#Persistence is mf key | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

simtanico · 3 years

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Hi! I don't know if this is an annoying/difficult question, sorry if it is, but do you have any advice at all for modelling sims based off real people? Your sims are SO crazy good. When I try to make them they end up looking... eh... Vaguely like the person? But there's a huge gap between that and some kind of 'spark' some simmers seem to manage to capture.

Hello! Definitely not annoying. Difficult, as in how difficult it is to answer? Maybe. I'm gonna go off on a couple of tangents. But I'm gonna try my best to explain the process. Which isn't really much of one sorry.

There's a handful of tutorials and tips out there regarding reference photos and like... proportions and all that so I won't cover that.

I use that as a general guide of course, but mostly I just save some photos of the person at various angles and focus on one feature or two at a time. Literally going back and forth between reference photo and my game. I think if you try to get everything at the same time, it really makes it easy to get frustrated with whatever your sim looks like at the moment. Making sims in general is a combination of a LOT of things depending on your style.

I can point out ALL the flaws with my sims based on real people. In my experience, it’s about getting the defining features of a person close enough to the real thing so that it resembles them. I don't think you need a complete copy to get the point across, however i do think some people and features are harder to emulate than others. I've been working on some sims for YEARS, and they still don't work out lol

and take a look at this progression on my sim based on Z4ne H0ltz starting back in 2015!

that first screenshot:

Personally, I get a little lost if I work on a sim too much all at once. I find some time away makes me less tired and frustrated. Just pace yourself :)

Also if you need any help, shoot me a message here or on discord. I promise I don't judge or anything.. it's sims who cares lol

TO START...

I suggest starting with the head and its shape. Starting off with a game-generated sim, the first slider I get to is head width. It's usually too dang wide for my tastes. And then adjusting the general position of the the features. You can always change things later, so you don't have to know exactly what you're going to do, but as I've mentioned before, sculpting sims up in CAS is just practice with sliders! Also in the long run, you may want to use Pu+Chi House's Smooth Face Normals slider! I attempt to explain and show what it does here. I've uploaded the slider here: https://simfileshare.net/download/984204/

This is gonna be a doozy sorry in advance if the read more doesn't work

SLIDERS SLIDERS SLIDERS

Big sliders like Pu+Chi House’s face shape sliders dramatically change the face shape, and it could save you a lot of time! I highly suggest using these to get rid of the weird large jaw sims can get.

Play with different sliders and how they interact with one another! Example: jaw width and Cheek Fullness affect the same area. if you need a wide jaw and don’t want cheek distortion, you can use cheek fullness, lower the jaw width slider and then edit the cheekbones from there

Knowing what sliders move what and how it can work to your advantage is key! I cover this in my reply post about noses.

For visual reference:

I start out with my nose but I want the nostrils to sit further on the outside

so i go in and use the nose width slider and raise it to widen the lower nose:

Then lower the nostril scale slider

Comparison:

as you can see, i kind of achieved what I wanted, but also widened the nose tip too! Welp, that takes another slider I have, Tip Width. And I'll adjust that accordingly! It's really just a matter of what you're going for and what you're going to have to compensate for as a result!

That said, our community has made some awesome sliders that open up so many possibilities and even eliminate the need to do that multi-slider tango. I wouldn't even know where to begin (wish I wanted to make videos because I could talk for an hour about sliders)

For example @pitheinfinite made sliders that can make sims look better and more realistic, I'm jealous at what they've achieved!

They have their Inner Corner to Nose slider that moves an area of the sim's face hat make eyebags and the shadows and lines appear farther out from the inner eye. It saves you from having to use cheek sliders to mimic the effect and thus ruining the face shape you have going

It's truly an INDISPENSABLE slider. One of many!

Since I make sliders, I usually just make some to specifically fix whatever issue I'm having. Granted they're made with general function in mind, which makes my cheater-y way of making things happen more useful in the future. I have about 50 experimental unfinished sliders in my game and can tell you that all my current sims use them for some reason or other. So I'm not working with nothing, I guess?

EYE SPY 👁

The best way to really get nice accurate looking sims is the eyes.

Pay attention to the slant of the eye, the shape and position of the upper and lower eyelids. you can use the game’s Eyelid Height slider, and AWT’s Eyelid width and height sliders (and many more)

and especially where the iris (green) sits relative to the eyelid. getting that shape and eyeball positioned correctly really makes a HUGE difference

I do suggest Bloom’s Eye slider (left and right) that rotate the eyes left and right. That along with their Lazy eye sliders can give your sims a less symmetric face and position the eyes to be FAR more accurate and realistic than the default.

I also recommend their vertical sliders (Eye lift or drop) to help with eye positioning.

I can't stress the importance of the right contacts or eyes for your sims. Of course it all depends on how you make your sims's eyes and all that. Take the last sim i posted about. It took forever and a half to find the right contacts that didn't need severe or intense editing to capture the same vibe the person he's based on. The problem is pretty persistent for me, and I am just speaking for myself when I say this is necessary. Iris size, shading, recolorability, detail, catch lights, and pupil position are things to consider for your play style and preferences.

In addition to seeing what eyes will do the trick, I do edit the catch lights in the screenshots to give the eyes a different emotion or look. (I use defaults that get rid of the game-generated catch lights, and supernatural eye glow.) It's nice when that's all it is and I don't have to go in and photoshop things in and out to make them look human lmao

Perfect, schmerfect

And just know that as long as you have the same vibe or look going on it doesn't need to be perfect! Things will evolve over time, and you can change and perfect things as you go along, but close is better than trying to achieve an exact replica. We are working with the limitations of sliders and the optimized meshes they work on! So yeah there might be jagged bits or the profile might not exactly match and some things might not be accurate, but that's okay! Considering what sims look like at their default, you should be proud! I use the same mf eyebrows on all my sims basically and I tell myself they're just placeholders (yeah, right), but I manage to make them work with what I have!

Sliders, Makeup, and Skins, oh my!

a good base skin is critical, but not the end of the world if you pick the wrong one. They determine kind of definition and types of features highlighted on a sim 100000% and you might lose a feature you like or dislike when you change them! Feel free to switch up between skins you have to find the best fit.

Makeup can be a game-changer though!!! Any details you can add and help make your sim look the most like the person you're basing them off can go MILES.

In some cases, I've actually gotten really interesting results trying to get my sculpt as close as possible to real life references so the makeup makes a difference but don't define the features by themselves. Still, though, I utilize makeup up a LOT. [remember that if you use Nraas, you can layer makeup. Right-clicking makeup will also remove it if it's applied :)]

Here's the last sim i posted about when removing makeup:

no nosemasks really replicates the face-claim's nose (too shiny at the lower part) but it'll do 🤷‍♀️

Freckles, eyebags, highlighters, face shadows, pores, nosemasks, etc are all great!!

The way you move your sliders WILL effect how these look, so don't rely on makeup that adds super-specific detail or goes over an area you know is a jumbled mess because of sliders!

I do have a mess of recommendations and wcifs for skins and makeup. replies tag | wcif tag

[also I love compiling wcif cc lists for my sims it's great]

Finally, I appreciate your comment about my sims, mainly because I know they're not ever really exact copies or as close as I want to be to their real life counterparts, so thanks!! I've seen fellow simmers get really good results without messing as much as I do and I love when people can make really good maxis match likenesses because it's just so damn cool! It's truly a talent. I'm not one of those lucky few, but I like to try my way at it anyway. After what feels like some good progress I'll post a pic here. Even after doing this forever I don't feel like I'm an expert or can get good results in a shorter amount of time, but it's just fun to see the progression (or regression) of how my sims look.

#long post #replies #no tutorials just rambling and vibes~~~~

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renaxwrites · 4 years

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Hello! Nice to see you! I'm anon who asked you about Nekoma manager. I like all parts! Can I ask about Nekoma manager dating with Atsumu and Nekoma team reaction?

Dating

(Nekoma’s Manager Pt. 5)

a/n: thank you anon! omfg this request has me rollingggg cause imagine the riot these boys would raise if they found out you weren’t gonna be a nun for the rest of your life LMAO 😂 you would need a lot of brain cells 😭😭 hope you enjoy!! <3 pt. 4

Whew chile

Just make you’re prepared in all aspects. You’re going to need a LOT of patience to survive

After much persistence, you ended up giving in to Atsumu Miya’s endless charm and idiocy wit

You decide to try and keep it low key for a while, just until you had enough courage to break it to your team

However, this mf made it more difficult than you thought

Whenever you’re together, he’s BIG big on pda, he doesn’t care what anyone says

That being said, he is high key a simp for you so he’s a bit bummed he can’t give you hugs or smooches whenever he’s needy

But he DOES have a phone

But you swear someone should take it from him....anyone...pls

He texts you and calls you often, but once you and Atsumu made it official, it turned into more phone blow-ups

He figured out that sending you memes or pics with friends gets the most interaction from you

Atsumu is super into trashy memes, fight me on this

But seriously, how does he have time when he’s in class or practice? HOW??

The Nekoma players started to notice your growing amounts of giggling while staring at your screen

This ultimately lead into a Team Investigation™

As impatient as they were, they bided their time until you left your phone where they can get it

Therefore, a plan arose

“Y/N, do you mind going over the order forms with coach for a minute? Just to be on the safe side to make sure we’re not missing anything,” Kuroo asked.

LMAO everyone trying to be unsuspicious as possible

If you notice, you decide not to question it and go do your manager duties rq

The second you close the office door, they scramble to find your phone

EUREKA!! They silently thank God as they look at your wallpaper

Who TF is this blonde crusty-lookin ass! And why is hand on your waist >:(((

Most likely you and Atsumu have each other’s schedule down, so you can make time for each other

A familiar ‘ding’ comes from your phone, indicating a text from your secret bf

You hadn’t seen each other in a couple weeks, so of course the ONE time !!!!

As if fate wanted to mess w you, today Atsumu had decided to surprise you by showing up

“Who tf is ‘Ratsumu’? AND WHY DOES HE HAVE A HEART EMOJI NEXT TO HIS NAME?!!”

“HOLD ON!! What does it say?? ‘Look outside’ What does that mean?”

“Lev you dumbass, someone’s outside looking for her! We need to go see”

“What if Y/N gets mad tho”

“We NEED to know!! HURRY LET’S GO”

“Everyone shut up!!” Quick silence. “As the team captain, I will take the liberty of deciding that we shall all go. Quietly, we can’t have her notice”

Kenma rolls his eyes. “This is stupid”

But every player had their confirmation as Atsumu said his first sentence to them. He clearly didn’t pay enough attention, since he didn’t notice it was you at first, balancing his phone and a bento box on his hands.

“Babes, I SWEAR if ya send me another pic of Sangwoo asking ‘This You?’, I WILL make sure this is the last time ‘Samu makes ya any food!”

Silence.

“Wait. Who are y’all?”

This one question lead to mass destruction, with enough yelling and confronting to hear from the office you and the coach were in

You run out, thinking the world was ending. Nope, just your team in a confrontation match with your boyfriend

You yell for everyone’s attention. Everyone, including Coach Nekomata, looks like that Pikachu meme like :O :O :O

Taking the phone out of Kuroo’s hand, you carefully explain that you and Atsumu have been talking for a while, and only made it official a couple weeks ago.

The more you go on, you see the team visibly relax. However, they still express their concern if he amounted to your worth.

At this, Atsumu put his things down and takes your hand.

“I have no intention of hurtin her at all, you guys. Babes, I really care about ya and I’m in this for the long run.” He presses a kiss to your forehead and rubs your back.

With that, the team got the confirmation they needed. Most players went back into the gym, but your self-appointed guardians stood with their arms crossed. Kuroo, Yaku, Lev, Yamamoto, and even Kenma stuck around to make one thing clear.

“We care for her just as much as you do, so she’s still our priority. You hurt her, then we hurt you. Got it?”

Atsumu simply bows, then proceeds to pick up your food and lead you to the gym. “Come on y/n, I wanna see these guys play. Maybe we’ll have a match soon to see which of ya boys are better,” he playfully winks back at them.

Soon, you find your boyfriend and team interacting through playful banter and lighthearted conversation

You interlace your fingers with his, happy that you and your favorite people have met

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akaashiclub · 4 years

Text

girls chase boys ☇ t.k.

☇ pairing: tsukishima kei x fem!reader

☇ genre: fluff, oc is an absolute babie who has no shame, tsukishima goes from ‘she’s annoying’ to ‘she’s aight’ to ‘i may be lowkey in love w her it’s nbd tho’, oc will literally not give up, tsukishima is still a first year (word count: 4.1k)

☇ synopsis: usually when experiencing such a soul-crushing rejection, one would give up on their feelings, right? right?

☇ a/n: i binge-read some haikyuu fanmanga and i was ~inspired~ plus like... this trope?? persistant bubbly x uninterested cold is?? literally everything?? (playlist link: here)

“i like you!!!”

you kind of felt like the main character of a shoujo, with the wind making your hair dance in the air

standing face to face with your longtime crush

(and by longtime, you mean about two months)

that’s when it all started

no— it was earlier

the orientation ceremony

all the first years standing in neat, organized rows, listening to the principal give a welcoming speech

at least, that’s what you were supposed to be doing

in reality, your eyes were trained on the 188cm tall blonde in the row in front of you

you couldn’t see the stage— also, you didn’t care

bc ~he~ was in front of you

tsukishima kei

you learned his name later when you discovered you were in the same class

and he sat in the adjacent row, one seat forward

the absolutely perfect position to stare at his side profile the entire class

and that is exactly what you did for two months

that and gathering info on him

tsukishima kei, 188.3cm (now 190.1), born on september 27th, best friends with yamaguchi tadashi, #11 on the karasuno volleyball team

and then there you were, confessing your undying love to him

...or something like that

“no thanks. not interested.”

usually, that would soul-crushing enough to make them leave him alone

not you <3

the giggle that escapes your lips makes his eyebrow twitch on confusion for a second

“that’s okay~” you respond.

(that’s okay ?)

(what the fuck kind of response is that being rejected ???)

(yours!!!!)

you’re exhaustingly persistent, as tsukishima comes to find out

or should i say—

“tsukki~!!”

the hair on his neck rises when you flounce into homeroom with that sing-song tone

you plop down into the seat in front of him (key note: not yours) and rest your elbows on his desk with a little grin

“don’t call me that,” (he doesn’t look up from his book)

“what~! why not?”

“only my friends call me 'tsukki’”

you snort, scooting a little closer

“that’s mean. how many times have we walked home together, and we still aren’t friends?”

“you followed me home, i didn’t consent.”

“‘followed you’?” you pout. “we live on the same road, naturally we’d walk home together,”

he doesn’t respond, just flips to the next page in his book

“do you have volleyball club today~?”

ignored.

lol

she stays strong!! she doesn’t give up in the face of adversity!!!

“you don’t have to answer, i already know you do.” you chirp. “it’s boring walking home without you... maybe i’ll come with you today~!”

it’s like talking to a wall

(a very cute, 190cm, blonde, glasses-wearing wall.)

(🥰)

instead of responding, he puts his headphones on and keeps reading

a small exhale escapes your lips, and one of the girls in the next row over leans towards you

“y/n... i think it’s a lost cause...”

“he’ll come around eventually,” you shoot her a smile, and then turn back to tsukki

you lean forward, reaching towards his head and tugging the headphones down around his neck

and when he looks up (he does within an instant), you shoot him a sly smile

several students around you gasp

after all, who would dare bother tsukishima with his headphones on??? that’s some instant death shit

“move.”

“i like being this close to you though,” you tease

and he rolls his eyes, standing up and heading for the exit of the classroom

the shock in the classroom — that you’re still ALIVE — is clear

your friend from before gapes

“y-y/n what are you playing at??”

“courtship,” you sigh dramatically, and hop to your feet to chase after the blonde monster

“tsukki~!! are you getting lunch?? wait for me~!!”

everyone on the first floor knows: it’s become the norm to see tsukishima, book in hand, headphones around neck, and followed by a chirpy pipsqueak

even yamaguchi doesn’t stick as closely to him as ‘tsukishima’s lapdog’ (as you’ve started being called by the fellow first years) does

the nickname doesn’t really bother you

after all, it’s just a reminder of your determination and refusal to give up

which is a virtue, in your mind!!

some people feel bad for tsukishima, constantly being bothered by you for weeks on end

others admire your stubbornness

and one group of people you can always count on supporting you are the karasuno volleyball club <3

ever since you started showing up to their practices

and all their practice matches and official games too

they all befriended you

but you grew tired of just sitting and watching tsukki on the sidelines, so you asked coach ukai if you could help out during practices!!!

there can’t rly be ... three managers... so you suggested retrieving balls or being tsukki’s personal assistant

he saw right through you <3

but it’s ok bc he thought it would be entertaining and agreed

tsukki: angy

even when he’s annoyed he’s cute tho <33 and you make sure to tell him that <333

and so! you get tsukki’s water, towels, etc etc (ofc u help other ppl too when they need it but tht’s what the two managers r for... tsukki is ur #1)

the other players are like 0.0 she’s kinda scary... but cute at the same time doe...

one day you’re in a particularly good mood (aka: a bad day for tsukki lol)

“tsukki~!”

“don’t call me that.”

“i want to tell you something,”

the whole gym is kinda just 👁️👄👁️ waiting to see what happens

“what? i need to change, hurry it up.”

ur inner monologue: kdNNN even when he’s mean he’s cute!!!!

but anyways:

“i like you,”

hinata, kageyama, tanaka, noya, literally everyone: 😳😨 mf what—

sugawara’s like “oh god he’s just reject her and crush her heart... right in front of EVERYONE—”

“not interested.” tsukki says, and his tone isn’t any less cold than usual

u kno that anime lightning effect when the character’s body is joLtED...

tht’s everyone else in the gym

tanaka and nishinoya are highkey ready to let you cry into their jerseys when—

you laugh

you right after being mercilessly rejected: 🥰

you can’t help it !!!!! it’s not discouraging you ok??? you alr knew what he’d say!!! but you had to tell him <3 can’t let him forget tht he’s the ✨love of your life✨

entire gym: s h o o k

“did she just l a u g h??”

“is she okay?? no srsly”

“what... just happened”

tsukki walks off, water bottle in hand

you follow after him, bouncing on the soles of your feet

“don’t forget your towel~! want me to wipe off your sweat~?”

“no thanks.”

cue fading banter between you two as he goes to change his clothes

he has to be like hOe GeT oUT for you to not go into the locker room lmfao damn... thirsty bitch... same tho

later tanaka and noya (feat. hinata who just wants to be included) jump tsukki

“shE LAUGHED WHEN U REJECTED HER??? IS SHE OK???”

“she confesses to me every week. she’ll do it again. it’s not that big of a deal.”

“not thAT BIG— can u imagine if kiyoko liked us that much.... ”

(cue tanaka sobbing)

tsukki was right tho

after the third time you randomly confessed to him in front of them they were just like

same shit different day, anyways rolling thunder

but they still highkey adopted you

so they go grr grr when tsukki rejects you all cold and shit

shockingly tho??? the more you confess the less it’s “not interested” and more just “*sigh*”

is this... PROGRESS???

but the zero braincell triad cornered him again in the locker room one day

(it’s their trademark)

(nishinoya) “so why do you keep rejecting her??”

(hinata popping in) “yea she’s super dedicated and helpful!!!”

(tanaka lowkey shuddering) “she’d probably let herself get hit in the face w a volleyball if u asked”

(and tanaka would be: correct)

(but anyway)

“she was annoying,”

“she... ‘was’ annoying???”

“... she IS annoying”

“tsukki... do you possibly like her??? but you’ve gotten so used to rejecting her that it’s automatic now??”

tsukki’s like V.V

“you’re reading too much into it,”

sage!nishinoya is about to probe deeper but at that moment you pop your head around the corner of the locker room and shout

“tSUKKI~!!!”

and they all scatter to hide themselves while shrieking

except tsukki, who is already clothed and gives zero fucks lmao

but anyways!!! a couple weeks pass and takeda got y’all set up with a practice match !!

with who?? nekoma!!!

hinata is like 🤩🤩 kENMA!!

only players and members of the club are supposed to go rly....

but you’re like “??? i’m tsukki’s personal assistant are you trying to take away my rights??? i’ll sue you” and coach ukai gives in sdjfkf

“tsukki can i sit with you~?”

yamaguchi about to sit there: 👁️👄👁️ bruh

tsukki doesn’t say yes but he also doesn’t say no :D

“what’re you reading?”

“english book,”

you’re like: wait— mf hold up... did he actually just answer ??

tsukki simp mode: ACTIVATED

“can i see??”

“you’re failing english, you won’t be able to read it.”

“ouch,” you pout, but there’s a small smile on your lips. “but how’d you know i was failing english?”

he doesn’t respond

“i guess it is unfair that i know everything about you and you don’t know anything about me...” you sigh

“you don’t know everything about me,” he retorts, still not looking up from his book

hehe~ gotcha

“oh? test me,” you grin, scooting closer to him

“don’t wanna.”

“you’re just scared i do know everything,” you say smugly, trying to bait him

“bet you don’t know everything about me!!!” hinata pops up from the seat in front of you

“you’re right, i don’t,”

(he pouts and disappears again)

“tsukki~” you whine. “tsukkiiiii~ i’m bored.”

“so?”

“can i wear your headphones?”

“no thanks. i don’t wanna get headlice.”

you scowl. “mean,”

you bite your cheek, staring a hole in the side of his head but he doesn’t even blink

if tsukki could major in ignoring you people, he’d have straight A’s

fortunately, you have ways to counter this

“kei~~” you whisper a little too close to his ear, and he jolts up

you try not to let the amusement show on your face, but you can’t help it

glaring at you, he pulls his headphones off his head and puts them on yours

“now be quiet,”

“mm~” you chuckle

a couple hours later, you pull into the parking lot of nekoma

the friend groups pair off, and kuroo makes a beeline for tsukki, only to catch sight of you

“hey four-eyes— who’s this?”

tsukki glances down at you, to which you shoot him a sugary smile

“dunno,” he says, and walks off

you wave to kuroo with a sunny grin

“i’m y/n~! i’m tsukki’s personal assistant and future wife~”

his eyebrows rise, and with a quick bow, you bounce after the blonde

once the group is all in the gym, practice jerseys are handed out and you help yachi and shimizu prepare the water and towels

you’re about to make a beeline for tsukki, when someone calling your name stops you

“y/n! wanna get me some water?” kuroo calls

you only blink for a moment before hopping to it, darting across the gym

for the rest of the day, kuroo is constantly calling for you—

“y/n! can you wipe the sweat off my neck?”

“hey, y/n, get me some water~”

“y/n!”

“y/n, over here!”

and by the time the several hours is over, you haven’t gotten to speak to tsukki once 🥺 snnff :(

when you finally get a free moment, you look around for him, but he’s nowhere to be found

sad face :(

and then !!!! turns out nekoma paid for bbq for everyone 🤩🤩 cats are so generous

and somehow??? you find yourself surrounded by nekoma players???

“here y/n, want some of my bbq?”

“no, take mine!!!”

“do you want any fruit?? i have some!!”

“you were so helpful today!! how’d you stay so energetic the whole time??”

you flash a smile, ready to charm the shit out of them, when a voice interrupts:

"hey, personal assistant.”

your eyes light up, bc you’d recognize that salty ass voice anywhere!!!

the guys around you part to reveal—

“tsukki!!!” you squeal, maybe a little too excitedly

“aren’t you supposed to be assisting me?? get me some food.”

you shove your plate into the free hand of one of the nekoma players (his name was... liam? lief... lev?) and dart to get tsukki something to eat

when you hand it to him, you flash him your most dazzling smile

“eat up! you worked hard today~”

he eyes you silently before digging in, and you smile absentmindedly while watching him

“why are you staring at me like that?”

“because i like you,” you respond without hesitation

he averts his eyes, but doesn’t say anything mean

your stomach flips a little

i’m coming for you, tsukishima kei.

on the ride home, you’re once again sitting next to him, and he gives up his headphones without a fight this time

you’re so tired from running around helping kuroo all day that you find your eyelids getting heavy as tsukki’s music plays in your ears

you try to subtly lean on his shoulder but he pokes you away

you glare at him, pouting, but settle for leaning against the headrest

and then, you’re drifting off

and you’re having a strange dream

a pleasant dream, with fuzzy corners and honey-colored light streaming across the scene, but still strange

in this dream, he’s kissing you

it’s not like you haven’t had dreams like this before, it’s just that this one feels so much more vivid

and yet blurry at the same time

even when the dream ends and you blink back into consciousness you can still distinctly feel his lips against yours

his glasses brushing against your cheek

his fingers interlacing with your hair

a warm smile curls up your lips as you grasp lingering wisps of the dream, when—

“you’re drooling.”

your eyes snap open and you jolt up, furiously wiping the side of your mouth

“am not!!”

tsukishima blinks uninterestedly from the empty bus aisle, arms crossed

“dreaming about something vulgar?”

you grin, resting your chin on your palm

“would you like to hear ab—?”

he’s just “nope,” and turns towards the exit

hopping out of the seat, you follow him

“it was such a nice dream,” you sigh

“must’ve been, if you were drooling that much.”

“i was not—”

and then you notice something

everyone else is already gone from the bus

“wait a minute... did you wait for me?”

you hear a scoff

bUt hE dOEsNt DeNy iT

“you WAITED for me!!!!” you exclaim, happiness radiating off you in waves

“if i’d left you on the bus, nishinoya and tanaka would’ve killed me if i didn’t,” he says curtly

but you are, after all, the human equivalent of ‘this sign can’t stop me because i can’t read’

or that tiktok trend

tsukishima: i don’t like you, i only waited for you because i was literally forced at gunpoint

y/n: 🎶i waited for you🎶

the next day, it’s practice as usual at the karasuno gym

but?? sniff sniff someone is here that shouldn’t be

this rando first year has been pacing around right outside the gym entrance

and all the vbc members are like 👁️ whomst?

and when you finally arrive (right along behind tsukki)

he yells out your name

and holds out a bouquet of flowers <3 how cute

“y/n, um— i, i know you don’t know me but i’ve liked you since the orientation ceremony!!! i think you’re really pretty and cute and smart—”

cue a quiet scoff from tsukki, “if she’s his definition of smart, then how dumb is he?”

cue sugawara jabbing his side (sugamama is protective of his child y/n)

“—and i know you like tsukishima, but i hope you’ll give me a chance!! i can make you happier than him!!”

at this point, everyone in the gym is watching like 👁️ oh?? TEA??

and is that... is that an aura of raging irritation coming from tsukishima??

you open your mouth to politely reject the guy, when

literally out of nowhere tsukki just a p p e a r s

“hey, idiot. aren’t you supposed to be my personal assistant?? go set out the volleyballs instead of flirting,”

you dip your head and smile apologetically at the guy before heading towards the store room

and after that, you notice tsukki is a bit harsher, a bit more off his game, a little more easily irritated than usual

during a free moment, you nudge tanaka

“doesn’t he seem like he’s in a bad mood??”

zero braincell tanaka is like “??? isn’t he always like that??”

“no... something is definitely off today...”

what . could it be . i wonder .

every time you try to do your usual “tsukki~!!” he just turns away and ignores you

doesn’t sound too out of the ordinary, but you can just tell something is wrong

you still have no idea why he’s acting like this by the time practice ends

and when you go to the locker room to find him (so y’all can walk home together), he’s already gone :(

so, a little more droopy than usual, you head out

only to be surprised by a voice when you step outside

“took you long enough,”

you whip around to see tsukki leaning against the wall with crossed arms

he clicks his tongue and then sets off

and when you don’t immediately follow him, he glances over his shoulder

“are you coming or not?”

sdjfksjsdkjfsdjf smmpdfhsdf !!!!!!!

it’s just one sentence, and it doesn’t really mean anything

but hearing the words makes something incredibly warm bloom in your chest

you grin

“of course i am,”

that feeling lasts well into the next morning, but is replaced by a nauseating knot in your stomach when you arrive at school

because everyone’s whispering about one thing:

“tsukishima got called to the principal’s office!!!”

“whaaat ! why??”

“i heard he was caught with the answers for the upcoming exam!!”

your stomach . clenches

and before anybody can say another word, you’re sweeping out the door and down the hall

and in less than 30 seconds, you’re slamming open the door to the principal’s office

the principal and tsukki both look up, equally shocked at your sudden appearance

“y/n, what—”

you ignore him for the first time in your life

“sir, i need to tell you something.”

the principal is just like “... ?? can it wait??”

“no, it can’t.” you take several steps forward “the test answers, they—”

“y/n, don’t—”

you ignore him for the second time in your life again

“they’re mine,”

the principal blinks

“then why was tsukishima found holding them before class??”

“yesterday, they must’ve fallen out of my backpack. he probably picked them up without knowing what they were, so please don’t punish him,” you bow. “punish me instead,”

.. y/n dumb bitch

yea, you’re suspended for two weeks

and ofc there’ll be a mark on your record

plus you’re automatically given a fail for the upcoming exam so you’ll have to retake it later oof....

but as much as all that sucks, you don’t regret it bc you’d rather take the fall than let tsukki be wrongly accused and suffer for it

but honestly the break from school is kinda vibes 🥴

don’t even think about the homework you’ll have to make up

your phone is blowing up with texts from your friends

including your surrogate dads and moms from the karasuno vbc 🤧 they’re so worried about you

you’re sad you have to miss practice for such a long time but... you don’t regret your decision

“y/n!!” your little sister knocks on your door “one of your classmates is here for you,”

“‘kay!!” you call back, checking the time

shidt bitch time flies when you’re watching anime alone in your bedroom

you hop up and open your bedroom door to come face to face with the one. the only. tsukishima kei

your eyes are like O.O

“tsukki??? what are you doing here??” you grin “are you here because you’re worr—”

“no,” he cuts you off “i’m here to deliver your homework,”

“you could’ve given it to my sister, y’know,” you tease. “why’d you come all the way to my bedroom?? you missed me, hm?”

he doesn’t answer, instead surveying the room before sitting down on the edge of your bed

you blink, surprised he didn’t comeback with a cold retort

“tsukki?” you ask quietly, sliding into your desk chair

after a moment of silence, he fixes you with a stoic gaze

“why’d you lie?”

“because... because i couldn’t let you take the blame for that. i don’t know what happened, but i know you weren’t cheating. i know it.”

“neither were you. what’s the difference?”

you press your lips together in a frustrated pout

“the difference is that it’s you!!! i’m mediocre. i’m not outstanding. i’ll go to an average college either way, and it’ll be fine. but you..! you’re so smart!! and talented!!! you could do anything you want!!! you could get into an elite college!! the last thing you need is for some stupid misunderstanding to sully your transcript—”

“y/n—” he tries to cut in, but you bulldoze right over him

“— and i know you probably think what i did was useless and unhelpful, but i don’t care!!! i don’t care about a mark on my transcript, or being suspended, or failing all my exams, or even being expelled—”

“y/n—”

“— but i absolutely refuse to let that happen to you!! you’re too special for—”

this time, it’s not him speaking that interrupts you

this time, it’s him kissing you

you nearly combust on the spot

tsukki— tsukishima kei is kissing you

he’s leaning over you, with one hand on the chair’s armrest and the other steadying your head with his fingertips

your stomach does several full somersaults

and then, all too quickly, he pulls away and returns to his spot on your bed

you stare, eyes wide as saucers, mouth slightly agape

“w— what was— why did—”

“you wouldn’t stop talking,” he mutters, eyes focused a little too hard on the wall

for a moment, you’re too shocked to move

and then your 🥰tsukki🥰 mode activates

and you just fuckin LUNGE at him

“y/n??? what—!”

kisses!!! kisses on his cheeks!! his nose!!! his forehead!!!

and shockingly he doesn’t?? push you off??

me heart just skipped a beat wjdkfjs

he’s just like “y/n, you’re fogging up my glasses, please stop,”

“i refuse!!!! i’ve been waiting months to do this!!!!!”

once he manages to de-suction you from him, you fix him with doe eyes and a cheeky grin

“hey, tsukki??”

“.. what?”

“i like you,”

he blinks

adjusts his glasses

“make sure to finish that homework. i’m bringing tomorrow’s homework too,”

as he’s leaving, you hope he can feel your glowing smile on his back

the next day, you get a message from the school letting you know that your suspension and other punishments have been retracted

as the real culprit of the cheating was found

an unannounced locker-search discovered several exam cheatsheets almost exactly like the one tsukki found in the locker of a student, and the school realized their mistake <3 how nice of them

and that meant you were free to return to school, name cleared!!!

the volleyball club was eagerly awaiting your return

so when they saw tsukki arrive for practice, they expected you’d be following right along behind him

but instead???

you were koala-ing on his abdomen

“bro... did you carry her all the way here like that??”

“the real question is why he allowed it,”

you shoot a blinding grin at the guys

“he can at least do this much for his girlfriend~!”

the entire gym is like WhA T !!!!!

“hE SAID YES???”

“nope,”

“he... asked you out?? then??”

“also no...”

“did he at least tell you he liked you...?”

“...”

“NISHINOYA STOP SHE’S TEARING UP,” sugamama to the rescue

you let go of tsukki and half the team goes IN on him

“dude wtf!!! she got suspended for you and you didn’t even at least tell her you like her???”

“not just suspended, almost expelled!!!”

“yeah that!!!”

“i say we kill tsukki,”

“tanaka no,”

“GUYS!!” angry!daichi makes an appearance “it’s time for practice!!!”

grumbling, the team disperses

you’re about to head to the store room to help get out the practice equipment, when—

“y/n.”

you turn “hm?”

he’s silent for a moment

“i wouldn’t have kissed you if i didn’t like you.”

your face flushes a deep red

but then he adds, “either time.”

either...? time...?

W A I T

your eyes POP OUT

“that— that wasn’t a DREAM???”

he doesn’t answer, just heads onto the court

but you think you see a slight smirk

and maybe... just maybe??

his ears are a little more red than usual.

#haikyuu #hq #haikyuu!!#tsukishima kei #tsukishima x reader #reader x tsukishima #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu fic #haikyuu au #au #haikyuu fanfic #haikyuu imagine #tsukishima au #tsukishima scenarios #tsukishima kei au #girls chase boys #fanfic

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beatsfortheillperth · 3 years

Text

Words with Jetson

Our next interview is with a producer and rapper out of a beautiful place known as Tauranga, in New Zealand, This creative is known as Jetson.

He happens to be one of my cat, Rain's personal favourites for sleep time and regardless of the amount of thumping bass Jetson's music creates and picture frames it knocks over, I understand why he sleeps so sweetly.

Probably a lot to do with the fact that bass has rhythm, just like the sweet sweet words Jetson correlates with his word-plays in tracks such as "Milk" and "SENSEI". Not only impressing cats, Jetson has made moves and connections beyond the long white cloud, proving isolation doesn't always silence brilliance. Jetson brings words any generation can hold some sort of relevance to, words that allow one to notice life moves fast and slow and sometimes you just have to chill and become an observer rather than an instigator.

This is something I feel Jetson has accomplished with his rather low-key approach to releases and interviews.

Jetson is a natural, a true prodigy of sound and a sharer of moods, and to me, is a reminder that with a little bit of passion and persistence, great things can happen, whatever your field.

Jetson’s collective and label - Chill Children is evidence of that, as through it , Jetson is able to work and release with producers and beat-makers all over the globe.

emo the optimist, BACKWHEN, fuyu, eets, and junyii are just some of the diverse talents working with Chill Children and everyone on the catalogue are game-changers that make music that’s anointed in chills.

Creators that push boundaries and portray emotion through sound in the most soothing way, one must check Chill Children.

So with that I hope you enjoy rare words with the nuance wonder, and in his own words.

Sit back, relax, get baked, create, f**k it.

Enjoy and much love.

Hey man thanks for the opportunity to share words. Let's start with a few random quick questions to get things going. Favourite Beverage: Lemon water. Favourite thing to do in your down-time: Make music/skate. Views on Reincarnation: It will be cool if it is true but I guess it doesn't really change anything if it is 🤷‍♂️ Favourite Food: Sushi. Favourite Album of All Time: Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders A song to break it down to: Ethereal & Playboi Carti - Beef A song to chill to: Durand Jones & The Indications - Cruising to the park Do you prefer Sunrise? or Sunset? Why?: Sunset, because I'm never awake for sunrise. A childhood memory in regards to music: I remember saving up to buy Graduation by Kanye West and listening to that shit front to back for weeks straight. Favourite Place to be: Probably on an island.

Thanks for that, so let's start by asking what inspires you to produce and not only produce but continually produce, what to me is an array of tunes fitting so many genres?

Do you have a set of goals in place when you release a track or do you just hit upload and just hope people are feeling your sound?

What I like to listen to is constantly changing so I like to challenge myself to try and make the things that I'm inspired by.

I like to think that you never know what you're gonna get when you listen to my music but I've still got so much to learn and experiment with. I just try have fun with it and not think about it too much.

How long have you been producing music, and what did you find was hardest to get the hang of when it first came to producing beats?

I had no music theory knowledge or anything when I started making beats (I still don't have much) so there was a lot to learn right away.

Probably the hardest thing that I still battle with is knowing what you should release, what you shouldn't etc. It's hard to balance knowing when something is finished and when it still needs work.

Could you give a quick run-through of the process you follow when it comes to making a beat?

I try to change my process as much as I can to keep things fresh and fun for myself. But I really enjoy hearing a sample somewhere like keys, a quote or a rapper I want to remix, then I start working with that piece and see where it goes.

I'll mess around with the beat for a while and sometimes a track comes out. It can take one day, it can take months. Just depends.

Oldies are always goodies in my books and I have to mention your "bumps from 2014" mixtape, it truly is something special.

What inspired those little bumps? What were you doing back then? Also, can you remember the mood you were in when you made them?

I'm glad you like it haha. That was when I really had no clue what I was doing in terms of making beats, I was making all of those 'off the grid' in Ableton so I was placing drums in random places, I had no idea what bpm the samples were or anything. I really didn't know wtf I was doing, just going off of a vibe.

My mood was really just being excited about making music, I was living in the basement at my mum's house blasting beats on the speakers all day.

[bumps from 2014] - https://soundcloud.com/sleepgodd/bumps-from-2014

You are also a rapper. My favourite NZ rapper to be more precise so thank you for the vibes you create. How did you find out you had it in you to rap and how old were you?

Damn, I appreciate that ✌️ I started rapping with a friend of mine, Jesse aka j cafe when we were around 20. We'd sit in my room smoking weed, and free-styling over beats on Soundcloud all night.

Then we decided to make a track, so we found a beat and jumped in the closet to record some vocals on the laptop microphone.

We put it up on Soundcloud and I've been addicted to making music ever since.

Link to j cafe’s Soundcloud here - https://soundcloud.com/j-cafe

Cover art for Jetson’s 2019 rap release - bluntscraps

Album cover art by Takuroh Toyama

When did you first start rapping in front of others? What did it feel like in the beginning compared to now when you perform live?

I was insanely nervous the first time I ever did anything live and that feeling really hasn't left me lol.

Except now I know how to deal with nerves a bit better and actually enjoy the whole experience of doing something live.

I definitely think I'm a lot better now than my first time doing it, but I still kinda suck 😂 Staying on topic with your rapping, material-wise you have mad skills, your music is forever helping me chill out so thank you.

When did you start writing down your words and turning them into structured songs? Do you have any other artists that inspire your writing style?

When I was younger I really liked the flow of rappers rather than what they were actually saying.

Dudes like MF Doom and Earl Sweatshirt really influenced me at the start wanting to come up with lines that were catchy and different.

To form an actual track I usually just mumble over beats to get the flow, then I start placing words in the spots where I think they fit.

Does your family know you make music? If so what do they think of it, any dance parties in the Jetson Family Household?

My immediate family all know and support my music. My mum used to have one of my tracks as her ringtone for years lol.

No jetson dance parties yet, but seems like every year more people in my extended family know about my music.

You were also a member of NZ Duo, Chill Children of which you rap and produce with yet another kiwi talent, both having low-key approaches when it comes to presenting yourselves through social media. What happened with that?

Me and J Cafe started Chill Children as a rap project in the early days but we moved to different places in the world and started doing our own solo projects so things sort of stopped happening with it.

I still credit those times with really getting me started on music though. He's still making dope shit and we'll probably link up on a track soon.

So then it became a sort of collective community, and through your Chill Children Soundcloud, you allow a platform for other artists to have their music heard.

Much Love on the concept, What inspired you to start sharing other artists music and what keeps you sharing? I'm very grateful btw, too many gems.

I work on music a lot with my friend emo the optimist (aka kodama) and we always wanted to run a label/collective kind of thing so we could release music from artists that we really liked.

After me and Jesse started doing our own thing, Chill Children seemed like the perfect place to start doing that.

It's one of my favorite things to work on as we have a hand in working with the artists on every release. I just love that we're able to share so much music that we really like with the world.

Check Chill Children here -

Bandcamp - https://chillchildren.bandcamp.com/

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/chillchildren

Instagram - @chillchildren

Any new Chill Children material we should keep an eye out for?

We always have new music from new artists dropping so definitely follow our instagram/twitter if you want to stay updated on it.

We're currently working on a phonk compilation with guys like DJ Yung Vamp, Genshin etc. It's gonna be crazy 🤯

Back to your solo releases through your alias Jetson. What made you want to start putting out your material alone? Also, do you have a favourite Jetson release?

I really felt like I had to release music solo to see what I could do.

I've learned so much about myself through that process, became more confident and a better musician.

Probably my favorite rap track I've made is called 'Escape'.

Not many people have heard it but it's on Spotify and other places.

My favorite beat I've made is probably 'dylan rieder'.

Have to ask, are you working on any new releases we should keep an ear out for? If so, what can we expect with your coming releases?

I just released an album on Bandcamp called THROWED TAPES which was really influenced by DJ screw and other phonk producers.

I'm working on a lofi R&B tape for Bandcamp, a lofi beat tape, and I really want to release a rap EP.

Who knows when those will come out though haha

Taking it back a little to your rapping again I have to mention "Milk". What inspires the words in this track?

Also please share the story behind your track "Melancholy"? The words are somewhat mesmerizing, thank you!

With milk, I just heard the beat from bsd.u and really wanted to make something weird that just followed the flow of the beat.

On melancholy I tried to think about what I was saying a little more. The instrumental is so introspective and smooth I knew I had to come correct on it.

THROWED TAPES By Jetson, released August, 27, 2020

Musical Recommendations?

junyii - emo the optimist - knxwledge - j cafe - jesse james solomon - the smiths - dj yung vamp - shuggie otis - hm surf - alicks - MIKE - baccyard - meraki soul - steve hiett I could go on for days though lol

Creatives to keep an eye out for in music and art? Takuroh Toyama (photography) Moebius (visual art) Steve Hiett (photography/music) Any Last Words?

It really trips me out that people enjoy something I love to do so much.

So just thank you for vibing with me, I have a lot more to share ✌️

Support Jetson here -

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/highimjetson

Bandcamp - https://jetsonbumps.bandcamp.com/

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/2bkf2PmiVyfCqg2uzIFIqJ

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jetsonbumps

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jetsonn/?hl=en

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youtube

Milk by Jetson (Production by bsd.u)

#soundcloud #spotify #bandcamp #jetson #rapper #producer #beatsfortheill #interview

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scorpiosanssexy · 4 years

Note

hellohello can i pls request a roommate matchup? basic details: libra, enfp-a, slytherin likes: volleyball (im a D1 athlete) and music dislikes: cooking living habits: can bake but not cook, somewhat an early riser (8-9am), visitors occasionally, and not super organized but always clean hobbies: volleyball, playing piano misc: allergic to dogs, but i love cats

Dear User,

congratulations, we have found you a potential roommate. We have throughly looked through your application and we hope you are happy with your result. Below this post are all the details about them.

Yours Sincerely

The Accommodation Team

Name: Miya Atsumu Birthday: 5th October (Libra) MBTI: ENTP

I headcanon Atsumu to be in Slytherin as well so I imagine you are both have big plans for the future and you help each other grow as people.

Also you are both as snarky as eachother, sometimes when someone is being a dramatic you both look at each other like you are in the office

Not that you’re any better atsumu

Being a Libra you are naturally very charming and sweet and Atsumu defienetely would apprcieate this about you because he is normally a grump

You generally cheer up when he is having a shitty day

anyway also joint parties too!!! ( he would rather share his birthday with you than his brother lol)

He most definetely likes to flirt and tease you but you either completely oblvious or absolutely roasts the living day lights out of him.

Osumu loves it

He comes to you for girl advice tho and you help him becoming a little less intimidating

Atsumu loves the fact you play volleyball at quite a high level

He loves to train with you at weekends, if you are a wing spiker it’s a bonus because he loves setting to all different type of player

When he comes to your matches, he 100% starts to coach you like he can’t help himself. He gives you pointers

He also tries to piss the other team off (eg: making loud noises when they are serving etc...)

You both go out shopping to buy volleyball trainers and equipement together

Also you go to all his games, because he forces you whaaaat

Now when it comes to your piano playing at first he will hate it

but if you keep persistently playing he soon grows to love it

like if he comes home from a hard day at practice and he doesn’t hear the music, then like a over dramatic hoe he is he demands that you play, (his personal fave is Claude Debussy)

He secretly thinks it’s really cool

Now Atsumu hypes him self up to be a really great cook but the only thing this man can make his favourite - fatty tuna

Unless you want to be eating this for the rest of your life I suggest you turn to his good friend or should i say brother Osamu

yeah he pities you too so he comes around cooks for you, which you are forever grateful for whilst Atsumu just broods in the cornor

Thanks your natural people skills, the brothers are slowly becoming friends

Now I don’t see Atsumu as a sweet tooth kinda guy, definetly more savory

but one day you made a green tea cake (for your friend) and you caught him eating it

Thanks to him, you can now also bake some savoury goods which he loves to have during his off seasons

Osamu heard about your infamous green tea cake and now demands you make it for their birthday every year

Atsumu is also the same when it comes to keeping a tidy space, like things are all put away but it is no where near organised.

You too do sometimes lose things quite a lot but it always turns up eventually

You have lots of funny stories because of it.

*kita signing in the distance*

Now Atsumu is one the lasiest mf i know

Every morning at 8am you blast the radio to get him out of bed

He says he hates it but let’s be honest without that wake up call he would be very late all the time

It is the only way to wakeup him ,you have tried pulling the blinds open and pulling the blankets off him but he is an incrediably deep sleeper

Now i headcanon as well that Atsumu is not really a fan of animals especially dogs ( i am sorry to any dog lover rn)

so he is cool with you being allergic because he doesn’t like them too much either so you just avoid being around them

However, when you suggested getting a cat he was horrified

but he eventually warms up to the idea, cats are more independant than dogs so Atsumu can still concentrate on his volleyball without having to worry too much about the pet

You have a photo of him cuddling the cat awww

Overall, you have a funny, intelligent but slightly grumpy roommate

Other Potential Matches: Kuroo Tetsurou and Tsukishima Kei

thank you for your patience

#haikyuu matchup #haikyuu roommate #haikyuu roommate matchup #atusmu miya #atsumu x reader #atsumu fluff #inarizaki #home is where the heart is

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athena1138 · 4 years

Note

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday, and Happy Pride Month! Tell us a little bit about how gender and/or orientations are expressed in your world

Oo!! You’re gonna spoil me lol. Thank you!!

So, it varies from race to race. On the whole, the general tone of the world is, “It’s whatever, man.” Most races don’t care about gender identities not matching sex, nor about if a relationship is hetero or not. A lot of hate and stigmatization of the subject has long since been eradicated or at least toned down from the places where it existed. It happens, of course, but on a much, much smaller scale. Drevora is a pretty damn gay place. Deets below the cut.

Humans are as they are irl, there’s “2″ very distinct sexes with associated gender roles, but it’s beginning to break a little thanks to increased interactions with other races and their cultures. Things like gender fluidity and transgender identities are a little less stigmatized and beginning to emerge a lot more than they have in the past. Orientations are traditionally very m/f, but the past 200ish years have shown a large-scale acceptance of same sex relationships, though there does still exist a resistance to it.

In the Mountain Folk tribes, it’s not so much what’s in your pants as how well can you wield a weapon. There’s very few gender roles and as for presentation, it’s pretty much whatever. Typically, the differences are subtle and easy to change. Like, if a MF wears their hair a certain way or wears a specific necklace, those are easy ways to present. Which also means agenderism is very common. It just kind of depends. In their tongue, there are no words for “she” or “he” or anything following, it all just translates to “they.” The only time it’s ever taken into consideration is when the desire to have children is involved which is its own thing entirely. Same sex or even polyamorous relationships are super common among the tribes and very rarely a problem, unless there’s a particular case. (Like Theni, who is very, very gay, but who is soon to be the chief of her tribe and whose marriage to the male son of an up-to-now-enemy tribe has been arranged since her birth. That’s a pretty big problem because promises like that cannot just be broken in the MF culture.)

Dwarven culture is also fairly agender but that’s because Dwarven women also grow facial hair, and their muscular frames make it difficult to at first glance determine if one has breasts or not. To an outsider, distinguishing male from female can be quite difficult, but within their own culture, they know. There’s braids which only females wear and which only males wear, there’s subtle greetings, etc. But, like the Mountain Folk, these are all easy presentations to change, so it’s very common for identities to change from one day to the next, and it’s not questioned at all. With the introduction of surface races and their cultures some 3 or 400 years ago, things have changed a bit. Things like makeup and tight clothing have found their way into Dwarven society. The old ways still persist, the old forms of presentations and the like, but they’re accentuated with the new ways. (Like, my Dwarf Marynn, she shaves her beard maybe once a week, wears makeup, and wears tight clothing like shirts whose V’s go down into the waist band of her pants. And it’s not a problem at all, that’s just how she is.) Queer relationships are very, very common, but due to the reclusive nature of Dwarves, it is hoped that most couples would endeavor to have at least one child in their lifetimes. Medical practices on par with in-vitro and an extensive and accessible adoption system have been common place for centuries by this point, so it’s generally not a problem.

Elves are a little more staunch, like humans, but not aggressively so. It’s not unheard of for a male Elf to wear a gown and let his hair down every now and then, but it is a little stigmatized, just as it is for a female Elf to wear her hair up and don “male” robes. It’s more... private. It isn’t questioned, and it isn’t against any rules, but it’s just... not something which is spoken about. Queer relationships do happen, but it’s not a very loud thing. Indeed, in some places they’re seen as even a little taboo. Not illegal or worth disowning, but... taboo. (This rigidity is what lead to Darsys being sent away from her home.)

Dragonborns, since they produce asexually, really don’t give a shit about any of it. The whole concept of gender and its correlation to relationships just... don’t exist. They high-key think the mammalian races are fuckin crazy with that shit (which is valid.) There are some DBs, (like my girl Ellie,) who have observed the notion of gender in other races and decided that they enjoy that idea, so they adopt it for themselves. It’s not common, but it happens. Within the DB culture, this can either be seen as unnatural and gross, or it can be treated like these individuals are just of another soul and seeking their true self.

Orcs are patriarchal af, like humans squared, so the idea that their genders could be different than their bodies in any way is frankly very affronting. They are not generally a tolerant people. They care a little less about relationships because sex is just sex, but lifestyles are a different matter.

Gnomes and Halflings both are fairly chill. Like by nature they are a very chill pecies. It’s unusual but not a big deal for an individual to present differently than their body, and usually same sex relationships are alright. They’re like the hippies of this world, it’s just whatever, man. It’s so whatever that one of the first questions a Gnome or Halfling will ask a new person is, “What are your pronouns?” A common way for them to ask sexual orientation is, “What pronouns do you seek?” (though this is usually reserved for individuals seeking to begin a relationship. It’s a fairly rude question.) (These habits are fairly deeply ingrained when raising a Gnome/Halfling child. Idani, despite having been raised within a temple by humans for 20/30 years of her life, she still remembers them.)

Let’s see. Gah, there’s so much going on here.

Oh, Sirens. Yeah they don’t give a shit. It’s very, very rare that Sirens will form connections with others because they’re just... So damn reclusive. So, relationships at all, let alone queer relationships, just kinda don’t happen except for producing offspring, so it wouldn’t really matter if it was hetero or not because it’s still gonna be weird as shit. As for presentation, it doesn’t really matter. Nobody would know or care if your identity didn’t match your organs, so it’s not a big deal. There’s more important things to worry about anyways, like protecting the literal entire world from the Realm Beyond, like Iko does.

That’s about all I have the brain space for right this moment, but there’s probably more still. Thanks again!!

#shut up becca #becca writes #becca's owip

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greatreviewreview · 3 years

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A review on RO membrane technology: Developments and challenges

Reverse osmosis (RO) based desalination is one of the most important and widely recognized technologies for production of fresh water from saline water. Since its conception and initiation, a significant development has been witnessed in this technology w.r.t. materials, synthesis techniques, modification and modules over the last few decades. The working of a RO plant inclusive of the pretreatment and post-treatment procedures has been briefly discussed in the article. The main objective of this review is to highlight the historical milestones achieved in RO technology in terms of membrane performance, the developments seen over the last few years and the challenges perceived.

The material properties of the membrane dominate the performance of a RO process. The emergence of nano-technology and biomimetic RO membranes as the futuristic tools is capable of revolutionizing the entire RO process. Hence the development of nano-structured membranes involving thin film nano-composite membranes, carbon-nanotube membranes and aquaporin-based membranes has been focussed in detail. The problems associated with a RO process such as scaling, brine disposal and boron removal are briefed and the measures adopted to address the same have been discussed.

In response to the escalating world water demand and aiming to promote equal opportunities, reverse osmosis desalination has been widely implemented. Desalination is however constantly subjected to fouling and scaling which increase the cost of desalination by increasing the differential pressure of the membrane and reducing the permeate flux. A bench-scale desalination equipment has been used in this research to investigate the mitigation of fouling and scaling. This study involved the performance of membrane autopsy for fouling characterisation with special attention to flux decline due to sulphate precipitation and biofouling. Visual inspection, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and microbiology tests (API) were performed. Results obtained showed the presence of diatoms, pseudomonas and polysaccharides as the main foulants causing biofouling. Analysis revealed sulphate deposits as well as aluminium, calcium and silica as the main elements contributing to inorganic scaling. Findings pointed out that the pre-treatment system of the small-scale reverse osmosis water treatment was inefficient and that selection of pre-treatment chemicals should be based on its compatibility with the membrane structure. The importance of characterisation for the verification of fouling mechanisms is emphasised.

This research was conducted to determine the performance of Reverse Osmosis (RO) membranes in producing pure water, pure water known as mineral-free water or water with zero dissolved solids (TDS = 0 ppm).PDAM (Regional Drinking Water Company) Tirta Musi in Palembang, South Sumatra and water from the Micro Filtration (MF) and Ultrafiltration (UF) processes are fed to the RO process using two feeding methods, namely a single pass and a circulation feed. In a single pass feed, the operating pressure is set at 20 - 50 Psig, where an increase in the product rate and the rejection rate so that the flux increases. Rejection of TDS obtained increased from 96.6% - 97.5%. Furthermore, the circulating feed system with a constant pressure of 50 Psig decreases TDS and Conductivity. Rejection of TDS 96.1% for PDAM water feed and Rejection of TDS for feed water from MF&UF 97.3% in subsequent feedings there was a decrease in TDS and conductivity but not significantly. The purified water produced has a TDS content of 0.16 - 0.48 ppm, a conductivity of 0.17 - 0.49 μs/cm, a pH of 6.99 - 7.2 and a resistivity of 177 - 185 kΩ, the characteristics of this pure water are according to the standard pure water in ASTM D1193 - 99e1 and NCCLS.

Clean water obtained by desalinating sea water or by purifying wastewater, constitutes a major technological objective in the so-called water century. In this work, a high-performance reverse osmosis (RO) composite thin membrane using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and aromatic polyamide (PA), was successfully prepared by interfacial polymerization. The effect of MWCNT on the chlorine resistance, antifouling and desalination performances of the nanocomposite membranes were studied. We found that a suitable amount of MWCNT in PA, 15.5 wt.%, not only improves the membrane performance in terms of flow and antifouling, but also inhibits the chlorine degradation on these membranes. Therefore, the present results clearly establish a solid foundation towards more efficient large-scale water desalination and other water treatment processes.

Introduction

The availability of clean water has become a global problem because of the continuously increasing costs of energy and increasing scarcity of water resources1. This problem has been exacerbated in recent years in the so-called century of water. By far, the domestic ro membrane process persists as the most reliable and cost-effective water desalination technique and numerous large-scale RO plants have been constructed around the world2,3. A wide range of polymers have shown potential for fabricating desalination membranes to be used in RO4. However, PA-based membranes tend to exhibit the best performance in terms of selectivity, flow, chemical stability and ease of large-scale fabrication. PA membrane technology was developed in the mid-70 s and has become the commercial benchmark in RO membranes5. In order to improve the membrane performances, the recent trend in polymer-based membrane research has been to investigate various types of nanocomposite films as an active layer of RO membrane, so-called nanocomposite membranes, in which these films are fabricated using a nanosized filler such as MWCNT, graphene, graphene oxide, silica, or zeolite6. In this regard, MWCNT·PA-based membranes have been prepared by several groups and in general, these membranes have exhibited some level of improved performance7,8,9,10,11,12. The advantages claimed for these membranes range from increased salt rejection, large fluxes, greater durability and even antimicrobial properties.

MWCNT synthesized by catalytic chemical vapour deposition13,14 have been widely studied due to their fascinating chemical and physical properties and among all nanocarbon materials, they can be mass-produced for commercially available applications, such as the electrode additives in high performance lithium ion batteries15. Interestingly, while the structure of the fully aromatic PA-based commercial ro membrane derived from m-phenylendiamine (MPD)-trimesoyl chloride (TMC) is constrained due to its stoichiometry; the addition of MWCNT can significantly vary their performance due to their unique features such as dispersability diameter, length, straightness and chemical functionalities, among many others. Therefore, although these past reports acknowledge the key role of MWCNT in aromatic PA nanocomposite membranes, still little attention has been devoted to the mechanisms related to the improvement of flow rate, selectivity and chlorine tolerance2. Carbon nanotubes inducing chlorine tolerance are particularly interesting because chlorine sensitivity has been recognized as a major drawback of PA-based RO membranes16,17. During long-term operation, chlorine is often added as a pre-treatment to reduce algae biofouling18 and is particularly needed for drinking water purification. Moreover, high-concentration short-term exposure to chlorine is also common during domestic nf membrane backwashing. For these reasons, several studies have been carried out and the degradation mechanism of aromatic PA membranes during chlorine exposure is relatively well-known19,20. Recently, our group demonstrated that the addition of MWCNT to rubber can considerably reduce the chlorine-induced degradation of the polymer matrix21. Although the degradation mechanism of rubber by chlorine is different from that of PA, particularly due to the lack of hydrolysis, covalent chlorination is a common problem for both polyamide and rubber. For rubber, we found that MWCNT effectively restricted the adsorption of chlorine within the polymer matrix, thus resulting in a limited exposure of the polymer to this reactive reagent and thereby decreasing the oxidative degradation. For these reasons, we believe MWCNT are not only promising composite fillers with chlorine protective properties, but might also help to provide mechanical robustness to PA-based RO membranes.

Results and Discussion

We prepared aromatic PA membranes using a support consisting of a porous polysulfone layer deposited on a polypropylene nonwoven. These support membranes were soaked sequentially in MPD and TMC solutions, to synthesize the aromatic PA membrane by interfacial polymerization. In order to incorporate MWCNT into the PA membrane, an anionically stabilized dispersion of MWCNT (Supplementary Fig. S1) was mixed with the MPD solution and the synthesis was conducted similarly. Figure 1a shows an image of the resulting membranes, with and without MWCNT. The black color developed in the membrane prepared using surfactant dispersed MWCNT is characteristic of the high carbon nanotube content of the present membrane (Fig. 1a). Thermogravimetry of the active layer (Supplementary Fig. S2) of the black color membrane indicates that it contains ca. 15.5 wt. % of MWCNT, which is at least 150 times higher than previously reported MWCNT-filled RO PA membranes7,8,12. The SEM image showing the surface morphology of the membrane is typical for the interfacial PA polymerization22, consisting of the multi-layered ridge-and-valley (Fig. 1b); the morphology of this membrane clearly changed after the addition of MWCNT (Fig. 1c). The thickness of the membranes was measured using SEM (Supplementary Fig. S3). The addition of MWCNT did not modify the thickness of the active layer and both samples were approximately 100 nm thick. However, water contact angle measurements showed a slight increase in wettability upon addition of MWCNT to the PA membrane (Supplementary Fig. S4). Notably, no MWCNT were visible on the surface, thus indicating that they were perfectly embedded within the PA matrix, a key factor needed for avoiding MWCNT leakage during operation. Flow permeation rates, as indicated below and SEM images confirmed that the membranes can be produced pinhole-free in a reproducible way. After the membrane was dried for SEM studies, cracks were generated by manual deformation of the membrane (Fig. 1d) and MWCNT embedded, parallel along the membrane surface, were observed bridging the fracture within the polymer matrix. The apparent diameter of these nanotubes are ca. 20 nm, which is about two times larger than the pristine nanotubes (Fig. S1a). These facts suggest that the nanotubes must be coated with polymer to achieve a good matrix-nanotube adhesion. In order to support our proposed structure consisting of a polymeric network with aromatic moieties in parallel arrangement to the MWCNT walls, we performed theoretical simulations of the monomer molecules orientation in the vicinity of a carbon nanotube surface, see Supplementary Fig. S5. Here, four different cases, consisting of two geometrical configurations, are demonstrated: horizontal and vertical alignments with respect to the MWCNT surface (modelled as a graphene surface), for both monomers (MPD and TMC). The results indicate a clear energetic preference for the horizontal arrangements of these molecules interacting with sp2 hybridized carbon networks; these preferences are related to π-π stacking and are known to be common for aromatic compounds on sp2 hybridized carbon surfaces. Similarly, Fig. S5b shows a simulation of 50 MPD molecules absorbed on a graphene surface and it can be seen that the molecules adopt a similar geometrical orientation after relaxation (Fig. S5c). In order to rule out curvature effects, we carried the simulations using a (10,10) single-walled carbon nanotube (Fig. S5d), which evidently has a higher curvature than the 10 nm diameter MWCNT experimentally used in the membrane fabrication. It can be seen on Fig. S5e that after relaxation, the aromatic ring of the MPD molecules lies parallel to the carbon nanotube surface. We confirmed the strong affinity of MPD with MWCNT by filtering the solution and carrying out UV-Vis spectroscopy. We found that 16.7% of the MPD monomer remained attached to the MWCNT. These MPD functionalized MWCNT were polymerized in TMC solution. Supplementary Fig. S6a shows a homogeneous PA coating on the MWCNT. Supplementary Fig. S6b depicts a higher resolution image showing a coating of about 5 nm thick on the MWCNT surface. We used fast Fourier transformation (FFT) of the HRTEM images to analyze the orientation of the PA network and it is clear that PA regions that do not contain MWCNT, show an anisotropic molecular arranged structure (Supplementary Fig. S6c), whereas the PA coating the nanotubes show a preferential orientation of PA molecules along the MWCNT surface (Supplementary Fig. S6d). These experiments strongly support a templating effect caused by MWCNT. To assess the distribution of the MWCNT within the membrane, a Raman mapping of the characteristic D- and G- bands of MWCNT was conducted (see Fig. 1e,f). Through all the studied areas only the D- and G- peaks could be observed, indicating a homogenous mixture and a high content of MWCNT, which is not common in these type of nanocomposites, because the MWCNT are prone to aggregation even when loading at low concentrations. Commercial NF membrane exhibited a lower contact angle; however in this case, the presence of wetting additives or a surface treatment is likely responsible for this phenomena. The method used to synthesize the MWCNT·PA nanocomposite relies on the transport of the MWCNT to the organic/aqueous interface during polymerization23. Indeed, the presence of a limited amount of anionic surfactant has been recently reported to improve PA membrane formation, resulting in better performance24. This is most likely due to a reduction of the oil/water interfacial tension, a process that in our case is also promoted by the small amount of surfactant that provides amphiphilicity to the nanotubes It is important to emphasize that we did not used covalent functionalization of MWCNT, in contrast to some previous reports8,11.

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sonic-autopsy-blog · 5 years

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#5 ‘So What’ by Miles Davis [Jazz]

Genre: Modal Jazz

Track: So What

Composer/ Artist: Miles Davis

Introduction: Jazz has come to be one of the most influential music genres of the last century. Jazz has its roots in African-American communities of New Orleans in America. The genre is said to have begun in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and takes influence from both Blues and Ragtime. The end of World War I, the newfound freedom of African-Americans, the sharing of cultures, and the increase in leisure time and mass media all contributed to the rise of Jazz music. The likes of New Orleans Jazz (1910s), Gypsy Jazz (1930s), Bebop (1940s), Jazz-rock fusion (1960s) and Smooth Jazz (1980s) all share broad characteristics such as improvisation, swing, blue notes, call and response vocals and polyrhythms. However, all these sub-genres also put their own stamp on the genre through various compositional, technical and stylistic choices.

The track we will discuss here, So What is a quintessential piece of Modal Jazz, a musical style born from the ashes of Bebop in the late 1950s which celebrates simplicity, more organic structures, relaxed tempi and whimsy but also gives rise to a wider palette of melodic colours since modes bring new harmonic structures into the aural mix.

Themes: Laid Back, Relaxed, Light-footed

Texture: Featured on Miles Davis’ classic 1959 album Kind of Blue, the opening track So What is by all means a Jazz standard. Texturally, this track comprises of trumpet, piano, drums, upright bass and tenor and alto saxophone. The piano establishes the tonal context of the track with a two-chord motif. The upright bass enters and delivers its melodic voice in call-and-response. When the brass first enter they play in monophonic voicing supporting the piano. The call-and-response interaction with the bass persists. On bar 42 the call-and-response and monophony gives way to a 3-part polyphonic section with bass, piano and trumpet playing separate interweaving melodic lines with the trumpet taking the lead. This polyphonic structure continues through the solo section with the trumpet being replaced by tenor and alto sax and finally piano (where the brass all being once again to sound a melodic line in monophonic fashion). After the solos the piano returns to the main riff/motif along with the brass and the track finishes as it started - in a call-and-response between the bass and the other instruments.

Dynamics: So What follows the tradition of a lot of Jazz in its expressive use of dynamics. Probably the most notable use of dynamics in So What occur with the piano. The iconic chord voicings which repeat throughout the track use dynamics to convey a sense of energy and light-footedness. On an overall compositional level the dynamics shift from mf in the intro section to f when the solos begin. The track returns to mf when the piano takes its solo. Here the drummer changes to playing the rim of the snare. The brass also come down in level. The track then drops further to p and again to pp before fading out.

Timbre: So What can be seen to showcase a fairly traditional grouping of Jazz timbres. The piano on the track features throughout and is delicate, rich and for the most part dry and upfront. The upright bass is full bodied and rounded sounding but at the same time has some distance and openness. The drums sound crisp, woody and airy which adds to the laid back feel of the song. The trumpet is focused but not harsh. It exhibits a fairly rounded and mellow timbre. In comparison the tenor and alto saxophones are much more piercing, reedy and bright and command the attention of the listener when they play full voice.

Instrumentation/use of Technology: Technology both in recording and instrumentation in the 1950s was very different from current conventions. So What was recorded on three-track tape at Columbia Records’ 30th Street Studio in New York City using entirely acoustic instrumentation. The studio was a converted Greek Orthodox Church. This large space with its high vaulted ceilings plays a large part in the sound signature of So What as close micing would not have been used. Unlike the now common practice of recording instruments one by one, the ensemble would have performed together paying close attention to their distance from microphones and their level in relation to the rest of the musicians. Songs were performed in one take with little practice or rehearsal. All of these elements combine to give a sonic signature which is very organic and unmediated.

Melody: Modal music develops thematic material through rhythm and melody rather than through chord progressions. The melodic backbone of the piece is the compelling quartal 2 chord riff introduced by the piano. These pentachords are a whole step apart. The basic interval is the perfect 4th (in some cases ♭4 and ♯4). The simplistic foundational progression gives freedom for improvisation in terms of melody. In terms of the solo section which takes up much of the track, the modal structure manifests in a complex and ever moving piece of music which modulates from D Dorian to Eb Dorian. Davis’ solo can be marked as very melodic with thoughtful phrasing, whereas Coltrane uses a harder/ scalar approach playing faster and leaving less space.

Notation (Piano chords):

Time Signature: 4/4

Tempo: The tempo of So What varies to some degree but as a while the track has a moderate swing feel and plays at roughly 134bpm.

Tonality: As mentioned earlier, instead of musical ideas which move away from and back to the home key, or tonic (which may be major or minor), modality implies a series of transposable interval relationships. Ideas are developed via changes in the character of the mode (e.g. C Dorian to C Mixolydian) or in modulation to other modes. This amounts to a simplistic tonal foundation on which Modal Jazz songs are built. So What follows a 32 bar AABA structure (16 bars in D Dorian, 8 bars in Eb Dorian and a further 8 bars in D Dorian).

Structure: The track intro is played by the piano and bass. The piano drops out and the bass plays a line solo before the piano and drums enter. The brass then enters, playing the melody in a call-and-response fashion with the bass. After one 32 bar chorus each performer takes an extended solo in the following order: trumpet, tenor sax, alto sax and piano. During these solos the other brass players do not play. Following this the melody line is played for a chorus. The piece ends with bass, piano and drums and fades out.

#music analysis #jazz #modal jazz #miles davis

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1-pointconsultancy · 4 years

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8 MISTAKES TO AVOID WHILE INVESTING IN MUTUAL FUNDS?

utual funds, especially equity mutual funds, have played a pivotal role in helping retail investors create wealth over the last 25 years since they actually became a distinct asset class in India. Of course, mutual funds are not just about equity funds. There are debt funds for the sake of stability, there are liquid funds for being close to cash, there are arbitrage funds for that additional alpha in debt and there are balanced funds to combine the best of equity and debt. But what is more important for you is to understand and avoid the mutual fund investing mistakes that new investors tend to make.

SOME OF THE COMMON MUTUAL FUND INVESTING MISTAKES?

Here are some of the common investment mistakes in no particular order:

Investing in mutual funds without setting goals

The general tendency among many investors is to buy mutual fund units whenever they have surplus cash available with them. That is not a very scientific way of doing/ it. Remember, your mutual fund investment is part of your overall financial plan. Hence, any allocation to equity or debt mutual funds must be designed within the framework of your overall financial plan and aligned to your inflows. After all, your financial plan is aligned to your long term goals and mutual fund investment is just a means towards an end. There must be a method to the madness.

Trying to time the market with mutual funds

It is quite common for investors to look at mutual fund as an alternative to buying direct equities. That misses the bigger picture. You invest in mutual funds with a view to create wealth systematically over the long run. Hence it is pointless trying to time the market because it is practically not possible and it is also not meaningful in the long run. What matters when creating your mutual fund is time and not timing the market! The longer you adopt a systematic approach to investing and the longer you stay invested, the more likely you are to create wealth. Always prefer the discipline of systematic investing over the allure of lump-sum investing.

Choosing dividend plans for tax benefits

A common premise among mutual fund investors is that dividends are tax-free in the hand of the investor and hence it makes more sense to opt for dividend schemes. That is wrong for two reasons. Firstly, if you keep taking money out of your fund via dividends then your eventual wealth creation target gets delayed. Secondly, dividends are subject to dividend distribution tax, which minimizes returns earned on your investment.

Not considering the fund manager’s performance before investing

It is easy to say that institutions are larger than the people but in a fund the fund manager and his style does matter. Always focus on a fund manager who has been consistent in past performance and a fund manager who has been able to hold the core fund management team together. That is point that most MF investors tend to ignore. In fact, in many cases it has been seen in India that a good and consistent fund manager has been the key difference to the fund’s performance.

Taking more risks by investing in thematic funds

Sectoral funds and thematic funds are great ideas when the particular sector is the cynosure of attention. But the downside can be equally nerve-wracking. You are in mutual funds for the benefits of diversification. Just for the allure of sectoral and thematic funds, you cannot ignore this basic principle. Above all, remember that sector funds are normally sold hard at the peaks of the sector euphoria. IT funds in 2000 and Infrastructure Funds in 2007 are classic examples…

Not diversifying your portfolio properly

Assume that you invested in equity funds and the NAV appreciated over the last 3 years on the back of a solid bull market. Alternatively, your debt funds have now become 40% of your overall portfolio instead of 30% due to falling interest rates. Either ways it is time to reallocate your portfolio. You advisor may tell you to persist with debt funds or equity funds but you must stick to your allocation discipline.

Investing in a large number of mutual funds

Any large portfolio becomes unwieldy and an unwieldy portfolio is hard to manager and to monitor. Beyond a point adding more schemes does not add value. It does not lead to risk diversification but only to risk substitution. Ideally, a mix of 5-6 schemes should serve your purpose. The more you keep adding schemes, the more you need to track in terms of performance and risk metrics.

Not factoring in risk before investing

This is a common mistake committed by most mutual fund investors. They focus on whether the fund in question has beaten the index and outperformed its peers. The actual focus should be on risk. A fund manager who earns higher returns by taking on undue risks is doing you a disservice. That is where measures like Sharpe and Treynor assume significance as they capture the risk-adjusted returns rather than pure returns. Also use measures like Fama to evaluate how much of your fund’s outperformance is generated by your fund manager’s skills and how much by sheer chance. Creating a mutual fund portfolio is a complex task. To begin with, your mutual fund portfolios have to be built within the framework of your overall financial plan. But creating a mutual fund portfolio is just the beginning. Monitoring and tweaking it continuously is the harder part! Now that you’re done with knowing the common issues you can face, you can read about how you choose the correct mutual funds to fulfill your goals. You can also download Angel Bee’s mobile app which gives you personalized recommendations which mutual funds are the best to achieve your dreams!

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headlines-twentyfour · 5 years

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The Sensex has scaled the 40,000 mark but mutual fund investors are not particularly enthused. There is good reason for their lack of cheer: most equity funds are at significantly lower levels compared to their previous peaks. In fact, the current rally is happening only in large-caps and the mid- and small-cap fund returns (category average) have actually fallen 3% and 8% respectively over the past year.What has made matters worse is the concentrated nature of this rally. Even among large-caps the rally has been restricted to a few stocks— Reliance, HDFC Bank, TCS, among others. Not surprisingly, most actively managed large-cap funds, which cannot focus on just a few stocks, have not been able to match the performance of the Sensex. “The current Sensex and Nifty rally is because of 7-8 companies and since mutual funds have to maintain diversified portfolios, they can’t be invested in just these companies,” says Amol Joshi, Founder, PlanRupee Investment Services. 69800341 Source: BSE; Compiled by ETIG Database; Note: AUM of the outperforming schemes as at the start of the given period.Takeaway: Equity markets are known for long period of mediocre returns and short periods of fabulous returns Equity Funds CAGR Sensex CAGR Simple Avg AUM Weighted Avg 5k-10k 11.57% 22.86% 23.49% 10k-20k 45.72% 42.10% 43.55% 20k-40k 6.22% 7.54% 7.54% Souce: Value ResearchTakeaway 1: Equity funds outperformance have come down in the last doubling of Sensex Takeaway 2: Due to fall in equity funds outperformance, it makes sense to consider index funds for large cap schemes Outperforming Sensex No of Schemes Starting AUM 5k-10k 79% 91% 10k-20k 41% 39% 20k-40k 67% 70% Souce: Value ResearchTakeaway: With 30% of AUM not meeting even the mediocre 6.22% returns, investors are upsetThe category average return of large-cap schemes over the past year has been 8.53%, compared to the Sensex return of 12.64% and only two actively managed large-cap schemes have managed to beat the Sensex over the past year. “If this trend of a concentrated rally continues, mutual funds will continue to underperform in the short term,” says Joshi. Some experts suggest that this trend is likely to continue for some time.To investors’ disappointment, it's not just the short-term performance of mutual funds that’s been unsatisfactory. Mutual fund investors’ returns have been paltry over the long term too. It took the Sensex 11 years and six months to go from 20,000 to 40,000. During this period, the index generated an annualised return of just 6.22% and equity mutual funds delivered an average return of 7.54%. Debt products such as the PPF have given better returns, and without the anxiety associated with equity investments. The silver lining is that 70% of the equity assets under management (AUM) grew more than the average 6.22% (see chart). But investors who put up the remaining 30% of the mutual funds’ AUM are unlikely to pardon their fund managers who failed to produce even a mediocre annualised return of 6.22%.Consistent outperformersThese equity funds outperformed the Sensex during all three phases. Scheme Name 5k-10k 10k-20k 20k-40k SBI Magnum Equity ESG Fund 13% 58% 8% SBI Large & Midcap Fund 13% 51% 9% Tata Ethical Fund 23% 49% 7% SBI Magnum Global Fund 23% 48% 9% Aditya Birla SL Equity Fund 28% 53% 8% Tata Large Cap Fund 28% 46% 8% Reliance Growth Fund 38% 53% 9% Sensex 12% 46% 6% Consistent underperformersThese schemes underperformed the Sensex during all three phases. Scheme Name 5k-10k 10k-20k 20k-40k LIC MF Tax Plan 6.49% 33.78% 5.22% LIC MF Multi Cap Fund 7.89% 42.06% 2.96% Principal Nifty 100 Equal Weight Fund 11.01% 43.07% 4.73% Franklin India Technology Fund 11.02% 8.11% 11.76% LIC MF Large Cap Fund 11.16% 35.51% 5.48% Sensex 11.57% 45.72% 6.22% Source: ACE MFTakeaway: Just like few schemes generate better returns, there are few that generate below average returnsNote: Some of these old schemes were renamed/refocussed as part of Sebi’s new categorisation rules.Chart toppers that sank to the bottomPast performance does not guarantee future returns. CAGR AUM Scheme Name 10k-20k 20k-40k 30-11-2007 31-05-2019 Reliance Power & Infra Fund 84.62% 2.47% 4,937 1,488 Tata Infrastructure Fund 66.88% 2.64% 2,559 572 UTI Infrastructure Fund 63.74% 1.36% 1,727 1,400 JM Value Fund 66.50% -1.08% 1,026 133 SBI Magnum COMMA Fund 56.32% 2.60% 631 270 Underperformers that rose to the topToday’s poor performers may lead the charts in the future. CAGR AUM Scheme Name 10k-20k 20k-40k 30-11-2007 31-05-2019 SBI Consumption Opportunities Fund 5.72% 18.41% 8 707 UTI Transportation and Logistics Fund 3.23% 14.96% 53 1,408 Franklin India Technology Fund 8.11% 11.76% 135 246 UTI Healthcare Fund 1.44% 11.69% 58 402 SBI Healthcare Opportunities Fund -1.30% 11.12% 35 935 Source: Value ResearchTakeaway: Historical performances rarely repeats in futureThe key question is what are the learnings for a common investor from this experience? To get a historical perspective, we also studied the previous two periods when the Sensex doubled— from 5,000 to 10,000 and from 10,000 to 20,000—and drew the following lessons for equity fund investors:Lesson 1: Don’t avoid equities due to historical low returnsThough 6.22% Sensex return and 7.54% average mutual fund return over a decade are disappointing, investors should not avoid equities. Stock markets, across the globe, don’t move at a uniform speed and are known for such long periods of low, even no returns. To illustrate, the Sensex generated zero return between 1992 and 2003. The market, however, generated fabulous returns between 2003 and 2008, mostly because of the high earnings growth during this period. Disillusioned investors who stopped their equity investments in 2003 missed these gains.Funds that lost money while Sensex doubledInvestors have steadily exited most of these schemes. CAGR AUM-Start AUM-End Scheme Name 20k-40k 30-11-2007 31-05-2019 Quant Infrastructure Fund -3.16% 17 2 DSP World Gold Fund -1.28% 1,475 215 JM Value Fund -1.08% 1,026 133 HSBC Infrastructure Equity Fund -1.02% 975 109 Reliance Quant Fund -0.74% 5 27 Source: Value ResearchTakeaway: Investing in some scheme and hoping for return in long term is a bad strategy. Holding a scheme for the long-term won’t always yield good returns.The stock market is a slave to corporate earnings and this is getting re-emphasised now. Since low earnings growth is holding back the market now, experts believe that the market will start performing once earnings growth picks up. “After a high earnings growth period of 2003-08 and an earnings de-growth in 2008-09, we are in a low earnings growth period. Once the expected economic revival happens, we may see 10%-12% earnings growth in the next 10 years,” says Raghvendra Nath, MD, Ladderup Wealth Management.Though the equity market is still capable of generating reasonable returns in the long term, investors should not ignore the short-term hiccups. “Due to political stability, foreign portfolio investors are investing now through index funds and this has increased the valuation of the Sensex and the Nifty. The current liquidity issue for NBFCs is another worry for the market because they may persist for the next 6-12 months,” says Ankur Kapur, Advisory Head, Banyn Capital.Lesson 2: Never chase high historical returnsPast performance of a scheme does not guarantee similar future performance. This is a common refrain in the mutual fund industry. Yet, investors tend to chase historical returns and prefer investing in schemes that have generated better returns in the past. This strategy rarely works. To illustrate, schemes that underperformed during the period when the Sensex rose to 20,000 from 10,000 generated an average return of 8.58% during the period it doubled to 40,000. Schemes that outperformed during the 10,000 to 20,000 period generated only 6.74% during the 20,000 to 40,000 period. Similarly, most of the underperformers during the 20,000 to 40,000 period were the star performers during the 10,000 to 20,000 period (see chart). Most schemes in this list are from the power and infra space. Infra schemes collected a lot of money in 2007 and all of them are in the dumps now— a classic case of investors chasing historical returns and getting burnt in the process. Similarly, some of the laggards of the 10,000 to 20,000 period did well during 20,000 to 40,000 period (see table). So, should investors follow the contra strategy and invest in schemes that did badly in the past? “One can’t just invest in schemes that did badly. Instead, investors need to see why they underperformed,” says Nath. It is better to avoid an underperforming scheme, if the underperformance is due the fund manager or due to a fund house’s processes. However, if a scheme’s underperformance is because a sector or theme, one can take call depending on the changed prospects of those sectors. For instance, the 10,000 to 20,000 period was mostly led by power and infrastructure; consumption, pharma and technologies were the key underperformers. These underperformers turned outperformers during the 20,000 to 40,000 period. So, investors need to bet on sector or themes that are expected to do well and not the ones that did well.Low-cost ETFs for passive investors Fund Expense Ratio (%) Net Assets (Rs Cr) ICICI Prudential Nifty ETF 0.05 1,186 SBI ETF Nifty 50 0.07 55,104 SBI ETF Sensex 0.07 17,630 UTI Nifty ETF 0.07 13,689 UTI Sensex ETF 0.07 4,604 Index funds challenging ETFs on cost Fund Expense Ratio (%) Net Assets (Rs Cr) UTI Nifty Index Fund 0.10 1,374 HDFC Index Fund Nifty 50 Plan 0.10 747 HDFC Index Fund - Sensex Plan 0.10 400 ICICI Prudential Nifty Index Fund 0.10 388 IDFC Nifty Fund 0.18 168 Source: Value ResearchTakeaway: Index fund investors now also have the option of low cost funds. As index funds are smaller in size, their tracking error (difference between index and fund’s performance) will be slightly higher compared to ETFs’ tracking error. Lesson 3: Don’t be greedy, book profitInvestors should not get greedy and assume past historical returns will be replicated in the future too. They should book profit based on expert advise. This lesson becomes more relevant when fabulous return in the past have happened over short periods. For example, the Sensex doubled from 10,000 to 20,000 in just one year and 10 months, generating annualised return of 45.72%. Waiting for such a performance to repeat can be counterproductive.So, given the benchmark indices are close to all-time highs, should equity investors book their profit and move out now? Experts advise against it. “Investors exit when the show is good. However, there is no need to book profit now because the earnings growth and returns are below average. Time to book profit will come in 2-3 years when the Sensex earnings CAGR is expected to be 20-25%,” says Nath.Lesson 4: Don’t invest and forgetA large number of people invest in new fund offerings (NFOs) or the schemes that are at the top of the charts at a given time and then forget about them. This is because of the false assumption that equity funds will inevitably deliver returns over the long term. There are several schemes that delivered negative returns over the past 11-plus years, when the Sensex rose to 40,000 from 20,000 (see table).Though all schemes generated positive returns over longer periods (beyond 12 years), their performance has not been uniform. Seven of the 33 schemes beat the Sensex during all three phases under study (5,000 to 10,000, 10,000 to 20,000 and 20,000 to 40,000). There are also schemes that were beaten by Sensex in all these three phases (see table). Had funds not done away with several underperforming schemes, the list of underperformers would have been much longer. Twenty-two schemes outperformed and underperformed at various points in time.This shows that investors should stop searching for the ultimate mutual fund scheme to invest and forget. “No one can identify a scheme that will deliver the ‘maximum’ return. All investors can do is to get their segment-wise allocation (large, mid- and small-cap) right and select schemes that match their other requirements— scheme nature, fund manager expertise, fund house philosophy, etc,” says Joshi. Even after this, there is no guarantee that all schemes will deliver, so you also need to review you portfolios regularly.Most experts suggest an annual portfolio review but some advise quarterly reviews. “No need to make changes quarterly as one quarter is a small time frame to assess performance. But quarterly reviews help investors keep a close watch on qualitative aspects like portfolio changes, fund manager views, etc.,” says Kapur. If you do not have the expertise to select the right schemes and review your portfolio, you should take help of a professional. Lesson 5: It’s time for index investingAt 7.54%, equity schemes delivered slightly better returns compared to the Sensex that generated 6.22% during its journey from 20,000 to 40,000. This is in sharp contrast to its huge large outperformance during the 1999 to 2006 period when Sensex moved up from 5,000 to 10,000. During this period the average mutual fund generated 22.86% return compared to the Sensex return of 11.57% (see table).As the market matures, beating the index with larger margins will become increasingly difficult, especially for largecap schemes. “The chance of large-cap funds beating index funds is very low now. So, it makes sense invest in index funds for large-cap allocation,” says Kapur. The mid- and small-cap funds, however, still have the ability to outperform the index. “Fund continue to generate alpha in midand small-cap schemes. So, investors can have a mix of index funds for large-caps and actively managed funds for mid and small caps,” says Jitendra P.S. Solanki, a Sebi-registered investment adviser. Since index revision happens automatically and doesn’t involve fund manager risk, index investing is the only option for investors who want to invest and forget.Should investors go for ETFs or openended index funds? It depends on investors’ convenience. For example, you can buy ETFs on an intra-day basis and there’s no need to wait for the end of the day NAV. However, you need a demat account and also a broking account to buy ETFs from the market. Besides, there will be additional expenses whenever you buy or sell ETFs. Since the market price of ETFs can vary, investors need to be careful while buying and selling ETFs. With several fund houses cutting expense ratio for open-ended index funds, the cost of their direct plans is now comparable to that of ETFs. However, index funds are smaller in size compared to ETFs and, therefore, the chance of tracking error (the difference between the index and the fund’s performance) will be slightly higher for index funds. from Economic Times http://bit.ly/2MRZJkj

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