#okay so disclaimer I don't even LIKE the Black Cat anime

[ninetailedfoxmanchi]

Simon 'Ghost' Riley: How You Started Dating (and some little things about Ghost)

Warnings: mentions of cigarettes and smoking, references to PTSD, scars

A/N: Once again, a disclaimer: I base this on Ghost’s backstory according to the comic books as well as the video games but this is just my take so if you imagined him differently, that is totally valid!

NEW MASTERLIST

* * *

I think Simon would be attracted to someone outside his work; someone in a different profession, because he would see his team members more as family than partners

Besides, he keeps his private life separated from his work, so I don't think it's likely he would fall in love with a co-worker simply because of this 'mental barrier' of how he sees them

His girlfriend could be anything from nurse, veterinarian, café owner, teacher, academic to chef or artist. I don't think Ghost would find a romantic connection with someone working a similar job as him or something in law enforcement

You met in a café where he forgot his wallet on the counter and you were the customer waiting next-in-line who ran after him. Simon most definitely insisted to buy you coffee as a thanks (but in reality he was just taken aback by your looks because he found you very pretty) (full fic: Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley: How You Met)

You found it unusual why the bottom half of his face was hidden behind a mask but Simon was a stranger to you at that time so you didn't presume to ask

Because he is so shy and reserved at first, after asking you out for a few coffees, you presumed he was just very grateful and did not know when to stop showing it, or he just wanted to be friends. Your 'dates' were very pleasant but you found yourself doing most of the talking and learning very little of Simon

But when he walked you home that night, an angry car rushed by and Simon pushed you behind him, even though you were both standing on the pavement, as if a tank was coming at you not a car whooshing down the street

"Are you okay?" he asked and took your face into his calloused hands. The caring you saw in his eyes was not one of gratitude nor mere friendship-in-the-making. His heart was racing and his lips were parted and you could hardly imagine a man of his stature and career to be afraid of anything. But apparently, Simon was afraid of you getting hurt

Afterwards, Ghost walked you home and insisted you stay on the inner side of the pavement whilst he held your hand (this is something he did not insist on although his secure grip suggested otherwise)

You suddenly realized as you saw him so deep in thought that Simon was a man of few words but many actions

You smiled to yourself and squeezed his hand as you caressed your thumb across his. Simon woke from his thought, his eyes widened and just a glimpse of blush crept to his unshaven cheeks from behind the mask

Also some little things you would find out about Ghost; he does not like animals much (because of his father) but he does find cats and dogs very therapeutic and if he had the chance, he would adopt both (but he can't because he is away a lot because of work)

You also learned that Simon likes his coffee black with one sugar but he prefers tea

He is also an occasional smoker; it used to help with his anxiety but when he learns you're not a big fan of kissing smokers, Simon keeps his habit to a minimum

He likes Marlboro Reds because they're pretty strong but he also smoked Davidoff Classics for a while

Simon's favourite colours are earthy red (like terra cotta), sage green and pale dark blue

He is a very light sleeper; the smallest unnatural noise wakes him

Simon is also an early birth rather than a night owl; he likes to go to bed pretty early and also wakes up almost with the dawn - he likes quiet mornings with a cigarette and a cup of British tea; the only thing better, in Simon's opinion, is when you're there with him

Bonus: How I personally imagine what Ghost looks like

Simon has a mixture of brown and ginger hair although his beard is entirely the latter. I think his standard hairstyle is a military cut but when he is off duty, he lets it grow a bit longer

His cheeks are unshaven the majority of the time so that the scars are not as visible

Ghost's eyes are pale blue, grey sometimes, although they were nearly aquamarine when he was a baby

Also, I think Ghost has a bit of natural undereye circles which make him look perpetually tired

His left forearm is entirely covered in tattoos reaching even past his elbow. The images are mainly motives of warfare and military but deep down they're a representation of Simon's life

Obviously, Ghost is very tall (about 6'2 or 6'3) and muscular; also a bit of a big boy <3

[aromanticannibal]

amateur art advice from an amateur artist.

disclaimer. this isn't for people who want to make art their jobs (some of the advice may be useful to you, but some will very much not be). keep that in mind.

1. it's okay if you're not good. seriously. what matters is that you're creating and having fun (and if you're not having fun, perhaps there's something wrong).

good is subjective. when I was 13 and I drew big pretty anime eyes for the first time, I was super happy! and for me, it looked good. and it still looks good for someone out there, just like how people tell you how good your art looks when you think it's mediocre. it's not. your art is good, because you made it. Its true quality does not matter until you need it to for work. You're still learning, be good to yourself.

2. you've heard the PRACTICE advice from everyone ever, so I'll go with something different : try new stuff.

for all the summer holidays of 2021, I didnt draw at all, only doodled silly cats because yknow. mental illness. when I drew again, I tried drawing a full body pose, which I never succeeded in doing before. and I did it! obviously it wasn't perfect, but it was the best ive ever done. and now im pretty okay with drawing poses!

so try new stuff. try to draw busts from another angle, try to draw profiles. draw noses, draw combat poses, draw folds and old people and fat people and black people because i know most of the starting artists start with one type of character and stick to it (for me, it was front facing busts of skinny white girls with straight hair and no nose).

this also counts for objects, and animals, try to draw them (and try to draw people if you've only ever drawn animals or objects)

and again, it does not matter if it doesn't look good at first. don't get discouraged. your favorite artists have something they struggle with, the most famous and respected artists have struggled with some things and probably still disliked some parts of their work at their peak.

3. look at people. try to draw who you see. if you don't get out much or are scared to draw people when they're with you, then draw from photographs you have, or references (im begging new artists to look at references of actual human people. I'm on my knees. references are important, study what you see).

study your own face! when you take selfies or when you put on makeup or even just when you see your reflection - if you can, look at your face, the shape of your eyes, your nose, your lips, your face. I rediscovered this year that I actually have freckles and realized I have more of them on one side than the other. I realized my face is actually pretty androgynous and I have a soft square jaw. look at people. look at yourself, look at everything around you.

4. learn and try the tips other artists give you. once someone said that to draw both eyes the same way, you had to draw them at the same time, step by step, instead of doing one then the other. and it works! for me at least. don't be afraid to try stuff. you don't even have to keep doing it if you don't like how it looks or doesn't fit with your style, that's fine! just try to do things for a while, and if in the end it doesn't work out, you at least know this is a thing that exists and you know it doesn't work for you. knowledge is useful.

5. STOP. BEING. SO. HARD. ON. YOURSELF.

no one cares there's 10 years old kids who can draw better than you. no one cares you're starting at 30 years old, or 40, 50, any age that isn't teenagehood. and if there's people who care, they should not. you should draw because you want to. if drawing isn't making you happy, then stop, or try something else. if you are able, take art classes! do whatever makes you happy and stop thinking what you're doing is cringe, or bad, or ugly. it does not matter. what matters is if you're having fun or not. how "cringe" or "basic" it is does not matter.

I hope you keep loving art and I hope you keep doing art because there are people who want to see it. even if you think it's mediocre, even if it really is, even if you're a beginner. I hope you never stop doing art because you think it's never going to amount to anything.

good luck doing art, and have fun!

[firebirdsdaughter]

So…

… So far, the highlights of what I’ve been able to watch of this ep, in no order:

Sunagawa.

Okada.

Raiden rushing over to Naki and frantically calling their name when he realised they’d been damaged by the blast and then, presumably, carrying them over to the makeshift printer to be repaired, and watching over them during said repair.

Jin’s little ‘Horobi!’ before he ran after his dad.

Jin seeming to be in horrified shock when the Ark took over Horobi.

Gotta damit, the angst monster loved the whole Ark possessing Horobi sequence.

Sunagawa.

Fuwa has a family??? And legit has a little brother??? Oh my gods, the ‘subconsciously seeing Aruto as the younger brother he couldn’t remember having’ possibilities. (At least, I think those were his parents and younger brother, the raw is terrible quality and I’m skipping through it a bit)

Okada.

Aruto showing concern for Fuwa again!

The Ark can mess w/ the chips.

I like how Fuwa’s henshin is very active and in motion while Aruto’s is stationary. Also Grasshopper Son and Wolf Dad henshining together again.

Takaiwa Seiji.

Sunagawa.

Fuwa using Sting Scorpion’s power on Ark Zero.

The Ark just freaking… Ripping Shadow energy out of Fuwa? What was that? Or is that the weird shadow energy is the Ark? What the hell is the tech even made of anymore???

Okada.

Where those dolphins in Ark Zero’s henshin?

Gotta admit… The Ark Zero Driver being a 3d printer is kinda cool.

Horobi and Fuwa kind of being in the same location again after so bloody long.

Sunagawa.

Okada.

Charden Flamberg.

[bewitchingivy]

Pick A Card: A Letter From Your Childhood Self

Hey, you. Yes, you. Just wanna let you know first that you're beautiful—inside and out 😌

So hello, beautiful people! Here's another pick a card presented by yours truly <3 So I chose this topic, because even I'm curious about what my five year old self would say to me—although I haven't done a reading for myself about that yet, I decided to create a new pac about this topic for you guys :)

READ BEFORE YOU PROCEED:

I highly suggest for you to think of a specific age first. For example; I choose my five year old self, so the message comes from when I was that age. Age suggestions would be from 5 to 12. Once you chose a specific age, meditate on that for a moment. Try to remember some things that you've done when you were that age, see and feel the memory. Let it make you feel somehow a little bit nostalgic. And then you can pick at the piles below :)

MY MASTERLIST

࿐ DISCLAIMERS

Tarot or any forms of divination is not set in stone. It's not your only future, but a probable one with the current energy you have right now. If a reading doesn't resonate, simply let it fly away and shift your energy. Because you can change your reality, and you have the undeniable power to do so.

Please keep in mind that my readings are for entertainment, positive, or inspirational purposes only. Please don't take them as a professional or medical advice. Any actions or decisions taken are your responsibility.

The images I use in my blog are not mine unless I say so. The pictures belong to their respectful owners.

Now let's get you a Sisu! (i love sisu so much, she looks like my precious cat LOL)

Pile One

Hey, future me

You know it's alright to ask for help from others right? Didn't our parent taught you to ask for help when in need? I'm learning that right now, and I'm really grateful when someone offers me a hand when I ask. It gets hard to do something sometimes, so we will need to reach out to others and need their help. Listen! Just because you're asking for help it never means that you're weak or incapable! You're just strong enough to realize and accept that you'll need help from others.

I know you've been distancing yourself from people lately. But now that's enough of that. You've recharged your energy and you've taken back your power now, it's just your ego that's stopping you from good things. So drop that ego, let it go because it doesn't serve you right. It's high time you surround yourself again with the people who loves and care for you. They're waiting patiently for you, you know. You think you're alone? You are so wrong.

Please I'm asking you to just stop self sabotaging yourself. Instead, you got to appreciate yourself. Because I do. My future depends on you, and I want us to do good. Please don't lose me—your genuine self. I'm always thinking of you, please take care of us. I'm counting on you, and I believe in you.

Sincerely,

You, from years ago.

Other miscellaneous things that I channeled that may resonate:

black and white cat as a childhood companion. a close friend or family member who passed on and is your spirit guide right now. You're safe. A childhood friend has been on your mind these days or you've recently met them. Listening to songs that contain the word: '' lately. Anxiety. Pink. Selfishness. A memory of two kids swinging in the playground. Swimming pool. Anime—particularly old anime (from 90's to early 2000's)

Shufflemancy:

Afterword:

So while I was writing your letter, I felt a twinge of anger from your childhood self. They're angry with you somehow, but it's all out of love because they care for you. It's like they're giving you a tough love LMAO. But man, you won't believe while I was channeling I felt like someone's hand was on mine, as if it was trying to comfort me. As if to tell you that everything's okay. I don't know whose it from exactly, so that's for you to validate :) And I just saw 444. That's your sign 💜

Thank you for trusting me as your reader and I'll see you next time!

— Ivy

Pile Two

Helloooo, my future self!!

First of, how are you doing? I mean honestly. I feel like when you're reading this right now you're just neutral. You're doing well but there are also days that are...bleak, right? Well, don't you worry. I have faith in both of us that we'll make a future that's brighter than the sun. Stay optimistic, okay? I will literally stamp on your feet if you don't. And maybe give you a hug after.

Don't you that I'm so proud of you? I mean, even if you're not there in your destination yet, I'm still VERRRYYY proud of you that you're still walking down the long road! And though it may rain or shine during your journey, just remember that I'm here cheering you on!! Okay? Don't forget to have fun too. It shouldn't be work all the time

(Just thinking about the word “work” is making me grimace) Don't stop, you get it? You gotta take breaks and work smart too.

I get it that you're trying to make somebody proud right now...honestly, I don't like the sound of that at all. Because it's making you feel miserable, and you don't even notice that. Don't. Please do things that will MAKE YOU PROUD OF YOU. Because this person doesn't care at all. Don't waste your time on them, they're not worth it. You have to save yourself from them. Because no one else is gonna do that but yourself. Distance yourself from people who doesn't serve your highest good. You know what I'm talking about. You're powerful, future me <3

You gotta live your story. You're the author, and only you can write your destiny. You will achieve everything you aim your arrow to. Our success is assured and we'll be rewarded greatly. Thank you. And I love you so much. I'm always thinking about you and I can't wait to see you years from now.

I'm enjoying my life so much right now. Your childhood was very fun and enjoyable wasn't it? Just do your thing and I'll do mine here :)

Love,

your childhood self.

Other miscellaneous things that I channeled that may resonate:

Arts; painting. Swan Lake. You're perfect already. Father figure. Hold on. Read books. Sleep well. A childbood teddy bear toy 🐻. Kites. Alice in Wonderland; rabbit hole. Playing pretend as if you're in a fairy tale. Visualization/imagination.

Shufflemancy:

Afterword:

This was very fulfilling to read. I felt so healed and at peace with this, I really love the energy <3 I think the letter was longer than I planned to. But I really have to write it all down, I didn't want to skip the others because I think everything written here was very crucial. Someone might need to hear it. And before doing your reading, I saw 1111 :) srsly what's with me seeing signs during readings-

Thank you for trusting me as your reader and I'll see you next time!

- Ivy

Pile Three

Hi, future self.

I know you're daydreaming a lot these days. Daydreaming about how you want you want to live your life while being pessimistic about it. Saying that your reality right now sucks. STOP IT OKAY? I'M SO PISSED. I DON'T LIKE IT THAT YOU'RE DOING IT TO YOURSELF. Like I just can't believe that you'd just overlook the potential you have right now. DO YOU SERIOUSLY HAVE NO IDEA HOW POWERFUL YOU ARE? Just stop that. Stand up and go take control of your life right now. I'm expecting a lot from you, and I just can't accept that you're like that right now.

I just wanna remind you that mother loves you. Maybe you forget that or you might not believe it, but you know I'm here to remind you that she truly cares for you. And she loves you so much, that's all.

And your friends are there for you, you know. But if not, then cut them off. They're not the one who should be your friends right now. Trust me—I have a wonderful feeling that the right people will come for you. But only if you allow to let them in. And in order for you to do that, drop down those fears and cut off any toxicity in your life right now. Be free from them, my future self.

Things will get better. I don't know what will happen in the future, but I just trust that fact that everything will be okay in the end. You know those Disney movies we watched? The protagonist at first is just living their day-to-day life until something comes up—the good and bad things, until they're gonna face a lot of obstacles that may seem impossible to defeat. But eventually they did, because they held on to that hope that it'll get better if they just do the right thing. Yeah, I think that's I wanna tell you the most: do the right thing and you're okay! Okay? Do me a favour and let go of your fears and worries. You're powerful than them.

With love,

You

Other miscellaneous things that I channeled that may resonate:

open any windows or doors of opportunity—step through them! Urge you to watch the movies you watched in childhood again. Autumn season/leaves. Golden/yellow color. A bridge. Walking on a tightrope. Let loose for once; dance around and sing in your room—just be you for you.

Shufflemancy:

Afterword:

Was it just me or I felt really sleep during typing all this? And my sluggishness just vanished away all of a sudden after writing the letter, LMFAO. You may be really tired right now, guys. So my advice for you is to get enough sleep as much as you can. Take care of yourself seriously okay? I feel like you're also being called to go off on social media for now, as well on spending too much time from technology and devices. Take care of your physical and mental health first. That's what I'm strongly wanna put into this reading. Take care, okay? <3

Thank you for trusting me as your reader and I'll see you next time!

- Ivy

Pile Four

Hey, I see you've been taking care of yourself! I'm proud of you. I know you've been healing or connecting with your inner child recently, and honestly, I'm just so proud! I'm sure our family and ancestors would be proud of you too. You've done a good job, my future.

This letter is more like a letter of congratulation to you. Because you deserve it. Thank you so much for taking of ourselves, I'm very thankful to you—you have no idea.

Keep this up, okay? Oh, and don't forget to take breaks as well. That is very important. You know, now that you've done the work and all that to become who you are right now, you're ready for even something greater. So open your arms wide and be accepting of those blessings and rewards that the Universe is offering to you. You deserve this.

Don't let any thoughts clouded by anxiety hinder those abundance, alright? You've done a great deal of hard work so it's only time for you to just relax from time to time for now. Reward yourself too. Remember when we were asked to return our toys and clean our room and after we've done that, we'd get a little reward? Yeah, you gotta do that to yourself too.

I honestly don't like the thought of growing up, it somehow scares me. But seeing that you're doing great, I guess I'm excited to reach where you are now. I'd be absolutely proud of myself, and I guess that you have every right to be proud of yourself right now as well.

I'll see you someday, future me.

- little you.

Other miscellaneous things that I channeled that may resonate:

Twins. Pixar's Coco. Growing up beautiful. “I just wanna relax” is what I'm hearing—THEN CHILL AND RELAX. Luisa from Encanto (oh gosh, I've been subconsciously thinking about her at the end of the reading lmfao.) Someone is out there coming in your life to love you for who you truly are.

Shufflemancy:

Afterword:

I just wanna sayyy... I'M PROUD OF YOU AS WELL TO HAVE GOTTEN THIS FAR, GUYSS 💙💙💙 Honestly, your childhood self only wanted to keep this short than I want but I kept pushing to ask for more details and what else they want you to know. You know, your childhood self's energy is so adorable. 🥺🥺🥺 LIKE I CAN I HUG YOU? :') And, I just saw 222. That's your sign if you've been asking for it. <3

Thank you for trusting me as your reader and I'll see you next time!

- Ivy

[your-brilliant-lady-m]

Part 4 - Basic Concepts of Miraculous Ladybug: Glamour

You can call it however you want: kid's show logic, superhero disguise logic, magical girl show logic, cartoon laws, suspension of disbelief, etc. But the fact that nobody recognises Marinette, Adrien and others when they are suited up IS NOT BAD WRITING. It's one of the main laws of this genre. That's not because characters are stupid, okay? So, being frustrated that everyone in the show acts stupid about this "wearing a mask that covers only eyes" trope is strange. This criticism is not valid or fair.

But, this trope has to make sense in-universe as a worldbuilding and narrative element.

Miraculous doesn't give us much direct information on how glamour works. And in this case, I think we need both SHOW and TELL. Because if you don't establish the glamour rules clearly, you are going to run into problems and create unfortunate implications with your storytelling choices.

Appearance

Miraculous obviously gives our heroes magical glamour. In "Lady WiFi" we find out that masks can't be taken off. It's magic. No other explanation is needed.

Miraculous can slightly change the appearance of users (eyes, face shape, height and hairstyles). People can identify and notice the hairstyles of heroes (numerous Ladybug wigs, statue in Copycat). Jagged Stone points out the change of hair when he mistakes Chloe for Ladybug ("Antibug"). But it's just a costume. There is no magic that prevents Jagged from understanding that Chloe isn't Ladybug. So, how does it work? But it's forgivable because it's cartoon logic. Suspension of disbelief works here, I suppose. I won't judge this too harshly.

Glamour also obviously prevents people from making a connection that Marinette and Ladybug have identical hairstyles. So people know that Ladybug wears her hair in pigtails, but magic does not allow them to notice similarities.

Another important question. Does glamour work on Kwamis? Can they see who is behind the mask?

New York Special makes it clear that magic does not affect robots and they can see through glamour. Does that mean that Markov, AI built by Max, knows the identities of Ladybug and Chat Noir? And it's never addressed.

Plagg in "Frightningale" says that holders can subconsciously choose their superhero appearance. This is actually pretty interesting and I like this idea a lot. Except the show is not consistent with this. The transformation of Master Fu looks identical to Nathalie's. And we have seen how different from each other Ladybug and Black Cat holders looked in the past. At the same time, Master Fu and Nino have different takes on Turtle superhero suit.

Age Glamour

Does age glamour exist? Do people see Ladybug, Chat Noir and other heroes as adults even when they look like teenagers to the audience (their height and build are smaller even when they are transformed)? Is that why no one ever questions the fact that children nearly die on a daily basis?

I mentioned unfortunate implications earlier. Well, this is where they come into play. Let's talk about "Copycat". A lot of people discussed it before me, so I won't bore you with details.

When I watched "Copycat" for the first time Theo's crush on Ladybug didn't bother me, because I thought that he sees Ladybug as his peer, a girl who is about 20-23 years old. Theo is an artist, his character design is that of an adult. He has his own studio, its appearance indicates that he did serious commissions in the past. The guy has no idea that Ladybug is like 13.

But then we get "Heroes' Day" and "Ladybug". And Hawkmoth calls them "kids", which means that there is no age glamour. Others see Ladybug and Chat Noir as teenagers. Perhaps, other Miraculous users aren't affected by age glamour. Therefore regular people see all heroes as adults but other heroes are able to guess their age more or less correctly. But you must spell this thing out because the audience can interpret "Copycat" differently. If there is no age glamour, then Theo is crushing on a teenage girl and he is fully aware of this fact. And this doesn't look good for your show.

The "No Age Glamour" theory is further confirmed in "Sapotis" where Alya just straight up analyses voice recordings and says that Ladybug is a girl their age. If glamour exists then it should also cover technology. Kwami can't be photographed. Face and voice recognition software shouldn't be able to analyse transformed superheroes and detect their identities in any way.

Besides, after "Sapotis" Alya should definitely be sure that Ladybug is not 5000 years old (also not an adult), especially after she wore Miraculous herself and was one door away from detransformed Ladybug.

SEASON 4 UPDATE! There's no age glamour after all.

In "Furious Fu" Su Han calls Chat Noir a child without knowing his identity. It means that everyone knows their superheroes are teenagers. "Copycat" can't be saved from that, uh, subtext anymore. No one questions the danger of their job or the balance of their lives outside of the mask. No one doubts their competence after "Origins" ever again. No one becomes annoyed after being bossed around by two teenagers in spandex. You had many opportunities to drop these details into the narrative. Someone could have been akumatized over this (I will not be ordered around by some magical kids!).

I don't know why writers decided not to use at least this idea and slightly adjust "Copycat" if they got rid of the age glamour completely. It can be explained as kid's show logic, but unfortunately, I'm reluctant to do it. If many characters sympathise with akuma victims on-screen, why not with the teenage superheroes who must fight them?

New York Special had this weird focus on collateral damage out of nowhere (the damage done by sentimonster Robostus) and yet it has 0 effect on the main story. No one in Paris is pissed that their 2 teenage protectors weren't there.

Ironically, "Furious Fu" and that one remark made by Su Han also created unfortunate implications for other moments in the show. Just hear me out. Apparently, Jagged Stone wrote a "thank you" song for Ladybug knowing that she is 13-15 year old child back in "Pixelator". Fandom is more than happy to roast Lila for lying about saving Jagged Stone's cat and him writing her a "thank you" song. Fandom claims that Lila's tale could harm Jagged's reputation, when he wrote a song for teenage Ladybug several weeks prior. Meanwhile, in-universe this lie is 100% believable.

If we put on "realism glasses", then both this whole song situation and Theo's crush in "Copycat" have uncomfortable implications. However, the show's canon can't be viewed and criticised through "realism glasses". I admit that bits and pieces of my criticisms are affected by these "glasses", but, ultimately, I'm trying to be fair and concentrate only on things that can't be justified by "cartoon logic and worldbuilding".

Could the existence of age glamour solve this problem of unfortunate implications and other concerns mentioned above? YES. Is it better for the narrative? YES. Is essential for the story? NOT QUITE. Could the absence of age glamour be called an irredeemable storytelling flaw? NO.

Disclaimer: On a side note, only older audience can notice these implications. Children, the target audience, most likely won't understand this subtext simply because they don't have enough experience. So, perhaps, this criticism is unfair, because these moments only look weird to me as an adult. It's like an adult joke in a cartoon that you don't get until you reach a certain age.

There's nothing technically wrong with adult writing a "thank you" song for a teenager. It's just an expression of gratitude. However, unfortunately, we live in a world, where adults normally wouldn't write songs for teens to express gratitude only. In real life similar actions would imply pedophilia and would be actively scorned by the public. No one would risk their reputation like that even if their intentions were genuinely pure and sincere. But this show can't be viewed through "realism glasses", because it's a cartoon and in certain cases we as the audience must use suspension of disbelief and pretend that certain things are possible for plot to happen.

Su Han also wants to give Ladybug and Black Cat to adults. Why didn't Master Fu do this then? Writers don't give us any explanation. Throughout the show we never question this up until the moment it's revealed that adults don't have time-limited powers. Then comes "Furious Fu". Story suddenly becomes self-aware here. Because apparently nothing prevented Fu from giving the most powerful Miraculous to adults who won't have time limit and will be more effective against Hawkmoth (see part 3 for more details).

I have a very good example of Age Glamour done right. It works in the story. There is no confusion or unfortunate implications. There is like one plothole connected to the glamour (it's been years and I still can't forgive them for Cornelia and Caleb) but otherwise, it's a pretty solid example of both show and tell. Clearly, writers wanted to avoid uncomfortable implications which are present in "Copycat". I am talking about W.I.T.C.H. comic books and animated series.

If you are not familiar with it, I'll give you a brief explanation. The story follows 5 girls, the Guardians of Kandrakar who are chosen to protect their world and parallel ones from evil. They receive magical powers from the amulet known as the Heart of Kandrakar. Their powers are based on elements: fire, water, earth, air and energy. Our main characters are about 13-15 years old. In the animated series they are younger and they attend middle school, making them 12-14 years old. But the transformation makes them look 18-20. They look like young women to each other and to other people. At the same time, people can recognise them, their looks and voice don't change. Most people don't know that they are really teenagers when they are not transformed and these people don't know that magic can make them look older. That's why everyone treats Guardians like adults when they are transformed. Comics establish this fact in the very beginning. In first issues characters state that they look older, we are also shown this multiple times.

In fact, one of the first side plots revolves around the fact that Irma uses her powers to sneak into the disco club to meet up with her crush. Irma is 13 at the beginning of the series, she is a high school freshman. Her crush, Andrew Hornby is a senior guy 17-18 years old. Irma has liked him for a long time and wants to impress him, so she decides to be clever about this. She transforms into her Guardian form of the 18-year-old girl, hides her wings, sneaks out to the club after her parents are asleep without any problem, and meets Andrew, who obviously doesn't recognise Irma in this girl who looks about his age. Smitten Andrew offers her a ride and 13-year-old Irma doesn't understand the implication of that offer, so she accepts. And, obviously, he decides that she is interested in more than just a ride home, since she agreed, and the comic implies that he fully intended for them to have sex in the backseat of his car. But Irma understands the implication only when Andrew tries to kiss her. She panics and turns him into a frog. And she actually pulls this "I need to look mature" trick more than once over the course of the series.

It's not the only situation where this age difference is handled well and makes sense. People who know the main characters in everyday life remark on their older appearance during transformation. Sometimes people flirt with Guardians when they are transformed. In one of the side-novels centred around Cornelia, she is worried that the prince of the realm they helped to save from famine would try to marry her. That never happens, but Cornelia actually brainstorms with her friends about how to tell the prince that she is really 15.

There are many other plot points where this happens, but I think that you got the idea. I really like how "Age Glamour" was handled in W.I.T.C.H.

How do we fix this? Create the situations where people offhandedly mention "Age Glamour" in the presence of Marinette or Adrien, use Kwami for this.

"Don't worry, dear. Chat Noir and Ladybug are adults, who know what they are doing. I am sure that they will handle this. "

Theo could say: "Oh, I wonder which university Ladybug goes to?"

"So, does that mean that other people see us as grown-ups, Tikki?"

A few words and boom, problem solved. Then allow the "show don't tell" rule do the rest.

[th3-z0diac]

How I Make Aesthetics.

Long post ahead, sorry :(

In the past, I've been asked multiple times how I create my aesthetics and where do I get the best pictures for them, so I figured I'd make this master post of what exactly I do. Btw this is coming from a person who has studied graphic design for 4 years and had about 4 years of experience in making zodiac collages here on tumblr. Do what you want with that information.

A few disclaimers

There are different types of aesthetics and in this post, I'm going to be specifically talking about a certain type that I like to make. Here, examples:

My most used format is 6 pictures in 3 rows, but I've also tried 4 pictures, like here for example:

There are other types such as minimalistic photos, dark academia, grunge, and SO many more. Please keep in mind that I'm not hating on these types and when I mention a rule such as don't use photos that are too minimalistic, I am not saying that minimalistic aesthetics are wrong or ugly or anything of that sort!

Just because I don't choose a certain photo doesn't mean I don't like it, it just means that the photo is not exactly what I'm looking for. By me showing you the examples below, I'm just trying to paint a picture. No hate here, okay?

I don't own any of the pictures I use (I've only used like one or two of my own photos in the past) but then again this is just for entertainment, I don't make money doing this or anything. If I ever get a message from an owner of any of these photos and they want me to delete it, I will delete it.

Where to get the photos

Pinterest! Period. AHAHAHA

No but seriously, pinterest and tumblr are my two favorite sources and you will find pretty much exactly what you need there. pinterest specifically.

On tumblr, I usually search for hipster, grunge, indie, and nature, but it also helps to just find specific blogs that focus on photography, follow them and then just download anything from your dashboard that you fancy.

I'll share what I search for on pinterest below👇. My secret tip would be to not always go for the first photo you find but rather to open a picture that sorta has what you like in it and then scroll down, because pinterest is going to recommend you similar, sometimes better fitting photos. On tumblr, I sometimes go to the blog of the person whose one photo I like, and there I tend to find many more of the same kind (since these bloggers usually post a specific kind of aesthetic).

How to choose photos

My number one tip would be to seek texture. Avoid photos that have little going on in them and anything too empty or minimalistic (unless that's what you're aiming for, obviously). Also, don't choose pictures that are very light or very dark, as they tend to stand out in aesthetics and that's not really what you want. At least in the type of aesthetics that I make, I want the final product to be almost a new picture in itself if that makes sense. To show you an example, look at this photo of two sleeping cats:

This photo seems like a good fit; it is well balanced in colours (there are shades of white, beige/ginger as well as some greens) and c'mon, it's two cats, what more do you need!!! However, let's look at it in a complete aesthetic:

While this aesthetic has a nice color scheme to it (well, it doesn't, I threw it together super quickly, but you get the gist), the photo of the two cats just stands out because the khaki background creates this kind of block of color that your eye will automatically go to and it sort of breaks the collage apart. So, by texture, I mean that a picture is filled, for example with trees, flowers, architecture, little people in the background, etc., etc. Furthermore, I prefer when there are more things photographed (for instance, look at the first picture of the aesthetic above; it has a mirror (and a tiny person in it), architecture and leaves all in one picture)

Next, personality. Go to Google Images and search 'Nature Photography' or 'Sunset Photos'. You might get something like this:

Or this:

Look at this absolute angel of a boy💚💚💚💚💚💚Isn't he the cutest freaking thing you've ever seen?????? I just want to give him all the treats and all the pets and — ...ehm, sorry, that's not why we're here.

So I don't quite know how to explain this point, but I guess usually professional photos like this are just so well done that they work perfectly well on their own and you usually don't put them in a set (only with other photos from the same photoshoot maybe). They're obviously well-balanced color-wise and high in quality, but they're just very individual and don't really need any addition in the form of other photos. This point also applies to the previous one (textures, in case you forgot); for example, a bunch of blueberries creates a nice texture, however it might be difficult to pair them with other photos. They have enough personality on their own (and this is not meant in a bad way to the photos I do use).

Related to this, you're looking for a story. Usually, if a photo gives off a certain vibe, tells a story, or just leaves any kind of strong impression, it might be a good indication that this is a good photo to use (given all the other rules as well, of course).

The main themes I search for are:

cities, villages, or abandoned places

related to that — architecture or only parts (details) of it

nature, specifically forests with either road or a body of water nearby, beaches, deserts and so on. plus points for tiny people in the distance

animals, usually with the addition of maybe the texture of a sweater sleeve or some blankets, something of that sort

people, my favorite kind is people turned away from the camera with an interesting background, because by them not having a face, they become a bit more relatable in a sense?

people in a river or some kind of water

museums, sculptures

etc.

Usually, I tend to avoid:

photos with text in it (though as an exception I would mention neon signs or letters/words that are for example above shops, on books, etc.)

heavily filtered pictures

photos with very specific (often bold) colors in them, unless you find multiple photos with that same shade. this again distracts the eye too much

GIFs, animated pictures, illustrations/drawings. also, don't use collages (cause you are creating a collage, duh)

black & white pictures

blurred pictures (or those that are purposely grainy — that goes back to the filters above)

anything obviously photoshopped

When trying to figure out where to put each photo

Squint your eyes. The photos should create a nice harmony, there shouldn't be a corner where it gets too light or dark or where some textures blend together, for example, if using multiple flower patterns, try to place them in different corners.

When to know your aesthetic is done

Actually even before you start, you should be in the mood. I have to admit, there have been times where I've felt pressured into making aesthetics, and now, looking back at them, I'm really ashamed of them. That is why I don't always post aesthetics as soon as I get them requested because I genuinely want them to look good.

Sometimes, it helps to not post the aesthetic straight away but to come back to it later with a fresh look. I'd say go with your gut. You should have a good, satisfying feeling about the aesthetic.

Last note

Rules are meant to be broken. Look at the aesthetic below. I used a minimalistic illustration (two birds with one stone I guess) (and admittedly, that one picture does stand out) and yet the aesthetic still came out pretty nice. So, just play around with your ideas and see what you like the most! I'm just a random person on the internet, you literally don't have to listen to any of the tips I gave you here today.

I know this might seem like a lot (honestly, if you've read this entire thing, you're crazy), but it gets easier and easier with practice, soon you won't even think about it.

Hopefully these tips will help you and please let me know if you decide to make any aesthetics. I would love to see them!! <3