#did you receive it? o uo ))

[tloaak]

today we lost the great Efeso Collins, during a charity event to raise funds for clean drinking water for children in the pacific. here is his incredible parliamentary maiden speech from just last week (transcript below). i encourage you to listen, and if you can, donate to childfund's water fund here

Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. Mai i ngā hau o Ōtāhuhu-nui-a-Rangi, o Maungarei, o Motukaroa; mai i ngā awa o Hikuwaru, o Tāmaki e rere ki te Waitematā, kei te Mānukanuka-o-Hoturoa, ko Kaiwhare, ko Taramainuku kua tau, kua tau ki ngā whenua o Ngāti Toa Rangatira, o Taranaki Whānui ki Te Ūpoko o Te Ika. Tēnā anō tatou.

[From the winds of Ōtāhuhu, of Mount Wellington, of Hamlin's Hill; from the rivers of Hikuwaru, of Tāmaki flowing to the Waitematā, to the Mānukau Harbour; Kaiwhare and Taramainuku have arrived, have arrived to the lands of Ngāti Toa Rangatira, of Taranaki Whānui in the Wellington region. Greetings to us all.]

E fakatālofa atu ki te māmālu o koutou na tamāna ma na mātua, vena foki na uho ma tuafāfine kua mafai ke fakatahi i te po nei. Vikia te Atua ko tātou kua mafai ke fakatahi venei. Mālo ma fakafetai.

Fai mai ina ua teʻi ae Iakopo i le mea sa moe ai, ona ia fai ane lea, e moni lava e i ai Ieova i le mea nei. E moni lava e i ai Ieova i le mea nei. Faafetai le Atua aua e le faaitiitia lou viiga. Ua ifo i ati malie tuʻumoega o le taeao le sa tafa i vanu tafaoga o manu sisina, ae sa faalepa le au pea, sa fili ma le manoa le fetu taʻimatagi, ae sei faalaolao le puli matagi aua ua nofoia vao tutuʻi i le malumalu ma nuʻu malumau o le maota.

Ou te le fagota la i le sao aua ua uma ona fili le utu ma uu le vao fofou. Fai mai le matematega nai tumua, ua pei o se iʻa e moemauga o le atuolo, o foliga matagofie ia ma le maualuga, maualuga lava o lenei aso aisea, ae a lea ua malutaueʻe le tiʻa sa maluʻia, ua tapu lalaga foʻi le vaʻa o le Tuimanʻua mamana ua atoa laʻau i fogaʻa.

Faafetai le Atua le Tama, le Alo ma le Agaga Sa, aua sa tu i Fagalilo tapaau o le alataua, ae sa matemate foʻi aiga sa Tagaloa pe tua ma ni a lenei aso. Ae faafetai i le Atua, aua ua tepa i ula, tagaʻi i ula, foʻi atu lou viiga e faavavau. Faafetai i le tapuaʻiga a oʻu matua ma oʻu aiga, faafetai tele i matua o si oʻu toʻalua ma ona aiga, i le latou lagolago aemaise talosaga molia. Faafetai i uo ma e masani, aemaise o le paʻia o le aufaigaluega totofi a le Atua, i soʻo se fata faitaulaga—Faafetai tatalo. Ae faapitoaugafa saʻu faafetai i si oʻu toalua Finevasa Fia aemaise si aʻu fanau pele Tapuiela ma Asalemo faafetai tatalo, malo le onosaʻi. Ae tapuaʻi maia ma le manuia.

Mr Speaker, it is an indescribable feeling to stand up and address this House. As a son of Samoan immigrants who made the mighty Ōtara 274—Southside hard—their home, I am well aware of the giants whose shoulders I stand on and the masters whose feet I learnt at. The courage, foresight, entrepreneurial spirit, and hope of our ancestors who journeyed thousands of years ago through the vast waters of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa brings me here today.

My parents arrived in New Zealand in the early 1960s, told that this was the land of milk and honey. Dad started off as a taxi driver with South Auckland Taxis, and mum on the factory floor at New Zealand Forest Products in Penrose. We lived in a four-bedroom State house on Preston Road in Ōtara, and I attended local schools: East Tāmaki Primary, Ferguson Intermediate, and the great Tangaroa College. We're forever grateful for the State house that was our home for around 20 years, and the quality public education we received from our local State schools.

I did try my hand for a short period at a decile 10 school outside of Ōtara, but that experiment lasted only two weeks. It was during the time in the late 1980s, when families from poorer areas were being discouraged from going to local schools because they weren't considered up to scratch. I'm glad we changed course and decided to high school it in Ōtara, where the motto of our school was "Waiho i te tokā tu Moana"—"Steadfast like a rock in the sea".

Later, at university, I went on to write my Master's dissertation on brown flight, critiquing the Picot reforms that have wreaked havoc on our public schooling system. That period was also a challenging time for my family because we were being told by our teachers to stop speaking Samoan at home and only to speak English. My parents didn't want us to fail at school, so we were allowed to speak English at home and over time we stopped speaking Samoan altogether. In the end, I lost my language. I struggled, I was embarrassed, and I felt incomplete. Even speaking to you in Samoan this evening gives me major tremors.

There's a saying in Samoan: "E le tu fa'amauga se tagata"—no one stands alone, no one succeeds alone—and, for me, no one suffers alone. Over the past years, with the support of my family and friends, I've taken to trying to converse again in Samoan, reading more texts in Samoan, praying in Samoan, and sending our youngest to a local Samoan early childhood centre. Our beautiful language, Gagana Samoa, has returned to our home and is helping to overcome the inadequacy that had taken root in my soul.

As I speak this evening, I'm mindful of the many young people who are navigating these at times treacherous and unsettled waters in life, filled with so much potential, energy, and hope, yet too often misunderstood. In my time as a youth worker in South Auckland, I've spoken with hundreds of young people with massive dreams for the future. We need youth workers, we need social workers, and we need mentors to walk alongside our young people, and, yes, we want our youth to be responsible and caring and considerate. So it's our job in this House to resource the people and organisations who will model the behaviour to them that we expect, but who also won't give up on them and won't come with a saviour mentality.

Many of our societal challenges are driven by poverty. We can achieve greater social cohesion and lift our sense of belonging by addressing poverty. I've been honoured to run youth mentoring programmes for nearly 25 years—that's about how old I am—and to this day I mentor young people. When we undertook and published research on youth gangs some years ago, the youth we spoke to had the solutions and just needed the means to make it happen. Too many of our young people are filling our prisons, and it is wasted human potential. Give them the tools, the resources, and the means to make a meaningful contribution to the world, and they will. I was at a conference recently about the threats to democracy and an attendee spoke about their work in developing nations and used the familiar retort, "You can't eat democracy." And I couldn't agree more. This House, this centre of democracy, needs to do more to engage our people, all of our people, so that they can see this House is not just relevant but an essential part of their lives.

The greatest challenge facing our generation is climate change. The Pacific Islands nations are among the most vulnerable to climate change in the world. The world's continued reliance on fossil fuels, loss of coral reefs, rising sea levels, and increasing severe weather patterns means that our extended whānau in the Pacific are in immediate danger. We, as a collective, must do all we can to do as we say out south "flip the script". Truth is, those who've done the least to create this predicament are being the hardest hit. Our challenges, whether ecological, geopolitical, or cultural, are diverse, but we're bonded by the inextricable ties we have to our lands and our oceans. We've inherited philosophies, knowledge systems, and profound ecological wisdom that holds the answers and drives our collective resilience—from West Papua to Hawai'i. Our fight for a climate resilient, nuclear-free and independent Pacific remains as strong as ever. We are not drowning; we are fighting.

I haven't come to Parliament to learn—learning happens as a matter of course through reflection. I've come to this House to help. Helping is a deliberate act. I'm here to help this Government govern for all of New Zealand, and I'm here to open the door, enabling our communities to connect better with this House. During the election campaign, I spoke to people frustrated about their lot in life, scared for their and their children's futures, and feeling their dreams were slipping away. The people I spoke to expect the Government to do more and move faster. And I know that there are some in this House who believe Government is not the answer to these challenges and that less Government is better. But here's the thing: the Government cannot be a bystander to people suffering confusion and disenfranchisement. New Zealand must close the divide between those who have and those who have not, because the reality for my community is that those who have more money often wield more power, more health, more housing, more justice, more access, more canopy cover, more lobbyists with swipe cards, and more time. And the opposite is true for those who have fewer resources.

It's hard to be poor, it's expensive to be poor, and moreover, public discourse is making it socially unacceptable to be poor. Whether it's bashing on beneficiaries, dragging our feet towards a living wage, throwing shade on school breakfast programmes, or restricting people's ability to collectively bargain for fairer working conditions, we must do better to lift aspirations and the lived realities of all our people. To that end, I want to say to this House with complete surety that the neoliberal experiment of the 1980s has failed. The economics of creating unemployment to manage inflation is farcical when domestic inflation in New Zealand has been driven by big corporates making excessive profits. It's time to draw a line in the sand, and alongside my colleagues here in Te Pāti Kākāriki, we've come as the pallbearers of neoliberalism, to bury these shallow, insufferable ideas once and for all. And this, sir, is our act of love.

Paolo Freire, in his seminal work Pedagogy of the Oppressed, said love is an act of courage, not fear; love is a commitment to others. No matter where the oppressed are found, the act of love is a commitment to their cause, the cause of liberation. The most recent election campaign left many in our Māori communities bruised and targeted for the perceived privileges supposedly bestowed upon them. Shared governance is a rich concept about how we include those who've been excluded for far too long in the work of this House and the democratic institutions that are fundamental to our collective wellbeing. We are Tangata Tiriti and we have nothing to fear. As a New Zealand-born Samoan living in South Auckland, I've experienced, written about, and spoken about racism in this country. I've also been on a well-publicised journey in understanding the needs and views of our rainbow communities, and I have a long way to go. And my message to whānau who often experience the sharp end of discrimination—disabled, ethnic, rainbow, brown, seniors, and neurodiverse—is thank you for trusting us with the responsibility of facilitating a new discussion on how we move forward together and make possible what was once deemed impossible.

The American civil rights activist James Baldwin said, "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." We commit to working across this House as a nation and with each other irrespective of our post code, income bracket, skin colour, or level of qualification attained. But, in order for that work, we must come with humility, the desire to listen, and dare I say it, maybe speaking last. If I was to inspire anyone by getting to this House and my work over the next three years, I hope that it's the square pegs, the misfits, the forgotten, the unloved, the invisible—it's the dreamers who want more, expect more, are impatient for change, and have this uncanny ability to stretch us further.

[zodiac-monkey]

HELLOOOOOO!!! ;;W;; some time ago i received a PRECIOUS TREASURE BOX from @furubazine!!!!!

it’s PINK and has beautiful pictures on the cover inside of cute little riceball shapes!!!! 🍙🍙🍙🍙 it has a gentle, thankful feeling to look at, like looking into a window on all the seasons and the warm scenes of friendship and family--the words printed on simple, solid white feel so solemn and grateful all at once T--T i can’t stress enough that the presentation of this zine is GORGEOUS, everything is so carefully and beautifully packaged that i really feel like every item is a precious treasure that is looked after with loving care..!! \;;A;;/

SADLY THERE WAS TAPE ON THIS PART OF THE BOX and even though i was trying to handle it very carefully i am terribly clumsy and bad with boxes and accidentally injured this poor box!!! ;;A;; I AM SORRY!!!!! I WILL APOLOGIZE TO THIS BOX!!!!!! I WILL APOLOGIZE TO THE WORLD!!!!!!! m(__  __)m

look at this gorgeous collection of treasures!!! ;;w;; i feel like there should be sparkles flowing out as i open this, everything is so carefully and charmingly arranged and feels so cozy together!!! TwT

BEAUTIFUL RAT YUKI SAYING SUKI DESU IS SENDING ME OMG IM CRYING;;;; WHAT A GORGEOUS PIN WHAT A GORGEOUS BABY;;;;; ALL THE MERCH IS PRECIOUS WHAT A BEAUTIFUL ZINE AHHHHH;;;; \T/////T/

they sent me this beautiful thank-you note with a tiny adorable furuba trio on it!!! the lettering is so gorgeous and fancyyyy!! \;;A;;/ thank YOU for letting me be a part of this incredibly special and heartfelt project!!! >////< i really really enjoyed working on it, everyone was so nice and relaxed and supportive of each other--it’s an absolute joy and honor!!!!! T////T

THEY EVEN WROTE ME A LITTLE SPECIAL NOTE IN THEIR OWN HANDWRITING!!!!! \;;A;;/ IM CRYING WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS OMG???? they are the ones who are kind people!!!! T////T thank YOU so much for your hard work putting together so many beautiful treasure boxes for all of us!! ;;A;; they said nice things about my picture that’s sooo sweet im so happy they thought it was pretty!!!! >////<

also they even told me not to be embarrassed about what i love!!! /)/////(\ wahhhhh!!!! it even has a little heart too!! i suppose this is because i said something in the discord server about feeling embarrassed for drawing cross-dressing all the time ;;A;; this is so extremely thoughtful and considerate of them to remember!!!! thank you so much for such kindness please take all of these hearts too!!!! />/////</💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

the zine itself is gorgeous!! the cover art by lluluchwan feels so peaceful and warm--i love how the light falls on them through the sunlit flowers, so restful and bright, and tohru’s smile fills my heart with warmth and gratitude!! ;;w;;

the merch comes in these precious little cherry blossom pouches and the postcards even come in a package with a window to see how beautiful they are!! it’s like a little sleeping bag just their size!! ;;w;;

i LOVE this foil postcard by @magesup​ it’s SO gorgeous?? everyone crossing the bridge together with the blooming cherry blossoms is so precious, like everyone is moving together towards happiness!! ;;w;;

akito is leading the march and kyo and tohru at the back look so happy together, momiji’s energy is so precious (even if kisa seems a little shy or surprised by it), ayame being extra and hatori putting up with it as usual, shigure probably making some joke to kureno and kagura full of energy as usual, rin is leaning over the bridge away from the others--she and hiro look a little aloof about everyone’s commotion--but yuki looks so lively and engaged talking with haru, and even ritsu seems calm and at peace! (RITSUUUUU!!!!!!! IM SO HAPPY TO SEE RITCHAN HERE!!! \;;U;;/)

everyone is so beautiful and their personalities really shine!!! AND LOOK HOW THE BRIDGE IS SHINING GOLD!!!! i had no idea it would be like that, it’s so beautiful!!!! \TwT/

OMG LOOK HOW THE FOIL PICTURE FRAMES SHINE!!!! \;;O;;/ i LOVE how this work by AmySunHee showcases so many of the characters and moments of the series, with tohru clasping her hands in front of them all like every one is precious to her!! the gold really makes it feel like each one is a treasure!! ;;O;;

BABY TOHRU WITH HER PARENTS MY HEART!!!! T---T EVEN THE LITTLE GRANDPA AT TOHRU’S ELBOW and even akito is close to tohru, she cares no matter what ;A; momiji looks so peaceful playing his violin, the little flowers!! kagura glomping kyo, his expression is CLASSIC, haru and rin together look picture perfect sitting back to back, and kisa and hiro match perfectly in their outfits!! hana and uo and the student council, the mabudachi trio and mine showing off ayame--even the yuki fanclub is there AND OMG THAT PHOTO OF KYO AND YUKI HATORI TOOK,, THEY JUST HAD TO FRAME THAT.. he even got their question marks in the photo sfhsgdhg AND RITSU IS THERE IM SO HAPPY in classic form i love the expression!! the ornate detailing on all the frames is gorgeous!!! T////T i love the exquisite patterns so carefully carved into them!!

THE CHARMS HAVE LITTLE CAT RINGS HOW CUTE IS THAT?!!! >/////< each charm is like looking in on a little scene, i love them!! the kyo and yuki buttons by lulu are just gorgeously soft and precious, and i love the motion in the petals and leaves in the buttons by hackwolfin, i can feel the different moods and seasons in each one, from cheerful to melancholy ;;A;; AND kyo sleeping with tiny riceball and rat yuki on the enamel pin--AGAIN HOW CUTE IS THIS!!! T////T HOW CAN ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING BE SO PRECIOUS!!!! \;;A;;/

EVERYTHING IS SO SWEET AND BEAUTIFUL IM CRYING???!!! the die-cut stickers by samairu are so gorgeously detailed and smooth, i love how close and cozy the characters look framed in the circle windows, and the rich colors really make me feel the bright spring day and deep autumn night!

the school defense force stickers by sleepy-crayonn are so expressive, i love how each character portrait shows their personalities matched with a season, and the hilarious mini reaction images?! XD the little festival stickers by dewream are sooo precious everyone is so soft and cute and tiny!!! >////< (TRUE TO HIS NATURE KYO CAUGHT A FISH) tohru is so happy and i love how gracefully yuki holds that fan!!

this postcard by @lumiiki​ is just SHEER JOY AND BRIGHTNESS everyone so happy together on a sunny day, the boys looking on contentedly at tohru with her arms full of flowers as she just radiates happiness!! i love the detail in her flowers and straw hat, the strong shading makes it feel like the sun is really really bright!! TuT

@vitaminpop​‘s art style is so ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS i treasure these tiny little furuba cards so much???? everyone is SO SOFT i love the light inner outlines and highlights around the edges, tohru here with a big smile and flowers for everyone, yuki with this sweet little smile so tenderly holding the fresh strawberries he put so much work into growing himself, covered in dirt still from tending them but radiating this soft joy from the care he’s poured in T---T kyo so casually eating his food his big unconcerned eyes are so precious, shigure just taking his hat off like he’s come in from the cold, his smile is so soft;;

im blessed with all of these treasures omg!!! \T////T/

WAHHHH im so honored that my picture was put right next to the page for autumn?? \;;A;;/ thank you so much im sooo happy!! it looks so light and soft next to the soft leaves falling on the title page!! ;;/////;;

(of course looking at it in print im filled with thoughts like “maybe i should have left in more of the white border” and “i seem to have forgotten again that my monitor shows colors as more pink than they really are” BUT DONT WE ALL....)

THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN for letting me be a part of this project, it’s so absolutely beautiful and heartfelt and im so thrilled and honored that i could contribute!!! >/////< thank you soooo much!!!! \;;W;;/

[robbiemd]

Keep Saving.

Loosely.

RA: “Hindi ko nga inistamp yung Trodat ko sa referral letter ko e. Pinirmahan ko na lang without my stamp. Baka ma-judge ako ng attending n’ya and sabihin, ‘luh ang bobo naman ng doktor na ‘to, nag-overhydrate sa CHF patient.”

EZ: “Gagi, dapat nilagay mo name mo. ICU level yung patient. Ibig sabihin kaya mong mag-manage ng ICU patient (with your level of expertise and the available resources).”

A little back story.

An 85 year-old male came in to my ER because of generalized weakness which started 4-5 days prior to consult. This was accompanied by occasional nocturnal coughs productive with whitish sputum. However, he did not experience any other accompanying symptom like fever, malaise, vomiting, dysuria, diarrhea, nor constipation. Patient was conscious, coherent, conversant, oriented to time, place and person, not in respiratory distress. Vital signs however, were deranged. BP = 130/90, HR = 42, RR = 19, Temp = 36.1. Patient is a known case of an unrecalled cardiac diagnosis and was maintained on Aspirin 80mg OD, Clopidogrel 75mg OD, and Furosemide 40mg OD. He serially consults his cardiologist every quarter. Patient is not hypertensive nor diabetic. 

I admitted the patient upon receiving the results of his tests. CBC showed mild elevation of WBC (12.something) with neutrophilia (>80%), indicating that there is an ongoing infection in the patient’s body. Serum sodium was also severely deranged at 117 (n = 135 to 145). CXR showed pneumonic infiltrates on bilateral middle lung fields. I started the patient on intravenous fluids to correct the sodium deficit and antibiotics to neutralize the infection. The patient was transferred to his room stable.

A couple of hours later, I was paged by the ward nurses on duty telling me that my patient is complaining of dyspnea. I summoned myself to his suite and examined him immediately. Vital signs have gotten uglier. BP rose to 160/80, HR still at 40s which occasionally dropped to as low as 32. RR is at 40s. The lolo patient that I saw earlier in the ER, being very conversant and talkative despite the generalized weakness that he initially complained, suddenly looked a lot different -- toxic-looking, agitated, doesn’t follow commands, and with apparent respiratory distress. Upon auscultation, there was diffuse course crackles. In my mind, there was a sudden punch of “shit, tangina” but I tried to keep my cool even if the grains of sweat on my forehead are stating the opposite.

“Sir Eric, push tayo Furo 40 IV, now na. Double time. Then decrease IVF rate to KVO.” I said in a quasi-calm voice.

“Painsert na rin po IFC and measure I & O q1 muna tayo.” I added.

I also started the patient on dopamine drip, which is expected to raise his HR to reach normal (at least 60/min) while keeping his blood pressure up. Once the HR normalizes, the BP is expected to return to normal.

“Tangina, hindi sa’kin mamamatay ‘to. Hindi sa’kin mamamatay ‘to.” I kept telling myself. I wanted to bang my head on the wall during those minutes seeing the patient suffer.

Nearly an hour later, the patient was somehow relieved of the dyspnea. UO was also fairly adequate. I talked to the patient’s relatives to let them know what’s happening to the patient and that he needed to be transferred to a higher level hospital. I called EZ afterwards. 

“Puta, yung patient na inadmit ko kanina mukhang nag-congest. Nag-DOB bigla and may crackles ako sa kanya. Nagpa-furo 40 ako and um-ok naman s’ya nung makaihi. I nearly killed a patient, Ezie. Buti gumana yung furo and dopa drip natin. Thank you.”

“Ba’t ka kasi nag-hydrate? *laughs Alam mo naman for sure na pag CHF, fluid restriction and sodium chloride tabs.” She answered.

“E gorl, mukha s’yang dry-looking for me. Nag-fast drip pa ako gagi ang bobo ko. Di ko man lang naisip na clue yung furo n’ya na CHF patient s’ya.”

“Haha it’s okay. Trust your assessment. Kung dry-looking s’ya for you, then may reason ka to hydrate. Pero buti na-stabilize mo.”

Yes, I was able to successfully “stabilize” the patient prior to transfer: BP was back to 130/80, HR = 50s-60s, RR = 20s, Temp = 36.5. The patient still showed signs of dyspnea (speaks in phrases with apparent gasping for air) but I kept him on O2 support via air mask. He was transferred to a tertiary hospital some 6 hours away and made it there. 

All those 6 hours of ambulance conduction, I was praying to the universe in secret: “sana umabot si lolo sa Puerto.”

A couple of days later, Maam Anne, a hospital staff who happened to be lolo patient’s granddaughter, gave me an update. “Doc, okay na si lolo. Kumain na nga ng Jollibee e. Pinayagan na sya ni Dra. Go. Sobrang thank you po, doc.”

Me: *exhales exorbitantly

Being a doctor isn’t just about mastering medical skills and knowledge. It’s also about having the balls to make quick decisions that would benefit a patient best.

Disclaimer: I’m aware that furosemide shouldn’t be given to hyponatremic patients but what choice do I have? It’s the only diuretic available in our pharmacy besides mannitol.

I’m also aware that dopamine isn’t the vasopressor of choice on this case but again, what choice do I have? :))

Glossary of abbreviations: CHF - Congestive Heart Failure ICU - Intensive Care Unit OD - Once daily BP - blood pressure HR - heart/cardiac rate (/min) RR - respiratory rate (/min) CXR - chest X-ray CBC - complete blood count WBC - white blood cells UO - urine output I & O - input and output Furo - Furosemide, a loop diuretic IV/IVF - intravenous/intravenous fluid IFC - indwelling Foley (urinary) catheter KVO - keep vein open q1 - every 1 hour

Puerto Princesa City March 2021

[zuffer-weird-girl]

What would happened if both Kai and his s/o got turned into children and they have puppy crushes on each other

I loved this one. Like. Thank you my lufe is complete

"We are so fucked when both of them return their memories and actual bodies."

"Fucked? WE aRE FReAKinG DEAd ArROw HaIrEd! D-E-A-D!"

"Stop yelling, both of them are on the back seat." Chrono hissed while he took a look at the now brow haired little boy, stoic face as usual as he read it a book on his hands while bot much far a little companion of (E/c) shakung their legs shyly on their seat while looking at the black window.

To cut the story short. The four of you were sinply walking abd minding your own business... until a child, that apparently just had gotten their quirk, shoted a puff of green smoke in your direction by accident.

Kai had tried to grab your arm and yank you away but he was also catched by the quirk's affects... and after a bit of coughing, Chrono and Mimic widened their eyes at horror at not seing his boss and (Y/n), but a pait of childs instead.

The parents of the rascal just grabbed onto their kid and ran away without looking back... leaving both men to deal with those... tiny versions of Overhaul and his partner.

The moment they got out, Chisaki recognized the place and nonchalantly just made his way out of the car, stopping when he noticed that his little... companion wasn't coming.

"U-uh.. excuse me m-mister?" You tugged at Kurono's coat, catching not only his attention but of everyone in there actually.

"C-can you please take me home? My mommy and daddy might be worried."

"Shiiiiiiii-" Mimic got punched by Kurono's after that before the man sighed and crouched down to be eye level with you.

"Sorry about that. I will take you home soon okay?" He lied blankly, smirking unterbally at the sigh of relief and shy nod you gave it to him.

"What is going on here?" Pops just had came out of his own office, almost tripping over at... Chisaki?!

Since when the time had reverted? And why the fuck he didn't got younger as well?

Chrono and Mimic nervously explained the situation to the man while you were almost panicking at seing that cute boy's eyes on you.

Chisaki just... didn't even blinked... He had that same look but his eyes spoted something different on there...

But the staring eas creppy. Creppy as f-

"Luckily the effect will wear it off by a few hours." Chrono finsihes while Pops sighed before letting out a low chuckle while patting Chisaki's head.

"I hope you just don't cause me the same troubles that you did once in this age kid." He arched one of his eyebrows at seing the tiny grunt that left his sucessor as he nodded... eyes not even once changung fron their original place.

He followed his gaze and laughed at seing the tiny version of his daughter in law, catching what was going on.

"Kurono my boy, take that little one to 'show the house' if is not much of a bother." Chrono nodded his head before extending his hand at yours to lead you through.

Oh boi, wrong move. Tiny ball of wrath right now is pissed.

The elder laughed even more before messing with Chisaki's hair.

"Hari can't touch your friend anymore kid?" The boy glared at him before huffing his response.

"First, that's not block head Pops. Second, we're not that, I dont even know them. And for final, that man doesn't even know them either, so its disgusting, they didn't even washed their hands befo-"

"Oh dear lord Kai just admit you have feelings for once, brat." He sighed, remebering that he discovered Kai's disgust of germs werr indeed at a very young age.

~

"Your name is?"

"Since you dont have your memories, you can call me Chrono." He said nonchantly, following you from behind as you looked in astonishment and curiosity the house.

"Got it! Chrono!" You turned around looking uo at hin with a small smile "Did I say it right?" You yelped in glee at his nod, Hari shooking his head at that.

"Oi." A cold monotomous, yet childish, voice interrupted your glee, making you yelp at the sudden appearance while Hari bitted the inside of cheek to not to snicker.

"I can take care of the newbie. Go and do something useful instead." You furrowed your eyebrows at that, almost gasping in disbelief when the man had left you alone on there with this boy.

Traitor!

"You. Name. Now. Why are you here in the Shie Hassaikai? Pops clearly didn't took you in." You gagged, blushing furiously at the closer he had gotten and the intensity of thise golden eyes were pearing at your own.

"I-I don't know!" You blocked your vision with your hands "B-But I am going away soon!"

"Why? Stop covering your face like that idiot, you look ridiculous."

"Because... I have to go back?" You said almost uncertainly as the boy hummed, not exactly in complete understatement.

"You make me feel weird. What's your quirk? Stop using it on me your illness." He growled the last parts as you waved your hands in the air.

"No! No! I am not using anything, I don't have a quirk!"

He blinked in astonishment at that, his golden eyes eyeing you more curiously as he took steps around you, stopping with a huff as his hand went ot his neck, pink dusting his cheeks.

"You... know how to play Shogi?"

"What's shogi?" He scoffed at that before picking a handkerchief on his pocket to grab on your hand and oush you around the house.

"You don't have culture. Here, wash your hands first and I might teach you a bit."

You blushed before giggling a okay, not understanding this weird boy but surely liking him a bit.

He crashed you on that thing, but you were more focused on that concentrate golden eyes and the slightest twist of those lips on a smirk whenever you losed.

"I won." You whined while putting your chin on the coffee tablr "Don't do that, is dirty."

You poked your tongue out, giggling at the way he arched his eyebrow while he organized the board again.

"Ah! Is late!" You scotted up and patted your legs while Chisaki furrowed his eyebrows.

"Where you're going?"

"I need to gi back to my parents@ they must be worried... Chrono told me he would get me-" you gasped at feeling a hand grabbing on your own, causing you and Chisaku to go wide eyed.

What was he doing? He hated touch! Hated it! Except pops, he wouldn't just touch neither let someone touch him out if no where like this!

But yet... he didn't wanted it for you to go now. You were... different, weird... in a... good way if he could say that.

"He.. he is taking a shower now." He lied before retreading his hand, finding it weird to jot to feel the necessity of washing it... it was actually a warmth he was feeling "Is going to take a couple of minutes for sure."

"Ah!" You exclaumed in understatement before turning to him again "Ne ne! I don't even asked your name, sorry!" You put your hands behind tour back as you inclined your body towards him a bit with a smile "I'm (L/n) (Y/n)! What's yours?"

"... Chisaki." He spoke, cringing at the geelung of gossegumps consume him "Chisaki Kai."

"That's a beautiful name!" You said with a bright smile.

It.. seemed liek that smile of yours was contagious, it had to be. He was starting to feel like smirking for abit as he merely nodded.

"...you're weird." He blurted out, chuckling a bit at your confused expression.

"Why?!" You said a bit offended.

"You're just-" he showed with his hand at you "like that. Weird."

Just when you went to disagree you started to cough, not a bit ling Chisaki did it too before you opened your eyes... blinking a bit before seing your normal sized hands in front of you.

You looked up to see Chisaki, lookung at you in relief but also in disgust at himself for letting that happen.

You just had one thing to say.

"You were sooo cute when you were a child Kai!" You cooed with both of your hands in your cheeks as you smiled widely at him.... who didn't seened to appreciate your words with that scoff and crinsom blush.

And he wasn't wearung his mask! You could see his flustered face in whole display!

"Shut your mouth. We need a hot shower after that I swear. This was disgusting." He pucked his pace up, trying to ignote his embarrassment.

"So I make you feel weird? How so? Is tgat weird what many would say...umm what's the 'L' word again?" You mocked him before receiving a flip on your forehead and a quick slap on your bum, making you yelp.

"Shut. Up." He growled threateningly, but you only laughed even more at seing his flustered face.

[imagine-jjba]

here's my ask! Jotaro (part 3 pls!) seeing the reader walking through the halls at school and realizing he's been in love with them~ kinda like those movie scenes where he feels as though time slows down while they walk past with friends, laughing about their own conversation~ ^^ and I was so excited for the sonic trailer when I was at the movies, but they played the old one and my mood went sour lololol

jotaro x s/o post SDC

ah, thank you so much for requesting me! i really like getting these plots, so if anyone has anymore for me to write, i’d love see and receive them. if anon is off, i can try to figure out how to turn it on with mobile, but i’m not really sure so far. sorry if this is too short for you! i didn’t really know what to write for this. at least, not too much.

also, the sonic movie is so good! definetly recommend to people who liked/still like sonic. i really liked it! if you have the time, definitely go watch it.

@peachpunkbitch

when all is said and done, the adventure is finally over. the crusader’s long trip to egypt is done. you’re honestly a bit terrified, exhausted, and mourning the deaths of the people you cared for. after all, they were all your friends. kakyoin, avdol, hell, even iggy. you were fairly close to all of them.

jotaro was always by your side after that. you could tell that he was paranoid about whatever was around you. of course, you thought it was just because of the adventure you went on, but it was more than that. he hadn’t realized it yet, but he wanted to be closer to you. emotionally and physically.

you spent most of your school time with him. the girls around you were jealous of your shared time together, how easily you could touch him. whenever you’re trying to reach for his hat, he’ll begrudgingly give it to you, if you’re desperate enough. that really gets the girls jealous. they don’t harrass you over it, however. they know that jotaro would be upset if that happened.

it was while you two were walking, however. the way your hips lightly sway side to side when you walked, the bright smile that curled at your lips. the way your eyes lit up when you talked about whatever you wanted to talk about, even with just him listening, it felt good enough to you. that was when he realized that he had started to fall in love with you.

things for him felt like they were now going in slow motion, not because of his newly gained time stop ability, but because of his ability to process his feelings. too many questions were not swirling in his mind. did he like you like that? did he want to peruse that love? did you like him back like that? why did he even like you in the first place? it was very confusing for him.

he stopped walking, and you happened to notice. when you turned around and gave him a questioning look, you didn’t notice that his face grew red. you did, however, see that he was mumbling “good grief” under his breath before tipping his hat down, walking with you. naively, you continued to talk about whatever you were talking about before.

after you two got to your next class, he had to take the entire class to really think about it. you happened to notice that he wasn’t really paying attention to the class, so you asked if he needed to borrow your notes. he just shook his head, even if he probably did need it, and you two moved onto lunch.

when lunch came around, you sat with him on the school roof. normally, girls would want to talk to him, but they seemed to notice something was off. you also had noticed these emotions, but not bringing it uo was probably for the best.

he didn’t want to sit too close to you, but you ended up scooting right next to him, continuing to talk to him. you were the one who did most of the talking for the both of you. after all, you’re pretty social. if you’re not very social, you’ll sit here in silence and eat together, just comfortable with the presence of jotaro there.

eventually, you start talking to him about your friends who had passed. you brought up memories about them one way or another. after all, you still hadn’t gotten over their deaths, but since you were alone, you might as well mention it. jotaro looked somewhat surprised that you would bring it up, but let you speak about them anyway. many fond memories came to mind. you probably would have cried. after all, that’s a human thing to do. jotaro would have noticed and told you to stop talking, but you couldn’t really help it. eventually, he’d just take off his hat and put it on your head. after all, he isn’t really good at the affection sort of thing. he’s not the best at comfort.

somehow, though, it makes you feel a bit better. when you stop crying and wipe your eyes, you feel the emotions for jotaro you’ve always felt for him. love, admiration, whatever you feel for him. you just feel better around him, even if he isn’t the most emotional. he’s one of your best friends.

when the day ends, you two go to jotaro’s house. arriving there, mrs. kujo (holly) greets his son as normal. you laugh at the affection that she brings to him, which embarrasses him. it’s very cute and funny to watch them interact. she then greets you with a very fond smile and tells you that she’ll bring snacks around. she’s always grateful for you joining her son and making sure that he was safe throughout the mission you went through.

when you two are alone together, you hang out like normal, but you can still tell that something’s on the boy’s mind. you ask him about it, but he just says it’s nothing. it’s not like he’s going to say anything about his realization, that’s much too embarrassing for him.

[comicteaparty]

November 9th-November 15th, 2019 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble chat that occurred from November 9th, 2019 to November 15th, 2019.  The chat focused on the following question:

How do you deal with a lack of engagement from your audience, both emotionally and physically?

IzzyNinjaMaster

Oooo now that's a good question. If my online audience doesn't respond, I personally always show any new page updates to my family and friends and get feedback and comments from them. Really great for support. But sometimes their not available or I don't have anything new to show them. When this happens, I just look to myself for support. I know that doesn't really make sense or sounds kinda cheesy but it's what I do. I get myself pumped up and excited for what I can do next in the story and how awesome it will look all drawn out. And I go from there, I'll start drawing out ideas or writing out new chapters. So just be your own hype man, not just with your comics either but with everything. Great for self esteem.

Sorry went on kind of a rant right there

carcarchu

I prepare myself emotionally to not have any expectations. If you expect nothing and receive something you'll always be happy!

IzzyNinjaMaster

Lol true very true XD

Deo101

I'm not completely sure what this question means by physically, but I just kind of keep making art to move past it. Something that has helped me a TON is to make art that's just for me (like, that I don't post anywhere). I think that if everything is made to be shared, then we get a little too used to trying to find validation with engagement. With comics, specifically, I try to make none of my goals relate to engagement. I only have goals for myself and what i'm producing. If I'm hitting all of my goals, then I feel good about what I'm doing! No one engaging with it is just kind of like "okay!" Another smaller thing that helps me is getting my work done well before I upload it! for some reason just getting a bit of time distance between when something is done and when I post it I dont feel so bad if people don't engage.

Cronaj

I'm fairly lucky that I have a small following on one of the sites I post on, so while some weeks might be slow with feedback or engagement, I'm usually not completely devoid. I also have some very supportive family members who read my comic and often comment or text me after I update. As for what I do personally when I don't have a lot of engagement? I do a lot of self-reflecting, which is probably not the healthiest of practices. I question what I'm doing, trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong and how I could improve. I also try to understand other external factors at play, such as my readers' personal lives, jobs, school, holidays, that might have delayed them from engaging with my work. For example, I know that during November, as we get closer to Thanksgiving, there is going to be a huge drop in readership, because a lot of my younger readers will be preparing for school finals and visiting with family. By knowing this, it helps me cope a lot better. And if all else fails, I vent to my fiance or my little sister. It really does help to have someone to whine at for a bit

khkddn

If I were to get completely zero engagement on something I'd do what I'd always do, message people I know irl like "validate meeeeeeee"

In general I just take a step back from what I've posted and focus on something else. That way I remember webcomics isn't everything, and by the time I check up on things again there might be some sort of audience response.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I kept my work hidden for the first few years I was working on it (wanted to iron out any wrinkles before I was comfortable sharing) so in comparison, any engagement afterward - even a tiny amount - is pretty great! And even now, some updates get more traffic than others, for a lot of different reasons. Luck, timing, quality, etc. I always keep in mind that this project is - at its heart - for me and my own enjoyment/fulfillment. And if I’m pleased with where it’s going, that’s a win.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Oof, that question really hit me where it hurts. Over the years I’ve lowered my expectations, because while I used to have an active audience in the ‘00s, I’ve rarely gotten any engagement on my comics in the ‘10s. It’s definitely made me feel depressed and like a ‘failure’ to put heart and soul into my comics and art and get 0 reaction online. I honestly don’t have any way I ‘deal’ with it. I make something, hoping to get some comments > I get no comments > I get depressed about it and feel like my work is garbage. Rinse and repeat several hundred times. I keep going because I just love to create, but it’s like an actor trying to put on a performance and no one shows up to the play. It has gotten better lately and I’ve started getting some engagement for the first time in many years, but I honestly don’t have a good answer for how I handle that emotional reaction to reader silence.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Also good to keep in mind that lots of people may read without commenting, and still enjoy it! I did a poll wondering who would be interested in doing guest art, and way more people responded than I expected. It opened my eyes! Sometimes you just can’t tell until you outright ask for feedback

keii4ii

There's definitely a risk to that, though. You ask and still get nothing. Or worse, you ask and get negativity. Asking is a worthy gamble, but it takes courage! Sometimes when we don't have enough courage, we gotta find it elsewhere first, before we can try that gamble...

I lost that gamble one too many times and need more Courage Fund before I can try again, lol

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

True true! It was a gamble I had no real expectations/assumptions about, so I didn’t have much room for disappointment. Even getting one person who says “This is cool!” is enough to fuel me for days. But I know that’s not how it is for everyone. Once you’ve been disappointed once, it can take a while to get the urge to try again. I can’t imagine getting negativity, though... I think THAT would wreck me.

keii4ii

Sometimes I don't even ask and someone just randomly drops negativity off at my doorstep... I need to remember that I have also had wonderfully positive responses, that it wasn't all negative. But it can be hard to remember that on bad days.

Deo101

Yeah, negative comments always seem to be the loudest ones... They can drown out dozens of good ones if they hit you right.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I did develop a pretty thick skin for negativity in art school, which was really fortunate because my comics garnered a lot of negative attention at first. Though thinking back on it, I was making very androgynous and gender non-conforming characters (even though I never stated anywhere that they were queer) in a time when the public attitude towards such things was far less kind than it is today. At the time it was draining to get so many trolls, but unless I was already having emotional difficulties in other areas of my life, I was able to let it roll off.(edited)

keii4ii

The weirdest thing with my negativity is 99% of them come from actual readers who mean well. So I have a hard time dismissing them like 'oh they're just haters.' It's not necessarily harder than dealing with blatant trolls, but it is an entirely different beast.

Deo101

Sometimes I go and reread positive comments when I'm down about things

Yeah I'm not sure that I've had any trolls tbh... Its all readers saying what they think

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Avid readers who give backhanded compliments and ‘well-meaning’ but very subjective critique can definitely be detrimental.

keii4ii

In Korea, I dunno if they're still a thing, but 1-2 decades ago there was this type of theft called slash theft. It's a type of pickpocketing, done on the street while walking by. They bump into you, briefly and lightly, but you don't think much of it because Seoul is a crowded city and you brush against other people all the time. But during that brief bump, they manage to slash open your purse and take all the contents. It's an amazing ninja level skill for sure. I know people who had their stuff stolen that way. Back to the Courage Fund analogy, sometimes a negative comment isn't just a normal theft of your Fund. The comment slashes your purse open, and now your bag can't contain Fund even if you put more and more into it.

It can take a long time and lots of support to sew your purse back.

Deo101

Idk if other places to slash theft, im sure they do, but im pretty sure historically its been a big thing. The term "cutpurse" comes to mind

keii4ii

(:o I didn't know that was a term! The more you know)

Deo101

(some book i read (wasn't great but you know) used the term a lot and i was like "ok wtf is this")

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

That’s a very good analogy for it, and I definitely understand what you mean. I had to take a three year hiatus from one of my comics once after a IRL ‘friend’ ripped the comic apart and called me a terrible writer in less-than-kind words. I had already been going through some very bad things with my health and family and it hurt me far more than it should. It took some encouragement from some very dedicated readers to convince me to pick up the comic again.

Deo101

(so i associate it with pirates now)

That's really terrible lee... Om glad you picked it back uo though!!!

keii4ii

I can super relate to harsh comments hurting way more than they should, when you're already in a bad state. >_<

Deo101

And also it is a really good analogy keiiii

Yeah things just kinda get harder to deal with in general when you're more tired/upset in other areas

keii4ii

The most devastating feedback I've got would have done far less damage if I weren't in a fragile state at the time.

Deo101

Like you can't go be safe elsewhere if everything is a source of stress...

keii4ii

(For all we know those slashers in Korea could be pirates )

Deo101

:o

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Does Korea have pirates? If so, I’m moving to Korea.

(Sorry, we’ve probably gone way off topic for the discussion)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I got antsy when someone made a small critique of my lettering (rightfully so, though - lettering is hard and I’m still learning) so a proper heart-stabbing, bad-faith critique might sideline me for a while. Gotta be prepared for that someday

Deo101

Its weird, it really seems to be mostly about how I'm doing elsewhere in life now that im thinking about it. Also being further along in the comic helps cause I've got years of support and "just keep chuggin" under my belt

Like the other day someone critiqued me randomly and called my characters stupid and i was like "dam ok, your comment getting deleted then" but a year or so ago a comment like "I'm sorry im a little confused..." Made me second guess everything for weeks

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Ohhh Maybe the obviously mean/troll comments are easier to deal with, than feeling you let down a reader who was genuinely trying to understand the story. I would definitely react similarly.

Deo101

Iunno, the big old critique was a normal reader who has left other comments he jusy kinda randomly did it. But yeah I think it can be easier to shrug off things that are CLEARLY antagonistic versus someone being harmlessly confused

Because confusion can mean I'm not being clear enough and need to change things and whatever. Its vague in a way that hits your anxiety

keii4ii

Yeah, when someone is obviously being a jerk, you know it's on them

omg... reader confusion has been the bane of my existence

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I dunno, man, art school just toughened me up to most negative comments. If one person out of five is confused, I don’t take it personally and just explain it to them to clear up confusion. If everyone’s confused I think ‘Hmm, maybe I should retcon in some dialogue to make it more clear’. I guess art school really teaches you to distance yourself from your work and be very objective about it. BUT as I said, I’m not immune when other bad things are going on and it becomes the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Deo101

Though THEN you kinda get like "why am I being a target???" And its very frustrating, at the very least, and it does definitely still hurt... (Wrt trolls)

keii4ii

It's hard to tell who's confused and who isn't sometimes

Deo101

Yeah Lee im in art school right now, but for me its different when I make something to be critiqued versus a passion long term project

If I am asking for critique too, im braced for it in a way I'm mentally prepared for. Im not always braced to have someone be like "its pretty good buuut..."

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Ahh, I can understand that. I guess I’m able to view my passion projects the same way I did my school projects. It took time, that’s for sure. It’s a process of desensitisation, and was something I had to build up over years.

keii4ii

I'm disproportionately sensitive about reader misinterpretations/confusion. I'm 95% sure it's because one bad experience. Someone thought my main story was garbage, but they liked parts of it, so they told me to basically make a different story using those parts. After that, every time a reader didn't recognize the main story (I got a very prominent B plot, so it's kinda understandable that some people mistake it as the A), I got vivid flashbacks of that one bad experience. Every time someone said they liked [this character that The Other Person liked], I got flashbacks. Took me good 2-3 years to get over it.

Deo101

Its also a lil different when it's like.. i wont be changing these pages so unless it's a critique for moving forward its kinda pointless and i cant really apply it

Damn keiiii that's really rough

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Yeah, that sucks.

keii4ii

Yeah, it's hard to be motivated when the underlying message is "your first 100 pages are hot garbage, but you can still improve........ even if readers will give up long before they get to the decent 101st page!"

Deo101

RIGHT...

I don't want to have to preface "check out my comic!" Wirh "i promise it gets better..."

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

COUGH That’s exactly why I’m reduxing Eryl’s hot garbage beginning right now COUGH

Also because I’m a masochist and perfectionist.....

keii4ii

I think "it gets better" is fine when it's a reader reccing it. (I remember some of my friends reccing multi-season anime series to each other, going, "it gets better after season 1") But yeah, as the author we can't be the ones saying it.

Deo101

Mhm.

And I'm still hapoy with my old pages. I know I could do them better now but they're perfectly fine and they get the job done so... Idk its just hard when someone is like "wow two years ago you made a mistake, :/"

Like. Yeah, duh... I've spent like a thousand hours on pages theres gonna be some mistakes

keii4ii

It took me a long time to realize that Flaws =/= Problems

Deo101

I'm learning and getting better youre gonna have to bare with me here

Nutty (Court of Roses)

are you kidding i still get crit on stuff i made TEN years ago

Deo101

Mhm

keii4ii

omg

Deo101

Well its not a competition

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Same, Nutty

Nutty (Court of Roses)

True sorry ;;

Deo101

Ur name just changed colors keiiii

You: flaws =/= problems Your name: im ascending

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I think...learning how to like not be bothered by negativity that much is a skill. Super freaked out one time when someone said they didn't know what's going on when reading HotV whoops

(turned out they just had to re-read a bit and it was just webcomics being webcomics)

Deo101

I had a group of readers say they were co fused and one person asked me to explain the last 2 chapters and i was like "holy shit am i being this unclear????"

Its stressful for sure

Nothjng wrong with being concerned with ut

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Keiiii has reached a new plane of existence. The blue is unrefutable proof

Deo101

Its something you're passionate about and you want to be as good as it can be

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Yeah...

Deo101

So any critique, regardless of validity will be something you WANT to consider

Which is fine and theres nothing wronf with taking things to heart like that

But also if youre Happy with it that's all that matters

You gotta be your #1 fan kinda thing

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I'm personally super uh...yeah I am having a hard time dismissing criticism

even if it's in bad faith, haha.

keii4ii

The #1 fan thing sometimes reminds me of that scene from Lilo & Stitch

The scene of Lilo's rag doll. It's been years since I watched it, so memory's a bit fuzzy, but I think all the kids were showing off their dolls, and Lilo wanted to show off hers too

but the other kids didn't like her homemade-looking doll, and it made her sad, almost not like her doll for a moment

but she picks up the doll again afterward

There are days where I relate to that. I never not-love my story and my characters, but sometimes I feel like everyone else has a low opinion of it, you know?

and I'm like lonely Lilo hugging her rag doll in the sad corner

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Yeah I totally get that and...loving what you do first and foremost is really important. I don't think in a medium like webcomics you would be able to keep going

keii4ii

I'll always love my Doll but I do wish this little corner weren't so lonely, kinda thing

Deo101

I feel that keiiii

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Hmm

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

When the ‘critique’ is detrimental it does become a problem. Like that ‘friend’ I was talking about earlier who bashed Eryl to bits. He told me to ‘read some Stephen King’ to learn how to write. I was making a high fantasy story, not a horror story. The writing of a horror author is simply not applicable to building a good fantasy adventure story. That’s when I knew he was full of shit. But the damage had been done, and I lost all motivation for the project for years.

keii4ii

uuugh, I'm so sorry that it happened to you D:

Deo101

Also this story is one that i have dropped and picked up SO many times, and its wildly changed over and over, and so i worry a lot im not making it in its final form, i suppose. I worry i started it too young, and so critique of the older parts hits that anxiety

Wow lee that's terrible...

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Gosh...

Deo101

Also you can't really compare Novel writing to comics imo. The structure can be compared but...

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I think HotV is like a project I've worked on since...2008? And it changed with me and I feel pretty confident that it's in its final stage.

keii4ii

and not every story needs to be a Stephen King story

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

But yeah, you can really not compare writing for novels to writing for comics wth

nah

tbh it's weird (I like King personally) but his stories and also his writing do have flaws too so

what

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I actually do use novels as a source to study how to construct my comics. But! Studying the right genre is important. I’ve the feeling the only books that guy read were Stephen King, so that’s the only kind of story he was familiar with.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

God when I was still developing a picture I did got featured somewhere and someone criticised the way I did knees and linked to the picture of another artist going: Hey draw knees like that

Deo101

Every story will have flaws, its impossible to make one that is perfect. Well. Its impossible to make a story thats perfect for everyone. So alk you can do is try to make a story thats perfect for you!

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Agreed, Deo

keii4ii

^ THAT REMINDS ME

Deo101

Omg

keii4ii

(going back to the original question) With no response, or negative response, one thing that helps me is hearing other people gush about their beloved unpopular stories!

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Hmmm

Deo101

!!!!!! Me too!!!!!!!!!

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I am having this problem and went to ask on twitter what ppl loved about their projects

and that's really uplifting somehow

Deo101

I LOVE reading other comics and just seeing how much passion is in them its like a light

keii4ii

I need to remember that just because someone, or even a lot of someones, thinks a story is trash, doesn't make it the universal truth

Deo101

^^^

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I WILL GUSH ALL DAY BOUT MY BELOVED UNPOPULAR STORIES and once you open that damn I am unstoppable. You will regret it, trust me.

keii4ii

And people gushing about their unpopular favorites is an excellent way of reminding myself

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

hehe

Deo101

I have been very lucky and have had a few incredibly kind people who i can remember fondly when i worry my story isnt reaching people. I Know it has touched a few lives, and if it makes even ONE person happier (even if thay person is me) then im doing my job and its worth all the time and effort.

That was kind of off topic i swear it connected in mt mind

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Absolutely

I feel it's connected

Deo101

Phew

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

bc hmm it's a way to deal with times when there is not much engagement?

Deo101

Aha! There we go yes :)

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I do generally write very off-beat, unpredictable stories because I like reading / watching those kinds of things. A lot of my favourite movies bombed at the box office because they weren’t formulaic, which was what I loved about them.(edited)

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Remind yourself that there is people who enjoy what you do and who are happier bc of it C:

Deo101

Mhm ^^

Also i have my characters on a shirt so i can just wear that and be like "fuck yeah. I have a shirt. It cant be a bad comic if I've got merch babeyyyy"

Which admittedly is a very odd way of dealing with anxiety

But like.... You should get your Characters on a shirt.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

dfhwioufheuf Deo that's cool tho

I made so many like...background designs and posters for HotV and some of those I WANT ON A SHIRT

Oh I think what also helps me is to find a friend and just talk about the comic?

Deo101

The place i use lets you get up to 6 items a month as a sample order and it's severely discounted my shirt was like $15

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I should do that. I have designed some T-shirts but that wasn’t for personal stuff.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

omg

keii4ii

I'm actually in the (long) process of re-learning how to talk about my comic

Deo101

And yeah for sure having people i csn talk with/joke with about my comic helps soooo much

Like the fact that i know these 5 people will get my jokes like this

THAT helps a TON

These people actually are the reason I was confident enough to be able to start after having a bad friend drive me to almost drop the story for good

So having their support is probably one of the biggest things thst helps if no one else engages.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Okay, so on the original subject of ‘How to deal with no feedback’ I do talk about my stories a lot with my two best friends. They are my biggest fans and my sounding boards. They let me go on and on about plot threads in my comics and it’s one of the main reasons I keep going. Even when I get 0 reaction online, I still have two people who I know are reading the comic and think I should keep going.

Deo101

Or like, when my family is being homophobic about my work kinda thing. Friends are good for that...

Yessss lee having people you can talk with about it is SO good

keii4ii

ngl, I'm jelly of those of you who have go-to support friends who are genuinely into your story! That's something I hope to have some day, myself

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I don’t know whether to give a sad react for homophobic family or a happy react for supportive friends

Deo101

Happy react ^^

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Still sorry about your homophobic family tho, but your friends sound awesome

Deo101

Yeah but :> I know I'm doing good work. Again those few people who i know my story has touched.. i know I'm doin good work.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

@keii4ii Just know I’ve been an acid fan of your comics for over 10 years and honestly think they’re some of the best comics I’ve ever read

AVID

NOT ACID(edited)

keii4ii

Hey acid is important too

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

GOD MY PHONE

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

hiodcnioefwe acid

love this

I have one friend who has supported me since 2007 and I can always count on her freaking out about my comics Y_Y

so when I feel especially bad I turn to her

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

My phone is old and the keyboard lags and autocorrects like AAAAARGH(edited)

Deo101

Its okay same here lee

Typo club babeyyyy

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I have to edit almost every comment I make THANKS A LOT PHONE

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

shakes fist at ur phone to be more kind

I can't type on phone at all so...

keii4ii

Yeah, swipe-typing is high level sorcery to me

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

As someone who’s normally a grammar freak it causes me great pain that my texting is a syntactical disaster.

Deo101

I've been doing swipe a bit lately so it doesn't hurt my hands to text (I Tex too much)

keii4ii

This actually makes me wonder

What are some good, safe(ish) ways to reach out to people who may be 1000% willing to become that Support Pillar for your comic?

Deo101

I just straight up start doing it

keii4ii

For all I know they exist. But.. Schrödinger's pillar

Deo101

And gague the reaction

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

As an antisocial gremlin who hides under a rock, I have no idea.

Pakky

never hurts to ask

keii4ii

@Pakky You would be surprised

Deo101

Start sharing art, see if theyre curious, get deeper if they're good with it, kinda thinf

I've got friends who like to see my art but don't really care about my comic, and you kinda just gotta take it case by case

Pakky

mm fair enough, i always try to be supportive of content creators mostly because i would hope for the same in return. theres a lot of bluntness in my industry so if you do well you get praise but if you do poorly, you very well know it :/

keii4ii

Me: "Thank you for supporting my humble comic!" (this wasn't even asking, just thanking) Reader: "Well, your comic isn't that good." Me: "?????????"

Deo101

Wh

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I’ll be honest, on the rare occasion a reader starts trying to get really close to me, my dumb brain freaks out and I put some distance in because I have Issues for days.

Pakky

thats just rude on their part

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

what

holy fuck

keii4ii

I've Been Burned

omg, that question mark react is so appropriate

Deo101

I've chatted with some readers here or there but I don't know if id wanna use them as a support pillar

I kind of have trained myself to think readers as fickle.

If they get sick of my story, theyre allowed to leave

They dont owe me their time or energy and them being here is a gift

So I'll chat and stuff and answer questions but unless someone is my friend i will not lean on them for support.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Honestly it’s happened that I’ve gad readers try to get really close or be my sounding board, and I think they were just trying to be enthusiastic and supportive but my stupid broken brain always panics and goes WARNING STALKER ALERT WARNING ABORT ABORT.

Deo101

Hey better safe than sorry

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

juppp

Deo101

I'll chat but i wont give personal information and im not gonna like, get all into spoiling everything im planning lmao.

If someone asks me a question thats a spoiler ill answer it in private

But bringing raw ideas up for help... I need very specific people for thst.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

The thing is they weren’t even being creepy or trying to get really personal. They were just very friendly and I apparently can’t handle that. ><

Deo101

The friend group i get writing helo on are all writers, and they all understand my vision. They don't write stories like mine, i dont write stories like theirs, and we all fully understand our suggestions may go unfollowed.(edited)

Also whoever put the eye emoji yeah if u have a question straight up dm me and I'll answer.

keii4ii

It's okay, your comfort is important. If you want to be more open, you can work on that. But not everyone has the same comfort level and that's okay too

Deo101

Yes! Its all about what you're comfortable with

But I've personally got a small curated group of writers/artists who all circulate our work between eachother

Which i know is very rare.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Same, Deo...helped me a lot and I also know who to turn to when I'm down about engagement

Deo101

Mhm ^^

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

(also they are all perceived better than me so I believe them if they say sth nice)

Deo101

Omg

That group of people have done SO much for me honestly. Im thinking about them. I love my friends.

Also dont worry its nit all about me they also talk about and we help their work too i wanna be sure thats clesr

keii4ii

I figured it was all mutual! but now that you've said it's not all about you I'm suddenly imagining The Cult of Deo

That is 10000000% wonderful though

Deo101

I walk in and I'm like "y'all check out this new millennium lore" and they all take their hoods off and start scouring it for plotholes

keii4ii

Whilst sitting in a circle (a magic circle to be exact)

Deo101

Of course of course

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Damn, that’s awesome! I only see my friends every few months so I dump a lot of plot on them all at once, and it’s harder for them to give really detailed critique. XD

Deo101

Oh, I do this all online

Irl I sit down with my sister and we talk for 4 hours and Lose our voices LMAO

Cronaj

Good convos literally ALWAYS happen while I'm at work

keii4ii

I'm still here

Cronaj

Good, because it made me sad when you said you didn't have a support pillar

And that readers are fickle (which can be true)

But I don't think you know how much I love your comic

keii4ii

I'm seriously honored! I still fear that maybe people are not seeing the story I'm trying to tell, and are following the comic for some other reasons (which is valid, just not what I'm trying to achieve). But hey, I'll never find out if I don't keep going, right?

kayotics

keiiii, i love your comic and i think it's beautiful in many ways, not just the art

but also, on the topic of lack of engagement... I'm pretty fortunate in that my spouse is always really supportive of my comic, so when I need a little pep talk I can always ask them

sssfrs

I’m trying to collect as much negative feedback as I can so that I’ll know my comics strengths and weaknesses and I’ll be prepared to take criticism as it comes in the future. It is pretty frustrating having no response or fanbase right now but I started my comic pretty recently and theres still time for growth

Glowbat (Aloe)

when you're collecting feedback be mindful that there's a difference between constructive criticism and people being unhelpful and simply telling you they don't like your work

the latter wont do anything but bruise your self confidence(edited)

keii4ii

Yeah, and sometimes even well-meaning critiques can miss the point too, like if it comes from someone who thinks your work should be X, when it is intended to be Y. Easy example: My previous comic was a depressing drama centering around a terminally ill young woman and her doctor, and once someone told me I "needed more fight scenes." It wasn't even an action comic! In that case, the lack of fight scenes was not a weakness. It simply meant the comic wasn't for that person.

DanitheCarutor

On the topic of lack of engagement. My answer is really boring, but I just keep working on my comic regardless of how much/little engagement it gets. I never intended or expected to have an audience to begin with since my comic has sooo many problematic elements in it, whenever I get feedback it's super nice! Always a surprise, like seeing the machine light up when winning $500 on the penny slots! (In a way, getting engagement is kinda like gambling. You post a page and you may or may not win some comments in return... Not equating real people to items to win, of course!) Admittedly, if there is a page I feel would cause reaction but I get nothing, it is a little sad. It's not the end of the world, though! I got a story to tell, and as long as I can still draw I'm content.

kayotics

i relate to that a lot, Dani. I also never intended to make the comic for anyone but me, so the fact that anyone reads it is really exciting to me.

Cronaj

@keii4ii (Potentially off-topic, but is there somewhere to read your other comic(s)? Or are they all in Korean?)

DanitheCarutor

@kayotics Every so often I look at my reader base and think "Man, there are people into this kind of stuff??" It's an almost surreal feeling.

kayotics

Yeah I get it! I wouldn’t say mines too out there but there’s so many other fantasy dnd inspired comics out there that they could read that I’m surprised they even glance at mine.

AntiBunny

How do I deal with it? Usually experience a series of emotions such as "how hard is it to leave one little comment you losers?" Then "Who am I kidding, no one is reading this, I'm creating into a void," and finally pry a few comments from people who know me personally, reassure myself that I create out of a compulsion to tell my stories even if no one's reading, and start the process all over for next week. Not exactly a healthy method I admit.

keii4ii

@kayotics There is only one Toivo out there

@Cronaj aaaa the previous one was in English. But I would not recommend it It's unfinished (though it does have more than 600 pages IIRC) and honestly really rough.

kayotics

@keii4ii true....... one weird wizard boy

Cronaj

Dang... I LOVE medical stories. I'm seriously addicted to them. @keii4ii

keii4ii

I enjoy them too and I appreciate your interest!

Cronaj

scours the internet for the lost records

keii4ii

The site layout is also broken so yeah...

I guess another thing I do is try to comment more on other people's comics, to rec them publicly, etc. Being the change I want. I don't do this as often as I want, but I think/hope even the little bit I do counts.

mathtans

Heh, I'm basically with Cap'n Lee in terms of a cycle. I think part of my issue is I won a fanfic competition in 2004, and it's kind of been downhill since. I've posted regularly to a serial site for over 4 years, accumulating 300 posts, and last month it had 100 total views... there's been 2 comments since March.

On the actual comic side though (not serial) I've relaunched it more than once, and tried to flag the more recent index as a starting point. And yeah, just hold on to the few good comments, like the guy who applauds me for continuing to post even though I only have 10 people following on Tapas.

These days, of course, I'm too darn BUSY to really think much about the lack of engagement. So one solution might be to get married and have a kid. Then you're just happy when you manage to get content out, never mind if anyone remarks on it.(edited)

Mharz

Popping here just to answer the question becos it's interesting. The lack of engagement was a bane in my existence and honestly one of the factors why I had to see a psychiatrist. My doctor told me I have self-esteem issues which leads me to seek validation from strangers. This is the first thing I work on. I have to be confident enough to not break even if nobody likes my stuffs. Which means I have to love myself first. (People prolly see me as vain at this point) Second thing I do is keep a mentality of "nobody has to care. They have things going on as well" which helps me appreciate the small percentage of people who actually took the time to engage, talk, and be friends with me. I also try to put a positive spin on it. "Nobody cares therefore I can make as much noise on my social media as I want and no one will bother criticizing becos nobody cares." If people unfollow, it's on them. It just means they're not really a fan of my work and I shouldn't waste my time. And if my mental illness is too much, then I will disconnect from the online world a bit. Treat myself. Do something fun like gaming and baking and hang out with friends IRL if possible.

Mharz

I sometimes think it's karma on my end becos I'm so vain, I rarely get interested in anything so I'm not really a fan of many stuffs so that is something I accepted as well.

AntiBunny

Perhaps being a webcomic author sort of goes hand in hand with needing validation.

MJ Massey

OH BOY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A LACK OF ENGAGEMENT?!

over the past week, I got 24 users. Granted, I didn't update, so that's probably why

So this is a four month overview of my website traffic. I hit a high of 184 unique users in August, and after that it plummeted to just barely over 100. And I hadn't really done anything different

I have never really gained a lot of traction with my comics. I'll admit that Black Ball definitely has more appeal than my last comic, so I have slowly been building an audience with it, but it's still been very slow. Sometimes it feels like I have to adhere to some extra set of rules while others can just throw up their comic on Tapas and have instant success. Of course, that's not the case at all

the key is to remember "why am I doing this? isn't it because I love making comics?!"

and to keep on pushing, keep up that hustle, and enjoy the ride. Make great content and it will be rewarding in and of itself

carcarchu

I'm not really sure it's as simple as simply throwing something up on tapas and getting instant success. there's a lot of work that goes behind every comic even if you don't perceive it

MJ Massey

well yes of course, I'm just saying sometimes it SEEMS like that

I'm a marketing professional, so I know there's a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes

Glowbat (Aloe)

theres, i think, a lot of factors in certain comics gaining traction faster than others that are mostly out of a creator's control. on mirror sites like webtoons or tapas you have to factor that more attention is given to certain genres and art styles over other because of what that crowd likes. if they're into slice of life romances in anime-esque styles then someone who writes fantasy mysteries in a more western influenced style may not get as much love as they deserve

its tough out there

ive been fairly fortunate to gain a steady bit of followers on tapas but on webtoons my reader engagement and subs are significantly lower

Glowbat (Aloe)

i chalk it up to the type of crowd

MJ Massey

I've been analyzing my audience and my work and have a hypothesis that my work just works better in bulk format. I think 2020 will be a year of transitioning into bulk distro instead of the page at a time format

and see if that helps. As well as some new marketing techniques and getting back into the con circuit

Kabocha

A lack of engagement... This is definitely... a topic. I feel like, sure, one's general marketability in any given platform will definitely make it easier or harder to attract an audience, but on the other hand? It's also worth making sure you kinda figure out what you want out of webcomics. Some people have been working on their projects (or existing within a fandom) for years - decades, even at this point, which can be a big boost to initial readership on a new project! Other people just have the advantage of being able to sit down and advertise, or having someone do that for them. Personally, though. I went in not expecting to get an audience, and for a long time, actively avoided even having a comment section on my site. I just enjoy making comics and creating things - and if it happens to make someone happy, that's awesome. But comics and art aren't the only thing I do in my life that make me happy, and I've found engaging other people directly about things like comic craft and resources to be about 100x more fulfilling than posting comics themselves. (And it is fun, sometimes, to gush about my OCs and how dumb they can be.) But how do I cope with it? Eh, it's honestly not a big deal to me. It feels less stressful in some regards, because the dayjob can get hella hectic, and trying to balance "OH GOD COMICS" with "OH GOD THE SERVERS NEED PATCHED ALL NIGHT TONIGHT" can be.... interesting.

(But oh god, I will admit, having someone come up to me and say, "I read your thing or used your photoshop/csp brushes" can be incredibly motivating. But other days, I have to be my own motivation, so...)

kayotics

Sometimes it’s helpful to keep a list of really nice comments or to write down memories of when someone told you they like your work. This can take a while to gather but if someone says something nice about your work, keeping it somewhere safe for a day you’re feeling bad can help boost that morale

It also helps me sometimes to think about how there’s a TON of people who never comment on things, but they’re probably regularly reading.

MJ Massey

Totally! I was building a landing page for my email subscription, and I was able to go back and find old reviews from my last comic, and it really got me pumped

Kabocha

Yeah! When I worked in a call center, the metrics on calls in -> surveys was something like... At best, you get 10% of your callers leaving surveys. And it's usually because you left an impression (good or bad). Usually the reality was at best, you'd hear back from about 2% of your userbase unless you gave them an incentive them to say something.

Mharz

re tapas and other platforms: I have to agree that certain genres really are more appealing there. I have two comics with different genres that I regularly update and the numbers are literally like night and day. It's a sad truth.

Mharz

I also love getting notifs on tapas when a person is binging my comics and liking every update. It means I got them hooked. :'3(edited)

nice reminder that there ARE people who like my comics.

Kabocha

Well yeah - even in traditional publishing, some genres generally get larger readerships than others (and higher advances) because they're more easily marketed. There's a reason why some publishers will categorize what's basically a fantasy story with romance subplots as a "romance" overall for a relatively unknown author (it's because they're more likely to attract more readers because romance is HUGE)

MJ Massey

true that

and you have to find where you audience lives as well

Kabocha

Yeah... I have some readers who only engage when they come back to catch up, which can be every 6weeks or more. Some only read when a chapter is done being posted, which is about every six months.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Re: Tapas. Yeah, Tapas especially has very particular styles and genres it likes (anime style + romance, especially BL). I posted Children of Shadow there for six months and had 20 total subs before taking it down. A while later I tried posting it on Webtoons and got 60 subs in one week. That level of engagement slowed down considerably almost immediately though, because the prologue episode is in colour and the main series is greyscale - and I discovered the hard way that the majority of Webtoons’ users do not like greyscale (I even got rating-bombed over it). My second comic is doing much better on Webtoons since it’s in digital colour rather than pencil like Children of Shadow. Each platform has its specific interests and it can be a struggle to get noticed if you’re not making something that falls into its normal styles and genres.

Glowbat (Aloe)

both tapas and webtoons really dont push their scifi comics hardly at all. Tapas' top scifi section is littered with discontinued stories (at least theyve abandoned tapas at any rate idk if theyre for sure no longer continued) which means that because i update weekly and sorta fall into a semi-anime inspired style i get some decent traffic from the small demographic who go hunting for a scifi comic

RebelVampire

That's not that surprising, tbh. Even in the realm of novels sci-fi is more of a hunt for where the audience is sometimes.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Scifi is an under-appreciated genre, imo. Unless you’re Star Wars, Star Trek or a Marvel comic, it seems like people don’t talk much about scifi.

It might help boost views if you rework your genre labels on places like Webtoons. Like, have Adventure or Drama as your main genre tag and Scifi as your secondary genre.

Glowbat (Aloe)

actually ever since avas demon went on webtoons ive been getting about 10-15 subs a week there

for a while i had listed aloe as drama first but the results werent fantastic as i think that genre has been flooded over there

keii4ii

I think sci-fi has some very prominent associations with the genre that don't apply to every sci-fi story -- e.g. the first thing a lot of people immediately think of is spaceship explody battles. So if someone sees sci-fi and they're not into spaceship explody battles, they won't read.

Glowbat (Aloe)

i may try adventure though if scifi doesnt pan out

keii4ii

Alternatively, if someone sees sci-fi and they ARE into that... and only that... they will leave once they find out the comic is not about that

Glowbat (Aloe)

thats also a good point

keii4ii

I've had similar difficulties even though fantasy is more widely accepted these days as a more varied mega-genre

People expect X, comic contains only a sprinkling of X and is about Y instead.

Glowbat (Aloe)

in my personal case, i've alienated potential readers i feel sometimes simply by having the cast be primarily lgtbq with an agender lead. but i dont regret that and im happy to have it deter people who arent down for that

RebelVampire

That is definitely true about sci-fi. Film has really biased people as to what fits sci-fi, where in reality sci-fi is a really wide genre. So a lot of stuff never gets a chance cause it confuses people.

Nutty (Court of Roses)

Yooooo i feel that, glowbat. On one hand, I want ppl to know that my comic is a safe read for LGBT, but at the same time I know that announcing it as such will deter others on principle.

The Q - working on WAYFINDERS

I feel the same way. The whole cast of Wayfinders is some form of lgbt+, but we don't actually adress it much, because it's an adventure story moreso than a romance. So it's like.... how do we tell the readers it ain't straight

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Fantasy does seem to get drowned by numbers. Eryl gets about 5 new subs per update and Children of Shadow only gets 1-2, and I think they’re just getting lost in the crowd.

Nutty (Court of Roses)

Two of my characters jokingly told each other their identity through bard puns, plus I keep pushing for gay ships within the story, so I'm pretty overt with my readers about it ahaha.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

@The Q - working on WAYFINDERS I’m having some difficulty with that dilemma, too. Both my comics feature large LGBTQ+ casts but romance isn’t the focus of either. It often feels like there’s no good way to bring it up naturally until the romance threads surface very far into the story, and I’m always worried about homophobes lashing out when they eventually discover the comic is G A Y

Glowbat (Aloe)

in my descriptions i describe the comic as a lgbtq+ themed scifi flat out

keii4ii

Early in HoK, one character embarks on a journey for a personal reason, and the MC tags along. I've semi-recently heard from an American friend that she didn't really get the character's reason. He wanted to take a younger family member away from a bad living situation, but to the friend, the situation didn't seem so bad. After some talking, we realized it was a cultural thing. The situation was very obviously bad to Koreans, but it didn't/doesn't seem like a far departure from the range of normal life in the US, for cultural/societal reasons. I suspect that was a big part of the reason why people kept pegging my comic as a "fun adventure romp" despite the lack of fun adventures (it has elements of adventure, but is not that as a whole). The reason for the journey seemed superficial, like the author (me) just needed an excuse to start the Fun Adventure-Filled Journey. Whereas Korean readers, back when I was publishing it in Korean, immediately understood it was an intensely personal, difficult task that the shy boy decided to accept for the sake of love.

And yeah, LGBTQ+ as a tag/ part of the description seems like a good option to me too!

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

But then I’m also anxious that LGBT folks will think that’s false advertising because the characters’ labels aren’t mentioned until really far into the story (and it’s no where near that point yet). Aaaagh maybe I just overthink everything.

Glowbat (Aloe)

its really interesting to hear the difference in reception HoK gets

keii4ii

Yeah and the setting itself apparently feels different, too! To Koreans, it evokes secondhand nostalgia. But some non-Koreans have told me it feels fantastical and Ripe For Adventures

Glowbat (Aloe)

I feel you Lee- almost none of my chars have mentioned or done anything to illustrate their identities yet

keii4ii

(I also feel the need to mention, there have been non-Korean readers who got what HoK was about. Those readers mean so much to me! But I don't know if they understood that particular detail about Danbi's motivation for the journey early on.)

The Q - working on WAYFINDERS

(I'm gonna put so much lbgt+ love in the background of the story everytime they get to a new city ahahahaha >:) )

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

To me, @keii4ii HoK is very reminiscent of Studio Ghibli films because I get similar whimsical vibes. But Studio Ghibli has always been more about emotional journeys so after a couple chapters I was like ‘Ah, yes, I think this comic is about the characters’ emotional growth’(edited)

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

(muhahhaa, also just let Sallly flirt with all the ladies in the BG)

Glowbat (Aloe)

yesss flirt with ladies

MJ Massey

I'm worried that my comic is not "gay enough" to warrant the LGBT+ label. The character's sexualities have very little to do with the actual story, and one character is actively hiding their identity

The Q - working on WAYFINDERS

SAME

keii4ii

I'm aro/ace/agender and I don't really feel "LGBTQ+ enough" so I can't really use the LGBTQ+ label for my own comic, even though I know the label isn't exclusively for ownvoices stories.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I admit I’m not sure I ‘got’ Danbi’s motivations on a cultural level, but I felt like the tone being presented in that scene made it pretty clear she was in a bad situation?(edited)

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

but... we have calculated a total of 1 straight character in our whole comic.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

‘She’ as in the niece, not Danbi. XD(edited)

MJ Massey

that's what it seemed like to me too, or at least that by leaving their village they were going to a better situation

Glowbat (Aloe)

first of all- high fives keii because agender solidarity and second of all if you have chars who identify as either not straight or not cis or both rolled into one then its gay enough to have the lgbtq label

to heck with gate keepers

there are plenty of queer peeps who just want to read stories that casually include people like themselves

but if you dont feel its needed you dont have to either

MJ Massey

I guess there is a certain expectation when you say "I make an LGBTQ+ comic" of how that comic will be, and I don't want to disappoint people or set them up to expect something different

I just figure that all kinds of people exist in the world, so I should include as many different kinds of people as I can in my work

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I probs should just put LGBTQ+ labels in the descriptions and be like ‘this is genre fiction but almost everyone’s queer even though you can’t tell yet’. XD

Nutty (Court of Roses)

I use the term "LGBT-friendly" to indicate that they're present, but might not be the full focus

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I write genre stories because I’m not that into romance-centric stories myself. I want queer heroes in the kinds of stories I like to read without the entire focus being on their sordid love-lives. I just want to read about the hero who slayed a dragon to rescue his prince instead of his princess, lol.

Glowbat (Aloe)

lol im in a similar position where i'd rather see the hero befriend the dragon

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I have plenty of that in my comics, too!

There’s some nice dragons and some very-not-nice ones. XD

Glowbat (Aloe)

(im insufferable in d&d i was a bard who tried to be friends with everything)

eryl is on my lisssst <3

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

This is why I love bards

Glowbat (Aloe)

hehe

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I'm always happy when people mark their stuff as LGBTQ+ if characters are present tbh Y_Y

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Also agreed with everything said above

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

All right, now Imma definitely have to add the LGBTQ+ labels to my comics next time I do website maintenance.

Glowbat (Aloe)

yay!

Nutty (Court of Roses)

Aw ye aw ye

Join the brigade

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

yiss

I feel a bit bad bc I rarely read sth that's not clearly marked as LGBTQ+ or where I know the authors are part of the community whoops

But it's mostly the fact that I consumed hetero-focused media my whole life and now I can...choose.....

the dream

Glowbat (Aloe)

heck yes

im way more drawn to stories that are marked lgbtq+

keii4ii

Don't feel bad, because seriously, even if you exclusively read LGBTQ+ marked stories? There ain't enough time in this life to read every good story that fits that bill.

There are too many good stories out there and we do need to choose.

Glowbat (Aloe)

its just nicer because then i can enjoy the story without having to worry that in the middle of it im going to get a rude wake up call from an off colour joke or somethin at my expense

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

yeah that's true

keii4ii

Sometimes we miss out on stuff that we may have fallen in love with, but that's the name of the game, the game of not having enough time

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Webcomics feel a lot safer than other media in that regard atm

Jupp especially if you're also working on your own stories

Glowbat (Aloe)

it sucks thinking theres a bunch of stories out there that im sure id love if only i had the time or mental fortitude to sift through a bunch of others.

keii4ii

(OTL that reminds me... there is one instance of trope use in an early chapter of HoK that falls into that 'off color joke' category. I don't have any excuses for it, just 'I just thoughtlessly parroted a trope that I saw elsewhere.' I regret it and hope to figure out an elegant way to rewrite that one scene.)

Glowbat (Aloe)

i dont have the energy to be burned so often by stories that seem good and then hit me with random transphobic bs or using slurs as jokes

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Yeah, as someone who grew up in a time when no one positively portrayed queer folks in mainstream stories (and there was no internet and living out in the boonies made it impossible to discover underground cultures) I love that now I can seek out tonnes of LGBTQ stories and drown myself in the gay every day.

Glowbat (Aloe)

yesss

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

jupp ;;

Glowbat (Aloe)

man if i could give ten year old me printed copy of paranatural and turn to the pages with rj's identity being explained? that kid would have grown up way happier

living in small towns aint great for queer peeps

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Nope it’s not. I was badly repressed until honestly only 3 years ago when I suddenly asked myself why I loved reading about and writing so many gay characters. And then suddenly my whole life made sense.

Glowbat (Aloe)

im so happy for you<3

Glowbat (Aloe)

its a heck of a thing thinking back on things and realizing why you do certain things

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Honestly there were giant clues from when I was still a little kid and I can’t believe it took me so long. XD But I’m digressing from the comic talk, lol.

Glowbat (Aloe)

haha i understand what you mean

i think its why its so important for comics to be inclusive

spare some poor kids the heart ache and confusion

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Yes! The internet has created such a boom for indie comics and that huge variety of voices has been so so important.

Glowbat (Aloe)

as much as comics are an art, they're extremely powerful as a vehicle for teaching and generally conveying ideas

FeatherNotes

Can i just say how happy i am that y'all are making LGBTQ+ comics that aren't just romance tho? I'm pretty indifferent and on the ace spectrum for sure, so its so refreshing that we can have a queer cast just being cool and not hurt by identities. I wish i had that as a kid

Also no shade on romance but there's def a lot and lgbtq+ isn't just for that genre

So yes yall are 'gay enough' lol

Glowbat (Aloe)

i agree! queer peeps shouldn't be squared off in romance, which unfortunately i think is a result of people's gross misconceptions

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Admittedly, I use my comics as a vehicle to work through my own issues, so there are scenes planned where the characters have to deal with transphobia or homophobia. But I will always counterbalance that with other scenes that validate the characters’ identities.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Hmhm my story also deals with transphobia and dysphoria bc I'm working through own issues. I don't think that's a bad thing though

generally I think it's pretty ok if the story is not a constant misery train

(even those can be written well, but they are usually not my cup of tea)

Glowbat (Aloe)

i think its perfectly acceptable to use comics as a vehicle for that lee

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

yeahh tbh

MJ Massey

there's no wrong reason to make comics/create a thing

Glowbat (Aloe)

youre a queer creator and you're working with what you know so why not

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I know focusing on queer suffering has been criticised a lot but I feel there's more nuance to it. Especially if it's a LGBTQ+ person writing about it

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Yeah. I’m a miserable emo and I write miserable emo stories, but I try to inject some hope into it, because I think that the majority of humans are good and/or want to be good.

Glowbat (Aloe)

theres this comic called dropout that does a wonderful job exploring the grittier truths of being queer

its a fairly short read but its super good

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Hmmm, I may look that up

Glowbat (Aloe)

i can dm you the link! no pressure to read it tho

twothirty

gosh, i just want to chime in because i really relate to earlier comments around labelling comics. I'm bi, but i don't wear it on my sleeve, and my own comic has like...1 straight character. I feel like there is an expectation for comics labelled as lgbtq+ and i don't want to disappoint people who are really looking for that content to be directly addressed.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Tbh I feel many people are just happy, if there's queer characters doing cool stuff (at least that's how it's for me).

Glowbat (Aloe)

i label my own comic as lgbtq+ and the plot hardly hinges on that being the central theme

just a bunch a gay scientists and robots in space

...i swear its way more interesting that that lol

man i wish i could get more of my comic out faster so i didnt have to worry about spoiling basic things geeze

twothirty

haha im into it! Ahh, well probably a big part of it is my own insecurities, but what are webcomics for if not... for figuring out your own crap (edited)

keii4ii

I feel that X'D

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

juppp...I get the anxiety tho

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Mess of anxiety solidarity.

Glowbat (Aloe)

oof yeah

also hey while we're at it with the queer biz in here:

aro/ace/bi peeps are all gay enough full stop

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

YES

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

jupp

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

As a demi-bi dude I fully endorse that all labels are valid.

And that gatekeeping sucks and helps no one

Glowbat (Aloe)

yeah anyone who makes you feel like you dont belong under the lgbtq+ umbrella isnt doin right by you

and your comics should be allowed to be considered as queer as you want them to be

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Also all gender identities are valid and don’t hinge on having a physical transition. You’re valid as trans whether you change your body or not.

Glowbat (Aloe)

^^^

YES

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

YESS

Glowbat (Aloe)

all our experiences are valid and the comics we make because of those experience are beautiful

Deo101

Oh man I missed a huge convo, but I love y'all and it's wonderful seeing so many kinds of comics out there and seeing people make their own content

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Yo, nothing "gross" about romance, and the reason people flock to it is because romance with same-gender couples and/or trans people has been treated as "deviant disorder that needs to be cured and cleaned up, or at least kept far away from polite society" for so long (and still is, in many places)

All queer stories are valid, queer characters don't need to be in a romantic storyline to count, but please let's discuss that without echoing homophobic rhetoric about queer romance being "gross", yeah?(edited)

MJ Massey

I don't think it was meant gross as in queer romance itself being gross, but more in the finding a general distaste for romance tropes and romance as a genre

but I agree, that we should be careful about implying those sorts of things with our work

keii4ii

Romance as a genre is valid too; the consensus was just that there's a lot of it, and other genres are valid too. That every genre is valid

MJ Massey

true, but people might just feel strong distaste for certain genres from a personal point of preference

it's part of what makes the fabric of human existence so fascinating, we all have different opinions, likes, dislikes, viewpoints...

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

tbh I love romance stories but the thing that disheartens me is that the queer stories people take most serious are romances

keii4ii

The pigeonholing

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Can you elaborate on that Keiiii?

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Those are the stories that get repressed and erased the most, is the thing, so it takes more effort to get them produced and shared, and that makes people extra-happy

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I don’t think anyone said romance stories were gross?

Just that it’s not necessarily our jam.

keii4ii

Oh, I meant that's what people are doing when people start exclusively associating a very diverse experience/ group of people with ONE thing, to a point where the people in that group are not allowed to be anything other than That One Thing

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I was reacting to "queer peeps shouldn't be squared off in romance, which unfortunately i think is a result of people's gross misconceptions"

keii4ii

and it's a really unfair, inaccurate restriction

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Ahhhh

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

OH okay, thank you for elaborating, Keiiii. I couldn't really associate anything with the term at first!

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Misconceptions are the reason queer people have been excluded from most romance for so long

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I think in that case it was more about people's misconception of queer identities being inherintly sexual and/or romantic though?

and not about queer romance being gross

DanitheCarutor

Huh, I thought 'gross' in that context was more akin to 'outlandish' or 'exaggerated', but I could be misunderstanding.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I think it means more that a lot of people fetishise queer relationships when there’s only representation in romance.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Associating "queer people being sexual and/or romantic" with "gross" is still hella dicey

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

the misconception is what's gross, not the queer people or their romance?

Glowbat (Aloe)

re: gross misconceptions :Oh! i think i said that Erin- i don't think i did a great job of explaining my thoughts on that. on sites like tapas and webtoons its fairly common for gay couples to be exploited for an audience thats less interested in representation than fetishization(edited)

MJ Massey

yes I think there was some lamenting that it could be difficult to show queer characters without an element of romance to make their identities apparent?

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I don’t think they meant gross as in disgusting but gross as in ‘far off the mark’

MJ Massey

because some people wanted to have queer characters but not focus on a romantic plot

@Glowbat (Aloe) I know what you are talking about I think

Deo101

Yeah, though I'd like to add on as someone who is writing LGBT romance, I get lumped in with fetishization content a lot and that is very frustrating for me, too

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

And it does take a lot of digging to find respectful representation in romance instead of stories made by and for straight people that use bad stereotypes to fetishise queer relationships.

Not that all romance by and for straight people does this.

But it’s a problem in the genre

Deo101

I work very hard to portray healthy loving relationships and people lump me in to their hatred of romance in general or categorize my work as bl or discount it for having that. It gets fetishized or dismissed an awful lot and that's very frustrating for me to see happening

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

If you want to talk specifically about something you feel is stereotypical or fetishizing, I wouldn't object to that, it's the broad swipes at all romance that become a problem

Glowbat (Aloe)

agreed

queer romance is very important to represent

i dont think anyone here would imply otherwise

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

And, hey, sometimes queer writers/readers also enjoy a romance that's unrealistic or trashy or silly or melodramatic, I don't want to dismiss "all romance that wouldn't represent a healthy and respectful relationship IRL" either

Glowbat (Aloe)

very true

Deo101

Yeah, not what I was trying to say.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Idk if anyone was saying that tbh

Glowbat (Aloe)

i think our initial conversation though boiled down to that we were happy to see stories with queer people being allowed to just be people doing things that didnt focus on romance

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I'm personally very glad that we are getting a wider variety of queer romance now

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

What we were discussing earlier is more that it’s important to portray queer protagonists in all kinds of genres, instead of only romance. Which doesn’t mean romance isn’t also a valid genre.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Sure, and part of my discomfort is that queer characters have already been "allowed" to do non-romantic things in mainstream media for a long time -- it's being "allowed" to have an explicit romance that's new and different

keii4ii

^ I don't know about that. It probably depends on where you are, both IRL and part of the internet?

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I never saw a queer character that wasn’t either tragic, a deviant, or the butt of a joke in media until the late ‘O0s(edited)

MJ Massey

both views are valid--it's good to both want explicit queer romance and to also just want to see queer people doing a wide range of things

DanitheCarutor

@Glowbat (Aloe) Yeah, to parrot what you said. I just chalked the convo up to seeing queer characters expand into different genres, and being happy that queer fiction is starting to be known for more than just romance.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

There was no positive representation in any genre in the media I had access to for most of my life(edited)

Deo101

It helps with the normalization of stories like that, but I also think it makes homophobes be "more comfortable" with gay stories sometimes in a way that bothers me

I have had someone say that my story is the only bl they can stand so I'm sensitive about this subject though

Cause there's a lot to unpack there

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

The "if there has to be a queer romance, at least make it awful and tragic" trope was absolutely true in my area too

yikes, I can see being sensitive about that

Deo101

Like me writing something that primarily isn't romance and just has a romance b plot is making homophobes and fetishizing people read my work and that's frustrating for me in a way I can't articulate. I'm very happy within the LGBT+ community to have these works be made but among the straight people I know it's uncomfortable when they start saying things like "oh yay finally some gay stuff that isn't romance" kind of thing

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

yeah that makes sense

Deo101

From other gay people I get it, it makes sense and I'm the same way! Especially with the oversaturation of bl

DanitheCarutor

@Deo101 Gah I got a comment like that before, it was a weird situation because not only was it unnecessary but... TGtaHR isn't even a romance...

Thinking about it, that's actually kinda worrying.

Deo101

But it's important to remember that the LGBT+ community is a bubble and though it's safe to explore all sorts of stories here, it's not safe outside of our bubble

Or, not necessarily safe

Like a homophobe reading a gay story with an unhealthy dynamic could just bolster their bad opinions about gay people even if it's exploring it in a healthy way

I have a hard time explaining what I'm thinking and I really hope this all makes sense

keii4ii

I get you

Glowbat (Aloe)

(i get what youre saying deo <3 )

Deo101

And its not something we can really change but I think it's important to remember with regards to society at large and how our stories are percieved outside the community

Phew lol

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I get what you're saying, although in that case, the homophobe was probably going to think that no matter what, and if it wasn't the story they'd find some other "evidence"

Deo101

Yeah absolutely

And I think it's important to remember that when talking about exploring stories that have unhealthy Dynamics and things other than romance and whatnot. I don't want those things to become safe for cishets to exploit basically

Like "oh great now I don't need to write them kissing so I can access BOTH the LGBT and everyone else!"

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Ah, you mean like "the author says they're gay, so that counts as representation and LGBT people should buy this, even though there's never anything explicitly gay in the story"

right?

Deo101

Yeah

Deo101

Which again within the community I get and it's important to explore things like that for sure

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I think the important difference is, writers within the community are going to do something to indicate the queer identity, even when it's not "having an on-screen romance"

And that's something that, say, your average JKR doesn't bother doing

Deo101

Again I have a hard time explaining myself and I might be tripping over my words a bit here

Yeah that's true as well

I trust LGBT people to be navigating stories with an inherent nuance

For the most part

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

That, or (I think people were talking about this upthread) we don't advertise a story as "look at all this representation!" while the characters' identities haven't come up in the comic yet

Deo101

Yeah I know I didn't say my story was LGBT til I had the married couple kiss cause I was worried people would think I was gaybaiting

I know I'm not but it feels wrong to me like I'm trying to rally up readers kinda thing...

But also if you know you're planning to do it I feel like you can say it'll be there

I just have anxiety LOL

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

No, I get you. Even if it's definitely going to happen in the future of the comic, it'll disappoint readers if you rally them up for something that isn't there yet

That would happen with anything, not just queer identities

Deo101

Yeah I also don't tag my pages or whatever for disability if a character isn't disabled on the page

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Like if it was "read my comic for cool space battles!" when you had only posted the 5 pages of setup with characters having a chill talk in a field

sssfrs

I think what bothers me about lbgtq focused romance stories is that they’re often centered on how ~scandalous~ the relationship is and how the characters have to overcome personal biases or homophobia/transphobia as the central struggle

Deo101

I don't want the wrong audience. I mean I also could probably slap bl on my cover and I feel like I'd get a lot more readers but they're not the readers I want

sssfrs

Or at least I dont enjoy reading stories like that

Deo101

Yeah that frustrates me too, personally

But some people like seeing that overcoming idk

sssfrs

My comic has at least 2 visible prominent gay relationships but its not about romance at all

I guess thats personal preference(edited)

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I think a lot of the time you also know what intentions the person behind telling a story like that has? I have a straight aquaintaince writing BL and it's totally clear that she thinks the whole ordeal is kinda cute and endearing when it's pretty...harsh for actual queer people

Deo101

Mines got 5 and it is about romance cause I absolutely love romance and I love love, but I am overly frustrated with romance as a genre. Which is why I write my own

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I think that goes back to the "talk about a specific trope that bothers you, don't treat it like the whole genre" thing I was saying

Deo101

Yeah I think there's a lot of nuance to it that cishet people largely don't have

sssfrs

I feel like it makes the romance into a statement about how society is bad and its not interesting or groundbreaking to represent that bigotry in your media without adding something new

Deo101

I'm frustrated with the often unhealthy Dynamics and the frequency with which homophobia and transphobia are shown.

I live in a homophobic household I don't want it in my romance cause it hurts to see

But, I don't think it's bad to tackle those issues it's just hard for me personally

sssfrs

I like pairing up side characters but only 2 pairs are going to have an Arc. so far....

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I...feel for many cishet authors it's also a good excuse to not have the characters get together right away without actually thinking about why they would not for other reasons (like personality based). So there's a lot of "I'm not gay!!!" type of thing

Also totally understandable Deo :C

Deo101

Yeah absolutely.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

It’s also valid, as a queer author, though, to show characters that do have to overcome their ‘gay panic’ when they first realise they’re gay. It’s something a lot of us have gone through, but it’s important to show the comfort you finally feel in yourself when you come out the other end if it.

sssfrs

Why should fiction include all the shitty parts of real life

Deo101

I think straight people see LGBT authors tackle these issues and go "oh so I can too!!!"

And yeah this is why I'm largely drawn to sci-fi and fantasy, I get to entirely remove all the things that hurt me about reality. Dude can just use a cane and everyone is like dope

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Because sometimes fiction helps us process all the shitty parts of real life. Both happy stories that take away shit and gritty stories that acknowledge shit are valid and important

Deo101

Ppl can just be trans and it's fine

I agree they're all important

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

(I think I'm just super bitter bc here I've seen cis and straight women get awards for their queer romance stories which just hmm)

Deo101

^

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I agree it's a super nuanced topic

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

...I feel like you've also gotta make some allowance for bad writing. Like, maybe someone's not getting a lot of nuance in their story because their skills aren't sharp enough to handle it yet.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Agreed, Erin!

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

And one of the ways they'll get good enough to write better stories is by working out issues through writing the worse stories.

sssfrs

My main character is a butch lesbian gnc completely androgynous person and no one is ever going to say anything nasty to her about it

Deo101

I feel you sssfrs lol(edited)

Deo101

I thirst for gentle, nice LGBT stories. I just crave them

Nutty (Court of Roses)

I feel that. As I build Prismal and decided to include lgbt folks in it, my first thought about it was "would there be any reason for them to be hated in this society? No? Then why would I include that theme?"

Deo101

And yes it's important to delve into the harsher realities and I think it's good to use fiction to explore and work through those themes, definitely, but personally no thx

sssfrs

I like where ppl are just all expected to be pan or bisexual by default

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

heh, I literally have 2 comics and one of them is "real world where characters struggle with realistic prejudices" while the other is "fantasy world with 0% homophobia/transphobia."

Something for everyone!

sssfrs

Nice

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I’m too goddamn miserable to write such nice stories, lol. But writing gritty stories where my characters go through hell helps me process the stuff I go through in my life. But I love reading those nice stories where we can forget racism and queerphobia exist.(edited)

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

hehe...I've decided to go into some queerphobia in my next comic only bc I want to...explore historical queer spaces and the kind of space does not make sense in a world that's 100% accepting

Deo101

Yeah it's just all about that nuance babeyy

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

yeahhh

Deo101

I think that's also why we see so much more LGBT content of all kinds in indie media

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Absolutely

Less gatekeeping, less opportunity for homophobes to shut it down

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

No big boss complaining it’s not ‘marketable’ to be inclusive

Deo101

And I worry that mainstream stuff will be like "ohoho, so that means I can do it too" *stumbles and sets gay people back 10 years in the eyes of the general public *

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

YEEEEEEAH there’s that

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I think the mainstream is going slow enough that that's far from my biggest worry

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

But change never happens smoothly

Sometimes it goes up and down before society evolves into a better mindset

Deo101

Well yeah ofc, but even on a smaller scale of bad people reading good works it is kinda happening I feel like

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

So there’s gonna be periods of shit before being queer is faithfully represented in the mainstream

Deo101

Yeah for sure

It helps normalize things but it also can do it in an unhealthy way and it's frustrating

As in people going "yes let's include gay romance *it's just bl tropes *"

And things like that

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I think the best way to counter that is by producing & supporting more stories of all kinds -- the more complex and multifaceted a view people get, the better

Deo101

Yeah

From people who are handling those stories well, too ^^^

Which is subjective of course I know that

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Also, something nobody's mentioned that I think should come up...a lot of times you don't know who's straight/cis and who's not. Like, if it's Famous Mainstream Author JKR, you can be pretty sure, but with small-scale indie creators, how much can you tell the difference between "straight/cis artist who thinks BL tropes are how all real gay relationships work" versus "gay/bi/trans/etc artist who understands IRL fine, but it's fun and self-indulgent for them to write those tropes"?

Especially since the artist could be actively in the closet. Or could still be on their own journey of self-discovery and not know they aren't straight and/or cis yet. All the more so since indie creators are more likely to be younger than well-established mainstream standards.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I don’t know about you guys, but it’s always BLATANTLY obvious to me by how they’re writing.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

How did you confirm it? Did you ask them?

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Call it intuition

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I don't think it's always confirmable tho :C

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Granted, sometimes a person writes with enough nuance that I can tell they're queer, but how do you tell a straight writer from an awkward/inexperienced/clunky queer writer?

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I know a lot of authors thinking they were cishet and later on realizing they were not

and some of them wrote a lot of "yikes"

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

There’s writing patterns and use of tropes that signal whether the person is actually respectful if the queer community or not

Deo101

Also just cause you're working through things doesn't mean it's a healthy exploration that is good for the community at large

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Even if they’re queer and self-indulging, there’s a lot of tells both in the comics and in their commentary

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

tbh I think some tropes are fair to criticise no matter if the author is queer or not but there are also queer authors writing disrespectful tropes

it's not sth that I see a lot, but I've seen it

Deo101

^ yeah this

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

All questions of their writing aside, there are definitely queer people who don't respect the community IRL, either...

Deo101

Like it's not good to write glorifying rape fic of pedophilia no matter who you are or how it's helping you work through things. I mean you can write it but then to share it is something else entirely

Not saying those are common things but they're pretty very much "bad" things

And actually glorifying rape is something I do see much more than I would have expected

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

And that’s problematic, too. When you’re part of a community but not respectful of it, that’s just as bad as a straight person being homophobic. Sometimes the worst homophobia cones from within the community, but that doesn’t make it okay or healthy.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

If you share a dark story behind accurate warnings and labels, then it can reach other people who are working through something by reading it, and be avoided by people who don't.

Deo101

Yeah there's a lot of lateral agression within the community

Okay but glorification of it isn't a healthy way to work through those things it's not a dark story

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I'm not saying homophobia from within the community is okay or healthy, I'm just saying it doesn't have to indicate that the person is straight/cis.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I have a lot of dark themes in my comics. There is rape, but it is never shown on panel and never never glorified. I think it’s a subject that’s important to talk about, but I find it extremely disturbing how much it’s romanticised in fiction.

Deo101

^^^

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

yeah...

DanitheCarutor

Huh, this convo reminds me of an article a friend sent me from someone's Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/posts/25994657 It talks about creation policing, and problematic fiction. You all proooobably won't agree with it given the direction of discussion (which all points of view are totally valid), but this whole subject is super interesting.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

All right, true, you can’t always know if an author is queer or not. I should have been more specific in whether an author has a healthy view of the LGBTQ community or not.

Deo101

So you might not be able to tell if someone is gay by their writing, but there are certain trends that gay people do not generally fall into that MOSTLY indicate someone is straight, though there's no way to know for sure.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

THAT is always obvious to me.

Deo101

And like def there are bi women who fetishize gay men, and there is transphobia and biohobia and everything within the community

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

If they’re being homophobic or just don’t ‘understand’ the queer community, I mean

Deo101

Etc etc, so even if you can't tell whether a harmful representation is written by someone who is LGBT it's a harmful representation regardless

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

^^^^This

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Yeah. I'm always very hesistant on how to address things like this

Deo101

Me too esp since I have such a hard time saying what I mean

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I'm not saying it's impossible to write harmful representation, but "this is harmful!" gets used as a cudgel against any representation, so often that I'm wary of talking about it as a vaguely-defined blanket category.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

It’s hard to articulate things clearly when in fast-paced chats like this

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

yeah, haha

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

At least it's good for leveling people up, huh?

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

eifhiuef pfft

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Lol. ‘You levelled up talking about homophobia!’

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

(I feel we're all respectful and try to explain ourselves and give others the chance to do so too)

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

At least it's good for something??

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

(so that's good haha)

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Yes. Talks like this are super important to help see each others views on tricky subjects

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Yeah, I feel like we're making good-faith attempts to understand each other, which...is not something you always get in internet discussions

To put it very very mildly

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

We all have our own stories and unique perspectives, and that’s important to share both in the fiction we write and in discussions with each other

DanitheCarutor

@Phin (Heirs of the Veil) The subject is pretty sticky. On one hand artists should be allowed to create whatever they like, on the other if that work can perpetuate harm for a certain community should it be allowed? There is a lot of this going around right now where people want sanitization in media, and what works of art are and are not allowed to exist. Not saying it's bad, but it is fascinating. I'm not fully getting into the convo because I'm honestly super neutral.

kayotics

I’m definitely watching the convo play out, it’s interesting to see a chat like this develop

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

yeah I'm taking notes this is not my area of expertise, and it's all good stuff to keep in mind

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I'm okay discussing & criticizing specific examples (which is probably why I keep bringing up Dumbledore...), but I don't like being critical of broad categories, because they can be so ambiguous & easily misused.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

@DanitheCarutor I think it is very hard to differentiate between people who want difficult subjects to be explored (which is valid) and people who don't want to be called out for certain kinks for example and a lot of the times stuff like "purity policing" gets used to shut legit criticism up. On the other hand there are a lot of examples of callout culture gone wild and honestly ??? Idk anymore.

Deo101

Its very frustrating

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

But I'm also at a point where I'm getting super tired of constant discourse so

Deo101

Yeah I've literally had to block words like "ace" cause it's just so often discourse from either side and I'm just so tired of it

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Plus there’s always going to be stories that help one person work through things but that are very toxic and upsetting to someone else. Just like there’s people who are toxic to one person and important to someone else.(edited)

Deo101

I've also blocked LGBT and "feminism" kinda things

I JUST see cats and memes now thank you

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Lee: absolutely, which is why accurate labels are important

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Eyyyy, it's my turn!

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Yes

kayotics

I think it’s important to curate your online experience, and sometimes NOT curating your experience leads to purity policing

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

HMM

kayotics

But yes tagging is really important!!!

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I think there is the creation of a lot of anxiety in what and what you can't tell in stories

Deo101

Tags are super important but also when someone doesn't think or realize they're doing something harmful they might not tag it

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Warning labels all around are always a good idea

Deo101

Like if someone is being a homophobe just cause etheyre homophobic they're not gonna tag that

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

True

Deo101

Why tag it's glorifying abuse if they think it's hot or reality and don't realize that's bad

Etc etc

kayotics

There’s definitely a lot of creator anxiety lately, I’ve had a lot of friends come to me with anxieties about not wanting to start a project they love because they’re afraid of who might attack them online

Deo101

^^^ I've been scared about this

kayotics

Me too, honestly

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Same honestly

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

There’s always the issue if ‘should harmful ideas be given a platform’ vs ‘stifling voices you just don’t want to hear’ it’s a fine line.

Deo101

I once got all in a tizzy cause I was like "oh my god my planet of women is asking a man for help"

Yeah cause some free speech silences other's

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Same

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

And sometimes you get people thinking "if I label this with a warning that it contains Bad Content, the internet police will come after me," so they don't use warnings for that reason, and then it's just bad times all around

Deo101

Yeah.

And also there are things no one thinks to warn about, like some very specific triggers

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

yeah...

Deo101

Its just all around a very difficult to navigate space

DanitheCarutor

@Phin (Heirs of the Veil) Right? People do that with anything, if it's not the "purity police" excuse it's "my style", or "I'm friends with -insert minority here-!" I don't bother with the arguments anymore since I've been pushed into them enough, I'm more into seeing opinion on general art policing, or what is and isn't allowed to exist in art. Sorry, I'm being slow at typing again.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Heck, if we're talking about actual psychological triggers, most of them are going to be super-specific

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I have a trigger for fungal growth on bodies now bc I have 3 people who either have probs with plants growiing on bodies OR funghi lol

Deo101

Ya I have a "someone watching someone else sleep" trigger which people use a surprising amount

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

...wait, Phin, now you have a trigger, or now you use a warning for it?

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

@DanitheCarutor srsly don't worry about it, haha. It's a nuanced topic and I think generalizing is pretty bad when it comes to what you can and can't portray

I use a warning for it, sorry Erin, wasn't clear

I had multiple people approach me so I warn in update posts and should probs also do it on the website

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

no worries, just wanted to be sure

kayotics

I do have an extreme phobia of needles and you’d be surprised how many news sites use active needle shots for vaccination stories

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

GOD I KNOW

I am not afraid of them but like once they are near skin

I don't wanna see...these shots

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I have a deathly phobia of vomiting and there are NEVER warning labels for it.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

yeah I think most people don't regard it and sometimes it's hard to get everything...

a friend of mine, Eli, creates a very gory comic and they put all their warnings on their update post images

and I kinda wanna try to be similarly mindful?

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

(I’m okay if it’s in a comic and off-panel or the gross part is not shown but the sound and sight are crippling for me and shows and movies just SHOW it all the time)

kayotics

That’s true. Not a vomit fan.

DanitheCarutor

Ah I've thought about using page by page TWs, and I tried it out with one page, but with the amount of triggering thing in my comic I decided on a general warning. (since almost every page would get a warning) A few of my readers also said they preferred not to see them due to possible spoilers.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Hmm...I have a list of possible triggers in my about section

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I probably should start doing that bc my comics get very bloody

kayotics

I know I’ll have a scene eventually that I’ll want to have a warning on, but I’m not sure how to warn for it without spoiling?

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I installed a spoilertext plugin on one of my comics for that! Now I can put specific warnings at the front of a storyline, and readers who don't have triggers & don't want spoilers can leave them hidden.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

OHH that's a cool idea

DanitheCarutor

Yeah, mine is like a general pop-up that you have to click on to proceed to the comic.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I’m going to have to look at that plugin. Potential spoilers are the only reason I don’t have really detailed warnings on my comics

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Here's the one I use: https://wordpress.org/plugins/inline-spoilers/

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Yeah I'll look into it too. It seems super useful.

Heck thanks Erin!

DanitheCarutor

I don't know how you could make a warning without spoilers, @kayotics! I mean, you might have to if you want to do a page specific one.(edited)

Sorry, my cat sent the message for me.

kayotics

I was thinking a page specific one for the upcoming scene.

So I’m glad that doesn’t seem weird

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I'd say super-general warnings are mostly not spoilers. A movie will say "contains graphic violence", and that doesn't tell you who's being violent, or why, or how it's resolved.

DanitheCarutor

^^^

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

yeah, I think that's not a spoiler, especially if the comic was already violent

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Yeah. I have warnings for things like ‘graphic violence, blood and gore, nudity, etc. But some chapters or pages probably warrant more detailed TWs.

Deo101

Yeah I'm gonna put in my a/n for a few updates before like "hey there are some spooky scenes comin' up!'

kayotics

I wouldn’t say my comic is already violent, so it’s more applicable for this one scene

Deo101

And yeah things like "watching someone sleep" is gonna be at least somewhat of a spoiler...

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

hmhm

DanitheCarutor

@kayotics I think it really just depends on the person too. Some readers like page by page TWs, and don't see them as spoilers, others are the opposite. Your readers might appreciate a warning more than mine since your comic isn't overall super graphic.(edited)

Gah I can not type today!

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I put "this will get bloody" before some of the vampire storylines, not spoiler-cut -- because it's not a given, but shouldn't exactly be a surprise, either.

Deo101

I also do not mind spoilers whatsoever and I WILL spoil to anyone who asks as I've said many times, but I know not everyone is like me and spoilers are a big deal to many people

"i don't mind spoilers" i love them and they make me enjoy things more for many reasons

DanitheCarutor

Ah same! I'd love to just spill everything!

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

(Deo high five bc same)

Deo101

My people

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

tbh spoilers got me interested in many comics and I actively spoil myself

like getting into new comics and reading the updates before jumping to the beginning haha

kayotics

I’m very much the opposite

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I don't want to spoil anything, I want to keep people guessing! But sometimes you gotta.

Deo101

Yes. I get incredibly stressed about whether or not things will work out and spoilers relieve that. Even if it doesn't work out like at least I know

I get so so sooo stressed about it

kayotics

Whenever people tell me spoilers I actively like content less

DanitheCarutor

I don't mind them myself. My mom absolutely hates them, and used to make me spoil every movie if I saw it before her, so I'm pretty alright with it.

Deo101

Yeah ik many people are that way

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

yeah I also think that's fair

DanitheCarutor

Also spoilers don't affect me either since it's not the content that means anything, but how it's used. Imo

kayotics

Usually for me it’s like. “Ok you spoiled a major character death/reveal, that’s not fun for me anymore”

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

OH yeah Kay! Tbh

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

If there's a big twist, I want to be unspoiled the first time I watch/read/etc the thing. If it's handled well, I can always rewatch it again with the knowledge.

kayotics

Because then I don’t get to experience that anymore

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

that's sth that can also ruin a story for me

kinda didn't get into the current season of CritRoll bc of such a spoiler

with comics it's kinda like...I see them on twitter, read along a few updates and then jump to the beginning so there I don't mind spoilers at all

it's more scoping out if the story's for me

Deo101

Oh man I sometimes only get into things because of spoilers LOL I know I'm weird with this but genuinely I love spoilers so much they make me comfortable with what I'm watching. I love rewatching things cause I know how it goes down and I'm not stressed by it

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I sometimes have troubles to deal with...raw emotions towards media so spoilers help me with that too

like preparing myself for it to hurt

(not always tho)

Deo101

Right yeah for sure

Even if I know it won't work out I KNOW and I don't put energy into getting my hopes up

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I hate spoilers, personally. I love going into stories completely blind or with just the bare-bones ‘genre, overall theme’ because I LOVE being shocked and surprised and have plot-twists thrown at me, so that’s what I do with my own comics(edited)

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

yeah that's also fair. Right now my brain's not in the mood for that so I gotta play it save hehe

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I still don't like saying "here's what the Beings are" in ads or sales pitches for BICP, even though the page where it was revealed is several years old by now

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

But everyone likes different things so there’s nothing wrong with giving spoilers for your own stories if people want them(edited)

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

yeah it depends honestly and that's pretty okay.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Everyone’s different and everyone’s valid

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I don't spoil my own story, except with artworks and mostly it's without context or cryptic enough that it's not...a real spoiler

yeah!

in that regard, it's just a huge matter of taste

twothirty

i also jump into webcomics, read them backgrounds for a bit then realized im actually into it and read it properly haha

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

hahaha yes

If I get invested without context I know it's good lol

Deo101

I don't spoil on public platforms cause I know people don't wanna necessarily see that (unless it's in an ama but I try to avoid spoilers still) but in private? I'll spill whatever tf u want like

I have and I will again!!!! Lmao

I know no one is gonna write it like me and also it's p linear so the only spoilers people really ask are Character things not plot things, anyways

So I'm not worried about theft im not doing anything super wild or original lol

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

all my favorite panels I've done are all the most spoilery ones, so... whether I share them or not, I lose

Deo101

Aw man

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

SAME

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

nooo

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

but it makes sense! I put all my effort into those moments where the story twists and turns

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Some of my fave panels or pages are when big reveals or plot twists happened

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

and it shows

so meh, I'll live

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

So I can’t share them to people who haven’t read my comic yet XD

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

luckily they don't make a ton of sense out of context, but... as soon as people start reading they might be like OHHH I know what's coming now

but it got them reading so shrug

I guess all mileage varies

Deo101

I feel like even the way I talk about my comic spoils it LMAO whoops

I'm made out of spoilers I can t hold them all in very clumsy

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

haha

I feel the same a lot

(But I also just wanna scream 24/7 about my stories whoopsie)

Deo101

I once had readers asking me to sum up a chapter caus ethey were confused and I just waited til someone else did it cause I was worried I'd spoil Something in trying to sun it up

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Linear stories are good too, though! Just reading a satisfying, well-written story is great; there doesn’t really NEED to be twist and turns for it to be food.

Deo101

Who doesn't wanna scream all the time and their stories hahahahha

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

GOOD

NOT FOOD

GAH

Deo101

Millennium is yummy yummy yum

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

...for the in-universe version of spoilers, I just had a moment of "hang on, this scene could've been way more dramatic if this one character hadn't already been given a certain reveal last chapter"

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

good food, agreed

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Normally I get away with not having a long buffer prepped ahead of time, but for once I wish I could still change this

Nutty (Court of Roses)

i spoil a lot about my characters more than i do the plot lol

i mean except their backstories sometimes

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Oh :C sometimes it's like this, Erin. Reasons buffers are good, but when do you have the time....

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I've tried putting this one on hiatus to prep a buffer, but it turns out I need the deadlines and the regular feedback to push me through making the pages...

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

oh I see. Understandable though...the only time I create real buffer is when I finish a book for print and have a deadline there.

(I wanna try to actually...get better though, since I wanna start a second comic project)

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I mean, sometimes if there's a process that works for you, you gotta just go with it and not waste energy fighting it. Even if it's not the Best or Most Professional way.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

yeah that's true. It's just frustrating when you compare the work you get done in these phases vs. every other time.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Clearly the solution is to split it up into smaller books, so you have more print deadlines!

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

haha, that might be!

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I need buffers or I get super stressed. Unfortunately I also find them difficult to keep up.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Buffers are very hard to keep up. I'm running out of mine next week, whoops

But I've already started working on new pages

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I have...a half-finished, past-deadline page open in another window right now, lol

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I haven’t been able to draw for about a month, so one comic’s buffer is getting low and the other’s going to either miss this week or be late.

And I’m stressing about it. -_-

sssfrs

I’m so excited for my story to progress. I’m tempted to talk about it but when I am I think that nothing I say casually will be as impactful as just letting the story actually play out

Desnik

I deal with lack of engagement by throwing my ideas (or myself) at people. I learned that keeping secret twists as spoilers was inhibiting my growth as a writer, so instead I talk through my plots with my writing group and I often walk away with much better ideas to write

We're a kidlit/MG/YA group and I'm writing in a similar fashion, so we usually don't have to warn each other about anything we're writing, which is its own kind of freedom

if I can get the content to be good enough, and land in front of someone who'll help me take it further, then the engagement will follow

keii4ii

(This the right place?)

Deo101

Speaking of a lack of engagement, i feel like my engagement rates are incredibly low. I get a good bit, i get comments on every page and im very happy with that, but it's odd that i dont get more given my amount of readers and I wonder if some comics just aren't the kind of story people feel a need to say anything about, or what?

I think so?

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

My engagement rates are... almost nonexistent.

keii4ii

I TOTALLY GET THAT DOUBT

When my anxiety is bad, it gets... really bad. "Maybe my story isn't worth commenting/ there is nothing to talk about it." I know that's just anxiety, so I try my best to not listen to that voice.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Although I think my audience is just not there? My page-views are pretty low, too, so maybe I just don’t have enough readers to comment (outside of you awesome SF perps)

PEEPS NOT PERPS

MY GOD THIS PHONE

keii4ii

Yeah, my views are fairly low too, considering the sub count I have on platforms

Come on, phone. We're not criminals. (Probably. )

Deo101

Yeah, its just weird when i have like. 1000 readers on tapas and get 0 comments i guess? I do kinda feel like my comic is very.... Its very linear its character driven and people can onky say "aw cute ^^" so much so idk what they would say

Like its legit .1%

keii4ii

hides the bloody knife

Deo101

ITS IN THE FLOWER POT!!!

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I was getting about 1k daily views right after I joined SF but now it’s back down to about 100 a day, so shrugs

keii4ii

Views though, it's natural they spike like that even if you retain 100% of the people who checked out your comic!

because typically, people only go through the old pages once

so they give you more views upon first visit

Deo101

^^^

keii4ii

But I 100% understand the worry of "why do people check out my comic and decide not to read it... is there something wrong with my work"

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

On webtoons I think I have relatively good engagement for Eryl considering my low sub number. I have about 350-some subs and get an average of 1-2 unique comments per page, though that number goes up when a character dies. (edited)

That’s true! They do get kinda ‘falsely’ inflated when people binge-read archives

Deo101

Most comments i ever got is when I said "tell me your pet names"

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Lmao, I should try that

Deo101

And then outside of that when luzio and sage do something cute is the most I get like, organically just frim my content

Amas are second most comments which are again, me starting the discussion

Maybe alk my authors comments should be like "tell me about your fave color" that'll inflate my stats

keii4ii

One person told me they don't comment because everything seems so obvious, and they don't wanna be captain obvious. Which I can respect. But I don't think everything is that obvious if the most common comment I get is "I'm lost"

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Hmmmm

Deo101

Hahahahhahahahah

Like "NO PLEASE SHARE THESE THINGS"

keii4ii

IKR

Deo101

Help everyone else out!!!

keii4ii

There is a term in Korean comment section culture

"Konan" (from Detective Konan)

It's a term for commenters who explain obtuse stuff for other readers

Sometimes you'll even see comments like "Hurry up, Konans! I'm too tired to think! Spoonfeed me what happened in this update!"

Deo101

Me reading every comic ever

keii4ii

I NEED A KONAN IN MY COMMENT SECTION

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Honestly I wish western readers did that, but they either get attacked for being ‘Captain Obvious’ or people scream SPOILER!!!! at them

Deo101

I really wish people woukd expkain for me too because then i know some people get it, but ALSO i dont want to explain things i didn't show, accidentally.

snuffysam

one thing i've found that helps with engagement is making sure to include something on the page for people to talk about, no matter how relevant it is. like a while back i had a (in my opinion) fairly boring scene where it's basically "where do we gotta go" "i'm not telling" "please" "ok you gotta go here" so to give readers something to talk about i had one of the characters take a hotdog out of a pokeball and eat it.

keii4ii

There was also this incredibly, incredibly obtuse comic. It had a fascinating hook but then became almost impossible to follow. You'd see comments like "so this is the Forbidden Realm that even Konans cannot enter."

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Hahaha

Deo101

I try to make every page have something, i usually have 3 goals i want a page to accomplish but it's not very... Fun i guess? Its just kibda like "yes this happened"

keii4ii

It's also kinda sad when you DO put something important to you, and nobody says anything (or worse, says "so when is it gonna get interesting???")

Deo101

Yeah...

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

So once I spun this theory on a comic by picking it up from context clues. And I was like ‘Hey guys, what if X character is the dragon???’ and everyone was like ‘WELL DUH IT’S IN THE HOVER TEXT.’ I read comics on mobile where hover text doesn’t always work, and after getting sneered at for something ‘everyone knew already’ I was put off of ever being a Konan type again.

Deo101

:(

I never read the hover text unless its by accident I just dont think t

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Yeah. And it wasn’t obvious from reading without the hover text so I was really proud of myself for figuring it out. But it just goes to show how rude commenters can scare away well-intentioned ones.(edited)

keii4ii

aaaugh D:

snuffysam

tbh i'm not sure why an author would put something important in the hover text where mobile readers can't see it. or tbh in blogs, side stories, etc. if it's important to understanding the main story, it should be in the comic.

Deo101

Yeah that's what im thinking... Hover text should be for puns

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

It was revealed later that chapter in the main comic, but apparently it wasn’t a ‘secret’ like I thought it was.

keii4ii

Bleeeh, sorry that happened to you. >_< This is why we can't have nice things

Where is the nearest Konans R Us, I want to order one for each of our comics.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Yeah... I’m very socially anxious / awkward so I’ve been scared away from quite a few comment sections. I still read the comics and buy them if they go to print, but a negative commenting experience usually discourages me from ever participating in the discussion.

keii4ii

100% understandable

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Which is why I feel it’s super important for the creators to moderate their comments (or hire a good moderator if they don’t have the time). A lot of comment sections get toxic if the author is lax about fostering a positive discussion environment.

Deo101

That makes me feel much better about the times ive asked people to cut Something out or deleted comments.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I appreciate that effort very much.

Deo101

I worry that its "disengenuous" or something and if someone has a negative opinion I don't want to be like "nope you're ONLY allowed to be nice to me!!!" But it's not good, i don't think, to let people feel safe being mean In my comments.

keii4ii

Yeah, there is being critical, and there is being mean

Deo101

So I rarely do it but I have and I don't feel any guilt over the times i have

Right

keii4ii

Sometimes a comment can tread the fine line between the two and it's really annoying that it's not Obviously, Blatantly Mean

Deo101

Yeah hahahahahhaha

keii4ii

But I try to remember that I too have walked that line unintentionally and obliviously, back when I was younger

Deo101

Right. I have too

I was like "oh man I am so smart and im about ti IMPART MY KNOWLEDGE ON YOU!!!" *Is a jerk *

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

That one comic I was talking about earlier: the author had a hard time keeping up with moderating and eventually took comments off the main site. It was 100% not her fault and she was herself getting emotionally distressed from the amount of negativity in the comments. Especially since the comic itself is really thoughtful and has a lot of messages of acceptance.

Deo101

:(

keii4ii

>_<

Deo101

Uhh but yeah! Does .1% feel like about what y'all get as far as comments:readers goes?

.1-.2

I feel like i have no actual gague for this lol

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

It varies from comic to comic (for no quantifiable reason, usually) but that is about right. 99% of readers are lurkers.

Deo101

Dope, I was worried I had like super low numbers when talking with some people and it got me worried about my content

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Plus subs don’t necessarily translate to active readers. A lot of people just never clean out their library after they stop reading something / subbed it to read later and never got around to it or left the site entirely.

Deo101

But I've also just got a lot of anxiety about what im producing and how it's percieved in general

Yeah ik

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I can see people binging my archives from my stats but maybe 1 in 100 or less leaves any comments.

snuffysam

on average, each subscriber to my comic has posted about 45 comments total (which is like 0.07 comments per subscriber per page) if someone clicks on a page (subscriber or not), there is a 0.5% chance of that person leaving a comment.

Deo101

See for me its like. 1 in 1000 leaves a comment...

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

(It’s okay I get anxiety over it, too)

Deo101

Yeah i was gonna say uhhh whats it called

Shoot i lost mt train of thought.

Right. I feel like the longer a comic goes on tbe less frequently people engage

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Yeah, I’ve noticed that in my comics, too.

Deo101

Like less readers will have made it to the end, more will be inactive, etc

snuffysam

i've found that my active commenters take a jump in early march (i.e. right after the comic's anniversary), and any time a book ends (since, i guess people like seeing how all the stuff that's happened in the book culminates)

Deo101

Oh that's an interesting note

snuffysam

i suppose that's some other advice on increasing engagement - give a reason for even caught-up readers to leave comments. one thing i've been doing is redrawing old pages and releasing the redraws on anniversaries, which gives reason for people to re-read.

and for end of book stuff, i suppose people are more willing to predict how something is going to end when it's close to ending

Deo101

Hmmmm

I'm taking notes

twothirty

seeking validation through comments is my downfall, because i just dont seem to write a comic that has the type of readership who is into that. What helped was just looking at google analytics and being like "oh right, of course people read this, its clearly here in this data" haha.

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

twothirty, same. It's kinda hard to get out of that mindset.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Raises hand I need constant reader validation and get depressed easily when there isn’t. It’s not healthy, but it’s really hard to break out of that mindset.

Deo101

Im not seeking validation through comments, but when i have thousands of readers and get only like 5 it does make me look twice and start wondering if there's something I'm doing wrong.

And yeah it's hard to break out of the mindset

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Me constantly atm haha

Deo101

Especially if you've bee. Hurt in the past and you feel like people secretly hate your work because... In the oast they have

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

I wonder if it's actually...a change in how people interact with media nowadays?

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Oh yeah, definitely, Deo. I got so much negative feedback when I first started posting webcomics and it still sticks with me today.

Deo101

Yeah I've been lucky where people have been mostly nice to me or otherwise just indifferent which makes it so I don't have a super negative experience that my anxieties latch onto

And its STILL hard

Because words of affirmation is my love language lol

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Partly I think it was because I was creating a lot of gender-nonconforming characters in an era when that wasn’t well-accepted in Western comics (reminder that I was surrounded by a veeeery conservative environment at the time), and partly because my skills were just not what they are now. There were a lot of nasty comments from both strangers and people I knew, and it was really tough to work through. I think if I hadn’t had the Tomgeeks forum to hang out in, I probably would have given up.

(For you young’uns, Tomgeeks was a webcomic list site and we had a really tight group in the forums. A lot of that old crowd are now in Spider Forest).

Kabocha

(Sorry, saw the tomgeeks mention! I remember aspiring to be in that group one day, but I was a lil' too much of a noob back in the day.) A lot of media is kind of... Sometimes you need to put a call to action to be like, "HEY LEAVE A COMMENT!" or something - else, they forget in a lot of cases, but ofc that's no guarantee.

keii4ii

Re: people being less willing to engage the longer a comic has been going on, that is definitely a thing

I think it's called archive burn or something

and I feel it too sometimes, as a reader. I feel like I'm not "allowed" to start reading a comic unless I can find a big enough chunk of free time to finish the archive in one session

It's 100% irrational but... it is a thing

I've found that I don't experience it IRL, with physical books. The end of each volume is a really good stopping place

snuffysam

then i suppose a problem is that webcomics don't really have stopping points you can physically see like physical books like when you're reading a book series, you know where one book ends, but when you read a comic you don't really unless you check how many pages each chapter has

and even then it's hard to keep that in mind when it isn't physical

mariah (rainy day dreams)

I definitely understand that feel. It's kept me from doing a lot of the book club comics because I'm like "I got ten pages in, but that's not enough to comment" T_T

snuffysam

maybe someone could program a widget for comic sites that works similarly to the page indicators in ebooks. like "you're 40% of the way through the chapter, and at your current reading speed you have 10 minutes left"

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Comic Rocket!

mariah (rainy day dreams)

Does Archive Binge also have a feature like that?

I feel like they might... I don't use those kind of readers so I'm not super familiar with them.

snuffysam

archive binge lists what page you're on and how many pages the comic has, but there's no reading speed thing no

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I don't know. I'm technically on Archive binge, but didn't get any subs there so I didn't look into it past creating my listing. I don't use those services myself because I like a nice long archive to work through, but I know that comic Rocket shows you how much of an archive you've read.

snuffysam

also, the thing i'm talking about would be for chapters as well as the whole comic. because if there is a big archive, people like to know how long they have before a good stopping point

mariah (rainy day dreams)

I'm on Archive Binge. I don't think I have any subs either but definitely get traffic regularly as if I did. How even does internet work ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

snuffysam

i guess recently updated?

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I usually check out the archive page of a comic to get a good idea of chapter length, myself. So I know if I'm in for 10 pages chapters or 100 page chapters. Plus, idk, I have no problem stopping anywhere and picking it up again later, but I may be a pretty atypical reader.

Lmao, I have no idea how the internet works. I was one of the first people to list on Archive Binge and I have never gotten a single click from it. I get a steady number from Comic Rocket, though.

keii4ii

I wonder if it'd be worth experimenting with chapter numbers? Like, re-number existing chapters like "Season 2, chapter 2 of 15" instead of "chapter 20" ?

Deo101

^ thats a good idea

seeing "chapter 20" makes me as a reader go like, oh god, theres so many,,

snuffysam

^ that's one of the major reasons i label things "book X chapter Y" instead of just counting up chapters forever though adding "out of" is an interesting addition...

keii4ii

I'm nearing the end of season/ book/ whatever 2. I should give this a try

Cronaj

Lol, my books are going to be 3 chapters long each, so I don't think it would make much sense for me XD

keii4ii

Yeah, my chapters are short but numerous, so this might have a different effect than comics with longer but fewer chapters

Deo101

I'd be afraid of saying "out of" cause... well, i dont know how many heheh...

it all gets wacky when it comes time to actually make the thing

snuffysam

i mean, could add 'em retroactively as each "season" finishes

Deo101

oh thats true!

keii4ii

I would probably do "Chapter x out of [REDACTED]" (not that but something similar) when I start posting book 3

Cronaj

Yeah, my chapters are around 35-50 pages, so they're pretty long'

snuffysam

listing how many chapters are in book 3 would kinda spoil a twist lol, so i'll probably only do it retroactively

same lol

and some are 80 pages

book 3's going to have one 120 page chapter which is wild

Cronaj

I was thinking about printing 4-5 chapter books, make it more like a manga-length

keii4ii

You know, some comics (Korean comics do this a lot) do like... Chapter 10: Happy Day, followed by Chapter 11: Happy Day (2), followed by Chapter 12: Happy Day (3)

Cronaj

but full color printing is expensive

keii4ii

Dividing what might have been a single chapter into digestible chunks

snuffysam

i've split "arcs" into multiple chapters before, but unfortunately there aren't really any solid split areas in the chapter in question

Cronaj

and I doubt anybody wants to shell out $25+ on a 200 page comic

This is of course, a consideration for the future, as I don't even have the first chapter finished yet, but ya know

Come next year, I'll have some big decisions to make

@keii4ii Is that a webtoon thing? I've noticed that webtoons have shortish chapters

snuffysam

webtoons an entire chapter is posted at once

keii4ii

It's a Korean thing, which means Webtoons gets some of it

Cronaj

I mean, technically I post my comic in scrolling format, so I consider it a webtoon, but it's definitely drawn for print

@snuffysam, I mean the length of the chapters. The chapters (or episodes) are usually somewhere between 50-100 panels long, which is anywhere between 10-20 pages of a traditional comic

keii4ii

(Tangent, but as a Korean speaker I'm very weirded out by the word "webtoon" in English contexts. Over there every webcomic regardless of format is called a webtoon; I guess it's like anime/manga in Japanese? That in Japan, every animated show is anime, and every cartoon thingie is manga?)

Cronaj

Yeah, that makes sense

In the english speaking world, originally there were comics and webcomics, with little difference between except that one was posted online

but when Korean webtoons entered the English-speaking market, the naming conventions changed

The major difference being the prevalence of scrolling-format webtoons, which made people think that the difference between webtoons and webcomics is the format

but really, it's just a naming thing

You can call a comic a manga, and people expect a black and white comic in a specific style, but really, it's just a comic in Japanese

keii4ii

Yeah

Deo101

I usually just say "scroll style comic" or "page format comic" because im putting pages up on webtoons so it feels... weird to me

keii4ii

That too

IT'S A PICTURE STORY THINGIE WITH SPEECH BALLOONS

Deo101

hahahaha

Cronaj

In the end we are all just children XD

kayotics

this is really late, but i've been getting a lot more comments on my main site lately and I have no idea what I did to encourage that.

Deo101

people caught on

kayotics

That's probably all it is, but it's really surprising that my main site is the one getting more comments, since I wouldn't say it's necessarily a well built comment system? It's the native CMS comment system, and I require the first comment to be moderated

keii4ii

Does this mean I can claim I started reading Ingress before it got famous 8)

kayotics

yes

BUT, I'd say that the estimation of 1% of readers (or whatever the number was) is still accurate.

Deo101

.1% ish

kayotics

I have the most eyes on my comic over on Tapas, and while I do get a handful of comments there, it still equates to less than 1% of the total people subscribed. I'm sure there's a lot of reasons for that (like subscribers who aren't regular readers, people who quit the app, etc), but even the ratio of views to comments is pretty low.

Deo101

yeah I've been noticing that too

I have the most eyes on webtoons but I still have like. a good chunk on tapas and I think those are just more... casual sites

kayotics

yeah absolutely

Deo101

like on comicFury I have way higher engagement rates and i think that's pretty typical cause most of that audience there is also creators

kayotics

I'm sure there's some people who are pretty dedicated on Tapas, but I'd guess that there's more dedicated readers on my self-hosted site, just because they have to specifically seek out the content.

Deo101

^that makes a lot of sense to me

I know a lot of people who follow me on tapas are following 100+ other comics

and i know for SURE I wouldnt be able to take the time/effort to comment on like 10+ comics a day, assuming theyre even keeping up with all thsoe

wow yeah I just checked my list this person has over 6,000 comics theyre subscribed to, and a few have over 500

just on the first page of my readers(edited)

sooooo yeah it makes sense why engagement would be low if people are regularly reading that mant...

keii4ii

I actually rambled about this on twitter recently!

Deo101

and also makes me feel a little bit less bad when people are confused hahahahaha

keii4ii

How I thought I'd get a very small readership who are into what I'm making, but I ended up getting that very small readership PLUS a huge number of people who are just casually reading it

That first expectation was mostly based on my experience with my previous webcomic, but things were different back then. Big platforms weren't a thing, so casual readers were less common.

Deo101

yeah that's really neat

since I've only been making millennium for like... a little over 2 years and it's my first comic, I kinda just started with like 5 mirrors and was like "alright well, lets see how this goes I guess"

I had only ever read one webcomic before i literally have no idea how or why i got so convinced into making a comic

but since I was like 12 years old I was like "hm... I am going to make a comic i think." I just never did any research or tried til recently

or read any. I dont know how this happened

keii4ii

Casual readers vastly outnumbering the dedicated ones used to make me feel like I was doing something wrong, but I think that's just how the times are.

Deo101

Yeah :/ it's hard NOT to notice and feel like you're doing something wrong though.

when its like "okay i have 7,000 subs and got 5 comments" it's like ??? what am i doing WRONG

even though... its nothing wrong

it just be that way

hard to match those two ideas up though

almost went to continue this thought in an entirely different channel.

I think there is also something to be said for people not wanting to repeat a comment

like "oh someone already said what I thought so I'll just give it a thumbs up"

keii4ii

That's what upvoting is for!!!

Deo101

yup!

keii4ii

though, tfw highest voted comments are like "I have no idea wtf is going on lol"

Deo101

YEAH.

also do you ever comment on your own pages?

like not replying to people

keii4ii

I think I did once or twice, back when I actualy had relevant info and didn't have enough room in author's notes or something

Deo101

I've done it a few times, but it's usually kind of to ask questions where I can get replies

keii4ii

I have also seen a pro Korean creator post "first" on their own comic because they were tired of seeing so many of those

Deo101

I did that once LMAO

it's funny when people comment on my comic "FIRST!!!" cause i'm like. dude i get like 10 comments it's not that special to be first

but i'm happy theyre there and theyre excited its kinda cute i guess

keii4ii

Yeah, it's harmless

Deo101

and it's also nice to have people think that they have to race to be first

even though they don't

so it's kind of a nice comment to get even if it's not commenting on my work at all

keii4ii

It's kinda like hitting the like/heart button, just with more HURRY POINTS

Deo101

yeah hehe

oh i do 100% like all my own pages though

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I actually get the most commenters on Webtoons but I’m (fairly?) sure I have more readers on my website.

Deo101

on webtoons, I don't do it on tapas cause you can see i did it LOL

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I think I only ever got one First! comment and that was the only comment on that page.

keii4ii

Hey no shame in being your own #1 fan

Deo101

the one time I said "first!" was cause it had no comments on it for like a year and a hal

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Oh no, I don’t like my own pages. For some weird reason I feel like it’s cheating.

Deo101

and hell YEAH! I'm my number one fan so much that i'm making a dang comic for how much I like these characters ;D

keii4ii

I don't feel bad about liking my own pages, but I rarely do it because I wait a bit before even looking at the post

Deo101

inflate your own stats its cool. all the cool kids are doing it

keii4ii

And by the time I look at it, I forget about liking

Deo101

I only do it on webtoons cause I have to manually post there anyways

so i post and its like "heres the page!" and im like :) good job me :)

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I might start doing it. XD I get an average of 5-10 likes per page so why not.(edited)

Deo101

I also rate myself 10* or whatever the max is wherever I can

keii4ii

Yeah, and TBH one like isn't gonna give you an unfair advantage anyway

Deo101

^

keii4ii

If you're making a dozen alt accounts to give yourself more likes, now that's a bit questionable

Deo101

yeah that would be not so good

but you're a real account who likes your work so why not!

keii4ii

Yeah!

Deo101

I also honestly kinda like to sub to my own stuff and like my pages partially to make sure it's all working right

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I should probably rate myself 10* bc both my comics got ratings-bombed at one point for really dumb reasons.

Deo101

like to see when the page goes up and everything

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

The ratings have slowly crawled back up a ways, but it’s always disheartening when people attack my comics for stupid things.

keii4ii

Oh, to go back to an earlier point about asking questions to readers to encourage commenting, I might straight up ask next week if my comic is making any sense.

Deo101

ohhhhh man i dont like swingin at that hive lol

keii4ii

I'll have to word it well because I do not want it to be a pity party

Deo101

but i mean it might encourage the people who do get it to go "yup!"

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I do straight up ask every now and then. Sometimes I’ll get a pity comment when I do and sometimes it’s still crickets.

Deo101

also I feel really lucky that I havent had anyone be like, mean to my about my work.

I feel like trolls have really gone down in popularity

keii4ii

like even right now I feel like nobody's getting it (except maybe <10 people) so..... I don't think the answers could make me feel worse

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I meant I straight up ask for comments, ugh, I misread Keiiii’s post.

I GET IT, KEIIII

I LOVE UR BABIES

Deo101

oh man, I could never just ask for comments. if I'm feeling really down I usually send it to my friends like "can i have smth nice please" I just get really anxious asking people for things

not that asking is necessarily bad I just, as a person could never do that

also keiiii I havent read it yet but it's on my list cause the way you talk about your work and what I do know of it... seems like it would really jive right with me

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I usually do it along the lines of: ‘If you enjoy this comic, don’t forget to leave a comment! Getting feedback motivates me to keep drawing!’

Deo101

oh okay thats not so bad

oh my god how are the eyes moving

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I’m shameless, you can say it

Deo101

I have too much shame probably

keii4ii

It is my anxiety moving the eyeballs

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Give me sone of your shame, it’ll even us out

Deo101

please take it

keii4ii

(anxiety with Nitro powers)

Deo101

NOOO dont be anxious im gonna love it

god that eyes shaking emoji is so great

keii4ii

ikr!

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

So fun fact- my real face eyes do that

keii4ii

I think Tatsumaki wants to see you do it

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

It’s called nystagmus and it’s super trippy if you’ve never seen it before!

keii4ii

OH, I knew someone with that condition!

I never noticed anything about their eyes (only heard about them having the condition from talking), because I never met them while wearing my glasses X'D;;

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

My eyes just RANDOMLY do it a lot and it really freaks people out XD

Desnik

I've found that comments don't matter too much, but getting a boost from someone with a big following does

and the only comments I take seriously are from people I trust, although I get it: chasing the internet numbers is fun

snuffysam

what do you mean by "comments don't matter" you mean, like, in terms of garnering popularity?

Desnik

yeah, and as validation they can be a bit fluffy too

my perspective changed when I started printing out my work as zines and got people to buy them irl, it was very eye-opening

very few people commented on them online but in person I've found out they're not bad? And one of them got me a lettering job

keii4ii

Eh, I think it's okay to have different goals. To some people, good comments mean the world, and that's totally valid to want that.

Desnik

I know, just stating my pov

keii4ii

I mean that to some people, a good comment is not just an "internet number."

Desnik

fair enough

I believe I allowed for 'good comments' as being from someone I trust

keii4ii

Me, I treasure insightful comments from anyone who's invested in my story. To each their own

FeatherNotes

I have a book that I write them down to give me a lil boost to morale when I need it! i def appreciate the time it took for someone to write something thoughtful

keii4ii

Yeah!

Capitania do Azar

Oh comments are like.. What I like the most! (not all comments are the same tho). The reason I put my story out there is so I can share it and discuss it with people and the fact that a few take some time off their day to actively tell me what they think it's what keeps me moving

eli [a winged tale]

I really enjoy comments too. I always respond to my Instagram ones but not the comic ones mostly because of platform difficulties

Glowbat (Aloe)

I love reading through all the comments- they really motivate me when I'm having a low point and need a pick me up to get goin on pages. I just wish I was better at knowing how to respond instead of just liking the comment and hoping they recieve my telepathic brainwaves of gratitude

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Replying to comments is very hard and I always have the anxiety of "ruining" it haha ;; whatever it is (the person's enjoyment of my work?? who knows)

Glowbat (Aloe)

I feel that- part of me is always nervous I'm gonna say somethin to off put them or smthn.

Though I do try my best to curate comment sections if things are looking like they're gonna get rowdy

keii4ii

YEAH, and/or sometimes you're like "this comment is Awesome and deserves an Equally Awesome reply... HOW DO I DO THAT" and get stuck in a loop

Glowbat (Aloe)

yesss exactly that

I'm not that clever and I require lots of time to come up with anything I'm confident in lol

and by the time I have something cool to say back its been like a week

keii4ii

I made a Discord icon to express my internal response in a visual form to such Awesome comments, but I can only use those on Discord

This one:

Glowbat (Aloe)

Hehe

cuteee

and also a mood

keii4ii

Sparkling tears of happiness

Capitania do Azar

I believe them

Cronaj

Man... I will admit, I barely respond to comments

And that probably sounds terrible

But I honestly don't have time to respond to every comment

As well as the anxiety of not know what to say

It does depend on platform tho

keii4ii

I mean, as a reader I don't expect a reply if my comment is like "ooo nice!"

Cronaj

Generally, I respond more readily to comments on Tapas than on Webtoons, because I only have like 2 commenters at most on Tapas

And usually it's readers who ALWAYS comment, so I almost feel like they deserve a response, even if it's just a smiley face or a "thank you"

keii4ii

But if I've written a long ass essay comment, it would be nice to have some kind of engagement with that. Don't get me wrong, the creator doesn't owe me a reply but it's like... should I ever do this again with this comic. Or is my reply-writing time better spent on another comic

Cronaj

True

keii4ii

I def respect that not every creator has time to read all of the comments, regardless of how many comments they typically get

Cronaj

On Webtoons, I have way more engagement, but most of it is thirst for my characters or talking about the art style

keii4ii

and that not every creator may even aim to get comments

Cronaj

So I don't usually know how to respond to stuff like that

keii4ii

But if that is the case........ I would rather know before committing myself to multiple essay-length comments

Yeah, that is understandable!

Cronaj

I read every comment, but I don't want to respond to all of them

keii4ii

I'm 100% cool with "thicc" comments on my MC's butt or on my tiger dude's legs, but I can't necessarily think of productive replies to those

Cronaj

The only comments I respond to on Webtoons are either a) incredibly funny, b) meaningful and noticing more than the art, or c) a genuine question

Like if someone asks about my update schedule

Or if someone wants to know which programs I use

I had one comment about how good my grammar in the dialogue/thoughts is, and I felt so honored that someone else noticed

Usually I get comments about the art (which is also nice), but I prefer comments about the story or subtleties

keii4ii

It's the best thing when people notice the things that you put a lot of thought and love into

Cronaj

For several years in high school, I played around with the idea of getting a writing degree, so grammar and literary language have a special place in my heart

sssfrs

I respond to every single comment... I get one comment a month pretty much though

When friends or readers say nice things about my comic on any platform I save a screenshot and read them if I start to feel like nobody likes what I’m making

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I do the exact same

FeatherNotes

Its a good practice when things are kind of slow! Or just for that lip morale boost too

[everyday-life-products-reviews]

🧖🏼‍♀️🥰Hey everyone and skincare lovers! I am trying the True Heart Centella Moisturizing Cica Facial Toner with No Alcohol! Check it->https://amzn.to/2TAWpfq This Alcohol-Free Toner is excellent for my combination skin and those with Dry and Sensitive Skin! It has #Panthenol (Vitamin B), #Niacinamide, Green Tea, Tea Tree, and #Madecassoside. It comes in a 3.83fl oz or 100 ml bottle. 🌹I received this from @0.8l_usa to try! I wear this at night and in the morning as well. It is best for hydrating my skin and soothing any flare-up that is reddish, pinkish, or inflamed. I did test this out for many days now without using other toners. It has a long-lasting effect on it too, and it does not feel sticky, which is a plus. It is a #hypoallergenic toner with no ingredients to irritate the skin. What do you think of this True Heart Centella Cica Toner? Let me know in the comments section below and happy Saturday everyone! In Spanish: ¡Hola a todos y amantes del cuidado de la piel! ¡Estoy probando el tónico facial True Heart Centella Cica hidratante sin alcohol! Compruébelo-> https://amzn.to/2TAWpfq ¡Este tóner sin alcohol es excelente para mi piel mixta y para aquellas con piel seca y sensible! Tiene #pantenol (vitamina B), #niacinamida, té verde, árbol de té y madecassosida. Viene en una botella de 3.83fl oz o 100 ml. Me pongo esto por la noche y por la mañana también. Es mejor para hidratar mi piel y calmar cualquier brote que sea rojizo, rosado o inflamado. Probé esto durante muchos días sin usar otros toners. También tiene un efecto duradero y no se siente pegajoso, lo cual es una ventaja. Es un tóner hipoalergénico sin ingredientes para irritar la piel. ¿Qué opinas de este tóner True Heart Centella Cica? ¡Avísame en la sección de comentarios a continuación y feliz sábado a todos! #trueheart #sensitiveskincare #availableonmazon #dryskinproblems #skinvitamins #koreanskincare #naturalskincareproducts #SBA #서울어워드 #SeoulAward #08liter #08L #hypoallergenictonerskincare #naturaltoner #tonerskincare #toner#uo #uoonyou #dominicanbloggers #chicagoblogger #onmytabletoday #prettylittleinspo #kbeauty

[act-addict-actors-blog]

Act 1 Chapter 7 - The Troubles Ahead

You: “Today, Itaru-san and Citron-san will start joining us for practice. Tsuzuru-kun will not join us while he writes the script.”

Citron: “I excited to start!”

Itaru: “I don’t have any acting experience so I apologize if I inconvenience you all, but I look forward to working with everyone.”

Sakuya: “Itaru-san, have you finished moving in?”

Itaru: “I brought the things I needed with me by car and I’ll receive the rest in a moving van next week.”

Sakuya: “You drive a car!? So cool!”

Itaru: “Let me know if you ever need anything - I can give you a lift.”

You: (Such an adult......!)

“Well then, thank you for offering. We’ll be sure to take you up on your offer if needed.”

Itaru: “Of course.”

You: (He’s so reliable. Everyone except the manager has been so young - it’s quite refreshing.)

“OK everyone, we’ll warm-up like we always do - with acting and vocal exercises. “

“Next, I want everyone to do some simple pantomime. You can’t use words - only body movements.”

“I will tell you the subject and everyone will have to guess what you are acting out. I want this to feel like a comfortable, fun game.”

“First up will be Sakuya-kun.”

Sakuya: “Yes!”

You: “Sakuya-kun, act out ‘what someone does before going outside’.”

Sakuya: “Got it!”

You: “Start!”

Sakuya: ......

Citron: “I got it! A Bon Festival* dance, yes?”

You: “Wrong.”

Itaru: “A robot?”

You: “Nope.”

(His awkward movements would certainly be less obvious if it was a robot......)

Masumi: “You can’t move cause your leg is broken.”

You: “Uh uh.”

Sakuya: ......

Citron: “What could it be-?”

Itaru: “Hmmmmm......”

You: “OK, time’s up. The correct answer was ‘what you do before going outside’.”

Sakuya: “I was acting out things like brushing my teeth and combing my hair, but......”

Citron: “I could not understand, yes?”

Itaru: “That was a little bit difficult.”

Sakuya: “Ugh......”

You: (Sakuya-kun seems to be a very awkward person.)

“Alright, next up is Masumi-kun.”

Masumi: “What should I do?”

You: “Act out ‘waiting for someone to arrive’.”

Masumi: “OK.”

......

Sakuya: “You’re searching for something?”

You: “Ah, almost!”

Citron: “He is waiting for something, yes?”

You: So close!

Itaru: “I got it. He’s waiting for somebody.”

You: “Correct!”

Masumi: “Did I do well?”

You: “Yes, you did.”

(Masumi-kun is also good at pantomime. There really is nothing he can’t do.)

“Next is Itaru-san.”

Itaru: “Don’t be too hard on me.”

You: (Itaru-san and Citron-kun are passable for beginners. As they gain experience, they’ll only get better and better.)

“OK, the next situation is--”

Itaru: “Practice is supposed to go until 9pm, right?”

You: “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s already time to wrap up.”

Sakuya: “I can keep going!”

Citron: “As service, I can make extension, yes?”

You: “Don’t say it like we’re running a shady business.”

Masumi: “If I can be with you, I can keep going until morning.”

You: “That’s too suggestive!!”

Itaru: “Hmmmm. But some of us have school tomorrow and it would be better not to overwork ourselves. I have work, as well.”

You: “T-that’s true. OK everyone, let’s call it a day.”

Sakuya: “Um, is it OK if I do a few more vocal exercises?”

You: “Ok, but only 30 more minutes.”

Citron: “I will join you!”

Masumi: “I’ll stay if you’re here.”

Itaru: “OK, I’m heading out. Good job, everyone.”

You: (Itaru-san vacated pretty quickly. He may not have necessarily have wanted to be in theater originally......)

Sakuya: “Amenbo akaina a i u e o!” **

Citron: “Ame--aka--uo--!”

Sakuya: “It’s ‘amenbo akaina a i u e o’, Citron-san.”

Citron: “Aka--aka--manbo--!”

Sakuya: “No, that’s not right!”

Citron: “Japanese is so difficult, yes?”

You: (Citron-kun has a problem all his own - Japanese. I have a feeling that he’s capable, so I hope he improves before the performance.)

Citron: “Ame-yoko-yay! Woo-!”

You: (......I have an endless list of worries.)

To be continued......

* Citron is referring to the “Bon Odori”, a traditional dance done at Japan’s Bon Festival. This festival is when the spirits of one’s ancestors are said to return for a time, so people will go to clean their family’s gravestones and celebrate their return. The dance differs depending on location, but you can easily look up a video to get an idea of how Sakuya was moving (not great).

** Sakuya is reciting the “Gojyuuon no uta” or the “50 sounds song”. This is a Japanese tongue twister that helps with pronouncing the 50 sounds in the Japanese language in a clear way. It’s quite helpful to try reciting it when learning Japanese (thought Citron could still use some work lol).

[onlyascholar]

Okay 1 and 2 from the OC meme o uo babble about the boy

Ask me about my OC!

1: Origins! How did you come up with the concept for your OC? 

I was young and had a Garland obsession. What I wanted when I first started planning Origins, forever ago, was to create a character who could feasibly become Garland, albeit very gradually - a character who starts off young and idealistic, and slowly becomes more and more jaded and warped by the decay of his home planet, while clinging to a desperate (and misguided) loyalty. Kuja himself has grown and changed through poking at character development, but at his core he remains the same character I originally conceptualized. He’s distinct from Garland, of course, and is very much his own person - but the hope is that people interacting with him or reading Origins can see where Garland comes from.

2: Were they originally well received by the fandom? Or if they’re fandomless, did the RP community take to them right away or was it hard to get attention? 

He’s been surprisingly well-received! Granted, a lot of that could be because I haven’t come out and said he’s going to turn into Garland in Origins proper, but even since revealing that here, people have nevertheless found him apparently enjoyable to engage with. He can be difficult at times (depending on the verse), but that hasn’t kept him from having interesting interactions.

[douglassmiith]

Removing Panic From E-Commerce Shipping And Inventory Alerts

About The Author

Suzanne Scacca is a former WordPress implementer, trainer and agency manager who now works as a freelance copywriter. She specializes in crafting marketing agency, web … More about Suzanne Scacca …

There was a time when marketers used things like urgency, scarcity and FOMO to drive online shoppers to a sale. But scare tactics can actually hurt a brand’s relationships with customers. By their very nature, we run into similar problems with shipping and inventory alerts. That said, there are ways that web designers can keep panic and frustration from seeping into the shopper’s experience.

When it comes to displaying shipping and inventory alerts on an e-commerce website, you have to be very careful about inciting panic in your shoppers.

“Item is out of stock.”

“Expect shipping delays.”

“Page does not exist.”

These words alone are enough to turn a pleasant shopping experience into a panicked and frustrating one.

You have to be very careful about how you design these notices on your site, too. You obviously want to inform visitors of changes that impact their shopping experience, but you don’t want panic to be the resulting emotion when your alert is seen.

Better Search UX

For large-scale and e-commerce sites, the search experience is an increasingly critical tool. You can vastly improve the experience for users with thoughtful microcopy and the right contextualization. Read a related article →

When people panic, the natural response is to find a way to regain some control over the situation. The problem is, that regained control usually comes at the expense of the business’s profits, trust, and customer loyalty.

Unfortunately, some of the design choices we make in terms of alerts can cause undue panic.

If you want to better control your shoppers’ responses and keep them on the path to conversion, keep reading.

Note: Because the following post was written during the coronavirus pandemic, many of the alerts you’re going to see are related to it. However, that doesn’t mean these tips aren’t valid for other panic-inducing situations — like when a storm destroys an area and it’s impossible to order anything in-store or online or like during the November shopping frenzy when out-of-stock inventory is commonplace.

1. Avoid Out-Of-Stock Notices When Possible

Colleen Kirk is a professor of marketing agency at the New York Institute of Technology and an expert on territorial shopping.

She has a great analogy to help us understand why this happens:

Have you ever felt as if another driver stole your parking spot or were upset when someone else nabbed the last sweater that you had your eye on? If so, you experienced psychological ownership. You can feel psychological ownership over pretty much anything that doesn’t belong to you, from the last chocolate truffle in a display case to the dream home you found on Zillow and even intangible things like ideas.

When it comes to shopping in person, people exhibit territorial shopping traits by placing their items in a shopping cart. Or when they put a separator bar between their items on a conveyor belt and the person’s behind them.

We don’t really have that lUXury on a website. The best we can do is enable shoppers to save their items to their cart or a wishlist, but that doesn’t keep the items from selling out before they have a chance to buy them.

This can lead to huge problems, especially when a shopper has gotten excited about that toy or shirt they “put aside”, only to discover a few hours later that the item is gone or no longer available.

The worst thing you could do is to remove out-of-stock product pages. You don’t want shoppers running into a 404 page and experiencing not just panic but also confusion and frustration.

While not as bad, I’d also recommend against displaying an inactive “Sold Out” or “Out of Stock” notice or button to shoppers as Olivela has done here:

The Olivela website displays an inactive ‘Sold Out’ button for its denim mask product. (Source: Olivela) (Large preview)

Seeing this kind of feels like Google Maps directing you to your destination, only for you to end up at the edge of a lake where there’s supposed to be a road.

“Why the heck did you even send me here?”, is what your shoppers are going to wonder. And then they’re going to have to turn around and try to find something comparable to buy instead.

There are better ways to handle this that will also reduce the chances of your shoppers panic-buying a second-rate substitute for the item they really wanted. And this plays into the idea of territorial shopping (but in a healthy way).

This is what Target does when an item is “temporarily out of stock”:

Target provides shoppers with the option to get notified when out-of-stock items become available. (Source: Target) (Large preview)

Rather than display an unclickable button and just completely shut down shoppers’ hopes of getting the item, a “Notify me when it’s back” button is presented. This is a more positive approach to handling out-of-stock inventory and, if customers really want the item, they’re more likely to use it rather than settle for something else or try another site altogether. (I’ll talk about the “Pick it up” option down below.)

Another way you can handle this is to do what Summersalt does and turn your “Sold Out” button into a “Pre-order” one:

Summersalt provides shoppers with ‘Pre-order’ button for out-of-stock items. (Source: Summersalt) (Large preview)

What’s nice about this button is that it not only empowers shoppers to secure the currently unavailable item they have their eyes on, but it tells them exactly when they will get it.

So, if you know when inventory will be restored, this is a better option than the “Notify” button as there’s more transparency about availability.

2. Don’t Over-Promise Or Give Your Shoppers False Hope

It’s a good idea to keep your shoppers informed about how external situations may impact their online shopping experience. And you can use key areas like the website’s sticky banner or a promotional banner on the homepage to do that.

That said, be very careful what you promote.

Special notices aren’t the kinds of things that get ignored the way that cookie consent notices or lead generation pop-ups do.

Consumers know to look at these areas for things like promo codes and sales event details.

If you put anything else in there, you better make sure the notice is positive, useful and truthful.

Let’s take a look at what’s going on with the Gap website:

Gap’s ‘Taking Care Takes Time’ notice addresses shipping delays due to COVID-19. (Source: Gap) (Large preview)

Gap has three notices that appear in the header of its site:

In black: “Free shipping on $25+, free returns on all orders.”

In white: “Taking Care Takes Time. We’ve implemented special procedures as we work to keep our teams — and you — safe, so shipping of orders may be delayed.”

In blue: “Extra 50% off markdowns + more.”

It’s overwhelming. And it’s almost as if they wanted the alert in the middle to be ignored (or missed altogether) as it’s sandwiched between two very sharp-looking banners that promote attractive deals.

If your alert is related to something that’s going to affect the shoppers’ experience, don’t bury it and don’t try to massage it with overly optimistic messaging. Also, don’t contradict it with another alert that suggests the first one isn’t one to worry about.

Here’s why I say that:

Gap promotes ‘Our Masks are Back’ on the homepage of its website. (Source: Gap) (Large preview)

This message is problematic for a couple of reasons. For one, Gap’s masks aren’t really “back” if they’re only available for pre-order. Second, it runs contrary to the top banner’s message about shipping delays.

Unsurprisingly, shoppers did not react well to this hyped-up announcement:

Gap receives an extraordinary amount of backlash on Facebook over mismanagement of shipping and promotions. (Source: Gap) (Large preview)

When Facebook ran a promotion on Facebook about the masks, it received a huge amount of backlash from customers. Many customers didn’t want to hear about the masks because they’d been waiting over a month for existing orders to ship and couldn’t get a customer service rep to talk to them. There were also complaints about items being canceled from their orders, only for them to magically become “available” again in the store.

A website that’s handling similar circumstances well right now is Urban Outfitters:

Urban Outfitters is focusing on the positive of a bad situation. (Source: Urban Outfitters) (Large preview)

Urban Outfitters, like a lot of non-essential retailers right now, has had to make some adjustments in order to stay alive. But rather than displaying a notice alerting online shoppers to shipping delays like many of its counterparts, Urban Outfitters has turned it into a positive.

The banner reads: “Your local UO is now offering curbside pickup!”

There’s no hidden message here that tries to explain away the brand’s bad behavior. There’s no greedy cash-grab, promising deep discounts for people who shop with them despite likely delays in shipping. There’s no overhyping of a promise they can’t possibly keep.

This is an actionable offer.

What I’d suggest for e-commerce businesses that want to keep customers on their side — even during a tumultuous time — is to keep their alerts simple, honest and useful. And if you’re going to promote multiple ones, make sure they tell the same story.

3. Soften The Blow By Promoting Multichannel Options

I recently signed a new lease on an apartment but was dismayed to discover that my move-in date and furniture delivery date wouldn’t line up because of shipping delays. I was well-aware of this when I made the purchase, but I wasn’t as prepared as I wanted to be. And because we were in the middle of a city-wide lockdown, I was unable to crash with friends who live over the state border.

I thought, “I’ll sleep on an air mattress. No biggie.” But then remembered I left mine behind in Delaware. So, I had to figure out a way to buy a cheap air mattress.

All of my go-to e-commerce websites had shipping delay alerts. And as I perused their available products (which there were very few), my panic only worsened. Until I discovered a website that offered BOPIS.

Buy-online-pickup-in-store is a shopping trend that’s proven very popular with consumers. According to data from Doddle and a report from Business Insider:

68% of U.S. shoppers have used BOPIS on numerous occasions.

50% have chosen where to shop based on BOPIS availability.

Shipping costs (avoiding them), speed and convenience are the primary reasons why customers prefer to buy online and shop in-store. It’s the best of both worlds.

If you’re building an e-commerce site for a company with retail locations that do this, then make sure you get customers thinking about it right away.

Barnes and Noble, for instance, enables shoppers to set their preferred local store:

Barnes & Noble allows shoppers to set their preferred retail store location. (Source: Barnes and Noble) (Large preview)

This is a great feature to have. The only thing I’d do differently is to place a button in the header of the site that immediately takes them to the “Change My Store” or “Find Store” pop-up or page. That way, shoppers don’t have to wait until they’ve found a product they like to discover whether or not it’s available at their store for pickup.

Once a user has set their store location, though, Barnes & Noble remembers it and uses it to enhance the remainder of the shopping experience:

Barnes & Noble uses shopper location information to enhance search listings. (Source: Barnes and Noble) (Large preview)

This is what search listings look like for “Magna Tiles” on the Barnes & Noble site when the user sets their search to “List” view. Pretty neat, right? While “Grid” view is standard, only showing the featured image, product name and price, this view provides extra detail about availability.

This can provide a ton of relief for shoppers who too-often encounter “out-of-stock” or “not available in store” notices on individual product pages. This way, they can spend their time looking at the items they can get the most quickly and conveniently. There are no surprises.

If cross-channel options are available — between website and mobile app, website and retail store, website and third-party delivery service — make sure you call attention to them early on so customers can take advantage of the streamlined shopping experience.

Wrapping Up

Panicked shopping can lead to serious issues for your e-commerce site. Rather than put your shoppers in a situation where they grow impatient, dissatisfied, and frustrated by the site that seems to put up barriers at every turn, design your alerts so that they turn a bad experience into a positive one.

(ra, yk, il)

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

Via http://www.scpie.org/removing-panic-from-e-commerce-shipping-and-inventory-alerts/

source https://scpie.weebly.com/blog/removing-panic-from-e-commerce-shipping-and-inventory-alerts

[laurelkrugerr]

Removing Panic From E-Commerce Shipping And Inventory Alerts

About The Author

Suzanne Scacca is a former WordPress implementer, trainer and agency manager who now works as a freelance copywriter. She specializes in crafting marketing agency, web … More about Suzanne Scacca …

There was a time when marketers used things like urgency, scarcity and FOMO to drive online shoppers to a sale. But scare tactics can actually hurt a brand’s relationships with customers. By their very nature, we run into similar problems with shipping and inventory alerts. That said, there are ways that web designers can keep panic and frustration from seeping into the shopper’s experience.

When it comes to displaying shipping and inventory alerts on an e-commerce website, you have to be very careful about inciting panic in your shoppers.

“Item is out of stock.”

“Expect shipping delays.”

“Page does not exist.”

These words alone are enough to turn a pleasant shopping experience into a panicked and frustrating one.

You have to be very careful about how you design these notices on your site, too. You obviously want to inform visitors of changes that impact their shopping experience, but you don’t want panic to be the resulting emotion when your alert is seen.

Better Search UX

For large-scale and e-commerce sites, the search experience is an increasingly critical tool. You can vastly improve the experience for users with thoughtful microcopy and the right contextualization. Read a related article →

When people panic, the natural response is to find a way to regain some control over the situation. The problem is, that regained control usually comes at the expense of the business’s profits, trust, and customer loyalty.

Unfortunately, some of the design choices we make in terms of alerts can cause undue panic.

If you want to better control your shoppers’ responses and keep them on the path to conversion, keep reading.

Note: Because the following post was written during the coronavirus pandemic, many of the alerts you’re going to see are related to it. However, that doesn’t mean these tips aren’t valid for other panic-inducing situations — like when a storm destroys an area and it’s impossible to order anything in-store or online or like during the November shopping frenzy when out-of-stock inventory is commonplace.

1. Avoid Out-Of-Stock Notices When Possible

Colleen Kirk is a professor of marketing agency at the New York Institute of Technology and an expert on territorial shopping.

She has a great analogy to help us understand why this happens:

Have you ever felt as if another driver stole your parking spot or were upset when someone else nabbed the last sweater that you had your eye on? If so, you experienced psychological ownership. You can feel psychological ownership over pretty much anything that doesn’t belong to you, from the last chocolate truffle in a display case to the dream home you found on Zillow and even intangible things like ideas.

When it comes to shopping in person, people exhibit territorial shopping traits by placing their items in a shopping cart. Or when they put a separator bar between their items on a conveyor belt and the person’s behind them.

We don’t really have that lUXury on a website. The best we can do is enable shoppers to save their items to their cart or a wishlist, but that doesn’t keep the items from selling out before they have a chance to buy them.

This can lead to huge problems, especially when a shopper has gotten excited about that toy or shirt they “put aside”, only to discover a few hours later that the item is gone or no longer available.

The worst thing you could do is to remove out-of-stock product pages. You don’t want shoppers running into a 404 page and experiencing not just panic but also confusion and frustration.

While not as bad, I’d also recommend against displaying an inactive “Sold Out” or “Out of Stock” notice or button to shoppers as Olivela has done here:

The Olivela website displays an inactive ‘Sold Out’ button for its denim mask product. (Source: Olivela) (Large preview)

Seeing this kind of feels like Google Maps directing you to your destination, only for you to end up at the edge of a lake where there’s supposed to be a road.

“Why the heck did you even send me here?”, is what your shoppers are going to wonder. And then they’re going to have to turn around and try to find something comparable to buy instead.

There are better ways to handle this that will also reduce the chances of your shoppers panic-buying a second-rate substitute for the item they really wanted. And this plays into the idea of territorial shopping (but in a healthy way).

This is what Target does when an item is “temporarily out of stock”:

Target provides shoppers with the option to get notified when out-of-stock items become available. (Source: Target) (Large preview)

Rather than display an unclickable button and just completely shut down shoppers’ hopes of getting the item, a “Notify me when it’s back” button is presented. This is a more positive approach to handling out-of-stock inventory and, if customers really want the item, they’re more likely to use it rather than settle for something else or try another site altogether. (I’ll talk about the “Pick it up” option down below.)

Another way you can handle this is to do what Summersalt does and turn your “Sold Out” button into a “Pre-order” one:

Summersalt provides shoppers with ‘Pre-order’ button for out-of-stock items. (Source: Summersalt) (Large preview)

What’s nice about this button is that it not only empowers shoppers to secure the currently unavailable item they have their eyes on, but it tells them exactly when they will get it.

So, if you know when inventory will be restored, this is a better option than the “Notify” button as there’s more transparency about availability.

2. Don’t Over-Promise Or Give Your Shoppers False Hope

It’s a good idea to keep your shoppers informed about how external situations may impact their online shopping experience. And you can use key areas like the website’s sticky banner or a promotional banner on the homepage to do that.

That said, be very careful what you promote.

Special notices aren’t the kinds of things that get ignored the way that cookie consent notices or lead generation pop-ups do.

Consumers know to look at these areas for things like promo codes and sales event details.

If you put anything else in there, you better make sure the notice is positive, useful and truthful.

Let’s take a look at what’s going on with the Gap website:

Gap’s ‘Taking Care Takes Time’ notice addresses shipping delays due to COVID-19. (Source: Gap) (Large preview)

Gap has three notices that appear in the header of its site:

In black: “Free shipping on $25+, free returns on all orders.”

In white: “Taking Care Takes Time. We’ve implemented special procedures as we work to keep our teams — and you — safe, so shipping of orders may be delayed.”

In blue: “Extra 50% off markdowns + more.”

It’s overwhelming. And it’s almost as if they wanted the alert in the middle to be ignored (or missed altogether) as it’s sandwiched between two very sharp-looking banners that promote attractive deals.

If your alert is related to something that’s going to affect the shoppers’ experience, don’t bury it and don’t try to massage it with overly optimistic messaging. Also, don’t contradict it with another alert that suggests the first one isn’t one to worry about.

Here’s why I say that:

Gap promotes ‘Our Masks are Back’ on the homepage of its website. (Source: Gap) (Large preview)

This message is problematic for a couple of reasons. For one, Gap’s masks aren’t really “back” if they’re only available for pre-order. Second, it runs contrary to the top banner’s message about shipping delays.

Unsurprisingly, shoppers did not react well to this hyped-up announcement:

Gap receives an extraordinary amount of backlash on Facebook over mismanagement of shipping and promotions. (Source: Gap) (Large preview)

When Facebook ran a promotion on Facebook about the masks, it received a huge amount of backlash from customers. Many customers didn’t want to hear about the masks because they’d been waiting over a month for existing orders to ship and couldn’t get a customer service rep to talk to them. There were also complaints about items being canceled from their orders, only for them to magically become “available” again in the store.

A website that’s handling similar circumstances well right now is Urban Outfitters:

Urban Outfitters is focusing on the positive of a bad situation. (Source: Urban Outfitters) (Large preview)

Urban Outfitters, like a lot of non-essential retailers right now, has had to make some adjustments in order to stay alive. But rather than displaying a notice alerting online shoppers to shipping delays like many of its counterparts, Urban Outfitters has turned it into a positive.

The banner reads: “Your local UO is now offering curbside pickup!”

There’s no hidden message here that tries to explain away the brand’s bad behavior. There’s no greedy cash-grab, promising deep discounts for people who shop with them despite likely delays in shipping. There’s no overhyping of a promise they can’t possibly keep.

This is an actionable offer.

What I’d suggest for e-commerce businesses that want to keep customers on their side — even during a tumultuous time — is to keep their alerts simple, honest and useful. And if you’re going to promote multiple ones, make sure they tell the same story.

3. Soften The Blow By Promoting Multichannel Options

I recently signed a new lease on an apartment but was dismayed to discover that my move-in date and furniture delivery date wouldn’t line up because of shipping delays. I was well-aware of this when I made the purchase, but I wasn’t as prepared as I wanted to be. And because we were in the middle of a city-wide lockdown, I was unable to crash with friends who live over the state border.

I thought, “I’ll sleep on an air mattress. No biggie.” But then remembered I left mine behind in Delaware. So, I had to figure out a way to buy a cheap air mattress.

All of my go-to e-commerce websites had shipping delay alerts. And as I perused their available products (which there were very few), my panic only worsened. Until I discovered a website that offered BOPIS.

Buy-online-pickup-in-store is a shopping trend that’s proven very popular with consumers. According to data from Doddle and a report from Business Insider:

68% of U.S. shoppers have used BOPIS on numerous occasions.

50% have chosen where to shop based on BOPIS availability.

Shipping costs (avoiding them), speed and convenience are the primary reasons why customers prefer to buy online and shop in-store. It’s the best of both worlds.

If you’re building an e-commerce site for a company with retail locations that do this, then make sure you get customers thinking about it right away.

Barnes and Noble, for instance, enables shoppers to set their preferred local store:

Barnes & Noble allows shoppers to set their preferred retail store location. (Source: Barnes and Noble) (Large preview)

This is a great feature to have. The only thing I’d do differently is to place a button in the header of the site that immediately takes them to the “Change My Store” or “Find Store” pop-up or page. That way, shoppers don’t have to wait until they’ve found a product they like to discover whether or not it’s available at their store for pickup.

Once a user has set their store location, though, Barnes & Noble remembers it and uses it to enhance the remainder of the shopping experience:

Barnes & Noble uses shopper location information to enhance search listings. (Source: Barnes and Noble) (Large preview)

This is what search listings look like for “Magna Tiles” on the Barnes & Noble site when the user sets their search to “List” view. Pretty neat, right? While “Grid” view is standard, only showing the featured image, product name and price, this view provides extra detail about availability.

This can provide a ton of relief for shoppers who too-often encounter “out-of-stock” or “not available in store” notices on individual product pages. This way, they can spend their time looking at the items they can get the most quickly and conveniently. There are no surprises.

If cross-channel options are available — between website and mobile app, website and retail store, website and third-party delivery service — make sure you call attention to them early on so customers can take advantage of the streamlined shopping experience.

Wrapping Up

Panicked shopping can lead to serious issues for your e-commerce site. Rather than put your shoppers in a situation where they grow impatient, dissatisfied, and frustrated by the site that seems to put up barriers at every turn, design your alerts so that they turn a bad experience into a positive one.

(ra, yk, il)

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/removing-panic-from-e-commerce-shipping-and-inventory-alerts/ source https://scpie1.blogspot.com/2020/07/removing-panic-from-e-commerce-shipping.html

[riichardwilson]

Removing Panic From E-Commerce Shipping And Inventory Alerts

About The Author

Suzanne Scacca is a former WordPress implementer, trainer and agency manager who now works as a freelance copywriter. She specializes in crafting marketing agency, web … More about Suzanne Scacca …

There was a time when marketers used things like urgency, scarcity and FOMO to drive online shoppers to a sale. But scare tactics can actually hurt a brand’s relationships with customers. By their very nature, we run into similar problems with shipping and inventory alerts. That said, there are ways that web designers can keep panic and frustration from seeping into the shopper’s experience.

When it comes to displaying shipping and inventory alerts on an e-commerce website, you have to be very careful about inciting panic in your shoppers.

“Item is out of stock.”

“Expect shipping delays.”

“Page does not exist.”

These words alone are enough to turn a pleasant shopping experience into a panicked and frustrating one.

You have to be very careful about how you design these notices on your site, too. You obviously want to inform visitors of changes that impact their shopping experience, but you don’t want panic to be the resulting emotion when your alert is seen.

Better Search UX

For large-scale and e-commerce sites, the search experience is an increasingly critical tool. You can vastly improve the experience for users with thoughtful microcopy and the right contextualization. Read a related article →

When people panic, the natural response is to find a way to regain some control over the situation. The problem is, that regained control usually comes at the expense of the business’s profits, trust, and customer loyalty.

Unfortunately, some of the design choices we make in terms of alerts can cause undue panic.

If you want to better control your shoppers’ responses and keep them on the path to conversion, keep reading.

Note: Because the following post was written during the coronavirus pandemic, many of the alerts you’re going to see are related to it. However, that doesn’t mean these tips aren’t valid for other panic-inducing situations — like when a storm destroys an area and it’s impossible to order anything in-store or online or like during the November shopping frenzy when out-of-stock inventory is commonplace.

1. Avoid Out-Of-Stock Notices When Possible

Colleen Kirk is a professor of marketing agency at the New York Institute of Technology and an expert on territorial shopping.

She has a great analogy to help us understand why this happens:

Have you ever felt as if another driver stole your parking spot or were upset when someone else nabbed the last sweater that you had your eye on? If so, you experienced psychological ownership. You can feel psychological ownership over pretty much anything that doesn’t belong to you, from the last chocolate truffle in a display case to the dream home you found on Zillow and even intangible things like ideas.

When it comes to shopping in person, people exhibit territorial shopping traits by placing their items in a shopping cart. Or when they put a separator bar between their items on a conveyor belt and the person’s behind them.

We don’t really have that lUXury on a website. The best we can do is enable shoppers to save their items to their cart or a wishlist, but that doesn’t keep the items from selling out before they have a chance to buy them.

This can lead to huge problems, especially when a shopper has gotten excited about that toy or shirt they “put aside”, only to discover a few hours later that the item is gone or no longer available.

The worst thing you could do is to remove out-of-stock product pages. You don’t want shoppers running into a 404 page and experiencing not just panic but also confusion and frustration.

While not as bad, I’d also recommend against displaying an inactive “Sold Out” or “Out of Stock” notice or button to shoppers as Olivela has done here:

The Olivela website displays an inactive ‘Sold Out’ button for its denim mask product. (Source: Olivela) (Large preview)

Seeing this kind of feels like Google Maps directing you to your destination, only for you to end up at the edge of a lake where there’s supposed to be a road.

“Why the heck did you even send me here?”, is what your shoppers are going to wonder. And then they’re going to have to turn around and try to find something comparable to buy instead.

There are better ways to handle this that will also reduce the chances of your shoppers panic-buying a second-rate substitute for the item they really wanted. And this plays into the idea of territorial shopping (but in a healthy way).

This is what Target does when an item is “temporarily out of stock”:

Target provides shoppers with the option to get notified when out-of-stock items become available. (Source: Target) (Large preview)

Rather than display an unclickable button and just completely shut down shoppers’ hopes of getting the item, a “Notify me when it’s back” button is presented. This is a more positive approach to handling out-of-stock inventory and, if customers really want the item, they’re more likely to use it rather than settle for something else or try another site altogether. (I’ll talk about the “Pick it up” option down below.)

Another way you can handle this is to do what Summersalt does and turn your “Sold Out” button into a “Pre-order” one:

Summersalt provides shoppers with ‘Pre-order’ button for out-of-stock items. (Source: Summersalt) (Large preview)

What’s nice about this button is that it not only empowers shoppers to secure the currently unavailable item they have their eyes on, but it tells them exactly when they will get it.

So, if you know when inventory will be restored, this is a better option than the “Notify” button as there’s more transparency about availability.

2. Don’t Over-Promise Or Give Your Shoppers False Hope

It’s a good idea to keep your shoppers informed about how external situations may impact their online shopping experience. And you can use key areas like the website’s sticky banner or a promotional banner on the homepage to do that.

That said, be very careful what you promote.

Special notices aren’t the kinds of things that get ignored the way that cookie consent notices or lead generation pop-ups do.

Consumers know to look at these areas for things like promo codes and sales event details.

If you put anything else in there, you better make sure the notice is positive, useful and truthful.

Let’s take a look at what’s going on with the Gap website:

Gap’s ‘Taking Care Takes Time’ notice addresses shipping delays due to COVID-19. (Source: Gap) (Large preview)

Gap has three notices that appear in the header of its site:

In black: “Free shipping on $25+, free returns on all orders.”

In white: “Taking Care Takes Time. We’ve implemented special procedures as we work to keep our teams — and you — safe, so shipping of orders may be delayed.”

In blue: “Extra 50% off markdowns + more.”

It’s overwhelming. And it’s almost as if they wanted the alert in the middle to be ignored (or missed altogether) as it’s sandwiched between two very sharp-looking banners that promote attractive deals.

If your alert is related to something that’s going to affect the shoppers’ experience, don’t bury it and don’t try to massage it with overly optimistic messaging. Also, don’t contradict it with another alert that suggests the first one isn’t one to worry about.

Here’s why I say that:

Gap promotes ‘Our Masks are Back’ on the homepage of its website. (Source: Gap) (Large preview)

This message is problematic for a couple of reasons. For one, Gap’s masks aren’t really “back” if they’re only available for pre-order. Second, it runs contrary to the top banner’s message about shipping delays.

Unsurprisingly, shoppers did not react well to this hyped-up announcement:

Gap receives an extraordinary amount of backlash on Facebook over mismanagement of shipping and promotions. (Source: Gap) (Large preview)

When Facebook ran a promotion on Facebook about the masks, it received a huge amount of backlash from customers. Many customers didn’t want to hear about the masks because they’d been waiting over a month for existing orders to ship and couldn’t get a customer service rep to talk to them. There were also complaints about items being canceled from their orders, only for them to magically become “available” again in the store.

A website that’s handling similar circumstances well right now is Urban Outfitters:

Urban Outfitters is focusing on the positive of a bad situation. (Source: Urban Outfitters) (Large preview)

Urban Outfitters, like a lot of non-essential retailers right now, has had to make some adjustments in order to stay alive. But rather than displaying a notice alerting online shoppers to shipping delays like many of its counterparts, Urban Outfitters has turned it into a positive.

The banner reads: “Your local UO is now offering curbside pickup!”

There’s no hidden message here that tries to explain away the brand’s bad behavior. There’s no greedy cash-grab, promising deep discounts for people who shop with them despite likely delays in shipping. There’s no overhyping of a promise they can’t possibly keep.

This is an actionable offer.

What I’d suggest for e-commerce businesses that want to keep customers on their side — even during a tumultuous time — is to keep their alerts simple, honest and useful. And if you’re going to promote multiple ones, make sure they tell the same story.

3. Soften The Blow By Promoting Multichannel Options

I recently signed a new lease on an apartment but was dismayed to discover that my move-in date and furniture delivery date wouldn’t line up because of shipping delays. I was well-aware of this when I made the purchase, but I wasn’t as prepared as I wanted to be. And because we were in the middle of a city-wide lockdown, I was unable to crash with friends who live over the state border.

I thought, “I’ll sleep on an air mattress. No biggie.” But then remembered I left mine behind in Delaware. So, I had to figure out a way to buy a cheap air mattress.

All of my go-to e-commerce websites had shipping delay alerts. And as I perused their available products (which there were very few), my panic only worsened. Until I discovered a website that offered BOPIS.

Buy-online-pickup-in-store is a shopping trend that’s proven very popular with consumers. According to data from Doddle and a report from Business Insider:

68% of U.S. shoppers have used BOPIS on numerous occasions.

50% have chosen where to shop based on BOPIS availability.

Shipping costs (avoiding them), speed and convenience are the primary reasons why customers prefer to buy online and shop in-store. It’s the best of both worlds.

If you’re building an e-commerce site for a company with retail locations that do this, then make sure you get customers thinking about it right away.

Barnes and Noble, for instance, enables shoppers to set their preferred local store:

Barnes & Noble allows shoppers to set their preferred retail store location. (Source: Barnes and Noble) (Large preview)

This is a great feature to have. The only thing I’d do differently is to place a button in the header of the site that immediately takes them to the “Change My Store” or “Find Store” pop-up or page. That way, shoppers don’t have to wait until they’ve found a product they like to discover whether or not it’s available at their store for pickup.

Once a user has set their store location, though, Barnes & Noble remembers it and uses it to enhance the remainder of the shopping experience:

Barnes & Noble uses shopper location information to enhance search listings. (Source: Barnes and Noble) (Large preview)

This is what search listings look like for “Magna Tiles” on the Barnes & Noble site when the user sets their search to “List” view. Pretty neat, right? While “Grid” view is standard, only showing the featured image, product name and price, this view provides extra detail about availability.

This can provide a ton of relief for shoppers who too-often encounter “out-of-stock” or “not available in store” notices on individual product pages. This way, they can spend their time looking at the items they can get the most quickly and conveniently. There are no surprises.

If cross-channel options are available — between website and mobile app, website and retail store, website and third-party delivery service — make sure you call attention to them early on so customers can take advantage of the streamlined shopping experience.

Wrapping Up

Panicked shopping can lead to serious issues for your e-commerce site. Rather than put your shoppers in a situation where they grow impatient, dissatisfied, and frustrated by the site that seems to put up barriers at every turn, design your alerts so that they turn a bad experience into a positive one.

(ra, yk, il)

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/removing-panic-from-e-commerce-shipping-and-inventory-alerts/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/623184490375806976

[zuffer-weird-girl]

Would you be willing to write a scenario about Kai's s/o going in to labor and the delivery? Maybe just Kaito?

Lets give plague doctor more heart attacks :D

Honestly? You deserved at minimun a pat on your back, because carrying a child is not easy... and aparently carrying a Chisaki inside you was equal to hell.

Deadly cramps, torturous nauseas and dear lord even comenting the word 'peas' left you wanting to pull all of your stomach out.... all of this for exactly seven months and a half already.

The baby was surely a fighter. His kicks were dead ass strong and ever time it was a bad one, you would wince in pain while supporting yourself on somewhere.

This baby was going to knock you out at some point...

Ever time Kai notice that this was happening he would place his entire gloved and scold his unborn child.

'Not even in here and are already causing trouble brat? Be good to your mother or we might have trouble.'

It was always in that same no emotions present tone of voice of his but you could see the genuine adoration in those usual cold golden eyes.

Although today you were feeling quite... normal.

No deadly kicks, neither the urge to puke ans surprisingly your feets weren't sore!

What a great day!

You got up from your chair to grab something to eat as you carresed slightly your belly on the way.

Although when you were already half the hall you started to feel dizzy and had to support yourself omwith one hand on the wall.

"Woah not looking great there miss. You good?" You heard Mimic's voice but when you looked down you just saw a black blur.

"Y-Yeah..." you took a shaky step "I guess."

"You guess?" Mimic spoke in sarcasm while Chrono coincidentally entered. Irinaka pointed to you for Kurono to see as he also made a slightly concerned face.

Before the man could ask what was going on, you felt as if a hammer had hit you in the gut while you howled in pain, no longer holding back the discomfort or the recent, unbearable pain.

Chrono and Mimic were immediately on your side when you almost fell to the ground. In your mind passes a thought that scared you to no ends and just to confirm you lowered your hand lower to push it back to see that your terrors were true.

Blood and other fluid... your water bag broke... The baby was coming earlier.

You let out a bloody scream at seing this and another joilt of pain came into you.

"ShIT ShE'S DyInG?!"

"Of course fucking not Irinaka! Shut up!" Chrono went to lend you a shoulder but you stopped him.

"K-Kurono... P-Please... K-Kai.. H-Here." You said between breaths, trying to stal calm since you knew this was going to stress the fuck out of everyone... especially Chisaki.

Hari didn't even objected and ran looking for Chisaki as Irinaka came back into his human form to at least see if it helps.

"Breath chick, you're a fucking fighter to carry that little shit."

"MIMIC!" you shouted and the man apologized at seing the anger in your eyes.

~

Chisaki was currently looking at the medicals exams of his unborn son along with the first ultrasound picture. The boy was going to be here soon and after a very long time he felt anxious.

He flinched at the way the door of his office hitted the wall as Chrono shouted his name.

"What the hell Chrono? Lost your manners?" He said darkly while placing the documents inside of his drawer.

"(Y/N)." He said while pointing at your direction "She's bleeding."

In one blink of Kurono's eyes Chisaki was already running through the house while placing his mask up.

Shit. What had happened?! Were you okay?!

"Angel." He called, ignoring his horror at seing the state you were in, and kneeled on the floor.

"Baby... coming." You breath out while jolting in pain again.

Damn those contractions

He cringed at your whines but ignored his own discomfort and scooped you up in his arms in bridal style as he shouted for a precept to clean ths mess as long for Chrono to get the fuck in the car.

Mimic swore he saw the walls trembling.

~

"Count to ten angel." He said monoustly but the way his hands tremble slightly and the hint of desperation in his eyes told everthing.

You screamed as the car suddenly roughly spun aside, the last drop of patience on your husband completely gone.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT CHRONO?!"

"IM SORRY BUT A GUY ALMOST HITTED THE FUCKING CAR AND COULD HAVE KILLED US YOU KNOW?!" Poor Hari was consumed by both you and Overhaul's desperation.

"Oh my god both oF YOU SHUT UP!" You shouted causing both of them to be completly silent all the ride to the hospital.

He was going to talk to you about that later, but maybe it was a understatement since you were giving birth at this point.

~

Kurono had to hold back Chisaki when a bunch of nurses just pulled you out of Kai's arms and a doctor told him to wait outside.

His wife was giving birth to his soon son and he was supposed to wait OUTSIDE YOU FILFH UNPROFESSIONAL BASTARD?!

When a nurse came to Chrono, asking for him to get out of the room since only it was allowed the father, he arched one eyebrow at her and pointed with his palm at a very furious Chisaki, silently saying 'Im the one keeping the beast calm, you sure about that?'.

The nurse just gave him a apologetic look before, with the nerves on their skin of talking to a dangerous man of the yakusa, calling Overhaul.

The way Chisaki looked at them could be described as murderous and if he had a laser vision quirk the poor nurse would be already dead on the spot.

"I-I'm sorry! But you can enter now." She bowed apologetically while indicating the door for Chisaki.

He didn't even acknowledge her as he entered the room abruptly, ignoring many looks of the doctors and just making a bee line at you.

Despite your eyebags and squirming in pain figurine, you still manage to look angelic... just incredible.

"Angel, it's almost over." He said monoustly, a mix of pain and relief at seing the way you opened your eyes.

"Kai..." you whispered while crying... your hand desperately hilding the bed sheets as you cried out...

"Dad hold her hand!" A male nurse suggested and you almost laughed if it wasn't for the torturous pain you were in.

Someone was trying to give others to Chisaki? Your Chisaki Kai? Great joke.

Chisaki narrowed his eyes at the man befofe cringing at seing you crying again... you were in so much pain but yet refused to just grab his hand because you knew him.

He suddenly left to a quick bathroom and picked a hand sanitizer and a handkerchief.... the scene was almost comic to the doctors and nurses. A soon to be father wipping his wife's hand before holding it onto his gloved one.

"You don't change do you?" You whispered while smilling at him, pure appreciation and love on your eyes as you looked into those beautiful golden ones that you had fallen with.

"Why should I?" He said monotonously but you could see the hints of a smile behind that black face mask of his.

His hand suddenly cracked at your strenght as you turned your head away from him to muffle your screams.

...ouch.

The doctors were surprised because they LISTENED to his hand cracking and he was just... there. He suddenly glared at them with pire hate as his words spilled from his kouth like venom.

"Bunch of incompetents, my wife is having a kid and you just stand there without doing nothing? Move and help her before I lose my pacience bunch of filfh." They flinched before returning to their activities whiel Kai scoffed 'sicks' under his breath.

Your screams had stopped and your grip on his hand released, putting the pieces together he looked up and saw a tiny creature on the arms of one nurse.

"You did it." He amused out loud while you only let out a sleep deprived 'yay' before closing your eyes as you tried to catch your breath.

He picked the handkerchief and wiped your forehead gently before looking down at you.

"You're sweaty..."

"No shit sherlock I just gave birth." You said between breaths and giggles receiving a pinch on your arm along with a scoff of his.

"W-Why isn't he crying?" You suddenly breath out.

Shit. Is true. He haven't heard his son cries. He looked uo already with anger before he saw the doctor bringing a white blanket and handing rubbing the face of your new born to you.

"See mommy? Your baby is fine." He felt butterflies forming inside his stomach at seing the little boy face in contact with yours... you smilling tiredly but still manage to open your eyes to look at your son.

"Kaito... is so nice to meet you.." you teared up at seing your baby for the first time... he had his father looks.

He punched his chest to prevent any hints of despicable tears fron falling from his eyes but it was really damn difficult... Luckily he managed to stay with his stoic face at least.

The moment though he saw you closing your eyes he internally panicked.

"Angel." He grabbed your face and shook slightly, checking your pulse with his other hand and sighing in relief at feeling your heartbeat on his fingers.

"She is just tired, will come back as soon as she recuperates... would you like to hold your son mister?"

He eyed the doctor in suspicion before choosing to only look at his son, eyes secretly telling how much he was willing to do for this little one already.

"Place him on the crib for now. I want my wife to see the scene, she wouldn't leave me alone after knowing that I holded my son without her seing it." He spoke crudely amd coldly at the doctor bit they didn't seemed to mind at first.

The doctor nodded in understatement before placing the kid carefilly down on the crib, right besides Kai as he sitted on the edge of the bed... holding your hand in his gloved ones.

He took a glance at his sleeping son and decided to just carres the tip of his thumb on the chubby cheek.

He swore the kid just smiled at the contact... a simple contact... but it was rather a nice feeling.

"I made this brat..." he mused out loud for himself before smirking down at his son and bringing your freahly washed head to rest on him instead of the pillows of the hospital.

"Welcome to this world... Chisaki Kaito."

[scpie]

Removing Panic From E-Commerce Shipping And Inventory Alerts

About The Author

Suzanne Scacca is a former WordPress implementer, trainer and agency manager who now works as a freelance copywriter. She specializes in crafting marketing agency, web … More about Suzanne Scacca …

There was a time when marketers used things like urgency, scarcity and FOMO to drive online shoppers to a sale. But scare tactics can actually hurt a brand’s relationships with customers. By their very nature, we run into similar problems with shipping and inventory alerts. That said, there are ways that web designers can keep panic and frustration from seeping into the shopper’s experience.

When it comes to displaying shipping and inventory alerts on an e-commerce website, you have to be very careful about inciting panic in your shoppers.

“Item is out of stock.”

“Expect shipping delays.”

“Page does not exist.”

These words alone are enough to turn a pleasant shopping experience into a panicked and frustrating one.

You have to be very careful about how you design these notices on your site, too. You obviously want to inform visitors of changes that impact their shopping experience, but you don’t want panic to be the resulting emotion when your alert is seen.

Better Search UX

For large-scale and e-commerce sites, the search experience is an increasingly critical tool. You can vastly improve the experience for users with thoughtful microcopy and the right contextualization. Read a related article →

When people panic, the natural response is to find a way to regain some control over the situation. The problem is, that regained control usually comes at the expense of the business’s profits, trust, and customer loyalty.

Unfortunately, some of the design choices we make in terms of alerts can cause undue panic.

If you want to better control your shoppers’ responses and keep them on the path to conversion, keep reading.

Note: Because the following post was written during the coronavirus pandemic, many of the alerts you’re going to see are related to it. However, that doesn’t mean these tips aren’t valid for other panic-inducing situations — like when a storm destroys an area and it’s impossible to order anything in-store or online or like during the November shopping frenzy when out-of-stock inventory is commonplace.

1. Avoid Out-Of-Stock Notices When Possible

Colleen Kirk is a professor of marketing agency at the New York Institute of Technology and an expert on territorial shopping.

She has a great analogy to help us understand why this happens:

Have you ever felt as if another driver stole your parking spot or were upset when someone else nabbed the last sweater that you had your eye on? If so, you experienced psychological ownership. You can feel psychological ownership over pretty much anything that doesn’t belong to you, from the last chocolate truffle in a display case to the dream home you found on Zillow and even intangible things like ideas.

When it comes to shopping in person, people exhibit territorial shopping traits by placing their items in a shopping cart. Or when they put a separator bar between their items on a conveyor belt and the person’s behind them.

We don’t really have that lUXury on a website. The best we can do is enable shoppers to save their items to their cart or a wishlist, but that doesn’t keep the items from selling out before they have a chance to buy them.

This can lead to huge problems, especially when a shopper has gotten excited about that toy or shirt they “put aside”, only to discover a few hours later that the item is gone or no longer available.

The worst thing you could do is to remove out-of-stock product pages. You don’t want shoppers running into a 404 page and experiencing not just panic but also confusion and frustration.

While not as bad, I’d also recommend against displaying an inactive “Sold Out” or “Out of Stock” notice or button to shoppers as Olivela has done here:

The Olivela website displays an inactive ‘Sold Out’ button for its denim mask product. (Source: Olivela) (Large preview)

Seeing this kind of feels like Google Maps directing you to your destination, only for you to end up at the edge of a lake where there’s supposed to be a road.

“Why the heck did you even send me here?”, is what your shoppers are going to wonder. And then they’re going to have to turn around and try to find something comparable to buy instead.

There are better ways to handle this that will also reduce the chances of your shoppers panic-buying a second-rate substitute for the item they really wanted. And this plays into the idea of territorial shopping (but in a healthy way).

This is what Target does when an item is “temporarily out of stock”:

Target provides shoppers with the option to get notified when out-of-stock items become available. (Source: Target) (Large preview)

Rather than display an unclickable button and just completely shut down shoppers’ hopes of getting the item, a “Notify me when it’s back” button is presented. This is a more positive approach to handling out-of-stock inventory and, if customers really want the item, they’re more likely to use it rather than settle for something else or try another site altogether. (I’ll talk about the “Pick it up” option down below.)

Another way you can handle this is to do what Summersalt does and turn your “Sold Out” button into a “Pre-order” one:

Summersalt provides shoppers with ‘Pre-order’ button for out-of-stock items. (Source: Summersalt) (Large preview)

What’s nice about this button is that it not only empowers shoppers to secure the currently unavailable item they have their eyes on, but it tells them exactly when they will get it.

So, if you know when inventory will be restored, this is a better option than the “Notify” button as there’s more transparency about availability.

2. Don’t Over-Promise Or Give Your Shoppers False Hope

It’s a good idea to keep your shoppers informed about how external situations may impact their online shopping experience. And you can use key areas like the website’s sticky banner or a promotional banner on the homepage to do that.

That said, be very careful what you promote.

Special notices aren’t the kinds of things that get ignored the way that cookie consent notices or lead generation pop-ups do.

Consumers know to look at these areas for things like promo codes and sales event details.

If you put anything else in there, you better make sure the notice is positive, useful and truthful.

Let’s take a look at what’s going on with the Gap website:

Gap’s ‘Taking Care Takes Time’ notice addresses shipping delays due to COVID-19. (Source: Gap) (Large preview)

Gap has three notices that appear in the header of its site:

In black: “Free shipping on $25+, free returns on all orders.”

In white: “Taking Care Takes Time. We’ve implemented special procedures as we work to keep our teams — and you — safe, so shipping of orders may be delayed.”

In blue: “Extra 50% off markdowns + more.”

It’s overwhelming. And it’s almost as if they wanted the alert in the middle to be ignored (or missed altogether) as it’s sandwiched between two very sharp-looking banners that promote attractive deals.

If your alert is related to something that’s going to affect the shoppers’ experience, don’t bury it and don’t try to massage it with overly optimistic messaging. Also, don’t contradict it with another alert that suggests the first one isn’t one to worry about.

Here’s why I say that:

Gap promotes ‘Our Masks are Back’ on the homepage of its website. (Source: Gap) (Large preview)

This message is problematic for a couple of reasons. For one, Gap’s masks aren’t really “back” if they’re only available for pre-order. Second, it runs contrary to the top banner’s message about shipping delays.

Unsurprisingly, shoppers did not react well to this hyped-up announcement:

Gap receives an extraordinary amount of backlash on Facebook over mismanagement of shipping and promotions. (Source: Gap) (Large preview)

When Facebook ran a promotion on Facebook about the masks, it received a huge amount of backlash from customers. Many customers didn’t want to hear about the masks because they’d been waiting over a month for existing orders to ship and couldn’t get a customer service rep to talk to them. There were also complaints about items being canceled from their orders, only for them to magically become “available” again in the store.

A website that’s handling similar circumstances well right now is Urban Outfitters:

Urban Outfitters is focusing on the positive of a bad situation. (Source: Urban Outfitters) (Large preview)

Urban Outfitters, like a lot of non-essential retailers right now, has had to make some adjustments in order to stay alive. But rather than displaying a notice alerting online shoppers to shipping delays like many of its counterparts, Urban Outfitters has turned it into a positive.

The banner reads: “Your local UO is now offering curbside pickup!”

There’s no hidden message here that tries to explain away the brand’s bad behavior. There’s no greedy cash-grab, promising deep discounts for people who shop with them despite likely delays in shipping. There’s no overhyping of a promise they can’t possibly keep.

This is an actionable offer.

What I’d suggest for e-commerce businesses that want to keep customers on their side — even during a tumultuous time — is to keep their alerts simple, honest and useful. And if you’re going to promote multiple ones, make sure they tell the same story.

3. Soften The Blow By Promoting Multichannel Options

I recently signed a new lease on an apartment but was dismayed to discover that my move-in date and furniture delivery date wouldn’t line up because of shipping delays. I was well-aware of this when I made the purchase, but I wasn’t as prepared as I wanted to be. And because we were in the middle of a city-wide lockdown, I was unable to crash with friends who live over the state border.

I thought, “I’ll sleep on an air mattress. No biggie.” But then remembered I left mine behind in Delaware. So, I had to figure out a way to buy a cheap air mattress.

All of my go-to e-commerce websites had shipping delay alerts. And as I perused their available products (which there were very few), my panic only worsened. Until I discovered a website that offered BOPIS.

Buy-online-pickup-in-store is a shopping trend that’s proven very popular with consumers. According to data from Doddle and a report from Business Insider:

68% of U.S. shoppers have used BOPIS on numerous occasions.

50% have chosen where to shop based on BOPIS availability.

Shipping costs (avoiding them), speed and convenience are the primary reasons why customers prefer to buy online and shop in-store. It’s the best of both worlds.

If you’re building an e-commerce site for a company with retail locations that do this, then make sure you get customers thinking about it right away.

Barnes and Noble, for instance, enables shoppers to set their preferred local store:

Barnes & Noble allows shoppers to set their preferred retail store location. (Source: Barnes and Noble) (Large preview)

This is a great feature to have. The only thing I’d do differently is to place a button in the header of the site that immediately takes them to the “Change My Store” or “Find Store” pop-up or page. That way, shoppers don’t have to wait until they’ve found a product they like to discover whether or not it’s available at their store for pickup.

Once a user has set their store location, though, Barnes & Noble remembers it and uses it to enhance the remainder of the shopping experience:

Barnes & Noble uses shopper location information to enhance search listings. (Source: Barnes and Noble) (Large preview)

This is what search listings look like for “Magna Tiles” on the Barnes & Noble site when the user sets their search to “List” view. Pretty neat, right? While “Grid” view is standard, only showing the featured image, product name and price, this view provides extra detail about availability.

This can provide a ton of relief for shoppers who too-often encounter “out-of-stock” or “not available in store” notices on individual product pages. This way, they can spend their time looking at the items they can get the most quickly and conveniently. There are no surprises.

If cross-channel options are available — between website and mobile app, website and retail store, website and third-party delivery service — make sure you call attention to them early on so customers can take advantage of the streamlined shopping experience.

Wrapping Up

Panicked shopping can lead to serious issues for your e-commerce site. Rather than put your shoppers in a situation where they grow impatient, dissatisfied, and frustrated by the site that seems to put up barriers at every turn, design your alerts so that they turn a bad experience into a positive one.

(ra, yk, il)

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/removing-panic-from-e-commerce-shipping-and-inventory-alerts/

[smoothcurvesinteractive]

A brave new child

Emergence   

White, 

bed, 

un imago ally comfortable, 

ooh ow cramp!!!

massage starts 

must still be asleep, rubbing feels so good, hey honey a little lower, 

no response 

but rubbig goes lower.

Mary? 

Roll over sleepy, there is no one there, 

rubbing continues, in fact it never stopped. 

Sudden shock of the memory of loss, Mary has been gone for 7 months. 

Adrenaline powered reactions launch off the bed, oooh shit the thud as head hits low celing is that of an underripe watermelon, darkness comes back with a flash 

J oh great we over did the augmentation and requeued another one - would you stop brushing yourself and plug back in to full monitor, you would notice he is just in a state of suspended consciousness. 

Oh yeah, guess your right, Who the hell designed this species anyway? who makes a species suspend executive functionality when they receive trauma? For such  a combative species you would think head trauma is when a species needs executive functionality the most.

J You got the same briefing I did, and you know that species with caretaker class emotive architecture can not maintain empathetic coherence if lower rationality is maintained through non terminal Trauma events.

Yeah, i still think it is a stupid design, it has nearly gotten This one killed on foru separate occasions,

J You forget Burma and San Francisco. Fix the emergence venu volume, this is an OG instanceanciation. 

Oh, yeah, I guess that last one counts too. expanding, time relevant accutron. 

Lost

I wake up and shake to clear the nasty buzzing in my left ear...

I look up and around. I must have scrambled my senses when I jumped put of bed I could swear I hit my head on the ceiling, but this hotel too. Has 14 foot ceilings, geese is this the markus inn in eureka? again? 

Why'd they paint everything whit and grey? 

hospital? 

Never been in a hospital room without windows, maby they renovated the markus? the cheap chink bastards never do that.

I stand up, still a little shaky, I can't remember...

Where the hell is the door? 

there is a panel on that wall, about hand height

Child   

Follows for a while, very tan, with odd freckles, looks like he has been playing in the sun too much, long scruffy hair must be a girl. Tomboy, like jessy the polak who lived two doors when we lived in Chicago. 

Child is walking right up to me just how do you do, 

takes my hand? WTH, I’ve never even met a dog this trusting.

"it is time for me to see doctor this month, all children need to meet doctor once a month, it is my time.” 

She, pretty sure its a Sshe, says it like a memorized line. 

I am not a doctor!, 

I know that, I am not some new one, old one, I am two and a half!

Where are your parents?

Parents?

Your mom and dad?

Are you broken old one? What is a your? And a mom and a Dad?

Uh uo, in this day and age to run across a street orphan

I had heard they where still all over Europe even so many years into marshal plan, but here, in the us of a?

Delima

look down, do I take her to doc rob, or what? 

Doc would know what to do but he is all the way acr.o..ss...

I start to look around and notice that this isn't a real street..

I must have banged my head pretty good, 

am I still inside?, inside? underground? 

I don't recognize any of this, but all around me are stores and sidewalk cafe's 

it is night, most buildings are dark, cafe’s closed, stores dark

Mark? Asks the child, I need to go to doctor.

I look down, alright I say, trying not to frighten the urchin.

DecisionI 

ll find a cop,     An encounter with the cops does not go as planned

Authority

So let me get this straight, you are an adult male, and a child told you it was time to see doctor. And you didn't take the child to doctor?

Yeah, when The kid said she didn't 

Wait, SHE? is nt that being a little harsh?

Wha? you mean that mop was sitting on top of a boy?

All right enough of that! ya sick bastard! one more wack like that and your done!

Whoah officer I think there is a big misunderstanding I was jut trying to help the orphan out.

What do you mean orphan?

Like I was saying, the kid said, um, Jerry, said he had no mom and dad. Right then and there I knew something was terribly wrong.

Mom? Says cop 1

dad? Says cop 2

Yeah and I saw you two and knew you would be able to take care of it, you know child services or something.?

let me see if I understand, a child approached you, a full grown adult citizen with a full set of responsibilities and capabilities, a child in need of guidance no less, approached you, with your fine clean judicial appearance, and you bring the c.h..i.l.d to us?(he stretched out child)

Um yeah? I thought you could take responsibility. But I, not so sure now

Dam right your not so sure now.

The next few moments where a blur, because just as the cop was lecturing me about citizen responsibility and something about village children a stunning blond walked by, long neck, muscular arms like a farm girl, about my height, which is really tall for a woman, she must be swedish, her high gloss fingernails almost glow in the dark, and match all four of her crimson painted hooves. 

hooves

4

I couldn't get my head around the sight

Jerry noticed too. 

I moved to step between the freak and the kid but jerry was too fast

MOllY yells Jerry and runs right under the horse, woman, thing

Jerry looks up and says "It is time to see doctor" 

In a voice that sounded like 6 andrew sisters in perfect harmony, “sure, hop on sweetie, but i am not molly, i am mary.

Hi Mary, that judge would not take me,

Then the horse woman turned her head toward me, and I saw her face for the first time, I had noticed her face before because I was distracted by her chest, and other things. I am, usually distracted by a good chest, but this was especially distracting because this chest was smallish, and I like most of my buddies, like a  full figured girl, but bare as the day she was born. 

I looked up into those eyes that where the brown of fine Hershey chocolate, o ly those eyes where 4 sizes to big and set so far apart.I could not look away, the world started to spin those lovely watery huge horse sized, oh i had ridden my aunt pearlies mare once when we visited for easter. I was scared half to death pf the huge animal until it set its huge compassionate and amazingly intellegent eyes on me. And now those eyes where starig at me, those same deeply intelligent eyes, only they where set in jane mansfields face, 

 where I had seen compassion as a child now all I see was disgust and contempt.I started to feel dizzy, the world started to spin, I must have been really drunk. In my army days, I’d get so drunk Id passed out, I knew I could shake this, it must have been a side effect of hitting my head, 

I shook my head squeezed my eyes, and started to say "Miss, let me explain"

I think all I got out was before that beautifully twisted face came within an inch of mine and with all the indignant righteousness of reformed preacher she uttered one word, 

one accusation, and the voice of a heavenly being quite struck me dumb

"irresponsible"

My vision narrowed, everything started to go grey,Thankfuly one of the cops said something to this breathtaking freakshow

you making that official Mary?

“yes bob" said the Andrew sisters like it was their next top 40 hit

Alright you, come with us, I wish I could say I was sorry, but I became a cop because I thought that someday there would be someone who would drop responsibility and I would be right there to pull them out.

At which point I had the presence of mind to loose consciousness for the second time this short morning,

Judiciary

I woke up on a bed in a white room, not unlike the one I started the day in, no cops and no recollection how much time had passed. 

“You give us some concern Mike”, says a voice from somewhere,

My head is throbbing and my left ear is buzzing lowder, before it was just honey bee, now it’s a pissed off wasp. I sit up slowly this time,  and try to shake the headache. 

“Ah I see some residual swelling and latent pain receptor firing, I'll shunt that momentarily”. 

Then before I can say anything the throbbing stoops and my vision clears. 

Wow, “I didn't even feel the shot doc”,

 I turn but there is nobody there “Doc?”

“You will visit the judiciary now.” Is the only response I get, and it must be coming from some overhead loudspeaker only I can't make out where the grill is

a door opens and the lights in The room start to dim. Dimming lights in a hospital? fancy. 

It has the desired effect I get up to leave.

”Thanks for fixing my headache doc”, I say to no one I particular, could you fix the buzzing in My ear?

There is no buzzing in your  ear.

Judge 

you, a member of the judiciary are hereby sentenced for the crime of irresponsible, and attempted displacement of communal parenting  responsibility. As you well know the punishment for this crime is the harsest we can administer: banishment.

Wait, what? Member of the what? I'm a licenced and bonded private detective, I do personal security work. What's going on here? where am I?

Are you claiming you where unaware at the time of these crimes?

“No. I am not claiming anything, I am demanding to know where I am? And I know I have a right to habeas corpus.”

“Habeas corpus? I gotta look that one up..”

 “What? No human legal system has been based on presumption of asymmetric information in, over 300 years.”

“This distraction is Irrelevant. A child did in need of guidence approached you?”

“Yes”

“And you failed to nurture, protect, guide, support and educate that child as is your responsibility under article 2 of the luna founding constitution.?”

“The Where? What? There is no such article in the US constitution, and the only only places I have heard of called Luna where bars.”

“Claims of asymmetric information will not be heard in this court! We have complete recordings of the whole incident. The facts are not in, nor have they ever been, nor will they ever be in question.”

“The only answer remaining is what was going through that human head of yours!? Explain yourself, why did you take that child to the police of all people.” 

“Well, when the kid,Joey,Joey,When Joey told me he didnt have any parents.”

“Wait right there, here is the replay “

I am about dumbstruck as the best 3d cinema I have ever seen popps to life, but I’m not wearing the red and blues. it replays the conversation exactly, my shock at this wonder goes completely un noticed by the judge

“What possessed you to ask a CHILD such a question?”

“You mean ask who the child's parents where?” 

“Are you now claiming insanity? Are you claiming to not know the distributed responsibility matrix of child rearing? The way you, and every other human around has been raised for 3 generations?” 

This time my dumbstruck confusion was not lost on the court, and for the third time I felt the world Round me start to spin.

“Sir, Your honor, you keep referring g to me as a member of the judiciary, but I am just a regular joe, and unless I got elected by special vote of the people last night I am still just a joe. And....: as I began a tieraid about  kids having a proper mom to cook clean feed, and a dad to lay down the law and bring out the belt.. It was looking like into a mirror. 

The judge looked as dumbstruck as I did 

Judge said ,  to no one in particular, “why did no one check this guys history prior to the event?”

“Did anyone notice that judge mike here did not EXIST an hour before the incident?” “I thought not.”

“Well, mike, if that is your tpreal name, I'll start with the easy part. Ill explain everything because obviously you have been the victim of some kind of prank. And it is not like your the first meme seaplane joke gone awry.”

“You have been referred to as judge because of what you look like, members of the judiciary take the classical ancestral form as an honorarium for all those who have gone before, that have stood, and caught with the might of will for an ever better place.”

“The offense, we dispensed of individual parentage over 3 generations ago. You see, about the same time as human economies where coming to and end wit the first high volume quantum coherent state sintering printers we got to the point where need of material goods beyond critical infrastructure was dramatically reduced. Humans returning to small communities, getting away from industrial urbanization, discoveries that the requirement for intimate single parent bond was a result of a hostile world.”

“You see, Mike, we’ll call you mike until we get your real personality back, we built ourselves the perfect world. No great need, no hunger, everyone has access to all information. But we still need taking care of as humans, our youngest and oldest. Think of it as our new economy, we trade bonds in caring and nurturing.”

“Jimmy did not know his mom and dad, because shee has no concept of single parent. “

“We all get paid for taking care of children and elders. Single parenting was outlawed 4 decades ago as monopolistic anti competitive behavior, “

“free access to children, naffta newborn and free family trade act allowed everyone access to the ability to provide care for children. “

“The egyption and indonesian constitutional dissamblies of the early 21st century. sparked a Debate about what to do in a post scarcity world. The Debate went well.  But Exposure to the debate, near created a cultural tsunami, and forced macro introspection.”

“The founding of the luna colony gave humanity its first opportunity to create a functioning society, and focus all of its resources and capability to create and nurture well adjusted humans. “

Debate    

Unknown entities debate this hu

selection placement,

morality of culture shock,

morality of tampering.

He is from their pre space era

for alt makers sake. We are supposed to get emerged just look at yourself, un modified form nonetheless, procreational cavity, enhanced frontal glands, at least I took a fashionable quadrepedial hydagoniousequis form.

I have had 3G io. Propositions in the last cycle alone. just think that it would extend our goals to introduce an even more divergent seed.

This man was a soldier, we meticulously tracked and he is personally responsible for the resurrection queuing of 34 of his own species, not to mention his eating habits.

33 of those queuings where conducted in a moral envelope and under cultural coseration called "war" only 2 of those actions occurred outside of that envelope, and both where third party queuing prevention, and the las resulted in his own premature queuing.

I just think that we could extend the desired impact by introducing specimins with a higher confirmed proclivity for intraspecies destruction, Mengla, Cacey, that Russian mass murderer?

Your points are well founded but you concede to the underlays primary point.Before assent and progenitors carry forward Spanish cycle shock must be existing experience set. And the seed must exhibit sufficient ambiguity. Reluctant assent to the underlays wisdom.

[auburnfamilynews]

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Base your guesses on who we don’t pick for premium accuracy!

Here we go, heavy on the PAC-12 and we get yet another Michigan game for Crow to scoff at. If you’d like to submit your picks as well, just visit the link below to make sure they’re documented!

MASH THAT BUTTON

Oregon (-3) @ Washington (O/U 51)

Washington has been a huge let down this year. I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt dropping that weird rain delay-ed game vs Cal, but they then lost to a god-awful Stanford team. I know this game is in Seattle, but I can’t help but think UW should be getting at least a touchdown in this one. If the Ducks win here, the division is practically wrapped up for them. I think the #1 defense in the country gets it done, 27-17 Ducks. - Ryan Sterritt

So, when thinking about this game, I just don’t trust the Huskies. And after doing research, I really don’t. Since Peterson got to Seattle, the Huskies are 10-14 vs AP Top 25 teams and 0-2 against Oregon teams that enter the game ranked in the top 25. Good enough for me, especially since I think Oregon is the best team in the Pac-14 or whatever. Oregon covers, 28-17 and under. - Drew Mac

I feel like we, as fans, like to project success onto former opponents, even though it may not mean very much, because it inflates Auburn’s resume in some way. Folks, this ain’t that. Oregon is a great football team. Their defense is pretty remarkable, and I think they’re getting better. Oregon right now is on pace to allow less (fewer? Whatever) touchdowns to conference opponents than they did to Auburn (don’t check my math there). I like Oregon here, and big. Oregon 35, Washington 13. - Josh Dub

This one is a sneaky matchup. The Ducks might have one of the best QBs in the country but his receiving corps is very limited due to injuries which now includes his go to target in tight end Jacob Breeland. On the flip side, Washington has put together two really bad clunkers this season but still have the potential to take the Ducks down. I think this one is low scoring with Oregon’s #1 ranked defense proving the difference. UO 27 UW 13. - AU Nerd

Washington is an up and down squad that’s lost to both Bay Area schools. The Ducks have rolled right along since the opener and arguably, this might be their toughest game left on the schedule. But the Ducks offense is rolling right now and as Auburn fans, the more Oregon wins, the better Auburn looks perception wise. Oregon 38 Washington 24 - Will McLaughlin

Having not really kept up with the PAC 12 very much, I thought “Oh, this has to be the decider for the division right?” In a way, I guess it is since if Oregon wins there isn’t much chance they will slip up enough to let any of the other teams catch them. However, even if they lose they are still firmly in the driver’s seat. From what little I’ve seen I think Oregon is the best team in the conference and they’ll take another step towards a title with a win here. Oregon 26, Washington 24 - AU Chief

Oregon is by far the more consistent team. My biggest point of frustration with Oregon was my biggest point of gratitude in week 1…they run the ball too often when they should pass with a dynamic quarterback. I don’t expect the Huskies to be able to hold up against an Oregon team that should be playing more of an up-tempo, pass-centric style of offense instead of having their Saban-minded coach hold them back. Oregon 34 Washington 24 - Josh Black

Oregon continues to be really good. The win over the ducks by auburn gives me hope against the teams remaining on our schedule. Washington is really tough to predict all the sudden, so I’m going with the ducks. Oregon 35 Washington 20 - Son of Crow

Washington has been an unpredictable mess all season. They’ve blown out BYU after the Cougars upset USC and Tennessee. They’ve lost to an average Stanford team. I think they’ll be ready for this one, but I don’t think it will be enough. Oregon will control the game, run the ball more than they should, and keep the Huskies at arm’s length. Oregon 24, Washington 14 (Oregon covers, UNDER) - James Jones

Belushi’s all the Washington fans after they suffer yet another loss.

One Georgia transfer QB does well (Justin Fields) and the other one does not-as-well and plays for a not-as-good team (Jacob Eason). Oregon’s loved by all the metrics and the fact that their defense gets better and better looks nice for us. Duckies win 38-14. - Jack Condon

Arizona State @ Utah (-14) (O/U 49.5)

Just as the Pac 12 North could be decided this week, the winner of this one will be in the driver’s seat in the South. Utah is ostensibly the better team here, but damn it if I don’t REALLY want Herm to be successful in Tempe. The Utah defensive line will be the best unit on the field, so I’ll take them to win in a super low scoring game. 20-7 Utes. - Ryan Sterritt

This one is really interesting. I thought the Herm Edwards project was going to be a dumpster fire to watch. Instead it is somehow working. I don’t think they win this one on the road in Salt Lake but I think they get really close and have a shot at the end. State with the backdoor cover but Utes win 38-34 and the over. - Drew Mac

I get WHY were picking this game, bug I just don’t care. I’m too old to stay up and watch these. So, team Herm I guess. Arizona State 31, Utah 28 - Josh Dub

Don’t mind Herm, he’s just leading his Sun Devils to the top of the PAC-12 South standings is all.... Utah is absolutely the better team but being the better team hasn’t mattered a ton playing Arizona State this year. I expect this to be an ugly affair with the Utes questioning the reason for their existence midway through the 3rd quarter. But in the end, Utah’s stout DL proves too much and they are able to knock Herm off his perch. Utah 28 Arizona State 17 - AU Nerd

This is a Top 20 contest and unless you’re one of the few that have Pac-12 Network, you won’t be able to watch it. I wanna give some credit to Arizona State for going out of the box and hiring Herm Edwards. When he was hired, a vast majority of people (and I did too) thought what on earth were the Sun Devils thinking. But he’s got his team at 5-1 so far this year in Edwards 2nd year and helped put the Sun Devils back on the map. Utah has quietly gone about their business and also sit at 5-1 on the year. I think Utah wins but the Sun Devils cover. Utah 28 Arizona State 20 - Will McLaughlin

So I had to double check the spread on this one. Utah is favored by 2 TDs? Sounds like the Herm Edwards experiment is going really well. The Sun Devil’s have the same record as the Utes, so I guess it’s not all bad, but dang that’s a helluva spread. Anyway, I knowing nothing about either of these teams I guess I’ll go with Utah. Utah 32, Arizona State 21 - AU Chief

If a game is on the Pac-12 Network, does it even exist? Utah 27 Arizona State 20. - Josh Black

I haven’t watched one minute of either of these teams but I know herm Edwards hasn’t exactly installed the air raid. Utah 30, ASU 14. - Son of Crow

The Sun Devils can open it up when necessary, and they play a close game nearly every week. They’re very much a 10-6 style NFL team. Plenty of games within the margins. When Utah is healthy, they’re the best team in the PAC-12 South. They win at home, but I don’t like them to cover that number. Utah 31, Arizona State 25 (Utah wins, ASU covers, OVER) - James Jones

Wasn’t Utah supposed to be incredible this year? Best defensive line in the country? Admittedly I haven’t watched any of their snaps, but I just feel like going with Hermie here. Sun Devils spring the upset 31-27. - Jack Condon

Michigan @ Penn State (-8.5) (O/U 45.5)

At a certain point, you just have to accept the Michigan offense is trash. I’ll give Penn State the benefit of the doubt from last week, as Iowa is prone to do that to people, but otherwise their offense has been a ton of fun to watch to far. QB Sean Clifford is completing 65% of his passes for nearly 10 YPA, but he’s far from a pocket passer. He’s the team’s second leading rusher with 252 yards on the ground on 59 attempts (most on the team). Give me Penn State 28-17, and cue up the Jim Harbaugh 3rd Place memes. - Ryan Sterritt

*begins to read matchup*

*get to the “Mich’ part*

Yup, the other team.

Not Michigan covers and wins 24-10 and the under - Drew Mac

The B1G brand of football right now is gritty, low scoring, tough football games. Penn State is doing everything right (except the Pitt game. Ignore Pitt.) If Michigan wins, they’ll be right back in the conversation. If they lose, Harbaugh might have some uncomfortable conversations coming up with his superiors. Penn State 24, Michigan 22 - Josh Dub

I don’t trust either of these teams. Both have an insane amount of talent but are lead by coaches who thrive at snatching defeats from the jaws of victory. But do I really trust Shea Patterson to go on the road & get a big W? I do not.... Nittany Lions get it done. PSU 24 MICH 14 - AU Nerd

These two have wins over Iowa the last two weeks, and I picked Iowa both times. Never again Iowa... Anyways, a Whiteout at night and no faith in Michigan, I have to go Nittany Lions here. Penn State 24, Michigan 13 - Will McLaughlin

Penn State 28, Michigan 21 - AU Chief

Good grief Michigan has a horrendous offense. I’m honestly surprised the spread isn’t a tad bit wider since the game is in Happy Valley. I don’t view what happened at Iowa last week to be indicative of much for Penn State, as playing poorly in Iowa is a thing that happens to just about everybody. Penn State 27 Michigan 10 - Josh Black

Jack is trolling us. I’d rather talk about the NBA. Penn state 22, MICH 12. - Son of Crow

Bad offensive lines don’t travel. I could potentially have a bit of a vested interest here. Penn State struggles on offense at times, and they tend to make mistakes that kill drives. However, I don’t think Michigan can do anything to punish them. Defensive touchdown picks up the front door cover, but it stays under by the hook. Penn State 28, Michigan 17 (Penn State covers, UNDER) - James Jones

View post on imgur.com

Why are we picking this game? Because I like watching Crow and Chief suffer when they’re forced to acknowledge B1G football. Michigan is just not good, and boring to watch. Penn State is slightly less boring. Lions 34-20. - Jack Condon

Tennessee @ Alabama (-35) (O/U 61.5)

We’re seriously picking this one? Ugh, fine. Tua is gonna blast these guys and pad his Heisman numbers before he has to go up against Burrow in a few weeks. 52-20 Tide. - Ryan Sterritt

Last week Tenneseee got their first SEC win of the year.

They won’t get one this week...

The team Tennessee is playing wins and covers.

48-10 - Drew Mac

Don’t let an SEC win fool you, Tennessee is still a massive dumpster fire. Alabama gets to cakewalk through their biggest rival once again. Alabama 51, Tennessee 17 - Josh Dub

Lol. Alabama 52 Tennessee 17 - AU Nerd

Our National Nightmare is over!!!! Alabama finally got a night game!!! (They got one next week too). Guess they’ll have to find something else to gripe about now. Alabama 55, Tennessee 14 - Will McLaughlin

Remember that time Tennessee almost beat Alabama? That was 10 freaking years ago. Oof. Alabama 56, Tennessee 10 - AU Chief

Alabama may hit the over here by themselves. The only good thing to come out of this game is the complaint out of Tide fans that the game is kicking off…too late. You just hate to see it. Alabama 59 Tennessee 13 - Josh Black

Alabama is going to destroy Tennessee, as is the ritual. Let the record show I have been respectful to the tide. Alabama 45 Tenn 4 - Son of Crow

Vegas is daring you to take Tennessee in this one. If this line was under 30, everybody would bet Alabama. I still think they probably cover. I’m not sure that UT can do anything against Alabama’s secondary. Alabama 55, Tennessee 10 (Alabama covers, OVER) - James Jones

I refuse to find a GIF to pimp a pick on an Alabama win. Tide names the score. With kickoff at 8 pm CST, they’ll guarantee that the students will be there at night to see those idiot lights. Bama 59-21. - Jack Condon

Florida (-5.5) @ South Carolina (O/U 49.5)

Yeah, I do NOT trust Sakerlina to do something good two weeks in a row, especially now that Grantham will have a week to prepare for this third string Gamecock quarterback. I’ll take Florida 30-14. - Ryan Sterritt

Is it just me or were you more impressed with Florida after the LSU game than in the Auburn win? I was. I was also impressed that South Carolina beat Georgia with their 3rd string QB. What’s that? Oh, you didn’t hear that the Gamecocks beat the 3rd ranked Georgia Bulldogs between the hedges with their 3rd string QB? That’s crazy... because that absolutely happened... Carolina beating Georgia that is. But they won’t beat Florida. Florida and the under. 31-10 - Drew Mac

This line seems like an overreaction to Florida losing to the best team in the country and South Carolina beating Georgia. Florida will bounce back in a big way here. Florida 35, South Carolina 14 - Josh Dub

Oh man... This one I am VERY interested to see what happens. Ryan Hillinski is reportedly going to play while Florida’s top 2 pass rushers are not. Gamecocks got a ton of momentum while UF is looking to rebound from a strong but ultimately losing showing last weekend. I don’t think either of these teams have great offenses so it comes down to defense. If UF was fully healthy, I would give them the edge. But this is on the road in Columbia against a team that believes again.... But it’s Will Muschamp. This is the exact type of game you would confidently predict him to pull out only for his squad to pull a stinker. I trust Trask at this point more than a banged up Hillinski. Unless he throws 3 picks, including a pick 6 to end the half then I think Gators get out alive though maybe not as convincingly as AU fans would like. UF 28 SCAR 20 - AU Nerd

This game is VERY interesting now. After the Roosters shocked the world and beat Georgia in Athens (thank you very much), we’ll see who plays at QB after Ryan Hilinski left last week’s game. Yeah that’s right, South Carolina beat Georgia in Athens, with a 3rd string QB. The Gators have had back to back tough games against Auburn and LSU so we’ll see how up they get for this one. They have a bye next week before their clash with Georgia in 2 weeks. I want to pick South Carolina here badly but I learned the hard way the last time I picked South Carolina so I think Florida wins a close game. Florida 23 South Carolina 17 - Will McLaughlin

Boom really coach those boys up last weekend. What an amazing thing to see. I really don’t see it happening two weeks in a row. Although if it did it would make things pretty interesting in the East. Florida 24, South Carolina 17 - AU Chief

I’m interested to see how well the Gators can hold up with this being the tail end of a brutal 3-game stretch. Going back out on the road a week after being in Baton Rouge is going to affect this bunch, and South Carolina’s defensive front 7 is no joke. The problem is that South Carolina’s offense is all but nonexistent without Ryan Hilinski. He’s going to play Saturday according to Muschamp, but I would be shocked to see him healthy enough to lead this team to victory 2 weeks in a row. Florida 24 South Carolina 13 - Josh Black

South Carolina can’t string two competent games together. I don’t care that it’s a home game. They have coach boom, who is a buffoon. Florida 30, Scar 13. - Son of Crow

This is all in how each team reacts to their games last week. I think Florida takes some positives in what they were able to do on offense, and South Carolina won’t be able to count on a team refusing to throw over the middle or down the field. I think Florida puts it on the Gamecocks. Florida 37, South Carolina 16 (Florida covers, OVER) - James Jones

I’m gonna venture that the Gamecocks don’t score more than about 13 points in this one, and there’s no way they get two stupid games in a row to score two huge upset wins. Georgia just Georgia’d, as they’ve been known to do. Florida is going to win a really boring game and all the people that think USC has a chance to pull this one off are going to be sorely let down early on. (Please prove me wrong, Carolina). Gators 31-10. - Jack Condon

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