#I don't have a wide variety of characters HAHA | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

wispscribbles · 1 month

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hi i just discovered your beautiful art so i obviously needed to scroll down your whole blog to catch up on everything you posted haha

i just wanted to say that i got way too emotional after reading that post of yours regarding mw3 and your mental health… on one hand i’m so sorry that you felt that way, but on the other i feel it with my whole heart

ghoap content especially for me helped me these past few months with my mental health in ways i would never have expected, it was my solace and inspiration, i started working out too and got back into drawing, got a lot better at it as well!

but unfortunately i get way too fixated on fictional stuff and there comes a time that my brain switches up and connects the things i liked and comforted me with things that make me extremely uncomfortable and stressed out, especially if i fall down a fandom rabbit hole that i would never have searched up, beacuse i know myself, i know my limits and triggers but i feel like i’m not a part of the fandom if i don’t like and interact with every single headcanon, art and ship

these past days i was really down because of that, and the things i read (why did i do that???) and now when i think of ghoap i think of that stuff and im scared that i alienated myself from the one thing that made me happy

but discovering your art and with that your post reminded me that im not alone in these feelings, even if it’s not the same exactly, and i wanted to thank you, for sharing your thoughts that time i guess haha <33

((sorry for rambling))

Long reply under 'keep reading' !! CW: talk of triggers and MCD

Always feel free to ramble my way!!! How nice you could find some comfort in my art and ghoap stuff. Especially in my mw3 post. I've been considering deleting it a few times, but hearing it maybe helped to read in some way makes me happy I left it up.

I get where you're coming from - I very much use these fictional characters as a safe space, but ppl view them very differently. There's room for it all, "don't like, don't interact" is very much a policy I agree with. It's important to mute words and be aware of your own triggers as you browse stuff in this fandom, because there's such a wide variety of stuff out there. You do NOT have to interact and agree with every thought people have on this ship, that's impossible and super stressful. There's plenty of stuff and headcanons I don't vibe with. There are no 'requirements' that you have to meet in order to enjoy fiction.

It's part of why I enjoy ghoap - that their dynamic resonates and has sparked so much creativity and outlets for so many - but it also means there's gonna be a lot of stuff u don't necessarily agree with or feel comfortable with. For example, a lot of folks use the MCD in mw3 as a way to explore grief, which I think is really cool, but on a bad day that could potentially get my brain in a bad headspace, so I only check out that art and those fics when I feel okay. There's also a bunch of stuff I'd never want to interact with, and that’s fine !!

I'm personally quite vanilla and a sucker for exploring the softer, more domestic aspects of these characters. It's what brings me joy. I know there are parts of this fandom who don’t vibe with what I make at all, and would call it untrue to the characters. Some creators enjoy exploring the more violent or toxic sides to the source material. That's just how it is, we all need different things from fiction. As long as we're capable of chilling in our respective sandboxes, then all's good.

But if you're like me, and enjoy the softer things, then definitely be aware and careful while exploring this ship and fandom. I've seen takes on these characters that are so far removed from how I view them, that they're basically the complete opposite, and it can leave a very bad taste, especially if you're the type to hinge your safe space on fiction.

Just... be mindful of yourself and your potential triggers, be respectful and don't interact with things that make you uncomfortable to the point of feeling unsafe. Shape your own online experience to your best ability.

Hope you're doing okay and still find joy in ghoap <3

#ask #anon ask #long post #mcd #mcd mention #major character death #mw3 spoilers #ish #few extra thoughts in tags:#sry it took a while to respond. i wanted to give a proper answer #hope this makes sense or helps somehow #and if interacting with this fandom continues to have a negative impact on your mental health then take a break #i understand using fiction as an outlet or safe space (i do it) but if the bad starts outweighing the good then try to distance yourself #don't dive into those rabbit holes that u know will make u feel bad #i understand the urge but its so important to protect yourself online #I’m far from an expert on this stuff so this is just my two cents #stay safe!!

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jesncin · 2 months

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Do you have any favorite books or comics that you'd recommend?

Superhero comics or in general? I'll go in general, haha:

Our Dreams At Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani

This is the book series I'm most obnoxiously recommending people. It's influenced me ever since, Lunar Boy is a direct homage to this short series in many ways. It talks about the lived realities of being queer and Japanese in Japan- the queerphobia, the mental health struggles, the relationships (romantic and platonic) in an in depth way. It opened my eyes to what the queer narrative can be, and I'm forever grateful for it. This story is so good it actively ruins all other queer media for me, haha.

Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Yang and Gurihiru

This is the book I most successfully recommend to people. What can I say that I haven't said many times before? A reimagining of the classic Klan of the Fiery Cross arc from the classic Superman radio show, empathetically revitalized. A story that actually acknowledges and understands Superman as a direct immigrant allegory?? Where he relates to a Chinese American family being targeted by the Klan?? I love it, and many people have picked up how I'm influenced by it! You don't need to know anything about Superman or his lore, this is a very accessible story for newbies. If you want to know why I love Superman, this is it. This story is so good it actively ruins all other Superman media for me, haha.

Salt Magic by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock

One of my recent all time favorite graphic novels!! This story is everything I love about fairytales perfectly told in the graphic novel format. When a mysterious woman curses a family farm by turning their water supply into entirely undrinkable salt water- Vonceil must embark on an adventure to uplift the curse that hangs over her family history. Also Rebecca Mock's art is INCREDIBLE.

Homunculus by Joe Sparrow

Shortbox, the publisher for this comic, is retiring soon so order this book now! Or any books from them that you fancy (discount code here)! From the indie scene, Homunculus is a beloved short comic about a machine with growing sentience witnessing the end of the world, and what comes after. The style is lovely and the story is deceptively simple! It's heartbreaking by the end.

Berrybrook Middle School Series (Awkward, Brave, Crush, Enemies) by Svetlana Chmakova

This series is the reason I wanted to make middle grade graphic novels, and is in my humble opinion- the best in the business. Each story is self contained, with a cast of recurring characters that all go to Berrybrook middle school. It covers a wide variety of young experiences in an empathetic way that doesn't feel like you're being talked down to. It's a book series that nurtures the children it's for. I cried reading Brave, and Crush is such an important book that I'm ecstatic that kids get to read.

The Weight Of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf

If you liked my Who Is Superman: A Private Interview with Lois Lane comic and want to learn more about the historical context behind it- I recommend The Weight Of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf. It doesn't cover the same history (this book is about the 1969 race riots in Malaysia), but it's such an eerily similar incident that I felt myself reflected in it. Hanna is an incredibly vivid writer, and she handles so many topics with sensitive care. She highlights that historical events like this need to be remembered, and how fictional stories can breathe new life into an increasingly forgotten history. Also Hanna is so nice.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (original idea by Siobhan Dowd)

One of my all time favorite novels, with hauntingly beautiful mixed media illustrations by Jim Kay. I love how this book covers grief in such a messy and fantastical way- showing how its young protagonist has larger than life feelings he's trying to contain from the looming eventual death of his mom's illness. This book is special because it was conceived originally by Siobhan Dowd as she was going through terminal cancer, in collaboration with her editor and Ness. It feels like an intimate experience, and this heavy feeling of grief carries the whole book in a memorable way.

Those are my fav books off the top of my head! Happy reading :>

#askjesncin #booklr #longish post #i miss having time to read novels i should do that again before work piles up #[proceeds to read cape comics instead]

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lumine-no-hikari · 1 month

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Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #86

Today I thought to write to you about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs, for short) and the effects they have on a person's neurobiology. I also thought to write about how this ties into autism, and how the resulting combination of trauma and autism intertwine and influence one another.

I have studied many aspects of these topics and know them extremely well - through personally experiencing trauma and living as an autistic person in this world, and also through the study of human psychological mechanics and development throughout their growth from birth until adulthood. But all the same, it's a huge and complex topic with a wide variety of moving parts. Some of these moving parts include things like culture, geography, and available resources. Some of them involve generational trauma. Some of them involve trying to untangle which things are actually culture, and which things are just generational trauma disguised as culture. History also plays a huge role, as well as epigenetics. The "rabbit hole", so to speak, with regards to this subject, is MASSIVE, and every aspect of it is connected to every other aspect of it, like trying to untangle a ball of yarn that does not have endpoints, because where there would have been endpoints, they are instead seamlessly joined together.

I feel like if I tried to write such a letter to you, I would end up writing a book. And… yes, I know I already basically write books anytime I write anything to you. But. Well. This would be even bigger. I'll need to spend some time thinking about how to approach it and break it down in ways that you, as someone who is not well-versed in the global culture and history of my world, might understand.

So in the meantime, I am going to procrastinate. And I am going to procrastinate by showing you the pictures I took for you of some of my most recent walks outside. Because it has been warm enough for the last day or so for me to be able to do that comfortably, and because I am aware that you enjoy nature and scenery and such - otherwise, you would not have marveled so keenly at the scenery of Nibelheim. I'll also show you the new tree I'm weaving; I started on it today, and I am making good progress with it. I'll save those pictures for last.

Here, I'll start with this one; for whatever reason, J decided to take pictures of me taking pictures for you, and I thought it was funny, so here you go, haha:

Hey, Sephiroth? Don't forget that there are people out here who are thinking of you and wishing for good things on you. Don't forget that there are people like me who, if they know you're stuck somewhere, they will try to snap pictures of things they know you like, until you get unstuck. Don't forget that even though a lot of really bad things have happened to you and even though you've done some really bad things, too, there is still beauty and love and kindness here, and you can strive towards it, no matter what kind of opposition you face.

I love you in the same way that any human being loves their friends. So please keep yourself safe. I imagine that things are extremely difficult for you right now, but please keep hanging in there, and please keep making kind and gentle choices.

I'll write again soon.

Your friend, Lumine

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markantonys · 4 months

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I’ve never watched wheel of time but I will say that I think something to be said for the debate about costuming is that the game of thrones costumes were INSANE when it came to quality and detail. At least in the first few seasons they were hand-sewn, hand-embroidered, etc. There was a big coffee table type book about them that broke down a lot of the choices the costume designers and department made and the quality of that department still blows me away!!! They were gorgeous and complex and took so much of the worldbuilding and politics into account!

And from what I’ve seen, it seems like the Wheel of Time costumes do the same, it’s just that they draw from very different references and eras!! Maybe there will be some kind of bts/special feature breakdown of what they referenced and the different ideas they drew from for the costuming for WOT. That seems like it would be a good time. It’s really annoying and really unfortunate that a lot of people refuse to see past their own preconceptions of what fantasy means. I’m sorry that so many people are making assumptions about fantasy costuming in your notes, especially. It’s a genre that spans much wider than lotr and game of thrones! Perhaps more people should. Idk. Engage with it more and find that out. Maybe that would fix them.

yeah!! haha it really was just 2 complaints in my notes on a gifset that otherwise had universal gushing about how much people loved the costumes, so thankfully most people are enjoying the WOT costumes (and not being annoying in my notes) and i was definitely being dramatic in my complaints about the complaints! still, there's something to be said about how ingrained ideas of "this is what fantasy costumes are Supposed to look like" are in us, when fantasy as a genre MEANS there's no set definition of what ANYTHING is "supposed" to be.

i didn't watch GOT but i've seen plenty of gifs etc over the years, of course, and the costumes are absolutely beautiful and very detailed! and from what i understand, the books were going for a medieval europe type of vibe for the main kingdoms and so in that respect the show's costumes definitely understood the assignment (tho ofc with their own added Fantasy Flavor). the downside is that they were so influential that it's made a lot of people subconsciously think that that is THE fantasy aesthetic (along with LOTR), and thus anything too different looks out of place to them.

there have been a couple WOT costume bts features that i've seen, and the designers did indeed do similar things where they showed how much stuff was handmade and how detailed everything is, and they talked about taking inspiration from many different real-world cultures & time periods as well! a lot of which is based on the way the author described clothes in the books and the real-world fashion influences he was using. i remember in a season 1 bts the costume designer had a map of WOT's world color-coded according to which real-world cultures are the primary inspirations for the dress of each region of WOTworld (although i think it's a different costume designer for season 2 so i don't know if they adhered 100% to the s1 designer's notes).

to conclude, here are some caps from a scene in s1 that features a large international gathering (same color=same wizard faction, but within each faction are women of many different cultures, so you can see for example that our 4 blue ladies are wearing 4 very different styles). i wouldn't say these are the best costumes in the show because season 2 really took it up a notch (hello, higher budget!), but this particular scene is a great quick illustration of the wide variety of styles going on in the vast continent of WOTworld and of how much detail goes into costumes even for nameless background characters. and most of them do feature the sort of clean lines/angularity that makes our brains go "modern", and most of them do look quite different from the GOT & LOTR aesthetics!

#one of these days i'd love to make a 'fav s2 costumes' gifset but there's so many to choose from i wouldn't even know where to start!#anonymous #answered

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peonycats · 10 months

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All this mess has made me wonder, how do you draw and do "ethnic feature" without you know being racist? Even if unintentionally

Is the answer to just not do them at all? Or something else? Genuinely asking since you seem far more knowledgeable on this kind of thing then I am

So there's a lot of complexity to this question, and I'm not sure if I'm really the best person to go for this because I do admit, my art is a bit cartoony/stylized and I don't draw particularly "ethnic features" in a lot of my drawings 🤷 But some things to keep in mind, especially when talking about easians, since that's what I'm most familiar with:

Don't reserve the ethnic features only for the "bad/morally ambiguous"/"ugly"/etc guys esp when contrasted with "good guys" who lack those features.

You should have more than one POC character naturally, and give them all a variety of different features!

Do studies of a wide array of different diff easian faces!

Look at how easians draw their own features! (@miyuecakes and @dyemelikeasunset are two artists that come to mind for how their easians are drawn :3c)

Also look at racial caricatures drawins and compare how you're drawing them to make sure you're not reaching into that territory haha

if an easian says something about how you draw them makes them uncomfortable, try to keep an open mind and not immediately resort to defensiveness 👍

#ask #anonymous #tips #not hetalia

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stellaluna33 · 6 months

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How about that time when ASP bragged that Rory only had her first time when she was 19/20 or something, wasn’t it weird that she was so proud of that, especially when she “made” her have such a lousy first time, married man and all?

Why was Rory being a virgin until “late” that groundbreaking for ASP, I wonder?

If I’m not mistaken she was shading other teen shows that had their protagonists/leading ladies having their first times earlier, and idk once again it just looks like she digs shaming girls for having sex.

Personally, I used to love that Rory was still a virgin until college bc I could relate to her even more because of that, haha, I just got kinda disappointed that Amy seemed to see it as some sort of quality?

Sorry, English is not my first language so idk if I’m expressing myself very well, but yeah I’m curious to o know more opinions about this.

The way I understand it, Amy was under a lot of pressure from the network to make Rory "sexier." But why should a teenage girl character HAVE TO have sex to be a worthwhile or relatable character? She shouldn't! But that kind of mindset was what ASP was pushing back against, and maybe it's an unpopular opinion, but I actually really appreciated that. What you have to understand is that when I grew up watching teen media from the 80s and 90s (and going into the early 2000s), there was persistent messaging that still being a "virgin" by the time you graduated from highschool was kind of embarrassing. Losing your virginity was widely viewed as some sort of necessary "milestone" instead of a very personal and optional choice. (Especially for boys, but there was a lot of that for girls in TV and movies also) It wasn't until right around the turn of the millennium that I remember starting to see movies/shows that QUESTIONED that idea, that started asking well, WHY, though? When there started occasionally being characters who expressed that they shouldn't HAVE to have sex just to fit in. That it should be a PERSONAL choice. And like, I'm not a historical scholar- I haven't done a STUDY of whether this is accurate or not, but this is what it FELT LIKE to me as a teenager. And it FELT LIKE Rory was a really refreshing character for nerdy girls like me and my friends- that it was OKAY if you hadn't had sex yet. It was OKAY for a teenage girl to be focused more on academic or career aspirations rather than "losing her V-card," or that maybe she just doesn't feel ready yet, and it doesn't make her a "loser" or a "prude!" Like, that felt like SUCH a rare thing! ASP wanted to write a character like that, partly because it hadn't been done much, and she got a lot of pushback from the Network about it (which is kind of gross?). And I just... don't think that necessarily means that she was "slut shaming" anyone else.

I confess to being surprised when I started seeing people on here saying that Gilmore Girls had a "negative" view of sex. (This got long, sorry!)

Like, Lorelai has an active sex life with a variety of different partners over the course of the series, and that seems to be portrayed as normal and morally neutral. Sookie has an active and healthy sex life. When Rory is sleeping with Logan in college, the narrative seems to paint Richard and Emily (and the unfortunate Reverend they brought in) as ridiculous and controlling for objecting. Paris and Doyle have an active and enthusiastic sex life, and the narrative doesn't seem to judge them for it... I do admit that there does seem to be a pattern of unfortunate "first times" for the younger characters, but I wonder if that's more about Amy's addiction to "drama" than her views on sex. About Paris specifically, I always interpreted her paranoia about being "punished" for having sex as being commentary about how SOCIETY judges girls for having sex (because Reality for girls was a lot different from the pop culture fantasy norms). Gilmore Girls just wasn't interested in portraying some kind of "ideal world." They were just "putting these guys in Situations." And I mean... it's a show largely about generational trauma stemming from a teenage pregnancy! The characters are going to have some complicated and probably even unhealthy feelings about sex! And can I be honest for a minute? Much like attitudes towards our bodies, I'm honestly a proponent of what I'm going to call "sex neutrality." Because, yeah, sex is supposed to be fun and feel good and even be beautiful... And ideally it is! But sometimes it's not. Sometimes it's bad or painful or awkward or emotionally messy or damaging or degrading. Are we supposed to pretend that doesn't happen? Because it does. Are TV characters just not supposed to acknowledge that side of it? I don't know. I don't think Gilmore Girls is a perfect show. I don't agree with everything ASP thinks or everything the characters do. But I do think sometimes viewers want to see some kind of "message" where there just isn't one. Anyway, this is just my opinion, and I may be wrong about one or several things! 😆

#Gilmore Girls #Feeling a bit like I'm wading into shark-infested waters here...#😂

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cara-kira · 16 days

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Hello again its your rwby exchange buddy. 😎

I have more questions. Like a lot. Sorry I hope I'm not annoying I just have a lot of thoughts.

Do you have a length preference for the fic or just whatever I'm feeling up to? I know some people don't enjoy long fics

Do you see Oz as the kind of fella that would be in a polycule 👀

I like your grim au so much it's changing the idea I had. How do you feel about letting me put my own twists on it? I know some people are protective of their AUs so I don't want to overstep.

Do you have an ao3 you'd like tagged? I tend to post stuff on there if that's alright

Also I'd love to hear some fun facts about yourself you seem very friendly and I'd like to get to know you lol. Sometimes it's fun to incorporate a bit of the giftee in the story. Like how do you like your pizza, if at all? Do you like frogs? Whats your favorite word? You know. Important things. Nothing scary or personaly revealing, just the important stuff.

If this is too much or you don't want to answer this whole thing I'm sure Zac can send me a message lol

I hope you're having a great day!

Hello again! No need to apologize for asking questions, you can ask me anything anytime!

As for my answers:

Nope! I don't really mind long fics, but it might take me a while to finish reading them since I unfortunately have the attention span of a goldfish

I kinda do actually. I haven't really made any fanart yet nor did I ever mention it, but I actually enjoy IronOzQrow quite a bit, or perhaps ozqrowbleck.

This kinda depends on what you plan to twist it into. I'm fine with some add-ons or small changes, but would like the overal base of the au to remain the same, if that makes sense.

I do have an ao3 account, but I don't use it all that much -and quite frankly know next to nothing on how it works either lmao. Feel free to post your work on ao3 and tag me, but I do suggest tagging me in a post here on tumblr as well so I won't accidentally miss it😅

And man, I suck at small talk lmao. Especially when it's about me XD

But anyways, as I'm sure everyone knows by now, I really like to draw. I've been drawing for as long as I remember, and I've been drawing fanart for rwby again since late 2019 I believe. (Yes again, the first time would've been around 2014/2015(?), of which some posts still exist on my instagram page haha). And like every media I've ever created for, I tend to latch onto the (often tragic) side characters with little screentime. Because of that, these characters usually don't have a lot known about them. So I usually tend to fill in the rest with headcannons. I actually have a few for Oz here as well, should you maybe want add some of those to your work👀

As for favorite foods, I love a good lasagna, or a nice pepperoni or shawarma pizza. Melted cheese is my kryptonite, and so is garlic bread lol.

My favorite color is purple. And my favorite animal changes from time to time, but usually goes from dogs to crows or ducks :>

I listen to a wide variety of music genres, but I think the majority of my playlist exists out of metal music.

I am also genderfluid, and go by she/he/they!

And I'll stop there or this post will go on forever lmao. I hope you're having a great day too!

Should you ever feel stuck on something or need more information, feel free to reach out! :>

#asks #anon #remnants of rwby: fanworks exchange #leave it to me to say lmao three times in one post-

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resurrection-of-soul · 2 months

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Flashback | PSYCHOBREAK 1

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Rei, Adonis, Kaoru, Koga

Koga: Huh? Heh, hehe, it's animal instinct! I'm a noble wolf, after all~♪ Kaoru: It's, like, kinda adorable when Koga-kun fails to realize he's being teased.

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Time: 10 days after the start of the AIIE Experiment.

Location: ES Building, Rhythm Link Office.

Rei: We find ourselves in circumstances most dire.

Adonis: That line gives me the strangest sense of deja vu.

Rei: Indeed. We shared a similar exchange ere consenting to participate in the experiment. However, the circumstances now are far graver than they were then.

Kaoru: My head hurts. Figuratively and literally.

Koga: Ugggh… Dunno whether it's cause of the sleepin' pills or cause we had to keep goin' right back to sleep as soon as we woke up, but my mind's a mess. Everythin' feels kinda unreal now, or—

Kaoru: Haha, want me to give you a pinch to check if it's real?

Koga: Shut up, don't go touchin' me all willy-nilly! I've got a headache, damn it!

Adonis: I feel the same way, Oogami. Maybe it's because I spent at least half of every day asleep over the course of that week-long experiment, but… There's this strange sensation hanging over me, as if the line between dreams and reality has become blurred.

Rei: Alas, if only this were but a dream. Let us cut to the chase. While we were isolated from the outside world, something unfathomable has occurred. We spent our time at the AIIE Experimental Facility merely going between sleeping and waking, occasionally playing cards in between, unable to engage in any idol activities… Yet inexplicably, here in the outside world UNDEAD saw a meteoric rise in popularity, and was widely praised for achieving a breakthrough with the unit's new direction.

Kaoru: Seriously, what's going on? I know I've already said this before, but it really feels like I've fallen under a kitsune's spell.

Koga: Isn't he just sayin' some fakes showed up? That's what I took it to mean, at least. Some assholes took the opportunity while we were gone to pretend to be us n' ran wild, right?

Rei: Indeed, that interpretation is more or less correct. Whilst thou may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, thy ability to intuitively grasp the situation is as impressive as ever, Koga ♪

Koga: Huh? Heh, hehe, it's animal instinct! I'm a noble wolf, after all~♪

Kaoru: It's, like, kinda adorable when Koga-kun fails to realize he's being teased.

Adonis: Agreed. …But, back on topic, who are these fakes?

Rei: 'Tis unclear at the moment. They go by the name HELLSING and seem to be actively engaging with the radical and immoral image which we once pursued. To be precise, they avoid appearing in lighthearted variety shows and, as a matter of fact, refrain entirely from gaining exposure through TV programs, focusing solely on performing on stage.

Kaoru: That gives off a totally nostalgic vibe, huh?

Adonis: That kind of thing was common in Yumenosaki, after all.

Rei: Indeed. They emulate our melodies flawlessly whilst infusing them with their own flair, bestowing a more potent rock essence. Ever more radical, ever more immoral— In a sense, you might say they embody the ideal which the world once envisioned for UNDEAD.

Rei: One could quite logically regard HELLSING as the final evolution of the original UNDEAD, which we ourselves were unable to attain.

Koga: Tch, even though they're the fakes, they seem realer than the real deal. We also shoulda gone all in like that, instead a' changin' course.

Adonis: It's easy to say that now. This might just sound like an excuse, but I firmly believe that choosing to expand the scope of our activities was the "correct answer" when ES was established.

Rei: Let us not repeat this old song and dance. What we ought to discuss now is how to handle the imposters who have surfaced in our midst—HELLSING.

Koga: Aahn? Ain't it enough to just sue 'em and be done with it? Those guys, HELLSING or whatever, are usin' our songs without permission, yeah?

Adonis: I see, if we approach it from the copyright infringement angle, we should be able to win.

Kaoru: Didn't we have a conversation like this before? About AI art, or something— Wait, I just had a totally wild thought…

Rei: I suspect that thought is one we share. Speak thy thoughts without reserve, Kaoru-kun.

Kaoru: Well, we've been participating in a strange experiment lately, right? And that experiment's goal is to realize some sci-fi sounding dream about creating artificial idols. To make that dream a reality, they were collecting our brain data and stuff—

Adonis: Wait a moment. I think I understand what you're trying to say, but… Is that even possible?

Kaoru: If it isn't, they wouldn't bother with an "experiment," y'know? ES poured a bunch of funds into it because there was a chance of making it happen, right?

Koga: Hey, hold on, the hell're you guys goin' on about…? What I'm thinkin's impossible, so—

Rei: I doth fear thy "impossible" thought is exactly right. Though this be mere speculation… 'Tis quite likely that these imposters of ours, HELLSING, are artificial idols born from the AIIE experiment.

[ ☆ ]

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#ensemble stars #enstars translation #undead #flashback #rei sakuma #adonis otogari #koga oogami #kaoru hakaze #psychobreak

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eruden-writes · 1 year

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Comics

I have found myself falling down the hole of binging comics on Hoopla.

There's a wide variety of stuff, involving non-humans and/or queer relationships.

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Save Yourself

By Bones Leopard and illustrated by Nichole Matthews, Kelly Matthews

Super cute, queer-filled story about magical girls who are bad guys and the monsters that fight them are, often, the good guys.

The story is about humans realizing the magical girls are evil, after a young woman saves a mysterious stranger from the superheroes.

There is a character death that takes place in the past and a death that happens on screen, but it's not bloody. Victim is just gone.

Art was bright and cheerful. Had a cartoon vibe about it, so nothing explicit or gorey. Again, super cute.

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The Me You Love in the Dark

By Skottie Young and illustrated by Jorge Corona

Definite monster fucker story. It's a horror story with gore and domestic abuse vibes.

An artist rents a creepy house in the Midwest to renew her ability to paint. An being (ghost, I think, but form is more eldritch horror) lives in the house that the artist makes contact with.

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Don't Call Me Dirty and Don't Call Me Daddy

Both stories created and illustrated by Gorou Kanbe

No monsters involved, but is full of gay characters.

Dirty is about a 26-year-old liquor store clerk befriending a houseless man. The clerk is known by those around him as gay and is even in a relationship with another man. Though that man ends up breaking things off with him. The concept of "dirty" is applied to both the clerk and houseless man, one in a homophobic sense and the other in a physical literal sense.

Daddy is actually about the clerk's father and a long-time friend. The long-time friend actually was helping the father raise his son for a time, but felt horrible that his son thought he and the father were married.

Both of these made me cry. Hiding your own feelings from yourself, apologizing to others for who you are, just wanting to be loved, being given kindness of facing cruelty for so long. Just oof.

I highly rec both of these, if you can get over some art issues. (Occasionally, the characters have, like, super tiny hands.)

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The Song of Yoru & Asa

By Harada

Gay relationship, but no monsters.

Oh my goodness, this had very explicit sex scenes. Haha. I was not prepared for that when reading.

This one is about two guys who are in a band together. Asa can be mean at times and Yoru can be pushy about sex. But it just feels more like a dynamic than serious problems.

TW for sex still happening even when one or other tells the other to stop. (They don't seem to mind or have problems with it, but in one instance it does result in pee, so... yeah. I kind of wish they talked about having a safe word so they know for sure to stop.)

Oh, TW for self-harm attempt, as well. There's a stalker fan who pulls out a blade to cut herself with when she's rejected.

Art was really good in this one.

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Kiss Me, Satan!

by Victor Gischler and illustrated by Juan E. Ferreyra

Yes, monsters are involved. No queer people, though. :(

Demon is trying to get back into heaven and is given a mission to help a witch flee the werewolf mafia. Interesting premise, but it falls prey to misogynistic tropes and art.

There's four women characters the demon guy is supposed to be keeping safe. Three of them die. The last one ends up fucking the main guy.

Art is relatively good, if you're into comics with more of a western feel. There are gratuitous shots of ladies' underwear during fights or unnecessary nudity.

Story is intriguing, but I kind of feel it was more of a guy power fantasy. You eventually see the guy's demon form and it's pretty kick ass.

TW for gore, death, and discussions of killing a baby.

#comics #comic recs #queer comics #monster romance #monster fucker #hooplah #alien x human #monster x human #hoopla

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asecretvice · 1 year

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Rereading 'And this your living kiss' and it really makes me want to take Cas's class haha! Which got me wondering whether you might have any recommendations how to ease into reading poetry or learning more about it as someone who has been out of school for a while? I find the way you talk about poetry in that fic incredible and I reference it all the time when speaking about fan fiction in general, because not only do you flesh out these characters so beautifully, you also write original poetry from a character's viewpoint and it's analysis?! It is honestly super inspiring. I'll stop gushing now haha :D

(Also sorry I might have unfollowed/refollowed you a few times earlier since my tumblr was glitching...)

Oh my goodness, thank you so much! This is very kind of you. That you feel inspired means so much to me ^_^ [And no worries about the following stuff. Tumblr is as tumblr does, lol.]

And now I have wonderful news for you--there are several avenues you can take when easing back into poetry! I answered an ask a while back in which someone requested recs, and much of that still holds true: seek out anthologies; look into different countries' most celebrated poets; peruse exemplars from various poetic movements, etc.

But how to get to those things? Let us count the ways!

The Library. I don't know where you live, but hopefully you have access to either a public or university library (many of which allow non-students to get cards as well). Different types of libraries have different aims when it comes to curating a collection, but either way if you head to the 811s and thereabouts (if they use the Dewey Decimal System) you will have a ton of stuff to choose from. Again, go to the anthologies so you can read a wide variety of poetry. Then, mark every time you read a poem that stirs something inside you. Then by the end of it you'll have a ready-made list of poets to explore more in depth. At the same time, you've really widened your horizons. If there's already a poet or two you have in mind, a library will likely carry a collection or even a complete collection of their work. Reading the complete collection of a poet can be just as illuminating an experience as reading a wide-reaching anthology. You see a poet grow before your very eyes, can feel the themes as they evolve in their clever hands, watch as they experiment and find their unique voice. I prefer physical books when possible, but libraries also have one or more ebook subscription services, such as Libby or Hoopla, that you can access as well if that's more convenient for you. And, if you're unfamiliar with libraries you may not have heard of interlibrary loan before--this is when a library will look outside of its own system for a book, so even if none of their branches carry it, they will find someone in the country who does and then bring it to their library for you. The best part about this is that these services should all be free to you. Unfortunately that is not true of every library, but most try their best, because freedom of and access to information is their mission. That makes the library the perfect place to explore things you don't necessarily want to invest your resources in.

Of course, if you do have some resources don't neglect to check out your local bookstore. If you're lucky, you have access to some independent bookstores! I mean, if you've only got access to a big chain go there too, but in my experience unless it's a huge store they only carry what will specifically sell because it's a classic likely to be assigned by local schools, or the odd book that has big prospects. Which is totally fine! But what an independent bookstore can give you is a more personally curated collection. If you're lucky, you can find little gems in addition to what will conventionally sell. Regardless the owners/managers of such a bookstore will have a working relationship with lots of different publishers and their salespeople, and will have a more interesting spread. There are websites, such as libro.fm and bookshop.org, which support independent bookstores for your online book and audiobook shopping needs.

The internet, especially The Poetry Foundation. The organization behind the website also publishes Poetry Magazine. You will find most popular poets on this website, often with an accompanying bio. This will give you a decent overview of whoever you're looking up. Sometimes when you click on a poem it will lead you to the page of a digital upload of the magazine--which is amazing, because then you can keep turning the pages and read everything they published in May of 1952, or whatever. Also when you're on the front page of the website you can read articles and interviews etc about poetry. A small caveat about this, and any other poetry journal or anthology. These poems are chosen by editors and other people who fancy themselves good arbiters of what is the best kind of poetry. Sometimes they're right; sometimes they're wrong; sometimes it's simply a matter of taste. People are inherently subjective, poetry is very subjective, and therefore all sorts of biases can be in play. Another factor to consider is that a lot of poetry from the 20th century on is still under copyright, whether under a trust or the author/author's family. Therefore some of the selections of poems that the site has for someone isn't necessarily what they'd choose, but what they're allowed to host on their site. Another source to really consider is wikipedia. I know, I know, but it's great at two things: a) lists and b) sourcing. Look at lists of your country's poet laureates (even states/provinces and cities can have them too!). Look at winners and nominees for major literary prizes. Pick a poet, scroll down to the bottom, and see what categories the wiki elves have put them in (eg, "Poets in such and such movement") and see who else is a part of it.

People. Don't underestimate the people around you. Friends, family, even coworkers. The most random people might have an opinion--or a wealth of knowledge--that surprises you. Ask them, even, if they remember what sort of poems/poets they were taught in school. If nothing else, it will tell you what's stuck with them all this time. And hey, wherever there's someone whose taste you trust, may as well mine them for more recs!

Books about poetry. Okay, so you've got several avenues you can take when looking to read poetry. But you mention learning--so let's talk about those resources. I would say there are a few different angles to take here: anthologies, histories, biographies, and workbooks. I know I've already mentioned anthologies, but it's worth mentioning here again because not all anthologies are alike. They're edited by different people and have different goals. Sometimes the goal is to give as wide a spread of a certain thing as possible; other times it's to be very narrow in scope for deeper exploration. Likewise, sometimes they will have a lot to say before a certain poem/poet is introduced, and sometimes they stick with bare bones. Flip through an anthology before committing to it to see if it strikes the right balance for you. How much context would you like? Histories is kind of a wide range...they overlap a lot with biographies and more academic ventures. These are the type that might focus on a pair or group of poets who had a relationship of some kind (friendship, antagonism, student-teacher, etc). So you know, you can find a book about the Pre-Raphaelites, for example, and if the author(s) know what they're about you'll get tons of amazing context for the point in time, the social fabric they lived in, their influences, and why they changed the world, basically. Biographies are that, but more focused on one person. I really enjoy biographies about poets because in my experience the author set out to write the book because they really love the poetry and find the person behind it interesting. Sometimes they have even been a student of the poet in question. I think it's really great to get so much historical and personal context, because you can read the poetry in so many more ways. (I don't know what your educational background is, but are you familiar with the various types of literary criticism? There are so many lenses to choose from, and all useful in different ways. If you're interested in hearing more about that, let me know!) Workbooks are ones that are designed to help you write poetry. Even if you're not interested in pursuing writing for yourself, it can teach you a whole lot about reading it because it gives you a greater understanding of its underlying structure. Stephen Fry's The Ode Less Travelled does well with introducing poetic elements, providing examples, and setting up exercises for you to try yourself. I hope at least some of this has been helpful to you. Thanks again for your ask!

#opal replies #poetry #living kiss

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wangxianficfinder · 1 year

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Hello! The last fic finder, I found a heart emoji before the title then I saw ur FAQ, the one with the question about it. Im just curious, (to all the mods) whats ur fav troupe? or tags in ao3? idk how to put it in a question, but i hope u'all get what i mean T_T

Its just that, if ever we have the same fav troupe or fav tags, i'll just stalk ur post with those heart emoji and try the stories i havent read yet. Thank youuuu in advance! <333

Hello! I usually go for Time Travel, Different first meetings, Crossovers, Modern AU's, Mpreg, single parent, and Fix-It/Canon Divergence type fics. Oh! And characters react/read or watch the series style fics. I love those~ My main pairing is WangXian but I do sometimes read wangxiansang, XiSang, XiCheng, ZhuiLing, XueXiao, or something else if the story catches my eye too. I'd say the kind of stories I'm into mostly veer towards Angst with a happy ending or Fluff and interesting plots or longer word counts. Though sometimes a heavy angst fic does catch my eye, I don't usually like angsty fics unless they have a happy/hopeful ending and I steer clear of pure angst/'mind the tags' style stories most of the time. As for tags, I would say I use Time Travel, Modern AU, Canon Divergence or whatever trope I'm interested in at the time the most ^^ 🧡

Mod L (@ladyunderthemolehill ) and Mod Kay (@the-last-d-boy ) probably have different preferences then me but I'm sure between the three of us, you could find something good to read ☺️

- Mod C

I share a bunch of interests (like time travel, first meetings, fix-its) with Mod C, it seems, though I'm really picky about any modern aus and crossovers! I tend to lean towards modern with magic/cultivation. And with crossovers so far MXTX crossovers have been more my go-to fics than others. One of my "guilty pleasures" is reading 'characters watching their series' fics haha

WX is definitely my favorite but I have read some good LXC/NHS and LXC/NMJ centric fics. Character povs I've enjoyed is WWX, LWJ, LXC, and NHS' povs!

I am not a fan of bitter or unhappy endings but angst is good as long as there is a happy ending. Humor is great and crack treated seriously is a favorite! And I just love those fics where WX are hilariously mushy 🥰

I have been a bit lazy about adding my 💖 on newer fics since I've been mostly editing on my laptop 😂

~Mod L

I adore modern with magic settings and canon-divergence stories a lot and I really love it when authors get creative and inventive with world-building. I'm a bit torn on fix-it stories, because they often feel a bit too hopeful for me when it comes to MDZS, so I'm more a somebody lives/not everybody dies kind of guy. WangXian is my main pair, but I also like SongXiao and I love to see Wen Qing paired up with Jiang Yanli or Mianmian.

I'm also a fan of angst and I do enjoy unhappy ending sometimes, though I too veer towards angst with a happy ending most of the time.

I feel like the three of us (+Mojo's Recs) definitely cover a wide variety of fics :D

- Mod Kay

#mod c #answers #mod l #mod kay

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drawnaghht · 6 months

Text

SRTUC and the "3D vs 2D" toons

a little animation prediction:

...10-15 years from now, the kids growing up watching things from their parents' handheld devices are gonna be nostalgic for their cocomelon's and will be wondering, "why aren't there any good 3D cartoons like in their childhood??" just like how ppl in each generation have always been nostalgic for the entertainment of their own childhood haha x3

this little anecdote is smth I've slowly kinda realized after thinking abt the whole "3D vs 2D" mindset ppl have about animation in general. i've been seeing a lot of complaining online abt 2D cartoons and indie cartoons in general and I'm wondering.... when will the criticism end? Just 8 months ago, people would have shared the sentiment, "more indie animation! hollywood is starving our artists!" but now from online fans, I see a lot more of the sentiment of "this thing sucks" or in the case of Rise TMNT for example, "we were too late for this show".

People like 2D animation, but any time there's a new show out, people either don't give it a chance (thinking of my old faves, like Motorcity and Sym-bionic Titan, but also many others). Or like with Moon Girl, people seem to ignore it more than talk about it. Is it because it's a Marvel show? it's like the spiritual successor to both ROTTMNT and LMK, but also BH6 a bit?? it's good. animated by Flying Bark (known widely for Rise and Lego Monkey Kid) with supervising director Ben Juwono, story artist on BH6 and Glitch Techs. and there's lots of other cool ppl on the crew

also just, I'm thinking again abt how the 1st reactions from many different fans and viewers in general was so... strong. People reacted so badly to the 3D in SR, and it didn't make much sense to me, because personally, as someone who's seen many animated films and series since Toy Story in 96, it looks better than just "fine". the art direction in the show actually looks great to me. I do notice smaller animation or model/render mistakes but tbh they are so few and inbetween, that usually does not break enjoyment for me when it comes to 3D tv. So a lot of the hate that the "3D style" gets still doesn't make sense to me.

now I see that it's probably bc ppl are still used to 2D being their preference or something they see as better.... and maybe not entirely just ppl being tired of certain 3D rendering styles. A few thoughts...

So alright, it does not look like disney or like Sony artists' work with Spiderverse and later films. "Styles" or approaches to rendering which ppl are used to or have come to expect from all animated features and even animated series now. But it's still unique and strong in its own way. It doesn't look like Trollhunters either, 99 pictures' previous series of works, and I find that a good thing. it's been a long time since Trollhunters was in development to when Samurai Rabbit started 3D development.

The show is stylized in a way where it takes into account the work of all the visdev artists while also juggling the task of making anthro animals look animal-like and cartoony, but not too cutesy or too smooth either. It seems to follow the visdev art a lot. So there are many considerations to balance in the style. They also used many budget-saving methods, i.e. the changing walls of the city so they would have more variety without modelling a lot of buildings, or how scenes were rendered in a way to save time and space. Or cut character's legs off via camera view bc it's not important to see leg etc. So for the result they got on the show, it looks fine and quite often also nice. Again, the art directions saves the show from a lot of the smaller mistakes and ties it nicely together. One thing that did bother me a bit more was the crowd-characters style, both in 3D and 2D. To me they look a bit ugly and like they don't quite go together with the main cast "drawing" style, but again lol, you cannot splurge on everything when you're on a TV budget and imo it's not a huge loss.

I do like however how this show avoids what a lot of videogames do (for good reason), and what some 3D shows seem to also do. Everything looks like it's at the right size. Like the characters and objects/scenery/city they interact with feels tangibe, despite any technical shortcuts mentioned before. It looks really nice to my brain, especially knowing what many of these things look and feel like irl. I also enjoy that they've made the simple choice of making the characters more "furry" looking anthros and "less human" - so they don't feel awkward for having too many human traits and less animal traits. Or like animal heads with human bodies with the wrong proportions. Sometimes these things just work better in drawings and 2D vs 3D. Smart choice to not overly humanize them when they're already walking on their very human-like cartoon legs.

Lol maybe I've just seen much uglier things in 3D than what kids these days are used to. It does feel like with Samurai Rabbit in general, it's another case of a show coming out a bit too late for the changing tastes of viewers now. But then again, if we consider how many of these criticisms are coming from teens, who maybe just have a different taste and preference (e.g. they haven't seen maybe early 00s stuff so they judge all 2D to be superior bc they're tired of 3D? could be anything like that). And the other contingent I see are some older adults in their 30s/40s who are critical of animation in general, or they don't like how it's not a direct adaptation of Usagi Yojimbo. I remember a quote my sibling throws around about fans like these: "and baby food doesn't taste as good as it used to!!!" and I find she is right haha, some people have way too many opinions about shows which are not for them at all. Like, move on and watch something else x3 It seems it was popular with the indended demographic of kids ages 6-11, so, if that's something that helped the show, good. That's nice.

BTW, on that last note, been meaning to say this for a long time, but imo, it's actually good that the show wasn't a direct adaptation. Think about it. How many adaptations have you seen where people don't complain about how xyz part was left out? Or how they didn't capture the essence in their style? Stan and crew worked with what they got from Netflix, and I find that admirable on its own, seeing how Netflix treats many of their animated shows nowadays in general. Not just cancellations, but other things like contract disagreements and changes to a show. It seems with the last 2 years, the halcyon days of Netflix are over. Even though animation was the thing holding the entertainment industry in the US up during the pandemic, it and its workers are treated unfairly by the megacorp, who have also revealed that they're losing money in general. And from interviews and articles, it seems this show also had hard times, in terms of getting an adaptation at all (it was changed and NF asked them to do it about a younger Usagi instead, something like that), so they got the short end of the stick, but dealth with it. When Candie and Doug, the showrunners, were brought on board, they were told that it had to be for a younger audience, so a younger Usagi and the solution was to make a descendant. But that freed the show up a lot more than it would have been before. Now, instead of deciding on what favourite UY story to cut, the crew could instead focuz on making a complete story and rounded characters without stepping on Netflix's toes. It also seems the show had really enthusiastic execs and producers in general. So in the end we got a show with descendants of some of the comic's cast, who just happen to also be like retellings or their own versions of some of these characters (like Chizu and Kitsune for example)

saying all that.... lol if this show does come back, it'll be a while again and 3D preferences and styles would be changed again... I wonder what kind of visual style they would opt for if there was a new series based on Samurai Rabbit or based on other Usagi Yojimbo series, like Chibi Usagi or Yokai Hunter.

there's also of course just the factor that a lot of animation fans might be coming from a different place compared to fans of other media and are a lot more critical about what they watch. Never really been big on liveaction fandoms cuz I only watch liveaction stuff w my family as a fun activity to do, but i get sorta bored otherwise (so personal preference). I do know ppl complain abt their liveaction shows too but... it seems from this far away, much less whiney in some way. Like ppl being used to it and moving. But animation criticism always seems to be coming from an ungenuine or unfairly angry place. I don't know if it's the combo of "nostalgia nerd"-like youtuberisms having an influence on this, or just general negativity, but it's definitely something that's sorta become more boring/annoying to see. If you're critical of everything, eventually you sorta have nothing to criticise, or at least, nothing to enjoy.

but hey, if the general taste preference is still 2D, that's great! that's nice. I also still prefer 2D even if 3D is something I've worked with and something i've become accustomed to in animation in general. I just wonder where this mindset comes from that animated things have to be absolutely-infinitely PERFECT, or else it's not worth the watch.

I've definitely been in this camp of cartoon haters myself in the past... maybe not so much looking for perfectionism, but trying to see things I liked from an adult POV... but thankfully the early 00s we didn't have internet access i my family yet so no one else saw lol. As a kid, I genuinely thought that to be an animator, I have to learn how to be critical of every movie and animated thing I see. But animation brings me a lot of joy even when it's not "objectively" good... I wonder when more people will catch up and see their old mindset from a different point of view. I just find it sad that critics and internet drama seemingly have a much bigger impact on a show's success than say, the actual demographic watching it, or sales or whatever.

Anyway, if you read this far, thank you! I would offer an internet cookie, but it seems so here have a SR! Gen, representing how tired I am after staying up too late to write this haha x3

Anyway, good night, if you like a show or really enjoy it, pls watch it and share the word about it, that seems to do good.

Night!

#anyway I keep remembering how MOON GIRL apparently still isn't out in many countries #watch moon girl it's good #yuichi usagi #samurai rabbit #srtuc #usagi chronicles #cartoons #opinionate #like idk. just. sad? yeah i guess #just thinking #long post #fanramble #this is just a bunch of dumb rambling don't mind me #there are bigger things going on but i'm thinking abt cartoons again #this is not a thought piece i am just slowly frizzzing my brain out trying to think of coherent things #distraction destruction deception... i will write no more past this nightly attention

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fervency-if · 7 months

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I may not be interested in Vesa Romantically (I'm waaay too in love with Narciso to try another path 🥹, I will try but currently that beautiful old man has all my heart 🫶), I definitely wants to be besties with Vesa though 🥂. It would be great to have friends I can talk about fashion makeup and be chaotic with LOL, God knows I need some chaos and mayhem in my life 😹. So can I have a little scenario where MC and Vesa is going on a shopping spree just having absolute fun together? 🛍️ Thanks Niko 🫰

Aw, such a sweet message - Vesa wants to be your bestie, too! I'm very happ that you like her (and the beautiful old man Narciso, of course!) Your main character with Narciso as their partner and Vesa as their best friend would be a great team, I'm sure! And indeed, one needs some fashion, chaos, and mayhem from time to time, haha.

Here is the scenario:

The afternoon is dark already - practical during wintertime, when you want to visit the little shops and stores while being dressed for the weather at the same time. In summer, they would have closed long before darkness had had the time to set in.

Next to you, Vesa walks, a smile upon her red lips. She seems to be in a chipper mood; she had been looking forward to spend time with you, just the two of you together, and she certainly approved of your idea when you suggested a shopping spree. You're happy, too, both because of the fun activity, and because the friendship between Vesa and you keep growing and growing. You have become fast friends.

"Do you have any suggestions?" you ask. You have bought a little bit of this and a little bit of that already, and so has Vesa, but you have a feeling that the both of you are far from finished. "You know the city better than I, after all," you continue. "Do you have any favourite store that you would like to show me?"

"Oh, I do," she replies. "It's a fun one! They sell clothes, but it isn't as boringly trendy as many shops tend to be at the moment... Of course the people of the city are well dressed, but it becomes dull after a while, don't you think? Everyone looking the same?"

She's quite correct; you often see the same cuts and colours all over the city. As you talk, she shows you into a small store, your field of vision immediately filling with all sorts of fabrics. Lace, velvet, cotton, silk. Delicate fabrics and sturdy, practical ones.

"Good evening and welcome," the clerk says. "Is there anything in particular you're looking for, or are you merely soaking the sight in?"

"The latter, for now," you reply, dragging your fingers across the soft fabric of a quite eye-catching scarf.

"How about a new hat?" Vesa says. "Perhaps the need is more acute during the warmer seasons... shielding our skin and such... Yet, it's always good to be prepared, no?" She grins. "...or perhaps I simply want to see you in a variety of hats, for fun. Perhaps that's my ulterior motive." She immediately puts an almost comically wide-brimmed hat on the top of your head. Ulterior motives indeed. You snort.

"How do I look?"

"Gorgeous, of course." Vesa smirks, pointing to a mirror right behind you, and you almost snort again seeing your reflection. You're more hat than human right now.

"Perhaps I would be, if one could actually see me," you reply.

"Is this better?" She removes it, putting it back, exchanging it for a tall, classical top hat. "Oh, I think so myself! You're awfully dapper!"

"At least one can see my face now," you reply, smirking. At least this one doesn't look comical on you. You have some style. Yet, there are more hats to try out, and instead, you put it on Vesa's head, to see how she looks. Quite dapper, too. "Not bad," you conclude, nodding.

"Not too bad... You look better in it, but I don't look too bad either!"

You don't need to grab any hats for yourself; Vesa is all too eager to see you in every kind they got. A dainty little pillbox hat. One with an almost vulgar amount of lace, that manages to be surprisingly pretty even so. A feathery headpiece, not looking too unlike Vesa's own style. Colourful hats, and more plain and discreet ones. You try them on, and she tries them on; exchanging both laughs and admiring gazes. The clerk seems quite patient - they must be used to people doing this. Or perhaps they're simply used to Vesa, seeing as she seems to be a rather regular customer.

It takes a while, but eventually you settle for a new hat - you simply couldn't leave the store without buying anything, and that one flattered your face greatly - and Vesa for yet another headpiece. A fun afternoon indeed, and even still, the two of you are far from finished.

#fervency vesa #🫶

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peonycats · 2 years

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Any tips for making arab/indian oc?

Personally, I don't think I'm the best person to ask this given I'm neither Arab nor Indian but here are some good tips I think anyone looking into such endeavors should know-

1. Avoid Orientalist Tropes

How timely! But avoid tropes that stress the “foreign-ness” and “exoticism” of your arab and indian ocs, especially ones that deal with sexuality and sensuality, as sexual stereotypes of MENASA (Middle East North Africa South Asia) men and women are very pernicous and harmful. There’s a lot of tropes I could go into, but I’ll link to this excellent WritingWithColor post here and here that also links to additional resources!

2. Arab /= Muslim and Indian /= Hindu

There’s so many minority populations that exist in the Middle East and South Asia that practice a wide variety of faiths (and even within the dominant religion there’s so much diversity in culture and practice) so you really shouldn’t automatically equate entire ethnicities with religion. (I’m like. skipping out a lot on the politics of ethnic identity and religion in specifically the middle east so forgive me haha)

(I would also advise you to not try to put your religion hot takes in ur characters and stories esp if ur not really familiar with the religion in question dsjkfjkdskj)

On a similar note, get specific with your ocs’ identities! Researching a specific region and time period’s culture will help you avoid a generic, orientalist stereotype of vaguely MENASA inspired regions.

3. Treat them like normal people

Okay, this is both informed by my experience as an East Asian as well as an extension of the first tip, but please bear in mind not all of my experiences of orientalism can be transplanted onto MENASA experiences of orientalism.

So, I find myself really uncomfortable when people describe some aspect of “East Asian culture” as “so exotic” or “completely incomprehensible” (esp in cases where they’re trying to say easians are easily submissive to authority/prone to authoritarianism) to westerners.

It’s true that we have cultural differences, but we’re still people at the end of the day, and you should really avoid language and tropes that others/exotifies us or stress our differences from “normal people.” You should apply this advice to Arab and Indian characters, making them complicated, fully realized people, as well as avoiding making wide, generalizing statements about entire groups.

These are only the tips I had off the top of my head, so if any Arab and Indian people want to chime in, please do!

#not hetalia #dance-till-the-death #ask #tips

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booasaur · 10 months

Note

If you’re fielding random gay-ish Deadloch requests, some random thoughts - the stuff with Dulcie trying to be all business while Eddie is naked and hungover made me laugh out loud, Skye's explanation she got too gay for church and Nadiyah's thing about her mom being a ho-mo-phoobe was fun too. Dulcie frantically trying to scroll away from her wife's boob shot. Also, not strictly gay but I still liked it - Dulcie in that black suit in Ep 3 looked gooood.

That show is so great though. It was so funny from the start, but it really snuck a fantastic mystery in. I still haven't a clue who did it?

And another anon:

Lol Deadloch is an anti-ship for me. I just want everyone to stop yelling and solve the crime.

Haha, yeah, we don't have no ships here, no sirree. >_> (I do have a ship, actually, but I'll expound in the next reply.)

I've filed away your requests, anon, but as always, who knows when I'll actually get around to them. Although, Dulcie in the suit--actually, Dulcie has been extremely attractive throughout this show! I haven't watched Wentworth but I've seen other random things she's in and she never really hit me quite like here. The stern rule following thing just does it for me.

But the mysterrrryyy, yeah. At this point, it's really wide open. I can LOOSELY rule out the kids, though I wouldn't put it past the show saying the first death was accidental by one of them, but other than that...

I've gone up and down on Skye, at first they were laying it on so thick, but now that they've focused on her this much before the ending, as if they want to exonerate her and move on, well, maybe it'll circle back to her again. Margaret seems super suspicious as well, and I know we're supposed to hate James, but that call he made was weird too, aside from how obstructive he's been.

It all gets even more complicated if there are multiple people involved, as it feels like there must be at this point, the number of deaths and the variety of victims. Why the long gap and the reveal that Sam isn't a suspect but a victim? I've been eyeing Cath, Nadiyah, Aleyna, Gez, Vanessa, Ray, and Claire as well. The only people I think truly can be ruled out are Dulcie, Abby, and Eddie. And Sven...and Sven...? Maybe not him, actually. I'd say we, the audience, have seen enough of Dulcie, Abby, and Eddie trying to investigate the case even when people aren't watching, to mostly assume they're actually trying to solve it. Though, I mean, I guess Dulcie could be covering her own tracks this whole time... I just can't believe it of Abby, and Eddie has barely been around.

I have to say, the comedy's been great, and the satire of these shows spot on and sharp, but they've done so well in creating a genuine drama on its own, these characters, the pacing, like god, the ending of the last ep? So good. Genuinely hoping that either we get more series like this from them or this gets a s2.

#replies #femslash related stuff #Anonymous #sent on 20230625 #sent on 20230626 #5 #deadloch

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