#it’s the shadow realm of social media

[tiredfuc]

Bro it’s so funny seeing twitter user freaking out about how to use tumblr

Literally all you gotta do is ✨vibe✨

[jcmarchi]

From Software Politely Asks Players Not To Spoil Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/from-software-politely-asks-players-not-to-spoil-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdtree/

From Software Politely Asks Players Not To Spoil Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree

Elden Ring fans are likely counting down the seconds until the release of its hotly anticipated Shadow of the Erdtree expansion this Friday. For those planning to dive into the experience the millisecond it becomes available, developer From Software has one request: no spoilers.

In an X post, the developer shared a short message kindly requesting players to be cool to each other and not go out of their way spoiling the expansion’s content online. The message reads:

Greetings, Tarnished.

With the release of the expansion of Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree, please be mindful of spoilers for those who want to tread into the Realm of Shadow with nothing but their determination and their minds unclouded. 

Thank you for your cooperation.

Despite this reasonable request, if you’re worried about spoilers and don’t plan on shutting yourself inside on June 21 and ignoring the outside world until you complete Shadow of the Erdtree, you’ll probably want to mute any mentions of it on social media; just to be safe. 

But if you don’t care about getting a small taste of what Shadow of the Erdtree entails, you can check out our recent hands-on preview or watch us tour a slice of the game in this episode of New Gameplay Today. 

[whoviandoodler]

i spent all of 15 minutes on ig to set up an art account and share some of my art on there and now i've aged 30 years and my health bar is empty

[ghouldtime]

Ghost'ed

Been thinking about literal Ghost! Ghost. Maybe it's playing too many ghost hunting games or watching too many shows but I cannot stop thinking about it. You also cannot convince me this man wouldn't be a restless spirit. His entire life is troubled and I don't see him going down in a peaceful way or leaving until he feels the job is done - and likely ending up trapped as a result

I wrote this at work so sorry in advance for any typos or slip ups!

💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

Ghost hunting wasn’t exactly what most people would list in "Top ten relaxing hobbies" - but it's not like you were most people. You were simply you. The same you who thought spending your time speculating about spooky specters was one of the best ways to pass by those few stretches of free time that could be all too fleeting in the hellscape known as adulthood.

The stares that followed you when you announced paranormal investigation as a hobby was something you knew all too well. After all, telling someone you’re a ghost hunter only stood as a slightly more socially acceptable version of telling them you believed in bigfoot (you did, but that’s beside the point). The dozens of cheesy TV shows certainly popularized it but they did little to help with the perception of it.

When the face of popular ghost hunting media was full of grown men who screamed like a squirrel high on helium at every little thump of a house settling, it did little to help what people automatically thought of when they heard of your unique hobby. Plenty still turned their noses up, scoffed slightly as they rolled their eyes and sneered, “Aren’t you too old to be doing that?” 

Or worse. They gave a tight-lipped smile, nodded, and crinkled their eyes as they said, "Oh, interesting." While the tension in their body told of holding back laughter or wanting to bolt right on out of there, far far away from you.

Quite frankly, you didn't care what they said anymore as it was your life to live, not theirs. You’d seen enough to know without a fraction of a doubt that there was more beyond the veil of life itself, hiding just out of sight. The hundreds of hours you spent wandering dark hallways and dilapidated ruins with nothing but your flashlight and ghost box proved otherwise. At least it proved it to you.

Proving it to others was a horse of another color. Skeptics who spit their criticism loud enough to deafen even the most positive prevalent of voices in the community were a dime a dozen. Unfortunately, their existence was as certain as the sky is blue. Skepticism was apart of human nature, after all. They would always exist as long as the day and night kept up their eternal dance.

Convincing them was a fruitless effort. You'd sooner be able to convince hippos to fly than you'd convince them of the truth you knew. Trying to get everyone to agree, to acknowledge the paranormal, was hopeless and something you certainly weren't going to waste your life on no matter what they called your or what they said.

As far as you were concerned, being paid to sit in the dark alone and find evidence of life beyond the grimy waters of death itself was a pretty sweet gig. The naysayers could seethe in their own jealousy all they wanted because at the end of the day, you’re getting paid to do what you love. That they never could take away from you.

They'd never be able to have the same thrill that you did as you took on another case, ready to see even more of what the phantasmal realm had to offer.

Anticipation, nervousness, and excitement rolled together in a palpable energy you hid beneath a calmer exterior every time you took a job. There always would be that wonder there, the question of what exactly you might find dangling just out of reach, the hope that maybe, just maybe you might see even more than you already have. Another chance to investigate meant yet another night spent lurking in the shadows, tirelessly trying to find more evidence of the great world beyond the grave and its inhabitants. Tonight certainly would be no different.

An older couple quite reluctantly booked an appointment for a standard investigation after mysterious things that they really could not explain, no matter how they went about it, happened time and time again. They'd tried to ignore it, they said, but it only got worse.

Footsteps that echoed through the house at first in a gentle patter had become confident strides. When they went to look, no one was there. Doors that used to slowly creak open, as if blown by the wind, instead started to rattle the frame with force as they opened or slammed in the middle of the night. The husband looked particularly miffed when he groused about the TV going on at odd hours of the night, while his wife seemed more concerned about the possibility of someone having broken in and the fact that it kept doubling in intensity as time went on. The list went on and on about their complaints ranging from things being moved around to always finding a light turned on in a room in the middle of the night. There most certainly was something going on if all of what they were saying was true.

The glaring parade of red flags that easily would send others running for the hills lured you in. Like a dog with a scent, you weren't going to drop the trail, oh no. You were there to sink your teeth and claws in and not let go. Come hell, heaven, or high water - nothing would stopping you.

True to your title, you were a paranormal investigator which warranted a lot more work and professionalism than the standard ghost hunters you saw on TV who couldn't tell the difference between a gust of wind and a ghost. Your job was to research, conduct a proper paranormal investigation, and provide your evidence - or lack of, if it was truly devoid of haunting. But here hardly sounded like it.

Taking your time and reassuring them that you were, indeed, a professional, you went over all the usual questions with them: when did this start, how old is your house, any history of deaths in it, have you acquired any new items recently, do you have any items that were second hand or antique, any family heirlooms in the house, was it in any particular location, etc etc.

Every angle had to be considered, especially the mundane. Plenty of times, people just had a poorly constructed house, deeply held superstitions, and a touch of paranoia to make for a perfect combination of nothing happening at all. That didn’t seem to be the case here, however. While none of their answers pointed in a clear direction of what it might be, it still all pointed to signs of something unworldly happening. But that's what you were there for. To determine if there actually was a ghost, why it was there, and maybe who it was (if things went well and it felt like cooperating). 

You bid them a good night as they headed off with family friends in a beat up convertible, chattering away without a care in the world as if they didn’t have a paranormal parasite problem. At least they were going to go enjoy their night by having an evening out instead of breathing down your neck like some of those who hired you. Locking the door, you trudged in with your gear and began the initial inspection with practiced ease.

A haunting in a house as young and modern as theirs was quite unusual. Open, airy rooms completed with white, sleek, almost eye-hurtingly clean interiors made up the entirety of the house. Even as night crawled higher and higher into the sky, pulling its dark cloak over the land, the house stayed bright. Nothing about it said haunted or caught your eye. The scariest thing there was likely the heating bill. 

As far as your research showed, there hadn't been a death in it or on the land. The owners also seemed quite appalled at the idea of antiques (go figure) so that went right out the window, too. Normally there might be some stashed somewhere that they weren't thinking about, like the attic, but this house didn’t even have that. No basement, no attic, no creepy graveyard in the back; it was a normal, suburban house that shouldn’t have anything going on.

Perusing the house at a leisurely pace, you browsed each and every room with a thorough consciousness of finding something, anything, that could possibly have started it. Yet you turned up empty handed. Everything was as pure and alabaster as the marble countertops and the expensive sleek metal furniture. 

Oh well, not every job would be easy. And not every haunted house was obligated to look run-down and rustic. Some ghosts just had more upper class tastes - or were unfortunate enough to be stuck in an eyesore like this. Maybe a ghost would add some actual personality to their home...

Seeing as they'd said there wasn't exactly a rhyme or reason as to where things would happen, you decided a central room was your best bet. The living room was open enough for everything and an easy place any spirits could find. It had plenty of room for your equipment and the open layout meant you had a great vantage point for the whole house.

Preparing your gear came as naturally as breathing to you, the tasks you've done dozens of times over were a matter of habit. Moving through the motions was your second nature as you worked, not batting an eye as you checked batteries and strategically stationed your gear. It only took a matter of minutes to have your cameras, light system, motion activated interactable objects, ghost box, and the rest of your fancy gadgets set up all around the room.

Placed on the coffee table was your heaviest piece of equipment - your modified spirit box that you had made some special adjustments to just to make sure your results were as accurate as possible. The broken antenna and attached amp weren't standard, nor were the noise reducers, but they stood as a testament to why you were a professional and why you kept getting called out to different places. You knew how to get results and tuned every tiny thing to your needs. There was no room for error or doubt alike in an already uncertain field.

Double checking everything was ready to go once more once more, you plunged the room into somewhat true darkness as you drew the curtains shut and pressed the button on the spirit box, causing it to crackle to life. Speeding through the static of radio stations, it scanned the many frequencies in a blur, far too fast for any natural noise to come through. The whirring of it evened out into a constant, muffled background noise that you’d spent countless hours listening to. Its familiar hum lulled you into a relaxed state, your heart as steady as your calm breaths despite the slight buzz of familiar adrenaline you always felt when you first started. A small beep signaled the successful activation of the digital thermometer as you walked around in a slow, even pace, checking all around. 

Taking a deep breath, you began as you always had. In a confident, but even tone you called out, “Is there anyone with me right now?”

....

........

Silence.

The static of the spirit box continued to filter through in its usual constant churning hum of white noise. Typical. Many supernatural beings wouldn't want to interact, especially not at first. You don't blame them. If a stranger barged into your house and demanded if you were there, pestering you with questions as threw their belongings around, you'd not want to answer them either. That wasn’t even considering that many were so unused to people hearing them or trying to talk to them, not at them. They didn't exactly register on the same frequency that humans did most of the time.

Walking around the room, your boots echoed on the tile flooring. Your footsteps ricocheted off of the high ceilings, amplified by the lofty ceiling and wonderful acoustics this house apparently had. Keeping your attention ever shifting, you kept alert for signs of anything happening. Looking too long in the dark and expecting things to happen would only yield false results and cause paranoia. You knew far better than to do that. 

Nothing lit up, nothing beeped, nothing changed. There was conclusively nothing happening for the first few, long minutes as everything kept at an unwavering constant. Visiting each room, you rechecked their temperatures and tried to find anything amiss or out of place. Yet all seemed well, still, and normal.

Only when you crossed the hallway back into the living room after a quick visit to the bedrooms did your hair stand on end. A chill ran down your spine, the once warm air now holding the barest bite of cold on the edge. Holding up the thermometer, you narrowed your eyes at the steady decrease. While it wasn't quite freezing, it kept dropping and dropping. Numbers ticked lower and lower, your hair stood further on end as a small shiver ran through you as the chill dipped lower and lower. Bingo. First sign of activity of the night. It wasn’t much but it was plenty to know that something was happening here.

Despite the crisp chill, nothing else shifted in the room. Silence prevailed behind the distant drone of your equipment; mainly the comforting, steady typical static of the spirit box. Even the appliances seemed to have gone quiet, exchanging their usual low thrumming rhythm for a break that suspended them in a noiseless limbo.

Your shifting movements echoed far louder than you would have liked as you paced around the room, looking for something new, anything. An actual tangible reaction you could record would be just what you needed but so far, the haunt was holding out.  “What is your name?” You asked, keeping your voice as steady as you can as you tried to switch it up. 

Continual feedback from the spirit box sounded as steady as can be. Still, there was no voice trying to get through it. The fabricated noise reigned supreme as it did its job, whirring away. Pressing your lips into a thin line, the smallest hint of a frown tugged at your lips as disappointment flickered through you. Okay, that's fine. It usually took a few tries anyways. 

A faint, sparkling crackle escaped from it as you heard one, tiny word in a rumbling timbre. One, single word that halted you mid step, your head snapping towards the machine. 

“Ghost.”

Doing a double take, a grin split across your face as your heart jumped with joy. A response! A true, actual response. Not that it exactly answered your question but it meant something was listening.

There was something here!

Nearly tripping over your own feet, you scampered over to your beloved machine. Your eyes fixated on the glowing orange screen, gleaming with glee. 

“W-what’s your name?” You repeat a bit louder unable to hide the excited tremble in your voice or hands, figuring the ghost likely didn't hear you right. 

Static white noise continued for a few seconds, the little x in the corner flashed once, twice, before it lit up solidly. 

“Ghost.”

The smile you held dropped only for a fraction of a second before you cleared your throat. Well, maybe your slight stutter and excitement got in the way. You did talk fast when excited, after all. Taking a deep breath, undeterred as can be, you repeated in a far steadier voice, “What is your name?”

This time you made sure to enunciate every single syllable, speaking clear and confidently into the air. 

One flashing X glowed in the corner of the screen. Another flash. A third. Fourth. Fifth.

Yet again, the deep voice came a bit louder and rougher this time. A thick Mancunian accent that barely picked up through the filter didn't dull the single word you were trying to avoid, “Ghost.”

Okay. Your brows furrowed deeper, your nose wrinkling slightly as your heart sank. The minor disappointment couldn't be kept off of your face as you really had hoped to hear something else. Approach one clearly isn't working. 

Maybe he didn't speak English. Or maybe he wasn't sure that he was dead. Whatever. There was a ghost and he was answering, that's what mattered, you reminded yourself forcefully until the smile came back to your face and the smallest bit of a headache dissipated. Focus on that. Not on the slight annoyance you felt and the agitated twitch of your fingers.

Exhaling, you pursed your lips. Your grip retightened on your flashlight as you racked through questions in your mind, trying to find something that it would have to answer differently too. 

“Can you do something?”

Hopeful, your eyes trailed around the room, praying that maybe the ghost would do something like interact with the many objects scattered about, or even the motion sensors. 

Nothing happened for a few long moments, silence once again prevailing in the otherwise empty house.

Orange light flashed from the spirit box as the X lit up again, only for a second before the dreaded word repeated itself. 

“Ghost.”

Before you could ask what that even meant, or curse it out for that matter, the spirit box and your flashlight shut off, plunging you into true darkness. The flashlight nearly flew from your hands in surprise as you flinched instinctually, your heart leaping into your throat. Frantically flickering the button of your trusty tool did nothing as you desperately tried to turn on your one source of light with the only way you knew how - only to be met with the continual sight of empty, non-shining bulbs. 

Curses spilled from your lips in all the languages you knew as you fumbled for a battery pack, only to find them missing. What? But you swore that they were right there -- ugh, nevermind. This just wasn't going to be your night.

The initial panic subsided as the chill left the air, the residual regular warmth of the house sinking into the room as if blown in by a lazy breeze. Your hair still stood on end as you walked around with cautious, hesitant steps, having given up on the flashlight. There wasn't coming back from that.

It's only when you approached the spirit box, trying to turn it on to no avail, that you realized what he meant. You asked him to do something and he obliged.

He ghosted you. 

God fucking damn it. 

As you glared at the air in frustration, threw your hands up and personally cursed the fiend, you could've sworn you heard a resonating chuckle behind you as breath brushed against the nape of your neck in a way that sent shivers down your spine for a whole new reason.

[sayhoneysiren]

WHY DO PEOPLE STARE @ U

ONE TWO THREE

book a personal reading here

welcome sirens! this reading is for entertainment pursposes only based on the downloads i receive. do not attack me if the message doesn’t resonate. keep in mind this is a collective reading, not a individual one. with that being said, enjoy!

join patreon for weekly readings

xx HoneySiren xx 🍒

✦•······················•

3 of swords (rev). 3 of coins (rev). 5 of cups. death.

others stare at you because you seem to be in another world and in your own bubble. like the painting of the mona lisa, you have a beautiful face and appearance, but there is something deeper that lies underneath your surface. people want to figure you out since you seem so secretive. you may feel tied down by something at the moment or be trying to fix your past mistakes. others can tell you know some kind of witchcraft, divination, spiritually or occult secrets. you may be an introvert who enjoys emotional music. you have a delicate energy, yet at the same time structured. people also view you as a loner who follows their own path, and rules. you never reveal much about you. for some of you, the friends of your ex want to pursue you.

✦•······················•

knight of cups. the sun. 6 of coins. knight of swords.

people stare at you because you have a striking appearance. your physique could be beautifully toned and maybe you work out. you could attract lustful eyes towards you when you’re exercising/stretching at a public gym or park. your style could be eye catching with many colors and patterns. people view you as the star of your own show. you carry yourself like royalty. but beyond your looks you also have a friendly nature. you are very generous and make friends easily. you also have a playful, adventurous energy and you’re always on the go discovering new aspects of yourself. your presence alone uplifts people’s moods.

✦•······················•

queen of wands. high priestess. 9 of wands. queen of swords.

people stare at you because of your seductive aura. your aura is like a magnet and people can’t help but to notice you. you have intense eyes or gaze (catlike). people think of you as a ‘dream come true.’ they notice your a good listener and observer, but you’re also comfortable in the spotlight and showing what you have to offer. you are smart and can articulate yourself skillfully. you can also see past people and their bluff (peoples shadow sides, red/green flags). you hold faith even in the harshest of times and people notice this. you could have a fascination with the occult or ancient Egypt and some of you communicate with the other realms and assist people with knowledge of their ancestors/spirituality. you may also enjoy wearing hoodies or cloaks. you could be on stage a lot, have a huge social media platform or be a performer. and many people find you extremely pleasing to the eye.

✦•······················•

[extorsiian]

The Weight Of My Own Shadow ● A Poem

I need to be down forty pounds by December’s cold breath, to stand before him, as light as a snowflake's death. A vision I chase, a shadow of might, Where his arms won’t falter, and his touch feels right.

I ache to shed the weight that drowns my form, To vanish beneath the fabric, where shame is born. When he holds me, I want him to touch only my delicate bones, Not wrestle with flesh that stubbornly grown.

I dream of being like those girls in the blinding light, Small and delicate, pure in their might. In social media’s realm, where their bodies gleam, I long to be dainty, to live this frail dream.

Yet here I am, wrapped in these layers too vast, Each garment a shroud, a reminder of my past. “I’m tired of being the ‘fat friend,’” I wail, Each sneer, each glance, a dagger that prevails.

In the mirror, I see a grotesque reflection, A body in torment, devoid of affection. I wish to be “dainty and feminine,” so refined, To escape this form that haunts my mind.

“Maybe if I were prettier, people would stay,” My heart is a prison where hope fades away. “If I were slimmer, would love come my way?” But the reflection sneers, a mockery of day.

I’m worn from hiding beneath fabrics too wide, From concealing my shame, my sorrow, my pride. “Exhausted from not being approached,” my spirit is torn, Of clothes that don’t fit, of dreams left forlorn.

My mother’s whispers cut deep, a relentless ache, “Too big for those shirts,” each word a stake. Each of her words penetrating my frail heart, god why does she have to make all of this so hard? Each layer I wear is a shroud of despair, A veil of self-loathing, heavy as air.

“Aren't you too big for those shirts?” they hiss, As if my worth can be quantified by this. Despite my attempts to blend into the grey, I’m lost in a storm where self-worth fades away.

Body dysmorphia constantly torments me, a phantom of dread, Twisting my shape, and filling my head. I see a stranger in the mirror, a cruel, empty guise, A distorted reflection, that shatters inside.

I hate the way I look, the flesh that confines me, An endless spiral of insecurity that binds me. Each glance in the mirror is a battle, a scar, a reminder of everything I could never be, A reflection of anguish, a glimpse from afar. Why did it need to be me?

“Maybe if I was prettier, people would stay,” A thought that cuts deep, leading hope astray. In this relentless pursuit of a body so thin, I lose myself in a quest that leaves me dim.

I need to do better, but my resolve is frail, Trapped in a cycle where joy is a tale. Beneath these layers of agony and despair, there’s a heart breaking, gasping for air.

I struggle with the weight, day after day, Dreaming of a change that slips further away. I need to shed this burden, this self-loathing weight, I wish to be someone else before it’s too late.

[writers-potion]

Do you have any tips on how to name a story/book? Bc I’m really struggling to come up with something good

Book Title Ideas!!

Fantasy Book Titles

"The Chronicles of Eldoria"

"Realm of the Shadow King"

"Echoes of the Lost Kingdom"

"The Crystal Throne"

"Legends of the Eternal Dragon"

"The Hitman's Apprentice"

"Sorcery of the Silver Moon"

"Beyond the Enchanted Forest"

"Tales of the Arcane Isles"

"The Last Guardian of Light"

"Crown of the Winter Realm"

"The Fireborn Chronicles"

"Winds of the Wandering Mage"

"Secrets of the Starlit Citadel"

"The Frost Queen's Curse"

"Whispers from the Ancient Tome"

"Sword of the Celestial Knight"

"The Phoenix's Prophecy"

"Echoes of Eternity"

"The Shadow's Embrace"

Romance Book Titles

"Swiping Right"

"Romantic Vibes Only"

"Coffee Shop Confessions"

"The Social Media Sweetheart"

"Chasing Sunsets"

"Love Notes and Lattes"

"Lost in Translation"

"The Dating App Dilemma"

"Love in the Fast Lane"

"City Lights and Romance"

"Instant Chemistry"

"The Modern Love Story"

"Love in the Clouds"

"Swipe Left for Heartache"

"Heartstrings and Harmony"

Mystery Novel Titles

"The Enigma of Midnight Manor"

"Murder on the Moors"

"Whispers in the Shadows"

"The Secret of Willow Creek"

"Death at Darkwater Bay"

"The Puzzle of the Poisoned Pen"

"Ghosts of Greyhill Mansion"

"Vanishing at Verona Villa"

"The Mystery of Moonstone Manor"

"Murder in the Misty Woods"

"The Case of the Crimson Cipher"

"The Secret of Sapphire Springs"

"The Silent Suspect"

"Echoes of the Old Mill"

"A Lethal Legacy"

"The Mystery of Midnight Hollow"

"Murder Among the Magnolias"

"The Cryptic Conundrum"

"The Haunting of Hawthorn House"

"Deadly Deception in Dahlia Valley"

YA Novel Titles

"The Echoes Between Us"

"Invisible Constellations"

"Catching Shadows"

"Threads of Serendipity"

"Bloom and Blossom"

"Growing Pains and Paper Planes"

"Dandelions in the Wind"

"Whispers in the Quiet Hours"

"Crossroads of Everlasting Echoes"

"Forgotten Names"

"The Color of Tomorrow"

"Redefining Normal"

"Footprints in the Sand"

"The Art of Glowing Up"

Paranormal Book Titles

"Mystic Bonds"

"Wolfblood Chronicles"

"Twilight's Enchantment"

"Soulbound Serenade"

"Nightfall Destiny"

"Nightshade Kisses"

"The Crimson Courtship"

"Bloodbound: A Tale of Moonlit Passion"

"Witchcraft and Whispers"

"Enchantress' Embrace"

"Heartbeat Hex"

"Welcome to the Coven of Desire"

"A Moonlit Affair"

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

[passerkirbius]

Where are all the Audio Fiction Fandoms?

To be clear, this isn't me complaining, and I know, there are plenty of fandoms for audio fiction podcasts and the like.

But I have always found it weird how few shows get the big, self-sustaining kinds of fandoms, the ones where there's always at least a little trickle of fanfic and fanart. So weird, in fact, that I've been thinking about it on and off for the last 5-6 years, and I have a few theories I'd like to share with y'all as to why, and to see if I can't get some feedback from the audio fiction fans on Tumblr.

Theory 1: Audience Size

The first theory is mostly about demographics - fundamentally, a fandom has to be large enough to sustain itself, and only a certain number of audience members are going to become the kind of fans who make fan works, so ultimately, an audio fiction show needs to get popular enough before fan works start appearing.

There's plenty of support for this theory, of course - Welcome to Night Vale, Wolf 359, The Adventure Zone and The Magnus Archives are titans in the fiction podcast space, and indeed they have big fandoms. But, with that said, there's plenty of other podcasts that are just as big that don't have fandoms, so this can't explain it all.

Theory 2: Audience Distance

This one is similar to the first, but subtly different. A few creators in the space I've talked to have noted that they'd never make fan works of their friend's shows - that feels weird, like deliberately treading on their friend's work. They don't have this feeling when playing in big fandoms, or fandoms where they don't know the creator. This implies to me that fans need a certain level of distance from creators in order to feel comfortable playing with that fictional space. While this is less the case now with the fall of Twitter, a lot of shows, for better or worse, used social media as the primary pillar of their marketing, as well as using Patreons with special access as part of their monetization strategies.

In short, it's never been easier to get close to the creators of your favourite shows, and for smaller shows, the most exuberant fans - the kinds who might make fan works - are also the kinds of fans who will take those opportunities to get closer to the creators. In short, there just might not enough social distance for fans to be comfortable creating works, not at least until the audience grows sufficiently that a creator simply cannot be that close with their entire audience.

This theory I'm not so sure about these days - this one is probably a lot more dependent on the generation of fandom you belong to. Older generations of fandom are more likely to have this queasiness around creator closeness, because they were creating in a time where fandom was a shadow realm, desperately hidden from The Powers That Be, and "No Copyright Infringement Intended" was carved into fan works as an eldritch attempt at legal protection.

Theory 3: Audience Age

To be clear - there are fans of all ages out there. But it is clear to me that fandom trends young, and part of that is just the time needed to participate in fan culture - creating and consuming takes a lot of time, time that tends gets scarcer and scarcer as you get older (there are obvious exceptions of course - stay-at-home mothers have consistently been a major force in fandoms!). It's possible that audio fiction fans just tend to trend older, and thus don't have the time available to create and consume fan works.

Honestly, I'm not sure how relevant this one is - Audio fiction is becoming more popular with younger audiences and slowly shedding the "old fuddy-duddyness" that surrounded it when I was first getting into the space. And, ya know, there are audio fiction fandoms out there, so obviously either the youth aspect of fandom isn't a thing, or it is, but audio fiction audiences are still trending young anyway.

Theory 4: We're getting what we need!

A lot of academic discourse often focuses on the idea that fandoms create for a reason - and that reason is often to focus on parts of a fiction that the original text, for whatever reason, doesn't. The most obvious form of this is the many, many, many examples of ships and erotic fanfiction. You, as a fan, watch a show, see something between two characters, and get frustrated that the show isn't giving you more of that, won't make what is clearly obvious to you, explicit. So, you consume and/or create fan works that help relieve that tension instead.

Or, in shows where the focus is primarily on plot advancement or action, you feel a desire to get to know the characters better - you see the stirrings of these characters, you want to know them better, but the show just isn't the type of show to give you that slow, character-heavy scene/episode that you know would give you exactly what you need, so, again, you go consume and/or create fan works to fix that.

It's very possible that a lot of audio fiction is already built to give these sorts of fan audiences what they want. There's already romantic relationships, characters are openly queer, the nature of the audio medium means that character-heavy scenes are something that the medium directs creators towards, so there's already a lot of character engagement. So, for many fandoms, there just isn't much need to create fan works - there's no tension between what the show is and what it could be.

Theory 5: We can make our own at home!

One interesting theory is that one reason that people make fandom is because, fundamentally, the creators understand that they're not going to be making a film, or a TV show, or a book. They have creative urges, and they're not in a situation in life where they're likely to overcome the enormous barriers to entry in mainstream media, so, in combination with the stuff in theory 4, they play in other people's worlds instead. They know that there's already an audience who will consume their work (they're part of that fan community, after all!), so they can get that validation of creation without needing to create their own TV show or film or book, etc.

Podcasts, however, are different. Now, it's not true to say that podcasts have low barriers to entry - to create a podcast, there's a lot of skills you either need to learn yourself, or find collaborators with those skills. But, those barriers to entry are much lower than visual media. At the very least, audio production is significantly cheaper and less complicated for an equivalent runtime.

Better, podcasts have absurdly low barriers to publication - There are no gatekeepers to satisfy, no distributors you have to convince. Once your thing is made, pretty much no one can stop you from distributing that work. You don't even really need to pay for a podcast host - there's a few free podcast hosts now. So, once you've done the work, pretty much nothing stops you from publishing said work.

So... If you're a creative fan, who loved a show but thinks you can do better? Well, you can! You don't need to play in other people's spaces, you can be inspired by the podcasts you listen to to create your own original work, in the same medium and genre.

What do y'all think? Which of these feel right, which of these feel obviously wrong? Are you part of a audio fiction fandom? What does your fandom feel like to you on the inside? As a audio fiction creator, it's kinda hard for me to get into the inside of fandom culture, so insider perspectives would be super neat for me, so please reblog this to anyone you feel might have an interesting perspective on the whole thing!

[felassan]

A former BioWare Design Director has tweeted his take on the recent BioWare and SW:TOR news. tweet compilation, as it's interesting and illuminating insight:

"My take on the SWTOR/BioWare split For SWTOR: This is a Good Thing For BioWare: This is a Big Loss A thread:

My point of view is someone who worked for BioWare Austin on SWTOR from 2009 as an Assistant World Designer through 2022 as Design Director (with some Anthem, Shadow Realms, and <NDA> years sprinkled about).

BioWare Austin (BWA) was its own studio for many years, founded in order to make that game. MMO’s are expensive, y’all.

We didn’t really collaborate with BioWare Edmonton (BWE) on the dev side much, because there was no need to (with some exceptions – they had built the original on-rails space shooting component, for example).

As a business, in this model all revenue and expenses roll up into the greater whole (BioWare), which then roll into EA’s Group, and so on.

After many years, this model shifted and changed, for a large variety of reasons I won’t get into. BWA would no longer be a separate entity, but under the same core leadership as BWE – One BioWare (BW).

What this meant realistically was you had a boxed product business that had been tried and true for years, combined with a live service MMO business that wasn’t really understood by the boxed product folks. Arguably by EA either, to be fair.

You see, MMO’s can be fairly predictable if they run long enough. We knew the SWTOR business very well. We knew how to turn every dollar invested in the game into several more. SWTOR was (and continues to be) a very profitable business, with loads of heart behind it.

But an older game isn’t sexy. It’s not new. It doesn’t get marketing orgs excited or social media teams jazzed. It’s a ‘legacy game’, despite the mountains of income coming in that other franchises are built off of.

And you FELT it, as a member of the team. It’s a fantastic dev team, filled with incredible talent. How then, with such a close-knit team, did you always feel less-than?

Well, just take a look around. Look at BW’s social media posts and count the proportion of SWTOR game/fan/anything posts compared to ME or DA. Remember that BioWare 25th anniversary book? The beautiful 328 page recollection of BioWare’s history, and celebration of all franchises?

For a game like SWTOR that had been live already for 9 of those 25 years at the time of publication, how many pages, dear reader, do you think had any SWTOR imagery or content at all? Ten. Teams notice this. They feel it, and it feels like shit.

Does BW despise SWTOR? I don’t think so – they don’t understand it, and it was someone else’s game. Does EA despise SWTOR? I don’t think so – it’s a legacy live service, and again, was someone else’s game.

As a dev on SWTOR, you feel like your game is a burden to all of the layers above you, but you persist. You put so much heart and passion into the game, and you thrive on the fans and tremendous partnership with LucasFilm.

So to bring us back to current news, imagine a team excited about a game, with incredible plans, that have felt ‘less-than’ by their own studio and company for years, being unleashed.

Being part of an org that KNOWS the MMO business, and understands those player communities and the incredible stories and connections they form.

This feels like an exciting new chapter to me, and I’m optimistic about what this means for that team and the game. SWTOR is, to the best of my knowledge, the longest-running Star Wars anything, ever. It’s a special game and I’m so happy to see where the team takes it.

As far as BW, it would have certainly be in their best interest as a business to maximize exposure and support for SWTOR publicly over the years, since the SWTOR revenue has allowed for the…unusually long…dev cycles to continue for the last several games.

But now without SWTOR, there will be less places to hide heads, R&D, and time. You’ve got blockbuster single-player experiences hitting high Metacritic scores with…2-3 year dev cycles? And the BW pattern has been…double? Triple that?

I think it will be interesting to see how the EA/BW relationship continues to evolve in this new world. /end"

[source]

[fortunatelygloriousruins]

Whispers in a Liminal Font

In the quiet pause between moments, where the familiar fades and the unknown looms, lies the essence of liminal spaces—a definition filled with promise, yet laden with unease. A hallway, an airport terminal, a bridge—these spaces whisper of movement, of change, of a destination waiting just beyond sight. They embody the hope that one day, the discomfort will give way to a new rhythm. Yet for me, life has been a relentless carousel of transitions. Each time I step into what feels like a new beginning, it quickly morphs into yet another waiting room, another corridor extending into the dark. A move to a new city brought excitement, but ultimately, it became just another threshold, another place where I felt both lost and oddly familiar. I realized that while liminal spaces are often viewed as temporary, my existence has been marked by a ceaseless series of them—a relentless cycle that doesn’t allow me the comfort of belonging. The unease festers like a shadow, whispering doubts that echo louder than the sounds of possibility. In the quest for an anchor, I grasp at fleeting connections and evolving passions, only to watch them slip through my fingers like sand. I crave a return to firm ground, but the landscape of my life remains fluid, constantly shifting beneath my feet.

As celebrated in countless artistic representations, these spaces evoke a haunting tranquility, but often lack the warmth of genuine human connection, leaving an ache in their absence. In popular culture, liminal spaces evoke not just the idea of a transition, but an unsettling beauty—a strange stillness that speaks volumes without uttering a word. Films imbued with surrealism, such as those crafted by David Lynch, plunge viewers into these uncanny realms, where the absence of human presence heightens a disturbing sense of paranoia, leaving one captivated yet yearning for connection or even just safety of a warm presence, of familiarity. In the realm of the internet, ‘liminal space’ aesthetics flood social media feeds, portraying desolate hallways and empty playgrounds—spaces that exist in a vacuum, devoid of life yet brimming with emotion. While these imagined spaces entice with their aesthetic charm, they also amplify a solitude that reverberates somewhere deep in the bones. I find myself wandering through my own empty hallways, much like the desolate landscapes captured in art, where the allure of solitude clashes painfully with the yearning for human connection. In contrast to the glossy allure of these spaces in film and photography, my reality often feels like a silent scream—an echo without a voice to answer.

There is a strange magnetism to liminal spaces—those unsettling places that exist on the threshold, like deserted parking lots in the dead of night. They’re meant to be temporary, to be passed through quickly without thought or hesitation, yet they pull us in, inviting contemplation of the indefinable discomfort they evoke. The allure of liminal spaces has seeped into pop culture, into the eerie photographs and grainy videos shared on Reddit and TikTok, the empty rooms bathed in fluorescent light, abandoned swimming pools, and back alleys captured by dim, flickering street lamps. They draw us in with the haunting promise that, however unnerving, these spaces are transitory. A temporary pause in the steady march of existence. They specially piqued the interest of the generation-z around late 2019 when the pandemic led to everything shutting down around them. This happened for the first time in a while when everyone was forced to stay inside. The usually busy places were suddenly devoid of human activity. And calling those places "liminal" provided them a much needed comfort—that it's just a transient phase, that would eventually make way for a new normal, no matter how deeply disorienting it may feel in the moment.

For me, however, they are not a pause but a pattern. My time here has been a series of liminal spaces, one after another, an endless succession of thresholds that I can never quite cross. The feeling is visceral—like I’m standing on the edge of something unknown, waiting for a change that never arrives. I am caught in the perpetual dusk between who I was and who I could be, but never who I am. The unease, the disquiet that comes with transitions, has become a permanent resident in my bones. While others move through life as if through rooms—each with a door that closes behind and another that opens before them—I remain stranded in the hallway, never quite belonging anywhere.

The pop culture obsession with these places hints at a shared understanding: the strange comfort of knowing that the eeriness will end. People pause to admire the beauty in the emptiness, to find poetry in the in-between, but then they move on, not before shaking off the chill that runs down their spines. I can’t move on. My tragedy is that I have never been afforded the luxury of belonging. Each moment of my life feels like another entrywa a building with no exits.

It is no wonder that liminal spaces are almost always portrayed devoid of people. The absence is stark, a universal truth in every image—an abandoned gas station under a buzzing neon sign, a swimming pool drained and dry. In these spaces, human presence is always missing, and I’ve come to understand why: true belonging happens only when you have become a part of a story, not when you are standing at its threshold, unsure whether to step in or retreat. In life, you find comfort and purpose when you are woven into the fabric of something meaningful, something that feels whole. But I remain forever on the periphery, trapped in the space between stories.

I think about those images often, how the emptiness of these spaces mimics the solitude of my own experience. Those photos and videos, scrolling endlessly on social media feeds, depict places where people were once present but have since moved on. They have left their mark, their fleeting footprints, and then disappeared, perhaps to find themselves fully within the next moment, the next chapter. They were participants in a story, however brief, and then they exited. But I am the one left behind, the one who does not belong either inside or outside. For them, it is a journey; for me, it is a destination I never intended to arrive at, a destination where nobody ever arrives nor stays.

Maybe that’s why I feel most at home in those photographs of empty spaces—because they are the only places that mirror my own reality. A reality where I have never fully crossed the threshold into a narrative that feels like my own. To be present in a story, to be part of something greater than oneself, is to know where you stand, to know that you are not simply a shadow lingering at the doorway. But I do not stand; I hover. I am not an actor on the stage, but a ghost in the wings, forever waiting for my cue, which never comes.

To truly belong is to be written into the story, to feel the weight and the warmth of other people’s lives pressing up against your own, merging, creating something that feels substantial, that feels real. Instead, I exist in the gaps between those moments, the spaces where no one else lingers long enough to even see me. I find myself most drawn to these places because they reflect my own existence back to me, in all its stark, aching solitude.

And so, I remain here, wandering these empty spaces that stretch endlessly before me. I am the emptiness that haunts them. If these spaces are metaphors for transitions, then perhaps I am the exception that disproves the rule: the one who stays when all others move. A ghost in a world that doesn’t know how to see me.

There is no comfort in knowing that one day, this will end because even endings are a luxury not afforded to everyone. I remain as transient in the spaces between, where the walls breathe, and the lights flicker, endlessly.

The liminal- they exist in the uncanny hours, the moments of transition between what was and what will be. We are drawn to them, to the way they disorient, to the way they feel like the pause before something unspeakable. We linger in their eeriness, the empty hotel corridors that seem to breathe on their own, the swimming pools drained of water, standing like gaping mouths. But there’s comfort, we tell ourselves, because these spaces are not meant to last.

For others, perhaps, that comfort is true. But I know what it is to be trapped in these places. I feel the walls close in, the floors stretch beneath me like old, creaking wood. I am forever waiting, caught in the grip of some invisible force, a heavy hand pressed against my chest, keeping me from moving forward. Each step I take echoes against the hollow emptiness around me, but never reaches a destination. I am the figure in the photograph you can barely see, half-hidden, blurred at the edges like a ghost who can’t decide if it wants to be seen or remain in the dark.

I am haunted by the absence of people in these spaces, not because they never were, but because they left. They crossed the threshold, into rooms with warmth and noise, into stories that welcomed them and wrapped around their existence like familiar sheets. They found themselves inside; they became something more than just the sum of their loneliness. But I am the one who stays behind, the one who cannot cross. The perpetual guest, never the inhabitant. I drift from one room to the next, never lingering long enough to leave a mark, never staying long enough to be remembered. I am the visitor who never finds a seat, the traveller whose bags remain packed by the door. I see the way others sink into the spaces they claim, their bodies folding into the comfort of familiarity, their voices rising like music that fills the air. I watch from the sidelines, my presence like a breeze that stirs the curtains but never enters fully.

Every room I enter feels borrowed, as if I have stepped into someone else’s life and can only tiptoe through it, careful not to touch anything, not to disturb the fragile peace that belongs to others. I leave no footprints on the carpet, no fingerprints on the glass. I have learned to navigate quietly, to slip in and out without being noticed, like a shadow cast by something unseen. I feel the walls around me pulse with the life they contain, a heartbeat that is not my own, a rhythm I can never match.

It’s as if I am always knocking on the door but never crossing the threshold. I stand there, on the cold step outside, feeling the warmth of the inside brush against my face, but I never feel it fully on my skin. I am always outside looking in, peering through windows into rooms aglow with light that never reaches me. I am the outsider, forever on the fringe, watching life unfold from the other side of the glass, never invited in.

To be an inhabitant is to know the smell of the walls, the creak of the floorboards, the way light falls through the windows at different times of day. It is to feel the texture of the air change with the seasons, to hear the hum of the refrigerator at 3 a.m., to know which step on the staircase will always groan underfoot. It is to be known by a place and to know it in return, intimately, deeply, as if it has become a part of you and you, a part of it.

But I am not known by any place. I do not belong to any corner or crevice. I am the one who slips in under the cover of darkness, whose name is written in dust rather than ink. I am the one who drifts between spaces, feeling the way they reject me, spit me back out into the cold air of not belonging. I am forever the guest, moving through rooms that are not mine, beds I will not sleep in, and doors I will never close behind me.

I pass through, my presence barely a whisper, a breath against the skin of a life I can never truly touch. I am left hovering in the doorway, where the air is always colder, where the shadows grow long and the light is always just out of reach. I stand there, hands in my pockets, feeling the weight of the spaces I can never claim pressing down on me, a weight that grows heavier with each passing moment, each step I never take.

I am the perpetual guest, and the world is a house that will never be mine. I remain outside, my fingers grazing the doorframe, my feet never crossing the line between here and there. There is no place I can call my own, no room that knows my name, no door that opens for me willingly. I am forever in transit, forever searching for a space that will let me in, but always finding myself back at the beginning—a stranger to every threshold I meet.

And perhaps that is the cruellest truth of all: that I am destined to wander, never quite belonging, never quite seen, forever the guest in a world that moves on without me. A phantom at the edge of every story, a nameless figure passing through the pages, never finding a place to rest.

The images on social media show this over and over—the empty malls, the deserted offices with chairs left spinning, the playgrounds in twilight where no children ever played. These places resonate with me because they are my own; they speak of an existence where the story never begins. Where I hover like a breath just before it is exhaled, hanging in the air, suspended. They are empty because they do not know how to hold me, because I am not made to be held.

I’ve tried to step inside, to enter the frame fully, to feel the world with its weight, to feel alive in a way that doesn’t echo with hollowness. But every time, I find myself slipping back, back into the doorway, back into the corridor that stretches endlessly into the dark. I’ve never been part of the story, only its interruption. A whisper between chapters, an ink smudge on the page.

In these places, I see myself reflected back, a figure without form, a shadow that never becomes flesh. I am drawn to them because they are the only places that tell the truth. Here, in the endless twilight of empty hallways and cold rooms, is where I belong. Where I am what I have always been—a liminal being, caught forever in the act of becoming but never being—it is a curse I carry like a stone in my chest. I feel the weight of all the almosts and could-have-beens, their presence a reminder of every step I failed to take, every door I left unopened, every room I never dared to enter. There is a deep shame in this, a gnawing regret that chews at my insides, whispering of all the ways I’ve failed to step fully into my own skin. I have been caught in the web of my own making, tangled in threads of hesitation, paralyzed by the fear of what might be on the other side.

I think of all the times I have stood at the threshold, my hand hovering over the doorknob, feeling the heat of life radiating from the other side, yet unable to push through- I have waited for a sign, for some force to pull me forward, but it never came. I was too afraid to make the first move, to take that step and claim my place in the world. And so, I lingered, trapped in the twilight between where I was and where I could have been, suspended in a state of perpetual almost.

I am haunted by the sense that I have lived my life in fragments, a collection of half-formed attempts, of sentences left unfinished, of dreams abandoned before they could take root. I am ashamed of my own indecision, of the way I have let myself drift, never committing to one path, always looking for a way out. I am ashamed of the way I have tried to hide this truth from myself, burying it beneath layers of distraction and denial, pretending that someday, somehow, I would find my way. But deep down, I have always known that I am not on my way anywhere. I am simply here, stuck in the thick, suffocating fog of my own inertia.

I feel the shame of all the versions of myself I have left behind—the selves I could have been if only I had dared to step into the light. I am ashamed of the way I have clung to the comfort of the unknown, the safety of the shadows, the false promise that someday things would change. I regret every moment I have spent waiting for something to happen, for someone to come and save me from myself. I regret the wasted time, the wasted potential, the way I have let myself become a stranger in my own life.

There is a sorrow in knowing that I have been caught in this act of becoming, stretching myself thin in every direction, always reaching but never grasping, always seeking but never finding. I have tried on so many skins, so many versions of myself, but none have ever fit quite right. I am like a ghost, haunting my own life, moving through rooms I do not recognize, wearing faces that do not belong to me. I have tried to be so many things, to fill so many roles, but in the end, I have been nothing.

There is a deep, bitter shame in realizing that I am only a collection of attempts, of maybes and might-haves. I have been too afraid to commit to being one thing, to risk failure by trying to be something at all. I am ashamed of my own cowardice, of the way I have let my fear define me, shape me, turn me into this—this half-formed thing, this shadow caught between worlds. I regret every time I have chosen the safety of the doorway over the uncertainty of stepping inside. I regret every time I have let myself believe that there would be another chance, another moment, another time.

But time does not wait. I have waited so long to become something, to find myself, to finally be, but all I have found is this—this empty space where a person should be, this hollow ache where a life should have grown. I am left with nothing but the shame of my own failures, the regret of a thousand missed chances, the weight of a life spent on the brink of something that never arrived.

Caught forever in the act of becoming, I am ashamed of what I have not become. I regret the way I have wasted my own existence, how I have let the years slip through my fingers, watching as the world moved on without me. I regret the moments I didn’t seize, the chances I didn’t take, the love I didn’t let myself feel. I am caught forever in this in-between place, forever reaching but never touching, forever moving but never arriving.

And perhaps this is my deepest regret of all: that I have become the thing I feared most. Not someone who failed to become, but someone who never truly tried. A being suspended in a moment that never passes, a life caught in a pause that never ends, a shadow that never finds its light.

But even as I drown in my own shame, there is a part of me that knows the fear wasn’t entirely mine, that my hesitation was not born of choice but of circumstance. I was moulded by forces I could not see, could not name, yet felt heavy against my chest like an invisible hand. Fate had woven its threads into my skin long before I even knew what it meant to be alive. It wrapped me in its cold fingers, cradling me in the shadows, and whispered in my ear that I was meant for the spaces in between, for the pauses, the breaths held in the dark.

I was shaped by a world that taught me fear before it taught me courage, that carved doubt into the marrow of my bones, leaving me hollow before I ever had the chance to be whole. I felt the weight of expectations I never agreed to, the heavy pull of destinies that were never mine, and in their shadows, I cowered, believing that I was always one misstep away from falling into an abyss that had been waiting for me all along.

I wish I could say I was strong enough to break free, to pull myself from the web spun tight around me, but I am not sure I ever had that choice. I have moved through life like a leaf caught in a windstorm, tossed and turned by forces far greater than myself, unable to find a moment of stillness, a place where I could plant my feet and stand firm. I have felt myself pulled in a hundred directions at once, and in the chaos, I could not help but freeze, paralyzed by the impossibility of it all.

How could I have acted differently when the script was written long before I even set foot on the stage? When the path was laid out like a trap, a snare hidden beneath the fallen leaves? I was cast as the wanderer in the spaces between, and in that role, I felt myself shrinking, shrinking until I became almost nothing at all.

And yet, even as I drift, I feel the shame like a brand on my skin, knowing I could not have been any other way, that the world had left me with so few choices, and none of them my own. I wonder if fate is cruel, or if it is simply indifferent—if it laughs as it watches me stumble, or if it doesn’t care enough to even notice. I am left standing here, on the edge of what could have been, holding the fragments of a life that never fully came into being, the broken pieces of a self that never had a chance to be whole.

And so I am left with this aching contradiction: the shame of my own inaction, and the knowledge that I was helpless to act. Caught in a web not of my making, a prisoner to a fate I never chose. A leaf in the wind, a ghost in the doorway, waiting for a storm to pass that may never end.

And so, I remain here, wandering these hollowed-out spaces that stretch on and on. I am the emptiness that fills them. I am the ghost that can never leave. They say these places are only temporary, that they will end, but I know better. I know that some of us never leave.

The door is always open, the light always flickering. I hear footsteps in the distance that never come closer. I feel the walls closing in like a shroud. And still, I wait, knowing that even an ending is too much to ask for.

Because even in endings, there is some kind of peace, and I have been denied even that. I am the silence that fills the gaps, the breath caught in a throat, forever suspended, forever waiting.

[rivensdefenseattorney]

Stella Character Profile

(WIP)

Basic Information

Name: Estelle Alina Eos Solana

Race: Fairy

Age: 21

Gender: Female (She/Her)

Height: 5'9 (176 cm)

Unique Features

Skin shimmers in sunlight

Tanned Skin

Background & History

Education: Alfea Interdimensional College of Fae

Year: 3

Concentrated Study: Diplomacy & Leadership in Fae Realms

Minor Studies: Enchanted Visual Arts | Diplomatic Negotiation Strategies | Elemental Combat Techniques

Favorite Class: Artisanal Magic in Visual Arts

Birthplace: Kingdom of Solaria, Illumina

Relationships

Family

Father: Radius Solana

Mother: Luna Solana

Uncle: Celsius

Step-Mother: Countess Cassandra

Step-Sister: Chimera

Fiancé: Thoren

Friends

Bloom/Flora (Winx Best Friends)

Sky/Helia/Nabu (Specialist Best Friends)

Love Interests

Brandon

Personality Traits

Extroverted - Talkative, witty, and almost never run out of things to discuss. Happiness and satisfaction stem from the time she spends with the people she enjoys being with.

Impulsive/Spontaneous - May act on impulse and make decisions quickly. Enjoys living in the moment and is comfortable with unplanned adventures.

Showy - Every day is a performance, and Stella loves to put on a show. Loves to experiment with new styles, and constantly finds new ways to stick out in the crowd.

Strengths

Observant -  Natural when it comes to noticing real, tangible things and changes.

Charismatic - Has a magnetic personality that draws people towards her.

Bold - Not one to hold back, Stella doesn't mind stepping outside of her comfort zone when no one else is willing.

Weaknesses

Sensitive - Can be very vulnerable to criticism. May feel like she's been backed into a corner, sometimes reacting badly.

Poor Long-Term Planner - Rarely, if ever, considers laying out steps and consequences.

Unfocused - Anything that requires long-term dedication and focus is a particular challenge.

Fears

Heights

Darkness

Skills & Abilities

Excels in Light and Shadow Magic

Proficient in creating and dispelling illusion spells

Proficient in defensive hand-to-hand combat

Can see through most illusion spells

Can see color auras around others

Hobbies & Interests

Manages her social media presence

Designs clothing

Shopping

Hosting Social Events

Running

Making smoothies and face masks

Quirks & Habits

Follows a vegetarian diet

Color blind at night

Never seen dressed casually

Gets a spa treatment at least once a week

__________________________

Winx Rewrite Master Post

Stella's Playlist

[s10127470]

If the Disney Characters actually got to be important in Kingdom Hearts: Part 1

So recently, I've been seeing some discussion about Kingdom Hearts on social media.

Or more specifically, the way the Disney properties have been utilized in the games.

And many people have said how much they've wished the Disney characters got to play a much bigger role in the series.

And although there are several people who wish for less Disney in the games, I don't think they're saying they don't want anything Disney in the games.

Since let's be real, Disney plays a major role in the identity of the series.

And if you took that away, the series just wouldn't feel the same.

I think those people are referring more to that they don't want to sit through an entire shot-to-shot recreation of "Let it Go", while Sora, Donald and Goofy just stare on completely confused.

As someone who's really into Kingdom Hearts, I really do agree with these people.

This is a crossover series. Most people want to see the Disney characters interacting with each other and the original characters in unique ways.

But unfortunately, we rarely ever get that.

Hell, during the production of the first game, Square Enix themselves stated that they wanted to have the Disney characters to play a much bigger role in the story, particularly the villains.

Unfortunately, this never came to fruition because of one entity....

Apparently, Disney is really protective of their characters, which is why the Disney characters never got to play major roles in the series.

And I can definitely believe that, especially when looking at stuff like Kingdom Hearts III.

But being the idea man that I am, I started thinking about a version of the Kingdom Hearts where the Disney characters got to actually be utilized in unique ways.

So I figured I start a multi-part series, where I actually look at the Kingdom Hearts games and discuss how I think the Disney properties could've been utilized if Square Enix was allowed to go all out with the crossover aspect.

Before we start, one major to note is that I'll also be going over the how the worlds would be presented and executed.

Since for this little AU, I'd like to imagine that many of the KH games got legitimate remasters for the PlayStation 3, not just slightly enhanced ports, utilizing the much stronger technology and graphical achievements of the console.

It's actually kind of funny how Kingdom Hearts never released a game officially for the PS3 that wasn't just a port of an already-existing game.

But with that being said, let's get this party started!

Kingdom Hearts:

The game that started it all!

Among the Kingdom Hearts game, the original is often considered to be the one with the best utilization of the Disney properties.

From the Council of Disney Villains, to having characters like Triton actually knowing about the existence of other worlds and the Keyholes.

The first thing we need to get straight is that The World Order is going straight to the Shadow Realm.

Many people, myself included, have always found that incredibly dumb and just felt like it was an forced in-universe reason for not going all-out with the crossover aspect.

But here, there'll be more Disney characters who are well aware of the existence of other worlds.

Now that we got that out of way, let's get to biggest draw of this concept....

THE DISNEY PARTY MEMBERS WILL ACTUALLY JOIN YOU!

Yep! Tarzan, Aladdin, Jack Skellington, Ariel and Peter Pan will actually be accompanying Sora, Donald and Goofy on the journey through the worlds.

You know, what everyone who has played this series have been wanting since the damn beginning!

The highlight of this game would definitely be seeing how our heroes play off each other.

There are some of the interactions I can think of.

-Besides Donald and Goofy, Sora would definitely be the closest to Aladdin and Ariel. Not only because they're the only members of the team around his age (only being like 2 years older than him), but they also kind of remind him of Riku and Kairi. Aladdin through his quick-witted and confident nature, and Ariel through her bubbly nature and somewhat tomboyish side.

-Tarzan and Jack would just be in awe at practically everything they see, and the other would have to make sure they don't constantly wander off.

-Peter would take every chance he gets to pester the hell out of Donald....and the others would have to constantly remind him why it's not morally right to strangle a child. Also, you can't help but feel bad for Donald. I mean, he already has to look after three teenagers, a talking skeleton with the excitable nature of a kid, and a young ape man who can barely even talk. He does not need Peter to make this even more stressful.

-And Goofy, in typical Kingdom Hearts fashion, is the only member of this team with a braincell.

Sadly, Beast wouldn't really get in on the interactions due to him coming in at the tail-end of the game.

Luckily, you are able to take to previous worlds once you obtain him.

Also, since I know some people are probably gonna ask this, Ariel would still be a mage fighter, using spells to attack her opponents via a bag of potions.

Story-wise, this game would be largely the same.

Expect that you now have the Disney characters joining you on your quest across the worlds.....

As for their reasoning for joining the trio.

Aladdin and Peter join in order to rescue Jasmine and Wendy, since they were both kidnapped due to them being two of the Seven Princesses of Heart.

Ariel would be sent to join the heroes as Triton feels she would be much safer with them, since if I remember correctly, they actually mentioned that there could a possibly that she's one of the Seven Hearts.

And as for Tarzan and Jack....

Honestly they're just there for vibes.

However, the Disney heroes would bid farewell to Sora, Donald and Goofy just before their final battle against Ansem and hope to one day see them again.

Okay! Now that we cover the story, let's go on to the worlds.

Traverse Town:

This world is largely the same in terms of layout.

The real major difference between this and the original version would be that it would be a lot more lively.

Yep! Traverse Town would actually have far more NPCs than just the Disney and Final Fantasy characters.

Since I'm coming at this from the mindset of those PS3 remasters I mentioned, I could imagine Square Enix would be able to add more NPCs into the worlds with the much stronger technology of the console.

As for the characters, there would be a few additions.

This would include Archimedes (Merlin's owl) and The Radcliffes from 101 Dalmatians.

Speaking of 101 Dalmatians, there would a sub-plot involving Cruella De Vil, along with her henchman, Jasper and Horace.

The sub-plot would involve Cruella trying to swindle the puppies our heroes keep finding throughout their journey from them.

Luckily, it doesn't work.

However, with each failed attempt, Cruella becomes more angry and angry.

And this eventually accumulates in Cruella summoning a Heartless version of her trademark car that I like to call Crazy Cabby, which she would use to try and run over our heroes.

Luckily, they manage to defeat Cruella and send her running for the hills.

Also, one last thing to note is that this world would be one of the few to have the characters in their usual outfits.

I'm sure some of you are asking what do I mean by that?

Well, you're about to see!

Wonderland:

Layout-wise, this world is practically the same as in the original. Just a little more spacious.

Also, this would be the very first world where the characters actually change their looks.

Yep! In this version of the game, in nearly every world, our heroes get completely different outfits in order to fit with their new setting.

Many people have wanted to see the games do this with every world and not just some since it would help our trios not stick out like sore thumbs 90% of the time.

Fun Fact: This was actually suppose to be in the original game, as you can see from this concept art right below.

As for the looks of this world, our heroes would be wearing colorful Victorian English attire, to match with the look of Alice herself.

Funnily enough, I think Jack would be the one whose outfit changes the least in this world since it's already a fancy suit.

Speaking of which, Wonderland is pretty famous for having some major characters from Alice in Wonderland missing.

Most notably, The Mad Hatter and The March Hare, who only appeared in the original game as being imprisoned in a portrait.

But here, they're actual characters you can interact with.

Other characters from the film who didn't appear in the original game would include Tweedledum and Tweedledee and The Caterpillar.

There would also be plenty of Card Soldiers hanging around The Queen's Castle.

Olympus Coliseum:

Not much to say about this world.

It's pretty much the same both layout and character-wise.

The only thing of note is the look of the characters.

Sora, Tarzan and Aladdin would be wearing ancient Greek civilian attire.

Donald and Ariel would be wearing the attire of a hierei, which were what priests back in ancient Greece were known as.

Goofy and Jack would both be in Greek soldier attire.

Peter would be a satyr.

And Beast would be a really furry minotaur.

Deep Jungle:

We now come to the first world with changes to....just about everything.

Layout-wise, the world would have the same areas featured in the original game and some new ones as well.

These would include Pathways (A series of paths in the middle of the jungle that can lead to the different areas), The Nesting Grounds (where Tarzan's gorilla family reside), and The Watering Hole (where the elephants were hanging out in the original film).

Actually, The Watering Hole would be replacing Hippo's Lagoon.

And as you would expect, the world would feel much more spacious than before.

As for the characters featured, in addition to the ones shown in the original game, it would also feature those from the film that never made it.

Those characters being none other than Professor Porter, Tantor, and Manu.

Speaking of Porter, he'll be among the group of Disney characters to know about the existence of other worlds prior to the events of the game.

As for other NPCs, Deep Jungle would be one of the most unique among the worlds when it comes to that as nearly all its NPCS are animals.

And those animals would consist of gorillas, elephants, baboons, leopards, Fischer's lovebirds, grey parrots, fish eagles, butterflies, hippos, bongos, rhinos, giant forest hogs, marabou storks, peafowls, chimpanzees, pythons, frogs, crocodiles, colobus monkeys, okapis and forest buffalos.

As you would probably expect, some of these animals (like leopards, baboons, pythons and crocodiles) will attack you if you get close of them.

(For this version of the series, I actually want some of the worlds to have specific enemies besides the Heartless to fight)

But there are others that are not only friendly, but you can also ride as well (like elephants, rhinos and marabou storks).

Yep! Riding animals is essentially the special feature of this world.

As for the character looks, excluding Tarzan obviously....

Sora, Donald and Goofy would be dressed as safari explorers from the early 20th century.

Aladdin would be dressed as a North African merchant from around the time as well.

Ariel and Jack would be dressed as African tribal shamans.

Peter would be dressed as a wild boy, similar to Tarzan.

And Beast would be an ape.

Agrabah:

Layout-wise, this world would be largely the same, with the addition of another region.

That region being the Palace itself, which consist of the follwing areas: The Courtyard, The Throne Room, The Dungeon, and The Garden.

As for new characters, we would be seeing The Sultan, Rajah, Razoul, and the Royal Guards.

Speaking of The Sultan, he'll be another Disney character aware of the existence of other worlds.

Actually, Donald and Goofy would already personally know the Sultan as he's an old friend of Mickey this time around!

In terms of NPCs, they'll be plenty of more townsfolk to see this time around and a few animals like camels, goats and sheep.

As for world-specific enemies, this would include scimitar-wielding skeletons, bats, scorpions, cobras, and living Shiva statues.

As for the looks this time, excluding Aladdin....

Sora, Tarzan, Ariel and Peter would all be wearing Arabian civilian attire, but with some variations between them.

Like Sora and Ariel's outfits would be pretty similar to Aladdin and Jasmine's.

And Tarzan definitely wouldn't be wearing shirt.

Donald and Jack would be dressed like viziers, similar to Jafar.

Goofy would be dressed like a royal guard, similar to Razoul and his men.

And Beast would be a big-ass lion.

Monstro:

I don't really have a whole lot to say for this world.

It's pretty the same as it was in the original game.

The only real change would be the addition of Figaro.

And after thinking long and hard about this, I think the group would be keeping their usual looks for this world.

Since it would be kinda awkward for them to change their looks.....inside a giant whale of all things.

Also, I can't think of any world-specific enemies this one would have as well.

Atlantica:

Layout-wise, it's pretty much the same.

The same can be said for the selection of characters from the movies.

As for NPCs, there would plenty of merpeople swimming about this time.

Along with many sea creatures including starfish, crabs, lobsters, seahorses, stingrays, octopuses, sea urchins, jellyfish, squids, clams, swordfish, sea turtles, dolphins, sea lions, whales and a whole lot of fish.

As for world-specific enemies, we'd have sharks, eels and barracudas.

As for looks, excluding Ariel....

We already know what Sora, Donald and Goofy are gonna look like here.

Aladdin, Tarzan and Peter would all be mermen (well, boys in Aladdin and Peter's case).

Beast would be a huge sea lion.

And Jack....

Honestly, he would be an undead pirate captain.

In all honesty, Jack would probably look real weird as merman.

Plus, the pirate captain attire would still fit the setting of this world thanks to the Sunken Ship being one of the areas here.

Not only that, but it would also serve as a cute little Easter Egg to Jack's cameo in the film: James and the Giant Peach.

Halloween Town:

Layout-wise, it's pretty much the same as in the original game.

Same goes for the selection of characters as well.

In terms of NPCS, the civilians of Halloween Town shown in the film would be taking that role.

As for world-specific enemies, this would include elemental skeletons (coming in Fire, Blizzard and Thunder variations), ghosts and spiders.

Now for the looks of the group this, excluding Jack....

Just like with Atlantica, we already know what Sora, Donald and Goofy will look like in this world.

Beast would essentially look exactly the same as he usually does.

I can't tell if this would be funny or kinda cruel....

As for the others.

Tarzan would be a were-ape (essentially the same concept as a werewolf, except the individual turns into a monstrous ape instead of a monstrous wolf).

Aladdin would be living Shiva-like statue with four arms (and scimitars to go with).

Ariel would be a swamp monster ala the Creature of the Black Lagoon.

And Peter would be a ghost.

Neverland:

Layout-wise, this world would see a massive overhaul.

One of the things I was not a fan of with the original Kingdom Hearts was that in Neverland, we didn't really get to go to....you know, Neverland.

It's was largely set on the seas surrounding the island, mainly on Captain Hook's ship, The Jolly Roger.

But here, we actually would get to explore the island of Neverland, and it would feature the same layout and areas as it did in Birth by Sleep.

Not only that, but the original Neverland also had pretty major characters from the film completely missing.

Most notably Michael and John Darling and The Lost Boys.

But here, they'll actually be present here.

Other characters featured (essentially serving as the NPCs of this world) would include the mermaids and.....*sigh*.....the Indian Tribe.

But don't worry.

They appeared in quite a bit in the game Peter Pan: Adventures in Never Land, and believe it or not, they weren't racist caricatures!

Basically, this game will be doing what that game did.

That being portraying the Indian Tribe as....not racist.

Other NPCs would include animals such as rabbits, racoons, skunks, foxes, bears, wolves, woodpeckers, turtles, squirrels, cardinals, owls, porcupines, deer, otters, moose, beavers, badgers, turkeys, monkeys, snakes, parrots, frogs, crabs, tropical fish and geckos.

As for world-specific enemies, it would essentially be Hook's pirate crew.

And with this overhaul in layout and featured characters, there would be a rewrite in the story of this world as well.

The story at the start would have the group helping Michael, John and The Lost Boys find Wendy, who was kidnapped Hook and taken to his ship.

Eventually, the group do find out about Wendy's whereabouts, which would lead them to The Jolly Roger, where they would meet Peter.

As for looks of our heroes this time, excluding Peter....

Sora, Aladdin, Tarzan and Ariel would be wearing animal-themed onesies similar to The Lost Boys

Sora's would be a lion.

Tarzan's a gorilla.

Aladdin's a monkey.

And Ariel's a fish.

Dude, that's probably gonna be brutal for hook.

I mean, the dude already has it rough losing to a 12-year old who fights with a small-ass dagger on a regular basis.

But now he's about get his ass kicked by a three teenagers and a young man, rolling up looking like this.....

Donald, Goofy and Jack would be wearing outfits similar to Peter's.

And Beast would look how he usually does, but with some raggedy clothes to fit with the island setting.

100 Acre Wood:

I don't really have anything to say for this world.

The only thing is that Sora would be wearing an outfit similar to Christopher Robin's

Well, I think I've talked about everything I wanted to about this game.

So let's move on to the last game I wanted to discuss before I wrap this post up....

Chain of Memories:

This game is pretty much fine the way it is.

The only real difference would be that Deep Jungle would actually be featured like it was initially intended to.

And Tarzan would be the Friend Card for that world.

His signature is Raging Boar, where he charges towards enemies and wildly thrashes them with his spear.

Well that's all I have for now!

I hope you guys like this idea of mine's and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Part 2 should be coming out in a few days!

Before I head off, I wanna ask you guys two things.

If Square Enix were able to utilize the Disney properties more in the games, in your opinion, how would YOU see the games (specifically 1 and Chain of Memories) playing out? Would it similar to my idea, or would it be a little different?

I initially wanted to use this concept in my discussion for 1, but I was not sure about it. That concept being having the summons obtain different looks in each world, to fit with settings and the looks of our heroes. Do you guys think that should've been done? Or do you think the summons should just keep their usual looks, no matter the world?

Anyway, I'm going off to bed.....

[pico-farad]

I've been watching Vrains for the first time, and I finished season 1

some thoughts below (a lot. a lot of thoughts below)

Setting & Setup

The setting is a very smart choice, and the highlight of Vrains in my opinion.

The aesthetic is relevant, it integrates well with Konami marketing its mobile games, and it neatly deals with the problem every Yugioh series has to address of how to make consequences for duels that can be safely broadcast on children's television (aka the shadow realm / sent to the stars problem)

The virtual world opens up so much possibility in how to present things. 

In the character and setting designs, obviously, but also, the duels have their own visual identity. They don't need to play cards on a duel disk or hold cards in their hand, cards will just appear and disappear in pixels (it also probably saves on their animation budget). The duel grid and other visualizations can show up as they're relevant. And seeing the character take gashes to their avatars is dramatic while still being kid-friendly.

Every Yugioh needs its peanut gallery to react to the duel and be explained to, and Vrains incorporates them the most easily of any series, since they don't need to be physically present.

Kill the frog and the pigeon though.

On the topic of duels, I like both link summoning and speed duels.

I like the spacial/positioning element of link summoning, it puts an additional layer on top of "little monsters make big monster."

And speed duels have all the advantages of turbo duels, allowing for dynamic action, visual metaphor for the tide of the duel, and the ability to change locations without sacrificing pacing, all while requiring less suspension of disbelief than card games on motorcycles. It's easy to take for granted, but the heist sequences wouldn't work at all if they had to be standing duels. 

I also liked this about season 1 of 5Ds, where there's two modes of dueling (turbo duels and ground duels). The contrast between speed duels and master duels is fun.

Skills are cool too, though I feel like they could have designed better ones. Seeing Yusaku drop below 1000 got kind of predictable.

And finally, there is rich thematic potential in this kind of virtual setting. Themes about our relationship with social media, video games, artificial intelligence, and tech corporations are very relevant and have depth. I don't have the highest of hopes for Yugioh tackling them, based on how this first season has gone, but I'll withhold judgment on this until I'm finished.

Yusaku

I like Yusaku. He's blunt, but he's not edgy like I thought he would be. He's actually kind of nice toward Naoki when they meet. The three things tic is charming. I like his hacker deck, it's probably my favorite protagonist deck theme after Elemental Heroes.

Yusaku's problem is not that he's boring per se, but he isn't really put in any interesting situations in S1. 

A lot of his duels are just him being challenged to a duel he has no interest in (Go, Blue Angel, Ghost Girl), he beats them, and they don't actually end up forming a relationship or establishing a dynamic. Because their characters don't have anything to do with each-other except mutually not wanting the bad guys to do bad things.

Yusaku gains allies, but he doesn't make friends. He starts off with his only real relationship being Kusanagi, and that doesn't really change by the end of the season (and his relationship with Kusanagi is not very developed either).

Now, there is a reason for this, which is I think the core of Yusaku's character in S1. It's that due to the traumatic event of his childhood, time has stopped for him. This is very real for victims of traumatic events, being unable to move forward in their lives, develop relationships or think about the future, because their minds are still stuck in the past. This is why Yusaku seeks his revenge. It's not revenge he's seeking, it's closure.

This is a theme that's worth exploring. The problem is that I don't really think they explore it, not sufficiently enough for me to give them credit. If they were exploring it, they could have shown Yusaku reckoning with the divide between him and others in a number of ways. 

Most chiefly, by forcing him to make friends anyway. This is Yugioh goddamnit. The opportunity was right there with Naoki, but it's just played as a joke. Instead, most of this theme is squeezed in at the end of the final duel vs. Revolver, and without the proper build-up, the moment of Yusaku renouncing his revenge and reaching out to be friends with Revolver doesn't land nearly as strong as it could have.

If there is one relationship that Yusaku maybe develops though, it's...

Ai

The relationship between Yusaku and Ai should be what the show hinges on, based on the premise, Ai's status as the "partner," and glimpses I've seen of them through fandom.

Ai is the inciting incident of the story, his existence drives the plot forward, because Hanoi wants him, but Yusaku has him, and Ai doesn't want anything to do with either of them. This premise is gold. It's rife with dramatic potential. Ai is forced to work together with his captor. Yusaku is forced to work together with this goddamn annoying AI. They are both just trying to use the other, but end up developing a bond.

Or at least... that's what I think should have happened...

Very little happens between them in season 1, and it either goes nowhere, or comes out of nowhere. Ai tries to escape, but that thread is just dropped and forgotten. Various Hanoi guys hint that the Ignis can't be trusted, but it doesn't really faze Yusaku because he already doesn't trust Ai. The same thing happens when Revolver reveals that Ai is his counterpart from the Lost Incident and has known it this whole time.

There's only one turning point in their dynamic, which is in the second to last duel vs. Revolver, where Ai uses his body as a shield so that Yusaku can use Storm Access. And even then, Ai says it's because if Yusaku loses, Revolver will kill him. But that's been their entire dynamic for the season anyway? Why is this positioned as the emotional moment where they become partners?

By the end of season 1, they're... allies. The same as the rest of the characters on Yusaku's side. But if there was one character Yusaku should have made friends with, it's Ai. Especially if they are positioning for a humans vs. AI conflict.

His design is cute though.

Go

Go's problem is that he needs to be integrated into the story and cast. Aoi at least has a relationship with her brother and Ghost Girl. Go is connected to... some nameless orphan children, a nameless manager, and a childhood orphan friend who shows up for 5 seconds, is put into a coma in order for Go to have a motivation to duel Genome, and never appears again.

Go isn't a best friend character, and he's not a rival either. He's not even a friend character, period. He really just seems there to be a third duelist.

Does he even know about the Lost Incident, or why Playmaker is even fighting Hanoi? Go has no clue what the plot even is, how can he be involved in it? My guy is living in a different story.

It's a shame, because Go does have some interesting bits to his character. Being a charisma duelist is central to his character (unlike Aoi, whose relationship to charisma dueling seems to end at being a cute idol girl), which could have been used to explore the culture of Link Vrains and the performativity of online spaces.

This is tied to some kind of theme he has going on of dueling for others vs. dueling for yourself. It's brought up in contrast to Yusaku, and why he initially dislikes Playmaker. All of that could have been interesting, but it doesn't really get a full treatment.

Revolver

Revolver is fine as a season 1 antagonist. He's not really a character yet, but I'm interested in where they take him from here. His backstory is sympathetic honestly. It's a pretty familiar and tragic situation, where a child narcs on their parent, who isn't even a good parent, but then comes to regret it.

I also think Revolver is sympathetic because I would nuke the internet in a heartbeat.

His Link Vrains design is cool. Mirror Force is funny, so are the gun dragons. The final duel vs. Yusaku was sick honestly, I loved the extra extra link.

Anyway, I still enjoyed season 1 and think there's room to take a turn for the better. In my experience, there's two kinds of yugiohs, the ones that start off strong, and the ones that end strong. My suspicion is that Vrains is the latter.

On to season 2! Time to meet everyone's favorite Salad king :^)

Hm? Was there someone I missed?

ha ha...... you get your own post, Aoi.

[youremyheaven]

Omg rahu-ketu post😳

I was actually discussing my struggles around having prominent swati in my chart and staying grounded in my own reality on a forum fairly recently.

I have a very rich inner world which I essentially live in most of the time, and sometimes I feel like I miss out of my own life because I’m so detached. Limerence is also a big struggle for me, I find it much easier to centre myself in the energy of someone else than to be responsible for my own reality, which I guess comes from the things you talked about like rahu being a shadow planet and the mythology of rahu and obsession.

I also spend a large amount of time on social media and playing games 😶‍🌫️ I’ve tried to make uses of the positives by channeling my imagination into something tangible like art, but I have a hard time actually putting in the work to develop skills since I’m so distracted all the time. I think I’ve spent too much time in my head and now I’ve forgotten how to be in my body lol (my ADHD isn’t helping either💀)

Swati I think is especially a difficult nak because the libra/venus influence is only enabling rahu’s indulgence, unlike saturn or to a lesser extent mercury.

Aside from my personal whinings- the thing you said about occult/astro kind of intrigued me. All of my close family (incl. grandparents, uncles, etc) have atleast one rahu or ketu nak in their big 3, usually being ardra, mula or swati.

My mother’s side has lots of psychics and we have a dream interpretation system that gets passed down the family, whilst my father’s side has many tarot readers. My dad himself is an occultist who is interested in Thelema, astral projection, etc. There’s some interest in astrology on both sides but not particularly in depth and my parents usually end asking me about the transits. Oh yeah and I guess I had that one psychic dream last November that came true the morning after.

In general, my family has a history of very eccentric characters who occasionally got exiled or imprisoned or some crazy shit 😭 I feel like that’s just average Eastern European family lore though. Do you think such isolation is nodal? I think it is but there might be other planetary influence.

That’s enough yapping for today though. Interested to see your post on the positives❤️

Your observation about Swati is spot on

I do think Nodal influence+ well placed/strong Rahu & Ketu are necessary for learning and immersing yourself in the occult. Someone who cannot channel it well will remain ignorant of it no matter how much they read or study it. In some ways the Nodes can be understood as layers of the subconscious and the unconscious. The nodes represent karma (Ketu does) and our unconscious mind is our accumulated karma, if we remain ignorant of it, we will let it guide all our actions and lead us to self destruction. Therefore to have strong/well placed Nodes means you're aware of the different layers of your mind as a result of which you can understand the different layers of reality. Nodal influence creates a fog/veil that cannot be lifted until we gain true gnosis. This is why Nodal people get lost in addictive substances/pass times/people/ interests because their own reality feels foggy/veiled to them so they can only access it from other things. Obviously this is another form of Maya or illusion and that's why even these natives struggle with it. You hate the thing even as you indulge in it because on some level you realise that you're losing yourself to it.

Immersing yourself in the occult requires a certain discipline and consistency that can be hard for Nodal natives (malefic influenced, badly placed etc) to master unless it's well aspected but those who do master it are able to perceive reality and understand the esoteric realm in a truly sublime way. It's rare and magnetic.

I do think Nodal influence can contribute to being exiled/imprisoned/being isolated. There is a reason why 5/6 Nodal nakshatras all belong to the Shudra caste which is the lowest. These natives live lives that are "unusual" or different from the norm. They are "detached" because their life experiences already set them apart from others. They don't belong to the mainstream because they've been put in circumstances where they've been deprived of what is "normal".

Like I said in my post, what is "unusual" can vary a lot and can mean sooo many different things. Majority of the "child star gone wild" type celebrities have heavy Nodal influence. Why? because it's "unusual" for a child to be working or attaining fame and wealth or for their family to use them for the same. When you're deprived of anything ordinary or real, you depend on substances/unhealthy relationships/habits etc to feel centred. This is why after a point these stars "go rogue or wild". They amass a lot of wealth/fame but ultimately they're unable to benefit from it or enjoy it. This is also unusual as these are things typically understood as blessings. Being in a position where you can't connect to or relate to others is a very Nodal experience. That's why a lot of people with these placements are so introverted and withdrawn. If you're a famous child actor, you can't quite go to school and connect to the experiences of other people your age so you feel "isolated". Being imprisoned/exiled is another such experience. It permanently alters you and you don't know how to connect to others who haven't been through it.

I do think isolation is a big theme in the lives of Nodal people. It can be literal or emotional. But it's also obviously influenced by the rest of the chart. Heavy 12h placements also make a native experience the same themes to some extent.

[yetanothersparrowofthedawn]

Now That We Don't Talk

Masterlist

Extended Masterpost

Word Count: 1.3k

Pairing: ex!Jake x Reader

Genre: Angst, Hurt, ex!Jake

Synopsis: idk at this point, sorry. But here’s the jest of it: Breaking up sucks ass.

Disclaimer: English isn’t my native language, so I apologize in advance for mistakes and awkward wordings to come.

Previous Track:  Hits Different (coming soon..)

Chapter soundtrack: Now That We Don’t Talk – Taylor Swift

(By the way, for every ‘Chapter Soundtrack’, basically the idea is that it’s a song that YN eventually wrote with that chapter of her life in mind) Listen to the song, it's basically the entire chapter, I do not have a creative bone in my body, babes.

Guess this is how it was to be Now that we don't talk

Late at night, Y/N found herself lying on her kitchen floor. She scrolled through her phone, the soft glow of the screen casting shadows across her face.

The press had been relentless; capturing glimpses of the lead guitarist of Greta Van Fleet, at various events and gatherings. Well, it was either that or her algorithm was fucked.

She found herself immersed in the snippets of his life presented by the media. His presence, magnetic as ever, effortlessly parting the crowd like the Red Sea in fan edits.

YN, herself hadn’t gone out in a while, choosing to steer clear from the limelight after a couple of nights of binge-drinking had gone more public than she would’ve liked.

Her red eyes captured by flashing lights as she was ushered into a cab by a friend of hers had made the front page for a week. Let’s just say the Sad Girl Era fans had branded her with, wasn’t exactly the kind of publicity she’d wanted out there.

She couldn't help but wonder if he, too, ever got anxious, while on his way home. Did he absentmindedly make a wrong turn towards the street they used to live on? Did he ever, for a fleeting moment, take a hand off the steering wheel to rest it on her thigh, only to find it was no longer there?

Stalking him online had become a guilty indulgence, a masochistic act that she couldn't resist. She lingered a little too long on his Instagram, scrolling through the curated moments of his daily life.

She noticed his hair, even longer than before, framing the features she used to trace with her fingertips. She observed the familiar furrow of his brow as he performed, a guitar pin between his teeth.

From the outside, it all painted a picture of a life moving forward. She remained on the periphery, a quiet observer of the world she used to inhabit. She caught short glimpses of his social life, photos of shared laughs with musicians they once mocked together, videos of studio sessions with a producer he’d once told to fuck off forever.

The bitter truth hung heavy in the air. She no longer had a say in the choices he made, the life he embraced. The silence between them was deafening. She had become an outsider, left outside in the rain, looking through a window at the life of a boy she once knew.

As her mind wandered into the realm of speculation, she couldn't help but wonder what he’d told his friends – those same friends they had once shared dinners and long weekends with. Were they privy to the turbulent love, the passionate highs, and the devastating lows that marked their time together? Few were even aware of their relationship, so would anyone even come to hear of their breakup?

The public was aware she’d moved from Nashville to LA after her latest tour, but only a select few knew why.

She didn’t know what she, herself would choose to say. There was no point in pretending it was platonic. It wasn't some amicable parting where two people decided they were better off as friends. No. Truth was it had just- ended.

She could never be his friend. Can you imagine? She thought. Casually sharing stories over Sunday brunch; smiling for group pictures at birthday parties? She felt ridiculous just thinking about it. After all, they hadn’t been friends to begin with. Not really.

The days and nights stretched endlessly, punctuated by the silence of unsent messages and unspoken calls. Pathetic. That's how she felt. Pathetic for caring, for still being affected by choices that they had made. The more she’d given, the more she laid her heart bare, the less he’d seemed to want her.

A bitter truth gnawed at her consciousness – a realization which had struck her hard, like a sudden gust of cold wind. She was paying the price of what she had lost, and heartbreak didn’t come cheap.

In the quiet hours of the night, phone calls to Patty became a familiar ritual for Y/N, a whispered confessional amid the shadows. Her manager's voice echoed like a guiding beacon in the recesses of her mind.

"Remember, it's all for the best, sugar," Patty would assure her. "Maybe try and get it all off your chest, yeah? You’ll feel better."

Craving the catharsis that only honest introspection could provide, YN eventually heeded the advice. She sat down at the piano and opened her notebook to a crisp white page. Pen in hand, she began to write.

She tried reminding herself of the way he'd faded ‘till she’d left. A distant star dimming until it was barely a shimmer in the night sky. A black hole whose pull she’d barely escaped.

Every stroke of ink presented an attempt to convince herself she was, of course, so much better off now. As it is written, so it shall be done, or some shit like that.

Let’s see. Now that they didn't talk… well, first off, she didn’t have to keep acid rock in her shower playlist. She no longer had to pretend to revel in the company of so-called industry legends on some yachts. No longer found herself forced to feign interest in these obsolete men’s very important thoughts on the death of good music when she’d much rather jump off the deck.

Quite a relief, right? She smiled bitterly. She was a compulsive liar, even in the privacy of her own apartment, in the secrecy of her own thoughts.

Those weren’t the things that she was glad to be rid of. But the unfiltered truth would look too ugly on paper. It would sound too coarse on the radio.

Frustration seeped into her bones, settling like an unwelcome guest. She didn’t know who or what she was even trying to protect.

She wondered if he, too, lingered on her social media, if he glanced at the magazine covers when he stopped by a gas station. She shook her head. What magazine covers? She’d been trying to stay as far as she could from the press.

In an attempt to recover a shred of her dignity, she’d tried turning back into a shrouded mystery. And failed miserably. Fans and critics alike couldn’t get enough of her enigmatic persona, and it seemed she couldn’t go anywhere without people following her.

Success had never tasted to bittersweet.

Could be worse, though, she thought. She could’ve been heartbroken and shunned. Plus, it may have all been for the best. After all, the flash of cameras was the only bridge they had yet to burn. The only way they could haunt each other without having to do the dirty work themselves.

And this was simply how it had to be, now that they didn't talk.

______

One night, at the ungodly hour of four in the morning, her phone's shrill ring shattered the stillness, causing her to bolt upright from her couch.

"Patty?" YN's voice was thick with sleep as she answered the call, squinting at the glaring screen. "Do you know what time it is?" she muttered, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sitting down, what is it?" she asked, her tone tinged with apprehension.

YN listened intently and, after a prolonged pause, she breathed out, "Oh my god."

A mere twenty minutes later, she found herself settling into the backseat of a cab, her mind racing

The driver's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Where to?" he inquired, casting a curious glance at her through the rearview mirror.

"LAX, please," she instructed.

(Welp… guess who’s about to be talking again lol)

Next Track: Beautiful People with Beautiful Problems

Hope you all liked it! Please interact lol, I am desperate for any reaction at all. Help a girl out, peaceful army. Xxx

Taglist

@aintthatapity

@sinarainbows

@vanfleeter 

@gretavanhockey

[yuri-is-online]

Listening to True Crime podcasts and while I know the timescale between Yuu getting sent to the Shadow Realm Earth and Grim starting the Apocalypse in your AYuu is very short, but I couldn't help but think about all the True Crime Podcasts and hot takes about a Yuu in a High Profile Relationship (Vil, Leona, Malleus, Kalim etc) going missing, all the theories and comments and then just Yutu finding them when trying to do research on his parents' relationship. I can't tell if he'd be morbidly fascinated by an outsider's perpsective on what had happened to his parents, or sickened by people talking about this awful moment for content. Especially the gosspiy judgy ones.

I like True Crime podcasts myself but lord there are so many creators that are entering the space and continuing to lower the bar for humanity as a whole. The time scale is short sure, but it's not like that would stop anyone from yapping on social media. I think how they feel would depend on the Yutu?

Malleus! Yutu doesn't like people. He's sort of spared by Briar Valley not being talked about much by outsiders but still. The human consort of one of the most powerful mages in the world goes missing? There's going to be some judgy people saying things, it makes him sick to his stomach to read about. These people don't know his family at all and because of what happened he barely does either. Now that everyone is in the same boat he wonders if they would take back what they said, if they remembered saying it at all.

Leona! Yutu is sort of split between morbid curiosity and disgust. General consensus is that his father was super popular with Magishift fans and certain pockets of the Sunset Savannah but he didn't become a beloved royal figure until after his death. The press around him marrying Yuu is mixed, Yutu is absolutely sitting there with a (≖_≖ ) look on his face reading about people simultaneously shitting on his dad for marrying a commoner while celebrating that he'd never be king. Like... Cheka exists that was never going to happen? And then there's all the stuff screaming about how Yuu ran away from an abusive relationship, or Leona killed them, or aliens are real and kidnapped his parent. I think he likes reading those ones because of how absurd they get while being eerily close to the truth.

Kalim feels like someone who would be known for gushing about his partner. He loves his partner and everyone knows it, when they go missing it's a tragedy. His Yutu probably has the easiest time actually learning things about his parent's relationship. Kalim doesn't mention doing interviews often, but he's the sort to talk readily about the people he loves so while there are some crazy people it's easy enough for him to filter those out and just find his dad talking about how excited he is to be a father and how lucky he is to have Yuu.

Vil. My lovely fairest Vil. I have to start thinking about this for his post and his headcannons but Vil in general seems to have good PR. He isn't as popular as Neige because he lacks the every man/boy next door appeal, but he's still extremely popular. What fucks him over is that he keeps his personal and professional life very separate so when Yuu goes missing people take this as their permission to say everything that has been on their mind ever since he announced he was dating. His Yutu has a really strong will, so he sees those posts and he wants to vomit but he keeps a polite smile and moves on down the line looking for more information. He doesn't find it.