#And advice and comfort is better coming from people who aren't me. I'm not great at it.

[y-rhywbeth2]

'...from the Lord of Murder, there was only one protection: the blessing of another god.' - Waterdeep

Things to keep in mind if you're one of his estranged children and apostates.

[mostly-mundane-atla]

Hi! Your blog is awesome. I don't know if I'm allowed to ask non-atla questions, so I hope this is okay. I'm working on a non-avatar ttrpg campaign that takes place both in a (fictional/fantasy) northern tundra region AND during a magical endless winter. The people in it aren't based on any specific culture but, given that they're successfully living in similar environments & have for countless generations, I want to draw as much inspiration & knowledge from real-life circumpolar cultures & native science as much as possible. Do you have any advice or even just fun, underappreciated ideas for winter tundra survival, things someone who grew up in a desert like me wouldn't think of on my own? If you need/want more direction: I'm particularly looking for clothing, shelters, resource gathering-practices for non-food (esp what kinds of resources would be valuable), as well as like, any fun details that evolve naturally in a culture that formed in the tundra that you'd want to see represented. I hope that makes sense ^^; Thanks so much if you decide to answer, have a good day either way <3

[I am SOOO sorry this took so long! Tumblr kept not saving my progress when i tapped "save draft" so i had to rewrite a few of these passages a few different times]

Don't worry about asking, friend, i get cultural questions all the time and i'm happy to share.

Note: my knowledge is almost entirely based on coastal tundra peoples with access to marine mammals. That's not to say it's impossible for people to live farther inland, just that it's not my area of expertise.

Clothing

Just about everything you wear is going to come off of a dead animal. This doesn't necessarily need to be the case if your fictional culture has a means of raising hardy livestock for fiber and a history of woven textiles, but even then skin clothes are warm and generally quite hard-wearing and are a good fit for living in these circumstances.

This amount of fur means lice are a perpetual problem. If you want to make that an immersive part of the game, you can work in a mechanic for checking scalps and clothing and bedding for lice.

Bird skins can also be used for clothing and waterfowl specifically has the benefit of water resistance. Fish skin can also be used for similar properties. Animal intestines can be made into a waterproof material if sewn with sinew and soaked before finishing.

On that note i'd recommend making a list of available animals and what qualities and textures their skins and furs have. Even if you don't intend on being incredibly descriptive with clothing, it's something better to have and not need than need and not have. And if you do anything else creative in a similar setting you have your nifty little source to consult.

When it comes to the actual construction of the clothes, you want a loose fit. Trapped air ia a great insulator and you want clothes to be easy to move in. Another benefit for loose-fitting upper body garments in cold weather is you can pull your arms in and keep them by your much warmer core. Not only will this option keep you comfortable, it can also prevent muscle injury or getting frostbite

Mittens can be worn on a string yoke. This doesn't have to be exclusive to children either. Wind can pick up out of nowhere and lost mittens means fingers exposed to arctic cold which can mean gangreen and amputations down the line.

Swimming or running to deliver a message may involve stripping nude, even in cold. Clothes soaked in water or sweat are deadly in the cold.

Clothes may be stored in bags outside when not in use. The low temperatures can kill bugs and bacteria. On a similar note, boots and coats are best to be hung to dry as soon as one is indoors for the day. This may mean it's normal for people to be topless indoors.

Boots should never have holes or tears. Frostbite and resulting gangreen is already bad enough but you especially do not want it on your feet

Shelter

You're going to want dwellings to have as few rooms and windows as possible and small doors. The fewer walls you have, the easier it is for heat to circulate throughout the whole dwelling. You'll probably want one room separating the door and where you sleep. Remember: trapped air is a great insulator.

The culture I've reconnected with is semi-nomadic so the permanent houses are not always occupied and a village can seem abandoned when it's just on its "off season". You can take that or leave it depending on what you're going for.

Even if the dwelling is not a tent, you're probably still going to have poles serving as a supporting frame.

Sod houses are common due to the availability of sod (the grass and the dirt its roots are tangled in). Tents made of warm, waterproof skins (like walrus skin) are also an option.

An easy way to insulate such a dwelling is to build a wall of packed snow around and fill the gaps with loose, airy snow. This traps air the same way down feathers do.

Non-Food Resource Gathering

While I imagine you meant obtaining resources outside of hunting, in a tundra or tundra-like setting, a lot of your resources are going to come from dead animals. Your garments and shelters and bedding are likely to be made of animal skins, with hollow and/or fluffy fur for warmth, or smoked intestine or fish skin, sewn with tiny stitches and soaked to keep everything flush, for waterproof boots and overlayers. Antlers and tusks are good carving materials for things like spoons and closures and slabs for armor and handles and also talismans and smoking pipes and beads and art. Baleen is good for art too, as well as boot soles and smaller sleds and beautiful baskets. Sinew and rawhide are good for thread, ties, and rope. Bones have a near infinite amount of uses from tiny wing bones to make sewing needles to huge whale bones used to build houses.

For the purposes of working this into a roleplaying game, i'd second the recommendation of keeping a list of animals in your universe and their properties, as well as the things that can be gathered from or made of them. A sort of crafting recipe guide would allow all kinds of quests and sidequests.

There are, of course, non-animal resources to gather for non-eating purposes. Soapstone is the traditional material for oil lamps. Grasses can be woven into baskets for any number of purposes, including supports to give the uppers of one's boots more structure. Wood, in the form of slices of tree trunks, can be hollowed out into bowls and small tubs and buckets or, as logs or slats, can make up flooring. Sturdy branches can be used for frames in houses, boats, and drums, and tree resin makes both good glue and antibiotic salve for closed wounds. Sod, also called turf, makes a good building material and moss is exellent insulation in boots. You can make a list of these too, if it helps.

If your fictional culture has a strong tradition of metallurgy, then they'd also mine for metal that can be used for knives. If not, slate is another option that requires significantly less fire. You could even have both and make the metal a status symbol.

Fun Details to Represent

There are so many lovely little things that show up in arctic cultures

First, a gift economy. Where a cash economy relies on a fairly individualistic culture where you work for someone else to earn capital and exchange that capital for goods and services, a more collectivist and interdependent culture natural to the harsh conditions of the tundra tends to result in a gift economy. The currency in a gift economy, to perhaps oversimplify, is favors. Someone does you a good turn, you remember that, and when you're in a position to help, you return the favor. Usually this means basic material things like hospitality and food, but the "gifts" exchanged can also be luck! King Islander boys would often wish hunters setting out at dawn good luck, with a slab of driftwood as a token of that luck, and if the hunters were successful, they'd give the boys who wished them luck a share of their catch. I believe it was Frank Ellana who remenised that this was what the world was like before money.

Another thing that would be nice to include is parenting practices considered fairly gentle to a Euro-American perspective. Physical punishments are traditionally treated as abuse and scolding a child is not only seen as wrong but something an adult ought to be ashamed of. Discipline is instead a series of moral lessons, teaching children why what they did was wrong and using stories as examples of the consequences. Given the amount of stories about the dangers of abusing a spouse or child, i'd say a lot of these lessons were proactive and preventative. Knowing someone will be hurt by it is considered enough of a deterrence to stop bad behaviors. Traditional potty training, for example, is also gentler in comparison; starting at a younger age (about six months) with more emphasis on praise and encouragment than routine. The goal here is to teach the baby to signal when they need to go so they can be taken out of mama's atigi and relieve themself in a hygenic manner instead of holding it until they get permission. Even our take on kissing is based on inhaling instead of pecking with the lips. This kind of gentleness is usually overlooked to instead focus on the badass hunter image or overall "cuteness" so it would be nice for it to be referenced.

Oral histories would be pretty neat too. I think the idea of learning to be a historian of oral histories is an interesting one and i think it has a lot of potential plot hooks for an rpg.

That's all i have for now. Sorry for the delayed response time. Happy gaming, and i'm always up for further discussion if you would like ^-^

[memento-morri-writes]

Do you have any advice or specific tips to writing a low/no empathy character? Or a resource to recommend?

Hi nonny! Thanks for asking! I'm going to try my best to answer your question, but keep in mind, this is all based on my own personal experience, and that varies vastly from person to person. (if anyone else experiences low/no empathy, please feel free to add on to this post!)

So, some things to keep in mind:

Why does your character experience low/no empathy? For me, it's a symptom of my autism, but there are multiple reasons a character could have low/no empathy. The most common is probably going to be some form of disability (autism), or disorder (psychopathy), etc. (Be careful while doing research though, especially on disorders like psychopathy! You're going to run into a lot of ableist bullshit. Make sure to look for sources written by people living with these disorders/disabilities.) (If anyone has any resources on other disabilities or disorders that cause low empathy that they personally recommend, please feel free to add links!!!) Whatever the reason, it's not going to only affect their empathy. It's going to affect every part of their life. So make sure to do your research, and write respectfully. If you know someone or follow someone who has a certain condition, ask if they'd feel comfortable answering questions for you. If they aren't, that's fine. If they are, they're going to be a great resource. (I'd also recommend getting a sensitivity reader, particularly when writing about mental disorders that are already frequently stigmatized. You want to make sure you're not promoting harmful stereotypes.) I should note, however, that neurotypical people can also have low/no empathy!!! It just happens to also be a common symptom of various mental disorders.

Consider what kind of empathy does your character lack. There are two kinds of empathy! Emotional (or affective) empathy, and cognitive empathy. Affective empathy is made up of three parts: Feeling the same emotion as someone else, feeling discomfort or stress in response to someone else's suffering, and feeling compassion for or understanding another's emotions. Cognitive empathy is the ability to recognize and understand the emotions of someone else. This includes being to "stand in someone else's shoes", or take another person's perspective, and generally understand what they're feeling. This one has been called more of a "skill", in that it's something people can "learn", where as affective empathy can't be taught or learned. When people talk about having low/no empathy, they are usually referring to lacking affective empathy, but a character might struggle with both!

Not everyone experiences empathy the same. Some people lack empathy in some circumstances, but have it in others. For example, I lack empathy when it comes to human beings, but I am much more empathetic when it comes to animals. A character might only be able to empathize with very specific scenarios or people. (For example, if someone else is going through a very similar scenario to one they have experienced in the past, it may be easier for them to feel empathy. But it might not!) Some people can empathize with certain emotions better than others. (I empathize better with anger, but can't empathize at all with grief.)

Understand that a lack of empathy does not equal a lack of caring. Just because a person doesn't feel the emotions someone else is feeling doesn't mean they don't care. A person with low or no empathy can still be kind and compassionate to others. They might go about trying to cheer people up in a slightly different way (I personally tend to try and go for distractions), but they still care about their friends and loved ones. Even seemingly "uncaring" things said by those who lack empathy do not come from a place of malice. (I can't tell you how many times I've said something well-meaning and had people assume I was being cruel. I wasn't, and I genuinely had good intentions.)

Keep in mind how your character reacts to other's emotions. People with empathy tend to feel similarly to those they empathize with, which generally creates a feeling of connection. (This is part of what leads to that sense of "coming together after tragedy".) A person with low/no empathy might instead feel alienated or uncomfortable when faced with large outpourings of emotions. They might be uncertain how to act or what to do, and they may try and avoid situations with strong negative emotions because of it. (In my case, people crying makes me very uncomfortable, because I don't know how to respond. So I try and keep my distance.)

Think about how your character processes their own emotions. Just because a character doesn't feel empathy for others doesn't mean that they are incapable of feeling those emotions on their own. A character who has no empathy for a grieving friend can still grieve! But chances are they will process that emotion differently than a person with "normal" empathy. They might try to push their emotions away and bottle them up. Or one emotion might transition into one they have an easier time processing. (For me, I don't experience sadness normally. It either transitions to anger, or it is replaced by different thoughts.)

Think about how their lack of empathy influences their life. A person who lacks empathy is not going to experience life the same way as a person with "normal" empathy. They might have a hard time making friends, or they might excel at a job that requires a logical mind. They might give great advice, or their friends might know to never ask them about relationships. They might be great at organizing people, even in times of stress, because their brain compartmentalizes and thinks pragmatically. They might totally shut down when faced with an emotional situation because they don't know how to process it.

Having no empathy can be very alienating. People expect empathy constantly. It's a big part of why people love emotional media, and it's the expected response when someone you know experiences suffering. Not having empathy can mean that you feel disconnected from your loved ones or community as a whole. It might mean biting your tongue and not saying what you think because people would read it as uncaring or cruel.

Remember: Having low or no empathy is not a bad thing. People with low/no empathy are often villainized in media, and the trait is often given to antagonists. But that's a harmful stereotype and harmful belief in general. That's not saying that your character with low empathy has to be "good", but don't use their low empathy as proof that they're a "bad person". Try thinking about situations in which having low/no empathy might be useful! I personally am reminded of the post I saw years ago where someone was saying that if not for their lack of empathy, they probably couldn't do their job. (iirc, they worked handling the bodies of organ donors, some of whom were quite young.)

Okay, that's all I can think of for now, but like I said before, anyone else who experiences low or no empathy is encouraged to reblog this post and add on to it! And if I made any mistakes here, please let me know so I can fix them!!! I tried to base this mostly off of my own experience, so take it all with a grain of salt.

[withloveheart]

What do you feel about coffee dates being better because you can bail easier and it allows you to test the waters a lot better?

Hey habibti,

I don't see the reason why you can't bail or leave a dinner date? The only time I think that could be an issue is if you've been set up by a mutual friend or someone within your network and don't want to make your reputation look bad or be disrespectful to the person who is doing the matchmaking. Even for a good amount of those cases, there are still ways you can bail. Bailing on dinner dates isn't some mission impossible task. No one is holding a gun to your head to stay. Many women want to raise their standards and not allow a man to disrespect them and that is good. Yet not many people want to point out that if you are having a hard time walking away from something as simple as a dinner date, you will have an even harder time walking away from bigger issues in the relationships.

Dinner dates are also really good for the vetting process in my personal experience. The vetting process tends to be much quicker. Especially if you're paying attention.

Dinning Etiquette

On average dinner dates tend to be more formal and come with a certain set of expectations. The more experience someone has with dinner dates - especially at elevated restaurants - the more comfortable they are going to be at that environment. It's a good way of figuring out how familiar the man is to this sort of setting. It will be portrayed in the way he holds himself, his reaction to the menu and his knowledge of what is on it, the things he says, and more. When he eats, you will be able to take notice of whether he is good at navigating what fork to use and when to use it or does he look perplexed at what to do with the different utensils spread out before him. Men are expected to pay, that is pretty established, but with a dinner date you get to observe just how he reacts to having to pay. There are men who will pay but will expect something in return. Or his body language might expose him to be reluctant, annoyed, or seem like he was forced to pass over his card. A man who is used to these dates will behave very naturally and won't be causing a fuss whether that is verbally or nonverbally. You want to know if after he pays, he remains a gentleman and continues to behave just the way he was always behaving before the bill came. Keep in mind, there are men who will pay for a coffee but have trouble with paying for dinner too which is why I personally think dinner dates are better at vetting.

Personality

I love a man who can hold conversation. I'm not interested in men who have trouble guiding the conversation and seem to be at a loss for anything interesting to say. Nothing bores me more. Dinner dates are good at weeding out men like this. Especially since there is more pressure and his ability of holding a conversation is tested a lot better in comparison to a coffee date. It can also tell you a lot about his personality when it comes to planning a date, but I don't want to ramble too much on that. Dinner dates are also a great excuse for men to behave like gentleman. Depending on how he executes his mannerisms it can let you identify if it's natural for him to be a gentleman or just a temporary act. Initial observation is not always a guarantee, and this might take observation of his actions throughout your relationship to know if he is just naturally a gentleman, but dinner dates speed up that process or help set up the standard for that sort of treatment.

Men aren't obtuse to women feeling pressure to stay during the dinner date. Plenty of men know that it is very unlikely for a woman to just get up and leave. Most of us have had that experience where your friend has a terrible date and she's going on and on about one disrespect after the other and you are horrified as to all the things this man does, but for a lot of men they look at it differently. It's where the advice of don't tell men about how badly men treated you in your past relationships formed due to men using it to gauge how they can treat you and your self-worth. It's the same. There are constant stories online that men can come across of women giving these horrific date stories, their female friends are probably ranting to them about it, and they themselves have probably heard it from their friends or have done this to a girl. Men know most women aren't going to leave and that becomes a great vetting opportunity. There is a high chance that you are going to come in contact with a man who will use this to his advantage to be disrespectful, and once you've seen that you only need to leave. Vetting? Done. Barely any effort in situations like those. Casual dates where a woman can easily excuse herself and leave are less likely - not impossible - to show that side of a man. Thus, he has a better chance of convincing you that he is a great potential partner. Enough time for your brain to get hooked on him and start to make decisions blindly. These men are a lot smarter than what women will give them credit for.

Casual is getting in your way

Whenever the topic of casual dates is brought up, it's always framed as a date that can help you weed out or vet people you don't like, but personally I believe it has a way of hindering progress. There is a lot to notice about the way a man plans his dates. During the talking stage there will be certain details mentioned and men who pay attention are going to reflect that on the date. It's a small indicator of gauging his interest and personality. You can also see if he is the type to think ahead and assess the situation accurately. Some men might take you out some place loud and overwhelming, resulting in the two of you having trouble connecting and interacting with each other. Ultimately illustrating that this guy doesn't seem to think ahead. It could be overlooked if this was a restaurant he has never been to or if he bounces back from that mistake and learns from it. All of which can give you insight into how he handles problems and whether that works for you in a relationship. With a date that requires more effort and time out of both parties, it's a lot easier to clearly notice this.

Even when it comes to the vetting process, dates that tend to show more effort, specifically the formal ones, tend to give more opportunities for you to ask more serious questions. Questions that could help you with your vetting process. Additionally, it's important to note that if you are surrounded by friends and family with different dating standards, you are more prone to opening yourself up to people discouraging you of your own standards. I have friends who like to be spoiled and I have friends who do 50/50. I don't really judge if a woman wants to live her way differently than me. I know I can stand firm on my boundaries and what I expect out of life. However, many of you reading this could be still working on yourselves, maybe trying to destroy people pleasing tendencies, or just insecure about dating in general. When you aren't used to a certain treatment, it's easier for people to demoralize you. There are going to be woman who think you are overreacting when you complain about your coffee not being paid for and some women will not be ready to stand behind their standards as easily as others when it's under scrutiny.

I could argue this all day honestly.

With Love, Heart💚

[green-alien-turdz]

Art tips for beginners? :3

I'm gonna try n be helpful here, but please keep in mind that I've been drawing my whole life, so I can't give you the perspective of someone who is just startin out.

1: Don't give up. Cheesy as fuck, I know. But you are gonna get pissed n fuckin angry when somethin doesn't turn out how you wanted it to. Don't let this discourage you! Use your mistakes and errors to keep on improving. There's no need to tear up drawings or delete anything that you aren't 100% satisfied with because you are growing in your abilities. AND TRUST that it is so rewarding to see your progress over time.

2: Challenge yourself n expect to hate it. Try all sorts of styles (cartoon, realism, or even just photo studies), do few details, do loads of details, do timed drawings, etc. Test the limits of what you can do. Similar to the previous advice, you need to allow yourself to be angry n hate the product that comes from this because you will eventually start finding your own creative style n process.

3: Don't pressure yourself beyond belief. You will not be an 'amazing' or 'visually appealing' artist from the get-go. If you are gettin burned out, allow yourself to take a break from time to time. With this though, once you start gettin more comfortable, even when you're burnt out creatively- I HEAVILY encourage you to keep doing small drawings OR other creative things to keep your mind going.

4: Experiment wit different mediums n shit like that! Explore! There is so many different forms of art to fuckin enjoy. Digital, traditional, watercolour, acrylic, clay, fuckin anything. When you get into non-digital mediums, keep cost in mind, but there are plenty of cheap alternatives that are great when you're startin out (also once you get 'better', you can control these much better, n they don't look like the initial cheap product). I personally use a lot of dollar tree shit n I used to steal from the art class in my school (but that was more out of necessity, if you can avoid it, please do. You can get in HUGE trouble if you're caught). But the main message is to experiment n try new things because there's so many different mediums out there.

5: Take in the world around you. Look at everything n think about how you could portray that in art. Really study the world. The faces people make when they don't think they're makin any, the grime that most people ignore building up on everyday objects, how people's body language says a LOT about how they feel, the way light casts in obscure ways, etc. Instead of just viewing the things around you, really look and take in the experience of bein human. Even impressionistic art holds these intricate details. You just have to be open to the experience.

6: Appreciate, but don't compare. I cannot stress dis shit enough, your art is your own, it is no one else's, so there's no need to harp on "oh this person draws x,y,and z better than me" n blah blah blah STOP! Dawg, you are doin your own shit, don't worry about if you're not on the same 'level' as others, or don't have the same 'capabilities' as some mfs. When you see other people's art, appreciate the things that they can do, but appreciate what you can do too! Especially when you're first really gettin your foot in the whole art shit, it is important to not judge your abilities compared to others who may have a lot more experience under their belt. I think it's totally okay to look at art n be like "oh that's super cool, I'd definitely like to improve on things like that", but never use it to put down your own art. This shit is subjective bro, you'll get to where you want to be. It takes a lot of time, it's not linear, but you WILL. It may not be how you expected it to look at first, but that's okay! Give yourself grace. Art is for you, at the end of the day.

You are gonna fight with yourself n the art itself, but that's totally normal! Art is one of the best forms of expression n I really hope the best for you. I know I was vague as shit n this isn't no tutorial on how to draw a realistic portrait or some shit- but that's because there's no right way to do this. Go balls to the walls or just dip your fuckin toes in. Approach it how you want, there's no right or wrong way to do art. I hope that this was somewhat helpful n I wasn't just spewin shit outta my ass n I truly wish you a good art journey

[nerdygaymormon]

Hi! I appreciate seeing all your supportive replies to people needing reassurance. I wonder if I could get some as well?

I haven't worn garments got for about 2 years, and my aunt finally asked me about it (she's the first person to do so). I told her the truth, which is that, as someone trying to figure out their gender and sexuality, I don't feel comfortable attending a church/temple that doesn't accept people like me.

All she said was "that was well-explained".

I waited for her to say more, but she didn't, so I quickly changed the subject.

I'm tired of not being supported. I don't want to be alone in this. I just want one of my family members to say that not only is it "ok" that I'm queer, they want to come with me on my journey and be there for me.

That's all :) any advice?

I recognize your courage in being honest when your aunt asked her question.

It's not usually appropriate for someone to ask about your underwear. How would your aunt feel being asked about hers? In LDS culture, our temple garments are representative of more than underwear, and so by asking you about wearing garments your aunt is actually asking about your relationship with the church.

I agree with your aunt, "that was well-explained."

Having that conversation with your aunt is likely the first step to having someone in your family who is willing to support you. If not support, at least to respect you and your decisions in regards to the LDS church.

One thing Steven Kapp Perry does before he comes out to someone, he tells them how he'd like them to respond. "I'm going to share something personal with you, and I'd like for you to react by affirming your love and support for me." In future conversations, you can let your family members know what reactions and support you want and expect from them.

My experience with Mormons is they are very uncomfortable with someone stepping aside from the religion. They aren't sure how to match their discomfort with any show of support. They worry their support for you means being disloyal to the church. They have to learn that they can love and support you in your journey and it's not a reflection on their feelings about the church.

Regardless of whether your family is ready to go beyond saying it's "ok" that you're queer, you showing that you're confident and secure in yourself as a queer person will help them see this is a good path for you.

I'm immensely proud of you for figuring out what is the better path for yourself and then going forward. That's huge! I'm also so impressed that you were forthright with your aunt. Being authentic with her was a vulnerable thing to do, and something which is likely to lead to a better relationship as it will be built on honesty and respect.

You're making great strides in choosing the life you want to live!

Much love to you!

[cosplayinamerica]

Hobgoblin from Spiderman : thehobgoblin238

I decided to do The Hobgoblin because I loved the dynamic of his character and how long it actually took in the comics to reveal his identity. I've always seen the more popular characters from Spider Man being cosplayed and I wanted to do something different and original. I'm kinda shy so being a villain really brings out the creative side in me and allows me to be more outgoing and really have fun with something outside of my normal personality. Plus I like to think of him as the Joker of the Marvel Universe.

The process was very long. I started simple with cloth and learning how to sew. I used bed sheets and various materials around the house to create this since I was new to crafts and the cosplay world. I eventually got better at sewing, found better material along with the help of my friends at ShapeShifterZ to come up with a great pattern, comfortable fit and the look I was going for. It was challenging learning how to sew leather, it's expensive and you only get one shot at it. I first used makeup for my face but I couldn't get it to look menacing enough. I tried a pumpkin masks I got from a Halloween store and eventually partnered with CFX to have them make a custom mask that moves with my face and mouth.

Once I felt confident and satisfied with the outfit, I knew I needed to complete the entire ensemble and really make The Hobgoblin who he is, his glider. I watched a lot of YouTube videos, asked other cosplay friends for advice and eventually came up with the simple design you see me rolling around cons with. The one you see today is the fourth version because the others were not stable enough and fell apart. The entire costume took a couple of years to put together but it was a lot of trial and error, testing it out at cons and feedback from friends.

Everyone seems to love the originality of the costume and how it looks like it jumped off the page of a comic book. I couldn't ask for a better response. I carry around extra pumpkin bombs for the kids, who aren't afraid of me, to take cool and interesting pictures with them. They seem to get a kick out of it and I usually tell them to stay evil and the parents get a good laugh out of it. One of the things I find funny at cons besides telling kids to stay evil, is when I notice people video taping me or asking me to ride around so they can get video. I usually throw a pumpkin bomb at their camera/phone. Don't worry it's a plush toy and very soft. They seem to enjoy it and it makes for a really fun and cool video.

The biggest compliment I ever got was from John Romita Jr. He was behind his booth and came out from around the table and the first words out of his mouth were "Wow, this is amazing! Better than anything I could have imagined in real life." He gave me a big hug and just admired my version of bringing his character to life. He gave me once piece of advice and he said I needed to add a big red eye and a small red eye. He stressed that that was a distinct characteristic of The Hobgoblin and the next time he sees me I better have that. I told him, no problem "Dad" I'll get it done. He had a good chuckle, signed a few items for me and told me I did a great job. I think getting compliments like those from the original artists are the best compliments a cosplayer can get. I've gotten similar reactions from Stan Lee, Tom Holland and Jacob Batalon. But Ill save those stories for another time.

I used to be really introverted, to some extent I still am, but cosplaying has really allowed me to connect with people, have fun and really get out of my shell. I'm always excited to go to a new cons or cons I've been to before and show off my Hobgoblin and now The Klaw, another obscure marvel character. I really makes me feel good and happy to hear all the great compliments and how they've seen me at other cons and are excited to meet me. I do this for the love of cosplay and being around other creative artist. I don't have many followers, nor am I interested in getting a ton, but it's always great when I get recognized and people ask to have thier photo taken with me. Those smiles, laughter and good times make riding on that tiny hoverboard all day totally worth it.

If you ever see me at a con feel free to say hi, share stories and talk nerdy. Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Anime or anything in between, I love it all. I'm never in a hurry to go anywhere, even though I'm speeding down the aisle ways, so shout out "Hobgoblin" and I'm more than happy to stop, take a few photos and enjoy the con with you. Most importantly "If you got a problem, call Hobgoblin"

-----

Video : Parks and Cons

[ereardon]

Happy 30th birthday babe 😚

As someone who is entering their 20s got any advice? If you want to give some lmao

Aww thank you!!

Oh my GOSH yes I have so much! Literally never ask advice from me unless you want it lol because that's my personality I love to be the person who gives advice to friends.

Don't let fear make you miss out on things — solo traveling, taking that new job and leaving something comfortable, going on that date, etc

Prioritize friends who prioritize you. This one was hard for me but in my 20s I learned that people who make time for you are the ones worth your time and energy. All of my friends live in different cities and states and I make an effort with every single one of them and they do the same. People who you have to chase aren't worth your time.

Tell your family you love them! I lost my cousin when we were both 22. She was the closest thing I had to a sister, and I miss her all the time. I wish I could tell her I loved her one more time.

Invest in yourself. If you like workout classes over the gym, build that time into your schedule and budget for it if it's a priority. Buy the nicer sweater because it'll last 5x as long as the cheaper one. Dress up for work or a date or just to go run errands. If you feel better you'll be more successful!

Don't wait to do things. Drink the good wine on a Tuesday because why the hell not? Burn that special candle someone gifted you for no reason. Wear the pretty party dress you bought for a wedding out to dinner. Be your own main character!

Don't try to do too much. Feel free to narrow it down to what truly interests you. I spent way too much of my 20s trying to get into things I didn't really care about (critically acclaimed movies, workout classes that weren't a fit).

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Also, don't be afraid to voice your opinion or concern. I'm 30 and I still feel like a little kid sometimes when I share an opinion to someone older than me or maybe they're more advanced in their career or they hold a higher position than me. It's easy to feel intimidated by others and to think less of yourself. Guess what? They're just as scared and naive as you are! But maybe they hide it better. Don't be afraid to ask questions because you'll never know the answer if you don't.

You come first! Other people — romantic partners, even family — come second. Mental health is key. You can't care about people if you're not caring for yourself.

20s are great! You got this boo!

[petruchio]

hope this isn't a weird and irrelevant reply to your personal post but honestly i really get what you mean. tbh i've been there too. i get how being in a place where you're confident in some aspects of yourself and doing enviable (?) things can be pretty isolating, especially if you're (perceived as) a woman, you feel like you're good at [insert some skills that matter to you], and you generally like the way you look. it can feel like you lack empathy because you don't share some of the insecurities that people around you experience and bond over (though you may be struggling with something different that they don't get), it can feel like you can't tell if you're a good friend or not because others talk about you in terms of what you've accomplished or what you have rather than who you are as a person, it can feel like your positive emotions aren't real because they're atypical and viewed as "unrelatable" idk. i feel like loving yourself and believing in your abilities is a net good but not a substitute for being around people who actually relate to your experiences. for me it's essentially feeling likable but not understandable (or understood), and ime it's something that isn't "solved" by having a lot of friends. it makes sense if you feel like that's not enough. not sure if any of this is actually similar to what you're going through, but i hope you get the chance to be around people who Get It, and i hope you feel less alone soon. you seem like a genuinely kind person on top of being great at writing/analysis -- i love the way you write about the things you're excited about. wishing you all the best <3

it's not weird or irrelevant AT ALL! it honestly always does make me feel better when i come on here and speak about something i'm struggling with and other people say, hey, yeah, me too. especially when the thing i'm complaining about is feeling alone, it's comforting to know that other people feel the same way. like, we're all lonely together, which makes us less alone in our loneliness.

and yeah i think you're right -- confidence is one of those weird things where the more you work on it, the more difficult it can become to relate to other people. people are always telling me i'm so confident and asking my advice on things and i'm always like... idk how to tell you to just stop caring what people are thinking. i mean, obviously i do care what people think of me, but maybe the problem is that because i'm my own worst critic, i can't imagine anyone hating me more than i already hate myself, which paradoxically means that i assume everyone loves me? or maybe it's because i can't imagine anyone genuinely giving a shit about what i do, so it's easy to just do whatever i want. because it's not that i don't care what people think, but just that i pretty much assume they aren't thinking about me, so why would i bother trying to impress them? (like some of my friends will describe in detail the logic behind their instagram story posts. and i'm just like... do you really think other people are noticing this? do you really think people care that much what you, some random person, is posting? it's kind of crazy to spend so much time thinking about yourself through the lens other people. just post if you think it's funny, or don't. nobody is actually thinking that much about you.)

but to your point, i feel like that is kind of where a lot of the loneliness comes from. because people describe certain insecurities or thought patterns that they have, and i'm just like yeah i truly cannot relate to that, or yeah, i would never do that. and when i do express things i'm struggling with, people act so shocked and never offer any kind of support because they're like "but your life is so perfect!" (which is INSANE! nobody has a perfect life! and i know it sounds like the most obnoxious problem ever, like oh my life is so great that nobody believes me when i say i'm still inexplicably sad, but it is a really isolating and lonely existence!!) and then i guess it kind of becomes a cycle where people say or do certain things, i don't relate to them at all, and then i wonder why i'm still struggling so much even though i'm honestly doing fine, and then i feel guilty for even struggling or feeling down because i don't really know what else i can do to get better, since again, i'm objectively doing fine.

i get what you mean about feeling likable but not understandable. recently i was on a second or third date with someone, and i had this weird out of body experience where it was like, i could see myself doing everything right -- i could see that he was totally into me and that i was saying all the right things and laughing at the right times and making the right jokes, but i didn't feel like a person? i knew i could make him like me, and that it wouldn't even be that hard, but i knew he would never actually know me, not even if we kept dating for years. he would always have just "liked" me, like you said. it was a really weird and uncomfortable feeling. i came home and wrote in my journal "sometimes i feel like i'm so good at pretending to be a person that i don't feel like i'm actually a person at all"

SORRY for these long rambling answers. i guess i'm feeling some type of way about my inability to function normally lately. being 24 is just weird i guess. it's uncomfortable and awkward and frustrating, and so much of it feels like this sense of cognitive dissonance between being really good at acting like an adult but still feeling like you just want to scream and cry and throw things like a toddler but you know you can't. i guess someday it will all make sense. or maybe it won't. but i'll keep writing about it either way <333

[theobsessiveloser18]

Headcanons of being best friends with Tory Nichols

•She was Miguel's girlfriend when you met her (as his best friend and almost older/younger sister, he think it was appropriate for you to meet her) she was too different from you, you don't know if because of that, or because she was an overly conscious teenager (unlike of Sam that you hated, maybe because she was too similar to you) you loved her and she loved you

•They became fast friends, spending time together without Miguel being involved.

•You were also Aisha's friend, so the 3 of them became the best friends of all time, it was weird for people not to see them together, they became the best-known trio of school friends (the karate girls and their chick the protected)

•Tory opens your eyes to the evil of the world, how important it was to develop character to survive, and since it's not bad to not always be the best person of the day (a topic that tormented you) you help her survive, you support her with your brother and his mother, looking for a way to have their pockets full at the end of the month, getting to work together (sometimes you give her part of your payment, she doesn't like it very much, but you don't need the money as much as she does), you are her greatest moral compass, she always comes to you for advice, comfort and a good listening ear, she knows that deep down you condemn her bad girl behavior, but also that you have never shown any double standards with her.

•If they aren't hanging out together, they'll be on long phone calls (with or without Aisha) so you were quite surprised one day when you texted her, at the time you knew she had left work and she didn't reply (After a day work, Tory needs to vent, but now the hard thing for her is not to survive the injustices of the world, the hard thing is to breathe in a world which is inhabited by Samantha Larusso

"It's a real pain in the womb, but I think the reason I can't stand her, is because I'm more like her than I'd like, 2 stupid girls who have never worked for what they have, and can't understand the behavior of a certain 'type of people' to whom life has treated them like a bag of garbage, and they do not deserve your attention, only your criticism for their 'troublesome' aura and 'low morality', so pathetic ”and the real Tory nichols was so upset you thought she was going to slap you

"Listen to me carefully, why if I have to repeat this to you again, when I finish speaking you will have a knife buried in your vagina, Larusso would beg to have some of your human decency in her fingernail" you swallowed dryly, she sighed tired and more calm she continued "It's not your fault that life has been fairer to you, in that sense I suppose 'Sweetys princess' isn't either, but the difference between you and her is that you listen to people, you try to understand them, and you're not only concerned about your point of view, you and Aisha are the best people I've met in 17 damn years of life, even my boyfriend doesn't make that list, don't torture yourself, you really are a good person”

"Thank you" was all you could say

Her confrontations with the princess make Tory feel like a mess, and you walk in to comfort her.

"Don't worry Tory, it wasn't your fault, Sam shouldn't have accused you of stealing her mom."

either

"I understand your anger, but I think that pushing Sam on the track was not the best option, his enmity will last longer, and Miguel can get angry with you"

"He was on my side, he's great"

"He is, but... sorry for saying this, but I think he still hasn't gotten over it" you noticed the pain in her voice when she said

"Someday he's going to have to get her out of her mind, right?"

"You shouldn't be the girl I used to get over her ex-girlfriend" she leaned back on your shoulder.

"I don't think she's going to get any better from the world"

"Believe me, you'll do it, you deserve it" you gave him a small kiss on the head)

Your suspicions were true when you found out about the fight at school the next day, you didn't know whether to thank God for missing, or curse under your breath , you could have stopped Tory

•You visited her while she was in juvie (also Robby, you were so upset that Johnny had almost abandoned him and so frustrated that they wouldn't let you bring her practically anything from the outside world) she appreciated visiting time, you told her a lot of things (minus the fact that Miguel and Sam seemed to have reunited, after the boy woke up, for obvious reasons) you brought him certain things and took care of his family until they released her

•You wanted Tory to have a party in case she came back but Aisha had recently moved away, and your friend is very sad about it, and she wasn't in the mood for noisy and lively moments even with you, but they took her brother to the park and ate liters of ice cream while watching the embarrassing romantic comedies of all time.

•Miguel was pretty mad at you for continuing to hang out with Tory, but you weren't abandoning the girl.

•you were quite surprised that he was still practicing karate after all that had happened, you thought Kreese was a cynical son of the devil, kyler was not right in the head, and the other students seemed like a horror comedy, but she was firm about it

"Karate is the only thing that motivates me not to give up now, neither this nor Sensei Kreese are to blame for what happened, Miguel and they are going to get what they deserve, everyone who bothers me is going to wish they had been aborted.” His words worried you, but then Robby entered the dojo and you caught a glimpse of peace.

•Sometimes you go to look at the keys, the sensei doesn't bother you, and the cobras have a neutral opinion about you

•You love watching robby try to make progress with tory

"He's fascinated with you, I'm serious Tory, if you don't care, when you least see him coming he'll steal a kiss from you"

"don't talk nonsense , no boy who cares a bit for his cheap ass would even think of trying to steal a kiss from me."

"You haven't seen how he looks at you, not even Mr. Darcy could look at such a passionate look, my holy God, It's sooo comely" your friend laughed a little at your attitude

"It's striking" she answered with a nervous smile, they both noticed it, and she changed the expression on her face to a stoic look that lately you've been seeing frequently "But I think she still doesn't surpass the princess, and sometimes he behaves way too pure to be a cobra definitely wouldn't notice me”

“believe me the girl left her mind a long time ago... and tory we all noticed you”

•You were the happiest person in the world when your friends started dating and when Tory won the championship, you waited for her to come out, you hugged and you rolled her in the air, you walked home in a side hug

"It was obvious that you were going to win, none of those fans had prepared as much as you"

“Thank you for staying until the end”

"Whenever you want... are you alright?"

"Just a little tired, mopping bitches is fun but exhausting. You know what I mean?" you laughed a little

"Yes, I think a little"

"But I do not reject a hamburger combo, you stay to sleep"

"Yes my lady" she gave you a kiss on the cheek, and rested her head on your shoulder

•Winning the championship did not bring any positive change in Tory, what's more, you could say that she made things a bit worse, she had never been so depressed, you didn't know what to do to help her

"Y/N believe me you have already done a lot for me, you are the person who has made me smile the most in life, and that will never change"

•Shortly after you found out about the problem she was having with Cobra Kai, and it all made sense to you.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I thought you might be hurt"

"Okay Tory, you did what you thought was best for everyone."

"But it wasn't worth it, Silver and Kim continue to rot minds and Larusso ended up demotivating me, I don't know how I could have thought that he would help me, she is still a dancer in his glass box, instead my best friend would surely have encouraged me to leave this stupid plan long before, really sorry”

"Calm down Tory, I'm sure what you did will be worth it... in the meantime let's pawn our dresses and buy cheap land" Your friend smiled excitedly, game night for you

•After Silver fell you had the perfect idea, it was time for Tory to take a break from so much crap, 'Day off for Nichols', it was hard but you managed to convince her, Robby and Mrs. Larusso would take care of her brother and mom

•They started the trip in a car, you drive while your faithful co-pilot marveled looking out the window, it had been a long time since he had taken a trip, and he was definitely enjoying it, they sang the songs you had listed at the top of their lungs: try, Carreles whisper, i will suviver, Billie Jean, among others

•You hadn't told her where they were going so she was really excited, they walked a long time to their destination

"Here it is"

"Wow I don't know what to say, I was hoping for anything but you would buy me a house in Santa Barbara, 5 hours from where I currently live, you want me quite far from you, huh?" she gave you a mischievous look and you rolled your eyes "But hey who would protest in front of a Free house, so thank you" hug you

“Lummox, the gift is not the house, it is who is inside it”

"And who is there?"

"You will tell me" You knocked on the door before Tory's confused look, after several seconds, Aisha opened the door as surprised as the blonde, they both screamed and hugged each other, still with the girl in her arms, she said.

"When you said that they would visit me one day, I did not imagine that they would or that they would come without warning"

"Hey!, best friends never forget, also what is the point of surprises if you know they are going to happen"

"Come here arrogant genius" They pulled your hands, and you joined the now group hug

•They talked non-stop for hours, they had a lot to tell each other, they watched a movie, and they got to know Santa Bárbara, the most impressive thing... they did a lot of shopping, they wouldn't go home empty-handed

•They spent the night at Aisha's house, and after breakfast they began the return trip

"I love you"

"It's mutual, you know, Tory."

[scottxlogan]

I think that moving from live journal to tumblr was very damaging for fandom as a community. Tumblr is a very easy place to share images, meta, etc. but it’s not a good place to have discussions or try to form connections. Forum sites like Reddit can be better for certain fandoms, but you have to curate your experience. I’m sorry you’re seeing a lot of negativity. The best thing I can advise is to not be afraid to block people liberally. If someone is constantly posting negative discourse or going after people for different interpretations I don’t see it because I block them. As for leaving feedback on fics, there’s always going to be a percentage of any fandom that’s not going to for whatever reason. I try to be good about it if I like the story, but again it’s not like livejournal where the author is someone I know from discussion posts or participation in another fandom, etc. Their fics on ao3 are separate from their other fandom presence and that can be both good and bad. I really do miss fandom communities, tags on tumblr are just not the same thing.

I'll answer this under the cut for those who might not want to have to scroll through my response.

Thanks for the insight anon. I think you make some very valid points. I joined fandom after the end of live journal but was fortunate enough to find it along the way and meet some of the fandom community over there. It felt like there was a sense of connect and community over there and I regret that most of the height of that was before my time. Tumblr has been good in some ways and I see that Discord is attempting to bring back the notion of community being able to have real time conversations, but still it feels a lot of discord communities are a bit cliquish especially with new people coming on into an established community where as when LJ was still dying and barely hanging on and I was the too late outsider I met some really awesome people from fandom that to this day are my friends even though we've all kind of veered in different directions. Thanks for the blocking advice. I do block those who reach out to me on Tumblr here in being nasty. If something doesn't make me comfortable I will take the time to ensure I don't have to deal with that. With VPNs it proves to be difficult, but most of the trolling comes over on AO3 where I've also taken to moderating comments on specific fics that draw in trolling. It's just sad to see that people are so set on spreading negativity or not engaging at all. I know that it's always a small percent of the fandom that do engage and I'm appreciative of those who do. It's just sometimes when you see something you've worked on gets a few hundred views and there's not a like and/or comment on it you question things like did the readers just decide to nope out on it because they didn't like it? Was it a waste of time all around or is it something that people aren't really interested in delving deeper into. Being an artist whether traditional, digital or writing always breeds a sense of uncertainty and with that I guess we have that little insecure voice at times (at least I do) that asks those types of questions. I can understand your feeling of disconnect between here and AO3 and various places and not really knowing the author like you would've in the LJ community. I try to keep the same name everywhere if I can to keep a connect between my stuff, but I know most people don't and it's hard to get caught up in things where you know someone based on their posts, but you don't really know them. I've had people tell me we've been mutuals on Tumblr for a while and I don't think we reach out often or at all in some cases like people would've on LJ. The world is changing for sure and it's kind of sad. I have no doubts that you're great in engaging those you know since you took the time to reach out to me here, which I truly do thank you for. It's nice to hear other's opinions on the subject every now and then. Thank you for being so kind and insightful and I hope that the fandom experience is treating you right where you are! Thanks again!

[gabnonymous]

where have i been?

man... where do i even start?

i thought i'd make this post for the few people who've been wondering as to what i've been doing this past month. i've also been wanting to post on here for a while now.

nonstop studying

it shouldn't come as a surprise for some to know that i take my studies, somewhat seriously, though if i had the choice to pursue my studies or make videos, i'd probably take the latter just because its so much easier for me to do. i kmow studying is better for me in "the long run", but at this point it's been draining too much of my self-esteem... who thought it'd be a great idea to throw 10th grade math problems towards an art student who hasn't touched math in a year?

but no. i've been studying nonstop to take multiple college entrance exams throughout this year. the cool thing about being an asian is that you're required to go to college, or you'll starve on the streets... at least that's what my family's been telling me everytime they see my failing scores in my diagnostic exams... completely disregarding the fact i got an award for being an honor student a week prior.

after taking my first college entrance exam, paired with the fact i haven't gotten proper sleep in a while... my eye started twitching. i might be making it a much bigger deal than it is, especially now that it's stopped twitching for a while now... it still bugs me. doesn't help knowing i've had consistent headaches every time i wake up since then.

don't get me wrong, i'm grateful to have the resources i have for me to have a "good studying environment"... but man, i really wish i could do things differently, because who would've guessed that online classes don't help me in the slightest, and i can't even go against taking those classes because my family paid a shit ton of money for the course. it just feels like i have to take these classes instead of actually gaining something.

dwindling social life

i haven't opened up about this before, since it's still a relatively touchy subject, but i know that if i continue to keep it to myself for long, things aren't gonna get better either way.

following an inner conflict i had with a now-ex close friend after telling an inappropriate joke, followed by a brief emotional meltdown, i decided to voluntarily leave my friend group with the intention to try and grow as a person, alone.

and although i've apologised to everyone, and it's been a month since it happened, i still don't feel even remotely close to feeling comfortable being around the friend group anymore. ever since the incident, i've willingly isolated myself socially from anyone, trying my best to keep to myself and only ever interacting with people when they approach me, which sounds reasonable, but that also means having to spend long periods of time, with my own thoughts, inside of a classroom with people you feel scared to even look at.

i've been through therapy multiple times in my life, and have heard the same kind of advice time and time again from many people, and i have yet to see any significant progress towards my mental wellbeing for near close to a year now at this point. i know these kinds of situations require time... but there just comes a point where you start to wonder when that "time" will come.

i've tried virtually everything i could think of to try and combat my thoughts, with no improvement. it's come to a point where i've been intenting to see a psychologist just to try and get a concrete reason as to why i've been acting this way for this long... am i extremely anxious? am i depressed? or am i just a shitty person to be with?

sadly, if i do see a psychologist, it won't be till next year. so, i'll have to live with these thoughts through the following months.

life

who would've thought that my voice actors also go to school? that was sarcasm, by the way, i think it was pretty obvious.

i'm currently waiting for some of my voice actors to finish up their lines for an upcoming short. i was planning to have said short to be the first video to be uploaded onto the channel after a while... but by the looks of it, it might be the 2nd as i'm closing in on a gaming video i've recently finished recording for.

it sucks, but some things are simply out of my control. i don't like pressuring people to do what i want, so all i can really do, is wait. i just hope people do the same, even though it's been a while now.

conclusion (tldr, sort of)

i'm really sad and busy. school's been kicking my ass twice and i'm working on 3 videos at the same time.

am i happy? probably, i dunno. being stressed beats doing nothing, so, eh.

stay safe, yall.

[kahran042]

The latest batch of JCGTL quotes!

Mark: Have you noticed how hot your sister's gotten? Connor: glares Mark: …because I have not! (Source: Arrow) (Mark Seaver, Connor Urquhart)

Jonas: Yeah, but as far as plans go, this is not a good one. Brad: Jonas, this was your plan. Jonas: I didn't think you'd actually say yes. (Source: Arrow) (Jonas Corbin, Brad Thompson)

Thom: Croquet is a gentleman's game. Mark: That's hard to believe. I've played before and I can tell you the temptation to misuse these things is awful. (Source: Calvin and Hobbes) (Thom Anderson, Mark Seaver)

Zane: Can you take me to the mall to get a dress? Cynthia: Okay. First of all, I'm so glad you felt comfortable enough to come to me with that, and you know what? If this is something you want to explore- Zane: Oh, it's not for me. It's for Sarah, but you handled that really well. (Source: Dr. Ken) (Zane Kessler, Cynthia Kessler)

Connor: Morgan… Please wait for me… And…please… …don't let a lecherous young jock, who shall remain nameless, near you. Mark: Connor! Chloe: Mark… Aren't you EVER going to grow up? (Source: Final Fantasy VI) (Connor Urquhart, Mark Seaver, Chloe Seaver)

Alicia: I mean, why can't you all just get along? Mia: Because we hate each other. Chloe: That's kind of how rivalries work. (Source: Gravity Falls) (Alicia Ramsey, Mia Thompson, Chloe Seaver)

Jonas: Can I be excused? Teacher: You need to go to the restroom? Jonas: Nah, I just hate this. (Source: iCarly) (Jonas Corbin)

Samantha: Jonas, can I have a story? Jonas: Once upon a time, there was a little girl who made her brother so crazy, he decided to sell her to a circus. Samantha: An evil circus? Jonas: No, a nice one with monkeys. Samantha: Thank you. (Source: Malcolm in the Middle) (Samantha Corbin, Jonas Corbin)

Samantha: What do you mean the moon is gonna make me bleed? I’ll make the moon bleed! (Source: Moone Boy) (Samantha Corbin)

Alicia: I don't want to hurt their feelings! Jonas: Hurt their feel- Do you just walk around all day, thinking about other people's feelings? Alicia: Yeah, don't you? Jonas: No! How do you get anything done? (Source: New Girl) (Alicia Ramsey, Jonas Corbin)

Nate: I’m usually one of those people who likes the first day of school. You know, new pens, new books, new backpack. Jonas: A nerd. Nate: Exactly! (Source: One Tree Hill) (Nate Kellerman, Jonas Corbin)

Nate: I know you're not used to this, but maybe you should just try to keep it chill and see what happens. Chloe: Great advice. Impossible to follow, but great advice. (Source: Parks and Recreation) (Nate Kellerman, Chloe Seaver)

Chloe: A cookie just tastes better when it's someone else's. Justin, from another room: WHAT HAPPENED TO MY COOKIE? Chloe: smug grin as she takes another bite (Source: Rugrats) (Chloe Seaver, Justin Seaver)

Jonas: Why does everybody always assume Nate has a plan? Maybe someone else has a plan. Nate: Good. Go ahead. Jonas: Oh. That was just hypothetically. (Source: Runaways) (Jonas Corbin, Nate Kellerman)

Morgan: You actually rank the girls in this school by their appearance? Mark: Calm down, twelve! Morgan (to herself): Yes, top twenty! (Source: Scrubs) (Morgan Urquhart, Mark Seaver)

Kiera: You've got to apologize. Chloe: Why? Kiera: Because it’s the mature and adult thing to do. Chloe: How does that affect me? (Source: Seinfeld) (Kiera Bernhardt, Chloe Seaver)

Mark: Don't you sometimes hate yourself? Connor: Constantly. (Source: Sunset Boulevard) (Mark Seaver, Connor Urquhart)

Jonas is giving Kiera a piggyback ride Kiera: wearing a skirt If you turn around, I'll slap you. Jonas: This doesn't seem fair. (Source: Sword Art Online) (Jonas Corbin, Kiera Bernhardt)

Jonas: When you look up at the stars and realize what an insignificant speck of lint you are compared to the humongous immensity of the infinite universe, you’ve got to ask yourself…how much does a final paper really matter, anyway? (Source: The Adventures of Pete and Pete) (Jonas Corbin)

Brad: We can't accuse Mark, we don't have enough evidence. Chloe: You're right. Let's plant some! (Source: The Loud House) (Brad Thompson, Chloe Seaver)

Ashley: gives Christi a friendship bracelet Christi: What is this bizarre shackle? (Source: The Loud House) (Ashley Cournane, Christi Wong)

Jonas: My friends have always got my back. Except for Chloe. You never turn your back on Chloe. (Source: The Loud House) (Jonas Corbin)

Chloe: Something's wrong with Jonas! We are his friends, so we all know what we're gonna do! Brad: Respect his privacy? Chloe: No! (Source: The Loud House) (Chloe Seaver, Brad Thompson)

Jessica: I'd like everybody's attention. Christmas is canceled. Nina: You can't cancel a holiday. Jessica: Keep it up, Nina, and you'll lose New Year's. Nina: What does that mean? Jessica: Ashley, take New Year's away from Nina. (Source: The Office) (Jessica Beaumont, Nina Chapman)

Brad: Would you please not Jonas this into a situation worse than it already is? Jonas: Hang on, did you just use my name as a verb? (Source: The Switch) (Brad Thompson, Jonas Corbin)

Morgan: Who hurt you? Connor: Do you want a list? Morgan, cracking her knuckles: Yes, I do. (Source: Tumblr) (Morgan Urquhart, Connor Urquhart)

Jonas: I've got 99 problems and 98 of them can be attributed to poor time management and self-control. (Source: Tumblr) (Jonas Corbin)

Nate: Things I love: space, the ocean. Things I am terrified of: space, the ocean. (Source: Tumblr) (Nate Kellerman)

Mark: We should all appreciate the small things in life. picks up Chloe You are appreciated. Chloe: Put me down now or I swear I'll kill you in your sleep. (Source: Tumblr) (Mark Seaver, Chloe Seaver)

Lydia: Once I had a crush on a girl and I didn’t know how to deal with it, so I just wrote her a letter that said “get out of my school.” Morgan: That was you? (Source: Twitter) (Lydia Renfrew, Morgan Urquhart)

Donna: My handsome son, I would cross oceans and move mountains for you. I would fly into the darkness if I knew it would make you happy. Jonas: Can I have a Dorito? Donna: I'm sorry but these are, unfortunately, my Doritos. (Source: Twitter) (Donna Corbin, Jonas Corbin)

Kiera: I wasn't done talking. Chloe: I was done listening. (Source: Victorious) (Kiera Bernhardt, Chloe Seaver)

Mark: Even our friends don't want us around. Connor: Lauren's not my friend, I only tolerate Thom, no one likes Nick, and Kyle's basically a pet. Kyle: Arf! (Source: Victorious) (Mark Seaver, Connor Urquhart, Kyle Levy)

Jadyn: Whatever I did, I have proof I didn't do it. (Source: White Collar) (Jadyn Beaumont)

[smokedanced]

@virmireisms

munday prompts    /    ACCEPTING ↷

Favourite character excluding my muses from... OFMD: Hmmm... I love a lot of them but to just pick one, maybe Oluwande. I like his stable, calm energy. Mass Effect: Liara, if I had to only pick one. I love her character arc, I love the complexity between her and Shepard (her handing Shep's body over to Cerberus) balancing the softness of their dynamic.

Advice for veteran RPers Find a balance with remembering to first and foremost roleplay for yourself without forgetting that this is a social and communal hobby. You don't have to conform to anything that takes away from your joy, and in your own indie blog, your own accessibility and comfort comes before other people's. It's OK to not mesh well with everyone, just be honest about it if you're not willing/able to accommodate. You don't owe anybody anything, but unless you are giving your mutuals something, you're not likely to have a great time yourself. If it's at the cost of your comfort or (mental) health, then don't, and please do put yourself first, but also if you pay attention to people even if it's simply by liking something they post every once in a while, you're more likely to have people pay attention to you in return, and thus have a better time yourself. This is a hard thing to word because there are people out there who go above and beyond and put others first and burn themselves out and those people need to hear the "put yourself first" part; and there are people (not talking about my mutuals) who take putting themselves first to an extreme and think they are entitled to being given to when not giving in return who would benefit more of the "take a fuck, give a fuck" approach. If you think about "am I giving enough" then yes you are, almost surely.

tldr you don't owe anyone anything, but if you choose to be kind to people with even small gestures you probably will have a more fun time roleplaying, yourself. Not owing it doesn't mean you can't do it.

Bonus point, if at all possible, try to learn to communicate in an emotionally mature manner. Don't hint, don't guilt-trip, don't vague post; learn to ask for what you want directly (but kindly and not expecting the other person to give it to you) and to enforce the boundaries you have set. People aren't mind-readers.

Friendly / Seeking new rp partners? I try to be friendly! I think I am, although I run out of social energy fast and have executive dysfunction and memory issues and trouble holding conversation or responding as fast as many other people. I think I am friendly when I am chatting with people, but I also go quiet without a warning for long stretches of time and am better with sparse messages than real time chatting (no need to worry about crossing any boundaries with this as I am extremely good at setting boundaries and will simply only message people when I feel up for it). I have tried to be upfront about this in my rules! And yes, I am always seeking new RP partners.

Shipping... Yes, I love to ship! I also think there's needless prejudice against people who like romantic shipping more than they like platonic roleplays, and I wish people were less afraid to proudly say they love shipping; thus while romantic shipping is not more important to me than any other kinds of muse connections, I feel the need to say that I'm not saying that to act superior to people who prefer romantic shipping to other connections. I love to ship, and it's one way to build strong storylines, but what's important to me is the building of strong storylines, regardless of the nature of the muse relationship.

[sunbloomdew]

wooooooo writing wip game! thanks for tagging me my lovely <3

so like my wip titles are usually very to the point, unless i'm doing comfort writing. okay i lied, the comfort writing files also get titles like "comfort writing shit"

so it will just be "chapter 1" or "[fandom] prologue" and it will be in a folder for that specific fandom this fic is from. literally just that. my original stuff doesn't have any wips actually, it just stays in my head.

but. some of them do have actual names, so i can share them :]

two amphibian lovers

★ wip for a fanfic of my candy love with an mc x lysander parring. i have quite a lot of ideas about it and in general about rewriting the game's storyline (what storyline?) but i mostly imagine this story as a comic so there is very little actually written down in this wip. literally one sentence. still i like the title bc it's a song lyric from "frog" by cavetown :]

flowers for jinora

★ a legend of korra fic in the 5+1 format with different characters gifting jinora with flowers. each holds different meaning. i had this idea because i love jinora and i want her to have nice things :3

a day in the life of the blade & have mercy, oh great blood god

★ okay, this is incredibly funny to me. both of those are wips for what was meant to be technoblade-centric fanfics of an harry potter au created by one of my favourite mcyt artists (and internet artists in general now). i even asked them if i could write a fic with their headcanons for characters and received their permission. and then poof, all my interest in continuing vanished! also those two aren't even separate projects, these are literally the same file just renamed for some reason and i just checked now lol

i was enchanted to meet you

ayyyyyy now we're getting to the good stuff! olba oc (haru) x baxter ward fic about their first meeting at the soiree, featuring some canon alternations, haru being an accidentally charismatic fool and baxter being quite intrigued by the kid that appeared at a closed party out of nowhere. title very obviously from a taylor swift song "enchanted".

is it crazy to hope that we might get there soon?

olba project that takes place after baxter's romantic step 4, in the 5+1 format, that follows haru and baxter trying to rebuild their friendship after 5 years of no contact. title from cavetown song "a kind thing to do" :3

you're the one who told me my hair looked better black

fic about baxter's relationship with his parents. there is no further idea, i just like this line as a title for a baxter-centric fic. title from a song by the amazing devil "shower day".

will byers is the unwillingly appointed couples therapist of hawkings high

...yeah, figure this one out. basically a silly idea i had that will is like a relationships advice guru at hawkings high, despite never dating anyone because he is smart and has basic empathy lmao. so people come ask him for advice and he just gives incredibly generic statements like "be honest" and others are like "shit, this guy's a genius". and mike is pining in the background somewhere.

feather light touches and bear hugs

found family hobbit fic!! cause i love dwarves and i love hobbits :3

curse your golden soul, child

★ i almost forgot about this one but it's an olba pirate au :]

so these were all my interestingly named wips that are word files, but i took a look at my google docs to see what's up there (i used it very briefly, i have always preferred writing in word) and lo and behold they have names. here are some of them:

the way the waves reverberate (down my frame, across my vertebrae)

★ yet another harubax wip, i think it's meant to take place in step 4 or post step 4

her hair is a dark, strawberry blonde

★ ouran highschool host club haruhi x oc one shot. i had a short spike of inspiration for this fandom when i rewatched some anime episodes a while ago

cause my girl's made of peaches and soft grass in the moonlight

★ lumine x character(s) fic, i have no clue who but i feel comforted by this wip so it stays.

sorry, baby, i just don't know the words

★ incredibly self-indulgent aroace lumine with venti having a crush on her and them figuring out what type of relationship they should both have and like feelings, thoughts, labels all that. i thought it would be interesting to explore.

illuminated beasts' treasure

★ fic about the relationships between lumine and the adepti of liyue <3

your name is like a melody

★ soft ventilumi with them resting under venessa's tree and lumi complimenting venti <3

an elaborately designed privately owned spiral galaxy

★ a fic where lumine spiralssss because she has had enough. very sad, very angsty. i think i was in a bad mood when i started making it.

i've fallen in between the planets and the sun, into the orbit that surrounds you

★ a lumine appreciation fic with each chapter focusing on her relationship with a different character(s). i love found family dude

and that's it! i have a shit ton of other wips but like i said, they don't really have names, aside from titles for the entire projects. if you wanna know the rest of the songs i took the lyrics from to make titles you'll have to pry them from my cold hands (kidding, i was just too tired to list them all).

thanks to my sweetie pie for tagging me, smooch <33

imma tag @peachiseas @maybeanartist02 and @dreamtydraw! no need to do this ofc, but i am curious about your wip names :D

if you see this, do this! it's fun! if anything it is an excuse to ramble unapologetically into the void with a chance of like 4 people seeing this, like what i did here :3

toodles~

WIP game! thanks for the tag @jeonghoneyss <333

RULES: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

I only have one wip but the document title is:

62 F HJB dance partners seungjin

I will tag @lumineescente if she wants to and anyone else who sees this and wants to do it can say I tagged them!! <3 (don't be shy really!!)

[certified-sloth]

Apparently, I was feeling down in the dumps just like any other day, but i'm really trying.

To anyone who's feeling the same as me, here's a bit from your comfort characters.

The brothers + Dateables & (platonic) Luke comforting you in their own way

TW! Please read at your own risk!

How they comfort you

Lucifer

He places his papers down, he'll look up at you for a moment

He'll stand up and would go to hug you in a comforting way

He's the eldest, he's not the best at consoling, but he carries a huge burden with his responsibilities

Even that and his past regrets hurt him, and he keeps it to himself

He'll let out a shaky breath and kiss the top of your head lovingly

"One day... it would stop raining, I promise you."

Mammon

He smiled sadly as he held you closer, the both of you were watching a movie together

As the family's punching bag, even he has these thoughts from time-to-time

He's the go-to if you want to be comforted

He'll put off his tsundere act, he's the second eldest

If the first-born can't be the nurturing type of the elder brothers, he has to step in and have them tell him their problems

Even Lucifer would admit things to him sometimes

"I can't tell ya when, but i'm always here whenever ya need me. I'm your first man, remember?"

Leviathan

He wouldn't know how to react to that

He feels the same, he has very negative thoughts

So both of you would end up becoming a pile of pain

But he'll silently pull you to his lap, shyness be damned

The both of you need an escape

So you ended up having an anime marathon, watching in silence as he held you close

"Normie... even I don't know how to answer that."

Satan

He'll put his book down, he'll immediately pull you into an embrace

Resting his chin on your head as he gently stroked your hair

He comforts Asmo at times, so he'd know a bit more about consoling others

He'll pull away and tell you so many things that would distract you from how you felt

If it could help you feel better, he would whisper everything you wanted to hear

He'll kiss every inch of your face lovingly, as means to say you aren't alone

"It would get better someday, maybe not today, but you're never alone."

Asmodeus

You couldn't exactly push yourself to tell him, so he had to assure you so many times he wouldn't judge

When you tell him, he'll smile at you softly

He'll place a soft kiss on your lips and tell you how amazing you are for being this strong

He'll smother you with kisses so long as you allow it

He would praise you, he would remind you that you're loved

He'll smile softly at you whenever he sees you, he would take extra care of you than just flirt, because you mean just as much

"Darling, anyone could feel this way, you shouldn't be ashamed of it... I'll always be here for you."

Beelzebub

He was the older twin between him and Belphie

He knows how to comfort his brothers just as Mammon

He'll sit beside you silently, having you eat snacks with him

As you tell him every single troubles you have, he would silently listen

He'll smile a little at you to brighten the mood

He'll lay on his back and let you lay on his chest as he plays with your hair

"You're doing great right now, i'll always be by your side."

Belphegor

He'll nuzzle closer to you as you were both cuddling

His face nestled onto your neck as he breathes softly

He wasn't the best in comforting people other than Beel

He was the type to be comforted more often than the one to comfort

He was upset that he couldn't assure you like his brothers

One hand would rub comforting circles on the back of your hand while the other pulled you as close as he could

"I'm... not the best with comfort, but i'll be honest with you. It won't get better, we'll just have to find a way to cope with it... keep staying strong for me, please."

Diavolo

He'll frown in worry as this was new to him

He wasn't sure how to comfort others as the rest tend to walk on eggshells when around him

He'll likely ask for advice from Barbatos

Would come back to you and give you a big bear hug

He doesn't like seeing you like this

But if it's your way to open up more to him, he doesn't mind

"This is new to me, but you can always tell me everything."

Barbatos

He'll pause with his work first

He'd make you take a seat as he sets a piece of cake and tea in front of you

He would smile gently at you as he lets you tell him everything

This wasn't new to him, Diavolo had these moments as well

He'll take you to walk with him as means to distract you

He'll tell you words of phrase

"I'll always be right by your side, confide in me if it gets hard for you."

Solomon

He'll hum understandingly

He wasn't one for physical contact much, neither was he one for comfort

But he'll try his best to help you in every step of the way

Sometimes, he would come to you with a few experiments

He'd like to have you escape from your thoughts as much as possible

"I don't mind you like this, we're the same, we can always lean on each other."

Simeon

He'll scoop you in his arms and shower you with love

He'd tell you lots of things

He'd call for you to bake with him and Luke so you could get your mind off it

But if you'd want to talk about it, he wouldn't mind either

He'll give you bunny kisses as means of comfort

"You're strong, little lamb... never forget that."

Luke

He'd want to help you

But he'll likely ask guidance from Simeon to help you better

He would bake for you

He would compliment you

He would hug you tightly to push his point across

"I know you're having a hard time, but i'll always be here for you!"