#if this blog was more popular it would be a 100% chance this post would result in some kind of callout for me

[humanimalgam]

my toxic trait is i take great pleasure in violating other people's DNIs so long as i know there is no way they could tell i'm violating it by looking at my account. it's like hehe you don't know i secretly disagree with you on unrelated, asinine online discourse topic #3728 and am reblogging your post anyway <3

[youngersiblingstournament]

Younger Siblings Tournament Bracket Reveal

A few things I want to mention before I reveal the bracket (and make the post really long because all the matchups will be listed in text):

Seeding of fictional characters in tumblr polls is inherently subjective. I did try to make it so that more popular characters/media would (most likely) face off against each other in later rounds, but I may be overestimating or underestimating the popularity of some characters/media, especially ones I'm not familiar with. There are some round 1 matchups that are probably a closer match but none of them are between the strongest candidates... I think.

The more niche characters will probably get obliterated in the first round as per Squimbus' Law. This is a tumblr poll and I do fully expect more popular characters to sweep, but that doesn't mean you can't encourage your friends to give your niche faves a fighting chance.

Also there are some matchups I literally just thought would be funny. Please don't take this too seriously.

I'm sorry BNHA fans.

(Preliminary Patch Notes 3/14: Swapped brackets 2 and 3, and brackets 19 and 21.)

[Image description: A 64-person tournament bracket labeled "younger siblings tournament" with a smiley face. The top-left quarter is labeled "quarter A" and color-coded red, the bottom-left quarter is labeled "quarter B" and color-coded green, the top-right quarter is labeled "quarter C" and color-coded purple, and the bottom-right quarter is labeled "quarter D" and color-coded gold. The starting brackets are labeled 1-32 and are as listed below. End ID]

Quarter A:

Ritsu Kageyama (Mob Psycho 100) vs. Ame (Wolf Children)

Malo (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess) vs. Cat Valentine (Victorious)

Danny Fenton (Danny Phantom) vs. Fern (Adventure Time)

Skeletor (Masters of the Universe) vs. Shuri (Marvel)

Ryotaro Nogami (Kamen Rider Den-O) vs. Princess Luna (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Lilo Pelekai (Lilo & Stitch) vs. Sir Agravain (Arthurian Legend)

Dewey Wilkerson (Malcolm in the Middle) vs. Siobhan "Shiv" Roy (Succession)

Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto) vs. Razputin Aquato (Psychonauts)

Quarter B:

(9) Maya Fey (Ace Attorney) vs. Louie Duck (DuckTales)

(10) Falin Touden (Dungeon Meshi) vs. Saburo Yamada (Hypnosis Mic)

(11) Noelle Holiday (Deltarune) vs. Krel Tarron (Tales of Arcadia)

(12) Melinoë (Hades) vs. Han Yoohyun (The S-Classes That I Raised)

(13) Abel (The Bible) vs. Hiro Hamada (Big Hero 6)

(14) Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons) vs. Greg (Over the Garden Wall)

(15) Dante (Devil May Cry) vs. Alisaie Leveilleur (Final Fantasy XIV)

(16) Shoto Todoroki (My Hero Academia) vs. Kofuku (Real Life)

Quarter C:

(17) Luigi (Super Mario) vs. Genji Shimada (Overwatch)

(18) Yukio Okumura (Blue Exorcist) vs. Saki Tenma (Project Sekai)

(19) Fleabag (Fleabag) vs. Emerald Haywood (Nope)

(20) Sam Winchester (Supernatural) vs. Jiang Cheng (The Untamed)

(21) Nico Di Angelo (Percy Jackson) vs. Gaz Membrane (Invader Zim)

(22) Manny Heffley (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) vs. Jimmy "Saul Goodman" McGill (Better Call Saul)

(23) Sunny Baudelaire (A Series of Unfortunate Events) vs. Sunny (Omori)

(24) Miles "Tails" Prower (Sonic the Hedgehog) vs. Mugman (Cuphead)

Quarter D:

(25) Michelangelo Hamato (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) vs. The Knight (Hollow Knight)

(26) Vash the Stampede (Trigun) vs. Ruby Rose (RWBY)

(27) Sensei Wu (Lego Ninjago) vs. King Clawthorne (The Owl House)

(28) Dawn Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) vs. Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

(29) Jinx (Arcane) vs. Caduceus Clay (Critical Role)

(30) Damian Wayne (DC) vs. Alluka Zoldyck (Hunter x Hunter)

(31) Hop (Pokémon Sword and Shield) vs. Mirabel Madrigal (Encanto)

(32) Rhyme Bito (The World Ends With You) vs. Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Round 1 is ongoing! Matchups are linked (or if you prefer to scroll through the matchup posts, go to the "younger siblings tournament" tag on my blog)

[abbyshands]

Hi kit, do you know how to tell if a person sending asks saying they need donations for their family in gaza, is fake?

Cuz someone sent me an ask and I’ve reblogged it but I was going through the comments and there a several blocked and one of them says that the op is scamming people.

I know there are ppl like this that are that horrible, but I wonder if you know how tell them apart ? Or if anyone knows for that matter. Cuz I don’t want to mislead people and give them the wrong information or anything.

hi, honey! this is gonna be all over the place but. i've had this very thing happen to me before as well, maybe three or so asks just like the one you received. i did fall for the first one, but once you see them over and over again, i think it can get easier to tell when it's a scam. one thing to note is when the actual account began to post. i notice a lot of these accounts began to post in recent days or weeks. at the time that i donated to the first person who sent me an ask like this, it was february, and they began to post around mid january. the next tell is one i see a lot, where they'll reblog a bunch of things about palestine, but they will all be in a matter of hours, days, etc. usually never weeks (and also, you'll see that they randomly begin to reblog in very recent days. ex. all their reblogs are from three days ago and onward). one more thing: look at their posts (not their reblogs. their actual posts), and check if it says "some replies may have been blocked, deleted, removed, etc). absolutely, 100% not a good sign. chances are, replies are being removed by the op because they're getting called out for scamming.

the structure of the actual ask is also a dead giveaway. if it ends in "my goal is x amount of money," usually somewhere in the hundreds or thousands, not a good sign. if they are asking you to respond to their ask PRIVATELY, not a good sign. if you copy part of their ask and paste it into tumblr or do an internet search, and you see it elsewhere, not a good sign! these blogs will go around copying the same message into people's inboxes. chances are, someone else on tumblr has posted about the very person who sent you the ask, OR, you will find it somewhere else on the internet, etc a gofundme (which, by the way, is where most of these scammers obtain their story or pictures. they'll find it in gofundmes as i said, articles, etc). before you engage, copy the username of the person who sent you the ask, and paste it into the tumblr search bar. this is how i found out that the first person who sent an ask like this to me was a scammer.

this post here (which i absolutely implore you to read, as it captures what i want to say here much better than i'm doing so right now) explains why there is an abundance of people on tumblr sending asks like this in people's inboxes. for one thing, they target popular tags (ex. literally, the "palestine" or "gaza" tags, or any tag that may be trending at the time), or, they go for blogs who are consistently reblogging and/or uploading content related to the genocide. why? because they're taking advantage of the fact that you want to make a change in regards to what's going on. and if that's the case, what would stop you from donating to someone "in need," right?

if you want my honest opinion, if someone is sending you an ask about this on tumblr at all, it's likely not real. to put it into perspective: people who are really in gaza and want to escape, raise money, etc, will go to big network places such as gofundme, because there are better chances of them raising actual money in general, but in a short period of time. as opposed to asking people individually, their cause will be more widespread, and more people will see it. not only that: places like gofundme are pros at figuring out what's a scam and what's not. op in the above post noted this, and how places like gofundme will remove causes that are clearly scams. that's why scammers avoid places like this at all, and go to places like tumblr, where it isn't so easy for the actual site to remove their post. it's only when people on the app pick up on it, that scammers' facades fall. does that make sense?

i feel like this sort of jumped around, but i hope i was able to clarify what you were asking anyway. if someone feels the need to add onto this, please do, and if i need to clarify any point i made, etc, please let me know! ♡

[wifegideonnav]

I'm new to Tumblr. How do Tumblr users usually engage with each other?

well first of all welcome haha. the main ways to engage with people are:

liking and reblogging. platforms like instagram and tiktok run on likes and an algorithm, but on tumblr, people almost exclusively use their dashboard and turn off suggested content, so they’re only seeing what people actually reblog onto their dash. that’s why people on this site are so adamant about reblogs, because likes basically do nothing. i saw someone say once that anything you would like on a different social media, you should reblog on here, and i totally agree. and don’t worry about how old a post is, or about reblogging something you’ve previously reblogged. there are posts from 2014 that i regularly see on my dash a decade later, so literally don’t feel awkward, it’s 100% normal to engage with old posts.

tags. there are three main ways tags are used: labeling original content so people find it in searches, internal organization systems when reblogging or posting (for instance, many people have a tag for their original posts, and will tag reblogs by fandom or character or whatever - important note that reblogs do not show up in search results), and to make sotto voce comments on a post. it’s normal for people to make jokes, add their own commentary, ramble about something semi relevant, or say something to op in the tags on posts they reblog.

reblog additions. every time you reblog, you have the chance to add something to the post, which unlike tags will be retained when someone reblogs from you. a good rule of thumb is to comment instead of tagging when it’s something you actually want other people to engage with, as opposed to tags where you’re just kind of expressing yourself lol. don’t be surprised however if you see people’s tags getting screenshotted and added to a reblog. if this happens because the screenshotter likes what the tag writer said, it’s jokingly referred to as “passing peer review.” (and of course people screenshot tags to criticize or mock them as well.) essentially, tags are like being at a big group dinner and saying something to the person next to you as an aside, and then sometimes that person goes “hey everyone listen to this”

post comments. there’s also an option on every post (unless op has turned it off) for people to comment on the post itself, not on a specific reblog. mostly this is useful for talking to people on personal posts or posts with reblogs turned off. on a bigger post, just reblog it and put your thoughts in an addition or tag.

asks. seems like you figured this one out! lmao. asks are used for a wide variety of things, but essentially it can either be a prompt for someone to make a post or a way of having an interaction/conversation with someone without dming them.

dms. these work like dms everywhere else, except the functionality is limited and it kinda sucks.

games. there are also many varieties of games that people play with each other, ranging from ask games (things like “rec me some music” or a post with prompts and people send you some from that list), tag games (typically there are questions you answer then you tag other people to fill them out for themselves) handwriting tags, follow chains, giveaways, name/url playlists, and more. with the addition of polls, brackets have gotten popular too (eg the tumblr sexyman bracket). there also used to be a lot of in-character ask blogs, where a user would set up a blog and roleplay as a specific character that people could send questions to (there still are some but way fewer and way less popular than there used to be)

to be honest i feel like i have to put “discourse” and “drama” on this list too. people on this site loveeee having the most insane arguments of all time and then everyone else memes the hell out of it. google “sonic for real justice” for an example lmao. (of course there’s also very unfunny political and fandom discourse that goes on as well. i would advise you to avoid discourse blogs as a general rule regardless of whether you agree with their position or not)

tagging people. you can also @ people in posts you think they’d like or if you feel like they have relevant input. typically this is something you would do either to people you’ve spoken to before, or a big blog with an established persona and rapport with their followers (eg if you follow a blog about snakes and you see a random post with snake info that seems wrong but you’re not sure, so you tag them to ask for their expertise).

and this isn’t a specific “mode” of communication but it’s also a thing to “interpret” (for lack of a better word) other people’s posts. for instance, people drawing a photo from the original post (i cant find it but there was a post going around recently where op posted an aesthetic photo of an egg cooking and then several people painted it), or people trying/recreating something a post was about (example). it was also a thing for a minute there where people would rewrite funny exchanges as shakespearean dialogue

those are all the ways i can think of, although im sure i’ve missed some (if other people think of any pls add on!). good luck, and i hope you’re able to meet some cool people!

[rockinrpmemes]

I'm starting completely fresh in the Tumblr RPC. I'm from Discord and Amino to try looking for people willing to be CCs/Canon Character muses against my OCs. How exactly do I go about looking for that? How does searching for RP work here? I genuinely just have so many questions bc everything is really confusing to me. 🙇‍♀️

Hmmmm...I feel your frustration, as a someone that has been on this site since 2011, and in the Tumblr RPC since 2012, I can attest it's way harder now to get into rp than it did even 4 years ago. I'm going to answer this for anyone, not just your case, because I feel OC and Canon players of all kinds are trapped in this same problem!!!

The 2 major causes to difficulty connecting in the RPC:

People here have gotten way more prickly and cold and have 100 red flags and objections in their rules that make seeking out a partnership flimsy at best. (Dangerous to your mental health at worst.) If you see someone like this, don't bother trying to win them over. Chances are they are going to whine about everything you ask of them, think anything you do is offensive, or it's a huge "honor" to be even considered a mutual. RUN away from these types, and don't waste your time. They don't want partners, they want an audience to their personal drama, and will probably be an asshole to you OOC, and make you look like the bad guy to their sycophants. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

People here have also gotten way more FLAKEY and don't reach out and engage the way they used to. They post memes all day and beg for starters, but don't answer them once you have managed to snag them. They make 100 muses but never rp any of them except the one you don't want. Attention spans on here have gotten shorter than a fly's.

It seems daunting, but fortunately, the old ways to find partners still work....

Use the search function, for "RP STARTERS" and the like, BUT!! Don't reply to the starter until you've looked at the OP's blog. Read their rules. They may only post starters for mutuals, or selective fandom affliates. If you find you like that blogger, and decide to follow, it's a way in.

Post a "call out" for your blog. Make a Promo of some kind, but tag it: "RP BLOG" ; "OC RP" ; "RPC PROMO" ; "(genre name) RP," If your OC is affiliated to any fandoms, or could fit into desired fandoms, tag as such IE: "LOTR RP". Even if your OC is not fandom affiliated, you should tag it into popular fandoms you know would work with your muse. It at least gets views. And if someone happens to like or reblog your promo post, it gives you a window into more blogs.

Another "sneaky" but very effective way is to go into the notes of memes and starters and look at the likes/reblogs. Hit up those icons/urls, do some research on partners that may be a future choice. Again, read their rules, scroll through their posts, see if you think it's a good match for your character AND your writing style. For me, this is the best way to look for new blogs to interact with. It's living proof that there are STILL A LOT OF WRITERS LOOKING FOR INTERACTION!

Don't be afraid to tag yourself into things!!!! Remember, the first 5 tags get the most hits. Just don't spam tags that have nothing to do with your blog, as a courtesy.

Hope that helps! If anyone has any more tips, feel free to add in comments, etc.

[turtlesays]

Watched the finale of HH today and really resisting making a Hazbin specific blog…

I really enjoyed season one of HH. Unfortunately, I don’t feel like I can truly support the show because of some of its creators—especially Vivienne Madrano—and the way the creators have treated the people who supported the show in its early days (without which HH would never have made it this far).

This feeling is just compounded by watching HB fall apart at the same time that HH is gaining such success and popularity.

Vivienne really shows her true self in HB. Namely, her lack of writing skills, poor design choices, inability to maintain a plot over more than a few episodes, and general immaturity as a person. While unfortunate, I don’t expect that HB will survive much longer. Even if it survives beyond its current season, it will just be getting propped up by young fans with little to no media literacy and dragged to a slow and painful demise.

Vivienne has also shown her true colours when dealing with the original VA cast of HH. I can understand her desire for bigger name talent on a growing show. I can understand the decision to recast the VAs—even up to 100% of the VAs. My issue is not that those things happened, it’s how they were handled.

Specifically, I have issues with the fact that Vivienne seems to have cut off all of the people who originally supported her. She didn’t tell them they were being recast. She didn’t give them the chance to audition to keep their roles (if desired). She didn’t even invite them to the premiere of HH. As far as I know, she barely acknowledges them or their contributions to her own success.

Beyond her treatment of the original VAs, there have been allegations of workplace harassment, which I’m inclined to glove because so many current employees of Vivienne have both expressed and demonstrated (through their actions) fear of retaliation from Vivienne.

There have been issues with Vivienne not clearly crediting other artists’ work as well, both in fan creations that she reposted from her own account, and in official works for the HH/HB universe.

There’s a lot more to the drama, but (1) it’s too much for a single post, and (2) a lot of the drama has questionable credibility. What I’ve listed so far is what I’ve personally seen the most evidence for/found to be most credible.

However, I wouldn’t doubt too much the other accusations against Vivienne, especially by those who worked for her. I have a very low opinion of her as the creator of a show I enjoy, and really hate giving her any kind of support as a result.

[phoenixisobsessed]

Okay guys, I know there’s still a while until I’m done with the catformers, but I’m starting to wonder wtf imma do after. I still wanna be an ask blog, so I’ll leave it up to you guys what I should do!!

I might put it up again closer to the ending of catformers, if I don’t feel like enough people saw it / feel like they may have changed their minds.

MORE DETAILS ON EACH ONE:

People will send in character requests as usual, but will send in a catpicture themselves together with their ask. In this version, characters going double doesn’t matter anymore (I think) xD

Just any funny or silly picture. Can be cats, can be dogs, can be humans. Anything you’d find on r/blursedimages basically. Can even be popular drawing memes! Open for anything.

Before catformers I really just wanted to re-design a bunch of characters, and have people ask for specific characters to be redesigned. Like man idk which ones I wanna do. But I do have the Elite Trine right here. Also did some panel redraws that may also be included in this category. (Said I’d never draw IDW again LMFAOO let me just clown on myself rq)

Vines, ideas for comic skits, interactions between characters, funny trends again. I think this would be funny.

I really enjoy my OCs, so this would include drawing them and answering questions about them. Also in this is talking about the AUs and headcanons for all of the characters, including ships and such. So it’s not all OC stuff okay also others. I draw also your ships and headcanons!! (Rarepairs, hell yes! Proshippers, get the hell off of my page 🥰🙏) Will I draw your ocs? Mayhaps I will. Your ocs interacting with other characters? Your ocs interacting with MY ocs??? I’m going too far in my yapping I need to stop now sorry guys.

Just all of it. Plus, I’ll answer any whacky or silly questions you have to me about transformers (I think it again goes into point 5.) but basically people can ask for anything they mf want!! And I’ll get to it.

We want the consistent theme of cat transformers going. So I keep it as a series on my blog, maybe every second day or so, who knows, but we also want some diversity. Want to be able to spread wider and ask for other things.

Anyway, I just want to know what we are interested in keeping here, I’m open to anything really. I’ll probably either way accept asks of anything, but only openly “advertise” the blog as the thing that wins (if all of the above doesn’t win xD)

And thank you to everybody who has stuck around! I love seeing interactions from so many blogs I recognise as consistent followers of the 100 cat transformers series. Even if you think I don’t recognise your blog name every time, there is a high chance that I do! I’m not going to name you all now, but I see you (totally not creepy LMFAO). I read every single reblog I get and I love each one of them. I want you all to know that I appreciate you staying with me along the journey, being basically just as, if not more, passionate about it than me and I hope to still see you sticking around. Again, thank you all so much. <3 Couldn’t do this without you amazing people.

Sorry, I know this is a long post, but I had to just happy rant for a moment. I LOVE YOU GUYS /SRS

[another-lost-mc]

2K Followers Event: Afterthoughts

The request window closed last night and I am floored by the number of requests and incredibly sweet messages I received. I appreciate each and every one of you. I'm so happy that I took a chance and ignored my anxiety so I could start this blog in the first place.💙

I thought it would be fun to share some of the interesting trends I noticed about the requests:

Most Requested Characters: Lucifer and Solomon (tied for first place), Satan and Barbatos (tied for second place) ➤ some of my favs I write a lot of content for already, and with NB's popularity, these don't surprise me

The Demon Brother with the Fewest Requests: Belphie (only 1 rip) ➤ his prompt literally came in during the last hour of the request window, and it's going to be smutty as a consolation prize

Dateable with the Fewest Requests: Diavolo ➤ I wrote that longer piece about the leather jacket anticipating this result because he deserves more love

Side Character with the Most Requests: Mephisto ➤ he's in my top 5 favs list now, I can't even—

OC with the Most Requests: Azra and Karasu were both tied?! ➤ their content for this event isn't necessarily "canon" to their respective AUs, but consider them sneak peeks for what the future holds

Characters with Fewer Requests than Michael (omg lol): Asmo, Belphie, Diavolo, Raphael, Thirteen ➤ the Michael simps came out to play and I am 100% on board with this

Number of Polyship Requests: 1 ➤ it's a polyship I've written before so I wasn't totally surprised (also, great taste anon)

So, what happens now?

I've saved all the uncompleted prompts so I can work on them slowly between other projects when inspiration hits. All the completed requests are being compiled on this handy masterlist (which also located on the blog's pinned post for future reference).

💙 Thank you again for your support and participation! 💙

[ivyprism]

Skelesona and Skeleton: Relationship (Summaries)

Warnings: Violence, kind of angsty, implicated thingys, my friends were gaslit in the making of this post (love you @kiok0r0 and @hearty-dose-of-ranch)

Undertale -

Hydrangea is more of a closed-off person. She never had much interaction with Classic when they were in the Underground. However, at some point, they met by pure coincidence and Classic was convinced she was a dream. Later, on the surface, he is a regular at her shop and often buys flowers to make puns with.

As said, Hydrangea is a closed-off person, so she rarely interacted with anyone...But Vanilla met her purely by chance and when he said hello, she made a break for it. Vanilla, however, would return to befriend her. After a while, they became close friends, and on the surface, he is a regular at her shop who sometimes works part-time.

Hydrangea introduced flowers to the skeleton brothers. Classic's favorite flowers are irises and Vanilla's favorite flowers are sunflowers.

Horrortale -

Hydra and Clove were in a romantic relationship before the famine. They often talked about leaving the Underground and were very close. However, Clove would later betray her which would cause a permanent scar on her psyche and body, and thus, their relationship would fall completely apart. They later would become friends again.

Hydra and Cinnamon had a very close friendship. Often they'd work together and spend time together, when Clove betrayed her, she went into severe self-isolation and Cinnamon would then go on a search for her and he would rekindle their friendship. They would later become close friends (maybe a couple.)

Underswap -

Jane is an Underground influencer and Navy greatly admired her from afar. He would then meet her in person on accident and they would have a lovely chat. He knew her from when she was younger and he 100% had faith in her. She would then vanish into mystery. However, later on the surface, they became close friends and he would join her on her blog.

Jane is an Undergroup influencer and Syrup hated her. He 100% thought she was fake because he believed she left their home to rot to become a popular influencer. Later, this misunderstanding would be cleared up and they'd start slowly rebuilding their severely damaged relationship. On the surface, they're still slowly rebuilding, but they're closer again.

Underfell -

Harper is a mechanic and Cardinal is a someone who wants to learn how to work on cars. They have a begrudging respect for each other but Cardinal 100% believes she's a spoiled rich brat and she thinks he's a overconfident raging asshole. After some time, they do end up trusting each other enough to share their tragic backstories. Cardinal would later help Harper build her theater on the surface.

Captain and Harper have a very begrudging respect for each other. They were friends as children and were as thick as thieves, however, at some point, they would have a falling out that would take their friendship down with it. As adults, she sees him as a sad excuse of a villain and Captain sees her as a wannabe femme fatale. However, they do start to fix their very severely damaged relationship and on the surface, they're close friends.

Alluretale -

Glamour and Hadria had a very artificial friendship in the Underground due to the Charm, however, they did seem to have respect and care for each other. When the charm had fallen, they had become very incredibly close friends and worked hard together. Hadria helped Glamour become an established bartender while she became an established dance teacher.

Caramel and Hadria had a much more genuine friendship then she and Glamour. They seemed to get along smoothly and she absolutely adored his baking. When the Charm would fall, they would become even closer friends and they would work together on occasion. She helped him become an established baker and they are very close friends.

Fellswap Carnelian -

Juliette and Ebony had a very hostile relationship. They've been friends since they were kids and he sees her as a complete bad influence on his brother. They have fought several times, but after some time, they began to enjoy each other's company, but would never admit it. On the surface, they are very close friends and Ebony considers her a part of their family.

Juliette and Hound are best friends, partners in crime even. They've been together since they were children and they've been constant influences on each other. Juliette is his most relied-on friend and she relies more on him than anything. On the surface, they're just even closer and they rely on each other even more.

Swapfell Amethyst -

Suffice it to say, Jet absolutely hates Jemma. Jemma is an influencer who, he is convinced, sold her soul to gain money and fame. Jet thinks she's self-centered, callous, and cruel and he threatened her when they met for the first time. However, she seems to have a deep fondness for him, she says nothing on it. Rumors say she had a one-sided crush on him. After some time, they became very close friends, but Jemma still seems to keep herself closed off. People always say, their relationship always seemed off to them.

Brass and Jemma have a very hostile relationship. Brass seems very against having any sort of relationship with her. He seems to stick by his brother when it comes to her. However, like Jet, Jemma seems to display a kind of fondness for him that no one can quite place. When Brass and Jet crossed paths with her, she seemed almost too familiar with them. On the surface, they seem to be close friends, but Jemma seems to keep herself mostly closed off from them.

Dancetale -

Hip Hop and Hyacinth have a very friendly and fun relationship. Hyacinth seems to love to try and convince the other skeleton to dance with her, despite this, he seems to always refuse her. That, however, does not remove the very close bond these two have. They can be seen helping each other and learning new steps together. On the surface, they seem to teach the same class but with different styles.

Latin and Hyacinth are very close friends and could be found dancing together quite often. She seems to admire him quite a bit, but mostly kept that to herself. She didn't, however, seem to offer to dance with him as often as she did with Hip Hop. On the surface, they are dance teachers and teach separate classes.

Dancefell -

Calluna and Rhythm have a very hostile relationship. They can be found often arguing or fighting. He makes extreme effort to keep Tango and her as far apart as often. He seems to openly view her as a spoiled rich brat who uses anyone she meets. Calluna, on the other hand, appears to just accept his remarks and prefers to avoid him. However, they appear to rekindle their friendship and get along better later on, as if something has been addressed. On the surface, she is a choreographer, and he occasionally assists her with it.

Tango and Calluna have a VERY hostile relationship. Tango seems to view her as someone who he never should've gotten involved with as they were friends as kids. He shows a very harsh hostility, but sometimes, he just seems very hurt and looks very pained when seeing her. Calluna, on the other hand, appears to reach for him then pull her hand back; the reason for this is unknown, but she appears significantly more mournful and anguished when dealing with him than with Rhythm. Later on, they appear to restore their friendship and can be seen dancing together. On the surface, they appear to be very close friends who occasionally collaborate.

Danceswap -

Merengue and Hattie seemed to be very close friends, but Hattie seemed a bit distant towards him on occasion. Merengue definitely noticed and seemed to talk to her as often as he can to keep her near. He is shown to be very fond of her and can be seen dancing with her occasionally. On the surface, they can be seen working together and she is definitely a very close and fond friend of his.

DJ and Hattie seem to be close, but distant friends. They seem to be a bit more distant than Merengue and Hattie. She can be seen offering to dance with him like "they used to" but he would often decline. The two seem to be distant and many believe they are mourning their broken friendship. However, both can be seen openly protecting the other but can't seem to hold eye contact with one another. On the surface, their dynamic completely changed to being very close and very fond of each other. They can also be seen dancing, but rarely ever live.

------

Undertale by Toby Foxx

Underfell by Underfell Fan (adopted by Fandom)

Underswap by Popcorn Pr1nce

Horrortale by Sour-Apple-Studios

Dancetale by Teandstars

Dancefell + Danceswap by: Unknown

Swapfell by Kkhoppang

Fellswap Carnelian and Swapfell Amethyst are my own boys.

[buddysmut]

Do you think Yuju will find a new agency? I'm very afraid not because her albums didn't sell very well

This got super long so I'm putting it under a read more.

Did they not sell well? I planned on buying a physical copy of Rec when it was up for pre-order, but I never got around to it. And speaking from my own personal experience, kpop album importing stores are very bad at actually getting stock. So I think that plays a part in it too. It's 100% the reason why I never ordered a copy. At that point I decided, "Is it worth going through ordering, and then waiting 3 months for a store in the US to even ship it out?" I kind of wish I did get it though. But it would have been the last kpop album I bought a physical copy of either way. I honestly never even thought about getting a copy of O. Even though I like the music, it would have always been digital support only.

Only semi-related. But on the topic of sales, at my previous job I at one point worked with Red Velvet for the Queendom comeback. And I have first-hand stories about how bad SM is at handling album stocks and sales. So it's sometimes a problem with the companies ruining the customers' good will and trust. But I didn't hear anyone mention anything about Konnect. But that also means I saw basically zero people talk about buying her albums.

But in terms of Yuju finding a new agency, I feel like she might have already been negotiating with one. In a recent bubble post (maybe last week?) it was translated to English as something like, "Would I be scolded this too?" when she was talking about another one of her 'exhibitionist' pics.

(Editing out the twitter account to not bring any bad stuff to them)

Which makes me think she probably has staff that are already monitoring her content. Or she tried to post something else, and was advised not to. But it could be possible she was making a reference to her previous staff when they saw her other posts, and she might be trying to keep things more presentable for now to not hurt her chances with new agencies she might talk to. It's hard to know.

I also recently talked to people about how Yuju isn't the most relevant to younger fans. She's from a previous gen. And even though I personally think of her as one of the top vocalists in the industry, she just isn't as popular as newer groups. And I think that's where alot of her career struggle in the future would come from. She had to fight to keep her solo career while new full groups get to coast along with a much easier advantages compared to her. I told someone that I already forgot she did that big pole dance set earlier in the year. It seemed like a big deal at the moment, and already you see no one mentioning it. It's unfortunate for Yuju.

But I know she loves what she does. And she's always so busy. So I think even if she needs time to find a new contract, she'll at least stay in the public eye with show guest spots or in different small things like that. Obviously I'm super bias in all this. But I really hope yuju could be similar to Taeyeon. Someday doing stuff as part of GFriend again. But also keeping herself busy with solo work for a very long time. I genuinely love her solo mini albums. And people that follow the blog know I have alot of opinions on music lol So I would say if I thought it was garbage. I just feel like there's something missing though. Either with the producer side, or Yuju might not be given exactly what she's looking for in terms of creative freedom. But eventually it'll find that perfect balance, and it'll be something amazing.

[harmonyhealinghub]

Embracing the Extra Day: A Celebration of Leap Year Shaina Tranquilino February 29, 2024

Every four years, our calendars undergo a magical transformation as an extra day is added to the month of February. This phenomenon is known as a leap year, and it's more than just a quirk in our timekeeping system. In this blog post, we'll explore the history, science, and cultural significance of leap years, shedding light on the fascinating aspects of this quadrennial occurrence.

A Brief History of Leap Years:

The concept of leap years dates back to ancient civilizations. The Egyptians were among the first to realize that the solar year, or the time it takes for Earth to complete one orbit around the sun, is not precisely 365 days. To account for the additional 0.2422 days, they introduced a leap year in their calendar around 4,000 years ago.

The Roman calendar later adopted a similar leap year system, but it wasn't until the Julian calendar, established by Julius Caesar in 45 BCE, that a more accurate leap year calculation was implemented. The Julian calendar introduced the rule that every fourth year would be a leap year, adding an extra day to the end of February.

The Gregorian Calendar and Leap Years:

While the Julian calendar improved the accuracy of timekeeping, it still miscalculated the solar year by a small margin. By the 16th century, the discrepancy had added up, leading to a misalignment of the calendar with the astronomical seasons. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar, refining the leap year rule to exclude years divisible by 100 unless they are also divisible by 400.

The Gregorian calendar is the one most of the world uses today, ensuring a more accurate synchronization of our calendars with the Earth's orbit.

The Science Behind Leap Years:

Leap years serve as a correction mechanism, preventing our calendars from drifting out of sync with the astronomical year. Earth's orbit around the sun takes approximately 365.2422 days, which is why an extra day is added every four years. This correction helps maintain the alignment of our seasons with the calendar months.

Leap Year Fun Facts:

Leap Day Birthdays: Individuals born on February 29, known as "leap day," celebrate their birthdays only once every four years. These leap year babies often choose either February 28 or March 1 as their birthday on non-leap years.

International Leap Year Day: Some cultures celebrate February 29 as a special day for unusual traditions, proposals, and events. It's an opportunity to embrace the rarity of the leap year and indulge in festivities that only occur once every four years.

Leap Year in Popular Culture: Leap years have found their way into literature, film, and music. From Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta "The Pirates of Penzance" to the movie "Leap Year," this cyclical event has inspired creative expressions across various art forms.

Leap Year Traditions:

Proposal Day: In some cultures, it is a tradition for women to propose to their partners on Leap Day. This custom is said to date back to a 5th-century Irish nun named St. Brigid, who complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait too long for a proposal.

Festivals and Events: Leap Day has become an occasion for unique festivals and events worldwide. Communities organize parades, parties, and gatherings to celebrate this extra day.

Leap years are more than just a calendar adjustment; they symbolize our ongoing efforts to understand and harmonize with the natural rhythms of the universe. As we revel in the extra day this February, let's take a moment to appreciate the intricate dance between Earth and the sun, and the ingenious ways humans have devised to keep our calendars in tune with the cosmos. Whether you're born on Leap Day, partake in unique traditions, or simply savour the novelty of an extra 24 hours, leap years offer us a chance to pause, reflect, and celebrate the beauty of time itself.

[lemonhemlock]

i have to say, you guys are relentless, i only need to post one helaemond-related ask and it inevitably brings all the boys to the yard :))

don't get me wrong, i enjoyed reading your takes & i'm posting them under the cut for anyone who wants to read such rants, but, at this point, with so little content, i feel like there's not really a lot more i can personally add to fandom critique that i haven't already said (discourse and metas anyone can find if they go through my designated tag).

so i hope you won't feel offended & this is 100% a helaemond blog but i am going to pause the shipping wars topic for the time being unless something fresh hits our port or we get some kind of news / additional content (maybe like scripts? would love to see those!)

it's been more than a year since the season ended and we've made all the arguments we could possibly make, but we can't control if there are users who still rehash the same three talking points over and over

Anonymous asked: The kids theory was always a long shot and to be fair, their paternity doesn't really matter for the ship to happen. Helaemond can still have romantic feelings to each other without the kids being his, but like you said, if the ship doesn't get confirmed as canon antis and Aemondwives will all be like "We told you so!!! You were all delusional and you should've stopped shipping it!!!!"...okay? It still doesn't change the fact the writers most likely played with the possibility. Setting up potential storylines and not picking them up in a later season is something that has always been happening in TV especially when the team behind the show changes in between seasons like it happened with hotd this time (maybe those who speculated that Sapochnik came up with the idea of Helaemond were right?). Idk how many chances the ships still has if the leaks about B&C being at the end of episode 1 or in episode 2 are real (I doubt there can be a romance after the event), but whatever happens people won't stop shipping it. Non-canon pairings have always been a thing in fandoms and sometimes they may even be more popular than canon ones. It's still baffling to me how hated this ship has become in the fandom though.

Anonymous asked: it feels very obvious because a lot of these fans won’t bring the same “it’s non-canon/made up/etc” vibe to something like Aegond or Daemond, but they will to Helaemond bc they fear it might actually happen in canon. Which, if it does, has nothing to do with the shippers and comes from the writers 😭

Anonymous asked: Some antis are now making up crap about Helaemond shippers hating on Ewan. One of them even made a list and they were listed as his top haters (they also included TB stans and L*cemond shippers but...Alicent and Aegon stans for some reasons as well lmao) while another one claimed Helaemonds are currently bashing Ewan by generally making fun of him and of his looks because of the ship not happening???? I don't know whose comments made them angry but I've yet to see one Helaemond bullying and actually hating on him. Not saying nasty H shippers don't exist but why claim all of them are doing something like this when it clearly isn't the case? At most I've seen people making fun of some of the things he says in interviews but this is not hate. People are allowed to joke.

lmao, people lightheartedly joshing around and pointing out some cringe statements is not hate, dictionaries exist!

Anonymous asked: The funniest thing about the crowing reaction all of the Ewan-obsessed twitter fans had to this supposed leak is when it comes to what canonical "confirmation" Helaemond shippers as a whole most often discussed it was a type of courtly love; probably unconsummated feelings between the two. The kids theory was a niche fun fanon theory mainly used for fics and headcanons, and most people who are still participating in this fandom had little to no "expectation" that we would see that on the show. Funny to point out that expectation isn't even the correct word to use here, as Helaemonds by and large were completely fine with no type of canonical confirmation, and were mainly excited for any Aemond and Helaena interactions we may get in the new season. It's a non-canon ship, people are drawn to all of the potentials they personally see in this dynamic, and how it can be explored in fan content. Shippers like this very rarely care about canonicity - not to say they wouldn't welcome it of course on the off chance it happened, but that is not a priority of their engagement in fandom.

[ruki--mukami]

What kind of ask do you not accept?/ignore?

🧩 Great question. Honestly, I'll only delete asks when I can tell it's all by the same sender and the messages essentially say the same thing. Spamming my inbox with the same request over and over again in the same day is definitely a violation of my rules and I'd appreciate it if people exercised some patience with me. I understand I may be slow with getting to your ask, but if there's a scenario you really want to see, try sending it to me again a week later rather than 5 minutes later.

Referring to the pinned post on this blog or simply the rules is a great place to start.

I'll typically ignore asks that give off minor vibes. Stuff that's the same word or phrase copy/pasted like 100 times, scenarios that both most likely wouldn't happen + just don't appeal to me compared to some other asks I have piling up. For instance, I've received many asks where Yui has said some rather... 'questionable' things that she most likely would never say to Ruki even if he tortured her. I don't really want to portray certain ships in a poor lighting whatsoever if it seems OOC.

And, to be candid with you, what I feel like answering at any given moment really fluctuates with my mood. For instance, sometimes I'll be in the mood to write smut, and other times I'll feel like answering gore or fluff related asks. It really depends.

However, if it helps, I do have basic standards that I try to hold myself to. They're what I've labeled my "ask priorities."

1. Requests for comfort. The world is a harsh place sometimes, and I understand being comforted by someone as charming as Ruki is something that might really lift people's spirits. So, on occasion, I'll soften him up for the sake of catharsis.

2. RP starters. Everyday I always have at least 2-3 RP starters sent in even without reblogging any sort of meme, so I try to prioritize those to an extent. However, if I feel like I've been giving some people more attention than others, then it may take me days to answer these. I'd like to give everyone a chance to interact equally, or as close to 'equal' as I can humanly get.

3. Meme prompts. When I do reblog memes, however, I definitely want to prioritize these since I don't like to reblog stuff then forget about it.

4. Questions/messages for Admin. Sometimes I'll break character and answer things on myself if they're important and/or interesting topics in relation to Ruki's character, or simply a kind compliment praising my work. I like to stay on top of the nice messages I receive since it truly means the world to me.

5. Generic asks, i.e. what’s your favorite ___? These are my favorites to answer when I'm feeling a bit tired and need something simple to work with, lol.

6. NSFW. Yes, I understand we're all thirsty for Ruki here, but sometimes I feel uncertain about my smut in that my writing tends to get repetitive, ahaha. I do really enjoy writing NSFW answers, though. Sometimes I just need a few days to recharge the smut brain because I don't want to disappoint people with writing that sounds too similar as the recent NSFW asks.

7. Reactions to specific stories with characters, setting, plot. Sometimes people send me scenarios in which Ruki is their S/O or family-related asks, such as "Kou did ___, your reaction?" I really like the creativity behind these asks and try to get to these when I can, but sometimes I do receive continuations and it can be a lot to keep track of, just like my RP threads, ahaha. I'm convinced I probably need two separate Excel trackers: one for RP and one for the anon scenarios I receive.

8. Longer scenarios that require more thought and polished writing. I really want the scenario asks to turn out perfect, which is why I only work on them when I'm very energized and in a particularly strong writing mood.

9. Headcanon requests. There's no particular reason why this is at the bottom, as my headcanon posts are actually my most popular. Don't get me wrong, I love to write headcanons, but I just love writing as Ruki himself a bit more in comparison.

I hope this was helpful. I'd also like to add that I probably won't be answering anons that I can tell are from the same person, especially if we already RP a lot, since like I said earlier, I'd like to give all a chance to interact without exactly giving anyone 'special' treatment. There are many OCs, anons, and askers in general who visit this blog, both new and old, and I'd like to develop amazing stories with everybody. 🧩

[givereadersahug]

2022 Fic Round-Up (Again)

Am I doing another fic round-up? You bet! They deserved to be talked about. Why should I stop talking about them once I publish my work? Thanks for the tag @danpuff-ao3!

Rules:

Post the top 5 works you're most proud of that you released in 2022 (not necessarily your most popular),

your top 4 current WIPs that you're excited to release in the new year,

your top 3 biggest improvements in your writing over the past year,

your top 2 resolutions (ways you wish to improve your writing/blog) for the new year,

and your number 1 favorite line you've written this year!

Tagging - Anybody who see this post, go write ahead! I want to read about your fics and what you're excited for!

5 fics

I'm going to try to talk about fics I hadn't talked about before. Got to spread the love! And I feel like some deserve more attention, or at least an acknowledgement from me that -- yes, I wrote the thing and no, I didn't forget about you.

The Mirror of Erised (Harry Potter, Gen, 200 words) - This was written for a prompt community on Dreamwidth, which challenges you to write a drabble using 100 words or 200 words in total. The prompt for this work was 'shattered glass.' This was...different. I knew immediately I wanted to write a fic using the Mirror of Erised. I have a whole complex backstory for the mirror and how it came to be and what it saw through the years. And I knew how I wanted to end the story. The story would make for a heartbreaking, well-rounded fic if I had the capacity and the talent to convey the emotions I wanted to convey -- the devastation, the yearning, the complete loss, the possession. So I used this prompt as an exercise. Sometimes I do that --- most of my drabbles are slice of life fics that don't need more than a few hundred words to express. But for some --- for some, I want to see if the story is worth telling. Does it merit an expansion? An in-depth look? A second chance? It's a great exercise, imo, and I get my bazillion and one ideas out there in the world and not hidden away in my folder on my computer to never be seen again. The process of thinking about the world and editing the drabble and seeing it published --- it helps with figuring out which story is worth my time and which isn't worth my time. Maybe I will go back to it. Maybe I inspire someone to write something. Who knows? But back to this drabble. I'm proud of this drabble. I think. I'm proud of the story in my head that I have for this world. I do, however, want to change the wording and the pitter-patter, rhythmic way I wrote it. (Since I think the rhythm was lost a bit and certain sentence structures, imo, were wonky.) But the reception over on Dreamwidth was great. People really responded to it and I really love the story in my head. Which that's the problem, huh? If only we have a way to transfer the stories we envisioned directly onto the page. Now I'm just rambling. Back to the topic. I'm proud of this. It deserves to be talked about. There. <3

Peace (SK8 the Infinity, Matchablossom, 200 words) - This was also written for a drabble prompt community on Dreamwidth. The prompt was 'you know me.' Matchablossom. What can I say? They are my comfort ship right now. Unlike my other ships, this one is 'realistic' in a way that this could be my parents or my friends and their partners or the loving couple I know down the street. Just them. Being old friends who happened to be in love and do domestic things together and fight and be annoyed with each other --- without the fate of the world hanging in balance, or a chosen one prophecy, or complicated planetary relations muddling the waters. Comfort. It's the little things you do for the person you love, which I think I captured in this drabble. The little things that Kojiro does for Kaoru throughout their days together. (In this case, feeding him, since Kojiro runs a restaurant and Kaoru is a mess of a human being who forgets to eat and needs to be fed.) Action speaks louder than words -- the dynamics of their relationship, their feelings for each other. I was working on my 'showing, not telling' and I don't know. This drabble is one I often come back to to read. Most of the fics I read is all about the complexities, or the dangers of saving the world/country/universe/etc, the grit & harshness of a couple getting together. Which is great! But sometimes writing about domestic fluff and established relationships with no true conflict --- well, there are so few writers that can get that right for me. Each genre and each trope is complex in its own way, and everyone has different tastes, and sometimes you just have to write the fic you want to see in the world. This is a long-winded answer to just say that I know what I like, and I love this drabble.

Forgiveness (Harry Potter, Severus Snape/unnamed male character, 625 words) This was written for the hp-coffeehouse community on Dreamwidth for the prompt - coffee/tea in hot weather/summer. Old man Snape! Waiting in a teashop and asking for forgiveness from an old lover. I wanted to write a Muggle AU about regrets and...man, was this hard. I think I did okay. I went for a more lyrical style. I had no specific male lover in mind, since this was about Severus coming to terms with his past actions. I was reading Yoko Ozawa's works at the time (highly recommend her books) and I was trying to capture her style. I don't think I succeeded, but I'm happy with the outcome. Even if it took me a while to get this written. 🤣

Devotion (SK8 the Infinity, Matchablossom, 7316 words) I wrote Intricacies first. Devotion is a remix of that fic. I was dumb and thought - 'Huh. What if there was a fanfic that actually dealt with the real legal issues in Japan in relation to same-sex couples adopting?' Cause, let's be real here. Same-sex couples can't get married and they can't adopt. (Yet.) And there were a lot of fanfics about Kaoru and Kojiro happily married and maybe adopting a child, and I decided to throw cold water onto the parade. I wanted to read a fanfic about their struggles to get married and to adopt, and when I couldn't find one, I wrote it myself. In the end, this fic isn't even really about them adopting. It's about them coming to terms with each other and them being a team. Adoption and marriage (and to a lesser extent, citizenship, a whole other bag of issues Japan has) was just a vehicle in Kaoru and Kojiro being more Kaoru and Kojiro. You think that given I wrote the fic I have the words to express my feelings about it or talk about the emotions I wanted to convey, but I can't. 🤣 Anyway, I'm proud of this fic. Go fic!

Colours (Harry Potter, Snarry, 2268 words) This was written for the Liquid Luck Drabble challenge. The prompt was a photograph of blue butterflies on a fallen log. It's pretty simple. I just wanted to write a fic in which Severus gets railed by Harry. But I also wanted Severus to be hopelessly smitten? But yet in a Severus way? idk how to describe it, but I wanted to write how Mr. Darcy looked in the second proposal scene in Pride & Prejudice (2005). Completely enamored, enchanted, beguiled, besotted---- basically all the adjectives. 🤣 I wanted to create a sense of ethereal and grace in the story, cause the photograph (which is linked in the story) is such beauty and mystic and other-wordly. I know I'm not a plot-heavy writer. What I do want is to bring up certain emotions while you read and I wanted this fic to be like a dream you dreamed once.

4 WIPs

I'm not going to count my fest fics. Mostly, I just don't want to jinx myself. I have yet to drop a fest and I feel like the more I talk about them, the more I get insecure? Have second thoughts? Something goes funny in my brain, so here are other projects I hope to accomplish in the next year or two.

The Loneliest Time Project. I always wanted to write a series of fics based around a theme, so I figured new year, new project. The Loneliest Time is the sixth studio album released by Carly Rae Jepsen and it's my favorite album of 2022. It is also ripe for inspiration. Each song is an examination of different types of loneliest. There is cynicism in this album. There are heartbreaks, regrets, bitterness. I have a few ideas already. I just need a push to actually write them out.

King Severus. My bedtime story for Coco. I'll finish it! I promise, Coco! I PROMISE.

Your Name & Paranorman. These are two Snarry AUs I spoke about once or twice on Discord. I have the outlines. I just...hmmm. Something is holding me back, and I need to figure out what it is.

Restoration. My incomplete Snarry AUctoerfest entry. The one I dropped and wrote something else for the fest. I'm hoping to have this one done before the 2023 AUctoberfest, but who knows? *crossing fingers*

3 improvements

I got over my writer's block? That is a major improvement, I think. 🤣 Do I even need the other two?

Signing up for fests! That really helped in getting my mojo back. And participating in prompt challenges. I apparently like structure and rules, so fests & prompts really helped this year.

Learning not to worry too much about being perfect. English is technically my third language. I used to be obsessed over my fics having to be perfect before I even think about posting them online. I don't even care if my plot would be received well as long as my grammar is perfect. My grammar is farrrr from perfect. (I'm sure there are a bunch of mistakes in this post.) I have eccentricities in my writing style, the way I talk, the way I think. Nobody is ever perfect, so why should I be? And the edit button is always there. (Also, can I say again how tenses are the BANE OF MY EXISTENCE. arghhhh.)

2 resolutions

I want to crack that 10k mark. One of my fic needs to hit that 10k mark. Please?

Thorki, my love. My OTP. You are intimidating and scary to write for. I hope I can write something for you. So far I have dipped my toes in. I just need to submerge myself fully. Hopefully. Maybe.

1 line

Hmmm. I only have one line? But..hmmm. Okay, for this bit I decided to randomly choose one fic from SK8 the Infinity and one from Harry Potter and pick a line from there. (Or in this case, a paragraph.)

Devotion - (SK8 the Infinity, Matchablossom, 7316 words)

This moment at the tail-end of Kaoru’s rant, him voicing all his anxiety filled thoughts he must had have obsessed over – this moment with Kaoru’s flushed cheeks, his hair out of place from all his gesturing, and his eyes filled with heated passion and the deluge of pure emotions cascading from every pore – Kojiro thought he was in love with Kaoru before but this. This was the moment Kojiro knew with absolute certainty he was head over heels, couldn’t live without, shout from the sun and moon and stars and heavens he was totally, devastatingly, hopelessly in love with Kaoru – the most infuriating man Kojiro had ever known, and the most caring man Kojiro had ever known. He would have fought the world before for Kaoru, but now he would fight Kaoru if he himself got in Kojiro’s way in making him happy.

Dragons - (Harry Potter, Severus Snape/Charlie Weasley, 2659 words)

Dragons were misunderstood; people always saw them as violent creatures when they were anything but violent. Hulking and snarling, they were gentle creatures at heart. They react with brutality and sheer force when backed into a corner. I knew how to handle the beasts; I am reaping the reward for bedding one.

[sa7abnews]

Top 100 French Blogs feature for France Where You Are

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/06/top-100-french-blogs-feature-for-france-where-you-are/

Top 100 French Blogs feature for France Where You Are

That's right, France Where You Are podcast and blog has made it into the Top 100 French blogs and is currently ranked 24 out of the global Top 100. Cue (eco-friendly) confetti!

I'm immensely proud to be featured alongside such great sites as My French Life (you can find my book reviews on that site too!), big names like France 24 and France Today magazine and fellow bloggers Messy Nessy Chic and French Affaires.

As well as being so delighted to be featured, I thought this would be a great chance to share some love to other Francophiles featured in the Top 100 so you can find even more Francophile goodness in your life!

I love supporting people creating great content and by supporting others in the Francophile community, we all get a boost! Who doesn't need some love and support right now?

Talking of support, I now have a Ko-Fi (said like cof-fee) page, and some handy little buttons on the website. So if you'd like to buy me a coffee (or tea) then consider using the Ko-Fi button or page! Your support is so appreciated to maintain the blog and podcast running costs.

Anyway, today is all about sharing the love with these great bloggers / websites. I'm sending some love out to these fellow Top 100 French Blogs (in no particular order!)

My French Life / Ma Vie Française

Website: https://www.myfrenchlife.org

A popular community and a site full of intriguing articles are to be found at My French Life. Having written some content for them, how could I not include them? They feature very high up in the rankings as one the most popular Francophile websites in the world and although web content is a little skewed towards the Facebook group, there's an enormous resource of fascinating Francophile goodies on the website.

Just use the handy search tool on the site and you can uncover all kinds of gems! Lots of articles about Paris, fabulous book reviews for building your Francophile library and articles on improving your French. As well as gastronomy, interviews and Francophile travel tips. A really popular community on Facebook, but if you don't use it, just enjoy the website – there's plenty to explore!

Messy Nessy Chic

Website: https://www.messynessychic.com

A cornucopia of curiosities, this isn't like your average blog or website. My favourites are the nostalgic Paris links and the randomness that Messy Nessy finds on the internet. Great content that's often surprising, always interesting and plenty that's inclusive and quirky so she's a favourite for me! Check out the Nostalgic Paris pages here. Her immensely popular book Don't Be a Tourist in Paris (link below) is a great addition to your Francophile bookshelf, even if you don't plan to visit!

If you've heard me go on about Paris, or if you've followed me on Instagram for a while, you'll know I often talk about Paris with equal parts enthusiasm/passion and neutrality. Let me explain. I love Paris. I love it in all seasons, just like the song, but I also know it's not France. In a highly centralised country, it is the centre of administrative and governmental life and even the railways system radiates out of Paris like the sun. Yet it's not where most people live! Hence it gets a bit annoying when people talk about France when they're actually talking about Paris. From diets and style to monuments and shopping, it's often a conversation about Paris and a Parisian experience. So, nothing wrong with that in itself. But like any French person living outside of that starry centre, it feels a bit uncomfortable to be told about France through only a Parisian lens. I hope that makes sense! It's not anti-Paris, it's anti-Paris-is-the-centre-of-the-universe-itis. Phew, glad we cleared that up.

Messy Nessy can help you with living like a Local in Paris and with more hidden gems (a passion of mine!) almost everywhere!

You can follow Messy Nessy Chic on Instagram for lots of Parisian fun too.

If you liked that one, you might adore this:

David Lebovitz

Website: https://www.davidlebovitz.com

Perhaps not really needing an introduction, Lebovitz was a chef in the USA then moved to Paris and became a chef there. He started to write a book and his great chatty style, tasty recipes and what became the blog were a hit! So much so that he's written many fine books on French food, gastronomy and his adventures living in Paris. You can find out much more in his own words by following his blog at the site above, follow David Lebovitz on Instagram (lots of Live videos and special guests). He's a passionate foodie and a Paris resident, so there's plenty you can explore through his experiences.

I love his site, his recipes and his nine books so I'm honoured to be on the same list as his highly successful blog! He says:

'Having been a professional cook and baker for most of my life, I launched this davidlebovitz.com in 1999 to coincide with the release of my first book, Room for Dessert, which was updated and those recipes were incorporated into Ready for Dessert, a compendium of my all-time favorite baking recipes. The website was intended as a place to share recipes and stories. At the time, the word “blog” hadn’t been invented nor had the concept, but the blog hasn’t stopped, and recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary. In 2019, I was honored by Saveur magazine with their first-ever Blog of the Decade award.'

Find out more at his website! His list of Pastry shops in Paris alone is worth your time. Except if you're hungry and have a sweet tooth. Like me. ☺️ If that's put you in the mood for more French cookery, then remember to check out my blog post on this very subject! As a passionate home cook, I love these books and thought carefully about what to recommend.

See my wholeheartedly personal pick of Best French Cookery books here.

Lebovitz Top Book shortlist:

J'adore Lyon

Website: https://jadorelyon.com

In love with Lyon, France and Everything French. That's what expat Aga says on her site. No wonder I like this expat blog! Of course, I think it's vital to find bloggers and sites outside of Paris, right?! Well, here you can explore more about France, Lyon and its gastronomic delights with her on her blog. Exploring what there is to visit, love and appreciate about this part of France, Aga's site can take you on a virtual tour of this famous city.

Lyon is renowned as a gastronomic delight and foodie destination in its own right, so it's a great place to discover traditional French cuisine, history and culture (including the museum dedicated to the moving image as the first film was created by the Lumière brothers from Lyon; discover the museum.)

Lyon has 15 restaurants with one or more Michelin stars and is a lively, urban centre with a tram system and lots of cycleways. Two rivers run through it, the Rhône and the Saône, joining in the Confluence district. Lyon is home to the bouchon, traditional restaurants with the red and white tablecloths and Lyonnais bistro classic menus (there are 22 certified bouchon in the city but many more that aren't.) Around ten per cent of the city is a UNESCO heritage site including Fourvière hill where the Basilica of Notre Dame looks down over the city. Has this whetted your appetite for exploring Lyon?

French Affaires

Website: https://frenchaffaires.com/blog/

Is your love of France strong? Well you might feel you've found a fellow Francophile in Elizabeth New-Seitz who has a PhD in French and many years of experience in sharing her knowledge, passion and love of France on her blog and her cultural tours and visits.

The blog explores many cultural and gastronomic delights as well as parts of France outside of Paris (hurray!), which Elizabeth describes as 'many countries within a country' on her blog which is a fair enticement to discover more of France off the beaten track. There's always more new-to-you areas, customs and traditions to explore. Elizabeth makes a great guide, being so passionate and knowledgable.

I'm delighted to say that I will have the honour of welcoming Elizabeth on to the podcast in an interview this year – I can't wait to talk all things French with her. If you have any burning questions to ask, drop me a line!

In the meantime, explore more of France at her blog and join in some of the live events. I'm sure they are absolutely fascinating!

Hope you enjoyed this little shortlist of some of my fellow Top 100 French Blogs featured on Feedspot and perhaps found some new sites to explore. Do let me know which was your favourite!

If you like this kind of feature, please let me know via email hello@francewhereyouare.com if you'd like some Top 10 lists of YouTube channels, learning French resources, places to buy authentic French goods, etc. Any favourites?

Until next time, take care and stay safe!

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[quartings]

Announcements and resolutions for 2024!

For all followers of this blog, here are some art, animations, and more to expect for the coming year!

Firstly, I hope I posted enough Pokemon Adventures content here in 2023. Despite promising a lot last year, the big delay before the first SV chapter and the even longer delay until we finally saw Scarlet really put a lot of my planned fanart on hold. Hopefully I’ll be able to post even more Pokespe stuff this year now that ORAS will finally be starting in English, finishing in Japanese, and SV continues! And depending on what the Pokemon games do next, I may have even more Pokemon stuff to post!

To make it up to you all, I recently released an Indigo Disk animated short last week, and will be releasing another animation really soon with Pokemon Adventures characters! Definitely check them out, I worked really hard on them and I hope you like them!

I don’t know how many shows of 2024 I’m excited for- the only thing on the horizon is the Pseudo Harem anime, so maybe I’ll do fanart of that? There’s some other smaller series I may watch but nothing as major. Also, Creature Commandos is set to launch in late 2024 so hopefully that’s a good source of artistic inspiration, too!

Sadly, since my original animated short film Wishful Thinking is still at film festival judging, I can’t post it yet. But as mentioned last year, I will now start working on a teaser and promo material for it to post 100% before the year ends!

As for New Years resolutions, here’s some stuff I want to get done before the end of 2024:

Voice in at least 2 new projects for my Youtube channel, more if possible.

Collaborate with at least one new VA friend on one of those projects.

As I continue trying to navigate working in the animation industry to become an animated series showrunner, I appreciate all your support here! And also your patience with any delays as I try to become a proper working adult, haha.

For a final project- this isn’t just a rough idea, but I’m thinking of finally taking my Eris series to a professional level! I’m just stuck deciding if it should be-

A comic book that I try to officially publish

A webtoon that I then try to convert to other mediums if it becomes popular

A series of animated shorts

If any of you have any suggestions on what I should do, please let me know! I know most of my audience would prefer if I did more Pokemon animations (and trust me, I still will!) but I also want to make a living- and preferably off my OC stuff, too!

Conversely, I could slow down on animations and instead do Improvemonth 2, where I do one solid month of training my art to improve it and post the results here, so my future comics and animations can be even better! Here’s the link to my last one, and if you think I should go for it again, let me know!

I will say though, I think 2025 will be a bigger year than 2024- Superman Legacy releases then, I can finally post Wishful Thinking around then, we’ll be closer to more big game releases, and it’ll be the 10th anniversary of this blog!

And finally, if you’re a fan of any of my art or series (especially any of my OC stuff) this is your chance to let me know what you want to see more of! No guarantee that I’ll do it, but it’s always good hearing more from you!