical. Unforgettable.

Every chance he got, without making it grossly obvious, he looked at you. He'd told you to stick your thumbs up at him every time he caught your eye, so he knew that you were okay - and every time, you did.

The concert was coming to an end now, which everyone was dreading. How could +30 years feel like it'd only been thirty minutes? You were devastated, so you could only imagine what his fans were thinking.

"Hey!"

The end Kiwi, for the second time, strummed throughout the arena and you knew it was time for the final song. His final song.

"Mum, is this the end?" Belle asked you, from where she was standing next to you. You had been dancing together all night and gotten progressively more tired. Your feet hurt. Your throats burned. Yet, as always, it was so worth it.

"Yes, Belles, it is." You tell her, and she pouted sadly. "Dad won't want to see you sad love, okay? He can still sing to you before bed?" You teased her, reminding her of a time when Harry would do such a thing, not wanting her to be all sad. It was supposed to be a celebration, but even you could admit that is was pretty hard-hitting.

"Really mum?" She asked.

You booped her nose annoyingly, before answering. "Every night if you want him to."

The lights changed from their green tone, thanks to Kiwi, back to a bright, white light. It beamed on Harry, making him look even more like the angel that he is. He dragged his microphone back to the centre stage and took a deep breath for beginning a speech he'd told you he'd prepared.

"So this is it, my friends." He laughed sadly into the microphone. He brushed his hair back and took out his in-ears to hear the audience. They were all awwing and crying, but what else did you expect? Their favourite artist was retiring - who wouldn't be crying a river?

"I, um. I'd like to take a bit of time to thank certain people." He coughed, something he always did after performing Kiwi due to his asthma. You thought it was lovely that he'd planned a speech to thank his management and crew. They did so much work backstage and you definitely didn't think they got enough credit for their hard work.

"Okay. I've made a little list..." Harry pulled out a tiny bit of crumpled paper from his pocket. "Just in case I forget anyone." He joked to himself, but made everyone laugh anyways. "So I guess first off, I should start with you lovely people." He pointed around the whole stadium, showing he was talking about the fans. "What you have done for me is indescribable. I think to myself, everyday, am I worthy of even being here—"

"Yes!" An army of agreement echoed around the arena, making Harry stop, blush and smile to himself.

"Well thank you! Um. You have been the best fans ever, and I know you will continue to be. I know you don't owe me anything, but all I ask you to keep loving yourselves and treating people with kindness, because I know I can count on you lot to do that, for me." He sniffled at the end, making you bite your lip to prevent the tears from falling for you. He looked so vulnerable right now, but you knew he'd be feeling on top of the world.

"Jheez." He sniffles again. "That's one thank you down and i'm already crying." He looked to his band to share the joke with.

“Dad’s such a wuss.” Oli laughed, holding his arm around Beas waist, making the people around you chuckle in agreement.

“Shut up you - Mr-tears-in-your-eyes!” You pointed out, laughing as he flipped you the bird - which then got him a hit off his grandma Anne.

All of Harrys family and friends were here, in a special cornered off section. It was such a thoughtful thing for Harry to do. All his family, and a fair few of yours, were sat down along with Harrys closest friends. Everyone was sharing laughs and drinks, whilst using every inch of space to dance along to your husbands boastful music.

"Secondly, my touring family. From Jeff and Ben, to Sarah's Kitchen, Adam, Mitch, Sarah, Charlotte and Nyoh, not forgetting everyone backstage and behind the lights, music and cameras. You've all been the greatest. Everything you do is second to none. You're all talented, warm-hearted, people whom I will carry in my heart forever. Thank you." You noticed members of the crew and band starting to tear up now.

"Moving on to my boys. We've been through it all, lads, and I couldn't have asked for four better brothers than you all. Louis. Liam. Niall. Zayn. Thank you." Everyone cheered ten times louder, maybe because this was as close to a One Direction reunion as the fans were ever going to get, but definitely because Harry had mentioned Zayn. You saw a girl faint at the mere mention of all the boys in the same sentence. The boys lifted up their beers to Harry, stood close by to where you were standing.

"I guess I should say thank you to the women who made all this possible. Mum. Gem. Thank you for signing me up all those years ago. Thank you for believing in me. You've made me the - crap, sorry! - the man I am now and I love you both." Harry prayed to them both, whilst bowing, and swiftly wiped away the tears afterwards. Anne and Gemma, on the other hand, were proudly crying.

"Ol, Fix and Belles. You rascals make me get out of bed every morning and give me more of a purpose in life. You four give me so much joy and happiness. I love you all, even if you do drive me up the wall on an early Saturday morning! Thank you, my loves." You stood close to all your children, giving them the support they needed in this moment. Belle was crying against your chest, the ever-so-emotional woman she was. Felix was stood up, with Heather, with his drink raised to his dad. Oli was to your side, trying to remain cool and stoic, but you still caught the tears that ran down his face.

"Now." The audience calmed down again after awing over your babies. Harry cleared his throat before beginning again. "This evening keeps on reminding me of a very special person in my life. Someone who is my everything and that's my beautiful wife, Y/N." His words make your breath hitch in your throat. You never expected him to say anything about you. I mean, what had you done?

"Mum." Belle called out to you, in affirmation that this was real.

"She's more than just a wife. She's a lover. She's my muse. She's my best-fucking-friend, apologises for swearing but sue me. I was hesitant to let go of all this, at first. What would I do with myself now? You know? People tell me i'm 'happiest on stage', and for a time that was true. Until I met Y/N. She's made me realise that family makes me the happiest. She makes me the happiest." He jumped down off stage, taking the microphone with him. He ran his hands along the fans in the front row, but had no intention of stopping until he met you.

You felt Belle leaving your side, but you were too captivated by Harry to fully understand what was happening.

"So what am I going to do now, you ask? Well..." Harry cheekily smiled at you. "I'm going to make her the happiest woman alive, just as she makes me the happiest man." You began to cry again and the chorus of thousands of fans clapping and screaming surrounds you, only to all stop when his lips meet yours. He tasted like a combination of salty sweat and mint, but he was home. After a minute of crying, kissing and 'i love yous' , Harry ran back to the stage before Jeff could shoot him.

"Thank you all. All my love." He said whilst adjusting his microphone. "Please sing along if you know the words." He asked, full well knowing every single person will be screaming out the lyrics to him.

"Just stop you're crying it's the sign of the times. Welcome to the final show. Hope you're wearing your best clothes."