#hence the origin(s) of my user ^_^

[edenswhale]

ceci / eden | any pronouns | interests

☆ minis sideblog

[greenplumbboblover]

[WIP] TS3 UI "Krystal"

I figured it would be cool to finally publicly share what I've been working on behind the scenes, as well as some mockups!

A few of you on Patreon or Discord may have already seen sneak peeks/given feedback. I kept things quiet because I wasn’t sure I’d even do it in the first place as a next modding project, and I didn’t want to let anyone down.

Luckily, @lazyduchess’s Monopatcher made the job ten times easier. The biggest hurdle was that I would've had to make a core mod to override UI code (I’m normally anti–core mod), but the patcher solved that and let me push ahead.

(Psst, if you're looking at seeing the mockups bigger, I also posted this post on my site: Simblr.cc 😉)

Creating the Mockups

Fun fact: I actually have a degree in UI/UX design! (for websites) While principles like “How wide should this padding be?” or “Which colors send the right signal to the user?”—game UI is a whole different beast.😬

Main Menu

I started with the main menu:

Cut the SimPoints clutter and the “Buy TS4!” banner—after a decade, we get it exists 😉.

Grouped items into clean blocks

Added a text-free “Create New Family” icon

Swapped lot thumbnails for family shots (still baffled by EA’s original choice).

Dropped an options gear in the bottom-left; might label it if it’s too subtle.

Different backgrounds: one solid blue, one closer to the classic gradient.

A lil' sneek peek of where I'm at:

She's not finished, but it's definitely getting there! 😉

Load Screen

Not much has changed here! It's just less... busy I suppose, lol!

2 Different backgrounds to choose from

Moved the Game Tips to the bottom, so the main focus stays on that loading bar 😉

I also have a third option but I'm strongly leaning towards just having the loading bar as it's the most clear!

Live Mode

The hardest of them all lol. Kudos to EA for figuring that one all out! I really struggled with this one in regards to shape and what to even move around/remove!

I figured, it should be nice to pull really into that glassmorphism I've been using over the Mockups! Now I do realise that it can hamper user experience in the sense of not being able to read anything. But these are pictures! So that should be all fine and dandy.

The active item in the queue will now be more "visible". The queued item however, you'll see look a bit more "unactive" compared to what the current version has.

I also completely overhauled the thumbnails for your sims, showing their moods a bit better, and giving the active sim a tiny plumbob! :D

And now the real deal: The control panel! You might notice it's not the whole thing, but I'm still working on that part.

I removed the camera controls from the panel. However, upon feedback, I did hear that it's better to have them as some people are limited in their hand movements on their keyboard and that those controls are really useful. So I will make sure to share 2 versions :)

I also realised I completely forgot the Build/buy mode buttons 😬 So, err, stay tuned for that? lol.

Notifications I really just tidied up :p

I am aware that the space where the text is and the thumbnail is huge, and normally I'd wrap the surrounding text, but apparently in TS3's UI stuff that's practically impossible. Hence that they got this "2 column" effect to them 😉

About releasing the UI:

I'm hoping to release them all in bits and pieces! So first up is the Main Menu (and possibly the Loading screen given it's simplicity).

After that, I hope in my second "update" to release a big portion of Live mode, but that's a bigger task on it's own of course 😉

Any feedback at this point is also completely welcome by the way!

[bakawitch]

Inspiration struck, and I decided to draw @gamerknight7310 's entire 2025 Community Box! Then I go sick halfway, and I could only get the portion I wanted done today...

And because I'm me, I decided to make the task even more complicated and imagine a hero for every kwami in the box using my poster child Bellamy as a conduit (I wanted to do weapons too, but I'll finish those later because I was too impatient not to post lol)

Kwami close ups and individual pics below cut:

Since I already had Drayy designed, I decided to start he whole process from them because I wanted all the kwamis to have a similar element that ties them together as kwamis from the same box. And that ended up being a sort of contrasting accent colour, like the blue in Drayy's braids! Jovv got mustard, Currio got brown, Mullch got a pale-ish red, and Ecco got this titanium blue.

Now let's get into each of Bellamy's designs! (For those who know these are all Bellamy Prime.) Faux Fur! The one with the most obvious name! I struggled a bit with how I wanted to do the fox tail on the dress because my original idea was to give her a short fur skirt that looked like a fox tail wrapped around her waist. I threw that idea away pretty quickly since I couldn’t make it look right no matter how hard I tried. I can't remember how I ended up on his open fur trimmed over skirt but I think it works!

Funnily enough, I think Bellamy would hate this miraculous and act like she had some sort of dark horrible power thrust on her. The idea of forced false happiness (how she sees Jovv's power) is something she finds deplorable. She would probably avoid using the power as much as possible and just bash in the villain of the week's head in with the hulla hoop.

Vermoire! Her name comes from ver (worm) + moire (a type of textile). It's probably the weakest design, lol. Gotta be honest, I had no idea what a worm themed hero was supposed to look like other than probably segments. Anyway, I somehow got reminded of those fluffy worms on strings, and I remembered seeing a giant boa scarf version of it somewhere, so I just decided to go with a giant worm scarf XD. Because of the power I also tried to do some kind of raincoat/cape, but I feel like that might have been too much.

We can just say that because of how disgusting Bellamy would find the application of the worm's power, she'd want as much coverage as possible. She would not want that slime anywhere near her, hence the baggy clothes! Assuming it keeps its structure, maybe it minimises how much the clothes stick to her.

Rabbit hole Miku looking mf XD Couturetail is a spin on a cottontail. The thought behind this design was something purposely cutesy but also kind of historic since the bunny's weapon is a pickaxe, and I usually associate that with archaeology. So I decided to go with a sort of commedia dell'arte mask and some vaguely renaissance inspired bodice. I also thought it'd be funny if all users inherited Currio's perpetual blush.

Bellamy would love this miraculous it would probably be one of her favourites from this batch. She gets a useful non gross power and the perfect bludgeoning weapon!

Batillon time! No real meaning to the name other than bat + something cool sounding lol. I wanted to do something sleek and neat looking so when the hyper awareness powers get activated, the user's appearance can go a little feral predator looking. And obviously, vampire influences because duh XD. I wanted to avoid doing a full bat cape, so I just opted for a little capelet. The hair I specifically imagine flaring up into bat wing like shapes whenever hyper awareness gets activated. She's purple because of he vamp influences, plus every box needs a skin colour distorting kwami at least lol.

This miraculous would be a tie with the bunny miraculous when it comes to Bellamy's favourites. She's a bit of a know-it-all, so she would want an advantage like this XD

Last but not least, it's Courbette, named after a dressage movement! Design wise, I really like Dobbin, so I wanted to do something fairly similar and incorporate riding gear for this design, too. I added a harness to the miraculous belt for extra security and to kind of look like some straps you can usually see on horses. The same goes for the shoulder harness. I wanted to keep the sporty look Dobbin had, because I felt like that would make sense for the miraculous that represents strength, so I went with a kind of fancy sleeved leotard to get a gymnast look.

Bellamy would be mostly neutral about this miraculous, I think. She wouldn't hate it, but she wouldn't love it either. It's a bit too brutish for her style. She'd probably be a decent enough user, but I could not see her as it's perma holder XD

Phew, and that's it for now! This was very fun to mess around with, and I'm hoping to get the other part of the box out sooner rather than later but we'll see XD

[bylerlipglances]

FIREBALL

this could be the sound of Will shooting fireballs. The same OST plays 'She'll Kill You'

Will doesn't look too thrilled to use the fireballs but he can rise to the occasion when the time demands it. Till then, he'll stick to his wisdom. (possibly due to its adverse reaction, eg: nuclear bombs are potent but come with terrible side effects, irreversible damages). HE USES THEM WISELY. Foreshadowing his restrain.

*FIRE CAUTION*

Note: These might be little far-fetched. This is my failed attempt to understand why dialogues emphasised on color of fireball? i could be way off. i am following Marvel's interpretation since X-Men and Superman have been mentioned by the party.

GREEN LANTERN AND color of his ring theory

Green lantern powers(embedded in his rings) and parallel with will byers. 'Will' POWER is his actual power. Will is at the centre of his power.

Energy Projection: It can emit powerful blasts of energy, create force fields, and provide energy-based attacks for offense and defense. (electromagnetic field & fireballs?)

Data Analysis and Scanning: it can scan for information, detect energy signatures, and provide tactical analysis.(Nina project, IP?)

Teleportation: Some rings have the ability to teleport the wearer across vast distances. (true sight, now memories?)

Environmental Adaptation: It creates a life-support system for the wearer, allowing them to survive in extreme conditions, including the vacuum of space. (upside down?)

Time Travel the ring has been used to manipulate time. Wormholes and Spatial Warps: The power ring grants its wearer access to wormholes in space, enabling the ring wielder to rapidly cut time and distance needed for transport. The Guardians established at least one known wormhole to Oa, which once required the use of a power ring to enter. (Gates)

Weaknesses

Willpower Dependence: The ring’s strength is directly tied to the user’s willpower and emotional focus. If the user doubts themselves or loses concentration, the ring's effectiveness diminishes.

Limited Charge: The ring has a finite charge and must be recharged regularly using a power battery, which connects to the Central Power Battery on Oa. If it runs out of energy, the user becomes powerless. (Dustin's remark "Dead battery". eleven being drained)

speaking of charger, Mike is shown to be directly or indirectly associated with POWER SWITCH & SOCKETS ( source of energy? a charger ? a battery? for will?)

Vulnerability to Fear (Parallax Influence) : Lanterns' weakness to the 'COLOR YELLOW' came from the Fear entity trapped within the Green Lantern Corps' central power battery.

Mental or Emotional Instability: Strong negative emotions (fear, doubt, or anger) can interfere with a Green Lantern's ability to wield their ring effectively.

Mental Instability Protocol: Drug use, neural interference, vertigo or other forms of mental incapacitation can render the wearer unable to use their ring, rendered useless.

“I don’t know who’s been raising you, but I’m gonna get you some new crayons because it looks like he’s shooting cabbages.”

Is Will a Most Powerful 'Failed experiment'? like Madelyne Pryor?

Another green x-men, who is, possibly the most powerful, Goblin Queen (Clone of Jean) , X-Men Goblin Queen, Madelyne Pryor, X-Men's Most Dangerous, anti-hero. She unlocked her latent psychic powers. In addition to those, Madelyne also had the ability to perform sorcery, which she used to summon goblins and demons.

Madelyne eventually learns that she's a clone of Jean created by Mister Sinister. Sinister originally discarded her as a failed experiment, until the Phoenix itself gave Madelyne sentience.

Madelyne's powers are incredible hence the suggestion. might i add, a close parallel to will's alleged powers.

i am a more of a 'will byers is superman' kinda guy. but my personal favourite being will byers 'a divine deity/god' @greenfiend 's theory.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

connecting green lantern with Kryptonite: Green latern's ring can project beams of force powered by the will of the user. The ring can be used to 'produce kryptonite' and kryptonite radiation.

in context of SUPERMAN

Superman is a regular Kryptonian man, He gets his powers from our yellow sun, green kryptonite cancels that.

Uranium fluoresces green under U.V. light (Atomic Bomb theory correlation)

Green Kryptonite : It was a radioactive element composed of pieces of the exploded planet Krypton. Surviving natives of Krypton, Superman is weakened by exposure to Green Kryptonite. Prolonged exposure could result in fatal radiation poisoning.

Red kryptonite :Superman has suffered the following effects upon exposure to various pieces of Red Kryptonite: Transformed into a dragon, Rendered temporarily blind to anything colored green, Loss of power, Gained telepathy, Generated an evil doppelganger , Mental transference, Personality alteration

vecna mind lair is red toned

BLUE-K : most interesting one is Blue-K (Upside down is blue toned)

Blue Kryptonite can reverse the effects of Red Kryptonite and can work wonders on afflicted Kryptonians. Perhaps Will created upside down to save himself & hawkins? (Superman is credited for manufacturing Blue-K, to save fellow Kryptonian see the kryptonite handbook) Effects on Bizarro(Man of steel's doppelganger and a supervillain) Blue Kryptonite weakens Bizarro (does Upside Down weakeans Vecna, hence he needs tentacles to recharge?) in a similar way to how Green Kryptonite weakens Superman. It can also sedate Bizarro, allowing him to be apprehended. Blue Kryptonite can also have a calming effect on Bizarro, removing his rage toward Superman. Blue-k was created by reversing the ionic charge of green kryptonite.

[lambda-core]

My piece for @tronfashionzine!

I wanted to highlight a lot of the similarities between Y2K cyber fashion and techwear. Both of them draw from athleticwear and use lots of SF-inspired prints and textures. They also both emphasize baggy clothing and using lots of accessories.

Cyber has its roots in the 90's and aughts and has a much more hopeful take on the digital world. It plays with bright colors and contrasts skintight and baggy garments to create fun silhouettes. It's playful, bold, and individual, reflective of a world where in the computer, you could do, be, and become whoever you wanted to be. It uses athleticwear to feel casual and active. I chose it for the civilian Tron 2.0 NPC Cyberpunk. The skintight garnment is her normal gridsuit, and shows off her circuits (and, if she faced the front, her identity mark). It's a loose-fitting, User-inspired take on the clothes she normally wears.

Contrastingly, techwear draws from much more paranoid ideas about how technology shapes our lives. It's not just baggy; it's shapeless. It also tends towards being monochrome, and often obscures the face. It combines athleticwear with combat gear, to create a sense of being ready to run. Techwear is an inherently paranoid fashion subculture; it's a reflection of a generation who associates technology with surveillance. Hence, I've selected it for Mercury, champion warrior of her Game Grid. Mercury was originally written as a game combat bot, but had to grow beyond her programming to aid Alan and Jet in both Tron 2.0 and Tron 2.0 Killer App Mod for DS. It makes sense that given the choice, she'd gravitate towards something as practical as it is anonymous.

Art piece is mixed media. Drawings were done with gray and black ink. Background is my own public transit photography. Composited in Photoshop.

[windowsvistar]

✦ introduction post ✦

hello web users! you can call me star or vistar <3 ₊ ⊹ he/him but they/them is okay too

› big age: 21 yrs regressed age: 6-8 yrs i regress voluntarily most of the time, but occasionally involuntarily. my regression comes from a place of trauma and healing › my blog is dedicated to 2000's nostalgia; it brings me comfort♡ (windows vista was my childhood computer and I have a lot of fondness for it, hence my username!) my original content will be tagged with #vistar's memories <3 › i love club penguin, littlest pet shop, my little pony, old roblox, frutiger aero, and other old web stuff ♡ › NSFW/K!NK, PR0SHIP, OR MAP DNI

[nights-at-crystarium]

Fragments - episodes 23-26 author notes

You can find similar breakdown posts on older episodes in my pinned!

Obligatory ShB spoiler warning.

The general status quo hasn't changed since Vivi's arrival to the First: he still doesn't feel any land under his feet, Exarch still doesn't inspire trust, although there's no reason to distrust him either. Vivi isn't in a rush to meet the Scions because usually their perspectives don't help him at all. Hence he fucks around in the Crystarium instead of doing the msq.

You can hear the sound of Exarch failing the dating sim once again.

Talking about a mystel. Bumping into a mystel. They could get run over by a stampede of cats at this point and Vivi would still think this guy's probably a hume. He genuinely has No Idea. Had he had an idea, he would be actually more tactful. Maybe.

Me: no graphic violence Also me: murder onscreen

I hope the reference to episode 11 is clear, but here's a refresher: that's what ARRRaha is mostly remembered as. For multiple reasons. Mostly for magically killing himself and giving Vivi some mild stress and an even milder blow to his ego.

Exarch's fate was to choke on his coffee there and then, he kept his composure by a miracle no less. Vivi doesn't know the meaning of what he just blurted out, he simply rolls the letters in his mouth, still struggling to remember "G'raha".

HE MANAGED! The embodiment of intelligence.

Vivi reflects on the events of previous episodes and the dangers of the fae folk, and decides to do a massive handwave at that. He's walking a fine line, but he legit doesn't care.

Canon emoji user 🖤

Exarch has a hate-hate relationship with sleep, however, when he feels like unwinding or resetting his mind, he turns to memories of moments when he felt safe enough to drift away.

He must've felt the most warm and human when the young Lyna stayed with him all the time.

I sat on this self-contained story for a year. Officially the most wholesome episode ever. There's a bit of One Piece influence, if you remember Nami's backstory. Gen-san wore a pinwheel on his cap to appear less scary to the little Nami, and cheer her up.

Someone read this as "crap glue", which brings me infinitely more joy than my original "craft glue" x'D

There's a super subtle smile. He knows. He probably sensed Lyna approaching him, but remained still to see where this goes.

Back to the present, where they refer to each other by titles.

He's g'oogling.

G'oogle results: 1 fae, 1 slacking idiot.

Exarch isn't just jealous or yearning, he's also kindaaaaa in the middle of his grand plan, yet his hero isn't keen of jumping into action? And he doesn't know how to confront him about that. Luckily, Urianger also happens to be in Il Mheg.

Vivi smacks a like on Urianger's outfit. Rated S for peak sluttiness.

Nobody talks about Feo Ul's snot bubble so I will x'D

Urianger doesn't wanna leave his comfy place for an adventure, he visually demonstrates that while telling a polite lie, trusting Vivi to interpret that as intended.

They have a special vibe of quiet, maskless understanding, even if they don't interact much. They've got nothing to butt heads over. Vivi's fond of people who don't "fit in" and go against the grain. Being smart and observant as he is, Urianger knows that Vivi's rather hopeless, and doesn't waste his energy on trying to debate, direct, or, gods forbid, fix him.

Just a closeup because he looks cute here :> To keep your expectations grounded, though: this's one of the veeeeeery few Urianger episodes. He has little overall "screentime". This comic isn't trying to be a fanservice for every character, even if I personally like them. Gotta keep things focused.

This one's kinda important: Vivi acknowledges how nice and quiet it feels (in the moment? In Il Mheg? On the First?), but the realization doesn't fully bloom in his mind yet.

"Mmyeah there are definitely better cracks to ponder out there".

Another closeup because *clutches at heart*

Two things: his own, genuine excitement to reunite with fren, followed by self-reminder that she's no fren and that he has to maintain distance (Vivi who are you trying to fool you're bad at this).

Also mirroring. He sees Alisaie's face and drops his own.

You peek inside Alisaie's brain and find a coin loudly rolling around, one side says "omg it's HIM!!!!!", the other "beat this mf up". Why? Because she can. And probably because the word of Vivi's arrival had already reached her. He spent a good week doing nothing in the Crystarium (and even Il Mheg) instead of rushing to meet her.

The new tumblr post editor (that wasn't forced on me until ~2 months ago) won't let me add anymore pics. I was thinking of making meatier but less frequent posts of this type, because they'll massively add up over time. Imagine a new reader looking at 300 episodes and 100 recaps. I'd feel overwhelmed. But I guess I'm left with no choice but to keep these recaps relatively short and frequent.

Anyway! Thanks for reading!!!!! I'm blessed to have people invested enough to interact with my work on this level.

[strawberry-seal77]

This is late but what is Yorse? I’m tryna understand the lore and I think Erros said they taught you it? Is it like… actually I have no clue

oh my god. okay. yes I got this

Yorse is a cursed meme originating on february 6th 2019, here on tumblr.com as far as I'm aware. The exact day may change based on timezones.

It features any combination of Yang and horse (hence, yorse) but the original, and most cursed, is Yang's head on a horse body.

Below is the earliest yorse image I was able to find, by now deactivated user hallucid. It's based off the also-cursed mobile game My Horse Prince! Replacing the prince with yang('s head), and was likely inspired by rwby haitus-brain and the movement at the time of Beehaw (cowboy bumbleby)

(image source)

I tend to think yorse is pretty cute, but regardless she's still recognized as cursed.

There are other forms of yorse, where she's depicted anywhere from a horse faunus (mainly human) to a full horse. There's also plenty of yorse-like creations, including lime ren (a character named lie ren, with his face on a lime) and the ever important bloconut (blake's face on a coconut). Bloconut was a large factor in my learning about Yorse in the first place!

if you go to @yay-is-for-yorses, they (cough. I) will be very willing to explain more of what happened after Yorse was made, if you're interested. :3

[ill-s1on]

⸻⸻ ❝  basics.  ❞

birth name : seo jiye ( 서지예 )

stage name : aura ( 오라 )

birth date : may 3rd, 2001

zodiac sign : leo [ confident , charismatic , passionate , love for the spotlight ]

chinese zodiac sign : snake [ wise , mysterious , intuitive ]

place of birth : daegu, south korea

language(s) : korean ( native )

height : 170cm ( 5'7 )

⸻⸻ ❝  career.  ❞

occupation : idol

group : aespa

company : sm enterteinment (2014 - present)

position : lead dancer, sub vocalist.

official number : 08

official symbol : galaxy 🌌

official anymal : spider

instagram : aurastic

years active : 2022 - present.

⸻⸻ ❝  personality.  ❞

positive : playful ' witty ' charismatic ' expressive

negative : impulsive ' blunt ' overly competitive ' impatient

⸻⸻ ❝  trivia.  ❞

seo jiye made her television debut with disney channel's mickey mouse club alongside other smrookies. her energetic and witty personality made netizens fall in love with her, and highly anticipate her debut. after the show ended in 2015, they could catch glimpses of her on other group's music videos, but no news were spread about her potential launch on the industry.

when aespa was first revealed, several people were disappointed to find her missing from the lineup. rumors were spread about a potential departure from the company.

the first glimpse of aura within sm again came on the first episode of smcu, 'black mamba'. after the villain succeeded in disconnecting the members and their ae, a black screen appeared, and a voice echoed around a seemingly empty space, saying. "we have to find them. their are our only hope". the voice was attributed to naevis, appearing once more on the second episode, 'next level',

fans started theorizing and comparing naevis' voice to jiye's, using old videos as proof.

in the middle of 2022, aespa official sns started to behave weirdly, with posts containing glitched photos and binary coded as the description. after a while, this virus started spreading to other artists' accounts. once put in order, it translated to "are you there?", "can you see me?", and finally, "i want to help you"

after several theories ranging from actual hacking to a new group, a video was posted on sm's youtube account with the title 'i've been trying to reach you'. being mere two minutes long, it appeared to be a blank video, with only a black screen showing. after a while, small taps were heard.

"is this working?" [more taps. after a while, a girl with long black hair appeared.] "i hope i did this right. naevis told me to contact you, something about you needing back up. the black mamba is getting more powerful. i need you to find me. aura, out"

that obviously caused chaos to spread. aura was immediately recognized as jiye, and fans started to create theories about who she was in the smcu lore.

a few days later, "aespa 에스바 'ep. 2.5 Lucid Dream – SM Culture Universe" was uploaded and finally introduced aura as aespa newest addition! it followed the four girls searching for aura after the mysterious message. it was revealed that she was one of the users that had lost their ae's after the synk out, and instead of sitting still, managed to open a p.o.s and connect to naevis. ever since, she had been her "messager", acting like her voice on the real world (hence the use of her voice on the previous videos).

lore aside, jiye was always meant to debut on aespa. the creative director simply wanted to use her as something to deepen the concept, so she was held back. despite this, to form a bond between her and the girls, they had been living together since the original debut.

she helped on the production of all aespa's previous releases! credited as aura, she wrote most of their songs, acting as a producer in a few others.

she was obviously met with a lot of skepticism from mys who didn't want a new member, but the general public seemed happy with the addition, since jiye was pretty popular when she was young.

she was pretty shy during her first promotion period with girls and illusion, and preferred to stick by the girls, but seemed to get out of her shell around the end of the year festivals period.

she revealed that she mostly worked as a producer during the years she disappeared from the public eye, working mainly for sm artists. jiye says the work she is most proud of is boa's camo, because she was the singer who sparked the dream to be an idol within her and it was an honor to produce for her.

she is a cast member of variety show "HyeMiLeeYeChaeAuPa" alongside girls' day hyeri, (g)i-dle's miyeon, ygx's leejung, soloist choi yena, lesserafim's chaewon and television personality patricia.

due to her long eight years as a trainee, most of her friends are within sm itself. she is closest to nct's mark & haechan, red velvet's yeri, shinee's key and snsd's taeyeon, the latter two acting as older siblings to the girl.

her solo in the 'synk - hyper line' concert is called "빠져가 (into you)"

for the 'smcu palace', she sings jet (eunhyuk, hyo, taeyong, jaemin, sungchan, giselle, aura) & giants (taeyong, mark, yeri, winter, aura).

jiye resents her mmc days. she thinks she looked ugly and acted weird (she was a literal child, but alas)

she has a few credits as a voice actress, with the most famous being isabella, from encanto.

doesn't really enjoy her stage name :/ prefers to be called jiye by her members and friends.

her favorites in random categories are: the atelier of witch hat (manga), azumanga daioh (anime), gwenpool & silk (comics), meet the robinsons (movie) & the percy jackson series (books).

[crystalelemental]

Pokemon Team Characterization - Valerie

I'm getting back into these for some reason. Who knows why. But to start off: Valerie! I've done my top 3, which means I have to eventually do my full S-Tier, which means Valerie and Clair are on the docket, in addition to a few other teams I really like. So let's talk about the original Fairy leader: my girl Valerie.

Oh god, Gen 6 movesets. I forgot. Okay, we can work with this.

Valerie's team is small, and frankly, kind of awkward. There's not a whole lot of cohesion or strategy here, but there are aspects to work with. I have to go Pokemon by Pokemon first, though.

Opening Act (Mawile) Mawile, as the lead, is the most glaring awkwardness. The Steel typing is reminiscent of Elesa's Emolga, immediately leading with something that resists the central type's weaknesses in Poison and Steel. Pure-Dark offense is...strange, but it does inflict neutral against those types as well.

But that's about all we can say in its favor. Hyper Cutter? Three moves? Two Dark moves and nothing else for offense? Girl, what is happening here?

Well for one, it's moveset is impossible. Iron Defense isn't learned in XY until 41, and its only other means of access is move tutor. Which means that its moveset is likely associated with her travels. We know Valerie came from Johto, but little else of her trips is known. The only move learned from these travels with Iron Defense is also significant. It could imply a sort of resilience that was built from those travels, helping Valerie through more difficult times.

As for the other moves: consider Mawile's lore. It's X dex description reads "It uses its docile-looking face to lull foes into complacency, then bites with its huge, relentless jaws." Feint Attack and Crunch, as moves, most lean into the lore of this creature. Feint Attack is described as "The user approaches the target disarmingly, then throws a sucker punch. It hits without fail," while Crunch is just biting really hard. Mawile's moveset, while limited, fixates entirely on its lore-based potential. It's less about strategy and more about style. Even the decision for Hyper Cutter is significant, suggesting a lack of direct aggression or intimidation, and more of a sense than her inner strength cannot be shaken.

The Ace (Sylveon) Sylveon acts in similar style. Again, the X dex description reads "It sends a soothing aura from its ribbonlike feelers to calm fights." Calming fights is what it does, hence Cute Charm and the move Charm, which serve to weaken or incapacitate opponents. However, again, there's a fun note. Charm is an egg move. Sylveon is another eggmon.

Its offensive moves are a bit of a mixed bag, but I think play up a particular style. Swift is described as "Star-shaped rays are shot at the opposing team. This attack never misses." It's a Normal type move with no particular strengths, and serves more for the aesthetic. Quick Attack is about priority, but is said to move with a speed that "almost makes it invisible." Dazzling Gleam emits a flash of light which deals damage, and is chosen as her signature move over Moonblast, which Sylveon could have access to. The decision to use a weaker move in a 1v1 format is purely about aesthetic sense; the flash and brilliance over the serene power of the moon.

The Guardian (Mr. Mime) Mr. Mime is the odd one out. It is not an eggmon, as far as we can tell, and outside of her signature Dazzling Gleam, it learns only moves it naturally learns. Reflect and Light Screen take primary consideration here, as the main lore of Mr. Mime. It creates walls from nothing by using mimicry. There's not a lot to say about Mr. Mime's moveset, but the choice in Pokemon with secondary typing is fairly notable.

Psychic is typically associated with emotions, and in particular the understanding of emotions. As a fashion designer who likes to put on a show, having an understanding of what people like or want to see is important. The ORAS description for Mr. Mime says "Its gestures and motions convince watchers that something unseeable actually exists. Once the watchers are convinced, the unseeable thing exists as if it were real." That feels like it ties in well to Valerie's approach, designing creations that will bring something out of people that didn't know was there, or helping them see something they wanted to see in themselves. However, in the same Pokemon, we have Dual Screens, the erecting of walls and barriers to keep others out. She wants to understand people, but there's an uncertainty to this phase; a desire to keep somewhat disconnected and remain at a safe distance.

General Team Notes All of her Pokemon tend to utilize moves that are highly associated with the core of their lore. All of her Pokemon selections have rather unusual abilities, between Mawile's coy actions into aggression, Mr. Mime's making the unseeable real, and Sylveon effectively altering emotions to de-escalate conflict. Their movesets reflect the most exciting aspects of their lore, while putting on a sort of performance with her finale.

There's almost a narrative arc to Valerie's team. The intro is downplayed, but with a hidden ferocity to the approach. The middle arc is about building safety, and making the unseen a reality; a drawing out of potential that envelops the person within. This ends with a Pokemon known for dispelling the "negative" emotions and disarming conflicts; creating a sense of peace within those in its presence. Desire, creating your comfort in safety, and finding your inner peace to face the world in bombastic style, utterly and unabashedly yourself.

Final Thoughts Valerie strikes me as someone who enjoys a good performance art piece. She tends to emphasize what is naturally there, but takes particular enjoyment from what is flashy and unique in the individual. Per NPC dialogue, she used to be a model, and now works as a fashion designer. She came from Johto, and despite being about 20 per the teraleak, she's led a fairly illustrious life already. Her Pokemon team implies an artistic representation of her own life:

The lead, her youth, marked by a demure face and disarming smile, but with a hidden ferocity and unshakable strength, setting out and shoring up her resilience to make it in the world.

The rising action, her debut, carving out a space to exist and learning to connect with those around her, while keeping up the emotional walls that keep her safe.

The star, her success, an opulent display of flashing lights and aesthetic charm, wrapped in a sense of peace and confidence in herself.

Or at least, that's how I like to see her. If anyone has an alternate read for the character, I'd love to hear it. Valerie's long been a favorite, but she's rapidly approaching the #2 spot these days for me. I just like her a lot.

[ominous-faechild]

✦ POWER TIER LIST ✦

So, yesterday I made a poll asking people whether or not I should share my in-universe(!!!) tier list for how powerful characters are, and the results are overwhelmingly biased toward "yes"! You guys are really so sweet, idk if I deserve it. 🥺😭

To begin with, some context: this tier list was in-universe created by the Existential gods! They're kinda the "top dogs" of them all, wielding so much power that they're able to all but command the "lesser gods" (axiom) around! Except... they don't.

The Existentials are playing a game of war with the world, and all they demand of axiom is that they cooperate in their games. (For a more in-depth explanation of any of this, send an Ask!)

So, in simpler words: this "tier list" was created by them to be able to place their chesspieces (aka, the people working for them / "avatars") on there and understand their strength relative to the others. It's used both for bragging rights--a certain Existential has three S tiers--and to be able to be used as a shorthand to understand who would win in a fight. Hence why it came to mind for this, haha.

FIGHTS AREN'T ONE-DIMENSIONAL!

Certain types of magic can negate others. Some terrains--or situations in general--will be favored by certain kinds of magic users (MUs), while they'll hinder others. On that note, those situations can tip the favor in the advantage of a MU in a lower tier.

This tier list is used to gauge a MU's power level relative to each other rather than who would win in a direct fight. Due to this, some infamously terrifying MUs may be in a lower tier than they "should" be, because their power is less directly applicable in a fight. Tiers are registered by definition, not "vibes".

MUs can advance into higher tiers given time and dedicated training--they're not stagnant. However, a MU originating in a lower tier is highly unlikely to reach a high tier.

TIER S - DO NOT ENGAGE reserved for magic users whose presence almost absolutely guarantees victory for whomever they're fighting for. For one reason or another, they are able to account for and cover just about any and all weaknesses they have with another of their talents. Typically can take on large groups of similarly powerful individuals or at least five (5) Tier As by themselves. Otherwise, they can be able to completely control or neutralize the abilities of at least three (3) Tier As or axiom.

Example(s):

Quinn, Fate's avatar (Fate / Water) He is capable of seeing all of time--past, present, and the current path the future will take--at every moment, no matter what. They're pressed into his mind, forcing him to watch the timeline and allowing him to plan out things centuries in advance. If he would lose a battle, he could just avoid it. His presence guarantees victory partially because he simply wouldn't show up if he'd lose. In the niche case that someone actually attempts to fight him, Quinn is an extremely competent Water MU who's constantly accompanied by storms that give him his element to fight with. On top of his competence, he's able to plan his actions prior to the fight to minimize received damage while maximizing his output. In-universe, Quinn's very presence is considered a bad omen. Even if he's not around to pick a fight, he's coming with bad news, or even accidentally bringing a flood. He's known by the Existentials to be lenient--if you're in his way, he'll give you the chance to move if he know you'll take it. And by Existence--you better.

There are no main characters who will ever reach this point... for very obvious reasons. Similarly, each S-tier has been alive for hundreds of years and their experience is a good part of why they're so high up.

TIER A - the biggest threats extremely competent MUs who are able to take on large groups of similarly powerful individuals by themselves. Can't compare to Tier S, but are significantly better than Tier B.

Example(s):

N/A No known (by you) characters fall into this tier. Once again--this is for practical storytelling reasons. If they were this powerful, they'd kinda be able to do whatever they want. This tier list was literally (in-universe) created by the most powerful gods. It's going to be skewed.

TIER B - threatening strong MUs who are able to take on large groups of mortals or similarly unprofessional (not trained by immortals/someone associated) individuals by themselves. No non-avatar or similarly unaffiliated individual should be able to take them down by themselves. One (1) Tier B should be able to handle at least three (3) Tier Cs by themselves. If they are not capable in a fight, they must otherwise be powerful enough to control or neutralize other individuals efficiently.

Example(s):

Adilzhan, Zhrizn's berserker (nature / {REDACTED})

Valyarus Fenastra, unaligned faerie (law)

TIER C - powerful competent MUs who can take on large groups (21+) of unpowered individuals. Can sometimes, but not always in a disadvantagous matchup, take on groups of weakly powered individuals. One (1) Tier C should be able to handle at least three (3) Tier Ds by themselves. If they are not capable in a fight, they must otherwise be able to neutralize or control powerful individuals of an equal or higher Tier.

Example(s):

Daleira Fenastra, unaligned faerie ({REDACTED})

Ponderosa, unaligned spirit (storm)

Bolyui; fae spirits (species || variable)

Kieran Caron, unaligned berserker ({REDACTED})

Nikolai Borisyuk, Ertzat's avatar (ice / {REDACTED})

TIER D - competent MUs who are able to take on medium-sized groups (7-20) of individuals on their own; typically capable of fighting back groups of weakly powered individuals as well, but not always. One (1) Tier D should be able to handle two to three (2-3) Tier Es on their own. Otherwise, they should be able to weaken large groups of individuals singlehandedly.

Example(s):

Rieka, {REDACTED} (blood)

"Crow", unaligned human (shadow / antimagic)

Freya Ula, unaligned {REDACTED} ("sun")

Gene {REDACTED}, unaligned human ({REDACTED}) (yes... 7-year-old Gene who begins the series! Unfortunately, kid doesn't even know he has magic, so he only ever uses it subconsciously! Wonder why all this weird stuff happens around him, hmmmm...)

TIER E - capable MUs who are able to take on a small groups (3-7) of individuals on their own; should be able to win in a one-on-one fight against untrained MUs. If you're unsure if they can, are you certain you want to register them as an avatar?

Tazin {REDACTED}, unaligned human (fire / healing)

WIP! Posting early so I can connect this to the OG poll when it closes! If you'd like to see this when the examples are done, you can follow the post and check back tomorrow!

Otherwise, I'm tagging everyone on my worldbuilding tag list when I'm done, haha. Feel free to ask to be added!

Dividers from @firefly-graphics

[violetskies65]

Everybody Knows That- My Lost Media Analysis

Lost Media is a growing subject amongst many online detectives. Sprouting from the likes of Reddit, 4chan, Youtube, and several online forums, people seem eager to get together and hunt down the likes of lost media. With so many internet detectives "Lost" Media seems to never truly be lost. I like to think of lost media as some sort of treasure hunt, alongside the idea that everything is archived by the internet now, the idea of media and entertainment just disappearing or perhaps being lost in some random persons basement helps bring people together as some sort of search effort.

Music is one of those things that seem to really intrigue people. I mean, who wants a snippet and an earworm of a song stuck in their damn head? It can likened to turning on the radio, hearing a song you enjoy, and never being able to find it again. Usually such a search effort can bring you to Google, or perhaps a subreddit such as r/TOMT. Which leads us to the infamous user associated with a snippet of a popular Lost Media song, "EKT" or "Everybody knows that", Carl92.

Carl92 came about on WatZatSong in 2021. Now, I partially believe that EKT and Carl92 came about to such popularity because of the worldwide pandemic everyone was going through, leaving many to waste time on searching for this damn song with the snippet Carl92 posted. Along with the catchy feel of the song. It has been over three years now, and still no leads, but even a remix. The song snippet has a certain feel to it, to which you would think by now, one individual would speak up on the song title, origin, or where it is from.

Even with many theories, this supposed lost song that was found and labeled on WatZatSong as originating from the 80s, and to be in bad quality. It is still on Carl92's profile, however shortly after the search began and the snippet became popular, he never returned, never gave an update. He really just vanished.

https://www.watzatsong.com/en/profile/carl92

The Snippet that has gained worldwide attention even warranted a subreddit dedicated to the search and theories in regards to the origin of the snippet. Titled r/Everyoneknowsthat. Pretty ironic, considering nobody can find the song or what it is. Nobody knows that. Nobody knows what it is, because it likely never existed. So congrats to user Carl92 for creating such a long standing troll! It would not surprise me if this song was some sort of promotion, but unless Carl92 comes back one day, OR the song is found. we will truly never know.

Music that ends up as lost would obviously rely on someone to think harder, as they have nothing to visualize. They are completely dependent on an auditory memory and the lyrics they remember or still have evidence of, hence Carl92's short low-quality snippet.

Some popular theories and "leads" in regards to EKT include

Commercial from Spain

Commercial from The Philippines

Generally a lost commercial jingle (product unknown).

Promotional Marketing song- I.e. it doesn't really exist, and Carl92 is one of the biggest trolls to cross a forum in years. This is generally the theory I subscribe to.

I mean, it has been years. There is still discourse about what technology or specific device this magical 80s song was even stored on. Yet, there are still extensive searches out for this song! All these different origins have been explored, and to nothing. I feel like by now, someone would have alteast recognized the country of origin, or vaguely remember whatever commercial it was included in. As of now, it is just a waiting game, but Carl92, please reveal yourself, and please own up to your troll!

[ineffable-opinions]

BL, danmei (耽美) & Aestheticism

This is part 1 of a series of translations of BL trivia collected from the internet.

All translations are produced using best of my abilities. All errors are mine. Corrections are most welcome.

This is basically a write-up describing what dānměi means, the origin of the concept and its usage posted on gamer[dot]com by user: 吟遊詩人 on 2007-08-17.

I found it interesting from the point of view of how the usage of words have varied with time and space.

You can read the original here. Translation below.

Dispelling the Notion that “danmei = BL”: Exploring the Origin of the Word “danmei”

Many have misunderstood the term 耽美 ‘danmei’… In fact, “danmei” means BL only within the ACG sphere.

If danmei really means BL, then why is Yuki Kaori’s “Danmei Dream” 「耽美夢想」considered a classic danmei game? The Danmei Dream series is in fact a female-oriented (otome-oriented) game.

—————————————————————-

Danmei-ism aka romanticism, or aestheticism, was an anti-social movement, characterized by decadence, that emerged in the late 19th century. It was a reflection of the optimistic progressivism that swept through Europe at the time. It was sometimes associated with diabolism (惡魔主義), however, diabolism and decadent art didn’t necessarily go hand in hand. Rather, it was more of a sentimentalization of the Renaissance. It was also sometimes associated with mysticism.

The British poet and critic, Algernon Swinburne, who is widely regarded as a quintessential rebel among poet of the mid-Victorian era, had the following take-on of the school of aestheticism, which captures its essence:

“The basis of this school is beauty itself”.

Joséphin Péladan of France, the Rosicrucian who found Salon de la Rose + Croix and wrote mystical novels and critic of art, said, “Beauty is the joy of generating feelings and sublimating ideas.”

Tanbi (Japanese reading of danmei) is a style in modern Japanese literature that developed opposed to naturalism (自然主義). It was originally intended “to expose the ugly side of human nature, and to find meaning by reveling in it.”

Finally, BL was conceived in the 70’s post-war Japan, producing same-sex narratives and became a genre of Japanese manga. At the time of its emergence, BL was characterized by aesthetic and romantic stories and hence was linked to tanbi.

In short, the word “danmei” means “aestheticism” and “BL” is a derivative of it.

The above information is translated from Wikipedia in Japanese & is also based on references found on Google.

[witness-lessme]

TEXT 5

Text 5 is yet another post taken from a Singaporean Reddit page, but instead of r/Singapore which is the "official" community, this is taken from r/SingaporeRaw, which is a community created by users who split off from r/Singapore because they felt that the moderators of that page were abusing their powers by censoring and banning anyone who said something controversial or unpopular. While r/SingaporeRaw was created as a subversion of r/Singapore to let such users express their "raw" and unfiltered (possibly controversial) opinions, its regular users have also begun using the page as a general community chat for social/phatic function.

See this example where u/cd-t posts a meme about chicken-less chicken rice after Singaporean news outlets reported a halt in the import of chickens from Malaysia. Posts and comments in r/Singapore (see Text 3) which tend to be more formal and/or serious due to strict moderation, hence posts such as Text 3 share official links to news article and people generally use standard English even when cracking jokes. In this text, you can see that r/SingaporeRaw truly attempts to be "raw" and informal, and u/cd-t posts a meme with a title fittingly written in Singlish.

The entire post, comments included, is full of Singlish-isms in that the way the commenters speak online closely simulates spoken Singlish.

"Why no veg?": Direct translation of "Why are there no vegetables?" (standard English) but written in the syntax of Chinese and omitting grammatical words. 为什么 (why) 没有 (lacking/no) 菜 (veg/vegetables)?.

"op ask no cucumber" op: popular online abbreviation for Original Poster, in this case referring to u/cd-t ask no cucumber: more Singlish grammar, where the tense (ask/asked) is ignored and the preposition "for" is omitted. "leh" & "lor": Singlish particles

"Auntie why no egg leh?": A perfect combination of the last three elements I mentioned (syntax, grammar, particles used). The usage of "Auntie" is also a direct manifestation of the commenter's Singaporean-ness, as it stems from the Singaporean culture of people addressing older women as Auntie regardless of whether they are family. In this case, it also reflects a stereotype or assumption that many stingy hawker food sellers are "Auntie"s.

Just like the other texts, online language and stylistic choices can also be seen in these comments.

"ngl": abbreviation for "not going [to] lie"/"not gonna lie"

"XD": a laughing emoticon

"Lmao": abbreviation for "laughing my *ss off"

I would say that at least in my own experience, you are more likely to find 'just-for-fun' memes and posts in r/SingaporeRaw than in r/Singapore, where you are more likely to see serious debate and discussion surrounding the news and current affairs in Singapore. (This is not to imply that r/Singapore does not also have its fair share of memes and lightheartedness, but just to say that it may have proportionately less). r/SingaporeRaw's raw and unfiltered nature is perhaps why the language used in the post, title and comments are also less formal, more Singlish, and more Online.

[fuckyeahladybug]

@wingedcatgirl This made me curious. I decided to take a look at the synning choices wranglers have made for previous queerplatonic relationship tags. I started with a basic tag search for the term queerplatonic.

In case my readers aren’t aware, tag wrangling on AO3 is handled by human volunteers. Individual tag wranglers have a few specific fandoms assigned to them, and when they open the wrangling page* they see all new-to-AO3 uncategorized tags used on works in their fandom, which they then sort. Bigger fandoms have wrangler chatrooms for discussing these decisions. Smaller fandoms may be wrangler-less or have only 1-2 wranglers. In that case, you sometimes get wrangling choices that only one person has ever signed off on.

*I’ve never been a tag wrangler and am going off current and former wranglers’ descriptions of the process.

My tag search shows me all tags with the word “queerplatonic” used on AO3, regardless of wrangling status or canonocity. I clicked into several tags’ pages to see what synning choices, if any, had been made. Tag wranglers work off of AO3’s formatting guidelines, which are publicly viewable here.

My survey suggests that, with few exceptions, most user-entered queerplatonic relationship tags are left as unsynned, noncanonical relationship tags or synned to the relevant canonical platonic relationship tag. (“canonical” here means a tag that is canonized and directly filterable on AO3, and “synned” means “marked as synonymous with”). Since there is no overarching wrangling guideline for queerplatonic relationship tags, wrangling choices vary somewhat by fandom.

Of the sixteen queerplatonic tags under Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, fifteen are noncanonical and unsynned. The other, “Queerplatonic Ninth Doctor & The Master (Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka”), is synned to the platonic tag for that relationship.

The Wednesday (TV 2022) wranglers seem to have made their decisions based on the original tagger’s choice of / or &, with the result that “queerplatonic Wednesday & enid” is synned to a platonic tag while “(Queerplatonic) Wednesday Addams/Tyler Galpin” is synned to a romantic tag.

Most of the fourteen queerplatonic Harry Potter tags are synned to a romantic relationship tag with the exception of “Queerplatonic Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter,” which is synned to the platonic tag. I’ll also note, because it’s interesting, that no queerplatonic Harry Potter tags in my sample use & and most use /.

The Dr. STONE fandom was where I cracked up and decided I was done sampling. “Asagiri Gen/Ishigami Senkuu - Queerplatonic” is synned to the romantic tag while “Asagiri Gen & Ishigami Senkuu (Queerplatonic)” is synned to the platonic tag. It’s easy to see how that choice was made, even as it’s frustrating on a “how will readers find things” level. Again, remember that small fandoms (Dr. STONE has about 5,000 works) often have just one or two people wrangling.

What seems to be the Archive’s sole canonical top-level queerplatonic relationship tag is in a similarly sized fandom. The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton has 4,970 works. Its wranglers have made “Queerplatonic Johnny Cade & Ponyboy Curtis” a canonical tag, with two variant tags using / instead synned in.

So if you’re writing a queerplatonic relationship, what should you do? How should you tag?

I think the best answer to this question is one that focuses on making sure a reader looking for queerplatonic relationships can find your work, hence my suggestion above. I also recommend using the additional tag “Queerplatonic Relationships” to make sure your work shows up in broader filters.

Current or former wranglers, I’d love to hear your perspective on this one. What kind of chatter have you seen about these sorts of tagging decisions?

Hey, quick question guys

[writernopal]

Magic System Inspiration Tag

Thank you @autumnalwalker for the tag! See their post here. (It was such a fun read, def check it out!)

Tagging @captain-kraken @mariahwritesstuff and anyone else that wants to share more about their magic systems!

Rules: List the inspiration(s) for your WIP's magic system and, if you want, go into detail.

I will admit that I dragged my feet on this one mostly because my magic system is quite baby and tends to morph as I write it. I call As A Stranger Or A Friend's magic system "medium" magic because I don't feel like it falls strictly into the camp of "hard" or "soft" (borrows aspects from both systems).

I'll list the general aspects about the magic system in AASOAF and the inspiration/author's notes for each one below the cut! There are a lot more specific magics/rules that apply to particular characters, but some are spoilers, so I won't cover those here hehe.

Magic, on the whole, is not forbidden/outlawed; however, there are some schools of magic that are more frowned upon than others, which depending on the group/faction, may be considered taboo.

In AASOAF, magic is more like a "liveness" marker, so anything living has the ability to channel magic. By that principle, it makes no sense to outlaw it because it would basically be like trying to outlaw breathing haha.

The inspiration/concept for this comes from Divinity Original Sin II wherein all being have something called Source, a finite amount of lifeforce (unless you're Godwoken then the rules are a little different). In DOSII, when beings are drained of this, they die.

That's not exactly how it works in AASOAF, in the sense that magic can't be drained from an individual, but there is a cost to using and relying on magic. The effect this has on the individual varies based on their constitution (the general term, not talking about CON pts like in DnD) and the type of magic they practice. This is where the frowned upon schools come into play, generally referred to as "black magic". These magics leave physical marks on the user's body and eventually take limbs, much like frostbite would (hence the name black magic).

Evidence of this can be seen on Fay's hands and wrists, which over time have blackened to the color of ink due to her heavy reliance on it. Other markers of this are permanent rune etchings on the user. Runes are ephemeral in AASOAF so having one stick around isn't a good sign.

Magic isn't considered to be a violent force (note, this doesn't mean it can't be used to commit acts of violence)

This one has a lot of not inspirations haha, too many to list tbh (video games, web comics, shows, movies etc) but I've never liked that magic, something that to some degree or another is not completely understood, would be so plainly characterized as "violent". And in the world of AASOAF, when it is part of what makes up all living beings, it just wouldn't make sense to deem it as such. As a note, I never mention this explicitly in the text (ie, a character never explains it to the reader) this is intentional, to convey that magic is ubiquitous, expected, and very much a part of daily life.

There are different types of magic: elemental, spatial, healing, and psychic, to name a few.

Direct inspiration for this is X-Men and Naruto haha. I LOVE the variety of mutant powers and jutsus the different characters of those series have! One of my ALL TIME favorite things is getting to see those really epic battle scenes where characters can combine/complement each other's abilities! They always give me goosebumps and anytime I develop characters it's something I take into consideration. It's very creatively fulfilling for me and also makes for some really interesting scenes, even if the abilities themselves are not super powerful/cool-looking. Also from a plotting standpoint, it makes sense (to me) to limit the abilities a character has otherwise they end up OP and there is no fun in that.

The methods of 'expanding' magic can vary.

In AASOAF, individuals are all born with the ability to channel magic, but like any ability (think strength, endurance, etc) it starts at a base level and can be honed, in this case through a mechanism called Expansion.

The base level that individuals are born with varies, so some people have a very high base, like Priestesses of Shanta and Dreamers. Others have a very low base, like IRL people. Those who have a low base will get minor bursts of it here and there, often cited as feeling like goosebumps or the sensation like someone is watching them.

Regarding the concept of Expansion, this comes directly from my own experiences with weightlifting, running, and yoga as well as skill trees like the ones in Skyrim! Basically, to get stronger, to run farther, to be more flexible, you need to put in consistent practice and progressively push yourself just outside of your comfort zone (ie to failure). So, for individuals who have a high base, they will need more complicated training/practice to Expand, while individuals who have a low base might need a lot less and will see drastic leaps in improvement.

However, there is a way to cheat the system, via a mechanism called Consumption. This can occur through worship, pacts, or rituals in service to higher beings. These can be gods, spirits, demons, and special beings called Patrons/Matrons. That said, Consumption, like black magic, comes with costly side effects.