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#feel free to guess my artistic choices
theoestofocs · 2 years
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reading a truly excellent fic from a small fandom, that hasn't been updated in ages despite the author promising an epilogue: ah fair enough, hope everything's okay, I'll hit "subscribe" just in case bc i loved what they wrote so i'll comment that i liked it
scrolling absently up through the other 5+ comments and abruptly stumbling on a breathtakingly bad faith criticism of -problematic- elements that weren't even present in the fic:
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#id in alt text#linden's originals#seriously y'all never comment ur negative analyses of an author's thematic choices#especially if they're all stuff that's clearly tagged & in the content summary?? this is free entertainment & fully informed consumption#even if u have something to criticize about their word choice or sth - like if the author uses an outdated term or sth#& u genuinely have reason to think they'll appreciate being informed of their mistake. like. you still also tell them the stuff u liked.#u don't leave a comment just to tell an author whose personal stories (stories they chose to *archive* which u may read#but which are written first and foremost for the author's enjoyment! that's what the ''archive'' part means! it's someone else's journal!)#to tell them they Messed Up!#tell them what turns of phrase u liked! tell them why ur glad u got the chance to read the work! they do not owe u a story u like!#and leaving a negative comment (even a well-intentioned one) can wreck an artist's motivation to continue creating a work#(i know if i got a comment like this - however well-intentioned - i'd probably have deleted the entire work & also cried#not bc it was particularly unkind it's just. unsolicited yk? & criticism of something so intensely personal. art created by & for you.)#like. a lot of fic is written by neurodivergents too. it's more relevant than the average situation to remember that an author might be#''disproportionately'' harmed by negative feedback. RSD; emotional dysregulation; stuff that makes emotions so much stronger#& more capable of lasting harm#anyway. i guess this is a#vent post#i know ''flames'' were a common issue in fandom before my time but i get the feeling a lot of that was bc#online fandom had a much higher proportion of teenagers shaping the culture. as we get older i think we get a better sense of ourselves#& better at understanding & respecting each other's boundaries. & rights#kids in fandom learn from adults just like everywhere else. be kind is i guess what i'm saying#never cause more harm than you need to. not when you can just walk away and leave no one the worse. just - be kind#and for the love of tillie mayard don't tell people what u think is Problematic about their literal fanfics#even if ur right & not fantastically misreading something to the point of seeming intentional. like. just don't#anyway. this has been#linden in the tags
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drchucktingle · 3 days
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autistic expression in a neurotypical art gallery
this morning i thought i would talk about AUTHOR VOICE specifically when it comes to AUTISM. as autistic author i have learned to turn the dial up and down when writing characters. rose from CAMP DAMASCUS is basically exactly where i rest on spectrum and this shows in a few ways
in roses internal monolog you will see that she uses phrases like ‘my friend’ to talk about folks where neurotypical buckaroos might just use first name. or with her parents she will think of them in FIRST NAME instead of ‘mom’ or 'dad’. this is way many autistic buds THINK
to explain this trot I will say it is not a way of disrespect or anything like that, it is simply that these terms are TECHNICALLY all correct and interchangeable. socially, autistic buds often learn to mask by pinpointing WHEN to use these words that logically the same to us.
in CAMP DAMASCUS i left these things in to create character, but if you go back in my writing you will see it. in TINGLERS this is because they are honest in PUNK ROCK way. unfiltered expressions. in earlier novels its admittedly just because i did not realize it was unusual yet
point is, ROSES internal dialog in camp damascus is neurodivergent and i CHOSE not to change her thought process in this way, because we are BOTH autistic. this can be a risk because some neurotypical buckaroos will read it and just think ‘what a strange way. this is bad writing’
camp damascus reviews are actually very good it is a very well received book by any measure, but you will see some folks kind of making fun of these traits (i do not think they would do this if they knew it was authentic autistic way BUT we cannot educate EVERYONE on this trot)
POINT IS i am now faced with an artistic choice in later books. do i write with my AUTISTIC voice even though some neurotypical readers find it awkward? in technical sense some readers WILL think each book is better if i eliminate my autistic tendencies in later edits
my advice is this: character voice IS SO IMPORTANT, but a big part of writing is finding the place between YOUR voice and your CHARACTER voice where both are authentically existing in some way. like acting, you are always bringing something of yourself even when you 'disappear'
when writing BURY YOUR GAYS i did not plan to make misha on the spectrum, but misha is part of me and i am on the spectrum. what i have realized over time is that ALL OF MY CHARACTERS will have these traits in some way because i wrote them, and i will never disappear completely
so when edits came for BURY YOUR GAYS and misha, i took that dial and i turned it farther towards neurotypical than i did with rose, BUT I DID NOT TURN IT OFF COMPLETELY. in literal sense, i left some of those ‘my friends’, because i will always bring MY VOICE to my art as well
i am proud of being on the spectrum. while my voice may not hit every convention of ‘good writing’ it is authentically ‘MY writing’ and i think that is more important than any outside checklist for ‘correct literary expression’. and guess what THE RESULTS ARE IN, MY BOOKS DO WELL
so if you are an artist getting feedback or reviews, consider which parts you can LEARN FROM and grow and change, and which parts are just AUTHENTICALLY YOU. because while your honesty may defy conventions and seem unusual to some folks, IT IS OFTEN WHAT MAKES YOUR ART SING
feel free to turn that dial marked 'YOUR TRUE VOICE' up and down when it makes sense. i do this all the time. but i have long since decided i will never turn that dial OFF completely. your voice is your POWER buckaroo, dont be afraid to sing with it
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vaspider · 1 year
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I agree with you in principle about paying media creators, but the fact is that people who are spreading piracy stuff are often doing so because either 1) they don’t want to give money to the big corporations that control most mass media, or 2) they don’t have the money to give to creators of things they love. I agree that if you have the means to give proper support to things you love, you should, but not everyone has access to library resources (for example, not everyone is American/western and so not everyone has access to online pdfs through a library, or even libraries at all in some places) and it just feels very…. not extreme, but a bit harsh to equate reading a pdf with intentionally withholding money from creators. I’m sorry it this comes across rudely, that isn’t my intent, but it feels very unfair to generalise so harshly on a post about resources for when you can’t access certain things
You aren't entitled to someone else's labor just because it's art.
I'm going to repeat that, because people seem to be confused: you aren't entitled to someone else's labor just because it's art.
Just because you don't have money to pay a creator doesn't mean that you can take what you want and take money out of other people's pockets just because it's art.
I would love to have more art from @fofoart, but I don't have the money to pay them right now, so you know what that means? I don't have more art from them. I would love to read Thistlefoot right now, but I don't have the money to buy it at the moment, and so you know what that means? I wait until I can get it through my library or until I have the money to buy it, because I am not entitled to someone else's labor just because it's art.
There are plenty of books out there which can be read without pirating books. If you sign up to Tor's website you often get emails about free books and short stories. Project Guttenberg exists. Writers often post free stories on websites. There are more legitimate and free books out there right now, in the genres that you like and want to read, than you could ever read in ten lifetimes.
You are not entitled to someone else's labor just because it's art. You are not entitled to fuck up someone's sales numbers or make a publishing house go "your books are pirated too much so we're gonna pay you less" just because you want to read that specific book.
I mean, you can do that, I guess, but you can't do it and be morally correct about it. You can do it and be an asshole, or you can not do it, read one of the many many free books in this world, and not be an asshole.
There are no other choices. You don't get to just say "well I don't have money but I want this" and fucking steal it and then act like this is anything but theft. It's theft! It's not justified just because you really wanna read it!
This isn't "not supporting creators," this is stealing from artists because you feel entitled to do so because "I want it."
That's toddler logic. Grow up.
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redpanther23 · 10 months
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ESSENTIAL GAY HISTORY MOVIES (according to me, with a focus on the controversial)
The Wizard of Oz (1939) - Included because I actually met a young queer person who didn't believe me that this is a historical lgbt movie. I'm sorry but if you haven't seen this I'm revoking your gay license.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1972) - Another one I'm including just in case someone hasn't seen it and needs a reminder to do so (I know teenagers read my blog.)
Pink Flamingos (1972) - A John Waters movie. His films are bizarre, gross comedies and unlike any others.
Female Trouble (1974) - Another John Waters feature, this one has one of my favorite lines from any movie, "son, why don't you stop fooling around with these straight women and find yourself a nice queer to settle down with?" (paraphrased)
Desperate Living (1977) - My favorite John Waters picture, this one is bordering on epic fantasy. It's set in a shantytown in the woods, populated by gay criminals, ruled by an evil queen.
Dog Day Afternoon (1975) - Based on a true story about a guy who robbed a bank to pay for his girlfriend's gender reassignment surgery.
The Forbidden Zone (1980) - THE OINGO BOINGO MOVIE. Not only is the soundtrack Danny Elfman's best work (in this writer's humble opinion) but it's also a beautiful movie about love for the controversial and perverse. Obviously it was made by queers and people of color, but they were trying to be offensive, so they do shit like, have characters in blackface, but also black actors, sometimes in the same scene (an artistic choice as confusing to a modern audience as it was when they made it.)
Killer Condom (1996) - A German murder mystery/comedy about a gay cop. Very corny and lighthearted, it feels more like an 80s movie.
Velvet Goldmine (1998) - A sweet and poignant romance between two male rockstars. This one feels like it came from within my own heart.
Cruising (1980) - Another murder mystery, this time centered around a bisexual cop, only this one isn't a comedy. They shot footage in actual gay bondage bars in New York, but the hardcore stuff got cut because I guess god hates us ( lol). You can still tell in some scenes they're really fisting dudes and shit.
The Gay Deceivers (1969) - Two straight men pretend to be a gay couple to dodge the draft. They move to a gay neighborhood and have to blend in with their neighbors.
Feel free to suggest more, I'm sure there's a lot I didn't think of.
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arimiaromage · 1 month
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Strange house - DGM doujin fangame guide book scans
so in January I found a physical copy of a 2010 d.gray-man doujin visual novel called Strange house by the doujin group MOONLIGHT CAFE. the game is a romance visual novel where you play as Lavi and can date Kanda while out on a mission with him to, you guessed it, a strange house.
the game is completely in Japanese and almost all mention of it online has gone away as it's a 14 year old game, so suffice to say finding anything about this game has been difficult. it won't be a complete mystery now though as I have the game and the guide book!
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so... let's look inside this guide book!
before we crack it open, here's the scans of the DVD cover slip. the outside is similar to the guide book (see above) but the inside is an adorable collection of chibis.
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now let's look at the guide book! all of these scans are at a high dpi so open them up in a new tab if you'd like to see them up close. also, most of this is in Japanese and I won't be able to translate a majority of it. if you'd like to translate it, please feel free to and add it to the post!
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D.Gray-man LaviYu Only
Windows only sound novel type adventure game
(side note- visual novels are usually called adventure games in Japan. sound novel is another term for them that was more popular to use years ago)
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The next two pages go over the system menus- the main menu, the CG gallery (where you can view cut scene artwork), in game menu, save & load, and the options menus.
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Now that we've gone over the system, it's on to the character bios! Lavi is up first as he's the player character followed by Kanda and the finder Doma.
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(somehow Kanda ends up in a bridal gown in this game)
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(she has doll arms and legs? it says she's the other guy's sister)
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(I have no clue what her name is suppose to be. Yuno Moreta? Yunoo Moreeta?? I'm guessing it's trying to be like Yu Kanda??? Allen's bio here mentions him being the 14th and that he doesn't appear much as he wasn't assigned to this mission)
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(Lenalee's basically says that she's an exorcist and Komui's younger sister, but mentions that she might be seen on the mission in front of Lavi? the guy on the right was apparently meant to be something like a love rival in the MVP [think beta build] for the game)
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after the character bios is the route guides!
while not every visual novel has choices or multiple endings, visual novels that do have multiple endings refer to them as "routes" or "scenarios", i.e. the series of choices you make to reach each ending. this game has 4 routes, each with a different artist.
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scenario A is called Dolly and written by 響夜 and illustrated by Guriko.
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scenario B is called Coming Home and written by 響夜 and illustrated by Seiko and others.
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scenario C is.... something about a bracelet? it's written by 秋吉 and illustrated by Bonnu.
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scenario D is called lonely travels / loneliness while traveling and is written by 木花 and illustrated by ネコ科ノコ.
to be honest this is a lot more than I was expecting! we're already at 7 team members and haven't touched the programming or music aspects. I also have no clue how long this game is - there's only a few choices listed here to get each route so each ending could be 5k words (short) or over 50k words (long).
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now onto staff!
sadly, I won't be able to translate these as it's a majority kanji, but here they are.
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and that's it! there's a lot of cute art here that I hope will be saved on the internet now that the sites for MOONLIGHT CAFE's games are mostly defunct.
personally as a visual novel developer I find it amazing that they were able to not only make such a good looking fan visual novel in 2010 with multiple endings but to get so many people on board and make it all work out. and then to make a physical release of it! (side note- I'm still unsure what engine this was made in! I'm thinking kirikiri but I'm not sure)
I have the game set up and am able to play it, so at some point I'll share some footage of it on this tag on my blog. I'm hesitant to put the exe online as this was a paid game at one point and the doujin circle seems to be disbanded, but I might if there's interest (is this considered a no-no for doujins? I'm unfamiliar on etiquette for doujins, so some advice on that would be appreciated if you have any)
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emberfrostlovesloki · 6 months
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Moschino and Muddy Water [Emily x Reader]
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 Prompt: You offer unsolicited fashion advice to a total stranger in the dressing room; aka when you meet Emily Prentiss in the Moschino dressing room and give her some much-needed confidence… and maybe something more. 
Category: Fluff/Comfort 
Word Count: 3.2K
A/N: This is yet another @imagining-in-the-margins prompt from her Meet Cute writing challenge. Thank you for all the inspiration! Please know that I don’t have Moschino money, so if my writing about the brand or experience of shopping there is off, that’s why. I’m just giving my best guess as to what it’s like to shop at a luxury store like that. Also, I don’t love the current Moschino collection, but they seem like clothes Emily would wear to me. This is the first time that I’ve written a story in the second person. Please let me know if you like this formatting more than the third-person formatting I’ve done in the past. I hope you enjoy this story, and if you do - comments, likes, and reblogs are appreciated! 
P.S. The reader uses she/her pronouns
List with all stories 
_s/s_ = shoe size 
_d/s_ = dress size 
_f/c_ = favorite color
_b/t_ = body type 
_f/j/c_ = favorite jewel color 
_f/m/s_ = favorite mall store
_y/n_ = your name 
_f/s_ = favorite senator 
_f/a_ = favorite artist 
You had spent the morning window shopping at the outdoor  Historic Downton Shopping Mall. She was currently standing outside the Moschino storefront with its crisp glass exterior and metrosexual, jewel-toned fall collection on the mannequins. _y/n_ would never stop at such a high-end shop, but a pair of boots had caught your eye and you really, really like them. _y/n_ thought, ‘Oh god, why do you have to torture yourself like this?’ As you walked into the store to take a closer look at those shoes. You justified the choice by thinking that she would take a closer look at the boots so you could try and find a convincing and far cheaper dupe online. As soon as you walked into the store a sharply dressed sales assistant approached her and said, “Good morning, Miss. Can I grab you a glass of champagne while you are looking around?” You smiled and said, “Yes, please.” The assistant nodded and moved into a back room for a moment. You heard the pop of a cork. While the woman was away, you looked over the dresses and jackets in the women’s section. You like this season’s collection and found a dress that you thought you had seen one of her coworkers wearing. The sales assistant came back and handed you a champagne flute and asked, “Is there anything particular you’re looking for today? Any style or event you’d like to help you with?” Now that you had committed to the bit by accepting the champagne you realized you were going to have to play that you were going to buy something, even though you knew you weren't. You turned to the assistant and said, “Well the black boots in the window caught my eye. I’m also looking for a new jacket; something that can transition from day to night.” The woman nodded and said, “Great. What’s your shoe and dress size?” You replied, “I’m a _s/s_ and a _d/s_.” The woman nodded and said, “I’ll go in the back to get those shoes. Feel free to look around the jacket sections -- it’s on the far wall.” 
You did go look at the jackets, but not before looking at the price of the dress you had seen her co-worker in. The number on the label took your breath away and you wondered how your co-worker could possibly afford something so expensive? ‘Maybe she’s loaded?’ you thought. You stepped toward the jackets and pulled one from the rack. The quality of stitching and the material used was impeccable. You placed the piece back on the rack as a _f/c_ dress nearby caught your eye. It would be perfect for work. You looked at it longingly and hadn’t noticed the sales assistant had come back. You nearly jumped out of your skin when the woman said, “Ma’am.” You caught your breath and turned, trying to look composed. The assistant motioned for one of the plush chairs on the floor. As you sat, she took out the shoes. You tried them on; you were happy they weren’t that comfortable, because with how good they looked on you, you might be tempted to waste two months' salary and eat ramen for two weeks straight to get them. The sales assistant said, “Why don’t you walk around a bit and see if you like them. There’s a mirror on the other side of the wall so you can properly see them. I also saw you looking at that dress and jacket. I’ll grab them in your size and put them in a changing room for you.” You smiled and thanked her. As the woman moved to the racks, you did a few circuits of the store and looked at the shoes in the mirror. When you finished trying on the boots, you moved back to your old shoes and put them back on. You moved to the dressing room. It was lush and as a grandiose, over-the-top addition the hallway that was lined with changing rooms was essentially lit like a runway with two towering mirrors on either end of the hallway. Just before the changing rooms, there’s a seating area full of neutral-color plush sofas and chairs similar to those in the showroom. For a moment you thought they might be for the poor husbands who were dragged out shopping with their wives. However, after a second look, the space was far too feminine; you ascertained that this was for mothers and girlfriends to coo and make recommendations on the fit and look of the clothes to be soon bought and stuck in a closet somewhere potentially to be forgotten. A shot of jealousy shot up you for a moment before you took a breath and let it out. You may not have come from money, but you were happy. You had a job that fulfilled you and that’s all that mattered. 
Your thoughts were interrupted when the sales assistant called for you. You moved to the dressing room she had picked out for you. As you peered into the large space you noticed two things. The first was that the woman had brought your champagne glass into the changing room and topped it up. Secondly, she had brought more than the two pieces into the dressing room. From your count, there were at least ten items on the small personal rack in the ostentatious room. The saleswoman said, “I took the liberty to pull a few more pieces in your sizes that matched the description of day to night that you mentioned. I’m going to let you try these items on. If you need anything like a different size or a top-up for your champagne, just let me know. My name is Kirsten, so please let me know if you need anything.” Kirsten graciously moved out of the dressing room and closed the door behind her. There was a satisfying click as the door automatically locked behind her. You relaxed after letting out a breath that you hadn’t realized you were holding. The fact that Kristen hadn’t realized that you didn’t have any money to buy anything she had pulled for you was shocking, or maybe she was just taking pity on her and not making this a humiliating experience. Whatever the cause was, you took off your pants and shirt and tried on the first dress, the original one you had been eyeing. When you looked in the mirror it really wasn’t as pretty on you as you had anticipated. It looked great on the rack, but on your _b/t_ it wasn’t flattering. With that disappointment swept under the rug, you took off the dress and grabbed for the next garment because surely they couldn’t all look as bad as the first. 
As you slipped the second dress off the hanger you heard Kisten’s voice and a new voice a few feet from your dressing room. From what you could hear Kristen was talking to a regular. The jealousy swelled again, but you pushed it down again. The next two dresses were also flops and you started to try on the jackets Kirsten had picked for you, the new voice spoke. Whoever was in the changing room with you caught your interest. It was clear to you that whoever was speaking was on the phone. If you listened with concentration, you could hear some of the words being exchanged. Given this was such a stupid and surreal experience, why not listen to how ‘the other half lived?’ As you eavesdropped these were the snippets of conversation you heard: “Listen J.J. I’ve shopped here for years, but I don’t know about the Fall 23’ collection. If I buy these dresses and pants they will have to function for work and this date I’ve got coming up on Saturday… I can’t decide if this dress is tacky or chic” There was a long pause before the woman who was speaking said, “Okay, okay, fine, I’ll look in the big mirror if you insist.” You couldn’t help but leave your lush cubicle to see who this woman was and what someone who sounded like they had been a consistent customer for years looked like. You zipped up the hidden zipper of the _f/j/c/_ dress you were pretending to be trying on. After the zipper was up, you peeked out of the door to see the woman. She was still on the phone and hadn’t noticed you standing there yet. Your jaw almost dropped when you saw the woman. She was beautiful; the most attractive person she had seen in months. The maroon dress she wore hugged her body in the best possible way. Its plunging neckline showed her cleavage in a way that highlighted her form. Seeing her in that dress she realized who these clothes were made for. You could help yourself and you said aloud, “You look amazing.” At your comment the woman finally realized that she wasn’t alone and her eyes looked up to the mirror, locking onto yours. She turned and said, “Thank you. Do you really think so? I think the neckline might be a bit much” You smiled and nodded saying, “I think that dress was made for you. I couldn't help but overhear your comment on the phone and I don’t think it’s tacky at all. I would probably wear a cami under it at work, but other than that I don’t see any downsides.” The woman smiled and said, “Thank you. I needed to hear that. It’s been a rough week.” The woman took a moment to look you over, and you flushed as you felt her eyes quickly rake over you. She said, “You look great as well. That dress really suits you.” You beamed replying, “Thank you.” With slight hesitation and a bit of awkwardness, the conversation stopped and both women went back to their own stalls. 
You took off the dress and put it back on the hanger. As silly as it was, you didn’t want the woman she had complimented to see her walk out of the store empty-handed. You exited the dressing room and told the sales associate that none of the dresses or jackets had worked out, and she thanked her for her time and help. Outside the weather had turned cloudy and grey. It had been raining a lot that fall and it looked like the trend was going to continue today. You decided to go to a store you could afford. You looked around the racks of _f/m/s_ and picked out a suad purse. You moved to the front of the store and checked out. You spent some time just walking around appreciating the cool weather and people-watching. You remembered that you had a Starbucks gift card and decided to treat yourself. As you walked toward the coffee shop you heard a noise on the opposite side of the road in front of her. You looked over in that direction and found the woman from the dressing room. It seems that she had fallen for some reason. You became increasingly annoyed as a group of guys and a few women walked by and didn’t help her up. More infuriating was the fact that you could hear one of the men laugh, and you knew that if she could hear his nasal laugh the woman most certainly could. You quickly moved across the road, avoiding a slow-moving car, and knelt down near the woman offering her a hand. The woman took it with surprising strength and you leaned back to help her up. Not only had she fallen, but she had fallen in a puddle of muddy water, staining her crisp white shirt. As she helped the woman up, she said, “Thank you so much! You’re my savior.” You smiled and said, “I’m happy to help.” Once she was back on the sidewalk, you leaned down and got to her dropped shopping bag and purse from the puddle. You made sure the bag labeled Moschino didn’t have any water damage to the package. Thankfully whatever clothing the woman had bought was put in another box due to the quality of the product. You shook the bag slightly to remove any excess water. 
You noticed the reason for the woman’s fall was due to the fact that her right high heel had broken off. You couldn’t help but feel a bit of pity for this woman; she had said she had had a bad week, she had fallen and no one had helped her up, and now even her shoes were betraying her. Without even really thinking you said, “I was going to go grab a coffee and Starbucks, could I treat you to a drink? I’m_y/n_, by the way.” The woman looked at you and replied, “That sounds really nice actually. I’m Emily, Pretiss. It’s nice to meet you _y/n_.” You handed the Mischino bag back to Emily and you both moved down the street toward the Starbucks. As you were walking, Emily said, “You didn’t buy the dress from the dressing room? It looked so good on you?” You flushed but responded truthfully with, “I couldn’t afford the dress. I can barely afford Guess which is just a knock-off Prada.” Emily laughed at the last comment and you thought the sound of her laughing was the most beautiful thing you had heard all week. She replied, “Tell me about it. Why does shopping have to be so humiliating? First, you have to try on clothes and be disappointed when they don’t fit, and second, if they do fit, you can’t afford them! Certainly, men don’t have this type of problem while shopping.” You chuckled and said, “They most certainly don’t, but most men are wearing cargo shorts and Polo’s. A two-year-old could make the outfit.” You both burst into another fit of laughter. As you got to the Starbucks Emily opened the door for you. You both waited in line and as you got to the front you ordered your usual creme brulee latte with a shot of espresso and a pump of vanilla. You turned to Emily and asked, “What would you like?” She thought for a second before saying, “I’ll have a cold brew with sweet cream foam.” After you had paid you both found a quiet table in the corner of the store. 
As you sat across from each other you appreciated Emily’s face. You couldn’t stop thinking about how pretty she was. You were pulled from your thoughts when Emily said, “So, where do you work?” You replied I’m an intern for _f/s_ currently. How about you, Emily?” Emily replied, “I work for the F.B.I. actually. I’m a profiler?” At this, your eyes widened and you said, “Really? What’s that like; it must be dangerous I assume?” Emily nodded. She was looking at you and the way you were looking at her ignited a small warmth in the pit of her stomach. _y/n_ was looking at her with a kind and attentive gaze. Emily had been struggling with dating since she had joined the BAU and now, by fate or fortune, she was someone who seemed lovely. She was actually dreading her upcoming date, but didn’t want to cancel on the guy and have to explain that she wasn’t into him anymore. So she was going to savor this moment with _y/n_. She responded to the question saying, “It is. It is dangerous most of the time. But it has to be done you know. People deserve to live in a safe world. And that’s what I do.” There was a moment of silence after this before Emily continued, “So what’s an average weekend like for you apart from boosting my confidence by fifty percent?” As both Emily and you recognized how this feels like a first date this all felt. However, neither one minded, and you replied, “I like to sleep in if I can. Then get a workout in and answer some emails and after that, I’ll grab a coffee and do something fun if I have the energy. I have a penchant for used bookstores and vintage copies of Virginia Wolfe. In the evenings I like to listen to _f/a_ on vinyl while I unwind with a glass of wine. How about you?” Emily liked what had said and replied, “Oh my god, I love _f/a_! I was them in concert last year. I think I changed my life.” You smiled and said, “Lucky.” After finishing a sip of her cold brew, Emily said, “Well it depends if my team is on a case then I’m working, obviously, but if I’m free I like to get in a workout like Yoga or pilates. I cuddle my cat and spend time making a nice meal. I’m trying to see every art museum in the city, so if I can fit that in then I will. My job is pretty stressful, so relaxing stuff mostly.” You couldn’t help but think about Emily cuddling her cat, or maybe you were thinking of her cuddling you instead. Your face visibly reddened and you had to look away for a moment. You and Emily continued to chat as you finished your drinks and before you got up to go Emily went out on a limb and said, “Hey, _y/n_, would you like to do this for real sometime soon?” At hearing this the butterflies in your stomach fluttered up into your chest and you thought you might float up to the ceiling. You wanted to be sure you heard correctly and said, “This?” Now Emily flushed and she replied, “Would you go on a date with me? You seem really kind and I’d like to get to know you better.” You wanted to nod or scream with excitement, but something stopped you for a moment and asked, “What about your date on Thursday?” Emily shook her head and said, “I’ll cancel. He was rude in his messages with me and I was having doubts already.” You took in the information and nodded replying, “Then yes. I’d love to go on a date with you, Emily.” Emily’s face broke into a radiant smile and she said, “Great. What day works for you?”
As you planned the day and time for the date the chemistry was palpable between them. As they both walked to the door to go their separate ways, Emily held the door for you. Feel blossoming feelings Emily felt toward you surged as you turned away from her and she couldn’t stop herself from saying your name. You turned and there was a look of desire on Emily’s face. You stepped forward and whispered her name. Emily closed the gap between you. She took one of your hands and leaned down slowly. Slowly enough for you to say no if you wanted. But you didn’t want to say no. Instead, you raised up on your toes to meet her lips. They were as warm and soft as you had imagined. The scent of her light perfume overwhelmed you and you felt dizzy in an intoxicating sort of way. Emily was similarly reveling in your closeness. She lifted her hand and ran her thumb down your jawline. The kiss lingered, but it was polite and respectful and left room for more when the time was right for them both. As you parted for real this time as you walked toward the train you had never been so happy to have gone into that Moschino to look at shoes you couldn't buy in your life.
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bettsfic · 9 days
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I have a fear of including things I like in my stories. For example: Female rage, romance, etc… because I feel that makes me inflexible and a less talented writer. I’ve always felt like “real” writers can write in any genre and don’t have the same elements in every one of their novels. The idea of writing what you love is a beautiful thing but for me I worry that in writing what I love, I may not get to the level that I want to be at as a writer. I guess I equate enjoying writing and being free with it to = not being worthy. And being complex in ways that I may not necessarily love and is challenging = good work from me.
is it possible that some of your apprehension toward writing what you love has to do with fear of vulnerability? writing what you love exposes you. it feels like walking around naked. it allows people to perceive you, and conversely, it allows people to misperceive you. both of those things are terrifying. it's much more comfortable to catch a wide, distant net of an aesthetic. that way, it doesn't matter what a reader thinks of it; you don't care that much about it anyway, right?
it's interesting that you say "real" writers can write in any genre. i'm looking at my bookshelf right now and there's not a single author on it that goes beyond their established genre, or even writes particularly varying stories with an ensemble of complex characters. go to the bibliography of any prolific author and see how wide their variation is. sometimes you'll see writers write in short form and long form. occasionally a writer will write children's literature and adult literature. there are writers who live in the venn diagram overlap of genres but don't tend to stray in either direction. sometimes screenwriters become novelists and vice versa. but otherwise, it's impractical to write so widely, so consistently. your agent and editors will all have their niche and it will be difficult for them to represent you and support your work if you have three sci fi bestsellers and all of a sudden you want to write some subsubsubgenre of true crime.
every artist has two things: their medium and their subject. instead of thinking of "things you love" think of them as your subjects, in the way a painter's subject can be nature, or a poet's subject can be grief. unless you're only writing for money, you have no choice but to write your subjects. even if you try not to, they'll bleed into your work. here's an example: one time in workshop my good buddy Chris said to me, "you write a lot about class." to which i thought, i love you Chris but this is porn. but he was right. all my characters have a conflict with money. often they're blue collar workers or don't have a job at all. most of my characters don't even go to college. after he said that, i started to lean into it and become more aware of it. the more aware of it i became, the more strongly i felt about it. you can go through my AO3 and scroll through my fics and see how important money is in them. and if it's not money, it's the military. and if it's not the military, it's some other loss of bodily autonomy at the hands of a greater institution.
think outside of writing. chefs have types of food they prefer to cook. scholars have their fields. athletes have their sport. musicians have their instrument. the more you zero in on something, the better you become at it. as a writer, the more you write your subject, the better you'll become at depicting it.
your subjects may grow and change over time. they may not. you may have some subjects you wear out, and you may have others that you sew into everything you write. you may have repetitions of images, characters, resolutions, and conflicts. it's good to experiment and move beyond your comfort zone sometimes, but you have to find comfort in your comfort zone first. and you do that by embracing your subjects.
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✨️Welcome to my Grian HeadCannon rant✨️
Hi, so I'm writing this on my phone while watching Hermitcraft. Lol. These are thoughts that have been bouncing around my head for a while.
-Grian's wings-
I think they shapshift. Think about it. We, the audience and the artists, are constantly making different variations of Grian. Either through the art itself or through headcannons. "Cannon" wise, we are the Watchers, and We gave Grian his wings.
There's Parrot Grian, which is pretty much default Grian at this point. Then there's white winged Grian, which could either be a dove or a chicken. Theres the desert birb Grian because of Life series Desert-Duo. There's the recent King Fisher Grian because of his fishing addiction this season. Then there's his Watcher form, which usually ends up being biblical accurate angel. Which I think the multiple wings are the different kinds of bird avian hybrid We make Grian into. (This will probably be the only "original" thought that's been going through my head. The rest of this is me compiling HCs I've heard/seen/watched and have been brimming full to talk and analyze, tho the analyzing will probably be a different post lol)
-Grian's Family-
There's a lot of HCs when it comes to family connects to Grian. There's YHS background that left him as an abandoned kid in Japan. Nadia225 gave Grian adopted Mafia parents, which is really cool, and you should watch their videos because they're really talented. And they gave Grian Bio-parents where one is a Water and the other is a Listener. And they're royalty. There's HCs of him being adopted by Philza (which honestly makes no sense to me because I think Grian is older than Philza. Character wise too.) And then He gets adopted by Xisuma. So parental figure-wise, there are a few to choose from.
Sibling wise... that's even bigger. There's the classic Jimmy and Pearl. There was one of Scar and Pearl being sibs to Grian. (The sibling dance animation that I can't remember the youtubers name to credit) There's Etho, through choice, with Nadia225 (or that's how I've interpreted their interactions lol). And then there's Martyn who gets thrown in, too. (But this just might be me.) Back to parent Philza, Grian gains Wilbur, Techno, Tommy, and occasionally Tubbo as younger brothers. I guess We see Grian as a big Family dude. (^○^)
Extended family tho... I have yet to see anything about aunts and uncles, not even grandparents, and my brain isn't coming up with anything.
Parent Grian always ends up adopting Tommy, but I think I've seen at least 2 fanfics where it was Tubbo instead.
-Watcher Relationships-
It's so weird. Like. Do We have a Feral Sibling relationship with Grian. Or are We mortal enemies. Is he traumatized by Us, or has he fully accepted being a Watcher. Like, I love the angst fics as much as the next Watcher, BUT PLEASE, I NEED MORE POSITIVE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN US, would love any fic recs anyone has, lol.
-Martyns cannon-
I still need to actually research this one, but at the end of Evo (Grian pov) it is /heavily/ implied that Grian joins the Watchers, seemingly by choice. Then I moved on to hermitcraft 6-9 and binge watched that. So if there's any Martyn Cannon that can be added on plus his "headcannons" feel free to do so!
Other Hermit HCs on the way. :]
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kisilinramblings · 9 months
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After the Wish - Adrien's side
Hi, everyone! Are you ready for some scene analysis? Like the title says, this post will focus on Adrien's scenes following the Wish.
Before I start though, I am very well aware the ending bring a lot of very passionnated and very opinated minds. This is why I am asking to please keep an open mind and keep things civil. I won't tolerate any bashing or rude comments. Both on this post and in my inbox. Keep in mind this analysis in my own interpretation of the shots and scenes based on my cinematographic knowledge as well as my viewing experience and memory of the 5 seasons of Miraculous.
I am sharing this analysis because I love the show and because analysing helps me better understand what I see.
Also, this is a leak free analysis. I only analyze and make conclusions based on what it is shown to us on-screen.
So, if you are ok with staying respectful and open to see the episode through my lens, you are more than welcome to continue reading.
Without further ado, let's go!
After the whole universe was engulfed by the light of Gabriel's Wish, the white screen fade to a close up of Adrien sleeping. Marinette's head then block the shot temporarily before Adrien awaken, smiling. We can guess she kissed him.
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This shot personally reminds me of the fairy tales in which the knight kisses the princess to awake her from her curse. And it isn't coincidental if the very first image we see after Gabriel made the Wish is Adrien. There is meaning in that. In fact, I want to point out the shot choice itself because I find it unusual.
We are facing a tight close up facing directly Adrien while he is sleeping and then awakes. Normally, we are more used to a medium shot which allow to see the character is lying down and frame both characters. The camera is also normally placed on the side and not directly facing one particular character. Again in order to see both actors at the same time. Think of Disney Snow White or Sleeping Beauty for example.
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And even in more modern ones.
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You know which other character in the show who had their eyes closed, often shown in a frontal angle and who we were anticipating to wake up? Émilie.
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Except this isn't Émilie who awakes, but Adrien.
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Not only this tight close up gives a lot of importance and relevance to him, but Adrien is so in our face that it feels like nothing around him mattered, not even the kiss Adrien received. What matters is Adrien. Solely him. And Adrien is smiling.
Then the camera starts to expand little to little to unveil Adrien's "new world". In cinema, we are quite used to start a scene is with help of wide shot before cuting to closer shots. Here, it is the other way around. Which confers a sense of mystery to the scene.
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The first thing Adrien sees is Marinette, the girl he is in love with, at his side, bathed by the summer sunlight. The light choice hints we got a time ellipse between this moment and the previous scene.
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As Adrien rises up we see their friends having fun in what we guess is the Agreste Mansion Garden.
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The artists are painting a mural inspired by Delacroix's famous painting Liberty Leading the People where the characters are remplaced by La Résistance members and led by Ms Bustier depicted as Liberty herself. She is leading the youth to freedom, to a better future.
The rest of the class and their allies are playing in the pool or chilling together.
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This series of shots show us the Agreste Mansion garden flourishing with life. In the background, the flowers are all in full bloom, the plants cover most of the gray stones of the mansion, garnishing those with vibrant green tones. On-screen people laughing and having fun.
Hawkmoth (Party Crasher) : I don't feel any negative emotions. There's only... Joy? What is going on in my house?!
This series of shots shows how we are at the opposite at how life used to be for Adrien. His friends can come over and party with him. We see members of both his family and found family. Adrien isn't trapped inside his home-prison anymore. He isn't isolated anymore. He is surrounded by people who love and care about him. And Gabriel is absent from the picture.
Like Bug Noire said earlier during this episode, Adrien already had all of that before the Wish. Adrien went to school and made friends on his own. He wanted to have a birthday party at his home (Bubbler). He wanted to hang and have fun with his friends on multiple occasions. But Gabriel was always the biggest obstacle for Adrien to have those moments, those memories.
It is Gabriel who kept his son isolated. Because Gabriel was living in the past and was unable to move on with life while Adrien decided he wanted more in life than being stuck inside a cocoon. And at the end of Revolution, Adrien knew what he wanted :
Adrien : Father, please, I know what I want. Let me live my life here in Paris with Marinette and my friends. Gabriel : You must go through with this like an Agreste. That's what your mother would have wanted. Adrien : No, I'm sure that Mom would have just wanted me to be happy.
And, in the end, Adrien's wish is fulfilled.
One last sidenote before I continue concerns that one shot.
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Despite not being in the center of the shot, Nathalie seems to be doing better than the last time we saw her. She has a least more colors and has gained her red streak of hair back. Her pose however seems... limited. Maybe her body is still weak from the illness afflicting her. Maybe it is due to budget constraint. Or maybe it is both. And remember what Bug Noire said to Gabriel at the end of their fight : she estimated Nathalie had only a few hours left. And we are weeks from now. Either Bug Noire was wrong in her prognostic or Nathalie survived.
Émilie : Adrien will be well surrounded. He'll have you Nathalie, and he'll have his father, if Gabriel agrees to give up on his madness... and on me. Adrien will have all the love he needs to be happy.
Anyway, the group pauses their activities to watch a new show called "Monde Nouveau" (litteraly "New World") and hosted by Alec.
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Alec as we know, has changed to become an icon about being yourself and making your dream come true. And him being the host of that new show instead of a character like Nadja, means that we are looking at an happy and positive vision of things.
He interviews Caline Bustier, now both Mayor of Paris and mother of a girl named Harmonie. She shares her program for a better future to us, the audience.
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As she talks about her eco-rules, we see sketches supporting her vision. At the bottom right, we recognize the Tsurugi company logo, but next to it there is a new one we haven't seen before.
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Next, we see an unveiling of the statue of Gabriel Agreste, which confirms that Gabriel has died. His statue is made of recycled Alliances put out of commission after Monarch's last attack.
Gabriel's statue is his entire height. Gabriel was already a tall character when he was living and his statue is even taller than him. His chin is up, proud. It is almost like he is superior, looking up like that. The camera slight low angle also contributes to this impression I have. Also, he holds a pencil like the designer he is.
Tomoe : Beyond the visionary entrepreneur and the genius creator, it's the hero we celebrate today.
This is how the Parisians in-universe see him. They are unaware of Gabriel's secret identity. They are unaware of the truth. They only know of the image the professional him gave away and they believed he died in an attempt to stop Monarch.
I want to point out the fact Gabriel's statue is made of Alliances. The very tool he uses to try and defeat Ladybug and Chat Noir. He turned Adrien and Kagami's image into avatar for this product against their will to sell both the Alliances and an illusion. He deformed the truth with their avatars by presenting them as a couple (Revelation), or make deepfakes out of them (Representation and Conformation). Now, Gabriel's statue, his image, is made of the very same tool he used. And the Alliances, despite being put out of commission, still contribute to blur the line of what is truth and what is false in regards of his character to the masses.
With this statue made of Alliances, the parisians are honoring the "perfect" and "pure" image they have of Gabriel. I cannot help but think that this huge statue is bound to create great shadows. And even if the real Gabriel is gone, something of him remains and will continue to have an impact.
Tomoe then talks about continuing Gabriel's legacy. To us, the audience, those words have an ominous double meaning as Tomoe was Gabriel's ally until the end and helped him in many of his schemes. And she confirms she will continue that work.
Caline then gets to talk about her new school model which pleases very much everybody as they cheer all together. It will allows Marinette, Adrien and all their friends to remain together while allowing them to explore and grow in the field that please them respectfully.
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Then we cut the the sun setting as the cheers are fading away. It is the end of the day and everyone has gone home.
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Adrien is now alone in the garden where his mother's statue used to be. White butterflies are flying around. Marinette joins him as he is fidgeting with his parents' twin ring.
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Marinette : You are not wearing it? Adrien : When Ladybug gave it to me, she told me how my father helped her defeat Monarch. At the risk of his life.
With this, we know that Ladybug granted Gabriel's dying wish.
Gabriel : Marinette. Make sure that Adrien never knows about the villain that I was, but instead, that he remembers the times I tried to be a good father.
Was it Marinette's place to accept that burden to cover the truth? To acquiesce to her archenemy's demand? Of course not, but that is how kind she is and how flawed she can be. For Adrien's happiness, Maribug is willing to do so. We, as the audience, know it can only last so long the secret is sealed. And no one among Gabriel, Marinette, Nathalie, Félix, Kagami nor Plagg is aware the secret was already breached outside the family circle.
But for the time being, everyone who knows will keep the fact that Gabriel was Monarch a secret.
But even without the truth, Adrien is conflicted about his feelings towards his father. We see that as Adrien answers Marinette's question, he leans a bit towards her, but there is no contact. His eyes are fixated on the ring. Adrien is distant and inside a bubble of doubt about himself. There is a weight, a legacy, he associates with that family ring that he is not sure if he can bear.
Adrien : I don't know if I'll ever manage to be like him.
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It is only when Marinette puts her hands on his, covering the ring and the expectations that come with it, that Adrien finally look at her, brought back to here and now. Marinette reassures Adrien he doesn't need to be like his father. Adrien can just be himself, without having to live up to any expectations placed upon him.
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Marinette then proceeds in slips the ring on his finger. Adrien is free and in control of who he wants to be, of what he wants to do, no matter his background. The past doesn't matter anymore. He can just focus on what is ahead of him.
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In this short shot reverse shot, we see a bit of Marinette's head in Adrien's shot, however in Marinette's reverse shot, she is framed alone.
This bit has of a shift in the discussion. Marinette made contact with Adrien, entering his "bubble". She has established a connection in their discussion. Her words are reaching him and moving him.
Adrien : You always find the right words, Marinette. When I'm with you, I feel so... free!
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And now they are in synch. Both say "I love you" to the other at the same time, which make them laugh. And Adrien wraps Marinette's hand as if he never wants to let her go. As if he will protect and cherish her with all his might. She makes him that happy.
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As the white butterflies illustrate, there is no negative emotions around. Only pure hapiness. Only love. And they are kissing where Émilie's statue used to be.
Émilie's message in Collusion : Adrien shouldn't have to suffer the consequences of our mistakes. Our little prince has the right to create his own vision of happiness.
In other words, Monarch did not win. Émilie won. Gabriel has used the Wish, yes, but his wish was different than the one he wanted to make for 5 seasons. And it is not unusual for Gabriel to do everything in his power to grant any of Émilie's wishes. And her final wishes were : for Gabriel to let go of his madness, to not bring her back, and for Adrien to be happy.
And the ghost of Émilie can now rest in peace and stop haunting these walls. And Adrien can fully love Marinette the way he wants without any obstacle in the way anymore.
And all points to the Power of Love has ultimately won. Even the most important characters in those scene all have a link related to love.
Adrien was created by love. Ms Bustier promotes love as one of her teachings and she was akumatized twice out of that very emotion (spread love, protect the children's future). And she got elected as Mayor. Alec who interviews Ms Bustier is also another character who is now full of love and care. And Marinette fought for love. Even the Agreste Mansion Garden is associated to love. Gabriel and Émilie got a scene there during Evolution. Marinette and Adrien got a romantic date there as well. Heck, this is even where Nathalie shares she was ready to help Gabriel out of love.
Love may falter or even fades away for a time, but right now, in Adrien's scenes, love is fully blooming.
Back to the scene, as Marinette and Adrien kiss, the camera zoom out at the shot crossfades, giving the impression their kiss is everlasting. And ultimately fades to white...
... before the white suddenly cut to Nadja Chamack's news report where she interviews Professor Du Bocquale about the international event that had happened.
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Using both the news reporter and the scientific, we transitioned to Marinette's Guardian of the Miraculous pov. The sentimentality and dream life is over, it is time to get back to the facts and reality. The Happy Ever After is not quite accomplish yet.
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And that will be developped in second eventual part because I am reaching the limit of images allowed in one single Tumblr post ^^;
Anyway, thank you for reading this far and stay tuned!
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I hope this works -
Hello Everyone Who Has Found Their Way Here!
Or accidentally clicked on my blog I guess
Welcome to my blog, you can find links to comics and stuff below.
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COMMISSIONS:
Closed, but read on! All can be done on my Kofi, but I will create a detailed post later. All prices ARE NOT FIXED, so if you would like to ask me about lowering them feel free and I will see what I can offer :)
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~
REPOSTING/COMIC DUBS
Lately there has been issues with people reposting my art. So, I shall reiterate in big letters:
NO REPOSTING WITHOUT CREDITS!!!
(So I don’t mind reblogs and reposts, but please please please don’t grab an image of mine and post it on your blog without credits - this is much more of an issue on devianart but I’m putting it here too).
Regarding comic dubs:
I have also seen people on YouTube dubbing my comics, which is great! However, please either:
Drop me a DM/message telling me you are doing this. I like to see this stuff for my own fun mostly, and also for reasons in point 2:
Please give credit to me. I’m sorry, but “credit to the artist” is not enough, my social links are literally right here on this blog. I’ve seen a YouTuber in particular do this - it’s great you like my comics but proper credit should be given, if that’s okay.
That’s all :)
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thethirdromana · 13 days
Text
DS9 Rarepair Week: Courtship
Message sent to Lwaxana Troi, Daughter of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Riix, Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed, from Colonel Kira Nerys, Commander of Deep Space Nine.
Dear Ambassador Troi,
I hope you’re well, and will excuse me writing to you like this. I wanted to let you know that Odo has left for the Gamma Quadrant to be with the Founders, and, we all hope, to set them on a better path for the future. I’m sorry to say that we don’t think he’s coming back, or not for a very long time. 
I thought you should know, as under Bajoran law, at least, this makes you legally a widow. In Bajoran tradition, this news is usually accompanied by a fruit basket. Apparently on Earth they send flowers, and the Ferengi send latinum. I don’t know what they do on Betazed, but as Bajoran milaberries are good this year, I thought you might like the fruit basket even if it isn’t your tradition. 
May the Prophets guide you, 
Kira Nerys
~
Message sent to Kira Nerys, from Lwaxana Troi. 
Dear Colonel Kira,
I am most grateful that you chose to let me know. What sad news for all of us who loved him! Of course, it is without a doubt a virtuous and noble deed, but sometimes a man can be a little too virtuous and noble, don’t you think?
I enjoyed the milaberries immensely, and the moba fruit too. It was too kind of you to think of such a gift. I should warn you that the gift of a fruit basket has quite a different meaning on Betazed; it is the traditional first gift of the Betazed courtship process. You gave poor Mr Homn quite a shock! 
Of course, I know that wasn’t your intention. However, the traditional gift from a mature woman to a prospective young swain is an item of clothing, and I happened to come across this dress that I think would look simply darling on you. I just had to buy it. I won’t be offended if you don’t like it. 
With esteem, 
Lwaxana Troi
Dear Ambassador Troi, 
It goes to show the importance of ambassadors, in helping to avoid this kind of cultural misunderstanding. I never was much of a diplomat. I guess I’m going to have to learn, now Captain Sisko isn’t around. 
The dress is beautiful. You have an amazing eye. I didn’t realise we’d spent enough time together for you to know my taste in clothing. 
The lilacs are in flower on Bajor. I hope the bouquet I’ve enclosed makes it to Betazed with most of the petals still attached. 
May the Prophets guide you,
Kira Nerys
~
Dear Colonel Kira,
You must call me Lwaxana; this isn’t an ambassadorial reception, after all. 
Regarding the choice of dress, being a telepath has its uses. I think when you’ve spent so much of your life forced to wear a uniform, or whatever is most practical to fight in, it can be a great pleasure to wear something beautiful and impractical for a change. I hope now that the war is over, you have more opportunities to enjoy yourself. The Cardassians took so much from you, my dear, I hope you live life to the fullest now you’re free to do so. 
Betazed, like Bajor, is a beautiful green planet, full of gardens. I think you would like it here. The lilacs arrived in perfect bloom, so I have taken the chance to send you a muktok plant. The flowers are lovely, but their real beauty is if you shake them gently. 
With affection, 
Lwaxana
~
Dear Lwaxana, 
Please call me Nerys! 
I love the muktok plant. I’ve put it in my office, and asked Keiko O’Brien how I should take care of it. She said lots of water and sandy soil – is that right? The chiming of the flowers is so peaceful. 
I would love to visit Betazed some day. If everyone there is as kind as you, then it must be a wonderful place. The station is very quiet these days. I’m sure I could get away for a vacation without anyone minding too much, even as the Commander. 
Or perhaps you’d like to come to Bajor? I’ve enclosed a painting of one of my favourite places. It’s of a waterfall on one of the tributaries of the Holana River, and this artist captures exactly how peaceful it feels to be there. 
Nerys
~
Dear Nerys,
It sounds as if your muktok plant will be well taken care of. 
I’ve instructed Mr Homn to hang the painting in my bedroom, so I can see it every day. What a wonderful place to be able to call your home. I’ll make sure to let you know whenever I’m next in your part of the quadrant. 
Uttaberries are now in season on Betazed. I wasn’t sure if you’d like them best fresh, candied, in an uttaberry tart or as uttaberry jam, so I’ve sent you them in every way that I can think of. They’re a little sharp on the outside, but softer and sweeter on the inside than you might expect. Dare I say that they remind me of you that way?
With fondness, 
Lwaxana
~
Dear Lwaxana, 
I have to come to Betazed when the uttaberries are next ripe! They were so delicious. I’ve been eating uttaberries with every meal for the past week, and I’ve been thinking of you. I wish we’d gotten to know one another sooner, but better late than never. 
Quark had a shipment of antiques from the Gamma Quadrant for sale yesterday. I was worried I was going to have to shut it down but it turned out, for once, that everything was above board. So I bought these earrings for you. They’re silver, with a kind of volcanic stone that I don’t think is found anywhere this side of the wormhole. Wear them, please, and think of me when you do. 
Nerys
~
Dear Nerys,
The earrings are EXQUISITE. I’ve barely taken them off, and as instructed, I have thought of you, my dear, and often. You’re right that we should have gotten to know one another sooner. If I have a fault, it’s that I focus too much on men, and I certainly did that on my visits to Deep Space Nine. It takes a woman like you, Nerys, to remind me of what I’ve been missing out on. You are kind, intelligent, thoughtful, and – if you don’t mind an old woman like me saying so – very beautiful. 
The uttaberry season is over now, alas. It’s always so brief that they’re at their best. But the roses are in bloom on Betazed now, so I’ve enclosed some handmade soap, to bring their scent all the way to Deep Space Nine. 
If this message goes too far, please forgive me. 
With love,
Lwaxana
~
Dear Lwaxana,
Thank you so much for the soap. I’ve been using it, and imagining myself in a garden on Betazed with you. 
I wasn’t sure what to say to your last message. But someone once told me that there’s a Betazed tradition for exactly this circumstance. I’ve enclosed a fruit basket for you. I hope I won’t shock Mr Homn too much. 
If you’d like to give me another dress, maybe you could come to Deep Space Nine, and give it to me in person?
Yours,
Nerys
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chaifootsteps · 3 months
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Holy fuck that Angel scene might be the worst thing I've ever scene. It is exactly what I was waiting for.
I've been following Viv for many years and her favoritism of Angel has always been there. He's the one character from her og demon gang that she draws the more often! At worst I assumed that if Hazbin ever became a thing that she would devote too much time to Angel and not enough on her other characters. What I did not expect was for Angel to have a pimp and to be a victim of sexual abuse. And now...that r@p3 scene. Jesus, the sexual aspect of his character no longer works because of it. It's the equivalent of a girl with an eating disorder making jokes about her being fat when you can see her bones. Not funny. You just feel bad for that person.
Anyway, I just want to say that I do not want to hear a peep from Vivzie's fanbase about Angel's story being "groundbreaking rep for survivors of sexual abuse". Viv has always sexualized Angel because she is one of many artists who created an oc that she is somewhat attracted to, the sexualization of his character was self indulgent on her part but she couldn't leave it at that.She added sexual exploitation to his story, something that has never been apparent in all the art of him fully embracing the slutty kinky prostitute vibes and now we have this mess: a r@p3 survivor who's willing to fuck anyone in his general direction, but also he's not a sex worker by choice and he loooves when people exploit his body, he lives for the stage but also it's his asshole abusive pimp making him get onto that stage.
How much of his personality is real? How much is just him slipping into the prostitute persona? I do not trust Viv to make this clear, she's too busy making her own 50 shades with to think about how constant exploitation could affect Angel as a character.
The scene solidifies what I've been thinking for years but had no evidence to back up Viv has never had a real interest in making a sex worker character and making him relatable, she just attached that label to have a free pass to sexualize that character over and over again. She's just fetishizing him.
Oh, they'll peep about it. My guess is we'll hear them squawking from the rooftops.
I think you're right; Viv never had an interest in depicting a character with any kind of nuance or respect. It was always about getting her jollies.
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bethdehart · 8 months
Note
hey beth! do you have any tips for taur anatomy? i want to make a leopard/clouded leopard taur (not decided which yet) but the anatomy is giving me huge trouble. your taurs are amazing so i immediately thought of you!
Aaa thank you! Let's see.... I think my biggest tip would involve like, thinking of the design as a Whole Beast, with one continuous spine? rather than a humanoid torso plopped on top of a non humanoid one.
For instance:
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This is a snow leopard taur I draw a while back as a commission, with a spine drawn over it! and a silly sketch of how I think of the bones. I draw the lower belly area of the upright torso almost like how I would draw a longer neck of an animal, but then I transition it to be a humanoid torso.
I also like to make the proportions of the upright torso somewhat smaller than the horizontal torso, though that is mostly a stylistic choice I think. Just so that the upright torso looks like it fits as a 'neck' more I guess?
Another big help for me is looking up good anatomical references for the animal I want to taurify: look up full body images, skeleton and muscle anatomy, as well as you know. human anatomy lol. That's helped me a lot with making my taurs.
Anyway I hope this helps??? Good luck with your taur and lmk if you have any more questions :)
And if any other taur enthusiasts or taur artists (taurtists if you will) have any tips feel free to add on to this!
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spntrunk · 2 months
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Goshhh I just want to tell you again, your art is so absolutely phenomenal. I know that you say you’re experimenting with your style— and seeing the different pieces always makes me happy. Seriously, when I get notifs of your postings I look forward for a free moment so I can look.
And please, never apologize for trying something new, this is for your fun! In honesty, I think it’s more impressive not only your willingness, but your ability to push yourself in a capacity you may not be as comfortable with. More than that still, I wouldn’t have been able to tell that these styles are new to you; your precision and choices are all so deliberate to bring the pieces to life.
I know it may not mean a lot, but your work makes me smile. So thank you so much <3. I hope you have a wonderful upcoming week!
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Really, thank you so much!!! I probably needed to hear it. I hope you have a wonderful week as well!! I'll try and keep posting things and I hope you like them just as much!! some ramblings you'll probably want to ignore under the cut
I guess it's more like I've never really know what my style is or if I even have one. Some styles I've tried have been fully new to me, others have been half familiar half not.. i've been painting for a long time, digitally painting even, but I've never settled on what I do, and that's the crux of it.
While it's something I recommend positively to other people (part of the stuff I have planned to add to the art tips tag in fact!!), I guess it makes me lack confidence too: there's a lot to being a fanartist that comes sometimes periliously close to branding. Partly because people often feel like the only tangible "rewards" you get are only view/like/reblog numbers (or asks as nice as this one!!!), not counting the odd commission here and there, and so it's on your best interests to make efforts to get the bigger numbers you can....or something... but I've never been good at all that and I don't think I particularly want to,.... also while I am happy if whatever I post does numbers too, of course, my main rewards are something else (this is getting way too long already, so a topic for another day!)
Another very important point, and one that does affect me is the satisfaction you get in knowing people can recognize what you make with only a glance, "this is zzz's style, and I love it". orrrr...the satisfaction you could potentially get, because I don't think it happens with me.
And I get that for the most part style is something others add to what you make, you don't really notice and then bam one day someone is telling you "wow, I like the way you always...." and you hadn't even noticed you "always...". For me one of my insecurities as an artist is that I feel I lack these, lol. Imposter syndrome doesn't really ever go away!
the other insecurity being I'm plainly weak at drawing per se. I'm a decent painter, and my best asset is my taste: i know what makes a good art piece and a weak one, and I adjust more or less accordingly, but drawing??? pfff
you may (should!) ignore all the above whining and focus on this: making people smile? the best thing about this. it means everything. it's literally what has gotten me into this crazy challenge for the last two weeks. I know the quality hasn't been regular (it would have been impossible for it to be), but actually spnblr has been super welcoming, YOU have been super welcoming and super nice, and that makes it all worth it. Thank you very, very sincerely. keep on being as lovely <333
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flowersforjoy · 10 days
Text
Rectifier Devlog #1 (March)
Guess who's back, back again- devlogs are back, tell a friend!
Hey hey, it's Joy! I've been taking a break finally-mostly just streaming while waiting for Otome Jam 2024. I've known I was going to participate in Otome Jam since this time last year LOL. (I've had to keep it's existence as mostly a secret for an entire year, which was difficult since it's probably my favorite project I've ever worked on, and has a cast of the best characters like ever.)
THIS PROJECT- "Rectifier" has been a WILD ADVENTURE. Fitting since it's an epic high fantasy adventure dating sim, where you play as an alien angel with 3 different personalities, traveling with your SEVEN super distinct love interests.
Each guy is based off of one of 7 deadly sins. Which means they alone, and in a group are a handful. 
I want to just talk about a handful of things about the project as a whole, and what you can expect if you are interested.
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For those that have played my most recent game "Lord of Lies" you won't feel so out of the loop. Though playing Lord of Lies before Rectifier is by no means a requirement. They just take place in the same universe. So the magic, world, and art is the same. Yes, same sprite artist! GET HYPED!
Rectifier is a special project as it is the exact dating sim I want to play. You step into the role of an Angel or more specifically a Nephelim, a celestial race of aliens who can shapeshift at will, have a great deal of magic at their disposal, and work to save humanity for themselves. 
The project's mood is the most similar to "One Piece", "Avatar the Last Airbender", and many other action/adventures with a diverse cast of whacky characters- but if you could date them all.
The MC will have 2 appearances- masculine and feminine leaning, but you can be: she/her, he/him, or they/them. 
What affects the game and your MC mostly is one of their 3 distinct personalities- Red, Green, and Blue respectively.
Red- dominant, confident, aggressive, and decisive.
Green- neutral, alien, observant, and intelligent.
Blue- submissive, diplomatic, understanding, and altruistic .
This personality system is one of the most unique aspects about Rectifier- you have 7 love interests and can romance them 3 different ways. So in a way, you've got 21 unique story experiences. Regardless of your choices/personality you can't get a bad end, and you and your chosen guy will fall in love in their own specific way.
Neat huh?
Although your choices don't lead to a bad end, that doesn't mean they don't have any impact in the story. Your personality/choices will affect specific story events, how characters react to and speak about you. Especially your love interest.
What's important to me was that players could sit down with the story and feel stress free. Though this doesn't mean the story won't have twists and turns.
Something special as well, is that no matter which love interest you choose, you still spend a huge amount of time with the other guys as they are your party members no matter what. Meaning you can get to know them again as friends. All the guys have complex relationships with one another, and maybe chemistry..? Who knows...hehe.
This is also the first project of Meant to Bee where I am working with multiple writers. This has been a wonderful decision as with such a large project, I worried I wouldn't be able to make each guy feel unique and interesting by myself lol. I will be writing one route all by myself. (Greed's route).
Regardless, I am creative director, lead writer, and programmer for this project- among many other things. I have a hand in every part of production, so it will still have my scent all over it...could have phrased that better LOL.
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It's important I note one thing. Our submission to otome jam will actually be a spin off game.
*record scratch*
WAIT WHAT?
Yeah, so... the project is quite large as you may have already guessed. I planned for a long time to release a huge demo showcasing the world and characters, covering the first couple chapters of each route, however...I didn't feel all that confident in that idea.
There's a lot of groundwork necessary for this project
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So suffice it to say, I felt OVERWHELMED. And if I someone whose been sitting with this project since it was a spark of an idea felt that way. I knew for a fact my audience would also feel that way.
I needed more time, and otome jam was only getting closer everyday. I thought about compressing it, cutting corners here, simplifying concepts I loved, etc... but none of it sat right with me.
I was at a loss, and even went into a period of burn out/creator's block as a result. I've loved and I mean, adored, worshiped this project since the moment I decided I wanted to work on it. (that's a story for a whole other devlog) It's the kind of project where I HAD to show it to friends, months before it was ever meant to be announced.
I worried I would be doing the story, my team, and myself a disservice if I released it feeling the way I was. So much behind the scenes work has been made for this game. 
I didn't want to release it and it be info dump-y, take too long to get to the hot boys, or cut short before it gets into the meat of the story. You only get one chance to make a good first impression. I want my readers to be interested, invested, clawing for more.
The demo focuses on setting up a lot of LORE, which can be interesting if we have enough time to make it interesting. It has to be strategic, it needed more time.
But otome jam is the best chance for this project to gain the attention it deserves. I didn't want to miss the window. So I was caught between a rock and a hard place.
UNTIL- I had a eureka moment...a side game.
But Joy (I can hear you asking yourself) a side game for a game that doesn't exist???
Yes.
I know why people play dating sims- for the boyssss, sure an interesting story is great- but ultimately it is background dressing. The story will be deep and detailed, but that's for the main game to worry about balancing the rich story with dating sim mechanics and conventions.
The side game, just fun dating sim, with little hints to a bigger picture.
You'll meet our boys in media res. You'll be thrown into what the heart of the game is. If you like where you land, then I'm sure you'll love the demo when it's released at a later date.
The Rectifier main game is VERY MUCH still a priority for me. But for now, for my team and I's first ever otome jam we are going to have fun and show you what we've been working so hard on.
So let me reintroduce you to our newest project...
"Rectifier: In Bloom"
The game will center around you/the MC receiving a flower from all your love interests in their very specific way. (This is a very rough concept sketch, but by the time all the love interests are revealed we will have an itch page.)
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"Rectifier: In Bloom" will be a complete game! Each route will be anywhere from 5k-10k words, so you can get a good sense of each guy, and pursue them fully in the main game, as well as get a taste of the world, personality system, and feeling of the Rectifier world.
It's the best choice for my team and I to test the waters for both us and our player base. So I hope you'll enjoy this side game when it releases. We will make it so you can go in blind and still enjoy your time.
There's so many wonderful things I want to show. And I am so glad I am finally getting the chance to bring this story to life.
Please stay tuned for more, either here on itch, Twitter, and Tumblr!
I'll be yapping about this project from now until July 1st.
This is also the first monthly devlog for all things Rectifier related.
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yandere-daze · 11 months
Note
have you ever think about people who might be defending themselves not to reblog because they have a right to decide or something? this has been bugging my mind... no offense to anyone though, sorry, and love your works !
Rant incoming, just as a warning lol
But yes, obviously people have the right to decide if they want artists and writers to keep being motivated to post works on here for free or not.
As a writer myself, I just don´t understand the rationale behind it. There is literally zero reason not to reblog. It takes just as long as leaving a like and if you have zero patience to type out the tags then you don´t even have to necessarily to do that ( even if I will literally love you if you do!)
Likes do and mean nothing. They´re the equivalent of being left on reading after writing a long and heartfelt message.
Reblogs help our words getting spread around and actually show us that people care about our posts and want us to keep doing them.
But why have some people decided that they just refuse to do the thing the entire website is built around that would actually help their favorite blogs to stay motivated?
They have the choice not to reblog anything but it´s a selfish one and they better not complain when they get blocked or their favorite creators stop posting.
Just think about it: People ( me included) take hours out of their busy lives to write something and then post it because they want people to read and enjoy their works.
Writing sometimes takes hours of time and effort and it´s not always easy. If we were just going to do it for ourselves there would be no need to type out all of it out because the main fun part of the creative process to me is just daydreaming about an idea I had.
Actually putting it into words to tell a compelling story is tough and takes lots of patience. But we do it anyway because we want to share our ideas with other people, we want to talk about them with others. We want to ramble and fantasize about different scenarios. That´s fun.
It´s only natural to want at least some sort of feedback after spending so much time on something. And then it just hurts when people refuse to reblog your posts for ctually no reason at all, other than that they´re lazy or think a reblog is something super rare and special that only the "best" posts get to benefit from.
( Seriously, I don´t understand the sentiment of "Oh I really liked this but I didn´t like it enough to actually reblog and share it with other people. I don´t think the author should get any recognition. Oh but they better keep writing anyway and fast!")
At this point, rambling about ideas in a friend´s dms feels way more fulfilling. You guys have no idea of all the extensive rambles I went on with Korka that most likely will never see the light of day.
Why should I put in the effort and write it down to share with others when they can´t even bother to spend a single second to reblog it to show me that they appreciated what I wrote.
It makes no sense. Feedback and the back-and-forth with readers and fellow writers is what keeps us going. It´s super fun to get a conversation going about a cool idea you had! It´s not fun at all to see the notes on a post go up but no one saying anything. All that tells me is "huh, I guess people didn´t like this one. Guess I won´t post any of that anymore"
This complete lack of feedback from readers combined with work picking up is actually the main reason why I stopped writing for a few months. It didn´t feel rewarding anymore.
The recent yandere Alcryst post is actually one of the reasons why I started considering posting a bit more again. I was pleasantly surprised by all the nice tags and comments that one got and it made me smile every time I saw a new one pop up. I don´t care if it didn´t get as many notes as most twst works, I still felt way more satisfied and proud of it.
And that´s sort of where I come to the conclusion of this post:
Feedback matters, it really does! Likes tell us absolutely nothing, you could have downright hated it for all I know. But rest assured that I do screenshot every nice tag or comment I get, no matter if it´s actually a thought-out comprehensive analysis or just someone going "HJVJMVJM". I appreciate all of these so much. I save all of them in a little folder and look at them to cheer myself up when things might be tough.
So please, if you want your favorite blogs to continue then reblog! Maybe even leave a nice comment! Don´t forget that you get all of this stuff for free, creators are the ones keeping a community truly alive. You would probably be sad if your favorite writer or artist suddenly stopped posting due to a lack of support.
Please. Take that single second out of your life to hit the reblog button. It helps out more than you think and goes a long way to keep us motivated.
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