#definately not because one of them hasn't finished yet

[we-stan-cale]

I was thinking a bit about character development.

Like, Cale, Choi Han, and Alberu have a beautiful friendship - and it grew over the course of the entire story.

I'm probably going to talk about later parts of the story, so Imma put the rest behind a divider so you can avoid spoilers

In the beginning, Choi Han was loyal to Cale but .. it was kind of shallow.

Choi Han didn't understand why they had to wear those shitty Arm robes, was shocked when Cale created his alibi by drinking, and so on and so forth.

He followed Cale, but he didn't really know Cale that well yet and that was clear.

Oh, and it was much more of a hierarchical relationship. Cale as his legs, Choi Han as Cale's knight.

This slowly began to change, though I think there were a couple of key turning points.

Cale almost dying after the Battle of the Gorge was one of them.

I think that's when Choi Han truly realized he couldn't trust Cale when it came to his health. Not that he hadn't seen signs before, but Cale always brushed things off and I think this was when Choi Han realized that no, it's really not okay, no matter what Cale says.

After that, we see Choi Han start asking more questions...

And Cale (with a clear flashback to his time as a team leader, where his people desperately wanted to help more) actually answered them.

The relationship started to shift, and become less liege and knight, and more colleagues. (This, btw, came from both of them. Choi Han asking more, and Cale telling more. Somewhat. A little bit.)

They definitely grow closer in other ways - Choi Han telling them about his long life after they found the Dragon Village, for example. (Though Cale already knew it, so you also see just how much Cale is still keeping his secrets).

And then...

We get Choi Han receiving Choi Jung Soo's memories.

That causes the biggest shift yet.

Now they aren't just liege and knight.

Now we have Cale thinking of Choi Han as his best friend's elder (even if Choi Han doesn't feel a need for that).

Also, Choi Han now knows. Not just that Cale is a transmigrator, not just about his life as Kim Rok Soo, not just about the cataclysm (and what happened to the Choi family).

He also knows about the tragedy that has pretty much defined Cale. He may not know about the aftermath, or Cale's time as team leader, but he knows that Cale was devastated after losing everyone.

We also see Choi Han (who got Syrem's ancient powers and now knows what it's like to use them) insist that Cale shouldn't absorb the Blood-drenched Rock power, a potential standoff that ended when Cale found another way and used Embrace instead.

They are no longer liege and obedient knight.

And then came the sealed god's test, where Choi Han gave up quite a lot of his potential lifespan, just to join Cale in one of the worst times of Cale's life.

And he was happy for it.

We see Cale truly overcome with emotion. The trust and friendship between the two of them is just beautiful.

And I truly meant to talk about Alberu as well (him joining them also adding to this) but I only realized when writing this just how much I had to say about Cale and Choi Han, so maybe I'll do that another time.

Anyways.

That still wasn't everything. Because we also had the indignity test...

And while I think the author didn't fully finish everything Choi Han saw because it'll probably come up in part 2 (it hasn't yet, but I think I see the author building up to something. Because so far they've all been too busy to really address a few things, plus apparently there's dragons dealing with time? Anyways, I suspect we'll get more on Cale's childhood, and what Choi Han knows, and some other things, but we'll see. It took almost 300 chapters in part 1 before we got all the amazing scenes with Cale and Choi Han and the sealed god's test and instant so I'm willing to let the author build things up again.)

Oh, sorry. What was I saying? Right.

Even though we don't have the full story, we know that Choi Han knows.

And in one of the side stories, he says this:

He didn’t know at first, but that person’s days of rest that Choi Han saw was more of a period of recovery than days of rest. Of course, the person himself thought that he was playing around, but it did not seem like that to Choi Han at all. That was why his people, who at some point realized the meaning of this rest day, tried their best not to bother his recovery.

And again, in the same side story but referring to a moment later in part 1

Cale was mumbling. “Haaaa. It’d be great to be a slacker.” Choi Han knew the meaning of those words. ‘I want to rest. I need to heal.’ That should be the meaning. However, he now knew what Cale would say after that.

And skipping the specific details, what Choi Han probably meant when he said he knew what Cale would say after that

Cale looked toward the east and calmly commented. “There are too many things to do, so I can’t rest.”

Choi Han understands Cale 1000x more than he did when they started.

And Cale understands Choi Han better, too.

Which is probably a topic for a whole other post, considering Cale initially almost seemed to put Choi Han on a pedestal as the hero and protagonist of the story.

[khayalli]

(fashion by lady gaga blares in the distance)

[silverskye13]

(about the latest drabble): I'm sorry, Welsknight's code of honor says what

Gotta love Chivalry!

Welsknight in RnS is trying is ready best to be a good knight, but he has no church to swear fealty to [unless he builds one himself] and no Knightly Order to train and be ordained with [unless he builds one himself] so unlike Helsknight, who sought out a church in hels and got knighted the Ye Olde Fashioned Way, Welsknight follows the rules of Poetic Chivalry. The more he and Helsknight have fought it out, the more Helsknight's tenets have been incorporated into Welsknight's idea of Chivalry [and Helsknight's tenets themselves are based on Chivalric Laws anyway] but still, their personal creeds are a little to the left of each other.

With that little rant out of the way, the Chivalric Laws I'm using for Welsknight are augmented from Léon Gautier's Ten Commandments of Chivalry:

Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches and thou shalt observe all its directions.

Thou shalt defend the Church.

Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.

Thou shalt love the country in which thou wast born.

Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.

Thou shalt make war against the infidel without cessation and without mercy.

Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of God.

Thou shalt never lie, and shalt remain faithful to thy pledged word.

Thou shalt be generous, and give largesse to everyone.

Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.

For the sake of RnS, which has vague gods and saints in hels, but only the gods and saints players make everywhere else, for Welsknight, all tenets about God and Church are Hermitcraft the Server and what it represents. The laws and teachings of Hermitcraft are its pledges to creativity and fairness and prosperity. He will defend it to his dying breath, because it's his home, and the living, breathing part of the universe that he and his friends create in. And any enemy of Hermitcraft is his personal enemy as well.

[I like to imagine the reason Welsknight didn't get involved in the HC x Empires crossover was because he was busy making sure the Empires crew wouldn't start a war he personally had to finish lol]

He really is trying his best.

The problem with Chivalry though, is it is inherently about crusades. Chivalric poems, while filled with a good bit of manner and courtly love, are also filled with the ideas of self sacrifice for a ruthless Good, a Good that roots out evil, with tragic grace. A Good that, ultimately, crusaded against whole countries, because Good wouldn't abide by Evil. Chivalry needs something to fight for. Otherwise it's just a basket of nice, convenient morals, a horse and a suit of armor. So you can imagine, in his own subtle, misguided way, Welsknight is actually quite happy hels exists. What good is a knight without something to fight for? Or better yet, to fight against, because it is very convenient to define yourself by everything your enemy isn't.

And his enemy isn't kind to him. His enemy must be a liar, because what he says about his worthiness as a knight can't be true. And his enemy must be cruel, because he seeks him out to hurt him. And his enemy must be relentless, because he hasn't given up yet. And his enemy is Helsknight, and everything Helsknight stands for, and apparently, Helsknight stands for quite a lot, including other people, and other people can be fought.

(He and Helsknight, despite every kick and scream to the contrary, really are a lot alike.)

[venusin-aries]

Anti’s coming into the Gwyneth Berdara tag and accusing Gwynriel’s of the mischaracterization of Gwyn or only liking Gwyn because of Gwynriel is fucking LAUGHABLE. 

All I've seen are posts singing praises about Gwyn (just Gwyn!) and I have NOT ONCE seen a Gwynriel shipper characterize Gwyn wrongly.

What are we mischaracterizing her for? 

Being brave as fuck for choosing to train to be a Valkyrie? Nesta’s admiration and fondness of her? For saying she’s resilient for being able to enjoy herself and laugh with her friends after experiencing some fucked up shit? THAT SHE'S LIKABLE?? Being strategic and patient FOR DAYS and spying on the Illaryian males before sending the beasts after them ruthlessly? Being smart and witty? Her interests in sex and smut and stating she doesn’t want to be coddled? Her willingness to sacrifice herself on the bridge? Her determination to finish the blood rite even though she was injured as fuck? Her unwavering loyalty toward Nesta and Emerie? That Nesta thinks her beauty is comparable to Mor and Merrill?

The fact that she’s not judgemental and she immediately accepted Nesta when they were sharing their stories? Her own struggle with guilt and self hate? Her immediately witnessing what Azriel is capable of when they first met? Azriel’s shadows reacting POSITIVELY towards her and yeah, the thought of her joy glowing in his chest? That she teases him and challenges him? That she hasn't seen him torture someone yet but she's seen worse shit soooo why would she be fazed??

She's canonly more suitable for Azriel than anybody else in the series and THAT'S why people dislike her as a character even though on her own she's a great character.

Those are only SOME of her positives we got in ONE book. Notice, some of those positives include Azriel, but most don’t 🤷🏻‍♀️. 

Allllllll of those points have textual evidence to support them. And these are allllllll the points Gwynriel shippers love to make about her. 

The only charactization of her anti’s will accept is if she goes back to the library, stays there and is never seen or heard of in canon again. Or if she’s evil which she’s likely not going to be. Stop being so petty. If anything SJM has her set up for a HEALING journey. 

However some people obviously like to see a female character STAY broken and let her trauma define her.

Getting mad when she's so obviously such a fun character? She has fun and laughs and teases her friends and Cassian and Azriel and enjoys herself but there's something wrong with that and you think its annoying????

Fanon Gwyn and Canon Gwyn are basically the same. If you don’t like fanon Gwyn, you probably don’t like canon Gwyn and that’s fine, whatever, I think you have totally shit taste but whatever just STAY OUT OF THE GWYNETH BERDARA TAG.

I see the shit ya'll tag and then delete.

I’m a Gwyn stan first and foremost but I have not seen one single other Gwynriel shipper mischaracterize her. 

Fanon is fun until it melts your brain and you start believing ONLY fanon and wrongly remembering canon and then attacking others for using canon to support their points. 

It’s crazy to me that anti’s can dislike a fictional character so much that the idea of potentially seeing more of said character in the canon universe and getting more fandom love honestly upsets them.

Like holy shit, I don’t like E/riel, but I have enough tact not to take that out on either Elain OR Azriel. And I don’t go looking to start shit with shippers because I'm not pathetic. Too bad some people can’t extend that same class to Gwyn. 

Also, I feel like some people forget about this fucking scene. 

Gwyn studied Ramiel's craggy, unforgiving slope. Not much snow graced its sides. Like the wind had whipped it all away. Or the storms had avoided its peak entirely. “Is it living, though? To take the safe road?”

“You’re the one who's been living in a library for two years,” Emerie said.

Gwyn didn't flinch. “I have. And I am tired of it.” She surveyed the blood-soaked leather along her thigh. “I don't want to take the safe road.” She pointed to the mountain, to the slender path upward. “I want to take that road.” Her voice thickened. “I want to take the road that no one dares travel, and I want to travel it with you two. No matter what may befall us. Not as Illyrians, not for their titles, but as something new. To prove to them, to everyone, that something new and different might triumph over their rules and restrictions.”

A cold wind blew off Ramiel's sides. 

Whispering, murmuring.

“They call this climb the Breaking for a reason,”Emerie countered gravely.

Nesta added, “Wehaven't eaten in days. We're down to the last of our water. To climb that mountain-“

“I have been broken once before,” Gwyn said, her voice clear. “I survived it. And I will not be broken again- not even by this mountain.”

Look at me and tell me this is a character we’ll never hear from again. Go right a fucking head. 

You can't come into the Gwyneth Berdara tag claiming we mischaracterize her. We take her as is. No need to pick her apart or give her little unnecessary traits to fit her better with any one.

It's not possible to make her out to be something she's not when every little thing we love about her is canon.

You can be salty over us comparing Bryce/Hunt and Azriel/Gwyn but oh wait! SJM uses similar language to describe them ON PURPOSE in canon as fucking well!!!

On purpose.

In fucking canon.

But we’re reaching.

Do not come into the Gwyneth Berdara tag and say Gwynriel’s make it hard to like her but oh, you do like her you do! And then go on to say she’s nothing more special than a Valkyrie or Nesta’s friend. Yeah, I fucking saw that shit.

People are weirdly jealous over a ship/inspiring character a lot of people relate to.

Gwyn is not stealing Azriel from any one because there’s NO ONE to steal him from.

These character's are fake but the hate and vitriol ya'll are spewing at people who like her are very real.

Just stay out of the Gwyneth Berdara tag if you don't like her.

[strawberryicemoon]

You should watch Pokemon Horizons

You should watch Pokemon Horizons. No seriously. You should watch the most recent Pokemon anime. Obviously people have different tastes and a children's anime isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. But if you've ever enjoyed Pokemon, or are a fan of children's cartoons (particularly children's anime), I have to recommend trying Pokemon Horizons. Pokemon Horizons isn't finished yet, at 25 episodes, so there is always time for it to take a turn, but it has just completed its first arc "Liko and Roy's Departure", so I feel confident in recommending it. And with the English dub coming out soon (hopefully), bringing availability to a wider audience so whenever you get the chance, I’d recommend it.

Our main protagonist is Liko. And I don't want to define her by her predecessor, but she really is Ash's antithesis in the best of ways. Nothing against Ash, it’s just a change was necessary. Ash is a hot-headed, straight-forward, confident, extroverted. Liko is an anxious introvert. She's unsure of her identity, and what she really wants to do at first. You could say she's a lot like previous female Pokemon protagonists in that regard; though it's too early to make any conclusive statements about where she's going, I will say I think her particular flavor of self-discovering protagonist hasn't quite been fully utilized. To be brief, I think she's less focused on figuring out her dream, and more on figuring out what she wants next, in a step by step fashion. She’s learning to understand and prioritize what she really wants, not what she thinks she should do. One of the earliest bits we get in the series is her grandmother telling her the importance of that first step, and so as Liko continues to grow in tiny steps, and makes more of her own decisions it feels like growth. Liko is most charming for who she shows herself to be when she stops thinking. Stops hesitating and worrying about doing the right thing. Someone who jumps off buildings. Who charges into battle because it's the right thing to do. We are often treated to Liko's internal dialogue. Where we hear the thoughts she doesn't say aloud due to her more introverted nature. She often expresses her anxiety, her surprise when she does something rash or when something weird happens to her. Which makes her moments of strength all the better, as she grows into a strong trainer, who more easily and more deliberately makes decisions about her future. Also, despite not actively thinking about it as much, Liko does figure out what she wants. And without spoiling it, she’s more like Ash than it may seem at first.

Liko also is in the center of a minor chosen one narrative, possessing a mysterious pendant inherited from her grandmother (and it's suggested she may be descended from an ancient hero), with a power that only Liko can unlock. (Side note: we haven’t gotten too much of her grandmother yet, but she is just a fantastic example of a badass old lady). That may not necessarily be appealing to many people, but it’s a great catalyst for her growth and a justification for her to be getting involved in bigger conflicts in what will probably be a shorter series in a franchise that has escalated the stakes a lot since Red and Blue. She is at series start, a damsel in distress. She's a brand new trainer, targeted by an evil organization for reasons she doesn't understand, rescued by people who are just hired to protect her. But Liko, despite starting out somewhat meek, and overly people pleasing, decides very quickly that she doesn't want to just stand by and let events happen to her. She wants to chase them herself. It may have been extraordinary circumstances that lead her to the Rising Volt Tacklers. But she stays with them because she realizes that this is what she wants to do, this is where she'll grow, and become the person she wants to be. Currently in the series she has already shown very tangible growth as both a person, and a Pokemon trainer. 

Speaking of her being a Pokemon trainer, her Pokemon complement her and her goals well. She was given Sprigatito specifically as the result of an interview judging her personality, so we the audience are instantly cued in that we can use Sprigatito as a way of understanding Liko’s personality. At the beginning Liko doesn't understand Sprigatito, but she also admits that she also doesn't understand herself very well. All the while Sprigatito is very much so, a cat. Who does exactly what she wants to do, when she wants to do it, taking life one action at a time, something Liko does throughout the show. Sprigatito seems to respond better to Liko when Liko is confident and when she does things that she really wants to, not things she feels she should. Sprigatito and Liko are naturally on the same page, so when Liko deviates from that, in the name of doing something she feels she should do rather than wants to do, Sprigatito gets upset. This is an effective way of building up both their relationship, and helping us to clearly understand the girl who doesn't understand herself, providing a catalyst for Liko’s growth. In addition Sprigatito’s calming aroma, and ability to use Leafage as a smokescreen are fitting tools for Liko’s goals and habits.

Hattena, Liko’s first catch, is caught later into the arc, but also fits Liko well. And gets along well with Sprigatito. Hattena is a pokemon known for being sensitive to emotions, and requiring a gentle, calming trainer, which helps highlight Liko’s strengths, and is relevant to Liko’s personal ambitions.

Roy is a passionate, energetic, friendly boy. He has more of an idea of what he wants than Liko, which is to unravel the secrets of his mysterious ancient Pokeball, but he’s still rather laid back. This may make him sound more like Ash, to which I won’t disagree but he is still a defined character himself. (And being “Like Ash” could mean a lot of things considering Ash took on many characterizations throughout his history). He has a big grand dream, but it’s unique to him, and is well defined. He's not as nuanced as Liko, but he makes a charming foil to her. While Liko can be more hesitant and had to be circumstanced into the journey, Roy’s been itching for one for a while. Liko’s grandmother pushed her forward, Roy’s grandfather’s been holding him back. Liko has to learn to consider what she wants, Roy has to learn to support others. Like Liko, Roy’s been making progress on becoming a trainer, often through the support of each other and helping his Pokemon out. 

Though Sprigatito and Liko were a pair assigned to each other and had to learn to get along, Roy and Fuecoco just matched vibes and decided that they actually wanted to help each other reach their goals. Fuecoco and Roy are a great pair too. Fuecoco is a simple type of 'mon. He likes to eat, sing, and wants to be strong like Friede's Charizard. They sing a lot as a form of bonding, which is adorable

Roy's other pokemon is Wattrel. Another glutton. Who also likes to sing. Who has his own ambitions. Unlike Hattenna and Sprigatito who get along well, Wattrel and Fuecoco often argue. Both are boisterous Pokemon with a lot of (metaphorical as of now) firepower, with a lot of ambition. While Fuecoco is more cheerful, and Wattrel grumpy, their inability to naturally support each other fits with Roy’s more individualistic personality. 

Okay, Spoiler time...

The show has gone out of its way to keep them hidden. If you want to keep the twist please skip. However, I think this twist is going to go the way of the identity of Luke's father, so your days are numbered before it's spoiled forever. And I feel I can't really talk about Horizon's and why you should watch it without discussing them. So skip to the end of this section if you don't want to hear it. For the third member of our trio and Quaxly's partner, I am going to talk about spoilers.

While Dot's voice actress and presence in show was announced very early on, along with the rest of the crew, it wasn't immediately clear what was going on. Or rather, she was announced as Nidothing/Gurumin. Liko's favorite streamer. Which was an odd character to give such importance. But by the end of the first episode it's apparent there's more to Nidothing to the story. She does the next episode previews. And while Quaxly had featured in the first poster and was clearly set to be part of the crew, it was not clear who Quaxly belonged to, and it just so happened that Gurumin had a Quaxly. And then the reveal of a Quaxly and a Fuecoco that was certain to become Roy's partner already as part of the Rising Volt Tackler's crew made it a sure bet that Nidothing was part of the crew. The only question was who. The mystery was a good hook, at the start of the series, but they didn't leave it dangling too long.

Dot’s a shut-in, who has already shown tremendous growth, beginning to leave her room, interact with her fellow crewmates, and acknowledge her friendship with the other kids, and her partnership with Quaxly. While we haven't gotten as much of them yet, Quaxly seems to be the perfect partner to Dot. Quaxly is a showy type of pokemon. Energetic and confident, everything she exudes as her Nidothing persona. Though time will show more depths to both characters. While we don't know much at all about her backstory, we know she's been a full-fledged member of the RVT for a while, as essentially their IT person (and internet research specialist), and that she's Murdock's niece (we'll talk about him too). We know she was inspired to begin streaming by Iono (the ScVi gym leader). But what exactly caused her to become a shut in, join the RVT, and befriend Quaxly remains to be seen. We are, afterall, 25 episodes into what is sure to be a 70+ episode show, (likely 100+). And things are just getting started.

That's enough of spoilers.

The kids have a strong friendship that is just starting to grow. It's already clear that they're becoming the kind of true companions that any group of traveling companions should be. Real ride or die for each other, and we're only 25 episodes in. They're goofy, inexperienced, and intensely curious with great potential for growth. We've already gotten instances of them inspiring and encouraging each other. While I don't think they are the most compelling group dynamic out there, they've got potential, and they certainly aren't bad. They're connected, either directly or indirectly, to the mystery of an ancient hero, and want to know more.

They also make for fantastic rookie trainers. Their team sizes are small, and they accumulate pokemon slowly. Which gives them time to show the growth of their individual pokemon and their bond. There’s also a lot of focus on the kids learning to BE trainers. Learning how to come up with strategies, be creative, expect the unexpected, and actually train their pokemon. It’s one thing to show a trainer training a pokemon, and another showing a trainer learning skills to help them direct their pokemon in battle so it's always good to see multiple aspects.

When the anime started there were 151 known pokemon and a promise of more, but nothing crazy. It was feasible to give every pokemon some degree of focus. To try and get as many pokemon as possible some of the limelight. But now there's over 1000. That's not really possible, so I think the quality over quantity works better. More importantly, working with the individual pokemon helps to highlight the growth of the trainer and why they're important. It's very important in Pokemon that battles don't turn into trainers yelling orders that pokemon interpret into all sorts of additional things, and probably didn't need to be told to do in the first place. Liko and Roy are shown to help their pokemon grow by encouraging them, and providing guidance on how to use their moves, and shows how they help in the heat of battle, by strategizing and helping to figure out not just which moves to use but how to utilize them in different ways. In short, Horizon's does a great job of demonstrating what skills are necessary to be a good trainer, and shows them honing those skills, rather than just focusing on their personal-emotional growth or the growing strength of their pokemon.

But the kids aren't the only ones who matter here. The brave Asagi is filled with adults with their own problems, histories and goals. Adults that help guide the Asagi's three charges, and are excellent role models.

Now, to preface, Pokemon has been increasing adult presence in the games especially since Sun and Moon, for better or for worse. After all, such a big draw of the Pokemon franchise was the power fantasy for kids. The ability to see a world, see in themselves, the ability to be independent and strong. (Which is a large part of kids growing to be independent and strong). I'm not really a fan of the way that the most recent games have commentary about the ways adults fail children. In Sun and Moon it's Lusamine's condescension towards kids, Sword and Shield it's the way Leon keeps Hop and the protag away from the conflict for most of it, In Scarlet and Violet, it's for better or for worse the school setting. On the anime side of things we had Ash going to school in Sun and Moon, and then establishing a base at Cerise laboratories where he gets adult supervision (and Chloe going to school). We sure are getting a lot of school these days. I think that erases a huge part of the big appeal for Pokemon, at least for child me, and likely for many of you at one point or another. The disappearing ability for children to explore the wilderness was the inspiration behind the franchise to begin with. It's a world where kids are treated seriously. Where they can be strong, because their strength comes from their bonds and their friendships, where their age and lack of experience doesn't make them babied. Where they are in control of their lives and given the respect they deserve. And in a world that's increasingly hostile towards children, a world where we are increasingly taking away children's freedoms in the name of keeping them safe it's more important than ever that the pokemon world remains a world where kids as young as 10, are free to choose their own path in life, change the world, and not be held back by what adults say they can or cannot do, a world where the god makes no such age distinctions. So no. I'm not generally a fan of the increased presence of school and adults in Pokemon and the commentary of "how fucked up is it that 10 year olds have to save the world". No It's an amazing world because 10 year olds have the power to save the world and aren't subject to the whims of the adults around them.

But all of this is to say that so far, I'm liking how the adult presence is handled in Horizons despite my predisposition against it. I think it's because the characters aren't above our children protagonists. Our children don't match the adults in strength and experience. But they are shown to be strong and drivers of their own stories. They aren't helpless. They chose to join the Brave Asagi's crew because it was the best way to accomplish their goals. The adults support the kids, they are never there as an obstacle for the kids to overcome, nor do they impede the kids abilities to face challenges and peril on their own. And the kids, while they may cause them problems, are never shown as a burden on the adults. The adults aren't useless though either. They're full-fledged characters in their own rights. If anything the story goes out of its way to tell its audience that children and adults aren't that different after all (particularly in episode 19). Adults struggle, they cry, they get excited. Being an adult doesn't have to mean getting trapped in mundanity. Being an adult can include doing the things you're passionate about and chasing your dreams. Being an adult doesn't have to mean you have to give anything up. Which is meaningful in a franchise old and beloved enough that whole families across generational lines can be invested. Now onto those adult characters.

Friede, the partner of Captain Pikachu, and the main adult character. He's kind of a spiritual successor to Ash, with his Pikachu and Charizard, and leader of a group of world travelers with a desire to learn about Pokemon. There's something poetic about the main adult character having Pikachu and Charizard. While Friede isn't Ash and Captain isn't Ash's Pikachu, they do have some similarities. Friede and Ash are both confident, passionate hot-heads who are skilled, albeit unconventional battlers. Captain is an unorthodox battler who breaks the mold of what a Pikachu is considered capable of doing. Episode 18 is their backstory, and if nothing else I would recommend the episode. Friede is a young pokemon professor, disillusioned with the title. Who, due to a fateful meeting with Captain Pikachu is inspired to start the Rising Voltacklers (RVT). The name actually has some significance. Despite Pikachu being Captain, he's the de facto human leader. But the fact that Captain gets to be well, Captain, is fantastic. Friede often forgets to tell people about his plans, and often causes problems with his lack of communication, but he's a strong and clever battler, who knows a lot about Pokemon.

Orla/Orio is the team mechanic. We really don't know much about her yet besides the fact she is originally from Kanto and Friede's childhood friend who at some point moved to Hoenn, before Friede asked her to make the Asagi fly. She asked to join the crew as a mechanic of Friede's half-thought out dream, in lieu of payment. She's cheerful, passionate and friendly. Her partner is a Metagross, and she often works with more rough around the edges fire types to keep the Brave Asagi aloft. It's clear that it's a lot of work for her but is something she's passionate about. 

Murdock is the chef, and a lot of his promo art shows him looking stern, and he's physically the largest member of the Brave Asagi's crew. However, the fact he has a Rockruff and an Alcremie will tell you far more about his personality. He's basically a surrogate dad to all the kids. He's shown to get along well with Roy and Liko, and worries about the kids. But he has been shown to get intense when it comes to his food, and the people and Pokemon he cares about getting hurt, even if he isn't too much of a battler. We don't know a lot about him yet, though we do know he used to be a Patisserie with Alcremie and an old friend who he separated with on poor terms due to tension involving Alcremie's evolution, but we don't know how he ended up joining the RVT.

Mollie, while not yet stated outright, is heavily implied to be a Joy. She at the very least, is from a family of Pokemon doctors and while she does love taking care of pokemon, knows that for every pokemon who can make it to get treatment, there are others who can't. This isn't the first Nurse Joy we've seen do this (there was the one in the Orange Islands at least), but it's always nice to get more insight into the Joy family and the worldbuilding that comes with that. And also characters who take a path layed out for them and instead of following it, or simply heading in a different direction, change the path to suit them. Mollie constantly has a grumpy look on her face, and avoids going into Pokemon centers. But she really is kind and cares deeply about Pokemon.

Last but not least is Ludlow, who I don't have much to comment on, since we don't know much yet. But his fishing boat (the Asagi) literally forms the foundation of what would become the Brave Asagi, the RVT base of operations. He's the team grandpa. He doesn't really do much, but he seems to be the character who everyone gets along with and respects, and is often off on his own, and looks after the Brave Asagi when everyone else is busy.

The nature of the conflict between the Explorers and the RVT leads the encounters between them to be large scale and action packed. Battles that take place in the air, across cities, in cave networks and in old castles. It’s rarely as simple as a 1v1 battle. There’s usually traps, escapes via misdirection, sneak attacks, and strategy employed on both sides. Humans are also often involved in the action themselves, shown riding on pokemon, running around, and even facing attacks on occasion. There are still of course more traditional battles, but they aren’t the majority of battles. With the more traditional battle rules off the table, the possibilities are increased. This also allows the kids more agency. They may not be strong enough to directly counter the RVT, but with some luck, teamwork and some creative thinking they can get themselves out of situations or hold their own until backup arrives. 

I'm not generally one to comment on the more technical animation aspects, primarily because I'm not much of an artist, but I think it's worth mentioning. While Horizons is still, first and foremost a long running children's anime so it's not like its animation is particularly mind blowing. But, it's still worth credit. I found myself pleasantly surprised at times. The airship setting allows for some truly fantastical settings.

I’m not saying Pokemon Horizons is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen or anything, so don’t set your expectations sky high. But it is a show with a lot of heart that I think deserves to be seen, so if you’ve wrote, the show off as just the Pokemon anime, give it a shot. The premise is different from the previous anime and is a completely different kind of show. The characters are lovable, the plot is intriguing, the battles are dynamic, and the atmosphere is filled with wonder and discovery. I think you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised. 

[nohoperadio]

My favourite author is Iris Murdoch.

I don't think I have favourites in any other category, it feels like a bit of an artificial concept usually, but it would be silly to deny this one. I was halfway through my first Murdoch novel (at age 20 or so) when I felt certain I was going to have to read them all (there are 26). My feeling was that I would have stayed true to that even if every other book she wrote had been terrible. I'm sure that's not true, but I say it to illustrate that she inspired a deep and irrational loyalty in me very early on that hasn't waned over time. I've been reading between one and three of her books per year since I started, deliberately spreading them out so as not to deplete a valuable resource too soon, although presumably I'll just start rereading them at the same rate after I've finished. I've read 21 out of 26 so far.

Maybe someday I'll have something to say on here about what draws me to her books so strongly. Not right now though. What I want to say today is that I usually like her opening lines very much, she often starts with some very punchy compact moment that feels weirdly complete already even as it clearly stands in need of unpacking, if that makes sense to anyone else. This post is going to be simply a compilation of some good ones. Let's say 10 of the best, in no particular order.

I'm defining "opening lines" as not literally just the first sentence but enough to cover the first self-contained "moment" of the book, which is a bit of a judgment call for sure but you can be confident I've judged correctly in every case. For The Philosopher's Pupil (but no others) I've blatantly cheated by entirely skipping a sort of prologue chapter because I think the opening of the next chapter is both more opening-like and more compelling, I acknowledge that this is illegitimate but you'll just have to deal with it. Okay here goes.

---

The Unicorn

'How far away is it?'

'Fifteen miles.'

'Is there a bus?'

'There is not.'

'Is there a taxi or a car I can hire in the village?'

'There is not.'

'Then how am I to get there?'

'You might hire a horse hereabouts,' someone suggested after a silence.

---

An Accidental Man

'Gracie darling, will you marry me?'

'Yes.'

'What?'

---

The Bell

Dora Greenfield left her husband because she was afraid of him. She decided six months later to return to him for the same reason.

---

The Philosopher's Pupil

I am the narrator: a discreet and self-effacing narrator. This book is not about me.

---

Bruno's Dream

Bruno was waking up. The room seemed to be dark. He held his breath, testing the quality of the darkness, wondering if it was night or day, morning or afternoon. If it was night that was bad and might be terrible. Afternoon could be terrible too if he woke up too early. The drama of sleeping and waking had become preoccupying and fearful now that consciousness itself could be so heavy a burden.

---

The Sacred and Profane Love Machine

The boy was there again this morning, and the dogs were not barking.

---

A Fairly Honourable Defeat

'Julius King.'

'You speak his name as if you were meditating upon it.'

'I am meditating upon it.'

'He's not a saint.'

'He's not a saint. And yet—'

---

The Message to the Planet

'Of course we have to do with two madmen now, not with one.'

'You mean Marcus is mad too?'

'No, he means Patrick is mad too.'

---

The Red and the Green

Ten more glorious days without horses!

---

The Sea, The Sea

The sea which lies before me as I write glows rather than sparkles in the bland May sunshine. With the tide turning, it leans quietly against the land, almost unflecked by ripples or by foam. Near the horizon it is a luxurious purple, spotted with regular lines of emerald green. At the horizon it is indigo. Near to the shore, where my view is framed by rising heaps of humpy yellow rock, there is a band of lighter green, icy and pure, less radiant, opaque however, not transparent. We are in the north, and the bright sunshine cannot penetrate the sea. Where the gentle water taps the rocks there is still a surface skin of colour. The cloudless sky is very pale at the indigo horizon which it lightly pencils in with silver. Its blue gains towards the zenith and vibrates there. But the sky looks cold, even the sun looks cold.

I had written the above, destined to be the opening paragraph of my memoirs, when something happened which was so extraordinary and so horrible that I cannot bring myself to describe it even now after an interval of time and although a possible, though not totally reassuring, explanation has occurred to me. Perhaps I shall feel calmer and more clear-headed after yet another interval.

[lollytea]

What were your thoughts on Hunter's role in the finale? I've seen some conflicting opinions and I'm wondering what your take is

In my opinion, everybody who got puppeted at the beginning of WAD deserved a little more of a role in the special (So Camila, Amity, Willow, Gus and Hunter). It feels like they were unfairly sidelined because of time constraints. Which is understandable. At its core, this is Luz, Eda and King's story.

However, if I had to pick one character that I believe deserved that spotlight in the finale, it would be Gus, not Hunter.

I know what you're asking tho. How do I feel about Hunter having absolutely no involvement in taking down Belos. And when I saw it for the first time I was like "Hm...I could've sworn he'd be here too." That's just what I assumed would happen. But he wasn't.

Lately I've been trying to view things from a "is this an objectively shitty writing decision or is it just not what I would have done?" angle.

I assumed Hunter's finale arc wasn't finished yet. But it turns out that it actually was. So looking back on the last two specials, yeah...[shrugs] I guess this wasn't a bad conclusion to his story.

The scene in Thanks to Them where Hunter gives his big fat Fuck You speech to Belos was intended to be the send-off of that relationship.

And then For the Future involves Hunter attempting to deal with his grief and helpless rage. He puts himself on the warpath for the sake of coping. However, the episode then goes on to emphasize that Hunter is a person who loves more than he hates. He's a character who's more prominently defined by care and protection than anger and revenge.

With that in mind, I guess his role in Watching and Dreaming executes that message just fine. He's now more concerned with taking care of his friends than killing Belos. He doesn't leave their side.

There's also been a noticeable shift in how Hunter has been used in action sequences. He hasn't engaged in offensive combat since Labyrinth Runners. For the most part, he's become the defense, who has everybody else's back during a fight. All of his most intense scenes since then have been driven by emotion and communication, rather than violence. I feel like it was a deliberate choice for the fight choreography, in order to steer Hunter away from the battleground, in both a physical sense and in order to rearrange your depiction of him in your head. And with the groundwork they laid down, it becomes less surprising that he didn't fight Belos head on.

And judging from his little moment in the dreamscape during WAD, there's nobody he trusts more than Luz to carry out the job.

So like. I dunno. I probably don't have the most well constructed opinion. People who are more passionate about Hunter might disagree and that's cool. But like yeah, just because I didn't know his arc was finished and presumed there was more to come, doesn't mean that the arc he had was bad. At least that's how I feel about it.

[oh-shtars]

Hi Flicker :D! I just finished watching a summary and analysis of the movie “Soul” and I have to share my existential crisis with you and how I think this could support Rani's character development :] (Warning: I'm going to ramble and a LOT).

So, I was watching the movie and I saw that 22's character is quite similar to Rani, not in personality but in what they mean, she is someone who believes she hasn't found her talent yet, what she wants to dedicate herself 100% to or as they say in the movie “her spark”, they feel lost and feel like they are letting someone down because of that, but they both deal with it in different ways, we also see Joel believing that “the spark” is the THING that defines you, your purpose, this maybe what Rani may think, but I imagine as she gets older she realizes that's not such a bad thing, in fact maybe it's a bit negative to get 100% rooted to your purpose, because some people think that with that their life will be better or something, when no, I think Rani will realize that the “purpose” or what she “wants to be totally dedicated to” is not really what she expects, it's more those moments where you just feel something that makes you grateful to be alive, like when she finished carving a wooden figure and liked the result, when she enjoyed doing an activity, or when she was just with friends or her family having a challenge. Because that's also what that “spark” is about, isn't it? They are activities that generate a feeling of happiness and are one more impulse that helps you to be grateful to be alive, it is not your life 100%, it is something that simply sweetens it a little more, but not having it does not mean that you are a nobody, but it means having more possibilities to enjoy different things in life. (Sorry if what I'm saying is obvious or doesn't make sense, I was looking for the message I wanted my wish Au to give and I ended up having an existential crisis, I hope you didn't get bored reading this).

AHHHHH THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ALED!!! THAT’S WHAT I’M GOING FOR RANI ✨💖✨

You don’t need to find just one passion you need to be 100% dedicated to be happy and satisfied with life. These bursts of joy can all come from anything you enjoy doing such as hobbies or friends and family. Those are the little sparks scattered throughout your life!!

Rani just thinks that since his parents are these amazing figures he looks up to, that helped encourage people to have faith in pursuing their dreams, that he feels embarrassed of not having a definite one that he’s so sure of pursuing despite being their son. (Which is also why he doesn’t communicate this to them either.)

Please never apologise for sending me an ask. It always sends me over the moon to see y’all engaging with my story and AU. 🥺💖

In fact, you’re making me want to rewatch Soul again. Really good movie with a deep meaning, I like it ^^

[bacchicly]

Garvez Smansgtober Fic: The angsty smutty one where a broken Penelope and a battered Luke ship RobinWest on a plane while grieving for ones that were lost

For @snailsandpuppy-dogtails

I hope you feel better soon!

Content: angst; graphic sex (on a plane - but no voyeurism); optional un/happy ending; likely neither ships will be cannon compliant (notice the verb tense here...nothing like using one's content warning to plan the fic)

Words: not sure...but I have about 45 minutes max I can use to write this if I am to publish before midnight

Not done yet...but I'll try to finish it tomorrow. I like the opening though... Hope you feel better...

The words blur before her eyes. Penelope lets the tablet fall to her lap, she's careful about where it lands but she too tired and sore to hold it up any more but six million miles from sleep. The airplane grumbled around her as fly-over-states pass by somewhere far below...obscured by the 3am blackness and the heavy dense cloud cover they have been flying through for the last couple hours. Her own reflection peers back at her from the dark porthole. She looks awful, dark smudges under her eyes, a tight lined expression, hair just not coifed anywhere near her usual standards. But who's she to complain? At least she made it out... not like-

The airplane jumps and rattles cutting of her attempt at an optimistic noble thought.

Damn turbulence.

Owwwwwwww.

The moan may be internal but it is long and teeth grittingly anguished.

Maybe sleep? Just close the book finally on this horrid day ..week...month...hell this horrid fucking aweful decade...just sleep and forget.

Penelope leans back against the seat. Gingerly. Carefully. Wincing only a bit with the prickles of extra pain sparking through the baseline torment. Penelope is now officially with Katniss... Burns are the worst type of pain. Fuckity shittity bag full of hammers and a pint of slug juice awful. Batshit badguys really went too far this time. Ow. Ow. Ow.

Nope sleep was not an option. Being alone with her thoughts not an option. Music or audio books or a movie just felt tooo much... besides what she really wanted to do was finish reading this spicy RobinWest fic. It was a new one - by one of her very fav fic writers and so far Judy and Don were deliciously whumped...and the tension was being built up beautifully... they were alone on a barren landscape...ironically (was this a correct use of the term or more ironic-à-morrisette light?) Judy has been pummelled by a roving gang of space pirates but had been able to fight her way free to rescue Don who had...SUFFERED TERRIBLE BURNS OVER A GOOD PORTIONS OF HIS BODY due to a run in with a space psychopath. Things are looking deliciously grim but Don just noticed that Judy's nipple seemed to be playing peekaboo with the tatters of a uniform...

...maybe a few more pages and then maybe just maybe the turbulence will be over and Penelope will be able to sleep.

✈️🚀✈️🚀✈️🚀

At the other end of the jet, Luke's tongue gently probes his split lip. It's stupid because it makes it hurt more but he can't seem to stop.

He can almost hear his Mamá's voice "Lucas! Stop pulling your scabs! You'll never heal!". He always pulled them off anyways....and...oh the self-satifying-shame...ATE them. Something he has grown out of... well... almost always.

Eeeyew. Honnestly - no wonder he hasn't had a date in ages. Yup That's why he's single. A secret gross but fairly normal bad habit. Definitely not the fact that he has been carrying a torch for a certain brilliant vivacious techie blond. Definately not that. Never.

Luke peeks up from his tablet for the billionth time and across the aisles to gaze hopefully secretly at said blond. Still not sleeping. And her next round of meds aren't for at least 1 hour and 12 minutes... Frustratingly only 4 minutes closer than the last time he checked.

Sleep. They both should sleep. Sleep together. Yes. No! No! Fuck no Penelope has never wanted that...wanted him...and why should she...if only he hadn't...then she wouldn't be... and Spence wouldn't be...and Rossi wouldn't have...and...

Better. To just lick his wounds...not literally and regroup. For now there really isn't anything he can do...and he'll be damned if he sleeps if she can't. So it's going to be a night of reading... Luke turns his attention back to the story he was reading. He sort of fell into reading fic by accident..but now it's another secret habit. He is frankly in awe of the fic writers he follows... Ridiculously talented and curious.... Sure, Luke likes tv as much as the next American guy...but how often can he be home and sitting around watching shows? With murderers on the loose and Roxy to spoil... but fic? It was there for him whenever he had a moment. It was quiet and communal and absorbing and...he admitted it...hot.

And since.porn had lost what little appeal it had ever held for him since getting this job... fic was... There for him. Making the shows he particularly loved more vibrant...lasting...hot.

It was weird but he loved how it felt like he was actually making someone's day by reading it...leaving a like...leaving a comment. He wasn't taking advantage of anyone. He was jacking off to reading stories he could be confident in the creators wanted him to see.

Tonight's story was hot off the press too and it promised to be a romp. The writer was one of his favourites because they really captured the back and forth banter between Don and Judy. It always drew him in. Making him smile at whatever the last frustrating round was between himself and Penelope... He wondered if she liked Lost in Space... He'd never heard her mention it. So back to the story...ignore his bruises and the fair maiden in pain just feet away... Judy and Don need saving... funny that she was beat up and he's been burned...

[bluebunnyears-08]

More Analysis of The Number Nine in Tarot Cards!

Alright, I already did an analysis of the number Nine, getting deep into both its folklore and religious representations. But as I was curiously scrolling on more possible symbolism of the number because I have nothing better to do in life, I found something you guys REALLY need to find out about the number!

Looking into more possible symbolisms I came across tarot card websites. Why is Nine so interesting here?

Because the Ninth tarot card is the Hermit! I know at first I laughed my ass off too when I read this because Nine is a little hermit (def. a person living in solitude or seeking to do so) but when I looked more into it I...didn't have a good time after that. This card is also thought to connote aspects of healing and recovery, something Nine has yet to do in Prime, but it's also a LOT more than that. Things made me slightly tear up while reading.

In tarots, the Hermit has keywords (qualities to define or classify someone as the card due to their inner strength and personality in psyche mythical readings and stuff)

The Upright: Soul-searching, introspection, being alone, inner guidance, prudence, circumspection,

I saw some that I can agree with and qualify as Nine (being alone), but then I got to the reversed keywords and I realized "OH SHIT, THIS IS NINE!"

Reversed: Isolation, loneliness, withdrawal, concealment, disguise, corruption, roguery

Sound familiar? Yeah, I know!

The Hermit's drawing and description aren't much better either...

" The Hermit stands alone on the top of a mountain. The snow-capped range symbolizes his spiritual mastery, growth, and accomplishment. He has chosen this path of self-discovery and, as a result, has reached a heightened state of awareness.

In his right hand, he holds a lantern with a six-pointed star inside; it is the Seal of Solomon, a symbol of wisdom. As The Hermit walks his path, the lamp lights his way – but it only illuminates his next few steps rather than the full journey. He must step forward to see where to go next, knowing that not everything will be revealed at once. In his left hand, the side of the subconscious mind, The Hermit holds a long staff (a sign of his power and authority), which he uses to guide and balance him."

A very interesting and LONG description, but one I think can possibly show what Nine's journey could be. One of self-discovery and deep reflection. In the description, the Hermit uses the light to show not his full journey, but his next steps (the light is a symbol of enlightenment and realization)

I think that the light in the Hermit's case could possibly be Nine's enlightenment, one that guides him to a better life of one full of happiness and love. As for the source of the light, it's obviously Sonic for bringing Nine TO that enlightenment. Nine isn't dependent on Sonic, not fully, but I think he's dependent on the HOPE that Sonic gave him, which makes him work for it to become real.

The long golden staff is obviously, Nine's seven mechanical tails, as they give him a sense of "power and authority", using them to guide and ESPECIALLY balance him (he literally uses them as legs and chairs).

Instead of a white color scheme in his clothes, Nine has a darker and more dull color choice in his clothing, which shows he hasn't finished his growth or accomplishment. Nine has yet to choose to go on a journey of self-discovery and reflection, and only depends on his enlightenment to lead him to a better life.

The Hermit is also associated with old age and experience. Nine IS still a kid, but it's clear from the dark ear tips that he IS older than Tails, he also has PLENTY of experience whether it be from fighting to the hardships of life.

In LOVE aspects of Tarot readings, the Hermit is NOT a good card to get. Getting this card means that you'll most likely be alone for the foreseeable future. It also represents NO reconciliation if you hope you and someone will be together, this card symbolizes you spending time by yourself, grieving the loss of this relationship.

Getting a Hermit in readings o your future life is also NOT a good sign. It predicts loneliness, heartache, and failed attempts.

For more goal-orientated reasons, the Hermit is a warning that you're goals will separate you from others, which could be the possible outcome of Nine's focus on a better future.

The Hermit in a Tarot spread as an obstacle can represent how you'll be alone and be lonely, and in those cases, your remoteness can cause you to act needy towards others.

The Hermit card is a MOSTLY negative card and has VERY FEW good attributes in a Tarot Reading in my opinion.

While it can be a positive on how you don't need others to be happy, that DOES NOT fit for Nine.

Anyway, thanks for reading my little ramble and I'm curious about YOUR interpretations of this silly theory. I hope y'all have a wonderful day/night!

[trivalentlinks]

I made some (un-beta'ed) Discount Tumblr Bells as a Firefox Add-on!

EDIT: Temporarily making this post unrebloggable, because I think I might have figured out how to actually put them on the dashboard.

It hasn't quite finished Mozilla's Review Process yet, but if anyone wants to test it as a temporary extension on an instance of their browser (meaning you open a Firefox browser and load the add-on to that browser, but it goes away the moment you close it) and give advice etc, I'd be grateful!

This is how to test it:

Download the zip file here:

(You do NOT need to extract the file to try the add-on, but if you want to, you can unzip the file and look at the code, almost all of which is in the folder called "popup". I largely cribbed the structure of the code from beastify, which is Mozilla.Org's 2nd demo extension, aka Your Second Extension.)

Then open a firefox browser (or go to a new tab if you have one open), put

about:debugging

in the url, and go to that page.

Then, on the left panel, click "This Firefox" and then "Load Temporary Add-on". Then you navigate to wherever you downloaded the zip file and select it.

Now there should be a little blue bell icon to the upper right (next to the Firefox hamburger menu icon) that looks like the following but much smaller:

Click the icon and it should pop up something that looks like:

Unfortunately, they are overlaid on top of, and not actually on your dash the way tumblr bells are. This is because I am BAD at javascript and html; this is literally the second web extension I've written in my life, after PlusEqualsQWAT, which was an order of magnitude simpler than this one.

(I tried to get the bells to end up on the dash like tumblr bells were, but could not get the code to work that way. If you do know how to do this and are willing to offer advice I would love that and be very grateful!)

Also I know this is not how the tumblr bells looked, but I don't actually remember how they looked well enough to draw them, and these bells were in the public domain.

Anyway, when you hover over a bell it should turn blue like this:

And it should play the bell sound.

The bell sounds are vibraphone sounds. Tumblr bells were jingle bells, but I started this add-on long after tumblr bells were removed, and I couldn't find jingle bell sounds in even one full octave, much less two.

(So, yeah, they unfortunately don't look OR sound how the tumblr bells did, and also don't appear on your dash; I'd love help on any of these fronts, but in the meantime, this is why I called them Discount Bells.)

Typing a number from 1-8 or a letter from Q,W,E,R,T,Y,U,I, also plays a relevant bell sound. (It is Not case sensitive with the letters.)

'q' though 'i' is one octave down from 1-8. Note that this means 'i' and '1' are actually the same note, that's why there's no bell for 'i'.

(You get two octaves. Tumblr Bells only had one octave, but I prefer two, sorry.)

You can also type into the "To Play" thing, which is also not case sensitive.

In the To Play textbox, anything that is Not a letter among q,w,e,r,t,y,u,i, and also not 1-8 gets treated as a rest.

You can also set the tempo of the To Play box, which is defined as the number of milliseconds between notes, so for the default, which is 500, this means two notes a second. (In particular, larger tempo means Slower music, which is not how music works, but as a non-music person I totally forgot what 'tempo' meant until after I submitted the add-on for approval, and approval takes hours if not days so I can't change that.)

For example, my best approximation of Hallelujah (both verse and chorus) is:

et,tt,ty,yy,et,tt,ty,yy,ty,yy,yy,tt,et,t,,,,,,,,et,tt,ty,yu,ti,ii,yi,12,12,22,23,33,21,1,,,,,,e,ty,,y,,,,,y,te,,e,,,,,e,ty,,y,,,,,y,te,,,rew,,,,qq

With Tempo set to 250 or 300.

When you hit the Enter key, it plays at your specified tempo (unless your specified tempo contains letters or other non-digit characters, in which case it sets to the default of 500).

I'd appreciate any comments!

EDIT: Temporarily making this post unrebloggable, because I think I might have figured out how to actually put them on the dashboard.

[tokiro07]

I really wish that Nisio Isin cared about Medaka Box's power system as I do, cus the interplay between Styles and Abnormalities could be pretty interesting to delve into

One of the defining features of Abnormals is their inability to communicate and connect with others; The End makes Medaka too perfect and unapproachable, Auto-Pilot prevents Takachiho from making human contact, Reading Minds overwhelms Yukuhashi and prevents him from understanding the minds that he reads, Killing Impulse forces Munakata to push others away lest he harm them, etc.

Minuses are the reverse, in which they come about from maladaptive thoughts brought on by a lack of communication; Encounter came from Gagamaru pushing away all events that occurred to him, Raff-Rafflesia came from Mukae's worldview that everyone was actually rotten and corrupt, and Bookmaker came from Kumagawa's innate inferiority complex to everyone around him

Styles, conversely, are communication. To be able to use them, one has to be able to convey a message and know how their message may be received. Adult Abnormals tend to lose their Abnormalities because they grow and mature past their weaknesses and learn how to make those connections and integrate into society, so a proper Style that facilitates communication should logically preclude an Abnormality. This may well be why none of the Stylists are Abnormals or Minuses, because learning their Styles superseded their biological need to acquire a Skill

We do know that Abnormals can learn Styles without losing their Skills, though, as both Tsurubami and Medaka are Abnormals who teach themselves how to use Styles, but they also "do it wrong"

Tsurubami's Provocation Style is a "prototype" that he developed based on Fukurou's incomplete notes, and one that focuses on lashing out rather than establishing a dialogue. Though we don't get much insight into Provocation Style, we do know that it robs the target of their composure, which we can infer ironically closes the path of communication, potentially making the Style at least momentarily useless as the target may not be able to act on reason (the weakness of Styles). This is why Tsurubami has to rely on the Kamome System, as Provocation Style invokes its own weakness just to operate (as when he used it on Ajimu and she immediately put him in a four-figure leg lock)

Medaka, meanwhile, has no distinct Style and merely uses the core concept of a Style to empower herself. She now knows how to reach others and is receptive to them, but she hasn't found her method, her style of communicating with them yet, and thus still has to rely on The End to channel these newfound abilities

So the question is whether or not the other Stylists are capable of acquiring a Skill, Plus or Minus, now that they have a Style. Even if one can communicate, miscommunications can still occur and complexes can develop, such as Momo's apparent need to stand out. Conversely, one can still conclude that they are above others even if they can understand them, such as Mogura. Both of them have personalities that match Abnormals and Minuses, so what's stopping them from becoming those if not their status as Stylists? Or rather, were they on a path to become those before they became Stylists?

I'd have loved to see some introspection on this interplay in canon, and Tsurubami would have been the perfect lens to look through if Nisio had wanted to actually analyze it, but sadly that's not how it went, so now I'm left to wonder. Maybe I'll get lucky and Medaka Box will have a random resurgence in a few years after Nisio finishes with Cipher Academy

[aroacesafeplaceforall]

Re: aspec headcannons

I strongly believe that two of my favorite blorbos are aspec (specifically arospec):

The first is Link from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (minor spoiler warning for this paragraph). Most Zelda games' iterations of Link can easily be read as aspec-coded in some way, but Twilight Princess's emphasis on Link's relationships made his lack of romance really stand out and resonate with me as an aromantic. Over the course of the game, we see countless instances of him caring deeply about the people around him, friends and strangers alike. This is so prominent that it's honestly a defining trait of his; he even stands out from his other iterations in just how much he's a Guy Who Cares. Yet for all his personal and emotional investment in people, there is a striking lack of romance in his relationships, much to my delight. Instead, his relationships are founded on his caring nature. The best example of this is his friendship with Midna. Introduced near the beginning of the game and serving as Link's companion until the very end, Midna initially establishes a very transactional relationship with Link; a sort of "I help you, you help me" dynamic. At that point, she is closed off to Link and confides very little in him, while Link probably isn't thrilled with her demeaning treatment of him or how much she asks of him, but puts up with it anyway out of the goodness of his heart. They're reluctant allies. However, they gradually come to respect each other as Link's kindness and courage inspire Midna, and Midna's disparaging behavior slowly gives way to benign, endearing snark. Before long, when Midna is brought within an inch of her life, and Link carries her off in search of help (because of course he would), he does so with desperation, dashing frantically on foot across Hyrule's vast fields in the dead of night, worried for the acquaintance he had only just begun to appreciate, having seen her grow over the course of their adventure. That experience—Link fearing losing Midna, and Midna having her life saved by Link—brings them closer than ever. After Midna recovers, the two are best friends. She eventually opens up to Link about her identity, past, and insecurities, and Link is understanding of her plight and committed to stay by her side through everything. At the end of the game, Midna's plotline is resolved, and she prepares to return to her realm. Never to see each other again, she and Link share a heartfelt goodbye. Common tropes would have them be lovers by this point, and lament being torn away from their soulmate. Instead, Nintendo gave us something that's a precious rarity in media: a bittersweet ending for a pair of dear friends.

The other is Big Boss from the Metal Gear series. I haven't finished every game he makes an appearance in yet, but as far as I can tell, he never has any explicitly romantic relationships. However, he does have a wide range of other kinds of relationships. Plenty are sexual, plenty are platonic, and plenty are... something else. Furthermore, there are certain details throughout the series that, from my perspective, give him strong aro vibes. For example, in Metal Gear Solid 3, he is asked about the nature of his relationship with another character, in terms of an amatonormative false dichotomy. His response is "Does it have to be one or the other?" In Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, there's a sexual dynamic between him and another character, which I would describe as "brothers-in-arms with benefits." In Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Big Boss's relationships are pretty much all based on his desperation to hold on to the people he still hasn't lost yet. His relationships don't take on very clear forms; he's just trying to cherish the ones that are left while he still can, in whatever way he can. So yeah, I think Big Boss is aroallo, and that's pretty cool.

^^^^

[crqelsummer]

I am listening. Tell me abt the kiddos

HELLO! Hi 👉🏿👈🏿 <3 Thank you for asking!!

the AU entitled 'our hero academia'! it takes place 30 years after the events of MHA, where most of the main cast is in their mid 40s. it'll cover the next generation, including their children and themselves as the world shifts and changes around them. it's admittedly still a little here and there only because i haven't caught up on MHA yet and the series hasn't finished!

our MC, midoriya kimiko, the only daughter of pro heroes thermo + deku (midoriya shoto and izuku respectively). born with a weak quirk, she's primarily grown up in musutafu with her parents. with the media's eyes on her since day one, she's been scrutinized and criticized for her almost lack of quirk.

however she's never alone, with kirishima makoto by her side, who's three days older than she is, the younger sister to the quirkless kirishima takato, and the daughter of dynamight and red riot (kirishima katsuki and eijiro respectively). they're the best of friends since they were babies, and they apply to UA after a disastrous school trip that leads to kimiko manifesting brand new and all powerful parts of her quirk.

the pair make acquaintances with other legacy students, including two parts of the new big three, iida ryosei (with iida tenya and ochako as parents) and ojiro reiko (with ojiro mashirao and toru). class 1-a is made up of tokoyami rin (daughter to tokoyami fumikage and tsuyu), sero haruko (son to ashido mina and sero hanta), tetsutetsu daisuke (son to tetsutetsu tetsutetsu and itsuka), yaoyorozu seiji (son to yaoyorozu momo, jiro kyoka and kaminari denki), shinso yuto (son to shinso hitoshi and neito) and aoyama elle (daughter to aoyama yuga and monica). taught by yamada aiko, the daughter to yamada hizashi and aizawa shota -- the new generation of 1-a is facing everything from exams, new and old relationships, and the consequences of a quirk heavy society all coming down on their young shoulders.

with the clock ticking on an organization determined to make it known just how poorly society treats them, the commission coming down hard on the heroes it claims to help, and villains on the rise, it's a matter of time before we see the next generation rising to the occasion.

the question is, are they ready?

other fun facts!

kimiko and mako's arc concerns kimiko's lack of emotional boundaries with mako, who eventually steamrolls over them as they grow up together. chaos ensues with the development of the embers of OFA.

haruko's arc concerns his disdain for teamwork and how he only ever wants to work by himself because he thinks that's how a hero should be -- only able to rely on themselves.

rin's arc concerns her learning to be more confident in herself as a hero. she's good at many things, but worries about being a good enough heroine to save people

yuto and elle's arc are concerned with the latter discovering herself properly, as she is whether people pay attention to her or not -- while yuto learns its okay to need other people and want to be there for them.

seiji's arc is all about learning how to accept the pitfalls of himself and recognize his own strengths for what they are.

daisuke's arc is all about defining himself, instead of being what people need him to be at any given time.

moriko's arc is currently about learning to atone for past behaviors, regardless of her situation when she was younger (there's a notable line floating around where she says to kimiko, "no, midoriya, maybe the problem was that i wasn't yelled at enough.")

iwao's arc is all about him being less afraid of his quirk. rin and his overlap a little, but he has to learn to not be scared of the possibilities, and embrace them as they come.

aiko's covers her really facing what happened almost twenty years ago (the death of a classmate in her final year at UA, she blames herself) and the ramifications of running away when she was so young and scared.

eri's covers her own history with the shie hassaikai and unravelling her past the best she can. eri is very much a 'im 36 and have been to therapy' sort of character in oha, but it is acknowledged that she still has scars from all those years ago.

for now, chisaki gou (the son of chisaki kai and an unnamed woman) and takami hitomi (the daughter of takami keigo and todoroki touya [though he's gone by a different name since years before she was born]) share an arc as both spiral towards self-destruction. hitomi just wants to do what she can against a corrupt comission and gou knows this is basically his only purpose, as far as he knows.

other characters, such as the other children of 1-a and 1-b are largely unfleshed out for now. iida misato (the daughter of iida tensei and fuyumi) is the current english teacher to the heroics course, kirishima takato is the comic relief most of the time, and three unnamed miritama kids are pretty close to joining the cast.

[also idk if it has to be said because i am adapting this from a pretty old work of mine, i imagine so far into the future everyone has ways of having children biologically. none of the characters in oha are trans, but their kids are theirs and thats all that matters <3. just means i handwaved away some stuff.]

[atlasdoe]

The epic highs and lows of Hogwarts Quidditch snippet

All of my WIPS are taking me forever to finish because I recently got a new job so because of that heres a snippet of my Quidditch fic that’s apart of my cannon compliant series maybe we were born for this

[An extract from Quidditch moments that defined a sport, by Kennilworthy Whisp, Chapter 15: The next generations demand for attention]

Most young witches and wizards' first introduction to Quidditch is through school. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry prides itself on producing some of the best professional Quidditch players the world has ever seen. Over the years the young Quidditch teams of Hogwarts have gained nearly as much attention, coverage, bets and extremely loyal fans as any of the professional teams have. Fans up and down the country still wave their house colours proudly as they watch the next generation take to the sky, but it hasn't always been like this. 

Back in the day only a few people still kept up to date with what was happening on the Hogwarts pitch, they said it was boring and undeveloped. They said that watching children play for bragging rights was no match for the professionals who played for their lives. But that all changed in 1976 when Hogwarts had their best season of Quidditch yet.

There were many things that made the years 1976 - 1977 go down in Quidditch history. In fact, if you ask, many people can remember the exact moment they decided to give in and start giving these kids the attention they deserved. From the record-breaking teams to all of the conspiracies on what exactly was happening off the pitch, everyone had their own reason to listen in as Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff competed in the final; everyone was on the edge of their seats when disaster struck. 

August 1976

Dorcas Meadows had deliberately kept quiet when the green and silver CAPTAIN badge fell out of her letter and into her hand. 

It's not like anyone would’ve been able to hear her anyways over the loud celebration that was happening for James Potter. 

“CAPTAIN!!! CAPTAIN!!!! OH, YOU KNOW WE’RE WINNING THE CUP THIS YEAR!” Sirius yelled as he jumped up and down with glee. 

Dorcas rolled her eyes as she watched the boys from the sofa. She hated it when her brother's stupid friends came over. 

Nevertheless, both of her mothers still came round the kitchen table where the boys were sat and congratulated James on making captain. They kissed his cheek and patted his hair as they told him how proud they were and he wasn't even their kid! 

Dorcas bit her tongue, she wouldn't let her unnecessary jealousy decide her gameplay. 

The boys didn’t settle down for the rest of the morning. James Potter was clever, but he was like a puppy in many ways. When he got excited it was extremely hard for him to come down from his high, especially when he had Sirius Black egging him on. 

She would’ve loved to be the one to deflate James Potter's ego at that moment, to jump up loudly and proclaim that he wasn’t the only skilled Quidditch player in the room, but if she did that she would be giving herself away. Maybe if she kept quiet James would let some of his plans slip, maybe they could take advantage of his puppy-like behavior for once.

She had expected him to shove his own badge in her face and do a song and dance about how much better Gryffindor was than Slytherin, but he didn’t. He caught her staring and locked their eyes with a knowing smirk that said, Gryffindor is finally winning the cup this year.

He couldn’t say it out loud. Rule number one of James and Dorcas’ friendship: No house slander or Quidditch talk off the pitch.

“Proud of me Meadows?” James boasted as he passed them on his way up to Remus’ room with the others.

Dorcas’ reply came out a lot more genuine than they intended, “Y’know what Potter? I actually am,” they smiled and held out their hand. “Well done.”

James gave a smile that matched theirs and upon taking her hand pulled her up from the sofa and into a hug.

Dorcas rolled their eyes but hugged back either way. She couldn’t wait to destroy him on the pitch.

The room could only be described as electric when all of the Hogwarts letters came during the McKinnon's annual summer party. 

Marlene was not surprised to find her blue and bronze badge in her envelope, nor was she surprised when she saw Edgar Bones already pinning his black and yellow one to his shirt. 

“Bit over the top don’t you think?” Marlene teased across the table to where Edgar was sat, sandwiched between Gideon and Fabian Prewett.

Edgar gave her a flashy smile, “I don’t think it’s over the top at all. Have to let everyone know whos winning the cup this year.”

Marlene had to laugh, “Oh I almost forgot,” she smirked. “Not everyone can get a cup during their first year as captain, can they?” Her smile grew as Edgars dropped. She shrugged, “I wish you the best of luck, you will truly need it after coming fourth last year.”

Beside her, Emmeline Vance hid her laughter with the book she was pretending to ignore everyone with. 

Edgar saw her laugh and pointed a finger at her exclaiming, “You’re not allowed to laugh,” 

Emmeline, who had clearly not been expecting to be brought into the conversation, went bright red, “Why aren’t I allowed to laugh?”

“Because you’re the reason why we lost so badly last year,” he replied. 

At this, Fabian and Gideon began laughing hysterically.

Edgar slapped both of his mates on the arm, “I’m serious!” he protested. “Here,” he placed a piece of paper on the table in front of them. On the paper was a handwritten table, One of the headers being games I caught the snitch, and another being games Emmeline was there.

Marlene looked at Edgar with a raised eyebrow, Fabian and Gideon were yet to stop laughing. “What am I looking at?” she asked.

Edgar rolled his eyes as if it was obvious, “Every game that Emmeline wasn’t there, I didn’t catch the snitch.” He turned to talk to Emmeline directly.  “And you were always at the library last year for your OWLs. You’re my lucky charm and you abandoned me!”

Now it was Marlene’s turn to roll her eyes, “Don’t be stupid. Emme isn’t even a Hufflepuff.”

“Don’t go against the facts, McKinnon.”

“This isn’t facts this is bullshit.”

“It’s a coincidence,” Fabian supplied. “Which is what we’ve been trying to tell him since the beginning of summer.”

“I can’t believe you actually made a table,” Gideon added, still laughing into his hands.

Edgar slapped Fabian's hand away when he went to take it, “I told you I would and it’s important. Leave it alone.”

Fabian's attempts didn’t stop but Gideon joined in and soon the three boys were in what could only be described as a cat fight, the table completely forgotten.

Marlene and Emmeline shared a glance. Boys, Marlene mouthed as Emmeline raised an eyebrow, smiling.

This Quidditch season seemed to be off to an interesting start already.

It is very unlikely that we will ever see such a great choice for captains as we did that year. James Potter, Dorcas Meadows, Marlene McKinnon, and Edgar Bones were truly a one-of-a-kind lineup. Not only were they four of the most accomplished players but this was only the tenth time in Hogwarts history where each captain played a different position on the pitch. 

Expectations for the season were high from them alone. Edgar Bones had been a force to be reckoned with since his first game in ‘71. His ability to catch a snitch was unlike any other and this was not only his third year as Hufflepuffs captain but his last year at Hogwarts altogether. However, he was still lacking a cup as captain. 

Although this was Potter and Meadows’ first year wearing the badge they were already two of Hogwarts finest; their commitment to the sport and, most importantly, the competition is what made every game they played so memorable. This was both their sixth year at school and fifth year on the team. 

Despite being in the same academic year, Marlene McKinnon was a different story. This was her fourth year on the Ravenclaw team and second year as captain. After years of being underestimated by her own house, McKinnon proved them all wrong when she lead her team to victory in ‘76; a victory that she was certain to repeat, only this time she had everyone and their mothers betting on her.

After all, Marlene McKinnon has a rare gift. One that we may never see again.

Marlene could ride a broom before she could even walk, that's what her Mum always used to say. She could hold a beater's bat before a fork, cheer before she could talk, throw before she could crawl.

Even before she was herself, Marlene McKinnon could always play Quidditch. And damn did she know it.

It was her father who taught her how to play. She and Edgar would spend hours upon hours outside in their neighborhood park practicing their flying and catching skills. By the ages of 7 and 8, they had mastered every position and decided which one they wanted to play going forward.

While Edgar had amazing sight and felt a rush whenever he dove down to catch a snitch Marlene loved the feeling of adrenaline that she felt when she hit the blundgers as hard as she could and watch them go, always in exactly the direction that she wanted them to.

By the age of 9, she had it all planned out. She was going to go to Hogwarts, join the team as a beater her second year, and by her sixth year, she would be captain and lead her team to victory year after year. After school, it was straight to Kenmare Kestrels' summer camp where she would improve her skills and get to know her future teammates better. Of course, this summer would mostly be for fun as she was certain that she would’ve already been drafted by this point and set to join their team the following September.

Marlene would never allow her imagination to go beyond that point, didn't want to jinx anything.

She had become the captain of the Kenmare Kestrels 9 - 11s team at the age of 10. When she first told her dad he had lifted her high upon his shoulders and told everyone within a five-mile radiance that his eldest was going to become the best Quidditch player there ever was and everyone around them truly believed it. Marlene McKinnon was going to be great.

[jamiethebee]

Typing this up at 3am (roughly) so give me a little leeway/grace here anyways thinking about making art and motivation and sharing art (specifically in within online spaces) and how many different types (medium) of art their are

Like writers or draw-ers or painters or sculpture people or printmakers ceramicists fiber artists ect

And how each medium interacts acts with and produces art different simply based on the medium

Like I draw primarily fanart. I want to share it and have people find it and enjoy it. Yes I can draw it just for myself but based on the nature of what I create I want other people to be able and find and enjoy it to. And when it doesn't it bums me out.

I crochet but I've only just started talking about it more online. I will post about it and talk about the pieces (once I finish projects) but likes/notes/ect don't matter to me. It's something created for the purpose of me and what I'm doing with it.

I do ceramics. Have for about as long as I've been drawing "consistently". Ceramics exists within craft art circles and fine art circles. I post to document progress and share about it, but the primarily method of sharing/interacting happens outside of online spaces. Show submissions, critiques, ect. I post online because I want to share and talk about it but engagement means nothing to me. (Full time ceramicists obv will have a different purpose for social media ok)

I cosplay. I post and create content specifically for different online spaces (for tiktok (yeah I get it shut up) and insta). I want people to see the time and energy I put into those creations and enjoy the content that comes out of it and for people to be able to react and see the interpretation of a fictional character. Much like with drawing - the engagement does matter! not for the express purpose of popularity but for the community. (I would still create cosplays as much as I do now if I wasn't posting online btw. It just happens to be a good avenue to share work outside of the handful of cons in my state which btw cost money/not cheap compared to the "free" cost of posting online.)

And that's a fraction of it. I'm just a little tired of seeing posts go "oh, you should make art just to make it and stop worrying about likes" when???? To me, as someone who exists in a lot of different spaces of the art world, it's silly (sometimes ignorant and overbearing) advice. If you only produce work because you want attention that's not healthy but if you produce work for attention that builds towards something else (community, friends, like minded people, work, ect) that's different and having people ignore your work or, on other sites, have an algorithm that actively works against you (as an artist who takes time to produce a piece of content) then yes!!!! It fucking sucks ass!!!!! It's the worst!!!! Especially for those of us who have been around long enough and been on different platforms to know that it doesn't have to be like this for artists and telling artists to suck it up anyways and not get discouraged is a tone-deaf message im really sick of hearing.

Stop lumping a diverse group of people together, boiling their motivations and purpose down to a single idea, and then tell them to get over themselves and just "have a good time". It's an infinitely more complex issue and I don't think non artists (and to some extent people who only do one type of visual art) understand.

Maybe I'm being a little pretentious here or whatever but this is coming from someone who has never seen success (in whatever way you want to define it) through drawing and posting online (over 10 years). This is someone who starting seeing success in cosplay and has seen that trickle down to the basic "we're showing it to the baseline number of people and that's it" that the algorithm allots. This is someone who hasn't had any hope in their art being shared/seen/ect by more than about 5 people FOR YEARS. And yet I create anyways and hope that one day I'll be good enough that maybe I'll get somewhere with it all. Because the problem is that if you've been around long enough to have that initial popularity and then the algorithm changed and you get no interaction you get left with a sense of "well I must not be good enough" and it gets destructive. Maybe this is different than younger people and how they view social media and their relationship with it but for me? I was lucky enough to never get attention in the first place so it doesn't have a heavy influence on my motivation. But it's still there and it's still a consideration (at least for work that I share because I want to reach people who also enjoy those things and for them to see and appreciate the hard work I dump into my projects.

TL;DR: I'm tired of people lumping all artists together and telling the community to ignore notes/likes/engagement/ect because it doesn't matter and you should create just for funsies. It's a far more nuanced issue that deals a lot with medium specifics and professional artists (those who live off their work) vs not.