#and i've figured out some cool techniques that might be fun to use in other places to give illustrations a particular vibe!

[beneathsilverstars]

i know i was just complaining about stylizing loop's body but i figured that out and moved on and it turns out the head is so much harder 😭 i'm very happy with canon loop head and post-bodycraft loop head but the in-between phase is kicking my ASS and i can't just half-ass it bc figuring out the in-between head is the ENTIRE POINT of this WHOLE PROJECT....

i think part of the problem might be that unlike with the body, i do have an extremely clear idea of what is happening with the head physically and how it would look irl, it's just. a very difficult thing to draw. so i keep rejecting ideas that look good bc they're not my actual headcanon, but then also rejecting attempts to faithfully depict the headcanon bc they don't look good. head in my hands

[genericpuff]

I'm honestly amazed by how well you can imitate the LO S3 art style! Have you always been good at this sort of thing or is it a skill you developed due to your work as a tattoo artist?

ahhh thank you, but ima let you in on a little trade secret -

it's literally just referencing LMAO which is a valuable skillset to have! but one that I think a lot of folks tend to overlook because they think "learning to draw" means "I need to be able to draw everything perfectly from imagination!" Which sure, learning how to draw things without needing references might be cool, but it's ultimately not the sole defining feature of a "good artist" and I think there's frankly way too much emphasis put on "drawing without references" these days because it creates this unrealistic expectation of what an artist is. Referencing is part of the process! It's important! And it's a valuable skill to have so that you can actually grow your skills beyond your own limits! Referencing is as important to the process of creating art as research is to the process of writing, you can only produce so much new stuff if you're not taking in new stuff alongside it.

Though I use this skill a lot in tattooing as well, it's mostly rooted in my animation schooling which broke me out of the habit of drawing purely from imagination and taught me how to properly reference other material for educational purposes.

And I'm sure there are people in audience right now gasping at the fact that I simply cropped a bunch of different shots of Minthe from S3 and rearranged them like some surgical madman playing with body parts-

-but this is like, the actual majority of the process when it comes to learning other art styles and this process is taught as a skill in a lot of art schools because it forces you to draw what's there rather than what you think is there. This is the basis of master studies, to learn the techniques of other artists by trying to mimic them as closely as possible. Don't know what tools that artist used specifically? Try to recreate the work anyways with your best guess. Even if you only get close but not perfect, you'll still likely learn a lot along the way and may even develop some brand NEW techniques that weren't present in the original work you're studying from.

Imagination is necessary to the creative process, but it's only part of that process, you can't suddenly learn how to draw the way other artists draw through imagination alone because your imagination is limited purely by your own lived experiences. Our brains don't come pre-installed with these skills, they can't just magically unlock the capability to "do the thing". Just like how we have to learn to follow recipes as a means to becoming a baker or learn to read the alphabet to learn how to read and write, we have to learn how to draw what we see and reference the material around us if we truly want to expand our own innermost knowledge which will allow us to draw from imagination.

Here are some other examples of studies I've done, such as my attempts to learn the art style of The Doctor Foxglove Show:

As well as a background study from S1 of LO:

And of course here are a handful of the shitloads of studies I've done to try and "figure out" how to draw Hades and Persephone from S1 of LO:

Aaaand just for the fun of it, here are some completely non-LO studies, like the ones I did of Kazuma Koda's background work and Akihiko Yoshida's character designs for Nier: Automata:

And this sorta rotoscoped ??? animatic of Mitsuhiro doing the opening jig for Still Feel by Half Alive which is 100% not done and probably never will be LOL

I'm always progressively doing studies of both LO and other media in this way so that I can update my knowledge and continue to improve my skillset.

Though, despite my best efforts to mimic the original creator's style, works like Rekindled will always have my own stylizations present, as that's just an inevitable consequence of it being made by myself and Banshriek (and the fact that we just refuse to draw worse to look more like LO because jfc so much of LO's original art, even the stuff we love, is rooted in Rachel's trial and errors lmao), but that's a feature, not a bug :') <3

So the answer is yes, the Minthe S3 redraw was done through skills I developed over time, though not necessarily through tattooing, simply through learning how to actually practice properly beyond "drawing a lot". And you can too! Draw lots, but also remember that your brain isn't naturally just going to "get better" at whatever you're trying to achieve just because you really want to achieve it. I try to avoid the mantra of "just practice" because it oversimplifies what's truly necessary to learning - having something to learn from outside of your own imagination. If you don't learn how to practice properly, then you'll just wind up repeating the same mistakes and reinforcing the same bad habits over and over again.

All that's to say, if you want to learn how to draw like a certain artist, try and recreate their art for yourself ;0 (but like also please for the love of god remember that it's for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, I shouldn't have to tell y'all not to copy directly off other artists' work for your own because that's just deadass stealing lmao) I know this enters the ethical dilemma of tracing, and whether or not it's a "valid" way to learn, but there's a lot of virtue in learning through referencing other artists and building new skills through them. I'm sure folks will argue that it's a 'crutch' or 'training wheels', but that's all often being touted from the perspective that crutches and training wheels... are automatically bad things and aren't meant to help people ?

Like obviously if you want to create your own thing that isn't purely "living in the shadow" of the works that inspired you, you WILL have to make that leap into the unknown. But that leap's a lot less scary to make when you have a parachute.

[luxuki-1]

Like I said I would, I'm going to go through the details I hid in my recent FNAF painting. Not because anyone asked, but because I want to and I'm proud of everything put in

1. Michael's design is my own! I've pretty much had the same concept for the design since SB came out. I just really liked the idea of having part of his jaw missing for no particular reason other than it looks cool. But, I have since moved the jaw gap to the other side, as well as defining scars and wrinkles.

2. I've already posted Golden Freddy but here he is again. I redrew the original poster since I really didn't feel like I just should just slap the original on there. Since I had that freedom now, I decided to make references in the design to later games since it is appearing as a hallucination(?) to Michael. Obviously there are blood stains around the mouth to reference The Bite of '83 and I also added tear stains to reference Evan/CC, said victim of the bite.

3. The classic "Celebrate!" poster. The same thing with Golden Freddy, I didn't feel like I should copy and paste the original so I drew it myself, but this time I only drew the bottom half of the crew since you'd only see that part anyway. Maybe one day I'll fully recreate the poster but for now, this is it lol (You may also notice that I gave each of them different leg shapes, to make them more distinguished from each other other than just colour)

4. And again, didn't want to just copy and paste, so I re-typed all of the newspaper clippings myself in Canva. They say pretty much the same thing as the originals, but I'll still put them here anyway in case anyone wants to take a look:

5. I also recreated the children's drawings myself. Fun fact: I actually used my NON-dominant hand to draw most the basic shapes. I figured that if I drew with my dominant hand, the lines might look too clean, showing my obvious years experience. It's silly but I really wanted it to look and feel like a child drew it

6. It ends up being pretty much invisible in the final painting, but on the floor you can see old confetti and blood stains on the tiles

7. If it wasn't obvious; cup from the Security office is here too

8. Now it should it obvious by now that I chose to not draw the security office. Why you ask? I'm still new to drawing more detailed backgrounds, and I really didn't feel like drawing the office in the moment lol so I opted for the hallway, and I think it still looks pretty good with what I was going for

9. As a bonus, here's the original sketch I planned out. As you can see, I was originally planning to have more posters, some featuring the missing children. But in the end, I decided to scrap it and leave room for the wall to be more detailed since I thought it looked bare. Also, if you look closely, you can see a faint plan for a shadow over Mike. I was originally planning to put a shadow of Freddy there, but when I really started finishing up the shading, I realised that the extra shadow would be too much for an already dimly lit scene

And that's pretty much everything! I had so much fun doing all the little details and references, even though it did end up being more time consuming lol. I also tried out a bunch of different rendering techniques and I think they really helped pulled everything together. I'm definitely going to try my hand and making more paintings like this in the future ^^

If interested in seeing the full process, here's a link to the speed-paint:

[ussenterpeen]

jeebies' most wanted!

Hi! I'm Jeebies (32, cisfem, queer, EST, been roleplaying for 20+ years) and I am a writer and moderator on Denouement, an 18+ pan/multifandom roleplaying site that's been going strong for over two years. We have a Jcink hub for apps, lore, and basic info, but most of the writing/RP takes place via real time chats (utilizing Tupper), post-by-post threads, and comm threads on Discord. We also use Cbox for RP, particularly for real time group RP. What makes Denouement unique is the sheer variety of fandoms/muses represented -- anime/manga, live action tv & movies, novels & comics, musicals & podcasts. It's truly a panfandom experience -- not leaning towards one genre or medium or another. We welcome the most niche fandom characters as well as fandomless original characters. Our members love sharing their OCs and hyping up others' as well. Below, I've written a few detailed blurbs for characters I'd really like to write against. The character wanted is in bold, and I write the character in italics.

Rebecca Welton for Ted Lasso (platonic or romantic)

I took Ted from the end of S3, leaving for Kansas City. Writing him against a Rebecca from S1 who is still bitter and an emotional mess could be a lot of fun; Ted would be able to use his therapy techniques and improved emotional intelligence to help her adjust. Talk about a reversal of which fish is out of which body of water! I think being stranded together, desperately clinging to one another for sanity and security, could be the spark of potential that leads to a slow burn Tedbecca relationship -- though I am absolutely cool with keeping them platonic/unrequited if that's not your speed.

Dean Winchester for Castiel (platonic, ideally romantic)

My Cas is from the end of S5, and I have also put him on the Summer Path, meaning he has all of his angelic powers but no memory of who or what he is. So far, he's been working as a humble gardener and beekeeper, interacting with other non-humans to try and figure out who he might be. Having Dean show up and try to help him remember things would help reshape Cas back into the being he's meant to be. And maybe they kiss a little along the way?? Plus, Denouement's got a whole lot of baddies to gank!

Tony Stark for Peter Parker (familial/platonic)

My Peter is from the end of No Way Home, so he arrived in Denouement under the impression no one would know or remember him, with both of his closest parental figures gone. He has MJ, a beacon in the darkness, but he's struggling to decide if he needs to give up being Spider-Man for good, lest he destroy this new world the way he nearly destroyed his own. Having his mentor back to help him find his way would be so great for his development. Also, if you pick up Tony, there's already a Stark Industries waiting for him to play with (and I also write Steve Rogers which could make for some draaaaaamaaaa). Plus, we have a whole cast of Marvel chars to write with.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy for James T. Kirk (platonic)

I pulled Jim from the end of STID, so I am looking more specifically for an AOS Bones to write against, but also happy to write against TOS Bones if that's your vibe! Jim needs his bestie, and no world will ever test Bones' patience like Denouement; there are so many strange and hazardous situations that need a doctor. We have an AOS Spock, a DIS-era Pike, and a few other Star Trek OCs to write with as well!

Here's some helpful links to get started!

Guidebook Taken Canons Reserves Path/Ranking System Discord

I also write: Eddie Munson, Edwin Paine, Emma Meyer, Fiona Goode, Five Hargreeves, Joel Miller, Karen Page Rey, and Steve Rogers. I'm happy to toss plotting your way with any of these folks should you choose to join!

Aaaaand, a few other of my wanted fandoms/fandoms I just wanna see:

Star Wars, Stranger Things, The Umbrella Academy, The Last of Us, The Boys, Gen V, American Horror Story, Kingsman, X-Men, The Adventure Zone, Yu Yu Hakusho, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Barbie, Dead Boy Detectives, Doctor Who, Severence

[thegeminisage]

okay, i had to leave farosh and grab my lightroot before she could light up again, but i also got to hit a yiga camp. now i need to figure out how to find kohga OR start looking for those signs. i think the gerudo highlands is both with one stone

got the sign in the highlands! there was actually only one. got four more near hyrule ridge and one in the desert and i think that's it?!

oh no jk two in the desert. rip

bars on the yiga clan hideout from this side (side where kohga fell in botw)...BOOOOO let me INNNNN

cackling. went up to the front door in my yiga threads and this npc thinks im one of them

ok, THIS is what i thought i was doing earlier when i found all those frogs

i wonder what happens if i take off my mask...?

saving first lol

damn i get my ass beat is what lol. it wasnt a hard fight but three guys at once plus all these sages makes for a hectic time

omg theres like stores in here!! lol including a banana store

i like the music as well

all these guys trying to sell me vehicles...whats up with THAT lol

omg the lightning helm!!! "our" sacred treasure THAT BELONGS TO THE GERUDO YOU JERKS...yet another lore breaking moment.........

earthwake technique!!!! yeahhh this is what i got spoiled for. im gonna keep fighting until i get it >:(

i got it that quickly?! but i can keep going for the helm i think...

"if youre this talented you might be a match for link" LMAOOO

oh i see. apparently this thunder helm is a yiga COPY. whatever nintendo

that's that i guess! really didn't take long...i'm gonna hit this chasm and grab a lightroot, then warp back to the tower and take the other chasm to get closer to gerudo town so i can go get kohga

oh damn landed right on top of one

ohhh i can see several more way in the distance...FAR too tempting and also they're in the wrong direction, i gotta book it right now lol before i can look around anymore

ok, down the new chasm, already see a lightroot in the correct direction. i'm coming for his ass

i forgot what it was like when the depths was truly dark. i see lightroots in every direction bc ive never been anywhere close to here. crazy.

man i seriously need to trade in some poes. i've got over 900

MINER'S MASK!!!! cool..............

at least you can use mineru to walk over gloom. i'd be bummed if she wasn't good for SOMETHING

oh hey i can go over 999 poes! what a relief...

oh theres the man himself!!!!

GOOD LORD WHAT IS HE RIDING NOW..........it flies AND has wheels. i want one

god this fucking music fucking slaps

i wish i hadnt killed those yiga earlier...i really want to steal one of their planes now lol. i dont wanna build something myself...

i built a rocket platform, but it's kinda one use only :/

A FUCKING CANNON?? LMAOOO

oh my god i'm eating shit!!!

i'm actually having more fun using the spring in this area to fly up, shoot him in slowmo, and then kick his ass lol

incredible. got him again. this is so fun

oh, this about a weapon again...they're usuaing crystalized charges to replenish something for ganondorf...i bet it's the secret stone

this is the most fun i've ever had in my entire life. i love this dude

it's wild though. same fight, different music, it might feel less fun? score has such an impact...

alright, NEXT UP...the mine under zora's domain. happily i can simply fast travel to this one

SCREEEEAM the super bright headlights are SO good. every time. like those douchebags in the pickups irl

LOLLLLLL I STOLE HIS RIDE!!!!!!

back down he goes. i kinda wish i had done these earlier and spaced them out more...he's a fucking blast. i didn't know there were multiple fights! i figured there was just one rematch and i'd wanna do it near the end/when i got to the gerudo region, lol

oh wow. they found the demon king himself...a bit sinister actually

HEBRA??? oh no.......

oh no wait!!! it's just under rito village, i got that already. whew

a weapon to the demon king...REBORN?? GHIRAHIM??????

i know it's not ghirahim. let a girl dream

omg he's being kinda serious rn...girl...

A MECH????????????

bro. i could be doing a mech fight rn. im not gonna bc i dont like riding the mech but i COULD BE.

WHAT THE FUCJ KIND OF LASERBEAMS ARE THOSE LOL

he put up a shield. guess i have to summon mineru to knock him into the electrified fence...tho i wonder what would happen if you had got this far and didn't have her?!

GOT HIS ASS!

oh man i miss these fights already. soooo fucking good and fun

k......kohga rocket???

OMFG LMAOOOOO I LOVE THIS

TEAM ROCKET IS LITERALLY BLASTING OFF AGAIN,. INCREDIBLE 10/10

ok truly. stellar work. he went down a hole last time and up a hole this time. sorry for saying hole like that

(for some reason i had to break here. apparently there is now a 4096 character limit on text blocks???)

ugh sexy i got so many crystalized charges for doing this...i have GOT to upgrade my battery

nice, i FINALLY started on my second battery meter

swinging by lookout landing to talk to the poe statue but i'm NOT talking to purah. i'm not ready for all that yet

ok. now im gonna see if i can grab a few more hudson signs before bed, so tomorrow i can get right to it...

frankly, i'm not fucking around. i'd love to explore the desert properly someday but for now i'm just gonna fly there with the bike

both desert signs done! man, i didn't even hit the nearby cave but i got shit to do. one more thing before i leave the desert, though...i wanted to see the corner of the world <3 where the great fairy used to be lol

great skeleton CAVE? what happened to the skeleton???

oh. there it is. wtf is it doing in here...

all one big room...i can even see the frog from here

apparently there's a korok seed INSIDE this cave?????? that is NOT how that's supposed to work lol

and finally, off to hyrule ridge.......

not a tower or anything really close to this area...i'll start at lindor's brow and do the best i can

first one: mt rhoam!! easy to get to from the tower. i'll glide for the next and then maybe bust out the bike

this second one i was most worried abt because its near ACTUAL hyrule ridge which contains Hands. but irony of ironies when i got close i'd already done it early on and never marked it!! two left...

god it feels sacrilegious not to stop for some of these seeds lol. DIRECT PATH ONLY.........

lol i'm down by tamio river directly under washa's bluff and. the framerate of this river rn. rip

like everything is fine. it's JUST the river

omg omg omg okay LAST ONE.......

it's by a shrine. should i get that one first?? no, i waited too long.....

HE'S ALL OUT OF SIGNS.........................

aww i got some fabric. but more importantly he finally gets to go home...shrine, and then i'm warping to tarrey town to say hi, and THEN going to bed lol

omg its a trick shrine lol. wet thorns

i can't find addison :( he's not where hduson is...don't tell me he's not actually here?!

ok, i googled it, and apparently no matter what he just hangs out at stables?! dude, you should get to go home!!!! i'm gonna go to a stable to find him...dueling peaks stable, of course

lol on googling this btw. i got a theory on reddit that says he's hudson's illegitimate child (head shape, hero worship). hilarious but also sad

aw. wait. wait...

he's standing in the same sign holding pose!! maybe they didn't have time to animate another one lol. or no he definitely stands normally sometimes. they did it for the bit

he's supporting the stable trotters and he doesn't need my help to do it 🥺 im happy for him but he deserves to go home!!!!!!!!

"why are you bothering me"?! AFTER ALL THE GOOD TIMES WE SHARED.....this is so hilariously unsatisfying. this game and completionist quests. i bet the reward for korok seeds is poop just like last time

ok. good grief. im going to BED!!!

tomorrow, the END......................

[psychewritesbs]

Hi I loved your analysis on hana when she came out and I was wondering if you have seen the most recent manga leaks? If so do you think Hana and megumi will be a thing? Do you have any ideas of what might happen to hana's crush?

HOLA! You are very kind. Thank you. I am always grateful when people nerd out with me. I have to admit I'll never get over how wrong I was about Hana and that only makes me love her so much more.

She’s just such a cute character and I personally find her crush "precious" precisely because of how irrational it is.

Speculation and mental gymnastics under the cut...

meguhana

Do I think meguhana will be a thing? Let's see... I mean... I have no clue whether they'll be a thing in canon, but I like what their characters represent individually and as a pairing (usually a prereq of mine).

What I like about this pairing is the idea that opposites attract. With Megumi, you have a character that symbolizes metaphorical darkness, and with Hana you have a character that symbolizes metaphorical light.

I really like how this panel shows Hana as light by the way. And let's not forget that in JJK cursed technique is a metaphor for the sorcerer's personality--so, what does this light say about Hana's personality?

I've read some amazing takes about how Megumi's personality is shadow-like, not just in the depth psych way, but also in the ego sense of self way. Something along the lines of how quiet and aloof he is. Thank you to whomever shared this idea with me and I am sorry I did not do it justice with my poor explanation.

What's cool about this interplay between dark and light is that they very much need each other. Light casts shadows in much the same way darkness needs light. Or something like that...

So even if Gege doesn't pursue this symbolical interpretation of the characters, the characters still symbolize opposites. More on this in a bit.

I also think there's something to be said about Hana's character design resembling an idealized Guardian Angel figure. Especially as we see her in chapter 173.

I was super distrustful of her design initially (🤣), thinking that it was a red herring. As it turns out, her design is literally angelic-like.

So it makes me wonder whether she represents Megumi's protector or something like that.

In one of the anime adaptations of a Boy of Flanders, when the boy dies, he and his dog, Patrasche, get carried off to heaven by angels. Will Gege do anything with that idea?...

But her cursed technique, Jacob's Ladder, also gives us a clue. In the Bible, Jacob has a dream about a ladder connecting heaven and the Earth:

"He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord."

In the end, however, I guess she's like one of the angels walking up and down Jacob's Ladder. Hey it's me talking about Jacob's Ladder yet again! And if Urizen is at the top of the ladder, then that kind of means that Gege might be saying that reason = light, and instinct = darkness.

While Hana may represent one of the angels walking up and down the ladder, Megumi's Kon, as a symbol of the grey wolf, amongst other things, represents instinct.

In addition, Megumi also has a black and white view of good (light, reason) and evil (darkness, instinct).

With symbolism like this, there's a call to unifying opposites. This makes me wonder what that could mean for a pairing like meguhana.

So... do I think they'll become a pairing? Only time will tell if, canonically, Gege gives us an in-your-face type of confirmation. Not subtext, because subtext is always up for interpretation, but rather, undeniably in-your-face confirmation.

As a head-canon, while I am personally not emotionally attached to the pairing, I like what they represent. Either way, for those who might ship it, the pairing is full of fun and juicy symbolism because they are yin and yang, so I can totally see the appeal.

One of my favorite ships ever is actually a yin and yang pairing. The main difference between seisub and meguhana is that seisub's love language is getting killed by the Beloved. I have odd tastes in shipping in case it wasn't immediately apparent lol.

Hana's crush

As for what might happen to Hana's crush... ok but like... asf;ovahud f asdfj;j there's a legit science to keyboard smash and I have yet to master it.

Hana needs a hug after what Sukuna did to her.

Messing with a girl's innocence like that...

Days since I was able to accept inner-evil, Sukuna: 0.

I mean... the way Hana is brutalized by Sukuna is just so cruel. I'm only stating the obvious here when I say that Hana was blinded by her feelings for Megumi, creating an opening for Sukuna to exploit the lapse of judgment Hana's feelings created.

That is not to mention that the open invitation Sukuna gave Hana--look at his body language, his hand is stretched up and reaching towards her, palm open as if expecting to receive...

... was interpreted by Hana as an invitation to reach for Megumi and confess her feelings for him because she had saved him the way he once saved her.

To be honest, Hana's desire to save Megumi because Megumi had saved him once, felt very Yuji-like to me.

The difference between Yuji and Hana is that Yuji has gone on to have and nurture a relationship with Megumi.

And that's the thing about Hana getting fooled in the first place: Hana's obsession with Megumi is completely irrational. As far as we know as of chapter 221, Hana only met Megumi once before in her life, and yet she thinks of him as "her destined one" and even calls him "my Megumi".

Let's overpsychologize Hana's crush for a little bit because, like Yorozu, Hana suffers from "I only saw him once and I was struck by electric love" syndrome.

(source)

And you might think this is a criticism of her and her character, but quite the opposite, I find Hana so relatable because of her crush.

There's a reason I love the post above and I 100% agree with it. And op also strikes me as someone who's never felt the irrationality of falling in love with someone you hardly know, especially when you haven't been modeled what a healthy relational dynamic is and isn't.

Boundaries and self-respect aren't something we are always born with, it is something that needs to be taught and learned.

So... Is Hana's obsession with Megumi a trauma response type bond? Or was she blinded by her own light?

What if it's both?

I think we can assume from the conditions she was in that Hana's obsession can be considered a result of the abuse she experienced as a child.

It's almost like she was desperately reaching for some semblance of someone caring for her in the uncaring world she was raised in. After all, she was basically a feral child raised by a curse for the purpose of becoming it's next meal.

But there's still something to be said about a couple of axioms of falling in love like...

the idea that falling in love is a random experience that can almost feel is orchestrated by fate,

the idea that falling in love is an inevitable experience--your rational mind simply has no say in the matter, and

the idea that you don't fall in love with just any person, but rather your soul recognizes another soul because this other person carries and resonates with the image of your soul

Also, when you fall in love, you just know--it is a very distinct experience. You are either initiated into the mysteries of falling in love, or you aren't. If you are, then you know what I'm talking about.

You see, while I agree that love at first sight is often an unrealistic projection, I also subscribe to depth psych's definition of such bonds. In depth psych, this "love at first sight" type of bond is of divine origins--it's considered a religious experience that transforms your sense of self.

Again, you don't just fall in love with any one person, but rather, with the person who carries the image of your soul, your own divinity.

In that sense, if, like Hana you are in love with a guy you only met once, you are thinking with the heart (instinct), and not the mind (reason).

And in depth psych, the Heart has direct access to the soul in a way that the ego mind doesn't.

So, yes, love at first sight is completely irrational. IT IS MEANT TO BE COMPLETELY IRRATIONAL--there is no other way about it and that's the whole point.

ALL OF THAT TO SAY that I feel very protective of Hana's crush. Hana's crush is something sacred to me that needs to be nurtured and love bombed. Especially with the way fandom reacted to her crush.

Like OMG give the poor girl a break!

So, yes, her crush is intense and irrational, but that doesn't make it a lesser expression of love. The test of true love comes after the obsession is grounded in reality and after her ego sense of self has been transformed.

I think it's also important to remember these are teenage kids fighting metaphorical grown up battles. So Hana having a crush is 300% realistic.

In addition, given her age, Hana may or may not be mature enough to ground her obsession into a more realistic perception of Megumi, and Megumi may or may not reciprocate her feelings.

But I headcanon that none of that matters because, as Jung would say, “the meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed”.

So I'd be looking forward to how Hana is changed by this experience of bouncing back from betrayal--it also seems to me like, in retrospect, she's very aware that she wasn't betrayed by Megumi, but rather, Sukuna.

In a nutshell, I think what we'll see is Hana continuing to have a crush, after all, crushes don't go away so easily.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure we'll see much more depth to any of the themes I wrote about, as jjk is moving at lightning speed, because Hana suffers from "side character" syndrome, and/or because Gege may not be interested in exploring them.

Anyways! I hope this answers your questions in the way that only I know how to answer asks! By going around in circles before making my point, or by going on a crazy tangent that sort of not really answered your ask.

Thanks for sending the ask and inviting me to brainrot about this!

Oh, before I forget, Spooky wrote about Hana and Megumi over here if you're interested in a complementary take.

[softlittleheartsandsparkles]

wait, whats the difference between machine embroidery and hand embroidery?

Hand embroidery is done by hand. you can use tools to get the pattern on the fabric. (Or buy fabric with the thing already printed on it. This is how some kits are.) But as the name implies the stitches are done by yourself. Which also means there's a learning curve & it does take a lot more time. ^^; (It takes me awhile too because I'm prone to pain issues. and repetitive strain injury isn't fun, but yeah.) Both the kits I bought used 8 and 9 different stitches. which meant I had to learn 8-9 different techniques. & the witch hat I came up with used a couple as well. (I was winging it. >.< so I don't know everything I did.) &I can't remember who many stitches my butterflies used. (I don't feel like many?) But it's safe to say you learn a lot. & there are stitches you might even think "WOW!I love this!" or "WOW this sucks" (lol, me with Bullion stitch.) Machine embroidery is more so using a really specialized (And expensive) sewing machine. (i.e. you gotta look for a machine that does embroidery) & from my understanding it's very loud. (sensitive ears D=) From googling it, it seems hard, and it's because I think a lot of it is troubleshooting, figuring out your machine but also figuring out your pattern, I think too tension of thread can cause some problems... (it sorta makes me think of those resin machines xD for 3d printing. cause that also has a lot of trial and error, but once you get good at it, and understand it, its fun. I think?) So there's defs a learning curve. & It doesn't seem "easier" as your going from the technology perspective. (Like as someone who does hand embroidery, if I can't do a stitch, I'll do move to one I know I can do. example: Heart on the Love Story piece, the two deers. That was supposed to be a lazy daisy stitch, filled in with a satin stitch, I tried the lazy daisy, didn't like how it looked, so I did a stitch I know more. one I feel more confident with. That's sorta a pro with hand embroidery, if you don't know the stitch or feel comfortable with it, you can change to something you like more, and practice the other ones on a some practice fabric or just move to the preferred more comfortable stitch. & I've heard of people doing similar for french knots. Some people don't like them, and will opt for something like enjoy/like more, or beads. It's not bad. For machine embroidery it's more like if it's wonky, it's going to be trouble shooting to make sure the machine nails it. Which also means re-setting up the machine, getting more thread ready, new fabric etc... This also would mean I'd pesume,going in to the program and fiddling with the pattern. But again - I don't know! I haven't done it, but from what I've seen a little bit, this seems like that's a slightly "con" to machine embroidery. Like its more trouble shoot-y which means the learning curve could be steeper. and that's not a terrible thing. It just seems more like it could be slightly frustrating. But I do think Machine embroidery is cool. Like it's very pretty.) There's a youtuber I watched recently who won a embroidery machine and her video was really cool. She used it to make a hobbit outfit. :3 for larping. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7xtuEfveec&t=728s <- her video really was interesting and she defs ran into the troubleshooting aspects.

[inkonsistentsky]

okay so watching the ancient apocalypse netflix show because i've found the easiest way to learn a subject is look at something and figure out the logical inconsistencies and generally look up research papers on the thing to like reverse learn? like if i know this is wrong then i can find out why it's wrong, i think it's a fun way to learn on a very surface level way, so yeah no nuance baby:> i just kinda saw ehat my monke brain thought was cool

anyway so gunung padang is suggested to be originating from 9000-20,000 years ago and it's called "pseudo archaeology" rn because it's not like based in any of archaeology's actual practices the way they try and do this? archaology gets an artefact n then proceeds to find information to that period not assume the thing is from a period. there are a lot of conflicting theories around it rn and it's really controversial but the main arguments are whether it was man-made and how much of it was man-made? like some archaeologists believe it's built on top of a volcano which is why they suspect those pockets of air in the strucutre aren't just random caves built to store bodies or artefacts or sth. i think there've been accusations of incorrect excavation techniques (okok gpr is what they used and gpr is notoriously unreliable in the industry i believe so yeah, there've been other cases of other sensationalist findings that turned out to be nothing) and because no such culture in indonesia during that time was found to be capable of building this sort of structure there's been a lot of conflict (idk this one is kinda dubious but i'll read more later i think) also archaeology is just super like? beaurecratic and slow moving i think generally it's similar to science in that sense but with a whole lot less funding so. also there HAVE been attempts to excavate and there WERE traces of historical artefacts done by danny hilman who's more respected in the field (i think) than like hancock who u know, is simply deranged. but there were political issues n the government said no i think so there's that. anyway it's cool to think there might by a pyramid there mistaken for a volcano cooler if it were a pyramid built into volcano yeah

[tepperz]

I hope its okay if i respond below a read more!

I just dont want people to get too dogpiled with text if they're not prepared for it xD That said I love how much you wrote!! Thank you for humoring me!! dont mind the old post stalking lol -- I was looking on your blog to see all your nice recent art and saw one of those "recommended post" things haha :3

OH YEAH THE SORTING IS SUPER PAINFUL LMAOVHDJSHVJDS but im taking my time with it. i figure if i at least have some references in each folder then it's a start. That said, I think I have so many because I get really excited about "appeals" of each drawing even if other people wouldnt consider them "good." Like, like! For example this drawing vv (and please dont mind my personal rant incoming, you can skip this paragraph if its like, too much)

Like I think a lot of people wouldn't exactly save this picture because it's not exactly finessed. But I actually find the textures to be unlike anything else I've seen! The particular way that the hair defies usual lighting might seem amateur to some, but if the technique is used in a different way then it could make for a beautiful silk texture! The thick eyelashes are also a virtue because I think they're really interesting. And the way that the bandana is colored warm while everything else is cool makes just a spice. The hilights also look like abraisions adding to an almost creepy vibe of the picture even though thats probably not what the artist is going for! It's hard to describe but I really like analyzing all types of different art!! I really appreciate the charm and how a certain drawing makes me think differently. So I use these types of things as inspirations even if I can't/dont copy the things I like perfectly.

anyway!! "There’s thousands of artists out there who helped me make my art, just thanks to studying their works…" I very much feel that!

Do you have a category/folder that you find the most useful? ^^

hmmmmm.... yanno, thats a good question!! I think the one Ive found most useful so far is my folder titled "portraits - no background" which has in it some pictures of characters with white/transparent/single color backgrounds. It seems kinda whatever until you look at those works and try to figure out what really works with the picture, that its so attention grabbing without adding any background or effects! It really makes me appreciate what is striking and effective in the most minimalist way possible. So if I find my character or pose boring I try to look at this folder in particular to try and think about how to make the character feel more interesting and dynamic. Gets me thinking about shapes and prioritizing a better quality sketch.

"Color, Lighting, Face, Hair, Clothing, Poses (split into number of people and whether it’s a hug, kiss, or everything else), and Tutorials!" Ohhh I never thought about having a seperate one for clothing. I should do that, thats such a good idea!! OHHH and you also seperate them into paint types! Thats so interesting. At a glance can you usually tell what medium was used? I feel like that's such a cool skill! You categorize things in such an exceptional way! So organized! Did you start out that organized or did you start to sort things as time went on?

I also have a folder thats sort of like your fav folder, but it's just one folder and it's titled "inspirational". It's not exactly for fav works but rather for works that really speak to me and get my brain going with ideas. I don't use it a lot, so I think your individual fav folders are more useful!

Id love to trade tutorials sometime ^^

"I have some temporary folders that come and go." oooooh I have trouble deleting things like references!! if they're saved they stay forever LMAOOOOO. I think thats why I tend to put my references right on my canvas and then just shrink it when I'm done to hide my references. It's kind of a fun way to do it though because sometimes I accidentally make moodboards for whatever im drawing lol!! heres an example

ohhh "Now improving composition is my main goal so I’ve reorganized my “Style” folder to have more specificity like: Close-up Complex, Close-up Simple, etc for Middle, Distant, and Environment. These probably get the most use, just like Style did. It’s where it all just came together in artworks with line style and thickness and backgrounds and… yeah, hard to put anywhere else haha." if you ever want to share a screenshot or something of those folders I'd love to see. Do you ever have trouble finding anything? I can't find shit ever. I kinda just pick a location in my folder and im like 'yep thats what ill use as inspiration today' lmaoooo. Yeah. I need to sort better. lol.

"I personally have to copy into several folders if something fits more than one category or I’ll worry about it being forgotten. orz It makes them even more cluttered, but if I like the piece that much then I figure I won’t mind seeing it again!" I DO THIS TOO LOL.

it's always super interesting to hear how someone else does things.

How did you learn to draw so well? Like was it from classes or a book on fundamentals or just trial and error?

//// thanks for the kind question!

I guarantee you I would have improved faster if I’d taken a class, but I hope some of the materials I’ve used over the years can be of use to you too:

Andrew Loomis’ books - I never made it past the first chapters, but those had some great advice.

Youtube - Proko’s bean method. Figure drawing references will greatly improve anatomy and “drawing what you see”. It’s boring imo, so doing just 5-10 minutes a day can keep one from burning out while still seeing improvement. Speed painting videos are a nice way to relax and study.

Will Terrell’s People Drawing series - He’s a humble man with personal advice for artists. I watch his videos when I feel discouraged or lost.

Art, art, art - Whenever I see an artwork that I like, I figure out exactly what pleases me: line thickness, nose shape, finger positions, composition, the way the hair bends in the wind, etc. Then I try to incorporate that specific characteristic into my own art.

I have growing folders of (I’m a bit embarrassed) almost 8,000 pictures, organized by characteristics, for the sole purpose of studying their prettiness. Sometimes we don’t need a tutorial to spell everything out, just an example can help us envision our own works’ potential. Also, staring at pictures is a relaxing way to study too!

And of course, trial and error~ I don’t post my sad, failed paintings or all the weird sketches I make, but they exist and teach a lot!

[void-inked-pen]

Hello, I would like to hear your rant on proper bow techniques and the differences between the tmnt iteration's martial arts

OOOOOO BOWS!

now THAT is a hella good rant option right there~ I have a lot to say about bows man, they are not characterized accurately in a LOT of media lol so I might do a whole analysis on that for sure~

in terms of the other tmnt it would take me a while to do proper research to make sure I have all the facts correct. for example, I was thinking about doing a 2012 leo vs rise leo sword analysis to figure out if ANY of it is correct but they both are just so... different in fighting style and what not I think I might save that for when the movie comes out for Rise because he's gonna have his twin swords back in that and if I tried to compare their sword fighting with Leo's Odachi it would be like comparing apples to oranges

for you tho! I can do a little analysis by saying: twin swords are a pain to learn how to use, you gotta have REALLY good hand-eye coordination, strong wrists and arms, and possibly ambidextrous.

With japanese swords, it was actually very common to have a twin of some sort with your main sword, but that was primarily for samurai. Ninja may have used twin swords but it's hard to say because there isn't a ton of known history about their methods. The samurai twin swords I mentioned also are waaaaay different from what leo uses in 2012. Leo uses twin katana, while samurai had the main katana and a smaller, shorter sword always at the ready. The use of that sword was similar to a western quick draw. If you got too close for comfort, samurai would be able to quickly grab their second blade and use it to deflect and do a precise, quick-strike that could be lethal if you aren't expecting a counter. that's how samurai got to be so good in combat actually, they were strong and skilled with their style.

2012 Leo I'm pretty sure tries to twin EVERY MOVEMENT and in all honestly... I don't think that suits him? Like sure twin swords are cool but I've always thought it was weird and not really suited to his strategic mind to have two swords of similar length when I can see him kicking ass with a second, smaller sword. (maybe I'll do a post in the future about how duel wielding is overdone or something idk)

Rise Leo on the other hand, wields a giant odachi. you can even see its really heavy and awkward for him to use in the beginning. He's used to smaller swords of lighter weight and now SUDDENLY he has a sword the size of his body that has unbalanced weight. He flops around and is an uncooked noodle for a lot of the fights until he learns how to keep his balance with that dumb sword. that, my friend, is a realistic characterization of someone both struggling with a sudden weapon change that is just so different from him and how actually hard it is to weild bigger swords. Upper body strength and very good balance are important in any weapon wielding but it's a whole new ball game when you have to lift a heavy weapon. claymores are bulky and hard to wield as well, and they weigh more than Leo's Odachi (fun fact lol).

my main complaint with Rise Leo is they gave him back the twin swords in the finale because I actually liked all their new weapons, they were fun! but oh well~

when im not super busy with a huge project I may turn this into a bigger post but i hope it satisfies your cravings! (I'll get that bow analysis up in the future dont you worry ;3c )

thanks for the ask! -Pen

[apompkwrites]

reader impact || first meetings: adventurer edition

series masterlist characters: amber, bennett genre: fluff summary: a game has been released entitled genshin impact, consisting of otherworldly abilities relying on the basic elements of nature. the game follows the story of an interdimensional traveling twin in search of their other half. along this journey, they meet different characters that live in this world. including you. notes: i decided to put these two together since i've already done one for diluc!

amber's playthrough -

amber's more of an outdoorsy type of person but that doesn't stop her from streaming!

she likes doing camping streams where she just camps out in her backyard and shows her chat what she would normally do. and the occasional cooking stream to show how you can make good foods healthy <33

she has a little bunny that she shows on stream sometimes :))

there'll be some days where she just sits at home talking to chat about her day while playing with her little baron bunny.

she plays games occasionally, but their mainly adventure type ones that mimic the lifestyle she holds.

like minecraft, rust, any survival game really.

she's still very energetic so any stream of hers is just bustling with excitement.

she'd probably host some streams where she teaches basic survival techniques?? idk man i don't go out much AIHSDASHLDKJ--

anyway anyway, she got a bunch of requests asking her to play genshin ofc.

i mean?? cute game, cute models, cute characters, and aDVENTURE.

i feel like she'd go with the male traveler solely because it isn't very practical to go exploring/adventuring in a dress?? like girl's over here genuinely thinking about real life scenarios.

anyway she's sitting there after finding dvalin's corrupted tear and the cutscene plays.

she's there vibing with chat and her little bunny by her side because of course they'll be sitting there while she plays.

"hey you! stop right there!"

"aCK!"

please she screeched when you yelled at her--

and then she squealed when jumped in front of her character.

pLEASE

the camera showing off your cute little headband mimicking animal ears makes her melt.

and then you jump from the little cliff and you have to stumble to regain your balance?!?!??!

PLEASE YOU'RE SO CUTE

"may the anemo god protect you, stranger! i am (name), outrider for the knights of favonius."

catch her copying your little salute.

"they're so cute!!!!"

she will point out the animal ears constantly.

and then your vision has a cute little ribbon at the end of it!!!!!!

"just! just! just look at them!!"

and then you join her party officially!!!

please she switches to you automatically--

she'll just jump around for a few minutes to watch all your accessories bounce around.

and she can just tell that your story would be a delight to read about.

when paimon mentions her mc's missing sibling, you sound so soft and caring and just aGH.

and then she gets to try out your elemental skill and it's the aNIMAL THAT YOUR CHARACTER'S HEADBAND IS BASED OFF OF!!!

if it's a bunny she would definitely find a matching headband she can wear when she plays :00

her chat's usually a really sweet place to vibe and hang out but of course, there's gonna be those kinda people.

she catches wind of some people badmouthing you and calling you the worst character in the game >:((

she's not too keen on banning people for their opinions so instead...

"hey, guys, can we just have fun with this game? if you don't like how i'm playing you can always just?? leave??"

please girl's fuming inside but she's trying her hardest to be nice about it >:((

back to you <3

she'd get another pet that matches yours and name it after you or your elemental skill.

she'd find ways to copy your outfit too ngl--

she'd definitely cook your signature dish!!

gotta make it all cute for you <3

bennett's playthrough -

ah yes, our unlucky baby boy bennett <3

like amber, he really loves adventures!!

he's still pretty unlucky for some reason???

idk man he's just vibing and his bad luck says too bad,,,

he's kind of a baby streamer if you catch my drift?

like he's new to everything so he's just trying to figure it out.

he used to be in a streamer house but... yeah.

we don't like them anyway, it's fine.

unlike in the game, bennett's bad luck didn't bring the other members harm, it was just... little inconveniences i guess.

but he left so now he's all on his own!

he's kinda inexperienced in all of this but he's trying his best!

for now he's sticking to gaming because that's a majority of what he knows.

lots of survival games!!!

and, sadly, luck-based games.

his chat just wants to see if his luck impacts games!!

and it does,,,

luckily they request genshin, which has the best of both worlds.

bennett's got all of the adventuring and his chat gets to see his misfortune in action.

sadly you don't appear in the main archon quests so bennett actually goes a long while not knowing who you are :((

veterans of the game, however, know exactly who you are >:))

first, they'd help show you off by posting links to your splash art in his chat.

bennett, being the baby he is, just clicks on the links without a second thought.

and he's in aWE!!!

LOOK AT YOU!!! LOOK AT HOW COOL YOU ARE!!

"woahh!! who are they? can i meet them soon?"

cri

they tell him he has to roll for you and he's sad, but only for a bit!

at least you're not an exclusive character because if he were, he thinks he'd have no chance at getting you :((

but he can get you whenever!

anyway, one stream he's rolling because he's stocked up a bunch of primogems (which took a long time) and he's like might as well use them up now.

he gets a lot of weapons :(((

he's basically dedicated his whole team to c6ing his characters he has now because he "knows" he won't get a good character.

luckily the pity systems exist so he gets the occasional four star <33

so he thinks it's another character he already has, so he's very prepared to get another constellation in.

he's looking through the trash weapons and then splash art appears!

"wait... i recognize that--"

IT'S YOU.

HE WASN'T EXPECTING IT BUT IT'S YOU!!!!

"THEY'RE HERE! THEY'RE REALLY HERE!!"

his chats hyping him up as he's running around his room because they love him <33

please i love this boy with a passion.

he'll put you in his team automatically with all of his c5/6 characters asdhaklsf

he doesn't even care you get everything and anything he owns in the game <3

"this is your team! it's really cool! i'm (name), leader of (name)'s adventure team! is there... do you think we could team up? i-it could even be just once!"

"they're staying on my team forever."

he loves you so much.

not just because you're a cool character but because he can relate to you--

anyway, he goes to your voicelines because that's the only time he can actually hear you fully :((

he's genuinely excited to learn about your story.

and then he learns that you have extremely bad luck too???!?!?!?

please y'all can be unlucky together!!

would that cancel out or just make you more unlucky??

huh.

he gets all sad when he hears you talking bad about yourself so he's here to reassure you (even if you're a fictional character).

[gg-astrology]

hi! so my jupiter is in leo 4th house. it's stationary (D) i've never related to the descriptions like AT ALL. how could it be stationary effect this.

Hello!!! ❤️💙💕❤️💙💕❤️💙💕 I’ve been meaning to answer this for a while but I had to figure out how to start talking about it bc I haven’t talked about stationary planets before, so I might use this as an opportunity to do a small intro for everyone else as well?? If that’s ok??❤️💙💕

Stationary, Direct, Retrograde - Planetary Motions, Beginner Friendly? ⬇️

🚫long post🚫

Primary and Secondary Motions 

Most people would already know what a retrograde is, since ‘mercury retrograde’ hype is what drew mainstream media into astrology. 

I’ve described it on my blog as a planet doing a backflip, but if we actually think about it - before it can do that kickass flip - it has to be station so it gets a good lift off and landing, right?

Planetary motion is a thing - there’s primary motion and secondary motion. 

First, let’s explain the primary motion. Say we know the earth spins once every 24 hours. Once every day. We know this because we get hours of daylight aka. we’re facing the sun (close or directly facing it as we spin - sorry, those who live in the polar nights and midnight suns ;;) and periods of darkness aka. when we’re not on the side of the sun, but other continents are having their daylight time. That’s from our earth’s perspective.

Along with that, we get stars and planets in our skies. The primary motion is the apparent rising, path, and setting of the planet from our earth perspective. If we were to snap a certain time period of it - at a certain place, to the exact minutes and second, it would be our chart. 

That’s the path of the planets in relation to us. We can see the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, etc. But no earth - because we’re looking at it from earth (we’re earth). We’re earth-bound. And this is our sky chart (chart of our sky, at the time we select/use for the chart. At the certain place in relation to us.)

There’s more signification to these motions in other techniques and methods - but we’re not getting to that today. ( link | link )  

So, primary motion explained. What’s secondary motion?

Ok so earth example. We know we spin, it’s how we get night/day (in relation to the sun) - but we also know we have to orbit around the Sun. That’s 365 days. Two motions - easy to get right? 

What does it mean for other planets? Well, Secondary motion is how we track other planet’s progress/direction. This is where stationary comes in.

Stationary planet - is when a planet is motionless in it’s path (no apparent motion) - usually occurs when it’s about to go into retrograde or it’s leaving one to go direct. 

Since we’re talking about orbits instead of spin - consider how Mercury orbits the sun every 88 days. That’s so much faster than us!! We’re not tracking how many time it spins - we’re checking in on Mercury to see how it’s doing so far in it’s orbit (in relation to us and it’s own progress) in the way we can - which is against the zodiac belt. 

If one day you see Mercury (from our perspective) just stay in Scorpio for like, a day - you might be concerned and ask ‘?? buddy why did you pause??’ - it’s because Mercury is about to do a cool backflip, or maybe it’s already done one, but it has to get ready (‘station’) first in order to do it’s motion.

What’s stationary? 

So you can think of stationary as - well, being motionless. In the secondary movement. It’s a significant time that changes should be focused on (when this happens during transits aka. every time we’re S.R and about to go into rx and when we’re S.D to go direct again) is that the S.D period (what you’re talking about) is gathering in strength point. 

If we’re looking at this in transit, it’s also Prime Time to focus our energy into fueling what it is the placement, house and planet/sign is focused on. The reason/explanation for this is that it’s slowing in motion/motionless, it’s energy is concentrated/focused in one significant area (house/context/planets in activation about to go through pivotal motion). Where it lands in your house, placement, signs - that’s where we should read and learn where the energy is intense/collected. 

This is possibly why people say stationary movement is an interesting period - because this is when changes actually occur. Larger planets have larger influences on worldly, bigger things- personally planets can affect us directly. With larger (outer planets) these don’t affect personality as much but when it’s stationary - it’s making connection to the Sun (it trines the sun) and thus, there’s a personal connection to us through external factors or external means.  

Stationary Retrograde (about to go into retrograde, S.R.) and Stationary Direct (about to go into direct, S.D) rather than being completely 'ughhh’ emoji like how we usually talk about retrogradation - we see stationary period as an opportunity to exert and fuel our energy into the topic/subject of the house and placement that is relevant - it could be good to us. There’s a belief that S.R is when it’s weakening and S.D is when strength is gathering. That’s possibly why we do so much prep prior to and after rx motion - hopefully, because we know these periods (shadow periods) also tend to affect us. 

Outer planets (so very very slow) that are about to change motions are also trine to the Sun. That’s usually when you can tell whether or not an outer planet is about to go S.R or S.D - is more significant because it’s in relation to our core, our Sun, our direct self (astrology wise). Rather than say - oh it’s a description by itself. It’s more useful to define it via personal aspect to what is relevant to us. 

For the natal stationary person 

All of this talk, what does it mean??? So to actually answer your question about stationary planets - it has to do with evaluating it’s aspect to the Sun.

Everything we’ve talked about at this point - has been about our and other planet’s relation to our center - the fizzing ball of Large Fire. Because that’s where it’s actually significant, and what we can actually think about and concentrate on.

To actually answer your question anon; you asked why you don’t relate to your Leo Jupiter in 4th, and if it being S.D makes a difference? If we look at stationary interpretations - in a broad sense, most would consider it an accidental debility. The explanation for this, is the planet itself is powerful - especially during a gathering time period. However, the person’s ability (or inability) to realize and use it’s potential makes it a debility because they let it go to waste (trine to sun).

Debility is a weakness (as opposed to dignity which is it’s strength). To clarify, some people describe this as stationary being a ‘stand still’ - and thus, without moving (which is what planets are supposed to do) - a deadlock is formed and things are hard to produce, act, or displayed. 

Certain elements of the person (i.e. what is trine) is in the essence of the person themselves. This can give them significant boost or concentration in said area (like what we said about planets being stationary in transit, above) - but it might not actually be noticeable to the person (as with most case of trine). This is particularly significant - because we’re talking about a non-personal planet here.  

Jupiter isn’t a personal planet, it may be close to you, but it isn’t your personal object. It’s your guidance and teacher, perhaps wisdom and knowledge. These we can’t control but is influenced by regardless. 

It can also be a part of our essence, but do we have control of who we are, or how we’re hard-wired right into our system when it’s so intertwined with our character/how we just do things? That’s why trine aspects are hard to control and use, especially if it’s stationed in a deadlock period, and is an outer/social planet like this as well (larger influence, a little more impersonal than personal planets i.e. mercury, mars, natal venus s.r or s.d.)  

This isn’t personal, but others will see it and perhaps not you. We can’t actually control this, but the thing we can do is to try looking at it’s aspect to the Sun, and also keep in mind that to the person themselves - you are referring to a planet (and it’s aspect, that trine) that you can’t control. I’ve heard that other stationary natives may also experience the same.

Also keep in mind - the period you are born is a significant key activation. Jupiter being motionless and about to get back into being direct again signifies changes, and preparation for said changes. Those with stationary planet in their natal usually goes through significant pivots in their life during S.D or S.R periods as well - so look out for it. 

So. To answer your ask: Yes, being stationary direct has significations (maybe not as much or as positively as you might think) - but that explains why this Leo Jupiter becomes a debility to the person themselves. And how trine aspect to the Sun can be interpreted (w/ motions like this) this way as well. 

More if you want to learn:

To find out (for others) if you have an S.R. or S.D planet (I won’t take anymore questions for personal placement being in these motion and what it means bc oof im tired) - if you use astro.com, click ‘additional tables’ and it’ll show you if you have anything in S.R or S.D in your chart. 

Second helpful tip: 

Why do planets seems to go into retrograde or do a backflip?? Here’s an answer (and video) that I’ve already talked about that explains the topic.  

Third, and last, helpful tip: 

Here’s some resources and links on the topic, hopefully this will answer your question anon! If i haven’t helped you in anyway ;; I hope at least it’ll give you some insights and for anyone else as well:

TheRealAstrology - Stationary Planet

StationaryPlanet - This is vedic, but might be fun to read (esp. the note about having potential and not letting it go to waste)

Quora - ‘What does it mean when a planet is stationary in a natal chart?’  -  second answer is the best one, please check out the quote as well!

Quora (again) - ‘What does stationary Jupiter in natal chart mean?’ - this one is a good explanation of motions, and why it’s relevant to the conversation. As well as a good explanation of why trines are so hard to get under control. I hope this helps! 

Other general resources available about the topic:

Astrology.com - Rx and Stationary Explained 

Pandora astrology - Jupiter station and rx 

Power of Planetary Station - examples of public figure chart/events and world events during certain planetary motion period

Retrograde Planets: Transversing the Inner Landscape by Erin Sullivan (book) - has examples of sun-trine combination along with S.R or S.D and how it affects people personally. 

Astrologyweekly - looking at terms related to the motions of planets

I can’t believe i’m so drained gathering all this info in one place, but I hope this answers your question and help others who want to learn more/was curious about this as well. Thanks for asking!! I hope this helps!! 

[alternativestoselfharm]

Subtle Alternatives

Coming out of retirement to make a quick post about subtle alternatives. The tone of this post may be different from previous ones as it's been half a decade and I'm in a wildly different place - but it's written with the memory of where I was and the acknowledgement that I'm lucky to be 4 years free of self harm. Hope it helps, and feel free to list your own subtle alternatives in the notes.

This website has a list of alternatives which include some that might work - like channeling emotion into cleaning or art, taking a long bath, massaging lotion into your legs or hands/arms (being mindful of hygienic care of any wounds you may have), or listening to music through headphones (whether you have it soft and soothing or loud to drown out thoughts).

The following list is from a larger article by mentalhealth.org.nz about self harm in general. It focuses on mental techniques that won't be as obvious to someone you're in close quarters with, or which you can describe as just you trying to be organised or healthy.

some other techniques I've previously used or have found online:

Do you need something else to focus on?

wear jewellery. rings can be twisted, bracelets can be sounds around your wrist, dangly earrings can be jingled or played with.

carry a small rock or plaything with you - if it has an interesting/smooth texture you can run it between your fingers or just roll it around your hands. Collecting rocks can also be very fun, as then you can pick one you're in the mood for. plus, they're free. just pick up a cool looking. who's going to stop you? God Can't. your rock now.

memorise a poem - this takes a frustrating amount of work and focus, but then afterwards you can pull that out at a gathering when you're uncomfortable. aunt Betty wants to know why you didn't go to church St Christmas? cause you were taking time to learn this sick poem.

on that note, if you're at a gathering and getting overwhelmed, try pressing your forefinger and thumb of one hand into the gap between them on the other hand. the pain will be a distraction and it can be done unnoticeably with your hands in your lap. this is a last resort tactic that might bring a little immediate respite from your feelings and give you time to work on removing yourself from the situation to use another alternative.

Do you need something to channel energy/emotion into?

using a small pocket sketchbook or notepad, do a drawing. or maybe see if you can colour in the whole page with your pen. maybe try and make it into a really bad flipbook with stick figures. that notebook is yours to fill with Junk. you can't mess it up because messing it up is what it's there for.

make a very specific playlist- it can be for anything you want, but a fun option is picking a specific scene from a movie and seeing how many songs you can find that fit it. here's a concept to start: songs that would make an elevator ride with a stranger you just tried to shut the doors on Even More Weird.

research binge: is there something that you've always wanted to know about but haven't done it? learn how to braid, or find out who invented the horseshoe. start learning spanish on Duolingo, or try and find out why kangaroos are Like That. we have a realm of knowledge at out fingertips and it's all very weird and distracting.

Do you need something that gives you an emotional reward or rush?

get a plant. research the kind of plant best for your room and the care levels you're ready for. adding watering schedules into your calender/phone adds structure to your week, and watching your plant flourish rewards the research you did at the start

working out - though not exactly subtle, you can say that you just want to get strong. one favourite is using a filled water bottle or milk jug as a weight, making your muscles burn in a non harmful way. make sure not to over do it though!

find a tiny project to do, something you can do in an afternoon. this could be cleaning - wipe out the shower, or do one sink full of dishes. it could be finding a short story to read and think about. maybe you want to make a bookmark out of cardboard and paint. doing one small thing that feels productive can distract from urges and give you a positive feeling of accomplishment and progress for your day. even just pulling up the sheets on your bed is a good one.

make a hot beverage. now you have a warm drink that tastes nice and can be held in your bare palms for soothing warmth.

Note: these alternatives aren't designed to be the only coping mechanism you use. I really do recommend trying to find a therapist who works for you if you're able, or confiding in a trusted friend who can help you build up the support network you need to heal

[that-1-ninja-wizard]

Why am I doing this kiddo?

A'ight fine, let's get this over with.

Hi, I'm Kaigun Uchiha. I was born to... That doesn't matter, and I was raised by Inferuneel, the Inferno Dragon.

Being the son of a dragon is pretty cool, especially considering my mom is the sister of Igneel, the Fire Dragon King, so... Yeah.

Anyway, I'm being told by the kid that I gotta move this along, so...abilities? Aight then.

First off, chakra: Having been born as an Uchiha, I obviously am able to use Fire Release Jutsu: Great Fireball, Pheonix Flower, you name it.

I also was born with a proficiency with Wind Release Jutsu. I haven't learned too many, but the Mass Wind-Blades Jutsu and the Wind Bullet Jutsu have come in pretty handy.

I also have access to some Jutsu that aren't affiliated with an element, including a pretty rare Jutsu called the Rasengan. It's a small sphere of pure chakra that I can slam into a target, but I have figured out how to combine it with elemental Chakra for the Hellblaze Rasengan (Fire Release) and the Rasenshuriken (wind release, also this is one I stole learned from the nine-tails kid, so yeah).

Also I can use the Shadow clone Jutsu... Not much else to say here, I can make like... Five at most... I'm not great at it but I don't tend to use it...

Also (because I'm an Uchiha) I have access to the Sharingan, although only in one eye (we'll cover the other eye later). My Sharingan gives me greater perspective abilities as well as splitting off into two 'trees'. The Eye of Insight is linked to the increased perceptive abilities, and also means I'm able to copy Jutsu so long as I'm physically capable of doing so. The perceptive abilities granted by the Eye of Insight are crazy, even letting me predict my opponents moves via their muscle tension. It also let's me see chakra and even gives it colour so that I can distinguish different sources, as well as letting me see irregularities in someone's chakra. The Eye of Hypnotism grants me some pretty decent Genjutsu abilities (although I'm not exactly an expert) like subtle coersion, smaller and larger scale Genjutsu, stuff like that.

The Sharingan can be (and in my case, has been) taken one step further via the Mangekeyo Sharingan, which grants the user a unique ability in each eye. Mine has actually been takes a step further than that into the Eternal Mangekeyo Sharingan... Its basically just the normal Mangekeyo without the consequences, but hey, I'll take what I can get. Obviously, I only have the one, but my Kaiten is pretty powerful as it let's me spin something in my focal point in one of two ways. I can either spin something around its own centre (good for sending quick attacks off course... Or for spinning people), or around an axis (good for dealing with larger attacks or to gain some distance).

Anyway, I promised I'd talk about my other eye, so yeah. Under my father's headand is a pretty crazy Dojutsu called the Tenseigan. My Tenseigan (when active) gives me a slight healing factor, flight, increased physical abilities, and the Mooncutter Jutsu (a large yellow beam that supposedly could cut the moon in half if used by someone with two Tenseigan). It also gives me a glowing blue outline, and makes my hair glow that same light blue, so yeah... I guess that's a thing. It takes masses of chakra though...

Finally, we have my Jinchuriki abilities. Being the Jinchuriki of the Two Tailed Beast, Matatabi, I have access to some of her abilities. For example, in Matatabi Chakra Mode stage two (MCM II) I can use the Bijudama (or Tailed Beast Ball), a massive sphere of Biju chakra that causes massive destruction. I can also summon a Matatabi 'Avatar' that functions similarly to what I've heard about the Susanoo. I'm also able to summon parts fo that avatar instead of the whole thing, in case I need to sheild myself or want an extra angle to attack from.

Alright then, magic now: First up is my Inferno Dragonslayer Magic. It's probably easiest to compare it to Fire Dragonslayer Magic, as that's technically what it is, ish. Essentially, Inferno Dragon Magic is a mutation of Fire Dragon Magic, which creates much hotter flames, but means the user can only consume flames the same colour as their own. In my case, I can only eat Blue fire because my flames are blue, my mom is the same but with Yellow flames, ect, ect. Inferno Dragonslayer Magic grants me all kinds of abilities, ranging from Inferno Dragon's Roar (a massive plume of blue flames from the mouth), to Inferno Dragon's Flare (a short-range explosion of blue fire from the hand), to Inferno Dragon's Iron fist (a punch laced with blue flames) and way more. Although, I've been told my signature move is Inferno Dragon's Flame-Blitz: a move which let's me become a ball of blue flame and fly around as crazy speed... It's honestly pretty fun. I've also got my Sky-Blaze Dragon Mode (a form which massively powers me up as well as augmenting my magic with Sky Dragonslayer magic), and Dragonforce (a straight power-boost at a crazy level, at least 10 times stronger than Sky-Blaze Dragon Mode).

Next up is Requip Magic, a type of magic I learned (well, the basics anyway) from a friend of mine at the Guild (thanks Erza!). Requip Magic let's me store weapons in a pocket dimension and draw them out at will, which I've done with my father's sword Flamebringer, as well as many Kunai, Shuriken, and even some Butane-based paper bombs.

Finally, I started learning Dark God Magic from Remnant's God of Darkness (long story) which has given me access to some pretty mental techniques. Dark God's Counter-Strike is a spell that reflects all magic back at the caster, however, I have to drag my hand along a blade for a set number of seconds (1-4) and then Slash at the spell with the blade. The number of seconds changes the power of the reflected spell (1 second is same strength, 4 seconds is 4 times the strength) and also changes the 'cool-down' period on it (1 second = 1 min cool-down, ect). Dark God's Accent is pretty much teleportation, but it has two variants: the fast, short-range version; and the slower to start, long-range version.

Also, I can use Dark God's Devestation, but I don't feel like killing everything on the planet (including me).

So yeah, lastly, weapons:

Flamebringer: a blackened kusanagi with a long blade, it was made for two handed use, but you can get away with using it one handed...just. The blade is constantly on fire, although the flame doesn't actually burn until you channel chakra into the blade, at which point you can get anything from a better cut to a full on fire-blast depending on how much chakra you use.

Kunai: it's a type of throwing-knife. I have like, 20.

Shuriken: just shuriken, I have quite a few

Butane Paper Bombs: like normal paper bombs, they explode. Unlike normal paper bombs, the flame is blue, so I can throw them into a fire attack and change that attack from an annoyance to a benefit.

So yeah, that's me, Kaigun Uchiha. Y'know, I didn't think I was gonna enjoy this whole 'tumblr' thing, but I just might... I'll have to thank the Kid later...

[thedeadflag]

Hey, pretty soon I'll be playing a friend of mine is gonna be DMing Tyranny Of Dragons for me and a couple of friends, and I can't decide whether I should play a Monk (probably Open Hand, maybe Kensei) or a Ranger (either Beastmaster or Horizon Walker), 'cause I've never played either of those classes, nor has anyone at the tables I've played. Can you tell me a little about your experiences with these classes?

The Ranger has been one of my favourite classes throughout the editions of D&D in terms of flavour, and I’ve had some fun with monks as well. In 5th edition, both took a fair bit of a hit in utility (individual and within group dynamics) and power at pretty much all ranges. The Ranger was propped back up a little bit in Unearthed Arcana in the revised ranger archetype, but both are still largely considered at best middle of the road classes, and at worst, the lowest tier of classes in the game in utility and character. 

That’s not to say they can’t be fun and have a lot of flavour, and still find use. If you’ve watched Critical Role, you can see Vex and Beau weren’t useless by any stretch. No class is junk in 5e due to the improved parity compared to some past editions. So power and utility aside, if you feel drawn to any class/subclass, and you want to dive into its particular brand of flavour, then I say go for it. I would gauge the rest of the party’s makeup in making your decision, because group synergy is important, but you have to make yourself happy, too, right?

Anywho, I’ll break down my take on both.

When it comes to Monks, I like Open Hand the best. If you want to have a Monk-style gameplay with weapons, then Mystic or Fighter are probably better options with some more flair and utility involved than Kensei imo, but if that’s the route you want to take, it’d be alright. However, Open Hand has quivering palm, which is pretty incredible late game as far as damage and flexible timing from a single person through 3 ki pts and an action. If you do ever reach level 17, I would recommend multiclassing after that if you’re allowed, since the rest of the Monk’s class progression is kind of junk in comparison, and it could use some much needed utility from 3 levels of another class. Anywho, I like open hand not just for the flavor of being a class that’s capable of being an unarmed beast in battle, but also because of the way it can work in alignment with fighters who can also control the battlefield, like any fighter with a sentinel/polearm master. The ability to shove an enemy up to 15ft with one of your flurry attacks, launching them into the range of a fighter who gets a free opp attack against them and can from then on lock down their movement with a successful hit? That can be an excellent tag team. The Monk isn’t excellent for utility, but the Open Hand technique is probably the best at providing utility in combat among all the monk disciplines. Like, another option after hitting with flurry of blows is to steal all reactions for the opponent until the end of your next turn. This can be especially helpful against casters, as stealing reactions = preventing counterspells. And Monks can get a lot of attacks = lots of attempts to disrupt concentration of enemy casters, so the open hand monk is especially helpful at being a designated mage wrecker with having the mobility to reach casters and the ability to destabilize them. It’s arguably the one thing (aside from unarmed damage) that (this one kind of) monks do better than just about anyone else, arguably.

Now, to Rangers.

Honestly, I don’t like beast-focused Rangers. I think they’re a lot of work in order to get the mechanical payoff most other classes can achieve without a lot of thought or effort. Generally, any class that can let me focus more on flavour and RP is one I’m going to prefer, and beast master’s just…unwieldy. A lot of people say the class is junk, and if you run it without getting into the headspace for optimizing, it’s probably going to be more of a frustrating experience than you’d have hoped for. With BMs, you’re managing not just your character, but your companion, and you have to keep up with the different mechanics of both, you need to be 100% on top of choices made while leveling up, you need to have a strong understanding of battlefield control and your companion’s capabilities from the get go, and you really ought to be the kind of player who is happy to take a backseat to everyone else in and out of combat because the way you’ll shine is by helping everyone else do what they do with a little bit higher odds of success than otherwise. Personally, I like playing that sort of character, but I can do all of that with other classes a lot easier, and usually better, so this isn’t the kind of archetype I’d choose for a character myself. If you really want to, and think it’s cool, go for it, though.

The first thing I’d do is ask if you can use the UA revised ranger instead of the PHB ranger if you’re going the beast route (it’s “beast conclave” archetype in UA). If your DM allows that and insists you choose your companion from the list provided here, take the wolf (pack tactics is v helpful, same with 40ft speed and being able to send enemies prone after attacking) or ape (climb 30ft, melee/ranged ability, good stat baselines). 

The second thing you’ll need is to lock down a quality companion, and that can take a bit of wheeling and dealing with your DM to let you use one of the supplementary books as a source, which is especially necessary if you’re not able to use the revised ranger class from UA. You do not want a hawk, mastiff, or panther, the PHB offers some shit examples out of the gate (panther and hawk are only conditionally good if you’re only ever going to have your companion rushing around the map using the ‘help’ action, or scouting to some extent, and the latter becomes less useful and reliable the higher level you become). Don’t choose a CR 0 companion, or one under ¼. If you absolutely must use a hawk for character flavor, then a blood hawk that at least has pack tactics would be a must. But if you are hoping for a companion that can do damage, look for something with certain damage if it hits, like added poison damage. Look for good AC if you want a tank. Look for versatility in mobility and senses. Look for special abilities (the boar having a relentless ability where it’ll go back to 1HP if it falls below 0; the wolf spider has web walk and web sense which can really help with casters using web if players don’t want to wade into the difficult terrain or are having difficulty finding enemies caught in the web; etc.)

But yeah, beast-focused rangers  will be best when they’re spamming the help action with their beasts, using their beasts to get enemies out of cover, using their beasts to help control the field and give others advantage/take advantage, etc. You need to be quick mentally to know what you want to do with your character and your companion each time your turn comes around (most DMs, myself included, aren’t going to let you have as much time as you need to figure out what you want to do on both fronts, so if you can’t juggle two characters at once without losing a step, it might not be the archetype for you). This type of ranger requires you to know exactly what you want to be able to accomplish for yourself and your party right out of the gate, so you’ll want to gauge what your party members will be specializing in, what they want to be able to do, and see if there’s a way to shape your ranger to aid in that, particularly in choosing a beast that can be the most effective in ensuring that. Group cohesion is the name of the game with this form of ranger, so you’ll want to consider race selection a part of this process, too. I’ve had one player bomb hard as a BM and re-roll a different ranger, and I’ve had a friend who ran one who was the group’s unsung hero a lot of the time during their campaign. If you’re looking at Vex from CR as inspiration, keep in mind she had an excellent set of stats from lvl 9 onwards, and plenty of magical weapons to make up for much of any class shortcomings as characters scale up…look at how often Trinket was useful (very rarely) and understand that the bear was essentially just flavour for most of the campaign, and Vex would have been considerable underpowered compared to the rest of the party if not for some considerable DM intervention in ways that make things a lot trickier for DMs (adding magical weapons/items can easily unbalance a campaign, and it’s a matter of experience in knowing how to dole them out without throwing balance aside…Matt Mercer’s comfortable handing out flying carpets and multiple +2AC items  and superpowered magical weapons by level 9, I wouldn’t give them out before level 14 or 15 and it would really only be if a player was severely struggling and refused to re-roll a more appropriate character while dying or nearly dying most combats). Other classes and archetypes have features and abilities that scale as you level, some earn specific spells as they level up that others can’t get, etc., but with beast conclave rangers, it’s their beast that slightly improves in a few meaningful ways. So if you’re going that route, you need to commit to a great beasts that’s a great fit for you and your party, and you need to commit to making the absolute most out of them and knowing how to make the most out of them.

Horizon Walker’s a simpler archetype that has some badass spells, but the flavour for the class can be a bit…strange in some adventures. It might not fit well with Tyranny of Dragons, I’m not sure how much planar travel’s involved in that adventure. Which might not be a problem for the DM, or you. I still prefer the UA ranger conclaves, but out of the PHB ones, this one’s probably the best of the bunch, even if it’s mostly going to lean towards being a melee build (which, again, check your party comp to see if that’s something that is workable). 

Anywho, those are my late night D&D ramblings. You can take my words with a grain of salt if you’d like, and as always the rule of cool applies…if you think it’s cool and you really want to go with something, go for it and I hope the DM will find a way to help you make it work, but yeah, these classes can be a bit of an uphill battle, though I suppose potentially a rewarding challenge if that’s what you’re looking for.

Best of luck with the campaign, I’m sure you’ll have fun! 

[gaycey-sketchit]

(Gary anon) Whatever fits, I'm sure they'll figure out. It's sure to leave an impact. (After Friday's episode, I'm left wondering now more than ever what they plan to do with Gary's conclusion. *Gym Leader wasn't a definite, but I doubt they'll double-dip on the concept now) Speaking of whom, he mentioned Goh making it into Project Mew to Oak. I hope he's been watching something else too~. (We're likely to see Tracey soon. If we're lucky, it could be next week)

.

(Part 2) From the looks of the preview, he seems to have taken out at least one of Leon's Pokemon. (I hope Chesnaught gets a showcasing, XY basically ignored it.) Cool to see more of everyone's teams, though they're clearly holding back. (At least Hop won't seem like he'll be a one-off character) As I mentioned before, I have a lingering suspicious that something other than Project Mew might be brewing up for Gary. I just hope it's with Ash this time.

(Part 3) (Saw the subs: Paul didn't join the PWC because he doesn't festivities) Basically a similar explanation to what Yuko gave Gary deeming it "too crowded". (He was at Oak to study more about Pokemon{we know that's only half the reason}. His battle choices were to replicate who Ash will be facing and their techniques; as Goh points out. {Gyarados in particular resembling what Lance did to Leon} Hence why he asked Ash only to use what he's going to use in the tournament. *According)

(Part 4) (to Oak, Paul was asked to become a Gym Leader. {Which has not stopped some people from wondering if he took over Viridian :P} So yeah, I can see why they went with Paul to bring out the last push for power in Ash's Pokemon) The matchups have certainly caused reactions, probably the most mixed I've seen so far in JN. Besides Ash not using reserves; which was kinda set in stone for a while.

Yeah.

Yeah, it's a mystery I guess.

Ooh nice! Yeah, hopefully.

Hopefully soon! I miss him.

Good for him! Yeah, hopefully Chesnaught will get something.

Yeah! Should be interesting.

Yeah, hopefully something happens with Gary and Ash later. As fun as Gary's dynamic with Goh is, I want to see that.

Makes sense. One of my Twitter mutuals said Paul not participating in the PWC because he thinks it's beneath him is the funniest and most in character explanation they could've given. Also from what I saw on my Twitter feed yesterday, ComaShippers on Twitter are having a field day with the idea that Paul raised two pseudo-legendaries and a Magikarp specifically for this purpose.

On a tangentially related note, the premise of this episode keeps reminding me of a fanfic I read once that was written in like, 2012. FFNet user Vulpixi Misa predicted the future.

But anyway! Yeah, the fandom seems to have some mixed thoughts on M8 matchups for sure. Somebody pointed out that Ash vs Steven is a battle between the champions of tropical regions and I love that at least.