#also don't be afraid of creating art in YOUR language too

[cosmicatta]

Every now and then someone asks me "why do you always point out that English isn't your first language?" and the answer is because it's REALLY hard, okay? :') And I kinda want that extra effort to be known.

I choose to write in English despite knowing I won't be at 100% of my abilities just to be part of the community. And it's hard, and you feel stupid and illiterate about half of the time, and sometimes people are very cruel.

Honestly, writing in a language that isn't your own is a very humbling experience, and I think everyone should try it before sending a nasty message, or making fun of someone's "broken English."

This is not the first time I get this kind of "feedback," and it probably won't be the last. I shouldn't care so much, but it's just unfair. It's unfair that I've also seen many friends and creators I appreciate deal with similar stuff.

Sometimes it feels weird to inhabit spaces that are mostly English-speaking (AND mostly USA-centric), because you're always expected to bend but rarely get any kind of gratitude for doing it (rather the opposite sometimes).

By this I don't mean that everyone should be thanking me personally for speaking English, that's not the point I'm trying to make because this isn't even about me (I'm not that important, please lmao). Just do keep in mind that every time a non-native speaker interacts with you in your language, or creates art in your language for you to enjoy, they're kinda doing you a favor. Because we could just... not do it. It's actually so much easier not to do it. Just be aware of it and show patience and kindness in return, it's the very least you can do.

[skyacya]

Hello! I got into transformers recently and I've been scrolling through Tumblr for awhile to find TF related content. I happen to come across your blog and dare I say your illustrations are stunning!🧡 The color choices and the line work is absolutely amazing.

You can say I'm a little motivated to draw some robots now—but as someone who only drew humans in the past and someone who just joined the fandom. I've come to the realization that drawing robots is much harder than it looks🤲..

If it's not too much to ask, would you mind sharing some tips or experiences on how you started drawing them? Thank you🦐

Man, you have no idea how much seeing this made my day (〃´∀｀)! But sure!

The general idea I use is to break down characters into their most basic shapes, fx Transformers Prime and Animated has super strong shape language especially compared to G1 where everyone are squares

Before drawing a new character, I like to practice my muscle memory by isolating these basic shapes on top of a reference image. To get that proper giant alien robot feel it's especially helpful to practice big, squareish shapes (though depends on the character, some have more fluid shapes similar to humans).

With the overall shapes you can draw your desired pose much easier because you don't need to think about details yet.

When you have the pose down, you can continue on with the details. These are also just shapes broken down into smaller shapes. You just continue to break everything into shapes until you have achieved the level of detail that you want. Everything is shapes

When adding details, it's a good idea to have a bunch of references ready. I usually just go through an episode/chapter with the character I want and take a shit ton of screenshots

⊹⊹⊹⊹Some general tips I have are:⊹⊹⊹⊹

Find inspiration from different artists you like and see how they break down the characters (and try doing the shape practicing to get used to the feeling of drawing bigger shapes)

This is a strange addon tip but hear me out, a lot of R18 tf artists are insanely talented, like to an unlawful degree. Welcome to the rust sea of sin, I would add recommendations but I am a coward

Varying lineweight is especially useful to separate bigger shapes from details, otherwise it can quickly look busy and messy (look at Alex Milnes art before coloring, there it is very visible)

Alex Milne also uses full black in certain less visible/high contrast areas to create focus on the more important details. It helps to create a more balanced drawing. Also helps to hide areas you aren't confident about such as joints lol

Don't be afraid to exaggerate the lines, robots have a tendency to look stiff

Do not fear the shapes, the shapes mean no harm.

And lastly, thank you for your kind ask! There are many ways to begin drawing robots and I hope this may help in your journey down the rabbithole of giant sexy gay alien robots (ʃƪ˶˘ ﻬ ˘˶)♥♥

[stellas-starry-sillies13]

I'm sorry you had an anon be mean to you about this but that's what you can expect your life to be like if you don't learn to respect others. No "respecting but not supporting", no "I'm a Christian so I can't support", no "I have a DNI for a reason". You're not talking about some dumb internet discourse like proshippers and antishippers, these are real life people who have lost their lives to hate and ignorance. They were like you, they are like you, with hobbies and loved ones and dreams, and they lost their lives. Take that in.

This could be a friend of yours that is terrified to tell you, or your most beloved family member, or the people who have supported the (really nice!) art you create. They are everywhere and they are afraid, because someone decided to lie and put words into God's mouth that He never said.

I know it's hard to unlearn the things you've been incorrectly taught, and whoever taught them to you is probably not some evil homophobe but simply someone who was misguided just like you. But God never said anything about homosexuals, much less about transgender people. He said to love thy neighbor, and that a man should never sleep with a boy. That's right, not a man with another man, just a man with a boy. God is against child abuse, and that's a great teaching.

The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, so it makes sense that over thousands of years, getting translated back and forth into so many different languages, a mistake like this could occur. But you need to know this and realize God's message beyond the books, that He loves every one of His children and you should love them too, because you are appreciating God's creation, and God made them the way they are.

In the times we live in, the hate towards these people has gone down, and that's a great thing! But it's definitely not eradicated. They are still being bullied, beat up, and yes, murdered because of who God made them. And you may think that it has nothing to do with you or your beliefs, because you don't hate them, you simply don't support them. But think about it like this:

Everyone in your class likes either the color blue or the color pink. You can all agree on this. You like pink so you can't imagine why anyone would like anything else, when it's not only the color you've been taught to like, but also a really nice color for you personally. If people were allowed to like other colors, you'd still love pink, and you think everyone would like blue or pink still.

So you have a new classmate, and he likes green. Everyone is confused, it makes no sense. How hard can it be to just like blue or pink? You don't get it, nobody does. And they start bullying him, calling him horrible names and being violent towards him. And it makes you sad, because you don't think he deserves that, he just needs to be left unsupported so he can realize he actually likes blue.

Months go on like this, until he changes schools due to the bullying. He's severely depressed. His parents are mad at the bullies, and disappointed in you. Because you could've stood up for him, despite not understanding him, despite being worlds apart from each other, but you didn't. Because your silence fed into other people's hate. Because hate is bred by ignorance.

We're all humans and we're not gonna live forever. Can we make the world a nice place for each other to be in? Can we stop putting false words into God's mouth and killing humans, with families and with hopes and dreams, over it?

Hi. If i dont like arianna grande, does that mean I hate her? No. I just may not be into her music, what she does, or her in general. If i dont support lgbtqia does that mean i hate it and everyone thats in it? Absolutely not. I have friends in that community who know i dont support it and are fine with it. Am i saying everyone is lke that? No. Some people are very sensitive and think that because i dont support it, that means i hate them and im a terrible person. But thats not what it means. Just because I dont like it, doesnt mean i hate it or those in it. Its like if you love playing this game and you recommend me to play that game. But im not really into so i dont really wanna play it. Then you get mad at me for not playing the game and say that I hate it, when in reality, i dont. Its just not my thing, or maybe i believe the game has like a bad influence or idk something that i dont like is it. And yes, i know yall are real people. I never said you werent, never said i didnt love you guys. So stop trying to paint me as this villain who because i don’t support that means that i hate everyone who is in it. Chill out.

Moving on, lets talk about what God has to say about homosexuals or more specifically, the verse that was “mistranslated”

I found a reddit that sums it up perfectly. If you truly and genuinely have sent me this ask because you genuinely believe im blind or something, you want me to see the “truth”, or because you belive ive been misguided, please read through this whole thing, and look at the facts before making conclusions, instead of making excuses about the bible so it can look like what you want it to look like.

And even if what you said about that verse was actually true and it was mistranslated or God was actually talking about sleeping with a boy, there are lots of other scriptures that talk about homosexuality, here are a few:

1st Corinthians 6:9 says, Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

Leviticus 20:13, If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.

Romans 1:26, For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due

In the beginning, go made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, not Adam and Eve who goes by they them. If they them and all those other custom pronouns were actually natural, God wouldve said so. He wouldnt just forget to mention it. He specifically made adam and eve, a man and a woman for marriage. And can I say I hate when people say, “im just a girl in a boys body” or vice versa. No youre not. Because saying that hints that God made some kind if mistake when creating you. God doesnt make mistakes. Hes perfect.

Nowadays in this world, people tend to flow with their feelings rather than logic and common sense. Oh, I feel like a boy, so that must mean i am one. Yknow, ten years ago, people would laugh at the fact that people genuinely think they could become their opposite gender. Its not because we were stuck up or narrow minded. Its because we used logic and common sense. But now people completely disregard that concept. They think they can change their gender, just because they want to.

Also i don’t appreciate you saying ive been misguided and mistaught. No offense, but you clearly dont read the bible enough to decide what is right and wrong. If you are a christian, the bible tells you that what God says is right is right, and wrong, wrong, therefore you should be basing what you believe is truth from the bible. If you arent a Christian, then we have totally different beliefs and you also are not in position to say ive been misguided because you are basing the truth either from how you feel or from the people around you, meaning we both believe totally different things.

And again, i do love my neighbors. But im not going to encourage them or support them doing something that i believe is wrong. That is the opposite of love.

Moving on again, your example of pink, blue, and green is completely inaccurate because you are presuming my personality and my character from one fact: i dont support lgbtqia.

I will always be against bullying and if I was in that position, i wouldnt simply stand there and do nothing, so you have no right to say that that would happen if I was in that position. Even if i dont support everything he believes, that doesnt mean i think its okay for him to get bullied, and please stop trying to guilt trip me. If you get offended simply because I dont support what you like, thats on you for being too sensitive. Maybe if i was your friend or family that would be a different story.

In reference to your last paragraph, i agree. Can we make this world a nice place? Can we stop lying to each other and trying to add or subtract words from the bible to make it look like whatwe want it to?

Anyway thanks for being honest with me, anon

[str3ssb3rry]

𝓜𝓔𝓔𝓣 𝓣𝓗𝓔 𝓐𝓡𝓣𝓘𝓢𝓣

🍓—(𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍)

hellooo! michael here! <33

my old account—@str3ss-b3rry—has been shadowbanned for about half a year as i’m posting this and i’ve received zero response from tumblr support, so i made a new one! it’s sad to leave my old one behind though :(

i’m chinese-taiwanese! :D

languages i speak: english, 中文（普通話), 日本語, русский (еще учусь), español (aún estoy aprendiendo)

i am the creator of Alison Wonderland (Alison "Alice" Lin)! you can find into of her here on tumblr, here, or by searching up her creepypasta and/or real name!

you can find my other socials, as well as OC & commission info here! :D

my tags: #mikeyart, #mikeycosplays, #mikeyrambles, #b3rryvalley

online shop: http://b3rryvalley.com

🍓—(𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈 𝐃𝐎)

well,,,, honestly? i just kinda wing everything and hope it works

i do enjoy creating things, whether it's drawing on paper, a screen, or making stupid stuff out of whatever i can find

i also like studying psychology and philosophy! as well as baking/cooking, sewing plushies and clothes, and cosplaying!

🍓—(𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒)

i like to think i'm a very open minded person, so please don't be afraid to reach out!

there isn't much that i can say except for please, pretty please don't be too harsh/aggressive 😭😭

i'm completely open to criticism, opinions, ideas, etc! but i am also quite aware that i'm a bit too sensitive for the internet sometimes,,,

i'm very sorry, but harassment, sexism, homophobia, racism, pedophiles, etc are not welcome on my page, or any of my other accounts. i hope you can understand!

i am also more than open to fanart/fan work, taking inspiration, redesigns of my characters, etc! <33 i love seeing your guys’ amazing work so please make sure to tag me!

using my art/cosplay as a pfp is okay but please credit me! thank you :D

just please don't make NSFW of OCs who are very clearly minors, and please don't age them up for the purpose of sexualization or inappropriate pairing either.

thank you!

[theworldofkree]

could you put in writing all about kree, lik his personality traits, likes & dislikes, stuff about his species or just it would be amazing to have more information from your perspective.. i love your art its amazing.

Alright here we go...

Kree is a male southern harpy, native to the densely magical rainforests near the equator. He hatched out of an egg and was the runt of his clutch. Kree was very weak at first, but his father was very determined to keep him healthy despite his mother thinking he would be too weak to survive the dangerous southern forests.But survive he did and although he stands very small for a male at 5 foot 8, he became the quickest flier in his family.Kree lost his family to a forest fire when he was very young. I’m honestly still deciding if one of his siblings managed to survive alongside him, but even if that becomes canon, Kree has a lonely teenagehood and was desperate for friends. In his adulthood he managed to make a few harpy friends while joining ceremonies to woo harpy women in the spring, but he never managed to catch any lady’s eye because of his smallness and because he’s not particularly colorful or patterned (the beauty standard for male harpies). Females, typically sized around 7ft tall, are few in number compared to males because they are defenders and hunters, putting themselves in harm’s way to provide for their family while males take on a more nurturing role. Queerness is very well accepted in harpy communities and it is common, sometimes even expected for male harpies to mate with other males. Going through spring fever alone is not a fun thing to do, so unmated males will typically pair up until the spring ends. Kree had a male lover before he fell in love with Clara and he wanted to become proper mates, but the male never accepted Kree’s proposals, essentially only being with Kree in the spring. This male was the only one Kree had tried creating mating feathers for, since he never got far along enough with a female to offer one.

Kree’s personality type is ENFP. He’s outgoing, loyal, and lives for adventure. He is not afraid of new experiences and doesn’t tend to stick around in one place for very long. The only time he makes a long-term home/nest is when he falls in love with Clara. His favorite foods are small rodents, fruits and berries, and (once Clara introduces him to it) he really loves bread. He is a collector/ thief of shiny objects he finds and decorates his nest with them. But he’s also not that possessive of the things he owns because he has to move around so often. He’ll always think, “I’ll just find something new” if he can’t take something along with him. Kree gets interested in others easily, but once he truly, deeply falls in love, he is loyal to a fault. He would give anything and do anything to be with the one he loves and to have them love him back. Having a life mate and living his life with them is his deepest wish. He wants to have a family again. Kree is drawn to Clara because she is kind, and gentle with him, treating him with respect he hasn’t received from many humans. He is awed by her intelligence and ability to teach him things like her language, the uses of various plants, and human culture. Kree dislikes close-minded people, human harpy hunters, magical creatures that don't respect the land they occupy, and anyone who harms the ones he cares about. He has a strong fear of fire due to his past.

This isn’t everything about him, but I think it gives a good idea about what kind of person he is!

[dariaastrid]

Bridgerton season 3

All right, I loved the season so far, but that's my take, what could be improved with storyline (there were lots of bad writting choices as well as good one, but I want to outline my thoughts). So, I'll try to sum up, what could be written or added, that could make narration style more elegant and truthful to the viewers. Free to disagree. Sorry for the mistakes in advance. English is not my first language.

Colin's character arc. A lot of the things we got was told through the dialogue or was subtle, but not in between. I had a feeling that they haven't developed him enough to really show his inner conflict. Sometimes he was a side-character in his own show(part 2 did him bad), while the thing he should be the main one, because it shows his dynamic with Penelope/Lady Whistledown and key to understand their dynamic as a couple and his character arc. Other leading male characters had that physiological touch/depth to their character, while Colin somehow didn't. What we needed: flashback to his travels and small plot about loosing himself there or maybe gaining false confidence(could be done with him alone reading the lines of his letters), study of the middle-child complex(scenes with small Colin and Antony, who was the father figure for him, or brother dynamics with parents that could outline his people pleaser arc), more journaling, including the scene we got, but also about his writting challangies, more details about his likes and dislikes as a writer(favourite authors, could be the scene with Benny, because writting and art is quiet close). Maybe, not him tellling of his jealousy, but again creating scene that show views that he feels inferior. All other thing they did alright, I guess.

Penelope's character arc. I guess I kinda like a lot of things, but I didn't like the ending with the message of 'woman couldn't have dreams, but their husbands could'. It doesn't matter for me was 'child; in the ending or not, but they should have given her character career arc plus. It might have been just a hint of her, talking about wrtitting a book or developing her gossip column into somethins more serious, like critique. Not her mentioning JUST editing Colin's book with a happy smile on her face, watching a newborn. That was the worst writting decision, because it proves Portia words. The whole point of Lady Whistledown was hiding under the mask and trying to gain control and power through her her, because Penelope was too afraid to bloom. In fact that power was within her, and although they did the choice of her uncovering face and name in the end, it didn't end well in her arc. It could have done way better, considering the point they made in the begining. I would also love to see more of her experience sexual awakening after episode five as a slow process of gaining that condifence and gaining control in bedroom(that will be my 3 bullet point about them together) by proceeding it through imagining, talking with friends or dreaming. Besides, I'd like to add that tv show would have benefited from scenes, where she's not only writting, but also looking at the mirror, kinda trying to see, what she really is every now and then(we had one of that scene in green dress). Could be in her bedroom before mirror scene, but after carriage one. It would have made sense, how perception of her body changed, and the mirror scene would have hit stronger. Could be done during her struggles of Whistledown reveal too.

Now let's focus on main couple, and what could have gone better, if writers didn't try to fit 10 storylines in 8 series and literally tried to write their leads attentively and thoughtfully. Polin. First and foremost, that talk about how they met (again bad creative decision, story should show, not hit right between your eyes) MUST have been a flashback. I don't take no as an aswer. It was the only part lacking through their development from season one. This one flshback could have fixed lots of things. + I think audience need a bit more warm-up with just the two of them in the first part of the show(more charming lessons, at least one more befoe the kiss, where Colin starts to get confused about his feelings, and it would have worked perfectly with all the other things). + him really going through the process of figuring out that she is Lady Whistledown. I feel like Luke played subtle emotions perfectly, but we didn't get build up of him, slowly noticing things from his POV(there were chances in the show and lines in the dialogues, ink scene, where they could have hinted on Colin's expression, even in the 1 part, that he could have found some of the Pen's action suspicious, but didn't question it or didn't want to believe in it because of the feelings, until finally he would have followed her to the dark streets of the town). Next thing, they should have shown the process of following her to raise the suspense, him hoping that was another person, her being in shadows in her cloackm, and that at the same time this build-up would have made Luck's acting incredible fulfilling and impactive) + after the reveal it's out of his character to leave her alone, and I guess writers lost themselves elsewhere + more dialogues with them not talking about their relationship, but art and craft of writting(again they share many common interests, why didn't they show us that before the fight and after they made up) + more dialogues with them being cute and teasy as in church and after the sex+ prolonging scene, where he reads her letters, but not just showing the letter, but hearing her voice in his ears + longing should have had more scenes and more touching and being hot and cold, not only him sleeping on the couch(this just one creative indea, but it's not enough, but by talking also), going back and forth after the fight, just the night encounter next to modiste and blue gown(in this particular one they didn't embodied the tension, my idea that although Colin wouldn't like the intimacy, when he is angry, but the stare wan't enough, he should have come, touched her and then made himself stop with a line or without it), these scenes were not enough to show their struggle there + longer scene of them making up after the ball and chage of sexual dynamic, because this is important to her character arc and him accepting her. This scene should have been the third long steamy scene, not 20 seconds with the attention to the details and how they do through trust and communicating with each other, it could have been wrtitten beautifully and releasing the tension of conflict between them by swapping roles, and Colin by that finding out he loves it, while Pen finally taking control as she wanted and as her real character is after revealing her indenty + having him coming to his senses before her speech and him holding her hand instead of her mother + the love confession which is not about just drama, but also bout them as friends and their dynamics

I am not sure I need to write the second part, about other nuanciens aspects and acrs, but this what I would have done if I had a chance to be in the writting room with them

[skykid-nadir]

Hi, I hope this is not a bother, I just need some help figuring out the lore in sky:cotl. I’ve been playing for a long time, though not a lot in the past year, and I have no idea where to start as I didn’t even realize there is lore before i came across people talking about it. I tried the wiki but it wasn’t very helpful; so i hope you don’t mind me asking for help🙏

(Also English isn’t my first language, I apologize for any mistakes)

I'm honestly not super familiar with the lore, but I'll try my best! Maybe some other awesome Skyblr folks can leave additions, too!

So to my understanding, the in-game lore is left very vague and open for interpretation. The devs have said on a couple of occasions that they like fans to come up with their own headcanons (for example the spirits are referred to with gender neutral terms not because they're nonbinary but because the devs want players to come to their own conclusions about each spirit's gender).

From the opening sequence in Isle of Dawn and the Eden quest during Aviary, we know that there used to be a flourishing kingdom inhabited by people referred to by the fandom as the Ancestors. The kingdom was separated into six Realms, each one ruled over by an Elder who resided in a temple. But something caused the Ancestors to fall out of balance with the land around them. It's implied that they ran out of resources and started experimenting on the Light Creatures. War broke out between the Realms, seemingly with one side fighting for the freedom of the Light Creatures and the other side seeking power over them. The war ended when the Eden Elder got their hands on a mysterious crystal and caused a massive explosion, either killing or maiming the others. This caused the kingdom to slowly drive itself to extinction.

Centuries later, a nameless deity (referred to as Megabird in concept art, though it's not confirmed in-game) created the Sky Kids, beings of light whose purpose is to heal the land of the corruption caused by the explosion.

As far as I know, that's what we're directly told in-game. Hopefully The Two Embers will expand on things a little more, but we'll just have to wait and see. There's also a lot that's considered fanon, like the names of the Elders or the Eden Elder being the first skykid. A lot of this comes from concept art and interviews, and it's up to you how much you adopt into your lore. At the end of the day, Sky lore is really about what theories you personally find appealing! This fandom tends to be pretty supportive of differing theories, so don't be afraid to come to your own conclusions!

[skaruresonic]

Hey! I just read your post about creating visual novels (this one: https://www.tumblr.com/tartrazeen/759072677603524608?source=share)

I'm trying to make one right now. I'm not too sure which tool I should use - I was thinking RPG Maker so I could use the little sprites - but I figured I could do stick people or something as placeholders for actual artwork.

No matter what tools I use, how exactly did you go about "writing" it? Did you script your story out first and then learn how to program it after, or did you need to know how the program worked to tailor your story to that?

I learned to code in tandem with writing the story. It's moreso the case that the writing evolved in the process of learning how to code, began to mold itself to the medium, if that makes sense. Personally, if I had to do it over again, I would take the time to acquaint myself with RenPy's particular scripting language, as it might have made the process a lot faster and less... growing pains-y. I would recommend learning to code first, but again, it doesn't make much sense to make a test VN without a story to support it, so maybe make something small for your first test project where you get to grind for XP commit mistakes in a space where your art isn't riding on it. People make silly test VNs that never see the light of day for the specific purpose of teaching themselves coding, so don't feel afraid to do that. Writing VNs differs from writing other stories in a way that's difficult for me to explain. You have extra tools in which to deliver the story, and it takes time to learn those tools - telling stories not just with words, but with timing, animation, audio, and images as well. You'll find that it isn't enough to simply have images pop up onscreen; you'll want to make them appear with a flourish, and those flourishes also tell a story. The UI tells a story. How you make elements appear and disappear contribute to the overall story. When you think of everything as a potential contributor to the story, that opens up a lot of possibilities and gets you thinking with portals creatively. In that vein, I'd say depending on your angle (because some VNs are just straight-up text, which is valid too), VNs can function somewhat more like movies. They can benefit greatly from an understanding of cinematography.

This might sound weird, given how we naturally tend to think of writing as the most important element - and it is important, just maybe not the only important element - but I think one of the most important things you need to establish right away, even before setting down any words, is a strong aesthetic. As one half of the medium, the visual part of a visual novel cannot be neglected.

What angle are you shooting for? Romance anime? Comic book? Gritty film noir? What are your visual motifs? In addition to helping you decide how to market your VN, the aesthetics will inform your storytelling, give you some concrete image or symbol to latch on, and can serve to subtly reinforce both theme and narrative. For Doki Doki Literature Club, it was the heart and a pen. You'll notice its motif of writing is reflected in the way in which the title resembles a scrapbook:

You and Me and Her has a cell phone as its main McGuffin and so technology becomes one of its motifs. Its textbox resembles a cloud; the text also moves rather slowly, to make you stop and soak in its story. The dreamlike interface later changes into something that resembles an old-school computer UI when a character decides to manipulate your route, reflecting the artifice of the game:

Worldend Syndrome had the pinwheel as a recurring symbol for narrative purposes and is color-coded to represent each of its characters. In addition, it bears a feel-good early summer vibe that I absolutely adore.

The novel I've been reading sporadically on and off over the past year, Hashihime of the Old Book Town, reflects a 1930s Japanese aesthetic, blending traditional Japanese art and literature with Western influences. Note the juxtaposition of traditional and modern elements, like the film reel beside an ink drawing of a koi fish:

It's also brilliant imagery because the game's plot centers around the MC's frequent breaks from reality; the film reel represents exaggerated realities, while the fish reflects how he "jumps" through various parallel worlds through puddles of water.

Everything sort of "trickles down" from there. It doesn't make sense to have a UI befitting a Resident Evil game if you're writing a cutesy otome game, for instance, unless you're aiming for cognitive dissonance.

For OaS I decided early on that, because it was going to be a slapstick comedy in places, the sprites should be more cutesy and cartoonish than the subdued way Sonic characters are usually drawn:

The goofy exaggeration only served to heighten the story's comedy. A "bounce" animation I found and later tweaked served as the basis for a running gag where Sonic gets hurt and "boings" like a rubber ball.

I also liked the Advance series' checkered tiles and wanted to go for a watercolor manga-cover-esque flavor... which, in turn, fed the ridiculousness of the story:

That's a far cry from this current project's aesthetic, which is slower, moodier, more somber, and more, I guess, "erudite," as it's based on Welsh literature and a little on history. So the aesthetic has to match.

Not to say aesthetics should be the only thing going for your story, of course, but because this is a visual medium, it is significant enough to warrant my huge wall of text about it lol. If you're just starting out, I'd recommend grabbing placeholder sprites and backgrounds until you can procure ones of your own. It's perfectly fine to use stick figures, although eventually you will have to start working with finalized pieces since the individual dimensions of your pieces will impact how your code functions.

If it wasn't clear already lol, I work with RenPy. Despite my frequent moaning and complaining, it's probably the easiest program to learn for coding, as it uses its own framework built atop Python. Once you go through the process of learning the syntax, you can pretty much do anything you want with it, as it's infinitely customizable.

Some auxiliary programs I use are FireAlpaca (a free art program that works just as well as MediBang or Photoshop, and even supports animation), Audacity (free audio mixing; can also convert mp3 files to OGG, which is a must since RenPy only recognizes OGG file format) and Notepad for coding.

Btw, all of this stuff you can do for free. Anybody who tells you that you need to pay for fancy programs is trying to sell you something. Don't fall for it lol. As for actually making the thing... My creative process is messy and probably shouldn't be emulated. For lack of a better term, I call it the "dumping everything out on the table" method. First (and note that this step isn't always "completed", it's an ongoing process) I gather all the "raw materials," and then sift through them and play with them until the final product becomes something coherent. The material-gathering includes art, music, and sound effects, which will take some time. I count writing as a "raw material" as well since it can be edited.

From there, the writing and the coding sort of feed into each other. I have to be able to experience the story as the player will experience it, as it's a different experience than when you're staring at a word processor. What will the player feel at this juncture? Does it Hit Different(tm) when I use different wording, or change the song that's playing in the background, or employ a different sprite, or tweak the timing, or use a different animation?

The general rule I try to abide by in this regard is that if it isn't working for me, it probably won't work for the player, either. Put yourself in their shoes, because they're the ones going to be playing it.

Even something as simple as the way you present choices to the player conveys information. Should I offer a choice during this particular scene, or let the moment play out linearly? How many choices should I offer? Do I stick them in a false choice? An infinite loop? Do I hide choices, making the player feel clever for finding them or powerless to stop the narrative? Do I assign variables to choices? Do I disable rollback for choices so the player has to stick with their decisions? If I do have rollback enabled, will I do something with that? What are the consequences of making choice A first, then choice B, if at all? Many things to consider. Sometimes the sheer volume of work can overwhelm you as a solo dev and make it difficult to maintain motivation. Especially since you can't really show off a buggy game the way you would a story excerpt or a rough sketch. Making to-do lists, especially towards the end of the development process when it seems like a million things are screaming for attention, helped me stay on task and break them down into smaller, more manageable chunks. I might not be able to bang out a 20,000-word route in a week, but I can certainly fix a bug that duplicates a character sprite. This is a medium where you have a lot to keep track of, and small details do add up in the end. Crossing tasks off your to-do list provides small wins that add up over time. That's why I decide that certain days are dedicated to specific kinds of work. Some days are for writing, others coding, etc. (Also, RenPy comes built in with its own list function called TODO, although I haven't personally played around with it yet.)

Although OaS technically features choices, thus making it not a kinetic novel in the strictest sense, it's still a very linear novel with only one branching path. There weren't any persistent variables other than the flag which determined your route placement, and it functioned much like an on/off switch. Which is why I have no idea how Random managed to bypass it. xP

This new project, on the other hand, is much less binary in its structure. It tracks seven variables for three different characters and calculates ending eligibility based on the accumulation of those variables. Which, just in terms of sheer coding, is A Lot(tm) to keep track of. I struggle to scale back the scope creep out of fears that a more standard visual novel experience will bore the player. It's likely that if you're playing a visual novel, you're not expecting a hack-and-slash, but ofc that won't prevent the monkey brain from clapping its hands at you like "Your game NEEDS more interactivity or you're gonna lose them!" That's the devil talking. Ignore him.

So then you're gonna be weeks into implementing a QTE, only to realize that the version of RenPy you downloaded bears a glitch that forces repeat interactions at inconvenient times and you might have to scrap that and do something else entirely.

Based on a true story. xP

[doctorho]

You inspire me to write, but i am no writer (and english isn't my native although I'm pretty good enough at it.). I don't know what to do, literally, with words. I used to daydream about characters i love and try to translate that into words but... It feels odd, cringey even. Now i don't feel like i have any imagination or any creative take on anything (mind feels dry?)... But i still wanna make something that makes me and otger fans happy. Tips?? Sorry if it's too confusing idk how to articulate this in less words.

!!!! hi! first of all thank you for the absolutely beautiful message, my heart just grew 3 sizes. SECONDLY, honey, if you feel like you want to write, you are a writer. congrats! i'm afraid it will always feel like something soft in your heart wants to get out, but that's just the human condition of wanting to create i guess. welcome to the club.

(also i take great honour in being an inspiration! woo!)

but seriously. i think the best advice i have in regards to creating anything is to just make stuff, without being too self-critical. (something something if you hear a voice in your head that says you can not paint then by all means, paint. something something the best way to start writing is to start writing <- advice from my guys vincent van gogh and joseph fink)

i think daydreaming is a great start. it for sure is how i started, just writing down daydreams and thoughts and feelings (thoughts and feelings my beloved!) and then slowly shifting it over to fanfiction when my one-dimensional oc's weren't cutting it.

english isn't my first language either, but i think it is a very poetic language, which makes writing in it easier for me, because i am a poetic bitch. also i love using words incorrectly (using adjectives that shouldn't make sense in places they shouldn't be, nouns as emotions, etc) which is also easy in english i think. yall have so many fun words, and i love stirring up the emotional goo from the botton of my heart when i think about The Characters. stringing it up like honey in one of those wooden spoons.

(more thoughts under the cut because this answer got LONG, i have shit to say apparently ->)

it's super late where i am, and i'm not sure where i was going with that. the key point was probably though that i heavily encourage you (and everyone!) to keep on creating.

it's good for the soul.

lets you rest for a bit i think. or at least in my case, my head gets pretty peaceful when i'm making stuff, compared to when i'm not (undiagnosed adhd who?) and i know that Art and Stories have been super duper important to me, so i'm just... trying to put some of that kindness back out there. i mean i would write even if i didn't share it anywhere, but... it's nice to be able to share it, and it's always nice to hear good feedback about it. the first fic i ever shared here got such a massively positive response that it made me want to keep writing more, and here we are.

okay i think this answer is probably all over the place now, but we don't strive for logic or perfection here. HERE'S MY TOP WRITING TIPS:

1. keep making stuff. you get better at the stuff you do the more you do it. unfortunately this requires time and effort and mistake-making, but here's the best part; you get to have fun while you do it. and i've found the writing community to be really nice, and positive feedback helps a lot.

2. do what makes your soul happy. you don't have to write stories all beginning-middle-end, you can just do what you want. and if you feel like you don't know how to do something, do it anyway, but do it in a way that works for you. you can write in bullet points or pure dialogue or no dialogue at all if you want. you can just describe the feelings or just a single situation. a picture can be a poem. one sentence can be a story. one of my favorite story formats is comics, and if i had the patience for drawing that much i would probably be making those. art? fun, valid. scribbles? awesome. character studies? my beloved.

3. when people say write what you know, they mean that people want to read stuff that feels honest, even about the stuff that hurts. especially about the stuff that hurts. people love reading about things they recognize & resonate with and that makes them think "that's how i feel!" because we're all human and we only know the inside of our own head and our own heart and it's nice to have some borrowed understanding sometimes, even if it's fictional. there's a reason why being relatable is high praise for characters.

4. don't be afraid of the cringe. seriously. it's fine. we're all just out here doing our best in a hectic over-capitalized world. if it doesn't hurt anyone and it makes you happy then just have fun with it. (also, i assure you, everyone is cringe. and it's fine! did you see that snippet i posted a while ago about stuff i wrote when i was sixteen? i promise i've written so much cringey stuff and had a great time doing it. i also though the little christmas fic i wrote felt pretty cringey and a lot of people still seemed to enjoy it, me included).

5. if you're not sure what to do with your words? it feels Awkward or clunky? look at it and figure out what it is you don't like. what do you want to say? are you saying it? could you describe it in a different way that would feel better? can you make it more honest? often if i look at my writing like "hmm this feels wrong somehow" it usually boils down to "this isn't really the exact thing i wanted to say - i can adjust it this way" and then it feels better. but i'm not gonna lie i don't think that much when i'm writing i just go with the flow

6. if you feel like you need more inspiration... try bouncing ideas back and forth with someone (tumblr is full of people who would be excited to talk about The Characters) or try some writing prompts. all ideas come from somewhere, and they don't need to all originate In Your Brain. character playlists? fanart? looking at a real life situation and thinking What Would Happen if i put a Character in this?

7. i'm not like a big grammar rules person. do what you want. but it helps if it's clear in your writing who is saying/thinking The Things, and if you break up your paragraphs every now and again. i mean i love a good runaway sentence but most people don't like looking at a wall of text. people need to be able to mentally take a breath you know.

8. just have fun? honestly, don't think too much. don't be afraid to be honest and don't think too much. the mortifying ordeal of being known can actually be pretty cool sometimes.

[thedogfromthatmitskisong]

Is writing a worthwhile hobby, what's the learning curve like?

[i yapped a little too much, so tldr: yes, and not steep at all!]

yes!! but i think any hobby that helps with self-expression is worthwhile. i'm better than i thought i'd be at writing because i used visual arts to describe what i am able to write now. so, any form of wordless expression can help you write, in a way. you can create worlds, write from point of views that make you laugh, cry, vomit; all the fun things lol. see also: self indulgence.

as for the learning curve, i'd say you learn as you go, which makes the curve itself irrelevant (at least to me, at least in the beginning).

writing is a lot about trial and error (try, try again is so real) which doesn't make it a difficult hobby to learn (it's just time taking). in essence, it's still your voice, it's just the paper that's speaking with it.

since i'm learning too, for now i only know what i learnt in school (might be blasphemous in this context, but i don't read so often so it's just that) but with the endless resources on tumblr alone, i'd say the learning curve is far from steep.

i'd suggest starting from what you feel most comfortable with (i went from diary entries, to prose, to working on a story and learning how to write poetry). starting slow makes a steady curve - going from 0 to 100 immediately for artistic expression can go wrong sometimes (which means, even if you're writing things you consider bad, the practicing will still take you from a 0 to a 1).

all in all: write what you feel. write what you want. be not afraid of being sappy, cringey, weird because writing is for you.

p.s. remember to utilise thesauruses - they help a lot with structuring your sentences (depending on how you use the word in question) and to find words that better fit how you feel (me when i learnt the word 'agony' was a crazy era).

p.p.s. if you're writing in a language that isn't your mother tongue (like me), then make sure to connect with your root language (somewhat of a struggle for me, but it does wonders for your work and self).

anyway, thank you for sending in an ask!! and i hope this wasn't a boring read haha <33

[nerogurl]

Hiii :3 I came across your page and would like to request a matchup from fear and hunger 2. Ofc only if it's not a problem to you.

Also english is not my first language and I have no idea how to use punctuation in it, hope this won't create a problem💜💜

🦇

First of all I am attracted towards men and women

18🐈‍⬛Polish🐈‍⬛autistic🐈‍⬛Intp🐈‍⬛capricorn

🦇

Appearance

-165 cm heigh

-a bit on the rounder side

-dark brown eyes

-currently I have straight, shoulder length black hair with round baby bang

-glasses

-pale in winter and I tan quickly in summer

-I tend to do do heavier make up but only when I have time and motivation

🦇

Personality

I am a little bit shy and socially awkward but I warm up fairly quickly to people. Often people closest to me say that I can zone out and fly off to my own imaginary land during meetings if we won't talk about anything for too long. Sometimes when I'm not doing anything I start humming to myself. I love singing and when I was little I really wanted to be an opera singer but my parents told me it was a bad idea😔. I have a habit of suppressing my emotions because I don't want anyone to be overwhelmed with my traumas and depression. That's why when I feel helpless (which is fairly often) I just start crying.

I can be really patient and caring towards people I love. Because of my patience and need to care for others, I tend to attract traumatized people but it really doesn't bother me. It brings me joy to see the one's closest to me happy.

My love language is mainly physical. I love hugging and kissing. In my mind gestures are more important than words, so instead of saying "I love you" I bake cakes and make whole varietes of sweets just to show my affection.

I am really talkative, often when I will start talking about my recent interest I won't shut up until some tells me to. Listening to someones speech about their hobbys also brings me a lot of joy and friends say I am the best listener and always come to me if they need to vent or just talk about something.

I have a soft spot for animals and I am an animal rights activists. I just can't stand seeing any living creature suffering. I have one rescue cat that I found in the dumpster in my city and I'm plannig on volunteering in my local animal shelter when it will open.

Lastly I have unhealthy relationship with my body. Few years ago I gained a lot of weight due to my old antidepressants. Right now I lost about 3/4 of kilograms that I gained but still some comments made by people closest to me hurt to these day. Sometimes I just need a reasurment that my body is beautiful.

🦇

Interests

I am a huge biology geek and plan my future with that in mind. I'm an art lover and my favorite painter is Vincent van Gogh.Just thinking about his life makes me feel sad and I if I could I would give him a big hug. When I was younger I played in local theater but it closed and our current one only accepts poeaple over the age of 25. Between studying for final exams I often paint, especially flowers. For past year I studied Czech language for fun and I will continue doing it after finals. Also I love reading gothic novels and watch old horror movies.

🦇

Small facts

Due to my autism I am really sensitive to sounds to the point of being afraid of school bell. My favorite drink is tea. My favourite flowers are carnations. I love trying out new foods and this is probably the only one category where I am open to trying new things. My favorite color is purple.

🦇

This is my first time doing something like this so this description might be a little bit messy. I hope you have a wonderful day/night.💜💜

Because you explicitly stated that you're bisexual, I tried focusing on compatibility above all else and ending up giving you two female matches.

Your first match is with Olivia. At first, I think Olivia would be intimidated by you. Keeping in mind that you're a Capricorn, there's a 50% chance of you sharing a radiating or shadowed soul.

The heavy makeup and studies of high science combined with your academic versatility, reminding her of her sister. But while her sister felt like an unattainable goal, your shyness, appearance and introversion makes you similar enough to her, that you are like the same type of person.

The type of people to appreciate the story of Vincent Van Gogh. There's the understanding of that fevereant passion you have towards that one special interest. Even if he died believing he was a failure as an artist he kept painting because he loved it. You two can talk to each other for hours knowing that the other appreciates the special joy that comes with one's special interest.

Confusing her admiration for jealousy, she'd internalise these feelings and sometimes would feel as if you were encroaching on her space. She knows these feelings are irrational! When you're nearby she is small because you take up the world. She wants you to be around her, but can't help but feel in some intrinsic way that you're better off without her.

Either because you're too good for her, destined to be with someone better off to share your radiating spotlight. Or, because you're better than her, by dictum of her insecurities, despite being dealt the same shadowed hand.

Opening up to each other, your interests and experiences make you come across as down to earth. She'd be surprised your struggles deeply relate to her own. That you could suffer insecurity over your body and have your environment strip you of your urgency. Now that you're older you have the control back in your life to learn how to sing and pursue the theatre again. Just like how she and her sister were able to find freedom to pursue the sciences at university.

In the gothic literature you adore, depicting the beauty in the darkest parts of life, a common theme is coping with grief. Loss is a part of life, disease, illness, death and most importantly to Olivia, disability. She feels seen to have someone that can find the beauty in her existence.

It's a cruel fact that a lot of people think pity is kinder than honesty. Due to her disability, she's used to people pretending to be her friend then distancing themselves away. The trademark Capricorn stubbornness that makes her reflexively withdraw, is what you use to chip away at her defense's.

Every time she reflects on her own self-doubt, you're there to meet your words with actions. I could imagine you preparing desserts and Olivia using her Advanced Botonism to brew tea from carnations, for a picnic date.

When you plan to hang out, she decides a place she'd consider her territory (greenhouse, botanical gardens, ect) so she doesn't feel as rejected if you bale out. Once you meet her at the destination she's excited and when you bring her gifts she's ecstatic (baked goods), it's evidence that you actually want to be there.

You could make flower arrangements and paint a portrait of the results, together. Helping to teach one another your skills, you help support instead of outperforming the other. It's moments like these where due to your thoughtfulness, for the first time, Olivia feels equally acknowledged instead of overshadowed in a relationship.

Samarie is definitely the type to body worship! Her type of love is of complete dedication, like Gomez and Morticia (THE gothic couple, that is the antithesis of the modern American family depicted on tv, by the wife and husband absolutely adoring each other). Your body is perfect! You are an amazing singer! Every perceived insecurity is a part of you that she adores and untapped potential is a spotlight that's yet to be shined on.

Vincent Van Gogh who thought his work like himself would be forgotten, ended up being adored by so many. Like how she sees the spotlight in you, could she be special too, just yet to be recognised? A gothic romance, can you see the beauty through her dark past?

Samarie is incredibly skittish. Easily scared away by the presence of the other terminal contestants. The empathy in your thoughts is what draws her in. She would hear the kindness in your thoughts when you noticed her, not used to hearing any direct positive reinforcement from anyone.

Then, she would hear the voices of your insecurities and want to tell you differently. You wish you could look a bit more like her. While you struggle with feeling overweight, she struggles with feeling underweight and lanky. Thinking of herself standing out in all the wrong ways, she wishes she could look a lot more like you.

She is like a cat, requiring the patience you have that invites hurt souls to trust you. Abused her entire life by the Vatican, she sees herself in abandoned and mistreated animals. Something small, weak and eventually discarded.

Like the rescue kitten you took in from that dumpster, will you nurture her the same way even though she's been thrown away? Can she hold out for hope that your hand will stroke instead of slap?

In Marina's Ending B, one of Samarie's doppelgangers follows her to the city. Like getting into various cliques to get closer to Marina, I could see Samarie merging herself in various scenes in the city to do with theatre, hoping to do the same thing to introduce you to the right people.

Through reading people's minds, she was able to form a parasocial relationship with Marina. She has the mental map of how mutual affection is supposed to play out that she has never experienced. You'd ask her what her favourite flavours are and she would just assume you're thinking about baking. Like how killing Marina's father causes her to spiral into her delusions, there's a disconnect between her thoughts and actions. Filling in the gaps, she assumes most others want nothing to do with her.

Perhaps you could do something nice for her? Next time you see at the train, you tell her you'd remembered your previous conversation and had some baked treats just for her. Her whole reality just shuts down for a couple moments, trying to process that your affection is something is actually happening in the real world.

Internally screaming with panic, she has a delayed reaction before accepting your gift and fleeing the scene before she combusts. She'll be back soon, don't worry.

Tldr; Olivia and Samarie, but overall I think that Samarie is your best match.

[atomarium]

I don't personally understand the motivation of the ancients. The whole plot of Rain World revolves around the cycle of death and life. The cycle provides guarantees that whatever happens, you will still live. This security is not a curse; it's a gift. Just imagine what you could do! There are no risks too great, no sacrifices too great, no goal unachievable. If, in the end, everything comes back, why would you want to escape this security?

The motivation for that stated in the game is primarily boredom or tiredness. But if we can approximately say that a cycle is at most a week, and a couple of thousand weeks is indeed a lot, there is still so much to do! You could learn every language, study all the sciences, help others, build things, maybe even be friends with everyone at some point. Everyone can explore their interests without fear of time or death. And in their society, even without fear of hunger or danger. Perhaps they wouldn't want to kill themselves if they didn't eat gravel and starve themselves?

Martyrs tried to achieve Ascension, which, as far as I know, is STILL LIFE. You still experience things, it's just in a different plane. It's not absolute nothingness, nonexistence of yourself like in our world.

It is also clear to me that the ancients weren't the brightest and the most curious. We know that other stars exist, and there is, at the very least, the moon. You can't say none of them looked up at the sky and never wondered what is up there and how it all works. And tell me that they just "didn't bother." The fact that they didn't even try finding out if void sea existed on other planets! What if their planet was special? If so, then why? Do they know how the world started? Do they know why the cycle exists? Why didn't they want to know the universes beauty and secrets ?

If they are capable of building enormous godlike creations that aren't machines nor are quite organisms and making thousands if not millions of them, and capable of producing practically infinite amounts of energy, they surely possess the intelligence and the ability to travel among stars! And they don't even know the existence of void worms. Or what is the void sea itself. Or even why is it there.

But yet they create organisms who are themselves trapped in a cycle to serve only them and only their purpose. If they hated life so much, why didn't they try to make it better? And not only for themselves, but for every creature. They clearly have the ability to. You could make artificial bliss, relive your memory forever in a loop, exist in a constant state of happiness. Or if you are tired of it, why not just go to sleep forever in a cryo chamber? Why not build monuments, art, wonders of your own achievement? They could have done so much, brought so much peace and happiness to the world and its creatures. But instead, they abandoned their universe and built their own gods, the iterators. Whose only purpose was to find a way to kill them, reliably. Bash their head at a great problem, countless times. At the problem that they themselves created. Because those who sinned were afraid to ascend the old way. Out of fear of being stuck here forever, forced to love this world as an echo. They essentially made their children, their creations slaves with only one purpose, and in the process, doomed the ecosystem of their own world. This is relatable to humanity in some sorts, but at least we are curious; we try finding out answers to questions that may not even be answerable.

But hey at least we now have scugs.

I may be misinformed about some things, wrong about others. I would apriciate any comments remarks or additions to this.

Also to those who have red everything so far.

May the iterators have mercy on you.

[tetskuro]

Hi! I'd like an Haikyuu matchup please ^^

your pronouns: he/him. ⭑ romantic or platonic matchup: anything that inspire you the most. ⭑ preference for a male or female pairing: Male. ⭑ a bit about your personality: funny, outgoing, talkative when interested, creative, speak my mind, love joking around and teasing people, independent, demanding. ⭑ hobbies + interests: traveling, eating, laughing! I love to discover new things, new places, new interesting people. I write with people too (RPG), sometimes I play video games (Zelda TOTK/BOTW, Okami, Smash Bros, Life is Strange...). I enjoy walking around especially in the countryside.⭑ traits you look for in a partner: someone who's fun, smart, curious, open-minded, courageous, doesn't afraid of new things, sincere, knows what he wants or doesn't want, opiniated but not judgemental for nothing.⭑ ideal first date: a new country we visit together! ⭑ any other details you wish to add: thank you very much :)

your matchup is...

oikawa tooru

⭑ a person who knows what he wants and will do anything to achieve his goals

⭑ the two of you would match each other's energy well since you both like to joke around and tease people

⭑ oikawa is a very smart and ambitious guy

⭑ i can definitely see him trying new things at least once because you'll never know if you like something if you don't try it

⭑ i also feel like oikawa enjoys playing video games but he's not very good at them

⭑ see: the official art of him playing on his psp with the rest of seijoh where he clearly looks like he's losing

⭑ he'll play video games with you but expect to hear some grumbling from him if he loses

⭑ he'd ask for rematches saying "i'm gonna win this time for sure!" like ok buddy, you're currently losing 8-1

⭑ you both would enjoy exploring new places together and going to different restaurants and trying all the food there

⭑ he'd love to travel the world with you and go sightseeing

⭑ there'd be a lot of effort spent creating a shared bucket list of countries and places you'd both want to visit

⭑ there might be a time where you two get lost in a foreign country

⭑ blame it on the gps because why would it say to turn right when there's literally no right turn

⭑ oikawa would be using broken phrases of the country's language to get help from passersby and find your way to the intended destination

⭑ overall, the entire experience, including getting lost, is what makes the whole trip fun

⭑ as much as he'd like sightseeing bustling cities, oikawa would also like to relax in the countryside with you and use it as a way to get a break from his hectic and busy life

your matchup runner-up is hinata shoyo

[meglyfer]

I NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SASHA/DREW THEY ARE SO SILLY

OHOHO, YOU HAVE COMMITTED A TERRIBLE MISTAKE

When Horror and Dust had Drew, they actually didn't know how to name him. They were this close )( of naming them "Mistake" (because they had an instant regret of being parents once the child was actually there), but then Cross was like "DO NOT NAME YOUR FUCKING CHILD MISTAKE", so he was the one that gave Drew her name

Her name "Sasha" is a chosen name, and she stole it from Sasha Waybright from Amphibia because he is a huge kinnie of her. Also related to this, they canonically have Sasha (from Amphibia) set as their pfp on his private account on whatever the Undertale equivalent of Twitter is

If you've seen my art about horrordust, you'de know me and Xomma agree that they are so fucking toxic and, although they truly love their kid and treat him as such, their relationship with each other affects Sasha in a way they had not expected. Because of their awful relationship, Drew is afraid of falling in love, because he thinks he would end up like their parents; always fighting, arguing, telling each otehr "I hate you" as much as they say "I love you", etc. Because of this fear, she has cut off her friendship with a bunch of people, realising that he was starting to develope romantic feelings for them. Most of the times they did it unconsiously

He does love his parents though, a lot, they mean everything to her, and he know that they love them too, never even doubted it, but she is fully aware that things would be way better if they divorced and were away from each other

When someone asks Drew about how their parents are, he replies with something along the lines of "They aren't the best parents out there, but they try really hard to be good parents, so I guess that makes them just enough"

When Sasha was a kid (about 6-10 if I remember correctly) he gifted her parents one of those "world's best dad" mugs, but she crossed out the "world's best" and replaced it with "Decent". Horror found it hilarous and immediately became his favourite cup. Years later when Drew came out of the closet, their parents gifted her a cup that said "I came out to my parents and all I got was this mug"

HE HAS A GIANT HAMMER COLLECTION. Some hammers she buys, others are gifts, and others they make them themselves, often based on AUs she visits from time to time (Example: they have this Outertale themed hammer with stars and all that shit)

Originally when we had just created Drew, Xomma and I had agreed that he would be besties with Paper Jam and be in a queer platonic relationship with him and Lux. That was until we found out that canon Paper Jam is currently a grown adult. Idea was immediately discarded because, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A CHILD AND A GROWN ASS MAN. After that we started checking the characters ages before deciding if they'd be friends with the kid so that we don't go through all this again

Drew's best friends are Lux and Shino (one of the hundreds of afterdeath kids out there), but of course they have many other friends. Just like a good anime protagonist, he would force friendship into every single person she comes across

He knows SO MANY LANGUAGES

Like, you know how people headcanon characters to speak the same language as the creator? Well, WE DID A SLIGHT MISCALCULATION

They of course speak English, she also speaks Spanish, a mix of an Argentinian, Peruvian and Venezuelan accent (I'm Argentinian and Xomma is Venezuelan and lives in Peru, so the accent kinda sticks). And you'd think that'd be it, right? WRONG

We both know a bit of Portuguese (me more than Xomma), and I know a little bit of Italian, and Xomma suddendly surprised me telling me that they also know a bit of GERMAN AND FRENCH

Which means Drew speaks fluent English and Spanish (With an amalgame of accents), can hold a simple conversation in Portuguese, and can throw at you some random words and phrases in Italian, German and French, JESUS CHRIST I SAY

If you ask where did he learn all those languages from, let's just say random people on the omega timeline taught her. "Where did you learn Portuguese" "Fabiola from the Omega Timeline taught me" who is Fabiola? WHO KNOWS!

She is a menace to society

Her place in the school hierarchy is difficult to point. They are a bit of a weird kid, so he sometimes gets bullied by other kids, but as I mentioned, he's also a menace, so there are a lot of kids that also fear them for how feral they are. Though she does have a fair amount of friends and from different years and ages, so he's also kinda cool with a bunch of people (???

Master of blackmail

When he's a grown teenager's a bit older (about 16-18 I'd say), she starts taking little "jobs" some people give them in exchange for some money. At first they have to do pretty normal stuff; help someone with some boxes, look after a kid for a few hours, deliver something to someone, etc. But as time passes some of this requests start getting darker and darker, to the point where it's nore rare for him to be asked to beat up someone (they always ask why they are requesting said stuff, and will only agree to the job if she thinks the person deserves the punishment)

He is a sugar addict. As a kid she would often still candy from people on the Omega Timeline. Horror and Dust had to explain to her that he couldn't keep doing that or else they would end up being kicked out from there, aka, kicked out of one of the few places where they would let in the child of two serial murderers. She stopped doing so after that, and instead now they carry a bag of candy with them everywhere he goes

His favourite pastry are cinnamon rolls

She knows how to cook (Horror taught him), but choses to be attrocious at the kitchen

As I mentioned before, one of Drew's best friend's is Lux. And if you've seen my art of them, YOU'D KNOW THEY ARE A BIT MORE THAN JSUT BESTIES. At first they really are just friends, but as they grow older and their friendship becomes deeper they start falling in love with each other. Lux is well aware of both her own feelings, and Sasha's feelings (comes with being daughter of the guardian of positivity I guess), but chooses not to do anything about those feelings because she knows about Drew's fear of love, and doesn't want to push him into something he's not ready for, so she is happy to wait for as long as she has to. Meanwhile Drew, while he was the first to fall, takes the longest to realis about her feelings and do something about them. It takes them SO MANY FUCKING YEARS for him to do something about it, to the point where they finally get into a relationship when they are in their early twenties. Before that it was all gay tension and Sasha convincing himself that all the stuff they do with Lux is "Perfectly normal friend things to do" and there is nothing more to it (They were not, in fact, "Perfectly normal friend things to do", and there was actually so much more to it)

Since I'm talking about this two I might as well jsut dropped this chart we did the other day about them

If you want the original chart, sorry, I lost it :(

AND I'LL SHUT UP NOW BECAUSE I'VE BEEN WRITING FOR LIKE AN HOUR AND A HALF

ME AND XOMMA LITERALLY HAVE A GOOGLE DOCUMENT TALKING ABOUT THEM THAT IS OVER 100 PAGES LONG, AND IT'S STILL GROWING, SO YOU CAN GUESS HOW MUCH I CAN SAY ABOUT THEM

Might add some more stuff later though, I told Xomma about this ask I got and I'm waiting for them to reply to see if he wants to add anthing else

Edit: forgot to say that me and Xomma are working on a playlist about Drew, so if you want to hear it and try to like, analyse or something, here you have it

[loving-apparitions]

can you do an eve x reader with general romantic hcs ? :]

First, before Eve really shows connection with you, she has to get to know you. She doesn't really experience "love at first sight," she develops a crush after gaining some familiarity with you.

That said, she's not against scheduling dates or conversation time with you right off that bat, just don't expect her to immediately hop into giving or wanting affection.

When she does fall for you, though, she falls hard. She finds herself wanting to see you all the time, wondering about everything she doesn't know about you yet and fantasizing about the next time she sees you.

Sometimes she dwells in her head too much - She remembers a lot of details about you, but she also is prone to making assumptions and misinterpreting.

Your opinion is very important to her.

She can be quite forward at times. When she wants your attention (often) she lets you know, be it texting, calling, or showing up. She tends to just go ahead with giving you a kiss or cuddle, holding your hand, calling you pet names, or including you in her activities (such as sending you tickets, or just suddenly calling you and asking you to come join her on an errand or art piece). She doesn’t see the point in beating around the bush and she also just wants that strongly.

She especially delights in flustering you. She could spend all day pulling every trick up her sleeve to get you blushing and stuttering. Your face is adorable when she gets to you.

While she never wants to hurt you, sometimes she acts without realizing she needs a consent check. Just make sure she knows your boundaries and you'll be fine. And be patient if she messes up - try to understand what it is she wants and help her understand what your limits are, then find a way to achieve or imitate what she wants while staying in your boundaries.

She also secretly adores when you fluster her. She’s shy to admit it, but the rush she feels when you catch her off guard and woo her is near addicting. You can best fluster her by giving her raw, sincere compliments, or gifting her something with plenty of thought put into it. Anything you do to show her that you see her and love her as she is, and to show her that she’s wanted.

Every kiss is passionate. They may be light, but there's love behind each one.

She really craves touch, so expect her to be touching you constantly. And when you cuddle, she will not want to leave.

She doesn't use pet names too often, but she sure uses metaphors and flowery language regarding you. She calls you by name fairly often as she just adores the sound of it, but in conjunction will call you something like the stars to her sky or the call of frogs on a spring evening. She tends to find specific metaphors that she brings up over and over, but still she's constantly finding new ways to describe you.

She likes spending time with you, even if you’re each doing a different activity. She loves to include you in everything she does. It won't be long until the public finds out that you're dating - she's not afraid to show you off.

If you'd indulge her, she would love to have you join her in performance or collaborate on some projects. If you're a creative especially she wants to create an artistic experience with you. She's willing to try anything new if you want to introduce her to something.

She really wants to be understood, but she also really wants to understand. She deeply appreciates when you listen closely to her and show, even in little ways, that you pay attention to her. Likewise, she remembers a lot about you, and she wants to listen to you.

She never judges your creative ability. She's happy to see any piece of you that you bear. It doesn't matter the medium or skill - hell, it could be your Animal Crossing island. She just likes to see that you're expressing yourself and trusting her with the presentation.

That said, she would be ecstatic to teach you new skills if you'd like. Not just art forms - fitness, facts, self care, anything.

Nobody can breathe a negative word about you. As far as Nadia is concerned, people who actually have the capacity to learn about each other are rare, and clearly anyone with a brain would see how beautiful you are (inside and out).

[lyferifaes]

hey there stranger.

i realise i am probably too late for the game, and you're probably inactive, but i pray this message reaches you in good health and best intention. i have been following your writings, and i wish to tell you how much i appreciate your work. i admire your writing style, it is ebbing with your passion and love for the anime, and every chapter shatters my soul and weakens my wrists. it takes great talent to dedicate so much research, time, and effort to write an post-canon fix it in such beautiful shape and form and i wish you knew how much your writing has inspired me.

i love dororo, in ways you can imagine. it saved my life, and it's undoubtedly the best anime i have ever watched, not only with it's heavy symbolism and top-tier storywriting, but also the characters and fights have been orchestrated so splendidly. i decided to write a fanfiction myself, but hesitated to press a single letter because i was afriad i might ruin in a perfectly good show. it's already perfect as it is, i would think. and in all my time i haven't seen someone articulate and describe each characters' stories, agony, anguish, and depth as much as you do. not to mention your art work in beyond astonishing. believe me when i dropped my jaw seeing your work. i want to learn a lot from you.

remember when munetsuna wished that he was to craft a katana so powerful that it would stop wars? that people would be so astonished by the sword, then would surrender? you are that sword. you have such great potential in you, and pardon my poor phrasing, as i am a novice writer and a mere admirer, i wish to learn a lot from you. im not exaggerating at all when i say that your works bring me to my knees. i am in love. truly. i apologize in advance, but i cried after i read the first chapter. it moved me that much.

if you were to write a book, please let me be one of the first few readers. i will support you with everything i got. i don't say this to pressure you, i simply wish you know how grateful i am to have found your work.

there are no questions.

thank you so much. thank you.

Wow. I'm speechless. You know, this is probably one of the best and warmest feelings in the world—no, not to receive a compliment, and not to feel proud and pleased with myself (vanity never does you any good and I try not to get carried away), but to meet a soul resonating with mine—at least in one way, at this moment—to be able to feel so deeply everything I've put into this story and enjoy it. A perfectionist that I am, I always wanted to create something that everybody would like, until I realized that popularity is nothing, just numbers. But to reach even one person's heart is what truly matters to me. Meeting that person is like meeting a friend, such crossing of the paths is always a miracle of sorts. So let me give you at least a virtual hug! 🤗

I'm sorry for the late reply, I don't check my tumblr often lately as you can see, not because I've moved on or lost interest though. I hope I never really move on from Dororo, at least not until this fic is finished. And even then Dororo will remain a huge part of me. But yeah, I switch a lot between things (not fandoms though—enough is enough 😅), various things I write. I really hope to finish at least one of them and publish a book one day, and if it happens, I'll gladly send you one of the first copies! Haha although it may not happen before we all turn very old, I'm afraid, since as you can see I am a veeery sloooow writer. Also, it will be in my native language 😅 (writing in English was an experiment at first, a challenge to myself, and I admit there will be times when I regret putting myself through this lol)

May I ask you something, too? Please, don't hesitate to press letters, write! Just start and let your worlds take shape, let them be born. I was inspired a lot by the authors I admired, many of them are ficwriters, I've taken a lot from them. I'm happy if it's now my turn to pass some of that inspiration further. Really, really happy. 💖