#i don't think my professor i'm working with wants my anime style and more of a cute cartoony one.

[tempesthreads]

I was planning on posting some art here (desperately wants to make some HSR and OC illustrations) but I was accepted for a curriculum development project at my uni so now it's time for me to do a lot of historical/cultural research and prep for that.

I probably missed out on making the most out of this summer, but I enjoyed it for the most part.

[eggdrawsthings]

Hi! I wanted to ask a question and I wasn’t sure if it was too personal or not so just ignore this is you’d rather not answer, but I was wondering if you went to art school or got a degree in it? I really want to start learning and maybe one day start a career in animation and wasn’t sure whether I should spend time and resources getting a degree. I know it’s going to be different for everybody and nothings a guarantee for this field but since I love your style and technical skill I was curious whether you had done that and what were your thoughts on it or if you are self-taught.

Hey anon! No worries it's all good!

Ig I should quickly go through my art journey so you can have an overall look of why I went to art school lol.

So I'm from Vietnam. I think back in 2013 I went to a small art school in Singapore (they were the only one that gave me a scholarship). My major was 3D modeling actually, but during my final year, I realized I only wanted to draw characters for animation. I could already draw decently, so I just read The Silver Way book and built a character design portfolio on my own during this time. I was lucky I got a job as a concept artist at a small animation studio there so I learned a lot from the job. I also did a lot of self-learning and took Woulter Tulp's Expressive Character class on Schoolism.

Then after 3-ish years of working, I got sick of the tiny and dying animation industry in Singapore. I wanna do sth more than just preschool shows and I was severely underpaid lmao. So I quit my job and took the MA VisDev program at AAU. It's a little more affordable cuz u can do 1 year online and the second year on-site. The reason I went to this school even tho i could just take a VisDev class online was cuz i need the visa so i can try to break into the industry in the US.

Now back to your question. Is art school a must? No. Should you still take it? Maybe, depends on your situation. If you can afford it then hell yeah by all means. Art school is great cuz you have professors and peers to help guide you along the way so you won't get lost while trying to figure out your shit. And to have a few years just experimenting and focusing on art is a great experience. Plus you can make a lot of meaningful connections in school and it will help you a long way after you grad. But if you have to go into debt to go to art school, then don't. There are places like Schoolism, CGMA, and Warrior Art Camp where you can pick what class and from whom you wanna learn. If you are not from the US and wanna break into the industry here like me however, then yeah getting a degree is a better bet cuz you can use the student visa and OPT to hopefully get a job here (it's still very very hard tho ngl im struggling rn as we speak lmao). Also, you need a BA to work overseas so there's that too. The hard truth is studios prefer to hire locally than some rando from somewhere else and have to wait for them to relocate and shit, (unless you are exceptionally good and they'd do anything to have you, but that is super rare lol).

Even though I did go to art school, I have to say most of my skills are from self-study. It requires a lot of self-discipline but I'm pretty much obsessed with drawing and I draw everyday so it's not a problem for me. But my friend is not good at that, so she found art school/classes helped her better cuz there are deadlines and instructors to help guide her to reach her goal. So it depends on your learning style tbh.

There is this chart that can help you consider your options. Im sorry it's a very long answer, cuz yes everyone's experience is different. Feel free to drop me another ask if you still have anymore questions tho ^^

Edit: I must also add, though there are online classes and ways to self-learn animation,I do think it only truly benefit you if you know exactly what you wanna do in this industry (for example I already knew i wanna become a character designer for 2d/3D animation specifically so any books/classes i took I tailored it to fit my goal). If you are unsure what you wanna do, then maybe even a cheap animation course will do better, and then you can take extra online classes on the side.

[trungles]

Processing Process, and More Processing

I made this post free and publicly readable on Patreon, but I'm reposting the whole thing right here too because, well, it's a free post, and I don't want to make you click away from your dashboard if you don't need to. But also if you want to support my work, here's the link to the post.

It's a little bit about cartooning, a little bit about drawing, and then it turns into a eulogy for a chicken.

I wrote “process” more than once, and now the word looks funny and is beginning to lose its meaning to me.

This post is about a few things, and it’s a little bit on the sad end of things. Nothing dire! No worries. There’s just a little mention of death, just as a heads up.

Before we get to that, though, I’ve been doing some work and had some thoughts.

I’m often asked about how I draw the noodle hair on my characters, and the answer is typically that I draw each and every line with my hand. But there are considerations of movement and volume that go into it beyond its texturally decorative purposes. I love being able to convey shape and motion with it. It’s less evident, I think, in my illustration work, but I think it’s much more obvious when I do sequential work. In the above image, you can see me working out a sequence of Angelica having a series of thoughts. Her head sort of moves, and her eyes follow. You can see I’d planned out the general shape of the hair and how I’d like it to move.

I wound up moving the drawings a little bit so that the readers eyes will actually follow the character’s eyes as it moves gently rightward on the page. The hair is there to accentuate the movement, like so:

It’s a consideration I employ in all my drawings, but especially when I’m drawing hair and fabric. I don’t use a lot of action lines, so this becomes an important way to give the reader the information that someone is moving through a space. Resistance, gravity, and motion are all things I have to keep in the back of my head when I’m doing these little drawings. I think the planning actually takes more time than the inking, which can happen pretty quickly once I map it all out.

In other news, I’m starting to take my extracurricular artistic development a little more seriously in the silliest way possible.

You wouldn’t know it, but I studied painting college—a medium I switched to after the printmaking professor and head of the Art Department at the time told me I probably shouldn’t be an artist (he gave me a hard candy for my trouble). I recently bought a bunch of little dolls, dressed them up, and am returning to my painting roots. It feels really nice to work in big blobs of color instead of lines. It’s an exercise I came up with in response to a common lament from art students.

One of the more aggravating generational tensions described to me by art school students is when professors describe a student’s portfolio as “too anime” without much explanation. I know what the professor means. They’re trying to get at how referencing your favorite anime or cartoons means that your style becomes a simulacrum, an imperfect copy of a copy, and you never learn to develop your own sense of judgment about where a line or a shape needs to go. And we can tell. It’s a way of working that is perfectly fine for cartooning because cartooning is closer to hand-writing than it is to drawing. I always turn to Charles Schulz’s work for an example. Those figures aren’t literally depicting children—with their little chessboard-pawn proportions and bread-loaf feet—but we read them as endearing children because we’ve come to a consensus between us, the readers, and Charles Schulz, the author, that those shapes mean those things. There are no whiskers or paws in the shape of the word “CAT” but you look at those three letters together, and you know the thing to which it refers. That’s an aspect of cartooning, too. Of course, what elevates it from mere writing is, in part, due to the fact that those little figures do not lose their meaning the more you depict them.

To really draw well, though, you have to do those fundamentals. You have to draw from life. There’s no way around it. It helps you develop a stronger sense of where you like to lay down your lines and shapes, no matter how stylized you like to work. It grows your judgment, and every artist’s best tool is their own well-honed sense of artistic discernment about their own work.

But that doesn’t mean you have to surrender the stuff you like or the things that inspire you to make art! I tell students that if they want to hold fast to their anime style AND hone their fundamentals to develop their eye as an artist, they should buy little figurines and toys of their favorite characters, prop those up against a light source, and draw them as still life objects. Like, yes, do the vases and the figure drawings and all those, I still think those are important. But if this is what you need to keep you interested in drawing from life, having some toys around is a great way to do it! Also, bless those sculptors and toy designers. They’re the best.

I think there’s something to be said about remembering to imagine the physicality of the things we draw, in all its dimensions and in the way it catches the light or casts a shadow. It helps sentimentalize things, too. Makes them feel more real, even emotionally.

Edwina died on Tuesday night, after a few final snuggles, surrounded by her favorite treats. She was about five years old, which is old for a chicken, and she had a very comfortable life. We buried her this morning. She was a good hen, J’s personal favorite.

It really feels like the end of an era. She was the last surviving member of our very first flock. After the other hens died, she really seemed to prefer the company of people over other hens. She is survived by Snooki and Nelly, our two other young birds who get along quite well together, actually.

A baby chick costs between three and five American dollars, typically. An egg-laying hen could be between twenty and fifty bucks, depending on the breed. There are roughly 26 billion chickens living in the world today, about 518 million of them here in the United States. They come pretty cheap. And a part of me was moved to cynicism, entertaining the thought that it might be strange to feel sadly over a little animal that, at most, might be roughly equivalent to the price of a fancy lunch and a coffee.

I watched the 1974 musical version of The Little Prince recently, and I remember it mostly because Bob Fosse was in it and scared the crap out of me as a kid—he played the snake that would take the Little Prince back into the sky when his body gets too heavy to take with him. Gene Wilder plays the Fox whom the Little Prince befriends and tames among a garden of roses. The Fox explains that he is like any other fox in the world, but he is changed—made special and particular to the Little Prince—with time, effort, and patience. So, too, is the Prince’s little flower special to him. Out of all the flowers in the universe, she was the one he watered and protected under a little glass jar. And that’s enough.

I knew my little hen would not live that long. It could be very easy to take a broad view of the life expectancy of a hen and distance myself from it by virtue of its mortality and its commonness. People who raise livestock do it all the time. But I also think it’s wonderful that we should all be capable of loving very small, very brief little things. Edwina is not, to my mind, the rough equivalent of a fancy lunch and a coffee. She was our little hen. For her whole life, she was ours. And I’m so happy she was here.

[junipers-archive]

Hi !!! I love your fics so much! They make me physically feel things and that’s the best feeling 🥹 if you do requests could you write something with Spencer where his gf is still at uni and just really overwhelmed with studying or writing stuff because she procrastinates do badly and she like blames herself but he makes it all better and looks after her ?🥹

Thank you sm!! honestly I needed this bc I've been over-working myself too :')

You were tired, no, beyond tried you were drained, worn out and fatigued. But to be fair, it was your own fault, you were the one who had insisted on persuing a phd, but unlike Spencer it was your first one. And you didn't think it'd be this hard.

But thats beside the fact, as of current you were on your way to meet said boyfriend for lunch.

When you finally get to the agreed resturaunt you can barley hold yourself up, it'd been a tough night you'd had three exams upcoming and you'd unwisely decided to pull an all-nighter.

When you see him a wave of relief follows as you basically flop against him. And maybe its the way you start to shake or the silent sighs you let out while clinging to him but you don't realize he's led you back to your car until you look up.

"Where are your keys?" he's looking down at you with a concerned expression and you can't hold back your tears now.

"W-what are you doing?"

He tilts his head like you've said the most absurd thing in the world, finding the keys in your purse and opening the car.

Once you're both inside he finally answers, "We are going home."

You feel terrible, all he wanted to do was eat lunch, he took time out of his busy schedule and now he has to take care of you?

"You-You don't have to Spence, I-I'm sorry, I just, I had a hard time studying because my professor she wanted an essay by the end of the week and I procrastinated and it's all my fault i'm so stupid-"

He silences you as he puts his hand over yours, reaching over as he drives you both home, squeezing it comfortingly.

"I know. I know Y/n, I was a phd student too and I know. And you're not stupid, you're just tired. It's okay to be tired."

Those words alone make your heart clench.

When you get home to your shared apartment he carries you bridal style despite your attempts to disuade him.

He lays you down on your couch, placing the fluffiest blanket you own on top. Kissing your forehead as he relieves you of his warm arms.

"I'll be right back." You're about to argue for him to go back to work but he pecks your lips, letting them linger sweetly before you can.

He returns with his hands filled with your favorite tea, two facemasks, an entire cookie can, a menu and more.

About to question him he answers like he can read your mind,

"For take out! Remember that Chinese place we were looking at?"

He sits down on the other side of the comfy sage couch, lifting your feet to rest on his lap and replacing your thin no-show socks with fuzzy penguin ones, turning on the tv he hands you the remote.

The tea is placed beside you on the coffee table, the cookie can sits between you and once he orders from the menu he helps you apply the face masks.

Funnily enough he grabbed the only ones you had that were animal themed, and when you're both 'exfoliating' and relaxing he looks like panda and you a duckling.

You watch 'Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi' and he answers the door when the takeout gets there.

As you're eating Kung-pow chicken, snuggled against him, now changed into your comfiest pjs you realize you'd forgotten to say thank you. But nothing seems like a big enough thanks for what he's done, so you reach over to squeeze his hand, and he gets it instantly.

"There's no need, its my job to take care of you. I love you. You're my person." And he's smiling and he's perfect and you think then that you could sit here in this moment for the rest of your life.

[v3nusxsky]

Hello miss Mars, can u do this for me

Let's say lesso was turned into idk an animal by one of her students of course she gets turned back to normal but the only thing that didn't change was her strap she has ready for her professor gf reader.

(So do you know when animals F the males D gets swollen and big on the inside right)

First round was smooth(just c@mming), second round reader is riding lesso(by that readers legs are shaking, and a tear, squirting)

Third round it's alot more heated,(doggy style, reader keeps telling lesso faster) because of what happened earlier her strap had gotten swollen and big, stretching the living out of reader(which reader enjoys very much) which causes reader to c@m,squirt alot, and maybe a little pee leaving the sheet just wet. Leaving both reader and lesso breathless, shaking, and unable to speak. Lesso then pull out of her, pulling and stretching reader alittle more.

{Mommy kink and breeding kink}

(You don't have to but can we have alot of dialog, even the moaning and screaming...can this be long too?)

{Please do not rush with the stories or this one please we appreciate your work miss Mars have a nice day/night😊❤️⚘️}

Leo’s omega

*Authors note~ my first ever a/b/o omegaverse fic I'm absolutely in love with these kind of fics*

Trigger warnings~ Alpha Leo Omega r mommy kink breeding kink knot squirting rough sex heat rut praise degrading begging G!P lesso

Prompt~ see ask^^^^^

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

You loved when you got to assist in your girlfriends classses, it was always an experience. Most of the time after the lessons ended you were promptly leant over her desk and railed into a new universe. Only this time things happened more literally than normal.

Lesso had her class practicing curses, and you were intrigued with how well they'd progressed until Hort has a go. He decided to curse Leonora and yourself, so confident with his abilities that he would be able to turn you both back. Lesso threatened him with the doom room should he fail so the pressure was on. He did his curse, you and Leonora being transported into another universe, one where you felt the need to be with Leo, all the time. You noted that Leo seemed to be backing in that universe and extremely protective of you, her stance guarding you from the strangers here. Only then you were ripped back into your normal verse. Nothing went wrong to your knowledge until you felt it. That same need to be near her, and the scent was overwhelming. You felt your thighs drench with slick.

You and lesso were active but you'd never felt this before, you seemed to be triggering Leonora's senses as well, she immediately became territorial of you, the students now shaking with fear at her dominance. Hort admitted to sending you to the OmegaVerse, and before he fled the room he reminded Leonora of one think, you'd never be human again. A hybrid and it was clear to Lesso what stance you both took. The straining member in her pants replacing her strap as you stood an unmated Omega, her Alpha wanting to claim you as hers. No not want, needing to. Your scent sweet, too sweet. She needed you and that took forefront of her mind Hort could be dealt with later.

Both yourself and Leonora made your way to your room, the scent of your own items calming you slightly. But Leonora couldn't say the same, "fuck you're in heat" Leo whined seemingly knowing more about this than you, yet all you acted about was quenching this insatiable need. "Leo I need you so bad it hurts, want you to claim me make me yours need you." 

It was as if those words awoke her most carnal desires, her lips on yours instantly as she tore through your clothing. You weren't much better shredding her clothing in a instant, her scent driving you wild with need. You need her to rail you into next week and something foreign. Your thighs were absolutely covered in slick, "Leo? Why's so much?" You mumbled confused before your eyes found her erect cock and it seemed to be starting to swell at the base. "You're in heat my Omega" she growled which caused something to stir within you. Hers. But when you touched your scent gland there was no mark there. "Show me alpha."

There was no need for any foreplay with how your slick was dripping but lesso still wanted to shower your breasts with attention while she fucked you sense, her pace more brutal and fast than normal. Due to your heat, the scent of an alpha you were cumming within minutes. Once was not going to be enough for either of you. So lesso flipped on her back and guided you to straddle her cock. "Fuck mine, fuck want to breed your cunt and fill it with my pups, you will look so beautiful full of my pups" she growled her fingers gripping your hips hard enough to bruise as you bounced on her cock. Leonora wasn't going to stop until you came all over her while she tried to hold herself off wanting to pleasure you as much as she could before she let you have her knot. You came when she bit into your scent gland squirting all over her stomach, the stretch of her new appendage tearing you ever so slightly not that you cared, the state of euphoria you were in was unlike no other.

You didn't realise you were crying until you felt her tongue licking her mark clean, the little droplets of blood causing her to moan happily before she came to lick your tears. It was animalistic not that you cared, you needed more and you were in a state of being willing to do anything for it. "Leo, need  more, alpha please knot me, make me full of your pups, please alpha I need you" your whispered and whines of need caused Leonora's restraint to snap. You were quickly positioned on your hands and knees as she entered your cunt so easily, her hands massaging the oil gland on the small of your back which has a pleased whimper falling from you. Her pace ruthless as she hammered into you feeling the pressure at the base of her dick become overwhelming. “Faster alpha harder got more please Leo faster please!”

"Oh mommy! Want your knot. Give it to me alpha please make me take it" you all but screamed for her as she bit over her mark she'd previously made causing you to squirt as her knot slipped into you, bonding you both together, her spurts of white hot cum painting the walls of your fluttering cunt white. The knot to ensure some of the cum with catch with your womb and you'd be round and full of her pups. Your stomach had a slightly noticeable bulge as you both howled in delight, your inner desires met. The scent of your alpha easing you down from euphoria.

Only when her knot depleted did she remove her dick from you, your cunt gaping from such a large intrusion and the tear noticeable there, you couldn't help but whimper before burying your nose into her scent glad. The effect she had on you was addictive and all you wanted was for her to hold you surrounded by the softest blankets and pillows, the urge to create a nest for you both slightly overwhelmed you but your exhaustion won out as long as she was with you. You'd create a nest later when your heat died down until then you'd need Leonora, your alpha, to make it all better and fuck you into a euphoric bliss, you quickly realised the uncomfortable body temperature was a sign of heat but knowing she'd claimed you as hers helped. "I love you my Omega." Was the last thing you heard.

Word count~ 1337

[journalsouppe]

Ghost trick!!!! Loved this game it was exactly what I expected from a Shu Takumi game. I do hope they plan to make a sequel or crossover, I really loved the mechanics of this game.

Writing typed below! (plus some extra commentary)

Rating: 9.3 Played: Su 2023 Port: Nintendo Switch Favorite? Y Replayable? Y Recommend? Y

Comments:

LOVE missile

really fun premise - you died and don't know who you are

DON'T GET A CONCUSSION MISSILE

not the PM erotica T-T

LMAO Payne and Wright

the kazuma pose (skull)

I'm in love with Cabanela

Lynne not again T-T

Sissel in the painting...

NOT THE FEET OUT AT WORK T-T T-T

omg the security camera murder and the meory are different. I know your tricks Mr. Takumi (I didn't realize Yomiel shot the gun twice here LMFAOO)

mmm... chicken kitchen

is everyone in love with Lynne?

I'm actually so obsessed with the Ghost Trick art style

ALL of your medicine????

he's already dead... and they used an electric chair.....

THIS IS SO FUCKED UP

chicken kitchen and execution fates were really fun

man I really want an AAxGT crossover

love how oversized all the objects are

MISSILE IS BACK AHHH and he has different ghost tricks omg... then how did the lamp know about mine

so many mysteries omg I love it

how was I supposed to get sissel to the top (skull) (I was genuinely stuck and when I restarted the level it spawned me at a different place LMAO)

SISSEL? IN THE PARK?

HE SAW ME AND TURNED TOWARD THE SCREEN (Skull)

but his name wasn't sissel... who is the lamp....

love this crazy arm contraption

red suit man had radiation in his body... so I/Sissel died near it... but who am I... (I forgot about the cat LMFAOO)

Temsik... kismet... mmmm kismet (kismet is the name of my favorite restaurant)

STOP looking at the screen

yomiel...

I WAS YOMIEL'S CAT T^TT^T

ZAM RAY WAS OLD MISSILE

little Lynne T-T

Sissel has temsik...

Game Dev Notes

really fun animations and character design

unique gamplay - I love moving thru objects

love the character dialogue - great humor and timing

extra puzzles and challenges similar to professor layton

characters have tons of personality in design and posture

LOVE the cool toned shadows on the sprites

great music

fun and sweet ending credits

Summary

Shu Takumi has done it again (even though this is a remaster lol). What and incredible mystery game with really fun mechanics. There were definitely a couple times I was stumped on what to do or was stuck bc I missed my window of opportunity, but I think it worked well since the puzzles were difficulty and you couldn't just immediately breeze past them all. I also really enjoyed gaining missile's abilities later and having to think of the puzzles in different ways. The characters and animations/sprites were really fun. There's so much personality in them without even saying a word. The game also reveals character information in a really good way as you slowly learn more about the mystery of the game yet also feels like you're getting farther from learning who you are. I also just love how this game is just made with so much love for Takumi's real pets and how Sissel ended up being Yomiel's beloved cat... what a sweet ending oh my god. Each level had such a fun and unique design while also adding a twist to the puzzle, like the stealth level or submarine sinking level. The game also has many unlockable achievements to encourage replayability as well as concept art and other illustrations to unlock. There's so much added to this game and you can really feel the love and care the team put into this game, I hope there are more Ghost Trick games in the future or hopefully even a Ghost trick x Ace Attorney crossover -- I wonder how that would play out esp with Maya's spirit abilities. All in all, such a sweet and fun game. Not too long either. Can't wait to replay it to get all the achievements and make fanart!

[bugbart]

I'm going to be asking a lot of artists I follow this question, but how did you develop your style? It SEEMS like most people find their style and stick with it forever, just making improvements and iterations. I tend to work in a lot of different styles because I enjoy doing that, though I know there are things I gravitate towards as well. But I wonder what your journey was and how you got feedback and improved while staying true to what you enjoyed?

hmm. I think the first thing i always come back to is that "style" is more or less just a code word for shorthand, especially if you're looking at a simplified, "toon-y" style. An art style is just an artists toolbox of learned techniques and shortcuts.

stylized anatomy, stylized backgrounds, etc. for a lot of artists is just how they're visually translating or abbreviating the thing they're trying to draw. If i find something works as both an efficient and satisfying visual shorthand for me, It'll find it's way into my art style.

for example, drawing faces in this style does not take very long at all, which makes the style choice good for a comic where this character is present in nearly every single panel. It's simple, its cute and fun to draw, and also to most people will effectively "read" as a face.

My style comes from taking inspiration from things I like to look at, I don't know how else to better describe it. There's a lot of influence from western comic books as well as anime/manga in my art style, (also a lot of techniques that i picked up when I was learning how to draw characters come from how to draw manga/anime books, that i still use to this day). A lot of it just comes from experimenting with what tools I have at hand (and when you work digitally you have a Lot of tools). Occasionally if there's an artist who I really like the work of I'll spend some time in a sketchbook trying to emulate their style and I'll learn something neat I can then add to the proverbial Toolbox. Either that or I learn that just because I like to look at something, doesn't mean I enjoy making art that way.

As for feedback and improving, going to college was where most of that happened for me. College was a really mixed bag, but I was and am super lucky to have had a handful of professors who really Got what I was doing and gave me genuine mentorship as well as honest, sometimes harsh critique when I needed it. Taking a figure drawing class also helped me improve soooooo much

Granted I also had at least one professor who made me want to quit doing art entirely for a couple terms, and I kind of got better/started making art that was more What I Wanted To Be Making out of total spite.

I hope any of that is coherent or helpful, and honestly if having a range of styles you like to work in is fun for you theres no reason not to make it- theres no need to narrow yourself into one distinct style if you dont feel like it.

[wanderersrest]

Wanderer's Rest Presents: An Abbreviated History of Mecha

So... I decided today that I'm going to start writing a series of posts based on the history of mecha. Not just mecha anime, but mecha as a concept in fiction. See, it should come as no surprise to anyone who reads this blog that I love mecha. I am also aware that there are a lot of misinformed takes fueled by halfwits like Gigguk that the genre is "dead," and while I am aware that mecha as a genre is not the biggest genre in 2024 as it was in the 80's or the 90's, I do know that the idea that the genre is "dead" is, like Gigguk's podcast and Gigguk himself, trash.

What I aim to do with this series is highlight the rather long history of the genre, as mecha is about as old as modern manga. This is inspired by the fact that the mecha genre is both really old and really massive. And in case you're wondering, this is inspired by Professor Otaku's complete history of mecha series. There are just a couple of differences:

Unlike Professor Otaku, I like G Gundam. That means that I'm a cool person and definitely not petty.

Also unlike Professor Otaku, I want to give the series that I mention in these posts a fair shake, even if I don't like them. I'm not going to watch every series mention here (as even watching every series I plan on listing would be insanity), but I do want people to be aware that they exist.

As hinted at above, I don't plan on covering every single series out there. The sheer amount of just mecha anime is already too much for one person to watch through.

Okay That's Cool, Wanderer. But What's a Mecha?

Good question, actually. Pop culture often defines mecha as being giant robots that are usually piloted by someone. And while that is correct, it is still a narrow definition. It cuts out a lot of influential works that don't quite fit the mold. Things like Astro Boy, Space Battleship Yamato, and Magic Knight Rayearth are series that are worth talking about when it comes to mecha even if they don't quite fit right in with the rest of the canon (and from here on out, I will be saying canon as opposed to genre due to the fact that canon can mean "a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine"). And to me, those series are just as worth mentioning as things like Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, and Mobile Suit Gundam. And in case you're wondering, yes, I will venture a little bit into video games and tabletop games. So sit tight Battletech fans, I'll eventually get to you.

Some Transparency Required

I do think, before I start working on this series proper, I should be transparent about things. After all, I am human. I have my own preferences and biases, and I feel it would be disingenuous of me to not disclose this before I started running through all of these shows. For transparency's sake, I will disclose the biases I know that I have. I don't know if I will cover every single one, but I will certainly try to.

My favorite mecha series are Mobile Fighter G Gundam, Patlabor, The King of Braves GaoGaiGar, Magic Knight Rayearth, and Gun x Sword among others.

My least favorite mecha series are New Mobile Report Gundam Wing (both the TV series and Endless Waltz), 86: Eighty Six (no 86 fans, your series isn't special because it's gritty. Iron-Blooded Orphans did everything you were doing but better IMO), and Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (Mostly thanks to the second season).

Due to how fans often use the series as a means of talking down Japanese-styled mecha, I may have a tendency to be a bit more dismissive towards Battletech.

I actually prefer Prince of Darkness over the original Martian Successor Nadesico. As for GaoGaiGar, I prefer the original series over GaoGaiGar FINAL. I do like regular Nadesico and GGG FINAL as well though, just not as much. This shouldn't be surprising if people remember that this is similar to my tastes relating to Patlabor.

I have not watched Gundam SEED. So if you're expecting me to dunk on it, I probably won't. Likewise, if you're expecting me to say that it's underrated... I also won't say that.

Likewise, I haven't watched a single Ryousuke Takahashi mecha series, nor have I watched either Macross or Giant Robo. I'll get to it one day though, I promise.

I love the idea that Attack on Titan and Ratatouille are mecha shows.

Due to my past of being a contrarian teenager as well as dipshits on Reddit constantly overhyping everything, I tend to be averse to the more popular shows.

I'm also more skeptical of the "Not Like the Other Girl" shows like Evangelion, Code Geass, Gurren Lagann, and 86.

There is a non-zero chance that I will sneak Gintama into this somehow.

But those should be most of my biases out of the way. I hope you'll join me on this long journey. If you're worried about my Gintama post, don't be. I'm still working on it, but I do think it's going to be a bit different from the rest of my posts.

[bimtheory]

I've recently done something I never thought I would, I've gotten in anime. I think the innocent girl next door bimbo act is a style that works best for gaining power while not being perceived as a threat. I'm studying it more and learning how to adopt it in my daily life and interactions. I love your perspective and ideas so I wanted to ask your thoughts on this and on the innocent girl next door act.

I have to be honest, I'm not overly familiar with the "girl next door" archetype because, to me, the girl next door is everything a bimbo isn't. But that's really just a preference, bimbos aren't that cut and dry. Just yesterday I was considering making a post about the basic bimbo types because I tried watching Jersey Shore and it made me realize that when we talk about intelligence, well, lack of intelligence -- there are pretty consistent forms it comes in. People get REALLY hung up on the intelligence loss aspect of bimbofication and claim "bimbos don't need to be dumb" but its all about one's personal perception of what "dumb" is. Chances are whatever alternative they suggest in place of intelligence loss is something that can also be read as "dumb".

Excuse me for going off on a tangent here but I'm going to continue. I also almost made this point on the main blog several months ago using My Little Pony characters as examples but I kept debating the... ethics? of that. Anyway, I'm gonna do it now.

Let's begin with Twilight Sparkle (These will be very loose examples btw). You may think "how could a character who's whole thing is being an egghead bookworm represent a lack of intelligence?" Very easily actually. A character like Twilight's stupidity would come in the form of the Absent-Minded Professor archetype. Basically, picture a bimbo who's very competent or intelligent but also a total klutz. We can have a bimbo character who's technically smart but express a sense and perception of stupidity by making them clumsy, oblivious, and socially unaware.

Then you have Fluttershy, who would probably fall more into the innocent girl next door type as you've described. A Fluttershy type bimbo would be perceived as unintelligent through being docile, passive, meek, (I personally prefer these words to just "submissive") or gullible. But she could still technically be smart.

Rarity... kind of goes without saying. A "lack of intelligence" would be expressed through perceived superficiality, an interest in glamorous and feminine things. This is literally the plot of Legally Blonde. Rarity and Elle are girly and glamorous but also kind and intelligent. Of course you could also make this type of bimbo much more vapid and uncaring, even cruel, and get the more trophy wife-gold digger social media influencer type of bimbo. Again, there are A LOT of different bimbo types. Moving on.

Pinkie Pie. Pinkie would represent probably the most common and popular type of bimbo. Silly, giggly, bubbly, hedonistic. Of course, this doesn't mean the character would actually have to be "dumb" in a technical sense, and Pinkie definitely isn't.

Now... Rainbow Dash. With her and AJ being the tomboys of the group there's bound to be a bit of overlap but I'd argue the perception of stupidity tied to RD would be that of a meathead jock. You don't see bimbos like this often, if ever, but it'd be the type of bimbo that's very brash. While a Pinkie type bimbo would probably exhibit eager playfulness an RD-style bimbo might be more aggressive in her pursuits. Her "stupidity" would be expressed through recklessness, cockiness, and probably like crass vulgarity.

And finally, Applejack. While I mentioned there being overlap between her and an RD-style bimbo it may be more accurate to say an Applejack style bimbo would have more in common with the Fluttershy-style in that the Apple-bimbo would appear stupid via a lack of pretension. Sort of the "Farmer's Daughter" type, there's a traditional aspect to it. The Applejack style bimbo would be marked by simplicity above all, the most likely to settle down and be a housewife. There's also possibly the connotation of being and ignorance stemming from small-town seclusion, refusal to change, or a refusal to question things. Consider the episodes:

Applebuck Season

Look Before You Sleep

Bridle Gossip

Over a Barrel

Made in Manehattan

Applejack's Day Off

The Cart Before the Ponies

Honest Apple

Sincerest apologies for the very long detour, anon. Like I was saying, I'm not familiar enough with the "Girl Next Door" archetype to truly comment, maybe not familiar enough with anime either because it took me forever to come up with even one example -- Orihime Inoue from Bleach, and I can't think of anyone else. But it does seem like something to consider and definitely look more into, if you're comfortable sending another message I'd love to know specifically what anime you've been watching and what characters you had in mind. Also curious as to how you plan on employing these tactics IRL. It does strike me, now that I'm winding down, that by "gaining power" you may be referring to like Emmet Till shit, performing innocence and vulnerability to get men be very protective of you.

[the-lunar-library]

Writerly Questionnaire

Questionnaire by @davycoquette

This is a very in-depth questionnaire for writers, suitable for original fiction writers, fanfic writers, and people who aren't writing but who are messing around with OCs. It's a lot of fun and I'm glad I stumbled over it.

Original post here.

About You

When did you start writing?

Very, very young. I would write and draw picture books about horses. Occasionally I finished them. The first chapter “book” I completed was called Starlight's Fury and heavily based on The Silver Stallion and similar wild horse stories. It was also only 3100 words. Short chapters, big writing, and lots of illustrations.

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

Sometimes. I have no interest in writing romance novels from the 1960s, but if I can find them cheap secondhand, I will snatch them up. I'm trying to think if there's themes I seek out without wanting to write them myself, and I sort of have the opposite... I tend to avoid stories centered on love triangles, but in my original fiction, I keep writing relationships that, if they aren't exactly triangles, veer awfully close. Eider-Diarca-Yew, Charmian-Jimson-Rigmor, Akantha-Alexandros-Genesius, and, yes, another one for the fourth book. In my own mind, I can declare these aren't love-triangly love triangles, but possibly I am kidding myself.

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer?) you want to emulate, or one to whom you're often compared?

I wrote last week about how Tanith Lee greatly affected my voice was I was developing it in the mid-2000s. The combination of her conversational tone and unexpected imagery really struck me, and I still find myself looking back to her and thinking how she would approach certain narrative moments.

I once heard a professor say that Emily Dickinson's writing style “scared him” because it was so spare and direct, and, my golly, I would love to be able to do that, and it's something I keep in mind when heading into heavier subjects. (I don't always want to scare the reader, but I often want that direct impact.)

Recently, my mother read The Alice Network by Kate Quinn and said its style reminded her of mine. But I don't think there's anyone I've been often compared to.

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)? (Room, coffee shop, desk, etc.)

I love the idea of writing in a cozy coffee shop, but the truth is that I would probably be too distracted. I tend to write in my bedroom, cross-legged on the floor. When I was younger, I mostly wrote longhand and would snatch whatever writing time I could, during free periods, in cars, that sort of thing; I would take my writing notebook to school and on trips.

What's your most effective way to muster up some muse?

The muse, she does not come when she's called. She likes music though. A lot of the time, any music will do, just to create a sense of shut-in-ness and a barrier from the world. If I'm writing something emotional, then I might go for really emotional music. (I wrote the last chapter of The Stars Are Fire with “Weight of the World” on repeat.)

But I don't rely on my muse if I can help it. When I was younger I did, and my (original) first drafts spanned years, and en route I often ran out of interest and momentum and they languished unfinished. So now, when life allows it, I try to set time aside (a 30 minute block, say), and that's for writing (includes editing) and you just have to sit and write, sorry, but yes, you may take breaks between paragraphs. This allows me to write much more quickly, and the idea that I won't be working on this first draft for years affords me a light at the end of the tunnel. I don't expect it to always work, but right now, it works enough.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

Yeah, somewhat. Relatives' homes, different areas where they lived (the differences in scenery, animals, overall moods), and then where I grew up, traces of it have shown up in my writing. As for people, that's a tricky thing to cop to, basing characters on people you know. I don't have any characters that are one-to-one analogues of people I know. When it comes to antagonists (dangerous territory), I try to draw more on my own negative traits and bend or exaggerate them rather than settle scores writing someone I know as a villain.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

Ones that I've noticed include guilt, a sense of being cursed, conflict between once-friends, untrustworthy romantic interests, large snakes, learning how to break free/express anger in a useful way. They're not surprising. Not that I'm an edgelord or something, but these are things I'm interested in, these are things that I think make for really powerful stories.

I could also sweepingly say DEATH, because that is something I return to, though I think more in fanfiction than in original fiction. Lost Savior, Elysion, Death and Ker, The Stars Are Fire, parts of The Muse Trilogy, definitely parts of the unposted Fate stuff – they all focus on mortality and what it means for you (the person dying) and how you cope with it (the person surviving).

I'm sure there are themes that would surprise me, but that's the sort of thing a reader figures out before the writer does.

Your Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.)

I'm the author, and I'm irresponsible, and I'm saying Alexandros, the trickster prophet from To the Ravens. He's not my favorite in that I think he's particularly admirable. You could definitely pick a better role model. But I love writing him. He's creative, intuitive, over the top, very fun in how he talks and how he acts. He can be warm and reassuring and heroic. He's beautiful and eloquent and he can cut right to the heart of the person he's talking to. But he's always operating from an angle, coming up on your side. He spins explanations quickly, he lies with a smile, and he never looks back. He's exhausting, but so fun to write.

Which of your characters do you think you'd be friends with in real life?

I feel sorry for Diarca, and he's shut up in a mirror, he could use a friend. I would also love to be friends with Wuxle, just an absolutely steady presence, someone who will watch your back when you're in danger while undramatically pointing out you're maybe not making the best decisions. I could see myself befriending Akantha and Karyai and probably even Kokkonas, though we might bicker a lot.

Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

It's probably too easy to just list off antagonists, particularly the ones who head into Actual Villain territory. Among the “good” or more neutral characters, I think I'd find both Charmian and Yew sometimes frustrating in real life. But then, their bad decisions are part of why their stories happen. I don't think I'd actually dislike them, but there might sometimes be words exchanged.

Tell me about the process of coming up with one, all, or any of your characters.

I don't have any one method. With Eider, I set out to make her very appealing – I designed her to be extremely beautiful for that fairy tale factor, and I wanted her to be very brave and earnest in the hopes the reader would really get behind her. So there were a lot of deliberate choices made in her creation. Similarly, Arsen was intentionally written to evoke gothic romantic hero tropes, hopefully to examine them in an interesting way. Other characters come along in a more as-you-go sort of way. I've talked about how Jimson was originally a more villainous character, and I'm not sure what exactly changed him – the needs of the story versus how I felt while writing the character – but he definitely circumvented my plans. Akantha was originally a defiant trickster character, but researching the lives of Greek women in antiquity ended up being more interesting to me, so I wrote her well within those confines, defying them in a more slowly building way.

Right now, I'm brainstorming a possible ghost character, but at this stage I don't have much set in stone – some world-building ideas for where the ghost comes from, some tropes I might use for their personality. I think part of this process is going to involve reading different ghost stories from different sources and seeing if that shakes any interesting ideas loose. From there, I might just start listing possible tropes, origins, arcs, regardless of whether they're good, and see what connections form. Or maybe I'll work on a different character from that project and the arc of that character could end up shaping the ghost's arc secondarily. It's still early enough that things could head in so many directions; the ghost doesn't even have a name yet.

Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters?

Many! There's the stuff I mentioned above, like Yew, Charmian, and Akantha all considering themselves cursed in some respect. I see some similarities between Jimson and Alexandros, these charmers who have some pragmatism behind their smiles. Mabry and Yew are also somewhat similar, bold, irreverent, even having some similarity in their designs with their long sleek hair and big dark eyes. Charmian and Akantha both deal negatively with arranged marriages. These characters aren't identical, but they share some themes and ideas I've been turning over and exploring from book to book.

How do you picture them? (As real people you imagined, as models/actors who exist in real life, as imaginary artwork, as artwork you made or commissioned, anime style, etc.)

I'm able to draw them, and that's another way I refine their characters. (Though in many cases, I don't draw them until after the project is finished.) Even so, it's not perfect. I can draw a figure with the necessary traits, but it doesn't necessarily capture the character. I still feel like I haven't ever properly drawn Arsen, and though I've gotten closer with Diarca, he's still elusive. Still not entirely pleased with any pictures I've done of Genesius – I don't think I've quite gotten his maturity, maybe. Real people do sometimes influence the characters' designs; I'd been watching lots of Poldark ahead of writing The Price and Prey of Magic, and my goodness, Aidan Turner and his deep sultry voice definitely passed some DNA on to Arsen.

I realize though that's not quite the question. How do I see them in my mind, as real people or drawings? I think it's closer to real people, but real people whose faces are still sometimes a bit blurry and uncertain to me.

Your Writing

What's your reason for writing?

I've always done it, and I've always been considered good at it (for my age group, when that was still applicable). As with a lot of writers, there's a sense in which writing's difficult and I drag my feet, but simultaneously I can say that I love it, I get an emotional and even a physical sense of well-being from it. It makes me feel accomplished, it organizes my thoughts. Being able to write, especially original projects, often feels like it's a sign of my mental health being good. When my mental health isn't as good, writing fanfiction allows for a lot of comfort and fun, emotional release, and interacting with other fans. (Which is not to say I only write fanfiction when things are going wrong in my life – don't worry about that! But for years I felt like I couldn't write original stuff anymore and fanfic gave me a way to keep writing.)

In a more exterior way, there's a quote from the Matilda movie that I can only paraphrase, but which has always stood out to me: That writers send their books out like ships to bring messages to people. I'm not claiming to have very deep material, but I think about how much enjoyment other writers' books (and fics) have given me, and I would love to pass that on as a writer.

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

All comments made in good faith, even criticism, are generous gifts. But the comments that really stand out tend to be specific – lines people liked, twists that surprised them, theories they have. One comment I remember from years and years ago was an anon on Fanfiction.net who noticed I updated a certain fic the same day every week, and that made them look forward to that day all week. Another reviewer said that years after first reading it, they still quoted one of my fics. Learning that is so touching and I'm feeling all fuzzy writing about it now.

As for criticism, I've definitely gotten it, and while I don't always agree with it, I think I can tell when the reader's put thought and honesty into their feedback. So even if I don't make the changes they suggest, the feedback is still valuable. Other times, the critic's been exactly right, and even if the feedback comes too late for me to change a project, I can still keep it in mind as I write new things.

In general though, comments in and of themselves are motivating. You might know people are reading a fic, you might see the hit number going up, but not hearing what people think about it is discouraging.

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work? (For example: as a literary genius, or as a writer who “gets” the human condition; as a talented worldbuilder, as a role model, etc.)

It's that Matilda quote again. I really, really want you to enjoy my writing, whether it's original or a fic. I want you to read it and remember it years later, and it gives you a warm nostalgic feeling, taking you back to that time in your life. When it comes to characters and world-building, I hope people find them intriguing and worth studying for their own writing, and I hope the themes and my takes on them resonate with people. But the real thing, the crucial thing, is that I hope you like my writing and remember it.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

It's hard not to think of an answer that doesn't come from someone else. It's also easier to focus on shortcomings. Part of the problem is that quality is subjective, so something I really like about my writing could be just the thing a given reader hates.

I think I'm capable of some good poetic language. For some people, it might shade too purple; other people might say it doesn't go purple enough. Some would say that if I like a line, I should make like Faulkner and kill it, but I don't subscribe to that motto. If you let all your darlings live, will you let some awful cringey lines survive? Yeah, probably. But experience will make you better able to hear what sounds awkward and what doesn't, and, honestly, better that your writing be awkward and memorable than serviceable and anonymous.

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

People note my descriptions, my dialogue, especially funny one-liners. Readers have also liked (or at least been affected by) my emotional endings, particularly in fanfic. On reflection, my fics' endings tend to be received pretty well.

How do you feel about your own writing? (Answer in whatever way you interpret this question.)

It's tiresome to harp on, but I do see a lot of flaws in my writing. I often feel my plotting is weak and I can fumble when it comes to internal rule-/world-building.

On the positive side, right now, at this point in my life (the last 7 – 5 years or so) I'm very happy that my writing's been happening, projects emerging quickly, projects getting finished. I can't know if that will last, but I'm grateful for it as it's happening.

As for the writing itself, looking at it separately from me, my feelings are complicated. Like many (most? all?) writers, I'm writing the stories I want to read, so that's fun. On the other hand, they're written by me, so I can see backstage, as it were, see all the scaffolding and compare the story to an ideal non-existent version of it in my head. So that harshes the fun.

I've written before that when it comes to my fanfic, I'm able to go back after posting and reread it and enjoy it a lot. But rereading my published stuff doesn't offer much relaxation – I'm too caught up in things I can no longer change. I still feel that way with The Price and Prey of Magic and The Escape of Lady Aigle, but with To the Ravens, I have been able to go back and reread it, at least some sections. And while I still see small things I question and wish I could go back and alter, I do enjoy rereading it. I don't know if I've turned some corner or if there's just something special for me about To the Ravens.

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

If I'm looking at this literally, I think I would be too depressed to write. But looking at it theoretically, at the broader question – or maybe just hoping that my initial depressed paralysis would be temporary – yes, I think I would write even if I didn't expect anyone to read. I have writing projects that I never plan on sharing. I have a diary I don't ever want anyone who knows me to read. My favorite fanfic has never been posted, and I'm still torn on whether it ever will be. Like I said above, writing makes me feel good. So if I'm the last human, I think writing would help. And I think I'd want to document things, just in case someone ever did come along.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? If it’s a mix of the two, which holds the most influence?

I don't know if anyone can write with such selfish purity, if they're intending to share their work. (Again, see my favorite fic, just for me, utterly self-indulgent. But even there, I didn't write it without ever considering what other people would think of it. The barrier of outside criticism was lower, but it was still there.)

So yeah, I think about the audience, in terms of making my ideas clear, or trying to make sure I'm not unwittingly offensive or insensitive, and then, yes, what they might enjoy. On the other hand, I'm very much writing the stories I want to write. My fanfic is mostly for niche JRPGs from the 2000s, 2010s, not exactly white-hot fandoms; even within those fandoms, I don't think I'm writing the subjects or characters that will get the most hits. As for the original stuff, if I was going for mass appeal, all three novels would be markedly different. I don't think I would've written a book about a second-century snake cult on the moon.

But I think there's a subtler answer. There's “readers” as in generic, mainstream readers. And then there's people who read my stuff. These are people I do and don't know, and if they like some of my writing, I'd like to think they'd enjoy more of it. I wouldn't want someone to read one of my fics/books and be majorly disappointed by another. At the same time, you can't expect to hit the target for every reader every time; that's unreasonable.

This answer is just getting more garbled. Yes, I do both. I have no idea what the percentages are, but I think generally it's always best to be true to yourself in writing, even if it might alienate some readers. Again, better to alienate and make an impression than to be palatable and easily forgotten.

[neurodivergent-uni-support-group]

When your brain refuses to function with the same strategy everyday

I've recently finished writing my dissertation after 3.5 months, so am still just about living in academic mode. Unfortunately one thing I haven't seen people who struggle with executive functioning talk about as much is the fact that I can find a strategy that completely clicks with me and works perfectly, but then won't even help me get five minutes of work done the next day. So, I'm gonna slowly build a masterlist!

This was originally supposed to be specifically about how to find the right music to function with but might as well broaden it out a bit. If anyone has any strategies/music/website recommendations that work particularly well for them, let me know and I'll be happy to add them!

Music

Lofi Girl Livestream - Starting with the obvious one, but it's well-known for a reason! The song styles remain consistent enough to not get distracted by changed while still being different enough to keep the brain working, people are constantly in the live chat so there's an element of bodydoubling, and it's a livestream so you don't have to worry about changing songs partway through work. Plus if lofi hip hop's not your thing, they have a synthwave version too.

There's a platypus controlling me but it's lofi (1hr edition) - Getting a bit weirder now, I will admit, but I stand by this one 100%! At least once in every assessment period I will have it set to loop and playing for a full day. If instrumental music leaves too much room in your brain to be distracted, this one usually does the trick. The first couple of rounds might seem more distracting than it's worth but half an hour in, you'll be golden!

Mario Kart Double Dash Full OST - This doesn't specifically have to be Mario Kart Double Dash, but it is a fun one! Basically just think of a game that makes you feel nostalgic or comforted or happy, see if there's a full OST for it and hopefully it'll help. Other soundtracks I'm a fan of using are Danganronpa 2 and Professor Layton, but it depends what kind of speed/genre you prefer.

Minecraft but it's raining - Kinda similar to the previous one but this time it's particularly peaceful OSTs with extra sounds on top! The one linked is the video I use the most but it's the same few songs repeated over and over for 10 hours so depends whether you work better with repetition or variation. There's also an Animal Crossing one here.

8D Lofi Girl (2hrs) - If normal lofi and added rain isn't cutting it, 8D might be the way to go! Since the music is constantly changing direction it adds a bit more interest to your brain. It's only 2 hours long but there do seem to be a fair few others on YouTube so shouldn't be too difficult to turn into a playlist or queue.

I'm Still Standing - Just the song. I just put it on loop and for some reason it sometimes works. Pick whichever song you want for this, though maybe keep it for final day crunches and be prepared to never be able to listen to the song again outside of work.

Websites and Apps

Forest - The main programme I've been using this time around! You set a timer and choose a tree, and every time you complete a time period of work without going on one of the apps/websites on your blocklist, another tree is added to your forest. It comes as both a Firefox Addon and an app, which can either be used synchronised or separately. Be warned, if you do want to synchronise them, you'll need to buy the premium version of the app, but it's a one-time payment of £3.89, so if it's something you can afford, it can be really useful.

Noisli - A mix of background noise and generally useful features, this one's a website and an app. It has lots of different background noises and you can mix and match them to make your ideal work setting. There's also a timer and space to type within the website if you don't want to move outside of it during work!

[spaceorphan18]

X-Men 97 Episodes 1 and 2 Review

Okay! My thoughts on the new X-Men Animated series on Disney+

I'm going full on spoiler-y, so I'll put it under a cut

Okay - so over all tone/atmosphere/nostalgia stuff...

I think they did a really good job recapturing the feel of the original animated show. I'm not sure I love the throw back to the messier animation style, but it works. It's also more adult, too -- there's more explicit violence, and the adult themes are a little more present. I'm sure it was intentional because I think this is made, less for actual kids, and more for people who grew up with the original show who are now adults.

I think the second episode was stronger than the first. The first felt a lot like, not even a where are they now, but a - let's throw back to sentinels and the issues at hand. And. Meh. I've never been a fan of the sentinels. I did like the second episode kind of expanding and exploring the world more. I think it set the stage, more, for the show that they want to do....

The Introduction of Sunspot: I've never been a huge fan of the New Mutants (I'm sorry!) but his incorporation of being a young mutant new to this world worked really well. I kind of loved his attitude and his energy did exactly what it needed to!

Jubilee: Oh, she was so annoying in the original -- so it was nice to see she wasn't in this. She works for me, and I'm curious as to what they do with her - as she's the only one who didn't really get a trajectory spelled out for them.

(Also as an aside - there are new voice actors and I think they all do a really great job.)

Beast: I don't think he got much to do, either, but he was his delightful self. I really hope he continues to add a great flavor to the show.

Bishop: It's nice that he's now included -- but I wish they would have done more with him!

Morph: Was really there for all the cameos and sometimes comic relief.

It makes me super curious as to who else will show up in this show. I hope they don't try to cram everyone into this first season...

Which reminds me.... Professor X is still in the opening credits. But he died in the previous series. So.... ??

Wolverine: I'm so grateful that he wasn't front and center. I get so tired of Wolverine-centric things, and they included him very much as a team member. I still kind of eye roll the lusting after Jean thing, but one of my favorite moments is him figuring out that Jean is in labor.

Cyclops: Oh ole Cyke with all of his demons. But they made him so much more interesting than in the original series where he was so dull and dry. And they did some interesting things with this powers, so I'm curious as to where they go with this...

Jean: Look, if you guys know the original show, you know how annoying Jean Grey was. It took me really reading the comics to have an appreciation for her, because she was by far my least favorite part of the show. She just... was so useless most of the time. And I was grateful that they've made her less so here but....

The twist: OMG THAT'S ANOTHER JEAN GREY AT THE DOOR WHAT??? Look, guys, I was surprised when they had her give birth so early, but they're doing the whole Cyclops/Jean/Madilyn Pryor/baby Nathan mess and I am so here for it. I have my popcorn ready because it's such a disaster and yes, please give me all the clone drama. Because I find it hilarious. And I have no personal care about how it works out....

Storm: My girl! MY GIRL! I love Storm so much, and she really shines in this. She is so. good. And then she loses her powers, and they're doing what the original show did -- referencing the comics in a big way. There's a whole arc about Storm losing her powers (though that was during the 80s) but it was so good for her character development. I'm super curious if they're going to let Storm go through that same journey as in the comics.

And as an aside - I kind of wonder if they're going to let each of the characters (or group of characters) have their own focus? That is how the old show worked. Hmmmm....

Gambit: Is going through his 90s slutty fashion phase and I love that for him.

(More on him in a minute.)

Magneto: *side-eyes* Okay. ... Okay. They did the whole Trail of Magneto thing, and I think where they're going is interesting. it works. But there's going to be a flip at some point. I mean, y'all know that is coming.

I just... whatever. You know what I'm going to say, I will get there...

Rogue: My dear love Rogue.

I didn't love her delivering the baby -- that's not how... oh whatever. Her powers are often nebulous.

That's not what you want to hear me talk about anyway.

Okay, guys, okay.... here's my thing. I get it. I get it i get it i get it. But of all the things they've decided to resurrect from the comics -- the love triangle from hell -- the very reason I stopped comics for half a decade, i just... okay.

So. Yes. Rogue and Magneto had a fling in the comics. Once very briefly before Gambit was even created. And one very tedious time later when I decided I didn't have to read such crap and stopped reading comics all together until Rogue dumped his ass and came back to the X-Men (it's... a very long story).

I get the why here -- Rogue's story has always been her powers and controlling them and longing to touch, etc, etc. It's one of the reasons I liked her so much originally. There was a tragedy there.

I do think it's kind of weird that they retconned a previous relationship when there wasn't one in XMen TAS. But it is comics accurate. And there's a full story about Rogue figuring her shit out. I get what they're setting up here. (I mean -- unless they throw us a complete curveball and go the Age of Apocalypse time line where Magneto and Rogue are married -- but I don't think they will? If they did, I probably would let this go because I couldn't with this.)

I don't love it. I've made my peace with the fact that it is a thing that happened in the comics. And it helps that Rogue and Gambit have been happily married for the past six years (and that's a long time in comic years) and have put all of this past stuff behind them.

If the story plays out the way I'm sure it will, then I'll ultimately be fine with it. I did like the smaller moments we did get between Rogue and Gambit. There's definitely a connection there. And they're definitely pulling the whole love triangle thing with Gambit seeing stuff at the end of episode 2.

I just... don't want him to be a sad sack through the rest of the series. And I don't want Rogue's entire story to be about her relationship with two men. All of these characters deserve better than this.

But -- overall, I did like the show. I'm curious to see what they do with it. And just hope they don't try to cram too much into it - because they do have a ton of characters and a lot to service.

What did you guys think??

I may have to rethink our friendship if any of y'all are rooting for Rogue and Magneto. But <3 <3 anyway.

[blucifer08]

So I haven't done a "propaganda post" for the @woltourney in a while, so I figured I'd make another! I struggled to think of what I wanted to put for this one, but I finally decided on something. The thing that is most striking to me about Naru is the way she fights, and I'd like to share a little about the inspiration for how I write about her prowess on the battlefield.

As such, I will be putting this under a readmore, as it does contain descriptions of violence; all wols have to face danger on the battlefield after all!

You can vote here!

(also woltourney i'm not actually sure if descriptions of violence are against the rules for propaganda; if so just lmk and i will remove ;v; i couldn't find anything on the blog but i may have missed it)

!!!!!! so cw for gore and violence under the readmore, and here's a photo of Naru to go with it :) !!!!!!

Naru grew up as a toddler mostly alone. She was eventually picked up by Magnai when he found her out on the Steppe and he took her in as a younger sister. Naru's family had all been killed. As such, she had needed to manage on her own for a long time. This involved learning to hunt and kill animals on her own.

This wasn't easy. She had only a dull knife and needed to learn to carve out the right parts of the animal to eat, and a lot of it was trial and error. As such, she became pretty good at dismembering things.

So for Naru's fighting style, I took a lot of inspiration from a passage from the Zhuangzi. The Zhuangzi is a Daoist text (and a philosopher) full of short passages from which you can derive certain lessons about the world and about Daoism. It's a very complicated text and I spent a lot of time in classes in University going over it. (Funnily enough I feel like every professor had different ideas about what the texts inside meant.._

But there's one passage in particular that has always been my favorite.

Cook Ding laid down his knife and replied, "What I care about is the Way, which goes beyond skill. When I first began cutting up oxen, all I could see was the ox itself. After three years I no longer saw the whole ox. And now I go _ at it by spirit and don't look with my eyes. Perception and understanding have come to a stop and spirit moves where it wants. I go along with the natural makeup, strike in the big hollows, guide the knife through the big openings, and follow things as they are. So I never touch the smallest ligament or tendon, much less a main joint. "A good cook changes his knife once a year because he cuts. A mediocre cook changes his knife once a month because he hacks. I've had this knife of mine for nineteen years and I've cut up thousands of oxen with it, and yet the blade is as good as though it had just come from the grindstone. There are spaces between the joints, and the blade of the knife has really no thickness. If you insert what has no thickness into such spaces, then there's plenty of room more than enough for the blade to play about in. That's why after nineteen years the blade of my knife is still as good as when it first came from the grindstone.

This is from the Burtson Watson translation, I believe!

So yeah, it's this short little story about a butcher not needing to change his knife. The effort you will have to expend to do something is easier if you follow along the natural way. If you cut through the joins, you need not hack through bone. And this is how I've pictured Naru managing to get through her childhood--she had one shitty dull knife, but figured out that it would work as long as she cut correctly. And this gives her an edge in battle-- a horribly terrifying one, but an edge nonetheless. She is able to size people up and figure out the best places to cut. Here's a section from a fic I'm working on as comparison.

Slipping in and around the footmen is not that hard, really. They’re not prepared for someone as fast as her. Her eyes gravitate immediately to their weak points. Gaps in armor, gaps in clothing. Her blade slices through the elbow of an arm holding a weapon. She drags her knife through the back of a knee, sending someone to the ground. Every movement of her shoulder, every step she takes, every pressure of her joints while she swiftly and lightly wields her knife, all of this was as carefully planned and prepared as the routine of a dancer.

Every man is divided into parts. 

A good carver may change her knife once a year, but Naru has used the same knife all these years. One needs only to insert the thin blade in those places with space, cut through what need be cut and preserve what is left of your blade. 

Every man is divided into parts.

Naru makes it to the giant machine upon which rides the man she has been tasked with killing. She cannot divide the machine into the parts from which it was created; she knows not how it was built and from where it came. Instead she climbs the metal beast. Soldiers reach up to try and grab hold of her, drag her down. Others shoot wildly at her and by the tiniest stroke of luck, the bullets miss. The man at the control starts to throw the machine into a frenzy.

She grabs hold of some gap in the metal and hoists herself up to the top of the machine. She carefully keeps her balance, tilting her weight this way and that in order to keep herself at an equilibrium. Her tail swishes wildly for this effort. Every man is divided into parts. 

She takes a breath and leaps upon him. He unsheathes a sword but he doesn’t have time to harm her with it. Her blade makes it under his chin and slices that vein that gives life, releases his blood unto the world and all over her body. He sputters, grunts, groans. Blood drips from under his mask, choking on his own ichor. 

She has sliced a part that gives life, divided him from life and into death.

So, yeah! That's where Naru's fighting style really takes inspiration from. She is one of those fighters who kinda shuts off her mind a little and acts on natural instinct--it's just her instinct is good. She's calculated. It makes me happy, it's a point of pride for me. I did a lot of studying Chinese religion in school and I took many classes that went over the origins of Daoism and they always go over the Zhuangzi and make you read some of it, and I just always love to get to this passage. There are many other great passages too, though! But that's a conversation of it's own haha

That's my "propaganda post" this time around, I really just wanted an excuse to share one of my favorite things about Naru. I know it's long so if you ended up reading this far: thank you! and consider giving Naru your vote :D

[sheepwithspecs]

Fic Writer Interview

I was tagged by @slusheeduck for this! Thank you for the tag :) I tag @lynmars79, @shivasdarknight, @risingsoleil, and @haku23 (as well as any writer mutuals who want to do it! I can't remember who all posts on Ao3 and who doesn't, lol)

How many works do you have on AO3?

66!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

733,508!

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos

Apology: my very first Coco fic, written after I returned from the theater

Week of the Full Moon: a Hellsing fic that's on semi-permanent hiatus until I rewrite it in full (why do people like this one so much?)

Coming Home: another Coco fic

Shadows: yet another Coco fic LOL

Knock Her Socks Off: the only Kill la Kill fic I ever wrote (shameless gamagōri x mako fan)

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to respond to comments, even if it's just "thanks! glad you enjoyed it!" or something like that. Of course, if people ask me questions about the plot or make specific comments, I will always do my best to answer them (though maybe not always in a timely fashion...)

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I would say probably Paramour. Not to give too much away, but near the end Darklaw has to make a very hard choice. It's up to the reader to decide whether the choice was right/necessary or not.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

I usually end up writing best case scenario fics... I think I would choose Surrender, though that might surprise some readers. I think that's the most realistic happy end that this couple would have (realistic = in terms of canon-compliance).

7. Do you write crossovers?

Does it count if you're writing for a crossover game? [Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney] Probably not.... I'm more prone to write AUs than crossovers.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

LOL yeah.... there are a few that I can think of off the top of my head:

when I was actively writing Hellsing on ff dot net circa 2013-2015 there was this bozo who kept telling me I was going to hell for writing about this evil twisted demonic... vampire anime

comment on a fic with a clearly stated master/slave femdom tag "I tried to read this but it's too much like a degrading bdsm slave relationship!" (woah... really???)

"your ocs are really lame!" thanks so am I 👍

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

aren't there jokes about ace people writing the nastiest smut or something... yeah of course I write it! I actually struggle with it though because I'm ace so I don't really... know what people find sexy? Readers have told me "this was so hot" and I'm literally like "thanks! (was it????)" I love reading smut though so I do what any good art student does (study masters, then try to fit my own style to what I learn).

I really like gfd (gentle femdom) so my writing tends to slant in that direction... What could possibly be more sexy than a loving exchange of power? Especially if you add enemies to lovers to the mix and that exchange involves a larger-than-normal amount of trust and vulnerability > i.e. "yes we literally fight to the death every Tuesday but you're the only person I trust to have me tied up like this" No one asked but personally I think I did very well with the rewrite of All Bets are Off... every time I read it I'm just like "wow op made this so yummy"

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

If I did, I don't know it. Funny enough though someone once tried to flag me that someone stole my work... that someone was me under a different pseudonym... so I've stolen from myself!

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I have a pretty laid-back policy; as long as you name me as the original author + give me a link to the translated work, you're allowed to translate my writing into any language.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, but I'm not sure if any escaped the Skype logs... I don't even know if they're accessible now. But I did co-write fics back in the day with friends! I'd love to do so again sometime.

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Franken Stein x Marie Mjolnir from Soul Eater (For the record i also like Stein x Medusa bc I read either "I can fix him" or "I can make him worse" depending on my mood)

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Pas de Deux. It's not that I don't think I'll finish, but more that I'm not at the skill level I want to be yet so I can't bring myself to work on it.

15. What are your writing strengths?

Readers say that I'm really good with dialogue but I'm not sure... personally I can't say if it's a strength but I love when I can deep-dive into a character's emotional state and tear apart their personal fallacies while also pretending they are truths for the sake of the narrative... I hope I'm good at that.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Action scenes. I can't write fights to save my life. Also setting descriptions.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Personally I learned a lot from reading blogs like Writing with Color and Writing with Disabilities etc. about how to write non-English dialogue (or maybe a variant like ASL). I've tried to incorporate what I've learned in my writing and now I notice things, like when someone overuses foreign language or they write with a very strong accent for the character. Some things I've learned are also contextual! For example, FFXIV writers include accents in their dialogue boxes. That's why I allow Rhoswen to speak with the "ye / fer / n' / 'o" etc. in her dialogue in my fics. But for a character like Father Anderson, in my rewrites it's easier to mention he has a Scottish accent, then maybe include one or two variants in the dialogue rather than having the entire thing be nigh-unreadable.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Unpublished: A Bug's Life. I wrote a fanfic comic for my younger brother on notebook paper one day when we were kids

Published: Hellsing. I published a fanfic in 2012 with an OC main character not realizing that people thought that was cringe (but I still got a lot of positive comments for it so!!!) I started revising it in 2015 so there's an unfinished version you can read here.

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

I keep saying I'm going to write for the Paper Magician series but it's genuinely so good that I don't know what I could possibly add to it.

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

There's no way I can choose just one fic, so here are my top three:

The Rites of Spring: I think these two should kiss and also dance in the town square. I hope OP finishes it one day.

A Curious Attraction: The original had more words than a standard novel. I hope OP finishes it one day.

Architects of the Ashes: Zenos should not be fixed but he should be put in a sandbox sim. I hope OP finishes it one day.

[spinoff-antithesis]

[@distinguished-turtle-enjoyer ]

i actually have not stopped thinkin bout your bb!edit like,,,, its so good and scratches my brain right

how long have you been doin edits for? do have any tips for someone, who hypothetically, wants to start doin edits too? what programs do you use? how did you do the cool animated bits?

im so sorry for all the qustions 😭😭 i just think youre very talented and inspirational and i hope you have a good day ^_^

hi firstly oh my gosh you're literally so sweet i am gently shaking you i love you so much /p. secondly, i apologize for the long answer! (it's all under the cut. this got away from me. i'm so sorry apparently i have a lot to say.) (also you're so good about the questions i would constantly be asking one of my professors questions during class to the point where she said i didn't have to go "i have a question" every time i approached her)

i've been editing since 2016! around march/april, i think? loved it so much i went into film & video production in college as a major so i could do editing for a living. (i have done more motion graphics for my classmates than i have done edits outside of class assignments, BUT!)

the program i use is after effects - i started learning it when covid first hit the united states because i had nothing better to do with my time (other than music theory but i failed that bc my professor focused more on the history aspects than the actual theory soooo) and my ipad kept giving me the "no more storage" whenever i tried to use videostar lmao. (vs has, apparently, gotten a LOT of good updates, so if you're looking to start editing and have an ios system, i'd look into it! only downside is you have to pay for some of the cool stuff).

also the program i use for masking (i think i explain this later dwdw) is superimpose. i've been using it since 2014 and it's SO nice bc i can use my fingers to erase backgrounds & stuff instead of hoping i can get it to work correctly in ae or photoshop (photoshop my DETESTED i'll use it but i'll complain the entire time).

for people who want to start editing: tutorials on how your program works and how to do specific transitions are gonna be your best friend when you're first figuring things out! i forced a friend to literally walk me through how after effects worked when i was first figuring it out, and when i had swapped to videostar back in 2017/2018(?) i had watched a Lot of tutorials. that and played around a lot and figured things out on my own - which is also always a good way to start!! it's also totally valid to look at other people's edits for inspiration - most editors don't really care, as long as you don't flat-out remake their edit (some people don't like that!). i have a style insp folder on instagram where i save edits that i like so if i need transition ideas or i'm doing a different style, i can look there for inspiration. at the end of the day, as long as you're having fun with it that's all that matters!

also, starting simple is always okay!! my edits for a year were just me slapping gifs & video segments together on a timeline in cute cut pro bc imovie didn't load them lol & it'd crash every time i breathed. ++ it never hurts to ask people for feedback/constructive(!!!) criticism/etc! (also not to sound like everyone else but practice? good. it's so good. if i showed my 14/15y/o self some of the edits i can make now they would've passed out on the spot bc i was still trying to figure out transitions back then. programs can also sometimes make a difference in edits, but usually it's not super noticeable until you start getting to the Complicated Shit.)

a lot of popular programs i've seen are ones like video star (ios only), alight motion (android only), after effects (i recommend 🏴‍☠️ing it tbh, i only use it legally bc i had to use adobe programs for school), capcut, and i think some people still use sony vegas pro & maybe cute cut pro (i've heard it may have actually gotten better since i last used it in 2018)? i have no idea. programs also depend on whatever device you're using to edit on! since i've been using my laptop, i'm able to use after effects (it's computer-only), but when i used my phone/ipad to edit i used ccp & vs.

for the animation - it's a lot of cutting up the image and masking! more complex animations, like the one i had of leo walking down that red 'hallway' have several different layers that have been masked. (i removed the background & filled in the spot where leo originally was in two different apps - superimpose (taking leo out) & photoshop (filling in the bg)) in after effects, the way i've done this was mask out the specific thing i wanted to move (like an eye) and then put that mask on what i've called a "base" (not animated), and then stick a solid behind the base to match the color of the object. (some of my layers are not named appropriately; base 2 is the left arm & the four "SIX_[...]" layers are the mask/bandana tails)

an example of this would be for any of the eye blink animations i did! this (above) is the same shot, with and without the eye - since it's masked out and i have the background solid behind it, it doesn't look too unnatural/have a black outline/mass where his eye should be.

what it looks like without the solid layer behind it ^ (the red lines are from the null layers - ignore that)

this is what my timeline looks like if it's a more simplistic animation - the only five things being animated here are leo & raph's eyes. (there's only this many layers bc it's two characters in one shot & i was also animating their pupils - typically, an eye-blink animation is about 4-6 layers for me (solid, base, mask, & null to animate with, 6 if i'm animating both eyes & 4 if just one))

in after effects, there's this really cool tool called the puppet pin that one of my friends (lovingly) yelled at me for not knowing about - which. yeah fair she wasn't wrong it's SUPER useful in animating, provided you chop up your image first. if you don't it's a mess.

(separated by layer vs i should've really put the mask tails & leo's head on separate layers and didn't bc that was the 2nd to last animation i had to do and i was losing my mind bc i wanted to be done with the edit lmao)

the way people animate depends all on their style (there's two common ways to do blinking animation - having the anchor point at the bottom of the eye, or the middle of it) and the program they use. it's been a while, but i could probably tell you how to do some basic animations on videostar still even though i've been doing them in after effects for about 2-3years now. ALSO the best way to have an animation be noticeable is to over-exaggerate it/make them Big - which, yes, can mean 'breaking bones' and having the limbs be a little wonky at the start. (if you want it to be realistic though go Just to the point where it looks uncomfortable lmao)

uhm. again i am so sorry that this is so long i THINK this is everything? if not: my inbox/dms are always open if you ever want to ask more questions, wanna follow up on something, etc etc!! (also if you ever start editing please send me your edits!!! i'd love to see them <3)

[justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms]

Hi hi there, here's my info for the match-up exchange! This is from @shxtodxroki btw, I'm just sending this on anon because that account isn't my main! Could I get a match-up for a MHA character and a Haikyuu character pls? :)

Name: Bee

Age: 17/Almost 18 (Literally a week away)

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Bisexual! (So I'm okay being matched up with characters of any gender!)

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

MBTI: INFJ

Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw

Personality: I used to be really shy because of my anxiety, but I've gotten a lot better over the years! Even though I'm introverted I do enjoy talking to people and spending time with them. I'm just not good at being the person to initiate conversations and I do need some alone time to myself through the day, or I can get overwhelmed. I can be pretty emotional, I worry quite a bit and I tend to cry a lot lol (whether I'm watching a movie, or I'm really happy, or I'm really stressed, I'll probably end up crying lol) I joke with my friends but I can be kinda dense so I don't always get jokes or like, subtle hints that aren't explicitly said lol. I'm definitely a people-pleaser and will avoid conflict and making people mad if at all possible, and I can be insecure but usually I don't really like to talk about it unless I'm really close with someone! I consider myself pretty empathetic and I always try to include people and help out others when I can see someone struggling :)

Likes: Listening to music (kpop, Taylor Swift, Fall Out Boy, musicals, kind of a mix lol) playing the cello, reading and writing, horror movies/mystery movies, anime, painting, playing Mario Kart, teaveling, animals! I also tend to generally just like making/creating things

Dislikes: Bugs, disappointing people, being ignored/interrupted, math/science lol, people being rude for no reason, phone calls unless I'm really comfortable with someone

Appearance: I'm 5'7" (or 170cm I think) and I have kinda pale green eyes, and I dye my hair bright pink! It goes to a bit below my shoulders, and usually it's straight but occasionally it ends up pretty wavy if I don't dry it right lol. My body is kinda pear-shaped I guess, and I like wearing all kinds of styles! Usually I prefer dressing more like, pastel and cutesy lol, but sometimes I try other stuff out too!

Extra Stuff: I'm going to college in the fall and planning on majoring in English, and I hope to become an English professor one day! I like being able to teach/help other people, and usually I'm pretty patient and able to understand what people need and how to best help them. I tend to be pretty stressed a lot of the time, though, I have pretty bad anxiety and I'm working to control it, but I struggle sometimes. I'm definitely a bit of a perfectionist and have a hard time turning in or showing others anything less than perfect, but I'm getting better! I also tend to have a lot of food sensitivities, I'll try new things but I struggle with a lot of things especially texture-wise!

Sorry if this was a bit long, I'm new at this lol and pls let me know if you need anything else, but thank you again and I hope you have a nice day/night! :]

Hi Bee! Happy birthday! I hope being 18 is heaps of fun! Also, another English major! I hope you enjoy it as much as I am! I also hope you like your matchups!

In My Hero Acaedmia, I match you with...

I feel like Shinsou would be a good match for you!

He's also pretty quiet but also very supportive. If you want to chat with him or go out and chat with other people, he's happy to be with you to provide support.

Shinsou also struggles with anxiety a fair bit. You can't go your whole life being told you have a villain's quirk without that having an affect on you.

He'll share his tips and tricks on how to deal with anxiety with you. If you need his support, he's there for you.

Deals with any bugs. He's not super fond of them himself but he'll get rid of them if you ask him to.

Also doesn't like phone calls. Please don't ask him to answer any strange calls you get. He's hitting answer and immediately hanging up.

Shinsou enjoys playing Mario Kart and watching anime with you. He needs some downtime from hero training and that's the best way to relax in his mind!

In Haikyuu, I match you with...

Suga is the most supportive person in your life. You're going to college to study English? You've totally got this! You want to hopefully become a teacher? So does he! You two can study together!

Suga is a mom friend so he's always got your best interests at heart. He wants to make sure you feel supported whenever you're feeling anxious. He'll also help out with your food sensitivities.

He also tries to help you with your perfectionism. If he can help you learn to accept your flaws even a little bit he'll take that as a win!

He would definitely appreciate it if you could help him control the Karasuno team. He may be the team mum but he could use a hand every now and then.

Suga won't seek out video games but he's more than happy to play them with you. He's also happy to sit down and watch anime with you. He's a fan of classic shows like Sailor Moon and One Piece.

Just an all round supportive partner who will always have your health and happiness at the front of his mind.