#the holes in information that exists between games between the lines internally in characters in places that we were not granted to see

[feline-evil]

Thinking about Kaz. Again.

Thinking about Pre (and during the early moments of) Peacewalker Kaz as a man with no home, nowhere to belong, nobody left to know him and the kind of void that leaves a man with; and thinking about Kaz's promiscuity in the 70's and layering both thoughts over themselves and nodding and going Yeah. Yeah. That could be something. Boy did it feel like it could fill that black hole inside you for just a moment when skin touched skin, hot and sweaty, endorphins flooding your brain. Did it feel like you could belong by someones side for a while if you lay beside them in bed after, gasping for air back in your lungs. Did nails digging in to your back and teeth on your neck make you feel wanted for once, did it make you feel like you were something solid, flesh and blood not just mist to slip through the worlds fingers and drift on to somewhere new. Did you lie there each time as you came down from it wishing you could say the feeling lingered but knowing it didn't, that yet again you felt alone even with another body beside you, that yet again you had to go. you had to leave. Keep moving, find another moment, another flash in a pan another spark in a cold dead night to feel it again, to connect mouth to mouth body to body just so you could stave off feeling that freezing emptiness for just thirty minutes more. And then you met a man who hit like a truck, fists and body and mouth like nothing else; just as angry and hurt as you, arm round your neck, constricting like a boa, wanting you as his so bad he wouldn't give in until he had you. And i bet that was just the perfect storm to really make you sink your teeth in and hold on for dear life because finally you have SOMETHING; and you don't even know that it's the very thing that's signing the final note in the inescapable tragedy that is your life. You think him and all you'll do together is a light at the end of the tunnel but baby boy that's a freight train's headlights barreling your way, and you're too infatuated in your own little fucked up way to even care.

[beevean]

SEGA and its most recent Sonamy side – more canon than ever

[Translator’s note: this article was originally written in Spanish by @latin-dr-robotnik​]

Hello again! Today we’d like to discuss about something that’s been happening recently, and probably taking Sonic fans by surprise: what is going on with SEGA and its stance about Sonamy?

At the beginning of this year, to celebrate the 200 articles on Seaside Hill Paradise, I finished what I call “the Sonamy trilogy” of articles that I started in 2018 and which cover different themes, such as:

SEGA and the eternal issue of the Sonic-Amy dynamic

“I love you” – Forbidden words in Sonic

SEGA and the eternal issue of “Sonic’s girlfriend”

The idea was to offer a more-or-less complete analysis about the many facets of their dynamic in the last 27 years; a dynamic that, you may have noticed, is not that easy to pin down, and that we’ve been updating almost regularly (although I also intended to investigate on other dynamics, like Knuckles and Rouge’s for example, and write about them). Generally speaking, in these articles I don’t draw objective conclusions about the status of the ship in canon (despite the fact that the available information tends to confirm it in various occasions). I also like to repeat myself and say that shipping is supposed to be for fun, not for tearing each other’s hair in that black hole of misery that is Twitter, but recent events left us slightly perplexed, and this is why we’re here once again.

We left the status of the Sonamy canonicity with these two peculiar instances back in August: Sonic mentioning his “girlfriend” in the Japanese version of Sonic Battle, and the Twitter account of SEGA of Europe saying Sonamy is their “favorite videogame romance”. Now, let’s recap a bit…

Sonamy in Sonic IDW... Round 3

[SPOILERS ALERT FOR IDW SONIC #14-#35]

In 2018, when IDW just started, I decided to study a little how the Sonamy dynamic worked in this new universe. To our surprise, the comic didn’t waste time in dropping its biggest bomb, in one of the cutest scenes we had seen in ages. Since the very beginning, IDW proved that it didn’t intend to deceive those fans that looked for a bit of development of both characters.

I wrote an article about it in June 2019, and it coincided with the beginning of one of the most infamous arc I’ve seen in a Sonic comic for a long time: the Metal Virus Saga. The question is, what has happened since then?

Well, in 2019, with the same accuracy of an aimbot, I said “We’ll probably see some new interactions between Sonic and Amy sometime around IDW #20”. And wouldn’t you know, as misery and tragedy settled in that arc, it was exactly around IDW #20 that we saw some Sonamy interactions: both exhausted, to their limit, with a Sonic that couldn’t even touch Amy to soothe her pain, due to him being infected with the virus.

The arc developed like this in what felt like an eternity, to finally conclude in one the most absurd ways in Sonic history. But it wasn’t a complete disappointment, as, after months and months of asking and discussing on the internet about how much Sonic and Amy deserved a hug at the end of the arc… it actually happened.

Since that moment in IDW #32, we shippers thought that it was what both of them deserved after so much time spent separated and pushed to their limit to survive, but also that after the end of the arc everything would go back to normal. However, what we didn’t know was that the Sonamy train had no intention of stopping, not in IDW, nor anywhere else.

A recurring detail in IDW Sonic is that Amy’s tail starts wagging every time she sees Sonic, as if she was a happy dog. I swear, it happens every time.

Come IDW #35, once again we have some hugs and bits of dialogue between our hedgehogs. For sure, the question here isn’t their relationship itself, as it was for IDW #2, but rather the issues this arc is slowly dealing with. But it’s really nice to see them again, sharing that closeness that they’ve had in the comic since the beginning– be it with some gestures of affection, a wink, a gesture, a private joke.

My favorite image is the first one, Belle’s reaction to seeing Amy hugging Sonic. It’s like she’s thinking “oh, is she his girlfriend?”, and she wouldn’t even be wrong in thinking that.

It can’t be denied that IDW Sonic provided us the conversations and the emotions that the games seldom do. Certainly, the comic has its share of issues and it’s not really a story that I personally follow for its own merits (it’s more because it’s still Sonic, for my interest for things like this, and Belle’s existence… whom I already ship with Tails, sorry not sorry), but what it does well it does really well.

For now, we have to see how IDW Sonic will follow the development of the characters, especially in view of the closure of the current story and beyond. And we may be done with this part of the article, but there is still a lot left.

Sonamy in merchandise

Taking us completely by surprise, recently SEGA launched, in collaboration with Hot Topic, a series of Sonamy-themed t-shirts. No, seriously.

So many people told me this as soon as the voice spread (you know who you are, thank you guys for thinking about me <3), and I can’t help being still surprised that this is actually a thing. T-shirts with lines like “You’re my favorite”, “Love in the fast lane”, and my personal favorite, “S&A Forever”, with drawings of Classic Sonic and Amy… in SEGA-approved products. I don’t know if you realize how much of a big deal this is, even more than “Celebrate the 25 years of Sonic’s girlfriend” from 2018.

One of the things that surprised me the most (aside from how explicit they are in officializing the relationship, and the fact that there are still 2 months left before Valentine’s Day 2021), was the decision to use Classic Sonic and Classic Amy. I tried to understand this decision by analyzing the simplicity and easiness with which the Classic designs convey a message (let’s not forget that Classic Sonic was so iconic because it was specifically designed to convey his expressions without words), besides the fact that they’re inherently cuter than their modern designs. There’s also the controversial aspect of post-Adventure Sonamy, with all the dubbing and weird interpretations that the fandom made over the years… By comparison, the Classic design are a much simpler choice.

What is actually going on?

Well, let’s take a step back and think about what we just saw. The way SEGA has been recently trying to push Sonic and Amy in front view (and for the entirety of 2020, based on the articles I mentioned in the beginning) tells us the harsh truth we all have to accept sooner or later: Sonamy sells, and it sells a lot.

From a strictly business point of view, the ship is so iconic and popular, with fans and detractors alike, that it would be absurd for SEGA to ignore the chance to print these two characters and get a load of money. As I said in my 2018 article, despite the fact that in Japan Sonic isn’t as big of an icon as it is elsewhere, they know pretty well that Sonic + Amy = love, and they have huge amounts of merchandise to back it up. It’s in the West that because of different cultural values, of which we’ve already talked about, along with some internal resistance, left this aspect of the franchise a little on the side. But they’ve been trying to fix it… and how…

Let’s not forget that a decade and a half ago Sonic Team seriously favored Sonamy. They officially said it, Sonic X was their purest view of Sonic they had at the time.

Outside of the business perspective, I believe we’re facing the moment that we’ve been waiting for: it’s time they’ll establish once and for all the dynamic of these two characters, following more closely the original Japanese vision of Sonic. I said many times that, in trying to change canon, the West, especially SEGA of America, did nothing but confuse fans and generate more discussions than needed, by introducing different data and portrayals that contradict the canon established by Sonic Team.

We’ve talked about Unleashed and emotional support, about Sonic X, about the major moments that opened the door to interpreting this dynamic as something more. We don’t threaten at gunpoint those who would rather stay away, but we respond to those declarations that still try to violently discredit the simple fact that Sonic and Amy, who are most of all close friends, form in some measure a couple that, even with its imposed limitations, manages to captivate fans and not fans everywhere in the world. Even the Simpsons used it as a joke, and that says a lot.

What the future has in store for us.

Unless something else happens in this last month of 2020, this is the most complete compilation I can offer at the moment about the status of Sonamy in the fandom and in the official canon. Yes, canon.

It’s impossible to ignore the signals. As you may have noticed, I’ve been considering Sonic and Amy as an official couple, with its clarifications (for example, that at the end it’s more of a friendship, that it’s not a romantic relationship in the most explicit way, that it’s more of a personal perspective to justify a more mature vision of the relationship in the future, not right now), but nowadays I think that SEGA has spoken loud and clear. I think canon is ready to negotiate the idea that Sonic and Amy, apart from being excellent friends who would risk their lives for each other in a heartbeat, have something else on their hands (probably the other’s hand). This won’t automatically translate into a kiss, or a complete love declaration (although Sonic X came close…), or a commitment to a formal relationship like we know them in real life. SEGA canon affirms that Amy is “Sonic’s girlfriend” and nothing more. Outside of that detail, they still pretty much function as friends interacting with a little flirting here, and a little Sonic running away there. It’s the basis of their dynamic, now enhanced by the fact that SEGA is giving us a clearer message.

I think that this all may culminate in a game or an animated series, but I wouldn’t completely count on that. It is good to recognize how far the official position goes on this issue, but at the same time I want to reaffirm that there are things that are better left in the hands of the fandom, and in the meantime that IDW or any other continuity gives us hugs, winks, gestures and words of encouragement, we as the fandom will take care of exploring other avenues and hypothetical scenarios.

This is all I have to say on the matter for now, and I hope you’re happy with this wonderful Sonamy experience we’re going through – I certainly am. See you next time!

[mmmmalo]

@overtrolled-liveblog‘s recent post on Gamzee made me realize that Gamzee’s first interaction with Terezi (Terezi attempting to hurt Gamzee and being angry when he doesn’t react) is also the basic dynamic of Terezi’s ill-fated attempt to “avenge” herself upon Gamzee around Game Over. I never understood why Terezi’s was manifesting for Gamzee in that interaction, but the repetition seems like a good lead. So here’s an attempt:

Aranea’s mind control is being juxtaposed with whatever allowed Gamzee to maintain his composure in Act 5. Sopor is an obvious candidate, as is his general early interest in avoiding conflict, but there might be something else to it...

2018. When Gamzee remarks (in the narration) that "it is dangerous to leave unarmed", the commentary has this to say: "It's probably not actually that dangerous to leave unarmed. This was probably something his goat dad told him a long time ago. But only to scare him, and make sure he stayed inside so no one would ever see him, because he was so embarrassed by him. Goatdad is probably one of the most sympathetic characters in the story. If Gamzee was your son, wouldn't you abandon him too?" Glib dismissal, veering sharply into needless cruelty. But it nonetheless draws attention to the narration's unreliability, moored as it is to Gamzee's POV.

2017. Speaking of unreliable: "You aren't supposed to eat that slime. It does funny things to a troll's head. // But you were never taught that on account of a lousy upbringing. Your custodian was always out to sea." Gamzee is evidently thinking the very thing he was never taught, but he attributes that thought to a higher power (the narrator) and thereby pleads ignorance of it? Or it could be read as an expression of shame: as Gamzee eats his pie, he imagines a stern voice admonishing him from over his shoulder. OR you might more literally parse the contradiction as the voice of two separate Gamzees sharing the brain space in some kind of daze...or you could call it simple memory loss. These are inclusive ors, btw.

2019. Anyway, Gamzee reaches the beach and we get this line: "You leave your hive and head out to the beach. There is no sign of your custodian. // You should not stay out here very long. The SEA DWELLERS are quite hostile." Commentary on his custodian's absence, followed by a voice of authoritative behavioral cautioning, as though a guardian were living in Gamzee's head. Immediately following this, Terezi manifests for Gamzee, though he doesn't answer immediately... so I suspect Terezi's manifestation will be an elaboration this internal division?

2020: "You're always down for shooting the wicked shit with anyone that who'll put up with you." Man... Act 5 is misery. The Miracle Modus is a picture of Gamzee's brain being fried to a point of being nearly inaccessible. Vivid flashing colors (like Jade's rich scents) are a mark of unfiltered EXPERIENCE sans language/reason (which is probably why Lord English's eyes are flashing), but here that means disorientation -- difficulty organizing sense experience...

2022: Gamzee says a prayer and Faygo gets launched out of his sylladex... is the Faygo the prayer? Jane launched wishes into the sky with the balloons on LOCAH -- but the balloon shape was inverted and transformed into Gamzee's bottles of "potion"... that association seems to be expressed more concisely here. Jane's case was also related to decapitation motifs, which I don't really see with Gamzee here... (aside from Terezi's general association with going for the neck) But at any rate, what is he wishing for?

2023. Gamzee standing in front of his sylladex is getting to me, even more so that his reaching into the sylladex. You are not SUPPOSED to be on that layer of the image. What are you doing. Is that safe? Are you okay?

2024. The conversation itself...continues to evade summarization. I'm going to just describe it piece-by-piece and see if I get anywhere.

Terezi deliberately misspells Gamzee's name in service of a joke: from 'gamzeez' to 'gamezez', highlighting its phonetic proximity to 'games'. Though I wonder if this disguises another sort of exchange: Gamzee goes down to the beach to find his dad, but instead finds Terezi. I'm humoring the idea that she is effectively functioning as the fatherly authority in Goatdad's place. But as the preceding panels indicates, that very notion of authority occupies a place in Gamzee's head that he remains somewhat...detached from? If Terezi gives voice to this aspect of Gamzee, the word blurring could obfuscate that she is saying "Gamzee" /twice/, such that her invitation to play games is an offer for Gamzee to pilot himself? (Which in the parent:child::head:body paradigm is not entirely ridiculous?)

Come to think of it, this is the second time Terezi has harassed someone on a waterfront (hi, Rose) and even then main subjects were a) haha your guardian abandoned you because you're terrible and b) a sense of hearing imploring voices in your head...

Terezi implies that she doesn't like Gamzee and is only inviting him in service of a joke. Gamzee ignores the ulterior message and accepts the given reason as justifiable... after which Terezi gets angry. But she doesn't seem angry that the implication was misunderstood (and her disdain ignored) but is rather angry that the arbitrariness of his selection wasn't itself objectionable -- /after/ which she confirms her own disdain by saying "no wonder Vantas can't stand you". The motivation for the joke became the effect of the joke...

"BUT WHO C4R3S 4BOUT H1M, W3R3 GO1NG TO H4V3 SOM3 MOTH3RFUCK1NG SH1TTY B1TCH3S PL4Y1NG TOG3TH3R!" as Rose said, "Still not sure if I'm being courted or trolled here." Terezi is making fun of how Gamzee talks but nonetheless seems to be attempting to bond with him here...?

With "keeping an eye out" and "you know how it is with family" back-to-back with Terezi's aggression, it kind of feels like Gamzee is likewise (successfully) attempting to bother Terezi... but his defense is his forgetfulness, like a taboo subject just slipped... the same is true of Gamzee's claim that he was never taught that sopor is dangerous, the legitimacy of which depends on Gamzee forgetting?

"The Bard of... fuck, i forgot" is literally a joke on Gamzee "forgetting" his way around anger and aggression, by way of the omission of Rage? Also, it's a generic phrase but John uses 'fuck i forgot' when reminded of his birthday in the Epilogues... topic of birthdays is significant since Gamzee parses his state of mind as 'spacing out' and 'losing track of time' -- a birthday is, in that context, a reminder of time's progression.

Twice in Gamzee's conversation he asks Terezi for a little bit more time before he plays the game with her. This again reminds us of Rose's procrastination -- which among other things represents a deferral of encounter with the Truth, again bringing us to forgetting. 

2028. But interestingly enough, the motif of procrastination continues in the section with Karkat that follows: Karkat expresses apprehension about meeting his guardian before the narrative segues to Terezi, which is structurally resonant with Gamzee going to the beach for his guardian, only to find Terezi? Which again associates her with unseen authority figures... 

Oh shoot, and the panel cuts from Karkat looking down through the hole in his floor to a low-angle shot of Terezi's skylight? As though she were below like crabdad. That seals it for me.

2030. Actually, I mentioned how Gamzee's flashing modus is related to the unmediated sensory bouquet that Lord English sees ALL THE TIME by having flashing eyes, but Terezi's room? Is set up to be exactly that sensory bouquet, all the time, with loud colors plastered and mixed haphazardly. I've mostly focused on Terezi's relation to English by way of their shared association with the Law (x)(x) but this is a fresh angle...

And since it becomes apparent that the scenes that /follow/ Gamzee's conversation inform the way it should be read, I would be remiss to exclude the Karkat/Sollux conversation between the Gamzee and Terezi sections... in which the ~ATH (til death) code is brought up, which proves central to Lord English's creation.

2026. "later on you would run this code in a fit of stupidity." Creepy! I always assume the narration to be bound to the present tense, like the character's POV, so this sudden interruption from the future is really unnerving. How does Karkat know this? Is that just a miserable self-assessment, like he knows he'll harm himself when he gets worked up? Is this Karkat planning to curse everyone, but renouncing his decision as a product of fate? I feel like this confusion nicely complements the paradoxical ~ATH code on screen (Sollux's double reacharound virus)

2027. "Speak of the devil" Sollux has manifested for Karkat... yeah I still can't make sense of this as far as manifestation goes. BUT I think the fact that chatlogs are likewise two-colored might mean that Sollux and Karkat's conversation is in some sense analogous to the code...? The architecture of the conversation is... accusing eachother of self-loathing and then agreeing upon mutual self-destruction (of the conversational log), which at least superficially resembles a program that exists to destroy itself and the medium in which it resides? Maybe...

Shot in the dark: the (much procrastinated) march unto Truth is a march unto Judgement, which means both God and Death. Thus Gamzee (the procrastinator who avoids truth) transitions to Karkat/Sollux (vaguely suicidal gesture in their conversation) transitions to Terezi (judge and executioner, associated with ultimate authority and thus God). That's my best assessment of the proceedings thus far.

[gem-quest]

[ P L E X I P E D I A . ]

SCREEN NAME: Ophelia REAL NAME: Goes by Cat on Discord, the Plexipedia discussion boards, and roll20. Possibly short for Catherine, Cathleen, or a related name, or possibly just derived from her preferred online username catinthebox. GUILD: Moonstone SPECIES & CLASS: Specter Bard GUILD RANKING: 59th percentile

[ B A S I C S . ]

Ophelia was among the first wave of players to enter into Gem Quest after its initial public launch. She was also among the first players to devote extensive time and resources to creating original items via the game’s crafting system, and to establish a player-made shop to sell her personally crafted items.

Ophelia is a specter bard who plays for the Moonstone Guild. The most recent reports on her activities from other players place her primarily in and around her shop location in the City of Magic in Level 11. From this location, she provides custom equipment, magic items, and repair services.

Her most recent level cleared, according to Plexipedia, was level 36. Ophelia has previously been a member of two parties, according to Discord and Plexipedia users, but left both. At the time of writing, she is thought to be without a party and providing material and crafting support away from the Moonstone front.

She has been linked with the Discord username catinthebox#6439 by Discord users rebelscum#8992 and arches#4731. Through her activity on the official Plexipedia Discord as Cat/catinthebox#6439, she has been heavily involved in discussions of in-game crafting and items since shortly after Gem Quest’s public launch. Under the username catinthebox, she is also a regular contributor to entries on items, materials, and the Gem Quest crafting system and skill tree on Plexipedia. She’s a regular respondent to inquiries about the location and properties of in-game materials, the mechanics and applications of crafting, and GQ lore bites and side quests.

[ S T A T S . ]

The following stats are based on the reports of two former party members with previous access to view Ophelia’s stats. Ophelia’s stats are set as invisible to all players other than party members, and she is currently reported as being without a party. Stats included here may therefore be outdated.

STRENGTH - 0/X*

DEFENSE - 2

CHARISMA - 6

PSYCHE - 7

WILLPOWER - 7

CAUTIOUSNESS - 4

AGILITY - 8

ENDURANCE - 3

INTELLIGENCE - 8

LUCK - 5

* Specters do not have a Strength score.

[ T R I V I A. ]

Based on the most recent data about player-run businesses in the Gem Quest economy, Ophelia’s shop in the City of Magic is ranked as one of the top 10 most frequented player-run business in the game, and one of the top 20 most profitable in terms of coins. She also is currently thought to be a serious contender for the title of player character who’s created the largest number of distinctly titled and ranked items not derived from existing crafting guides or official in-game item lists.

According to Discord user arches#4731, corroborated by other members of her TTRPG gaming circles with a presence on Discord, Cat is a university student currently based in Dublin, Ireland. Her accent has been described as “difficult to place, but definitely kind of Irish.” As mentioned above, Ophelia is an active online TTRPG player who plays in multiple Dungeons and Dragons groups on roll20, including one with arches#4731.

Her in-game appearance features the typical washed-out color palette, vague transparency, and occasionally misty form of a Gem Quest specter. In regards to fashion, Ophelia is noted for her exclusively black and white color scheme, fondness for layers and stripes, omnipresent elaborate collars and/or capes, and strong tendency towards gothic, steampunk, and Victorian-inspired styles.

Her in-game persona is that of an inventor and musician murdered after delving too deeply into the disappearance of her older brother at court, returned to the land of the living to find her brother, make her mark on the world, and avenge herself on her killers. She has never been seen to deviate significantly from her set character within the game, even for the purpose of practical conversations or casual discussions with party members.

[ C R E A T I O N S. ]

In-game, Ophelia currently works as a crafter and shopkeeper specializing in magical items and minor gadgetry. She is best known for pioneering the use of symbols, glyphs, and runes in the crafting of custom magical items. Most of her crafted items are rune-powered magical instruments or small weaponry, trick/trap devices, and clothing/accessories with added utility. A small selection of especially notable and/or common items crafted by Ophelia are listed below. For further information, visit Ophelia’s section in the Player-Crafted Items Index.

Screaming Lute - A modified beginning bard instrument, customized to serve as a container and channeler of magical energy. Creates a variety of effects through the use of engraved runes on the lute’s surface, each of which is activated by a different note or chord played on the instruments, and an unidentified internal source of magical energy. So-named for its tendency to scream in abject agony and despair whenever the magical effect of a B-level spell or equivalent is fired from it.

Whispering Flute - A modified bard instrument customized to fire off a limited number of blasts of Ventium and Murmurationium upon the playing of specific notes in conjunction with a small extra motion by the wielder.

Shifting Cloak - A cloak embroidered with symbols along the hem that allow it to change color, pattern, length, hem, and apparent fabric quality based on the other current attire of its wearer. Custom versions can be made that allow the cloak to shift into specific, commissioner-requested appearances when paired with certain outfits and/or wardrobe items.

Performer’s Cloak - A cloak that trails illusory sparks, smoke, glitter, or flower petals (depending on the make) in precise proportion to the amount of movement the cloth’s fabric makes. The effect is only visible to persons other than the wearer, though it does appear in captured in-game images of the cloak. Vigorous swirling, twirling, twisting, or thrashing of the cloak creates effects dense enough to impede or obscure the vision of persons within range other than the wearer.

Wielder’s Gloves - A pair of gloves enchanted to turn fingerless at a key word or signal from the wearer or when the wearer reaches for one or more specifically linked weapons or tools. They also create a powerful adhesive effect between the palms of the gloves, the wearer’s hands, and any item linked to the gloves, an effect that can only be disabled on the wearer’s signal. This eases the handling of certain finesse weapons and makes the wearer nigh-impossible to disarm.

Mood Ring - A magically accurate mood ring. An early creation, notable for the fact that one of the first things Ophelia is known to have done in Gem Quest was sit down and take 5 in-game days to figure out how to make a really good mood ring. Improved versions can have their mood-responsive color-changing enabled or disabled with a key word or signal, display the color of the mood of another wearer with a ring linked to one’s own, or (with limited charges per day) display the mood of a chosen NPC or PC target within range.

Trick Gem - A glass vessel with a permanent illusion charm etched into its surface, usually giving it the appearance of a gem or other small loot item of A rank or higher. The illusion can be dispelled only by breaking the glass, as the enchantment is part of the glass itself; thus, it can stand up well to moderate standard attempts to check for magical effects or dispel magic, as long as no one thinks to throw the “gem” at the nearest wall. If transferred to another person other than its current owner without a chosen signal/permission from its owner, a small mechanism within the hidden vessel will trigger after one minute, exposing the true contents to air. This liquid ignites instantly, causing significant fire damage to the gem’s new holder or (if already transferred to storage) to their inventory. Ophelia claims that the needed etchings cannot be done on an Unbreakable Bottle, thus making a sturdier version aimed less at blowing up thieves and more at pulling impressive con jobs non-viable.

Nuisance Galthrops - Small, four-spiked area denial weapons individually etched with runes to keep them invisible until either a key word or signal is given by the person who deployed them OR they pierce flesh. Each does a single unit of damage, and they cannot penetrate most boots or foot armor in one hit, though repeated strikes from them are likely to damage and/or pierce most materials.

Summoner’s Box - A small wooden box with a red Summoner’s Crystal built into its frame, usually slightly behind and to the side of a small hole hidden within a panel of intricate decoration. If the lock is opened without a specific signal or key word chosen by its owner, the opening of the lock will trigger a small metal spike to crash into the gem, shattering it and summoning an angry imp or other small demon hostile to those responsible for doing it damage via opening the lock. 

[ L E V E L S . ]

LVL. 11: THE CITY OF MAGIC & VALLEY OF MONSTERS. Ophelia’s workshop and storefront are located in one of the major retail districts of the City of Magic, close to the starting points of several in-level quest lines involving the city’s undead residents. She is also frequently spotted in the city’s cemeteries, various haunted houses, and the local apothecary shop noted as the level’s fetch-quest hub.

LVL. 16: THE BURIED TEMPLE OF AMAUNET. Ophelia has been spotted in what appear to be multiple independent runs through the temple, and some of the inscriptions on her items have been noted to resemble the temple complex’s rune system.

LVL. 20: A MIDWINTER’S NIGHT DREAM, & LVL. 35: THE ENCHANTED FOREST & THE FAERIE COURT. Favorite material foraging/collection locations.

LVL. 36: RAINBOW ROAD & THE SEA OF STARS. Ophelia’s last known cleared level, completed after parting ways with her second party two months ago.

Please fill out THIS anonymous form if you have information regarding Ophelia’s family and/or identity. 

T A G L I S T . @ayzrules​ @bebemoon @armadasneon @now-on-elissastillstands

[suzyundertale]

Deltarune Theory - The Red SOUL

It’s pretty clear that, in Deltarune, the person we are “playing” as is not Kris directly, but the red SOUL that is controlling them. 

After all, when Kris tosses the SOUL out of their body, we can still control it.

So then, the question is... Who IS the red SOUL?

In this post, I’ll go over several theories, their main points, and evidence for them and against them.

It’s not Kris’ SOUL.

With the information we have, it’s nearly impossible for this SOUL to belong to Kris.

First of all, in the Dark World, Kris’ description describes them as follows:

“Body contains a human SOUL.” Not “THEIR” human SOUL, “A” human SOUL. That’s just about the most suspicious-sounding way you could possibly word that.

Second, the first time we go to save the game, a save file titled “Kris” is overwritten by one with the chosen name of the “creator”.

And, throughout the epilogue, everyone keeps pointing out how strange they’re acting, how they aren’t like themself...

They’re acting unlike themself because they aren’t themself - they’re being controlled by someone else.

... Someone who knows some things Kris doesn’t.

(Because of the above two, I’m going to assume that all of the dialogue choices come from the red SOUL.)

The SOUL also seems a little, um, opinionated:

And they apparently don’t know who Rudy is, when Kris definitely does.

So... who could they be?

Theory 1: The Player (“Player Theory”)

This is probably the most popular theory going around right now. In this theory, the red SOUL represents us, the “player”, as an actual in-game entity. 

This is an understandable interpretation, as Undertale is known to be very meta at times. It’s not totally unthinkable that ‘we’ exist as an actual force in-universe.

Evidence against Player Theory

There’s a significant amount of evidence that the red SOUL has their own personality and is their own person, such as:

They have their own opinions on Mew Mew 2.

They can’t play the piano. I’d imagine a lot of players can, so it’s strange to put this here if they’re meant to be the player. It would be odd to exclude a significant amount of the player base (including Toby himself) for, um, literally no reason.

Support for Player Theory

According to Deltarune’s official website, Deltarune is a game “intended for people who have completed UNDERTALE.” Therefore, the “player” is supposed to know everything that happens in Undertale.

Therefore, these interactions make sense:

... Because the player knows who Sans is, and they know that Alphys and Undyne were dating in Undertale.

...However, there is someone else who knows all the same things about the Undertale universe that the player does.

Theory 2: Frisk

From Undertale, we know that Frisk has a red SOUL. This theory says that the red SOUL present in Deltarune is also the very same Frisk from the Undertale universe.

Evidence against Frisk Theory

Toby has said this about Deltarune in relation to Undertale:

...so, that shoots a bit of a hole in this... but. Hear me out.

[EDIT]

On February 14th 2019, a FAQ section was added to the official Deltarune website. One of the questions is:

Basically confirming that there are “connections” between the Undertale and Deltarune universes.

So... I guess there isn’t any evidence against this theory, now.

[END EDIT]

Support for Frisk Theory

Like the “player”, Frisk knows everything that happened in Undertale. They’re friends with Sans, so they would be excited to see him. They know Alphys and Undyne are dating, so they would be eager to ask Undyne about her girlfriend. And they don’t know who Rudy is.

And, of course... there’s the intro sequence.

Gaster prompts us to create a “vessel” to hold our SOUL...

A vessel that just so happens to always have exactly two stripes on their shirt.

However, the person that interrupts the intro - Chara, if you remember my post about it - doesn’t seem very happy about this whole vessel thing.

... Which would make sense if the red SOUL is actually Frisk. Frisk is Chara’s friend, Chara wouldn’t let Gaster suddenly try to turn them into a whole different person. So... What if Chara was actually trying to say “Your name is Frisk”, but was cut off?

After all, in Undertale, there’s a scene that this is likely meant to be a parallel to...

... And, of course, after beating the game, we know the speaker of this line is Asriel, and he was saying, well, “My name is Asriel”.

Speaking of Chara... the voice of the narration in Deltarune is suspiciously similar to Undertale’s, and at some points, seems to almost intentionally call back to Undertale.

(In case you’re not convinced by the above one - it matches word-for-word in the official Japanese translations, as well.)

...Which would make sense if, not only are we playing as Frisk once again...

...But Chara is the narrator once again, as well.

Of course, Frisk themselves could just as easily be the narrator. It’s difficult to tell at this point. I’m personally leaning towards Chara, though.

Also, it’s probably just a bizarre joke, but this line would make a lot more sense if the person controlling Kris was actually a child: 

My favorite thing about this theory is that if it is true, Toby would have tricked us into thinking Frisk is actually an in-game representation of the player not once, but twice. 

Theory 3: Chara and Asriel’s Combined SOUL

This theory proposes that the SOUL is a combined human-monster soul - specifically, Chara and Asriel’s.

It’s said in Undertale that Asriel absorbed Chara’s SOUL, and then died. However, it’s never explicitly stated that the SOUL shattered. We know that a human SOUL can persist after death presumably indefinitely if preserved properly, and a boss monster SOUL can survive outside the body for a few seconds... But we don’t know how long a combined human-monster SOUL could last outside its body. 

Evidence against Combined SOUL Theory

There’s no evidence in the game that the SOUL belongs to two people. In Undertale, Asriel states that when he and Chara were sharing a SOUL, control was split between them, and they were both actively fighting for control over their body.

There isn’t any instance of any sort of “internal argument” within the SOUL. Unless you interpret the differing dialogue choices as such, but even so, you’d think there’d be more of a hint that there’s actually two people fighting for control. But who knows, maybe it’ll only become more obvious in later chapters...?

Support for Combined SOUL Theory

The red SOUL is... odd. And I don’t mean their personality, I mean the SOUL itself.

(screenshot and gif from this post, which is what inspired this theory!)

When Kris removes the SOUL from their body... It glows red and white. White, of course, is the color of a monster SOUL. 

While it could just be a visual effect... It’s at least one more thing to be suspicious about.

And, like I touched on before, we never know what exactly happened to Chara and Asriel’s combined SOUL. Some people think it could even be the red heart in this machine in Undertale’s True Lab:

... and, with this theory... perhaps that machine might be somehow connected to the Deltarune universe.

Theory 4: Suzy

No, not Susie, Suzy! The one from Undertale. If you don’t know who I’m talking about, read this post.

This is my personal favorite theory, even though it’s quite unlikely. The premise of this theory is that Suzy is actually a human, and the red SOUL belongs to her.

Of course, a lot of people think “Suzy” is simply the Undertale universe version of “Susie”. That’s fair, and that theory certainly fits in with “fast approaching”. But I’m going to assume they’re completely different people for the sake of this theory. (Plus, why would Susie be the only character with a different name from their Undertale counterpart..?)

Evidence against Suzy Theory

This theory doesn’t have an explanation as to why the red SOUL knows about Alphys and Undyne’s relationship. (If you can come up with one, please tell me.) I mean, even though she exists in the Undertale universe, they only get together at the very end, and Suzy almost certainly wasn’t there. But who knows. Maybe she’s been shipping them the whole time. /s

Also, as much as I love the concept, it is quite unlikely that Suzy is a human. I do have a couple of explanations for it as you’ll see below, but I will admit that it’s still kind of a stretch. Still, what’s theory-making without a little fun?

Support for Suzy Theory

No matter whether or not Suzy ends up being the red SOUL, or even a human, she has to be in the full version of Deltarune. And, considering what we know... It’s not a stretch at all to think she might be in the very first chapter.

“Don’t Forget.” The title of the main theme of Deltarune is a phrase that is specifically associated with Suzy. In Undertale, you can only see the “don’t forget” note in Sans’ lab after speaking with Clamgirl and, consequently, learning about the existence of “Suzy”. Therefore, the phrase “don’t forget” is intrinsically linked to her.

This note also gives us another hint about who Suzy is: She knows Sans.

... Hm.

And, of course, her knowing Sans in combination with the fact that you only learn about her when you have certain “fun” values... it’s likely she knows Gaster, or at least of him.

Okay, I think you see where I’m going with this...

Now, for the “Suzy is a human” part. I’ve actually had this theory since before Deltarune, but I never made a post about it or anything.

In Undertale’s No Mercy route, Sans says something quite... interesting.

This line of dialogue implies that Sans knows or knew someone with Determination. A lot of people theorize that this line is referring to Gaster, who may have injected himself with Determination, which is a valid theory... However, I think Sans knew a human. Specifically, a human girl named Suzy.

Sans also knows a lot about concepts such as “LOVE” and “EXP”, and has secret passwords for “time travelers”. This implies that not only did he know someone with Determination, but likely with someone with the ability to “saving”, “loading”, and “resetting”... and, combined with what he talks about in his fight about “knowing our type”... it’s likely this person did a “no mercy run” in the past, or at least killed a significant amount of people.

Wait. If Suzy is a human, and she’s still alive in Undertale... How does she manage to survive in a world of monsters who need just one more human SOUL to break the barrier?

Well.

I have a few theories...

Sub-theory 1: LOVE

I mentioned before that if Suzy is a human, it’s possible, even likely, she has high LOVE.

And, well..

Apparently, once you reach 20 LOVE, you become completely unrecognizable as a human being. Even to the king of all monsters, who would otherwise even compare Frisk to his own dead human child.

Sub-theory 2: “Goner” form

Clamgirl’s “fast approaching” line shows us that, apparently, some people can switch between their “normal” forms and their “goner” (grey) forms at will.

If a human had this ability... perhaps their SOUL would also turn grey? Then it would appear more like a monster SOUL than a human one. Sure, it would still be upside-down, but it’s an interesting thing to think about.

Speaking of “goner” forms...

In the files, Deltarune’s vessel creation sequence is called “GONERMAKER”.

Sub-theory 3: She’s not fully human

Remember earlier how I mentioned how the red SOUL glows red and white in the ending sequence, and how that could possibly be a hint towards the SOUL being not fully human? Well, that could apply here, as well. It’s possible Suzy could be half-monster, but we don’t even know if that’s a possible thing. I’m thinking that perhaps she could have had her SOUL infused with monster magic or dust or something of the like, since it’s likely Gaster experimented with SOULs at some point.

Sub-theory 4: Someone is hiding her/concealing her identity as human

Since Clamgirl talks about Suzy being her neighbor’s daughter, it’s possible her parent is protecting her or even hiding her. I’m not sure how exactly this would work, but it’s a possiblity.

There’s also a few other things I’d like to mention about this theory that I couldn’t fit in:

1. Clamgirl tells Frisk that “In life’s grand scheme, [Suzy] might be why [they] came here in the first place”. This could be implying that Frisk knows Suzy from the surface, which would support the theory that she’s a human. However, it could just as easily be Clamgirl going on about how Frisk and Suzy are fated to meet, especially considering Clamgirl’s phrasing makes it seem like Frisk and Suzy haven’t met before.

2. Clamgirl’s “Fast approaching” line only appears in the Switch version of Undertale, which was released less than two months before chapter one of Deltarune came out. There are 3 possibilities you could take from this:

a. Clamgirl was lying (unlikely)

b. Deltarune’s release was a distraction from some more content coming soon that will actually feature Suzy

c. Suzy is in chapter one of Deltarune.

Conclusion

Anyway, those are the four theories I could come up with on who the red SOUL could be. It could also be a completely new character. Who knows. 

Well, now that you’ve read this far... I’d actually like to gather some data. I’m curious what people think the most likely outcome is after reading this. If you could take a few seconds to vote on this poll, I’d really appreciate it!

[architectnews]

Meland Club Shenzhen flagship store

Zhuyeqing Greentea flagship store, X+LIVING Design, Architecture Images

Meland Club flagship store Shenzhen

15 Oct 2020

Meland Club flagship store Shenzhen

Architects: X+LIVING

Location: 3F, Shenzhen Uniwalk shopping mall, Shenzhen, China

Meland Club flagship store, Star Legend video game hall

Imagination is a gift from God. However, the same and stereotyped buildings and increasingly similar cities make it impossible for us to see the dream in the square frame of the glass window. I have completed so many works in the field of parent-child business and I am pursuing to create fairy tale kingdom for children and open a door to the unimaginable world.

I want to turn that hazy bubble you dream of but beyond description into a reality that can be touched. Let the unrestrained imagination explode in your heart and set off a bunch of amazing fireworks. I want you to get a touch, which is not only from the throbbing of dreamlike space challenging the daily norms, but also from the existence of space itself, which is a refuge for innocence in this deserted world. The simplest curiosity and innocence of life we once have or have already lost, will all come back to life again in here.

Follow the light, and dream big together.

——Li Xiang

The Meland Club family’s park is located on the second and third floor of Shenzhen Uniwalk Shopping Mall. Instead of using large-scale structures to coordinate conceptual aesthetics and functional blocks, the designer reorganized the logic of space composition with a brand-new internal construction scheme. A whimsical and remarkable ‘garden’ based on the concept of Four Seasons was built, with abundant geometric figures and different materials adding rich texture and imparting vitality and energy to the space.

Through the overall planning calculation and accurate measurement of panoramic modeling, hierarchy balance of sight was achieved so that consumers can not only sense the grand feeling of the overall theme, but also enjoy different viewing angles from a multi-dimensional perspective under the macro scale, and taste the micro shock brought by the totally unpredictable surprising details.

In the huge space of 6000m², the designer built a three-layer platform in the double-height space, which effectively improves the utilization rate of vertical space and at the same time, virtually magnifies the experience feeling of internal space and enhances the interest of exploration. The artificially made atriums with stairs built around them guide the customers moving with a clear direction and lead them to their destinations.

The entrance of the park is located on the third floor of the shopping mall. Given the fact that the original depth and width of the site are insufficient and large-scale installations will largely limit the openness of the view, making customers feel a sense of crowding, we therefore demolished the wall and released a display window in order to ensure the comfort of customers. The display window just provides more viewing space for customers and at the same time, attracts the attention of passers-by. Also, concept of the main atrium “spring” is extended to the reception area and a unique reception desk was developed and customized integrating with its necessary functional attributes.

Get ready in the shoes changing area which is full of sense of ritual, and step down to the main atrium viewing platform. You will be encountered by a prosperous spring scene. The spring elements of flower ball, plant stem, butterfly, bee, ladybird are collected in the deconstructive design, and then reorganized into an unexpected natural landscape, rendering deep-seated mysterious hints and stimulating wild imagination.

As the central hub of the whole park, the main atrium with a height of nearly 10 meters is integrated with eye-catching signs on different elevations, which provide customers with the most convenient guide. Stepping down any of the two paths along the atrium, your vision is widened and the space is stacked layer by layer. Customers can always appreciate the vivid scenery during the walking with ever-changing depth of field and perspective effect. The scene change at all times, but you can’t see all of it nor to even predict it. It continuously arouses people’s interest and creates more intimacy between people and the venue.

The stitching of seemingly irregular geometry and the accumulation of bright colors are not disordered and chaotic, on the contrary, it’s a harmonious relationship between internal elements and the overall theme after careful planning. Every detail has practical functional significance. For example, the cabinets and shelves well camouflaged as plants can be used for storage, the seats shaped like flowers are leisure sofa for resting, and the bulbs hanging in the air actually hide lighting and sound equipment in them. The functional value and aesthetic value of design are perfectly mixed here.

The circus carnival makes up the inspiration of the ball pool area. Breaking the arrangement of the single axis, the designer enlivens the customer feeling of space with multiple perspectives and makes interest as the core gene, turning the play experience into a three-dimensional one. Children are introduced into the maze through door holes and climbing stairs, etc. Their innate sense of free exploration is greatly stimulated.

The intangible interconnection between the space blocks brings more adventure fun. In the second atrium, the designer skillfully uses the floor height to set up exciting entertainment facilities such as rotating slide and climbing rope, which enriches the traffic entrance to the maze, echoes the sporting attributes of the second floor, and greatly increasing the fun and interesting. Most of the recreational experiences on the third floor are non-violent leisure activities such as dress-up game, simulation game, DIY classroom, etc. Since it not only takes care of the experience of young kids through shortest path, but also avoids the mutual interference between dynamic and static play areas and ensures the comfort and rationality of play to the greatest extent.

The restaurant adopts subtraction design. In the autumn-themed exquisite place, the incorporation of life scenes creates a friendly and warm atmosphere. The restroom design has broken through the traditional fixed paradigm. The hand sink built like a fountain art installation is highly ornamental, while also meets the needs of adults and children. The blue-green wall and the champagne gold color outline the texture, which is in line with the beauty of detail and the service level pursued by Meland Club. The water play area adopts main colors of blue and white. Under the designer’s consistent design method, the natural texture activates the vitality of the space.

Not like the other Meland club family’s park, this one has a video game hall as attraction for young population. Designer built a innovative gaming paradise on the theme of cyberpunk palace, using colors to construct the fantasy site and highlighting the entertainment attribute with animation characters.

The cyberpunk palace and cool video game style burst out a strong contrast in the Star Legends. The neon lights of different shapes and colors form visual linkage, and the humor neon paintings after famous painters create perfect interaction points for young people. The perspective means strengthens the spatial relationship between different-sized square machines and the scene, highlighting the rich spatial composition. The beauty of order becomes more distinct while you wondering in the space.

epilogue

The combination and grafting of functions in the macro concept and the fineness degree of details make the whole aesthetics contain perfect functionality. The miscellaneous but not disordered picture presents a rigorous axis relationship and precise structure and layering, which gives a sense of breath to the bustling space landscape. The innovative space layout weakens the transitional displacement sense of individuals and the occluding relation present a free world for exploration in this space.

The design pursues the ultimate creation of space experience, atmosphere and impact, and brings the surreal fairy tale beyond imagination to the ground, making the project not only a great effort to upgrade the space vision of the brand Meland club, but also a big breakthrough in the parent-child playground business. It is not only another subversive creation of designer Li Xiang after her classic works of parent-child playground in 2017, but also will become an amazing masterpiece which will set off a new cognition in this industry.

Meland Club in Shenzhen – Building Information

Project name: Meland Club flagship store, Star Legend video game hall Location: 3F, Shenzhen Uniwalk shopping mall, Shenzhen, China Project area: 6000㎡ Completion time: 2020.10 Design Company: X+LIVING Creative Designer: LI XIANG Project Director: Fan Chen Project Supervisor: Chen Xue, Xu Feng Customized Furniture: X+LIVING Product Developing Department Product Director: Justin Chow

Photographer: Shao Feng

Meland Club Shenzhen images / information received 271020

Location: Shenzhen, China

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Comments / photos for the Meland Club Shenzhen flagship store page welcome

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[itsiotrecords-blog]

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There is no doubt about it, a first date is a game of psychological warfare. Before the date even begins you are over-analyzing every worst-case scenario and driving yourself around in circles. “What if he’s the one?!” “What if he lives at home with his mom?” “What if he has a weird nose twitch?” or “What if he thinks I’m ugly?” and “What if he hates dogs?!” Sometimes the first date sets the tone for the entire relationship—is this going to be a platonic relationship, a one night stand, or are there going to be eventual wedding bells? Studies have shown it only takes seven seconds for someone to make an impression. Seven seconds! That is not a lot of time to make a good first impression. You are either reading this because you want to know if your thoughts are normal, you want to know what your date is thinking, or are just looking for something to read–that doesn’t pertain to politics. So don’t worry, unlike many bad first dates, this list won’t disappoint. Without further ado, here are 15 thoughts every woman has while on a first date.

#1 What Would Our Kids Look Like? In the 2003 romantic comedy starring How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) makes a scrapbook of her and Ben Barry’s (Matthew McConaughey) future children. The scrapbook is a little over-the-top but it’s not too far off from what women really think on a first date. Yes, women do envision what their future children will look like on the first date. Does he have sparkling blue eyes? A receding hairline? Larger than average ear lobes? Women notice these things, even if they aren’t aware they are noticing these things. The brain will store this information in a file cabinet towards the back of the brain. Just when she’s about to fall asleep she’ll be reminded of his impeccable cheekbones or that his index finger on his left hand was longer than his middle finger.

#2 Who’s The Ex-Girlfriend? Was he dating Alessandra Ambrosia or Mila Kunis? Did she win the Noble Peace Prize for her international humanitarian efforts or serve in the Peace Corps? Does he show reluctance or is he uncomfortable bringing her up? If he does seem hesitant in discussing his past relationships, does it mean he is still not over her or does it mean he is simply respecting this potential new relationship? As soon as she gets a name she will be searching Facebook. Are there any old pictures of the two of them together? Does her profile picture still have him in it (that would be a huge red flag! That means one of two things: She either doesn’t know she’s an ex or she’s having a hard time accepting their break up.)? She will want to know about all of his past relationships but will be most curious about the most recent. Why did it end? When was their last encounter? When was their last sexual encounter? Are they still friends on Facebook? If he isn’t upfront and honest—women will smell this a mile away. This will doom any chance of a real romantic relationship ever getting off the ground.

#3 How Will He Treat the Waitress? Did he just whistle to get the waiter’s attention? Um. So not okay. The way someone treats a waiter, bartender, or taxi driver is a good indication for what kind of person they are. If the guy is being condescending or arrogant in front of his date, chances are he is ten times worse when he’s around his friends. Speaking of friends, if she gets a chance to meet his friends–maybe run into them at the bar. If they are as*holes, she should just assume her date is an a*shole as well. The quote by author Jim Rohn, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”, couldn’t be more true. He obviously has something in common with these guys in order to be friends with them. And, chances are the things he has in common with them aren’t baking cakes or volunteering to visit the elderly. If she is smart she better Usain Bolt-it out of there!

#4 New Guy Versus Old Guy Does he physically resemble her ex? Is his personality like her ex? She will definitely be comparing the new guy to her ex. She won’t be able to help herself especially if she wasn’t the one who ended the last relationship. Yes, thoughts will naturally go towards sex. Is this guy any good in bed? Does he seem like someone who isn’t interested in a relationship but wants something else instead? No strings attached sex? Nope. Sorry. For women, this is a no go. There might be a woman or two out there who can pull off no strings attached sex but for the majority–it would only result in hurt feelings and confused emotions. If she slips up and calls him her exes name—she’s definitely not over him. Same goes for him. If the guy calls her his exes name–he’s not over her.

#5 Is He Confident? If he has first date jitters–that’s one thing. If he has major self confidence issues that’s an entirely different ball game all together. She doesn’t want to be anyone’s mother or psychotherapist. She wants to date a confident guy. Why do you think women are so turned on by 50 Shades’ Christian Grey? Obviously he’s got a hot body but what else does he have? Mr. Grey might need a psychotherapist for other issues… but definitely not confidence. He has a tremendous amount of confidence. He walks into a room and you can just smell it on him. There is a fine line between confident and overconfident. Overconfidence can sometimes be used to mask someone that’s incredibly superficial. It’s pretty easy to see through that superficial mask of bulls*it. Once someone has experienced dating an overconfident, superficial a*s, she’ll be able to recognize one as soon as he speaks.

#6 Am I Talking Too Much? “Am I being interesting or interested?” She wants to come across as interesting but also wants to show interest in him as well—if there’s an attraction there. If she goes on and on about herself without asking about him–she’s either completely uninterested or a bit too into herself to want a real relationship. Sometimes whenever there is a lull in conversation, she thinks she has to fill it by talking. Silence and pauses in conversation are good things! They are voids that don’t need to be filled. They allow both parties to absorb and process information–as well as to eat or drink. There is nothing worse than awkward, forced conversation. If she’s having a hard time getting him to talk and it’s harder than pulling teeth, that’s not a good sign. His mind is elsewhere. If she shuts down and doesn’t want to talk, she could be super shy and afraid of saying the wrong thing, or thinking about the hot guy sitting over at the bar.

#7 To Eat Or Not to Eat? If she wasn’t on a date she would be getting actual food to eat (e.g. bacon cheeseburger?) but this is a first date. A woman can’t eat on a first date. She flips her menu over to the salad selection. “Oh, yum. Romaine lettuce, green pepper, and a tomato slice.” Every female does it. She goes out on a first date and doesn’t eat anything or pretends her favorite food is romaine lettuce. This needs to stop! It makes him feel awkward as he digs in and eats his filet mignon or chicken parmesan. He has to stare as his date nibbles on a piece of lettuce. She needs to show confidence by getting something absolutely delicious! This is a date! It’s supposed to be a fun time. Enjoy yourself! Life is not a dress rehearsal! You only get one shot at it–so order the deep-fried calamari and triple fudge sundae with extra hot fudge! To eat or not to eat? EAT, girl! Be yourself!

#8 Dog Or Cat Person? The movie The Ugly Truth starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler has Katherine Heigl’s character Abby Richter, completely infatuated with her neighbor–the orthopedic doctor–because he is a cat person. Does he like dogs? Who knows. But, as soon as she finds out that he is a cat person, she starts hearing wedding bells. If she has a cat, the guy better be a cat person. If she has a dog, he better be a dog person. There’s really no way around this. A relationship whereas one person is a cat person and the other person is a 100% dog person will not work out. Can you imagine an avid Trump supporter being married to a loyal Clinton supporter? They would be fighting like cats and dogs (pun intended)!

#9 Living With Parents?! If her date piques her interest and there’s some initial attraction but then she finds out he still lives with his parents. Ladies and gentlemen, game over. The alarms will start going off in her head until she can no longer hear the words coming out of his mouth. She might start swallowing a little more frequently. It goes back to the caveman days—women want a hunter, someone who will protect and provide for them. If her caveman is still living in a cave with his mom and dad—not in his own cave—she’s going find a guy with his own cave! No cavewoman would want to live in a cave with her in-laws! Exceptions do exist. One exception would be if he has just graduated from medical school and he has moved back home in order to finalize purchasing a house. Another exception would be if he just returned from serving in the Peace Corps.

#10 Did I Learn This From FB Stalking? Everyone has done it. You see someone in real life and congratulate them or ask them about something only to realize that you probably only know this information from Facebook. Before saying ‘Yes!’ to going on a date, a woman must do some detective work. She will scour his social media accounts. Are there any public posts? The worst, most irritating thing is when he has his social media accounts set to private! Not one public post?! How can this even be allowed? Photos? Only two? Is there something wrong with him? If his Facebook is set to private, start digging through his friends. If more than half his friends have profile pictures where they are throwing up gang signs or holding up beer–might be a slight cause for concern. If more than half his friends are female, might be a slight cause for concern or just might mean he is a really good listener.

#11 Is He A Serial Killer? During certain times of the month or other emotional times (e.g. a breakup) a woman will throw on some comfy yoga pants, grab some ice cream or chips, click on the television and binge watch Lifetime movies. This can often turn into an entire weekend binge watching Lifetime. Lifetime movies are made for women– to make them cry and/or feel scared. They are sappy and generally starring D-list actors. Women love them. Unfortunately watching so many Lifetime movies has skewed her perception of men. Is he going to turn into a raging asshole? Is he abusive? Does he secretly dislike women that resemble his mother? These crazy thoughts will pass through her head–hopefully not spending more than a millisecond hanging around. With the abundance of social media channels and everything online these days, paying for background checks is kind of a thing of the past. She undoubtedly has googled his name on the various search engines.

#12 How Much Eye Contact? He’s talking. She’s talking. He’s talking. She’s listening–or is she really listening? If she’s looking up at the ceiling or down at her vibrating cell phone–then she’s probably not listening. Eye contact shouldn’t be fleeting or jumping around the room. She should be looking at him straight in the eyes with occasional glances down or to the side. If he is giving too much eye contact, she will either be turned on by his intensity or turned off by his intensity. She doesn’t want to feel like he wants to devour her, but she also doesn’t want him to feel like she’s picturing him naked.

#13 Flirty or Creepy Smile? She catches her smile in her spoon or the reflection on her iPhone case. Oh dear God. She looks like a total creeper. She tried sexy but sexy just seemingly turned into weird. She hasn’t really mastered flirty yet. She might try the half smile with her hand slightly obscuring the other half of her mouth. Scarlett Johnasson? Well, not quite. What about if she does the slightly open mouth Victoria’s Secret smile? Nope. It looks like she’s waiting to take a bite out of your neck. If she concentrates too hard on mastering the flirty smile she’s going to fail. The more relaxed she is, the more natural her smile will be. Hence, more attractive.

#14 Was That Too Much Wine? She doesn’t want to be seen as someone who needs to drink in order to have fun but she doesn’t want to seem like Miss Goody Two-Shoes. So, how much is too much? If she sticks with one glass, that seems pretty reasonable. She’ll be relaxed enough to stop picking at her fingernails and will put the coaster, menu, or whatever else she’s fidgeting with down. She won’t be face plant drunk, which is always a good thing, but she’ll hopefully be relaxed enough to carry on a conversation. What if she’s drinking something other than wine. She should tick with two drinks max. After two drinks she should switch to water. This is a first date. This isn’t a college fraternity party where the goal is to get as drunk as humanely possibly before trying to stumble your way home in the most uncomfortable heels possible.

#15 Who Will Pay The Bill? The bill comes to the table. Does she reach for it? What if he lets her take it? If he lets her take it or suggests going dutch, this relationship is over even before it started. If he takes the bill from her and insists on paying–he’s had a great time and this relationship may be heading in the right direction–if she feels the same way. If she doesn’t offer to pay, yes she will be coming across as a bit of an entitled snot. The polite thing to do is offer to pay. There is only one exception to this rule and that’s if he was a disrespectful a*shole. If that was the case, stick him with the bill… after ordering a nice glass of cabernet sauvignon 1988.

Source: TheRichest

[fuckyeahrp]

RP Rules

Ripping this almost line for line off of a new, much more prepared RPer mate of mine: https://reportsduemonday.tumblr.com/ CloveeD, you’re probably the only person that will see this for the foreseeable future, ahaha, but I suppose I could use this as a base for any serious RP I have in the future so it’s a brilliant thing to make! Gosh if you ever have the time, I’d love to talk to you about how to make a well thought out RP blog like yours @_@

Roleplaying Information 

Name: Alex 

Pronouns: She/Her, He/Him (given to fluctuation, as such I’m fine with anyone using They/Them for simplicity sake when I haven’t otherwise specified a desire for folks to exclusively use of either He/Him or She/Her pronouns when referring to me.)  

Fandom Activities: I roleplay and write fanfiction more than anything else (the later I need to get back into tbh) but also draw (need to start posting fan art) 

I’m open to collabs, never really done that tho? Message me! I don’t bite. Hard. 

Main Blog: I would only feel inclined to share this if asked by a fellow RP mate that I’ve been writing with for a while already and trust with a more personal connection. If this is somehow an issue, message me and we can work it out. 

Art Blog: pending 

AO3: pending rebranding 

Fandom Blog: Fuck Yeah I Ship It (not exclusive to Stucky, that’s just the majority of what I’ve recently posted…)

(I’ve honestly just finished a major life milestone that kept me from drawing and writing much, so I have to get back into the swing of producing my own creative content as opposed to just lazily reblogging shit off mobile) 

Rules

I prefer roleplaying using email (again, message me) or this blog. I tend to find folks (when I seek out RPing) off Omegle, probably because I haven’t yet discovered a more reliable website (if there is something like Omegle out there for folks wanting to RP that isn’t a group chat then I’m happy to hear suggestions). 

I almost exclusively write in 3rd person with the exception of italicized internal thoughts where necessary or characteristic of the RP/character. Past or present tense, but hopefully just one tense throughout the life of the specific RP.  1-3 paragraph responses given I have enough inspiration or intent to build off of and or responses aren’t just simple back and forth dialogue. 

I may drop an RP thread if any of the following occurs

- I feel as though there is no plot development or hope for advancement in the story/world created 

- I feel as though I am carrying the story or simply matching short, un-involved or uninspired responses 

- There are chronic, long delays between responses (mitigated usually only by really interesting plots and long replies. Of course I understand that life happens, you can’t reply for a day or two, but if I’m getting one response every three days for the rest of the RP then I’m going to lose momentum and interest. Much of what motivates me to keep RPing is my excitement over your responses, development of character and plot. If you’ve hooked me on one of those fronts then I’ll reply more frequently and with longer posts)

- One or more of my hard-no’s is utilized in story without prior discussion. 

- There is no open discussion/dialogue between yourself and myself to remedy any of the above  factors

If I think of more I might add to this but I think that’s the gist of it. 

I don’t really follow for follow, if there is something about your blog that piques my interest then I may follow, but don’t just expect it. My following someone is interest based, not some odd unspoken social media obligation. 

Ask Box and Messaging should be open, feel free to message me whenever! I keep strange hours though so bear with me. 

Never hesitate to share your RP Rules with me if we’ve started or plan on starting an RP together, I will make an effort to read and know your rules and hope you do the same with mine (I mean you’ve already gotten this far in this post, might as well right? haha) 

The Yeses

Genres: Action, Adventure, Crime & Gangster, Drama, Epics, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Themes: Character development, world building, angst/dark plot, fluffy/light/sweet plot, porn with plot

Alternate Universes: ABO, Mpreg, BDSM, Harry Potter/Hogwarts, Pacific Rim, Magical Creatures (vampire, werewolf, harpy, siren, centaur, fawn, mermaid or other hybrid animal-humanoid AUs), Cyborg/Robot (one character as AI or part machine), Human (for fantastical or Sci-fi fandoms such as a No-Powers AU for an Avengers or Harry Potter/FBAWTFT centric RP), Powers (for non-powered or “normal person” fandoms), College, Mob/Mafia, Cam!Boy, Royalty/Prince/Princess, Arranged Marriage

AUs are pretty fun, I’m sure there are some I missed, just pose an idea and we can see if we can make it work!

Kinks: Note that these should always be negotiated, either before starting an RP (if planning one together), made clear in the prompt or easily extrapolated from prompt or worked out in dialogue between yourself and me before working it into an existing and continued RP. Power bottom, topping from the bottom, impact play, sensory play, breath play, feminization, crosdressing, orgasm denial, bondage, sensory deprivation, praise, humiliation, voyeurism, anonymous sex (glory holes), fake but perceived “public use” or “gang bang” (as in character A likes the idea of being used by multiple folks but perhaps character B is too possessive to actually hand them off to a group of people), double penetration, cock rings, ring gags, age difference (everyone is of legal consenting age), deepthroating, breath play, pillow princess, sex toys, dub-con, sex pollen, heats/ruts, cum play, magic involvement and I’m sure more I’m sure, just ask me. 

The Maybes 

Genres: Comedy 

Themes: Minor character death

Alternate Universes: High School (age difference and Teacher x Student is a major slippery slope, also see The Hard No’s) 

Kinks: Why these are Maybes and not Yeses or Hard No’s is contingent on the context of the RP, when in doubt, ask me and we can work something out. Violence, torture, psychological abuse, physical abuse, psychological disturbances, drug use (consensual or not), non-con, fuck-or-die, blood play, gang bang, gang rape, prostitution/forced prostitution, public use “period realistic” or homophobia realistic to a character’s personality and more. Like always, its a negotiation, just ask. 

The Hard No’s 

Genres: Horror, War/Politics (fandom specific, message me), Westerns (only exclusion is some Westworld AU or the like) 

Themes: Major character death, porn without plot (these just seem to die or loose interest much too fast),  wangst centric plot

Alternate Universes: De-Aged, TinyCharacterA (as in one of the characters is super small for some reason and everything else is normal sized) 

Kinks: Eating disorders, psychologist/doctor x patient, religion, incest, grossly under age, self harm, scat/feces/piss, necrophilia and I’m sure to add to any and all of these categories. 

My fandoms of interest 

Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Marvel, DC, Star Trek, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Pacific Rim, Mad Max Fury Road, Sherlock, Game of Thrones, Westworld, Super Girl, The Flash, One Punch Man, Yuri on Ice, Attack on Titan, Deadman Wonderland, Final Fantasy, Dragon Age Inquisition Overwatch and I’m going to leave it at that for now. 

My Ships

A separate post with an in progress list of my ships can be found here