#and since talking to people is scary i show appreciation by fanart

[tratatdragonlord]

ShuAke Week Day 1: Stars/Fantasy

This is fanart of @mistresseast ‘s gleaming darkness, luminous night which is a fic that I love and think about a lot (´・ω・｀)

[blisslilywrites]

I'm back with the Jessica rabbit ask? Shigiraki stain and overhaul maybe?

A/N: So Im not the most familiar with these bad bois but I hope I did them justice. Btw for Stain’s one, it’s the public finding out about his gf and like slightly yandere. Aaand on another sidenote,, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SHIGGY!! ~lily

SHIGARAKI TOMURA:

The League was making their escape after another mission ended a bit too quickly cuz of some meddling heroes

Kurogiri wasn’t there to provide a quick way to escape so they had to resort to running through the city, hidden in the shadows of course

Somehow, through forces unknown to man, they bumped into you along their escape route

The moment you see them, your eyes grew wide

Shigaraki groaned inwardly cuz he knew how this showdown would go

The rest of the league were a bit confused. 

A civilian had just seen them, wanted villains, and their boss isn’t making any move to stop her from reporting them

Before anyone could attempt to threaten you, you ran up to Shigaraki and gave him a huge hug

Everyone: Umm nani???

What bothered them even more was that Shigaraki seemed...ok with all this?

“Aaa To-chan~~ I’ve missed you so much…” you pouted

Everyone: Nani wtf what how why wha-- *brain overloaded with unanswerable questions*

Once everyone recovered from their little short circuit, Shigaraki told them you were his girlfriend and not to worry since you knew about the league and won’t report them

Ngl he seemed lowkey annoyed at the whole thing but isnt he always

They just looked at you in awe

Wow, Shigaraki actually has interests in women and romance huh?

Not to mention, you were really attractive

And that voice of yours…

None of them really seemed to want to believe that someone like you was dating Shigaraki Tomura™

Then Toga literally just asked you why

“Well, why not?” you said with a seductive smile aimed at Shigaraki

They didn’t really know where to go from here until Compress reminded them they were still in the middle of an escape

Oh right…

You gave shiggy a small kiss on the cheek and waved goodbye to the league as they ran off into the shadows

Something tells you that you’ll see them all again pretty soon

Whether it’s on the news or in person

HERO KILLER: STAIN / Akaguro Chizome

You two have always kept your relationship under wraps

It was for your own safety, after all

However, news of Stain having a girlfriend spread across rumor groups all over the nation

They were all just rumors until someone managed to snap a pic of you and Stain locked in a tight embrace

Everyone was pretty shocked...for different reasons

Most fans couldn’t accept it and felt betrayed 

They believed you were a distraction from Stain’s true goal and purpose

Still, there were many others who appreciated you as it showed them Stain also had someone to fight for

And that someone was hella hot, according to the picture at least

This kind of stuff always ends up going viral and in your case, it did within a matter of days

Fanart and fanfics of the two of you filled the net

That along with the multitudes of intense shippers made you guys a beautifully tragic OTP

A lot of stuff went down in the Stain x Mystery Hottie fandom and let’s just say we dont talk about that anymore…

The same was true of those who hated you. You received a few death threats and even had someone stalk and almost attack you

Thank goodness Stain was there though

Oh yeah did I mention how upset Stain was with all this and he hasnt even seen the art or fics smh

He was absolutely livid

The world wasn’t supposed to know about you. You were supposed to be his and his alone to cherish.

From then on, he spent a great deal of time and effort keeping you hidden. You didn’t mind much since you knew it was for the best

You knew from the beginning that being in a relationship with Stain wasn’t going to be easy.

You never once tried to leave though

And that was something Stain would always appreciate, love even, about you

OVERHAUL / Chisaki Kai

Things have been a bit rough lately and so you and Chisaki finally made the decision for you to move to the Shie Hassaiki base

When he brought you to there, it didn’t seem like anyone was around

“They’re all out on a mission,” he explained

Chisaki then left you to go do some work and you quickly made yourself at home

Around evening time, you got really hungry and Chisaki still hadn’t come back to check on you

So you did something you probably figured was a little stupid...

You left your room to go look for him 

And maybe to get some food if you could find any 

The only problem was that the compound was huge and you quickly found yourself lost in its seemingly endless hallways

You were getting desperate when you turned a corner and bumped into a group of men in scary-looking masks

They were all pretty shocked when they saw you

Their base wasn’t supposed to be infiltrated this easily, especially by someone who seemed to be a civilian

One of them, the biggest, meanest looking one, walked up to you and grabbed you gruffly by the arm

“What are you doing here?”

You tried to calmly explain that Chisaki brought you here

They didn’t exactly believe you though and were probably just trying to figure out how best to kill or torture you

You sighed, figuring you should just use your trump card

“I’m his girlfriend.”

They still didn’t believe you

Before you could say anything more though, a loud voice spoke up from behind you

“What do you think you’re doing with my woman?”

It was filled with so much iciness and calm hostility

Like literally you could feel a chill run down your spine

It was even worse for the idiots who tried to kill you  

They were practically shaking in fear when they realized you weren’t lying

Long story short, you calmed Chisaki down and the men were spared

Whatever doubt they had about someone like you being Chisaki’s girlfriend was kept to themselves as they profusely apologized over and over

Since then though, they seemed to have developed a lot respect as well as fear of you

Afterall, you were one of the only people Chisaki actually listened to

And that was no easy feat indeed

[joyandeggs]

May we have some SFW Shoot headcanons, please? 😊

You just said the magic word. 💓 This is just going to be a bunched up list of ideas and other things I've thought of over the past year and now. I literally have notepads full of things about my sweet Shoot.

There's the usual headcanon where Shoot, since losing his left arm for unknown reasons, ends up using his Nen hands to help him do little things around the house, like braiding his hair in the mornings, holding his book while he reads, grabbing things on the top shelves even if he's tall enough to reach with his right. He doesn't even need to use his left hands, but It's a little habit of his when he isn't thinking.

Before Shoot was able to use his Nen, he lost his arm. He was left sad, weak, in pain, defeated. Defeated because of the fact that he had so much struggle trying to only use his right arm. Luckily, that's his dominant. Maybe he created the left hands to make up for what he lost, but also using it as an advantage when fighting. (I remember seeing this old fanart of Shoot where the artist headcanoned that when Shoot lost his arm, it was cut into three pieces. I always thought that was interesting to me.)

Now that I'm typing all of this, maybe Shoot made Hotel Rafflesia first before his hands? I don't know. I've never thought of that until just now. I only assumed he had made them at the same time. Maybe he created one ability before the other, depending on how he was trying to go about it at the time through his life.

Shoot is more of a serious, quiet person, but even around Knuckle and Morel, gradually Knov and the others, and even with a significant other, he'll loosen up. When he's more comfortable around them, especially Knuckle or a significant other, he'll make his own comments or smile and laugh at something they say. It's captivating when he breaks out into a smile or laugh, which he has a habit of covering with his hand.

Him and Knuckle actually do a little bit of everything together. It doesn't help that they have the same teacher together, but they end up hanging out quite often, either by themselves or with Morel and company. Or just Morel, since he takes them out frequently in between breaks or after missions. Sometimes they still clash from being different people, but they are such good friends. They're like brothers. They really do care for each other so, so much.

(The Hunter Four) Shoot and Knuckle are best friends, of course, but he would also get along with Kite really well. Kite would enjoy how soft spoken Shoot was, and even if he's quiet, he's relaxed around Kite. They both have that relaxing atmosphere. Kite and Shoot would get to talking about all of the different things they've done as hunters, with Shoot learning a lot from Kite's stories.

(The Hunter Four) Shoot doesn't speak to other hunters at all much, only to his small circle Morel has cut out. But if he were to meet Hanzo, they would be sweet friends with different dynamics. Hanzo is a little more outgoing and talkative, while Shoot is more quiet and introverted. Shoot enjoys talking to Hanzo and listening to what he has to say always. Hanzo brings out his smile when he gets to rambling on about whatever, even if it's about something completely random, and it makes him happy that he wants to listen, even wanting to engage more often. At least he wasn't annoying him. Hanzo found Shoot to be intimidating at first, almost not becoming friends at first due to how scary he looked. That was poor judgement though! Hanzo of course just came up politely and started speaking to him, and Shoot found him to be so nice and friendly. Same with Hanzo.

Shoot tends to get much more quiet than normal when he's sad, keeping to himself and bottling up his emotions. It isn't the best thing, but he doesn't want to bother anyone with his feelings. He's suppose to be strong after all! If you compare him to Knuckle, he and him are the same when they are emotional. It will pour out of them when that barrier stopping them will break apart as they do. If someone asked him if someone was wrong or if he's okay, he'll actually try to tell them he's fine, and not to worry over him. Even with close ones like Morel and Knuckle, despite being more open with them. But when he's breaking down and at his lowest, darkest point, he would tell people to go away. He feels awful when he does that though, he really doesn't mean to do it. He just needs a little space to take deep breaths and let his troubles out of him. When someone does help him through these times, either just sitting and keeping beside him, maybe rubbing his back or hugging him comfortingly, he is incredibly thankful that he didn't make them mad or hurt them for being too emotional.

Whenever Shoot is happy in any way, his has the sweetest smile on his face. (He deserves to be happy. His smile is so cute and warm.) If something makes him laugh, he has a rather small laugh, but sometimes will either hum quietly or pop out loudly. It just depends on what gets to him more. For the most part, his happiness is shown through his eyes and lips. The soft look in his eyes and the soft quirk of the corners of his mouth will definitely show how happy he is, even if it isn't a toothy wide grin compared to someone like Knuckle.

Shoot doesn't get violent at all when he's angry. I can definitely see him as the scary, quiet type. In the series, he isn't openly angry or raises his voice at all. He would raise his voice rarely, but it's still quiet. He tries to keep calm and collective when he feels like this, which is surprising considering how some other feelings affect him.

As he travels with work, he ends up either staying with Morel in many different places, or staying with Morel at his little rented home. Most of them are little hotel rooms which are shared with Knuckle. renting an area with multiple rooms ends up being more expensive, and Morel tends to try and save money a bit. Regardless, he always tries to keep his living space clean. No trash anywhere, no throwing clothes or anything on the floor. It makes him feel better when there's no clutter. If he has his own stuff with him, he's not the best organizer but he does try to keep things together. He's more of a tidy person, and always cleans up after himself. When it comes to Morel's rented home, he honestly doesn't know what to do when he has his own bedroom. The only thing he would keep is a closet full of clothes that barely takes up the space, and some books. His room would always look so bare.

Some of his favorite foods are a lot of egg, noodle, or chicken/pork based meals. I've always thought that he would enjoy breakfast food and coffee. He would like traditional tonkatsu ramen or maybe sushi whenever he goes out for food. (Meve, what do you think Shoot's favorite sushi would be? Rainbow roll keeps coming to mind. 🍣❤) If at home, a simple bowl of curry, omelette rice, or stir fry. Enjoys vegetables greatly. Fruit, too. He isn't picky with anything. I think he would really like fried foods, too! Like takoyaki and dumplings, and seafood pancakes.

Absolutely loves cooking. For him, it's relaxing and fun. His favorite things to cook are breakfast, fried rice, and a lot of other Japanese foods. Also has a talent for baking when he wants to bake any treats. He's a sucker for some fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, or a small vanilla cake.

(Self-indulgent) I believe Shoot would be a really nice singer, as far as Yuuji Ueda's music sounds. Just as lovely as his natural speaking voice. It's soft and low, but can get a little higher. He never sings out loud when no one is around him though, so no one has ever heard him. Only in private. He hums along to songs and tunes when he isn't thinking though. Knuckle has actually caught him singing softly to himself in another room, he just doesn't know it.

With how quiet and reserved Shoot appears to be, you find the times sitting in a complete, comfortable silence with him is what makes your times with him special. Both of you don't need to talk constantly or anything. If you both run out of things to say, you or him could always speak up later if you or him wanted to. If you were taking a walk or just outside to get some fresh air, the birds, residents, or the ocean/river banks are the things speaking to the both of you for now. You never find Shoot's silence awkward or boring. It's always soothing. You do enjoy when you get to listen to him speak though. He finds himself speaking much more than what he usually does with you though.

Whenever Shoot seems to find himself wanting to ask someone he likes out, he has no idea how to go about it. He's going crazy over the idea in the first place. The man is so shy that he is just silently battling his own mind in worry, until Knuckle suggests his own ideas to him. His friend of course tries to help in his own way. Knuckle thinks he's a wingman, much to Shoot's annoyance. He appreciates his help, he truly does, until Knuckle suddenly shouts, "You just gotta tell them how you feel, fool! If you don't, then I will!!" Shoot immediately stops him before he could reach you first, and that's how he finally asks you out. He is a nervous mess, but he sees how nervous they are, which eases his nerves just a bit. At least Knuckle didn't blurt out that Shoot was in love with them or something. That would have been really embarrassing.

Or Shoot would eventually find his way to them naturally, quietly admitting how much he really likes them. The man has the strength to overcome fears. Even if they approached him first, if the time was just right, Shoot could do it.

Shoot is incredibly affectionate whenever in a relationship with someone he truly cares about. When comfortable enough, he wants to be around them or as close as possible to them, both in public and in private. In public, he just likes to sit beside you, even hold your hand or place his hand on your thigh. He gets a little shy when it comes to PDA, but he will give you a small kiss to the forehead or lips when he sees you. In private, he just wants to be as close as he physically can, wrapping his arm around them, maybe even snuggling up while sitting or cuddling close together in bed. He just loves sweet physical gestures like that. If his partner were super affectionate like he shyly is, then he actually melts. The man feels loved. He wants you to feel the same way he does when he's with you.

Shoot, in a relationship, is very romantic. He's secretly a hopeless romantic with certain things. Holding your hand, giving kisses to your forehead and cheeks, it's the little intimate things that he absolutely loves to do with you. Intimacy actually makes him melt. He enjoys writing you letters from time to time to surprise you, especially on anniversaries. He's also a flowers type of man, he would absolutely love buying flowers for his significant other. I can just imagine him staring into someone's eyes, telling them how much he means to him and how happy he is they're in his life, all while holding their hand and rubbing his thumb tenderly on their knuckles. When he's just himself, he can be very suave and romantic in his own ways without even realizing it.

He also does that thing where he'll just...stare and admire you, either into your eyes or at your lips, rubbing his thumb over the bottom of your lip. It's just the little things. It's the little things that will get to him, but he also does them to his significant other.

Sadly, Shoot wouldn't see his significant other often. Since he travels for work, being gone for various periods of time that vary from mission to mission, he has to leave from time to time. When he does finish a mission and has the time to do so, he is coming right back to see you, even if it's just for a handful of hours. Sometimes if he can't see you during work, he'll call you for a brief chat, checking to see if you were alright and how you had been doing while being apart. I think Shoot would be that type of person that would make time for you. It's nice that Morel has a little home Knuckle and himself go back to after their work is done, otherwise you may never see him.

[komahinasecretexchange]

Title : Making sense

Author : @alyssaleandra (komakaikoma on twitter)

For : @fhantomhives

Rating/Warnings : G, mentions of Hinata’s surgical scars

Prompt : for the fic - first date; for the fanart - soft forehead touch

Author/Artist’s note : I hope the recipient enjoys!! I tried to make something very gentle and heartwarming! There is an image embedded within the story.

-

Things are hard when the former Class 77-B ship off to real life Jabberwock Island. Unlike its virtual counterpart, it’s been abandoned for who knows how long, and it shows. There’s insect infestations to counteract, living quarters to rebuild, water sources to purify… Hinata never imagined he’d see his friends farming, but here they are with Imposter (who everyone still affectionately refers to as Togami because it’s familiar) assigning tilling duties for the week. They can’t rely on Naegi and the others on mainland to supply too much, lest they out their location to those who’d prefer to see the Remnants of Despair at the bottom of the ocean.

Hinata knows that the others are looking to him for some measure of guidance, even if no one’s said anything outright. He’s Kamukura Izuru, after all. The Ultimate of Ultimates. The one who babysat everyone’s pods until each was safely out of cryosleep and in recovery plans that mainly he (and later Tsumiki) was responsible for formulating. But if he’s being honest with himself, he’s had his fair share of being an Ultimate, and he’s happy to take the supporting role to more charismatic figures like Sonia and Togami. The irony of longing for a normal life is not lost on him, but he thinks undergoing a major brain surgery, surviving a killing game, and getting spit out into a completely changed real world is enough excitement for a lifetime. He’s earned a bit of normalcy.

…So of course he’d find himself fawning over Komaeda Nagito, of all people, once things have settled down around Jabberwock. Hinata’s bewildered by it when he realizes what’s happened; it’s like an errant seed found root in his heart while he was distracted with fixing cottage roofs, then budded while he was modifying meal plans, and then the second he had a chance to breathe and check in on himself, full blown feelings had blossomed right under his nose.

It’s hard, and a little frustrating, that it had to be Komaeda, because nothing’s ever been easy with Komaeda. Hinata had nursed something of a crush on the boy when they’d “met” in the virtual world and he thought that Komaeda was just a kindhearted oddball with a pretty face. That whole thing got dashed to pieces during their time in the program once he realized there was at least a few dozen more layers to Komaeda he had yet to scratch the surface of, let alone come close to ever comprehending. It was unthinkable, for a time, that he’d ever be able to feel anything other than confusion with a tinge of what he can only describe as unease towards Komaeda. Now, though, with everyone recovering and filling in the cracks left by their past lives, he feels a bit like he first did on that digital shoreline in the beginning.

Except, no, it’s more profound this time because he feels like really understanding Komaeda is something that’s within arm’s reach for him, rather than an amorphous, far-off concept.

He can’t pretend to fully follow all of the hope-obsessed boy’s fervid ramblings about life and fate, but… nowadays, it’s almost endearing. It’s just routine enough that it’s become comforting. Like Komaeda’s some piece of music that was too dense and intimidating for Hinata to really appreciate the first time he heard it, but now he’s developed the taste for it.

It helps that Komaeda’s achingly pretty, and Hinata’s always been slightly weak for the quirky pretty ones. Even during their conflicts in the program, Hinata had to reel himself out of those serene gray eyes sometimes—really yank himself out of a few unwanted idle daydreams about the Ultimate Luck who caused everyone so much grief, and yet—and yet—Hinata never could shake the desperate desire to figure him out. He’d always thought if he could solve the inscrutable puzzle that was Komaeda, just maybe they could be on equal footing again someday.

And so, it’s somewhat frustrating that it had to be Komaeda because Hinata knows by now how complicated Komaeda likes to make things for himself (and everyone around him), but it also makes perfect sense that the living science experiment known as Hinata Hajime would set his sights on the shining beacon of maladaptive coping mechanisms known as Komaeda Nagito. Since when has Hinata ever taken the path of least resistance for anything?

They aimlessly spend time together just like they did back in the program before things really went south. They do chores together, tag-team scavenging together, and spend cool off periods walking down the beach together. Komaeda still tends to fret over doing anything where his misfortune flares could pose a threat to Hinata, but they’ve managed to go unscathed thus far.

They’re sitting hip-to-hip on the sand and watching the sunset after a particularly lengthy conversation about their childhoods, when it occurs to Hinata that this is basically a date. He feels his heart kickstart at the notion and a heat creep across his face, and he’s suddenly scared to move or even so much as glance at the boy next to him, lest Komaeda be made aware of Hinata’s sudden onslaught of self-consciousness. He’s kept completely quiet about his festering feelings for Komaeda and never once dared to imply that anything between them means any more or less than what he has with everyone else on the island. He’s shy, sure, but he also just isn’t certain of Komaeda can handle that kind of information. He can practically see the spiral that would unfurl if Komaeda were to confront the reality of knowing that someone cared for him.

“Oh, sorry, did I say too much? Ahaha… I never know when to stop talking…”

Hinata’s ears tune in to the sad note in Komaeda’s voice, and he realizes he’s been spacing out. “No, no! I just got lost in thought, sorry about that.” His throat feels tight, and there’s a dozen things he wants to say but doesn’t know how to. “Um… Komaeda?”

“Yes?” Komaeda tilts his head, attentive.

“I was wondering if… well, if you wanted to—to come over to my cottage tonight?” It’s funny, really, the way everyday words rattle up his ribs and get stuck on his tongue like they’re something profound or difficult, given everything else he’s been through by comparison. It’s funny and embarrassing and so normal that it would make Hinata laugh if he weren’t preoccupied with not humiliating himself in front of Komaeda right now. “Just to… I dunno, hang out. Maybe we could… watch one of the movies that Asahina-san sent over for us.”

Komaeda’s eyes widen just a little as he processes this invitation before relaxing back to their usual calm state. “Hinata-kun, aren’t we hanging out already? Or am I mistaken?”

“W-well, yeah! But this is…” Hinata’s voice drops to a fragile murmur, “…different.”

“Different? Hmm… I see.” Hinata isn’t sure what it is that Komaeda sees, and that makes him nervous. The slightly taller boy stands up and dusts sand off his bottom. “I’d be happy to accompany you.”

And he smiles, framed by oncoming nighttime and high tide, and Hinata’s heart stutters. Okay, cool, he accepted it without being weird. Even if I didn’t really explicitly call it a date or anything. God, my collar feels tight right now. He tugs at the offending collar and tries for a casual smile. “Cool. Cool.”

They follow the road back to the inland.

Silence transpires, and in the bit of quiet, Hinata takes note of Komaeda’s hands swinging gently at his sides. Hinata’s never thought about the idea of holding them before, at least not in public, but once it crosses his mind, he can’t stop thinking about it. How would Komaeda react if he just… went for it? Would he be startled? Angry? Beyond that, how would it feel? Would it be clammy? Soft? Would it feel good? …Well, the hand closest to him is the metal one, so that’s irrelevant.

A past Hinata might have been content to let the idea remain as just an idea, but the Hinata now knows that if he wants something, he should probably chase after it without sweating the details so much. He reaches out and takes the mechanical left hand into his right. It takes Komaeda a moment to notice, due to a lack of nerve endings.

“Oh…” he says faintly, too caught off guard for much else.

“Sh-should I not…?”

They’ve both stopped walking so that Komaeda can stare down at their point of contact. He’s yet to put on any kind of discernible emotion about it. “No, it’s okay. It’s—nice. But it’s scary, too.”

“Scary??” Hinata’s grip loosens, prepared to drop the other boy’s hand and forget he ever tried.

“Because it’s so nice.” Slowly, carefully, internal mechanisms work together to tighten Komaeda’s hold on Hinata so that the connection isn’t lost. “It’s… hard to not wonder when my luck might strike again. And I know you have luck now, too, somewhere inside of you… But…” He shakes his head and dismisses the thought. “Never mind. Let’s get going.”

Hinata wants to protest and prod Komaeda into finishing what he was saying, but the gentle pull of Komaeda’s hand takes his attention by the reins. He hasn’t rejected Hinata, and he isn’t running away. That small realization fills Hinata with relief that he didn’t know he was hoping for. His step feels lighter as he catches up to his friend’s side.

-

Hinata sets up a tape on an old CRT that Souda put together, sits on the floor with Komaeda, and immediately finds himself regretting suggesting a movie. It’s impossible to focus with so many things weighing on his mind and the subject of his inner turmoil right next to him.

As if sensing Hinata’s thoughts, Komaeda leans against him, so warm and tangible on his shoulder. It seems he’s equally unengaged with the movie before them. “Hey, Hinata-kun. Would you mind telling me that you hate me?”

“…Huh?” The odd request catches Hinata off guard. “Why on earth would I ever say that??”

“It’d be the greatest comfort to me right now. The bad luck of being hated by you… maybe it’d make everything even. Maybe I could enjoy being at your side like this a little longer without fearing what might come next. But I’m too much of a coward to actually try to make you hate me anymore.” He outstretches his right hand, flexing and relaxing the muscles. Even as he talks of being hated, he nuzzles closer into Hinata’s shoulder, as if afraid Hinata really will say he hates him. “I used to try so hard to invite disaster in my life when things were going too well. It scared me so much to enjoy the quiet moments. It scares me even now, to be close to you and have your friendship. I always tell myself that I need to stop being selfish and push you away for your own good, but… then I see you every morning, still alive, still smiling, and my greedy heart can’t help but want to bask in you.”

He shifts and makes direct eye contact with Hinata. As frank as he can be at times, Komaeda always tends to direct his gaze elsewhere during conversations. His hand, or his feet, or just somewhere in the far distance. It always makes him feel unreachable. But this time, his stare is open and earnest. “After everything that happened, I wonder what my standing with luck even is anymore. I died in the program… but then I was alive. But then I had the apocalypse and my own horrible actions to clean up after.” He reflexively rubs where metal and flesh meet on his left arm. “So in the end, was that all good luck or…”

And Komaeda cuts himself off, like he’ll never find an answer unless he just takes action already, and he leans into Hinata and brushes trembling lips against a dumbstruck mouth. His eyes are rife with a dozen conflicting emotions, as Komaeda often is, but this time it feels as though one wrong move will make him burst and everything will come spilling out unfiltered. His eyes widen in something akin to surprise, as if he wasn’t in control of his own actions. Before Komaeda has the chance to overthink things or run away, Hinata catches him by a jacket lapel and pulls him close. He uses his other hand to wrap gently around the back of Komaeda’s head, reveling in soft white curls, and pulls their foreheads together.

“Do you feel them? The scars, I mean.” Hinata pulls his short bangs aside. “Sometimes I forget they’re there. But they remind me of everything we all went through… that we’ve seen hell and death and everything in between, and we’re still here. In the grand scheme of things,” he gestures between them, “this isn’t going to be what ends the world. …At least, that’s what I think.”

Komaeda’s quiet, for a bit. He inhales like he forgot to breathe. Then he breaks, and laughs, and laughs. His eyes water from the force of it. “Aha-hahaha! Hahaha! Ha…” He holds Hinata for support, and Hinata holds him back. Once the fit has passed, he sniffs and straightens up, face still slightly quirked with hysteria. “Perhaps—perhaps you’re right. Maybe it’s arrogant to think luck cares that much about what makes me happy. Maybe it never cared. I’ve been wondering about that lately. It’s a scary thought.”

On the surface, it’s a pessimistic notion, but for Komaeda to yield to the idea that, to some extent, things just happen and that he should do something that makes him happy without psyching himself out of it for once, is the kind of paradigm shift Hinata expects only a virtual death and rebirth could have brought about. “Luck never cared about what any of us wanted. Not just me. And maybe it’s giving luck too much credit to say that it’s what brought me to you.” Then Komaeda does something unexpected—tilting his chin upwards at a pretty angle and kissing the raised skin of Hinata’s forehead scars. “But whatever did, I’m glad for it. I’m… unspeakably glad that you’re still here after everything, Hinata-kun.”

It’s always a toss-up with Komaeda on whether or not his penchant for saying really vulnerable things will embarrass him. This ends up being one of the times where it does, and he flushes a bright red and looks away, direct eye contact finally too much for him. He’s nearly confessed to Hinata once before, but that was ages ago in the program, under far different circumstances. Perhaps this is the first time Komaeda’s ever been really honest about how much Hinata means to him. No wrapping it up in vague non sequiturs about talent and hope. Just, “I’m glad you’re here.”

It’s more powerful than a typical confession in some regards.

“Me too. I’m glad you’re here, too.” Hinata feels his face burning as well, but he tries to will himself to remain cool. “…This feels pretty dumb to say now, but I was trying to ask you on a date earlier. So, uh, this is a date. …If you want it to be. I feel like, after… y’know, everything, we need things like this. Normal things.”

Komaeda smiles genuinely, and fondness bears down on Hinata full-force at the sight. “I figured that was what you were trying to get at. It’s really funny, Hinata-kun, when I look at you and think about how your sheer will power broke us out of the killing game and probably saved us all, and yet you can’t even ask someone out without being absurdly awkward about it. I think it’s something I like about you.”

Hinata burns more furiously but can’t find the words to retort, instead opting to fold his arms and stare at the ceiling. “W-well… yeah. Those are two totally different things!! Maybe if lives were on the line, I could find it in me to ask you out a little more tactfully…”

“Hmm, I see, so saving lives is easier than trying to date me, huh? I suppose that’s fair…”

“Hey, you…” Hinata snags Komaeda’s jacket lapels again and pulls him close. The banter ceases, and the two enjoy a normal date, like they deserve.

[mysticqueen-bee]

Gwevin Headcanons & Au’s (Reboot Edition)

So I've done some nods in the og continuity with some headcanons, since the reboot has breeded gwevin ideas for me I might as well write up some headcanons before I produce fanart for them  :) So here I go . Kevin has had some personal gripes he dares not to bring up from the past, so he pushed it onto Ben for all the things he had that Kevin lacked. When he met Gwen it seemed like he could care less but there was a uniqueness in her that he seemed to be drawn to, over time he seemed to wish for her calmer personality to focus on him for a change since he hated the aching loneliness that lingered deep inside his heart. . He only sees her during a certain amount of times but she's made quite the impact to him where he views her and thinks about her during high stress moments to calm himself down, unfortunately being under work with the Forever Knight he exploited his weakness and wrapped it up as a threat if Kevin ever decided otherwise. He had to reluctantly accept such terms not only to be stronger than Ben but to ensure Gwen's sunshine personality would survive another day, if it were a different world he'd wish to be wrapped comfortably in her arms and soothed by her for a long time. . The only seldom times he's been able to be near the Tennysons when he isn't fighting Ben is during specific down periods, he chooses this time to be near her but get some well needed rest. Most of the time he has very horrible nightmares in which he fails to protect Gwen from said threat that he was trying so hard to prevent, Gwen notices his whimpering and tries to relax him (which happens eventually) . Even in some of his alien forms he tends to drop his guard if Gwen is nearby, if by her simple request he lets her sit up on his shoulder and give her the scenic route if need be. With Bashmouth when she's being carried by him she's very doting and assistive to Kev's needs, when she scratches and massages his ears it relaxes him greatly and has his dog like instincts kick in from her pampering (pretty sure Gwen's respectful to both Kevin and Bashmouth equally, if she's exhausted he lets her lay beside or on his back since fluffiness can be pretty soft and comfy.)   . Though he didn't show the same feelings during that moment because of Ben he was grateful to Gwen for getting him back to human, despite the stinging words his mind going blank and his body being in massive pain clung onto him in his dreams just as much as the other nightmares. . Gwen noticed him mulling things over on the side of a grassy hill near the walkway she was on and decided to sit beside him, he was surprised but was more than elated that she wanted to spend time with him. After talking about things for a while he felt that he'd open up to her on some things, his vulnerability started to spill out of him as he choked tears over certain subjects he was afraid to share to her (she listens and understands that there's some things Kevin might want to keep to himself, she'd not want to pry and trigger something painful for him since he's already been hurt enough at this point) . He wasn't sure how he had but he had collapsed to his knees and buried his head into Gwen's shirt as he began bawling his tears, while he cried he felt the soft touch of her hand wrap itself around his back as another gently stroked the back of his head. As time passed he let his body relax despite his tears continuing to flow from his sore eyes as exhaustion claimed him, Gwen noticed that he cried himself to sleep so she lightly dried his tears while positioning him in a comfortable position without waking him since he deserves something good after all the crap he's been going through . After all the scary events had come to a close and his standing with Gwen was on a mutual standpoint she suggested they go on a few dates, so they go back to the carnival like area they were at (the one from Buggy Out) and try to enjoy some fun when being away from Ben. Gwen however felt nauseous which resulted in her asking Kevin if they could sit down for a while and as the type of boy that cared about her he nodded and led them to an empty bench, to relieve the pain he gently stroked her upset tummy for a while (until she had to run to the nearest trashcan, but it was a given to get rid of the toxins that were plaguing her) she returned to his side and tried to relax but felt bad that her mid morning illness was screwing up their date. He ensured her that derailments happen while telling her that they still have the rest of the day to enjoy all that the carnival has to offer to them both which made her perk up a soft smile towards to him, she lays her head beside him as she let herself take a nap to recover while Kev watched over her ensuring her comfort and safety as she would've done for him in return before joining her in her nap. . Another of their dates was going back to the space camp which had some major fixes (despite some things being in the nearly fixed stage from the previous scuffle) but Kevin was feeling unsure at first but Gwen promised that things won't happen the same way as it happened that day, he blinked then nodded as he was dressed into the same blue spacesuit they had worn before as he followed her lead to the anti gravity simulation room. She kept by his side as the world around them was enveloped in darkness with only the stars being their main source of light, she enveloped her hand around his as they lightly drifted across the weightless void while a few moments later Gwen would feel comforted with the thought of sharing her first kiss with him (he was pretty surprised when she was the first to initiate it but it was probably the one of the best moments he'd have in his life so far, this tenderness lasted for a while until Ben interrupted souring the mood but Gwen ensured him that despite the abrupt conclusion that she had fun with him which he couldn't disagree with ) . When she's injured he tries to at least shield her and get her out of harms way as quickly as he can possibly manage, after addressing her wounds he probably uses rush to get her to her grandpa and Ben (because despite how he feels around him her safety and happiness takes precedence) . Though him using hotshot with her involved seemed to be at the most problematic timing he transformed into him in hopes that he can show that he wouldn't be as volatile as before, he lifted his open pyronite palm near her that she eventually touched with her own (because if she can easily touch Ben's heatblast with a fist bump then surely Kevin's hotshot could be touched with her palm albeit for a short time.) . Sometimes Gwen lets Kevin rest on her lap when the day is pretty calm and there isn't a ton of problems afoot, plus it's pretty easy to catch up on a good book while the other party is taking a pleasant nap . Sometimes crafting gifts from your abilities are a nice thing to have, Crystal Fist definitely would create roses for Gwen (despite not being yellow) since Kevin thinks it'd be a nice surprise to show her (it was odd at first but she appreciates the gesture) . Gwen likes to have little slow dances so the recent event while her family head towards them was exciting, since Kevin seemed pretty lonely she asked him to have a dance with her which he pleasantly obliged as they danced gracefully (with some practice) to one of her favorite songs at that event. . Certainly Kevin had a new nemesis in Gwen but it wasn't in the normal sense, she was a rival to his heart considering that she had stolen it (he intends to let her keep it) Now from my friend @seizerofdarkness I have added some small headcanons for the what if scenarios of Gwen 10 and Kevin (for their matching alien dates, which would be cute and some silly XD) . Everyone has their big tall boyfriend carting them around but its a complete game changer for two drastically different sized galvans, Ben discovers Dark Matter wearing some sort of tux since Gwen thought he'd look nice in it and before Ben could make some joking retort Kevin told him not to even make one peep about it. . Overflow and Undertow have a small diving trip through the ocean on a bit of a vacation at the beach, they had a fun time but Gwen had to take lead so the muddy water wouldn't harm the aquatic life (plus they need to surface sometime soon since they're both human and the watches can't keep them like that forever) . While being as Rath, Gwen started to squabble to Kevin that despite if he looks cute or not that she would not be a pushover in the fight which wasn't a problem to him since he enjoys a difficult battle before changing into Bashmouth (plus he likes her savage like nature, the scene that was caused though sent a ton of mixed signals since they were acting too personal to one another) . Gwen suggested a nice picnic area that she and Kev would escape to so they went along with it, after setting up everything carefully they changed into Fourarms and Quadsmack respectively. Devouring the pre-made lunch is one thing but keeping the food together is another, during that time Gwen mentions his interesting feats in her battles with him which earns her a small pat on the head for her compliment. (They even think about doing some sparring later if the mood is present) . Whenever Hotshot is present, Gwen as Heatblast plays around and jokes about his name while giving a little wink despite his irked look. He thinks over something then goes about to prank her back for such, but it's all in good fun anyways since it isn't going to hurt anyone. . Gwen and Kevin decided to enjoy a leisurely little race (in the unconventional method as Xlr8 and Rush) since the wind briskly passing beside them is a pretty thrilling feeling, though Gwen has to keep track of Kev so he doesn't trip over something by accident and hurt himself (if he does then she'd tend to him once he changes back to normal) . Sometimes people like to reenact a little bit of bowling and what better forms to have then to be Cannonbolt and Wreckingbolt, all Gwen asks of Kev is to not be too rough as he bumps her forward to hit the pins (likewise that she bumps him with some force when he's the one to hit the pins, he just needs to mind not scraping them with his spikes) That's about as much as I can add to this with my current headcanons, might update if I have more thoughts but I think this is a nice amount at this point ^^

[serpenscapes]

i know this is a big thing to ask but... i just spent an hour cackling at your katakuri tag and i must ask if you have more headcanons about the charlotte siblings - individual or as a whole, general thing (for real i had a field day seeing that one tag of yours saying the 20 eldest bros are great at braiding hair bc i 100% agree the sisters in this fam will roast them so hard if they couldnt hshdfhsd)

Ahh, it’s no trouble at all, and thank you so much!! I really enjoy talking about them and most of the time it feels like I’m rambling to myself, so this was really nice! I have a lot of headcanons, so I have no idea where to begin, but a few in general:

Katakuri:- Is not a morning person, at all. He’s gotten better over the years, but when he was younger his siblings literally had to drag him out of bed.- The youngest kids in the family almost feel more like his own children than his younger siblings, and the way he acts everyone else thinks it too- Can be surprisingly whiny and immature when he wants to be, but only with people he’s comfortable with like Brulee, Peros etc. (Probably, eventually, with Luffy too.) 

The 48-triplets:- Considering they were more or less inseparable as children, but now all manage their own islands and are busy with missions etc, they’re not as close as they used to be. They try to make time to hang out and see each other once in a while, but it’s difficult and they all regret it a little.- Katakuri and Oven bully Daifuku (good-naturedly)- After everything that happened with the Strawhats on WCI, Oven and Daifuku notice that Katakuri seems a little distant. They don’t pry, but they figure that something must have happened during his fight with Luffy. They don’t realise that the reason he’s being distant is because he’s trying to avoid showing them how happy he is.- Not strictly a headcanon headcanon, but this twitter fanart is EVERYTHING (Loose translation, Katakuri is saying “I’m in love with Strawhat Luffy” and Oven and Daifuku begin screaming “AAAAAAAA NO KATAKURI SERIOUSLY GIVE US A BREAK NO WAY NOOOOOOOO.”)

Charlotte Family in general:- After all the Strawhat drama, Katakuri and Pudding become weirdly close. No one comments on it, they just figure Katakuri is being a good older brother and supporting Pudding after all the trauma Sanji must have put her through. In reality, they just get together to talk about Sanji and Luffy over tea, and Pudding (who used to be a little intimidated by Katakuri) starts to appreciate him a whole lot more.- Since they’re all spread out over so many different islands, the younger siblings basically have to work their way up the rankings within the family if they even want a chance to see some of their older siblings. The oldest and strongest like Peros, Katakuri, Smoothie etc. are basically whispered legends amongst the younger siblings. If they ever come to Whole Cake Chateau to see Mama for whatever reason, the youngest kids all hide somewhere in the throne room and watch in awe.- Perospero knows everything. Everything. No one knows how, but he does. Someone has a crush? Peros knows. Someone’s angry at Mama? Peros knows. Someone skipped family breakfast because they were mad hungover? (Probably Cracker.) Peros knows. Oldest brother power, perhaps?- Cracker looks up to Katakuri a lot and wants his approval more than anyone else in the family. - If Peros is the brother everyone goes to for advice, Brulee is the sister. Some of them will go to Amande, but they also find her a little scary. Brulee is very approachable and happy to chat with her siblings about what’s on their minds. 

I also have a lot of modern!AU headcanons for the Charlottes, but this is long enough already LOL, send another ask maybe. I’m sorry none of these were funny but I talk a lot about OP on my twitter so feel free to follow me there for more shitposting. Thank you again for the ask!

[leilas-digital-scrapbook-blog]

Giving Love a Bad Name – Confessions of a Fanfiction Writer

I know we’re supposed to blog about our major projects this week and I promise I will get to that soon, but I’d like to go off book for a moment to address something that’s been bugging me since last Thursday’s class. As someone who’s always tried to engage with fandom in as creative a way as possible, I hoped a class on user generated content would offer a fresher perspective than the usual amount of prejudice and self-righteous superiority that sadly seem to accompany the subject of fanfiction even amongst people that make stories and their passion for it their bread and butter.

Guess I should have known better.

In the world of professional writers, fanfiction is still a filthy word. It sums up everything that’s wrong with the people you’re sharing your stories with: the obsessiveness, the entitlement, the disregard for boundaries, the penchant for making everything about sex. Worse, gay sex, as unspeakably dirty as it’s hilarious. Be warned, writers: if you make it big, your stories will inevitably become a free-for-all at the mercy of those people. A worse fate than even George R. R. Martin could wish on his own characters.

I’m used to seeing the world of fanfiction belittled and disparaged, of course, and I’m the first to admit that the community is often its own worst enemy. But for some reason it still hurt a little to sit in class and listen to people I’ve come to like and respect during these past few months buy into every bad stereotype associated with the form. Not because I felt called out (though yes, I do write fanfiction from time to time, and I happen to quite enjoy reading it too), but because of the underlying assumptions that 1. something that’s not 100% original cannot be art, it’s a violence in fact, especially if it twists someone else’s creation into something it was never meant to be (in this case, queer representation); and 2. there’s something wrong with creating exclusively out of love, without ever expecting to be paid for it. And I have Strong Opinions on that.

So let’s talk about fanfiction.

Actually, scratch that, let’s talk about my favorite subject – yours truly. As you may have gathered by now, I love fanfiction. A whole fangirly lot. My gateway drug into it was my obsession with Lost about 10 years ago and its pesky habit of offing every character I was foolish enough to get attached to. But lo! Someone was keeping them alive through their stories! I felt blessed. I got to spend more time in a world I loved, and I stopped flirting with the idea of giving up on the show every time another character I liked bit the dust. Everybody won.

Even more than as a fan, though, I appreciated the world of possibilities that fanfiction opened up to me as a non-native speaker. I come from a small town in the north of Italy; the access I had to foreign books in their original language was limited, and if I wanted to read something in English I’d have to spend quite a lot of money on one of the very few novels (usually chunky airport bookshop thrillers or housewife romances – not exactly my preferred genres) that shared a single shelf in the bookstore with German, French, Spanish titles. But fanfiction was free, accessible, and there was so much of it. If I didn’t like a story, all I needed to do was move on to the next. Suddenly there was an infinite library of engaging stories to help me make my English better. True, they didn’t all read like a published novel would – there’s a lot of unpolished, error-plagued, stream-of-consciousness-y material out there. But there are also so, so many beautifully written works, and believe me, even for a non-native speaker it’s very easy to spot the difference.

Fanfiction also gave me the chance and motivation to practice my English writing in a way school never could have done. I’ve been writing my own stories since I could hold a pen, but I didn’t dare write in English until I was a fanfiction-loving teenager. It was a marketing decision, really – my first foray into writing fanfiction was for a fandom so small that I wouldn’t be surprised to find out I’m the only Italian representative, so if I wanted any kind of feedback on my work I’d have to suck it up and try my hand at writing in a language that didn’t come natural to me. I would never argue that the feedback I got on my works made me a better writer – contrary to popular opinion, the fanfiction community is made up of the nicest, most supportive people, and alas, you’ll never get a comment on everything you did wrong with your structure or even just pointing out common grammar mistakes from them (though I was lucky enough to have someone explain to me how dialogue punctuation works differently in English than in Italian, so I guess something can be learned even from the Internet). It did motivate me to keep writing, though, and that made me a better writer. If you think I’m being too dramatic, dishing out this monster of a post nobody asked for just to declare my eternal devotion to fanfiction, it’s because it’s personal to me. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been told that I write in English as well as native speakers, and fanfiction is a big part of why that’s true. I doubt I would even be in this course if it wasn’t for it.

And then, of course, there’s the gay thing. I’m not going to argue about how heteronormativity sucks and representation matters because I’m sure everyone’s as sick of talking about it as I am, but please try to understand how it felt for a gay person like me, used to be depicted in media as a plot device or token secondary-character representation if at all, to be able to step into a world where queerness was the default for once. Where queer protagonists had meaningful queer love stories and queer friends and got to save the world from the Apocalypse too. Or to fight the Empire or go to Hogwarts or everything else fictional straight people have had a right to do since the dawn of storytelling in addition to romancing the hottie of their choice. I’m not asking you to feel as passionately about it, of course, but (especially if you’re straight) you might try and empathize the next time you think a fanart of two boys kissing is something deserving of your amused contempt.

I hope I’m not coming across as the person that screams “homophobe” at everyone who disagrees with her because I guarantee that’s not what I’m trying to do here, but I think the general distaste for slash says a lot about the way our society sees heterosexual relationships as love and homosexual relationships as sex. Yes, there’s a lot of gay porn in the world of fanfiction. But you know what you’re most likely to find? Romance. Not in the saucy literary sense of the word, but in its simpler, most literal acceptation. Fanfiction is just one more way for humans to express themselves, after all, and love has always been front and center in our art. Love, not sex – even if it’s gay. In fact, explicit material doesn’t even make up the majority of what you’ll find on a fanfiction website. Don’t worry, I don’t want anyone to taint their souls by visiting one of those dens of iniquity so I pulled some stats myself. Here’s the number of works for each rating in three of the most popular fandoms on Archive Of Our Own, the current go-to website for the fanfiction community (sorry Fanfiction.net) – Harry Potter, Supernatural and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as of 9/3/2019:

Even counting both Mature and Explicit works as straight-up porn (which I don’t think is quite fair, but that’s a discussion for another day), they only make up less than 1/3 of the material. Kinda disappointing, for a medium that’s supposed to be all about filthy graphic gay sex. Imagine if only one in three musicals actually featured singing and dancing, or superheroes weren’t in the majority of superhero movies. They’re lucky fanfiction is shared for free, or I’d be screaming for my money back.

Maybe I’ve just been brainwashed by SJWs, though, and this has nothing to do with my being an immigrant or a lesbian. Maybe my inability to see what’s so bad about appropriating someone else’s intellectual property for your own amusement is a cultural thing. I apologize – as mentioned, I’m Italian, and we all know Ancient Roman culture was basically just a ripoff of everything those inventive Greeks came up with. It’s in our blood. Hell, our 2€ coin, the biggest, has the face of Dante Alighieri on it, a writer most famous for having written 14.000+ verses of self-insert real-person-fic in which the girl he fancied as a teenager, his favorite author, and God himself all fall over themselves to tell him how awesome he is and he gets to prophesy an eternity in Hell for his political enemies. Talk about wish-fulfilling entitlement. Not to mention all those creatively arid Renaissance “artists” celebrated for stealing characters from the Bible and Greek mythology (seriously, the fact that Greece hasn’t unleashed an army of lawyers on us yet is nothing short of a miracle) and putting them in their cheesy paintings. Other countries can rely on a much stronger moral backbone and endless imagination – I’m sure Shakespeare, Milton, Goethe, those creative geniuses at Disney and countless others never had to resort to something as cheap and despicable as borrowing other people’s characters to tell the stories they wanted to tell.

Either way, I can’t help it – I see the prospect of creating something that will resonate with people so strongly that they’ll make it a part of themselves, that it’ll compel them to make more art, to reach out and connect with other fans, as something incredibly beautiful rather than scary. Maybe this is my usual naiveté speaking, and I will come to eat my words. It’s certainly disturbing that a bunch of entitled fans bullied the Mass Effect developers into changing the series’ ending, and sending actors explicit fanart of themselves is straight-up harassment, but is fanfiction really the problem here? Or is it social network culture, with its power to destroy all barriers and foster hive mind? To give resentment a platform to spread and be heard? I promise that the average fanfiction writer wouldn’t campaign to get an ending changed. They’d just roll up their sleeves and write a better one themselves.

[dialovertoenglish]

myshatebat hat auf deinen Eintrag geantwortet “myshatebat hat auf deinen Eintrag geantwortet “Translation...”

Maybe so but Neko is still cat no matter who translates is all i'm saying. If ur gonna be mad at anyone be mad at rejet for not localising. Or if u want u could say ur all stealing from rejet for "copying and editting" their work with translations. Ur translations probly everywhere anyway just cos 1 person is easy to find u pick on them. I dont understand people like that. Why does it all have to be about self satisfaction when u didn't even make the game?

                       Why cant u just translate to improve ur japanese. And if someone takes notice then bonus. If someone is copying then it shows they appreciate ur work and are spreading it round to help others too. Taking credit is always bad no matter what the cause but making big hate posts drawing attention to someone is worse. Also theres a difference between story writing and translating cos ur stealing the idea from a story. Translating the idea is already there ur just editting it.                   

                       I'm not taking anyones side cos at the end of the day translations all say the same thing anyway was just my message. Yes its wrong to steal but it should just be about helping others understand.  I'll admit I speak to the person in question which is why i spoke up but I am not taking any sides and do hope things get figured out. I have suggested to her already to put ur names down if she does restart her blog. But it just annoys me that people are so hateful over a game                    

We’re talking about Japanese here, where there’s always a lot of interpretation going on. “Yui wa kowai desu ne?”, for example, could mean “Yui is scared, isn’t she?”, “Yui is scary, isn’t she?” or “You’re scared, Yui, aren’t you?”. Three kinda different things, huh?

Even if the words technically mean the same thing, let’s take the meme thingy that went around as an example; compare “Forgive me father, for I have sinned” with “Sorry daddy, I’ve been naughty”. The words technically have the same meaning, but they don’t quite say the same, do they?

No two translations are exactly alike, no more than two texts describing the same picture, or two pieces of fanart. To throw a random example out there: The Bible. I doubt any other book has so much discussion over which translation is correct; do you think that’d happen if they all said the same? Interpretation and writing style make a LOT of difference, together with the question whether it’s better to stick closer to the source, or translate more freely so it’d be more understandable or relatable to the target audience (The infamous “Jelly Donuts” from Pokémon, for example).

Sure, it’d be best if Rejet decided to localise. They don’t, though. But the thing is, nobody believes I created DL. They all know those things are Rejet’s, that I’m just translating. And, since Rejet probably cares more about money than credit, I’m not hurting their finances with this, either.

Because there’s other, easier, and more fun things to do for improving my Japanese. I could, y’know, just play the games. And even if I did translate them as practice, why would I post them? That’s just extra work, with the formatting etc.

And no. If they’re reblogging my stuff, or reposting with credit, they’re showing appreciation. Especially, as some do, if they reblog with a nice comment or thought in the tags. I love that. I love likes, reblogs, comments, all that; THAT shows appreciation. Copying it, saying “Hey, look, I translated this!”? That doesn’t. If they wanted to spread it around, there’s a reblog button. Right. There.

As I said, I do both. They’re different, but that doesn’t change how much work translating is. And how much difference a translation can make. You keep saying “they all say the same thing”, but... They don’t. They really don’t. First, as I said, interpretation. I remember in the Prologue, there was a sentence from Laito which was something along the lines of “Oh, she’s desert, then”. But it could also be translated as “Oh, she’s the fapping material, then”. No difference? Laito being Laito, he obviously meant the dual meaning; desert still has that. But it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for Laito to outright call someone fapping material, either.

It wasn’t a hate post. It was a heads up, informing people that, y’know, that person stole hours of work from others and pretended it was her own. If someone stole your bicycle, would you go “Oh well, that’s sad, but having them arrested would be worse”? They made a conscious decision to steal someone else’s work, and refused to give credit when they were asked to.

If I find someone posting my translations, I’d just ask them for credit. But what am I supposed to do if they refuse? I don’t wanna just “accept” that others might claim credit for my work. So, I’ll tell other people that those translations were originally my work. I don’t want people to get hate, but I DO want people to know that I’m the one who did the work. If I caught people sending threats to others over my translations, I’d block them. But a call-out for something that was NOT ages ago? After being notified of that thing, but refusing to do anything? That’s something very different.

[perispinel]

Adventure Time Finale Liveblog

Already this episode is off to a weird start, starting with a flashforward in the future with two random one-off characters and- OH MY GOSH THEY FOUND FINN’S ARM AND THEY LIVE IN MARCELINE’S HOUSE NOW!

Did Finn like die? THis has to be a fakeout about this.

King of Ooo is alive far int he future? he melted in the fire as wax remember writers? 

Oh my gosh this is why they showed the Enchiridion episode last, Mount Kragdor is back!

the king of Ooo is BMO! Wait why does he have PB’s crown... oh my god BMO outlived everybody. he is unfazed by death

BMO is kickin’ em out already, what a savage

That arm is giving BMO some flashbacks. Awww adorable!

Heh after so long BMO is having trouble remembering Finn’s name.

The plot description said NEPTR was telling the story, they faked us out totally!

Finally, more Betty! 

Finally, more Maja!

Looking at Finn is like “you die eventually. BMO has your arm now.”

Having BMO narrate the whole story makes it sound like a five year old trying to describe World War II. 

Finally Duke of Nuts, my favorite character!

Literally no one likes him, he wants to be MacGyver

Justin Roiland has work while R n M is off

Princess Bubblegum is going the Leia route of going from Princess to General

Oh no a little cake spy.

Huntress Wizard, played by Mona Lisa from Parks and Rec, did a good job getting rid of that sky

Come along with me, it is time for war you seeeee

Marceline and PB better makeout RIGHT NOW Marceline, yes, please reconsider PB Oh geez Marceline is just casually like “I saw people die PB.” Marceline be like “I felt worse” all over us

Finn is right.

W-what? Finn whatcha goin on about with nightmares? I thought he was gonna break the fourth wall

I love when a war begins with someone repeating “WAR” over and over

Yep yep there goes the banana guards. What a great plan

“You’re weird” isn’t what I’d say honestly

He doesn’t know what fruit is apparently

Lemongrab is totally piiiiiissed... Oh he’s just sad.

Gumbald literally is backing UP because of them being serious Finny boy

Hey Fern, remember when I accidentally killed ya? Good times boi

“You’re a toddler” is the cue for “I kill you or you give up”

What a great time for a commercial break. 

Okay, time for my thoughts in-between the show: this is giving me crazy feelings. Like, knowing BMO outlives everyone, regardless of the war’s outcome... wait, BMO said Finn was heroic til the end right? Oh my gosh will Finn sacrifice himself? Well either way BMO probably SAW him die, old age or not. BMO is literally the imbodement of a child who doesn’t understand the consequences of anything. Back to the show!

Nice job making me almost sad BMO.

Unconscious world? That’s crazy man.

So no war? Aiight.

Finn was all like “go to dreamworld and talk things out” and they be like “let’s have a war again”

Ooh cool, let’s get those songs for the album here

Jake is going back to his roots

Ooh let’s get Tom Sharpling up in this guys

Aww poor Fern. 

PB isn’t reluctant at all to kill someone even if they look like Finn, as long as they be an enemy. 

Oh sweet evolution Fern! 

Fern is going the toddler solution, that’s fine.

Okay Greg from Steven Universe, enjoy your appearance while it lasts.

Is John DiMaggio spending the episode in a dream state?

Pinching people in the dreamworld really wakes you up? That’s dope.

W-what? why’d they just vibrate

Fern does sound like a knockoff Finn sometimes honestly. Heh prove you’re tormented Finn! 

Oh geez this is really dark, PB had a messup life. Recreating that scene for some symbolism I suppose!

Ooh subconscious world!

Aww his girlfriend is here- I wish I spoke korean.

It’s nice his kids- oh nevermind. 

Is this symbolism for him being connected to his wife like by the sides?

Hahah we got a fart joke everyone, wrap it up! Just kiddin I don’t care either way

I bet Pb is learning what it was like living as a completely unintelligent being without any choice. Will this cause some empathy?

Yeah repressed memories must smell awful.

Obviously Fern and Finn share the same memories, but it’s cool to see them confront it Mindful Education-style

I missed Adventure Time’s art style honestly. 

Oh I get it, Fern originated from the Finnsword.

Oh wow, all of that took place in the span of one second!

PB and Gumbald are learning empathy now, are we not having a war or?

“No no no that happened next.” Good job faking out the fake out.

I love these breaks telling us small bits of lore and secrets about what’s going on that we’re not noticing. Anyway, I am excited to find out what this portal is exactly- I’m guessing Magic Man, Betty, and Maga’s weird cryptic chant is gonna cause some big bad event. Will Adventure Time end with the end of the world? I’d be mega shocked if Finn just died. Wait why isn’t Marceline in the future? Realistically she should be there UNLESS she got killed, soooo... back to the show!! :D

We saved the day! Big scary baby is definitely good!

Wait Fern is in the real world now???

Ice King was just gonna leave until he had that flashback

It is so cute seeing Betty and Simon’s past, I wwant fanart of them having a happy life.

Did I mention FP is super cute? I love Flame Princess

This is getting quite dark man. Even Marcy is scared.

PB don’t martyr yourself

Aww what a great leader, telling her army to flee in terror instead of dying without purpose!

Oooh Fern is on good side now!

Gumball Guardians are her real children

Is this even a kids episode? this should be rared PG-13 man

I hope all this rogue gallery characters still get lines. oh there they go

Heh Jake and Amethyst have some similarities don’t they

Wow what a dark end for someone, skull cracks open and innards bounce around and endanger people

Ice King is the savior! How cute

This is more epic than Reunited but that’s not fair to say exactly, one is finale and one is a special

Oh no poor bananas, so dumb

Let’s go Jake, doing what he does best and being helpful!

Did Jake explode and die?

Remember when LSP and Lemongrab dated?

Aww Lemongrab and LSP is a canon ship, only straight ship allowed for those two

Come on Ice King, remember who you and Betty are!

Ice King is reciting the song from the episode. Oh my gosh come on dude, replace at least ONE word in the song silly!

Betty is too crazy to not throw a tantrum I guess.

Maga the Sky Witch- Kill Count 1

No no no Flame Princesssss! Maybe she’s okay?

Fernnn! 

Did PB just die? Oh my glob

Oh Marcy’s going back to her roots

Okay PB is alive, it’s fine.

Marceline just had a PLanet Hulk moment right there.

Aww it’s canon now guys! Marceline X Bubblegum eternally and they kissssed! Guys they made up for so long of teasing!

Oh no I think they’re breaking them apart layer-by-layer

Ice King is Simon again, yeyyy!

I love that the moment PB and Marcy are confirmed gay for real they just have them holding each other close to prove it even more

Finally Jakei s confirmed not dead

Oh no is Jake dead, 2.0.?

Finally we have a reason BMO knows what happens. He nearly died.

Okay so... Flame Princess and Fern are taken out while Maga is definitely dead. I have a feeling Marceline might die,or else we’ll need a thorough explanation for why she’s not living in her house. Like I can tell that this character voiced by Willow Smith is Jake’s descendant but Marceline is potentially an immortal I assumed so they wouldn’t have her be gone without explanation. Then, here’s a question: is Jake about to sacrifice himself to save BMO?? Also, BMO straight-up says the world ended so I have a feeling that he wasn’t just being coy.

Oh my glob, what’s about to happen. Jake and Finnn’s home is destroyed. 

BMO is getting deep. Okay HE’S SINGING THE SONG :D

Is this about to have a Rogue One ending? How is this going to end happily?

This song is meant to be bittersweet, no way is this a happy ending song guys.

Is BMO secretly badass? CARTOON CONSPIRACY No it’s just the power of music.

Oh I get it! Discord, Harmony, Music, it all makes sense! 

Oh literally everyone sings this! along with screaming!

They got so many voice actors for this! 

Is he going to explode? Oh my glob?

Here lies Finn. he was a good man. I love him. 

“No one gets to choose how it happens. the most important thing is that we’re here together.” Nice way to make me sad twice

Is Simon going to become Simon forever? What’s going on here? Is Betty going to get her bones crushed???

Aww how cute of you Betty. not making my heart any calmer

Ooh yes he’s Simon again :DDD

Oh my gosh this is a crazy kind of ending

Oh no I’m scared now.

thanks for the reminder of The Tandem Elephant’s existence man. Okay, so... this is crazy. Simon is back, like for real, he’s not dying or anything... Betty is potentially dead... Finn didn’t die, which is dope... my eyes are watering, definitely not about to cry. I can’t believe it I’m emotional over cartoon show wow. Just knowing I have eight more minutes until it for real is all over. Maybe I’ll just like, watch it again so I can pretend it didn’t end yet? No that’d be fake. I normally don’t even cry in situations where it’d make sense so this is telling for me I guess. These commercials really make me appreciate how good the show I’m watching are. :’D Okay so, I don’t think Magi actually died, although it’s hard to tell really since I didn’t get a good look at her. I have no idea what is about to happen but I am freaking out. 

Ultimate Adventure continues now

Oh wow Betty fused with the crystal boi

Simon and Marcy, reunited for real

Imagine how much it must suck to wake up after so long of being stuck as someone else

I DON’T FEEL SO GOOD. is that a reference... Oooniverse?

Okay so Gunter is the future beard boy I guess.

Oh wow they grew a Fern. and found a new sword. 

YES HE SCREAMED. THE BOY SCREAMSSS!

Thanks for disobeying me Finn

Finn officially has the singular arm. Dope.

Future baby boy has a big beard

Finn and Jake can’t live forever, this is the past yes

Ooh the music hole is here again! Epic callback broos

Ooh the hole sings the End Credits Song oh geez

New Ice King is Gunter, old ICe King is Simon

Ooh nice glimpses of what might become of some of our friends in the future

Ooooh Lemongrab and Jake get along better. 

Aww cute his dad is going to space now

Flame Princess and NEPTR friends forever

Jiggler callback! 

Susan is here!

Normal Man is cool!

Huntress Wizard continues to be fun! 

PB and Marcy are still gay, Pep But is still edgyyyy

THE HUMANS ARE BAAAAAACCCCCKKKK

They found the sword oh glorb! 

OH WOW THEY JUST HINTED AT WHAT A FUTURE ADVENTURE TIME SPINOFF WOULD BE LIKE!

I LOVE THE FACT THAT THEY DIDN’T RESET BUTTON US BUT DIDN’T KILL EVERYBODY OR SOMETHING! 

Okay I have a lot of thoughts... that was a ffinale. It really was. It was not something I got disappointed in because they didn’t wrap up anything. It wasn’t like waiting 10 years for 10 more episodes of a cartoon. It was like epic man. I naerly teared up guys. It didn’t end with a Reset Button like some finales would- Everything Stays, but it still changed. Sorry, this post is too long for anyone to read all the way through, but I still hope you enjoyed my thoughts on the last Adventure Time episode. A zillion out of ten guys.

[veliseraptor]

more money talk from last night’s stuff, replying to some folks, etc. etc.

first off: thanks you guys for your sympathy, and your generosity (some folks dropped money in my ko-fi last night and I’m so fucking grateful) and generally just being...awesome people. I really appreciate it.

more specifically:

pennie-dreadful replied to your post “money talk nonsense under the read more[[MOR] so today I might have...”

Just thought you should know the link to your kofi is missing from your mobile header.

augh. does anyone know if there’s a good way to add it in? is it an issue with html? because...yeah that would be a nice thing to have there but I guess yeah the button isn’t showing up (also for some reason the “fic tag” link doesn’t work, what the eff is up with mobile)

not-poignant replied to your post “money talk nonsense under the read more[[MOR] so today I might have...”

I'm all for Patreon, but if you mention it once on AO3 (same with Ko-Fi) in the comments/author's notes/wherever, it will - at best - mean you get warned, but it can also lead to account deletion (I've seen it happen many times now). While donations do circumvent copyright law, Patreon does not consider itself a 'donation site' and nor does AO3 consider it a donation site. So it's...a tricky thing to do (trickier than with fanart unfortunately).

But I def think people would sign up for a Patreon. And not everyone offers extra. Ursulav didn't for years. You're not obligated to do a reward based system, and certainly not obligated to start out with one that eats all your resources. But yeah, AO3 + ever mentioning Patreon is a total no-go. I've talked to AO3 about this myself (since I have a Patreon for my AO3 original fiction) - and they have a SUPER hard line against it.

(The best way to circumvent that is to just mention that you have a Tumblr on the regular, and have your Ko-Fi / Patreon links be part of your fic posts there. I mean I still do okay on Patreon for original fic on AO3 despite never having mentioned it once on AO3? But I'm not comfortable setting up a Patreon for fanfiction, because I know peeps who've had their Patreon accounts deleted/banned for it - some folks do fine, some don't. It depends a lot on content too.)

(Antis LOVE reporting that crap).

(And one more quick side note: I would also totally throw in for a Patreon for your *articles* and comic/media meta as well?)

Thank you for all this. And yeah - I did know that about Patreon/Ko-fi and AO3 - that it’s a very dangerous area. I’d stick to mentioning it here on the blog. But yeah, I have...thought of the legal issues (and my frustration about the fact that fanart doesn’t have the same issues, sigh) and I don’t know exactly how that works? 

I could hypothetically do it, like you said, for the articles and media meta and stuff, but I don’t feel like I write enough of that to really make it worthwhile. Like...maybe I’m underselling myself (it’s definitely possible that I am) but I feel like what most people are here for...is the fic, and that’s what I do most of. (The analytical stuff just doesn’t come quite as easy or as fast.) 

I should be adding the link to my fic posts, though. Just haven’t because...again, weird shame about asking for money for fic, which I think is maybe kind of an old fandom thing? but also given all the legal issues around fic and money...ehhhh. 

(When I was poking around this yesterday I thought of a few things I could hypothetically offer - early chapters, excerpts, extra meta/commentary maybe? - but yeah, the whole legal issue is so sticky and scary and I just don’t even know.

Probably what this means is that I should try to work more on writing nonfiction, since that’s the stuff I can actually get paid for doing (once I figure out how to do that) but...odds are that’s going to continue to be slow.)

mostfacinorous replied to your post “money talk nonsense under the read more[[MOR] so today I might have...”

If you need help figuring out those forms, hit me up. I swear that's my stupid mutant power. And... is there any chance of asking for a raise at work? If your cost of living is going up, that seems like the first stop in trying to make ends meet.

I am...soldiering up and trying again today (and possibly just walking into the offices of the people in question, after checking with someone else who writes for the website and knows who those people are) so...will let you know? but thank you. 

unfortunately asking for a raise is...something that only happens yearly and isn’t under control of my boss (but rather corporate). it’s another thing I might have to suck up and actually...say something to my boss about, though, just on the off chance there’s something she can do. my understanding is no? but...maybe I’m wrong, and I probably should try to find out.

[bouncepaaad]

@discontentedfairy and @star-hill-zone tagged me for the same question thing, thank you both!! And it was quite a while back, I apologize. Just for kicks I made one Sonic-related, and the one just about me (and another set of questions) are under the read more to save your eyes.

10 Facts About Me (Sonic edition)

1. Sonic has always been my favorite character from the franchise. 2. When I was little, someone gave me some Sonic & Knuckles sneakers. They were black but the logo was in color, and I haven't been able to find pics of any similar ones. What did I do with them??? 3. My absolute favorite issues of the Archie comic are #25 and the Mecha Madness Special. When I first read them, I was really taken by Spaziante's work in both, enjoyed the Sonic CD tie-in, as well as the higher stakes of Sonic being roboticized. 4. I collected almost all of the first 60 issues of the Archie comic, but then I sold them off during a time where Sonic wasn't one of my main interests. Needless to say I feel REGRET. 5. One of my best friends was so kind and surprised me with a mini box of that Glamglow x Sonic gravity mud. The Knuckles one, I think. I want to try it out, but the collector in me wants to leave it closed forever. Plus it's almost a year old now, so...maybe not. 6. I've never played any of the Sonic Gameboy Advance titles, as I've never owned a Gameboy Advance. 7. I don't have a favorite female Sonic character. Each one is so great in her own way, and I love them all. I really wish they were featured more in gameplay and merchandise. 8. I don't really have an OTP either. Though I'm partial to Sonamy, Sonadow, and Sonally, I'm pretty flexible. Like...man. Sonighty and Metonic have kinda grown on me. I also think Knuckles and Rouge complement each other well. 9. My favorite special stages to play are the ones in the first Sonic game, as well as the spheres in Sonic 3 & Knuckles. 10. I have never made a Sonic OC and I feel kinda disappointed in myself for that. I just never felt the urge. Maybe I'm not creative enough? I've seen so many awesome OCs and I'm always amazed at the imagination and love that goes into them.

10 Facts About Me (General edition)

1. I'm going to Anime Expo this year! It will be my second time. 2. I don't know how to whistle. 3. In high school, I took one year of Chinese language, and two years of Japanese (plus one semester of it in college). I can still write in katakana and hiragana but kanji is a lost cause for me. I even forgot the stroke order of the simpler ones. 4. Despite having to take Spanish in every grade (as is mostly the norm where I live) and being Hispanic, I am not fluent in Spanish. But I can read/understand it more than I can speak it. 5. I don't like scary movies. 6. I've always wanted to have a house full of plants but never been good with them, so I decided to start small. I bought some indoor ivy and a few succulents and I'm happy to say that they're all still alive over a month later!! 7. I still have my old 4th generation iPod Nano and it works perfectly. It's orange and I named it Tampico (yes after the drink). 8. I love media with layered mysteries and symbolism, and all the theories they produce. Right now I have Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and Stranger Things to pore over (and Voltron kinda. I need to know if Shiro is OKAY), but other things I've liked in the past for this are Lost, the Cloverfield stuff, and Evangelion. 9. We have one dog (a Chihuahua mix) and one cat (not sure what he is, but he's old and fluffy). 10. Not too long ago I watched the latest episodes of Steven Universe and then finally got to see Infinity War the very next day. I still don't think I've mentally recovered.

The next questions are thanks to @beevean! I appreciate the tag. I tagged you back in mine but if you're tired of question memes feel free to disregard~

RULES: Answer the 11 questions. Make 11 of your own and tag 11 people.

1) If you could be fluent in three languages without studying, which ones would you choose? For me it'd have to be Spanish, Japanese and Korean. 2) Who are your three favorite characters in general? I'd have to say three characters I've loved since I was a kid and still love fiercely now: Leonardo (TMNT), Sonic the Hedgehog, and Dick Grayson/Robin/Nightwing. 3) Any unpopular opinion? The Archie Sonic comics aren't as bad as they're usually made out to be. 4) Fluff or angst? Fic-wise I gravitate toward angst but fanart-wise I love fluff. 5) Favorite aesthetic? I love the cute clutter/plants everywhere/sipping coffee kinda feel. But I love starry space stuff and cute pastels also. 6) Any movie, tv series or book you think everyone should watch or read? The TV show Six Feet Under. I can't say it's my favorite but I can say that it's incredible. A friend and I got so invested that we hunted down every season boxset and binged them all within a month. Very moving and thought-provoking, and I cried my heart out at the end (don't just look it up on Youtube; that's a waste of one of the best endings ever). 7) What are you most proud of in your life? I have so many insecurities and regrets that this question was a little hard to answer. I guess I'd say that I'm proud of how I've grown as a person. I used to be really apologetic and hesitant about a lot of things. I speak my mind more often now, and am way more willing to try new things. 8) If you could talk to yourself 10 years ago, what would you tell yourself? Conquer your fears now so you don't have to keep struggling with them ten years later. And please SAVE UP SOME MONEY. 9) Do you have any odd interest? I can't think of any that I have now, but when I was a kid I used to watch the jewelry segments of the Home Shopping Network religiously (a shopping channel on TV, for anyone that isn't familiar with it). I was so fascinated by all the different stones and their cuts, and all the random information the hosts would share about them. My mom still remembers this and whenever she has a gemstone-related question she just assumes I have the answer. 10) What are your favorite words? Smoosh, briolette, plunk, lemony. 11) What’s your favorite superpower? Flight! Would love to have it, love when characters have it.

My Questions For You: 1. What would be your dream accomplishment? 2. Are birthdays a big deal to you, or just another day? 3. Favorite childhood memory? 4. Do you like spicy food? 5. What do you like about Tumblr? 6. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be? 7. Favorite scent? 8. What show/movie/book do you consider a guilty pleasure? 9. Worst movie you've recently watched? 10. If you could pick just one franchise: Mario or Sonic? 11. A meme that never fails to make you laugh?

Tagging @beevean @bookvideogamemaniac @discontentedfairy @dragonforsale @xx-infidgettiku-xx @star-hill-zone @qrow-the-drunk @finnythefloofhog @7-3-d @thattakenusername and @sailormoonwannabe But anyone else who sees this can consider themselves tagged, if they want to!

[yukipri]

I never experienced art theft until one of my works became unexpectedly popular- since then, I've found my work reposted, redrawn, and used as reference for cosplays. It's been exhausting, both seeing it, and not knowing WHERE I should stand on the issue. I've let redraws slide (with credit), but I plan on not allowing future ones from occurring. How do you deal with art theft? How do you continue drawing without thinking about the disrespect thrown at you during bad/failed confrontations?

I am so, so incredibly sorry this happened to you, and empathize very strongly with you. Art theft SUCKS, few things can be quite as demotivating as a creator than having something you’ve worked your ass off on swiped by someone else. And unfortunately, given the current internet culture, if you continue as an online artist it’s inevitable that it’ll happen at one point or another.

Because sure, of course part of the reason why we create is because we want to, but a large part of the motivation for sharing it is to hopefully get some response that people like it, whether it be in the form of likes, reblogs, comments, asks, tags, or anything else. That is the tangible PROOF that our work touched someone, and for someone who put in zero effort and has no idea how we felt while creating to receive all of that instead of us…sucks.

I think where you stand on the issue is up to you, and it’s okay for it to change. YOU always have the right to decide how you’re comfortable with people sharing your art, and your feelings are valid regardless of how they change.

Ironically enough, I just had another art theft on Instagram (my Anniversary post) super recently, so I was like HAH when I got this orz

This rant got a bit long, so the rest beneath cut but here’s a rundown about how my feelings towards art theft have evolved over the years.

For example, over the years I’ve gotten much, MUCH stricter. My earliest online art, I just put it up, no url, oftentimes no signature, no warnings in the comments or my blog bio. Admittedly I was starting out and didn’t have much viewers anyway, but the point was I still had Trust at the time.

Then the art thefts began. I started adding my url to all my illustrations, even if it was just small in the corner, as this’d let people at least find my website. Most people are too lazy to type out a url though, and I’ve seen people asking “Who drew this??” on art theft comments EVEN WHEN THE URL IS LITERALLY RIGHT THERE…

And then people started cropping my watermarks. I made my url bigger, and started adding an additional “DO NOT REPOST” to the image itself. I used to allow reposts with credits on platforms I’m not on, like fb, until I realized that people were then reposting from THOSE communities without credit and putting them into their videos and fics and I just…decided it wasn’t worth it.

I switched to no reposts PERIOD. I have lengthy disclaimers on all of my art that leads to an even lengthier FAQ post that, should people wish to look, leads to even an even more detailed post about WHY art theft sucks, as I’m explaining now.

(EDIT: ALSO, reduce the quality of the images you upload, and NEVER upload the full resolution, and try to keep you unmerged original files. This is for several reasons: no matter how much an art thief reposts your work, they’ll never have access to the higher resolution, and if they ever decide to try to print to sell for profit it’ll be shitty quality compared to anything you make with the original. ALSO, you having the maximum resolution with no watermarking with additional unmerged psd files will be proof that you are the true creator should you need to prove it, which I’ve heard is sometimes necessary to show when your art is stolen at say, an artist alley)

I also used to bother trying to talk to art reposters. I’d comment on the post, try to send messages, etc. It’s fucking exhausting, and while there are some exceptions, the VAST majority of art thiefs will feel attacked and immediately get rude and defensive. (the failed confrontations and disrespect you mentioned orz) If it’s a large community, they may even try to gang up on you. I’ve unfortunately experienced this most frequently in communities centered around other languages (mainly Spanish) because of different mainstream attitudes towards art reposting etiquette combined with a language barrier.

You will, and no doubt already have, encountered people who will argue with you, like the people I describe above. “You should be grateful for the bigger audience!” “We just want to appreciate your art, how can you be so horrible?” “We’re all fans together!” “This is fanart and doesn’t belong to you anyway!” Etc. etc. etc. It’s exhausting, it’s repetitive, it’s neverending, and you already felt awful before it even began and the stress just continues to build.

So I personally have just begun reporting people, if the service allows it. Use DMCA takedown request forms (and YES, even if it’s fanart it’s still yours if you drew it). This is stressful too because it sends your real name + info to the reposter (and wow I clearly can’t trust these people to begin with, why would I want them to have that???) but most sites (facebook, instagram, certainly tumblr, twitter) are very efficient and responsive, and in the end the relief of receiving that email that the art has been taken down is worth it. Especially with facebook, they also send a scary official warning email to the reposters which I sincerely hope will help educate them and discourage future art thefts.

I try to avoid posting public urls because yes I’m aware how mob mentality Tumblr can get, but sometimes it’s just too much. There’s no convenient form of getting my content removed (perhaps bc it’s in a compilation with a ton of other content), or for some reason my attempts to communicate have failed. In those times I have occasionally asked my followers to help, with a reminder to PLEASE always be polite and respectful, regardless of the offense. Y’all have been amazing, and this has saved me many nights of crying in the past.

I will sometimes also write lengthy posts (like this one!) to help educate. Because I do feel that art theft will continue so long as people don’t understand what it does to artists, and it’s up to the community as a whole to make that change, which also depends heavily on the consumers not just creators. A lot of art theft really isn’t intentionally meant to harm, but IS super ignorant.

But in the end, all I’ve ranted about so far is how I’ve dealt with actually removing/dealing with the shit. But the emotional pain, it builds. Sometimes, when it’s too frequent and the stolen art gets way more attention than my original that I worked my ass off on that basically flunked on my own platforms, I feel a bit of me break.

And in the end, it’s up to you what that threshold is, where posting art and feeling good about it is overwhelmed by the pain, fear, and anxiety of art theft. I’ve crossed my own threshold too many times, and once had to take an art hiatus because of it (fandom was BH6). This lead to a break in my productivity and motivation and my eventual complete departure form the fandom. I’ve seen many other artists just stop posting art entirely or moving everything to private. It’s terrible, but my feelings are with these artists, and I feel so, so sorry that they were hurt so much to the extent they had to do this.

With my current fandom and followers, I feel that regardless of how niche an audience my content tends to be geared for, I have a community that is really satisfying for me to create for, one that is responsive to me and gives me tons of feedback. This is the number one reason why i continue to feel motivated to post a ton of online content despite the risks.

The takeaway form this long meandering post: Posting online is a hobby, it’s for fun, and I don’t make any money off my public audience (unless they come to Patreon! LOL!), so I’m a firm believer that once the anxiety + misery starts outweighing anything positive you personally may get from sharing online, which for me heavily depends on my audience and their responsiveness, there’s no reason to subject yourself to that anymore and you are in no way obligated to stay. There are various methods to more efficiently get rid of art thefts without dealing with them in person which is stressful AF, and also ways of marking up your content in ways that may look less aesthetically pleasing, but will hopefully discourage art thefts, and at the very least give them very little leg to stand on should they do it anyway. How forgiving you are in art thefts also depends on you, but the more forgiving you are, the more it can get away from you. And in the end, YOU as a human are more important than any complaints about art looking less pleasing or the feelings of art thefts who don’t get to do what they want with YOUR hard work.

Sorry this was so disjointed and literally just me spewing at you, but I hope some of it was helpful ^ ^; Please let me know if I can give you any other advice, and I’m sorry again that you have to deal with this ;_;

(and to respond to your second ask, I do try to respond to most of my asks, but sometimes it takes a while (sometimes even months orz), especially if it’s one that requires a lengthy detailed answer like this one ^ ^; thank you for your patience!)

[sparxwrites]

...well, that turned into a clusterfuck of a post, all from a throwaway comment about how fanfic is valued less than fanart in fandom and by content creators. i’m gonna reply to some stuff here, bc the original post is now a million lines long, and also bc there’s several different threads of it running, and then i’m gonna peace out for a bit to write more useful things - this wasn’t really a conversation i wanted to start rn, but now it’s going i feel Required to clarify my stance.

@raylanstities and @out-there-on-the-maroon, thank you for your support and insight, i really appreciate it <3 as per usual, yall get me. @dreadlord-mr-son, the same, and also i will have to think more on that “gentrification of fandom” comment bc honestly that has some very interesting implications and may be very accurate. @greedyshitbird i’m pretty sure i don’t know you, but shoutout to you for being one of the few people that Got What I Meant. pity no one really listened to your comment.

@the-weaver-of-worlds thank you for the apology. it’s very much appreciated.

@tiamat-zx i didn’t have any particular beef with you, just wanted to explain what i meant, because it seemed you’d misunderstood. i do have to agree with raylan, tho, in the sense that it makes me deeply uneasy that people are sending fanfic to the cr cast - it’s a massive breach of fandom etiquette, and is almost guaranteed to go wrong at some point. but, that’s your call, i guess. i would caution you, though, on using your few interactions with marisha via (i’m assuming) pg and canon-compliant fics to judge how the cast feel about fic in general.

to everyone else, including @onceandfuturekiki and @ordainedcrown, since there’s a bunch of you throwing your opinion in: you’re all rather missing the point - which is unsurprising, since the initial ask was a throwaway comment and wasn’t really intended to make one, just carry on some stuff i’ve talked about previously. the issue is not how welcoming the cr cast are of fanfic - i’d agree that, generally, they seem quite chill about it. the issue is, canon creators in fandom spaces limit fans. people who would previously be chill talking about explicit ideas, controversial ideas, non-canon things, things involving gender and sexuality headcanons, will suddenly clam up when a content creator gets involved. see also: one of the responses to the original post, with someone worrying about the fact that liam is on tumblr. creative fandom, in terms of art and fic, is supposed to be an area of fandom without creator oversight - or with very limited creator oversight. feeling like you’re being watched, worrying that you might unintentionally offend, kills creativity.

also, just because a creator is nice and doesn’t mind fanfic, doesn’t mean things can’t get very, very messy. a creator in my last fandom made friends with a few fans who did art and fic, and the culmination of a large mess surrounding that relatively benign move (during which the creator said nothing negative at all about fic or art, and in fact ended up following me despite - because of? - the Dubious Fic i was writing about their character) was a war that tore the fandom apart and, essentially, killed the creative side of it.

btw, i think that discussion of how fanfic is devalued is absolutely relevant here - the cast often solicit and / or showcase fanart from the fans, they have whole sections of the show and talks dedicated to it. when was the last time they gave any such promo to a fanfic? the answer is: never. never ever. (i mean, my argument is that they should stay at a safe distance full stop, but the point stands that art is still very much more desirable to canon creators than fic.)

no matter how nice they are, canon creators should keep their distance from fandom, or risk killing all the things about it that make it so special. fandom is not for canon creators, and has rules they don’t understand. it’s intended to be subversive, and weird, and do things with the original canon that the creators of it might not approve of or might be upset by. those things cannot be done, or are more difficult and scary to do, if Big Brother is watching - whether the watching is malevolent or benign.

tl;dr: people have apologised, cool people are still super cool, pretty much everyone is vastly missing the point, and for god’s sake the original post was not supposed to turn into this, why is fandom Like This.

[nickireadstfc]

The Raven King, Chapter 9 – Spooky Scary Bonding Times Send Shivers Down Your Spine

In which the monsters go costume shopping, Neil forces everyone to have Fun Squad Hangs, we learn Things™ about Matt and I start to realize Andrew cares about 24601% more than he’s trying to show.

Sounds good? Then it’s time for Nicki to read The Raven King.

Finally, the much needed breather chapter is here – it’s Halloween!

Our monster squad takes this as an opportunity to go hang out at everyone’s favourite Fun Drugs Party joint, commonly known as Eden’s Twilight. Before they can go, though, Nicky makes me relate to him yet again by doing something I’ve been doing for years – pressuring all my friends into Halloween costumes.

(And carnival, and cosplay, in my case.)

           “You wouldn’t trust me to pick out your costume, would you? I’d probably make you a French maid or something.”

Except you’ve kind of picked out outfits for him in the past, for y’all’s club adventures, and you always picked clothes you thought he looked super hot in?

So basically, what this is trying to tell us is that Nicky has a drag kink.

Nice.

           An animatronics raven flapped its wings and cawed at Neil as he approached. He pushed it to the back of the shelf and moved a glittery Styrofoam skull in front of it.

Bahahaha. This is such a tiny detail, but I love it.

You can never escape the ravens, Neil. N E V E R.

           “People don’t really wear these, do they?” Neil asked and (…) pulled the next one off the rack. It was a milk carton with a cutout for the wearer’s face and a bold “Have you seen me?” printed beneath it.

           “Oh, that’s perfect, Neil,” Andrew said. Neil sent him a dirty look.

PLEASE TELL ME THERE IS FANART OF THIS. I am in tears.

And next: Neil, my boy, my dude, my son – does this.

           “We should invite the others to come with us,” Neil said.

FUCK. YEAH.

Neil starting to bring the team together!!! Everyone slowly bonding and becoming friends!!!!!! It’s the fuck happening!!!!!

I am so, so beyond here for this, have I mentioned that already?

           “We need them,” Neil said, keeping his eyes on Andrew. “Talent alone won’t get us to semifinals. (…) You have to stop breaking this team in half.”

YOU TELL EM, MA BOY.

           “I’m not asking you to be their friend,” Neil said. “I’m asking you to give an inch.”

           “Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile,” Aaron said.

           “You really think they’re strong enough to take a mile from Andrew? You think he’d let them?”

My dude has a point.

My dude has all the points, in fact.

GET YOUR ASSES TOGETHER EVERYONE, ALRIGHT.

Nicky, however, raises the fair argument of how they treated Matt last year, yet when Neil asks how exactly they treated Matt last year, Andrew tells him to ask the dude in question – and also agrees to let the rest of the Foxes join their Halloween extravaganza, which surprises everyone so much it ends the conversation.

Well. Best to tell Dan and the squad the good news immediately, no?

           Dan stepped out into the hall with [Neil] and pulled the door closed behind her. (…) “We’ve got a visitor. He came by a little while ago looking for Andrew.

          (…) This is Officer Higgins of the Oakland PD.”

Weeeeeeell shit. I knew that dubios phonecall thing was going to come around again.

           Neil heard the doorknob creak in warning as Andrew twisted it further than it was meant to go. It was a startling giveaway considering Andrew’s wide smile and the breezy tone of his voice.

           “Oh, I must be imagining things. Pig Higgins, you are a very, very long way from home.”

I knew it. That whole affair stinks. Andrew is not nearly as cool and chill about this whole situation as he pretends to be.

What is happening, I’m so intrigued by this.

           “We were looking at the wrong person, weren’t we? (…) The other kids won’t speak up. They don’t trust me that much. You’re all I’ve got.”

           That got Andrew’s attention. “Kids? Kids, plural. You only mentioned one last time, Pig. How many has she had?”

She? We were talking about one of his foster fathers last time – but Higgins said they looked in the wrong place.

A foster mother, then? And a fair amount of child abuse, as it seems. Once a-fucking-gain.

           “How many kids, Pig?”

           “Six, since you,” Higgins said.

Six instances of child abuse, then, probably seven including Andrew.

Hell to the fucking no. Andrew, you stubborn shit, help those kids.

Also, apparently the foster mom’s name is Drake. Probably a family name. Will keep that in mind.

After that conversation, Higgins leaves again before we can get any more interesting information. Ughhhh. Why must there be suspense, I need to know now.

           “Why are the police looking for you?”

           Andrew tilted his body towards her and smiled into her face. “I’m in no trouble, oh captain my captain.”

Alright, first he references Les Misérables and now Dead Poets’ Society – Andrew, stop being a goddamn nerd. <3

Neil then goes to do what he came to do in the first place, which is informing the squad of their incredibly luck of getting to hang out with the monsters on Halloween.

It goes about as expected – meaning, everyone’s mind as blown.

           “How the hell did you talk Andrew into this?” Dan asked, staring at Neil.

           “I asked,” Neil said.

Genius. Amazing. How has nobody had this idea before.

           “He implied you were the harder party to convince,” Neil said.

Oh, yeah.

MATT BACKSTORY TIME, BABES.

Let me sum this up for you. Matt’s dad – asshole extraordinaire – got him into drugs, as he wanted his son to fit in with the rich kid party scene in New York. Matt tried getting clean, but was a wreck when he arrived at PSU, hiding from any party people who might tempt him again by camping out on the girls’ couch – which, might I add, is an adorable picture, no matter how angsty.

Andrew ‘King of Unorthodox Helping Methods’ Minyard saw how fucked up Matt was and promptly gave him speedballs INSERT WIKIPEDIA HERE, which are about one of the most fucked-up drugs you can have (it’s cocaine and heroin together and it kills people on the regular. Fun!). But plot twist! Turns out Andrew had done everything with Mommy Boyd’s permission and his plan succeeded in bringing Matt into rehab and back into a normal life.

I have………… so many questions. Also, respect for Andrew. Also, what the fuck??

Also, MATT MY SON LET ME PROTECT YOU WHAT THE HELL. <333

           “I don’t know if they’ve talked to you about Aaron’s history, but you understand Andrew’s, don’t you? He’s not allowed to fight his addiction. Watching Matt struggle was very hard on them both.” (…)

          Andrew said they’d picked up the [cracker dust] habit for Aaron’s sake. (…) Chances were cracker dust was a paltry substitute. Watch Matt crumble under temptation would have wrecked hell on Aaron’s own sobriety.

          Neil was starting to rethink how apathetic Andrew was about Aaron’s life.

Are you telling me Andrew got them all into cracker dust just to protect Aaron while he worked on getting Matt clean?

And you’re telling me Andrew doesn’t care about anyone or anything?

Bull-fucking-shit.

Andrew, you seriously have so many problems and you are so problematic like 80% of the time but dude – I love you.

           “What’d you guys get [for costumes], so we don’t double up on anything?”

           “I’ll ask. I’m hoping Nicky was joking,” Neil said, getting to his feet. (…)

           It turned out Nicky wasn’t joking, but at least a zombie cowboy was better than a milk carton or a cow.

NEIL THE ZOMBIE COWBOY.

Again, please tell me there is fanart of this. I NEED IT.

And before you know it – it’s Fun Bonding Party time!

Apparently, ‘party’ means a few hours of the most awkward social interaction ever – Aaron refusing to talk to anyone except his family, Andrew being annoyingly energetic and rude, and Nicky trying to make up for his asshole cousins by talking So Damn Much – but you know, it’s a start.

           Kevin shifted in his seat enough to pull his hand in his pocket. The rattle of pills against plastic was so soft Neil might not have noticed it if not for Andrew’s reaction. (…)

           “Don’t make me hurt you,” Andrew said. “I don’t want blood in my ice cream.”

Ah yes, thanks, I had momentarily forgotten how EXTRA Andrew is.

Kevin also finally solves the question of why he has Andrew’s pills when Andrew off his meds – it ensures Andrew won’t take them in the first flash of withdrawal. Alright. I would have expected some bigger explanation for some reason? Idk. Maybe there’s more here, maybe I’m just seeing things.

Onwards to more fun things – Betsy makes a surprise reappearance via text!

           “Just Bee!” Andrew said. “Bee being stupid. Bee being, ha. Look.”

           Andrew tossed Nicky his phone. Nicky took one look at the screen, laughed, and reached across Aaron to show Neil the phone. (…) It was a grainy picture of Betsy Dobson wearing a bee costume.

What level of PRECIOUS. I love this woman.

It turns out Andrew and Betsy are texting BFFs, which is something I absolutely did not see coming.

Apparently, Andrew likes her considerably more than Neil does.

           “Andrew goes through shrinks like he’s trying to break a world record only he knows about. She’s his eighth one at least.”

           “Thirteenth,” Andrew said. “She made sure to ask me if I was superstitious.”

Uhmmm precious.

           “Some insane number. But when Andrew waltzed ut of her office at the end of his first session with her she was right on his heels and completely unfazed. Pretty impressive, right?”

           “No,” Neil said.

           Nicky sighed. “Eat your ice cream, jerk.”

Eat your ice cream and learn to start appreciating Bee Dobson for the gift to Foxkind that she is, jerk.

Time for a change in scenery – from Fun Ice Cream Times to Fun Club Times!

Seriously, this club does not get any less suspicious to me. I resent every time they go there. That first night has me pretty much scarred for life and I wasn’t even the one who was drugged and kiss-raped. How Neil is so ‘meh’ about going there again all the time is beyond me.

Then again, ‘meh’ just about describes Neil’s attitude towards most things that aren’t Exy or survival. So there’s that.

When they arrive, Dan – understandably – raises the question of whether or not it’s safe to let Andrew be clean for a night, to which Nicky has to say some things.

           “Trust me, you’d know if he was clean. It’s, uh… (…) it’s unmistakable. You’ll see next summer whether you want to or not. He’s off his program in May and should finish rehab by the time we start June practices.”

This is the point where I wonder how long the AFTG books will stretch, time-wise. The first book started in May and ended in August, the second started in August and we’re now – halfway through the book – in November. If we keep up this pace, TRK should be finished around January/February and TKM should end just in June – meaning we will see Andrew off his meds probably?

HECK YES.

10 bucks says Andrew has to come off them for some reason earlier anyways. Don’t ask why. It just feels like it should happen, for suspense reasons or something.

And once everyone is settled in the club, most of them go dancing, having fun, doing normal people stuff – except for our favourite antisocial ‘Help I don’t know how to human’ dudes, who once more engage in an unexpected heart-to-heart.

           “I’ve never been in a position where I could get to know people,” [Neil said.] “I know I have to let them in if we’re going to make it through the season, but it’d be easier if they were just names and faces. How have you stayed disconnected for so long?”

           “They’re not interesting enough to keep my attention.”

Yeah, hi, this is Nicki speaking, is FUCKING BULLSHIT there, I’d like to call them?

Seriously. As if.

           “What about Renee?”

           “What about her?”

           “She’s not interesting?”

           “She’s useful.”

           “That’s it?”

           “You expected a different answer?”

Is Neil trying to slowly find out whether Andrew like-likes Renee or not because that may be a wonderful, wonderful thing.

Also, “she’s useful” for fuck’s sake, stop blowing holes in my platonic goalie BFFs ship.

           “Yes? No? It should be – it is – irrelevant, but…” (…)

           “Sometimes you’re interesting enough to keep around. Other times you’re so astoundingly stupid I can barely stand the sight of you.”

I’m interpreting that statement as either:

1) I’m gay, you fuckwit (most likely)

2) I’m interested in you, you fuckwit (probably not likely at this point in the story, not yet)

3) I’m ace and could really give less fucks about this whole dating shit, you fuckwit (an enjoyable headcanon, but unlikely as we know that Andreil is #endgame)

           Neil scowled at him. “Forget it. I’ll ask Renee.”

           “You’ll have to stop avoiding her first.”

Yes, please do.  Preferably immediately, next chapter, get on it, chop chop.

I need more Renee content always.

           [Neil] went alone to the railing overlooking the dance floor. (…) He had to trust that they were all there, safe and having fun. He was content to watch and imagine.

           Lonely, too, but there was nothing he could do about that.

Except for, y’know……… Making friends…….. Having them teach you healthy social relationships…….. A wild concept, I know, but just consider it………….

Deep sigh.

If you like what I do here and you want to help me continue writing, please consider buying me a coffee! Thank you so much <3

[recentanimenews]

Suda51 on DLC, Devilman, Violence in Video Games, and More!

Suda51 is not afraid of sequels--he's made several follow-ups to No More Heroes, including the recent Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes--so I'm appreciative that he was down to have another interview with me, following up from our last chat at PAX West 2016.

  Last time I talked to Suda-san, it was before we'd had a chance to play (or really see any of) Travis Strikes Again, and while I did get a chance to talk about his favorite past creations, we ended up deviating quite a bit from the intended topics, talking a whole bunch about David Lynch, Go Nagai, and Hotline Miami, among other things. Truth be told, this second interview is a lot more of that--Suda-san's favorite anime, anime and manga that didn't quite click with him growing up, and a sobering look at the difference between "action" and "violence" in media.

  Let's get started!

  Thank you for taking the time to talk with me again, Suda-san! The last time we spoke was PAX West 2017, and a lot's happened since then. With Travis Strikes Again out on Switch, what's next on your plate?

First up is the second batch of downloadable content for Travis Strikes Again's Season Pass--once that's all out, then the game will be complete.

What's something you put into Travis Strikes Again that you feel particularly proud of, that players may not necessarily notice their first time through?

So there are parts in the game where you change maps, and it creates this afterimage effect of Travis' character model. This originally started as a bug, but it looked so cool that I wanted to keep it in as a regular effect. There's something similar with some of the low-level enemies--there's a pixelating, tearing effect on the character models that also started as a bug, but we liked the look of it. It was actually harder making those effects happen regularly instead of just patching them out so everything worked "normally."

I was actually really happy seeing the Hotline Miami level in Travis Strikes Again.

That took quite a bit of back-and-forth correspondence with Hotline Miami's creative team--I had my English interpreter play through some of the early levels so he understood the feel of the language we wanted in that segment, to match exactly what was said and how it was said. I'm very happy with how that segment turned out.

Last time we spoke, you mentioned that if you were to make an anime or manga-based game, your first pick was Gundam: Hathaway's Flash. Well, now there's a movie coming out--are you looking forward to that?

Oh yes... that's later this year, right? It looks very cool, and I think it does something that many Gundam stories don't do, capturing how scary war and fighting can be.

On that note, and this is a personal question: did you see Gundam Thunderbolt?

Yes! That was a very harsh story, and in the same vein as Hathaway's Flash--nobody really wins in Thunderbolt.

We also spent quite a bit of time talking about your love of Go Nagai, especially Violence Jack. Did you have a chance to check out Devilman Crybaby?

It was everything I hoped it would be. I think one of the key moments of Devilman is Miki's death--it's a major turning point for Akira as a character. So I was watching Crybaby wondering how or if Miki would die, and how that would affect the story. One of the best parts was watching the world break down as the devils took over.

So I'm not gonna say this is a regular thing with anime, but it's starting to become more prevalent--older titles remade with a modern audience in mind, like Devilman Crybaby, or MEGALOBOX, or the upcoming SPRIGGAN adaptation. You've mentioned before that Violence Jack is one of your favorites--how would you feel about Jack getting remade?

That could be really cool! So many people who didn't know anything about Go Nagai were introduced to his work with Devilman Crybaby, and a new version of Violence Jack could be very interesting, especially with how the great earthquake that starts this apocalypse would remove all the modern conveniences of present-day Japan. Also, I think it would be cool to see it in a new style--I already know the story of Violence Jack, so it doesn't have to be the same one I've seen before--a fresh take would be much more interesting.

What was an anime or manga that was very popular when you were young, but you just couldn't get into it?

I think this is more to do with being just old enough to not enjoy it as much, but... Saint Seiya. That looks more like something for your generation, I'm the one right before yours. Also, Kinnikuman--I know a lot of people love it, but it never really clicked for me. It always felt like a parody of pro wrestling, instead of a serious pro wrestling story.

LIGHTNING ROUND! These are a bunch of quick questions I'd like you to answer off the top of your head. First off, are you playing any games right now that you're really enjoying?

Ape Out! If you haven't played it, definitely check it out!

What's a movie or TV show you've recently watched that you think more people should check out?

I came across this documentary on Netflix titled 22 July, about a shooting that happened in Norway. It was very sobering, and made me really think hard about how I use and present guns in video games. It's interesting because I don't shy away from violence in games with fists or swords, because there's a more fantastical element there. But with people dying in the real world, I don't want to glorify that kind of thing in my games.

It's the difference between "violence" and "action."

Exactly! Action has a purpose and exists to entertain, it's created. But seeing these kinds of things really happening to people, seeing their lives get destroyed... it really opened my eyes.

What's your regular order at a bar?

I'm not quite sure if there's an English name for this drink, but... szarlotka? I've been to six bars in San Francisco, ordered it at each one, and they're not able to make it because it requires a specific vodka. I've never had a szarlotka, but I really want to, so right now it's the drink that's always occupying my thoughts.

  What happened to the other 50 Sudas?

I defeated them all in single combat. This is like that Jet Li movie, The One.

Suda-san, you've been making video games for over 25 years now, with no signs of stopping. Grasshopper Manufacture just celebrated its 20th birthday. If you could go back and tell young Suda51 something you know now, what would you tell him?

I didn't think it was very important at the time, but now I feel like I should have studied English when I was younger. While I appreciate my interpreter and everything he does for me, I wish I were able to carry on conversations with English-speaking people by myself. Maybe if I go back in time and fix that, we can create a stronger, better me--that would be Suda52.

And on that note, we're here at GDC with all sorts of people wanting to make games. What's something you'd like to say to everyone out there who wants to make their special thing?

Many creative people are preparing for their one game, or their one project. While that is admirable and a good way of preparing project to project, you should also consider how you're going to make your second project, your third, your tenth. Putting out one game, comparitively, is easy--it's doing it nine more times that's a lot harder, and keeping that same motivation all the way through. But if you want it enough, you can do it.

And that's everything! Would you be down for a Violence Jack remake like Suda-san? Do you think the world is ready for Suda52? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts on his answers!

-----

Nate Ming is the Features Editor for Crunchyroll News and creator of the long-running Fanart Friday column. You can follow him on Twitter at @NateMing. Check out his comic, Shaw City Strikers!

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

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