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[Old art]

Morning after ~

mmm domesticity at its finest

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2am and I realize why empty birthday parties are so sad cause with each invitation we ask for love and we get refused

What do you mean I cried with you as we shared a moment, but then next week I wonder are we close enough for me to send you a reel?

Why are we so afraid of asking for love… or is it just me?

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We’re all so lonely, human are so lonely yet we’re so afraid that it’s too much to ask for love

What do you mean I cried with you as we shared a moment, but then next week I wonder are we close enough for me to send you a reel?

Why are we so afraid of asking for love… or is it just me?

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What do you mean I cried with you as we shared a moment, but then next week I wonder are we close enough for me to send you a reel?

Why are we so afraid of asking for love… or is it just me?

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I wish I could be vulnerable to you mom

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This makes so much sense idk why

“So, are they love at first sight or the most devastating slow burn?”

YES

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This is gold

There's also just years and years of slow burn but that didn't fit

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Absolutely agree with everything here omg

My theory is Dean DeBlois hates to do the remake so much that he made sure that it’s bad, so that they won’t (or make him) do the 2nd season remake 💀💀💀

Knowing that the studio would probably film it with or without him anyway, I’m gald at least he’s the director. Not some random guy who would butchered the movie even further…

I refused to believe the director who made the OG HTTYD could cut THAT MANY iconic lines… I was screaming internally when Hiccup didn’t say the fishbone line I fricking memorized that line by heart wtf and the working hazzard line nekdkwjkdke just kill me already

The best animations are the ones that were not made just for kids.

The HTTYD live action is made for commercial use and targeted the kids specifically. (Or you could say targeted kids specifically means underestimate them and think they won’t understand storytelling at all which is why storytelling elements were cut, again askskdk wtf)

my *very extensive* thoughts (and criticisms) on the how to train your dragon remake

warning: SPOILERS AHEAD!

First: I liked the main actor. I think he was really good and did really well embodying the hiccup from the original. I also liked their choice to have stoick be the same actor; it would’ve been difficult to replace him

Second: I thought the story changes were kinda bad. As much as I loved the new diversity, the excuse they made for it wasn’t very good imo. The idea that the village, rather than being a tribe of warriors that refused to leave due to “stubbornness issues”, was a collection of warriors from various tribes there for the sole purpose of finding and destroying the dragons nest didn’t fit the story/vibe from the first movie.

Third: as much as I liked the slight expansion on snotlouts character, I also thought it was a bit forced. In the original, we see his characters backstory a bit in the httyd tv series, because it simply isn’t relevant to the movies as much.

fourth: they deleted a scene I felt was very important and meaningful for the story and hiccups development. In the original, there’s a scene where hiccup is sitting with toothless, roasting a fish while toothless eats fish from his pile. Some little dragons come and try to steal toothless’ fish and he shoots a bit of fire into one’s mouth, causing it to squeak and fall on its face and hiccup to come to the realization that they’re “not so fireproof on the inside”, which ends up being incredibly important to the movies climax where he utilizes this knowledge to defeat the red death, burning it from the inside out. It also shows toothless’ true power and hiccup’s ability to train dragons and also shows the true nature of their bond to each other. I’m really sad that it got cut out.

Fifth: the animation style. Honestly I hated it. The original was so unique and beautiful and the new animation tried to make the dragons more “realistic” which in my opinion caused them to look weirder and have less personality. It reminded me too much of the animation in the Minecraft movie.

sixth: adding on to the lessened personality of the dragons, I thought they really got rid of the “cute” and also the animalistic aspects of the dragons. Toothless in particular bothered me, because in the original movie he’s very catlike both in looks and in nature: his ear flaps perk up when he hears danger, he initially fears humans, he purrs and coos like a cat, tilts his head like a cat. He also obviously has some doglike traits, but in the live action they got rid of pretty much all of the catlike traits. I also thought his eyes were no good in the new one. In the original, his eyes are the biggest indicators for his mood—they really are “the windows to the soul.” His pupils become big and square when he’s friendly or curious, they become thin slits when he’s scared or angry, and his expressions are overall incredibly detailed and really amazingly capture and portray his emotions.

Seventh: the rest of the students’ opinion and action towards hiccup. In the original, all of them other than Astrid are awed and impressed by him. Gobber even mentions that he “can barely walk through the village without being swarmed by his new fans”, which matches up with what we are shown in the original. However, in the remake, they’re all skeptical and wary of his new powers. Despite this, gobber still makes the same comment, which doesn’t make any sense. The evolution of their relationships with hiccup is horribly confusing and scattered.

Eighth: adding onto this, I want to talk about Astrid and her relationship with hiccup. The reason she’s so special in the original is that she’s the only one who doubts him, who wants to know what’s going on, who doesn’t hesitate to threaten him to get answers. Her change in opinion is the turning point of the film. In the remake, it in no way feels as significant or valuable overall. Her character was stripped of its complexities and turned more into a love interest than an actual warrior.

Ninth, and this is probably my biggest criticism of the film: the humor. The original has been one of my favorite movies for years because it does such an excellent job of blending deep, emotional, beautiful moments with lighthearted, funny moments. The new film erased the majority of the comedic moments! there was no “I ordered an extra large boy with beefy arms, extra guts and glory on the side” or “I am hurt i am hurt I am very much hurt” or any of the countless other funny moments in the original. It made me so, so sad.

To conclude, I have so much I want to say about this movie. It was, in my opinion, a badly executed remake and seemed mainly to exist for the purpose of making money. As closely as it followed the original, the heart of the original three movies was simply not there. I don’t know how to explain it, it just wasn’t able to capture the magic.

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No Valentines if you're doing overtime...

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Zoom In, Don’t Glaze Over: How to Describe Appearance Without Losing the Plot

You’ve met her before. The girl with “flowing ebony hair,” “emerald eyes,” and “lips like rose petals.” Or him, with “chiseled jawlines,” “stormy gray eyes,” and “shoulders like a Greek statue.”

We don’t know them.

We’ve just met their tropes.

Describing physical appearance is one of the trickiest — and most overdone — parts of character writing. It’s tempting to reach for shorthand: hair color, eye color, maybe a quick body scan. But if we want a reader to see someone — to feel the charge in the air when they enter a room — we need to stop writing mannequins and start writing people.

So let’s get granular. Here’s how to write physical appearance in a way that’s textured, meaningful, and deeply character-driven.

1. Hair: It’s About Story, Texture, and Care

Hair says a lot — not just about genetics, but about choices. Does your character tame it? Let it run wild? Is it dyed, greying, braided, buzzed, or piled on top of her head in a hurry?

Good hair description considers:

Texture (fine, coiled, wiry, limp, soft)

Context (windblown, sweat-damp, scorched by bleach)

Emotion (does she twist it when nervous? Is he ashamed of losing it?)

Flat: “Her long brown hair framed her face.”

Better: “Her ponytail was too tight, the kind that whispered of control issues and caffeine-fueled 4 a.m. library shifts.”

You don’t need to romanticise it. You need to make it feel real.

2. Eyes: Less Color, More Connection

We get it: her eyes are violet. Cool. But that doesn’t tell us much.

Instead of focusing solely on eye color, think about:

What the eyes do (do they dart, linger, harden?)

What others feel under them (seen, judged, safe?)

The surrounding features (dark circles, crow’s feet, smudged mascara)

Flat: “His piercing blue eyes locked on hers.”

Better: “His gaze was the kind that looked through you — like it had already weighed your worth and moved on.”

You’re not describing a passport photo. You’re describing what it feels like to be seen by them.

3. Facial Features: Use Contrast and Texture

Faces are not symmetrical ovals with random features. They’re full of tension, softness, age, emotion, and life.

Things to look for:

Asymmetry and character (a crooked nose, a scar)

Expression patterns (smiling without the eyes, habitual frowns)

Evidence of lifestyle (laugh lines, sun spots, stress acne)

Flat: “She had a delicate face.”

Better: “There was something unfinished about her face — as if her cheekbones hadn’t quite agreed on where to settle, and her mouth always seemed on the verge of disagreement.”

Let the face be a map of experience.

4. Bodies: Movement > Measurement

Forget dress sizes and six packs. Think about how bodies occupy space. How do they move? What are they hiding or showing? How do they wear their clothes — or how do the clothes wear them?

Ask:

What do others notice first? (a presence, a posture, a sound?)

How does their body express emotion? (do they go rigid, fold inwards, puff up?)

Flat: “He was tall and muscular.”

Better: “He had the kind of height that made ceilings nervous — but he moved like he was trying not to take up too much space.”

Describing someone’s body isn’t about cataloguing. It’s about showing how they exist in the world.

5. Let Emotion Tint the Lens

Who’s doing the describing? A lover? An enemy? A tired narrator? The emotional lens will shape what’s noticed and how it’s described.

In love: The chipped tooth becomes charming.

In rivalry: The smirk becomes smug.

In mourning: The face becomes blurred with memory.

Same person. Different lens. Different description.

6. Specificity is Your Superpower

Generic description = generic character. One well-chosen detail creates intimacy. Let us feel the scratch of their scarf, the clink of her earrings, the smudge of ink on their fingertips.

Examples:

“He had a habit of adjusting his collar when he lied — always clockwise, always twice.”

“Her nail polish was always chipped, but never accidentally.”

Make the reader feel like they’re the only one close enough to notice.

Describing appearance isn’t just about what your character looks like. It’s about what their appearance says — about how they move through the world, how others see them, and how they see themselves.

Zoom in on the details that matter. Skip the clichés. Let each description carry weight, story, and emotion. Because you’re not building paper dolls. You’re building people.

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Headcanon that during the riders’ last days, they are taken to the hidden world to meet their dragons and they would fly together one last time before the riders pass away.

Imagine living more than half a decade without their dragons, living for the people, for the New Berk, and building their new lives. And at their last moments they finally get to fly with their dragons again.

Feeling the freedom, the youth of their 20s rushing back while holding their best friends and soaring into the sky. There’s nothing else to stop them now.

I like to imagine that the dragons are the ones who fly them to Valhalla.

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TUMBLR IM BACK

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The httyd fandom is so alive again and you have no fricking idea how much joy that brings me 😭😭😭

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I actually do feel like the "unemployed friend on a Tuesday" meme actually helps de-stigmatize unemployment because it frequently affirms that when you don't have a job you're more likely to be getting up to some weird shit rather than just lazing around. But I also feel like the unemployed friend is frequently up to some random shit because there's a whole pile of miscellaneous life tasks that full-time employment keeps people from. The unemployed friend is helping their cousin move, or babysitting, or checking in with a neighbor with mobility issues. The unemployed friend is a walking thesis on the inflexibility of our current labor landscape and just how much work exists outside of work.

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Dnieksnkdosnndpmsnxowmxoel

ok i love twiyor reveals but can we talk about BRIAR SIBLING REVEAL??

i honestly do not know what yor's reaction would be, but i imagine that she took up such a violent and demanding job so yuri could live as peacefully as possible. so, when she finds out he's gone down an equally violent path, maybe she would blame herself for not keeping him safe.

or something :]

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At the gate for my flight home from visiting friends and there's a woman here with a service Shiba Inu. No pics because he has a Do Not Disturb vest and taking pics of strangers is illegal but I need to stress how ON DUTY this animal is. Ears up. Eyes doing Lazer scans of everything. Examining everyone who passes within 10ft like a security guard. Ass planted on her feet. I have never seen a dog with such intense chivalric guardian energy before. He has tiny eyebrows and they are FURROWED with concentration.

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Two job-hunting resources that changed my life:

This cover letter post on askamanger.com. A job interview guide written by Alison Green, who runs askamanager.