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spookfished · 3 months

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nov 2023 media roundup

hello again :3 welcome to the world from 2024!! im doing backlogs of media reviews lol. well i was really busy. and then i was super busy playing umineko!! looking back at this month, it seems like i didnt read a whole lot this month, but then i forgot that ruzhui is literally 300 chapters long. so.. a couple of these i read uh quite a few months ago by now so the review might be a bit stale. however i had like 80% of this written for several weeks so theres only a couple! this will be posted on my neocities at some point

books:

ruzhui by please dont laugh: f/f. after a terrible breakup, college yun an is happy to leave her life behind for some TIME TRAVEL! but while disguising herself as a man to avoid discrimination, she gets looped into a matrilocal marriage with businesswoman lin buxian?! intended as a fluffy palate cleanser after pdl's previous work a clear and muddy loss of love, i think it still kinda ended up getting mired in politics two thirds of the way in, when a lot of us were here for the moments with miss malewife yun an and her powerhouse wife? on the other hand, its hard to stretch out fluff for an entire 300 chapters without contriviances. i also really enjoyed how it managed to balance like. idk. 'returning to the simple emotions of the past' with 'holy shit guys the past actually sucked ass lmfao'. its a pretty relaxing read, so id recommend checking it out if youre into f/f!

the devil comes courting by courtney milan: f/m romance. can romance bloom while trying to create the first telegraphic encoding for chinese...? sooo cute im a huge fan of courtney milan as always. surprisingly goes into some pretty heavy topics including like. forced assimilation via child stealing?????? i thought it was well handled though the ldr stuff and the way amelia grows as a person was soo nice

the marquis who mustnt by courtney milan: f/m romance. the son of a conman returns home for one final trick. meanwhile, naomi just wants to take her medic class. the two become engaged on false premises and of course, catch feelings. once again extremely cute im very charmed. also liked the pottery details :3 i think in every fake engagement the whole 'pretending to themselves they dont have feelings' is a little ridiculous so i liked that they just like. acknowledged it at the outset. i think its honestly more compelling to be like 'yes my feelings are sincere and true however X still outweighs '. loove a guy shackled by duty

wandering souls by cecile pin: follows anh and her two siblings, refugees of the vietnam war. ok honestly i dont remember a lot about this book :( sorry but i did like it! its a really fast read and made me really sad so id recommend. (DISCLAIMER: AMERICAN) i also feel like i dont read a lot of non-american diaspora books so thats pretty interesting as well. nice prose also :]

detransition baby by torrey peters: a trans woman who yearns for motherhood, her detransitioned ex-boyfriend, and his pregnant partner struggle to find a way to live--together, or apart? ok sorry this is another review written in january so its kinda weighted more negatively. i had a LOT of thoughts about this in november but i forgot most of them. this novel is a deep look into a very specific kind of queer subculture--a subculture which is both very white and very annoying. sorry. the characters feel like a vivid, true-to-life depiction of the poeple i try to avoid at my little liberal arts college. however, it ALSO feels like the kind of really good gossip that you love to hear secondhand. also, the author shoehorns in discussions of race in ways that are really jarring and also, kinda bad? i honestly really loved the inner voices of all the characters which is why it sucked when i got to suddenly read a copy-pasted twitter thread about intersectional oppression instead. (especially coming from the mouth of a cis wasian woman..?) it feels all the more tokenistic since we immediately go back to the inner struggles of ames and reese instead. ugh. however, it sparked some really interesting conversations with me and my friends. i also got to learn more about ah i guess transfem detransition? as opposed to transmasc detransition. they are very different! um but i guess id recommend?

comics/manga:

surviving romance: action/horror webtoon?? the woman living in the body of a romance novel character is determined to get her picture-perfect happy ever after-- at all costs. everything goes according to plan until the day zombies attack the school. chaerin is forced to bond with the faceless extras of her story, and find out what is rotting at the core of *love every day*. very solid writing!! i like how the author gradually introduces characters, and how the tension ratchets up as more people to care for becomes more people that can be lost. definitely goes into some orv-lite type themes, which i appreciated. i guess my only complaint is that despite the solid execution it didnt really ~wow~ me in any way... still worth checking out though :3

run away with me girl by battan: f/f romanceish? two high school lovers meet again after midori decided that their relationship was just a childish whim. but even though midori has decided shes straight (and is married with a kid on the way!), maki still has feelings for her. dude soooo cute the art style is not personally my thing but i felt like all of the characters were really grounded and the introspective parts were really interesting. some beautifully atmospheric parts! would recommend :3 witch hat atelier kitchen (reread) by shirahama kamome: a spinoff of witch hat atelier, where the two teachers qifrey and olrugio make food together after hours! gorgeous art as always, and some cute recipes too! i reread this since an official english translation came out lol. monotone blue: short furry m/m about apathetic, aloof cat hachi, who meets aoi--a shy transfer student who happens to be the only lizard in the whole school. pretty lighthearted for the most part, but also heavily implied a sexual assault scene?? or at least the vibes?? in a way that treated it far too lightly and left a bad taste in my mouth. possibly worth reading for the art, but idk :/ definitely falls into the romance trap of having a love interest go "ill save you from these bad guys!" for like a cheap plot device and then not really going into it

movies/tv:

parasite: class-focused comedic thriller? the kim family finds a way out of choking poverty by working for the extremely affluent park family. its almost too easy--until it isnt. man everyone says parasite is so good. AND IT IS!!! i cant believe i took so long to see this movie i got to see it with some friends over thanksgiving break and it was so good :] had me stressed for my fucking life sitting at the edge of my seat. has a lot of meat to bite into analysis-wise but is also just so crushing in many ways.. the ending stuck in my head for a long time. rewatching it this january was honestly more stressful in some ways haha

revolutionary girl utena: allegory-heavy commentary on shoujo and princess narratives and the nature of heroism and-- f/f. utena is a girl who aspires to be just like the prince of her dreams. she is somehow wrapped up into an engagement with anthy himemiya, who calls herself "the rose bride." ahhhh i still havent watched the last two episodes actually. people always say "utena is a fantastic show but PLEASE mind every single trigger warning" and its true! utena tackles some really heavy subjects in a way that is delicate, understated, and vicious. i watched a bunch of these episodes late at night in the computer lab and they honestly left me breathless. has so many layers of symbolism to dig through that it can honestly be overwhelming, but also very compelling just on the surface! watch utena. also watch this amv https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THN3gYKYojs

the wonderful story of henry sugar: a netflix adaptation of one of roald dahls stories (within a story). it was cute :3 not a lot of sticking power lol but i think this is the first wes anderson production ive ever watched. very visually distinctive!

video games:

lethal company: cooperative horror game about trying to collect garbage in a dystopically capitalist world ft. proximity chat! dude this game is blowing tf up i tried playing it with neil but 1. we are huge pussies 2. its really only feasible with 3+ people

music:

TILT by nanoray: anime breakcore is one of my truly guilty pleasures. i see the anime girl on the cover and cringe a little bit HOWEVER nanoray is a really good artist. the intro is so liquid... i think the album as a whole really just sweeps you up into a groove. some of my favorite tracks are into and DOGWALK2000 THE LONELIEST TIME by carly rae jepsen: i was so mean to carly rae jepsen in middle school. im so sorry miss jepsen i was just so tired of hearing call me maybe everywhere. im now a changed man. just a really well constructed pop album 👍admittedly not as iconic to me as emotion, but joshua tree and talking to yourself are my favorites atm SAYONARA WILD HEARTS OST: ive never played sayonara wildheart, but i think its a rhythm game about girls fighting each other on motorcycles? with bisexual lighting and tarot cards? but anyways this is a synth-y lush pop album thats super fun! it feels like it tells a story (probably bc it does) and it always makes me want to listen all the way through :3 my favorites are sayonara wild heart and their clair de lune remix

anyways if you read to the end, thanks as always! its really interesting to try and condense my thoughts about something into one paragraph.. sometimes its easier than others huh! im almost done with the december one so please look forward to that 👍

#txt

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sworddragon3 · 2 years

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7 Methods Of Minecraft Server That may Drive You Bankrupt - Fast!

Microsoft has been working on this for years, but nonetheless hasn't cracked it. Over the previous few years, the term metaverse has re-emerged in a very massive method. It is also about companies determining the best way to get extra people into these future superior digital communities than the few million in VR right now. It options a minimap, an interface displaying your active potion results, an RPG-like hotbar system that lets you utilize an item on your hotbar without switching the item on your hand, higher spring and sneak controls, notifications and more. Moreover, if Trion made a full-fledged housing system that wasn't merely ornamental but offered useful benefits, we would type an attachment to it -- and wish to ensure it stays secure. What I might hope to see, though, is a system to permit gamers to make their own private worlds, much like what Minecraft does. Personal servers are especially helpful for kids - their mother and father can relaxation assured that their youngsters cannot be exploited by the scum of the net world. Find out how to reset your world on the Minecraft server?

If you need your Minecraft world to be an Elder scroll sort RPG-based sport, then this mod is right for you. Then we jumped into VR on a separate headset close by and continued our dialog. The option to learn "the metaverse" is as a substitute a couple of fusion of VR, AR and all the opposite tech that is not and won't ever be a headset you glom on your face. However it aspires to be a stand-in for all of your digital instruments, headset or not. To be clear, this isn't simply a stand-in for the immersive worlds of AR and VR, even though it's typically getting used that means. On Thursday Fb announced it's altering its firm title to Meta, to reflect its broad targets on this space but it's a term that may be applied to properties as broad as Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, VR, AR -- even Animal Crossing. In VR, proper now -- for instance the Oculus Quest -- there are many apps to strive, however no place to make your house.

Or, in a sense, most apps we use now. Download and use How to put in minecraft java totally free on your own duty. PERSIANCATRESCUE to the idea of metaverses is principally a manner of together with multiple devices and platforms, and never insisting folks use a specific gadget. Social media reinvented the concept as simply profile pages, a handle, streams of text and photo libraries. Simply ensure that the Forge profile is lively if you start Minecraft. Or, again, Roblox. Or Minecraft. Nobody's really discovered the solution that actually works for everyone, however once more, if you hear corporations striving for a "office metaverse," that is what's occurring. Put it on, take it off, pick whatever software works. Microsoft's recent push is for AR that additionally works on telephones along with the Hololens; Apple's focus is on AR on iPhones. All the current takes on the metaverse deal with worlds the place personal spaces may be constructed and customised. So, too, has the metaverse. The metaverse concept has turn into an umbrella time period that floats over the large connected multiplayer worlds, including Fortnite, or Minecraft, or Roblox, or VR apps like Rec Room, VRChat and Microsoft's AltspaceVR.

The definition of metaverse, now, is type of a future-forward social hub, a space where avatars can meet, an ecosystem for related apps. IPads; Facebook is integrating Oculus with the rest of its non-VR social apps. Microsoft already showed the game working in HoloLens, and now the company is announcing that it will work with Oculus Rift, as nicely. You’ll nonetheless have to personal a legitimate copy of Minecraft: Java Version (which is a special launch to the Home windows 10/Microsoft Store/Bedrock model of the game) for the mod to work. For a lot of, the largest limitation of Minecraft's Pocket and Home windows 10 Editions has been the lack of community materials. Zoom, on-line games, Clubhouse, Twitter Areas and each different social app in your telephone -- everyone's carved out a digital existence of some kind. Most metaverses being mentioned are massively multiplayer spaces with avatars and worlds and persistent players or inventive tools. The relatively simple sport play made it a favourite of informal players, since it’s largely simply point and click on, with the toughest half being the mind games you play in your fellow crew members.

#Persiancat's blog #Minecraft #cats

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namefemale32 · 2 years

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Getting Began On Twitter? Do These 10 Issues First

These can be easily achieved by devising a content marketing calendar that will serve as a information and structure for all the marketing strategies that shall be carried out. Twitter is a public social networking and an online information site that allows its customers to speak in brief messages called tweets. Twitter users can broadcast their tweets and comply with other user’s tweet by using a number of platforms and devices. Twitter has a character restrict of 280 characters making it a perfect way to make each small and massive announcements a couple of project. They are keeping tabs on you, similar to you have to be on them. Create a technique behind your tweets, rather than blindly tweeting. Susan Ward wrote about small companies for The Balance Small Business for 18 years. She has run an IT consulting agency and designed and offered programs on tips on how to promote small businesses. On the flip aspect, if KitKat simply shared an image of somebody eating its sweet bar, that tweet wouldn’t do well. The proven fact that growth has been stalling has also triggered twitter to launch a spread of latest innovative advert codecs. Marketers who're ready to reap the benefits of these shall be significantly better positioned to profit over their competitors. Copy what’s working for giant influencers by way of content formats and substance. According to seo by Simply Measured, 71% of the world's largest brands are now utilizing Instagram as a advertising channel. For corporations, Instagram can be utilized as a tool to connect and communicate with current and potential prospects. The firm can current a more personal image of their brand, and by doing so the corporate conveys a better and true picture of itself. The concept of Instagram footage lies on on-the-go, a way that the occasion is occurring proper now, and that adds another layer to the non-public and accurate image of the corporate. In reality, brands are set to spend up to $15 billion on influencer advertising by 2022, per Business Insider Intelligence estimates, primarily based on Mediakix knowledge. Social media advertising campaigns of any sort are a nice way to reach your viewers, drive sales, and increase your website visitors. Eight Efficient Digital Marketing Methods For Eating Places If a business experiences frequent points with its digital marketing campaigns, they could be much less doubtless to make use of digital strategies to promote their manufacturers. Beyond technical difficulties, firms usually should invest in equipment and providers to implement their digital advertising campaigns. For instance, an organization that wishes to do video marketing wants a digital camera, lights and audio recording equipment and the experience to make use of it, or must pay a studio to handle the video modifying and recording. When that particular person repeats the message, their connections are able to see it, which implies the message reaches extra people. Because of the virality of social media, firms incessantly use social networking websites for word-of-mouth promotions of services. As the details about the brand is broadcasted and repeated throughout the social network, more visitors is delivered to the company’s website. If you set actionable goals and tackle each of the steps above, you’ll already be way forward of the curve in phrases of your social media marketing technique. There’s no denying that plenty of social media is a matter of trial-and-error. Monitoring the metrics behind your campaigns in real-time lets you make small tweaks to your social media advertising technique quite than sweeping, time-consuming modifications. Particularly essential as we come out of COVID-19, both personal and personable content ought to be a cornerstone of your social media advertising strategy. Don’t be afraid to remind followers of the humans behind your posts. Finally, just because content material is promoted doesn't suggest it is not useful. As many social media specialists will tell you, the methods of the Internet and social media are mysterious, and there's usually no way to clarify or predict why one piece of content material turns into more in style than one other. For some users, a promoted submit or tweet shall be their first exposure to your business or brand. Whether yours is a model new venture, fresh on the scene or already nicely established, the opportunity to unfold your model as widely as potential ought to be a prime objective. Though it was as soon as possible to firmly categorize all media as either paid, earned, or owned, the cross-channel advertising expertise is blurring these strains. Five Priorities For B2b Advertising Automation Excellence From there, we combine turnkey options that deliver content in response to the intent information we’ve collected. The top three makes use of for advertising automation are e mail marketing, social media management, and touchdown pages. Sugar Market helps businesses determine new customers by way of engagement with clients, visibility of gross sales pipeline status throughout the corporate, and an intuitive dashboard. The success of a B2B advertising automation technique is indeniable, but there are also some challenges. Having the proper foundation in place could be overwhelming for many marketers, and a few are hesitant to step away from traditional methods. Marketing campaigns invariably demand some changes or upgrades in your store. Its comprehensive performance additionally consists of direct integration with Salesforce software suites making it easy to upload e-mail lists into the system for concentrating on customers in real-time. HubSpot offers a complete inbound advertising software program platform that allows corporations to attach with their audiences and handle all purchaser journey levels from leads via income. Autopilot enables marketers to create focused e-mail campaigns despatched on a schedule or triggered by customer actions. Evaluating One Of The Best Ab Testing Metrics For Search Decide which will be the two components to which you will apply the take a look at. But multivariate and A/B split-tests can even complement each other. You can implement each test types to drill down even further and make the absolute best decisions for your web site. For example, a multivariate check might have a look at altering the trust symbols on a webpage in addition to the call-to-action placement and button text. The take a look at could embody two different trust symbols, three call-to-action placements, and three options for the button textual content. I then checked on the web and located that it is not me who is dealing with this issue there is a ton of research that went in to determine this phenomena and it was discovered that it's universal. So I assume it's EXTREMELY necessary to test and re-test the identical hypothesis after a sure duration to see whether it is nonetheless legitimate or it has misplaced it “charm”. If attainable in your tooling, additionally report on the actual $$ value to make a transparent winner determination based on $$ instead of simply clicks.. This brings focus on the creation of the variation and clearly identifies the segments and conversion factors to watch all through the funnel in the reporting. If you’re ever up for a conversation about how we’re working through these points with our clients, we’d love to speak. As a frequentist, you'll only use a GPS tracker to track it and solely verify the area the tracker is pointing to. While as a Bayesian, you will not only use a GPS tracker but additionally verify all of the places in the house you earlier found your misplaced cellphone. In the former, the event is taken into account a set worth, whereas in the latter, all previous and future data are utilized to find the phone. Typically, A/B testing is used whenever you want to solely take a look at front-end modifications on your website. To provide you with an overview of what to concentrate on first, let’s look at ten of the most effective A/B testing parts. The only method to really evaluate your conversion funnel and advertising campaign is to get knowledge immediately out of your clients behavior. Remember, you’re going to wish to monitor a few different items of knowledge too. These are your metrics, and they’ll be as priceless to you in the long run asincreased conversionsare within the short term. A/B testing is half of a much bigger conversion optimization image. In my opinion it’s 80% about the research and only 20% about testing. Pinterest Advertising If they are, they’re extra likely to be posting after work and on lunch breaks, so it's advisable to avoid posting throughout office work hours. An on-line survey within the US discovered that 34% of people aged between 18 to 29 used Pinterest and 35% of 30 to 49-year-olds did too. This is a good way to convert blog traffic to Pinterest site visitors out of your web site. These tags join with Pinterest to provide you extra analytics in regards to the Pinterest advertisements and result in your website. Next click above this profile picture after which select download Pincode to receive your special code. Don’t be afraid to pin fascinating content your viewers would get pleasure from, however attempt to hold them linked to your small business. Including related keywords helps you attain the right viewers simply. Also, the description offers the visitors a brief about your subject and permits them to understand your boards better. If you come across any fascinating weblog posts, you'll be able to always repurpose them as an infographic and share. It is utilizing the identical content but presenting it through interesting visuals. Just put in some extra effort in crafting the visuals, and you are all set to submit. For example, a clothes company could showcase a mannequin wearing the product. Or, a know-how firm may post screenshots of somebody doing cool stuff with that new tech toy. You may additionally share UGC that you just re-posted by yourself Instagram web page. How To Do A Content Material Hole Evaluation For Web Optimization Drill into these specific days to see what went wrong and discover ways to keep away from that taking place once more. Burritos are the most talked about item, and that features a portion of unfavorable mentions. It could be a good suggestion to listen to burritos specifically to see what people like and don’t like. Moe’s could also use this interplay to attract some conclusions about audience sentiment for this particular retailer location. However, let’s say they need to get a high-level perspective on which store places are performing well and that are performing poorly. As you work, create a spreadsheet that lists the keywords you find and their quantity, issue, and CPC. If your keyword research tool doesn’t have all of this data, you presumably can supplement it with Google Keyword Planner, a free tool from Google. You can study more about how to get essentially the most out of this tool by studying our Guide to Google Keyword Planner. You can find these more particular searches by wanting up one of many keywords you found in your basic search or try out some ideas based on what you realize of your audience. SurveyMonkey, for example, is likely considered one of the most popular tools to create professional surveys. You can use it to get insights from your clients by adding open-ended questions and analyzing SurveyMonkey responses with AI. In this case, keyword extraction could be helpful to easily perceive what your clients are referring to in their unfavorable or optimistic responses. For example, words like error, save information, and changes may provide you with a clue of some technical issues you should solve. SEMrush content marketing tool lets you create SEO-friendly content that ranks higher on search engines. Instagram Advertising Not only that, but the work concerned in your aspect to score any extra links that may come your method is minimal. If you have some industry data that another trade player might analyze and use, or simply useful data on a subject to improve their content material, propose a collaboration. Just be positive that the instructions to enter the contest are clear and so are the profitable standards. Of course, you have to additionally make certain that you’re offering one thing priceless so that people wish to take part. That stated, when you ask meaningful questions, some of them will reply, and it is a great way to strike up a conversation and get the possibility to collaborate sooner or later. While the wonderful idea for the guest postis as much as you, I’ll offer you some tips about the method to create a personalized pitch. By noticing the similarities in its suggestions and the present followers you might have, you can simply begin to know what exactly your viewers hopes to search out. If you want to discover probably the most valuable followers your model has, SocialRankis the tool I recommend. This might help prevent you from persevering with to publish submit sorts that simply aren’t resonating together with your followers, and as an alternative, repeat what is working. The first step to creating a successful Instagram campaign is having a deep and intimate information of your viewers. If you’re undecided what you should spend, I’d suggest starting with a low quantity, testing the success of your marketing campaign, and increasing if need be. Our best recommendation right here is to aim to publish at least as soon as per day on Instagram and experiment with extra posts to find what works best for you. Picking out a colour palette will assist keep your feed consistent and targeted. Having a palette doesn’t mean that you could strictly solely use these colors, however it's going to assist your posts have a nice constant, familiar feeling. It can feel nice to maintain your colour palette in line with different areas of your brand, too. You can even track Instagram impressions, spend, and engagement on advert campaigns via Facebook’s Ad Manager. While useful, these metrics are restricted to particular person posts and campaigns. From this screen, you can manually hide a quantity of photographs and movies from your profile, too. If you already have a hashtag in mind, you can even use this page to search out popular, related hashtags. Just sort the hashtag in the search bar, and filter your results by Tags to see how many posts have used that hashtag as well as other associated hashtags. There, you’ll find well-liked posts and see what hashtags were used.

#seo

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fixyourwritinghabits · 3 years

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On Writing Advice

Requested Anon Ask:

So I have been writing since I was a teen, have written several novels and countless short stories. All of varying quality. I used to follow and worship writing advice because as a teen I faced a lot of ageism in writing spaces and so I had to conform or else any deviation was pointed out by adults as a result of my age. It was pretty bad. Now, a lot of the generic writing advice makes me cringe and it feels patronizing to me, not to mention lacking in nuance. I perceive it as overly Western and harsh much of the time. However, it is everywhere in writing spaces and sometimes people quote writing advice (like show don’t tell) just for something to say.

For example, I asked a writing group about how handle body language when it isn’t universal and may be understood differently my readers. The only response I got was show, don’t tell. I feel like I want to experiment now, but part of me still feels like anything less than perfect will be attributed to my age or gender or lack of experience even as an adult. I feel like writing is agonizing now and writing spaces make me grit my teeth. In-person writing groups tend to be nice now and I usually get positive feedback and feel more relaxed. However, so much of the writing community is online and you make an author platform online. I have to be online. So I’m asking you for advice because I like your blog and feel comfortable here. How should I handle this aversion to typical writing advice and why do I hate it so much now?

Very unfortunately, my copy of Matthew Salesses’ Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping is packed in a moving box, but I overwhelmingly recommend it when tackling the Western approach to writing. Take this quote for example:

For more privileged writers, their decentering in workshop is countered by their centering in the rest of the world. A cis able white male who leaves workshop feeling disempowered usually finds the rest of his American life more than willing to empower him again. Someone less privileged leaves a disempowering workshop and faces the same disempowerment on a larger scale: though they should be in charge of their story, they are again made to listen to other people telling them what their story is or should be. The result is exactly the opposite of finding their voice—the real-world silencing simply reinforces the idea that the marginalized writer should be writing toward the workshop and power.

Salesses goes on to cover how most writing advice centers on a very specific formation of writing workshops done in the Cold War - to view fiction as separate from politics, and to focus on individual experiences with a stress on personal agency (rather than on social or historical circumstances). So yeah, if you’ve ever wondered why American media is Like That... there’s a reason why it’s like that.

So this creates a problem, not only in what we view as writing advice, but in publishing as a whole. It’s much harder for BIPOC to sell stories with a non-Westernized structure because “they won’t sell.” And in writing advice in particular, whatever gets your book to sell whether it’s traditionally published or not is what controls the narrative. This permeates writing advice so much that it doesn’t seem to occur to most people that the writer might not want to write to a market, might not want to sell anything to people who won’t read outside of their comfort zones. It is a very common problem.

As much as I try to diversity my reading and stress the importance of only taking to heart the writing advice that works for you, as a white person who grew up in America, I’m also trapped in certain structures of thinking. I sometimes worry I overemphasize the Save the Cat outline structure, something I’ve found very useful but has rightfully been criticized for being too rigidly structured. I’m never sure if the advice I give is as helpful as I want it to be, because I’m coming from a very particular place that others aren’t. There’s no real way around that.

What I can say is that if online writing advice and online writing communities feel rigid, harsh, and unhelpful, you do not have to listen to it and you do not have to remain in those spaces. I’ve spend years reading writing advice that just doesn’t work for me in an effort to find advice that does. I admire people who can be very active and open on writing Twitter or in big writing groups, but I just can’t do the same.

Take what works for you and discard what doesn’t - regardless of who it comes from, regardless of how much pressure there is to conform. There are plenty of ways to tell a story, and while you will have to make changes to find the best way, you don’t have to tear out your soul doing it. Don’t let others talk you into rigid writing structures or making your work less experimental or more Westernized or stripped of everything you felt was important. It takes work to find the writing space for you, it really does, but it is worth keeping true to your ideas and what works for you. You’ll find your way, don’t worry. It’ll be well worth the trip.

#writing advice #writing advice about.... writing advice?#Please pick up Craft in the Real World if you can #it's fantastic

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yano2519 · 2 years

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You have said after the VF article that this article was not the best way for Cait to sell herself as a serious actress and that it rather badly affects her further career opportunities. But it's rather the opposite, she got many awards and sogst like all important nominations, like CCA, GG, SAG, BAFTA, etc. So the article didn't really hurt her but rather helped her, right?

I guess you are the same Anon who accused me of sexism towards Cait when I dared to criticize her, right?

I never said the article was bad for her career chances, I just wrote that it's not exactly the best style to publicly criticize your employer. Just as it probably wasn't the best idea to draw the attention of the whole world to an issue that was previously known only to a very limited group of people.

Well successful at the article was in any case that now significantly more people on Tumblr, Twitter, etc. are interested in Cait's private "love triangle story". And the fanatical Cait Stans, as you seem to be one, by copying and posting our posts on Twitter, make sure that this topic always stays nicely up to date. Sorry, but intelligence looks different to me ...

And as for the nominations, so far there hasn't been a major award, neither at the GG's nor as far as Oscar nominations are concerned. And I'm going out on a limb here, but I don't think the chances for a SAG Award are that good either, the competition is just too good this year.

But I agree with you about one thing. I don't think the non-nomination or non-award has anything to do with the VF article, because I think the majority of voters are so intelligent that they won't be swayed by an interview!

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holycow99 · 3 years

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石田お寿司 12/9/21 stream translation Part 1

This is not the full translation of the stream. I only translated the parts I could understand & interpret or parts I found interesting/important. I’m still a beginner in Japanese, so the translations may not be accurate. If you want to repost, please repost at your own risk.

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I: Hello. Can you hear me? Good night. (t/n: He’s replying to a comment.) You can hear me? Hello. Welcome.

I: My tone sounds great today, ***-kun? (t/n: OP commented that his tone sounds great.) Of course I’ll be excited in the beginning of the stream. But only in the beginning.

C: Your voice somehow sounds young.

I: It’s because I just slept.

*Typing on twitter

I: I finally did it. This is a simultaneous worldwide stream. Do you understand it? Ah, I’m so tired. I’m tired of sleeping.

I: I’ll be drinking my coffee. Itadakimasu.

I: It was a long vacation, wasn’t it? When was the last time you guys heard from me? On September…Well, it doesn’t matter.

I: I don’t have anything particular to do for this stream. I just felt like it.

C: I’ve been listening to your streams repeatedly during holiday.

I: Thank you.

C: We last heard from you at the end of August.

I: I see. Thanks.

C: Thank you for your hard work on the manuscript!

I: I did the rough sketches first. I was brainstorming.

*Someone commented on Animal Rap.

I: Animal rap? I actually wanna try this. Actually, I’ve done recording for one video, but won’t it be scary if suddenly in the middle of the stream, animal rap video is uploaded. Without saying anything, suddenly there’s a new animal rap video being uploaded. Won’t it be scary stream?

(t/n: I’m not sure if the translations for this part is correct. He said something more but I haven’t reached this level of Japanese understanding skill. Forgive me.)

C: Animal rap itself is scary, so it’s okay.

I: What a hilarious thing to say. Are you actually afraid of animal then?

C: Have you got vaccinated?

I: Nope, since I’ve been locked up in my house. I want to though. I want to get injected a lot. Around 10 times.

C: Sensei, did you read Berserk chapter 364?

I: Is it the final chapter?

Y****: Let’s inject the head.

I: Nice one, Y****. Well, since Y**** is an introvert at school, he must be a non-popular kid. Because he doesn’t have any friends, he can’t wait to meet me. Is it like that? Hahahaha.

I: I’m not even aware of the things happening around me. I don’t even know when the exhibition in Osaka will open. I want you guys to tell me about me.

C: I’m aiming to be a mangaka, but having someone that can be a mentor for me to learn from is better, as expected?

I: I don’t think so. It depends. In some degree, it’s better to do it by yourself. If you really wanna write a manga and you wanna create an environment that allows you to do so, if there’s a chance to be an assistant, I think it’s better for you to grab it. Because you’re still not familiar with how these things work. I think it’s better to be an assistant first. You don’t have to be one for a long time though.

C: I want to diet. Where should I start?

I: Record your weight. Measure your weight and record it in calendar. Doing that makes you feel conscious about your weight. You’ll probably can lose weight that way.

C: Are you still eating oatmeal?

I: I’ve been eating Onigiri only.

C: I wanna change job, but I’m anxious to because of the economic situation. Please encourage me!

I: It’s better for you to change job, since you said you wanted to. I think everyone is anxious. There’s no one who isn’t.

C: I’m happy that the JJ illustration that you posted on twitter will be made into goods!

I: Yeah, without my permission. Hahaha. When the illustration was made into goods without my permission, I was like “Eh? This is…”. I’ll stop talking about this. Hahaha. I won’t talk about this.

*Someone commented about Kingdom exhibition.

I: I wanna go to the Kingdom exhibition.

I: What I said just now (about JJ illustration) was a lie. Please forget about it. Are there companies like that? Of course not. I was just joking. If that’s the case, then anybody can freely turn my illustrations into goods. Though there’s a person who sent me the PugMax t-shirt.

C: I wanted to be a mangaka when I was small. As I got older, I only immersed myself in the real world. I’ll be a civil servant starting from next year. I don’t have the courage to challenge myself, so I want to give my unconditional support to those who are.

I: I don’t know how old you are, but you can still draw even if you become a civil servant. Just draw one if you really want to.

C: You have to collect royalty.

I: I do get royalty. I get 5 yen in total.

C: How old will you be this year?

I: 250,000 years old.

C: How are you?

I: Like usual. But I made progress on the manuscript, so I’m relieved. I kinda forgot how to draw it.

C: I thought you were in your 30s.

I: Nope, I’m far older.

C: You haven’t started game streaming?

I: I’m haven’t decided yet for today.

*People were discussing about his age.

I: Doesn’t matter how old I am.

C: Do you prefer women with long hair or short hair?

I: Short hair.

*People commented about Heavy Rain.

I: Oh, you want to see me playing Heavy Rain? I’m okay with that. I’m okay with playing games or anything. I’ll be a yes-man for today. Everyone’s yes-man & toy, Ishida Osushi.

*Someone commented about Animal Rap again.

I: I wanted to say something about this. I’ve done the animal rap video. I only upload videos I’ve received from the animal themselves, not me. But I was afraid to upload it, so I refrained from doing so. I wanna try uploading the video while streaming. That’s what I wanted to say. Well, it doesn’t really matter. I just upload it after I finish streaming. I don’t understand the need to upload the video and streaming at the same time.

(t/n: He said something more, but again, info on Animal rap is hard for me to decipher. I’m really sorry.)

C: What did you watch recently?

I: Movies.

C: There were people who got scared by the fact that Ishida Sui raps.

I: No, you’re wrong. Ishida Sui doesn’t rap. Ishida Sui doesn’t do streaming as well.

C: Do mangakas have the chance to meet women?

I: It depends on the person. The ones who’re locked up in the house won’t. But…That’s right. You might if the workplace has mixed genders. You also have the chance to meet people during party or some sort. I’ll always be at the corner every time I go to parties. It’d be nice if the party was fun and the staffs could enjoy themselves. I also said that I went to parties to take a break, but I hated it.

C: You’re not going to parties?

I: Nope, I won’t. The company doesn’t hold them as well because of the current situation. Even if I did, I wouldn’t know what to do. I don’t really eat the food, and introducing myself to people is tiresome.

I: S****** is here.

S******: Ishida Osushi can become a pro mangaka.

I: I’m aiming for it.

C: Fukuoka suits you, sensei.

I: Somehow, I feel grateful. It’s like you’re telling me that it’s okay for me to live in Kyushu.

(t/n: Kyushu is an island where Fukuoka is located.)

C: Sir Osushi, what do you think of Sir Sui?

I: I have a murderous intent towards him.

C: Does the thumbnail hold any meaning?

I: It does. Look forward to it.

C: Being a streamer suits you (Osushi) better than being a mangaka.

I: Hahaha.

C: The drawings of Neji (JJ character) by Ms. Towada were wonderful!

I: That’s right. Neji drawn by Ms. Towada. I want you guys to tell me something like this. I want you guys to tell me about my current situation. Things like, “would you retweet this?”, “This is JJ’s…”, “The CD’s also…”. Let me change my twitter account. First is Ms. Towada, right? Let’s retweet Ms. Towada’s tweets. I thought of drawing something like this. She drew quite a lot. She drew him more than me. I feel bad having her to draw it. I feel grateful rather than feeling bad. She drew a lot of them. Yonaga’s illustration looks nice. I see… There’s like an incomplete rough drawing. I thought of copying and drawing that illustration. I’ll just retweet this. Tell me what should I retweet next.

C: Is Ms.Towada doing well as well?

I: I talked to her a few days ago.

I: Do read Fool Night.

C: Do you like Aespa? (t/n: Aespa is a kpop girl group. Ishida had drawn one of the members.)

I: The girl caught my attention. I thought she was beautiful.

*Someone commented about his illustration of Ano-chan. (t/n: Ano-chan is a Japanese singer. Ishida had come to her radio programme once, and he did the album cover for her latest album.)

I: Ano-chan! What happened to that? Have you seen the album cover? It’s already out?

*Someone commented about Fool Night.

I: The world in Fool Night is super amazing. It was quite a while ago, the person in charge of the Superior magazine watched one of my streams and asked me if I could write some comments. I was like “Don’t tell me that!” (referring to watching his stream). I hate being seen. But then, I was like “whatever.” I usually turned it down, but I just wrote for this one.

*Someone commented about Wooma (t/n: an illustrator.)

I: Who’s Wooma? Let me check it.

C: Sensei, I’m a good child. So, is it okay for me to sleep?

I: Yes, of course.

C: Sensei, do you smoke?

I: No.

I: Ah, Wooma is the illustrator for the song ‘Usseewa’. Sorry for the lack of knowledge.

C: Do you watch Christopher Nolan’s works?

I: I’m not that familiar with movies, but I may or may not watch it. I’ve been getting into movies lately. I searched for the movies Takahashi Kunimitsu told me about. You tend to watch anything when you’re obsessed with movies, right? I was also obsessed with history for a while after I learned how fun it was from Takahashi Kunimitsu. I’ve been reading 2-3 books on history a day lately.

C: Until what time are you gonna stream?

I: Today is infinite as well. We have another 12 minutes left. Haha. I’ll keep on streaming today. I won’t end the stream today. It may end tomorrow. (t/n: He definitely kept his words.)

C: Sensei, do you like itzy? (t/n: Itzy is another kpop girl group, and Ishida had also drawn one of the members.)

I: Yes.

I: Tomorrow is a holiday? There are people who are not working tomorrow.

C: What are you drinking?

I: Coffee.

C: You only need another 800 people to reach 30,000 subscribers.

I: Yeah. It’s gonna reach 30,000. I have to make an appreciation stream or video for 30,000 subscribers. A lot of youtubers are doing this, so I have to do it too. I wanna do it. Feels like a youtuber. Isn’t it fun? I wonder what should I do for it? What would be fun? Let’s go with this concern first. I get lost if I don’t go one-by-one. It’s one of my bad habits.

*They’re planning on what Ishida should do when he reaches 30,000 subscribers.

C: Show your nails.

I: I don’t do manicure.

C: Heavy Rain.

I: Wanna play Heavy Rain as well.

C: Please let us hear your sneeze.

I: There is such person sometimes. Creepy.

C: Why don’t you play Ghosts n Goblins for now?

I: After the stream, I felt like playing the game. They had something like magical clock, though I forgot the name. The one that double the speed of the game. I really wanted to play that, honestly. Though, it wasn’t suitable for streaming. I thought of playing it in my own time. I really like that kind of games.

C: Will you sing when you reach 30,000?

I: During the previous silent stream, Queen Bee’s song was playing. Those who watched may know. I thought of appearing for a moment and sing and then end the stream. I wouldn’t do it, but I just thought about it. At that time, I wanted to try having just an illustration stream.

C: I’m waiting for an autograph session after the Corona ends.

I: The pandemic probably won’t end for at least 2-3 years.

*Someone wanted him to sing Gaston’s song.

I: Gaston. Singing, huh? Hahaha, why am I having second thoughts? I thought I’m okay with anything.

C: how about a karaoke battle?

I: Karaoke battle, huh?

C: Do you have any piercings?

I: I’m not wearing one right now, but I do have it. (t/n: I didn’t expect him to have a piercing. He’s really different than what I imagined a mangaka to be. XD)

C: I’m hoping for JJ’s song covers!

I: JJ? JJ’s songs are difficult. It was super hard during the time I did the covers. Seriously, when I heard it back…The cover for the opening theme was scary. I thought my singing ability had increased since I recorded this one the last. A few months ago, I listened to it after a long time, it was…what should I call it? A sutra, no, a curse. Me and JJ’s opening theme. I forgot the title of the song. Jack and something. There were parts in the songs where the female and male characters had to harmonise. To convey that part, I had to cover the song multiple times. I multiplied into 7 people, since I had to record as Kisa as well. When I was recording Kisa’s part, the other version of me at the back, probably Kai, was harmonising with me. I was told to deepen my voice by Mr.Kasama. So embarrassing. The voice was really low. I was drawn by Mr. Kasama’s voice. His voice was really good when he said ‘Broccoli’ for the cm.

*Ishida imitating Mr. Kasama.

I: It’s cooler than this.

*Imitating him once again.

I: I was like “So cool!”

C: Invite the animals that appeared in Animal rap as guests.

I: That’s a good idea. But what would the guests be doing? It’s absolutely hard to do that. It’s hard to invite the animals because of corona.

C: The title is “Jack & Jeanne of Quartz”.

I: Right. Thank you.

C: Won’t you invite Hanae?

I: I won’t. That’s impossible. (t/n: I want to see him playing horror games with Hanae Natsuki.)

Part 2

#ishida sui #tokyo ghoul #jack jeanne #choujin x #chojin x #ishida sushi channel

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itsclydebitches · 3 years

Text

RWBY Recaps: Volume 8 “Dark”

Welcome back, everyone! Can you believe it's been six weeks already? I can't. Something something the uncomfortable passage of time during a pandemic as emphasized by a web-series.

But we're here to talk about RWBY the fictional story, not RWBY the cultural icon. At least, we will in a moment. First, I'd like to acknowledge that shaky line between the two, growing blurrier with every volume. A sort of good news, bad news situation.

The bad news — to get that out of the way — is that we cannot easily separate RWBY from its authors and those authors have, sadly, been drawing a lot of negative attention as of late. This isn't anything new, not at all, but I think the unexpectedly long hiatus gave a lot of fans (myself included) the chance to think about Rooster Teeth's failings without getting distracted by their biggest and brightest production. There's a laundry list of problems here — everything from the behavior of voice actors to the quality of their merch — but as a sort of summary issue, I'd like to highlight the reviews that continue to pop up on websites like Glassdoor, detailing the toxic, sexist, crunch-obsessed environment that RT employees are forced to work in. A lot of these websites requires a login to read more than a page of reviews, but you can check out a Twitter thread about it here.

Now, I want to be clear: I'm not bringing this up as a way to shame anyone enjoying RWBY. This isn't a simplistic claim of, "The authors are Problematic™ and therefore you can't like the stuff they produce." Nor is this meant to be a catch-all excuse for RWBY's problems. If it were, I'd have dropped these recaps years ago. I'm of the belief that audiences maintain the right to both praise and criticize the work they're given, regardless of the context in which that work was produced. At the end of the day, RT has presented RWBY as a finished product and, more than that, presents it as an excellent product, one worth both our emotional investment and our money (whether in the form of paying for a First account, or encouraging us to buy merch, attend cons, etc.) I'll continue to critique RWBY as needed, but I a) wanted fans to be at least peripherally aware of these issues and b) clarify that my use of "RT" in statements like, "I can't believe RT is screwing up this badly" is meant to be a broad, nebulas acknowledgement that someone in the company is screwing up, either creatively (doesn't have the skill to write a good scene) or morally (hasn't created an environment in which other creators are capable of crafting a good scene). The real, inner workings of such companies are mostly a secret to their audiences and thus it's near impossible for someone like me — random fan writing these for fun as a casual side hobby — to accurately point fingers. Hence, broad "RT." I just wanted to clarify that when I use this it's as a necessary placeholder for whoever is actually responsible, not a damnation of the overworked animator breaking down in a bathroom. Heavy stuff, but I thought it was necessary (or at least worthwhile) to acknowledge this issue as we head into the second half of the volume.

Now for the good news: RWBY has reached 100 episodes! For any who may not know, 100 is a pretty significant number in the TV world because, when talking about prime time programming, it guarantees syndicated reruns. Basically, networks don't want audiences to get burned out with a show — changing the channel when it comes on because ugh, I've seen this already, recently too — and 100 episodes allows for a roughly five month run without any repeats, making it very profitable. RWBY is obviously not a television show and doesn't benefit from any of this (hell, modern television doesn't benefit from this as much as it used to, not in the age of streaming), but the 100 episode threshold is still ingrained in American culture. Beyond just being a nice, rounded number, it is historically a measure of huge success and I can't imagine that RT isn't aware of that. Regardless of what we think of RWBY's current quality, this is one hell of a milestone and should be applauded.

All that being said... RWBY's quality is definitely still lacking lol.

Our 100th episode is titled "Dark" — keeping with the one word titles, then — and I'd like to emphasize that, as a 100th episode, it definitely delivers in terms of plot. There's plenty of action, important character beats, and at least one major reveal, everything we'd expect from a milestone and a Part II premiere. The animation also continues to be noteworthy for its beauty, as I found myself admiring many of the screenshots I took for this recap. There are certainly things to praise. The only problem (one we're all familiar with by now) is that these small successes are situated within a narrative that's otherwise falling apart. It's all good stuff... provided you ignore literally everything else surrounding it.

But let's dive into some examples. We open on Qrow starting, awoken by the thunder outside. Robyn has been watching him and makes a peppy comment about how none of them will be sleeping tonight, followed by a more serious, "Sounds bad out there." Yeah, it does sound bad, especially when they all know — thanks to Ruby's message back in Volume 7 — that this is due to Salem's arrival. I think a lot of the fandom has forgotten that little detail because people often discuss Qrow as if he is entirely ignorant of what is going on outside his cell. Even if we were to assume that he's forgotten all about the pesky Salem issue (the horror of Clover's death overriding everything else, perhaps) he still knows that Tyrian is running loose in a heat-less city with a creepy storm going on and, from his perspective, the Very Evil Ironwood is still running the show. So it's bad, which begs the question of why Qrow (and Robyn, for that matter) hasn't displayed an ounce of legitimate worry for everyone he knows out there. Thus far, their interactions have centered entirely around Qrow's misplaced blame and Robyn's terrible attempts to lighten the mood, despite the fact that a war is raging right beyond that wall. It's another example of RWBY's inability to manage tone properly, to say nothing of balancing the multiple concerns any one character should be trying to juggle. Just as it rankles that Ruby and Yang don't seem to care about what has happened to their uncle, Qrow likewise doesn't seem to care about what might be happening to his nieces. When did we reach a point where these relationships are so broken that someone can be arrested/chucked into a deadly battle and the others just... ignore that?

So Robyn's otherwise innocuous comment immediately reminds me of how badly the narrative has treated these conflicts and, sadly, things don't improve much from here. We are thankfully spared more of Robyn's jokes when Qrow realizes that what he's hearing can't be thunder. A second later, Cinder blasts through the wall — called it! — and Qrow instinctively transforms.

The only downside to this moment is that the whole ceiling falls down on Qrow and the others because APPARENTLY these cells don't have tops on them. Seriously. As far as I can recall we don't see the stone breaking through the forcefield somehow and this looks pretty open to me.

If it is... you're telling me these crazy powerful fighters who practice landing strategies and leap tall buildings in a single bound —

— can't just hop over this mildly high electric fence to get out? Qrow can't just fly away?

We're, like, two minutes in, folks.

We transfer to Nora's perspective as she wakes up, seeing Klein giving her the IV. He tells her not to worry, that "you and your friend are going to be just fine." What friend? Penny? Klein went upstairs prior to Weiss hugging Whitley or Penny crash landing outside. I had thought them bursting through the door with another unconscious friend was the first time he learned what the big bang outside was, but apparently not.

Penny is, obviously, a mess. While I now understand the choice to make her blood such an eye-catching color when that's crucial to the Hound's hunt, I still think it looks strange visually. Like someone has taken a copy of RWBY and painted over it. It doesn't look like it fits the art style. More than that, it implies some rather complicated things about Penny's humanity, especially in a volume focused around her being a "real girl." Real enough for Maiden powers, but with obviously inhuman blood that isn't even referred to as "bleeding." Penny "leaks" instead.

Toss in the fact that she's literally an android who is made up of tech — recall the running gags about her being heavy, or it hurts to fist-bump her, to say nothing of keeping things like multiple blades inside her body — yet Klein says that her "basic anatomy" is the same and he can "stitch up that wound."

I'm sorry, what? Whatever Penny looks like on the inside, it's not going to resemble a human woman's anatomy, and Klein might be able to stitch the outer layer of skin she's got, but that won't do anything to fix whatever metal bits have been broken underneath. Penny isn't a human-robot hybrid, she's a robot with an aura. Penny has knives in her back, rockets in her feet, and a super computer behind her eyes. When our clip introduced that Klein would be the one to help Penny, my initial reaction was, "Seriously? He's a butler and a doctor and an engineer?" But RWBY didn't even try to get away with a Super Klein explanation, they just waved away Penny's very obvious, inhuman anatomy. Yeah, I'm sure "stitching up" an android wound is just like giving Nora her IV. I hope the surgical sutures he used are extra strong!

In an effort to not entirely drag this episode, I do appreciate that Whitley is allowed an "ugh" moment about the non-blood covering his shirt without anyone calling him out on it. That felt like the sort of thing the show would usually try to make a character feel guilty about and I'm glad that, for once, he was just allowed to be frustrated without comment.

Then the power goes out and May calls, which raises questions about what state the CCTS is in and when scrolls are available to our protagonists vs. when they're not. But whatever. She's checking in because she just "saw another bombing run light up the Kingdom" and —

Wait. Bombing? Salem is bombing the city? I know we've seen explosions in the sky, but I'd always just attributed that to evil aesthetic. Why does this dialogue sound like it's from a World War II film and not a fantasy sci-fi show about literal monsters launching a ground attack?

May looks pretty against the sky though. I like her hair color against that purple.

I'm admittedly grasping at positives here because we finally return to her "You have to choose" ultimatum and — surprise! — May has pulled back completely. Ruby says that once they've helped Penny, "We'll...we'll do something!" which is once again her avoiding making a decision. Ruby still refuses to choose, instead falling back on generic, optimistic pep talks. They'll figure out how to stop Salem later. They'll think about the impact of telling the world later. They'll choose who to help later. Ruby keeps pushing these problems into the future where, she hopes, a perfect, magical solution will have appeared for her to latch onto. When that continues to not happen, others pressuring her to actually do something and stop waiting for perfection — Ironwood, Yang, May — she panics and continues stalling for time. Wait an episode and the narrative supports her in this.

Because initially May was forcing Ruby to decide. Now, May enables her desire to keep putting things off. "Don't beat yourself up, kid. At this point, I don't know how much is left to be done." That's the exact opposite of what May believed last episode, that there was still so much work and good to do for the people of Mantle. This is precisely what the show did with Yang and Ren's scenes too, having people call Ruby out... but then return to a message of, 'Don't worry, you're actually doing just fine' before Ruby is forced to actually change.

None of which even touches on May calling her "kid" in this moment. That continues to be a convenient way of absolving Ruby of any responsibility. When she wants to steal airships or Amity Tower, she's an adult everyone should listen to, the leader of this war. When the story wants to absolve her of previously mentioned flaws, she becomes a kid who shouldn't "beat herself up." I said years ago that RWBY couldn't continue to let the group be both children and adults simultaneously, yet here we are.

So that was a thoroughly disappointing scene. Ruby gets her moment to look sad and defeated, listing "the grimm, the crater, Nora, Penny" as problems she doesn't know how to solve. Note that 'Immortal witch attacking the city I've helped trap here' isn't included in that list. Ruby is still ignoring Salem herself and no one in the group is picking up where May left off, challenging her to do more than wring her hands over things others are already trying to take care of: Ironwood is fighting the grimm, May has gone off to help the crater, Klein is patching up Nora and Penny. Ruby, as one flawed individual, should not be expected to come up with a solution to everything, but she does need to stop acting like she can come up with a solution to everything when it matters most (office scene) and rejecting others' solutions when they ask for her help (Ironwood, May).

If it feels like I'm dragging the flawed, traumatized teenager too much, it's not in an effort to ignore those aspects of her identity. Rather, it's because she's also the licensed huntress who wrested control from a world leader and violently demanded she be put in charge of this battle. Ruby, by her own actions, is now responsible for dealing with these problems, or admitting she was wrong and letting others take the lead, without purposefully derailing their plans. She doesn't get to suddenly go, "I don't know," cry a little, and get sympathetic pats.

But of course that's precisely what happens, courtesy of Weiss.

During this whole scene I kept wondering why no one was celebrating Nora waking up, especially when Ruby outright mentions her. Have they just not noticed given all the Penny drama? Because Nora absolutely woke up.

Aaaand went back to sleep, I guess. What was the point of that POV shot? No worries though, she'll wake up again in a minute.

Willow arrives and announces that they can fix the power (and Penny) using the generator at the edge of the property. I'm convinced RT doesn't actually know what a generator is because the characters are acting like it's some super special device that only richy-rich could possibly have. Whitley says that it's the SDC executives who have their "own power supply" and that it's "extremely unfair." Now, don't get me wrong, a good generator powering large portions of your house can run you 30k+, but you can also get one that plugs into your extension cord and powers your fridge for a couple hundred. There's absolutely a class issue here, just not the one Whitley and Weiss seem to be commenting on. They make a generator sound like the sort of device that only a politician-CEO could possible have and it's weird.

Likely, it sounds weird because it's a choppy way of getting Whitley to bring up the wealth disparity so he can then go, 'That's right! We're crazy rich with a company housing tons of ships! We can use those to evacuate Mantle.' Awkwardness aside, I do like that the Schnee wealth is being used for good purposes, but... evacuate where? To the city currently under attack by a giant whale? In a RWBY that wasn't determined to demonize Ironwood, this would have been a great plot point during the office scene instead, with Weiss offering her services to Ironwood, even if the group decides that a continued evacuation still isn't possible.

Instead, we get it here from Whitley. Do I need to point out the obvious? That Whitley is the MVP of this episode? He's done more good in an HOUR than the group has managed in a year. Give this kid some training and make him a huntsmen instead.

We're given a (very pretty!) shot of the shattered moon because it wouldn't be RWBY if we weren't continually reminded that gods once wiped out humanity before destroying part of a celestial body... and absolutely no one talks about that lol.

Blake's coat might not make any sense for her color scheme, but it does make her easy to spot as she and Ruby run across the grounds. Oh my god, they're actually doing something together! It only took eight years. They even get a lovely talk where Blake admits how much she looks up to Ruby, despite her being younger, and once again I'm struck at how much more I would have loved this scene if it had appeared elsewhere in the series. It is, indeed, as sweet and emotional as all the RWBY GIF-ers are claiming... provided you overlook that this is the exact opposite of what Ruby needs to hear right now. She doesn't need to hear that she's more mature and reliable than her elders when she's functioning under a "We don't need adults" mentality. She doesn't need to hear that not knowing what to do is totally fine, not when that led to her turning on Ironwood, despite not knowing how to stop Salem. She doesn't need to hear that "doing something" — doing anything — is a strength, because Ruby keeps avoiding the big problems for smaller ones she's comfortable with, like standing by Penny's bedside instead of deciding between Mantle and Atlas. Blake's speech is heartfelt, but it's a speech that suits a Beacon days Ruby who is having some doubts about her leadership skills, not the girl whose impulsive — and now lack of — actions is having world-wide repercussions. Everyone is babying Ruby to a staggering degree. It's like if we had a med show where the doctor is standing by the bedside of a coding patient, fretting between two treatments. 'Don't worry,' their colleague says, patting their shoulder. 'I've always looked up to you. You'll do something when you're ready' and then they continue to watch the patient, you know, die.

Also: who does Ruby look up to? Everyone talks about how much they depend on and trust Ruby, but who does Ruby look to for guidance? A number of her problems stem from the fact that she has rejected the advice of everyone who has tried to help her improve: Qrow, Ozpin, Ironwood, even Yang. Ruby is presented as the pinnacle of what to strive for in a leader, rather than a leader who has only been doing this for two years and still has a great deal to learn.

Anyway, they get the generator on and the Hound shows up.

I am begging RT to just make RWBY a horror story. All their best scenes the last three years have been horror I am bEGGING —

Anyway, while Ruby waits to be eaten we cut to Willow and Klein, the former of which is reaching for her bottle, pulling back, reaching again, all while her hand shakes. This is good. This is what we should have gotten with Qrow. Which isn't to say that their (or anyone's) addiction should be identical, but rather that this is a far more engaging and complex look at addiction than what our birb got. Willow tells us that she doesn't drink in the dark despite bringing the bottle with her; tries to resist drinking when she's scared and ultimately fails. Qrow just decided to stop drinking after decades of addiction, seemingly for no reason, and that was that. Why is a side character we only met this volume written better than one of the main cast?

Blake manages to call Weiss about the Hound and she asks if Whitley can handle the airships without her. I mean, I assume so given that Weiss is looking at the bookshelves while Whitley does all the work lol. He makes a teasing comment about how he can if she can handle that grimm and she comments that they still need to work on his "attitude."

No they don't. Weiss stuck a weapon in her kid brother's face. Whitley made a joke. Even if Weiss' comment is likewise meant to be read as teasing, it's clear that we've bypassed any meaningful conversation between them. That hug was supposed to be a Fix Everything moment even though, as I've laid out elsewhere, it didn't even come close.

We cut back to Ruby getting thrown through a wall into the backyard and the Hound creepily coming after her. She's freaked out by this clearly abnormal grimm and Blake is weirdly... not? "It's just a grimm. Just focus!" Uh, it's obviously not. Have we reached the traumatized, sleep-deprived point where the group is sinking into full-blown denial? I wouldn't be surprised. They've been awake for like... 40+ hours.

Because the Hound knocks Ruby out with a single hit. Just, bam, she's down. "Focusing" is not the solution here.

Weiss calls to warn the others about the grimm, telling them to stick together. Willow (understandably) starts freaking out and flees the room (classic horror trope!). Klein is left alone when Penny wakes up with red eyes. Oh no!

Don't worry. You know nothing meaningful happens.

She shoves Klein before (somehow?) resisting the hack, her Maiden powers going wild in the process. Just when it looks as if Penny might cause some serious damage, Nora wakes up, takes her hand, and says, I kid you not:

"Hey... no one is going to make you do anything you don't want to do... It's just a part of you. Don't forget about the rest."

Okay. I want to re-emphasize that I love hopeful, uplifting, victory-won-through-the-power-of-love stories. Istg I'm not dead inside, it's just that RWBY does this so badly. I mean, what is this? It has similarities to the character shouting, 'No! Resist!' to their mind-controlled ally, but this is not presented as a desperate, last-ditch effort by Nora. She just speaks like this is the most obvious truth in the world. If you don't want to have your mind taken over... just don't! It's that simple. The problem definitely isn't that Watts has changed her coding and has implemented a command she can't override, it's that Penny has forgotten about the "rest" of her personhood.

And this works. Granted, not for long, but we leave Nora having successfully calmed Penny down and until her eyes unexpectedly go red again scenes later, we're left assuming that this is a permanent solution. That, imo anyway, is taking the Power of Love too far, overriding the basic reality of Penny being hacked. It’s not a personal failing she must overcome, it’s an external attack. I would have rather had Nora react to the scars she saw on her arm, or have a moment with Klein, or get some love from the group. Not a wakes up, falls asleep, wakes up again to save Penny with a Ruby level 'Just ignore reality' pep-talk, then back to sleep again.

So Penny isn't attacking her allies, or mistakenly hurting her allies with wild Maiden powers. Not that the group doesn't have enough to deal with, but still. Weiss arrives to help with the Hound and attempts a new summon, only to fail when two minor grimm burrow up into her glyphs. I really enjoyed that moment, both for the wing visual and the knowledge that Weiss' glyphs can fail if you break them somehow (which makes sense). Also, I just like that she failed in general? Weiss is, as per usual now, about to demonstrate just how OP she is compared to the rest of the team, so it was nice to see her faltering here.

The Hound tries to make off with Ruby and Blake does an excellent job of keeping it tethered. Ruby finally wakes, only to realize that the grimm is actually after Penny since it's staring at her power up through the window, no longer trying to escape. Moments like this remind me that there's someone on RT's writing team that knows what they're doing, at least some of the time. The assumption that the Hound is after Ruby as a SEW, the surprise that it's actually Penny, realizing it holds up because Ruby is covered in Penny's blood and Blake is not... that's all nice, tight plotting. More of that please!

The Hound drops her and Ruby's aura shatters when she hits the ground. I want everyone to remember this moment as an example of how strong the Hound is. The group may be tired, but unlike YJR they've been sitting around in the Schnee manor for a number of hours, regaining strength. We saw the Hound hit Ruby twice — once through the wall and once to knock her out — and then she falls from a not very high distance for a huntress, yet her aura is toast. That's the level of power and skill the Hound possesses. Decimating YJR, knocking Oscar out, same for Ruby, avoiding Blake and Weiss' hits, soon to treat Penny like a ragdoll. Just remember all this for the episode's end.

Blake tells Weiss she'll take care of Ruby, you go help the others. Yay breaking up the duos more! Bad timing though as the new acid-spitting grimm pops out of the ground and Blake is now left alone to face it.

Weiss re-enters the mansion, knowing the Hound is somewhere nearby, but not where. Suddenly, Willow's voice sounds through her scroll with an, "Above you!" which... doesn't keep Weiss from getting hit lol. But it's the thought that counts! Willow has accessed the cameras she's set up throughout the manor, watching the Hound's movements, and I have to say, that is a WAY better use of her separation from Klein than I thought we were getting. I legit thought they'd have Willow run away in a panic, meet the Hound, die, and then Weiss could be sad about losing her mom.

It does say something about RWBY's writing that this was my knee-jerk theory, as well as my surprise when we got something way better.

The Hound runs off, uninterested in Weiss, and she asks Willow to keep tabs on it. It heads for Whitley next (also covered in Penny's blood) and very creepily stalks him in the office with a, "I know you're here." Whitley is seconds away from being Hound chow before one of Weiss' boars pin it against the wall. He runs, then runs BACK to finish deploying the airships, before finally escaping assumed death. Goddamn this boy is pulling his weight.

I assume all these ships are automated then? I hope someone takes a moment to call May. Otherwise it's going to be super weird for the Mantle citizens if a fleet of SDC ships just show up and hover there...

I don't entirely understand how Weiss saved him though. She's nowhere to be seen when Whitley leaves and he runs a fair distance before he and Willow encounter Weiss again. We know her summons don't have to keep right next to her, but are they capable of rudimentary thought, attacking an enemy — and an enemy only — despite Weiss being a couple corridors down and unable to see the current battlefield? I don't know. In another series I'd theorize that this was a deliberate hint, a way to clue us into the fact that Willow, someone who we currently know almost nothing about, had training in the past and summoned the boar herself. Weiss and Winter certainly didn't get that hereditary skill from Jacques. Hell, we might still get that, Weiss reacting with confusion next episode when Whitley thanks her for the boar, but I doubt it. That scene with Ruby and the Hound aside, the show isn't this good at laying groundwork and then following up on it.

Case in point: Weiss says, "I didn't forget you" to Whitley after he gets away from the Hound, the moment trying to harken back to her promise to Willow. Key word is "trying." Because she absolutely forgot him! Weiss threatened and ignored Whitley until he proved his usefulness. I also shouldn't need to point out that, "Don't forget your brother" does not mean, "Don't let your brother die a horrible death by abnormal grimm." Weiss acts like her saving him is a fulfillment of her promise, rather than just the most basic of human decency. And also, you know, her job.

So that part is frustrating. The entire Schnee dynamic is a mess, from Weiss making a joke of her father's arrest, to Willow (presumably) fixing their relationship by putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. Okay.

Then Weiss cuts off the Hound by summoning a giant wall of ice. My brain, every time this happens:

YOU COULD HAVE FIXED THE HOLE IN MANTLE'S WALL.

Moving on, Blake's fight against the acid... thing has some great choreography, including Blake using her semblance which we haven't seen in AGES.

I really like the fight itself, just not what Blake is shouting the whole time. "I need you, Ruby! We all need you!" This has really gotten ridiculous. Ruby is presented as everyone's sole savior despite failing time and time again. It's not that I don't think Blake as a character should have faith in her leader, it's that I don't think the writers should be crafting a story where everyone puts their unshakable hopes in an untrained, disloyal, impulsive 17 year old. I mean, Ruby is currently unconscious, yet Blake is acting like if she doesn't wake up — she, as an individual, if Ruby Rose does not re-join this fight — then all is lost. If Ruby doesn't save them, no one can. Which is, of course, absurd on numerous levels. Blake doesn't need the passed out, aura-less Ruby right now, she needs the still very healthy Weiss pulling out multiple summons and an ice wall! Use your scroll and call for backup again.

But of course, Ruby wakes up and kills the new, terrifying grimm with a single hit. It's a preview of what's to come with the Hound and it's just as ridiculous here as it will be there.

Speaking of the Hound, am I the only one who thought this was... cute?

I can't possibly be the only one. That head-tilt is exactly what my dogs do and my brain instinctively went, "Aww, puppy!"

Murderous puppy.

The Hound realizes none of the Schnees are who it's looking for and runs off. Penny, meanwhile, has been fully taken over because, well, that's just what's convenient now. She resists long enough keep Amity up, then succumbs, then resists to apologize to Ruby, then succumbs, then resists because Nora asked her to, then succumbs once it's time to knock her out. If RWBY was willing to commit to consequences, Penny would have been taken over and that was that. The characters would need to deal with whatever outcome happens as a result. Instead, the show very carefully avoids any of those pesky consequences by having Penny successfully resisting at key moments, despite no explanation of how she's managing that.

She shoves Klein again (Klein is having a Bad Time) and starts walking down the main steps. When Whitley wants to know where the hell she's going, Penny mechanically responds that she must "Open the vault, then self-destruct." I suppose the change Watts made was the self-destruct order? Ironwood obviously wants the vault open, though not necessarily Penny's death. Think what you will of his moral compass, she's a damn powerful ally — a research project, perhaps — and a Maiden to boot. At the very least, her death may give the powers to someone even worse.

God, please don't let them have brought Penny back and made her a Maiden just to kill her again.

The Hound arrives though and, as said, knocks Penny out. We're back to square one with her, then. Note though that this attack is near instantaneous. She grabs its hands one second, is hanging limply the next. Wow, the Hound sure is a terrifying antagonist!

Not for long.

"That's enough," Ruby says and one-shots it with her eyes.

Now, I want to talk for a moment about the implications of that line. "That's enough." Obviously Ruby is #done with this situation and emotionally unwilling to let the Hound kidnap Penny (congratulations, Nuts and Dolts shippers), but there's a meta reading here as well. Not intentional, but glaring to me nonetheless. Basically, the idea that the Hound has, from a plot perspective, done enough. It has served its singular purpose. It kidnapped Oscar and now it dies. Never-mind how insanely powerful we've established the Hound to be, never-mind how Ruby's eyes also work or don't work according to whether anything of actual import is on the line. From a plot perspective "that's enough" and the Hound can be disposed of instantly. It got Oscar and gave us an episode of filler creepiness. Move along now.

The idea behind Ruby's eyes isn't bad, but the execution absolutely is. RT has undermined a huge portion of the stakes by giving their protagonist an instant kill-shot that always works precisely when she needs it to. Starting with the Apathy, we have yet to get a moment where Ruby's eyes fail to save the day when she really needs them to, no matter how incredible the challenge. The Hound was very intentionally written to be a grimm outside of the group's current power level. It thinks, it talks, they literally can't touch it. This creates the expectation that the group will need to grow stronger — or at least become smarter — in order to surmount this new obstacle, yet Ruby's eyes undermine all of that. The group hasn't grown in years, the show just makes enemies weaker as needed (Ace Ops), or has Ruby pull out her eyes as a trump card. It wouldn't be that bad if we'd at least gotten a good battle out of it, one where the group gets close to defeating the Hound on their own, but needs Ruby's eyes to finish it off. Instead, she literally walks up without any aura, announces to the audience that this antagonist's time is up, and blasts it out a window.

Granted, Ruby's eyes don't completely finish it. The Hound pulls itself to its feet and we see this.

Yup, that's a guy and yup, those are silver eyes.

I would like to issue a formal apology to the "It's secretly Summer!" theorists in the fandom. I mean, I still think it would be ridiculous (and at this point highly improbable) that Ruby's dead mother has actually been a grimm mutant this whole time, just hanging out in Salem's realm while she waits for the plot to start before attacking the world, and then sends some no-name faunus dude after the group instead of their leader's mother for extra, emotional torture... but you all were definitely right about the “It's a person” part! I... don't know how I feel about this. Admittedly, it seems to be a logical continuation of the other grimm-human hybrids we've seen — namely Cinder and Salem herself — and it finally explains why Salem wants Ruby alive (even though it actually doesn't because WHY did she want more SEWs for Hound grimm when she wasn't even attacking back then? And already has all these other insanely powerful tools??), but at the same time, it feels like it's complicating a story that doesn't need further complications. The group fights monsters and has an immortal enemy. You don't need to add 'Some of those monsters are secretly human' to the mix.

It doesn't hurt that this twist is giving me Attack on Titan vibes, which, ew. A dark time in my fandom life, folks.

The Hound staggers a few steps before Whitley and Willow dump a suit of armor on it. That's all it takes to kill the most dangerous grimm we've ever seen: a single flash of silver eyes and some heavy metal. This also wreaks havoc with the implication that Salem wants SEWs alive because they create such powerful grimm. Obviously not. I mean yeah, normal huntsmen are going to have serious problems, we’ve seen that this volume, but any other SEWs nearby will take a Hound out instantaneously. For a villain with so many other powerful abilities — immortality, magic, endless normal grimm, her nifty soup — Salem would be much better served just killing SEWs straight out. Clearly, creating Hounds isn't worth the effort.

The Hound leaves some bones behind and Ruby collapses to her knees, overcome with the knowledge that this was once a person. Again, uncomfortable Attack on Titan parallels.

We finish our premiere with Cinder clearing away rubble to reveal Watts. Honestly, I like that we ended on this because her rescue is hilarious. She just slings him over her shoulders like a sack of potatoes and blasts off with her magic fire feet. Fantastic.

Note though that with this scene we've seen almost everything from the clip and the trailer. What's to come in the rest of Volume 8? No idea. Outside of Winter leading the charge with the bomb, we got it all here.

Time to update the bingo board!

I'm crossing off "Introducing new grimm that are quickly abandoned." Between the Hound and acid-dude both falling to a single blast/cut from Ruby, we've more than earned this square.

It doesn't look as if we'll get another Watts-Jacques team-up now that he's left, but you never know.

Maria's got me worried. I feel like her Yoda fight against Neo is the one thing she'll be allowed to do this volume, but given that we didn't see anyone except Ruby's group this episode, we don't yet know whether the story is now ignoring her and Pietro, or if they'll re-appear in another episode like YJR.

Qrow is free. Will he get a drink before trying to murder Ironwood? Perhaps.

Still no bingo :(

All in all, the episode was by no means horrible. I think there were lots of horrible parts, but also some legitimately well executed moments, fun action, and scenes that I can easily imagine as squee worthy if you lean back and squint. Everything is comparative and in the growing collection of bad RWBY episodes, this one isn't securing a top slot. Which doesn't mean I think it's good, just... not as bad as it could have been and primarily only bad due to long-running problems, not things this specific episode has done. That's my bar then, so low it has officially entered the underworld.

Still, RWBY is back and a part of me is eager to see where this volume takes us, for better or for worse.

Until next week! 💜

[Ko-Fi]

#rwby #rwby spoilers #rwby volume 8 #mymetas #rwby recaps #rwby dark

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artificialqueens · 4 years

Text

Girl I Met On The Internet, 3/? (Crystal x Gigi) - Strawberry

a/n: sorry i haven’t updated in a bit! i had a migraine for almost a week straight so it took me a hot minute to finish this lol but i hope you guys enjoy this chapter!! and i want to thank everyone again for all of the positive feedback!! it means the world to me <3

It had now been two months since Gigi met Crystal and she had never enjoyed being on Twitter more than she did now. Sure, her past self said the exact same thing when she had met Jan almost two years ago, and then when they had befriended Jaida, Nicky and Heidi, but this felt so much different. Gigi loved the other four girls to death, but she had made a stronger connection with Crystal, despite knowing her for the least amount of time.

Whether it was messaging Crystal about nothing, or replying to her tweets with nonsense, Gigi spent almost every minute she was online interacting with her. Gigi could not deny it anymore, she was definitely whipped for this girl she had met on the internet, and the other girls were definitely starting to catch on.

jaida @.essenceofbey

if gigi doesn’t stop flirting and actually ask crystal out in the next two minutes i’m going to block her

nicky @.nickisdoll

well… au revoir, gigi!

gigi @.bitchjenner

i have no idea what u guys are talking about! crystal and i are platonic soulmates!

Despite the fact she made her crush on her new friend incredibly obvious, Gigi refused to actually acknowledge it. Jan and Nicky were the most determined to try to get Gigi to crack, but the most Gigi would say that Crystal is just really nice and funny, and would change the subject immediately. Gigi didn’t think she had it in her to tell any of her friends, let alone Crystal how she felt, even though she desperately wanted to, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it yet, no matter how much she wanted to.

Gigi’s feelings were very new to her. She knew she liked girls, but none of her crushes had ever lasted for more than two weeks. Gigi always saw this as a good thing, as she wasn’t out to anyone besides her mother and the group chat and she planned to keep it that way until she had moved away for college. She never planned on pursuing anyone romantically until she was older.

Crystal, however, made this promise extremely hard to keep. As unfamiliar the feelings Gigi had whenever she talked to and flirted with Crystal were, she liked them. A lot.

Gigi came to realize that this made her feel vulnerable, which she was also not used to in the slightest. Gigi loved to pretend that she did not have feelings, and if she could, she would keep up that facade for the rest of her life.

On top of all of this, Gigi felt guilty about keeping this from Jan. Jan had a handful of flings and even a girlfriend since they had become friends, and she told Gigi every single detail about the various girls and the experiences with them, and even cried to Gigi for days when said girlfriend broke up with her. Gigi wanted to give that energy back.

Gigi weighed the pros and cons of telling Jan. The only con was that Jan would know that Gigi is capable of feeling emotions, which she didn’t like, but she was able to convince herself that it wasn’t that big of a deal. So, when Gigi had gotten home from cheer, she enlightened Jan.

gigi: hey jan guess what

jan!: hm?

gigi: what if i told u that uhhh

gigi: ihaveacrushoncrystal

jan!: i would say i’m not surprised. you hated one direction before you met her and you made her tell you everything about them.

gigi: no u are surprised this is brand new information

jan!: so glad you admitted it finally tho <3

jan!: are you gonna ask her out??

gigi: i dont know

gigi: she lives in missouri too so we might not have to do long distance but idk where bc i panicked at the thought of her being close to me and lowkey shut it down

jan!: omg could you imagine if yall were irls

gigi: i would know if she lived in my town… there’s no way i could miss her chaotic energy

jan!: okay but you need to tell her

jan!: i know you hate talking about feelings bc you think you’re a robot but if you can tell me, you have it in you to tell her too. i believe in you and i know the other girls do too.

gigi: i will this weekend. i promise

Gigi did not tell Crystal that weekend. She didn’t tell her the next weekend, either. There were a couple of letters Gigi had written in her notes app confessing her feelings for Crystal, but they never made it out. Every time she went to copy it to send to Crystal, she backed out.

gigi @.jennerbitch

this is impossible

crystal @.mitamcrystal

what is? ily :(

gigi @.jennerbitch

i dont wanna talk about it

Crystal had noticed the shift in Gigi’s energy almost instantly. The girl who was usually confident and witty almost always seemed nervous and somewhat irritated, and would always deny it and change the subject if Crystal mentioned it.

Crystal couldn’t help but be upset about this; she was extremely emotional and took almost everything to heart! Her brain had instantly come up with the conclusion that Gigi figured out she liked her, and was uncomfortable with it. Deep down, Crystal knew this didn’t make sense, as Gigi would still flirt with her occasionally. Gigi would’ve stopped if Crystal liking her made her uncomfortable, right?

The old Gigi came back one day. It had only been two weeks since this had started, but to Crystal, it felt much longer.

crystal @.mitamcrystal

i kinda wanna dye my hair again… thoughts?

gigi @.jennerbitch

omg yes dm me now

gigi: crystal crystal cryssieeeeee

gigi: what color do u want to dye ur hair???

gigi: i think green would look nice!

crystal: i was thinking pink but i think i’m on team green now

gigi: hehe good <3

Crystal grinned. She wasn’t sure why this in particular made Gigi go back to normal, she found it extremely odd but she was not going to complain. Crystal had missed this.

When she headed to the store to get the hair dye, Crystal updated Gigi on everything happening; the stray cat she saw, the fact that the only non-natural hair color available was neon green for some bizarre reason, even the fact that Crystal knew the cashier from school. Gigi knew Crystal was doing this because she had missed feeling close to her, and Gigi loved every single minute of it.

Crystal stopped updating her when it was time to actually dye her hair, saying she didn’t want her phone to be green. Gigi understood but was sad; she wanted to keep talking to Crystal to make up for the two weeks they had gone without talking for more than ten minutes at a time. She told herself that it was okay, they were back to normal and as long as she didn’t fuck up again, she could have Crystal back for good.

A couple hours later, Crystal finally returned.

crystal: it’s done!!!!

gigi: ooooh lemme see!!!!

gigi: only if u want to show me ofc.. i dont want u to be uncomfortable.

crystal: hold on… i need to find a snapchat filter that makes me look pretty

gigi: :(( i bet u look pretty no matter what

crystal: ehhhh

gigi: im right!!!

crystal: what if… you sent me a selfie back… aha… unless?

gigi: i think i could arrange that… it’s only fair!

crystal: OMG YAY!!!

crystal: ok here it is! hi :)

When the image loaded, Gigi’s stomach dropped. Not because Crystal was ugly, she was the complete opposite. There was no doubt that Crystal was beautiful, even her teeth were perfect. Her brown eyes were rich and soft, and her hair was shoulder-length and very curly. The neon green looked great on her. She had even found a filter that put little dinosaurs on her rosy cheeks, Gigi thought that filter was made for Crystal.

gigi: CRYSTAL!!!! ur so stunning holy fuck

gigi: but i dont think ur gonna think the same about me

Gigi was not going to let herself back out this time. It was now or never. She sent her selfie in return, preparing for the worse. Crystal was not going to be happy.

crystal: uh

crystal: what the fuck

Gigi’s stomach had dropped because she knew Crystal from school.

#rpdr fanfiction #gigi goode #crystal methyd #jan sport #jaida essence hall #heidi n closet #crygi #lesbian au #high school au #social media au #girl i met on the internet #strawberry #submission #s12

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x0401x · 4 years

Note

I don't read or watch violet ever garden cause i follow you mainly for the nice pictures you'll post or reblog from time to time so forgive me if you already answered this but im just curious. So how did you get into evergarden? Thanks

Omg, thanks, haha. I do think someone already asked me that before, a year or so ago. But didn’t really go into detail back then, so here’s the long answer. Apologies for the wall of text.

I got into the novel about half a year after it was published. It came out in December 2015, and a commercial based on scenes from volume 1 was released back in May 2016. I already knew about the novel because I follow the publisher on Twitter, and I was very interested in it because it was the first and still only winner of Kyoto Animation’s grand prize. Other than that, the premise seemed very promising. There was just one thing that sort of left me sitting on the fence about trying it out or not: Violet looked like a copycat of Saber from the Fate series.

Yes, I was in the Saber Clone Joke Club TM.

I wasn’t put off by that, honestly, but it left me with the impression that VE was gonna be a Fate Series fanfiction and I wasn’t sure what to think of this. Nowadays, I know very well that it is indeed a Fate Series (+ Fullmetal Alchemist and Gunslinger Girl) fanfic with a sprinkle of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, which is exactly why it’s so damn good, but 2015 me had no idea if she should invest on that mattress fire, so she decided to wait for a cue.

I’d completely forgotten about VE by the time that the commercial came out. And my dudes, that was such a breakthrough. I immediately made my mind and went to the novel’s official site to read the first chapter (it’s up online as trial reading until this day). As anyone can tell, I loved it. It was by far the most well-written light novel I’d ever come across.

I did some research after reading it and found out that, despite the popularity of the commercial (it has nearly five million views on YouTube now) and all the hype for the novel to spawn an anime series, no one had attempted to translate it. There was only a document on google docs with chapter 1 google-translated, and as you can probably guess, it couldn’t even be called a translation. Nothing made sense.

I had never translated a novel before until then, but I was totally fired up after watching the commercial and reading the first chapter. I really wanted to share this masterpiece with the world.

I had no way to buy the novel since KyoAni doesn’t ship to overseas and acquiring it through a proxy would be mad expensive, but I still wanted people to at least be able to read chapter 1 and have even more fans looking forward to the anime (believe it or not, I was super stoked for an anime adaptation back then... silly me). So, yeah, I indulged myself translating just Oscar’s story, and it had a much bigger repercussion than I imagined it would. I seriously wasn’t expecting that amount of attention.

When I posted the translation, I did kinda wish that someone with access to a physical copy would purchase the novel and ask me to translate the rest, but it was just a far-fetched pipe dream at the back of my head... or so I thought, lol. It did happen that someone from the western side of the fandom had bought the book, but he’s a non-Japanese speaker and was looking for someone who could translate it. He found my translation of chapter 1, so he offered to lend me his copy as long as I translated it in return, but he made clear that he wouldn’t be able to pay me for it. I immediately accepted to do it for free. Some people might say this was stupid of me, but I consider the fact that I got to read the book without buying it myself (which would’ve taken a huge toll on my pocket) as my payment. This was a surprise for the guy, who nowadays is a good friend of mine, because he had been told that no one would do it other than as a paid commission.

Needless to say that my love for VE only grew after I translated the rest. And that’s it! That’s the whole story.

#violet evergarden

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surveys-at-your-service · 3 years

Text

Survey #332

i’m even more tired than before to try and think up song lyrics, i’m pasting from Word and then fucking off to bed lmao.

What was the last video message you received on your phone? I think it was a clip of Doris (Sara's beardie) eating and just being her perfect self? Was your last birthday cake homemade or store bought? Store-bought. One thing you miss about middle school? Shit, nothing. Middle school was the worst. Do you have any shirts signed by famous people? No. Have you ever entered an art competition? Yes. Would you ever pierce yourself? No. I am very much about having a professional do your body mods/art. Plus, I have tremors in my hands. Do you live in a safe neighbourhood? Supposedly. We haven't lived here nearly long enough to know. What is the last thing you did that shocked someone? /shrug Do you often find yourself questioning your future? Only always. Have you ever been for a ride in the back of a truck? Yeah. Do you like your license photo? I hate my permit picture. Are you into superheroes? Who’s your favorite? Not very, but I like 'em enough. I always say my favorite is Deadpool, but I know he's technically an anti-hero, but whatever. If you don't include him, uhhhh... maybe Spiderman. Have you started watching any new TV shows recently? No. Have you ever been able pet a normally wild animal, like a tiger or dolphin? No. :( At least, not to my recollection. Have you ever eaten snow? Yeah. There's actually a winter treat 'round here that you make with snow and sugar called snow cream. Good stuff. What is the messiest area in your home? Right now, the spare room/my wanna-be "office." What’s your favorite computer game genre? Still horror, like video games. Do you have any exes your parents never liked? No. Have you received financial help from your parents in the past 5 years? I'm completely financially dependent on them still. Are you a fast or a slow eater? I eat like, stupid fast, but without being messy. People *cough*Mom*cough* will absolutely point it out, but I seriously can't help it. Making a conscious effort to eat slow feels way too weird. What was the last thing you purchased from a small local business? I don't know. Is there anyone in your family/household whom you frequently argue with? No. Have you ever used chewing tobacco? Ew, no. Tell me what's on your mind? I've been considering yet again reaching out to some tattoo parlors and asking if they're open to hiring someone to handle the front desk and take care of business besides actually performing piercing and tattooing, given my tremors. My group therapy has kinda been encouraging me to use the possibility for social exposure, and besides, I'm very comfortable in the environment and just general aura of tat parlors. I'm sure I'd have to answer the phone, handle money, and obviously talk to costumers, but I know and accept that. I've been at such a stagnant point with my social anxiety in particular that I have to start pushing back harder, and doing this I feel would be one of the most relaxed, social job positions I can hopefully handle. I don't dare to even try this though until I get vaccinated to protect my immunocompromised mom. Writing this all out has actually been pretty encouraging about this idea... Do you wish you never dated someone you dated? Yeah, Tyler. It was such a "I'm lonely and he was nice in high school, so we'll try it" situation. I got nothing from it. Are you scared of growing old alone? Pretty badly. What are you listening to right now? I'm listening to/semi-watching John Wolfe play the remaster of Resident Evil 2. What breed was the last dog you saw? He was a German shepherd. Would you ever go swimming during a thunderstorm? No. Any time a thunderstorm was brewing and I was in the pool, I'd always get out. What is the next concert you will attend? Mom and I plan to see Ozzy when/if he reschedules his tour after he had to cancel with his Parkinson's diagnosis. What was the name of the last pet of yours that died? Teddy. :/ What's the highest science class you have taken? I don't know, actually. What makes you squeal like a school girl? No shame, seeing Mark and Amy do something cute together actually does this, lmao. What’s your favorite symbol? (i.e. the pentagram, the cross, etc.) Do fictional ones count? Because in that case, the Halo of the Sun from the Silent Hill franchise. I'm getting it tattooed somewhere at some point, I'm thinking the left side of my neck. I'm either gonna fashion it in a way where it looks branded on or carved into me. Have you ever been on anti depressants? For all of my pre-teen, teen, and some of my adult life. Apparently, I've only had one truly educated psychiatrist out of no less than a dozen I'd seen, because he fixed me right up. He taught me that those who suffer from bipolarity should avoid anti-depressants; they ramp up your bipolar symptoms. Instead, mood stabilizers are favorable. And what do you know, after I was prescribed a stabilizer and a catalyst for that medication, my depression decreased dramatically and became handleable. Have you ever starved yourself? Kinda. What’s the stupidest name you’ve ever given a pet? I had a guinea pig named Harry Potter. For no particular reason lmao. I'm not even a Harry Potter fan. Do you have nice legs? God no. Do you like fedoras? Okay so I know I am in the strong minority, but I actually do, haha. What is your favorite food group? Carbs. @_@ Have you ever got told that you should be a model? No, but one of the most flattering indirect compliments I've ever gotten was being mistaken for one. Jason's phone wallpaper was one of my favorite pictures of myself with my first snake, and someone asked him if I was a model. ;v;' What song is in a language you don’t speak, but you love it anyway? "Donaukinder" by Rammstein is one of my faves. Who’s a villain you sympathize with and why? SOBS Darkiplier bc his origins are so damn tragic and unfair. What book do you think should be directed as a film? Was The Giver ever made into one? I don't remember that book well, but I do recall it being absolutely beautiful. Have you ever found a stranger’s note somewhere? If so, what did it say? No. Have you ever edited Wikipedia? No. Have you ever edited any other wiki? Yeah. I have thousands on the Silent Hill wiki, where I'm one of the admins. I'm also a content moderator at the Team Ico (Shadow of the Colossus devs) one. Every now and again I used to go on the meerkats wiki as well, where I mainly fixed the fucking nightmarish grammar. Very briefly, I edited at the Dragons of Atlantis wiki as well. Do you get scared when you know some virus or sickness is being passed? Not very, but of course I still acknowledge the risk and am more conscious of hand washing and stuff. What popular social media platforms AREN’T you on? Snapchat, I don't actually use my Twitter, I don't have a personal Instagram... There may be more, idk. Is TikTok a "social media platform?" Because I don't have that, either. What was the name of the first porcelien doll you got? Never had one, given I was afraid of dolls as a kid. What’s your favorite Paramore song? "Decode." Would you be happy with a life without romance? To be entirely honest, I'd feel like I was missing something. Was your childhood happy? Mostly. What fundamentally matters do you? Love, kindness, peace, all that gooey stuff. Is true world peace ever possible? As much as I hate to admit it, I don't think so. The human population is far too big to come to a unanimous agreement on anything. Do you hold yourself to higher standards than you hold others? Yeah. Would you ever own a pet black widow spider? No. I'm getting more into the idea of owning invertebrates (I jabber enough about wanting tarantulas, and there are others, like mantises, I'm interested in as pets), but black widows, I'm not into the idea of having. Too venomous for me to be comfortable risking. If you have a job, what is the longest shift that you've worked? N/A Do you know all of the words to "Bohemian Rhapsody?" FUCK YES I DO. ^ Do you sing it with all of the different voices? sho nuff Do you own more than one copy of a certain book? No. Do you like interpreting poetry or just reading it for fun? Both. I love symbolism, so I get joy out of digging for subtle meanings in poems. Do you have a favorite Dr. Suess book? Yeah, it was always Green Eggs and Ham. Do you watch The Walking Dead? If so, favorite character? Not the show, but I've watched let's plays of the games, haha. In which case Clementine is inarguably one of the best female characters in a video game universe. Who has/had the most mature romantic relationship you’ve seen with your own eyes? Uhhh. I mean I never saw them much, but probably my late grandmother and her last husband. He was fucking incredible to her, and Grammy adored him as well. They helped each other so much and just obviously had the purest love between them. When was the last time you got something for free (legally)? What was it & have you enjoyed it so far? Lmao do balls in Pokemon GO count? Their occasional free boxes are the reason I can play the game because PokeStops are essentially non-existent here, so yes. What is the one fruit you can’t stand to eat? How about vegetable? The first one that came to me were oranges. I enjoy orange juice, but I just caaaaannot with the white veiny shit that you can't totally get off when peeling it. Without that, I might actually enjoy them, but idk. As for vegetable, asparagus is absolutely abhorrent. When’s the last time you actually recited the pledge? If you aren’t American, do/did you have anything similar in your country that you do during a time at school? Probably not since high school. Last person you shared food with? Ummm I have no idea. It's really just Mom and me here and we eat our own stuff. What was the last song you heard for the first time and enjoyed? I believe it waaas... "Down In The Park" by Marilyn Manson, maybe. If your life was a TV show, what would be the theme song? My inner high school emo just screamed "All Signs Point to Lauderdale" by AD2R. Who are some of your favorite female fictional characters, and why? Gahdamn, there's a lot. I don't feel like going through a mental list in my head and then describing why. A character (in anything) you wish hadn’t been killed off? Vol'jin; I think the entire WoW fanbase will forever be pissed about it. It was THE most "lul we dunno what 2 do w/ him anymore, let's let a totally random, unnamed, unimportant demon kill him" like what the fuck, Blizz. Most of his "oomph" was in the book, and I just really wish they'd done so much more with him in the game. Has anything “cute” happened in the past week? Off the top of me noggin, no. When did you last say “I love you”? Did you mean it? Yesterday to Sara. OF course I did. Is there someone who pops into your mind at random times? Hi, PTSD, how are ya. Have you ever slept all day? Essentially. When I was on a larger dose of my anxiety med, I physically couldn't stay up for barely even five minutes, and when I'd lie back down, boom, I was OUT. I stayed on that dosage for I think just that one day, it was so bad. Can you have kids? Well, I have a functioning menstrual cycle, so I would assume so. Doesn't mean I will, though. What colors of mascara have you worn on your lashes? Only black. Do you like eating sour things? Hell yeah, I love sour stuff, candy in particular. Do you like pickles? fuuuuck yeah Did you ever have a really close friend move away? Yeah, in elementary school. I feel bad I can't remember her name at the moment... What's the most creative thing you've ever done? I mean, I guess the things I've written in RP. What's the most creative thing someone has done for you? For me? I don't really know. Do you like to watch ghost-hunting shows? Sure, they're some of my favorites. What’s something you’d like to be better at? Social interaction. Have you ever stayed up to talk to someone who was sad? Yeah. Do you think you would make a good parent? No. I know I wouldn't. The only time I ever wanted kids was with Jason, and honestly, I really hope I don't end up with a man because I never want to deal with that urge again and make a mistake. I'm just in no way emotionally fit to be a mother. How many best friends do you have? Just one. What do you cry over the most? My PTSD, honestly. I never sob about it anymore, just shed some tears. What language did/do you take in high school? Latin for one semester, then all four available for German. Which sports do you follow? None. Who was the last person you talked about marriage or having kids with? About marriage, Sara. Kids, the subject was lightly touched upon with Girt, though "with" was never a part of it, but obviously implied seeing as we were dating with long-term in mind. Have you ever been in a house fire? No, thankfully. Have you ever made out for one straight hour? them is rookie numbers Are you any good at remembering phone numbers? No. I literally don't even know my own, nor my mother's. I need to fix that. Who is your best friend of the opposite sex? Girt. Do you have a bookshelf? If so, just one or how many? No. If I gave you twenty bucks what would you do with it? Save it to go towards Venus' terrarium. Is there a movie from your childhood that you still watch today? Well of course! I'm unashamed to watch any "kids" movie I enjoy, like Disney ones. Most "kids" movies tend to be better than those intended for adults, it seems... Are you afraid of mice? Oh no, I adore mice and I think had a pair as pets before I got rats. What type of souvenir do you usually purchase when on vacation? I can't really answer this; I haven't gone on nearly enough vacations to develop a theme. I can say confidently though it'd probably be something small. If you could see any musical on Broadway right now, what would it be? I don't enjoy musicals. Have you ever watched Doctor Who? One or two with Sara, yes. I know we at least watched the weeping angels episode. If you read, which book or series did you enjoy most as a child? Warriors by S.E. Hinton. Sometimes I wanna get back into them, but I am YEARS behind and more into Wings of Fire anyway, so. I don't read nearly enough for both. How do you get rid of your hiccups? Literally no trick seems to work for me. I just suffer lmao.

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