#b) i prefer more layers or complication or just something funny

[kabulaqueen]

About Kirby Super Star (from a long time Kirby fan)

Sometimes I feel sad as a Kirby fan because my favorite game is sort of described negatively or downplayed for being old or having a remake.

There's nothing wrong with liking games for real specific reasons tied to it's impact, innovations, and certain efforts. (There are also plenty of reasons to like originals based on many hardware or feel preferences, too) Games get treated like iPhones. The minute a new entry is out, it's as if I'm suppose to just toss out the old one because the "New one looks better, is more fun, is more new" and that's just not how I feel! I never felt like I had to toss aside ANY of my old games. To me games weren't a replacement for other games. They were just another way to play them. Especially for new players. For me, games were like added layers on a cake, not disposable entries.

I've kept my original Adventure, Super Star, and I'm keeping my original RtDL.

I feel like this mindset can come off as stubborn and nostalgic but I never really used to hang on to older things. In fact, When Super Star Ultra came out I weighed the pros and cons of the remake of my favorite game. I came out liking the remake more but over time I just went back to playing the original. So in the end I preferred the original. Not out of any reason to dislike or hate on KSSU as a "bad remake' BECAUSE IT'S NOT. It's an excellent remake. Absolutely made with fans like me in mind but considerate of new comers. Still there are just somethings I preferred about the original that felt good to play for me.

The controls that bug other people, I LOVE. I love a faster Kirby and Kirby has never been so snappy. The music is better IMHO. I know some people will swear they can't tell the difference between the DS sound and SNES sound. To me the difference is like listening to a great song and then listening the same great song with the sound of a crumpling paper bag over it. That's not to say KSSU soundtrack is BAD. It introduced GREAT new themes. It just sounds "crunchier" and less smooth then the original. I also love the original sprites for Kirby more. Love the pixel art cutscenes, love the more convenient co-op as it's a game I do love to play with others. The WHOLE big thing about KSS is that you can play it with others. That's one of the big innovations to the franchise and for 2 player platformers that KSS pioneered! Having to have 2 handhelds and two cartridges was just a bother. Also playing it on the TV is a plus AND I much more prefer type b controls. Which finally was offered again in the franchise after MANY years, in the last 3 recent entries. FINALLY.

To me these are all valid reasons and isn't just the often dismissed "NOSTALGIA" Especially when KSSU was my favorite version for some years after it's release.

On top of all these reasons, there's also just all the factors that are Kirby-fan related. How important the entry is, how interesting and complicated it's development was, how many amazing innovations it brought to the series, how it influenced games even outside of the Kirby series, how experimental it was with progression and structure. It also introduced some non-linear segments to the franchise, ETC ETC. I could go on about how it's just a REALLY neat and cool Kirby game to understand, learn about, see in many other games, and just a cool retro title in general to appreciate. Kirby veterans worked on this game, the director of DMT did stage work on KSS and would go on to direct, some of the composer's most iconic music would get recognition, etc.

And yes, I realize the rendered graphics aren't everyone's thing and that's fair enough. Though I would never dismiss an INCREDIBLY fun and exciting entry because the graphics aren't the most cohesive to the rest of the franchise. Gameplay always trumps that for me. Better to be a fun game and look kind of funny then be a beautiful game but I don't feel much reason to replay or just straight up find boring. Still even the graphics are part of it's retro charm. To me it's just symbolic of how competitive the retro games were.

Coming out late to a system Kirby games really had to push the hardware. Adventure released as the biggest NES game, having to compete with the SNES which was already out!!! It did well. KSS on the other hand was competing with early 3D gaming. Of course early 3D gaming is notorious for aging funny. Still with the success and impression of Donkey Kong Country and the release of the N64 console out that SAME YEAR, Kirby Super Star was going head-to-head against those big time gaming innovations. In the end, it was to the regret of Sakurai when it came to the backgrounds BUT it did put Kirby at the cusp of the 3D revolution in gaming history. It was part of the trending towards 3D gaming that the industry WOULD follow and makes the title interesting in that regard. It also gave some experience to the devs which Sakurai did acknowledge was a value.

In the end, I understand why the old is often considered obsolete to many others. Games cost money, take shelf space, are just a way to spend an evening. People are going to gravitate towards the new, the robust, and "best version" of a title they feel like enjoying. For some liking games is about liking them at their modern best. Then there are fans who like a certain experience. One that isn't JUST nostalgic but wrapped in a genuine appreciation for that thing as a medium, series, or entry. With preferences for particularities. Even if someone loved something JUST because of nostalgia, that isn't a bad thing either. Games are made to be as great of an experience that it's hardware and it's devs can provide. They are a labor of love for their time and if they excelled and made an impact at release, enough to really leave a mark, then they did their job. Good job, game. You were and still are an excellent entry.

#kirby #kirby fandom #kirby super star #kirby essay #kirby writing #kirby video games #retro gaming #snes gaming #gaming remake #n64 #snes #nes

[mythologymadness]

part 1 & 2

the big three and their wife relationships

zeus and hera: complicated!! complicated!! drama and validity from both sides!!! please suck up your pride and talk to each other face to face because you guys really do love each other!!!

poseidon and amphitrite: the most normal courting method out of the three. we assume it’s an open relationship but we don’t really know because we hAVE ONE FUCKING MYTH OF THEM (i’m so mad about this all the time)

hades and persephone: the one born from controversial circumstances. overall pretty functional and equal in power (in modern times) but again: born from controversial circumstances (in modern times)

#to be honest hades and persephone arent my favorite #so this post is just me advocating for zeus/ hera and poseidon/ amphitrite for a full post #i could do a full three paragraph explanation on why but the basics are: #a) its everywhere #b) i prefer more layers or complication or just something funny? #and c) the story's depth is mostly into how sad the whole situation is so i get too bummed to focus on hades and persephone #greek mythology #zeus and hera #poseidon and amphitrite #hades and persephone #muse des #mytholoqueue

[winterironspiderling]

Sorry if you’ve answered something like this before but, do you have any tips of writing slow burn, and just writing in general? Lol thank you and love your work!

No worries! I’m always down to talk about writing. Thank you for your kind words. :)

To write a slow burn, you will want to start with the main pairing as strangers, acquaintances, or even enemies. You could also start them as friends, but if you begin with the two having a close relationship already, it would be hard to draw that out because friends to lovers basically only adds kissing and physical intimacy, but if you start from the very beginning/first meeting you have more time to develop the relationship, which will take more words, and make the burn slower.

No matter what level of relationship you start the pairing at, there has to be a reason why they can’t be together yet because if you start with no obstacle, it will be hard to justify why they aren’t together. Obstacles could be the characters are in other relationships, one or both might have just gotten out of a bad/abusive relationship, they’re in a bad place mentally/physically, and distance or other characters are keeping them apart. This also gives you something to overcome not just in the relationship, but for the individual characters and their journey, and it adds depth to the plot. And the richer the plot, the more you can draw it out and slow down the burn!

To make the slow burn enjoyable instead of annoying or frustrating, try not to make overcoming the relationship obstacles or individual challenges “too easy” for the characters. They should have near misses and setbacks, or it won’t feel satisfying or intriguing when they finally get together, or oppositely, if it’s too hard and drawn out, and there’s one shitty event after the other, it will feel like okay!!! enough already!!! So try to space out good and bad events and keep it balanced. :)

Know when to time skip and when to accept that you just need to write an entire scene. Time skipping can rush character development and make the ending feel unearned, but writing every detail of the characters’ lives can get boring to read. When you need some exposition or world building and not just fun plot or explicit scenes try to use the seemingly mundane interactions to your advantage to further the plot, introduce characters, build character(s), build relationships, foreshadow, or make fun references to canon.

For an example of all of the above points, in my story Disorder, Tony and Peter have their first meeting, and what’s holding them back from being together is Peter’s age and his poor mental health and self-image. He has a lot of good moments and bad moments, and doesn’t just lose weight and gain confidence over night. I take Tony and Peter throughout a working relationship, then a friendship, and then the buildup of an intimate relationship, and when I’m not outlining every personal training session between the two, I’m building their relationships and friendships with other people and giving both of them a chance to interact in other spaces besides the gym. So Peter will be at school with Ned and MJ showing his sense of humour, interacting with Flash, and maybe mentioning the upcoming Decathlon ten chapters later, so that when I bring it up later, it doesn’t come out of nowhere. Then I might skip a week to the next lesson with Tony because if you’re reading a Starker story, obviously you want most of the interactions to be Tony/Peter. :)

Adding in more people than the main pairing makes for a well-rounded story because other characters exist and help make the main pairing who they are. (For Peter, I like Ned, MJ, May, Flash, and Mr. Delmar, and for Tony, I like Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, Jarvis, and Nebula. Bucky is just a necessity for every story, also. ;) ) Making the side characters funny or interesting, or inserting running jokes about them will make the parts with those people more enjoyable to read, even if the pairing isn’t featured.

Short chapter length or transitional chapters are necessary, but can be tedious because you don’t want to have an info dump, but you don’t want to go through the pain of writing an entire interaction and scene just for the sake of increasing word count, so accepting that not every chapter is going to be the Best Chapter is important. If you need to get information across about the backstory, or exposition, you can have it expressed through dialogue, or do a little bit of info dumping at a time and try to weave it into other things, so it’s not huge chunks of info that can be boring or confusing.

Add a little bit of your own personality to the writing too. I’m not really a poetic writer, and I prefer to write snappy dialogue and let character dynamics do the work, but some people can talk about the flowering trees and the winding roads of the countryside. I don’t know anything about that lol, so when I try to write it, I feel silly and then the scene suffers because I’m not saying anything I actually care about. So write the style that feels most natural to you and it won’t be boring because you’ll be able to feel your energy in the story, and writers are what bring a lot of the emotion to the fan fiction. Every reader likes something different, so write for your own tastes and the people who like your style will stick around.

There’s a time and place for surprises or complications, but the type that you put into the story should be consistent with the expectations you and the readers have—whether you’ve stated these by your tags or the plot summary. Example, a coffee shop AU doesn’t turn into a sex worker AU, or soft, domestic Tony doesn’t turn into a dark stalker. Those are valid occurrences, but they’re so different that it’s not a fun twist for readers…it’s legitimately not what they signed up for. A surprise in Disorder that works is when you find out Tony’s own personal struggles during his POV with Rhodey. It adds depth to his character and another layer to his dynamic with Peter, but it isn’t shocking or contrary to what I’ve already written.

For most of Disorder, Tony and Peter each don’t think the other would be interested, or if they were, “not right now” or “not because of the age difference” etc... and I kept having them almost connect/admit it, but then I’d hold back. Knowing when and how I wanted them to get together from the very beginning helped with the slow burn as well because I had to think of how to get them from point A to B. I knew I wanted Peter to be at good place mentally, but not perfect, and I wanted May to be more accepting of the relationship, so it became a game of filling in the blanks instead of just starting a story with no end in sight, and then it feels difficult to give it direction.

Creating outlines and templates for a story helps me. Like a table that outlines which characters are featured in a chapter, and any major plot points, and just general info.This way when you go to write future chapters or edit, you don’t have to reread everything, and when it’s all laid out in front of you, it can be easier to be like, “Oh, this just happened in Chapter 1, so I don’t want another crazy event to happen in Chapter 5 because I want the energy of the story to be evenly spaced.”

Edit not just for grammar but for subtle mistakes like repeating a lot of the same phrases and words. I tend to overuse “just” and start a lot of sentences with, “well”, so I have to be careful of that. Also for continuity like if Peter is sitting down in one paragraph, and then you say he sat down in the next paragraph even though he’s already sitting...

Decide how you want your story to be regarding realism, whether it’s in the context of an AU or a canon-compliant story. Maybe you don’t care about being realistic to our universe, and maybe you want to write something completely off the wall. There should be some sort of structure and consistency with the characters so that the reader feels stable and like they can trust where you’re going. Even if you want to write a master/slave AU where Tony keeps Peter on a leash, or something like a body swap, there’s still things that you can do to keep it realistic in the context of that story. Like if Tony was portrayed as a very loyal and possessive master, he’s not going to be sharing Peter with someone later in the story, unless you’ve decided that him getting over that is necessary to the plot, and sufficient character building shows him slowly becoming more open. Or in a body swap, if Peter and Tony switch, they’re not going to immediately go and put each other at risk or use their bodies to betray one another.

So I don’t know what you’re writing, but no matter what, try creating mystery by leaving things unsaid/undiscovered, or raising questions within the plot for readers to find out later. You don’t have to give up everything right away! (I know it’s hard not to spill the beans, but it lets people figure things out on their own or wonder if you’ll mention it again.) (Make sure you remember if you’re doing this so you don’t accidentally create a plot hole.) An example of this in Disorder is raising the topic of will Peter go to college, or not. Eventually he decides. Another is why Tony doesn’t like to give cards in his gifts, and then eventually he gives one to Peter, and it makes it really special. <3

I hope this helps!

#ask #writing advice #disorder

[komahinasecretexchange]

Title : Making sense

Author : @alyssaleandra (komakaikoma on twitter)

For : @fhantomhives

Rating/Warnings : G, mentions of Hinata’s surgical scars

Prompt : for the fic - first date; for the fanart - soft forehead touch

Author/Artist’s note : I hope the recipient enjoys!! I tried to make something very gentle and heartwarming! There is an image embedded within the story.

-

Things are hard when the former Class 77-B ship off to real life Jabberwock Island. Unlike its virtual counterpart, it’s been abandoned for who knows how long, and it shows. There’s insect infestations to counteract, living quarters to rebuild, water sources to purify… Hinata never imagined he’d see his friends farming, but here they are with Imposter (who everyone still affectionately refers to as Togami because it’s familiar) assigning tilling duties for the week. They can’t rely on Naegi and the others on mainland to supply too much, lest they out their location to those who’d prefer to see the Remnants of Despair at the bottom of the ocean.

Hinata knows that the others are looking to him for some measure of guidance, even if no one’s said anything outright. He’s Kamukura Izuru, after all. The Ultimate of Ultimates. The one who babysat everyone’s pods until each was safely out of cryosleep and in recovery plans that mainly he (and later Tsumiki) was responsible for formulating. But if he’s being honest with himself, he’s had his fair share of being an Ultimate, and he’s happy to take the supporting role to more charismatic figures like Sonia and Togami. The irony of longing for a normal life is not lost on him, but he thinks undergoing a major brain surgery, surviving a killing game, and getting spit out into a completely changed real world is enough excitement for a lifetime. He’s earned a bit of normalcy.

…So of course he’d find himself fawning over Komaeda Nagito, of all people, once things have settled down around Jabberwock. Hinata’s bewildered by it when he realizes what’s happened; it’s like an errant seed found root in his heart while he was distracted with fixing cottage roofs, then budded while he was modifying meal plans, and then the second he had a chance to breathe and check in on himself, full blown feelings had blossomed right under his nose.

It’s hard, and a little frustrating, that it had to be Komaeda, because nothing’s ever been easy with Komaeda. Hinata had nursed something of a crush on the boy when they’d “met” in the virtual world and he thought that Komaeda was just a kindhearted oddball with a pretty face. That whole thing got dashed to pieces during their time in the program once he realized there was at least a few dozen more layers to Komaeda he had yet to scratch the surface of, let alone come close to ever comprehending. It was unthinkable, for a time, that he’d ever be able to feel anything other than confusion with a tinge of what he can only describe as unease towards Komaeda. Now, though, with everyone recovering and filling in the cracks left by their past lives, he feels a bit like he first did on that digital shoreline in the beginning.

Except, no, it’s more profound this time because he feels like really understanding Komaeda is something that’s within arm’s reach for him, rather than an amorphous, far-off concept.

He can’t pretend to fully follow all of the hope-obsessed boy’s fervid ramblings about life and fate, but… nowadays, it’s almost endearing. It’s just routine enough that it’s become comforting. Like Komaeda’s some piece of music that was too dense and intimidating for Hinata to really appreciate the first time he heard it, but now he’s developed the taste for it.

It helps that Komaeda’s achingly pretty, and Hinata’s always been slightly weak for the quirky pretty ones. Even during their conflicts in the program, Hinata had to reel himself out of those serene gray eyes sometimes—really yank himself out of a few unwanted idle daydreams about the Ultimate Luck who caused everyone so much grief, and yet—and yet—Hinata never could shake the desperate desire to figure him out. He’d always thought if he could solve the inscrutable puzzle that was Komaeda, just maybe they could be on equal footing again someday.

And so, it’s somewhat frustrating that it had to be Komaeda because Hinata knows by now how complicated Komaeda likes to make things for himself (and everyone around him), but it also makes perfect sense that the living science experiment known as Hinata Hajime would set his sights on the shining beacon of maladaptive coping mechanisms known as Komaeda Nagito. Since when has Hinata ever taken the path of least resistance for anything?

They aimlessly spend time together just like they did back in the program before things really went south. They do chores together, tag-team scavenging together, and spend cool off periods walking down the beach together. Komaeda still tends to fret over doing anything where his misfortune flares could pose a threat to Hinata, but they’ve managed to go unscathed thus far.

They’re sitting hip-to-hip on the sand and watching the sunset after a particularly lengthy conversation about their childhoods, when it occurs to Hinata that this is basically a date. He feels his heart kickstart at the notion and a heat creep across his face, and he’s suddenly scared to move or even so much as glance at the boy next to him, lest Komaeda be made aware of Hinata’s sudden onslaught of self-consciousness. He’s kept completely quiet about his festering feelings for Komaeda and never once dared to imply that anything between them means any more or less than what he has with everyone else on the island. He’s shy, sure, but he also just isn’t certain of Komaeda can handle that kind of information. He can practically see the spiral that would unfurl if Komaeda were to confront the reality of knowing that someone cared for him.

“Oh, sorry, did I say too much? Ahaha… I never know when to stop talking…”

Hinata’s ears tune in to the sad note in Komaeda’s voice, and he realizes he’s been spacing out. “No, no! I just got lost in thought, sorry about that.” His throat feels tight, and there’s a dozen things he wants to say but doesn’t know how to. “Um… Komaeda?”

“Yes?” Komaeda tilts his head, attentive.

“I was wondering if… well, if you wanted to—to come over to my cottage tonight?” It’s funny, really, the way everyday words rattle up his ribs and get stuck on his tongue like they’re something profound or difficult, given everything else he’s been through by comparison. It’s funny and embarrassing and so normal that it would make Hinata laugh if he weren’t preoccupied with not humiliating himself in front of Komaeda right now. “Just to… I dunno, hang out. Maybe we could… watch one of the movies that Asahina-san sent over for us.”

Komaeda’s eyes widen just a little as he processes this invitation before relaxing back to their usual calm state. “Hinata-kun, aren’t we hanging out already? Or am I mistaken?”

“W-well, yeah! But this is…” Hinata’s voice drops to a fragile murmur, “…different.”

“Different? Hmm… I see.” Hinata isn’t sure what it is that Komaeda sees, and that makes him nervous. The slightly taller boy stands up and dusts sand off his bottom. “I’d be happy to accompany you.”

And he smiles, framed by oncoming nighttime and high tide, and Hinata’s heart stutters. Okay, cool, he accepted it without being weird. Even if I didn’t really explicitly call it a date or anything. God, my collar feels tight right now. He tugs at the offending collar and tries for a casual smile. “Cool. Cool.”

They follow the road back to the inland.

Silence transpires, and in the bit of quiet, Hinata takes note of Komaeda’s hands swinging gently at his sides. Hinata’s never thought about the idea of holding them before, at least not in public, but once it crosses his mind, he can’t stop thinking about it. How would Komaeda react if he just… went for it? Would he be startled? Angry? Beyond that, how would it feel? Would it be clammy? Soft? Would it feel good? …Well, the hand closest to him is the metal one, so that’s irrelevant.

A past Hinata might have been content to let the idea remain as just an idea, but the Hinata now knows that if he wants something, he should probably chase after it without sweating the details so much. He reaches out and takes the mechanical left hand into his right. It takes Komaeda a moment to notice, due to a lack of nerve endings.

“Oh…” he says faintly, too caught off guard for much else.

“Sh-should I not…?”

They’ve both stopped walking so that Komaeda can stare down at their point of contact. He’s yet to put on any kind of discernible emotion about it. “No, it’s okay. It’s—nice. But it’s scary, too.”

“Scary??” Hinata’s grip loosens, prepared to drop the other boy’s hand and forget he ever tried.

“Because it’s so nice.” Slowly, carefully, internal mechanisms work together to tighten Komaeda’s hold on Hinata so that the connection isn’t lost. “It’s… hard to not wonder when my luck might strike again. And I know you have luck now, too, somewhere inside of you… But…” He shakes his head and dismisses the thought. “Never mind. Let’s get going.”

Hinata wants to protest and prod Komaeda into finishing what he was saying, but the gentle pull of Komaeda’s hand takes his attention by the reins. He hasn’t rejected Hinata, and he isn’t running away. That small realization fills Hinata with relief that he didn’t know he was hoping for. His step feels lighter as he catches up to his friend’s side.

-

Hinata sets up a tape on an old CRT that Souda put together, sits on the floor with Komaeda, and immediately finds himself regretting suggesting a movie. It’s impossible to focus with so many things weighing on his mind and the subject of his inner turmoil right next to him.

As if sensing Hinata’s thoughts, Komaeda leans against him, so warm and tangible on his shoulder. It seems he’s equally unengaged with the movie before them. “Hey, Hinata-kun. Would you mind telling me that you hate me?”

“…Huh?” The odd request catches Hinata off guard. “Why on earth would I ever say that??”

“It’d be the greatest comfort to me right now. The bad luck of being hated by you… maybe it’d make everything even. Maybe I could enjoy being at your side like this a little longer without fearing what might come next. But I’m too much of a coward to actually try to make you hate me anymore.” He outstretches his right hand, flexing and relaxing the muscles. Even as he talks of being hated, he nuzzles closer into Hinata’s shoulder, as if afraid Hinata really will say he hates him. “I used to try so hard to invite disaster in my life when things were going too well. It scared me so much to enjoy the quiet moments. It scares me even now, to be close to you and have your friendship. I always tell myself that I need to stop being selfish and push you away for your own good, but… then I see you every morning, still alive, still smiling, and my greedy heart can’t help but want to bask in you.”

He shifts and makes direct eye contact with Hinata. As frank as he can be at times, Komaeda always tends to direct his gaze elsewhere during conversations. His hand, or his feet, or just somewhere in the far distance. It always makes him feel unreachable. But this time, his stare is open and earnest. “After everything that happened, I wonder what my standing with luck even is anymore. I died in the program… but then I was alive. But then I had the apocalypse and my own horrible actions to clean up after.” He reflexively rubs where metal and flesh meet on his left arm. “So in the end, was that all good luck or…”

And Komaeda cuts himself off, like he’ll never find an answer unless he just takes action already, and he leans into Hinata and brushes trembling lips against a dumbstruck mouth. His eyes are rife with a dozen conflicting emotions, as Komaeda often is, but this time it feels as though one wrong move will make him burst and everything will come spilling out unfiltered. His eyes widen in something akin to surprise, as if he wasn’t in control of his own actions. Before Komaeda has the chance to overthink things or run away, Hinata catches him by a jacket lapel and pulls him close. He uses his other hand to wrap gently around the back of Komaeda’s head, reveling in soft white curls, and pulls their foreheads together.

“Do you feel them? The scars, I mean.” Hinata pulls his short bangs aside. “Sometimes I forget they’re there. But they remind me of everything we all went through… that we’ve seen hell and death and everything in between, and we’re still here. In the grand scheme of things,” he gestures between them, “this isn’t going to be what ends the world. …At least, that’s what I think.”

Komaeda’s quiet, for a bit. He inhales like he forgot to breathe. Then he breaks, and laughs, and laughs. His eyes water from the force of it. “Aha-hahaha! Hahaha! Ha…” He holds Hinata for support, and Hinata holds him back. Once the fit has passed, he sniffs and straightens up, face still slightly quirked with hysteria. “Perhaps—perhaps you’re right. Maybe it’s arrogant to think luck cares that much about what makes me happy. Maybe it never cared. I’ve been wondering about that lately. It’s a scary thought.”

On the surface, it’s a pessimistic notion, but for Komaeda to yield to the idea that, to some extent, things just happen and that he should do something that makes him happy without psyching himself out of it for once, is the kind of paradigm shift Hinata expects only a virtual death and rebirth could have brought about. “Luck never cared about what any of us wanted. Not just me. And maybe it’s giving luck too much credit to say that it’s what brought me to you.” Then Komaeda does something unexpected—tilting his chin upwards at a pretty angle and kissing the raised skin of Hinata’s forehead scars. “But whatever did, I’m glad for it. I’m… unspeakably glad that you’re still here after everything, Hinata-kun.”

It’s always a toss-up with Komaeda on whether or not his penchant for saying really vulnerable things will embarrass him. This ends up being one of the times where it does, and he flushes a bright red and looks away, direct eye contact finally too much for him. He’s nearly confessed to Hinata once before, but that was ages ago in the program, under far different circumstances. Perhaps this is the first time Komaeda’s ever been really honest about how much Hinata means to him. No wrapping it up in vague non sequiturs about talent and hope. Just, “I’m glad you’re here.”

It’s more powerful than a typical confession in some regards.

“Me too. I’m glad you’re here, too.” Hinata feels his face burning as well, but he tries to will himself to remain cool. “…This feels pretty dumb to say now, but I was trying to ask you on a date earlier. So, uh, this is a date. …If you want it to be. I feel like, after… y’know, everything, we need things like this. Normal things.”

Komaeda smiles genuinely, and fondness bears down on Hinata full-force at the sight. “I figured that was what you were trying to get at. It’s really funny, Hinata-kun, when I look at you and think about how your sheer will power broke us out of the killing game and probably saved us all, and yet you can’t even ask someone out without being absurdly awkward about it. I think it’s something I like about you.”

Hinata burns more furiously but can’t find the words to retort, instead opting to fold his arms and stare at the ceiling. “W-well… yeah. Those are two totally different things!! Maybe if lives were on the line, I could find it in me to ask you out a little more tactfully…”

“Hmm, I see, so saving lives is easier than trying to date me, huh? I suppose that’s fair…”

“Hey, you…” Hinata snags Komaeda’s jacket lapels again and pulls him close. The banter ceases, and the two enjoy a normal date, like they deserve.

#komahina #komahina secret exchange #fanart #fanfiction

[five-hour-anxiety]

depresssion vlog 😥😴👎💭🏳️ | The Theory Of Real Activity | thursday vlogs

Taglist: @zerogettie  @spacevirgil@tree4life25@thebiggestnaturaldisaster @pailettehazel@jordandobbertin@thecityofthefireflies @the-fabulous-kimball@azuranightsong@virmillion @erlenmeyertrash @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @the-sanders-sides @punch-you-with-friendship@captaincantatrice@clovenpinetree @jughead-is-canonically-aroace@aplaceinthevoid@that-random-fandom-girl @zennyo

Word Count: 4431

Warnings: depression and talks of anxiety

Pairings: platonic prinxiety, platonic logicality, platonic analogical

Summary: Virgil is in the middle of a spiral and the back to back bad days are making it hard to function. He texts a few friends for help, and this is the result.

Designated Nerd:  Virgil, it has been some time since I’ve heard from you. Are you feeling well?

Me:  i mean, am i ever fine

Designated Nerd:  Well that is indeed worrying. Is there anything I can do for you, or would you rather I contact our more… emotional friends? Do you need me to come visit?

Me:  no, i dont want anyone over right now. this is gonna sound so stupid but,,, could u tell me what u do when ur upset

Designated Nerd:  If it helps, of course. I tend to listen to stimulating music and take hot showers. Please try to brush your teeth sometime soon as well, as hygiene is something that we all tend to be lax with in these states.

Me:  i should have expected advice like that

Designated Nerd:  Is it not useful? I apologize.

Me:  o no, its good. thx lo

Designated Nerd:  Anytime Virgil. Do not hesitate to contact me if you need anything else.

 ***

Sir-Sing-A-Lot:  hey panic at the everywhere, u still breathing

Me:  wow didnt kno u cared that much

Sir-Sing-A-Lot:  of course i care u ass how u doing

Me:  i mean im not dead. thats a fucking victory dude can i get a hell yeah

Sir-Sing-A-Lot:  hell fucking yeah bro im proud of u

Me:  hey while ur here,,,, how do u deal with ur bad days.

Sir-Sing-A-Lot:  poorly

Me:  damn dude

Sir-Sing-A-Lot:  yeah well thats life but i also light candles and fucking moisturize. unlike u u heathen

Me: thanks u fucking prick

Sir-Sing-A-Lot: hate u too u asshole c u this weekend~

***

Pat-Dad:  hey kiddo!! haven’t heard a peep outta you lately, just wanna make sure you’re still okay!!

Me:  im not okay, actually. but im glad u texted bc i have a q for u

Pat-Dad: anything for you kiddo, tell me how i can help!! :)

Me: wat do u do on bad days. like, how do u deal with the shitty emotions

Pat-Dad:  language kiddo.

Me: hellcrab.png

Pat-Dad: i dont have the profanity manatee on me so just pretend i sent that. anyway! i like to watch a bunch of funny shows and sit around in my favorite clothes! gotta feel good somehow!! and like, a lot of pillows are involved.

Me:  is this permission to turn my living room into a pillow fort

Pat-Dad: absolutely!!! but make sure you eat something today kiddo,,, making food is gonna be better than takeout btw. Feels good to have made something, trick the brian into enjoying the food more.

Me:  brian

Pat-Dad:  *brain, oh hush up

Me:  thanks 4 the help. <3 u

Pat-Dad: anytime kiddo!!!! :) <3 love you more!!!!!

***

   “Welcome back to the Theory of Real Activity -- today’s vlog: not what you all signed up for.” Virgil sighed, running a hand through his hair. “As I’m sure a lot of you have noticed, or at least the twitter crew has, I haven’t been as active on the channel lately. And I’m sorry about that, but I think I’m ready to talk about why now.

   “As many of you know, I have depression and anxiety. No way around it, there’s the truth. Often, these diseases prevent me from functioning like a healthy person would. That’s what’s been happening to me for the last few months. I’ve had a hard time getting up and dragging myself anywhere, much less making new content for all of you. Talking to friends via text is really hard too, so Twitter is something I can’t deal with either.

   “And I know a lot of you out there are the same way -- heck, when I do use Twitter and the likes, I see messages like that all the time. And I’m happy I’m able to help you all through those days when I can. But I can’t always be around to make stuff like that, so today I’m gonna talk you guys through helping yourselves when the days get bad and the voices get loud, okay?

   “But don’t let the start of this video fool you -- this isn’t a ‘oh we’re all gonna be okay if we just believe!’ kinda thing. Because there’s a lot of those. Don’t get me wrong, those are all wonderful messages and I really appreciate them, but I don’t think we need another one right now. What’s the point in trying to be motivated when the energy just isn’t there? I don’t know about any of you, but I almost feel worse when I watch those because I know whoever is on the other side of the screen wants me to work for happiness and I just… can’t. I can’t do it when I’m that low. So, no, this is not one of those videos.

“This is something completely different, I really hope it clicks with a few of you.”

   The camera switches out of selfie mode to reveal a table full of shopping bags. Virgil laughs off-screen and there’s the sound of papers shuffling.

   “Ladies, Gents, and everyone beyond the binary welcome to ‘How to Kinda Cope with Shit Brains’, starring yours truly. Let’s begin, shall we?”

***

   “Logan, you didn’t tell me you were uploading a video today! What’s this one about?” Patton squealed, clicking on the notification. Logan peered over his shoulder, trying to make out the display behind layers of smudges and a few cracks.

   “I- I did not upload a video today as Thursdays are typically reserved for anything Virgil wishes to post. That’s why there have not been any midweek videos recently.” Logan pulled out his own phone, giving up on Patton’s, and quickly unlocked the screen. “There is no one else with access to the account, so who- oh never mind. That is clearly something of Virgil’s creation.”

   “My goodness, he sure loves emojis, huh?” Patton giggled, reaching into his pockets. Logan groaned something like ‘you have no idea’ and pulled out a screen cloth for Patton. The younger man took it and quickly cleaned off his screen before pulling out his earbuds

“Do you wanna watch it together?” He asked, dangling them in front of Logan. Logan stared at him, grimacing.

   “Do you know how unsanitary sharing earphones is, Patton? I have a split connector in my bag, allow me to retrieve it and we shall view it together.”

***

   “So, I have compiled a list of things my friends do when they’re having bad days, as well as a few activities of my own, and we’re gonna test them. I’ll take note of how I feel before I start, do the activities, and then I’ll rate them by how I feel afterward. And if that sounds complicated, it is! Kinda. Logan says it’s the proper way to test things, by having a starting point and an end point, so go ask him? I don’t know, he’s always talking about control groups and I don’t know about any of you but I don’t want to make myself have bad days back to back just so I can test a bunch of things ‘fairly’.

“Anyway, first up: Roman’s list. He- he actually didn’t have much to say, just “moisturize bitch’ so I just pulled ideas from what he normally does on off-days. Sorry, Ro, but you brought this upon yourself.”

   Virgil reaches into the bag marked “Bed, Bath, and Beyond” and fishes out a bottle of something pink, as well as a purple container of lotion and a green candle.

   “I know for a fact Roman prefers grapefruit face wash, so that’s what we got here,” he shakes the pink bottle, “so we can gift this to him when we’re done here. And we have a bottle of lavender-scented lotion to go with it. I read somewhere that lavender helps with anxiety or something, but like,” he points at the camera, “it just smells good, and I am not ashamed to admit to that. Don’t read too much into this.

   “I also bought a scented candle, because that’s the only other thing Roman offered advice-wise. I fact-checked this one, and apparently good scents are supposed to help you think more clearly? Or something. I don’t know, I read the article at four in the morning, there’s not much I can really remember about it. Four am Virgil is really bad at retaining information.”

   The camera jostles as Virgil picks it up and walks into his bathroom. “Uh, just for like, the starting point? The best way to describe this type of anxiety is the buzzing and tensing of your muscles and the tightness in your chest. There’s nothing I want more than to dive under my bed sheets and sleep until tomorrow and try again later.

   “But I’m going to do this, so wish me luck.” He mutters, turning the tap on and grabbing a washcloth. The screen cuts away to black as an upbeat nineties song plays, and the text on the screen reads ‘Roman’s results’.

   “So,” Virgil starts, his face covered in white foam, “this stuff kinda burns? Roman, what the hell is wrong with you, you like this stuff? Ugh. Also, just so everyone knows, the smell of artificial grapefruit and lavender do not mix. Like separate, they are really good smells but just… don’t mix them together. It’s a really bad idea. We may have to do my list next so I can let the house air out for a while. As it is, I didn’t even try to light the candle, we do not need to add spearmint to this stink bomb.

   “Beyond that? The face wash is definitely waking me up. I feel a little more ‘oh hey, I’m a person’ that I did before so, yeah. This wasn’t a total bust. And my skin is soft! I understand the appeal of moisturizing now! Roman, how dare you keep this a secret from me?” Virgil laughs, rubbing his hands together. “Holy shit I feel like a million bucks. I am keeping the lotion, you can take this demon face scrub.” Virgil reaches off screen and picks up the pink bottle, scanning the back panel of text.

   “So overall, I’d say Roman’s tactics work. You just gotta like, make sure you get complimentary smells so you don’t stink yourself out of your house,” He says, still reading the bottle, “And you should definitely read the instructions on the bottles because this,” He holds up the pink bottle, “says to wash off after a few minutes, and it’s been ten. I’m gonna go get this off my face now.”

***

   “Babe, you seriously didn’t read the instructions?” Roman howled, throwing his head back into the couch. He could hear Virgil scoff from the kitchen.

   “Excuse me, but I thought it was like one of those face masks you leave on for half an hour! How was I supposed to know!” He asked, walking back into the room and plopping down beside Roman. “They look the same when you put them on, and you have a few long-lasting ones that smell like grapefruit! I had no way of knowing!”

   “You could’ve called, man. I would have helped you!” Roman lifted his arm, inviting Virgil to crawl under it. He took it and wrapped his arms around the taller man’s chest. “You bought face scrub, which is definitely not the same thing. Both are good though! Just, not that same.”

   “Yeah, well, I know that now,” Virgil muttered, burying his head in Roman’s hoodie.

   “We can do actual face masks after this if you want.” Roman offered, picking his phone back up. “Your pores could really benefit from one.”

   “You’re a dick. Turn that thing off.”

   “Love you too, bastard, but there’s no way in hell I’m turning this off.”

***

   The camera cuts again, and this time Virgil is in his bedroom. The window is open, and the sound of passing cars is almost inaudible but still present. His peach walls are bathed in a warm glow of the setting sun, a light breeze pushing his bangs up every so often.

   “Okay so, next up is Patton’s list. As per my own ‘rules’, I’m feeling mentally exhausted and ready to check the fuck out right now. But despite this, I’m actually… really excited for this one? It involves food, there’s no way this can go poorly.”

   The video cuts to footage of Virgil screaming as food on the stove erupts into flame. The 1812 Overture is playing the background. Whatever was in the pan is no longer food, as the burnt sustenance is bubbling in an ominous manner. The oven mitt is no longer on Virgil’s hand and is instead in a smoky heap on the kitchen counter.

   “No way this can go poorly” Virgil’s voice echoes as he runs off camera screaming. He returns with a fire extinguisher, the lens becoming jammed with foam just before the video cuts back to Virgil in his room eating Chinese takeout.

   “Okay so. It turns out it can go poorly. Patton said that making sure you eat, like, actual food and not six servings of chocolate cake with a glass of cherry coke on the side is supposed to help with the depression thing but like. It definitely didn’t help with the anxiety. Something about the food you worked to make tasting better?

   “So, I cheated and ordered take out. But hey! This stuff has got a bunch of veggies in it, so I think I won this round. Moving on,” Virgil puts the food down and leans down to grab something off the floor, “Patton also recommended watching some shows that I know I enjoy, so let’s do that next.” Virgil puts on the purple headphones he had grabbed and pulled his laptop onto his lap. He clicks off the light on his desk and plunges the room into darkness with only his computer light illuminating his face.

   “We’re watching the entirety of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine Halloween episodes, so be prepared for a highlight reel of that while I stuff my face with rice.” He twirls his finger around in a ‘roll film’ motion and kicks his feet up on the desk.

   The camera cuts to a black screen once more, the same upbeat music playing in the background. The text now read’s “Patton’s results”.

   The next few minutes is a series of clips strung together, many of them consisting of Virgil mouthing the lines along with the characters, and screeching with laughter. The last one shows him crying into his takeout, mumbling about how much he loves the relationship between Jake and Amy. He had taken his feet down from the desk at some point, now curled into his chair and bundled in his hoodie almost entirely.

   The video cuts away to a slightly more composed Virgil, who is now cuddling a pillow and scraping the bottom of the takeout box. His eye makeup had run down his face over the last few hours and he looked unnaturally pale in the weird lighting.

   “Yeah that uh,” He coughs awkwardly, “that worked. Ten out of three Patton, way to go. Got my brain to shut up for like, I don’t know, two hours?” He takes a deep breath and puts the takeout container on the desk. “It’s late, I think I’m gonna just do Logan’s and I’s lists tomorrow.”

***

   “Should I be concerned that he set the kitchen on fire and didn’t call anyone?” Patton whispered, pausing the video. “Why didn’t he call anyone? Did he get burned?”

   “I do not think you speeding to his house would have done any good, Patton, as he got the fire out by himself. That being said,” Logan pinched the bridge of his nose, “he is not allowed to cook for game night. Ever. What was he even trying to make?”

   “He can join me in the kitchen ban, then. The store-bought cookie club just gained a new member.”

   “God help us if you ever cook together. I’d have to take out a loan for a new apartment. I already cannot pay my student loans, I fear the possibility of adding to my life debt.” Logan shuddered, reaching over to unpause the video.

***

   “Okay, good morning internet. It’s buttcrack early outside, I don’t even think the sun is up yet? That’s good, actually, and I’ll get to why later.

“So, all that’s left is Logan and I’s lists, and to be honest? Logan may have already won the whole thing, looking at this on paper. He actually cares about like, not dying by germs or some shit.,I can guarantee his list will be practical. I gotta go set some stuff up for my list, so hang tight.” The screen cuts to a slightly more awake Virgil.

   He grins and gives a tiny wave before tapping the screen to switch the camera and show a hammock.

   “So, I’m next. I’m also gonna save Logan’s advice for the end of the video so you guys watch this whole thing. Give people an incentive for sticking around. Because I can see the stats on this, I know half of you like, exit the video halfway through. Stay for the whole thing, dammit, I need the ad money.” He laughs, gently putting the camera down. The screen shows a new sunrise, one full of soft purples and oranges. Above the sun and its halo are a few stars that have yet to go out for the day, barely visible behind the hazy clouds. Virgil picks the camera back up, the footage shaky.

   The camera stills to a shot of Virgil’s legs, the hammock swaying gently in the breeze. A few frogs can be heard singing in the background and Virgil hums a few notes. His voice is low as he speaks, still rough from sleep.

   “Again, to follow my own rules: I feel so awful I don’t even want to talk about it, guys. Sorry.” Virgil is quiet for a while longer, the occasional whispered lyric picked up by the microphone. Eventually, he speaks once more, a lighter tone to his voice.

   “Sure, this looks peaceful, but if you could all hear what kind of music I’m listening to right now, you’d be calling my therapist. Hey, Paul, I apologize my bro, but wow are you not gonna like me the next time I’m in.

   “So yeah, my list is just ‘get sun and get songs’. You Gucci fam, just stay out here until you either feel good or get cold. Probably gonna be the last one but, hey, you tried. Gold star. Bring a blanket if you wanna aim for the best possible outcome.”

   The camera cuts again, this time looking down from what is assumed to be a porch. The sky is dark once more, and the only source of light is a small candle.

   “Huh. What do you know, the candle works after all. Spearmint -- the poor man’s anti-anxiety. You know, I actually looked that up. Spearmint is supposed to be a good stress reliever and some kind of mood booster. The more you know, huh?”

***

   “Virgil, what the hell does that mean?” Roman chuckled, rubbing Virgil’s arm.

   “It means that when I’m panicking at work I just pop in a breath mint and BAM I am suddenly closer to reality than I was ten seconds ago.”

   “Do I wanna know how you discovered that?”

   “I had a hangry panic attack in high school and the only thing I had to eat in my bag were breath mints I was meaning to gift to you.”

   “Oh, that’s pretty- hey.”

   “You could still use some, man. Keep your nasty breath away from me.”

   Roman just hummed, looking at Virgil from the corner of his eyes. He smiled softly, his eyes sad and concerned. Pulling him closer, he unpaused the video and listened as he continued to hold his friend.

***

   “And last but certainly not least, is the list of the late, great Logan. He’s not dead. He’s just always late to dinner dates. Like a pretentious nerd, his excuses are ‘oh, I was studying’, ‘oh, I had an exam’, or ‘Patton set the kitchen on fire again, call 911’. What an ass.

   “Anyway. This list, which doesn’t have a cool name because Logan is against emojis and stuff, just has like, five items on it. In order that is: brush your teeth, put on some clean clothes, wash your hair, put on some socks, and the last one is a surprise. Because it really took me off guard and I need you all to be as surprised as I was.

   “And right now, I just feel apathetic. In case someone gets upset that I didn’t mention I felt going into this, I just feel apathetic.”

   The video cuts away to Virgil’s bathroom once more, and the leftover mess from the other day can be seen in the sink.

“Uh. Just, just ignore that mess. You know what it’s from, I don’t feel bad about that. Anyway, teeth brushing. Let me just find the toothpaste…

“You know, I can’t remember if I bought toothpaste at the store. Of all the crap I bought, don’t think toothpaste made it into the bin. So, let’s just see if I still have any of the travel samples from the dentist.”

Virgil riffles through his cabinets, pulling out items such as combs, hair dye, bleach, and a bottle of pills. He hums for a second, before crouching down to look under the sink.

   “I feel like, and I could be the only one who experiences this, I feel like anything that gets put under the sink will never see the light of day. So maybe I won’t be brushing my teeth today- wait. Wait! Oh gosh, thank you Jesus- there’s a- there is a bottle in the back there, but I can’t reach it. Outta my way, makeup kit, I got teeth to be cleaned!”

   Virgil pops back into view, holding up a half used mini bottle of toothpaste. It’s the kid’s kind, that tastes like berries and bubblegum. He uncaps it and starts to squeeze it out onto his toothbrush buts stops short.

   “Why the hell are there sparkles in this thing? That- isn’t that a, like, choking hazard or some shit? Okay, sorry Logan, teeth brushing is not happening in this video. I think you’d agree with me on this. When you get to this point in the video, feel free to add toothpaste to our shopping list.”

***

   “Jokes on you, Virgil, I added it yesterday when I spent the night and had to use that monstrosity.”

   “I use that stuff all the time, Logan, there’s nothing wrong with it! Look at me, I’m perfectly fine!”

   “That’s… that’s a, uh, great point Patton. Explains a lot.”

***

   “Okay, so next on the list was clean clothes. I’m doing that off camera, you nasties, so hang tight for a word from our sponsors.”

   The screen is black, with white text reading “crofters plz sponsor us logan is desperate.”

   Virgil reappears, in the same hoodie and shirt. He smirks, pointing at a pile of clothes on the floor.

   “Ha, I own two of these hoodies and three of these shirts. I am a cartoon character, y’all will never see me in a different outfit. You can dream, but my job is to crush those dreams.” He makes a fist as he says this, laughing through his teeth as he tries to appear tough.

   The camera cuts again, this time showing Virgil singing into a hairbrush while a towel is wrapped around his head. The scene doesn’t last long, as we are once again taken back to Virgil’s bedroom where he is set up with a laptop. This time he’s on his bed and the curtains are drawn.

   “It said to wash your hair, and you can’t wash hair without serenading the monsters living behind the shower curtains we all feared when we were little. Just because we aren’t afraid of them doesn’t mean they aren’t real!

   “Anyway, this is the last part of Logan’s list. It’s actually really sweet? Like, I am a grown ass man, and I am not ashamed to say I sobbed over this.” He continues, voice starting to tremor.

   Virgil spins his laptop around to show a YouTube video that’s about half an hour long. The title reads, ‘the best of Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street’. Virgil sniffs real fast, raking a fist over his eyes.

   “He uh, he knew these guys were my heroes growing up. And he knew it would cheer me up. Guess w-hat man,” Virgil sniffs again, “It- it worked like a fu-fucking charm. I uh, I’m actually feeling things after going through your list, so like. Nice work, I guess, I owe you dinner. Like, dinner at a restaurant, not a cooking dinner because I don’t want to poison you.

   “Ahem. Anyway. That’s the best thing in this whole video, you win Logan. And that about wraps up the Thursday vlog. Thanks for listening everyone, here’s the obligatory ‘we’re gonna be okay’ message, because as corny as that is -- it’s true. Find yourself a Bert to go with your Ernie and it’ll be okay. Maybe throw in an Elmo or a Zoey if you wanna round out the group. And my metaphor is getting too complicated, so! Virgil out! See you this weekend for the next Theory of Real Activity -- Logan and I are joined by Patton this time and we get into wild shit this week, let me tell you.”

***

   “Well, what are we still waiting around here for?” Patton asked, turning his phone off. He disconnected the earbuds, stuffing his haphazardly into his front pocket. Logan winced at the sight, and quickly but carefully wound his up into their case.

   “I’ll text Virgil to make sure he knows to expect us. Patton, if you could text Roman?” Logan asks, standing up and smoothing out his shirt. Patton nods, already poking away at his phone.

Me: Greetings, Virgil. Patton and I are on our way over to your house if that is okay?

Virgil Jackson: cant tell you no, you practically live here

Me: Yes, well, that is true. Is there anything I should bring with us?

Virgil Jackson: would it be lame to say a hug

Me: Not at all. If there is anything this group is good for, it’s hugging and crying. The occasional yelling, but that could go either way.

Virgil Jackson: whatever nerd, get over here already

#sanders sides fic #virgil sanders #logan sanders #roman sanders #patton sanders #thomas sanders #prinxiety #logicality #analogical #ali writes #its another vlog fic sue me #i wanted to you all can fight me later #the theory of real activity

[fantroll-purgatory]

Xyrida Poales

(She’s baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack. Well, to an extent. I wanted to try my hand at an Alternian troll given all the new information we have after Hiveswap, and who better to test than Kamala’s possible post-scratch descendant? Time for a study in contrasts.)

Let me say right from the get-go that I LOVE her and also that I really don’t have too much in the way of things to suggest, because I love her.

Universe: Alternia!

Name (preferably include how you came up with it and why): Xyrida Poales! As far as I’m aware (correct me if I’m wrong) all of the Alternian trolls have the same surname as their Beforean Ancestors, which would mean that Poales would stay. Xyrida comes from Xyridaceae, a family of flowering plants within Poales, for that double reference synergy! Also it just sounds alien, which I like. I debated “Millet” because I find it charming but it seemed too on the nose.

You’re right, they do share it. And Xyrida works well!

Age: Roughly 6-7 Sweeps

Strife Specibus: Bookkind!

Had she been smart, she might have tried to come up with something like “Grimoirekind” to try and cast magic (spoilers: she can’t, but she wants to) but the comfort of having a book in hand to smack a fool upside the head with is something too natural for her to pass up.

If she’s lucky she still could end up using magic with it. We know that Rose couldn’t really use magic until she started combining items to result in wands, like the Wizard Statue + the Knitting Needles. If she combined the book with something symbolically magical like that, she could end up having some good magic book fun later on in the story!

Fetch Modus: I’m horrible with these. My current idea (to tie into her interest in myth and history) is Interpretatio, from the Latin Interpretatio graeca, trying to relate Greek myth to Roman sensibility. So in order for her to put something in (or take something out) she has to think up some kind of justification as to why these things should be stored together. The more outlandish and silly the answer, the better. 

That is a really funny idea. Considering her interest in stories and stuff like that, I can see her doing this… Writing a complicated narrative to justify keeping a collection of entirely unrelated items together. 

Blood color: Jade

Another thing she inherited from Kamala, though they don’t take the same stereotypes from the Caste. Xyrida falls more into “ intelligent and steady, they are excellent organizers and planners” than “Naturally loyal and loving” but she she can get to that kind of emotional foundation if you give her enough time.

Symbol and meaning: So! Here we have… something of a dilemma. Kamala was designed years ago around the symbol Hi'iaka:

Which logically her descendant would have the right to lay claim to. However, this was before Extended Zodiac gave all trolls Canon symbols, which given their positions as the group’s Heart Prospit players, means they would lay claim to this symbol instead:

Virlo, The Foundation.

HMM…. I think I’ll just try to figure out how to reform Hi’iaka to fit the jade sign language instead of changing it entirely, because it fits thematically so well that it’d be a shame to muck that up.

Trolltag:  acroamaticCamarilla [AC] and viciousVagabond [VV]

Okay, so here we go. Xyrida uses AC as her main, which is in her Jade Blood Color. The name is a reference to her love of dramatic secret societies. Acroamatic means roughly “esoteric” as in “hidden or hard to understand”, but specifically to the teachings of Aristotle, mirroring her obsession with the teachings of a certain other male philosopher. Camarilla means “a small group of people, especially a group of advisers to a ruler or politician, with a shared, typically nefarious, purpose” but this is really just a fun reference to Vampire: The Masquerade, since Jadebloods all seem to be some kind of vampire reference. Xyrida herself is very much a “Dracula never leaves the castle grounds” kind of vampire reference though.

Xyrida uses VV when she’s trying to dig up dirt on the Sufferer cult, and she puts it on hemoanon. She’s about the aesthetic, and she figures it’d be dumb to do that on main. However, she’s absolutely horrendous at remembering to log out of it, so most of her friends have received really strange messages from VV and have by now put it together that that’s her side account.

I love the AC one. VV is a great setup too, though I don’t necessarily see the reason for vicious? Maybe vicariousVagabond instead. Living out excitement through researching The Cult without indicating that she’s a tendency towards violence? Unless that’s the impression she Wants to make, then that’s fine.

Quirk:

[AC]: On her main, Xyrida differentiates herself primarily through her typing all of her dialogue like stage directions, which is obnoxious! She sometimes struggles with finding the right emotion to put down, so her friends have gotten used to not getting replies from her when she’s stressed. She has a big love of CAPITALIZING when she’s TRYING TO SHOW EMOTION which reflects the way she stresses words when she talks.  “[AC]: Xyrida [Thoughtful]: the quick brown fox JUMPED over the lazy dog”

[VV]: When she’s hemoanon, Xyrida uses the Sufferer Follower quirk, which according to the wiki is “referring to him [the Sufferer] by the numbers 6 and 9 replacing the b and o respectively in sym69ls, as they resembled the cuffs confining him at his execution” though she’s a bit clumsy with it, so she replaces practically every “b” and “o” with it. “[VV]: the quick 6r9wn f9x”

Special Abilities (if any): While having the vague Jade possibility of “becoming a rainbow drinker (maybe)” Xyrida possesses no supernatural abilities, nor does she possess any physical abnormalities that might give her an edge. She’s really just a girl with a book.

Lusus: I’m currently going to have the girls share a Lusus of a Kamehameha caterpillar, but their circumstances are different. Xyrida’s lusus brought her to a hot and humid cave systems somewhere far away from average troll civilization (though, that’s something standard for jadebloods) which is absolutely littered with carvings and long dried paintings in what should be a dead Alternian dialect. It turns out that Xyrida happened to settle in what used to be a base for the Sufferer’s followers, which is what lead to her lifelong obsession with learning about the cult and her Ancestor.

V e r y neat concept, and very good for building a character foundation for her.

Interests: History, Mythology, Storytelling, Dance, Acting/RPing/Theatre in general

You should add the additional more Specific layer of her really liking romantic drama. A highly specific interest in historical drama, maybe? You know those tv shows that are all about reenacting the romantic drama of various royal reigns? Make her love those. Make her love troll romeo and juliet. Maybe make her fawn over fictional characters who are Her Type. 

Appearance: Xyrida wears her hair long, but she ties it back in a long fishtail looking braid that she hates to keep anywhere but behind her. Otherwise it’s everywhere and gets in her eyes and drives her batty. Lately she’s been very taken with the idea of looking ominous and ethereal, so she wears a absolutely impractical black cape that’s lined on the inside with jade, so then when she runs around her hive at night it billows behind her and gives her the aesthetic she’s been looking for. Since procuring her cape (she snatched the materials for it from her Lusus’ chrysalis beginnings) she tries to hide her average wardrobe of greys and blacks behind it, so as to add to her mystique.

Adore This I will keep it in mind while working on the redesign.

Personality: Xyrida is a hermit at heart, and she knows it. And hates it. She knows she doesn’t like leaving the hive, she knows she doesn’t like large groups of people, she knows she doesn’t actually like adventure, or strife, or any of the uncomfortable situations that come with it. But by god, does she want to be that person. Xyrida is hopeless with people, and her close circle of friends have just kind of gotten used to her oscillating moods between expressive joy and crushing dourness. In any mood, she’s always dramatic. She feels strongly and expresses with even more strength, partially because she has no idea how not to. This causes her to latch on to people and then push them away with force once she gets too close. This penchant for theatrics certainly leads to her natural skills on the stage -not that she’d ever perform, of course, but the thought is always in her head- and she loves to put on elaborate one-troll shows for her lusus, complete with singing and dancing and of course a tragic love triangle that ends in pathos and disaster for our wayward heroine. In her dreams, Xyrida sees herself as some kind of character in a really strange and elaborate production. It’s the closest thing she gets to thrill in her life.

I love this so much. What a poor hopeless romantic who likes to be alone. In my heart I really hope she likes writing scripts, too. Ones that she could accidentally post online after hours of panicking about whether or not she should post them online.

Ancestor: The Wayfarer [Kamala Poales, The Mage of Heart]

Xyrida is a big believer in the “you must be fated to follow your Ancestor” philosophy that Alternian trolls seem to be split on. I envisioned Kamala’s Alternian counterpart as a minor member of the Signless/Sufferer cult-rebellion. Her skills at pathfinding surely lead her on the road to what she felt was something moral and greater, desperate to convince her two closest companions to join her. However, much like Hi’iaka and Pele, the Wayfarer found herself in the heart of emotional turmoil, and her closest companion betrayed her, slaying her lover and culminating in a duel that left both parties dead, as the rest of the Signless’ retinue fell by the wayside.

Xyrida is absolutely obsessed with this. To her, it is the height of romantic tragedy, and she’s spent many wistful nights dreaming about how amazing it would be to be involved in something to extraordinary, so climatic, so… storybook.

Very fitting for Kamala’s situation, unfortunately. Poor girl. It’s great for her personality and tendencies, though… I adore her. And it’s a great thing for Xyrida to discover and read about. I hope she writes tragic stories about this, and rps as her ancestor All The Time. 

Title: Knight/Witch of Heart

Given what happened in Canon, it seems to be a fact that all trolls share the same Aspect as their Ancestors, but different Classes. As Kamala is a Mage, that’s right out, and doesn’t really work for Xyrida’s whole schtick anyways. I’m torn between two very active classes for her, though: Knight and Witch.

With Heart’s inverse being Mind, Xyrida would find more success retreating inward and moving Witch to Seer of Mind, which stifles her growth as a person (becoming the confident go-getter she dreams of) but plays to her strengths (sitting around reading, considering all possibilities and letting her friends do all the heavy lifting). Much like Jade, Xyrida has something of a learned helplessness complex, where she simply believes that she just can’t do things because of who she is. As a Witch, she’d have to learn that she change herself just as much as she can change everyone else.

Knight is a fun option I’ve considered because Knights have something of a “hidden self” complex. Dave’s sunglasses coolkid facade and Karkat’s shouty, bossy leader self are both akin to Xyrida’s “dramatic heroine caught in a Shakespearean tragedy” persona that she’s created for herself (and partially become out of habit). Knight stretches Xyrida to her absolute breaking point, because not only does she have to go out and do things, she has to save people?! The idea of watching someone get hurt because she did not act would shatter her, but her own tendencies would make that an inevitability. Hence, Knight of Heart- the Heroine gets on her own damn horse, dons a set of armor, and saves her friends herself. (Even if she’s terrified the whole time).

God I’m so conflicted here TOO. I think… Knight might be the way to go. She has such a limited self perception that she needs to develop that potential and learn to utilize her passion and confidence and true identity instead of being so afraid. It definitely flips the sort of dramatic heroine/damsel in distress common narrative on its head and turns her into her own hero, the resolver of her own conflicts. The inverse is Rogue of Mind, which also means she’d have to learn to passively reallocate action and would likely be Required to take a lot of decisions and thought and Active Movement on herself for the benefit of the team. 

Land: The Land of Rope and Screams

Xyrida walks out of her hive reluctantly, and finds herself in something straight out of a horror movie. Her hive’s been placed somewhere at the top of a mountain, the sky is an endless black-brown haze, and the wind whips by her so fast she fears she will fall. It’s only then that she realizes that this is no ordinary wind, but the screams of… something far down below. The only way around her planet are very rickety wood-and-rope bridges stretched between vast spaces between mountains, sometimes a sharp inclines. The only way she survive is to take a leap of faith and head downward, with little hope of making it back up. Hopefully she figures out who or what is in such distress, and get them to stop screaming.

Oh this is really good and terrifying and plays right into the idea of her needing to learn to be a hero for herself and others instead of just sitting up in her home passively.

Dream Planet: Prospit

Given that the trolls share the same symbol, and symbol alignment is linked to Dream Selves, then both Poales girls would be Prospit Dreamers. Despite her obsession with a heretical cult of dissidents, Xyrida doesn’t share any of their moral strife or conviction- she is exactly as who she says she is, a lover of history and tragedy.

I think prospit definitely fits, too. She’s Very interested in destiny and following the flow of it, which does seem important to prospit dreamers.

Design time!:

Horns: I gave her the same pronged horn as Kamala, but I had to add a hook for jade themed. 

Hair: I am ashamed to admit I based her bangs loosely off of Yuki Cross, because she’s such a dramatic vampire protagonist caught in romantic turmoil of the worst kind. The top part of her hair is meant to look a bit like Kamala’s. I did keep the braid, though I kind of want it to be shaped more like a heart in the back than a simple fishtail braid. 

Eyes: I did something I don’t usually do and gave her downward facing eyelashes. It gives her a sort of sleepy and demure look I can imagine in a romantic tragedy heroine. They’re still shaped somewhat like a lotus petal, though.

Mouth: For similar reasons, I gave her lips that are somewhat heart-shaped. With nice tiny fangs. 

Cape: I based the bottom fringe loosely off of one of fan-troll’s dresses. I wanted to make sure it looked flowy and loose, like it was made of silk and could be easily flapped around. Complete with nice jade inlining. 

Shirt & Pants: I decided to keep them relatively plain and dark, for the mystique. 

Symbol: I kept the base of Hi’iaka, but edited the outer curves into the looping fish shapes we see in a lot of Jade signs. I also turned the circles into smaller loops that hook on the straight line. The added bonus is that the reflected symbols are reminiscent of the Sufferer’s rotational motif. 

Shoes: They’re really super simple, too, but I based them off of the Disciple’s really simple shoes, so that’s fun. 

Thank you so much for sharing her!

-CD

#persephoneanmystery #xyrida poales #xyrida #poales #jadeblood #review #redesign #cd review #submission

[thestaffofgrayson]

1-100 for the unusual asks, you meme lord

Mmmmkay so I cant help being sassy but also wanna give a real answer so we gonna do this -> Anything in parenthesis is a real answer everything else is sass central station

1) Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora?  Im a dank soundcloud rapper check out my soundcloud at nobodycares540.soundcloud.fuck (I dont really use any of em tbh)

2) is your room messy or clean? *glances over* clean (m e s s y)

3) what color are your eyes? All 16 of em are different colors actually (blue)

4) do you like your name? why? No because its not Jojo (Yes!!! Love the name Perrin gonna be honest)

5) what is your relationship status? *sets status to its complicated* you could say im a bit of a player (deathly single)

6) describe your personality in 3 words or less? Im sorry who? (Described meme lord)

7) what color hair do you have? Minecraft Steve Brown (Ver Ver Pink)

8) what kind of car do you drive? color? No I run like sonic next question (nope fuck driving fuck boulder)

9) where do you shop? Uuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhh (For what Next question)

10) how would you describe your style? Goku Black cosplay (Goku Black cosplay)

11) favorite social media account? The one with the Z U C C (Tumblr fuck snapchat)

12) what size bed do you have?  Uuuummmmmmm my size OBVIOUSLY next questions (Dont know tbh queen maybe?)

13) any siblings? Little shit brother (thats not even a joke)

14) if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why?  Why this world fuck you what about mars (uuuuhhhhhh no idea gonna be honest)

15) favorite snapchat filter? Oh man! Love this one altho its not well known what ya gotta do is hit the delete button and when it asks if youre sure say yes :D (they change so often I dont pay attention)

16) favorite makeup brand(s)? Whatever it is Genji uses as eyeliner (dooont wear makeup)

17) how many times a week do you shower? I get clean by rolling around in the snow so maybe like 3 times a year (depends usually once a day with exceptions)

18) favorite tv show? I dont watch tv I AM the tv (The Office or if its Anime then Jojos Bizarre Adventure)

19) shoe size? M Y   S I Z E (size 10)

20) how tall are you?  hOWs ThE wEaTHEr dOwnTHeRe (5′9 - 5′11 somewhere in there)

21) sandals or sneakers? Gadget Shoes (legit those are cool but sneakers)

22) do you go to the gym? I think theeessseeee muscles speak for themselves (nope but I do martial arts)

23) describe your dream date  Killing all mortals and achieving a state beyond that of a god (iiiii dont know I dont really see myself going on a date)

24) how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment? Why do YOU wanna know (no really why tho)

25) what color socks are you wearing? Well I’m at home on the sofa playing sonic the hedgehog and typing up responses to an ask on tumblr that about 5 people are gonna see. That being said, Dragon Ball orange. (not wearing em but I have a fuzzy pair of polar bear socks my friend Ana sent me that I love!)

26) how many pillows do you sleep with? Wait what do you mean not everyone sleeps with 25 pillows are they mad? (One for my head, one on each side, smol pillow, pillow pet)

27) do you have a job? what do you do? I am assistant regional manager at a paper supply company named Dunder Mifflin. (Not currently but I’m gonna apply to Gamestop and Costco here soon)

28) how many friends do you have? Toooooooooooooo many I hate mortals (honestly I’m too lazy to try and count rn)

29) whats the worst thing you have ever done? Well I haven’t seen Mulan don’t call the cops (Iiiiiiii’m not sure I guess cheated on my Chinese final freshman year but hey I needed to pass that)

30) whats your favorite candle scent? V o i d  (I dont use candles that much and I shooouuulld)

31) 3 favorite boy names Jo[seph] Jo[estar], Jo[taro Ku]jo, Jo[nathan] Jo[estar]  (uuuuhhhh I like my name so it would be Perrin, Joji, Donovan)

32) 3 favorite girl names Jolyne Kujo there is no 2 and 3 (Jolyne yes I know but I actually really like the name, Perrin is also a girls name so, Milly)

33) favorite actor? Shrek from Shrek the musical (Robert Downey Jr and Chris pratt)

34) favorite actress? Taylor after she sasses me and acts like nothing happened (Millie Bobby Brown)

35) who is your celebrity crush? McCree (Matt Mercer)

36) favorite movie? UM IS THIS A QUESTION LIKE??? OBVIOUSLY THE SHREK AND BEE MOVIE CROSS OVER SHREK B: HONEY AND SWAMPS (I LOVED Black Panther and Thor Ragnarok but Secret Life of Walter Mitty’s stuck with me for a loooong time)

37) do you read a lot? whats your favorite book? I don’t read cuz I’m not a NERD (I mean actual books I don’t ask me about it another time but comics I sure do I love the Marvel Civil War storyline)

38) money or brains? They say Money can’t buy happiness but it can buy me more games! Eat that SUCKERS (Honestly brains because then you can be smart which can make you a lot of money. So many more benefits)

39) do you have a nickname? what is it? Perriushium, destroyer of life and bringer of the new age (Pey given to me by my brother when he was still a baby and couldn’t say my name)

40) how many times have you been to the hospital? Enough to be immune to every disease known to man NOW IM UNSTOPABLE MWAHAHA (none for any of my own conditions or injuries but for family stuff about twice)

41) top 10 favorite songs All Star, All Star, All Star, Chum Drum Bedrum, All Star, All Star, All Star, Never gonna give you up, All Star, All Star (Bloody Stream, Sono Chi no Sadame, Flying Battery Zone, Stardust Speedway, Stand Proud, Goku Black theme, Halo theme, The Apparition, Shovel Knight main theme, Hooked on a Feeling)

42) do you take any medications daily? I take a shot of cold hard whiskey when I get up (nope I dont have anything)

43) what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc) The largest organ of my body I’ll tell ya that much (I honestly dont know?? Smooth and soft I guess?)

44) what is your biggest fear? The Communists lol jk Communism is the only way (I’m not so sure on this one gonna be honest I do fear something I just cant think of it at the moment)

45) how many kids do you want? I mean I’m a 16 year old teenager in high school with no job and no relationship that being said 5 (NONE EVER NOPE 0 KIDS)

46) whats your go to hair style? Super Saiyan 3 (Idk I just kinda comb it to the left)

47) what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc) All Star. Wait fuck wrong quest- (Two floor medium sized house) 

48) who is your role model?  Uuuuuuuuhhhhhh (uuuuuhhhhhhhhhh)

49) what was the last compliment you received? A like on my post we did it guys we hit one like so I’m here making this 1 like special (I was told that everytime my friend see’s my dyed hair it absolutely makes his day :D) 

50) what was the last text you sent? Yeah that’ll be $5000 for the kill nice doing business with you (Maaaannny pictures of Genji Shimada)

51) how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real? WHAT SANTA ISNT REAL????!!!!!?!?!?! (It kinda faded over the years my last strands of belief were gone by 12)

52) what is your dream car? Odie’s car from Garfield Kart (The Mach 5 from speed racer there’s a street legal car look it up)

53) opinion on smoking? Jotaro does it so I do it too (PSA: Smoking doesn’t make you cool or look cool you’re just killng your lungs. I won’t try and make you stop as long as you’re aware I don’t want you smoking around me and you understand the consequences)

54) do you go to college? After that SAT I meeeaaaaannnn McDonalds might be hiring (I’m still in High School but I want to)

55) what is your dream job? To stand in a corner for 8 hours with a lamp shade over my head and make a clicking sound every so often (I would like to be able to draw, animate, design and/or play games for a living. Achievement Hunter would be a fantastic job but I doubt that’s happening)

56) would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs? I wanna live in a cloud In the sky and abduct people to harvest their DNA and make clones which I can fight to the death with (eh somewhere quiet and disconnected from people tbh)

57) do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? They fetch pretty high prices on eBay you’d be surprised (Nope I dont use them at all I bring my own and take my own)

58) do you have freckles? My face is a giant freckle little known fact (not really thank god I would look real bad with em)

59) do you smile for pictures? *leans in* I’m gonna let ya in on a secret kid. I wait until the photographer is just about to take the picture and then I hold a middle finger over my face to block the proper shot. Do it enough times then they’ll be payin YOU to get the picture done (I do but I only open my mouth slightly)

60) how many pictures do you have on your phone? They’re all of people I’ve killed because they showed me a stale meme dont worry about it (960 exactly and they’re all either memes, fan-art, or my cute friends)

61) have you ever peed in the woods? Ew no I don’t go outdoors thanks (Yep once on a school field trip in which we hiked to the top of a mountain it was fun)

62) do you still watch cartoons? Well I mean SOME ONE spoiled my belief in Santa earlier so I’m a bit too old for that now. I have a boring desk job thanks LAZLO (I do spongebob is really funny to me still and I LOVE the original Teen Titans)

63) do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonalds? McWendy’s next question (I dont eat either so)

64) Favorite dipping sauce? Drip dip dip I’m boutta rip please i want to die (I dont use dipping sauce either call me a heathen all you want)

65) what do you wear to bed? Well I take off the clothes I wore for the day, take off my earring, ring, necklace, eyes, hair, 3 layers of skin, and call it a night (Pajamas mostly and sometimes sweatpants)

66) have you ever won a spelling bee? *Obligatory Bee Movie Joke* (I’ve never even heard of a spelling bee in any of the schools I’ve been to)

67) what are your hobbies? Well I like to kill all mortals #ZamasuWasRight  (I enjoy martial arts, drawing, video games, game design, and walking around my house with nothing to do)

68) can you draw? UH BOI YOU DONT KNOW WHAT ART IS UNTIL YOUVE SEEN A SHITTY JOJO DRAWING OF MINE (I mean yeah but not well)

69) do you play an instrument? Electric Triangle (Actually, I play the Violin but not super well)

70) what was the last concert you saw? SORRY WHAT I CANT HEAR YOU OVER THE SOUND OF THE CONCERT (I’ve never been to one that seems like the opposite of fun for me personally I hate hyper loud music, people, and crowds)

71) tea or coffee? Coftea next question (tea. I don’t drink caffeine if i can help it)

72) Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? I need my sugar sonic rings (Again, Don’t drink caffeine)

73) do you want to get married? I’m already getting married. MARRIED TO THE LIFE OF CRIME THAT IS UP TOP (I mean I would like to one day)

74) what is your crush’s first and last initial? My  Self (I don’t have anyone I’m crushing on)

75) are you going to change your last name when you get married? What’s crimes last name? Smigglesworth? (If my partners last name is something with an S cuz then I can be PJS)

76) what color looks best on you? You know the color mario turns when he uses the super star? T-that (Pink and Black)

77) do you miss anyone right now? PPFFFFFT NOOOOO WHATS A FEEL *CRIES* THOSE ARENT TEARS ITS JUST SWEAT IVE ANSWERED A LOT OF QUESTIONS OKAY (I miss all my internet friends :(  *cries*)

78) do you sleep with your door open or closed? It is neither open nor closed it is in a hyper dimensional state between open and closed in which no mortal can enter or exit but also cannot be blocked from passage (clooossed because otherwise the cats are gonna kill my fish)

79) do you believe in ghosts? I mean how else would I make a long and successful career as a ghost buster (I do!)

80) what is your biggest pet peeve? My pet, Peeve! Biggest one I know! (depends on for what tbh the other day a guest speaker was talking to the class and this kid was playing music in his headphones really really loud and it pissed me off)

81) last person you called? Called what? Called them a nerd? A good bean? A meme? MAKE MORE SENSE YOU ******* **** *** ******** (Well according to my phone, the name listed is “Mom”)

82) favorite ice cream flavor? I’ll ice your cream if you’re not careful (Vanilla with chocolate syrup mixed together is hella everyone GO TRY IT)

83) regular oreos or golden oreos? The fuck is a golden oreo?? (No seriously, what the actual is a golden oreo)

84) chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? *mario invincible star song plays as I flash color and dash down rainbow road* I’ll have to think about it (rainboooowww!)

85) what shirt are you wearing? Well I…. You see… The thing is…. excuse me for one second (yeah I can’t think of sass to this one but my favorite shirt! Sonic mania that my friend Tasha bought for me and I love it!!!)

86) what is your phone background?  RYUJIN NO KEN WO KURAE!! “What do you think of this color? Is it not beautiful?” If you dont know those HOW DARE YOU LEARN THEM AND WE ARE WATCHING DRAGON BALL (Genji lock screen and Goku Black home screen)

87) are you outgoing or shy? Does THIS answer your question >:D (Outgoing when I want to be, but I’m antisocial so it’s like I CAN be outgoing and personable but it’s highly on my terms ya feel?)

88) do you like it when people play with your hair? My hair is a pride to my race the Saiyans hair is a sacred thing I will advise you not to touch it (YYYEEESSSS I LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE DO THAT BUT THAT HARDLY EVER HAPPENS)

89) do you like your neighbors?  …..the what? Never heard of it before is that a type of appliance? (I mean they’re chill we don’t interact a lot which I’m cool with)

90) do you wash your face? at night? in the morning? Nothin can cure this ugly face fest of spring 2018 (I use face wash when I shower which is typically right after school not sure why it matters but there ya go :V)

91) have you ever been high? “I’m high on LIFE maaaannn” -Incorrect Shaggy quotes (N o p e  never have don’t plan on it)

92) have you ever been drunk? shots ShotS SHOTS SHOTSSHOTSHOTS (nope but I will one day maybe in College years)

93) last thing you ate? The shattering realization that my friends will keep saying OWO to me every chance they get (Pancakes! asked for french toast but I loooove the breakfast food so no complaints)

94) favorite lyrics right now someBODY Once Told Me The World Is Gonna Roll Me… (The lyrics to Bloody Stream dude it’s a  g r e a t  op)

95) summer or winter? Sorry I’m on Mars weather its ZXAR right now (eeehhhh winter cuz then I have an excuse to be inside and it’s also the ski season)

96) day or night? I am the darkness. I am the night. I am BATMAN (Night honestly I’m a fan of the darkness)

97) dark, milk, or white chocolate? Plllleeeeaaase its like asking if you’re heart is pure of evil or not. Dark Chocolate is a sin (Milk chocolate is the best chocolate fight me on that)

98) favorite month? See, some may argue for their birthday months, christmas, new beginnings to the year, but I say there’s only ONE spooky time :3 (Altho I’m one of the fools that’s gonna have to go with March because it usually has my favorite kind of weather for where I live)

99) what is your zodiac sign  I refuse to go by Zodiac signs until Ted Cruz is proven to be the Zodiac Kill————–”OLD MEME ALERT THIS IS THE MEME POLICE”   “I AINT GOIN BACK TO JAIL”  (Cancer! I wear a necklace of my sign all the time fun fact for ya)

100) who was the last person you cried in front of?  Me after writing all these (Don’t know actually I try not to cry in front of people ever)

#Perrin answers #Thanks for the ask! #About me

[plasmamagazine]

DJ Discourse: A Conversation with Ernest Greene of ‘Washed Out’

Washed Out's Ernest Greene, recently played a packed out show at Midtown's trendy restaurant and bar Little Trouble on April 5th. Writer and staff member Jordan Neal got the opportunity to catch up with him before the show to talk about some recent changes in his life and some of his musical influences! Check out our full discussion below.

Plasma Magazine: I see that you are signed to Stones Throw, which is one of my favorite labels. Do you get to dive into more hip-hop influenced stuff?

Ernest Greene: Yea, I mean Stones Throw has definitely been my favorite label since I started making songs. When I was 18 or 19 years old all of the greatest hits from Stones Throw’s old school artists, like Madlib and J Dilla, kind of formed how I put my songs together. Stylistically, my stuff can be a lot different, but just the mindset of how they put their songs together, I was kind of mimicking that in a lot of ways.

So yeah, I’ve been a fan of that. Obviously, the label has grown and evolved over the years and put out a lot of different indie rock and R&B stuff. For the most part, even though it’s wide-ranging, it still encapsulates a lot of what I love. In a lot of ways, I wrote the album Mister Mellow like a love letter to Stones Throw. I've always dabbled in sampling but just had the background with stuff that I grew up listening to. I wanted to make a record that’s entirely sample-based like a Madlib record was. So Mister Mellow was about 90 percent samples. I hoped, and in the end, I felt like it fit pretty well in the Stones Throw world.

PM: It’s amazing man. I can definitely tell that you layered some of those, like you said, Madlib and Dilla, samples and techniques and it works out perfectly. One question: was Peanut Butter Wolf involved in any aspects of the album?

EG: Yeah, it’s kind of a long story, but I have a manager out in L.A. and he is in amatuer basketball leagues throughout the year. The team is mainly music industry type people. So, he was on a team with the General Manager of Stones Throw and he flowed the idea that I was a big fan and I was writing this (Mister Mellow) record. So he played it for everyone at Stones Throw including Peanut Butter Wolf. Of course, they are pretty tight-knit and they all have to sign off on everything. But, then I hung out with him a handful of times and we had a big party in LA the day before the record came out. We rented out this movie theater and played the visual album and there was an after party where I DJed back to back with Peanut Butter Wolf. That was an all-time-high because I was such a huge fan but also I was nervous because he was such a dope DJ. So, I was trying my best. Luckily, I managed to somewhat save face. He was so good and he’s like completely vinyl only. But, yeah it was cool. We email some.

PM: So by the time you got on Stones Throw the album was mostly done?

EG: Yeah, I had already finished it.

PM: Who’s your favorite hip-hop producer?

EG: Right now, especially on a stone throw tip, someone like Knowledge but I’m into a few people.

PM: Knowledge is crazy!

EG: Yeah, it’s just weird in the best ways - I like his stuff a lot.

PM: What about older producers?

EG: I mean, my all time favorite is DJ Shadow. Again, on the weird tip. I just love how psychedelic it is and it’s obviously rooted in Hip Hop beats. With sampling, he was just going at stuff that no one else had thought to touch. Again, I’m super into weird sounds and instruments. That’s the one person I’d point a finger at. I mentioned Dilla, Madlib, and Premier.

PM: What is it about their process, specifically, that you like the most? You know how like Dilla will sample a bunch of stuff and just take the baseline out of the song, remove the top end and use just that. Do you ever experiment with that kind of stuff?

EG: Oh yeah, sure. I mean it’s funny, different songs and different eras of what I’ve done, it’s like stealing from different people. I’ve always admired Dilla, but I never used any of his techniques until Mister Mellow. I feel like there are some things that I took directly from influence. I have a hard time doing the same thing over and over again. So, I’m just constantly trying to listen to new things and try different and new techniques.

PM: How do you feel about the differences between your DJ sets and your live performances with your band?

EG: It’s quite different. With the band side of things it’s just a lot more complicated, we’ve got a lot more gear. The shows we’ve been doing for Mister Mellow, we have a projector with visuals. So that’s really expensive and really complicated. The cool side of that is that it’s all-encompassing and such an experience for the viewers.

The DJ side of things is obviously way simpler. I just show up with a jump drive in some cases and I really enjoy it. The other thing with live shows is, for the most part, it’s the same show every night to make the visuals and stuff work. When I show up for DJ gigs, it’s just like whatever vibe is in the room and it can go any number of ways. So that’s super fun. I mostly play other peoples music when I DJ, and I obviously love that because I’m a huge collector of music.

PM: You get to experiment with other sounds...

EG: Yeah, it’s always interesting to hear what gets people going.

PM: Which one do you prefer?

EG: Uh..

PM: Is that a hard question?

EG: Yeah, it is. If I‘m touring with the band, I just want to DJ. And if I do too much DJ stuff, I just want to do the band.

Probably the DJ thing is the most fun because you never know what you’re getting into.

PM: Is that because of the instant gratification you get from the crowd?

EG: Yeah, because they are a foot away. So it’s easy to know if people are vibing on it. A lot of times with the live show we prefer to have the projector behind the screen but sometimes, if the stage isn’t deep enough the projection will be in front of me, so it’s blinding and I can’t really see. You don’t know what’s going on and can’t tell if people are into it or not.

PM: I read that you went to school in Athens, specifically UGA. How would you compare the music scene in Athens to what we have here in Atlanta?

EG: It’s quite different. I mean, I’m a bit older now so I don’t really get out much. But I lived here about 6 or 7 years ago, and at that point, I was going out to shows a lot. There was alway this kind of grimey vibe in Atlanta verus in Athens. Especially at that time - I’m sure it’s still the same.

PM: It’s still the same!

EG: Garage rock bands, like The Black Lips, were kind of in their heyday. So, that would be the first thing. The other thing is because Athens is so tied up with the University, which can be really cool for a music scene. Generally, students have a little more freedom and there is always a new year of kids moving to Athens which can breathe new life into the scene. I think that’s really cool. Maybe Athens is a little more close-knit because of that.

PM: Do you still have your studio space in Athens?

EG: No, I moved here a year and a half ago. I still have a home set up here.

PM: After traveling all over the world, what made you want to settle in Atlanta? I know you’re from Perry, GA. Is it because of family being close or do you just enjoy the south?

EG: Yeah, it’s both. I’ve bounced around a little bit but I couldn’t imagine not living in the south. I love it here. I lived here around the time Washed Out kicked off and I lived in EAV. I really liked it but I had this super small house. It’s the only thing I could afford which was a small studio space. My house was overflowing with gear - I needed a bigger space. Having gone to school in Athens, I know it was cool and a lot cheaper.

PM: It’s still commutable. You can drive back.

EG: Exactly, but the drive back and forth to the Airport was killing me. I realized how much of a city person I was. I realized after living in Athens for a while that I really enjoyed...more options. I really enjoy Atlanta. It’s only a couple hours from where I grew up and I have a lot of family there, so it works out.

PM: Are you thinking about permanently staying here?

EG: Yeah, of course!

PM: I read in an interview with the Guardian, I think it was before the release of your album ‘Within Without’, that you longed for a nine to five lifestyle. Do you still feel that way? Has your life become more normalized?

EG: Definitely. I feel like I’ve written some of my best music when I was working nine to five, when I was in school, working, and I was only doing music on the side. It has a lot to do with I was just starting out with music. Ideas came out easier then, like the longer you do it that harder it is to come up with new ideas. It becomes a challenge when you’re doing it full time. It’s just a different sensation. It can be harder at times. I think that’s what I meant but it’s definitely become more normalized. I mostly work on Washed Out 9 to 5 and I have a two year old son. So, I’m up pretty early because he gets up pretty early. I try, for the most part, to keep pretty normal hours. I was reading this book; I think it’s called ‘Daily Habits’ or something. It’s basically profiles all these famous artists, musicians, and writers and it talks about how they plan their day and their workstyles. It was really surprising how many of them worked normal nine to five hours. A lot of my friends think I’m just sitting around smoking weed all day and maybe working on music for a couple hours, but it really is, at least for me, showing up everyday and grinding through it. That’s how I work my way into ideas.

PM: Does it feel like work?

EG: At times. Finishing songs is the only time it feels like work for me and doing non-music related stuff.

PM: The beginning process, when you have that idea, is great because you’re excited but finishing it is another thing.

EG: I’m terrible at finishing ideas. I have so many songs in my Harddrive that are almost there. I don’t have the willpower to finish them. I’ve been trying to get better with that.

PM: I know that you also enjoy photography. Are you still shooting?

EG: Yeah, sadly it’s more often with my phone.

PM: They say whatever you have is the best camera.

EG: Exactly, the best camera is the one that you have with you. I used to be more into film stuff but it’s bulky carrying it around and it’s obviously a lot more expensive. So for the most part, I do stuff with my phone. You know, traveling is really great for photography because you’re in a new place. So most often when I’m shooting stuff is when I’m on a trip.

PM: Would you ever do anything with your photography work?

EG: I’ve gotten more into, just on pure creative levels, shooting weird videos on my phone and I have a couple of apps where you can layer them on top of each other. I’ve been thinking of more ways to sync it with music because the videos are so weird. I feel like I need to come out with some really weird music to pair with it. Maybe someday I’ll pursue it a little more seriously.

PM: Do you have any local bands that you’re into?

EG: The first things that come to mind are the massive hip-hop stars from here. But for the more underground stuff, I’m sadly out of the loop on that.

PM: Do you have any advice that you’d give to local musicians?

EG: Sure. I would say just make, write, and record as much as you can. That’s the way that I did it. I was much more of a producer first. I didn’t play any shows until I had a record out. For me, it was just trial and error of making a ton of really shitty songs for years until I figured out my own vibe. I would say just work as much as you can and not get bogged down in writing the perfect song. It takes the repetition of making a bunch of songs before you can do your own thing.

There are obviously idiot savants who can stumble into it and the first song that they write sound like them. But for me, I was emulating people for years until I gradually stumbled into my own style.

PM: What’s next for washed out?

EG: I’m doing a handful of DJ stuff here and there and band stuff throughout the summer, festival stuff. I’m starting to work on new stuff. I had a new song come out as part of this adult swim thing. It’s just back to the drawing board. Like I said earlier, I like each album to be different. So I’m actively trying to figure out what the next step should be.

I’ve been doing a lot of ambient music just as a hobby or for fun, so idk if that’s the direction or something I might leak out on the side. It’s just been super fun doing improvisation. Washed Out stuff generally takes forever. First I write the song. I figure out the sounds and production and it take a while. So this ambient stuff is cool. I just start looping stuff and I enjoy that because it’s so different.

Washed Out will tour throughout May and June to close out the remainder of the Mister Mellow tour. For now, you can follow Washed Out on Twitter and Instagram for updates.

#Ernest Greene #Mister Mellow #Music #Stone Throw #Peanut Butter Wolf #Madlib #J Dilla #Little Trouble #Washed Out #DJ

[thefeynatics-blog]

Zachary Mongold

Professor Michael Epperson

Side Splitting Humor and Wisdom

9 November, 2017

The Misfits (and why they’re awesome)

In the field of humor, the ordinary is anything but when you’re trying to get a laugh. Comedy begs something new and refreshing, whether it’s a witty joke or Tina Fey’s misguided attempts to win a boyfriend by climbing a mountain, we love to see the unordinary. No one makes gifs of properly functioning characters, and Fey understood that, giving a slew of eccentric, unreal, and most importantly, memorable, characters in her shows. And while it may be easy to stop the train of thought there and leave 30 Rock as an imagined adventure of wonky people, there’s so much more to it. Some things might be exaggerated for entertainment, and the characters might not always be the best people, but they’re still that:people.

Tina Fey’s known for her off-brand humor, and willingness to instantly resort to self-depreciation for the sake of a joke. Her famous (or possibly infamous) Sarah Palin impersonation proved that she had no qualms about standing up and stepping on a few toes rather than pull her punches, preferring to call things without any lens beyond the one for humor. In reviewing Fey’s book, Bossypants, Janeane Garofalo nails the mood, saying “Bossypants is not so much a memoir as it is a sort of here's-what-happened-and-why-I think-this kind of book. It's honest and intimate.” The two things clear about Fey is that a)whatever it is, she’s ready to make a joke about it, and b)she doesn’t need to play around with the truth to do this. “I Don’t Care if You Like it” and “My Honeymoon” (Bossypants) showed funny experiences that have a few points, or as Emily Nussbaum  says about 30 Rock, “Sweet yet sour, at once funny ha-ha and funny-peculiar—and also funny-relevant, if that were a thing” (30 Rock:I love this dirty sitcom).

And even if Tina Fey is as quirky as some of the people in her show, she’s proven that even if it’s not some moralizing them, she’s not afraid to bring up comments of life we can all share. 30 Rock is about a writer, Liz Lemon, trying to run a show, but it rarely settled to hold back, for good reasons. It was a family of quirky people who might show up every day for the job, but inevitably got their personal lives involved--sometimes not unwillingly. Dack Donaghy may be the self-assured boss, and Tracy Morgan the eccentric star of Lemon’s show, but it was times like when the former roleplayed the latter’s entire family in a therapy session gone wrong (or arguably right) that really makes them shine out.  The cast of the show could be rude, selfish, and outright crazy sometimes, but they were also the exact opposite in the most unexpected moments (besides crazy, they were always insane). The whole premise of 30 Rock was that this was a barely functional workplace, that managed to not only work out, but thrive in the end. Flaws and all, the whacky ensemble of stars, writers, and bosses were likeable people, and maybe even just a bit more real than society would like to admit.

And if that was a shining light in 30 Rock, Fey’s next work, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was a burning Beacon of the misfits of society. An unwitting member of an apocalypse cult stuck in a bunker for years, Kimmy Schmidt found herself in a world she didn’t know, but was determined to embrace. In trying to adjust to society, she shares an apartment with a flamboyantly gay performer and works as a nanny under a stereotypical clueless Socialite. Even as she makes progress towards a new life, this cast of anything-but-normal characters hardly changes, and neither does she ever want it to. And while in the end, every scene is a setup for a punchline (this is comedy after all), there’s a special something that also grows as each character tries to find their way in life, and discover all the hard lessons in between. Comedy’s potent in its ability to cause us to associate characters with positive emotions, even if we’re laughing with them, but Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt plays on the oldest punchline in the business:life sucks. Just as 30 Rock premise was an excuse to throw all those personalities together and see how they’d grow together, Unbreakable’s was literally the story of misfits, of people who were finding their way in life and had stumbled a bit. Underneath the laughs was a layer of honest, or as Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya puts it, “[it] remains unabashedly weird, but it’s also anchored to reality in how it explores the often nonlinear, complicated process of personal growth.” (UKS Takes Unexpected Turns).

They say that representation matters, and in her work, Tina Fey seems to just call it as it is. While none of the scenarios are her show are likely, they’re also not quite impossible, firmly grounded in experiences anyone can sympathise with. She’s not afraid to say that people are weird, and that life’s crazy, making the world the stage for her antics. But she’s also doesn’t hesitate to show a subtle distinction in that even though the characters are fictional, it doesn’t mean that nothing about them is real. Some people are jerks, or just really horrible, but like most of life, problems aren’t some evil conspiracy and people are both good and flawed. The powerful message is that in the face of a society that says what’s okay and weird, the weirdos are just shown as people. They’re hardly likeable, but they’re family, always managing to be there for each other, even if their antics.

Annotated Bibliography

Garofalo, Janeane. “Fame, Glory And Laughs In Tina Fey's 'Bossypants'.” NPR, NPR, 5 Apr. 2011, www.npr.org/2011/04/05/135120155/fame-glory-and-laughs-in-tina-feys-bossypants.

Nussbaum, Emily. “‘30 Rock’: I Love This Dirty Sitcom.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 18 June 2017, www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/30-rock-i-love-this-dirty-sitcom.

Upadhyaya, Kayla Kumari. “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Takes Unexpected Turns in Season Three Finale.” TV Club, Tv.avclub.com, 12 June 2017, tv.avclub.com/unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt-takes-unexpected-turns-in-sea-1798191572.

Fey, Tina. Bossypants. Little, Brown and Company, 2011.

Fey, Tina. “30 Rock:Rosemary's Baby.” Season 2, episode