tokyogruel

[tokyogruel]

WAIT WAIT WAIT FOR THE QUESTIONS THING I JUST SAW THE 28, I DONT THINK I ASKED FOR THAT ONE, DO THAT ONE TOO PLEASE

seari this has been in my inbox for months. im a little ashamed. i have absolutely lost the post this was about. i am going to eat rocks in your honor.

[tokyogruel]

thinking about shidou again

[tokyogruel]

Hey everyone, please consider buying the 2024 itch.io Palestinian Relief Bundle- it's 373 games, game-making assets, tabletop roleplaying games, zines, and comics for a minimum of just 8 USD! They have a goal of 100,000 USD, and as of the time I'm writing this post, they have 8 more days to reach it.

Link will be in the reblog!

[tokyogruel]

[tokyogruel]

we all have that one fictional character who's canonically male whom you understand is a closeted trans woman but you can't tell anyone because they'll all look at you like you're insane. but you understand her

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the two headed calf smoking twice as many marlboro red core packs as usual

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does anyone have the dungeon meshi genderswap pics?? i cant find them

[tokyogruel]

@mikomappi i would warn you not to instigate me but its too late.

also i know this was bc of a meme post but genuinely i cant get him out of my head, i need to talk abt him & scream

ok so heres the thing abt my interpretation of haruka: im insane

tw for mentions of SH and sui. i mean its. its haruka.

hes a dog who's warning signs have been ignored for so long that he bites anyone who comes near, he's autistic, he has dyscalculia, he has dyslexia, he has body dysmorphia

he has no impulse control, he bites himself when he's distressed, he just wants love but the moment he gets it, it terrifies him & he has to destroy it

he fears anyone who seems to have any amount of power over him.

in my opinion: he had a sister who he grew up being overshadowed by because he was older & amab and he detests her so much for his mothers actions, he no longer considers her to be family

he fears kids & he fears what he's capable of doing to other people, he doesnt want to destroy things but its all he thinks he's capable of, he cant cry anymore & he feels he used up all the tears he could possibly shed in one lifetime

he has blue hair & pronouns, he's gotten himself sick on expired medication because his mother never took him to the doctor, he whines when he gets a headache (often)

he is strangely attached to EVERYONE in milgram imo, in their own weird ways. we all know he's dedicated to muu but. if he was close to yuno he would see her as a mother, im fairly certain fuuta will intervene on his suicide attempt. he idolizes shidou for bandaging him up once or twice

he envies the affection mahiru doles out to others (& basks in the affection she gives to him) he glances nervously across the room at kazui & feels his chest tighten holding back non existent tears when 07 gives him a warm smile in return

hes not afraid of amane anymore but that only makes him avoid her more- he cant stand the thought of being responsible for hurting her somehow

he revels in how mikoto seems to mesh so well with everyone, & of course he notices 09s mood swings & temperment changes, its incredible that nobody else comments on it, when theyve pointed out when 01 has swings. he finds kotoko to be intimidating, but he's infatuated with how strong and confident she is, he wants to be more like her

he idolizes Es & craves their attention. he knows Es could care less about him, but he cant help but be drawn to them.

if he had an ounce of confidence he would be so unabashedly cringe & loud & would smother everyone with his feelings & love & attention

if he knew what a furry was he'd make a fursona & make being a gay dog fish dragon his personality

[tokyogruel]

A general cane guide for writers and artists (from a cane user, writer, and artist!)

Disclaimer: Though I have been using a cane for 6 years, I am not a doctor, nor am I by any means an expert. This guide is true to my experience, but there are as many ways to use a cane as there are cane users!

This guide will not include: White canes for blindness, crutches, walkers, or wheelchairs as I have no personal experience with these.

This is meant to be a general guide to get you started and avoid some common mishaps/misconceptions, but you absolutely should continue to do your own research outside of this guide!

The biggest recurring problem I've seen is using the cane on the wrong side. The cane goes on the opposite side of the pain! If your character has even-sided pain or needs it for balance/weakness, then use the cane in the non-dominant hand to keep the dominant hand free. Some cane users also switch sides to give their arm a rest!

A cane takes about 20% of your weight off the opposite leg. It should fit within your natural gait and become something of an extension of your body. If you need more weight off than 20%, then crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair is needed.

Putting more pressure on the cane, using it on the wrong side, or having it at the wrong height will make it less effective, and can cause long term damage to your body from improper pressure and posture. (Hugh Laurie genuinely hurt his body from years of using a cane wrong on House!)

(an animated GIF of a cane matching the natural walking gait. It turns red when pressure is placed on it.)

When going up and down stairs, there is an ideal standard: You want to use the handrail and the cane at the same time, or prioritize the handrail if it's only on one side. When going up stairs you lead with your good leg and follow with the cane and hurt leg together. When going down stairs you lead with the cane, then the good leg, and THEN the leg that needs help.

Realistically though, many people don't move out of the way for cane users to access the railing, many stairs don't have railings, and many are wet, rusty, or generally not ideal to grip.

In these cases, if you have a friend nearby, holding on to them is a good idea. Or, take it one step at a time carefully if you're alone.

Now we come to a very common mistake I see... Using fashion canes for medical use!

(These are 4 broad shapes, but there is INCREDIBLE variation in cane handles. Research heavily what will be best for your character's specific needs!)

The handle is the contact point for all the weight you're putting on your cane, and that pressure is being put onto your hand, wrist, and shoulder. So the shape is very important for long term use!

Knob handles (and very decorative handles) are not used for medical use for this reason. It adds extra stress to the body and can damage your hand to put constant pressure onto these painful shapes.

The weight of a cane is also incredibly important, as a heavier cane will cause wear on your body much faster. When you're using it all day, it gets heavy fast! If your character struggles with weakness, then they won't want a heavy cane if they can help it!

This is also part of why sword canes aren't usually very viable for medical use (along with them usually being knob handles) is that swords are extra weight!

However, a small knife or perhaps a retractable blade hidden within the base might be viable even for weak characters.

Bases have a lot of variability as well, and the modern standard is generally adjustable bases. Adjustable canes are very handy if your character regularly changes shoe height, for instance (gotta keep the height at your hip!)

Canes help on most terrain with their standard base and structure. But for some terrain, you might want a different base, or to forego the cane entirely! This article covers it pretty well.

Many cane users decorate their canes! Stickers are incredibly common, and painting canes is relatively common as well! You'll also see people replacing the standard wrist strap with a personalized one, or even adding a small charm to the ring the strap connects to. (nothing too large, or it gets annoying as the cane is swinging around everywhere)

(my canes, for reference)

If your character uses a cane full time, then they might also have multiple canes that look different aesthetically to match their outfits!

When it comes to practical things outside of the cane, you reasonably only have one hand available while it's being used. Many people will hook their cane onto their arm or let it dangle on the strap (if they have one) while using their cane arm, but it's often significantly less convenient than 2 hands. But, if you need 2 hands, then it's either setting the cane down or letting it hang!

For this reason, optimizing one handed use is ideal! Keeping bags/items on the side of your free hand helps keep your items accessible.

When sitting, the cane either leans against a wall or table, goes under the chair, or hooks onto the back of the chair. (It often falls when hanging off of a chair, in my experience)

When getting up, the user will either use their cane to help them balance/support as they stand, or get up and then grab their cane. This depends on what it's being used for (balance vs pain when walking, for instance!)

That's everything I can think of for now. Thank you for reading my long-but-absolutely-not-comprehensive list of things to keep in mind when writing or drawing a cane user!

Happy disability pride month! Go forth and make more characters use canes!!!

[tokyogruel]

Things I Do To Make Writing Easier as Someone with ADHD

Talking with my therapist the other day, I realized most of my productivity "hacks" fall into 2 categories: changing things that were made by/set up for people without ADHD OR finding ways to "trick" my brain into doing what I want.

MODIFYING THINGS TO FIT THE WAY MY BRAIN THINKS AND WORKS

change the setup and format of documents

something about the standard-size paper with the standard-size margins and standard boring font reminds me too much of school work. it's boring and familiar in a way that doesn't stimulate my brain the way it needs to in order to be fully creative.

Everyone will want theirs to look differently but here are the two ways I usually modify my document setup:

The "formatted paperback book" way that I outlined in THIS POST (Statement size paper, .5" margins, fonts like Georgia or EB Garamond)

And the one I don't have a name for but it's so nice to look at: US Letter size, .5" margins on all 4 sides, and the Karla font on Google Docs*. I also use this method with outlining. The tutorial is HERE!

use spreadsheets to organize character variables for brainstorming

this may sounds bonkers but it has done WONDERS for me when brainstorming new story characters. my thoughts are too scattered and i normally can't hold onto brainstormed ideas very well.

i made a spreadsheet of character elements and categories and basically use it as a random generator sometimes.

HERE is the post explaining how I use it.

layer the sounds

i work while listening to something. i think most of us do. i have found that the best way to keep my brain focused is to play music and then open a YouTube tab on lower volume of white noise ambiance like wind, rain, or rainforest sounds. That provides a constant so the changing music doesn't feel so uneven and distracting.

along with this, i usually find an instrumental, themed playlist on YouTube. French countryside, jazz lounge, 1950s picnic. You can find just about anything.

if i really want my music (with lyrics), i pick one song per scene and loop it. the consistency not only takes away distractions, but also makes the scene i'm writing more consistent in tone. most of all, it helps me stay engaged and in the moment.

HOW I (POSITIVELY) TRICK MY BRAIN INTO DOING WHAT I WANT

Reward Systems (that actually work for me)

Normal reward systems for productivity don't work for me. I get frustrated or impatient or let the reward sidetrack me for SO long. Here are some rewards/breaks that work for me.

if i want to use my phone for social media, tiktok, or other scrolling things, I set my timer for 5 minutes. it can take a lot of discipline to actually stop at that timer but sometimes an annoying alarm sound can help or hitting the on/off button (on iPhones) will turn off the alarm AND your phone at the same time.

if my reward is getting a snack, i get it beforehand and put it somewhere in my workspace. otherwise, i will go to the kitchen and get sidetracked for 30 minutes. this goes for most things-- try to get everything you may need or want in your space beforehand. maybe have a written list of usual items.

for a longer break, i do something related to my writing that still gives me a break from the productivity monster. making a playlist for it or finding new music for one, watching (a previously set number of) YouTube videos about the subject or writing craft, drawing a character, creating a fake book cover or poster for it, etc.

separate your "floater" thoughts from the task at hand

i often get thoughts about things to do for the project in the future or ideas for later in the story/outline/scene/etc. But for some reason, adding it to a separate document or in my phone's notes can completely throw off my rhythm and derail my focus. but i HAVE to get it down or i will forget and/or worry so much about trying to remember than i'm not actually focusing on anything.

the only solution i've found for this is physically writing the thoughts or ideas down on paper. something about it being a separate action from typing and a thing i can do so quickly without changing my computer screen makes it easier for me to get it down and keep going. i have a pile of scratch paper and a pen right next to me at all times.

find a way to organize the material you reference while writing that is intuitive and easy for you

i can't have my outline, visual reference/inspiration, AND my draft document in different tabs or windows. i'm not switching through them without being sidetracked or frustrated by how complicated it can get.

the most basic, quick, and free way to fix this is a split screen. Apple laptops and iPads will help you do a full-screen split between two windows. even with the sites i mention below, i always do this.

organizing an outline to reference on a linear document doesn't always work with my brain. i've been trying milanote recently. it lets me create separate pages and organize things like a board with notes, timelines, and photos. the free version may only fit one project depending on how much you have but for my projects (no world-building references needed), the free version is enough.

making a physical copy of it, either on a board or in a binder also works for me. i'm not blindly scrolling trying to find something, it's much more about holding it and muscle memory.

i believe Scrivener also can be used as a board system. it's a one-time purchase and currently there is a discount code if you search "Camp NaNoWriMo offers". They do this every April and November with their events.

I hope this is helpful or at least a good launch point for anyone (ADHD or not) who needs it! I might make a second one if I think of more.

[ADHD is not a one-size-fits-all thing. This is simply what I do as someone with diagnosed but unmedicated ADHD]

As always, take what you want and leave the rest. happy writing!

[call it good] writing

[tokyogruel]

If any of y’all didn’t know, there’s a free online library, aka

https://openlibrary.org/

and I found like, twelve ebooks I’ve been wanting to read on there, and blasted through like three of them during the course of a boring-ass shift.

[tokyogruel]

always baffled when people say meme is the only mv with 'fanservice' does throw down mean nothing to you people /j

it is literally everything to me

throw down.. more like,, go down on me

[tokyogruel]

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[tokyogruel]

genuinely one of the saddest parts of this new era of the internet is how hard it is to rick roll someone now. with people's attention spans shortening so much, they wouldn't even get through the first few bait seconds before clicking off the video. like i saw a comment that ended with "btw i made all of this up" and the replies kept treating it so seriously because none of them finished the entire 4 sentence comment. and We're no strangers to love You know the rules and so do I (do I) A full commitment's what I'm thinking of You wouldn't get this from any other guy I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling Gotta make you understand Never gonna give you up Never gonna let you down Never gonna run around and desert you Never gonna make you cry Never gonna say goodbye Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

[tokyogruel]

Mona, my contact in Rafah right now, has just survived an air strike while distributing food parcels that were created thanks to your donations. She and her brothers who were also distributing the food were very nearly hit. Alhamdulillah for everything.

When I asked her if anyone was killed by this air strike, she told me Alhamdulillah no one was hit. It's possible she just meant from her relatives present there, but I'm going to take it to mean no one was killed at all, until we hear more news. She's very tired and works very hard to distribute our donations. If you want to send her a kind message, letting her know you care - in English or in Arabic - leave it as a reply or as a reblog comment or as a bunch of tags or in my inbox (if inbox, specify that it's for Mona) and I will send it to her. Our donations are important but they're nothing without her work, and most importantly her well-being and safety.

[tokyogruel]

Never forget the children of Iraq. Never forget the children of Syria. Never forget the children of Yemen. Never forget the children of Libya.

And never forget the children of Palestine, gone far too soon with each second the US not only remains complicit in their ongoing genocide, but actively funds it.

Never forget.