#they're both awesome and i aspire to be as good as them

[ihopesocomic]

To be honest I think it's a pretty awesome trait that under extreme pressure, and while assumedly livid, Storm is both clever enough to have comebacks for her enemy, and has enough self control in her to even be capable of speaking and thinking clear. I guess she's so good at acting unbothered in a tough situation she's even tricked the audience!

You're absolutely fine because you've nailed exactly everything we're going for and I appreciate that.

Bright is meant to be having fun. She views every bit of this as a game. Does that make her any less dangerous in a fight? No. Does it make her fun to write? Sue me, but yes. We've always been fond of villains who have a childlike nature to them. We just find it funny and charming when the most cutesy character can also have a pretty unsettling vibe to them.

She also longs for more social opportunities outside of her siblings and while seeking it from those she's fighting isn't exactly what one may call orthodox, she's gonna take what she can get. That's just the type of gal she is. Also, can she really help it that Hope and Storm are attractive by lioness standards? Not to mention this is a gay comic. There's going to be gay wherever we can insert it. Because if there's another trope we both enjoy, it's enemies viciously flirting in the midst of a fight or Enemies to Lovers or Foe Romance Subtext, as TV Tropes interprets it. I always figured this was a very popular trope actually, so I'm baffled that it appears to have alluded some people.

Another thing that baffles me is that Storm just took on an entire pack of cape dogs for her girlfriend (more info on that later on, don't you worry) and has jumped into battle without hesitation and some of you don't think that's not 'kicking ass' enough? I'll just let that hang. I don't think I need to say more.

I also don't know if people are still hung up on the whole "My Pride but better" premise and they expect Storm to be like... well, I was going to say Hover but I didn't see Hover do any fighting or anything badass whatsoever. So, yes, forgive us if that's not our aspiration. The My Pride characters are not and have never been something we aspire to emulate outside of our protagonist being disabled and gay, because we don't like them. We think they're badly written, boring characters. There's a three hour video where we go over this. lol

But anyway, yes, kudos to Ashlychee here for actually getting what we're mostly going for and the other anons too. Appreciate that.

[inventors-fair]

More than Playable: Typal Runners-Up ~

And our runners-up this week are @feyd-rautha-apologist, @misterstingyjack and @nine-effing-hells!

@feyd-rautha-apologist — Leeches' Kinship

Sometimes when reading these cards I'll go back and look at sets, and this one made me realize that there were indeed quite a few vampires around Strixhaven! If this wasn't intended to be on Strixhaven, well, that's my bad, but that's also what ya get for not including it in your submission. Having a cheap drain effect is pretty awesome, although clever limited players will know that you wouldn't want too many of them in your deck at the expense of creatures. But then, the creatures you get (if they're vampires) will be all the better, so win-win.

Morbid as a Witherbloom mechanic would be more than reasonable, IMO. If there's overlap with the Silverquill folks, that's fun as well, possibly. They do both overlap with vampires! And there's that little sweet spot for where overlap matters, and I think having overlapping subthemes with one small lean makes for a cool draft common that suggests to the players how flexible they can be. I may or may not have talked myself into liking this card a lot more than I did initially but that could also be the Vampire's curse. Hardly matters—I dig this thing and think that it gets one withered thumb pointed right up.

@misterstingyjack — Worldsoul's Boon

What I'm enjoying about the flavor is that most of the elves are assumed to be in white and green, but on Ravnica, there are plenty of Golgari elves, Simic elves, and even a few kickass Gruul elves to boot, and most of the mono/multi white cards wouldn't even come close. I feel that the flavor text itself is a little on the nose, and I'm not sure right now if it's implying that elves are closer to nature or if it's more along the lines of fantasy racism. Convoking is awesome, of course, but just plain attacking is pretty much right along green and white lines, yeah?

That said, if you have a one-mana Elf, turn two adds an additional three power to the board on top of potential lifegain. I feel that this could've definitely been pushed to three mana for that reason alone, and not just because there are a plethora of one-drop elves in any given format that you should keep an eye on. Small notes: 1) I also don't think you needed "then" in the first trigger; 2) Is it just me or is the text on this card really squashed? Anyway, let's back up to the good stuff, because as much as this might suggest typal at first glance, I think it speaks more to Ravnica's diversity in species and the eventual feeling of playing hybrid in a manner that's honestly pretty smooth. Having an Elf is a bonus, not a requirement, but having a creature? That's all that matters in the end. Just gotta have the RIGHT creature. Neat design and unexpectedly interesting!

@nine-effing-hells — Greater Glories

Whoof. It's a real conundrum if this card's undercosted or not. Obviously, Forced Adaptation is the baseline here, but we have to remember Luminarch Aspirant and the like which can give the counter on the combat step that the creature attacks. So you're gonna get the buff straight away, and then every turn thereafter. Now that said, it's pretty fragile, and auras fall off more than we'd like most of the time so I'll give you that. Still, for two mana, this is an aggressive all-star, and I'm not sure if I'm too down for how that plays out.

But we're also pushing boundaries here, and I think we both know that for three mana this card would be practically unplayable. Even if it gave trample for that cost, that's fairly steep, and I'm sitting here biting my metaphorical nails trying to make a decision. In the end? There's a non-zero chance that this card would be really annoying in a set without strong combat interaction and/or removal for either creature or aura. I don't hate it, and the Warrior aspect totally checks out for green on any world. Theros is the first one that comes to mind, but I'm equally drawn to Kaldheim, or really anywhere that's got warriors! It's a versatile and challenging card.

General commentary will be up soon as it's up. @abelzumi

[earlgreytea68]

I have been trying to read more, and recently read "Checkout 19," which was one of those books that shows up on "Top 10 Books This Year" lists.

It was terrible. Don't read it. I thought it was really awful. There were dozens and dozens of pages that were just lists of books the narrator had read; books the narrator had not read; things the narrator could buy at a grocery store; things in the narrator's kitchen, etc., etc. I just did not enjoy it at all and I was like, "This is supposed to be great fiction?????" It felt very Emperor's new clothes to me, like, everyone thought it was awesome because they'd been told it was and no one wanted to admit that it read like someone's random LJ entries about whatever.

But then I read "Either/Or," and honestly, it's the same random-LJ-entry style, really just like reading this girl's diary, and she's got a couple of lists, too, but it was MUCH better, really great, I loved it. Basically this girl just had a better LJ, one of those LJs you stopped to actually read the entries of when it showed up on your f-list. It felt very real to me and I laughed out loud a bunch. I thought it got somewhat weaker toward the end but still really good. Oh, and I literally JUST found out that it was a sequel, oops, hahaha, I'm the worst.

Anyway, I wanted to say that one of the things that both of these protagonists had in common was they would write down sentences from things they were reading that had really inspired them. And then the protagonist would discuss why that sentence from that book had inspired them. Both of these books really were in some ways just like, "I read The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James and here's what I liked and didn't like about it." (Hence why they felt like LJ entries strung together.) But I was really struck by this shared conceit that the protagonists were carrying around a notebook to write down striking sentences. I have never carried around a notebook for this purpose, nor have I ever actually written down a striking sentence. Both of these books are supposed to be about aspiring writers as they're growing up and this made me feel like I didn't do the aspiring-writer thing fully properly lol

[unmakingandincorporeality]

Spoilers for Scott Pilgrim takes off

So 13 years ago Scott Pilgrim (the film, and then, much more effectively, the comics) called out a bunch of really shitty traits of mine, and it was the catalyst for a lot of self work and personal growth—it said stuff I needed to hear in a way I was able to listen to, and it means a lot to me for that reason.

It was also really powerful to experience a piece of media that showed a protagonist who is simultaneously pathetic and aspirational. Like, ngl, I saw a lot of who I am and a lot of who I want to be in both Scott and Ramona. It felt good to admire them and aspire to their better qualities, while also wanting them to do better to prove to myself that I could be better, and seeing in their depictions the ways in which some of the things I aspired to be actually sucked and needed rethinking.

(that last bit didn't actually feel good tbh, some of those books made me sick to my stomach and it took a long time before I was ready to read them a second time.)

And the new series has so much more in it that I want to talk about. Like, how the whole vibe of the show captures how being in love and being loved back feels, because it's not just that the other person feels really cool, it's that they make you feel like you're awesome, that they make the whole world feel like an adventure.

But the thing that I'm really dying to talk to someone about right this very second is the last episode, the bit where even older Scott is talking about how he spent ten years like a monk training every day to master all sorts of skills and shit, and even older Ramona is just like "it sounds like you just didn't go outside for ten years"

Because that narrative, of cloistering yourself and doing monklike work every day to perfect your abilities, is so, so common, and it's so, so bullshit. But it's SO FUCKING EASY to use it to justify not getting out of your fucking room, which is something I've absolutely been doing lately.

Anyway. I'm glad a work that I love and that helped me grow a lot came back and immediately punched me in the face with more character flaws I ought to be working on, but still made me feel excited about being the kind of person I am. I think, more than the other versions did, "Takes Off" really nails the important nuance that Scott and Ramona aren't truly aspirational figures, but they also aren't bad guys. They're flawed people who often hurt other people with their emotional cowardice, but they're also genuinely cool and exciting and are worthy of love. That the best case scenario isn't that they stop being Scott Pilgrim or Ramona Flowers, it's that they start being better to the people they care about and who care about them.

Anyway I'm gonna go hide under a rock for fear of judgment from people on the Internet seeing me call Scott Pilgrim (the character) cool

[lawnhive]

The Power of SEO Content writing behind the success of Digital Marketing

Hey there, let's dive into the world of digital marketing, where we use all those online platforms to shout out about cool products and services to the folks who are actually interested. I mean, who isn't consuming digital stuff every single day, right? Traditional marketing is slowly waving goodbye, and the digital world is taking the stage. The best part? Digital marketing doesn't cost an arm and a leg like the old-school methods.

Now, imagine you're a business – big or small, doesn't matter. Having your online presence is like wearing that trendy jacket to a party. Everyone's doing it. And guess what? This huge demand for SEO content writers is on the rise. What's all the buzz about, you ask? Well, stick around, 'cause I'm about to spill the beans on what SEO content writing is all about and why it's a big deal in the digital marketing universe.

What exactly is  SEO Writing?

SEO content writing is like giving your website a makeover to make it more popular with search engines. You know those results that pop up when you type something on Google? Yeah, we're talking about those. Good SEO content writing means your website struts its stuff right at the top of those search results. And to do that, you gotta be a champ at a few things:

Playing by the Rules: Use those fancy header tags the right way.

Connecting the Dots: Throw in some links inside your site to connect the dots.

No Keyword Overload: Spice up your content with keywords, but don't go overboard.

Everybody's Welcome: Write so well that both humans and search engines love it.

Difference Between SEO and Content  Writing?

Aha, great question! So, SEO content writing is like writing with a mission – to make your website shine on search engines. It's like giving your content a secret weapon that makes it stand out. On the other hand, regular content writing is a bit more chill. It's about talking to your audience, whether it's through blogs, articles, or even social media posts. The goal here? Engage 'em, establish your brand, and maybe get 'em to hit that "buy now" button.

Why's SEO Writing a Big Deal for Websites and Stuff?

Imagine you're throwing a party and you want everyone to show up. SEO content writing is your invitation to the online party. You see, when you use the right words and polish up your content, search engines are like, "Hey, this site's pretty cool!" They push your site higher up in search results. And guess what? More people drop by your virtual party. But it's not just about getting clicks. Quality SEO writing also keeps folks engaged and convinced, which is like winning the party game.

Meet the SEO Content Writer Extraordinaire

The SEO content writer create super interesting content that not only reads like a breeze but also shoots your website up in search results. They're like the wizards of words who dive into keywords, know your audience like a BFF, whip up captivating articles, and sprinkle them with the right keywords so search engines just can't ignore 'em.

Your Guide to Nailing SEO Content

Okay, let's get practical. Whether you're an aspiring SEO writer or a business aiming for online fame, here's your cheat sheet for creating awesome content that both humans and search engines adore:

Unearth Keywords and Topics: Dig up those keywords using cool tools.

Catchy Headlines and Meta Magic: Write headlines that sparkle and meta descriptions that make people curious.

Rock Solid Content: Whip up top-notch stuff that answers questions and solves problems.

Search Engine Love: Sprinkle those keywords like confetti, but keep it natural.

Links Rule: Add links inside and out to keep things interesting and build trust.

And there you have it – the lowdown on mastering the art of SEO content writing in a friendly chat. Ready to give your digital marketing game a boost? You've got this! Remember, it's not just about writing for search engines; it's about creating content that speaks to real people. With engaging headlines, top-notch content, and relevant , researched  keywords, you can make your mark in the online world.

[bergiesims]

Karaoke Legends Makeover

They're done, loves! Aren't they the cutest?

While I finished up Darling and Akira today, I thought up how they possibly came together, using the blurb that EA has for them within the game as a starting point.

Akira and Miko were childhood friends and left Mount Komorebi behind to go to the big city once they became adults. Miko has been in love with Akira for as long as she can remember, and she hopes that there's a chance Akira could develop feelings for her now that they're adulting together and closer than ever. At this point, though, Akira is a bit lost, working in the Tech Guru career just to cover his half of the rent, when he really wants to explore history and archeology. Miko, a budding politician, is a big believer in the No Sim Left Behind initiative, so when Copperdale High basketball star Darling Walsh received a financial aid scholarship to the elite San Myshuno Prep School and needed a home, Miko decided to host her, without asking Akira if he was cool with it. Much to both Miko and Akira's surprise, Darling is pretty awesome and laid back, and the three get along very well. It also helps that Darling is just as good a singer as she is a baller, so naturally, they're both thrilled to include her as they seek to dominate the San Myshuno karaoke scene!

In my game (not sure if this is consistent across everyone's), Akira likes the Preppy and Basic Fashion styles, so I toned his wardrobe down a bit. He's also aspiring to be a collector of all things, which I thought made him more nerdy than he was cool. I imagine he wears a sweater over a button down shirt when he goes to work because the office is always a bit too chilly to keep the server room temperature stable. For some reason, I really loved how the button down shirt I chose for the Hot Weather look fits his frame and plays off the colors of his (original) tattoo. His hair and facial hair alone must drive poor Miko insane!

For Miko, I wanted the love for all pink and purple to shine through, and her Party look mirrors her Everyday. Regarding the beret and all of the purple, I imagine that Akira once told her that she looked nice in the beret and purple, so she immediately integrated it into her Everyday look and started wearing purple and pink more often, in an attempt to win him over. I'm rooting for her!

For Darling, I kept very much to her original feel, to include the dog tag she was wearing (part of me felt that it was sentimental to her, maybe a deceased loved one?), her short hair, and combining both feminine and masculine pieces. As I said earlier, not sure why the heck EA gave her a yellow jersey when she hates yellow, but I rectified that, and am thrilled I was able to throw in a little something for me (her Yankees hat). I didn't vary her outfits too much, as I imagined that she was just fine living out of her suitcase and was always playing basketball either at school, in the Spice District, or near Myshuno Meadows Park at all times. I loved her Swimwear look the most because the flecks of color peeking out from her sports bra make the look pop. She's an absolute darling!

Tray Files (including Packs Used and CC List) are below the break.

Instead of posting 1,000 photos of their individual outfits, figured I'd just post their Everyday head shots plus my other favorite outfit for each and share some of my thought process as I was working on this townie makeover. I had a lot of fun getting to know these three and am looking forward to playing with them in the future.

Akira, Miko and Darling have also been uploaded to The Gallery; remember to check ‘Include Custom Content’ when you search!

Tray Files: Google Drive | SimFileShare

[endlessnightlock]

I read your pinned book post on “My Home Is With You” and it has me SO curious! First off, it’s awesome that you have your own book out! That is such an achievement!

Can you tell us a little about it? How did it all start? How long did you work on it? Is it your first? What did it feel like when you finished it and how was your journey to becoming a published author? :) I’m an aspiring writer myself so I love this kind of stuff!

Thanks for the ask @hayffiebird!

My Home Is With You began life as one of my first fanfics, set in 1930s Appalachia. It's my first novel. My mom's side of the family is from Eastern Kentucky, and while working on both versions of the story, I had a strong desire to honor that part of what made me the person I am. Not detail for detail, more in spirit.

My Home Is With You is a simple story; a girl meets a boy, they fall in love, and she becomes pregnant. Miscommunication happens. They marry, have their daughter, and a lot of happiness ensues for them before a setback occurs, throwing everything for a loop. (The story has a HEA because I wouldn't call it a romance otherwise, lol). Katie and Matthew grow together and grow up together as they build a life together that's worth fighting for.

How did I feel when I published MHIWY? Terrified! I'm such a nervous writer, meaning I always think in the back of my mind that readers don't think my writing is that good; they're just being nice to me :). So the idea of people I know in r/l reading my writing makes me feel like puking a little, lol. But I've believed in the story and wanted to publish it as an original for a few years now. Around early fall, I finally decided I was just going to get MHIWY ready to self-publish and do it, scared or not. Imperfect or not. I gave myself a deadline of early December, so I could have a copy in hand to surprise my mom with for Christmas. Having an end goal helped me push through and ignore the self-doubting voice in my head.

I'm so glad I finished it, although I still haven't shared the news in r/l much outside of my immediate family! Publishing MHIWY fulfilled a desire I've had since I was a young girl.

[absurdthirst]

Honestly, whatever you put out I'm going to DEVOUR. Your writing is amazing and I aspire to be as good as you are!

But! If I had to pick one(maybe two), it would be Mando and Pero. They're my favorites 😅

Keep being awesome!!

Yes!!! I love them both so much!

[aviidus-archived]

A little Ohmtoonz before I head to bed.

I had this little idea that has been bouncing in my head for a while now. 

Cartoonz has both his eyes, and Ohm is completely blind (by some sort of accident). 

Cartoonz is able to sacrifice the eyesight of one of his eyes because of his demon powers and give it to Ohm, giving Ryan vision in one eye. The effect on using Cartoonz’s vision on both eyes would be half and half. He would be able to see but he’d need glasses or some sort of specialized sunglasses to protect his eyes from light or to be able to see properly.

Gift to one eye = perfect visibility in one eye

Gift to both eyes = blurry or weak visibility on both eyes

[kedreeva]

Any book recs? Fiction or nonfiction, personal favorites or books you think everyone should read (or both).

Personal favorites!

The Secret of Dragonhome by John Peele is a really awesome story about a young woman trying to play keep away from a draft to war between magical humans. She can talk to animals, and she spends most of the book on the run until she ends up at a castle called Dragonhome which is. Well. On the nose lol

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle... It's not that long of a book but holy shit this story absolutely destroys me every time. The dialogue is something I can only ever aspire to. The way Beagle describes things is maybe the only thing in the world I've ever been truly envious of.

The Pit Dragon Chronicles by Jane Yolen... The basic premise is a world where breeding dragons to fight each other to the death in pits is a way of life and young boys are expected to try to steal eggs to raise and become trainers/breeders themselves, and our MC actually manages it but his dragon is mute (which would have gotten her culled), and in raising her he learns actually this is terrible we shouldn't be doing this to dragons, and starts the fight to end it.

Any of the Vladimir Taltos series by Steven Brust. Honestly I'm not sure these ones are good, but they're FUNNY. It's all first person, but it's literally first person because Vladimir is sitting in a room telling the author the stories, so all the stories feel like this snarky assassin telling you about his best shenanigans. Perfection. Also he has a pretty dragon named Loiosh who is the love of my life.

The first 2 (3?) books of Barbara Hambly's Winterlands series (Dragonsbane and Dragonshadow at least), before the author went through some things and took the series from high fantasy into dimension traveling sci fi out of nowhere?? Listen it was VERY strange. But it was the first fantasy book I ever read where the main character just was like. Actually kind of normal. Her name was Jennifer and she was a sort of a witch but really just a healer and there wasn't anything all that special about her except that she knew how to poison people and helped her husband (that was another cool thing she starts the series married with kids) poison some dragons, and then like 4 pages into book 1 he poisons Morkeleb, a very acerbic, snarky black dragon, and Jenny saves him and damns him in one go because he has to give her his true name for her to save him and he falls rather hopelessly and tragically in love with her, knowing full well she won't love him and that doesn't stop him from just... loving her. This book was my first taste of a lot of things, I will never forgive it for putting claws so deeply into my heart.

Highly recommend Stardust by Neil Gaiman. LOVELY adventure with a great voice.

The entire Dealing with Dragons series (the enchanted forest Chronicles) by Patricia Wrede is hilarious and SO GOOD. Cimorene was absolutely a character I looked up to so much as a kid. She's a princess, but she doesn't want to marry a price so she just fucking leaves, shows up in the dragons' mountains, and asks if one of them will let her in to cook and clean for them instead, and one of the dragons, Kazul, is just like sure sounds good and they eat an obscene amount of cherries jubilee because that's what cimorene knows how to make, and also Kazul is like best friends with the most wonderful witch, Morwen. Love it. Love everything about this series. They melt wizards temporarily with dish soap. Peak comedy.

There's probably more but I'm falling asleep!

[the-nysh]

Which female characters in one punch man are your favorite and why?

The selection is limited, but I've definitely noticed & appreciated the extra effort ONE's put into writing his female characters lately - both in adding more variety with his newer designs (including the wc) and working on fleshing out + humanizing the established ones he already has. All of that is a great plus. (Cause too often in fiction, female chars generally tend to fall flat when they're portrayed as distant or cookie-cutter 'idealized images' of what the -often male- writers perceive them to be, rather than allowing them to actually be relatable flawed people who have the same organic range of aspirations, interpersonal problems, and emotional depth as the males.) Ahem, so I'll admit that early on, none of opm's few women (when we literally only had 2) struck my fancy on what I find appealing/relatable in a character. But that has been steadily changing as ONE's acknowledged where he felt his writing's been lacking and has deliberately chosen to put more work & observation into developing them (ie ever since challenging himself to write Tome as the pov char in REIGEN, I've seen much stronger results even in opm), which I'm very grateful for!

So I'd say the one who's benefited the most from ONE's extra attention so far has been manga Tatsumaki. Whom I can like so much more now compared to her (cold, distant, antagonistic) wc counterpart. Mainly because we've been able to see the full context behind her motivations and what personally drives her feelings, allowing us to sympathize with her dilemma from her perspective. (My favorite panel sequence of injured Tatsu walking away from Fubuki is deliciously bittersweet capturing that sense of familial fondness and sad resignation. Much pain, much angst.) We can feel the extent of how much she takes upon herself (and know why she does so) as both a hero & sister to fiercely protect with a type of love & duty that is both simultaneously noble yet also harmful to herself & others. Like a double-edged sword. Oh how fascinatingly (and tragically) lovely. :') She also gains the Garou parallels in spades (for more flavor) and has been carrying the current arc hard with her specialized abilities. Demonstrating precisely why she's the awesome, active pinnacle of S Class without Blast. Very impressive. Her gremlin form is that extra entertaining cherry on top too. Overall, when it comes to one of opm’s most well-rounded, fully-realized female characters, who’s only gained more enjoyment & appreciation from me over time, I think manga Tatsumaki currently wins this.

...But this could still change! Because I’ve been very proud of wc Fubuki‘s growth already, that I’m still eagerly waiting to witness manga Fubuki gain her equivalent screentime to shine just like Tatsumaki has. (She’s getting very close now, perhaps once she confronts Psykos again.) So at the moment, I still prefer wc Fubuki a little more over her manga counterpart (also the way Murata draws/portrays her as his idealized woman often doesn’t speak/appeal to me when it borders on the unreal. Early Fubuki I also found unrelatable...and fyi even my mother disapproved of her early mindset too.) But it’s in the moments where Fubuki asserts herself vs her sister to grow into a stronger person/hero is what I'm most looking forward to see. Cause we’ve already begun to see shades of that as she improves & steps into her role as a caring -not domineering, and worthy, supportive leader:

That’a girl! :’) But speaking of more good girls, I very much like what we’ve seen from wc Suiko. Who, as one of ONE’s newest creations, probably feels the most ‘real’ to me as a female character in a naturally relatable way. Very good! I enjoy how she’s allowed to be ambitious, disciplined in her craft, prideful & spunky in attitude, yet also feels indignant when others don’t take her worth -compared to her brother- seriously (whoaa how many girls can relate to that), as she introduces a new type of martial arts we hadn’t seen before (drunken fist technique, so she has the potential to claim her fighting niche), and still understandably cries in frustration when she gets in over her head. :’) That, plus the way she still cares for her brother Suiryu, yet challenges & teases him with classic sibling banter is a delight. All this makes for a very refreshing package of a character already, which I can’t wait to see more of (heck, even Murata’s manga couldn’t wait to squeeze in an early cameo of her!)

Runner ups would probably be wc Webigaza and manga Mizuki, who again are great for bringing the extra variety to opm's heroine roster, but I'd love to see more content from them as well. (Which I'm guessing will be more imminent with Webigaza given her relevance tied to the cyborg plot.) Because the more ONE writes them (and of his female chars in general), the better they’ll get~

[mcmusing]

With shameless frequency, I talk a lot about how the woke and their over-the-top PC agenda are causing society's rapid deterioration. This time, I'm here to criticize the hypocritical 'marginalized' groups to which they cater.

At the news/controversy of a black Batwoman, a black female Bond, and all those other chicks who black-wash redheaded characters, these twats want to act as if we're living in an unprecedented time in film and television history. We are, but not for this melanin infusion that's been around and gradually increased for roughly the last century. No, we're living in an age of self-inflicted amnesia used entirely to keep hatred and race wars alive and thriving. Just because black audience members and their white guilt loaded allies flip out whenever one of these characters is reasonably despised by legit members of fandoms does not mean they're not full of crap. The majority of them don't actually care about seeing black characters on screen. How do I know this?

Try stopping by Lipstick Alley or any other message board for retro media.  They all look back on one 90s series with utter contempt for the title lead. A title lead who personified the strong character concept, who happens to be black and female. Don't bother searching your empty heads to figure it out. Here's a clue:

Moesha shares a lot of similarities with the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Both 90s series were set in LA with a black cast, prosperous families with college-educated parents, and focused on leads with vocal skills who would go on to become amazing actors despite starting off so poorly in their craft. Will Smith and Brandy Norwood, respectively. Even though Will's character regressed into a directionless comedic caricature, he's still remembered with fond iconic respect. Brandy's character? Moe to the, Woe to the.....

The show centered around HS girl, Moesha Mitchell. Her family included her father Frank, grade school aged brother Myles, and their stepmother Dee. Also, her childhood friend and neighbor, Hakeem usually joined them around the meal table. The family did not have the Banks' level of wealth but they still maintained a comfortable upper middle-class lifestyle and a nice house. We eventually saw Dee get promoted to vice-principal of the high scho and Frank open up his own car dealership. Moesha initially did NOT appreciate her father marrying someone who worked at her school. Dee's presence also bothered her because Moesha was close to her deceased mother and felt Dee was stealing her role as lady-of-the-house. As not only her birth parents' only daughter but eldest child, it's understandable why she would be put off by such a change. It took time, but Dee and Moesha developed a loving mother/daughter bond.

As bold an assertion as it is, Moesha was undoubtedly one of the deepest and best teenagers portrayed in television history. The later seasons of the show had maaany issues but none diminished the lead herself. During the 80s and 90s especially, most TV teens all fell into very black and white characterization. The good kids constantly practiced the best morals, would be considered nerds no matter how gorgeous the actors, and likely be some kind of environmentalist or take on some other lame cause. The bad kids got into outrageous trouble, almost never grew up, enjoyed all of the popularity, and typically did horribly in school to the point of wondering how they managed to dress themselves in the morning.

No box could possibly contain all of Moesha's many layers. Yes, she was an honor student and aspiring writer, but she was not defined by these details. While she did have a solid moral code, she got into plenty of trouble believable for a teenager. She was strong, intelligent, ambitious, caring, helpful, and incredibly independent. At the same time, she could also be overly brazen, short-sighted, stubborn, nosy, and too outspoken. All of these combined to create her unique awesomeness. Unfortunately, too many fans choose to only remember her negative qualities.

While better behaved and saner than her friends most of the time, Moesha developed the reputation for 'drama'. This typically manifested from her complicated relationship with her father. Like his daughter, Frank was a driven eldest child. His version came packed with testosterone to boot. He was very conservative and held traditional American values in regards to education, business, and home life. Frank adored his daughter, but they bumped heads so often due to their many similarities. Their strong wills and natural leadership capabilities in particular. Frank expected his rules to be followed to the letter while Moesha's independence caused her to work around this and hide things.

Honestly, she never wanted anything too bold or dangerous. She dated boys she wasn't allowed to, but all they did was kiss and go out together. Admittedly, she had one guy over while her parents were out for the evening and they got caught in her bedroom (he invited himself up there while she was looking for CDs). However, there's no guarantee she would have gone all the way with him. She never slept around during high school.

Probably the worst thing she ever did was road trip to Mexico without her parents' OK. Even so, she was in a big friend group and they all looked out for each other. Moesha even took the car keys away from their driver friend who wanted to drink. She lost them while dancing with a handsome native, but she called home for help and got the idea for Triple A. This kept her and her friends out of trouble. Her dance partner unintentionally got them busted when he innocently called her house to return the keys but still, she handled the situation fairly well all things considered.

Unlike Will, who typically depended on his uncle, Moesha usually tried to fix her own problems. When she grew tired of her father's frugality, she took on part-time jobs. More than once, the accomplishing thrill of making her own money caused her to neglect other areas of her life. This is the big difference between lazy and productive young people. Earning money is so satisfying for the latter that it's easy to get too caught up in it. Something certain adults never outgrow.

On one of these instances, Moesha believed a promotion at work qualified her as an adult. Dee convinced Frank to let her live as an adult and make her own decisions so she can see how hard it really is. During this little strategy, Moesha voluntarily wrote her parents a check for her share of the household expenses. This caused Frank to declare her a better adult than himself, just not to her face. This only stopped because Moesha started to miss her once-in-a-lifetime teen experiences. Also, her promotion did not increase her salary enough to justify taking on so many extra hours.

Moesha's biggest fault had to be her tendency to get overly involved in other people's private business. She did not do this simply for curiosity and a chance to gossip. Identifying a problem and instantly coming up with a solution was a large part of her nature. Due to being so young, she could easily act without thinking a situation all the way through. A good example is when she invited Hakeem's absentee father to his birthday party. Hakeem, having not seen the man in years, did not react to this favorably. Worse, his father never showed. Moesha felt terrible, though she had the very best intentions. She could only imagine the idealistic heartfelt reunion between father and son, not the potential tension and hostility that could have resulted instead. Since Moesha comes from such a solid family unit, it was likely hard for her to relate to the many fatherless black children out there. Frank actually helps rectify the sad situation by spending more one on one time with Hakeem.

Out of all of their conflicts, the worst occurred during the summer between Moesha's junior and senior years. Without giving her parents all of the information, she attended a coed sleepover with her friends. When Frank found out, he stormed over to her friend's house to get her, terrifying every youngster in sight. Once home, Moesha tries to defend herself by insisting she was not going to have sex with any of those boys. Frank is all too fed up, however due to catching that boy in her bedroom, that road trip to Mexico, and Moesha getting a tattoo on her stomach. His daughter thinks he's overreacting because she's not even a third as bad as other kids her age. Their argument gets so heated, Moesha stormed out of the house in her night clothes. Unable to see eye to eye with her father, she wound up spending the entire summer with a family friend.

This issue really illustrated how headstrong Frank and Moesha both were. If not for intervention by Myles, who desperately wanted the family back together, it's hard to say how long the estrangement would have lasted. The show did a nice job of not demonizing either of them. It's understandable how Frank would see her misbehavior as her spiraling out of control. It's also reasonable that Moesha would feel too unheard and dismissed by him to live under the same roof anymore.

Shortly after they reconciled, the family discovered Myles had been using marijuana as a coping mechanism. This isn't neatly wrapped up like an after school special, either. The Mitchells wound up attending therapy, where they finally unleashed their grievances from the last year or so. One would think having his sister home would be enough for Myles. That's not as great as it sounds if he's constantly worried one more fight will make her leave forever.

While a good family with a two-parent household, the Mitchells were anything but perfect. That's okay because most families are not. Growing pains, defiance, asserting independence, and arguing with parents are all part of the adolescent experience. All of these things fleshed Moesha out in ways rarely ever seen on TV.

Another crucial way she stood out is how the show and Brandy's portrayal did not reduce her to a cliche sassy/angry black chick. Yes, they addressed racism once in a while, but the concepts of victimhood and underlying hatred towards white people did not exist in the Mitchell home. While Moesha could get angry and downright threatening at times, she preferred talking through conflicts until someone pushed her too far. Her retorts came out as clever and unyielding as opposed to resembling dialogue from those abominable Friday movies. A nice girl but nobody's pushover.

What's really ludicrous is that while so much hate is hurled Moesha's way, the show's spin-off, the Parkers, is often praised. The Parkers was a show starring Moesha's HS best friend Kim and her mom Nikki going to college together. What started as an insightful mother/daughter show that preceded Gilmore Girls, devolved to the lowest common denominator. Kim went from funny and not too book-smart to being a cartoonish idiot to the point of wondering if the actress suffered annual brain damage between seasons. Nikki quit being the fun, loving but tough maternal force and warped into a deranged stalker completely obsessed with her attractive but entirely uninterested and repulsed professor.

While Will from Fresh Prince did not fall as wretchedly downhill as the Parkers, are they really what black audiences consider quality entertainment? Either low-brow comedy or angry, racism-driven drama? To this day, past minstrel shows are still reviled. I don't see why. They seem to be what the people want.

Don't kill yourself.

Do demand justice for Moesha Denise Mitchell 💛

[the-ultimate-wish]

I wanna draw some stuff for aus so if y'all wanted to see some people... 👀

Current aus that i have in mind for my kiddos:

°Ladybug au: With Dante as Hawkmoth and Gen as Mayura, they're having superpowered fights across town, having Ladybug Kaipo and Cat noir Paci cleaning up their messes and trying to fight both.

°Royalty au: King Edgar conquers land with Dante's dark magic, taking out Queen Jacky and Princess Gen's kingdoms.

°MHA au: Aspiring pro hero Verity and sidekick Finnick reconnects with vigilante Jacky, her childhood friend, in a town often ignored by heros.

°Zodiac au: A society where people are forced to behave as their signs. Following rebel leader Finnick and Jacky, and how their partnership fell out with his capture; as well as Verity saving Pacifica by forcing her into becoming apart of The Authority.

°Medieval Fantasy au: Wizard Dante comes across the world's last living dragon on his journey to become the world's most renowned magic user. Canon divergent.

°Minecraft Story Mode au: The whole cast gets replaced with my kiddos. Stuff written for this happen after season 2 of the game, with some personality changes.

°Escaped souls au: This is the "Good" ending for the Undertale kids, where they escaped into a different universe with their bodies via computer hacking

Some kiddos get prioritized in some obvi, but they all have some lore attachment. Here are some that don't have much lore built around them:

°Genshin Impact au: I really only have Verity built and how she got her vision. She's a Geo catalyst user from Fontaine. Not all of them will be vision bearers... maybe. Dante will also be be one, a Cryo catalyst user. Not much is built for him.

°Avatar the Last Airbender au: Takes place actually before the show, before Aang's lifetime. Mostly because i want Airbender kiddos owo. Those of note are Dante and Edgar, being non benders, and Pacifica who's a Firebender but doesn't use it.

°Older Souls! au: This is basically just the kiddos aged up. Originally was just for the Undertale versions, but now expands to this verse. I've drawn some stuff for it in the #older souls! au.

°Cyberpunk au: This one was a roleplay au for Pacifica and other rp buddies, all aged up. They were a badass crew and she had to replace some of her body with tech. They went on awesome missions together. Discontinued basically.

[luvdsc]

first off, that soulmate au abt jaemin was top notch! i loved it so much, i just started reading ur works n they're absolutely amazing 🥺 when i finally caught on to what was going on in the fic, u have to know that my heart began ACHING istg 🗿 secondly, i aspire to be as good of a writer as u are, any tips on how to start off my writing blog?? super sorry to bother u, i just love ur works sm omggg

brb gonna print this out and pin it to my wall, so I can read it whenever I feel sad and instantly feel better because you are the absolute kindest, honey bee, omg thank you so much!!! 😭💘 thank you for enjoying ellipsism and for giving my writing a chance! I don’t write angst as often, so I’m very happy to see that the angst hit its mark :’)

You are so cute omg, I’m positive your writing is already as amazing as you are!!!! 💗 I’m not sure if you want writing tips or tips about how to start a writing blog? So I’ll put a bit of both! And it’s not a bother at all, lovebug, thank you for showering my writing with love 🥺💚 I’ll put the tips below under the cut!

WRITING ;

utilize your own experiences — this is something I do the most with my writing. My blurbs are oftentimes based on things that happened in my life. The reason why I hold tddol so near and dear to my heart the most is because the entire thing is heavily based on my own college shenanigans and each character emcompasses personality traits and quirks of my own irl friends. It makes the fic more believable as well because you can pull from your own emotions and thoughts from that time and put it into words. I gravitate towards college au the most because there’s no research involved when I’m the primary source :)

daydream — sometimes, it’s best to just let your mind wander and conjure up make-believe scenarios at 3 in the morning when it’s quiet and only the moon and stars are awake with you.

draw inspiration from your surroundings and people around you — this might be a little difficult if you’re in quarantine right now, but pay attention to who and what’s going on around you! go to a coffee shop and observe the different people that come and go. is there something going on with the couple sitting the corner or maybe the barista and her obviously favorite regular that she always gives a free scone to? Or maybe there’s something about the cute boy with the maroon beanie who taps away at his laptop, sipping on a hot chocolate. Make up random scenarios and back stories for these people!

dialogue — read what you write for your character’s dialogue and ask yourself, “do people actually speak this way?” People use the same words often in their speech, use contractions, have um’s and ah’s scattered here and there, trail off mid sentence, randomly go from one thought to the next, etc. Make sure the conversation sounds natural and flows well!

detail — detail is something I struggle with writing, but I feel like I’ve improved on it immensely with this little rule I’ve given myself. Each paragraph (?) has to be three to five lines long on a google doc, unless it’s a short dialogue line that I want to pack a punch with. By doing this, I’m making myself stop and think about the surroundings and what’s going on through my character’s mind or what they’re feeling. As the writer, you already know all of this and may not feel the need to write it down, but to a reader who’s unfamiliar with the universe you created, they won’t know any of it at all. So make sure to add in detail!

write when you feel like writing — this is just my personal opinion on this, but my writing comes out infinite times better when I write when I want to and not force myself to word vomit onto google docs. I kinda did that with I Dare You, and it’s actually my least favorite fic I’ve written on here because I’m not satisfied with the forced execution of it. I know some people prefer to set goals for themselves and write 2k a day regardless, which is incredibly awesome and I admire their determination and will power, but that’s not for me. I only write when I feel like it because I want it to be enjoyable and not feel like a job I’m forced to do. Unfortunately, that means I don’t have a set posting schedule, and fics often get scrapped midway when I decide I don’t want to write it anymore.

write what you want to write — I’m a firm believer in this. Indulge in your favorite au’s and tropes! Write a million bff2l stories (like I do lmao) if that’s the trope that makes you happy!!! Don’t worry about the notes, the number of reblogs, the word count, etc. Please don’t force yourself to write something you’re uncomfortable with or dislike for the sake of notes or readers. Your stories are for you first and foremost, so use them to make whatever your heart desires come to life!

STARTING A WRITING BLOG ;

choose a clean blog theme — make sure your blog is easy on the eyes and simple to navigate! You could be putting out god tier writings like Rick Riordan, but there’s a high chance people will give up on reading it if it’s in neon green, comic sans size 7 font on your flashy blog.

create a master list — this goes into the easy to navigate component as well! It’s best to have all the links to your writings and other important info in one post that you can put in your description for others to find.

use tags — I believe it’s only the first five tags that matter, so make it count! for instance, with ellipsism, it’s a jaemin angst, so I used #jaemin angst, #jaemin scenarios, #jaemin imagines, #nct imagines, and #nct scenarios as my first five tags. They’re pretty popular tags that correlate to my fic, and they’ll bring my fic to the attention of new readers!

reblog your fic — people are in all different time zones, so some of your followers might be asleep when you drop a fic and unfortunately miss it. you can queue a reblog of your fic at different time intervals after you posted it, so that your followers who missed it the first time have another chance at seeing it!

open requests / drabble games — i don’t know if this is your cup of tea, but if you’re stumped on what to write or are looking for inspiration, you can open requests/suggestions or hold a drabble game! This also can bring in new readers and allow you to interact with your followers :) but again, please don’t force yourself to write all of them if you don’t want to or if you’re comfortable with a certain request. At the end of the day, you reserve the right to say no to any request.

I hope these were helpful, honey bee, and please feel free to send another ask in if you want me to elaborate on anything or have any more questions! (Or if you just want to talk, that’s a-okay, too!!!) 💓💓

[zealynstan]

Unlabeled Interview Final Part

Isabelle: And speaking of touring, like we're saying before, someone said in here, "I wish it didn't cost so much for you to share your music and voices." We could not agree more.

Zealyn: Oh yeah.

Isabelle: Wouldn't you say?

Zealyn: Absolutely. Yeah. Oh, there's so much we would be doing if it didn't cost so much, I mean yeah, I would have a music video for every single song well done, super well done.

Isabelle: Yeah.

Zealyn: Amazing live videos. I would have- I would be on tour all the time. I, oh my gosh, there's just so many things.

Isabelle: Yeah. We would probably- I'd probably be on tour all the time if touring didn't cost us so much money.

Zealyn: Yeah! Another thing that lots of people don't know is lots of the big artists, if you want to go on tour with them, we have to buy on to it. Umm...

Isabelle: Yeah.

Zealyn: And so recently, I just got an offer to buy on to this really awesome tour. I just couldn't do it. But yeah, just- everything is a pretty penny and so-

Isabelle: Everything's a pretty penny.

Zealyn: But you know hopefully, one day and I believe it will happen one day, our music will take off and we'll finally be able to make money like good money doing music and it'll come full circle at some point. So-

Isabelle: It will. It always does. I was listening to Tyler Perry on Supersoul Conversations this morning on my drive home.

Zealyn: Nice.

Isabelle: And like, same situation. I think nobody starts at the top and I think we forget that "Oh, we see all these people at the top." And it's just discouraging until you hear their stories and you realize, "Wow, they had no money either." He was talking about putting all this money into his first play and how he thought 1200 people are gonna show up. And it was at the 14th Street Playhouse in Atlanta, which I grew up in Atlanta so I know where that was. 30 people showed up.

Zealyn: Aww.

Isabelle: So he lost his car, he didn't have rent or anything and that was like, it sucked to hear that but wow, it's inspiring. And I hope that-

Zealyn: You see where he's come from.

Isabelle: Yeah. You see everything he's gone through and that we're doing the same thing and there's nothing different about it.

Zealyn: Yeah.

Isabelle: Other than not stopping, everytime we get a "no". And that's why this podcast for me is important because I don't know how many of you are watching and I know there's dancers on here and there's singers and aspiring everything but I just hope that you realize that like there's really nothing you umm... that's gonna come easily.

Zealyn: Right.

Isabelle: All the hard things are so much better when you get them.

Zealyn: Yeah. Absolutely.

Isabelle: What is your- what's an insecurity of yours that you are fighting umm... like in your day-to-day or music or just personally? That's like a big question but-

Zealyn: Well, yeah, I mean- I don't- I think that one thing that I do that I- everyone does but I do especially is umm... living in LA for 5 years now, been able to meet a lot of incredible awesome musicians and songwriters and just so many awesome people and a lot of them are doing really good. And like actually though, it's not just "social media" really good but like they're genuinely doing so well and blowing up and always busy and I think an insecurity of mine is like, comparing myself to other people. Is that right?

Isabelle: Yeah.

Zealyn: So um... I always- I'll at least have one bad night a week where I'm just get sunk into that "Aww man! That person's doing so much better than me." and that- and it's a good thing! I'm so happy for my friends like, "Wow, she got that?" "She got that?"

Isabelle: You're not alone.

Zealyn: Yeah!

Isabelle: Everybody feels that way in life.

Zealyn: And that's why- but I think that's something that I struggle with, it's just not- I just need to stop comparing myself. Everyone's started from somewhere, everyone's path is different like it's okay if it's taking longer or, whatever.

Isabelle: Yeah, yeah. I know, but that's umm... it's really great that you said when you're really honest. Because when I look at you, I don't see that you are insecure about that at all because you're so like, in your own lane to me. But it goes to show that we are all the same in that way.

Zealyn: Yeah. Totally.

Isabelle: Those insecurities never go away no matter- even if you were probably a little more successful, you'd probably see the best above you.

Zealyn: People were doing even better right *laughs* for sure.

Isabelle: Umm... Tammy asked about social media handles, so we're just gonna plug this in real quick.

Zealyn: Oh!

Isabelle: So she's @zealyn on Instagram, and @zealynmusic on Facebook.

Zealyn: It's Z-E-A-L- Oh there it is, you can see it. Aww, wow!

Isabelle: Z-E-A-L-Y-N.

Zealyn: You're so well prepared!

Isabelle: I know, it's just me, it's all me, I don't want anyone helping me out. Umm... and then, do her a favor and go if you guys have Apple Music, Spotify, go follow her. It's the same spelling and just like actually click the follow button and like put all her songs on your playlists and actually listen to them. Don't put them on a playlist because I said so, but actually listen because all those little things help us kind of get our music heard and everything like that.

Zealyn: Totally. Yeah.

Isabelle: Umm... I had a question for you- Oh, somebody asked... I'm trying to get through comments- Hailey asked, "What's LA like?" *laughs* That's such a loaded question.

Zealyn: It is. Well, I don't know, yeah. So, I love LA, first of all, I'll start there.

Isabelle: Yeah.

Zealyn: There's nowhere else I'd rather live. I genuinely love this city, it is motivating, pushes you to do better, everyone is going hard like everyone's pushing themselves to be better than they were the day before. So that's the good thing about it. The bad thing about it is that everyone's pushing them-! *Both laugh* Everyone's doing so well, everyone is hustling and I think that's when you also get stuck in a trap of, "Wow, they're going out every week to shows and networking and I only go out once a week. Oh boy, maybe I should be networking more or-" you know, there's just- every stupid little detail, it gets in your head and umm... yeah.

Isabelle: Just don't- I don't wanna discourage everyone for coming out here but if you're gonna come out here, just know that you will be very lucky if you have instant success. I hope that you do, I really do hope that everyone can do that.

Zealyn: Yeah.

Isabelle: But if you don't have instant success, you definitely have to look deeper into the other wonderful positive things happening that may not be exactly what you asked for or wanted but those are the things that you hold onto in order to stay out here because a lot of people don't last in LA because they think, "I'll give it a year and things would go well!" It sometimes happens but a lot of times it doesn't.

Zealyn: Yeah.

Isabelle: And then it's discouraging and you're like, "Well, I'm just gonna go home." but you know, don't do that like wherever you go or if you go away to college or umm... you go to a new city like give it time. Even when I went to college and I went away from the first time, it was the hardest thing ever. I called my mother everyday like, "WHY'D YOU SENT ME AWAY? Why'd you sent me here?" and then, I was so fulfilled and happy. Ultimately, that's what made me such an independent person. And moving to LA too, there were days when I first moved to LA... I was alone, I had a couple friends from college that were here, I went through such bad depression. It's the type of depression where you wake up in the morning, and you don't have anything you need to do, or that needs your attention. And you slept for like 11 hours, and you still- you wake up like exhausted, and you napped throughout the day not because you're tired, it's literally just you're so depressed because you're numb, you don't know what to do.

Zealyn: Yeah.

Isabelle: And guess what? Those things past, and they move away and the positive things come back and they slip in and then you're gonna slip back out of it. Right?

Zealyn: Yeah. And LA really is one of those places that you can't come to L- you can't visit LA for two weeks and expect to see LA and get a sense of the city in two weeks. It's impossible. It takes- LA is massive okay? I think people always think of LA like Downtown LA, like just the little downtown area, n-no. LA is huge, you can drive a whole hour and a half and still be in LA. So, it really truly takes like.... to me, it took a year. For me, it took a whole year to understand like, where everything is, where do I actually want to live, and it takes so long. Umm...

Isabelle: Yeah. It takes so long. I just feel settled now. I've been in here like 5-

Zealyn: I think I truly felt settled like- like I wanna live here forever after 3 years like it literally took 3 years. And I think at that point I was like, "I'm never leaving. I wanna stay as long as I can." Yeah.

Isabelle: I love it here too. So Gina just asked, "Are you going to Nashville?" I would love for you to answer that and tell us the cities you'll be touring in.

Zealyn: Absolutely.

Isabelle: If you remember them all.

Zealyn: Yes! I'll try.

Isabelle: Okay.

Zealyn: Uhh yes. I will be in Nashville, that show actually is announced already, tickets are at zealyn.co

Isabelle: Yeah, all the seats(?) are there.

Zealyn: Yeah, umm... But I mean, I could list them off, yeah. There's actually- I don't know, yeah so it's Minneapolis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Nashville, Atlanta; Beverly, Massachusetts which is my hometown, New York, DC, Philly, Pittsburgh... so that's all everything on the East Coast. West Coast is still like completely being figured out.

Isabelle: Okay yeah. Yeah, it takes time.

Zealyn: It looks like Seattle, Portland, Redding, San Francisco, LA, San Diego.

Isabelle: Uhh, can I open for you now? *both started laughing*

Zealyn: The West Coast one? Oh my goodness.

Isabelle: That's amazing!

Zealyn: Yeah that one's still like- we don't have the venues locked in or anyth- or the dates or anything.

Isabelle: Okay.

Zealyn: But it's August-ish.

Isabelle: August-ish, okay.

Zealyn: Yeah.

Isabelle: Well, if you wanna hear all the dates, go to zealyn.co, that's just "co" not ".com", just "co". And all the dates are up there, all the info about her. She's- like I said, an incredible artist.

Zealyn: Thank you.

Isabelle: Go listen to her music and just support her and I'm really glad that you asked all these questions, I'll be answering all these questions when we're done.

Zealyn: Yeah. Such awesome fans! There's so many questions coming in.

Isabelle: Yeah, they're pretty incredible, I'm lucky I am so lucky that you all show up every week or every other week.

Zealyn: Yeah, that's amazing.

Isabelle: But, Unlabeled the podcast, episode 5, will be uhh... 2 weeks, April 7th, check it out. This podcast you're listening to right now will be up on Tuesday and yeah. Zealyn, thank you for coming, go follow her at Zealyn on Instagram and uhh-

Zealyn: Thanks for having me. You're the best.

Isabelle: You're welcome. I'm honored. I love you, thanks for being here.

Zealyn: Me too. Thanks.

Isabelle: Adios, everybody! *both waved at the camera*

Zealyn: Oh, did it end already? Bye!

[victorluvsalice]

And then Eliza P. rejected Alice’s attempts for a friendly feed, so powers dummy it was! Since the pair have plenty of plasma fruit on hand again now that they’re back at home, I just had Alice make her hallucinate for a bit, for funsies. :p Then Victor mesmerized her to get a tiny bit more XP. Hey, I did it to him enough times, he deserves to be on the other end once or twice!

Once she woke up, Eliza P. was (understandably) done with their shenanigans and headed home. This left Victor with just a SLIVER of XP left to go to make Grand Master. I figured a Dark Mediation should push him over the edge -- and it did! He’s now the highest rank of vampire, with all the powers that implies! And it implies a lot, as I had been sort of hoarding his power points to make sure he had enough for the power he was required to get for his aspiration, Tamed Thirst. With that purchased, I also grabbed Cast Hallucination (for funsies), Garlic Immunity (cheap and useful), Vampire Creation (what, maybe he’ll want to make a vampire in the future), and Mist Form (now he has options when it comes to his teleportation)! This did require him to take some weaknesses, though -- like Alice, I ended up taking both levels of Nightmarish Sleep, simply because neither of them actually sleep all that much. Those coffins downstairs are mainly for show. And woohoo. XD So that was pretty awesome.

Also awesome? While all this was going on downstairs, Emma managed to get a high score on the typing game on the upstairs computer and completed the Rambunctious Scamp aspiration, giving her a permanent boost in earning physical skills! That’s two of the child aspirations completed on her, yay~ Dunno if I’m gonna go for a third, given she should PROBABLY age up to a teenager soon, but I”m hoping to at least get her to play a few more rounds of chess for the mental one.

So yeah, after all that, I think we’re leaving the Van Dort-Liddells in a good place! Always a little sad to leave my OTP, but other families must be played. And besides, the next one is the family that’s going to get the most use out of Get Famous. Next week -- back to the McFlys, and Marty and Jennifer go out on a date!