I think I fell into a new swamp....

Hey Sunshine 💕

You can't imagine how sorry I am that you lost all these gems you wrote 😭 Fate as deprived us of so many amazing Levihan fics & kisses 🥺 I really hope there's a way to get them back 🤞🍀

Seeing the last prompt list you reblogged (soft fic) I couldn't resist requesting 26 Pyjamas for Levihan or Erurihan because of the headcanons we talked about the other day based on this beautiful fanart 😉

I hope writing something new will cheer you up a bit!

Sending love & hugs 💕🫂

hey Val ♥️ as you know, i did get my wips back!! your good luck wishes seem to have worked haha

thank you for sending me one of these soft prompts. inspiration took a while to come for this one, but then i stumbled upon this post:

and i knew i had your fic. hope you enjoy! ♥️

The Momentum Principle (read on ao3)

Words: 2566 Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Levi Ackerman & Hange Zoë, Levi Ackerman/Hange Zoë, Levi Ackerman & Nanaba & Erwin Smith & Mike Zacharias & Hange Zoë Characters: Hange Zoë, Levi Ackerman, Erwin Smith, Mike Zacharias, Nanaba (Shingeki no Kyojin) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - College/University, Best Friends, Unrequited Crush, Canon Non-Binary Character, They/Them Pronouns for Hange Zoë, SNK Veterans - Freeform, and they were ROOMMATES, (oh my god they were roommates), no beta we die like that vine ref SIKE IT'LL NEVER DIE, pretentious titling because that's how i roll

Summary: Studies show that staying awake for over twenty-four hours has similar effects on the human brain as having a bloodstream concentration of alcohol way over legal limits. Biology major Hange Zoë is aware of that fact. Sadly, they’re also aware that there are finals to pass, and not enough hours in a day to study for them.

Hange frowned at the page before their eyes and clicked the table lamp off and back on, ignoring the annoyed stares the repeated and ineffective gesture got them from the students around –served them all right anyway, they mused, when they’d all been regularly stealing Hange glances they didn’t even bother to try and make discreet all morning. But something other than being ogled at like a circus freak was making it hard to decipher the words in front of them, though they couldn’t put their finger on what exactly. The world around them had been seeming especially bleak lately and even more so today, which wasn’t unusual during the intense studying marathons they famously put themself through with finals drawing near, but they couldn’t recall a time where it had actually impacted their already damaged eyesight; and the persistent, pulsing ache tracing along their temples sure wasn’t helping.

The most rational part of their brain offered stress and weariness as culprits, and Hange had to admit they couldn’t easily dismiss either of those. The cramming schedule they’d been imposing on themself may have gotten a little out of hand in the last couple of weeks, so much so Hange couldn’t even remember the last time they’d set foot in the living room to share homemade dinners or play board games with their four roommates like they usually would during cold winter evenings. They hadn’t even partook in early morning idle chitchat or occasional evening drinks on their way home from the campus library, not when they’d been consistently arriving right on opening time –they’d been pulling all nighters more often than not, anyway, and felt too restless to stay home and wait for the others to get ready– and had become the last student to leave it at night.

Hange closed their eyes for a minute as they let their head fall forward, rolling their neck and shoulders and relishing in the satisfying crack their muscles and tendons sighed out at the stretch. If only their brain could gain knowledge through osmosis via that simple contact between their forehead and over-highlighted textbook; if information were to be solutes, then, considering how little they’d efficiently memorized lately, it would flow right inside their lowly concentrated head without a doubt. They smiled at that absurd reflection, giddy with the realization that hey, they’d apparently managed to remember some things from those hellish Introduction to Fluid Mechanics lectures.

That unexpected sense of comfort was short lived, however, when they were hit with a wave of the increasingly familiar nausea their self inflicted sleep deprivation never failed to bring. Hange opened their eyes to fight the dizziness and took deep breathes in and out, silently counting up the right inhale to exhale ratio –simultaneously urging their body to hold up for a little while longer.

Two weeks, they pleaded. Just two more weeks and I can take a break.

Seven long sleepless days and nights of tensed cramming, followed by a week of nerve-wracking and hopefully mostly accurate square ticking in reply to more often than not purposefully confusingly phrased questions, and then they’d be free to hang out with their friends and be a, well, not exactly normal, but close to normal young adult again.

But the thought saddened more than it motivated them, and they had to consciously stop themself from looking around to see if they could spot any of the three blondes they’d come to think of as family. Erwin, Nanaba and Mike all had similar exams to take soon and the spacious library had filled in by whatever time it was now, so they would no doubt be within these four walls. Sundays usually involved morning revising, followed by strictlynon-academic plans everyone would have previously agreed onfor their common weekly afternoon off.

Hange winced at the pang of loneliness they felt when they realized they actually had no idea what their closest friends would be up to later. It only got worse when they remembered that Levi, who they’d been trying not to focus any thoughts on as those were proving more and more distracting these past few months, hadn’t tried to coax them into coming along this weekend like he’d done since they’d started studying more intensely. Hange had noticed Erwin’s surprised glances and Mike and Nanaba’s barely disguised teasing laughs when he’d started doing it, and they couldn’t really blame any of them –after all, that initiative from Levi had been a drastic switch from their previously established social roles.

Lost in memories of Levi’s techniques to get them to go out, which had mostly consisted of an association of almost threats and intense glaring until they would caved –which they hadn’t, amazingly– it took them a minute to notice the hand upon their right shoulder.

“Get up,” a familiar voice whispered up close, startling them.

Shit. Think of the devil.

Levi had also been pestering them about taking an actual break, on top of the Sunday festivities they’d been avoiding, but up until now their shared roommates had acted as enough of a buffer that Hange had been able to pretend they hadn’t noticed his nagging messages in the groupchat or pointed stares near the laundry machine.

“I’m fine right here,” they said cheerfully, pretending to focus on their textbook again and turning the page they’d been staring for a while without managing to actually read a word of it.

They weren’t sure they could get up, really, not without betraying their exhausted state to their closest friend and having to admit just how shitty they’d been at taking care of themself lately.

They swallowed back a shocked yelp as hands seized them up and pulled them to their feet anyway, and they caught themself on the table at the last moment to prevent the inevitable fall that would await them if they really were to put all their weight on their knees right now.

“What are you doing?” they asked through gritted teeth, unable to glare back at him as the head rush made dark spots dance in front of their eyes. “Let me go, I need to study.”

Levi wordlessly –and annoyingly easily– tore them away from their spot, half carrying them until they were both standing in front of one of the nearby arch windows. Hange muffled their protesting squeals out of some remnant of respect for the nosy judgmental students around, even though they knew Levi’s powerful glaring would probably prevent any of them from protesting at the noise of their struggling in the otherwise religiously quiet space.

And then they looked up and caught sight of their reflection.

And shamefully realized they could have given their curious peers the benefit of the doubt and hypothesized there might have been a valid reason behind all the curious looks they’d been getting all morning.

Hange was wearing their long sleeved purple octopus pajama top, the buttons ridiculously mismatched, with unmatched green cat-patterned pajamas bottoms –that they realized with a quiet gasp were probably Levi’s and not theirs, now that they were noticing the pants ended well above their ankles. There wasn’t one but two hair ties failing to hold their greasy matted hair up and away from their face, and their goggle-shaped sunglasses were hanging crooked on their nose with the rubber band twisted on both their temples –which finally explained part of their lingering headache, and why it was so challenging to read.

“What you need is to go home, Four Eyes.”

Tears sprung to their eyes before they could stop them, and for a minute they only stared at their shiny mirror image in quiet puzzlement. These weren’t tears of shame even if, as used as they were to being unconventional and to other people’s reaction to their self expression, this accidental pajama-in-public incident was definitely an all time new low for them. Exhaustion could have played a role, and the dark circles under their eyes as well as their paler than ever complexion easily spelled it out for them.

But mostly, Hange felt guilty. Levi had tried to mask it, but his voice had wavered over his own nickname for them, like he felt pained at seeing them in this state, and he couldn’t quite meet their eyes when that was his main tool to get anyone to comply to his requests.

“I don’t think I can,” they replied honestly.

His now openly worried gaze finally met theirs in the glass in front of them and he frowned, opening his mouth to object.

But Hange shook their head slowly in defeat.

They weren’t arguing with him, they were simply stating a truth.

They knew they must have taken the bus to get here, but they honestly couldn’t remember any part of the journey –hell, they couldn’t even remember putting shoes on, although they were glad they’d thought of that at least. They didn’t think they had a key to the apartment on them, as they usually resided in the deep pocket of the wool coat they’d forgotten to put on even before going out in this freezing winter weather. And practical issues asides, they didn’t actually trust themself to actually make it home in one piece right now, not even in the middle of a bright busy morning in the city and to their place that really wasn’t that far off campus.

Levi narrowed his eyes at them before nodding once, sharp.

“Wait outside. I’ll meet you in five.”

But Hange stood there, equally confused and chagrined at his statement. Was he going to go home with them? No, that wouldn’t do.

Levi had his own finals to study for, Hange couldn’t impose on him like that because they’d been stupid enough to push themself past their limit. They would simply have to endure a couple more hours of trying not to pass out at their seat until noon came around and all of their roommates went home anyway, to tag along without disrupting anyone’s schedule in the process.

Levi’s hands squeezed at their shoulders firmly, and his stare hardened in the window as if he could hear them reaching that conclusion.

Then he let go but didn’t move too far, seemingly unsure if Hange could actually stand by themself.

They rolled their eyes fondly, and –precociously– turned around, sporting what they hoped looked like a gentle smile and not a maniac grin –Levi’s expression remained stubbornly set, so they couldn’t tell either way– before moving carefully towards the door. They tried their hardest not to stumble on the way, and coughed to mask their giggling when they failed and almost tripped on their own feet.

Levi met them at the back exit of the building with their backpack and his own stuff shortly, and Hange didn’t bother trying to hide that they’d nearly fallen asleep on the stairs in the few minutes they’d been apart.

He frowned as they yawned without putting their hands to their mouth, but uncharacteristically didn’t comment on it as he grabbed their elbow to direct them towards an unknown car a few feet away.

They dug their heels in the sidewalk when they realized he’d ordered a paying ride for them.

“Wait, Levi, there’s no need for that. The bus–

“Won’t be here for another twenty minutes,” he interrupted. “You’re not passing out in the streets again, not under my watch.”

They recognized his clipped tone as the one that didn’t suffer any kind of discussion, even as he mentioned that party a month ago. Hange sighed inwardly, but followed his steps –they were way too tired to fight him anymore.

“What, like you’d get worried?” they still teased –they were exhausted, not dead. No way in hell would they miss an occasion to needle their favorite neat freak.

Levi snorted, and had Hange been less asleep on their feet, they’d have felt proud that they’d managed to get that sound out of him.

“I’d worry about my back, for one. I don’t want to know what carrying your unconscious ass home twice would do to it.”

“Hey, not fair!” They whined in protest, missing their target completely when they tried to playfully slap his arm. “I was at least ten pounds heavier then! And besides, Mike did most of the carrying, didn’t he?”

Hange couldn’t remember much from that night, but the rumor –in the form of Erwin and Nanaba’s recollection of the evening as they’d told it to them the following day, anyway– had Levi so worried about them passing out drunk he’d been too restlessly anxious to carry them himself, and had instead covered them in all of their friends’ coats, shoving their unconscious body in Mike’s strong arms, and then proceeding to walk beside him to closely monitor their breathing and that they wouldn’t choke on their own tongue or surprise vomit.

Hange only recalled waking up propped against multiple pillows with a pounding head and a grumpy –well, grumpier than usual– and sleep-deprived Levi who had shoved a glass of water in their shaky hand and scolded them about their alcohol consumption for the next half hour or so. It had then taken them drinking and keeping down a whole liter of diverse hydrating fluids before he’d finally left them alone to go and nurse his own hangover, and it was only after he’d left that Hange had noticed the newfound tidiness of their room and how the purple fatboy that would normally lay forgotten in a corner of the room –and under a pile of questioningly clean clothes and textbooks– had been pushed right next to their bed with a possibly Levi-shaped indentation in it.

Levi didn’t answer their rhetorical question, instead stopping in his tracks and giving them a clinical once over.

“What?” they prompted, barely resisting the urge to cross their arms to hide themself from his examination.

“Nothing,” he replied quickly, averting his eyes and opening the car door for them.

He muttered something under his breath still, and Hange’s ears caught a few words that sounded suspiciously like end up disappearing if you keep this up.

He greeted the driver and confirmed his identity as Hange plopped down with a relieved groan, and didn’t miss the concerned look Levi shot them as he sat next to them. His hand slid down from where it was still gripping their elbow to rest gently on their forearm as the car started, and they could swear he gave it a small, awkward but infinitely soft couple of comforting pats.

Hange boldly took advantage of this atypically lengthy physical contact, and moved so they could slide their hands together almost nonchalantly –almost, because they nearly faltered when Levi’s neck snapped to stare at their fingers in awe.

Hange smiled as naturally as they could to try and ease the shock from his features.

“I’ll pay you back for the ride,” they promised, squeezing his hand once.

They let him go after that. It wouldn’t do for their most introverted friend who was making sure they were getting safely home to get a brain aneurysm from their unexpected and possibly unwanted touches, after all.

“Tch. You better,” he grunted, moving his hand back to his lap immediately.

They couldn’t help but smile again when they took note that his tone wasn’t nearly as biting as they knew it could be.

It is Wolf 359 day (also known as Christmas for some) and since I saw a stoat photoset on my dash I feel compelled to post about daemon hcs.

Eiffel - Word of God is raccoon, and it fits. The poor thing probably looks like she has mange during the season 2/3 timeskip, since there's no way astronauts are stuffing their daemons in spacesuits - they must have to go through some kind of pre-mission training to lengthen their range. They are not trained to get blasted lightyears apart though, rip. That's gotta hurt. Once he's recovered from his ordeal though I'm sure he takes advantage of their massively extended range to cause problems. There's no way I stole those donuts from the Urania's stores, commander! I was here in the comms room the whole time.

Minkowski - white-tailed eagle. This bird is found in Poland, and some versions of the Polish flag have a white eagle. It's also similar to but not exactly like a bald eagle - showing how Minkowski aspires to assimilate into Americanness but can't completely abandon her Polish heritage. Plus pilot = bird, it tracks.

Hilbert - rosencrantz-draws-things did a series of daemon paintings for the characters and while I don't agree with all their choices, I did like chameleon for him. He changes roles and faces when he needs to, whatever helps him survive.

Lovelace - The painting series I referenced gives her lioness, which I don't hate, although the logistics are a bit messy for a space station environment. Given the backstory I've envisioned for her I kind of want to spend more time reading about Puerto Rican fauna and get back to you on this one. How does the daemon situation work with her being a surrogate? Unclear but it sure keeps her up at night!

Maxwell - Ferret! The wonder twins have mustelid vibes to me, and I am always charmed by the story of the ferret who cleaned out the tubing of a particle accelerator.

Jacobi - Stoat to match Maxwell. They are the mustelid twins now. It just feels right.

Kepler - idk I don't care about him.

Pryce - Coconut octopus. Something a little bit unusual and unexpected, requires specialized care and upkeep, and octopi are extremely intelligent, with this species actively modifying its situation via tool use. She can carry him around in his own special tank.

Cutter - I never settled (lol) on anything for him, but given I like the idea of him bodyhopping (this has been thoroughly debunked by Word of God but oh well) I imagine that he keeps around the old body's severed daemon as a smokescreen. This leads to a very animated, lively guy with a strangely inert, unfocused daemon which makes him even more unsettling to everyone. He's impossible to read.

Hera - I saved her for last because she's a special case. When AI reach sentience a block of code just pops up in their programming, and that's their daemon. They're not physical in the same way humans are - why would their soul be? However, product testing indicated humans preferred to see something daemonlike, so customer-facing AIs get holographic projections of cute, non-threatening animals like puppies or songbirds. Hera has a bird until Hilbert takes her offline. When she comes back, she has control over the projection and can make it look however she wants. It's not actually her daemon but she can use it to express herself in a similar way, including projecting her humansona, which scares the crap out of people the first few times they see a random stranger on board.

Daemons in microgravity would be their own headache. I imagine crewmembers get velcro pouches on their uniforms or toolbelts sized for their daemons to keep them from floating away. Smaller daemons are preferable in the same way that there's a height range for astronauts - this is why I'm conflicted about Lovelace. Also, you know I am a #hater of 'daemon touching = sex' in AU settings and believe there are multiple kinds of intimacy, and spaceflight involves everyone getting real cool about a lot of stuff real quickly, so I think by season 3 Minkowski and Eiffel at least are hanging on to each other's daemons when they're out on spacewalks both for convenience and emotional support. (Eiffel is still stressed out about it but more because he is really bad at holding a raptor and scared of getting slashed by talons.) Hera occasionally perches her projection on their shoulders which again doesn't mean the same thing to her but gets the message across. If Jacobi is working on something fiddly Maxwell will be wearing both their daemons around her neck, and vice versa.

Bob does not appear with a daemon while wearing his Eiffel suit. The alternative would probably be more upsetting.

re: Shinguuji's swimsuit design. Unfortunately, I don't think I can find out much more about the meaning of the blue roses without having played Danganronpa S, which I still have no intention of doing. For all I know, it could tie into whatever narration there is, or there could be some link between what colours were used for which characters.

(It just crossed my mind that the designs may have been colour-coordinated for each game, like the 10th Anniversary sprite edits were, but it doesn't appear to be the case at all. On the list of things that Could Have Been Cool.)

The main and possibly only reference we have that I'm aware of is the common meaning of both blue flowers and blue roses, also depicted in Japan, of "achievement of the impossible". It could be a conscious choice to make Shinguuji wear an artificial flower. Something to do with humanity's achievements? Or with effectively bringing his sister back from the dead? Those would be the most obvious readings.

What I find the most striking about it is the complete shift in palette from his official illustration and main design. Roses are present in his main illustration, but specifically red. Not only do we have a good ole case of warm colour VS cold colour - and the perceived opposition between red and blue - I strongly remember a certain friend in highschool being mocked by a teacher for saying blue is opposite to orange and not to red, despite having been completely correct, but I digress - but I would also take into consideration how much more common red roses are, both in general and in design. This is why I find the choice of blue roses to be striking (looks at myself in the mirror, feeling empty. none of this matters. (continues anyway)); as the character designer in the midst of drawing a cool roses design for a character who has already been associated to red roses, it would be easy to default to red on your first draft.

Either way, looking at his official illustration next to his swimsuit sprites, I find the change in palette very striking.

As I've noted before, the khaki green from his regular design is also completely absent from his swimsuit design. That is, however, not unusual when compared to other characters: from the top of my head, Akamatsu's swimsuit is light blue, which is absent from her usual design, Saihara's swimsuit sports colour, which is extremely unusual... Iruma's swimsuit design also departed from her original palette, you get the idea. Just that his palette was changed is not that noteworthy, and it's very likely that there's nothing to it. I just find that the choice of a sleeve with such a pattern showcases a lot more detail than was put in other swimsuit designs, which piqued my interest, and makes me wonder if it happened to be deliberate... or someone just thought it'd be pretty.

I think it was in my previous post about this that I mentioned having just then decided on a headcanon that the cooler blue/purple palette represents Korekiyo while the khaki and red palette represents his sister. This is something I have no "proof" of, aside from blue+purple being used in two designs for Korekiyo, but an idea I like. I wish it were (more of?) a thing.

One element I'm missing is whether Korekiyo's sister appears at all in Danganronpa S. Just looking at his sprites for the game gives me the impression that she doesn't (if not for removing the mask, she is usually represented by make-up and... tiddies) but those are the same sprites that show him grabbing a non-existent cap, so I don't know that they're a good reference for anything.

Due to my negative impression of DRS, it's probably not even worth putting too much thought into, in respect to my headcanon mostly. I still fully appreciate this design choice, which like I said, stands out for being so detailed. It's pretty and I appreciate the prettiness of my pretty boy faves being respected.

D&D Castrato Bard idea

Undecided whether to put this in a historical D&D session set over the 17th or 18th century (either works because this was when the castrati were most prominent - though existed since the 15th century, so that period would also work (They technically existed since byzantine times but people typically refer to the opera castrati when discussing "castrati")), or if say a church that a human paladin followed had an equivalent castrati in the realm of D&D. Castrati were men who were castrated before hitting puberty so as to preserve their soprano or contralto voice. In their hay day they earned decent pay and notoriety as opera singers, so poorer families sometimes castrated their sons in the hopes of making them be castrati and in turn earn the family money. Highly recommend Early music sources' video if you want a general summary of the topic: https://youtu.be/iP2vw6JIdNQ Similar build and / or age to the barbarian of the party, to contrast with his high pitched, boyish voice (which I know contradicts the ways the lack of physiological changes induced in puberty means the castrati often, going by various paintings and early photographs, has softer facial features and tended to be pudgy but a character can still be big and muscular for reasons other than a male puberty). He'd make his body more imposing and avoid speaking where possible to avoid drawing attention to his voice in his day to day life. Not that he'd be keen to show off his singing anyway, as his singing wasn't all that great. More a poet than anything, master of written rather than spoken words and songs. Subsequently he didn't end up being the golden goose his poor family had hoped for. Just a silly goose! The times he tried to work within his abilities to make them the money they expected, instead of being paid for the songs he wrote his work was attributed to other, more famous composers. It was at least a little rewarding to hear how much others enjoyed his words all the same. That didn't stop his family evicting him. Only allowing his return if he brings back enough money to support them. With so many years dedicated to musical arts, even with his lack of talent and lackluster progress, it's all he really knows how to do so assumed the role of a travelling bard.

Before being kicked out, his siblings mockingly dubbed him "Caster" (short for castrato, of course) more often than using his actual name for so long he'd forgotten it. Once he joins a party, if the members ask about his name, he'll joke it's because his mother thought he was so sweet like caster sugar, or that it was because his sonets were so enchanting it was like he was a spell caster. Assuming there's no non-human equivalent of the castrati, it'd take a while for party members to learn the actual meaning of his name (if he ever discloses it at all). Unlike the playboys castrati were known to be, Caster's lack of fame, his general disinterest in the lust and adoration such fame might have granted him as it had other castrati and longing for a loving home / companionship meant that rather than relishing in his forced infertility it instead weighed on him like lead boots. Appreciative of any company that will have him, but limited by his aversion to speak (or rather, to have others hear his unusual voice), he readily helps whatever party is kind to him. With his supposedly limited skillset, he feels he is useless despite the innumerable ways he helps the party and the undesirables of whatever town they pass through. Empathising with the homeless and orphaned, and acting as the parental figure of the party. Progressively adopting more and more people in a similar way to the Bat-fam or Pathologic's Artemy Burakh. (Also I know the painting is anachronistic but I really like it and felt it fit the vibe)

FAQ:

NEW TO THIS BLOG? INTERESTED IN THE WORLD OF CRUISE CTRL?

Here's your introduction :

> WHAT IS CRUISE CTRL?

CRUISE CTRL is an original cyberpunk narrative. It's an ongoing work that includes writing, art, comics (in progress) and a website (in progress, not yet released). The first stage of comics is currently in production (as in I'm drawing them. when I have time) so if you want to skip sifting through all my other work you can wait until whenever for them to start coming out (details and location will be released on my art blog a couple months in advance @dr111ft)

IF YOU WANT MORE BACKGROUND INFO...

> WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

CRUISE CTRL takes place on an alternate futuristic earth in the wake of a semi-apocalypse. After an asteroid collides with western europe in 1979, the trajectory of the future is changed forever. 70 years, another asteroid impact, and a world war later, a multinational corporation known as REGENCORP has established themselves as the self-appointed guardians of humanity, incentivizing civilians to gather into large protected population centers known as REGENESIS CITIES in multiple locations across the globe. Among the surviving human civilians, genetic mutations developed from non earth element particulate and environmental pollution- since categorized as K-CLASS traits- have emerged as another social axis, granting humans unusual looks and abilities at the expense of varying levels of oppression from REGENCORP and national governments. CRUISE CTRL follows no single protagonist, instead tracking an unlikely group of characters who live in REGENESIS-3, a protected city and metropolitan area in the territory of southern New Mexico, USA. They are connected by their conjoined strings of action ( unless you believe in fate. do you? ), drawn together by circumstance and choice. They're rejects of every system, statistically not headed for greatness, happiness, or anything else in particular. They're not burdened with a literary destiny. Hoverbike racer, drug dealer, doctor, detective. Cameraman, construction worker, bounty hunter, digital vigilante. They exist to exist. Maybe you see someone you know in them. ( Maybe you see yourself ? )

> WHAT IS THE GOAL OF CRUISE CTRL?

I make things to remind myself that there is no magic class of qualified story makers. CRUISE CTRL gives me something to focus on outside my regular life, and if other people like it I consider that a win. (if it had a global cultural impact I'd be getting more specific about my message but it doesn't )

> HOW DOES CRUISE CTRL DIFFER FROM OTHER CYBERPUNK MEDIA?

CRUISE CTRL exists out of my dissatisfaction with much of modern cyberpunk as a pop culture genre. Cyberpunk is a media genre inextricable from politics and attempting to "say something without saying anything" (ie revolution and rebellion while still upholding status quo ideals throughout) is what creates flimsy stories and watered down imitations. If you look at 'classics' like AKIRA, GHOST IN THE SHELL, BLADE RUNNER, ANGEL COP, etc they all include distinct social or political commentary in some way. The fact that there's no overarching narrative other than the characters lives (yet) is the biggest difference between CRUISE CTRL and budgeted popular cyberpunk, and while this does limit its ability to make statements, real people's lives are political and reactionary so CRUISE CTRL is too. CRUISE CTRL represents as many people as possible, in as many ways as possible. As someone who is a minority in multiple ways I feel cyberpunk deserves an attempt at a modern contribution that illustrates its core ideas instead of western individualism painted over with aesthetics of neon techno-orientalism. What would it be like if the cyberfuture was here ? How do you know if you're a main character? Those are the kind of questions you think of when you're at the lavanderia looking at the way the sign glows, and those are the questions I want CRUISE CTRL to answer.

> WHERE DO I START WITH CRUISE CTRL?

(Updated as of : 12.22.23)

My current goal is to have a published website with interactive information and character displays that can be explored, where any visual media such as comics and animations are posted. This goal is a long time in the making considering how much I hate coding (and my lack of skill in said area) and unfinished or unconfirmed information that needs to be organized into an easily understandable format and finalized. I'll most likely start out posting teaser comics on my art blog and then move on to full issues and series while building the website until I can at least post comics on it.

IN ITS CURRENT STATE, FOR THOSE INTERESTED :

I recommend:

> Exploring the tag cruise ctrl on my art blog, where this all started. You can also navigate through individual character tags inside the main tag.

WHAT YOU'LL FIND : original art, illustration, character design, and character concepts for CRUISE CTRL dating back years.

Note : this includes outdated information, designs, and ideas, as it showcases the creative process from the beginning. Take most recent designs as final.

> Scrolling this blog!

WHAT YOU'LL FIND : This is the main place I post about CRUISE CTRL that's usually not art. Most of the time I'm just messing around saying whatever but I post a lot about my characters' personalities etc so reading here will give you a good picture of that as well as how things are going productionwise.

> Exploring the tag my ocs on my main blog

WHAT YOU'LL FIND : Jokes, some txt posts about my character's personalities, posts about writing/drawing/everything that goes into building something like CRUISE CTRL.

> Reading Lights Over the City.

WHAT YOU'LL FIND : This is the current location of my writing for CRUISE CTRL. This writing covers some events and situations that are integral to the main storyline and will be covered in the comics, so read only if you don't mind "spoiling" important events. The chapters can technically be read out of order since they are snapshots of different scenes in character's lives. This is the most comprehensive media for CRUISE CTRL so far.

Note : I haven't been writing for fun very long, so the quality and quantity of it is questionable. Most of the chapters are out of order comic scripts that I just impatiently adapted into text because I knew drawing them would take much longer.

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> WILL YOU POST REGULARLY ON THIS BLOG ABOUT CRUISE CTRL?

The answer to this question is complicated. If this blog gets a solid amount of/any traffic, I'll feel more comfortable posting or reblogging long-form content about my characters when I feel people have an interest in them. Until then I'd rather focus my efforts on more core aspects of CRUISE CTRL like my comics and website, while occasionally posting/reblogging on here (I hope this is understandable, I have limited time and energy as I do work and I'm considering higher education/certifications so this project could decrease in activity or be put on hold depending on my availability).

> DO YOU ANSWER ASKS?

I'm happy to answer asks concerning my characters or storyline. Certain details or events I may not be able to reveal just because I want future media to have an effective impact (you don't want to know everything that happens already, do you? ). I also might be unsure, or unable to give an answer, so keep that in mind. Concerning NSFW asks : If asked in good faith I'll answer them tagged as # nsfw. Wondering why your ask wasn't answered ? I only answer things I'm comfortable with answering. If it doesn't make it out the inbox after a long period of time assume I chose not to answer it.

After reviewing this post I think I definitely take myself way too seriously, but that's part of the process I guess.

FEEL INFORMED?

...

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

POWER ELECTRIC, BLUE BLOOD IN YOUR VEINS.

...

KEEP IN TOUCH, WILL YOU?

...

SIGNING OFF _

( d_r_i_f_t )

KP's 2022 SPN Year in Review

Soooo much happened in my life in 2022 (well from end 2021 though 2022 really). I am so grateful for the friends both online and off who helped me get through it all 💜. I found myself focusing more on art and editing than writing - but I am really excited to share my Pinefest fic with you all in February!

The #1 creation I'm most proud of this year was my Haze Amv, but I am also blown away by how much my Me and My Broken Heart Amv took off - ending the year with almost 20k views - which is in-sane. Setting and sticking to a regular upload schedule has been motivating and rewarding - I'm excited to post January's video on Thursday too :).

Participating as an artist in a couple of bangs for the first time had me stepping out of my comfort zone and drawing the best human being I've ever drawn to-date.

Aside from making things, I also co-modded the new SPN Bang Bang with my friends @doctorprofessorsong and @you-cant-spell-subtext-without, which went wonderfully well; I"m excited for this year's round!

Last but not least, being an editor and guest for @endofthebookpod has been amazing so far, and I'm excited for the rest of The Winchesters season!

Without further ado, here's a recap of all of the SPN fanworks I made in 2022 (I'll also get my masterlist pages updated to include these):

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Fic (all G or T rated):

Did You Mean It? - PB Exchange - Cas realizes Dean's been flirting with him, so he confronts him - with some satisfying results. (reblog link)

The Theme is Dean - Dean birthday - Dean gets the themed party he's always wanted. (reblog link)

I'm the One He's Walking to - Valentine's Exchange - Is this a date? (reblog link)

Sleepy Stares - they are just so soft (reblog link)

You Never Let Me Say It Back - a poem by Dean (I am particularly proud of the wordplay in this one) (reblog link)

Regarding Bunnies - Easter; goofy Dean - Cas gets Dean a fluffy surprise, that yes they've discussed before. (reblog link)

Mon Pays Sera Toi - Dean really likes how protective Cas can be - it makes him feel safe, among other things. (reblog link)

Magic - Samwena drabble (tumblr only)

Rendevous - Drowley drabble (tumblr only)

What if Dean kissed Cas in The Trap? (tumblr only; in the tags)

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Amvs (I'm posting a new one every 5th now - YT channel):

Words Words Words - Dean Winchester - Comedy (YT link)

Squirrel all the Bad Guys Want - Dean Winchester, Drowley - Comedy (YT link)

When You Were Young - Dean Winchester, Destiel - Drama (YT link)

Haze - BAMF Cas, Destiel - Drama (YT link)

Dream Boy - Destiel - fun (YT link)

Me and My Broken Heart - Destiel - Drama (YT link)

The Shipped Gold Standard - Destiel - Drama (YT link)

Don't Let the Light go Out - Destiel - Drama - got (c) blocked on YT, so the Tumblr post has the original audio and the YT version has pitched concert audio that you can kind of hear me in 😳 (YT link)

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Gifs:

LGBTQIA+ SPN Characters

Aang and Cas entrance parallels

That pose from OTHOAP (which I like to think of as honk.jpg)

The totally-not-suggestive way that Cas eyes Dean in 5*02

500 Days of Winchesters - Spn Win / 500 Days of Summer Crossover - Suptober

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Art:

Dean/Cas/Benny drawing for Spn Bang Bang (Benny here is the best human being I've drawn to-date, and the reason I can no longer say that I can't draw people.)

Juliet the Hellhound drawings for Crowley Big Bang

Smoke - Drowley digital drawing - Suptober

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Meta and meta additions:

The Winchesters initial thoughts

The Winchesters John meta (with gifs)

Rowena is Sam's Benny

SPN Witches' immortality and humanity

See #spn meta in the tags for more thoughts too

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Misc nonsense (non-serious ramblings, sketches, ideas):

Do you wanna go/ do you wanna get out of here

Putting on a tie is such a turn-on apparently

I'll just wait here then Destiel and Merthur parallel (I could go with you is also one but yeah)

A silly little amongus/SPN crossover sketch I might come back to and draw for real.

Sarah Blake references from 8*22 Clip Show

Unusual reactions to 'I love you'

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Non-spn stuff:

Sure this is an SPN year in review, but I did make a handful of other things that I thought it'd be weird to leave out.

Soldier Boy Soulja Boy Amv - (YT link)

Dreamling Dream Amv - (YT link)

Merthur She's got Sorcery Amv - (YT link)

Puppet History Can't Touch This Amv - (YT link)

A Solid Foundation - original sapphic horror story (Reddit link)

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Last year's year in review post was more of a 'here's one fave; check out the pages I made that are a complete list.' But since blog subpages are hidden in the app, I figured I'd do a complete list in the post this year instead.

I plan on doing more writing in 2023 - Pinefest is only the beginning.

Happy new year everyone!

Since tumblr tags suck, I used this Tumblr OP finder to help me put this together.

I had this grand and stupid idea for a hot while now,,,I could make an IF based off the world in my comic story that doesnt exist. yet.

Everything would have a lot of greenery, thinking of crawling vine son the walls, leaves, more leaves and a copious amount of greenery. The architecture would be pillars, pearlescent walls reminiscnet of old greek buildings

but coding....idk that, idk them, let alone twine coding which is what i wanna do which is, according to a number of twine if authors is apparently, kinda, pretty hard and i cannot do that jnbdjdfjedf

i just wanna make the interface pretty with those cool lil side bars filled with information, and small lil character portraits when u click on their name that i could draw....

anyways, will have ros because im a pure romantic at heart, so 4 of them.

one of them a main cast for the sequel that doesnt exist yet, but i think i could maybe do it, but just sadly a 3am idea i had at the time fndsjfkwejnf. And if people do want to read it, i could add their mc in the comic story as students nsdjbajf thatd be fun

The title would be 'Spring nostalgia' and the sequel is called 'Begin Again'

*RO descriptions*

'Aster White' of the Astral eyes (NB They/Them) *the drawing at the bottom is their design, well old design*

Sinewy build, average height, long lashes with violet eyes, long hair of pale blue snow with pale skin. Voice is of a velvety Baritone.

An unusual individual, some say outright creepy. Their actions leave a lot to be desired. Yet still loved by their fellow council members. The group you will inevitably get to face personally if you ever choose to tangle yourself with them.

But they are of human blood, a purely non magical race. How can one contain the power of the aether while being the race whose blood cannot intertwine with those of magic? Let alone one of a house bereft of magical lineage? Are they cursed? tainted? possibly a product of magical experimentation?

Yet all assumptions are thrown out the window once you see their 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, terrific skill of the rapier. And an even more terrifying talent for turning thin air into frigid ice. One cannot refute such primal talent as that!

But at the end of the day, they are an old soul at heart. Perhaps even wiser than the oldest of individuals.

'Cerulean Night' of House Night (He/Him)

Lean build, with some muscle definition. Very tall height, vibrant yellow eyes, curly ear neck length deep green hair, with iridescent green scales gracing their unmarred russet skin. Voice is of a steady tenor. Yet can sound truly whiny at times.

A truly proud man, some say annoyingly so, but many swoon nonetheless. A gifted man of powerful naga blood, the most scarce of races in the Daylight sphere. Making him revered by many just by blood alone.

Talented in the art of compulsion and of the lance. Yet even without compulsion, his charisma and passionate heart is enough to make you do things for him.

"Truly a feat fitting for House Night!" One admirer said.

"Truly the pride of House Night!" Another repeated.

"The shining sapphire of House Night." One lovestruck individual uttered quietly.

"Always the perfect son of House Night!" His own father said to him.

A...𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 son of House Night.

'Clancy Rosetta Thornewall' of House Thornewall (She/Her)

Muscular build, yet soft at the same time. Stands at a head shorter than Cerulean. Gorgeous opalescent eyes, beautifully waved long golden hair with scarred sun-kissed skin. Jewel studded ears. Voice is of iron-willed alto.

A beauty only to be expected from full elven blood! Only ones of 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 blood can achieve.

But fear eclipses her bright qualities. Many say she's intimidating, so intimidating that her mere presence can drive people away before she even tries to utter a simple greeting.

Why does she try when time and time again all she ever receives is a cold shoulder and open fear?

But tell me, what makes a woman who enjoys long walks under the bright sun, trains with a greatsword so passionately it rivals the heat of the sun, and someone who sits on the sand with a melancholic expression so terrifying?

Wouldn't be the case if not for someone who is accused of the decimation of her entire bloodline. A sin deserving of death.

As nothing is more precious than bloodline.

'Sage Wanless' of House...Wanless (He/Him, She/Her)

Stocky build, average height, eyes of barely contained rage, an intense pure crimson, shoulder length raven hair and ash colored skin as if the 'hollow' has touched their entire being. Both ears lightly tapered at the top, but their left ear, raggedly cut is shown. Voice is of a raspy bass/contralto.

"They are 𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥!" someone had boldly cursed at them. Being tainted is a sin of sins. One who is tainted, touched by darkness should not be allowed to walk amongst the gentle warmth of the daylight sphere. Yet they remained seemingly unbothered. Even as their eyes had started to spark a dangerous fire that promised chaos, one that would inevitably combust one day.

But when you pass by, why those eyes turn from a raging flame to a mere gentle candlelight laced with longing.

But you don't know them, do you?

Reader’s Corner: Though I’m an Inept Villainess, Manga Metamorphosis, and Alice in Borderland (Vol. 3)

While settings, archetypes, and genres are so often limited in manga and light novels, this week’s selection demonstrates how creative writers and artists can be within these confines, from the humor of body-swap historical light novel Though I Am an Inept Villainess to the medical research high school romance, Mia and the Forbidden Medicine Report. But there are two unique series in our reviews this week as well: Manga Metamorphosis, the second in the Manga Messiah series centering on the life of Christ, and Look Back, a tender one-shot from the creator of Chainsaw Man.

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Look Back, Manga One-Shot

The extreme violence and sexuality of Chainsaw Man is both a magnet and a put-off, drawing in many readers and repelling others. But if both audiences define Tatsuki Fujimoto’s work by only the explicit imagery, they’ll miss the tenderness he’s able to convey. Look Back, a one-shot about two girls who draw manga, ditches the crazy, world-ending type of pain from Fujimoto’s most famous work and replaces it with a more personal kind. Fujino, a popular, prideful girl who doesn’t really seem to know why she draws other than for adulation, and Kyomoto, a shut-in who is kind and shy, both feel very authentic. There’s a realism to Fujimoto’s designs: even when he sometimes draws his characters with preposterous facial expressions and weird body angles, somehow it makes them feel less comical and more human, as well as imbuing them with personality. And as he’s apt to do, Fujimoto also takes the story in unexpected directions, leading to a creative and meaningful conclusion. This work is thoughtful and captivating, and perhaps a perfect primer for anyone under the impression that Fujimoto’s work is only skin deep. ~ Twwk

Look Back is published by Viz Media. It releases on September 20th.

As the Villainess, I Reject These Happy-Bad Endings!, One-Shot Light Novel

Iris is reincarnated as villainess of a “grimdark otome game” she enjoyed in her past life—a game known for how horrifying even the supposedly “good” endings were. As usual in this genre, Iris seeks to derail the plot to avoid doom, but she quickly gets sidetracked by a new mission: create a vaccine for the deadly “soilpox” virus (an illness clearly inspired by smallpox). Iris herself is a survivor (with the scars to prove it), and she deduces that a future soilpox outbreak is probably a big part of what causes two of the game’s love interests to be so messed up. Once the medical crisis is mostly settled, Iris finds herself (nominally) pitted against the game’s protagonist Camille in a “competition” to become the Sacred Maiden, despite Iris herself having no desire to compete. And so we get an isekai fantasy medical drama romcom—a rather unusual combination, but it works nicely. I especially appreciated the role of fairies in the story: they have just the right amount of whimsy and caprice, inhuman but not impersonal. Aside from unnecessary Protagonist Denseness Syndrome, I really enjoyed this standalone volume. ~ Jeskai

As the Villainess, I Reject These Happy-Bad Endings! is published by Cross Infinite World.

Mia and the Forbidden Medicine Report, Light Novel Vols. 1-2

In a fantasy world reminiscent of early twentieth century Europe, two mysterious diseases plague the land: the one drives magic users insane, and the other wrecks the immune systems of non-mages. Scholarship student Mia attends the royal academy in hopes of curing the latter illness—Demon Claw—because it afflicts her mother. She’s joined by a trio of potential love interests: Felix, the panic attack-prone, pretty-boy prince; manly Mathias; and smart-guy Henrik. Of course, inventing a new treatment for a previously incurable illness is kind of ambitious for a handful of students to do for their senior thesis, and the looming government conspiracy won’t make things any easier either. This light novel—part fantasy, part reverse harem romance, and part mystery—suffers from the sometimes rough translation and editing one often sees in Cross Infinite World’s earlier releases. However, aside from that, it’s quite an enjoyable tale. ~ JeskaiAngel

Mia and the Forbidden Medicine Report is published by Cross Infinite World.

Shortcake Cake, Manga Vol. 7

Thus far, Shortcake Cake has to be in my top 5 of most wholesome shojo manga I’ve read! Goodness, be still my heart because this volume delivered everything I have desperately been hoping since volume one! Ten has confessed her feelings to Riku, but rather than “jumping in” a relationship with him she asks him to wait! I did not see that coming! However, as shocked as I was about her decision, I love how Riku respected it even though we as the reader know he still likes her. As much as I might have internally grumbled about Ten’s choice of waiting to hear Riku’s response to her confession, I found her “consulting” her best friend of how to be pretty very relatable for a young high school girl. Those chapters of Ten and her best friend (as well as a few other friends from school) helping her become prettier were ones I really enjoyed because like Ten’s friends said, no, we don’t have to lose weight or wear makeup for someone to like us, but it does tend to be a natural go-to in trying to get our crush to like us. Ha! Though with that said, I love the takeaway that Ten speaks of after she feels she has finally “made it” because she voiced how it’s important to look nice for yourself and thought that very true. Every page, every chapter of this volume really blessed my shojo-loving heart and reminded me why I absolutely love this genre so much! ~ Laura A. Grace

READ: Shortcake Cake Reviews (Vol.1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6)

Shortcake Cake is published by VIZ Media.

Manga Metamorphosis, Manga (Manga Messiah, Vol. 2)

Having read years ago the first volume in this series, Manga Messiah, I had not got around to reading the other volumes that continue the New Testament books of the bible. I’ve owned all of them for quite a while, but like most people, I own books that I have not read. Seeing that a review hadn’t been written yet here on BtT, I gave it a read and have to say I regret not getting to it sooner. The illustrations usually look very detailed, though they sometimes go down a few notches and look rather childish. The series is meant for a younger audience, but I would have liked for the artists to keep the same level of excellence throughout. This volume deals with the book of Acts in its entirety, going from chapter one all the way to the end of Paul’s life. I’ve read the book of Acts myself, but it’s one thing to only read the words; it’s quite another to read a manga that brings those pages to life. The authors do add some dialogue that isn’t in scripture, but it gives the characters some development and helps us understand what’s going on. The Bible verses the pages reference are listed at the bottom, and there’s a map of Paul’s journey at the end of the manga. I found myself reflecting on God’s word, Paul’s life, and how Paul trusted in Christ throughout all his trials. I recommend this volume for those who want to see scripture come to life in a new way, especially for teens who may not be interested in reading the Bible. ~ Samuru

READ: Manga Majesty Review

Manga Metamorphosis is published by Next Manga.

Alice in Borderland, Manga Vol. 3

Trust. Memory. Love. For a death game story so full of violence, Alice in Borderland is quite a contemplative work, especially in the Beach arc. Volume two concluded with Arisu betrayed, tied up and awaiting his death as his time to play another game runs short. Meanwhile, the situation at the beach has suddenly become more wild and deadly, with the haven erupting in a frenzy of death and violence. I worried that with the death of what had appeared to be the main “team” in volume two, Alice in Borderland might turn more heavily toward shock value rather than meaning, but this arc proves my fear was unfounded. The deaths from the previous volume, plus insights into certain characters in this one (and not those one would expect), lead readers to contemplate how the worst in humanity can turn us into monsters—and how we may prevent ourselves from becoming that which we hate. All the while, Haro Aso weaves together a suspenseful tale where no one is safe. I was a little put off at first, when the Beach arc took a break and turned toward a side story for several chapters, but even that was moving and exciting. I’m now absolutely sold—Alice in Borderland is no Gantz, reveling in twisting its readers with shocking and graphic violence; it’s instead a thoughtful work because of that violence, a gripping and mesmerizing manga indeed. ~ Twwk

READ: Alice in Borderland Reviews (Vol. 1 // Vol. 2)

Alice in Borderland is published by Viz Media. Volume three releases on September 20th.

Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court, Light Novel Vol. 1

In a setting inspired by historical China, women of five clans compete for the crown prince’s favor. Keigetsu—jealous of the beautiful, smart, talented, and universally beloved Reirin—uses magic to perform a body swap. She frames her old body (now housing Reirin) for attempting to murder Reirin (who is actually now Keigetsu). And then the comedy starts. See, the chronically ill Reirin finds herself in a new, healthy body, while Keigetsu discovers she’s unwittingly saddled herself with Reirin’s sick body. Meanwhile, Keigetsu also uses magic to keep Reirin from telling anyone about the body swap, leaving everyone baffled at “Keigetsu’s” extreme personality shift and general antics. There’s some court intrigue and some hints of potential future romance, but the heart of this story is the humor, as the irrepressible Reirin (in Keigetsu’s body) constantly confounds everyone’s expectations. The volume concludes with a cliffhanger reveal that others have found out about the body swap, and I’m curious to see where the next volume of the story goes. ~ JeskaiAngel

Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court is published by Seven Seas.

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“Reader’s Corner” is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works they’re reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works, and those older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.

Artist Challenge "Dimpro"

Diversity and Improvement ==> Dimpro

I thought of this while texting a friend and it seemed fun at the time. Plus I’ve wanted to improve my art for quite some time, so here we go! A list of things I (and probably others along with me) have had trouble with and, in my opinion, would, not only improve, but also diversify your art!

Dimpro challenge!

1. Yourself

Introduce yourself by drawing yourself, the pose and clothes you’re in or the way you see yourself :)

2. Perspective following a dynamic motion

Animation often follows the motion of the action (e.g., a baseball player but the camera is looking at them from the bat, someone running but the pov is from the ground looking up etc.) It gives the illustration a dynamic feel (plus it looks cool;))

3. Hands and legs (+ at least 3 pairs of shoes)

Since they seem to be a difficulty to many, let’s finish this off in the beginning. (Shoes must be different types, can’t be all, for example, boots, or all sneakers, etc.)

4. A fight scene/a spots event (bonus if it’s a short comic)

Again – for dynamics and motion

5. A cyborg/steampunk

I’ve always had trouble with doing cogs/robot parts etc. This is to make it more fun. Remember to use a lot of references!

6. Vehicles/means of transport (+- someone in it)

Self-explanatory. Do trams, cars, bikes, etc.

7. A furry/anthropomorphic animal

Someone once said that furrys were the best artists because no one made the art they wanted, so they had to do it themselves. So, design yourself a cool little furry/anthropomorphic animal. If you don’t want to make one, Disney has made enough anthropomorphic animals that one can chose from ;)

Preferably use an animal you have trouble drawing/don’t draw often.

8. An animal (must be different from your furry)

Draw a regular animal (or maybe a bunch of animals). Don’t make it the same as the furry, we need diversity after all!

9. A feral animal (not the same as 7.)

10. An unusual piece of architecture/exterior

Draw a complicated or some sort of fantasy building. It helps with perspective (bonus points for more details)

11. A homeless man, a 12-year-old boy and a hooker (bonus if in one frame)

This is from a song, but character diversity is important, so what better than this. Bonus points for creativity if they’re in the same scene and/or interacting.

12. A band on stage

Preferably find a reference picture of a stage performance and illustrate it. (reminder to use reference.)

13. Strong perspective/fisheye

With reference! Link reference as well :)))

14. Bird view of a city (may include the bird itself)

Similar as the fisheye one, but from bird flight hight.

15. A monster/cryptid/strongly non-human creature

This one is just for fun. Thinking of monster anatomy, bone structure etc. can be fun, so go wild!

16. An illustration of what a fly sees (multiple hexagons and everything)

17. A character sheet (with outfits and expressions) for a website generated OC

If you don’t know how/want to search for a generator, here are some I like:

18. A short motion picture/action frames for an action your website generated OC (around 5 frames?)

You don’t have to study/want to be an animator to see that doing the outlines of animations will help improve your sense for movement/motion. It can be the simplest of tasks like picking up a piece of garbage or pointing at something passing by.

19. Interior

As important as exterior, and almost as neglected. Draw your workplace or a café you enjoy! Use reference!

20. A grumpy old person/grandma(?)

Combining facial expressions and wrinkles/more complicated facial features is important.

21. A back alley

Have fun with this one :)))

22. Design a trashcan (with a personality)

Give the garbage bin a personality. Treat it as if you’re making a character sheet all over again (accept this time it’s an inanimate object.)

23. A biome of choice

Scenery, nature, do as you’d like.

24. Free

Do whatever you want

25. Yourself

As a goodbye and to show your progress ;)))

No deadline, improvement shouldn't be rushed!

Have fun ;)))

If you do it pls tag it with #dimpro challenge and/or tag me <3

Mastering Faith In A 3-D Life

'What does faith mean to you?'

For some, it could be a belief in a benevolent God or perhaps the government of the country you reside in. The word faith is a 'strong, convicted belief in something or someone' that could cover a multitude of subjects or sins, depending on your vision of people, yourself, and the planet you perceive as home.

'Early signs of faith'

At a younger age, I had faith in many things not generally talked about and had to visit a specialist bookshop, where I could access subjects that may have seemed taboo. I had faith in my inner mystic that magicians, sorcerers, and witches were able to draw upon ancient practices, handed down by their forefathers and that fairies, dragons, and aliens were most likely real. My parents were not religious or interested in what I believed, so I kept what I knew to myself, wondering at times, where this faith originated. It seemed natural to accept that people had special gifts or magical superpowers and that fictitious characters like Superman, may have been real in lost eras, where magic was the norm and spells could be cast for the greatest of good or evil.  After all, many of our ethereal friends like mermaids, were shunned as imagination, even though mariners swore they had seen them at sea. It seems people like proof and without it, faith is non-negotiable, That is unless you believe in the seemingly impossible?

'Faith allows the eyes to see beyond a 3D vision'

Call it gut instinct, or blind faith how I knew the world we lived in, was a storefront for the real theatre behind the scenes. It appears our universe harbors a realm of eclectic creatures that only appear to the souls of acceptance, or by invitation. The astral or 'other world' is alive with animation as fairies, goblins, and other immortal minions hide from the people of Earth and those who consider the human race, an elitist life-form. The universe is in fact, multi-dimensional and supports a multitude of exclusive deities and although nations on Earth have recorded a time when our eternal elementals were visible, they are now assigned to myth, folklore, or those who have faith in their existence. I personally join the ranks of unbiased souls who believe we are not alone in the cosmos. I back this up with a world of mixed heritage, where animals offer a universal view of disparate creatures. For It is with the zebra, dog, horse, elephant, and lion we share this existence with a God of supernatural status and a collective of dimensional beings, that date back to the beginning.

'My spiritual revamp'

I am a woman of faith and have an in-depth belief in the glory of god, humanity, and our picturesque planet. My initial reliance on what I had been taught and shown did not hinder my assurance, there was more than the eye could see and the teachings of scholarly humans. I had a hunger for the impossible and was driven to seek out the unusual and esoteric. It seemed everyone around me, was comfortable with the world as it was but I had a visionary mind that lifted up every rock. My thirst for theory and conjecture led me to accept and have faith in what others denied as truth. As a Virgo, I have an analytical mind that applies fairness to all knowledge, while another element is my intuition, the power indicator of what we instinctively know. It is here in the void of ancient wisdom, that we find the ultimate reality. This is our soul, a timeless creation with the key to past lives, our true origin, and of course, why we have come here now.  My faith in a benevolent God has expanded every facet of earth life and the acceptance we are soul pioneers on a path to Nirvana. A heightened consciousness of eternal awareness and wisdom.

'On the dark side of the moon'

My soul and I are a team infused with love, from a higher source who invented a universe and a family of unique, light beings. There are many versions of faith and belief in a mighty creator who brought forth, the miracle of life. I am at peace with reincarnation as the answer to how humans arrive on earth and are aware I have been here many times. In this life, I am a gay female who has weathered many storms from the darker side of life. My journey to the underworld has taught me how the other half lives and why I choose to be a worker in the light. The gap between dark and light has narrowed and the people of earth are often caught in the crossfire. Each side has its appeal and demands a certain faith from the initiated.  Some say our world has fallen into darkness and there is no way back. I beg to differ as a person who feels a balance is needed between both factions. You see when the dark is in control, chaos can ensue, with conflict the norm. The question is, how can we bring a workable duality, between the forces of dark and light? It does not help that some consider all modern-day witches, psychics, and magicians to be born of evil. My take on this is in the intention. When a soul is gifted with powers it can choose to help or harm mankind. It is always free will. Therefore the gift itself is neither good nor evil. It is a matter of perspective and conscious choice.  Although my allegiance is to the divine and light.

'Can dark and light co-exist in peace?'

I have faith, that a way through the maze can be found as this planet is dear to my heart with its seductive imagery and alluring scenes of beauty. Our senses are tuned to the soul of our earthly home, and all she gives from the perfume of a rose to the night and day we honor with rest, work, and play. Gaia has faith in her role as a cosmic footpath, where human souls render their mission to connect, to a God of love and raise the conscious bar. The holy trek a soul travels, under the guise of a human, may carry eons of past experience while others may be here for the first time. Faith is the hallmark for a soul leaving their spirit home to wander the cities, towns, and countryside of earth, designed to accommodate their lessons in all aspects of evolution. My path with eternity commands faith and I surrender to God's master plan of integration and balance. As more souls awaken to the beauty of the light and God's divine path of righteousness, our world is bathed in potential 5D bliss. I have arrived on earth in time for this monumental happening and assist in any way I can. To highlight the truth of God's plan as heaven arrives on earth.

'When faith is maligned with fear'

When fear disguises faith we end up in the Middle Ages, where witches and folk who made potions for health, were sent to their death. This was a manic faith in a God who would choose hate over love and issue the ultimate punishment.  A misuse of earthly power and a call of judgment in the name of a God who breathes unconditional love. This window in history encourages an open mind and heart to foster a world of tolerance, and compassion for all souls and their unique idealism. There will always be those who challenge our faith but I find a willingness to listen and kindly evaluate another person's view, keeps any debate friendly. (An example) is in my town there are Christian locals and me with my faith in reincarnation and New Age Spirituality. I embrace our ability to highlight the differences, with respect and integrity. The spirit of diligence in all interactions will help us to feel softer, as we accept all people's right to their opinions. After all, as a soul, we have a range of experiences, non-comparable to others, working their way through lessons and tests put on our path to higher learning.  One soul may come to earth to honor a karmic lesson from a past life where they were prejudiced and overly judgmental. You could easily work out the style of lesson created to teach this soul acceptance, humility, and compassion.  However It may seem like heavy-duty tuition to obtain a consciousness, that steps into the arena of the divine, an inspiring symbol of virtue and benevolence.

'Spiritual feminine faith'

My journey has taught me well and set a template of peace in my ravaged soul.  I have heard people say 'I wear my heart on my sleeve' but for a time it was a closed book as trauma had sealed it with a dark kiss. My faith in a life of choice and liberty was overturned by methods of control, heartache, fear, and despair. It is amazing how life can change in an instant and become a battlefield of lost faith, in a world where women are often undervalued. My story is true and a message of hope for all women being abused. I am blessed that I survived the odds and now live to inspire others. I am holding the light for all women who have lost faith in love when a partner chooses to deny their inner opulence. We are all a 'Divine Feminine' and of worth here on Planet Earth, as leaders, mothers, lovers, mentors, and bearers of new life. We are also the Eve of all creation. Love is the truth and anything else is a cover-up for a wounded soul, who projects their hurt onto others.  All is well in my world, as I take the lessons, with thanks I am now whole, healed, and in my personal power as a gay woman, aware of her innate, feminine worth. I have healed the cuts of a battered soul. I am the goddess, priestess, healer, and empress of modern times.

'Taking the leap of love'

Allowing love back into our life after being hurt, is the faith we can overcome what has happened in the past and find that elusive person who has 'forever written on their heart. 'I have faith I am internally healed and walk through the hearts of the broken with an outpouring of empathy and love. My faith in God is a given and I show my esteem by living a good life on earth. We are all role models in the making and have the capacity to influence other souls and lead as a 'cosmic courier of light.' I have faith in me, a soul that came to this palatial paradise, to feel alive as a human and be intoxicated by love and every emotion known to man or womankind. I am ascending in an energy of pure love, after a stand in the dark where there was no sense of direction and constriction in all endeavors. I learned how faith restores our sense of worth and puts us on the path, that is right to follow. For me, that is being a gay female who honors the right to choose a partner of value. The kind of woman who aspires to grow and evolve in a partnership, of open-hearted peace. This is a relationship with freedom etched into the hearts of two souls,  A Relationship Nirvana style of partnership.

'How authentic are you?'

It starts with authenticity. That is living your life with truth. Are you being 100% authentic about who you are? I am aware people hide behind masks, as their real selves are hidden. We come here in pursuit of enlightenment, so that means being the human you decided upon and living life with legitimacy. Being myself feels beautiful and so liberating. Even if some folk do not align with what you present, it is paramount to accept yourself as you are. I see a lot of souls, masquerading as another version, of who they are at a soul level. There are many reasons why this happens. It could be social or family pressure where there are expectations or programming picked up from what is considered predictable. Waking up every day in your true light allows an existence of purity and ultimate truth. When we have absolute faith in our earthly self, we send a clear message to others, we are happy as we are and faithful to our uniqueness - the personal vision of the soul in this incarnation and recipe for a joyous life. I walk with so much love in my heart, as I am at peace with my faith in all things, including myself. When we go against our psyche, there is an illusion. I feel authenticity and faith are the unity we strive for, Once we align with our literal self, there is a recognition of the who and why we exist

'The future institution of faith'

As our world renders changes, our faith systems will also. Some have unshakable faith in their God and way of life, while others question the word itself as fanciful and not applicable in these times of unrest. Right now humanity is on the precipice of our greatest evolution.  Our warlike ways can not be sustained and I have a fathomless faith we can trade chaos for calm. As humanity we are a community of cosmic souls, taking on the toughest of tests, throughout a human life. The planetary news is we have a reprieve, as the universal powers command the presence of heaven on earth, and with that arrives the spirit of 5D, a stylish sense of unity, peace, and unconditional love. Call me an optimist but I have an undying faith, that we can do this and make these words a way of life. Think about it. Humans have created civilizations, been to world wars, known recessions and depressions plus battled epidemics and climate change. We get through it all, as we are a resilient race that pulls together when our survival is at stake. Imagine the evolution of this world if we applied the same tenacity and group effort to creating a 'new earth' based on the principles of due care, and compassion, with an amicable spirit of kindness. With a little faith, we could be living our best life, in a world of equal opportunity, maturity, and goodwill. It just takes faith.

~Faith builds bridges from soul to soul flooding the earth in unified bliss as Heaven cascades to Earth~

Author ~ Linda E Cole (The Divine Feminine)

Two Year-End Lists

January 7th: This post contains links to two sets of year-end lists, both in the Spanish language, and both of which include my contributions (as have multiple past editions). One is “La Internacional Cinéfila” (“The International Cinephile”), a polling of various people that work with cinema in different contexts (primarily critics, filmmakers, and festival programmers) that is organized annually by the Argentinian critic and programmer Roger Koza through his website, Con los ojos abiertos ("With open eyes"). The other is a polling of a wide range of film personalities (that additionally includes scholars and moving image-based artists who work primarily with expanded cinema) for the website desistfilm that was organized by the site's editor, the Peruvian critic Mónica Delgado.

As I allude to in both of my contributions, I watched an unusually low number of new films this year, the vast majority of which were seen through preview screeners with my attention wavering – the major reason, of course, being the presence in my and my wife Mariana’s lives of a newborn daughter named Ava who has been recently joining us at the cinema. Under such circumstances, I find it hard to feel bad about falling behind, including because certain recently premiered works that I have not seen and that are beloved by peers (for example, Victor Erice’s Close Your Eyes) will almost certainly stand the test of time.

As I have done in the past, I chose to send different lists of films to the two publications for the sake of drawing attention to a greater number of worthy works. I feel a few immediate reactions now as I peruse the two documents overall. One is the feeling of simple amazement at perceiving how many important films premiered in non-competition slots at the most recent edition of Cannes, including the latest works by vital contemporary filmmakers such as Erice, Lisandro Alonso, Pedro Costa, Jean-Luc Godard, Steve McQueen, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Martin Scorsese, and Wang Bing – a gathering that could credibly serve as a “year’s best” list unto itself. For all its problems (which have been discussed by critics elsewhere), to me this gesture of simultaneous consolidation and marginalization on the part of Cannes's organizers offers the hope of reminding cinephiles of the importance of looking beyond a narrowly defined center.

Otherwise, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many colleagues in the “La Internacional Cinéfila” gathering shared my regard for María Aparicio’s Undefined Things, a nuanced Argentinian metafiction about an older female film editor in crisis that observes its characters keenly and with tremendous love. And, although I wasn’t especially surprised at the outcome, I was nonetheless gladdened to see the top spot in both aggregate polls go to a film that appeared on my desistfilm list, Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves (which indeed premiered in Cannes’s main competition).

I find a charming and even heroic quality in the Finnish filmmaker’s decision to present something like a 1930s Hollywood urban romance for our own particular modern times. The film inspires with its commitment to human values and envisioning of a reality in which people continue to consciously regard each other in spite of the innumerable forces that tell them to look away. As has almost always been the case for me with Kaurismäki’s work, I find the care that the filmmaker takes with his actors on multiple levels (casting, framing, editing, directing) to be especially extraordinary. The key idea in the film, for me at this moment, is the necessity of living one’s life with full attention on the local. And, as is pointed out in Mónica Delgado’s marvelous review of Fallen Leaves for desistfilm, that attention has always been present on Kaurismäki’s part. The changes that have made his new film land so firmly with so many spectators, perhaps, lie with the contemporary needs that it addresses. In any case, we are fortunate to continue to find artworks that argue in favor of a more humane world.

On that note: One of the chief pleasures of perusing best-of lists, of course, is reading about great works of which one was not previously aware. I look forward to discovering these films for myself, both in 2024 and beyond.     

Writing Reality, Weaving Wonder: Unleashing Creative Elements in Non-Fiction

Despite the huge field of literature, fiction frequently outshines non-fiction in terms of flare. However, there is a special place where creativity can thrive where facts and reality meet. This blog post will discuss the skill of integrating creative elements into non-fiction writing—a journey we'll lovingly refer to as "Writing Reality, Weaving Wonder."

Knowing How to Create Non-Fiction Art

Traditionally, the main goal of non-fiction writing has been to clearly represent facts and information. But that doesn't imply it has to be uninteresting or lacking in originality. Non-fiction with artistic aspects can give otherwise boring subjects life, making them interesting and relatable to a wider readership.

The Story's Power

Using narrative strategies is one of non-fiction's most powerful creative elements. An engaging narrative based on factual occurrences or facts can enthrall readers and enhance their understanding of the material.

For example, tell the tale of a community dealing with the effects of climate change rather than just providing statistics on the phenomenon. Anecdotes from personal experience, interviews, and case studies can turn dry information into an engaging story for readers.

Real-Life Character Development

Non-fiction writers can give real people life by carefully developing their characters, but fiction writers create characters out of thin air. Exploring the people behind the facts, whether through expert interviews, historical figure profiles, or the presentation of common heroes, humanizes the story. By highlighting the unique features, difficulties, and victories of actual people, you humanize the content and establish an emotional bond with your audience.

Creating the Scene

Non-fiction authors can create a rich background for their stories, much like a novelist creates a vivid setting to draw readers into their imagined universe. Readers can be taken right into the story's heart with the help of descriptive language, close attention to detail, and a strong feeling of atmosphere. Setting the scene improves the reader's experience and encourages an increased understanding of the subject matter, whether the description is of a historical event, a scientific discovery, or a personal journey.

Having Fun with the Structure

Non-fiction is not required to follow a certain format. Play around with how your content is arranged to add some originality. To keep readers interested, try using alternative stories, flashbacks, or non-linear timeframes. You can reflect on the complexity of real-life situations and give your writing a more dynamic quality by breaking from a traditional framework.

The Craft of Dialogue

Dialogue is not just for fiction; it can be an effective literary device in non-fiction as well. Adding actual quotes from speeches, interviews, or old documents to your writing can make it seem more real and realistic. The voices of the persons involved may be heard in well-written dialogue, giving it a human touch and encouraging a sense of connection.

Balancing Emotion and Facts

Writers of non-fiction need to maintain a careful proportion between conveying information and generating feelings. Writing with emotion may transform a dull account into an engaging story, even while the information is at its core. Emotions, whether humor, empathy or simply a hint of drama, can enhance the effect of your writing and leave readers with a stronger impression.

The Meeting Point of Imagination and Research

Non-fiction relies heavily on research, but that doesn't imply creativity has to suffer. Make use of research as a springboard for creativity. Investigate your topic thoroughly to find undiscovered treasures and forgotten tales. Follow your curiosity and don't be scared to look at things from unusual perspectives. You can engagingly convey well-founded information by incorporating creative elements into your study to create an integrated and innovative whole.

Conclusion: The imagination comes to life.

When it comes to non-fiction, the creative components are the magic ingredient that turns a dry list of facts into an engaging story. Writing about truth and creating wonder go hand in hand, giving non-fiction authors the ability to captivate, inform, and motivate their audience. The next time you write a non-fiction piece, keep in mind the significance of context, the force of narrative, the richness of character development, and the magic that occurs when facts and imagination come to life on paper.

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Last time (several weeks ago), Gwen and Tybalt met at the rendezvous point and he was much more easygoing away from Lion's Arch. He supplied basic exposition about human cultural dynamics (always pretty odd with a human PC) and explained that Demmi, daughter of the ambitious and corrupt Minister Caudecus, sought refuge with the Order of Whispers, but disappeared en route.

I figured Gwen, my Ascalonian human PC from the streets, would be decidedly wary about the loyalties of both Tybalt and Demmi at this point. She dislikes Charr and nobles, and Demmi's father in particular is responsible for the enslavement of Gwen's sister in a previous storyline. Outwardly, though, she's pleasant and quick-witted about the whole thing.

Anyway, Tybalt quizzed Gwen on what she thought they should do in the hamlet.

I headcanon that back in Gwen's bandit days, she'd use illusions to hide among nobles' servants and scout out valuables. So she knows just how much workers and common people see, and I think she'd go for talking to the washerwoman. Tybalt praised this, though he'll praise whatever option the player chooses (which is probably for mechanical reasons, but tbh fits with his personal insecurity and eagerness to be Doing Something in the field).

The washerwoman affirmed that Demmi did show up in town. A shopkeeper said Demmi seemed nervous and left right before some Ministry guards showed up. Then Gwen asked a Lionguard soldier about all the Ministry guards mysteriously hanging out in the hamlet. To go by the ambient conversation, the Ministry guards were currently busy being assholes at the inn, which Tybalt thought he and Gwen should investigate.

There was also a messenger who carried a certified letter to the commander of the Ministry guard, and agreed it was unusual to send them by non-Ministry messengers, but maybe the sender didn't want a record of it. Reasonably enough, Tybalt also wanted to investigate this.

Afterwards, he approvingly noted, "You have a way with people. Not bad." A canon line that fits Gwen's character!

Tybalt's conclusion: Demmi reached some friends in the hamlet, then vanished right before the Ministry guards showed up. Gwen added that it made sense for Demmi's father to send the guard after her, but the fact that they were still in the hamlet suggested they didn't find her. She added, "The Guard has answers we don't have—it's time to know what they know."

Very Gwen, as well. My girl <3

I laughed, but also: Tybalt! <3

So Gwen went inside the inn and chatted up the guards. One drinking guard boasted that they serve ministers like—oh wait Kryta totally just Kryta haha. Then she went over and smoothly remarked to another about how proud and dedicated the Ministry Guard seemed. The guard immediately warmed up and said they'd face anything and he didn't fear "those pirates."

The plot thickens!

At this point, a sergeant came down and sent one of the chatty recruits upstairs. Tybalt and Gwen snuck after and listened at the door (I feel like Tybalt listening at a door would be pretty suspicious, so I'm imagining that he sent Gwen upstairs to do it and acted Very Normally down in the main room).

Anyway, she overheard the sergeant scolding the recruit for talking, and he said no harm was done and he didn't mention the commander's letter at all. She said that, luckily, the commander had retired for the evening and sent the recruit off.

I figure Gwen reported this very accurately to Tybalt, who agreed that these people were no match. He offered to make a distraction to draw out the commander while Gwen searched the room. This seemed like it could go awry, but also probably the best bet, so Tybalt was like "stampedes are always fun" and spooked the Ministry's supply dolyaks outside (the player actually has to do it, but I imagine Tybalt did it while Gwen was inside and waiting for her chance).

This drew the attention of the commander, Landon, who had to give orders about how they were going to get supplies etc. Meanwhile, Gwen searched the room and found the letter in question. It was a ransom note from the Jackdaw pirates, saying they'd captured Demmi.

Some sparks materialized as they were reading the letter, which made a kind of amusingly useless defense (though maybe the remains would alert Landon to interlopers in a different kind of story).

Anyway, Tybalt: "Demmi's been kidnapped by pirates! Cool! I mean ... interesting."

<333333

Tybalt hatched a plan to infiltrate the pirates (much as Ihan would have done earlier, had Gwen chosen the Order's scheme instead of the Priory's in that instance).

Fair questions! And most of her experience has been working with the much more regimented Seraph and regularly reporting to Logan, so it makes sense for her.

Tybalt: "We operate independently enough for this. The Master of Whispers relies on my discretion. If he trusts me, Initiate—so should you."

That's quite emphatic for Tybalt, and I think it's interesting that he emphasized that Gwen can and should trust him. He wouldn't be a Lightbringer if the Order didn't consider him trustworthy, but idk, I get a peculiar vibe from it.

After the cinematic, Gwen talked to Tybalt again, who praised her and said she was ready to rescue a maiden from some dastardly pirates. She had a charm/ferocity/dignity option, which I always enjoy. The charm option was rather naive and silly, and the dignity one too pretentious for her, but she does have a fierce edge to her personality, so I went with that.

Tybalt's response:

This seems pretty insecure, actually, but iirc all the responses do in some way. It does make some sense that he'd feel a bit outclassed by Gwen's practical experience and relentless intensity given what I recall of his experience. Still, he's fantastic and I love that he promises to do his best to keep up with the killer instinct of an Ascalonian named Gwen.

IDK, I think the Order of Whispers storyline is intrinsically even more touching with a heroic Ascalonian human bonding with a Charr reject turned trustworthy spy. There is so much water under that bridge, and he longs for acceptance from Charr culture, and yet he's willing to frame their mission as doing his best to keep up with a human initiate. He's the best, actually!

System Ask Game!

For traumagenic systems only, I’d better not see any other origin systems reblogging this

Tried to include a good mix of surface-level and deeper questions, hope you all enjoy! :)

🍄 Who’s the oldest? Liriya technically because she is a past life alter as is Levathia but Liriya came first. Alistair and Elizabeth are a Demon and Angel respectably so they are ageless as well.

🌺 Do you know which type of system you are? (DID, OSDD-1a, OSDD-1b, etc) No, we think OSDD 1b but we're just saying UDD for now.

🌸 Any non-humans or hybrid alters? Yes as I said before Al and Lizbeth are a demon and angel, Liriya is Pleiadean, Levathia is a vampire and Mitchell is a Cat person.

🌼 Any animal alters? Mitch like I said.

🌻 Are you diagnosed? If yes, was getting one difficult? If no, do you want a diagnosis? No and yes if only for people to believe us and then we wouldn't feel like we're making it up.

🌷 Who has the best sense of fashion? Minara would say her but I (Michelle) think that we all have good style!

🌹 What’s your system dynamic like? Are you like one big family, a group of friends, strangers, siblings, enemies? I'd say a family but we don't all get along. Alistair and Elizabeth for instance (but they don't hate each other either it's just the heaven and hell dynamic) Levathia only really hangs out with Alistair, and sometimes Mina. Newt is only around Alistair and Elizabeth is only really comfortable around Mitch and Rini who have a sibling dynamic. Mitch and Mina hang out alot too.

🥀 Do you have an inner world? If yes, has it always been there, or did you have to make it (and how did you make it)? If no, do you want one? What’s it like not having one? Kind of. I've had dreams about places that I think are in the inner world and what I can gather 5 yr old me came up with (aka Rini) but it's very much a mash up and not cohesive. The front is very dark,with shallow water and bedroom doors around it with each alters name on them, there's also Pyramids somewhere, a grocery store with a very dark room with neon lights in the middle of the store. And I'm pretty sure knowing my younger self there's unicorns, Pegasus and a Carousel around. As well as a house that looks like the one in Full House.

🌾 Do you have any hobbies or talents specific to one or a few alters? Liriya is very good at drawing and tarot reading (as am I since I'm a witch but I'm better at drawing anime characters and she's better at places and symbols) I'm better at writing and making Youtube videos & Gifs lol Mitch is good at video games, soccer, running and is ambidextrous. Levathia is good at writing as well and the keyboard. Elizabeth is excellent at cleaning and Rini is good at painting, reading and making collages. Mina is good at singing, acting, fashion and makeup. We're all good at Dancing.

🎋 What’s a normal day like, being a system? Hectic, blurry, chaotic, happy, all of the above, none? All of the above.

🌱 How often do you do headcounts, if at all? If I've felt like I made or met a new alter (like in my dream a few nights ago) but we currently only have 7 so it's easy to keep track of.

🌿 How do you keep track of alters? Simplyplural, pluralkit, tupperbox, google docs, etc? Journals, Pinterest and Tumblr.

☘️ Any “unusual” symptoms in childhood that should have tipped you off to you being a system earlier? Making an inner world (but not remembering later on) Disissociating alot, my different moods, styles, interests and career changes.

🍀 What’s your amnesia like? Do you experience full blackouts, grayouts, just emotional amnesia, dissociative amnesia, all of the above? Emotional and dissociative. I don't remember alot of when I was 5-13 though.

🍃 Do you want functional multiplicity, final fusion, or do you not know yet? Functional multiplicity.

🍂 Do you like being a system, or do you find yourself wishing you were a singlet? I like it tbh. Makes me feel less alone and now realizing maybe not everyone was gaslighting me? lol though there ware those who were.

🍁 Do you know any other systems IRL? If not, do you have any close system friends on the Internet? No and No. I only realized this a few weeks ago.

🍇 Would you trust singlets to write or depict an accurate portrayal of DID or OSDD? Why or why not? Mmmm maybe if they'd done accurate research.

🍓 Do you have any system-wide interests, special interests, or hyperfixations? I hyperfixate alot. We're interested in the same people lol for the most part. We also all like dancing and watching wrestling.

🍎 Do you have a collective name? If yes, how did you come up with it? Michie which is a nickname that My niece gave me and felt it fit. Also our system name we came up with is The Invisible Collective.

🍏 Do you have any other accounts, system-related or not? Yes lots of Tumblrs and Pinterest.

🍐 What was your first introduction to the OSDDID community that you can remember? My first intro to DID (even though I was still calling it MPD) was watching The United States of Tara....I did really like it but this was before I knew too much about the disorder.

The community itself was through YouTube.

🍊 If your system is open to relationships, do you prefer in-system or out-of-system dating? Do you have a reason why? Either works for me. But I'd say it's easier to be with someone that is not in the inner world lol and I am married in the outer world. I suppose it would also be easier to be with another system though.

🍋 Does anyone have any innerworld disorders that don’t translate to the outer world? Levathia's bloodlust. I mean she can't go around biting people (unless they like it ;) ) and Mitch doesn't physically have cat ears and a tail or can leap super high on the outside. But idk if I'd call that a disorder. Also Alistair and Elizabeth have wings in the inner world and Al has a light grey skin.

🌽 Do you have any fun facts you want to share, either about yourself, the system, or other alters? Not currently no.

🥝 Does anyone have any pets in-system? I wouldn't call them pets but their are Unicorns and Pegasi around like I said. Also possibly a Raven or Crows...

🍒 What’s your favorite and least favorite part about being an alter/being a part of a system? Learning to love myself by loving my alters. Worst part is probably not remembering my childhood or when I split exactly (but maybe that's a good thing) also acting different around people and not being able to explain why.

Accounting Providers In Your Small Business

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The best technique to pay down enterprise debt will depend upon how much you owe, your current cash flow and, in many ways, your willpower. If you don't have one already, now is a great time to create a finances. A budget helps you deliver your spending consistent with your income, benefiting from each dollar that is obtainable in and making certain you needn't use bank cards or loans to make ends meet. Debt Reduction Services may help you consolidate unsecured money owed you may have, together with bank card debt, medical payments, and more. Tips On How To Complete A Bank Reconciliation Step With our superior money application instruments, we use optical character recognition and AI to automate matching for payments exterior the platform too. But, if they occur too often and can’t be explained, this will indicate one thing's not proper along with your books. This technique of reconciliation involves utilizing estimates of historical account exercise ranges and different metrics. This is a statistical approach that will allow you to find out if discrepancies between accounts are because of human error or potential theft. Tim worked as a tax professional for BKD, LLP earlier than returning to school and receiving his Ph.D. from Penn State. He then taught tax and accounting to undergraduate and graduate students as an assistant professor at each the University of Nebraska-Omaha and Mississippi State University. It’s not unusual for smaller corporations to make use of a mixture of their accounting/GL software and a library of Excel spreadsheets. Properly documented account reconciliation supplies full inner visibility and is essential for assembly regulatory reporting requirements with confidence. Fraudulent or negligent accounting practices that go undetected as a result of unreconciled accounts, poor inner controls or a scarcity of supporting documentation, commentary or calculations. In this case, a examine went out or a deposit was made, and also you forgot to document it. It’s very important to immediately monitor any excellent checks in order that you’re conscious of all activities. Go line-by-line on your company’s financial institution assertion to double examine in the occasion that they match your inner data. Often as a small business, you find yourself paying distributors and collectors by issuing check payments. When a check is issued, your financial institution statement won’t replicate the excellent checks in the occasion that they haven’t been cashed yet. Bookkeeping & Payroll You’re probably conversant in the old adage that when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Similarly, at Condley & Company, we imagine that if you’ve secured a plan in your funds, you’ve deliberate for a safe monetary future. From business analysis and profitability analysis to strategic planning and budgeting, think of us as your financial source to help set a plan in movement to succeed in your monetary aims. The fee is a flat monthly amount so you understand exactly what to price range for and aren't hit with the shock billings customary with hourly bookkeeping companies. We calculate the payment primarily based on the scale of your bank/credit card statements. The payment is a flat month-to-month amount so you understand exactly what to price range for and are not hit with surprise billings customary with hourly bookkeeping services. Financial Reporting Services Financial Reporting Services All customers of financial statements don't require the... Our companies can be found to native businesses and individuals in and out of the State of Georgia. We assist them handle their cash and discover solutions to urgent monetary matters. We make the person understand their financial place and the choices out there to them. The Firm of William Carpenter CPA provides a pleasant, well timed and efficient bookkeeping service for all companies. Computerized accounts are prepared, saved and introduced for shopper evaluate on a quarterly, monthly, and/or annual basis. Additionally, support for all main accounting applications including Quickbooks and Peachtree are offered. At Condley & Company, L.L.P., our professional monetary companies go hand-in-hand with a customized approach for our clients in Abilene, TX, and the surrounding areas. We imagine our vast technical experience and top-notch options work finest with an individualized touch that delivers value-added support. To a enterprise entity, cash flow is something that may make or break the business' ability to survive. We may help you analyze your spending, re-balance your finances and/or debts for an optimal money circulate to help your business' success. This balance plan can be revisited if and when there were any main adjustments in your business construction to ensure that you are working at an optimal level. With our help and guidance, you'll always be on prime of your finances and prepared for the lengthy run. The Way To Reconcile Accounts Receivable Assets, object codes starting with 1xxx, are outlined as economic sources owned by the university, (e.g. money, investments, accounts receivable sponsored/travel, inventory, constructing and equipment). Liabilities, object codes beginning with 2xxx, are defined as debts or obligations of the university (e.g. accounts payable, deferred income, bond/debt obligations). Financial shut activities don't just embrace stability sheet reconciliation – it also involves the completion of journal entries, rectifying unmatched transactions, and finishing checklists. However, the trial steadiness does not function proof that the other records are free of errors. For instance, if journal entries for a debit and its corresponding credit score have been never recorded, the totals in the trial stability would still match and never recommend an error. These transactions can embrace cash funds against an bill and their totals, that are posted in corresponding accounts in the basic ledger. Otherwise, account reconciliation is normally a source of time-consuming guide effort for finance teams, and a critical hit to confidence for stakeholders, auditors and regulators. If you use cloud accounting software program, this may be made relatively straightforward through the use of the reconciliation perform. For instance, if you are conducting money reconciliations this process will contain merely matching exercise from the financial institution feed to the transactions on your bank ledger, after which posting any new reconciling transactions. Access the inner supply of knowledge being reviewed (i.e. the financial institution ledger account on your accounting software) and examine it towards the external doc it is being in contrast against (i.e. bank statement). There could presumably be a big selection of issues that brought on the expenses to jump so dramatically. Once these adjustments are made to the final ledger, your checking account will now be reconciled along with your basic ledger account. If you’ve ever been billed for an item you didn’t buy or discovered yourself with a bigger bank stability than you know you want to have, you understand the significance of account reconciliation. Units do not have to reconcile the generated offset object codes one thousand and 2900. Stay up to date on the newest services anytime, anywhere. Good database design is a must to meet processing wants in SQL Server techniques. IT departments enable analytics in organizations by making certain that the information architecture is in place, including tools, processes ... Learn about ways different industries are using blockchain technology. A basic ledger transaction for fictional company ABCDEFGH Software. Finance Vs Accounting External auditors, whereas not part of a company's structure, are likely to outrank inner finance workers, since their work takes priority over the work of accountants. Although not technically a requirement, having a bachelor's degree is usually the minimal educational requirement for accountants and auditors alike. As accountants and auditors progress on their respective career paths, most will select to turn out to be a Certified Public Accountant . It can report on a selected period of time at any time interval chosen by the corporate. The auditor wants to grasp the varied tax guidelines, acts, auditing requirements, and communication skills. Accounting provides a real and honest view of the monetary place of the group. Auditing helps to confirm the reliability of the monetary statements. Additional Paid in Capital Amounts paid for stock in extra of its par value or said value. Also, other quantities paid by stockholders and charged to fairness accounts aside from capital inventory. I) Terms might contain option to be issued with price to be determined based mostly upon the bottom value as of the difficulty date or for the subsequent 30 days after the issuance. Grant date does not happen till the conclusion of the 30 dayperiodwhen the price is known. To decide the value the corporate needs to look back on the stock value for the last 30 days to discover out what the train price must be. The primary purpose of accounting is to offer materials information perfect for figuring out the monetary place of the enterprise. Auditors require to guarantee that all transactions comply with the guidelines acknowledged within the regional and government regulation. Chartered accountants require to produce trustworthy info about financial information. Understanding Balance Sheet Statement Half This liquidity premium renders the marginal costs of (short-term) debt decrease for banks than different corporations. Second, banks' debt holders are protected by an intensive safety web in the form of deposit insurance and the lender of final resort. This security net lends to the notion that banks' debt is relatively safe—independent of a selected financial institution's actual creditworthiness. In impact, the security internet acts as a subsidy that contributes to banks' desire for debt over equity. As a result of these elements, banks sometimes have very low levels of capital when compared to different forms of corporations. The term steadiness sheet refers to a monetary assertion that reviews an organization's belongings, liabilities, and shareholder equity at a particular cut-off date. Balance sheets present the premise for computing charges of return for buyers and evaluating a company's capital structure. In quick, the stability sheet is a financial statement that provides a snapshot of what a company owns and owes, in addition to the amount invested by shareholders. Balance sheets can be used with other essential monetary statements to conduct fundamental analysis or calculating financial ratios. Each side of the equation must match the other—one account have to be debited and one other credited. Investors can use it to determine how a business is funded and structured. Learn how to read a steadiness sheet and a few typical investor uses. Business Help Providers For Large Enterprise And Smb March 23, 2022 The Why and How of Accounts Payable Automation Automation has redefined much of backoffice enterprise processing over the past two decades, including the accounts payable function. F&A P2P Automation also propagates full visibility for audit purposes and eliminates the scope of fraud. It empowers the Just-in-Time manufacturing and production paradigm and improves provide chain administration, which can involve totally different time zones. It provides real-time visibility of the digital platform to the management and management groups to conduct enterprise as properly as envisage changes and enlargement. It also steps up vigilance activities and compliances with inner and external governance our bodies. Our mannequin combines cutting edge know-how, processes, and other people in a fully-managed solution to deliver precise monetary visibility and improved operational scalability, plus a lower and extra predictable cost structure. No hiring or training hassles, no value of infrastructure, while still delivering expert companies. We’re a result-driven Blended Shore Outsourced Accounting Firm that caters to small companies throughout a number of industries. We convey an impactful change at the intersection of individuals, processes & know-how. BKD yearly prepares hundreds of tax returns for individuals, various types of businesses, trusts, and tax-exempt entities. Improvement Implementation – We correct historic accounting, implement new software instruments, improve existing procedures, automate, combine, document all routine processes. Curious about how the AccountingDepartment.com digital accounting course of works? We have a 7-step setup plan that's designed to be easy whereas we information you alongside through each motion item. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002set new company accounting standards and imposed extreme criminal penalties for monetary fraud. Internal auditing allows an organization to discover and root out these points as well. You have to do some degree of accounting to run a business, it does not matter what. Placing The Public Interest On The Heart Of Our Work CPA.com and AICPA collaborated with nationally acknowledged leaders to design and instruct studying modules on these topics. Upon completion, you will have core competencies in basic client accounting service deliverables, and a digital badge to show your expertise. These useful works are the product of considerable time, effort and sources, which you acknowledge by accepting the next terms of use. 58 The IASC presently has projects on its agenda to deal with accounting issues related to insurance enterprises and agriculture. Other examples of areas by which one normal provides steerage however the different does not observe. However, as of 2012 "all major economies" have plans to converge in path of or undertake the IFRS. Financial accounting produces past-oriented reports—for example monetary statements are often published six to ten months after the end of the accounting period—on an annual or quarterly basis, typically concerning the organization as a complete. Double-entry bookkeeping was pioneered within the Jewish group of the early-medieval Middle East and was further refined in medieval Europe. With the development of joint-stock firms, accounting split into monetary accounting and administration accounting. There must be a dual strategy, developing the technical capacity, but in addition making sure that the hyperlink between the technical and the policymakers is established and often maintained. The act considerably raises legal penalties for securities fraud, for destroying, altering or fabricating information in federal investigations or any scheme or try to defraud shareholders. In the United States, the requirements for joining the AICPA as a Certified Public Accountant are set by the Board of Accountancy of each state, and members agree to abide by the AICPA's Code of Professional Conduct and Bylaws. The word was formerly written in English as "accomptant", but in process of time the word, which was at all times pronounced by dropping the "p", became gradually changed each in pronunciation and in orthography to its current form. This article was originally posted on December 16, 2011 and the data could not be present. If an auditor is unable to render an unqualified opinion, a certified opinion may be issued. Some reasons opinions could additionally be certified embrace scope limitations and departures from GAAP.