#there are RULES to conveying the right emotion

[physalian]

How to make your writing sound less stiff

Just a few suggestions. You shouldn’t have to compromise your writing style and voice with any of these, and some situations and scenes might demand some stiff or jerky writing to better convey emotion and immersion. I am not the first to come up with these, just circulating them again.

1. Vary sentence structure.

This is an example paragraph. You might see this generated from AI. I can’t help but read this in a robotic voice. It’s very flat and undynamic. No matter what the words are, it will be boring. It’s boring because you don’t think in stiff sentences. Comedians don’t tell jokes in stiff sentences. We don’t tell campfire stories in stiff sentences. These often lack flow between points, too.

So funnily enough, I had to sit through 87k words of a “romance” written just like this. It was stiff, janky, and very unpoetic. Which is fine, the author didn’t tell me it was erotica. It just felt like an old lady narrator, like Old Rose from Titanic telling the audience decades after the fact instead of living it right in the moment. It was in first person pov, too, which just made it worse. To be able to write something so explicit and yet so un-titillating was a talent. Like, beginner fanfic smut writers at least do it with enthusiasm.

2. Vary dialogue tag placement

You got three options, pre-, mid-, and post-tags.

Leader said, “this is a pre-dialogue tag.”

“This,” Lancer said, “is a mid-dialogue tag.”

“This is a post-dialogue tag,” Heart said.

Pre and Post have about the same effect but mid-tags do a lot of heavy lifting.

They help break up long paragraphs of dialogue that are jank to look at

They give you pauses for ~dramatic effect~

They prompt you to provide some other action, introspection, or scene descriptor with the tag. *don't forget that if you're continuing the sentence as if the tag wasn't there, not to capitalize the first word after the tag. Capitalize if the tag breaks up two complete sentences, not if it interrupts a single sentence.

It also looks better along the lefthand margin when you don’t start every paragraph with either the same character name, the same pronouns, or the same “ as it reads more natural and organic.

3. When the scene demands, get dynamic

General rule of thumb is that action scenes demand quick exchanges, short paragraphs, and very lean descriptors. Action scenes are where you put your juicy verbs to use and cut as many adverbs as you can. But regardless of if you’re in first person, second person, or third person limited, you can let the mood of the narrator bleed out into their narration.

Like, in horror, you can use a lot of onomatopoeia.

Drip Drip Drip

Or let the narration become jerky and unfocused and less strict in punctuation and maybe even a couple run-on sentences as your character struggles to think or catch their breath and is getting very overwhelmed.

You can toss out some grammar rules, too and get more poetic.

Warm breath tickles the back of her neck. It rattles, a quiet, soggy, rasp. She shivers. If she doesn’t look, it’s not there. If she doesn’t look, it’s not there. Sweat beads at her temple. Her heart thunders in her chest. Ba-bump-ba-bump-ba-bump-ba- It moves on, leaving a void of cold behind. She uncurls her fists, fingers achy and palms stinging from her nails. It’s gone.

4. Remember to balance dialogue, monologue, introspection, action, and descriptors.

The amount of times I have been faced with giant blocks of dialogue with zero tags, zero emotions, just speech on a page like they’re notecards to be read on a stage is higher than I expected. Don’t forget that though you may know exactly how your dialogue sounds in your head, your readers don’t. They need dialogue tags to pick up on things like tone, specifically for sarcasm and sincerity, whether a character is joking or hurt or happy.

If you’ve written a block of text (usually exposition or backstory stuff) that’s longer than 50 words, figure out a way to trim it. No matter what, break it up into multiple sections and fill in those breaks with important narrative that reflects the narrator’s feelings on what they’re saying and whoever they’re speaking to’s reaction to the words being said. Otherwise it’s meaningless.

—

Hope this helps anyone struggling! Now get writing.

[whispers-whump]

Some writing advice

that I like to use when I write. None of this is meant to be taken as hard and fast rules, they’re just things I like to do/keep in mind when I’m writing and I thought maybe other people would enjoy! <3

Never say what you mean

This is an offshoot of the very common “show don’t tell” advice, which I think can be confusing in application and unhelpful for scenes where telling is actually the right move. Instead, I keep the advice to never say exactly what I mean in stories.

By using a combination of showing and telling to hint at what you really mean, you force your reader to think and figure it out on their own, which makes for a more satisfying reading experience.

You might show a character getting angry and defensive in response to genuine care and concern. You could tell the audience that the character doesn’t see/talk to their parents often. But never outright give the real meaning that the character feels unlovable because of their strained relationship with their parents and as a result they don’t know how to react to being cared for.

Your readers are smart, you don’t need to spoon feed them.

Be sparse with the important things

You know how in a lot of movies there’s that tense scene where a character is hiding from something/someone and you can only just see this person/thing chasing them through a crack in the door? You get a very small glimpse of whatever’s after the character, sometimes only shadows being visible.

Do that in your writing. Obscure the important things in scenes by overdescribing the unimportant and underdescribing the important.

You might describe the smell of a space, the type of wood the floor is made of, the sound of work boots moving slowly across the room, a flashlight in the character’s hand. And there’s a dead body, laying in a pool of blood in the far corner of the room, red soaking into the rug. Then move on, what kind of rug is it? What is the color, patterns, and type of fabric of the rug?

Don’t linger on the details of the body, give your reader’s imagination some room to work while they digest the mundane you give them.

Dialogue is there to tell your story too

There’s a lot of advice out there about how to make dialogue more realistic, which is absolutely great: read aloud to yourself, put breaks where you feel yourself take a breath, reword if you’re stuttering over your written dialogue. But sometimes, in trying to make dialogue sound more realistic, a little bit of its function is lost.

Dialogue is more than just what your characters say, dialogue should serve a purpose. It’s a part of storytelling, and it can even be a bridging part of your narration.

If you have a scene with a lot of internal conflict that is very narration-heavy, breaking it up with some spoken dialogue can be a way to give some variety to those paragraphs without moving onto a new idea yet; people talk to themselves out loud all of the time.

Dialogue is also about what your characters don’t say. This can mean the character literally doesn’t say anything, they give half-truths, give an expected answer rather than the truth (“I’m fine”), omit important information, or outright lie.

Play with syntax and sentence structure

You’ve heard this advice before probably. Short, choppy sentences and a little onomatopoeia work great for fast-paced action scenes, and longer sentences with more description help slow your pacing back down.

That’s solid advice, but what else can you play with? Syntax and sentence structure are more than just the length of a sentence.

Think about things like: repetition of words or ideas, sentence fragments, stream of consciousness writing, breaking syntax conventions, and the like. Done well, breaking some of those rules we were taught about language can be a more compelling way to deliver an emotion, theme, or idea that words just can’t convey.

Would love to hear any other tips and tricks other people like to use, so feel free to share!!!

[runningwithscizzorz]

(1)Learn the rules before you break them + Gather proper references

(2) Understand what you want to break and how

(3) Can't do it? Find someone who can

(4) It's going to look really bad for a while

(5) Have fun with it!

(1) -Yes, I am that kind of artist. Yet, not in the conventional way. I encourage people to go in guns blazing when it comes to drawing something new, then coming out analyzing what they know, and what they need to learn more of right away.

-Here, I broke down the anatomical pieces of Nour and Narinder's face with the same labels so you guys can understand this weird invisible pattern that I follow in my work. Doing this with any animal you're attempting to draw greatly improves your line confidence when drawing different face shapes. Also understanding the biological function for why animals look a certain way helps you keep consistency.

(3) Time to throw any artistic guilt you have for heavily referencing people's art OUT THE WINDOW and start ANALYZING PEOPLE'S WORK YOU WANT TO BE LIKE✨ I've always done this, having a reference of someone else's amazing work right next to my own drawing so I can try and understand how they make their magic work! No shame, no embarrassment, nada. Pure, unadulterated will and spite that I would be just as good as the artist who made me so motivated and happy with their work! I couldn't figure out how to make Nour's face both sheep-like, and humanly expressive, so I looked at a LOT of Zootopia and old Disney art for help!

(2) With how I draw narilamb, I'm still working on it (as you can see) but I wanted to break Narinder's face to be fluffier and slimmer, while Nour's face would be shorter and flatter. If you look at it for too long, it's absolutely going to look weird, in the way that if you look at Anna from Frozen for too long she starts looking really weird. The anatomy isn't meant to be correct or consistent, it's meant to convey the emotion and energy I want out of the characters in that moment. If you're able to properly get that across, then you don't need to think about how broken something looks, as long as your eye is happy enough to trick your brain into thinking what you're seeing is canny.

(4) Yeah, I hate this part too. It's going to look like shit at first. I can't even look at my art from a few months ago when I was figuring out their designs... God, so fucking ugly. If it weren't for the shittiness of those drawings, I would have never gotten here! Wading through the "trust the process" stage always really sucks, but it's absolutely worth the relief of when you finally get something to look right.

(5) Art is work, yes. It's stressful, it's long, it's straining, its draining, it's exclaiming, blah blah blah. But, I try to keep my art FUN. If I find my artwork becoming slow as I depressingly drag my pen over my tablet, I'm failing. You MUST keep spirit and life in your work. The spirit of emptiness or the life of sadness can have a very meaningful place in art, but those can only exist with keeping work light, easy, and fun! If you're stressing how a specific thing looks or how you can't get something to look right no matter what, FUCK IT. Draw something to bring the flavor back in your work! I'm kind of rambling, but just, HAVE FUN!✨️ Be messy, scream, laugh, slash canvases, throw paint, smash sculptures, tear apart books, GO CRAZY

[neil-gaiman]

In 2012 the University of the Arts awarded you an honorary doctorate. And you gave a beautiful commencement address. May 31st UArts abruptly announced it was ceasing all operations and closing for good on June 7th. There was no warning, no sign. It was a shock to everyone. Over 600 faculty and staff have lost their jobs. I am one of them. Over 1,300 students have two months to find new schools who will accept them and the incoming freshman class of 400 has been left high and dry. The media has been saying “heartbreaking” and “devastating” a lot, but there are no words that truly convey the emotions.

In the midst of all this, our library staff sent out its last monthly email. They ended with a quote from your 2012 commencement speech, thanking you for providing us with such wise words. You said, "And now go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here. Make good art."

Thank you Neil, for having the right words for a difficult time. My colleagues and I read that quote, smiled, lifted our heads a little higher, and determined to find a new path for making good art.

I was heartbroken when I heard about the University of the Arts. I'm glad I was able to give something back to all of you.

[dragon-ascent]

Zhongli is normally a calm man...but his affection for you introduces him to an unfamiliar emotion.

Embarrassment was never in Zhongli's expansive dictionary. Not in the past thousands of years when he's asked humans some silly questions while ruling over them, and certainly not in the present when putting things on Wangsheng's tab when his own wallet is absent.

But now, you've joined the funeral parlor as an employee, and Zhongli had expressed the appropriate amount of curiosity about you; curiosity which soon turned into caring, and caring which gradually turned into attachment. Zhongli now likes you very much, something he hopes to convey to you when the time is right.

So now, whenever he does something strange that makes him look silly in front of you, he finds his cheeks burning hot with mortification.

Like the time he asks Xinyan to perform her rock music...at a funeral. When the debacle occurs, the rockstar raising a hue and cry at the preposterous request of the consultant, Zhongli catches you stifling a giggle out of the corner of his eye. Oh no, you find him silly..? He finds himself rather upset at the notion, a first for the nonchalant god.

"Aww, are you pouting, mister Zhongli?" you tease afterward, which makes his face burn even more as he hurriedly excuses himself. (He tries to discern in the mirror, later, whether his pout could have been seen as attractive.)

You and him are out on the way to see a client when you're accosted by a gang of Fatui. Zhongli disposes of them with ease, proudly returning to your side and glowing at your praise of his skill. "Oh, you've got a bit of dirt here..." You dust off the sleeve of his outfit, and Zhongli, normally unconcerned about the inevitable evidences of battle, finds himself blushing. How much cooler would he have looked to you if he'd beat them all up without a single mark on himself? Now he's just flustered.

He goes over conversation topics in his head, attempting to figure out what would best keep you engaged. He wants to share fun bits of knowledge with you, but how can he do that when 'fun' is subjective? Zhongli sincerely hopes you'll find Blackcliff Forge trivia interesting, for he might just crumble if you don't.

[taffywabbit]

idk if i'm way off the mark on this, but the way some people are responding to that Guillermo del Toro interview about the decline of studio animation is a bit frustrating to me. specifically the bit where he talks about "emoji animation" and how everything is over-animated and pushed too far and things are rarely allowed to not be ultra-cartoony (y'know, because animation always needs to be marketable to children who are never trusted to have attention spans, right?). like, i think he's generally correct about it! but some folks are taking the wrong message away from that.

i've seen people going off about how "soulless" and "corporate" various recent examples are, and talking about these pieces of media as though they're the result of some kind of personal failing or lack of skill/range on the part of the animators, and it's just like. do people realize that's the only animation you're usually allowed to DO in the industry, unless you get incredibly lucky and land yourself on a project/studio that's unusually cool?

when i was in college for animation it was literally drilled into us nonstop that everything had to be pushed more, that exaggeration was not a guideline or a sometimes-treat but a hard rule that always had to be applied regardless of what was going on, because the viewer couldn't be trusted to pick up on subtlety and we sure as hell couldn't be trusted to convey it. you ever wonder why there's such a specific vibe to a lot of self-directed student films, particularly ones that are focused on character acting/interaction or deep emotions and introspection (especially when there's minimal/no dialogue)? it's because for a lot of young animators, they haven't had the freedom to experiment with realism and subtlety up to that point and they're likely not going to have it again for a while (or at all, unless their career path leads to higher positions where they might have more creative direction over the things they work on. which also becomes a lot less likely if they're anything other than a cishet white dude, for what it's worth).

i would LOVE to see more nuanced, realistic, understated motion and acting in animation. i WANT more characters to be able to express what they're feeling through natural body language and facial cues and for scenes to allow me to breathe instead of spelling everything out in giant bold flashing text all the time. what del Toro wants to see changed in the animation industry sounds great, and i hope others join him in seeking to revamp what modern animation is allowed to be.

but as things currently stand, and as they've stood for a long while now, most artists doing the grunt work on the shows and movies you see are completely at the mercy of corporations and networks who have a vested interest in producing a very specific kind of marketable and cost-efficient media all the time. (and by extension that style is ALSO what's taught in most animation schools, because their job more than anything is to grind you down into a perfect little sweatshop worker who will bend over backwards to meet quotas and get your work approved and not question the higher-ups, even if you have little to no personal investment in the projects you're working on, so that the studios who employ you can maintain their good reputations or whatever)

anyways idk what my point was here, this really just sorta became a rant and my views have undoubtedly been coloured by my own personal experiences (this kinda shit is largely why i dropped out before my last year of animation school, for the record).

i guess just be kind to folks in the animation industry? they've had it fucking rough nonstop for well over a century (the majority of them are still not unionized and there's HUGE pushback against doing so in many places). i assure you they are doing their best to infuse the latest uninspired illumination flick or weird spinoff kids' show with literally any amount of soul they can. you don't have to like the stuff that gets produced by any means! be a hater! i'm certainly not gonna stop you. just remember where these creative decisions come from and why these conditions exist, and consider that when YOU watched something and thought "hmm that could've been done better", you can bet your ass someone actually working on it probably thought the same thing but couldn't do anything about it. these things WILL change as the industry itself improves, but in the meantime folks have to pay their rent, and that usually means doing what they're told and working in a way that will minimize revisions and meet quotas so they can keep their jobs. it sucks, but it is what it is.

[hallowpen]

I'm going to try my best to get through this without making myself emotional... even though, I know, I will fail miserably.

I really want to focus on the symbolism and language used in this episode, which means pointing out some differences between the Thai language vs. the English subtitles... otherwise the cultural meanings don't really come through as obviously.

It's important that we go into this episode with a Thai lens... specifically one that is influenced by the time period and its royal customs. Please keep that in mind as I discuss certain scenes and characters.

The word that Princess Patt uses for 'engagement ring' is แหวนแทนใจ (pronounced 'waen taen jai'). While it absolutely could be used interchangeably, I would personally translate it to mean what we would call a 'promise ring' in English... which is considered in Thai culture to be a pre-engagement ring.

I've spoken before about how Prik helping to facilitate the relationship between Anil and Pin could have severe consequence. Princess Patt is clever in the way she gathers information from Prik, but Prik cannot lie once she is found out... and her status as a servant to those ranked above her has never been more clear.

The language used in these two scenes, in particular, is super important!!!

Both Princess Patt and Lady Pin speak very formally toward one another to indicate the seriousness of their conversation. You will have heard Patt address Pin as "Khun Ying" (คุณหญิง) and Pin address Patt as "Than Ah" (ท่านอา).*

The word ปล่อยตัว (pronounced 'ploi tuua'), which Princess Patt uses to describe Pin's actions... In this context, means 'unrestrained' with the implication of being promiscuous. Pin calls herself ชั่วช้า (pronounced 'chua-chaa') which means 'immoral/sinful' as pertaining to going against the precepts of Buddhism... in this case, exhibiting sexual misconduct.

The actual Thai translation of Princess Patt's third line is "I wished for you to grow up elegantly as a lady should be."

A lot of Patt's dialogue can be read as telling Pin to 'know her place' and to 'know better'. But it's also significant to note her emotional reaction and her tone... because what she is telling Pin could, very well, come from a place of having lived through her own 'karmic punishment' for the feelings she held for Princess Im. We can see how Patt would be led to believe that coveting and loving another woman who does not rightfully belong to you is 'immoral' and would, therefore, end in karmic tragedy.

This leads right into:

Again the English translation is a little off here. Princess Patt says

"Is the person you love someone you'll ever be able to hold onto? Have you forgotten who she is? Most importantly, she is a woman, no different from you."

Another mistranslation: When Pin is forbidden from seeing Anil, she pleads with Princess Patt to "Please, have mercy on me." Pin has always been agreeable to the rules and discipline set out for her. She has never once asked for special favor... until now. Pin prostrating at Princess Patt's feet is sooo significant; that Pin would rather beg to never be separated from Anil than to simply accept her aunt's order speaks volumes. Because while it may seem as an act of submission, it's Pin's way of conveying how much Anil truly means to her.

This scene 😭😭😭 Prik addresses Pin as คุณหญิงเจ้าคะ (pronounced 'khun ying jao ka').* It is the first time we see Prik use entirely formal language with Pin... to add to the sincerity behind her apology.

It's also key to note that Pin takes the brunt of the blame for being 'reckless', because we are going to talk about that...

...in Part Two! So much happened in this episode, so I had to split it up.

*If you need to brush up on royal language terminology, you can go back to my post about episode one

[deception-united]

Hello! Hope this ask finds you well 😄

Do you have a guide on how to incorporate dialogue into a story? I'm quite confused in this aspect, like, do I end every dialogue in a comma? (excluding questions and exclamations)

Also just writing things like, "he said, she cried, they snickered, John retorted, Jane whined" becomes tiring after a little while.

I've seen some authors just write dialogue without specifying who said it and the reader relies on context clues to decipher it.

All the rules on writing dialogue is perplexing and any guidance you have on this is much appreciated 🙏

Thank you!

Hi, thanks for asking and so sorry for the late reply! Seamlessly incorporating dialogue into your story is an essential aspect of storytelling that can really bring your characters to life.

Let's start with punctuation. Generally, you would use a comma to separate the dialogue tag from the spoken words; however, this isn't a strict rule. You can also use periods or other punctuation marks depending on the structure of your sentence. For example:

"Hello," he said. "Hello." He smiled. "But," he insisted, "I never actually saw her." "But—" He paused. "Never mind."

Regarding your concern about repetitive dialogue tags, you're absolutely right. Using "he said," "she cried," etc., repeatedly can become tiresome. It's good to mix it up and use a variety of dialogue tags, or even omit them altogether when it's clear who is speaking.

Using context clues to identify the speaker is a great technique. It adds a layer of engagement for the reader and can make the dialogue feel more natural. Here's an example:

"I can't believe you did that." The anger in her voice was palpable.

In this case, we don't need a dialogue tag because the context clues ("the anger in her voice") indicate who is speaking.

Here are a few more tips to help you navigate writing dialogue:

Use action beats: Instead of using dialogue tags, you can describe the actions of the characters to indicate who is speaking. For example:

John slammed his fist on the table. "I won't stand for this!"

Sarah wiped away a tear. "Please don't leave me."

Vary your dialogue tags: Instead of always using "said," try using different verbs that convey how the character is speaking, such as whispered, shouted, muttered, etc.

Omit dialogue tags when possible: If it's clear who is speaking based on the context—for instance, when two characters are talking back and forth—you can omit dialogue tags altogether.

Show, don't tell: Use dialogue to reveal character traits, emotions, and relationships between characters.

Read dialogue aloud: This can help you identify any awkward phrasing or unnatural-sounding dialogue.

Remember: writing dialogue, like any skill, will undoubtedly improve with practice and research. Don't be afraid to experiment and find what works best for your story. Happy writing!

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[agentgrange]

I saw this post and couldn't stop thinking about it, so here is the answer I gave after some consideration-- I'll tell you when I find out. Sometimes it really feels like it depends on your Agents, and what they're accustomed to. I have two groups that I play with, one is mostly serious with a handful of gallows humor quips while the other one is absolutely clown-shoes-goof-goof-times. You could lovingly craft a deeply unsettling body-horror scene or run a tried-and-true encounter straight out of an established campaign and your mileage will greatly vary depending on your audience. That's not *necessarily* a bad thing, a handlers job is to guide a narrative in a way that's first and foremost fun for the players. If they want to take it seriously and buy into the horror they will, but if they want a bit of levity then there's nothing wrong with playing to the crowd. But I do really, really empathize with struggling to convey the awesome and terrible might of some cosmic horror with nothing but your words in a group of people that (hopefully) instinctively feel at ease and jovial while fooling around playing games with their buddies. Here's a few practical pieces of advice I can give you.

Try to cultivate an unsettling environment for your players. This one seems obvious but is actually really hard to get down right, especially when people mostly play online these days. But you’d be surprised how much regularly providing good visual aids, a Discord bot playing ambient music, and a good playlist can really set the tone for your session. Don’t just provide visual aids for the money shots of alien greys and deep ones either, running a campaign based on The Conspiracy era gives you ample opportunity to post a ton of weird, liminal 90s photographs to set the vibe for everyone even during otherwise mundane scenes.

Make a point of explaining to your players the difference between what they are experiencing and what their characters are experiencing. Yes, facing off against a 8ft tall fish man with a crossbow is inherently ridiculous as a fictional abstract. Its an entirely different experiencing actually being there, face to face under an incredible amount of stress seeing something that should not exist. In a lot of ways your players aren’t their characters so much as they are mad gods guiding their characters’ fates. THEY can laugh from the safety of this higher dimension we all exist in, that’s part of the fun. Hell their characters might even have a passing thought or two about how absurd the situation might be—but that entire time they’re fighting their lizard-brained instincts just to stop from mentally imploding. Let them laugh, but then tell them how their characters' hands might be shaking, or how any clever quip they wanted to say just comes out as a mumble as their body betrays whatever thoughts their rational mind tries to convey.

Know the rules of comedy. Comedy usually needs a straight-man, so if your players are goofing around don’t be afraid to give them a straight-man NPC to react to their antics in a way that makes it feel like you’re in on the bit but keeps the narrative going. Better yet, try to get ahead of it. Set up designated low-stakes areas in your story that are designed to add a bit of levity. They say comedy comes in threes, so you should structure these segments to let your agents to do some dumb shit about three times before they get all the sillies out and are ready to move on. And the emotional highs during these side quests will just make the crushing lows in the main plot feel that much more horrifying.

Building off that last one I have one more secret, forbidden technique. Buyer beware on this one honestly, but I cannot overstress just how much. Players. Love. Silly. Characters. And as David Lynch has proven, you can have silly characters that are still deeply unsettling. Try adding a few characters in that flip the script on your players and make *them*  want to play the role of the straight-man reacting to what your NPCs are doing every once in a while. If done right, it can kind of trick them into taking things seriously or feel like the eerie out of place comedy is at their character’s expense even if the players are in on it.

I hope some of this was at least partially useful. Good luck out there.

[dotthings]

So tempted right now to flip the anti-genre snobbery on its ear. I'll keep this to genre TV for simplicity.

For example:

It's one thing to act convincingly and tap into actorly skills while scenes are all domestic settings, with pages and pages and pages of dialogue designed to highlight actorness (award bait). It's another to convey that much emotion when actors are doing it opposite a tennis ball, dangling in a harness, reacting to FX that they can't actually see, with dialogue resting on unhinged genre plot points, their faces covered in fake blood, or dirt, or alien space goo.

To tell a compelling emotional story in a domestic setting is a different skillset than telling a compelling emotional story while juggling the mechanics of fantasy/sf/horror settings, following the magical rules of that universe consistently, and navigating the complicated gears and restrictions and mechanics of making a TV show with all its many moving parts, hundreds of people for every episode, and corporate bs.

Something about genre tv is that whatever is going on emotionally, it's heightened exquisitely by the genre framework. It's a reflection on what people actually go through in their actual lives, only instead of the kinds of day-to-day problems people deal with, it's monsters or galactic politics and space ship problems, or orcs, or magic, or ghosts, or they have to prevent another apocalypse, and the use of symbolism, unreliable narrators, metaphor, parallels, foreshadowing, and others get wielded like weapons. People don't, deep down, love genre because it's genre, although those things are very enjoyable to watch, they love genre because of the characters and feelings and emotions, the genre setting very specifically lends itself to those heightened emotions and it's very, very relatable and resonant and comforting while people struggle through their day-to-day. If that character can overcome their own trauma and that horrifying monster, it helps people process their own feelings. This is related to the reasons why horror is considered so compelling--that it gives a safe space to process fear.

[tanaor]

How to get the "show, don't tell" rule right in your writing!

(🙋Or how to master descriptions and body language🙋)

Hello everyone! Today I'm here to dive into the very famous "show don't tell" rule. But, first, please remember that these so called rules in art are subjective, and that ultimately you can do whatever you want. There is no wrong or right way to create. That said, let's start!

1. What is "show don't tell"?

It's a method of writing that involves describing sensations, sensory details and body language to convey your message in a way that is more relatable to the reader. For example, instead of saying "it was a hot day", you could say: "She was sweating, and her skin burned because of the sun. She faned herself with her hand, sighing". It makes the reader feel more immersed in a story, setting or emotion.

2. How to show, not tell

If you want to show things instead of telling them, you should try to reduce the number of "feeling words" in your work, such as "nervous","happy", "sad", "excited"... You get the point! Try to think what actions or details convey that emotion, and use them instead. "Sensation words" are also something to look for, like "hot", "cold", "hungry" and so on. There is always a better way to explain things! (If you struggle with this, don't worry! A lot of people make lists of actions that convey an exact mood or emotion. For example, @writers-potion has some really good ones, and also takes petitions).

Extra: I like to assign specific actions to characters so that it gives them variety, and as a little way to convey their personality in the way they express themselves. For example, one character may "cross their arms and frown" while another one might "look away and sight", and both can be interpreted as upset. Get creative!

3. When to use "show, don't tell"

Show don't tell is, of course, a great way to immerse your readers more in the story, but that doesn't mean that it's always necessary. A lot of writers see show don't tell just as a way to add words to your wordcount, and even if it is true that you usually use more words this way, that is not the objective of this technic. That is why, if you think that a specific part of your narration feels good without the show don't tell rule (or if your writing style is more genuine without it), I advise leaving it as it is. Other cases when you shouldn't use this method is in action scenes, as it can slow the pace of your story, or between dialogue, as too much description might come off as boring or unnecessary.

So that's all for today! My next post will probably be about backstorys and how to get them right, so if you'd like to read about that, keep tuned! Hope you find it helpful and happy writing everybody.

Other tips for writers: previous

[astrojulia]

Super Detailed Pick a Pile: Everything about your soulmate

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DISCLAIMER. These general free readings are made in good faith for entertainment purposes. I tried my best to leave it gender neutral, but one word or another might have escaped (Portuguese is a language where all words have gender). Also, this post is a remake of a old post of mine.

Warnings: +18 content

Hello Siren!

The Soulmate PAC is an old post of mine from another tumblr, so I wanted to remake this. This pick a pile was inspired by my full soulmate reading with you can purchase here as Sirens and Pirates, but this PAC is smaller than a SnP. It is a general reading, so pick what resonates. Each pile was made with a different tarot and was used 66 card per pile.

How to choose a pile

When you have different cards to choose from in pile 1,2,3… look at each of those cards. Wait until someone reminds you of a memory. Perhaps a character’s outfit resembles one of your own. It is this pile that has its message. What if they all remind me of something? Go for the one with the strongest memory, one might look like her earring but another might be the favorite candy you got from your grandma when you vacationed at her house. But what if none reminds me of something? Take a deep breath and wait a little longer, without charging yourself or creating worries. Relax, some will awaken some memory in you, I promise! .

Open the image for better quality!

Pile 1 - So this is Love

To find a compatible partner, one must let go of the past and embrace new opportunities for love. Feeling betrayed and exhausted by past experiences, individuals often retreat into a self-imposed cocoon, avoiding further romantic entanglements. Some even convince themselves that love is not meant for them, focusing on other aspects of their lives. However, deep down, they yearn for a loving partnership and dream of finding a soul mate. It is essential for them to regain faith in love, as that is when it will manifest itself.

This person will possess an exotic allure, standing out in a predominantly white environment if you live in one, or appearing Asian in a predominantly black community, and so on. They will exhibit distinctively masculine features, and if you are attracted to men, they will maintain a well-groomed full beard. Their physique will be muscular, possibly bearing scars from past conflicts. Despite their actual age, their appearance might suggest a weathered and tired countenance. They exude an air of confidence and vibrancy, always seeming to know their direction. Their posture is upright and correct, with a preference for looking straight ahead rather than sideways. When engaging in conversation, they make direct eye contact, conveying the need for face-to-face interaction. Symbolic tattoos, usually discreet in size, may adorn their body—a relic from their youth, which they have come to accept. Their hair color tends to lean towards shades of brown and red.

This person is naturally seductive and charismatic, a born leader who is sociable, diligent, focused, and selfless. They possess intelligence and have nurtured dreams and clear goals since childhood. They likely aspired to a particular profession from an early age, devoting extra time to study during high school to pass entrance exams for their desired schools and colleges. Due to financial constraints within their family, they started working at a young age to fulfill their desires beyond the essentials. Consequently, they appear fatigued at times, but their relentless work ethic remains unwavering. They admire hardworking individuals, especially those who hold them in high regard. Though they have experienced numerous relationships, ranging from serious commitments to fleeting encounters, they currently prefer to avoid emotional involvement, except with the right person.

You may encounter this individual at unexpected moments: perhaps attending the funeral of a distant relative, neighbor, or coworker; during a minor street accident resulting in minor vehicle damage; dropping a beverage from their hand (often on a beach); while visiting a theme park like Disney; at a job promotion celebration; or attending a lecture on physical or mental health.

You will enter into a serious relationship after 8 weeks of getting to know each other, primarily during the spring and summer seasons.

They will treat you as the love of their life, someone who gives their existence purpose. Each day, their love for you will grow, expressed through affectionate words and small gestures. Despite this, you may sense a certain barrier between you, and even with all their declarations of love, you may not feel entirely secure. However, addressing this issue relates to your own self-esteem. Even though they deeply love you, they will still value their own individuality and require personal space. They will involve you in their activities, making choices for dates that cater to your preferences, and they will strive to give you gifts that truly please you. They will enjoy carrying you and playfully tickling you. They will appreciate your body as a masterpiece and, over time, being vulnerable and exposed before you will feel natural, without any shame, as they demonstrate their profound love for you.

What captivates you most about them is their resilience in overcoming numerous challenges without losing their essence, despite the cruelty they may have faced. You will be among the few who understand the reasons behind their chosen path—a path driven by both pain and love. For instance, they may be an oncologist due to the loss of both parents to cancer or a bricklayer due to their past experience with homelessness. They are exceptionally genuine, preferring to confront the truth and accept its consequences rather than resorting to repeated lies. They treat everyone they encounter as equals, greeting all with kindness. They likely possess fluency in three languages. Although they possess great strength, they openly express their emotions, unashamed to shed tears if they identify as a man.

One aspect that may challenge your acceptance is their proclivity for swearing. You may often feel bewildered around them, as they may not take the time to explain things for your comprehension—it is your responsibility to manage your own understanding. When angry, they may speak in another language to avoid upsetting you, as they may scold you during such moments. They prefer communication through written messages, meaning you may never hear their voice if you're physically distant. They may struggle to measure their words, often unintentionally causing you pain. Additionally, they tend to speak rapidly, causing you to feel overwhelmed or lost.

They will teach you to cultivate kindness towards others, to genuinely love people without expecting anything in return. They will show you that you don't have to depend on others to attain your desires, emphasizing your complete independence and worthiness of receiving what you seek. They will inspire an entrepreneurial spirit within you and reinforce the belief that you deserve boundless love.

They enjoy teaching you one of their languages, particularly their native tongue. Couples therapy or visits to a psychologist/therapist are activities they appreciate. They are diligent about reminding you to schedule doctor appointments and even notify you when it's been a year since your last dental check-up. They also take pleasure in watching drama series or engaging in educational content, such as medical or science-related shows.

They admire your ability to rely on intuition when making decisions. Your strong familial bonds resonate with them, and if you have children, they will always express that you are the best parent in the world, crediting you with creating such a wonderful family. They appreciate your idealistic perspective on life, even if it occasionally diverges from realism. They value your commitment to fairness and your desire to contribute to society by helping others as much as possible.

When you're feeling down, they shower you with "silly" messages, including affectionate words, memes, and short funny videos featuring adorable animals. They provide calming medicine or any other assistance you need, respecting your choices and existing medical treatments. They indulge in small gestures like buying candies, chocolates, or trinkets. They also understand the importance of giving you space for introspection and solitude.

They envision a lifelong partnership with you, even until death separates you. They see both of you evolving together and dream of passing away side by side or in close succession, as they cannot fathom a moment of their existence without you. They perceive your relationship as an incredible partnership where mutual support endures in every possible aspect, forever.

They tend to be more dominant, taking pleasure in generating ideas and planning for the future. They enjoy assuming a leadership role and having precise knowledge of long-term plans, often organizing and exerting control in various aspects of their lives.

While they possess a forgiving nature, they have a strong memory and never truly forget the hurtful words or actions directed at them. They strive to avoid crossing dangerous boundaries that may inflict further pain. Similarly, they may feel inclined to comment on past mistakes you've made, but they understand it is not right to do so. They will pretend that nothing happened and that it doesn't bother them, but in reality, it does. When they are angry or when a conflict arises, they prefer to disengage and walk away, avoiding involvement in such confrontations.

They are deeply grateful for all the gestures you do for them, and they show their appreciation through actions rather than words. They consider themselves the luckiest person in the world to have you by their side, and they always strive to reciprocate by going above and beyond. For example, if you make them a coffee, they will prepare dinner for you.

They maintain a high level of honesty with you, sharing the events and experiences that have shaped their life since you met. However, they tend to avoid discussing their past, as they feel more protected by focusing on the present and future. They prioritize sharing relevant information and memories that have left a lasting impact. If you inquire about something that happened at their workplace and they haven't mentioned it, they may simply state that they didn't notice or didn't consider it important to discuss. They only speak about what they deem necessary and tend to avoid indulging in gossip or trivial matters.

While they may adjust certain habits you find displeasing, their core essence remains unchanged. Their life goals and dreams are not influenced by external factors.

They have a possessive streak and can experience jealousy, considering you as theirs. However, they place a great deal of faith in you and firmly believe in your loyalty. They take pride in showcasing you like a trophy and may become uncomfortable when others get too close.

When it comes to kissing, they engage in playful banter and tend to use a lot of tongue. They enjoy sharing laughter during these moments. They appreciate both long, passionate kisses that leave them breathless and the tender stolen kiss of a first encounter. While they possess a good understanding of kissing techniques, it doesn't guarantee that every kiss will be the best of your life, as some moments can be a bit awkward.

To express their affection for you, they often demonstrate it by giving you something you expressed a strong need or desire for. If they are not skilled in a particular craft, they may purchase a valuable item like a perfume you mentioned wanting. However, if their profession allows, such as being a woodworker, they might create a bookcase that you mentioned needing. This is how they initially convey their growing feelings for you.

They express a strong desire to get married, viewing it as a way to solidify the relationship and eliminate any competition. Marriage provides a sense of security for them, ensuring that they don't have to worry about losing you to someone else. They particularly value a civil marriage, as it allows for a name change, and they would be delighted if you choose to adopt their last name. Their proposal will be serious and formal, perhaps even appearing as if something tragic has happened. They also express an inclination towards a religious wedding, especially if they are Catholic. If you agree, the ceremony will take place in a church with a large number of guests.

Here are some nicknames they might affectionately call you: spitfire, princess, queen, sleeper, traitor, apple, star, jack of all trades.

When they start falling in love, they prefer to first discuss the relationship with their family. Until they gain their family's approval, they are hesitant to discuss the relationship with others. Their family's endorsement is crucial for them to move forward, and during this time, only you will be aware of their feelings. Once they have their family's support, they proudly introduce you to everyone. They enjoy picking you up from work or wherever they are, using the opportunity to show that they are with you. When people mention you, they respond with a silly laugh and proudly say, "Yeah, I'm dating them." They express their affection in a loving and respectful manner, not overly clingy but seeking physical contact and affection.

They prefer to engage in small displays of affection in public, such as holding hands and giving light kisses. They do not feel the need to showcase their intimate life, as they consider it a more private matter. However, they find it exciting when you flirt with them in public, building anticipation until you're alone together. They have no qualms about you wearing clothing that highlights your body; they see it as normal and don't feel embarrassed.

They possess culinary skills and are self-sufficient in the kitchen. They also excel at negotiation and can secure discounts when making purchases. They make a point to greet people they encounter and can communicate with individuals you may not be able to due to their proficiency in multiple languages.

They enjoy making love promises, expressing their deep love for you and emphasizing your importance in their life. However, they won't do this excessively, as they are rational and prefer not to repeat themselves. They derive great pleasure from surprises, both big and small. Traveling is one of their greatest passions, and they may express a desire to have a romantic getaway with you in Venice. They are likely to send you frequent short messages expressing their fondness for you, rather than constantly repeating the same declarations of love.

They assist you in making difficult decisions by presenting the pros and cons of each option. Moreover, they actively seek out opportunities for you, stepping in to help if you're unemployed. However, they never do your job for you; instead, they offer support and assistance when needed, such as helping you with a project or task.

Participating in social events, parties, and gatherings is important to them, and it contributes to their satisfaction with the relationship routine. If they are unable to go out, party, or even have a gathering at home, they may become quite upset. They also enjoy friendly competition with you, finding joy in games that have a winner, which adds excitement to their daily routine.

They aren't particularly sensitive to others' pain. If you're upset and crying, they may inquire if there's a way to solve the problem. If there isn't, they might question why you're crying excessively. They are observant and can discern your emotional state, but if your day is bad, they won't repeatedly ask how you're doing. They tend to address the matter once and then move on, not inclined to give multiple chances. If you express your desires or feelings to them, they will understand and make an effort to accommodate you. However, if you don't communicate openly, they may be aware that something is amiss but won't take action. They value direct communication.

While they consider the relationship to be a source of strength and comfort, it doesn't hinder them from pursuing their personal goals and aspirations. They view the relationship as a partnership built on trust and mutual respect. They would loathe giving up their job to live a confined life for any reason. They highly value their freedom.

They have triumphed in various battles and competitions, perhaps winning sports competitions during their high school years. However, what truly stands out to them in life is the resilience they developed from experiencing hunger and homelessness.

Physical touch isn't their preferred means of showing affection. Instead, they opt for brief, light touches to remind you of their presence. They aren't inclined towards strong hugs or prolonged clinginess. They express their affection through frequent texting (yes, they enjoy texting), engaging in late-night conversations, and, as you mentioned, through sexual intimacy.

When they miss you, they tend to eat a lot and may also indulge in adult content as a means of "relieving" their longing. Additionally, they may find solace in activities such as gardening or building something while you're away. At work, they may work overtime when they know you won't be around.

If you happen to have to work elsewhere and be separated from them, they would patiently wait for you to return, even if it takes up to seven years. They wouldn't change their current location if it's where they want to be, but if you needed to go far away, they would eagerly await your return. They firmly believe that love is something that is nurtured and built upon, and they are committed to building something meaningful with you every single day, regardless of the circumstances.

Pile 2 - Kiss the girl

Your soul mate does not reside where you currently live. They are from another state or even a different country. Your nationalities are vastly diverse, and that is why you will only encounter them once you venture beyond your familiar surroundings. You will cross paths with them when you undergo a profound transformation that reshapes your foundations, prompting you to start afresh and pursue the dreams you have harbored. Even then, despite any challenges or setbacks, you persevere and meticulously plan for a new beginning. It is in this juncture of rebuilding and expansion that you will find your soul mate. Alternatively, they may enter your life after a significant and positive transformation, when your long-cherished aspirations finally materialize, and you begin charting new paths to build upon your achievements. Another possibility is that you will encounter them when embarking on a new journey following a setback or a momentous victory.

Physically, they possess a well-defined and sturdy bone structure. Their body naturally carries a certain weight, and their features exhibit a square shape. Their skin tone is naturally dark, which may be attributed to their race or a sun-kissed complexion. They radiate a lively and dynamic aura, constantly in search of their true love. When you two meet, it will feel as if you have found your missing half. They will bear a resemblance to their ancestors and may have a distinctive accent. They prefer to dress in dress shirts, lightweight attire, and coats. Despite being dynamic and fun-loving, their posture tends to be closed and serious, as if their mind is open while their body remains guarded.

Spirituality holds significant importance for them. They have a profound sense of a life mission and feel a calling that drives them to tap into their inner power. They are deeply devoted, not to a specific entity, but to making the world a better place. They possess unwavering faith in humanity and strive to uplift it. In everyday life, they maintain a certain level of reserve and mystery. They do not easily reveal their true selves or allow others to feel too close and comfortable around them, as they cherish their personal space. They are dreamers who long for the next generation to surpass the current one, both in terms of personal growth and global betterment. Family holds immense significance to them, and they carry the lessons and values imparted by their own lineage. Consequently, they aspire to create their own family and pass down those intergenerational teachings.

You may cross paths with your soul mate in various settings: at a waterfall, within an orphanage, school, or children's establishment, during a business meeting, at a volunteer-driven Thanksgiving gathering, in a marketplace, at a street fair, or even under a sky adorned with rainbows. It will be a relationship in which neither of you needs to explicitly ask if it is serious or not. You will naturally come together without uttering the words "Will you date me?" After approximately eight weeks of getting to know each other, you will seamlessly transition into being lovers without the need for verbal confirmation. It will simply be an unspoken understanding between you both.

They are a very romantic individual, albeit a bit awkward. It seems that there's always something getting in their way due to their natural clumsiness. For example, they might buy a bouquet of flowers, but somehow manage to get it wet. Despite these quirks, they are deeply passionate and faithfully devoted to you. They perceive you as a flame, something that can both provide warmth and comfort, yet also have the potential to hurt and destroy. As a result, they both admire and fear your immense power. They often recognize your capabilities even when you may not see them yourself. They also have a strong sexual nature and view it as an essential aspect of the relationship. They have various desires and kinks, and they envision exploring them with you. While they see you as an equal, they also feel a need to protect you. You may notice that they instinctively position themselves in front of you, acting as a shield, especially when you're out in public or among strangers.

One of their most endearing qualities is their generosity. They don't consider money when it comes to buying things for you. If you ask for something, they will purchase it for you, especially if they have the means to do so. Even if they are wealthy, they won't hesitate to buy whatever brings you joy, regardless of the price. They also have a deep love for their work and are highly dedicated to it. They are constantly seeking ways to improve and make changes in their professional life, always planning for the future. Their physical appearance is important to them, and they take great care to maintain a clean and groomed appearance, including regular haircuts, showers, and clean nails. You find their beauty captivating, and you are particularly drawn to their romantic nature. Even when you try to play hard to get, you can't resist their declarations of love.

However, you may struggle to fully accept that they have experienced happiness with others in the past. Even if you have a stable relationship, you may find yourself comparing yourself to their previous partners and feeling inadequate because you didn't have the opportunity to share those moments with them. They may also have family connections or privileges that you envy, such as being from an influential family or inheriting generations of secrets and traditions. Furthermore, they may have greater financial stability than you, which can make you feel as though you constantly have to work hard for everything while they effortlessly thrive. While your family may readily accept them, their family may not be as accepting of you.

They will teach you the importance of staying true to yourself, even during the most challenging times. They will encourage you to remain faithful to both people and your beliefs, and to never lose faith. They will inspire you to cultivate strength in all aspects of your life, including your mental and physical well-being. They will help you learn to love and accept yourself as you truly are, embracing your flaws and working on self-improvement while breaking free from any psychological constraints you may have developed over time.

If you practice divination, they will be your most frequent client. They are willing to pay for your services but also genuinely value the insights you provide. They enjoy engaging in religious and mystical activities with you, whether it's attending church or participating in a witches' congregation. They also have an affinity for aquariums and may even desire to have a fish that you can care for together or enjoy going fishing as a shared activity. They particularly relish engaging in more challenging sexual positions. Sometimes, they find pleasure in simply gazing at you, admiring your presence, especially when you're immersed in something you enjoy.

They admire the way you bring humor and fun into serious moments, even when maintaining a more serious posture. Your sarcasm holds a special appeal to them. They also appreciate how you take charge of situations, confidently asserting yourself and becoming a commanding presence in times of high stress. You lead when things seem dire and dark, but once they improve, you pass the leadership role to someone else. They admire your personal history and achievements, often considering your accomplishments to be unimaginable for anyone else. They enjoy witnessing moments when you proudly share your successes and enthusiastically discuss your past or future plans. Your constant dreaming and pursuit of fulfilling your desires resonate with them. They also appreciate your inclination to help others, whether through your profession or in your daily interactions.

When you're feeling down, they are quick to make tea or prepare a remedy passed down from their mother, who seemingly has a cure for every kind of pain. In more serious situations, they have the car keys in hand, ready to take you to the doctor or hospital if necessary. They are willing to engage in conversations to understand if you're facing psychological or emotional challenges, offering support. If it appears that you require professional assistance, they will accompany you and ensure you receive the necessary help, even if it means spending the entire day at appointments.

They envision a future where you excel in your chosen field, or at the very least, gain significant recognition. They are always eager to learn something new and plan to take courses well into their 70s. They will encourage you to join them on this learning journey. They aspire to become an exceptional teacher or mentor in their field, and as they near the end of their life, their primary desire is to impart knowledge and educate others. They hope that you will either teach alongside them or attend all their classes. They also express a strong desire to have children, and the number of children they envision having depends entirely on your preference. Whether it's one, two, three, four, or more, the decision is ultimately yours. They see the two of you remaining youthful at heart, always striving to bring joy to the world in some way.

Their dominant or passive nature tends to fluctuate depending on the situation. Sometimes, they have no strong opinions and allow you to take charge entirely, while in other instances, they may argue their perspective and strive to do things their way. However, they are skilled at making you believe that they are doing what you want, when in reality, it was their plan all along. They are not inclined to use verbal aggression or engage in direct confrontation. Instead, they persistently pursue their own interests until they achieve their desired outcome.

Occasionally, they can experience outbursts of anger, saying and doing things that are uncharacteristic of their usual nature. They may bring up past mistakes and faults, casting you as a bad person. These moments of anger typically last for a brief period, perhaps one or two minutes, before they regain control and retreat. They often apologize swiftly after such episodes. It's worth noting that they may get over the issue quickly while you're still upset. Over time, they will engage in fewer fights, but in the initial stages of the relationship, there may be some heated arguments.

They have a significant ego, which leads them to hesitate when it comes to expressing gratitude towards you. However, deep down, they truly appreciate you. They may express gratitude if you initiate it first, and it must always be reciprocal. If you haven't praised them on a given day, they won't praise you either. Nevertheless, they genuinely value your presence and believe that you have brought immense happiness into their life. Particularly if you have children together, they will take great pride in being a parent and become extremely protective, especially if they have daughters. They are aware of everything you do for them and feel grateful, but don't expect constant reminders from them.

They tend to share their secrets only once everything is planned and in motion. They will confide in you about their plans after they have already made the necessary preparations. They may seek emotional support from you or, if you happen to be someone who practices divination, they may inquire about what the future holds. However, they are reserved by nature and prefer not to divulge everything. They believe in maintaining individuality, as knowing every detail about each other's lives can diminish the sense of excitement and mystery.

Their connection with spirituality and their mother has changed since they met you. Perhaps they didn't have a strong bond with their mother before, but with you in their life, they now view her differently. They have also become more romantic and affectionate in general, influenced by your presence. They are willing to make rational changes in various aspects of their life, such as changing colleges if they are dissatisfied, but when it comes to emotional matters and personal convictions, they are more resistant to change. While you have altered their worldview to some extent, not all aspects have undergone transformation.

Jealousy is not a significant issue for them when it comes to you. If you have children, they may feel more protective of the kids rather than being jealous of you. They appreciate your free-spirited nature, recognizing that children don't have the same level of freedom. If they do happen to experience jealousy, they might engage in activities related to the sea as a means of coping. For example, they may take you out to eat seafood, either because you enjoy it or as a way for them to destress.

Communication is more important to them than physical affection. They are skilled in the art of seduction but don't expect movie-style kisses every time. They enjoy giving you kisses, but they tend to be more gentle and playful rather than deep and intense. They take pleasure in teasing you until you're the one who initiates the kiss. It's possible that your first kiss could happen in a movie theater or as a result of their playful teasing.

To confess their love, they would recreate the most romantic scenes from a movie. They are the type to present you with a bouquet of roses, or perhaps strawberry and chocolate ones, along with a box of chocolates and a heartfelt love letter. They have a fondness for writing letters, and it's possible that they have written many letters about you, even if they were never sent.

Marriage is something they contemplate. Although they may have believed for a long time that it wasn't necessary, at some point, they will change their mind and desire to get married. Perhaps if one of you becomes pregnant, you'll both feel the urge to prepare for marriage before the baby is born. The proposal may be a simple moment of sitting on the couch, looking into each other's eyes, and asking, "Is it time to get married?" with both of you agreeing and proceeding to plan the wedding. They would prefer to have a family member officiate the ceremony, and the location is not as important to them, but they will invite a large number of guests.

During intimate moments, they use various affectionate nicknames that I cannot explicitly mention here. However, in non-sexual contexts, they may call you treasure, queen, mermaid, jewel, lioness, warrior, gladiator, gypsy, or hippie.

They have a tendency to gaze at you with longing, as if they can't take their eyes off you, even though they might deny it. They may avert their gaze, but it's apparent that they are watching you. Others may notice this because they can't stop looking at you—it's their way of showing their affection. They also enjoy assisting with physically demanding tasks that involve heavy lifting, as it allows them to showcase their strength for you. However, they may not explicitly confess their love for you.

They are not inclined to display affection openly, as they believe you could stay at home where no one else can see you. They are reserved when it comes to showing public displays of affection and prefer to keep such moments private.

They know how to take care of children, and for some reason, kids tend to get along well with them. It may seem like the children prefer them over you. They possess knowledge about condoms; that's all I have to say on the matter. They are also highly creative and full of energy, often waking up early and encouraging you to start the day early as well. They are an early bird.

In everyday life, they aren't particularly romantic, and you may even find them to be a bit distant at times. They express romantic gestures when they feel like it, and if they don't feel the inclination, they won't engage in such acts. However, they are quite generous when it comes to allowing you to sleep, especially if you enjoy it. They will let you stay in bed for as long as you need. They also enjoy taking short walks at night or going out for dinner.

They are the person who believes in your dreams and goals the most. When you feel tired or discouraged, they will be the one to uplift your spirits. If you hold meetings, they want to be involved, even if they aren't an employee. They are also quite helpful with accounting, writing, and every strategic aspect of your plans.

They appreciate routine and knowing what's happening on a daily basis. However, they also enjoy a bit of mystery and occasional surprises. They need to go out and do something together at least once a month, whether it's visiting a museum, going to a park, or watching a movie. The activity may vary, but they prioritize spending quality time together at least once a month.

They have a knack for learning secrets and staying informed about gossip, even more than they let on. That's why they may know a lot about you from your mother or other people, rather than directly from your own mouth. They might be the type to say, "Yes, your mother already told me that." They are attentive to your material needs, such as knowing when you'll have your period and ensuring you have an ample supply of pads. However, they may not be as attuned to your emotional needs, so you'll need to communicate with them about that.

They view being by your side as a great opportunity. They appreciate that you allocate some of your precious time to them, and they cherish those moments. They understand that they are a part of your life but not the entirety of it, and that's why they have immense respect for you. They see the relationship as an avenue for self-expression and an opportunity to open up with someone they can trust.

They tried to grow out their hair when they were younger, but it didn't work out for them. They also experimented with dyeing their hair, but that didn't work either. They have experienced being dumped multiple times, although they keep that information to themselves.

When it comes to displaying affection, they are a very discreet person. They prefer to show their affection when you're alone together, leaning against you and finding opportunities to have their hand somewhere, particularly on your thigh while driving. They have a fondness for your hair, and if you ask, they will gladly help comb it.

When you're apart or when they miss you, they have a tendency to travel somewhere else or spend time at their mother's house, and perhaps even yours.

They are the type of person who would be willing to change their religion for you, but they would not compromise their core beliefs and convictions. There are many things that they hold steadfastly to. They would also be open to changing countries if necessary.

Pile 3 - Someday My Prince Will Come

It's important for you to take a break from actively seeking your true love and soul mate. Instead, familiarize yourself with the "Law of Attraction" and understand that constantly imagining and wishing for their arrival won't necessarily make it happen. By fixating on finding them, you only increase your anxiety and stress. It's crucial to focus on your own life, pursue activities and interests unrelated to romantic pursuits, explore different subjects, engage with people from diverse backgrounds, and patiently wait for the right moment to come.

They exude a youthful and energetic aura, often appearing younger than their actual age. They have a playful and childlike nature. Their expressive mouth and nose tend to catch attention. Their fashion sense may be considered unconventional or quirky, but they embrace it. From the moment you meet, you'll feel drawn to them and desire closeness.

They are a free-spirited individual who relishes in traveling, meeting new people, trying new activities, and embarking on adventures. They have a penchant for dating but haven't experienced a lasting relationship yet. At first glance, they may resemble a charming prince, but they are not. They are not inherently bad, but they greatly value their freedom.

You may encounter them in various situations such as street fights, workplace conflicts, store quarrels, while shopping for sports or camping gear, or during competitions at work or school, as well as in team-building activities or camping trips.

Your relationship with them is likely to commence in early spring or during the month of March.

They will experience jealousy towards you and won't appreciate others getting involved with you. In the beginning, they may not take the relationship seriously, leading them to go out with you and other people simultaneously. For them, if the relationship isn't official, they don't feel the need for commitment. They aren't inclined to share their belongings freely. You will find that you have contrasting opinions on many matters, and they will frequently express fear of being betrayed. They harbor significant insecurities regarding love.

You'll particularly appreciate their appearance and presence in bed. It's undeniable. Additionally, you're drawn to their ability to construct and deconstruct things, persisting and remaking projects if needed. If they were a draftsman, you could envision their room filled with crumpled and torn papers as they persistently try again. They're a source of constant surprises, always revealing something new and unexpected when you least anticipate it.

However, you'll struggle to come to terms with the fact that they likely cheated on you early in the relationship, an experience that will linger in your memory. You'll also find yourself waiting for hours when you make plans together because they're always late. During challenging times, you'll often feel a sense of loneliness, as their support may not meet your expectations.

On the other hand, they will teach you the importance of self-love and valuing yourself. They'll guide you in nurturing your beauty and femininity, and they'll encourage you to be independent and proactive rather than relying on others. They'll remind you that you hold responsibilities for many aspects of your life and the people around you. They'll inspire faith and respect for your own cycles. They'll help you tap into your productivity and creativity.

They enjoy going out to eat with you or simply relaxing at home without any worries. They appreciate working together in group settings, be it in a professional environment, volunteering, or academia. They find pleasure in building furniture and engaging in crafting activities alongside you. They also enjoy going shopping with you.

They hold deep admiration for your diligent work ethic and your ability to manage your finances. They appreciate your dedication and unwavering conviction in pursuing your goals with passion. They notice how you radiate youthfulness, simplicity, and innocence despite the complexity of life. Your vibrant and joyful energy leaves a lasting impression.

When you're not feeling well, they typically give you some space to reflect and gather your thoughts. If there's a way for them to offer assistance, they'll show care and attentiveness, albeit maintaining a slight distance while being present during challenging times.

They envision a future filled with ups and downs, challenges, and difficulties. Despite the potential hurdles, both of you are working together and supporting one another to overcome obstacles and make things work. They have a belief in fate, trusting that whatever is meant to happen will unfold naturally, so they don't worry too much about the future. They have a sense of being protected in the future, as if things will work out fine no matter what, desiring a happy future but not dwelling on it.

They have a chaotic nature, which means they may try to dominate if not controlled, but if you can establish control, they become more passive. They enjoy venturing into new experiences but won't complain if you take the initiative to plan activities. In fact, they appreciate it as it helps them relax.

They easily forgive and forget, leaving the past behind as another story. They are focused on living in the present, addressing issues as they arise, and moving on. During conflicts, they remain quiet and observe, asking at the end, "Done? Did you calm down?"

They are deeply grateful for your help and acknowledge that you have made them wiser and more patient. They recognize the impact you've had on their personal growth and maturity, and they aim to reciprocate this favor in the future. As the years go by, they will be increasingly present in your life. Initially, relating to each other may be challenging, but this relationship is a joint construction between the two of you.

They will openly share every aspect of their life with you. Initially, it may be frustrating because they lack a filter, unaware of what should or shouldn't be said. Consequently, they express the whole truth in an abrupt and direct manner. Over time, they will improve their communication skills and become more mindful of their words. They will refrain from making fun of your haircut, even if they don't particularly like it. They will learn to adapt and be more considerate.

Through the course of your relationship, both of you will undergo significant personal growth, often catalyzed by painful experiences. You will confront fears and traumas together, making efforts to heal and overcome them. It will be a journey of discovering and addressing problems and traumas as a team.

They experience jealousy and tend to express it in a passive-aggressive manner. Instead of directly communicating their feelings, they try to make you understand through subtle actions and distancing themselves when jealous.

Their kisses are often romantic, characterized by a slow and passionate exchange. They prefer to savor the moment and engage in unhurried experiences. During these intimate times, they desire to fully immerse themselves in the present. The first kiss between you two might occur while under the influence of alcohol, with neither of you remembering the details.

They might express their affection for you after spending a night together, usually when they are tired and sleepy. However, they won't repeat what they said the next day, nor will they deny it. They will carry on as if nothing happened. They will only confess their feelings after you have already expressed your liking for them; they are too insecure to be the first to say "I love you."

In a spontaneous moment following a fight, they may propose marriage as a way to reconcile. This proposal will be impulsive and unfiltered, happening on the spot. While it's not their dream scenario, they view it as a compromise. They envision a simple and intimate wedding, perhaps in a country setting or on a beach, with close family and a few acquaintances. They prefer a wedding that is comfortable and unpretentious. You may also have the tradition of throwing rice at the newlyweds after the ceremony.

Some nicknames they might affectionately call you include: treasure, empress, devil, baby, baby girl/boy, sweetie, and nervous.

When they are interested in someone, they tend to talk to others to seek assistance in getting closer to you. They are unafraid to flirt openly and shamelessly. However, if you are oblivious to their advances, you may not notice their flirtatious behavior. To demonstrate their affection, they enjoy attending music shows and purchasing items together. Music plays a significant role in their life, and their most prized possessions could be musical instruments or CDs.

They are straightforward when it comes to relationships and may even suggest an open relationship. They act on their desires whenever they feel the impulse, regardless of the context. If they want to kiss you in front of your parents, they will do so without hesitation. They dislike conventional norms and are attracted to unconventional aspects in relationships. They enjoy taking risks.

Having worked as a bartender in the past, they possess knowledge of crafting various drinks. They also have a keen intuition and can often sense events before they occur. They feel a strong spiritual protection, which makes them believe that even in the face of a fatal accident, they will survive. They are self-aware and acknowledge both their positive and negative aspects. Additionally, they have a knack for detecting lies.

They have a great belief in you and dream even bigger than you do, sometimes to the point of being overly idealistic. For example, if you mention wanting to buy a house, they might question why you don't desire a mansion. Emotionally, they provide support and discuss dreams and desires. They may even pray for those dreams to come true. However, when it comes to taking action, they may claim not to know how to fulfill those desires if you ask them to do something.

They have a great belief in you and dream even bigger than you do, sometimes to the point of being overly idealistic. For example, if you mention wanting to buy a house, they might question why you don't desire a mansion. Emotionally, they provide support and discuss dreams and desires. They may even pray for those dreams to come true. However, when it comes to taking action, they may claim not to know how to fulfill those desires if you ask them to do something.

They have a tendency to provoke small conflicts in order to add spice to the relationship, finding excitement in the act of arguing (especially if they are a man). Most of the time, their routine remains unchanged, as they are naturally chaotic. However, their actions become predictable over time, and their behavior can become mundane. They have a strong need for social interaction and value having a circle of friends. They also have a desire to have a pet in the home.

They possess a great deal of empathy and can often explain your emotions even before you fully comprehend them yourself. They have a deep understanding of the emotional realm and are not afraid of diving into this domain. They will express their emotions while also comprehending yours. In times of uncertainty, they provide valuable assistance by helping you discover what truly brings you happiness. They can also recognize your facial expressions, even if you try to conceal your intentions.

The relationship you share is something they desired and patiently awaited, a wish that has now come true. They lead a faith-driven life, praying and seeking assistance when in need, without strictly adhering to religious dogma. Nevertheless, their prayers have been answered, and having this relationship was one of those answered prayers. Despite occasionally placing the relationship in the background, it remains one of their pillars and a source of security. They are not inclined to take an active role in the relationship because they believe that everything is always fine. Therefore, if you have any issues or dislikes, it is important for you to be proactive and express what you don't like, along with the best way to address it. Otherwise, things may remain the same because no one knows how to bring about the necessary changes.

They are very fond of games and casinos, having spent a significant amount of money on them, including video game loot boxes. It's possible they may have developed an addiction to these activities. They have a history of cheating in games and possess extensive knowledge of cheating methods to secure victories.

In terms of displaying affection, they have a particular fondness for food. When they are extremely happy, they enjoy feeding you or sharing food with you. They have expectations for reciprocation, meaning if they show you affection, they anticipate receiving something in return. They also take pleasure in twirling your hair between their fingers and touching your hair and/or head. Additionally, they have a tendency to give small trinkets and beauty products as gifts.

When they miss you or when you need to be away for a while, they often question what they did wrong to contribute to the situation. They blame themselves for any distance between you, even if it's due to work commitments. This self-blame may lead to insomnia and excessive rumination. They may isolate themselves and prefer not to spend time with others.

Despite their childlike nature, they would go to great lengths for you. While they may not go as far as cutting off a limb, they would be willing to donate a kidney for you. They would even quit drinking if you asked them to. In summary, they would do anything to earn your acceptance and make you happy.

(CC) AstroJulia Some Rights Reserved

[mirai-e-jump]

Animage December 2023 Issue ft. Yuzuki Hirakawa Interview (translation below)

Publication: November 10, 2023 (between episodes 35-36)

"Remain Immovable"

Rita Kaniska, who rules the absolutely neutral country of Gokkan, is both the king and chief judge who passes down judgment on international criminals.

"The Law is the spear that pierces kings. The Law is the shield that protects man. For this reason, Gokkan will remain immovable."

Rita never wavers in their convictions at any time, and judges fairly according to the law.

However, just like anyone else, Rita also has a heart. They get angry at those who resell goods based on their beloved animated character "Moffun," and when their emotions get out of control, they scream in public.

When they tried to seal Grodie with the "Ice Seal," a secret sacrificial technique that's possessed within their right eye, they felt the fear of death. Still, Rita's strength lies in their determination to remain neutral and immovable as the king of Gokkan.

It must have been a positive thing for Rita to have friends who understood their way of living, were concerned about them, and tried to help them.

The current mission of the Royal Sentai, is to reclaim the countries of Chikyu that have been conquered by the Uchu Five Jesters. Goma, who rules Gokkan, is a difficult opponent, once messing around with the kings using a technique that switches bodies. What awaits Rita in the upcoming battle to reclaim Gokkan?

-I want to make use of the sword fighting skills I learned from Hachisuka-san-

"As the story progressed, the number of kings working together increased, but is there anything you're conscious of when expressing these relationships?"

Hirakawa: Basically, I try not to put my personal feelings into it, but after starting the second chapter, I feel like we're closer than ever. I'm not sure if a part of them that unconsciously feels at ease has emerged. However, I think Rita doesn't just think of them as their friends, rather, they're comrades that help protect Chikyu. When it comes to Hymeno, who is the closest to them, rather than being conscious of how I interact with her, I treat her naturally as Rita, reacting timidly to Hymeno's aggressive advances.

"We found it interesting that when they switched bodies with Yanma in episode 28, unlike the other kings, they didn't seem to become closer."

Hirakawa: Everyone else had good interactions, but we were in an interesting frame of, "Huh, what are we doing?" (laughs). In that episode, I also discussed with Director Kamihoriuchi Kazuya that among the kings, Yanma would probably enjoy being swapped the most, and that the most important thing was to enjoy the chaos of the situation. Also, I thought that if I went too hard in my approach, it would be too rough, or that it would come off as lame, so I decided to just do it naturally. The Director told me things like, "You don't have to try doing it like Yanma," so I felt like I played much more as myself

"Have you heard any feedback from Watanabe Aoto-san, who plays Yanma?"

Hirakawa: When we met up, he said, "It was alot of fun!" and "It was cool." But, Aoto's Rita was way too much (laughs). I don't really roll my eyes or cross my eyes or anything like that. "I" did that because I reached a state of maximum irritation due to the stress of being swapped…..if you think about it, could it be possible? When I saw the final cut and realized how he performed, I was surprised and asked myself, "I've been doing this?"

"What do you take into consideration when interacting with Morfonia, your retainer?"

Hirakawa: I try to be as "flat" as possible without being too overwhelming. Like in the kabedon scene in episode 25, when they want to convey their thoughts, I'm always conscious of conveying them clearly, even if it's in their own awkward way. No matter what Rita and Morfonia say to each other, they'll never leave each other, as they know that their relationship won't change, so I feel like they're not hesitant about it.

"Have you had any memorable interactions with Yuichi Hachisuka-san, PapillonOhger's Suit Actor?"

Hirakawa: We usually film separately from each other, so I share information with Hachisuka-san whenever we meet. He incorporates what I talk to him about into his actions after the transformation. When we're fighting unmasked, he's always by the camera man's side, giving me friendly and detailed advice. We also have alot of small talk that's unrelated to acting, so I'm very grateful that he's so open and friendly with me.

"In terms of unmasked action, we think that episodes 32 and 33 depicted some pretty intense action scenes."

Hirakawa: That's right. It was the first time in the second chapter that I had to fight unmasked, and there were quite alot of moves. Rita's fighting style is not to attack the enemy themself, but to cut them down as the enemies approach them, so sword fighting skills are important. It's important to have a sense of balance between stopping your movements and applying force, and Hachisuka-san taught me alot not only during action practice, but also on the set. I've always loved to move my body, and even before King-Ohger I participated in a few practice sessions for action scenes and became interested in it. Hachisuka-san taught me the basics of how to hold, swing, and draw out the sword, and I'd like to continue challenging myself even after King-Ohger is over.

-Overflowing emotions between my mission and fear-

"The cast members of King-Ohger are actively engaged on SNS, but we have the impression that Hirakawa-san especially has frequent opportunities to interact with the fans."

Hirakawa: I'm conscious of doing something on SNS every day. I belong to LDH, which is famous as an artist agency, and their artists have many opportunities to directly interact with their supporters at things such as live performances and release events. However, the acting team doesn't have many opportunities like that, so I wanted to create a place to interact with the fans, so I use the Twitter space to talk and stream on Instagram Live. Also, I wanted to give people a chance to get to know me through Rita. I'm glad that the fans enjoy the gap between me and Rita.

"I see. It sounds like you had some deep thoughts and were communicating them."

Hirakawa: Well, I've always liked talking, so when I'm home alone, I sometimes start saying, "I'm kinda bored," or "I'll talk for abit" (laughs). I feel that I've become better at speaking since I've started streaming, and that my thinking is faster than before. Up until now, I haven't had many opportunities to communicate with the fans, so when I read their comments, it was encouraging to realize that there were so many people who supported me.

"Other than Rita, if you had to name your favorite character, who would it be?"

Hirakawa: Since playing him in the body swap episode, I feel attached to Yanma. I've always wanted to play a role with that kind of cool feel and slightly rough tone. Also, I guess I'd say Gira. I think his charm lies in that he's straightforward, honest, and cute, but the anger he shows and the feelings he has for his friends is also appealing. His face is looking more and more like that of a king, and in episode 29, there's even an effect where lights rush from his eyes, which was super cool!

"Please tell us about some of the most memorable episodes so far."

Hirakawa: In episode 30, the secret of Rita's right eye was revealed, and the culprit behind the "Wrath of God" was revealed to be Grodie, which still leaves an impression on me. I didn't know about the secret of their right eye, so I was surprised when I read the script. Grodie is played by Amano Kousei-san, who is a senior at my agency, and he also performed in Kamen Rider (played Sakuya Tachibana/Kamen Rider Garren in Kamen Rider Blade), so I have fond memories of being able to co star with him.

"Shiono Akihisa-san, who plays Souji Rippukan (Kyoryu Green) in episodes 32 and 33, also comes from the same agency."

Hirakawa: Yes. Shortly after being chosen to play Rita, I happened to have the opportunity to meet Shiono-san in another production, where I told him that I would be appearing in Sentai. I was very happy to be able to work together in the collaboration episodes, with Shiono-san encouraging me with, "Do you best."

"Going back to episode 30, we think it was a major turning point from Rita's perspective."

Hirakawa: The relationship with Karras, the previous king, was explored in depth, and Rita's actions towards their mission and determination to protect their people was depicted, which I thought was cool to play. For the scenes where Rita's emotions were overflowing, I wanted to express them in advance, and wanted to express them within the atmosphere of the scene. The scene where Karras collapsed in front of my eyes was so powerful, that I was surprised at how much emotion I felt inside of me and how much it moved me. The scene where they use the "Ice Seal" on Grodie is especially emotional. It's a secret technique that seals away both yourself and your opponent, so using it will lead to Rita's death. Rita is conflicted between their duty as a king to protect their people, and their fear of dying. I played the role imagining those feelings, but since I had never experienced the loss of a loved one, it became so overwhelming, that I couldn't stop crying during filming, and had to be given time to calm down.

"You played the part with a great amount of emotion."

Hirakawa: When I read the script, I often write down what I'm thinking of at that moment, but for the scene where I use the secret technique, I wrote, "I leave the rest to you." Then, when it came time to perform, I imagined everyone's faces…..I thought, "I don't want to die," and "But" and I cried not only as Rita, but also as Yuzuki Hirakawa (laughs). By deciding to protect the lives of their people and the peace of Chikyu more than their own life, Rita was able to grow even more, and when Hymeno stopped them, I feel that they were able to firmly realize that they were not alone.

"Finally, please tell us about some future highlights."

Hirakawa: In episode 36, Rita will do some interesting things in the scenes regarding Hymeno's marriage matchmaking, but I think episode 38 will be the main highlight for Rita. Filming is about to begin (at the time of this interview), so I know I have to do my best......I really hope everyone will look forward to it (laughs). _

Question to Kaku So-san! (Kaguragi Dybowski's Actor)

Kaguragi often goes to different places alone, like infiltrating other places, without anyone noticing. I'm curious to know how he manages to stay out of everyone's sight with such a large body. I also want to know how he takes care of his long hair. If you look closely, Kaguragi's hair is quite smooth. It's actually a wig, but I'd like to hear Kaku-san's interpretation of how Kaguragi takes care of his smooth hair. (-Hirakawa)

Questions from Murakami Erica-san! (Hymeno Ran's Actor)

Q: What kind of food does Rita like? If you were to make a Gokkan coat for Hymeno, what would you propose?

I have a feeling that Rita likes sweet things. I personally like wagashi, so I think they'd appreciate that (laughs). A coat that's a dress with her legs showing would look cold, so it should be like a poncho and worn over the top. I think a long coat with a hood would be nice. A fluffy white ball (snowman) coat, or a kamikiri (mantis) coat! (-Hirakawa)

[transparentbeardmentality]

People on twitter finally figuring out what @dekacchannn has been saying forever:

Bakugo is connected to OFA.

Yah! He can see All Might's vestige! He has OFA stars in his eyes!!!

....

Now for my interpretation and speculation that I don't see anyone talking about...

Bakugo freaking KNEW he was tapping bits of OFA WAY before the battle. That's why he's not at all surprised to see the AM vestige, and just says "Oh. Right.."

It perfectly explains why at UA again, he is looking so uncomfortable, sweating bullets, explaining his new (saving Izuku unlocked) move to Izuku/Deku. He's not just sweating because that's his thing. He never just sweats in battle like that!

Sweating bullets gets used a lot to convey intense/awkward discomfort. I think he was panicked about breaching the topic of OFA power up! But Izuku totally blanked him... Bakugo didn't really wanna have this confusing conversation to start with (but I believe he was trying to broach it anyway). So when Izuku doesn't respond openly, he drops it immediately.

Like Deku, he withheld important information about how he unlocked it -and what it means- because their relationship feels like a fragile, intense mess. It's way too important for him to jeapordise.

Bakugo was very insecure and afraid here!

And I don't think Bakugo knows what to make of the OFA thing, or do about it. Izuku clearly has no idea, or he'd say something, right? He had an opening, and nothing?

He knows his feelings for Izuku are intense.. Everybody does. But the well goes deeper, or he wouldn't be afraid to talk about something so important, involving feelings he's already revealed.

I totally agree with theories that it's a love connection, not a reminant of a non-manga movie -even if some crossover characters appear. There's no way Horikoshi doesn't want his beloved manga to stand on its own.

And his beloved manga talks about people being in love, what's in their hearts, feeling like dying without their person, overwhelming emotions bending rules, and Deku's control your heart (over Bakugo) plotline.

I also wonder if the reason Bakugo reacted so strongly to Deku holding his hand out to Aoyama is because it was symbolic of Deku lending his strength (and compassion) to him. Bakugo may have worked out that his OFA connection works, because in some way, honorable Deku has had his hand extended to him -for as long as he can remember. Because that's what Deku does. Deku is a saint. And maybe OFA is an extension of that for him.

I think that OFA connection strengthened too, when Bakugo learned how DEEP that part of Deku went for him.

He cannot dismiss Deku's feelings as him being a bleeding heart over every person when Shigaraki is telling him that for Deku, he is 'The' person -and is bent on killing him because of it! That's shocking (also terrifying) information.

Remember Bakugo said he didn't expect the apology to change anything between them, but Shig knowing about 💚Bakugo💚 means he was unmistakeably Deku's closest person, before he even apologised!

Bakugo feels so much for Izuku, but thought he had to start mending things to even be considered a real friend... Especially since Deku has so many friends and close people! He just saw them all pour out their deep affections to bring him home to UA. He does not think he is special.

But Izuku has a secret! (At least from Bakugo, no one else could possibly be confused at this point.)

So Shigaraki taunts Bakugo for falling behind Deku. He's just a minnow. But all he can focus on is something to the effect of -'Holy shit. He loves me. He loves me.. I need him to know that I-.. I need to live up to him! Izuku...'

The secret feelings reveal made him brave and honest with his own heart. There's nothing left but longing to be worthy of him, and be with him. He makes his last stand for him. And in the end, he reaches out for Izuku too -even though Izuku is not there with his own hand this time.

And this is when we first see the AFO stars are in his eyes. He does reach him. Or at least their connection. And that's why we see All Might, and why Bakugo is not surprised. But Bakugo seems resigned as though it's too late. He's already reminiscing.. But I believe All Might is going tell him it's not over. That he has to save Young Midoriya, and how.

What else could he possibly be there to say?

I can't wait for Izuku to find about Kacchan being OFA love-bonded to him.

[snowblack-charcoalwhite]

I think that the misandry by the writers , especially Hess, is something that isn't discussed much. It's much deeper and dare I say, more sinister than just 'men bad women good' because the way she wrote the last episode shows that she wants to convey how Alicent's actions are commendable in a sense that her male children don't deserve her devotion and unconditional love anyway, while her only female child and grandchild do. It's framed as her liberation because she sells her own sons to another woman who is their enemy, but you know, it is good because Rhaenicent and reasons. As a woman, I'm appalled by this. What's worse is that I've seen takes here and on x like "Alicent regained her agency by ditching her sons for the woman she loves, her betrayal is understandable, go girl, you have my support" (and this one is tame compared to some others). Believe me, I'm not exaggerating. And I must be from mars because in my book that's not acceptable, understandable or commendable in any way, just the opposite. The problem, however, lies in the fact that the narrative and the writers' agenda support these vile and delusional takes. You don't even have to be a parent to see how evil and nonsensical this idea is, you just have to be able to understand basic human emotions and family dynamic. The writers and a big chunk of the fandom apparently don't.

Hello!

Thank you for this, really. The writers' (Hess' specifically) misandric agenda is absolutely crazy - and IMO crazy evident as well, so seeing so many people fall for it is baffling, sad and infuriating at the same time.

Don't they see that in HotD the women are the ones to blaim for something only when they side with men in one way or another? Don't they understand how forced, unsubtle and - because of that - cringe all the "you are a woman so you can't rule", "they don't respect me because I'm a woman" and "women suffer while men fight" are? House of the Dragon is one of the most force-feeding shows I've ever watched - and for some reason GA and even some people in the fandom believe it's alright. Media literacy is dead for real.

And the parent-children aspect of misandry you brought up is indeed one of the most atrocious things about the whole debacle. I am not a mother myself - but I have one, just as, I think, the majority of the viewers do. I refuse to believe that everyone who cheers for Alicent to abandon her sons has their own familial relationships so screwed that they are unable to understand the outlandishness of the opinion they are choosing to uphold.

Not to mention that in their quest for showing just how terrible Alicent's sons (minus Daeron - at least for now) are, HotD writers completely destroyed Helaena's personality, even the sparks of it she had in season 1. Now she is all about three things: bugs, clairvoyance and suffering (and I can't believe that the first point has been handled the best development-wise). Helaena is supposed to be good and kind: but what good and kind things have we seen her do? Taking care (kind of) of her crickets, offering a necklace in exchange for the life of her son (oh wow) and saying that she shouldn't really grieve for her child that much because the commoners' kids are dying all the time (how relatable for anyone who actually lost a child, right?). For most part she is just there, staring into the distance and saying something prophetic (or, again, suffering).

Just imagine a real mother saying to her son "You know, sonny, I love you, but you forgot to thank me for the pudding I made for your birthday plus you called my bestie an old cow - so I invited your school bullies to our house so that they could beat the shit out of you, you ungrateful jerk. They are in the backyard, go on, don't make your mommy wait".

Just imagine a real woman whose son has just been brutally killed say "You know what, there are so many children starving to death in the world. Why should I cry over mine?"

Honestly, I am beginning to think that people are steadily losing the ability to connect the things happening on screen to actual human emotional experience - as if the characters (in HotD in this case) are aliens to whom basic concepts that have been holding humanity together for millenia do not apply.

[alciedoodles]

hi!! i saw your other post about how you simplify details and it was really helpful - was wondering if you had any tips abt drawing expressions/poses to express a story/emotions. like i saw your recent sumeru char doodles on twt and the way you draw alhaitham and hungover kaveh is so!!! ahh!! all of the lines feel really intentional, from the expressions to the fabric of the clothing and omg i love it so much. anyways sorry for rambling HAHA thank you sm for sharing your art! gl w art school 💪

Hello!

Thank you so much for the lovely words <3 it's really such a honor to hear that so many people consider my art to be very expressive, which I think is an essential skill to have for storytelling in comics!

First of all, I'd like to say this isn't something I can easily answer... you must already know there's no easy step-by-step guide on how to be "good" at art or expressions or whichever aspect you're trying to improve, the answer will always be observation and practice. However, I can tell you some of my methods I use to make sure emotions are conveyed as efficiently as possible(?). Here are the key points I always try to apply (note that these aren't rules, these are just my guiding points):

Understanding the character(s), the context, and how the two work together

Laying down a foundation

Not letting dialogue be the main driving force behind storytelling

Paneling conveys emotion too, actually

The absence of something can also convey emotion

You didn't specifically ask about comics, but since it's my favorite subject and it ties into your question, I'll be using a lot of examples from the comics I made! And it might interest other people who were curious?

VERY long post ahead :)

1. Understanding the character(s), the context, and how the two work together

This is what I think is the most fundamental part of storytelling! I mean, makes sense, right? Obviously you don't need a PhD in The Character to make stories based off them. I literally cannot tell you every detail about my favorite characters despite loving them very much, but I think understanding them and their relationships on a big-picture level is primordial. What drives them, what are their principles, what are their biggest fears, who do they make exceptions for, etc. Also, to me, understanding their relationships is sometimes more important than understanding the character at a molecular level. We can tell so much about someone just from the way they interact with specific people vs how they interact with strangers. The person I am online isn't the same I am with friends nor even with family-- like one of the reasons some characters can feel one-dimensional is because they don't show variation in their character throughout their relationships (and since you mentioned Kaveh and Alhaitham, I don't need to tell you the way both of them interact with each other is far removed from the way they interact with friends, strangers, etc... I think a lot of people forget who they are outside of their relationship, which a huge point of contention behind mischaracterization in fan works). I don't have much to say about this other than this is something I keep in mind every step of the way through.

2. Laying down a foundation

This is what the majority of my comics look like on second draft:

I said second because the first drafts usually look like this, which are barely comprehensible to anyone but myself:

The purpose of these are not only to give me a better guide for posing than whatever i did on the first draft (storyboard), but also have a first pass at motion and emotion. The expressions and gestures are legible enough that you can probably glean the emotions of each character based off the little sketches. Ultimately, some of the things I'll draft will end up adjusted, changed, expanded on or even removed.

This particular panel of Reigen is a favorite of mine, because the first pass already shows his confusion, but the final one is even more distorted because it felt like it needed to be even more accentuated.

This panel where he mansplains is also a good example, because the first pass gave him too much of an arrogant/uninterested look (notable with his upturned face), whereas Reigen is more likely to take pride in explaining something he knows to make himself look like a wise and mature figure (notable with his slight smirk and downturned face, as if nodding to himself; the hand is also slightly more forward as if inviting rather than dismissing). And since I basically made an example of it above: body language is super important! This applies for everyone. It doesn't stop at characters who make grand gestures and exaggerated poses every waking moment of their life, but also characters who are socially awkward, private, reclusive...

The posing here is intentionally stiff but not entirely closed off, giving the sense that he's earnest, tries his best to make connections , but also doesn't want to take too much space, thinking the smallest wrong move could cause trouble. Also, give room for the body to do its thing. Avoid cropping out things that shouldn't be cropped out. Leave enough room between the edges of the panel and the point of focus to emphasize what you want to emphasize. Close-up shots shouldn't be too frequent (in fact, personally I don't like doing close-up shots but it doesn't mean they're bad or shouldn't be done, again, my word isn't gospel!), especially if what you're conveying isn't too emotionally charged. Lastly, I have terrible news for people who hate drawing hands. Hands are possibly the second most expressive part of our body (if we don't count the body as a whole), so especially for your charismatic characters, you will very often want to use hands as a tool of expression.

(Think how much emotion and personality would be lost if the hands weren't there!)

3. Not letting dialogue be the main driving force behind storytelling

With my comics, I play an incredibly dangerous game called "I'll think of dialogue as I make the storyboard and then when I'm done drawing every page I'll write the dialogue over it guided solely by memory and whatever I drew". Don't do this. Have a script in hand or write it at the same time as you draft your storyboard. The reason I do this is because I'm lazy and I don't want to open a simple writing software to type down a script. Genuinely I have no other reasons. Anyway, the only advantage this gives to my comics is that they will generally be able to stand on their own without much dialogue; obviously dialogue is essential, but what I mean is that we don't need it to have a pretty accurate read on the room.

For example, if I remove all the dialogue from this page, you probably can't guess exactly what's being discussed. However, you can identify through their emotions alone that there is disbelief, bargaining, and finally a pretty devastating info was dropped. Alternatively, cutting down dialogue from your page and leaving room to expressions/body language alone can be entirely more beneficial than having any dialogue to begin with.

AKA Readers aren't stupid (some may be, but the majority can extrapolate just fine). You'll realize how much you don't need words and how your stories can be even more funny/impactful by pushing forward visual storytelling.

4. Paneling conveys emotion too, actually

Being a "good" artist isn't enough to make good comics. The way you panel things is extremely important, because it sets the tone, mood, pace, you name it. Some of the best works out there are the ones with the most care put into the flow of the comic. You need to understand how people will read it, and it starts with what order you deliver the information and how. This is paneling 101, but a page with irregularly shaped panels, multiple changing camera angles and such will be exponentially more dynamic than a page where each panel is the same size, have similar compositions and/or repetitions with little to no diagonal or curved lines of action.

The two examples above are WIPs from 2 different stories so unfortunately you'll have to make do with the rough sketches. That being said, you don't need to know the context of either pages to know the kind of emotion that should be felt through the paneling alone. Give time for the important emotions to be processed by the reader (unless it's intentionally fast-paced). Every emotion that needs to be emphasized should have its own panel.

In this example, I could easily have condensed these two panels into one by transferring the dialogue from the second into the first and jumping on to the next action. However, it would undeniably give much less impact to Kaveh's disbelief. On an inverse situation, sometimes you will want to condense two panels you made into one, because whatever those two panels are doing are perhaps not important enough to deserve separate panels! Lastly, you can notice that the space on the page is not always filled. Leaving space between each panel and/or between the edges of the page gives room for the reader to breathe and slows down the flow; and inversely, if you want to make the situation more frantic, make everything look more tight and constricted.

5. Not showing facial expressions sometimes conveys more emotion than doing so

This ties nicely to the point I made about body language. You don't need to see a character's face to know what they're going through, necessarily. Sometimes, their posture or their dialogue is enough. In my opinion, a story is more compelling when this equilibrium of facial expressions / body language / paneling / dialogue is correctly adjusted-- you will not need to have all the elements to convey the message or it could be a little overbearing. I don't have many examples for this one because they tend to be more relevant in dramatic scenarios, which I haven't done that many of.

(The first one is once again from a WIP)

And that's about it for my insane guide on comic-ing. I hope ANY of it made sense.

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Here's a round up of extra tips, focused entirely on the drawing part which might be more of what you asked to begin with :'D

- That little line/wrinkle that adds so much character

Yall know what I'm talking about. In my opinion, too many artists are afraid of giving laugh lines/wrinkles because it makes their characters look older, except when it's to add those sexy sexy eyebags. I'm encouraging everyone to add them to their art little by little and see how much it can improve the expressiveness! Obviously, I don't use it everywhere, but it's a very effective way to make your expressions feel even more... well. expressive.

- Line of action

You've probably seen this picture going around before, from Preston Blair:

Although it's called line of action which implies action, this line is important even when the character isn't really in action.

You can gain a lot in expressiveness when you think of the body as one whole fluid instead of a sum of multiple disjointed parts. This is why drawing a very rough base comprised of only lines and circles can help figure out if the posing works before you start refining it.

On a different note, animation principles work very much in comics as well! I recommend looking up animation guides especially those that show how to make key poses.

- Shadows and/or color fill

This is one I will use quite often for different situations.

Shadows can immediately set a tone when they're used dramatically. For example, a shadow over a character's face can convey unease and/or evil intent.

On the other hand, I will use color fills for different purposes:

Differentiating ground layers

This can help with readability.

2. Conveying a certain mood

It can separate the character from the color of their background to give a sense of isolation, reflection, realization, being disconnected from their surroundings, etc...

- Don't be scared of using codes / tropes / archetypes

...As long as it benefits the narrative, of course. By codes / tropes / archetypes, I mean posing or expressions or visual effects that are universally understood and used for specific expressions. The semicircle sweatdrops and blush made with slashes are incredibly typical of manga/anime, but it doesn't mean they're bad! Visual effects are there to help remove the ambiguity of an expression considering a single expression without visual codes could convey multiple emotions!

- Find what inspires you and take notes!!!

In my case, what greatly shaped my art style to what it currently is: One Piece, the Ace Attorney series and Mob Psycho 100 (yes, I only watched the latter last year but it still managed to become a source of improvement/inspiration for my art even at my current level, because you'll never stop improving :) )

I hope this wasn't too long or too off-topic, and I hope it can also help other people who might be interested! Thank you for reading!