#no because i have a lot of feelings about her having a thorn motif

[oakdaddypreserveme]

OCs in 3s

Rules: Post three pictures or images you feel relate to a character. They can be face claims, famous artworks, photos, or anything you think fits the Vibe™.

Tagged by @sardoniqueen101 thank youuuuu

Briar Heartwood 🧡🍃

i don’t know who to tag wahhhhhhhhhhh

#bg3 #briar heartwood #tav #bg3 tav #no because i have a lot of feelings about her having a thorn motif #and then that motif changing into a flower as her story continues #let’s take a moment to appreciate her freckles #briar my beloved

[frostythefrostedfox]

I can't really see sonamy working out in the long run, either one of or both characters would have to be ooc if they were a couple, I can only see it as alot of giving and sacrificing mostly from Sonic's end, because so far shown in the games canon, Amy hasnt had alot of patience with him and wants a more typical kind of relationship with sonic with dating and all that, which sonic just isnt all that in to.

Considering how much the average sonamy fanbrat clings for dear life to two tposing models in a leaked screenshot and one out of context leftover line, it has always seem like they are looking for validation rather than consensus, they tend to turn any conversation from "exposition of motives" to "explaining why i am right", and you cant win that one, you never will.

The reason why so much sonamy related stuff feels so OOC for both of themy care very little about representing the actual characters and more about representing what they want these characters to be, usually turning them into mouthpieces for whatever bias or story they want to tell, which in turn explains a lot of their love for other OOC representations of their pairing, like Prime Sonic and Thorn, or IDW Sonamy. Their story reads great if you read it in a vacuum, but as soon as you contrast whatever they wrote with the writing in the games, it becomes apparent that these are not the same characters, replacing Sonic with Domingo, by writing him to be, usually, a self centered prick that has to learn the value of *insert positive trait here*, or a little penis man that trips on his balls everytime he takes a step and needs someone to believe in him so he can do this with the power of love and friendship; and replacing Amy with Consuela, this lovey dovey perfect girl that has never ever done anything wrong, has never made Sonic feel uncomfortable, has never stalked him and has never ever in the history of ever tried to force her views and herself into sonic's lifestyle.

For some this shit was never about "why would these two character become better by being with each other" and more of "Me and my pookie". For a while several depictions of sonamy (i would call it fanon, but that would imply there is a canon counterpart, and guess what!) have always struck me as some weird self insert, and it usually reads in one of two ways

First: Self inserting as Sonic, the one being chased, the thing gets morphed into some early 2000s romcom plot, "she is annoying but i care about her", where, at the end, the pursued reveals that they have always had an interest in the pursuer and that trying to get away was their way to try and fool themselves. Usually this goes with the motif of "I wish that were me"

Second: Self inserting as Amy, this is the toxic and problematic one, because more often than not the author ends up agreeing with the concept of "Love as a transaction", where their interest must always be reciprocated because they did these many things, they have been around for this long or they have met this set of arbitrary requisites.

I really don't wanna be that person, but to me these behaviours tends to speak a lot more about its poster than about the subject of the post, and the fact that you're usually met with such defensive, offensive and sometimes aggresive behaviours (because the shit that some of them say is really eyebrow raising and I wanna believe is just a passing comment that does not represents their actual views on said topics and issues) from the fanbrats upon mentioning it, hinting at it or bringing it up, makes me believe it

If you have to change two characters so much before they can be compatible with each other, maybe they don't belong together, and maybe, just maybe, you're just looking way to deep into something that holds absolutely no meaning for validation of your ideas that you yourself made believe were real, and acting the way that some do whenever the topic aint "how great sonamy is" kinda points in the direction of "I know it but im afraid to admit it"

At the end of the day people can like whatever they want and I'm sure that most sonamy fans are normal people, but if you're one of the fanbrats that just gotta be so vocal and loud about it, don't act all offended when the others complain, or worse, do the same

#sonic #sonic the hedgehog #sth #sonic ships #shipping #sonic fandom

[mysticstarlightduck]

Notice Me, Reader! Tag

Thanks for the tag, @tabswrites!

Rules: Share 3 (or more!) small details from your WIP that you feel have gone/will go unnoticed. (You can choose whether or not to share why the detail is significant!)

I'll share some sneaky details from Tales of Wilted Flowers and Realms of Loss (:

Tales of Wilted Flowers -

Lorelai's name means "alluring enchantress", and usually a name with a meaning related to sirens that lure people to their doom. That name fits well the way the kingdom views her House, as "conniving traitors", but also has a hint of mystery that implies that not all is what it seems. (The idea for this name also came to me after listening to Loreley by Blackmore's Night)

As the title of the story would imply, many of the characters have flower motifs - some of which may appear in clothing motifs, symbolism, or actual flowers in the story. Flowers are usually tied to meanings of rebirth, hope, and something that is thriving. Wilted flowers indicate that something is amiss - perhaps their environment is sickly as well. Rylisan's flower motif is daisies. Xarian's flower motif is the nightshade. Think about that as you will (: Both have multiple meanings for the characters at hand.

When Neoma'ka is introduced she is trapped in a complicated situation. This parallels her backstory, which revolves around her being "trapped" within her family's expectations of her. It also implies that she is trapped, emotionally, by her own hands - for as long as she does not come to terms with her past.

King Tieran Kallasen's story as well as his past friendship-turned-rivalry with Arcturus Wildwood was vaguely inspired by the actual Arthurian legends. Tieran is a twisted version of King Arthur, while Arcturus is inspired by Lancelot.

Once again, the "flower" motif, but subtler: Arista Bryar's surname is a variation of the word briar - which means wild rose. Roses are innocent flowers usually hailed for their beauty, but their thorns can cause a lot of pain. As it turns out, Arista might be more thorn than flower when the story starts. I also chose her surname as "Bryar" because in Ravaryn faeries are known for having nature-inspired surnames, and she is a half-fae (vampires are faeries in this story). She is also associated with the color ember red, or blood crimson - respectively, "like her father's eyes or the rage in her heart."

Multiple character backstories in this WIP deal with the theme of being unjustly judged and shunned, being othered and cast away by other people - be it by being called a bloodthirsty aberration, a scoundrel, a dark magician, or a traitor, when that's not true. It's also a story about those characters learning to love themselves no matter what society thinks about them.

Realms of Loss:

Kassien's symbol (which is in his actual insignia in the story) is the Sea Serpent (the legendary monster). Those creatures are associated in mythology with the ungovernable power of the oceans, chaos, and the mysteries of the unknown.

When Gwain Vytris is first described in the story there's the phrase "his grey cloak frames him like the closed wings of a hawk". Hawks are birds associated with intelligence, adaptability, and freedom, while also being birds of prey capable of causing serious danger to those they hunt. It's a pretty ominous, somewhat hopeful imagery for our angry boi.

The name Drystan is a variation of Tristan, a name that means "sorrow, or one who is sorrowful". Considering Drystan's backstory in this book, I think the name is pretty accurate.

Sara Kallary's story is very much a "person vs fate" story in which she questions whether she was born destined to be a vile monster like a certain relative of hers, or if she can choose and carve out her own path and destiny.

Nesrynna is known for her unique necklace, which has an amulet that is actually a music box. This has two meanings, both are correct: 1. she chooses to look for beauty and hope in unlikely places, 2. she is stuck in the pain of her childhood, and what it could've been if nothing had gone wrong, she never let go.

Tagging - @oh-no-another-idea, @sm-writes-chaos, @steh-lar-uh-nuhs, @writernopal, @elshells, @cabbojage, @jay-avian and @rickie-the-storyteller

#wip: tales of wilted flowers #wip: realms of loss #my wips #tag games! (: #writers on tumblr #character writing #writerblr #my characters #my writing #writeblr #writing #writers

[werehamburglar]

Hello hello! Just stopping by to hear a little about whichever WIP(s) you want to share about! What do you hope readers pick up on from your WIP? What do you hope is their favorite aspect of it?

Since a lot of what I'm working on is dependent on things that came before, I'm hoping that people pick up on the smaller threads running between them and consistent little character beats and references.

For example, I'm running a Lake Wonder game called Slime Time that takes place from March 11th, 2023 and has currently stretched on in-canon to the 15th or 16th of that month while the Seltzie Boys deal with a thawing UFO and Ernest's dad hitting him with a car. This takes place simultaneously to PP2, which starts the night before with Tiff and Denny (and Andy, secretly) setting out for Pine Valley. In one of Tiff's early chapters, I drop this line:

[Ivan Cunningham], admittedly, was acting kind of odd when she saw him earlier today, like he wasn’t quite himself.

This is a reference to something the Seltzie Boys found out when they set off the sprinklers at the high school: Ivan Cunningham has been replaced by a goo version of himself. So, it's mostly things like that-- little nods to other events that happened, be it by direct knowledge or some in-character speculation.

Other times, the big thing is repeated phrases and motifs leaking from character to character. Tiff repeating "the only way out is through" comes back up from its Unholy Water days to both her and Denny, especially because Denny gives it as advice later on; but it also mixes with a sentiment from Esther that's evolved from a point in Tiff's worldview, that being:

This is, of course, inherently linked to this same sentiment but in a different form. Between the two of them, it's "Things are going to work out because they have to (I do not have another choice)" versus "things are going to work because we're going to make them work," and these bleed in and out of each other.

Plus, I have little points of imagery and description I put in to signal other things. Like, each character has certain imagery I put in over and over again. For Tiff, it's conspiracy boards, things that inexplicably glow, and stars; Bloodsaw is steam, stigmata, dirt in your mouth; Kay has bone thorns, bats, and (even pre-parasite) a description of "something gnawing" in her stomach; Duckie has her pigs, clowns, and fucked-up senses; Cory constantly refers to music (both pop culture reference and comparison to instruments); and Denny has a recurring line of "teeth suddenly too sharp" (and feeling her heart in her teeth) and references to protective roles. So, when they're having moments that are supposed to ring with the bells of someone else, I'll intentionally pull in imagery from said person in the hopes of invoking them on a subtextual level.

For example, when Denny is standing out on the back porch in PP2 after Tiff takes on the parasite and things go incredibly wrong (to the point of, gasp, characters being vulnerable), we get a couple references to stargazing and we get this moment:

This is something we get at the same time that we're invoking Kay motifs for Tiff because of the decision she made-- not hungering for normal food, stepping out into the snow, and the concept of eating in general. Like, I pulled it in intentionally-- this lack of appetite that suddenly sparks back into being the moment you're faced with something you shouldn't be eating (like, say, a dead clown. Or an uncooked rabbit. Or a decomposing deer).

Honestly, like-- the fact that Kay really doesn't like meat is another little peppered-in thing and I'm not sure how obvious it is, since we haven't spent much time with her. It isn't as present as, say, Tiff's sleep issues or Denny's extensive CD collection.

(Honorable mention is the deer scene in PP2 being a reference to Blowfly Girl. I've got an absolute fascination with that deer story.)

#i just threw so much at you #the answer is that continuous stream #checking the mail

[turtleofdamascus]

Bardugo and ribbons and flower motifs

I don’t know how to express this well but I really like how flowers and ribbons are motifs that Bardugo emphasizes especially in Kaz Brekker’s backstory and Nikolai’s life which I feel are sort of foils of each other. Both of them mask their feelings for their crush - Nikolai with humor and Kaz by not addressing them at all. While Nikolai came from wealth and Kaz from destitution, I feel they both desire the same simple things. To have their loved one safe and to maintain some sort of power but not abusing their power (Kaz taking Haskell down) (Nikolai trying to choose a rightful leader). They both have a sense of moral and justness that they cling to. 

 Kaz remembers the detail of Saskia’s red ribbon. It’s a symbol of his lost innocence, childhood, his love for life and others. I thought it stood out because this was a detail disclosed to us in a flashback but Kaz didn’t verbally share it with us , the readers. It is only when he repeats this detail to Pekka when we realize this red ribbon is personal to him and deeply affected him. Kaz is a deeply sentimental person at heart and he is still a child hurt by the loss of losing everything that made him happy. He lost the red ribbon. And you see why he is so deeply vengeful. He remembers everything he lost. 

 For Nikolai. he seems to have this sort of fetish . Well I don’t like fetish word. But obsession with Zoya’s ribbon. It’s Something that signals his crush on her throughout the book. If we’re going with the theme ribbons symbolize childhood, I feel Nikolai’s obsession with the ribbon represents his youthfulness and childness at heart. He has in some ways a boyish naivety to his love for Zoya even though he is a king. 

Geraniums, Inej’s mother’s favorite flower, comes up a lot. And right after Inej talks about Kaz and how he won’t give her flowers, she talks about how Kaz is not the man to do that. He teaches her how to pick locks and gives her knives. And I mean the parallels are quite deeply drawn. Kaz gives Inej “flowers” through him teaching her and. obviously Kaz is this man who is providing for her. He gives her a ship. He thinks of what she wants. We do get a flower moment in CK when Kaz dumps the geraniums into the canal and swoops a cloak around Inej like a phantom in the night. It’s sweeping. It’s romantic and over-the-top. 

Not sure about other flower moments but it is mentioned quite a lot in the books like the blue irises for Alina as a symbol of the Darkling’s manipulation and Mal’s care for her. 

I love how flowers symbolize the thought and care that the partner shows for the other. I guess that’s usually what most people use flowers for in books but I like how its mentioned consistently through different relationships in the books.  Edited : so I got some tags that mentioned Zoya’s garden which I totally forgot. I love that moment so much in Rule of Wolves and its a perfectly exemplifies how flowers symbolize how much a person means to the other. Zoya is another character similar to Kaz in that she masks her trauma. Her secret garden (intentional reference) is an outlet for her vulnerability and shows how deeply she thinks about each person she lost and how she clings to their memory through having them live on in her garden. Having that intimate moment wi th me Nikolai was her letting go of her barriers. I also love how Bardugo is self aware and when Zoya says the thorned flower is “not a metaphor”. So she totally knows what she’s doing. Bit of a meta moment. Similarly, Kaz reveals his sentimental nature when he reveals his attatchment to the ribbon in front of Pekka and Inej. It’s more subtle though

#grishaverse #leigh bardugo #kaz brekker #freddy carter #alina starkov #mal oretsev #crooked kingdom #six of crows #inej ghafa #nikolai lantsov #zoyalai #kanej #shadow and bone #shadow and bone meta

[cosmicallyavg-moved]

i loved your religious symbolism-style thirteen art with the playlist! i was two seconds away from suggesting "i am not a woman, i'm a god" by halsey and then i realized you'd already added it, so may i just say--you're awesome for that. x) immediate follow

!!! thank you so much!!!!!!

yeah the art was honestly heavily inspired by that song?? at least, the inspiration to make a religious style painting with thirteen came from the song, the rest of the details just kinda fell into place as i was doing research on religious paintings gkdkfkdk. i actually was going to do another piece to go with it but it's kind of on the back burner currently since im working in some other stuff?

im gonna go off for a minute about the art because i really put a lot of thought into it but never really shared it. so this is some insight on how the art came to be and what it all means:

spoiler warning for series 12 and beyond

i have a lot of strong emotions about the contrast between thirteen in series 11 and thirteen in series 12/13 ?? like how in s11 she was trying to have a new start and move on from the loss of clara, river, and bill so she was more happy and just wanted to have fun adventures with her new friends.. and then in s12 the master returns and shakes up her whole world and her facade kind of falls away and we get to see the darker side of the doctor again. in s13/flux she's had all of her time in prison to mull things over and is now searching for answers. especially with her finally meeting tecteun towards the end but not properly getting the closure she deserves with her "mother" it just feels really raw and painful to think about.

which also fits the vibe of the playlist - angry and sad, feelings of betrayal and identity crisis, and where "i am not a woman, im a god" comes into play. there's also a bit of gender vibes in that song, as well as some others that i put on the playlist, because i also view thirteen's arc to have a gender crisis to it?? like how the doctor is viewing themself now that they appear as a female. (which is its own arc tbh... and the same as the main arc where its different in s11 vs s12/13 but that's a whole other discussion so im not gonna go to deep into it)

so! i liked making those connections between that and the religious stuff

like this one is based on the paintings of jesus with the sacred heart motif, which is after his crucifixion - which i thought there were a lot of parallels between that concept and the concept of the doctor finding out about the timeless child and the events of flux, etc. like all of the life she has lived is finally catching up to her plus whatever she did in the past that she can't remember.. meeting tecteun and learning that the universe was ending BECAUSE of her??? like the doctor's beloved universe being destroyed because tecteun couldn't handle her "experiment" anymore??? it's similar to jesus's crucifixion in my mind.. i can't exactly explain it but im hoping the connection makes sense

and then i made the crown of thorns into the universe, i thought it was fitting.. since the thorns were used to mock jesus during his crucifixion. tecteun saw the universe as a petri dish for her virus (the doctor) to run rampant, but she mocked her for wanting to save it all the time.

so for the other piece, i was going to make it the portrait of mary and the immaculate heart; the heart before it was tainted, the doctor before her life was turned upside-down. so if people are interested ..... let me know and i will maybe continue that piece. but for now i have some other stuff im focusing on.

there is also a playlist for THAT side of things... like how thirteen was kinda having a new start and she was happy and had #girlpower in series 11. which that can be found on my spotify as well if anyone is interested.

okay im gonna shut up now ive rambled long enough

but thank you so much again for your kind words!!! sorry i kind of went off topic for a bit i just have a lot of feelings about thirteen and her character arc.

thank you for the follow, hope you enjoy your stay!

#okay i rambled for too long #i just like to share my thoughts #anywaysss #doctor who #dw meta #kinda #asks #littleemptyattik

[nuptia]

AN  INCOMPLETE  LIST  OF  THEMES  AND  MOTIFS  THAT  RELATE  TO  WREN’S  NARRATIVE.

NOTE:  these  themes  relate  to  the  first  arc  of  her  story,   which  is  where  the  majority  of  wren’s  threads  will  be  placed  in  order  to  keep  a  forward  momentum  on  this  blog   (   and  to  make  her  narrative  more  manageable  to  me   ).   her  themes  are  likely  to  develop  as  she  does,   but  i  want  to  spend  a  little  time  talking  about  certain  things  that  will  reoccur  on  this  blog.

HUNGER  /   GREED   /   TO  DEVOUR       (      tw  for  food  in  this  specific  section,   please  skip  forward  if  these  topics  disturb  you       ).

LYRICAL  THEMES:       at  seventeen  i  started  to  starve  myself      /       i  thought  that  love  was  a  kind  of  emptiness       /       and  at  least  then  i  understood  the  hunger  that  i  felt      /      and  i  didn’t  have  to  call  it  loneliness.       [       hunger  by  florence  +  the  machine       ].

GENSIS:       elijah  controlled  every  aspect  of  wren’s  life  and  this  specific  aspect  of  trauma  manifests  in  wren’s  relationship  with  food.   he used  it  as  a  punishment,   he  used  it  as  a  reward,   he  used  it  merely  to  show  he  had  control       ---      wren  would  define  her  relationship  with  him  as  one  of  constant  hunger       (       both  of  her  own  body,    but  the  way  he  devoured  her,    as  well   :       that  fact  she  was  literally  a  void  around  him  waiting  to  be  filled  as  he  ate  her  whole       ).

POST - ELIJAH:     she  gorges  herself  for  weeks  after  she’s  killed  elijah,   eager  to  take  back  some  semblance  of  control,   desperate  to  fill  some  sort  of  empty  pit  inside  of  her.   she  feels  constantly  sick  and  heavy  over  it,   but  lashes  out  when  maria  tries  to  get  her  to  stop.    EVENTUALLY,   SHE  LEARNS  THAT  CONTROL  IS  NOT  ABOUT  DEVOURING  EVERYTHING   :        it’s  about  getting  the  choice  of  when  you  devour  and  how  much       (       but  she  won’t  ever  lose  that  greedy  pit  inside  of  her  that  demands  more,  more,  more       ).

A  SIDE  -  NOTE,   DEVOURING  GODHOOD:       to  wren,   elijah  is  and  always  will  be  a  god.   a  vengeful  one,   but  she  can’t  fathom  a  mortal  holding  so  much  power  within  them.    she  aches  to  eat  him  whole  and  take  whatever  godhood  he  has,   to  become  godly  herself       ---       this  is  what  she  imagines  full  control  to  feel  like,   eating  god  to  become  a  god.

FUTURE  MANIFESTATIONS:       i  am  hoping  to  later  explore  the  concept  of  fullness  and  the  overflowing  cup,   and  how  this  relates  both  to  pregnancy,   motherhood,   and  found  families. 

PREY  ANIMALS       (       featuring  most  prominently   :       gazelles,   does,   and  bunnies       ).

LITERARY  THEMES:       all  the  world  will  be  your  enemy,   prince  with  a  thousand  enemes,   and  whenever  they  catch  you,   they  will  kill  you.   but  first  they  must  catch  you,   digger,   listener,   runner,   prince  with  the  swift  warning.   be  cunning  and  full  of  tricks  and  your  people  shall  never  be  destroyed       [       watership  down  by  richard  adams       ].

GAZELLES:       agility,   alertness,   and  grace.   apt  metaphors  for  wren  and  her  body.    it  should  be  noted  that  wren  remains  the  opposite  of  clumsiness       ;       she  is  consciously  and  constantly  aware  of  her  body.   every  inch  of  it   :       she  can  check  for  wounds  with  removing  clothes,   every  part  of  her  known  and  felt  to  the  deepest  degree.    if  she  fumbled  or  messed  up  around  elijah,   she  was  punished       ---       she  protects  herself  against  this  by  making  sure  her  body  is  under  her  control  constantly.

DOES:       nature  that  cannot  be  subdued  and  adaptability.    does  were  her  mother’s  favourite  animal       (      and  as  her  mother  had  powers  relating  to  nature,    you  can  imagine  why       ).       does  symbolise,   for  her,     elijah’s  inability  to  snuff  her  out       ---       he  forced  her  into  a  world  of  harsh  white  lines,   apartment  complexes,   a  city  that  bustles.     but  she  remained  unsubdued,    growing  against  his  harshness  like  a  tangled  thorn. 

BUNNIES:       fear  and  creativity.   wren  is  a  woman  in  the  run.   it’s  the  most  integral  part  of  her  story       ---      she  is  escaping  unjust  punishment  and  can  only  do  so  by  the  act  of  fleeing       (      which  requires  great  creativity  just  to  stay  alive,     but  also  it  means  she  is  constantly  in  a  state  of  fear       ).      she  hops  between  words  in  a  very  chaotic  way  and  she’s  rarely  static.    she  exists  in  constant  motion,    just  like  a  bunny,    filled  with  fear  and  creative  because  of  it.

FUTURE  MANIFESTATIONS:       i  can’t  imagine  that  wren  would  ever  become  a  predatory  animal,    but  i  would  like  if  she  became  associated  with  bird  imagery       ---      it  would  be  quite  befitting,   given  her  name,    and  i  think  it  would  represent  the  claiming  of  freedom  she’s  been  denied.

A  TURNED  BACK       (       representing  an  inability  to  understand  your  own  face  and  unknowing  yourself  so  deeply  that  you  begin  to  know  yourself  all  over  again       ).

LITERARY  THEMES:       when  i  imagine  myself       /        i  am  always  leaving       /       i  couldn’t  drawn  my  own  face  if  god  asked       [       the  vault  by  andres  crepas       ].

DISASSOCIATION:       wren  has  no  idea  who  she  is       ---        she  has  been  nothing  but  a  belonging  for  so  long  that  she  isn’t  sure  there’s  much  left  of  her       (      to  draw  on  earlier  themes,    she  must  devour  to  become  something  at  all,   to  fill  herself  up  instead  of  remaining  empty       ).   she  plays  a  little  game  with  herself  in  bathroom  mirrors  where  she  holds  up  her�� finger  and  says       ‘this  is  my  finger  and  it  is  pretty’       to  try  to  get  a  better  understanding  of  her  body.   everything  about  this  is  made  so  much  worse  by  the  fact  she  is  unendingly  on  the  run.   she  is  always  turned,   she  is  always  running,    so  how  could  she  possibly  stop  to  know  her  own  face?

FUTURE  MANIFESTATIONS:       i  have  drawn  my  own  face       ---       god  didn’t  have  to  ask      (     i  did  it  all  myself       ).   i  want  her  to  associate  

NATURE       (       what  is  motherhood?   i  want  to  become  a  tree      ).

LITERARY  THEMES:       not  that  i  want  to  be  a  god  or  a  hero       /       just  to  change  into  a  tree,   grow  for  ages,   not  hurt  anyone       [       notes  by  czeslaw  miloz       ].

NATURE  AS  MOTHERHOOD:       wren’s  earliest  memory  is  planting  tomato  seeds  with  her  mother.    she  remembers  her  mother’s  dirt  -  touched  fingers  over  her  own,      her  gentle  voice  telling  her  the  right  way  to  do  it.    instruction  hadn’t  felt  like  punishment  then   :        it  had  been  an  act  of  care  to  her.    her  childhood  home  had  been  filled  with  flowers  and  plants,    her  mother  ensuring  that  nothing  ever  died.    the  house  was  ever  -  alive,    a  paradise  of  flowers,    home  to  nature  itself       (       and  her  mother  was  the  eternal  creator  of  it  all       ).     

DISASSOCIATION  OF  NATURE:       in  contrast,     elijah  is  all  cities  -  and  -  skylines.    she  hasn’t  touched  dirt  in  a  long  time  after  she  entered  her  relationship  with  him.    he  makes  sure  she’s  clean  and  shiny,    which  means  she  doesn’t  get  to  be  around  nature  anymore.   the  plants  are  fake.    while  on  the  run,   wren  is  surrounded  by  dust  and  grime,    motel  rooms  with  dying  plants,     cars  fuming  up  the  world,     the  unnatural  taste  of  bullets.     she  thinks  of  herself  in  terms  of  failed  motherhood  because  a  mother  to  her  has  always  been  best  represented  by  a  tree.

TREEHOOD:       god,   the  tree  is  the  wren  symbol.   she  wants  to  dig  her  roots  in  deep  and  have  something  close  to  a  home,    something  stable  and  real.     it  is  in  direct  contrast  to  her  constantly  on  the  run,    a  girl  trapped  in  motion.    she  wants  to  be  static.    there’s  also  a  lot  here  to  do  with  transforming  and  getting  to  be  something  else   :      she  might  not  know  who  she  is,    but  she  knows  who  trees  are,    and  that  means  a  lot  to  her.

FUTURE  MANIFESTATIONS:      idk  i  personally  think  that  she  should  get  to  be  a  tree  if  i’m  being  honest  with  you.   but,   also,   i  want  her  to  relate  more  to  nature  and  for  the  majority  of  her  motifs  to  be  nature  -  themed.   i  think  her  disassociation  from  nature  is  perhaps  the  most  impactful  thing  that’s  happened  to  her  because  of  her  it  represents  the  failing  relationship  between  her  and  her  mother.  i  would  like  to  replace  her  tree  motfit  with  a  bird  motif:       desperation  for  stability  vs  utter  freedom.

PERSEPHONE  AND  DEMETER       (       the  myth  that  never  needed  hades     ).

THE MYTH:      tumblr  has  very  much  romanticized  persephone/hades  which  i  don’t  care  about  but  i  like  the  story  more  when  it  concerns  the  trauma  of  a  mother-daughter  relationship.    demeter  had  her  child  ripped  from  her  and  demanded  that  the  gods  give  her  back       ---       all  they  could  get  for  her  were  six  months  with  her  child.    let’s  split  this  up  better  into  wren’s  childhood  and  adulthood.    before  elijah,   wren  was  utterly  her  mother’s.     afterwards,    she  was  utterly  elijah’s.    there  was  never  any  room  for  wren  to  be  herself.   she  misses  her  mother  in  that  tender  way  that  you  love  the  seasons  and  a  ripe  harvest   :       the  hope  of  return  seems  dull  and  far  -  away,    but  wren  still  longs  for  it.

FUTURE  MANIFESTATIONS:       escape  hades  and  return  to  demeter.    she  wants  to  feel  her  mother’s  arms  around  her  again.    she  wants  to  become  demeter  and  give  her  child  daisies  and  laughter  and  a  man  who  isn’t  hell  itself.

#[ & ] headcanon. #i will be like. here is things about wren that will crop up in my writing in a little list #and i'll look and billy and post 'this man is a virgin' #the duality.... #if anyone reads through this i am madly in love with you actually #anyway pick ur fav theme mine is treehood #sometimes my baby just wants to be a tree. that's all

[sepublic]

Gus Porter and Amity Blight

          It’s fascinating, really… Writing about Gus and the Blight Twins interacting, I realized more and appreciated just how similar Gus and Amity are, while still being different- Like two sides of the same coin! Which ties back to another post I made, giving Gus the elemental motif of Water, which led to my speculation on how this might character a relationship with Amity and her Fire (amidst Gus being a counter to Boscha’s Fire).

           Gus and Amity are both precocious kids, sure… There’s this idea that they DO enjoy learning, and have a family lineage they’re ‘proud’ of. These kids are intelligent, and they come across as confident… But admittedly, there’s a bit of loneliness, of not being heard/taken seriously. But despite having more family members, Amity’s loneliness was a lot more damaging and potent, and her issues of not being heard came from her family members dismissing Amity herself! Whilst with Gus, this mostly came from his peers, who were older than him anyway and thus had more ‘reason’ to underestimate the kid.

           Not to mention, Gus and Perry clearly get along, because even if Gus DOES have some insecurity, here or there… He IS a person and so of course he’s going to have ‘flaws’, just like anyone else! Not to downplay them or anything of course. But it’s obvious that ultimately, Gus is happy, confident, and self-assured, and he knows who he is and doesn’t have to hide it, or be different from it despite being an Illusionist… In contrast to Amity, who clearly isn’t happy with who she is, feels like she has to make up for it, and wears a ‘mask’.

           Gus uses his Illusions to bolster, to show off, and to enhance his own identity, while Amity hides who she is, telling herself to shut up and be a quiet and obedient kid who doesn’t stick out amidst the rest of her family, she’s ashamed of herself. Amity dyes her hair because of what Odalia told her, and she actively sees herself as someone to change and ‘improve’ upon, in order to live up to the Blight family standard… But Gus? Gus is happy with himself because the Porter lineage consists of dweebuses… They’re people who are happy with who they are, and they’ve transmitted the same sentiments towards their children!

           Gus looks up to Perry, but it’s a healthy relationship… He genuinely admires his father because of his own choice, because Perry was good and kind to him! But Amity, she looks up to her parents because they made her dependent upon them, they indoctrinated her… They made Amity base her self-worth upon their approval. The Blight name is a curse to Amity, a reminder that she’s never good enough; Whilst the Porter name tells Gus that whoever he is, that’s valid and he should be proud of it!

           How fitting then, is it, that Gus helps lead the rebellion against Belos alongside Willow and his father Perry, who seems intrigued by what his kid has to say; Whilst Odalia and Alador would never listen to what Amity has to tell them! Gus is the one who is reassured of his own self-worth, that he’s perfectly valid as is, by the Oracle Orb… while Amity still has doubts over herself, even if Luz IS helping her overcome this. Amity is of a higher-class, nobler status in life, she comes across as more presitigous as a top student and tries a lot…

           But Gus, who definitely DOES participate, is still a lot more talented, and managed to ascend a few grades when Amity couldn’t, and is still happy with learning at school. Gus’ life comes across as less glamorous, he had less friends with just Willow, and then Luz… But those friends ended up a lot closer and more genuine to him than Boscha and her group were to Amity. And in the end, Gus gained even more friends through Eda and King… And while Amity ‘lost’ Boscha and the others, she alsojoined in on the friend group with Gus! So they have each other in a sense, because actual friendships are reciprocal and two-way.

           They both had a passion for an extra-curricular activity that they were in charge of, too; Amity had the Hexside Banshees, Gus had the Human Appreciation Society! And both willingly ousted themselves from membership entirely from said group, despite their legitimate enjoyment of it. Gus and Amity did so because they ‘paid the price’ for hurting someone else… in Amity’s case, this was herself being too critical of herself for accidentally injuring Boscha and Amelia with the Thorn Vault.

          With Gus, he DID accept the consequences of his genuine mistake, and by doing so, allowed Luz to enroll in Hexside! Amity only hurt herself, but Gus ended up helping Luz and his relationship with her and others in the end. Finally, Amity’s departure was wholly her own decision, while Gus was somewhat forced to leave because of Mattholomule’s antics, and Principal Bump’s punishment. Either way, what Amity did was bad for herself, while what Gus did was a moment of maturity and growth!

          It works with how Water and Fire are polar opposites, but they’re also intertwined with one another… Gus is the ideal to Amity’s life. He’s not as extreme in his differentiation as Luz and her colder Ice, so there’s still plenty of similarities… Just as Luz reflects Amity in one way, so does Gus in the other! He’s an Amity who is happy with himself, who has a family lineage he can actually enjoy and be a part of, etc. The more I think of it, the more fascinating it is to me, how similar yet different the two are; Especially since Gus and his motif of Water provided unconditional friendship to Willow, in the wake of Amity and her Fire damaging the girl’s self-esteem.

          And while Amity and Gus have their academic skill and surprising ‘maturity’ acknowledged… Amity’s maturity is superificial, more blind and quiet obedience than anything else, while Gus’ maturity is real and applies to his self-worth. Not to mention, Amity’s ‘maturity’ causes others to not see her as a kid who still needs emotional support and has insecurities, whilst other people recognize Gus as still being young and needing help; But at the same time, they don’t infantilize him! Gus has needs, sure, but he also has a lot to offer. People generally seem more fixated on what they can do for him, VS Amity’s parents asking so much of her.

           Sadly, the interactions between Gus and Amity have been practically zero. I guess I can’t blame Gus, he’s seen how terrible Amity was towards Willow, so he might be reluctant to know her personally… And similarly, Amity is too shy and reserved to extend friendship readily, already has this with Luz, and might be afraid of disappointing Gus, amidst him having witnessed Willow’s abuse longer than Luz did. To Amity, who was likely afraid of losing Luz’s opinion of her when Willow’s memories came into play; She probably assumes that Gus has a bad opinion of her.

           Whether or not he does, I can’t say for sure… But the kid seems too good-natured and open to bear a grudge. At the very least, Amity has improved a lot, and Gus has been busy in other interactions, such as with Eda, King, and regrettably, Hooty. But if they DID interact in Season 2, I’d love to see Gus and Amity take note of the comparisons and dichotomy of their lives… Perhaps Amity becomes envious of Gus, or at least wishes she had what he does, while deciding to look after the kid- She doesn’t want him to become like her!

           Gus realizes that Amity is unfortunate… He better appreciates his relationship with Perry, as if he doesn’t already, and I can see him offering a lot of confidence to Amity! Maybe helping her relax, listen to what she has to say… We never see it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Gus was someone who listened a lot to what Willow had to say in the past, just as Luz does to Willow AND Amity! Gus becoming friends with Amity could help the girl make new connections and solidify them, to both her and Luz’s delight… And Gus is elated to have another audience member to entertain with his illusions, someone who will listen to him!

          Because like King, while he does have issues with feeling unheard… In the end, he makes a point of letting himself be noticed, hence his enjoyment of Illusions, self-confidence, and one-time stint as MC at Grom! Whilst Amity tries NOT to be noticed, at least not in the individual sense- She’ll draw attention to the façade she has the Blight Child, and as a faceless member of the Emperor’s Coven one day… And that’s another dichotomy; The Blights are covenscouts and support Belos’ reign, while Perry Porter works with the news, reporting on some of the less desirable parts of Belos’ rule, and his own role is used by Gus to help lead an uprising against the Emperor; To show the truth to Belos’ cruelty, which is ironic for a kid who specializes in Illusions!

           As the son of a reporter, Gus has likely heard a LOT of gossip… So it’s possible he’ll be a lot more privy than most to Belos’ corruption, in the event that Perry likely does some investigation, or at least a lot of reporting and inevitably gets assigned to a thing or two. Whilst Amity’s parents keep her shielded from the truth of the Emperor’s Coven, or at least try to justify it… But Gus, he could be someone who helps Amity realize how corrupt Belos is, and how a good relationship with a parent that discusses the family name actually looks like! He can help Amity realize the truth- Again, another ironic contrast to his Illusionist talents. Assuming what happened with Luz, Eda, and Lilith isn’t already enough for Amity…

           Obviously Gus doesn’t HAVE to be friends with Amity and vice-versa. I can understand if he wants to avoid her because of what she did to Willow. But I think if the two WERE to interact, there’s some potential… At the very least, there’s a lot of thematic connections, similarities, and differences that are worth noting and appreciating. I’m just imagining Gus seeing Amity as being all down and in the pits, cheering her up with Illusions… And Amity listens to and understands Gus when he has to vent a bit.

           Amusingly, he’s also a self-proclaimed ‘Human expert’! So I can see Amity looking to GUS of all people on guidance on how to woo Luz, and navigate her human culture… And Gus, despite meaning well, just sets up Amity for failure and antics as he teaches her all of the wrong things! Imagine Amity nervously coming up to Luz, dressed in a rain poncho because it’s apparently a ‘display of romantic affection’ while Gus unblinkingly flashes her a thumbs-up from behind a bush! And then that leads to his disappointment as he realizes he screwed up…

           Or, Luz is such a goober who loves Amity that she takes it all in stride and genuinely enjoys it, leading to Gus being triumphant in his knowledge, while telling Amity ‘I told you so!’ Amity can’t BELIEVE she actually listened to him- But it paid off in the end, didn’t it? And hey, maybe she can use her power as a Blight to nab a human artifact for Gus… Or at least show him of Azura, assuming Luz already hasn’t! But given that book series is about witches and not humans themselves, I can see Gus not being too intrigued.

           To Amity, Gus is this weird, unusual little kid with a lot of ideas, surprisingly precocious… But she appreciates his confidence in himself, and how sweet he can be! While Gus sees Amity as Willow’s former friend who REALLY hurt her, but has since improved… And he knows through Luz and Willow that her parents are outright abusive, maybe he’s even had past interactions with Emira and Edric, as members of the same track! Either way, Gus has a lot of natural curiosity that wasn’t quashed or taken advantage of by his father, but actually supported… Maybe he’ll be interested in interviewing Amity, getting to know the REAL Amity Blight, encouraging her to come forth! And Amity is uncertain, maybe flattered… Maybe she humors him and actually DOES open up a little, maybe not.

#the owl house #owl house #the owl house gus #gus porter #the owl house amity #amity blight #the owl house perry #perry porter #the owl house odalia #odalia blight #the owl house alador #alador blight #augustus porter

[studyingfilms]

hanna rated Life can be so wonderful (2007) ⭐⭐⭐½

Life can be so wonderful, directed by Osamu Minorikawa, is a film divided in five short chapters (”Life can be so wonderful”, “Bar fly”, “Her favorite solitude”, “Snafkin liberty” & “Reasons to live”), each one following different characters and their ordinary lives. Narrated in voice over by the characters, the stories are pretty much their thoughts and reminiscences about life. Like a journal, those five people speak without motif other than expressing themselves. There is not necessarily a story to be told, but a point of view to express, a life lesson to pass on, a memory to remember, or a list of reasons to live. In this sense, at times, we almost feel like we are watching a subjective documentary (I was seriously disappointed when I remembered I actually wasn’t). Not only because of how real some of the characters and the stories feel like, but because a lot of the camera and editing choices emulate that too. Although each chapter have different aesthetics that best fit the story, they all have in common a grainy, hazy, filmy look, that reminds the cozy feeling of a home movie (or, as I felt like, the bittersweet feeling of watching someone pick the camera and film their home, their family and their thoughts because they are too scared to forget).

I gave Life can be so wonderful three and a half stars because I didn’t like all the chapters that much. My favorite one was “Reasons to live”, which alone earned half of my rating. The chapter is about a woman who returns to her mother’s house for a visit. With a late father, she wonders (for the first time, it seems) if her mother ever feels lonely inside that empty house, where everyone left (the daughter, included) but the memories, the belongings, the bedrooms and the traditions remained. She then comes to the conclusion she knows nothing about her mother. The chapter starts with her saying, in voice over, “My mother often tells me that I should never die before her. It has become her mantra to me. I always assure her and so far I have been keeping that promise.” Later, after receiving a night call mistaking her for someone else, she calls her mother to ask what is the meaning behind her name, Kanoko. Kanoko says “A name is something a person carries throught life”. Having a name, responding when someone calls your name, that is existing. And what is it that makes us alive? Acknowledging that other things exist, giving them purpose and meaning. And she too was given a name, a purpose and meaning. That is living and mostly, that is keeping a promise of staying alive. Which is why she then proceeds to list several things, evoking their names, their images, their significance to her. A tomato soup, a lucky charm, a gentle breeze, a street she walks by everyday. They have names, they are real, they are reasons to live. In this sense, I couldn’t help but remember Naomi Kawase’s Katatsumori (one of my favorite films, for sure) when she points the camera at things and shout their names. A list of the most ordinary things that make your heart beats faster. A bug, the sky, a thorn on your grandmother’s nose. Those are the reasons to live, the simple existence of the ordinary. And much like Katatsumori, Life can be so wonderful is about ordinary people living ordinary lives.

#woo my first review here!! #i'm scared lmaooo #please be nice #as always please note that english is NOT my native language #studyingfilms #film rating #film shelf #studyblr #studyblr community #gradblr #grad student #film student #reviews

[putschki1969]

我が家の植物のご紹介！ Introducing the plants in my home!

YAY! Wakana is blessing us with another video. She is starting to work through our requests. Since so many fans requested an introduction of the plants in her home, that’s what her first video in the series is about. For 11 minutes straight she is talking about most of the little (sometimes not so little) plant-babies in her house. It’s so freaking cute.

I am collecting video ideas! POST

Wakana Project! What kind of videos do you feel like watching!? POST

❗Please support Wakana❗

❗Join her Fan Club❗

❗Read my TUTORIAL here❗

In my last few posts I have talked about wanting to motivate people to join her fan club by not always sharing all of Wakana’s videos. I have received some feedback and it seems that most of you lack the financial means to join her fan club (I only got a couple of replies so I am not sure if that applies to all of you?) I really don’t like withholding content, I am NOT a fan of exclusivity BUT I want to do my best to support Wakana. That’s why I think I will resort to the following plan from now on. 〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

👉LIKE and REBLOG my posts about Wakana’s fan club videos

👉Leave a REPLY explaining why you currently cannot join the fan club

👉I will send you a Google Drive link via direct message

👉DO NOT SHARE the link or the video anywhere

Click below the cut to find out about the plants in detail:

ベンジャミン・ラブリー (benjamin lovely) | Weeping Fig Nickname: Love-chan; She mentioned this little baby in one of her fan club magazines and gave away a drawing of it to a lucky fan

エピフィルム(月下美人) | Epiphyllum (Queen of the Night) Nickname: Gekkabijin-chan; Wakana has posted about this on Instagram. This plant blooms rarely and only at night, its flowers wilt before dawn. Wakana used this flower as motif for her “magic moment” spring live goods.

シェフレラ | Schefflera Nickname: Chef; This is one of her biggest plants and it needs to be pruned a lot every year

シェフレラ | Schefflera Probably another one of this kind, she isn’t sure. She bought it in a 300 yen shop.

カラテア・ランキフォリア | Rattlesnake plant It can open and close its leaves depending on the time of day. The leaves are spread wide open in the morning.

ポトス | Devil’s Ivy A very resiliant and strong plant. You need to cut it very often or it will grow longer and longer.

アイビー | Ivy Another very strong plant baby. She bought it in a 100 yen shop. It has grown so much ever since then. 

アガベ・リュウゼツラン | Agave Nickname: Mama Agave; She has shown this plants a few times already on her social media. It’s also featured on her Wakana Live Tour 2018 t-shirt. You have to be careful when touching the leaves because there are some thorns.

コウモリラン | Common staghorn fern She really likes the unique shape of the leaves

エバーフレッシュ | Persian Silk Tree Nickname: Nemunoki or Everfresh-chan; Its leaves slowly close during the night and during periods of rain. Wakana feels like this tree always goes to sleep together with her. Also, this one makes her feel like she lives in the forest. 

しのぶ | Squirrel's Foot Fern Nickname: Shinobu-chan; She thinks this plant is particularly beautiful. Furry paw-like feet slowly crawl over the edge of the container and fronds are sprouting from them. A very mysterious-looking plant. 

It’s really cute how she is discovering all those baby leaves growing on her plants. Love the sound effects she is using. At the end she wants to talk about how to best water all her plants but it got way too detailed so she fast-forwared through all of it. Despite the speed ramping you can still tell how passionate she is about the topic. How is she so adorable? Can someone please tell me? I am just dying from all the cuteness. Her blabbering on and on about watering plants. Bless her! I love her so much!

#kalafina #wakana #video #summary #botanical land #fan club exclusive content #her editing skills are pretty good #I am impressed #precious wakana #so freaking cute #her let's go! is LOVE

[percival-queen]

Mun likes symbolism and The Little Prince jokes went way too far: a guide

{Special thanks to @stardemon39 for wasting an incredible amount of energy on figuring out my dumb dream symbols!} {LONG POST BELOW}

{For those of you who don't already know, for the past... idk... WHILE, I’ve been dropping cryptic hints about Percy’s dreams— particularly one consisting of a lot of imagery of yellow/gold roses, red foxes, and snakes in the grass! The first clue to deciphering literally any of this— which, interestingly, stardemon39 never once mentioned— is that all the imagery comes from the fairy tale of The Little Prince, yet another symbol that’s been talked about on this blog. We already know from Percy that, fitting to her name and manner of being portrayed, she is The Little Prince. But what do the other symbols represent?

Let’s start off with the easiest one— the rose. In The Little Prince, the Little Prince loves a rose: she is the first relationship the Prince has, and for a while, the only relationship he has. However, she unintentionally harms him with her thorns (which, as an anon pointed out, is in and of itself symbolism for the words she uses to protect herself from getting hurt). I thought this fit pretty well overall with Ramsey, and Percy’s first experience of loving someone outside her own family— especially considering he’s a criminal who starts off hurting her just by his way of living (think back to the thread where he broke out of prison and showed up beaten at her doorstep). However, the most important thing to me when devising this symbol was the color of the rose. The original rose in The Little Prince is red, and the Prince’s relationship with her is romantic. (It’s a fairy tale, don’t ask.) However, you all know my Percy is very firmly romance-repulsed, and I needed a way to distinguish that I was not taking anything in a shippy direction considering roses themselves are usually associated with romance. So after a bit of double-checking my flower meanings, I decided to explicitly make Ramsey’s rose yellow— or, as Percy retcons later, gold. Yellow roses (and flowers in general) are the symbol of friendship, and gold just so happens to be like a very intense version of yellow. This was perfect for me, because it links the flower directly to Ramsey, while also showing Percy’s state of mind regarding him: she knows she doesn’t feel romantically about him (red), but she’s not used to the experience of friendship at all (yellow), let alone one that’s so strong it transcends the usual color scale (gold).

TL;DR, Percy realizes that Ramsey means a lot to her, but struggles to put her feelings into words because they don’t fit with any of the relationships (normal flower colors/meanings) she was raised with.

Now we get a bit messier. I’ll confess that I DID briefly consider assigning BOTH the rose and red fox title to Zora— but I realized that while some of the rose’s themes fit her, the only reason I thought of the fox was because Zora herself matches with the stereotypes of a fox (cunning, tricky, clever), which all fit with the snake motif later anyway. Besides, the red fox had a much better match in the context of the story: Meryl. There are a few traits of the fox which suit Meryl well— the fact her hair is, in fact, red, added with how the fox wishes to make friends with the Little Prince (incidentally, because the Prince’s hair is “golden like wheat,” and will give the wheat-fields pleasant meaning for him), while the Prince himself is originally hesitant— but the most important key here is in the quote Percy once spoke to an anon:

“To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world . . .”

This is, essentially, how Percy views Mundies. It’s already pretty obvious at this point that she uses Epithets to recognize people, not to mention her beliefs about Inscribed being “chosen” as those worthy of gifts to serve others with (a belief further explained by Parapet). But her recent encounter with Meryl— which has been in the works for a long time— has started to give her a new perspective on that. She realizes, in one of those “oh, this should’ve been obvious, but I was too wrapped up in other thoughts to care” moments, that Mundies have unique personalities, strengths, and weaknesses, too— and that maybe she doesn’t hate Meryl’s as much as she thought. Allowing herself to “tame” anybody is risky, because then “[she] shall need [them],” but with Meryl, it’s even more profound, because accepting Meryl is a person is giving her a clear identity rather than just another Mundie/coworker/innocent. “To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world . . .”

TL;DR, Meryl forces Percy to recognize that all people (including Mundies) are unique when you get to know them, and that forming a kinship inherently adds to their value from a personal stance.

Which, finally, brings us to the snake in the grass: Zora. The snake in The Little Prince is a trickster, much like many snake stereotypes, but I found that it could give a more impactful meaning when you consider that before Zora, Percy never questioned her beliefs. Yes, she was always gullible, but as far as morals were concerned, she saw the world in black-and-white. It was Zora who forced her to think differently on this matter, and it’s Zora who she can’t bring herself to harm even though she has and continues to kill people. A sort of tragic reckoning; the Prince is never as wary of the snake as he should be, and continues to be drawn in by his words despite the danger. Not to mention, we have literally seen Zora as a snake before! And I’m not even the one who sent in that M!A!

Of course, with the end of the fairy tale in mind, what does this mean for the future...?

...Like I’d ever spoil that! But one thing is for certain: Percy should learn to recognize her own feelings, or she’ll be running into battles blind. :)

TL;DR, Zora twists Percy’s way of thinking and also represents an inherently dangerous foe, who Percy continues to encounter and treat on neutral ground even though that poses immense danger in every conceivable way— for better or for worse.

ULTIMATE TL;DR: MUN SPENT WAY TOO LONG MAKING UP SYMBOLS FOR NO APPARENT REASON BESIDES THE INHERENT AESTHETIC OF FAIRY-TALE SYMBOLISM.}

#[ off the clock - OOC ] #[ mun is a mundie - OOC musings ] #long post tw #tw: long post

[harlot-of-oblivion]

A Rose Among the Briars (Part 1)

After a month of quiet encounters with Vergil at the local book cafe, you finally decide to break the ice.

My attempt at writing a meet-cute, featuring you and Vergil. Some of the dialogue popped into head and I had to write a scene around it. So have some fluff, ya’ll. Hope you enjoy! 

Ever since coming back from hell, Vergil has slowly integrated himself into the human world. His relationship with Dante has gotten better, though they still fight a lot from time to time. He and his son, Nero, have made inroads towards a family bond, but it’s still so new to him being a father that he can’t tell if he’s doing it right…and he hates uncertainty, especially within himself. On days like that, where the human world and his adjustment in it becomes too overwhelming, he escapes to a coffee and antique book shop he happen to find while walking off some steam. It was quiet, had good tea, and not very crowded. The perfect refuge while he internally relaxed and recharged away from the prying eyes his brother, his son, and the rest of the crew.

Vergil sat in his usual secluded corner, sipping his favorite black tea, and reading one of the old books that cover the walls of this shop. The day was overcast, rain was expected to fall at any moment, so the shop was desolate. This suited the older Son of Sparda just fine. He was looking forward to a peaceful afternoon alone…that is until he heard the bell chime as the door to the shop opens and you step through.

“Hello again,” you address the barista, smiling brightly as you exchange pleasantries and order your drink. There goes my seclusion, Vergil thought as he secretly watches you. Both of you frequent this little nook of a shop. He took notice of you immediately because you dared to sit in the same secluded section of the shop as he, either unaware or not caring about his presence. He tolerated you invading his privacy since you never spoke. You just sipped your beverage, read, and occasionally observed him out of the corner of your eye. He found himself also observing you in turn over time, wondering why you insist on being this close to him while everything about him instinctively says stay away. After awhile he got used to your quiet company. He sometimes looks forward to seeing you, taking note what book you were reading that day…though he would never admit that in confidence to himself.  

Vergil went back to his book, but he continues to nonchalantly watch you out of his periphery vision as you wait for your order…and inevitably come over and bother his solitude. He took note that this was the first time he saw you wearing a dress. A blue chiffon summer dress with a resplendent floral pattern to be exact. At least she has elegant taste in fashion, he thought as he let his eyes wonder your form, mentally admiring your attractive form.

He quickly shifts his eyes back to his book as the barista calls your name and you retrieve your prepared beverage, thanking the barista as you made your way back to where he knew you would go…the close corner across from him. Vergil takes a deep meditative breath, falling back on his mental techniques he uses while he wields the Yamato to empty his mind of all distraction. He vowed to try his best to blend in while living here. That included playing nice while out among them. Also, he quite liked this coffee shop, and if he had to get used to the occasional stray customer to enjoy it…so be it. 

You arrive at the corner across from him, grab a book, and sit down. Your eyes spare him a glance as you scan the multitude of books on the shelved walls before leaning back in your seat and start to read. Both of you sat there a while, you sip your beverage serenely and Vergil keeps reading, showing remarkable forbearance as he once again reluctantly shared his space. He felt proud of himself in that moment; he’s come a long way if he can endure this long in a stranger’s company. 

Eventually, you finish your drink, rise up from your seat, and walk a few steps to inspect one of the walls of books. Your back is to him, and Vergil couldn’t help to notice your stature. He surmised that if he stood you would have to crane your neck up to meet his eyes. Your delicate fingers brush against the old books until they come to an empty spot. It seems she’s about to take her leave, he thought. His brows furrow in slight puzzlement. You usually stay a lot longer, but perhaps you have a prior engagement to get to and only had a few minutes a visit. Either way, it wasn’t his business, so he went back to his task and prepared for blessed solitude once more.

“You’re surrounded by briars.” 

Your voice rang out around him. After a month of your continued frivolous company you finally speak to him. He expected you to be a simpering woman, foolishly trying to engage him in some droll conversation about the weather or some other such nonsense. Instead, your blunt and cryptic statement quickly proves him wrong. 

Vergil peeks up from his book at you as his brow scrunches up in befuddlement. “I beg your pardon?” 

You look over your shoulder at him as you replace the book in your hands back to its respective place on the shelf. “Briars…you know what briars are, right? The motif on your coat remind me of briars.” 

“Of course I know what briars are,” he sneers and returns to his book, intending to continue his reading. “And they’re vines,” he adds. He may be annoyed, but he wouldn’t let you regard his attire incorrectly. 

“Ah,” you mutter, raising your eyebrows as you nod head and turn back to the shelf. He thought that was the end of this arbitrary conversation until your voice once again rang through the room. “Well, that doesn’t suit you at all.” 

“What are you prattling on about?” he snaps. Vergil didn’t bother to hide his irritation as his silver eyes glare at you, warning you that his patience was growing thin.  

“Well,” you start as you turn your body to fully face him, seemingly unaware of his agitation or just out right ignoring it. You meet his gaze head on. “Vines extend themselves and…not to be rude, but you don’t seem the type that easily reaches out to people.” 

Such insolence! He glowers at you and was about to put you in your place until he notices your modest posture. Your hands were clasped in front of you, arms relaxed, and legs standing straight close together. You show no sign of hostility nor fear. Your eyes, which are level with his since he was sitting down, never left his confrontational gaze. Vergil’s brow eases a bit. He decides to indulge you a bit since its not very often that people last this long under his intense stare…not because you impressed him or anything. 

“Hmph…have you thought perhaps it’s not people I’m reaching for?” 

You tilt your head a little as your lips curl up thoughtfully. “True.” Vergil grins smugly, thinking this one sided game of verbal sparring is over. “But I like the idea of briars for you,” came your swift reply, nodding your head as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  

“And why, pray tell, is that?” he queries sternly, raising an incredulous eyebrow at you. He was genuinely curious about your answer, and if he was honest with himself, curious about you. But he refuses to show you any sign of that. Instead, he marks his place in his book and closes it, still maintaining the constant eye contact with you. He awaits what silly notions you have of him so he can decisively end it and be done with you.  

“Briars are prickly. Nature’s way of deterring creatures from treading on them. Most stay away from briars, but if one were patient and slowly step through the shrubbery, prying apart thorns with utmost care…then they may come upon the reason for the thorns. For among briars wild roses may grow…beautiful, delicate, and protected from the unwary passerby. And to those who risk pricks and scratches, yet still move forward…finding such a wonder is a reward in and of itself.” 

Your gaze never wavers from his as your pensive words flow out in to a steady stream of thought. As he listens he can feel the usual permanent scowl that accompanies his face slowly dissipate. All of the rigid coldness that always resides within him leaves his body. For the first time in a while…Vergil was stunned.   

You must have mistaken his quiet surprise as confusion because you hurriedly brushed a loose strand of hair behind ear as you clear your throat. “I guess…what I’m trying to say is…no matter how difficult it may be…you’re worth it, Vergil.” 

A genuine smile lights up your face. Time stood still and his surroundings seem to fade out around him as a soft warmth spread throughout his chest. Right then and there, Vergil didn’t see just another faceless human to be ignored. Before him was a confident and eloquent woman, who somehow managed to make a miniscule crack in his taciturn shell. He wanted to be furious that you blind sided him with this stunt, but…to his surprise, he was impressed and…flattered. 

You finally broke eye contact with him as you retreat to collect your things. “Well, I should go now. Sorry for distracting you from your book. I promise not to disturb you again in the future. I just needed to get that off my chest.” You give him one last glance, eyes gleaming with soft worry as you bid him farewell. As you briskly made your way to the exit, a soft rumble of thunder fills the air. 

His piercing eyes follow your retreating form as he was still comprehending what exactly happened. It’s been a long time since someone paid him a genuine compliment. All this time you didn’t mean to intrude on his personal space…you were just assessing him from afar, waiting until he was comfortable enough around you to finally break the ice and start a conversation. Vergil knew he wasn’t an easy man to converse with…he knew his devilish nature makes most humans steer clear of him, but you just weathered his cold bitterness and- 

Wait a moment...How did she know my name? 

Just as that stray mystery presents itself he registers the light pattering of rain outside. He looks back at your corner and spots something you forgot to grab before your rushed departure. He knew that you walked here…he’s eavesdropped on your chats with the barista on occasion and you once told them that you like to take in the fresh air and the sights of the city. But your walk wouldn’t be pleasant nor dry since right there on the table was your simple black umbrella, not with you to ease the onslaught of summer rain. 

Vergil snaps his book shut and quickly stood up. He put the book back in its proper place on a shelf, gathered his belongings along with your forgotten umbrella, and left the shop. As he steps outside, he opens your umbrella and let it shield him from the warm rain. He sometimes caught sight of you through the shop window and knew you always came and went in the same direction. He follows your path, hoping to come upon you and return your umbrella. He shook his head in disbelief. It’s not like him to rush ahead with no plan, besides returning what’s yours because it’s good manners. He wasn’t even sure if he would find you. It would’ve made more sense to just keep the umbrella and wait to return it to you the next time he ran into you at the shop. Or better yet, he could’ve given it to the barista for safekeeping. But he didn’t do either of those things…instead, he was out here, foolishly searching for you.  

 Vergil marches on for another minute and turns a corner. There she is! He spots you standing at the corner of a street. Your blue chiffon dress was swaying delicately in the breeze as the rain started to sprinkle down steadily. He heads straight for you, and as he got closer he notices that your head was leaning up towards the sky, eyes closed as your face glistens in the rain. You were the image of pure tranquility and Vergil slowed his pace until he halts just a few feet away from you. For the first time, he lets himself take in all of you. As his brazen eyes roam your body, truly realizing your beauty, he softly took a deep breath in through his nose. He thanked his demonic side for blessing him with enhanced senses because your scent was utterly intoxicating. He almost lost himself in it before shutting his eyes, chastising himself for losing his composure and reigning it back in. 

He soundlessly steps up beside you and positions the umbrella to cover both you and him. Your brows furrow as the rain ceases to fall on your face. You open your eyes and they spark in recognition as they take in the underside of the umbrella. Your eyes swivel over to see who’s holding it and they widen in shock. Vergil was staring ahead, letting the moment drag on a bit before he spoke. 

“You’re going to need this if you don’t want to get utterly drenched and inevitably sick,” he stated matter-of-factly.

Your mouth parts in awe as you continue to stare up at him. You blink your eyes a few times before you collect yourself and look away as you reply, “I suppose I do.” You don’t reach for the umbrella though. Vergil observes you from the corner of his eye and sees you biting your lower lip in thought. He waits patiently though, taking the opportunity to study you up close and mentally marveling at your lovely profile. 

“But what about you?” you ask. “It’d be a shame if the rain ruins your nice coat and uh…hair.” You look up at him inquisitively. 

Vergil peers down at you. “Why would you care about that?” 

“Because I’m trying to be decent, Vergil. And perhaps you can take it as an apology for me being super blunt earlier.”

“How do you know my name?” His eyes squint in suspicion.

“The barista told me. They always take down a customer’s name for their drink order. It felt rude to refer to you as the “alluring and intimidating blue gentleman” that sits in my corner.”

“Your corner?” Vergil scoffs, leaning his face down a little towards you.  

You, despite his intimidating height, stood your ground. “Yes…my corner. I came in one day and there you were…sitting in my chair. I didn’t feel like making a big deal about it though. Figured I could share the space since you fascinate me and thought perhaps after a while we could have a friendly chat…until I clearly screwed that up. Sometimes I don’t know when to shut up.” You close your eyes and sigh regretfully. 

Vergil lets your words sink in. The whole reason why they’re in this situation…is because he took your spot? And you were actually trying to spark a friendly conversation…with him? She thought he was fascinating? Vergil would’ve laughed at the sheer absurdity of the whole thing if it weren’t for the sincerity of your words. He clenches his jaw for a moment as he collects this thoughts. As much as you bewilder him…he can’t deny there is a certain draw to you. He didn’t have to think long before he came to a decision. He pushes through the sudden feeling of being self-conscious as he taps into his humanity and attempts to open up to you just a bit.  

“I’m not…the best…at connecting with people,” he admits, his words coming out stilted. “Nor do I express my feelings in a typical manner. But if you…still find me worth it…I’m willing to try.”

Your head snaps up and you meet his gaze. You both stood still under the shared umbrella Vergil held as the rain continued to pour down around you. After a moment your eyes soften and you smile that same smile he witnessed in the coffee shop. And once again he felt warmth form in his chest again. He wasn’t used to these feelings you give rise to…but he found in that moment that he doesn’t dislike it. 

“Of course, Vergil…that’s all I ask: a small step among the briars.”

“And perhaps that small step will lead you in the direction of the wild roses you so desire,” he replies softly and for the first time since he met you…he gave you a small smile. Your eyes sparkle in wonder as a slight tinge of pink graced your cheeks. But you didn’t avert your eyes from his meekly…You held your gaze, just like he knew you would. And oh…what a daring sight to behold.  

Vergil offers to escort you home since you insist that he stay under the safety of the umbrella for as long as possible. On the way, he engages in easy conversation with you about common interests. You both like books, tea, and classical music. You don’t know much about poetry, but listen intently when he recites a favorite of his for you. Afterwards, you claim that you have a new found appreciation for it and thank him for sharing. Vergil nods curtly in satisfaction. He found that you knew a lot about the ancient classics and asked for recommendations. You beam and promise to point out your favorite volumes in the coffee shop. 

You eventually arrive at your home. Vergil takes note that its not to far from the office...which means you’re pretty safe from demon attacks if it should happen close by. When you get to the porch he passes your umbrella to your hand, careful that his body doesn’t invade your space, but surreptitiously lets his fingers brush against your hand. Your skin is silky smooth. You thank him and take it back, a slight hitch in your breath the only sign that you felt his touch, but daring not to pull away. Vergil couldn’t stop the pleased grin that crept on his face. He bids you farewell and begins to leave, preparing to brave the foggy rain head on. But you stop him by raising your umbrella high above his head, which requires you to stand on your tippy toes. 

“Please…you need it more than I do at the moment. Just…return it to me the next time we see each other at the shop,” you state, your eyes entreating him to take it and stay dry. 

Vergil regards you for a moment before giving a single nod. “Very well. See you then…soon.” He grabs the umbrella and, as you turn to go, he feels the lightest caress against his gloveless fingers. He watches you go, leaning out the frame of the front door for a second to say goodbye before heading inside.  

As he makes his way back to his domicile, Vergil contemplates the events of the day. Of all the possibilities and outcomes…he honestly didn’t expect it to end with a new found flirtatious friendship. You amaze him and he can’t deny your loveliness. You said that he was worth it. He wishes you luck pulling apart his tangled briars, because despite wanting to know you, he knew it would be difficult to open up. But…he was willing to try, just to see more of your vibrancy. Perhaps, he ponders as he came to the stairs of Devil May Cry, she’s what I’m searching for within myself. 

Perhaps you are a rose among his briars.  

Read on my Ao3

Read Part 2 here.

My Master List if you want more. ❤

#vergil #vergil sparda #vergil dmc #devil may cry #dmc5 #you #reader #female reader #romance #fluff #meet-cute #writing #fanfiction #a rose among the briars #vergil being awkward #but in a cute and infuriating way #also low key tsundere #but you find it endearing #kisses for the grumpy one #if you like wielding yamato #and getting caught in the rain #vergil x reader #harlot writes

[venus-says]

Star Twinkle Precure Episode 47

The funniest thing about this entire situation is that the characters that are snakes aren't the one that has a snake motif.

I think no episode of precure has ever got me so thorn and confused as this one. I've rewatched the episode, I've thought about it over and over, and I still don't know how I feel about this episode.

The first part is not the problem, I liked it a lot that was a sealed deal already on my first watch. Seeing the aftermath of last week's battle was interesting, I appreciate that they didn't forget about the seed they planted in that episode on Tenjo's planet, and I liked seeing the interactions with the villains. Aside from the Hikaru, Lala, and Kappard interaction that I didn't care that much, all the other moments were pretty good. Yuni and Eyewon are always a joy to watch, Tenjo and Elena had a very beautiful moment where they shared an emotional "I'm sorry" and "thank you", but by far my favorite interaction was seeing Madoka being sincere with Galogre and saying she doesn't know if she completely forgives them all but she's ready to move on and she doesn't want to hold that grudge, which to me sounds like an amazing lesson.

The raid to the previous Nottraiders' layer was also pretty good, even though we didn't have the best drawings and animation this week. It's always good to see reformed villains fighting evil alongside our heroes and in this case, it wasn't different. It was a short moment but it made me happy.

What came after it though... that's where lies my problem with this episode.

I say problem, but it's not a problem that much, I do have a problem near the end but it's a different issue from this one.

After the first portion of this fight, that was basically just stock footage spam, we get a very long exposition that expands the mythology of this world, it also serves as the backstory for our villain, and ON TOP OF THAT it acts as a twist, and... I don't know, the fact that it was way too much new information being dumped at us made it kinda difficult for me to process everything new I was learning and I also couldn't process my feelings very well which caused me a lot of confusion.

And it's not that those revelations were bad, I think it's very interesting that the princess shared half of their power with the entire universe to give all sentient creatures imagination, it also can be used as an explanation of why they were so weak in the last episode, I mean after sharing half of it with the universe and having probably 90% of the remaining power being on the star pens and inside Fuwa it's not a surprise they couldn't even hold a simple barrier. There was also something very cool in seeing how shady the princesses were by holding all this information. Though... let's be honest, it was a very jerk move to make the vessel of your powers a sentient creature, and how inconsiderate they were by then giving said creature to be under the care of other beings knowing that said vessel would disappear once their ritual was completed and let whoever was in charge of the vessel emotionally destroyed. Now that I think about it Greek and Nordic gods are all ruthless like that so, I guess they're in character.

And you know, I had fun slowly processing each information and developing my thoughts and opinions on them, but when I was watching the episode my mind was going to all different places trying to put this picture together and it was very hard to have a clear image of the situation because every new sentence we had more new things being added to the mix and I was completely lost at that moment. And it's a scene that lasts for quite some time so you can guess that it wasn't as fun to be this lost for such a long time which affected my opinion on this episode. But of course, this is just my experience, maybe my brain is too slow, so I don't hold this grudge against this episode.

HOWEVER, as I mentioned before, I do have a problem here that to me is a fundamental error that makes me think low of our main character (and our supporting cast too to some level) and also puts my hopes down that the ending won't be something that's gonna make me salty. This is a thing I commented in the last episode as well and it is how the priorities of this team are all messed up. Like, I get it, Fuwa is your friend and you care deeply for it, and if the stakes in this situation were a bit lower I feel like I would be more empathetic towards Hikaru's hesitation, but we're talking about THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE being in danger of being wiped out, this isn't a matter of saving/protecting Fuwa. Yes, it's cruel, it's sad, but even Fuwa knew what was the right thing that should've been done there, like what's the point of saving Fuwa if there's no universe after it? Maybe I'm rushing and already disliking this because it's set in my mind that they'll bring Fuwa back from the dead somehow in the next episode and they'll banalize her sacrifice with some dumb Deus Ex Machina, maybe I'm being dumb for disliking that a show aimed at kids is taking a lighter route to reach its ending, but if I came here and said that I like it and that this feels right I would be lying.

I don't know, I thought that making this post and writing down my thoughts would clear things up and I'd feel better about this episode but this somehow this just made me even more confused, I NEED HELP. What did you guys think about it? Please enlighten me with your knowledge, higher beings that read my words, I'm desperate here. I'll try to rewatch the episode a couple of times more and see if I have other thoughts and if I do I'll come back here to say what changed or what didn't so, I'll see you guys sometime soon.

#Star Twinkle Precure #precure

[bthump]

What do you think will happen to Casca those thorns in her heart looks like the idea of evil was it planted there by Griffith? Is it to control her?

well I hope not, that sounds like a plot development I would not enjoy reading.

honestly I hadn’t even considered there might be a literal like, hex, as Schierke called it in the current fan translation. my interpretation of those thorns is much more symbolic and straightforward - I think they simply represent her trauma.

I guess for starters I’d assume that if Schierke had just noticed that an outside malevolent force had cast a literal spell on Casca, she’d consider it a bigger problem lol. Her reaction is less “what the fuck this is bad” and more “oh right, I forgot, she’s insane for a reason.” And she and Farnese both assume they can deal with the consequences when Casca wakes up by basically just being there for her, and I don’t think they’d consider it that easy if it’s an outside magic influence.

more thematically thorns have already been tied to negative self-destructive reactions to trauma:

Skull Knight throwing Guts his sword which he’s then wielding when he makes his war declaration and decides to work off his issues by fighting monsters and becoming a shitty person basically, lol. This is basically just a perfect image that encompasses how Guts’ sword-swinging is ultimately a self-destructive coping mechanism for personal pain and as the potential to lead him down a path already paved by Skull Knight. A slightly more obvious version of his blistered palms:

Skull Knight’s actually got a lot of thorn imagery going on in general. this is his logo:

after he deepthroats his sword:

the border on the covers:

all the way back in chpater 37:

I think this all fits with Skull Knight’s existence seeming to revolve around revenge and serving as a cautionary tale for Guts about how not to deal with your feelings. To me the thorns around Casca’s heart feel like a symbol of her trauma and imply that it’s going to result in some amount of (self) destructive lashing out. (Hopefully involving a behelit.) They’re Skull Knight’s motif because he’s defined by self-destructive lashing out, what with his backstory of losing his humanity to the armour.

Like, imo Skull Knight is basically the cooler version of Vargas lol. That’s his role in the story: being consumed by revenge in an ominous parallel to Guts. And now maybe (hopefully) Casca.

Also wrt her heart being reminiscent of the Idea of Evil, yeah that’s very true and I think it’s also not so much literally meaning that she’s been infected with it or something like that, but rather it’s an illustration of the darkness within every human, that’s particularly powerful right now in Casca because she’s very traumatized.

The same negative feelings that created the Idea of Evil are an extra powerful force within Casca right now because she’s been hurt, same as they were in Griffith when he fell into despair. Not because she has a spell on her, but just because she’s human and in a lot of emotional pain.

Anyway thanks for asking, hopefully this makes sense lol

#Anonymous #ask #berserk #theme: speculation #theme: trauma #character: skull knight #(i feel like farnese's thorn weapon should also play into this theme and i mean maybe in a way it does by default #just by virtue of farnese's tendency to deal with her own negative feelings by throwing herself into what causes them lol #the way magic scared her and now she's into it #or maybe miura just likes drawing thorny vines idk) #a #b #theme: symbolism #character: casca

[itspixcelation]

Is The Caligula Effect: Overdose Worth Your Time?

I initially wrote this review for an episode of The Pixcelation Show over on my channel, which you can visit by clicking HERE. If that seems like something you’d enjoy, please scroll to the bottom to find the finished video. Thanks!

In the spring of 2018, an anime by the name of Caligula aired. No; before you ask, it’s not at all connected with the incestuous third emperor of Rome, nor is it connected with the 1979 film about the incestuous third emperor of Rome, but rather, it’s reportedly named after ‘the guilt and excitement that comes with doing something that you shouldn’t do.’ It didn’t really do too much for the anime community at large, only receiving a 6.18 on MyAnimeList as of writing. I remember thinking the series was unnecessarily complicated, and, it being deeply rooted in psychology, it tended to play armchair psychologist to an annoying degree, but it was serviceable, at least.

It wasn’t long after I started the series that I discovered it was based on a game released on the PlayStation Vita called The Caligula Effect, but I would’ve never known about it because there was next to no marketing for it here in the west. I suppose such is the fate of a JRPG on one of the most, if not the most, underappreciated consoles in history.

Welcome to the Pixcelation Show; the only series on YouTube to tackle the questions on everyone’s mind, such as ‘do artificially intelligent idols dream of electric sheep?’ I’m pixcelation, and in today’s episode we’re not gonna be discussing the Caligula anime, nor are we gonna be talking about the original game on the PS Vita. No — in today’s episode, we’ll be talking all about the recently released remaster on PS4, Switch and PC, entitled The Caligula Effect: Overdose. In order to be completely up-front with everyone, I feel obligated to disclose that I was given a code for the PS4 version by NIS America, who published the game in the west.

Imagine, for a moment, that the vocaloid Hatsune Miku gained sentience, and because of songs such as The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku, she comes to the foregone conclusion that we’re all practically suicidal and that being in the real world is what made us this way. So, she does what any rational, sentient AI would, and traps us in the matrix. In the world of The Caligula Effect, their Miku, an AI known as μ, believes she can provide humanity with a happier existence within the artificial world she’s created, called Mobius.

In The Caligula Effect: Overdose, you play as an unnamed protagonist, one of the people invited by μ to live within the simulation. It doesn’t take long before they’re able to see the rift, at which point they join a group of rebels fighting back against μ and her Ostinato Musicians, all of whom desire to keep everyone blind, deaf and dumb to the truth about their world. As you come face-to-face with each of the Ostinato Musicians, you begin to unravel the truth behind the truth, and you’ll be forced to take sides in the battle for the future of both Mobius and the real world.

In my opinion, while the story isn’t necessarily anything revolutionary, the characters drive it home with relatable arcs and … well … character. In the Go-Home Club, as well as the Ostinato Musicians, there are incredibly memorable characters that really twist your arm when it comes to picking the ending you’d prefer. In both groups, there are characters that are foils for characters on the opposing side. For example; Kotono, Mifue and Shogo in the Go-Home Club directly oppose Mirei, Sweet-P and Thorn respectively, in both their actions and character arcs. I really liked how they handled that, as it helps to illustrate the idea that, while the Musicians are the enemy, they’re also only human, and as such, while you may want to return to the real world, each of them has their own compelling motive for remaining within Mobius.

In thinking about each respective arc, one thing that I wasn’t the biggest fan of would be how the writers handled certain social issues through the characters. I’ll provide an example; in one of the early arcs, it’s revealed that one of the Musicians is transgender in the real world, and as a result they’re often the butt of everyone’s jokes just because they’re one of the ‘bad guys.’ I found that, when I was given the option to join the Musicians and learn more about this person, they actually seemed to develop into more than just a stereotype, but players who didn’t choose to become a double agent like I did would never know that, and therefore think of them as a joke. The same can be said of another character, who has developed a hatred of overweight people, and as such the game tends to play said people as stereotypes that only exist to stuff their face. I applaud the game for tackling heavy issues such as body dysmorphia and eating disorders, but I could have gone for less of the victims of these conditions being played for laughs.

 In-universe, the cannon fodder enemies, called ‘digiheads,’ are created because:

they aren’t aware that Mobius is a simulation, and

they listen to μ’s songs way too much.

I could see people going insane and attacking each other after listening to the same song in a twenty-four hour loop in this reality, especially since each and every stage in the game has its own unique track … that is played … nonstop. I almost lost my mind at first, but thankfully, I either got used to it, or I’m actually a digihead and I’m trying to pull you into Mobius. I really did enjoy the character songs, though; they’re all produced by well-known artists such as DECO*27, Pinocchio-P, 40mP and OSTER Project, among many others, and they add a whole new layer of depth to these characters who only appear a minimum of times in the main story. I kind of wish the Go-Home Club also had character songs, but that might not make too much sense in the story, so I guess that’s something I’ll have to accept.

I have to admit, I had every intention of quitting the game and writing that it was just as good as the anime adaptation, but then I had a change of heart. I decided to give it another shot, and it was then that I discovered there was an option to join the Musicians, as I mentioned earlier. I can’t really tell you why, but playing as Lucid, the musician version of the protagonist, is very fun. Sure — the game doesn’t really change in any meaningful ways until the final battle, but between the character designs of Lucid and the other Musicians, and the fact that you can learn so much more about your supposed enemies, this addition makes that final decision weigh a lot more than it would’ve otherwise.

I won’t sugar-coat it; as much as I adore this game and its aesthetic, The Caligula Effect: Overdose is so desperate to be the next Persona that it’s practically salivating. Think about it: it’s a third-person, dungeon crawling RPG where you control students fighting back against forced they don’t understand in order to solve a prevalent mystery, and their adventures are rooted in psychological themes and motifs. There’s a social system where you can create bonds with not only your teammates, but also with all five-hundred-and-twenty-four students in the school, and as you deepen said bonds, you can help them overcome the trauma that keeps them in Mobius. Its battle system is reliant on powers your characters can only use after they’ve confronted their true selves and accepted that they want to return to reality. It’s probably not a coincidence; the writer who penned the game was Tadashi Satomi, who worked on the first three games in the Persona franchise, so that most likely explains the unnerving similarities, but I’d argue this game takes the social aspect a bit farther than its more shiny cousins.

I’ll give the social system credit where it’s due; it’s the most simple and most complex of its kind. As I said, there are five-hundred-and-twenty-four students in the school, and you’re able to not only become friends with all of them, but you can invite them into your party and fight with them in the main game if you … dislike the main cast, for some reason. It seems a bit overloaded, because the developers seem to expect the player to max out their bonds with every student in the game, but … that’s just too much to ask when some of the students seem to appear based on a random number generator. It’s almost like they wanted to incorporate a system that’d keep players engaged after the main story had concluded, but it ended up manifesting as a chore to work through. I dunno about y’all, but, when I see that there’s over five-hundred students, and I’m expected to resolve every one of their traumas, that’s where I check out. In Persona 3, 4 and 5, there were actual incentives to maxing out social links — not only did it increase your stats, but there were also less than five-hundred to complete, and they all had unique dialogue options that helped the experience feel less like a chore. As a result, you looked forward to the next chapter of each character. In this game, I’m aware that fully completing bonds does seem to improve your stats, but when the dialogue is recycled so often that I skipped a lot of it, there’s no reason for me to care about anything they’re saying. I think this concept is actually really solid, but if it’s filled to the brim with mediocrity, it’s not gonna realize its full potential. I’d love to see a game utilize the interconnected nature of its NPC cast in the same way that this game did, except there’d be more reason to go along with it.

I really have to give the game props for its intuitive battle system, as it turns the concept of being ready for anything on its head. As you engage your target, you select your given attack as you might in any ordinary JRPG, but you’re then given a chance to see what your attacks would do ahead of time, as well as adjust the timing of said attacks. It seems a tad bit like cheating the system since you can see what moves your enemy will make, and cater your turn accordingly. I must admit, however, that as unique as this prediction system is, I found myself caring about it less and less, instead opting to use the same moves over and over again. It may sound cocky to say that I knew the attacks would land, but it’s a disturbingly accurate segue to my next point.

I started my save file on ‘normal’ difficulty, but the longer I played, the more it felt like the easiest difficulty there was. I was grinding like a madman, sure, but there’s no reason the bosses of each chapter should’ve been taken out like a snap from the Infinity Gauntlet. I just expected more of a challenge from normal difficulty, that is to say, any challenge whatsoever. I thought it might pick up towards the endgame, but even the final boss was a breeze to get through. I say all this, but I know that if they were to patch in a more difficult mode like they did with Kingdom Hearts III, I would probably cry, so … I’ll leave it at that.

Here are some things you might want to keep in mind before playing The Caligula Effect: Overdose:

+ If you haven’t played The Caligula Effect, there is quite a lot added to Overdose that was not present in the original. For example, characters Eiji Biwasaka, Ayana Amamoto, Stork and Kuchinashi are all new additions with entirely new dungeons, but they’re integrated really well into the story and don’t feel like additions.

+ If you’re looking to get that sweet, sweet platinum trophy, make sure you keep up with all the character scenarios on both the Go-Home Club’s side and the Ostinato Musicians’ side. It appears that Eiji’s scenario is critically linked with Kuchinashi’s, and if you don’t complete Eiji’s by the time the story takes you to Landmark Tower, PEOPLE WILL STRAIGHT UP DIE, and you’ll be unable to complete the deceased character’s scenarios.

+ If you choose to accept Thorn’s offer to become one of the Musicians, DON’T FEEL BAD. It may start to weigh on your conscience as you betray your friends, but you’re not on the bad route by handing out with the Musicians. In fact, you’re required to max out all of the character scenarios in order to get the true ending. PLUS, if you refuse to join the Musicians, you’ll miss out on a bunch of adorkable moments involving μ, and you won’t want to miss those!

+ If you want to get the bad end, you don’t need to max anyone out — just accept Thorn’s invitation, then at the final battle, choose to stay in Mobius instead of going home, and … well, I’ll let you see for yourself.

+ I’ve heard whispers that it might not be possible to max out Ayana’s scenario unless you’re playing as a female, because of her androphobia. If you’re having issues with Ayana, maybe try again in a second playthrough.

+ If you’d like to explore Mobius a second time, there’s a New Game + option that’ll allow you to increase the enemy level en masse if you’re wanting a challenge, as well as carry over your levels and NPC bonds. It won’t, however, carry over your progress on character scenarios. You can also pick the female protagonist in a New Game +, which helps if you’d like to get that plat.

+ SAVE. SAVE. SAVE. In a game like this, you want to save every chance you get, as when your party dies, it’s lights out. There is NO autosave, NO continues. It takes you right back to the title screen, so be wary of that.

Is The Caligula Effect: Overdose a perfect game? No — not at all. BUT, is it fun? Yes. It’s a unique JRPG that uses the tried and true tropes found in many others of its kind, but at the same time, experiments with other elements of its presentation to create a memorable experience. I may not be motivated to complete the social element of the game, but I struggle to find fault in other areas, such as the character designs, the music and the overall aesthetic.

It deals with some very serious topics, such as body image issues, gender dysphoria or transgenderism, suicide and androphobia, among others, and while at times it can feel as if its poking fun at these issues, for the most part it does handle them with respect, and ultimately shows that these very human characters deal with things that humans too, often struggle with.

If you’re anything like me, you might be tempted to give up on it after the second stage and call it a day, but I implore you to be patient, as the game hits its stride in and after the third dungeon. If I had given up on it like I planned, let’s just say this review would be quite different.

#the caligula effect #the caligula effect overdose #caligula #anime #gaming #ps4 #nis america #nisa #nippon ichi

[ber-bonfamille-lyons]

Made You A Mixtape: September 2015

@simba-lyons

Happy Three Year Anniversary to Simber!!!!! To celebrate, the following playlist is the first playlist that Berlioz made Simba. Yes, that’s right, I have tried to recreate what it would have been here, which means that these songs reflect three criteria:

1. They came out in 2015 or before 2015 and would be on Berlioz’s radar  2. They remind Berlioz of Simba, and so they are mostly cheerful and a bit funky and are Big Sounds 3. Lowkey Berlioz is in love with Simba and these songs are telling him if he would just PAY ATTENTION. This is most obvious in the fact that Ber put two of his fave songs ever on this playlist-- Eskimo Kiss and Wood. They are both on this like massive playlist that he gives people for like Songs That Sound Like Ber’s Soul so yes!

So this is not a ship soundtrack as much as it is a Simba Soundtrack or a Simba-as-he-sounds-to-Berlioz-in-September Soundtrack. <333 The following descriptions are all basically incoherent, so I apologize. 

Out of the Blue- Prides 

Hear you come, my heart's only drummer I've been holding out for your symphony The air in my lungs is like thunder And I can't fight what you've made of me.

This is a Big Sound Song and a good way to open the mixtape in Berlioz’s opinion. He’d talk to Simba about the scratchy guitar that rumbles under like thunder, those drums, and that persistent, driving synth. And when he’s talking about those sounds, what he’s really saying is basically what the lyrics are saying honestly, like-- this song “text paints” very well, as in, it uses a storm metaphor for a lot of it and builds a storm with its instrumentation by creating a very heavy sonic atmosphere, like with all those layers and booming drums-- wow i really do sound probably how Berlioz sounded when really what he was saying is “You’re like thunder to me” and that’s really romantic and super embarrassing 

Shut Up And Dance- Walk the Moon 

A backless dress and some beat up sneaks My discotheque Juliet, teenage dream I felt it in my chest since she looked at me I knew we were bound to be together Bound to be together

GOD this CHEESY 80s dance guitar powerhouse of a jam!! I feel like i don’t even need to describe how this is such a Simba song in every single way and why Berlioz would think of Simba at once. But yeah, I mean: the sheer joy of it, not to mention that honestly Simba is the discotheque juliet teenage dream in this song who is grabbing Berlioz and telling him to dance. But yeah, I mean it’s so over the top in like every single way. Like Simba.

On the Regular- Shamir

Hi, hi, howdy, howdy, hi, hi! While everyone is minus, you could call me multiply Just so you know, yes, yes, I'm that guy You could get five fingers and I'm not waving "hi" Guess I'm never-ending, you could call me pi But really, how long till the world realize?

Kay so Shamir is a HELLA Simba artist and this song has a lot of these kooky sound samples that Berlioz really loves, especially when it comes to Simba. I want to say that tapping noise is a cowbell? Super fun and funky. And of course, lyrics wise, this song is brimming with confidence and attitude which is definitely how Berlioz saw Simba at first. (He still sees that, but of course this song I think, more than others, really reflects the beginnings of their relationship because obviously Ber knew nothing about the drinking and depression etc.) So yeah, Berlioz literally thinks Simba’s “regular” is this cool, funky, ridiculous guy and including this on the song would be conveying that impression, while also being like “Hey Simba, you should check out Shamir if you don’t know him because his sound is You.”

Oh Girl You’re the Devil - Mika  

And I said follow me Whoever you want to be Don't care where you where you go As long as you stay with me

This is another song along the same lines of “On the Regular”-- very groovy, playful, with some fun quirky sounds and structures that just evoke Simba musically more so than lyrical content. But it’s definitely a song that Berlioz would think Simba would like and find fun to dance to/sing along to. And I mean honestly: this entire album is Simba. Me and Berlioz really struggled with which song to put on here. In addition, this was one of Mika’s more personal albums when it came to his sexuality and including Mika on here and probably writing “Please listen to all of No Place in Heaven” in the margins of the notes included with this playlist was Berlioz subtly talking about his own sexuality to Simba.

Bite Down- Bastille/HAIM

You’ve got your claws buried deep Bite down, bite down into me Bite down, bite down into me You better sink your teeth before I disappear Bite down, bite down into me

Ah yes, another “I’m very into you please make out with my face” subliminal message (is it subliminal?? Is it?) Here’s why this is a Simba song-- because its carnal and aggressive and Big. I do body rolls during the pre-chorus anyone else just me?? And the shifts from chorus to verse to post-chorus is so jarring, it just grabs your attention and keeps your attention, which is probably what Berlioz would point out to Simba. And that’s a very Simba thing too, at least a Simba thing according to Berlioz. Also, I personally love the irony considering this song foreshadows the back and forth that Simber will go through in the winter.

Love Me Anyway-The Mowglis

Oh, you know I love you But no, I am not a saint Oh, I make stupid mistakes But you love me anyway Oh, I forgot your birthday And yeah, I show up late Oh, I'll get it right someday 'Cause you love me anyway

So The Mowglis are a very Berlioz band and this album was probably something Berlioz was definitely listening to. The sing-a-long chorusy stuff is VERY Simba-sound as well as the lyrical content just being so very Simba. I like to think that even though Ber and Simba were very much getting to know each other, this chorus still makes a lot of sense since Simba would show up late and forget all these little things-- but obviously, he has such a big heart and always came across as so sincere to Berlioz. It’s a song Berlioz would maybe learn how to play on guitar and think to himself “Hey I bet Simba would really like this song!”

Eskimo Kiss- the Kooks

Oh lonely bones I'm coming through the sun And our lives have just begun Oh lonely bones I'm coming through the sun And our lives have just begun

As I mentioned above this is literally the biggest fucking tell that Berlioz has a big ol fat crush on Simba. This is one of his favorite songs, ever. This was not even a little bit new, it came out in 2011, and yet Berlioz listened to this song and to lyrics like “She's like a rose without a thorn/She's like the sunflower/That never looks back at the sun” and his first thought was “Simba.” He’d probably say some bullshit about how he just liked the lyrics because they were nice and it seemed like the kinda cheerful thing Simba would like. But it was bullshit and what he was really saying was lets please eskimo kiss under the bar rn because you make me feel both sunshiny like this first half of the song and achey and tender like this second part of the song, so, like, how i imagine how love feels like. That was the inner monologue there. And really, the shift in this song from the upbeat jangly acoustic to that tender part emulates Simba’s two sides, because he is very capable of being a gentle honeybun sweetie pie. 

Smile - The Royal Concept 

I've got to dress sharp, you know I will Give you what it takes cause I'm not Gonna be outdone By those beautiful fakes In your halo, there's gotta be gold I've got you waitin' on I'll step on a grenade so you Can see I'm the bomb

And here we are back at that interesting mix of Berlioz finding some funky songs for Simba but also songs that speak to Berlioz’s perception of Simba’s characters in subtle ways/songs that Ber really wants Simba to be into so they can talk about it! So musically wise, you’ve got a lot of the same elements as previous songs here, lots of powerful guitar and some layered vocals and a pretty groovy tempo. Basically this is an alt rock song that makes you want to dance, and that’s the perfect place where Songs-that-sound-like-Simba live (there aren’t a lot of straight pop songs on this mix as you might have noticed.) But then of course, it’s all about this guy trying to go out of his way to make a girl smile (he “carries sorrow” and will “step on a grenade” for her etc) and if that isn’t the most Simba thing. What i like is this is one of those lowkey sad songs that sounds super upbeat and happy too-- which is also a Simba thing, and I like to think Ber would pick up on those vibes. He’d definitely notice Simba trying to make others happy. And I mean.................. who else was making Berlioz smile............

Shine- Years and Years

I was biting my tongue I was trying to hide (Ooh oh oh oh, ooh oh oh ooh) I'll forget what I've done I'll be redefined

Okay, I admit: this song is really not about Simba at all, this one is Berlioz trying to tell Simba he likes him by putting this song on this mixtape and look I am not responsible for Simba not getting that.

Okay but more seriously: shine/sun/light etc are all motifs that reoccur for Berlioz when it comes to Simba, and have for Simber in general. Years and Years debuted the summer before Ber met Simba and was, again, this openly queer artist who Berlioz was definitely listening to a lot of, so it makes a lot of since that he’d go into their album and put a song on there, hoping Simba would get into them so they’d have this kind of shared connection. He picked Shine because of all the songs, Shine is the most optimistic and romantic, so naturally he thought: Simba. And again, there’s this lowkey thread of Berlioz using music to address his sexuality without actually talking about it.

By My Side- Great Good Fine Ok

Baby when I come to get you I'm all I find Every time I go to come back to see it's not my time Any time you think something is on my mind I'll tell you when it's all about you, I need you by my side

So Great Good Fine Ok is like the contemporary BeeGees, and their velvety falsetto and solid dance beats were Berlioz’s Jam in 2015. Seriously, go back and look, I reblogged all their stuff. ANYWAY, so this song really hits all three of the criteria as I talked about above-- this is a band that Berlioz was SUPER excited about and he wanted Simba to like. Sound-wise, totally upbeat and those trumpets in the end!!! scream Simba, which was basically what Berlioz said to him. He’s always associated brass with Simba, that’s just like, a general known fact. He said “The ending with the trumpets really reminded me of you.” And the translation for that is “Please be my boyfriend.” And of course lyrically, this is about someone pining over another… and that’s really not a Simba mood but it is a Ber one.  

Indian Summer- Jai Wolf

It would not be a Berlioz mixtape without at least one instrumental song or something. And this one! This one! If you noticed, Berlioz organized this playlist so it shifted toward more techno/dance music in the second half and part of that was to BUILD to this song right here, his musical climax if you will. Everything about this song screams Simba to him and I honestly do not have a developed enough vocabulary for music to talk about how that works. Maybe it’s just the scope of the song-- and that it has that very BIG scope and it goes from soft, chime-like sounds to exploding outward in these huuuge moments  that are Cinematic as heck. It’s beautiful and soft while also powerful and strong (and that’s simba for u, those four things). It sounds like adventure, like starlight, like camping? And he thinks Simba would like all those things and was probalby like “Oh he’ll like running to this song.” 

man anyone having serious simba feelings at this point just me or 

Wood- Rostam

Sunlight on your eyelids You were sleeping Ah ah, ah ah ah Sunlight on your back You were dreaming

And following a climax, you must have your falling action and resolution. Berlioz decided to end softly and tenderly with another one of his all time favorites, therefore revealing that he associates Simba with all of his favourite sounds-- all the plucky violin and bongo drum and flute. Plus, it describes sleeping with your lover. That’s it. That’s the whole song. And that’s what Berlioz wants: cat naps in the sun with his sunshine boy. 

He wouldn’t have said that obviously, he would have been like, this “cool percussion bro.” 

But we all know what he meant. 

#simber #im sobbin r u sobbing #also like this is a simba playlist #i SWEAR it is #noT a Simber oNE but #idk jury is out on if i can tag this as a bdrptask or not i really tried lol