#like a nostalgia that only you can uniquely understand

[kimquatz]

when it comes to OCs, there's something so nice abt making smth that rly hits close to home. You never rly think abt it when it comes to the media you watch/read feeling just a lil disconnected to you, until you've rly invested into smth that puts all the things that feel so familiar to you that it finally rings to you and think, whoa.... feels just like home

[majikkulu]

𝟎𝟎𝟏 ⭑ 𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖒𝖆𝖐𝖊𝖘 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖇𝖊𝖆𝖚𝖙𝖎𝖋𝖚𝖑? .ᐟ by majikkulu

allegedly, for entertainment purposes only ━━ ❝ masterlist ❞

⭑ 𝖕𝖎𝖑𝖊 𝖔𝖓𝖊

what makes you truly beautiful is your confidence. people are often captivated by how easygoing and charming you are. you're always open to new experiences and unafraid to chase after something new. your adventurous spirit and readiness to explore the world inspire and energize those around you. you also offer a deep sense of security and comfort that makes people feel at ease in your presence. your sense of style and natural aesthetic draw people in, creating a warm and inviting environment. it's easy to imagine that you even smell wonderful! people are naturally drawn to you because you make them feel comfortable enough to open up and share. your magnetic presence and ability to blend in so effortlessly impress others. you’re someone who isn’t afraid to take bold actions, and your strength often surprises people. you have a knack for knowing just what to say and when to say it, bringing light into every room you enter, even when you're just being yourself. your laugh is contagious, and your calming presence is another beautiful aspect of who you are. you have a natural grace and a unique ability to bring people together, always finding beauty in everything around you.

⭑ 𝖕𝖎𝖑𝖊 𝖙𝖜𝖔

pile two, your beauty lies in your ability to connect deeply with emotions. you have a gift for forming genuine, meaningful connections with others. you embrace change, even when it brings challenges, and have a natural understanding of life's rhythms—the ups and downs. you're always there to offer support to anyone who needs it. your kindness and empathy are rare gifts, making you a breath of fresh air. you have a way of evoking feelings of nostalgia in others, which makes you incredibly approachable. children are likely drawn to you, captivated by your warm and intriguing aura. your eagerness to learn and explore, always finding new ways to be creative, adds to your unique beauty. you're quick to take on challenges, and the way you speak is both captivating and amusing to others. above all, you have a healing energy that affects people without you even trying. simply spending time in your presence helps others feel restored. you truly understand people on a deep level. you are enchanting.

⭑ 𝖕𝖎𝖑𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖗𝖊𝖊

you're far more mature than most people your age. you're wise, reliable, and trustworthy, and you don’t need validation from others to know your worth. you're independent and self-sufficient, focused on achieving your goals through your own hard work. what makes you beautiful is your clarity of purpose—you know what you want, and you go after it fearlessly. your dominant and assertive nature can be intimidating, but it's also captivating. you have a commanding presence that inspires others to do better, and you never settle for less than what you deserve. there’s a certain mystery about you; you don’t easily reveal much about yourself and aren't swayed by trivial things. are you a bit melancholic, pile 3? do you appear sad to some people? you’re unafraid of conflict and even thrive on competition. your passionate nature draws both wanted and unwanted attention, and it’s likely that some people are jealous of you. but you never back down; you always fight for what you believe in. you’d probably excel in debates and arguments, too.

[punksocks]

Signs Your on the Right or Wrong Path:

(Check your Moon sign, Mars sign, Ascendant, and/or North Node)

(Also wrong path behaviors tend to fit underdeveloped energy, so you may recognize these behaviors in low vibrational people with these placements)

Right path:

-Aries: You feel energetic, you may start working out more/doing more physical activities, you’re going on new adventures, pure enthusiasm, you’ve got a lot of new prospects, you still charge into situations and sometimes arguments but you avoid constant fighting and long term grudges

-Taurus: You’re making money/feeling abundant, you’re feeling creative, feeling satisfied with physical comforts (perfect meals, great self care, etc), feeling stubborn still but in a reasonable grounded way with a bit of flexibility

-Gemini: You’re quick on your feet, constantly coming up with new ideas, you’re winning a lot of verbal sparring matches/debates, suddenly absorbing a lot of new information, feeling like you’re in an intellectually stimulating environment

-Cancer: Emotionally at ease, feeling protective without being defensive, feeling at home with whatever loved ones you’re around, peaceful nostalgia, comfort in your environment/home life, being nurturing without forcing it, feeling more fertile (as straightforward as pregnancy but as all encompassing as getting a lot of new ideas or being great at cooking or growing a garden that blossoms, etc)

-Leo: Gaining attention effortlessly, increased self confidence/charisma, more creativity, getting more compliments than usual, feeling empowered and like your gettting the right amount of attention and feedback on a regular basis

-Virgo: Great productivity, being seen as reliable and supportive and being appreciated for it, getting to cross items off your todo lists, -less- anxiety and overthinking/finding ways to soothe this, improved mental health, your hygnine and routine improve and flow better, being supported and given space to rest and relax when you need to

-Libra: increased charm/beauty (a glow up essentially), peace in your social life, increased romance, getting more compliments than usual, ease in making choices, generally feeling more balanced, feeling more creative

-Scorpio: Being around people/a person you can actually really trust, being allowed to open up in your own time, great intimacy with passion and payoff and all that, transformations come easy-like shedding a second skin, feeling rewarded with safety in exchange for the vulnerability you do show, depth and understanding even if it’s only with one or two people

-Sagittarius: constant stimulation and exciting adventures (big or small), growing understanding and philosophies, more opportunities to travel and good things coming from travel, more opportunities to learn about cultures outside of your own, increased optimism and luck

-Capricorn: making money/long term investments & projects starting to pay off, clear and healthy skin, getting money from random places, your new ideas work out better than expected, gaining recognition for your hard work, elevating to new heights/gaining promotions at work, being able to carve out your own path of progress

-Aquarius: embracing your uniqueness and being celebrated for it, one of a kind ideas, feeling innovative, feeling good will and participating in humanitarian efforts, getting involved with the local community, embracing chaos and being rewarded for it, losing the desire to fit in.

-Pisces: good dreams, fluidity in daydreams and reality, new sparks for your creativity coming from your subconscious/good spiritual efforts, heightened clarity, peace of mind and tranquility coming more naturally, understanding what you process subconsciously and trusting your intuition more

Wrong path:

-Aries: Feeling lethargic/losing energy after short bursts, headaches, restlessness, constantly being stalled when you try new things, constant fighting with everyone and anyone that never seems to end

-Taurus: You’re losing money/abundance, you’re feeling rushed, you’re overindulging/binging on comforts- none of your luxuries fill the void, every hill is a hill you’re willing to die on (feeling especially stubborn)

-Gemini: You’re bored, feeling stuck, you’re having issues communicating (suddenly stuttering or drawing blanks, for example, you could even lose your voice), trouble learning and thinking, feeling like no one around you can match your intelligence

-Cancer: constantly manipulating emotions around you/your emotions being constantly manipulated, toxic codependency on family/loved ones, chest pains, yearning for the past and dissatisfaction with the present, lack of care, lack of fertility

-Leo: attention starved and you have to beg for others to pay attention to you, back pains, feeling like you only get attention at the wrong times/for the wrong things, a lot of envy/jealousy, acting out in bratty/diva ways, partying too much

-Virgo: overthinking (like you’re always going to overthink, but when it’s bad you cannot stop overthinking), uncontrollable anxiety, stomach aches, a lot of busy work with very little progress, endless to-do lists, sudden forced changes to your consistency/routine, being used for support and this being thankless, insane levels of restlessness

-Libra: Loss of appeal (not being ugly but finding your charm and general appeal towards others works less than it usually does), being depressed/uninspired about your looks, feeling like all your connections are shallow/loss of romance, being surrounded by conflict, finding it impossible to make decisions, loss of creativity

-Scorpio: feeling like -something- is off and not being able to shake that feeling (something probably is off, trust your gut), feeling like you need to guard your secrets/yourself with your life, gossip and rumors about you coming from your inner circle, intimacy that doesn’t feel worth it, you or others trying to bar you from changing & transforming, shallow connections, repeating cycles of toxic behavior

-Sagittarius: Boredom/stagnancy, shutting down discussions/learning by being too blunt, close mindedness in general, feeling stuck or cagey, environments that lack cultural stimulation, sudden bouts of bad luck/things falling apart

-Capricorn: losing money/going over budget, business ventures failing, skin problems/breakouts, drowning in work but not being able to finish any of it, being stuck in toxic systems/patterns of behavior, being controlled/dominated, having your ambition capped/hitting a glass ceiling of some sort in your goals

-Aquarius: conformity/changing your identity or ideals to conform to others, feeling cold/too disconnected towards others (like seeing people as a problem to solve instead of individuals to help), calculating behavior in general, lack of ingenuity/out of the box ideas, being too rooted in the past/how things once were

-Pisces: nightmares, not being able to tell the difference between reality and daydreams, increased problems with mental illness, being triggered uncontrollably by your subconscious, dealing with more illusions and lies, creativity stalling, romanticizing your connections and the people around you (seeing depth where there is none or vice versa)

[loveemagicpeace]

Synastry & Composite chart🫧🎸🎨🛼🌙🍸🍯

I will talk about synastry and composite chart. With the synastry chart, we look at how two people influence each other and what their connection is, how they work and how they fit together. With the composite chart, we describe how two people work as one and how successful the relationship can be over the years.

🌙💫Important connections in synastry are: moon, venus and mars - because each of these indicates a deeper and love connection. If the moons are not compatible, it will be difficult for the person to find emotional fulfillment, energy and understanding. It is important that the moons are not too equal, as for example: the two dominant moons - can indicate too much emotional tension and disagreement. It is difficult for two people to find balance and compassion between themselves. Two earth moons can work well together but may never find an emotional connection on a deeper level. Sometimes the two can be very distant from each other. Venus it shows love language and what two people find attractive and how they show love. Mars shows energy and intimacy.

🌙Moon conj Moon- is a good connection because two people automatically understand each other's feelings and can connect and support each other emotionally. They understand how they work together and what their needs are.

🧚🏼‍♀️Moon in 4th house in synastry- it can indicate that a person directly expresses his needs and desires without any reservations. He has the feeling that he can open up to a person and tell him exactly what he feels and needs at a given moment. It can create a very comfortable workout and energy. A person feels as if he has known the person who has the 4th house forever. However, the person with the 4th house may feel too tense, open from the beginning, or feel that the person with the moon is opening up like no one has before. Maybe in the beginning you can feel that the person is encroaching on your private space. But a person with the moon feels very comfortable and pleasant. He finds you as an understanding and caring person.

👄Moon in 7th house- the feeling that the person understands you and accepts your feelings. Both of you may feel attached to this relationship. . A relationship can be very emotional so it's hard to let go.

❤️‍🔥Venus in 1st house- a person is attractive to you regardless of how they look. Person can be without makeup, messy and still look beautiful to you. You can also feel deep passion for this person. You love being seen with the house person.

🦋Venus in 8th house- venus is actually comfortable here when it comes to relationships. Because you feel that you can create a deep and private connection with your partner. You feel that this love is something deeper and more important. The beauty of this relationship really comes from the darkness that only these two people can see. You feel like you are somehow obsessed with this person and the love they give you.

💕Mars in 5th house- there is often a strong mutual attraction and compatibility in terms of self-expression, creativity, and romantic pursuits. These two individuals can inspire and energize each other's creative endeavors and bring passion and excitement to their relationship.

✨Mars in 7th house- can create an obsessive nature of the relationship. A person with Mars wants to be in control or in charge in a relationship. It can also create a constant return to each other.

💚Uranus in 11th house- you and the person have similar interests that are unique. You can feel that they also have a similar vision.

🎣Neptune in 11th house- with this person you feel that you share the same dreams and that you both dream about the same things. But it can also mean that the housemate's friends may be jealous of the relationship they have.

🫧Neptune in 4th house- there can be a lot of nostalgia and common interests here. You can also share the past. Similar family experiences. They may also bond over a love of children or a shared home. Neptune person's creativity can add romance and charm to House 4 person's home.

🎨Neptune in 5th house- they can experience a romantic and emotionally deep affair. Neptune person may crave a deep emotional connection with House 5 person. They prefer to idealize being in love and may idealize their partner as well.

🎈The aspects you have with the person are also important, namely you have:

Light aspects - which means that they bring harmony, good atmosphere, compatibility

Difficult aspects - indicating incompatibility and conflicts

Passion aspects - which bring high passion

Exact aspects - these are aspects and they will be more in the foreground and will have more influence than the others

📀Fated aspects usually📀

🌙🌞Sun conj Moon- is the most popular connection that the two have. Especially if the man is the sun and the woman is the moon, it is a very beautiful connection. Both feel a very nice and comfortable connection. Usually, these connections are very easy and calming for both people because they both feel like they can express a part of themselves despite their concerns. These people often have very beautiful weddings.

🥀Jupiter in male and female represents husband and wife. Jupiter indicates gift, luck, abundance, spirituality, destiny. The sign in Jupiter represents how your wife or husband will make you happy and with which person you will feel this the most (of course, the house is also important).

♥️Venus trine Venus-the love language you have with this person is automatically similar or the same. The two people match in terms of love, they want similar things, they share similar interests. They can like the same food, music, movies. They enjoy the same things and it brings them satisfaction.

🌞Sun conj Sun- your personality is the same. He knows how to look from the same perspective and see what inspires you, what gives you life. For ex.: libra & libra both love love, romance, harmony.

🌌Saturn square Pluto-many times a fatal aspect. Saturn represents karma, mission, destiny, time. Pluto represents depth, mystery, intensity, obsession, transformation. It means that you can have some kind of mission with this person that you have to fulfill.

🌛🪐Saturn-Moon-you’ll know that you have an opportunity to learn a lot from each other. It's not always about imbalance - many people find compatibility in this because they give each other the energy they need.

💘Venus trine/square Pluto- Venus-Pluto aspects in synastry are extremely fascinating. Chances are you are immediately attracted to each other when you meet. This aspect you could call being crazy in love. There is also strong sexual attraction. You sometimes hide your real self. You are mutually obsessed with each other. When you want to walk away, there is something that brings you back.

Composite chart things☕️🍕🛼🎧🛁

🩸1st House : Planets in 1st are directly felt by the couple, it shows how the couple is with one another and how other people see them. Mainly because the energy is concentrated only in these two people.

🛍️2nd House : Deals with the possessions and ownings of the couple, the ability to share with each other. What do you enjoy together and what do you like to do together. What do you share together. Venus here means they can share the same food or have similar tastes. Sharing the same music or enjoying it. The things you enjoy will always bring you together.

🧠3rd House : Is about communication, and how the couple thinks about their environment. How do you solve problems together and what is your communication like. Mars here could mean that they are often impulsive and angry and can often quarrel. Jupiter, on the other hand, makes sure that you find exactly what you have in common here, and that your minds are similar and that you are optimistic.

🧸4th House : One of the important houses to look at in the composite, because it shows whether it’s a good idea to settle down together or not. A moon placed in 4th is the best position for settling down and build a home together( because it indicates safety, care and comfort).While Neptune can indicate total confusion. Uranus here not so good because it can indicate a lot of unpredictable things.

🪁5th House : Deals with the couple’s creativity and fun activities. A lot of placements in 5th house is a couple that would like to have children around or have children of their own, but not so much a good indication for settling down. Sun is great here shows good inspiration again and again. A never-ending crush.

🧩6th House : Represents where the couple will be tested, inorder to handle the outside world.It deals with the couples daily activities around the house. Saturn can show you may have difficulties with your dates, with your routines. Saturn here can make you critical of each other's abilities to do things correctly and efficiently. Mercury can be powerful and very helpful in a relationship. Communication about working is clear.

👩🏾‍❤️‍👨🏽7th House : Is the house of intimate lovers or open enemies. A Sun placed in 7th can show two people starting of as lovers but ending in a quarrel and being their worst enemies. Venus in 7th is one of the best indicators for marriage and passionate romance between two people. Mercury can show very good communication and always solving problems. It can also be a very important thing here. Moon can show great emotional connection between partners and eternal care for each other.

🫀8th House : The couples ability for commitment and ownership together. A lot of placements in 8th house shows a very deep bond between two people. An intimate sharing together. This house shows how you grow together. Pluto can show a depth between two people that is infinite and very powerful. Venus can show that love can be shown in an intimate way and you can have many secrets that are only yours. This can also indicate that they have money in common.

🎸9th House : Shows how the couple explores the world together, their activities and adventures. How they expand their horizons together. Mars can show that they can be very active and do many things. Or you can go to university together. Saturn can show that they can both take religion seriously or go to church together. Jupiter can show that they can travel a lot together and explore the world. With sun it is important for both of you to express your opinions about every matter. This is a wonderful placement for friendship.

♟️10th House : Deals with the status of the couple and how they fit into the world together. This house shows how serious the couple is in approach towards life and responsibilities. Pluto can show that both of them can have very strong careers. Neptune can mean that your public identity is quite different from what it sounds like. Uranus can show that striking a balance is key with this position, and you need to be unconventionally stable and traditionally changeable. You may experience ups and downs together.

🎳11th House : The social activities and social culture of the couple. their friends and how their environment see them. How they are accepted into society. Jupiter can show that you are both very fun and people like to listen to you and hang out with you. Moon can show that you have friends who are closer to you and family. Can also show that you are very friendly with your families. Pluto can show that both are very private in society and that they share little with others. It can also indicate that your friends are jealous of your relationship.

🩰12th House : A lot of placements in 12th house is very difficult in a composite chart, since it’s the house of the unconscious feelings and all things hidden, so there will be a lot of miscommunication between the two. However it can create a feeling of fatedness sometimes, since it’s also the house of soulmates and psychic connections. Venus can show that love is felt subconsciously and that there is a spiritual bond between you. Moon can show that you have the feeling that emotions have always been here.

⭐️Comment for part 2⭐️

🎸For personal readings u can sign up here: https://snipfeed.co/bekylibra 🎸

-Rebekah⭐️🎨🎸

[temis-de-leon]

Love potion and Obey Me - Intro

So, I have finals in a few days, but I had to write this because: 1. Otherwise I would've forgot about it and 2. I wanted to give you a lil something until I can write the actual parts next week.

Characters: Solomon x reader

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3

Masterlist

CW: this will be all fluff and light. The intro has Solomon x reader tags because they're the only characters here, but they have no romantic interactions. All the cast (minus Mephisto, Raphael and Thirteen, I'm afraid) will appear in the next 3 parts, just like in the pick me girls series

.

There was mischief in Solomon's eyes when he offered to teach you how to brew a love potion, which made you stare at him in silence, waiting for a convincing explanation, but he just smiled and looked at you like the only thing he wanted was your education's improvement.

"Why a love potion?"

He tsked in faked disapproval, leaning backwards on the table before taking a vial from one of the cabinets. The liquid was transparent, yet iridescent, and the shimmer inside it danced towards you the moment you took it from Solomon's gentle grasp.

"Love is one of the strongest feelings in all the realms, if not the strongest. Healthy or not, what wouldn't you do for love?"

The vial was warm between your fingers and you briefly wondered what the potion tasted like.

"How does it work?"

"Well..."

He retrieved the potion with a strange look in his face, nostalgia and fondness. Was it memories of his past experiences? The way he had loved? The way he had been loved?

"It depends on the process" he finally said, smiling at your curious gaze. "Think of this as a base: you can get different endings, but the beginning will always be the same"

"What kind of endings?"

"You can strengthen the love between your partner and you or you could make someone fall in love with you, which is... the most popular use"

Yeah, you could imagine that. It felt filthy and lowly, but you could understand the desperation.

"For the first one, you add something that belongs to both parts of the couple, and for the second one..."

"I only add something that belongs to me"

"Very well, MC"

Solomon smiled with pride and you with giddiness.

"To make it stronger, of course you need a stimulant. Young witches use cinnamon, vanilla or paprika and the most experienced ones use infused blood"

"Infused in what?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves"

You looked at him in exasperation, but he just smiled like the asshole he was. After returning the vial back to its original place, he walked towards a bookshelf in the opposite wall and started searching for something.

"You'll be learning how to brew the base; it may come handy in the future".

After some minutes he gave you a single parchment, edges burnt and writing kinda smudged, but still legible.

"And what if I only want the base?"

Solomon scratched his neck, as if he'd never thought about that option (something you deeply doubted).

"Then it will show only love. Love as it is, no influence"

"What..?"

"Come on, MC, I can't teach you everything!"

"You're literally my teacher"

He hugged you for a short moment before walking you to the door, ignoring every single one of your questions as well as the incompetence of his incomplete answers.

Hours later, alone in your room, you stared at the cauldron on the table.

It didn't look like a liquid; the consistency was... something unique. The smell, however? You could stay in that same spot forever, dunking your face in the cauldron before standing up to cleanse your nostrils and bending down again.

It smelled like him.

What would happen if you drank it? If your skin came in contact with the mixture?

Curiosity became too much for you to handle, so, although begrudgingly, you walked out of your room to wander the halls and clear your mind.

Moments later, someone else showed up at your door.

@hello-gloomy @the-sassiest-toaster @hero-nii-blog @yourlocalyin @elaemae @eliciria @darkflowerav @zarakem @yuuvis32

[batobbsession]

You know what the batfams biggest problem is? Their views of each other are clouded by trauma, first impressions, hero worship, expectations and the past. It might be obvious to us, as objective viewers what problems they have but it's not to them.

This is also why Tim, despite keeping track of the Waynes for quite a while doesn't actually know them very well before he joins the family. Even without meeting them he is so tangled up in what he already knows of them and what he expects them to be that he doesn't see a lot of other stuff.

It's also what makes Duke's role so interesting. He's a bit crazy and traumatized, but mostly unrelated to the actual people in the batfam. He can see that Dick's drowning in eldest daughter syndrome, Jason actually wants to reconnect with his family, Bruce actually loves his kids, Tim needs a support system and Damian needs to be a regular kid. The rest of the batfam however has normalized a lot of things that would seem irregular or bad to ordinary people.

Cass might be able to read body language very well but she doesn't have a baseline for normal human emotion. Most of the people she knows are superheroes or criminals. She can understand that her family has problems, but she can't always see that these problems are actually bad things. Which would kind of make her like someone who wants to write a fic where all the characters have actual trauma and problems but also wants them to be a perfect happy family with no issues.

Steph is also unique because I think of her a lot like a casual fan in this fandom. She only interacts with the characters and events she wants to interact with, and in doing so falls into a lot of generalized characterizations and facades that aren't necessarily true.

Bruce meanwhile is stuck in the past. He still remembers his Robins when they were younger and he can't let go of that perception of them. But also that was never really real because he's remember what he wants to remember. He won't think about how reckless and angry Dick and Jason could be, he'll only bring up when they were perfect sons who did nothing wrong. He won't talk about how little supervision and time he spent on Tim and Damian, he'll just talk about the moments when they were close. And by doing this he unintentionally makes the problem worse.

I feel like Barbara would see these issues but she won't deal with them because of essentially nostalgia. Both because she desperately wants to see the past as better than it was and because it hurts her to think about the past.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Do you have any games that involve urban fantasy with less focus on fighting than something like Dresden or Shadowrun?

THEME: Urban Fantasy (Minimal Fighting)

Hello there! What I've got here is quite a mix, I wasn't sure how much violence you wanted (or didn't want) so I have a little bit of romance, a little bit of nostalgia, and a little bit of horror!

City of Mist, by Son of Oak Games.

City of Mist is a role-playing game of film-noir investigation and super-powered action. It is set in a modern metropolis rife with crime, conspiracies, and mysteries. The protagonists are Rifts, ordinary people who became the living embodiment of a legend, their Mythos. While your Rifts may seek to strike a balance between the mysterious nature of their Mythos and their mortal aspirations, the powers within them always threaten to tear their lives apart. They have unwittingly become a part of a secret world of clashing stories, and soon other legends will come looking for them with demands.

City of Mist is a combination of PbtA and FATE, giving your characters descriptive tags to use for both their benefit and their detriment as they go about solving mysteries in a supernaturally-saturated city. The primary theme of the game is mystery, and thus more than anything your characters will be primed for investigation. That’s not to say that there isn’t violence - but violence and fighting can be de-emphasized if the group is more interested in the mystery side of things.

Character Creation involves a combination of mundane and supernatural themes, as your character is endeavouring to strike a balance with the parts of themselves that they recognize (student, parent, office worker, ex-partner) and the parts of themselves that are hard to understand (mythical beast, deity, folktale, urban legend). What’s important to define is your daily routine, your personality, and what kind of supernatural powers you have.

This game isn’t explicitly anti-violent, but it absolutely provides you with ways to solve problems that aren’t violent, so I think City of Mist is worth checking out.

Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites, by Pammu.

Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites is a narrative RPG about spending your night in one of the only clubs in your city that’s safe for creatures of the night like yourself. All you want to do is have some fun just like the humans do. Play a supernatural creature of choice, put some sick EDM on the speakers and get your game on!

This game works best for an even number of players, up to 6, and is GM-less. It combines urban monsters with flirting, dark clubs and hookups. Each of your characters will look for a partner by doing things that will appeal to the other players. If they like what you do, they’ll reward you with tokens, which you can spend to improve the atmosphere of the club. Fill another player’s intimacy meter, you’ve won them over, and the two of you decide how the night ends for both of your characters.

If you want a game about flirting and the magic of a nightclub, this is your game.

The Far Roofs, by Jenna Katerin Moran.

The Far Roofs is an original role playing system and bundled campaign using pens or pencils, paper, six-sided dice, ten-sided dice, playing cards, and a bag of letter tiles. It's complete in one volume: with this one book and the equipment above, you'll have everything you need to play. 

As the story progresses, your characters will gain access to over 150 unique, narrative-focused powers developed and refined over the course of a decade for the Chuubo's Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine RPG before being simplified and adapted for use herein.

The Far Roofs is still being Kickstarted, but Moran’s work on Chuubo’s Wish-Granting Engine produced a game that emphasizes wonder and emotional experience. The Far Roofs looks to deliver along the same lines, and the examples of play point towards investigation, social interaction, and magic powers. Jenna Moran is also known for her unique and evocative storytelling in her work, so I think it’s definitely worth checking out.

Lighthearted, by Kurt & Kate Potts.

Welcome to the magical 80s dream world of Lighthearted. You are a Prep, Jock, Geek, Rebel, or Outcast, like those kids in The Breakfast Club, except you are just about to start magic community college. Through play, we'll explore how you grow out of your high school cliques all while dealing with magical mishaps, college parties, vampires, and worse—finals!

Lighthearted is a complete tabletop roleplaying game that uses the language of film and television to reimagine the coming of age stories popular in 80s teen movies like Weird Science and Sixteen Candles, but with a modern fantasy spin. It's set in an alternate 1980s with fantasy elements weaved into the most outlandish bits of 80’s pop culture. There are fantasy religions mixed in with mall culture, dark magic cold wars, and magical glamours instead of plastic surgery.

This is a game of magic and coming-of-age, as you play first-year students at a magical community college. You’re off to the big city, and the big world - will you survive your first college party? Your first vampire?

The whole game feels like the neon lights of a vibrant night-life combined with the nostalgia of an 80’s film. Your magic is attached to how you feel, so as your emotions change, so will your effectiveness at certain actions. If you want a game that’s as light as its name, and you are seeking out rosy-tinted nostalgia, this might be your game.

Changeling: the Lost, by Onyx Path.

Once upon a time, they took you from your home. They promised you a place at their side, and meaning in your life, and they surrounded you with beautiful things. But the beautiful things were oh so sharp, and they laughed when you bled.

Day by day, they changed you. But day by day, your will grew stronger. On the last day, you smashed your way through the beautiful things and ran, not noticing as you bled or feeling as you cried.

You fought with courage and cleverness and took yourself home. Now the beauty and the horror are yours, to have and to hold and to live.

Welcome to once upon right fucking now.

So I’m familiar only with the 1st edition of Changeling, but as far as I understand, the setting and core premise of the game is the same in the 2nd edition. Changeling: the Lost is a game of fairy trauma. Your characters are survivors of a fae horrorscape, a place both wondrous and terrifying all at once. This game is solidly in the horror genre, but it contains within it a taste of the magical, and it’s also the reason I got into roleplaying in the first place.

As in many Chronicles of Darkness games, fighting is an option in here, but it’s not a wise option. Getting into fights pulls at your characters’ ability to understand the difference between our world and the world of Fae, it’s very easy to sustain supernatural damage that is hard to heal, and, well, sometimes it’s hard to tell who your real enemies are in the first place.

I’d say that Changeling is more of a political game than anything else. Your characters will have to dance through the highly literal wording of faerie pledges, and untangle difficult relationships between Courts that are both safe havens and potential beds of sedition. This is a violent game, but much of the violence possible in Changeling isn’t physical - it's emotional.

This Night On The Rooftops, by C.M. Ruebsaat.

This is a game about gazing out over the smokestacks after dark, with the wind in your hair and a friend at your side and a thousand lights of progress on the streets below. 

This Night on the Rooftops is a collaborative storytelling game for 2-5 players about friendship, growing up, and revolution. You will play members of a gang of children in The City, a fantastic world of industry and dying magic, where witches labour alongside factory-workers to make ends meet.

This game looks slightly less modern, but it takes the fantasy aspect of witchcraft and places it inside an industrial city. The game uses a modified version of the No Dice No Masters rule set, which is excellent for stories that have an ebb and flow to them, managed through the use of token expenditure. This game is also GM-less, giving everyone at the table the same amount of control over what happens next.

Since the characters are a gang of teenage witches looking to make ends meet, this game doesn’t strike me as one that prioritizes fighting or violence. The city looks big enough to grind up the characters if they’re not careful, so they’ll likely have to find solutions to problems that don’t get them (or their dependants) in trouble. If the game is like other No Dice No Masters games that I’m familiar with, the group will also have a big say over which elements of the city are the most intriguing to them.

Partners: The Urban Fantasy File, by Tin Star Games.

Some murders are just elf defence…

Vampires are real, magic is real, elves are real - and murder is still very very real. This expansion takes you and your Partner down the moonlit streets of urban fantasy, where the dead sometimes get back up again but crime is still a mystery needing two heads to solve.

The base game for this, Partners, is a two-player mystery-solving game about a pair of detectives, a straight-shooter and a wildcard. You’ll need the base rules to play, but this supplement brings in dead elves, suspicious vampires, and other common characters in any urban fantasy genre. It can work as a one-shot, or as a series of episodes. If you want a game that's primarily about solving a mystery more than anything else, this is is for you.

Solacebound, by Sascha Moore.

Young monsters played at the boundary between the worlds. They slipped and stranded in a human city. Isolated and unwelcome, they search for each others help and a way back.

Solacebound is a GM-less Game for 3-5 people to play over a few hours. Search a sprawling, oppressive city for your friends, find out who is willing to give you a roof, bash back against authorities, cook together and console each other. Will you find a way back home before all passages close?

You are teenage monsters trying to find their way through an urban environment, in a place that is hostile to them. You survive by hiding out, finding each-other, and do things together to make sure you keep each-other healthy. Cards from a deck act as resources, but also as an oracle to help you describe the fallout of any given action, and the emotions that are attached to it. This is a game about metaphors, about what it is like to live in a place that fears you, so I definitely recommend making sure the entire table knows what this is about before starting a game.

You Might Also Want to Check Out

Subway Runners, by Gem Room Games.

[icannot3]

"Apologies and Tire-Swings"

Jimmy Darling x Reader

Word count: 3.1k (another long one wooo I'm on a roll)

Warnings: there's arguing? Idk if that should be a warning or not lmao. It ends on a good note!!! So no worries hehe

Taglist: @taintandviolent @lilthbunny @quickandsilvers @kaismanwich (comment if you'd like to be added!)

....................

The humid summer Florida air is where you find yourself feeling most at peace, among the many you love. There's nothing extravagant about your lifestyle, yet there's a deep level of contempt that radiates through you with warm, fuzzy delight that's hard to beat. Blood relations are irrelevant. Your family has always been within the circus, among the socially unacceptable that are all bonded by the oppression they face in the real world. It sparks a deep level of understanding and trust that can never be broken.

Being born and raised around the same people for eighteen years, you only found that Jimmy could hold such a special place in your heart, different from the others. A friendship that roots deeply into your childhood, flourishing through your teens and carrying now into young adulthood. Jimmy, your partner in crime, your sanction. Hell, your soulmate and other half. He was there through all of the good and the bad. There to wipe your tears when you were still scared of stages, there to cheer you on, there to beat up shitty ex-lovers and remind you how you always deserved better.

Truly, you have no clue what you would do without him.

Nothing brings up the pleasant feeling of nostalgia every summer like the first show of the year. You've been practicing your act since last season. As a contortionist, learning flips to impress the crowd in different ways is a necessity. You take pride in the fact that you managed to learn how to gracefully aerielle across the stage during the cold winter months. Jimmy, of course, was a big help, always spotting you and never letting you fall. He himself learned a couple more juggling tricks. Despite his talent, he still gets unbearably shy about showcaseing it every season.

Performance night is finally here after your long anticipated await. Jimmy is before you, which is how it's always been. Elsa is a woman of order who wouldn't dare to switch up the original line, even despite Jimmy's pleas against going first immediately after her opening. You hold one of his large hands between your own two. He's shaking but trying to play it off, yet another tradition before every show. You stroke his thumb, trying to ease his worries.

"Jimmy, I just know you're gonna do great! Just like every year. You've never disappointed." Your voice comes out as an encouraging whisper in order to not be heard over Elsa's singing. Jimmy swallows harshly, his breathing coming out in deep, shakey exhales. It's a method he's used since he was young to calm himself, something his mother taught him.

Elsa's singing comes to a grand end, colorful confetti exploding everywhere. Her beautiful performance brings an inspired uproar from the crowd. You release Jimmy's hand, stepping in front of him. He quickly grabs his props, the small box full of them almost slipping from his trembling hands. "You say that every year."

You chuckle, fixing his hair back to perfection by readjusting his curls. "And every year, I mean it just the same. Blow their minds, Jimmy. There's a reason you go first." Before he can even argue against your statement, his name is called onto the stage. You cheer behind the stage with the crowd, giving him one final push of encouragement. He's good at hiding his panic, smoothly proceeding to the middle of the platform and reciting his lines. He only stutters once but is quick to get back on track and play it off. You couldn't be more proud.

His hands work magic, although you can hardly see the shadow figures he uniquely creates with the florescent lights, the crowd gasps in awe, which tells you enough. He ends the first part of his act with a joke that makes many in the tent chuckle before moving on to the part he stresses over most. His worries are pointless. He takes three balls in his hands to start, tossing them skillfully in the air.

Jimmy is sweating, deeply concentrated on his task. So much so that he stood no chance when a foreign object in the crowd strikes him in the face. It's luckily not enough to hurt him, but the balls he once held fall to the ground and roll off the stage. You gasp, stunned by the ignorance of the act. Jimmy's concentrated face switches from that to one full of rage. He clenches his fists so tightly his knuckles turn white.

"Do something entertaining, freak!"

It's a deep masculine voice from the crowd. You share Jimmy's rage, wanting to scream at whoever dares to speak to him in such a manner. Part of you panics when you see Jimmy walk to the very front of the stage, his murderous rage clearly radiating across the room. "The fuck did you just say to me? I'll kick your ass!" Jimmy's shout booms intimidatingly across the room. Everyone knows that his threat is far from empty. You hear Elsa run across the stage, the hurried clanking of her heels being easy to distinguish. She makes an apologetic remark before escorting Jimmy away. He doesn't do much to fight her, but his piercing eyes never lose sight of the man in the crowd.

You take the backstage route off of the stage and search for Jimmy outside. Your act won't take place for a good while, so you know you have time to spare. He's mumbling something under his breath in a frustrated manner. You trot over to him, immediately placing a hand on his shoulder. "Jimmy, I'm so sorry, are you okay?"

He doesn't respond, flinching away from your touch instead. Jimmy continues to quickly trudge forward, eventually meeting a tree. He punches it hard. The bark crumbles away from the place of impact as he grabs his red knuckles. You once again run back up to him, putting yourself between him and the tree. "Jimmy, stop! You're hurting yourself."

"I can't keep doing this. I won't be treated that way - it ain't right." He sounds so hopeless, like the fire within him has been put out. His hot rage has simmered down to defeated ashes that fall to the ground. His eyes are red, and the sight brings you pain. You try to bring a hand to his cheek to wipe away the moisture, but he pushes it away. "Jimmy, you can't let this stuff bother you so much. It's not worth it."

He scoffs, taking a step away from you. "Like you would ever fucking know what it feels like." Jimmy looks away, his annoyance clear in his movements. "You're not a freak. You never have been. You have no clue what it's like to be looked down on. When you walk through town, no one says a damn thing or stares at you like you're a monster. You don't ever have to worry about goin' into a diner and being denied service because of how you look." His words are true. You were adopted into the circus only because you were dropped off and abandoned next to one as a baby of only a few hours old. It just so happened that you were born with the skill of extreme flexibility. But his statement hurts like a knife twisting inside of your chest. "I know, I'm not taking away from what you go through at all. I'm just saying that at the end of the day, none of this matters. No one in that crowd matters, Jimmy! Nothing bad they say about you is true, that just comes with this career."

"Well, maybe I'm not like you, and I don't want to be cooped up in some dead-end circus where I get disrespected the moment I walk on stage." Jimmy delivers his final blow before stomping in the opposite direction. "Go back to your fucking show." Immediate rage fills you whole. He's never spoken to you in such a way. For that matter, the two of you have never even argued. You feel wronged, and the shock leaves you infuriated. You can almost pull your hair out from frustration. It was only your intention to help him, and he took it to the extremes. Instead of arguing more with him, which feels like speaking to a brick wall, you head back to the tent to finish the night and hopefully blow off some steam. When you return, no one dares to utter a word about your disappearance once they see your agitated state.

Even weeks later, you couldn't help but wonder if Jimmy had always perceived you in such a foul manner. You feel judged and betrayed when thinking back on it. The stubbornness you both share in common has left things silent between you both, not a single word uttered about the matter. Even Ethel was beginning to grow worried, as the two of you before were inseparable. Eve stopped you the one day, appearantly she tried to pry the issue out of Jimmy first but he refused to even discuss the matter. You simply told her that he needed to get over himself without much further explanation, which left anyone invested in the drama all the more confused.

Jimmy, out of rebellion, decided to stop performing in shows. This did little to keep the peace between he and Elsa. She would push him, but with that, Jimmy would shove and dissappear for days on end. Everyone was growing increasingly concerned, and you wouldn't have agreed to speak to Jimmy had Ethel herself not come to you personally; worried sick for her son. She explained how she believes you're truly the only one who can talk any sense to him. And how could you say no to the woman who practically raised you?

You decided to leave a note on the door on Jimmy's camper, which was a request to meet you at a nearby lake. You inquire that it would make you feel better about meeting him if he shows the mutual effort of trying to reconnect by coming. The spot holds a special sentiment between you two. Each summer in your youth was spent there for hours each day until the sun went down, having the time of your lives. Your heart flutters when you immediately find the old tire-swing still up on the same tree. You don't dare to touch it, scared the weakened rope would snap. All of the pleasant memories would be shattered. Jimmy was always such a gentleman when he was younger. He'd push you on that swing for hours if you asked him, never requesting you do the same in return.

You wait for an hour, maybe two. With night approaching and the soothing sound of the frogs chirping, you nearly fell asleep. Until you heard the quiet rustling of greenery behind you. There Jimmy stood, for a moment you almost entirely forgot about the dispute. A shred of happiness sprouted from seeing him in this place again after many years of abandonment. Although he'd grown into a young man, you could still make out the softness left in his cheeks and warmth in his smile that remained from all those many years ago. Jimmy wordlessly seats himself beside you. This is the closest you two have been to each other in a while.

"Can't believe that tire swing is still up." Jimmy opts to break the silence. "It was hardly even hangin' on when we were kids." You melt, finally realizing how much you missed just talking to him. It puts your soul at ease. "Yeah, I wonder how skinny we must have been to be able to both squeeze in the center of that thing." Jimmy chuckles with you, the night air causing the swing to flow with the wind. Another string of awkward tension fills the silence. So many things fly through your mind as you try to think of what to say. Jimmy himself seems lost in his silence. You wonder if he's thinking the same thing.

"I'm sorry about everything. How I came off wasn't my intention. I don't fully understand your struggles, and I don't have a right to act like I do." You scooch closer to him, allowing his body to block some of the chilly breeze. "But because I don't understand what you go through, I just want you to know that you can always talk to me, okay? I want to understand so I can help. You know you can tell me anything, right?" Jimmy stares at you, his eyes traveling from your eyes to the ground.

He stretches his arm out, allowing you to fully lean in as he surrounds you with his warmth. The hug is comforting and fills you with relief. "Well, I acted like an ass. So, really, I should be apologizing. I didn't mean anything I said, I was angry and lost control of my words, and I just - I'm sorry." He rubs over the goosebumps on your arms, smoothing them out with his warmth. "I should have just told you what was botherin' me." You cock a brow in his direction, urging him to go on.

"Honestly, I feel so trapped here. It's like I have no choice over what I do with my life. Sometimes I think about runnin' away, somewhere that I can get a house and a real job. Have a family, a wife. Hell, maybe even a dog." This makes you giggle, Jimmy's always wanted a dog. Once, he tried to take in a stray until his mother found out he was hiding it in her trailer. She came home to discover her new pillows torn to shreds on the ground. It's safe to say he was not allowed to keep the poor sucker. "Point is, I wanna see what's out there. Maybe with you. I just took it way outta proportion and hurt you in the process when you had no clue."

You lean into his shoulder, pulling him in tightly. "Oh, Jimmy... There's absolutely nothing wrong with that." You shake your head. "I want you to be happy, and I'll support you every step of the way." His breathing halts for just a few seconds. You would have missed it if your head wasn't pressed against his chest. He's shakey, a lot like how he gets before a performance. You can tell something else is bothering him. But instead of prying him for a reason, you sit in silence, waiting for him to share what he's comfortable with. A few minutes are in silence, just the two of you basking in the affection of one another.

"Every time I think about runnin' away, I think about doing it with you." He's quiet, his words slow and calculated. The thought makes your head spin and chest feel tight. Except it's not a bad feeling. You embrace it like a warm blanket. "There's another thing I haven't told you."

Jimmy pulls you a little tighter, as if he's scared that if he lets go, you'll escape. "Truth is, I'm so damn in love with you it hurts. I have been since we were kids. I've been threatening your boyfriends for years to make them leave so that I could have you all to myself, as terrible as that is to say." His hand strokes your hair as he places his chin over your head. You can feel his heart rate accelerate, but you're confident that it isn't nearly as fast as your own. "I've loved you since we were too young to even know what that word means, all the way back to when we'd play tag in these fields unsupervised and laugh together for hours." He takes one final deep breath. "I don't ever wanna live a life without you, and I'll stay here forever if that's what you want because you mean the world to me. And if having you means that I gotta get up and sing or juggle on a stage every now and then, I'll gladly do that."

You're stunned, flustered beyond the point of recuperating. You begin to question every idea of friendship you've ever had with Jimmy. And you come to realize that you've been in love with Jimmy from the moment you met him. It was just seen as a forbidden thing you wouldn't dare to explore. But really, there was no use in that because he already had. This entire time. Jimmy Darling loves you in more than just a platonic way, and you couldn't be happier sitting between his arms in this moment knowing that fact.

His hand, his beautiful perfect hand, traces along your jaw. He motions for you to tilt towards his face. You allow him, letting his thumb graze over your bottom lip so delicately you could cry. His nose grazes against your own, the playful sentiment making you smile. Jimmy takes this as an opportunity. His lips capture your own tenderly. It's addictive, like the sweetest liquor in town that you just can't get enough of. He's caressing your cheek, taking his time melting into your touch. By the end of it, he has you completely breathless, but then he eagerly continues for more. He nibbles your lower lip, deepening the longing you feel for him. You wrap your hands around his back. Without a word, he's laying you on top of the soft grass and hungrily having his way, trailing an assortment of kisses and teasing bites down your neck. It's heavenly, a feeling you're sure you couldn't experience with any other.

A loud crash frightens you, followed by the harsh splash of something colliding with water. Jimmy covers you with his body, scouting the area of any danger. Pinned underneath of him, you're unable to see what's going on. Until you hear his hysterical laughter before he rolls off of you. Sitting up, you see for yourself what is responsible for the sound.

The damn tire-swing. Its time had finally come to an end, the rope seems to have snapped, and there it went, rolling into the lake. You found yourself not as upset about it as you thought you'd be, laughing along with him. Once you finally come out of your hysterics, you roll over and lay against Jimmy's chest, throwing a leg over his own. He rubs small circles into your back, savoring every second.

"I knew that thing was gonna fall."

[annmarcus63]

Jaskier never imagined that there could be another Geralt out there, much less another universe with unique yet similar problems. Nor did he imagine that, inexplicably and suddenly, his heart would feel so hungry for someone he had barely met four weeks earlier. Sure, Jaskier tended to fall in love within hours with whoever caught his attention, be it man, elf, woman, dwarf.... Jaskier has always loved freely without worrying about the consequences. But this famine was different, one that wants to swallow everything in one gulp. One that yearns for BeardGeralt. For days he tried to convince himself that it was pure lust, then he tried to convince himself that it was some sort of defense mechanism. So many years in love with Geralt have weighed heavily on him, perhaps what he feels for BeardGeralt is a convenient way out for his treacherous heart. In reality he suspects that he is only trying to deceive himself, after all he is the one who knows his heart best and knows very well that what he feels is real. As real as falling in love with the alter ego of the one who is supposed to be half of your soul. Which makes you feel futilely guilty. And it's certainly not fair, having to deal with how good BeardGeralt is. He's certainly something out of this world, ha. Two witchers and a bard traveling are a very picturesque image. Having only one horse, they take turns riding but BeardGeralt always offers him his place by claiming to have a lot of energy. In the evenings BeardGeralt always makes sure to give Jaskier a larger portion of food. Every time Jaskier looks up, he finds him watching him with a certain satisfaction of one who enjoys caring. The problem is that Geralt notices these gestures and Jaskier feels like garbage when he notices that the witcher is not comfortable. The bard fears that Geralt thinks of himself as insufficient. But, on the other hand, it's nice to have someone looking out for him for a change, to have someone make him feel loved.  

"Cold?" asks BeardGeralt one night of heavy rain when the three of them have taken shelter against the wall of some abandoned ruins. 

"I've been worse" and then he feels a hand running across his lower back and resting on his hip. Her breath catches. With a swift movement BeardGeralt brings him against his shoulder. Jaskier smiles sincerely pleased and looks at BeardGeralt out of the corner of his eye. Geralt, his Geralt tenses at his side, clearly not knowing what to make of the situation. He’s confused, but he knows he has no right to question Jaskier's relationships. He never has, but somehow this time feels different. It’s strange, Jaskier can admit that. But it feels right, Jaskier thinks guiltily. 

Jaskier has stolen a familiar-looking collection of poems from a rather rude merchant, to discover that it was an elvish collection of poems that her nanny used to read to him. He tells this story, as is his custom, in great detail. BeardGeralt listens intently and jokes playfully about his nostalgia. At some point in the conversation Geralt interferes to tell them that they should sleep. 

One evening Jaskier is tending his lute while Geralt prepares the fire while BeardGeralt is out hunting for food. 

"He will leave, Jask. You should be careful," Geralt advises him, almost whispering. At first Jaskier has a hard time understanding what they are talking about, but once he does a series of emotions run through the pit of his stomach. Sadness, anger, indignation, gratitude, sympathy and finally resignation. Jaskier is no friend of resignation.  

"I know." answers Jaskier with the certainty of one who knows he will lose something he did not know he possessed.  

So what if fate is right? So what if Geralt is his soulmate but they have met many years before? So what if his Geralt is not ready? So what if BeardGeralt is ready and more than willing to try something with him? So what if fate made a mistake? So what if BeardGeralt is here for a reason? So what if none of that matters because in the end, no matter what, Jaskier is going to get hurt? 

Kaer Morhen is getting closer every day, there BeardGeralt's Ciri will be waiting for them.

One thing Jaskier knows with futile certainty is that no Geralt would choose him.

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

Game Geralt x series Jaskier

Here's the first part

Thanks to fandom-trash-and-hyperfixations for their awesome ideas on this. love u.

What do you mean? of course there will be a culmination of this trashy angst/romance so stay tuned!

[kerubimcrepin]

Liveblog - Dofus, livre 1 : Julith [PART 18]

Me whenever Khan ogles Bakara: boooring.

Me 5 seconds later ogling Atcham the same exact way: oguhuhhggghuhhq

They only just met, and are already a perfect team. :)

I like to think that Joris has always wanted to hear the other side of the story, be it from Atcham, Lou, or Indie. This isn't the best time to ask, but he might not get another chance...

I also guess that Atcham's deep hatred for Kerubim bewitches Joris as much as Joris's love for Kerubim bewitches Atcham.

Out of all the possible answers, — from the implied bullying, to being abandoned and called a psychopath by Kerubim, — the answer that Atcham gives is so fascinating.

Because he's pretty much acknowledging, that he hates him because he feels inferior. He's always been mistreated because he's the opposite of Kerubim. He's not handsome, or lucky, or good with people, so he's suffered, — and Kerubim is everything he wishes he could be. Even if it's not Kerubim's fault that he suffered, he hates Kerubim the very most because he's a walking-talking reminder of how life could have been.

Joris is even a bit taken aback by this. I bet he expected something deeper.

And it is deep, don't get me wrong. But it's not "when we were kids, he never helped me, when others did me harm." or "he had always looked down at me."

It's literally just "other people dislike me, and not him, even though he had the exact same shitty life as me. The only reason he lives better than me is that he is prettier and luckier. I want to punish him for that. Because it's easier, than hating a god, or the kids from the temple, or anyone else. It's easier because he's nearby, and I know him the best out of all of them."

They are two sides of the same coin. Both of them are orphans. Both of them hate their own bodies. And both of them could probably talk for hours upon hours on what Kerubim makes them feel.

Except Joris feels lucky to have had Kerubim, indebted even, — while Atcham is the opposite, feeling like Kerubim, simply by existing, took everything from him.

Joris appeals to their solidarity in his attempts to defend Kerubim's Honour: while it sure sucks, Atcham's struggle with being hated and degraded by people is neither special nor unique.

Note: I understand it might be somewhat controversial to say this, but I do think that both Joris and Atcham are disabled, or at least discriminated against.

Atcham is referred to as disabled in one of the canonical sources, even if it is a joke. Logically speaking, even without any canon sources, within the universe's context his lack of fur is undoubtedly a disability.

Joris, in the context of the real world, would definitely be a person with dwarfism, which, just like Atcham's lack of fur, canonically impacts his social life, with the way he is often not taken seriously by other people.

So, their solidarity is very cute to me.

Besides that, he appeals for Atcham to understand that his negative experiences with Kerubim aren't universal.

Or maybe, he appeals to whatever positive memories Atcham still he has of him.

And I am pretty sure Atcham knows what Joris is doing. And it's working.

Joris really dislikes how shallow Atcham's dislike for Kerubim is, when Kerubim has done nothing but support and love him, because of how different he is from others.

But for Joris to feel so passionately defensive, — like Kerubim has done him a service by treating him well, — we can understand that Kerubim's "I want my son to love himself as he is" parenting didn't work that well.

You can't really parent your way out of your son noticing he's short, bald, and weird compared to other people. And at some point, saying "you're special" probably just feels insulting, or, more likely in Joris's case, like Joris has failed at feeling special, and that Kerubim would be sad, if he knew how Joris really felt about his body.

If Atcham didn't love Kerubim, — if he didn't feel nostalgia for the times they were still close, — none of what Joris said here would ever work, y'know?

While the show had 52 episodes and then some to sell me on Kerubim and Joris's dynamic, the movie only has three scenes to develop what goes on between Joris and Atcham, and we've already seen two of them.

And let me tell you, by god, does it succeed.

Yes, Atcham and Joris are foils to one another, because of their orphanhood, body issues, and relationship with Kerubim.

But Atcham and Bakara are also foils: because of their feeling of inadequacy, compared to their brothers.

Bakara can't acknowledge what she feels: hatred. Towards herself, for not being good enough. Towards Julith, for seemingly taking her brother away. Towards Joris, for being the product of the woman who ruined her life. Towards Kerubim, maybe for taking Joris and giving him a good life, devoid of having to face or know any of these terrible things, or maybe for not dying instead of Jahash.

And she hates Jahash too. For leaving her alone. And for leaving such a huge void where he once stood — one she can never hope to fill.

Atcham is quite the opposite, really. He needs so badly to hate Kerubim to feel better, that he can barely face the fact that he loves his brother too.

Honestly, is it even hatred, when all you do is sing him praises? "You're the coolest, the hairiest, the luckiest—" doesn't suddenly stop being a compliment, if it's followed "instead of you, it should be ME." (yes, I am taking this moment quote one of the most Atcham-core songs ever created at you. hi.)

There's a very thin line between hatred and love, and I think, that in that line there lies jealousy and obsession.

Atcham's purr is so cute....... kbitty.

This confirms that under the fur, Kerubim and Atcham look pretty similar (we been knew). If you shaved Keke, you'd see a mini-Atcham, and vice versa. The main difference is the ear size, and the fact that the sides of Atcham's face point downwards, instead of upwards, like with Kerubim

However, I have some qualms with this design: sphynx cats have spots in the same exact places that they would have if they had fur. if Atcham had fur it'd be more like this:

And man. It makes him look even MORE like Kerubim. jhgsjkfgsdfg

[beauty-and-passion]

Eurovision 2023: more about the true winner because I said so

Hey, guess who is not over Eurovision 2023 yet.

It’s me, I am who.

I have never been so invested and still so obsessed over this year’s Eurovision. I mean, I am always hit by the post-depressive phase of Eurovision, but that lasts a couple days - during which I usually go through all the beautiful moments and listen to all the songs on repeat - then I’m back to my regular schedule of stupidly long analyses and fanfictions.

(By the way, sorry for all the Americans who follow me and have no idea of what I’m talking about or what happened in this year’s Eurovision. Just bear with me, I will come back to posting Sanders Sides stuff. Just not today)

This year... well, this year was truly something. And if the last year and the one before I was like “aww, what beautiful moments, I miss seeing these people having fun”, now it’s all mushed into one ball of feelings. I look at those artists having fun with the eyes of someone who saw how things went down. I look at them celebrating the true winner after the finale and I have this strange mix of nostalgia and heaviness.

I am not mad anymore for the result. Or better: I am and I will always be because 200 people stepped over the will of millions. But what this loss caused is just so fascinating and so unique, I want to keep exploring it - and maybe talking a little bit more about the true winner of Eurovision 2023 will help me process my feelings too.

Or I just will satisfy my need to ramble more about this incredible Finnish man, either way.

______________________

The sheer power of charisma

When you watch the entirety of Käärijä’s journey on this Youtube channel (and I suggest you do it, because it gives you a lot of food for thought), you notice a lot of interesting details.

From the moment he won the national competition and knew he had to go to Eurovision, Käärijä knew his only rival would’ve been Loreen. He said right from the start that it would’ve ended up with a confrontation between Sweden and Finland. He liked other songs and thought they could’ve been good opponents - but it’s pretty clear he knew the only one who could’ve opposed him was Sweden.

And he knew that Loreen was good. Even though I do not like her songs, even I have to admit she has good vocals. Sure, the vocals are the only thing I understand because she mumbles the rest of the song, but the vocals aren’t bad.

Käärijä knew she was the favorite to win. He praised her performance and called her “queen”, so he has been the first one to recognize her as a worthy opponent. He wasn’t so naive to think “I can easily beat her”.

However, he had some tricks up his sleeves. He knew his song was perfect for Eurovision, he basically designed it for that. He knew his performance would’ve got people’s attention. And he knew he had a lot of charisma.

You can say anything you want about him, but you cannot deny this man is charismatic. And this is a lot interesting, because charisma doesn’t have an exact definition and it’s not the same for everyone. And yet, we can all recognize and identify it as “charisma” when we see it.

The definition Wikipedia offers is that charisma is “a personal quality of presence or charm that compels its subjects”. And it’s undeniable that Käärijä has it. He has that genuine, simple honesty we see in childrens only and this activates our protective instincts, because we feel the need to protect him too. He is funny and makes us smile and everyone loves to smile and have fun. He is simple and humble and that makes him look more approachable and friendly than a superstar.

And his presence on stage is very, very good. He’s eye-catching and he knew it very well. He was the flashiest and the most interesting to look at - both because of his clothes and his appearance. Just compare him to the Cyprus guy: I don’t even remember the Cyprus guy’s face, but I doubt I will ever forget that iconic neon green bolero.

And I am sure he knew that very well. He knew the public would’ve loved him. He knew he would’ve gotten a lot of points because of the public. He knew he would’ve connected with them and not with the jury.

And so it was. The numbers are clear: he was and still is the public’s favorite. His result is the second highest in history right after Kalush Orchestra’s. The entire arena sang with him. During the voting portion, they kept calling his name. Everyone called him “winner”. As the Estonian singer Alika told him: “you had the public when they announced Loreen won”.

And by knowing that, I can understand why he was so bummed. He literally had everything: the perfect song, the charisma, public’s support. And I am pretty sure that, if the public gave more points to Loreen, he would’ve accepted his defeat easier.

But it wasn’t like that: he got more points than her in both the semifinal and the final. He has always been the public’s winner, right from the start. And even if he would've gotten the theoretical maximum of public votes from Europe (432), he still would've ended up behind Sweden.

Losing because 222 people gave your opponent an unbeatable lead isn’t something easy to digest. I mean, it’s been days and I haven’t digested it yet! And I am definitely not a singer, nor I did take part in the competition. However, I voted for him and, well, I am quite pissed that my money got wasted because of a stupid unfair system. The EBU should really refund everyone who tried to vote, considering there was no way to defeat the sheer power of the jury.

So, well, the competition ended with the public’s favorite losing the piece of glass. I will get over it, everyone will get over it. Käärijä himself will get over it - now he’s still rightfully sad about it, but as he said, life goes on.

And he will soon realize that losing the competition turned him into something more than a simple winner.

______________________

The birth of a legend

If Käärijä won, he would’ve been just the winner of Eurovision 2023. People would’ve loved him like they love Kalush Orchestra or Maneskin. Everyone would’ve been happy, a little bit of post-Eurovision depression as always and we would’ve forgotten it.

But losing had an even bigger impact, because Käärijä didn’t step down to second place, but over the first place. Being so spectacularly wronged in front of the world made him ascend to the status of legend and the public went crazy for him. Cha Cha Cha reached the top of Spotify's top 50 global, people from all European countries called him “the true winner” and I’ve seen more than one American, who knew nothing about Eurovision, watch his performance and protest for the result as well.

Even Tumblr was affected by this: the tag Eurovision trended for 3 days after its ending and, after it stopped trending, Käärijä kept doing it for days. And he’s still doing it, so good job people, let’s keep the party going on for a little longer: we all deserve it, after all. You know, as a little FUCK YOU to the jury.

What about Youtube? His grand final performance reached ca. 9 mln views in three days and if you check the comment section, is full of people calling him the true winner as well.

Heck, the Eurovision channel made a video specifically about his journey, like the usually do for winners only (in fact, they did one for Loreen. And Käärijä’s video got more views than Loreen’s in one single day).

And all over Europe people are still protesting and asking for the voting system to change. The Norway delegation asked it first and I fully support them, because they are constantly robbed by the jury. I liked Duncan Lawrence’s Arcade in 2019, but KEiiNO was a completely different level. (And if you loved KEiiNO too, please check their Youtube channel because they have made a lot of other songs and OH MY GOSH THEY ARE ALL GREAT)

Käärijä united Europe with his music and his energy and I understand why Finnish people are so proud of him: there are very few artists who are able to connect people so well. And he did it by using his mother tongue, not English! That’s an even bigger win imho, because it proves that if you have a great song, a strong performance and incredible charisma, people will appreciate you and go past the language barrier without any problem.

That’s why humankind loves music, after all: because it doesn’t need to be understood word by word, to reach people’s hearts.

______________________

The hero’s journey

There are many reasons why people fell in love with this funky green man and they all differ: someone loves his bubbly personality, others were touched by his genuinity, others just fell on the ground laughing and who doesn’t love someone that makes you laugh? And yes, there are some who are just horny for him and you are valid too, because he’s a good-looking man.

However, I think that the main reason why so many people got so invested, it’s because he had the perfect hero’s journey.

He already had a story perfect for a movie, even before starting Eurovision: when he was younger, he was diagnosed with colitis ulcerosa and the disease almost took his life (this post has an interview with all details). But because of that experience, he realized life is short and he should’ve pursued what he truly wanted - i.e. singing. I mean, this alone is perfect material for a movie already.

But now he got another story, and it’s even more like a movie: the story of the young man no one knew, who left his city in his small country, to reach the big European stage. A man with a funny spirit, who connected with everyone despite his broken English - and he wonderfully improved it along the way. Just look at how much more confident he became! Truly a masterful example of how we should just talk and make mistakes, in order to get better in another language.

So we followed the adventures of this funny man and of the friends he made along the way. We had fun and cried for the beauty of his friendship with Bojan (he literally called Käärijä “my new brother” and a small part of my heart that was broken got immediately healed). We got involved in his climbing to the top, we saw him face the behemoth that was opposing him and hoped for him to overcome it.

And he got the tragic conclusion of a hero’s journey: a hero who won and yet still lost.

People love this shit. We have always loved the story of the little one against the unbeatable enemy, the nobody who got the recognition he deserves, the kind heart defeated by the corrupt system. Those are all things that touch people and all aspects of the hero’s journey. And people naturally hope for a happy ending, so if we get a sad, bad or unfair one instead, we tend to feel even more empathetic towards the protagonist. And if your protagonist is as lovable as he is, the feeling is 100x stronger.

I really don’t know if the national juries expected this to happen, when they knew who the public���s favourite was and yet decided to award a different artist. But by doing that, they became the perfect enemy to close Käärijä’s journey and build a legend.

So, well, thanks for sucking so much. You built the legend you didn’t want to.

And yes, Käärijä’s enemy IS NOT Loreen. Loreen did her thing, she didn’t bribe the judges to give her votes. The problem is the jury’s power. So, for all the people who are still harrassing her: please stop hating this woman, she just did what other artists did too.

And since we’re talking about her, please stop saying shit like “She shouldn’t have participated!” too, because this is both very stupid (everyone is allowed to participate in Eurovision) and very disrespectful towards Käärijä himself. It’s a bit like saying that sure, he was good, but, like, you know, not enough good.

And this is totally wrong because this man has been able to defeat Loreen twice, both during the semifinal and the final (at least according to the votes that matter). So stop undermining his ability: he is a good artist. Actually, an artist so good only Loreen was able to compete against him.

And if you still think it’s right to hate Loreen for whatever reason, then I would like to bring this to your attention:

The king literally proposed to Loreen. And, considering how accurate was his foresight about the whole competition, I think it’s time we start to think about when it will happen and how many children they will have.

So if you are still harassing her: stop protesting for the piece of glass and ask her when will they get married, instead. We need to know.

Also, wouldn’t that be an even more perfect ending for Käärijä’s hero’s journey? Not only the great evil (aka the jury) will be defeated, but he will marry the only woman strong enough to oppose him. 100/10 I want a movie now.

And yes, I know Käärijä also proposed to Bojan and they are fathers of a baby sea lion. But what’s the problem? Doesn’t Käärijä have two hands? With one hand can hold Bojan, with the other Loreen, duh.

(Then he will probably need another hand for Selena from Austria, because I think she developed a little crush on him but hey, that’s the life of a hero I guess.)

______________________

Have you listened to his other songs yet?

I just want to confirm they are bops and you should listen to them immediately. Also, do not forget his concert on Saturday that will be available worldwide. Let’s show love to the king.

And yes, that means another post will come out. I mean, there are still so many things we need to know! I want to see the photos of that mural people are doing for him in Vantaa, I want to see the music collaboration between him and Bojan, I want to see them visiting little Edgar at the zoo. And I can’t wait to hear about his future European tour, because he has to do one. And maybe that will fully convey him how big his impact has been indeed.

As people told him in the after party, he conquered the world. Now he just needs to see it for himself.

[vintageairplanehub]

Are Old Planes Safe to Fly?— A Look into the Reliability of Vintage Aircraft Models

Have you ever seen a vintage airplane model  fly and wondered, "Are old planes safe to fly?" The sight of these classic aviation models gracefully soaring through the sky can evoke a mix of nostalgia and admiration. Yet, it also raises questions about the safety of flying aircraft that have been around for decades.

The vintage airplane models lies in their historical importance and timeless design. These aircraft models represent an era when aviation was still in its infancy, and each flight was a pioneering adventure. However, the reality of flying these older planes in today's world requires careful consideration.

One key factor in determining the safety of old planes is the rigorous maintenance they undergo. Unlike modern aircraft, which are designed with advanced technology and materials, vintage airplane models rely heavily on regular inspections and meticulous upkeep. Owners and operators of these planes are often passionate about their aircraft, dedicating countless hours to ensuring that every component is in top condition. This attention to detail is critical because the safety of an old airplane models hinges on the reliability of its parts, many of which may no longer be in production and need to be custom-made or sourced from specialized suppliers.

Moreover, the regulatory environment for old planes are strict. Aviation authorities, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), impose strict guidelines on the operation of vintage aircraft models. These regulations ensure that only planes that meet specific safety standards are allowed to take to the skies. This means that an old airplane model must pass the same rigorous checks as a modern aircraft before it can be deemed airworthy. The pilots flying these planes are also subject to special certifications, ensuring they have the skills and knowledge to handle these unique aircraft models safely.

However, flying a vintage airplane model is not without its challenges. These aircraft were built in a different era, using materials and techniques that may not match the durability and performance of today's standards. For example, older engines may not be as fuel-efficient or powerful as modern ones, which could impact the plane's overall performance. Additionally, the aerodynamics of some old planes may not be as refined, making them more challenging to handle, especially in adverse weather conditions.

Despite these challenges, many aviation enthusiasts argue that old planes can be just as safe as their modern counterparts when properly maintained and operated. The key lies in understanding the limitations of these aircraft models and respecting the knowledge that has been passed down through generations of pilots and engineers. Flying a vintage airplane is not about getting from point A to point B—it's about preserving a piece of aviation history and experiencing the joy of flight in the early days of aviation.

In fact, some vintage airplane models have become iconic in their own right, celebrated for their unique design and historical significance. Aircraft models like the Douglas DC-3, the Boeing Stearman, and the Piper Cub are beloved by pilots and aviation enthusiasts. These planes have earned their place in the annals of aviation history, and their continued operation is a testament to the dedication of those who keep them flying.

So, are old planes safe to fly? The answer is that with the right care, expertise, and respect for the aircraft's heritage, they can be. Vintage airplanes represent more than just a mode of transportation—they are living pieces of history, connecting us to the golden age of aviation. For those who appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of these aircraft models, the joy of seeing them take flight is worth the extra effort to ensure their safety. Whether you're an aviation enthusiast or just someone who admires the grace of these old planes, there's something truly special about watching a piece of history roaming the skies in todays world.

[punksocks]

Astrology Observations: No.28

*just based on my observations, only take what resonates

(Sorry it’s been a minute, I got my time back then I got sick- like same day! I’m good now, thank god, but it was absolutely insane and everything has been going on in the world, my God)

-If your moon opposes your ascendant you may be known for making the wrong impressions on people (especially first impressions) at some point in your life

-Not the first time I said this but I feel like Libra Asc tend to need to balance out aspects of their life more bc of their houses having the opposite signs over them.

-On the other hand I feel like Aries asc have a very straightforward, sometimes less complicated world view bc of their houses lining up with their traditional rulers.

-Mars in determemt and fall (Libra, cancer, 12th house) really gives you a finite amount of stamina

-I feel like cancer venus/moons tend to wax the most poetically and romantically about the nostalgia they feel. Even stronger for Venus.

-Men with cancer placements be like: I didn’t know I was manipulating you into being nice to me until it was already happening (lmao oof)

-I noticed Aries and Scorpio Sun men/masc folks can get romanticized a lot, I think this is bc their identity is ruled by mars traditionally, so they tend to be assigned more masculine traits/act their traits out in a more “traditionally” (or even just comfortably) masculine way

-Aqua Sun/asc/venus usually have some features that makes their face really stand out I noticed (unique brow/nose/head shape etc) (idk why I haven’t seen this with moons as much)

-Signs in your 8th house may come off as mysterious or hard to understand

-You may find it really easy to vibe with people that have Sun conjunct your Asc

-I’ve noticed that a lot of Virgo mars may eat like really spicy or punishing foods (especially if the mars is in a fire house)

-Saturn aspecting your big 3 can help you age really well- depending on how well you take care of yourself (extreme example: dick van dyke, he’s almost 100 and he’s still jumping around with so much energy)

-Pisces placements can be like incredibly intelligent and yet still come off as a bit spacey (one of my favorite YouTubers used to head extra credits and he is SO SMART, like just a seriously huge capacity for knowledge but he sounds spacey when he does his chill gameplays and pieces things together unscripted lol)

-Jupiter square/opposition Sun can make you come off as overly pessimistic, it can also make you come off as optimistic at the wrong times (laughing at serious moments, etc)

-Taurus placements are so motivated by food, it’s so real (the amount of times I’ve had a Taurus sun/moon/mars not hear a word I was saying bc they were scoping out a restaurant? Countless lol)

-I notice a lot of rappers & musicians (especially the innovative ones) have major Pisces placements

-Aries moons get emotional fulfillment by winning what they chase after (Aries in big 6 tends to make you go after things in general too imo)

-I noticed sometimes Leo moon can make you a bit self centered, like in the most literal sense, you may have trouble understanding perspectives outside of your own

-Virgos and Geminis and 3rd/6th house placements have great memory but they tend to forget certain aspects. They tend to forget or mix up details. (My ex took like 3 years to remember my middle name beyond the first initial lol god; also, I always remember zodiac signs but not birthdays lol)

-I love how Joe Pera has a cancer Mercury and his comedy is like the coziest comedy I’ve ever heard, he even got his following bc his helping people fall asleep and just talking through his chill podcast (did not expect him to have like the most fire in his chart tho?? Wouldn’t have guessed lol)- Pisces Mercury and Mercury with hard aspects to Neptune probably have a cozy affect on others when they communicate with them too

[gotylocks]

Willow Month 2023- Day 3: TV Show (Full Series/Specific Episode) or Movie

If you read my entry for Day one, you'll know I went into the show without seeing the movie. In fact, I actually made a point to wait to watch it until the finale, because it was a rare opportunity where I could watch one of these years later follow ups without nostalgia for the original (unlike, say, Star Wars), so I wanted to see if it worked on its own.

The fact I'm writing this should tell you, I truly believe it does. Now, I don't want this to come off like I don't like the movie, because that is not the case. I love the movie! I'm wearing a Sorsha and Mads shirt as I write this! But I would still love the show just as much without the movie.

Some hard numbers may make my point. I have watched the movie once, and while I often think about watching it again, I haven't yet. By contrast, I have watched the full series 13 times through at this point, and at least 8 of those times were marathon sessions where I went from episodes 1-8 in a single sitting.

Why is that? Well, I think the movie is missing some key ingredients that keep it from hitting that obsession level. Namely, Kit, Jade, (grown up) Elora... ok it's the entire crew. Their interplay, the way their relationships build over the course of the season, and the way that by the end of the finale every single one of them has been improved by the others being present in their lives.

The party of six, all with their beautiful, layered arcs and emotional storylines, they're the ones that make the show something special. I've said in the past that typically in shows with ensemble casts, there's usually at least one character that I find annoying, or one actor that I don't like for one reason or another. That's another thing that makes the show so incredible. I love every single person involved. From the main six, rippling out to the supporting cast and cameos like Hannah Waddingham and Christian Slater. Not only does everyone understand the assignment, they bring their own unique flavor and quirks so nobody feels like they're phoning it in. You can tell everyone is having fun and that translates to the audience.

And while fun is first up on the menu for the show, there's also so many moments of heart-rending drama. As someone who lost their dad at 26, I connect to Kit's feelings of grief and abandonment over the disappearance of her father. I connect with Jade feeling lost and purposeless. I connect with Elora desperately wanting to help despite struggling to believe in herself. I connect with Graydon carrying a lot of guilt over things he had no control over and wanting to prove himself as more than what his father believes he is. I connect with Boorman regretting his selfish choices and wanting to make up for his past mistakes. I even relate to Willow, thrust into a position where he has to be a believer despite feeling like a fraud.

Whether it's due to the run time or the time in which it was made, the movie just can't compete with the variety of character arcs, the layers that get peeled back the more the crew spend time together, the realization how each person has something to learn from the others and how they've grown to rely on each other.

By the time they reach the Immemorial City to fight the Crone, they have grown into one of the best found families I've ever seen. They have each other's backs, they trust each other implicitly, and they're willing to put everything on the line to save the world, sure, but more importantly, save each other and facilitate their rises to greatness.

The dialogue, while not to everyone's taste, I felt was a great choice. It immediately plants a flag on its own territory and says confidently "We are not Game of Thrones. We are not Lord of the Rings. We are our own thing." I love that shit! It is never a show that feels like it's chasing a trend, because it is so uniquely itself. That extends to the music, be it the fantastic score by James Newton Howard and Xander Rodzinski or the fascinating modern song choices deployed in each episode, which while I have opinions about songs I would prefer in different places, I cannot deny that they set the show apart from everything else that has come before. And "Crimson+Clover" by Pom Pom Squad will live in my brain forever thanks to its absolutely pitch perfect use in episode 5.

The fight scenes are fantastic, because they're never there for the sake of having action. Instead, major character beats are woven throughout, making each fight hugely meaningful to everyone involved. Whether it's Willow going from his weakened, nigh magicless state at the start of the show, to being the great sorcerer he was always meant to be thanks to working with Elora, or its Kit and Jade connecting and expressing emotions that words may not be enough for through their shared love language of sword fighting, or Graydon finding the magic within at the moment he needed to and killing one of the Gales pursuing them. Action has a purpose in this story and I love that after so many hollow and emotionless cgi fight scenes we've been inundated with over recent years.

This is why I can't simply choose one favorite episode from the series, because they are so intertwined that I cannot separate them. However, unlike many straight to streaming shows, Willow doesn't just feel like an 8 hour movie chopped into parts (despite my tendency to watch it like one long movie lol). Every episode has a unique identity that I can immediately point to when prompted. Every episode is important to moving both the narrative and character development forward, and there isn't a single one you could cut without everything feeling askew.

So. When I saw this prompt I was like "Maybe I'll make this one short", but we all know now that was going to be impossible. The intense emotional connection I have to this show from front to back just brings this out of me. To the only Fellowship I need in my life. I wouldn't be here without you.

To quote Erin from the making of doc, "These people are my family."

[celestial-lions-den]

I'm really sick of people glutting themselves on nostalgia and acting like childhood was this uniquely good and perfect time in life and that everything is downhill the moment you garduate high school.

Like. I had a pretty good childhood overall. But I would never want to be a kid again. Children aren't respected as members of society, much less human beings. They're reliant on others for pretty much everything. They're smaller and weaker. A lot of things only adults can understand or appreciate are lost on them. They have to deal with bullies and test grades. They get sad and angry and scared and stressed out like everyone else. A lot of the people who whinge about the Mythic Golden Age of Childhood don't seem to remember any of that stuff.

Yeah. There are a lot of blessings and joys unique to childhood. And the occasional trip down memory lane is healthy. But only in moderation. Living in a glorified version of the past that didn't really exist is going to cost you blessibgs and joys unique to NOW. Life will pass you by if you don't actively live it.

Don't get so lost in memories that you lose the ones you could be making today.

[skaruresonic]

Oh boy, more bullshit. My favorite.

Ngl, it really sucks to be an SA2 fan these days. Between the hype and the hype reactionism, it really seems like no one's giving the game a fair shake.

I feel like I have to either defend the game from people who deride it as utter trash that you'd have to be nostalgia-blind to appreciate (because that's not insulting at all), or pop the hype bubble for people who can't bother to remember its most basic plot points.

Both of these stances ignore what SA2 actually is in favor of some strawman version of SA2. I shouldn't have to painstakingly list its flaws to be allowed to love a janky game without people assuming I'm huffing nostalgia.

I don't understand why people always say "high-speed sections only make up 1/3 of SA2" as if that means anything. Folks assume it's just a given that the game's only worth lies in the Sonic/Shadow stages.

Never mind how, according to those standards, SA1 boasts a greater mediocre-to-quality ratio for only featuring speed-based gameplay for 1/6th of the game.

If you don't like the treasure hunting and mech stages, you don't actually like SA2. Which is fine, different strokes for different folks, but don't go around assuming your experiences are universal.

By now, you guys probably know how I feel about the "hasn't aged well" argument; it's a bunch of semantically null bullshit that borders on revisionism and neglects the historical context in which games are made. It doesn't impart any objective metric of criticism; it's just a reflection of ever-fluctuating audience taste.

No one can predict the future, much less game developers. In that vein, it could be argued that many aspects of SA1 have aged just as poorly as SA2.

Don't really see the point in comparing the two because despite hosting the same title, they were aiming for different experiences. Both have merits and flaws as unique titles.

Sonic fans don't saddle their endearment with caveats about how much they know the series sucks, actually.

The underlying implication that SA2 fans appreciate the game for the aesthetics is actually pretty insulting to me as well.

The introduction of Shadow and the Crush 40 songs certainly don't hurt, but they're not the only reasons I could possibly ever like the game. To imply otherwise is to imply I'm nostalgia-blind and lack discernment.

Shock and surprise: I like the game because I enjoy the experience that it offers, rough edges and all. It's one of those games where its idiosyncrasies are inextricable from its identity.

"Slither" of good?

Once again, your argument fails on the basis that it could easily be turned against SA1 by only having 1/6th of the game consist of high-speed stages. You are also assuming your experiences are universal, which they are not. While many prefer SA1's treasure hunting stages, I actually prefer SA2's treasure hunting stages.

I hate how Knuckles controls in SA1, I hate the radar (what does blue even mean?) and I hate how the level layout is literally copy-pasted from Sonic's level design. SA2 at least offers you unique stages.

I also literally do not understand what, exactly, there is to complain about the treasure hunting aside from an unwillingness to engage with the stages. Rouge and Knuckles control just as tightly as Sonic and Shadow, and the objective of their stages largely remains the same: achieve your goal in the fastest time. You are, by design, intended to master the stages until you can memorize them.

You're allowed to dislike that, but if you do, you'd also have to admit you dislike a core design conceit of the game: replayability.

The point of a treasure hunt is to hunt. If you don't like the exploration aspect coupled with the speed-as-mastery angle, that's fine, but your subjective tastes not aligning with the game's design is not inherently a fault of the game. It's unfair to portray it as such.

And it's weird because I actually agree that some hints are needlessly obscure.

"Take an age to complete" sounds like a skill issue, bud. Most, if not all, of SA2's treasure hunting stages are designed around three tiers orbiting a central hub. The layout is not that complicated.

Honestly, I feel like the same kind of person who criticizes the mech stages for being "slower" than the Sonic-Shadow stages would also complain about Marble Zone taking place after Green Hill Zone. They simply don't get that Sonic games use the feeling of speed as a reward for mastering the game. That is to say, speed in and of itself must be earned; the games don't instantaneously grant it to you.

And you are lying through your teeth if you don't think racking up combos in the mech stages is fun. real SA2 fans complain about the shitty kart racing instead

Like... do Big, Gamma, and Amy's gameplay styles fare any better? Gamma may have been more floaty than Eggman and Tails' mechs, but that didn't make his stages any less stressful.

Hmm. Can't help but notice a conspicuous lack of Big fishing nestled amongst all this "SA1 was soooo much better you guys"

"Many boss fights are just the equivalent character from the opposite story" - wow it's almost like SA2 built its mechanics around themes of dichotomous rivalry and mirror reflections. gee it's like ST incorporated those themes into the gameplay or something. golly gosh, how incredibly odd and strange.

Imagine taking issue with the rivalry mechanic when the boxart juxtaposes the characters next to each other. If you think this is a legitimate criticism that can be leveled at the game in good faith, then nothing I say can help you.

"which is pretty dull since you can just spam leap on their head." - Yes, because being forced to fight Chaos 4 three times in a row is so much less tedious.

"They aren't mandatory to play as" unless you want to beat the game. Tell me you haven't beaten SA1 without telling me you haven't beaten SA1.

You can switch between Hero and Dark stories anytime you want in SA2 as well, goofball. You can also jump to any cutscene once you've cleared a Story, which you cannot do in SA1.

Jesse.

Whyyyyyy do people act like Knuckles doesn't move just as quickly as Sonic in SA2? I don't get it, man. Based on the way people talk, you'd think he moved like molasses.

You would only be entering the Chao Garden after each level if you picked up the Chao key in the stage and held onto it. And it's not like those Chao boxes are absolutely in your way and you have no choice but to pick up the key - you'd have to go out of your way to track them down.

This is such a "you" problem, dude.

I don't know. In hindsight, it's weird how Sonic got sidetracked from looking for Tails following the Tornado crash, to escorting Amy around town, to looking for Amy after Zero abducts her, to not finding her, and then serendipitously stumbling upon Tails in the process. In the two hours or so since losing Tails, we almost forget about him.

It's funny because, as iconic as Speed Highway is, it doesn't really have much reason to exist in the overall narrative. I'm just saying, weird pacing and stage placement are not solely SA2 problems.

Just because SA2 lacks a hub world doesn't mean there is no connective tissue between stages; it's just incorporated into background elements instead.

Knuckles comments on feeling gravity shifts in Meteor Herd, which only occurs because Sonic is concurrently throwing gravity switches in Crazy Gadget.

"People are looking back with rose-tinted glasses" - my brother in Christ, you just wrote an entire piece praising SA1 without mentioning Big's fishing stages even once. Perhaps don't call the kettle black?

"it isn't weighed down by gimmicks" - What gimmicks? The same ones SA1 has? How come you don't consider the inclusion of the Chao Garden and kart racing gimmicks when SA1 does them?

"The only thing it's missing is Shadow" - Fuck all the way off with that. Don't you dare start.

SA2 is gimmicky trash, fine, whatever. You're entitled to your opinion. But do you not understand how insulting it is for other Sonic fans to assume you only like your favorite game because there is nothing to appreciate about it other than aesthetics and nostalgia? That we're too stupid to recognize that this 23-year-old game "hasn't aged well"?

At this point I'd really rather folks just rip the Band-Aid off and call me a rube instead of espousing this "huehuehue you SA2 fans don't even know how trash the game really is, you probably like the buttrock, don't you" rhetoric. It'd be so much less condescending.