#the personalities of the acting cast are shaping up to be rather different from the characters themselves

[luminitewrites]

A small (unedited) crumb of Sleuth Jesters Actor AU for you

Nobody let Moon drive or else

(Psst, @naffeclipse, I hope you don't mind that I've made the acting cast not quite like the characters they play)

[prismalmelonman]

Touching on Gale, Wyll, and Halsin's traumas being a bit undermined in parts of the fandom

So one thing I notice on Twitter is how some people act about the bg3 characters whose abuses were perpetuated by women.

Gale specifically for this reason (but I will touch on others)bbecause I see him dismissed super often as "can't get over his ex".

But Gale's case obviously be has the line of Mystra being like "she was my muse, my teacher, and then my lover" and sure to some that's a red flag in itself (when it comes to adults I don't really give a fuck about teacher/student) but if you view it from not only Gale's own words "ive been connected with the weave for as long as i can remember"

And that doesn't distract from his genuine love of magic of course. And it also doesn't mean that he's actually been in connection with mystra for an amount of time.

However, if you ascend Gale, and he becomes a god, you get a bunch of new little things. Tara reminiscing of course, but you get a letter from Elminster, detailing that Mystra had Elminster scope out Gale when he was eight!

And sure is that pretty cool that he's a prodigy that got the attention of the goddess of magic at that age? Yes. Mystra is, however, known in forgotten Realms lore to seek young young boys who are in tune with magic to make into her chosen. And from context clues, her chosen can be anything from Elminster and Volo, dedicated wizards who try to keep things in check, etc etc. or they're somewhat of playthings to her.

Minsc also has a conversation where me mentions that weave-touched boys in his homeland were hidden away to hone their craft, then suspecting that it was because of Mystra, given Gale's case.

Gale always seems so proud that he got to bed a goddess, and on the surface, hell yeah, that's cool.

Gale continued to have her attention even as he went to Blackstaff Academy, and Mystra eventually did take him on as an apprentice directly to her, later making him her chosen, and sleeping with him.

The reason it bothers me that people dismiss all of Gale's stuff to just "he can't get over his ex" is because that's is like almost textbook grooming? She was in his life from a young age, shaping and moulding him up as he grew up to be her perfect chosen, rewarding him by sleeping with him, and so on. And then of course casting him away when he has his folly with the netherese orb (and to be fair, it very well could have looked like to her that he was trying to seize the power himself and yes the orb does siphon off weave. That is a problem for the mistress of the weave yes).

But she also tells gale to KILL HIMSELF for her forgiveness.

Gale is much more than "unable to be over his ex" this woman was in his life since he was a kid. She's almost all he has ever known. If course it's going to be difficult for him to 1. Say no to her. 2. Get over the fact that he's lost someone that he spent his literal entire life dedicated to. Honestly if asked, I don't even think Gale would acknowledge or really see that what he went through was, in fact, abuse until it was spelled out in front of him. (Which does happen somewhat with the player character pleading to him that killing himself for mystra's forgiveness is actually horrific and that he should in fact be angry for how he was treated)

Similarly, and this one has been discussed a lot, Wyll and Mizora. Wyll was 17 and actively trying to help his people. 17, in a vulnerable state, willing to do anything to help and prove himself. Mizora very clearly took advantage of him, and regards him as a "pet", refers to him being "leashed", and so on. Personally, I do dislike the sexualization of their relationship, because it very much is also grooming (although a different type. Rather than manipulating and shaping his life from the ground up, she takes advantage of a vulnerable and desperate state to manipulate and contract Wyll into doing her bidding. I won't go too deep I to this one because it has been discussed to hell and back. But I did wanna touch on Wyll's situation as well.

Also, Halsin as well, though that has also been discussed in many retrospectives by a very good friend of mine. Halsin's trauma often get dismissed due to his polyamory, open sexual nature, and his own somewhat diminishing/dismissal of it, which honestly I love the representation of, cause for a while I did that with my own trauma. Halsin was a sex slave to a house of Lolth-Sworn drow, a matriarchal society, where the men are generally used as fodder or for breeding, though male Lolth-Sworn drow can be wizards and rise in the ranks if wizardry, but are limited everywhere else. (Minthara mentions that the third male, and every subsequent male child after third are killed for being"useless"). Halsin often referred to them as "hosts" rather than being captors, (though he does touch on that if the Player Character threatens to sell him back into slavery). Again, everything I'd have to say here for Halsin has entirely been discussed top to bottom by a friend, their link is below!!

Anyway, long story short, I dislike it a lot when Gale, Wyll, and Halsin's traumas and abuses get diminished, even if/when the character themself doesn't see or acknowledge the abuse in the same lens that we, the players, do.

[odyssean-flower]

Sneak peek for next chapter

working on the next chapter rn and it's shaping up to be a long one... will i be able to finish it before the one-year anniversary of this fic? anyways i'm having a lot of fun killing baby saurians with neuv

"Madame, I have something I must confess to you."

The seriousness in Neuvillette's voice made you turn to look at him. He had raised himself up a little on his arm, his long hair falling over his face and spilling out onto his pillow as he looked down at you somberly. Your heart did a quick little pitter-patter as you felt a sudden vulnerability, with you lying on your back as he looked down at you, casting a shadow over your body.

"W-What is it? You look so grave," you said quickly in an attempt to distract yourself from the strange ideas you were getting.

Neuvillette let out a breath before speaking. "I have committed an act of transgression against your person."

"...Huh?" you blinked in confusion. "When did that happen?" You could count on one hand the number of times that Neuvillette had touched you without asking for your permission...not that you had been consciously counting them or anything.

"It was two weeks ago." When he saw that your look of confusion persisted, he added, "It was when I carried you back to your room after you fell asleep in my office. Upon settling you down on your bed, I...I gave you a kiss on your forehead."

"Hmm...oh!" Now you remembered. You vaguely recalled the sensation of something soft brushing against your forehead. Had that been...? "Why did you do that?"

There was another short silence. "I don't know," he said at last. "I found myself pondering that question as well. It is no excuse, of course, for what I have done. I should have informed you of it the very next morning."

"...I see," you fidgeted with your hands under the blankets. You had no idea what you were supposed to say here. "Um...it was only the forehead, yes? Nowhere else?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"Well, it's not as if you have any way to prove that," you murmured.

Neuvillette pressed his lips together in a distraught manner, then leaned in towards you, his bangs nearly brushing against your cheek. "Then, I shall swear upon my seat as the Chief Justice of Fontaine that I have not kissed you anywhere except for your forehead." He looked straight into your eyes as he spoke, as if to make you feel the full weight of his sincerity.

"If you're going that far, then I suppose you aren't lying," you said, resisting the urge to shuffle away. This proximity was yet another thing that you found difficult to handle. Lying in bed next to each other at night was very different from sitting next to each other at a table.

Perhaps it was that discomfort that made you say what you say next.

"I appreciate your honesty. But it is a rather serious misdemeanor you confessed to. I think a suitable punishment is in order."

"Punishment..." Neuvillette echoed. "Yes, of course. Whatever you decide, I shall accept it."

"For something like this, I think the best course of action is to visit the same act upon the doer." You looked into his eyes. "I shall also have to sneak into your room at night and kiss you on your forehead while you are sleeping. That way, the scales will be balanced."

You expected to be met with surprise, but instead he nodded. "That does seem adequate." Perhaps it was just the shadows playing tricks on you, but you could have sworn the corner of his mouth lifted. "Is there a specific date on which you're planning to carry out this punishment?"

"No," you smiled at him. "It will be when you least expect it. Perhaps it will be tomorrow. Or next week. Or months later."

"I see," he said, voice low and almost husky. "In that case, I shall await that time with bated breath."

It wasn't until you both rolled over, your backs to each other and hearts beating rapidly (at least for you) that you realized that Neuvillette never actually expressed any regrets for the kiss itself.

[blossomthepinkbunny]

Not a lot of variety in Hazbin Hotel

Another thing I dislike about Hazbin Hotel is the genuine lack of diversity.

With a setting like Hell you have the amazing opportunity to have characters from so many different time periods interact. With different fashion, different skills, different believes or upbringings it's incredibly easy to make characters that stand apart from eachother and create conflict (atleast it should be).

But with Vivzepops disinterest in making characters that even slightly stray away from the specific way she likes to write them, a lot of them end up blending together in how they act/look. Hazbin Hotel has this pretended diversity, where it seems like the cast should vary because on the surface they are very different, but in the show they blend together. This is because Vivzepop throws around different jobs, sexualities, nationalities, goals and inspirations for her characters, but never puts in the work to make them feel like it.

Sir Pentious, Alastor and Vox are all from different times, with different occupations. Sir Pentious was an inventor in the 1880s, Alastor was a radio host from the 1930s and Vox was a TV show host from 1950 (that's the era they died in). Yet they all wear very similar suits, just colour shifted. They all have shoulder pads, the same lapels, stripes and bowties. Alastor and Vox even wear the same pants and have the same shoes (atleast in shape).

Not to mention that in almost all of the designs there's that obnoxious red colour (especially with the red-black-white combination she just loves to put on her creations).

Even characters like Vox who seem like they have different colours (for him a mostly blue colour sceme) still have red accents and only very few characters are allowed designs without any red. Which is not that great since the background is also mostly red and it just hurts to look at sometimes.

Theres also all of the "typical" Vivzepop desing traits. Mostly sharp shapes and features, very slim bodies, sharp teeth, tophats, suits etc. A lot of her characters already blend together even though it doesnt make sense for them to. Would an inventor from the 1880s really dress the same as a TV show host from the 1950s?

Here I should mention that I don't mean blend together as in being completely indistinguishable from eachother but rather having too many similarities that it doesn't make sense for them to have.

As far as personality goes I do have to say that the characters are different enough in their basic chatacterizations. Vaggie especially was mostly refreshing because she acted as a voice of reason sort of and Charlie with her often naive (but very childish) attitude also stood out. But the devil is usually in the details.

I've heard people complain countless times about how pretty much the only continuous joke the show has is a character cursing, insulting others or making a sex joke. I get that cynical characters are sort of the appeal of HH but there's also just a lack of variety there for me. This is probably just a small nitpick here and something that is already done sometimes in the show, but there are different ways a person can be insulting and mean.

Like, for Husk it makes sense to be so up-front with being rude. He's a bartender and dealing with drunk people often requires being very clear and assertive.

But why does Angel never get to do anything else then directly talking about being sexy and making fun of others in such an obvious way. I think they wanted to give the appeal of him reading someone like a drag queen would but he just makes the same observations again and again and not in really clever ways (from what I remember!).

Alastor and Vox could've also been used better in the sense that atleast from what I know people in the entertainment industry (especially ones who do interviews or that stuff) won't directly tell someone that they don't like them. It's much more common for them to bring it up in small ways, like asking a question tied to an embarrassing topic to force the person into having to talk about that stuff.

Like I said this isn't really all too important though. What makes me more annoyed is the lack of diversity when it comes to the villains and how they're treated.

To me Viv has an issue with trying for every villain to play a more goofy role even though it doesn't always fit. Of course you can have "stupid" or silly and mostly funny villains but that shouldn't be every single one. When there are multiple villains in a show what makes them interesting is often how they differ from the others in their attitude and motivation and in HH we just don't really get that.

Sir pentious is never taken seriously as a threat and is mostly treated as incompetend, (I know he gets out of being the villain rather quick but even before that) Adam is just constantly portrayed as a dumb and irrational until we are supposed to take him seriously in the end. Vox doesn't do anything in the show apart from be kinda antagonistic towards Alastor and outside of that he is mainly also presented as being a fun villain rather than an intimidating one (very prominently in the song he has with Alastor where Alastor just completely bashes him at the end). Velvette also has nothing to do. Lucifer isn't treated as an antagonist (even though he should be in my opinion) and is shown to be just a "goofy and silly little guy" ig.

And apart from Valentino's genuinely terrifing scene he has with Angel Dust in episode four, he too is shown to be whiny, obnoxious and mostly dumb in his other scenes (this isn't helped by Viv pushing the idea that the Vee's are just like fun little saturday morning cartoon villains outside of the show). I guess Alastor is different in that regard kinda.

This plus the fact that outside of the characters who are obviously villains no one is allowed to be even slightly critical of Charlies idea without being presented as totally irrational, makes for no variety when it comes to the opposition in Hazbin Hotel. It's just kinda dissapointing to me that a show with this opportunity to create different characters gets stuck in the same conflicts and ideas over and over again.

[a-confused-spoon]

TDP s6: Soren, Viren and missing the point (1/2)

I’ve seen some discussion surrounding the topic of whether or not book 6 of The Dragon Prince did justice to the complicated relationship between the male components of the mage fam, and as someone who fell in love with the writing of the show (in the first three seasons), as well as someone who relates to Soren’s struggle with Viren, I wanted to share my two cents. Of course, those are filtered through my very own lens, so none of what I’m going to say is ill intended or means to be disrespectful to the writers, cast, crew or fans that enjoyed what we got in book 6. I just really want to share my own thoughts because the direction this show has been taking these past few years is eating me up alive😊

*clears throat*

SPOILERS FOR THE DRAGON PRINCE SEASON 6!

What I find really frustrating and unsatisfying is that the scenes of confrontation between father and son that we got in s6 are done in a way that seemingly wants to punish Viren more than it wants to empower Soren- even though the scenes taken singularly are extremely well done, from the voice acting to the animation to the mood of it all... the problem arises only when looking at things according to the very principles the series tries to convey.

Just so that we’re all on the same boat here: the core theme of the series is the difference between power and true strength, and more specifically how the latter comes in the shape of only apparent weaknesses, such as love, vulnerability and forgiveness- all things that ultimately aim at connection.

Here’s the thing:

While yes, acting or not acting this way is a personal choice, Soren doesn’t really seem to choose to not to forgive Viren; rather he’s portrayed as uncapable of doing the opposite, meaning that he isn't really given the chance to be ‘strong’ according to the series’ values. It's one thing to say that Soren doesn't forgive his dad despite the change Viren went through because Soren doesn't owe him that, but it's a whole other thing to say that Soren doesn't forgive his dad because he refuses to believe said change happened in the first place (which by the time they meet again in s6 it’s just plainly untrue, but I’ll talk about Viren in part 2).

Now, since Soren is pretty much fine whenever Viren isn’t around, and since forgiveness is a part of the core theme of the series, what one could assume that Soren already forgave him and went on with his life for 2 years with no problem because he was at peace with what happened (which is the point of the act of forgiving, not only here but in real life too). Then Viren shows up again, and there’s a state of shock…the first time. Soren meets Viren in the Drakewood and we got no interaction between them, and whatever, that’s fine. Maybe he was processing it all.

The scenario in which they meet here however it’s very different: Soren is told ahead of time and he willingly goes to see his father despite no one forcing him to, as if he couldn't help it (at least up to a certain point).

This, unlike the state of shock that may or may have not been the reason they didn’t face one another sooner, isn’t a situation that should take away Soren’s capacity to stand up to his abuser with pride that he displayed all the way back in s3: does anybody remember that? How in the finale Soren was super ready for a confrontation right then and there, not as a hurt kid but as a confident and secure young man?

Yet this time, Soren isn’t depicted as capable of proudly facing the source of his pain to begin with, for whatever reason. Here he’s either numb, mad or sad, framed as a broken boy who can only live happily if he full on ignores what hurt him, which is far from the idea of moving on. Even in the optic where this is a form of stepping up for himself, considering that (as I mentioned) he was already capable of it and we already know how deeply hurt he was by Viren, the interactions we get in s6 give us nothing that we didn’t already know.

Since this is (probably) the last chance the two will have at conversation, there should've been more to it this time around. Some kind of proper conclusion before parting ways: that would be closure.

If Soren couldn’t forgive Viren when the latter was believed dead and didn’t have to face him at all once, it was probably due to the lack of closure (or by principle, I’ll get to that in a second), which could be the reason why he kept going back to the dungeon, though unaware of it; at this point it’s easy to see that, in order for the relationship to center the point the overall story is trying to make (or to barely allow a character that has suffered as much as Soren to finally heal), having closure here was a must, especially if they intended for him to go through the same thing twice.

As someone who has lived a similar situation as Soren has with Viren I say this with all the bitterness possible: for better or worse, forgiveness it’s something you do for your own sake of moving forward. I think that a lot of people, in general, mistake forgiveness for reconciliation.

The issue isn't that these two characters don’t reconcile, if anything, that's something that I liked and actually hoped for; the issue is that if closure and forgiveness are about inner peace (and they are), and not about reconciliation (and they're not), both things being denied now is unfair at best, and cruel at worst.

For anyone who claims that the entire thing was "realistic", please keep in mind that this is a fictional story where the characters are either rewarded or punished at the mercy of the writers, not to mention that said fictional story also wants to deliver a very clear moral message, meaning that most of the big character moments should bare minimum lean towards said message.

Even assuming this wasn’t the case, that forgiveness not being granted here is for the best and it doesn’t ruin the overall message of the story, Soren still deserved closure; he could have then decided to not forgive his father.

But okay- let's say that all of what I’ve been typing so far here isn't true and that Soren not believing his father was perfect: it could have, admittedly, somewhat worked if they had Soren, an emotionally smart and open-minded guy, actually hear his father out before… I don’t know, calling him out on his hypocrisy perhaps, for apologizing for mistreatment when there’s so much more he did, or for claiming to be a changed man when he puts the responsibility of fixing what he caused onto others by asking to serve someone else and that’s because he doesn't know how to be good man on his own, or how he chose to not pick up the pieces of what he left behind and brings up Viren's decision to leave behind his sister, who will likely fall into Aaravos's arms out of desperation… something.

What I'm getting at is that anything would have been satisfying if at least they allowed the characters to truly communicate with one another, regardless of the outcome, instead the possibility of real confrontation being denied to them so a spectacle can be made of Viren's guilt and unaccepted apologies.

‘Cause no, if one of the characters actively chooses not to listen to what the other one is saying, it’s not an actual confrontation, it’s barely a conversation. It’s just dialogue.

Aside from the logistics of it all, I've rewatched book 1, 2 and 3 about a hundred times during the hiatus, and I confidently believe (though this is 100% my own reading of the character) that among other things, everything that happens between Soren and Viren here fails to consider the kind of person Soren is at heart: he would never say something like "I want to see you suffer"; he would never angrily punch a wall (or, in this case, the dungeon’s bars). Those obviously aren’t unreasonable reactions, they are just out of character. To make a real-life example, if you were to go outside and a random man started screaming at you, it’d be understandable for you to scream back, just like it would be for you to freeze or run away; it all depends on who you are as a person.

Soren isn’t the type who’d get physically violent as a result of emotional outbursts* against a person he loves (if he isn't completely apathetic it's because he still cares, despite everything), nor the one who’d deliberately be mean to said someone, even when hurt, angry and would have all the right to be mean. What the hell happened to “he's cruel, but you don’t have to be” or whatever he said in s5?

He just isn’t that kind of person at all. If anything, Soren would very likely find it in him to be happy for his father while still not wanting him in his life anymore.

[*edit: this one specifically isn't just a matter of character, but also a matter of discipline: Soren is literally a trained soldier. I get why Callum would punch someone in the face during an adrenaline rush due to feeling intense anger and stress, but Soren was able to keep his cool not only when the pain of seeing Viren's "true colors" was fresh, but when at the very same time the man was being a threat to Ezran's life (so even according to Crownguard code he would have had a pass to immediately react)... maybe that's why it strikes me as odd]

Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed this season far more than what it might seem, but since Soren is the only reason I stuck around after the massive disappointment that was s4, I really really wanted this moment to be the absolute best, and at least personally I feel like this was just not it… but I’m crossing my fingers, hoping that maybe, in one way or another, they will give Soren his moment of acceptance and allow him to truly move on.

Something that I can’t hope anymore for Viren…

[restlessbundoll]

Unused Doll Piece

Something I wrote for a fantasy world idea I had been working on that I doubt I'll end up doing anything with cx

it might as well live somewhere~

--

It's not uncommon to find those gifted in the arcane arts to be seen traveling with a close and loyal companion.

Dolls, a form of Golem, crafted from stone and brought to life through careful spellcraft. Mages were eager to have their own, most apprentice spellcasters dreaming if the day they became powerful enough to make their own. They were used for mostly simple tasks, taking notes quickly and efficiently, a true blessing to a rambling mystic as they tug at the threads of our world. Or simply just for manual labour that they'd rather not dirty their hands with.

The creation of a doll is not only a lengthy process, but an extremely personal one. It begins with the shaping of the stone. The one step that usually involves another person. Those powerful enough to even consider bringing their own doll to this world have often already made a name for themselves, and coin isn't too much of a trouble, most willing to hire skilled artists and stonemasons with the carving of the shell. It's best that this step is done with hand tools, although stone can be broken and shaped with spells, the risk of any lingering magics that could taint the doll making process isn't worth taking. Runes are carved directly into each segment of the shell, each one representing a instruction, a way of letting each limb and joint know its function, and acts as an assisting catalyst for the spell.

Once a suitable shell is prepared, the ritual can begin when the caster is ready. The spell itself is a lengthy one, some rituals said to span over a couple of days without break. Seclusion, concentration and focus is key. The spell itself is rather delicate, quick to be influenced by stray thoughts. Due to this, it's often considered that dolls have "personalities", physically and socially. Each one seems to bear unique personal quirks from the ways they respond to questions, to how they behave in the presence of their creator. Beyond that, no two dolls looked the same, from differing artistic visions in the creation of its shell to how it was dressed after its conception. Some would display their dolls proudly, a clear creation for all to see. Others chose to dress them, just like any other person. Sometimes this was just to blend them in, to not draw attention, but some saw it as a way to treat or reward reward them.

For a spell meant to create a simple, loyal, obedient servant, these little accidental additions make them much more approachable. Many mages consider their dolls more of a friend rather than the tools that they are.

The origins of this strange spell are quite unknown, some speculating that it's a form of forbidden magic, that by casting it you sever a part of your soul and to give an object life. Though this is a highly debated topic between scholars and mages alike, the concept of these dolls being "alive" seemed ridiculous. Yet they couldn't fully prove it wasn't true, the magic behind what humans called a soul was still a mystery.

[real-reulbbr-band]

I headcanon Victoria to be a cat without claws, a trait that shaped her personality and interactions with others from a young age. Instead of feeling disadvantaged, compared to her peers, She felt an innate sense of apprehension whenever confronted with situations that hinted at potential physical conflict. 

Unlike other kittens who engaged in play fights, Victoria couldn't bring herself to participate. Instead, such scenarios only heightened her sense of caution, making her interactions more hesitant and reserved. Which led her more into hobbies like dance, and maintaining a peaceful demeanor, especially around kittens her age she encountered. Dancing didn’t require touch, at least when Victoria started, it was her escape, her expression, and she could Share it with others without touch. It wasn’t easy without the common stability of claws, but when she found her balance she achieved a grace like no one else. 

Her grace gave her an approachable aura, drawing others to her like a magnet, they were captivated by her sense of wonder and inherent softness. This same magnetic presence was evident when she crossed paths with the young Plato, who bore a harsh appearance, a stark contrast to her own gentleness. Despite his exterior, he often cast glances her way, though he remained silent, his curiosity was still palpable.

She had never seen anyone quite like him before. Jenny had brought him in, claiming she had discovered him lurking in a paper bag. Malnourished, wet, and frightened.

He had only been at the junkyard for a week, keeping mostly to himself, and finding solace in the company of the older cats rather than interacting much with those of his own age. When Victoria first noticed him, she couldn't help but feel a sense of compassion. Despite his withdrawn exterior, he appeared only slightly older than her, and his demeanor hinted at a past devoid of love, perhaps even lacking a home altogether. This was evident in his reluctance to forge connections with others, a hesitance Victoria couldn’t help but feel pitiful for. 

One afternoon, when Plato was waiting for Jennyanydots to return from patrol outside the car boot she approached him. For a moment, they just stared at one another, not exchanging a word, he didn’t seem all that bothered so Victoria moved closer. 

Despite her initial hesitation, Victoria extended her paw to Plato in a gesture of trust and understanding. It was a small act, but one that carried profound significance for both of them. Plato, unused to such displays of kindness, was initially confused but ultimately accepted Victoria's offer, gently holding her paw in his own, wrapping his claws around the area where her claws should be.

Though they came from different backgrounds, Victoria and Plato found solace in each other's company, as they grew up together, their paw-holding was like a secret touch between the two, Plato felt like the piece Victoria had been missing, her dance partner hiding in plain sight and she in turn brought a softness back to his soul that he believed was long gone. 

Thank you @seeking-chrysalism for beta reading <3

[grim-wildwood]

Wands

(For the Wildwood Witch)

•☽────✧˖°˖⛤˖°˖✧────☾•

Most of the public has seen Harry Potter or engaged in fantasy-based media, where wands act as a magickal tool to make objects levitate, cast spells, or make things explode.

The truth is: wands are both real and magickal.

However, it is important not to let the "power" of fictional wands downplay the power of real ones.

One thing I will always advise against is using the Wizarding World as a guide for choosing a wand. Remember that it is entirely fictional information meant to add depth to a story rather than genuine information. I add this warning due to the fact that researching wands leads directly to information pulled from this resource quite often.

So, from the words of a high priestess, here are how wands work, how to tailor them to you, and the five best choices of wood!

How Wands Work

•☽────✧˖°˖⛤˖°˖✧────☾•

A wand is a sacred tool that represents power and protection. It is a symbolic object that is used during rituals and spells to channel energy and direct it toward a desired outcome. A wand can be made from any type of wood, stone, crystal, or other natural object such as a feather. A wand is considered a tool of spirituality and holding one can help to guide the practitioner and focus their intent during sacred rituals and spells.

When using a wand, a witch would grip it firmly in their hand, pointing the tip of the wand in the direction in which they desire their energy to flow. It is not necessary to make physical contact with the object being targeted or pointed at, as the wand itself possesses the power to draw in and channel necessary energies. While holding the wand, one can begin a chant or focus one's thoughts on a desired outcome. Holding a wand during a ritual or spell can be considered a way to focus one's intent and energy, helping to increase the intensity of the ritual or spell being performed.

In all honesty, there is no need for speaking in Latin or another language when it comes to casting a spell with a wand. As long as a witch speaks a simple statement with their intention in the tone they wish to set, all should go as planned.

Tailor Your Wand

•☽────✧˖°˖⛤˖°˖✧────☾•

As a witch of the wildwood, I would avoid buying premade wands for my craft unless they were custom-made to my specifications and sourced ethically. While a premade wand is perfectly acceptable to use, I find them to lack personality and individual connection. A wand made to be your companion tool versus a wand made to be sold have very different properties. Today, we are focusing on wooden wands. Adding your own charms, designs, color, or carvings is always the best route to go.

How should the wand look?

Well, that's up to you! Your wand could be any shape and size, as long as it has a pointed edge for you to aim. However, if you're looking for where to start, I have some good suggestions for finding basic measurements.

Measure the wand's length to be from the crook of your elbow to the end of your middle finger. Traditionally, wands are between 30 to 50 centimeters (approximately 11.8 to 19.7 inches) long.

1 to 2 inches (approximately 2.5 to 5 centimeters) in circumference is common, though always approach that which is most comfortable to you.

If you decide to use a simple stick found on the ground, consider using the natural bark as the handle, check for rot, and do a sturdiness test. If it breaks, find a new stick. You don't want to get attached to a wand only for it to break later down the line. These kinds of tools stick to a witch for the rest of their journey. Using ethically sourced leather or cloth would also make excellent handle choices. Some people even use copper wire as a wrap.

Stain your wood naturally!

I suggest avoiding synthetic paints. This wand is an extension of the sacred Wildwood and thus should reflect that. Remember, natural dyes tend to vary dramatically depending on the wood, so always do a color test beforehand to be sure it's the perfect color! Oh, and be aware that many of these ingredients are not safe for consumption; they're for coloring only! Here are some materials you can use to color your wand:

Beets Cochineal Powdered Red Sandalwood (yes, you can use another wood to dye yours!) Madder Root

Black Tea (for a lighter look) Coffee (for a mid-toned look) Walnut Hull Powder (for a darker look)

Turmeric Ginger Goldenrod Flowers Onion Skin Safflower

Spinach Nettles Green Tea (for a lighter look) Moss Anything containing chlorophyll!

Woad Dogwood Fruit

Blackberries Blueberries Red Grape Skins Elderberries Red Cabbage (for a blueish-purple look)

Black Walnut Hulls (condense this to create a much darker tone) Vinegar & Steel Wool (for a grayish desaturated look) White Vinegar, Tea, Salt, and a Metal Object (this is by far the darkest natural stain mixture but should be further researched before attempting.)

Best Wood Types

•☽────✧˖°˖⛤˖°˖✧────☾•

While there are tons of different kinds to choose from, I have chosen the five best woods specifically for those inclined in wildwood or green witchcraft.

Apple Wood

Great durability

Negativity protection

Creative thinking

Psychic insight

Emotional healing

Apple wands are regarded as a supreme choice for the Wildwood witch because they offer excellent strength and a gentle, yet firm power, as well as a protective and healing capacity. Apple wood is also known for its ability to encourage creativity in its wielder. It is the ideal wand wood for fans of herbal and aromatic magick. This kind of wood is also known to have a sweet scent and is my personal choice!

Cherry Wood

Compassion

Self-Esteem

Love

Meditation

Confidence

Cherry wood wands radiate a low and smooth energy that helps its wielders stay grounded and compassionate towards themselves and others. They also tend to have a soothing and calming effect to the wielder and those around them. These kinds of wands offer a supportive and positive energy that reflects back at the user, making cherry wood an excellent choice for the particularly shy or anti-social witch looking for an extra boost. I also find that this particular wand is strong in anti-anxiety spells.

Elderberry Wood

Academic abilities

Problem-solving

Strong protection

Focus

Productivity

Great for the Wildwood witch who mainly practices in home or individual protection, the elderberry wand is known for keeping its user focused on the tasks at hand. It has a stoic and firm energy with a bit of a kick for dispelling hexes.

Willow Wood

All-purpose healing

Protection

Wisdom

Earthly connection

Life energy

While seen as a "basic" base for a wand, this is perfect for all kinds of magick. It is known for its ability to adapt to any spell or incantation. It is great for both beginners and witches with more advanced knowledge, as this wand has a light and airy masculine energy to it, like sunlight. It is associated with the acquisition of knowledge because it is always an open door for trying new things.

Pine Wood

Divination

Discipline

Purification

Reliability

Stability

It is common for these wands to be viewed as old friends. These wands love their owners and show it. Use a pine wand if you need a layer of protection from backfiring spells. They are particularly strong when used in divination work, enchanting and purification of stagnant energy.

•☽────✧˖°˖⛤˖°˖✧────☾•

With that, I hope that you have a lovely day and enjoy the rest of your weekend. To my fellow witches in need of a wand, I hope that I have helped guide you closer to the perfect companion tool for you!

[snowflake-of-destruction]

For the 1 Like=1 Fic I Want to Write Game (the post s pinned if you want to join) and @rodhatz

Role/Situation Reversal plot for Stolitz and their deal.

Stolas got out of his marriage to Stella long ago, and rather explosively. I'm thinking that instead of just being abusive to him, Stella turned on little Via, because that is the only thing I can think of that would make Stolas completely snap. You would think that we all could cheer for him standing up for himself....but the type of snap I'm going for is not a cathartic yelling match and then telling his staff to make sure she gets out, but, rather, a knee jerk reaction he can't take back that has huge ramifications. He turns Stella to stone.

Usually nobody would care (What royal demon doesn't have the occasional "whoopsy" and kill a member of their household?), but Andrealphus and the rest of Stella's family demand justice. They have titles, influence and power of their own. Stolas ends up getting judged by a goetia court for crimes against another member of the royals. He is cast out--stripped of some of his demonic/magical powers as well as his titles if that sounds realistic, or just disowned by Paimon and disavowed by the rest of the goetia if not. Octavia is taken away from him and to be elevated to his position with Andrealphus acting as her caretaker and training her powers.

SO we have "regular guy just scraping by" Stolas who runs a fortune telling business, one that built a reputation for being always extremely accurate, completely unlike other scams--because Stolas ripped the portal spell out of the grimoire before he gave it up and can still travel to the human world. Or, well, he could until recently when Paimon went to check on Octavia's progress and found out she has no practical experience reading the stars?!? Blah blah missing grimoire spell, missing spell tracked down, Stolas's portal spell and even his memories of it are taken.

What's an owl to do?

Well, that's when Stolas sees Vox's sit-down interview with Verosika and Blitz Mayday (Yes, he took her name). The interview, more than being about Verosika's music is about personal questions.

There are attempts to talk about the rumors about Verosika's alcohol and drug abuse or the rocky state of the Mayday marriage, but Verosika insists that it's all false. Vox also tries to needle Blitz about how he used to be a performer and his career never took off (And what is he doing now? He used to be Verosika's head of security, everyone knows that, but...is he really just a househusband now? Completely irrelevant and, oh, starting to get out of shape?). Blitz deflects...mostly. There is some threats of how he'll show Vox just how out of shape he is.

Verosika and Blitz push the story of their wonderfully happy family instead. Their five adopted children, each from a different ring and each with their own talents they are discovering and pursuing. How much Blitz loves them...they both love them...and they're both totally involved of course.

Somewhere in there, an anecdote is told about how, when she was leaving for her Two World Tour, their youngest child hid Verosika's Asmodeus crystal to try and get her to stay home. Verosika didn't even notice and she felt so bad. Didn't notice? Yeah, she still keeps mostly succubi and incubi as background dancers and entourage. There's always someone else to open a portal. Plus, the Hell dates were before the human world dates so it was months before she went topside anyway.

There's more of course, but that's what sticks out to Stolas: an Asmodeus crystal that the owner just leaves lying around and won't notice missing, a legal portal to the human world to keep his business legitimate.

A heist is planned.

Stolas gets caught. Of course he gets caught. Blitz is retired, but he's still sharp and more than capable of his own home defense. Blitz rants about firing their staff because this isn't the first time they let some sick stalker who wanted to hide in the closet to surprise Verosika slip by them.

Stolas thinks on his feet, and coos that he's actually there for Blitz. He saw him on TV, so handsome, so underappreciated. Blah blah, I want you to ravish me, Blitzy.

Blitz isn't as easy of a target as Stolas was in canon, but Stolas still manages his seduction and robbery after a bit of convincing.

Blitz is also slower to notice the crystal missing than Stolas was with his grimoire in canon, but then quicker to track the thief and not interested in a deal. However, Stolas is dressed only in that slutty red robe when Blitz tracks him down, and....things sure do happen and Stolas gets away again.

Things evolve into these regular meetups where Blitz makes sure Stolas is at least taking care of the crystal, and Stolas feels the burden to keep Blitz charmed so the whole situation doesn't unravel.

[entering--hyperspace]

Bg3 Tav: Págos

(Com by SandPontiff on twit)

Pagos is a relic of a history long forgotten, the sacrifice he made afflicted him with a curse: to be frozen in time as the world marched on around him. After being unearthed by an Illithid ship, and cast into the sword coast, the parasite burrowed in his head threatens any chance of him recovering who or what he is... now wrestles with both an unfamiliar world, and the memories he lost...

Ill give the spark notes vers of him:

Name: Págos

Age:??? (300)

Race: White Dragon (Shapechanged: Dragonborn)

Gender: Male (He/him)

Class: Oathbreaker Paladin

Origin: Icewind Dale (-3,348 DR)

A long, long time ago, Págos was born Faestir, a white dragon loyal to his mother, Ayrthik and the clans that served under her. By the time of his hatching, however, Ayrthik had grown resentful of the mortal races and their continued settlement across Faerûn, and begun territorial battles to conquer settlements and cities further south of the artic north.

Faestir fought in her wars, loyal to her cause hoping to curry favor, even going so far as to take up the magic-binding oath alongside her prized commanders to prove his commitment. As the centuries passed, however, the constant death of the clans around him, the razing of villages, and blind loyalty slowly chipped away at him. On the eve of a most decisive battle, Págos broke his oath, and turned her army away from the city they were prepared to overtake. In doing so, however, woke the curse she had sealed on all those who swore their lives to her. If they would not fight for her, neither would they stand against her. They were to be left out, frozen by her ice, burried under snow and mountains.

This was his reality for a while, and when he was bumped into by the illithid ship and taken in, he was kinda...unthawed. He doesnt remember too much from his past, but rather a slideshow of details. He had often taken the shape of a dragonborn to make interactions with the clans easier, and it is the form he was in the moment he broke his oath. Because of this, he just assumes thats all he is because he cannot remember otherwise.

Personality/ Insight:

Págos, as a soldier and the son to Ayrthik was held to a high standard. He was not allowed, to be deterred by the emotions that plagued the mortal races, nor was he allowed to show mercy. Ayrthik believed dragons to be above everyone else, so too must he.

If págos knows anything, it is survival. He acts quickly and responds well to authority, be it his own or another's. He values facts and holds such confidence in his beliefs he chooses to judge individuals based on action than history.

Continuing this, both due to the fact he is a dragon and lived his life as a soldier, he sees the world in harsh white and black, but not based on morality, rather, was simply HE deems to make sense. Arrogant in a way, but what dragons arent just a bit.

Speaking of, págos may not remember he's a dragom but it does not stop him from being one. It defines his relationships it defines the subtle, strange movements, the way he interprets emotion and relationships. But it adds an extra layer to him not remembering this fact about himself that causes to feel uneasy and out of place without the knowledge to understand why.

Anyway

Now, after escaping his fate and thrust into a different world, págos is stumbling blind. He is essentially learning what it means to be a person. For his entire life he was a toy soldier, static and unwavering, cold and detached, and while some of that still remains, its the ability to grant mercy, to show and recieve kindness that makes up his new experiences. He comes off as a little off-putting in a strangely detached way, but the more time he spends around the companions the more he adjusts, hes a bit emotionally repressed so it takes time for him to process some of the interactions, but still retains this kind of patience of a saint attitude about him that resonates with some of them (like shadowheart, who warms up to him rather quickly despite him being a little odd.)

But he tries, and he leans towards being this sort of gentle guiding figure, because so much of him is trying to figure out who he wants to be, which also causes him to be a rock for those around him. What he is sure of he holds on to, and, at least now, when given the choice in this new life of his, he chooses to be kind, he chooses to be understanding, he chooses to be something he wasnt allowed to be.

I have a lot of different things I could talk about and answer buuuuut for now heres just the base lore. Ik hes a lil lame but I like him, he eventually does learn hes a dragon and has an entire Thing about that (late act 3) and ends up forming very interesting dynamics with a few of the perty members.....ngl ill probably be dropping my literal fucking essay about him and the emperor bc thats an Entire Thing.

[thephantomcasebook]

is such a weird contrast between Got cast and House of the dragon cast. Like even though they are not as much talent as Hotd, most of them cared about those characters and understand them. While hotd cast (mostly) have so little hope for their nerd show to gain a award them not even attended and another who went didn't even have the slightest preparation and composure.

I wonder that now the show is a successful piece of work how the discourse will change when they get close to the second season premiere.

The reason for that is fairly simple.

"Game of Thrones" at its core was held together by veteran and seasoned actors that were professionals at the heart of it . David and Dan were pretty amateurish but the production was surrounded by experienced people that maintained a professional work environment.

"House of the Dragon" and its cast are not veteran nor seasoned actors. Matt Smith, Paddy Constantine, and Rhys Ifans, are about it in terms of core veteran actors in the cast - Corlys and Rhaenys are not core cast members. The younger actors are very talented but are very, VERY, far from being professionals.

In particular the actresses - Olivia Cooke, Emma D'arcy, and even Phia Saban, are flat out immature both on and off set while representing the show - I don't care about their personal lives, they can do what they want on their own time.

A good example of this is the Press Tour.

A Press Tour is not just for promotion of a show, but to set the tone for your character and shape a narrative around them. They're very important moments to set talking point about your character and the plot of the show - to give you as an actor and the character armor. Instead, Olivia Cooke and Emma D'arcy used it to fuck around for weeks, not caring about promoting the show, not caring to protect their characters, nor to have dialogue about the characters. They basically sat there with each other's thumbs up their asses and acted like teenage school girls and not professionals.

Thus, there was a deluge - DELUGE - of hate for Alicent that was near psychosis, and there was nowhere for anyone to fall back to, because, Olivia Cooke never once went out and defended her character or point of view - LIKE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO IN A PRESS TOUR! So, instead, she moped and cried like a immature child that people were being mean to her, when she had a golden and offered opportunity to get ahead of it, but instead, chose to laugh it up for a week with D'arcy.

The one thing you could say about Lena Headey was that, yes, she was also a woman-child, who was incredibly immature for someone in their 40's. But she always used press to defend Cersei and never sided against her. In the press tours she always had valid points about where Cersei was coming from and really understood her character as the character - a real living and breathing separate person - not as an extension of herself.

Olivia Cooke couldn't be bothered to understand Alicent. Instead, to make her more palatable to her rich white leftist luxury politics, she made up a bunch of things that have nothing to do with Alicent Hightower so that Cooke could be more 'comfortable' playing her.

That's the difference between a talented amateur and a seasoned professional.

Of course, Lena Headey didn't like or agree with Cersei as a person, but she put aside her ego and embodied the character to a stellar performance, cause that is what great actors do.

Olivia Cooke is not capable of putting aside her scruples nor her ego to understand and embody Alicent to the fullest extent. Neither can D'arcy as Rhaenyra. They both try to put themselves and their personal wants into the character, rather than disappearing into the role. Not only is it the sign of immaturity, but it shows a deep lack of commitment to their craft and the show as a whole. Cause they don't give a fuck ... they pick up the check on Tuesday and bother their agent about the Emmy campaign ... cause why else would they be doing this "Nerd Shit" if they didn't have too?

"Game of Thrones", for a good portion of the show - till the end anyway -, was trying to tell a human story with human characters in a fantasy world realized by hard working and good hearted production staff.

"House of the Dragon" is in danger of being a vehicle for simply a bunch of ambitious and narcissistic people. From Sapochnik and his wife, who tried to change the source material cause they didn't like it. To Sara Hess who wants to put her own personal bullshit agenda into the lifeblood of the narrative - ruining characters like Aegon and Criston. And Cooke and D'arcy, who are simply signed up for awards and couldn't give a shit about anything or anyone else.

But time will tell, Nonny, time will tell.

[silver-wield]

i find the whole tifa "SHOULD" be buff on twitter really sad. Some people are really taking the white Knighting complex and missing out why some are saying factual stuff about her. If the OP didn't try to force their way that she's a pugilist (which she is not, she's a monk but they're probably referring to ff14 pugilist -> monk system which didn't exist in FF7 yet.....but they really do no want to be corrected and would rather tantrum instead ... seriously so "mature" goddamn it, that's why I blocked them off) and that she should be buff otherwise you're kissing SE's/Nomura's ass. It's sad, really sad.

Do they even really love tifa just as she is? Then why ask to change her? Almost even removing most of her chest which is a part of her whether they like it her not? One could have a preference surely....but they shouldn't shove it down people's throat and call them names if they don't agree. If they don't want people to comment, then why post it on public then? It's the internet? I really don't like OP, they're being too defensive and insecure with their own work.... Just because people liked it, doesn't mean the majority will accept it, twitter is not the world. That isn't tifa, that's somebody cosplaying as tifa instead. Seriously..... If OP didn't say shit that she "should", this wouldn't escalate at all. there have been plentiful buff < - > ultra buff tifa fanarts made all throughout the years before but don't need to assert a stupid stance like this, acting like it's a fact when it's not. They should stop forcing tifa to be their poster mascular body type character in FF series and demand SE to create a new one instead. They should leave tifa alone and stop forcing their ideals on her, Tbh her best design for me will always be dissidia tifa.

Personally, I think remake tifa could use a bit off current Rose Namajunas' body type to balance with her huge chest and add more strength to her *design shape....but what OP drew was no offense, "not effective" at all in the grand scale of things. Completely deflated her chest and muscle size like compared to cloud lol would look like a sore thumb with the rest of the cast too. Perhaps they wanted a Reika Saiki....instead? But this muscle idol, unlike their redesign is still able to keep her feminine vibes though??? Hmm

Anyway, I don't appreciate op being too defensive and aggressive I think it was them who ultimately made it worse and those who sincerely do have muscle fetish too (in the guise of pro muscular women), Im sure cleriths are taking advantage of this moment. There are indeed bad takes from clotis as well but most of them are only there because OP brought up what should and shouldn't be, no different from people who assert her breast should be larger than it already is. I clearly see no difference and "both are still objectifying tifa", it's just that their taste are different from the other. They don't even realize their hypocrisy smh. Tifa.... When will they ever stop talking about your body. You trully are the most realistic character I've ever laid eyes on 😢.

This was long but also silver, I may not always agree with you but I wish I could be more Idgaf in my life when it comes to shit like these, how the hell do you do it? It's incredible.

forgot to add srry! Not making tifa cute is like a no go especially in japan. Her youthful, feminine, cute design is like that for her (specially her), for a reason, especially when her looks are supposed to be reminiscent of general japanese Beauty standards and not western ones.

Op has zero respect for the devs or fans by being all idgaf about canon and my interpretation should be what the devs do because that's what I want.

I literally do not give a fuck if people draw Tifa different from canon. I also draw Tifa different from canon. The point I made from the start, and have stuck by is that op is body shaming women who aren't overly muscular like women can't be slender and athletic. They're disrespecting the devs creative process and acting arrogant af because they got a description from fucking Google that doesn't even match Tifa's job. She's a monk, not a pugilist. Op acting like they're being bullied when they were the one antagonising people with what they said is so much garbage I can't even.

You'll notice it's never any other character being demeaned this way. Cloud lugs an 80lb sword around but nobody says he should be more muscular.

Op even thought they had some gotcha by saying they'll draw Aerith overweight, but unless she also says this should be canon then she's just being a fucking body shaming moron. They're not doing it to celebrate bigger women, they're doing it to piss people off, and at the same time implying Aerith's canon appearance isn't adequate either. Women look like Aerith. She has a straight up and down frame. When people warp that by making her look like Tifa and then try and claim she has curves that also pisses me off because she doesn't. It's not so much the art, although I also don't like it, but typically ignore it, it's the mindset of the people making and commenting on it like their opinions should be taken up by the devs and the game changed to suit them.

And comparing a body type to a haircut is ridiculous. Anybody can get a haircut. Tifa does get a haircut in AC. Hair is not body type.

Tifa's design is canonically cute and adorable. She's yamato nadeshiko

People can draw Tifa how they want, but this is how Nomura canonically designed her. She emulates the delicate beauty, so screaming that should be changed is just a disrespect to Nomura and ffvii.

If y'all are fans then why you being assholes to the creators?

[shellyswirlz]

Y'all y'all y'all y'all.. Forgot to post about this but I'm making a new show of my own titled "Pinespire"!!!

The show follows Shelly, the creative protagonist who's literally me, who loves meeting with her friends in Pinespire which is this little medieval town based on "Helen". It's also known as "the town where weird things happen" because weird nonsense happens everyday in that town. The citizens are pretty much used to it. There's gonna also probably be so many magical beings who exist in this show because they live in a fantasy location.. Maybe one of the magical beings casted a spell on Pinespire and that's why weird things are happening everyday in that town in the first place.

About Shelly's character.. She loves art and nature. She winds up working at the art camp in Pinespire due to it being art outside in the wilderness. There could maybe be a scene where she teaches "the different shapes in the clouds", where you were to look up at the clouds and come up with ideas on what they look like.

Aside from art and nature, she's also OBSESSED with Christmas but only really brings up her insane Christmas obsession during the Christmas specials. It wouldn't make sense for her to randomly bring up Christmas at her art camp. Shelly also loves to play the tambourine and is usually playing it at her art camp when talking about the art of music.

Every episode of the show's gonna focus on each of the friends, or all of the friends, so we can see what they all act like or what they all do either at home or in Pinespire. Maybe one or more of these friends in this friend group has a rival or a special interest or power. Maybe Shelly gets gifted the power of bringing people together or some shit like that /j..

There's also this royal villain duo who want to destroy Pinespire because it took over their land and/or replaced their land. They also hate whimsy and fun.. They're all about being "logical" or "serious" except for their son, who's this villainous prince but he's not as evil as those 2. He has some goofiness in him, and a soft side, while still keeping a rather cruel or pompous attitude.

The royalty are usually sending their son into the town to try and destroy and/or ruin the place. There are also times where they want their son to try and scare away everyone in the village so they can try and tear it apart that way.. But Shelly and the gang are always obliviously getting in the way.

The friend group shenanigans is gonna probably be the A plot... Meanwhile the prince acting goofy in town, working in literally every store, and failing miserably with his stuff is gonna be the B plot. I'm thinking maybe him getting a new job in every episode could be a running gag. He thinks getting a new job and acting foolish during the job will run people out of the village with how poor the service is. He also thinks it's an easy way to find Shelly and the gang obviously…

This show's gonna be quite simple, but as original as possible y'know? It's still a W.I.P for now as well.. It might get even more original in the future..!

The prince is also probably gonna secretly fall in love with Shelly without telling anyone. He is gonna act like a nervous wreck everytime he sees her but not to the point of the show getting annoying. Another running gag could POSSIBLY be him getting distracted by Shelly every time he's trying to do something villainous... But I feel that'd make people hate the show lmao..

Also... To end this discussion about the prince... He'd probably end up having a soft spot for the village and its people. Instead of instantly having a crush on Shelly, he'd probably slowly grow to have a crush on her without anyone knowing. At first he'd probably wanna try scaring Shelly and her friends out the village so he can destroy it, but then comes to a realization he has a bit of a crush on her and acts like a socially awkward person around her.

Meanwhile... Shelly doesn't even know who he truly is, because he's always in some job outfit every time he's meeting Shelly.. And Shelly thinks he's just some weird man who's failing at everything he's doing, and not some serious threat. Shelly absolutely cannot stand the prince acting like a Pinespire citizen, because she thinks he's absolutely bonkers.

The prince doesn't want to reveal who he is to Shelly, because he's afraid Shelly would know who he is and become absolutely terrified, when in reality Shelly has a secret crush on him as the prince and not him acting like a citizen. Miraculous ladybug ass moment /j

Shelly has a crush on the prince, because she heard about the prince several times on the news, and thought he was really cute. Her friends would tease her about it, in a playful way of course! They'd say things like “imagine if the prince met you in person and fell in love with you”, when that's foreshadowing what happens later.

Shelly is also very well hidden or calm about her crush on him as a prince too.. Not bringing it up much unless it's with her friends.. Also unlike most girls in cartoons crushing hard on men, she isn't even that creepy or obnoxious about it at all. She actually has her limits when it comes to crushing if this makes sense. She KNOWS how obnoxious people can get with their crushes. She's seen it several times before.

Anywho yeah… Shelly crushes on the prince, not knowing that the prince is actually in the town dressed up as random ass workers each time. Shelly hates every one of them and KNOWS for a fact it's some random guy dressed up as a different worker because of how poor his job disguises are.. Like he doesn't look like himself as a prince at least, but he can't come up with a different job disguise as if he only has one set of clothes.

Also yet again.. The simping in this show won't be extreme nor will it be the whole plot of the series... The simping is only a special addition to the show... Adding onto both the prince and Shelly's personality throughout their separate adventures. Plus I'm literally a person who has massive crushes on fictional characters so of course I'm adding this in, don't judge me..! :)

I could see the soundtrack of this show being very fantasyland-like… OR maybe Carousel music could work. Also despite the friend group being based on my closest friends I was thinking of making it a diverse cast..

Also I forgot to mention this.. But the reason why the village is called "Pinespire" is because all the buildings are made of pine wood and look like those fantasy or German buildings. Another reason it's called this is because all the trees surrounding that place are pine trees, and the village's logo would probably be a pinecone..

Or heck maybe the most famous restaurant at that place could be called the pine cone restaurant or something like that..,,

If you're interested and/or want to make it better.. Join this Discord server! :D

There's more info on it there! Hshhsvvsv.,,

[theanimeview]

[Commentary] The Fluidity of Water & Genderless Characters

Source: Spirit King Elquines, Chapter 12 – https://page.kakao.com/content/49361421/viewer/49499204

By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

Water and fluidity are often used as metaphors when discussing some nonbinary or non-conforming gender identities because they are both characterized by their ability to take on different shapes and forms. Water can exist as a liquid, a gas, or a solid, and it can change its shape and form depending on its environment. Similarly, some people who identify as nonbinary may feel that their gender identity is not fixed or static but rather as something that can shift and change over time, depending on the person, circumstances, and, potentially, the context.

Using water and fluidity as metaphors can highlight the idea that gender identity is not necessarily a binary concept but rather exists on a spectrum that is separate from sex-based distinction. Just as water can exist in various forms and take on different properties depending on its state, gender can also be multifaceted and exist in a range of expressions and identities. At least, that is how I have come to understand this concept over the years through my interactions with nonbinary identifying peoples and research/analysis read in psychological journals. With that said, this a rather new-concept that is still being explored beyond the sciences and politics through art and media.

Right now, there are several manhwa currently exploring this idea of gender as a fluid concept (i.e. constantly changing or apt to change) in societal terms, two of which I think are worth mentioning here for those interested. These are the Daughter of the Spirit King, currently available on TappyToon, and Spirit King Elquines, currently available on Kakao.

In both works, the main characters are spirits. Spirits that are defined as genderless beings who may or may not take on masculine and feminine traits. The genderlessness of these characters may be rooted in cultural or religious beliefs, such as in Taoist or Buddhist, wherein spirits and other supernatural entities are often considered to exist outside the constraints of gender, but regardless of the roots for the idea of genderless spirits, the stories themselves defined them as nonbinary and as beings which exist beyond the norms and conventions of the physical world.

Yet, the genderless main characters of both works assign themselves a gender. Haein, from the Daughter of the Spirit King, calls herself a girl despite many viewing her as masculine. Meanwhile, Elquines, the title character of Spirit King Elquines, views himself as male despite many perceiving him as female. Their respective choices in identity are regularly brought up in the works, and there is consistent commentary by other members of the respective manhwa’s casts on these characters’ clothing choices, identity, and capability based on their image.

Perhaps, the depiction of spirits, particularly these water spirits who are picking their gender, as ultimately genderless/sexless can be seen as a commentary on the fluidity of gender and sexuality. By not adhering to traditional binary gender roles, the spirits can represent the idea that gender is a social construct.

These water-based spirits challenge traditional gender norms and expectations by identifying differently from how they look and by acting in ways that are a mix of traditional masculine and feminine assigned “traits,” challenging the often rigid and fixed perspectives on gender and sex within their respective works without being outright in their messaging.

While the intentions of the authors may vary, I believe that the main characters in these works are being used to challenge traditional gender roles and explore alternative perspectives on gender and identity in somewhat subtle and yet not subtle ways.

I’m not sure if this is truly the authorial intent of these works, but, regardless, it is an interesting concept to think over and explore. With that said, what do you all think? Let us know!

[cococaffeinated]

The Cast of "Beneath Code & Wires": Module 01

Recent character designs for the main cast of "Beneath Code and Wires". At this point, I feel I should explain what "Beneath Code and Wires" is... but we don't have to go way too in-depth with those details right now other than it's an original storyline for my OCs that has evolved while I decided to world-build around their characters.

Now...

Let's begin with the basics:

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Name: Static Height: 10 ft. Features: ➼ Four arms. ➼ Monocular vision on the top and bottom (right) eyes. ➼ Left eye and middle right eye are binocular. ➼ Split mouth; the shape and size of the slits on his mouth change.

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Name: Lofi Height: 8 ft. 6 in. — *10 ft. Features: ➼ Torso and fingers are extendable. ➼ *Torso extends vertically. Fully extended, Lofi stands up to 10 feet tall (maximum). ➼ Faceplate is cracked on the left side. ➼ Spurs on his feet are detachable and can be clipped on and off.

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Name: HiBeam Height: 8 ft. 6 in. Features: ➼ Sun rays orbit around the faceplate due to a magnetic field with a small radius. ➼ Torso is hollow and acts as a free space for inventory. It can widen horizontally to accommodate the size and weight of an average human adult at most. ➼ Palms of the hands are textured like diamond nitrile latex gloves for extra gripping capacity. ➼ The light emitted from the eyes can stun if the brightness is turned up. Hence the name, "hibeam".

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Name: Tattle Height: 6 ft., 4 in. Features: ➼ Chest monitor is a touch-screen and can display varying visuals ranging from informative text and pictures to simple 8-bit games. ➼ Both arms can extend up to 5 yards. ➼ Left arm is shackled with a weight to deter Tattle's speed and agility. Because of this, Tattle's left arm is perpetually semi-extended. ➼ The pads on the feet squeak with each step during the daytime cycles. Acts as a body clock of some sort because Tattle's footsteps are otherwise silent at night.

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That's it for the important physical features that differentiate each character from another.

I'll go more in-depth with their personalities and characteristics once I've finished updating their carrd site (just so I have what's canon about them written in one main hub rather than have it scattered across different platforms). - - - The Cast of "Beneath Code and Wires: Module 02" coming soon...

[cypress-punk]

Final thoughts on SSSS Dynazenon: its incredible.

Where SSSS Gridman is a bombastic story that ultimately reveals its plot to be an extended version of the episodic heroics the titular character engaged in in his 80's debut SSSS Dynazenon abandons much of that shows focus on tokusatsu homages and singular heroics for something more subtle.

Sure it still has wild over the top battles between the megazord-esque Dyanzenon and various Kaiju but the entire vibe is different. Most of the Kaiju are very weird in visual style, and while they do evoke to some extent to suit acted kaiju of the Ultra series its not nearly as upfront as the seemingly rotoscoped or mo-capped monsters of SSSS Gridman. Instead many of them border on eldritch, especially in the bizarre powers they display. Dynazenon itself often feels less like a suit acted megazord and more like a send up of classic combining super robots. There are shades of Combattler V and Voltron (or Go-Lion as it would be known to Japanese audiences) in the ensemble cast as they pilot the disparate parts of Dynazenon and come together to form the larger robot.

Gridman was primarily about rescuing a single person from the darkness that had enveloped her. Dynazenon is about a group of people coming together and through their bonds, growing. Overcoming obstacles both mundane and insurmountable. Grief over a deceased family member, fear of going to school, being a NEET (seriously), your mom potentially remarrying a guy who isn't all that bad but you still don't like, and talking to a girl you like. These are basic things, even stereotyped things, but they are also potentially insurmountable. Dynazenon champions the bonds we form with others, the shaping of friendships and communities, as a means of overcoming challenges. This is contrasted against the Kaiju Eugenicists, the villains who, while somewhat sympathetic, represent people who refuse bonds, viewing them as constraint to their freedom and throwing in their lot with kaiju in hops of gaining some great power that will give them true freedom from even the basic laws of time and space. I dont think the name "Eugenicist" part of their name was chosen lightly. Their outlook is one of utterly destructive individualism. Even given the chance to form bonds they reject them in the name of their mission, choosing to die rather than take another path.

Truly Dynazenon is the most erudite Power of Friendship story i have ever seen. It weaves a tale that encourages the viewer to take chances, to face risks and to learn. To turn old pains into new strengths, but not to do it alone. Because you can't. You need other people. Its how we're built. Its what makes us something other than Kaiju.

The "SSSS" prefix stood for "Special Signal to Save a Soul" in Gridman, denoting Gridman's guardian angel nature as he came to that world to rescue someone. In Dynazenon SSSS stands for "Scarred Souls Shine like Stars" a send up of the strength the heroes radiate having been brought together by Dynazenon and having grown and changed through one another.

The final piece of dialogue works as a nice thesis. Spoilers ahead, obviously.

"Our scars aren't healing"

"I hope they never do"

"Why?"

"So we never forget"

The scars of their last battle, insignificant marks yet meaningful to them, are reminders of how far they've come, of their bonds and trials and how in the end they came out of it better. Its a beautifully hopeful story. Saturday Morning Cartoon distilled to its purest essence. Highly recommended. I honest think its better than SSSS Gridman and im really looking forward to the Gridman Universe movie.