#the the vibes and focus across all of them are unique from the others and I think that’s very cool of a trope to be so versatile like that

[alienssstufff]

I love how even tho there’s so many Apocalypse/Zombie Apocalypse AUs in Trafficblr, they all go by different names

[fxrheisenn]

Andrus Laansalu talked about making Disco Elysium at EKA (Estonian Academy of Arts)

"Initially, the church wasn't a focal point. There were certain characters that needed to visit this location, and I asked, "Seriously, what do we have in our church?" The others replied, "Nothing at all. Our church is completely bare—just a wheel, really. It's quite basic."

That's when I decided to unleash my creativity in the design. For example, they chose to install a glass structure at the top of the church to create a reflective surface. It was like placing an optical clock up there. Therefore, one of the most crucial aspects of designing the church was ensuring the lighting was just right to create the desired atmosphere."

"Let me show you an example of Baroque architecture, which is rich in detail. We're also designing the interior of the church based on large cathedrals. However, the foundation you use might not yield the expected results, because the church itself doesn't require such intricate details. Sometimes, it's about simplifying the design."

"I used Articy for the initial scriptwriting of Disco Elysium. The image only represents a tiny fraction of the text and choice variables involved. This system was also the reason I eventually abandoned the project after a year of outlining the script and shifted my focus to becoming a sound designer. My mind struggled to keep up with the dynamic graphic rules, but fortunately, a more talented writer took over afterward."

"In terms of sound design, it's essential to develop different layers to bring out the charm of the church as a cohesive space. Although this represents only a small portion of the overall design, each layer actually requires a significant amount of time to compose the whole....... Whenever there's a shift or a change due to the dialogue itself, you need to adjust the background sounds. Each time you modify the details in the dialogue, I have to refine the background audio, ensuring that these elements build upon each other like an intricate layer of work."

"It's funny how many scenes involve characters getting smacked in the face. My job was to recreate those, so I locked myself in the bathroom with a recorder and hit my forehead until it turned red.

As a sound designer, I really dig those unsettling, drill-like sounds. So, I mixed in creepy lectures, metal scraping, moans, and cries of pain—because I just love that stuff! (laughs)

Players will be moving through all kinds of areas, so it's super important to make the sound transitions feel natural, trying to create a more immersive vibe in certain spaces.

With all the scenes featuring big cranes, you can hear them from far away, and I wanted to capture that eerie ringing in your ears. That's going to be a thing throughout most of the game. I've found ways to really mess with players while they're playing!"

"I've come across a lot of old objects (like phones and radios) that I needed to perfectly replicate the sounds. I started to become a bit of a hoarder, buying up different models of old phones whenever I found one to add to my collection. The sound effects I can simulate from them are really impressive."

"Some of the devices don't actually exist in real life—just a mix of architecture and tech. When I need to create sound effects, I first look for something similar that exists in our world, then I try to simulate what the sound and appearance of that thing might have been like a century ago.

Towards the end of the game, there's a character carrying a fuel canister. We needed the sound of the canister, so we dug one up from our garage—it had been sitting there since it was five! I realized this would make the sound perfect. So, it had been there for 50 years, and after 40 years, it finally found its purpose.

In some places, I needed unique sound waves, and recreating them was a real headache until one day I happened to walk by a swimming pool and stumbled upon an old wartime torpedo. You can rotate the torpedo's probe, and it slowly rises up, like a proud zombie head. The sounds it made were exactly what I needed!"

🙋How did you manage to get funding?

"Well, since we're in Estonia, you just need to know a wealthy person. You don't need five people—just two who can network, hang out together, and convince them to keep investing! (laughs) Back then, we constantly ran out of money and would tell them, 'Oops, looks like we spent it all! Can you invest a bit more?' That's how we made it through!"

🙋How did you all come together to make the game?

"Luck. It usually doesn't happen this way, and that's the key difference. It has to be. If not, you couldn't create a game of this scale - well, I mean in terms of budget. But creatively, Estonia definitely has writers and artists who can pull it off. With such a small population, there are a lot of quirky folks who are good friends. We were really lucky, though - lots of fortunate circumstances came together. It brought the right people together, allowing those talented fools to collaborate with us. They had experience but hadn't tackled projects of this magnitude before. So yeah, luck is pretty important!"

Lecture experience shared by 白兔YIYANG SUN on 小红书, reposted & translated by me with her permission.

[soppingwethog]

Vanilla Vibes by Juliette Has A Gun

I’m so sorry for taking up so much of your time and brain energy units with this lengthy review, but I do honestly believe that this fragrance deserves a well-reasoned, honest writeup and in order to do so, I feel it necessary to provide a bit of background information about the first time I came across this unique and fragrant brew.

Sixteen weeks ago, I sat at a booth in a diner in an unfamiliar city, the name of which I will not include in this review as I do not know how to spell it properly. I had just ordered five grilled cheese sandwiches. I don’t generally eat multiple sandwiches during a single meal. In fact, thinking about it now, I don’t know that I have ever done that. What I sometimes like to do is order multiple sandwiches and then eat one each day until they have vanished completely from this earth. That was my intended purpose upon entering the aforementioned diner and I am proud to say that I completed my goal.

While I waited for my sandwiches to be delivered unto me, I noticed a couple who were sitting at the booth in front of my face. I watched them eat and laugh and talk and joke. They appeared to really have a genuine interest in each other. It warmed my heart to see this young, happy couple enjoying a fine luncheon together. I sighed to myself and thanked my lucky stars for all of the love in the world, past, present, and future.

Just then, the server, a svelte, mustachioed man of indeterminate age, brought out my sandwiches, each wrapped in wax paper with the exception of one which I planned to eat then and there. He deposited my greasy treasure onto the tabletop in front of me and bowed almost imperceptibly before he retreated behind the service counter and into the kitchen.

I made quick work of my savory sandwich and I am not ashamed to say that I enjoyed every last bite of it. I thought it strange that they included strawberry jelly in a grilled cheese sandwich, but who am I to question the culinary skills of those learned kitchen workers who so dutifully prepare meal after meal for the citizenry of this land?

As I finished my sandwich, my attention again turned to the couple who were seated in the booth in front of me. Something spectacular must have happened while my attention was focused upon my wet meal, because the two of them were no longer flirting and talking to each other in loving tones, but instead were shouting and cussing in a most unbecoming manner.

It may seem silly, but the boisterous outburst which I beheld frightened me to the point where I decided it best to immediately pay for my meal and leave the restaurant, but before I was able to do so, the couple became more unruly and the young woman, who was now standing on top of the table, screaming, threatening her partner and all who dared look her way, eyes blazing like some sort of maiden of death, caught sight of me frantically trying to escape. She then proceeded to focus her ire on me which resulted in a great deal of things being hurled at my head and body. I was pelted with a large ceramic platter, an ice-filled drinking glass, some sort of beef bone, a smattering of French fries, and finally, a nearly-empty bottle of Vanilla Vibes by Juliette Has A Gun which managed to strike me directly in my open eye.

I stumbled forth, hands outstretched before me, until I found refuge behind the service counter with a few other terrified patrons and waitstaff. I won’t bore you with the details of the couple’s arrest, escape from custody, and secondary arrest, but I will say that the vision in my left eye is still somewhat blurry and the doctors have told me that they cannot guarantee that it will ever return to its former glory. But not all is lost as the bottle which so violently accosted my ocular orb made its way into my shirt pocket and now resides in a drawer in my home. Every cloud has a silver lining and in this case, the silver lining as a potent, aromatic fluid.

[frederickkittens]

Sweet Lolita through the years

Part 1: Late 90s-2005 (ish) “Oldschool”

Oldschool sweet is the first truly recognizable form of sweet Lolita

Though during the Oldschool era the substyles had far more crossover and less individual traits I think there’s just enough that you still label coords from the time. When most people think of Oldschool they think of a solid color main piece with lace topped otks and a rectangle headdress… but Oldschool is so much more than that.

Oldschool in general was simpler, though some brands like Metamorphose Temps De Fille , Emily Temple Cute, and baby the stars shine bright were already making prints

Printed fabrics of fruits or florals were very common, but you did see a good amount of screen printed and appliquéd pieces coming out at the time too. Some very common sweet motifs in the oldschool era were:

•cats

•fruit

•alice in wonderland

•bunnies / rabbits

•bears

•alphabet / letter prints

•music notes

•hearts

The closer to the end of the identifiable oldschool era the more prints became popular! Though through most of the 2000’s prints would remain more minimal with the focus being on more structural elements like lace, bows, construction, and interesting fabric choices.

Due to the image limit on tumblr here’s a link to the correct sorting to see examples on lolibrary with examples of some early sweet prints and patterns. If you click the link on any of these items you’ll be able to view their lolibrary entries as well if available

Color balance wasn’t considered as highly as it is today, the overall vibe of Coords was more chaotic and experimental. A very make do attitude can be seen in many street snaps.

Patterned main pieces were another popular alternative to prints, things like gingham, stripes, tartan/plaid.

Bag choices were pretty varied, honestly in a lot of oldschool sweet coords people would use unique bags as the visual interest / focal point. You can already see that in someone of the coords above. Faux leather shaped bags like btssb’s heart bags weren’t very popular yet. A few brands had put out heart bags, such as milk, but they were much simpler and often real leather in limited colors. You also didn’t see usakumyas in their modern iteration until well into the 2000’s towards the 2010’s. Plush bags of the era did not have the same clean marketable look. Some common / popular bags were:

-basket / wicker purses

-plush animal bags

-tote bags

-matching fabric bags

-leather handbags

-designer handbags

Shoes at the time were much chunkier and much less cutesy even in sweet styles. Tea parties didn’t exist until a good deal past this time period- honestly most popular modern Lolita shoe styles weren’t really seen. Real leather was far more common, in a much more limited pallet. When you did see colored shoes they typically weren’t used to color balance a coord like we do now a days. A lot of different styles were worn though, including:

-Mary Jane’s

-Platforms

-Rocking horse shoes

-Boots

-Oxfords

-sandals

Socks are often overlooked in oldschool. I’ve seen so many people say printed socks weren’t worn even though they absolutely were and many brands made them. Sure, lace topped otks were the trend and the most popular option but simple motif printed socks absolutely existed and were worn!

Headpieces were one of the most varied category. So many different styles and kinds were worn.

-mini crowns

-hair ribbons

-hats

-bows

-canotiers

-mini hats

-lace headdresses

Jewelry / Accessories were one area that Oldschool definitely was simpler. However brands were absolutely making both jewelry and other accessories. Plain metal necklaces with various motifs were common, lace chokers, faux collars, capes, ties, and though extremely uncommon you do sometimes run across wrist cuffs. Hopefully there’s more of an effort to start documenting jewelry and accessories from this time since it’s quite lacking

Makeup and hair were something that like all eras of Lolita followed the over all cultural trends of the time. More minimal make or simple 90’s - early 2000’s makeup is seen often. As for hair there’s so many different styles that really it would be impossible to list them all. In older magazines there’s often sections with hair tutorials and makeup tutorials!

Common lace styles included Torchon, Cotton, Eyelet, and Raschel. Many different trims and such were used in addition to these.

Part 2 and part 3

Scan credits @obscuredesireofbourgeoisie

If you want to see more old magazine scans

Lolita history

Internet archive

[amaregames]

Amare Genre Tag Faqs

While Amare games share a distinct "vibe," they place no restrictions on the gender of the Main Character or Love Interests, embracing diverse romantic narratives. This includes requiring a gender variable MC. This is not a requirement for Amare and Amare games may have gender-locked MCs.

What makes an Amare game?

What Amare games tend to have in common is that they focus on relationships and romance, with an emphasis on diversity and authentic storytelling.

Key characteristics include:

Varied Gaze - Games that use this tag are often told with a feminine or neutral gaze, but that isn't a requirement. No specific "gaze" is given pre-eminence over others across the tag but individual games may lean in a single direction.

Flexible Roles - There are no restrictions on the gender and sexuality of the MC or the love interests. Games display a wide range of relationships from from BL, Otome, WLW, and a blend of these genres. Some games may be limited to one experience (such as being purely BL) while others may explore a range of experiences.

Expansive Relationships - Relationships in Amare games range from romantic, sweet, spicy to purely platonic.

Diversity in Cast and Creators - Amare games often feature a diverse array of characters and creators, promoting representation across different experiences and identities.

Who is the target audience for Amare games?

Amare games are targeted to a wide demographic comprised of adults and young adults who want to read narrative stories exploring relationships and romance as told from a wide range of cultures, conventions and experiences.

What makes Amare different from other relationship genres?

The Amare tag was created to supplement existing tags like BL, Otome, and WLW, that sometimes have stricter labelling requirements. It hopes to expand beyond the conventional boundaries that define games purely based on the gender and sexuality of the MC or a narrow target audience. Amare is meant to help bridge gaps left by other genre definitions, as well as create a home for games whose creators don't want to categorise them purely in that way, offering one more avenue for labelling and advertising games.

What is the "vibe" Amare games have?

The vibe of Amare games is heartfelt and immersive, focusing on deep emotional connections and character-driven narratives. They often blend romance, personal growth, and engaging storylines, allowing players to explore meaningful relationships in a variety of settings. Amare games cultivate a vibe of genuine and inclusive stories that celebrate love in its many forms, emphasizing choice and individuality, and celebrating variety in all its forms, making each experience unique.

How do I know if my game is Amare?

Does it have a focus on romance or exploration of relationships? Do you feel comfortable in this space and want to label your game as Amare? People use the Amare tag for a lot of different reasons - because they feel slightly out of sync with other genres that have narrower definitions, or emphasis on specific art styles or story conventions, because they don't want to be limited to a more narrow target audience, because they don't feel they quite fit another genre, because their game spans multiple genres or for a host of other reasons. This genre is focused on offering space to people who feel they fit here.

Links

Amare Genre Tag on Itch.io Over 470+ Games and counting AmareGames.com Amare Games Bulletin Amare Games Festival 2025

[thoughtsroamguy]

It seems time to have a proper character sheet for Katrina, our protagonist of Tears of Xivo.

First, let's talk about her overall look. When I started designing her, I wanted her to be Cool as Cool gets. But along the way of styling her some strong cuteness came out. From the start I wanted her to have a Stemme (futch) look to her, so her style has a mostly masculine touch to it. I dressed her in shorts and a tank top since she’s from a tropical island, the pattern of her shirt gives that island vibe.

Her first conception had her with longer hair. She had a sorta Afro Mohawk, and I liked how she looked with it, but as I thought ahead I foresaw certain technical issues; framing her with other characters and portraying it wet. So I decided with a Caesar with a pattern to seal in that fantasy look. Gold chains for that cool factor.

I knew that I didn’t want her to have featureless skin, so freckles got added to her. Then as I tried out expressions on her, I thought her teeth should be more unique. So she got a gap in her teeth. I think that's what did in her cuteness. She's still very cool, but there is an undeniable cuteness to her. Her face has a nice soft, almost squishy look to it. Those cheeks do most of the work when she emotes.

I wanted a zoom-in of her eye to show the details in her iris. If you've seen other pictures, you'll notice she sometimes has red eyes. Her eye change color in the story. That white rectangle is the reflection of the camera, ignore it.

Most of the fantasy elements come from her shorts, more specifically her belt buckles. In this world, certain metals and crystals glow when in contact with or near a person. Her thigh holseter is probably a bad idea when her bare leg is exposed but oh well.

I originally wanted her to have Air Force Ones with that signature check, but then I thought Nike might sue me and I want to continue my streak of never been sued, so I changed out her kicks. I like to imagine Katrina is a real sneakerhead. She'd always track what's dropping and keep all her kicks spotless. I wanted to add a pattern but ending up thinking it was too much and that people wouldn't focus too much on her feet.

Cuteness aside, this is an action game so Katrina is about that smoke. Having been trained by Xiuhcoatl, she's more than a competent fighter and when you see what she goes through in the beginning, you'll know just how tough she is.

When it comes to fighting, I wanted her to have a HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts [Think how a knight would fight]) style considering her longsword. But then I wanted to include her dagger in her fighting style. Getting poses that don't look too unwieldy or goofy is a challenge, but I'm not one to shy away from a challenge.

Now let's talk about the Tears of Xivo themselves. More than just pretty pink blades, they are crystallized teardrops of the Goddess of Creation and Chaos. They are unbreakable and posses great magical powers. Different colors mean different things and I'm sure y'all can figure out what they do.

The sword generates the power and the dagger sends it. Katrina has to skate the dagger across the sword to send a wave of energy. Hilde from Soul Calibur does something similar and she's one of my favorites so I had to incorporate that.

Though Katrina has a sheath and holster for her weapons, they are bound to her. She can call them to her hand like Thor's hammer except cooler cuz they're pink blades.

If she walks away from them, they'll float to her location, so she can't lose them.

Overall, I love everything about Katrina and I hope you come to love her too in Tears of Xivo!

[meglosthegreat]

So, Veilguard was bad and Dragon Age is probably done forever. What now?

If you, like me, spent the past ten years in anticipation of the next instalment of your favourite series of all time, and were then grossly and horrifically let down by what we ended up getting, you're probably feeling pretty bummed out right now. You might be wondering if anything out there will ever make you feel how Dragon Age did, and may be at a loss for what media to develop unhealthy levels of attachment to next.

With that in mind, I have compiled a list of my own personal, 100% Dragon Age fan-certified recs across media of all types. In the interest of presenting these in a way that feels more relevant in comparison to Dragon Age itself, I will not be grouping them in any kind of logical category but will instead be going purely off Vibes. I will also not be listing in detail certain titles that I think are too well-known to be useful in this list - namely Bioware's other games, among others. I will give brief mention of these, but I want to focus on less widely-known properties, or things that you may have heard of but have not seen recommendation for specifically from a fellow DA fan.

I may be updating this list further if I find something good to add, or if I think of something I hadn't before. And if you have further recs not present here, please feel free to reblog with your own additions!

Vibe #1: Good ol' High Fantasy

This category pertains to works that fall under the same broad genre definitions as Dragon Age, with similar overarching tones and themes. Not listed: Baldur's Gate 3, The Elder Scrolls, Avatar: TLA.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 (Video Game) - Easily my top pick for other RPGs that elicit the big world stakes and sweeping plot of DAI. There's even an EXTREMELY Solas-coded character who I won't spoil but let's just say as a Solas enjoyer myself they did absolutely nothing wrong and I would die for them. D:OS 1 is very good too, but they are both standalone stories and 2 has more of the DA feel than 1, so it takes the place on this list.

Unsounded (Webcomic) - This one hits so many DA boxes while at the same time being something extremely unique in itself. It's got deep, multifaceted characters. It's got a fascinating world and huge amounts of fantasy politics. It's got humour interposed with horror and tragedy with neither undercutting the other. It's got not one, but TWO extremely pathetic war criminal dads, who somehow are constantly at odds with each other and yet are forced together into Situations nonetheless. And it's free! Go read it right now, there's absolutely nothing stopping you.

Bone (Comic Series) - This is almost a reverse-recommendation in a sense, because I read it years before Dragon Age ever existed and is probably one of the reasons why I was drawn to DA in the first place. It's epic, sprawling fantasy but constantly grounded in the small, personal stakes of it all. Imagine an isekai but the isekai'd are from a pseudo-modern maximalist cartoon land and have been thrust into a gritty medieval fantasy. Don't let the jokes and the goofy main characters throw you though because this series gets dark.

Vibe #2: Found Family

If your favourite part of Dragon Age is the character dynamics, and you don't particularly care about genre trappings, this is the section for you. Not listed: Mass Effect, KOTOR

Farscape (TV Series) - Oh my god I am begging you, imploring you, to PLEASE watch Farscape. David Gaider has said before that he loves the show, and it's the reason Claudia Black became the voice of Morrigan. If that isn't enough of an endorsement for you, it also has THE MOST fucked up little blorbos the world has ever seen. Literally nothing, and I mean nothing, comes close to the wet cat/kicked puppy energy that these characters exhibit, and what's more 50% of them are dressed in early 2000s tight leather getups 24/7 while the other 50% are composed of the most incredible puppetwork and prosthetics you've ever laid eyes on.

Unavowed (Video Game) - This is a point-and-click adventure game about a team of supernatural investigators, and for such a relatively small indie game compared to the likes of DA, it does a hell of a job creating compelling and complex characters who you get to know and love. The opening act of the game has a bit where a monster rips someone's face off, and yet there is something so cozy about it I just can't explain.

Aurora (Webcomic) - This one has all the good found family vibes, with a cast of characters that each has their own Deal, who bicker and squabble incessantly but manage to pull together when it really matters. And when they don't, you can be sure they will Get Into It with themselves, and with each other. It's got tons of heart and soul, gorgeous colour work, and is also totally free!

Vibe #3: Worldbuilding & Political Machinations

If you love digging into theories and lore, and appreciate stories with complex fantasy politics, look no further than here. Not listed: The Witcher, Game of Thrones, Fallout: New Vegas

Pillars of Eternity (Video Game) - This is a broad rec for both Pillars games (and hopefully, if it ends up being good, the upcoming Avowed). While the gameplay is on the whole more difficult to get into and there isn't as much time dedicated to party members as in DA, PoE1 has some of the tightest, most well-thought out lore I've encountered. If the factions of DATV were a huge disappointment to you, PoE2's main focus is a handful of incredibly complex ones that pose you genuinely difficult questions about ethics and morality. Also like half the characters are voiced by Matt Mercer, it's great.

The Wheel of Time (Book Series) - The reason I didn't put this under Vibe #1, despite it being solid high fantasy, is that I didn't connect so much with the story and plot developments as much as I did the worldbuilding and politics of the series. Fair warning, this rec does come with several giant asterisks, as it is notorious for having infuriating characters and baffling gender dynamics, but if you are able to look past all the weirdness, you'll find what was clearly a lot of the inspiration for DA's world underneath. The recent TV show is... a mixed bag, but probably the only alternative to reading fourteen tome-sized books if you don't have the stomach for that.

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines (Video Game) - You've probably seen this one recommended before, but if you're having a hard time getting past the early 2000s graphics and weird engine jank, let me assure you that it is well worth the hassle. There are lots of games out there that try to make you feel like a pawn in someone's greater plan, but none of them come close to matching what VTMB managed. If you like your politics and scheming more personal and visceral than grand and world-spanning, with excellent roleplaying options to back them up, this is the game for you.

Vibe #4: Fucked Up People in a Fucked Up World

This one is easily the most "hear me out, bro" category, but if Dragon Age 2 specifically is your jam, and you crave more Kirkwall energy and Greek tragedy in your life, I have a feeling you will really like these. Not listed: Arcane, Disco Elysium

Dishonored (Video Game) - This one has always been a tough sell, because despite it being, imo, one of the best designed games of all time, the way it was marketed makes it seem like a real Gamer's game, with super epic stealth powers! And badass kill animations! But behind all that, you'll find some of the most Characters of all time, including a soggy wet twink god who gives you magic powers but will be such a little bitch about it. The whole thing is steeped in potent atmosphere and incredible worldbuilding. Also everyone is gay.

Planescape: Torment (Video Game) - This is widely considered one of the greatest RPGs of all time, and though you have to deal with a fair amount of jank and perhaps a little more reading than you'd like in a video game, the design and atmosphere of Sigil alone make it worthwhile. Then there's the cast of characters, most of which are like two bad days away from becoming a supervillain and all of whom hate each others' guts. Need I say more?

The Magnus Archives (Podcast) - TMA is definitely not for all DA fans, but if your favourite part of DAO was the broodmother section, and you really enjoyed the slowly unfolding tragedy of Kirkwall and the feeling of Hawke being doomed by the narrative, you might find yourself hooked, as I did. There are also some extremely good characters in here, all uniquely fucked up in their own way, and getting to know them in between the main segments of episodes was the definite highlight for me.

That's all for now, and again, if you'd like to add to this list, please be my guest! There are a handful of things I think would probably fit here but I haven't watched/played/read yet, so if you think something extremely obvious is missing, that's most likely why.

[cosmerelists]

Attending a Party Thrown by Each Radiant Order

As requested by anon. :)

You've been invited to a party! Actually, ten parties. But the twist is that each party is thrown and attended only by a single Radiant order and also we're in some kind of quasi-modern AU. What would each party be like?

[Previously: Radiant Orders play boardgames, have sleepovers, and go to musicals]

1. The Lightweaver Party

The invitation is a glossy, stylized illustration of a hand holding a wine glass--a true work of art. You later find out that every invitation is unique; no two are the same. The invitation leads you to a large ballroom-esque hall. "What is your name tonight?" asks a masked figure at the door. "Uh...Fred?" you say. You had not planned this. "Welcome...Fred," they say and let you in. It is shadowy inside, perhaps because all of the light comes from fairy lights and electric candles. Everyone is masked--including you, as per the invitation. People glide about, talking and laughing in low voices. It's not unwelcoming exactly, but certainly...surreal.

2. The Windrunner Party

The invitation is a couple of dudes saying, "Hey, there's a thing. Wanna come?" when you run into them at the bar. "The thing" appears to be some kind of picnic at a local park: you were told it was a potluck, so you did bring a macaroni salad, but the focus seems to be the large pot of stew that one of the men is making. There's a lot of eating and laughter and sunshine, and frankly a lot of hot people in uniform. You have a good time. Even if the Captain is just a little bit glowery the whole time.

3. The Edgedancer Party

A roller skating rink! You haven't been to a roller skating rink in sooo long! You're honestly psyched. As you do your best to skate around, others glide smoothly past you, looking like they were born skating. When you take a break to eat a mediocre but nostalgic corndog, a couple of them sit with you and you get to chatting. You're just at a skating rink, eating a mediocre corndog, but somehow...you've never felt so heard. When you go back to skating, you're skating with maybe a tear in your eye.

4. The Stoneward Party

It's just a party at someone's house, where everyone brings a case of beer or a bottle of wine or a snack food, and everyone drinks out of red solo cups. But you know what the vibe is? Convivial. Like, people are waving you over to join their conversations and asking about your hobbies and at one point? Someone suggests a party game? And everyone plays? Like, it WAS a pretty competitive game of charades, but everyone seemed to be having fun the whole time.

5. The Truthwatcher Party

Their party was at a local bar and on trivia night. The party was immediately pretty boisterous--someone brings up politics, like, immediately, and then everyone is happily shouting their thoughts back and forth across the table. But when trivia time hits, the mood turns serious.

6. The Dustbringer Party

It's in the basement of a warehouse that you're pretty sure is due for demolition. Certainly, it does NOT feel particularly structurally sound and there IS a lot of, like, concrete dust and debris everywhere. But once you get downstairs--well, this is not just a party. This is a rager. There is music and alcohol and drugs if you want 'em, and people are shouting and dancing and generally having a good time. "When you're like us, you GOTTA let loose every once in a while or you go INSANE!" someone says to you at one point. "It's about release?" you say and everyone in a five-foot radius groans at the pun.

7. The Willshaper party

It's drugs. Lots of drugs. Some of them are illegal, some of them aren't, but the people here would definitely scoff if you tried to make that distinction.

8. The Elsecaller Party

Well, it certainly is a very correct party. You receive an RSVP, and it's clear that you are meant to respond. In writing. Which you do. The RSVP lets you know that the party is semiformal, and that the dinner course will begin at precisely 7pm, so you do not even try to do the whole "fashionably late" thing. You are there by 6:55. Good thing, too, because everyone else is already there. "Everyone" being Jasnah and one small, inky man. Have you ever had dinner with your dissertation advisor who is also your mom somehow? Well, then you know how this party went. You were SWEATING the whole time.

9. The Skybreaker Party

When they checked your ID at the entrance to the small event hall they had rented, you laughed and asked if they wanted to make sure you were over 21. Their expression in reply told you that this was not a joke. Inside, there is a cash bar, and some hors d'oeuvre being handed around on plates. The people inside are mostly talking about their recent accomplishments in a way that makes you feel that they are all very stressed and trying to prove something. "It's a test," says a bald man who appeared very suddenly next to you. "A test of what?" you ask, suddenly very afraid. But he is gone.

10. The Bondsmith Party

You're at a party, and it's just you and two other people. The two other people? Married. You feel like you're crashing a date. They're being very nice and you are being included in every conversation but you're also literally the third at a party with only two other people who are married. You can't help but think this would be WAY less awkward if there were just ONE more Bondsmith. But who knows if THAT will ever happen!

[dlstmxkakwldrlarchive]

(articles) Onew Builds Lasting Connection with Fans on First U.S. Solo Tour - Asia Blooming

Onew, soloist and leader of K-pop boy group SHINee, embarked on his first ever solo stateside tour this spring. After completing seven shows across the US, the singer performed his final concert of the tour at the ornately decorated Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles. Filled with pearl aqua lights, the concert showcased not only the veteran singer’s talent but also his heart and warmth.

Onew performed a wide range of songs from his solo discography, putting his smooth vocals on full display. As expected, he sang a slew of ballads such as “Focus” and “Illusion (사랑이었을까),” hitting high notes and harmonizing with his own backing vocals with ease. The singer also prepared jazzier tracks like “Gradation (번져),” songs with retro vibes like “Maestro (마에스트로),” and a variety of others across genres. Songs like “Beat Drum (매력)” were upbeat and poppy, giving the singer the perfect opportunity to show off his classic idol dance moves and even rap for the crowd. During “MAD,” an English song that was released prior to the tour, fans eagerly sang along and cheered loudly as the singer led them in a guided chant during the bridge of the song.

There was a song for everyone on the setlist, as Onew continued to show off his versatility and singing prowess song after song. The soloist performed each track with an eager passion, and most impressively, his audience matched that energy. The crowd was more than ready for the long awaited show, preparing fan projects such as roses and cheering banners to hold in the air, as well as memorizing song lyrics and fanchants. The singer was blown away by the crowd’s ability to sing along in Korean, and he was grateful that everyone, in a way, performed with him as his usual live band was unable to join for the U.S. leg of his tour. During “Winner,” for example, the crowd’s synchronized cheers and clapping added an additional layer to the music, creating a unique choral effect. Fans also sang “Starry Night (밤과 별의 노래) along with him acapella, impressing him and leading him to apologize for having removed the song from the setlist.

All in all, the main highlights of the show were two things: the performance of “Always (보통의 밤)” and Onew’s humorous personality throughout the concert. The singer has always been known to be silly and funny, but the concert could almost be considered a standup comedy show mixed with music—in a positive way. At the show’s start, Onew shared his desire to truly make a connection with his fans and hold a space for them to experience healing and happiness, and an integral part of that is laughter. At every turn, between every song, slow or fast, he was cracking jokes or pulling small pranks on the crowd to elicit genuine laughs.

On creating space for healing, the veteran idol gave a heartwarming speech prior to “Always (보통의 밤).” “What I really want to give you is rest and happiness,” he began. “To achieve that happiness, moments of nervousness and anxiety are normal. We can have those days when we hurt mentally or physically, but as long as we strive for that happiness, we can remember that it will all pass.”

Acknowledging that this speech might feel unexpected, he emphasized that this was the main purpose of the show to begin with. “I know this feels like a sudden heavy topic, but I don’t think these conversations are strange. I could be the one going through something right now, or the person next to you could be, and we are all existing here so it’s important that we can give each other support just like family and friends to overcome this together.” Using this moment, he also introduced the next song, “Always (보통의 밤),” once more. “The reason I brought this up is because the next song is one where I know the lyrics may be hard to understand, but I want to make sure to highlight them. You will always have people around you, and there is someone somewhere who will truly understand you. Sit, rest, and find healing. You all deserve happiness,” he earnestly shared, warming hearts before the soft instrumentals began to play. The song was paired with a fan project holding lit up roses into the air for Onew to see, and it was in that moment that fans were moved to tears at the realization that the healing space he created for fans was also for him, too.

After the emotional performance, it was back to funny moments and upbeat music, and slowly but surely, the night drew to a close. Onew expressed so much warmth for his fans, preparing special moments and memorabilia for the crowd from handing out signed balls and miniature bouquets to kicking off his encore in the upstairs balcony to greet fans up-close.

While he previously held space for healing and rest, during the encore, he also made space to express genuine love and appreciation. “You’ve all spent the night clapping and cheering for me, but I want to do the same for you, too,” he began before requesting for everyone to stay silent for a moment. He then slowly walked from one side of the stage to the other, clapping, cheering, and shouting words of encouragement to the audience. He made sure this moment was understood, reminding the crowd every so often not to cheer or clap because he wanted to ensure he was giving everyone the flowers they deserved.

Considering the singer’s goal was to build a connection with his fans through the show, it’s safe to say Onew’s concert was a success. “I have felt a lot of things on this tour,” he shared. “Despite being active for so long, I felt so grateful being able to meet new people. Thank you for the endless happiness you’ve given me. I will continue to work harder to be that person for you, too.” Continuing on and mixing in some humor in true Onew fashion, he also reassured everyone he would return as soon as he could. “As long as we keep connecting like this, I don’t think this happiness will ever come to an end,” he began. “I promise I will be back, like The Terminator.”

[dreadfutures]

wrote this up in a flurry after this post today

This is noncanonical but based on vibes and certain things from the DA4 stuff + Tevinter Nights, so if you’re wary of that, stay out! :)

For @dadrunkwriting

AU: #shadows in the sun: first lifetime!Ixchel Lavellan survives her poison and continues to fight.

- Ixchel has been incredibly depressed since Corypheus’s defeat. Few people, if any, have seen her smile in the past several years. Ixchel was trained as a two-handed Champion in DAI. - unnamed Crow Rook for this one is she/her I guess. - shameless Princess Bride reference.

It had been Rook’s idea when they first all got together: each member of the team had unique strengths, unique skills, and they needed to share. Emmrich and Bellara shared a day, but Neve, Harding, Taash, Lucanis, Davrin, and Rook had their own time to hold the team captive and impart their skills one way or another. Emmrich and Bellara’s lessons skewed to the academic—or esoteric, at least—in regards to the challenges the Veilguard faced across Thedas and in battle, while the others tended to focus on combat.

Rook supposed she had done a good job of instilling discipline in the team, because despite the Inquisitor’s surprise arrival the night before, everyone had gathered in the dining hall bright and early for Lucanis’s hour of instruction. The table and chairs had been cleared to give them space to spar, presumably, and he had scrounged up a bunch of practice swords from… somewhere. Perhaps their last trip to Minrathous? Or maybe he’d had Davrin whittle them to shape.

Either way, Lucanis had set aside the knives for this week’s lesson and was going to put them through their paces in dueling. It wasn’t really Rook’s cup of tea; her role as a Crow usually saw her in protection details, or infiltrating marks’ inner circles in far less flashy ways. But like any good Crow, a rapier felt at home in her hand and she was not about to let Lucanis Dellamorte accuse her of growing rusty.

One thing Rook had offered to get her team on board with the potentially embarrassing and exhausting training schedule was that Rook would always go first. Break the ice, make a fool of herself, serve as an example, whatever it might be for the day.

Today’s session began with a surprisingly polite duel. Lucanis went slow, using her as an example and pausing frequently to explain things to the rest of the crew. Every time he gave her that look, she dutifully froze, and tried not to let it show how her heart swelled with pride and something else when he pointed out aspects of her stance or how she had struck her blows.

By the end she was quite ready for a real duel, but Lucanis simply gave her a cordial bow and beckoned Neve up for her turn.

Disappointed, Rook went to go get some water from the pitcher someone had brought, and as she straightened up again she was surprised to find the Inquisitor watching their lesson from the doorway. No one had noticed her, apparently, but she was not making any particular effort to be hidden. After a moment of debate, Rook went over to greet her.

“They’ve taken to calling him a mage killer,” Ixchel Lavellan mused in her raspy voice, not looking away from the training session even once. “They give you a fun name?”

Rook scoffed. “They don’t do such things for someone from the cuchillos.”

Ixchel’s eyebrows raised by just a hair, lashes flickering only slightly. She still kept her milky eyes—the eyes of a dead woman, Rook was still unnerved by them—on the lesson. “But you’re not just someone from the cuchillos,” she said. “Not if you’re here.”

Rook shrugged at that. “You were at one point just someone,” she said. “So they say.”

“So they say,” Ixchel echoed and fell silent. Rook understood the conversation was over, but she stayed there at the Inquisitor’s side for the remainder of the training session. It felt… wrong, to leave the Herald of Andraste to stand by herself in the back of a room with no pomp or circumstance.

Rook’s presence at the door did draw the eyes of the others after a while, and it was amusing to see how their spines straightened when they realized just who was watching.

The only person who didn’t immediately start to sweat was Harding, who by rights should have been the most nervous, going last. Rook didn’t know Harding’s full history with the Inquisitor, but she had heard the Inquisitor threaten Harding were she to ever talk about “the elfroot thing,” so Rook assumed the two young women knew each other at a level far beyond the facade of Herald.

Harding performed excellently with Lucanis, who had truly put everyone through their paces. Lucanis even gave her a rare compliment: “Quick study!” that made Harding snicker.

She wiped sweat from her eyes and shot a breathless grin over at Lavellan. “Gotta be quick to keep up with her,” she said good-naturedly.

“See, that’s why I slowed down,” Lavellan quipped in return. She shifted her weight coolly from one side to the other, raising her short left arm with a teasing air. “Got to give everyone a fighting chance.”

“Oh really?” Harding asked, putting one hand on her hip. “I don’t believe that for a second, ‘Chel. C’mon.”

Before anyone could react, she had tossed the practice sword across the room—and Ixchel Lavellan caught it in her right hand.

“Good luck, buddy,” Harding said cheerfully to Lucanis, who frowned in confusion.

Ixchel’s first step had a note of hesitance in it, but it seemed that one step was enough to convince her not to back down. She shouldered past Harding without a trace of hard feelings, making Harding grin, and squared off with Lucanis.

Harding took her place by Rook. “Don’t go easy on her, Dellamorte,” Harding called. “And I know he’s pretty, Lavellan, but don’t go easy on him either.”

Lucanis put a hand on his chest and gave Harding a sweeping bow. “I accept the compliment. I think.”

“In guardia?” Ixchel asked, the tip of her wooden sword hanging supernaturally still in the air. Even Taash’s had floated, uncertain of what mark to take; Lavellan had chosen hers and would not waver. Her arm was strong, Rook noted.

Rook also noted that Ixchel was practiced in Antivan.

“Never leave a lady waiting, Dellamorte,” Rook called. “What would your grandmother say?”

Lucanis gave her a dirty look but quickly turned his attention back to Ixchel.

“In guardia,” Rook said loudly, and Lucanis took up his position. “Pronti?” The duelists nodded each. “A voi.”

The Inquisition’s money had not gone to waste, Rook thought as the duel began; they had afforded some of the best combat instructors—and language teachers, and etiquette lessons, and probably everything—to make the Inquisitor into a force to be reckoned with on any stage or field. Even in skirts as she wore now, she moved with confidence and sure feet and never became entangled. Her reflexes were lightning quick, responding with both precision and grace to every salvo and overture Lucanis pitched.

“Lucky that she didn’t lose her dominant hand,” Rook said quietly, and Harding made a surprised sound.

“Oh, no,” she said. “Inquisitor Lavellan was left handed.” She gave Rook a laughing smile. “I’ll be sure to let her know you couldn’t tell. She’ll be stoked.”

Rook stared at the fight with new appreciation, nay, admiration. Lucanis and Ixchel had each scored a point, and both had fixed expressions of deadly concentration on their faces as they sought the upper hand. It was hard to track the movement of Ixchel’s eyes, clouded over from what Rook had been told was some illness, but apparently it made no difference to her ability to see; in contrast, Lucanis’s eyes darted all over the place, imagining where blows could begin and end, ready for any inevitability. He flitted about like a bird, but Ixchel moved like the breeze that carried him and blocked every move.

It took a few more trades for Rook to realize Lucanis had indeed stopped holding back. His thrusts were more decisive, carried more weight behind them, but it made no difference. Ixchel’s footwork was solid, and her parries exacting.

Someone had trained her very well indeed.

Ixchel batted aside Lucanis’s next blow and then stepped closer, foot hooking behind his ankle to tug him briefly off-balance. He landed flat-footed with his arm outstretched and Ixchel tucked neatly against his chest, her rapier choked beneath his chin.

By all rights, the match was won, but Ixchel simply blew a stray lock of his hair out of his face, then spun away under his arm and took up her position just a sword’s length away, ready for another round.

Lucanis was starting to breathe heavily, and when he sank into a stance now, it was not the formal academic dueling stance he had been practicing with before.

Ixchel adjusted her grip with a smirk that twisted her scarred face gruesomely, tossing her hair.

“A voi,” she said herself, and Lucanis launched at her like a hawk whistling toward its prey.

“Oh-ho, there she is!” Harding crowed, and the rest of the Veilguard turned to gawk at her for a moment before gluing themselves back to the match. But Rook knew what Harding meant, and why the shock of it all had overcome her to the point of shouting. This wasn’t the practice duel it had started as—it wasn’t even an exhibition. This was a no-holds-barred sparring match.

A legend against a legend.

“You must expect me to attack with Capoferro,” Lucanis teased, lunging forward with his arm extended.

“Naturally,” Ixchel replied quickly, stepping off the line of his strike, “but I find that Thibault cancels out Capoferro.”

She gave Lucanis’s free hand, extended for balance, a whap on the knuckles for good measure, and he swiftly drew his arm behind his back. Ixchel grinned now that they were matched, arm for arm, and went on a swift offensive. She drove Lucanis back several steps before he caught a second wind, ducking under her arm to drive his sword toward her undefended rib.

Both of Ixchel’s feet left the floor as she threw herself around his side, staying firmly out of reach of his blade and never once giving him her back even as she placed herself at his.

She could not get far behind him, and he twisted lithely on the spot to thrust up again at her from his almost-kneeling position. She stepped closer, narrowly dodging the tip of his blade, and brought her elbow down on the soft spot between his shoulder and neck.

He grunted in pain but did not buckle, executing instead an elegant backward roll to put more space between them.

“You have a lot of tricks, for a Chevalier,” he said, the strain in his voice perhaps evident only to Rook.

Ixchel threw her head back and laughed. It was a surprisingly girlish sound and reminded Rook that the Herald was young, younger than Harding. The suspicious jab from Lucanis hit Ixchel like the height of flattery, and as her laughter eased, the smile on her face was genuine.

“You’re not the first Crow who’s tried to take down the Inquisitor,” she said, wiping her temple on her the sleeve of her lost arm. “And I am no Chevalier.” Her smile turned fierce as she squared off again. “I am a Champion.”

A subtle motion at Rook’s side drew her gaze, and she found Harding covering her mouth. Her eyes were shining with tears, but she was trying to hide a smile.

She caught Rook looking and blinked rapidly. “No one’s heard her laugh in years,” she whispered. “I haven’t seen her smile in… In…”

She glanced back at Ixchel, who was utterly focused on wearing Lucanis’s stamina down with unrelenting, precise, and forceful advances.

“Since the Exalted Council?” Rook guessed quietly.

“Since Corypheus,” Harding admitted.

Rook’s blood went cold at the thought of so many mirthless years—a thought made even heavier by the grief in Harding’s own voice. “We did our best,” Harding said. “We’re really friends, but… No matter what friends you add, they never replace the ones you lose, do they? And she… lost more than most. Every friend she’d ever had.”

Pieces of the puzzle named Ixchel Lavellan, the Dalish Herald of Andraste, leader of a Chantry Inquisition, were slotting into place in Rook’s mind, and she did not like the picture. “That was ten years ago,” Rook murmured. “She was just a kid.”

“We both were,” Harding admitted. “But I had a family to write home to, a place to return to if I wanted after everything was over, and she— she…”

“Had nothing.”

Rook clenched her fists.

At one point in her life, she would have considered the Crows her family. No matter what personal grief might befall her out in the field, as long as she did her job, she had open arms to return to.

That time in her life was over. The Crows viewed her as nothing more than a tool to be discarded when her usefulness ran out, and she was glad to be out from under any contracts or expectations from her House. The Veilguard looked to her as a leader, yes, but as a friend too—a friend whose affection and support wasn’t contingent on continued usefulness.

When this was all over, Rook had started to have fond thoughts of the life she’d lead. Maybe she’d go dragon hunting with Taash. Or check out that whole cheese farming situation Harding had joked about.

She had options. Comfortable options. Confident options.

But Rook knew what had happened to the Inquisitor after the Inquisition. How she had arrived to the Exalted Council unaccompanied. How one by one her former allies had departed for parts unknown, or to take up positions of influence across Thedas.

How she had left the Council robbed of her arm and her power and returned to a Skyhold soon to be emptied.

Lucanis and Ixchel tumbled to the ground with a pair of surprised and delighted shouts. Rook had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t seen who’d won, but they were helping each other up now, dusting off—Lucanis caught Rook staring, and sent a smile her way over the top of the Inquisitor’s head.

The Inquisitor had slowed to a stop, her shoulders hunched mid-way as she froze just before straightening. She had only just realized how everyone in the Veilguard was gaping at her.

Her eyes swept across their upturned faces, to Rook, and then to Lace. An inscrutable emotion clouded her torn face, and she swiftly turned, gave Lucanis a bow, and handed him her practice sword—before sweeping out of the room.

“I’ll go talk to her,” Harding said, and rushed out after her.

“Alright, team,” Rook said without pause. “Good work today. Go clean up, we’ll take lunch, and then put our heads together about that intel we got about the Qun’s research.”

With such a no-nonsense tone, it was no surprise the Veilguard heeded her immediately. They scrambled, leaving Lucanis to pick up the practice swords and reset the dining room by himself.

Rook considered leaving, given how their last private encounter had gone, but… It would be rude, and she still couldn’t bring herself to be outright rude to Lucanis Dellamorte. She allowed herself a small sigh before she re-affixed her teasing smile and sauntered over to Lucanis to ask him who the real winner had been.

[rpgsocialservices]

Kokurase

Love! Intrigue! Mischief! Secret organizations! This game's got it all!(except an english translation of its final chapter)

Kokurase is an rpgmaker game by developer galanti. The first chapter was published in 2016, with two subsequent chapters following later that same year (I'm picking up Japanese again so I can play the fourth/last chapter, and I'm only mostly kidding when I say that). This isn't an absolute masterpiece of the medium, but it is a kind of smack-in-your-face fun vibe that I have rarely seen matched. There are mixed reviews online, but I think those largely come from a place of unfamiliarity with the full breadth of games that the rpgm/wrpg engines have given rise to.

TLDR: This game is overall just a really fun ride.

Plot + Characters: The plot is simple, but also so bonkers for yonkers that I stayed engaged (It helps, I think, that I adore both heist stories and stories about children who do outrageously unrealistic things in a club). Essentially, our four main protagonists are members of a secret school club (The Kokurase Gang, or Cupid's Helpers) whose existence is known only by rumor, and which is dedicated to matchmaking on demand. In different chapters, we see different clients and carry out different jobs, all 'behind the scenes'. What really gets me about this concept is that they don't care so much if the match is gonna last, they just do they jobs they get hired to do. This is such a wild setting to do 'moral' grayness in and it works well imo.

What makes it really work well are the characters. All four main character (and the host of recurring side characters) are distinct, with differing characteristics that serve as strengths or weaknesses depending on the situation. We learn about them by observing them, not through any backstory lore drop, with a slow unveiling of different parts of their personalities and motivations, especially as they face later game adversaries (there are multiple other secret clubs dedicated to taking our heroes down for differing reasons). They're ridiculously unrealistic in way that fits the setting and plot well enough they circle back around to feeling realistic, and they bring the plot along with them,

Artistic Experience: The artistry of this game is far and away the highlight of the experience. One look at the steam page will tell you what a unique artstyle is used in the character menus and the cutscenes (even if that doesn't translate to the maps and sprites), but what you can't see is how good the music is. Each character has their own motif that plays when you play them, and they're genuinely one of the best parts of the game (and I say that as someone who did enjoy the plot and gameplay). I can't think of another rpgmaker game I've played with music that stands out this much.

Gameplay: The gameplay is pretty typical for an rpgmaker game, and in some ways more involved than a lot of them just because you actually switch between party members to solve puzzles. Most of the complaints I've read about this game is about expecting fighting in an rpg game and not getting any, but again I think comes down to a lack of familiarity with the rpgmaker 'genre' of games, where all the classic games are plot and/or atmosphere focused, with puzzles over fighting in terms of challenge in gameplay. In some ways Kokurase does come across more as a deeply interactive visual novel, but it is hardly the first rpgmaker game to do so and with the art style and music it at least does so well. That's not to say that there is no gameplay or challenge (more than once you have to 'sneak around' without being seen) but its not the focus either. The switching viewpoints between characters is probably the most interesting part of the gameplay, since the party isn't together and you often end up playing the same moment at different parts of the campus.

[sunshine-zenith]

Aight, I’m invested I guess. Here’s my Far Fetched Probably Inaccurate More Speculation Than A Theory theory for Wish: Magnifico isn’t completely human or a shooting star like the Star we see — he’s either a manifestation of a wish Amaya made or Amaya once used a wish to save his life

Magnifico specifically says “it’s genetic, I got these genes from outer space!” about himself, which is very specific wording — either he’s completely from space, or magic from space warped his genes. He also has a magic book and I can’t think of a reason he would if magic is innate to his very being, down to a genetic level — maybe it belongs to his Not Innately Magic wife?

Amaya is a unique character in Disney canon in that she’s the Major Big Bad’s spouse — most classic Disney villains in their major animated movies are single or widows, while Amaya is very much alive and well. So she must be important, otherwise what’s the point of her character? Marketing also had super downplayed her, which tells me she has a major role in the story that they don’t want to give away

Amaya’s few lines in the trailer focus on Magnifico (surprise surprise, they have two minutes tops to market this thing and a focus on the hero and villain takes priority over showing rounded out characterization). Still, she seems big on praising him in a similar way he praises himself — calling him handsome and seeming impressed at what she thinks is his work. Yes, there’s being a supportive significant other, but there’s a strange vibe to her words, like she has a personal investment in his achievements beyond just being married to him. I also saw her giving Magnifico concerned/protective looks, like she’s specifically worried about his well-being. Idk I feel like someone finding a shooting star and not sharing it isn’t necessarily worth giving “who’s messing with my hubby” death glares — maybe she’s worried about this shooting star undoing the wish she used for him

She’s noted to be his sounding board/the person who keeps him in line in marketing, so she must know what he’s up to and helping him hide it from the people of Rosas

Magnifico is cocky and self obsessed, but I get the impression that this isn’t the reason he grants so few wishes. He gets super serious and even solemn when talking to Asha about it. He’s kinda a dick where his kingdom is concerned, but he takes wishes seriously. He genuinely doesn’t seem to be holding back granting wishes out of selfishness, because he does grant quite a few — fourteen in a year might be just a drop in the ocean, but that’s still a solid amount. Imagine fourteen people going viral during an internet challenge, or fourteen people on an organ registry getting transplants, or fourteen people getting their degrees, etc, etc. That’s genuinely not a nothing amount of people! Maybe being alive due to wish magic gives him a different perspective on it and what he deems necessary vs unnecessary (and whether or not he’s a hypocrite would make for a compelling character dimension)

Listen this isn’t “evidence,” I just want Amaya to have autonomy in this story, and the only other ways are if she’s a Plot Twist Villain working with/above Magnifico (badass, but I’m pretty sure this was specifically scrapped by the writers early on in the process) or if she hits him with a stack of divorce papers (iconic behavior, but imagine a theater full of five year olds with complicated family dynamics watching this — I don’t see them celebrating with the characters on screen like they might’ve when, say, Anna decked Hans in the face). Her specifically being the reason Magnifico exists and the complicated feelings all around that would result from this are amazing to imagine, plus it can go with both Good!Amaya or Evil!Amaya

Idk maybe Amaya had a cross between Aladdin and Encanto moment — she consciously or unconsciously wished for a handsome king to save her from whatever and since a king needs a kingdom Rosas was created. Or Amaya stumbled across a dying boy who wanted to create his own kingdom and made a wish for him to survive, with that wish giving him powers in the process

[nobodysdaydreams]

this is so random, but if you have the time, could you talk about what drew you to christianity (or why stick with it through life)? I've been doing some research into religions to see what i vibe with and I saw one post from you about forgiveness for your enemies but i hold grudges until i die. i could never imagine forgiving some people

Thank you so much for this question, and for wording it so nicely and respectfully! I very much appreciate that and would be happy to answer your question (although Christianity is not the main focus of my blog, and I'm sure there are others who would be better equipped to answer your question, I shall endeavor to do my very best). Sorry in advance for any typos, if something is unclear/doesn’t make sense, please ask!

Really quick in case someone is new here: if you want to follow me and don’t like Christianity, you can block the tag “#christianity” (pin post goes into detail). Thanks!

This isn't really something I can answer quickly and easily, but if I had to point to what drew me to the faith at a young age, and why Christianity/Catholicism has become such a central part of my life today as opposed to a more cultural identity, it's the teachings and life of Jesus and the lives of the saints who modeled their lives after him. The care, compassion, and love Jesus had for everyone around him was beautiful to me, as were the how diverse and uniquely beautiful the lives of the saints were, men and women who lived in different countries, existed different time periods, spoke different languages, were different races/ethnicities, and had different vocations, jobs, disabilities, families, and experiences, all united across history by their common desire to serve God and serve others. Some of them were illiterate. Some were born in poverty, some were born rich. Some of them were devoted to God since they were young, others lived pretty selfish and at times horrifically sinful lives before they decided to turn it around. They weren't perfect people. They're not holy because they never messed up. They're holy because at some point they look at the teachings of Jesus and said to themselves "that's how I'm going to live my life".

You mentioned my post on forgiving your enemies, which for reference, I assume that this is the post in question. This post is based on Christian teaching, and I'm certainly not the only one to post about it. Another one of my favorite posts on the topic is this one: "there are going to be a shocking number of people that you don’t like in heaven, and you will rejoice at their presence when the time comes". These posts are based in the teachings of Jesus, which included things like "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you" and loving his enemies even as they were actively killing and torturing him. Now, at first, this sounds weird. Why would you want someone you don't like in heaven? Why would you love someone even when they are such a terrible person?

I started typing out my answer, and it turned into a bit of a rant, but since you're looking into religions, I thought it might be helpful. Sorry it’s insanely long. There’s a part at the end with a larger heading you can skip to if you want.

This is a complicated answer, and I debated about the best way to answer it, but I first wanted to clarify what my views are on humanity before I dive into forgiveness. I think is important, because I have learned that there are two, strangely very different and opposing ideas about the Christian view of humanity that exist in secular culture, neither of which fully or sometimes even partially represent what I believe in as a Christian or what my faith teaches. Please note I'm not specifically calling any one creator out with this as I have seen literally dozens of posts like both of these examples and as there are thousands of denominations of Christianity, I'm not discounting the fact that there may in fact be Christians who teach or believe this. This is merely an explanation of my faith and what I believe so that when I talk about my own views, people understand what I mean.

I came across the first secular view of the Christian view of humanity when I saw a couple posts that at first, I fully thought were written by a Christian, because they were like "Don't you ever just look around at people helping and caring for each other and become mesmerized by the inherent beauty and goodness of humanity? Our capacity to help each other, our willingness to care, our resolve to do better? We are beautiful, these examples that I've listed are beautiful." and I'm like heck yeah op, and immediately thinking of Catholic teaching about us made in the image of God and all that and Jesus' teaching about how whatever good we do for each other we do for God himself and I've seen so many similar posts from my Catholic and Christian mutuals that this post seems to blend right in. But then when I go to reblog it, op has a disclaimer that's like "Xtians need to get the **** off my post! Why do y'all keep coming here? You don't believe that every human is a beautiful and wonderful person, you believe that every human is a terrible sinner and should go to hell forever and you want to make innocent children and people with OCD feel bad and shame people into doing whatever you want and I don't get why every time I make a post like this, y'all keep coming here pretending to believe what I believe. You don't. **** off!"

And look, no hate to any of these OPs. If you do not want me interacting with your blog or your posts, I will not. And not every OP was that aggressive about it, most just respectfully asked Christians not to interact or reblog. But I won't lie, and I'm not trying to be mean. It was kind of funny to read a post that's like "Humans are so beautiful and kind I love us" and then when someone reblogs it like "Thanks OP, I agree!" the immediate response is "No, you don't. Go **** yourself". I'm so sorry, it has the same vibe as this lovely post, and I apologize for my terrible sense of humor, I just find it funny.

So while I obviously don't agree with any of the aforementioned OP's views on Christianity, I wasn't gonna try to debate them on it because I respect people's boundaries and there are a lot of better things I have to do with my time than debating strangers on the internet because when has that ever changed anyone's mind especially when people are emotional or upset? But anyway, I assumed that this was how most of the secular world viewed Christianity's view of humanity until I stumble across some very different kind of posts that were like this:

"As someone who has been abused and bullied my whole life, I get so disheartened by humanity. So many people are honestly so awful and don’t deserve anything. I hate seeing those stupid posts from Xtians about how all humans are made in the image of God and inherently good and deserve redemption and love and compassion, like really? Even murderers? Even abusers? Sorry, but no. They're not inherently good. Most people are genuinely so terrible, most people only think about themselves, and some people don’t deserve forgiveness because they’re objectively horrible and don't deserve a pass for what they did." And versions of these posts that were just lamenting the brokenness of humanity and not targeting the Christian view in general often had added disclaimers about how they did not want Christians (and in some cases, pro-humanity secularists too) on the their post.

I will say that as a Christian, it was really interested to read views that are so strongly against both humanity's goodness and brokenness and how they believe these are represented in a Christian worldview. I've also seen posts that attribute the differences in these views to denominations of Christianity: "The urge to experience the Catholic Guilt that we're all terrible sinners who can never make up for what we've done vs. urge to embrace the Protestant God loves everyone superiority complex and avoidance of all moral responsibilities" and such similar posts, but I don't think those differences between denominations are as strong as people make them out to be. If anyone is not interested reading this full post, the short version is, as I'm sure you've guessed, a more nuanced view of these extremes that explains why Christians love (or should love) our enemies, but exactly why and how Christianity holds this more nuanced view is important to understand.

Interesting, according to polls I've seen, most general tumblr users seem to agree with the idea that humanity is inherently good rather than inherently evil, which as a Christian, I think is a good thing. I believe we are all made in the image of God, I believe that we are loved beyond imagining, and I believe that every person on this Earth deserves love and respect. But of course, that brings us to the approximately 10% of tumblr users (an estimate from the polls I've stumbled across, may or may not be accurate) who are not down with the whole positive view of humanity. I've read some pro-humanity (though secular) responses to these "humanity is bad" posts, which assert that while the people that hurt OP (the person insisting humans are inherently bad and don’t deserve redemption) are bad people, and deserving of condemnation, this doesn't reflect humanity as a whole. To an extent, I agree with that view, but a some point along the line, you start to run into a problem. The problem being the human tendency to make mistakes and do bad things that can seriously hurt people and then we run into the dilemma of determining what is a forgivable mistake and what is a cancellable and unforgiveable transgression. How do you decide who gets sorted into the majority "good" humanity group and the minority "bad" humanity group? Okay, there are probably some things most of us agree on, we probably agree murder is very very bad and a serious crime, and we probably agree everyone makes mistakes sometimes and other situations are more nuanced, so some things are forgivable and understandable, but how do you decide where the line is for what is forgivable and what isn't when most people out there probably disagree with you on at least one thing?

At this point you might be thinking, "Well Bods, if you don't believe that humanity is inherently awful or that humans are perfect or good all the time, then what exactly do you believe? Isn't Christianity about recognizing your own horribleness and hating yourself unless you love God? If not, then what is it?" Again, the short answer is a more nuanced view, but since you wanted to know more about my stand on forgiveness and I get a lot of compliments on my fics about how I portray redemption and character flaws, and characters' journeys towards redemption, and all of that comes directly from my Christian beliefs, I thought I'd do more of a deep dive.

The first point I'd like to make is in regards to the idea that "Catholic Guilt" (and I'll get more into what I mean by that later), or the idea that humility, self-insight, and recognizing our own flaws is inherently a bad thing. It's not, in fact, it's necessary for us to make positive change and to grow, and it can be toxic for us and for others when we aren't willing to recognize or at least be open to our own shortcomings. And the idea that guilt and recognizing our own failings can be a good thing is not an exclusively Catholic or even exclusively Christian idea. We all have seen those TikToks that are like "POV the worst person you know just got back from therapy and concluded that everyone else is the problem and they are the one being gaslighted and they are a victim who deserves better🤦🏻‍♀️" and to some extent, I think we all know someone like this (or maybe even have been someone like this). And it’s so frustrating sometimes, because you just want to grab them (or your past self) by the shoulders and be like "No! It's not other people! Not all the time! YOU are the problem sometimes! YOU are the reason your life is falling apart! And aren't you tired? Aren't you tired of being miserable, aren't you tired of losing friends, aren't you tired of being such a hateful person all the time? Don't you want to get better? Don't you want to be happy? Why are you resisting your chance to get better? Why would you ever run from that?" and when it comes to the posts about the concept of "Catholic guilt" or "Christian guilt" or even "guilt" in general being an inherently bad thing, it's hard for me to agree that its an entirely toxic concept, because there are so many times when you see remorseless criminals or even just bullies who don't care about the people they insult or when it comes to the fic I write, horrible fictional characters you wish were real just so you can scream in their face "No! You SHOULD feel bad about this. You hurt someone, you shouldn't feel remorseless, its weird that you don't on some level feel upset, because you should! You should care about other people. You should care! You should feel bad!" And it's clear why we want these people (and characters in regards to writing) to feel bad. Because guilt and recognition of error is often the first step to grace, the first step towards being a better person than you were before. You want them to feel bad because you want to save them and you want the evil they are doing to stop. Guilt is the first step to achieving both those things. If you aren't able to have the humility and self-insight to recognize your capacity to hurt others, act selfishly, and do bad things sometimes, then you don't have any hope of getting better. And that's only going to led to more hurt and more pain, for you and for others.

Before I continue with this point, I'm sure there are secularists reading this who are like "well, I would agree with you, but that's not what I think or mean when I say "Catholic Guilt" at all!" so I did want to first mention something I see a lot of posts in reference to "Catholic guilt" talking about OCD and other mental health issues and how the concept of guilt, especially religious guilt, can be damaging to those with mental health issues. As someone who has struggled with a lot of mental health issues and has personally known many devout and practicing Catholics with diagnosed OCD (and has mutuals with OCD, hi guys), when I say "guilt is a gift from God" and "guilt is a good thing", I want to make this point VERY clear: Guilt is a gift not because it drives you to despair, desperation, self-hatred, and self-harm/self-destruction, but because it drives you to joy, love, repentance, and being a better person. Guilt should be the first step towards grace, and that includes recognizing your great potential for goodness, for love, and for replacing all of the bad stuff you used to do with good things instead. It might start out as a painful experience, but ultimately, should fill you with joy and gratitude that you were able to recognize where you went wrong so that you can go on to live a better life. Anything that encourages self-hate and self-harm is not a gift from God or anyone else. That's not what "Catholic Guilt" is or should be. The scripture is clear that despairing in our own weakness or flaws is not the answer. The Church is clear that despairing in our own weakness or flaws is not the answer. I could honestly make a whole separate post on religion and mental health issues, because there are so many times when I will hear people (therapists unfortunately) look at cases like this and say "oh the whole problem here is this person's terrible religion and culture. If they would only leave it and recognize how objectively bad it is, then they wouldn't be so miserable and everything would be all better" like...no. The problem is that they have a obvious and serious mental health issue that you should be diagnosing and treating rather than advising them to get rid of their only support systems, and this is a huge part of the reason why people often like to go to therapists from their own religion and culture, because they are able to recognize what is actually considered "normal" and what isn't. There are so many other examples and I could do a separate post on this topic alone, but I think you get the point.

But then of course, even after establishing a proper definition of guilt and its utility, we come to the other extreme of "okay, if Christianity really does believe in the inherent God created goodness of everyone despite the fact that we as humans often mess up a lot, then how do you explain the fact that a lot of horrible people do a lot of really bad things, sometimes in the name of Christianity? And then this supposedly loving God just expects us to forgive them like they didn't do anything wrong?" And this is where the whole nuance of the "Catholic Guilt" thing comes in. Because while I still get weird looks from people when I say that guilt is a gift from God, I still stand by that belief because the whole point of feeling guilty about something is that it motivates you to change your behavior and be a better person. That is a good thing. Because if all these horrible people truly felt bad about what they did, and truly repented, you would see clear and obvious changes in their behavior. The Bible (and Church) are clear that Christian forgiveness is not, nor has ever been, a "get-out-of-jail" free card (though sadly many people, even devoutly religious people, treat it that way and that's something that I and many priests, nuns, and devoutly religious Christians I know are greatly ashamed of). Christian forgiveness and repentance, at its core, it's a call to conversation and a call to make amends, often more amends than society says you "need to" and my Christian followers will know that biblical examples of this clearly illustrate exactly what that means and what it looks like (I can give you some in detail if you want, but this rant is already kinda long). If abusers, murderers, the worst of the worst etc. were really sorry and remorseful about what they did and the harm their behaviors caused, they would spend the rest of their lives working to make up for it, no matter what the sacrifice. In some cases, they might even go to court and beg a judge to put them in jail for life just to ensure that they never hurt anyone else again, no matter how much money, power, or influence they have that could get them out of consequences or how much of a "promising athlete" or whatever they were because protecting innocent people is far more important than whatever they had going for them. Repentance might also involve accepting that you're never going to see your family again, because you've hurt them too much and need to respect their decision to establish boundaries to put themselves in a healthy place. It might involve not only paying back the money you stole from someone, but also paying them back with excessive interest because of the financial hardships they had to endure after their loss. That's the level of repentance we're talking about here. In fact, that last one is an example straight from scripture. And it's beautiful to see it.

So whenever someone asks me "Oh as a Christian, you believe EVERYONE can go to heaven? You hope that EVERYONE gets to heaven? Even [X] group of people? Disgusting." my reply is "Well, technically, yes, I do hope for that, but unfortunately, I don't think most people in [X] group are going to heaven and that makes me very sad." The reason being because if most of the people in this group (murderers, abusers, you can fill in the blank) were sorry about what they did, and were actually interested in accepting God's mercy and judgment and all that comes with it, they'd be acting very differently and how much better for us all and for them if they did chose that option. But it's not really surprising to me that they don't, because you need to get pretty far from God, humanity, self-awareness, compassion, and humility to even consider doing most of those things in the first place. So it shouldn't be shocking that those with the greatest need for repentance and mercy have the least desire for it. That doesn't mean it's impossible or never happens. God's grace is strong enough to reach everyone and anyone, and what a beautiful thing it is when it reaches the worst of us and this person who was hurting so many people is not only not doing those bad things anymore, but devoting their lives and themselves to making sure it never happens again and that they are fully held responsible for what they did. Turning something or someone so terrible into a force for good and positive change in the world is one of my favorite parts of my religion and one of the reasons I love so many saints, but sadly, it's so rare to see it.

Unfortunately, I think part of the reason for the rarity is the dichotomy between Christians and secularists alike who believe that Christian forgiveness or non-religious concepts of self-acceptance, self-love, and self-kindness are "get-out-of-jail" free cards and the cancel culture that says that anyone who makes a mistake deserves to be immediately and publicly shamed and held accountable for the harm they've caused with no hope of redemption. It's this weird blend of practicing and preaching kindness and forgiveness towards yourself and to people in general, but not tolerating anything from other people or extending that same grace towards others, and I think this worldview can be just as toxic as having self-shame and self-hatred while tolerating abuse and negativity from others. And Christians are not the only ones who see the problem with this either, secularists on tumblr have spoken a lot about this too, and I've seen a lot of posts about internet culture and how everyone is afraid of posting the wrong thing because "what if you accidently offend someone?" "what if you get cancelled?" and lots of people have made a really good point that if we as a society aren't willing to forgive people for their past mistakes and give people that grace, than how does society have any hope of getting better? And I think they hit the nail on the head with that one, fantastic take. Believing that people can change and be better and each have a unique, invaluable contribution to make to this world is part of my faith. Again, it doesn't diminish the reality of what they've done, the damage they caused, or the serious and real need to make amends, but it does give them hope, a future, and an opportunity to no only stop doing something bad, but start doing something good. I'll also add that part of forgiving others comes with having the self-insight and humility to recognize that sometimes we mess up too, and no one is immune to propaganda, bad days, brainwashing, thoughtless comments, the victim to victimizer pipeline, impulsive decisions, and being wrong, not even you. That doesn't mean you should hate yourself or despair when you mess up, you should be forgiving and kind to yourself, just like you're forgiving and kind to others, but you should also recognize the reality of what happened and work earnestly and sincerely to make amends. It takes practice, and I'm not saying its easy, but I certainly think its worth it. And for my Christian mutuals who are reading this post and saying to themselves, "Wait a minute, Bods. "be forgiving and kind to yourself, just as you're forgiving and kind to others?" that sounds a lot like "Love your neighbor as yourself", part of Christ's greatest commandment?" Yes. Yes it does. Because it is. And it all comes back around to that in the end doesn't it?

And this all brings us to our conclusion and one of my favorite posts on this whole website and something I think about a lot, which is the post about how "there are going to be a shocking number of people that you don’t like in heaven, and you will rejoice at their presence when the time comes". I love that post. It sums it up the Christian concept of heaven so nicely. I know it probably sounds really weird to a secular audience to rejoice at seeing someone in heaven that you don't like, but to a Christian, it’s a wonderful thing. Because it means that whatever was inside them that cause them to hurt others is completely gone now. They are different now, and in extreme cases, quite possibly to the point where you don't even recognize them anymore and it feels like meeting them for the first time. I would say the joy you'd feel at seeing them again in heaven comes from the fact that they aren't hurting people anymore and are a good or better person now, but that doesn't even fully capture the magnitude of what's happening, because the concept of sin and evil in Christianity is different than the concept of sin and evil in some other faiths and secular society. Evil is not considered an equal opposite to good. Good is more powerful in Christianity, and evil is merely a destruction, perversion of, or absence of that good. In the Christian worldview, choosing evil > good doesn't mean you "switched sides/went to the dark side", it means that you rejected goodness and destroyed part of yourself, and in those extreme cases of hatred and callousness I mentioned, maybe even destroyed most of yourself. And now, in heaven, glory be to God, you're back! You didn't just change teams, you came back, we came back. This is who we were always supposed to be, it might not look anything like what we thought it would, it rarely does, and you were probably wrong about some things, I was probably wrong about some things too, maybe a lot of things, but thank goodness we're here now, thank goodness we made it, thank goodness I get the incredible privilege of being able to experience the beautiful and wonderful person that is you. I know to those who aren't Christian and are reading this post out of interest, that sounds like super weird idea of heaven, and I get that. Forgiveness and acceptance of others is not a fun or easy thing to do. Forget spending the rest of eternity with someone who greatly hurt people, I think most of us would be disappointed at the idea of getting to heaven only to discover we'd be sharing and spending our blissful eternity with that classmate we can't stand or our annoying coworker. And they didn't even do anything bad, we just really don't like that guy. But that's what heaven is. That's what salvation is. It's love for everyone eternally. We will see those we don't like on Earth in heaven and rejoice at their presence just as those who didn't like us on Earth will rejoice at our presence. I know that when we picture those we've hurt and those that hurt us, or even those we just don't get along with, it's difficult to understand how this could ever be possible, because we don't experience that in our lives very often, and we as finite beings can't fully conceptualize what an infinity in heaven will look like, at least not in this life, and that's part of what faith is. All we can really do is trust God and that whatever that's going to look like is going to be more wonderful and healing than anything imaginable.

Okay, so now that I've explained more about the Christian worldview (sorry it's so long, I like to ramble unfortunately 😭) your question about grudges:

My explanation of the Christian worldview only explains why we forgive our enemies and want them in heaven and rejoice at them in heaven. But obviously this world isn't heaven, and not all our enemies are exactly eager to accept that they might be the problem or embrace the gospel of love and repentance. At least some of mine aren't, I'm not sure about the rest of you. So what do we do? Why does God want us to let go of grudges and forgive people who aren't interested in repentance? Are we supposed to just tolerate the abuse?

The answer is that loving someone and recognizing your own dignity and right to be safe and healthy are not two mutually exclusive things. I have cut family members out of my life because they were toxic and if I needed to, I'd do it again. This isn't because I hate them. I love them. I want to see them in heaven someday. I want to spend eternity with them in a world where it is healthy and beneficial to be around them. But it's just not healthy for me to have a relationship with them right now. That doesn't mean I'll ever stop loving or praying for them. And I recognize that's a lot easier to say than to put into practice. Healthy boundaries are one thing, but forgiveness is another. And Christian teachings on forgiveness are pretty extreme, and seem strangely paradoxical at first. It holds to the seriousness and gravity of the damage sin does while insisting that nothing and no one is beyond hope. It's righteous anger and lamentation at how much we've used sin and hatred to hurt each other and it's joy and ecstasy at how God's love and mercy trumps all that. In the bible, one of Jesus' disciples asks him how much he should forgive someone if they keep offending him, and asks if he should forgive him 7 times. Jesus' response is not 7 times, but 70 x 7, or for as long as you want the Lord your God to forgive you. That's a tall order. I get that. Even when you establish healthy boundaries, the hurt, the anger, the pain, the injustice, it's all still there.

But the thing about that hurt and anger and bitterness is, for as much as we didn't ask for it, it doesn't do us any good. The quote “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” has been attributed to so many people, but regardless of who said it first, it makes an important point. Stewing in bitterness and resentment won't hurt the person that hurt us. It only turns us into a bitter and resentful person. I do want to add to this post in case any other curious secularists are reading this that you don't just need to be a Christian to believe that letting go of grudges is good for you. I study psychology, and I understand people, regardless of their faith or lack of faith background don't like the nuance on this topic, so let me break it down. No, your intrusive thoughts related to mental illness, trauma, and disability are not what Jesus was talking about here, those are not sins, but although your intrusive thoughts and emotions might not be your fault, this does not mean that you have zero responsibility or accountability for any thought or emotion you might have. See, the brain is strange and complicated thing. It controls you, and yet, you control it just as much. If you want to be a loving and kind person, the best way to do so is by thinking kind thoughts and doing kind things for others. Even if you don't want to be doing this things or don't like doing it, your brain will eventually start to adjust, assuming that this is what you enjoy and who you are because you keep doing kind things and thinking positively about others. Basically, your brain thinks to itself “well I must enjoy volunteering, I do it all the time” and “I must not hate her that much if I go out of my way to be kind to her anyway”. You might not be able to chose what others do to you, or your immediate thoughts and emotions about it. But you can chose what content you spend your time consuming and what you consciously choose to think about and your brain will adjust accordingly. You can chose to think good things even when its hard. If you are righteously or justifiably angry about what happened to you, you can use that energy to protect others from what happened to you instead of seeking violent revenge on those that wronged you and consciously ruminating on how much you hate them and imagining bad things to happening to them (note again the difference between justice and revenge and the difference between intentionally and joyfully dreaming of vengeance and violence vs. intrusive thoughts you didn't ask for).

Of course, this is all much easier said than done. I won’t pretend that it’s not. But the good news is, we don't have to forgive alone. God knows it's hard for us. He's there every step of the way. Throughout the bible, Jesus talks about how when you sin against someone else, you sin against God (and vis versa, when you do something good for others, you do it for God, etc.). He knows exactly how much it hurt you. That's never lost on him. He also knows how much you've hurt others, but also how much you've done for others. He knows everything about you, and he loves you so much he died and went to hell and back for you (and would do it again if he had to). He also says that the redeemed versions of our enemies are worth fighting for and that he doesn't want to see anyone destroy themselves with bitterness and resentment or hurt themselves anymore than they've already been hurt. That doesn't mean letting our enemies into their lives. It also doesn't mean our enemies will ever choose accept God's mercy, because they might not. And it doesn't have to happen overnight or be easy. Speaking from experience, it rarely happens overnight or is ever easy. It's often a step by step daily commitment to thinking positive thoughts and turning our hurt and anger at someone into love for others. It's what we're called to do as Christians, and it's part of our path to sainthood.

And while it might be a very unpopular opinion, when it comes to my enemies, even the really bad ones, I would be very happy to see them in heaven. Yes, I’d be happy because if we didn't forgive people and allow for that grace, they wouldn't have hope of getting better, and yes, I’d be happy because of the great goodness that comes from them when they chose repentance, but also I’d be happy to see them in heaven because I'm so curious to see what they look like without all the sin. I want to meet the person God died for and would die for again and again if that’s what it took to get you back. I want to see sin that destroys us defeated and I want to see all of you in heaven. I think you guys are really cool.

Anyway, sorry it’s so long, but that’s my answer. I’m not a theologian or anything, but I hope this was satisfactory. Thanks for stopping by!

[wine4thewin]

I absolutely love your fanfiction (especially your JJK fics). I want to ask if you have ever had to overcome "shame" or self-judgement with writing what you want? I have so many stories or concepts that I want to write but often feel too guilty or self-conscious to get them onto paper.

When I look at fanfiction, I think that is the one place to be as self-indulgent as you want with writing…but also to learn and practice! I can still remember 19 years ago when I first posted a fic and it was awful, but I didn’t care, I was having fun doing something I loved 🤣

I always write what I want to read and I personally don’t care if it isn’t anyone else’s cup of tea. I make it very clear if a story is going to be dark (or if it isn’t). This allows people to make their own choices on reading. That said, it’s very important that you write what you are interested in, because if you write to “please other people”, you will be unhappy and your writing will be without a heart 💔

Small story on writing what you love.

Once upon a time, there was an indie author who wrote stories I vibed hard with. She created a unique, eerie, gothic fantasy world full of dark subject matters and tough relationships. I wrote to her as a fan, and we ended up becoming penpals across oceans through our shared love of writing. We spoke for a few years until she told me she wanted to move away from her darker series / stories because they weren’t making big enough money; she figured she needed to go mainstream. I was saddened, but understood and supported her. She needed to do what was best. Ultimately, she removed all her stories from Kindle. We eventually lost touch, though I still have her books and love them. She never quite ramped up on writing mainstream, because I don’t think that’s what she truly loved 🥲

What am I getting at here? Don’t worry about judgement. You are the only one to hold yourself back. Fanfiction is the place you can have all sorts of journeys and trials and errors! I use it as my place to get as “freaky” as I want. However, when it comes to original writing and indie publishing, I do observe there are things I shy away from since it could be too risqué for the average traditional reader who can only handle HEA endings or fluffy wholesome romance…but I still cling tight to the dark themes I enjoy, because that’s what I like…and some people seek that too!

I would say if you are nervous about posting, restrict your stories to registered users only. That can keep rude anons away if you’re afraid of someone being an internet troll. Or forget about posting and just focus on the act of writing what’s in your head! Stop worrying about ridicule, no one is sitting on your shoulder watching you (unless you are like Kronk below)!

If anything pops up in my head, anything at all, I write it down on my phone if I’m on the go. Do I struggle with my own anal retentive, hard type-A, perfectionist personality at times? Yes. I won’t write because I don’t think I’ll do it good enough. But if I force myself to just shut up and write the most bare bone thing that pops up and I come look at it later and want to write more detail, to flesh it out, I’ve already won. I’ve beaten my own negativity. I wrote something I wanted to -read- more of.

…and so if you sit down and write whatever few lines or a scene in your head, you will probably come back in a day or a week, add more to it, and be so happy to read what you wrote, because you wrote what you wanted to read. You need to write for yourself first.

Seriously. It works. I have tons of WIP original fiction on my computer that I’ll sit and read and think damn it, I love it, I wish some bitch would finish this story 🤣 the bitch is me, I’m the bitch

[selanaris]

I want to write a book, have some assorted notes I made

(Commissioned artwork of Selanaris Tallan by a market street artist)

Kinda outline I have for a book I want to write

4 books, three of them are a trilogy, and one is a spin-off on what a character was doing when he was missing for the second book

Basically a high modern fantasy, kinda like Nimona/korra vibes, some rural areas, some mondern like cities

Humans, elves, and dwarves

A set magic system and chart

Those born with magic and leaning specific ways on the chart.

Magic college, primarily human, for Selanaris to go to. And his roommate Sylas

Selanaris Tallan is a control mage with an emphasis on storm (lighting/thunder/electricity) and chronomancy (time magic), called a Time Storm

And Sylas Terran is between Light and Death magic on a track that's called a Divination Medium

Selanaris hears from home and learns his older brother went missing. His brother being a mage tracker (Basically specialized force/cop that tracks and negates magic) he went missing while tracking a growing movement of dark mages (dark mages primarily mean mages in death, Shadow, and destruction magic, but it legally means any mage that uses magic for means to "commit evil acts" it gets vague in the legal area of this world on purpose)

Selanaris will use his spring break to find his brother. And his roommate comes along to help. Selanaris states he's only doing it so he doesn't have to go home and be the heir to his family, but he is truly worried about his brother.

Some details about the world

I drew a chart but need to clean it up

There is a chart. Light has life and death next to it, and all lean on the side of animate magic, shadow magic is directly across from light with control and destruction magic next to it. Control is next to life, destruction is next to death. All three are on the side of inanimate magic. At the center of the chart between all magic types is creation magic. The most basic form of magic. This is the "create something out of nothing" magic. All young mages do creation magic accidentally, and do such magic without thinking about it. But as they learn magic, they lose the ability to tap into that creation magic as their minds leans to one of the six mindsets of magic.

Magic schools next to each other can be easily combined, but in between two schools mentally prevents the mage from "maxing out" the powers of a single school of magic. Dual mages have access to unique spells. But cannot learn the strongest spells of a magic school. Combination magics onlu consists of schools that are next to each other. Three schools is difficult and very very rare as it heavily restricts you to low level spells. And you CANNOT use opposing schools. It does not work.

Can't do life and death, light and shadow, or control and destruction.

Control magic is the bending, shaping, and changing the rules. It requires a high mental strain and memorization. Changing the laws and rules of the universe to cast spells. Aka. Control mages don't create portals. They bend the space between two places at a single point to jump to. They don't create fire. They change the area at their focus to ignite a fire.

Sylas is between death and light.

Death and life have two sets of magic within themselves when combined with light magic. Life can see into the past. Death can see into the future. Sylas uses his powers to peer into the future, but there is also more death magic to talk to spirits and souls, all while using light magic to purify evil souls and heal the wounded.

Elves come from the stars

Dwarves come from the earth and stone

Humans come from the light

Allegedly

Later, I want to reveal merfolk that come from the ocean depths

Dwarves fully believe this to be true. Most elves believe it, but not all, and very few humans believe it

Dwarves are the oldest race and are fully magical

All dwarves and elves have magic sparks, all Dwarves develop their sparks, not all elves develop their sparks

Dwarves are the only race to consistently use creation magic, the most raw form of magic. They use it naturally without thought. Hence why dwarven creations are unmatched

Elves are known for long development of magic. Takes them longer to learn magic, but with long time they are the race most likely to discover new spells and hyperfocus. Most elves will max out their magic before they die

Meanwhile, humans are the fastest to develop their magic and learn. Aka, something that took an elf a century to learn, a human can do in a year or less

Elven colleges run about 24-30 years

Human colleges run standard 4-8 years

[kimberlyannharts]

misc thoughts on Issue #114 -

= all those characters in the introduction that will barely play any sort of part in the actual event. Including Rocky and Adam!

= (And I mean, I wasn't expecting all of these characters to have some plot relevance. But compared to say, Shattered Grid, who managed to incorporate many Rangers from across the series in a way that felt they were contributing without taking too much focus away from the main players, I just don't understand what the point of these guys are besides "look! it's the guy from the show! enjoy them saying their names before they end up corrupted, I guess")

= Phantom Ranger drops another comment referencing how a shattering might happen so yeah this "Billy shatters the Grid" end was definitely a lot more shoved in our faces than I thought it was

= The Finster monster last issue was fine but we did not need Finster monster scenes two issues in a row. Especially when this scene was way longer than Plastique's and feels like it was only done to show off Hyperforce's Megazord. (The monster here also wasn't as fun or as unique a design as Plastique's was.) This is what I mean by the series feeling redundant; because similar concepts and dialogue get repeated in consecutive issues. The only interesting part about it was. well.

hahahahahahahha I'M NOT MAD I'M NOT MAD

= M*tt moping about how Tommy's capture is ALLLLL his fault in front of Tommy's grieving girlfriend god shut the fuck up

= Dark Specter still being like "hahaha, the White Light was designed to never turn evil, let's test that >:)" [fails at turning him evil] "wtf why didn't he turn evil?????????" is still funny but probably not in a way that's intentional. Also I like how ML's review pointed out that he technically DOES have White Rangers under his control at this point (though it's safe to assume the White Light is entirely different and special compared to other White Ranger powers)

= The scene with Zordon and Phantom Ranger was nice. It's a shame we never got more of their relationship

= It kind of sucks now knowing that this whole "go retake Safehaven so we can get into the Grid and find the Emissaries/Morphin Masters" plot will turn out to be for nothing (except for Ranger Slayer's return and I guess a few side characters ending up captured). I don't mind plotlines that end in failure for the heroes but it's another thing that lends into the "this event needed to pad out a whole year" vibe. I'll probably get more into this in the next few collections of notes