#i'm trying to find a balance between my own style and my new one

[thevoidcannotbefilled]

One of the main issues into trying to get into tma is the lack of balance between the statements and the characters. I adore this slow drip format don't get me wrong, but it led to the statement heavy nature of the episodes needing to take center stage and sometimes as a result being forgotten. It doesn't help that until season 5, all the formats were exactly the same, just a person saying their statement or a statement being read. This isn't to say this format isn't effective, I mean look at the popularity of the show, but you do have an awkward inability to progress plot without a long statement. Season 3 in particular made the statements and post statements feel incredibly separated on the assisant's side of things. Most of the time (with a few notable exceptions) you can change out the dialogue between characters post statement and the statements themselves in any particular order.

So far with the magnus protocol, that definitely is not the case. For one, the dialogue between the characters and the horror findings/statement (not sure what to call them) are incredibly integrated. It at once creates this tension, not knowing exactly when you'll hear the statement and also a sense of experiencing alongside everyone. There's also the formatting. Between three episodes we got an email, a reddit thread, and a therapist session. All of these seemingly fit into the same format, and most importantly, can be a variety of lengths depending on how they want to tell the story. Statements in TMA took up an entire episode and there were no more than one statement per. Now, while we most likely won't get more than one or two, there are options in not only how they're presented but also when and to what extent.

Season 4 of TMA was my favorite for a variety of reasons, but one of them is how they handled the statements. Statements usually paralleled what Jon was dealing with at the time be it loneliness, his own sense of humanity, or guilt. From what I see so far with TMagP, that sort of styling of statements is going to be the entire CORE of the show. The first episode seemed to have the main themes and while I'm unsure of what Daria's session has to 100% do with the cast, there seems to be crumbs of set up there that I'm excited to see later.

To also note, episode 1 is centered around meeting the cast and setting expectations, episode 2 mainly focuses on the statement with elements of the greater cast sprinkled around it. With the new format they can do that and bounce around as needed for whatever structure they're going for of the day. It's a bit more chaotic in that regard. You can't just put a statement on and then listen like for TMA, so you have to pay much closer attention, but I find this structure choice very interesting.

Overall? I'm very interested as to what The Magnus Protocol has in store for us. Just with this new structure, the doors are opened with very different story telling options and to have TMagP have its own identity outside of TMA.

#tmagp #tmagp spoilers #tma #tmagp analysis #the magnus protocol #the magnus protocol spoilers #long post #god I love analyzing the structure in tma/tmagp stuff #theres so much to chew on I missed this

[dice-wizard]

Hello everyone looking for a new fantasy tabletop game!

As it nears backer release, there's never been a better time to pre-order Exalted: Essence

Pre-ordering gets you access to the beta document and the early release backer pdf.

What's Exalted you ask?

Exalted is an epic fantasy TTRPG where players play the titular Exalted - humans elevated to superhuman/demigod status - in a wild and unique setting that draws inspiration from the ancient world rather than medieval Europe. Creation (the setting) draws key inspirations from the entire world. If you're used to having to make yourself visible on your own in other fantasy, there's probably some representation in Exalted.

It has explicit queer and trans themes about finding your people, creating your own identity, and having the power to punch back at the people who hate you. This isn't incidental. The writing staff is queer as hell. You can hear me break this down more here.

Curious to learn all you can? Well you can get a detailed overview of the entire game on the podcast Systematic Understanding of Everything hosted by myself, @presidentofbirds and @phillycuriosity

If I'm used to D&D 5e why should I pick this up?

Well, I presume if you're reading this post you're already interested in trying something new, so:

The entire game in one book. Exalted: Essence is self contained, character types, equipment, enemies and all!

An exciting style of fantasy that's different than classic D&D but like, textually gay, and very easy to have scenes like ballroom fights, epic galas, and touching homoerotic healing scenes - no house rules required.

But also, tactical depth and combat you can really sink your teeth into if fighting monsters and villains is your bag.

An excuse to use all your d10s at once

Character building and advancement mechanics designed to be familiar to a 5e audience. Characters "level up" based on story beats, and have Advantages, which are functionally similar to class and race features.

A world welcoming to most heroic archetypes, so it's easy to convert your favorite OC.

Extremely kissable dragons, demons, gods, elementals, ghosts, faeries, and unnamed ancient horrors

I'm a fan of a previous edition, what's Essence got for me?

Design focused on alleviating some of the previous versions' missteps

Virtues are back, baby

2e fans will find it an improvement from second edition's mechanical strengths - it's pretty easy to convert all your favorite 2e Charms to XS.

Streamlined versions of familiar rules to make it painless to introduce new friends to the game we love.

The Cliff's notes on Ex3's new Exalt types.

Did I mention it's all of Exalted in one book?

How does it play?

d10 dice pool looking for 7,8,9 as successes. 10s count as two successes, which can lead to explosive, heroic outcomes

Combat system designed to keep all players engaged the entire time - even characters who aren't focused on fighting at all.

Combat also narrows the gap between experienced and new players and players who want to win at RPGs and players who just wanna vibe so GMs aren't tearing their hair out trying to balance encounters.

Social system designed to resolve in a single roll so you can be immersed in role play and not interrupt it with constant rolling - without sacrificing a variety of social approaches

"Ventures" system for characters working on long term projects from traveling across the world to crafting magical wonders to building communities without forcing this to be "downtime" activity

Characters have access to Charms - exception-based special powers that make them extremely good at whatever they focus on.

It's easily my favorite game (and the project I developed that I'm the proudest of), so I'm excited for everyone to try it out.

#TTRPG #Ttrpg recommendation #exalted #Exalted Essence #d&d #dnd #dnd characters #d&d 5e #Exalted RPG #dnd 5e #dungeons and dungeons #dungeons & dragons #exalted rpg #ttrpg #podcast #fuck wizards of the coast #Try a new game! How about this one? #Cmon in the water is fine #ttrpgs #tabletop rpg #tabletop games #tabletop role playing game #tabletop #tabletop roleplaying #onyx path publishing

[shai-manahan]

Hollowed Minds Progress Update 1/02/24

Hi! I hope you're all having a good year so far! I planned to post this last night but I was too anxious over having to return to work lmfao (with the holidays being over and all). Anyway, I know it's been a year since my last update; believe me, I'm upset about it, too, and I'm trying to make up for that.

To be completely honest, aside from my health, one thing that's been stopping me from progressing steadily was my attempts at improving the way I write. I was struggling to find my own style the entire year, experimenting over and over (sometimes without rest, like an idiot), and I know that probably sounds stupid, but writing as a craft is so special to me that I want to be better at it.

It did backfire, though. A lot. Mostly because I couldn't maintain a balance between this and irl stuff.

The thing is, I plan to write trad novels and short stories in the future. I plan to go back to writing screenplays, too. I don't think I'll ever stop making IFs, but there are things I want to write about that I can never do through this medium (and the same is true vice versa). This is also why I tend to keep editing HM while trying to push through with newer updates; this is the only way I can learn more about what I wish to do in the future. This is my chance to practice and experiment, before I get anything published and make the kind of impression I aim to make.

And I think I finally found the style I love to use the most this time.

I feel ready now to post progress updates regularly at least every two weeks (this one doesn't count). I was ashamed of my slow progress for quite a while, but I know I can start moving forward again. I'm also just eager to show you the story I've always wanted to share, and that'd never happen unless I push myself so :').

You're free to ask for progress in case I miss doing this btw, just. don't be an ass about it lmao. And feel free to send asks as well!

So far, this is what I'm trying to improve for the posted demo:

conciseness

strengthening the settings and the descriptions involving them

revising a few dialogues that do not fit the characters at all

readability and making some details clearer

overall pacing of ch2's first part

the nightmare scenes

reassessment of which variations would be most important to the plot and MC's characterization.

everything else I cannot think of right now

I think I'll dedicate a week or two into finishing whatever needs to be cleaned up so there'll be less game-breaking bugs that might happen for the new content. But after that 👀

That's all for tonight!

P.S. recently bought a lampshade and damn. this is definitely much better for my eyes when I write.

#hollowed minds series #interactive fiction #hollowed minds #wip #writing #progress update #hollowed minds progress update #hollowed minds book one #if wip #interactive novel

[ratrrriot]

Sonic art tips for a young artist pleasee :)

wow thanks for thinking my advice is worth asking for, i'm flattered! here are some tips that helped me learn how to draw them:

Starting by drawing a structure of basic shapes always helps with proportions,but if you decide to use one,don't let it make your drawing stiff! make sure to draw that structure with loose lines and don't think too hard about it. Movement and dynamism are core aspects of these characters,prioritize that over things like symmetry.

Unless you want the characters to look like they're made of rubber or super soft,avoid working exclusively with round edges. instead try making part of their bodies a litttle more sharp and exaggerate some corners. Try finding the perfect balance between sharp and round lines for each one so they look more natural and dynamic.

Pay attention to the proportions of the characters heads in relation to their hands,the length of their legs,the shape of their tummies and eyes,etc. but more importantly,pay attention to the spaces in-between all of those things. For example,the space between their eyes and the end of their foreheads varies from character to character. Details like where the ears are placed in relation to the eyes or how far their quills reach in relation to their backs are just as key as obvious things like what color they are.

Try to find at least a bit of volume in their muzzles. You don't need to take it as far as me cuz i like to exaggerate it but always remember that they aren't plain and try to visualize them separately from the character’s heads before drawing them.

To understand what makes each character recognizable shape-wise, i suggest using more than one pic of each as reference and seeing if there are any differences between them. then choose what you want to keep in your drawings of them and what not.

Don't feel preassured to always draw these characters in any of the official styles (if not ever), just draw them the way that’s more comfortable and fun for you!

Understanding and studying what you draw is important and incredibly useful, BUT it can become very stressful and frustrating when the results aren't what we wanted, Plus, practice is the most important factor when it comes to getting better at drawing and if you don't enjoy the process you don't practice as much. So if you stop having fun at some point or frustration starts taking over,make sure to take a break from working based on how the drawings is “supposed “ to look and instead think about your work process and see what needs to be changed for it to be enjoyable again (Even if it means ignoring all the tips i just mentioned until now and literally not thinking about what you're doing for a while!!). I certainly know i need a break from using my brain while drawing from time to time so i let myself momentarily forget everything I’ve ever learned about anatomy and structure and just doodle Sonic like a kid who just got new pencils. It's good for the heart and recharges motivation!!

And lastly, if you feel like Sonic & friends are hard to draw,it's not just you: they ARE hard to draw and for most it takes years to be able to draw them with ease. I still struggle with them from time to time even when in'm drawing them in my own style.

Hope these help! idk if these tips will be useful for everyone and i still have a lot to learn, so if you decide not to use any of these, that's cool. Good luck drawing these guys regardless!!

#rat answers #art talk

[herrscherofmagic]

A look at the past & future of Honkai design: Simplicity vs. Complexity (Part 1)

Link to the YouTube channel of the person whose thumbnail I yoinked off of Google Images for this; it was the best image of the new Hyperion that I could easily find which is why I used it for this.

TL;DR:

Original Honkai Impact 3rd designs tended towards large, simply shapes that gave battlesuits (and other stuff) a strong "mecha" vibe. Many newer designs are trending towards more complex designs that do away with these simple and recognizable shapes, instead using more overlapping textures and ornamentation to create detail. Some designs balance the two, using large and relatively simple shapes that still carry enough detail to stand out as newer while still keeping the original vibes.

Because of this, I think there's gonna be a very clear visual split between Part 1 designs and the APHO+Part 2 designs because of this split between simplicity & complexity, and some Part 1 designs feel off because they stray too far from the original design motifs, making them feel out of place even if they're still good designs on their own.

~

I've been thinking a lot about the design philosophy of Honkai Impact 3rd for quite a while now. As someone interested in concept art and illustration and who's played video games for more than 3/4ths of their whole lifespan.

And obviously I'm not alone in this, given how often I've seen discussion of Honkai's character design. Whether it was the march of the pastel battlesuits or the techwear of the part 2 cast or the upcoming Garuda Fu Hua battlesuit, many people have had many opinions both positive and negative.

But I've wanted to do a sort of "deep-dive" for a while now, because I think HI3rd is a really interesting case where we can see the co-existence of (sometimes drastically) different designs made years apart from one another. It's normal for the style of a franchise to grow and change with time- my personal example is Halo, with obvious differences between Halo CE, Halo 3, and Halo 4 in mind. But typically that has been done over the release of different games over many years, not so much in consecutive releases within the same game. HI3rd's not alone in this regard, of course :)

I don't want to label anything as "bad" or "good". I can like or dislike something, and that's my personal opinion. Of course I COULD try to label designs as bad or good, but I'd want to back that up with serious analysis and get the opinions of other players, and that's way too much effort for a reddit post. Instead, I want to present some different designs in Honkai and share my thoughts, so others can feel free to agree, disagree, elaborate, etc. More of a matter of casual discussion rather than trying to present some solid theory, I guess you could say?

What I will say is I intend to label designs based on whether (or how) they fit into HI3rd's aesthetic(s), so that's the main point- not so much whether an individual design is good or not.

To start with, I'd like to talk about the simplicity vs. complexity of Honkai designs because I personally feel like this is the biggest problem I have with HI3rd, outside of story issues that is. Not because of designs being "good" or "bad", but because I feel like Mihoyo has been moving towards a new design philosophy that's different from what I loved most about HI3rd when I first started.

I opened with the comparison of Hyperion because I think it's a perfect example of this concept, and if we can understand what the difference is with Hyperion then I think it'd be more apparent with battlesuits as well. I also have another image that highlights some of the biggest differences between the two models:

I had mixed feelings about the reveal of the "new and upgraded" Hyperion during the moon arc. It's a neat design I'll admit, but I felt like it deviated a lot from the original Hyperion, not as a difference in fidelity and detail but rather as a difference in the fundamental design of the ship.

What I like so much about the original Hyperion is, as you might have guessed by now: its simplicity. Hyperion was comprised of much larger, blockier shapes with more clear silhouettes. It's actually the same reason I love the design of Halo's UNSC frigates, funnily enough. I'm a huge sci-fi fan and I absolutely adore spacecraft and vehicle design, so I really appreciated the design of Hyperion cause to me it felt very original.

The new Hyperion retains most of the same characteristics, and it's still recognizable as a version of Hyperion. But it bothers me just how much the design was changed. Many of the simple shapes of the design were broken up into smaller parts or almost totally changed, like the cannon going from a sleek polygonal barrel to a spikey... thing.

To me, it feels like Hyperion was redesigned with the idea of trying to make it more "futuristic" or "tech-y", or perhaps it was even designed with some retro anime motifs in mind like the Space Battleship Yamato. But it seems as though this was done by adding many objects that broke up the original silhouette, as well as inventing lots of new detail instead of adding details to complement what was already there. The shape of the winglets was greatly changed; the vent-like structures were totally changed; the barrel was completely changed; most noticeably, the bridge was drastically changed.

The new Hyperion model is technically "better" in terms of fidelity and the amount of detail it has, no doubt about it. But I think changing the fundamental shapes of Hyperion so much really hurts the charm of the original design, to the point that I was actually quite disappointed to see that Mihoyo used the new Hyperion design in the CG of the Captainverse Hyperion farm event. It seems as though Mihoyo wants to consider this as the new default impression of Hyperion, and not a special one-off thing from the moon arc.

I think this can be seen across other aspects of the game, too. In general Mihoyo has moved away from simple designs and towards complex designs, and I think there's been a lot of hits and a lot of misses with this.

For instance, I'd like to compare the three Herrscher Kiana battlesuits: HoV, HoFS, and HoFi.

There's a clear trend of an increase in complexity across the three battlesuits. HoV's design uses fewer and larger shapes, HoFS adds more and smaller shapes, and then HoFi is almost totally devoid of any large clear shapes.

To me, this is what distinguishes a battlesuit that "feels like Honkai" from one that doesn't.

Everyone starts the game in Chapter 1, and most long-time players have spent more time with older battlesuits than newer ones simply because they were playing the game before these newer battlesuits were even released. I think it's safe to say that even though HoFi is the grand "Kiana in her greatest form" battlesuit, most players will still have seen HoV's design more often because of the years that it's been around, and its prevalence in story content.

Most of those older designs were rooted more heavily in the mecha vibes early Honkai had. For instance, even though HoV is obviously not wearing a mecha battlesuit, the large blocky shapes are still reminiscent of armor, two examples being the large frames on her wings and the large white pad-things(?) on her sides. There's other obvious cases like White Comet being a skin-tight battlesuit which used glowy energy bits for its attacks, but I use the example of HoV because it shows that HI3rd was fully capable of creating battlesuits within the mecha theme without being limited to literal "mecha" designs. HoV's battlesuit is far from mecha in its nature, yet still fits perfectly with that aesthetic.

HoFi has pretty much none of that, though. It's a pretty design for sure, but it's also nearly completely divorced from that original aesthetic. There's few easily-recognizable shapes on her design, with the (very little) clothing she wears being almost entirely detail and ornamentation. It definitely fits the "Princess Kiana" or "Goddess Kiana" theme in isolation, but I don't think it delivers on that theme in the context of Honkai Impact 3rd.

Yet look at HoFS. HoFS definitely has more detail than HoV. Yet there are still lots of large blank areas that define clear forms; for instance, the armor on HoFS' waist. It's reminiscent of that of HoV while still adding more detail. This gives that same effect of a slight mecha vibe. It's still an appealing design and it still feels more modern than HoV, but it also manages to retain much of the same design language.

That being said, I have to admit I ADORE the Honkai wings that HoFi has, though I wish they were a little higher in the air. That's one thing that I think Mihoyo absolutely nailed with HoFi, and I wish more of that aesthetic was kept in the rest of her design.

What's also interesting is that (in my opinion) neither of the other two main Herrscher Trio designs suffer from this. For instance, consider Mei's battlesuits:

I've included Lighting Empress as a reminder that old =/= good. I'd like to make it clear that just because it's an "original" battlesuit doesn't mean it's a good one. I said before that I didn't want to label stuff as good or bad but this is a clear exception and I hope y'all can understand why, lol

We can certainly argue about whether HoO Mei's design really fits the image of Raiden Mei. It's a vast departure from her other battlesuits when it comes to her palette, for better or for worse. I didn't like it at first but it has grown on me, and I think part of that is because of that concept of simplicity vs. complexity.

HoO has way, way more detail than the other two Herrscher Mei battlesuits, no doubt about it. But it also retains many large and recognizable shapes. Nothing on this battlesuit is bulky like HoT or other older battlesuits, but it still gives off the feeling of being armor despite being so thin. Much of the detail is created not by overlapping layers of ornamentation and texture, but rather by using intricate shapes with clear silhouettes and light detail inside that outline.

And HoTr is obviously a mecha design, so I don't think we need to elaborate on that one :)

The point is that it's absolutely possible to make detailed and beautiful battlesuits without getting rid of the original shape language that HI3rd was built on. HoFS is a bit dated now but still much newer than HoV, yet it keeps the vibes. HoO is also far newer, yet it still fits the theme of battlesuit. HoFi, though... not so much.

Finally, I want to talk about the elephant in the room: the Part 2 character designs.

Once again, here's the link to the YouTube video by Matt Is Playing, where I pulled this image from!

Much like HoFi, there's very little trace of the OG Honkai mecha aesthetic in these battlesuits. It's not to say that they are inherently bad because of that* , but it doesn't quite feel like "Honkai Impact 3rd".

*except Dream Seeker, I'm sorry but what the heck is going on there???

But the thing is that this design philosophy isn't even new. In fact, it's years old by now... because we see this in APHO.

For a long time now, APHO has had battlesuits that tip-toe on the very edge of the original Honkai aesthetic. So the designs of Part 2 aren't actually some new and drastic shift in Mihoyo's design philosophy- rather, it's reinforcing a design philosophy that was introduced with APHO.

These new characters all feel out of place if we compare them to the original battlesuits. They don't use the same simple forms, instead using dense and overlapping details. But if we compare them to the APHO cast, they fit right in. We can argue about the merits of the new character designs in other terms, but I think these discussions have to keep in mind this context.

I'd say the APHO designs work well in the setting of APHO because they're following the same aesthetic. As we enter Part 2 and once we see more of the story and setting of Part 2, it's very possible that these new character designs will feel more natural and more like "Honkai Impact 3rd".

But it's a different Honkai Impact 3rd.

This is why I think the idea of "simplicity vs. complexity" is so important to understanding Honkai Impact 3rd's designs. I think Mihoyo might be trying to emphasize two different phases of Honkai through this design philosophy. These are going to be two very different halves to the same game, with the designs of Part 2 possibly becoming as distant from Part 1's designs as Part 1 is from HSR.

You have the OG mecha action vibes from the good ole St. Freya days, and we have the sleek tech-wear of the era of exploring Mars, world-hopping in the Sea of Quanta, and fighting literal aliens.

For better or for worse? Only time will tell.

As a bonus, I'd like to include some extra comparisons, though I won't be adding any more analysis. It's more about having extra examples to keep in mind. Also, I think these ideas can apply to enemies and weapons as well, but that's a larger discussion I'm not yet ready for so that will come in a follow-up later on!

#honkai impact 3rd #hi3rd #honkai 3rd #honkai #honkai discussion #as if that's even a tag people use lol #long post #Kiana Kaslana #Raiden Mei #Bronya Zaychik #i just realized after posting this that I used the wrong image for stygian nymph jgkldaflhflhadfhagh too late to change it now!

[buckysouvenir]

at the fair

chapter 3 of healing hearts.

reblogs, likes and comments are always encouraged and highly appreciated! thank you ♡

⋆ series masterlist 　　⋆ steve rogers masterlist

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

as days turned into weeks, y/n found herself seeking comfort in steve's company more often than not. with each passing day, their conversations grew more comfortable, and the weight of her heartache seemed to lessen just a little.

they talked about everything and anything, sharing stories, laughter, and even a few moments of comfortable silence. y/n found herself opening up about her dreams, her fears, and her plans for the future. steve, in turn, shared his own aspirations and reflections.

"hey, y/n," steve called out, his voice gentle yet carrying a note of curiosity.

y/n turned, a surprised smile forming on her lips when she saw steve approaching. "hey, steve. just finished a bit of a workout."

steve nodded, his blue eyes scanning her face. "you okay? you looked lost in thought there."

y/n sighed softly, her shoulders relaxing as she met his concerned gaze. "yeah, i guess i've just been going through a lot lately. trying to keep myself occupied, you know?"

he understood the sentiment all too well, given his own history of seeking comfort in physical training. "i get it. sometimes it's good to have a way to clear your mind. you can call me if you want... company to workout, i mean."

she chuckles, "yeah... if i ever need a new punching back, your number will be the first one i'll be calling." y/n says as she grabs her workout bag from the floor and starts to walk away.

"well, speaking of things that might make you feel better, i was wondering if you'd be up for something." he spoke louder to get her attention.

"of course! what is it?" she stopped in her tracks to start paying attention to the super soldier coming to her diction.

"there's a dog adoption fair happening this weekend and i'm invited to help as... you know, captain america... anyway, uh, would you like to go too?" steve said while fidgeting with his water bottle, afraid the other avenger could sense his nervousness but y/n's excitement completely blinded her.

y/n's eyes lit up with excitement. "A DOG ADOPTION FAIR??" she squealed.

steve smiled, encouraged by her enthusiasm. "i thought you might like it. you're such an animal lover, and-"

she jumped and hugged him, "YES! oh my god thank you yes i'll go with you. you have no idea how much i love dogs."

"i'm getting an idea of how much" he said, patting her waist but lingering a little bit longer.

"sorry" she said, embarrassed, letting go of him. "and i'm so sorry i'm sweaty"

steve let out a soft laugh, "it's ok, i'll get a work out in now anyway"

y/n gave him a pressed smile, "ok, uhm... send me the details then?"

"yeah, sure!"

they said their goodbyes as y/n practically skipped away. steve couldn't help but feel a sense of joy himself, her genuine enthusiasm was infectious. with a contented smile, he pulled out his phone and sent her a message with all the information.

the weekend had finally arrived, and y/n's excitement was palpable as she got ready for the dog adoption fair. She stood in front of the mirror in her room, adjusting her outfit and trying to find the perfect balance between comfort and style. the fair was just a short while away, and she wanted to make sure she looked presentable.

as she put on the finishing touches, she heard a knock on her door. she crossed the room and opened the door to find steve standing there, dressed in his full captain america suit.

her eyes widened in surprise, "hey... what are you doing here?" she said, letting out a chuckled laugh but quickly slapping her mouth.

steve looked a little taken aback by her reaction. "i came here to pick you up... what's so funny?" he asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

y/n put her hand down from her mouth, but a smile still played on her lips. "it's just... the captain america in full uniform"

steve's brows furrowed slightly, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "we've been on missions together with me wearing this suit all the time. what's so funny?"

"it's just that... it looks a little out of place outside of a mission context." y/n's laughter subsided, and she smiled at him warmly. "But don't get me wrong, you look great buddy!" she said patting him on his shoulders like a child.

he grinned, rolling his eyes playfully. "i can't win with you, can i?"

y/n chuckled again and crossed her arms. "you win all the time, cap. it's just a little different seeing you like this in civilian settings."

he shook his head, "fair enough", a fond smile on his lips. "you ready?"

y/n nodded enthusiastically. "absolutely! and i promise not to burst into laughter when we're there."

steve chuckled. "i appreciate that."

the dog adoption fair was in full swing, and the atmosphere was filled with excitement and joy. y/n and steve had arrived together, and their presence only added to the event's liveliness.

steve, dressed in his full captain america suit, had become an instant hit among the attendees, especially the children. his charismatic smile drew people towards him like a magnet. he was a natural with the dogs, his gentle demeanor instantly putting them at ease.

y/n found herself busy helping people take pictures with steve, ensuring that everyone got a chance to capture a memorable moment. she laughed as kids lined up, waiting for their turn to stand beside him. grabbing the parents phone, she snapped photos of the heartwarming interactions between steve and the children.

"say CHEESE" y/n called out, her grin matching the children's enthusiasm.

steve crouched down, his shield by his side, as he posed with a wide grin. "CHEESE"

"thanks for doing this, cap!" a father said, shaking steve's hand.

steve's eyes sparkled as he replied, "it's my pleasure."

the children cheered and giggled, their faces lighting up with joy. steve's genuine connection with them was evident, and y/n couldn't help but admire how effortlessly he brought smiles to their faces. amidst the laughter and excitement, her gaze often found its way back to steve, who was already smiling at her. she reminded herself that she needed to focus on the dogs and the event, not get distracted by her growing fondness for steve. after all, they were just friends, and she didn't want to complicate things further, she thought.

however, there was one challenge that y/n couldn't ignore. every time she walked past a dog in need of a home, her heart melted. each wagging tail brought a smile to her face.

steve slowly walked up to her while she was holding a puppy, "you know, you can't have them all y/n" he said, earning a playful pout from her.

"i know!" she replied, rubbing her face on the dogs fur. "it's just... they deserve loving homes."

a fond smile on his lips as he watched her interact with the dog.

"and they will find them, with or without us adopting them all."

"yeah... but i would chose the adopting them all ourselves option if you wouldn't mind."

steve laughed, "i think it's a great idea but i don't think the rest of the tower would agree."

y/n rolled her eyes but agreed with a smile on her face.

"though i have to say, you'd make one heck of a dog mom," steve teased.

"STOOOP! don't give me ideas."

he chuckled softly, his gaze lingering on her. "you just have a big heart, that's all i meant."

y/n met his gaze, her heart fluttering at the sincerity in his eyes.

as the day went on, y/n found it harder to focus on anything other than steve. she caught herself stealing glances when he wasn't looking. she watched as he patiently listened to children's stories, posed for countless pictures, and interacted with the dogs as if they were his own.

each time she caught herself, she reprehended herself for feeling this way, especially given her recent breakup with bucky, especially for the fact that he is her exes best friend.

eventually, she allowed herself a moment to appreciate the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled and the genuine laughter that escaped his lips.

as the sun began to set and the event came to a close, y/n and steve shared a quiet moment. they leaned against a nearby railing, watching as families left with their newly adopted furry friends.

"you did amazing today, steve," y/n said with a soft smile.

he looked at her, his blue eyes warm. "it was a team effort. you helped make today special for a lot of people too. mine included."

y/n's heart swelled. as they stood there, side by side, she couldn't help but feel joy.

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

#taglist: @yoruse @pattiemac1 @mrsevans90 @lauraashley93 @ozwriterchick @elthoughtzos

#bê.txt #txt #steve.txt #steve rogers #steve rogers fanfic #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers au #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x y/n #steve rogers x female reader #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers one shot #steve rogers series #steve rogers fluff #healing hearts

[theambitiouswoman]

Hi,

I feel like I'm always the one intiating conversations and relationships. The one going up to people to talk to them. The one giving and giving.

It makes me sad that people don't come up to me and go out of their way to have conversations with me or hang out with me almost 90% of the time i do it. The kind of person who chases not attracts.

When I looked at it, i thought my actions were coming from the wrong person, because the same people who don't intiate things with me, intiate it with other people..

And I've always been available all the time(emphasis here) for everybody and i just want to be more exclusive i don't want people to get used to my presence that they don't have to put in effort to deserve it. Like "oh her? Nah don't worry i could go anytime/she's always there it doesn't matter". Do you het what i mean? People are so sure of my presence that they don't even care.

And i feel sad and hurt because I Do. And i value my presence much more than just to give it to you when you don't appreciate it like that.

Sorry if I've overstepped, but this has been bothering me for a veryy long time, and i just need help on this topic.

Thank you in advance🫶

Hi my love,

You never overstep. Thank you for trusting me with advice on an issue that is important to you. It is understandable that you feel hurt and under appreciated. Everyone deserves genuine connections and when we struggle to find them, we begin to question ourselves.

There could be many reasons why people may not initiate with you, or put in the same effort. It doesn't necessarily mean they don't value your presence or appreciate you.

You should not be pursuing relationships with anyone who is not putting the same effort back. These people may not see the value in the relationship, feel that there is no commonality, or you may hold them at a higher regard than they do. You do not have to chase or force relationships with others. Not all people are our people. You can not try to have a relationship with just anyone, for the sake of wanting a friendship. Focus on those who do reciprocate your efforts and value your presence. It's okay to prioritize your own emotional wellbeing and invest your time and energy into relationships that are mutually fulfilling. Take your power back.

It's also important to find a balance between being available for others and taking care of yourself. While being accessible and supportive is a great trait, people will tend to take someone who is too available, for granted. This may be another reason why you feel like you are chasing.

Try to have a more relaxed approach when establishing new friendships. If you go up to someone, try starting off with a compliment and go from there. Make sure that the conversation is not one sided and only serve your personal interests. You want to be able to connect with people. I would take the time to consider the type of conversations you are initiating. Create a definition of what you consider to be a healthy ideal relationship in your mind and set the standard for yourself. This may not be the case for you but people can become very codependent and attached to their friends, and it is not something all people on the other end enjoy.

Another possible scenario, is that you may not look approachable. Make sure that you have an open body language. Some examples would be: An open and relaxed posture. Facing towards others and being receptive to conversation. Not crossing your arms. Smiling more. No resting bitch face. Make eye contact. Show genuine interest in what they are saying. Actively listen. Make sure you are making them feel valued. Consider your clothing and style choices. Wear clothes that reflects your personality while still being approachable. Show positivity and a friendly attitude and avoid negative body language or expressions that might inadvertently push people away. Showing genuine care and compassion, this makes people feel comfortable approaching you :)

Being approachable is not about changing who you are fundamentally, but rather making small adjustments to your behavior and nonverbal cues to create a welcoming presence.

If you feel that people have taken your presence for granted or that they don't appreciate you, you may need to reassess how you allocate your time and energy. Always prioritizing yourself, setting boundaries, focus on quality of friends vs quantity, and evaluate your friendships. Are they good friends? Do your values align with theirs? Do you share similar interests?

While we all want and need relationships, consider the effect the relationships we establish can have on our lives. Friendship is a serious title and have a strong influence on our views, thoughts and feelings. Make sure you are putting your definition of friendship on a gold throne and not the idea of making friends, or even just people. Once you value the importance of friendship, rather than just your feelings about having friends, you will also develop better discernment in selecting new friends. This in turn, will cause an energy shift in your current system because you are no longer in the "chasing" position and taking full control.

This came out to be incredibly long, but I wanted to cover some of the immediate bases and truly hope it helps you <3

[pleuvoire]

2023 books i liked recap because why not

top faves, new entries on the all-timers shelf:

piranesi is like a sweet spot of novels made for me i swear. aesthetically beautiful (as far as mental images go), themes of wonder at the beauty of the world, a slowly unfurling mystery, a simple plot but with vibrant beauty and meaning layered on top. It's Good

giovanni's room also has a very simple plot that is so overlaid with soaring passionate emotion i swear it feels like an opera in book form. timeless classic. it's good idk what to tell you

oh man ancillary justice is such good sci-fi. when you start out reading it you're like this is rather dry but it pulls you in so hard. the worldbuilding! the themes of identity! breq is such a good character!

not quite all-timer shelf but still really good

fish swimming in dappled sunlight is ultimately a story about stories and memory and constructed narratives and the reliability thereof. it takes place over a single night and mostly just consists of characters sitting around talking, but manages to pull some crazy twists on you regardless. love the prose style too

i'm glad my mom died lives up to the acclaim. mccurdy has a real talent for narrative voice, effortlessly inhabiting the viewpoint of her younger self at various ages. balances humor and tragedy with frank candor. i sound like a review pull quote here so i'll stop

infect your friends and loved ones is actually a novella so pretty short! it's by the author of detransition baby and has definitely gotten me interested in reading that. really vivid meditation on trans womanhood and transmisogyny that bounces between post-apocalypse and pre-apocalypse settings. pdf here

less stand-out but i still liked it

what are you are looking for is in the library is a nice little series of loosely connected vignettes about people who are stuck at some point in their life and find inspiration at the library. all the staff at my library job wanted to read it so the hold list was a mile long lol. has inspiring themes about always being able to find a way forward when you're in a rut and the power of community and stuff

a people's history of heaven is about the life and times of a group of girls living in a slum in bangalore, india. i liked how it interwove different people's life stories together and used lots of vivid detail and i like how the trans girl's story was written. some aspects were hit or miss for me but it was still nice

temple alley summer is a kids' book but i like kids' books so that's fine. it's about a boy who sees a ghost and the next day she's a student at his school and everyone seems to already know her but him and it turns out this is because his house was built on top of a mystical temple. i like the meditations on life and death and the simple heartwarmingness. it takes a long unexpected detour in the second half which threw me for a loop but ended up working for the story

stuff i started reading but didn't finish and i swear i'm going to try to get to it this year

to shape a dragon's breath is pretty long so i didn't get that far in before i had to return it to the library but i really liked what i read. the worldbuilding is really interesting and the narrative voice feels fresh and unique and deftly avoids the samey YA mold that tends to grate on me. and it's got commentary on colonialism! definitely check this one out

i got halfway through radium girls which is an accomplishment for me since it's long. rare nonfiction entry on this list. goes into insanely meticulous historical detail complete with fiction-style descriptions and embellishments of the girls' lives which just makes it more tragic

i own a copy of the haunting of hajji hotak but it's seriously harrowing stuff so i had to take breaks. it's good man. but whew it does not shy away from the realities of living under war and occupation. death to america

ok that's everything i think seeya next year

#rosemary reads

[asprngdeductionist]

Essay on Patrick Jane

Im Reposting some of my Best entries. Heres my essay on Patrick Jane

Introduction.

Patrick Jane is the main protagonist in the 2000's American TV show "The Mentalist" portrayed by Simon Baker. Patrick Jane is the main  protagonist on the show, and with a surprisingly the least morals  on the team of protagonists. We'll get to these later. Patrick Jane works in the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), but later works for the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Both as a consultant. Before that, he was a professional mentalist that faked psychic powers to get money out of people.

Powers and abilities.

Patrick Jane possesses a powerful mental prowess. He is a master of tactics and people, especially knowing them. His observational skills are absolutely exceptional. I myself, am a deductionist/mentalist, so I know about how this works. His observational skills are at the level of the legendary deductionist Sherlock Holmes. I'd even bother to say that Patrick Jane was a better Sherlock Holmes than the Benedict Cumberbatch incarnation in the 2010 BBC's " Sherlock ". All deductions are focusing on 4 different  ways of information. Attire, Physicality, Verbal and non-verbal sources. In the case of Patrick Jane there are five,because he is a master of using his intuition. This is mostly framed as guesswork. 

Painful past and story

The story of the show starts off with introducing us to Patrick's past. And how The notorious serial killer "Red John" killing his wife and daughter because of his profession of being a fake psychic (mentalist).The rest of the story revolves around his redemption and act of revenge. After 6 seasons/ years of a cat and mouse battle of Patrick and Red John, with Patrick trying to find out who he  is and kill him for good. He accomplishes his goal of vengeance and kills his nemesis after a long battle of unraveling a secret society of corrupt law enforment officials all throughout the state of California. There is though another 1.5 seasons of the show. What happens then? He finds Final peace in his new love interest. Then the final wedding, we get the final moments of a peculiar show that brought excitement to its watchers for years.

The character's moral compass

Patrick JAne is a very grey character. He is the perfect balance between the Good guys of his team at CBI and his nemesis in Red John. He said it himself, and I can't sum it up more. "I don't care about the law, I care about justice." Seeing this quote, something comes to mind. He doesn't care about the rules of the world. The rules that other people set for everyone. He cares about his own morals and rules. "An eye for an eye" as they say. That's why he's so grey. The cops represent the law and the boundaries and Red John, the crimes and unhinchedness of everything. Patrick represents justice. There is a problem though. Not even Patrick is sure if his quest of vengeance is even good when you look at the quote: "Revenge is for fools and madmen." 

His allies 

Patrick Jane has a team. Just like Gregory House from "House MD" and even Sherlock Holmes. The team consists of a pretty good dynamic. Teresa Lisbon played by Robin Tunney is the boss and the one who doesn't agree with Patrick and questions his morals Just like Cuddy with House. Then we have rigsby and Van Pelt (Owain Yeoman and Amanda Righetti). Rigsby is the big and dumb and Van pelt is the good-girl i guess. And their whole arc revolves around them being in love and the rules not letting that happen. I think I can reference this to Chase and Cameron. Then we get to the most bad-ass character in the history of the show. Kimball Cho portrayed by by Tim Kang the buff asian with a robot-like character. I would make a reference to Foreman, but I'm not sure if there are any simmilarities.

Conclusion

The Character of Patrick Jane is a deeper concept when you think about it. His mental abilities and unique deduction style is most intriguing. I try my best at adapting it into my own. The depth of his morals is a nice addition to the generic 2000's crime drama that is "The Mentalist".

Happy Deducing!

#deduction #body language #observation #the mentalist #essay

[buckets-and-trees]

The Booklyn Boys Narrative Thoughts

Commentary NOBODY ASKED FOR but that's been swimming around in my head for the last two months, but even more lately.

The Brooklyn Boys series has been getting a fairly big resurgence of interest these past few weeks, so that's been cool/interesting. There's something especially fun about seeing the notifications from when someone blazes through the different parts of the story...

Specifically when they're only reading the Bucky pieces or the Steve pieces.

Spoilers for the entire series under the cut.

The Brooklyn Boys was the first thing I published on this account, yes, but it was also the first time I had ever gone about writing an 'x Reader' style fic. (I had written a lot of fic/fanfic from 2004-2008, 2012-2014, 2020-2022 being my prolific writing times, but I decided in high school I wanted to be a writer.) What really stuck with me in the crafting was this concept of Reader as a character, finding a balance between Reader who basically is an OC without a name because there are TOO many specifics (we've been there, we've all seen those fics, just name your OC) with an OC who is a totally empty shell to the point that you can't connect AT ALL. I wanted to get somewhere in the middle, and I realized that there's also this ambiguity with Reader that could - if done correctly - allow a Reader to meet Bucky and Steve in totally different scenarios and end up in a love triangle situation that would be a surprise to everyone but Reader!Character, even actual readers.

...because I'm me, but there are different sides of me that come out more in different situations and with different people and it depends on what we're doing and what we've bonded over and who else might be around. I'm not the same version of Aspen around my parents that I am at work, and I'm not the same Aspen in front of my peers at work as the Aspen that I am around the students I advise/supervise at work, and that's not the same Aspen that's going out on the weekends or that's writing smutty MCU fanfic or that's having deep mid-life conversations with my cousins or that's friends with the staff at my local garden nursery - but they're ALL ME.

So.

This Reader is consistently her. But the things she talks about and bonds over with Steve and Bucky show different sides of her.

The five parts that take place before the Interlude (3 Bucky and 2 Steve) are all very early stages of getting to know someone, when you are still figuring out if it's friendship only or if it's going to actually go somewhere more romantic. Now I knew it was going to be Stucky x Reader when all was said and done, obviously, but as I put out each new part, I would just point back to the collection and only specifically link each Bucky piece to the next, and same with Steve, because I didn't want it to be a dead giveaway. But... there are tiny clues - very tiny - that show up as the story progresses mostly in the moments where we see Reader be hesitant in moving things forward romantically with either of them - because SHE DOES NOT WANT TO RUSH INTO CLEARLY DANGER ZONE FEELINGS especially before she has any secure indication from either one that it's a FOR SURE romantic thing.

But I liked that in The Interlude, Bucky buys these ballet tickets for Steve that end up being the first serious step for Steve and Reader because HAHAHA how sticky, right? And Bucky's trying to fix Steve's lack of initiative because Bucky is hesitant to dive in with his own situation with Reader.

Also.

The titles for every part before The Interlude are alliterative Bucky and the Bench, Bucky and the Books, Bucky and the Brief Brush, Steve and the Sandwich, Steve and the Skyline.

After The Interlude, they all go S-B and B-S: Steve and the Ballet, Bucky and the Shelves, Steve and the Blindside, Bucky and the Situation, Steve and the Best Friend.

That took intentional crafting, my friends! I felt exceedingly clever.

I'm not always for a Stucky x Reader storyline, because I think it depends on both the Steve and Bucky that are being portrayed as well as the Reader being featured, but I think there are some situations where Bucky and Steve would develop feelings for the same Reader and it be a healthy polyamorous relationship. In what I've written up to this point for The Brooklyn Boys, there's only a short mention of this, but I think it's something I might enumerate on in a follow up piece, but when Bucky and Steve experience that blindside of finding out they've been developing a relationship with the same girl, they're forced to grapple with a lot. They're each other's closest person. First and foremost that means that they're not going to sacrifice their bond for a girl. Them realizing they could/do care on a soulmate/romantic level for each other is kind of chicken-and-egg with them coming to the throuple possibility. If they didn't fall for the same girl, would they have discovered the romantic/sexual side of their relationship? Maybe, maybe not. When she becomes this problem point, and they decide she's not going to drive them apart, they have to go deep into why because they're both at that tipping point of going all in for Reader, so if they're going to sacrifice a potential happily ever after for the other person, that's huge.

...I mean, it's not necessarily surprising to us though. You can watch the MCU movies and think they're just platonic OR you can read into the strength of their bond being romantic (and the coding is there). It's ambiguous enough to play platonic - and I argue the same for Steve x Nat, but there's definitely the case for more than platonic there, too.

Okay.

But back to this.

I thought it would be TOO OBVIOUS that Stucky x Reader was where it was headed after I posted Steve and the Sandwich, and so it's fun to me that it wasn't blatant, and that some people do read it and get THE SURPRISE of the Blindside. If you go to my masterlist you see that the Bucky parts are listed under Bucky and Steve's under Steve like this:

But the full series link IS RIGHT THERE and so idk if I'm too clever to the point of TRICKING readers who are reading it for the first time?

Because I've gotten A LOT of comments where people say, "Oh, I'll have to go back and read _____'s part of the story now."

But THE INTERLUDE.

THE INTERLUDE specifically entwines the two narratives and signals that this is a cohesive story - and I don't say that to make anyone feel stupid, I guess I'm just trying to rationalize to myself that I didn't hoodwink readers just to hoodwink them.

If you do click on the series link, you get this listing:

And at the end of the day, the point is that there is the surprise reveal to Bucky and Steve, and I don't want to fully ruin that.

I think now that I've typed this all out, in my author notes I had been very deliberate in directing people to the next Steve or Bucky parts only, and so what I could/should do is just go to the end of Bucky and the Shelves and say that Bucky makes a significant series appearance in Steve's next part, so that if they hadn't already been reading BOTH collections of stories since entwining them at The Interlude, that I'm specifically sending them off to Steve's because there is a series plot point relevant to both of them, then it's courteous, but also HEAVILY HINTS that they should catch up, and it pokes the brain that... oh, is this... no, surely not, but she wouldn't have us... OH SNAP, IT IS THE SAME READER!

(the last parts do all say Stucky x Reader, but it's okay if readers get caught up in the narrative and forget that's totally where we're heading, that's kind of fun)

um

I don't really know how to end this post, and I have thought about writing out about all of this for quite some time, and even now I'm like....maybe not post? But I'm going to post.

end of post

#aspen commentary #the brooklyn boys

[firstdivisiongirl]

hi! could i get romantic male matchup for one piece?

my pronouns are she/her

i'm enfp 7w8, leo

i'm 6'0 and have amber eyes, long gold blond curly hair and hourglass figure

i'm positive and upbeat person, i try to see the bright side in most situations

i'm friendly, energetic, confident, sarcastic, responsible, maybe a bit chaotic, cheerful and bubbly

i care about my friends and family a lot, and go out of my way to show it

i enjoy having fun and living life to the fullest

i'm very competitive and passionate person

i really like puzzles, riddles and crosswords

i love making people smile

i have morbid, dark sense of humor

sometimes i randomly say a weird obscure fact in the middle of conversation

i can play on violin, cello, piano, guitar, saxophone, harp and drums, i'm currently learning how to play on trumpet

i like poetry and sometimes i write a poem or two, also i'm writing my book

i'm ballet dancer since i was a kid and i love performing

i'm working on my own cartoon

i never quite grew out of the fantasy phase, and i'm still enamored with tales of changelings and witches

i work as illustrator for fantasy books and books for kids

i'm kinda struggling with taking rest, doing nothing, because there is always something to do, something new to learn, etc.

i'm afraid of stagnation

i overuse this kind of emojis→(⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)

my style is something between whimsigothic and cryptidcore

i love: collecting things, astronomy, tea, making and watching movies, forests, making jewelry, cooking, baking, d&d, horrors, animals, plants, gardening, traveling, art, history, world mythologies, learning new things, psychology, handicraft

sorry if it's too chaotic (⁠*⁠´⁠ω⁠｀⁠*⁠)

have a fantastic and wonderful day (⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠³⁠˘⁠)⁠♥

Hi. Oh goodness. I literally read this and knew right away. Sorry it took so long. I just wanted to find how to explain it well other than a gut feeling.

You got Sabo!!!! (I just loved this pick too much so I bring you kid Sabo having a mental breakdown)

You both would definitely write a book together. Like an amazing fantasy! I’d read it!

He’d love your sense of humor and your crazy facts

I feel like your dates would be crazy and random. You two would try anything and everything!

After a long day, Sabo would love to hear you play music. It would just relax him.

Your aesthetics would just go perfectly together!

Sabo can be a little focus and serious. With your happiness and charm, you’d not only balance the chief of staff out, you’d also bring him back to earth.

I hope you like it!

#one piece #trafalgar d vivi #one piece matchup #op sabo #sabo the revolutionary #one piece sabo

[pynkhues]

Were you a Sex in the City fan? I do feel like a show for the girls that are in the early to mid late 20s trying to figure it out. Is kind of missing in the market currently. Anyways if you’ve seen it there was a reboot with a whole new cast. What would your fan cast look like?

I actually watched Sex and the City in its entirety for the first time during the lockdowns, anon! While there are definitely parts of it that have aged badly and is very deserving of criticism, there's a lot that's aged surprisingly well too, and even as a first time viewer, I could see why it was the pop culture juggernaut it was. I really enjoyed watching it! Although maybe not enough to watch And Just Like That, haha (after all, what is Sex and the City without all four women?)

It really does feel like there's a bit of a gap these days in TV when it comes to mid-late 20s/early 30s women figuring life out. I feel like the closest we've had for a while was Broad City and The Bold Type, but even those have both been finished for a while, and are decidedly their own animals in focus, tone and style. While I liked it a lot too, I'd also say that The Bold Type never fully knew where it wanted to sit in terms of audience which really shaped a lot of the components of the story.

But yes! A Sex and the City reboot! I love it when you guys ask me to fancast stuff, haha.

Okay, let's start with Carrie:

I hadn't seen Ashley Park in anything until a few months ago, and have since had the triple hit of seeing her in Joy Ride, Beef and now the new season of Only Murders in the Building, and I just think she's so great. She's so, so charming and funny and I think really nails that complicated mix of high strung but also kind of loose and flirty that Sarah Jessica Parker nailed in Sex and the City. I think she could bring so much to Carrie and add after Joy Ride in particular, I'd love to see her lead something again.

Miranda's kind of a tricky one in some ways - you need someone who can find that middle ground between snark and genuine vulnerability, and I think that's really an area Ritu shines in between The Umbrella Academy and Polite Society. Plus she's delightfully watchable, and I think a role like Miranda could really stretch her skills (especially because I don't think Polite Society let her actually do all that much).

Fun fact: Charlotte's lowkey my fave from Sex and the City. I know a lot of people find her annoying, but I actually think she had one of the most fulfilling arcs on the show (I'm a bit of a sucker for characters who get what they want only to realise it's not what they need), and she also reminds me of a close childhood friend who I don't see as often as I want because we live on opposite ends of the country, haha. I looooved Charithra in Bridgerton, and I think she plays naivety without ignorance, and that sweetness without being saccharine really well. Plus I think she could be a really good balancer between Ashley and Ritu.

Okay okay okay, hear me out: Samantha is supposed to be older than the other girls, and one of the things I think is so ingenious about the original casting of Samantha is how they cast an actress who was basically a jobbing actress who'd worked across TV and genre movies for decades but became famous / a sex symbol for a few roles across raunch comedies. While Jessica doesn't quite have a Porky's on her resume, she comes from a similar background of tv, low budget horror, and a few meatier roles that show she can really act, and I've always had a soft spot for her, and tbh, I think she'd kill it.

The guys aren't as fun, haha, but mmm, I kind of like the thought of John Cho for Mr Big? An older guy with the right amount of suave that you can believe Ashley Park would be on the hook for, and maybe someone like Anthony Ramos for Aidan? I'm less sure about them, haha.

#thank you! #these are always fun to think about haha #it's been so funny seeing ashley park pop up in so many things #she's so much fun #she kind of makes me want to watch emily in paris which is a feat in itself haha #sex and the city #i can't remember how i was tagging these #lets go with: #recastings #welcome to my ama

[astroismypassion]

Hi!

What talents that i have with in me should be beneficial for me to put my energy in?

What paths and Careers would bring fulfilment and success to my inner and outer world? Joy in the soul

Basically what I am destined to be in this lifetime ? 🦀( the incessant question)

I going to be in junior high this year, and i have so many insterests in different things, and dilema and overwhelmed. As a classical high schooler. :)

Ik my guides and intuition will put me in right path.

Anyways, thank u for ur time precious soul.

(ik it's to much, so if u do readings of persona mc, let me know)

Love 🫶🫶🫶

Mc persona 1#photo

Natal chart 2#phto

Hi!

I do full MC Persona chart interpretation yes, you can book one.

I'm gonna try to answer these all questions in one. I like you, because you are very genuine with your message and forward.

Let's talk all about your Sun sign first... you really are more of a Cancer Leo cusp than a Gemini Sun you know to be completely honest with you. Your identity, personality, traits, ego, character is that more of a Cancer Leo cusp. You have the potential to transform a hobby into a full-time career. Research what you liked and could still enjoy doing in your free time. What did you do in your childhood, which hobbies, interests? Follow that! Also what you like to do in your time at home, bake desserts, make up, hair-styling? Talk to your family members too, they are aware of what your talents, interests, deep passions are. Aries IC and Venus, Taurus in the 4th house all point to the fact that those closest to you, your family members, close friends KNOW what your values, deepest passions, likes, dislikes and interests are, so talk to them, get advice, a new perspective of it. Since your Sun sign is at 10, Capricorn, degree beware that you will feel more stable and consistent about your career and in your career path after your first Saturn Return (ages 28, 29 and further), so don't really expect too quick results.

Now, another pointer to career discussion in the natal chart first, is believe it or not THE MOON. People often choose a major/higher education based on their Moon sign. You have Leo Moon in the 7th house at 8 (Scorpio) degree. Go into a creative field, definitely not science field since you could end up detesting it. You have three the most creative, artistic signs on your Moon. Moon is what fulfills you the most, your basic self, what you feel emotionally satisfied with. So here I would suggest leaning toward Leo, Libra, Scorpio fields: performance, politics, international relations, law, psychology, anthropology, sociology, culinary arts, tourism and hospitality, even design, hair styling, make up, history and geography, even languages, performing arts, any artistic field really.

Now we look at your Ascendant, which is Capricorn at Sagittarius degree (21), but also you have Aquarius over the 1st house. So don't set goals so hard you will find it unrealistic to achieve them. Step by step and stay grounded about it, there could be limitations, restrictions, but you will need to stay resilient. Also, don't get discouraged and try to not have too idealistic goals, hopes. When a dream is too big, you could get discouraged of ever even trying to a start it and work towards it. You get intimidated. You could do well by starting your own business (Capricorn Ascendant), something where you have full control over it. You also want to passionate about it an in charge. You also like balance between work and play. Did you travel a lot when younger, to foreign countries? You like exchange students? I think your calling is also connecting with foreigners and people who live in distant lands. Due to your Ascendant at Sagittarius and Chiron in the 1st house being at 9 (Sagittarius). You literally get healed when you travel and connect with foreign cultures. You also have Jupiter in the 10th house, so you could be intersted in travelling, tourism, work in a hotel, speaking foreign languages, learning on a daily basis. You have Libra MC with 8, Scorpio degree, you are very interested in other people and their culture, habits, lifestyle.

You could start a jewellery business or do something that you see you don't get in stores, but you always wanted that, so invent it! You are forward-thinking due to Aquarius over the 1st. You get to understand and grasp trends.

Another indicator Leo Saturn at 7 (Libra) degree in the 7th house, you will need to heal your creativity and creative self-expression during this life time. And it will be a reoccuring lesson until you learn it. If you don't learn it by 1st Saturn Return, you will need to at 2nd (so after 45). Also, don't be hard on yourself that you need to have it all figured out as much as your peers. You are a late bloomer, but the lessons you will get with time and life experiences will stick forever with you. You will grow to understand yourself better than your average peer.

Mars in Cancer in the 7th house at 28 (Cancer degree): this also talks about your career, the job that you might end up doing. You could work with children, families, in urgent situations (health field), with women, young adults. You will love to learn from younger people. You could also enjoy working from home.

And lastly, life purpose: Aries North Node at 1 (Aries degree) in the 9th house. Travel, langauges, lifestyle, leadership, foreign lands, philosophy, athletics, health field, business, sports these will all be your points of interest at some period in life.

@astroismypassion

#cancer mars #cancer #astrology #gemini sun #astroblr #astro note #astroismypassion #astrology blog #astro community #leo moon #aries ic

[stylinsoncity]

What’s your relationship with inspiration from other authors? Something that scares me in writing, while also being a book lover, is that thin line between referencing a style you love in order to improve, and fully imitating it. I do think that what I make is a direct reflection of what I’m attracted to when reading, ‘cause I also tend to try and write things I would enjoy if I were on the other side of the artist-consumer dynamic. But it is a delicate balance, I think. It also applies for those who like figurative arts, like drawing. Recreation of other’s pieces is a fundamental part of learning how to make your own. But after a while, when does the inspiration end and the originality start?

Did you struggle with finding your own style too? Because every time I come across a work of yours ‘on accident’, like without checking the author first before starting to read, I always recognize your voice no matter what. Usually I fall in love with the writing, have my ‘this has to be Stylinsoncity’ thought, and then inevitably have my ‘duh’ moment when I do check the author’s name and prove I was right. They always are unequivocally you, which is something I’d like to achieve (a little jelous tbh).

P.S. Have a nice day, sorry for the length of the question, I’m no good at summarizing. 💕

Hi! No need to apologize!! Thank you for the ask and for the compliments on my writing :) What you’ve said is also one of the highest compliments I think you can give an author. Because i think most of us do struggle to find our voice and be original and have people affirm/admire that.

I do actually shy away from reading books in the same genre as the one I'm writing because I don't want to be influenced subconsciously. it's definitely something i'm wary of.

but i also think we’re far enough into civilization now that all current and future works contain bits of the past. the authors whose books we're currently reading drew inspiration from authors before them and so on.

but that's not to say there's no room to be original. I recognize that the things I'm writing about aren't novel ideas or concepts. But no one has lived my exact life, so there's always going to be something I can give to a story that someone else can't. The same goes for you.

I'll read something and see a metaphor that's so brilliant and I'll wonder why I never thought of things in that way, but perhaps it's because that's not where my experiences and my understandings about the world led me?? no matter what, i think there's room to approach topics in a way only you can by drawing on experiences that are unique to you.

i think there's a lot i could say about this actually, but i might ramble.

i just feel like it's okay to emulate a writer you admire because it's not like that's where your growth and skill ends. eventually you'll read another author you admire and another and everything you're learning about language and storytelling from those authors starts morphing and shaping the way you tell stories. And maybe you fall in love or maybe you start a new job or you go on a trip. And all of those little things continue shaping the way you see the world and understand yourself and others. And eventually, naturally, i think your distinct voice arises from all of that.

idk! i've never really given thought to this before, but it feels nice to brainstorm about it. i do worry about being derivative all the time, honestly. but then i'll write something i've never read before and it reaffirms that there are still original thoughts i can offer the world. that's true for all of us, i think.

[levbolton]

It is I, anon from earlier today and I can now in confidence tell you that your fics have broken me down into nothingness.

Not only am I stupid and cannot read tags but I repeatedly let myself be comforted by your writing only to be hit with the sad truth at the end. You can’t keep getting away with this /j .Your style is so unique and I can feel the passion you have for the characters as you can see their inner turmoils on the writings. I love how you bring them to life

My personal favourite is Monologue (which is highly underrated btw). I love the dynamic between Fumi and Maki plus Fumi talking about her day made me smile so much. Then cane the gut wrenching feeling about Maki. Honestly you managed to balance the fluff with the angst out so well and I really adored it.

To conclude this annoying fan’s rambling, you are my favourite blue period writer and such a great storyteller. I know how you’ve stated that the fandom is quite inactive (cause it is) but your presence manages to be so outstanding to me. I don’t know why I was too nervous to follow now but I might as well write my letter of appreciation so it can be covered by the bots.

I hope you are able to continue doing what you love and have a great rest of day. 🙃

thanks op, kinda figured bcs i have emails from ao3 and your usernames match

personally 'monologue' is quite the lackluster for me, i wanted to use the concept, i think i wanted to make it about ytyt with yotasuke that would tell yatora about the summer festival only to reveal at the end that yatora was unconscious the whole time so yotasuke wasn't talking with anyone, i got the idea while working on 'a psychological take' (where i wrote already a summer festival so it felt unnecessary to do it again) and at the same time i wanted to write fumimaki (bcs there's literally nothing for this married couple, almost canon i'd say, more canon than ytyt), so i combined both, i was still in a phase where i wanted to kill all characters and make them suffer which i think i did a lot and now i just want to write them relax and be happy (writing depression is hard), so it's not really that original inside my head, but im glad at least someone else likes it (for me billy of tea was way more fun to think about)

tbh i've been thinking about moving on from blp for quite a few months already but i simply can't find something else to interest me the same way ytyt does, which sucks bcs if i don't write then no one will write stuff, rn i want to finish this fic i'm sorking on (i hope i get to 100k), then a oneshot about ytyt soulmates and another oneshot about miki and ayano only, then idk, i think it would be good to retire (not to be petty actually, but i did write 40% of the words in the yatoyota tag on ao3)

fandom isn't really only inactive, it is now a bit (i continuously try to collect blp fans here and on twt, the more the merrier), but i just felt ignored since the anime was airing, again maybe it was the bad timing bcs i started posting my first fic towards the end of the anime when people lost the interest bcs that adaptation is horrible, then in february yamaguchi had covid and from march to july it was complete hiatus and then the whole dj drama (which i'd lie if i said the mob mentality to drop it didn't affect me too although i was the one to uncover the doujinshis on my own weeks before it got to twitter, anyway my idea was: this isn't a piece of media i care about and i am already deeply in love with blue period so whatever, my respect for yamaguchi decreased and i got a passive aggressive attitude towards her until she posted the new year ytyt picture with bunnies this january, now i seriously don't care abt whatever else she drew - also damn i'm really side railing with this)

thanks again for your support, sorry for the long unnecessary text lmao, i have too much free time

[jalebi-weds-bluetooth]

Hii Jalebi! How are you doing? Diwali anon here!(idk you remember my last ask to recognise my but oh well!) So I'm on IPKKND re-watch sapere again cuz I'm trying to cope ever increasing anxiety of going to start college and moving to a new city and also living in a hostel for the first time ever

So this might be a long ask lol, but i feel so deprived of Arnav and Khushi actually being parents to Aarav yk? I feel like Khushi and Arnav reacting on completely opposite ends of spectrum during Diwali was a set up for a new track, which was scratched out? Also your take on how asr and Khushi would eventually have convo with Aarav about being orphans, and i personally think that if aarav had even a bit doubt about them accepting him or vice versa would be cleared from his mind. Also this could be headcanon or whatever down the line aarav would have taken some characteristics from Khushi (like he likes sweets like she does) maybe daily horoscope or finding a new best friend in Devi maiyya!? Also i imagine Aarav having to tell Arnav why Khushi is teary eyed because during her infamous morning vegetable shopping (where mother and son first met, this is their bonding time without any verbal confirmation about it) fellow shopper aunty comments on how aarav's nose is just like hers. Another one where aarav might be feeling down cuz he's done a bit bad on a test and he NEEDS to be best like his father but sabka Devi swooping in and telling him that being mediocre is okay, he doesn't need to be best for them to love him as much they do now and much much more.

Am i projecting my mommy and daddy issues in there? Maybe but who cares lol

This turned out longer than i expected, it's not a rant it's an essay, I'm so sorry. Fingers crossed i hope Tumblr doesn't eat my ask😭.

Please add your own headcanons and ideas I'd love to know (more like I'm desperate to know lol)

Thank you so much for bearing with me! I love your blog and podcasts!<333

Diwali Anon!!!

Do you know I too watch IPK to cope with anxiety - especially when I move into a new housing location? So giving you the biggest hugs cause watching our favorite show truly gives us the comfort we need during the hardest times *hugs*

How am I doing? Dying due to periods *cry*

Aarav and his role in the show was very undecided. They developed the relationship well between him and Arnav, but completely underdeveloped the relationship between him and Khushi. Of course it should've been complicated considering the little child was indirectly conditioned to think that it's this woman in his "dad's" life that results to him not having his dad...

The whole parenting thing also could've been an excellent track considering both Arnav and Khushi are orphans so they could connect with the child.

But it was very clear at that point that the writers really did not know where to take the story. And they were in this spot of not knowing how to write ArShi if they're not in conflict with each other. And they swore by the guideline of making Khushi childish. So what could've been a serious difference of opinion on how to parent and raise Aarav - led to the harebrained Mrs India.

Also they never setup Khushi as a maternal figure to Aarav. She overnight forgets to wear heels, forgets to wear makeup, forgets styling, forgets she has a child. They do remember to at least show Arnav helping Aarav with homework.

I don't think they could strike a balance between a childish Khushi and mother Khushi. Which, again shows where their 'priorities' were.

And yes, children do subconsciously absorb a lot of behavior from the adults around him. I absolutely agree he'd outwardly be a lot like Arnav cause it's tough to unlearn that he needs to not be like his father to get his approval. It will take some time and acknowledgement of the family to help Aarav find his own personality and identity that isn't influenced by Arnav's behavior.

I do think from Khushi he might learn distracting his stress by doing something that controls his impulses. For Khushi it's jalebi, for Aarav it could be something else.

I do think Khushi-Arnav would communicate with Aarav early on about being orphans considering their struggle to adjust as parents and Aarav's struggle to accept a new family. You must read @ridzmystique 's beautiful OS called Under the Starlight

I'd like to quote a head canon about Aarav from one of my previous posts;

#6 “Mom”

Never, in a million years, with all her twenty imaginary babies would Khushi have ever imagined to be called ‘mom’. In her fantasies of Laad Governor & Sanka Devi’s Shaadi Shuda Zindagi she thought she had imagined it all;

A hot, passionate but crazy marriage. Their brood of children would be half western, thanks to English Singh Raizada, and half traditional. Her son would probably take after his father in looks (which she would be grateful for) and in temperament (which she would curse Arnav for). Their daughter would be just like Khushi (which Arnav would be grateful for) and naively believe in all love and romance (which Arnav would curse Khushi for).  And then Arnav and Khushi would have another set of a son and daughter to have the roles switched.  Arnav would be positively traumatized upon being called “Babuji” and would drop all his business to make sure his brood calls him “Dad/Papa” and Khushi would leave all her jalebis and shop to make sure her little army of Raizada’s called her “Amma” instead of “Mom!”

That is until the day Aarav calls her mom. Suddenly, that is the sweetest word Khushi has ever heard and she does not want Aarav to call her anything else. Because it’s what Aarav calls her. 

Aarav, although shown to be identical to Arnav and immediately close to him because he believed all along that Arnav was his father - hence tried to impress him as much as he could - grows to become mamma’s boy. It’s Khushi’s childishness, sense of humor, joy for life, maturity and zest that brings out the boy’s childhood. 

I am sure one day Khushi sits and talks about being an orphan - and Aarav would be surprised at Khushi’s happiness despite her tragedy. I feel Khushi would actually play a key role in nurturing Aarav and making him a wholesome boy who can laugh, dance and enjoy life like his mother. 

In a nutshell, Aarav grows to become the perfect combination of his parents; slightly religious, loves sweets, plays pranks, is extremely sharp at mathematics, sarcastic, introvert, dry sense of humor, values relationships, values money and is temperamental enough to get people to obey him. 

Oh, and did you think Arnav was a terror if anyone insulted Khushi in front of him? That Arnav would slap and rip away the person from planet and protect his wife from all costs. 

Don’t even think of insulting Khushi with Aarav Singh Raizada around. 

Even Arnav can’t raise his voice on Khushi in front of Aarav. 

Aarav is obviously, protective about his father too - except he’s not too vocal about his. Arnav becomes a mentor, guide and a loving father for Aarav, while Khushi becomes Aarav’s best friend. 

--

The End,

Best,

Jalebi

#ask #Diwali anon #ipkknd #aarav