#something noteable to add

[agentc0rn]

havent talked about this in my AU but once all the fiasco ends, I like to think the aura trio thanks the protagnist and co. for helping save not only Kalos (again) but also Arbordrasil ....so they get a blessing from the legends (a keepsake item equivalent to lunar feather?).

[nottragic-stilltoothsome]

Everything I found in Szarr's palace, for all your fanfiction-writting needs. I haven't found any other post like this one, so i hope i m not copying anyone. Posting it here, because editing the official wiki feels intimidating. Feel welcome to add anything I missed.

Astarion's siblings (the other spawn):

Petras - one of the two you meet in the Flophouse.

Dalyria - the other one from the two you meet in the flophouse. Her diary can be found in the "guest room". Before Cazador turned her, she was a doctor, a "Physician General to the Parliament of Baldur's Gate". She thinks vampirism is a disease and plans on curing herself of it by drinking blood of someone young and healthy - other spawn's daughter, Victoria.

Leon Onufrio - before Cazador turned him, Leon was a sorcerer. He is the one whose daughter's (Victoria's) body is found, cursed, in the room where with the Kozakuran dictionary.

Leon put a protective counter-curse on her, to discourage other spawns from attacking her. Despite his efforts, Dalyria bit her, hoping it'd cure her vampirism. Needless to say, it didn't and Victoria died @easterlingwanderer found out that if you use "speak with the dead" on the body, it turns out that it was a random urchin and Leon did get Victoria out of the city on time. After removing the curse inflicting you with necrotic demage, you can loot a letter of her body from her father instructing Victoria to read said dictionary, so she can freely move around the castle.

In the favoured spawn room, you can learn that Leon was the one usualy occupying it (along with his daughter). His diary reveals that he put extra effort to be Cazador's best hunter, so he can keep Victoria away from others and that he came up with a plan with Figaro to disguise and sneak Victoria out of the palace.

He also notes that he doesnt like the way Violet looks at Victoria and Cazador's wicked smile, when Leon asked him what his master was planning to do with his daughter.

Violet - you can find her Diary in the Dormitory of Spawn. She notes that she put garlic in Yousen bed as a prank.

Aurelia - a tiefling

Yousen - @neophytepagan noticed he is a gnome

Other:

The chamberlain of Cazador was Antwun Dufay. In his diary, which can be found under his bed in his room after a successful passive perception check, it says that he had a lover Lurianna (a werewolf, who can be found dead by walking through fake north wall of chamberlain's office, or through another fake wall in Chamberlain's private room). He knew about Cazador's Black Mass enough to fake his death in order to avoid the threat of taking Astarion's place. Unfortunately for him, it seems he confused the actual death potion and fake death potion, and really died. His lover drank the other potion, which melted her guts. The actual fake-death elixir can be found in his desk, which puts the player in 10-turn coma. He ordered the elixir from Bonecloaks', where he also ordered most of the things the palace needed to function (like bloodstain remover, candles and food for "guests").

Godey - Cazador's right hand. Astarion says that while Cazador was the master of the palace, the kennels (the room where the spawn d be tortured, when they did something Cazador didnt approve of) was the domain of Godey. Godey tortured the spawn when Cazador didnt feel like it. Cazador trusted Godey with the key to the sealed ballroom for the duration of the ritual.

Through the palace, fanatic-servants cleaning the palace: Syrin - human, Greenfern - wood half-elf, Vilhelm - human, Varderola - also human. All of them are servants, who Astarion said are devoted to Cazador and came to the palace of their own will, beggining Cazador to turn them into vampires. Vilhelm is most noteable, as you can talk to him and he asks Astarion why isn't he downstairs, that he is late and the ballroom is already locked. If pressed, he informs that Godey has a key and that the Cazador is going to punish Astarion for missing the ritual (and from his expression, he seems to quite like the thought).

Chamberlain Dufay wrote a blooddonnors ledger, instructing the Spawn to favourite the lower class as prey, as too many missing patriars may drow too much attention.

The language Cazador uses is Kozakuran, from a distant land of Kara-Tur. Astarion notes that they were strictly forbidden from learning it. From Cazador's Journal you can learn that Astarion was not an unreliable narrator when he said Cazador liked torturing him the most: Cazador paid the most attention to him in the journal.

In the favoured spawn room, there is a ledger with the list of spawns who have been favoured (its only Leon and one time Violet).

Amanita Szarr - on her 13th birthsday, invited by her Uncle Cazador. She was invited to the ballroom. She became a vampire, but was not happy about it. She rejected her family name Szarr and named herself Lady Incognita. She claims she stays in the attic and writes stories. One of the books written by her can be found on Cazador's desk.

Mrel Alkam - vampire mastress from Athkatla that Cazador wrote a letter to.

[the-far-bright-center]

'I had a mother who loved me'

(aka, the Jedi Order is NOT Anakin's family)

This is a topic that I've seen discussed elsewhere and I felt compelled to add my own thoughts. I've seen some takes I vehemently disagree with, especially regarding Shmi and Little Ani in TPM, and Anakin's 'decision' to leave with Qui-Gon. It's crazy how some people will blame little Ani for 'wanting' to be a Jedi, yet apparently Luke in ANH is allowed to want this, even though Luke likewise barely knows anything about what being a Jedi entails, and even though it's much more risky (and, frankly, far more unrealistic) to dream of becoming a Jedi in the Dark Times era?? As if a nine-year-old slave-boy wanting to take part in his new-found freedom by learning to be something he associates with heroism means he somehow 'should have known' he wasn’t going to be a ‘good fit’ for the Order. My argument is that there was nothing wrong with Anakin, and there was in fact no legitimate reason for him or ANYONE ELSE to believe he'd not be good at using the Force to help others (which is what the Jedi are supposed to do), especially when he had literally just done so in the pod-race. The whole reason Qui-Gon noticed Anakin was because of how strong in the Force he already was, even untrained. Qui-Gon has faith in him, it's just the Jedi Council that doubts him. Because, unlike Qui-Gon who perceives Anakin's positive qualities and potential, Yoda and the Jedi Council are afraid of him. Because Anakin is basically an 'unknown' (read: uncontrollable) entity suddenly in their midst.

While the Prequels film-canon stands on its own in this regard, we can also look to the novelizations for even more emphasis on this topic. In the TPM novelization, several things are noteable: first of all, even before Qui-Gon arrives, Anakin has had prophetic dreams about becoming a Jedi. And since Shmi is aware that Ani's dreams and visions do often come to pass, when Qui-Gon appears and offers to take him away to be trained, why wouldn't she think that maybe this was somehow Force (or Fate) ordained? And that therefore it was the right thing to do to let him go? And the second thing, is while it's also clear that Little Ani (like Luke!) has a romanticised view of what being a Jedi might be like, his actual motivation for becoming a Jedi is not simply because he 'selfishly' wants to embark on some fun adventure without his mom. On the contrary, every. single. time. little Ani thinks about the possibility of becoming a Jedi or leaving Tatooine, it's directly in relation to eventually returning to FREE his mother and the rest of the slaves:

He was several things in the course of his dreams. Once he was a Jedi Knight, fighting against things so dark and insubstantial he could not identify them. Once he was a pilot of a star cruiser, taking the ship into hyperspace, spanning whole star systems on his voyage. Once he was a great and feared commander of an army, and he came back to Tatooine with ships and troops at his command to free the planet’s slaves. His mother was waiting for him, smiling, arms outstretched.

and

He gazed skyward, his mother's hand resting lightly on his arm, and thought about what it would be like to be out there, flying battle cruisers and fighters, traveling to far worlds and strange places. He didn't care what Wald said, he wouldn't be a slave all his life. Just as he wouldn't always be a boy. He would find a way to leave Tatooine. He would find a way to take his mother with him. His dreams whirled through his head as he watched the stars, a kaleidoscope of bright images. He imagined how it would be. He saw it clearly in his mind, and it made him smile.

Anakin wants to escape slavery and train as a Jedi so he can come back and continue helping his friends and family on Tatooine. So he can return to free the slaves. Little does he know that he won't be allowed to do that... :'(

It's important to note as well that at this point, Anakin *also* has no idea that, as a Jedi, he won't be allowed to get married and have a family. Even though he is already naively imagining himself someday marrying Padme. So he doesn't know that not only will he not be permitted to return for his mother as he'd always hoped, but he will also technically not be allowed to even have a family of his own even when he's old enough to do so.

And what of Shmi's thoughts on Anakin becoming a Jedi? At the start of the AotC novelization, she is trying to be happy with the thought of it, but ONLY because she believes he must be living his best life as a Jedi. She has no idea that he had to go through rejection first before being accepted into the Order. The AotC novelization shows that as Shmi is being held captive and tortured by the Tusken Raiders, she tries to comfort herself by holding onto her imagination of what Anakin's time as Jedi is like:

All those times staring up at the night sky, she had thought of him, had imagined him soaring across the galaxy, rescuing the downtrodden, saving planets from ravaging monsters and evil tyrants. But she had always expected to see [Ani] again, had always expected him to walk onto the moisture farm one day, that impish smile of his, the one that could light up a room, greeting her as if they had never been apart.

Heartbreakingly, as Shmi is being brutalised to death, she clings to the hope that her beloved Ani's life is now better than it was before, and that it was worth saying farewell to him all those years ago, even while simultaneously desperately longing to see him again.

As an aside, it aggravates me to no end that *cough* certain parts of this fandom perpetuate the idea that Shmi is just some blank, wholly selfless entity with no wants or desires of her own. That she's the ‘perfect’ example of a Jedi with no 'attachments' (aka an Old Order Jedi), and that somehow Anakin is a just a 'failure' compared to her. Yes, it could be argued that Shmi is shown to be a better or truer 'Jedi' than most of the other Jedi in the story (aside from Luke in RotJ), but guess what that would mean in that case? (Hint: it has to do with love and family.) Because first and foremost, Shmi is a MOTHER who is trying to do the best for her son, even though a piece of her heart is always missing while he is gone. The AotC novelization shows repeatedly that she tries to assure herself that she did the right thing by letting Ani go, but the human mother side of herself also cries out for him and misses him desperately. She might have let him go in TPM, but in AoTC she wants to see him again. In fact, she believes strongly that she will see him again (because she loves him and he’s her hero because she’s his mom and she trusts he will eventually come back to find her), which is the only thing keeping her holding on until he arrives. How can Shmi be a perfect example of an Old Order Jedi when the motivating factor for even her most selfless actions is her personal FAMILIAL attachment to and unconditional LOVE for Anakin?? Also, how insulting is it to claim that Anakin is a 'failure' in comparison to his 'wonderful, perfect mother', and then proceed to place all the blame on him for being said 'failure'....when he was shown on-screen to be doing just fine in taking after his mother prior to his time in the Jedi Order????

As another poster noted elsewhere, Shmi Skywalker is the only person responsible for the truly good person Anakin Skywalker was.

This is the heart of the entire saga. Anakin's True Self is good because of his mother. Because of how she raised him (to be selfless and to want to help others) and because of the unconditional LOVE she had for him. It was the Jedi Order that failed to provide that for Anakin, and Sidious who manipulated the situation to his advantage.

(And if Shmi was the only person who truly solidified Anakin's inner goodness, then Qui-Gon was the only Jedi who was presented as being equipped to bring out the best in Anakin when Shmi wasn't around. The only one who was prepared to act as an openly warm and compassionate parental figure to Anakin, the only one who could have properly mentored Anakin and helped him navigate both his Force powers as well as the Jedi Code, and the only one who was shown to be willing to stand up to the Council on Anakin's behalf. The tragedy is not that Qui-Gon found Anakin or even that he offered to take him to train in the Force. Rather, the tragedy is that Qui-Gon is slain in the Duel of the Fates, which leaves Anakin without a true protector and advocate in the Order, and allows Sidious an 'in'.)

So the idea that the Jedi Order is Anakin's ‘replacement family' is simply not true—certainly not in the way the story actually pans out. It's telling that, in the original Prequels-era EU, Anakin ran away from the Jedi Temple multiple times. That is NOT the behaviour of a happy child. (It is, however, typical behaviour for children who are struggling in institutionalised care.)

And indeed, the very first paragraph of the AotC novelization opens with Anakin dreaming that he is part of a warm, loving family:

His mind absorbed the scene before him, so quiet and calm and...normal. It was the life he had always wanted, a gathering of family and friends—he knew that they were just that, though the only one he recognized was his dear mother. This was the way it was supposed to be. The warmth and the love, the laughter and the quiet times. This was how he had always dreamed it would be, how he had always prayed it would be. The warm, inviting smiles. The pleasant conversation. The gentle pats on the shoulders. But most of all there was the smile of his beloved mother, so happy now, no more a slave. When she looked at him, he saw all of that and more, saw how proud she was him, how joyful her life had become.

Why would Anakin be dreaming longingly of being part of an openly loving, happy family if he already had that at the Jedi Temple? (Tellingly, he notes that this seems like something normal, as if he's aware that it ought to be commonplace despite the fact that it's currently missing from his own life.)

And later on, when he's visiting Padme's parents' house for dinner, he sees this exact type of scene he's been longing for play out right in front of him, and he wishes that his mother could be there to enjoy it, too:

Anakin took a good helping of several different dishes. The food was all unfamiliar, but the smells told him that he wouldn’t be disappointed. He sat quietly as he ate, listening with half an ear to the chatter all about him. He was thinking of his mom again, of how he wished he could bring her here, a free woman, to live the life she so deserved.

Note that Anakin is thinking about his mother, and putting her first in his mind. He can barely enjoy the meal while he believes his mother could be out there, suffering.

Later on as he and Padme are heading to Tatooine to search for Shmi, they bond over the fact that both their mothers told them the same nursery rhyme ('home again to rest'). It means a lot to Anakin that he can bond with Padme over this similar childhood memory. (No doubt something he would not have had in common with his peers in the Temple, since their only childhood memories would have been within the Jedi Order, rather than in a true home. And certainly not with a mother.)

Finally, we get to the RotS novelization. Yes, THAT one. The one in which we see that Anakin was perfectly willing to walk away from the Order the minute he returned from the war and discovered Padme was pregnant. Willing to walk away to start their FAMILY together. But then his nightmares began, and he reluctantly stayed just a little longer, thinking the Jedi (whom he originally joined with the express intent of wanting to help his loved ones) could offer him some solution to the horror his nightmares were showing him:

If not for his dreams, he’d withdraw from the Order today. Now. ...Let the scandal come; it wouldn’t destroy their lives. Not their real lives. It would destroy only the lives they’d had before each other: those separate years that now meant nothing at all.

To drive the point home, we also have the pivotal scene where Obi-Wan—speaking on the Council's behalf—tries to convince Anakin to spy on the Chancellor. Their exchange says it all:

"He's my friend, Obi-Wan." "I know." "If he asked me to spy on you, do you think I would do it? You know how kind he's been to me. You now how he's looked after me, how he's done everything he could to help me. He's like family." "The Jedi are your family." "No. No, the Jedi are your family. The only one you've ever known. I had a mother who loved me."

Anakin's story breaks my heart because all he wants—all he has ever wanted—is a family. Not to just to 'have' one in a vague sense, but to be PART OF ONE. He wants this, because even when he was slave living an unfree life, at least he had his mother. At least he could feel his mother's love, and could openly demonstrate his love to her in return. For Anakin Skywalker, being a Jedi was never the goal in and of itself. In his mind, it was always primarily a means to save those he loved. To save his family. This is simultaneously the most tragic and the most beautiful thing about his character. It is both his fall AND his redemption.

And those who insist on ignoring Anakin’s deep-seated longing for a family and want to act as though he should just be content with the Jedi Order instead are willfully missing the entire point of his story.

[getoutofbednelly]

so the most recent fics I’ve read on my kindle are the first two parts of the time has come today series by teen_dean (@urne-buriall on tumblr I think). and these are so good. I’ll elaborate more in my fic review but I am excited to share the cover I developed for my kindle collection because I really enjoyed going through different iterations of this cover. I’m just posting the cover I landed on for now, but I think I will share some of the other iterations which include design choices that I cut and edited at length(in another post or reblog later).

Fic review, cover design notes and a small disclaimer under the page break:)

fic review: I’m not always one to love casefics, watching cases passively on screen is one thing, but I can’t always immerse myself in a case to keep interest. I’m more one for character dynamics and the dynamics here are so interesting and introspective and funny I can’t get enough.

When it comes to the characterizations the author really nails it too. They are so close to canon that when I inevitably dissociate from atmospheric chemistry seminars and start thinking about supernatural, I can’t remember if something happened in their fic or on screen. I love these characters and teen_dean obviously does too because they treat their characterization so carefully. The cover I designed references scenery and plot points related to the case part of the fic, but I wish I could have incorporated the deep and thoughtful character analysis that is part of this fic.

And the imagery, particularly the west coast imagery, is. so. good. Very rarely am ever I struck with the desire to draw imagery described in writing, but it struck me at multiple times throughout this. most noteably the cas in the orchard paragraph highlighted in one of my pics towards the end of young hearts (will it be my first castiel fan art??? I certainly hope so.) chef’s kiss.

I really thought I would take a break after finishing young hearts, but I wasn’t ready to not know what happened to teen dean and past-cas in the next fic so I’m reading the rules of have changed today now and I have no regrets.

some notes on the cover design: I’m not sure this translates to the end result, but the glowing text of the title/author/everything-else was meant to represent the flickering lights of neon signage you might see in a dive bar. The description of Schaffer’s bar at the beginning and end of the first part is rich and another example of really capturing the feeling of canon (which I should mention is something the author does really well through scenery too). I don’t think I necessarily got the colors right (I initially imagined a larger color palette), but I’m feeling pretty good about the glowing aspect of it. In a print book format, I’d like all of the red to be metallic embossed.

Its very faint, but I included the silhouette of a mountainscape with silhouettes of dark watchers watching in the background. I think you have to zoom in to see them though. So I included a zoomed in image of two of the dark watchers. See if you can spot the other two!!

The last thing I wanted to mention is that I know arimaspians are typically one-eyed (on their heads). I took a creative liberty and put an eye on the hand.

lastly, a disclaimer: I know that teen_dean already has a cover and print typeset for their fic on their page. I just wanted to add my creative twist on it for my kindle collection and wanted to share it with you all :’). I should say explicitly that this was not designed in communication with the fic author. I do not take any credit for the fic (credit to the story goes to the author and characters to the cw). if teen_dean comes across this I especially hope they enjoy it<3, but if for any reason you (teen_dean/urne-buriall) don’t want to be associated with this cover, please contact me and I will take this down.

[mryaksalot]

Animaniacs' obscure ensemble cast

Recently, I conducted a poll asking fellow fans if they believed Animaniacs underutilized their ensemble characters. It turns out a majority of you believe that each ensamble character recieved an appropriate amount of screen time, with only 21.1% of people saying that these characters were underutilized.

It is definetly a noteable question, seeing how their are so many characters within the Animaniacs universe, with so many obscure one offs that have seemed to be forgotten throughout the years.

Who are these characters? And why were they forgotten?

Most casual fans know The Warners and Pinky and The Brain. If you've seen the original 1993 run of the show, you will know about Slappy the squirell, Mr Skullhead, The Goodfeathers. If you've done a little more digging, you might have seen or heard of Rita and Runt, Mindy and Buttons, or The Mime.

Then there are those one offs that only the hardcore fans will know about. Characters such as Minerva Mink, Katie Kaboom, Chicken Boo, and those godforsaken Hip Hippos.

And then, there is the most obscure character that appears in Animaniacs by far. The Flame.

I garentee if you mention this character to a casual fan (especially one who hasn't seen the original), they will have no idea what you are talking about.

Now how has the show gone about featuring all of these characters?

Despite having a vast amount of characters at their disposal, Animaniacs(1993) tends to push three segments: Warner segments, Pinky and The Brain segments, and Slappy segments. The rest of the cast and their segments are only featured part of the time, with Rita And Runt, Mr Skullhead, and Buttons and Mindy making the most frequent apperences of these characters.

Sadly, as the show went on, many of these one off characters I mentioned were pushed to the side, in favor of The Warners and Slappy appearing more often. Pinky and The Brain got their own show, so obviously they were popular. These one offs characters were being used less and less. It's no wonder why much of Animaniacs' ensamble cast has been forgotten as time went on.

I think much of the reason why these obscure one offs seemed to disapear from the show has to due to their story potential. Yakko, Wakko, and Dot can be put into several diffrent scenerios; their dynamic and comedic style makes for a memorable and entertaining episode. There is only so many stories you can make with The Mime, for example, whose segments consist of him getting hurt over and over again.

The same goes for Minerva Mink, who only starred in two segments of her own. Her segments are solely based on her getting ganged up by a bunch of men attracted to her. There is only so many times you can use that same plot before it gets stale.

Now you may be asking to yourself: If I were a writer for Animaniacs, what would I do to fix this issue? How would I write for these one off characters?

A very simple solution, in my opinion, would be to do more crossover episodes. You could have Slappy be in a Warner segment, Buttons and Mindy could co-star in a Rita and Runt segment, The Goodfeathers could fly into a Mime segment and poop on his face or something. There is a ton of scenerios you could make by mixing these characters together.

There are some instances of crossovers occuring in the show. There was an episode where Chicken Boo got married to Ralph The Gaurd, and Minerva's infamous cameo in the episode 'Hurclue Yakko', which also starred The Hip Hippos I should add.

But I think the best example of characters crossing over in Animaniacs(1993) was in the season 3 finale, during the song 'Big Wrap Party'. The song features all of the ensemble characters throughout the show, and what food their eating at The Warners big wrap party. Everyone gets a shout out in this: Slappy, Chicken Boo, Hip Hippos, even that weird Randy Beaman kid sitting with Skippy at a table.

Despite these one off's being mostly forgotten nowadays, I can only appreciate the effort the writer's went through in creating such a large range of characters. And while some were pushed to the side in favor of The Warners, it's such a joy when these characters do show up. Who dosen't love a good ensemble cast?

[blubushie]

Ok so you know how I'm on that sniperspy grind. Well I've SEEN things.

Firstly, the Pinterest teens. They'll comment on sniperspy art and go "isn't this a proship😨" or "omg this is so creepy" stuff along those lines. Even though they're clearly grown men, who kill for a living, and DO NOT seem to have much power over each other in their positions (a problem with real life work relationships or age gap relationships). Even under the fluffy and inoffensive shippy art (ex. a simple pocky challenge art)

Second, the handling of the age gap in general. Some people ignore it, others use it to add to their dynamic, I think that's chill. But there is one specific fic author (and probably a few others) who wont??? Stop??? Bringing it up?? And not in a "oh snipers pretty young and spy has an adult child, that's noteable" way but in the way that Spy keeps calling him naive????? And shit???? Like you need to read it to understand. It's not even meant to read that way it's always generically fluffy

And the fluff...oh my god. I enjoy a good fluff. It's good, but sometimes it's just. Like. They kill people. They should get weird with it !! I like reading about them hugging each other and stuff, but sometimes it's a bit...idk how to put it. But they should fight each other, gayly.

And the character dynamics. You're telling me these adult killer men, who in many fanfics are written as queer, are NORMAL about their romance?? They fit traditional gender roles??? With a "strong protective" partner?? Blasphemy. They should be fighting for dominance.

Anyways sorry if this didn't make sense I have to go to sleep for my job tmmrw😭😭

GOD YEAH

I think Sniper is allowed a bit of naivety accusations but he has to earn that shit. And it needs to be obvious that despite someone ELSE calling him naive, it's not actually naivety. It's arrogance. Let him be arrogant. There lives a 16yo upstart in every man and he wakes up the second he does something someone told him 5min earlier that he didn't have the skill to do.

Idk there's been times I've been accused of naivety when actually I was just being really fucking arrogant. "Yeah I know people get hurt all the time doing this thing but I'm so good at what I do that I can't get hurt" and then I get my shit rocked into next Tuesday and it knocks me down a peg, y'know? You think you've got it all figured out and nobody can touch you until you meet a professional idiot and he beats you with experience.

But there's a balance to it, dammit. Why are we acting like Sniper picked up a rifle for the first time last week 😂

[synergysilhouette]

How "Mystery Inc." ruined the gang (and what they could've done to fix it)

Lemme just say: this series was one of the best (if not the best) Scooby Doo shows for it's storytelling, but the storytelling is also what I'm frustrated with; the gang are given personalities that I wasn't a big fan of upon rewatching, and it's a shame, since there were opportunities to explore the characters' psyches rather than having them feeling like random takes on beloved characters.

Fred Jones--I'm about to get a lot of negative attention for this, but I HATE this version of Fred. Since the 21st century (and even the late 20th century) the charming, intelligent, and sociable Fred Jones is nowehere to be seen, usually being portrayed as cocky, ignorant, or in this case, flanderized. In "Mystery Inc," Fred is socially inept, and while someone told me this may be because he was intended to be autistic, the show contradicts this in episode 6 of season 1 where he has a crisis over Daphne missing. He says "guys don't have feelings" and has this very weird sexist moment out of NOWHERE. It's never explained what made him feel this way, which is frustrating since the show did have the potential to show it. Along with this, Fred has an unhealthy obsession with traps. Like, it's not even funny; it's just annoying, especially since it was a big plot point when losing the planospheric disk. Mayor Jones--Fred's dad (no spoilers about that)--is shown to be distant from his son and discouraged Fred from solving mysteries so their town of Crystal Cove could thrive on tourism. THIS RIGHT HERE explains it: Fred's only parent figure is emotionally distant, leaving him to believe that men don't have feelings and thus shuts his out, relying on traps, something he can control and he can only blame himself for if they disappoint him. But no; it's a "kid's show" and thus the parents aren't involved unless they're directly tied to the mysteries at hand. His obsession with traps and emotional dissonance are instead reduced to quirks--annoying ones, might I add. Such a shame.

Daphne Blake--I'm ENRAGED that her main storyline was about her relationship with Fred, especially since he never feels right for her due to the aforementioned reasons. Even when he got better with acknowledging his feelings, it always felt like Daphne deserved better. But that's not what my main point. My main point is this: Daphne comes from a family of rich and successful people, including four sisters who look like her and who she has iffy relationships with (they seem either not that close or antagonistic). It makes her insecure, and her feelings for Fred strengthen in order to rebel against her family's perfect wishes for her...but we rarely see the "perfect" image take hold. Throughout various versions, Daphne has proven to have MANY skills and interests, but "Mystery Inc" doesn't capitalize on this like they should. Ideally, they would've shown that Daphne is Ms. Perfect, and that she's unsure of what she wants to do in life because she's scared of her family's reaction (remember: her dad fainted when she said she and Fred were engaged). I wanted Daphne to explore herself before falling for Fred--and I wanted Fred to be a character worth her time. This is why the series finale felt so weird, since Daphne is now successful and her sisters are underachievers, but this is never a dream Daphne expressed having.

Shaggy Rogers--Shaggy is portrayed more or less the same as all his other versions, but it's the details that make him less likeable for me. Noteably, he's been shown to have difficulty making decisions, particularly in his relationship with Velma. He allowed her to control the relationship and stressed out in order to try to keep her and Scooby happy. This is a lot of Velma's fault, but I'll get to her. With Shaggy, the show could've explained it by showcasing his confusing upbringing; his father is lenient and easygoing, while his mother is more strict and condescending, especially where Scooby is concerned. Shaggy being the loner due to a lack of social skills would've made sense since he was always worried about pleasing others and didn't want to put himself in stressful situations, as well as his deep connection with Scooby--plus Scoby isn't a normal dog; his speech, diet, and physical abilities mimic humans, so Shaggy treating him like one makes sense. And IDK how long they've known each other, but Scooby also has longevity and no health issues in sight, mimicking a human Shaggy's age.

Velma Dinkley--Just like Fred, I haven't liked her 21st century interpretations. She's frequently bitter, cruel, and insecure, with the exception of "What's New," where she's just insecure (didn't like that aspect, though). She also engages in a toxic relationship with Shaggy and devalues Scooby. Now it was confirmed by someone at some point that Velma was closeted, which led to a forceful relationship with Shaggy that she desperately tried to make work. This doesn't excuse how she treated him (did she apologize, or was it just Shaggy?), and I assume her treatment of Scooby stems from her use of logic in every situation. Once that whole "Nightmare on Elm Street" episode came out, she had a mini-breakdown about the lack of logic in a supernatural situation, which could imply she was treating Scooby like a normal dog as a coping mechanism. Again, an apology was appropriate. However, how she acted around others, similar to the rest of the gang, could and should be traced back to her parents. They LOVE the supernatural--or at least what they can monetize from it. They lie and embellish things at their job to make it more interesting, and Velma takes pleasure in exposing the truth. It makes sense that growing up with people who do business by "stretching the truth" can make one jaded and cynical about life, but again, it's never explored for Velma.

Scooby Doo--Scooby is probably the least damaged of the group in this show, imo, however my main issue with him does seem to be his inconsistency. His "dog? Where?" takes on a new meaning here, as the story is more serious and deep (except for the aforementioned issues), and they gloss over an existential crisis for Scooby: he acts like a dog one minute and a person the next. He has no worries like humans do aside from monsters and has typical dog mannerisms, but is quick to be offended or confused when people reduce him to a simple dog. While his feelings are understandable, he never sticks to them, expecting to be treated like a person whenever his feelings (or his appetite) is at stake, and a dog the other times. Given Scooby's various talents, I think it would've made more sense if he rarely ever acknowledged being a dog and audibly expressed his displeasure at not being seen as a human rather than it being a gag. It'd make him seem less contradictory and hypocritical when he's upset with Shaggy trying to spend more time with Velma than him.

[marigoldsandmischief]

hanging out with KT: part 2

so I got to hang out with @khaire-traveler again last night which is always an absolute joy and we just generally had a good time here's the recap for all the KT fans out there

I tell KT that i'm 4 mins away and their ass is standing outside going "where are you" and im like "BRO IM AROUND THE CORNER" and THEN he took another 3 minutes to come outside

we got wendys and i told him to order, he orders a cinnabon and 5 mins later when we park and I give it to him he goes "aww, you got me a cinnabon?" as if he didn't add it to the cart himself . . .

we sit and talk for some time, i show him my new tarot deck, we head back to his place

we sit in his basement and talk about all sorts of shit, but then we doing some tarot readings (IM GETTING SO GOOD GANG I WAS MOSTLY RIGHT WITH MY READINGS)

KT and I have a thing where I'll go "THE FOOL!" and open my tarot deck, and sometimes it WILL be the fool and we both giggle like maniacs

I ask KT to do a reading bc one of the readings I did from a diety felt off, and they said the same so I watched KT go "Hermes, if theres any spirits here that are gross, beat the fuck out of them, beat them to death until they stop moving" and I giggled and ddrew hermes beating spirits to death

and we go "Lord Dionysus, Lord Hermes-" and then a CAR ALARM STARTS GOING OFF so we rush upstairs to see if its my car (it wasn't) meaning this is the SECOND TIME we've done a reading with these two that some weird shit happened

the cards called my ass out hard as fuck

i forced KT to watch three DSMP animatics to explain my new tarot deck

noteable mentions : KT tried singing my tarot reading to me while I played ukulele, I said to KT "damn you a devotee of apollo and yo ass can't play an instrument?" and we both laughed, also KT said something akin to "Riding Satan's Ass" so

it's also funnny bc I make fun of KT for not listening to his gods, and then I get the same tarot reading i've gotten for 3 years and pack up the cards real fast. pains.

[sirenemale]

thoughts on current dragula season?

The way I scrambled to answer this.

anyway LOVE. I'm enjoying this season immensely. I'm glad the murder skits are back, I missed them after Titans. I think the cast is really strong, Nio, Cynthia and Fantasia are my favourites. I was only following Nio prior to the season and she's phenomenal. I'm a huge fan of the kind of body distortion, glamour monster kinda drag and she does it sooooooooooooooooo good, same with fantasia. Cynthia doll i think is just insanelyyyy fucking funny she's such a blast to watch on screen and I do love how grimed up her looks feel. I'm glad there were 2 drag kingssss, even if Jarvis and Throb didn't end up being particular favourites for me.

Erm. I do like that this show has such a clear vibe difference between seasons, both from noteable budget jumps and the Boulet's generally just playing around with the format, but I dooooo miss the energy from some of the earlier seasons. I particularly miss how they edited the floorshow's, with the backing screens to add a bit more cinema ect. Also miss the on location challenges, though I assume they had more of those in earlier seasons to accommodate for the small filming space. I think they were just really unique and fun.

I feel like Titans and this both feel just a tiny bit quiet in comparison. And there's starting to be a nit picking of branding / outfit quality which irks me. And I mean that in the most micro of micro ways I just really like the mentality Dragula has towards art and taking its monsters on their individual strengths instead of trying to squash them into a Winners mold. I don't want to see that energy dwindle you know. But it's also a really common idea on drag shows that your idea and concept needs to be immediately understood to be a good outfit. If it needs to be explained then it's failed its communication. Which I loatheeeee bc what is able to be recognized depends on the judges, who r usually running off western symbolism, association and iconography. Like that being said obviously ppl miss the mark, explain the outfit all you want if you showed up as a shark to a dog challenge then something's gone awry yknow but LMAO. It's like oh ur a crusty white dog what are you doing vs. like. you came dressed up as one of those pouch shark eggs or a loan shark and it doesn't READ as shark but it is related to a shark yk yk. I think about this a lot irt to drag and character design in general. Can you tell I'm a design student who's slightly annoyed with course work. I think about this a lot haha.

anyway that aside. Season rules. I really like the floorshow themes, I loved the 2 parter for monsters of rock. I'm hoping and assuming we'll get a dnd ep since that's another one of their constants. I'm an ep behind but I know this next one is a kaiju floorshow which I'm soooooooooo excited for.

Umm I think Matthew Lillard being a guest judge and seeming like he was bewildered to be there was fuckign awesome. Saying, you know when you say drag the first thing that comes to mind is Matthew Lillard is one of the funniesttttt guest judge lines in the show to meeee

ALSO THE AMOUNT OF TIMES THAT KOCO HAS ROCKED UP AS A SPECIAL GUEST. I LOVE YOUUUUUUUU. MOTHERRRRR. she's litearlly a third boulet to me

[personalyouko]

I'd like to add some more thoughts. I know this post is probably old but like. My hyperfixation has decided Al-an is the cutest so here we go.

Feelings and emotions are so very complicated. Several times through the conversations with Al-an I could swear rather than there being MORE colors I almost feel like there are a MIX of colors. Like how something you see may give you feelings of joy, but also sadness, because you're remembering a time long past that you can no longer get back to. Like remembering someone who has passed away whom you loved very much.

First off! I think he may have been feeling a bit sad, when he looks at Robin when he waves at her, and when she says, "You're really not in my head anymore?" Because as much as I think he's enjoying his new body, when he was in Robin's head, at least he wasn't ALONE with his thoughts. Considering the fact that his entire life was spent as part of a collective, having only one voice occupying one mind might be very sad for him. It's possible that green has more significance than I can interoperate at the moment, because I feel like it should be a very important color. Literally all their buildings are green, so it must mean a lot.

Because of the way his bio-lights are there is a possibility that green and blue are so close together it may be hard for me to tell the difference. And they may also be mixing at some points.

I think this mix is most prominent when he says "I disobeyed an order from the collective." For clear reasons. Al-an likely has A LOT of regret. And he had A LOT of time to think about this regret as well (1000 years in storage gives you a lot of time to think)

So we start with a pink shade. This might be embarrassment. It might also be shame of some sort. It changes to blue/green blue-ish green-ish or green-ish blue-ish. Which could be a mix of sadness and reflection, consideration. To the brief but noteable flash or orangy-red color. Which very clearly is anger. And going frame by frame, it almost seems like right after the orange/red his lights flash brighter for a moment, almost white in color. Perhaps he's surprised at himself for feeling angry? He doesn't seem like he feels angry very often. Al-an has always seemed mostly cool headed and gentle, curious. But there's clearly a lot of negative feelings surrounding the accident.

Right as his body is waking up is the time that it's hardest to understand what color he's letting off, because the screen quite literally has a mono-chrome black and white filter over it from Robin nearly blacking out.

There were a lot of times I feel as if certain colors were almost mixed together, or shifting partly and then back, which really does tell us that Al-an seems far more complex emotionally than he'd like us to think.

There are times when I actually wonder if Al-an isn't the greatest example of Architects as a whole. If maybe other Architects are actually more emotionally aware than he is (if they live at all). There is a PDA entry in the first game that I believe is referring to Al-an being separated from the other "Foundlings" early for special training. So it seems when he was a little baby Architect he was separated from his "Siblings" perhaps, and sent to training earlier than usual. Perhaps he missed out on some early developmental milestones because of this. I don't know. It's just a theory. Thoughts. He's currently infesting my mind with thoughts about his weird centaur alien ass. I love him.

As a bonus I'll include a picture I drew of Al-an engaging in human humor.

AL-AN’s colors

Alright so I’ve been trying to make understanding AL-AN’s colors as easy as possible for me, so I’ll start with color coding his lines in the fabricator base. I’ve decided to only use the final version of the game for this. The colors in Robin’s lines also indicate AL-AN’s color as she says them.

Before data transfer begins. Robin commences data transfer. AL-AN stretches. AL-AN: It has been some time since I last stretched out in so many dimensions. Like waking from a dream. AL-AN picks Robin up with his levitator arm. Robin: Whoa! Hey. AL-AN waves back. Robin: You’re really not in my head anymore? AL-AN: There are some remnants. (Pause.) Would you like your memories of me removed as well? Robin: Are you kidding? No way. You still owe me the end of your story. AL-AN: I told you I must return home. To assess. Repair. Make amends. Robin: Tell me more. AL-AN: When the bacteria escaped, it was my fault. I disobeyed the directive from my network. (Pause.) AL-AN stares off into space. Robin: Oh no… AL-AN turns green and teleports to the terminal. AL-AN: We noticed that a species of leviathan young produced an enzyme that is efficient against the bacteria. I thought if we incubated Sea Dragon eggs, we might expedite their hatching. I was not wrong… Robin: But… AL-AN: It would appear that Sea Dragon parents are stronger and more motivated than our facility was rated to handle. Robin: And the bacteria got out, infecting everything. How many survived the outbreak, back home? Are they still waiting for someone to bring back a cure? AL-AN: I do not know. Robin: Can I help? AL-AN: The fact that I withheld this information does not concern you? Robin: It was certainly manipulative. But I’ve also made my own share of mistakes. I’m still committed to helping. AL-AN: I accept your help. Find me at the Gate when you are ready. In te meantime, I must prepare.

The colors used are as follows: Purple Cool pink Green Warm pink with hints of orange Blue Saturated neutral to warm pink Orange

I’ll get into what I think the colors mean in a second, but first let me preface it by saying that I could have gotten some of the colors wrong as the lighting conditions change in the scene. I also want to mention that I don’t think the emotion behind a color varies from Architect to Architect. They seem to value efficiency, so having to learn the color-emotion combinations of each Architect would not be ideal. Therefore, I think this color chart applies not only to AL-AN, but to every Architect.

Purple seems to be a sort of stand-by color, as well as a color between some of the color shifts (not apparent in my color coding above). It could possibly mean there is no consciousness currently inhabiting the vessel. The in between shifts of purple could just be a product of two colors blending together as they shift from one to the other.

Cool pink seems to be a neutral color. AL-AN is not feeling any specific emotion strongly enough for it to show. It is possible that AL-AN could suppress his feelings somewhat, resulting in this neutral color.

Green seems to signify a heavier processing load and analytical thinking. He turns green as he mentions the need to assess the state of his homeworld. He turns green when he notices or remembers the terminal and what his next step for now is. What’s perplexing is that he turns green when stretching too, but this could be explained by the fact that AL-AN is getting reacquainted with an Architect vessel after having been in storage and in Robin’s mind for a long time. He is also waking up the facility from what seems to be a low power mode as well as powering on the robotic arms. I believe this would need some processing power. Furthermore, it does make sense that Architects would predominantly use green in their work in this case as they seem to value information and knowledge.

Warm pink with hints of orange gives me the impression of fondness and companionship. He turns this color when first looking at and interacting with Robin in his new body, before the weight of his past mistakes crashes into him again as he tells her his story.

Blue looks to me like joy or possibly amusement. He turns this color when waving back and when Robin speaks to him. He could be happy just for that, or perhaps because he is happy he is no longer limited to her cerebral cortex and can now start making real progress in returning to his home and making amends.

Saturated pink could mean embarrassment. It makes sense when applied to the part where he talks about the accident being his fault. The embarrassment he feels after waving back and hearing Robin ask if he’s really not in her head anymore could be because he does not know what the gesture means, that he’s a bit embarrassed by the awed reaction from Robin, because there is a bit of an awkward silence at that moment, or because of the fond and joyful feelings he’s having at the moment. And then he’s only feeling embarrassment as he talks about what he thought was his foolproof solution regarding the incubation of the Sea Dragon eggs. He remains embarrassed from there on out—for not knowing the extent of the damage he caused back home, for withholding crucial information about him. It could be a reason for wanting some space from Robin, telling her to meet him at the Gate when she’s ready. Though perhaps he simply needs time to prepare or is only giving Robin time to prepare and his suggestion is unrelated to his embarrassment.

Orange seems like anger. He turns orange after admitting that he disobeyed the directive from his network, which he is probably angry with himself for. Orange shows up only once in this entire scene for a very brief amount of time, and I feel it makes sense in case it does signify anger, as AL-AN does not come across as someone who is easy to anger.

This is how I interpreted his colors anyhow. Some emotions we didn’t get to see being represented by a color, like sadness, grief, fear, and love, or perhaps I am simply wrong in my assessment. It’s possible these emotions have their own colors, but will need to exist outside of canon.

TL;DR Purple — Stand-by. No consciousness inhabiting the vessel. Cool pink — Neutral. Green — Processing. Analyzing. Warm pink with hints of orange — Fondness. Companionship. Blue — Joy. Amusement. Saturated neutral to warm pink — Embarrassment. Orange — Anger.

[linuxgamenews]

Exploring the Everyday Inconveniences of the Detective Genre with Little Problems

Little Problems is a more relatable but cozy detective game coming to Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Posh Cat Studios' creative brilliance shines through in their work, captivating audiences with its unique charm. Due to make its way onto Steam in 2024. I'm always looking for unique Linux title that break the mold. That's why I have a genuine interest in Little Problems by Playstack and Posh Cat. In a world where high-stakes, complex stories dominate, this title is a breath of fresh air. What catches my attention about Little Problems is its focus on the smaller, more relatable aspects of detective work. It's not every day you find a title that zooms in on everyday inconveniences and misunderstandings. This approach feels more down-to-earth and, in a way, more engaging than the usual fare. The game, drawing inspiration from "The Case of the Golden Idol," promises to offer a different kind of challenge. Since it's not about the usual save the world heroics. Instead, it's about the subtle art of learning and resolving everyday issues. This focus on Little Problems makes the title stand out. It's due to the creativity and unique way of thinking of Posh Cat, and Playstack's focus on diverse gaming experiences.

The Developer of Little Problems

Harvey Elliott, the CEO of Playstack, hit the nail on the head when he talked about targeting a broad audience. Little Problems seems perfectly real to appeal to those who like a good mystery. But also offers a warmer, more intimate setting. It's a pleasure to see a title that focuses on connection and figuring out daily life's nuances. Such as connecting with your friends, and learning to find joy in the simple resolution. The gaming landscape needs more titles like Little Problems. They enrich gaming by offering something that's not only fun but also relatable and uplifting. The fact that a demo is on the horizon, and you can Wishlist on Steam, only adds to its recognition. Little Problems is shaping up to be a unique and engaging title. It's not just a game; it's a reflection of the small, noteable moments that make up our daily lives. It's about enriching our world one little problem at a time, and I'm all for it. Keep an eye out for this one. Due to make its way onto Linux, Mac, and Windows PC.

[wifediaries]

Hi there mimi! I have something of a WSIW request, there's an open day for a university I want to attend next year and I really want to wear something nice and cute! My style inspo is very eclectic bvhvjjv I love the model off duty look, the 2000s video vixens, the new bimbo aesthetic on tiktok, gyaru, 60s London mod girl, Cher horowitz, y2k/mc bling, 90s models, and I won't lie I do have something of a fondness for the coquette look, obviously that's a lot to choose from so just pick whatever would be easiest for you! I will say that I'm loving turtlenecks right now and I'm looking to study fashion and possibly law but idk yet

hiya!

of course i can, that’s super exciting! i think i have some ideas for you.

WSIW: OPEN DAY

‧̍̊·̊‧̥°̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥‧̥·̊‧̍̊ ♡ °̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥ ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ °̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥ ♡ ‧̍̊·̊‧̥°̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥‧̥·̊‧

so given the description you supplied, a look immediately jumped to mind. at the mention of you love for turtlenecks, and incorporating a 60s chic with 90s model, and model off duty with a girly and elegant flair — try something like this.

instantly — it’s timeless, simple and classy whilst remaining girly and academic leaning. as you can see for each outfit i have given you choices for shoes depending on how dressed up you feel comfortable with. the gogo boots would really nail the 60s aesthetic down, and whilst the outfit is something simple you’d see on a 90s model, it’s a staple that transcends through many eras of fashion. to pair with little baby pink flats would push more of a coquette look which you’ve made it clear you’re impartial to. this outfit can be adapted with tights or high socks (with certain shoes) if you’re going on a colder day! this is my number one recommendation for you, however i will leave you some other options to pick from if this isn’t your cup of tea.

adapting a cher horowitz style look can be super easy and is sure to look girly and academic! if you’re looking to mix your styles this is perfect, as a sweatervest over a blouse has been popular for decades— but is especially noteable on cher on a few occasions throughout the clueless movie. pink tartan is a must in any 90s/00s loving girly girl wardrobe. if you really want to be like cher, a pair of white mary janes will add a dainty and feminine, bordering on coquette look to any outfit, but if you’re doing lots of walking and you’re not accustomed to wearing something lifted, white brogues or pink converse will do you perfectly!

if you’re not looking to show a more academic side and want to indulge in your personal style instead, the modern bimbo-core look is super adaptable and easy to achieve. this is personally how i dress, and i find it to be fun, flirty and attracts positive attention and treatment wherever i go. the colour combination i see the most in this field is white and pink, but if you’re more of a black and pink type of girl— that’s totally interchangeable. this type of style often is seen paired with some kind of platform shoe, but it’s not a must! this also looks cute with a sneaker or girly flat. my top tip for this is adding any kind of sanrio merchandise to your accessories! whether it be a hello kitty hanging off your necklace, a plushie key ring attached to your bag, or if you have any hello kitty printed item that’s even better.

finally, to make sure all options are covered— to sate your request for a classic y2k / video vixen type of look, i have one word for you: camo! when done tastefully, camouflage can give you that perfect music video girl from the 2000s look! paired with low waisted jeans and gold jewellery you’re sure to reserve your spot as the university it girl. to ensure you’re giving vixen and not fashion faux pas, ensure the camo placement is that of a tube top, or a mini skirt with a white tank top. this way it’s clear you’re meant to be giving y2k, and not army soldier. a baggy camo t-shirt will NOT do!

i wish you the best luck with your university endeavours! i’m sure you will look beautiful regardless of what you wear!

Mimi 💗

[neon-danger]

Well when you have time I would love to hear about the love triangle of Modern Love

Okay so

Alex

/ \

Jack Lisa

(Jack is “Stacy” obviously)

The song is clearly about the “divorce” we are so sure was gonna happen last year “what would your mother say” (“chasing the high, living the lie just like your parents did”) (‘you’ is alex until the chorus when he goes back to first person)

So the verses are more in reference to the past and I think they’re in second person to show a sense of disassociation (sleepwalking core)

And then they go back to first person in the chorus to add a sense of feeling “alive” again

This is where I start picking all apart specific lyrics and looking like this guy

“Some killer queen” is clearly a Queen reference and also Alex is dressed like Walmart Elton John both artists are notably queer

“Those are the boys, these are the girls, don’t matter anyway” is bi somehow idk how it just is

“Choking on infatuation” feels like choking is supposed to actually be taken literally idk why it just does which is giving blowjob sorry not sorry

“You’re obsessed with drugs and dating” Jack has said many times he prefers casual sex, and for a while he was known as the band’s token druggie

“Round and round and round we go” is a circles reference (Lisa vibes)

“Nobody laughs after the honeymoon” unhappy marriage?? 👁️👄👁️

“Out of the red and into the blue” is most likely about the anger leaving and turning to sadness/despair but red and blue are also the Token Gay Colors (red gay or blue gay—see ‘klance’, for example) so like…. Noteable mention I guess

“Chasing the high or living the lie” 👁️👄👁️ Homie this is such Sagittarius energy and it’s giving He Doesn’t Want To Be With His Wife because it’s Not As Entertaining As Something More Toxic (drugs and dating)

The bridge of the song is a ‘meltdown’ where he ultimately chooses being alone is easier

But the last few lines are like “love fucking sucks but I miss it” or something

[forthegothicheroine]

Hi! You seem like someone who takes perfume very seriously and so I thought you might be a good person to ask. Do you have any suggestions for how to go about finding a new perfume? The one I’ve worn for a decade was recently discontinued and I’m looking for something to replace it, but perfume is so pricy im anxious about committing to any purchase. And as I read the descriptions of different perfumes, im really not sure how to interpret them (they’re as opaque as wine descriptions to me haha). Do you have any suggestions for perfume beginners/people looking for a new everyday scent? Thank you!

Sure! I started with the company Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, where I got a pack of samples to tell what kind of scents I wanted. You obviously don't have to start with that company, but samples are a good way to to get a sense of what you like; many companies offer them, or you can order a bunch of ones from different places on websites like The Perfumed Court. (Which actually has some pre-made sample sets of popular scents like roses, sandalwood, etc.) 

Lists of notes in perfumes are not always helpful, but if you look up your previous favorite perfume on the website Fragrantica, it should tell you what the main note is- vanilla? Lime? Wisteria? If you know you like that scent, you can look on websites for it, or even google "Best [scent note] fragrances."

Perfumes are often annoyingly expensive! If there's one you like but can't afford, The Perfumed Court may sell decants (some of that perfume transferred into a smaller bottle) or you may be able to find it discounted on ebay. (Ebay sometimes also has saved discontinued scents.)

Optional but fun: books and blogs! The book Scent and Subversion is a good rundown of noteable perfumes by decade, some of which are still manufactured and some of which you can find old bottles of online. I also enjoy the blogs Now Smell This and Bois de Jasmine, which have reviews and reflections.

Followers, add on your suggestions as well!

[bred-crumbs]

Hmm. Something I would like to bring up with Jade, Jake, Roxy, and Dirk, is that honestly I think their perception of gender is very much effected by their isolation. With Jake of course he has for more of an external influence than the rest of the three because of the sheer amount of movies he watches, but it's still something where only having the influence of Hollywood and not having people around him, his idea of gender is very much based in those movies. Funny enough I think one of the reasons where I think he would be okay with his chest is because of those absolutely shredded actors where they have massive pecs. To him having a chest, mixed with his muscle structure, is just like the guys in the movie he looks up to.

Then we look over to Jade and Jade is someone where her only external influence of gender is some stuff online and the paintings upon paintings of women that her grandfather kept. I think this, mixed with her autism, makes her feel very isolated from any sense of "feminity" because she isn't curvy and she doesn't have perfect hair or anything. I think Jade Harley has a disconnect from the gender binary and I think her isolation generally adds to this.

Then with Roxy and Dirk, the total destruction of society as they know it gives them the chance to have their own version of what gender is. I think that if you asked them what being a guy was and what being a girl was they would give you fundamentally "wrong" answers. They have built their identities, and ideas of identity, in reflections of shadows. When you are the only two people in the world left, your idea of social constructs are going to be different than what they were back when there were people to enforce them.

(btw of course the autism effects more than just Jade's gender, it effects all four's genders. I just felt it was incredibly noteable for Jade)

HOO OK TIME TO TRY TO ANSWER THIS ONE AGAIN

Honestly I don’t tend to primarily think of jake as a trans man but I really love this hc, and yeah he was far more affected specifically by movie media and it’s tropes than any of the alpha kids and it’s interesting how much it’s built into his character and gender. Like for me his idolization of femme fatale characters and girl characters in general is huge on why I hc him as transfemme/nonbinary, there’s just so many ways to interpret him along with the media he like

🤝 Somebody said it ty, no matter how u see jade that gender can autistic 🤝

Ok the thing with dirk and roxy is Jesus is gender perception warped, building your ideas about identity based on what little knowledge remains about a dead culture you were never apart of is rough to say the least. I love to interpret them as transmasc and transfemme respectfully bc they took what they looked up to from a era they were never part of and tried they’re best to imitate it even if it came out somewhat wonky traditionally. They’re hanging on by thread to something they can’t experience but still have to attempt to fit in with its culture, but they’re def still trying to do it their own way

[buraidragon]

I got the go-ahead let’s fucking goooooo-- Ok so this is gonna be hella disorganized and under a read more as I’m about to go the fuck off and I got an actual fever rn. So to start! General Cephalon Cy HCs!

General| -From his quotes alone, Cy seems to have a hand in a type of battle-philosophy that he holds as something true to apply to living in general. I think this philosophy also reeks of ages of being honed as well, hence why Cy says a lot of his “Meditation” lines as more facts than suggestions. -This Cephalon is no-nonsense when it comes to ship maintenance and repairs. If he sees you not fully securing a thing expect a dock in pay and mandatory two weeks of retraining. -The above is related to his definite (at least) PTSD regarding being forced to let his last crew die. If he can over-prepare a Railjack excursion he can and will as damn it, no one should ever fail to make it back home again. -Despite this the man is a softy under the coarse outer shell. Much like a crab if you get past the chitin he will dote on you. In ye olde mass RP things, he has a second-in-command, Tira, who he makes sure gets all the rest she needs to keep doing a good job. He also has a soft spot for the one Ex-Kuva Lich of Glace’s that became a mechanic. He always makes sure they have Cyborg-friendly Coffee on hand. (It has built in lubricants for partially to full artificial throats. Just translates to ‘extra creamy despite no cream’ coffee that can cause mild stomach aches to those with pure meat stomachs.)

Oh Look HCs About Pre-Cephalon Days| -Cy’s name is a bit of a shift from regular Cephalon naming schemes despite still following them. For example, Ordis is two parts of Ordan Karris. Cy is just. His initials. Cadogan Yvo, roughly meaning battle-glory eternal. -Cadogan is from the Yvo clan, one of the oldest mercantile/mercenary groups pre Orokin-Consolidation (Just before the Old War broke out in full.) The Yvo clan lived on Uranus, on the endless stormy seas of that planet. And yes, they had a vaguely piratey accent. -The Yvos still used wooden ships. Mostly. They were also master ship-wrights from arguable centuries living on Uranus towards their ends, so some of them could ‘sail’ through multiple ‘mediums’. One of the more noteable ships was the Kraken, one of the few-made Tri-medium ships. Decently armored, this thing could swim through water, air, and space. It did need a hand to get off the planet, but once off, it could sail and land planetside again when needed. -Yvos also used assorted reptiles as ratters, as due to their planet they were easier to maintain than animals such as Kavats. Uranus is naturally humid, and the Yvos already needed to import/make heat and UVB lamps due to the distance from the sun. It wasn’t that hard at all to add on mulch or shred old papers to make bedding for cage-only ones. -This means that Cadogan, even as Cy, is very fucking weak to baby snakes. You present this man with a newly-hatched hognose he’ll call it a baby boop noodle and dote all over it with the old Yvo accent out in full force. -Still staying on the snake topic, Cy had several pets when he was forced to serve as an Orokin Admiral. (think a similar contract to Ordan’s. Help us and we won’t kill your clan.) There were ten snakes in total, most of them rescues from when Orokin Culture decided snakes were an ‘in’ animal for fashion. -He had five red-sided garter snakes named Ich, Ni, San, Yon, and Go. They were called the fang siblings as he found them in a dumpster curled inside a fake Kubrow skull when wee babies. He had two Dasypeltis Scaraba, common egg-eater snakes, named Omellette and Hardboiled. They were both rejects from a breeding program. Hardboiled because she wasn’t pure gold in the scales, and Omellette because his white-and-gold colouration had a few black scales and was thus undesirables by the Orokin who commissioned their creations. He had a scaleless rat-snake named Chilipepper because he was a very spicy noodle. Little shit loved biting things for the sake of biting. Was in the ‘to euthanize’ pile with his egg-eaters because he was scaleless. There’s also the one Wester Diamondback Rattlesnake that was literally thrown in his face ‘cause he was well known as “That one Conscripted Admiral who showed up to a meeting with fives snakes in his hair once.” Hot Animals (venomous) were in at the time, and this one Orokin nearly died because they thought ‘oh I can just de-fang/venom this snake and it’ll be fiiiine.’ The snake, Warrior, disagreed. Darn near killed that Orokin as they were far from the red Kuva when bit. She’s down a fang, but lived a healthy life after getting yote in Cy’s face. Lastly, there’s Cy’s dearest snake. Sir Reginald, a red-tailed boa constrictor. She was a gift from his niece, Luna Yvo, before he was sent off to Lua to work as an admiral. Sir Reginald is one mildly spoiled and also very lucky snake. More often than not, when in his office, Sir Reginald had free-roam rights. She often ended up draped around his shoulders being a massive, gregarious, slightly stupid boop noodle. (She tried to eat a rock once. Cy had to drag it out carefully.) -Ok snake time over. Cy has a fake arm! As Cadogan, one time an Orokin civilian transport ship he was on got a hole in the hull. To prevent explosive decompression, Cadogan just shoved his left arm in the hole. The space exposure rendered all of it below mid-humerus dead and useless. Cadogan just asked the medics to lop the whole arm off as it’d be easier to get a better attatchment that way. (Seeing how non-chalant about loosing an arm he was, the Orokin medics actually listened to him.) The accident also gave him lichtenburg fractures down his left side as whooops, there was also a live wire there and Cadogan better conductor than space. -This man cannot fight in close-range worth a damn. He always manages to trip over his own feet. In exchange, he is an incredibly skilled sniper, and good with guns in general. -Cadogan died not too long after the Orokin moved to consolidate their power by axing off the few not-Orokin states that still existed and could cause problems to them in the future. (See, Ordan’s clan getting massacred after his last stand would most certainly have been the starting point needed to get the other ‘undesirables’ out of the way.) Because he’s just That Type Of Asshole, Ballas found ye olde petty reason to get his clan in trouble, and when Cadogan realized he wasn’t getting out of this alive he tried to deck the Executor in the face. That... backfired. He died from an cloaked Ivara arrow through the back of his throat. Was revived as Cephalon Cy not long afterwards, and was a key player in finally ending the rebellion that the Yvo clan had sparked with a few others on the principle of “We’re not going down without a fight.” Current Cephalonhood HCs|

-This man is VERY GAY. Especially towards Ordis/Ordan in the massive RP stuff that sparked like all of the above headcannons. Problem is he’s also as dense as a walnut when it comes to realizing romance. Ordis/Ordan literally had to smooch him to make Cy realise “Oh fuck I love him.” -Cephalon Restrains slowly break down over time without maintenance. After one particularly bad sleep cycle that required Ordis coming into his space to shatter the remaining shackles, Cy remembered being Cadogan.  -As such, he’s used to using a more human look when interacting with his staff/ new found family. (Ordis, his three kids, the numerous frame cousins, adopted other folks, and small army of pets and sentient proxies.) He looks mostly like he does when human. Over six feet tall, salt-and-pepper hair, decently built. His eyes are now his Cephalon-form’s red, and his prosthetic arm is no longer a shitty ‘we don’t care about you’ Orokin one. Cy rocks a deep red with silver accents Atlas Prime arm now. -No matter what appearance, Cy has a presence he can’t fully turn off. It demands your respect and your attention, but not in a “I will hurt you if you don’t” way, in a “I have been through so much shit I have EARNED this.” way. -The man is still fucking weak towards snakes. Glace somehow brought back a gravid false-water cobra that laid her eggs right in the orbiter’s incubator and basically babytalked the snakes once they emerged from their shells. He made sure that they found a good home with Suda and her agents over Simaris. -Cy smells of sea salt, a pinch of lightning, and also reptiles. -The man still has no feet for melee fighting. He tries, but the past three times have somehow ended up with the weapon he was using going through his body. One of these weapons was a motherwrench-skinned Jat-Kittag. -Due to someone fucking up a Translation Jump, Cy somehow ended up being dragged into a Warlock Pact with Wally. (That also spread to Ordis.) This lets him, well, mainfest a void body in meatspace as his human appearance. Most of the time he just uses this to get the good coffee from the Drydock breakrooms, or help out with repairs/singing shanties with the rest of drydock staff.  -This Void-Manifestation is reactive to extreme temperatures. As he manifested in real space to make sure Glace’s Railjack wouldn’t melt after getting them and their two sibs to Phergasa, upon returning to a recently-liberated Larunda drydock the man was radiating heat like a miniature star and didn’t stop until he poured a whole barrel of liquid nitrogen over himself. -He has no idea what to think of the Lotus. All he has is old recordings and Tenno/Tenno-affiliate hearsay to go off of. OK! Cy stuff over for now. Yareli Umbra time! -Yareli Umbra is Luna Yvo. In part because I wanted Cy to still have his Niece-Basically-Daughter, but also because the idea of turning “The Last Pirate King of Sol” into a magical moe moe girl is fucking hilarious. Moreso because Luna actually adores cute shit, just doesn’t act on it because gruff pirate lady. -Luna went out Laughing at Ballas. Kuva flooding her veins, only speeding her towards death thanks to a poison drunk before the last suicidal assault from Javi’s group of geneticists. Ballas revived her as a Warframe to keep trying to claw information regarding her last plans out of her. Transference bolt+Kuva Compulsion poison= no answers, but much pain for Luna. -Mad he couldn’t get answers, Ballas made Luna-Yareli basically children’s entertainment/propaganda machine. -Somehow befriended the Entrati Grandma. I don’t know how yet. Being adorable during a ‘show’ while fuming with rage internally the entire time? -Anywhoo Entrati Grandma wanted to sew some chaos as she’s just That Kind of Lady. As such, managed to get her hands on a temporary blocker and gave it to Luna.  -Luna promptly fucked off back to Uranus with a stolen cryo-pod and hid in the safest place she knew that would not get the few remnants of Yvo-plus-others in trouble: Inside a Uranus Kraken’s den. -It was, in fact, a different Yareli that the Ventkids worship. Luna was in cryo on Uranus. -Woke up before TNW, battered, barely holding together from pure spite. Threatened Glace with their life, my idiot Tenno managed to sneak out and Transfer into her, finding a very tired, battered, broken and lonely human under a single strand of Cy-red kelp. -Nowadays, Yareli Umbra is registered as one of Glace’s frames, but really works for her Uncle as head of Security alongside a few operatorless, awake frames. Wears Yvo Red and Silver with pride, unless working with Glace, where it’s their Deep Blues and Golds. -Bros with Shih, Glace’s Trans Hydroid. The two are a terror in co-op trick-taking card games.

BONUS STUFF! TNW Shenanigans!| -Cy, Luna, and a handful of Drydock staff managed to make off with several Railjacks to Deimos. -Cy and Luna agreed to hold out and jab thorns in the side of Narmer for as long as they could. Yvos refuse to go down without a fight. -They managed to get a good chunk of refugees that end up there from pure desperation. At one point, Kela de Thaym and most of her executioners showed up. They agreed to work together on the “Enemy of my Enemy” principle. Kela ended up leading boarding crews, alongside her executioners that made it unveiled off of Sedna. Luna lead the smaller ships, Cy lead the larger ones, each playing to their strength. Couldn’t really do shit against the Archons, but the Deimos Resistance managed to be a constant thorn in Narmer’s side. They still are, even if Kela and her lot have fucked back off to Sedna. -Having a base on Deimos lead to an... interesting ship being created. Called The Great Maw, It’s a mix of Helminth, broken Grineer Frigates, and assorted civilian ship scrap. Living for itself, the beasty took actual bites out of Narmer ships for prisoner rescues/supply theft. Nowadays it’s taking a well-deserved nap by the Orcus relay, occasionally Translating to Void-Proxima to get a meal out of the ships there.  -Kermerros helped out with medical as best he could. Kaelli provided fish parts to assist where she could. -Lavos frames were especially good at medical. Being able to transmute flesh led to being able to replace limbs with new ones, even if they were off-coloured due to being made from helminth flesh and Deimos resources. Organs were harder as it was much more difficult to nullify grey strain infestation chances.