#soooo many examples came to mind

[meinkatzchen]

I saw these lovely scarfs on pinterest and thought it'd be cool to see ren and mist in them. Also if it's not to much of a odd question, dose mist have a favourite plush too??

(also hope your okay and doing well too mein!!)

THIS IS SOOOO CUTE!!-`♡´-`♡´- I wanted to draw something wintery and here it is :3

Mist would definitely take a red scarf, it's her favorite color, Ren will then get the yellow scarf ₊˚⊹ᰔ

Ohhh, actually, while I was drawing this scene, so many ideas for "normal life" AU came to my mind. For example, Mist has never seen snow before, she was born in a place where there is no winter, so walking through snowy Canada with Ren would be amazing for her. But cat-girl also doesn't handle the cold as well as the heat, so fox-boy could carry something like a thermos of warm tea or take-away coffee for her, as a caring gesture to warm her up -`♡´-

As for her favorite plush, I think she really likes different plush bunnies and kittens, they are just so cute and fluffy!

Since we're talking about "normal life", I'll answer this question right away too.

This is a difficult question and I would like to believe that everything could be fine for them, that they, for example, would somehow escape or Strade would simply die, and they would be found, sent to therapy with specialists, but…I don't know- I can imagine their normal life within the AU, yes. But…the human psyche is a very delicate mechanism and some breakdowns in it can be suppressed, driven deep into the subconscious, but if some trigger happens, everything will burst out again and cause even more damage. I'm not trying to say that it is impossible to cure victims after kidnapping and violence, but it could be lifelong treatment, including going to a psychologist, taking medication, a lot of support from relatives and friends. But I still want to believe that they would have their own chance for a happy ending, even if their therapy lasted the rest of their lives.

[yanderedrabbles]

I just came across your blog and just wanted to say hi, so...hi, hello :) How are you? Hope you're taking care of yourself and hydrating properly!

If you don't mind me asking, is there any advice you can give me as someone who struggles with writer's block and wants to get into the yandere community by writing fics/ocs and stuff?

~ 🐇 (I didn't see that this bunny emoji was taken, but if it is, I'll change it ^^)

Got writer's block? The yanderedrabbles literary agency is here to help - whether you want us to or not.

ooh, writer's block is the worst. Over the years, I've assembled a kit to help me get through it. It includes advice I've picked up from fellow authors, from books on writing, and things I've generally figured out. Specifically catered to my particular brand of procrastination and keyboard related head banging.

Not every step will work for you, but I'd say they're all worth trying!

Step 1: Figure out what's causing the block. Tricky, I know. But there's definitely a reason behind it, and solving the issue means finding the root. Do you feel paralysed by perfection, not wanting to write because you don't want to fail? Is your idea bank running on empty? Do you feel like your work just isn't good enough? Are you tired or burnt out? For most, it's usually a combination of factors. Identify and address issue accordingly.

Step 2: Write badly. No, seriously. Give yourself permission to sit down and write the worst piece of literature to ever grace this good, green earth. Because you know what? You can always fix it later. And at least you'll have something to improve upon, rather than yet another blank document that stares at you like an accusation. This goes for my perfectionists especially. Your first draft is supposed to be awful! That's why it's the first! Just get those words down and fix them later. Will you have to delete huge swathes? Probably. But the stuff you're left with will be worth the effort, I promise you.

Step 3: Randomness as Genesis. This is my go to when the mental treasury cuts funding and my idea bank is on the verge of bankruptcy. There are soooo many ways to go about it.

The first method is to use a random word generator and build off that. It's tricky at first, but as you train yourself to think like a writer, you'll find ideas coming from even the most mundane things. Here are some examples:

"Hairdresser?" Ooh, a small town mystery where the local stylist notices something strange about her latest client. "Scissors?" A goodwill employee comes across a pair of vintage garden sheers that contain a strange power. "Heater?" It's winter and your shoddy old heater has finally given up. There's a blizzard blowing in and no one to turn to for help besides your mysterious and reclusive neighbour.

In the same vein, use a random title generator and base your story off that. [Or as it's more commonly known, the Val Lewton method].

The third option is a template. I usually create about three to five categories - character type, conflict, setting, genre - and list as many things I can think of. And then, I use a number generator to randomly choose one or two ideas from each category.

In practice, I end up with prompts like "captain of the guard, age gap, fantasy, revenge." It's up to me to come up with a story based off that. And in this case, I did! Those prompts were the basis of my upcoming Yandere Captain of the Guard x Princess Reader fic.

I got this idea from the James Scott Bell Start-A-Plot machine. I can drop both the JSB method and mine if you guys are interested.

Step 4: Freeflow. One of my fave methods. Sit down and write the longest sentence you can manage. Ramble. No punctuation. Let your character monologue as much as they want. It's a writing exercise that I'm particularly fond of to get into a flow state and warm up. Also! It's a great way to get into your character's head and really nail down that sense of voice.

Step 5: Multimedia inspiration. Pinterest boards. Playlists. Your favourite books. Your favourite movies. Fairytales. Take something you love and add a modifier onto it. In the case of yandere cyberpunk fairytales, I decided to take classic fairytales and reinterpret them through a cyberpunk and pulp noir style. But that's barely scratching the surface. Change the time period, change the character types, change the genre. There's no shortage of ideas when you know where to look.

Step 6: Sleep on it! Or better yet, walk it out. Y'know those tiktoks where someone is talking about smashing their daily step count because they were day dreaming? Yep, that's about to be you. We all daydream, and we do it all the time. On commutes, during boring meetings, waiting in line. The key is to note down all those day dreams and turn them into stories. No matter how over the top or self indulgent, they're worth keeping.

Writers obsess over their work. I cannot tell you how many times I read over a fic before I even think of publishing it. That's great for editing, but when you've been over the same piece of media half a dozen times, it starts to loose its magic. When your work feels like the ugliest piece of text to ever exist, more often than not it's the fatigue talking. I suggest letting your work sit for a little while before reviewing/editing. Coming in with fresh eyes changes so much. You'll be surprised by how different your work feels once you've let it breathe a little.

Step 7: Do something light to push through it. This right here is the real secret sauce. I think a lot of writer's block comes from the fear of failure. What if I suck? What if I'm the worst author since the guy who wrote about space zebras with lazer guns?

Especially when you're working on something that you've already put a ton of effort into. There's this innate desire to succeed that becomes paralysing.

The solution to that is to step away and work on something fun and easy and low stakes. Something you're not afraid of messing up. In my case, the yandere movie week reviews are a fun, lighthearted shift away from my regular posting styles. In addition, short drabbles like this and this almost always break me out of my slumps.

Fun and low stakes. It's gets those writing muscles flexing again and before you know it, you're ready to dive back into your magnum opus.

There you have it! The methods I use to break through the writer's block. And just remember, if its your calling, then it will keep calling. Don't beat yourself up for taking time off from writing. That time away might be what finally inspires you and sets all the right pieces clicking into place.

Writer's block is a reality for just about everyone who's ever put pen to paper or gorgeous, manicured fingers to keyboard. You aren't alone in wanting to punch the screen until sentences start forming. But we all get through it eventually. Take care of yourself, read what you love and hammer at those keys until they give in. That's all there is to it. Love ya, and happy writing 😘

[astro-royale]

OBSERVATIONS:11🦢🦢🦢

Disclaimer: my opinion

Taurus placements can get really caught up in unhealthy habits or just may find it very hard to break out of patterns in general. They’re super stubborn and life usually has to teach them interesting lessons for them to acknowledge that they’re on the wrong path.

Neptune on the rising or conjuct can give a very ungrounded “leaf in the wind” kind of vibe to a person, or ethereal if it is actualised lol

Brad Pitt and Marilyn Monroe both have cancer in their north node… know that he was one of the producers which directed the Marilyn Monroe movie which came out with Ana de Armas.

Heavy Aries in the chart can give someone a rebellious or “bad girl/boy” look and vibe. Rihanna is such a good example of the Aries archetype, she has Aries as her moon, rising and venus.

12th house synastry sounds A LOT like the description of “twin flame” connection

I think many sugar babies can have prominent Leo, Cancer and Taurus placements

I’ve also noticed that Scorpio risings don’t mind being a bit “risqué” online

Gemini risings are soooo free spirited bro just look at Pamela Anderson

Sagittarius 12th house people may be drawn to psychedelics or travelling to other countries specifically to do rituals which open up their unconscious mind.

THAT’s all today folks, but guess what,

If you’re a beginner in astrology or know someone who wants to get into it I’ve made a beginner series on the houses on my YT channel .

They’re in short format and very digestible and easy to understand and it’s great for anyone who wants to have a rough idea.

I have created a playlist with them “The houses in astrology- shorts”

Consider sharing it and checking it out if that sounds like something you or someone you know may need ;)

[mannatea]

now that i'm back from vacation i'm literally soooo ripe for running my mouth again

looove that post about the fic-to-original pipeline tendencies that i don't need to repeat here because we know what fandom and what ship and every trope most of the popular serial-numbers-filed-off novels sprang from. i didn't wanna add my big fat two cents to that post because i'm truly a nobody but it won't stop me from screeching into the void on my own tumblr post lmao.

it's no secret that most of these stories worked as "file the serial numbers off" novels because the original fanfic work was wildly out of character (He Would Not Fucking Say That to the nth degree), an AU completely disconnected to the characters (There's Really Nothing Left of Your Blorbos*), and the author's greatest weakness is actually writing consistent or even interesting characterization.

*for example: the canon features a character who comes from extreme hardship and poverty but then the AU fic-turned-novel pops up and that character is living better than my DINK ass in a wildly more expensive area with zero explanation. that's not even close to the same character! and that's not even going into how their voice doesn't even sound close.

(call me bitter if you want since all my original publications are in various states of disarray, but it's actually a lot more complicated than iwishthatwereme.jpg, primarily because I do not wish that were me.)

ANYWAY, what i wanted to say, besides just agreeing with literally every word of that post, is that there's something interesting to think about with regards to the in between stories where the (probably an) AU fic is so well-done and well-characterized in a way that feels accurate to the canon and/or to the new situation the characters are in that you literally can't just file the serial numbers off and publish it.

this is hard to explain in a way that makes sense because most of these are big AUs and on paper should be fully publishable by filing off the serial numbers. however, they were written with the canon in mind—and are entrenched in it to the degree that filing off the serial numbers just doesn't feel like enough of a departure from the canon for the author to feel comfortable doing the bare minimum to make it "publishable."

and like, maybe technically you can still file off the serial numbers, because who is going to recognize your srpg blorbos in a sweeping drama taking place during the french revolution lol, but as a Writer Who Gives a Shit, the connections to the original work are SO SO HARD TO IGNORE and for the story to be fairly reinvented as original fiction, those connections have to be reexamined and, at times, reframed. or, you know, deleted entirely (and then you have a domino effect to contend with).

sure, no random person is going to connect the long modern au i wrote with kender in 2013 to fire emblem 7's pegasus sisters, let alone see hector, eliwood, ninian, and So Many More in the story...but i know that most of the dynamics were based on fe7 blorbos. i know where the $20,000.00 check concept came from—not to mention all that juicy power dynamic drama. and i don't think i'd be super comfortable just changing the names in that story and then publishing it with a cursory edit.

i'm not saying that specific work can't be turned into original fiction (it definitely could be done), but because it exists in that in between space of being based more securely off of canonical elements/characterization/ideas, it's not as easy or simple as just changing the goddamn names.

the work involved in making an in between fanfic publishable original fiction is INSANE most of the time, especially if you want to (in good faith) be able to direct fandom followers that way. like anyone who knows me and knows i've written hundreds of fe7 fics would clock that modern AU instantly if i only changed the names. sure, the story's still pretty original (it features a lot of elements not seen in the games at all) but if you know me and then see me writing a story that revolves around three sisters you'd be like Things That Make You Go Hmm.

for the record, i don't think this is a bad thing in the sense that I fully believe it's fine to be inspired by other works even heavily (The Lion King/Hamlet, for example, or Demon Copperhead/David Copperfield), but i think intent matters here! only changing the names when the original was so earnestly a fanfiction feels lazy.

fwiw, i'd argue most people who are even remotely normal about fanfic and original fiction, or at least consider themselves Serious Writers Who Care About Their Image/Integrity recognize the massive effort involved to rewrite an entire AU fanfic as serviceable original fiction.

it's a ton of work and, i'd argue, rarely worth it**.

**ymmv on this though

again, i could fine tune that fe7 modern au into an original story SO easily by changing the names and doing line edits, but i think the story and the characters deserve more effort from me than that because if i'm going to invest myself in turning fanfic into original work, i refuse to take shortcuts.

and it's SOOOOOO wild to me that so many people just literally do not care and do the bare minimum...but wilder still that they make good money doing it. (which, to be fair, i don't blame them for doing. it's obviously working for the people who never had a fanfic phase and have money to spend.) however, in this instance...i don't believe in "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

to be clear, do whatever you want! i just can't fathom putting in less than the bare minimum effort for published fiction but i'm curious about how other people feel about this. the publishing industry is so fucked up and shitty right now with the state of self pub and authors having to do all their marketing even in a lot of traditional publishing situations, so maybe i'm an idiot over here sitting on a goldmine since i have the ability to churn out nonsense stupid AUs constantly and could very easily have original fiction pieces due to that if i cared less about the quality of my work (and cared less about separating it from the source material).

like, is it me? am i maybe the dumbass?

[gigidragonbbxxx]

lil twist on the "movie star role"/"memoir method" for visualizing a dream life - another suggested method for the manifesting hotties

spoiler: this may help you figure out what techniques are right for you!

disclaimer: remember that these methods and techniques are just tools to get your mind saturated with thinking in your favor, stay grounded in the basics of the law and have fun with the varied tools!

I love the "movie star role" method. For those who don't know, it's a lil visualization technique where manifesting baddies act as if they're preparing to play the role of X. So if you want to be your SP's girlfriend, they "prep" for the role by living in the end state of already being SP's girlfriend. This includes embodying the attitude, saying affirmations like "I love being in a committed relationship" or "SP changed soooo much to gain my trust. We're so happy now!". Some baddies take a step further and apply it to their self-concept (this is genius btw) and begin saying affirmations like "I'm so beautiful and unforgettable, it is really not that surprising he came back begging for me. Giving him a chance was only fair with how much he groveled!"

Now, enter the "memoir method". This is usually a scripting technique but give Gigi a sec to explain! There are many variations of this method but it's essentially writing the reality you want to happen and putting the date in the future aka the deadline you wanna experience this by. Most encourage baddies to write in the past tense like "I'm so grateful I received enough money to cover my vacation, my bonuses keep increasing."

Now enter Gigi's lil twist on these methods - COMBINE THEM INTO WHAT I LIKE TO CALL:

The Interview Method

Imagine being interviewed by other loass baddies asking you "How did you achieve this?"

Visualize your dream self, the ultimate version of you that would warrant this type of attention and the answers that version of you would give.

Imagine an older Beyonce giving the "tell all" interview of a lifetime - THAT LEVEL OF HYPE.

Gigi's example:

I know I look glamorous and ageless. My skin is smooth and clear, my hair is long, inky black, blown out and curled. My body looks like an advertisement for hourglasses. The dress I'm wearing is flattering, accentuating my curves. I'm as sexy as I am elegant. The interviewer looks on with eagerness, practically spilling over with admiration.

"The Law of Assumption girlies wanna know Gigi, how the hell did you get results like this? Hollywood actresses would get insecure being in the same room as you! What are your methods? What's your daily routine?"

Now this is where the spoiler comes in! WHAT COMES TO MIND IMMEDIATELY? WHAT METHODS WOULD YOUR DREAM SELF LIKE?

bc guess what reader? all the answers are within you. your job is to let them out. coax them out with these exercises. feel empowered.

if your first reaction is: Idk Gigi. I don't know what methods work for me.

My answer to that is: then this technique is not for you. This method favors the baddies who are more familiar with the different modalities of manifesting. I encourage you to go and explore different things. Try them out. See which ones you like and then circle back to this and think about which ones resonated with you.

I encourage you to write it out. Script it as you visualize.

My own experience:

From this method I learned that my subconscious viewed my dream self as someone who was very disciplined and consistent. So I started to include these in my daily affirmations (I am disciplined, etc.). I realized that my dream self would let this quality seep into every facet of her life. I'm big into makeup and skincare so I thought, my dream self would probably affirm out loud or in her mind as she looked in the mirror and did her routine.

then the lil interviewer popped up in my head: "What happens on the days you don't feel well enough to do your routine?"

My mind (thinking in its favor) immediately went: that's rare that I don't have the discipline to stick to my routine so if I'm sick or in an emergency, I would just do a basic routine and play an affirmation tape.

I came to the conclusion that Dream Self would

be reliable

come across as intelligent - immediately

pride herself on good self-care

have a healthy relationship with SP

have friends who knew the law and would be encouraging

be calm and have a calm energy bc she knows everything is in her favor

be seen as a caring, beautiful, deep soul with much to give

never be taken for granted

always be spoiled by life - wealthy in finance and health

I also reversed this method: what would my Dream Self NOT do?

Dream Self wouldn't

talk badly about herself

put others down

get bothered by the 3D

surround herself with people who have limiting thoughts

be lazy

think that the worst would happen to her

This is the type of inner convo I want more loass baddies to have with themselves because it's important to be clear WITHIN yourself what you WANT.

and remember to have fun. Include questions about the silliest things like your favorite lipstick or fav playlist or opinions about dumb tv shows. One of my favorite visualizations is me telling the interviewer that I watched all of Sex and the City and that I vowed to never be a Carrie LOL.

okay, happy manifesting loass baddies!!

xx, gigi

[myfairkatiecat]

hello ‘tis I 😊

I have strong (and negative) feelings about the MBS show. I think that almost everything they did and changed was a betrayal of the books. So I’m curious as to why you like it! (No hate at all, I think parts of it were good, I’m just curious)

Okay so. I really like the MBS books, and I really like the show, but boy oh boy are those different pieces of media! And they should be treated as such. If someone turns on the MBS tv show looking for an adaptation of the books, they will be sorely disappointed! Initially, that was me. “What do you mean curtain has no wheelchair and sunglasses and narcoleptic seizures we’ll only recognize were that later??” Katie asked herself, and if she had continued in this mindset, she would have probably thrown something at the tv when season two came on with its entirely different plot that was pulled out of thin air.

What’s charming to me about the MBS show is hard to place. It might be the way the whimsical nature of the books was captured so well, or perhaps the extremely loveable main characters. I came to love the changes after a while, but I had to start seeing them as different.

For example, I’ll only ever find obstinate two-year-old Constance at the library or bookstore. However, sarcastic Russian 10-year-old Constance lives in the google drive of pirated tmbs episodes, and I love her just as much!

And the brotherly betrayal?? I’m a sucker for that stuff! Having Mr. Benedict already know he had a twin, having lingering guilt about being the one to be adopted, was a twist I actually really appreciated. I think I actually prefer show Benedict brothers dynamic to the one in the book! However, they’re different things, both of which I enjoy reading about.

If you look at each Curtain under a magnifying glass, you’ll find that Book Curtain and Nathaniel Benedict are very different beneath the surface (far more different than we can even see! Which is saying something! Because there are a lot of visible differences!) and this changes each villain’s motivations and complexity as a character. (What do you mean there’s too many show Benedict brothers fanfics on my ao3? Whaaaat…..) for example! The happiness thing from season two! Him wanting his brother to believe he is a good person and only getting worse and worse while trying!!! *loses my mind*

It’s an enjoyable plot line, it’s just not what’s in the MBS books.

Also!! SQ being Curtain’s adopted kid who is an artist! It’s a different character from book SQ, yes, but he’s fascinating! And the dynamic there! I love book SQ, and I can still read about him, so I don’t give up that character by finding enjoyment in this other one, if you get what I mean.

Martina in the show? The tetherball obsession? Her budding friendship with Kate and the way she doesn’t feel like anyone gets her AGDKDHSJSHD listen book Martina is also awesome and super interesting, but this Martina is too, even though she’s different. She’s not a bad different, she’s a different different!

Honestly? The characterizations make me want to hug that show soooo tightly. Reynie is so endearing. Sticky is so relatable. Kate is so fun, even with her difference from her book self, and so is Constance! Mr. Benedict is lively and quirky, Rhonda and Number Two are distinct characters with lots of interesting traits, SQ (loses mind) and Dr. Garrison is such an interesting villain, especially once she breaks apart from Curtain. And the implication that Milligan worked with Curtain willingly before his memories were wiped in this universe?? No that’s not what was written in the books, but it’s in the show and it’s fascinating.

I love that show. I love its resemblance to the books I love and the nostalgic moments that remind me of that book series. But I also love its unique plot and character dynamics. It’s just… different!

Honestly, things that aren’t faithful to the book are kinda hit or miss (Percy Jackson movies being a huge miss!) but this show maintained the spirit of the book with a new and enjoyable plot line! I got to be on the edge of my seat again, not knowing what was going to happen. Instead of seeing character dynamics I knew I enjoyed play out in front of me on a screen (which I also would have liked to see, don’t get me wrong), I got to see new character dynamics I hadn’t already explored, also deeply fascinating!

I think watching and enjoying the MBS show requires letting go of elements of the MBS books, in a way, in order to enjoy what the writers did with it. The MBS books are still there, with the same characters and setting and dynamics, and I’ll always love them, but the show gives me a new thing to love as well! In the end it’s a universe I enjoy playing with dolls in, and the show gave me some new dolls to play with!

[cinnamonest]

I know nothing about Persona let alone Goro Akechi but after reading the bsf and yan profile post I want to give this man a hug (and my tits). His story seems so sad ;-; and he's so pretty and for what?? 💢

Honestly, as much as I enjoy genshin I never truly found it to have any meaningful or extremely well written characters (which is not a bad thing, I just can't take them seriously when they all look like that lmao). All credit to making me think twice about them goes to writers and artists in the fandom. So the change in content feels soooooo nice. Made me appreciate your writing in another way

I've heard about Persona a LOT for years, but I didn't have a huge drive to play it until your liveposting (p.s I love the LP so much) and especially the posts with that one insane policeman guy who is a loser (affectionate, also giving him my pussy). Any recs? 😅

HE IS MY BABY BOY you're so right he is so pretty 😖😖😖 Akechi is genuinely an excellently written character, and Persona 5 Royal is one of the few games I think fully deserves to be so hyped as it is.

Tbh I think the problem genshin and similar games has is that there's so many characters, you have to essentially go out of your way to dig into lore to get anything beyond surface level from them. This happens a lot in series with lots of characters — like with Danganronpa for example, your experience of a lot of characters completely changes upon playing their free time events. A lot of genshin characters get very little screen time on the main story, so all their characterization is in their quests, lines, and character profile content. Which to be fair, with a game of this nature that's kinda the only way to really do it, so, I'm just glad they give us that extra content tbh. I've played some gachas that would introduce new characters but give very little beyond a design and name which is kinda sad when you want to know more about the lil guy you're playing with.

But AAAAAAAAAAAAAA thank you so much anon I am going to ramble here, but I'll put a tl;dr at the bottom!

Soooo if you want to get into Persona, I'd recommend the series in a certain order with some notes. There's 5 main entries in the series and a lot of spinoffs.

A word of advice in general with marathoning a game series: with any series it's a good idea to play in order of chronological and thus technological progression, especially if you intend to play the series back to back, otherwise going from a more recent game to an older one can damper your experience due to the decrease in graphical quality, gameplay smoothness, and general content quantity.

However for this series, the ideal order to play really depends on the factors of 1) which version of Persona 3 you choose to play, and 2) if you want to play Persona 1 & 2.

Regarding Persona 1 and 2: These are some of those games where your enjoyment will strongly depend on whether or not you're a person who is okay with some of the frustrations, limitations and slowness/jankiness common to old games (they came out between 1996-1999). I know some people don't mind or see it as a sort of vintage charm, while others get very frustrated with that — if you're the latter, I'd recommend saving yourself the frustration and skipping them, but if you like old games or have a high tolerance for jankiness, you could start here. I will also say that, even amongst the vintage/90s games fan crowd, P2 is definitely more popular and considered better than P1. It's also much better on the aforementioned issues.

Also, unless you have an original PlayStation or PSP, you'll have to emulate these.

Regarding Persona 3: there's several versions — the original came out in like 2006, then there was a remake version called P3 FES which added an epilogue (which is being added to the recent remake soon anyway), then a PSP remake called Persona 3 Portable (which has ports on modern consoles), then the most recent remake, Persona 3 Reload, came out just a few months ago in 2024.

Obviously the newest remake has vastly improved graphics and added lots of gameplay content. However, one of the biggest differences is that P3 Portable had the option to play as a female protagonist — this altered a lot of aspects of the game and is exclusive to that version (which has disappointed a lot of people hoping she'd be in the 2024 remake), so you can't play as her if you play Reload (unless, I believe, you play PC, there's a volunteer team currently making a mod for her).

Personally, I bought P3 Reload, and couldn't get into it, so I dropped it. Then I bought P3P on a whim and LOVE it so far. Getting to play as the girl protagonist makes a massive difference in my opinion, and more than compensates for the older graphics/gameplay. It's not just the romance routes either, her dialogue options, interactions, music, and overall vibe is different enough that it changes the feel of the story.

It really depends on what you value more — 2024-tier visual quality/gameplay and the epilogue, versus the Female Protagonist experience, so just pick which you prefer.

For the order thing, if you choose to play P3P (or the original/FES for whatever reason), I'd start here, but if you want to play Reload, I'd play it either last or just before P5 Royal.

Moving on, Persona 4: Golden and Persona 5: Royal are both the definitive editions of their respective games. They're remakes of the originals with a lot of added content, and unlike Persona 3, there's no reason to play the older versions over these. Notably their themes/vibes are kinda opposite of each other (big city world-scale societal rebellion versus small rural town murder mystery), I wouldn't say either story is better or worse, they're not really comparable and more a matter of personal taste.

As for the stories, admittedly if you've read my posts, you've essentially already been spoiled on the identity of the killers, but honestly it's still worth experiencing the story, there's multiple big plot twists before and after the reveals regarding Akechi/Adachi.

I would play Persona 5 Royal last, largely because it's widely considered the best entry to the series and is by far the longest. However if you only intend to play one game, it should definitely be P5 Royal. The only real flaw to P5 is it's much easier than previous games.

From here, there's a few more spinoff games, whether or not you want to play them really just depends on if you enjoy the genre. There's a bit of lore in some of them but nothing critical.

Dancing All Night/Starlight/Moonlight - dancing rhythm games

Arena Ultimax - fighting game, acts as an epilogue to P3&4

Persona Q 1&2

These are Nintendo DS spinoffs with chibi style art. I haven't played these and admittedly don't know much about them, I think they're dungeon crawler genre? It's popular for the aspect of which it involves the characters of the different main games, so you get to see them interact with each other.

The downside is that these games are oddly expensive, I think because there weren't too many copies. I intend to get them eventually.

Persona 5 Tactica/Strikers:

These are P5 spinoffs that put the cast in alternate stories, strikers is the closest to a true sequel from my understanding, tactica is more of a dungeon-crawler. I didn't get them because Akechi isn't in strikers and is just minor dlc for tactica.

The Phantom X

This is upcoming I believe, it's going to be a mobile game with a new cast.

The TL;DR of my advice:

- Play P2 only if you're into vintage gaming

- Play P1 only if you're REALLY into vintage gaming

- Play Persona 3 Portable if you really value the female protagonist/male character romance experience, otherwise play Persona 3 Reload

- If you play the original Persona 3, FES, or P3 Portable: start with that, then P4 Golden, then P5 Royal

- If you play Persona 3 Reload: play P4 Golden FIRST, then both P5 Royal and P3 Reload in either order.

- Play the spinoffs just based on what type of games you like, if any.

[sophia-sol]

a meme that's been going around! I have been tagged by various ppl, and please do it too if you want to!

below the cut: answers to 20 questions about being a fic writer

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

If we're just looking at the fanfic, I'm at 50. Dang that is many!

2. What's your total ao3 word count?

Currently at 114,681!

3. What are your top five fics by kudos?

truth can find the strangest home, svsss moshang (923 kudos)

If love is what you're after, inception arthur/eames (685 kudos)

revelations from a layover flight, svsss cumplane (231 kudos)

habitat, behaviour, svsss bingqiu (195 kudos)

as free as my hair, mcu steve & bucky (163 kudos)

4. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently: mxtx's three books are on constant rotation in my head and have been for several years. This is by far the most fic I have ever written for a fandom!

5. Do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I do try to! But sometimes I forget, or get overwhelmed, and then all of a sudden it's been years and it feels a bit late! I'm much better at it in recent years, at least, than I was in the early 2010s.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hmmm I think when I go for non-happy endings they're usually more bittersweet than angsty… like, for example, "I know what that song means now" (mdzs, jyl/jzx), where the viewpoint character is satisfied with her choices and priorities but narrative doom is hanging over her. And I have several other fics too with the impending threat of narrative doom as the main closing emotion.

For a different approach I also have "promises" (cremation of sam mcgee), but that's creepy rather than angsty.

I really don't think I have written any fics with a specifically angsty ending!

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think the most uncomplicatedly happy ending would be either "habitat, behaviour" (svsss, bingqiu), or "bodies, talking" (mdzs, jyl/jzx), both of which have endings focused on basking in the ways a good relationship with a partner who understands your needs can be so fulfilling.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have gotten occasional complaints but never straight up hate, so far! At least, that I can remember, lol. Sometimes a bad memory is helpful!

9. Do you write smut?

Sometimes! When it suits the needs of the fic I feel moved to write. It can be a really fun aspect of a character or relationship to explore!

10. Do you write crossovers?

I used to be a lot more into crossovers when I was younger. These days there's a much higher bar to clear for me to be into a crossover idea. The last crossover I wrote was in 2014!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Other than the inevitable LLM bot scraping, not that I'm aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I vaguely recall having been asked once or twice, but I don't think anything ever came of it.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

I did occasionally, in long ago days, but I haven't cowritten in many years at this point.

14. What's your all time favourite ship?

Too hard to answer! I refuse!!! How am I supposed to choose between so many amazing ships!

15. What's the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

The wangxian telepathic bond. Longing sigh….

16. What are your writing strengths?

Vibes, themes, characters.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Plot, fast-paced action or adventure, snappy conversations, that kind of thing.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I think there are contexts where it can be an effective choice to include untranslated dialogue, and I think that I'm not qualified to write the kinds of fic where it would be an effective choice.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

As far as I am aware, the fairy tale Cinderella, when I was about 8 years old.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Look, my fave is usually whatever I've most recently finished! Because it's what's been occupying my mind the most! Soooo it's either my yet-unposted jingyi fic (just needs me to figure out how to implement an improvement suggested by my beta), or my mxtx remix fic (won't be revealed till April 18, and won't be revealed as being by me until April 25)! So you don't get to read either of them yet. But SOON!

[glindalesbian]

TUP #askgame

Tup is crazy thank you sadie

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending? 

like absolutely yes but I'm struggling to think of an example because everything coming to mind just IS characterization, not my headcanons. hmmmmmmm. I mean I guess one of the simplest is like I do often have hard and fast feelings about a character's sexuality, not always ofc sometimes I'm flexible on things but for example glinda wicked is a LESBIAN she is a L E S B I A N and i am not taking questions at this time!!!!!!

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

this one is FUN okay.

-First fandom I thought of was Stranger Things but this is actually a hard one for me to pick a favorite for because I ADORE the ensemble cast, it would truly be easier to list characters who aren't my favorite. Ultimately, I think I have to go with Eleven as my absolute girl, I love love love her and she makes me cry. I think she is such a fun character because she's like weird and alien and strange and she wants to be loved SO badly she wants to feel safe and cared for and loved and protected, and she has so much love to GIVE in spite of how long she was denied all those things. And she's powerful and scary and awesome. I love a lot of things about her. Shoutouts to my other faves Nancy and Robin, Nancy is truly another all-timer for me I LOVE her character, Robin would be an all-timer if they had kept her characterization from s3 instead of kinda butchering her in s4 <3

-I cannot stop thinking about Sybil Crawley from Downton Abbey in relation to this question so i think i HAVE to mention her. Downton came to me in an era of my life where seeing this cool rebellious forward thinking young woman who was also extremely beautiful and wore beautiful historical costumes and had a sweet forbidden romance storyline REALLY hit for me <3

-Obligatory supernatural mention, another fandom that has soooo many amazing characters it's truly difficult to pick a favorite. I'm torn between the obvious (dean), my fave recurring character (crowley!!!!!!), and some favorite minor characters (charlie, bela). Uhm so all of them i guess. Dean is my truest FAVORITE character from the show because he's The Guy but Crowley is kind of like the Rachel specialty from the show. Uhm hashtag drowley girl. Idk man dean winchester hunts monsters and postures as a super macho guy that's never vulnerable and yet we see how much he cares about kids, how gentle he can be with them and with other people around him, how deeply he loves, his goofy silly sense of humor, his intense moral code and what it takes to break it, IDK MANNNNNN there's a reason so many of us boiled our brains from in the fall of 2020 through the winter of 2021.

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

WELL SO. I JUST WATCHED THE SKULLS (2000) AND I FEEL EVERY FANDOM SHOULD HAVE A SKULLS (2000) AU. Which is to say what if we were in a shadowy secret society at our ivy league school and we were assigned as soulmates and we got locked in a crazy chamber for the explicit purpose of sharing our secrets with each other. and we're both boys.

Send me more letters!

[dangermousie]

Here is a list of cdrama actors who I used to avoid watching at all costs that I changed my mind about after watching them be good in something - an incomplete list since I am sure I am forgetting people. (I won’t make a kdrama one because I only had like three MLs on it in terms of working actors and no FLs and two of MLs come off it by now)

Hu Yitian - the most wooden block to ever block thought I. And then saw the 1930s pilot epic Defying the Storm.

Ju Jingyi - never thought she was capable of any impression until Chinese Paladin 4

Dylan Wang - probably the biggest example on this list. I remember mocking whoever was insane enough to cast him in LBFAD. And then I had to eat all of those words.

Zhang Jingyi - I was so appalled by her acting in Fall in Love that I decided to skip anything she was ever in from then on. And then I watched L&P because I had the first ep downloaded on my phone and nothing else available and went aaaaa!!! I adore her now.

Deng Wei - he was background noise in so many dramas; it’s not that I disliked him per se, he just didn’t register. And then I watched LYF1 and he ended up being so good and playing arguably my favorite male cdrama character of the year.

Yang Zi - before all the howls start, yes she’s a huge A-list star in a ton of beloved dramas. And I adored her so much in Battle of Changsha (which is a masterpiece btw, go watch!) The problem is I didn’t enjoy her in anything since and Changsha was in 2013. To me it felt she was just coasting and then…LYF1 - my fave female character of the year hands down and she was soooo good! In fact, an OTP portrayed by her and Deng Wei, were my OTP of the year and if someone told me that before summer, I’d have checked them for concussion.

Joseph Zeng - I thought he couldn’t act much but in retrospect nobody could have performed well in the horrifying dramas I first saw him in (that one with Li Landi is guaranteed to induce a stroke in anyone) and then I saw Heroes and went bzuuuuhhhh and everything I’ve seen him in since he was good.

Zhang Zhehan - until Word of Honor. And then we all know how that went.

Wu Lei - ok this is an odd duck on the list because even when I didn’t like him, I couldn’t deny he was a solid actor. I just loathed his miscasting in TLB so much - he was visually all wrong and there was zero chemistry with DD and honestly he was so boring to watch on screen. So after that drama I went I guess he’s growing into a bad actor, huh? And then came LLTG and it turned that TLB was an aberration not a trend.

Then there are a couple of actors where I admit they are wooden as hell but I find them so good to look at I don’t care - Yukee Chen and Alan Yu. Some actors who I used to love but who I shudder when I see cast now (Peng Xiaoran is a great example), and of course the remaining Hall of You Are a Pretty Tree Plant Yourself Far From Me - Cheng Xiao, Yang Chaoye, Fan Cheng Cheng, Gulinazha, Yang Yang, the no longer working Zheng Shuang, Neo Hu, Ao Ruipeng, Wang Churan, Chen Duling (tho I have some small hope for Wang Churan and ARP if they get a good enough director and YCY was watchable in Heroes so if she gets a miracle director like Li Muge you never know. And CDL is an odd duck where I don’t think she has much range or is likable as a heroine but she mostly picks roles where she’s 90% rbf and it works so keep trucking!)

[andthebubbles]

biiiig biiiiiig ramble about canberra under the cut (plus some 2025 and 2004 comparison pics of the war memorial!!)

iiii was gonna write a post about canberra immediately after coming back from canberra but i was soooo tired, not because it was particularly tiring but i use these ~going away~ trips as a way to get back on my own timezone lol

so. i did enjoy it!! also i felt the need to write about it when i came back (as i said) but after going to jindy and thredbo i didn't feel the need. that's interesting i guess. not sure what it means

so i have liked canberra for a while but this is the first time besides when school took us that i stayed there for a couple of nights (the rest of the time it was day trips... i don't know how many times i've been to canberra but in the day trips years it was about once a year, or once every two years)

eta: on this note, ever since the M8 link opened... wow it takes me 2h 35m to get to the outskirts of canberra now. that's insane!! that's like how long it takes to get to bathurst. canberra's very firmly ~day trip material now, i think. and i would drive bathurst in one go (and have done before, though it was in the big car so i was a bit smashed by the time i got there lol (it's loud)) so... yeah canberra could be ~in one go~ too now

i love that it's small lmao, because that means you can leave it faster HAHA. sydney on the other hand can be SUCH a slog, esp if you're going south. south-west is best for me now. but omg, so wild to see all those houses popping up at spring farm when before that hill was just farmland... in fact i didn't even notice them the last time i passed them in dec on the way back from jindy, so did they really just pop up between then and feb...?

anyway, other things i like about canberra: the traffic lmao there's hardly any. esp on sunday 5pm, heading down to woden on parkes way and then tuggers way... so little traffic!! insane. sydney feels jampacked all the fucking time

i love that i'm starting to learn canberra in terms of roads/routes after being there a few days

as an aside, i haven't been to belco in years. huh

another thing i like/always makes me laugh: LANE ONE FORM

and as for a thing i don't like: having to do LANE ONE FORM but you both have to signal

another thing i don't like: some of these junctions would absolutely fucking suck if canberra had sydney levels of traffic. there's a lil parking space next to the lake on parkes way, and the exit back onto it is actually awful, like, ~break your neck~ kinda awful, because it's like a sorta on-ramp, but there's no space to speed up, so basically it's just a turn left and you have to look backwards for it. it should just be a 90 deg normal turn left

interesting to see also how chill people are when it comes to crossing intersections/going into a roundabout. like, i'm talking... huge gaps/giving way a lot. idk how to say this actually. but if you drive south-west sydney particularly bankstown (and probably other areas too but idk about it), around a roundabout, it's like, every gap and opportunity is just taken, and you can get honked if you're dawdling. so. idk this is not really a ~it's bad/good~ re what canberra drivers/traffic is doing, it's like, sleepy country town type things, which i don't mind, but i think as canberra's population increases those gaps will come down

on another topic. i've noticed that in some cases the cost of restaurant food is like, pre-covid sydney prices. v nice lmao

we didn't eat out anywhere! we were thinking of doing it. but it didn't happen. just ate breakfast and dinner at the airbnb, and snacked for lunch. i feel like all the travelling we've done to non-city places has just prepped us for... not going out to eat for example/having everything we need. also i just really like planning and executing the plan lol (like our first day there was just food shopping, which is what i'll do again when we go to adaminaby, which only has a general store haha)

speaking of which. i did enjoy the farmers market on saturday... think it's called capital region farmers market. i wish i took a pic of the name of the bread stall because that bread is NOM. and the spicy chorizo was from the wagga meat people. i like that (obv) when you go to diff places the food comes from diff/local places

anyway, for the touristy things... wow the museum was SO much (and not even all the exhibits were open (i think two? were closed for reno skjfng)). and the war memorial was one of my fave places when they took us there in high school, and it was still very good. but we consciously made the decision to only do WWI, and come back for the rest later (maybe even in stages because there's so much) because the big room at the back is closed for reno and i LOVE that room

I SAW THE CENTURION ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BUILDING OUTSIIIIIIDE YAAAAS. i wish they didn't put it (and the other two) on a pedestal, because it would've been cool to stand next to it and see how big it really is. the other two things was ... well, an armoured car (like an EBR in wot lol) and the other thing was idk. both had a top speed of 100kmh, but the centurion's top speed is 35kmh. seeing it did make me want to get it in wot though

there were some tanks in the WWI section too (a british one not in wot, and a french one that is, or something similar/like it (eta: actually i think i may have confused this 'memory' with seeing the photo of it from 2004 haha)), and then we had a veryyyyy quick look at the start of the WWII section because TANK. they had one in the entry area and i recognised it as italian before looking at the info card thing heh. and they also had some cool cars/trucks. the truck wheels were massive

(i found my photos of the war memorial i took in 2004 when the school took us there and lol i was taking photos of the same kinds of things as i was taking now)

anyway, re fyshwick, i like that (what seems to be) everything is in the same area. i finally bought a fridge!!! (on sale, even :3) because i wanted to buy and bring home frozen sausage rolls from the three mills bakery haha. also it'll just be really good for long trips. it's like my fave thing i bought on this trip :3 it's a kings 20L fridge, and we just ran it off the cigarette lighter. it seems to turn off when the engine turns off, which is cool actually, because at least you know it's not draining your battery. i still took out the plug though just in case

alsooo because i was dissatisfied with the mugs at the airbnb (i'm very picky with mugs) and because i was intending to buy this particular one for AGES (and also their tentworld is ALSO at fyshwick, whereas in sydney tentworld and 4wd supacentre are not remotely in the same location...), iiiii finally got a bamboo mug. wow i love it. it's 600ml and just really nice to hold and i can't wait to go away again and use it lol. (also i finally got campfire gloves from there... like, fuck it, i wasn't sure if it was the best one to buy so i stalled on it for like 6 months but now i'm like. just fucking buy it)

anyway. didn't get to go to see the bonsais at the arboretum because by that point we had the fridge (being a freezer) in the car and the parking lot basically has no shade. btw the fridge is really good. it managed to reach -18C after a while~ (i set it to -20C)

onnnn the last day we went to bungendore (a slight detour before going home) to check out the woodwork art gallery thing. wow that was really good. lmao if you want to buy something it's so expensive. but some pieces were really really lovely. i have photos lmao

actually i should go through the photos i took and see if i wanna add anything to this post. maybe add some pics too. hm. (i actually still haven't gone through all the pics from jindy/thredbo)

btw, one regret from this trip is that I DIDN'T GET TO BUY A SOFT TOY, i didn't see any that i like

OH, and, not really a regret, but the pompeii exhibit at the museum is not worth $25. the first half was good (that bread!! the plaster... cast? of the people...) and the eruption sound/video is good, but the second half was mostly videos and like. i could watch that at home on youtube. so, yeah, i'd say the exhibit is not worth going

eta the BREAD:

the gift shop had some nice stuff but it was almost certainly all overpriced, and also, i feel like your 20s are about buying things without reservation, and now in your 30s i'm like "do i really need that fancy teacup, it is very beautiful but i'll use it like once and then it'll just collect dust"... and so i take a pic of it instead hahfjg

mmkay gonna check what pics i have now and maybe add some

btw after getting an airbnb with no nice view out the window (i didn't even go onto the balcony lol i forgot), i have decided that i'm gonna try to always get a nice view. esp since i try to travel in the off-season. we had a lovely one at jindy and a shite one in canberra, so yeah, you feel it. i mean it doesn't really MATTER but it's also like, why NOT, if it's available and about the same price

as an aside, people seem to get up earlier at jindy, i guess for obvious reasons. even on a weekend. but mm canberra civic is just a very sleepy city. SO much quieter than sydney lol. i guess this would be one cbd where i would stay (like, if i would live there), but also... perhaps not

okay photossss:

rainbow roundabout:

canberra centre got an upgrade since i last saw it:

old bus depot markets - these were cool, ESP the train (the wheels move and the stick thing connecting them also moved!! lmao what is terminology):

canberra being very canberra:

entry to the free part of the museum:

so this is a (and i quote) "telstra payphone damaged when bushfires swept through cobargo, southern nsw, on 31 december 2019"

this is called "unsustainable thirst (by frank thirion 2003)" (they're made of salt):

in pre-covid times i would've touched this lol:

massive fucking lift:

i find the stories fascinating:

the museum gift shop had some nice stuff:

war memorial! (this is the next day)

and!!!!!!!!!! this one is from 2004:

I THINK IT'S SO COOL THAT I CAN DO COMPARISONS

2025:

2004:

2025:

2004:

2025:

2004:

2025:

2004:

2025:

2004:

i thought this was cool! (2025 ofc, but i guess you can tell because it's not blurry lol (iirc in 2004 i had a kodak and i just set it on auto because i didn't know how to use the other modes/set the shutter speed to something not blurry for handheld))

oh i have to make a new post/reblog this because only 30 images in a post!! okay one sec

[imunbreakabledude]

maevelena marriage counseling, #1

hello; one of many scenarios that plagues my mind with these characters is imagining them in couple's therapy together. i have this snippets going in my head often, but they are very talk-y and don't necessarily have the cohesion or narrative drive to comprise a proper Fanfiction story, at least the way I like to write them. but after at least one (1) person expressing interest, I've decided to share some of them here on tumblr, in a very informal format. also as an exercise in sharing things and not overthinking or being a perfectionist. thus, these snippets are solely in dialogue form, and not too deep. technically, these are set in the aftermath of my long post-s3-maeve fic, so there may be slight spoilers for that story. anyways, here you go!

Maeve (hereafter “M”) and Elena (hereafer “E”) sit next to one another on their couch, queueing up a video appointment with Elena’s longtime therapist, Constance Alvarez (better known as “Connie,” herefter “C”).

E: Hi, Connie. Thank you so much for being open to this.

C: It’s my pleasure. I must say, it’s a bit exciting to finally meet your partner…

E: (a little giddy) my wife.

M: Hi there. Maeve, but you knew that. I’ve heard plenty about you too.

C: Oh? Good things I hope…

E: of course. … I’m so excited. This is so great. I’ve wanted to do this for years… and Maeve finallllly agreed… as a wedding gift.

M: Right. So, let’s get this done.

C: You seem a bit uncomfortable.

M: I’m not.

E: she’s a little nervous, because it’s her first time doing therapy.

M: well, I’m not, and also, it’s not. Let’s just get to whatever we’re supposed to talk about.

C: Well, is there anything you’d like to talk about?

(Maeve looks to Elena, expectantly.)

E: Go ahead.

M: what do you mean, go ahead? This was your idea, what did you want to do therapy about? Whatever it is I did that upset you, just get it out there so we can go over it and be done.

E: That’s not what this is about. It’s not a punishment.

M: It’s not?

C: Maeve, it sounds like you’ve had some negative experiences with therapy in the past.

M: not exactly positive, no.

C: would you mind telling me what happened?

E: Yeah, when did you even go to therapy?

M: Every few years, Vought had mandated “wellness checks” with the Seven. Which were basically just a show of how much they cared about the mental health of all their ‘assets’, started after that poor bastard Jetpack offed himself by flying into the stratosphere… Plus, every time I was in rehab, mandatory sessions. Each time some different quack. First guy who promised he was soooo good at keeping secrets from all the celebrity patients he had, proved it by giving examples…

E: you don’t have to worry about that, now. You can trust Connie. She’s been keeping your secrets for almost a decade now.

M: Of course. I appreciate that. You seem nice, and highly qualified, and I appreciate that you’ve helped Elena a lot. I just don’t really see the point.

E: it’s to—

C: Elena, if you wouldn’t mind. … Maeve, I’m curious as to why you came here, if you don’t see any point to it.

M: Elena asked me to.

C: Is that all?

M: I know it’s supposed to be helpful, or something. But I don’t get the point of paying you $150 an hour just to sit here and talk to us or make us talk to each other.

E: maeve!

M: I’m sorry. That sounded rude, and I didn’t mean it that way. The money isn’t an issue and I’m sure you’re worth it… I’ve certainly been paid more money to do stupider things. I mean, stupid things. What you do isn’t...(Connie bemused, unaffected) What I mean is, I don’t get why now, after we’ve already got so good at the honesty thing, why we need some paid referee.

E: she’s not here to be a referee. And this isn’t a band-aid.

M: then why are we here? People do marriage therapy when their marriage is failing.

E: that’s not true. Lots of couples do it on a regular basis, just to keep things smooth and ease any potential sore spots before they get too bad.

M: name one.

E: Isa and Antonio.

M: fuck, they DO have an incredible marriage…

E: It’s not that I wanted therapy because our relationship is doing badly, it’s that… we’re strong lately, and I want to stay that way. So I think it’s good if we talk…

M: but we talk all the time.

E: but having someone else here to offer new perspectives… it’s… you just have to give it a chance and see. I remember I was just as reluctant as you at the start…

C: that’s true.

E: but working with Connie has helped so much. And it’s a huge factor in me being able to be in this strong relationship with you… and has made me feel so much better as an individual… and I want that for you too. I know you think this is your wedding present to me, but it’s my wedding present to you, too.

M: So? … I’m here, aren’t I?

C: Yes, you are. … And one thing Elena didn’t mention, about my role here, is that if you aren’t feeling anything in particular you want to bring up, I’m here to get the ball rolling. So let’s start with something nice. How does it feel to be married?

M: Good.

E: Definitely.

(They grab hands, smiling. A bit too long…)

C: Does anything feel different now, than it did before you officially tied the knot?

E: I suppose, technically, no. But the commitment. Even if it’s symbolic, it feels good. Don’t have to worry that she’s gonna end things again. (Laughs)

M: (sarcastic) Okay.

C: What was that?

M: Hm? Nothing, just, I agree. It’s good to be committed.

E: No… You, like, scoffed. (She gives Maeve a look. The look that says, don’t bother saying you didn’t! … and Maeve relents.)

M: I just think it’s funny, you talking about me like I’m gonna ditch out on you, when I wasn’t the one who broke off our engagement…

E: It wasn’t serious, it was just a joke… And that was a mistake, yes. But if you want to get technical, you are far more prone to ending things between us than I am.

M: ‘Far more’? Last I checked, we’re tied!

C: If I might jump in here…

M: Ah, see, now the referee comes in to take your side… I see the point of therapy, now, someone else to say you’re right, when Isa is busy, huh?

C: I’m not here to take sides. In fact, what I was going to suggest is… I think it may help if I meet with Maeve one-on-one.

M: uh, what?

C: It’s true that we’re in a bit of a lopsided scenario, here. Elena and I have been meeting for many years, and we have a mutual trust, while you hardly know me at all, nor I you. I think it would help the couples sessions greatly if we were able to gain some understanding together first.

(Maeve looks to Elena, hoping she’ll veto it…)

E: I think that’s a really good idea.

(Maeve realizes the mess she’s gotten herself into.)

(Continued in part 2)

[emblemxeno]

I've been playing Fates again (thanks gay fates mod ily kiss kiss) and after (re)reading through counter-critiques of its story and generally thinking about it again I'm kinda left with the following thoughts and wanted to share as you're our resident Fates Was Good, Actually blogger.

a) so much of Fates critique falls into cinemasins-level "this isn't explicitly stated therefore BAD" territory (or otherwise stuff that shouldn't be, and often isn't, a problem in other games in the series)

b) we wouldn't need to bring up the Japanese script in contrast with the localization in the first place if the fandom hadn't completely poisoned the well in regards to talking about Fates' story. I had no idea about any of the localization changes my first play-through and I still thought Fates' plot was fine. Good, even!

The fatescourse is what made me leave the fandom around the time 3H came out, and every time I take a peek back in the subreddit or other fandom spaces it still seems to be just as much of a toxic cesspool as ever. Which sucks because I want to talk about Blorbo from my Emblems again, but I really don't want to have to deal with The Discourse & general toxicity

Hope you don't mind me posting this!

I feel you 100% and the sentiments are very appreciated, thanks!

For your first point, yeah, that's what it feels like. Saying it's CinemaSins-esque feels like a low blow, but it honestly does remind me of those videos. And they aren't meant to be actual critique! They're sarcastic entertainment and little else! But so much of Fates criticism is "why doesn't X just do Y? never explained by in-game text, so therefore story bad" or "why isn't Z plot point expanded upon? game never tells me so story bad." It's cheap and shallow, above all else. It's reminiscent of the Blue Curtains literary discourse, in that people only go with what's written explicitly rather than connect the dots from plot point to plot point. You're supposed to connect Azura's pacifying song to Mikoto's pacifying magic to Valla's history of magical development due to being directly blessed by Anankos; same with the crystal ball, water motifs, and future sight, those are all Valla-centered traits. But because the game never says "oh this is because of Valla", people think the place is just a nameless evil nation with no history or unique aspects.

For your second point, god, yes. Soooo many take any localization criticism as either a) alignment with unsavory anti-censorship anti-sjw chuds who are mostly complaining about not getting to boink lolis or b) not worth the time because "it wasn't gonna make a bad story any better anyway" which is such a gutter thing to say because localizations have literally changed things and removed crucial information in the series before Fates. The big examples being stuff with the Black Knight in the Tellius games, the long script removal in Radiant Dawn, and lines relating to Nergal's backstory in FE7 being mistranslated. Awakening had its share of localization discourse and criticism due to characters like Henry being changed, as well.

And I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a little resentful that 3H of all games is when people started giving a shit, cuz now that a "good game with a good story is being affected, it's now worth our time."

Plus this shit is still happening, considering that FEH consistently gets stuff wrong or mistranslated to this day.

[youremyheaven]

https://www.tumblr.com/youremyheaven/754408463252209664/i-checked-jks-mahadasha-and-hes-going-through?source=share

Man Russell brand is problematic I don't want jk to become like that 😔 , and tattoos are a spiritual part of so many tribes , that man got an eye tattoo ( which people mistook as illuminati so he got it covered) in a live he said he got the eye tattoo so he can feel he is being watched and don't take wrong decisions in life that shows good moral compass ( Jupiter trait) and if I am not wrong he has jupiter in 1st house in cancer exalted in d9 .

Russell brand is so not it and apart jk releasing that song 3d( that song rap is so fucking misogynistic) , if I leave that thing I think he is pretty spiritual just not mainstream way but I believe he asked jimin to go with him at a temple. Ketuvians idts can live that sanely if they don't feel spiritual or don't have a feminine in their life to drain( mostly Ashlesha)

I know he's problematic as hell (sexually assaulted multiple women???) and I wasn't seriously implying that JK will turn into him,, I just meant that he'd channel the vibes of a guy who just seemed super spiritual and philosophical and the first name that came to my mind was Russell Brand 😬😬I admit that its a poor comparison considering Russell is known for being an asshole as well (even without the SA allegations) but I ONLY meant his spiritual philosophical vibe, like take any interview of his and he's just talking about existential things

tattoos are deeply spiritual to me and they're connected to Ketu for a reason,, Claire explained this in her tattoo video about how getting tattoos and piercings are a way to open up certain energetic channels and how marking your body permanently can have spiritual consequences

ive heard that getting your nose piercing is a remedy for Mercury related issues

and ear piercings are supposed to help both your Venus and Jupiter apparently

there's more but i cant remember them rn

idk if he has Jup in 1h but he has struck me a "good" person so he probably channels healthy Jup energy (his Ketu is in Purvabhadrapada in D1, idk which house but generally the Ketu placement is very apparent with artists because they have to reach that deep down within themselves to make art. It can be more dormant or less obvious with other people tho but generally I've noticed/sensed the Ketu nak's energy with manyyy artists, for example, Namjoon has Ketu in Bharani and everything he writes, how he talks about life etc is soooo Bharani influenced, its hard to miss. His dignified stoic kinda vibe (which I also attribute to him most likely being Vishaka Rising) kinda comes from there because Purvaphalguni can exhibit similar Venusian traits but Namjoon's unique brand of Venusian male behaviour also feels heavily Bharani (all that eternal love he sings about = Bharani, him singing about being horny = Purvaphalguni lmao)

idk whether or not JK is spiritual but he seems connected to that energy at least a little. he said he'd hear bells when he met his soulmate lmao, ik that sounds like a cheesy fanservice-y thing to say but i also feel like its very Venusian of him (he's Purvaphalguni Sun)

Ketuvian men draining women is so real UGHHHHH i think they're hot but i could never date them due to this very reason,, they suck the life out of me :///

[kairiscorner]

HI PO ULIT!!!! 🫶🫶

ang galing nyo po talaga magsulat lagi akong natutuwa HAAHAHAHA

not a request po (yet hehehe), pero ask ko lang po, who do u think the atsv characters would be if nasa like regency fantasy au sila?? may kingdoms elves ganunn HAHAHA

un lang po, ok lang po kung wala kayong maisip question ko lang din HAHAHAHA

Thank u po, have a great day!!! 🫶🫶🫶

-🫶 anon

HI 🫶ANON :DDD omg kaaaaa ang cute ng idea <:) OKOK soooo here's what i think our atsv babes would be in a fantasy au !! (do be warned, i am not that well-versed in fantasy aus so i'm sorry if i repeat too many roles 😭😭😭)

atsv characters in a fantasy au

miles (earth 1610 - young wizard, formerly wizard's apprentice)

ok, i like to think that our boy here happened upon peter b in a time when magic was hardly practiced the right way anymore (think of the world of onward for example, where they rely on modern day inventions and less on magic to get by) and it was considered a dangerous discipline to practice so only few have mastered it and know how to use it.

miles would've, in my mind, been gifted with magic even if no one in his family for centuries have been magic users or whatever else related to magic, but his uncle aaron and dad used to dabble in some dark magic as young boys so that kinda fits in with the spider man parallels and also lowkey would introduce miles to the world of magic maybe if he went through their old stuff and found out they dabbled in that stuff? (idk i'm just mad delulu)

since magic was kinda banned he didn't really have any interest in it until signs of him being a natural magic user came to light and he started freaking out because magic isn't allowed n stuff so he tries his hardest not to let it show.

when he met peter b, he was taught how to keep the magic in control while also using it for good and not harming others :DD then he realizes that magic is only evil when you make it evil, hence he becomes less anxious about his powers and learns to use them right and accept himself.

his alignment would be lawful and/or neutral good i think

miles (earth 42 - bandit and mage)

ok so since 42 miles is pretty much a stark contrast to 1610 miles, i like to think that in this miles' universe, he was never born with any abilities and was like the rest of his family.

his uncle aaron and dad still dabbled in some dark magic as young boys, so when his dad died, his uncle aaron taught him how to use dark magic properly and how to be a mage.

he used the dark magic to become a bandit, hence his role, and he uses everything he steals for his mom's like healing........ fantasy place....... WHAT IS IT CALLED I'M SORRY 😭😭😭 but yeah, he's kind of true neutral imo, he's not particularly evil nor is he particularly good, he's in very in-between about it all.

gwen stacy (female knight, formerly bandit)

ok so gwen formerly being a bandit would kind of be like, she didn't steal from innocent people, she was more of a vigilante robin hood figure that 'stole from the rich and gave back to the poor' kinda deal.

she wouldn't be too fond of the guards in their homeland :(

she became a female knight when she joined the elite force led by miguel and became one of their greatest warriors n stuff and she quit being a bandit, but a part of her longs to be helping people in a more free and less strict way.

their job is to hunt down and stop wizards and active magic users even though a lot of people are pushing for them to be part of society again, and she hates having to stop them because they all mean well anyway and not all of them are evil ok >:(

she'd probably be neutral good/lawful neutral

pavitr prabhakar (male elf and knight)

oh he'd be a trickster, a fun one to have in your party. he'd be a mischievous elf that can outsmart you in any fight.

he just recently joined the ranks of miguel's elite force and is one of their craftiest ones, he can make a friend out of any enemy, his charisma is THROUGH THE ROOF

he and hobie are a dynamic duo together !!

he'd be...... chaotic good :>

hobie brown (bard and rogue ex-knight turned bandit)

he was a bard and a bandit ever since, just like gwen, he disliked the guards in his homeland for their crappy treatment of the poor and havenots, so he does their job for them and steals from the corrupt rich and gives back to the poor.

he took in gwen when she ran away from her homeland, and from one bandit to another, he taught her more efficient tricks at foraging and a little bit of stealth.

when he joined miguel's elite force, he really didn't feel right about it since the minute he joined. he had avoided them for the longest time and decided this place wasn't for him way before miles tried joining.

he's chaotic good/neutral >:)

miguel o'hara (ex-wizard and now commander of an elite force of multiversal guards)

okkkk lore dump: miggy used to be a self-made wizard who came from the very distant future of 2099 when magic was slowly being integrated back into the system along with technology. he was a very powerful wizard, but it was magic that killed his daughter when he opened a mystic portal that took him to a timeline where he was happy and had a daughter, but that whole timeline got erased because he wasn't supposed to be there, yadda yadda yadda, and so he abandoned magic in favor of technology because no magic could resurrect his daughter from the dead. what he could do now was assemble a bunch of elite knights that would protect the multiverse from magic users who posed as threats.

he still has magic in his veins and he hates himself for it :(

when he met miles and tried to explain how magic is evil, and miles defending himself and his powers, claiming magic is only evil when you use it for evil--he fucking broke down inside because he knew that what he did wasn't supposed to be done.

he's lawful/neutral good (or thinks of himself as, well tbh he doesn't fall in any of these categories tbh..........? he just does what has to be done.)

peter b parker (magician who's also a mentor, formerly a wizard)

now peter b was a magician after his wizard career, it was because he was a wizard that he and mj split up, with him wanting to prove to the world that magic wasn't evil and he could help change that but mj couldn't believe in him and wanted him to change his view on it.

he hated magic for ruining his relationship with mj, but when he met miles and taught him how to use his magic for good, he was so glad to know he was right through miles, his best and only student.

he stopped being a wizard though because he wanted to have a family with mj when she took him back, and now, he just practices like party magic for kids (he feels offended bc it ain't real magic, but it pays well in their world, surprisingly)

he's be.......... neutral good ig (idk)

[manthakinz]

4, 17, 36, and 48 !! 💖

4. What's a rare fear that you have?

I can't think of anything rare, but I'm horribly afraid of cockroaches! I hate them soooo much. I'm not much of a bug person, but I can admire many of them and don't mind if certain ones are near me. But if a roach (or anything that looks similar to one) is near me, I am OUT OF THERE. Even just seeing a picture of them creeps me out 😖

17. Do you want any tattoos? If so, where, what, and why?

I'm not the greatest in dealing with pain, so I doubt I'll ever go through with getting any, but the thought has crossed my mind. I'd love to get some from pieces of media that I hold close to my heart (Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., The Aristocats, The Lion King, for example). I'd also love to have something to incorporate koi fish and my zodiac sign. Not that I believe in that sort of thing, but I think it's fun. I'd also love to get something to do with Webkinz, Beanie Babies, and Build-A-Bear since they're things that I collect and love dearly. Basically, my dream would be to become a childish canvas to show off the things I love. Where I'd put them though is irrelevant since I'm such a wimp and may never get even one, lol.

36. Do you daydream? What about?

I daydream all of the time! I normally daydream about my OCs and my best friend's OCs. We write back and forth with them. It's kind of like roleplaying, but we're much more descriptive and it's our own characters. We've been doing it since we were in middle school and I love daydreaming about our characters because they're such a huge part of my life. I also just daydream about characters from shows if I'm hooked on it at the time. I also imagine different scenarios in my life. The regular stuff, I guess, haha.

48. Do you have a beloved stuffed animal?

I do! When I was little, I had a plush Simba. But as kids will do sometimes, I renamed him Zack. I also have a plush otter I got from the Tennessee Aquarium when I was in 3rd grade. Her name is Ollie (short for Olivia). She recently gained a brother named Otto because just this year I came across a listing online of the exact plush she is but in much nicer condition. I snagged him up and they are now inseparable! I have tons of other stuffed toys because I'm a sucker for toys in general, especially plush ones, but those are the ones that I hold the dearest to my heart ❤️

Send me a question, please!