WOW thanks a lot gang ..... can’t believe bruhstation grew up so fast. here’s a shinx thomas doodle as a small thank you :]

I know I've shared before a bit of what The Bad Batch has meant to me, but I just feel that I have so much more I want to say. Though, in all honesty, I don't think I'll ever be able to put into words exactly how much it means to me, but I'll certainly endeavor to do my best 😊

Having grown up with Clone Wars and just being a lifelong Star Wars fan in general, I was excited when the Bad Batch show was announced. Another Star Wars animated show?? Hell yeah!! I was so down for it. I remember going to my parents place to watch it with my family and my friends...and I fell in love SO fast! I remember thinking the Bad Batch were cool in their CW season 7 arc, but that was about it. Something about them in "Aftermath" changed my view of them and having Omega show up, too, made it even better. Then episode 2 came out later that week and I knew I was hooked right as the episode ended.

I had no idea just how much this show would consume my life 😅

I hadn't been so obsessed with a fandom since The Hobbit movies. That fandom was what introduced me to writing fanfiction and to Tumblr. Then Bad Batch was what made me go back to Tumblr and to fanfiction, as well. It made me start writing for the world of Star Wars, a world I didn't think I would ever be able to write for. I came back to Tumblr after a few years cuz once I found myself going so crazy for this show, I knew Tumblr was the right place to find other people just as crazy about it, just like I'd been able to do for the Hobbit.

And boy, was I right!!

I have found almost more people who loved Bad Batch as much as me than I did in my Hobbit days. Every single person I've talked to and interacted with have impacted my life in so many ways. I even had the special privilege of meeting a couple people in person, as well, which were wonderful experiences! I've spent many hours on discord calls either just one on one with certain people or in severs with big groups of people, playing games, chatting and just having a grand time. I've made some of the greatest friends I've ever had here and it's all thanks to the Bad Batch! I would name each person here, but I don't want to accidentally leave anyone out because there are just so many I'd want to mention, but you all know who you are! 💜💜 I mean it when I say I love all of you, every person I've ever interacted with! You all are truly amazing and I seriously hope I'll get to meet more of you in person in the future 💜

Being back on Tumblr also came with its fair share of drama over the past couple years, but if anything, all that made me stronger, more resilient and it also showed me who my true friends are. I'm grateful for those who stood beside me in those times.

Many of you have been there for me through other hard times in my life, when I had awful drama at work or financial troubles or just bad days in general. A lot of you let me vent so many times and offered me kindness, help and advice, which have meant the world to me. Some of you have even supported mine and my friends' Twitch and YouTube channels and have watched our Star Wars D&D streams or our charity streams, which also means so much to me and I can't thank those of you have supported us enough!

I've learned a lot from the Bad Batch over the years, as well.

Hunter taught me to never give up on your family and to fight for what you think is right.

Crosshair taught me to stick to your beliefs and that it's always possible to change.

Echo taught me to always be loyal to your friends and that you can grow beyond your trauma.

Tech taught me to always be who you are, no matter what everyone thinks, and to treasure your knowledge of things.

Wrecker taught me that it's okay to still have a playful side and to never be afraid of sharing what you love with people.

Omega taught me that compassion is not a weakness, but a strength and you're never too small or too young to make a difference.

So much of my life has changed in just 3 years because of this group of ragtag Clones and their exciting adventures in a galaxy far, far away. Even now, I don't think I've said everything I want to say...but I know I've said just enough.

Now, the show is coming to an end...and I'm feeling the same sadness I did when I knew the last Hobbit movie was coming out. Because that means the thing that has given me something to look forward to for so long is ending. I've become so emotionally invested in these characters and stories and I feel like I'm saying goodbye to loved ones. I legit don't know what I'm gonna do for a while.

One thing I do know I AM gonna do is I'm not going anywhere in the fandom. Space Mama will be around for a long time to come 😊💜 I've got fics to write and friendships to maintain!

All that's left to say is thank you. Thank you to every single person who have come into my life and will continue to be a part of it. Thank you to Dave Filoni (who I know, at least, started the show and brought the Bad Batch into Clone Wars) Jennifer Corbett, Brad Rau, the Kiner's, Joel Aron and, of course, Michelle Ang and Dee Bradley Baker for bringing this fantastic show to life.

In the words of Hunter: "Change takes getting used to. You'll see. Just give it time." Words we're all going to have to live by.

But also, in his words: "If this is where you want to be, then this is where you'll stay."

This is where I want to be...and this is where I'll stay 💜💜

May the Force be with us all...always 💜

Doumadono's 3k followers event

HOLY HELL!!! I reached 3k followers last week, and I'm just beyond overwhelmed!!! I can't believe THREE THOUSAND of you actually read my works. It's absolutely mind-blowing. I've made friends, become mutuals with the writers who inspired me to join writing community on my own, and there are three thousand people who enjoy hanging out with me here, one way or another. It feels so freaking awesome and I'm beyond grateful. I want to thank all of you for your love and support, whether you've been here from the start or just started following me yesterday! I appreciate every single one of you ♥

RULES:

I'll be accepting requests until 11:59 on Friday, 11/08

send one request per ask & don't forget to put the whole prompt of your choice in the request

choose from the following prompts listed here: 001 SFW / 002 SFW / 003 NSFW /004 NSFW

choose the type of fic: blurbs (300-700 words - SFW/NSFW), headcanons (SFW/NSFW), short fics (1k-1,5k words - SFW/NSFW)

choose the relationship: character/s + f!reader, character/s + gn!reader (I won't write for m!readers in this event)

I'll write for: MHA characters, KNY characters, JJK characters

Once more, though it may sound a tad cheesy, I sincerely want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you. Thank you for providing me with this delightful little escape on this website. It's truly a joy to come here after a long day and immerse myself in this wonderful community. I cherish each and every one of you, and I genuinely mean it when I say, "I love you all!"

FROM ME TO YOU: HEARTSOJI'S LAST OFFICIAL MESSAGE

dear all,

tumblr has honestly been a way bigger part of my life than i would ever admit to my irl friends. i've spent years on this crazy website and i now have a wonderful community and online friends that truly mean so much to me. i am so incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me on this journey.

if we're being honest, i've lost a lot of my interest for anime and tumblr. i actually really tried to hold onto it, but i just couldn't do it. i hit a wall with writing, i lost touch with some people important to me, and i've found other interests and dont find anime nearly as appealing anymore.

and so, i'm logging off. i'll still be lingering around here for a while, but eventually, i will end up poofing out. i wont be completely gone, however, as i've made a new blog for interactions! no writing - there are just some people who i dont want to let go of. moots, please dm me on either tumblr to receive the new blog if you'd like to keep in touch. even if we haven't talked in a while, i'd really like to stay friends!

im sorry for the dramatic wording and long message, but this is really marking the end of an era for me. i hope you all have a lovely day!

love always, jisu

navi here!

Finale release day is drawing to a close which means its time for me to be sappy on main again about this show

This show is my first forray into the audiodrama space as a creator and I'm so grateful for the response it's gotten. I've made some incredible friends and have gotten to work with some absolutely wonderful people over the course of this second season! When I started out doing this by myself I never could've dreamed that I'd get to do a full cast second (and third!) season but here we are, season 2 wrapped up and season 3 underway

To my brilliant cast: thank you for lending your voices and immense amounts of talent to this show! It's been an honor and a delight to work with you all and to see what you have done with the characters I've written. I know yall are gonna kill it with season 3 and I can't wait!!

To our lovely crowdfunder backers/patreon patrons: thank you for enjoying and believing in this show enough to throw financial support behind it! It truly means the world to me and I'm so excited to be able to keep making and sharing this show with y'all

And to you, dear wanderers: thank you for listening. Thank you for showing this show love and support and so much kindness. When I started writing this show I wasn't sure that anyone would listen, but you did. You did and you allowed me to make more show and im so grateful you did

Season 3 is currently in production and will be coming later this year! It will be the show's final season and I think it will be a good one. There will be some more stuff to come in the interim, but until then: thank you for listen! We hope to see you on the Fringes again soon

💛Smoshblr December Asks Final Day💙

We‘ve done it! We’ve finally reached the end of this lil ask game and also the end of 2023! 🥳 Thank you so much for joining in on this, I truly appreciate it so much 🫶! I wish you a wonderful start into the new year and that all your hopes and dreams for 2024 will come true! ✨💞

But, since the year isn’t quite over yet, I thought this might be a nice time to reminisce a little bit. Therefore, the final question of the Smoshblr December Asks Game:

What are your favourite smosh-related memories of 2023? 💖

(no specific amount required for this one; and you can ofc also include older smosh memories, if you want to 🤗)

oh my god........ im emotional fr. this was so, so, SO much fun and stella, i will speak for EVERYONE you sent these asks to when i say that we are all so grateful to YOU for organizing it. you brought the community together in such an amazing way, asking us thought-provoking and interesting questions, a lot of which i never would have thought to ask. and yet i got to learn all my mutuals' answers anyway!!! it made me feel like i really got to know everyone, even the people im too scared to start a convo with bc i am a Coward. i love you, we all adore you, thank you SO much, and i cant wait to see where smoshblr goes in the new year now that we are all closer than ever <3<3<3<3<3

okay so...... okay okay okay okay HERE we go. im gonna put it under the cut bc this got SO long but if you want a tl;dr summary, please by all means go check out this video i made at the beginning of the month bc. it sums it up tbh.

making all of my amazing friends: i am literally. an emotional wreck just thinking ab this. anyway. i've already been sappy enough this year (from my christmas presents to my many many personal posts and asks that are just. me talking about how much i love these people), but i would still be remiss if i didn't mention my beautiful, wonderful friends. im not gonna tag them all here - it'd be too many and you all know who you are <3<3<3 - but to everyone i've dmed for hours on end, or talked to in replies, or mutuals i've never even spoken to at all, or anons who come into my askbox and just have the most wonderful interactions with me, i am so, so eternally grateful. i made new friends; i reconnected with one of my best friends in the WHOLE world; i met some people who i never would have spoken to otherwise and found such an incredible community. i love you all so so SO much (yes ALL of you even if you think im not talking ab you if you're reading this i AM), and i am so excited to see what happens with all of us next. love you all. mwah. <3

domo day/my birthday: oh my god. OHHHH my god. literally the fic that brought me back to this fandom. i am not crying its fine im FINE. domo - aka dancing on my own - was a passion project from the very start. i thought, 'well, no one will wanna read this niche lil fic that im writing just to deal with My very personal trauma about an rpf ship that no one cares about.' (mind you i started it before i even posted right side, so, like, i literally thought it was just me standing on a deserted island.) and then five or six months later... there we were. i posted it on my birthday (bc i Live for drama !) and god. the amount of love and support i got that day was... everything to me. when i said this was a passion project, i mean that it was truly one of the first things i sat down and wrote For Myself, without giving a fuck what anyone else would think. it was something i poured my heart and soul into because i needed to read it. and when other people started to reach out - telling me how much they related, how much they got from it, how much it meant to them. then there was the analyses of it from everyone,,,, not to mention the birthday love. my birthday is a HUGE thing for me, and, as i told you at the time, you were the very first person to wish me a happy birthday stella (with that incredible moodboard that i think of frequently........ the rat.........). and then kit went and published bad idea and gifted it to ME which was such an incredible and treasured gesture and... truly some of my irls forgot to wish me a happy birthday so. im just so honored and i love you all so much. thank you for loving me and my dearest darling daughter domo <333333

shaynse day: this literally isn't even about me, it's honestly about nat, but this changed my brain chemistry and i think everybody's tbh. it was the way that the MOMENT the love is blind video dropped, we all gathered around my blog to hold hands, sing kumbaya, and all hail the shaynse anon (aka now shaynse founder nat). they had their third eye OPEN. and everyone had to come check on them to make sure they were okay. that meant so much to me. not only did it mean that enough people were reading my blog that an anon had their own niche subset of a fan base, but it was truly like. one of the best displays of fandom togetherness i've ever seen. we were all so united that day. god bless november 19th, aka shaynse day, my FAVORITE national holiday.

gedits: i really Dont think i have to explain this one. this is one of my favorite bits (but also its not really a bit and i genuinely wanna fuck that old man). making thirst traps for garrett? oh my god. stroke of actual genius. once again another day we all came together, held hands, and decided we were ALL gonna be garrett fuckers. long live gedits. they will never stop and im NOT sorry about it.

the bsf fan art: i have literally never had fan art made for my fic before...... i screamed and cried and threw up when someone made fan art for the bed-sharing fic. furry-jackson is my hero and this fan art lives in my mind RENT FUCKING FREE. it truly imprinted itself on my brain and i think about it all the time. thanks so much to them for loving i could be the reason as much as i do <3333

the top ten dynamics poll: !!!!! my baby!!!! i truly thank you all so much for indulging me by voting in that silly lil poll. it was so SO interesting to see the way the dynamics stacked up. not to mention, it also got me into gif-making again!! that was the first time i'd made gifs in ages, especially gifs i was proud of. but i love that silly lil gif series so much, one of my favorite projects of the year, so thank you all <3

smoshblr december asks: i mean. i said it all up top, but it's worth mentioning again. this was so, so, SO much fun, and it must have been such hard work for you, and i am honored that you did all this work for US of all people when you are so busy and talented and working so hard just in like. YOUR LIFE. honestly, this whole section could just be called 'stella,' bc i am so, so grateful for you especially coming into my life this year. whether we're working together on fic or just chatting about our lives or shouting back and forth about why EVERY taylor swift song is in fact a spommy song, i am just so lucky to have you and i love you so, so much. you always tolerate my shenanigans and i am SO incredibly lucky to have you as a friend. anyway. yeah i love you and smoshblr december asks so there.

4k followers!

Ngl this is making me emotional 🥹 I remember last summer i saved S4 of Stranger Things until my holidays to properly enjoy it so I was thinking it's been about a year since i became obsessed with steddie. I checked and: on the 7th of August I shared my very first steddie fic on ao3 after years of barely writing anything at all, and i stopped being a near-dormant bastille blog on here a week later. In the year that followed, I gained all of you as followers, I found some truly wonderful people on tumblr, made lovely new friends on discord, and uploaded about 20 fics on ao3. It's been a year with a lot of personal changes and the fact that I've had this support system has truly made my life much better. I've been in multiple fandoms before, but never to this degree and with this amount of creativity, so I'm honestly insanely grateful that that happened!

I thought it'd be nice to celebrate so I'll share a list of my current WIPs and you can send me the title + either a ☕ or a 👀 emoji. If you send a ☕, I'll spill the tea on what it's about, and if you send a 👀 I'll give you a lil snippet of what I got so far 😄

Roadtrip summer challenge

Edancy siblings

Eddie in prison

Nun!Robin

Wayne POV

Love, Simon AU

Orrr if you just wanna talk about random stuff you can literally send me whatever, I always love to chat about basically anything 💜 Just join my lil party i guess 🥳🥳

ARB Birthday Special: Evelyn Rose

~~ December 20th ~~

"If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, then I know I can achieve it."

Login Lines:

"I wonder why my producer, like, cancelled practice for today. He told me to just go out and relax today. He said it was an early 'gift' for me, but I don't, like, understand what he meant. Was he referring to Christmas or something? Not that I, like, mind or anything. That just means, like, more time for me to do some, like, shopping! ...Hmm? A text from my mom? Probably, like, checking up on me again. 'Happy Birthday, sweetie!.' ...Wait? It's my... birthday?"

"...Holy crap... it's, like, my birthday! How could I, like, forget? And why didn't anybody, like, tell me? I guess that explains why my producer canceled practice. But seriously, why didn't anybody, like, tell me sooner! I've got, like, tons of stuff to get done and now I'm, like, totally late doing it!"

Voice Lines:

"Wow, hard to believe this is, like, my first birthday since I've been here to Japan. I won't lie with the way Acey talked about it, I was sure this place wasn't, like, going to be anything nice. ...But I've actually grown to love this place! The people here are, like, so unique and, like, cultured and stuff! There's, like, so much stuff here you'd probably never see anywhere else, even in New York or L.A.! I still miss home from time to time, but Japan is still a nice place. ...Yeah, I, like, really love this country!"

"A lot of my fans wished me a 'happy birthday' or sent me a lot of gifts. It was, like, really cool of them! It's always nice having people to, like, support and encourage you! I think without them and my friends, I would have, like, never been as famous as I am now. I still often, like, think negatively about myself. Like, I wonder if I'm really doing my best and being all I can be. ...But, I know I'll, like, reach my full potential someday. I, like, owe it to myself and everyone who helped to, like, get me this far!"

"Thank you so much, Acey! And it's no problem! As long as I, like, get to celebrate it, then I'm, like, happy! ...Oh Acey... That means a lot to me! Thank you so much! I really love you! ...Haha! No need to be embarrassed, Acey! We kiss in public, like, a lot! ...What's this? A necklace? It's beautiful! A message? ...Oh! Acey, you... I really love you! Haha, you really need to be, like, more confident, Acey!"

"Thanks so much, Rashaad! I'm glad Acey and I, like, got to know you as well. I'll admit, I was, like, really bummed out when I found out her hotel was, like, being renovated or something. I wasn't sure about rooming in a bar, but I'll say it now: Eagle's Nest, like, beats any hotel, any day! ...Aww, thanks Rashaad! That really means a lot!"

"Ohh, what's this? ...A phone charger? But it charges more than my phone? Ohh! I've seen these before! But I, like, never thought of getting one! Thanks so much, Rashaad! This is definitely going to help! You are awesome, with, like, a capital 'A'!"

Ace Lines:

"Happy birthday, Eevee! Sorry you have to celebrate your birthday here in a foreign land instead of in America, but I'm glad to be able to celebrate another one with you! I... I know I don't say it often enough, but... I'm truly glad and grateful to have you as my girlfriend. I know I'm probably not the easiest guy to be around at times, but despite that I'm glad you're still here. So... thank you. ...Gah! Okay, okay, I-I love you too, Eevee, really!"

"A-anyway, here's your birthday gift. I know it's probably tasteless, but I hope you like it. It's a charm necklace with a message inside. I had it custom-made and ordered. ...You like it? I'm glad. I hope the message proves to be true. But... well, that's just part of the suspense of a relationship, right? ...Eevee? Gah! Wait, Eevee! It's appreciated, but not in public, please!"

Rashaad Lines:

"A most joyous and happy birthday to you, Miss Rose. I'm truly happy to be able to celebrate your birthday with you. I know it's been well over a year since you and Master Ace first came to Japan. I know you both probably didn't plan on staying here this long, but personally, I'm glad you both made the decision to come here. If not, I never would have gotten the chance to know either of you. I'm truly glad to have the friendship of both of you."

"Haha. Thank you, Miss Rose. Now then, for your gift. You mentioned the other day that your phone charger was acting up. I was planning on buying you a new one, but that would have just been boring. So, I purchased this, instead. It's a 3-in-1 charger, so you can charge more than just your phone. I hope it serves you well. ...Thank you, Miss Rose. I'm glad you like it. And again, a most joyous birthday to you."

we'll call it love masterlist

Hey, thanks for being here - whether you binged the series or have been here the whole year or you're literally just reading this and don't care to read the series. I know it's a little (okay a lot) cheesy to make a whole post saying thank you for a silly little fanfic but I've had a tough year, and I didn't want to make the post longer and well, here we are. Don't read it if you don't want to or you think it's cringe.

I wrote the "Rocketman is Dingus. Dingus is Steve. Steve is Rocketman" scene on November 25th, 2022 in the back of my mother in law's car while shopping. I had no real vision other than Friends With Benefits, modern AU, use the songs off of the Uncanny Valley album by COIN, reader hates love and duh - Steve falls in love with everything that moves. Over the course of basically an entire fucking year, a short, 4 "parts" "minseries" turned into this. This lovely, wonderful, infuriating most days, pain in my ass series that I'm going to cherish for the rest of my life. I learned and discovered so much about writing and about myself while creating it. We're truly almost at a year, and originally, when this idea came to me, I was back on my old blog and I just can't even express to you how crazy it is to know the notes I got on first fics to this journey to the new blog and this series...I feel like I can't say thank you enough or express how crazy it is to me and how truly grateful I am. While writing this I was thoroughly broken down to just a sobbing mess multiple times by comments, messages, and love left for the story - I have your messages saved, and they mean more to me than you could ever know. I made new friends while writing it, I daydreamed about these fucking idiots while on my first international trip, I'm chasing crazy dreams and it's truly all because of this story and you guys. All because of your patience and encouragement as I strung you along for almost an entire year just for a silly little fanifc.

A special and specific thank you to @sweetsweetjellybean I love you I love you I love yoouuuu and I know this was a way bigger commitment than either of us foresaw when I asked you to beta for me. Hours, days, and months of friendship and encouragement can't be acknowledged with a simple thank you, but it's the best I got. And another special thank you to @loveshotzz who not only is also an avid supporter, editor, and encourager, but gave me all the Chicago daydreams and sightseeing tour that literally is at the heart of this entire series. Red Hot Ranch idiots, Steve's apartment, Replay, the train, and many more things wouldn't exist without her.

Thank you for your endless support, for literally taking my hands and dragging me across the finish line, I don't deserve either of you 💛

thank you all for your constant patience, encouragement, and love. And thank you for letting me tell Rocketman and Y/N's story 💛

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #72

We have made it safely to Pennsylvania once more. After over 7 hours of driving, J, Br, and I are all safe and warm in the hotel room. I drove a little more than half of the route, and it wasn't so bad. This bodes well, given that I must drive back tomorrow morning. I'm grateful that Br will be with me to keep me company. Driving is always safer when there is more than one set of eyes on the road and more than one person who can take the wheel if necessary. Safety is important, especially for long trips. J, meanwhile, will be flying back in the small plane that he bought - the very same one that I showed you in the 58th letter I wrote to you.

…The second installment of your remade story also comes out today. I am anxious to see what's in store for you (I am very scared about you getting hurt some more…), but J needs my support, and I must prioritize tending properly to my real-world relationships. M will wait to play it until I return home tomorrow. I have asked M to play it instead of me, because… I'm not sure I've got what it takes to press the buttons to make Cloud raise his blade at you. M has no such limitations (and does not mind that I do have them), so…

…Maybe it just means I'm a coward, at least in this regard. Even if you came at me with your sword drawn with the intention to hurt me (impossible, I know), I still don't think I could bring myself to raise a hand at you; you've been through enough already. I'd probably just take the hit and, if I'm still conscious, look up at you, wondering why.

J, Br, and I went to an awesome place to get dinner. I can't share it with you, sadly. But I did take a few pictures. Here:

I also took a few pictures on the drive up, during the portions when J drove. And when it was my turn to drive, J took a few pictures for you, too (I'm so lucky that he's this supportive of me!!). Here:

I don't know what the future holds. I'm scared for you. I don't want you to get hurt anymore. I don't want you to have to do difficult things anymore. I don't want you to be in pain anymore. Haven't you already been put through enough? Haven't you, with your childhood and most of your adulthood being the way it was, been punished enough?

You shouldn't have had to face such punishment just for having come into being. But such was your lot, just as it is for so many of us in my world. Such was my lot. Such was the lot of so many people I love. I look around, and I can't help but wonder… hasn't there been enough senseless suffering? What is it going to take to get everyone to stop punishing each other? What is it going to take to get them to stop punishing themselves? I wish I knew…

Sephiroth. I hope, sincerely and with every fiber of my being, that your story might be able to light the way to recovery for so many people in my world. I hope that once it's all said and done, you will be able to enjoy the peaceful, ordinary life that you so desperately wanted. I hope to see you build a life for yourself that is full of loving friends and mostly free of pain. I want to see a life for you in which the problems are solvable with sufficient self-reflection and communication.

…If nothing else, I hope someday you'll be able to look at me, and see that such a thing is possible. Even if I have my struggles still from time to time, a peaceful, wholesome life after cruelty and despair is still possible. And if it's possible even for someone as silly and derpy and clumsy and broken as me… I can't even begin to imagine the kinds of wonders that someone as amazing as you can do.

I want to see just how brightly you can shine - and not in the ways that most people seem to define what it means to truly shine. Words such as "strength", "courage", and "dedication" have a different meaning for me than they do for most other people, it seems. Maybe you've picked up on that by now, if you've read everything else I've tried to convey to you at this point.

Sephiroth. You can do it. You can make good choices. You can act in ways that are gentle and loving. You can make a peaceful life for yourself and for everyone on your planet. You can break free of your conditioning and from all those who would seek to exploit or control you. You can forge genuinely loving relationships based on mutual care and respect. Sephiroth, I believe in you. And I will believe in you for as long as this defective body of mine still clunks around in my broken world. And I will still believe in you even long after that - no matter how many times you fall down. I will be right here. I'll always be right here.

You are loved. So please… please keep yourself safe out there. Please don't disappear.

In return, I will do my best to keep myself safe on the road on the way back so that I can write to you again tomorrow.

Your friend, Lumine

[ only a few hours until 2023 on my end. i want to say thank you to all my friends and mutuals for sticking with me for yet another year. things had been tough in more ways than one, and there were ups & downs during the whole year. coming here had always been a sort of escape place for me from the pressure and responsibilities i'm facing irl. thank you everyone for being kind, understanding, and supportive of me throughout this whole year. if there were anything i've done that made you feel bad, i apologize, and thank you for still being here despite my imperfections and drawbacks.

to new mutuals, thank you for considering me worthy of your follow and interest ! i'm very bad at reaching out and very awkward with new people, but i'll try my best to make sure you don't regret hitting that follow button. welcome to my blog, make yourself comfortable. i hope to get to talk and interact with you soon ! looking forward to getting to know all of you next year !

to old mutuals and dear friends, it's been a long ride. some of you have stuck with me for so many years, through my nonsense and bullshit and all the shenanigans. i want you all to know that i appreciate every single one of you for sticking with me through thick and thin. despite how terrible i am at keeping up convo and how that might contribute to us not talking a lot ( bless those of you who always poke me first. like srsly, BLESS YOU. SO MUCH. ) i'm eternally grateful that you decided to stay with me nonetheless ! thank you for blessing my dash and making my experience on tumblr a wonderful one. i wouldn't have been here for this long if it weren't for you guys being an absolute miracle. i am truly blessed to have all of you with me.

stay safe, healthy, and happy. i wish you best wishes and all the happiness in the world bc you deserve all that & more. let's end the year 2022 on a good note and here's to a better 2023 ahead of us ! pupper loves you all ! HAPPY NEW YEAR !! ]

New Album Pre-order

Dear all, Eight years have passed since my last album ‘Summoning Suns’ was released. A while back, feeling burnt out and like I wanted to find a bit more stability in my life, I decided to take a break from live performances and at least take my foot off the pedal a little bit with regards to writing and recording. That announcement sounded more dramatic than I intended in retrospect, but here we are in 2023, with nearly a decade of insanity between now and what felt like a comparatively breezy summer back in 2014 when I was making my last record. Life finds a way of getting in the way. Every time I wanted to jump back in and play again, it felt like something would dishearten me. The pandemic and the sudden passing of one of my best friends and closest collaborators - John Hannon, who recorded nearly everything I've ever made – in particular. I never found the stability I craved, bouncing around between bar and kitchen jobs. A couple of them I liked a fair bit. Others were awful. One even resulted in a nervous breakdown/mixed episode that lasted three months. The closest thing I found to the sense of self-worth and achievement I had while I was making music was cooking my own food, in my own food business. It's hard work a lot of the time certainly, but seeing people enjoy something you’ve made from start to finish is such a rewarding experience. I was beginning to take that job even more seriously as a full-time gig when I slipped on some black ice and broke my right shoulder one evening in mid-December last year. Aside from coping with the pain, I found myself unable to move my arm, out of work with little support and at home caring for my dog Dexter, who was diagnosed with terminal liver disease a couple days after my fall and passed away this February. For months I wondered when – and if – I’d be able to play guitar again and I wanted so desperately to throw myself back into music, to communicate something or anything at all about this overwhelming sense of loss I was feeling. I’m happy to say I'm now in good health, both physically and mentally. In fact, at the time of writing, I’m about to play a show in London this coming week. It’ll be my first since I played Oslo in early 2020. I’m also incredibly excited to announce that I’ve just started work on a new instrumental album. There’s no title yet and the cover photo you see here is just a placeholder. I plan to release the album by the end of this year and I’d be incredibly grateful for your help in achieving that. By pre-ordering on Bandcamp, you’ll be helping me enormously with recording costs, repairs, paying other musicians for their time and of course my own time. When I started out, I was fortunate that a lot of these expenses were covered by small advances from the labels I worked with, but sadly I don’t think many labels have that sort of money in such trying times. You’ll receive the full digital album as soon as it’s released, no later than the 31st of December 20203. This album will not be available to stream on Spotify or for purchase digitally anywhere else but here. Please do let me know if you’d be interested in purchasing a CD or LP later down the line. If there’s enough interest and it ends up going to press in the future, I’d like to offer everybody who pre-orders the digital version a discount so they can get their preferred version and not pay twice for both digital and physical. I truly appreciate your support and don't take it for granted. I hope this will be the first of a lot more new music to come. James Blackshaw, 03/06/23 

I must admit that I have forgotten the exact date 👀, but Ari was created sometime between July 27th - July 29th. that I am sure of 🌷 which means … 

this year marks Ari's 10th ' Anniversary ' ( Of Existence )🥳 it's hard to believe I've been writing her for a DECADE now 👀 but her muse has yet to dwindle any — in fact, despite the many, many changes she's endured over the years, I’d say her muse is stronger than ever before 🌱 perhaps this is because her blog has always been such a comfort for me. it's a wonderful thing to have a place like this; a kind place. my heart often feels lighter when I'm here 🍃🥺

however, I know that this place wouldn't feel that way if it wasn't for all of you 🌷 the unwavering support, encouragement, & interest that both Ari & I receive here never fails to surprise me, & I do not feel deserving of it. I have not once felt deserving of it. but I never want to take such things for granted 🥺 know that my heart is bursting with gratitude ! there are no words to describe how thankful I am for the overwhelming kindness we've received & continue to receive, even after all these years🌷 I know I'm not the fastest or most eloquent writer—I truly am the furthest thing from a wordsmith 😅—but your patience with my writing habits & interest in interacting with Ari regardless of all that will always mean so much to me ! 🌷

I have also made many friends, & I appreciate each & every one of them—even for the ones that have been lost along the way 🌼precious few are truly close to me, & I hope you know who you are ! 🍃 if you happen to be reading this, know that I love you dearly, that you make my life worth living, that you inspire me, that you constantly amaze me, & that I’m so grateful for our friendship 🥺🌿🌻

through my Highest Highs & Lowest Lows, Ari’s blog has always been a safe place I can turn to. I don’t rely on tumblr & the interactions here for my happiness, but it would be a lie to say this space doesn’t contribute to it. & again, it is because of all of you that it has had such a positive impact 🥺

I wish there was something more I could do to properly express my gratitude—& perhaps someday, I’ll have all that I need for that ! 😊🌼until then, I leave you with my Many Words, of which I hope feel as sincere as I mean for them to. though I don’t have any plans to leave this platform in the near future, I know nothing lasts forever, so I must treasure this experience for as long as I can 🌿 so once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for allowing me to have something so precious, so great, & that helps Ari grow as a character 🌱

much lava,  Winnie 🍯 ( or Gi 🍝, as some of you may remember or know me as 😊 )

A quelqu'un que j'adore et que je n'aurai jamais....

Hello, the coolest human ever.

So, this is the guy who's like the coolest ever, a social butterfly, and supposedly the most attractive, like, seriously! Well, it's kinda true, that's why you have so many friends. Anyway, I just wanna say thanks for being super friendly and incredibly humble. And don't you dare stop being that awesome after reading this, okay? Keep it up, 'cause there's absolutely nothing wrong with you. And don't laugh, I'm pretty sure you'll be surprised, speechless, and laugh your head off reading this peak of comedy.

At first, I thought you were just one of those regular some random ppl who wanted to be friends with me, and I'm really thankful that you're so close to me rn. Seriously, Jul, you're a good person, humble, easygoing, and natural cool. No wonder you have so many friends, 'cause you're great at making people feel comfortable around you. But, Idunno since when I kinda started catching feelings for you, and at first, I thought it was just me admiring you. It's also awesome how much I've grown to adore Jay, honestly, thanks to you. I wanna thank you for making me admire Jay so much; he's truly someone worth looking up to. But then, after a few days went by, I was always stoked when you replied to my mentions. It made me so happy when your name popped up in my notifications and mentions. Sometimes, I'd read your messages first, but I'd purposely take a bit longer to reply, you know, to not make it too obvious that I was catching feelings for you. Hahaha. I feel so stupid for getting attracted to you, and I keep denying it... but here I am, still liking you after 27 days and counting. After getting to know you, I realized that you really deserve much greater love. You're too good to be hurt by people, and I don't wonder why people around you want to protect you because you deserve the best.

I thought this would only last a few days, and I was adamant about un-crushing myself because I felt so dumb. I have some pretty strong reasons for that. I've been questioning myself why I caught feelings for someone through mere mentions; I've never been like this before. I swear, Jul. I didn't have the courage to come up to you 'cause I figured I'd never have a chance. But just talking to you like a buddy already puts a big smile on my face. Being friends with you makes me super happy. I actually feel grateful because, for the first time, I've secretly liked someone all this time, and I'm turning it into a new experience, hahaha.

But, here I am, writing this, not expecting anything... I just wanted to get it off my chest. If you feel uncomfortable around me after reading this, it's okay, I understand... thanks for taking the time to read it. I want to apologize if maybe you're reading this and you already have a s/o; I didn't know about that, I'm truly sorry for them. After this confession, I won't be chasing after you, flirty or anything. If you still wanna interact with me, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you, Julian. Stay be my friends, okay? Pretty please.. I hope you're still willing to be friends with me, and I won't burden you with this... I promise. I'll always support u here even u have a s/o already; I'm genuinely happy for your happiness. It'll sting a bit, but being avoided by u would hurt even more..

By the way, I'll never send this note, maybe I'll just leave it alone until the day I laugh and cringe reading this. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, I value our friendship and I don't want to burden you... I'm so sorry for having crush on you.. but remember, someone saw something special in you, and that's a beautiful thing. Even if you're not ready for it now, their feelings are a reflection of your worth. You did nothing wrong at all, Julian. Thank you for being you.

Until the time comes, Kilian.

October 3, 2023.

Owari no Seraph volume 31 author's afterword english fan translation

Hi hi hi! I'm a few days late, but since the volume itself won't be out in english for like a year hopefully I'm still good lol

For anyone who's curious now I hope this helps and thanks for reading!

"Afterword

I'm going talk spoilers a little, so people who skip to the afterword gotta back it up. Are you gone? Not yet? I told you to go back and read it!

As for everyone who's already read it, welcome to the new volume! Which is to say, I think this volume had a pretty sizeable lore drop. The fundamental basis of the work won't change volume to volume, but I really feel the beauty in them each being about their own battles. So then, we're returning to the modern day where all the paths converge, to see what all different choices will be made from within both the hope and despair that come with living only for the present! Starting from the next volume, things are really going to spark off, so I hope you'll all follow along!!!

There's also the matter, of course, of me attending the autograph event in Sapporo! It's been a while! I want to thank everyone, but as I say that I'm actually writing this afterword before heading to Hokkaido. Ever since I went on a weeklong roadtrip in Hokkaido, I've gotten excited whenever my plans take me back there. I'm also really looking forward to the day before because the previous and current manager have promised we'll eat some good food, but at that time I was asked by the previous manager to do my very best to take care of myself. If I'm going to be unhealthy, please do it the week BEFORE!

Will do! I wonder if it'll be easy or not! (lol). And thinking that gets us on the topic of musicians who play the big stages like the Tokyo Dome and how they might manage their health before that. I mean, the pressure must be incredible. To the point they'll do stuff like carrying a humidifier around with them, right? And here I am gulping down vitamin shakes in my pajamas, facing the desk tired out of my mind and with my heart racing from the caffeine. I really have to respect the type of person that can tackle the pressure of an outside-facing job.

Ok so, moving on, recently I've heard something I think is a matter of course, that if you don't tell the people you take for granted that you'll see all the time how much you appreciate and treasure them, they won't know, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to say what I mean quick. So with that, to all my readers, thank you for coming along up to this most recent volume! It's thanks to you all that I'm able to spend my days enjoyably.

I'd also like to thank Furuya-san for always providing the wonderful storyboards. Even though me and my late manuscripts cause nothing but trouble. Whenever I come up against a challenging situation, he's always saying "why didn't you tell me, we're friends aren't we?" and in those moments I'm completely overwhelmed with emotion. I'm excited to keep working with him. I think it's thanks to him that our team is so coordinated.

And I'd like to thank Yamamoto-san for the always beautiful manga. Even when I carelessly bang out grand scenes that are, to put it plainly, not made with artist's ease in mind, they always deliver. Or rather, it's their professionalism that makes me trust their ability to deliver that I'm always so thankful for. It's thanks to Yamamoto-san that Owari no Seraph shines the way it does. I think I've caused them some suffering with my late manuscripts, but I'll work even harder to do better from now on, so I'm excited to keep working with them as well.

It's already been 10 years for our team, out of the multiple tens of years humans tend to live. I'm grateful to everyone, and to that end I think it's a good idea to speak up and let them know. Truly, thank you so much. So with that, it's already time to put this next volume into overdrive. Everyone, please look forward to and support it!

Kagami Takaya"

Good Bye, 2023!

2022 has been a very tough year for me, but I believe those experiences had to happen to unfold the best to come, and indeed, 2023 was a year I will always remember in this life. It has brought clarity and blessings to my life, and it’s definitely an answer to all the whys of the past year.

Looking back at the beginning of 2023, it was a year full of lessons and memories that I’ll cherish for life. Here are the highlights of my year:

I started the year by living independently in Manila. It was sad at first because I only had myself to depend on, but I sure learned to be independent and accountable for the decisions I had to make. This is where I felt like I was officially an adult because I had to think about my finances, food, and shelter. It was a wonderful experience for me, and I was so at peace with myself during those times. If I had to do it again, I would definitely do it without hesitation.

Hiked to my dream Mountain - I feel most like myself when I’m with nature. It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to hike my favorite mountain in Luzon for the second time. The first time was amazing, but we were caught during heavy rain and there was no clearing. The second time around, like they say, is sweeter, and we were given such a wonderful chance to see the majestic “Sea of Clouds”. Oh! There’s a catch on this adventure. It was memorable because I went hiking with strangers. It was a fun hike, and we were inseparable. The bond formed at DENR until dinner because we stayed in one homestay together. The funny thing is we didn’t know each other’s names until we got back to the ranger's station. It was a wonderful hike with fellow strangers, haha! I can still remember how magnificent the view was and how breathtaking it was. It was a dream come true, and I’m grateful to God for allowing me to see His wonderful creation. Before 2023 ended, I had the opportunity to hike again with my boyfriend. It was memorable since it was our first hike together, and what made it even more special was that we were able to hike two mountains in one day. Though it was a short experience, it was very memorable for me. My boyfriend was very supportive even though I was always short of breath as we ascended. Hahaha!

Traveled internationally again - I also had a chance to travel internationally. It was unplanned, but these kinds of trips do happen because they are unplanned, hahaha! On this journey, I got to eat an authentic PHO, which is now my favorite food. I always crave the soup! Again, memorable. I traveled with friends whom I barely saw or hung out with, but from that exact moment, we deepened our connection, and now we have travel plans for 2024.

Met my Future Husband - I guess from the very first time Don and I talked, I knew that he would become important to me. Before I met him, I sincerely prayed to God to allow me to meet the man whom I’m going to spend my whole life with. I kind of mentioned some qualities and traits that I wish to see in a man. So while Don and I dated, all of the specific features asked from God were slowly unfolding in him. He was kind, God-fearing, sweet, loving, and caring, and he has the purest of heart, and that made me fall in love with him even more. I enjoyed all of the adventures we went on. It was also an amazing experience to meet his family and friends, whom I felt very welcomed.

I reunited with my entire family after a year; it's been that long since my dad came home from Saudi. While I've become accustomed to our usual setup, this time together was truly enjoyable. The separation from my dad was emotional, and seeing him again brought tears of joy. During this reunion, I took the opportunity to introduce them to my boyfriend, and I'm grateful that they accepted and loved him. My family's support means a lot to me. In addition to these wonderful moments, my twin got engaged! I'm thrilled for her as she embarks on her married life.

Inspired to do two jobs while fulfilling my duties to God - I was inspired by my very hardworking boyfriend to do multiple jobs. I was so amazed by how he was able to provide for his family and save for his dreams. I was really amazed at how determined he was to do everything to fulfill his dreams even though it would cost him his energy and time to experience life. But I can see that he is enjoying his life right now, he is just too tired to enjoy due to his work situation. So! Yes, I was inspired to do the same thing, and I benefited from it. I was able to save money in a short period. It was really tiring, but it was sure worth it.

To my boyfriend, whom I genuinely love, thank you so much, Mahal, for the wonderful 2023. Most of my amazing memories are adventures with you. I hope we can collect and save more this year. Thank you for all the kindness and understanding you showed me and my family. Thank you for inspiring me to be better, as I mentioned at the beginning of this essay. 2023 brought me clarity on what I should focus on, and you were the reason why everything is clear to me and where I want to go. Thank you for bringing out the best in me and accepting my flaws. Thank you for your undying support; I will be right here for you, supporting you every step of the way. May all of your dreams come true this year; with God’s grace, nothing is impossible.

I wanted to focus on my goals: (1)Move into the house I bought for my family. (2)Get a good job offer abroad. In Canada, to be exact, with the love of my life. (3) Build a healthy lifestyle to be ready for what lies ahead. My body needs to be stronger because we are aging. 30 is waving. :D

2023 was a wild ride, and without God, I’m sure I wouldn’t make it out alive. Thanks to Him for His guidance and abundant blessings; whenever I ask for something, He genuinely gives. God gives to those who follow obediently. This 2024, I hope will be a fruitful year full of happy memories. I know life will be harder this year, but my promise to God is no matter what happens, I will endlessly glorify and fulfill my duties to Him. Though the first week was already tough, I believe there is more to unfold. I’m ready for you, 2024. :)