#I was trying to come up with an example of like

[jadenvargen]

If I want to study someone's art or style, how do I do that? Like where do you even start when looking at an illustration that they made 😭thank you!!!

Here’s stuff i think about. i don’t do that many style studies, so idunno how helpful it is! pls sound in tha comments if anyone has tips:) 

Pinpoint what stuff you like, and focus on that. Focus on technique rather than exact replication, for example ( just first thing comes to mind) if you like rostov’s disco elysium cover art and want to study it, don’t just repaint the image, find what’s key in the style. looseness, maybe? then, instead of copying the image with your technique, try to apply the same looseness. (feat. shitty 5 min sketch plz dont judge example of how i normally approax paintings, versus a study. ALSO not to say u CANT do this it's just how i would study, myself. )

That being said, don’t force yourself to make art decisions that feel unnatural to you. a lot of the time artists make decisions based on their weaknesses as well as strengths. I do very shaky, hatchy lineart because my hands are very shaky. I focus on painting what I* feel is important and fun. 

Instead of copying a style from a picture, look at a variety of pictures and find technique. For example a lot of people redrawing a screenshot in “sailor moon style” or “ghibli style” will draw… let’s say, an old man, looking like a usagi because that’s the screenshot they looked at, instead of watching what stylistic choices for example takeuchi made when stylizing an old man. So the “studies” end up homogenous. I personally find it unproductive to replicate a painting for purposes of study, but like focusing on individual elements. say you like egon schiele, replicating whole paintings at a time IMO isn't gonna do much, but maybe you can set out on a series where you sketch copy his hands or feet from different paintings, and then try stylizing your own hands the same way? Or maybe your fave artist draws moonlight like a blue stream, or a red one? Try applying only that light to your paintings.

You could also color pick or look at the colors they make and paint whatever you want with those same colors, to understand how they work together and what can be done with them.

Also, if you can, look at their influences! Everyone learns art by seeing others art. Chances are they saw art they liked and picked from there what elements they enjoyed. Looking at the inspiration can help make some of the techniques more obvious.

Basically focus less on copying(not that copying is bad- but not always helpful for studying), and more on what you like. If you find what you like, you can work from there and try to think about your own art from the same perspective.

IDK if this helps as i said, feel free to add onto^_^

[maniculum]

Perlesvaus (Evans translation)

So I'm taking another stab at reading the Sebastian Evans translation of Perlesvaus, for... reasons. Or the High History of the Holy Graal, as he titles it -- funnily enough, the people who put out this reprint apparently looked at the title, said "we're not doing that", and spelt it Grail on the cover.

Despite the bizarre choices in diction, it's still pretty fun, and I want to share some particularly entertaining bits of this text with y'all. (For those of you who aren't up on the two different translations of Perlesvaus and don't know what I mean by "bizarre choices", the Evans translation is from 1898 but pretending to be from, like, 1498.)

N.B.: Marginal notes in red are from the last time I tried this -- they stop showing up roughly a quarter of the way through the book, because that's when I decided to buy the Bryant translation instead.

I just find this funny because "who cares?" strikes me as such a modern thing to say. To me it is a phrase that seems most natural coming from a teenage character in late-20th-century media. But nope. "Who careth?"

This is here just for the bizarre scene. We have three women coming into the throne room (riding mules directly into the building, by the way). One is carrying a severed head decorated with silver and gold. Another has "a pack trussed behind her with a brachet thereupon" -- you can see from the notes that I had to look up "brachet", found out it was an old word meaning roughly "female scent-hound", and then had the mental image of this woman carrying around a beagle in a baby-bjorn.

Again something I find funny. Gawain just leaping through the air to interpose himself between the horses and this hermit, like he's trying to take a bullet for them. This is entirely because he is 100% certain the hermit will handle the saddles incorrectly, and when the hermit assures him he actually does know how this stuff works, Gawain calms down & lets him do it.

This is, for my money, one of the funniest things in all of Perlesvaus, which is saying something because it is a bonkers text. This lady rolls up and provides that description, and the hermit recognizes who she's talking about. Like, "oh yes I did see a knight with a heart of steel and the navel of a virgin". I want to give this description to a sketch artist. (I kind of want to throw it at an AI just to see what it comes up with, but you know. I don't want to encourage the machines.)

This time I'm nit-picking the translation, because that strikes me as a misplaced modifier. Obviously it's meant that Gawain is unaware of events, but the sentence is constructed to make it sound like it's referring to the building itself, which is of course unaware because it's a building and isn't aware of anything. (Also, side note, I like the phrase "as methinketh!")

One more, and I'm leaving this for now...

Here is a case where I was going to complain, but on further examination, I must hand it to Evans. I assumed that he was just randomly archaizing, but I looked it up after uploading this photo, and according to the OED, this was a valid alternate spelling of sovereign from the 17th to the 19th century. (Interestingly, the latest attested example on the OED is from 11 years before this translation was published, meaning this is evidence it was in use slightly longer than the OED entry would suggest -- does anyone know if there's still a way to submit instances of a word to the OED?)

[colebabey888]

The IT Girl Wardrobe Essentials | IT GIRL DIARIES

Creating the perfect IT Girl wardrobe is all about mixing timeless classics with a touch of trendy pieces for an effortlessly stylish look. The key is to build a closet filled with versatile staples while adding fun, fashion-forward items that show off your personality.

Here’s how to put together a wardrobe starting on your It Girl Journey :

The Magic of Basics 🎀

Every It Girl knows the importance of having great basics. Start with simple, well-fitting pieces, something similar to a plain white/black tee, a pair of skinny jeans or mom jeans ( skinny jeans are always trendy if you know how to style them ) .These items will be easy to mix and match, giving you endless outfit options. They can be dressed up or down and that's exactly the type of clothing items you want to have.

The Perfect Pair of Jeans 🎀

When it comes to my denims, I don't mess around! Invest in a good few pairs of jeans that fit you perfectly. Quality over quantity! Levi, Pacsun, REVICE Denim, these are are all examples on companies that sell high quality denims. Classic skinny or straight-leg jeans/mom jeans are super versatile and go with almost everything. It's never a bad idea to keep a few light denims around either but go with what fits your skin tone best. To keep things trendy, try experimenting with ripped jeans or wide-leg styles, but make sure to always have a classic pair for everyday wear. If you're going for a more classy/clean look, I would skip out in the spontaneous ripped jeans.

The Little Black Dress (LBD) 🎀

A little black dress is a closet essential for every It Girl. Whether you’re heading to a party or going out to dinner, the LBD is always a chic choice. Pick one that’s simple and elegant, so you can easily dress it up or down with accessories. There's nothing more to it, a simple black dress will do it for any occasion, any time of day!

Cute and Comfortable Shoes 🎀

Comfortable yet stylish shoes are a must. Make sure you have classic white sneakers, cute ankle boots for your rainy days , and a pair of strappy heels. On a hot sunny day, I love a good pair of black thong sandals, they pull every look together and give off the perfect touch of a 2000's vibe. Skinny jeans, sundress, paired with good accessories and a handbag, black thongs for the win always.

Balancing Trends with Classics 🎀

The secret to It Girl style is blending your wardrobe basics with trendy pieces. Each season, pick a few fun items like a patterned scarf, oversized sunglasses, or a bold handbag to keep your outfits fresh and exciting.

The Power of Accessories 🎀

Accessories can really make your outfit pop! Invest in timeless pieces like gold hoop earrings, a simple watch. Then, mix in trendy items like layered necklaces, fun belts, or colorful purses to add personality to your look.

By building your wardrobe with these essentials and mixing in a few trendy pieces, you’ll achieve the perfect IT Girl style—chic, fun, and always effortlessly stylish. My style is definitely changing and upgrading every year so there will most likely be a part 2 of this next year. These are just a few tips and tricks I've picked up on throughout my It Girl journey so far, but we're are learning so if you have any tips yourself feel free to dump them in the comments, mwah!

xoxo, COLEBABEY8.88

[sunny-three]

Aaron and homophobia

- aaron is meant to homophobic on purpose Nora specifically wrote him this way yes it probably comes from the environment he grew up in that doesn’t really make him any less homophobic

- if I see anyone trying to claim that aaron isn’t homophobic because his he’s aspec may I remind you that pov character Neil is canonically Demi and does not say the same shit aaron does

- yes aaron loves and protects Nicky that does not mean Aaron’s behaviour cannot be hurtful towards Nicky take andrews behaviour towards aaron as an example Andrew hurts aaron with comments about tilda knowing that aaron loved her and aaron hurts Nicky by being homophobic despite knowing how Nicky’s parents treated him, that he was sent to conversion camp and knew Nicky got hatecrimed

- I’ve seen people say try and say that Aaron is not homophobic and just feels like Nicky’s flirtation crosses boundaries is uncomfortable with it and yes it makes sense that people would be uncomfortable because of this

- but given that Aaron is okay with Andrew literally drugging people and literally left Neil drugged with Nicky after hearing the comments Nicky made about him Aaron definitely does not have any moral objections with Nicky’s comments besides the fact that they are directed at other men

- Aaron’s comments towards Nicky would desist if Nicky were directing his flirting towards women instead

- this is not meant to be hate, Aaron is one of my fav characters look at my blog if you don’t believe me but if I have to see one more post talking how Aaron’s canonical homophobia is not Aaron’s fault but instead Nicky’s fault for being too gay I’m gonna lose it

[d0eteeth]

I keep trying to make sense of tmagp in my head so I'm just gonna ramble about some insights I had.

I'm really starting to think that the whole lore of tmagp is not about desires or hunger but a lot more about the alchemy that keeps coming up time and time again in the story.

At the core of most casements, we have some form of transmutation or transformation: There are the ones where humans merge with objects (the tree man, the coral woman, the coach man fused with the carriage), which I suppose is some sort of chimera. And often there is some insistence on "a new you", on surpassing one's current form, a purification. Then there are the ones where human sentience is instilled in beings or objects, e.g. Newton's dog, hungry building, blood-thirsty violin, Bonzo costume turned sentient. On the other hand, the experiment/ ritual Sam witnessed could be some sort of separation.

Even the other casements make sense with this concept, for example the first episode, since resurrection/ eternal life is a big aspect of alchemy, bringing a loved one back from the dead but wrong makes sense.

This is also why I don't believe the demon baby was a vampire, but rather a homunculus. The woman in the case doesn't remember the pregnancy or birth, which may indicate that the creature wasn't conceived that way and she's just a surrogate to take care of it. Apparently homunculi also feed on blood so it seems like she was just part of someone's experiment.

But that's not even all. In alchemy, there are certain steps of transmutation, varying from 4 to 7 to 14 (interesting that it would be 14) depending on the alchemist, and while these are steps to supposedly creating a philosopher's stone and would all have to be completed in a row, I do see certain steps correlating to the casements we've heard. On one hand there's the aforementioned conjunction, but also one stage is cibation, as in eating something, which makes the grossout restaurant episode make more sense. And there's also calcination, which is essentially purification by fire to achieve a clean slate. Which is basically exactly what the Magnus protocol does

[kick-a-long]

i find it so desperately sad that goyim generally would be so much less antisemitic if jews started physically fighting back with guns or sticks in every country. calling for the murder of muslims all over the world, if the jewish population was big enough to have large scary groups of crazy fringe fundamentalist synagogues all over the world, a billion strong, that preached murder and hate so goyim could look down on jews like some noble savage in need of assistance and western education and protection. so we could be reformed in obvious patronizing ways because there were so many of us that we had militant violent fringe extremists, like christians and muslims have, mixed in with the normal jews.

if jews didn't have such a reputation for success and intelligence maybe conspiracy theories would stop blaming us for controlling the world. if we felt less in danger maybe we wouldn't be so obsessed with long term survival.

is antisemitism some warped form of envy? maybe. what sucks is that jews are no better or worse than anyone else. some jews are brutes and some are the most wonderful people imaginable, just like any other group. what sucks is we don't all live up to the reputation of tactical geniuses and wizards with mind control magic. all of us jews are just tired and abused humans who have lived with 2000+ years of generational trauma and the endless fall out from a popular jewish book written 3000+ years ago describing the best practices of jewish culture. It has some great stories, histories, life advice, diet recommendations, hygiene, and rules about how to treat others.

is that such a crime?

trying to show a path forward? not demanding anyone else follow those rules but wanting to do our best to follow them anyway? how to live a good life that makes the world better and makes you proud to have been on earth for the time you were there? jews fail to do this all the time, just like everyone else. I fail all the time. why are people so obsessed with that? people say shylock is a stereotyped antisemitic character but,

"I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge! The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction."

so why do jews always have to be the better man? why do we have to apologize for being angry and sad and hating the people that attack us? that was written by Shakespeare, a christian in the 1600s who often was in debt to jewish money lenders, the only profession left to jews at that time. even he saw the double standard. it makes a good point.

now, i don't want vengeance, i don't want violence, but i feel vengeful. i feel angry that i am unsafe because of play actors and terrorist supporters who want revenge for jews existing but scream bloody murder when jews refuse to dig their own graves, beg forgiveness for ever being born, and lay down in them to be mocked and pissed on and abused in the worst ways imaginable for the entertainment and conquest of it. i want peace with them. they are as human as i am, full of foibles and anger. i want nothing to do with them. i want them to never come near a jew again for the rest of time.

i am sad. all i want is to feel my feelings and advocate for what is the most ethical and practical work around to a world filled with unending suffering while i am still alive. i want them on thier side to live in the world they want and me on my side to live in the world i want. why don't these children of all ages, lost in delusions of fantastical battles and ultimate good and evil, see that? why can't I be a human first as well as a jew first? why do they ask me to pick? why am i not allowed to pick?

it's been almost a year. we're all so tired.

I'm going to a music festival. I'm trying to decide whether to wear a star. why is it dangerous to wear a star around my neck?

[novy2sirius]

Hi, I’ve been following your tumblr for a while. I want to ask, “What kind of appearance and aura do people with Lilith in the first house have?” I’m asking this because I have Lilith in Sagittarius on my first house there especially my Pluto in the first house in Sagittarius, and asteroid Transylvania in the first house. I’m curious.

FIRST HOUSE LILITH AURA + APPEARANCE

people with lilith in their 1st house usually have a seductive and mysterious aura. they may come off as someone who’s got a dark persona, but usually when you get to know them they’re not scary people or anything. many women with this placement struggle to fit in with other women often because they naturally attract lots of hateful jealousy from them no matter how kind they try to be. they have an aura that’s magnetic though and many people secretly admire them even though the hateful ones won’t want to admit it. i’ve noticed these people often have the vibe of like a vampire from the show the vampire diaries. their appearance tends to look similar to what people on social media describe as “dark feminine”. they usually have really pretty eyes and a beautiful body that many men find attractive. everyone always says this, but it really is true, they do get sexualized a lot by men and men may use them a lot for their body. they have a similar vibe to pluto in the 1h people except i would say more mysterious and less intense. i would also say lilith in 1h people (all genders) are much more misunderstood than pluto in 1h people. also random, but so many people i know with this placement will literally just be existing and someone will walk up to them and say something really out of pocket and uncalled for that’s so mean for no reason

thank you for following me by the way! i appreciate it 🩵

note: some celeb examples used have this placement in whole signs system but the rest are in placidus system

[dira333]

Of Head-Scratches and Fidgety Hands - Tendou Satori x Reader

Do I know what this is? No. But it was fun to write. - FLUFF

You’re not too sure how you got here in the first place.

Had Semi invited you? Or Reon? 

Too many people had talked at the same time, talking over each other and the words slurred together to a thick syrup until you could barely catch the essentials of “movie night” and “please come” and “dorm room”.

Now you’re tucked into the corner of a bed, trying to make yourself as small as possible because Ushijima is nothing if not massive and you don’t want him to think you want to cuddle or something.

“You’re not sitting up here,” someone announces from above and just seconds later Tendou jumps down, grinning like he doesn’t care. His eyes catch yours in the already dim light.

“Oh, is there space between you and Wakatoshi? Hmm?” He leans in.

“Sure,” you squeak, tucking yourself further into the corner.

Tendou slides into the open space, throwing his legs over Ushijima’s without a care. You’re a little jealous, to be honest. Not that you want to cuddle with Ushijima. You’d just love to be as careless as he is. Or the other girls that got invited.

Ran, for example, just sat on Goshiki’s lap the moment she came in and if that’s not confidence, you don’t know what is.

-

“Pspsps,” Tendou whispers just five minutes after the movie starts. 

You already know it’s going to be some bad horror movie.

“What?” You ask, heart hammering in your throat. “Do you need something? Oh shit, am I in your space?”

“No,” he smiles wide. “You’re just fidgeting a lot. Are you okay?  Are you scared? You can hold my hand if you want.”

You swallow thickly, eyes flickering from his face to the screen where a couple of girls just decided to leave their broken-down car on a dark, deserted street in the woods.

“Can I?” You ask back. “I… I kinda need to do something with my hands.”

And then, to your utter horror, your eyes flick up to his hair. It’s long and red and looks extremely soft, even in the barely there light. It’s the first thing you notice every time you two cross paths and maybe it’s the darkness or the lack of space, but your mouth just opens on its own.

“Can I play with your hair?”

Tendou’s eyes open wide and you wish you could suck those words back into your mouth and make sure they’re never heard.

“Sure,” he croaks out then, which in turn elicits a round of shushing from the other people but Tendou just settles further down into the bed, resting his head on your lap. 

His eyes are open and on you, asking you if this is okay just as much as you hope it is.

The moment your hands are in his hair you know you’re done for. It truly is as soft as it looks.

The movie is soon forgotten as you part strands and braid little braids, rub soft circles into his skin, or scratch faintly at his scalp.

About halfway through the movie, you look down to find Tendou fast asleep, his face nuzzled into your thighs. 

You let him sleep, your hands now a little less restless, just patting his head like one does with a napping kitten.

- - -

“Hey!” You almost flinch back at the loud greeting. Tendou waves at you from the other end of the hallway, coming closer much too fast. “How are you? Sorry, I fell asleep last time.”

“It’s uh… it’s no problem.” You glare at your feet, unable to look him in the face.

“Are you sure? You’ve got really talented hands there-” Your head shoots up to catch his smile, surprised that it’s gentle and shy, not bold and boisterous as usual.

“You sure?”

“Absolutely. It takes a while to put me to sleep, usually. You can ask Wakatoshi.”

You don’t think he meant the last part literally, but Ushijima’s deep voice still rings out, half a step behind him.

“I can confirm.”

“Oh, well, I… you have really nice hair.” What a weird compliment.

But Tendou blushes a soft red, now the one taking turns glaring at his shoes until Ushijima nudges him in an uncharacteristic show of support.

“Oh, right. We’re uh… doing another movie night. Just our dorm, though, not the whole team. Thought you might want to come.”

“Another horror movie?”

Tendou’s eyes open wide. “No, yes, I mean. What do you want to watch?”

“Tendou wants me to watch the Classics,” Ushijima interrupts before you can figure out a movie that makes you sound cool. “He said I need to see ‘The Land Before Time’.”

“Ouch,” you pull a face. “I mean I’m in, but we’ll need tissues.”

Ushijima seems surprised by that revelation, turning to Tendou as if to confirm you’re right.

“I told you that it will make you feel things,” Tendou defends himself, looking at you for help. 

“Lots of things,” you agree. 

“So you’re coming? It’s tonight, right after we get done with homework, so we don’t get to sleep too late.”

“I’m in.”

“Great, it’s a date.” Tendou grins, blushing all the same. 

You just hope you’re not as easy to read as he is.

- - -

“Where’s Tendou-Senpai?” Goshiki asks from the door of the study room.

“Sleeping,” Ushijima explains just as you put a finger on your lips to keep the First-Year from waking your boyfriend.

It’s not the most comfortable way to nap, but Satori’s managed to stretch out over a few chairs, his head in your lap. 

And even though he claimed it was to help with your ever-present need to fidget, you know it’s just a ruse to hide that he hasn’t been sleeping well lately. It probably has to do with the fact that you’re both waiting for your acceptance letters, the one thing deciding if your relationship will have to go long distance or not.

“Oh, sorry. Takai-Sensei asked for him. I’m supposed to bring him back with me.”

You sigh. “And here I thought he could finally take a nap.” 

Gently, you rub your thumb across his chin, up his cheek, and his temple. It’s more of a massage than a caress and it doesn’t take long for Satori to grumble and whine.

“Sorry,” you whisper down at him. “Takai-Sensei asked for you.”

“Five more minutes?”

“Not now, but you can lay down as soon as you’re back, okay? Extra head scratches for you too.”

“Fine,” he huffs, dragging himself up just to rest his head on your shoulder for a moment, breathing against your neck. “You’re lucky you’re the sugar plum fairy of women.”

“I’ll take that compliment,” you laugh, kissing him back when he leans in for a peck.

- - -

The flight to Paris is long and the leg room basically non-existent.

If you had the money for more expensive seats, you’d have splurged, just to make sure Satori could stretch his legs.  

“It’s fine,” he tells you for the fifth time, bending in a way that doesn’t seem humanly possible. “You will just have to head-scratch me into oblivion for the whole flight.”

You huff, exaggerating your exasperation.

“Why do always I have to do the head-scratching? I know I’m a fidgety mess, but you could return the favor once in a while.”

“Can I?” Satori asks, more hope in his voice than you thought possible.

“Eh, sure, I…” You blink, a little surprised. “I didn’t know you wanted to.”

“Yeah, because I didn’t want to mess up your pretty hair. And I don’t know if I can do it as well as you do. But I trained with Ushijima, so I can give pretty good shoulder rubs now.”

“Oh, so you trained?” You ask, raising your eyebrows at him.

“Like I’d risk a chance to hurt you, sweet pea of the fair seas.”

“Young Love,” the old granny on your right sighs, shaking her head at the two of you. 

[afsosville]

You know what would've been nice? Shen Jiu ending up on a different peak that's actually good for him. Maybe Qian Cao, or the beast taming peak could've been hella therapeutic. Or the alcohol/brewery peak to drown away all his sorrows. But what if he stayed fucked up, in a way that's actually good and productive for society? Yeah, I wanna toss him over to Yin Hui and let him run wild! I've seen many iterations of Yin Hui, the fanon peak for espionage and poisons in fanfics. By extension, Yin Hui is also covertly the assassination peak, and I wish this peak got more attention around here tbh. Why do I think this peak is the most well suited for Shen Jiu? BECAUSE ASSASSINS. Duh.

So here comes a baby demonic cultivator Shen Jiu and the Yin Hui peak lord immediately wants him. Shen Jiu would be more readily accepted by his peak martial siblings, and no one would bat an eye at Shen Jiu, his standoffish personality or shady past. A lot of Yin Hui disciples are from questionable backgrounds since the Yin Hui peak lord naturally has to be very particular about selecting their disciples. Yin Hui was established to protect the sect and its people by any means necessary. Sure, the rest of the sect may fight against the supernatural, demons, and the undead, but Yin Hui fights an even greater monster: people.

The Yin Hui peak lord manipulated things so that the first impression the rest of the sect has about Shen Jiu is 'that new badass Yin Hui disciple that killed the criminal Wu Yanzi and saved the future sect leader!' (Seeing as Wu Yanzi would be the very sort of ppl they assassinate, he's already getting goated on Yin Hui too.) So Shen Jiu is known as that new prodigious disciple from Yin Hui and is getting some goddamn respect! And just because of his association with his peak, fewer people are inclined to question his background and whatnot since there's an understanding that the identity of the YH disciples needs to be heavily guarded. The Yin Hui peak lord finds out about the Qiu's soon enough, and they erase any and all traces leading back to Shen Jiu. Even framing it in a way that makes it look like WY did the massacre. Any credibility Qiu Haitang could've had for Shen Jiu's murder accusations is thrown out the window. (Ain’t no way in hell the Yin Hui peak lord is going to name SJ that stupid trauma inducing name like a certain Qing Jing peak lord, that's for sure.)

I'm pulling in elements from MDZS over here. In my version of Yin Hui, they have disciples who practice demonic cultivation, but they make sure it's in a safer way that won't hurt them. There's a surprising number of disciples who have damaged cultivation and chose to cultivate the ghost path. The previous generations of Yin Hui peak lords have created Wei Wuxian's inventions in this AU, and is used by the rest of the peak, like the compass of ill winds, paper metamorphosis, the spirit attraction flag, and empathy. I lowkey want a Wei Wuxian that's native to SV to be the Yin Hui peak lord, now that I think about it. He's good with his kiddos and would be an awesome shizun. And ofc, Shen Jiu is a reflection of his environment, so he's certainly making an example out of Wei Wuxian, one of the only positive influences in his life.

Shen Jiu still has his violent tendencies, so nothing has changed about that, but he learns to take that pent-up energy out on missions instead. And he does them well. It even gives him an edge. Everyone else thinks he's just reallyyy good at his job, as expected of the talented head disciple of Yin Hui!!

He really does try his best to not be an ass (bc he gets the love he deserves on Yin Hui) and ends up venting in a different way (coz he knows better than to take it out on people who don’t deserve it.) His shizun really gave him the free reign to kill sl@ve trad3rs, human tr@ffick3rs, r-ists, and other scum whenever he wanted, in the name of stress relief lol. If killing a particular person becomes politically complicated, like the Old Palace Bastard, then you best believe he's going to scheme like the little schemer he is. He's going to Nie Huaisang the OPM.

Since Shen Jiu is not salty about his fucked up cultivation, and his martial siblings respect him, they get along just fine. His cultivation is some parts similar to Wei Wuxian's: Shen Jiu is a ghost cultivator influenced by music. Sure, he may not be that great of a spiritual cultivator, so what? He's pulling up like the Yiling Patriarch with his demonic cultivation and a haunted guqin of his own.

And guess what? Shen Jiu enjoys teaching. He's training miniature assassins, spies, and the art of demonic cultivation, so forgive him if he's more than a little enthusiastic about it. I imagine that he's exactly like Shifu from kung fu panda when it comes to teaching. Still extremely harsh and strict when training, but outside of actually teaching, he's an attentive and caring shizun. And yes, he completely does act like a father figure who is proud of his murder babies, and ends up being called A-Ba so much that all of Cang Qiong thinks he's officially adopted every single one of his disciples. (After being saved by SJ on a mission, NYY persistently begs SJ to take her in even though he desperately thinks Yin Hui isn't a good fit for her. And then, after being under him for a while, she's completed her first mission successfully, has smn else's blood on her face, and is smiling brightly. 

Ning Yingying: "I completed my mission shizun! Are you proud of me?"

Shen Jiu: "..."

Some other peaklord: "Haha like father like daughter! She's definitely your girl alright!"

Shen Jiu: "...!?!" )

Yue Qingyuan is conerneth about his Xiao Jiu, but as long as he's happy, who cares. Shen Jiu has a better relationship with the other peak lords, so when asked about why he visits brothels, he straight up tells them that it's the best place to gather information in the dark. He doesn't have that mentality of "why explain myself when no ones finna believe me anyway" He actually trusts them and is more honest with time. Shen Jiu does come clean about killing the Qiu's at some point, and the peak lords are all like-

"I didn't hear shit"

"See, I'm blind in my left eye, and 75% blind in my right-"

"Completely understandable, Shen shidi!"

They don't even ask why he did it and just assume he had a valid reason, and he absolutely fucking did.

Oh, Shen Jiu gets accused of playing dirty? Liu Qingge, he literally kills ppl and makes poison as a daytime fucking job ofc he's gonna play dirty! Shen Jiu tried killing you that one time on the well mission? Bro you good? The fact that you think he tried to kill you and failed?? You just insulted an entire peak of disciples and their ancestors. You would've been dead before you could even think of sensing their killing intent if it were true. And there was a witness too, doofus. Be fucking for real. Nahh coz there definitely would be more people who are taking Shen Jiu's side whenever the two of them fight.

Shen Jiu uses a shit ton of versatile weapons because most of his fighting and cultivation prowess comes from his wits and adapting to fighting with different styles/methods. He is kinda similar to Xie Lian bc both of them lack spiritual energy/qi (damaged spirit roots in Shen Jiu's case), but that does not mean they are weaker. It just means they learned to train their body and minds instead of relying on cultivation/qi. He has a massive arsenal of weapons along with the demonic cultivation.

Yin Hui has got to be my favorite fanon peak, and Yin Hui! Shen Jiu plauges so many of my waking thoughts, I can't stop-

I can add elements from my other hyperfixation into this AU, the Avatar Chronicles. Which are the written books from ATLA. The criminal organization Kyoshi joined, the Daofei, for example, could be a good plot point. Or the Platinum Affair from the Yangchen books. If you don’t know what the Avatar Chronicles are, just ignore this last part lol.

[fungusqueen]

me and an older coworker have this long-running joke we do at work where we make up stories/events when we know customers are listening. mostly we try to, in one sentence, create some sort of mystery and intrigue. sometimes the story can continue and it can morph and evolve. and whether the customers are listening or tuning in, or engaging with us in regards to that story, thats up to them. sometimes we do it just in passing, so we can just drop the story off and walk away.

but like, recently, the stories have revolved around yodeling classes. for example, we might walk past each other and say:

"how much did you pay for your yodeling class?"

"did you ever get the refund for your yodeling class?"

"hey, I need the number to your yodeling teacher, don't forget when I see you in the break room!"

"I'm coming to your yodeling graduation, save me a ticket!"

"is your sister still dating her yodeling teacher?"

but if we're working together, there is more opportunity to have a more in-depth conversation around the given topic. but like, today we were talking to a customer and she was telling us about some random national holiday tomorrow (Rice Krispie treat day) and we were talking about the process to propose holidays for things like that (random things). and my coworker says "hey there should be a national yodeling day!" and so I tell her "he's doing yodeling classes," so he has to play along with it/continue the story. and the customer was so intrigued and asked to hear a sample of the yodeling...which I knew he couldn't perform because the yodeling classes don't exist. so I quickly said that our managers have asked him to stop yodeling at work so he, unfortunately, cannot yodel for her at this moment. and then we're just like, okay anyway, goodbye stranger, have a good day! back to work!

and then sometimes, my coworker lets out an evil laugh after we have successfully convinced a customer of our made-up story. I'm not good at an evil laugh, so I don't do one, but like, in my head i definitely feel evil and mischievous

[connorsnothereeither]

How do you make Virgils boards, is there a system or do you just like go ham? I find them very neat and am curious

(idk if this has been asked before but if it has i couldn't find it so-)

I don’t think it’s been asked but I would LOVE to ramble about it omg for sure-

It’s sort of a mix of both! I have the advantage of like,,, Virgil canonically thinks the way I think, when it comes to connecting dots, so it’s sort of just a visual representation of my brain and how I picture the lore, lol. In terms of a “process” though:

I tend to start with a list of important plot points, bits of information, and character details Virgil does know. And obviously most of the time, it’s a a bunch of questions that he’s asking, which I’ve woven those into

From there, I make a list of assumptions Virgil makes based off those facts. Sometimes those are correct assumptions that I know are right because they’re planned lore. Sometimes they’re things that I’m spitballing because we haven’t landed on an actual answer, and it’s sort of like,,, testing the waters with an idea I think is fun, but that might not be canon. Sometimes, my favourite, they’re just completely bullshit assumptions that make sense but are so wild and silly, either for the comedic effect or as a red herring.

Once I’ve got all of those, I do just sort of go ham sketching them out! I tend to cluster them based on vibe and theme, so it looks like an evolution of thought. Here is this idea, here is this idea that relates to it, kinda thing. I also try to make sure that there’s a drawing or diagram per cluster of information, to add more visual interest! I tend to shuffle things around once they're drawn out, trying to see what fits best where, the sizing of things, and whats like, an appropriate connection/space for things to go! (for example in the upcoming draft of the board, I had to decide if i put the section on Luxtant near Avianism, near the Avicane, near the Sorcerers, or near Vast and Rune!)

Also before I do the line art, I tend to add the strings on a seperate layer to test the placement! actually connecting things with the red string is less important to me then how it looks visually. I want “main things,” whether it’s drawings or notes, to be visible. Like I try my best to not have string lines being directly over the top of people, or important concepts! You can for example in the current board in Virgil’s office that like,,, the note about Kalia isn’t covered, or the pictures of Vast and Pietro, but things like random questions about Viviana are covered by strings, because they’re less important to notice upon first glance. It’s a lot of finding a way to use the strings to draw the eyes in places I want them to go.

Then the last step of the process is line art and colouring and finalising placement :D

That all makes it sound like it’s a properly like, thought out process but honestly it’s a big mess of back and forth editing and scribbling and deciding last minute to add things to fill up space and just hope things turn out looking okay lol! But I have a lot of fun with it, Virgil and his investigations and investigative process (especially upcoming with things like Void Sickness) are very fun to play out 🫶

[oldmanjenkins985]

TW for pedophila since I mention it very briefly at one point I would like to clarify, with all the Tessa age shit that's been going on, that my intent with this was not to prove that Tessa is an adult so she can go on to be sexualized and shit like that. My intent was to prove it was ambigious by showing all the evidence is circumstantial with explanations that both sides could use. And if you boil down *any* character, ambigious age or not, to sexualizing them, that's a completely different issue and one that very much matters. I very much do not care for that stuff, and yes I did have a crush on Tessa once. I was 17 at the time though, meaning that even if she was as young 15 that'd only be a 2 year age gap, so don't you *dare* try and accuse me of being a fuckin' weirdo or anything. I've moved on to other characters now, that being N and Uzi.

Now then, to go along with that, anyone who is uncomfortable with explicit remarks made towards Tessa or Flesha are *completely* allowed to do that regardless of her age. Whether in ambiguity or if she eventually gets confirmed to be an adult, you are *allowed* to be uncomfortable with that. You're allowed to do that with 40 year olds even.

A lot of you who were saying constantly that Tessa is a minor as if it was canon are yourselves minors. So I completely understand why you'd feel this way. The two examples I can think of are @/nuvimuvi and @/kittydragondraws (Don't wanna ping cause I don't wanna bother you with this crap). Your feelings on this are valid and there's no need for you to say Tessa is a minor as if it's confirmed canon when it's not and even one of the people in the Glitch Inn can't give a definitive answer. I don't care that he's not the end all be all, if he has just as much info as the rest of us then why would he come to the conclusion it's ambigious if he could look and see she's "clearly" a minor?

So basically: You're allowed to headcanon Tessa as a minor and be uncomfortable with explicit content surrounding her and Flesha, but that does not mean Tessa is canonically a minor and that people are pedos for saying stuff like that.

Oh, one more thing since we're here. I wanna touch on the Bite Me music video render to clear things up.

So, I've seen a lot of people saying this isn't a "sexy" pose (sorry for lack of better word), but it just...is. And no, that doesn't mean they're sexualizing Flesha, I'll get to that in a moment.

So if you just look up "sexy lean back sitting" on google, you'll find a ton of pictures of people posed extremely similar to Cyn. I'm also pretty certain I've seen pin-up drawings of when in this pose. And one final example: Widowmaker from Overwatch. *The* character who's sexualization is a big part of her design. Her sitting emote is this exact pose. And for as long as I've known this is just *the* sexy sitting pose for women. I don't know where I got that from, just that it's been in my brain for years now.

Now then, let's get back to what I said earlier about this not necessarily meaning it's meant to be sexual. I just went over how it is clearly sexual, so why the fuck am I saying it's possibly not? Very simple, it could be a joke. I've done the "Sexy pose" as a joke for years now. Even when I was 16, 17, hell even maybe as far back as 15, I've done this *exact* pose as a joke. I'm a man, so a pose like this isn't the "sexy" pose most would think of for males and that's why it worked as a joke because it was like "oh, I'm so girly" Now that doesn't mean you *have* to be a man to make it ironic and funny rather than actually sexualizing. You can just be a girl or say...an eldritch horror wearing a girl's skin. Something that horrid looking could be seen as funny when doing a pose like this since it's not exactly something you expect to see. And an even further way to say it isn't sexual: It just...might not be intended that way. It could very well just be how they had her sit. Like I said before, this is *the* go to sexy pose for women, but that doesn't mean every woman sitting like this is intending for that to be how she's percieved. They could just be...sitting.

In conclusion of that, yes this is a sexy pose, stop saying it isn't, but that doesn't mean the intent is that Flesha is supposed to be attractive. It could very easily be a joke or have no intent behind it and that's it. So once again, like most stuff surrounding this, it's completely up to the viewer to interpret it as it's ambigious.

[nori-the-cat]

☆ RIIZE Anton Lee’s Green and Red Flags // Tarot Reading (Requested) ☆

Remember, take tarot readings with a grain of salt!

☆ Green Flags

He seems like the kind of person who values deep, meaningful relationships. He’s great at building connections that are balanced and fulfilling for everyone involved.

He’s got a solid work ethic and can handle big responsibilities. He’s ready to put in the hard work needed to reach his goals, even if it means taking on a lot.

He has a real knack for reading people and situations. He trusts his gut and has a way of handling tricky emotional or intellectual stuff with ease.

He is open to new opportunities, especially when it comes to practical things like work or money. He tends to dive into new projects and investments with a positive attitude, setting himself up for future success.

He believes in fairness and sticking to his principles. He values honesty and equality, and he always tries to make decisions that are balanced and just, treating everyone with respect.

Card(s) pulled: The Lovers, 10 of Wands, The High Priestess, Ace of Pentacles, and Justice

☆ Red Flags

He has super high expectations for himself and others, which can sometimes lead to frustration if things don’t go as planned. For instance, he might expect everything to be perfect in his projects or relationships, which can create a lot of stress and disappointment.

He focuses a lot on financial stability or material success, sometimes at the expense of his emotional or personal needs. For example, he could put work before relationships, which might throw off his life balance.

He might come off as determined, but it could sometimes seem like stubbornness or even aggression. For instance, he might be pretty set on his own opinions during discussions and not take others' views into account, which can spark some conflicts.

He might go through some pretty intense emotions that can be tough to handle. He could experience ups and downs that impact his relationships or how he makes decisions.

He might tend to ditch situations or relationships when things get tough or they no longer benefit him. For instance, he might quit a job or end a relationship instead of dealing with the problems, which can lead to a lot of instability or things left unresolved.

Card(s) pulled: The World, Queen of Pentacles, The Chariot, Ace of Cups, and 8 of Cups

Note: So, when I did this tarot card reading something clicked about Anton. This is just my take, but I feel like Anton puts way too much importance on money, social status, and wealth. It's like he's all about how he's seen, who he's seen with, and what benefits he can get. He's a good guy, no doubt, caring and loyal, but he's always looking out for himself. He won't show his cards until he knows what you've got. If you want to get to know him, you've gotta lay your cards out first. He's not always upfront, but he's not a flat-out liar either. He's sly and calculating. And there's still a bit of immaturity there, maybe he's trying to grow out of it.

[triptychgrip]

Yuuri’s love of Viktor’s extraness

Something that I've seen a lot of in Yuri!!! on Ice post-canon fanfic is a tendency to write Yuuri exhibiting a certain amount of chagrin around Viktor's extra-ness.

Perhaps I've misinterpreted intent and simplified instances that in actuality were meant to convey something completely different, but at times, I've noted this implicit (or explicit) weariness attributed to Yuuri when it comes to his reactions to Viktor's behavior.

Specifically, his excitability and charisma.

To reiterate: I'm talking about post-canon content, meaning that Yuuri and Viktor have already bridged that initial gap between them and are in a committed relationship. I say this b/c a certain amound of overwhelm/wariness in response to larger-than-life Viktor is very understandable in the beginning, when Yuuri is not only struggling to understand why the hell his idol has come to Hasetsu, but is also realizing that the public persona that Viktor exudes doesn't match up with the flesh-and-blood being that is the real him.

This "God, why in the hell am I engaged to an excitable child?!" characterization of Yuuri confuses me, because one of the most endearing parts of the show is the fact that Yuuri is capable of 1) being just as extra as Viktor (but in different ways) and/or 2) matching Viktor's extra-ness in the way of the whole "meeting him where he is" theme.

I think there are plenty of examples of #1 (that quad flip at the Cup of China!!), and the Chihoko incident is a perfect encapsulation of number 2. With the latter, note that Yuuri doesn't minimize Viktor's insecurities by being all "you're being ridiculous, Viktor, why is THIS your way of trying to get my attention?"; instead, he tells Viktor that he could search the entire world and still find no one better. Oh, and then at Viktor's request, he strips down and joins him on the top of Hasetsu Castle.

Writing him as only being tolerant of Viktor's extra-ness (rather than celebrating it) also confuses me because as they get to know one another, I would imagine that Yuuri is able to see more clearly than most how Viktor was at a breaking point before coming to Hasetsu. You don't get to be a 5-time World Champion without being somewhat of a workaholic with extreme discipline, and there is more than enough evidence to support the idea that prior to coming to Hasetsu, Viktor hadn't really allowed himself to let loose, have fun, and do something entirely for just himself in a very long time (aside from that Sochi banquet night, of course).

So then, after coming to understand just how much Viktor might have been suppressing his true nature prior to their coming into each other' lives, why would Yuuri make Viktor feel bad about this intrinsic part of his personality? I've always gotten the impression that Yuuri would adore Viktor's innature curiosity and excitability, especially when he comes to realize that Viktor is keeping true to his episode 4 request to just be himself.

I might make a part 2 to this post, because there are honestly a lot of Viktor headcanons floating around in my head, particularly with respect to the fact that he seems like a man who has been told his entire life that he is "too much". Thus, to perceive this same attitude from the love of his life (again, maybe not explicitly, but implicitly) would probably tear him up inside.

I actually explicitly addressed this in Chapter 7 of my post-canon Olympic Games series, by way of a BuzzFeed "Couples' Quiz" appearance that the Katsuki-Nikiforovs make. Their last question to one another asks them to list the things they think their partner loves about them the most, and frankly, it was healing for me to be able to write Viktor answering that he thinks his husband loves his charisma/excitability 😭🥹

[oswalish]

rahhhh random rant because i’m angry hater mood i HATE HATE HATE people who think miss goldberg did anything to marvin. saw someone go “set those sails is a villain song and people need to accept miss goldberg is a bad person” i’m screaming and crying and clawing at the walls you don’t fucking understand it you don’t understand the goddamn musical.

in trousers is at its core about misogyny, that is its core theme, which is shown by how marvin hurts the women in his life, specifically his wife, his sweetheart, and miss goldberg. it would conflict the themes and narrative if miss goldberg hurt marvin, as this would diminish what marvin does to the other women. marvin does come up with excuses for his actions/ tries to garner sympathy in the musical (im talking 1979 vers here, i’m not as well versed on the 1985) he is immediately hit with trina shutting him down with her telling us how his actions have hurt her more than they’ve hurt him.

another thing is that the women are mostly not themselves, but rather versions of themselves that exist in marvin’s head. this doesn’t apply to trina, as she is the only woman in the musical who tells her own story. for example, your lips and me and its reprise tell us very specifically events that are happening in her life and how she’s feeling, she also tells her about her past. she also addresses marvin directly in breakfast over sugar.

whereas his sweetheart and miss goldberg do not have songs like this. “my highschool sweetheart” doesn’t tell us anything about his sweetheart other than that she’s his sweetheart, she’s a person, and that she wants marvin to pay attention to her more. but there honestly isn’t much in the musical to confirm that she actually is a person at all, she insists her own existence but marvin never pays attention to her or even addresses her existence, in childhood or adulthood.

miss goldberg is interesting. she doesn’t play into marvin’s fantasy and feels like more of a real person than his sweetheart, having her own personality and opinions. she also sings i am wearing a hat where she seems to tell part of a story that could be her own, though it doesn’t really get more specific than “i’m wearing a hat, i am unloved”. she never quite seems to behave like a schoolteacher either, within the story she seems to be more of a narrator, likely due to her importance in marvin’s story. she is the biggest case of marvin insisting his heterosexually, while also forcing him to realise he is gay. she is not actually herself within the musical, the real miss goldberg is probably nothing like her. this is an internalised version of her than marvin came up with, though it’s more authentic feeling than his sweetheart since her role is to pull marvin out of his fantasies, since she’s probably the only way marvin can actually be honest with himself and recognise his actions.

many people bring up the lines “you might tell me you’re a victim, you might get what you deserve, but i won’t excuse, boy i cant excuse, a boy who’s lost his nerve” which i will admit. do not sound great, incredibly suspicious even. but taken in the context that miss goldberg is not actually saying this to marvin, and actually it’s a version of miss goldberg that marvin has made up to make himself “behave properly” it starts to make sense.

marvin victimises himself a LOT. he’s self aware enough to recognise when he does wrong but tends to refuse to believe that it’s truly his fault, and that he’s the victim somehow. this is pretty obvious in falsettos but it’s also true in in trousers. he sings a lot of songs trying to portray himself as the victim, facing a lot of opposition from the women. this is shown in How Marvin Eats His Breakfast where he is sure that he’s in the right and is the victim because he’s not getting what he wants, and the women in the song directly oppose him by describing all the insane things he’s doing and even insulting him. it’s also shown in The Nausea Before the Game, where he’s lamenting about how his life is so hard, and how trying to live up to societies expectations is nauseating (this is a very simplified analysis of the song, i do actually thing marvin’s feelings in this song are valid but that’s an entirely different conversation). the song transitions into his wife singing about how she met him, how he ghosted her for weeks but then came back. that part of the song is much more tragic than marvin’s, essentially telling the listener that while his feelings are valid, he also seriously hurt and damaged this woman, and that that cannot be forgotten. the musical never ever lets us believe that marvin is the victim, despite his insistence.

and then every pony, is what i think the first line of that quote is referring to. how marvin is convinced that he is the victim, he is telling *himself* that. and the part of himself who knows that isn’t true manifests as miss goldberg to tell him that no, no you aren’t. no matter what marvin says, he will never be the victim, he is the one hurting others.

“you might get what you deserve” is slightly more difficult. i can’t really tell if it’s positive or negative. it could either refer to how he got what he deserved by being in a loveless marriage, or how he got what he deserved by leaving his wife and kids (and bird) to leave with whizzer. personally i think it’s the second, going with how marvin is convinced that he’s the victim, he’s convinced him leaving his wife for whizzer is what he deserves after going through so much. he thinks he deserves something good for once. and like yay bro for breaking out of your forced heterosexuality but did you have to destroy your wife’s entire life in the process? when i say marvin isn’t a victim i do mean in the context of the musical, marvin is very much a victim of society and heteronormativity, but he is NOT a victim of any of the women in the musical, which he likes to pretend he is. it’s easier to blame them than himself.

“but i won’t excuse, boy i can’t excuse, a boy who’s lost his nerve.” much simpler to understand, the miss goldberg inside marvin’s head is very much the voice of outside influence, aka wider society, the one that expects him to conform. she can’t excuse him “loosing his nerve” by deciding to cheat on his wife with a man and run away with said nerve.

anyway i hope this yap session help y’all understand that marvin was never harmed by miss goldberg (nor do i think he did anything to her, other than probably be off putting and creepy like an average 14 year old is) i doubt anyone will see this but i loooooove talking about this stupid musical so ask questions please please please or else i’ll post 5 MILLION of these because i can’t stop thinking about this musical

[bunnis-monsters]

I love your posts and stories! Fics? I’m not sure what you prefer to call them!

You’ve inspired me so much!

I was wondering. Your blog seems mostly focused with fem reader x masc monster bfs. If someone were to begin writing similar stories inspired by your blog would you want to be tagged as inspo? You’ve gotten my mental horny cogs whirring and I was thinking of trying my hand at a queer version of things like you’ve posted here.

To be clear: NOT fanfics of your work, or aping your work of COURSE— and most likely not even the same exact writing style bc it would be my style. Just a similar ideas of monster lovers short smutty scenarios.

Im probably over-explaining/over thinking it 😅

The tldr is that I love your work and you’ve inspired me!

I’m uncomfortable with people using any of my original ideas or stories, and especially lore I come up with myself.

You’re more than welcome to make a similar account to mine though, I’m certainly not the first and won’t be the last monster fucker account. I don’t own any of the monsters or anything, but I own my own original ideas, characters, and stories.

Even with credit for inspo I would still be uncomfortable. It’s something I’ve learned as a creator, I just don’t like it. If you see a monster that I write for you’d like to also write for, go ahead! Just don’t use my characters, original lore, or stories!

Example: You can use bee hybrids (I’m absolutely not the first to write about them), but please don’t copy the original lore I’ve written about them! Ofc they’re in a hive, there’s different types of workers and that’s not original, but my lore is different than usual bee hybrid stuff. You can check it out here.

Again, this isn’t me saying everything I write is a completely new concept, monster fucker accounts are not new at all and I’ve definitely taken inspiration from people myself.

But what is original is the lore and work I’ve put into these characters and worlds to make them my own! Part of me plans to write actual books with my ideas some day!

I fully encourage you to start an account if your own and you’re free to be inspired by me, as long as you don’t cross my boundaries.