#and its art and english. two subjects i love and that I'm good at

[vilelittlecritter]

You people are assholes and cruel I should have never fuckin said how old I am now go to hell.

I have had to endure the most strenuous types of bullying that shall leave scars on my psyche for the rest of my life

I hope you disgusting ruffians are pleased with your efforts to torment me as they have worked to high affect

I shall never doze away to escape from the troubling thoughts now plaguing my mind from this horrendous bullying

[authoralexharvey]

INTERVIEW WITH A WRITEBLR — @thetruearchmagos

Who You Are:

Arch || He/him

I'm a Singaporean student, writing in his spare time as a coping mechanism against the World. Worldbuilder at heart, with Writing, then Art, coming along to help me express all that

What You Write:

What genres do you write in? What age ranges do you write for?

Action, fantasy, poetry, and sci-fi. Middle grade.

What genre would you write in for the rest of your life, if you could? What about that genre appeals to you?

Techno-Thriller. I can read fantasy well enough, and Sci Fi has that aesthetic appeal to me, but the themes, subjects, and tropes have been fascinating to me for a good while. Really, the right answer would be "anything set in My World"

What genre/s will you not write unless you HAVE to? What about that genre turns you off?

Romance? I like sappy love, but creating an entire work with the immediate expectation of love, and with that love as its sole goal, turns me off. Might be a misunderstanding of the genre, but that's about it for me

Who is your target audience? Do you think anyone outside of that would get anything out of your works?

I have no idea! Techno Thriller is a thing from a good whole ago, like Tom Clancy stuff, so I doubt there's much of a following to begin with. I'd say people my age, more or less, but that's pretty wishful thinking

What kind of themes do you tend to focus on? What kinds of tropes? What about them appeals to you?

Well, call it the conventions of the Genre, but military themes with a heightened focus on the technical aspects will come up a fair bit, as will some possible but hopefully not clichés of Military fiction. Personal bravery, the all encompassing totality of War that sweeps away the personal sacrifice under its scale, brutality and violence of conflict, and the toll it takes on ethose it touches. Again, blame Tom Clancy, specifically Red Storm Rising, Red October, and Cardinal of the Kremlin. I just really like reading the uber detailed, panoramic descriptions of the action as much as the fighting, and I'd love to say I can make something of that calibre

What themes or tropes can you not stand? What about them turn you off?

Chosen Ones. Holy cow, I hate it. I can't really put it into words easily, but in my writing I try to make it clear that everyone is both equally important, and equally not so. I feel like the trope is an unhealthy one at best, and actively puts down people's worth due to their simple and immutable characteristics at worst, whole offering a simple and sweet answer to a complex and cruel reality. Also, it's just so thoroughly stupid

What are you currently working on? How long have you been working on it?

A lot of things at once, really. I consider my Project at heart to be the Setting, "The 12 Worlds", which has been my baby for two years or so by now. I write the stories for that World, not create the World just for the stories

Why do you write? What keeps you writing?

To express, to test, to vent. I like getting A1s for English, after all! But seriously, these days I do it for the sense of getting something done, and the joy of seeing other people's opinions on it. That last one, though…

How long have you been writing? What do you think first drew you to it?

As far as "my" writing goes, a little over a year, or more? Hard to say, I guess I always took pride in my writing skills in school, and reading so much as a kid I was allured by the notion of creating the written word.

Where do you get your inspiration from? Is that how you got your inspiration for your current project? If not, where did the inspiration come from?

Reading, and looking at my Genre, real world events from now and the past. Certainly, yes! Specifically, a lot of things in the "recent" time frame of what I call the "Great Wars" are inspired by the various tropes of a Cold War Gone Hot scenario, and the older stuff gets inspired by real world histories

What work of yours are you most proud of? Why?

The 12 Worlds, always! Though if you mean a specific written piece, hard to pick a favourite child. A current big one, the Chapter length Bristling Skies, might take the cake. It's I soured by my favourite chapter of RSR, Dance of the Vampires, and it's where I've really let loose with my techno thriller edge

Have you published anything? Do you want to?

Nope, but I do want to!

What part of the publishing process most appeals to you? What part least appeals to you?

Dknt know much about it, so can't say. I guess editing, sibce of I write something I usually do et ediy it before release, and I hate to lose my Work

What part of the writing process most appeals to you? What part is least appealing?

Worldbuilding! Editing stuff

Do you have a writing process? Do you have an ideal setup? Do you write in pure chaos? Talk about your process a bit.

Nit really? I like quiet, I guess, but i write eher u can

Your Thoughts on Writeblr:

How long have you been a writeblr? What inspired you to join the community?

Hard to define when I entered, I think. I guess I just thought the games seemed fun, then I discovered tagging people in my writing, and now we're here

Shout out some of your favorite writeblrs. How did you find them and what made you want to follow them?

@lividdreamz! My first friend on this hellsite, and someone I shall forever be indebted to for lending a listening ear to my stuff! @athenswrites, @muddshadow, @moonscribbler, @dogmomwrites, and @marinesocks also get a shout out from me!

What is your favorite part about writeblr?

Getting writing feedback and responses, I think.

What do you think writeblr could improve on? How do you think we can go about doing so?

I'm not usually one for this sort of thing. I guess getting a greater variety of tag and Ask games might be interesting?

How do you contribute to the writeblr community? Do you think you could be doing more?

I just post my stuff, and do some games occasionally. I guess I could be, but I doubt I have the nergy for much more

What kinds of posts do you most like to interact with?

Other people's writing, though that's dependent on whether I find it my thing

What kind of posts do you most like to make?

Text writing, occasionally Art and straight up Worldbuilding stuff

Finally, anywhere else online we may be able to find you?

Discord and World Anvil! Plus, I'm considering starting a Blog related to one of my projects

[no27-autonation-honda]

15 Qs for 15 friends!

I got double tagged by @sebsrainbowbicycle and @mossistyping (howdy!)

Are you named after anyone? Yes, actually! I can't say which famous old movie star I got named after without exposing my birth name which is hella fem, so if u wanna like ask for deets, u can! but we stan classic movies in my family's house and I am named after a pretty famous actress from the classic movie era, which is...cooler now that I've made peace with it, but still deeply funny for the success i was set up for from my fam.

When was the last you cried? Probably a few months ago when I was really stressed about being sick and a bunch of other stuff going on.

you have kids? No!

What sports do you play/have you played? Played volleyball as a little kid (terrible at it), but I did shoot archery competitively from about the time I was...like. 11 or 12?? to about the time I was 15.

Do you use sarcasm? Yes, debatable on how good.

What is the first thing you notice about people? Height/Hair/Voice.

What is your eye color? Green

Scary movies or happy endings? As much as I love my happy endings... Scary movies my beloved.

Any talents? ... I mean I was a pretty solid shot when I did archery? I did pretty good at a lot of contests. I'm a pretty good photographer, I think. Also a good researcher and pretty solid writer. I can hold my breath for about two minutes when I'm in the habit of swimming I guess. Otherwise, I'd just say im pretty good at handicrafts like embroidery and crochet.

Where were you born? The wonderful state of Missouri in the US! We are the Cave State!

What are your hobbies? embroidery/cross stitch, crochet and knitting, reading when I can, I used to be a theatre lighting tech and I miss that so badly but it's not really a hobby since its been so long. Playing card games and hanging out with friends, and going on walks and swimming (i miss swimming SO MUCH). technically also dnd and other ttrpgs but i havent played in like eight zillion years (i miss being a dm SO BAD)

Do you have any pets? My family has a cat named Poppy who is about fifteen years old and a nightmare and I love her a lot.

How tall are you? 5'1, and i think im somewhere in the 155cm range

Favorite subject at school? English/History/Art

Dream job? Research librarian

okay tagging with no pressure and also much like the people who tagged me, minimal confidence in my ability to count to 15.

@atinystraykid @the-wonderful-jinx @nautical-nasa @bobaheadshark @honeyboyfelix @duelbraids @grimreaperchic @valleyforgewriters @sporest @two-tyred-problems @truehauntings @callmeclementinee @skull-in-a-jar @planet-useless @cottagehowell

[thehiddenbaroness]

15 People, 15 Questions

I was tagged by @plumcoloredblazer -- sorry it took me a hot minute to get to it! I appreciate it. <3

1. Are you named after anyone?

I've long disliked that none of my names are 'mine', in that both my first and middle names are from other people -- my first is my maternal grandfather's middle name (which he also sorta went by), while my middle name is my mother's middle name (which she went by when we moved to the UK).

2. When was the last time you cried?

I had a few frustrated tears over the weekend, but it's rare nowadays that I actually cry-cry.

3. Do you have kids?

I do not, unless you count the two fur-babies. No intention to.

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

I played field (read: astroturf) hockey for a few years in middle school; before that, I was a dancer (yes I count dance as a sport). Lately I'm not really a sporty type but I am getting more active.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Moi?

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Usually what comes out of their mouth, but also how they carry themselves -- do they look interested in where they are? Are they engaged with what's at hand? Do they have good posture? Are they trying to shrink into themselves? Are they oblivious to being in someone's way? Are they close to the gap?

7. What’s your eye color?

Dark brown.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Err...I hesitate to say neither, because while I don't like scary movies and don't *dislike* a happy ending, movies with ambiguous/bittersweet or even tragic endings are typically the ones I've enjoyed more.

9. Any talents?

Writing, I'd like to think. I'm organized and efficient. I have a deep well of empathy and understanding and feel like I'm good at helping folks wrestle with life's troubles. I'm a spice sorceress.

10. Where were you born?

Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

11. What are your hobbies?

Writing (who knew?), history (especially art and natural, and archeology), reading, word games, languages, organizing and decorating, gaming somewhat, jigsaw puzzles, travel.

12. Do you have any pets?

We have two! Molly, our sensitive and loving Shepinois (German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix), and Penny, our eccentric and brave gray/peach dilute calico shorthair.

13. How tall are you?

A delightfully average 5'4; as my mother used to say, at least I don't have to bend down as far if I drop something.

14. Favorite subject in school?

I actually had a love/hate relationship with English since it was the one I was most invested in, but I liked it the most because I did the best in it.

15. Dream job?

Taking this to mean more of an occupation than a *job* -- since I think if something is a job it's not especially enjoyable or rewarding -- the answer is perhaps obvious: a published fiction author. But really, I want to be occupied with my writing, tending our dream house in the woods, making my own salves and tinctures, reading, entertaining close friends with the finer things. I'd like to be occupied with love in its different forms, and for my time to be largely my own.

===

No pressure, those of you who I'm tagging! Just something to perhaps fill an idle few minutes. @ohtobealady, @in-a-storm-glass, @dahliasgloom, @malglories, @webedragons, @oftwodarkmoons, @lastoftheptolemies, @daughter-rhaenyra, @karrova, @ofallingstar, @marrogerson, @naryamirie, @aryasnow, @modernamericangirl, @saffron-mantled-dawn

[journeysfable]

All your posts about being aromatic on my dash has made me question my entire understanding of platonic vs romantic vs sexual attraction which isn’t a bad thing but is frustrating because I’m no longer sure if I know what romantic attraction is. I guess I just always focused on if a relationship is deep and meaningful regardless of how the relationship was defined. Like I used to think that having sex was the defining point but it isn’t. So where does the line between platonic, qpr, and romantic lay and why does it feel like someone is playing multidimensional jump rope with it. I don’t know I’m pretty sure I’m allo and this more stems from my belief that love may be one of the most stupid, complex, and impossible to define words in the English language right up there with religion and art.

Good! It can be distressing but I do not regret it

Some say the line between platonic, romantic, and qpr are blurry. Emotions are complicated. Theres also a secret third thing which is called alterous attraction. Imagine the types of attraction are on a bingo card. Alterous is the free space (I don't actually know how to play bingo. I have watched Grian play bin-go, though) its just the ??? Kind of attraction.

If it helps, there is def a romantic feeling that alloros seem to get and I have searched far and wide to find. Ppl describe it as tingles, and a physical pull, a feeling like your soul belongs in the presence the person your attracted to? Feeling like your flying or on a rollercoaster and like the air is punched out of you when see the person your attracted to and lightheaded.

But I know a fellow aro said they feel that way around their friends so maybe I'm wrong about some of that.

Emotions are hard cause everyone experiences them differently and characteristics of emotions get mixed up. Ppl laugh when distressed and cry when happy afterall.

It's also an entirely subjective thing. And wether you actually want to label your feelings as romantic or not is up to you. What a relationship is is up to the ppl in it and no one else.

Also for me platonic feelings feels like being covered in a warm blanket and like bliss. Like when I wake up in the morning and don't want to leave my bed because its warm and cozy and safe. It also feels like my heart swells with affection and fondness. I get squishes/platonic crushes too sometimes like I see someone really cool and who seems fun to be around so I'm excited to see them and spend time with them in hopes I can befriend them

But again thatd just me and maybe ppl out there feel that way about their crushes or partners so. Emotions are hard and it'd all be easier if our society decided to come up with one type of Super Duper Important Relationship That You Need Or Else You'll Die Miserably and then there are those other two and also here's how emotions are and this is the rulebook and anyone who dare ask questions about how it all works is weird and crazy.

For example some aspecs find people nice to look at and thats it. We decided to call that aesthetic attraction. But most ppl seem to think if you find someone nice to look at you're interested in them. But we know what we want and don't want. Want to stare not fuck or marry. There are lots of labels like that in the aspec community.

I think its easier to think of love as love and the most important part is what you want to do with that love rathee than how it feels. Maybe. Idk I'm still learning, too. We (aspecs) all are.

[ohtobealady]

I was tagged by my lovely wifey, @thehiddenbaroness. Thank you darling!

Are you named after anyone?

I am not!

2. When was the last time you cried?

Hmm, I'm not sure I can recall. I'm sure something as made me misty-eyed recently (a song or something), but nothing is springing to mind. I'm not really a crier, but that isn't to say crying is bad or weak.

3. Do you have kids?

I have four: two sons and two daughters. That's weird to type for some reason?

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

I've danced (I, too, consider that very much a sport) and played soccer. I am not a sporty gal, much to my own disappointment.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Not especially, actually? Only when the occasion calls for it. ;)

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

it's probably whether or not they smile or soften their features if we make eye-contact.

7. What’s your eye color?

brown, baby

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

I don't like scary movies, so I suppose happy endings?

9. Any talents?

I'm a good teacher and I read aloud well.

10. Where were you born?

Louisiana.

11. What are your hobbies?

Writing, learning (French, embroidery, composting, history of fashion/clothing), word games like crosswords, listening to true crime podcasts (Cult Liter and Something Was Wrong as ongoing series; Scamanda, The Retrievals, and A Ghost Story as standalone series), binging audiobooks

12. Do you have any pets?

One Aussie named Noble, two cats named Babycat and Bagheera

13. How tall are you?

not tall LOL nearly 5'6"

14. Favorite subject in school?

Hmm, Speech, Theatre, English (those three being my degrees), history of any type, but specifically ancient civilizations and Euro History of the 18th and 19th centuries.

15. Dream job?

I haven't really decided yet. In some sort of literature job, maybe? A museum curator? Ooo art restorer! Honestly, though, I loved @thehiddenbaroness 's response: "I'd like to be occupied with love in its different forms, and for my time to be largely my own." Beautiful.

Tagging, but feel no pressure!

@randomabiling @modernamericangirl @mar-nu-falmar @juliasdowntonstuff @abumperprize @andallthatmishigas @its-because-of-his-lordship

[dayeongi]

15 Questions for 15 People

I was tagged by @hesmiledlikeaweatherman (thank you!💖)

Are you named after anyone?

I was named after my father!! eugh!! But my middle name: my sister was a nightmare until my mother picked what she wanted, so that's my favorite name.

2. When was the last time you cried?

This past weekend!! Stress >:((((

3. Do you have kids?

I don't!! I want to have them in the future! one or two. Preferably both at once so I'm only pregnant once lmao. In the meantime i'm doing therapy and researching parenting methods for whenever. I'm only 28 so I want to wait a little longer

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

When i was a kid I did tae kwon do, karate, ballet, and swimming but they always ended up taking me out. I can't do team sports because I taste blood and I'm so ruthless and intense it scares me a little. But I love swimming!!

5. Do you use sarcasm?

It's taken me a LONG time to understand sarcasm; even now I sometimes don't get it. I think I just take people at their word. Whenever I've used sarcasm I always do it with this very over-the-top lilt, because I want to make sure my words are coded as that and not as me meaning what I said....

It's exhausting honestly, but if i get it right, it's funny

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Their voice! I don't really register people's faces until i'm more acquainted

7. What's your eye color?

I have very very very dark brown eyes! you can only see that they're brown if the sunlight hits them right (and blinds me lmao)

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Both!! i feel like they serve different purposes

9. Any talents?

Languages! Once I find the cheat code for how they work , they unravel. It's very exciting!

I've also been told I'm really good at crafting, and singing. (I've won a few contests) I also have a very good long-term memory, but i recall things in pictures.

The other thing i'm good at is problem-solving. Once i stop freaking out that is lmao. One time I got mugged in south korea, was left with no cash, lost, and not able to speak the language, cried a little then traced my steps till i found the nearest metro station, then went from there.

TL;DR - i'm very good at learning and adapting!

10. Where were you born?

Mexico!

11. What are your hobbies?

I collect pretty things like a crow. I like reading, doing art both digital and traditional, sewing, sculpting, home renovation, building, writing, singing, doing my make up, swimming, watching anime and movies, traveling, and hanging out with my pets

12. Do you have any pets?

Two cats and a dog!! Coco, a lynx point siamese (5 y old), Joy (4 y old), a siamese, Choco, my 14 y/o mixed breed dog.

Surprisingly I never ended up asking for them Pet distribution system at its finest.

13. How tall are you?

I'm 170 cm!

14. Favorite subject in school?

English Language has always been my favorite class! I was the most excited about my Sociolinguistics class in university but it was taught by a nasty tool so he ruined that. Also Korean language class. Language classes in general.

15. What is your dream job?

Right now? Being rich enough that I don't have to work so I can write. I'd love to be a successful published writer. Singer, and also fashion brand owner. Oh well. Trying to be realistic

Tagging but no pressure! @shipmistress9 @powerful-niya @shrimparmy @backgroundcharacterno5 @lalanaranj-a @nandosango @ruejanerue @keroppri @chaosnojutsu @rapa3llah @fictionalnormalcy and anyone else that would like to do it!

[raayllum]

Gosh yes, your tags on that last post. Like, I don’t blame people for liking Viren, for enjoying his character, for finding him sympathetic (or attractive, even if I personally don’t). He’s a compellingly written character! But don’t be offended if people hate him or find him evil… he’s the villain, that’s literally his role in the story

"How dare this villainous character do villainous things" / "how dare the protagonist get narratively rewarded for making good choices" like do y'all even hear yourselves sometimes, y'know?

especially when - and i cannot stress this enough - tdp is for children and will ultimately have a happy ending. this isn't a grown up drama or tragedy or even a grimdark fantasy by any means. it's a hopepunk high fantasy story. people who further retaliation and violence and push people into inherently defensive positions are the 'bad guys'

like i love viren! i think he's very well written and interesting. he's a great examination of how we can lie to and martyr ourselves in a search for security that is also about status & wanting to feel special, about the harm done when trying to win a rigged system rather than solidarity in tearing a system down and making a new one. i appreciate his dry/deadpan sense of humour. he's also one of two primary antagonists in the first 3 seasons. and like, all that can coexist? it's multifaceted character writing? we all presumably passed grade 10 english class?

i also cannot emphasize the importance of being able to separate audience reaction or response from what a piece of art is actually doing or saying enough. "this story is bad because it was personally upsetting to me" without examples given or analyzed it is not well, analysis, it's just a currently very unfounded opinion. and sometimes stories are supposed to be personally upsetting, so like. you also gotta know your lanes

it's why subjective analysis is very useful but learning structural (objective) analysis is arguably more important. something can be structurally pretty weak but very enjoyable (frozen). something can be abysmal enjoyment wise but very structurally solid (1984, which i'd argue isn't meant to be enjoyed, either). and it's important to know the difference if you want to write actual analysis rather than opinion based stuff. analysis isn't necessarily better than opinion based pieces but analysis is more expansive because it can cover the subjectivity and the objectivity and more. which is precisely why i can read "the iliad" and think "wow that was good" but if i wanted to write an essay on it i'd have to do a lot more thinking because i'm demanding something greater of that artistic experience by virtue of wanting to expand on it

a lot of people take "art for art's sake" as a statement regarding the fact that art - which is inherently symbolic in its construction, even in what meaning we construe to words themselves - doesn't have to mean anything and fighting back claims that art should mean something. but i think of "art for art's sake" is more worthwhile to examine under the lens of "this art doesn't exist for the sake of capitalist consumption, but amid it, or sometimes precisely in spite of it" and like. very few things artistically have zero meaning precisely because meaning is also "what was the reasoning behind this" and if there is none (think a tattoo you got "just because") that's typically a subjective reflection of the creator and still indicative of their personality. sometimes the meaning is meaninglessness (nihilism is still a creation in response to us searching for meaning, after all)

i'm getting into the weeds now but the point is that there's definitely been an upswing in recent years of people thinking opinions = analysis and while that often is the case (particularly if that opinion is expanded upon enough to be grounded in the text and the text's context) it absolutely is not as often actual analysis as people think it is

[all-or-nothing-baby]

15 QUESTIONS, 15 (or whatever) TAGS

i was tagged by @ash-mcj—thanks dude! HERE is their's.

.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYBODY?

my middle name is the name of my mum's friend/dad's ex who died (my folks ended up getting together a year later).

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

about 10 minutes ago? to WELLY BOOTS which is an amazing devil song i've heard 10,000 times before. i honestly cry a gajillion times a day bc i don't just cry at sad stuff but also anything that moves me: from hearing a wonderful piece of music... to someone saying something kind to me or anybody else (real person or fictional character)... to being overwhelmed by the enormity of life and all its fucked-up and wonderful complexities... seriously, absolutely bloody everything makes me cry!

3. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

yes, two of 'em; a brilliant, beautiful, super-talented, immensely kind and outrageously hilarious 24 year old and a brilliant, beautiful, super-talented, immensely kind and outrageously hilarious 15 year old :) they're incredibly different individuals who bicker like siblings absolutely should and love each other a lot. i love them both so much it makes me cry when i think about it (surprise surprise).

4. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?

oh, no, never. (probs too much at times—although i don't always understand when others are using it with me #neurodiversesquad).

5. WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED?

used to do what the american folks call 'run track', back in the day before chronic illnesses became the villain in my story.

6. WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT SOMEONE?

whether they, you know, get it (or not).

7. EYE COLOUR?

erm, a bit of an odd sort of dark grey/blue with lots of dark green swirls and splodges

8. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

oh definitely scary movies, horror my beloved <3 i think i'm finally (bc it's been on my list for so long omg) gonna get around to watching RELIC tonight! *scratching at the door noises*

9. ANY SPECIAL TALENTS?

forgetting absolutely fucking anything and everything all the fucking time. ALWAYS knowing the first letter of the word i can't think of. having a bit of a photographic memory. being able to play the william tell overture by flicking my fingernails against my front teeth. making really good pancakes. good at accents. pretty good at drawing faces. playing music by ear. great at making inconsequential lists lol

10. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

blackpool, a seaside town in the north-west of england, UK. imo it's a veritable shithole these days, only good for trashy arcades and getting stabbed... but i do miss the ocean now i don't live there.

11. WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?

making art, making words, making mixtapes, making trouble, making time for reading, making music, making a mess.

12. DO YOU HAVE PETS?

yes—i couldn't imagine not having critters in the house! i have 4 precious arseholes cats: little jimmy novak and moriarty, who are both house-loving cats—like, they do go out, but are indoors wanting cuddles more often than not. whereas the other two, grace jones ii and goku, are practically feral and only really come home for dinner and if it's raining hard (and the occasional i-will-allow-you-to-stroke-me-and-let-you-have-the-honour-of-me-sitting-on-your-knee-i-suppose).

13. HOW TALL ARE YOU?

5'2". short king.

14. FAVOURITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL?

loved art and english in high-school, and also enjoyed drama and history. i studied art at college and fashion at uni (which was a mistake, that world was very much not for me pfft).

15. DREAM JOB?

i honestly don't dream of jobs. but if i did? i suppose a portrait artist or published poet who was paid enough to actually live on, aha.

.

tagging, play or nay: @shealynn88 @sharkfish @novemberhush @greyhavenisback @poebin @jmeelee @raisesomehale @rajalagang @ohhalefire @halinski @kikiroo @lovebillyhargrove @harrgrove @slytherkins @witchsickness @ltleflrt @wellwaterhysteria @deklo @chasingcastiel @racheld93 @gabedemon absolutely anybody else who wants to do the thing!

[cloudbends]

Was tagged by @oceanfossil to answer these 15 questions!! ty maddie :]

are you named after anyone? If a mistranslated made up name of a mysterious character from a 90s british stopmotion animation series counts than yes. otherwise a definite no.

when was the last time you cried? thursday. a protest overwhelmed me emotionally.

do you have kids? no and most likely won't.

do you use sarcasm a lot? if you knew me for longer than a month you'd know the answer is yes lol. it's the one trait people associate with me even when they don't know me that well.

what sports do you play? absolutely none.

what's the first thing you notice about people? its really hard to put into words... I guess manner of speech and what undertones does it hide? I can overall read people well.

what's your eye color? classic brown

scary movies or happy endings? maddie put it perfectly in their answer: of the two I'd say happy-ish endings because I'm not a horror person at all, but it needs to be narratively satisfying for me to enjoy it. I'm more into ambiguous endings and I do love a good brain shaping tragedy

any special talents? uhm. I have very good hearing but idk if that's a talent? im good at sneaking around too

what are your hobbies? currently art and animation are hobbies but I'm hoping to be able to turn them into something more so otherwise! bass playing, impromptu media analysis for my own enjoyment, cooking, embroidering, and of course video games

do you have pets? no and I never had... I'm not sure I'm a pet person because it's a lot of responsibility that I'm scared of, but our previous neighbors dog called galileo did visit our backyard daily through a crack in the fence so that was really fun :) sort of a pet situation. pet grandparents maybe

how tall are you? also 5'2/159 cms.

favourite subject in school? literature and english i think?

dream job? animator! or character designer!! or well actually an artist creating media of my own but that is the most unrealistic job ever

tagging: @ponytailzuko, @kitsuneheroes, @fagcrisis, @hollowslantern, @rivaltrainer, @shimamitsu, @princesable, @reloaderror and whoever else wants to !!

[make-me-imagine]

Tagged by @ratkingbunting; thanks!

1. Are you named after anyone?

My first name was a last minute decision. My middle name however is after two people with the same name (even the unique spelling). One was my moms best friend in the army, and one was some woman my dad knew whose name he just liked lol.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Yesterday lol

3. Do you have kids?

Nah, and I have no plans too.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Quite often

5. What’s the first thing people notice about you?

Probably how short I am, until I speak, then it's my voice (its a bit high pitched and I hate it)

6. What’s your eye colour?

Green (medium, not super bright but not dark)

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings. I don't often watch scary movies.

8. Any special talents?

Bunny nose twitch. Writing? I guess lol. I'm pretty mediocre at most things.

9. Where were you born?

Southwestern, US

10. What are your hobbies?

Writing, painting, reading, watching youtube or random tv shows and movies. Singing (though I'm not good), listening to music. Cooking, gardening during the summer/spring.

11. Any pets?

1 dog that is mainly mine, and then 4 dogs that are family pets (but I walk, feed and bathe them lol)

12. What sports do you play/have you played?

None. I almost went into track, because I used to love to run, but the idea of running because I had to, rather than wanting too, did not seem fun lol.

13. How tall are you?

5'2"

14. Favourite subject in school?

Main subjects: English

Other subjects: Art

15. Dream job?

Was to be an archaeologist, which is what I went to school for, but idk if I'll get the chance to do it properly.

The more unachievable ones are architect/designer, or fashion designer.

xx

Tagging (no pressure): @will-grammer, @spuffyfan394, @trashywritestrash, idk who ever ants to be tagged lol Open tag too

[nicepersondisorder]

Welcome to my game~ Here are the instructions:

You will receive lots of questions about yourself, in sets of five, until I run out of questions (and there are tons of them) or until you beg me to stop (don't ignore me pls, just say you don't want to keep playing<3).

Questions will be about different topics. If there's any topic you DON'T want to discuss, this is the moment to say it.

Answer the following questions with as much detail as possible:

1- Which is your first memory? What does it mean for you?

2- What was your childhood like?

3- Is there any moment in your childhood that you remember with a lot of love?

4- What was your school experience like?

5- Which was your favorite subject and why?

- ⚜️

okie dokie !!! o7

sorry i saw the word beg and i think i hauve covid.

mmmmm i think my first memory might be a fake one!! i'll tell you anyways <33 so there's a lake near my great grandmother lives and it has long and sandy beaches. its also shallow for several meters. i'm not sure how far the shallow bottom goes because i was neer allowed to check out, but i digress. my first memory is standing there in the lake with water up my ankles and it's really warm and i'm alone on the beach. i said "probably a fake memory" because there's no way there weren't any people at the beach, there was always someone there XD

i think it was pretty ok actually? i was the first child. mom tried her best, thats i know for sure. i did spent like half of my childhood sick/in hospitals though... i was also a really good student who did everything effortlessly - and everyone said i was so so so gifted at anything i tried, lmao.

mom singing me lullabies. i dont remember all of them, but i memorized at least two. they're always nice to sing. make me nostalgic.

i was the teachers pet in primary school, so i set very high expectations for myself (which i failed. pensive emoji), but i also didn't have much friends. like i spent at least four last years of school without any friends in class. audhd superpower of isolation by peers!

hmmm at first it was art class, because i really like to draw and it was easy, but then it changed to english (which was a second language in my school). also because i knew a lot of english by then and could speak and read it almost fluently. so i obviously was the best in the school (not counting teachers). oh but i also liked astrology! not because of the subject, but because of the teacher. he was really cool and funny. he also taught physics and IT, though i sucked at those. almost failed physics too lmao

[keepingitcalmer]

Play the Game of Ask

Thanks for the tag @devilishly-lustful

1-) Are you named after anyone?

Just my middle name, Its my fathers name.

2-) When was the last time you cried?

To be a little too honest, last night. Life has been very hard lately.

3-) Do you have kids?

No, I'm not suited for that venture yet. I have a bit of growing and maturing before I even consider that possibilty.

4-) Do you use sarcasm lot?

IRL yes. Online not so much, it can hard to interpret via text.

5-) What sports do you play/ have you played?

I played Hockey for a bit, but not even the cool one. It was grass hockey. Don't worry I grew out of that phase quickly.

6-) What’s the first thing you notice about other people?

The voice, the tone of it. Its not intentional but I seem to search for kindness in it. Which is hilarious because if people did the same with me it would be bad, I can be fairly monotone or even offputting despite my best intentions.

7-) Scary movies or happy endings?

This is tricky, because I love a good horror story where a lesson is supposed to be learned not necessarily have a hero win because they are good. But lately I have loved watching movies where it ends with everyone happy, helps my recent melancholic mood as of late.

8-) Any special talents?

You know what, i'm not sure. I sort of try a lot of things and get average at them. I guess I'm not to bad with a butterfly knife, I love learned new tricks with it but I havent practiced in a while.

9-) Where were you born?

NSW, Australia.

10-) What are your hobbies?

I'm an avid reader, I'm always trying to sneak in a page or two when I can. I love to paint, both digitally and traditionally. I love me a Gundam Kit, I'm working on HG Aerial one right now. And then the usual movies, tv, music, etc.

12-) Do you have any pets?

A lovely dog, She is getting there in years and won't be with us much longer but she still thinks shes a puppy. And I'm more than happy to let her keep thinking that.

13-) How tall are you?

I think I'm 6ft I think. I'm 185cm tall last time I checked.

14-) Favorite subject in school?

Science, the only subject I enjoyed. I learned to like english with the right teacher. I wanted to love Art but the environment was never right.

15-) Your dream job?

When I was younger I wanted to be an Inventor. Making new devices and machines that could help people or just be awesome. These days I don't so much dream of work but I think running a small bookstore, or a little woodwork shop. Something to keep my mind active and body moving but without the high pressure.

16-) Eye color?

Blue

[lollytea]

hi school anon again ! the likelihood of luz actually returning to school i personally feel isnt too out there. Vee has been pretending to be luz only since the start of the summer, and she did make friends at camp but i kinda doubt a whole lot of her other classmates would have seen her around especially since its hard for vee to find magic to consume and keep the disguise up, so it would also probably be dangerous for her to go to school where she doesn’t have anyone else to help her keep her secret and also doesn’t have a reliable magic source. But it would also be suspicious for luz not to attend school at all, and Camilla absolutely does not need social workers on her front porch. Maybe for the first few days or weeks luz would try and keep up the preppy appearance but eventually it would be too much effort and slowly revert into her low effort grungy adventurer aes like.. two weeks in. But also her and vee would probably sometimes swap places Twin Style whenever it’s convenient for them (Also it’s unlikely that the hexside kids would be able to go to school but they are probably so helpful with homework. Hunter is fascinated with human history (which leads to. discoveries) and is probably a math wizard and gus loves All of it and willow is great with all the science stuff and amity insists on doing all the Spanish homework so she can learn it herself) (im sorry this is so long jsjdjsjdjs)

Whatever works man, I'd be cool with Luz going back to school if that was what the situation called for. HER FRIENDS GETTING INVESTED IN HER HOMEWORK!!! PLEASE!!!

It'd be so funny if she was like. Trying to get her work done but there are four very curious witch kids peering over her shoulder who aren't satisfied until she explains what she's doing. I do wonder just how much of the human school curriculum overlaps with that of the Demon Realm. Like they've been taught how to read and write but what about after that?? They can probably do basic math but what about the more complicated stuff?? I assume they learn most of that stuff in like witch elementary before they start hexside as preteens and the real magic education begins. But I LOVE the idea of them finding human school subjects that they just click with and get super interested in.

Like Amity and Spanish obviously, but I also figure she'd be really good at biology. Abominations studies is all about creating life and the anatomy and dissecting and all that stuff and obviously it's not the same thing but her brain would probably be familiar with this way of thinking. Business studies too probably. OH and English. Gotta remember that she and Luz are both avid readers/budding writers. OH AND ART. She loves to draw. Probably math too now that I think about it. Amity is a little smartie basically.

Willow would be good at biology too absolutely, but rather the nature side of it. Photosynthesis and the like. Gus would just be LOST IN THE SAUCE. Everything!! All the Human knowledge!!! Geography and math and english and science and spanish and and and!!! I feel like he might not have too much fun with the majority of human history because the chunks of it they choose to teach highschoolers is just the parts that suck the most. But he would completely devour the stuff that doesn't suck. Loses his shit over the pyramids and the moonlanding and Greek gods and all that awesome stuff.

But ya Hunter is absolutely studying a certain era of human history and he doesn't know if he likes what he's learning but he's completely absorbed in it now. Maybe Gus should infodump about the moonlanding to him I'm sure he would get really into that sort of stuff too.

But it's okay because he eventually meets the love of his life while in the Human Realm.

EVERYBODY SHUT THE FUCK UP HUNTER IS HYPERFIXATING ON ALGEBRA

[canmom]

I've been watching so much youtube lately bc it's brain numbing when in executive dysfunction stuck in bed mode. i say, I'll just watch a video to calm my brain down and then I'll do stuff. or, I'll start this video and then watch it as i go downstairs for breakfast. usually it ends up being two or three videos during which i don't go anywhere and i lose an hour.

anyway that means i have a bunch of thoughts about videos in my head.

firstly, a whole lot of art pedagogy these days takes place on a handful of youtube channels. these are... mostly pretty solid for addressing the teachable parts of the major artistic styles that most people want to pursue: academic figure drawing, illustration for Instagram, japanese commercial illustration, anime keyframes, concept art... mostly the ones I've watched focus on digital drawing and painting because that's my medium, but i know there are others targeting traditional media.

some of them are very dry lectures with minimal imagery, such as Tonari Animation's videos on the anime pipeline. others are pretty slick affairs like Proko, where a short scripted and edited lesson on a specific subject will be mixed with a brief bit of comedy and an ad for the extra info in the paid course. some of them are clearly run as a business that effectively functions as an ad for paid content, with clickbaity titles and framings (levels from noob to pro, n ways to improve your painting), others upload when the artist feels like it (Sinix and dong chang are very infrequent uploaders but generally very good content). some are long and rambling, mixing practical drawing advice with philosophical meditations on being an artist (Steven Zapata is the one I'm thinking of here, more on that momentarily). there's clearly a whole ecosystem of Japanese videos as well, notably Naoki Saito whose videos are subtitled in English, who mainly makes paintover videos where he advises artists on composition and technique. some of them lean much harder on the comedy and character performance, such as Ethan Becker, who frames his videos as critiques of other art advice, but also overloads it with irony and jokes to the point that it's hard to work out what he's actually advising.

on the whole this is probably a good thing, in that each of these artists tends to bring some specific insight into the process. for example, the concept of 'shape design' developed over a variety of videos by primarily Sinix and Marco Bucci but also inspiring various others to elaborate on it including Borocg, Moderndayjames and Kenzo of Love Life Drawing, has been one of the most useful framings I've found for thinking about the elements of pictures, simple and complex. and there's an immense utility in seeing a time lapse of the artist applying the principles they're espousing, it makes it considerably more concrete.

the problem - of course i would say there's a problem - i think comes with the way this becomes a kind of scripture laying out the right and proper way to do art. i see a lot of very young novice artists telling each other to 'use forms' or 'practice gesture' in this almost ritualistic way. very few of them talk outside of the specifics of technique onto any broader talk around making art, and so it tends to push people towards the idea that 'good art' is teachable art; it's measured by its ability to correctly apply the principles, whether the sacred twelve principles of animation or the more vague set of principles of perspective, line quality, gesture, and design.

this gap only really became obvious when i watched some videos of Steven Zapata, whose videos tend to be long time lapses of incredibly technically adept pencil rendering which talk as much or more about forming a fulfilling 'art practice' as the how of shading etc, all delivered in a very soothing voice. Zapata argues that it's important to work out what specifically appeals to you in art and develop strong aesthetic opinions, and drill down on that motivating thing rather than spend years trying to take a 'broad shotgun approach' where you gatekeep actual art-making behind a certain number of dry technical exercises. when i came across this, i was pretty deep into grind flagellant mode, and it was a breath of fresh air. but anyway he's kind of said his piece now, and most of his recent videos are streams.

instead the artist whose caught the most of my time recently has been Naoki Saito. his videos - despite the translation being a little wobbly - have an almost too compelling frame: an artist writes to the master for help, and he edits and repaints the picture, explaining the reasoning behind each stage, and at the end you see a picture which (the majority of times) carries the spirit of the original with more appeal. it helps of course that the people writing in are almost all working in what we could loosely call '2010s anime style', maybe even moe; there are certain idioms of stylisation (face contours, proportions, ways of painting eyes and hair, ways of rendering surfaces) common to a lot of them, though he generally seems good at honouring the specific quirks of a picture in his corrections rather than impose a uniform style. anyway thanks to him i learned the term 'atsunuri' ('thick painting'), which is a useful way to understand 'more than cel shaded but not fully rendered' style prevalent on sites like pixiv. i don't want to only be able to draw anime, but i do want to be able to do it at all convincingly, and get better at digital rendering beyond cel shading, so i think i can siphon out a lot from him.

anyway, the thing with all these art channels is the thing with everything: exercise judgement, take what's worth keeping and drop what isn't, a judgement that will vary from person to person. the more styles that are represented the better. i don't think perspective and rendering are the measure of art - indeed, some of my absolute favourite illustrators disregard them to great effect - but for me, being able to draw in a way that looks refined and 3D is important in a way i can't justify or explain, a deep part of the appeal of the seinen manga artists that make me stop and go 'wow' like shintaro kago or suehiro maruo or hideo yamamoto or junji ito, or the 90s realist school of animators who worked on projects like memories, ghost in the shell or satoshi kon's films, or more recently takeshi koike. i just don't know how to thread the needle of pursuing such a project without accidentally upholding the cult of realism!

anyway. that's probably enough for one post. tomorrow let me talk about that folding ideas guy.

sure are a lot of blokes in these videos...

[judjira]

hi joo (if it’s ok to call you joo), so tell me a lil more about all your future wips. i’m blown away bc 14?! 🙃

yes absolutely call me joo !!

so yeah, aside from the seven plot bunnies you can see in my pinned post, i have seven more wips that ive basically conceptualized and outlines (a lil)

1. 3mix/dahyun band au - this one's basically a spiritual successor to "pretentious" in that it's a trio plus dahyun, except it's angstier ! it also talks about another type of poly relationship that i don't really write too much about, but is interesting nonetheless (shoutout to my (not real) mom for inspiring this part of the fic ily)

2. dubchaeng actors au - this one is a self indulgent acting au bc i study acting techniques as a theater major wahaha so basically dahyun and chaeyoung are actors that learn two different acting techniques, the adler technique and the strasberg technique, and they become rivals bc they don't like each other's techniques (i suggest u look them up, the original people who made these techniques also had a rivalry ! its pretty cool, although stanislavski/meisner is my preferred technique)

3. dahyo demigod au - this one's a doozy and bc i love writing mythology, if you're familiar with the ulster cycle of irish mythology, there's a hero named cu chulainn who's the son of a sun god who gets taught the ways of war by scathach, a sort of immortal witch/warrior maiden who teaches heroes (if u play fgo u're probably familiar with them) in this au, dahyun is cu chulainn and jihyo is scathach, im tryna do research for this one cus im not too familiar with irish mythology, but i'm probably not gonna stick too close to the actual mythology cus vibes HAHA

4. dahmo genie au - this au is a very neat one, it's based off of a short film i watched many years ago called "friend like me" (2016) its on youtube i suggest u watch it ! basically, momo's a kid who found a genie lamp when she was young, and asked for a best friend. out comes dahyun, a genie who becomes her best friend (lowkey inspired by dahyun with the genie costume HAHA)

5. dajeong serial killer au - ahhh this is a really good one and the subject of so many conversations with my (not real) mom that it literally has an au of itself. basically, dahyun's the heir of a mafia gang who's attracted the attention of jeongyeon, who's a serial killer. they elope and go on the run from rival gangs that hate dahyun's family and dahyun's own family (ive written the ending to this but barely the beginning HAHAHA)

6. dayeon artist au - this one's still in the conceptual stages of writing (as in i have nothing on it yet and it exists solely in my mind palace) but basically it's a dystopian au with the upper class bourgeois people and poor lower class people. nayeon's a well-esteemed, rich artist that does works for other rich people, while dahyun's a rebel and a revolutionary artist who tags buildings and makes protest art (this will hopefully come in time for me to take my art of protest class huhu)

7. dayeon magical realism au - this one's,,,a little hard to explain, because it's based off of a filipino short story called "the kite of stars" (its in english, so i suggest u search it up and read it !) basically its the story of a rich noble girl who wants to create a kite that can carry her into the sky so she can be seen by a stargazer she's fallen in love with, so she goes on a journey to gather all the parts of the kite, joined by a butcher's boy who's fallen in love with her. in this au, nayeon's the rich noble girl, mina's the stargazer, and dahyun's the butcher's boy (yes unrequited love wahaha)

THOSE are my future wips, i ALSO have three aus that im working on that honestly may never see the light of day if i dont finish my current wips HAHAHA these are vaguer, more universe style instead of a single fic, so these will probably consist of multiple oneshots and drabbles !

1. darkest dungeon 2 au - alright COMPLETELY self indulgent holy shit i just love darkest dungeon. if you haven't played, it's basically a grim, eldritch horror vibe game where you take heroes on expeditions to destroy evil creatures and monsters. the second game focuses on the heroes traveling a world plunged into insanity and darkness to try and destroy the root of evil at the base of a mountain (its super fucking cool) anyway, yeah each member of twice would be a hero here, trying to balance saving the world, dealing with emotional trauma, and loving each other all at the same time (tbh dont expect much from this, its super self indulgent and it might not make sense to anyone HAHA)

2. magic school au - am also super excited for this one !! now u may think this is hogwarts but no ! it is actually a full magic school au that i've created from the ground up (kind of, its based on dnd magic HAHA) this was originally made for a world that i created for dnd (yes im a nerd ok) basically each member of twice is a student that's part of a special fancy organization that takes care of student and faculty requests ! yes its cute some of them are elves, theres lots of magic and monsters, but most of all, it's basically magic college HAHA my (not real) mom requested a fic, and i kinda got ahead of myself and made a whole ass au with like three or four oneshots planned !!! (this one's for u mom ily)

3. my apartment au ! this one's KIND OF based off of supernatural (the show) except a lot more lighthearted HAHA, basically dahyun is the landlord of an apartment that only houses supernatural and mythological creatures ! so each member of twice (besides dahyun) is a creature of mythology that stays in the apartment. this au is special cus its my first attempt at an OT9 ! just one big poly soup of everyone loving each other (but still dahyun-centric mostly hue)

so yes, these are my aus and wips, if u want a more in depth explanation of these plots (or the plots in my pinned post) feel free to send another ask !

thank u for letting me ramble hue