#posting directly to the art blog instead of to the main as I usually do with vorkosigan stuff | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

discworld-heritage-posts · 4 months

Note

What do you think you add? Do you think you make a poignant post better when after scrolling down through it we see someone saying it's "official"?

I'm choosing to interpret this ask as a genuine question (albeit one that's been worded a bit rudely) instead of a hate anon, because I wouldn't want to tarnish people's dashboards with hate anons.

Now, to answer your genuine question... The "Discworld Heritage Post" tagline I add to the end of posts has as much validity as I have authority to bestow it: none. Do I think my tagline makes posts better? Of course not! And I certainly don't think I make them official, (and neither my url or my pinned post claim that I do so).

I don't know what reasons other people had to start their own Heritage Posts blogs for other fandoms, but I will gladly tell you mine: I got into Discworld. I discovered the Discworld fandom in Tumblr. And, one day, while scrolling down some Discworld related tags, the idea just popped into my head. After checking that there wasn't a Discworld Heritage Posts blog already, I decided to make one.

I personally follow a few Heritage Posts blogs, and my reason to do so is probably the same as to why many people follow this blog: I wanted to see that kind of content. Tracking tags and being up to date on the most popular posts of a fandom is doable, but doing so for the dozens upon dozens of media I'm into is impossible, so I like to follow some Heritage Posts blogs to get some of those posts directly into my dashboard (it's also worth mentioning that sometimes, some iconic posts are made when people comment stuff on them, and those don't appear in the search tags, so following blogs that post about a certain fandom is the best way to come across some of those collaborative posts, because otherwise you'd rarely get to see them). So yes, I created a blog that, had it already existed, I would have liked to follow. Also, while other blogs with this gimmick usually limit themselves to reblogging, let's call them the "greatest hits", I've said since the beginning that I didn't care about how many notes something had. Be it cool art or a funny or insightful post, if I like it, I send it to my drafts.

However, none of those reasons are the main reason why I made this blog. The main reason is that I did it for myself. After exhausting all the content that showed up in the Popular Posts tab, I couldn't help but think of all the gold and treasure that wasn't there, buried and hidden due to the way Tumblr's search engine works. If you're familiar with the Discworld concept of "lies-to-children", that's what the "top posts of all time" is in Tumblr. A 20k post from 2016 will not be there, but a six month old post with 400 notes will show up. Surely there had been amazing Discworld posts and art posted in 2015 and 2013, but I wasn't going to find most of them unless I expressly went looking for them. And this blog was the perfect excuse to do so. As of replying to this ask, there's nearly 600 posts sitting in my drafts, and if I didn't have this blog I would have never discovered 90% of them. And those are the ones I've seen. I still have dozens of places I haven't searched.

I know that if I reblog a month old post with over 2k notes, a lot of people in the fandom will have already seen it. However, a 2k notes post from 2014, or a drawing with 40 notes from 2012 is something that is less likely to have hit people's dashes recently, or at all. When you come across the "Discworld Heritage Post" tagline in a post, please don't picture me as an uppity monarch performing the Tumblr equivalent of a knighting ceremony, or a stuffy museum curator deigning a piece worthy of being included in an exhibition. Picture me as a kid enthusiastically jumping and flailing my arms around while yelling "holy shit guys check out what I just found!!", because that's how I feel running this blog.

Ultimately, whether one of my posts does better or worse is indifferent to me, because they aren't my posts, or memes, or drawings. I'm just the intermediary. That being said, of course it's not indifferent to me, because more engagement means that was a post many people hadn't seen before, or had forgotten about, and one of my goals was to run a blog that would allow people to find those hidden or long forgotten gems.

When all is said and done, Heritage Post blogs are just another one of Tumblr's gimmicks. If we're not your cup of tea, you're free to ignore or block us. If you want to reblog something and don't want the tagline, you can reblog it directly from OP (or from another reblog if OP has deactivated their account).

#long post #THAT BEING SAID #I've seen people being very exited about something they made showing up in this blog and calling it an honor and stuff like that #and to those people I say: I see you and your lovely tags and my heart warms when I read them #i might not have any real authority besides a self imposed gimmick in a nearly defunct social media platform #but if seeing your stuff here makes you happy and proud those feelings are valid and I want you to treasure them #a lot of things only have the meaning we ascribe to them and my tagline might not hold any official meaning #but it does mean something VERY IMPORTANT:#that I saw your post and I loved it and I reblogged it to make sure other people could also find it and love it #I need to come up with a tag for asks don't I? ok how about #asked and answered #dhp's asks #discworld

90 notes · View notes

simpforroses · 2 years

Text

1 Year Blog Anniversary

—Law’s hat addition on my persona recommended by another lovely artist/writer @starrybrujita 💖 (it actually suits the Lady of Heart anniversary dress I designed lol)

It’s surreal how it’s been a year! Thank you to all 163 of you for taking a look at my small art corner on here and leaving a follow, along with all the positive and substantial feedback for miscellaneous creations I make too ❤️ It makes me happy to see that I can inspire some emotion and make someone’s day through my works or surprises that I sometimes do on a whim, as I take pride and genuine time in everything I make, since most of what I create here is from scratch and from the heart, whether it be art, writing, graphics, ideation, etc. As some may notice, I’m not as active as I used to be last August-March due to work and other reasons, but it was an experience being on the content-creating & active side of things, after years of only using this platform as a passive viewer for hobbies and fandoms ☺️ Once again, I can’t believe I made it this long and I am grateful for your support! 🌹

‼️Important Notes (please read)‼️:

-> I’ll continue posting art here & try for a rebound, but will go back to square 1 with making art for its own sake, without tagging people on my main account’s artwork—for now—to see how this blog continues organically (unless someone asks for a taglist or to be tagged. If so, please feel free to let me know which characters/content-type 😊). At the beginning & when I was most active, I usually was the one taking the 1st step towards people, bending over backwards, and speaking up for others, even if it did not directly affect me or could be shown on the surface-level of this blog, because in my mind, taking initiative was, and is, the right thing to do, even if it meant being ignored, burned, or blacklisted…it’s been a ride with ups & downs, but now it’s time I take a step for me.

->After some positive surprises on here during this week, I chose to set refresh instead of going with my other consideration to leave, so this blog can re-gear into the direction that I wanted it to be when I 1st started: a place that is artistic, fun, & unapologetically me, that still remains honest in integrity, actions, confidence, and eloquence of expression. I’ve tried quietly fading out from here, but wind up being pulled back in, in some way, so I may as well come back with a new approach. There are many things I can and wanted say about what led to these reflections. But, I won’t. After all, this is a small space that likes to make humble personalized tokens of happinesses, with big ideas, a big knowledge cache, and a bookish girl who only has 2 hands & voice that speaks more than what is seen or heard. Plus I’m going for a refresh, so I only look forward to what I can create from now on. I named this blog a “Shop of Embroidered Hearts” for a reason, after all ❤️ Though, I’ll also start being more active on Instagram by the same usernames:

@/simpforroses for general main art | @/scalpelandrose for OC/self-ship | @/michelle.hong is my personal account for general interests, memes, and hobbies. —I feel that who I am as an individual does not suit or ‘fit’ into what the Tumblr fandom environment is or has evolved into. After months of half-resolutions & holding out, I want to test my options with both platforms to see what happens (the ‘/‘ are there so there aren’t any pings)

I will be opening a digital commissions option sometime soon, as I now have a good workflow & am more confident in my skills 🎨

Writings & focused OC/self-ship content will still be on my sideblog or on my Blogger site once I fully set that up (for more personal freedom of content when it comes to naughty graphics) 🌹

I’ll still be around in the background per usual when I can ❤️ Occasionally for a few inbox drops, reblogs, or writing events when invited.

Thank you -M. 🌹

#one year blog anniversary #one year #michelle muses #personal thoughts #artist on tumblr

41 notes · View notes

radexchangeprogram · 1 year

Text

FAQ

Can I request more than one character?

Yes! You can request as many as you’d like, but I may only pick 2 or 3. I recommend specifying character preferences if you are requesting a larger number of characters (e.g., requesting all the brothers and specifying that you want Satan and Belphegor if I don’t feel up to writing all 7 of them).

Can I make art/fics/hcs based off of your posts?

Yes! I just ask that you please tag me because a) I love seeing it and b) I would love to reblog it so that others can see your work as well!

I don’t think I own basic concepts and do not need to be tagged in posts with the same concept (unless you want, I enjoy reading). For example, if you thought my hcs on courting was cool and you wanted to come up with your own, go for it! I don’t own the concept of courting. I only ask for a tag if it’s based heavily on my work, such as writing an x reader using my specific courting hcs.

Also please do not repost my work! If you want to share it, link it or reblog it!

How do I know if requests are open?

It is in my bio.

Why is your post schedule so inconsistent?

I am a full time graduate student and while I love this blog and writing, that takes priority. If I vanish for a few months, it’s not because I forgot about this blog, it’s because I’m just really busy.

Do you take commissions/will you take commissions?

No and no. With my scheduling being how it is, I am not willing to take commissions as I cannot promise it will be completed in a timely manner.

Why didn’t you do my request?

Either it breaks one of my rules, you sent in a request when they were closed, or I simply did not have inspiration for your request. The latter doesn’t mean it was a bad request, but I can’t force myself to write for every topic. I promise I don’t have a personal grudge against you. Alternatively, your request may be a WIP that is just taking a while because if my schedule.

Typically, requests that allow for a bit more artistic freedom are more likely to be completed as those are easier for me to get inspiration for. I also usually don’t do “MC who acts like (character from different media)” requests as they’re usually from media I have not consumed.

Why do you only reply in reblogs?

This account is a side account. When I made this blog, I didn’t know that tumblr doesn’t let you reply directly from side blogs (I had never made one before). Also, I think it would be rather annoying to frequently switch accounts since I use mobile. I reply with reblogs only because I don’t want to cause confusion if I reply in the notes from my main account. This just keeps it consistent.

Why don’t you proof read posts?

I try to when I remember, but sometimes I either accidentally press post before I do or I just get excited to post it and forget. Please don’t correct any errors I make unless it’s one that makes the post completely unreadable. If I make a typo and write “of” instead of “if”, the post is still readable.

Do you write for other media?

Currently, no. I prefer to keep it tailored exclusively to Obey Me.

Why are you posting/reblogging stuff that is not hcs/reader inserts/fics?

I like to use this blog as a general Obey Me blog at times. I try to avoid mass reblogging, but sometimes I see a post that I’d really like to share on here.

Picrew

#FAQ #not an imagine #subject to updates

3 notes · View notes

oo0-will-of-the-wisp-0oo · 25 days

Note

On ai- I think one of the main distinctions between editing something and having ai produce it is one requires. Effort, and actual time/thought behind it. Spending a minute feeding a database prompts until you get something you want is nothing compared to the countless hours put into a piece, be it writing/art/etc

You could argue that by virtue of posting something online, people sort of sign away on what people do with their art, but even in such cases you cannot deny that ai companies went about collecting data in malicious and deceptive ways- often without any time to genuinely revoke consent.

With ai art, people can replicate someone's style, which can then threaten their own personal brand/livelihood. This becomes more apparent when you know that a major part of the actors strike was specifically against ai owning the rights to people's image/voice indefinitely. An actors entire workplace existence hinges upon the fact that they will be paid to be somewhere and say and do something- this gives them the security of an income, but it also gives them the right to turn down any works they don't agree with/don't want to be a part of. By removing the actual *actor* from acting, the company can get away with not having to actually pay someone, let alone pay someone a living wage

I think the biggest reason I, and many others, are against ai, is for the same exact reason people would be against reposting art instead of reblogging, or the reason we used to get all the warnings against online piracy: it will directly hurt the creators that spent countless hours working on something. The difference between piracy and ai, however, is ai hurts creators that are just like you, and your community, and it will continue to do so if left unchecked

It is a very big win that ai generated works cannot be copywrited, bc it means that people will not be able to profit off of something they did not truly make. It would be unreasonable for someone to launch a TV show where the premise was ai, or the script itself, or the actors, and then try to claim ownership over it, and insist that they make a profit off of it, that no one else can use it, when in truth they had no part in the actual creating of the show

This is kinda a mess, and im open to more discussion/providing links to stuff mentioned later, but hopefully this is kind of an insight into why ai isn't. The best

Yes! Thanks for the discussion!

I think you’re responding to my previous post: https://www.tumblr.com/oo0-will-of-the-wisp-0oo/748487000957550592/any-of-my-people-interested-in-discussing-ai

If I were to use AI, I would be 100% honest about. Also I would charge less in most cases.

The reason being is it feels to me like it is providing me with images/information, and therefore helps me save time. I prefer to use it as a tool, though rather than use it as a means to an end. At least with the few AI I’ve experimented with, I’ve noticed that the program/algorithm kind of does a half-ass job on it’s own and the final piece would need to be edited to my satisfaction - especially text prompts. Using only text-prompts produces pretty substandard results. I find whatever the AI spits out usually needs to be edited, sometimes rather extensively, or else it’s unusable. And it takes up more time than I like for the program to process. I don’t just want to text-prompt and keep whatever gets developed.

There are some AI that you can use a photo or drawing of your own as reference. AI Arta is one of these. I’m playing around with Bing and Picsart, too. And of course EVERY app seems to be providing its users with its own AI (although usually using original products such as Dall-E or Midjourney, is what I find)…

Also, my original link on my blog said AI can’t be copyrighted… However I’ve found at least Dall-E allows you to make a profit: “Subject to the Content Policy and Terms, you own the images you create with DALL·E, including the right to reprint, sell, and merchandise — regardless of whether an image was generated through a free or paid credit. Oct 29, 2023” - although perhaps this still doesn’t mean it’s under your own copyright… I’m not sure about that.

I’ll just finish this reply to you saying I think everyone should keep discussing AI. Thanks again for your own input. I figure the more it’s talked about, the more we’ll figure out how to use it. I don’t want to snub people who are completely for or against it. I WANT to hear what people think about it. If I learn something I didn’t know before because of keeping an open mind, that’s a good thing.

Hope what I’m writing is comprehensible, it’s after 5am. I should get to sleep! lol

Here’s a website where the opinion is that AI won’t “take over” people’s jobs/artistry, but it will make their jobs more efficient for them.

#what is the difference between ai and re edit?#ai ethics #ai #ai artwork #ai discussion #using ai #ai art #ai image #are you for or against ai?

0 notes

icewindandboringhorror · 6 years

Text

hmmbb.... since one of the primary reasons I endlessly procrastinate selling sculptures and clothes I make (or old clothing, like mori kei stuff I dont use anymore or etc) and etc. is like... Setting Prices Is Hard.. then maybe I could just... start an ebay or something?? If I set everything as an auction or whatever that people bid on, then I’d just have to calculate a low base price that will cover cost of materials/shipping/etc. but if people want to pay more or something then that’s fine too, and I don’t really have to worry about evaluating value or how much extra I should charge for something (’oh this shirt is cool/this sculpture took me a while/etc., maybe I should make it more expensive!! but then... i dont know... hmm.”).. It would take the burden of pricing and value estimation off of me, all I have to do is set a reasonable base price and then the people who want it get to decide whatever they feel it’s worth by how much they feel like bidding on it..

Would that be weird though?? I intentionally avoid bidding on things and I only ever buy stuff with a set price because I feel like it’s stressful to keep up with lmao, I wouldn’t want to make it harder on people who want to buy my art or something...??? Like does it sound like a really bad idea to leave the pricing of sculptures and stuff up to bidding? How much do you think that would dissuade people from attempting to buy things? I know not everyone loathes bidding and stuff the way I do so it may not be as much of a problem to others as it is to me, maybe I’m over-estimating lmao.. thus I thought I would mayhapps, ask the opinion of the General Publique

#like if you're someone who's interested in buying my art or old clothing or etc.. would having it be an ebay auction like...#massively affect your decision to do so?? or would it make no difference???#also i acknolwedge that etsy is definitely better for selling art stuff in terms of market i guess like #its obviously geared towards crafts and stuff #whereas ebay is so broad #but i think a majority of my traffic is from me posting links on my social media when i sell something anyway so i dont #think it would matter much where i sell it. it's not like a ton of people are discovering me on etsy because of the Craft Market~~~ or somet #hing all purchases probably still come from people who directly follow my art blog so #i don't think it would really make a difference.. like if this plan worked out and i just had an ebay instead of an etsy idk if that #would even matter. and the main point is making selling comfortable for me i guess and if i cant handle setting prices #because im a walking cloud of stress that wasnt meant to function in a capitalist society then i guess anything that makes it easier #on me is what would make it worth it.. which not having to dwell for weeks about what to price something would do that #especially clothes i have so many things i need to get rid of and get the hell out of my house taking up space but the idea #of putting so much thought into every individual wretched item usually stresses me out too much. among other things. clothes are just hard #to sell in general but. mostly sculptures i guess is what I'm referencing here #since i think selling clothes on ebay is fairly normal but selling sculptures is like the weird thing im unsure about #anyway idk... lette... me know.. if you have any... Thoughtes #and I'll probably reblog this later i know a fresh middle of the damns night is not a great time to throw out a question but #i have to just rip off the band aid and post stuff like this when i feel on a whim since if i'm left to think about it too long i usually ne #ver get around to it because i'm afraid of interacting with people lmao .. even if it's just random vague questions like this

31 notes · View notes

foulserpent · 2 years

Text

ok. the likes:reblogs ratio on here is never going to improve, and focusing on the likes:reblogs ratio will not help you as an artist (long post under cut)

also to be EXPLICITLY clear this is talking about broad issues applicable to every artist on the site. dont use this to shut down or ignore artists of color discussing how theyre treated compared to white artists. dont use this to shut down marginalized artists in general talking about how art addressing their identity or real world issues is ignored or tokenized. these are entirely separate issues. if youre reading this and thinking “yeah, these people should stop complaining!” fuck off and block me.

but yeah:

this is a microblogging platform that is designed around individual users curating the content of a blog and of their dashboard. what you reblog is put directly onto the dashboards of the people who follow you. the reblog function is designed as the main tool of curation, with the additional ability to be a sort of "reply" function, (though the way this is applied can be garish hence why its far more common to talk in tags)

‘likes’ on this site serve little to no algorithmic function noticeable to the average user (i dont know how they affect the search function, which is a fucking mess anyway and is barely used). the ‘like’ functionally is near-EXCLUSIVELY a method of communication, saying “i like this” “ive read this” “i agree with this”. this usage is so ubiquitous that most people will never actually look Through their likes, and may use drafts to save posts instead

with this in mind, the reason likes will always outstrip reblogs is that ‘liking’ is a very simple form of communication, while ‘reblogging’ functions as much as a tool as it does for communication. if someone likes a drawing but doesnt really want to reblog it, theyll "like" it to say "i like this". this is not someones confused attempt to provide you exposure, this is a form of communication.

additionally, reblogs on art will usually dwindle as they get farther from the source. most of your reblogs will be from followers who like Your work personally, understand Your takes on characters, etc, and unless a post "blows up" due to mass appeal reblogs will dwindle as the post spreads.

point being, the ratio will always be bad. there is no amount of demanding people change their behavior that will actually change how the site functions.

the goal of the “always reblog art you like” sentiment is usually for artists to get economic support, so im going to address it from this angle: if you arent getting reblogs on art without having to guilt trip people into it, you are not going to be getting many (if any) commissions at this time. thats just the reality. that doesnt make you a failure, or mean youll never get to that point, but it does mean you are not currently in a position where that’s going to happen.

reblogs also dont equal money, new followers, commissioners. like OF COURSE on a technical level, if every drawing you posted got lots of reblogs, youd likely net a follower or two, and that would add to potential customers. but thats just in theory. someone reblogging because they see "reblogs>likes" is substantially less likely to check you out and follow you than someone reblogging out of genuine interest. like most people on here dont have tons of money to throw around, so most commissions come from people who have followed you for a while and have a personal attachment to your art. the commissions i get that Arent from longtime followers are nigh-exclusively either niche aspects of my skillset, or p*rn lol.

if you are intending to make money off art (let alone an entire CAREER out of art) you absolutely need to find peace with this. if your self worth and ability to do art is wholly reliant on online engagement, you are going to get burned out before you ever get there. this isnt saying "pull yourself up by the bootstraps and WORK!!!!" its saying "if you dont find peace with this somehow you are going to not be able to make art". it sucks but this is not going to change anytime soon.

and like, part of this problem is just that its not peoples moral responsibility to be constantly providing ‘exposure’ to all art. like, the angle is that in this horrible capitalist system, we need to support each other. and yet youre also asking for this "support" to be purely transactional, for everyone who sees your art to be a customer or a networking opportunity. i think thats fair to ask when it comes to say, commission posts (which are literally About getting customers and networking), but not just every individual piece of art itself.

if you struggle with this and with self esteem from online engagement, id suggest reframing it- first of all understand that peoples "likes" (while being no substitute for real communication) are a compliment. liking and not reblogging isnt an insult, its saying "i like this (and dont necessarily want it on my blog)". would you really rather that people engage with you as an act of charity or pity than in earnest? will getting hollow reblogs from people only doing it because youll get mad otherwise actually help your self esteem?

and i know some people reading this rn might not want to hear all this from someone who they may perceive as a "popular artist". so please understand that i didnt come on here fully formed getting notes on my art (and also like, 'popular artist' on here usually means 'can pay a bill with art money sometimes'. im still living paycheck to paycheck). ive been posting art on the internet since ~2010 and ive only been able to get Any attention on my original stuff in the past few years. i got absolutely zero commissions the first few times i tried. even once my art started getting traction, it was only fandom content. if i based my self esteem on online engagement, i would have quit art before i left highschool.

so yeah, bottom line. there is no amount of asking people to change their behavior that will actually lead to a site not built for being an exposure vehicle to become one. ive been seeing variants of these posts pretty much my entire decade or so on this site. we need to collectively put that energy somewhere else

i really cant claim to know the solution, but i think one thing that weve lost that would help A LOT would be the return of like, curated blogs focusing on a specific topic. there used to be all these “fuck-yeah-[topic]” blogs that would just aggregate content about a topic, or a certain kind of art. like i used to follow ones that focused on ‘monster people’ art. theyd just scour tags and reblog any art related to the subject, and they were widely followed and engaged with, so they provided a lot of visibility to obscure artists. this form of curation is also fairly natural to how this site functions, hence why it Actually Worked to some degree

some of those blogs still exist, but they arent anywhere NEAR as central to the ecoystem as they used to be. i think individual communities on here producing these and working to get them noticed would be a HUGE help to a lot of artists

another behavior i think that Can be changed is just commenting more. like if you have a compliment in mind about someones art, say it! even if you dont reblog. i dont compliment everything i enjoy (bc i dont always have a specific compliment in mind and dont want to just bullshit one) but if i do have anything ill say it. what most people really want is communication and personal investment. of course, please dont turn this into that deviantart "dont fave without commenting" bs, this should be like. human interaction and not just another transaction.

the other aspect is how the tag system is fairly irrelevant and the search function is broken. in the past, browsing tags was a pretty standard thing for a lot of users. now, a lot of newer users dont even know the tag function still Exists outside of search. the tagging system was never super organized, but it used to be more of a thing that some tags functioned as loose communities. i think this could be improved through active intent to do so by the userbase, but theres little incentive to do so bc the tag and search system is broken.

and i dont know like Anything about web design, so im just gonna state what i would Like to see in theory, but some of this might be impractical. the search function needs to be fixed. every post tagged with a keyword should appear in searches for that keyword, none of the “only some of them seemingly at random” bullshit. there needs to be a clear and understandable algorithm to how searches are organized, with fully functional "sort by new" options, maybe “popular today/this month/all time” options based on both likes and reblogs. the search function needs to become a way that people can look for content in an organized capacity.

i also think that they Could introduce some degree of categorization for original posts. this would have to be very broad since this isnt just an art site, but you should at least be able to categorize your post as “art” and then be able to filter your searches to search for “art” results. this would re-incentivize use of the hypothetical improved search/tag system, and could be a great organizational tool if it was actually implemented properly.

ofc all that is something that tumblr staff would have to do and its not like theyre reading this or like they tend to Ever address user complaints, but i dont think wider demand for this sort of thing would hurt either. at this point im kind of just hoping for the near biblical level miracle of "potential art site designers see these sorts of complaints and create a new art platform that addresses these issues and it gets a huge userbase and we all have a great time" or "deviantart second coming". but i hope this is at least constructive and gives you something to think about . my final message, goodbye....

#oh also i hope the breaking down of the exact functions of the like/reblog features doesnt come off like #wildly patronizing #my intent was bc its jsut one of those things most people (including myself) never actually think about. but i read it over and was like #wait is this incredibly condescending

242 notes · View notes

showrunnerihardlyknowher · 2 years

Note

*holds microphone directly to your lips* opinion on the g/t writing drama from our fearplay writing queen?

I mean I agree with the sentiment for sure. Writing comes a lot easier for some people than others, but that doesn't mean it's not difficult in its own way. It's why I've kinda started leaning more into my art rather than actually posting any updates or new fics

On average my stories are between 6-12K words and usually multi chaptered. This can take me anywhere from a day if I'm hyperfocused to a week if I'm swamped with my Real Adult Job. I love writing stories, I love setting up universes and fleshing out characters, and I love when people ask more about them! But then for all that work to only get 20 notes...? A little soul crushing

And then consider that with the fact if I took the same amount of time (let's say a full 8hr day) that I would have written 1 chapter, I could instead draw 2 or 3 things and get 60+ notes in a day with ten times as many reblogs and interactions, especially if it's dumb meme-y shit. I feel way less inclined to "waste" a day on writing when I can triple my interaction and reach more dashes by drawing a big lady in a suit and tie

I almost feel it has something more to do with instant gratification, which I'm guilty of as well. Writing takes time, reading takes time. Art I can look at and save and already have the imagery of the scene smack in my face, art I can make ALL my followers see as opposed to writing which will get skimmed at best. No one wants to read a set up, they want to see the action and the funny joke.

I've said it before but the g/t fandom is kinda like a high school in which it is EXTREMELY clique-y, and artists are definitely the popular kids. If an artist likes your writing and starts drawing about it, that's great! That gets you way more exposure! But now that art and fic is DOMINATING the tag. No one sees any new content from authors because everyone is focused on like three blogs who often even reblog from each other. It's almost like...if you want your fic to do good, you need fanart of it to even hope to make it past your own mutuals.

The main take away of this yeah, PLEASE reblog fics! Reblog fics from creators you like, reblog fics if you read them, reblog fics even if its just something written by a friend because you love them. The more traction people are able to get with their writing, the more inspired they'll be to keep writing. You don't get to complain about a content creator not making anything new when you're not going to reblog it in the first place

#ask #anon #g/t #yeah that's right i'm putting it in the g/t tag so you can read my manifesto

34 notes · View notes

immaturityofthomasastruc · 4 years

Text

#5: The One With Astruc's Self-Insert

In my introductory post, I said the main inspiration for this blog was @hypocrisyofandrewdobson. For those who don't know, Andrew Dobson is an infamous webcomic artist known for drawing webcomics that tend to demonize people he's come across in public or people who disagree with him online (either critical of his art or his political views), while portraying himself as the victim or wise man calling them out on their differing beliefs.

If you want to learn more about this guy who I consider to be far worse than Astruc, check out the blog in question. And no, I don't know why he draws himself as a blue bear.

Why am I talking about this? It's one thing for some schmuck on the internet to use his work to respond to criticism, but the creator of a popular animated series dedicating an entire episode to attacking his critics and trying to get others to feel bad for him is another story.

The second episode of Miraculous Ladybug's third season, “Animaestro” served as a wake-up call for fans (myself included) to make them realize how immature Astruc could be. The plot centers around the premiere of a movie about Ladybug and Cat Noir directed by Thomas Astruc, who voices himself in the original French dub.

And this isn't just a brief cameo like what Stan Lee did in the MCU. Astruc is the Akumatized person this episode, so there's naturally a lot of focus on him. Throughout the first half of the episode, Astruc portrays himself as this timid man who nobody recognizes or respects, like this idiot who doesn't know what animation is.

Doorman: This is a private event, sir.

Astruc: Huh? Excuse me? I'm Thomas Astruc, the movie director.

Doorman: You filmed Cat Noir and Ladybug? What are they like in real life?

Astruc: Er, it's an animated movie. It's all cartoon characters. We don't actually film anyone. See, there's this whole team that draw the chara—

Doorman: Whatever. Who would want to see Ladybug and Cat Noir as cartoon characters?

Get it? Wasn't that meta joke hilarious? This is how much I was laughing:

youtube

And Astruc continues to get about as much respect as Rodney Dangerfield when he interacts with other characters like Jagged Stone and Chloe.

Jagged Stone: Ladybug is one of my best buds! I can't wait to see her movie!

Astruc: Well I—I'm the director, so actually it's more my movie, so to speak.

Jagged Stone: Oh, so you're the one who created the story?

Astruc: Well, technically the screen writers wrote the story, inspired by Ladybug's exploits.

Jagged Stone: Oh, okay. So you did all the drawings?

Thomas: No, no. The animators do all the drawings.

Jagged Stone: So what do you do then?

(Later on...)

Chloe: So you're the one responsible for this movie?

Astruc: Yes, yes! Exactly! That's me!

Chloe: Then you were the one who left Queen Bee out of the trailer. You're lame, utterly lame.

I can't believe Astruc had a scene where he interacted with Chloe and didn't insult her at all.

The episode is determined to make the audience feel bad for Astruc. Nobody respects him and what he does. Isn't that saaaaaad? Nobody cares about animated film directors like Walt Disney or Tex Avery anyway. Not even these stupid children understand how hard Astruc works.

Several Children: Ladybug! Where's Ladybug?

Astruc: Hey there, kids!

Teacher: Ladybug isn't here children. We came here to meet the director of the movie. Children: (frowning in disappointment) Aww.

(Astruc looks visibly disappointed.)

Way to insult your primary demographic, Astruc. I thought you said kids have a better understanding of these stories when people criticized the writing of a certain episode (It's that scene in “Puppeteer 2” if you're curious/don't value your sanity).

It's almost like you're using that as an excuse to half-ass your work while still getting to claim this show is so groundbreaking.

In case you can't tell, “Animaestro” is one of those episodes. The ones where the showrunners decide to dedicate an entire episode to attacking critics of the show in a blunt fashion. Whenever a show addresses criticism, they either create an obvious strawman character to parrot the opinions of fans who don't like their work, or have someone defend the show and insult the critics directly.

youtube

The problem isn't that they're ignoring criticism. It's their show, and they aren't obligated to listen to critics or fans who don't like the direction the show is taking. On the other hand, they aren't obligated to fight back like this and treat their audience like crap. Any show that does something like the three clips I showed you usually comes off as petty and immature because they dedicate so much time to insulting the critics.

Even during the Akuma fight, Astruc has to call out Ladybug for having problems with his movie in-universe, obviously representing critics of the show Astruc claims have no right to criticize the show while it's still airing.

Ladybug: What's with that trailer too? I am not scared of cats, at all.

Astruc/Animaestro: You haven't even seen the movie and you're already slamming it?

Cat Noir: He does have a point, you know.

Ladybug: I wasn't slamming it. It's called constructive criticism!

Yeah, how dare Ladybug be angry that this movie is portraying her as a powerless coward dependent on Cat Noir as opposed to a confident and brave superhero. She just doesn't understand the genius of Thomas Astruc!

And of course the character Astruc claims is “perfect” is the one to take his side.

And that's another problem with this episode, the metatextual references. Before he gets akumatized, Astuc says he spent three years of his life working on his movie. I get that time in this show is weird (we somehow had episodes taking place on the first day of school, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and the first day of Summer), but how did Astruc's self-insert work on a movie based on a superhero who has only been active for a year? Meta-wise, it's an obvious reference to the scorn Astruc has gotten from fans after working so hard on his show, but the only people who would get that reference are the ones who are aware of Astruc's reputation online.

Self-Insert aside, I actually think the titular Animaestro is one of the more visually impressive Akumas featured on the show. Animaestro takes on several forms based off several different forms and eras of animation, like flash, anime, rubber hose, and they all stand out. Granted, some of them are obvious parodies of other characters like Goku or Sailor Moon, but the actual Akuma fight is fun to watch. According to the Mexican Miraculous Ladybug Twitter account, this episode took two and a half years to create, and it shows. It's too bad the story behind it is completely insufferable, almost like the cartoon equidistant to Pixels.

But then comes the part that honestly makes the episode worth it, mainly for how unintentionally hilarious it is. Do you want to know what Animaestro's weakness is? Do you really want to know?

Animaestro is physically incapable of moving unless someone is watching him. I am not making this up.

Ladybug and Cat Noir literally defeat Animaestro by getting everyone to stop paying attention to him.

I could make so many jokes with this, but I can guarantee you're already thinking of something just as good, if not better, than whatever I write.

And there's the end where Astruc gives Marinette his ticket to the movie, which prompts Marinette to kiss up to him for no real reason.

Astruc: Sorry, I guess you don't know who I am either.

Marinette: Of course do. You're Thomas Astruc, the movie director!

Astruc: She recognized me. Somebody actually recognized me!

Nothing happened to make her change her opinion on the Ladybug movie, she didn't really say anything to him earlier in the episode that connects to this exchange, and outside of a few lines Animaestro said, she doesn't even know why he got akumatized (even though ironically she and Chloe accidentally contributed to it because of the awful subplot involving Kagami I talked about last time). If anything, it comes off less like she actually appreciates Astruc's work, and more like she's stroking his ego just to keep him from getting akumatized again.

So yeah, this episode is awful, and the fact that it came out right after the controversial “Chameleon” only proved to show what kind of direction the show was taking this season.

But honestly, even if Astruc still wanted to make about how he doesn't get enough respect the episode could have potentially. All he had to do was make a simple change: Instead of making it about validation for Astruc as a creator, make it about validation for animation in general.

It's a common misconception that animation is only used for shows and movies aimed at children, so the episode could reflect it. Instead of the huge turnout where several celebrities appear at the premiere, instead, the turnout could be a lot smaller, with the media dismissing it as some stupid kiddie flick. Instead of getting akumatized because he gets humiliated in public/getting no respect from anyone else, Astruc gets akumatized because he sees the audience didn't go wild for the movie after the premiere. All he can hear them say is that it's just “kids stuff”.

So when Astruc is Animaestro, he goes on about how important animation is. How it's helped produce propaganda since World War II. How it helped improve special effects in big blockbusters. How the medium is used to create movies that simply can't be filmed on a physical set.

After defeating Animaestro, Ladybug shows up to talk to him. She had seen the movie earlier, and actually enjoyed it. She had a few problems with the story, but they were just minor nitpicks and inaccuracies Astruc wouldn't know about, and she was blown away by the animation. She tells Astruc not to be deterred by his critics, and continue to do what he does. As a designer in her civilian life, Ladybug knows the joy creating brings her, and both she and Astruc want to spread that joy through their work.

Back at the premiere, Astruc thinks about what Ladybug said to him when he sees some kids reenacting a scene from the movie. Astruc walks over to them and asks what they thought of the movie. They said they loved it and how energetic it was. When he tells them he is the director, the kids' faces light up and they say they want to do what he does when they grow up, bringing a smile to Astruc's face.

Isn't that a much more humble approach instead of what we got? It would have helped Astruc come across as more sympathetic, especially with animation fans. But instead, we got an entire episode of Astruc whining about how misunderstood he is.

And you know the footage used for the movie at the beginning? Remember that, because I have a huge rant about it saved for a later post.

For now, here’s an example of a creator appearing in his work done right.

youtube

467 notes · View notes

dailysaeran · 3 years

Text

🥀Reposting:🥀

I only allow reposts on Instagram, and when you repost there, visibly credit my Instagram account sketchtenou. Tagging my account in the repost is also encouraged, and no need to ask first with the exception of pieces that say "do not repost without permission".

Reposting on any other site is prohibited, including Pinterest, Facebook, WattPad etc. I haven't allowed reposts to other sites aside from IG since January 2nd 2021, so if you come across a repost of my work that was posted after that, it was posted without my permission.

You're always welcome to message me if you come across reposts of my art that don't follow these rules so I can take them down! 🌺

🌷Info about tags/other stuff:🌷

Before the AE came out, I used to only post my own work, but when it finally did, I started also reblogging others' Saeran related content. All of the posts that aren't mine have been tagged with #reblog, so if you'd rather just follow me for original content, you can block that tag.

I sometimes like to reblog stuff like fics and headcanons too, and those are tagged with #writing, which you can look up if you feel like reading something!

I also very recently started using the tag #meme to reblog random Saeran memes like textposts, fake chatrooms and such.

This is a side blog and consists of only flatcoloured sketches, while I post all my fully rendered and shaded drawings on my main blog @sensetenou. I often reblog those posts here too (and sometimes I've already posted the sketches here lmao), and those posts are tagged with #self reblog. There's also a few guides I've made for the game, but yeah, that tag also consists of technically my posts, but posts that haven't been directly posted to this blog and were posted on my main blog instead.

And now to the very basic stuff that you probably already know, so feel free to skip it. But hey, there are a few Saerans out there and I tag all drawings of them separately:

#ray is very self-explanatory - it's just Ray, the boy with a magenta coat, mostly at the start of AS.

#unknown is also rather self-explanatory - the Hot Topic looking dude from OS, you know him.

#suit saeran is the guy who shows up in the middle of Saeran's route, wearing the black suit. I usually refer to him as just Suit if I talk about him.

#ge!saeran is the one at the end of his route and also the one in his AE, wearing that white shirt. I'm lazy and usually call him just GE.

#se!saeran is the redhead Saeran, and in general that Saeran after the Secret Endings aka Seven's route. Usually he gets referred to as just SE.

There are also tags such as #young saeran, #v's ae saeran, #christmas!saeran, #phantom of the opera ray and #pastry saeran, the first few self-explanatory and the last one refers to the Valentine's title illustration from 2020. Aside from the first two these refer more to his outfit than who he is, so usually the post is also tagged with another tag, like a #christmas!saeran post is also tagged with #unknown. There are also a bunch of other tags you might have fun scrolling through that include posts of all saerans, like #maid saeran, #catboy!saeran, #vampire!saeran and more😏

Posts with #v's ae saeran are also tagged with either #vae!ray or #vae!saeran, because I headcanon those two stayed separately in that ending, and the one we see in the actual ending is just Ray, but Saeran (whether you think he's Unknown or Suit) still exists too. So, #v's ae saeran is for both of them, but #vae!ray and #vae!saeran specify who it is.

I also have a little headcanon of both Suit and Ray existing after Saeran's Good Ending alongside GE!Saeran. Here's one quick post about that HC! Posts with those versions of Suit and Ray are tagged with #post ge suit and #post ge ray.

I also like to draw fem!saerans sometimes, and all of those posts are tagged with #fem!saeran. Those posts also include another tag to specify: there are #fem!ray, #fem!suit, #fem!ge and fem!unknown, if you feel like looking for a specific one.

ALL of my original posts are also tagged with #daily saeran. That's a tag you could look up if you'd rather just scroll through all my pieces.

All the posts of them being shipped with an MC are tagged with #saeran x mc. I use #cmc if the drawing involves a custom MC, whether it's my own or someone else's. My own CMC for him is Sunset, and posts involving her are tagged with #cmc sunset. I also have another CMC called So, though he barely shows up on this blog since he's Seven's CMC, but the few posts involving him are tagged with #cmc so. I do have CMCs for nearly all the characters, but those two are probably the only ones you'll see in this blog, since they're the closest to Saeran.

Other posts that have the #cmc tag involve others' CMCs. Those are usually commissions, that are also tagged with #commission. If you're interested in commissioning me, whenever I open commissions I do so on my Instagram, so you might wanna keep an eye on that!

Oh yeah, also, Killer is a little black cat I gave SE!Saeran in 2019. Posts with #killer just involve him. GE!Saeran and Sunset also have cats: #dandelion and #sunflower.

As of now I don't have asks on this blog open, but they're open on my main blog, and you can also send questions regarding this blog there! When I post about this blog on my main I usually tag it there with #daily saeran.

Also, one last thing: My posts are always first on the queue, so I don't have a separate queue tag because it'd basically be in every single post. The queue is set to post once a day however, sometimes when I feel like it I'll post the next post from there manually.

If you're unsure about something, like about reposting permissions, feel free to send me a message about it! Though you might be able to contact me through IG faster, since I'm a little more active there.

🌱Link to the drawing that was used in the banner

#info dump #daily saeran #update

96 notes · View notes

bluesmuses · 3 years

Text

I’ve been asked what my general advice for a new rper would be and it got long for IMs so here’s a post instead hfkjshdf I would prefer this Wasn’t Reblogged because I’m sure it’s imperfect and I don’t want my activity notes to explode ;v; Hope it is helpful though.

For me, personally, I consider mutual respect to be the most important thing. Most rpers have their own preferences and standards, some are rly picky, some not picky at all, some are very organized with extensive tagging systems, some blogs are not. Usually these sorts of things are listed in someone's rules/guideline page. My own rule page has gone through several revisions, and that's okay, if you have a bad experience or run into something you haven't before, grow and learn, your comfort is important! You are not obligated to anyone! Take care of yourself and if someone doesn’t treat you how you would treat them, there is no reason for you to continue to interact with that person!

A few general rping basics that Most ppl acknowledge would be...

Godmodding: determining what another person's character does without consent. There's not rly a point to rping with someone else if person A is trying to personally direct what person B does, also it's just pretty rude hfskjhdfs but I've seen it, multiple times, not fun. Don’t do that. Respect other ppls muses and how they want to write them, not how you think they should write them for you.

In Character/Out of Character issues: Sometimes people take personal offense to what someone's character does to their character, which can lead to all kinds of problems. Even if someone is writing a 'comfort character,' they are still fictional characters, and expecting an asshole muse to not be an asshole is rly unreasonable. I've seen a lot of villain muse writers especially struggle with this, but I’ve even had this problem in writing ‘good hearted character with a difficult personality’ not catering to another character the way they apparently wanted them to, without even telling me. Also, sometimes people let the knowledge they have ooc, such as from reading a muse's about or answered asks or interactions with other characters, be known to their character. Sometimes it can be logical, but sometimes there are private things that shouldn't be common knowledge just because the mun has read it. Again, this can be mun dependent, some don't care at all about this, but some can get very agitated hkfjshdf it's a good idea to ask the mun regardless if it's questionable for your muse to know about something.

Communication: despite shyness and anxiety, if someone is worried about anything, even if it seems small, it's always a good idea to just Check with your partner. Asking or Discussing is much better than having a build up of issues down the road from not talking and assuming too much of someone else.

Blog Format: this can get messy real fast. As far as I know, there are four main types. (1) Personals who rp. Essentially, normal tumblr blogs who also dabble in rping. Not particularly popular among a lot of more serious rpers because many of us are here to avoid reality and just have fun with fictional characters, so we’re probably not going to follow-back a blog that posts a lot of pictures/politics/content unrelated to whoever they are writing. But some are fine with this, so again, that’s a personal preference thing. (2) Single-muse Blog. A whole blog made and dedicated to writing a muse, which was the most prevalent for a long time, and also what I used to do. These blogs can send ic asks and etc directly from your rp blog without any confusion. But you also have to log in and out of each one individually. Great for ppl who focus on One or just a few muses for long periods though. (3) Multi-muse Blog. A whole blog dedicated to however many muses a person wants to write. Can be a few or m a n y. If someone doesn’t have a good tagging set up, these can be very difficult to navigate. But it can also be one of the most laid back to run, just adding and removing muses through a page or tags. (4) Roleplay Hub. Hello, it’s me. A hub is a blog dedicated being a source for sideblogs dedicated to specific muses, so you don’t have to log into multiple locations but still have individual blogs per character. I’m pretty sure I helped start this trend to be honest hfskjdhf

There are also ask blogs dedicated to just answering asks, oftentimes with art, but I don’t see those very often anymore, and I haven’t really seen those types of blogs actually making rp threads, doing heavy plotting, etc BUT I COULD BE WRONG don’t hold me to that;;;;

AND ADDITIONALLY I went diving and found this which seems like an in depth list of things to keep in mind / if you want additional info/advice

#general mun psa #advice #dont rb

6 notes · View notes

hopusthebrainlessfloof · 2 years

Text

So, aside from what happened earlier:

My inbox is open!! :3

Since I've been on Tumblr long enough to see what content I seem to do better with, I'm ready for questions! :D

(Disclaimer: I am a minor, so please do not send me any nsfw content, questions, submissions, etc. I will also not accept any offensive content. If you want to know my view on something political or somewhat personal, I will ask you DM me instead. If you ask me any offensive content, nsfw content, or spam me with a question, I will not answer you.)

Below are the kind of content to expect from the asks! If you are not interested, you don't have to read. (I know it's long, I'm sorry ;w;)

Keep in mind, this will NOT prevent me from making my normal posts! I will still post my art as regularly as I can! :3

Kind of content I will happily respond to:

Art Submissions

Art Requests

Art roleplay/ask (I will get into that in a bit)

Text roleplay (I will also get into that in a bit, but this may change in the future if I make a blog specifically for this)

General questions (Favourite colour, food, etc

Art Submissions:

If you wanna talk with me about art, that's cool! I'm always up to making friends with similar hobbies! :3

(If you also want to send art and have an art conversation that way, that's also fine! I won't be upset by it, but I also won't ask directly unless it's for references or something.)

Art Requests:

Yes, you read that right! Requests! (As I don't have a bank account yet, so this may change in the long future ;w;) If you want me to draw something for you, I will happily do so! I mainly draw things in the fandoms I'm in (Mario, Kirby, Sonic, Bendy and the Ink Machine, Cuphead, Furry, FNaF, etc.) If you want an art from a different fandom, it might not be as good as some other art, but I'll try anyway! :3

Art Roleplay/Ask:

This is where things get a bit detailed. This is very similar to the basic of MANY popular ask blogs. Basically, you ask someone (a character, usually) a question or situation, and "the character" will respond in an art. The main reason why I want to get a bit more into this is because of the certain characters I will draw (Basically, who's up for asks).

Super Mario:

Mario

Luigi

Peach

Daisy

Bowser (and Koopalings)

Boo (and King Boo)

Shy Guy

Wario

Waluigi

Rosalina

Pauline

Toad

Toadette

Yoshi (as individual and as species)

Cappy

Madame Broode

The Broodals (both as a group or individually)

Kirby:

Kirby

Dedede

Meta Knight

Bandana Dee

Waddle Dee

Waddle Doo

Bendy and the Ink Machine:

Bendy (normal)

Boris

Alice

Ink Bendy

Sammy

Wally

Allison

Susie

Tom

Buddy Boris

The Projectionist

Cuphead:

Cuphead

Mugman

Hilda Berg

Cagney Carnation

Baroness von Bon Bon

Djimmi the Great

Beppi the Clown

Captain Brineybeard

Werner Werman

Dr.Kahl

Cala Maria

King Dice (and all members of his court)

The Devil

I will also accept asks of my fursona, but they'll be counted as a "member" of the Super Mario crew. (Also, if you do so, please specify between my fursona and Hopus Pocus!)

Each ask will be answered according to the specific universe (unless specified, such as "Hey Hopus, what would happen if you met the other Hopus?")

Text Roleplay:

This works much differently than the art one. Here, the questions will be answered from the PoV of my fursona, and this can be limitless to which franchise is being referred to. (So Hopus can actually meet Cuphead and Boris in the same room, or something.) Exceptions to that are if you specify who you're asking, but the list above still applies.

If you ask any roleplay involved question without specifications, I will assume the post is an art roleplay. If you don't want an art response, please place an indicator that you want a text response (such as TR).

General questions:

These are everyday questions I'll answer! I may or may not respond with an art piece, but either way, I'll happily answer.

(If the questions seem really personal or if I don't feel comfortable answering them, I will let you know in DMs that I'm not comfortable answering.)

That about sums everything up! :3

Can't wait to see your questions! <3

(Also, if you managed to read the whole thing through, congratulations to you! Here's a cookie! ( ･ω･)-🍪)

#asks open #ask me things #cuphead #kirby #super mario #bendy and the ink machine #furry fandom #my art

4 notes · View notes

wakaoujisenhime · 4 years

Note

Hello! I really fall in love with your blog! Thank you very much for those Vorpal Swords headcanons! Can I ask headcanons about being Rakuzan manager? For example, how she cares about boys and they care about her; how Rakuzan protects her; How she supports them at games. And Akashi likes her. Good luck to your blog!

A/N: Hello there! I’m glad to know that you’re enjoying these, so I hope that this one will be to your liking as well! Also to those who don’t know what a ‘bokken’ is: it’s basically a wooden sword, Japanese swordswomen and men use for training!

Tags: Akashi x reader ✅ Rakuzan x reader ✅ SFW ✅ fluff ✅ friendship ✅

image/art source: Zerochan (art by Tousaku) [I sadly couldn't find the corresponding post where they uploaded it, since that artist seems to be inactive atm, but if you happen to stumble upon it, please make sure to tell me!]

━━━━☆ ━━━━☆ ━━━━☆

so first of all how did you even become Rakuzan’s manager?

well you were actually taking care of the team BEFORE Akashi joined the club

back then you guys were a wholesome team, but the moment the redhead was pronounced captain it all went downhill...

your former teammates began dropping out with the same complaints

“He’s too strict”, “I can’t train like this anymore”, “When he’s on the court, basketball loses its fun factor!”

even if you hated to admit it...they were right

Akashi was a REALLY strict leader who always wanted his team members to give it their all

100%? Not enough, make it a 110 and then you might be chosen as a substitute

during the first half of the school year, you put up with everything he threw at you, whether it were insults or commands

at one point you weren’t even the manager anymore but became his loyal puppy that did everything he instructed you to do

the things he requested weren’t even worthy to your title...unless you like standing in front of the gym door, acting like a bodyguard at the disco

and of course, even you had your limits

after Akashi had once again decided to give you an unreasonable task, you finally snapped

“I’ve had enough! Just who do you think you are, ordering me around as if I was your subordinate!”

“Listen. You either fix that emperor like attitude of yours, or you end up losing one of Japan’s strongest team...including me.”

in your state of anger, you had shoved the clipboard you were using against his chest and had stormed off the gym

a whole week had passed and you didn’t visit the club even once, that’s how pissed off you were

one day just when you thought about filling up a club withdrawal paper, there was a letter in your locker

...

Dear (Y/N)...I know that the way I’ve been acting up until now has upset you, but the reasoning behind my behavior is a simple one. All I desire is to see whom of these ‘star players’ everybody (including you) praises, can actually live up to their title. Sadly, I’ve come to the conclusion that none of them were able to, so I’ve decided to build up a new team in which you as well are going to be needed. I sincerely hope that you are willing to help the new Rakuzan basketball club reach even greater heights than ever before. Yours faithfully, Akashi Seijuro

P.S: We need you manager.

...

the first half of the letter had made your blood boil, but the further you read the more your curiosity got peaked

but you didn’t want to give in that easily, so you decided to visit the club one day to see what Akashi’s idea of an absolute basketball team looked like

...

“So (Y/N)..what do you think?“, Akashi asked after practice had ended

you had just looked at him with one of your ‘are you kidding me?’ faces and shook your head

these boys...

a) looked like full-fledged men to you

b) could easily snap you in half if they wanted to (especially Nebuya)

and finally

c) were probably all legendary NBA players in their past life

all in all they were amazing

watching them play gave you the impression of an actual and professional basketball game...that’s just how good they were

...

two months passed and you had taken the role of the manager once again

you hated to admit it, but Akashi was once again right..this team was absolutely amazing and worthy of any title you could think of

luckily these boys turned out to be more wholesome than you had ever anticipated

knowing that all of them had their struggles and own problems to deal with, despite their flawless appearance made you realize that that they were indeed your typical high school boys and not some basketball machines

sadly they couldn’t - or better said - weren’t allowed to show any weakness during training...these were Akashi’s orders

much to your surprise, they had accepted it with much less resistance than the members before them, but you were a little anxious that they might end up quitting the team so you took it upon yourself to prevent that scenario from arriving

from that day forward you began spending more and more time with all the members (except Akashi) …

Reo:

as the vice-captain he was to ensure that everybody followed the training regimen they were given by the redhead (in case of his absence)

sadly due to his laid-back nature and feminine speech, almost no one took him seriously

that’s where you come in…

“Come on now guys! Listen to Reo or I’ll get the bokken! And if that doesn’t get you guys moving then I’m sure a short phone call with Akashi certainly will...”

the second line always worked and even managed to make Reo giggle

after that, he’d always thank you several times and while the others ran laps/were stretching the two of you would always talk about that day’s schedule

by the end of practice, Reo and you would actually go out and do some shopping while talking about different topics

and thanks to his talented eye for the beautiful, your wardrobe was full with clothes that complimented your figure just perfectly, which only boosted your ego

a certain topic you guys started talking about only recently was romance

at first you were extremely careful to not touch upon any touchy subject since there were a lot of rumors amongst your classmates, concerning Reo’s sexual orientation

but the more you got to know him, the easier it was for you to talk to him and in no time the two of you had become best friends

whenever someone either came up to you or him and wanted to just mess around, the two of you got each other’s backs at all time and would either intervene directly or call for backup (mainly Nebuya)

thanks to Reo’s ‘big sister’ personality you luckily never felt alone or at a loss, since you knew that he’d always be there for you and help you out

Kotarou:

this boy seriously makes you run for your money

he’d always arrive almost half an hour earlier than the others just cause he wants to mess around with you (he’d for example take your clipboard and make you literally chase him for it)

at first it upset you quite a bit, but as time passed you eventually got used to it and evolved your strategy

you chase him?

hell NO

you’d instead sit down on one of the benches and wait for him to bring it back to you

your strategy for that was to remain silent and show no reaction whatsoever whenever he asked if you weren’t going to chase him like the ‘good old times’

he’d then get so worried that he’s upset you that he gives up, brings you your clipboard and starts either poking your cheeks, playing with your hair or straight out embrace you

the latter always broke your façade

his warm hugs accompanied by the glistening puppy eyes and his snaggletooth always made you pity him and wonder if you’ve perhaps gone too far

the moment you’d give in, his cheerful attitude was back in an instant

and that routine became pretty much a daily ritual between the two of you

what perhaps surprised you the most was when you actually witnessed Kotarou’s other side of his bubbly personality

he was surprisingly the ‘holding a grudge’ type (especially on the court)

Rakuzan had a practice match once and when a player of the opposing team made it past the blond boy seconds later he was fuming, glaring at everyone who even looked his way and screamed more as well as louder than usual

the others around you weren’t even faced by his sudden tantrum so it was up to you to calm him down before the referee gave him a yellow card

since then his mood-swings became your responsibility

outside of the gym, you guys spent a good amount of time together

you mostly helped him out with his homework since he really wasn’t the brightest out of the bunch (and as some of you might know in Japan your grades play a major role when you’re a part of a club. Depending on your test results you might get excluded from some of the activities as far as I know) and you weren’t going to leave on any activity without this ball of sunshine

to pay you back for your help he’d go skateboarding with you on the weekend

in case you forgot or couldn’t skate he’d help you remember or teach it to you

much to your surprise, he was quite a good teacher, so it was easy for you to understand the basics and even learn some of the simplest tricks on the way

but in case you were some kind of a pro (or simply good) at it, he’d challenge you to a small contest and by the end of it the two of you would actually come up with a small choreography

Nebuya:

to be frank, he intimidated the heck out of you (at first) and he was actually the most difficult for you to approach

the main reason for your reluctance was mainly because of his appearance, but just a day after you were first introduced to him made you change your mind

on your way to school you took the train and as commonly known the trains in Japan were the majority of the time extremely filled with people and some of them just couldn’t keep their hands by themselves and just had to go ahead and start feeling people up

in that case, the victim was unfortunately you

the typical reaction of your other female classmates would’ve been to stand there and do nothing about it, but you were different

“Excuse me, but could you stop touching me?“, you asked in a loud voice making sure that at least some people witnessed what was happening

you couldn’t care less if you guys became the center of attention, all you wanted was to get this creep’s hands away from your body...and you did

what you didn’t know/notice was that Nebuya had actually seen all of it and wanted to come and help, but you were quicker

when you got out of the train he caught up to you and directly asked if you were ok

he even went ahead and bowed his head to you apologizing multiple times for not reacting quick enough

it surprised and scared you at the same time, but this was kind of a chance to finally talk to him, so you made sure to not let that opportunity slip away

and trust me when I say this, but this man turned out to be a bigger softie than you anticipated

since that day he became the person you’d call upon first in case of trouble you couldn’t solve on your own

Nebuya even volunteered to be your bodyguard, but you weren’t really a damsel in distress so you refused at first

and after many arguments, pouts and pleas you finally gave in and agreed to go to school together every day

additionally during training he’d make sure to be the first one to save you from any flying ball

much to his dismay, you managed to dodge or even to catch the majority of them which made his attempts completely futile

so in order for him to stop sulking about how he had ‘failed to show you his muscles in action’, you’d go out and help him with his workout

sometimes you’d even be his motivational right hand during his own eating contests

and when he decided to show his ‘manly’ side and either burps or lets out gas, your bokken was on him just some seconds later

Mayuzumi:

this boy seriously hated you in the beginning

in his eyes you were nothing but a loud girl who wanted some attention and tried to gain it by acting as the manager

much to his surprise you figured him out pretty quickly

you somehow knew when he became irritated on the court and immediately took action to prevent any outbursts from him or someone else

furthermore, you supported his hobby without asking questions and when he expressed the wish to go to the rooftop and read a chapter or maybe even two from his light novel, you’d just let him go

one afternoon he came to the gym to excuse himself from training and found only you and how you had fallen asleep on the referee table

his first thought was to leave before you even noticed that he’d been there, but then he saw a small notebook with the title ‘RAKUZAN BB CLUB’ so he got curious and started reading your handwritten entries about all of the members

each member had a few pages worth of information you had either gathered yourself or looked up

he found it a tad adorable that you reserved the last page for a personal comment on a player since it reminded him of how some of his authors wrote an afterword at the end of their story

as soon as he read his name though he suddenly became really reluctant to proceed

for some reason, he was afraid of what you might have written/researched about him

he started to read it anyways

“...”

“Has a low presence...well yeah I guess”

“...”

“Seems to be prouder than he lets on? W-Wha? That’s not even...true”

“...”

“Probably swears at his teammates internally...how did she know?!”

“...”

“It would make me happy if we talked more to each other, but he probably hates me... ”

Mayuzumi would’ve never told you, but that last line hurt him quite a bit

that day he decided to join practice and when you called for a timeout you’d always leave his towel and water bottle on the bench next to you and he’d normally just take it, but this time he murmured a barely audible ‘thank you’

you almost fainted then and there, but somehow managed to keep up your serious facial expression (which he very much appreciated)

the two of you would almost never go out/spend time together, but instead, you began exchanging small gestures like you buying him a new volume of his favorite author or him hiding a small ‘thank you’ note in your notebook

Akashi (finally):

since you and he know each other from way back, you didn’t have that much contact in the beginning since you wanted to take your time to get to know the new members, but Akashi’s eyes were always on you

if someone out of the other members even dared to ask him if he harbored feelings for you...then let us just pray that he doesn’t have Midorima’s scissors with him

but if one of his main players (most likely Kotarou) asked him about it, he’d just cut him off quickly and shut the conversation down

Rakuzan’s captain cares for you in his own kind of way

he’d support you from afar and make sure that no one who he doesn’t deem as worthy comes even remotely close to you

you weren’t aware, but since you had once again become the manager of the reformed Rakuzan you became quite popular

a lot of people admired you, some were even impressed or jealous and some even began having feelings for you

“I’m thinking about asking (Y/N) out...what do you think?”

as soon as Akashi heard your name in such a conversation he instantly made his move

don’t ask how he did it, but within a week you had gained the reputation of being ‘out of limits’ for everyone except for the club and your friends and just in case someone felt the need to be adventurous, there was no way they’d be let into the gym (thanks to Akashi’s orders and Nebuya’s muscular body)

the redhead had first noticed his feelings for you when you snapped at him back then

for him it was the first time someone even dared to speak up against him and even insult him

he was surprised and very annoyed at first, but as the days passed by him and his incomplete team he figured that it would be the best to start anew

so he scouted three of the uncrowned kings and a 3rd-year student who basically was a future version of Kuroko

when the stage was set all he needed was for the main star to appear, so he sent you that letter where he invited you to watch the new team

as far as the confession goes...

Akashi is a very strategic person, so he’d most likely wait for his promise to come true (the promise of Rakuzan reaching greater heights) and then confess saying something like:

“See? I’ve kept my promise...now it’s your turn.”

#knb headcanons #knb x reader #akashi x reader #rakuzan x reader #knb fluff #━𝙺𝙽𝙱 #━𝙰𝙽𝙾𝙽'𝚂 𝙴𝙲𝙷𝙾

194 notes · View notes

f-nodragonart · 3 years

Text

Vertebrate Wings, PART 5: Full-body Integration

Return to main post + TOC >>HERE<<

Full-body Integration TOC

Shoulder Placement

Overall Integration

Shoulder Placement

Many fantastical flying creatures are hexapodal, with at least one set of wings along with four other limbs. This poses an interesting dilemma for artists, as there are no real-life animals with this sort of setup: how do you anchor the wings to the body?

The key to answering this is to keep in mind a critical note about wings that I hope I’ve made distinctly clear in my rambling in all previous sections-- wings are intricate, fully-fledged limbs. Not only that, but the fact that they’re locomotive limbs means that they must be anchored VERY solidly to the body (since, y’know, they’re throwing around the mass of the whole body from the points where they’re anchored). Wings CANNOT be treated like pasted-on decorations, if you want them to function correctly.

This in mind, my most important tip here is to absolutely NOT anchor the wing shoulders DIRECTLY ON TOP of the front limb shoulders.

For one, the wings will ALWAYS need quite a lot of chest/shoulder muscular connections. Wing shoulders need a LOT of muscle (relatively speaking) to power flight, particularly on the downstroke, so those shoulder muscles connecting down onto the chest need plenty of open room to anchor to the body. Plus, these muscles generally stretch a fair way down the chest cavity in order to help hold/stabilize the chest cavity in-flight (I’ll discuss this a bit more in the following Overall Integration sub-section, but flying bodies are generally stiff and compact for optimum flight design). And this need for muscular space is without even considering whether a particular design requires a keel or not!

Also note the needs of shoulder movement, depending on the design. Bat flight is highly versatile in part because of their rolling shoulders and general high range of shoulder flexibility. If bats couldn’t flex their shoulders to the same range due to there being a whole other set of limbs in the way (or even having to share a clavicle setup with another pair of limbs), they wouldn’t have near the same range of versatility. While this would likely be less of a problem for bird (and potentially pterosaur) flight due to the fused clavicles and subsequently less-versatile flight, I still think this would pose some issues for flight in general, if the wings had to function around a whole other set of limbs.

Setting aside the problems the wings themselves would face, the wing muscles would also interfere with the front limbs, in this hypothetical setup! If the front limbs were anchored properly to the base chest cavity (as they would absolutely need to be if they were to be used for anything involving locomotion, like walking/running), the wing muscles/bones stretching over/around these limbs would interfere with their range of motion, and likely their overall locomotive power as well. Now I could potentially see the front limbs perhaps detaching from the base chest cavity over time, and instead anchoring on top of the wing chest muscles (a little far-fetched still, but not impossible). However, without a strong anchor to the core body, these limbs would have very little strength (certainly not enough to hold up the body, in-motion or not) or range of shoulder motion, if any at all. thus, if anything, these limbs would likely be used for display or very light object manipulation at most. Think teeny T-rex arms, and you’ll get the picture (and even then, T. rex arms are still anchored to the chest cavity and have significant scapulae, soo..).

There’s no reason that wing musculature would warp itself around a set of limbs when the wings would simply not function correctly if there was another set of limbs in the way. And if the front limbs were evolutionarily ‘important’ enough to keep in the first place, there’s no reason that the front limbs would be forced to function nestled within fully-realized wing musculature (which, I must reiterate, would likely not be fully-realized in the first place if there were other limbs in the way).

Now, for quite a while I held onto the theory that wings could ONLY be anchored behind the front limbs rather than in front. I still believe that anchoring the wings behind the front limbs is the anatomically ‘safest’ way to go, especially for artists new to anatomy and creature design, but I’ve recently changed my opinion on the plausibility of wings in front or arms due to exactly one(1) piece of anatomical artwork shown below:

Drferox (collaborating with Shinydinosaurkingdom’s excellent artistic skills~) designed this Pegasus whose front limbs are actually behind the wings, and it actually works!! This may not seem exciting to anyone else, but I’ve literally NEVER seen this idea executed in a way that convinced me it was anatomically plausible, so I’m a little flustered. (if you’d like to see more of Shinydinosaurkingdom’s art and read up on Drferox’s explantion for their design decisions, I’d HIGHLY suggest checking out the link and digging into their blogs!)

Anyways, I’d like to note to other artists here that the ‘front’ limbs on this Pegasus have been shrunk down and pushed quite a-ways back from the front of the body, to the point that they’re useless for locomotion. This gives the chest muscles of the wings the proper room needed to stretch down onto the keel, and for the wings to rotate comfortably. If you want your dragon to be quadrupedal, I still hold that the only way this could work is with the wings behind the front limbs. However, if you like the idea of a bipedal hexapod, then this approach with the front limbs behind the wings seems an excellent idea!

Of course, this is all under the assumption that the wings have fully evolved perfectly into the hexapodal body plan. Evolution does not happen overnight, and it’s perfectly plausible that a set of “pre-wings” would not yet be properly based behind (or in front!) of the front limb shoulders in a certain species’ ancestry. This idea is best described in Swirlix’s discussion of potential hexapodal evolution from the lobe-finned coelacanth. But note, again, that this is a step along the way to powered flight, not the fully-realized structure for powered flight.

Overall Integration

Knowing where to base the shoulders is only half the battle! Remember how I explained in the previous sub-section that locomotive limbs have to throw around the weight of the whole body? This means that the wings’ motion actually drives the shape/structure of practically the entire rest of the body. Locomotion-- and especially flight-- involves the WHOLE body, so ya can’t just slap a set of wings onto any given body and expect that critter to fly. Some bodies need more integration than others, but integration is needed to some degree for ALL bodies.

Now I’m going to list out some things to keep in mind for flighted bodies, building off of some specevo I did for flighted humanoids in the past:

1) To lean slightly forward, even out of flight. This spine arrangement allows a more natural inclination to a horizontal position when flying. This position would extend to the neck as well, which could possibly: 1) be short and attach more towards the back of the skull, so that the head could comfortably look forward during horizontal flight, or 2) be long/flexible and attach to the bottom of the skull, with the elongated curve allowing the head to position itself forward comfortably when the body is horizontal.

This also allows more comfortable spinal flow and positioning for a tail, as discussed in the following point—

2) A tail. Whether bird or bat-winged, a tail is ~usually~ a helpful structure for powered flight. A tail extends the surface area of the wings (whether through tail feathers or membrane attachment) so that the whole body is supported in-flight. Sure, you could have your humanoid’s membrane attach down the legs, but unless you’re planning on drastically changing the humanoid’s leg structure and walking style (thus rendering the term “humanoid” less and less accurate), the legs aren’t going to be entirely suitable for flight in the same way a bat’s or pterosaur’s legs are.

Now, I will admit, there are bats without tails and/or tail membranes. However, you must take into account the human body plan, and how humanoid legs wouldn’t be able to tuck up against the body like a bird, or help with flight like a bat. Besides attaching the membrane to the legs themselves, the best way I can think of to help lift those legs in the air is to hold them up against a fanned tail during flight. Feathered/membranous tails are also a significant plus if you’re planning on giving your humanoids clothing—leg membrane could be a pain to work around compared to tail membrane.

3) A stiff spine with a compact, possibly midsagittally-flattened torso. While certain flyers may have more thoracic/lumbar (the vertebrae of the back/hip regions) flexibility than others, flyers tend to have pretty short/stiff torsos.

Birds probably represent the most extreme in this regard, as their lumbar vertebrae have fused to their hips to form the solid synsacrum, and their furcula/coracoids help hold their chest cavity open. I didn’t mention this in the Basic Anatomy section, but birds also have little projections that extend off the backs of their ribs to overlap proceeding ribs called uncinate processes. These are also believed to help hold the chest cavity open.

This stiffness is important because the chest is the base for wing muscles, which exert heavy thrusting power on the chest cavity during flight. The chest cavity may very well collapse under the strength of these muscles if it wasn’t at least a little stiff/compact. despite not necessarily being a base for wing muscles, the rest of the torso holds enough mass by way of hips+internal organs that the spine in that region needs a bit of stiffness/shortness as well, to help hold all that mass steady. Plus, stiff hips can provide more landing/takeoff stability (which leads into #4 below).

It’s also important for the torso to either be round or be flattened along the midsagittal plane (when looking at the ribcage from a head-on angle).

Human ribcages are a bit unique, since we’re flattened along the frontal plane, whereas a lot of other chordates (even other mammals) are flattened along the midsagittal plane due to various biomechanical factors (like how gravity affects quad torsos with legs based underneath the body, etc.).

Flying animals have torsos that are either round (bats, pterosaurs) or flatter along the midsagittal plane (birds, due to their deep keels). This provides a far more stable surface for the all-important wing shoulder muscles to attach to. A torso flattened along the frontal plane like a typical human likely wouldn’t provide the wing muscles a stable enough surface for proper thrust.

4) Digitigrade legs. They don’t necessarily need to be distinctly digitigrade—maybe even semi-digitigrade—but the extra joints can provide more cushioning support to absorb the force of landing and takeoff.

5) Body feather integration, if the wings are feathered. Since this is strictly a wing/flight guide, I’ve only described wing feathering in detail. However, keep in mind that birds are FULLY covered in feathers-- their wings aren’t the only limbs with feathers. If you give your creature feathered wings, there should be a least some form of feathering on the rest of the body too. Some sections could be bare or scaled instead, taking into account their uses (bird legs, for example, often have bare talon pads for gripping, hard-scaled legs, and bare stretchy skin around the eyes, etc.), but birds do have important feathering on the rest of their bodies.

I won’t be discussing these sections of feathers because I’d essentially have to describe an entire bird, just be sure to do some research into this feathering (and take pterylae into account).

Maybe your creatures won’t look exactly like your base animal (horse, wolf, human, etc.), but they’ll actually be able to FLY once you integrate their wings into their body plans! Plus, I’ve always found animal amalgamations like vanilla-typical pegasus and winged humanoids to be boring as hell—I want creatures that look like their own unique species, not some knock-off brand of another!

But really, the main takeaway here is this—flight is a primarily horizontal endeavor (barring special hovering cases, as we’ve discussed) that exerts heavy forces on the core body. If you want humanoids (or any animal) to fly, they usually need to 1) adapt to a horizontal lifestyle (if they aren’t already horizontal), and 2) have a strong/compact/stable core structure.

If you’d like some more ideas for wing integration, this video is a fantastic 3d overview of basic bird anatomy and some of the adaptions the body has made for flight.

-Mod Spiral

#wings #mod spiral

9 notes · View notes