#so its pretty simple haha but learning was fun!!

[himawaari]

@animangacreators hanami challenge

daffodil: make an edit about the second lead character in a romance animanga that didn’t end up with the main character ↳ yamaguchi kenji

[icewindandboringhorror]

finally finished all of one character's entire quests/optional dialogue/questions/etc.... 100,000 words... .... aughhh

[suosgirl]

Keeping It Cute (& Dangerous) - Hayato Suo x Reader | Ch. 3

Word Count: 4100

୨ৎ Read me before interacting!

୨ৎ Pairing: Hayato Suo x Reader feat. Haruka Sakura, Akihiko Nirei, Taiga Tsugeura, Mitsuki Kiryu

୨ৎ Warnings: mdni, f!reader, manga spoilers (?), ooc (?), loss of loved one, violence, panic attack, breakdown, slowburn, knives, stabbing, blood/bleeding, broken bones, harassment, survivor's guilt, misunderstandings, fighting, grief, swearing, ptsd – if I’ve missed one, I apologize + please let me know!

୨ৎ Note: I wasn't feeling the original image because I really want this fic to feel real – so, updated it so it looks like a manga panel (˶˃⤙˂˶) Also, remember when I said this would be 4 parts? I lied, haha. Definitely will be longer (ᵕ—ᴗ—)

୨ৎ Keeping it Cute (& Dangerous) Masterlist

“Bunny,” he repeats himself – simple and matter-of-factly. “That’s not my name.” “But you’re just so cute –” Your nose scrunches up at his words, and he laughs as he claps his hands. “Oh! See, you are a bunny!”

This was a situation that you did NOT have on your bingo card.

Sat in between Kiryu, whose name you had just learned, and Tsugeura, whose name you had also just learned, you found yourself cursing the universe for the streak of bad luck that just kept coming.

(They had originally all sat across from you, something you were thankful for – but when you had excused yourself to use the restroom, they thought nothing of it until they saw you fly past the shop windows.

Sakura and Nirei had to drag you back.

You blame your weakness for puppy dog eyes.

… Fun Fact: Nirei was really good at doing puppy dog eyes.)

You just couldn’t understand it – you had apologized for what you did, and they had told you that you did nothing wrong, so why were you still here?

And also – nothing erases the fact that they’re all still so good-looking. Especially Suo.

Ugh, even his name was pretty. So pretty, in fact, that you couldn’t stop repeating it in your head. 

You could still feel the ghost of his hand on your shoulder and the warmth of his breath on your ear. 

Bunny…

Is that what he thought of you? A harmless, dainty little ball of fur? You’re irritated at the mere idea of being compared to such a powerless animal. 

For goodness sake, you had fractured a man’s hand – bunnies don’t do that.

What’s worse – he had continued to call you that stupid nickname the whole walk here. You had ignored him, of course, but it seems that only fueled him more, because he hasn’t let up on the name since then.

How can someone so handsome be so aggravating? 

You’re brought out of your thoughts by the sound of a poorly veiled excuse of a cough, and you see that they’re all looking at you expectantly.

“Oh – I’m sorry! Did you say something?”

Sakura lets out a sharp tsk, no doubt still annoyed about earlier, before responding to you.

“We were askin’ for your name.”

Oh.

You don’t mean to, really, but you let out a laugh. It bubbles out of you, unrefined and uncontained, because the situation in its entirety is just so ridiculous. Of course you hadn’t introduced yourself to them because you didn’t think you’d still be talking to them. Or rather, that they’d still be talking to you. 

Once your laughter dies down and you’re wiping the stray tears from your eyes, you quickly apologize and introduce yourself.

It’s silent for a second, and then Suo hums and you eye him warily.

“I think I like bunny better,” he concludes, smiling at you.

You shake your head, before correcting him with a forced smile of your own.

“Bunny,” he repeats himself – simple and matter-of-factly.

“That’s not my name.”

“But you’re just so cute –”

Your nose scrunches up at his words, and he laughs as he claps his hands.

“Oh! See, you are a bunny!”

Suddenly, you don’t like him anymore. 

You turn to Kiryu, even though you barely know him, because you need support and validation and he looks like the type to run to your aid in times of need. He’s already looking down at you, his eyes thoughtful and sensible and you’re sure that he’ll be the one to put an end to this endless teasing. He’s so reliable, you think. And handsome. And Kind. But now he’s smirking at you and you’re not sure why – 

“Kitten! You look like a kitten right now~”

You almost flip the table. Keyword: almost. You are, after all, just a girl – but girls don’t flip tables. No matter how irritated they are. And you know what? You pride yourself on how poised and collected you are in the face of hardship. You are resolute – unbreakable. This is child’s play. 

“I don’t think you’re anything like that –” Tsugeura chimes in, and you’re so glad that someone finally sees you for who you are. 

Perhaps… perhaps Tsugeura was way more emotionally aware and attuned to others' feelings than you had first thought. You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and suddenly, Tsegeura is just so dreamy and handsome and – 

“– you’re more like a banana! Banana is my favorite protein flavor, the other fla-”

You slide your hands under the table. 

First, you were going to flip this shit. Then, you were going to rock their shit.

“I-I think you’re really cool … and strong!” Nirei interrupts your silent rampage, and you feel the anger dissipate from your body.

You decide then that Nirei is your favorite one from the group, and you grant him a smile – because kindness is supposed to be met with even more kindness. And he was kind, and cute, and sweet, and –

“But … I feel like I’ve heard your name before… I just can’t remember where…,” he mutters, and you watch him pull out a small notebook from his jacket. 

You feel your skin prickle at his words, and you quickly ask Kiryu what he’s looking at.

“Ah – he collects information about people –”

Kiryu’s still talking, but you tune him out.

If people from this town knew who your brother was, then you weren’t safe here either.

You watch Nirei flip through his notebook in earnest, and your hands start to get clammy. You had to leave. Whether he found the information he was looking for or not, you didn’t want to stay to find out. You decide that you had entertained them long enough, and it’s when you start to slowly push your chair back that Nirei finds what he’s looking for.

“Aha! I knew your name sounded familiar!” he’s beaming at you as he says your brother's name, and you don’t have it in your heart to ask him to stop.

But then – he’s naming things about your brother like his height and his preferences and his shoe size and you can’t stop the way your eyes are starting to water or the way your hands softly inch towards to stop him.

And everyone’s so enraptured in Nirei’s storytelling, so intrigued by the rumors of your brother and the rumors of you, that no one notices.

It’s only when you gently pull the notebook from his hands that he stops. You’re not mad. Really. 

You’re just – 

…

You don’t know how you feel.

Through blurry eyes, you skim over the page and you’re surprised at how accurate everything is – but, you find one flaw.

One stupid flaw that you wish wasn’t real, but it was, and reality hurts.

“You need to add that he passed away a year ago,” you say before clumsily handing the notebook back to him – your eyes glued to your lap.

The table falls silent, and you don’t want to look up. You don’t want to look any of them in their eyes or see their expressions of remorse or guilt because, honestly, they didn’t know.

But… But to hang your head low in your brother’s memory was shameful. He deserved to be remembered with your head held high – a smile on your face and pride in your voice. That’s the type of person he was.

“My brother –” you take a deep breath, willing your voice to stop shaking and your hands to stop fidgeting. Kiryu’s hand is on your back, comforting and sweet, and you know that he’s silently telling you not to push yourself – but you press on.

If your brother were here right now, he’d tease you endlessly about how small and frail you look. 

But then… he’d flick your forehead and tell you to straighten your spine – because addressing your feelings and your fears head-on is the only way to get stronger.

“He was the one that taught me that I could wear whatever I want, do whatever I want, and be whoever I want – because I’m strong enough to back it up. He made sure of that.”

“He was really famous in our town… Maybe that’s why you’ve heard of him? He protected everyone, just like you guys, and he had this thing he would do where he would call himself –”

“The LION…,” Nirei joins in quietly with you, and you let out a small laugh as you nod. 

“Yeah, my brother was the lion and I was the tiger. He was really into stuff like that – said it made us sound cool and intimidating and whatnot. He even had everyone call us that too and I used to hate it because it was so cheesy, but somewhere down the road, it grew on me.”

You’re smiling now, but it isn’t reaching your eyes. You’re trying, though, and they can see that.

“When I fight …,” you pause, and flashbacks start running through your mind. 

You remember all the fighting, all the banter, and all the lessons. He was such a flashy person, always trying to take on 15 people at a time just to show how strong he was. But … he was strong. Stupidly strong, and so so smart. He had the mind of a tactician – always planning, always thinking. His strategies rarely failed, and if they did, he took it in stride with a smile on his face and a chip on his shoulder.

“... I feel like he’s right there beside me, giving me pointers on what I could do better and telling me not to mess up my hair too much.”

You missed him – terribly. But, life goes on. 

The days pass by, the seasons change, and in some miraculous way – you begin healing.

“I think about him everyday,” you admit, “he was my best friend, my role model, and I knew him like the back of my hand. You’re doing his life’s work, too – and that’s something to be incredibly proud of.”

You look up at them, and though your tears have subsided, there’s still an ache in your chest that you know will only get lighter with time.

“How?”

You flinch at the question, and everyone is quick to scold Sakura but he continues – 

“He sounded pretty damn strong, so what happened?”

The question makes sense. Your brother was strong, so how did he, of all people, get killed? 

You know that you, yourself, are also an enigma – so you get where he’s coming from. You had moved to Makochi with trauma and issues and history, and it still wasn’t clear if you were a threat or not. It just hurts, you suppose, being perceived like this.

You purse your lips, not because you’re angry at Sakura, but because you’re angry at what you’re about to say.

This part always stung the most.

“My brother… he was well known, even outside of our town, for ending fights and saving people. He was a hero – the town’s hero. But because of his reputation, we had more and more people moving in, and a lot of them had emotional baggage. They –”

Your hands start shaking again, and you have to force yourself to calm down.

“They didn’t know this, and it isn’t their fault, but because of so many people seeking refuge with us, gangs from out of town were putting a target on me and my brother.”

Your breathing is coming out ragged now, and you can feel your body start to heat up with pure anger.

Kiryu’s hand is on your back again, and you’re so grateful for the way it grounds you enough to continue speaking.

“The night that my brother died, he was by himself. We didn’t know that the gangs had reached out to one another to create some sort of compromise, but if we had, then maybe things would be different.”

“I don’t … I don’t know exactly what happened, but when they found him, he was on the outskirts of town with 50 bodies laid out around him and 20 stab wounds… He could’ve been saved, but he lost too much blood because he just kept fighting.”

“I was supposed to be with him that night, but I had a stupid little cold and he told me to stay home and rest. Can you believe that? I was at home, with soup and cough medicine and a runny nose, while my brother was out there dying, and I –”

You don’t realize you’re gasping for air until they’re all telling you to stop, and you finally notice the hot tears running down your face.

Your body stills, and then – you’re quiet.

It takes everything in you to just breathe.

You’re stuck like that for what feels like forever before you’re able to start releasing the tension in your body, but your heart is still racing and your mind is still reeling and –

Sakura breaks the silence.

“... They’re cowards – you don’t bring knives to a fistfight,” he states, plain and simple, and the rest of them are waiting with bated breath and worried eyes as you look up at him and –

You laugh. It’s a bitter laugh, but it’s something, and you see their shoulders drop with relief.

Slowly, your heart returns to a steady rhythm and you’re sure that you’re probably looking a lot better because Kiryu is softly asking where you’re from.

You hesitate, but the name of your hometown falls from your lips – and so do their faces. 

“That’s –,” Nirei starts, but Sakura cuts him off.

“Whaddya doin’ all the way over here, then?”

You pause.

“I’m protecting my town – same as you.”

“That … doesn’t seem like much protection – ”

“They're still looking for me – the hit that night was for both of us. They only want me. The town is safe because I’m not there.”

You’re met with silence, and you take that as a queue to wrap this whole thing up. You’ve said far too much than you’d like to admit, and you don’t want to get attached to these feelings and these people and this town. 

This was fun. Handsome boys always make good company. But, the sooner you get this over with, the sooner you can move on.

So, you bring your hands together with a soft clap, grabbing their attention as you smile at them.

You drone on about how, despite this being a great fun experience, it’s getting late and you really oughta head back to your apartment now. You’re thanking them for listening to you and for being so nice and caring, but you’ve already taken up so much of their time and you couldn’t possibly keep them out for longer.

You honestly, genuinely think you’re doing pretty good.

What you don’t count on, though, is that they’re getting familiar with your smiles. They’re starting to catch on to which ones are real and which ones aren’t – and the smile you’re giving them now is so guarded and forced and fake that they’re already standing up before you finish your little spiel. 

You deflate at their reaction. You weren’t even done.

Sighing, you go to grab your bag before standing up – and they’re quick to gather around until they’re blocking you with their bodies.

“You’re not thinking about leaving town, are you?” 

“Of course not! Goodness, why would you even think that?”

You laugh, light and friendly, before trying to step around them. They block you again.

“Look, I’m tired and I want to go home. Please please please let me go home,” you plead, desperate to finally be alone.

“If we visit you tomorrow, you’ll still be there? You won’t be gone?”

You smile again, but your eyes are starting to twitch and your patience is running thin.

“Yes yes yes – I promise I’ll still be there tomorrow.”

What a fucking liar, they think.

You, on the other hand, are getting frustrated because usually nosy people end it at the first question. You’re not at all used to whatever this is, and you’re starting to get worried that perhaps they got too attached to you. 

“We’ll walk you home –”

“No need! It’s really not that far!”

Your facade is cracking now, and you’re starting to get antsy. This was too much attention, too much care, and you hadn’t experienced this much clinginess in so long.

Why couldn’t they be more like other towns, who didn’t so much as bat an eyelash when you left because you had caused fights and problems and violence?

“How will we know where to go tomorrow then?”

“Oh – good question! Here, pull out your phones and I’ll give you my contact information.”

They immediately do as you say, but when they look up, you’re fucking gone – halfway out the door by the time they realize it.

You’re booking it, running as fast as you can through alleyways and sharp corners before they even get a clue of where you are. 

You’re smiling, pleased with yourself because you won and boys are just so easy.

Finally, you can unwind from the disastrous day you’ve just had and wallow in self-pity and embarrassment to your heart's con– 

You run into something hard and firm and tall and handsome and – shit.

Suo’s got his arms wrapped around your waist, strong and secure, and though he’s smiling, you can see how furious he is by the way he’s pressing his lips together.

“It seems my sweet little bunny just keeps getting away.”

You bristle at his words, and for a split second, you consider flipping him out of your way, but his fingers lightly press into your body as a warning and – 

“Okay fine, you’ve caught me. Are you happy now?”

You hate how breathless you sound in his arms, but he, on the other hand, is absolutely thrilled. Whether it’s because of your pathetic surrender or because you’re so damn close, you’re not sure.

You place your hands on his chest because, if you’re going to let yourself be held captive by him you might as well enjoy it, and you feel the tiniest flex of his body under your fingertips.

Oh. 

Alright – fine. Two can play at this game.

You tilt your head to look up at him, and in the prettiest voice you can muster, you say — “You’re being so mean, Suo.”

All he does is hum at your words, and you flush at the lack of response. 

Never… never again. 

Maybe you should flip him. It wouldn’t hurt, you think, to get one good jab in. Make him really remember you before you’re gone. 

“I honestly think you’re being the mean one here.”

You open your mouth to respond, but he continues.

“If you think leaving is the best thing for you to do right now, then I’ll let you go.”

He drops his arms, and you shiver. You’re not sure if it’s from the breeze or the weight of his words, but you instinctively wrap your hands around yourself.

“You can go to the next town, and then the next one, and then the next one, until you’ve run out of land – and I won’t stop you.”

Your breath catches in your throat, and you look away from his stare. You can’t do this, can’t listen to this, it hurts and your chest is tight and – 

“Or, you can stay here a little while longer. You can get to know the town, know the people, and you could find something worth staying and protecting again.”

You're stepping away from him now, your eyes clenched and your hands shaking.

For a year, you’ve had whispers of your brother's voice, sure, and the occasional casual friendships from town to town, but you’ve never ever been spoken to quite like this. You didn’t know words could bruise you like this. You didn’t know the truth could sear into your skin and burn.

You didn’t give anyone the chance to confront you, never stayed long enough to make it worth it, but here he was – stern and honest and real.

You’re scared – no, terrified at the idea that someone like him could see right through you. That he could see through your facade. That he cared enough to say all of this. That he cared enough to try.

You don’t … know what to do. You’re at a crossroads, and although you’d been in this town for a couple of weeks now, this was the first time you were seeing it for what it truly is. 

And you’re not sure if you can love another town the way you loved your hometown. You can’t get attached or comfortable — can't stay in one place for too long. You don’t know what could happen to the people here. What if they find you? What happens then? You shouldn’t risk it, a voice rings through your head.

Yeah, yeah you shouldn’t – 

Another voice, so quiet and soft that you wouldn’t have even noticed it if you hadn’t been thinking so hard echoes out.

Try. Hope. Trust. Believe. Protect.

You fear that you’re losing your mind, the words so outlandish and foreign that you can’t remember the last time they’ve ever left your mouth.

But then – you remember earlier. The girl you helped. The girl you protected. The protection that Bofurin offered to you. The hope in her eyes. The trust in their eyes. The trust in you. 

And suddenly, you’re crying. It’s not a burst, nor is it hot to the touch. It’s a slow, mesmerizing trickle of tears shining with intention and meaning and feelings and you don’t make a move to bottle it up.

Suo sees this, and his lips press together before he continues.

“You’re not alone here… you’re safe.”

He knows. 

He knows that it’s important for you to make this decision yourself.

Suo was an observer – he had waited for you to slip up, to show your true self. He couldn’t trust you, not yet. His friends were much more kind, much more optimistic than he was – but he had his doubts. 

He watched you with his full attention as you told your story. He saw the way that you caved in on yourself. He witnessed the path of destruction that you were following with a naked eye and a blind heart.

And when you had apologized on your knees for such a small misunderstanding, how could he have stopped himself from helping you up and easing your anxiety?

You had made him concerned. So concerned, in fact, that he saw right through your little trick back at Pothos, and the minute you had bolted, he was already out the door and hot on your trail.

Besides – how could you, someone from out of town, know the streets better than him?

He had chased you twice now. 

He doesn’t dwell on this realization too much.

But, if you truly decided it was best for you to leave, he wouldn’t stop you. He was a man of his word, and although deep in his heart he knows you’d be so much happier and safer if you stayed in Makochi, well, he wouldn’t be much of a gentleman if he didn’t respect your wishes.

So he stands there with his hands clasped behind his back, and he waits, and he hopes.

And although you're silent, he can tell you’re reaching some sort of an epiphany because you’re still here. You haven’t run away. You haven’t disappeared.

It isn’t until you’re looking up at him that Suo finally lets out the breath he’d unconsciously been holding in this whole time, but he needs to make sure —

He stares into your eyes for a brief second before visibly relaxing.

Ah. There it is.

Your eyes… They have color again.

It was such a small detail when he first noticed it earlier – back when he had first laid his eye on you. 

Your eyes had been blank – they were blank when you were staring at them, blank when you crushed that man’s hand, blank when he had pulled you up from the ground.

But then, when you were holding hands with that girl and reminiscing about your brother, he saw it – brief and fleeting and pretty.

Your eyes, when they’re full of life and hope, are so very pretty.

Your lips are moving, but Suo hasn’t got a clue what you’ve said, and it’s his turn to get flustered now because getting distracted like this is so very unlike him.

“Hm? Sorry bunny – I didn’t quite catch that.”

You pout, his eyes dropping to the way your bottom lip juts out – and now you’ve got his attention. He wishes he was a stronger man, truly.

“I said –,” you pause, the nickname causing your face to warm up and the tips of your ears to bloom a lovely shade of pink, “... I said I’ll stay.”

୨ৎ Chapter 4

[chacusha]

Visions of Mana review

Non-spoilery thoughts:

I really like this game! I was a bit worried about combat from the demo, but I really like the combat in this game, actually. The different weapons all have their own combos and situationally helpful moves (dishing out a lot of damage, attacking in a wide area, launching enemies, staggering them, etc.), so there is quite a bit of satisfaction in learning different fighting styles for each weapon. It almost feels like a fighting game rather than an action/adventure game, which I like.

I feel like this game successfully captures a lot of recurring elements of the Mana series (multiple weapon systems, finding elemental spirits, familiar monsters and bosses, world in decline, simple environmental puzzle-solving) while also being a fresh story and world with its own rules, which is pretty ideal for me. I also think this game does a better job of merging Legend of Mana worldbuilding elements with non-Legend of Mana elements than any other Mana game, and I find that pretty impressive because the aesthetics kind of clash, in my opinion. But they did a good job of merging them here.

The characters are really fun and I like the party dialogues that happen as you go around the world. I think the game could probably use some sidequests or subplots (rather than fairly simple fetch/hunt quests) to flesh out the world a bit and give the story a bit of nonlinearity (it is *quite* linear, although this is pretty normal for the Mana series (LOM aside)...), but I am not complaining. Even though they were fairly simple, I enjoyed the quests here, and they got pretty elaborate in the end.

The progression and gradual unlock of skills that make your characters stronger is also really satisfying. I'm also a big fan of the way that they incorporated a game mechanic (random corestone drops) into the story, and I felt the corestone ability trading added a bit of depth to the gameplay.

Overall, I rate this game like 9/10. It could be better, but there is a lot here to love and the gameplay is pretty polished (game crashes a lot, though -- be sure to save frequently!).

Spoilery thoughts:

My partner keeps joking that Careena is somehow this world's only Texan. (How come her parents have no accent?!)

Magical girl transformation sequences was SUCH a good idea. I approve. (Is there a way to toggle these back on...?)

The tragedy/tragic backstories in this game are exquisite.

At the same time, I really like the humor and cuteness in this game. It's important to have both in a Mana game, I feel.

I wasn't expecting anti-capitalist propaganda in this game, haha.

I like that there's a bit of a nudge in this game about which elemental vessels to assign to which character. Like, Careena's Wind class has pretty nice passives compared to the others and same with Morley's Moon class -- kind of nudges you to start them off with those classes.

It's interesting having Niccolo in this game be such a nice guy. In most games, he's pretty sketchy and self-interested (although he is a pretty great guy in Trials of Mana too). I like that he's Morley's adoptive dad and Palamena's confidante too.

Val is the himbo we all need.

Hinna 😭 They were so ready to be happy together too. I guess Hinna dying this early means she has a reasonable chance of coming back by the end.

SOMEONE high-up in the development team definitely has a foot fetish. But I like seeing Palamena's stylish footwear so I don't mind.

I'm a big fan of Pikuls for land transport and Vuscav for sea transport. Love that we got Vuscav's theme back for this game.

Oh snap I'm in The Lion King right now. XD In general, I was a bit meh about the areas featured in the demo (Rime Falls, Fallow Steppe, and Rhata Harbor), but I've been pretty impressed by the other areas. I liked the Charred Passage, Ledgas Bay, Pritta Ridge, Illystana, Dura Gorge (love the music of this one), Deade Cliffs, and quite a lot of the dungeons.

Von Boyage / Professor Bomb is here! Great cameo.

I like how this game strikes a balance between SOM/TOM-style "there is one of each elemental spirit" and LOM/World of Mana-style "there are many spirits for each element" by having one main elemental spirit but a bunch of mini/lesser elemental spirits with a slightly different design (and they're very cute!).

I like how Khoda looks exactly halfway between Sumo/FFA protagonist and Randi. Well done.

Lol, I thought Aesh was going to be evil. I do like how he occasionally goes into "mad scientist" mode, though. The parts of the game where he has bonding time with the party were some of the best. (His initial introduction was sooo good. When you introduce your friend to your other friends and he's the worrrrst, lol. I like how Morley went from jealous of Aesh to Worried Mother Hen lol.)

Overall, I like the boss battles in this game. I like some of them have a gimmick or puzzle-solving aspect to them, and I like that none of them dragged on too long, which is the main thing I hate about modern action RPGs. The Earth Benevodon battle in particular was a favorite -- epic! Some of the other benevodons sadly went down a bit too quickly (I kind of felt sorry for them having to fight my overleveled party XD).

Okay I guess Hinna isn't coming back. I do like the theme here of it being important to accept the death of loved ones. Ephemeral beauty i.e. things are valuable because they don't last forever. (Ever since my partner pointed out this is an extremely common theme in Japanese art, I am unable to unsee it...)

Some of these late game areas are also really beautiful. *o* I really love the floating island, the Entwine Pass boss battle with all the flowers in the background, and the lighting in the corrupted Mana Sanctuary areas.

Being able to see the previous alm contingents (including Lyza's group!) made me emotional. ;_;

Oh snap, I can't believe Passar was the big bad.

I haven't finished all the postgame content, and I'm not sure if I'll have time. I do eventually want to farm all the abilities and play around with different party setups, and I also want to try playing on Expert difficulty and also with Japanese voices, but we'll see.

Overall, I liked the story! You didn't get Hinna back, but you did manage to fix the world, so there is still that bittersweetness that is important for a Mana game.

[fp-am]

something to write?

hmm...

First time that Orange sees snow?

kind of short, but here’s a young Second discovering snow

heehee

-

(Third Person POV)

Circa, 2015

“We have another animation to make, Second.”

“Ok!”

It was around Christmas time of 2015. Second was still young and curious, being nurtured and cared for on Alan’s current computer. He’d never seen much of the outside world besides a few scenes and drawings of nature.

He always asked his friends about all the things he’d yet to learn. So far, he loved every drop of information he has consumed.

Today was another busy day. A simple background animation commission for Christmas time. Second was still new to the whole Christmas thing, but was excited to learn more.

Second started drawing pine trees and sketching a landscape, giving it a cool night sky with stars. He glanced over at Alan. To his confusion, he was drawing some white marks on the perfect trees and grass that he had just drawn.

“Alan, what are you doing?”

“wdym?”

“Why are you putting white marks on the background?”

“do you not know about snow?”

“..snow?”

“it’s something that comes around during the winter. when it gets too cold, the rain drops in the clouds freeze up and turn into little shards of ice. that’s what we call snow. once the snow falls, it bunches up and stays on the ground due to the cold weather.”

“Ohh.. it’s like ice.. but smaller?”

“kind of. Why don’t you touch it?”

Second curiously looked at the snow Alan drew. Leaping over, he stuck a hand in. He pulled it out almost immediately.

“Ah! Cold!”

“pft. well of course it’s cold. but its fun to play around with. watch.”

With a smile, Alan drew some more snow, then used his mouse to roll it up into a few balls. Placing them on top of eachother, he drew some accessories for the snowman.

“Woah!”

“see? here, try.”

Drawing some accessories, Alan handed them to Second and backed up.

Scooping up some, Second started building his own snowman. But, every single time, the snow crumbled. He started to get angry, but eventually, he figured it out. Carefully, he stuck on the accessories.

“There! It’s not.. uh.. good but.. I did it.”

“I think it looks great.”

“You’re just saying that..”

“no. It’s really great, Sec.”

“But yours is way better.”

“It’s only ‘better’ because I used a mouse. I didn’t put any effort into it. yours has heart put into it.”

That made Second smile a little.

“Yeah. I guess you’re right. Well..”

..Second jumped directly into his own snowman, letting it crumble and go down.

“?????”

“Haha! Sorry, I couldn’t help myself! I like how soft it is.. I could take a nap in it.”

“why are you always so sleepy”

“I don’t know, but I feel like if I closed my eyes right here, I could just sleep.”

“wouldn’t it be too cold?”

“I don’t think so..” Second yawned, snuggling into the cold, soft lump of snow that used to be a snowman. “Mmmh.. I actually think it’s just right.”

Slowly, he closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.

…

It was hours later when Second awoke.

“Mmmph..? Huh?”

“oh, you’re up”

“Did I fall asleep?”

“Yep”

“Oh.. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. I finished it anyway.”

Second looked around. With all the shading and the snowflakes falling from the sky, it was beautiful.

“Wow..”

“what is it?”

“It’s so pretty..”

“hm. I guess you’re right.”

Suddenly, Second sneezed and sniffled.

“Ah.. what was that?”

“It looks like your sick from sleeping in the snow. you might have a cold.”

“Like.. a sickness?”

“Mhm. cmon. let’s get you in bed so you can get to feeling better..”

“Ok.”

Second left with a smile that night.

Snow. What a curious thing.

[radiation]

hello! i just wanted to say following you for memes and silly goofy haha stuff ive come to realize how insanely talented you are at game design and rpgmaker and just wanted to let you know youve been a huge inspiration to me!! Speaking of rpgmaker, would you perhaps have any words of advice to people wanting to make games in that engine for the first time? ty!!

I keep forgetting to answer this but this is so sweet ;_; thank you so much for the kind words!!! It always makes me really happy when someone follows me for either Joke posts or Art/gamedev stuff and then realizes i do the other half too, and ends up liking that stuff as well. Its super fun

And Im not sure if youll see this but i'll offer my thoughts on RPGmaker too. Ill be repeating a lot of stuff ive said on da blog before but hopefully its still helpful and is more specific to this particular question

So as for RPGmaker, regardless of the version you use -- I use MV, but research and figure out whats best for you -- Id honestly just recommend screwing around in the engine. Start off making junk test projects where you just have fun testing different features. RPGMaker is pretty unique in that its a very "exploratory" engine to learn, theres a lot of tools there for you by default that you dont need coding knowledge to understand, and its really fun to familiarize yourself with them. So its easy and fun to spend a bunch of time making a bunch of horseshit that you dont plan on putting in an actual game as a way of learning

These are the tutorials i watched to figure out rpgmaker MV, very simple and fun. Id recommend just going thru something like these and making doo doo projects to see how it works. Like for example I relearned the engine by making shit like this using default assets. its way too fun.

Once youre essentially familiar with how the engine works and youre like "hey why cant i do this extremely basic thing in the engine already" id suggest searching for plugins! Theyre scripts other people have made that expand what you can do in the engine. Here are all of the ones i use for my game.

I say thsi a lot but i think the most important thing as an RPGmaker developer, particularly one not super versed in coding, is planning your games around what the engine does best and what plugins you know are available. RPGmaker is very good at making what it expects you to wanna make. Its very bad at doing anything else. So if youre like "im gonna make this cool minigame" or "Im gonna make this crazy looking UI" and plan your game around the idea youll achieve those things its gonna be very very difficult for you to do that unless you get a programmer on board. And itll probably be kind of a pain for the programmer as well. Research how feasible it is to get a particular function in the game before you become married to that idea

Also as i always say, i really recommend starting with a tiny project! like take your conception of what a "small project" is and imagine it so much smaller that it seems ridiculously tiny and simple. And youll find that that alone takes way more work than you anticipated. But dont let any of this dissuade you too much, the most important thing is doing *anything* in the engine (and having fun with it). Its great to finish projects but if you end up not finishing one then its ok, you still learned a bunch from doing that

[karniss-bg3]

Perspective

I awaken. It is cold.

My eyes open to view darkness unending. The distance seems so short and yet I know it to be expansive beyond reason. I know not what was here before my malformed steps touched the earth but it doesn’t matter. All that matters is Her light, Her grace. I feel Her with me at all times and Her gaze never leaves me. I am protected, I am loved, but why is it so cold? The chill burrows into my very bones gnawing at the marrow with its icy bite. My energy is drawn from my very flesh only to fade away into the aether, stolen from me without my permission. How much has been ripped away? How much more must I wither before my ascension? I will shepherd Her faithful, I will be worthy of Her light. Majesty.

“Hey, legs! Get down here!”

The voice, it rattles my ears and prickles my skin. Yet another of my Queen’s followers, a parasite that I will excise from Her ranks. Time, I still need time. For now I shall play along, I will do as I am told until only She and I remain. None will love you as I do, Majesty. Surely you must know that.

I retreat from my perch atop the tower and follow the nagging that beckons me. I keep your gift close to my breast, my Queen. None may touch, it belongs to me and only to me. I know that you have blessed me because of how loyal I am, how true. The rest are vermin, scuttling about spreading their vile diseases like the pests they are. I can cleanse them, fix them, make them valuable in your service.

There he is, the little worm. I see his smug smile, his proud stance, so very pleased with himself. I see him for what he really is, a low-born goblin with limited wit. He believes himself above me but I know better. Your mercy is endless, Majesty. But why spare this rabble? I do not understand what use they could be in the face of your magnanimity but it is not for me to know. Why is he smiling at me so? His yellowed teeth and scent of foot fungus offends me on every level, I wish he’d be quick about voicing his desire.

“Speak,” I say, so very impatient.

“What’re you in a ‘urry for, eh? Got all tha time in tha world, haha.”

Every word he speaks makes my stomach churn. I wish to rip his mocking tongue from his skull and crush it to paste in my claws. “We do not have time. Tell us what they want or leave us be.”

“Pfft, no fun you are. My request is pretty simple, open this for me.”

I see him hold out a jar. A jar?! What does this fool think me to be? I am not some simpleton nor am I the village idiot, but he wants me to perform menial tasks? I am a warrior, a fighter, strong and brutal. How dare he insult me, Majesty! “You wish for us to open a jar?” I can feel it, something crawling under the surface of my skin. I must stay calm, my Queen. Give me strength.

“What else are ya good fer? Ya just stand around all day, eyes glazed over n’ shit. Does yer brain float away an’ go on vacation or somethin’?”

I can feel my breath quickening. Every muscle is growing taut. Patience, my Queen. I need to find my patience. Open the jar and walk away, that is all I must do.

“See, yer doin’ it right now. Ya still in there, web-arse? Hellooooo!”

Patience, I must—no, anger. The cold is fading, replaced with a white hot rage. I feel the fury clawing through my chest and up my throat. My eyes burn, my legs tremble, I want to scream but the sound is trapped in my gut. I’ve forgotten how to breathe, the desire to kill stands above all else. My hand moves before I can will it to stop. I grab the jar and clutch it so tight my fingers feel as if they are poised to break.

“You wish it opened?”

“Well, YEAH! Those pigs feet ain’t gonna eat themselves.”

I see crimson, it streaks across my vision and drowns out all other hues. Forgive me, Majesty, but it must be done. He will learn respect. I grab his throat faster than he can react. It’s so fragile and soft in my grasp, I can feel the hastened beat of his heart throbbing against my palm. I take the jar in my other hand and smash it into his face, the glass shattering on impact. Pork hooves scatter across the ground while the remainder are smashed into the little bastards face. I twist my hand and burrow the chunks of glass and keratin into his cheeks and eyes. The sounds of his screams are drowned out in my ears as if my head was dunked under rolling waves. He isn’t smiling anymore and he will never be allowed to look upon my divine visage ever again. I don’t even feel the pain in my hand even though I am aware it is bleeding. Nothing else matters but making this wretch feel as disfigured as I do. A hard lesson learned but one only I could teach.

Time passes in bizarre ways when your focus is so intense. I know not for how long I spent decorating his face but I do know that it took the hands of many to make me cease. I drop the fool, or what is left of him. I care not if he lives, it wouldn’t be a true loss if he didn’t. I hear voices all around me but they are as muffled and inaudible as the pitiful cries of my prey. Perhaps I will be punished, perhaps I even deserve it. If this is your will my Queen then I will do as you wish. You can see how strong I am, how important. No one else can do what is necessary to enact your grand design. No one.

Darkness, I tumble into an endless pit. There is nothing, it all goes blank. Majesty, are you there? I don’t know what is happening. Words, voices, tightness around my neck. Is this death? I don’t wish to die. My Queen, my everything, please deliver me to salvation. I am still useful to you, I will forever be all you could ever need.

Do you hear me?

Do you see me?

Do you—love me?

Silence.

I awaken. It is cold.

[attyrocious]

heyyy I'm new to digital art, would you mind sharing some tips regarding programs and tutorials and etc? also on how to turn a real life piece into a beautiful and clean digital piece... really love your art

oh good luck with your art journey! my experience with digital art is pretty dated (as in a decade + levels dated) and i might be too out of touch to give beginner tips but regardless, allow me to attempt

Programs: it would help to know which hardware you have for digital but ill put down some i have experience in 1. Clip Studio Paint Pro - PC/Android/ipad/everywhere i think? unfortunately they betrayed humankind and its now a subscription everywhere but on PC. i bought a one-time license years years years ago on sale and its probably the best available on my end. I also got it on subscription on android so i can sync works between my PC and tablet. its very flexible in a way that you can draw with it in the most basic way single layer sketches or whatever but they have so many features and keep adding more.

2. procreate - ipad only never been an apple user but my friend is, and he's been a procreate user forever. he recently tried CSP on ipad though and he still claims he likes procreate better for ease of use and compatibility with tablet ergonomics and apple pen

3. medibang paint - pc/android/ipad

free forever. and out of all the free programs i recommended my other digital art newbie friend this is what he liked best.

4. adobe photoshop - dont even look at this the only reason i have one is im leeching off company license. its still unfortunately the industry standard tho but CSP is much cheaper and has the same controls and most of the basic functions 5. Paint Tool SAI - my first art program but i haven't tried it again. honestly still think this has the best brush flexibility and pen pressure control ----- As for tutorials, i find digital art has such a steep and high skill ceiling and its a challenge im still tackling and probably will forever tackle haha. I'm trying to osmosis painting techniques from splash art painters from League of Legends who most of them post complete timelapses (my favorite being Bo Chen) where you can study not just their techniques but like, art directions that make their pieces striking. Anyway, I also promised a friend I would make a simple coloring tutorial so maybe after inktober hustle, I would look for a piece there I'd use for the guide.

---- Traditional to digital is never a satisfactory process to me but if you can, invest on a scanner. I use an epson v39, had it for years.

scanned vs edited. the goal is to at least get the white of the paper as white as possible and the blacks the blackest, without whitewashing/burning the rest of the colors. Level correction function is your best friend here and most art programs have that.

Then i just clean dust and errors and slide the contrasts around until it looks as close to the original piece

If you have a decent phone camera, you can get away just posting instagram aesthetic pics with materials framing it or smth and just edit as usual. natural light tends to be a lot more forgiving than the harsh light of scanners anyway.

Anyway I hope this helps and have fun learning!

[rinelica]

i have really enjoyed your yuki and mai analysis but because tumblr likes to mess up image resolution a lot of the smaller text was quite hard or even impossible to read on much of it

id quite like to actually read all of it because i really enjoyed what i could read. all the art are very cute aswell. your work is really fantastic.

Thank you very much!! Ah, this really is what I was scared of... I'll drop here everything that might be hard to read, hope it'll help :

Original post :

ZUN's comment :

In case the pic still is unreadable, here's the link to the wiki page, use the search tool on this page by typing "Yuki" to find the ask faster :

Part I :

Shinki : "I am the god of Makai. Therefore, little Yumeko isn't a golem or anything like that, she's an ordinary Makai person."

PCB phantasm stage, Sakuya : "Hell is not as scary as Makai. Oni, compared to devils, are nothing at all."

IN profiles, Remilia : Devils, including vampires, are a race unconditionally hated by both humans and youkai. That's because all these girls are self-centered and selfish. (note : Reimu's MS ending confirms that)

MS, Marisa

Shinki : "Do you think bogus human magic can stand up to me?"

Marisa : "Isn't calling it "bogus" a loser excuse?"

Shinki : "Hmph, how impudent!! I'll show you real magic."

Marisa : "Oh, I'm so happy ♥"

UFO, Sanae B

Shou : "Makai is, with such a terrible demonic atmosphere, a world unsuitable for most living things. However, some youkai train there and humans can learn magic."

I wonder what Alice told to Akyuu (speculation) :

Akyuu : "So what kind of magician are you?"

Alice : "Oh I just learned magic as a kid."

Akyuu : "Ah, that makes you a human magician!"

Alice : "... Haha, yes..." Better not scare Gensokyo's humans off...

Part II/

Yuki : "You bastaaard! You bastard, how dare you!! I'm serious now!!"

Before fight :

Mai : ......?

Yuki : We'll be your opponents ♥

Yuuka : I see, two at once. Sounds fun ♥

Yuki : Whether it'll be fun depends of your skills ♥ Of course I want it to be fun.

Yuuka : Oh my ♥ Go on, give it a try.

After fight :

Yuuka : Thank you ♥ It was fun in its own way.

Yuki : Who exactly are you...

Yuuka : I ended up pretty far into Makai. I wonder how long the way still is.

Yuki : Right here is...

Left :

-> shows no care about your rampage or you reaching Shinki

-> simple bullets

*taunts*

->

just want to have "fun" (beat people up)

"the stronger the enemy is, the longer the fight will last, the funnier it'll be" mentality

as a result, she lacks seriousness

-only gets mad when she takes things personally (her ego or Mai hurted)->

Right :

-> impulsive, act before thinking

-> very passionate about what she cares

->

but is quick to forgive if showed some respect (Yuuka)

Part III

Mai : "... Not bad, you."

Protag : "!?"

Mai : "Now that the burden is gone, I can finally be serious. And this time, I'll definitely beat you bastard!!"

Marisa = magician. average in Makai.

Reimu = weird human on a flying turtle.

Yuuka = what???

Yuki : "Welcome, guest from another world ♥"

Mai : "......!"

Yuki : "I will guide you to a world where you shall rest for eternity ♥"

(totally a spirit who should in theory be able to deal some spiritual damages ->)

Mima : "Alas, that's the world I come from..."

Mai : "...!? I see, is that so..."

Mima : "Therefore, I will on the contrary be the one who'll take you there."

Mai : "Yuki, stop saying nonsense, I'll beat her..."

Mima : "You sure look eager to go."

Yuki : "How irritating! Mai, let's beat her!!"

Mai : "Understood... ♥"

Later...

Mima : "As promised, I'll guide you to the other world."

Yuki : "Mercyyy"

Mima : "But the other miss is waiting for youuu ♥"

(Yuki cries)

Mai's only sentence unique to Mima's scenario has nothing to do with death :

Mima : "Let's leave the weaklings alone."

Mai : "That's super frustratiiing!"

Left :

-> doesn't talk much

-> at least shows concern about you trying to reach Shinki (Reimu script)

->

lets Yuki do whatever she wants

cautious

somewhat analyses the situation

-"I can finally be serious"=> sounds like she, unlike Yuki, would rather be serious from the start->

Right :

-> can actually be pretty talkative

-> is salty when Yuki's plan backfires

->

sounds saltier toward you

is she only quiet against new foes?

Part IV

Speculation on why they weren't serious :

Mai : "It sounds serious... Maybe we should go all out this time."

Yuki : "Nooo, there's barely any intruder who manages to go this far!" It's been ages!

Mai : "...... fine."

[mikareo]

hello again dove <3 hehe thank you so much for the matchup spots. it makes me sooo happy really <3 so, for the needed info!

a bllk match up please!

i will send it in an ask after this one :>

a male around teenage years thank you <3

an sfw result pls would be nice hehe

as for my personality, i’m a she/ her infp and a capricorn, to start off :D i think i’m a pretty curious and open minded person. i’m an introverted person who likes to be an ‘audience’ more by nature, but i’m also pretty talkative and affectionate i think. though, when my social battery run out i do tend to become a quiet person who just hang around and listen almost immediately haha ;;;; i’m a pretty idealist person, while also trying my best to be open and understand another point of view. and as i like to think a lot, while it came with its benefits like considerations, sometimes it ended up in some bad habits like 2 am 4 am silent overthinking and putting unnecessary pressure on myself to the point i got cold feet hohoho. however i do recently realize with little reassurance and praises that is convincing to me, i got cheered up almost immediately ahahaha my biggest love language are words of affirmation & acts of service, even though i’m pretty receptive to all! (words of affirmations and acts of service are definitely up there tho <3)

my hobbies include watching movies and videos! animations, indie stuffs, and ‘making you think and reflect’ stuffs especially lately haha. i also enjoy reading, writing, and drawing! (i think, it’s the aspect of ‘learning’ and ‘a story of something’ that interests me the most from these kind of activities) i also likes looking at aesthetically pleasing and pretty pictures and such. i do also enjoy going to new places. my faves are mostly related to art or history! i go alone sometimes, with my friends sometimes too. on my downtime, usually my go to is a long hour of rpg or idle gaming in my room. or scrolling down my phone for random trivia and advices while listening to something ehe

my ideal date would be to hang out, and maybe eat, in a place that is not too fancy, somewhere indoor if i have to choose tho haha. a calm & quiet place my date likes or have fond memory would be nice honestly, like a hole in the wall restaurant or a cafe they often hang out in, for example? a simple, pleasant time is more than enough for me. though, i think as long as i can listen and talk to them, i would be fine anywhere

i think that’s all! i hope it is enough and also not too much! thank you so much again :””” sending you many virtual kisses! i hope you can have fun and take your time doing this, i’m looking forward to it :3 wish you a nice day and night dove! take care <3

💌 ✮⋆˙ love letter to...popponn!

hi popon!!! srry this took a little longer than it usually does,, i rlly wanted it to be perfect n finals week got a little in the way! also i think we have the same glasses LOL,, ur so pretty tho like i love ur haircut,, the bangs are so cute so suit u sm !!!! i rlly hope u like this n i had a lot of fun doing this matchup!!

[ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱₊˚⊹ ᰔ ] your complete matchup results!

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ APPEARANCE PAIRING ! congratulations . . .‧₊˚🪐✩ZANTETSU TSURUGI₊˚✨⊹♡

with his height, zantetsu towers over you and holds your hand, making sure that you don't get lost in the crowd. he may not have the biggest brain, but he does have the biggest heart. he'd do anything to see that bright smile on your face whilst your hair blows in the wind. if there's one thing he's devoted to more than soccer, it's undoubtedly you; and he wouldn't change that for the anything.

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ PERSONALITY PAIRING ! congratulations . . .‧₊˚👾✩YO HIORI₊˚🌑⊹♡

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ chemistry analysis . . .

while reading through your personality traits, i realized that i wanted to pair you with someone similar to you rather than someone who's your opposite. i also wanted someone good at communicating, which crossed off nagi (lol); and then i landed on hiori after debating a few other options. i think that you and hiori would definitely be the most compatible compared to any other blue lock boy— and you two would be really cute together!

one thing that you and hiori have in common, is your preference for a quiet life. you're both extremely introverted people and like to avoid noisy and obnoxious crowds, which makes it easier to find comfort in each other when you need a little break from socialization. rather than standing on the sidelines in silence, the two of you talk to one another and quietly comment on the conversation whenever you're in a social setting— genuinely enjoying each other's presence over a large group of people. when you're in need of a social break, hiori's the person you know you can go to.

being observant is one of hiori's major traits. he's extremely good at reading people and understanding how they're thinking without even having to ask, which would be extremely beneficial whenever you have those nights where your mind is running wild and you can't seem to sleep. hiori is right beside you, asking you what's wrong, and talking you through your feelings in the gentlest way he can. your happiness is of utmost importance to him, and he can't rest until he knows you're feeling better. he's also a great communicator. he knows how to explain his emotions and understand other people when they struggle to do so. with that observance and communication, he's the perfect boyfriend for you.

your hobbies also really align with hiori, considering that gaming is also his usual go-to when he doesn't know how to spend his free time. the two of you could be on a discord call together, in the middle of the most difficult rpg campaign that either of you have ever played; yet somehow still manage to complete the hardest task possible since you have such great teamwork. if either of you wasn't feeling up to play for some reason, you could simply watch the other livestream and lowkey backseat game if that's what your into— though hiori wouldn't mind. he just likes to hear your voice, no matter if you're telling him what to do or simply giving him some helpful advice.

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ memories on the wall . . .

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ a treasured moment . . .

"happy anniversary." hiori smiles at you softly as the glow from the dim over-head lighting casts dancing shadows across his face.

the atmosphere of the familiar restaurant is so comforting. it's almost like a warm blanket enveloping the both of you and squeezing tight until you're fast asleep. it's been a year since you first came here, having walked through the doors on your first date and choosing to come again and again to make more memories as the time goes by.

"happy anniversary to you too." you grin back, shining your bright teeth at him and mouthing a quick 'i love you' as you begin to look at the menu.

there's a smooth piano track playing on the speakers, so lovely that you'd think it was a live band if you hadn't asked a few months ago. you and hiori love this place for the intimacy the ambience brings. you don't have to shout to hear what he's saying and he doesn't need to be overly outgoing to get your attention. it's almost as if this place was made just for you two, and you were so lucky to find it so soon after finding one another.

"you gonna get the same thing as usual?" he asks. he knows you so well.

"obviously."

[cerastes]

Did you stop playing FF14 for any particular reason? Did something make you not like it anymore?

Nope, I still highly recommend the game, with the caveat that the game aspect of it begins in the Stormblood postgame (Tsukoyomi specifically), and before that, it's not at all a video game because there's no gameplay beyond having a functioning brain and being able to press buttons, and the other caveat that the storyline really starts in Heavensward, because the writing before then is a powerful anesthetic. This may sound like I'm backhanding the game something fierce but this is my honest, good faith opinion of a game I legitimately enjoyed and do not at all regret spending both time and money on. If you go in with those warnings in mind (in my opinion) it's an amazing experience overall.

I stopped playing simply because I accomplished all I set out to do on it. I am not an MMO guy. I started FF14 with these objectives:

Find out if the narrative was as good as people claimed it was -> It was!

Play through current Savage content through Party Finder -> I did that! It was fun.

Join a static and play Savage content with them -> I did that! I loved my static, the voice chat was always fun.

Then, I found my favorite content in the game: Bozja. That gave me an extra objective:

Beat all 6 of the superboss duels in Bozja, collect all Pages, become Emblazoned (10/10/10) and basically, clear Bozja 100%.

And I did all of it! Technically, I'm at 99% because I am only missing the Delubrum Reginae Savage clear, but I need 47 other players willing to play that if I want to be able to attempt it. It's already old content, so not a lot of people try it anymore. Hell, even getting a queue for regular DR is an ordeal. But otherwise? I busted my ass learning all 6 duels, beat them, and got all Pages.

And when I finally beat the final duel, Lyon's 2nd duel, and finished all that Bozja had for me... I sort of didn't want to play anymore. I would log in for a few more days but I would just sort of meander around Coerthas, decorate my house, or play the market, but... I wasn't really playing anymore. I would just yawn a lot and find myself with nothing to do. After around a week of that, I realized I was done with the game. I 'beat' FF14. I accomplished all I set out to do. I had fun.

So I cancelled my subscription and uninstalled. The game did its job, and it did it amazingly well. I had fun. I did not want to play it anymore, because I was satisfied and had nothing left to do in it.

It also helps it happened around the time Elden Ring was about to release, haha. A friend of mine said "well, it makes sense you love Bozja so much, it's practically solo content with other people instead of multiplayer content" and, it made a lot of sense: I prefer doing my thing, by myself, instead of necessarily needing people for content, and having to go along (forgive how this will sound) with their fuck ups holding me back, when I'm doing perfectly well by myself. That was the appeal of the Bozja duels, really: It's super difficult content, but it's 1 on 1, if you lose in a duel, it's because YOU fucked up, not because one of the other seven people fucked up and took you all down with them. Every time I lost a duel, it was a learning experience, and the solution was simple: I need to get better. I simply need to play better and learn the fight better, that's it. I can't get better for one or more other people in a group of eight. I can get better for myself. Ergo, I like solo content. I mean, I pretty much played through FF14 as a single player game, anyways (I'm so sorry, everyone that made a Coeurl character or transferred to Coeurl because I was there, I'm a hermit in essence, at the end of the day).

But, again, I loved my time with the game and I seriously think it's a wonderful game. I didn't stop playing because I dislike it. I love FF14, it's just, it did its job, and smashingly well at that.

[crystal-master-raz]

7, 19, 23

7. Do you have any memories of your home reality, and would you ever want to go back? Oh plenty of memories. So many, actually! ..Uh. Not all of them we're GOOD per se.. but most were! Haha- I remember when I was first learning how to ride the wolves and boars near Boney Burbs. Tarana was laughing at me half of the time when she was supposed to be teaching me- It was all fun and games to her until I figured out how to tame a boar and we spent the rest of the day running from each other! Ha.. I miss her. I wish she'd stop hiding for damns sake, I just want to talk to my sister again. I would love to go back to the old times again.. 19. What is your fondest memory from your time in Reality Zero? Hm. I'm not sure.. It's so much easier to recall a simple small memory from the past, especially in my first home but.. the whole reality Zero AND my fondest? That's so much- Wait no.. I think I know-...Maybe.. after the IO were defeated. When I finally managed to slip away from their clutches from after the war. Being there.. in the moment, seeing the Reality Tree in all its beauty, and everyone celebrating and laughing. Living so.. happily. It was a miracle it all happened and just being there to experience it all was just- life changing, really. Hah.. yeah. 23. Favorite island-specific consumable? (Ex: Slurp Juice, Zero Point Pretzel, Chug Splash, etc) Oh! Well that's fun! Me personally I always enjoyed Slap juice actually! It's kinda like Nitro, letting you run to your hearts content, but it's so simple. No side-effects, no pain, or anything that Nitro does.. it's just freeing. Running aimlessly after a quick swig of it. Hell it tasted pretty nice too! It was great honestly. Makes me wish Helios had Slapberries, damnit! *Sigh* Yeah. they we're great.

[celestie0]

WAITT random idea i had about girl dad gojo and just had to share with someone hehe but imagine him wanting to practice braiding on your hair while you’re pregnant so he knows how to do it in the future. it just came to me because i love me a good dad!gojo fic but sometimes i’m like… Now why doesn’t he know how to do these things already or at least try to learn 🤨🤨 why is it always on the mom if thats your kid too 🤨🤨

AW thats so cute also i need this cuz i cant braid my hair for shit w/out my friends helping me 😂😂 cant even do a simple braid on my own

he wld so do this thooo just to practice being a girl dad aw i see tiktoks of dads giving their daughters super pretty updos for school n stuff n their daughters love it sm i think gojo wld be the same :””) crazy hair day at school wld also be sm fun for him haha

and yea youre right 🤨 its the bare minimum!!

[tunapesto]

whos ur art inspo, if u have one? And what inspires you to draw in general? :3

WOWWW 1st one is a bit difficult to answer so I'll get the 2nd one out of the way. Long answers ahead I like to ramble

I honestly don't have like, a clear cut inspiration to draw. it's just a skill I've known all my life and thought, "might as well" whenever I have any interests. it's an important one to me though, it helps me express my thoughts and feelings and interests, and has helped me connect with many people over the years that I don't know what I'd do if I never met them. The internet has helped in that greatly, and it's also another source of income which is nice. I'm a very simple person, art and drawing is one of my ways to live not just financially but socially. it's a big part of myself and that's why I keep going- who am I if I didn't, you know?

as for artists that inspire me... I'm not really one to look at classical artists hahaha, of I'm sorry if that disappoints. I probably should but it's never piqued my interest aside from my general opinion that classical artists are cool and I like to study them every now and then, no specific piece is a favorite though.

I just get inspired by anything I locally come by, i.e the internet most of the time. It also depends on whatever media I currently fixate on. Before, I usually focused on one media at a time because of neurodivergency I think, but now I'm on the complete opposite end of that where I consume multiple media at once to prevent a single thought. It's cool to have ideas and concepts and inspirations crossover each other, it's fun

anyhow, I find my fave artists through fandom and just general socmed algorithms . I'll start w the ones on tumblr (note that some are also on twitter lol) a lot of artists inspire me but I'll be listing out the big ones for the most part

daneesoro has just. very good linework and it inspires me a lot. knows how to put weight on the right parts of drawing and good animations. kny mostly, fem giyuu afficionado. very swag!

ohrsoh I found through mp100 but draws a lot of other stuff like drhdr iirc. similar to daneesoro in how they inspire me, just good drawings all around

taffypointby is a Big inspo in terms of art style and colors. good ideas and incredible execution that really scratches ur brain u know. variety content as well but I found through jjk and wha I believe

twitter time

elodeas is mainly genshin, Incredible color and renderwork it's insane. she just has good stuff all in all

diinnple yet Another big inspo ahhhh, variety content. really cute art style and I learned a few tricks on ibis from. just gorgeous works w lovely drawings

samzalong has an upcoming comic which I highly recommend following up on if you're interested in horror elements. mostly oc stuff. colors are soooo good and art style is very charming and I adore it

galoogamelady , mostly ocs I believe. art is just very humorous and I adore how facial expressions are done in their art

tunneisnakes... mostly horror , sometimes oc sometimes not. found through resident evil stuff. facial expressions, details, color, texture, concepts, everything... just good stuff all around!!! if u like horror and creepy stuff they're an incredible artist for it

pomsteak , a mutual of mine hehehe . really pretty linework and drawings and colors are amazing too . gives me a lot of anime nostalgia w their art style but it's got its own spin on it, very charming and lovely. mostly fandom, found through genshin but they do jjba too iirc! please check em out o7

nymria has very gorgeous art with a mostly warm color palette I enjoy, and they are mostly of women (I love women!) cutesy art style and it makes me feel like I just got shot by cupid and I'm flying in circles. good stuff

there are many others but I'm also largely inspired by a lot of artists that are on the r18 side haha , stylization of anatomy and colors are hard. but I cannot recommend those since this blog isn't really focused on that age range and I wouldn't want to send people who aren't their target audience on their way

[rawrtriesagain]

Heya, same anon who asked you for art advice! First, I wanted to thank you for answer my questions and listing all that wonderful advice! I just have some followups. It’s really okay to just draw without even knowing how to put down a line? Won’t that just lead to bad habits or not learning the right techniques? And you mentioned learning how to draw the human body, will the sites you listed help, or are there other resources I should look up (like maybe on Pinterest?). Again, thanks!

Combining your asks into one. Thank you for the kind words! I'll be happy to continue helping where I can :)

So in terms of bad habits and practices, this is where my advice will fall flat haha because I myself don't know what's a good practice actually - I just do what I want to do even if its the worst way to do something anyone's ever seen! For example, my way of doing 'lineart' (just cleaning up my sketches) is to draw big fat lines and then slowly carve it with an eraser into a line I deem good enough. Someone who could grab a pen and draw a perfect line on the fly would probably be like wtf watching me meticulously erase my one fat line lol

But!

If you really don't know how to put down a line at all yet, your best bet really is to just start. There's not really a trick or technique too it, its just practice. I think unless you were trying to go into art school or something and needed to work on a portfolio (btw again I am not the person to ask for that), there's not really a 'bad habit,' its just as long as you're having fun. In my earlier example about my 'lineart' I pretty much know I'm doing it in such a dumb way, but I actually find it really fun to carve away my line with an eraser haha. Yea I could put in the effort to actually learn how to do things properly, but I like wasting hours just nitpicking on this little thing just because its fun to me. (I do the same thing for coloring also. I'll scribble my entire screen and then use an eraser to start carving things out lmao)

Of course while you're drawing and you're doing something that makes you think "hey this actually sucks actually-" that's when you take the opportunity to grow and learn something new that you didn't know before. This is a digital art thing: but for the longest time I literally didn't know anything about layers and my thoughts were just "man there's got to be a better way to do this" which throws me into a rabbit hole of searching "how do I do This Thing"

If you're really into learning art techniques though it might be good to slowly go over all of the 'art fundamentals' especially when it comes to like shading and perspective. I looked at this blog post and it looks like it would help start you out with some links to other resources: link then of course you can look up the corresponding Youtube videos to see someone actually do the fundamental for real. I'd also honestly recommend like a beginners artist course in person if that's something affordable and accessible to you. It's been one of my dreams to go to like random art classes for fun haha but alas life happens so its just me and my tablet until I'm rich as hell I guess. I've never taken a digital course either, but if that's one of the ways you're able to learn that's great too and I'd recommend it!

Next on human body:

Sorry I should have talked about them more in depth at the time, but yes they will help but only if you're determined to use them correctly! So the sites I listed basically show a pose for 30 seconds, and the idea is you're supposed to just try to take in the shape/form of the pose and draw it without nitpicking over minor details. You can also set the timer higher if you need (I used to set it to at least 60 seconds just because I was just a slow ass artist). But basically it should help you break down the human body into simple shapes and lines.

Now what I mean by using the sites correctly: So there's two ways to approach drawing from references:

1. "eye tracing" which is where your eyes are kind of just following the outline of whatever you're drawing but you're not really processing what exactly you're doing to help you later down the line. I have a bad habit of doing this and I tend to struggle later again for the same pose.

2. Breaking down the reference into small chunks and shapes, and then morphing those shapes into your piece. And later down the line you should start to be able to think of things like "oh the Circle piece of the body normally goes Here!"

Here's a random google image I found to help illustrate what I'm kind of talking about:

So eye tracing would kind of be like a less refined version of #3. Just a blobby but like you can somewhat tell what it is and that's cool I guess, but its not very helpful for when you want to try drawing a variant of the pose above. Breaking down the reference is like steps #1 and #2, simple shapes and blocks that help guide and outline the final shape you want. #1 in particular is very easy to change around should you want to.

So while you're on the sites I linked, you should try to break down each pose into its shape instead of drawing exactly what you see. You should also keep in mind the 'line of action' while doing so:

It's definitely a lot to take in all at once, so I'd honestly recommend just loading up the site and doing your best to replicate the pose, 'eye tracing' or not. Once you get more used to the routine and flow, then try to branch into learning more appropriate techniques. I've seen around that some people also recommend removing the time limit on the poses, as some people learn better by taking their time on one thing and breaking things down even further from there, but that's definitely up to you. You could also go out and try drawing random people if that helps and if you're bold!

My experience with Pinterest has mostly been for inspiration or cool things I've never thought of before, though I'm sure others are able to use it better than I can haha. I'm sure there are step by step guides to help you out around there!

I think resources to learn how to draw better really do come down to what kind of learner you are in the first place. Lots of people learn really well from Youtube tutorials for example, or maybe reading and following along with a book about anatomy would work for you too. I have like the most god awful attention span ever, so what works for me is just raw trial and error and hoping for the best. tbh idk how I even got this far haha but i am happy that I've progressed at all

Let me know if you have more questions and I'll definitely do my best to answer them! If you're looking for more advice regarding traditional art learning fundamentals, I'm sure there are many other artists that would be happy to answer your questions as well!

Best of luck! :)

[ozrockbitway]

Hey hey hey! Back at it again to ask if Vale has any lore or connections with any canon characters? You know, besides Grim XD (Of course if you have more to talk about involving Grim than I'd love to hear about it!!!)

sldkfjsdlkj my initial reaction to this question lol I have some THOTS but nothing to in depth?? I just think of haha fun times with Shroud bros mostly-

but!! I will throw some sick lore down for ya!

Vale & Grim

I like to think at some point they kinda become in sync with each other?? Like just over little things!! They'll both tilt their heads at the same time, if Grim does the cat thing to paw at his ears you can catch Vale scratching their head...its a lil cute and Ace probably makes fun of them for it lol

To appease the great Grim, Vale occasionally writes little things for him! They jot down like mini epic tales for the cat to re-read. He gets really defensive over them.

Grim would probably be spoiled by Vale if he did better in classes!! The first time they get a failing grade, Vale is ready to eat his tuna right in front of him (and they don't even like tuna!!). they don't do it ofc but man. Grim plz. do your work!!

I mentioned this in the bday post, but since Grim doesn't have an actual birthday, Vale tells him they'll share theirs! The cat immediately starts asking for gifts from everyone else lol he's too impatient to wait a whole year for gifts.

Heartslabyul & Vale

Ace and Deuce are their homies! Ace tends to be a little more harsh with them though, he just wants Vale to be...not a pushover. He messes with them a lot though. Vale just puts their trust in him so they'll fall for stuff, especially if it's related to Twisted Wonderland lore/history/whatever. (ie. Ace: Did you know chickens here can lay golden eggs? Vale & Deuce: :0c Ace: ...I'm joking it's just a fairytale. Vale & Deuce: 😔) Vale likes his magic tricks!! They'll clap for him whenever he does something even if it's a simple coin trick.

Deuce would go to Vale for studying! tbh he's pretty surprised how good they are in classes?? like damn you're not even from here and your grades are so good?? Deuce initiates the study sessions and Vale ends up leading them at this point. THEY ALSO BOND OVER EGGS!! At some point Vale mentions "fake eggs" to him (like that stuff you use to make scrambled eggs really quick instead of using a real egg) and they just bond over how bad that is. Only real eggs in this house!!

Originally, Vale is in possession of the braincell when with these two but now I'm feeling like they might lose it too lol. They really just go with the flow tbh. They won't skip class or do anything TOO dangerous or stupid, but if they're all like...outside and see a sleeping Floyd and Ace is like "I dare you to poke him", Vale would be against it because why would you do that??? After the trio bickers for a bit they end up going to go and do it.

I think that Riddle might enjoy Vale's company?? At least they're a good study partner. Like Deuce, he's pretty impressed at your grades and how hard they try to learn what they can despite not having magic. Vale would probably ask him a lot of questions about the Queen of Hearts and his home in general. He knows a lot and they can definitely take his word over Ace's for true Twisted Wonderland facts.

I don't have much with Trey or Cater unfortunately. I'd just think Vale always does this ✌️ in Cater's pictures because they don't know what else to do. That's now their staple thing. Iconic.

Savanaclaw & Vale

100% would be like a second Ruggie to Leona if they were around the dorm more. Leona wants something? aye aye captain! He might not take too much advantage of them like he does with Ruggie, but it's not bad having a second helper around. Honestly, he's just kinda waiting for Vale to bark back at him. Kinda like how Ace wants them to have a backbone except not as blunt.

Would also get dragged into helping Ruggie out with whatever he has in mind. He knows he can go to Vale and ask for help and they won't ask for anything in return. But I think he'd be willing to give them something for helping.

Don't have much with Jack rip. I just think Vale can go to him for more heavy lifting jobs. If they have to do anything for Crowley, Jack would be like the first to volunteer to help?? If it's a two man job at least. Vale would listen to him talk about his cacti though. Also wants to touch his tail but they know better.

Octavinelle & Vale

If Vale is ever in need of cash, it's time to go to Octavinelle. Or if they're down a member/short staffed I think Azul would call on them for the assistance. Such a benevolent soul knows they need some money (and food) and he needs help at the lounge. It's a win-win, no? Vale is usually kept to waiting tables or greeting guests.

Azul thinks Vale would be a good fit in his dorm. Not because having this magicless human could be of benefit to him, but because they follow the Sea Witch's benevolence. Yes, Azul is the MOST benevolent person in school, but Vale? Always kind. They answer wishes in a different kind of way. So, he's curious about them. Offers a place in the dorm (and a uniform) constantly. Vale thinks he's pretty cool though and is amazed at what he can do. They want to see his true form again and probably wrote about it at some point. I joked at some point about Vale using Azul as a muse for a novel but it might just be true...shh don't tell him.

Vale tells Jade...too much lol. But can you blame them when Jade offers to lend an ear? He is the reason/inspiration for them starting their book club after all. So there's some solidarity in them being the only members of their clubs. They are also unofficial members of each others clubs at some point?? Basically "if you go to my club meeting I'll go to yours". Also Vale would probably fall for his crocodile tears and help him out if he ever needs it. (Ace screaming in the bg)

Vale cannot escape Floyd. If Floyd wants them then...welp that's it. They can't say no to him and it doesn't help that they're passive about being busy or something. They're the only person to keep up with Floyd's whims so that's why he keeps going back to them. "If you dont wana do something with me, then Shrimpy will!" Anyway forced friendship! He's also the one insisting to take Vale swimming after learning they know how to.

Also Octavinelle folks are the first to find out about Vale's surname being Crowley 😂 At some point Azul needs their full name written down and yeah the contract doesn't need to be magical but he knows that just putting "Vale" down doesn't seal the deal. So...haha...funny last name. Floyd mcfrickin loses it over learning this. Jade does to but at least he hides his laughter.

Scarabia & Vale

Not too much here wah! They just struggle being around Kalim because oh god no he wants to party and how do you say no to constant parties when he looks so happy?! If Vale is stuck with him I feel like they'd tell them commoner things and he'd be like super amazed at it.

Vale turns to Jamil whenever they need an escape. Jamil...does his best but man. Kalim. Please. We busy!!

Pomefiore & Vale

Vale doesn't hang around Pomefiore too often, mostly due to Vil being a busy person. They didn't have much of an opinion of him at first, but they're surprised at how hardworking he is?? And yeah he isn't the nicest person but you know celeb gossip and how celebrities are assholes? They were expecting that from him and surprised that's not really the case. Vale starts watching Vil's movies with Ortho and is becomes a low-key fan later on. Vil probably likes going to Vale because on multiple times they seem to have forgotten who Neige is but not him. That's a win, queen!! Unfortunately, I don't think Vale can last around Vil for too long. He wants perfection and Vale doesn't think they can do everything he says rip

At some point I wanted Vale to go ask Rook to learn about archery from him?? So they can have some kinda self defense in this magic filled world. Still unsure if I'm following through on that (it's either this or go to the eels to learn self-defense and get REKT in the process). Other than that I think Vale would read his poetry?? Mans is so eloquent that they read his stuff and has to reread it again. Good prose and all but not their kinda thing.

Can't think of too much with Epel aside from them asking about apple carving?? Maybe use some for inspiration...Vale is also willing to hide Epel in Ramshackle to get away from Vil. Does it ever work? No. Do they keep doing this? Yes.

Ignihyde & Vale

Ace & Deuce may be the homies, but Ortho was the first!! It starts with Vale being kinda shook that theres a robot/android here in school. It's super sci-fi and they think Ortho is amazing! To others it might look like they're trying to butter him up or something but they're just interested in Ortho. What does he like to do and all that stuff. They're also willing to play games with him when no one else wants to (if Ignihyde boys won't play with him then Vale will!!). While Vale is a pushover, if they're going to stand up for anyone it's going to be Ortho!! Ace is proud of them somewhere...

And Vale's friendship with Ortho is what leads to meeting Idia! Ortho, very early on, makes the connection that Vale is interested in games and anime too. Now it's just getting them to meet. tbh Ortho can hype up Idia and Vale will believe him 100%. It's not like Ortho lies about his brother, he is super smart and he made him too! So yeah Vale believes him.

Idia and Vale are a bit...awkward at first. Their first impression still kinda sticks out (meeting over trying to get a manga and p sure Idia wasn't the kindest there). But once they can make a connection on games and whatnot it's all smooth sailing from there. Sort of. Vale would be interested in this world's stories and they could go off about theirs too. Compare anime and video games. They listen to him go off and can keep up with his lingo (most of the time). Idia doesn't trust them at first, too kind and nice, but lmao he likes having someone who can keep up with him...

Haha tag team duo of Vale & Ortho trying to get Idia out of his room. tbh Vale is fine vibing in there with him but like...cat cafes, Idia!! video game/anime themed cafes!! That's probably how they manage to get him out at first.

Shroud bros are also the first to find out the link between Vale & Grim. It really comes out in ch.6. There's one note that shows something coming from Vale when Grim is active. It also doesn't help that Vale can pinpoint exactly which room Grim is in without the bros telling them. little things that give it away!

Diasmonia & Vale

Vale finding out Malleus is also part of the solo member of a club 🤝. Would find books on gargoyles just to show him tbh. Invites him to hang out for their club meeting even if he's not a member. He can be an unofficial one too!! They're down to be an unofficial member of his. Vale is pretty chill with Malleus. Even after learning who he is, they just vibe with him. Nothing changes. The only thing that does is Vale like holy moly dragon!!! They also know Malleus likes being outside and walking around at night but they always ask if he wants to come into Ramshackle too. He usually declines cuz he likes the 'magic' the night air brings when with them.

For the other three...I think Lilia just likes to jumpscare Vale lol. It's so easy and fun to spook them, so he has his fun messing with them. He might be like Ace and trick them into believing things but at the same time no?? It sounds like a trick but it's true so?? Just no one believes Lilia bcuz he's so cryptic.

Vale isn't around Silver and Sebek too often. Vale thinks Silver has a calming aura but they get worried when he falls asleep. They end up getting yelled at by Sebek too often. It doesn't help that they spend time with Malleus more than he does. They think his devotion to Malleus is neat though! They regret telling him that...