#like Everything has multiple answers depending on context

[darlinimamess]

okay but fr why do autism tests ask the most contextual questions?

[that-ari-blogger]

They Who Carry The Torch (The Missing Months)

When writing this post, it struck me how close together the second and third seasons of The Owl House were. As in, I have described them as the missing years and it is not uncommon for them to be implied as being at least a year or two apart. But King’s Tide aired on May 28, 2022, and Thanks To Them aired on October 15 of that same year. That’s less than five months.

For context, the gap between seasons one and two was just under ten months. It really wasn’t that much time at all.

But a lot can happen in five months, especially in the realms of fanfiction. The Owl House’s ending was purposely unsatisfying. We didn’t know we would get a conclusion.

This is a post about one comic artist who stepped up to the plate to try and bridge that gap. The one, the only, @moringmark.

Let me explain.

I think the first question I need to ask is why I am doing this?

Moringmark’s comics are not expressly cannon to The Owl House. They are, by definition, fanart, and I haven’t covered fanart as a full post in any of my other series. So why make the exception?

My answer here is kind of twofold and kind of not.

Firstly, canon is not really a thing. Like all definitions, the word exists to allow for common ground between people, but this one is especially dubious. What is cannon?

You may say that the text itself is the canon, and that is a perfectly fine distinction. But it doesn’t take into account retcons and plotholes and alternate futures. Luckily, The Owl House doesn’t have many of these, but areas where canon is more important, such as comic books, tend to feature them more heavily.

This isn’t a coincidence. There is a direct line between having multiple possibilities and the need to clarify that one is canon.

My hot take is this: Canon is just what the general audience accepts as having happened. The main material is the thing that everyone agrees on, and everything else is fuzzy with increasing or decreasing clarity depending on the media and the audience.

For one example, Harold Pots and the Child that was Maybe a bit Bad is a stage play that was written by the author of its parent series. It is technically canon. But due to a number of factors including the author making a fool of herself online and alienating a significant chunk of her audience and the story not satisfying a general audience, it is not treated as fitting the canon.

Flipping the script, The Owl House fandom exists in a really large capacity online, most notably in this case, on Tumblr. A significant chunk of the fanbase has at least come into contact with Moringmark’s art, and it is not uncommon for the comics to be believed canon unless proven otherwise, which is not an honour ascribed to many fanartists.

In addition, we didn’t know we were getting a season three, so for several months, these comics were the The Owl House.

My other reason is this: I do not run a review blog. I do not have to weigh the worth of a fan artist alongside its inspiration because that is a) not fair considering the size of the teams working on the two and b) not my job.

Instead, I run an analysis blog. I discuss what a text is about and comment on how I got to that conclusion. This is a series about The Owl House, and Moringmark’s comics were The Owl House for a few months, it is important to me that their contributions to the themes of the series be understood.

So, I have collected a few of Moringmark’s posts that were published between the end of season two and the start of season three, and I have some thoughts.

Starting with this one, published Sep 16, 2022.

Moringmark had two main takes on the show that were remarkably accurate, even if their aesthetics were different (I will get to that in a moment).

The first and the one most obvious in this post is the slice of life story of the Hex Squad moving in with the Nocedas for a while.

Moringmark is an incredibly funny writer, so a lot of the time this was leveraged for humour, and that shines through here, but this is more than that.

The designs are different to the original show. Everyone’s hair has grown out a bit with two exceptions to show that time has passed, although not much. And Vee’s human design is tweaked slightly to allow for a visible difference between her and Luz. They still look like sisters, but she is a lot simpler and looks slightly younger, reflecting their dynamic.

I also appreciate her shirt design. “Me.” She is more self actualized here than in her series incarnation. She is no longer playing a part and is fully her own person.

Notably, the Hex Squad all have similar clothing designs. It’s the same shirt in different colours with an emblem on the front. Notably, Willow’s is slightly smaller on her and Gus’ is slightly bigger on him, while Hunter doesn’t wear one at all. They are all Luz’ clothes because none of the squad had their own. The group hasn’t been able of felt the need to get clothes that fit everyone yet.

Subtle storytelling.

Speaking of which, the only two who’s hair hasn’t grown since the series finale are Gus, who’s style has stayed the same, and Hunter’s, who’s decidedly has not.

Hunter is missing his iconic curl thingo that hangs over his face, and judging by his expression in the first panel, it was removed extremely recently. He too is a different person, symbolically ready to move past his trauma.

But then news of Belos is brought up, and his expression changes, and stays that way. Hunter becomes set and focused and determined. Even when in Camila’s car at the end, his eyes are glued to the mirror. He is constantly on the lookout, constantly ready. I’ve seen this trauma response in real life.

I recently watched Xena Warrior Princess, a show that is goofy as all hell, and probably the most nineties television series that ever graced our screens. I mean that both as a compliment and as an… oh boy.

The series is notable in this context for the following exchange:

“See how calm the surface of the water is? That was me once. And then…” (Throws rock in water) “The water ripples and churns. That’s what I became.”

“But if we sit here long enough, it will go back to being still again. It will go back to being calm.”

“But the stone’s still under there. It’s now part of the lake. It might look as it did before, but it’s forever changed.”

Hunter thinks that he can just cut out that part of his life and move on. That’s why he cuts his hair, but its also why he is so focused on getting to Belos. But the events that shaped him are still there, under the surface.

The reason I selected this comic for analysis was its relation to the series’ theme of family. I.e. bad family will leave a mark that you can’t get away from, you can just try to hide it. But good family will try to help you and comfort you and offer you guidance and protection. To make that point, in comes Camila and her car.

Going back a bit to the subtle storytelling. The kids’ reactions to the news of Belos are the centerpieces of the fourth panel. It’s slightly smaller than its predecessor, which has a tiny zooming effect, but everyone has a distinct emotion. Luz and Amity look to each other, Vee gives a worried expression, and Gus and Willow immediately clock Hunter’s tone shift.

But Camila also responds. Not much, just a glance and an eyebrow raise, but enough to show she noticed.

Thematically, the fact that Camila’s offer to help the crew take on Belos happens off screen infers that it wasn’t up for debate. She was fully ready to throw hands with this man from the minute she saw his impact on the children she had taken under her wing.

Which leaves an opportunity for humour. The Owl House is a satirical comedy, and Moringmark gets that. He undercuts the cool moment of the crew walking down the road, but then makes it clear that the catharsis of this isn’t going away.

That’s really it. Catharsis. Moringmark writes comedy and drama in remarkably similar ways, and while the above post is a clear example of it, I need to bring up this comic, which delves into that parental theme for a different kind of emotion.

Notice what I said earlier about Vee and her self-actualization. It doesn’t get as much of a spotlight as Hunter, but this is also someone deeply scarred by Belos, and yet she seems a lot more healthy than him. Maybe because she has had time and exposure to a better parent figure than Belos. Maybe because she has had time to sit by the lake and watch the ripples die down.

Look how Moringmark achieves pacing here. You know the tense situation; you don't need words to hear the bounce and ring of that amulet. Even the cut to the two's faces amplifies this mood. Its shape heightens the perspective while the blank background cuts away from everything else, so you don't get distracted.

Next up, we have the story back on the Boiling Isles. Moringmark went for a Mad-Max style road trip story type of thing, and there is so much here to choose from.

I was tempted to go with this comic because it has the bus in it, and I love the bus. But I think the most emblematic of this part of the story was this:

Published on July 19, 2022, this comic is notable for a few things.

The little details in this comic stand out to me on a storytelling level. How the trappers are the Collector’s henchmen, and how the renegades are using necklaces similar to King’s to avoid notice from the Collector. That’s a really cool idea.

But I had to include this comic for its portrayal of the Collector and of Boscha.

You would think that this isn’t too different from how the Collector is usually characterized. They are doing the exact same thing as they did in King’s Tide.

Obviously, this is different by dint of how Skara’s reaction to hitting a solid surface at the speed of sound will probably be different to Belos’. But it’s also important to note that this version of the Collector works by the rules of the game.

This is a cosmic entity that has rules, and therefore is something that can be worked around. They have a soft spot for those who try to follow the rules, balanced out by an utter disregard for mortal life. This version of the Collector is terrifying specifically because we have seen him try this before and succeed. We know how this ends, the Collector’s character is a twist.

Speaking of which, we also know how Boscha will act. She is mean, as has been established by the comic in its first few panels. We learn that she doesn’t seem to care that Skara is injured. This is not someone we expect a character arc out of.

But then we get a moment of clarity. We get Boscha risking her life Skara. We get a moment of redemption for Boscha.

And I’m going to level with you. I like this far more than For the Future. Consider this foreshadowing, as I have a fanfic in the works that is based in this version of the story. That is, what might have happened had this or something similar to this been the canon.

I will remind you that this was the canon when it was written, as much as anything else. We didn’t have another option. This was The Owl House.

A lesser concept in the original series was that of redemption and relationships. Amity is redeemed through the compassion that Luz shows for her. Not even love at this point, but friendship that blossoms into romantic attraction.

Similarly, Alador is redeemed through his love for his daughter. Lilith is redeemed through her love for her sister. Mattholomule and Hunter are redeemed through their friendships with Gus and Luz respectively. Etc.

This comic just continues those themes into showing Boscha redeem herself through her friendship with Skara.

It is worth pointing out that this isn’t a full heel turn. Boscha isn’t ready to admit anything or stop being mean, but it is a start. He heart is in the right place, even if her brain is not.

This is why Moringmark is canon, at least to me. These versions are fun as AUs, but when they were released, they were as good of a continuation as we were going to get. They understood the themes and the message of the story, as well as its tone, and in a way, they carried the torch.

And they are still going. As of writing this, Moringmark has delved into future and past timelines. They have written three full series about Luz and co.’s children, Boscha and Skara’s romance during the events of the series, and an AU evil Luz.

This is what The Owl House is right now, and it’s what series like this are. I brought up Xena Warrior Princess earlier, and that story still has fanfiction and fanart made of it, a quarter of a century after it finished. Stories exist in the collective consciousness, and while we can trace the lineage of The Owlhouse through the shows that inspired it and that it will go on to inspire, Moringmark is emblematic of the fan community as a whole who keep the flame burning.

The Owl House series has finished, but its story lives on. Not just through Moringmark, but through every other fan who so much as makes a shitpost. We keep the lights on, we decide when to call it quits, we carry the torch.

Light, do not faulter.

Final Thoughts

There are so many other Moringmark comics that I could have spoken about. From the dramatic and emotional with Skara comforting Matt Tholomule to my darling, the bus. But I left it where I did for a few reasons.

It is not my intention to be sycophantic about Moringmark. I don’t want to be invasive, and if this comes across as such, I apologise and will remedy that. But also, this isn’t about Moringmark.

This is about the fan community. Moringmark has made themself the head of that community through sheer time and hard work, and has made themself as big enough part of it that I can feel comfortable writing this and it not feeling out of place alongside the original series.

But there is a lot more of this fandom than Moringmark, I can’t discuss every fanfic at length. Just know that they are out there, and you can find them. My ask box is open for recommendation requests, but you should also just go and look for them yourself. Follow artists, support them if you are able. This is a community, we should act like it.

Next week, I am diving into the final season with Thanks To Them, so stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[imbecominggayer]

Writing Exposition And Info Into The Story

This specific post is for @loverboyxbutch who has asked for multiple things with multiple caveats so we have to absolutely get this perfectly answered!

Question One: Exposition And Letters

The quote: I was wondering if you had any advice about telling part of a narrative through things like letters or diary entries?

There are two different ways to incorperate diary entries and letters. It all depends on your formatting

You could have the person's letter be an actual quoted segment of the letter so the reader could physically read it or you could have the basic information be relayed to the reader by the characters.

Neither way isn't better than the other but they do have different pros and cons.

The benefits of quotes is the fact that it allows the reader to see the original writer's personality to come through in their writing. The con is the fact that this quoting can quickly get out of hand and the information is kinda under the emotion.

The benefits of characters relaying the information is the fact that this cuts down on flowing emotion. All the information is laid out there! The negative is the fact that this information lacks emotion and personality.

Objectively speaking, expositio is best gathered through story since it's more natural without having to do an infodump!

Question Two: Balancing Emotion With Info

Quote: "I’m not too sure how to balance the realism and emotion with the information that needs to be displayed."

Remember, realism in stories is less "factually accurate" and more "consistent within itself".

In this case, realism in information is "would this character say this" and "how would this character say this"?

Audiences hate "infodumps" because it feels like the character's personality has turned off and now a college professor is speaking.

So it's definitely important you maintain a character's unique voice and personality when reporting on information. However this can lead to some unreliable narrating.

Ultimately, a character's emotion trumps all else. If a character doesn't have a personality that would reveal all this information in an objective way then they will hide stuff or tell the information in a way that validates their own perspective.

However, in the case a character is willing to reveal information without trying to impress their ideology and beliefs onto your character you need to keep in mind what a character could reasonably know and care about.

Two characters could know the same information but prioritize others. For example, D might focus on the damn bread prices rising again while C is focused on the official's death.

Question 3: What Context The Reader Needs

Quote: "I struggle to imagine how much context the reader would want or need."

This is definitely the hardest thing to answer since this is a highly case by case basis but I will try.

The best universal measurement for what a reader needs to know is how much a character needs to know.

Your characters have information that the readers don't have and the readers have information that the characters don't have but readers don't want to know everything.

Readers need a little confusion and curiousity so they will keep reading and investigating.

The key is to get enough information out there that readers will be emotionally incentived to chase after the rest.

For Worldbuilding, unless this information directly impacts the characters then unfortunately readers just wont care about all the little details.

For future events, forshadowing and outlines are your best friend. You can also use an unconventional story formatting by having "flashbacks" be imbedded into the story as their own individual chapters.

For characters, you can use the "show, don't tell" method. Characters who aren't actively trying to deceive others will lay their personality on their clothing, their face, their room, their friends, and the way they speak.

I hope this was informative @loverboyxbutch . I genuinely appreciate your constant support and I wanted this to be an amazing post for such an amazing mutual :)

[dipperdesperado]

Get Organized!

I recently made a post about how to get started in doing radical stuff. Said otherwise, that post was meant to answer the question, “Where do I go, when I know the world is fucked?” This post covers similar ground, but is more interested in the theoretical side of things. Not to say it won’t be practical. It’s just saying that if you’re not the kind of person that can read a little bit and feel confident to act, or you like having a little bit more scaffolding, that you also deserve a resource. I’m hoping to contribute to that today. As the title says, we’re going to be focusing on organizing. This is one of those things that is said a lot, but is actually defined much less often. Tangentially, you should be aware and ready for this for literally everything relating to politics. Any word that you hear used, you should always ask for a definition. Many a movement would have gone differently if folks spent more time trying to find semantic alignment. Anyway.

When I say organizing, I mean catalyzing the energy of folks, acting from a specific theory of change. A theory of change is a thought process or method to create some kind of social impact in a particular context. When the world sucks in some particular way, and you want it to stop sucking, the answer is to organize, in the way defined above. By organizing, we lean on the idea of collective power to create changes that are currently only afforded to those with authoritarian power. It’s a game of evening the odds.

I will also note that this assumes that you are going to be framing your work around broad-based movements, that have (mostly) aboveground (as in “legal”) tactics. This is not necessarily a statement of what is correct; small groups that are in concert with larger movements are also able to be successful, even when doing more confrontational tactics.

So, to organize, I’d say it would be useful to be involved in movements already. You can look at my radicalism 100 post to see how that could look. Either way you have to know what your where your niche(s) lie. In other words, what sits in the middle of the intersection between what you like to do, what you are good (or can become good/have a willingness to become good) at, and what is needed in your context. I tend to center the local level, because that is the area where influence is more tangible, and fits into how I see a resilient world coming to fruition. So, you have to ask yourself, “What can I do, that I would enjoy doing, in my community?” Then, you should find some other people who are in that same vibe. Depending on your approach, this may take no time at all, or a lot of time. I listed some ideas for finding folks in radicalism 100, but to reiterate: look for social medias and IRL presences of people who are into the same topics, and connect with them. See where you can plug in, and see where the contours of organizing in your local contexts are. Ideally you can see places where gaps can be filled.

Once you find an issue that you think has potential, and you have a couple of people to do some organizing with, you have what I think of as a catalyst group. This group is meant to start (or assist) in a certain kind of reaction, but not lead it. Trying to control movements is both futile and antithetical to liberation. So, to ground us, we have two very important ingredients: a topic/issue/area of focus to organize around, and a group of folks to work with. Once this is in place, you can co-create a strategy with your organizing team. I’d recommend employing an encircling strategy as your long-term or meta strategy, where multiple sub-strategies and campaigns happen within this frame. Essentially, this allows you to employ campaigns across a matrix of tactics. Within the encircling frame, you can create a campaign (what I consider a “short-term” strategy). Campaigns are a series of actions over time. Strategies are a series of campaigns over time.

A useful way to think of strategic planning is by separating the process into stages, grouped by movement size.

Small: Organize small actions/protests, figuring out ways to build movement visibility and interest

Medium: Focus on scaling up the participation, through mobilizing efforts. Promote your actions, get people involved, and encourage meaningful action.

Large: Create a movement. The kind of thing people hear about.

To organize on the smallest level, the easiest thing might be to just do plan actions that are well within your team’s capacity, organize those actions, and execute. If you can swing it, I’d really recommend to not lean too much into symbolic actions. There are risks with every action, no matter what legal frameworks your locality has. If you’re going to do something, you have to be very intentional with:

what you hope to accomplish through the action

a high likelihood of success for the action

doomsday planning in case something goes wrong

If you’re able to do this, then you will be leagues ahead of a lot of other folks. This is not to make it a race or a competition, but it is moreso to say you can symbolically represent and catalyze action without becoming a martyr.

As you’re doing actions, you should be refining your idea of who’s impacted by the issues more and more. As that picture gets clearer, you should spend more and more time understanding and listening to those folks. Ideally, you get to a point of co-creation, where you are enabling people to fight for themselves and build their autonomy. That is the kind of thing that prevents movements from dying. Organizers should be trying to put themselves out of business, in a sense. Catalysts should be able to come from anywhere.

To scale up, I’d recommend a focus on meeting folks. Take the ideas of deep canvassing, where you empathetically have conversations with whoever is impacted by the issue you’re responding to, through the lens of giving power to those people. Rather than asking them to feed into some established system of power, encourage them to take action into their own hands, as a collective.

I’d also recommend that as capacity grows, build a “positive” or “constructive” power. This can look like a lot of things. Whether it is a block club, neighborhood pod, community council, or community assembly, dedicate energy into creating spaces where people can start building their democratic and consensus muscles. These can simultaneously act as the training ground and alternative governance structure that allows folks to start making decisions for themselves in a very specific way.

This will ideally allow the movement to really start to be intersectional. It should be intersection minded from the outset, but that can be difficult to meaningfully actualize in the early stages of the movement. since single-issue movements are inherently brittle (if your movement revolves around getting something on a ballot, winning or losing just ends the movement)—there are throughlines that connect all movements, and those lines should be made visible and traveled. Environmentalists should fight for housing rights, LandBack, Reparations, and a host of other things. The more developed our networks, the stronger our movements will be.

[thejournallo]

Explain the basic: Symbology

Desclaimer: Everything I will talk about is information that I got from books and sites online and even videos on YouTube. In my years of practice, I learned as much as I could out of curiosity and what works best for me. I suggest you do the same by learning as much as you can on your own (I will be here making posts teaching this kind of stuff) from multiple sources.

As always, I will love to hear your thoughts! and if you have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer them! If you liked it, leave a comment or reblog (that is always appreciated!). If you are interested in more methods, check the masterlist!

what is "symbology"?

Symbology is the study or interpretation of symbols and their meanings within various contexts, including cultural, religious, spiritual, and artistic. Symbols are visual or conceptual representations that carry specific ideas, beliefs, or values. Symbology involves understanding the significance, origins, and interpretations of symbols, as well as how they are used and perceived by different individuals or groups. In fields such as anthropology, psychology, literature, and religious studies, symbology plays a crucial role in analyzing and understanding human culture, communication, and expression.

why is symbology important for a witch?

Symbolism is extremely important for a witch to learn because there are many ways in which you will need it.  Symbolism is one of those things that is everywhere because everything can have a meaning. A good example could be the interpretation of dreams. Even if the dreams seem so strange and stupid, there is always a meaning.  Another great example is receiving signs, and by that, I mean receiving signs from deitis, entitis, the universe, etc. But those are not the only cases. symbology comes in handy for a witch; knowing what symbol to use is also very important for a witch because you don't want to attract a bad thing to you. 

There are symbols for everything, and they are everywhere.

how do i know is a symbol i use is good or bad?

It always depends on you and your culture. A quick search could help you avoid a lot of damage on you and your culture. A quick search could help you avoid a lot of damage to yourself, but this also depends on what you believe in. For example, I don't believe that satanism is bad, but I believe in bad people practicing satanism in the wrong way (and that goes for every religion and culture). I work with Asmodeous, and I don't see anything bad with it or his symbol (in demonology, every demon has a symbol with their name; it is pretty cool), but another person may see it as bad and dangerous and will avoid using it. It is as simple as that.

some realy popular symbols and their meaning:

-Pentagram/Pentacle: The word "pentagram" refers only to the five-pointed star, not the surrounding circle of a pentacle. Pentagrams were used symbolically in ancient Greece and Babylonia. Christians once commonly used the pentagram to represent the five wounds of Jesus. Often used as a symbol of protection, the pentacle consists of a five-pointed star within a circle. Each point represents an element (earth, air, fire, water, and spirit) and the circle symbolizes unity and wholeness.

-Moon: The moon is a powerful symbol in witchcraft, representing cycles, intuition, and the divine feminine. Different phases of the moon (waxing, full, waning) hold different meanings and energies.

-Triple Moon: This symbol consists of three moons—waxing, full, and waning—enclosed within a circle. It represents the phases of the moon, as well as the stages of a woman's life (maiden, mother, crone).

-Crescent Moon: A symbol of the waxing and waning moon, the crescent represents growth, change, and transformation.

-Ankh: Though originating from ancient Egyptian culture, the ankh is also used in modern witchcraft as a symbol of life, fertility, and divine protection.

-Symbols of the Elements: Various symbols represent the four classical elements—earth, air, fire, and water. For example, an upward-pointing triangle represents fire, while a downward-pointing triangle represents water. An equal-armed cross is often used for earth, and a stylized swirl or feather represents air.

[sapphirefox1995]

I'm trying to decipher what I truly think about The Watcher. For context I absolutely love and adore Rain World. Both base game and Downpour. Downpour has its flaws, but it's a DLC that I cant get enough of. I consider Rain World to be my favorite video game ever.

Now imagine my excitement when The Watcher was announced. I literally could not wait for it.

Because I need to be spoiled on all things Rain World (I have far too many phobias that exist in the game) I watched multiple streams of The Watcher, all endings. And while watching I felt massively disappointed.

I feel like most people like Rain World for different reasons, or maybe all the reasons. For example, my friend liked Rain World due to the ecosystem, I like Rain World for the movement tech, the graphics/music, the lore and the characters. I'm not a fan of getting lost, I look up intractable maps or memorize every location. I don't like to get mad at my games, getting mods that make it an easier time (I'm also disabled but that only effects me playing with Rain World's default keybinds). And I want to very clearly state that cheating/making any video game easier does not devalue the game or the player.

This doesn't make the game a cakewalk, in fact it is still difficult. Campaigns like Spearmaster or Hunter or Saint still have a lot of trail and error.

Then here comes The Watcher, and somewhat detailed spoilers after the cut.

And be warned, you may disagree with my points, and that's totally fair and fine! If you want to voice your opinion in the comments, whether that be you not liking the Watcher or loving it, then go ahead. Just please keep things civil with the things you disagree with.

The world as you know it is different, there's rot everywhere only forcing you to go to specific places (Shaded, Chimney, and Farm) which I kinda like. I get not wanting us to see Moon or Pebbles, and in fact, I'm happy you don't. (And dont get me wrong, Pebbles is one of my favorite characters of all time, I love him, I adore him, and I want to make a video essay about him) and only having those locations feels like a neat way to show the world you grew around is now decaying. Great intro, no gripes with it.

The echo, although some would want more out of them, I love. I love the silly stinky talk, it shows they are a child. The more the campaign goes on the more the echo gets serious. That's amazing, I love that.

But then you get sent to one of the three locations depending on what echo you ended on. Everyone I watched, including when I played, went to Coral Caves. Now I like Coral Caves dont get me wrong, but my main problem with the Watcher is here. It's the locations.

They feel so disconnected from each other, it's hard to peice together the environmental storytelling. Like, we can theorize but nothing will ever be a true answer. And the base game did this to an extent, but through naming systems and lore pearls, it was pretty clear on how to piece together this world. The Watcher's new encioremnts do not have that.

And the portals, I hate the portals. From a gameplay stance. Lore wise, if the Watcher is truly an Echo (which is what I tend to lean towards) portals are fine, they're just fine. But game wise they suck! They distort your screen where you cant see stuff, apparently there's a pole plant in a room with a portal in Rusted Wrecks which is just so hard to see. Plus it adds to the feeling of everything being so disconnected! They do not show up on the map, causing you to find them multiple times if you don't have a solid memory. And they're never explained, making people playing it for the first time confused on how it works (I'm pretty sure you have to stand in it and that's it, you can move I think but I never do). Base game has tutorials, so does Downpour, that doesn't feel too intrusive, whether that be text in the corner of your screen or an overseer. Watcher does not have that.

Then you have the backtracking. And don't get me wrong, the base game has backtracking. But not as bad as this. There were multiple times while playing that I wanted to rage quit because of how much backtracking I had to do. I dont rage at games easily, I sure dont rage at Rain World. But this is out of hand at times. I got stuck in Rusted Wrecks for a century, and it doesnt help that you quite literally do not know the map, where you're going, or where the portals are.

The map, btw, just sucks. Your ui for the regions is just so awful to navigate. As I mentioned before you don't get to see portals on the map. You can see Karma Gates, and when you're just playing you can see a blend of the regions. Like how chimney looks like industrial when you're near that gate, but looks like Sky Islands when you're near that gate. It's very well designed and blends perfectly! The Watcher does not have that.

Then you have the lore. If I squint, I see the lore. But I have to squint. I understand the story it was telling but you dont get a lot of lore. Echos can move on. That's about all the lore I really got from this. The rest of the lore is just theories, not actual fact. Base game had a show dont tell way of dealing with lore, but it sure did tell you stuff. If you gathered the pearls you get an dump of information about the lore, iterators, and the ancients. The Watcher does not have that.

And I want people to keep in mind that theories are theories, they're not truly canon until stated otherwise and they're nothing to get truly mad over. I dont agree with the Rot being the Triple Affirmative theory. I think the rot is the antithesis of the void. Where the rot is the bad death and the void is the good death. And by all means the void should be linked more to the triple affirmative than the rot. But again, I could be wrong, but so can that theory. We do not actually know for certain. I do not like this. I love theorizing but I also like when I know things to be true.

Then the thing that gets me the most, cause I do not know, how a game praised on this aspect, didnt bring it to the Watcher. And that's the ecosystem. Some animals seem out of place (Blizzard Lizard, now granted it is cool in theory, but it sucks to deal with and doesnt feel grounded in the way other lizards are, if that makes any sense) some are super awful to deal with game play wise (the mushroom lizards) and some doesnt interact with anything but the player (the locusts). Sometimes the regions feel so empty, like it's meant to be a sightseeing area than an actual ecosystem. Btw this does not apply to the moths. Moths go crazy I love them.

So those are my gripes with the Watcher, but I do like other parts! I like the ending to both endings, the room with the ancients is pretty cool, and the Prince's design is rad. But I wish I liked more things about it.

So as of now I say that I only like it, I have mediocre feelings about it. And that makes me a little sad.

[ranticore]

if you had to choose between one or the other, which stbh characters would prefer cats (original stage production) and which would prefer cats (cgi movie adaptation)

Having seen both productions multiple times I'm uniquely suited to answering this question

Ok straight up, the easy ones:

Félix prefers the stage play because he loves the theatre full stop and also as a big fan of musicals, the stronger vocals in the stage play would appeal to him. Favourite song: Moonlight (he finds it relatable). Favourite cat: Mister Mistoffelees (projects onto him hard as an aspirational figure, a hot cat man is clearly into him and gassing him up etc)

Bowman: it all depends on which Rum Tum Tugger he thinks is hottest and I think Jason Derulo might win that one, and I don't Bowman has much appreciation for art in the first place so the flaws will go over his head. Prefers the movie. Favourite song: Rum Tum Tugger obviously.

Islin: it's all equally horrible to him but I think the stronger vocals of Stage Old Deuteronomy would win him over to it. The theme of blood sacrifice is relatable and he thinks he would probably want to go to the heavyside lair. Favourite song: Cats (the first song), because everything after that is just another torment to suffer through. Favourite cat: Mister Mistoffelees (thinks he's kinda cute and magic is a sin so that makes him a sort of psychosexual forbidden fruit)

Jean: prefers the movie. He thinks it's hideous but he's the type of person who's fascinated with the cutting edge cat mocap cgi. He'd watch a behind the scenes documentary about the film's technological aspects. Favourite song: Skimbleshanks, ditto for favourite cat. He likes trains.

Erica: obsessed with the movie but like ironically you guys seriously it's just so bad it's good you gotta watch this and laugh with him it's hideous!! The type of person truly pushing the boundaries of irony because if they truly thought it sucked they wouldn't be singing along. Also a Skimbleshanks fan

Léa: sorry it's the movie again, she can't stand the goofy make-up and costumes from the stage play and she believes that the cgi cats are a step up actually. Favourite song: Beautiful Ghosts. Favourite cat: Taylor Swift

Senca: the play. She appreciates the way it explains absolutely nothing and finds that the movie telegraphs its plot just a bit too much to hold her interest, and adds too much unnecessary context. She likes telling people after they all wall out of the theatre that she understood it all and nobody else picked up on the deeper themes. Favourite cat: Jemima (her staunch defence of Grizabella is heartwarming). Favourite song: didn't like any

Cain: kills himself. Favourite cat: Munkustrap

[stagkingswife]

What some godspousal truths that beginners should know in this field? What would you told younger self about this? I am getting into this, only started (just interested in Deity romantically, and, I think, He is as well), and really confused about this, so any wisdom of someone, who is more experienced in it would be helpful.

Hehe,  well the first thing I would tell someone romantically interested in an incorporeal entity is to get comfortable with the fact that there are no Truth.  I have yet to find anything that is universally true in godspousing, in spirit work, in paganism, in witchcraft - everything depends on the paradigm, the individual practitioner, and the context.  What is true for me and my relationship is not likely to be true for anyone else.  But just general advice?  That I can offer some of.  Here’s what I have off the top of my head.  

Early on it might seem like the stakes are incredibly high, and everything is incredibly dramatic - this is a romantic relationship with a spirit we’re talking about, it sounds like something out of a fantasy novel.  It’s natural to want to devote all of your attention to this entity and your relationship with them, but you can’t, that’s not sustainable long term.  Remember that you aren’t the protag of a romantasy book, but are in fact a real person with a real person life, and do your best to find the balance of mundane life and spiritual relationship that works for you.  Take it slow and be patient, you won’t figure out that balance right away, it could take years.  

You’re embarking on a path defined by a relationship. You need to remember that, and treat that relationship like a relationship.  There are a million different relationship styles, but all of them take (at least) two to tango.  Both you and your spirit spouse are active participants, so that means both need to have agency in the relationship - you can’t treat your spirit spouse like an imaginary friend that you can marionette around, but it also means that they don’t get to have all of the control due to the natural power imbalance of them being a spirit/god.  Figure out your personal relationship dynamic, but make sure you BOTH are comfortable and fulfilled by it. (Adjust the language as necessary to accommodate multiple partners, this still applies if you have a relationship with more than one entity.)

Be prepared for your relationship to change.  If you’re in this for the long haul your relationship will not stay static.  What seems dramatic and thrilling now will eventually settle down.  Just like a relationship with a human the butterflies calm down and the honeymoon phase passes.  That doesn’t mean that the love has died, just that it has changed. In my opinion this is the growth of infatuation into a love that can actually last a lifetime or more.

If you have specific questions please feel free to come back to me with them.  I’m happy to answer what I can, but with a net cast this wide it’s hard to say if I covered anything you were actually looking for. 

[transguygardner]

Taylor’s Guide for Getting into DC Comics

decided to make an official post for my method on getting into DC Comics

I don’t know anything about DC Comics and comics continuity scares me

if you’re intimidated by how many comics there are and all the different timelines and continuities and oh my god there’s so many characters then i suggest starting with watching Batman the Brave and the Bold

what it is: it’s a three season 22 minute cartoon from 2008. it focuses on Batman teaming up with a bunch of different heroes and is generally episodic in nature

why i recommend it as a starting point: at this point pretty much everyone has heard of batman in some shape or form. so this gives you a familiar character while being exposed to an enormous cast of different characters. it doesn’t give you the origins or much explanation for many of the characters or how they all know each other which is much like reading modern comics! so it helps you get used to not knowing who everyone is and not getting an origin story every time someone shows up. it also shows you pretty much every corner of the dc universe so you gain some passing familiarity with someone from every niche even if its by name only

some of its flaws: since its an adaptation there are things (many things) that don’t line up with how things are (or ever were) in the comics. which brings me to my next step

READ THE WIKIPEDIA PAGES OF CHARACTERS YOU’RE INTERESTED IN

i’m not talking about the wiki/fandom pages. i’m talking about wikipedia. this will give you some broader context for the characters both in universe and in the cultural landscape. also if you don’t feel ready to read the comics yet/don’t know where to get those comics it will give you other adaptations of that character if there are any. it could also mention another character that you also think is interesting and then you can read their pages

when you’ve done that then you can move onto

I know what character I want to read but how do I know what to read?

your two best friends are going to be googling “[character name] comic vine” and “[character name] dc wiki”

both comic vine and the dc wiki keep lists of character appearances. the dc wiki has them linked at the bottom of each character page while comic vine has them linked at the top

whats the difference between them?

comic vine keeps every appearance of the character under the same list even if its from a different continuity. they also list trade paperbacks and other language reprints under the same page. comic vine sorts it by series so you will see the series that your chosen character has the most appearances in first. which might not always be issues about them

the dc wiki separates out the character appearances based on which continuity its under. so characters will have multiple appearance lists depending on when it was published and if it was for an au or not. for example: bruce wayne (new earth) and bruce wayne (prime earth) are two of the MANY different pages with appearance lists for batman on the dc wiki. vs comic vine where they’re all under bruce wayne. the dc wiki does not include reprints and trade paperbacks under the appearance lists and sorts it alphabetically

so which one do i use?

personally i’d start with the comic vine list. its easier to get the relevant info from and then use it to answer these questions

does your character have a solo series?

a solo series is anything that’s named after that character. sometimes they’re duo series (batman & superman, blue & gold, fire & ice: smallville etc). if yes start with one of those. if you plan on reading everything and don’t mind older writing styles pick the oldest one and move through the list of solo series. if you are turned off by the older writing styles start with the oldest one published in or after 1986. if you just want to read more modern/current stuff start with one labeled “rebirth” at the top

is your character on a team book?

if your character doesn’t have a solo or you read the solos and want to read something else see if they’re on a team book! team books are just what they sound like. books that focus on a bunch of characters that are operating under the same team name. if you read their wikipedia page it probably mentions if theyre on a team. you can also double check with the dc wiki (check the [character name] new earth and [character name] prime earth pages to see if they’re affiliated with anyone)

if they’re in multiple volumes of the same title team book i would generally start with the oldest. again skip any from before 1986 if you can’t handle the older writing styles. and if you only want the really new stuff start with ones with the rebirth label on them

my character doesn’t have a solo or a team book!

so you’ve got a few options.

look up a reading guide (which honestly you couldve done for the other characters too but i think it’s better to learn how to choose which ones to read yourself since they don’t always have reading guides)

start at their first appearance then go from there (if comic vine has your character listed with 250 or less appearances this is a decent choice especially since anywhere from 10 to 25% of those will be reprints)

choose based on the artwork (good art/art you like can get you through a lot of bad writing)

generally all of these are good options to take. with option three just be wary if the writer is tom king since he is known to take extreme liberties with characteristics

tips and tricks

if you really like the writing or the art on a book take note of who wrote it or who drew it. if you search “[creator name] comic vine” it will pull up a page similar to the character ones and you can check what other stuff they made. following a creator’s career is a good way to branch out your reading list and helps you identify what you do and don’t like

if there’s a specific kind of character you want to read (divorced, fire powers, alien, etc) you can check the category pages on the dc wiki. just find the page of a character you know fits that category (maxwell lord for divorced for example) scroll to the bottom. expand the categories and click on the one you’re looking for. you’ll find a list of characters with that tag on them

some characters are just confusing so don’t worry about it. hawkman, hawkgirl/woman, and supergirl have three of the most confusing continuities in dc comics. so if it seems confusing don’t let it stop you

you really don’t have to understand the nuances of continuity in order to enjoy comics. that has never stopped a writer before. so it shouldn’t stop you!

you can read comics with the dc universe subscription or comixology or going to your local comic shop. some used bookstores also have comic bins. if you google “read comic online” you should probably find something. make sure you have a good adblock though

thats basically it. just rinse and repeat with however many characters you want!

final notes

personally i think reading stuff from oldest to newest is the most interesting way to read comics because then you can see how the character has evolved over the years and find out which writers like to collaborate with previous ideas and which ones like to bulldoze it all down

1986 is chosen as a dividing point because that is when DC’s first MAJOR continuity reboot happens. it’s Crisis On Infinite Earths and basically just combines all the different DC earths into one. so there’s a lot of explaining whats going on in those earlier books. you CAN start with the 70s stuff if you want but generally its easier to start with the late 80s if you don’t want to go all the way back

books labeled rebirth are chosen for the people who want to start with the now because that is the start of the last major reboot and will introduce you to the modern interpretation of the character. which imo isnt always the best since a lot of the modern interpretations are more shallow. but to each their own

[brainbombs]

A short introduction to dream interpretation For @necroticvampire

Dream interpretation is, at its core, a symbolic reinterpretation of subconscious phenomena. The symbolic, according to Lacan, refers to the words and imagery that we use to refer to the world around us; the subconscious, while an erratic object of study in psychoanalysis, can be understood – only as far as this short introduction is concerned – as the mental activity that lie beyond our cognitive perception. In Freud's words: what exists “beyond waking life”. In the dream state, all that has been perceived in waking life – consciously or not – is selected to be represented by the subconscious in symbolic forms. How these events – from day-to-day glimpses to life-changing events – are chosen is entirely dependant on your body's physiological situation, as well as on your mind's psychological state. That is to say: stressful days will provoke equally stressful situations in your sleeping mind. Inquietude begets inquietude, and so on. However, not everything can be ascribed to the body's physiological activity; it would be reductionistic to claim so. This is where dream interpretation comes in: this unfurling of underground symbolic dances, where memories are either distorted or replaced, but never forgotten.

For this practice, I recommend: 1. Engaging with literary works of any kind. Through reading, we learn that words can have different meanings which are entirely dependant on context, language and its branches. Oneiric symbolism works in a similar way – language is a type of symbolism, anyway! – by offering multiple interpretations to dream events. As such, the two – dreaming and reading – are intimately connected. 2. Dream journaling. By paying attention to your dreams, you turn your perception to your subconscious – as far within its realm as perception can reach – and provide the back of your mind with different ways to represent conscious events and imagery. In practical terms, it means that you will remember your dreams more, and thus your mind begins to share your subconscious dreams with your conscious memory. 3. Meditation. It is not unlike dreaming in the sense that it will offer you a glimpse into your subconscious mind – you may notice that patterns, which often seek refuge in our subconscious, will become more easily recognisable, for example. In an oneiric context, meditation will aid in realising these same abstract patterns, and will help in conveying a linguistic structure to your dreams. There are also added benefits: meditation suppresses anxiety, for example, which is a psychopathological symptom that may impair your cognitive capacities. 4. Finally, dream interpretation. The answer to your question; yet one that I, personally, would never be able to reach without taking the aforementioned steps. Dream interpretation, or dream analysis, consists of relating oneiric events to the symbolic narrative that you've constructed in your conscious – that is to say, it is much like solving a puzzle, except the pieces are scattered around your mind. Although not easy at first, it gets easier with time – especially when paired with dream journaling and your own annotations.

Additionally, you may also read about dream interpretation as it is understood by various epistemological points of views: historical, anthropological and psychoanalytical, for example. If you're interested, there are plenty of good books in the field of psychoanalysis regarding symbolism, oneiric or otherwise: “The Interpretation of Dreams” by Sigmund Freud, although a frankly outdated text from 1899, may offer you various insights. “Man and his Symbols” by Carl Jung is another great view of symbolism in an analytical context. Lacan and his various seminaries, although dense reads, are very expositive in the topic of linguistics – once again, intimately connected with the topic of dream analysis.

In sum, the essence of dream interpretation lies within your own cognitive ability to relate symbolic abstractions and concepts to their correlating subjects in waking life. Those decodifiable signs may come in the forms of oneiric narratives, events, or, as Freud once defined dreams to be, “realisations”: glimpses into burrowed truths that need to be excavated. In deciphering these symbols, you learn something new about yourself; perhaps something you subconsciously knew, but never realised. That's the beauty of dream analysis – that's what makes this task worth undertaking.

[rpedia]

what does FPRP mean? (five nights at freddy’s? idk if that would matter)

lillies-ballpit asked: hi, sorry if you've already answered this before, but what does ptrp mean? i was looking at a twitter roleplayer and their pinned said "ptrp/mvrp" :/  

Anonymous asked:   What does Fandomless mean?   Anonymous asked:   What does ss mean in a rp   Anonymous asked:   which is? s/o I see that they write it a lot in a fanfic on the Tumblr platform   Anonymous asked:   What is a open ship?  

Anonymous asked:   What does ST-LT and S-F mean? Anonymous asked: What is pming? Anonymous asked: hi! I feel like this is a stupid question but im kinda new to roleplaying so what does the word muse mean? Ive heard people use before like "single muse" or "multimuse" and stuff like that. But what is a muse?? Thanks for making this blog! Its super helpful!

Time for a bundle answer!

1: Likely FPRP is First Person Roleplay. i.e. “I walk along the street” rather than second person (”You walked along the street.”) or third (”They walked along the street.”) 2. PTRP is a roleplay universe on Twitter for Pokemon Trainers it appears. MVRP is multi-verse! They'll play in multiple universes, fandoms, or realities. 3. Fandomless? It means their character was developed originally, and has no ties to a fandom or already created media.

4: ss probably means Single Ship, which means they like to exclusively write with a single partner and their character, and don't like making new romance threads. I sure as heck hope it’s nothing else because uhm...

5: S/O? Well there's a couple meaning but, "Significant Other" and "Shout Out" are both popular!

6: An open ship is likely just a poly, or multiple shipper. It's someone who is willing to RP multiple plot threads with a variety of roleplay partners and romances, and does not do exclusivity! This is also MS, or Multi-shipping.

7: ST-LT is probably "short term, long term" meaning, they're looking for either a short term or long term RP. S-F might be anything from Sci-Fi to Short-Form. Context is everything for these super short ones, and the meanings change depending on where you find them and how they’re used. Bu these are my best guesses!

8: PMing is Private Messaging, it's when you send a whisper/DM/PM to someone privately, just one-on-one. 9: Muse? It’s just a term to designate the character you’re playing. If I wrote for a character in a roleplay, or played them, they would be my “muse”. This is usually paired with mun, or mundane. There's also players, PC for player character, and character or MC main character. Single muse would be that they play just the one character. Multimuse means a blog contains multitudes, tons of muses are probably being played by the same blog, like a rotating cast!

[junietuesday]

also. just choose a question you really want to answer and do it >:)

currently answering fic writer asks!

17. talk about your writing and editing process

ive been asking people this one since i think its interesting how it differs for everyone, so thought i’d answer it myself! basically i’ll get hit w a very loose concept, and depending on how casual it is or if i think i need to get my thoughts in order before writing, i’ll either jump straight into it or write a bullet point “outline”. basically just a super informal brainstorm, talking abt possibly the themes/ideas i want to explore, some events i might throw in and how best to order them, and/or if i already have a vivid picture of the sequence of events, then i’ll just straight up write it out, no grammar or anything, but w the dialogue i can already picture, explaining the thoughts that the character is having, occasionally depending on how clearly i can already imagine the scene, the “outline” isnt super far off from actual prose. i’ll put a picture from one of my docs at the end, but its all just super rambly talking myself through the thought process.

then the actual writing- i usually write everything in order, bc i need to know where the character’s head is at and what theyve already thought abt in the previous scenes. i’ll keep the ideas from my outline in mind if i made one, but i dont stick to it religiously or anything, usually just going w the flow of what feels right for the characters in the moment means i end up straying a lot from any specifics. “going w the flow of what feels right” is honestly how i get the initial draft done lol, just based on vibes. if the start of a fic just isnt feeling fun, its often bc i tried to start too early in the timeline and am just vamping w too much inner monologue- ive been trying to work on starting as “in media res” as possible, not just per fic but per scene, w only a paragraph or so max interlude before getting into actual events and dialogue. i try to really sprinkle in the introspection in between the action, and to stop overexplaining, i just say certain stuff without context but that the reader can read into and fill in all the blanks, instead of me spending ages rambling abt stuff the reader could figure out on their own. if i get stuck somewhere, i rely on that trick a lot of counting back like 5-10 sentences to see if you wrote yourself into a corner.

i dont really do formal “drafts”, bc i edit as i write. i hear so many people say not to do this bc it gets in the way of just getting words down, but if im going back and rereading what ive written so far to think abt what to write next, i cant rest if i see weird sentence/paragraph rhythms, repeated words, places w dialogue that either doesnt sound in-character or doesnt carry enough double meaning, lazy imagery, etc etc. editing is also fun for me, and easier than writing from scratch, so im still working on the fic but its giving me a break so i can get into writing the next part w more steam. though when i “finish” a fic, i will go over the whole thing again for one last flow check, bc when writing i dont usually read the whole thing start to finish, so i’ll rearrange stuff and not see how it affects the greater rhythm of the story until i reread it in full for the final check. then i’ll give it like overnight to clear my head, then do one last quick reread for anything glaring i missed after having stared at this fic for so long (it usually takes me Months to write even 1-2k word long fics💀). i start looking for a title when im pretty close to done, usually from poems/literature, but if its a more casual fic i’ll just take a word or phrase from the fic that relates to the story in multiple ways.

under a cut for length but heres some of my outline for my transfem hardwon fic. bc it has elements of both “brainstorming” and “writing out the events”

i think i may break this up into two chapters. or perhaps even three. but my problem was that i thought itd be weird to suddenly jump away from moonshine and the crick for one scene only to go back for the whole rest of the fic. but if i have ch1 be the intro, ch2 be hardwon maybe in irondeep visiting jaina and nerman and such and talk to jaina abt queerness after a confrontation w other dwarves, and then ch3 be coming back to the crick for the finale of him opening up to moonshine/the ending smut… i lowkey think this could work. still be a bit of a jump but separating them into chapters will at least mitigate some of that weirdness i hope. ch1 awakening, ch2 irondeep interlude, ch3 homecoming? idk i like homecoming for ch3 bc hes coming home to the crick and moonshine, also the play on words for the smut in his stump, also coming home to his body after discovering his gender. and i want ch1 to match but i want it to be like discovery but also hardwon repressing it. so a word that evokes that too.

i think i need one more scene in here kind of getting into a showcase of hardwon’s defensive masculinity? showcasing all the things i have hardwon contemplating in the finale bc it cant come out of left field in the last paragraphs of the fic. like the idea that hes like. hes “succeeded” at masculinity. he worked so hard his whole life to be exactly what society wants him to be. a cool buff stoic warrior. this was supposed to be what made him fit in, what made people like him. and maybe it didnt work back in irondeep when he was working in the mines, but he could rationalize that if he left, maybe then it’d work. and it honestly has protected him in a way. like on first glance no one gives him shit. if he were more femme than he probably wouldve gotten mocked. but like- exactly. he Was already getting mocked no matter what he does. and hes still not happy w himself.

so for irondeep first scene it has to maybe start w some introspection to bridge the timeskip but have to be an actual example i think. hardwon talking to someone else. maybe like random people he was at the dwarphanage with? random bronzebeard cousins? i need a reason for hardwon to be talking w these people, maybe its some kind of party? to feel like the feywild party he and moonshine were going to wasnt completely out of pocket

and then after this is the talking to jaina scene. maybe the morning after or smth. it needs to be the last scene that he opens up to jaina to lead into him having the courage to open up to moonshine more fully in the last chapter

also idk if i can fit it in but while i dont want to spend Too much time on bodily dysphoria i think i might throw in something abt hardwon never really feeling like his body was right, bc he was a human among dwarves, then a half-elf, something cobbled together always one of a kind and strange, so it surely means nothing that his face never felt like his, there was always that sense of disconnection, now that hes at the crick and known moonshine for so long he thought he’d be feeling better, but its a wound that still lingers

i think moonshine needs to confront it directly somehow. after all the only way he admitted his feelings for moonshine was after jaina prodded him a bunch. scene starts w some hardwon introspection to bridge the timeskip. maybe moonshine finds the hardwon portrait after the fact. or just says like “hey hardwon you know you can talk to me abt anything right?” hardwon is like omg this is so ominous. “um yeah totally. why?” moonshines just like “i guess youve just seemed kinda off lately”, maybe hes been a lot more closed off around her trying not to reveal anything, “and i know you like to keep those walls up, but… let me in every once in awhile, huh?” she asks quietly, “are you not happy living here?” and hardwon immediately goes “no no, its been amazing, i love it here. im happier than ive ever been.” in fact hes thinking like until he met moonshine he didnt even realize the extent of how deeply unhappy he was. like he was just surviving day to day back in irondeep before he left, and now that hes living here at the crick, the difference is like night and day, he still has bad days but its only now that he realizes his “good days” from before were still like so bad. he was so busy surviving before, unwilling to look too closely at himself for fear of just breaking down, and moonshine has opened up his world so much, that only now is he discovering new things he likes (like how much he loves crick food and culture) and new feelings abt himself (security in himself. belonging and family. in a sexual sense, things hes done w moonshine and also being bi lol). and this strange new thing he doesnt understand, now that his brain is letting things come to the surface he’d never had the space to process before.

so he says “its just me. im just figuring things out.” and moonshine goes “alright. i wont push, ik you need to figure things out for yourself sometimes. but…im here for you if you ever want it.” and hardwon is like what am i doing? what am i so afraid of? moonshine opened her home and her heart to him already. given him a special place in her life that she’s allowed to so few other people. she was there for him throughout their journey. if everything before hadnt pushed her away, if she really wants him here, asking her for help in understanding a weird feeling he has isnt going to be the thing that ruins their relationship. cant make this toooooo revelatory bc theres still the final scene but yknow. him cracking the wall a little. more abt him willing to let moonshine in a little but the finale is him accepting Himself after all the self-degrading language.

ends w hardwon admitting that he liked it when moonshine called him pretty. moonshine goes “oh is that it?” and hardwon frowns like its kinda a big deal, i was lowkey freaking out abt it… moonshine goes no no i just meant like. i can do that.

[soupandflowers]

Two options

History option

Thoughts about Yao after the Yuan Dynasty?

I vaguely remember from Chinese history class that this point dramatically effected the pace of the character of China as a nation.

If you aren't a history nerd

What parts of Yao's character do you think people overlook?

oh man i would love to come back and answer the first one, one day. i've been trying to pick up on more chinese history, but alas i consider myself a newbie to the whole thing since its pretty long and winding. also ive been pretty busy and adhd sucks 😔😔😔

so ill answer the second one for now!!

ive actually reblogged something not a short while with other factors contributing to yao's character. for most people, his age is usually the first thing that comes up, then followed by his association with the rest of the east asians or rochu. id say people do a decent job in acknowledging his relationship with others in general.

i think the biggest thing people overlook, is yao in general, like yao as a person. because i've noticed that when considering yao's personality and traits, there's this sort of default of his 4000 years of living as the main influencing factor for the way he is.

and don't get me wrong! i believe his age is crucial, but i also do believe it shouldn't influence everything about him. what does he do in free time? how would he react in certain situations? likes? dislikes? his pet peeves? how is like in the now? specific traits about him to yao as a person. not from his country, not from his history or age, not from others, but him in general. like these are just really simple and general things, but considering these things helps a lot when thinking about his character. now im not saying you can't attrubite some of his characteristics because of his age, but it would be nice to acknowledge those parts outside of it.

i also need to acknowledge that like, yeah yao is a pretty old man and he can act like a boomer, but he is able to adapt to modernization and technology. i can't solely see him as a cranky old man that a lot of fanon potrays him as. for someone who has been living for 4000 years, im pretty sure he would know how to adapt. how the modernization and advancement of technology is something pretty recent and rapid from within the last couple of centuries, so of course he would act like an old man sometimes, haha.

that! and that yao is.. well he can be.... silly himself. i adore the potrayals of yao as this wise person who has seen a lot and carries a lot of melancholy on his back and has a better understanding of the world than most others. but, for god's sake, he is easily swayed by really cute stuff, has NOT the greatest parenting skills, has befriended a man in a bootleg hello kitty costume, and he literally can NOT touch his toes when bending over. this guy can also be really ridiculous and i see these factors as an add on to his character.

that said back to his age, technically speaking, china isn't the only one bearing the burden of his age. some of the nations are thousands of years old themselves, it's just that they're not as old as him. and, im pretty sure he isn't the oldest nation in the world ? (ive looked it up multiple times and the results are always mixed. it depends on what you're asking for in what context.) but i think it's interesting to realize that there's some nations out there that can relate to yao more than we'd realize.

thanks for asking!!! i love him so much

[forgotten-retrouvaille]

O-B-D-U-R-A-T-E

O - What does your muse do if they’re overwhelmed?

Depends on the situation . If it's with strangers or certain people, Jill can tend to get snappy and less patient although she doesn't physically present herself as stressed or overwhelmed. If it's with certain allies or people she's close to, she's a bit more restrained in that context and tends to be either way more brash or quiet , and tends to remove the problem if she's able to — if not , she either just deals with it or moves on somewhere else.

B - If your muse had to write a book, what would it be about?

Self defense , military tactics . Likely something factual. Maybe a book based on her birdwatching , like a directory. Mostly leaning towards the first couple things outlined here, though. Probably has already written several files and protocols to build the BSAA off of.

D - What are your muses deepest desires?

Security , peace of mind . Not going to be something that's happening for her, but deep down she just wants to have some sort of stability and not feel like she's always being thrust into the deep end. She wants to feel comfortable and that she is who she believes herself to be .

U - What is your muse hiding under their bed?

Literally , probably equipment and things she can't store anywhere else. In a metaphorical sense, she's hiding practically nearly everything about her and only very few select people get to learn those things.

R - Is your muse religious? Do they believe in a higher power? How do they feel about religion in general?

Answered here !

A - Does your muse believe everything is absolute? Or do they believe that anything could be changed if they tried hard enough?

Answered here !

T - What is a truth about your muse personally that they refuse to acknowledge?

That she's more than her titles and her qualities , e.g the driving force behind why she wants to protect people. Jill sometimes struggles with what people need and what she needs, and Jill is extremely self sacrifical in the way she'll put others before herself, even if it gets her hurt in some way, and she really doesn't pay attention to her own needs and can tend to neglect herself in some situations . Jill doesn't like to acknowledge that she can be more than what her image and reputation proclaims , because that's her safety net and she doesn't particularly want to come to terms with some of her greatest flaws — she's stubborn enough to focus on just doing what she's good at.

E - Does your muse consider themselves an empathetic person?

Yes . Jill's fatal flaw lies in her bleeding heart and it's something she's both aware of and has been used against her in multiple contexts, and she's been taunted with it verbally on at least two different occasions. Jill has a great deal of empathy for people and although she struggles to express it in ways other than actions , she cares immensely about people, whether they're close to her or not . She uses that empathy to protect them , and it's the driving force behind her entire being, her motivations and her oaths.

[catchyhuh]

Who gives the best, nicest hugs (even if begrudgingly, they can just be cursed with that ability)

okay. there’s multiple types of answers here and i stared at every image i had of them just clinging to each other like koalas. fujiko really knows how to utilize the difference between the over-arm vs under-arm hug huh. 

but anywayyy

if jigen or fujiko hug you, sincerely, you’re either about to die and they’re just trying to vaguely catch you OR!! you did some insane shit to really REALLY get them to like you, so emotionally, THAT has to be the best hug ever, one that you really had to work for it to get that level of trust. you know? like you ever see kung fu panda 2 as a kid and lose your shit over tigress actually showing physical support and affection? it’s like that. 

in terms of like, what you think of when you just think of a good hug in general, like physically, like-- i mean honestly i feel like you know i’m gonna say zenigata. he’s very huggy if he’s in the right environment, and (depending.. on the art style but USUALLY) he’s Wide so it’s an all-encompassing, full wrap around, warm and cozy hug. however he’s also him so he will pop your back and if you aren’t careful it will HURT

lupin is the best in terms of context, because he knows when to reel it in. even at their most “tender” or whatever, fujicakes and jiggy tend to be brief with physical affection (at least in the sincere sense) and zenigata goes full swing in everything he does, which can be a bit much when you just need a simple comfort hug during some stressful thing. lupin, even at his most self-serving, is not bad at emotional cues when he’s actually giving enough of a damn to pay attention, so he understands when a big squeeze is best and when a looser, gentler one is necessary. but he. defaults to the big squeeze and he’s much bonier so physically it’s not SUPER fun

and goemon. is the funniest. because he just freezes. deer in headlights. even if he’s initiated the hug (which again, requires some very emotionally strong beats to get to) the minute the affection is reciprocated you can feel each single joint in his spine straighten one by one in a split second tense. but, if, and sometimes he will, just sometimes, he gets past that lock-up, it’s a generally very pleasant, if a little too delicate hug. he doesn’t wanna hurt you

[wasyago]

I would like to know what your boundaries are when it comes to interacting with you.

are you ok with requests or questions that don’t have to do with your works

are you ok with receiving headcanons that are not relevant to or may contradict with what you already have 

how many asks are you comfortable with receiving at one time.

Are there other things that you want us to know about fan interaction that I didn’t think to ask about

hmm oh man no one has really asked this before... i think as a disclaimer i need to say that im pretty bad at replying to asks, and half of them get ignored and deleted because i either forget about them and get too anxious to reply, or just don't know how to reply and never do.

i dont really do art requests, so if anyone sends one it will most likely be ignored, and if its not related to what im posting it'll be ignored 100%. there are some exceptions of it, but i still don't appreciate people asking me to draw anything for free. i suppose i don't mind questions about stuff outside of my work! no one really asks anything so i don't have a good example of it, plus it all really depends on the context, but if its good I'll reply and if its something i dont like I'll just ignore it. so, same as with everything i guess, so those are okay 👍

about headcanons hmmm... not sure? i dont know how to properly reply to them if its not something im into apart from "oh thats interesting" and "nice". like, i don't really wanna say stuff like "that cool but i personally think that you're wrong and here are the reasons--" and take someone's headcanon apart? it just feels rude? even if i do process the headcanon in my brain and there's a thought process of how it fits or doesn't fit into my beliefs, i don't really want to say it out lound to not upset anyone? but saying all this, it is still nice to see headcanons from different people and different perspectives, to have some variety of views and opinions and more diversity. because you never know what you might like. so, i think all headcanons are good, if i know how to reply to them i will, and if i don't then i won't!

how many asks am i comfortable receiving umm, well, i don't have an exact number picked hsghd. i guess as many as you want if you really have a lot to ask? i do appreciate it when people keep asks topical tho. so, if you're asking about one particular thing, it'd be nice if it was all in one ask that is easy to reply to. and if you're asking about multiple different things it's better to send multiple short asks instead of a big one. because its hard to reply to billion unrelated questions in one post. so for example your ask is good because all the questions are on the same subject, but if you asked me about the weather halfway through and then swithed to an ask about jrwi, that i wouldn't reply to, yknow?

for other things... i already said about the art requests, which are like the main thing i really don't like. i guess some things are better asked in dm's than asks, if that's anything? especially if it's something more personal to you or requires an actual dialog, but i can see why it might be easier to send an ask first and move to dm's later, so its not a problem. hmmmm and i suppose just the general stuff, like don't send suggestive asks if i don't know you or you weren't clearly prompted to, don't be mean to me or others, even as a joke it doesn't feel good, remember that im just a random guy on the internet, im not a robot i have feelings, so talk to me like a person, don't spam the same question if i didn't answer it, etc.

i think that's it? thank you for asking!!