#because a lot of the stuff people tend to ask about is stuff i dont know all that well

[hoshinasblade]

you are so close to gaslighting yourself into thinking that maybe, just maybe you have already told hoshina's mom in the past what your favorite tea is.

the problem with that thought is today was the first time you met the mother of your boyfriend.

you denied it in your head - for all you know, perhaps mrs. hoshina is just really a good at guessing. that, or you are going batshit crazy.

because at that very day, people you have met for the first time - people who may be friends with hoshina soshiro but are practically strangers to you - seem to be aware of small details about you.

captain ashiro complimented you on your blue dress after shaking your hands, saying it's obvious why it is your favorite color, emphasizing how it brings out the intensity of your eyes. even okonogi, who you know works directly with the third division's vice-captain, had a specific joyful aura on her friendly face as she offered to hang out with you in the future, mentioning how she is a fan of true crime documentaries too and suggesting in the same breath that you should try the pudding sold in the headquarter's cafeteria.

you could have let all of that go if only you did not blush like a teenager after hoshina's own older brother called you by your childhood nickname during family dinner.

"i'm sorry." hoshina's hand found yours, his thumb drawing patterns on your wrist. he knows you'd been on edge since morning, and although this is entirely your idea - meeting his friends and his family in one day - he wouldn't blame you if you're overwhelmed.

"they did their research on me or something," you tried to laugh the nerves away. it didn't work.

"ah." hoshina suddenly looked guity. " that. well -" he stopped for a moment, gathering his wits, choosing the right words to say. "i mean, it makes sense that everyone who actually knows me would know about you, really."

you wanted to joke as a response; you wanted to say that he's talkative and tends to yap for hours about stuff he loves so yes, people around him would naturally know things about you. but then you caught yourself because this is yet another confirmation of what hoshina soshiro had been telling you for months now - that you are someone he loves.

you did not know being known could feel this sweet.

"huh. do you reckon i can extort them for information about you next time?" this time it was your turn to grab hoshina's hand, and with your forefinger, you traced three little words on the warm skin of his palm.

[author's note: hello guys, i know i haven't been posting a lot anymore, but i am thankful to everyone who still remembers this blog - yes i can read your asks, yes i see that you've tagged me in a fic, yes i checked my notifications in this blog every now and then. it might take me long to respond most of the time so apologies in advance but please know that i appreciate all interactions from everyone.

also i dont need to remind you but i don't tolerate copy-pasting or reposting any of my works anywhere. i read a lot from here too, and other writers can attest to this as well - we know if a line or a paragraph from any of our works is copied and/or reworded. ]

[vanivanvanilla]

the day the lifesteal fandom (especially twitter) acknowledges and tries putting a stop to the creepiness + absurdity of their mob mentality and how the way they try so hard to enforce content creators’ boundaries for them is the day i might know peace. it is so unnecessary

first, if you’re in a fandom, you are in no way responsible for policing what others can or cannot do.

sure, maybe some people will listen, but that creates a hostile environment where everyone is walking on eggshells, afraid of being “cancelled” (i’ve especially seen this again and again on twitter).

and for the people who dont listen to others trying to police them, they immediately become the villain. why dont you follow these set rules? aren’t you a moral person?

i understand there are a lot of younger people in this fandom especially younger people who have never been in a fandom before, but constant hostility like this towards others is not okay.

if someone is making content that goes against a content creator’s boundaries, block them and move on.

i dont care what it is, you just need to block it and move on. that way, the content is contained and you dont need to think about it again

what’s NOT okay is bringing attention to it by making stuff like call out posts or, god forbid, bringing it to content creators attention. DON’T DO THIS.

what both of these do is bring more attention to the content you dont like. of course, this was your goal; you want to spread awareness of this content so people will hopefully not create any more of it. right?

that isn’t how these situations tend to go. instead, others will reply to the callout, condemning the person’s content. then, harassment starts. there’s been numerous times in this fandom when someone received cruel comments and death threats because they broke cc boundaries

this is fostering a hostile environment. this is showing others in the fandom that this will happen to them when they dont act with the majority.

i’m not saying you have to like this content or that you can’t tell your friends “hey i think this person’s weird”, but these things do not need to be public.

just block and move on.

also, showing or telling a cc about content that breaks their boundaries is in itself breaking their boundaries.

they did not ask to see it. there is no reason to show them.

remember, fandom is a place for fans. ccs are welcome to interact, but they also need to understand that they cannot control everyone in the fandom. you, as a fan, need to understand this too

[magickpancakes]

Finished the ref for Technologickal_Flapjacks :3

extra info on her below

she / her the "Evil Version" of MagickPancakes. Some weird protogen-cat-naga creature. Same person as MP, in the sense that her sexuality and opinions remain largely the same, however has a snappier and more sarcastic personality

Face, belly diamond, and inner ears are screens. and can display images. those images are not limited to the black and green color palette usually displayed, however she tends to stick to those colors (could play Bad Apple, good luck gettin her to do that tho)

All of the bright green markings all over her body glow, her neck and tail stripes being the least bright and her "core" and face being the most bright

ears are purely decorative, she mainly hears through her antenna, and through a mic placed under her chin (like, the underside of her snoot, yknow?)

the "core" on her chest is also decorative, with the backwall of it being LED lights, its covered by a green piece of glass with a cat sticker stuck on the inside of it, there is also a loose wire hanging near the top of the "core"

Doesnt like and will not wear any type of clothing, however, will tolerate stickers and some hair accesories. only temporaraly tho, mainly because she "doesnt want to look like some stupid kid's toy" and would "rather look professional and sleek, just how i was designed"

constantly checks her appearance for that reason

tail spike/sword/whatchamacallit is solid and sharp, like a knife (sharpens and maintains it often)

Hair is synthetic, and connects to the ears, kinda like a hood of sorts yknow? like, if ya took off the hair, ya would end up uncovering her ear mechanics and the back of the screens

obnoxious, loud, and rude. will take your stuff without asking, leave empty containers instead of replacing them, but is annoyingly passive-aggresive about you doing your share of chores (this is only if you happen to be living with her or smth, which is unlikely)

resting bitch-face, and tbh, just bitch by default

wont pay attention in conversations (unless its important), will like, check her nails, check herself in a mirror, fix her hair, all while going "uh huh.... thats crazy..." 5000 times

acts very aloof and snobby, even around people she'd consider "acquaintances". will make fun of you if she notices smth.

has standards to her belittling however, will not make fun of: race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, pronouns, loss of loved ones, weight, appearance, disabilities, boundaries, etc. (shes an asshole, but shes not gonna make u feel terrible about shit ya cant control (at least not a lot)

will still mock ya for this but it wont be as fierce: interests, skills/skill level, crushes/love interests.. shit people close to u might comment on

hates physical touch, will not touch you, definitely wont let you touch her (mainly due to her wanting to remain clean and presentable, however, as noticeable she dont like other beings all that much)

this is probably gonna get added to or smth, or ya may find more snipits of info in future art, but ima be here for 3 hours if i dont stop now lol

[unnonexistence]

btw if i'm ever rambling about math on here and you have questions about it, you are ALWAYS welcome to ask. always. everyone has a different level of math education they're working from & math has a lot of technical terms & frankly i just forget stuff a lot so my rambling might not be all that coherent to begin with.

worst case is idk how to answer your question. more likely you will get some sort of explanation because it means i get to ramble more.

[mantisgodsdomain]

We ought to write more Pokemon fic some time. We want to recreate the Pokemon Manners/Human Manners cheat sheet that we made a few years ago we think that this site would like the Sliding Scale Of Politeness When Greeting A New Pokemon You've Never Met Before.

[skyllion-uwu]

Thinking about just using they/it for pronouns and only Mica and Sky for names :3

[euniexenoblade]

ignore this ask if you've addressed it somewhere or plain dont feel like responding, but i would really like to hear your thoughts on tma/tme as labels. specifically, i've been hearings lots of intersex transfem voices on the issue and their critiques of its usage in intersexist contexts on this site and how it actually weakens certain aspects of transfeminist theory

Calling them intersexist is silly because tma/tme include intersex people. It's a combo people are assuming what each term means (the anti-tma/tme are always assuming identities and genitals when the terms don't work that way) and it's people who tend to be out of touch with current politics, under read in transphobia/transmisogyny and have incredibly wrong ideas about oppression and privilege.

Tma/tme are useful terms for discussing transmisogyny. Outside of convos about transmisogyny they have no use. They do not assume genitals, they don't dictate gender or "assigned sex," they don't dictate intersex status or any of that. One is just "is a primary target of transmisogyny" and the other is "isnt a primary target of transmisogyny," because oppressions have people they target, ie. Straight people get splash damage of homophobia but they are not gay so they are not the targets of homophobia.

And that's it. It's a useful term. I genuinely think 75% of the hate for them is outright transmisogyny (everyone acted exactly like this when trans women founded cafab/camab to talk about transmisogyny, but now they seem to love them since we developed better terms, curious), and the other 25% are just ignorant and just parrot what their favorite blogger says.

A handful of people who push the anti tma/tme stuff are straight up crypto terfs and transphobes though. So like, just watch who you get the info from.

[astroyongie]

My Opinion On The Mercury Signs and Placements 

Note: this is just my opinion! hope you guys find it intersting <3 I might do a Venus and mars version as well and perhaps a moon hihi

Aries Mercury: They are actually super funny and they have such low pitched yet they speak loudly! like one can hear them from a mile away. They are loud and super sociable. Not the smartness but they can put up a fight. They can be quite arrogant tho, some aries have a thing for being dicks and super aggressive when they are upset. 

Taurus Mercury: They talk slowly, almost like they are just tired of life in general. This placement has a beautiful voice but they are too lazy to put it into practice. People with this placement are sensual when they talk without even noticing. but they are also so stubborn that having arguments with them is impossible. also they seem to be smart but they lack common sense. 

Gemini Mercury: Everyone knows that they are loud, they are sociable, they are freaking smart because they have so many interests in life that you can speak with them about pretty much anything. also they pull the most smart stuff out of nowhere. they have some issues with lying though, they often attempt to lie and they twist stuff a lot. Also they can be so noisy that it rubs people the wrong way. 

Cancer Mercury: They are the kings of manipulation, but like without lying? because they suck at lying, they always leave out clues when they lie so unless you are not very smart, you can't get it straight. cancer’s are also super sensitive and people with this placement are always exaggerating and pessimist. some people might get annoyed by them. but they are the best to seek comfort 

Leo Mercury: the kings of the party, people with these placement have a way to talk that always gets everyone’s attention. They are eloquent and they are so dramatic that listening to them is like listening to story times on tiktok. they can be quite narcissistic tho and the conversation often revolves around them 

Virgo Mercury: they are smart as hell, and they are so conscious of their environment and of the people they are with. they always take everything into consideration before they open their mouth. quite anxious as well. but virgos tend to be super judgemental over the smallest things. 

Libra Mercury: They are so flirty and they don't even notice it. like the way they talk, they laugh, they are just so seductive? Maybe their brain doesn't have much in it, but they sure know how to keep someone interested. can’t make decisions so dont ask them stuff also don't trust them with big secrets since they are quite self serving 

Scorpio Mercury: people melt when they open their mouth, their low voice is so sensual and people get attracted to them so easily. yet some people can be intimidated by them because their communication is so eye rolling or deep smiling like. Some people are scared. They keep secrets the best tho and they make you feel like you can trust them. they will ruin your reputation tho

Sagittarius Mercury: they never shut up and they can be so annoying because why do they need to always find arguments on everything and anything? They also want to be right 28904% of the time. but they are also the most friendly people ever and they can make everyone feel comfortable around them.

Capricorn Mercury: They aren’t talkative, people usually see them as being timid and shy or quiet reserved. but the truth is when you learn about them, they are so smart and they are able to teach you things. they have that timber that makes them look like they are snobby but they are nice in the deep. 

Aquarius Mercury: I honestly can’t understand them, because they are the most random people. like they are so damn smart but sometimes they seem so damn stupid? they are unpredictable, the type that goes from talking to screaming in less than one second. the one that explains to you the theory of gravity and then asks if the chickens lay eggs. They can’t keep secrets. 

Pisces Mercury: this placement is so funny because they lie so easily and the worst is that they believe their own lies, their own creations so everyone will believe it as well. you never know with them, you can never tell when they are serious or when they aren't. despite that escapism they have, they are also super empathetic and the best to have deep non judgemental conversions with. 

Mercury in the 1st House: They can have the bad habit of always talking about themselves or like i often noticed that they bring themes and conversations back to themselves and their self interests. However they don't do it on purpose, they are just built like that. Also no one talks about the fact that they are incredibly smart. 

Mercury in the 2nd House: The way their brains work is super effective. They are the type of people to always put their values first and they have such strong morals as well. This placement also favors the interactions when they need something. They know how to use their talking skills to get what they want. They have a fancy way of talking as well, very eloquent. 

Mercury in the 3rd House: probably the best placement to have your mercury on since it's on its ruler house. Also people with this are another type of smart, they can outrange people and often that puts so much pressure on them that they start to doubt themselves. 

Mercury in the 4th House: They have quite some trauma. This placement is neither good or bad, people with this mercury are often not listened to, often not taken seriously and often forgotten when they are in a group. That is because they are more of the observant type of people than the one that makes decisions. some people might think they are dumb

Mercury in the 5th House: the placement of the clowns because they are effortlessly funny, they are so damn creative, their voice is like honey dripping into one’s ears and everyone is obsessed with having them as friends for some reason. They are super fun, and they have got some rizz on them as well. They can flirt and they will do it so well.

Mercury in the 6th House: Some people can find them annoying because they are very upright, in my opinion they also lack funny. like they aren't especially hilarious, but they are such the right person when you need someone to lean on and to talk to. because they understand and they provide critical constructivism. They are super smart as well, like really smart. 

Mercury in the 7th House: They can be a little annoying because they are the type to always talk about their crushes, about their family and their love life in general. They are people who seek comfort and attention in others due to their lower self esteem. Yet they give so much good advice and they have such a talent and emotional intelligence when it comes to children and the underdog. 

Mercury in the 8th House: They have a perception of the world that is just so different from ours. They are able to go deep. like they have a brian of someone who smoked weed all their life and traveled through miles away. They are so flirty without even noticing, like the way they talk can make anyone get on their knees for them. They have the art of manipulation and gaslighting

Mercury in the 9th House: Many people with this placement can easily learn languages and they can easily speak several tongues and even understand some without speaking those. They are smart, they are always searching for more as their brain is always active and always seeking for more to be fed on. They have such a philosophy, the type of people you can talk with about everything and never get bored. 

Mercury in the 10th House: They are super careful with the way they speak (they are quite fancy and eloquent, their vocabulary is very high in my opinion). they are the type of person that values their reputation and because of that they aren't comfortable with words or with talking with people outside their work or outside their goals. they probably feel very lonely as well. 

Mercury in the 11th House: They are unbearable because THEY NEVER SHUT UP! They are super sociable, they are always talking and they are always pulling things out of their butt. Also they have quite a dark humor to them, but they aren't ashamed of it. People with this placement are also super skilled in figuring out lies and people just by looking at them

Mercury in the 12th House: They are very reserved, they don't speak much, they are the type to be very shy and quiet. I also noticed that this placement are people who are just so deep and emotional, like they often can say things that will shake your core. They believe in the spiritual world and they always try to prove it through A and B. Also they are quite some fantastic liars.

[marnikula]

Can u do early seasons spencer x reader who has a lot of problems and they let people walk all over them and they dont set boundaries and they struggle with their emotions. Reader likes spencer a lot but doesn't seek him out bc they feel like he deserves better! And u can decide what happens but make it happy ending :)

Oh my word, I literally spent like 2 hours writing this because I wrote something and then my internet cut out when I posted and now it's lost, so I had to rewrite it. Hope you enjoy!

Cw: gn reader, people dumping work on reader, Spencer being cute

Enjoy!

You were a doormat. You knew it, your friends knew it, everyone knew it. You tried to set boundaries, to say no, but it never seemed to stick. Saying no made you feel guilty, it made you feel like a bad person even though you knew you weren't.

Being a doormat, people tended to walk all over you, requesting ridiculous things of you. That is how it came to be that you were sitting alone in the bullpen, the clock ticking away, showing you that it was around midnight and you still had a whole stack of papers to go through. You felt yourself about to fall asleep, and truly, you were too tired to fight it off when a ding signaled the arrival of someone.

Without even turning to look who it was you knew it was Spencer Reid. You recognized his footsteps, and even if you didn't, the smell he brought with him would have alerted you. It was the smell of coffee mixed sweet undertones, almost as if he had spent his whole day in a café. It was intoxicating. "What are you still doing here?" "Working, I have a lot of stuff to finish before tomorrow" "you mean today" looking back at the clock you could see he was right, it was now officially the next day.

"Do you need some help?" without even waiting for you to decline Spencer took half of the pile you were working on. He moved fast, knowing you well enough to know that you hated asking for help, especially from him, he just could never figure out why.

"Spencer, you really don't need to, I've got this" reaching your hands to take the files back only to be swatted away by the doctor was something you did not expect. "I'm not saying you don't have it, I'm just going to help you so you can go home earlier"

Sighing you admitted defeat and went to go make coffee for the two of you. With Spencer's help you managed to make it through the massive stack of papers on your desk in less that an hour, something you would never have been able to do on your own.

"You, doctor Spencer Reid, are amazing, what can I do to thank you?" it was a slight tease on your part. You didn't expect him to ask you anything return, it wasn't like him, he was too nice . That was one of the things you loved about him, and one of the reasons you willed the crush growing in your heart to shrivel up and die. He deserved so much better than you. Someone with a mind as amazing as his own, someone with kindness rivaling his and someone who knew how to say no. You were none of those. At least not in your own eyes.

"You could go on a date with me" Spencer surprised himself with those words, he really hadn't meant to say them out loud, but he really liked you, and in a moment of confidence inspired by sleep deprevation, he decided to take a chance.

"Really? You mean it?" the both of you were blushing hard at this point, him thinking about how he could have possibly screwed this up and you thinking about how this could possibly get any better.

"I-I mean, only if you want to, you really don't have to feel pressured, I know I said I would take it as paiment, but honestly spending time with you was enough of a payme-" grabbing his face in your hands you turned him to look at you, shutting off his ramblings with the movement and shutting off his brain with your words

"I would love to"

[forecast0ctopus]

Any advice on drawing McCoy? I’m not used to drawing ancient wrinkley bastards (affectionate) and it’s surprisingly tough v-v

FOR SURE lmao i made. a diagram. just a warning that i am going to be irritating and long winded because u just hit a topic i really like sorry lmao

so first off i did some traces just to show whats there vs redraws to show my interpretation

ive said this on other asks but again jsyk, tracing isnt bad!! its a tool. theres some stuff with intellectual property and whatnot but using tracing to study shapes and forms is a really valuable practice.

also just taking some time to learn facial structures and anatomy is super useful, reading what bones and muscles are where and how they interact with one another. taking this info and staring in the mirror and moving your face around and thinking about it. just really furthers understanding of how the face works. trying to sound normal about this but i love anatomy and motion and physics and whatever

anyways im going to go through all the numbered points so there's no confusion. 1. forehead lines - self explanatory. more prominent when brows are raised 2. crows feet - at the outer corners of the eyes, more prominent when smiling or squinting 3. nasolabial folds - the folds that go from the corners of the nose to the corners of the mouth. more prominent when the mouth is wide, like smiling 4. brow furrow - self explanatory, most prominent when brows are furrowed. mccoy tends to have two right next to his eyebrows, kirk has one in the middle. everyones face works different lmao 5. chin crease - caused by how the chin and lower lip interact. 6. nasojugal groove - start from the inner corners of the eye and can extent over the cheeks. everyone has these and idk why people dont like them i think theyre really cool!!!! but Society. i guess. :/ 7. eye bags - caused by the skin sagging beneath the eyes. mccoy isnt even that old in tos i think hes meant to be mid 40s by the end of the 5 year mission, hes just got really prominent eye bags lmao 8. idk what the name is for these, but when the mouth is wide and pushes the skin to the sides, these folds sometimes form outside of the nasolabial folds 9. philtrum - the groove above the upper lip. i dont usually draw this but mccoy's struck me as prominent enough that i usually draw it on him 10. masseter - the muscle that moves the jaw up and down. its a pretty rugged muscle and while i wouldnt say mccoy's is especially prominent, it kind of extends that nasojugal groove from certain angles/positions 11. orbicularis oris - mouth muscle, usually easier to see when lips are pursed or frowns are pulled. mccoy's is pretty prominent from 3/4ths or side, his mouth tends to protrude in profile 12. this isnt a muscle but more of a line defining the planes of the face, but since i drew it i felt i should explain lmao

a few points:

im an animator i tend to exaggerate and emphasize certain things so i usually make him more square.

i like to combine eyebags and crows feet for brevity/flow, same with nasojugal grooves, eyebags, and masseter lines. my approach is always subject to change based on pose, expression, reference image, etc.

i take out details that i deem redundant or cluttering and keep what details i need to make things feel Right

all this info is applicable to any character of any age, its just in how you apply it and facial proportions that willl change how old a character is perceived to be

there's a lot more with drawing a Character rather than an Actor, just because the features are there doesnt necessarily mean things will feel correct? its very much in the mannerisms and poses and expressions

i only went over my approach to his likeness but not really body type or posing or anything idk if u want that i could always try to answer that later haha

_______________

anyways all that info kind of exists nebulously in my brain while i draw its not like im sitting there thinking Must Draw. Nasolabial Fold...... i jsut do what feels right with the visual info i have. also i love specificity in faces.... i dont like to be a hater but when every character is drawn the same it pisses me off a little lmao. so

also dont take my word as The Only Way to do anything i just draw how i like to draw and no one should feel like these are things that Must be done to be a good artist or anything do whatever the hell u wanna do

[roblogging]

i've spent a lot of the past 24 hours talking to various trans people in the fandom that reposted or dmed me about this video and i'm gonna yap here under the cut about it.

(i'm not a spokesperson for trans people obviously, and i don't mean to lead these discussions. i know i've had a lot of them recently but yeah it's been rough, i just thought this was interesting to share and can hopefully share a lil of how people are feeling.)

i've always assumed that the hate that i've received on my account was because of me? i post videos talking about discourses, i'm open about ships i like that are generally hated, etc etc, i've just assumed it was a me thing.

but then when people are mad about those things, it more often than not comes to slurs. it's come to people debating my identity, questioning how much of a man i am when i wear makeup, posting me on reddit pages, throwing the words tranny and "she-man" around farrr too much, and i thought "isn't it heartbreaking that this is their first thought?"

so it gradually became less about me as an individual, and instead my identity. and just that these people are mean.

and i made that video from the perspective of someone who's already upset. who's had a lot of stuff like this happen and is Sad about it.

but i've spoken to 47 trans people that reached out to me themselves about this, and have so many more requests to get through, and not one has said that they feel safe and comfortable in this space. not a single one.

so i thought i'd share some of the things that were said (with permission and anonymously) because i think it's quite interesting to see what the issues are:

the MOST mentions goes toooo: the discourse about male characters - namely sirius - wearing makeup and the way gender norms become the forefront of this - makes them feel as though people dislike "unconventional trans people" as one person put it.

alongside this, the hate for trans characters - namely regulus - and how people get very mad about it "reinforcing heterosexuality" - do not feel recognised as the gender they are, feel as though people are viewing trans people as "fake men or women" - quote.

discourses surrounding height, hair, 'gender presentations' etc - brought up by a lot of people and they recognised that this is coming from a good place (not reinforcing heterosexuality) but feel as though the amount of focus put on it is disproportionate to the presence of it. copy and pasted quote: "I'm a 5 foot 2 trans man and feel like less of a man because of it"

profitting jkr: (obviously, because that's what the video was about) i want to add that nearly everyone said that they understand the desire to, and were receptive of the fact you don't know what goes on behind the scenes re: donating elsewhere etc, but said that they've felt less safe since the surge of posts about the reboot.

guilt. which makes me glad that i posted about that here a few days ago because i felt alone in this. a lot of the people i spoke to feel guilty for being here, and feel as though they can't claim that this fandom is inclusive anymore.

comment sections: brought up by a handful of people who said that not enough people delete horrible comments on posts - one said "even if they argue against them it just feels worse than deleting it", another said "obvs i can't ask people to delete them on their own account but it does suck that they dont think to" - every person that brought up comment sections said that they tend not to look at them now which makes them feel like an outsider in the fandom.

cosplays: brought up by four people and feels relevant to above points about "gender presentation" - said that unless you're cosplaying sirius, they nearly always have to delete comments saying something along the lines of "xyz wouldn't wear makeup". all of them said that they just feel nice in it and never meant it in a bad way.

scared to be loud: scared to post, especially with face. a few acknowledged that they are scared to do so anyway, but worry about it in this space as well. bolded this one because it makes me so sad, but having been put on reddit pages for saying pete was their friend, i get it.

and the final point, a copy and pasted line: "i dont want to be represented when it suits them and i don't want to be a box they tick when adding diversity to a fic and then cry in comments. i dont want performative support"

ALSO ADDING HERE:

nearly everyone (bar 7 people) that reached out to me acknowledged that this is a minority, and not the majority. they were very clear that it isn't their whole experience, but is an issue regardless. a lot of focus was put on curating your own space and finding people who do support you, but algorithms don't always make that possible, and it's difficult seeing it happen even if they don't interact.

which is,,, yeah. that's the crux of it really. most of the time it's fine and it's lovely and things like this don't happen, but they still do, and how do you feel like you can engage when you don't know what side it will get on?

which,,, sucks. because there's not really anything anyone can do then. it's just screaming into a void and hoping that you don't end up on the wrong sides.

but anyway, i thought it was interesting. especially the comment sections and the headcanon discourse - which truly, i see less of on tumblr anyway but for all of the above reasons, don't fancy discussing this on tiktok right now which is the epicentre of it.

but yeah. food for thought perchance, and some very good discussions !! thank you to anyone that messaged me and allowed me to write this, you're not screaming into a void with me 🫶🏻

[dr-spectre]

Hello everyone, wanna give a quick update because I have some important stuff to share.

So basically I've been thinking about this for a little bit now and... i wanna start slowing down. I look back at the posts I've made and I've realised that I've done a LOT of posts over the past several months.

IM NOT GONNA DISAPPEAR DONT WORRY!!! I won't be gone!!! I'm not taking a giant break or anything. I just need to allow myself to recharge a bit. Because I feel myself actually getting tired and burning out and i wanna prevent an actual burn out from happening.

When I look at my inbox and I see the asks I get, sometimes I go "man... I really don't wanna respond to this... it'll be too much mental effort. But... the person might get upset or feel hurt that I didn't respond..." that shit weighs a ton on me. It's not to say that peoples asks are bad, HELL NO!! I love getting most of them! It's just that... I'm tired and sometimes I don't know how the hell to respond to something.

Another reason why I wanna slow down is because well... I kindaaa had a mental crisis... I've been feeling very... numb and angry? recently? which is kinda weird considering that Shadow Generations came out and Splatoween is around the corner. Yet i... feel nothing.

I feel my love for Callie slowly dying. It's just that... the common and gross takes about Hypno Callie are starting to really get into me and I'm feeling it's effects. When i see Callie i don't go "CALLIE!!!!!!!!" anymore, i go "Callie....." It's making me feel sad and when i see Callie i think about those takes. They flood into my head.... i feel so childish and dumb... and that i should accept what's "canon" instead of being some obsessive autistic loser.

I don't know what even happened. I think i hate the Splatoon community and youtubers HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I've also started to feel numb because when i tend to become very passionate and excessive, i then get told off for it. It's like im always pushed down. So if they want me to shut up... fine... i'll shut up. I'll be a grey nothing burger.

Anyways, i'll see you guys later.

[sporesgalaxy]

what does it mean to "put your heart and soul" into something? i see a lot of people talking about it and what has and doesn't have "soul" but i dont know how to achieve it. i dont feel my art is any different from those pieces they call souless, even if i do what i want

Hm. It's a difficult thing to define or quantify, and it's even harder to try and find it in one's own art.

I think when people say someone "put their whole heart and soul into something," they mean that it seems like the effort went into the project from a place of love, rather than obligation or more jaded kinds of ambition.

When an artist is making art from a place of love, I think it shows through in the ways they don't hold back, and that's what people notice.

(Camp is a really good example of this, if you're familiar with the concept. Campy things are totally shamelessly committed to some shtick that, on paper, can sound very trite. But by virtue of the campy thing's uncynical commitment to the bit, it becomes something special and outstanding in that context. Where less campy works may hold back or make fun of themselves, a campy work jumps in headfirst an asks "Well, why not? Doesn't this look fun?")

As an artist, I don't tend to notice the ways I don't hold back unless they're pointed out to me. I think it's just one of those things that's hard to see in your own work without a lot of hindsight to separate you from the process of creating it in the first place.

So...I guess my best advice is to not hold back when your love for something compels you to make art!!! Skill really doesn't matter as much as the love you put into something. It sounds really corny but I truly believe that.

When I was just starting out as an artist, I remember being really amazed and confused that artists I considered more skilled than me showed interest in my stuff. But looking back all these years later, I can see how my love showed through even when my skills weren't where I wanted them to be.

Messy, scratchy line art and wobbly shapes didn't hold me back from drawing characters I was excited about, because I loved them and wanted to share that love, however imperfect.

I think you just have to trust that people can tell when art comes from a place of love, even if you can't see it in your own work yet.

[tgcg]

Ya got any tips for writing dialog for the sillies?

i wish i could come up w anything deeply helpful irt this but i just kinda "feel it" & it "happens", generally in a way i find hard 2 explain to people... i will give it a go though

i made a post abt the kind of mindset i have when i write karkat dialogue here https://www.tumblr.com/cgtg/739174575193112576/do-you-have-any-tips-on-writing-karkat-dialogue a while back though🙂

for dave i think id have an even harder time explaining it, but my dave is rly heavily influenced by post-irony & ytp. whenever i write dave i just kinda follow a stream of consciousness that is dubious about shit and loves to laugh i guess? i rlly don't know how to describe it. i tend to reread canon dialogue particlarly from act3-6 for inspo, sometimes i'm straight up using my own brain with some kind of dave-filter

when i write them together i like 2 live in the beautiful world where they both agreed to be earnest with each other, probably my best example of that is "candid detail". i don't do that all the time bc i also like to write em with their guards up e.g. "bad mouther hole master", theres a lot of points in their relationship that have rly fun dynamics 2 me.

i guess i also do them kinda silly. ive been told my dk is quite silly. i like 2 imagine they know how to make each other laugh. they also learn a lot from each others perspectives on things, like insecurities or bad experiences or even just what they like / what art is to them, stuff like that. in my interp they do rly end up having a lot of things in common ideologically bc they're both at their cores very soft people.

it's all abt big long sentences with an undertone of quiet empathy. it can also be about aggressively bumping shoulders w their own egos too because that's fun

fundamentally though, i write them 2 be genuinely interested in what the other has to say. like, curious about each other. it gives u rly fun back & forth that isn't too mean-spirited & is more playful/genuine... i think it's rlly easy to write them totally discrediting each other's viewpoints which i do sometimes too (again, FUN !) but if u do it in the wrong context it just comes off as needlessly sardonic & harshes the vibe. i mention that bc i have a hard time balancing their egos & genuity myself sometimes

also very important to know when to have them run their mouths & when to have them sit their asses down & LISTEN. i tend to have them run their mouths a lot in scripts i havent finished/posted, just bc i have so much fun doing it, but it makes the dialogue so long-winded that i can't turn it into a comic... yeah definitely part of it is remembering they both know how to be succinct when they need/wanna be and aren't ALWAYS flapping their mouths. sometimes i realise a script is going in a direction that could be a whole other convo & that's when i tend 2 nip it in the bud

i really dont kno if any of this is helpful but i hope it is a little 4 my kinda... process i guess 🙂

thank u 4 asking me abt it ! if i think of better ways 2 explain it i will share in da future i hope u r having a good day

[meaningofaeons]

Ehhh hi! I love your work so i wanted to ask for hcs with star rail men and kafka (choose whoever you want) with gn!reader or s/o who has a lot of childhood trauma. I mean brutal emotional and physical abuse from a really young age, a lot of scars, blood, sa, ect. How would (star rail character) react to s/o telling them about their past/ seeing s/o's scars? Pls angst🙏. If you dont like the request, just ignore this. Have a nice day/night! -anon

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈ old scars die hard

⊹ character(s) - sampo koski, kafka, jing yuan ⊹ word count - 1.3k ⊹ notes - gn!reader, TW!! themes of abuse both emotional and physical, self-harm tendencies (not touched on as much but possibly implied?), etc. please read with caution and heed the warnings!!!

hi anon omg I hope you're okay (ﾐዎ ﻌ ዎﾐ)ﾉ I don't know whether this is personal to you and your experiences or not but regardless!! this req touched me I know it's been sitting in my ask box for a while but I wanted to do it proper justice. I love you anon and I hope you are doing well <3!!! thanks for the req!

⊹ Sampo Koski

He's not super concerned at first when he sees the first signs of scars

I mean, he's had his fair share of run-ins with disgruntled "customers". His scars are more numerous than yours, he'd assume.

That is, until he remembers you're not really in the same line of fire that he can typically find himself in

That's what gets him wondering.

Sampo's not really one to get into emotional vulnerability, and I don't think he'd ask you first

Unless of course, you started to gain new ones under his watch

If he's known you for a while, I feel like he'd have questioned it often until you told him to stop, and then he'd be kind of reluctant to bring it up again.

However, if you two are fairly new friends/partners, he'd dance around the issue but try to confront it regardless.

Especially if the abuse is current from people currently in your life or something you recently inflicted on yourself, he'd try to mention/address it in a roundabout way.

"That doesn't look so hot, Y/N! Might wanna see Miss Nat for it. What, you getting into the business of scam—aheh, I mean, customer service—too?"

Sampo tries to keep it light, but when he notices the way you tremble at the acknowledgement he makes of your wounds, his face crumples.

He's instantly apologizing, instantly doing anything to make you feel even a little better.

Offering to take you out to lunch, buy you something nice, or just get some takeout food and watch a show together.

I feel like Sampo, being relatively unequipped to seriously handle stuff like this (considering he's very much a humor-cope kind of person) would be especially frantic in trying to assuage your troubles

Whatever you want! Seriously, he'll bend over backwards for you, especially when you're vulnerable.

Sampo Koski may not be the most sensitive or empathetic, but he knows when to hold the quips and jokes.

He's a very good listener, though. It's honestly pretty shocking.

Now, Sampo's not much of a violent criminal.

Yes, he's a conman, but usually his plans involve escape over actual fighting back.

Still, when he hears about those who have made you suffer, he's not going to stand by.

In the cover of night, after tending to your wounds (both physical and emotional), he'd be off.

He won't kill them. But Sampo sure as hell will make sure they wouldn't even think of coming within five miles of you ever again.

And you'll never find out about it, either.

All that will happen is your life improving because your abuser will be out of it, and Sampo is perfectly content melding back into his usual joking self, bringing as much normalcy to your more peaceful life as he can.

⊹ Kafka

At first, I think Kafka sees your scars/wounds and is kind of... uninterested? Or perhaps less uninterested and more just unconcerned.

Sure, there's questions and thoughts to be had, but everyone has their pasts—especially those among the Stellaron Hunters.

However, over time and with careful, calm observation, Kafka notices more about you.

She takes a special interest in you that she doesn't quite hold with her other fellow Stellaron Hunters.

How you apologize endlessly over small mistakes...

Or even how you flinched back when Silver Wolf of all people got angry and shouted at one of her video games.

I mean, Silver Wolf! The smallest of the Stellaron Hunters—outside of her abilities in manipulating the data of reality and hacking, she physically couldn't hurt a fly.

So, Kafka takes matters into her own hands.

She's pretty upfront, seeing no reason in beating around the bush.

She was content before in letting it slide as "everyone has their secrets", but she eventually develops something akin to concern for your situation.

"Darling, I just had a few small questions for you... Don't feel pressured to answer if you're not inclined."

The second half of her sentence shocked her a bit.

She has abilities relating to hypnotic suggestion—if there's something she wanted to hear or know, there's no reason she couldn't acquire it. And if there's something she wanted someone to listen to and obey, she could do it with no questions from the other party.

So really, it was awe-inspiring that she afforded you the luxury of choice here.

After hearing what happened to you, Kafka is not the type to go on a vengeance-path.

She knows the past is the past, and that you're with the Stellaron Hunters now, so your abuser is long gone from reach.

I think Kafka mostly focuses on comforting you in the moment.

Especially if you're partners, she'd be very inclined to give you a shoulder to lean on, a person to cry to.

Kafka may seem flippant, but she holds a deep-seated affection for you and she treats your trauma with the utmost respect and seriousness it deserves.

She'd definitely get more protective of you after hearing your past.

As long as it's not against Elio's script, she's accompanying you on any mission you need to attend to.

And, well, if someone happens to trigger any unpleasant memories, be it a stranger or otherwise...

They're taken care of. Quietly.

⊹ Jing Yuan

Jing Yuan, teddy bear of a man he is, is likely the most forthcoming of the three about any scars he sees on you.

He's the General and goes into battle so that you don't have to get scars like his, and yet, what are these past wounds he sees on you?

The man isn't an idiot, though. He knows the circumstances behind them are likely far from pleasant.

He also knows how to treat a matter with the delicateness it requires.

"My dear... May I ask about that wound on your arm?"

So, so gentle.

He's already got you in his arms before you can say a word, cradling you gently and soothing you before you can get the story out.

Listens to every single word you have to say, only breaking your continuous sentences to hush you now and then and calm you down

Doesn't matter how much work he has to do, Jing Yuan would stay with you for hours or days on end to make sure you were okay

He, like Kafka, is not the type to be overly vengeful or seeking of retribution against those who hurt you.

Rather, he's more of the mindset that the best revenge is a life well-lived, and that's exactly how he intends to get back at your abusers—by making your life as wonderful as he can.

That's not to say he won't do anything, though.

If your abusers were still alive or around, he'd definitely pull some strings.

Nothing violent, of course, but the abuser(s) lives aboard the Xianzhou Luofu would never be peaceful again if he knew who they were.

Jing Yuan is more focused on you and your recovery.

If you ever feel like hurting yourself, or the past comes back to haunt you, he's dropping everything for your sake.

He doesn't just treat you like glass or tiptoe around you, though.

He knows how strong you are to have made it through such experiences and still be alive—to a long-lived species, it's especially admirable that one could sustain themselves through such things

As such, Jing Yuan respects you greatly. And he demands the same from others.

Not that he didn't already, being that you're his partner or closest friend (however you'd like to interpret, but he is most certainly in love with you!)

He's just more conscious of his own actions henceforth.

Jing Yuan wasn't the type to raise his voice or get visibly upset with you even in moments of disagreement or conflict, but he's especially more gentle after hearing your past.

The man is literally a walking green flag, I don't know what else to tell you!

[sinful-lanterns]

how tall or big are the ptn women in your monster AU? From what I can tell they are tall in the original but in monster AU it's a different story, so come think of it the last post about Enfer Du Ruo and McQueen screaming or yapping, lamia, rahu, Zoya, and Shalom cuddling on reader I wonder how big is their tent is. Do you think that our monster girls take turns on who to cuddle or sleep with reader or they go inside the tent at once? Another question in my mind what other items did researcher reader have brought? Tents, samples, cooking/survival tools, notes or camp/survival related stuff is there but what else? Also do you think that our monster girls helps reader to carry their stuff since its a long journey and i dont think reader is strong. Sorry for asking to much I'm curious about the Lil things about your AU I hope your doing alright good night 🌙

So many questions! I’ll try my best to answer them all :D

1. How tall are the monster women in this AU?

Monsters in general tend to be bigger than humans, so they’d be pretty tall in comparison to the Researcher. Their overall heights depend on their species, as some monsters might be bigger than others. (Ex. Krakens tend to be bigger than Mersharks.) However, there are also Monsters that are around the same height or are smaller than the average human.

2. How big is the Researcher’s tent?

Pretty big! It’s a large tent that could fit about 4 people, though that number may vary depending on how big a certain monster girl is. Because not every monster girl can sleep in the tent with the Researcher, they take turns! Many of them sleep outside, but don’t feel bad because monsters are accustomed to sleeping outside.

3. What other items did the Researcher bring on her expeditions?

She brings a lot of things! She has her tent, a pocket knife, a machete for cutting down greenery, rope, rations, a canteen for water, various maps, a small medical kit, money for shopping in towns, and more!

4. Do the Monster girls help carry the Researcher’s things on her expeditions?

They do! Actually, before encountering any of the monster girls, the Researcher was capable of carrying all her things on her own! Even though the Researcher seems weak, she’s only weak in comparison to the monster girls. Amongst humans, she’s actually decently strong!

It’s only when the monster women decided to tag along, did the Researcher decide to share her load with them. A lot of the monster women can be seen wearing backpacks on their travels as a result of this.

Hope these answered your questions!