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raayllum · 5 months

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Mirrored Paths Trilogy #2: In the Name of Love, I Would Do Anything For You —Callum & Viren

Part 2 of a mini meta trilogy dissecting Callum, Karim, and Viren's parallels, with a special emphasis on S5. For the general overview, and if you want to read Karim and Viren's parallels, you can read that analysis here. It is useful to read but not necessary in order to understand this one, as this meta is Part 2 and will discuss Callum and Viren.

Now, I've talked a lot about Viren and Callum. Like, a Lot a lot. Therefore, I'm not going to repeat too much of their Arc 1 buildup here, and focus more loosely on their S5 parallels in particular. However:

If you're interested in their pre-season 4 buildup, check out these metas: How Callum and Viren have parallel arcs in S2, Relics, Rage, and Magic: The Callum-Viren Foils Meta, the foils screencap compilation post I've been cultivating since Nov 2019 pre S3 (updated to include past that point)

If you're interested in post-S4 thoughts, check out these metas: The Interlocking of the Cycle’s Wheel with Viren, Claudia, Callum, and Rayla, How Viren and Callum stack up flaws wise, I sure do love foils that switch, How Callum's morality differs from Ezran and Rayla's (and always has)

If you're interested in post-S5 thoughts, check out these metas: What did Viren and what does Callum want?, How Callum and Viren sacrifice (written post-S4 but updated with S5 screencaps), Why ramp up the foiling?

Now I'm not gonna expect you to read all that because 1) I'm aware I have a problem, 2) it'd be time consuming as hell, and 3) I'm going to summarize the most important takeaways for you to understand the foundation this next section of meta is built on. (None of it is complicated, mind you, but just to make it clear where I'm coming from.) If you have read all those metas, or even made it this far on this one, thank you for enabling me reading and I hope you('ve) enjoy(ed).

Now for the key takeaways:

S5 went basically exactly where I've thought Callum would go since S1/S2 and Viren since S3 re: Viren giving up dark magic and having an atonement arc/breaking away from Aaravos, whereas Callum — in order to free and save someone he loves, specifically Rayla — chooses to chain himself further to Aaravos

Although still very different, Callum and Viren are worryingly, exceedingly similar in many ways, largely in their agreement that dark magic can be a useful last resort and in their devotion to their loved ones (aka "in the name of love" + the "I would do anything [for my family/loved ones]" parallel

Where Viren is willing to put certain things (the kingdom, his own quest for power, humanity) above his family (and wrongfully so), Callum is not. He says he would do anything, and means it (thank you post-s2 me, you were the realest bitch)

Rayla and Aaravos are foils, particularly in their dynamics with Callum and Viren respectively. They are both banished, exiled elves who were seen as being/are too sympathetic towards humans, they mentor high mages of Katolis, hunt each other's high mages, and S6 will put Rayla and Aaravos vying for Callum's destiny (control) to the test as his two paths (although choosing Rayla over Aaravos may not be mutually exclusive, but that's another post). Rayla killing Viren unintentionally put him on a path to stray from Aaravos, whereas Callum saving her / their relationship is what has consistently putting him on a path towards Aaravos

Now, S2 and S4 definitely have more parallels between them structurally for our two high mages. S2 is linked above, so I'll focus on S4: asking to die but being refused by Claudia and Rayla respectively; being reunited with someone they love after two years; Callum attempting to shut down his feelings in Rayla's absence / upon her return much the way Viren did in his time as high mage; the mirror and general framing, particularly in 4x01; sharing a (re-)birthday; their impatience in 4x02, which is also a parallel with Karim; the pawn intros; Rayla interrupting Callum's investigation of the mirror while Viren likewise attempts to diverge paths; picking up what they'd been refusing to all season in 4x09 within seconds of each other, and similar framing to boot, since dark magic led to Viren's destruction, and Rayla will possibly (unintentionally) lead to Callum's:

Let's get into it: S5

Now, S5 is less obvious in some ways. The one big framing parallel they get, beat for beat, is Callum going to investigate Aaravos in the library, placing his book on the same table, being interrupted by the librarian (which is honestly more of a running gag than something tangible), the script being magically washed away, etc.

Therefore, with all of the above out of the way, we have three main things to consider:

1) Their dark magic dreams from 2x06 and 5x03 respectively, in which they face mirrored reflections of each other

I wrote after S2 that I thought Callum refusing his dark counterpart in 2x08 was ultimately going to end up being more about actively being a dark mage than doing dark magic ever again, mostly because — while we didn't know if the show would ever put him in said position — I always figured Callum would do dark magic again in well, about the exact circumstances canon forced him into in 5x08. (And it was extremely satisfying, lemme tell you.) Viren giving up dark magic was more surprising, but they've always been switching foils, so the exchange makes perfect sense on that level.

I talked really briefly about some of the similarities between their dreams, but I wanted to touch on some here as well:

Their choices are both framed around objects of Aaravos. For Callum, it's a key he initially rejects. For Viren, it's the mirror, but instead of connecting to and looking to Aaravos to help him, he looks to and accepts himself.

Viren has to reach forward and connect with himself, whereas Callum pulls away from his mirror self

Viren's dreams are about dismantling his justifications (or the why) behind what he did, whereas Callum's skip over his justifications and instead focus on what he did. Both of these accordingly inform their identity

Viren is saved from literal drowning upon waking up, Callum is saved from a more metaphorical kind

Freedom is the cornerstone of both reflective scenes. Viren and Callum both leave their initial dreams being free (or freer than before). While this holds true for Viren until the current end of his arc (5x09), Callum in 5x08 is handed a sharp reminder that freedom is no guarantee, and how that may continue

The path metaphor that was running loosely throughout their arcs ("I am offering you a path forward [with dark magic] / Callum's tendency towards shortcuts / "I'm afraid, Rayla. What if I'm on a path of darkness?") is now being brought to the forefront here through Viren both being made actively aware of his choices per path ("Because I have followed a dark path") and him deciding to get off of it in 5x09.

2) Both being driven to desperation and resolve to try and save someone they love (Claudia, Rayla)

I figured that, per Viren getting an atonement arc at all, that what would make the most sense is S5 forcing Viren and Callum to confront their moral horizon lines about what they were, or were not willing to do, in order to save Claudia and Rayla pre-S5. For the S4 reasoning behind that, I'll recommend one of the metas linked above regarding those four and the Interlocking of the Cycle's Wheel. I was very pleased to see a decent chunk of it come to fruition. I figured Callum would be able to save Rayla at a steep cost, and Viren would be unable to successfully save Claudia (cause consequences have to catch up to you sooner rather than later, and they tend to catch Viren first and Callum second).

This is, of course, perhaps most exemplified by the show chipping away to the core of dark magic, which is what are you willing to do to save the people you love, even against their will, and that Callum has every good reason to be worried, accordingly, about a very exploitable part of himself.

Which we'll talk about more when we get to:

3) Viren revoking dark magic and Aaravos, whereas Callum does dark magic again and worries he's further tethered himself to Aaravos

In season 5 in a lot of ways, Viren comes to fully understand and accept Harrow's rebuttal to dark magic in 1x02, which was, "We may not pay now, but we will pay the blood price eventually! What do you think got us here? Dark magic!" The blood price went from Sarai's unintentional death, to Thunder's purposeful one, to Zym's false one, to Harrow's 'real' (?) one, and so and so forth.

Viren tried to ignore the sunk cost fallacy by believing it was already too late to turn everything around, and that doubling down to skirt consequences would continually work... until it didn't, and he had to accept the only person writing his fate was himself: "Every step forward is a choice," and thereby another chance to do the right thing, or make better choices, under the circumstances you have — to at least try.

This parallel, then, between Viren doing what he can to set himself free vs Callum chaining himself further to Aaravos is, in a lot of ways, both the most dreadful and happiest potential parallel and contrast between on a few different levels. Let me explain:

S6 as the Fall, S7 as the Rise

I talked about this pre-S5, citing it as a reason I believed Viren and Callum were ultimately switching rather than solely contrasting foils — re: Viren getting better in S5, and Callum getting worse in S5/S6 — simply due to the fact that given that S6 will be TDP's 11th hour, things might be going okay for the antagonist crowd, but the protagonist side of things, particularly Callum, will need to be hitting rock bottom.

Thus, it seemed pretty obvious from a structural standpoint, as well as Stars (and destiny by extension) having an association with Aaravos that S6 would involve Callum playing his part in Aaravos' plans, with S7 being the reclamation of his agency and therefore defeat of his narrative Rival for well, narrative control. S6 being Callum's fall, S7 being his rise — stronger than before, and freer and more magically in tune than ever.

Prior to S5, it was typically accepted (by myself included) that while purposefully very similar to one another in both framing and personality, that mirroring would eventually shed, and, come S7 Viren would ultimately provide a contrast to Callum, with Callum breaking away from Aaravos in ways Viren was never able to, and this would be the Big Defining Difference between them in terms of like, narrative cohesion and plot. (Emotionally, the biggest difference has always, arguably, been that Viren is more world focused — to his detriment in arc 1 in particular — than focused on his loved ones, whereas Callum is deeply and sometimes dangerously devoted to the people he loves.)

However, S5 makes that previous contrast prediction untrue, because Viren does break away from Aaravos (in fact, just an episode decidedly before Callum seems — metaphorically at least — to take a step towards him). Therefore rather than just being a contrast, Viren is meant to be a true mirror in equal measure, simply because by virtue of letting Viren break away from Aaravos' control, when Callum eventually does so, he will likewise — once again — be following in Viren's footsteps, just in a positive way rather than a 'negative' way like before. If Viren was meant to solely be a contrast — as has been theorized previously — than Callum staying under Aaravos' control would actually be the provided ending. Of course the show isn't doing that for Very Obvious Reasons, but I think it's worth noting that now, in order for Callum to have a happy ending at all, he has to follow in Viren's footsteps — all of them. Rather than being one of solely warning and foreboding, Viren's narrative has turned into one of hope for Callum, too.

V: I am free, and so are you.

But in order to talk about salvation, we have to first talk about destruction, namely:

Dark Magic and Death

Dark magic and death have long been associated with each other in series. Dark magic requires killing or consuming a magical creature — elf, dragon, or otherwise — to be used/harvested for power. It affects the souls of those being used as spell parts (Through the Moon) and you can use any part of the body within reason, even their ashes upon cremation (1x03, 2x09), or their final breath (against their wishes in 3x06). Hell, dark magic makes you smell like death (3x01), turns you into a more corpselike appearance, and season two novelization just furthers this association outright during the passages of Callum's dark magic visions/dream:

Callum turned the cube frantically to see which primal was glowing. How could any of the primals glow in this dark place? Something about this cube tied his stomach in knots. It wasn’t natural. A vision flickered in front of his face. Dozens of dead animals in a field. A dead butterfly. A dead deer. A dead unicorn. Cackling laughter. He chucked the cube away from him with all his might. The glowing rune was dark magic. It represented death.

Thereby in 2x08 itself, the rejection dark magic symbolized by the cube is pretty simple. Callum rejects being a dark mage as his primary magic use, he rejects the 'easier' road, he still believes he can possibly access primal magic, and in doing so, he rejects death. He won't become a dark mage, he won't seek out his death or others in order to have control/power, and he won't become a corpselike figure.

But a couple seasons later, we see S4 and S5 reverse and complicate that in 1) having him, literally, seek his own and Aaravos' deaths in order to feel in control/have power, and therefore 2) perfectly foreshadowing his eventual dark magic use/relapse, for lack of a better word. Just as the show leans farther away from "dark magic is easy" (and it is, in some ways, emotionally easier to deal with consequences when you can change them) and more into "dark magic will destroy you — your identity and your body — if you keep using it".

S5, likewise, also starts to break down the negative associations of dark magic being linked to death, and indeed the negative associations with death itself. For most characters in the series, death is solely a tragedy, but for Harrow and Viren of themselves, staring their own deaths in the face — and choosing to die — instead became a vehicle for repentance, change, and subsequent self-actualization.

Death, for Harrow, and more importantly for the sake of this meta, is not just doom and gloom, but a choice and therefore a culmination as well as a chance for transformation. Just as Viren's death in 3x09 allowed him to be re-born with clear eyes (a literal Re-Birthday, if you will), him choosing this next death shows the full scope of his character arc. Previously, he died because he was chasing all the things he didn't have with Aaravos' aid, and by 5x09, he's rejecting Aaravos' help and dying alone in the woods with nothing, yet it feels like a tragic sort of victory all the same.

We also see a more complicated view of dark magic alongside ideas of self-actualization. Previously, dark magic was seen as something that would make you routinely lose yourself (Viren, Claudia) until you had by and large become the worst version of yourself. S5 complicates this a bit more by connecting Callum doing dark magic to his ability to access the Ocean arcanum, as he remembers/mimics the motion of crushing the slug before connection (and parallels Viren's 5x03 hand symbolism to boot):

Whereas Viren unmakes his choice to take on Aaravos' deal in 2x07, Callum unmakes his choice to refuse to do dark magic when it means saving his loved ones. As he states:

To love is simply to know this: the tides are true as the ocean is deep... You don't control anything. But you already knew that, didn't you? Because it's the secret of the Ocean itself. The arcanum. The Ocean arcanum is about accepting depths you can't see, parts of yourself you can't understand, and things you can't control.

Callum fears not having control, and therefore fears his part of himself, where he is now more aware than ever of just how far he'll go for his loved ones, and how exploitable that is, thanks to Finnegrin. And it's not as though dark magic has lost its death associations, merely that those death associations have likewise been transformed. This is particularly evident if you line up 5x08 as the end of Callum's S5 arc (which it is; while 5x09 is fun, it doesn't further any of the main trio's emotional arcs except Rayla, and even that is decently minor)

If dark magic is still linked to death, then both Viren and Callum choose to step towards their own deaths in the end of their respective arcs, just with different meanings and arc placements. If we take Viren's step further that real death vs dark magic death are two different things, then we still have Callum stepping towards his own dark magic death to prevent someone else's (the same way Rayla is spared) even if that means throwing potentially 3+ innocent people and Domina Profundis under the bus in 5x08. But more on that here.

For now, let me break it down more simply:

In 4x09, Callum and Viren both pick up the symbol of something they've been trying to ignore / pass off to others all season. Viren has avoided his staff and left it for Claudia to wield, much the same way Callum passed Rayla off to Ezran and Soren in the previous episodes. Viren refuses to leave the staff behind. Meanwhile, Callum picks up and finally starts fully acknowledging the loss and love he feels regarding Rayla, who he let go on without him. The staff is symbolic of Viren's relationship to Aaravos as well, and it's what ultimately dooms him. Rayla's sword, although quickly discarded so he can help the actual Moonshadow elf, is also a symbol to Callum in the scene that he loves/is still mourning his friend/partner.

In 5x08 and 5x09, Callum and Viren are both goaded by a vengeful elf seeking freedom into doing dark magic to create a secure future for each mage. The elf wants to use them as further vessels for their own freedom/revenge scheme. Viren refuses to do dark magic and instead chooses death, reaching self-actualization. He does this mostly motivated by his own regret and love for Claudia. He refuses to sacrifice Sir Sparklepuff to save his own life and breaks away from Aaravos. Callum demonstrates a willingness to sacrifice others in order to save Rayla, in addition to resorting to dark magic in order to save her. He refuses to sacrifice her to save/keep his own soul free from Aaravos' clutches, even if that means possibly walking steadily closer to his own death. Likewise, this allows him to reach a new stage of self-actualization, but at a steep emotional cost.

Where Viren's ending is tragic but victorious, Callum's season ending is victorious but tragic. But like I said earlier, Viren's story in S5 offers plenty of hope to Callum's future storyline, namely exploring how

Love Can Destroy and Save You

Now, anyone who's been following me for a while knows I love a good "this thing can save and destroy you" and that I have been really fucking excited for S4 taking that undercurrent in arc 1 and bringing it up to the forefront, with a big hitch to Rayllum as a sweet lovely, devastating bonus.

“Wow. So they look identical but they might kill you or they might save you,” Callum said. “Exactly. Just like me…” Rayla smiled.

—Book One: Moon novelization + Callum and Rayla being routinely determined to save each other, even if that means immense danger and harm to themselves (Callum's love for her made him leap off the mountain to save her, and his love for her allowed him to grow wings and save both of them).

This has always been a theme in the show and particularly within their dynamic — "Alright, enough almost killing me" in 1x05 with the lightning spell, only for Callum to save Rayla's life with the exact same spell by the episode's end — most prominently brought to the forefront in 4x07 with their whole "I need you to kill me" "I'm afraid I'll hurt people I care about" [cuts right to Rayla] conversation. If you're interested in more Rayllum thoughts on this, I would recommend my original meta on the subject (pre-S4) and my post-S4 followup.

We even see this theme of the same thing — in this case, Callum's love for Rayla and commitment to saving her — play out as a perfect microcosm in 5x08. As previously mentioned, Callum does dark magic again (a failure in his own mind) and unlocks the ocean arcanum (a victory) precisely because of what he was willing to do out of love, both of these things being good and bad. The dark magic use is bad because it makes him more vulnerable to Aaravos and reaffirms how he'll bend morals he otherwise wouldn't and is upset over it, and it's a good action because it lets him save Rayla. Unlocking the Ocean arcanum is a good thing, because it symbolizes a deeper understanding of himself — good ol' self-actualization — and more useful, magical prowess, but it's also a bad thing because he's upset by this realization of himself to the point of not even really being excited by it.

He would do anything for her, he's realized now that love doesn't necessarily always make him stronger, that this is exploitable, and it scares him. It really does.

Because Rayla saves him and destroys him. And in S5, fortunately, Viren's children do the same for him.

Even though saving Soren is what seemed to truly begin Viren's descent in earnest...

the harm his path has inflicted on Claudia is one of his motivations to finally stepping off of it.

Ezran himself acknowledges the way love interplays with the Cycle in the thematic turning point of the arc, and the series in many ways, back in 4x03 — that love is not in opposition to the Cycle, but indeed one of its many cogs, and the choice lies in how we choose to let that love manifest:

I had a speech planned for today. It was about peace and love and hope. But I think I left something out. [...] We all want peace and we all want love. But violence tests us. In a twisted way, it converts us to its cause. Because pain and loss feel so terrible inside, you want to hate. You want to hurt someone else. So what do we do? How can we stop this cycle? [...] We have to acknowledge the weight of the pain and loss, but open up our eyes and allow ourselves to hope and maybe forgive and love again. We have to give today’s children a chance to inherit a future filled with peace. To give them that, we have to hold pain and love in our hearts at the same time.

If Callum does destroy himself / risk the world for love in S6 (perhaps taking a risk he knows may lead to being possessed, or releasing Aaravos to spare Ezran or Rayla from an immediate death) then love, it seems, is also posed to be what accordingly breaks him out of the possession and brings him back to himself, the same way it allowed Viren to deviate from his previously chosen/enforced path. Reconciling dualities rather than enforcing strict binaries is one of the main things S4 was concerned with, after all ("Just have two cakes!").

All of this, for Callum, ties back into:

His dynamic with Rayla and all its variances (the light to his dark / pain and love / literally freeing himself while metaphorically chaining himself in order to save her / his love for her being his strentth and weakness / "Now you're back. That's kind of good, and it's kind of bad").

His connection to the Key ("I have a feeling that cube thing could help me" to "It's the Key of Aaravos, Callum. No good will come of it!")

Light and dark being both good and bad, and Aaravos heavily representing that trade off ("In darkness, gaze upon a fallen star [...] already tainted by darkness" + the cube flashing a bright glowing white before Aaravos picks him up as a pawn).

The fall (becoming Aaravos' prey / playing into Aaravos' hands) in s6 and a rise in S7 (breaking free by defeating Aaravos)

If dark magic is death, and Aaravos is likewise death / worse than death ("if he takes control of me again, you have to kill me")... death, like for Viren in 3x09, can be Transformation for Callum in 6x09. He just has to 'die' (metaphorically) — to fall, to fail, to succumb to his predecessor's negative footsteps — in order to rise, fly, and follow in his predecessor's positive footsteps while also carving out another new path for himself.

Because Love is salvation just as much as it is destruction, and the story will always hold true to those things.

Other Parallels

Although there aren't as many prominent framing parallels in S5 as there were in S4 — the mirror, on the battlements with Soren, sitting on the Storm Spire, picking up the staff and sword, etc etc — (beyond the hand clasps as symbolic chains my beloved), the most obvious one is from 5x01 in which Callum goes to the library to research Aaravos just like the high mage before him, down to the portrait over the table they place the tome on.

Then there is also framing that furthers the connections they share between Callum-Viren and Claudia-Rayla, diving after someone you're desperate to save (and often from drowning, to boot). Hand outstretched one pictured above, so here's another:

There are also the Aaravos-Magma Titan Callum-Viren parallels that others have pointed out, with Ezran standing in for Sarai:

Given that 4x01 begins and 5x09 ends the arc of Viren's 30 days, and by and large binds S4 and S5 together as 1 arc of sorts (with S6 and S7 being the final arc), it tickles me particularly pink that it opens, in many ways, and then literally closes accordingly with Callum and Viren staring at the moon:

Misc:

In between writing the first meta and the second one, I got loose 'confirmation' that I'm on the right path with my deductions (even if, of course, 'personal path' can mean many things, but I still think it's cool!) from Aaron Ehasz on twitter. Cool beans

I also think it's fun that Viren tries to save Claudia from a 'symbolic' death in the ocean ("Stop! That wave, it will swallow you up!") and Callum saves Rayla from a more literal one of being devoured by a sea leviathan.

Conclusion

First off, if you read All of That, thank you and I hope you enjoyed it. I've been itching to talk about these two and how S5 both built on the parallels they already had, pushed some to the forefront in overt ways ("I would do anything" and 5x08 on Callum's end was beyond validating in every way), in addition to setting up more to come, both good and bad.

I may return to S5 in this manner to touch more on other parallel relationships in the future, such as Viren-Rayla in S5, Callum-Claudia, and Claudia-Rayla, but for now the next proposed foil meta is looking at a dynamic I have not talked much about in Callum and Karim. This will conclude this little 'trilogy' of metas, and I hope you stick around for it, cause it's going to be very interesting.

Callum and Viren have always been my favourite foils relationship in the show, and I hope this meta did a good job of demonstrating why. Thank you for reading and I'll see you in the next one!

—Dragons out

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agendabymooner · 9 months

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she's beauty, she's grace ! sergio 'checo' p. x ofc (miss philippines!ofc)

summary: the red bull driver sergio perez has married a long-time fan - who also happened to be the miss universe 2018 winner AND the mother to his two kids, carmella 'mella' ayala.

content warning: possible use of explicit language, established relationship, miss universe!ofc, fluff, dad!checo and mom!ofc, mentions checo and his proud bf moment, video clips + tweets and posts, what is proper grammar, mentions of characters from jenson button x ofc work and seb vettel x ofc piece (no storyline involved)

note: i used this face claim because i was one of those people that were screaming "PHILIPPINES" at the tv hoping that catriona gray would win. don't ask me why i made a checo one. there's something about that man that had my internals screaming for a moment so i've been at this thing for HOURS. i should probably update my masterlist soon before i start packing my shit and going 😭🤠 enjoy xx

masterlist

MISS U(niverse), CHECO ❤️ | MELLA TALKS ABOUT BEING CELEBRATED IN MEXICO BY HER BOYFRIEND'S FAMILY | CARMELLA AYALA HOMECOMING 2019 w/ VICE GANDA by abscbn

HOST: VICE (GANDA) GUEST: CARMELLA AYALA

[translation: mi rana pequeño = my little frog]

tagged schecoperez

liked by carlossainzjr, danielricciardo, christianhorner

user1 my little frog 😭

user2 WHICH ONE IS A HARRIE?!

carmayalaprz bitzy but he's at the hotel rn 😅 he's taking a break from chiquito

user2 even froggys need a break too 😩🙌

schecoperez what do you mean mr. bitzy's at the hotel 🧐

carmayalaprz what do you mean by that love? 😄😊

schecoperez 😊

maxverstappen1 uh oh. i wouldn't play this game with carma if i were you checo 🤔

redbullracing i agree with max on this one

christianhorner i don't really mind being introduced to bopit and bitzy every time 😕 liked by carmayalaprz

carmayalaprz i hope gp's the same because there's gonna be a lot of that soon 😅

danielricciardo how much plushies does he have for the trip rn?

carmayalaprz without cece's? about seven. apparently the whole pack either come or be left at home but we all know the chances of one being left alone in the cold dark place

danielricciardo i can barely imagine ribb being left alone at home- can you just imagine that poor frog crying for his friend?

carmayalaprz i can never 😔

tagged schecoperez, artsforyouth, artsforkids

liked by charles_leclerc, lewishamilton, adaabbott

adaabbott ah yes! the efficient cardboard crafting camp! my favourite activities yet! liked by carmayalaprz

carmayalaprz i had my biggest proud wife and mom moment just watching serg and silas make those houses 🥰

adaabbott haha! i can imagine! poppet and jens definitely tried their best working together!

user1 silas and sergio perez are the most iconic duo since sebastian and michael 😍

user2 i love how hands-on you and checo are when it comes to your little ones!

carmayalaprz thank you so much! us parents are trying despite the busy schedules, you know? 💖

danielricciardo i hope you guys brought earplugs. god knows how much of a screamer silas is 😭

schecoperez daniel for the last time he didn't intentionally try to break your eardrums 🤠

carmayalaprz try babysitting them, you'll get used to it eventually

danielricciardo maybe next time, yes?

user3 danny would probably add more to the noise if anything ngl 😭

schecoperez am i ever glad to take your and silas' attentions away from the stupid frogs 😄 liked by carmayalaprz

carmayalaprz don't say that about those frogs 🤠 i was shedding blood and tears swiping my card after passing by that store

schecoperez maybe next time let's not go to a mall with a build a bear store 🤔

carmayalaprz i agree. we might have pavlov'd our son with the build-a-bear stores we come across to

maxverstappen1 so i should return the froggy i bought him then...?

redbullracing you know the right answer to that max.

the perez kids

silas milo ayala perez

cecilia morgana ayala perez

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episims · 4 months

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A Peek to My SFS Stats

I know some creators prefer not seeing their download numbers and that's fair! This kind of stuff can easily cause pressure and/or feelings of underachievement.

For me though, it's just statistics. And since it's pretty precisely 5 years from when I first uploaded anything to SFS, I've gathered some data to play with.

So, this very self-indulgent post is solely about my SFS stats. Just because I'm a total nerd I find it interesting, and I like being open about things. It's long and blabbery so the rest is safely under the cut.

For the background: I tend to create whatever I need for my own game. I share my weird stuff because I feel like it's a trade for everything I download from others.

Probably due to the lack of any consistency or branding at all, my CC has a wide range in download numbers. I have some popular pieces, sure, but also some niche mods like no snow accumulation that has only interested 126 persons in nearly two years.

Even though saying "only 126" is an illusion created by the internet. Imagine if those 126 individuals would come to you in person. That's more people than I've probably even had a real talk with during the last year!

The raw data of my SFS main folder is (calculated with a sheets program): it has 227 files and the average download count for each file is 1557, but 74% of the files have been downloaded fewer times than the average.

So even though my CC isn't usually downloaded that much, I've shared a handful of things that have been downloaded so much more than everything else that they pull the average up.

What are those things? Time is an important factor here, as most CC tends to gather downloads over time (not a single post from 2023 on this list).

1) Subtle wrinkles (January 2022)

17313 downloads (674 hearts; ~3,9% of all downloaders) Post notes: 1112

That's several thousand more than the second most downloaded thing I have, and it's such a random thing.

I'm sure most people have downloaded them to get those 4t2(ish) forehead wrinkles. I have no other explanation as the rest of them are hand-drawn by a person who can't draw. Also the preview is frankly hideous, I used about one minute to take it... safe to say I didn't expect this post to gather any attention at all.

2) Cellphone default (January 2021)

13547 downloads (565 hearts; ~4,2% of all downloaders) Post notes: 1133

Noteworthy that it's been updated a couple of times which pushes people to redownload.

This was a quick passion project, since at that time I couldn't find a cellphone default I was completely happy with. If it hadn't been a quickie, I would've used more time to find a good base mesh oof. Many thanks to @pforestsims for later improving it.

3) Tombstone defaults (December 2019)

12477 downloads (582 hearts; ~4,7% of all downloaders) Post notes: 1064

I was so proud of these when I made them. Those were my first mesh defaults ever! Today, I'm proud of my past self for doing them. That's crazy many meshes and subsets to handle for a total noob.

I couldn't do anything with BHAVs back then, so those defaults would've never ever happened without @midgethetree. She endured a lot, working with a noob who went through several meltdowns because of subset issues that didn't make any sense.

4) Baby personality mod (February 2020)

9724 downloads (489 hearts; ~5% of all downloaders) Post notes: 1193

The first mod on the list! Absolutely essential one for myself and apparently for some others too.

Also the actual first mod of my own ever. I can't really recommend starting with something this complicated, I had zero ability to perceive the scope of the mod when I asked if @midgethetree was willing to help me through it. She deserves all the praise for doing it, I've realized later that I couldn't ever teach anyone the way she taught me. So, if you read this: thank you, Midge.

5) Rabbit pen default (August 2022)

9628 downloads (442 hearts; ~4,6% of all downloaders) Post notes: 1305

This was completely @deedee-sims' idea and project! I just hopped in (hah) to help. I'm only hosting it for practicality, as the BHAVs most often need updating, and those are by me.

6) Turn On/Off replacements (July 2021)

8644 downloads (388 hearts; ~4,5% of all downloaders) Post notes: 1470

This post has more notes than any other post of mine, yet it's not even nearly the most downloaded thing I've done. The two don't always go hand in hand.

I've also shared an updated version of these lately in a new post. It's unlikely they'll get the same amount of attention, which on paper doesn't make much sense since it's practically the same thing but done better. But I'm sure everyone knows that the hype and the quality don't always match.

7) Pixelry’s KKB fridge recolors (February 2022)

8147 downloads (329 hearts; ~4% of all downloaders) Post notes: 662

This is such an oddity on this list since it's the only recolor set and the post has fewer notes than the other ones, too. People just (secretly) really like cute fridges, apparently.

8) Crib teeth anim fix (August 2022)

6157 downloads (431 hearts; ~7% of all downloaders) Post notes: 1408

This list is already long enough, but I wanted to show how fast the number starts dropping at this point.

This got posted a day before the bunnies, and I find it funny to think that for about 3000 people it's more pressing to have bunnies in their game than fixing their toddlers dropping teeth while crying lol.

No point in continuing the list forever, but among my most note-gaining Tumblr posts are also:

Puppy/kitten want replacements (October 2022, 1114 notes, 3849 downloads)

Improved biotech station (July 2022, 1110 notes, 3893 downloads)

Camera overhaul mod (January 2024, 1059 notes, 1752 downloads)

Newspaper default (March 2022, 970 notes, 5052 downloads)

While I don't have a real conclusion to offer, it's clear that notes don't always get realized to downloads, and likewise many people download without interacting with posts.

One more thing I'd like to point out is that the percentage of people who hit that SFS heart button seems pretty constant. I feel like it shows that some people just have that habit and some don't, and it's not likely directly related to how much they like the thing.

The amount of SFS hearts that crib teeth anim fix has gotten doesn't follow this pattern lol. It's really not common to see the percentage change even that much.

#text #text post #random #nerdy stuff #this is what happens when i start typing without thinking #i end up with a novel #that probably interests no one lol

67 notes · View notes

httpknjoon · 1 year

Text

proof, they say | ksj

plot | Every proof that random people took just to prove your relationship.

words | 2.2k+

genres | humor/crack, fluff, actors!au

pairing | actor!jin x famous!reader

note | usernames used in the fic are all fictional. this "thread" is briefly mentioned in lie detector test. I was second-guessing if I should post this for a while. now, I am posting it before the finale! I have more proofs but I chose not to put it here anymore! if you want to read more proofs, send me an ask and I'll gladly reply with it. enjoy reading!

main masterlist | drabble series

Sometime in 2021, Twitter user @/bluemoon04 posted a thread of tweets, which later became one of the most essential posts in the YN-JIN fandom. It was published just weeks later after Jin’s Lie Detector Test video from Vanity Fair and it gets an update every time someone gets more proof of The A-Listers’ real relationship.

As of December 2022, the thread has almost eighty-nine thousand likes and thirty thousand and four hundred plus retweets and requotes. The proofs posted can be hit or miss. But user bluemoon04 shares it anyway and lets the others share their thoughts about it. Others can also submit their own proofs to the account through direct message.

Proof no. 1: [THAT TUMBLR POST IN JANUARY 2019]

behind the scenes...

A twenty-second video was posted on Tumblr sometime in the last quarter of 2019 by a newly-made account. The post only had three tags: #YN, #JIN, and #YNJIN. The algorithm worked and published the video in everyone’s feed. It received a thousand notes by the twenty-four-hour mark. It also reached other social media sites. Mostly, Twitter.

Fans— even the local audience is in awe after watching the video. What’s in it? You might wonder.

It’s just you and Jin sitting on a bench under a light post on a dark night in a lakeside park. It was seemingly taken during the production of Maybe Yes, Maybe No. It was a crowded place with the crew and staff members walking around to do their job while the actors wait on the side. Amidst the busy background, you and Jin can be seen enjoying ice cream on cones as you chat, inaudibly.

It looked like you two were busy in your own world while the crew members carry stuff around the set. Jin said something that made you laugh hard.

“God! That was terrible!” you told him before laughing at whatever Jin said.

“You loved it!” he replied.

Those were the only audible dialogue from the clip. You two continued talking as you eat the cold treat. And based on everyone who saw the video, Jin can melt– not just the ice cream– but also you with how he stared at you intently while you tell your story. You then paused when you felt the weight of his stare, your eyebrows raised. He chuckled, shaking his head, before wiping the ice cream on the corner of your lips with his thumb. The video ended when a crew member walked up to you two.

Proof no. 2: [JIN SIGHTINGS IN LESS LIKELY PLACES pt. 1]

@/multifan0303: OH MY GOD OH MY GOD MY MOM JUST SENT ME THIS

The tweet was originally posted in January 2020. The first picture was Jin’s signature on a piece of paper. For the second and last one, there’s a picture of the original poster’s mom with the actor. It’s not new for Jin to take pictures with fans he is out in public. But what made the whole fandom crazy about it is it was taken in a pet store and he was holding a basket full of cat food and supplies.

replying to @/multifan0303

- @/multifan0303: my mom doesn’t know who he is. but she saw her other customer that time asking for a picture with him so she asked for a picture and autograph too HDJSKLJFKDSLGKLJFDS

– @/greenpr4da: look at that basket

— @/v3rsaceyn: and you’re telling me jin hates cats????

—- @/franchiecat: he doesn’t even have a cat 😭

Proof no. 3 [LIVING TOGETHER ALLEGATIONS PT. 1]

During the first lockdown during the pandemic in 2020, everyone began suspecting about you and Jin living together in a house in Connecticut. With a lot of free time, the media managed to find a real estate posted online located in the said state that apparently looked like the house you were rumored to be living together in.

con mi hija 🌸

You captioned it in one of your Instagram posts in 2020. It was a selfie of you with Francheskat in your backyard. The picture was focused on your pet and only half of your face can be seen. A wall from your house can also be seen, showing that your home does have a stone exterior. Since you are more active on social media than Jin, your eagle-eyed fans also spotted in a different picture that you also have the identical Victorian lamp that the actor had behind him during a virtual interview.

“Just tell us are you and Y/N living together?!” Donny asked jokingly during an online fundraiser event with you, Jin, and other friends.

Jin shakes his head, laughing, “We’re not.”

“We do!” you huffed dramatically. “No one told me this man doesn’t know how to wash his laundry!”

Other participants laughed at your exaggerated and sarcastic tone. That was the first time you two acknowledged the gossip publicly and it was definitely not the last. You acknowledged it again when you greeted him on his birthday.

Proof no. 4: [BUB]

Both supporters and the press caught on Jin slipping his endearment for you during events with you back in 2021. Fans made video compilations and listed down the times your co-actor called you ‘bub’ on numerous occasions. Sometimes it was hushed, sometimes it felt like it just slipped from his lips. Jin finally addressed it when W Magazine brought up the topic during a magazine cover with you.

“Yeah, why do you call me that?” you turned your head to him, still in your look for the editorial shoot you two did.

Jin’s lips broke into a smile as he looked at you. He rested his chin on his palm when he answered, “It’s nothing really… It just slips out, bub”

As far as everyone witnessed from his whole career in Hollywood, you were the only co-worker Jin sometimes calls by a nickname. He never explained where it came from and was only questioned about it once.

Proof no.5: [THE TALE OF FRANCHESKAT]

“Yeah, that’s my lovely daughter, Francheskat.” you shared when Stephen Colbert brought up the picture of your pet.

“I heard she’s from an animal shelter in London. Is that right?” the host asked and you nodded from your seat.

“Yes! I visited a few shelters there during the production of my new film there and I was in awe when I first met her!”

“Oh, so you adopted her right away from that moment?”

“I didn’t…” you shook your head. “I was too busy and I was only in London for less than two weeks. My schedule was jampacked, and I never got to drop by the shelter again.”

“But I have a friend who saw how much I want to have this beautiful cat and surprised me like a month later after I got back in LA. It was so unexpected, I cried.” you laughed.

That interview was in 2017, months before the release of your first movie with Jin. Francheskat was the main reason why you made an Instagram account again after deactivating your old account back in 2016. Based on your fans’ calculations, you recently just finished filming Cornelia Street when you began posting about your cat. And Jin was seen in London around the same time you shot your own scenes there.

These facts strengthen your fans’ belief that Jin was the friend you were talking about. Especially with how close your co-star is to your cat, even though he claims he isn’t a big fan of felines.

Proof no. 6 [Y/N SPOTTED IN LESS LIKELY EVENTS PT.1]

“I don’t really celebrate any holidays.” you shared during an interview back in 2014. “I just spend those days like my other rest days except I send gifts to my friends.”

You have been living alone ever since you were emancipated from your father’s control. You usually sleep or work through Christmas and New Year’s eve or any other commonly big holiday, treating it as a normal day. You always find it exhausting to prepare for such events when you live alone. The only special event you celebrate is your mom’s or close friends’ birthdays. Your fans are aware of this fact and made sure to send you sweet greetings during holidays as you post pictures from your home. You were never spotted outside either by the press during these events.

@/DonnyNextDoor: happy thanksgiving from us!!

In the celebration of Thanksgiving Day back in 2021, Donny posted a photo of your circle of friends. You stood next to Bella Hadid, who was Donny’s girlfriend at the time. Next to you were Jin and your three other mutual friends.

@/daisiesandroses: omg yn holiday contents

Fans were happy to see you with friends during that time. They expected that you will post something for Christmas and New Year’s too. However, you only posted an Instagram story each, greeting everyone. Someone claimed they spotted you in New York for Times Square Ball but no pictures floated online.

Proof no. 7: [VERSACE ON THE FLOOR]

It has been known to everyone that you have always been a massive admirer of the luxury fashion brand, Versace. Donatella has been a great friend of yours ever since you became a brand ambassador for the said brand when you were 22. And even though you had contracts with other brands in the following years, you maintained a good relationship with her. You’ve also been invited to fashion week events and you always try to go if your tight schedule can accommodate it. You were even featured in Bruno Mars’ music video for his hit song, Versace On The Floor.

@/SE0KJINM00N: SOMEONE SEND ME THAT PHOTO HE DELETED IT!!

@/hellobubba: was that versace on that fucking floor or am i seeing things

@/peopleoncrnlstrt: LMAO he deleted the ig story

But sometime in 2019, Jin posted a picture in his Instagram Stories which he deleted less than two minutes later. The photo is simple. It was a picture of the latest book he read. He was holding it down, seemingly an innocent one. But if you travel your eyes to the upper corner of the image, even though the background’s a little blurry, a black piece of clothing can be seen. It was immediately recognizable due to the fact that it has the word Versace printed all over it.

And since you were the closest person to him that everyone knows, the fans assumed it was yours. You were once seen a couple of years ago sporting a bikini top with the same design, just different colors. People searched online and found that there is, indeed, a Versace one-piece swimsuit with the exact design.

Although the photo was never talked about in public, that Versace mystery became an inside joke in the fandom.

Proof no. 8: [LIVING TOGETHER ALLEGATIONS PT. 2]

urfavecatlady started a live video. Watch it before it ends!

August 2020. You had a five-minute live on your Instagram account, simply just to chat with your fans while you were waiting for your cookies in the oven. It was short yet chaotic.

“Oh, I tried baking today! I saw an easy recipe online. I’ll share the link on Twitter later.” you answered a fan as you put down your phone. You sported a now-messy apron. The apron? It was a gift from Timmy. He learned I love ba–”“

“Ouch!”

Someone exclaimed in the background, followed by the noises of something falling on the ground. You paused and looked at whatever was behind your phone. Your eyes widened. But you tried to compose yourself as you look back at the camera.

“Francheskat jumped on some– on my stuff. Gotta go! I’ll update y’all with the cookies later. Bye!” your voice trailed off as you end the Instagram Live.

@/amymarchdefender: i think i heard someone during yn’s live

@/princessbubblegum: is she quarantining with someone???!?

Some fans claimed it was not Francheskat, but Jin. Although the mystery voice was not that audible, they claimed it was him. Others believed that maybe you are really going through lockdowns with someone who is not Jin. There are few people who believe that you really have a longtime secret partner, someone who is not in the same industry as you. Nonetheless, everyone never knew who it was.

The thread still receives updates from time to time even though you took a break and Jin is not really that active on social media. The owner of the tweet still gets submissions from various fans.

Now, October 2023. Jin hasn’t had any public appearances since his series premiere on HBO. He is still in for Waller-Bridge’s movie. You, on the other hand, were getting gossip that you will be having a cameo with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Some believed that you will be retiring or will take years to come back. Both of you two were not active on social media. Your last post in your Instagram feed was in August. And Jin’s was May.

But one of Hollywood's biggest celebrity gossip sources is the Instagram account, Deuxmoi, posted something that made a noise in your fandom.

Sent via form submission from Deuxmoi

Pseudonyms, Please: Cookie Monster

Email: [email protected]

Subject: Everyone’s Fave Cat Lady

Message: A friend of mine works in one of the longest-running live television shows. They said that a prominent A-lister actress is returning in front of the cameras after taking a sudden break for more than a year. Her comeback will be announced next week! Watch out!

taglist rules

THE A-LISTERS TAGLIST

@jub-jub @yoontaethings @kissme-ornot @sleepy-daydreams @veronawrites @cuteipat @ratherbefangirling @babystarcandy-gcf @akirawhore @alpacaparkaseok @rjsmochii @lovesickbangtan @rapmonie2047 @btsiguess-kpop @angelarin @walkinganxiety0 @bloopkook @yoooonie @amara-mars @firesighgirl @zwiehe @hiii-priestess @lojocas @juju-227592 @singukieee @eshtravagent @canarystwin @petalsofink

PERMANENT TAGLIST

@dunixxd @cixrosie @jksjx @embrace-themagic @buttvi @starbtslove @missseoulite @vanntaesworld @kenqki @pixybear @miyukihoshi @stopeatread @seolaquotes @greyrain23

#jin x reader #jin fluff #bts jin #jin fic #jin au #seokjin x reader #seokjin fanfiction #bts social media au #seokjin fluff #bts fluff #bts angst #bts x reader #bts imagine #bts series #bts au #bts fanfic #the a listers ksj

247 notes · View notes

foxes-that-run · 6 months

Text

The 1

The 1 is talking to an ex and updating them on her life, we got to see it reenacted at the 2021 Grammys when Folklore won AOTY:

youtube

The 1 was written between March and July 2020. It had not been long since Harry and Taylor saw each other, we know of at least at Ed Sheeran's Wedding in September. Lover and Fine Line (on Taylors 30th Birthday) came out since then, 2019 had been a big year.

In the long pond sessions Taylor and Aaron talked about how it reflects the whole album. Which is interesting when Taylor also sang in Gold Rush that her mind turns Harry's life “into folklore”.

I see The 1, Cardigan and Exile as one conversation (I'll get to Betty). From pleasantries, expressing support and then rehashing their end.

Lyrics

[Verse 1] I'm doing good, I'm on some new shit Been saying "yes" instead of "no" I thought I saw you at the bus stop, I didn't though I hit the ground running each night I hit the Sunday matinée You know the greatest films of all time were never made

In the long pond sessions Taylor said the opening line has a double meaning, that the sound of folklore was a new direction and that she was being open to new experiences personally.

Taylor has a similar line to the bus stop, in Cardigan, which is almost a continuation of The 1, “I knew I'd curse you for the longest time / Chasin' shadows in the grocery line” both capture that feeling of subconsciously looking for someone

Taylor says she’s busy, hits the ground running and fits as much as she can in. Ironic lines in a pandemic. The matinee line sounds like she made time to see Dunkirk, but maybe that's just me.

“The greatest films of all time were never made.” I love this line, she’s reflecting that their relationship was cut short. She also refers to it as a film later in the conversation in Exile. The wildest dreams music video also refers to them as Taylor and Burton

[Pre-Chorus] I guess you never know, never know And if you wanted me, you really should've showed And if you never bleed, you're never gonna grow And it's alright now

In the pre-chorus Taylor reflects on the different views of their relationship in 1989 compared to HS1. They have both said they don’t communicate in person what they can in song.

'If you never bleed your never gonna grow' there is a similar line in Woman on HS1: "he’s right where I should, where I should be but you’re making me bleed”. The reference here is that Harry should have shared his feelings sooner, or then but didn't.

However, in Cruel Summer however, Taylor said "And if I bleed, you'll be the last to know, oh" so it seems mutual to hide their feelings.

In Olivia, Harry said “This isn't the stain of a red wine, I'm bleeding love”

It's alright is a reference to Fine Line's "We'll be a fine line / We'll be alright"

[Chorus] But we were something, don't you think so? Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool And if my wishes came true It would've been you In my defense, I have none For never leaving well enough alone But it would've been fun If you would've been the one (Ooh)

I love “roaring 20’s” like, it refers to both her age and “it was so Gatsby that year” from TIWWCHNT, referring the party 1989 era before the gates shut in Reputation. 20 is a Haylor theme also

Also tossing pennies and wishes reminds you of I wish you would.

ME! Also includes “I can never leave well enough alone”

Taylor has described their relationship as 'like the mall before the internet' in Coney Island, an incredibly fun place.

[Verse 2] I have this dream you're doing cool shit Having adventures on your own You meet some woman on the internet and take her home We never painted by the numbers, baby But we were making it count You know the greatest loves of all time are over now

I love the second verse, she is hoping that her muse is living a happy new life. To me 'adventures on your own' conjures up Harry's post One Direction career. Which it may have been with his second album freshly released.

'We never painted by the numbers' is similar to 'you painted my nights a colour I have searched for since' in Question..?

[Pre-Chorus] I guess you never know, never know And it's another day waking up alone [Bridge] I, I, I persist and resist the temptation to ask you If one thing had been different Would everything be different today?

Taylor has a few songs that explore Haylor What Ifs:

Cardigan "I knew you would haunt all of my what-if's"

INTHAF Imagines what if they had met as children, and

Suburban Legends imagines a fantasy of them surprising the whole school in a 1950's gym, as a metaphor for being a power couple at a high profile event.

Slut! “Aquamarine, moonlit swimmin' pool / What if all I need is you?”

We were something, don't you think so? Rosé flowing with your chosen family And it would've been sweet If it could've been me In my defense, I have none For digging up the grave another time But it would've been fun If you would've been the one (Ooh)

More Haylor rosé since Maroon: "Your roommate's cheap-ass screw-top rosé, that's how".

Digging up the grave also reminds us of the opening of Look at what you made me do, where Taylor emerges as a Zombie wearing a dress similar to the one she wore in Out of the Woods.

#haylor #the 1 taylor swift #folklore

43 notes · View notes

watermelonsugacry · 2 years

Note

You said YN and Harry's relationship was EXPOSED? Please say more.

Grapejuice

A/N: Double update!! Yeah so I was able to find the original post I saw a while back and thought that this was for sure how it happened.

SUMMARY: With the world knowing of their once secret relationship, Harry and YN navigate life together as an official couple and everything that comes with it. (4.6k)

GENRE: 1dbandmember!reader, famous!yn

Previous Song Here! 🍣// Building Harry's House masterlist // SINCE 2010 masterlist

—2019—

One week.

It's been 7 days since Harry and YN have officially confirmed their relationship, cutting out all the back and forth, walking on eggshells of confused feelings and paranoia. The two have finally locked hands and officially crossed the fine line of friendship, unofficial lovers and everything in between.

It's also been 7 days since Harry has persuaded his girlfriend to go to Jonny's, one of his close childhood friends, house for a New Years Eve party with the security and reassurance that the guests attending are only going to be a couple of close friends. In simple terms, there's going to be people who aren't going to plaster the couple on social media or spread rumors about them after the night is over.

They’ve been at the party for about two hours now and it's apparent that Jonny has a different definition of “a couple of close friends.” There has to be at least a hundred people at his property. His penthouse has people flowing about it with the music blasting. Every room seemed to be filled with gold decorations: streamers, balloons, confetti, there were even some of those cheesy 2020 party sunglasses going around.

The moon has officially appeared its way into the night sky and this is YN’s only indication of the time. Her and Harry agreed to keep off of their phones for the night with the exception of calling their families once it was the new year. They wanted the night to just be focused on them two without a worry from the outside world.

YN dries her hands on the bathroom towel and fixes her hair a bit in the mirror. She runs her hands down her corset-like top to make sure it was not too tight but enough to feature her curves. She turned to the side to fix the waistband of her black trousers one last time before her white heels ring through the lavish bathroom as she starts heading out.

When she exits the bathroom, she politely smiles at a couple waiting outside. They return the gesture and both go inside the large bathroom giggling.

Oh the joys of new year’s eve parties: sex, alcohol, and more sex.

She walks through the kitchen to the huge living room. Some people are dancing to the DJ's music, other couples are suction cupped together by the mouth and some people are simply chatting with others.

YN goes to the kitchen where Jonny is currently mixing drinks for the people around him.

She wasn’t planning to drink the night away, but Harry's words keep flooding back into her mind, “I think we deserve to enjoy more of our holiday before it’s over, don’t y’think?”

“Hey YN! What can I get yeh, love?” Jonny asks with a friendly smile, throwing the dish towel to lay over his shoulder after handing off the freshly made drinks.

Harry has been the one making her drinks for the night (for as long as she can remember really) mixing drinks for her when they’ve tasted too strong or way too bitter. So she goes with her one selected drink choice that she knows she’ll like.

YN blows out a raspberry before saying, “Got something old and red?”

"V'got just the thing." She smiles as he excitedly taps the marble counter before scurrying off to the cabinet just for storing wine. She’s only met Jonny a hand-full of times whenever they visit her boyfriend’s hometown. From what she’s gathered, he's a fun, out-going kind of guy who’s always throwing a party for some sort of occasion. He’s really genuine, down-to-earth, and (from what Harry told her) he cares about everyone no matter if they’ve known each other for 10 years or 10 minutes.

When she leans her elbows on the marble island to wait for her drink to be ready, she feels two large hands make their way around her waist and press their body to her backside.

“Excuse me, m’am,” she hears Harry say in her ear, a smirk creeping onto her face. “But I saw you from across the room and couldn’t help but notice how gorgeous you look tonight. Can I get yeh a drink?”

“Sorry sir,” YN says, turning her head lightly to where his is resting on her shoulder. “But I don't think my boyfriend will like another bloke getting me a drink.”

Just as the words finish leaving her lips a wine glass is placed in front of her.

“1982 Chateau Lafleur, from Pomerol, France for the lady.” Jonny says, giving the couple a friendly nod before being whisked away by his other guests. She grabs her drink and turns around in Harry's arms, careful not to spill the red liquid on her top.

“Well, whoever this fella is, he’s a lucky guy to have yeh.” Harry says, towering over her. She feels his arms tighten around her back and she giggles, her neck craning as she looks up at him.

“Yeah well, between you and me,” she makes a motion with her finger to bring his head down to hers, the smirk never leaving Harry's face. “I think he’s gay.” She says into his ear and walks away from his embrace taking a sip from her drink. She laughs as he hears him groan, quick on her heels.

“Oi c’mon. Why y’gotta ruin the game, lovie?” He goes in front of her and walks backwards, taking her hand in his.

YN hasn’t been able to wipe the smile off her face that her cheeks might be sore tomorrow. All evening, they haven’t been able to keep their hands off of each other. Whether it’s a hand on her back while catching up with some old friends, an arm over her shoulder when having a drink, or like now when they’re hands are in each others. Any chance he gets, Harry tells everyone they meet that she’s been nominated for five grammys and how proud he is of her.

While still holding her hand, Harry sits down on an open corner of one of the couches. He opens his legs a bit so she can stand in between them. It’s times like these where she’s taller than Harry and has him looking up at her that makes her think back to other times he’s been beneath her. She giggles as she thinks of what it would be like to actually be taller than him.

Maybe she should quit drinking now before the alcohol really kicks in.

“What’s got you all giggly, huh?” Harry asks her while tugging her to him, unable to hold back a smile when he hears her laugh.

“Harry, my grapejuice!” she laughs as her wine almost spills on the both of them from his pulling. She straddles his lap and leans forward to place her drink on the side table behind him. She feels his hand slide up and press down on her lower back to keep her there as he leans back into the velvet couch cushions. She places a hand next to his head on the back of the couch as she looks down at him.

It feels oddly satisfying to be out in a semi public place and to be able to touch each other. Nothing too crazy like the other people around them but enough to just openly show some affection. Especially when he looks up at YN like the way he is now, with his eyes slightly pink from the drinks he’s had throughout the night and the way his two front teeth begin to nip at his lower lip while glancing down at hers.

As comfortable as she is, she can’t help but sit up and look around to make sure no one is taking any pictures of them out of habit.

“Hey,” Harry sits up as he looks up at her in a serious manner. “No one is watching us. They’re too busy getting drunk off their asses to even glance our direction. If anything, we’re the most tame couple here.”

He puts a hand to her cheek to make her wandering eyes go back to him. He hates that she’s so paranoid like this. He loves his job and he knows that she loves her’s, but it’s times like these where he wishes they were someone else. Someone who isn’t in the public eye or can end up in tabloids for just walking down the street to go out to eat.

“Yeah. Yeah you’re right. M’sorry.” YN says, putting her head down and starts to fidget with the rings on her fingers. “Just a habit y’know?”

“Yeah, I know baby.” Her eyes meet his and she gives him a smile that doesn’t meet her eyes.

“M’sorry it bothers me so much. I wish it didn’t.”

She’s the most stubborn, head-stronged person he knows so it makes his heart sink at the fact that she’s acting this way. He’ll admit, it does boost his ego up a bit that she’s so confident about everything else but he can make her nervous when it comes to the two of them.

“Nothing to be sorry for love.” Harry softly taps his knuckle under her chin. “The only thing you should be sorry for is not letting me see this top before at home.”

YN throws her head back in laughter at the unexpected statement. She knew he would like her top. His fingers haven’t stopped running over the lace texture on her back ever since she put it on.

“You really like it?” she says, already knowing the answer. The hand on her cheek now moves down to her neck, his palm resting at the base of her throat. Harry’s fingers squeeze slightly as an indication for her to move her ear to be at the same level as his lips. Her fingers peak into the top part of his black shirt and she runs them lightly over the curve of his collarbones.

“I think you already know the answer to that.” Harry says seductively. “Or do you need me to show you in another way?” A shiver goes down YN’s spine and when she pulls her head back slightly, his eyes bore into hers.

The hand running up and down her back moves lower to rest on the top part of her bum. They both lean into each other’s touches and their lips touch for the first time tonight.

At the start of the night, YN was very paranoid to show PDA; her hands were always cold and clammy, her fingers a fidgety mess and her overall anxiety was through the roof. She’s been trained for the majority of her career to be nothing but discreet, her management painting her with this forced “good girl” image that was hard to break out of.

It was comforting to know that Harry cares about their relationship and has put in the same amount of effort into keeping their love a secret. So it was kind of shocking for her to hear that Harry wanted to let loose tonight and act as if their relationship wasn’t a secret. But at the same time...it also was exciting and freeing to be able to act like a couple in love in their twenties, to act like any other couple here tonight. A significant amount of weight has been lifted off of their shoulders and the night could not get any better than this.

They both have had their fair share of relationships not only being ruined by the media, but by their management. But tonight, they both feel an overwhelming amount of happiness by their actions. Nothing else matters, nobody else exists, it’s just the two of them.

The two stay like this for a while. YN stays on Harry's lap as they share kisses mixed with giggles. It’s not long before she shifts around so she sits sideways across his thighs. Harry steals some of her drink every now and then and they talk with some other guests as they pass by. They take shots with Jonny and some of his friends before she drags Harry to the dancefloor once they’ve had enough drinks in their systems.

Before they know it, everyone begins to pile into the living room. Jonny stands on top of the coffee table, holding his drink up in the air as he begins to count down from 10.

Harry pulls YN close to his chest from amongst the crowd, arms over her shoulders as they look at where Jonny stands in the middle of the room as everyone joins in.

3...

“I love you, YN.” Harry nudges against the shell of her ear.

2...

“I love you, Harry.” She leans her head back to meet his eyes.

1...Happy new year!

YN throws her arms in the air and she yells her first words of 2020. Harry has his arms spread out beside him and he cheers with an open mouthed smile. He bends forward and wraps his arms around YN's low back. Her arms encircle his neck and they both lean in to kiss with bright, tipsy smiles on their faces. As they kiss, Harry leans forward and makes YN arch her back. Her hands go to the nape of his neck and slightly tug at hair there.

"Happy new year, baby." Harry says against her lips.

"Happy new year."

"Let's call our mums and then let's go sneak off somewhere private, yeah? Go christen in the new year?" Harry suggests, a sly smirk tugs on the corner of his lips when she nods excitedly.

He gives her a final peck before he reaches around to take out his phone out of his back pocket. He blinks quite a bit when he sees his manager's name lighting up his screen.

"Happy new years, Jeffy!" He yells from over the cheers and music around him.

YN's eyes go wide with drunken excitement, grabbing Harry's forearm to bring the phone close to her mouth.

"It's a new year, Jeffery! Sending love from yeh favorite Love Birds.” She laughs.

As random guests come up to YN and hug her, but in the midst of the celebration she sees the way Harry’s smile slowly tugs itself down. His eyebrows furrow and his serious gaze meets hers. Dismissing herself with a smile to a random girl, she makes her way over to her love.

"H? Baby, what's wrong?"

Harry doesn't say anything, he just looks around the crowded living room for a second before interlocking their hands. Unable to go outside on the patio due to it snowing, he leads her to the empty kitchen with the phone still pressed to his cheek.

"What's wrong?" She repeats when he hangs up the phone. He hasn’t said another word since he answered the phone. "Harry, you're scaring me."

“Jonny just exposed our relationship.” He finally says, avoiding her wide eyes. He curses under his breath and runs a frustrated hand through his hair before quickly typing away on his phone.

His words don’t fully seem real, like they weren’t even meant for her and they almost go in one ear and out the other. The alcohol running through her veins certainly doesn't help the situation; she has to blink a few times to ground herself. But once it finally registers in her brain, her heart drops right down to her feet. She quickly steps over to him and pulls her phone out from his trouser pocket. Before she could even unlock it, her manager’s name lights up the screen.

“YN?” Jenny’s panicked voice comes through the speaker. “What the hell happened? Are you guys ok? Don’t worry, hun, we’re gonna figure this out...”

Her manager’s voice drowns out as Harry stands next to his love so they can see his phone screen together. Their names are trending all over Twitter and he doesn’t have to scroll at all before clicking on a video with their names in the caption.

They both look at a screen recorded Instagram story video of Jonny taking shots with his friends earlier tonight in selfie mode. It seems like a perfectly normal video, nothing out of the ordinary as a group of friends drink for the upcoming new year. That is until the couple could be seen in the background, YN on Harry's lap as she throws her head back in laughter. Both of their eyes widen at the sight.

As the video goes on, Jonny’s head blocks their figures but once they are in view again, Harry's hand can be clearly seen on her bum and their heads are way too close together to pass off as friendly. Now what has them both sucking in a sharp breath through their lips is right before the video ends, there is no possible way to miss that fact that the video captures their once freeing kiss.

One week.

It's been 7 days since they've made their relationship official and for it to be exposed.

—2020—

“We used to book a studio and be like, ‘Okay, we’ve got it for two months, grind it out.’ But some days you just don’t want to be there, and eventually you’ve been in the studio so long, the only thing you can write about is nothing because you haven’t done anything." Harry moves his hand around as he talks, his chunky rings clink together every now and then. "So with this album, we’d work for a couple of weeks and then everyone would go off and live their lives.”

The couple was trying to stay under the radar for as long as they possibly can for the time being. The two have been keeping off of social media and focusing on solely each other during this vulnerable time, but what they didn’t know was that the Internet was going absolutely crazy over the leaked video. Harry remembers when he went out for the first time since the new year began to go down to a hidden flower shop down in Homes Chapel.

In the small shop, there’s was a small TV hung up in the corner mostly playing as background noise to fill the plant covered space. So as Harry brings out his wallet to pay for a small bouquet for his love, the social media news reporter makes his ears perk up.

"Former One Direction stars, Harry Styles and YN YL, were seen getting up close and personal this New Years Eve. A video was released from one of the couple’s close friend’s Instagram Story with the former band members in the background. Since 1D went on hiatus, the two have been seen spending more and more time together, always claiming how much they're simply close friends and nothing more. Could this have been a spur of the moment incident or were they merely caught doing something that they've been doing for years? The pop stars’ fan base is buzzing with their opinions. Some are against them being together while others have claimed they knew this information since their One Direction days. But for the most part, the fandom is purely overjoyed by the news. Now the new question on everyone's mind is where are the couple now? And when is their anniversary?

Harry remembers politely thanking the old woman behind the counter and quickly leaving the shop. He remembers setting down her bouquet of assorted flowers with his shoes by the door at the sight of his love still sleeping in his bed. Her back bare with a thin white sheets covering her lower half, her face squished against the pillow. He remembers stripping down to his briefs and sliding under the covers with her. How can he forget the warmth in his chest as she sleepily shuffles her way close to his side, snuggling her face deep into the crook of his neck, and feeling the need for nothing else?

It was right there and then that he decided to take his girlfriend to a little villa he owns in Italy to lay low. The couple went MIA for nearly two months and after loaded discussions between themselves and then their management teams, they decided to make their official public debut as a couple at the Brits Awards. As terrifying as it seemed at the start, they both an unexpected sense of ease when being in the red carpet together, hands intertwined the entire night, and being snuggled up in one another during the interviews the host was making at each table.

Their time in Italy did them more good than they ever thought to imagine. So as the world slowly started to open their doors back up, one of the first places they went back to was the peaceful scenery of Italy.

“Are you writing a love song about me?"

Harry peaks over his writing journal to find YN leaning against the doorframe of the recording studio with a playful smirk on her face. He'a laying down on one of the leather couches in the small space and decided to write down his song inspiration before it escaped him.

“Wouldn’t be the first time. And I can tell you that it won’t be the last.”

“Well.” YN sighs as she takes a seat at the end of the couch by his feet.

“Well.” Harry mocks back, imitating her shaking her head and wide eyes.

“Lemme read it.” She says with a matter of fact, like he should have already handed her the journal.

“Um...no?”

“Why not?”

“S’private.”

“Come on, m’gonna hear it anyways when yeh put it on the album.”

Harry lets out a playful scoff. “Well that’s very narcissistic of yeh to think that yet another song about you s’going on the album.” He teases, knowing full well that it’s going to be.

His smile only grows further when she pushes her shoulder to her ear in a shrug. “Yeh rubbing off on me. Now lemme see it.”

Harry smirks when she reaches for his journal but he moves it out of her grasp just in time for her to miss.

She keeps reaching for it until she��s practically crawling on top of him. He drops the journal on the floor behind him before wrapping his arms around her torso, trapping her between the couch and himself. He presses his smiling lips to hers and she lazily wraps her arms around his shoulders, blindly taking off the blue baseball cap off his head to card her fingers through his hair.

“Alright Love Birds, get a room.” Jeff comes into the room with the rest of the production team following behind him. For the sake of semi-professionalism, YN reluctantly crawls her way out of her sandwiched position and leaves her love laying spread on the couch.

"Wait, are yeh telling me we aren't in a room?" YN sarcastically knocks on the wall by Harry's head. "Damn it, H. Looks like we've been outside this whole fookin' time."

"Alright, alright. No need for the sass." Harry's manager puts his hands up as the room chuckles at their banter. "Let's get to work."

With a playful roll of her eyes, YN snatches Harry's journal and baseball cap from the floor.

"Think yeh dropped this." She places the leather bound book on his chest, giving her boyfriend a wink before sliding the cap onto her head and situating herself in front of the studio console.

"A line that I helped write and I feel has a subtle double meanin' is I pay for it more than I did back then. Not only am I paying more for an actual bottle of wine, but for what has happened when my relationship was publicly outed." Although her hands are out of view from the interview camera, Harry still notices from the sidelines how she twists at the ring on her index finger out of nerves. Talking about their newly public relationship was still a sensitive topic for the both of them and it screams volumes at the sight of his girl visibly (though subtle) getting anxious.

"I think we did a fair job at keeping things under-wraps for as long as we did but eh, now it's just something we gotta move forward from I guess." YN chuckles.

There's just no gettin' through

Without you

A bottle of rouge

Just me and you

With the song halfway finished, the production team has moved out to the patio area of the house the couple rented for the week. The table was buzzing with chatter, laughter and lots and lots of wine. Everyone sits around in the comfortable lounging seating that's surrounded by various vines and greenery and Harry can't help but feel a bit of nostalgia.

When the group was making his last album, they sat in similar position, the only difference this time around is that instead of Harry longing to be in Mitch's seat next to YN, Harry was now actually snuggled up against his love. With a few drinks in, he can't help but fondly look towards his girlfriend as she listens in and chats with the rest of the team.

Through his tipsy thoughts, he's suddenly overcome with the realization that he's actually in Italy with YN not merely as his best friend, not with the woman he's secretly in love with, not even as her secret on and off lover, but as his official girlfriend. During their time in the band to their solo careers, for almost a decade they've traveled to so many parts of the world that it's been impossible to keep count. But now, Italy has become the first place they've traveled together as a couple.

“YN! Y’phone’s ringin’!” Kid calls over from the doorway of the brick home. YN hums in acknowledgement as she takes her last sip of wine before untangling herself from Harry's arm over her shoulders. Before she can stand up from her seat, Harry can’t help but pull her back and cup her cheeks for a quick kiss.

“Hurry back,” He mumbles shyly.

“Ugh, I think I miss when you guys weren’t together so I don’t have to look at that all the time.”

“Aw don’t worry, Jeffery.” YN says with a sweet smile as Kid hands her her phone. “One day you’ll grow up and find love, too.” She giggles when the group makes a playful “ooo” sound to Harry’s manager before swiping her thumb across the screen without looking at the caller ID. “‘Ello?”

The team goes back to their conversation, laughing and passing around various bottles of wine. But of course, Harry can’t keep his eyes away from his love for too long. He can’t help but admire her sun-kissed sun—one of his favorite things about coming to sunny locations like this—or the way her eyes seem to sparkle under the backyard fairy lights.

But a weary feeling comes over him when he sees her golden smile dim down to a frown, her eyebrows pulling in together, and her once relaxed shoulders become tense. He doesn’t think twice about getting up from his spot as he sees her quickly hang up the phone and look down at it as if she’d seen a ghost.

“Baby?” He gently puts a hand on her shoulder and he’s taken back by the way she flinches back, startled from his touch. “YN, what’s wrong? Who was that on the phone, honey?”

His heart nearly breaks in two at the glossy eyes that blink up at him. She takes in a shaky breath and his body go cold by what she says next.

“I—I think that was my father.”

There's just no gettin' through

Taglist:

The grape juice blues

Next Song Here! 🚲

@wobblymug @be-with-me-so-happily @ashtongivesmebutterflies @kiwiskiwiskiwi @darlingdesire @obsesseddd @hopefulwastelandcreation @cacapeepee @breezie-b00 @harrysfolklore @theekyliepage @sunshinemoonsposts @nervousspiderling @tbslonelyhes @tenaciousperfectionunknown @harrystylesrecs @certified-nalayak @itsjustsel @iknowyouthinkimbulletproof @gviosca @behindmygreyeyes @twobluejeans @allisonxmcu @theemeraldbutterfly @jean-love @marvellover-sam @b-reads-things @reveriehs @rach26022 @thurhomish @perrypughstyles @luvonstyles @mxltifxnd0m

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rivalsforlife · 8 months

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The Yearly AA Series Future Speculation Post

I've given up on calling it aa7 speculation because that has never worked out for me. anyways [apollo justice voice] hiya!

It's been a while since I made one of these little posts where I try to predict things and end up horribly embarrassing myself. BUT this year has actually been very exciting for Ace Attorney. We have Ghost Trick! We have 456 ports! Could there be more? Who knows. Tokyo Game Show is coming up and that's always a bad time of year for my self-esteem.

In this post I will do the following:

-Go over the November 2020 leaks again, to compare that to where we're at now

-Talk a bit about the 456 port and what I think that means for the series and its future

-Talk a bit about how well TGAA is doing, I think

-Brief Tokyo Game Show speculations (there's not much to speculate about)

I'll reference my previous posts and sources where necessary. It'll get long and rambly again so I'll put the rest under a keep reading.

FIRST:

Revisiting the Calendar (Again)

For those who aren't aware, back in November 2020, Capcom got hacked (this was overall bad) and from that hack came a leak of a roadmap for the future of the AA series.

For this post, please keep in mind that this calendar is using the Japanese fiscal year, which starts in in April. Therefore Q1 is roughly April-June, Q2 July-September, Q3 October-December, Q4 January-March of the next year.

This calendar was likely made in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, which inevitably ended up throwing everything off quite a bit.

Some of these things came true. This leak was where we first heard about the official TGAA ports, and while they were delayed by about a quarter, they still came out pretty close to on time with all things pandemic to consider. What's especially interesting is that now with confirmation of the 456 ports, we now have no idea what is up with AA7.

We know that AA7 was in development at one point. We know that, if things were on track prior to the pandemic, they might have started the main production. However, the plan seemed to be to release it for the 20th anniversary and use those sales and the sales from TGAA to judge whether 456 would be ported; now that we have 456 confirmed before AA7, we can assume that AA7's delay is so severe we have no way of predicting if or when it will come out.

The thing is, though, AA has been doing really well the last few years, despite the lack of a new game. The 2019 ports of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney trilogy have sold around 2.3 million copies, when previously no other Ace Attorney game broke a million. The trilogy hit a million copies around December 2020, for reference. Ace Attorney itself as a whole broke ten million copies sold recently. In this post I covered how TGAA seemingly has sold way more than Capcom expected, and sold pretty quickly, and is confirmed to be somewhere between 500k-1 million copies sold.

I don't see any reason to believe that AA is in dire financial straits. We've gotten more official merchandise in the last year or so than we got for a while, AA is featured heavily on Capcom's Captown website, the Tokyo Game Show merchandise store has been selling out of AA merch faster than any of their other IPs... I don't see why they wouldn't want to milk that. And 456 is probably a part of it.

What Do The 456 Ports Mean

Back in March 2022, in an event I almost completely forgot about, Capcom updated their trademark for Apollo Justice. I covered my thoughts on that here, and speculated it might indicate a 456 port. ... Which it apparently did. I'll quote exactly what I said in that post, since I still feel this way:

Presumably, previously, the decision to port or not to port 456 would be dependent both on how well TGAA does and how well AA7 would do. With no AA7, they might be making this decision solely based on TGAA. And they… might actually decide it’s worth the port?

This tells us a couple of things.

1.Capcom is aware that there is a decent market and profit to be made porting the Ace Attorney games to all consoles.

2.This heavily implies that TGAA sold fantastically.

I also said in my post about TGAA's success that the 456 ports would be the best indicator of whether Capcom would find it more profitable to continue along with mainline or stick to writing more things about TGAA. Because TGAA is actually doing... pretty great? It's always seemed to have a pretty good fan reception, but it came at the end of the 3DS life cycle and seemed to do poorly enough that Capcom didn't try to localize it for several years. But now it's big enough that Ryunosuke made it onto the 20th anniversary logo, and Ryunosuke and Kazuma are featured in some of the Ace Attorney merchandise for TGS's merch store.

456 doing well would probably reinvigorate Capcom's desire to continue making stories set in mainline. It also might inspire them to finally give an official translation to my favorite game, Ace Attorney Investigations 2, who is Capcom's poor unloved child these days. I'm not expecting Investigations Ports for a few more years, since they seem to be spacing out the ports by about two years, but... it's more likely now than I felt it was about three years ago.

The Great Ace Attorney Sweep

Also, the last few years have had a heavy focus on Great Ace Attorney, even now a couple of years after the ports came out. Takarazuka made their first AA musical in a decade based on TGAA, and, if you ask me, it sounds pretty heavily like they were teasing for a sequel someday. There also has been a reading theater based on TGAA, with an original episode written by Takumi.

Of particular relevance is this source of dubious credibility I linked to in one of my other posts talking about TGAA's expected success. I've assumed it came from the data in the November 2020 Capcom Leak but I can't be certain, so take this next part with a grain of salt.

Here are the original sales projections from 2019(?): FY21: 195K (originally supposed to launch in Q1) FY22: 55K FY23: 8K FY24: 41K (with 32K being in Q3)

This sudden increase in FY24 has always been interesting. Again, as a reminder, Japan's FY24 Q3 would be equivalent to October-December 2024.

It would make sense to say that the 456 ports coming out would likely lead to an increase in sales for all AA games, and it could be that Capcom initially intended for a 456 port to come out about half a year later than the current projection of early 2024. At the same time... I can't deny the possibility that this could be hinting at a new game in the TGAA setting. And something coming out in late 2024 could be a reasonable candidate for an announcement at some major gaming show that Ace Attorney fans already have an interest in tuning into. These are all completely neutral things I am saying that I have no expectations or hope for whatsoever.

What IS Happening At Tokyo Game Show?

TGS is always the part of the year where I say "This is the most likely place for a new AA game announcement leading up to or during it" and it never happens. This year, though, will be different! We have a CONFIRMED feature of the 456 ports. This is the first time we'll have AA content at TGS since 2018, when I first got into the series, so I think it's a pretty big deal. (2018 was when the trilogy ports were first announced; TGAA ports had an announcement-release window of April-July, so they didn't get a chance to feature at TGS.)

Since all we have for a release date is early 2024, I wouldn't be surprised if there will be an official confirmation of the release date, probably a showcase of port features, maybe in-person gameplay? That could be all, and it would be more than we've had since 2018.

I want to say "because there's going to be 456 advertising there, it would be ridiculous for them to announce some new AA content to detract from that". But I said the same things about the capcom showcase where Ghost Trick was featured and the 456 collection was announced, so. Capcom's decisions on when to announce things can be counterintuitive, it seems, so maybe the least likely time is actually the most likely...?

Anyways, we have no idea what the state of New Ace Attorney Content is like in Capcom. From the calendar from the Nov 2020 leaks, the staff that had been working on the DGS ports would join the main staff for AA7, suggesting to me that there would be part of the staff working on ports and part of the staff working on new things. We have no idea what happened to these people who were supposed to be working on AA7. We *can* assume that at least part of the staff transferred over to 456 ports now, but we don't know when that would have been, or if they'd really need all hands on deck for a remaster.

It's been a few years now since Yamazaki left Capcom. We know absolutely nothing about what Takumi has been doing, outside of whatever contributions he may or may not have made to the Ghost Trick remaster, and only recently contributing to various stage content. (We know he advised at least somewhat on the Takarazuka play, and wrote that original episode for the reading theater, so I'd assume he's not in the middle of a big project right when those were taking place.)

This is all to say, there's reason to believe Something's Been Happening Behind The Scenes. And Therefore -- [clown wig descends onto my head again] Maybe TGS 2023 Will Be The Year Of New Ace Attorney Content. Since 456 will be taking the spotlight, I wouldn't expect anymore than a teaser, if it's happening at all.

And now that I've said it, it won't happen.

OVERALL

-TGS confirmed 456 port feature, which should be interesting to see what kind of quality of life features they'll add. Slight possibility there could be something else AA related teased there, solely because Capcom.

-I think TGAA is doing better than Capcom expected and I wouldn't be shocked if they tried to make a new game of it, or at least more extracanonical content like stage plays taking place in that timeline

-AA7 has seemingly vanished but I am sure it will come back when I least expect it.

-AAI ports someday. please. please. please.

#ace attorney #aa7 speculation #[banging pots and pans together] YEAR 3 OF FAILED PREDICTIONS LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR YEAR 3 #there's not much to say here I just wanted to get something out as we're heading into september #do I even want aa7 anymore? no. am I speculating anyways? yes.

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thatonecrookedsmile · 15 days

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You know, one thing I don't like when I digitally color sketches is that the colors end up looking a little desaturated because of the paper. It doesn't look bad, I guess, but I have to eventually find a way to "fix" it eventually.

Anyway, today marks 6 years since BATIM Chapter 4 was released. Damn. I know I say something similar every time I recognize the passage of time, but it's hard to believe that it's been more than half a decade since this chapter came out. Time passes, I get older, it's crazy! And I wanted to do something to celebrate. I've never been able to do anything to celebrate this chapter's anniversary since 2019. Which is a shame because "Colossal Wonders" is my favorite chapter in BATIM. Some of my favorite moments from this game are in this chapter.

And every year I try to do something to celebrate the anniversary, but I never manage to do it and it sucks! And as usual, what I really wanted to do this year didn't end up happening. I'll probably do it at some point later, but there was no way I could execute the idea I had in mind in such a short amount of time. But I still wanted to post something today, so something small will have to do.

In this case, oh hey! It's Bertie and Lacie! In recent times I've been going back to old designs of mine of the human cast of the Bendy universe, and since CH4's anniversary was coming up, I thought it would be good to update my designs for both Bertrum and Lacie. It's been so long since I last drew them, so it's about time. I liked the general idea of the last versions of them that I did in the past, so I tried to keep those ideas still, in a way, but at the same time giving them new life. Lacie falls more in this case, tbh. Bert still maintains some of the previous idea, but I had to change a few details. He still looks good, tho.

I originally wanted to put Jack Fain here too, because,by all accounts, Jack Fain only came into existence with the release of CH4 and the remasters of the other chapters. As much as you can put him on CH2's anniversary,he, at the end of the day, was only introduced on April 30, 2018. Problem is, I didn't like the drawing I made of him. I don't know, it wasn't that good in my opinion. And I didn't want to redo the drawing again (this would be my third attempt) and I wouldn't have enough time to redo his part. So today we'll just have Bernie and Lacie. Sorry Jack. Maybe next time, when I show my CH2 cast designs in one place.

Once again, happy anniversary to Chapter 4! This is my favorite chapter of the game to date. It includes some of my favorites from the story, it has several surprises that caught me the first time I saw the chapter, it brought new updates to previous chapters that added things that I still like to this day (and this goes especially for CH2) And overall, it's a pretty cool chapter me thinks. 👍

That one day we can hear more from Bertrum and Lacie again.🙏 (Especially Lacie. Seriously, don't you guys think it's wild that Lacie is the only one of the human cast of BATIM who hasn't appeared in practically anything since the first game. Like, yeah, she's mentioned in the Handbook, but other than that, she's not mentioned in nothing else after, whether in games or books. I think about this from time to time. Truly one of the Bendy characters of all time)

#bendy and the ink machine #batim #bertrum piedmont #lacie benton #batdr #bendy and the dark revival #crookedsmileart #if you want a fun fact: The first design I made of Bertrum; which was in 2019 in I believe;#I wanted him to be similar to his model that we saw in the game;#at the same time taking a little inspiration from his VA;Joe J. Thomas #I think the design actually worked? but I wasn't happy for a while #so I ended up redesigning him; moving away from the canon accuracy a little; and doing my own thing #and this ended up continuing with subsequent updates #I think this current design is a bit of both ideas; details based on how we saw him in the game; and my own details #and yeah;the monocle has been around since the first design #and yes; the bow tie is kinda weird with that shape #but I think the great Bertrum Piedmont is allowed to wear ties of any type of shape; even they are a bit strange #Lacie's design hasn't changed much in recent years; the main idea has remained the same #The most changes she went through were changes in the color palette #the one I ended up using in the end is what we see above #I think it's what suits her the most (at least; it suits my design of her)

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genericpuff · 11 months

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ULO user here! I recently went back and found several old comments I'd made on LO while I was a huge fan of it in 2019.. so embarassing looking back lol. You mentioned that you used to send a bunch of "fangirl" messages back in the day- would love to see your old thoughts/opinions back when you loved LO to compare as a fun(if a bit melancholic) journey, if you'd be willing to share a few? Your thoughts/analysis are always amazing, but I'm super curious as to how you felt back before you realized what a shitshow it was

Haha yeah, I was a fangirl in the sense of like... always being on time for new updates, even if I was out doing other things, messaging my real life friend who got me into the comic to talk about it. Back then Saturday was the height of my week, sometimes the cliffhangers would get me so excited I'd spend the entire week thinking about what could happen next. I suppose I do still look forward to Saturdays now, but for much different reasons.

It's a lil' shameful looking back but I did used to be one of those "don't like it don't read it" dickheads LOL I also used to "not see the issue" with the age gap thing, not because I was okay with age gaps, but as someone who tends to write about immortal beings, I followed the same line of thinking that "they're gods, it shouldn't matter", until I realize just how silly it was that if that were the case, the comic wouldn't be constantly calling out the age difference and drawing Persephone to look as young as possible. I had to really sit on LO for a long time before I started seeing the issues with it. Ironically what opened my eyes to it was lurking in the #antiloreolympus hashtag every now and then, I'd be reading the opinions like "these opinions suck! they don't get it! they're just being nitpicky/mean/etc.!" and yet I duped myself by doing just that because it exposed me to other points of view which became more and more relevant as the comic declined in quality. I think it was around the trial arc that I started to notice the holes (one of the big tells for me that maaaybe LO didn't know what it was doing was when Persephone chose Hades to be her lawyer despite him being one of the judges and someone she was romantically involved with, like hello?) and then when the series returned from its mid-season hiatus and skipped right over Persephone's time in the Mortal Realm, that was when I realized the criticisms weren't coming from nowhere and I got off the high horse and started to read their points with more of an open mind.

Of course, I can safely say I wasn't as shitty as some of the stans can be, most of my opinions were just in the weekly discussion threads in the LO sub, but I was still giving my opinions on LO as if it was a Canvas comic, failing to recognize that 1.) just because webcomics are a budding industry doesn't mean they should be exempt from criticism, and 2.) LO isn't anywhere near the same level as Canvas, it's a #1 NYT best selling book with a creator who's won awards, so it absolutely should be subject to criticism and analyzing as LO is representing that same budding industry in a lot of ways.

I'm trying to find stuff from my pre-ULO days but unfortunately nothing from my main profile is loading past the last 9 months LMAO But if I do find any specific examples I'll definitely post them so we can roast past me together (*≧︶≦))(￣▽￣* )ゞI definitely remember back when ULO was created, it came at a perfect time I think LOL

#lore olympus critical #lo critical #antiloreolympus #anti lore olympus #ama #ask me anything #anon ask me anything #anon ama

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accio-victuuri · 1 year

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WAYS ON HOW I STAY SANE AS A BXG 🤍

inspired by a convo i had with @rainbowsky and i thought to make a post. it’s been a while since i made a write-up like this and i think it’s timely to make one cause even now — i’m seeing new turtles. or those who are experiencing fandom burnout. no matter what group you belong to i hope this helps a bit. as someone who have been here for quiet some time, i’ll just share things i do to make my fandom life as peaceful as possible.

we really get the best of both worlds as bxgs who love two amazing guys : xz & wyb. but sometimes that also means twice the stress and everything else. whether from content they put out or the cpn side of things. i’m not saying to live in a bubble where nothing bad ever happens, however, fandom should primarily bring happiness and relief. it is not one that makes you dread everyday if things don’t go “your way”. so here’s how i manage to do that.

▸ ┈┈┈┈ • ┈┈┈┈ ◂

1. The Truth is they Don’t Owe me Anything

They don’t owe us candy/ cpn. They don’t need to make us secure of their relationship. If you are a BXG that believes in szd, then you must accept that it’s their relationship and not ours. It is between them. Whatever clues we manage to dig up and see is because we are so attuned to them. Tho sometimes I do believe they turn gremlin and leave us stuff to see— but again, we should not feel like we are entitled to be given any of that regularly. At one point, it will be the best for them to live their life and enjoy their relationship quietly. I know candy can be addicting and is one of the pillars of the fandom but it’s not everything. It should not be a make or break for you as a fan, if it is, then you may want reconsider why you’re here.

There will be times of no sweets. People must accept that it’s not 2019 anymore. They are not promoting a project together and so we will not see them like we did. Don’t compare the amount and quality of CPNs from before and now.

Just enjoy what we manage to spot and see. 🤍 Also knowing their status as celebrities, the focus of the public must be their work and not their personal life. I think they both understand the risks of them interacting and being seen together & it’s better to be safe.

2. Appreciate their career

Sometimes I feel like i’m a full on career fan lol. Considering how I first started this blog as a CPN only space then evolved into an update account and so on. The thing is I really appreciate their work and whatever content they bring us. I am a fan of them as individuals and i’m happy that I was able to make that switch. I don’t think I would last this long if all i’m here for is their relationship and interactions. I don’t blame those who left, especially back in 2021, when they found a much better CP to support. It’s their decision. But that’s the point, they were here for the “relationship” and not XZ & WYB. that’s why they left.

This is the best way to not get distracted by unnecessary things. There is so much content to get through when it comes to the boys and that should keep you distracted — you’ll have no time for negative news.

3. Stay on your own lane

I am talking about fandoms in particular. Don’t talk about other fandoms unless absolutely necessary. Don’t look for trouble by mentioning other CP fandoms. Stay in the BXG fandom as much as you can. TBH, I am SZD so I don’t see them as a CP like what other fandoms do. That’s why I don’t get really nervous when other CP fandoms have their own candies. But if they do, it’s theirs. We are not the only clowns in the world. Other people can speculate and theorize on their own pairings. Remember that before XZ & WYB, they have other CP pairings too. We are not the first. We are the most popular, strong in numbers and resilient — but we are not the only one. There will be more. Especially with the more dramas and movies they will be making in the foreseeable future. You will never be happy if you keep comparing this fandom to others.

I have personally toned down my bias towards showing off their Double Standards. And what the hell are you even doing going to other CP pairings territory? LOL. Please stop. Again. Stay on your own lane. Don’t go looking for “evidence” in other people’s home.

4. Don’t go to toxic places

Expanding on #3. Do not go to obvious toxic spaces and give yourself a headache reading their bullshit. Don’t waste your time trying to argue with antis ( twitter especially ) who are only there to goad you in the first place. I admit that sometimes I do cross over to those places especially if there is something on the hot search but I don’t do it regularly. Knowing your enemy as a strategy does not necessarily apply here. Do your best instead into making a positive environment for those who like XZ & WYB. 🤍

5. Take a break and live your life

The boys always say this and it is true. Take a break. If you catch yourself going down an unhealthy rabbit hole of fandom then please stop. Go out. Talk to your loved ones. Do some chores. Sleep. Rest. Do other things. Watch Buddy Daddies LOL.

At one point in the fandom it was truly unhealthy for me. I couldn’t sleep because of crippling FOMO. I had to accept that there will always be things I will miss. I can always catch up. There is no pressure for me to always be the first one to update and post. No one cares. I can do fandom in my own pace. It can be really overwhelming sometimes and it’s okay to take a breather. 🤍

6. Don’t crack your head open

This applies to CPN and other fan or anti theories. Don’t think too much about it. It’s not rocket science. CPN is mainly for fun and there is a little amount that goes into serious territory. There is no need to believe everything. Take what makes sense to you and stick to that.

7. Participate in the Fandom

I think one of the ways to have a good fandom experience is to be present. to participate. It doesn’t have to be anything big because I understand that not everyone has the time to do so. Personally, it took me some time to show myself because there is joy in being a lurker. Put something out there that you would want to see but you think isn’t available. Or even if there is already one out there, put your own spin to it. Don’t be overcome by the crippling fear that no one would bother reading it so you just won’t post. Someone will see it. You will. You will accomplish something and contribute to the fandom.

I’m keeping this list short and simple as a guide for those who want to live a ( mostly ) peaceful fandom life. or maybe one of these may be a reminder for you to take it easy.

The road ahead is long, so take care of yourself. 💛

#personal #yizhan #struggles of a bjyx enthusiast #bjyx #bxg #bxg struggle

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