#simplify my life just by setting me free???

[tervaneula]

Ohmigosh... IT'S TURTLE TERV...!!! Or Tev, for short, because I cannot for the life of me come up with fresh nicknames based on my url lmao. I've been working on this so slow because of my hand and then I got a fever but finally I can post this<3

Tev owes her life to @spacemimz who so insanely kindly wanted to make a turtlesona for me ;_; ilu Mike there are still no words to describe how much this means to me!!!!!

AND YES she is based on a diamondback terrapin!!! An absolute galaxy brain choice from Mike, I was veering towards darker coloured turtles but they didn't really feel like me and then bam, problem solved, just like that

Ramblings about design changes and stuff under the cut:

The biggest changes I did to Mike's original design (I got granted free rein with it which, AWESOME SAUCE because initially I was dead set on designing the sona from scratch) are no hair because the absolutely adorable ref had my hairstyle and it was so cute but I just can't for the life of me to get it look right ahhgdhs but hey maybe... sometimes, she will wear wigs... I also simplified the shell pattern, made the hands and feet opaque for clarity and gave her slightly different clothes (which are subject to change because I'm goofy like that).

GHHH I. I LOVE THE CLAWS AND THE BIGGER HANDS AND FOREARMS those I absolutely wanted to keep and it's also funny because I have tiny EU size 7 hands but this sona is the complete opposite. It honestly just makes me happy!!

And because I'm extra, I have now two different ways to draw her markings lol. I like the spray airbrush and the hand-saving gradient it gives but I know for certain that I won't be patient enough to always use it so the silly kinda-chibi "Gosh darn it dropped my glasses I hope no one saw" pic has all the spots hand drawn. It works well for smaller scale pics and is also cute so win-win >:3

Anywayyyy I'm in love with her and I could ramble forever so I'm just gonna hit post now ahahaghsdf

#tevvie #using tevvie as a tag for her because it's cutesy and if there are small children around they probably call her that #or wait maybe... aunt tev... ough AUNT TEV..... #aunt tev #well she can have two tags as a treat #turtlesona #rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #tmnt #tmnt fanart #rottmnt fanart #tervdraws #it's terv #diamondback terrapin #why not lol

[emilylorange]

so there's the somewhat more common answer: if you are feeling overwhelmed, simplify the problem as much as you can.

if you want to learn to draw people, then yes, figure drawing helps (look up adorkastock and theposearchives if you want solid free archives of SFW references)

if you want to learn to be more accurate with shapes, pick a simple image or set up a still life if you have the space and focus on nothing else but getting the shapes right (if you're doing this digitally you can do it freehand, then check how close you are by pasting your lines on top of the reference to see)

if you want to learn to paint faster you have to set timers for yourself and try to get as much of the image done as quickly as possible

if you want to learn colors you laser focus on images with color combinations you like

etc.

my addendum:

if you are ND like me and it effects your ability to focus on tasks that are tedious, you're going to have to make it fun for yourself. teachers tend to hate it if you break the bounds of their assignment but if it's just for you? who cares?

if you hate hate hate doing figure drawing but you love sailor moon? pull up a bunch of the manga and try to break them down like you would a photo ref

if you don't really want to be a 'realistic' artist and are more interested in cartoons and comics? a lot of the skills you get from basic study carry over, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with pulling up a screenshot of something you like and trying to break down how it's made.

experiment and try different things until you can land on a routine that keeps you engaged. if it turns out you just like making abstract collections of swatches? that's 100% fine, you made something! if it turns out that you can't stand handling the physical texture of most trad art supplies, but you can mimic them pretty well in digital? terrific!

the art you like to make may be totally different from the art you like to look at.

'study' is like exercise, it's not going to do anything for you if you hate it so much you never do it. find an activity you can do at length and brings you joy, even if it's not what you had in mind, because working at your goal a little bit is still better than getting frustrated and giving up

#shut up emily #@solidcoffee-refs

[wes-breaks-your-kneecaps]

How I learned to read in my target languages (Part 2)

I will mention multiple others sources I used to improve my reading. Basically I would read for as long as I need to get 15 or 20 words daily.

I can't recommend WordSwing as much as I recommend DuChinese, but it's still worth using if you want to read more.

I don't remember using DuHanZi, but apparently I finished all free stories on it, there probably weren't a lot of them.

Once I had enough vocab and I was bored of DuChinese, I used a website, that I found on Reddit — www.mylingua.world.

It forms your recommendations on what news you can understand, based on your vocab knowledge. Once you see a word you've learned, you just mark it as learned. Gradually after marking more and more words, you see how much progress you've made and it's really motivating.

Would I recommend reading news to improve your vocab? Unless it's an article on your interests, I would say no. There's no need to force yourself to consume what you're not interested in to improve your language skills.

Another useful feature from this website is being able to add your own texts in chinese. Which significantly improved my reading skills in just a few months of reading fanfiction.

The main con of this resource is inaccuracy. While in most cases you won't notice it, some words on there have innaccurate translation. But don't worry, just use Pleco or an online dicitionary.

I have a dictionary I want to recommend to those of you who know Russian, it's name is PocketChinese. The app may be a bit laggy, but in a lot of cases where Pleco failed to explain a word or a phrase to me, PocketChinese succeeded. So as long as you switch between these two and mylingua.world, you'll probably be fine.

A few months ago they've set a limit on how many articles you can fully read weekly and on how many you can upload. But i assure you that even with the limit you still have a lot of possibilities to learn.

Just remember to bookmark articles you've found interesting, since finding them later is hard.

When I played games in chinese and had difficulties with writing down words to search for them I would use Deepl. It has a scan feature that allowes you to make photos of chinese texts. It automatically translates that, but you can also copy it and work with it.

My top resource is mylingua.world. Genuinely simplifies my life so much when I want to figure out new vocab in a new text.

#langblog #langblr #language learning #mandarinblr #mandarin langblr #mandarin #chinese langblr #chinese #pleco #pocketchinese #mylingua.world #wordswing #duchinese #duhanzi #deepl

[gabrielsbubblegumbitch]

oh!! any thoughts/headcanon/analysis on vaggie?? she's my poor little meow meow atm — chaggieslovechild

I adore Vaggie too! She embodies everything I'd seek in a real-life partner. However, I don’t delve much into her character on this blog because, in my opinion, she's already so well-developed with established backstory, distinct personality, and clear motivations.

However, there's one thing that you could considered a headcanon?

During that flashback scene where Vaggie spares the child during the extermination, Lute and Adam are immediately there to kill her, they are literally just behind her. While I understand this moment may have been simplified for the sake of storytelling, I can’t shake the feeling that Lute had been waiting for the opportunity to eliminate Vaggie. But why?

So, in my understanding, Exorcists were created specifically for Adam – there’s a reason why all of them are hotties blindly devoted to him. He mentions that he named Vaggie, so I imagine they were soldiers but also kind of his playthings. In my mind before perfecting these doll soldiers, Heaven experimented with different traits, seeking the right balance between free will (necessary to be effective on the battlefield) and blind obedience. And among all those perfect creations, Vaggie just happened to be the flawed one. She was accidentally endowed with too much free will and personality, allowing her to form her own values, desires, and opinions. Vaggie was the first Exorcist to resist Adam's "charm", feeling unease in his presence without fully comprehending why. While Adam remained oblivious, Lute, who has legal custody over his brain cells, sensed something amiss. She approached Vaggie under the guise of friendship, aiming to test the waters. Vulnerable and lost, Vaggie confided in Lute about her doubts, fears and even her attraction to women. Lute, being Lute (homophobic, murderous maniac), of course, immediately went to Adam, and they decided to get rid of Vaggie during the next extermination – they were just waiting for the right occasion because making this public wouldn’t be good for morale.

And you know, I don’t necessarily like involving homophobia in fantasy narratives because I believe that homophobia is a product of the society we live in, not something inherent to conscious creatures that is inevitable in every setting. But Lute saying, “Sinful filth like you has no place in heaven,” and being so vile about Charlie and Vaggie’s relationship is so telling.

(Also, this post made me realize one possible plot hole in Hazbin – Lute sliced Vaggie's throat with an angelic weapon, in front of Adam. And yet in the finale, they were really surprised that angels can be killed with angelic weapons.)

#hazbin hotel #vaggie #hazbin vaggie #hazbon adam #hazbin lute #ask #headcanon

[stuffymcstuffsworld]

Seduce me through music

By now, you were used to performing in front of a crowd. It just seemed to be one of the things that was a natural part of your new life in hell. Although having Kalego accompany you on the piano sent shivers down your spine.

There was something about having a well-known and accomplished artist preforming along side you that was both thrilling and nerve-wracking. One wrong note could upset the whole song. And yet, knowing that Kalego was in his element was comforting because he would somehow keep up with any changes.

You relaxed as he started playing swaying as the melody washed over you. In that moment, you forgot about the spotlight. The audience no longer existed. It was just you and the dark brooding demon playing the keys.

☆There's only so much that a heart can take~ be-fore it sta~rts to break~.☆ Your voice echoed across the room as you joined Kalego's latest masterpiece.

The haunting tune caressed your skin. A touch reserved for only a lover. You could feel the desire of the music as you continued.

☆Please don't make me love you. Please don't make me need you. I've no room in my life for something like this~☆

You pleaded with the demon who continued playing. His gaze traveled up to meet yours as his hands never stopped. You swallowed as you took a gasping breath. The desire overwhelmed you.

☆Please don't take my mornings, please don't steal my summers~ I know they will vanish the moment we kiss~☆

You traced your lips for a moment. Watching as Kalego's gaze seemed hyperfocused on you now. How intoxicating. Slowly, you made your way to him. Letting his music seduce you.

☆I grow weak when we ta~lk, I'm confused when we touch. I should just walk away, but that's asking too much~☆

You confessed as you gently ran your fingers through his hair as he started building up tempo. Walking around him, you settled yourself on top of the beloved instrument. Your body is facing the audience, but your gaze is still locked with him.

☆Please don't make me do this! Please don't make me want this! All my dreams were taken until I met you~☆

You begged again as you were flooded with more of his emotion spilling through the music. Your heart captivated in the verse. You never expected to feel like this ever.

You had had crushes before. Heck, you had even thought yourself to be in love a couple of times. But nothing was like this. Nothing was like the feeling of endless wanting and being wanted back so passionately.

It almost seemed wrong to be adored this much. Yet, this was hell. If you were desired on such a sinful level, then so be it. Your lover was a demon, after all.

☆You're the one I think of, soon as I awaken. Funny how the heart tells the mind what to do.☆ You ran your fingers carefully through your own hair before pulling your gaze away from him at last. Slowly, you stood atop the piano. Thankful for its sturdy legs.

☆I'm not sure I can go through all the joy and the pain~ Much better no~ot to let these dre~ams take fli~ght!☆

You leaped with that last note. Landing a few feet away as you walk towards your starting position. The spotlight following you and the lights dimming around Kalego.

☆Please don't make me love you. Please don't make me need you. Simplify my life, just by setting me free!~☆

Slowly, you sunk to your knees as your own spotlight started to dim. ☆Promise me you'll do this. On-ly you~ can do th-is. Please don't make me love you unless you lo-ve me~☆ The light dies, and the music fades.

Only leaving you and Kalego with a roaring audience before you with a standing ovation. You quietly gasped for air. Kalego walked quickly over to you and offered a hand. You smiled. Taking it.

What surprised you was he didn't pull you up. No, he knelt beside you and kissed your knuckles. You couldn't stop the blush from rising on your cheeks.

#mairimashita! iruma kun #welcome to demon school iruma kun #reader #naberius kalego #kalego sensei #kalego x reader #dracula the musical

[06ari-ari]

Hello! Sorry for the sudden anon ask, I just wanted to say that your art are very beautiful and captures the story you wanted to convey to us 🥹❤️ If I may ask you and feel free to ignore this ask if it's a bother to you, how do you approach anatomy? since anatomy too is a quite hard subject. Thank you and have a nice day/evening! 💖💕

Thank you very much, it is very important for me to know that my works can communicate with you at the level of feeling the situation My approach to anatomy? I like to work with simplified forms because they are easier to manipulate to create life and emotional impact in a composition Most often, I break all the volumes into parallelepipeds and set my main task to understand how muscles are attached to bones, to understand the logic of how their directions affect the possibilities of movement of the human body Anatomy is really a very difficult subject to discuss in the format of a text post, so I'd better show my studies They are not very beautiful, because I am a quick-witted person and I don't really care about their appearance, the main thing that my head busy with is trying to understand the logic of things i do studies quite often, constantly concentrate on the structure of things while drawing to keep myself in good shape just like sportsmans do their work outs i guess Usually i use them as a warm-up before work cus it works great to increase confidence and freeing hands

[drarryglobesficrecs]

Accident Bonding/Bonding - drarry fic recs

Lift Your Open Hand by firethesound(18k)

With Draco Malfoy as his assigned partner for the next six weeks of Auror training, Harry had been prepared for things to go poorly. But getting themselves accidentally bonded to each other in the first twenty minutes of their very first assignment seemed going above and beyond, even for them.

In Evidence of Magical Theory by bixgirl1(43k)

When a hex meant for Draco accidentally catches Harry as well, they're forced to learn to understand each other in ways they previously might have thought impossible.

In which Harry and Draco can't fight, so they fall in love instead.

Beacon by Amelior8or, Andithiel, gameofdrarrymod, Kristinabird(7k)

Every year around Valentine's day Professor Potter is flooded with questions from love struck young girls about soulmates and soulmate bond lore, and every year, he gets through it as quickly as he can so he can return to his lessons. This year, however, his life is turned upside down when he encounters a mysterious object that lands him in St. Mungos, under the care of Draco Malfoy.

Celestial Bodies by shiftylinguini(20k)

“An astrological anomaly induced bond,” Harry repeats, deadpan, as the Head Healer of the Magical Malfunctions ward finishes announcing his prognosis.

“Space magic,” says Draco, tapping long fingers irritably against the arm of his chair. “You’re saying we’ve been zapped by space magic.”

The Healer huffs. “That’s rather simplifying things, gentlemen.”

If It Takes All Night by tackytiger(10k)

It's not the first time Harry's been the victim of a botched curse (that's one of the reasons he doesn't like crowds), but he feels bad that Malfoy had to get caught up in it too.

So they're bonded. That's ok, they just have to make sure to be touching at all time. No problem. Because Malfoy smells so nice, and has such lovely shiny hair, and his skin is so very warm.

But this isn't going to be a problem for their friendship at all.

Is it, Harry?

Drop Everything Now by parkkate(21k)

After accidentally bonding himself to Malfoy, Harry finds himself in an utterly precarious situation...

Chain Me Up or Set Me Free by alpha_exodus(12k)

This horrid bonding thing is all Potter’s fault, obviously. As for what comes after that? Draco’s not quite sure.

Harmonised Consciousness by Talizora(12k)

This time it's a spell gone wrong in Charms that will bring our two favourite boys together. Expect Mind-Magic Classic HD Clichés & Soul Mates

---

"Potter's spell is still active, but I can shield my thoughts from him. I've been stirring him up all afternoon! It's hysterical!"

Blaise gasped, "It's still active! But it's… Dinner time!"

"Yes, so?"

"S-so? That spell is supposed to cancel itself after an hour! It's been, almost four hours!"

Draco shrugged, "I'm not worried. It's probably due to Potters magic. I'm sure it'll time-out eventually."

Blaise frowned, "Draco I don't think this is a good idea. Maybe you should end the spell?"

"No way! Blaise! I can hear everything! Before, in Runes, Potter was ranting about how he wanted to kill Weasel and Trelawney! He's all over the place! I had no idea he had such homicidal tendencies!" Draco giggled.

One of Blaise's eyebrows rose, "…Draco? Did you just giggle?"

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

Twice as Much as an Earthquake by firethesound(12k)

Accidental bonding. Breaking and entering. Conspiring, however unwillingly, in the strange one-man war Malfoy's waging against detention. This isn't the normal school year Harry anticipated having, but at least it's not boring.

Tug-O-Want by dysonrules(16k)

Harry is back at Hogwarts minding his own business when he finds himself magically drawn to Draco Malfoy. Over and over again.

Hungry by birdsofshore(24k)

The first thing Harry knew about it was when he woke up lying on a bed in the hospital wing, with his arm firmly stuck to the scrawny, milk-white arm of Draco bloody Malfoy.

The Sleeping Beauty Curse by who_la_hoop(152k)

When Draco Malfoy falls into a cursed sleep and can only be woken – at least, according to the Daily Prophet, that impeccable source of truth – by ‘true love’s kiss’, Harry Potter knows there’s no way on earth he’s the answer to this particular riddle. Is he . . .?

Grounds for Divorce by Tepre(122k)

Malfoy finds a coin. Harry finds a letter.

A story about histories, a story about families. A story about a lemon tree somewhere in Upper Egypt.

The Destiny You Sold by tryslora(58k)

In which Draco knits, Harry makes wands, and things get very tangled up between them.

Mental by sara_holmes(186k)

Harry has had quite enough of sharing his mind with someone else, thankyouverymuch. A miscast Legilimecy spell says otherwise.

#draco malfoy #harry potter #draco x harry #drarry #drarry fic #drarry squad #harry x draco #drarry fanfic rec #drarry fanfic #drarry fanfic recommendation #drarry fanfiction #drarry fic rec #drarry fandom #draco lucius malfoy #harry draco #harry/draco #harry james potter #okay but why do bonding fics always hit? #like is it just me #i love them #AND ILY #yes you! #a lot #fic rec #read the tags before reading the fic

[habken]

Hi, just wanted to say that your art gives me a ridiculous amount of serotonin! The style, the expressions, everything, it's like a balm for a weary soul, so thank you so much for posting! Also, though I think someone has already said the exact same thing, the way you draw Deku gives me so much gender envy lol.

On another note, if you don't mind, could you please share how you went about learning anatomy? As a struggling newbie artist any pointers are always very much appreciated >-<

Thank you so much that’s really sweet 😭💕 !! I’d be happy to share a bit about how I learned anatomy !

Most of what I know comes from figure drawing and life drawing sessions, I went to an art high school which is where I first got the chance to draw from a live model and I try to go when I can now. Doing gesture drawings and drawing long poses, getting the chance to draw a lot of different bodytypes, was super beneficial for me, I learnt about how to structure poses, proportions, and also how to simplify the human form.

I also learnt from books ! There’s some great pdfs out there for figure drawing and anatomy that you can find online, literally just searching “figure drawing pdf” pulls some up, you should also be able to find stuff for the morpho series (here’s a drive link)

So my biggest suggestions for new artists looking to learn basics would be to look at books, get I general understanding of proportions, and draw from observation. There’s at least three life drawing places I know about near me, one of them is free if you bring a food bank donation, so hopefully there’s stuff near you too. There’s also resources online like line of action which has poses and timers you can set to practice figure drawing. Focus on gesture drawing, breaking down the human figure into simplified shapes and structure, remember that you’re not gonna make perfect stuff right off the bat which is absolutely okay, and study from other artists! See how they’ve broken down the human figure and try to emulate that, it’ll help your understanding a whole bunch

#ask #I’m down to answer more specific questions if you have them #tbh my anatomy isn’t super great I’m alright with dynamic posing but I definitely wouldn’t reference my stuff to learn proper technique #art tips

[astroheauxxxxx]

ASTROLOGY OBSERVATIONS

• DISCLAIMER: this is my first Astrology observation post. The way I like to make sense of astrology is through myself (this could because of my 1st house stellium lol) and also others around me. Being this is my first post I would like to examine my own chart and how it applies to my life to help it make sense to some of you. Feel free to ask questions in the comments about your own chart.

Let’s start with my big six:

Rising Gemini ♊️ 13 degree (Aries ♈️ degree)-

- I come off very chatty especially since I have Gemini’s ruler Mercury in the first house as well in Gemini. Extremely chatty. Ever since a child I used to take trips (also ruled by Gemini short ones tho) and talk to people next to me on the plane the whole flight. My favorite thing to do in social settings is converse.

- I also always look like I’m in deep thought, analyzing or trying to take in new information. Cuz I am HAHA. No cocky-ish I look really smart or rather nerdy. Always. I wear glasses so that doesn’t help either lmao.

Sun cancer ♋️ 7 degree (libra ♎️ degree) in 2H- (earned money and resources and what we value )

- no cocky-ish I have a soft pretty aura😂🥰. Very serene and balanced. I generally tend to bring balance and peace to people. When I’m not an emotional mess haha. People tend to value this about me maybe cuz it’s in my 2nd house. This is what I have to offer people or why people find me resourceful

Moon cancer ♋️ 2 degree (Taurus ♉️ degree) in 1H- (house of rising, self, identity, personality)

- I definitely am an emotional person, I am the stereotypical cancer, Im an empath, I feel my emotions and others emotions at a great magnitude. It also bring me comfort(♉️) to help others heal emotionally and nurture them. I also have an emotional relationship with food(♉️) not to the point where I over eat but to the point where I sometimes don’t eat enough. I also am a psychic and moon child. I have a business where I do readings. It hasn’t popped off yet but I’m supposed to be earning money from my intuition, nurturing and feminine healing abilities. I am naturally an empath and Clairsentient and clairempathetic because of my cancer placements but specifically my moon because it’s in its home sign and in my house of rising so you can also say I have a moon rising/ cancer rising even though my rising is Gemini ♊️.

Mercury Gemini ♊️ 29 degree (Leo ♌️ degree) 1H-

- i am a very intelligent, intellectual, yet anxious individual. I’m always processing and wanting to take in new information so that I can simplify it or summarize to people and share my message. When talking about something I’m truly knowledgeable about something I speak confidently about it (♌️). Only when truly angry or provoked do I yell or roar and I sound crazy as hell lmao. I also have my 3H of communication ruled by Leo so this is definitely prominent. I also can sing. I can roar with my voice but I can’t hit the highest of notes. I also noticed that the more I become my true authentic self my voice gets better and I’m able to communicate better.

Venus Gemini ♊️ 23 degree (Aquarius ♒️ degree) 1H-

- boy oh boy where do I start with this placement. So let’s start with the fact that I’m an intellectual lover. I need mental stimulation, and communication on a daily basis in order to stay in love with someone. I have accepted it. It doesn’t mean reading books or whatever necessarily. I think for me because it’s to an Aquarius ♒️ degree I enjoy talking about the abstract concepts of the world like the universe, the system, law, society, etc. (♒️)

-this placement also manifests for me as being polyamorous. I don’t want to be with everyone in the world but I am bisexual, and I want to have a bf and gf. Call me crazy i don’t even care lmaoo. I’ve already began to explore this dynamic and the only way it works is if it’s centered around me and that because it’s in my first house of self. I must be the center of the trio or it won’t work.

- I also just think about love a lot in general on a daily basis because of this placement. I fantasize about romance, abundance and luxury constantly because I am a venusian. I also have both my cancer sun and moon to venus degrees. So my emotions and love are always in kahoots with each other. There’s no separation.

Mars pisces ♓️ 4 degree (cancer ♋️ degree) 10H (career, reputation, how you come of publicly) -

- even tho mars is exalted in the 10H, it being in pisces basically dead’s that sh*t. I am the most passive aggressive mf ever. I’m not gon yell, or fight you physically at all. Cuz ima softie. I avoid confrontation and arguments. If I’m mad imma walk away (maybe cuz Pisces ♓️ rules feet lmao). I just don’t have no fire in me. And it’s to a cancer degree so forget it, I cry when I’m angry.

-on the positive side Mars in the 10H make me extremely ambitious. When I’m passionate about something I go after it without hesitation. I dominate and f**k that sh*t up. With it being in pisces, it’s spirituality and healing other people for me. Awakening the collective from their subconscious sleep. This is something I’m trying to build a career out of right now.

Honorable mention: Saturn cancer ♋️ 3 degree (Gemini ♊️ degree) 1H-

- constantly trying to control my emotions(♋️), and get a hold on how much I care about others and empathize with others. Always feel like there’s a hold on my emotions and I’m always too hard on myself (1H) about how emotional I am. My karmic lesson in this life is to learn how to authentically feel my emotions and to nurture myself. Mother myself.

- I also struggle (Saturn) to explain or communicate (Gemini ♊️) my emotions at times. I choke up, literally cannot speak, get that painful ball in my throat.

#astrology #cancersun #cancermoon #gemini venus #geminivenus #cancer sun #cancer moon #saturn in cancer #moon rising #mercuryrising #gemini rising #geminimercury #gemini mercury #venus first house #natal chart #birthchart #astrology observations

[morallyinept]

Jett,

Lol, I just wrote you the longest note, and somehow, right when I went to hit ask after proofreading the whole damn thing, it deleted and did not send. I think that message was letting me know to do the too long didn’t read version. Lol, so my long story short question was, do you have any ways to keep track of ongoing blogs better? I, of course, follow each writer and any update blogs that they have, but I still feel like I’m getting overwhelmed with notifications and missing the ones when the next chapter of their fic posts. I know Tumblr is not easy to navigate, but I’m just wondering what other people do. I’ve been fortunate enough to find a lot of older series that are complete, and of course, there’s no issue there, but with the ongoing series, unless they have a dedicated tag list, the follow and update blogs are a little hard to keep track of… And I feel like I forget… Thanks, ADHD… And I can’t remember where I’m at. I am using my hashtag to save my favorite series and characters and one shot, but with all the reblogging I’m doing now, thanks to your original advice to support writers. It’s not as easy to navigate unless I’m using my tags.

Thank you again for all that you do and making this such an inclusive site, especially for newbies like me… Teaching us the ways to be kind and support writers and overall have a better sense of community on here because even though I’m not a writer, I do feel really welcome and a big part of that is to your Support and blogs of how to navigate this insane little site.

-Lisa

Hey Lovely Lisa! 🖤

Oh noes! That's so annoying when that happens, isn't it? 😖 But gosh, thank you. I'm really glad to hear your experience is positive and welcoming. And that you feel that I've been a part of that makes me really happy, thank you. 🥹

So, maybe check this post out if you haven't already, because in it I talk about a few ways of simplifying your Tumblr settings, such as filtering your notifications and setting up Blog Subs to specific blogs you want to follow and not miss things from them.

Turn on notifications on the blogs you like and don't want to miss updates from. Sadly, tagging usernames is so glitchy and doesn't always work. I have that issue right now with tagging people who want to follow along with Adrift With You. So I'd always recommend turning on the notifications for each blog you don't want to miss things from.

Using re-blogs is a massive way to stay organised and using tags to do this is so helpful.

For example, I tag any fics that I recommend as "Jett's Fic Recs" so I can go back and search that tag on my blog and find every fic I've ever re-blogged using that specific tag. And you can create your tags relevant to you too. This is probably the most effective way of staying organised on your blog that I've found.

A Google search will show you how to do all these things for both mobile (Android and Apple app) and the desktop version of Tumblr, if you're not sure where to find the settings etc...

The new Blog Subs feature is gold. I follow like over 800+ blogs I think (?🥴) so by filtering some of these into my Blog Subs is a life saver when there's a specific blog I don't wanna miss anything from. It's easy then to switch between your feeds.

I know some people create a side blog specifically for re-blogging things. I can barely manage one account so that doesn't work for me personally, 😅 but I know a lot of bloggers who use it and it works really great for them.

It sounds like you're already doing a lot to stay organised. I'll throw it open to anyone else who has tips that help or works for them etc... but essentially the re-blogging with tags, and turning on notifs of the blogs you like, is the best way to go.

If you wanna talk more, or have any more questions, feel free to plant yourself in my DMs lovely.

Love you! 🖤

#jett's asks #moots you wanna smooch

[the---hermit]

hello cris! i would love to ask as someone who is currently learning a language (i'm currently trying to learn italian again for the nth time) what are your favorite techniques when it comes to learning a language? i've been trying to study italian for two years now but i always end up giving up immediately 😭🫶🏻

Hello anon!

Firstly I had a vague memory of talking about this before and I checked my masterlist so in case you want to read more here is another similar ask I answered to a while back and here an ask in which I meanioned a few italian fiction books for people who are learning. I'll be honest I did not reread those and I don't remember what I wrote lmao. But you have some more reading to do after this just in case!

At the moment the main language I am very slowly trying to learn is Irish. But I will be honest it's more a free time hobby than actual studying. In the sense that I don't have a schedule for it and I have ups and downs in which I am able to focus a bit more, and times like the past few months in which my energy is nowhere to be found so I do very little progress. The main way I am dping this is with duolingo, which I feel is a great way to start and to keep a tiny bit of practice in your everyday life which is fundamental. Of course if you want to have more progress I would suggest coming up with a more structured study plan and schedule, but I'll talk about it in a bit. The other thing I am implementing is a grammar book that of course is what requires more mental energy. My technique with that is, as everything I study, to read it, underline important things and write my own set of notes. That is because I know it is my main way of learning in general.

And with this we come to a important point, before getting into learning anything try to figure out what are the ways you learn things best. Everyone's brain works differently, I personally have awful memory and my brain works way better using logic (which is why the way duolingo is structured works wonders for me, because it forces me to learn grammar rules with logic and it repeats vocabulary so much that even I end up memorizing it). Writing notes down, even several times, is my go to way of learning in general so of course I focus a lot on that. Clearly with learning a language you also need to implement a lot of practice, which is way I recommend trying out a well made plan. This doesn't mean create insane goals that will make you feel overwhelmed. Instead create a low effort plan in which you regularly do a bit of everything:

Learn vocab and practice it

Learn new grammar rule and practice them

Work on booktext esercises

Active learning with a book

Active learning with a video

These are just some ideas. When I self studied english what really made me learn the language was active learning by immersing myself with the language. That forces you to learn. Watch youtube videos in italian (I am pretty sure there's some people who make specific videos for language learnera in which they speak slowly and focus on certain vocab, so I highly recommend those, but when you feel more comfortable with the language go for pure entertainment, that will have you learn actual spoken Italian which is of course different from textbooks). Approach the language with written texts with either children's books or those novels simplified for language learning (those are great because you often get exercises to practice how much you understood of the story).

I know I have probably mentioned it before, but the first way I got into self studying English when I was younger was by writing down lyrics to my favourite album. I think I have it lying around still, a notebook filled with the lyrics to all the songs from Imaginaerum by Nightwish next to the translations. Listening to music in your target language is such a good trick imo. Take my brother, the guy does not speak one word on English but he knows by heart all the lyrics to Iron Maiden songs all.of.them. he never really had to practice English but if he had to I would suggest he started there. The more you get your target language into your daily life the better it is, and I don't mean just learning from books. Force yourself to describe the room you are in in your target language, write about your days in a diary and do that in your target language. When you are waiting in line list all the words that come up to you in your target language. It's hard at first, of course it is, but with time it gets easier and easier. The final goal is to be able to think in your target language, even if the grammar isn't perfect and it takes a long time to remember the correct words.

Think of yourself as a young child. They are learning languages like you, starting from zero, so focus on things that are for them, books and movies. You cannot expect to learn a language like a native speaker of your age right away, they have years of experience speaking it. If you instead think of yourself as a kid you will approach things that are at your current level, and after you can move on from there.

I think the goal is to make a plan and to fit even the tiniest bit of language learning into your everyday life. The progress might be slow but you are training your brain anyway. When you see something isn't working change it up, give yourself reachable goals, and keep it fun.

I hope this was somewhat helpful! If you have any other questioms my inbox is always open. Buona fortuna!

#ask #asked #asks #answered #language learning #langblr #studying #studyblr #study tips #learning tips #cris speaks #mine #the---hermit #anon

[arctic-hands]

Long ass post about being a sick and disabled child with pediatric imposter syndrome and inattentive and flat out ableist adults ahead. It got ahead of me but there's nothing I want to cut. No I'm not putting it under a read more. Look at my post, boy.

I wonder if my childhood fascination with wheelchairs was based in the chronic pain and exhaustion I was feeling even by the age of seven.

In second grade we had a "disability week" (tho I wouldn't be surprised if they had called it "differently abled" but I can't remember for certain) where we had disabled adults come to speak to our (allegedly) able-bodied class and the school as a whole. The ones i remember were just explaining the disability and a simplified ways to treat it and things like it's rude to stare and such. Not too too glurgy in that out of context...

...but the memories about it are def tainted by the fact that any kid who was sick or disabled was forced to give presentations on their medical conditions to "educate and de-stigmatize" the students.

This wasn't part of Differently Abled Week, we were just forced to present when we just got diagnosed or whenever the condition got noticed by anyone. The first one i saw was in first grade as a fifth grader gave all the individual classes a presentation on her diabetes. I was forced to give one in third grade after I came back from being dramatically rushed to the hospital after my heart started beating so fast and hard that you could see it thru my shirt, and after about a week out of school in another hospital in the bigger city two hours away because my hometown hospital wasn't equipped to treat pediatric cardiac problems. My third grade presentation on supraventricular tachycardia was well-received, and the school was sympathetic because all my classmates and teachers were like omg this angelic little child has a heart condition and everyone was scared that I might die 😢

... Next year's fourth grade presentation on I Shit Too Much Disease was less well-received, even as I tried to self-censor the inherently disgusting details. To add to that, my SVT had been corrected (for a few decades, it appears to be coming back after 2) by an ablation in late third grade, so the Scary Heart Explodey (not really) Disease had been tied up neatly and I was free to live as a Normal Child. But Crohn's disease was something else, something relatively new to the lexicon in the early millennium and I constantly had to explain my health to strangers as the unwilling IBD Ambassador of the town. This would be and still is life-long and particularly hard to treat (my Crohn's was once compared to brittle diabetes in the way it never did and still doesn't respond to treatment), and the sympathy of the ableds is fickle and short lasting. Even just a year after my Diagnosis, my teachers stopped caring WHY I was missing school and sleeping all the time and in the bathroom too long and only saw these as delinquent behaviors to be punished, and my classmates no longer had sympathy for the perceived special treatment I barely got and were convinced I was faking it all for attention

Anyway I'm digressing, but I did need to feel the need to give context to my school's attitude towards sick kids. Back to Disability/Differently Abled Week

...We were allowed to play with mobility aids. Yeeeah. To de-stigmatize of course, totes not to keep us occupied. At one point we played with wooden beads of different shapes to make "hearing aids" and microphones in the style of the day, and each class was allowed one wheelchair, two sets of crutches, and a few arm slings for kids to be assigned to use for half the day.

I had seen these before. There were only a few sick kids in my school and none in mobility aids, but 7 year olds do have some life experience in being in the outer world, and my hometown was a city and not insular, so I had been exposed to disabled people before. My grandmother's best friend was an old lady with a basic prosthetic foot and used a cane, and she was patient and i daresay a little proud to show it off when i was really little and we'd go to have tea/hot chocolate with her and i stared in fascination and asked innocently offensive questions. At seven I hadn't been diagnosed with SVT or Crohn's yet and my intense and agonizing leg pains had been dismissed by my pediatrician as a hysteric and melodramatic little girl's response to "growing pains" (I've stopped growing but still feel them, I'm just used to them enough after thirty years that I barely notice them unless my legs are touched). I knew about broken bones and as someone who still had potent memories of toddler ear infections that were bad enough to send me to the E.R, I had even taken a few rides in wheelchairs.

But being in a wheelchair constantly was a new experience for me, especially as this was a manual wheelchair that you pushed yourself with the big wheels in, not the hospital kind that nurses push for you. The thought of never having to use my legs was an intoxicating thought, and I had childhood delusions of being strong and muscley enough to be able to handle maneuvering it with my scarily emaciated noodle arms.

Aides were assigned by last name down the list, and the teacher just arbitrarily decided which one you'd get. My last name is fairly down the list, so I waited the better part of a week to get assigned, all the while eyeballing the wheelchair enviously as my classmates assigned to it got to play disabled in it. I wondered how to pop a wheelie in it (for the record, my immediate reaction to being given roller skates on my fourth birthday was to immediately try to do a trick jump off the porch and landed hard on my ass with miraculously intact bones and face). But mostly I was fascinated by the thought of never having to use my legs for an entire half a day. I kept my composure at school so not to be labeled a crybaby, but by the time I got home I sometimes couldn't even focus on Pokémon because my legs were too agonizing and I'd be crying. My parents were sympathetic enough to my leg pains that they bought me hot water bottles to sooth my knees and tried to get me to take my mind off it by meditating the pain away (I'm too bipolar to focus in meditation even then but everyone's reaction to my bipolar is another long ass post in the making). But they didn't care enough to advocate for me against my pediatrician, even as he ignored all my other dramatic symptoms that were beginning to become un-ignorable. It took until my heart emergency for any adult (ily Dr. Stein, my pediatric cardiologist who immediately realized I needed more help than just for SVT) to notice the misery I was in and get me the right help (ily Dr. Maizle, my first pediatric gastroenterologist and the only one who actually listened to me when i said some of the meds felt worse than the disease).

Anyway I was assigned crutches when my name was called and i nearly did finally snap and cry at school. Nearly. And the crutches (basic under armpit ones, not forearm crutches) sucked. They were painful in my armpits, they weren't adjusted to my height properly, and I fell a few times because I was trying to swing both my legs at the same time because BOTH my legs were in constant agony and I was trying to alleviate my body's pressure on them both. I had a miserable time "pretending" to be disabled, but I was the only one who complained about the crutches and so I went ignored, setting up the theme for my childhood.

This fascination with wheelchairs stuck with me and as I became a bigger kid and my body just piled on more illness and pain, but despite all that my legs were technically functional so I kept my yearning for a chair quiet for fear of being offensive (didn't know what appropriation meant back then but that was the feeling) and an actual attention seeker like my classmates accused me off. Sure, I was sick and constantly in pain, but at least I wasn't actually "stuck in a wheelchair". Could be worse. At least it's not cancer, after all.

It got to the point that by middle school i was having idle fantasies about being grievously and dramatically injured to the point I lose my aching leg(s) and thus was finally granted a wheelchair. In my darkest moments I wondered how much pain doing it myself would be in the moment, but the thing that snapped me out of crippling (I use that word deliberately) myself was that I genuinely love the feeling of sand beneath my feet and the way beach sand (I wouldn't see the ocean until my twenties, but the artifical lake we went to had sand) felt in between your toes and how my feet didn't ache so much as the hot sand conformed around them. I still kept this quiet because I knew it was crazy and was beginning to realize that I as a whole being was crazy, but I didn't want to be treated as crazy so I kept my fantasies secret.

I've lost the point I was trying to make as I ramble on about these physically painful memories but I'm going to end by saying lmfao I've been using a cane for my pain (to not great success tbh) and have been told I'll prolly need a wheelchair in the next few years. My trepidation about this is totally devoid of any "be careful what you wish for!" karma and everything to do with how infamously inaccessible the Atlantic Coast of the United States is for mobility access. The buildings are all old and pretty and no one wants to ruin the aesthetics of the rowhomes and the shops (except the liquor stores, make of that as you will) don't want to put in the money to add or replace the stairs getting up to the shops with ramps.

This is really dumb even before I started using aides, because EVERYONE can use a ramp while only SOME people can use stairs. And that's not even the end of it, if you manage to get into the shops the aisles are too small to get even a folding chair in between, and no one wants to put in the extra work to rearrange the store to cater to those seeking "special treatment". For years I thought the A.D.A had a grandfather clause that said historical buildings didn't have to adapt unless they renovate and that's why the older cities on the East Coast are the way they are. Nope, that clause doesn't exist. But no one is willing to enforce the A.D.A except SOMETIMES for federal buildings. Even some medical facilities are on stairs with no ramp. Baltimore IS in the middle of a years-long A.D.A lawsuit, but it's only for the absolutely abysmal sidewalks that prevent wheelchairs from going over them at all and makes it treacherous for canes and crutches. I see people in wheelchairs on the road more than I see them on sidewalks because it's the only way to get a wheelchair to move. Baltimore drivers are legitimately and legendarily terrifying. I wouldn't even want to ride a bike (were I still able) in the bike lanes, let alone wheel myself IN a major road. This is going to be a terrifying experience here, unless something very much changes and soon. But will the abled leaders care enough even if they're under lawsuit? I don't feel optimistic. But what choice do/will I have? It doesn't HAVE to be hard, but it WILL be because ableds don't care enough to make even the slightest change to make it easier for EVERYONE if it takes even the slightest bit of effort. See: their collective response to covid

#disability #chronic pain #chronic illness #ableism #mobility aids #self harm tw #for the idle thoughts of it in the center #child neglect #I'll concede to tag this as #long post #apropos of nothing this would make a good essay I.Y.K.Y.K #systemic ableism

[sieclesetcieux]

Book Recommendations on the French Revolution (the "short" list version)

(For some reason, the original anonymous ask and answer I thought I had saved in my drafts has disappeared? Did I accidentally delete it? Who knows with Tumblr. Anyway, good thing I screenshotted it, I guess.)

Since I am STILL working on my extremely long post series going in depth into recommendations, I guess I should really just answer this ask and give a plain and simple list, as it was requested -_- (Don't worry, the extremely long post series is still going to happen.)

First of all, let’s just say, again (and it really must be insisted on), that most Anglophone historiography is… not very good. There are exceptions, but not many. At least, not enough to satisfy me. Fortunately, some good French books have been translated to English – so that’s great news!

So here are my main recommendations:

Sophie Wahnich’s La liberté ou la mort. Essai sur la Terreur et le terrorisme (2003) which was translated to In Defence of the Terror: Liberty Or Death in the French Revolution with a foreword by Slavoj Zizek in 2012.

This essay basically changed my life, and led me to take the path I have walked since as a historian. Zizek’s foreword is very good in summarizing the ideological oppositions to the French Revolution (until he rambles the way he usually does).

It opens with a quote from Résistant poet René Char which perfectly sets the tone:

“I want never to forget how I was forced to become – for how long? – a monster of justice and intolerance, a narrow-minded simplifier, an arctic character uninterested in anyone who was not in league with him to kill the dogs of hell.”

Keep in mind that when I first read it, in 2003, the very notion of anything like the Charlottesville rally happening was still in the realm of pure fantasy.

Marie-Hélène Huet’s Mourning Glory: The Will of the French Revolution (1997). One of the rare books in my list that was originally written in English (!). I think a lot of it might be available to read via Google Books, but it’s worth buying.

This book is hard to categorize: it talks of historiography and ideology, and it’s overall a fascinating book.

It feels a lot like Sophie Wahnich’s first essay – it was also similarly influential on my research. It inspired a lot of my M.A. thesis. I’ve recently found my book version of it, and this book was annotated like I’ve rarely annotated a book. It was quite impressive.

Dominique Godineau’s Citoyennes Tricoteuses: Les femmes du peuple à Paris pendant la Révolution française (1988) which was translated to The Women of Paris and Their French Revolution (1998).

It’s the best book on women’s history during the French Revolution IMO. I really don’t have much more to say about it: it’s excellent. It talks of working class women, it talks of the conflicts between different women groups, it talks of what happened after Thermidor and the Prairial insurrections, and the women who were arrested. No book has compared to it yet.

Jean-Pierre Gross’s Fair Shares for All: Jacobin Egalitarianism in Practice (1997). You can download it for free via The Charnel House (link opens as pdf).

Another rare book that was originally written in English, and later translated to French, though the author is French! (I think some French authors have picked up that the real battlefield is in Anglophonia…) It’s very important to understand social rights, a founding legacy of the French Revolution.

François Gendron’s essential book on the Thermidorian Reaction: first published in Québec as La jeunesse dorée. Episodes de la Révolution française (1979)  (The Gilded Youth. Episodes of the French Revolution). It was then published in France as La jeunesse sous Thermidor (The Youth During Thermidor). As I explained here, its publication history is quite controversial (though it seems no one noticed?). It was thankfully translated to English as The Gilded Youth of Thermidor (1993). However, the English translation follows Pierre Chaunu’s version – which didn’t alter the content per se, but removed the footnotes and has a terribly reactionary foreword – so be careful with that. If anything, that’s a very good example of all the problems in historiography and translations.

Much like Godineau’s book on women, no book can compare. In the case of women’s history during the French Revolution, it’s because most of it is abysmally terrible; in the case of the Thermidorian reaction, it’s because no one talks about it. And it’s not surprising once you start reading about it.

(You might notice that Gendron’s translated book, much like many others, are prohibitively expensive. I do own some of these so if you ever want to read any, send me a message and we’ll work it out!)

Antoine de Baecque’s The Body Politic. Corporeal Metaphor in Revolutionary France, 1770-1800 (1997), which is a translation of Le Corps de l’histoire : Métaphores et politique (1770-1800) (1993). (Here’s the table of contents.) It’s a peculiar book belonging to a peculiar field, and it can be a bit complicated/advanced in the same way most of Sophie Wahnich’s books are, but I still recommend them. See also: La gloire et l’effroi, Sept morts sous la Terreur (1997) and Les éclats du rire : la culture des rieurs aux 18e siècle (2000), but I don’t think either have been translated. Le Corps de l’histoire and La gloire et l’effroi also are nice complements to Marie-Hélène Huet’s book.

If you can read French, I really recommend the five essays reunited in Pour quoi faire la Révolution ? (2012), especially Guillaume Mazeau’s on the Terror (La Terreur, laboratoire de la modernité) – which I might try to eventually translate or at least summarize in English coz it’s really worth it.

The following books are extremely important to understand the historiographical feud and the controversies that surrounded the Bicentennial of the French Revolution in 1989 (and both have been translated to French so that’s cool too):

First, Steven L. Kaplan’s two volumes called Farewell, Revolution: Disputed Legacies (1995) and The Historians’ Feud (1996).

Then, Eric Hobsbawm’s Echoes of the Marseillaise: Two Centuries Look Back on the French Revolution (1990) which gives you the Marxist perspective on the debate. If you want to look for the non-Marxist perspective: look at literally any other book written on the French Revolution and its historiography (I’m not kidding). For example, you can read the introduction by Gwynne Lewis (1999 book edition; 2012 online edition) to Alfred Cobban’s The Social Interpretation of the French Revolution (1964), the founding “revisionist” book.

Again, if you can read French, I recommend Michel Vovelle’s Combats pour la Révolution française (1993) and 1789: L’héritage et la mémoire (2007). I have not read La bataille du Bicentenaire de la Révolution française (2017) but it might recycle parts of the previous two books, so I’d look that up first.

Marxist historiography is near inexistant in Anglophonia, because of reasons best explained in this short historiographical recap on Anglophone historiography and specifically Alfred Cobban (link opens as pdf), but there was Eric Hobsbawm, who wrote a series of very important books on “The Ages of…”:

The Age of Revolution: 1789-1848

The Age of Capital: 1848-1875

The Age of Empire: 1875-1914

The Age of Extremes: 1914-1991

Some of Albert Soboul’s works have been translated as well:

A Short History of the French Revolution, 1789-1799 (1977)

The Sans-Culottes: The Popular Movement and Revolutionary Government, 1793-1794 (1981)

Understanding the French Revolution (1988), which is a collection of various essays translated to English (here’s the table of contents)

While we’re on the subject of classics: I do need to re-read R. R. Palmer’s The Twelve Who Ruled (1941) to see if I still like it, but I believe it’s still positively received? I’ve never actually read C. L. R. James’ The Black Jacobins. Toussaint Louverture and the San Domingo Revolution (1963) but I’m going to rectify that this summer.

That’s a good way to segue into a final part.

Here is a list of books I technically have not read yet (I skimmed through them), but would still recommend because I trust the authors:

Michel Biard and Marisa Linton’s The French Revolution and Its Demons (2021) which was originally published in French as Terreur ! La Révolution française face à ses demons (2020). It looks like an excellent summary of all the controversies surrounding the Terror: Robespierre’s black legend, how the Terror was “invented”, the conflicts between different political factions and clubs, the Vendée, and stats on who actually died by the guillotine (no, there was no “noble purge”). (Here’s the table of contents.)

Peter McPhee wrote several good syntheses, the most recent being Liberty or Death: The French Revolution (2017). Others he wrote: Living the French Revolution, 1789-99 (2006) and A Social History of France, 1789-1914 (1992, reedited in 2004). Why 1914? The 19th century was defined by Hobsbawm (see above) as “the long 19th century” (by contrast with “the short 20th century”), or “the cultural and political 19th century”, which is regarded as lasting from the fall of Napoléon Bonaparte to the First World war.

Eric Hazan’s A People’s History of the French Revolution (2014) and A History of the Barricade (2015), which are translations (Une histoire de la Révolution française, 2012, and La barricade: Histoire d’un objet révolutionnaire, 2013). If you can read French, check out his essay published by La Fabrique: La dynamique de la révolte. Sur des insurrections passes et d’autres à venir (2015).

Just as a final note: this post is the equivalent of four half single-spaced pages in Times New Roman 12 pts. It also took two hours to write and format (and make the side-posts with table of contents) even though most of it is already written in several drafts – i.e. the long post series of in-depth recommendations, so that gives you an idea of why that other series of posts is taking so long to write.

I’m going to go lie down now. -_-

ETA: Corrected some typos and a link that didn't quite go to the right place.

#historiography #frev historiography #sophie wahnich #marie helène huet #antoine de baecque #michel vovelle #michel biard #marisa linton #eric hazan #peter mcphee #c. l. r. james #r. r. palmer #albert soboul #eric hobsbawm #françois gendron #francois gendron #dominique godineau #steven l. kaplan #jean pierre gross #alfred cobban #slavoj žižek #slavoj zizek #this post almost killed me

[askthealternateakis]

Alternate Akis For People’s Robot Master OCs Part 1: Angel/Flash Woman

So remember that one time when I brought up the idea of me potentially making Alternate Akis for the various Robot Master OCS people have made for Mega Man Fully Charged? Well, let’s just say I wasn’t kidding.

I decided to start off strong with one of my personal favorites: @littengamer909’s incredible OC Angel/Flash Woman! Their DM’s weren’t open so I wasn’t able to get too much feedback regarding the development process, but I hope I managed to do a decent enough job regardless! Anyway, enough with the chit-chat, let’s cut right to the chase and get her properly introduced!

Name: Aether (the fifth classical element that was believed in ancient times to have filled the region of the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere, aka the heavens)

Theme/Aesthetic: Japanese street fashion, specifically decora kei and fairy kei (albeit incredibly simplified both because I’m bad at drawing complex stuff and I want to make sure she’s easy to draw)

Basic Archetype: cute but scheming mixed with a tad bit of PG-rated yandere-ness

Relation To Respective Robot Master: adopted little sister

Fun Facts (these aren’t set in stone by any means, just my personal take on how I’d write her, you’re free to alter them to your own whims if you feel they don’t line up with how you envision Angel/Flash Woman as I don’t want to make it seem like I know more about her than her own creator):

cheerful and friendly to everyone unless they get on her bad side

looks childlike and innocent, but is actually rather mature for her age

not afraid to get brutally honest with people

easily annoyed and terrifying when angry 

avid collector of both hair clips and dolls

lover of all things cute and girly and hates anything and everything she deems “gross” or “ugly” with a burning passion

very kind and affectionate towards her friends and family, to the point of coming off across as kind of clingy

gets jealous easily

goes out of her way to make Sgt. Night’s life a living hell whenever she gets the chance 

good at reading people and knows how to manipulate a situation to her advantage 

originally became Mega Man (or I guess Mega Woman) out of a desire to make a name for herself and escape her sister’s shadow, since as much as she loves her, she can’t help but feel a bit insecure around her 

Hope you enjoy her as much as I enjoyed creating her! Feel free to make as much fanart of her as you’d like as long as I and @littengamer909 are tagged in it, and if you have a Robot Master OC you’d like me to make an Aki for, don’t hesitate to let me know!

#ooc #mega man #megaman #rockman #mega man fully charged #mmfc #megaman fully charged #fully charged #alternate akis #askthealternateakis #lovely people #angel #flash woman #flashwoman

[hermajestyimher]

This post is a continuation of my previous piece on how the old money and the recently rich people behave in different ways.

Recently I was listening to a podcast episode of one of my all-time intellectual heroes, Sam Harris, that involved a conversation surrounding wealth, what it means to be wealthy, and its relation to happiness. So many great insights were shared in the episode. But the thing that stood out for me the most was this idea that as a culture we are currently moving the goal-post to what it means to be wealthy, and how only by attaining that level of perceived money we can then feel happy and fulfilled.

As social creatures, we often look at our peers and the people around us and make judgments about how well they seem to be doing in life and how we measure up to that idea we've created in our heads about them or that they've tried to sell to us. If we feel we are doing worse than them, we begin to question ourselves and feel inadequate in life, leading to feelings of anxiety, lack of conformity, and depression. And all of this has been amplified thanks to our uncontrolled access to social media and the never-ending algorithmic stream of the highlight and fake real.

Our standards for what it means to be rich and our expectations for when we want this wealth to materialize in our lives have been set in a completely unrealistic, simplified, and overtly glorified way. And the worst part of it all is that the reason many people believe they want to achieve a particular level of wealth or power doesn't stem from any intrinsic desire, but from a need to impress others. Effectively rendering themselves slaves to the perceptions and opinions of others. A very miserable and exhausting way to live life.

Think about the time when you were a child, you lacked social media and your view of the world was driven by a sense of curiosity. You did not feel any pressure to meet a specific societal standard to prove any points. You were just existing and experiencing life as it came. Newer experiences, people, and places, all brought great joy. Think about how our current culture makes us feel like we need to be in a constant rat race to the top, never being in the present moment and enjoying the fruits of what we've worked for up to that point, but always wanting and needing more. The latter mind frame is so unhealthy for us that it is physically and mentally tearing us down; it's driving certain people to bankruptcy and ruining lives.

The podcast episode mentioned something that I've always believed to be the case when discussing wealth, and that is that for many of us, wealth is not about having the most material gains to flaunt; but about having the freedom to experience life without being bound by financial burdens. Wealth is about that excess money that you have sitting in bonds, stocks, and other investment vehicles that are generating you more income. It is not about the fancy car or house that is costing you above your means to maintain and keeping you in a financially dreading loophole. Wealth is about freedom, and you could never be free if you live your life enslaved to the idea that you must impress and please others (others who do not care about you in the slightest, and that oftentimes you do not even like).

Breaking from that toxic mindset is your choice and responsibility, but knowing that we don't have to conform to what seems societally "normal" when it is harming us is a freeing experience in and of itself.

#blog piece #things ive learned

[pectinpeeress]

Aarghhhh.... kind of a rant below, sorry about that, somethings just been bugging me...

I’ve been kind of annoyed with a lot of the Opinions I’ve seen on Kimblee as a character, especially in terms of his relationship with Riza. Because I feel like people keep trying to justify his character morally in order to justify liking him. And, first of all, a character doesn’t need to be a good person for you to like them; and secondly, it makes the characters way less interesting?!?

Like, If you look at Kimblees narrative purpose as a character, he isn’t supposed to represent a real person. Just like how the Greek gods are more similar to the element they’re meant to represent than an actual person, Kimblee is the idea of narcissism come manifest. I get that writing is subjective, but Arakawa has literally said that she based Kimblee off of Alex from A Clockwork Orange – a character whose so insufferably self-centered, he makes you wonder if he even deserves to act for himself-- so I feel like it’s fair to say that regardless of what anyone claims, the intention is for him to be an irredeemable person.

I think that what confuses a lot of people is that he has an understandable set of motivations, and people don’t understand the difference between an understandable villain and a sympathetic villain. Kimblee is not a sympathetic villain, he’s given no backstory, no noble goals, or sympathetic motivation. But he is an understandable villain. We understand his thought process, but that doesn’t mean that we can view him as a good person. Honestly, his motivation has always reminded me of alt-right accelerationism, he recognizes that the things he’s doing are bad, but he just doesn’t care.

This is why it bugs me when people claim that he and Riza had a connection, or that Riza sympathized with him. Because it ignores the narrative purpose of his character. He’s the manifestation of the hypocrisy of Amestris. The government claims violence is a necessary evil, but the system is built to reward sadism. It’s sort of like how our society claims to reward kindness, and yet the most powerful people are billionaires who exploit their workers. So when he tells Riza to look in the eyes of the people she kills, it’s impactful because she hates him. It’s her becoming disillusioned with the lies and propaganda of the military. They claim to be protecting the people of Amestris but in reality, they’re just a weapon for the government to use as it sees fit. Riza doesn’t sympathize with Kimblee, she loses her patriotism, and that is the point.

To be clear, I don’t care which characters you like, or what you ship, or whatever, but when you claim that Riza and Kimblee got along, you’re actively making her character less compelling. The narrative goes from “soldier becomes disillusioned with the military” to “woman is tempted by the ~dark side~” which like, that’s fine, there’s nothing inherently wrong with simplifying a character. My issue comes from the fact that people act like they’re improving her character or making her more interesting, and they’re not. She goes from a really interesting look into the purpose of the military and the motivations of the soldiers within it, to a poorly written YA protagonist. And for what?  A love-triangle? The aesthetic?

It just irritates me because there’s this undertone to it like they’re saving Riza from being overly dependent on a man by latching her to another man. Like, the whole point of Riza’s character is that despite being dehumanized her entire life, she is still a human with free will and agency, and their attempt to fix what they perceive as the faults of Riza’s character is to turn her into a tool used by a different man? Like, can’t she just be evil on her own? Why is she only allowed to do immoral things through the proxy of a man? It comes off as way more dehumanizing than any of the tropes they’re trying to fix, while also ignoring that she’s an intentional subversion of those tropes.

IDK, just to clarify, I really do not care about your personal taste or whatever content you make. It’s stupid to act like the mere act of liking a fictional character is indicative of a person’s actual ethics, and it’s even stupider to think that fandom discourse will have any sort of positive impact on their moral compass. What mostly bugs me is when people act like they're smarter than everyone else for liking something when it’s like??? Dude just like what you like you don’t need to lie about the narrative to justify it.

#fmab #FMA #not art #long post #riza hawkeye