#and the art i make related to those ideas comes from a very genuine place and i think a positive one much of the time

[carsickcrow]

still having art thoughts but not actively making art so i will ramble into the void some more. i really like the way i’ve begun to think about my art in the past few months. i feel like i used to be solely focused on “getting better” at art which is. not a bad thing but now i feel like i’m using art as a way to explore ideas more and it’s just really fun and works with how my brain works and i want to do this for the rest of my life. also along with that like making art with meaning behind it point i’ve actually started titling my pieces which used to be a struggle and still is sometimes but i think i’m getting the hang of it. i’ve already named a piece i’ve barely started. anywho. i love art sm

[captainjacklyn]

Another DOL post..I'm never stopping with these, it's just fun for me to share my characters which I am disappointed to not be able to draw. My art skills can be easily bested by that of a six year old's hand paint.

He indeed identifies as a male though if you saw the previous post about him (the first post about him really) Elias can change his genitals, due to his human DNA being mixed with several different animals.

Degrees of Lewdity :

ReLaTiOnShIpS :

ROBIN

"Robin? You better be careful with him, if I find out that you're planning something- Uh? Oh, you just want to get to know him? Very well, I guess that's alright, I'm not even sure why I got worked up. It's his fault if he gets into trouble...doesn't mean I wouldn't go out of my way to protect him."

Looks after Robin.

Acts like a mother for him, highly strict and demanding when interacting face to face but behind the scenes, he does everything he can to look after him and make sure he's safe.

The only one Elias genuinely cares for.

*pat pat* you stay there and play games while I sell my body to take your debt okay?

Good.

Manipulates this one like crazy, "I'M DOING ALL OF THIS FOR YOU HOW DARE YOU TALK BACK TO ME-"

His words not mine.

SYDNEY

"He's my partner if that's what you were wondering, I've spent quite a good amount of time with him. Don't fill his mind with too many lewd thoughts if you plan on seducing him, his purity is rather useful. He even gifted me a dress last week..Mhm? Yes..I am fond of Sydney."

Elias doesn't particularly understand his own emotions.

He just likes having Sydney since his privileged life/status makes it easier for him as well.

Did go out of his way to spend time with him at the beach, proceeded to question every single idea which led him to do so.

WHITNEY

"Whitney tried to use me for quick money making on multiple occasions, you ram your knee in the balls and run, he doesn't take hits there very nicely."

Yeah no.

They don't get along.

Elias just ignores him whenever he tries to interact, will dismiss him when the time comes.

I've tried to allow it, but from the shaming to the constant abusive scenarios, there isn't much to allow.

KYLAR

"He got his ass thrown into prison, and for all I know, he just belongs to the asylum. I assure you that I attempted to aid him, he wasn't treated very kindly so I assumed to have found someone I can understand and relate to. Turns out he was a perverted psycho...Oh really ? I'll give you this one fact, Kylar never loved me, he just wanted to keep me as a possession."

Dismissed Kylar.

You think this guy wants to make out with the equivalent of a pathetic wet rat ? He doesn't even know if he likes the librarian who treats him with kindness.

Nuh-uh.

Nah.

Stans are coming after me, but my boy openly defended a dude who decided to stalk him in response.

BAILEY

"...What about Bailey? He has done many things for me as a child, I know that our hearts have never been one, I see that now. But if it means seeing her again..I'll pay him off, I'll pay Robin's debt along with my own and we'll run from this god forsaken swill of a town."

The first reason as to why Elias is so hardworking is because he believes that once his debt is fully repaid, he'll be able to see Monika.

Otto Hightower and Alicent toxic dad and daughter~

Woohoo and the line of trauma doesn't stop there cause Elias also treats Robin like SHIT-

The pressure of needing to save those he cares for is so great that it causes him to install his own suffering on them as well.

You're stronger than you think Elias, you're strong enough to stand as a wall between Robin and Bailey, between Sydney and Himself, between the Orphans and this Fucked up Place.

Burn your feelings to the ground and carry on.

Woah too emotional on the last one chill-

[ikemenomegas]

Any thoughts to shake loose on any of your Naruto guys, Io? I like your mun-name!! 💕

From the notebook

Loose leaf ideas:

I'm so sorry, I have no idea what a mun-name is but thank you anyways 😅. Also sorry it's taken so long, I was trying to do the Make a Wish prompts, which I've finally gotten mostly bullet pointed out. Lucky thing because I all but finished one of the last two and then lost it due to my own stupidity... so I've been sadly trying to rewrite it /sigh. I decided to finally shake free those ideas in the mean time, since I haven't posted any writing in a while

Yamato (Tenzo, but this name is for private use)

Because he was raised in Root, he mostly emotes via micro expressions so his Alpha has learned to be really good at reading those looks. His Alpha can literally stare at his face for hours while they talk. Yamato stares right back. Please ask for a booth if you go to a restaurant with him. Everyone thinks you're making bedroom eyes at each other when you're figuring out your next week's meal prep. Actual bedroom eyes are near lethal levels.

He's a pretty tall guy so when you first started spending time at his place, all the cups and plates and things are also really high up. He barely used any of his lower cupboards. When you first move in together, he asks you where all of your stuff is and you think he's joking until you realize he genuinely doesn't check any of those cabinets or drawers that he doesn't use...

All of his furniture is handmade, as in through the wood style. It's all very functional, lots of squares, but elegant. If want different shapes he's really willing and eager to learn how intricate he can get with his jutsu. He's got a remarkably artistic streak, despite his serious demeanor. You'll never have to buy a new bookshelf again, he'll just make them.

Yamato likes quality time and gifts as his receiving love languages. He works really hard for the village and having someone focused on him and appreciative of his hard work and attentive to his needs is key to being a good partner for him

You can't go wrong if you show your appreciation by making him things that he likes, ie a craft, homemade item, or really involved food. He's also not opposed to an evening of pampering where he has your full undivided attention after a day spent sight seeing.

Gaara

He doesn't make the first move in a relationship, which leaves him in a fun lil' stalemate for a while with his eventual mate, because you can't make moves on the Kazekage and he's thinking "I'm the Kazekage, it would be an unfair power dynamic to tell them I think about them every time I write poetry lately..." On a trip back to Suna, Temari takes one look at him and you and then scolds Kankuro because "I can't be the one to manage both kinds of diplomatic relations. Please do something to make my life a little easier." Kankuro then attempts to organize scenarios for you and Gaara to meet. These go poorly in the way of all comedic anime interludes but do result in the two of you bonding more closely.

Gaara was raised to be the leader of a military nation, but he winds down by engaging in more traditional artistic pursuits. All three of the siblings actually have a talent in at least one area of the more refined arts. Gaara is very accomplished at calligraphy, and I'm not kidding about the poetry, he really does compose different works and a lot of them are very good. He even worked hard at some point during his courtship to create a public stone garden in the village which he sometimes alters during festivals so it has different designs.

He is very responsible when it comes to Kazekage duties. He's also been performing them since before he turned 15, and has almost no penchant for mischief. However, he can be easily coaxed away from his office in the name of training his children/students, where he can be further tricked into simply enjoying himself. He's actually a really patient, insightful teacher.

He has an unfortunate habit, only slightly curbed by age, of being willing to drag everyone into a goal he decides is worthwhile. While he mostly used credible threats to get what he wanted as a child, he's since become very adept at manipulation. Mostly, he's genuine and persistent, but he also knows how to get other people to want to follow him. This includes knowing the exact Look to give his mate whenever he wants something.

I think you could easily write him as demiromantic/aromantic. He isn't romantically attracted to anyone right away, and if he does develop those feelings they aren't all-consuming, but there are certain people he can see himself partnering with for the rest of his life, and certain triggers for kicking those feelings off with his alpha.

Nagato

The more I research him, the more it is clear his canon outcome is the bad-end version of the shonen trio trope. Yahiko and Konan were in love with one another, and Nagato was the one who loved them both enough to follow them to the ends of the earth. Nothing in any world was ever going to deter him from that, so his Alpha needs to be pointed in the same direction, ideally devoted to Yahiko and his original Akatsuki as well.

Nagato is the one who guides his Alpha in believing in the ideals of Akatsuki. Before the original trio falls apart, this is done without any ultimatum or ulterior motive. Nagato genuinely believes in the dream Yahiko has, and felt very motivated to bring that hope to his Alpha. It was only afterwards that he truly started to fall in love with them, although that was the original spark.

He likes to read, although he seldom has the time or opportunity to do so. Jiraiya's taught all of the Ame orphans to read and write. He truly enjoys ready philosophical treatises and dialogues. He is a fan of fiction but very slow when reading these because he prefers to experience the world himself first hand, interacting with people and places. He once dreamed of traveling throughout Amegakure and the surrounding nations as a kind of pilgrim.

Nagato nearly died after he fought Hanzo for the first time, not because of his injuries, but because chakra depletion left him unable to sense his Alpha. Believing them dead while he was near delirious, he himself nearly died from the grief of losing Yahiko, and them on top of this loss, despite Yahiko's final wish.

In a version of the world where his Alpha does not survive Obito's slaughter of the original Akatsuki members, Nagato recovers their body and turns it into the Preta Path of Pain, appropriate given the path's callback to possessiveness and desire, and representation of the Hungry Ghost Realm. In the version where his Alpha survives, Nagato becomes very possessive over them, only willing to let them take missions for the Akatsuki alongside Konan, alone, or preferably not at all as you three nurse your grief within Amegakure.

Shisui

You know I love those Uchiha men. They just have a vibe... Shisui in particular. His appearances never make me think first of his death, but of his kindness and his protectiveness over the people he cares for; he dies smiling. Unfortunately, Shisui's path really only works in a non-massacre scenario, since he is approximately sixteen when he dies, which is too young for him to have a mating bond, although I do HC him as considering courting someone at the time the coup starts to take over his life. The with-massacre scenario is one in which Itachi is able to get Shisui out of the village, possibly that he secretly survives the fall thanks to his summons.

Shisui's parents were either not ninjas, or are individuals who have had to retire for the corp for some reason. What we know about him says he was the family breadwinner after he was made a jounin, which leads me to lean towards non-ninja parents. This is particularly interesting for Uchiha clan members, since we don't get to see what the civilian members of clan families do in the Naruto world and most assume the Uchiha clan is shinobi-dominated. It's doubly intriguing when we also know the famous Kagami Uchiha was his ancestor (likely grandfather > great grandfather if we base off other known generations). Since we don't have canon confirmation of this stuff, I guess it counts as a HC?

Given the above, he's the most likely of the Uchiha on my list to willingly and happily take on a civilian Alpha. While I haven't totally fleshed out the background for this pairing, I have toyed around with the idea of an acid-tongued relative of someone from the Daimyo's court whom Shisui met on a mission catching his attention. This oc is a bit of a tsundere with an infamous temper who only Shisui with his notable empathetic and pleasant demeanor is immune to. They become one of the Land of Fire ambassadors and Shisui travels with them on a sort of long-term assignment before they eventually settle together in the village.

The reason they settle in the village is that Shisui decides he wants to have kids and knows that the Uchiha will never risk the sharingan passing into the control of another family or political body. His alpha has to sign a bunch of paperwork relinquishing their ability to inherit anything that might give their family power over their and Shisui's children, but enjoys arguing enough that they remain an ambassador even after settling in Konoha so they can wipe the floor with anyone who has anything to say about Shisui being the reason for their departure.

In the survive-the-fall scenario, Shisui remains blind, retires from being a ninja, and lives with his Alpha in a civilian city, where they help hide his identity and spoil him as much as he will allow. There's potential in this scenario for a path which probably fixes Sasuke btw. There's a lot of options here.

Sai

He intentionally emotes more than Yamato, however while Yamato mostly keeps his facial expressions hidden, his reactions to his Alpha are almost always honest. Sai explicitly cultivates his ability to make facial expressions because he was trying to fit in with normal people, throw them off guard, and do his job as a spy better. This makes it more difficult for his Alpha to tell whether Sai is actually showing that he likes something or not. It takes a long time to figure it out. Eventually, his reactions naturally start to correspond with his emotions around family and friends so it's easier on everyone.

His Alpha thinks that Sai really doesn't like them at the beginning. Although he doesn't necessarily understand why, he picks up on this very quickly and tries to fix the situation throughout the next few months, to varying degrees of success. Eventually, he decides to show you how he feels by painting a portrait of you as he sees you. It's exactly as intimate as you'd think it would be. For better or worse, Sai eventually has to come out and say he can't come up with any courting gift more genuine than the portrait to show you how he feels about you personally, which will tip his Alpha off that he is interested in them.

Because he has difficulties showing his emotions, and also in understanding the nuances behind others' reactions, he likes straightforward methods of communication. He trusts his Alpha implicitly and is incredibly perceptive so he is able to read their responses to him. He enjoys words of affirmation the most and appreciates when his Alpha takes the time to talk through things with him. He also likes physical contact, craves it even, but can quickly become overstimulated depending on the situation. He genuinely wants people to like him and to have sincere connections with the people he meets by acting like himself. Although Sai works hard to "earn" his place among the other people in his generation, it takes him a long time to see that everyone has already accepted him, and to understand that relationships take time and hard work.

For many years, he believes he physically can't have children because Root made all of its operatives starting about 5 years before Sai joined infertile. This insights conflicting feelings in him. On the one hand he never has to worry about accidentally becoming pregnant, which is very nice when he starts navigating his physical desires with his mate. On the other hand, he will never have the option and that hurts, because so much was taken from him in the way of choice and this is another one of those things. The procedure may be reversible in some members because I can see Root forcing long-term operatives to have families with their targets to get closer to them, or being gross enough to try and breed operatives, but Sai doesn't know this.

He likes swimming. He has a favorite swimming spot on the Konoha river. It's the kind of activity that sincerely has no purpose, and he finds a serenity in it, in a similar way that lots of people find a zone of focus when running.

[hrokkall]

Saw the little nightmares 3 trailer got released and wanted to hear your thoughts on it. Is there anything in particular that you're excited for or just generally hyped about?

Also sorry if this question comes across weird I have no clue about the series but remembered you enjoyed it and drew some stuff for it so I thought it'd be fun to talk about it if that makes sense?

- 🥊

Oh I have so many thoughts on it. So many that I'm going to put them below the cut so this post doesn't take up anyone's entire dash.

First of all, damn my copious amounts of coursework for the fact that I couldn't sit down and start drawing fanart immediately the moment I finished watching the trailer once… or twice… maybe three times. Mark my words though these kids WILL be getting some day 2 (actual) art, even if it's just a little sketch.

…Point being, I was pretty excited right out of the gate. Admittedly, I was a little nervous that the studio changeover would mean that any (potential) future Little Nightmares content would mean a massive tonal shift, but based on the trailer alone + the additional guides related to the game, it nails the atmosphere of the previous games pretty damn well. Hell, the giant baby enemy even resembles some of the concept art from the flesh walls!

Already, Nowhere is combining some of my favorite things (notably locations that seem/are "alive", steampunk motifs, and copious amounts of birds… also reminds me a little bit of Zone 3 from OFF, but that's probably just me), but most notably is the fact that it actually seems to resemble some of the locations seen in the (tragically cancelled) 2017 comics. This is particularly notable in the first issue, which features two children taking shelter in a barn from a monster known as the North Wind (who is made of/"sees through" the eyes of black birds, presumably crows), but the second issue is about a monster that lives within mirrors, which are shown a lot in the trailer as well. Either way, I'm cautiously hoping for some references to the comics, especially because we never got to learn what happened to the rest of the Maw kids there (the answer is probably "they died horribly" but I mean hey. You never know).

The designs of the two protagonists are, of course, adorable. I love the plague doctor/gas mask duo (especially because having face coverings makes sense in such a dusty place) and the bit where they both glide down using feather umbrellas is genuinely so fun—absolutely no complaints there.

…Actually, one complaint: I have no idea which one is Low and which one is Alone. None of the official sources have clarified that. Please LN3… I need to know the names of my new kids before they get put into the meat grinder like every other protagonist in these games. (Given the series' track record, I'm not too optimistic about their fates—sorry little guys! I'll be rooting for you anyway). EDIT: It seems like Low is the bird mask kid and Alone is the hazard suit kid

Mechanically… I don't think we've seen enough of the game for me to make any hasty judgements. I know everyone wanted LN2 to be multiplayer (and LN3 appears to have a singleplayer option), but I'm unsure of how that will work. Will it be Spiritfarer style multiplayer where only one player has to own LN3? Will it be online? Will it be splitscreen? Will me inevitably ditching the main campaign to screw around with my friend ruin the atmosphere? No idea. The way I see it, it's too soon to tell.

While we're on the topic though, I did also listen to the first episode of the audio drama! Without spoiling anything… yeah I can definitely recommend it. It's very reminiscent of The Magnus Archives and/or The Bright Sessions, so if you like either of those podcasts you'll probably like The Sounds of Nightmares. Even if you know absolutely nothing about Little Nightmares, I'd honestly recommend it. Voice mixing is a little off in places (though there's a decent chance it was just my headphones being fucky), but the podcast MORE than makes up for it in terms of imagery and phenomenal sound design. No word on the lore implications though; I'll listen to episode 2 when I get the time and THEN deliver the verdict there. I also hope they release an official transcript for it—there isn't one right now afaik, but that would be really helpful for a multitude of reasons.

But yeah, that's about it! TL;DR hell yeah I'm excited for this game, but I'm trying not to fill in the blanks with too much supposition while there's still so little info available

[xueyuverse]

"The Henna Wars" review

♥️ 10/10

⚠️ Possible spoilers

I finished The Henna Wars and my god what an incredible book. I devoured this book, in one day I read 80% of it. It has such a pleasant rhythm, the writing is so addictive, it generates so much curiosity and makes you freak out so much that it's honestly very difficult to stop reading.

This book debates cultural appropriation in a way I've never seen before. Yes, you can use art, food etc made by non-white people, no, you can't take it as your own, want to go over someone whose thing you are using/reproducing/consuming be part of that person's culture and then act as if it were just fashion, as if diversity were something just for profit, as if it wasn't part of someone's experience.

Appreciate and even utilize art from other cultures made by people from those cultures, and when someone from that culture is saying that what you're doing (without even knowing what you're doing) is cultural appropriation and racism, shut up and listen. It's not about you.

Nishat suffered racism and homophobia in a hellish way. She saw other people using her culture to win a competition and profit /while/ they were racist and violent towards her at the same time that she had to deal with her own friends saying that her discomfort was victimism and childishness. It's no wonder that she had no desire to respond to the violence, because even her own friends saw her pain as nonsense or selfishness. No one cared what she had to say, or her feelings.

I am genuinely happy to have followed the development of these people, especially Nishat's parents. Her parents, whose story made Nishat muster the courage to come out to them, but who were ashamed of their own story and didn't want Nishat to be the shame of their family like they were to hers. However, they really sought to understand, they tried hard to change their limited mindset and support their daughter.

I understand their fear of also not wanting their daughter to suffer from gossip, rejection and other violence, because I've heard my own mother say that too, but after someone brought her out to the entire school, I believe this made them start to put Nishat's safety and happiness first. And it was actually really nice to read, it reminded me of how my mother reacted to me being a lesbian.

Her reaction was the same as Flávia's mother, in fact, but the way Nishat's parents went about studying the community out of love for their daughter reminded me of my mother. It was really cute to read them worrying about what Flávia would want to eat for dinner.

As for Flávia, her development is also very good. I didn't really like how oblivious she was to the racism and bullying that Nishat suffered, it made me very uncomfortable, mainly because her cousin is precisely the person who did all this to her the most, but I believe that she improved a lot like everyone else there, she recognized her mistakes and would be someone who would continue to improve after the end of the book.

I really liked how the author addressed xenophobia against Brazilians too. I don't know if you, foreign moots, have any idea, but, as Brazil is known as the country of Carnival, Football and Funk, foreigners (mainly Americans and Europeans) end up relating these things to mess and bitching, also adding to the fact that they see us as a people incapable of forming complex thoughts (there have literally been Europeans saying that either you are Brazilian or you are a thinking being), and those who suffer most from this are women.

Latina women in general already suffer from a lot of sexism, and speaking as an afab Brazilian, I know how sexualized Brazilian women are, seen as someone who would accept anything and treated like stupid, quarrelsome bitches.

Flávia is a black, bisexual and Brazilian woman, the stereotype gets even worse with people like her.

The author portrayed this very well, she perfectly showed how much Flávia feels out of place in Ireland and uncomfortable because she is fully aware that being Brazilian makes her a very big target of sexism there, while also showing that her dual nationality makes her also have some identity crisis.

The characters in this book will definitely remind you of at least one person you knew in real life, and I think it's impossible for you not to identify with anything there or not feel welcomed/represented.

[just-antithings]

In terms of genuinely problematic art, I'd like people to look up "Authors Behaving Badly - TJ Klune" on YouTube

Slight correction (not same anon, but I've watched the video anon is talking about): Cerulean Sea was inspired by the Sixties Scoop, which "was a period in which a series of policies were enacted in Canada that enabled child welfare authorities to take, or "scoop up," Indigenous children from their families and communities for placement in foster homes, from which they would be adopted by white families" (Wikipedia). It's different from the residential schools but no less horrifying.

Klune found out about the Sixties Scoop by clicking on different wikipedia articles to read them. He felt inspired, but he also didn't want to write a historical fiction book based on it, as he's a white man and didn't feel like it was his place. Instead, he took part of the event (children being taken from their homes and placed into foster homes) and put it into a fantasy setting.

On it's own, the idea isn't uncommon in fantasy settings. Iirc, The Night and it's Moon uses a similar idea for part of the story, where the nun(?) running an orphanage buys children (fairy-related ones I think?) to later sell. Before Klune's interview, even those that saw a connection between what was happening in Cerulean Sea and the Sixties Scoop thought it was a coincidence.

Now, some things Klune has said in his interview is... not malicious but I'd argue tone-deaf and ignorant. Like when he says how in his book, the kids are stolen due to fear, and the way he says this makes it sounds like he's saying this about bigotry in general, which is a common stance but not right and puts the onus on those of us who are marginalized to be "not scary" or my beloathed "one of the good ones."

And in the video, the booktuber mentions how people are critiquing the sequel of Cerulean Sea, how it's coming out in September, which is Indigenous Heritage Month, and the booktuber claims that this seems to be Klune "doubling down" on how he's done nothing wrong. She (the booktuber) also claims that the fact that orange is a prominent color on the sequel's cover is also proof of this, due to Orange Shirt Day in Canada (which is a day to raise awareness about the residential schools). Two problems I immediately see about this claim: When going through a publisher, it's the publisher who chooses the release date, not the author, and on the cover is a phoenix (firebird?). Now, I haven't read Cerulean Sea (other than "it's gay," it didn't sound like something that would interest me), but based on fanart I've seen, a phoenix or firebird is very important to the story or one of the characters, and being on fire, of course it's going to be at least mostly orange. So this part at least is a reach, and based on the booktuber's past videos, I'm disappointed but not surprised she didn't at least entertain these arguments, especially when she does research for these videos.

Again, I did not read Cerulean Sea, I don't plan on reading the sequel, and I'm not indigenous. And while I'm not always the mentioned booktuber's biggest fan (she does make a lot of good points in plenty of her videos, and she's still miles better than others in being willing to admit when she's been wrong or reactionary, such as in her review for Ninth House), so take what I've said with a grain of salt.

The booktuber also brings up how Klune has been willing to learn and change with another book of his, and based on the quotes I've seen from him, I really think he's being ignorant, but not malicious. I do think his books can be criticized as being "white savior"-y after what's been learned from his interview, especially when there have been people who had already made the connection even before Klune verified his inspiration.

.

[haejjoon]

Hi I’ve been really enjoying your art and ex machina and I’ve been reading through the asks and I wanted to share my thoughts on something that’s been coming up.

Ok I love Makoto- she is my bae, i romanced her on my first play through and I still love her. That being said… I HATE that she still plans to be a cop. And I do think she’s smart but you’re right that it’s mostly booksmarts and she is rather impulsive at times, but I think that’s ok. They should probably try to stop shoving the idea that she’s smart down our throats tho, but I have to say I find it very relatable as one of the “smart” kids in my high school friend group. When you get told you’re smart like that, your whole identity depends on it. And I think they could’ve explored that a lot more rather than shifting the focus to Eiko. And the fact that Sae’s palace didn’t have a cognitive Makoto or anything feels like such a letdown (tho I love that palace).

Btw she did figure out the phantom thieves enough to know to follow us around but just didn’t blackmail us until she had proof so there’s that.

But yes makoharu! And in an ideal world, I think she’d be a great teacher like Kawakami once kawakami stops being a maid.

To reiterate I’m really enjoying your content and I do agree with a lot of the points about Makoto I just love her anyway lol

hi rose!! thanks for liking my content it really does mean the world to me aaa ❤️❤️

i agree with ur points about makoto being stereotyped as the smart one. i'd also been branded as one of Those Kids growing up, and like makoto, it was really hard breaking out of that mold and creating an identity for myself that wasn't just about grades or studying. heck, that's probably the biggest reason as to why she's so popular in the first place: she's relatable, and realistic in her struggles. i absolutely adore that aspect of her, and plan to expand on it a Lot More in ex machina.

that being said ... again, she had so much potential, and ended up falling flat because they couldn't decide on what they wanted her character to be. i'd say she suffers from burnt out gifted kid syndrome, but she doesn't even quite fit the bill—she's still a gifted kid, through and through, and remains having excellent grades even with juggling thieves work and other things. it almost makes me wish she did suffer from it once she awakened to her persona—she realizes that she doesn't find the point of studying and grades, and loses her only reliable pillar of identity with that realization. it would've made for such a lovely character arc.

(she did figure out the phantom thieves to stalk protag but to be fair, they did make it... very easy. i mean. who else wouldve fit the bill other than the three misfits who had PERSONAL ISSUES with their first target LMAO)

i agree that she wouldve made an excellent teacher!!!! i'd totally see her as a uni professor, teaching law or philosophy to the bright eyed youngins of the next generation...

im glad you like her so much, genuinely :] she's not a bad character by any means, just an unfortunate one. crossing fingers that atlus will do a better job with tying up loose set ups in their future games <3

[whenyourlightdims]

I think the only people who follow me are the ones knowing me from my other blogs.

Except that this place is pretty much my void to shout my feelings, but I don't want to make anyones day sad, so I put it under the cut. Just keep scrolling.

I do think about leaving Tumblr. Like, not just a quick thought, I have been thinking that for a few weeks.

Tldr.: Blogs will probably be queue powered, and I only look occasionally in here to check if a mutual posted something cool or contacted me.

Before anything, it's nobodies fault, not the anons or open blogs that sidestabbed me out of the corner.

What drew me back here in the first place was the social aspect I had so many people to talk to! But within a month, many got burned out or had no time to anymore. Then those who still were there moved on to other fandoms. Of course, for something to be that long in everyones mind, Larian sure did a great job!

So yeah. I feel lonely. That's the gist of the whole post here.

The BG3 roleplay community is something I am not able to fit in. I really hoped, I really enjoyed it, I loved drawing little silly comics to what was written. That was what actually got me into drawing comics, and for that, I will be forever grateful. But yes, I really tried and kept successfully failing at it. So either it's my English (not native tongue, so my writing could be horrendous and I don't know it.) Or Ceres (and Tae) are just not someone that fits (everyone I approached) the general taste, which is... unlucky. I don't know. But it is me who is the problem, sadly I will never find out what it is.

In the end, it is nobody's fault. It's a me problem. I am not sure how to tackle it anymore.

Then there is the Galemancer community I adore. The tags and comments on my little switch-aroo Gale videos were genuinely wonderful. Addictive! I was laughing at them loudly and had to explain to my partner, which tags or comments it were this time that made me cackle. Outside of Tumblr, I barely found people who liked him, so it was a wind of fresh air! However, I am out of content for videos I could create, and there are better gif and screenshot makers out there for Gale content. I haven't seen anyone who has yet made the videos, but I am sure that will come too since his popularity is now rising!

But I did pretty much everything I could with the Content Larian gave us, and with me running out of it, the interactions there pretty much died down. I keep reblogging, of course! After all thats what my blog was created in the first place, for me to shout into a void how much I love the wizard, so Gale art, fics, and creations of all kinds are filled in my queue!

Now to the most depressing topic. Art. Well... Art is sadly a thing that never worked on me on any platform. For an artist to be fed the good chemicals, art needs to be seen, and to be seen, it needs to be reblogged or retweeted or whatever the term on each side is. I know my art is not good, nor will it be ever good enough to be considered worth sharing. For that, I am not creative enough.

I love my friends reaction to the art I draw, so I will keep drawing, but sharing it immediately on Tumblr? I don't really feel like it anymore. Especially since I gathered mostly Galemancer and Art that's not Gale or horny Gale related gets ignored. (It really hurts)

Again. Nobodys fault except mine. It was my little Dom!Gale who gave me most followers! They came for the smut I barely provided.

I did get a few Patreons, which is amazing. For someone with disability it made a huge impact, not money wise - of course the money is nice - but more about having people out there who say "your art is worth 3usd a month" does give you a really nice feeling. Like... I am allowed to exist: I am contributing to society. It's hard to explain, but maybe someone out there understands what I am talking about.

Anyway, on Bsky, I cultivated a very small following of people who genuinely follow me for my art and ideas, not for Gale exclusive things.

And yet, I am still here. I am writing this and feel really dumb why I am even writing it. It's clear Tumblr is not my space. Not that any social media ever was. But I guess Bsky is the thing that comes the closest for me.

So yeah. If I am suddenly stopping or the blogs die down. At least 5 followers here can check this blog if they remember, and find this post.

[martyrette]

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ Alternatives 2 AI Art ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

So, the AI Art discussion has been a huge hot topic for not only the WoW RP community, but the entire internet as we know it. Because we are such a creative community, it’s no wonder people want aesthetically pleasing visuals for their characters. However, not everyone has the finances for a commission or wants to slap down $100+ dollars for a fully rendered full body.

But in turn, AI Art steals artists’ pieces - most often without their knowledge. I’m not here to shame people who’ve used AI Art, but rather come together with others in the WoW RP community in order to bring awareness viable free & paid substitutes for people.

This post will be split into 3 sections: free, paid and DIY, each with an example! Links for each resource will be below.

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ Free Visuals ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Below is a collect of 'doll' or 'dress up' sites that offer hundreds of different genres to dress up and create your own unique design with. Artists are constantly uploading new games all the time. Though majorly fem dominated, there are some good masc and andro ones!

Picrew

{Avatar Creator}

https://picrew.me/en

Azalea’s Dolls

{Dress-Up}

https://www.azaleasdolls.com

Doll Divine

{Dress-Up}

https://www.dolldivine.com

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ Paid Visuals ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

OKAY B4 YOU GO OFF (｡Ŏ ᗜ Ŏ ̆ ｡)

You can find some affordable artists to commission on these sites and even pay WoW gold for some. I tried to accommodate for those who are probably like me and a poor ass college student. Just hear me out, homie-

Artists & Clients

{Commissions}

A freelancing site where you can hire from a number of artists. There's checks and balances in place to make sure either or doesn't get scammed. Different artists will have different rules, commissions, expectations, etc. My experience with it has been good so far though and you can find art for most budgets!

https://artistsnclients.com

Fivver

{Commissions}

Another freelance site where artists offer up their services. Fivver is a little hit-or-miss in my opinion and there are people offering AI Art commissions on here as well.

However, you can really find some hidden gems for good prices!

It’s not limited to art either! There's other services you can purchase as well.

https://www.fiverr.com

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ DIY ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

They say if you want something done, do it yourself! Below is my inner Pinterest girl having a love child with my Roleplayer. All of the tools/sites I've added below are free, so you won't have to worry about the cost of it. So get your impractical DIY on. ~(˘▾˘~)

Photo Editing

{Photography}

Not all of your references have to be drawn. You can edit photos to make your character! Hell, all you really need is MSPaint at most.

https://www.gimp.org

https://picsart.com

Moodboards

{Photography}

✨AeStHeTiC✨- Moodboards are like little collages you put together of photos that relate to your character! You can add snips of text, locations important to your OC, outfits, features, you name it! You can find tons of photos here on Tumblr for it, as well as Pinterest and Weheartit, then mush them together in an editing software!

https://www.pinterest.ca

https://weheartit.com/about/app

Face Claims

{Photography}

If you’re apart of the Tumblr crowd, you already know about these. It’s like, picking an actor for your OC in a way! There’s HUNDREDS of Tumblr accounts dedicated to cataloging public figures for face claims - by description too! I’ll put their accounts down below so you can all get some ideas!

Draw

{Art}

It sounds a little silly saying it, but genuinely try picking up art yourself! Draw your own character with your own little gremlin RP hands. Roleplay was a very big driving force for me learning art in my youth. All you need to pencil and paper! There’s also plenty of free drawing programs you can use as well when starting out!

Also check with your local community centres, as many often provide free or cheap art classes!

https://firealpaca.com

https://www.clipstudio.net/en/

https://krita.org/en/

I hope this post has been helpful and given people even more tools to enhance their roleplay experience.

Until my next masterpost (or shitpost). P.S Sorry it took so fuckin' long to make I'm a slow poke. o7

[roosterbox]

Well. Well well well.

It’s December 14th, 2022.

And, I don’t know if you know this, but today is an important anniversary. What is it, you may ask? Don’t fret - I will tell you.

It’s only the ten year anniversary of the publication of my favorite Arthur/Eames fic of all time! And, having read it several times throughout those ten years, I have a lot of things to say about it. So sit back and relax as I wax poetic on this amazing fucking story. Cheers!

(It should go without saying but, spoilers!)

Emotion. Let’s start there, because it might be the hardest to quantify in any sort of simplistic way. The first third or so of the story, mainly set up until you get to the real MEAT, is just a building lamentation of a relationship so far out on the rocks it’s practically lost at sea. And it hurts, man. Not only because A/E is one of my forever ships and I’ve read so many happy fics of them over the years, but also because it feels real. Not contrived in any way.

And emotions segues nicely into my next point: characterization. Simply, it is on point. Their issues and arguments are very real too, and seem to come from places of genuine hurt, but also deep love. Neither one is right or wrong. That moment when Arthur articulates one of his deeper hurts - that despite his best efforts to be a good partner, Eames still pulled away from him - oof. Almost an actual physical pain in my heart. Fanon!Arthur has always been incredibly relatable to me, and seeing/reading him being so vulnerable? Ouch, but in the best way.

As for the plot, and tropes therein, it’s a real keeper. One of my absolute favorite types of stories, particularly romantic stories, are the ones of relationships repaired, set anew, but not forgetting what came before. I call it ‘relationship kintsugi.’ Kintsugi, if you don’t know, is the art of repairing broken pottery with gold lacquer. The bowl (or cup or plate) is fixed up to work good as new, but the cracks are still visible. And one could argue that the reminder of previous breaks only strengthens the overall shape of the pottery. In the relationship version, it’s the idea that no matter the fracture, there’s always a chance to build it back up. Build it up, but leave the gold lines to remind yourself that you don’t want to go back to the same relationship you had before - you want it to be better (which is pretty much an exact quote from Eames in this story). And of course, setting it at Christmas time and New Year, traditionally a time of togetherness and new beginnings, is just the icing on an already delicious cake.

One more thing I appreciate about the plot is its pacing. No element feels rushed or misplaced. From their initial argument, to their gradually increasing intimacy, to their first post-breakup kiss, to their lovemaking, to the ending. It’s believable at every step of the way. And the slow build up makes the eventual catharsis of the above moments almost explode off the page.

Some other personal favorite moments for me:

When Eames first calls Arthur after getting snowed in. Arthur, still feeling raw and hurt both from their argument/break up and from thinking Eames has been cheating, wonders aloud if Eames doesn’t have ‘somewhere else’ he could stay (obviously thinking about his lover); Eames’ answer is a quietly confused “uhhhh no?”

The initial hashing out of their issues. The entirely necessary purging of razor-sharp emotions that leaves both in a heap on the floor, especially Arthur.

“There was never anyone else - it was always you, Arthur.” And any other time Eames makes it crystal clear that no matter what, he wants no one else.

The exchange of meaningful gifts, that leads to two very important kisses.

The tiniest of tiny details, like Eames’ love of peach yogurt. Now, whenever I see that flavor, I think of this story.

The small moments that lead them to sharing a bed again at last (though at that point, only for literal sleeping together).

“Can I take you to bed, my love?”

The ending. I’m spoiling a lot of this fic, but I’m not spoiling that. Tremendous.

I think I might have said all I needed to say. Or all I could say. Articulating feelings is hard for me sometimes. And when the feels are particularly strong, doubly so. Hence why I hardly ever leave comments on fics - it’s not that I didn’t love the fic, it’s just that I have no earthly idea what to say. So if the ending to this little essay feels at all abrupt, now you know why. Put simply, I adore this story. It’s everything I could ever want in a romance - established relationship (but one that feels new thanks to being rebuilt), realistic emotions, characters being expanded upon far far more than anything in their canon universe, a slow burn that never lingers too long, and of course, a highly cathartic happy ending.

It’s as perfect as fanfiction can get, and it’s my unequivocal and inimitable favorite Inception story of all time. I can’t believe it’s ten years old today. If you haven’t already, please give it a read.

(side note: I hope I haven’t thoroughly embarrassed the author by being a tad overzealous in my love for this fic! If so, I apologize; ten years is a long time for me to build up appreciation for your skill, my friend.)

[celiaelise]

Not to be melodramatic, but I'm realizing that I've never related to discussions of writer's/artist's block bc I've never not been blocked, by this feeling that I can't or shouldn't make something.

Like, I think executive dysfunction definitely plays a part, but there's also this deeply ingrained perfectionism that I can trace directly back to my mother, which tells me that I shouldn't bother doing something if I can't do it well. It's funny, because I know those instincts come from her professional training, (she's an architect/project manager) but they were somehow misplaced onto the creativity of a small child.

I'm genuinely envious of people who can just do art or crafts simply because they experience an urge to. I feel like most of those urges have been suppressed so far down inside of me as to be nearly undetectable.

I have an idea, and then immediately the questions come: what are the best materials for this? Where can I get them? How much will they cost? What research do I need to do to supplement any knowledge I may lack? Where is the best place to find that information? Who has done something similar, and how did they do it? Are we sure it's not too similar? Will I really follow through with this project? What will the end result be? What will i do with it, once i have it? Will it even be worth the trouble? What will other people think? What assumptions will they make about me because of it?

And this doesn't manifest as an anxiety spiral. This, like, IS my creative process. I will grant it's not very productive, which is why I never make anything.

idk it's just like the part of me that would chase the urge to create got stamped out so young...

[goneloot]

UI design and Themes

UI sucks amirite. Since this game is an RPG, menus are one of the most important parts of the game since you’re gonna be seeing those menus a lot.

First is the functional side of things. Since in this game you need to aim your attacks, having to choose from a list menu then aim would mess with the flow so much. So, I made it so the transition from menu to aiming was seamless: a radial menu! Which also works thematically since now it’s a circular menu where you aim with your hands, like a clock!

That’s the other part, the visual flare. Since I wanted the menus are so important, I wanted them to not be generic menus. That’s where the themes of the game come into place! If you design your menu as “just a menu” it will look like that, a boring generic menu. If you want to design something that isn’t generic, you must think of a specific idea.

So that’s why almost every menu is love, apples or time themed.

The HP bars? Clocks and some flowers to represent apples. The evolution for the idea, at different stages (The bottom one is the final one).

Same for the foes’ HP bar. Also a clock. The first version was clearer on that theme, but it was ugly sooo.

The Dialogue Box? Clock. I don’t have the old designs for it, but I know I designed a couple before settling into this.

The options menu? Obviously apples. (And also the modifiers button? A polaroid. The back arrow? A Clock too.)

And so on and so forth.

So that’s my advice, I guess. Get a good theme and stick to it.

If you have a shallow theme the design will come out shallow, but if you have a very particular design theme it’ll come out unique. Maybe not good because , but at least unique.

The theme, of course, should relate to what you want your project to be. It doesn’t even have to be anything deep, at all, but you should have something.

Not to be mean, but I genuinely think that if your piece of art has nothing to say, has no themes to convey -even if those themes are as simple as “friendship”, “adventure” or whatever- I think you should reconsider. Thematic depth is not the opposite of fun and, at least to me, makes media much more engaging. Even if those themes are purely visual aesthetic. Even if those menus are just a clock hidden in every piece of UI.

If you want to experience the stupid apple menus, you can do so here.

[sunvoids]

thinking about how a childhood friend messaged me yesterday, which was a very pleasant surprise as I was also just thinking about her the last week or so and how we chatted a bit to catch up a bit. I don't think I've seen her in person since like 6th grade. 7-9 years ago? not sure but it's been a long time, but we did also chat some years ago but very briefly

I always regretted not being able to keep contact back then, I never really learned how to make friends or keep them with my environmental circumstances, and somewhere I felt like I wasn't worth anyone's time or effort as I couldn't offer much back.

Those feelings sort of resurfaced a bit seeing her message and chatting with her, feeling like she didn't intend to message me or had genuine interest in talking with me because why would she?

thinking and feeling those feelings didn't prevent me from keeping the convo going, but I can't help but just feel like it's a bad idea to hope we might be able to reconnect, even though she also expressed she was also thinking of me recently.

She was very important to me growing up, she used to come by around Christmas to give me a present for some years I think. I never had anything to give back, but the gesture stays with me, and I still have a few of the things she gifted. I did one year come by to give her something back finally, but I don't remember what it was. Maybe a painting? I have a very fuzzy feeling I might've wrote a note too but I don't know for sure at all

anyway, she's studying design related stuff so I saw some stuff she's made, and I shared some stuff to from when I was studying, one including a moodboard where I also had drawn a character, and she said she could "recognize my DNA" in it from having seen my drawings way back when up to 6th grade, and that just struck me in a comforting way.

She could recognize "me" in my art.. that there's something in the way that I draw that stay intact as I also improve my skills, that she remembers and recognize a part of me that I'm at this point am very detached from. A part of me who wished I was better friends with her growing up and spent time with her back then. But still a part of me that affects the rest of me and kept me drawing

Even now I'm very hesitant to raise any hope we'll reconnect, but I am in a better place to try and not assume she doesn't want to talk when she's the one who's reached put a few times before because she wanted to share something that made her think of me

[soadghoniem]

Assignment 1

Khalik Allah is a visual artist who transitions between photography and cinema with equal ease. His aesthetic is very colorful, full of contrast and light, and it conveys a sense of urgency. According to Allah, who is self-taught in both media, "I didn't know that they were two separate things. I considered photography as a sort of filmmaking as well as the opposite.

Allah staked his photographic fame with the publication of Souls Against the Concrete. The book, which was released in 2017 by the University of Texas Press, includes personal and dramatic images of the New York City residents who frequent the area at night on or around the corner of 125th Street and Lexington Avenue. the light coming from stores and according to Allah in the book's preface, the portraits of "those who find themselves in the worst imaginable situation" pierce the souls with the omnipresent coloured lights of rescue vehicles. “But I recognize their invulnerability and I reflect it back to them. These are psychic x-rays. I consider my photographs energy charts. During my interaction with people, I measure frequencies of soul consciousness.” In addition, If the drama of a person can be seen behind his or her eyes, then the street serves as the stage for the "street opera" that Khalik Allah documents. Allah records the lives of his subjects, the majority of whom live on the streets of Harlem without a place to call home. These portraits act as a reflection of our greater society as well as an allegory for who these individuals are. The existence of so many people who are frequently ignored is visually told in Allah's images, and the voiceless are given a voice. In honor of Magnum Photos' 75th anniversary, Man Child by Khalik Allah was chosen from among these 31 pieces to take part in the third of a series of Square Print Sales that will examine the company's rich history from 1947 to the present. The Photographers' Gallery in London, which has invited 31 of the photographers it collaborates with to participate by submitting their own iconic photos, is the curator of the October sale. Allah and I recently got the chance to talk about this particular piece of art, its significance, and what it means for the artist to look into the souls of those we pass by on a daily basis.

KA: I call that picture Man Child because the child in this image really looks like he’s thinking like a full-grown man, even though he’s in a baby’s body. He got gold around his neck, a fresh pair of shoes, and a hat as if he dressed himself, and it just seems like, even at that young age, he has a level of maturity. I think that’s partially due to the reality that he’s faced with, his environment, and the circumstances that he will have to face growing up. When I see this child, I don’t just see an individual, I see the generations of men, women, and children that it took to create this child in an environment of so many struggles to face in order to even exist. Filmmaking and photography are merely mediums through which can be communicated the deeper spiritual ideas. Everything is actually light. Nowhere is there any darkness or shadows. You know, the way we view with our physical senses—especially our vision—isn't always reliable. Though all you'll see if you look through your heart is brightness. In terms of identifying the light, the inner light in other individuals, this is also a claim I'm making. By concentrating on the good in others, you strengthen your own inner goodness. My use of mathematics is essentially related to the idea that arithmetic is a language that everyone can understand. A scientific tool that deals with light in the form of an aperture is a camera's mechanism. Moreover, It can be difficult to gain someone's trust and permission to take their picture, but Khalik succeeds in doing so in a genuine and moving way that gives the viewer a window into the soul of lives that many people will never know. A few faces appear more than once, and most are taken in close-up. One visage that stands out is that of a homeless man going by the name of Frenchie.

Sources

[coffee-or-murder]

For the 69 asks:

Daffodil: 7, 17, 31, 45

Zimri: 2, 18, 46, 63

Olly: 4, 10, 20, 52

Danya: 28, 47, 56, 66

Daffodil 

7 - There’s a magic item made just for them–what is it? 

Fantasy Instagram and a set of hand held stone slabs for her and her girlfriends to use it OR A rapier that has charges of entangle or plant growth, themed like a rose with a thorn coming out of the petals. 

17 - They’re crying–what did it take to make them cry? 

She broke the string on her citole, doesn’t have any replacements or a way to fix it, inspiration has struck, and she has no means to utilize it properly. Cue the waterworks OR Her grandniece finally passes, which would be a much more genuine cry but also much less dramatic. More of a quietly start flowers blooming at her grave and mourn the loss. 

31 - Do they respond well to praise? How about criticism? 

Daffodil quite enjoys praise, especially if it relates to her art or coming from her muses. Criticism should be applied in a compliment sandwich, or she may take it to heart and either withdraw that aspect of herself from the equation (if it’s her muses saying it) or find a way to ruin their week (if a stranger says it). 

45 - What lies do they tell themselves? 

“My time in the wilds and those otherworldly courts with all of its pleasures were wonderfully engaging and –while I do miss my father painfully– I do not regret my meandering path through those deep woody archways. In the end it brought me to my muses in a future I could not have conceived, and I would be poorer for not knowing them. My father was always going to die before me after all. This way at least I did not have to witness it myself.”  

Zimri 

2 - What was your original concept for this character? How did playing them change that concept? 

Zimri hasn’t changed too terribly much personality wise! She’s always been a little dramatic and bougie, never shied away from using her natural assets to get what she wanted, etc. Originally her goal was to raise an army by gathering powerful people to free that man she loved from his father the archduke and his corrupt rule, and save her not-dad from having to follow the orders to hunt her down. Playing her made me rethink that idea a bit, and I haven’t totally settled on what I want from her backstory. Zimri is Under Renovations for now. 

18 - What dish brings back the best memories for them? 

The poor attempt at curry her patron and basically father Avi would make from time to time. As a duke he wasn’t well versed in cooking, but he would always make a plate for him and Zimri after a particularly long day. Zimri rarely ever ate all of it but the smell of mediocre curry still makes her think of him. 

46 - Have they taught themselves any skills just for fun? 

I like to think at some point down the line Zimri would have taught herself some basic sewing skills, mostly so she can alter her own clothes a bit. Otherwise all of her skills are for survival. 

63 - What's a meme or tiktok or vine (or whatever) that you associate with them? 

Olly 

4 - What one person, place, or thing do they love more then anything else? 

Person - Top five favorite people who all come in first place are Danya, Eden, Tsisa, Lemon, and Benji (his sisters, favorite cousin his age, favorite little cousin/baker, and his father figure) and you can’t make him choose.

Place - The hives on Danya’s land OR Rosalind’s sprawling gardens. 

Thing - His bees. He loves those little bees.  

10 - What inspired this character's creation? 

He started out as a mix between Squidward from Spongebob, Spencer from ICarly, and Coach Finstock from Teen Wolf. I knew I wanted to make the cousin that ran the bakery/cafe Lemon, and Olly was a great fit for the role of a tired grumpy secretly very soft bakery manager.  

20 - What attracts them to someone–platonically and/or romantically, anything counts. 

Platonically he tends to be drawn to people who are either a bit quiet or broody –because this man is a caretaker under all the grump– or able to match his occasional shit shitting mood with their own. Of course a good sense of humor goes a long way too. He doesn’t have much of a physical preference for his romantic partners, so it’s mostly down to vibes with Olly. Kindness and humor are the things that make him take notice of someone, then if he teases them and they either get flustered, tease back, or even better argue he’s caught. Why he likes kind of bossy goody types he’ll never know. 

52 -How would they dress themselves for a formal event? 

A well tailored suit with bee and magnolia accents as either lapel pins, cufflinks, or a wristwatch. Nice shiny but flexible leather shoes he’s scored the bottoms of for better grip. 

Danya 

28 - Do they collect anything? 

Anytime anyone brings her flowers she presses a couple of each type of bloom in books in her private office, a habit she picked up from Doran. Danya also quite likes collecting books in general, and has the second largest library outside of Rosalind’s in the main estate house. 

47 - What could they talk about for hours on end? 

Law. It would be a bit dry, but she could lecture for hours on legal processes and functions in The United Shires, how they were brought about, and how they differ between the five shires. Unfortunately she isn’t particularly talkative in the first place, so anything she would talk about at length would just be a lecture. She would much rather have someone else do the talking. 

56 - Who would they trust with their life, unequivocally? 

Eden, Olly, Benji, or Doran. If her adoptive mother was still alive she would also be on the list but she’s passed. 

66 - Which fruit do they like most? 

She is quite fond of yellow pears or pomegranates. Baked pears are one of her favorite desserts.

[grad604kaywee]

AGI Conference

Reflection and Notes:

Firstly, a big thank you to everyone involved and those who gifted the tickets to me and my fellow students. It was my first design event and it did not disappoint at all. The lineup of speakers and panels was excellent and all amazing designers or creatives. This event introduced me to so many names, people and studios that I never heard of before, from international and local areas. They also showed such a rich and amazing collection of design works and contexts that I could never come across all in one place. The experience was one that I'll remember for a long time, and will hopefully guide me into my future design and creative endeavors.

Some overall points and tips that stuck with me and most of the speakers agreed upon was that you need to have an open mind when designing, and be able to express yourself through your work somehow. I.e. some designers had side projects that are self initiated, while others have clients that allow them to express their passion into the projects.

Stefan Seigmeister:

The speaker I was most looking forward to was probably Stefan Seigmeister because I have seen his work the most and came across him in year 1 already. He has a very clearly unique design style and collection of work which drew me to him. His talk was also very inspiring. He talked about a current project that shows statistics from the past few hundred years to the present day, and how it shows us the positive change that has already happened in the world. This does not excuse the bad things that happen in the world today, but is to appreciate what we have now, and to show that the world has changed in a positive way already. He also made a very interesting point that people are drawn to negative things. People are more likely to read a newspaper filled with bad news, compared to good positive things, "Its just more interesting". This can be directed into our design thinking and planning for projects. Do I want to use this to my advantage and design something depressing so that it is more interesting or do I want to bring a small positive moment into their life etc.. His talk got me thinking about things like this and how I can apply them into my current and future works.

Taku Satoh:

Satoh was the first speaker of the event. He was very friendly and genuine and did a great job introducing us into the conference. He made some really interesting points on product design and tips that I can directly relate to for another course and my future design works. He showed an example of one of his own works for a whiskey bottle. The thinking behind the design was that the bottle has a basic and unoriginal form so that it may be reused around the house instead of thrown out and create waste. This idea relates really well to a current project designing a membership box. I have left it the box blank and rather simple with only a cutout resembling the logo, so that it may be reused and repurposed. This idea of repurposing can and should be used more often around product design to reduce waste.

Irene Pereyra:

Irene is a UX designer but had many very interesting points that can be carried across to graphic design. Firstly, a big point that she made, which can be quite contreversial, is that beauty over function. Her reasoning behind this is that when something is beautiful, people are much more forgiving if it doesn't function as well. Ofcourse people have a limit, so it does need to function as well. but beauty should be at the forefront. This idea makes a lot of sense to me. This can be applied almost anywhere in the world, throughout many different categories or areas. Another example, if someone is beautiful, people are much more likely to give up their seat on a bus for them over someone who is considered unattractive. This concept should be considered while designing something, whether it be considered usable or not.

Honorable mention: Paula Scher once said " brand design is making something recognisable,.."